and then she'd say, 'it's okay, i got lost on the way, but i'm a supergirl and supergirls don't cry'

[lucked]

Up until now, everything's been easy. As strange as it might be for most people to imagine, Claire Bennet's leap off the Compound has been the best thing that's happened to her yet on Tabula Rasa. Maybe it isn't the healthiest- after all, where the leap from the Compound was supposed to help her shed that mask, come face to face with all that fate'

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[lucked]

Before she managed anything else, Claire nodded. She couldn't say that her world was very much like Peeta's, even when it was at its worst. At least the evil hadn't spread or festered, hadn't gotten to the point where everyone simply accepted it as being. Freedoms threatened to be curtailed, with the way that abilities would have to be regulated, the general populace likely to react negatively upon finding out that some of their number had supernatural powers- but it was a far cry from putting children in an arena to battle it out to the death for sport. Claire couldn't imagine her world returning to such a state, didn't want to imagine it, didn't want Peeta to return to it.

But in his words, Claire found understanding. Needing to remember why she was still alive. It sounded so melodramatic, but life had been... something to take for granted in recent months, something that wouldn't fade, wouldn't disappear. And now that she had it back, the way that it was always intended, she needed to redefine everything. Look at life through a new perspective. Or maybe the old one.

"No, it's still selfish," Claire sighed softly, eyes sliding to a close. "It's selfish, but it's also over, and I'm not curious enough to do it again. For better or worse, I think I've learned my lesson. That it's okay to live, even if it's in a cage."

[notapiece]

It had been the only world that he had ever known. This place was different in so many ways. People seemed to genuinely want to help one another, to care and support each other. There was nothing left for him in Panem, just the knowledge of what he had lost and what he wanted to be better.

There were only three of them here, only two survivors of such an awful public spectacle. If Peeta didn't remember them, didn't say their names before he went to sleep then who would?

"Good," he said with a nod, almost tempted to say that she wasn't living in a cage, but who was he to talk? Every day he wondered what was out there that he wasn't seeing. "Though if there is a next time, I am definitely going to be there to catch you. I promise that."

[lucked]

It was such a simple statement, and yet the words immediately struck Claire somewhere inside her chest. For a girl who kept on falling, falling, kept on hitting the ground time and time again, the notion that someone could catch her, help her brace for that impact, was surprisingly new. Of course, it was meant metaphorically, but that didn't stop Claire's breath from catching, if only for a second.

She smiled, eyes downcast, suddenly feeling guiltier than ever. Maybe once she was out of the clinic, she could start making it up to everyone.

"Hopefully there won't be a next time, but if there is, I'll keep that in mind," she replied quietly, wiggling her toes under her sheets.

[notapiece]

The funny thing was that he hadn't even given the words that he said much thought. It was absolutely true, something that came straight from his heart. He hated to lose people, to be unable to help them. Katniss' stubbornness when it came to lose she loved wasn't a trait singular to her; he often found himself reacting the same way. After all that they had lost, it wasn't unreasonable that they were resisting losing any more.

"Yeah. I hope so too," he agreed with a nod of his head, before suddenly moving forward and picking the box off of the beside table. Looking to see if there were any doctors around to yell at him, he opened the box. Tearing off a piece of cinnamon roll, he held it out to her. "They're better when they're hot. I mean, they're not cold right now, but I figured you could use something sweet right now."

[lucked]

Although it wasn't with an entirely clear conscience, Claire took the piece of the cinnamon roll, smiling faintly as she inhaled as deeply as she could, taking in the faintly spiced smell. Maybe it was just better for the discussion to end right there, for them to return to the natural order of things. She popped the piece into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully and closing her eyes.

"You're right," she said after swallowing, reaching out for a glass of water to slowly sip at. "That is absolutely amazing, and definitely better when they're hot. Stay and share one with me?"