Magnets (Hunger Games Marvel/OC)

Chapter 8

Magnets 8

Chapter 8

Marvel POV~

"What do you want?" Roman's mentor, Johanna Mason, answered the door.

"To speak to Roman," I answered coolly. She arched an eyebrow at me.

"I suppose I owe you. For saving her life, I mean. At the end there. Where have you two been all day, anyways?" I knew what she was talking about.

"I was only repaying my debt to her. And we were downstairs in the Training Center." She stepped aside and let me through the door, slamming it shut behind me.

"I hope you're turning that niece of mine into a real woman." I blinked in surprise. Johanna Mason was Roman's aunt? Go figure.

I walked into the main room, the dining room. "Where is she?" I avoided her question.

"Her room." I turned and strode into the first door I saw, eager to be rid of the judgmental gaze of the skillful Victor from District 7. The room was empty, and dark. It must be her district partner, the young blond, curly-haired boy's room. I closed the door. She wouldn't want me in here.

The room across the hall was locked. I knocked twice, then gave up on politeness. I rattled the door handle. "Roman, open up."

"No." The voice from inside was muffled and shaky. Maybe she was crying into a pillow. I wasn't taking no for an answer. Had I possessed Cato's strength, I'd have crushed the lock, or knocked the door down. If I had Clove's fine motor skills, I would've picked the lock. But I'm not Cato, or Clove; I'm Marvel.

So I put all my weight into my hand, all my power, twisting the lock, clutching it tightly. I heard a loud snap, and the door swung inward. Roman's room was unlit, and she was huddled in a corner, knees clutched to her chest, sobbing.

"Roman," I said quietly, closing the door. I crossed the threshold towards her and sat next to her trembling body. She looked at me, eyes wide with pain and sadness. I reached over and stroked her face softly. Fresh tears spilled out of her clear blue eyes. "Why did you run away?"

She closed her eyes, silent sobs wracking her body. I pulled her to my chest and held her there as she sobbed. I was so bold with her now, I surprised myself. Her hands pressed against my muscles, and I felt my breathing speed up a bit.

"It all felt so wrong. I was back in the arena for the whole fight. I was fighting for my life, against you. You were going to kill me. There was none of this," she gestured to my muscled arms holding her, "and you wanted to win alone. And I felt like it was so real. There's this part of me that would rather you die than me. It's terrible because that's not who I am. At least, it's not who I thought I was." She dissolved into another round of sobs, and I cradled her against my chest.

"And Silas. It reminded me of Silas."

"The boy from your district?" She smiled sadly and shook her head.

"If he was, this would be a lot harder for me." Harder than this? She couldn't go much lower than she was now. "No, he was the boy from District Four. My only ally here." Her voice shook at the end, and I felt my heart break a little. Why was I feeling this? It was so different, respecting her as the shy, strong, smart, sensitive girl who saved my life twice in the arena.

Chances are, if it weren't for her, I wouldn't be sitting here. I owed her my life. But respecting her for what she'd done was so completely different from holding her in my arms, vulnerable, crying about the friend, the ally she'd lost. I wasn't crying about Clove or Cato. Glimmer, though. I could cry about her, and I'd like to, but I can't. I have to be strong for Roman.