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If there was one thing that Coriolanus was good at, it was playing the long game. He'd started from a very young age and never stopped. That's how no one at the academy knew about the Snow's money troubles. Well, no one but Sejanus Plinth. It was quite unfortunate that the (extremely) well off district boy knew exactly what it looked like when someone was struggling. What behaviors and habits that went a long with it.
Sejanus had joined them in the capital when they had all begun at the academy, clearly the odd one out as the entire class had been together all through their schooling. The new boy was rich and that's really all the mattered. He was tolerated and discreetly thought of as vermin. Being 15 was a difficult age for everyone, but the meanly deliberate bullying only made things worse. Coriolanus planned to and tried his best to stay out of it, knowing that one day that money and a well timed helping hand might be very beneficial for him.
The only problem with that was that Sejanus took one look at him and then stuck to him like glue. Like he could smell that Coriolanus was a mouse among rats. Always coming by to talk, stand next to and even eat lunch with. The other boy even sometimes brought a lunch his mother had made him from home, disgusting all of his peers. He'd sit right next to Coriolanus without pause or invite, just watching as Coriolanus struggled to eat.
Coriolanus was unfortunately often so hungry that he struggled to finish what was given to him for lunch at the Academy. It was often too rich or greasy for a severely empty stomach. Sometimes it was just embarrassingly too much for him to handle. His stomach shrunken from all the missed meals and ignoring the growls of pain. No one else notices or cared, as over the years he'd said he just has a weak stomach. The others around him just thought him delicate, like a freshly fallen snowflake. Sejanus was different though, encouraging him to focus on a piece of bread instead of the main course. It's weakness and yet, Coriolanus listens to him.
"It's alright, just eat what you can." Sejanus is always so quick and kind to comfort. Coriolanus tries to never acknowledge those words but he body seems to respond without him, leaning into the other boy subconsciously for that comfort. It's always so generous and genuine. He doesn't know what he did to deserve such mercy, but Coriolanus soaks it in any time he can.
There are times when he can't manage to keep the lunch down, sick in the toilets for the next hour. Missing class is never a good thing and is often punished severely. Even with the threat of punishment, Sejanus doesn't leave his side those days, looking afraid for something and guarding Coriolanus from the rest of the world. It only brings them closer together.
Coriolanus was never one to think he'd enjoy company, but he did.
At sixteen, Coriolanus is unfortunately stick thin. Not that it's shocking, because he's always been that way. Without proper nourishment he'd never really had the chance to fill out like most boys in the academy did. He merely said that he takes after his mother in looks and is proud of it, he's pretty enough that no one argues. People watch him as he walks now, and the way he bends over. It's crude, but Coriolanus takes all the attention in stride. To be wanted isn't the worst thing for him.
Sejanus disagrees with that fact. Very loudly, he likes to object when others approach Coriolanus for partnership or fun. It's an unexpected turn to the long game Coriolanus has been playing with his own life. Others around them joke that Coriolanus has a wild guard dog and sometimes that doesn't even feel far off.
Sejanus has recently started calling him Coryo, a nickname that was certainly never asked for. Coriolanus had complained the first 50 times he used it, but then begrudgingly just gave in. It was too much work and everyone around them had already noticed. It's embarrassing to say the least, but Coriolanus does his best to take it in stride. It's not like he's not getting anything out of this odd relationship of theirs, as recently Sejanus has been bringing him home made sweet treats to bring home to his family at the end of the day. Both his cousin Tigris and his Grandma'am are thrilled every time it happens, though he never discloses where those treats came from.
They grow closer, much to Coriolanus's confusion on the matter. Other academy student join in in calling him Coryo as soon as he stops publicly complaining about it too. When he tells Tigris about it at home, she is absolutely delighted about it. Somehow she had been worried that he wasn't going to be able to make friends at school?
That year passes slowly, as a bad sickness washes over the Capital for most of the winter. Coriolanus gets so sick that he doesn't go to the academy for over two weeks. It prompts Sejanus to after the first week to hunt down the apartment in which the Snow's live to give him the notes and assignments Cornelius has missed.
Tigris lets the boy in without much prompting and leads him to where Coryo is still suffering in bed. He's mostly naked, and disgustingly sweaty with no hopes of currently washing. They had to purchase some antibiotics for the terrible chest cough he developed and therefore couldn't afford to pay the water bill this month. The only saving grace to that is Tigris is able to fill up a couple bottles of water at work and secret them home to have. Otherwise, this probably would have been fatal for the whole family.
Or they would have just had to have let him die. The thought is scary. It makes him cry in bed when they turn on the radio to break the usual silence and he hears that people are dying from this flu. There are many who just get by after all and the antibiotics had been ridiculously expensive. It had taken every penny Tigris had ever managed to save and some of the bill money!
He's a the very least too out of it to see the look on Sejanus's face when he realizes just how his friend has been living. The stubborn other boy returns every day after classes to take care of him. The death toll from the flu is rising and as usual the capital is doing nothing to protect its own people. The academy at the very least has excused all students out during this time. (Though that is likely because they want to discourage spread.)
Sejanus brings him warm tea, fresh bread and hot soups with noodles in them. Things that Coriolanus can't say that he'd ever been privileged enough to have before. Every time Coriolanus wakes up for a coughing fit, the other boy is always at his bed side, even when the sun is down. It's strange and bewitching all at once.
Coriolanus makes it through the sickness, while a fifth of the population in the Capital does not. It's mostly the poorer population who die, so most people just say good riddance. And for the first time Coryo is faced with the fact that he probably owes his life to Sejanus's kindness. It does odd things to his stomach when he thinks about it.
When Coriolanus is rich and powerful one day, he plans to make it up to Sejanus. Maybe ensuring him a good job or whatever position of power he possibly wants. Right then though, all he can do is hug the other boy and whisper his gratitude. Cry into his shoulder and be rocked slightly, another comfort that Sejanus is more then willing to give him.
Coryo turns 17 just before summer. The lessons at the academy go all year around, with a single week break to show graduation ceremonies in August. They have just one more year after this one and then hopefully will be off to university. Though some of the class will simply begin working under their parents to properly train for positions passed down to them. Lucky bastards.
Sejanus is kind to ask what Coriolanus is planning on doing. They huddle together at lunch now most days, closer then ever. Coriolanus even stayed the night at his house once this week. The other boy had asked him over a dozen times, but he'd always rejected. It was a mystery to even Coriolanus to why he'd said yes that time.
Sejanus's mother had been absolutely thrilled to finally meet him, cooking up a feast that Coriolanus was mostly scared of trying to eat. Though, she had that same patient look on her face that Sejanus always had when he struggled with the food. She'd told him that he's all Sejanus ever talks about and the confession gives Coryo heartburn.
They had slept in the same bed that night, Sejanus inching closer like he was possessive over having the most space in his own bed. It hadn't even been unpleasant. Though when he'd awoken the next morning, the other boy was mostly cuddled on top of him. Too heavy to move. Sejanus unfortunately took forever to wake up too, so Coriolanus was stuck there for some time. It wasn't the worst thing to know what a heavy and warm body felt like on top of his own.
The good morning kiss he'd received on the other hand, had somewhat freaked Coriolanus out.
"Morning." Sejanus had said with his eyes barely open, rolling so his body fully covered Coriolanus's and was breathing in his face. The kiss was soft to his lips and the smile the other boy gave him following stopped him from reacting negatively.
Why had Sejanus been so happy about just a little kiss? Coryo hadn't really understood it himself, but also decided that if it made his companion that happy, than it was fine. More then fine. He began pressing tiny kisses to Sejanus's lips in private moments for rewards when the boy did something particularly good or useful for him.
"Coryo..." Sejanus would often moan out afterwards, following him anywhere. It was delightful to have someone so at his attention and the nickname was honestly beginning to grow on him. Sometimes he'd just ignore the pleas with a laugh and go about his day, and sometimes he'd go back and press another kiss to wanting lips.
Close to ending their final year at the academy, Sejanus makes a proposal that Coriolanus never even thought of hearing. "Coryo, my family is looking into getting an apprentice for head of our charity organization. Would you like me to recommend you? It would pay well to support your family and as I'm going to be starting work under my father, we could see each other every day."
"Isn't the head of charity organization your mother?" He'd immediately asked feeling dumbfounded.
"Yes and she'd be delighted if you were interested in learning from her."
"Sejanus, shouldn't that position be filled by your wife in the future?" Coriolanus couldn't help but ask. Sejanus had given him a very sad look in response. Had that been inappropriate to ask? The other boy had never even so much as hinted he was interested in a lady.
"There will never be anyone else Coryo." Sejanus puts his hands on Coriolanus's delicate shoulders when he says this, looking completely serious. It shocks Coriolanus to the core.
"Can I think about it first?" Sejanus isn't surprised that he requests time. He in fact breaks out into a wide smile at the very prospect that Coriolanus would consider taking the position.
It's only three days later that Coryo agrees to the job. He'd be stupid to say no. There is no university in his future, even with winning a scholarship they don't provide food like the academy does. The Snow's are already doing everything they can to scrape by and he'd been worried about starving to death without that one meal provided. Sejanus just technically solved all his problems.
They get married two years later. It's a big public event and televised. It had even been Coriolanus's idea technically, as he'd been trying to figure out a reason to throw a ball for all the most well off that they could have every year without involving a thing like the hunger games. A grand wedding and then subsequently a happy and passionate anniversary was the greatest excuse there was. The Plinth's were rich enough and taking in enough money that having something like that just made sense.
Coryo hadn't minded either, he'd long grown fond of the shared kisses. A few of which happened in places that were no longer secret. The large diamond ring he got to sport on his finger to sweeten the deal was quite thrilling to him as well. His Grandma'am had quietly passed months before, but Tigris didn't mind walking him down the isle. She'd in fact cried for two days straight when he'd asked if she'd do it.
Coriolanus Snow that day had taken the name Coryo Plinth, seeing no point in keeping the tainted family name. And honestly it hadn't been what he'd always planned for his life, but Coriolanus easily could see that it was more then enough.