Caged | The Hunger Games AU ✓

xxx. ½ chasing

thirty and a half - chasing

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eventually, i have to remove the dress. i really don't want to, but katniss has advised me to do so in case i accidentally ruin it. i retreat to my room before dinner to change into a dark grey knit sweater and black pants.

only there's one problem. the sweater is stuck over my head and i can't get it down because my arms are also caught in the fabric of the sleeves. i'm afraid that if i try to yank myself out i'll rip the fabric, and i really don't want to take any chances with that.

so i stand in the middle of my room in front of the bed and try to escape the confinements of the horrible sweater somehow. i'm about to yell for katniss, but someone knocks on the door with a series of harsh pounds.

"who is it?" i call as clearly as i can through a mouthful of my sweater.

"matthias," the voice responds. "can i come in?"

my heart beats three times before i respond. "um, yeah."

the door creaks open. i can't see a thing, but i assume matthias is probably a bit shocked at what he's seeing. sure enough, there's a pause before he asks, "is this a bad time? because i can leave..."

"no," i protest, voice muffled by the fabric that's basically in my mouth from how close it is. i can barely speak as it is. "stay here. i need you to help me– i'm stuck."

matthias steps forward until i can sense his presence in front of me. his breathing is a bit unsteady as his fingertips latch onto the hem of the sweater and pull it down. in one fluid motion, the fabric detaches itself and i can actually see. matthias fixes the hem and gently pulls my hair from beneath the collar. he lets the loose curls fall in front of my shoulders, tucking a strand away from my face.

"thanks," i say. i'm not embarrassed in the slightest, considering what i had seen during the games. the faint red tint to matthias' cheeks proclaims he feels otherwise about the situation. i look up at him, but he refuses to meet my eyes. "c'mon, matthias. you've seen worse than me in a bra."

his cheeks flush even further until they're a deep crimson. "you aren't embarrassed at all?"

i raise an eyebrow at him with a slightly amused expression. "you can stab someone through the heart but you can't help a girl unstick her sweater and see her in a bra?"

"those are two completely different things." matthias scratches the back of his neck, dropping his voice lower. "seriously, how are you not uncomfortable?"

a smile takes over my features. "you're adorable."

i lean a bit closer and close the gap between us, letting my lips meet his for a brief moment. it's a good thing i've already removed the dark red lipstick, but that factor doesn't stop the tingling sensation that envelops my entire body in an excited buzz. his lips are softer than they had been in the arena and make me feel at home with how familiar they are.

it's only a second later when he pulls back and takes off a coat. i haven't noticed until now, but he's wearing two. one is a black leather jacket that makes his bright blue eyes pop. i'm not used to seeing him in such a dark color, and i can't help but notice that the look is good on him. beneath that is another coat that's much lighter than the other. it's a greyish tan that reminds me of slightly yellowed gravel. he removes them both, handing the tan one to me.

"what's this for?" i question as i hold it up and examine it. the coat is clearly meant for a man and won't fit me at all.

"roy," matthias responds, shrugging the black leather jacket on once more. "i thought he could use it. i snuck it on beneath my own so i wouldn't get in trouble for taking it."

a smile stretches across my face, larger than the one before. the coat is sturdy and thick with padding on the inside for extra warmth. there's a series of buttons around the collar in case he'd need to clasp it over his mouth when it's cold, and the pockets are deep and able to be zipped shut.

i look up and meet matthias' gaze with that smile still covering my face. "he'll love it!" i exclaim as i pull him into an embrace. the leather of his jacket squeaks as it bends when he returns the gesture, hugging me tightly. my cheek rests against his chest and collarbones; the jacket is cool compared to my skin. "thank you."

matthias' chin rests on my head, reminding me just how tall he really is. "anything for you."

once again, i feel that sense of crushing admiration for this stupid boy who has somehow managed to weave his way into my heart. i remember my pact that i wouldn't become close to him in any way and almost laugh at how badly it failed. i'm head-over-heels for him.

and just to express that, i move my chin up and kiss him so quickly i don't have time to open my eyes. this explains why it's so badly aimed; my bottom lip is only touching his top one, but he doesn't seem to mind. his arms reposition themselves so they rest on my hips instead of my back. i find my hands sliding across his shoulders and to the collar of his jacket, grasping onto it almost as if i'm trying to secure myself to the ground.

i pull away with a smile and childishly dart away from him. matthias stands there for a second, lips still pursed and eyes widened in surprise. i open the door and slam it shut right before he can even react.

the booming sound obviously startles the rest in the train, because haymitch has spilled his whiskey on his button-down. he dabs it with a napkin when i enter, grumbling beneath his breath about how he can't have a simple drink without it spilling on him.

my door slams again, and matthias' deep voice yells out, "thalia!"

haymitch sighs. "the hell did you do to him?"

i don't reply and instead hide behind him, ducking beneath the chair he's sitting in. matthias' footsteps become louder until they appear to be right in the compartment we're in. there's a pause in which i stop breathing and try to cease the pounding of my heart.

"where is she?" matthias demands harshly.

"well, that's no way to speak to your elders," haymitch drawls boredly as he pours himself another half-glass of whiskey. he mixes it with water and swirls the liquid around in the cup. "and how am i supposed to know? the door slammed, i spilled my whiskey, and now i'm mad."

i hear matthias mumble an apology before he walks away, going into the next compartment. i sigh a breath of relief and thank haymitch about a thousand times, all of which he waves off and says he won't be doing it again. with a roll of my eyes at the expected response, i run the opposite direction matthias did. my feet pound on the dark green carpet as i sprint soundlessly down the train toward the end.

i burst into the caboose, nearly startling katniss and peeta out of their wits. peeta drops his muffin into his lap; katniss immediately jerks her head to face me and sends me a glare of steel that disappears once she notices it's just me. breathless, i whisper, "hide me."

but just as peeta opens his mouth to say something, a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist and lift me off the ground. my mouth drops to form a perfect "o" as matthias spins me around in the air before setting me back on my feet. i turn and punch him in his right biceps.

peeta turns to katniss, absentmindedly picking up the crumbs from his fallen muffin. "we can do that if you want."

"not unless you want me to puke on you," she challenges. "i get dizzy really easily. it's your call."

peeta goes back to picking up his crumbs.

gif is thalia smiling cutely at matthias

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this is 100% fluff and i am not even ashamed. thalia is happy for once so yay!!

i can't believe it's basically only another chapter or two and then the epilogue, and it's over. crazy!

xoxo,
kristyn