Ashes and Dust (Hunger Games)

[2] Incest?

"Mmmm, this is so good," Kacey moaned, diggin in to the feast. Phoenix ate quietly next to Kacey, avoiding eye contact with us.

"Are you going to eat, or will I have to spoon feed you myself?" Reed asked, looking at me. I stared down at my knees.

I hadn't touched the large plate that Reed had made for me. He was nearly finished with his own two plates.

"Alright. Spoon-feeding it is," Reed sighed, smirking. He picked up a fork and tried to stuff a large piece of steak into my mouth. I kept it shut and looked away. "Come on, Kiran. Just one bite. For me?"

Reed only said my full name when he was being truly sincere. I sighed and opened my mouth, earning a large grin from Reed. I chewed the medium-rare piece of steak. It was delicious. That one piece of steak was all it took. My hunger took over, and I devoured my entire plate.

Reed, content with my dinner, stood up and went to his own room. I assumed he was mentally preparing himself for the next month. Or few months. After I finished eating, I headed down the hallway to my own room. When I opened the door, I saw a distressed Reed lying in my bed. Half of his clothes were off, and half of him was covered in my comforters.

I didn't understand how he could make such a mess of himself in the 5 minutes I spent finishing my dinner. I approached him cautiously. I'd never seen him look so torn before.

Suddenly, he grabbed me and pulled me on top of him. I was surprised and shocked, so I let out a yelp. The door to my room was already closed, so no one should have heard it.

"S-Sorry," he apologized, gently placing me next to him. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine. You just surprised me," I whispered tenderly. "What's wrong, big bro?"

He laughed sadly, without humor. "What's wrong? Everything is wrong, KC. All three of us are siblings, but we'll end up killing each other. I-I... I don't know what to do! K-Kiran... Help m-me."

I saw tears flood out of his eyes. He turned away from me, trying to hide his face.

"Reed, look at me," I ordered. He slowly turned around, wiping his eyes and nose. "I... I wish I could say everything is fine, but you know I would be lying to you if I did. So I guess there are only a few things I can say. Out of all of them..."

I stopped and stared at his icy blue eyes. My older brother was feeling so weak... "I love you," I finished.

Reed pulled me closer to his bare chest. I felt his arms wrap around me like a child would hug his teddy bear.

"I love you too, KC," he whispered, cradling his head in the crook of my neck.

Meanwhile, Phoenix and Kacey were standing outside our door, watching our embrace.

"You guys should really stop that. Incest is gross and wrong," Kacey joked. Phoenix just looked at him with distaste and walked out.

Reed sat up with sudden anger. "Why don't you say that again. I'll beat your ass before you even make it into the games!"

"Whoa, whoa. Chill, dude. It was just a joke. Besides, Kiran there is pretty hot. I wouldn't blame you for incest with her, " Kacey chuckled and then walked out, closing the door.

"Calm down, Reed," I said, rubbing his back. I felt him relax and lie back down. He took off his jeans, leaving him in only his boxers beside me. I took off my dress, leaving me in just a bra and underwear.

"Here. Take my shirt," Reed said, handing me his white T-shirt. I took it gratefully and put it on, taking off my bra.

"Thanks," I thanked him, and turned my back towards him.

"It's only 5:00 p.m. We had an early dinner. Are you sure you wanna go to sleep right now?" Reed asked.

"This day has been quite tiring. Sleep sounds amazing right now."

Reed laughed. "You're right. Goodnight... Kiran."

"Ah, don't call me by my first name. It makes the mood so serious."

"Was it not serious before?"

"Shut up and go to sleep."

Reed chuckled deeply and then wrapped his arms around me. His head rested on my shoulder. He kissed my cheek and then finally fell asleep. I'd tried to get out of bed to go to the bathroom, but his arms were wrapped so tightly around me that I wasn't able to wiggle out, so I'd just have to wait to pee until morning.