Chapter one - Katniss

They’d been in the arena for only a day—Katniss couldn’t be entirely sure, but the sun had gone down and risen back up to about the same height only once—and there had already been fourteen deaths. She was perched high in one of the trees, sharpening a makeshift arrow with her only weapon, a simple dagger.
Jesus Christ it was getting hot. She could feel the sweat beading, sliding down the valley of her back. And had they added the mosquitoes just to piss her off?
The one blessing so far had been that the arena, or at least this part, was a forest. She could handle a forest. She had spent most of her life hunting for food in the woods. The only difference was that now she had to hunt other teenagers.

An involuntary shiver ran through her. Katniss put her knife and fake arrow to the side, careful to balance it on a smaller branch next to the one she was seated on. Taking off her dark jacket was the best thing to do, otherwise it was just going to get disgusting.
The shiver had nothing to do with the temperature since it was hot and humid. Katniss had bigger things to worry about; she had to survive longer than sixteen others. Or die trying.

She tied the coat around her waist, pushing her braid behind her shoulder. As she reached for her dagger and makeshift arrow, she froze. Her hand was hovering over the tree branch she’d just placed her stuff on.
It was empty. Both were gone.
Shit!

Before she could react or register what was happening, the faint noise she heard coming from her side startled her. A second later an arm was around her, and a knife was poised at her throat.
Katniss swore it probably wasn’t a knife, it was a dagger. Her fucking dagger.

“You don’t think you’re the only one that can climb trees, do you?”
The voice was higher than Katniss had expected. Definitely female. But what she despised—next to the obvious, the knife against her throat—was the laughing undertone in the stranger’s question.

Katniss didn’t know what to do next. She needed to give herself time to figure something out before this girl sliced her open. 

“You know, it’s not very nice to steal other people’s things,” Katniss said. “Especially if they’ve risked their life getting it.”
The memory flashed through her mind. The countdown. The cornucopia. The second she’d had to make her decision, she’d gone for it. A backpack closest to her, immediately fleeing as she grabbed it. (But not before seeing the outright slaughter from the corner of her eye. A girl slashing an axe at a young—)

Her capturer’s words brought Katniss back to the present. “I only borrowed your dagger. Besides, you were foolish enough to leave it out in the open.”

Katniss seethed. “It wasn’t out in the open, it was right next to me.”

The sharp edge dug deeper into her skin, blood now trickling down her neck. She hissed at her.

The girl behind her laughed as if this was nothing. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re enjoying the pain. Into this kind of stuff, are you, Everdeen?”

Katniss tried to wiggle free, tried to do anything that would get her out of this mess. But that only sunk the dagger in deeper. 

“If you want to kill me just fucking do it already.”

“God, no," the girl whispered. "I’m not made for killing. I thought that maybe you and I could, you know, be buddies, keep each other alive while—”

Whatever she’d been about to say had been cut off by Katniss' move. Her captor had loosened her grip while talking, giving Katniss the opportunity to move her right arm. She took the girl’s wrist and twisted it, while moving her own head away from the weapon. The girl yelled out, the dagger falling out of her hand and all the way to the ground.

Katniss didn’t waste time. Having released the arm that had been around Katniss to hold her still, it gave her room to swirl around, knocking her elbow against the girl’s head. 
She fell back and Katniss found herself on top of her in a moment, the tree barely big enough to hold them both. 

She claimed her wrists and pinned them above the girl’s head. Katniss meant business- she quickly sat down on top of the girl’s waist, closing her legs hard, so she wouldn’t be able to escape. 
Katniss frowned when she got a good look at her. She recognised her as Lian, a girl from District Seven. She hadn’t expected her to be so skilled. 

The braid swung low, almost tickling Lian's cheek. “You don’t think you’re the only one that can catch someone off guard, do you?” 

Lian laughed, licking her lower lip. “Touché.” She slowly looked Katniss up and down, who tightened her hold in response. “So you do enjoy this kind of stuff.”

Katniss' brow furrowed, not just the heat of the arena warming her skin.
“What the hell are you talking about?” She shook her head in afterthought. “Never mind. I’m not here to play games.”

Lian tried to shrug, but Katniss' death grip made it look like a weird wiggle. “Too bad. I like games.”
Katniss went silent, arms already shaking from the impact of holding the girl down. She finally registered what Lian had said to her before. She’d wanted to work together?!

Katniss glanced at the girl again, gaze raking over her attractive features. Close-set, black eyes stared back at her. Ebony hair pulled back in a high ponytail, loosened by Katniss’s actions, shone against the fake sun.
Lian was petite—though not much younger—than Katniss, making it easier to keep her pinned.

Suddenly very aware of how she was positioned, Katniss cleared her throat, and asked, “What did you mean earlier? About us working together.”

“You mean before you attacked me like a crazy person?”

“You were the one holding a knife to my throat, remember?!”

The girl rolled her almond eyes. “Well, we are in the Hunger Games. But okay, fine. I saw you yesterday and since you didn’t run away from the cornucopia, but also didn’t seem to want to join in the bloodbath going on, I followed you. You seemed capable of hiding and since I—despite what my first impression may have suggested—don’t fancy killing anyone, I thought maybe we remain unseen... together.”

Katniss studied Lian’s face again. She didn’t seem to be lying. “Wouldn’t hiding alone be easier?”

“Maybe, but I would like to sleep sometime and my dreams would be a lot nicer if you’re awake, guarding me.”

Good point. “Why should I trust you?”

The girl seemed to ponder over this for a moment, one eyebrow arched. “Well, I didn’t kill you when I could have.”

Katniss wasn’t sure if she should take the offer, but she knew that after about twenty-seven hours without sleep, she was desperate just to close her eyes for a few moments. 

“Fine,” Katniss said, slowly releasing the girl. “But we need some ground rules.”

Lian snorted as Katniss straightened her shoulders. “Really?”
When she saw Katniss still in an attack position, ready to go for her if she disagreed, Lian agreed. “Fine. I’ll keep to whatever rules you want.”

Katniss raised her chin.
Good. As long as they had rules, they must be able to work together. Right?

Chapter two - Lian

Lian regretted her proposal the moment Katniss started listing off her rules. It was ridiculous!
She had kept going on and on and on and on. But now, sitting together on another, even larger tree, with the sun going down, Lian had to admit she was happy with the company. She hated the dark. She couldn’t handle it. And despite being uptight, Katniss had a steadying presence. A good counterbalance to Lian’s chaotic nature.
They’d worked quietly for the past few hours. One of Katniss' rules.
We stay quiet. They can’t find what they can’t hear.
Lian had rolled her eyes at this, but had agreed. They had just finished eating something—Lian didn’t want to know what—Katniss had caught.                

Seeing her at work, Lian wished she was as good with a bow and arrow as Katniss was. Or something else that was actually useful. 
“What district are you from again?”
Lian knew the answer, but despite trying hard, she wasn’t that great at keeping quiet for long periods of time.

Katniss looked up from sharpening one branch Lian’d found today. She directed her gaze back down before answering. “Twelve.”

Lian nodded. “I’m from Seven.”
Katniss’ silence seemed to say I didn’t ask and I don't care.

“You’re doing that wrong, by the way.”

That got her attention. Katniss’s head shot up. “What are you talking about?”

Lian pointed at her lap. “Sharpening that arrow. You’re doing it wrong.”

“No, I’m not.”  Who the hell did she think she was? She didn't even how to shoot. 

Lian shook her head. “Yes, you are.” You stubborn girl , she wanted to add.

“Well,” Katniss shoved the branch and dagger toward Lian, “why don’t you show me how it’s done, miss know it all.”
She crossed her arms in defiance and waited.

Lian took the makeshift arrow in her hand and began slowly slicing away at it. “As I told you, I’m from District Seven. We’re the lumber district, remember? So I might not be good at shooting stuff, but I can sharpen things and know how to work an axe.”

Katniss watched Lian’s skilled hands at work. “An axe? Really?”

Lian laughed softly, “Yes. Just because I’m small doesn’t mean I don’t have to work out in the woods. At least it made me pretty strong. Though, I’ve always preferred smaller tasks like these. I've got a thing for precision.”

Katniss seemed to take in every stroke Lian made with the dagger. Learning from her movements. “They won’t let you work in a workshop?”

“No. Only boys do that most of the time. When you turn ten, you have to work outside, learn to do the big stuff first. If you're a girl and really good, then maybe they let you into the workshops.”

It was silent for a moment, almost uncomfortably so, before Katniss spoke again.
“At least you could work to help your family. The only thing I could do was hunt, sell the animal I shot and hope the money was enough to get us through the next day.”

Lian's watery gaze softened. “I’m sorry. I’ve heard about how bad District Twelve is.”

Katniss kept her eyes on Lian hands, swallowing her immediate response, so she resumed her work. After a few more minutes, the arrow was finished.
Lian gave it back to Katniss. “There you go.”

Katniss looked it over, her pupils widening. “Thank you. This is great work.”

Lian gasped. “Did you just give me a compliment?”

Katniss shook her head, but Lian could swear she saw a small smile crease her face. Katniss turned away to sit back across from Lian. “Just so you know, from now on, you’ll be doing this all day.”

Lian grinned. “Fine by me. I’d rather do this than hunt innocent teenagers.” 

Throwing her head back, her face grew hot. “You can go to sleep first,” Lian replied.

Katniss shook her tawny head. “No. You go first.”

Knowing it was futile to discuss it any further, Lian huffed. “Fine.” She fluffed her jacket into a temporary pillow and laid down. She rolled herself up into a ball, barely avoiding that her feet touched Katniss. She really wouldn't have minded if they had. 

Lian prayed for sleep to come. She could feel how tired she was, her body was leaden. Unfortunately her mind raged with a hundred thoughts. She didn’t like that Katniss didn’t trust her enough to go to sleep. It wasn’t like she’d wanted to take part in these horrible games...

“Can you sing me a lullaby?” 

Despite having her eyes closed, Lian could picture Katniss’s face.
“I won’t sing to you,” Katniss barked with a sarcastic tone. “Have you lost your mind?!”

Lian focused inward. “A little. How about a bedtime story, then?”

“I’m not much of a storyteller.”

Lian turned her head and opened her eyes, narrowing them at Katniss. “Then what are  you, Everdeen?”

Katniss crossed her arms, shooting her blue orbs at the open sky. “Just go to sleep, will you?”
Lian shrugged and snuggled in. “As long as you know, I gonna do everything to find that out. You intrigue me, Everdeen.”

Lian thought she could hear her companion—or should she say competitor—scoff,  but sleep tugged at her and she finally let herself rest, a smile plastered across her face.

Chapter three - Katniss

Someone was shouting at her from far away. Katniss told her sister, Prim, to keep quiet. She wanted to sleep on. Now that she was finally asleep, she never wanted to wake up to this nightmare again. 

“Everdeen, Everdeen . Wake up, you horrible sleepy head.”

With another shake, Katniss jolted upright, squinting at the bright light, trying to orient herself in the surroundings.

“Thank fucking God, she’s awake people," Lian quipped. 

Katniss frowned at whoever had said that. “What?” Her voice sounded raspy with confusion.

“We’ve got to get the hell out of here, you fool. We’re in the games, remember.”

Katniss shook the cobwebs from her head and realization hit. She stood, dizziness overtaking her for a second. She looked at Lian.
“What’s happening?”

“There was an announcement. We have to move. They’re deleting the forest from the arena.”

Katniss hurriedly tied off her jacket and took the bag Lian was already holding out to her. “But they can’t do that.”

Lian proceeded her descent from the tree, Katniss following suit. “Well, apparently they can, sweety.”
“Shit,” was all Katniss breathed out.

“Yes, that about sums it up.”

They were down within minutes, their palms already scratched, small wounds reopening. 

“We have to go past the cornucopia, to the other side,” Lian said as they started running. 
Katniss was surprised that despite her smaller legs, Lian was fast. Good. Then Katniss wouldn’t have to leave her behind.
They sprinted downwards, jumping over gaps and trying not to trip over loose branches. 

Katniss had a hard time keeping up with Lian. Her breath hitched uncontrollably, legs begging her body to stop. Her knees hurt from the impact of a particularly long drop. But she told herself to shut up and focus on the girl in front of her. Focus on her, not the pain.

They reached the edge of the forest and both girls halted.

Through ragged breaths, Katniss observed, “We’re not going out there.”

“Of course we’re not,” Lian answered, looking around. “We’re dead within seconds if we step out of this tree line.”

Katniss knew they were thinking the same thing. “Okay, so which way do you want to go?”

The forest ended on both sides, morphing into a stoney mountain terrain which provided minimal cover. Awesome. 
“The right.” 

The forest went on longer on that side, and the trees were easier to stay hidden in. Good choice. 

As they began setting pace again, the overhead speakers sounded. “In ten minutes, the forest will be taken away from the arena. Any tributes still in the forest at this time will be instantly killed. May the odds be ever in your favor.”

“Odds, my ass,” Lian murmured to herself. “You just told us you’ll kill us all.” 

“You can put your odds in your—” She was cut off by Katniss, who hauled her against a tree and pressed her palm against Lian’s mouth. 

The feel of her moist palm against her lips... such a sweet and unexpected contact. Lian sighed softly from under her touch. 

“Shut up,” Katniss whispered in Lian’s ear. “I heard something.”
She pressed her body harder against Lian’s, pressing them against the tree.
“It came from there.” She gestured behind the large tree with her chin. 

Katniss listened closely, palm sealed on Lian’s mouth. She’d never realised how loud breathing could be until now. Steps. Quiet—but not quiet enough. Katniss could hear the crackling of leaves underneath sturdy boots.
Just one person. Drifting. Maybe they were trying to leave this forest. Or hunting those that were.

The noise suddenly stopped and Katniss pushed herself and Lian even closer to the tree.
Five seconds passed.
Ten.
Thirty.
Then the steps continued. After they receded, Katniss let out a lung deflating breath. 

She stole a slanted look at Lian, their noses almost touching, her hand still covering the bottom half of her face.
Dark snappy eyes saucered.
Their bodies were thrown against each other, their breasts heaving with tension, the heat between them suddenly palpable. Their eyes locked and Katniss froze. There was a twinkle in Lian’s eyes, but something else too.
Longing. 

Katniss swallowed hard and took a step back. She cleared her throat and wiped her hands along her legs without having a reason to do so.
“Sorry, there was someone here. They’re gone now.”

Lian elevator gaze took in Katniss over slowly and said, “Don’t worry. You can press that body against me any time.”

Before Katniss had time to think of a reply, the announcer spoke again.
“In five minutes, the forest will be taken away from the arena. Any tributes still in the forest at this time will be instantly killed. May the odds be ever in your favor.”

Shit. They had to go. Now . 

Katniss grabbed Lian’s hand. "Come on, we don't have time to waste."
Together they sprinted towards the rocky landscape. And then there was a boom. Another tribute’s death.

Katniss was counting along the minutes in her head and when only one was left, she realised they had to use the cornucopia as a short-cut.
She pulled Lian along to the left.

Lian let go of her hand. 

“What are you doing?” Katniss hissed at her.

Lian returned her defiant look. “What are you doing?”

“We only have fifty seconds left so we have to take this route.”

“But it’s out in the open.”

Katniss extended her hand. “Do you trust me?”

Lian seemed to debate for a second before murmuring a surprised yes, grasping Katniss’ hand and running alongside her. 

Thirty seconds left. They were running across tiny stones now.

Twenty seconds. They were so close.

Ten seconds. They would make it just in time.

With two seconds left they jumped onto the first rocks and Katniss had to suppress a yell of excitement. They’d made it!

Out of nowhere a force pushed Katniss down on the hard rocks. She reached for her bow and arrow, ready to shoot at the offender.
She could feel her elbow was throbbing, her arms had been scratched and her side burned. She swirled around and saw that Lian had pushed her. She pointed the arrow at the girl. But she didn’t fire.
She had thought they were allies. How—Why would she do this? Why now?

“Katniss,” the girl whispered. Katniss lowered her bow. That was the first time the girl had used her first name. And now she could see the knife protruding from Lian’s shoulder. The girl was standing there, with her hands already covered in blood as she mouthed
“Katniss,” again, before collapsing to the ground. 

Chapter four - Lian

Lian couldn’t believe the relief she felt as Katniss bound the last of the makeshift bandage around her shoulder. Her companion had let Lian lean on her as they had tried to find a place to hide as quickly as possible.
Lian had to admit that Katniss had good eyes. She’d seen a hidden cave beside a small river and in what had felt like hours but had probably been mere minutes they were hidden.

Lian was now hissing through her teeth, trying to ignore the burning pain in her shoulder. There had been no alcohol in Katniss’ backpack, so Lian had watched her clean her shoulder with water from the river.
Katniss' touch had been surprisingly gentle, her hands working steadily but softly. 

“How did you become so good at this?”

Katniss tied up the last of the piece of fabric she had ripped from the bottom of her shirt with her teeth.
“My little sister and I had our own fair share of accidents in the woods. Though for some reason we’ve never been hit in the shoulder with a knife thrown by another teenager.”

Lian snorted and winced at the pain this small movement caused her. “Did I just hear a joke come out of your mouth, Everdeen?”

Katniss turned to clean up her supplies. “Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous. Me? A joke?”

Lian laughed, careful to not move her shoulder even an inch. “I think you should make jokes more often.”

Katniss seemed to mull it over. “No, I think you’re more suited to be the funny one.”

Lian liked the sound of the funny one. “Well, of course I am, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t get to step in every now and again. I can't carry all this burden myself.”

Lian watched Katniss put everything back in the correct compartments of her otherwise simple backpack. When her upturned face turned solemn Lian’s smile fell. She didn’t want to make this girl that had just helped her with warm, soft hands... and that had come close enough she could smell her....
Lian stopped herself from finishing those thoughts. She just didn’t want Katniss to look like this.

“What’s wrong?”

Katniss looked up, taken out of her own thoughts. “What?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing.” She waved her hand in the air as if to flaunt her worries away.

“No, really,” Lian positioned her good hand onto Katniss’s arm. “What were you thinking about?”
Katniss shrugged, making Lian realise it would take a while for her to be able to do that again. Damn it!  

“I,” Katniss started, “I think maybe I never let myself make jokes because I had to take care of everyone. I couldn’t allow myself to think about funny stuff. Not when there was food to be caught, money to be made. Surviving was the only thing I allowed myself to think about.”
She was suddenly morose, clouds graying her expression. But Lian sensed she was sorting out her thoughts.
“And the weird thing is, that here all I have to do is survive, but somehow, now I allow myself to make jokes? That makes little to no sense to me.”

Lian squeezed Katniss’s arm in a comforting gesture. “Maybe when you were taking care of others, you couldn’t allow yourself to make funny comments, but maybe now that it’s just,” she air-quotes the word, “you, you don’t have to feel guilty about it anymore.” 

Katniss regarded Lian so unexpectedly, blue eyes swarming with an amount of emotion that took Lian aback for a moment. 

“Yes, maybe,” was all Katniss whispered in reply.

They miserably failed at not staring at each other. Trying to figure the other person out - what else did they have to do right now?
Could they trust each other? Could they really work together? Were they becoming friends? Did Lian want to be more than just friends with this arrow-shooting, tree-climbing, gentle-nurse girl?

Maybe she did. Or maybe the blood loss had finally gotten to her.

A crackle came from outside. Both girls were shaken back to reality. “I’ll go check it out,” Katniss whispered. “You lie down.”

Lian wanted to protest, but as she went to stand, the movement hurt so much that dizziness knocked her back down. She let Katniss go and tried to make herself comfortable. She nudged herself into the one large nook the small cave provided.
Their rough-hewn hiding space was barely big enough for the two of them to sit and lie closely together, but at least it was more spacious than up in the trees. And the chance of falling to one’s death was significantly less, which was always a plus. 

The temperature in the cave seemed cooler than in the forest, the water providing a nice background ambience.
Which was being ruined by the thumping of boots hitting small rocks?

Lian braced herself but sank back down as Katniss entered the small mouth of the cave.

“It was nothing. Probably a stray animal.”

“Good,” Lian answered. “You know what I was wondering?”

“I’m not a mind reader, so no.” Katniss took her bow and arrows off her back, Lian watching the way she handled them with such care.

“I’m wondering who threw that knife at me.”

That got Katniss’ attention. She went to sit down but stopped. “I feel uncomfortable talking when we’re shoulder to shoulder.”

Lian pointed. “Just lean against there and then I’ll pop my legs over yours.”

Katniss thought it over for a second, but seemed to think better of protesting. She sat down and stretched her legs, letting out a deep breath. Lian felt bad that Katniss had hardly sat down and her sleep had been interrupted by those may the odds be ever in your favor morons. 

Lian stretched her legs, her calves touching Katniss’s legs. 

“I was wondering about that too. Gonna be honest.”

Lian hummed in question, preoccupied by their touching legs. How would it feel to touch Katniss again? The memory of their breasts heaving together overcame her. 

Lian composed herself. “Yeah, who do you think did it? They didn’t come after us, so maybe they’re too scared to come close, maybe they’re sure they’d lose face-to-face.”

Katniss gave it a ponder, fiddling with the fabric of her pants. “Could be that boy from District Four. He looked rather scared by it all, but maybe he faked it and is killing us all from his hiding place.”

“Yeah, I never liked the look of that boy.”

“Me neither.” 

Lian breathed in Katniss' scent. It had wafted over to her.
 “So what now?” she asked. 

Katniss sighed, almost disheartened. “You don’t know how to fish, do you?”

“Nope,” Lian cursed. “I knew I was from the wrong District all along. Who the hell needs a lumberjack out here?!”

Katniss laughed. The sound rang through Lian’s body like a wave full of dangerous electricity. She watched Katniss quake in laughter and couldn’t help this feeling that rose inside of her. One thing was for sure, she no longer wanted to kill this girl. Far from it. 

Chapter five - Katniss

A day after Lian had been hit in the shoulder, Katniss sat at the mouth of the cave, watching over the sleeping girl a few feet away. They had spent the last day hidden away in this cave, talking about anything and everything. It was nice.
But out there... there had been three more deaths. Only seven tributes left. Only five more people until it was just the two of them. And what would they do then? It had been in the rules Katniss had made—they’d help each other survive and when it was between the two of them, they would fight it out. 

As Katniss saw Lian’s chest rise and fall slowly, watching her eyelids flutter, she couldn't help but notice what she imagined would be soft lips. She thought if the time came, maybe she would make it easier on both of them and throw herself of a cliff.
Lian had thrown Katniss aside to take the blow of that knife. She had saved her life. 

Katniss sighed. None of this was easy. Jesus. She’d also promised Prim she’d make it out alive.
And she would. She had to. She had to take care of her family. No one else would. 

Katniss memorized Lian's features. The girl who could run like a panther while foul-mouthing the Capitol in one go looked so peaceful. A laugh escaped her mouth. How Lian could stay so light-hearted, making jokes whenever she wanted to, was beyond her. Although, maybe this was her way of coping with the horrible world around them, with this deep shit they were in.

“Are you watching me?”

Katniss almost jumped out of her skin. She hadn’t noticed Lian had opened her eyes, as Katniss had been staring at the girl’s mouth. A flush of scarlet tinged her cheeks.

“Of course not.”

Lian sat up slowly, wincing at the pain her shoulder must have still caused her. “I saw you staring at me.”

Katniss crossed her arms and looked away. “Don’t flatter yourself. You must be hallucinating from your wound.”

Lian snorted. “Sure, Everdeen. Sure.” She WAS staring at me, she thought. It caused her pulse to race. 
She gasped, “Is that food?”

Katniss nodded, “I caught two fish. I already ate mine.”

“Are you kidding? How did you catch them?” Lian took a bite of the roasted fish.

“I know how to shoot an arrow, you genius.”

Lian smiled and said with a mouth full of food. “Nice going. Bonus points for Everdeen.”
Katniss rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help the corners of her mouth curling.

“Where did you learn to run that fast?”

Lian slowed down her chewing and answered only after completely swallowing her bite. “Let’s just say my parents aren’t the best. I had to run away from them sometimes. It had also been my escape. Running through the woods for hours on end. So I didn’t have to come home.”

“I’m sorry.” Katniss didn’t know what else to say.

Lian shrugged and then grabbed her shoulder, pain lacing her features. “Damn this shoulder. If nothing else, at least the Hunger Games have taught me I shrug my shoulders way too often.”

Katniss laughed. “That you do.”

“Hey! Don’t poke fun. You always cross your arms.”

“No, I don’t,” Katniss replied, before looking down and realising she was doing it now. She grunted and let her arms down. “Fine, you’re right. I do.”

Lian faked a gasp. “Did you just tell me I’m right?”

“Don’t get used to it.”

“You know I’m going to.”

They both laughed, lingering their gazes on the other's mouth. As their mingled sound died down, they kept staring at each other.
Neither wanted to stop.
After a long while, Lian whispered, “I hate this.”
“Hate what?” Katniss asked, eyes still locked.

“The games. That we’ll never get out of here without murdering each other. It’s sick. It’s wrong.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Why not?” Lian shot back. "It's the fucking truth." 

“Because we don’t know who’s listening. And—and I don’t want to think about that. About—about, well, you know.” God, why was she stammering like this?! What was this girl doing to her!

Lian moved closer. “About what, Katniss?”  a curled hand closed over the outside of her thigh. 

Using her first name was what send Katniss over the edge. She closed the distance between them, the electricity between them unreal now, and she whispered,
“About losing you.”
She bracketed Lian's face in her hands, careful not to stir her wound. “I don’t want to lose you, Lian” she breathed. “I don’t think I can.”
And then her mouth landed softly on Lian’s. She didn’t know who had closed the last bit of the distance. Whether it had been her, Lian, or them both, and honestly she didn’t care. All she cared about was the feeling of their lips touching.

Lian’s mouth was so soft, so perfect. It fit precisely onto Katniss’s lips... as if they’d been made for each other. Two parts of the same puzzle.
Katniss released Lian slowly. They brought their foreheads together, eyes still closed, savouring the moment.

As their breathing slowed and heartbeats leveled, they simultaneously opened their eyes and smiled at each other. Katniss couldn’t believe what she had just done, but she hadn’t been able to stop herself.
She had to show Lian what she’d meant to her in the few days they’d been together. 

“Well, that was something I’d never guessed. Katniss Everdeen making the first move.”
Katniss released Lian’s neck, laughing and shaking her head in disbelief. “Neither did I.”
That made Lian’s smile even broader. 

As they both sat back down, holding each other’s hand, Lian said. “Just for reference, I wouldn’t mind if you did that as often as you crossed your arms.”

Katniss shook her head, the smile on her face not willing to fade. “Shut up, you weirdo.”
Lian’s answering smile send Katniss’s heart tumbling in her chest. God, what had she gotten herself into?!

Chapter six - Lian

A few hours after they’d shared their first kiss, Lian was still daydreaming about it. She touched her lips in fond memory, the heat still a brand there. She could feel Katniss’s mouth on hers, feel the amazing sensation of their mutual attraction finally being let loose.
She’d definitely wanted to do more. Much more. Maybe if they didn't die they'd get a chance?

Despite her shoulder being a lot better—a parachute had flown in with a salve from a sponsor—Katniss had insisted that Lian stay in the cave. Although she’d protested at first, she hadn’t minded the time she could now spend thinking about that kiss.

A sound of thunder sounded so unexpectedly, that Lian stood up. What the hell was that?
She grabbed her only weapon, the simple dagger she had taken from Katniss when they’d met, and crouched out of their hiding spot. She looked across the river and all around her. There wasn’t anyone in sight. 

“Everdeen,” she whispered urgently. She wasn’t sure if shouting or staying silent was the way to go. “Everdeen ,” she hissed.
She walked up the side of their cave and climbed onto the next rocks. Maybe if she was higher up, she would have a better view. 

“Everdeen, I stole your precious bow.” That didn’t seem to work. “Everdeen, I’m naked out here, come and get me.”
Lian almost smirked to herself, but hunched down as she heard the sound of thunder again.

It was coming from the left. She turned in that direction, dagger at the ready in her already sweaty palm.  A boom sounded and Lian shot up.
No, no, no . It can’t be. She jumped down rock after rock after rock. As soon as her feet hit the ground she was off, running towards where the boom had come from, ignoring the pain in her shoulder.
“Katniss!” she shouted. “Where the hell are you?” 

She didn’t care who could hear her now as she ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She was in a jungle. It seemed the game maker had changed the forest into this hot mess.
“Katniss,” she yelled, desperate for an affirming answer. "Fucking answer me!"

A figure came sprinting down to her from her flank. She stopped running. She’d found her girl. But as she looked to the tribute closing in fast on her left, and saw white-blond hair, she realised it wasn’t Katniss at all.
She took off again, blindly... not sure where she was going. Desperate, she kept on screaming Katniss’ name. 

Lian ran and ran and ran. The girl wasn’t faster, but she also wasn’t slowing down. Lian cursed at herself for not staying inside. 

“Baby, duck!”
The loud order came from in front of her, and she crouched down, recognising the voice instantly.
Katniss. 
And did she just call her baby?!

Her girl fired arrows back to back at the blond-haired tribute until a boom sounded. Lian wanted to sob in relief, but Katniss hauled her up into her arms.

“We need to leave. That thing is killing people with thunder.”
That’s when Lian saw the large round disk spinning in the air. They retreated back to where Lian had just come from.

“Thank you. For saving me,” Lian sputtered, the heat of the jungle already giving her a throbbing headache. They needed water. Desperately. 

“Now we’re even, sweety,” Katniss winked.

Lian released a tense laugh. She was sure that wasn’t the only reason Katniss had done it.  The disk was apparently determined to follow them. Katniss stopped and started firing arrows at it. 

Lian took her by her arm and pulled her forward again. “There’s a giant hovering disk that’s spinning at top speed and shoots bolts of lightning through people’s chests for fun and your solution is to shoot at it with an arrow?”

Katniss pulled her arm back. “Do you have a better idea?”

“Uh, yeah, running away sounds pretty good.” 

Katniss kept firing arrows. “We have to disable it. Because if it won’t shoot us, it’ll shoot someone else.”

“I don’t care about anyone else, Katniss,” Lian pleaded. “I only care about you, stupid.” 

Katniss looked at Lian. She lowered her bow. There was so much emotion glossing those beautiful blue eyes.

“You care about me?” She whispered. 

Lian raised her arms in exasperation. “Of course I do. That’s why I want to get you out of here.”

Katniss nodded. “Okay. Okay. Let's go.” 

The words were spoken softly, almost like a prayer. She led Katniss and pulled her forward. Katniss quickly matched her speed as the sound of thunder sounded again. It had fired where they’d been standing only seconds ago. 

That motivated both girls enough to reach their hiding place. They jumped into their cave throwing themselves to the ground headfirst. 

They could hear the disk hovering for a little while, but then it eventually disappeared. 

The girls sank back, their breathing finally back to normal. As they sat there and took each other in, they knew for sure. They were a team. They would never hurt each other, fuck the rules. They would stay together.
As long as they were together, they’d survive.

... to be continued