Trust Me

The train ride was much shorter than I expected. I knew that the Capitol was a lot closer to District 1 than it was to District 4, but I wasn't expecting a mere 45-minute long train ride. When the train first pulled to a screeching stop, I found myself looking for some sign that the train had broken down.

"We're here," Adri said, smiling as he looked out the window. I could see the love in his eyes as he saw his beautiful city again, and I felt a pang of envy. Though there wasn't much for me in District 4, I wanted to see my city again, wanted to see the familiar faces welcome me back, wanted to cry with Kip's mother and tell him how brave he was. Finnick had already mailed the locket back to Kip's mother when I'd first come out of the arena, but I had wanted to deliver it to her personally.

I glanced out the window to see Adri's beloved District 1, and I had to admit, it was beautiful. It wasn't quite as rich and well-off as the Capitol, but it was miles beyond District 4. A crowd of people had gathered to see us step off the train, and as soon as the train had pulled to a stop they started to grow anxious. Shorter women pushed their way to the front, and parents pulled their children up on their shoulders to help them see -- much to the annoyance of the people behind them.

"Wow," I murmured softly, unsure if I was ready to walk out into such chaos.

Adri's hand found mine and he intertwined our fingers, giving my hand a light squeeze. "Are you ready?" He asked softly, his eyes running over my face with concern.

"Maybe." I said with a forced chuckle. I made myself turn away from the window and start towards the door, knowing that if I didn't start moving now, I'd never get myself to leave the train. Adri was by my side as the door whooshed open and we stepped out, hands still laced together, staring out at the throng of people.

Wild cheers erupted to greet us, and I winced as the sound hit my ears. Some people had even made signs -- some had our faces on them, others had our names, some had some mention of the Star-Crossed Lovers, and others simply said 'Welcome Home'.

Adri and I waved and blew kisses to the crowd before Bou escorted us to our own private car. One of the train operators shipped our luggage into the trunk of the car, and then just like that we were off. I couldn't look away from the window as I saw the beautiful land of District 1 -- my new home. There was beautiful crystal-clear water everywhere -- not unlike District 4 -- but this water was surrounded by soft white sand. The smell of crisp salty air washed in through the window -- again like District 4, but with a different edge to it. It was like someone had tried to recreate District 4, but couldn't quite get every last detail down perfectly.

The car pulled to a stop in front of one of the largest houses I'd ever seen outside of the Capitol. It was at least twice the size of the largest Victor's house back in District 4. The large front yard was filled with plush emerald green grass and was surrounded by a freshly painted white picket fence. There was a large billowy willow tree in front of the house and I could hear a set of wind chimes singing softly from the front porch. There was even a wrap=around porch complete with a porch swing, and I could see that the backyard of the house was right on the sandy shore of the beach. It was like a secluded paradise.

"Here you are, Mr. and Mrs...um, victor." The driver said, as if he had thought we were already married but forgotten our surname. "I should warn you, it can get a bit noisy in the morning. There's a school just down the road, and some kids walk this road to get to school."

Was that really the only thing wrong with this place? "That's fine." I said softly, stepping out of the car.

Adri was already pulling our luggage out of the trunk -- though after going through the Games and spending over a month in the hospital, we hardly had any luggage to speak of. The driver took off immediately after our stuff was out of the car, and I turned to face Adri with a pointed look.

The huge grin that had been playing at Adri's lips quickly faded. "Oh, no. What did I do now?"

"You still have to answer all of my questions." I hissed.

Adri's eyes widened. He grabbed the suitcases and quickly hurried up to the porch of the house, eager to get inside. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key that I hadn't seen before -- I wondered why I hadn't been given a key, but shooed the thought away, knowing I had to focus on Adri. He jammed the key into the lock and swung the door open, but I grabbed his arm firmly, pulling him out of the doorway.

"Not so fast." I grumbled.

Adri sighed and placed the suitcases inside the door before closing the screen door and taking a seat on the porch swing, inviting me to sit next to him. "Fine. I suppose we might as well get it all over with now."

I was surprised that he had given in so easily, but a smug grin settled upon my face. "First thing's first." I smacked him on the arm as hard as I could.

He blinked. "Is that really the hardest you can hit me? We need to work on your strength." He muttered, his brows furrowing together concernedly.

I glowered at him. "Not the point. You know how stupid it was of you to stab yourself, right? As if that wasn't bad enough, you made me stab you. I was about to ask the nurse to cut my hand off until I found out you were alive!"

Adri sighed. "I didn't expect you to be so devastated. I saw the security footage from your first outburst, when you first watched the tapes." He said quietly. "I didn't want to hurt you. Really, I didn't."

"Then why did you use my hand and my knife to stab you?" I said, trying to stay angry, though it was difficult when he already looked so remorseful.

"Because I felt as though I was the reason Ingrid had stabbed you. If you hadn't turned to face me, she never would have had the opportunity to grab your knife. It wasn't just that. If I hadn't kidnapped you on the first day, you would have stayed with your district partner, and you might have been able to protect him. Plus, I was being such a hypocrite. I told you I wouldn't sacrifice myself for you, that I would have to get used to the idea of killing you, that we would have to break our alliance before the Games were over so that we didn't get too close, yet I selfishly kept you close to me, despite the fact that it was hurting you. How could I have done that to the girl I love?"

"But you didn't love me then." I said, still not entirely convinced he loved me now. It all seemed too surreal, and it was still quite likely he was just playing along for President Snow's benefit.

"Not at first. You intrigued and amused me ever since I first saw you, but I always thought you were too stubborn and outspoken for me to get along with. There were a few times I wished that there had been tape in the pack so I could have taped your lips shut." He said with a smirk.

I glared at him. "You're not helping your case," I muttered.

He chuckled and ruffled my hair. "But somewhere along the way, I fell in love with you. My sweetheart began to grow on me. I think the first time I realized it was the night you took my watch shift. I was too worried about you missing sleep. I couldn't figure out why I was so concerned about you getting enough sleep. I didn't want to love you because I knew that it would make things far too complicated for both of us. That's why I was so angry that morning. But of course, you somehow managed to cheer me up with the ensuing fight where you tried to push me off the sleeping bag, and you nearly got us both burned to a crisp after almost rolling us into the fire. I wanted to stay angry with you -- if I was angry, I could deny any feelings I might have had for you. But you make it too damn hard to hate you." He said with a slight smirk.

My stomach fluttered nervously upon hearing this, but I tried to play it off. I flicked my hair over my shoulder and leaned back. "Yeah, it's the 'Winnie' charm. It draws people in like moth to a flame." I said coolly.

Adri raised an eyebrow. "Don't push it, 4."

"Technically, I'm 1 now." I reminded him.

He kissed my forehead and chuckle. "You'll always be 4 to me." He murmured. His lips moved down to mine, and he kissed me smoothly, his fingers trailing up my knee to my thigh.

I was starting to get distracted, I realized quickly. "No. I'm still mad at you." I said, pushing him off quickly.

He groaned. "Why?" He muttered, sitting back with a frustrated sigh.

"Why did you stab yourself? You couldn't have known that the Game makers would save us in time to keep us alive. You couldn't have known that I hadn't lost too much blood, you couldn't have known that you wouldn't have died before the Game makers could save you, and you couldn't have known that the Game makers would let the two of us out together...there's just too much you couldn't have known." I accused.

He sighed. "Do you want the truth?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, lie to me." I drawled sarcastically.

He gave me a pointed look. "No need to be so bitter," He said. "To be honest, I didn't know that you would make it. I didn't know that I would make it. Even if we did survive, I didn't know that the Game makers would let us both out. I knew nothing, except that I couldn't live with myself if you died. It would haunt me for the rest of my life. I knew I wouldn't be able to take it, that my life would be hell if I made it out of there and you didn't, so...I took your knife and, well, you know the rest."

"No. You didn't take my knife, you took my knife and kept it in my hand and made me do the dirty work." I reminded him, glowering at him.

He sighed. 'Yes, yes. But the point is, I didn't know anything except that it would be too painful for me if you died."

His words sank in, and I felt bad about making that bitter remark. I glanced down at my hands, unable to meet his gaze. "You're lying, aren't you? You're just trying to seem sweet and thoughtful."

Adri scoffed. "I stabbed myself for you, sweetheart. I can't lie about that."

I couldn't find anything to say, and I was hyper-aware of him shifting closer to me. His leg brushed against mine and his hands lifted my face up to his. "Am I forgiven now?" He asked, pulling my face closer so the only thing I could see was him.

"I'll let you off the hook this once," I whispered, unable to find enough power in my voice. "But try to kill yourself again, and I might just finish the job for you."

He chuckled and pressed his lips to mine. I could feel myself melting as I gave myself in to him. We were finally truly alone. No cameras in the arena broadcasting this kiss to all of Panem, no nurses hovering over us, no hospital security cameras monitoring us...just Adri and me, together in our new house -- a little piece of paradise. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him tighter to me, wanting to feel every inch of his skin against mine, unable to get enough of him. He pulled my legs around his waist before suddenly standing up, one of his arms under my legs to hold me up and the other wrapped around my waist. He somehow managed to open the screen door and carried me inside, somehow able to navigate his way up the set of stairs leading to the upper floor of the house.

He set me back on a large king bed, which had been made with the finest silk sheets I’d ever felt – but of course, the sheets weren’t exactly my main priority right now. I ran my fingers up Adri’s chest and across his shoulders, running them through his hair and shivering. He gently forced my lips open, snaking his tongue into my mouth and wrestling with my own tongue. My brain clouded over in a thick fog of desire, my thoughts growing less coherent and more primal.

He suddenly pulled his lips off mine, and I almost wanted to yell at him for doing that. He smirked, obviously seeing my look of disappointment. He leaned closer to me, his lips brushing against my ear, and he whispered softly, “Marry me.”

I froze, unsure if I’d heard him correctly. My brain raced a mile a minute, trying to figure out what I wanted. I loved him, he loved me, and our survival was dependent upon us getting married at some point or another. But was it what I truly wanted?

“Marry me because you love me. Marry me because I love you. Don’t do it because of the Capitol or because you feel obligated. Do it for us.” His voice was silky, his breath tickling my skin as he spoke. His words seemed to almost reply to my unspoken concerns, like he knew exactly what was going through my head.

I paused for another moment, my eyes running over his face as I tried to figure out a coherent and eloquent reply.

“Winnie Nova, will you marry me?” He asked again, pressing his lips gently to the hollow under my ear.

I couldn’t think of more than one word to answer him by this point. “Yes,” I breathed.

“I’m so glad. I was—” Adri began.

“Shut up and kiss me.” I instructed quickly, needing to be closer to him.

He let out a throaty chuckle, pulling his lips back a fraction of an inch. “If you say so,” He said, crushing his lips against mine. The fog of desire settled back over my brain as his mouth danced with mine so smoothly, and my fingers reached down, fumbling hastily with his belt buckle before throwing it aside. He quickly unbuttoned my blouse and threw it alongside his belt, and I peeled his shirt off him eagerly, breaking the kiss for just a second to pull it over his head. I could feel his chest on mine. Skin on skin, the way it seemed like it should be – it felt so right. I relished in the feeling of his large warm chest on mine, his chest pressing gently against mine with every inhale. I could feel the thud of his heartbeat against my breast. My fingers lingered on the button of his jeans and he rested his forehead on mine, staring into my eyes. As eager as I was to strip him down – and believe me, I was extremely eager – it seemed like this moment was too beautiful to break.

“I love you,” I whispered, breaking the beautiful silence.

“I love you, too.” He replied, kissing my nose with a soft chuckle.

My fingers started to run themselves through his hair when a loud clatter emanated from the window. Adri groaned and rolled off me, walking over to the window. I was by his side in seconds and glanced out to see a group of kids on their way back from school. They tried to throw rocks at our window, but very few rocks actually landed.

One child saw our face and pointed up at us. “It’s them!” He cried.

All the kids gave us a thumbs-up and started singing the Capitol anthem, a little off tune but still cute all the same.

Adri and I watched them with a smile on our face. More children gathered by their side and joined in the song, and before I knew it a few parents had gathered to watch us, too.

“I guess we should go down and say hello,” Adri murmured.

I sighed and smiled. “Our other plans will have to wait,” I said with a slight sigh, and we slipped our clothes back on before heading out to greet the crowd.

Later that evening, I was out lying on the sandy beach shore enjoying the beautiful sunset by myself. Adri had gone for a run – how people could enjoy running was far beyond me – and I had taken the opportunity to have some peace of mind. I had slathered myself in ridiculous amounts of sunscreen, refusing to let the sun burn or freckle me, and was enjoying the scent of sea air and sunscreen. It was an odd combination, but it reminded me of all the summers I’d spent back home.

I felt a pair of hands clasp around my wrist, and my eyes bulged open to look up at Adri. I hadn’t even heard him approach. “Where’s the fire?!” I demanded.

He chuckled. “You’re so easy to startle.” He murmured, grinning. Sweat clung to him, beading on his forehead and gleaming off his skin in the setting sun’s orange light. I felt like I was in paradise with this beautiful boy on this beautiful beach in this beautiful sunset.

I closed my eyes and laid back. “Very funny,” I murmured.

He scoffed. “I didn’t do it just to scare you. There’s something I want to show you.” He pressed.

I peeked open one eye. “What is it?”

“It’s a surprise.” He said with a boyishly playful half-grin.

I pursed my lips thoughtfully for a few moments. “No.” I said finally, closing my eye and smiling smugly.

Adri sighed. “Right, so that’s how you want to do things.” A pair of arms locked around my waist and suddenly the sandy ground fell away from under me. Something warm and soft was on my stomach, and it took me a second to realize that Adri had quickly thrown me over his shoulder.

“I do not consent to this!” I growled, crossing my arms and glowering at his back, though I knew he couldn’t see it.

“You’ll thank me later.” He promised me. He turned back to the direction he’d come from and started sprinting back down the beach. After a few moments, the soft sand of the beach turned to grassy and rocky shores and the ground grew more uneven. He kept running for a few moments before stopping and setting me down facing him.

“What is it?” I started to turn away.

“Not yet,” He pressed, a gleeful spark in his eye. He gently covered my eyes with his hands and lead me across the ground. It felt uneven, like it was sloping upwards, and the soft grass tickled the soles of my feet. He came to a stop and whispered in my ear, “Look.”

His hands pulled away from my eyes and I glanced down to see that I was standing at the top of a cliff that overlooked the sea below. The waves crashed up against the base of the cliff and the cool sea air greeted my skin, gently blowing my hair behind me. It felt like a scene from one of the glamorous movies I’d seen back in the Capitol.

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered.

“I used to come here when I was younger. I didn’t know it was so close to our new home.” He said. ‘Our new home’. The words made happy butterflies stir through my stomach.

“Maybe we can have a picnic here tomorrow,” I suggested, turning to leave.

He smirked. “Oh, no. That’s not why I brought you here. We’re going cliff-diving.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could get one word out his arm had snaked itself around my waist and he had leapt over the edge of the cliff. Air soared around me and my brain felt like it was trying to force its way out of the crown of my head.

“Are you crazy?” I yelled over the whoosh of the wind, pulling myself closer to Adri despite the overwhelming urge to punch him in the face.

He kissed my forehead and, right before we broke the surface of the water, whispered two words into my ear: “Trust me.”