imperfect fit ; an everlark au based off of 'the selection' series

s i x t y - f i v e

As the girls exit after breakfast, Peeta and I linger in the dining room. The king passes, winking in my direction, which makes me smile and blush. But the queen comes soon after, and the look in her eyes takes away the lingering redness in my cheeks.

Once we're alone, Peeta walks over to me and laces his fingers through me. "I'd ask you what you want to do today, but our options are pretty limited. Nothing outside."

I sigh. "Not even if we took a slew of guards?"

"I'm sorry, Katniss." He gives me a sad smile. "But what about a movie? We can watch something with spectacular scenery."

"It's not the same." I pull on his arm. "Come on. Let's go make the best of it."

"That's the spirit," he says. Something about that actually makes me feel better, like we're in this together. It's been a while since I've felt that way.

We go into the hallways and are heading towards the stairway to the theatre when I hear the musical clinks on the window.

I turn my head to the sound and gasp in wonder. "It's raining." I let go of Peeta's arm and press my hand against the glass. In the months I've been at the palace, it has yet to rain, and I've wondered if it ever would. Now that I can see it, I realize I miss it. I miss the ebb and flow of seasons, the way things change. "It's so beautiful," I whisper.

Peeta stand beside me, wrapping an arm around my waist. "Leave it to you to find beauty in something others would say ruins a day."

"I wish I could touch it."

He sighs. "I know you do, but it's just not-" I turn to Peeta, trying to see why he cut himself off. He looks up and down the hall, and I do the same. Besides a couple of guards, we're alone. "Come on," he says, grabbing my hand. "Let's hope we're not seen."

I smile, ready for whatever adventure he has in mind. I love when Peeta is like this. We wind our way up the stairs, heading towards the forth floor. For a moment, I get nervous, worried he'll show me something similar to the hidden library. That hadn't turned out too well for me. We walk down to the middle of the floor, passing one guard on his rounds but no one else. Peeta pulls me into a large parlor and to the wall next to a wide, dormant fireplace. He reaches inside the lip of the fireplace and, sure enough, finds a secret latch "Hold my hand," he says, stretching his out to me. I do so, following him up the dimly lit steps until we come to a door. Peeta undoes the simple lock, pulls open the door . . . and there's a wall of rain.

"The roof?" I ask over the sound.

He nods. There are walls surrounding the entrance, leaving an open space about as large as my bedroom. It doesn't matter that all I can see are walls and sky. At least I'm outside.

Positively beside myself, I step forward, reaching into the water. The drops are fat and warm as they collect on my arm and run down my dress. I hear Peeta laugh once before shoving me into the downpour.

I gasp, soaked in seconds. Turning around, I grab his arm, and he smiles as he pretends to fight. His hair falls in strands around his eyes as we're both quickly drenched, and he's still grinning as he pulls me over to the edge of the wall.

"Look," he says into my ear.

I turn, noticing our view for the first time. I stare in awe as the city spreads out in front of me. The web of streets, the geometry of buildings, the array of colors- even dimmed in the gray hue of rain, it's breathtaking.

I find myself feeling attached to it all, as if it belongs to me somehow.

"I don't want the rebels to take it, Katniss," he says over the rain, as if he's reading my mind. "I don't know how bad the death toll is, but I can tell that my father is keeping it a secret from me, protecting me, as usual."