I Gotta Reach Higher // {The Perches}

She spoke with a voice that disrupted the sky
She said walk on over here to the bitter shade
I will wrap you in my arms and you'll know that you're saved

They had been chosen for an extraordinary honor, and Fabian couldn't help but feel that this was the President's way of forgiving his failures. Four had come this close in the 61st, and that was progress, if also deeply disheartening. He had tried to rally his district in the aftermath to no avail. But then President Snow had contacted him personally and told him to get ready, and fast. Fabian had wasted no time in sharing the news with the district. Even he marveled at the transformation, at the way the populace came together around the idea of the Olympics even before the events began.

And he was especially pleased with the President's choice of district invitations. It meant he would be able to spend more time in the company of Gentry and Ridley, as it had been nearly a year since the earthquake disaster had last brought the three Career Mayors together. He had small, ocean-themed invitations drawn up for them, to invite them to stay at the Mayor's beachside mansion for their sojourn in Four. He had ordered the place scrubbed down to the floor boards, and then left Althea in charge of the rest of the details while he busied himself with Capitol correspondence and the details of the events themselves.

It was exhausting, but in a rewarding way he'd never known. There was no losing for Four, so long as the events went off as scheduled. They didn't need a victor; being the host district was victory enough. The lines in his forehead were already set, but they were now joined by parentheses around his constant smile. The morning that the President and Mayors were due to arrive was a busy one, but it found Fabian in unusually good spirits.He had toured the progress of the venues, all in working order if not completely clean, and returned home for lunch to check on things with his family. They would be front and center, the faces of Four instead of their aging victors.

He inquired about his wife's whereabouts and was surprised to hear that she was out on the patio. He wondered if perhaps she planned to entertain the Mayors outside, given the especially temperate weather they were experiencing. Certainly the ocean breeze was a welcome break from the thunderstorms and dripping heat. Fabian pressed his sunglasses into his breast pocket, shielding his eyes from the sun with the back of his head as he stepped out onto the stone.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," he said, all boyish grin as he wrapped his arms around Althea's waist. He dropped a kiss on the back of her neck, holding her so that her spine pressed into his chest, her hips to his hips. "Tell me what you've done so far today."