if i ever opened up to you, i was joking.

“No – I –” Moxie allowed herself to start, frustration, exhaustion – who knows what to take hold of her response for a moment. She deeply inhaled, attempting to shove back down the part of her that wanted to snap at Leander away; that wouldn’t give them any time off. “They’re so fake,” Moxie spoke, her voice falling flat, the usual joy sucked out of it, “And they think horrible things and they do horrible things and advocate for things that are totally inexcusable and I don’t know if I want people like that to care for our daughter. Even if she’s just a baby.”

“You’re a good person, you’re not – I don’t think you’re like that at the very least,” Moxie spoke softly, eyes screwing shut. “I just think there’s a lot of people who could make her grow up to be a horrible person.”

“Like what?” Leander asked, though his voice wasn’t soft this time. There was something Moxie wasn’t being honest with him about, and he wanted to know hat it was, even if he had to pull it out of her with hundreds of questions. Something had been a little off from the moment she’d agreed to be his girlfriend, but he’d pushed it aside and chalked it up to other things. Stress, and whatnot. Was this stress as well? “Explain this to me, Moxie. Please.” 

“So far, I’ve worked on some fire making, which is surprisingly very hard, I’ve done a smidge of first-aid, and just a little sprinkle of plant identification. I’d like to get back to fire making today after lunch, but I don’t think I’ll circle back to the other two until tomorrow. I haven’t even touched weapons yet.”

“No,” Moxie laughed, shaking her head, “She’s a teenager and Nemesis seems to like her.” She sighed and shook her head pulling away from Leander, “It was an idea – and I know we can find people from the Capitol but…” She cut herself off, brows knitting together as she raked a hand over her face, “I don’t know how much I trust those people, okay?”

“And I’m trying,” Moxie promised, taking the chiding in stride. “I just don’t know how to slow down but – that’s why I’m saying we go do something, anything.” A timid smile worked over her teeth and she could only manage a slightly anxious shrug, “I think Sera – one of the mentors from Twelve – she’s a great kid and Nemesis already adores her so – not a bad idea.”

“Noon, okay,” she confirmed with a sharp and satisfied nod. “I’ve put a lot of thought into it,” she agreed. Not so much before today, but today she’d put a lot of thought into it. “I think it’s good to have a plan, don’t you? This doesn’t seem like the sort of thing you should wing.”

“Well, I’m not planning on flirting with anyone and if I do it’d literally only be for publicity and not for like – shit, I dunno love or whatever,” Hazel defended throwing her hands up in front of herself, “What’s your beef with love, anyway? You sound like so freaked about it.”

“Also, bro is like – I dunno you give bro-y vibes, you know?” Hazel laughed furrowing her brows at the man in front of her. “Also, like, you’re still in your twenties, that’s definitely still within bro-range.”

“No,” he furrowed his brows. “No flirting at all, even if it’s for publicity. What, do you think you can’t shine on your own, that you need a fake relationship for it?” He did feel a bit exasperated. For some reason, Leander felt confident that this girl could be great on her own, just because she was. His face grew red at her question. “What the fuck, hey, what we’re not going to do is question my issues with love. Those are my issues, get your own.” 

“Since when have I ever taken things easy?” Moxie asked easily, voice thick with amusement. She pressed a quick kiss to his temple and shook her head, “We can both relax.” Moxie sighed, adjusting to cradle Nemesis in one of her arms and she moved to run her fingers through his hair, “I mean, we could get a babysitter and just take some time for us. Her voice felt thick, exhausted, “We haven’t really had a break in the past three months.”

“Wasn’t fuckin’ planning on it bro,” Hazel assured with a huff of laughter, “Like any of it - I don’t have a girlfriend and I’m not trying to sneak out of the tower.”

@leanderwinter​

“How long until we all break for lunch?” Avenue asked, approaching a person she was almost positive was an escort for somebody. “Because I’m thinking if I can budget time for every station before lunch, or if I should try to break the day up into two phases. Obviously, some stations will take more time than others, so I’ll have to take that into account too. I think forty-five minutes per physical station makes sense, but probably only twenty for the survival ones, I think. I can always go back to them tomorrow, but anyway, do you happen to know what time we’ll have lunch?”

“Are you sure?” Moxie asked, keeping her voice as gentle as possible. It was almost as if she thought a whisper would keep Nemesis from getting any further upset. The baby was all so new – Moxie knew that she loved her, that was factual; sharing DNA with a tiny human that was now reliant on her ensured that. Still, there was a disconnect – a man who she was sure loved her and a baby – that made up a family, didn’t it? So, why did she feel this disconnect? Why did Moxie feel like she may as well be floating three feet behind herself, watching someone else pilot her decision-making? She couldn’t explain it. “Are you sure, lover-boy?” She murmured, quirking up a quick smile, “I don’t want to put you out.”

“I mean, if you tell me what you told her it might, like, I don’t fuckin’ know dude,” Hazel began, furrowing her brow, “Tell me what not to do?” She crossed her arms across her chest, “Listen, I’m not like, gonna bite you or whatever, I’m just looking for advice, dude.”

There was a brief moment of fear with the Games. A micro-expression of a furrowed brow and glassy eyes that lasted for only a second. She needed to do this, despite how her family felt, despite how much she had trained with Pepper. It was necessary. Hazel sighed as she leaned against the counter on Seven’s floor and she began to grill Leander for information, “Okay, so, how do I get good sponsors – like what do they even want from me?”

@leanderwinter​

Oh dear. Oh, dear. Another one of those Sawyers. It left a bitter taste in his mouth. Leander had a sneaking suspicion that he couldn’t help Hazel in any way, shape, or form. Not because he wasn’t foolish confident with everything he did, but because his advice to Aspen hadn’t worked out in the slightest. She’d still died. And apparently killed someone before going into the Arena. “Do you want to hear what I told your sister, or do you want to stay alive?”

“If you take Neme now, I can maybe talk to the sponsors for an hour or –” Moxie sighed, feeling the tug at her heartstrings as she bounced the fussy baby in her arms, unconvinced she’d ever settle down. “Or we all three ignore the Games and try to take a nap?” She suggested, eyes feeling heavier than ever. She glanced up hopefully toward her boyfriend, gently shushing her daughter, “Do you think we can get away with it?”

@leanderwinter

the way it looks, you’re family now the way it looks, it’s only us now we have to get through this now blood is thicker than beer

“Maybe next time,” he told Leander flatly, not really having the space to make him feel better. “How’s life?” Gatlin echoed the question. “It’s pretty much a lot like this,” he admitted, letting Leander decide if he would take it as a good thing or not. Gatlin had been shuffled around from district to district, and now there was this party. Everyday he’d woken up so angry, and he was exhausted. “You?”

“Parties?” He wondered if that was what Gatlin meant, when he said life now was pretty much always like at the victor’s ball. Leander wouldn’t exactly say that a life full of parties was bad, but he assumed he was more used to them than Gatlin was. “I’m guessing you don’t like parties?” Leander grimaced slightly, shrugging. “I have a kid on the way soon, so... stressful? Just a little.”

“I think I’m over schmoozing,” Moxie declared, “I’ve out-schmoozed myself – I’m kind of over talking to sponsors about the next Games.” She sighed and tucked her arms around herself as best she could, “They only want to talk about the newest victor anyway – maybe you’re kind of right about this whole ‘not being an escort’ thing.”

@leanderwinter​

“See!” It was hard not to sound triumphant at Moxie’s words. Gently, out of habit, he stepped closer and settled an arm on her waist, thumb softly rubbing circles into her skin. “I told you so. I’ve... been sort of thinking of doing something else, anyway.”