𝐒𝐄𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐒𝐎𝐎𝐍 - 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐡

twenty - third chapter

a few months later  - (Nesta - [Name])

THE COLD OF WINTER went away some time ago; nowadays all that remains is the fresh air of spring.

The cold months hadn't been the best for Treech; the darkness and humidity of the weather reminded him of the nights he had spent in that dark and scary arena, and the fact that dusk appeared only brought him a feeling of discomfort.

In fact, he had developed an absurd fear of the dark, and even though months had passed since the end of the games, the nightmares did not leave him alone; he could always see the faces of his victims in his sleep, screaming his name, in distress as a dark cloud surrounded them and harsh words came out of their mouths.

There were nights he woke up screaming Lucy Gray's name as he gasped for air; other nights it was the image of Hy and Teslee chasing him—the boy from District 5 with an ax in his hand and the girl from District 3 pushing him, from a high place. Just like he had done.

It felt like he was going to live with his head in the games forever, and he was scared of it. He was so scared.

However, Treech was grateful that he wasn't alone in his healing process; he had Nesta by his side, and despite his stubbornness in saying that he didn't need help or that she didn't need to worry, Treech appreciated having her support and having her by his side.

She stayed up late with him so he didn't feel alone or scared; she often read to him so he could fall asleep without panic eating him; and the girl also walked around District 7 with him in the early hours of the morning when his fears dominated his mind.

Nesta kept him alive; she was the reason he was alive; she was the only divine thing he allowed himself to believe in, and he felt stupid for not being able to say what he felt, not after the games.

And in this moment, with his fingers intertwined with hers and his heart racing, Treech had decided that today was the right day to tell her how he felt, and although he felt insecure about himself after the barbaric events of the games, he knew that she felt the same; she had never made him feel less.

She was everything he needed, even when he wasn't aware of it.

"Where are we going?" Nesta inquired for the fifth time, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she studied Treech's face, which fought hard to contain a smile. "It's a surprise, sweetheart." He replied, unwilling to look at her, knowing he would do whatever she wished for, including answering the question she requested.

She huffed in displeasure, eliciting a brief grin from the boy, who drew her closer to him. "I don't like surprises." The shorter one stated it frantically her brow twisted in irritation, and the boy had to hold back as much as possible to avoid spoiling the surprise. "You just don't like it because you're too gossipy!" He taunted her, and she glared at him indignantly.

"I'm not a gossipy!" Nesta squeezed his foot hard, causing Treech to give out a little scream as he released her hand, reaching down to grab his own foot and chuckling. "I just like knowing things." She confirmed by gazing down and extending her hand to him.