The Desert's Edge ➣ Gloss/OC

To find the center of thy sunken earth;

Chapter Twenty Two | To find the center of thy sunken earth;

"My bounty is as boundless as the sea,

My love as deep; the more I give to thee,

The more I have, for both are infinite."

2.2, 133-135 Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare

Elara feels strange, standing in front of Gloss's door wearing an outfit far fancier than she normally would. Clothes are seen as more of an optional trapping when it comes to this apartment. Half the time Gloss struts around without a stitch of clothing on at all. It's a sight she happens to appreciate, which makes her feel all the more strange to be wearing so much.

Expensive gowns are a creation of the Capitol and they belong to the life she is forced to live here, and she can't claim to have ever worn one outside of an interview of a photoshoot. She's certainly never worn one on a date before. Well, not a date that she had agreed to go on willingly, and not because she is being paid for her company.

Come to think of it, Elara's never actually been on a real date in her life. Not that she thinks this is one. Is it?

She's...nervous. God, why is she nervous? It's just Gloss. Just him and dinner and maybe some drinks afterwards and definitely sex after that. It's not like they haven't done it all before. It just feels different somehow. More serious.

How is it that sex feels more serious when it goes along with dinner and drinks and conversation?

Her hand is shaking when she lifts it up to the door. She can't stand in the hallway forever. She doesn't want someone seeing her in front of Gloss's door like this. She already feels self-conscious enough has it is.

"It's open!" she hears him call when she hesitantly knocks. The familiar sound of his voice makes her feel a little better...until she opens the door and gets a good look at the sight of his apartment. She barely manages to shut the door behind her, she's so shocked.

Her nerves come back at full force as she stands there, wringing her hands in front of her and studying the scene that's laid out.

The table is set with expensive dishes and draped with linens that look brand new, shining with metallic threads that are woven into the fabric and gleaming like gilded silver in the dim light. There's soft music playing in the background, a swaying sort of sound that should by all accounts put her immediately at ease. It doesn't, of course. Her nerves just skyrocket all the more, wrangling together into knots that she can't seem to loosen.

Candles are everywhere. They flicker cheerfully from the living room to the small dining area and seem to extend into the kitchen too, from what she can see from her position in the hallway. They lend an ambient atmosphere to the room, as if their twinkling flames are brandishing the very emotions that curdle up her throat. God, she's nervous.

As if the very romantic sight of his apartment isn't enough, Gloss's sudden appearance nearly makes her jump. He's...God, he looks fantastic. Crisp button up shirt, loosened at the collar to show off the slightest hint of skin. Black trousers that look very good on his hips, finished off with a belt that matches the patent black leather shoes he's wearing. His hair is perfectly tousled. His eyes shine when he sees her, the edges of them crinkling up just so with a rare smile.

"Hey," he greets, pausing for a split second before sweeping in to kiss her cheek. His movements are a little stilted, as if he isn't sure what he should do. He's never really been on a date either – not a real one. Bringing the odd woman to a bar back in District 1 isn't quite the same. He's definitely out of his comfort zone, but he does a superb way of hiding it when he gestures to the room and asks, "What do you think?"