Nathaniel "Nate" Sullivan

We got to the Capitol and made it to my place, which was right next door to Nicholai's. I asked my servants to bring their bags inside then led Sky and Lucille inside. "You can pick any room you like, but I fixed one up for you. It has the best view, and there's an adjoining room Lucille can stay in if she wants."

"So...I won't be sharing a room with you then?" I asked.

Oh god how I wanted to.... "O-only if you want to. I thought... I thought you might be more comfortable... until we get to know each other. I don't ever want you to do anything you don't want to do."

I nodded "I appreciate that. Have...have you seen Autumn Dove?" I asked him "How is she?"

"As good as can be expected. He doesn't like a lot of visitors though so I don't go over much. We can go now though if you want."

"Please. I've been dying to see or talk to her, I haven't had the chance since...well since he brought her here."

I nodded. "Yeah sure, come on we can just walk over." Lucille said she would stay and unpack and, trying to refrain from taking her hand, I opened the door for her and we headed out.

We got back to the house and I pulled her to me on instinct, wrapping my arms around her but loosely enough she could break away if she wanted to. "I'm sorry," I said quietly. It was all I could say.

"None of you Capitol bastards are sorry for anything!" I yelled and pulled away from him, running upstairs and slamming my door.

I sighed and shook my head, once again wondering how I was related to that bastard. I went slowly upstairs and knocked on her door. "Sky... Sky please open the door," I said quietly.

"No!" I went and closed the adjoining door with Lucille's room and locked it.

"Please... just talk to me, please. I'm not like him, I swear I'm not. I would never ever hurt you."

"How do I know, Nate? How do I know you aren't just doing all of this so I'll warm up to you? I'm sorry, I can't trust anyone associated with the Capitol. I just...can't. They've done too much to my family and I."

"Then why... why did you come? Why did you volunteer? If the idea of being here repulses you that much?"

"I didn't want to start a family and get attached only to be brought here eventually anyway."

"I never would've forced you here. I left you alone... I never would've made you come here if you didn't want to. Do you believe anything I'm saying to you?"

"Yes. And that's why I'm so scared." I looked at the door and then got up, I walked over and unlocked it.

"What are you so afraid of?" I almost whispered when we were face to face again, the urge to touch her in even some small fashion almost overwhelming.

"That I'll be wrong and this...us...will work out."

"Why would that be a bad thing?" I asked quietly, unable to resist moving a strand of hair from her face and tucking it gently behind her ear. It was so soft... "All I care about Sky... is that you're happy. I just want to make you happy. Will you... let me try?"

I looked up at him, my eyes locking with his "Yes." I said "Dove and I overheard your argument with Nicholai. Thank you for standing up for us."

"I hate the way he treats her. Even if the situation were different, she deserves to be treated so much better than that. And personally, I've always had the opinion that a marriage is sacred. So yeah... I meant it when I said I never would've forced you here. If you had found someone else... I would've tried to move on. He never should've taken her, and I hate that he did. He and my uncle give the whole family a bad name, and me and my sister suffer for it." I brushed my thumb gently against her cheek. "He had no right to talk about you like that," I said softly.

I nodded "It's okay, he's just...himself." I shrugged "But thank you."

"It's not okay. I could never tolerate anyone talking like that to you, or about you. I lo... I really care about you."