𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘 | the hunger games au

prologue

"They're making a big deal 'cause they care." She watched his brows furrow in confusion as he stared at her hands that were fixing his injuries. "You don't believe that they care?"

"I know they care... I just- they only care because-" he sucked in a deep breath before ultimately letting it out and clenching his fists. "Nevermind, someone like you wouldn't get it."

"someone like me?" She raised a sleek brow.

"Yeah, someone who's been raised to heal what has been hurt and fix what has been broken. You don't know what it's like to- to..." he trailed off, his eyes suddenly cloudy and lost in thought.

"You're right, I don't." She left it at that.

Miss Mary had kept Odette busy after she finished calming the boy. While doing menial tasks, she caught the woman talking to the other nurses about how Bishop King was the son of a capitol pig, of a peace keeper. Odette knows that peace keepers are corrupt, she knows that they are violent, they love power and authority. The old woman was speaking as if the boy himself was the son of the devil but she saw no monster in his eyes, just a boy lost in the sea of reality.

"A knife to the arm in a fishing accident? Why, you'd have to be a fool to believe that!"

"Mary... you know training for the games isn't allowed." Lucinda, another woman that worked in the nursing tents replied, squeezing a dirty rag into the sink.

"Still, I pity the King family. The Mother is a complete loon and the men in that family are panems favorite type of prey."

The young brunette frowned but continued to work anyways. Curiouser and Curiouser, she visited the boy again the next day.

"Are you afraid?" Her voice was louder than a whisper, the compound was busier than usual that day. Bishop wouldn't have heard her of she wasn't so close.

"What do I have to be afraid of?" He sounded so sure of himself, he didn't even flinch when Odette poured disinfectant over his wound.

"You know... the games..." His hazel eyes filled with amusement and a laugh left his coral pink lips.

"I'm untouchable." He started, a boyish grin taking up his soft face. "I'm the best in my year, the only boy that comes close is Finnick Odair and he's older than I am!"

"So you're naive." His smile fell and he twisted his arm away from her slender fingers.

"No, I'm confident."

"You're arrogant too." She pulled his arms back and tightened the bandages uncomfortably so but the brunette boy made no move to voice his discomfort.

"No, I'm not."

"You claim to be on top of the world yet you are only 12, reaping day is coming and your name will be in the running. You can honestly tell me you aren't afraid?"

"If I told you that I was excited instead, would you stop asking?" She paused in her handy work.

"I suppose."

Odette continued to work around him, fetching him water and food when it was time. She finished her chores quickly, folding towels and washing sheets just so she could run back and talk to the boy some more.

"You're back." Bishop was bored out of his mind. He stared at the roof of the tent, listened to the waves crashing on the shore and when he wasn't doing that, he was sleeping. He could at least admit to himself that he slowly started looking forward to his nurses presence.

"I am." Odette opened her mouth again to speak but no words came out.

"Spit it out."

"Are you- is it true you're training for the games?" She said it quickly, almost hoping he didn't hear the question.