Renata paced around the large floor space in Seneca's apartment, her mind racing. She had made sure that the apartment was lacking in surveillance cameras but still couldn't shake the nervous feeling she had. The tributes had started their training, and Seneca had begun his long hours in the control room. Some nights he wouldn't come home at all, and other times he'd come home so late she wouldn't realize it until she woke up the next morning and he was leaving again.
"Are you planning something big?" She asked him, watching him dress.
He smiled at her before popping a pill to wake him up. "I think this is going to be a very good year for us, love."
A knock at the door made her stop pacing and she took a deep breath before going to answer it.
Finnick stood on the other side, leaning in the doorway with a seductive smile playing on his lips when she answered. "Hello. Renata, I presume?"
A smile lit up her face and she grabbed his wrist, pulling him inside and wrapping her arms tightly around him. "You're really here," She whispered, kissing his neck and squeezing him. She moaned softly as he tilted her face up and kissed her tenderly, his strong hands holding her close to his body.
"Renata, you have to listen to me," He said, putting his hands on her shoulders and holding her out so he could look at her. "This is dangerous. We probably shouldn't be doing this. I don't want anything to happen to you." His eyes were concerned and his lips pressed together in a line. "If anything were to, and it be because of me, I-"
She put her finger to his lips and stopped him, shaking her head. "It's okay," she whispered. She slowly pulled her hand away from his lips and she kissed his lips, closing her eyes when he kissed her back. A quiet gasp made her break the kiss and she laughed as Finnick lifted her off the ground by her bum and carried her towards the bed. "Wait," she stopped him before he set her down, looking at the bed as if it were made of spikes. "Not there." She swallowed when he gave her a curious look. "Please..." It was hard enough sleeping in the bed after that first traumatic experience.
Finnick kissed her forehead and he set her on her feet, pulling the blankets from the bed and throwing them on the floor. He went and tossed one of the pillows there, then looked at Renata to see if that was acceptable. "It's just me, Rini," he said quietly. He walked over to her and held her shoulders, smiling when she nodded. "I think I can say it again now that I don't have to run away." He tilted her chin up and gave her lips a deep kiss, winding his arm around her waist and holding her close. "I love you," he breathed, pressing kisses from her lips, across her cheeks, and down her slender neck.
Renata moaned against his head of curly hair, sliding her hands up his body and realizing just how much she missed his warmth. He had always been so warm, like the sun they had both grown up knowing so well. Whereas Seneca was cold and urgent, Finnick took his time making sure Renata was comfortable. And she was, she always was. She didn't hesitate to give herself over to him. "Finn," she whispered. Her wide blue eyes met his and the color in her freckled cheeks turned from a healthy pink to a deep rose.
Nothing like this came over her when she was with Seneca. Sure, she thought she had come close a few times to truly enjoying herself and not being scared of what he could do, but then she would remember Finnick and how different he was. His touch, his eyes, his voice all reminded her: You can always go home. When you're with me, you are home.
Amidst all their kisses they sunk down to the floor and Renata laid beneath Finnick, her breaths becoming short as she felt him work the fastens of her skirt. She moved her hands up his bare chest, feeling how solid and sculpted his body was. Perhaps it was silly to wonder why, out of everyone else, he had picked her. Everyone in Panem was in love with Finnick Odair. It was a bit intimidating to think about; how so many people knew his name and his face, and how many desired him. How many people had taken one more shred of his dignity away from him in exchange for a secret.
"Sit up, Rini," He whispered, interrupting her thoughts. She did so and raised her arms so he could remove her shirt. She kept a small little smile on her face as they finished undressing and he pushed her back down onto her back and crawled on top of her. "You okay?"
Renata smiled and she nodded, pressing her knees against his hips. She reached down between their bodies and grasped his length in her hand, making him gasp quietly.
"Well alright then," He murmured with an eyebrow raised, grinning.
Finnick smiled at Renata as they faced one another, the silk sheet pulled over their bodies. He held his hand up and laced his fingers with hers, his heart pounding in his ears. His lips traced the curve of her blissful smile and every time she made a sigh, his heart fluttered. This was how things were supposed to be.
She leaned up and gave his lips a soft kiss, then brushed her nose against his. "Now what?" she whispered, her cheeks red. They couldn't stay naked forever, however hard she may have wished.
"Tell me a secret," Finnick grinned, his voice a sexy purr. He laughed when she nibbled at his chin and he pulled her into his arms, sighing in contentment.
"A secret?" she repeated, tucking her head up under his chin. She closed her eyes and kissed his chest, her voice a murmur. "A secret about what?"
"You tell me, pumpkin."
She giggled and bit her lip, turning serious. "I've been giving myself birth control since before the wedding," she said, gently running her fingers against the bit of chest hair he had. They were both quiet for a minute and she looked up at him when he sighed.
"Smart girl," he whispered, cupping her face in his hand. "My brilliant, brilliant girl, you have to be careful. I worry about you, but it seems that you know how to handle yourself…" He kissed the tip of her nose and rested his forehead against hers. "Tell me another secret."
Renata pressed her lips together and she got a shy smile on her face. "I could tell you this, but…"
"But?" Finnick said with a cocked eyebrow. "Come on, out with it."
"When we were here for my Games," she began, her face bright red, "one of the first nights here, I had a dream about you." She sighed when he nodded for her to go on, "It was a very good dream, I mean…you came into my room, and you started…" She buried her face in the pillow, too mortified to say it out loud.
"Oh, I see," he grinned devilishly, moving so he was lying on top of her. He moved her hair out of the way and kissed the back of her neck. "No wonder you couldn't look me in the eye for the longest time." He smiled when she groaned and he covered her neck and shoulders with kisses.
Renata closed her eyes and she murmured at the touch of his lips. They laid there for a few quiet moments, listening to each other's breathing.
"What are you thinking about?" Finnick asked, rolling off of her and running his fingers down her spine. "Talk to me."
She turned her head to face him and she smiled, shrugging. "I wish it didn't have to be like this." Her face fell and she scooted closer to him, soaking up his warmth. "I am afraid," she admitted quietly.
Finnick pursed his lips, his fingers tangled in Renata's hair. "Was this a mistake?"
"No!" She gasped, sitting up and shaking her head fervently. "No, not at all, I…" She trailed off, chewing on her lower lip. "I don't want to force you into doing things that you're forced to do."
He sat up as well, gently tilting her chin up. "It's different when I'm forced, Rini. I make love to you of my own free will, and that's what is so beautiful about it. I choose to be with you, and you choose to be with me." He smiled and kissed both her cheeks, pulling back to look at her. "Do you want me to outright say it? I am a red-blooded male, Renata. I very much enjoy the two times we've been in the sheets together." He raised an eyebrow when she snickered, "What? Should I call it something else? Coitus? The horizontal hula?"
"Stop!" She laughed, shaking her head. "I just think it's interesting that you're counting already."
He opened his mouth to retort but then stopped, unable to come back with anything. He wrinkled his nose at her and sighed, raking a hand through his messy hair. "I don't want to look at the time," He mumbled, pouting.
Rini turned her head to squint at the clock on her nightstand, swallowing. "It's nearly 4:30." She swallowed and her heart sank when he stood up and went to put his clothes on.
"Oh, please don't look at me like that," Finnick sighed, seeing her downtrodden expression. "You're going to make me dodge out of my arrangement tonight and then Snow will have my head." He sighed again as she just sat there in the middle of the sheets, walking over to her and kneeling down beside her. "I'll come back for you. Soon." He stroked her cheek and smiled when she nodded.
"I love you," She whispered, leaning up a little to fit her mouth against his.
He smiled against her lips and didn't stop kissing her for a few long, blissful moments. "I love you, too," He breathed back, looking into her blue eyes before standing up. His footsteps were quiet on the carpet as he walked to the door, turning back to look at Rini before he opened it.
Her body was faced away from him, her head inclined towards the floor. He frowned, hating that he had to leave her. This reminded him too much of his disjointed "relationships" for comfort, and before he could go and overthink things; he stepped out and closed the door behind him.
Training for the tributes came and went, as did the semi-frequent visits from Finnick. They were like giddy children together, sneaking behind Seneca's back. As far as she knew, her husband had no clue about their secret visits. Her husband happened to be home this particular evening, and he was enjoying himself a shower as Rini watched the interviews.
Renata furrowed her brow as she heard a quiet ping from behind her. She pushed the mute button on the television, cutting Caesar off in the middle of his question he was asking to the young woman from District Five. She stood up and listened for it over the quiet sound of water from Seneca's shower.
It was coming from Seneca's desk. She bit her lip and went towards it, pressing down on the surface of the glass.
Immediately responding to her touch, the whole top lit up and a video started playing. She tried to find how to make it stop, but upon hearing the words "rebels" and "District Four" did she stop. The film cut to what appeared to be the remains of a building burning. Her blue eyes were wide and her heart hammered against her chest as she watched, her stomach churning as she saw charred bodies being carried out of the wreckage.
Notes on the side of the screen read that there had been more and more vandals to Capitol train cars and talks of blowing up the train, which had been traced back to a small group of rebels. There were no names, only a body count.
"See something you like?" Seneca's voice came from behind her, making her cry out in surprise.
She whirled around and swallowed, "You scared me."
"Getting into things you aren't supposed to? I should have known a little sea rat like you would snoop around where you don't belong." He barely blinked as he stared down at her, an almost amused smile curling his lips.
"I wasn't snooping, I…something happened in Four, Seneca," She whispered, her voice trembling. "An attack, they killed-"
"They?" He inquired. "My dear, you speak as if we are the enemy, but you are with us, one and the same. This is your home."
Renata searched his icy colored eyes, shaking her head. "Something happened, and I need to know if Cecil is alright. If he's still…" She trailed off and brushed past him to the phone, stopping in front of it. She didn't even know the telephone number for their house. There was an operator! She picked up the receiver and put it to her ear, freezing when there wasn't a dial tone. "What?"
Seneca began to chuckle from behind her and a shiver of fear went down her spine. Something was terribly wrong.
"You have all the company you need, right here with me," He said, smiling brilliantly.
Renata dropped the receiver and she clenched her hands into fists to keep them from shaking noticeably. "I'm not one of your childhood pets," her voice quavered and she cleared her throat. "You can't control my life!"
"I can, dear. You see, I hold the good cards in this arrangement. I can order hundreds of attacks on District Four. You have absolutely no power."
"I hate you!" She screamed, rushing towards him with the intent to strike him. "I hate you so much! Let me go home! I want to go home!" She kicked and screamed when he pinned her wrists behind her back and shoved her towards the windows overlooking the Capitol. Was he going to shove her out to fall to her death? At the last second, he turned and yanked open the small coat closet and shoved her in, slamming the door behind her. She hit the back wall and crumbled to the tile floor, turning back to the strip of light coming in through the bottom of the door. Before she even tried the handle, she knew he had locked her in there. "Let me out!" She pounded on the door, shivering from the cold tile on her bare legs. "Seneca!"
There was silence on the other side.
"Please," She whimpered, scared tears welling in her eyes. "What are you doing?"
"If you can't be a good wife, I'm going to punish you like a disobedient child," Seneca finally murmured. "And I'm going to keep you in there until you calm down and come to your senses."
Renata gritted her teeth and her nostrils flared with anger. She wasn't a child. Not anymore, thanks to him. She raised her fist and pounded at the door. She screamed and screamed, because surely someone would hear, wouldn't they? A shadow passed back and forth in front of the door and she hoped that she would break Seneca. If he opened the door, she would pounce on him and tear his skin open, make him bleed. Eventually the shadow disappeared and she quieted down a little, her voice hoarse from the constant screaming.
The faint sound of bottles clinking reached her ears and she sat up, massaging her throat. "What are you doing?" She asked, not expecting a response.
"Getting your medicine ready."
Her blood ran cold and she got onto her feet, backing against the wall. What did he mean?
"I used to use this when I wanted to experiment with the women I brought back here. But now I suppose I'll have to use it on my wife." His footsteps approaching the door sounded like thunder against the pounding of her own heart in her ears, and she waited for him to open the door and do something to her. Instead, she watched as he plugged up the bottom crack of the door with some towels and then fed a small tube through.
"Seneca!" She pleaded, pounding on the door with her fists. "Don't! I'll be good!"
"I'm afraid it's too late for that, darling," He murmured before switching on some kind of device. "You'll come to your senses once you wake up from your little nap."
Renata took in as big of gulps of air as she could before the smoke started to fill up the closet. It stung her eyes and her lungs screamed for air, knowing she could only deny herself oxygen for so long. The effect of the smoke was instantaneous when she breathed it in. It choked her and made her dizzy. Her knees buckled and she fell against the door, hacking her poor head off. "Please," she croaked, weakly striking the door before she went unconscious.
Wow, so...I don't think we've met before. Hi, I'm Kelsey and this...oh wait, I just haven't updated in like 10 years. I am SO SORRY I was battling this giant bit of writer's block and with school i had to speech publicly! Talk about stressful! But alas, that is no excuse, and so I give you my sincerest appy-polly-logies. So about this chapter! Yes, sweet babies! Boo, terrible Seneca! I feel so badly because I actually love Seneca, he's got it going on, but for the sake of the plot he needs to be a baddy. Wahh, perhaps I will give you another time to shine, my precious beard man. I will try to have the next chapter up sooner than later, since my school is almost over for the semester! Woohoo! Thank you all so so so much for sticking around and for new readers, welcome, hope you are enjoying!
-Kelsey xx