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Far from the prying eyes of the Capitol, on the outskirts of District 12, two young men lie on the sandy banks of the lake. The knowledge of this lake was gifted to them by Lucy Gray Baired and her covey, and the two had taken advantage of this gift to escape the heavy duties of the Peacekeepers.
The two lay in sweet silence, only broken by the harmony of birds, crickets, and water lapping at the sandy shore. Their buzzed hair dried quickly in the afternoon sun, their skin remaining damp but warm.
They contrasted eachother in almost every way. One tan and stocky,the other paler and slighter. One shorter and softer, the other taller and sharper.
One district born, the other Capitol born.
Sejanus Plinth sits upright, resting on his hands as he leans back. He stares out over the water, watching closely at something and yet nothing all at once. His tan skin warms nicely in the sun. Next to him, close enough to feel the heat off his body, lies Coriolanus Snow, his head resting back on the blanket, eyes closed and covered by a pale forearm slung lazily over his sharp features.
"It's nice down here, isn't it?" Sejanus breaks the silence, his gravelly voice softer than usual.
"Hmm?" Coryo hummed in response, not moving from his place on the blanket.
"In twelve I mean. Outside of the Capitol."
At this, Coryo lifted his forearm, still shealding the sun, peaking at Sejanus with a questioning look.
"What do you mean?" There was a hint of accusation in his voice. A hint of warning.
"Down here things feel more natural. Honest. Connected." Sejanus leaned forward, resting his freckled arms on his knees.
The paler man cocked an eyebrow, housting himself up to rest on his elbows.
Sejanus continued to stare forward as he spoke.
"Out here... family is more than blood. More than a last name. Home is more than just a building you reside in or the district you come from. A family is a connection. It's built on love, no matter if your blood is the same. Here, a home is wherever those people are. And if that happens to be a building, it's not a cold, empty one that's only there to look pretty and house worthless objects. It's warm, full of people and life instead."
Sejanus' gaze did not waver. That's what scared Coryo. He was speaking from his heart. He was trying to manipulate him, just as Lucy Grey was. Using sweet, honeyed words filled with hope and passion. Words spoken by soft, warm voices he could not help but be drawn to. Words spoken by voices of sirens, luring him into a trap. Coryo kept his eyes on the freckles that adorned Sejanus' left cheek, the words manipulation and siren ringing in his mind.
Sejanus continued.
"Out here people don't build their communities off of hatred for eachother. It stems from a mutual condition, not the need to be better than your peers, but the need to support them. These people all suffer, so they built a community to create a form of comfort for themselves. They comfort eachother when things are hard instead of sneering behind their backs and laughing at their misfortune."
He paused for a minute, thinking of how difficult it had been to integrate himself into Capitol society. How he now felt like an outsider in both the Capitol and his own district. Coryo continued to watch him carefully, reading to much into ever word that escaped his friends mouth.
"Rules are less strict as well. Not just laws but social norms as well. There's no need for constant professionality or politeness. You don't need to watch your choice of words constantly. Relationships are relaxed, loving."
He paused again, as if contemplating whether what he wanted to say next was a good idea or not. He kept his gaze on the sandy banks and deep forest on the other side of the lake. Those same woods were reflected behind him, an easy place to hide.
"Marriage isn't an agreement of allyship or money, but a bond of love. Out here... marriage doesn't have to be conventional... it can toe the line of the normal..."
Sejanus stopped, letting the words hang heavy with implications. He finally allowed his eyes to drift to meet Coryo's.
Sejanus' dark eyes, usually brimming with hope, now held something more. Something questioning, something yearning. Coryo's sharp blue eyes held his gaze, his authority and strength still brewing. He saw the longing on the brunettes face. He felt the pull of tides.
Coryo's eyes softened, just the slightest bit. A look of slight confusion found its way into his pale features, now pink from the afternoon sun.
"Sejanus...?" He cooed softly.
It was a question. About what, Sejanus did not care. The way he spoke his name, the way it fell between them, drove him crazy. Absently, he held Coryo's deep gaze, his shorter fingers edging their way across the blanket to the blondes splayed slender ones.
"Sejanus?" Coryo asked again, more solid this time. Sejanus drew his hand back, tearing his gaze away from those eyes he adored so.
"Sorry..." He apologized quietly, laughing softly to himself. Or at himself. Oh how foolish and naive he was to think.
He felt Coryo sit up beside him. Abruptly, his cold, calloused hand found Sejanus' chin, pulling the brunette to face him. His other pale hand found Sejanus', locking their fingers together on the blanket. Sejanus' eyes blew wide, his breath stalling for a moment. They were so close. So very, unbelievably close. He could feel Coryo's breath, heavy with the sweet scent of the berries they had picked along the trail to the lake.
"Sejanus..." He whispered a third time, his voice low and pleading. Sejanus could not breath, he could not move, he could not think. He simply sat there at his dear Coryo's whim.
Coryo leaned forward still, their lips meer centimeter apart. Sejanus allowed his eyes to flutter down, to glance, to roam the face so close to his own. Coryo looked at him through sharp hooded eyes.
"The Capitol is your home now. You'd best give up on those childish fantasies."
The words hit the district boy like a bag of flour to the chest. No, the Capitol boy. He was a Capitol boy now.
Coriolanus pulled away, letting his hand fall from Sejanus' now flushed face, his other hand slipping from his grasp. Sejanus longed to chase after the touch, the idea of what he almost had, but he stopped himself.
He met Coriolanus' eyes again. This time they did not hold warmth or kindness, but, again, authority. There was a hint of pride. Of smugness.
Coriolanus knew. He knew what Sejanus had implied when he spoke of marriage. He saw the longing in his eyes. He had seen it for months now. Coriolanus Snow knew. He always knew. Every little part of Sejanus was simply something for him to use, to toy with.
The smugness in his eyes mocked Sejanus. Mocked him for being so naive, so hopeful, so childish. Those pale eyes he had once felt seen under now bore into, picking apart every piece of him, judging every aspect of his self.
"The Capitol is a gift. You are lucky to even be allowed to step foot there without the threat of being a tribute, Sejanus." Coriolanus states as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn't just taken an axe to the tree that bore Sejanus' treehouse. He had the audacity to coo Sejanus' name sweetly, like he had meer moments ago when they had been only centimeters apart.
Anger and a feeling of betrayal muddled with longing filled the brunettes lungs, making it hard to breath.
He rose to his feet, avoiding Snows invasive inspection. Collecting his clothing, tossed aside recklessly earlier that afternoon in the excitement of a day of freedom, he dressed his now dry body, still not facing Snow.
Before making his way back to base, Sejanus shifted his head to the side, not looking at Snow, but turning enough so he could see half his face.
"See you tomorrow, Snow." It was short, clean cut. But he couldn't fight the slight quiver that crept into his voice. Snow. Not Coryo, not Coriolanus. Snow.
Sejanus turned and walked into those deep, dark woods. Those woods with all of their hiding spots. Anything could be there. Anything could be watching. He didn't care. Anything had to be better than those cold, searching, invasive eyes he had seen today.
Snow sat in silence, watching Sejanus go. A feeling of giddy triumph ran through him. He had resisted the siren song. He had won.
Snow lands on top.