Into The Wilderness: A Hunger Games Story

16: Just You

Prim's P.O.V.

It's cold. It's so cold. The air is freezing. It hurts to breathe it in because it burns my lungs. I sit up in the sleeping bag and survey the area. My fingers feel frostbitten and my face feels the sting of the cold as I sit up.

The sleeping bag should preserve the body heat, but it clearly fails to do this. It feels as if all the tiny particles are escaping into the snow-kissed air.

I don every article of clothing I have in order to stay warm.

Almost forgetting about the sleeping boy next to me, I turn and lean over and kiss his cheek. It's freezing. How is he not awakened by this?

I shake his shoulder, trying to warm up his hands and face by blowing what I think is warm air on them. He stirs, finally. I'd started to worry that he'd gotten sick or something.

He groans and opens one eye. His hand reaches up to stroke my cheek. "Hey," he says. He's still half asleep. His morning voice...oh my god, his morning voice is the hottest thing I've ever heard. I almost swoon a little.

I kiss his cheek and say hi as I start to pack up, ready for the oncoming day. I toss him a jacket and a pair of gloves telling him to bundle up.

He drops a kiss on my nose and shrugs into the clothes.

I sling the pack over my shoulder and he takes the other one. We head out walking in companionable silence.

"So..." he starts off awkwardly, trying to make conversation.

"So..." I retort teasingly.

"Um, I don't know how to ask this without sounding weird..."

"Just ask it, doofus. It's not like you can embarrass yourself. We're not, like, on national television or anything," I say sarcastically and encouragingly. Ah, I can almost hear the chuckles from the Capitol now.

"Well, I'm going to sound like a jerk okay?"

I sigh. "Fine. Spit it out," I urge good-naturedly.

"Howmanyboyfriendshaveyouhad?"

"What? I did not hear a word of that." My eyebrows furrow in confusion.

He huffs out an indignant sigh. "You're just making this harder and more awkward for me, you know that?"

I giggle. "Um, no, but I do now!" I full out laugh, and he playfully rams into my shoulder. I stumble to the right and start to fall, not being able to catch myself due to the heavy pack on my back, weighing me down. Suddenly two hands are around my waist, preventing me from crashing face-first to the ground. His face is inches from mine. "Hi," I whisper.

"Hey."

I lean forward teasingly, like I'm going to kiss him. Instead, I peck his eyelid and slip out of his grip and run away, laughing over my shoulder. "Bet you can't catch meee!" I sing.

"You can't avoid the question forever!" he calls.

"Fine. What is it?" I cross my arms and huff lightheartedly.

"How many boyfriends have you had?"

I freeze, a blush spreading to my cheeks quickly

"Um, well, this is awkward." I avert my eyes speedily.

"Just answer the dang question, Prim."

"None," I mumble, almost inaudible.

"What? I can't hear youuuu," he singsongs, mocking me now.

"NONE." I enunciate further, looking down and blushing. In silence, might I add.

Well damn. This is awkward.

I hear a heavy sigh from in front of me.

"Prim. Look at me."

I don't look at him.

"Dammit Prim! Look at me!"

I still don't look at him. A hand cups my chin and gently pulls it up roughly.

"I don't care. Frankly, I don't even know why you did, but I'm happy that you picked me. I just want you. All your flaws, all your quirks, everything." His hand strokes my face, cupping it softly. "I just want you." Then he kisses me.

Clove's P.O.V.

How to find them? I muse as I wander through the dense greenery. I sigh, plopping down on a cracked log. This is hopeless. I rest my head in my hands as I hear faint voices about a quarter-mile out. I grab my gear and head in that direction.

I smile gleefully as I peer through the trees and see them arguing. This should be good. I quietly scale a tree about halfway up and eye them from above.

"...I just want you." He cups her face and kisses her.

Rage. Rage is all I feel. But why? I've never liked him before. I don't even find him mildly attractive. I think it was just the fact that he abandoned us. Marvel was dead, Glimmer was dead, and I was alone. He left me to suffer.

I was alone. I had nobody. Maybe it took that for me to see how mad I actually was?

Whatever the reason, I was going to kill Primrose Everdeen and make Cato pay.