🅴🆂🆃🅴🅻🅻🅰 woke up due to the bustling sounds of an animal cry, a cry that made her heart jump and her blood freeze. She got up from the cold ground of the burrow and adjusted her sight around her. She was disoriented and her eyes were still a little blurry. By the hint of it, the early morning was still and silent, except for that cry.
Shifting her head around to seek Aries who she notice is missing. She looked for the burrow entrance, finding it well hidden under the leaves of the forest. Another animal call sounded in the air, and this time Estella was sure she was right. She smelled the scent of things that could have been blood or flesh.
Estella paused to listen to the sound of the cry and decide whether she should get up or stay down. Choosing to stay, she started moving around, careful of her back wound. "Aries?" She called out in a soft tone as her morning voice was grungy and she lacked the energy to match with nature. She heard the cry again and this time it was closer to her.
"Aries?" She called once more, this time earning a response from the male and a thud of the animal she had guessed. "Finally awake, sleeping beauty?" Aries commented as he stepped into the burrow with a smile on his face. "How long have I been sleeping?" She questioned, still trying to get aware of what was going on.
"Well, I don't know how you would feel about this but I'm not sure how long it's been. It could have been an hour or even a full day." Aries remarked as he looked at the sleepy Estella. He wasn't keeping count of the time and sometimes the game makers like to mess up the schedule.
"What?" Estella lifted her head and looked at Aries with wide eyes. She looked down at her, still in a terrible state with dried blood and partially half-naked as the only thing covering her chest was still her jacket that wasn't even zipped.
She saw nothing wrong with it, especially with the heat of the burrow but Aries wasn't fully comfortable, he was still a young male with rising hormones. "Lucky for you, I found a waterfall nearby to wash up. Dennis got us some sponsors too. New clothes and an antidote for that wound," Aries explained as he noticed the sense of touch down, noting the slightly warm and sticky wetness that was coming from her jacket.
"The blood is still leaking out," Estella commented as her eyes landed on her body, the clear trail of her fresh blood and if followed, it would lead to the poison stab wound on her back. "Hm, do you feel like moving? Or do I need to carry you to the waterfalls?" Aries asked as he had a sincere concern for her wound.
Estella's eyes turned to Aries with a look that showed her indecision and thought. "I can carry myself, but the thought of you carrying me instead does interest me," she had a teasing tone and a playful glitter in her eyes. She wasn't concerned about her well-being at all. He rolled his eyes but a chuckle did come out of his lips, walking his way towards Estella.
Effortlessly, he carried her in his arms being tender with her while his free hand took a bag filled with medicine and clothes. "Hold on," Aries said. He took out a bar of candy from the bag and placed it on her open palm. "You can help yourself while I carry you. I took mine already." Estella nodded her head, silently agreeing as he carried her.
They walk in comfortable silence to the waterfall while Estella chews on her candy, sometimes offering it to Aries.
At a point, he looked down at Estella with a smile on his face, they were so very close. He felt the warmth of her nearness, he was almost getting excited at this. But he controlled himself, he didn't start to think too much about their growing closeness. There are more important things to think about at the moment.
They quickly arrived at the waterfall, carefully placing Estella on her feet while he set their belonging on a nearby rock. He did a quick check around for intruders.
Estella went ahead and began stripping herself, craving some cleanness and water to wash away her dirt and blood. She dips half her body in, stopping when she has trouble peeling her jacket from the wound. "Aries? I need help," she huffed out her frustration with the jacket. "It's stuck to me."
He stepped away from his duty as a guard, towards Estella he made sure his eyes only stayed on her back and not anywhere near the transparent clear water showcasing her nakedness. Aries aids Estella with the jacket, frowning at the sight of the clear wound. It was hideous. He could see the edge of the wound and the blood trying to flow away from it. He refrained from touching the wound.
Estella stood there back facing Aries, pulling her head to the side to make eye contact, "Aren't you going to join me?" Aries shook his head with a smile of amusement. "You're going to regret asking. I'm an 18-year-old male who hasn't seen his exes in what? Weeks maybe? Into a clear waterfall with you? Fully naked?" Aries questioned as he tilted his head to the side and made a suggestive face.
Estella chuckled but didn't have the strength to lift her head to look at Aries, she was too tired and weak. "Oh, come on Aries. Will you just get in. You smell." /"I do not!" Aries spat back. She laughed at his response. "It's true. I bet you haven't when wash since this Hunger Game began." Aries pout, he can't deny what has been said is accurate.
He wasn't able to reply as his eyes were distracted by her action. Aries watched intensely as Estella went deeper into the water, hissing silently to herself when the wound was bare with the water. Her beautiful hair silk with water now went straight down to her body.
When Estella turns around, giving her full body towards Aries, he noiselessly gasps. Forced his eyes to only settle on hers. He couldn't control himself, he had to stare at her, he was star-struck. His body wanted to jump into the water, he wanted to be in that place with her.
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