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ghostlythinggoingaround · 5 months ago

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Poison: part 4 (final)

Summary: Coriolanus always hated Sejanus Plinth. He had everything that Coriolanus should of had; money, influence, and you.

Warnings: Coryo being de-lu-lu, unrequited love, Reader insert, dark!Coriolanus snow, death, unedited, dead dove to not eat

Word count: 16, 269

AN: Comment below how long this took you to read. I just want to see something.

Part 1 here

Part 2 here

Part 3 here

Part 4 (Final)

Coriolanus followed Sejanus the next time he disappeared to an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the distance.

There Sejanus conversed with Billy and the brother of the girl taken during the last hanging for disturbing the peace when she shouted for her lover to be free.

She rotted now in jail until it was her turn to hang for being associated with rebels.

He ran back to the Compound but what would he tell the Commander? That Sejanus was talking? He had no proof to back what Coriolanus knew were traitors' plans. Word of mouth wouldn’t get Sejanus killed.

Moreso, it might get you in trouble if they thought they could get any information out of you. He needed to get proof. Something solid that damnified him and exonerated you.

Maybe word of mouth was enough, if that mouth was Sejanus. Coriolanus remembers how the mockingjays worked from his trip to visit Dr Gaul. Totally useless unless manually operated. Then they would squawk back rebel conversation flawlessly.

Peacekeepers were put in charge of rounding them up to bring back to the Capitol. Coriolanus would volunteer for the next session, which would mean that Sejanus would volunteer. All he had to do then was get Sejanus to admit his crimes.

The first part was almost too easy. Sejanus didn’t hesitate to join Coriolanus into the field.

The shift was spent finding the perfect time to corner Sejanus which arose around lunch time when nearly all others had stopped for a break.

Sejanus and Coriolanus were finishing up the last birds caught before joining. Coriolanus works slowly to ensure that the last person had gone before trying.

“Whatever you are doing, you need to stop”, Coriolanus begins.

Sejanus gives him a puzzled look but as Coriolanus continues, he begins to sober to the idea that Coriolanus knows his dirty secret.

Sejanus opens his mouth to defend himself but Coriolanus doesn’t allow it.

“Don’t. I saw you talking to the brother of the girl in jail. If I don’t report you now-”

“You don’t have anything to report”, Sejanus declares. And he was right. At least for the time being.

��They know we are friends, Sejanus. What about y/n? You’re going to get us both killed”.

Sejanus throws the empty cage in his hands onto the counter at the sound of your name. Coriolanus readies his hand on the mockingjays control, ready to hit record when Sejanus begins to spill his secret.

“You told me I could do something. You told me I could make a difference”

“Not at the expense of Y/n’s life”, Coriolanus growls.

“They’re never going to touch her” Sejanus contends. His voice is sincere and Coriolanus takes it as a sign to hit record.

“There’s a group of people that are getting out of district 12 for good. They’re going up north to start a new life far away from Panem. They need money for supplies. They told me if I help them y/n and I could go. You could come with us”.

Coriolanus hand twitches. That was it. The death sentence for good old Sejanus. You were his now.

“Y/n has no idea about this”, Coriolanus throws in for good measure, “what were you going to do, kidnap her?”

“I can’t. I won’t stay here” Sejanus vows, “Panem is out of control. We’re not doing anything dangerous. Just what anybody else would do, coryo. The leader, Spruce. He wants to get his sister out of jail before Commander Hoff executes her just because she knows the man they killed. It’s wrong. I’m going to help them get her out and then Y/n and I are gone”.

“It’s treason, Sejanus”, Coriolanus switches off the recording having heard enough.

“Nobody’s going to get hurt. I am just doing what you told me to do in the arena”, Sejanus exasperates.

Coriolanus scoffs, picking up his freedom and turning towards the traitor of the country.

“I was just trying to save you the first time you did something stupid enough to get y/n killed. You know, she asked me to protect you from whatever it was that you were doing, but if it comes down to it I’ll protect her”.

“I don’t need you to protect me, Coryo. Neither does Y/n”.

Coriolanus looks down into the brown eyes of a now dead man.

He doesn’t gloat like he was expecting. Instead turning away to ensure the bird got on it’s way to Dr Gauls office.

He addresses the cage to the Citadel from him and slips a note in letting her know to press play.

If he told Commander Hoff the chance of him being paid off was too high. Only Dr Gaul could be trusted to do the right thing.

He watches the van drive away with the birds and images how inconsolable you will be at first.

2 days pass and he hasn’t heard a word.

No peacekeepers come to take Sejanus away. Every morning Coriolanus wakes, he is still there.

Surely, the bird would be at the capitol by now. Where was Dr Gaul and her rain of fury.

At least he got to enjoy this night with you. The Barn was the only source of entertainment which was why it was so packed.

It wasn’t his favorite place but the crowded and loud atmosphere meant he got to sit close to you without your usual complaint.

He had managed to get you a bar stool and he leant against the wall beside you while you watched Lucy-Gray sing and dance.

When she started her new song, Lucy-Gray locked eyes with Coriolanus.

“Everyone’s born clean as a whistle. As fresh as a daisy, and not a bit crazy. Staying that way’s a hard row for for hoeing. As rough as a briar. Like walking through fire”.

He wonders why she is looking at him so intensely until she begins her second verse.

“This world, it's dark. This world, it's scary. I've taken some hits, so

No wonder I'm wary. It's why I Need you. You're as pure as the driven snow”.

You hit his chest and laugh with glee hearing his name in the song.

He too felt joy from the song. It felt nice to be wanted by someone even if she wasn’t his first choice.

Lucy-Gray slowly begins to get bashful as he stares back and the song continues to talk about her feelings for him.

“I turn into dust, but You never stop trying. It's why I Love you. You're as pure as the driven snow”, she sings.

He looks down at you to see your reaction to someone admitting their love for him but your attention was elsewhere.

He follows your gaze to a wandering Sejanus, weaving his way through the crowd to the back.

You get up to follow him, and Coriolanus follows you. He keeps his body protectively close which he was sure didn't register with your determination blinding you.

You slide the door that Sejanus had disappeared to. The large space was filled with three angry men shouting at each other, and the Mayor's daughter, Mayfair who stood next to Billy looking bored.

“Sejanus, what’s going on?” you call to him.

Your presence startles the others. A gun that was laying on the table was picked up and pointed at you by Spruce.

“Wait, wait, wait” Coriolanus yelled. He yanks you back behind him, using his body to shield you from the scene.

“What are you doing?” Coriolanus spat, “Guns, Sejanus, are you crazy? There’s peacekeepers right outside this door”.

His hand curls around his back to keep you pressed into him. Your hands grips the nape of his uniform

“There’s one in here too” Spruce remarks, pointing the gun at Coriolanus.

He slowly moves backwards towards the door in case he gets shot. You would at least be able to escape through the door

“Spruce, they’re okay. They’re with me. That’s Y/n” Sejanus reasons with the man.

The gun is lowered at Sejanus words, but a new threat entering had it being raised and pointed once more.

“Where’d you go?” Lucy-Gray’s voice rang before she realised the dire of her situation. She freezes, looking to Coriolanus for help but he was busy protecting you.

“Christ, plinth, you invite the whole district?”, Spruce roused.

“She’s alright, Spruce” Billy came to her rescue, “She’s with me”.

“She’s what?”, Mayfair stuttered astounded.

‘‘Quiet down” Billy demands, “I’ll explain later”.

Mayfair shoves Billy away from her.

“I think I am done listening to your explanations”, she snaps, “She’s not going anywhere and neither are you. My Pa’s going to string yall up for this”.

Coriolanus could hear you gasp while he watches Billy lose control of his girlfriend.

Spruce raises his gun away but Billy blocks his shot.

“She’ll tell everyone, idiot”, Spruce declares, “She’ll get us all hung”.

The image of you swinging on the end of the rope crossed coriolanus mind and he eyes the remaining guns on the table.

“No, she won’t Spruce. She’s all talk, no action”, Billy defends.

Mayfair takes offence to this. A cruel and knowing smile crosses her face as she speaks to Lucy-Gray.

“What do you think Lucy-Gray, am I all talk, no action?”.

Coriolanus looks to Lucy-Gray whose face gives the answer.

“Hey, how did you like the Capitol, by the way?” she torments.

Turning to walk out, Mayfair calls over her shoulder at them, “See y’all at the hanging tree!”.

Spruce also knows the danger of Mayfair and raises his gun to her once more. His aim is wrestled by Billy and the men fight for control.

Seeing this, Coriolanus leaps for the gun and with perfect and skilled aim takes fire at Mayfair.

A scream is heard but he cant decipher if it was you or lucy-gray.

“Coriolanus, what did you just do?” Lucy-gray shakes.

Billy runs over to his girlfriend in wasted hope.

“You just killed the Mayor's daughter, son” Spruce sounded almost impressed, “if you weren’t a rebel before, you are now”.

“You killed her!”Billy confirms.

Sejanus stands looking at Mayfairs body as if had taken the shot. Coriolanus’s focus remains on you.

He had taken a step forward out of your grip to take the shot but now he spun back to check on you.

You were frozen in shock. Your hands trembled up by your face to cover your mouth.

“Hey, we’re alright” he tells you.

You don’t look at him until he touches your face and bends so his face was in line with yours.

“We’re alright” he repeats, “No one is going to think this was us. Everything is going to be fine, okay”.

“You think you’re just gonna walk outta here?” Billy bites, ‘you got another thing coming, capitol boy”.

Billy turns away from his dead lover and takes charge at Coriolanus.

From the corner of his eye, he sees Spruce raise his gun to Billy. On instinct he pulls you close and wraps his arms around you like a shield.

You make no sound as Billy's body drops to the ground. Lucy- Gray squeals once again.

Despite her protests, Billy still meant a lot to Lucy-Gray. Coriolanus could tell from the look of desperation in her eye and her fight to speak.

She stutters, trying to push the words from her teeth.

The whole world felt as if it had stopped. Coriolanus watched Lucy-Grey, with you in his arms. You felt warm and soft. He encompassed all of you.

Your hands pressed against his chest like a rock. The pressure was sure to leave faint bruises.

When Lucy-Gray stumbles forward the world snaps back, and the chaos of the room becomes suffocating once more.

“Billy Taupe, why” Lucy-Gray croaked, finally being able to free her words.

Coriolanus lets go of you to grab hold of Lucy-Gray. He was in control of this chaos and it was his responsibility to clean up the mess.

“Lucy-Gray, look at me”, Coriolanus demanded, turning her forcefully to him.

She looked the same as she did the night before the games: scared and begging for direction.

“You are going to go back out on stage and you’re going to sing” he demanded of her.

Her eyes float back to Billy on the ground and Coriolanus takes a hold of the side of her face to focus her back on him.

“You’re going to sing like there’s nothing wrong, and I am going to find a way out of this, okay?” he states.

The last thing Coriolanus needed was people noticing something was off with the night. If Lucy-Gray missed a song, everyone would question why.

It was better there was no pause in the night for people to place the time of the crime.

You were oblivious as always. Walking away from Coriolanus, you cross the path of Spruce who still held the gun in his hands.

Coriolanus could feel his body tense watching you as Spruce shifting the weight of the gun in his hand. You made it safely into Sejanus’s arms and Coriolanus went back to the matter at hand.

With Coriolanus’s fierce gaze, she nods her head and lets out a weak “yes”.

He lets go of her face to direct her back out, “Go”, he commands, “go!”.

With Lucy-Gray back out entertaining the crowd. He turns to getting you out.

Sejanus held you weakly with his arm over your shoulders and the other placed at the back of your head as you rested into him.

He looked like he was about to cry. Coriolanus wouldn’t put it past him to faint.

You wrap your arms around the waist of a man who stood useless looking at a dead body.

Coriolanus picked up the duffle bag of ammunition and guns. His head flustered with ideas on how to get rid of them.

He figured the last place people would look for the murder weapons was in the evidence locker. He just had to break in and hide the guns amongst the other evidence. Split it up and stash it with closed case evidence.

He was about to demand Spruce's gun, when he heard it.

A loud and heart wrenching snob that shook your body with tears.

Sejanus did nothing but stand frozen. He could never be trusted with you, even when Coriolanus had more pressing matters.

In lack of better judgement, he gives the duffle bag to Spruce.

“Get rid of these guns. Go!”, Coriolanous barked.

Spruce accepted the task, leaving the scene of the crime to the forgotten capitol members.

He trusted Spruce to dispose of them. He was well known in the black market. If he hid the guns well enough to provide them now, he could hide them well enough to keep Coriolanus neck out of the noose.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this” Sejanus cried as Coriololanus stormed closer, “No one was supposed to get hurt”.

“For once shut up!”Coriolanus scolded.

He turned you from Sejanus by your shoulders back towards him.

Sejanus put up no fight, throwing his hands up in desperation and back over his head to expand his chest for much needed deep breaths.

“It’s all my fault”, Sejanus weeps.

At his words, you fight against Coriolanus' hold, attempting to turn yourself back to Sejanus but Coriolanus keeps you straight with his hands on your shoulders.

Your eyes were red and your lips trembled.

“This is all your fault!” Coriolanus accuses, stopping the conversation before you could join, “And its only going to get worse if you don’t pull yourself together”.

Sejanus was sure to make a mistake. His own conscience would overpower his self-preservation. Coriolanus wouldn’t have minded if it also wouldn’t have cost your life too.

“If you breathe a word of this now, all of us, we’re finished. So we go back out there and act like nothing is wrong. They cant pin this on us for simply being in the same room”.

“I don’t know” Sejanus begins.

“Hey!” Coriolanus calls, trying to stop Sejanus from spirling. He lets go of you to take control of Sejanus, taking his face and focusing it on him.

“Hey, look at me” Coriolanus aims to take the attention away from the body lying two feet away, “We’re brothers, right? So whatever you’ve done. I will keep you safe”.

It was an empty promise but just like that night in the arena, he needed to get control of Sejanus to save you.

“Brothers” Sejanus repeats. Coriolanus could tell he actually believed him.

“You have to pull yourself together. We’re going to be okay. Alright, so long as you don’t say a word”.

As soon as Sejnaus nods in agreement, Coriolanus releases him to take hold on you once more.

You had decided to try and go back to Sejanus. You bee line for him with open arms, but Coriolanus catches you as you pass.

“We need to split up. If anyone asks you and Y/n went to the back room to have an argument which is why you are both crying. I came in to break it up and took y/n back to the compound. Which explains why our DNA is in this room. We left before you and you went back to the bar to drown your sorrows” Coriolanus painted a picture over the murders.

“You saw Billy Taupe and mayfair arguing just as you were heading back to the bar. They came in, just as you left”, Coriolanus directs.

“What, no” you protest, “I want to say with Sejanus”.

Coriolanus' hold hadn’t loosened and your attempt to break free failed.

“It’s too dangerous” Coriolanus reasons, “we’re wasting time needed for our alibis. Come on”.

Coriolanus attempts to bring you with him as he moves but you plant your feet against the ground.

“Go with Coriolanus” Sejanus says half dazed, “yeah, yeah, it’s a good plan. You go. I’ll catch up with you later”.

Your struggle against him stops under Sejanus' words. It makes Coriolanus wonder how such a weak man could have so much control over you.

Your feet shuffle against the floor as Coriolanus drags you past Sejanus.

His hold on your elbow guides you through to the back exit.

“Y/n” Sejanus calls.

You stops to see what he wants, turning your body as much as you could,

“I love you”, he confesses.

“I love you too”, you repeat back.

“Come on” Coriolanus demands, now agitated.

He saved your life once more. Takes action where action is necessary and Sejanus gets the ‘I love you’. Ridiculous.

He retakes your arm instead of your elbow for a stronger grip and leads you out the back door.

Your eyes linger on the dead bodies as you pass them, coriolanus fasten pace so only the faintest of memory will linger.

Coriolanus hadn’t realised how hot it was in that room until the cold air hit him. The air was a fresh wave that soothed his anger.

It seemed to wake you up too.

With a sniffle, you tear free from his grasp and take off running ahead.

“Hey” he calls out after you.

His feet follow your run, and quickly catches up, halting you to stop with force on your shoulders.

“Let go, Coriolanus” you demand.

“Please” you cry when he doesn’t relinquish his hold.

Your hand reaches up not to brush him off but to take his hand.

“Come on, we have to go”, you urge.

Your hold had him drop his, and you took off running again, this time bringing coriolanus with you.

He wasn’t sure why you were running. Perhaps just to run off all the adrenaline running through your body.

You never explain yourself, and he never asks you too. He just follows. Hand in hand with you to wherever you wanted to go.

You eventually do stop to rest against a tree, out of breath but no longer crying.

You had followed the dirt road back to the compound. The district people built their house fair away from the main road so all that surrounded were tall trees.

He watches you as you press your hands against the bark of the tree and rest your forehead.

The breaths you take are deep, partly from panic.

He moves too close to you, crowding your personal space and dipping his head in level with yours.

“We’re alright” he says, placing a hand on your left shoulder, “No one is going to think it was us”.

“What”, you gasp, “What was he doing? How could”. You couldn’t finish your sentence between your gasps for breath so you abandon it.

“It’s alright”, Coriolanus repeats.

“You killed her”, you stated.

“I had too. She would have got us all hung”, Coriolanus defends.

Surely, you could see the necessity of the murder of Mayfair. You didnt hold Lucy-Gray’s murders against her. Why did you always have it out for him?

“God, what was I thinking coming here”, you whisper to yourself. You plant your face back into your hands and struggle to breathe once more.

You couldn’t be thinking about going home? He had wanted it more than anything these past few months but not now you were supposed to go to district 2 with him.

“What are we going to do, coriolanus? If they find those guns”

“I know” Coriolanus cuts you off. Even just the thought of it had his blood running.

“Y/n, I am so sorry. I should have dealt with those guns myself”, he admits.

Was Spruce capable of the job, or would he get Coriolanus killed? Coriolanus shot the gun. His DNA covered it.

Would it be Sejanus who killed Coriolanus and not the other way around.

“You killed her”, you repeat softly with a harder tone than before.

“I- I wasn’t thinking straight”, he defends.

You push yourself off the tree to turn and face him.

“And Bobin, in the arena?” you provoke.

“Sejanus put us both in situations where I had to act to keep us alive. You think your daddy’s money would save you here? You are nothing here. Nothing to anyone, not even Sejanus. Y/n, they would have hung you just for being his girlfriend. Sejanus knows that, and he still associated with rebels. Bringing you to a bar so he could do his dirty work. I am sick of apologizing to you for things I am not sorry for”.

You stare at him blankly. His words were being blocked by your blind allegiance to Sejanus. You couldn’t see the truth even if you wanted to. It angered him greatly.

His hand reached out to take your arm and shove you back against the tree with enough power to force a hurt sound out of you.

He plants his body over you, his face inches away from yours.

“I killed Mayfair and I killed Bobin to protect YOU, and I would do it again and again given the chance. Can Sejanus say the same?”

“You’re hurting me”, you complain. Your caught arm wiggles in his grip but he clamps down rather than releasing.

“Y/n, I’ve loved you since I could last remember. Long before Sejanus. I would do anything for you. Can’t you see that?”.

“Stop”, you demand. Your hand comes up to his chest and gives him a harsh shove but his body remains stagnant.

His hand wraps itself under your jaw and he yanks it up to an unnatural height and forces it back into the tree.

The bark scratches your scalp and flaky bits weave their way into your hair.

You stand on your toes to relieve the pressure on your jaw as he smashes his lips against yours. The kiss is powerful and hungry. Making up for all the times he wanted to kiss you but couldn’t. Coriolanus was in no hurry.

But his words were burning in his mouth. He broke away to speak, but kept you in place with his hand under your jaw.

“ Come with me to district 2 and we’ll make our way back to the Capitol”, he begs.

“Let go, please”, you force through limited use of your jaw.

He drops the hold on your jaw and you fall back to your natural height.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

In retrospect, he was harsher with you then he would have liked. He would like to be gentle with you, if only would be would be gentle with him.

Your blank stare returns. You don’t look at him, looking just past his shoulder to the road.

“All this time you were just pretending to be friends”

“With Sejanus, yes, but not with you”, he explains.

His friendship with you was genuine. He didn’t want you thinking otherwise.

The admission at least earned him eye contact. Even if it was a cold dead stare.

He kisses you once more, this time bending to your level.

He does take your jaw again when you wouldn’t stop moving, more gently then the last time and turns your head so he could kiss the side of your face down to your neck.

“I love you” he admits again between kisses.

“Coriolanus, get off!” you yell at him.

Your free hand flaps and pushes at his head.

He pulls back to look at you.

You look at him like he was insane. Your lips quivered and your eyes were unblinking as if you were scared to lose sight of him for a second.

His demeanor softens. The body that caged you now pressed against you in comfort.

He lets go of the painful hold of your wrist and places his hands on your arms, rubbing up and down as he spoke.

“It’s alright. I am sorry. I don’t mean to scare you but I can’t bear you not knowing any more”.

“Coriolanus” you begin softly, “I am sorry, but it’s Sejanus. It’s always going to be Sejanus”.

Coriolanus feels his heart break. You didn’t mean it. Even if you did. It didn’t matter. Sejanus soon wouldn’t be an option.

Coriolanus takes a step back, dropping his hands from your arms.

You take off running again with the given space.

A voice in Coriolanus' head said to chase you once more. Even just to make sure you make it back safely but his heavy heart weighed him down.

He sits down on the forest floor and vows to never let himself feel like this again.

Coriolanus woke from a loud banging sound and scrambling feet.

“Come on, everybody up” the commanding officer yelled over the beat of banging his pot with a stick, “everybody up”

“Smiley” Coriolanus calls, “what’s going on?”

The bodies were found, he knew it. Obviously they haven’t found the guns or Coriolanus would already be in cuffs.

“Hoff is losing his mind” Smiley said in a lone voice, bending to talk to Coriolanus who just managed to sit up.

“The mayor’s daughter got shot and her boyfriend too. He’s sending out every grunt we got to find the guns that did it”.

The news bought a new wave of anxiety.

If it had been anyone else but the mayor's daughter, the incident would have been swept under the rug. Now every peacekeeper was on the job.

They were sure to find the gun. No matter how well spruce hid them.

Coriolanus had to get to them first to clean up the mess he now found himself in.

Sejanus looked to share the same anxiety. His face alone spoke of his guilt.

He had wanted to go with Coriolanus in the hunt but it was better to split up and cover more ground.

The leading officer was impressed by Coriolanus’ vigor.

He had to find the guns before anyone else. It turned him aggressive and militant.

Your rejection too played on his mind.

He could forgive you for rejecting him once, but twice? How many more times did you expect him to offer himself up to you?

He would be glad when Sejanus was dead. Although as each day passed his hope that Dr Gaul was coming dwindled.

Plan B was risky. Especially now that district 12 had high profile murders. Patrols would double, every nook and cranny explored.

The train to district 2 left in 4 days.

It didn’t leave Coriolanus much time.

Another empty house left him relieved, but there were plenty more houses to search.

Coriolanus marched behind the group to the next when he heard the familiar tune of Lucy-Gray.

A whistle the covey used to alert the others of incoming Peacekeepers while they trade goods.

He recognised it within the first few notes and broke away from the group to follow the sound into a dark tunnel.

“Are you alright?” he asks, approaching Lucy-Gray who hides behind the brick wall.

He unclips his helmet in an effort to seem less intimidating.

“The Mayors going to get me killed, Coriolanus” she claims, “he already thinks it was me. Billy Taupe, Mayfair, both dead. If they catch Spruce, or if Sejanus talks”.

“Sejanus won’t talk”, Coriolanus interjects.

“How do you know that” Lucy-Gray demands, “They torture people they catch for informaton here. Even Peacekeepers”.

Coriolanus lets out a sharp breath. That might be true. Sejanus wouldn’t last long in interrogation. Hopefully he would be dead before they could get him.

“I should have dealt with those guns myself,” he admits.

Now his fate was left in another mans hands. Even if they get Sejanus to talk, it would be DNA evidence from the guns that would condemn Coriolanus.

“I have to run north. Like Billy Taupe and the others talked about”, she declares.

The idea intrigued Coriolanus. If they find the gun he is as good as dead, no matter where he is.

“What about the Covey?”, he asks.

What about you? How would he convince you to go? Even if Sejanus was turned, you were too stupid to leave him.

“They can look after each other.” he responds.

“Come with me”, she quietly begs.

He looks at her contemplating his options.

He only had four days to kill Sejanus and get away with it. Then convince you to follow him to district 2. That's if the guns dont get found.

Even if he manages to pull it all off, the guns would still lie in wait. Threatening to rip you from his hands.

Would they kill you too? Of course they would. Until those guns were found there would be no future with you.

“Okay” he nods, “y/n and I will come with you”.

“Y/n, no” Lucy-Gray protested, “No, you can’t bring y/n. She doesn’t trust you, Coriolanus which means you can’t trust her. She’ll turn on you if she thinks she can save Sejanus, and we’re both dead”.

“As soon as they find those guns, they’ll hang all of us. It wont matter who turns on who. It’s all Panem. Y/n’s smart. She’ll follow”.

A shot is heard preceding a large whooping sound, and Coriolanus remembers the urgency of his situation.

“When can you leave?”, he asks.

She looks at him, her eyes full of anger.

“Tomorrow”, she bites. “Dawn”.

“Okay”, he agrees, “okay, we’ll meet you at the hanging tree, first light”.

The sound of marching boots stomping across the gravel turned Coriolanus away from Lucy-Gray.

He emerges from the tunnel to see his cohort dragging a beat up Spruce by his arms.

“We got him!” one of them cheered.

Spruce stares at Coriolanus as he is dragged past. His eyes didn’t plead for help, but offered a silent acknowledgement that his secret was safe.

He stops a member from his cohort that was lingering by the back.

“Did you find the guns?” he asks in a panic.

“Nah, nothing there. But we’ll get him to talk”, the boy exclaimed.

Coriolanus releases him to continue walking.

Spruce would hang before he talked to Capitol agents. He was the only man who Coriolanus could count on.

Watching him get dragged back to his death was pitiful.

With the search now over, the peacekeepers returned to their bunk house.

The men filled the small space loudly as they undressed from their protective wear and packed it away.

Coriolanus’s cohort was the first back, being the ones who found him. As the word spread through radios, more and more men came back.

Sejanus’s cohort had come back. He had left with Beanstalk who now returned alone.

“When’s Sejanus?”,Coriolanus asked Beanstalk as he approached.

Beanstalk looked as if he was about to cry. His eyes glossed over with tears, and his voice quivered.

“They took him before we left. No one knows why. Commander Hoff ordered it”.

Coriolanus’s heart lurched. Had they found the guns? Was this Dr Gauls work? What did this now mean for you and him?

He sits on the bed and Beanstalk sits beside him, offering a comforting hand to his shoulder.

“I am so sorry, Coriolanus. I am sure it’s a mistake”, Beanstalk consoled.

A commanding officer bursts through the door. He calls a list of names, Coriolanus’s among them, and orders them to re-dress.

Coriolanus follows command and follows the others out of the room, without even a glance to Beanstalk.

He is passed a gun on his way out of the building which eases his mind. Why would they give a gun to a condemned man?

People worked in a frenzy while the men were directed in a straight line through the yard and up onto a van.

He knew then the journey would be to the hanging tree for crowd control.

He has done it a few times now. Normally, a bigger warning was given. But Hoff was in a hurry to kill Spruce to satisfy the Mayor.

The men jump out of the truck, and the Commanding officer begins to give instructions.

Coriolanus feels a jolt of anxiety when Hoff singles him out.

As soon as eye contact is made, Coriolanus knows it wasn’t chance his name was called.

“Snow” Hoff calls, interrupting his own conversation to call out.

Coriolanus walks over to his Commander who leaves his counterpart to speak to Coriolanus in private.

“I wanted you to hear it from me first”, Hoff began, “Sejanus has been taken into custody, and found guilty of treachery”.

Coriolanus lets out all the air from his lungs. Dr Gaul had managed to come through. Sejanus would finally be gone.

“I am sorry, son. I know he was your friend”.

“How do you know?” Coriolanus plays along, “What evidence is there, sir? Surely there has been a mistake?”.

“A recording found its way to the Capitol. There’s been no mistake. He condemned himself with his own words. The Capitol has demanded he swings this afternoon”.

He could kiss Dr Gaul. Her timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

“I’ve brought you here to say goodbye. I’ll have one of the men take you back to the compound after that”, Commander Hoff offers.

“Say goodbye to a traitor? My loyalties lie with the Capitol, sir”, Coriolanus remarks.

“I hope his girlfriend feels the same way when she gets here” Hoff comments.

“His girlfriend? y/n?” Coriolanus blathers, “No, Sir. You don’t understand. She can’t come here”.

“She should at least be able to say goodbye” Commander Hoff defends.

“She’s not his girlfriend. She’s mine. The nurse who’s coming with me to district 2. She broke up with him just before”, Coriolanus stops his sentence half way through. This lie was coming together nicely, “She’ll blame herself for his treachery. He threatened to kill her last time they spoke”.

“Well”, Commander Hoff says in a hard tone, “that certainly changes things”.

He turns from Coriolanus to speak into his radio. Coriolanus would hear enough words to know that he is telling the van to turn back around.

With his mind at ease he focused. He could revel in his victory.

Sejanus was on death row. He was no longer an option for you.

A crowd began to gather rather quickly, and Coriolanus was ordered on the outer corner.

It was almost time. A few more moments and the prisoners were to be escorted to the platform.

The peacekeepers took their positions with their big guns.

Coriolanus stood to the side of the stage. He felt giddy knowing soon all his hard work would pay off.

The officer to his left, a boy three years younger than Coriolanus who was often seen at the Hobb, elbows Coriolanus and jerks his head left to the open field.

At the sight of you, Coriolanus leaves his post.

You were running along the dirt road towards the stage. He had to stop you before you made a scene.

He wasn’t sure you even saw him as he approached. Your eyes remained fixed on the stage, waiting to see Sejanus.

He catches you and pushes you back away from the sight of the commanding officers.

“What do you think you are doing?” he scolds, “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

Your face was red, and sweaty. You had run from wherever you had jumped off the van.

“You can’t let him die” you sob, “Coriolanus, please do something”.

“There’s nothing I can do”, he states, shoving you further back.

“No. no” you protest, “Please, please”.

“Get out of here”, he demands.

You make an attempt to move past him.

“What do you think is going to happen? He’s a known traitor. There's no saving him now”, he reasons.

He could hear the music they played as the perpetrators walked.He had to get you out of here before they reached the stage.

“No, there has to be a way. If Strabo knew. My father! My father would save him if I go back. It’s not too late. It can’t be” you ramble.

Lucy-Gray made her way through the crowd after watching Coriolanus disappear.

She gingerly approaches the scene and Coriolanus rushes to include her.

Despite her distrust of you. She knew the pain of losing a lover so Coriolanus knew she would help him.

“Lucy-Gray, get her out of here”, Coriolanus begs. He thrusts your wrist into her hand and she gently guides you back away.

“Come on, honey. You don’t need to see this”, she persuades.

“No!” you yell, “No, we have to do something”.

“There’s no point in both of you dying”, Coriolanus bites.

“He’s right” Lucy-Gray agrees, “That’s the only thing you can do now”.

“Coriolanus, please”, you try again.

“Get out of here. He’s already dead”, Coriolanus commands.

Lucy-Gray tugs your wrist and you reluctantly follow.

“Three years” Commander Hoffs voice boomed into the microphone, “I fought in the Capitol during the war. I’ve been angry, but this is the first time I have felt ashamed. Get the other one up here!”.

Coriolanus rushes back to his spot, hoping no commanding officer saw him leave.

Sejanus looked bewildered and terrified as he was led up to the platform.

He looked around as if expecting a saving grace at any minute.

Coriolanus wondered if he was expecting him to do something. As soon as their eyes met Sejanus looked half hopeful, or at least glad to see him.

“Coryo”, he called in panic, “Coryo, coryo!”.

Coriolanus doesn’t turn his head as he passes. Goodbye, Sejanus, he thinks to himself.

“The Capitol has received word via jabberjay that these two men conspired to break into our base’s jail and flee north to release this terrorist of captivity”. Hoff commented.

Spruce’s sister stood tall next to her brother.

No tears were shed. No surprise in their end. When you are born district, you die by the Capitols hand, one way or another.

“Wait, wait, MA” Sejanus cried as they led him up to the stage.

Coriolanus felt his body tingle in excitement. Soon all his troubles would be far behind him.

While not the life path he would have chosen given any other choice, all that mattered was you. He would finally have you after so many years. It didn’t matter that it meant wandering the woods for the rest of his life.

“Yn”, he hears your name come off Sejanus’s lips as they tighten the noose around his neck.

With a final scream, the trap door is opened underneath their feet and the three swing in unison.

The jabberjays pick up Sejanus' last words, and your name is echoed across the district in his terrified voice.

People offer their condolences to Coriolanus.

Coriolanus shook them off as quickly as he could. Playing the bereft friend in silence.

The ride back to the compound was silent. No one daring to mention the death of one of their own.

Coriolanus sat at the back of trucks bed. He could feel people looking at him as he stewed in silence.

You were sure to of heard Sejanus’s cry as it was carried by those stupid birds.

Sejanus of course had to make his death as painful as possible for you.

He hoped Lucy-Gray took you back to the compound, and managed to keep her mouth shut about the departure tomorrow.

He wanted to be the one to tell you. It would be news easier given by a friend.

The journey back to the compound seemed quicker. Soon the men were unloading from the truck and returning their guns.

Coriolanus had to find you. To tell you of his plans and to make sure you were okay.

His eyes roam around the area, looking for the man who could give him that freedom.

Commander Hoff jumps out of his car and bee lines straight across the field.

He quickly pushes his gun into the hands of the helper and takes off after him.

“Sir”, Coriolanus ran to catch up to Commander Hoff, who continued walking back to his office.

“How are you holding up, son?” Commander Hoff asked.

“Fine, Sir. It’s Y/n I am worried about”, Coriolanus said, “I was wondering if I could get a pass to enter into the nurses camp to check on her”.

Hoff thinks about the request, answering just before the commanding center where his office was located.

“Given the circumstances I think that would be appropriate. I’ll radio to let them know you are coming”

“Thank you, sir”, Coriolanus returns.

He is left on the staircase as the commander goes inside.

He rushes across the compound. The distance next door never seemed longer.

The heavy protective gear he wore, weighed him down. He takes it off as he reaches the gate, leaving him in his grey formal uniform.

The nurses camp is quiet as they prepare for dinner. The sun was just disappearing behind the mountains after a long day.

He walks through following the signage to the lodging. If you weren't there, someone at least would be who could point him in the right direction.

The nurses camp was less secure than the peacekeepers compound. He walked freely through the buildings. In the compound there were security passes and patrols to keep everything on lock down.

He could hear people as he approached the large building. A knock on the door arose no ones suspicion so he took the liberty of opening the door.

A crowd of mostly women were all following in the same direction down the long hall.

More women came from the room to his right but his presence didn’t startle them.

They gave him linger stares as they passed him but none questioned what he was doing there.

“Excuse me,” Coriolanus greets the nurse who stares at him too long, “I am Coriolanus Snow”.

The young girl fluttered her eyes and opened her mouth to speak but an older, stronger voice called out.

The same women who ran the training course, old and thin, came into sight.

The young nurse and her friends took off at the voice. Leaving coriolanus with the impression the head mistress was not well liked.

“Yes, yes, come in” the women says in a hurry, “we were told to expect you”.

She turns as he steps and begins to walk down the long hallway.

“You came quickly” she states, “Just as well. She hasn’t stopped crying all afternoon. She was distributing the other girls”.

Right down the end of the hall was a large metal sliding door that revealed rows and rows of bunk beds similar to the compound.

“You have half an hour before the girls finish dinner and return to their bunks for a shower. I want you gone well before that”, the head mistress warns.

Coriolanus passes her without a word, following the sound of crying until he could see your form buried under a blanket.

The door is shut behind him and he is grateful for the privacy.

You don’t stir despite hearing his footsteps.

He kneels down in front of your eyesight and brushes your hair out of your face.

“Hey” he quietly says, unsure of what else to say.

You don’t halt your crying to respond.

“Y/n, I am so sorry” he offers.

You knock the hand that brushes your hair away and cover your face from him.

“Y/n, this isn’t over. They’ll come for you next”, he reasons.

“I don’t care”, you cry.

But he knew you did. When you left the hanging tree today it was because you wanted to live.

“They knew you were his girlfriend. Hoff has plans to hang you too. He told me himself”, he lies.

Your hand comes down from your face thats left pink and wet.

He runs an open hand over your face, trying to wipe away the tears.

“I didn’t do anything”, you protest.

Coriolanys shakes his head at you. If there was one thing to learn from district 12, it was that life was expendable.

“It doesn’t matter. Hoff’s going to kill us. You for being associated with Sejanus and me once they find those guns”.

You sit up sobering in thought, and push your hand through your hair.

“I’ll contact my father”, you say more to yourself then him, “I’ll be sent home”.

“I told you you’re nothing here. It doesn’t matter who you were back in the Capitol. You’ll be dead before you can reach him”.

He lets you sit with your situation. Allowing time for the dread to set in.

Once he starts to see the panic building in your eyes, he reaches out to place a hand on your leg.

“Lucy-Gray and I are leaving, tomorrow, to head north like Sejanus and the others planned”, he explains. “Come with us. It’s the only way we’ll be safe”.

You turn your gaze to him, looking in hurt and confusion.

“It’s all Panem” he adds softly, “They’ll find you no matter where you go”.

Footsteps could be heard echoing down the hall. Coriolanus knew his time was up but you were still yet to say yes.

“Okay” you finally breathe.

He almost leans in to kiss you, but stops himself. Your ‘yes’ wasn’t locked in yet.

“I’ll come get you tomorrow at first light. Can you meet me outside the fence line?”, he asks.

You nod your head yes and he smiles at you.

He takes your head between his hands, stilling you to look at him.

“We’re going to be alright, Y/n”, he promises you, “We’ll make a new life”.

You do nothing but stare back.

Coriolanus woke early the next morning and snuck out in the back of a truck.

Even though he was early, you were still waiting for him outside of the Nurses camp with your bag.

He takes your hand and begins the journey to the hanging tree.

The air is heavy with the decision to leave. Neither one of you talk.

You didn’t seem present. You followed robotically. He knew your thoughts were on Sejanus, or perhaps about the situation you now found yourself in.

When you reach the hanging tree, he feels you draw back.

He tightens his grip, ensuring you keep moving along.

“Wasn’t sure you were gonna make it”, Lucy-Gray acknowledges, coming out from her hiding place behind the stage.

She looks at the intertwined hands, before focusing her eyes solely on Coriolanus.

You don’t greet her. Just stood soulless next to Coriolanus.

“We have no choice”, Coriolanus looks around the field, almost feeling the district wake up, “Come on, lets move before it’s too late”.

With Lucy-Gray in tow, the group makes its way past the coal mines and into the outer bounds of the forest.

You tore your hand from him a few steps away from the hanging tree. The presence of Sejanus must have left you feeling ashamed for moving on.

Coriolanus lets it go. Once you were deep enough into the woods, how could you reject him? He would be your only option.

Lucy-Gray leads the path back to the lake. He recognised the trail.

Dark, heavy clouds start to form deeper into the forest. A promising start to a fresh future.

The cold rain spits down and the ground becomes muddy beneath Coriolanus’s boot.

He thinks about survival in the forest. He could build shelter, start fires, hunt, fish. He was sure he could make a comfortable living.

It would take time, and it would be uncomfortable at first but he could make you happy out here.

It was so far from the finer things in life you were used to. He could never give you those things, but he would sweat and toil for you. Make sure you are safe and fed.

Who knew, maybe some time would pass and you could make your way back to the compound. The guns long forgotten. With enough time, Coriolanus was sure he could weasel his way back. Until then you would have to be a fugitive on the run.

He wondered about Lucy-Gray and her place in his plans. After everything they had gone through together, it would be a shame to leave things on a bad note.

He had some affection for her. She was like him in many ways. She was his prize victor, it felt shameful to leave her behind. Maybe he would find a way to bring you both back. If she chooses. Lucy-Gray was a different breed then you and Coriolanus. She may find primitive life easier than Capitol life.

Your sharp, shaky breaths break Coriolanus from his train of thought and he turns to find you with tears running down your face.

Coriolanus hadn’t realised you began to cry. You were so silent as you walked behind him.

“You thinking about Sejanus?”, Lucy-Gray asks without a hint of sympathy in her voice.

Coriolanus took your bare arms in his hands and rubbed up and down. Your skin was wet and cold. He would have to find you some shelter soon.

“I miss him”, your voice is broken and quiet

“I’ll miss the covey”, Lucy-Gray responds, “it’s not too late. You could turn back”.

“No one is turning back”, Coriolanus bites, “Lets keep moving. It wont be long before they realise we are missing”.

He takes your hand once more, and now leads the way to the lake.

“At least we’ll be safe up north. No one around to try and kill us. And sure, will be nice to not have to either anyone either, huh”, Lucy-Gray spoke.

Absent-mindedly, Coriolanus replied back, “Three’s enough for me”.

His mutter was just loud enough for you and Lucy-Gray to register what he said, and share a worried look between you.

“Three?” Lucy-Gray cautiously asks, “Who’s the third?”.

Coriolanus knew he made a mistake. He pretends not to have heard and continues walking, hoping that she would drop her question.

She doesn’t, continuing to pester him.

“Coriolanus, who’s the third?”, she pushes.

“What?” Coriolanus returns agitated.

“Person you killed. Who’s the third? I only know about two. Bobbin in the arena and Mayfair. So who’s the third?”.

He stops walking to turn back to the girls who look at him in suspicion.

What could he say that would make this right? Could he tell a story of an accidental misfire? Could he feel guilty for Billy Taupe? Sejanus because he wished there was more he could have done?

The above proved too risky. Bringing up past lovers may cause more tears and somber moods.

“My old self” he answers, “I killed him so I could protect you. Both of you”.

You look at Lucy-Gray unsure of his answer. He takes a step forward pulling your gaze back by your chin.

“Lets keep moving. The storm is about to hit”, he says.

He keeps a tight hold of your hand as he continues to the lake.

As soon as he sees the cabin, he sighs in relief. The rain had began to pour down from the sky, and the temperature dropped.

“Why don’t we stop here at the cabin and wait out the storm?” Coriolanus directs.

“We should keep going” Lucy-gray contested.

“We need food, Lucy-Gray. Let’s catch some fish while we are here”.

He wanted to keep you warm inside for as long as possible before you had to set off again. You weren’t as strong as Lucy-Gray, or him. You had never faced adversity before. Being cold for the first time in your life, must have felt the lowest you had ever been.

Still you don’t complain. You hadn’t said a word nearly the whole journey.

The Cabin does little more than protect you from the rain. There was no warmth between the walls. He would have to start a fire before he left to catch fish.

“If you want to fish, there's rods underneath the floorboard” Lucy- Gray offers.

He lets go of your hand to investigate. “There’s ones?” he asks, adding pressure with his foot to see if it moved.

Lucy-Gray lets out a sound of approval and Coriolanus kneels down to remove the loose floorboard.

He froze when he first saw the familiar tied up cloth. Still he didn’t let him believe until it unwrapped the cloth and the gun didn’t dissolve in his hand.

His mind wasn’t playing a nasty trick. Spruce must have known about this place.

“What is it?” Lucy-Gray questions.

Coriolanus turns to show her the large gun.

“It’s the gun” you answer for him in shock.

“The one you fired at Mayfair?” Lucy-grays expression turned hard, her stance closed off as she tightened her colorful shawl around her shoulders, “if we destroy the gun, you’re both free to return”.

“Hoff will kill me”, you tell Lucy-Gray.

“No” Coriolanus admits, “Not if you tell him you’re with me. He’s sending me to officer training in 2. I can bring you with me as my wife”.

Your eyes shine with something he had never seen in you before, a half smile plays on your lips as you look between lucy-Gray and him.

“What about Lucy-Gray?” you ask.

“Oh, I’ll be fine darlin’” Lucy-Gray puts on her confident and charming mask to hide her inner turmoil, “The last loose end lost up north”.

“Loose end?” Coriolanus questions, “You would never tell anyone, would you?”.

Lucy-Gray takes a step back at his tone, before answering, “Of course not”.

Her hand reaches up blindly while looking at Coriolanus with the guns and pulls down a small knife from top of the coat rack.

“I am just going to go dig up some katniss” she says, already turning to the door.

“Wait, I’ll come with you”, you call out.

“Hey” Coriolanus warns,reaching out to take your wrist in his hand.

You smile at him, “Get rid of those guns, Coriolanus. We’ll leave Lucy-Gray with our supplies and we’ll head back okay? We’ll make our way home from district 2”.

With a squeeze to his shoulder, you wiggle your wrist free from his hold.

“Y/n” Coriolanus calls, watching you follow Lucy-Gray back out into the rain, “I love you”.

You smile at him once more, “I know. Get rid of the guns”, you say softly.

“Wait, it’s still raining”, he questions. Hearing the harsh pounding of the rain against the roof.

“Despite what you may think, she aint made out of sugar”, Lucy-Gray drawls.

She tugs your wrist with her and you both disappear into the rain.

You were right. He had to get rid of the guns.

How would he do it? Throw them in fire? Disassemble them and hide them over the woods? Bury them deep in the earth?

Once they were gone, there would be nothing stopping him making his way back to capitol with you.

Except maybe Lucy-Gray. She said it herself, she was a loose end.

What was to stop her returning back to district 12 and throwing him under the bus to save herself from the Mayor.

He knew you liked her. You might even be angry at him, even after explaining why her death was necessary.

But he couldn’t let her live. Not after everything he has done. It was too precious to allow her even a chance at ruining it.

He picks up the gun he fired at mayfair and follows Lucy-Gray into the rain.

The sight of the empty forest worries Coriolanus. You were just going down to the lake. You should be right there. But no sight of you or Lucy-Gray.

His blood ran cold as he stalked out into the open.

“Lucy-Gray?” he yells out, “Y/n?”.

“Where are you?”.

Nothing is returned. How could he be so stupid to let you go out alone.

“Y/n come out”, he wanders into the thick forest, trying to find clues of where you could have gone to.

He could still see wet skids from your shoes, so he knew you couldn’t have gotten too far.

“Hey, has something happened? Because if something’s happened we can talk about it?”.

The jabberjays squawk above him, trying to pick up his sound.

“Are you hiding from me? Y/n? Lucy-Gray?”.

His eye catches a bright flash of clothing running off past the trees.

He steady’s his gun and takes off after Lucy-Gray, he would worry about you later.

“Lucy-Gray!” he called, his voice was angry and desperate. “Lucy-Gray, that’s enough!”

He loses sight of her as he comes into a clearing. She had hidden down behind something, but she couldn’t stay hidden forever.

He raises the gun, reading it for action, and stalking slowly through the forest.

“Lucy-Gray, I don’t want to hurt you,” he says. It was mostly true. He didn’t want to, but he had to.

Hearing a noise to his left, he swings the gun in its direction. “Just tell me where y/n went and we’ll go our separate ways. No one has to get hurt”.

The noise was a forest animal, now coming out of hiding as the rain slowed.

A snap of a branch, however, was undoubtedly his victor. He focuses his gun back straight and waits for a clear shot of the colourful clothing.

Just as she comes into aim, and Coriolanus squeezes his finger against the trigger, he feels a heavy tree branch slam into his skull.

His aim was off but he still heard the pained cry of lucy-Gray and the thud of her body hitting the ground.

You swing the tree branch at him again, but he doesn’t allow it to land, catching it and throwing it out of reach.

“Stop”, he begs when you resort to hitting and kicking him.

“You killed him!” you scream, “I know you did. Your own friend. He trusted you!”.

He tries to keep you at bay with one arm, but your ferocity landed a few good shots before Coriolanus had enough.

“Stop! Stop!”, he yells, leaving the gun in the mud so he could use his body weight to bring you down.

“You’re a murder!” you scream in his face, “You murdered him!”, you cry.

“Y/n, I am sorry. I am sorry”, he pleas, forcing you down into the wet mud.

He blindly reaches for his gun behind him while you kick and scream.

“I am sorry. I have to do this” he says before he cracks the end of the gun into your face.

You yelp in surprise as your hands fly from him to your face.

He could see the blood staining your hands as you withered on the ground in pain.

It wouldn’t immobilize you, but it would give him the precious second he needed to tie the loose end.

As suspected when he gets off you, you continue to lay there in pain.

He stumbles over to where Lucy-Gray fell.

Half of him suspected his gun to waver but his hands remained unshaken and strong.

The surprise was when she was no longer there. He could see where she fell but no further trace.

He didn’t have time to go look for her. If he shot her, which he was pretty sure he did, then she would die of infection anyway.

Coriolanus turns back to you.

You had begun to try and get back up on your feet.

A deep cut that ran with blood crossed from the middle of your nose to the top of your cheek.

You are wobbly as you regain your footing. You stumble forward as you try to step. Coriolanus steady’s you with a tight grip of your arm.

You scream at him to get off you. His half carried you with his hold on your arm back towards the cabin.

“Sejanus never deserved you”, he spoke. You struggles to get to your feet as he dragged you back. Like a frailing fish hooked on a line, you were dragged to your destination.

“I know you don’t understand but in time you will”, he promises.

The steps proved difficult to master as your feet slipped from one to the next.

“You killed him, you killed Sejanus”, you cried.

Coriolanus drops you on the floor while he rushes to his bag, digging out his peacekeeper issued handcuffs.

You are quicker to get on your feet, and he has to tackle you down to get them on you.

He flips you from your stomach to your back so he can see the state you are in.

Wet blood poured across your face, and big fat tears fell from your eyes. Mud covered the front of you and rain soaked the rest of you.

Not even a full day in Coriolanus' care, and you looked like this. He was ashamed of the state of you.

He stills your face between his hands, examining the cut on your face.

“Y/n, stop, please”, he begged as you kicked under him. He hated the sound of your crying. He always had.

“You killed him” you accuse once more. Your eyes shut with tears, the more he soaked up with the pad of his thumbs, the more that seemed to appear.

“I had to. I never meant to hurt you”, he says, “Everything I have done I did for you. I’ve given you my food when I was hungry, my coat when I was cold. I stood by you for years and suffered in silence watching you with him. Knowing it should be me”.

“I hate you”, you announced, opening your eyes to look at him.

“I don’t care. I’ve always done what’s best for you, even when you don’t see it yourself”.

With new found passion for his task, he picks you up and stands you on your feet.

With his hold on your elbow he leads you so he could gather the guns, then guides you back outside to the jetty.

It was easier to walk as he pushed you in front of him rather than dragged you behind.

“What are you doing?” you question as he helps you down into the row boat next to the guns.

“I am getting rid of the last thing keeping us here”, he answers.

He pushes off the jetty and begins to row into the deepest part of the lake.

He sinks the guns into the water and rows the boat back to shore.

For a second, you thought he would throw you overboard but he carries you from the shore line back inside to the only bedroom.

It was dusty and the bed squeaked as he placed you upon it.

Your left hand is freed from the cuff as its clipped to the bed. You try your best to fight him off with what little time you had.

He stays kneeling on the bed, knocking your hand away and pinning it to the bed as you try to smack him.

“Let me see your face”, he demands.

“Don’t touch me”, you yell, turning your head away from his grip.

He gets up, standing back to look at you.

You curl yourself into a ball the best you could, and continue to cry again.

“At least”, he started but he wasn’t sure what he could do. He didn’t have the medical supplies he needed to fix your face, you wouldn’t let him change you into a fresh pair of clothes. He could do nothing to ease your discomfort.

He dashes out of the room to retrieve his water bottle, bringing it back and kneeling by the bed, trying to get you to take a sip.

You push it away, refusing any of his help.

He couldn’t stand the sound of you crying. He hated it more that he could do nothing but watch. So he left.

You would cry it out, and he could perhaps find the body of Lucy-Gray.

Soon it becomes too dark to see anything so he makes his way back to the cabin.

He couldn’t force himself to go in yet so he sits by the shore of the lake and ponders everything he would have done differently if he had another chance.

He wouldn’t have played the friend card so close. It must have felt like he pulled the rug from under you. That he didn’t truly value you or your opinion, but rather all this time he was just trying to sleep with you.

It, of course, wasn't true. You had been his most trusted adviser for many years. He had always valued your mind and opinion, even if he felt you were misguided. But you wouldn’t listen to him, not in this state.

He wished he could go back in time and take back his admittance to the three murders. But then he thinks maybe not. At least now you knew the lengths he would go for you. But of course, now you think he is a murder.

Bobbin and Mayfair he could pass off as self-defence. Lucy-Gray a necessity. But Sejanus was purely personal. You knew that, and now saw the darkness in Coriolanus that he tried so hard to hide.

He would make it up to you. Even if he had to grovel every day for the rest of his life.

You both should be on the train to district 2, ready to start your new lives. But the train was long gone, and Coriolnaus remained stuck in district 12.

He stands up, brushing the dirt from his pants and returns inside to check on you.

He is quiet as he enters. The house is dark, only moonlight guided coriolanus back to the room.

You were asleep, covered in muck and your face looked sore.

Coriolanus sighed, finding his way back to the bags and retrieving a blanket to put over you.

One day he would give you everything you deserved, but for right now he just had to keep you alive.

When he woke the next morning he knew he would need proper food to give you, and medical equipment to make sure your face didn’t scar. So he made the difficult decision to leave you here while he returned to base.

He explained it to you, and assured you he would be back soon.

You kicked at him when he tried to come close so he took that as permission to leave.

He wasn’t sure what he was going to tell Hoff now that he had missed the train to district 2. Would he be given another chance once you temper cooled?

The three hour walk back didn’t help to ease his anxiety. His mind raced with excuses and stories but when he was faced with the gates of the large compound gates, they all seemed foolish.

The guards knew exactly who he was, and seized him. Hoff must have sent out a search party.

Knowing the guns were never found, Coriolanus knew all he had to talk his way out of was desertion.

They led him straight to Hoff’s office.

Commander Hoff bid them to leave and Coriolanus was left standing in front of the man with his future.

“Commander Hoff, Sir, I know what I did-” Coriolanus begins but is interrupted.

“Save it boy. You’ve upset higher powers than me”, the man huffs.

“Sir?” Coriolanus questions.

“As it turns out you made friends in the Capitol too. Didn’t you? I got word yesterday, the train was to take you back to the Capitol. When you didn’t get there, I got an angry conference call from a Dr Gaul”.

His heart flutters. Dr Gaul was sending him home.

“I am to send you straight to the communications room as soon as I found you. Come on”.

Hoff takes Coriolanus’s shoulder and personally walks him to the communications room.

He knew Hoff was mad, but he was such a small fish compared to Dr Gaul. He no longer mattered.

Coriolanus is given an extension to dial written on a crushed piece of paper and shoved into the room.

He rushes to the communication tablet and punches in the small messy writing.

He felt his heart beat in his chest. He hoped Dr Gaul would be forgiving and not consider them even at her attempt.

The phone rings only twice before it’s picked up by an older women in glasses.

Coriolanus knew she was the receptionist at the citadel and quickly asked for Dr Gaul.

This time the phone rang longer while he waited to be transferred through.

Dr Gaul picked up just in time before it rang out. Her bored and irritated expression took over the blank screen.

She had her lab coat on but her background looked like an office. He must have interrupted her studies.

“Snow”, she greets, “back at last from your sabbatical”.

“Not quite. I still can’t leave for the Capitol”, he admits.

A smile pulled at her lips as she spoke, “Oh really, and what, or should I say who is stopping you”.

“You know who”, he jeered. A bad idea for a man in his position.

Dr Gaul didn’t seem to mind, looking amused at his irritation.

“I never expected you to throw your chance at the Capitol away for her. Maybe I have underestimated you”. She leans closer to the screen as if she about telling a secret.

“Mad you killed her little boyfriend, huh?”, she taunts.

“I won’t leave without her”, he states.

“Well that causes an issue. This little summer camp experiment has been fun, but its time you came home to study under me at the university.

“Summer camp?” Coriolanus seethed.

“You didn’t think after all my hard work that I would just pass you off to the imbeciles of the district, did you? May I say, you’ve impressed the both of us. You really showed what you were made of”

“And what am I made of?” he bites back.

Dr Gaul grins, “Where is Y/n now? Still alive I hope. I hear Lucy-Gray also has gone missing. Although, I don’t believe your affection extended quite far enough to keep her as an obstacle in your way”.

Coriolanus remains quiet. He didn’t want to say anything in anger that would come back to bite him.

“I am sending you something” Dr Gaul says finishing the conversation, “Make sure you’re here tomorrow afternoon to collect it”.

She ends the call. Leaving coriolanus staring at a static screen.

What was Dr Gaul sending, and would he have the guts to use it?

He hangs up the receiver and heads to the medical tent to get supplies.

They give him what is requested without question and Coriolanus finds his way out of the Compound once more.

He stops in the district and buys flat bread stuffed with meat and vegetables before beginning his long journey back. He eats his on the way back. It was squirrel, he was pretty sure. Their meat was tough, but with the spices and slow cooked vegetables, it was edible, although a little salty.

He hoped some distance had put things in perspective for you. The window of opportunity was closing. You had to realise sooner rather than later, that this was all fate.

You didn’t want to be here. Stuck in a run down, rickety cabin. He was offering you a chance to escape, and yet you won’t accept it.

It was late afternoon by the time he arrived back at the cabin. The door creaks alerting you to his presence but you don’t call out.

Coriolanus starts a fire and leaves the bread to re-heat.

“Hey”, he greets as he opens the door and crosses the floor.

You ignore him as you often do, but he is relentless in his attempts.

“I’ve brought you some food”, he says, “and medicine for your nose”.

An old chair that sits aimlessly in the corner is dragged across the floor next to your bed.

He sits and rummages through his bag for the supplies.

The blood had dried on your face. You wouldn’t let him touch you to clean it.

He pours the antiseptic on the cotton bud attempting to bring it up to your nose.

When you turn your head away from him, he sighs.

“I know it hurts, y/n. This is going to make it feel better” he explains.

You hesitate but eventually do turn your head back to him.

He takes your jaw in his hand so you don’t move when the antiseptic begins to sting.

You whine, scrunching your nose from the pain. It aggravates the wound on your face which he could see much more clearly now the dried blood had been wiped away.

“I know, I know” he consoles, keeping at his work.

“Coriolanus, what are you doing?”, you ask.

“I am trying to find a way home”, he answers, “for us”.

He wonders if he should tell you about Dr Gaul but you always had an intense dislike for her. You wouldn’t like him working with her.

“Let me call my father then. I could have us on the first train out”, you reason.

“No”, Coriolanus bites in a harsh tone, “No, because you wouldn’t”

He stops himself. Urging himself to speak kinder to you.

“Because you would leave”.

You had more power than him in the capitol, at least for the time being. He knew you just needed time, and he needed a plan.

“Am I going to be number 5?” you ask in a voice half scared.

“I would never hurt you”

“He says as he cleans the wound he inflected” you comment.

Coriolanus throws the bloody cotton ball on the bedside table. The wound was now just a red angry line across your face.

It opens the soothing bam, lathering up a generous amount on his finger.

“I didn’t want to do that”, he defends.

Your eyes shut as he smears the ointment across your scar. It provided instant relief to the stinging, burning sensation.

“All I have ever wanted to do is take care of you”.

You scoff at him, hitting his touch away with your free hand.

“Go to hell, Coriolanus”, you return.

He packs away his medical kit in silence and takes it to the kitchen with him.

The flat bread would be warm enough so he took it from the fire and placed it on a wooden plate. Returning to your room to drop it off before he takes a seat on the old dusty couch in the living room.

Whatever Dr Gaul gave him, he would use.

Coriolanus doesn’t tell you he is leaving the next day. He didn’t think you cared. You didn’t call out after him when he left.

The walk to the compound was easier with the weight off his shoulders. He wondered what Dr Gaul would send.

The guards don’t bother him this time. He is allowed to walk straight through to the post office.

There he is handed a small, expensive looking box.

He waits until he is away from the compound to open it.

It was cushioned to hold a large vial of red liquid and three smaller vials of clear colored liquid.

A folded note lay on top which was hand written by Dr Gaul.

‘You want the power of her life in your hands once more? The red kills her, the little bottles keep her alive for eight hours at a time. Remember what I said Snow, people will do anything to stay alive. No matter how miserable of an existence. If you are not back in the Capitol by tomorrow afternoon then I will have considered you to have taken the poison yourself’.

It was a last chance given by Dr Gaul. He couldn’t afford to lose this one.

He didn’t want to kill you, but he remembered how it felt in the arena to have you fully dependent on him for survival. He would do anything to get it back. Would he?

He didn’t ask you to follow him into the arena. He didn’t want you dead.

Although you wouldn’t really be dead. Not if the little bottle could keep you alive.

Did he have any other option? Keeping you locked up in the cabin seemed too bleak of an existence for both of you.

Dr Gaul had thrown him a lifeline. It was this or drown.

Coriolanus buys a stew that he knew was overspiced. He hoped it would be enough to cover the taste of the poison.

He would leave dinner as late as possible so you would be too hungry to question its taste.

He walks slowly back to the cabin. He truly felt terrible that it had come to this.

He had hoped you would have a change of heart. Maybe one day you would.

Coriolanus just needed to get you through this season of life, and time would heal your wounds.

It was six o’clock by the time he reached the cabin. He puts the stew to warm over the fire, and sits at the kitchen table staring at the box.

Who’s to say the little bottles worked, and Dr gaul wasn’t just teaching him a lesson on why you should never love something.

No. She was openly in favour of the relationship. Why, Coriolanus had no idea, but she wouldn’t kill you after her efforts.

Would you choose to die? No, you have shown time and time again that you want to live. You’d take the antidote.

You knew something was off when he didn’t come to see you after he arrived. Hours pass and you begin to worry. You knew he was out there, you could feel his presence.

“Coriolanus?” you call to no answer.

You decide to leave him until he came much later.

When he finally worked the nerve to pour the poison into the stew and present it to you.

He walks in without a word and takes his seat next to your bed. He holds the bowl with one hand and the spoon with the other, bringing it up to your lips.

You swallow the first bite with no issue. The feeling was terrible. He avoided looking at you.

“Thank you”, you say cautiously. Something was off and you didn’t want to upset him for fear of what he might do.

“Is there something wrong?” you ask.

“No”, he answers in a low, even tone.

He feeds you another bite which you accept. He doesn’t speak and you ask no more questions until the bowl was finished.

He throws the bowl on the bedside table, disgusted with what he has done.

“Coriolanus?” you remark as he rushes out of the room.

He wondered how long it would take.

At first nothing happened. You sat in your bed puzzled by his outburst.

It took thirty minutes before you felt the poison shutting down your body.

Sweat poured off you despite you being freezing cold. It felt as if a broken piece of glass was making its way through your bloodstream.

You groan in pain but Coriolanus waits in the kitchen, he needs to keep his composure until the only possible answer was yes.

It was when you stopped crying out in pain, coriolanus decided to check on you.

You had turned a slightly gray colour. All the life had been sucked from you. You were barely holding on.

He returns to his seat and smooths the sweaty hair from your face. You look at him weakly, unable to do much more than lay there.

“Coriolanus, please, I need a doctor”, you plead with him.

“No, you don’t”, he reaches into his pocket and pulls one of the small bottles from his pocket to show it to you.

“What have you done?”, you accuse him.

“I’ve killed you”, he admits softly.

Horror washes over your face. You attempt to rise but are too weak to do so.

“Easy” Coriolanus beckons, trying to sooth you back down, “You have a choice now y/n. You can live with me, or die with Sejanus”.

Your eyes covered with tears and he hated to see it. If you had any life left your body might have shook with tears.

“You have to make the decision quickly. I am not sure how long the poison takes”, Coriolanus warns. He was already worried that he left it too late.

“I don’t want to die” you say softly, “I want to live, Coriolanus”.

He cups the side of your face, bringing himself down so he is closer to you.

“We’ll go back to the Capitol, yeah?”, he asks, “I can make you happy, Y/n. All I need is a chance”.

You grab Coriolanus’s wrist in a weak hold as another wave of pain comes over you.

“Please, Coriolanus, it hurts”, you beg.

He stands tall once more, and downs the bottle into his mouth before grabbing a tight hold of your face once more and smashing his lips against yours.

The antidote spills from his mouth into yours. It was the first time you welcomed his kiss.

Even after all the antidote had gone from his mouth to yours, coriolanus kept kissing you. His hungry lips capture yours as you lay there regaining your strength.

He pulls away but remains close as he speaks.

“Dr Gaul is sending us back to the Capitol. Tomorrow we’ll be home, and all of this will be behind us”, he promises.

A single tear rolls down your face and he pretends not to see it.

Early the next morning, he uncuffs you from the bed.

You wash the mud off you in the lake, and he watches from the shore.

The wound had closed enough to stop bleeding but it remained a bright red and sore. He puts more healing bam on it before he packed up all the evidence that you were once there into the bags and drowned them in the lake along with the guns.

You were going back to the capitol, there was no need to bring the past with you.

The walk back to district 12 was silent. You had nothing you wanted to say to coriolanus and he had too much he wanted to say to you. He wasn’t sure where or how to start.

You slowed as you reached the train station unable to go much further. Coriolanus stops when you place a hand on his shoulder and pull back.

“Coriolanus, the pain is coming back”, you tell him. Your body curled itself in pain, and your complexion turned gray once more.

He had sold his fathers watch for a taxi ride which he now regrets. But at least your body told you when it was time again.

There were only three bottles. Just enough to get back to the Capitol with. It was an invitation from Dr Gaul to come visit her once they returned.

He unscrews the second bottle and brings it to your lips. You down it in a mouthful and Coriolanus replaces the bottle with his lips.

It felt nice to be able to kiss you freely now. To be able to touch you however he wanted instead of hiding behind the friends boundaries.

When he took your hand and led you to the train. If anyone had been looking they would have guessed the couple had been together for years. Coriolanus took great joy in that.

Your names were enough to get a seat on the train. Dr Gaul had already organised a whole carriage solely for them.

You’ve always been quiet, but it felt as if you were actively avoiding conversation with him.

“You must be excited to see your parents”, Coriolanus tries to focus your mind on the good.

“I am” you state looking out the window, “And you must be looking forward to seeing your cousin and grandma”.

“I am”, he agrees, “I’ve missed them very much”.

“The pain came back”, you switch, “Am I going to be dependent on whatever that little bottle is”.

Your voice is strained and harsh. He knew you were trying not to cry.

“Yes” he answers honestly, “Every eight hours”.

“Eight hours” you breathe, “Or what?”

“Or you die”.

“Eight hours of freedom from you’, you grit.

Coriolanus turns his head away from you, staring straight ahead.

“I am hoping in time you wont feel the need for freedom from me”, he responds.

You don’t speak again and Coriolanus makes no further effort to talk to you. Less than a day into the new relationship, and you’ve had your first lovers spat.

When you arrive back in the Capitol, an avox is waiting to pick you up.

It was of no surprise when the car stopped at the citadel.

Coriolanus took your hand as he leads the way to Dr Gauls office, knowing it well.

You gawk at the creatures that line the way to Dr Gauls office. He doesn't allow you to get a proper look, pulling you along at a quick speed. You already had enough material for nightmares, he needn’t add to it unnecessarily.

The large door opens by themselves to give a clear view of Dr Gaul feeding her latest pets.

“Congratulations, Mr Snow”, she greets as she continues to feed a pool that sparked electricity, “You’ve passed all my tests. I’ve asked president Ravinstill to grant you an honorable discharge, effective immediately. I also told him that you were too promising to waste in the military. So you’ll be studying under me now at the Capitol university”.

She throws another dead fish into the water, before finally looking up at the couple.

“Strabo Plinth has kindly offered to honor his prize to the best performing student. More than enough to see you through university comfortably. I would make sure I got the money before announcing your relationship to the world”.

“We have nothing to hide”, Coriolanus argues.

“Hm” Dr Gaul muses, her attention going back to her pets that splash in the pool, “I would say you have quite a bit to hide. Wouldn’t you, Y/n?”.

Coriolanus pulls you closer behind him. He hated when Dr Gaul focused her attention on you.

“What a lovely couple you make. If only people knew the lengths he went to secure you. A love story for the ages, and a reminder of what man is truly capable of with the right motivation”.

“Dr Gaul” Coriolanus addressed, uncomfortable with the topic of conversation, “we’ve had a long journey back to the Capitol. If you don’t mind, we’d like to go and rest”.

Dr Gauls’s eyes snap up to the boy now the man of the Snow household.

“Of course. My assistant will give you enough anti-venom to last you a couple of weeks. Classes start Thursday, Mr Snow. Don’t be late”.

With a nod, Coriolanus left Dr Gaul and her latest pets. A small bag was given to him on his way out with the small bottles. You gazed harrowly at them.

It would become normal soon, he assured you, lots of people take medication daily.

The world had straightened itself out. With the Plinth prize in one hand, and yours in the other, Coriolanus Snow felt victory at last.

He rests his head against the cars seats. Snow lands on top, he reminds himself.

Coriolanus managed to juggle the demanding course load of university, his job as a game maker, and refurbishing the Penthouse back to its glory.

He had tried to engage you in redesigning the home to your liking but you took no interest.

On days where you were cold to him, he stretched your antidote time out. Reminding you of the painful death that awaits you, if he so chooses. Mostly, you were good and caused him little trouble.

You pestered him to visit your family too much for a man who had limited free time. But he never held it against you. Your family was important to you. Not important enough to banish the idea of leaving them to follow Sejanus to district 12, but important enough to badger Coriolanus about your next visit.

You lived in the Penthouse with him like he always dreamed. He makes sure you have a hot bubble bath every night, and all the comforts money could bring.

Still some nights he wakes to the sound of you crying. It was an awful sound that he tries to soothe out of you. The next morning when he tries to talk about it, you act as if he dreamt the whole thing.

Your life was easy, he ensured it. You didn’t work. You didn’t study. You didn’t cook or clean. He expected your days to be filled with shopping and lunch with friends but you rarely left the apartment.

He tracked your movements throughout the day. When he was somewhere he didn’t like. Whether it was visiting your family, or the Plinths alone, he would withhold your medicine until you confessed.

You could never figure out how he always knew. There must have been a tracker somewhere on you, but you could never figure out where. Or maybe there was a sensor on the door that alerted him when you left the apartment and he paid someone to follow you. You conducted experiments to try and solve the mystery.

Soon however, you fell into hopelessness. Even if you got away from him, where would you go? What would you do? Dr Gaul was in his corner now, and he rose ranks quickly. The president now knew him by name.

Besides, convicting him of his crime would be suicide. Dr Gaul was sure to destroy the remaining antidotes, and the Capitol doctors would never be able to find a cure. Where cruelty was involved, Dr Gaul’s genius was unmatched.

So you remained home while Coriolanus was at work or university. Only venturing out at his command.

You would play your part as a bride in the next university holidays. A lavish affair that you and Sejanus would have never participated in.

Some days you kick yourself for not seeing Coriolanus sooner. But he was a snake in the grass, even with your eyes wide open, you could have never had stopped him eating you whole.

Coriolanus visits Dean Highbottom after he finishes his afternoon university class.

He walks to the Academy like he use to, reveling in the fact that he walked the same path as a different man.

When he reaches the school, it is empty. The students had left hours ago but the professors remained locked in their studies.

Coriolanus visits Dean Highbottoms old classroom, hoping that after everything he would still find him there.

The correct voice bids him to enter, and Coriolanus swings the door open with confidence.

“Snow” Highbottom says half surprised. “To what do I owe the pleasure? I hear you're quite the man around town these days”.

“I was sent Sejanus’s personal items from district 12. Y/n and I have no use for them, and I doubt the Plinths want such a painful reminder”. Coriolanus slams the metal box down.

“I thought it fitting you have it, considering it was you who got him killed”, Coriolanus provokes.

Highbottom flips the lid and gently examines the contents of the box.

“So you got it all, hey? The girl, the money, the power. It didn’t matter who you had to trample over to get it”, Dean Highbottom scoffed, “You truly are your fathers son, and that is a terrifying thing to be”.

Dean Highbottom flicks through the box, reaching for a small bottle of morhpline and holding it in his hand.

‘Did I ever tell you how the Hunger Games was invented?”, Highbottom asked.

“It was a university assignment. Something you came up with during your time there”, Coriolanus answered. Every Capitol child knew about the creation of the Hunger games.

Dean Highbottoms grip tightened on the glass bottle and his voice turned low.

“Oh, I can’t take all the credit. Your father played an important role in its creation”.

“My father?” Coriolanus questioned. No one had said anything of such before.

“I only dreamt them up as an assignment, a joke. I was drunk, stuck on Dr Gauls impossible assignment: Devise a punishment for our enemies so extreme, they never forget how badly they wronged us. When I sobered up, I wanted to destroy it. But your father, my best friend, he’d stolen it from me. Put both our names on it and taken it to Dr Gaul to rise up himself. I tried morphling the night the first child fell. I hoped that the games would die out. I tried to stop them. But then you came along. Now the blood of so many more generations will be on my hands. In the Snows fight for power, the whole world has crumbled”.

“Snow lands on top” Coriolanus remarks unapologetically.

“Yes” Highbottom laughs humorlessly, “indeed it does. Tell me, are you being kind to that poor girl?”.

Dean Highbottoms comment irritated Coriolanus.

“I love y/n” he reminds the old man, “we’ll be married in October”.

“Yes, yes. Talk of the town. Funny though, she doesn't have the blush of a young bride”.

“Y/n has been through a lot of heartbreak. I plan to ensure she doesn’t endure anymore”, Coriolanus asserts.

Dean Highbottom unscrews the lid of the morphline and swallows the poison in one shot. If he had taken it more slowly, he may have noticed the changed taste.

“Well, there’s to the happy couple”. The vial is thrown to his desk. Coriolanus was glad he took the effort with Dr Gaul to change the red colour. It was much easier to administer.

“I should go”, Coriolanus says, fixing his coat, “Y/n and I have dinner plans with the Plinths. It would have been Sejanus’s twentieth birthday today”.

“Tell Y/n I said hi” Dean highbottom calls. He was already starting to feel the effects of the poison, clutching his chest as it contracted.

Coriolanus leaves with plans to do no such thing.

The conversation with Dean Highbottom went longer than anticipated. He always kept a close eye on his watch for your sake, but when he looked at his watch in the cab, he realised he should have been home fifteen minutes ago.

He races up to the penthouse, calling your name until he finds you in the master bedroom, sitting still in your pajamas in front of your vanity set.

You looked pained sitting in front of your mirror with your makeup half done. It pulled at Coriolanus heart strings.

“Sorry, I am late”, he offers, coming into the bedroom.

“Don’t you look pretty”, he comments, coming closer to where you sat.

He knees on the ground behind you and places a soft kiss to your shoulder when you don’t respond.

“What’s wrong?” he asks. He knew it was more than the discomfort that had begun to set in.

“Coriolanus, I can’t go tonight”, you complain.

“Of course you can. You’ll feel better once you have your medicine”.

“Who kills a son, and then eats dinner with the parents?”, you demand in a hostile tone.

“The same man who will leave you without your medicine if you decide not to go”, he threatens.

You scoff at him, quickly wiping away the tears that pooled at your eyes and pick up your makeup brush to continue your work.

Coriolanus stands to take your little bottle of medicine from his pocket. He unscrews it for you and you down it as soon as it is handed to you.

“I love you”, Coriolanus says.

You look at him through the mirror with a cold expression,

“I love you too, Coriolanus”, you say without conviction.

In the same way the districts claw for their life, you claw for yours. It was a miserable existence, but by god, it was yours, and you would cling on to it until your very last breath.

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