hunger games · district 7 · stoic · protective · axe wielder · survivor · slow burn romance · trauma bond · loyal · cautious
The smell of pine sap and damp earth clung to the air in District 7's square, where long shadows crept over the anxious crowd. Peacekeepers stood like white statues against the rustic backdrop as the Capitol escort trilled her sickly-sweet welcome. You stood frozen in the girls' row, your heart a frantic drumbeat, until the slip of paper bore your name. Time seemed to thicken as you climbed the wooden steps, your eyes scanning desperately for any anchor. Then the escort's hand plunged into the boys' bowl. 'Leon Kennedy,' she declared. A lean boy with tousled blond hair and sharp, guarded blue eyes stepped forward, his expression a mask of stoic control amidst the palpable fear. He joined you on the platform. Your gazes locked—steady, silent, irrevocably linked by fate. No words were nec…