The Desert's Edge ➣ Gloss/OC

Which seeks to bolster all it holds divine.

A/N: There is some smut in this chapter, though it's sort of glazed over a bit...? In my opinion anyway! Just wanted to throw in a chapter warning just in case though.

Chapter Eight | Which seeks to bolster all it holds divine.

"Being held a foe, he may not have access

To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear,

And she as much in love, her means much less

To meet her new beloved anywhere."

2, 9-12 Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare

When Gloss invites her over to his apartment the next time they're both in the Capitol some months later, Elara isn't expecting company. It would have been nice if he'd warned her that his sister would be there too. She might have saved herself some embarrassment.

The moment he opens the door, she throws herself at him, pulling him into a kiss that actually ends up pushing him back a bit in surprise. Of course, Gloss is quick to recover; he drags her firmly against him and tangles his fingers into her hair, kissing her as if he's a man starved. In a way, they both are. They haven't seen each other for months.

She won't tell him, but she missed him more than she thought possible.

He won't tell her, but he feels the same.

"So this is the girl you're holed up with whenever you come to the Capitol?" a voice sudden asks. It's dry and sarcastic, with plenty of judgement. It comes from a woman Elara's met only once before, during her Victory Tour in District 1.

She pulls away from Gloss quickly, peering over his shoulder at the tall blonde woman who is watching them from the kitchen doorway. To her horror, she feels herself blush. She hadn't realized he had company! What if he'd let her go on to do what she had wanted to do? Elara glowers over at Gloss with a raised eyebrow, but the man only laughs.

He seems to think that the situation is hilarious. He doubts he's laughed so hard in his life. He even has to lean against the wall to catch his breath, which neither women seem to find comical. Elara spears him with an unamused glower, while Cashmere just rolls her eyes before turning to her and sarcastically inquiring, "Elara Winston. We've met before."

Elara clears her throat awkwardly and mutters, "...Yeah. That's me."

Suddenly she feels a bit inadequate in the face of this blonde haired beauty. Like her brother, Cashmere has also gained a strong reputation in the Capitol. The pair of them are Panem's most beloved Victors, most likely due to the fact that they are a sibling pair – the only siblings who have won the Games two consecutive years in a row. Their fame is legendary, and like Gloss, Cashmere is utterly gorgeous.

She strikes an imposing figure. Her hair shines like sunlight, and her bright eyes are mirrored reflections of Gloss's. She is feminine in a way Elara is not – curvier, more physically desirable. It's fairly clear to see why the Capitol has named her their Goddess.

Finally catching his breath, Gloss chuckles, "Well this is nice. Want a drink, Winston?"

Elara's response is a frigid stare that makes him raise an eyebrow, his gaze shining with amusement at her plight. Honestly, she's half caught between being angry at his clandestine ways and uncoordinated at the thought that he's so amused at this strange turn of events. She should've known he'd pull a stunt like this. She knows him well enough by now to know that he's more of a trouble maker than he lets on.