𝐆𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐘 & 𝐆𝐎𝐑𝐄. ᵀᴴᴳ[1]

18

  

SAGE HAD NO INTENTION OF LEAVING THE HOUSE THE NEXT DAY, OR EVEN VICTORS' VILLAGE. He didn't want to be where people could look for him or gawk at him. So once they were done eating breakfast, despite Prim and Katniss' pleas for him to walk them to school, he returned to his room while their mother went with them.

Despite the stabbing pain in his leg, he stood before his closet sorting through everything that Marcel had sent back with him. He was surprised at how much of it actually looked like something he'd wear. None of it was too flashy, he had been intending to toss out anything that was but none of it was. So he grabbed a pair of jeans and a new shirt that he could pull on. Once he was dressed, he sat down on his bed to give his leg a bit of a break since the throbbing had become more consistent.

The rest of their supplies would be delivered in a few hours once the peacekeepers could bring it. However, Sage decided to make his way down stairs. In hopes of finding perhaps a bottle of whiskey that the house already had stowed away in the kitchen. That sounded like something that would have made it to the house in the first batch of supplies– as if they would all have a celebratory drink. However, before he could turn to go into the kitchen, by the time he was at the bottom of the stairs he had a clear view of their front door. Which his mother had left open, leaving the screen door to be the only thing keeping anything outside.

On the other side of the door, he saw Ella. Her back was turned to the door, and she looked like her arms were folded in front of her. Sage felt relieved, in all honesty since he had gotten back he hadn't given much thought to when he'd finally venchor out of the Village to go see her. He was actually worried about seeing her. For the same reason he had been worried about seeing his family for the first time.

"Ella?" Sage called out as he stepped off the last step and walked towards the door, as he reached the screen door he felt the corners of his mouth turning upwards into a smile. However, when she turned around she didn't have a smile on her face until she saw Sage. As soon as he pushed the door open her arms were firmly around his neck as she let out a sigh of relief.

"I can't believe you're really back." she said simply, not even loosening her grip around his neck. 

Sage sighed heavily, "Me either." he stated, hugging her tightly back. 

Ella took a small step back, placing a hand on either side of his face and taking a good look at him before hugging him again. "And it's actually you." she added, "I'm sorry I didn't come to see you at the train station. I...I thought you'd want to see your family first."

"I wouldn't have minded seeing you too." Sage replied, taking a step back and stepping aside. "Come on, I think there's still some breakfast in the kitchen."