It only takes a look, green eyes meeting green eyes at dawn, the fresh smell of seasalt in the air. Her head is in his lap and he's twirling a curl of auburn hair around his soft, gentle finger. Looking at him you'd never guess his hands could be so warm or so soft. Or maybe you would, if you were a swooning Capitol teenaged girl.
"I love you so much," she breathes into the cool morning air.
But he hesitates for a moment. "I love you so much more." The lie flows off his tongue, just like he thought it would. She runs her fingers through his hair and smiles at him. As soon as he says it, he knows it isn't a lie.
"Can I tell you a secret?"
"Do you think I would tell?" And she smiles right at him. She whispers into his ear what she only told Ella Calder two years ago. He takes her hand gently and kisses it, briefly. "Can I be your first, my darling sugar cube?"
She smiles warmly at him then assumes the typical Capitol accent- high pitched, gaudy, and ridiculous- to him, "Oh, of course, my ever-so-darling secret-keeper."
So he holds her in his arms, embracing her. Their lips hover just inches away until they press together, lips locking together in harmony, and when she pulls away (because he never wants to) he puts an arm around her neck and presses his lips to her forehead. "Don't leave me."
"I never will."
"I thought I was lying when I told you I loved you, but- I love you a million times more than you could ever love me."
She doesn't answer, she just puts her arms around his neck and kisses him, holding her lips against his for what should be forever
The sun rises too fast that morning. If President Snow knew they were kissing by the ocean he'd kill them, no questions asked. Only fisherman can step foot on the beach, and neither of them are fishermen.
Every night they spend together, and every morning they greet each other and shake hands, pretending to be acquaintances, not lovers. They borrow salt and sugar from each other and they smile at each other from across the market.
She doesn't know how heartbroken she'll be when he dies.
Two questions for review:
What pairing did I use?
What was the 'secret'?