#but i thought i might try merging gifs again and this was the perfect opportunity | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

under-the-aspen-tree · 7 months

Text

A Moth To You (Chapter 2 - Endings, Beginnings) Aegon II Targaryen x (Bastard Velaryon) Reader

Series Summary: After a year travelling abroad, you have been called home to Kingslanding by your mother, Rhaenyra. Turns out your family has grown in your time apart.

Word Count: 1.9k

The crimson of rooftops looked like flecks of red dirt in peachy sands from where you flew above Kingslanding, circling the city from the confines of the clouds. The journey to Westeros was an easy one, with the ship mooring at Dragonstone so that you had time to bathe and rest before separating from Rhaenys, your cargo safely chasing behind you when you took flight on Cerys. You were eager to fly once again, legs and stomach aching from days on the boat, and try as you might you were eager to see your family once again. Cerys, your young dragon, was delighted at the opportunity to roam the lands of her birth once more and had spent the journey dipping her scaled talons in and out of the seas before soaring up towards the hazy cloud lines.

Cerys was a great beast of five-and-twenty, older than yourself and larger than your brothers by nearly twice fold. Her scales were of a beautiful milky white with flecks of silver that marked her underbelly. She was such a perfect shade of cream that even Cregan Stark had found himself delighted at the sight of her curled up in the snows of Winterfell at the beginning of your tour, remarking on how well she took to the icy terrain.

Now, her colouring was the perfect illusion as you drifted through the skies, awaiting the moment you would be forced to make an entrance. You knew your family would have some idea of when you would arrive, that they would be patiently standing within the dragon holdings beside The Red Keep, but for some reason, you couldn't face them. It had all seemed so quick. One moment, you were breezing through the days with the sun on your skin and your worries in the breeze, the next clad in thick riding leathers, your hair twisted back in knots and layers with that life almost 500 miles behind you.

Stirring you out of your thoughts, Cerys let out a light snarl, rumbling your saddle as you twisted the reigns to circle the city once more, the beast growing tired. You had departed from Dragonstone before the sun was more than a quarter way through the sky and it was now gone noon. The winds had thankfully assisted your travel, but you were certain you had been in flight for almost nine hours. Your skin was dry and tired, your throat parched, and Cerys must have felt even worse having carried the weight of the journey for all this time.

"I know girl, I know," You said, stroking your hand against her scales. You looked out once more towards the East, imagining how simple it would be to turn back, before running your dry tongue against your lips and tugging at the reigns. Cerys dipped her head gladly, stretching out her wings as you began your descent. The rooftops merged from flags to mosaics, and then into houses as you soured further and further down in swooping circles. The wind rushed in your ears and, even tired, you let out a laugh at the feeling. Even from here, flying above the city, you could smell the familiarity of the lands. There was a comfort in home, even if you had wished to stay away. Cerys circled twice before flapping her wings against the wind, the holdings beneath you. You could just about make out the white hair of those waiting, the flapping of coats and dresses as Cerys made her descent, before rocking in your saddle as she hit the ground with a gentle roar. "Okay," You whispered to yourself, heat pouring to your cheeks as you heard the chatter of those waiting for you. "I can do this."

You took your time unbuckling yourself from your saddle before resting your feet on Cerys wings. Your legs ached from hours of sitting and it took a moment to stretch some life into them as you slowly stepped down and back into solid ground. A hand reached out to assist you, and you grasped it before realising who it even belonged to.

"Jacaerys!" You gasped, catching sight of the mop of dark hair resting against the boy's forehead. Well, boy was a sweet word for the man before you. The Jacaerys you had left behind over a year ago was shorter than you by a head and a half, with angular shoulders and an almost elvish face. Your brother had certainly grown in your time apart. He stood like a man now, with the sturdy strength of a swordsman and eyes that had to look down to behold you. He took you into a welcome hug, lifting you off your feet slightly.

"(Y/N), It's been too long," He laughed into your ear as he set you back down, placing a gloved hand on your shoulder. "I hope your travels were easy."

It had always been so easy with Jace, perhaps because you were the closest in age. He was born less than a year after yourself, though always seemed determined to fill the role of older brother. Throughout your childhood he had protected you in every way he could, even if sometimes you had to chastise him afterwards for being so imposing. Once back in his arms, you had no idea how you had ever left them.

"They were lovely thank you," It was as though every concern you had was washed away at the sight of your brother, every dreaded thought seemed silly, though the pleasantries were off-putting. "How is everybody?"

"You can ask them yourself," Jace said with a knowing glint in his eyes, gesturing behind you both.

Your mother stood proudly, her hair twisted in elaborate braids away from her face, with one hand on Lucerys' shoulder and the other wrapped around Joffrey. Behind her, with his chin up and his hair longer than you remembered it being, was your great Uncle, Prince Daemon. You practically had to tug Jace to keep up with you as you faced your family.

"Mother!" You cried out, burying your face in her hair and breathing in the smell of nectarines and lotus that you loved. It had been so long since you felt her arms around you, seeing her kind eyes and gentle face. You hadn't realised how much you missed it. Luke and Joff came next, though you had to lean down a little to hug the latter. You were shocked at how much they had changed in your time away, with the only faces remaining the same being your mother and step-fathers.

Finally, stood back beside Jace, you finally had the chance to speak to them, and everything came rushing out. "How are you all? How is the king? How is the dragon riding coming along? Are you all sword fighting? Why did you want me home?" Your mother had to place a hand on each of your shoulders to prevent the onslaught of eager questions, but her eyes were alight with a smile.

"You will have a chance to ask anything, and I'm sure your brothers are very excited to hear about your adventures themselves, tonight. The King and Queen have hosted a feast to celebrate your return."

You clamped your mouth shut, cheeks going red as a smile broke through on your face. "Yes, mother."

"Jace," She turned her attention to your brother, pushing your shoulder slightly to face him. "Could you lead your sister to her chambers to rest before supper?"

Jacaerys stood proud and offered out a hand to guide you. It was only now that you realised you were in dire need of a bath, leathers drenched in sweat and skin smelling of dragon. You took his hand and smiled farewell to your family before joining him on the path to The Red Keep.

"We're all well," He informed you as he led you across the grounds, smiling as you beheld the keep. It hadn't been so long since your last visit here, but it was as though you were seeing it for the first time. You had forgotten how high it reached, how far it spanned, and just how many people were there. Back in Pentos, it all seemed a lot quieter. "The King is deteriorating, but not more so than is expected. The Queen is well, but it is our Uncles you must watch out for."

He gave your side a knowing nudge with his elbow at that and you laughed. You had almost forgotten about your extended family, so caught up in seeing your siblings. The last time you had seen them, they had barely said a word to you, with Aegon looking frustrated with being forced to make an appearance at your departure. Your childhood with them had been a bittersweet one, with your eldest uncle doing his best to completely ignore you, or sometimes pull your hair if given the chance. Aemond was kinder, but the incident at Driftmark changed something within him, and you found yourself lumped into the hatred he bore your brothers. Helaena was sweeter, you had nothing but fond memories with the girl, even if you had little in common. You shook aside the thoughts. Having repressed them all for over a year until now, you could hold them aside for a little longer.

"How so?" You inquired, giggling. You knew Jace had never gotten along with your Uncles, and they perhaps hated him even more. You had spent many days watching from the sidelines as they played at swords, bashing each other to the ground at every opportunity.

"Well, Aemond HATES me," He started quite dramatically. "And he hates Luke even more so. He won't ever say it directly, but he talks in these weird riddles as though I won't realise what he actually means when he says-"

As Jace complained about training and dinners, your eyes wandered to where a group of people watched your entrance, servants bowing as you came into view. But there, at the front of the gathering, stood two quite noticeable men, though if not for their bright silver hair, you would have scarcely recognised them. When you had last seen your Uncles, they were still on the cusp of youth, yet their differences were even greater than your brothers.

Aemond stood prouder than you remembered, with a sheet of icy hair that fell like water down his shoulders. His eyepatch was stark against his pale skin and his lips were twitched upwards in something close to a smirk. He watched you like you were beneath him, and there was something almost cat-like in his regards. Poised, careful, waiting for an opportunity to pounce.

Beside him was Aegon, the elder of the two, yet slightly shorter still. Where you remembered a skinny boy with unkempt hair and a youthful face, the man that now regarded you was filled out. Cold eyes, wavy hair cut to his chin and pushed behind his ears and an arrogance that had grown remarkably. If Aemond looked at you like you were a mouse, then Aegon watched with the primal intrigue of a wolf stalking prey. They were your family, you had known them since childhood, and yet the glint in Aegons eyes sent chills that ran down your spine and remained there until long after you left them behind. Their purple eyes followed you all the way across the gardens before Aegon turned his head to whisper something into his brother's ear. Even you could hear the cold laugh that rang out clear across the grounds at whatever he had said.

#Aegon #Aegon Targaryen #Aegon II #Aegon II Targaryen #Aegon Targaryen x you #Aegon Targaryen x reader #Aegon II Targaryen x you #Aegon II Targaryen x reader #Aegon II x reader #Aegon II x You #Hotd #hotd fanfic #house of the dragon #asoiaf #y/n #bastard velaryon

52 notes · View notes

seasonsofeverlark · 3 years

Text

Worth the Wait

Author: @ameliaodair

Prompt: Modern AU: Peeta and Katniss were on vacation in Argentina. Their days are up now and they’re on their way back to the US, however, a tornado alert gets them stranded in Lima, Peru. It’s Halloween and they were supposed to go trick or treating with Finnick and Annie and now here they are. What they didn’t know, is that in Peru they celebrate something called Día de la Canción Criolla, and they get swept into the joyous atmosphere. Dressing up as the locals, Everlark celebrate Halloween in a different way. [submitted by @evestedic]

Rating: T

Author’s Note: I tweaked the prompt a little, hope you still like it :) This is my first time writing for one of these, so I hope I did it right, and I hope I did the prompt justice. Enjoy :)

I always want to say thanks to my wonderful beta @eiramrelyat.

____________

Part 1

Katniss tosses her suitcase into the trunk of her car, irritated that her flight was cancelled. She promised her sister she would be home tomorrow, in time to see her niece and nephews’ costumes for their very first Halloween. If there was one thing in this world that Katniss despised, it was disappointing her baby sister.

“A tornado? Seriously, a freaking tornado in Peru! Just wonderful!” She mumbles to herself, securing her seatbelt in place. Before leaving the parking lot she reaches for her phone, browsing for somewhere to stay for a night or two; at least until she can catch the next flight home. “Great, no service.” Could anything else go wrong today? She thinks to herself, tossing her phone back into her purse.

After being stuck in traffic for nearly an hour, only going at a speed of ten miles per hour, she tries to summon the courage to call her sister. Gripping her hands firmly around the wheel and tapping her fingers nervously, she finally speaks to the car’s navigation system. “Call Prim.”

“Calling Prim” The car responds. Prim answers on the second ring, the excitement laced in her voice.

“Oh my gosh Katniss, I am so excited for you to see the twins’ costumes! Are you in the states yet? What time is your flight? Do you have an estimated arrival time? I can come and get you, or…or—"

Katniss cringes at her sister’s questions before deciding to interrupt her. “Prim, I um…there was a problem- no, there is a problem.” Katniss looks out the window, noticing how crowded the streets are, and the people seem to be dressed rather…vivaciously. ‘I wonder what that’s all about?’ She thinks to herself.

“What’s wrong, are you okay?”

“Yeah, of course, I’m fine. It’s just that…my flight…well, it got cancelled. I mean…not ‘cancelled,’ cancelled, but more like…delayed. There’s like…a severe tornado warning or something and they’ve grounded all flights until further notice.”

‘Are they…dancing?’ Katniss thinks to herself, seeing a woman be twirled around in an immaculate dress, the dress fanning out to reveal the beautiful colors.

“Seriously? Katniiisss….” Prim whines like a toddler, elongating Katniss’s name.

“Give me a break, Prim, you’ll take a zillion pictures, we’ll facetime, and you can dress them up when I get home. They’re babies, they won’t even know the difference.”

“But I will.” Katniss despises it when Prim does this. Looking out the window again, Katniss sees a group of small kids dressed up in costumes.

‘How adorable.’ She thinks to herself, smiling.

“Come on Prim…This is totally out of my control. You know I would be there if I could. Plus, don’t you have a wonderful husband to keep you busy?”

“Yeah…I do—” Katniss can hear the smile in Prim’s voice and that always makes her happy. Even after being together for five years, Prim and Rory are still so sickening in love with each other; it would make Katniss sick if she didn’t love her sister so much. “But he’s not you. No one can replace you, big sister.”

“I know Prim—” Katniss cranes her neck out the open window to see what all the commotion is about. “Prim, I need to go…there is something…I don’t know what it is, but I’ll call you later. Take lots of pictures for me!” She says just before ending the call, not giving Prim the opportunity to make her feel any worse. As if that is even possible.

A month ago the company Katniss works for asked someone to take an impromptu trip to Argentina, just before the holiday’s no less. To have the opportunity arise to be the mediator in an attempt to merge their company with one of the hotshot rivalry companies nearby, Katniss was the first to volunteer.

With no life other than her sister and her sister’s family, Katniss had no obligations which left her the perfect candidate to leave the country. Everyone else had families they didn’t want to leave, not knowing how long it would take to do the negotiations, they did not want to risk being in another country for the holidays.

It had been almost ten years since she lost the love of her life and she had accepted the fact that you only get one of those per lifetime. She was secretly hoping for better luck in her next one. He was beautiful and he was perfect, and she thought their love transcended time and space. So what if they were only teenagers, and so what if she had not seen him in almost ten years. It did not seem to matter how many times she tried to find love, it just never felt right.

At seventeen years old, she and her sister became orphans. Social Services came to her house early one morning and loaded her and Prim into a car, refusing to allow them to say goodbye to anyone.

Katniss no longer cries from the anguish of losing him, but the agony from missing him is still as fresh as that first night. When she turned eighteen, she could have gone back to Panem, but she was too scared. What if she went back and he had moved on? Found someone else to love, got married, and…no, not knowing was better. Rejection would be worse.

Katniss hoped this trip would give her some insight as to what she might do with the rest of her life. She cannot continue to lean on Prim forever; she has her own family now.

Katniss finally makes out what the commotion is ahead of her and a smile forms on her lips when she catches sight of the herds of people dancing in the street, causing her to remember their dance competition. With him. “Dammit Katniss, stop it. Why do you keep thinking about him today?” She scolds herself before spotting a hotel across the street. She pulls into a parking space, crossing her fingers they have a vacancy, but by the looks of the massive hoards of people crowding the streets, she is not very confident.

She reaches up to her neck where her collar bone dips in, and with her thumb and forefinger, she pinches the pearl that hangs from her necklace. From him. It is the necklace he gave her on her sixteenth birthday. ‘As long as you wear this necklace, you will know how much I love you. Always.’

‘Always.’ It was their ‘thing.’ Some people made promises of forever, but not them. No, they promised for always. She remembers his exact words, and for some reason, he feels closer than ever. Close enough to touch. Something in the back of her mind says.

Shaking her head to rid her mind of the penetrating thoughts, Katniss decides to make her way into the hotel to see if there is a room available before unloading her suitcase. She locks the rental car and pushes her way through the crowded streets and into the entrance of The Holiday Inn.

Upon entering the building, Katniss is greeted by a beautiful woman with perfectly golden hair and a smile bright enough to light up the entire building. She says something in Spanish that Katniss cannot understand, confusion written all over her face.

“Crap, I left my translator in my car” Katniss mumbles under her breath after reaching over and checking her purse.

Realizing that Katniss does not understand her, the woman speaks again, this time in English, laced with a heavy accent. “Welcome to The Holiday Inn, can I interest you in a room?”

“Oh, you speak English!” Katniss says, more excited than she should be.

“Effie does not allow any of her employees to man the front desk unless they are fluent in English. We get a lot of tourists.” Madge says, explaining to her.

“Effie?” Katniss asks, finding the name strange. Like she’s one to talk.

“Effie is the boss. This is her hotel. She’s more of a designer if you ask me, but she’s famous for dressing people up for the Dia de la Canción Criolla! She will be knocking on your door within the next hour!”

“Dia day what?” Katniss asks, not hearing what Madge said due to how fast the words seemed to escape her mouth.

“Dia De La Canción Criolla. It is a celebration of Criolla music. There will be dancing, lots of dancing! And music, yes…beautiful music! You should come, it’s so much fun!” Madge tells her with stars in her eyes, as if she is remembering a heartfelt moment.

“Oh, well…I’ll think about it.” Katniss says timidly, giving Madge a smile.

Katniss is thrilled the hotel has a vacancy and hands Madge her credit card to confirm her room for the night. While she waits for the transaction to process, she and Madge make small talk. Madge returns her credit card and ID along with the plastic key card with the numbers ‘12-13’ displayed on the front, as well as a brochure.

“If you take these elevators up to the twelfth floor and make a quick right, room thirteen will be on your left. Here is a list of amenities as well as numbers if there is anything you need. And Katniss?”

“Yes?”

“You should come out for the night. You only live once.”

With a polite smile, Katniss nods her head, turning her back to Madge to retrieve her suitcase from her car.

Nearly half an hour later, she returns to the hotel with her suitcase in tow and steps onto the elevator. Just as the doors begin to close, she spots a man running, trying to catch the elevator before the doors close. Katniss presses the button to keep the elevator open, but she is just a moment too late. With a mind of its own, the doors seal themselves shut, rising her up to the twelfth floor.

‘Why do I keep thinking about him today? Why does he feel so close to me? I’m in Peru for Heavensbee’s sake!’ Katniss says smiling to herself, reaching for the pearl again. ‘Heavensbee’s sake’ was one of ‘their’ inside jokes. “Perhaps this ‘Dia De La…whatchamacallit is just the thing I need to distract my mind from him. And who knows what’ll happen.” She mumbles to herself, entering her hotel room.

When the door slams shut behind her, she hears the distinct ‘ding’ from the elevator. ‘Whoever that man was must have made it up.’ She thinks to herself, recalling the flash of blonde hair, with those bouncing blonde waves, just like him. ‘No, stop it. He is not here Katniss. It has been ten years. Ten years. You should be over him by now. So, just…Get over it.’

But she’s not, and she can’t.

Freshly out of the shower, with one towel wrapped around her body and another one on the top of her head, she reaches for the phone and proceeds to call the number Madge had given her. She needs to do something to distract her mind. She is going to celebrate Dia De La Canción Criolla like a Peruvian.

“Give me a break Dad. It’s Halloween, it’s not even really a holiday. The bakery will survive if I’m gone for another few days.”

“I know kid, I know. I’m sorry…I just…you know…I miss you. You’ve been gone for like—”

“Two weeks. I have been gone for two weeks. And I will be home in a few more days. Control over the weather is not a power I have homed in on as of yet.” Peeta’s dad chuckles at his words but is still disappointed. “Listen dad, as soon as they open the flights back up, the airline promised to call me, and I’ll be on the first flight back to the states. Now look, I’ve gotta go, the streets here are insane and I need to find a place to crash for the night. I’ll let you know when to pick me up.”

“Okay, son. Oh, and Peet?”

“Yeah, dad?”

“Try to have some fun.”

“Yeah, okay, I’ll try. I’ve gotta go, bye dad.” Peeta ended the call before giving his father any more fuel to drag the call on longer.

Peeta woke up that morning with an uncanny feeling that something was wrong. When he got to school that morning and she wasn’t there, that feeling in his stomach intensified. They talked to each other every day before and after school. She was his best friend, and he was hers. They told each other everything, so when he still had not heard from her by dinner that night, he knew deep in his gut something was wrong. Really wrong.

The next day, Magnolia, one of her sister’s friends, came to him asking if he had heard anything from either of the girls. For two days now, both girls have been missing from school. Magnolia did not know it, but she had just confirmed the gut-wrenching fear in the pit of his stomach.

For days, Peeta hounded the adults to no avail, questioning anyone he could as to her whereabouts. She would never just up and leave without telling him, at least not without saying goodbye.

After two weeks, Peeta’s father realized that Peeta needed answers, that he would not be able to rest until he knew what happened to her, so using his connections he was able to obtain some information. Peeta cried in his father’s arms as he told him what happened. Social services came that morning, came before the sun was even up, and basically kidnapped the girls. Both of their parents died in a car accident and at sixteen and a half years old, she took over the role of mom and dad to her little sister. Apparently, someone placed an anonymous call, claiming to be “worried,” about the girls, hence social service ripping them from their lives.

For years, Peeta tried to find her. But when his father lost his job, they had to relocate to another state. Peeta did not want to leave if by some chance she came back looking for him, but he was only a kid himself, so he didn’t have a choice.

At one point, he hired a private investigator, but so far; nothing has come up. All his friends and family keep insisting he “move on,” But he just couldn’t, he can’t. “You don’t just move on from your soulmate, from your one true love” he told them all. There is no one else, only her. If I am not with her, then I will just be alone. One day, he will find her, he is certain of it.

“I know I’m probably asking the impossible, but would you happen to have a room for one?” Peeta asks once he reaches the desk, giving the beautiful girl his most charming smile.

“Oh, don’t let the streets fool you, sir. It’s Día De La Canción Criolla, the Peruvian festival of Music. And to answer your question, yes, in fact we do.” The receptionist, Madge, proceeded to tell him with her heavy accent and dazzling smile, staring at the computer screen in front of her, typing away.

A few minutes later, Madge hands him his plastic key card to his room in the penthouse along with a brochure filled with amenities, phone numbers, and information about this “Dia De La Canción Criolla.”

“Since you are already here sir, you should come out tonight and check it out. Have some fun.” Have some fun, those were his father’s exact words.

But dancing…especially that kind of dancing brought him back to memories of her. She was the captain of the dance club in high school and she convinced him to enter a couple’s dance competition with her. Never able to tell her no, he agreed. He was never as good as her, but where he lacked, she excelled. It was like that with everything they did. They picked up each other’s slack. When one was weak, the other was strong. Always.

As he is scribbling his signature on the consent form to bill him at checkout, for just a split microsecond he thinks he sees her. Heading onto the elevator is a woman with the same shade of hair, in that same over the shoulder braid she would wear, and the same olive complexion. It had been almost ten years since the last time he saw her face, ten years since the last time his lips touched hers, but he is certain that one-hundred years could go by…no, a thousand years could pass, and he would always know her. Always.

Once his ‘T’s’ are crossed, he politely excuses himself from the receptionist, and runs to the elevator. He can’t make her face out as the doors slide shut, but he can tell she tried to hold the door for him, but it was too late. The elevator has a mind of its own and she slipped through his fingers.

“It’s not her, it couldn’t possibly be.” He tells himself, his head hanging down as he presses the button and waits for the elevator. He rides up to the twelfth floor and as soon as the doors open, he hears a door slamming from around the corner. He finds his room, walks into it, and plops down on the bed.

Lying back on the bed, something in Peeta’s pocket begins poking his thigh. He reaches into his pocket and grips firmly onto the pocket watch that he always keeps with him. From her.

At fifteen years old, he began saving his earnings from working at the bakery for eight months in order to buy her that necklace. When he first saw it hanging in the shop, he knew he just had to have it. He knew it was made just for her. It had been sitting in his underwear drawer for almost two weeks before he gave it to her on her sixteenth birthday. His gift brought tears to her eyes because of what it meant.

She wanted to give him something too, but he insisted that it doesn’t work that way. You do not give a gift to someone because they gave you something. That was the first time she said those three magical little words. She told him, “I’m not giving this to you because you gave me this necklace, I’m giving this to you…I want you to have this because I love you.” It was her father’s, a gift from her mother. It meant the world to her, so he knew what she was saying before she even said the words.

“Dammit Peeta! Get a grip. It isn’t her, I’m in Peru for Heavensbee’s sake! An entire country away!” Peeta yells at himself, confused as to why she is on his mind so hard today.

Peeta jumps into the shower, having decided that maybe he will join the festivities, if for nothing else, then to distract his mind from her. He picks up the brochure and places a call to one of the names Madge had recommended. If he is going to a Peruvian festival…(or is it a party?), he is going to need something to wear.

Part 2

“Hi Katniss, my name is Cinna and I’ll be your stylist.” Katniss lets the man in that Effie had recommended helping her find something to wear for tonight.

“Come in, it’s nice to meet you Cinna, I’m Katniss.” Katniss sticks her hand out to Cinna, but he ignores it and wraps his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace. He then pulls back and circles around her, inspecting her from all angles.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” Cinna asks after he finishes orbiting her once.

“What gave it away? My accent? Or the constant look of confusion permanently embedded on my face?” Cinna chuckles at her, deciding that he is going to like this girl. She is something special.

“I’ve met everyone who comes through here, and I am certain I would remember a face as radiant as yours,” Cinna says, noticing the rosy hue filling Katniss’s cheeks. There is a knock on the door, startling Katniss. Cinna reaches for the doorknob and opens the door, and three strange-looking people come bouncing in. Their hair is quite flamboyant, they wear some rather vivid and strange colors, but they look at Cinna as if he were the sun. But most importantly, they seem truly happy to be here, to help her.

“Katniss, these are my assistants, and they will be helping me in getting you ready for tonight.”

“Okay. But, you do realize that I’m dressing up for this Dia de la Festival thing and not my wedding, right?”

“Dia de la Canción Criolla.” Octavia, one of Cinna’s assistants says so fast, Katniss only heard gibberish.

“How do you guys say that so fast?”

‘I wonder if they do this often?’ Katniss thinks to herself when Flavius, another of Cinna’s assistants rolls in this cart filled with the most immaculate, dazzling dresses, shoes, and so many other accessories Katniss would never dream of wearing.

They get right down to business, no dilly-dallying. Katniss tries on dress after dress for what felt like hours, only to have them settle on the first dress, much to Katniss’s irritation. Each dress takes all four of them to help her into, which Katniss could not begin to fathom why it was so difficult.

The dress they decide on is more beautiful than she is able to put into words. The upper half clings to her form, accentuating each of her womanly curves. It is a modest dress, for when she looks in the mirror, she feels beautiful, but not provocative. It shows just enough cleavage, but not too much. The skirt of the dress is loose and free-flowing, if anyone happens to twirl her around tonight, it will fan out in immaculate precession.

“Oh, Miss Katniss, just you wait till someone spins you around in this baby.” Katniss looks startled as she scowls at Flavius.

“Wh-what’ll happen?”

“I can’t give away all the secrets, now can I?” Flavius looks at her conspiratorially.

“Don’t worry Katniss, nothing bad will happen.” Cinna places a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. But it isn’t his touch that calms her, but the gentle tone of his voice. She cannot help but notice that Cinna has this natural air about him, he makes her feel calm just by entering the room.

Once they finish adding the final touches to her dress, they chain her to a chair, (figuratively speaking) and get to work on her hair.

“So, is there a special someone we’re fixing you up for the night?” Just as Cinna asks the question, Effie walks into the room.

“Oh, hello guys, don’t mind me. I just wanted to observe the divine Cinna at work!” Effie pulls up a chair, making sure she isn’t in the way, and watches as their experienced fingers intricately style Katniss’ hair.

Katniss is hypnotized as she watches four sets of hands intricately brush, comb, part, separate, and braid her hair.

Remembering Cinna’s question, Katniss blushes before saying, “Oh no. There is no one, I just…I just…Well, since I’m already here, I figured I should get the full Peruvian experience.”

“Oh, you have a man back at home, do you?” Octavia blurts out.

“No. No, there isn’t anyone. Well, once…No, never mind.”

“Awe, come on! Tell us!” Flavius pleads with her.

“PLEEEEASE!!” All three assistants beg at the same time in a sing-song voice.

Katniss hesitates for a moment, realizing there is no harm in confiding in these complete strangers, she starts. “Well, there was this one guy, once. When I was younger.”

“Ooooh, was he handsome?”

“What color were his eyes?”

They each spit out their own questions, curious to the man who once held her heart, forcing the image of his perfect face into the forefront of her mind.

“No, he was not handsome…. He was…he was beautiful. He had the bluest eyes, bluer than the ocean and the sky mixed together. And his hair…it was this sandy blonde, with just the right amount of waves, you know…not too curly but definitely not straight. He was my best friend, my soul mate. He was everything to me.”

“So, what happened?” Flavius blurts out.

“You speak of him as if you’re still in love with him,” Vennia says, giving Katniss a forlorn look.

“I got…I got ripped away from him. And I haven’t been able to find him since. But someone as amazing as him, surely he’s married with a few kids by now.” Katniss omits how she is actually too chicken to even look for him as she hangs her head down, the pain of him with someone else cut like razors.

Effie’s eyes go wide as she recognizes this story, without excusing herself, she gets up and storms out of the room in a dash.

“What was that about?” Katniss asks inquisitively.

Flavius does a motion with his hands and rolls his eyes. “Who knows? That woman is a bit cuckoo.” However, Katniss notices the knowing look being shared between Cinna and his assistants.

“Perfecto!” Vennia says once her hair is complete.

“Now, one last thing,” Octavia says, reaching for the clasp around Katniss’ neck.

Katniss spins around to face Octavia, “Wh-What are you doing?”

“I have a better one for you to wear tonight.”

“No, the necklace does not come off.” The firm tone in Katniss’s voice tells everyone not to argue.

And they don’t.

Effie storms back into Peeta’s room- the busy body she is- and pulls up a chair next to Peeta as Portia and her team get him ready for the night.

“Peeta? Will you tell me about your girl again? The one from your childhood.” Peeta raises an eyebrow, making sure to hold his head still as Portia does whatever she is doing to his hair. He isn’t sure why it is taking so long, but he doesn’t question her.

Peeta’s eyes light up at the thought of his girl. “Oh Effie, she was…she was perfect. She was the sun and the moon and the stars, all in one.” Effie notices the sparkle in Peeta’s eyes as he speaks of the girl. “She was so beautiful, and her eyes…I’ve never seen the same shade on another human being’s face, silver as the moonlight, intense as the night sky. Her hair, well back then it was long, nearly to the middle of her back. But she always wore it in this braid over her shoulder—” Effie’s eyes go wide as she listens to Peeta, realizing he is describing the girl in the next room.

‘Could it be?’ Effie thinks to herself. “Peeta, I think you should meet your neighbor. Maybe you could share a dance with her…Spend a night on the town—”

Peeta chuckles before interrupting her. “That’s okay Effie. I’m going home as soon as the airlines call me anyway. I just wanted to experience Dia De La Canción Criolla Peruvian style.”

Effie shrugs her shoulders, getting up to leave as an idea comes to mind. If her plan is to succeed, she will need help. “Okay, Peeta. Your loss.”

Effie waits in her office until she sees Miss Everdeen exit the hotel. Once she knows Cinna is free, she immediately goes to him and shares her suspicions.

“Cinna, we must, we absolutely must bring those two together!”

“Effie, what are the chances that the true love they lost and speak of just happens to be in the next room? An entire country away?” Cinna asks, exasperated by Effie’s infatuation with true love.

“Okay, so maybe I’m wrong…But what would it hurt?” Cinna thinks about it for a moment, deciding no harm could come of it, he listens to Effie’s plan.

x – x – x

“Thank you for coming with me Portia, I felt a little strange coming out here by myself.” Peeta gives Portia a smile as they leave the hotel and join the crowded streets. There are people dancing everywhere, children carousing the streets alongside their parents dressed up in their costumes.

“Would you like to dance Portia?” Portia scans the area, looking for any sign of Cinna, and then nods her head. She will dance them closer to where Cinna is with his girl.

“Where did you learn to dance Peeta? You’re quite good.” Peeta blushes at Portia’s compliment.

“Katniss.”

“Katniss? Was that her name? Your sweetheart back home?”

Peeta nods, just as a handkerchief flies into his face. He reaches for it, holding it in front of him with a confused look. “What the—”

“It means there is a lovely lady who wishes to dance with you.” Portia maneuvers Peeta’s body, turning him around and pushing him toward the woman standing next to Cinna. The darkness of the night, in addition to the lack of streetlights, prevents Peeta from clearly seeing her face. All he can make out is the silhouette of her face, yet the moment their fingers brush against each other, he instantly feels that familiarity…he feels at home.

But Peeta would know her anywhere; at least he thinks it is her. No, no. His mind is just playing tricks on him. Either way, he extends his arm to her, and she accepts graciously just as The Marinera begins to play.

It is their dance. Katniss and Peeta’s dance from high school. Peeta circles her once, and then again. She smiles at him flirtatiously, swinging her hips as she sways to the music. They tease each other back and forth throughout the night. It is as if they had spent their entire lives perfecting their moves, as if their bodies are meant to be as one.

The familiarity that overtakes them when Peeta places his hands on Katniss’ hips sends shock waves surging through their bodies. ‘Why does this feel so familiar? Why does this feel so right?’ Peeta thinks to himself after their second dance.

They dance the night away with each other, oblivious to the identity of their dance partner. The chemistry surges through Peeta’s body, and he knows she feels it too. There is something familiar about this woman, but Peeta cannot quite put his finger on it. It isn’t until the light of the moon casts its glow, causing the pendant on her necklace to shimmer in the moonlight, which is when Peeta freezes.

It can’t be, no, this girl just happens to have the same necklace. But then he sees the tiny inscription of the word “Always” in elegant script at the base of the pearl. That is when he knows.

It is her.

His Katniss.

Part 3

Turning away from the familiar stranger, Katniss hikes her dress up and runs back to the hotel. She rushes onto the elevator and presses the button for the twelfth story. When the doors open to her floor, she takes off in a sprint again, toward her room, then slams the door behind her once she’s inside.

“Get a grip, Katniss, wake up. It’s not him. You are just dreaming!” She yells at herself, lightly banging the back of her head against the door. ‘How does he know my name?’ she asks herself.

Less than a minute later, there is a knock at the door. “Katniss? Katniss, are you okay? Please open the door. I know it’s you. It’s me, Peeta. I’m sorry if I scared you; it’s just…can you please open the door so that I can see your face?”

Can it be him? Is it truly him? So many times, Katniss thought she saw him, only to be disappointed when it turned out to be someone else. Her heart cannot take another beating.

With her hand on the door handle, Katniss closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, preparing herself for the inevitable. Slowly, she opens the door just a crack, peeking through the small space.

“Peeta? Is it…is it really you?” She asks, slowly nudging the door open.

They stand there with their eyes locked, staring at each other while time stands still. A loose strand of hair blows in Katniss’s eyes, interrupting their trance. It is enough to reel her back into the present, and Peeta extends his arm, stroking Katniss’s cheek.

“Katniss,” Peeta says, staring longingly into her eyes. He slowly lowers his hand, pinching the tiny pearl hanging from Katniss’s neck. “You still…I can’t believe you still have it.”

Katniss glances at his left hand that grasps her pearl, and her heart speeds up at the absence of a ring. Peeta reaches up and places his hands on either side of Katniss’s face, bringing his face closer to inspect that it is really her.

“I never…I never take it off,” Katniss says, licking her lips. “Do you want to…come in?” Katniss asks him.

Peeta gives her a nod and walks past her and into the room. Katniss closes the door behind him, and when she turns around to face Peeta, he pulls her close, slamming his lips onto hers.

The kiss is deep, sensual, and passionate, everything they have craved over the years. Peeta takes Katniss to the bed in the center of the room, removing his jacket and slinging it behind him.

Katniss allows Peeta to take control. He lays her back against the sheets, then follows after her until he’s, hovering above her. “My God, I have missed you.” His voice reverberates between their connected lips.

There is no denying it. It is her. The only thing that matters is Katniss. His Katniss. Right here, right now, she stands in front of him after all this time. He cannot take it anymore and closes the short distance between them, slamming his lips against hers. Peeta plunges his tongue deep into her mouth, devouring her. Tasting her. Reveling in her.

The moment their lips connect, they knew they had finally found each other. And yes, it was definitely worth the wait.

5 Years Later

“I can’t believe you are getting married in Peru on Halloween!” Prim squeals, zipping the back of Katniss’ wedding gown up.

“It’s not Halloween in Peru, Prim. It’s Día de la Canción Criolla. And it’s when Peeta and I found each other again.”

“I know, sissy. I still can’t believe you guys found each other in Peru of all places! I mean, I don’t remember a whole lot from…from before, but I remember how happy you guys were when we were kids. And then I remember how sad you were when we had to leave, and…and I’m just so glad you found him!” Prim says, turning Katniss around and adding the finishing touches to her hair.

“I’m just glad that you, Rory, and the kids were able to come. Have you seen Peeta? Is he okay?”

“No, you are not seeing him until the wedding. No exceptions!” Prim tells Katniss, pointing a sassy finger in her face.

When Peeta catches sight of Katniss walking down the aisle to marry him, in the captivating dress with pearl accents, his heart stops in his chest at how beautiful she is. When he finally found her after so many years, he thought he had died and was living in his dreams.

He finally found her, and she was now his to love. Always.

#everlark #autumn 2020 #everlark fanfiction #autumn #ameliaodair #submission #prompt

50 notes · View notes