#Dean Highbottom looking out for Y/N beware the blonde yk

[devinescribe]

To Get Back To You

Ch.11 of “My Sunshine” [TreechxReader]

Warning: death, dying, kids dying. Cabin typical stuff, swearing, one part alludes to it being kind of suggestive? There’s just two comments made.

The next morning, you woke up early. Quickly getting dressed and fixing your hair before getting out of the house.

You were the first person in the auditorium.

You took a moment to straighten out the chairs and desks as you looked up the screens. Mostly everyone was sleeping.

One person was up watching, and you couldn't exactly see who it was.

You sighed, going through the bleachers and picking up trash.

"Why are you doing that?"

You jumped, scared by the sudden voice. Looking up you saw it was just Dean Highbottom, and you continued what you were doing.

"Oh... um... just got here early and was bored...plus people should really pick up after themselves," you responded with a smile.

"You remind me of a girl I once knew... too kind and good for this world. She let one man in... loved him with all her being... and he froze her heart over, killing her. Not physically... but mentally and emotionally," he explained.

He gave you a look of pity as he went by the desks, turning on your guys' computer systems to send gifts.

"Was she pretty?"

"Oh yes. Matter of fact, that's why he went after her. Sending snow storms of roses so beautiful could make any woman fall in love... but he only wanted her."

You smiled, it sounded like a bed time story.

"Well this woman... where is she now?" You asked, sitting on one of the bleachers.

"Six feet underground my dear. Loving that man caused her demise," he said, sitting next to you.

You wondered why he compared you to her.

"If I were you, I'd be careful of whom I trust. Do not fall for the theatrics and roses. Beware the frost that creeps into your garden when he's around. You are a very special lady. And I would hate to see anything horrible like that happen to you. The Snow gets stained with blood too."

And with that he walked away, leaving you with your thoughts. What did he mean by that? Who was this woman? Who was the man? Who was he warning you of?

Your eyebrows creased together in thought for about five minutes until you were broken from it by a tap on your shoulder.

"Oh goodness, you scared me Coryo," you laughed, looking up at the boy. "I brought some pastries if you want one... thought I'd give one to everyone..."

He smiled and extended a beautiful white rose out to you.

You recognized them as the ones from his grandmother's garden. Slowly and carefully grabbing it, you twirled it in your hands.

"It's so beautiful, thank you." You smiled.

"Well... it's the least I could do... you've helped so much... you deserve more than one rose... in the future maybe?" He said, a small smirk playing on his lips.

You nodded.

_-_-_-_

The events of the night before had Treech waking up every hour.

His anger was almost immeasurable. It pained him to know you were hurt. Your teary (e/c) eyes looking at him through the gate... he wished he could have helped.

Coral was getting aggressive. Very aggressive. And soon the group would fall apart. He figured tonight, although it had only been a day so far, he would run away during what would be his turn to watch.

He could run to the underground and find a spot to hide. Yes, that is what he would do.

_-_-_-_

It was the late afternoon and nothing had happened. On one hand, you were glad. On the other, it was torture knowing they would eventually release something into the arena to light a fire under them if they didn't put on a good enough show.

You saw Dill slowly come out of the tunnels and to a small puddle of water. She drank it, although it was dirty.

"There's Ill-Dill, tuberculosis on legs, we haven't seen her in a while," Flickerman said.

You watched curiously as she began to cough, holding her throat.

This wasn't normal for people with that illness, there was something off about it. She spat up blood, and lied down, her breathing coming out raspy and shallow until... silence.

You covered your mouth as tears formed in your eyes.

"Dill? Dill?"

Reaper's voice came into focus, and you saw him running to her side.

He checked for a pulse and screamed in anger.

He carefully picked up the young girl and placed her next to Bobbin.

The boy Coryo had killed.

He went around, grabbing the bodies of all the deceased, laying them next to each other. He walked to one of the sides, ripping a Capitol flag from the wall making the room gasp and chatter explode throughout the room.

"Are you going to punish me now?!" He yelled, staring into the camera.

You cried, softly placing your head on the table.

No.

You sat up and forced yourself to watch. Reaper took the flag and placed it over the bodies of the tributes.

You heard a faint voice call out to him.

Lamina.

Somehow the audio wasn't picking up what she said, but she dropped down her bottle of water to Reaper. He once again ripped another flag down making even more people cry out in outrage.

He threw it up to her and she used her axe to catch it, and draped it over herself to cover from the sun. Smart girl.

The two had an alliance of sorts. Good.

Reaper went back down to the tunnels.

Not to long after, you saw Lucy Gray run out of the tunnels screaming.

"Where's Jessup?"

That was answered shortly after, as Jessup came running after her. You were confused.

They had been so close, why would he turn on her? You saw the white foam coming from his mouth and the crazed look in his eyes.

"The bite... he's rabid," whispered Coryo.

He turned to Lysistrata and told her to send water. He was already a lost cause.

Lucy Gray stumbled up some slanted debris, and Jessup chased after her.

"Why are you running away? What's wrong?"

He sounded so confused. It pained you. Rabies made everyone forget who they were and what was happening. There was a bad outbreak back in seven. Some wolves had gotten it from who knows where and were spreading it to other animals, who in turn spread it to humans.

Drones flew in, dropping water bottles that shattered on impact, making him scream and swat them away, falling to the ground a sickening thud as he died.

That word kept popping up in your mind. But you couldn't use another. The sounds were sickening and horrible.

Lucy Gray slid down, closing his eyes softly, comforting him in his last moments.

Then, the pack quickly came out, seeing her out of the tunnels. She ran, but got trapped.

The pack closing in, she went to run one way as Tanner sang, "Lucy Gray~•

Treech quickly ran, sliding into place, and pointing his axe at her.

"Stay right there."

The small smirk afterwards had you looking down with a small blush.

'Yeah he's missed out on a lot of kisses... and other things. Victor's prize once he gets out. God get your head out of the gutter now is not the time to be thinking about that!'

He wasn't hurting her, but he also wasn't helping her.

"What is he doing I thought-"

"You told me to tell him to not hurt her. Not that he couldn't help others who might kill her."

"That's kind of implied, but I guess it can't be helped."

You shot him a glare, watching as Lucy Gray looked for an out.

Suddenly he started sending in drones of water.

"What are you doing?!"

"I'm just sending water."

The drones flew in and began to circle around the group, attacking them, giving Lucy Gray the opportunity to run. She grabbed a bottle of water and ran behind some debris.

The pack was fighting off the drones, and kind of failing.

Treech slashed one with his axe, which accidentally sent it flying to Coral, before getting hit with another which sent him to the floor.

Soon most of the pack was on the floor groaning.

"Not now..." you heard Coriolanus whisper, seeing Lucy Gray on the big screen.

What did he mean by that?

"God damnit..."

There was an interaction between Coral and Tanner you couldn't hear.

She then grabbed Treech by the collar, your eyes widened.

"Get this water into a pile, lumberjack. And then when you're done, you two can watch that beam while we get your little friend from back home up there at least," she hissed.

Treech looked up at Lamina and looked away.

_-_-_-_

He didn't know Lamina. Or at least, not that well. He knew what she’d told him the past week.

But he cared.

He cared because that was the only semblance of home here in the arena.

He knew who her parents were. He knew her from school.

His fear of being killed by Coral in this moment outweighed that as he began to grab the water and put it all together.

-_-_-_

"Looks like my girl has your little toy scared out of his mind," they snickered.

You glared at them.

"At least my boy has somewhat of a moral compass," you hissed.

You shook your head and turned your attention back to the screen.

Lamina noticed the pack coming closer to her and she climbed back on top of the beam, gripping her axe.

She looked... bored.

You giggled slightly, seeing Coral try to climb and fail at first until she gave her weapon to Tanner. Then her and Mizzen began to climb up.

Mizzen was slow, and not really climbing.

Lamina turned her attention to Coral.

"No not the girl..." Pup whispered.

"Well she can't take two at a time. Coral is climbing... Mizzen can barely get his footing," you giggled.

Lamina walked to the side where Coral was. She scoffed and swung her axe, making Coral slide down about a yard. You saw a tuft of her hair fly away.

"Fucking badass, Lamina..." you whispered.

Mizzen finally got up, and Lamina turned her attention to him.

He wasn't sure of his footing up there, making it easy for Lamina to swing her axe at him, making him loose his knife. The second swing, she brought the flat side against his knee, making him lose his balance. He fell, catching himself with one hand. The blow made Lamina fall back a bit.

Finally, Tanner was able to throw the trident at Coral who caught it, and cried out. Lamina defended herself well, the first few blows getting blocked by her axe.

You held your breath, watching her fight.

Pup reached over his shoulder to grab your hand and you squeezed it tightly.

Coral weaved the trident skillfully, plunging it into Lamina's stomach. She cried out in pain, and Coral got her knife out as a second solution.

It wasn't needed as Lamina fell back off the beam, dying on impact.

"No!" Pup screamed, the echo reverberating through the hall.

You put both of your hands up to your mouth, crying softly.

"(Y/N), you ok?" He whispered.

You nodded, sniffling as you dried your tears. Lamina was dead. You could have done more… you could have been nicer..

He left, going to sit where the rest of the mentors who had lost their tributes.

Coral helped Mizzen up, and down the beam, using Lamina's flag and tying it around his knee.

She picked up her trident again, and the camera switched focus to Treech.

He looked... scared? Upset?

He took a step back, and looked around, his chest heaving with fear.

The camera switched focus as Coral used the trident to stab Tanner, killing him instantly.

You gasped. You knew this would happen. And he needed to get out of that.

"Go grab the water-"

She looked the the pile of water bottles that had now been emptied, only one remaining.

She cried out in frustration, pushing Treech to the ground. He groaned, but stood up again.

"I don't trust that last bottle..." he said, as Coral went to go drink it. "Weird how she emptied all of them except that one, leaving it in the middle."

You heard Coryo curse besides you.

You sent some water and food his way, and when the drones dropped them for him, he offered water to Mizzen, the young boy happily taking it and giving some to Coral. He then split his food with the other two.

"Thanks Sunshine, your sweetness graces me once again," he called out with a smile.

"Are you thanking her or praising a goddess?" Coral teases.

"Is there really a difference?"

The crowd awed and the cameras were on your blushing face.

_-_-_-_

He felt guilty. He should have stopped them. He should have protected Lamina.

He should have never even joined the pack.

Coral was already killing them. She wouldn't kill Mizzen. But he was definitely next, which made his plan to get the hell out of there a lot clearer to choose.

_-_-_-_

It was a bit later when you saw Wovey come out of the tunnels.

"It's Wovey! She's still alive!"

Her mentor celebrated that.

She saw the water bottle and grabbed it.

That water... there was something wrong with it.

"No..." whispered Coryo.

There was something wrong with it and he knew. What did he do?

She took a few sips before she curled up on the floor, similar to what Dill did, and stayed there.

You watched and waited for that sweet girl to get up, but she didn't.

In your head you could only thank whatever would listen that those baby girls didn't have to die violently.

Reaper came out once more, and saw the corpses. He gathered them, putting them all together. The only one he wouldn't touch was Jessup. He was smart, and didn't want to get infected.

Grabbing a piece of the flag, he took it and went to the top of the stands laying down.

There was no more 'excitement' for the day.

You decided to sleep there overnight. You didn't want to go back to the silence that gripped your house.

The other mentors decided to do the same, all of you arranging yourselves around the hall.

Late into the night, you couldn't sleep, so you stayed watching the screen.

That's when you saw Treech carefully sneak away. He went down into the tunnels, and hid.

The first place, he stayed for a while and cried. Your heart broke at the sound. You wished you could go comfort him.

You heard him mutter apologies in his crying.

Tears streamed down your cheeks, matching his. You hated seeing him cry.

He sniffled and stood up, going to find a place to actually hide.

Wherever he hid, you couldn't see him.

But you heard his soft voice as he quietly sang your lullaby.

"Close your eyes, my love, so dear...Underneath the night so clear. Dream of worlds beyond this one, Where the gentle moon and stars do run. Rest your head upon my chest, Feel the rhythm, soft and blessed. In dreams, may this forever shine, In your heart, for all of time..."

You felt your eyes softly close and you fell asleep.

_-_-_-_

He cried for what he'd done. He let her die and he felt guilty about it.

Would Lamina forgive him? Would her parents? Would people back home forgive him for leaving her?

Would (Y/N) forgive him?

Hiding in a corner somewhere in the tunnels, he quietly sang her lullaby, hoping it would calm him down.

_-_-_-_

The morning soon came and you groaned, standing up and clapping your hands together.

It was almost time for everyone to be here.

"Guys... time to wake up..." you said softly, turning the lights up slowly.

You went one by one, waking each of them up gently.

"Where's your tribute?" Coryo asked.

"He got away from the group last night. He's hiding. My smart boy," you giggled.

The door opened and someone you weren't expecting to see walked in.

"Clemmie?"

The group of mentors rushed to her, asking her how she was.

She glared at Coriolanus.

Yeah, something definitely went down with those two.

——

Nothing had happened so far other than Coral cursing out Treech when she found out he was gone.

Mid day, and nothing had really happened. Clemmensia tried sending food to Reaper but he ignored it.

Your broad cast was interrupted.

"It is with great sadness that I must announce a tragic death. One that affects us all... Felix Ravestill, son of our beloved president, has this morning succumbed to his injuries sustained in the rebel bombing..." Dr. Gaul's voice echoed through the room.

People gasped, and started whispering. Some started crying. You were upset loosing another classmate. And one who was tolerable at the very least.

"Out there in the districts, they will be celebrating this young boy's death as a triumph. I will not allow my games to give our enemies such a victory. I swear to you here and now before the sun goes down tonight; a rainbow of destruction will engulf our arena. Even if it means there is to be no victor in these games."

You gasped and covered your mouth.

Coriolanus ran out of the room.

You wondered where he was going.

"No victor? What? Then who will win the Plinth Prize?"

You couldn't believe how shallow they were. These were human lives that were on the line. And they treated it like... well, a game.

About half an hour had passed and you saw Treech quietly walking out of the tunnels. Coryo came back, sweating and panting.

"Where were you?" You asked.

"Had something come up..." he answered. He looked you in the eyes.

He had figured it out. You only believed him when he made eye contact. But there was still something about your expression that made him think you didn't believe him.

You didn't.

Suddenly you heard the sound of wiring. You looked at the screen to see a drone, bigger than any that brought the tributes gifts, bringing in a giant tank.

You saw all the tributes stare up at it. Well, the visible ones.

The tank was set in the middle, and you all watched confused.

Treech took slow steps back.

The tank suddenly erupted, and snakes began to come out.

You gasped.

Clemensia screamed, falling back and out of her chair.

_-_-_-_

"Oh fuck me," he groaned, running away from the snakes, climbing the score board, and sitting on the ledge.

He watched the chaos.

Sure, it was morbid. But he was safe. He made you a promise that he would come back to you, and he was going to get back to you.

_-_-_-_

"Oh fuck me," Treech groaned.

"Oh oh goodness that's.. uh..." Flickerman stammered for words.

"Sounds like a job for (Y/N)," one girl called out.

You blushed and rolled your eyes, watching the screen.

Coryo watched obsessively. Lucy Gray wasn't out in the arena. She was in the tunnels.

You watched as Coral helped Mizzen get to higher ground, getting bitten.

The action made you feel bad for her.

Mizzen cried out for Coral, tears streaming down the boy's face.

A cry was heard from a woman.

Lucy Gray. It had to be. Unless Teslee was hurt? No Teslee was on the beam.

Coryo gripped onto the desk tightly, worried.

Suddenly you heard singing coming from the tunnels.

Lucy Gray backed out softly, singing, the snakes following her.

By the end of the song, the snakes had wrapped around her and not attacked.

"The singing. It must calm them," Coryo said.

——

Five tributes left.

The snakes had been cleared out, most dying from the night and the cold. You assumed they weren't used to being outside of Dr. Gaul's lab, which is why they died so quickly.

You all watched as the tributes all did different things.

Teslee was still messing with a drone like she and her district partner had been doing. She actually got it to work, and it flew up, her with it.

She laughed brightly but you were confused. What was she going to do?

The other drones flew and everyone was freaking out.

What was she doing and how?

The question was answered when Mizzen was knocked over, falling, a cry of Coral’s name slipping past his lips. He landed on the concrete, breaking his neck and dying on impact due to her and the drones.

She laughed again, kind of celebrating the death.

It didn't last for long as an axe was struck into her skull.

You gasped.

Treech had just killed her. He stared in horror at his hands and the blood pooling around Teslee's body. You heard him whisper an apology.

"And then there were three. Let's see how this plays out," Flickerman announced.

Reaper, who hadn't really done much was behind Lucy Gray.

Was he going to attack her?

Treech went over, and went to get him away from her. He wasn't aiming for Lucy Gray.

"He's protecting her?" Clemensia questioned, turning to you two.

He was. He wasn't going to kill Reaper, but maybe get him away. Enough to buy time for them to run away.

Lucy Gray didn't see that. She panicked and hugged him. Treech dropped his axe, hugging her back.

But his face soured immediately.

He swiftly pulled away, grabbing his axe and tripping Lucy Gray. One of the rainbow snakes slipped from her hand, and Treech hit it with his axe, chopping its head off in one fell swoop.

_-_-_-_

"Treech I-i... I'm sorry I-"

"Yeah yeah, save it song bird. Have fun defending yourself. You know, I never told Coral and the group when you came up if they were sleepin'. I purposely tried to fail and give you an escape. I mean for fucks sake, I know what happened to that water bottle and I let you. I let Lamina die because I didn't alert them to you bein' in the open again. I did all of that because (Y/N) asked me to not hurt you. She begged me to at all costs leave you be. My sunshine is sweet. Too sweet. Because she lets people like you and that blonde prick manipulate her. And she'll still feel sorry. I won't hurt you, 'cause I promised her. But I ain't defendin' you anymore," he spat, kicking the snake's corpse away.

She tried to apologize.

But he didn't listen to any of it, climbing back up the scoreboard.

He almost died because he was touch starved. He missed you. He missed his mom. He missed his dad. He wanted to go home. And he almost ruined that because of a hug?

"You can sing your way out of trouble, Lucy Gray. But you can't sing your way to an apology."

_-_-_-_

You looked at Coriolanus.

He knew what she did to the water? What had she done? Did Coryo know about it too?

"Down to three! How are you feeling Clemensia?"

"Well, I think that Reaper is going to do well. I mean, Lucy Gray can't sing her way out of everything. And she lost the only alliance she had with Treech. So she's kind of by herself. He just hasn't eaten yet, which reminds me-"

Clemensia sent him some food and water. He ignored them.

"How about you (Y/N)? There's been lots of whispers around about all he's said about you, and we are all curious."

"Treech is strong. And fast. He's smart too. Right now neither of his opponents can climb like him. The only bad thing is he has a close range weapon. But he's familiar with it. Like my classmate mentioned, Lucy Gray lost his trust, so I think... he'll do well. And about everything he's said... I've kept mental notes," you explain, giggling at the end, winking at the cameras.

"And finally, Coriolanus Snow. You and Lucy Gray were second Capitol favorites, beat only by Treech and (Y/N). How do you feel about this is going to play out?"

"Lucy Gray is smart. And if Treech had not noticed the snake, he'd be dead making her odds better. She can't sing her way out of everything is what people keep saying, but so far it's worked so..."

You glared at him.

He was supposed to be your friend. He was the one who told you to tell Treech not to attack Lucy Gray. Lucy Gray knew about the arrangement right? Coriolanus said it would be mutual. Had he been lying? What had he told you? Would he have lied?

You turned your attention to the screen where Lucy Gray was getting Reaper's attention. He looked sickly. Maybe he had gotten rabies from Jessup? He was acting how he had. And he had moved the corpse eventually. He moved it when he moved Coral's, Mizzen's, and Teslee's.

She yelled at him, and he merely looked at her before going back to laying down.

She huffed, grabbing the flag that covered the dead tributes.

That got his attention.

_-_-_-_

He couldn't believe what he was witnessing. Lucy Gray was trying to tire him out.

For what?

Probably to kill him. But how? She had no weapon. Well... except that little compact of hers. He'd noticed it. She put some white powder into that water bottle. She killed Wovey.

That water puddle... wait. The water puddle that Dill drank from.

She killed Dill too.

He scoffed.

When he killed Teslee... he couldn't believe what he had done.

He looked at his hands.

She laughed. Laughed at the death she caused. And Mizzen. He was a sweet boy despite the circumstances. He was like the little brother Treech never had. And to watch this girl laugh and mock him for screaming out for Coral before dying?

It made him upset.

But was he any better than her? He killed her. It didn't matter what the circumstances were. He killed her.

Would you ever forgive him?

Would he ever forgive himself?

_-_-_-_

After Lucy Gray dropped the flag, Reaper stopped chasing. He grabbed the flag, spreading it over the tributes.

Clemensia sent water again.

He ignored it.

"What the hell is wrong with him!" She shouted.

He went to a puddle. The same puddle that Dill drank out of. He took a few sips, before he passed out.

No... died.

You watched as Lucy Gray went and offered Treech a water bottle.

_-_-_-_

"Do you think I'm stupid?" He scoffed, swinging his legs on the scoreboard.

In that moment, a drone arrived dropping water for him.

Lucy Gray sat defeated at the bottom.

He rolled his eyes.

"What are you going to do if you win?"

"Well... I'm going home."

"I mean about your girl. She Capitol. She'll have to stay."

"... Home is a lot of things. District Seven. The forest. And her. If it meant starting over in the Capitol I'd do it. If they send me out to 12, I'd fight my way back to her. I could be dying and I'd crawl home. I'd crawl home to her. Just as I am willing to give up everything for her, I know she'd be willing to do the same for me. I know that's hard to comprehend since blondie wouldn't do the same for you." He said, using some of the water to rinse his hands and face of the dust and grime.

The silence filled the arena.

"I'm sorry. Just... guess I'm still upset. What about you? What will you do if you go back home?"

"I'm going straight back to the Covey. I miss them like crazy. You wouldn't believe... I miss performing for people to have fun. Not just because I need to."

"Well, I promised her lots of things. That I'd get out of here alive, that I wouldn't hurt you... but we have a mutual deal that if I win, she gives me all the letters and things she's written for me over the years, and I'll give her mine. I'm excited for that," he laughed.

A sudden noise in the arena made him jump.

"Congratulations to our victors of this year's Hunger Games."

_-_-_-_

The crowd had changed and begged for both to live. And Dr. Gaul never ever wanted the games to be recieved badly.

So she let both out.

You got up, people were congratulating you, but you ran out the door.

Out the door, out the school, thorough the streets... until you were in front of the arena.

Flickerman was there somehow. The guards let you pass, and you ran inside.

"Hi sunshine, long time no see," he whispered, his eyes filling with tears.

"Hey there Lumberjack... did ya get stuck in a tree?"

And with those words you ran into his arms. You pulled back and looked up at him, kissing his lips as tears rolled down both of your cheeks.

"I promised I'd come back to you... I promised you," he mumbled in between kisses.

"Careful camera is here," you laughed.

"I don't care I just survived the fucking Hunger Games and now I want to kiss my Sunshine. They can kiss my ass," he scoffed, pulling you into another kiss.

“I told you, years of kisses to catch up on.”