Some of you might recgonize this story. I posted this story for a few weeks ago and I happened to remove this story when I tried to rewrite the summary (Usually, I'm not that clumsy). So I had to publish this story again. Sorry. The next chapter is coming next week.
However, to people who haven't read my story - Skin against skin is my first Odesta (My OTP forever) story. This chapter takes place after president Snow told about year's Quarter Quell on tv, with Annie's POV. There is no Finnick in this chapter. But I promise he will be in the story soon.
A little warning for some sexual material and some Gloss / Annie.
Enjoy!
"…On this, the third Quarter Quell games, the male and female tributes are to be reaped from the existing pool of Victors in each district…"
The shower was one of my favourite places since the day I came out of the arena - alive. Being in the shower felt like being in another world there nobody could see or hear you cry. And at the same time, you got clean. All dirt, blood and memories from the Capitol and it's disgusting population disappeared down in the drain. The shower was truly the one place I felt safe at and felt like I could cry and get it all out.
I didn't cry in front of others. I never let anyone see the tears fall down my face. I always kept it all in, because I never knew if someone was going to walk into my room and see me at my weakest moment, so I didn't even cry in my own room unless I was going to bed and end up crying myself to sleep.
Just crying as the nice hot water was hitting my head and back actually helped a lot sometimes.
The existing pool of victors in each district. The existing pool of the victors in each district.
The water comforted me as it ran over my face, hair and body. I closed my eyes and didn't know if I was crying or if it was just the water that ran down my cheeks. I just stood there and felt the hot water dripping down my back. Felt the tears dripping out of my eyes and down my cheek.
The water made so much noise as it hit my shell. So loud that no one can hear my cry or see my breakdown.
I sat down and just sat there in the tub, that shower with very hot water that was burning me to numbness. And there I sat and waited for the tears to stop.
I'm Annie Cresta. Born in district one. Born in a family with a long generation of careers. Career trained and volunteered. The victor of Hunger games 70th. Loved by capitol, despite my madness. Refused to be forced into prostitution; it was until they killed my brother and father as punishment. Leaving my sister-in-law and my nephew as my only family. All I know is that I wish I died in the arena.
"Annie?" my sister-in-law Ruby whispered outside of my bathroom. I noted that her voice was full of concern. "Are you okay? You've been there for one hour".
Her words surprised me…has it really been one hour? I blinked and tried to get up off the shower floor but I slipped on water and fell down on my butt. I know that I'm supposed to feel any kind of pain, but I didn't. I felt…nothing. Just emptiness.
"Annie?" Ruby knocked on the door once again. I took a deep breath and made sure that my voice sounded normal before talking.
"You don't need to worry. It's just…I needed a break" I said and finally stood up from the floor in the shower and opened the shower door. The whole bathroom was foggy and I couldn't even see myself in the mirror. It was such a relief. Right now I didn't want to see myself. I was certain that I looked terrible, with swollen, red eyes, fresh scratch wounds on my cheeks and my very wrinkled skin from my one-hour shower.
"Is it about Quarter Quell?" Ruby asked gently as if she was afraid that it would make me even more upset. I sighed as I grabbed my fluffy, white robe from the hook and wrapped myself in it.
I didn't answer but apparently, it was enough for Ruby.
"Annie… there is eight other female victors here around. Your odds are one of nine".
"Don't" was all I could say in the moment. I felt so exhausted, especially when I've been crying for a long time. I just want to fall asleep and forget all crap that was happening to me.
"Annie…"
"What am I supposed to be? Happy? What if I get reaped? I can't get back there" I snapped back and opened the door only to be taken back when I saw the tears forming in Ruby's light blue eyes.
"Ruby…" I tried, but she cut off me.
"I don't want to lose you either! You're fucking important to Bruce and me. You helped me realize the value of life and passing through the pregnancy and taking care of Bruce without breaking down. You're a part of our family" Ruby said, as her eyes filled with tears again.
"But right now, we will try to be positive. It's what Bruce need. We need it too" She finished and walked out before I could respond. I sighed. She will never understand. No matter what I say.
I stared at the window, seeing the rain dropping on it, reflecting their colours. I had always liked rain and its sound. The sound felt so soothing. I remembered when I was younger, I loved to run in the rain and spin around with the feeling of dropping rain on my face. It drove my dad crazy. He always yelled at me to get in the house, otherwise I would catch a cold. I was so engrossed in the memory, that I didn't hear Bruce calling my name. I noticed him first when he tugged at my shirt.
"Aunt Annie?" he whispered, his big green eyes staring at me. I was startled at first. He just looked like his father, with his green eyes and dark brown hair, which was slightly curly. My brother…I could see him in the little boy's feature. I smiled, trying to hold back the tears.
"Yes, Bruce?" I said, lifting up four-year-old boy into my lap.
"Can you read a bedtime story to me? Mom said you could do it," he asked, with a sweet smile, showing off his baby teeth. I smiled. No matter how sad I was, his smile always made me smile.
"Of course! Let's go to your room and pick a book," I said, trying to seem perky.
This time, he chose a fairy tale about a princess and dragon. It surprised me; he usually chose stories about the knights. The fairy-tale was pretty cliché and ended with the prince saving the princess from the dragon.
"… And then they lived happily ever after" I finished off the story and looked down at Bruce, surprised to see that he was still awake. He looked thoughtful, as he tugged at my sweater.
"Aunt Annie?" he asked and looked up at me. "Do you have a prince?".
I frowned. The question caught me off guard. It took a while before I could answer.
"No. Because I don't need a prince to recuse me. Remember, your aunt is a victor" I smiled a bit playful and pinched his nose. He gurgled.
"But don't you want to share your happily ever after with a prince?" he asked again. I felt that nagging feeling again and tried to brush off it. I didn't deserve someone. If I found a "prince", I would just ruin him as much as he destroys me. Snow would use him against me. No one deserved to live in constant threat depending of my behaviour. Like Ruby and Bruce.
"I have you and your mom. You two are enough for me" I answered and hoped he would be satisfied with my answer as I put the book on the bedside table.
"Now, it's time for bed" I continued and raised up from the bed.
I rolled over on to my back and stared at the white ceiling. I've been lying here since the dinner. The rain dropped on my window.
I rolled back on to my stomach and sighed when I realized this night was going to be one of the many sleepless nights. There was no reason this should be difficult. I wished it could be easier.
Giving up, I pushed myself up from the mattress.
Like the many sleepless nights, I sneaked out of my room. It wasn't not like I tried to sneak out without Ruby knowing. She was aware that I did it sometimes. I just didn't want to wake up Ruby or Bruce. Only wearing my nightshirt and panties and barefooted, I sneaked like a shadow in the night's darkness to the house opposite my house, not caring about the rain. I found the key under the doormat and slipping the key in the keyhole and opened the door, carefully and quietly, with deference to Cashmere. She was always pissed off if I happened to wake her.
The whole house was dark and I couldn't see anything right now but after the many night visits, I knew how to find his room in the darkness. Ten steps forward, then the stair and from the ledge, four steps to left and ten steps to straight right. I quickly found the diamond doorknob.
Slipping in his bed and in the warmth under his sheets, waking up him with a single whisper "I need you right now". Usually he would be startled because of his instinct but he has gotten used to me coming to him at this time, so he just wrapped his muscular arms around me and pulled me up on top of him.
To my delight, he was already naked. So I didn't have to fumble with his pjs.
"I see you were waiting for me" I whispered, leaning over him. A glint of lust flashed through his eyes as he crushed my lips under his. I couldn't help but enjoying the feel of his strength and intensity. His hands were quick; taking away my nightshirt and panties. He was good at this, I thought.
"Now tell me what do you want."
"You" I breathed.
"Right answer" he quickly turned me so I ended up under him. He moved his hands to my hips and pressed my body against his as he kept kissing me.
Skin against skin. It felt good. Nothing but skin. I was his. He was mine. All of my thoughts disappeared as I felt him inside of me and withered of his powerful moves. I felt his teeth sliding against my skin. My nails sank in his back as I responded to his moves, wrapping my legs around his waist as he again and again violently but slowly bumped hips against my. His arms and skin against my skin was the only thing that kept me on the earth.
At the end, Gloss brought back me as he was saying something, but I could no longer hear his voice. It will be over in seconds. A sob hitched in my throat. Too soon. Too soon.
He grunted in my dark hair. I felt warm inside, but not in a good way. I could feel the anguish building inside me. I wouldn't have done it again. I rolled off him and breathed out. So wrong, wrong.
"Thank you, Annie" Gloss smirked and kissed me before continuing down to my neck. I could feel his teeth making some scratch on my neck before he rolled over at his side of the bed. As if he wanted to mark his territory. I lay motionless there and felt how the remorse took over my body.
It was the first time I couldn't sleep after a session with Gloss. Beside me, he had already fallen asleep. His breathing was slow and even. I stared at his beautiful profile and envied him. That he could always sleep, no matter what was happening to him. It was like Quarter Quell wasn't bothering him at all.
My mouth was getting dry, but I couldn't find the will to get up and get a glass of water.
A lot of people would have thought that it was weird that I was doing this; despite I was forced into prostitution in the Capitol. I was supposed to be afraid of any kind of intimacy. But I felt comforted by the thought that I was willing and have control with Gloss, unlike in Capitol with my clients. In some way, it made me forget all of my nightmares and bad memories. Maybe, I was mad after all.
If people were thinking we're having a relationship and Gloss might be my prince – they were totally wrong. I wasn't able to have a relationship and if I could – it wouldn't have been with Gloss. Absolutely not. I mean, he wasn't a bad person. But he was arrogant and egotistic and I couldn't imagine us in a relationship. It would be a big disaster.
It took a while before I was able to move out of the bed. As I walked out of the house in the darkness, I was disappointed in myself. No matter how many times I told myself not to have sex with him, I did it anyway.
What do you think? Please review, I always appreciate some feedbacks.
LouisVuitton11