Come Back to Me

XXXIX

Two days.

That was all. Two more days until she could be back home in her bed. Two more days until she didn't have to put such an insinscere smile over her trembling lips. Two more days until Cordelia Stone's victory tour would finally come to an end, and drop her back off into District Four, leaving her to live freely. Well, as freely as she could live as the newest puppet to the Capitol. She was really rather resentful over the whole thing. But, today the celebration in her own district, and tomorrow her return to the Capitol, then she could at least sleep for more than an hour. Ideally.

Cordelia sat up on the edge of the bed that had been provided to her for the entirety of her tour, sinking her head into her hands tiredly. If this wasn't the train that had taken her to the Capitol for the preperation and commencement of her games, then all of them were the exact same down to a tee, from the purple velvet bedding, and the light blue walls that were engraved with a shiny silver pattern, down to the placement of every table, chair and crystal chandelier. She was in the middle of wondering, trying to find anything that could be different when a voice pulled her out.

"Oh good, you're up," A cheery Finnick smiled from the entrance of the car, brightening her spirits only a tad, "I wasn't sure if you would be."

That brightness diminished at the memory of the night before. The same dream she had just days before she had been forced to take Carter's life with her blade. Christian coming for her full force, the transofrmed and now monstorous boy from twelve tackling him and ripping him to a faceless, bloody pulp before detaching his throat, and making a break for her blood splattered frame. Her knife piercing through the stomach of it's body, it's body shrinking down into the small shell of her ally. She had woken with a scream and in a pool of cold sweat, and Finnick had been the one to rush in and wrap her in his arms. He rocked her back and forth, whispering reassurances in her ear and lulling her until she had relaxed enough to doze off again. She wasn't sure how long he had stayed with her but, when she woke up a little over an hour later, she was alone again.

"How are you doing," He asked sweetly. He held out a light grey ceramic mug, the dark brown liquid sloshing around as he got closer, "I could probably buy you at least fifteen minutes. I'll just tell Reno one of his hairs is out of place, maybe that his collar's crooked or that- that- oh I know! I tell him the patch of hair between his two eyebrows is growing dark again!"

Cordelia laughed.

When she was a girl, her mom would heat her up a mug of milk to go along with these small saltwater biscuits. All of the Stone children, as well as a lot of the children in four adored the snack but, it was always what Rina did when her daughter had a rough day at school or was coming down from a cold. It always provided a certain warmth that was comforting. A kind of warmth that made her feel surrounded and safe. As she swallowed a warm sip of the coffee that had been prepared exactly how she liked it, the warmth that followed through her gave her a tinge of that feeling. But, when Finnick's lips pressed against her's for just a moment, the feeling returned completely.

"I'll be okay, thank you though." She smiled, trying her best to soak up this moment of privacy.

They seemed to be few and far between.

But for a minute they had it, and for a minute they sat. Cordelia cuddled into Finnick as she took a couple of sips from her mug, the two of them talking about things that didn't matter while Finnick would every once and awhile kiss the back of her head. Five minutes felt like forever but, then it was time for them to break back into reality.

"We should probably go before they send a manhunt."

He smiled, standing and holding his hand out to her.