Could We Burn, Darling?

Finale

I woke, struggling to breathe. It was too bright for me to see where I was, but the ground felt rough and dry. My ears had stopped ringing and i could feel the wind rush in and around them. "Come on Barrone, there has to be an explanation." I heard Kier's voice plead. I closed my eyes and listened in. "She's dead. Just leave it." I heard Barrone reply with a stern tone. "You could have saved her. You know it and i know it - it was her or drew. Why did you pick drew?"

I quietly lifted myself up and propped my body weight onto my elbows when a jolting pain whipped at my side, I fell back on my back and yelled in agony. I heard their footsteps running closer. I turned in the direction of the footsteps to just barely see Kier bending down at my side. "Drew!" He panted. I saw Barrone's figure appear behind Kier and let out a breath of relief. "Be gentle." He said, his voice a lot let patronizing than before. "Drew, can you see straight." I nodded. "Okay, just stay exactly where you are, you're in critical condition." I tried looking down at my body, but my neck clicked and i yelled again. Barrone placed his hand at the back of my neck and slowly edged it back to its original position. "Is she dead?" I whispered so quietly, i was afraid he wouldn't hear. Kier turned to Barrone who now had his eye closed. He nodded. "She is." I started shaking at the sight of Barrone in pain. "I'm so sorry, i didn't-" I had to take a deep breath in between words. "mean to-" Barrone rested his hand on my chest. "It's okay drew, just rest."

I needed to know more. I needed to know why Barrone had chosen me after everything we had been through. I needed to know if he was angry. "Barrone.." My head started to spin and my vision started to blur again. My eyes went black and my head fell to the floor again.

"Drew?" I heard kier's voice. I heard everything around me, but i lay still. "Drew??" It was killing me more than the physical pain to know that i couldn't respond; i was trying so hard, even just a sound would have sufficed but my body was broken. I couldn't speak, i couldn't move.

Days passed, i could hear them both, all the time. I could just hear them talking to me. All the time. "Hey Drew. Barrone again. Kier's out hunting." I heard him laugh softly. "His first time alone." I felt movement beside me, Barrone had move closer. At least that's what it felt like. "So i thought I'd just tell you what Kier and I have been debating over this past week." Week? I had been out a week? "Lila didn't die after you pushed her onto the mine." I heard him laugh again. "You didn't push hard enough." I felt my mouthed curve into a smile but i knew it wasn't real. He couldn't see it. "W-we um" he started to stutter which was extremely strange for him. "We had the chance to save her. But that would have meant letting you die from infections and disease." He sighed. "Anyway uh, Kier wants to know why I chose you." I felt my stomach clench as i waited. He took more deep breaths. "God, what am i doing, he can't even hear me." Barrone sounded timid. Barrone wasn't a timid - far from it. "Drew i think i-" he wasn't interrupted by the sound of a helicopter. I started panicking but - of course - remained still. I wanted to open my eyes more than ever now. I was terrified. "Drew, I'm about to leave you now, don't worry, drew, I'll find you again." His voice sounded as terrified as i was. "Drew, i love you."

The noises got louder as it nearly sounded as though the roof had been lifted. I felt a jolt upwards - as if my entire body was being lifted. Wake up, Woolnough. I didn't even have time to process what Barrone had just told me before the noises were pounding against my eardrums.

Awake. I was awake. The light directly above me pierced my eyes and caused my brain to ache, i pressed against my temple to calm the throbbing and turned my body to the side. I saw a calendar. October 21st 2014. 2014? That's impossible. It's 2009. "Drew" i heard someone with an extremely deep, yet soothing voice practically yell at me. I turned to see Barrone, much taller than i remembered. "B-Barrone?" I clutched my throat, my voice was croaky. "Drew, i waited five years for you." My eyes widened. It was true, it was 2014. I looked down at his hand, he was holding Spider-Man comics. He looked down at them and held them up. "It's a- uh, a birthday tradition." I raised an eyebrow. "I've read them to you every year on our birthday." I raised myself up and propped myself against the back of my bed. "H-how long" i stuttered, still trying to gain vision past the beaming lights, i saw the calendar, i heard my voice, i saw how tall Barrone was but i still wasn't convinced. It hadn't been five years. "Five years" or maybe it had. I shrugged my shoulders down. "You're 21, drew." I took a minute to think about what he had said. "I'm so sorry." He and i both knew the Games had ripped away my teenage years. I had to grow up, i had to get a job, i wasn't in school anymore. These things were rushing through my head too fast. I stopped and looked up at Barrone and thought about what he had told me and wondered if he still felt the same. "Barrone, I-" he grabbed my hand. "Call me Shane." I looked him in the eyes. "What can i say" he looked down at our hands. "I had to grow up." I felt tears start to well up, but they never did. I couldn't cry, which partly made me feel relieved - i was sick of being that little boy that had to fake his feelings for his family.

Family.

"Shane, how's my sister?" I asked, beginning to panic. He smiled and squeezed my hand. "She's wonderful." I took a breath of relief. "After the incident, she took up art. I mean, she spent a few months in a psychiatric ward but that's where she took it up. She's a strong girl now. Very strong." I smiled. "Kier? How's Kier?" He laughed "That little troublemaker just got legal a month or two ago. He's a free man, not quite grown up yet but he's driving, he's working, he's finding a university." I laughed. "That's great.." I paused and looked at him again. "And.. And what about what you told me before we left the arena?" He looked down at our hands and smiled slightly. A sudden rush - maybe all the feelings i had kept in these five years - went around my body, through my mind, through my thoughts, i lifted his chin up with my free hand a gently pecked him on the lips, I pulled away and hugged him tight. "Thank you for waiting for me." I heard him sniff and smiled. "Shane, are you crying?" I said nearly laughing. "Not at all" he replied, voice shaky. I laughed and shook my head.

I don't know how long we stayed the way we were, on my hospital bed. I don't know who was watching or what would happen next, I just knew I was happy exactly where I was.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: thank you guys sooooo much for reading this story, it means the world to me! Thanks for all your lovely comments and all the votes and reads!! Crazy!! Special thanks to @rosiegloom and @RenFVK for getting emotionally attached as they do with a lot of fics ;) let me know if a sequel would be a good or bad idea. What's the world like 5 years from the hunger games? What happens with the Timids? Does Kier really ever grow up? ;) thanks again guys <3