Caged | The Hunger Games AU ✓

epilogue; part 2

my gaze sweeps across the crowd of people at the reception and my hand clenches tighter around the glass of champagne. the people are dressed in their finest attire, faces adorned in makeup and glamorous dresses glinting in the lights. they're laughing. smiling. praising the bride and groom.

i turn to see matthias heading briskly toward me, looking extremely handsome in his traditional black suit that has orange flames embroidered on the sleeves. his bowtie is back – it seems to be somewhat of a thing now – while the pocket has a creamy cloth tucked into it that matches the color of my red dress. i can almost sense his presence now. we've become so familiar with each other's movements that i have accidentally memorized the way he walks. he doesn't even have to say anything for me to know he's there.

a small grin is plastered on his face as he makes his way toward me, shoes slightly clicking on the cement. "hey. you okay?"

"yeah," i reply with a sigh while my eyes scan over the people again. "just nervous with the crowds."

matthias nods in understanding. ironically, it's his social anxiety that's much worse than mine, though he has to stuff it down for the sake of our reputations. the cameras are everywhere tonight. he can't risk a picture of him looking completely terrified, and i know that the emotions behind the constant smile are battling for victory over his facade.

"have you seen your brother?" he asks me for the sake of changing the subject.

i nod, pointing to roy, who's engaged in a conversation with gale hawthorne. when katniss had first described her friend back in the train on the way to the capitol, all i could picture was my brother- and i was right in doing so. they're so similar that it's uncanny. in the two years roy has been working in the mines, they've become like family to each other. it means i now have three older brothers looking out for me.

roy and gale both stand the exact same way: backs ruler-straight, one hand holding a glass of cherry red wine while the other rests at their side. they stick out among the shorter members of the party, even though roy is three inches shorter than gale. the latter spots me watching them and lifts his lips in a small grin, crystal blue eyes sparkling from the dancing lights around us. i automatically smile back.

caesar flickerman is here, of course. he and a camera crew follow mine and matthias's every movement, almost like they're some sort of second shadow. it's hard to have a conversation that the rest of panem isn't listening in on. they've mentioned my dress about six times, and made several comments about how matthias won't stop smiling.

except it's not our wedding.

katniss and peeta haven't left each other's sides since the actual ceremony ended. her dress - made by cinna, of course - flows out from her like a ruffled ball gown. it sparkles and shines every time it hits the light. there are two intricate silver pieces that start at the middle of the dress and work their way into forming small wings that frame her collarbones; i'm worried that they'll poke peeta in the eye at some point.

the groom's suit is unforgettable, so katniss isn't the only one that steals people's breath away. flames seem to flicker across the black material every time he moves, but as far as i can tell, he's not actually on fire. i've always stood by katniss in the several pictures matthias and i have posed with them in fear i'd be burned. it seems silly coming from the second girl on fire.

they both wanted a small wedding, but you can't exactly get that when you're a victor of the hunger games. haymitch is here, of course, and he was a groomsman. the only others were roy and finnick odair, whom katniss and peeta have become close friends with due to mine and matthias's friendship with the district four victor. annie cresta was the other bridesmaid aside from me. prim, obviously, was the flower girl, though she's a little old for it– she's fifteen now, the exact age i was when i was reaped. watching her walk down the aisle with her basket of red rose petals was enough to make my heart melt.