Though now she lived in the districts, she was capitol born. She knew all of his hardships and never looked at him any differently. She handled him with such gentleness, and kindness. She was a rare bird, His Nightingale. Just like he had been for h...
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"And last but least, District Twelve girl ... She Belongs to Coriolanus Snow."
"Things might've been quite different if you hadn't landed Your Girl."
"The truth is, we were all so busy killing each other that we forgot how to have fun. She knows, though. Your Girl."
His girl. His. Here in the Capitol, it was a given that Juniper Belonged To Him, as if she'd had no life before her name was called out at the reaping. If that wasn't ownership, what was? With her song, Juniper had made all that clear by featuring a life that had everything to do with him, whether they knew it or not. And while he had claim over her heart, she had yet to know she had claim over his. Not only was the song a clear success, he felt something he had never felt before, for anyone. He was completely and utterly in love with her.
Juniper rose and took a bow, then extended her hand out to him. He quickly joined her at the front of the stage while the applause built to a standing ovation. Pluribus led the cries for an encore, but their time had expired, as Lucky Flickerman reminded them, so they took a final bow and exited the stage, hand in hand.
As they reached the wings she started to release him, but he tightened his grip. Not ready to let go just yet.
"Well, you're a hit. Congratulations. New song?"
"I was working on it for a little while, but I only finished it a few hours ago," she said, her cheeks blushing. "Did you not like it?"
"No. I loved it. It just surprised me," he said.
"Cori..I swear I'm going to fight like hell to win these Games, but I'm going to be in there with the likes of Reaper and Tanner and a few others who are no strangers to killing. There's no guarantee of anything."
"So, the song?" he prodded.
"The song?" she repeated, and took a moment to consider her answer. "Was a way of singing things, I was always too scared to say."
Taking a deep breath he reached in his pocket, It Was Now Or Never, but before he could say anything else two male Peacekeepers appeared at her side. He gave them an annoyed look that had zero effect on them as they quickly took her away.
He swallowed his nerves and accepted the congratulations that were pouring in from all sides. He then ran into Pluribus, who gushed, "What a talent, what a natural she is! If she manages to survive, I'm determined to headline her in my club."
"That sounds a bit tricky. Won't they send her home?" said Coriolanus.
"I have one or two favors I could call in," he said. "Oh, Coriolanus, wasn't she stellar? I'm so glad you got her, my boy. The Snows were due a piece of good luck."
