Chapter 5: My Hunter's Gone
My tears stain the letter I now read. Gale is dead - killed in tragic mining accident. I've been asked to the funeral. He was a war hero and a friend to the great Mokingjay; of course I should say a few words.
All at once, there is a knock at the door. I answer to find Darius on my front stoop.
I shakily smile, trying to hide my sadness. Darius and I have never spoken of the many kisses we shared at the Crew Party. I am not even sure what we are, exactly. And I don't know if I want to find out. What Peeta and I had was deep, deep love formed from a traumatic experience. Dating somebody just because they're incredibly attractive physically does not sound like the good basis for a relationship.
"I was just making my Peacekeeping rounds," the handsome ginger explains. "I trust you and Haymitch are well?" I check next door. Haymitch is on the front porch, throwing back a bottle. It is not my job to babysit him, and I largely only keep tabs on him to be sure he is at least imbibing beneath the life-supporting limit.
"Something's wrong," Darius senses. "And it isn't Haymitch."
I have to tell him the truth. So, I tell him about Gale's death, and how I have been asked to attend.
"I should like to accompany you," Darius offers immediately.
I stare. "Accompany me?"
"You... you should not travel alone," he expresses.
I roll my eyes. "I won't be alone. I'll have Haymitch." We now both look as one to the drunk now passed out on his porch.
I turn to the Peacekeeper and nod. I accept. "Yes. You can accompany me."
When the train pulls into the District 12 station, Darius and I are the only ones who get on. I would have thought some surviving mining buddies might get onboard, to pay their respects. This train will be going across the country, all the districts, to pick up guests. Johanna Mason is one. Annie and her son - my godson - Finn are another. Beetee.
When we arrive in District 2, where Gale spent the last few years of his life, we meet with Enobaria, this district's only surviving Victor and the only living Career. She also happens to be the Mayor. I am surprised. There are only five districts in Panem with surviving Victors of the Hunger Games, and District 12 is one of them. But even so, nobody looked to Peeta or Haymitch or me for leadership - not political, and certainly not in rebuilding efforts. Enobaria leads us to the burial site, explaining how tragic Gale's death was - a total accident. She has become the consummate politician.
After the funeral, the train goes perfectly in reverse, district by district, dropping people off. After 11, Darius and I are all alone. Despite having the train all to ourselves, we have to share a bed, so that train staff can keep track of their passengers. As we are falling asleep, Darius admits something to me out of the blue:
"I had a crush on you, you know." I stare at him as he continues. "For many years. I flirted with you because I was in love with you. I admired what you did for the districts. I was jealous of Gale hanging around with you before I even knew who he was. But I was also afraid of him - of what he might do to me if I flirted too hard. If he had struck me, I would have had to order a whipping for him as a matter of course, as that was the offense for striking a Peacekeeper."
I gulp, staring at him in silence. I can tell from the look in his eyes that he speaks the truth, every word. His gaze becoming more intense, he leans in to kiss me on the lips.
But I make the first move. Grabbing his groin in my hand, gripping it through his pants, I press my lips to his. I kiss him first.
Darius moans and rolls me onto him, so that I straddle his waist. As we kiss, quickly escalating to heated tongue, his hands wander down from my waist and to my buttocks. He strips me of my pants, pushing the fabric sensuously down past my hips as he tenderly caresses, cups and squeezes the tender flesh on my ass.
I suddenly feel Darius's bloated member enter my vagina, and my closed eyes prick with tears from the pain of something snapping, breaking in my core, scary and new. My first time sleeping with, lying with, a man.
Darius suddenly flips us and begins to pound into me. I writhe and shriek beneath him. "Ohhhh... UHhhhhhhh. UHHHHH!"
At last, with a scream, I cum. Darius collapses on me when he ejaculates into me a few moments later.
Sweaty and tired, we fall asleep in each other's arms.
