now probably isn't the best time to fall in love
In her interview, Rachel had admitted to Augustus that she had always wanted to be famous.
"Now you are!" he'd said with a large white smile. He'd turned to the audience. "Isn't it wonderful when dreams come true?"
Rachel had preened under the applause.
She had definitely learned a few things since that night.
Rachel fought against the ropes surrounding her and tried to maneuver herself into a better position. Her hands and feet slipped through the gaps in the net every time she moved so it was a slow process. She cursed herself for not working harder on the ropes courses during training, and then again for dropping her knife through one of the holes before she'd even got her bearings. That knife had been her saving grace in the games so far, she had snatched it out of the still bleeding chest of the male tribute from Eleven as she ran from the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. And now it was lying on the forest floor directly under her, shining mockingly.
She bit off her third swear as her left foot got tangled in the ropes again, very aware that her fathers were watching and they didn't like it when she swore.
How does being famous feel now? Still happy about it?
Rachel sighed. She looked up at the nearest point where the rope was tethered and despaired. Even if she could work her way over enough, she would still have to climb up the rope while tangled in the net and get the sturdy looking knot loose before the creator of the trap returned to check it.
She tried bouncing to see if she could snap the branches the ropes were tied to, but she didn't weigh enough to get them to do more than sway. All it did was make her dizzy. She took a moment to think though her options. She could try calling for Finn, but she wasn't entirely sure he was even still alive, let alone anywhere near her. Her calling for help might just bring the trap maker back faster. Her only weapon was on the ground and therefore useless. She was just wasting her energy trying to climb through the ropes. She understood why animals would chew off parts of their bodies to get out of traps.
Rachel lit up with an idea. She lowered her mouth to the nearest rope and began to gnaw at it, cutting through a few rough fibers at a time. The cut pieces were sharp and stuck to her tongue painfully, but she continued to chew through them. She'd rather have a sore mouth than a severed head any day.
She had just managed to cut through one small section when a voice sounded nearby.
"Well, well, what have we got here?"
Rachel froze in fear. She knew that voice. "Quinn."
"Eight." Quinn stepped out of the tree line slowly, sunlight glinting off of golden blonde hair. Even covered in three days' worth of grime and dirt she still managed to look like a model. A model that was carrying a sword in one hand and a spear in the other. She even had a backpack that was stuffed with supplies, no doubt. Being a career definitely gave her an edge that most of the other tributes lacked. She was fast, she was deadly, she was still the most beautiful girl Rachel had ever seen. "Were you trying to chew through the net?" she teased.
Rachel spat out a mouthful of prickly rope fibers. "No!"
Quinn chuckled. "Sure." She moved closer and stopped underneath Rachel. She stooped and picked up Rachel's fallen knife, wiping the dirt from the blade with the bottom of her shirt.
Rachel huffed unhappily. Is she really going to stab me with my own knife?
"This your knife?" Quinn asked.
"Yes." To Rachel's surprise, Quinn reached up over her head and offered Rachel the knife, handle first. Rachel took it warily. "Uh…thanks?"
"Sure." Quinn shrugged. "It's not my trap anyway." With that, she started to walk away.
Rachel watched her go with confusion. "That's it?" Quinn was nearly to the tree line when Rachel called after her, stupidly.
Quinn looked over her shoulder and quirked one of her expressive eyebrows.
"I mean," Rachel stammered, "you're not going to kill me?" It could be a trick. I hope it's not a trick.
Quinn turned back to her fully then, cocking her hip out and leaning against her spear. "We had sex," she stated bluntly. "Several times."
Rachel flushed deeply at the reminder and looked away. She hoped the game makers had turned the cameras to some other tributes for a while. She had avoided thinking about what had happened between herself and Quinn during training by focusing on staying alive. Quinn hadn't offered her an alliance, and so she had presumed that she would be on the kill list, despite what they had shared. And they had shared quite a lot, despite the disapproving glares of Finn and their mentor and escort. "Yes."
"I'm not going to kill you," Quinn said like it should be obvious. "That would be rude."
Rachel grinned. "Of course."
"Now hurry up and cut yourself loose. I don't want to stick around here all day."
Rachel's smile widened and she hurried to saw through several more ropes until a decent sized hole was made. Quinn made no offer to help, she simply watched with an unreadable expression. Rachel fumbled her way out of the trap and dangled from it, only a foot or so off the ground before she let go. She landed heavily, but didn't fall. Once she had her feet firmly on the ground again, she stowed her knife in her belt and made her way to Quinn's side.
"Very graceful."
"Shut up."
Quinn smirked down at her and handed over the spear. Rachel took it sheepishly.
"Thanks."
Quinn's hand trailed over her cheek gently, and then she leaned down and pressed her lips to Rachel's. Rachel could feel another flush heating her cheeks, but she didn't pull away. Quinn's formerly pristine lips were dry and rough, but her kiss was still just as sweet.
"Let's get out of here, Eight," Quinn said when she finally pulled away.
A little dazed, Rachel responded with, "I have a name, you know."
"Yeah." Quinn kissed her again, quickly. "I know, I remember screaming it a few times." She walked away, and Rachel knew she was expected to follow.
So she did.
x
A/N: I imagine this to be set in the year that Mags wins the Hunger Games, so...they both die horribly. :D
Have a nice day!