#sejanus deserved better

[kasagia]

Losing your memory

Pairing: Young! Coriolanus Snow x fem!Capitol! reader Summary: He used to be your Coryo. Now he has become the man you don't know. The Plinth heir. The future president of Panem. You pray every day to forget about the sweet boy you fell in love with, on whom you could always count. To forget who he was and lose the memory of the past. Just like he did. Well... not exactly. Unfortunately for you, he still wants to remember you. Inspired by: "Losing your memory" by Ryan Star Word count: 7,2 k ~•♤♤♤•~ Coriolanus Snow's Masterlist ~•♤♤♤•~ Main Masterlist ~•♤♤♤•~

You've been avoiding him ever since you found out he was back in the Capitol.

A month ago, this news would have aroused great joy and ecstasy in you. Your Coryo is back home. He managed to shorten his exile and gain Dr. Gaul's favour again.

But the man who returned from District 12 was not your dear friend or lover. This wasn't your sweet Coryo, with whom you walked hand in hand to school. This wasn't the boy you shared your lunch with. This wasn't a boy who cared about your well-being above his own. This wasn't a boy who joked about snobbish children spoiled by the richest people in Panem with you and Sejanus at the end of the day. (Although he talked with them, trying to keep up good appearances—he used to call that one of the responsibilities of being Snow.)

The man who came back was Coriolanus. The new Plinth heir. The shell of someone you knew. The ruthless, cold pet of the mad creator of the Hunger Games you despised.

Sejanus' death didn't hurt you as much as the transformation of Coriolanus from the person closest to you into someone you barely even recognized. And from the tearful, sad, resentful, and disappointed stories you heard from Tigris, you had an accurate picture of the man who took your Coryo's place.

And you hated him with all your heart.

Especially after what he promised you when you stayed at his apartment for one snowy winter night.

You lay wrapped in the various blankets and quilts Coryo and Tigris could find. It was winter, and they didn't have much money for additional heating, so they mostly walked around the house in several layers and slept under piles of clothes.

You didn't know about that that night.

Tigris lent him her quilt so that he wouldn't have to be ashamed of the poverty his family had fallen into since you were supposed to come to sleepover with him after the argument with your parents.

Cuddling up to your blonde boy, you tried to fall asleep, listening to his heartbeat. You frowned at the sound of it being a little faster than usual.

You lift your head and look at him carefully. His gaze is distant and thoughtful as he lazily draws patterns on your back as he presses you against his chest.

"Coryo?" you whisper, cupping his cheek in your hand tenderly and forcing those blue irises you have loved so much to look at you. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

He sighs long and presses a kiss on your forehead, the tip of his nose stroking your hair, as he is inhaling your scent. "I just... I just think about the fact that you deserve so much more. My grandma and Tigirs deserve much more than... this." he says with disgusting pointing at the room you were in.

"This..." you say, clasping your hands together and pressing a tender kiss to the back of his hand. "Is more than enough. You are all I need. And one day, when you are President of Panem or any other important figure in the Capitol, none of you will lack anything. This is a temporary state. You are too smart to be anything less than great, Coryo. You know it."

You see him hold back tears. He pushed your head onto his chest to rest his chin on your head. He is not crying. He almost never cries. But you know how close he is to it by the slight quiver in his breathing.

"I know I don't show it often enough... but you mean... everything to me. I can't imagine how I would go through these all without you by my side."

"I love you, Corio. Just promise me you won't forget this. What you went through, what you experienced. Don't forget your struggle. That's something you should never be ashamed of." he tenses at your words but leans in to kiss you passionately and hungrily. Putting all his unexpressed emotions into action and into that kiss that warmed you more than any blanket or radiator could ever.

"I promise. I will never forget how you kept me sane. When you were the only shelter I could go to and the only support that could bear the boundlessness of my troubles and doubts. How you were my only moonlight in the worst of my darknesses." you laugh softly, recognising part of his words.

"Quoting poets will get you nowhere, Coriolanus Snow." you say teasingly, rubbing your nose against him, at which he chuckles, licking his lips.

"Well... I've learned that in some situations, it gets me somewhere. And it's a very cold night tonight, don't you think? I can't let you freeze to death." he says as his hands go under your shirt—actually, his shirt that you stole from his closet.

"Well… I guess there's nothing left for me… but to place myself under your solicitous care." you sigh softly as he pins you underneath him, making sure the cocoon of blankets is still tightly wrapped around the two of you.

"I couldn't have said it better." he whispers and presses his lips against yours, stealing your breath countless times. He pulls away just a little to say against your lips, "You're mine. We belong together. No matter what."

He makes you shiver as you eagerly agree to everything he says. You don't realise how, in the future, you will curse every single intimate, sweet moment you shared with him.

Ironically, you realise how deep he has gotten under your skin the moment he returns to the Capitol, and you have to avoid him, not when he is sent into exile.

It was probably because when he was gone, you were too distraught to bother leaving your room, opening the blinds, or wiping the tears that somehow kept leaking from your eyes to notice how almost every place reminded you of him. If you could, you'd go back in time and tell yourself there's no point in crying over the asshole he's become.

Although maybe you already felt that your Corio was leaving, and it was a way of mourning him?

Anyway, you saw him everywhere. Not Coriolanus. Coryo. He stalked you in the library, the park, the cafe near the academy that you two and Sejanus liked to go to, and of course the Academy itself. Kudos to your parents for not letting him into your house. At least he didn't pollute your room with memories of him.

Involuntarily, you wonder if he also sees you, for example, in every corner of his apartment. Or maybe he renovated it beyond recognition to erase all traces of his past?

You didn't know.

And you didn't want to know.

The information about him that Tigris gave you when you met her at your house when Coriolanus was at the university for classes was sufficient.

Just because it didn't work out with her cousin didn't mean you would abandon your only real friend. And just because things didn't work out with her cousin didn't mean she would stop (more or less subtly) encouraging you to go back to him.

"We talked about you." she says, making adjustments to your dress that she made for your birthday party thrown by your parents. Another one of the unpleasant responsibilities.

"You and your grandma?" you ask, trying to avoid HIM as a topic as much as possible.

"No. Me and Coriolanus." she says, pinning something to your waist—some decorative strip of fabric or something—you're not sure; you're too focused on the window and the bustling city as you are trying to ignore her words. "You know… I think… I think I saw in his eyes… the old Coryo. For a brief moment, but… maybe if you came back to him, he would come back to himself too."

"I'm sorry, Tigris, but I think he went too far on his path to simply go back to who he was. Surely not because of me."

"I understand… I just really miss him." she says it in a soft, broken tone, and your heart breaks at it. You hug her with all your strength, uniting with her pain that you also felt so deeply.

"Me too." you whisper in her ear as she cries into your shoulder.

Tigris was a very strong woman. She always impressed you. You wanted to be as strong as her. But even the toughest had to cry sometimes.

After all, there comes a time when even the snow melts... even if only for a little while.

You held him tightly in your arms as Corio cried into your chest.

His grandmother fell ill. Hard. Without a doctor, she definitely wouldn't be able to get out of this on her own, and they didn't have the money to pay for one, let alone the medicines.

Your boyfriend spent the whole day planning, thinking, and getting any money, but it was not enough even to buy the cheapest antibiotic.

However, you didn't expect that after you found out it all from Tigris and ran to him as fast as you could with the chicken soup prepared by your servants and all your pocket money, he would start crying.

Coriolanus Snow cried like a little baby.

You handed the money and soup to Tigris, who, after feeding up their grandma, quickly ran out with her to the doctor. At that time, you were holding your boyfriend in your arms in the other room, who simply fell apart from his helplessness.

"Shh… it's going to be okay, Coryo. She will live, falsify that stupid hymn and hate me for not being enough for you just as she used to." your attempt to comfort him didn't help. If anything, he only cried more, holding onto you tighter and tighter.

"I should be able to take care of them... I should be the one taking care of you, not the other way around. I'm pathetic and weak. I'm not worthy of being called Snow."

"Hey, my sweet boy, look at me. You are strong. You are the strongest man I know. You are looking after me all the time; you literally give me everything you have, the last piece of your food, to keep me happy, safe, and full when I forget to bring a damn second breakfast from home or don't have time to eat something. You love me, and I love you, and that's how it works. We care about each other. And I have never, ever regretted being with you. Because what we have… is more valuable than anything else in this world. I trust you implicitly, and I will always be by your side. You are not alone with your problems and suffering. Not as long as I am here."

"But for how long will you stay? For how long will you endure with me?" he asks, and after one look at those a little red from crying, beautiful blue iris, you answer without a shadow of hesitation.

"As long as you love me and I can trust you. As long as I breathe. As long as I am in your mind and heart. I am not going anywhere, Coryo. Money can be earned, but what we have... you can't buy it. What I feel for you is more dear to me than any treasure in this world and I will never exchange it for anything else." you promise, stroking his hair tenderly to help him calm down.

You should've then wondered why he doesn't agree with you then. Why doesn't he say that he also feels this way and that he also values you more than money, glory, and honours?

But he blinds you by telling you for the first time that he loves you.

And you cling to him, wiping the tears from his face with your lips and foolishly believing that your love is pure and eternal.

Like a driven snow.

You knew this day would come someday. The day you let your guard down. But you hoped it would take a little longer before you came face-to-face with Coriolanus.

You are completely unprepared for this. You just freeze like a deer in headlights when you see his face at the end of one of the university's corridors as he walks forward, looking for something in his bag. Before you can even think about running away, he looks up, probably feeling watched, and his blue, icy eyes meet yours.

You both stand there transfixed, looking at each other, taking in the changes in your appearance since the last time you saw each other, which was after you broke up with him, when you saw how tenderly he treated Lucy Gray and how comfortable he was around her. And after someone politely informed you that he had kissed her.

"Y/N!" Coriolanus calls out to you and takes a step towards you, but you quickly step back and run through the crowd of people to get away from him. Unfortunately for you, he doesn't give up that easily. He never does. "Y/N! Wait!"

You have no intention of doing so. You run as fast as you can, bumping into several students along the way. You don't even bother apologising; you just run, hoping that Snow will stop being hot on your heels. Which, by the way, was a miserable dream after how fit he was after his training and the time he spent as a peacekeeper.

On the way, you notice a woman's bathroom and immediately run into it. You lock yourself in a cabin, thanking God or whoever is up that you managed to get an empty cabin and hide in it. You hear his quick footsteps and the door opening, followed by the screams of other women in the bathroom. You sigh in relief as you hear him obediently leave the room.

You're not leaving, though. You are not stupid. You know he's waiting at the door for you to come out. You decide to wait here until the end of the break between classes and hope that he will drop the idea of continuing to chase you and talk to you, and he will attend the lecture instead.

As the bathroom begins to empty, you realise that the next lectures must be soon. You stand silently on the toilet seat, listening carefully, waiting for the right moment to emerge from your miserable hiding place.

Just as you are about to reach for the doorknob, the bathroom door opens. You shiver as you hear heavy footsteps echoing off the tiles of the empty bathroom. And you think that you can smell the subtle scent of roses in the air.

"Come on, Y/N. I know you're here. I just want to talk."

Said the snake moments before eating the bird alive.—you think, mentally mocking how gentle he was trying to present himself. As if he could still be your Coryo.

"I have time. I can play hide-and-seek with you, if you want to. After all, you always liked to play this when we were kids. And you always lost."

You roll your eyes, listening carefully to his footsteps. He was opening the first cabin. You were in the middle one—the one a little closer to the door (and him).

"We'll have to talk eventually. You can't avoid me and ignore me, no matter how good you are at it lately. Let's stop this ridiculous, childish behaviour and go talk over coffee and some of your favourite cookies at the cafe near the academy. Just like the good old days. Well, this time all your orders are on me. What do you say?"

You would have snorted if it hadn't immediately revealed your hiding place to him. How dare he invite you to the place where you, he, and Sejanus spent the most time? To the place where your first unofficial date was.

He wanted to manipulate you, to make you believe that your Corio is still there and lives behind the façade of the rich, arrogant asshole he has become. But you knew better. His eyes told you everything you needed to know.

Even without Tigris' help, you realised that he... was a completely different person. He turned into somebody you only used to know in the past.

"Seriously? Still nothing? So you prefer the hard way, then..." he says, opening another cabin. You wait patiently for him to come to yours.

You breathe as quietly as you can, trying not to let him know which cabin you're in. You listen to his slow, measured steps as, with the incredible confidence and calm that is typical of him, he opens each cabin door, moving inexorably towards you.

Your heart quickens, beating madly, when you see his shoes in the whole, under the cabin's door. He reaches for the door handle, and before he can open it, you push the door against him with all your strength.

You hear him curse, taking a few steps back in a daze and holding his nose. You take the opportunity and run to the exit of the bathroom as fast as you can, not looking back.

"Fuck! Y/N! Are you insane?!" he shouts, running after you.

You reach the door just in time and slam it behind you, sprinting out of the university. You get in your car and drive away with your tyres screeching. In the rearview mirror, you see him leaving the building and following your car with a furious glare.

"I can't believe you invited Snow." you huff, fixing your makeup in the mirror. Your father is buttoning his cuffs, and your mother stands next to you, also putting the finishing touches on her appearance. "You hated him when we were together."

"He is an ambitious and clever boy. Plinth did well to make him his heir. You should reconsider whether he really is that bad. This match would have opened many doors for us. Not only among Plinth's allies but also among Dr. Gaul. God knows how she favours this boy. Who knows? Maybe one day he will be president of Panem."

"If so, I will run away abroad." you say it bitterly, putting your lipstick back in your purse and adjusting the necklace around your neck to make yourself look perfect.

"Don't be stupid. Snow wouldn't be so bad for you. Since you are our only child, we must marry you well. Make sure your husband doesn't blow our fortune in a week. And Snow is a thoughtful boy. He wouldn't let you live below the poverty line."

"And he's quite handsome." your mother adds, straightening your father's tie. "Still, he's not a womaniser. I heard he turned down the... special attention of Crane's daughter and a few other Capitol's girls. I guess he's been alone since your breakup."

"Hmm. Great. He wouldn't cheat on me with other snobs in the capital, but he would fuck with whores in the district. The perfect candidate for a husband." you scoff, walking with them to the next room, where the photographers were waiting to take a photo of you together.

“Language, Y/N. You are a lady. Besides, it is not certain whether he and this Lucy Gray actually had something between them. After all, she's a woman from the district.” your mom says this, smiling for the cameras.

The flashes blind you a little, but with your father's and mother's hands on your shoulders, you somehow manage to keep your pose, fake, pretty smile, and opened eyes.

Your father thanks them and leads you out of the room and into the corridor leading to the great hall where the ball was to be held.

"And even if he did, it's good that he had some fun. It will make him appreciate the treasure that you are and see that you are irreplaceable." he says, taking the box out of his pocket. He hands it to you with a warm smile. "Happy birthday, my treasure."

"We've already given her..." your father shushes your mother. You send them a confused look as you open the medium-sized box.

You find a tiara there. A small diamond tiara.

"It will match your dress perfectly." your father says proudly. You nod and walk to the mirror to put it on, despising the object in your hands with all your heart. You may look like a princess, but you've never felt so... disgusted with yourself before.

This feeling intensified even more when, after a toast and receiving wishes from several of your friends and more powerful families, you managed to sneak out to the balcony. Not long after you, all the single, young men of the richest family on the Capitol entered, with Coriolanus among them. They each took a cigarette and started smoking, gossiping about the events of the week…

And their topic of conversation was exactly what you were afraid of when you got that fucking tiara.

"Have you seen this? I bet they're pure diamonds. Old Y/L/N wants to marry her off so much that he's using every trick possible."

"He doesn't need to do much. She is beautiful in her own right. But this character… it's easier to train a dog than such a stubborn cow."

"What Snow? Are you now regretting that the Capitol's Diamond slipped from your hands? I heard she wants nothing to do with you. How unfortunate that it happened at the moment when you started to count in the eyes of the elite, and now you really have any chance of grabbing this precious gem for yourself."

The Capitol's Diamond. You shudder, thinking about the nickname you've been given.

That's what they called you. The sole heiress to your parents' fortune. Diamond of the Capitol, the best match in the city, with a dowry greater than any other woman. Anyone who won your hand was guaranteed to reach the top and success with your family's connections, your charm, beauty, and brain. And these vultures knew it perfectly well.

You were curious how the new Coriolanus would react.

Your Coryo only took advantage of your position in society when he had to. He didn't ask you for money or for you to convince your father to whisper a good word about him here and there. Maybe it was because of his pride; maybe he really didn't care. You have no idea. But Coryo despised that term as much as you did. You wondered if that had changed as well.

"I'm still in the game." he replies evasively, sipping his drink. The others laugh and he frowns in displeasure.

"Sure. Because the way she ran away from you today when you approached her with a gift says exactly that." they mock him. You see him clench his jaw, glaring at them coldly as he considers his next move.

"Enjoy it while you can. Your good mood will end when our cat-and-mouse game is over and the Capitol's Diamond hangs proudly on my shoulder." you huff, shaking your head in disbelief. You come out of hiding, and all the men on the balcony tense up and look at you in surprise.

Especially Coriolanus. Suddenly everyone is staring intently at the garden of your estate, too shy to look at you. Except Snow. He drills a hole into you with his gaze as he thinks of a way to undo what he said.

"Gentlemen." you scoff, walking past them and ignoring Coriolanus' glare. "For your information, I would rather live in one of the districts than marry any of you. Enjoy the party." you add sweetly, walking back to the ballroom.

The party is in full swing. You are talking to Thomas, using a sweet boy in a shameful way—to scare other men away from you. Just as you expected, they started flocking to you like flies to a fire.

So you chose the least spoiled of them. Thomas was nice and funny; you had a good time talking to him, and dancing with him was even better.

He wasn't rich; he wasn't part of the cream of society. You were really starting to enjoy spending time with him. And most importantly... he looked nothing like Coriolanus. He was nice for the eyes, but his dark hair, eyes, and sweet, shy personality made him drastically different from your ex. So he was the perfect break from your dramatic love life. Boring, nice change.

You danced to a waltz with him. He held you gently, close but respectful, not invading your personal space. He was a perfect gentleman. The man of your dreams.

If only Coriolanus' icy eyes weren't focused on both of you like a predator waiting for its prey to stumble, you would be able to enjoy Thomas' company to the fullest.

You are with him at the buffet, sipping drinks, when suddenly the last person you expected to meet here approaches you.

"Mrs. Plinth." you whisper in shock as he stands in front of you.

She looks—probably the way she feels. Nice on the outside and devastated on the inside. The dark circles under her eyes cannot be fully covered by makeup, and the deep black of her dress is a clear reminder of what she is still going through.

You can't imagine the pain he's going through right now. And you wonder why the woman decided to join her husband for your birthday party. Since Sejanus' death, she has rarely left their apartment.

"Y/N. Can I steal you from this young man for a moment?"

"Of course." you say, not even looking in Thomas' direction as you and Mrs. Plinth walk to one of the empty living rooms in your mansion. You close the door behind her and point to the couch. "Can I get you something to drink? Or to eat?"

"No. There is no need, darling. I just… I just came here to give you something." she says, pulling a thick letter out of her purse. "I… the letters from Sejanus are still reaching us. The flow of information between the districts and the Capitol is… very heavy and long. Especially when the peacekeepers are now checking every one of his correspondence. He sent it to you. Or rather, he wanted you to send it to him. Or rather, he wanted you to have it, just in case he couldn't… I'm sorry."

Your heart aches with sadness, seeing her on the verge of tears. She probably has no one to talk to about her son except her husband. After all, Sejanus was a traitor of Panem…

"He was a wonderful friend. The best one somebody could have. I could always count on him. Thank you for... taking the trouble to give me a letter from him. That... means a lot." you say, fighting the urge to hug the woman. The Capitol is not famous for acts of tenderness, mercy, or compassion. You had to keep up a facade. Always.

You take the letter from her and walk her to the exit. You give her one sympathetic look—everything you could afford in your position—and close the door behind her.

You sit on the couch and open the letter with trembling hands, trying not to look too closely at the way he wrote your name on the envelope. You know that will remind you of how you taught him how to decorate letters in his first days at the Capitol. Because everything here had to be perfectly beautiful. Even the fucking handwriting.

A bracelet falls out of the envelope and onto your lap. It is not particularly beautiful or sumptuous. It is a simple strap holding a peg-shaped pendant with some black, crushed stone placed behind a piece of glass.

You place it on the coffee table and open the letter with trembling hands. You already feel that after all this you will have to fix your makeup, which you will probably ruin with tears, but Sej's letter cannot wait until the end of the party.

Y/N, If you are somehow reading this letter, it means that I am not at your 20th birthday party, which makes me very sad. (You know how I love celebrating in your garden away from these Capitol's snobs.) Coming back, you know that I wish you all the best (along with Coryo. He's too big of a stick up his ass to write to you, even though he misses you and can't stop thinking about you. Take pity on me and write to this stubborn idiot, because I don't think I can stand another tirade about you and your perfection. Seriously. Our boy is getting mad because of this despair. I don't recognise him at all.) So, my dear friend, I wish you the best. I don't have any trinkets, interesting books, sweets, or anything suitable as a gift here, so I hope you'll be satisfied with what I came up with. I am not a poet, so don't laugh at me. I shall hear... or not. I made the bracelet, which you've probably already seen, myself. And that stone that is inside (and I hope it survived) is coal. I wanted to give this to you as a symbol of who you are to me. Everyone sees you as a diamond, something precious and beautiful. But for me and probably other people close to you, you are something more. This shiny diamond facade hides carbon. A simple coal, an ordinary soul like many others. But you made something more out of that ordinary coal. You are a diamond. Indestructible, the most durable of all. The purest form, preserved among the other gems and stones of the Capitol, because that's what all these power-hungry assholes are—coals that have decided not to change, to choose what is easy for them. I hope now you can see why I liked that nickname for you, diamond. So I hope you always stay true to yourself. No matter what. That's what I learned here, and I want to pass it on to you. Although I hope that by then the three of us will meet again in the Capitol. Do not wait for us both, Sejanus P.S. I miss you too.

You fold the letter and put it back in the envelope. You wipe away the tears that remain on your cheeks with your hands and take a few ragged breaths, trying to calm down.

You freeze when suddenly someone's arms wrap around you. The scent of roses hits your nostrils.

You get up from the couch like you've been burned and push Coriolanus' arms away from you. The feeling of sadness quickly turns to anger and pure fury as you stare at Snow.

"What the hell are you doing here?" you growl through a clenched jaw, extremely glad that there's a couch between you, or you'd hit him. And it was easier for you to explain your tears and smeared makeup than your red knuckles.

"Sweet, kind Plinth, giving you thoughtful gifts from beyond the grave. You love the dead Sejanus so much and ignore the living me. It must be hypocrisy on your part, don't you think? You accuse me of forgetting about Sejanus when you treat me so shamefully, worse than a dog. Should I die so that you can finally stop giving me the silent treatment and running away from me?"

"Believe me, you don't want to hear what I have to say to you." you huff, taking the bracelet and the letter. You hide them in the bodice of your dress and go to the mirror to fix your smudged makeup.

"You do not have to do that. Your boy isn't at the party anymore anyway." he says, standing so that you can see his reflection in the mirror.

"What?" you ask in surprise, turning to face him. You both stare at each other. In fact, you're only now getting a chance to take a good look at him. And you notice with dissatisfaction that the bastard found out from Tigris what your dress would look like, and he chose a suite so that both of you would match. "Where is Thomas?"

"Your little boy toy? Do you think he's enough of a distraction? That he can replace me? That he'll make you feel what I feel? Maby, that he can even protect you from me? Only I know you. I'm the only one worthy of your fucking attention and affection." you push past him, but he grabs your elbow.

"Touch me again and I'll cut off your hand and shove it down your throat." you growl, breaking away from his grip.

"Such aggression… I don't remember you from this side." he mocks you and tucks a strand of hair behind your ear. You step away from him and cross your arms, staring at him defiantly.

"I will ask you one last time. Where is Thomas?"

"Let's just say that your mother and I caught him stealing your jewelry. We were merciful enough to solve the matter quietly. You will never see that garbage on the ball or any gala again. Certainly not on yours."

"Were you the one who framed him for this?" his silence and the calculating, self-proud look of the cat that caught the canary (or, in this case, the snake that choked the mouse) tell you everything. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" you ask furiously.

You want to move past him, but he pushes you back, making you bump into the wall. He closes the gap between you in one step, pressing his chest against yours.

"You're mine. You've always been. You shouldn't lead this loser on or give him false hopes. We both know we will end up together."

"I broke up with you." you remind him, not caring about his intimidating attitude.

"A mistake I intend to fix." he says, leaning towards you.

His nose brushes against yours, and you shiver. You lift your leg, trying to kick him in the groyne, but out of the corner of his eye, he sees your sudden movement and grabs your thigh in a tight grip. If it weren't for the thick layers of material, he would probably leave bruises.

"You... you have nothing to fix. There is no longer us. I don't even know you anymore, Coriolanus."

"Don't." he growls at you angrily. You can see the desperation and madness in his eyes at the fact that you're using his name and that you wrote off your relationship. "It was always you. You were always mine, Y/N, and I was always your Coryo."

"Things are changing quickly. We are not the same, and now we have nothing in common, nothing to talk about."

"We have EVRYTHING to talk about. I still love.."

"DON'T!" you interrupt him. He freezes. You rarely shout, especially at him. That's why he takes a step back before putting on his impassive mask again. "Don't even say that. You have no idea what love is. Sure, you may feel attached and even desire me at some point, but you have no idea of unconditional, true love. So for old time's sake, leave me alone."

"What about you? Do you think you are so holy and blameless? That I'm the only bad guy? You lied to me. You promised you would stay with me, no matter what."

"I promised it to my Coryo. Not to you, Coriolanus. My Coryo died in District 12 with Sejanus—maybe even in the Hunger Games—when you let Dr. Gaul brainwash you in the name of fame, money, and position. You think that old hag didn't tell me why Sejanus is dead? That I don't know that your songbird has disappeared? That I would believe that Highbottom just got high or drank himself to death?" he clenches his jaw and fists at your words. You can see how furious he is, but he holds back, still controlling himself.

"Everything I did, I did for us. For you. For Tigris and Grandma." you laugh, wondering who he's trying to fool—himself, you, or both of you at the same time.

"No. You're doing it for yourself. Only for yourself, Coriolanus." he gets even more angry and pins you to the wall again. His cool blue eyes are raging with rage, and you try hard to push away the feeling of fear he has stirred in you.

"Do you want a reason to hate me? So you and Tigris can still gossip about my madness? Then maybe I should let this old man pursue her and sell her as a wife to one of them for good money."

"KEEP HER OUT OF IT! It's Tigris, Coriolanus! Tigris! The woman whose sacrifice you owe your entire fucking life to! A woman who went out of her way to give your ungrateful, selfish ass something to wear. Who sacrificed the love of her life in the name of maintaining the façade of Snow's wealth?! You can give a damn about me, Sejan, and even that little songbird of yours, but if you fucking ruin the life of your cousin—the only goddamn person who still cares about you—I promise you, in memory of OUR dead friend, that there won't be a fucking hole where you could hide from me."

You stare daggers at each other, both openly expressing your resentment towards the other. You have no idea why he still cares about you—is it because of your money, position, or some sick fantasy he has in his head, or maybe he actually still cares about you?

You don't think about it when a more important issue arises.

Suddenly, he grabs your face in both hands and pulls you towards him, greedily kissing you as he connects your lips after a very long time of separation. He caresses your lips with his and kisses you with such fervour as if he craves you like a hermit starving for water.

And for a moment, you feel like you were with Coryo, when all that mattered to you was the other one, when you could get lost in each other, forgetting about the rest of the world and the worries that were waiting for you.

And that's exactly what he's doing now. He makes you forget about anything but him.

You can't help but moan into his mouth as he presses his body against yours. When he releases his strong grip on your cheeks to grab you around your waist and press you against his body, his leg is between yours.

He kisses you more hungrily, groaning too at the familiar warmth of your body against him and the feeling of your soft, silky skin pressing against him. The scent of your perfume mixes, creating a perfect combination of roses and your favourite flowers. Your hands automatically go to his hair as you hold on to him and press him to you. You don't like the gel on your hands from his hair, but you ignore this new, irritating feeling by biting his lip.

You don't think at all. As well as Coriolanus. You both just kiss each other, your tongues joining, as you both let your desire for one another take control of the situation.

You only come to your senses when your lips break apart. You gasp, trying to breathe again, as he fucks your exposed collarbones with kisses. Your brain comes back to you as he leaves a hickey on your neck. He bites you, making you moan so needily that a wave of shame washes over you with his tongue, soothing the bite. You push him away from you and place your hand on your chest, trying to regain control over yourself.

"See? We belong together. There is no other way, Y/N. We are all we need."

"Bullshit." you gasp, trying to ignore the possessive, smug feeling blooming in your chest when you see his messy hair and your lipstick smeared on his lips. "Since you are that good in losing your memory, then forget about me too."

"I can't. I just can't. You think I haven't tried? That you don't haunt me every damn step I take? Everything I have and everything I know is saturated with you. With the memory of both of us. I forgot about what I had with that songbird and my friendship with Sejanus, but I simply CAN'T forget about you. I haven't spent a single damn day without thinking about you. NOT EVEN ONE. And I know you felt the same way. Do you know why I didn't kill that stupid boy who was clinging to you? Because I knew it would make you hate me even more. I was alone without you at 12, and you know how it ended. You are my conscience. Without you... there's nothing holding me back. Without you, there is nothing to distinguish me from the Hunger Games tributes. I have no borders, mercy, compassion, or anything that makes people human beings. And Gaul knows it. That's why she told you all of my crimes; that's why you're paranoid now that I'm someone completely different. But it's still me. I. Am. Still. Your. Coryo." he says it firmly, taking a step closer to you with each word.

"Don't turn me into a fucking cricket for your Pinocchio. I am not, and I do not want to be your conscience. I will not take part in your lies, games, and manipulations." you say as you both stare at each other, neither of you wanting to concede to the other in any way.

"I will have you. One way or another, but I will. Even if it is the last thing I do, I will have you by my side. Just where you always belonged. I promised you to be my First Lady. And I intend to keep that promise."

"You must become president first. And believe me, I will do everything in my power to prevent that from happening. Maybe you can't forget about me. But I can. I do not need you. I never needed you. How ironic to be able to lose the memories of everyone except the girl who will be the end of you, isn't it, CORIOLANUS?" you mock him, a smirk on your lips, making him a promise.

You walk past him, and this time he lets you go, knowing full well that he won't do anything more with you today. At least he got his kiss and a little taste of you, a reminder of the reward that awaits him when everything finally falls into place. When he finally has you in his arms and is at the top of Panem—his rightful place.

"The game has just begun!" he shouts after you, staring at you as you head towards the bathroom to touch up your ruined makeup. It gives you satisfaction to think that this bastard will probably have to clean himself up after your little make-out session, too.

You think that maybe Gaul was right about the Hunger Games being the whole world. But the reality was that there could only be ONE winner.

And among the people of the Capitol, only you and Coriolanus had a real chance of winning. It has always been like that. And even lost memories that do not want to go away so easily are proof of this.

Part 2

[thequeenofuselessinformation]

"Not all men" you're absolutely right, Sejanus Plinth would never treat me like this

[kvtnisseverdeen]

You’re as good to me as any brother could be. I’ll never forget what you did for me in the arena.

[yeriyes]

Rip to "Poor Sejanus. Poor sensitive, foolish, dead Sejanus." "Can you imagine naming your child Reaper and them ending up in the reaping?" "Poor Lucy Gray. Poor ghost girl singing away with her birds." and "Well, you know what they say. The show’s not over until the mockingjay sings." We deserved you in the movie....

[demonkitty-toebeanz]

Lucky would absolutely have a twitter but Gaul...idk, would she???

I am seeing a movie tomorrow and I am excited!!! Live laugh Love Joseph Quinn

[phfenomena]

❝i hope i was your favorite crime.❞ || coriolanus snow x f!reader

| request- hi! i was wondering if you could do a corio x plinth reader where he aproches her bc she is a plinth (and she notices and gets mad bc she think that corio takes her for a stupid girl who would just fall for his lies) but he slowly falls for her. i would really like if it ends well, like them together. i hope you understood my idea, i love your work btw.

| A/N- i wanted so bad to make sooooo angsty but i fought the demons. def ooc everybody besides festus. fuck you festus. hope you like it as much as i do 🫶🏻

| WARNINGS- alcohol consumption, creepy men, bad fathers (relatable), nice coriolanus snow, festus creed (he deserves a warning), eating, making out, traumatized sejanus (im sorry sejanus i love you)

the eldest plinth daughter. not an heir, but something you’d want to marry into. if you could get her, you’d never need to do anything again in your life. coriolanus knew that, he reveled in that. he’d never met her, all the times he went over to the plinth’s apartment she was either out or the door to her bedroom was tightly locked- not accepting visitors.

he wondered what she did with her time, was she in university? sejanus seems to never talk about his sister unless someone asks. but yet here she was. a floor length silver dress caught coriolanus’ eye, turning his head to follow the figure. she stood tall and confidently next to her brother. his eyes cascaded over the entire family, all in the same tantalizing silver. they were brightly shining in the ballroom of the benefit. it’d be hard to ignore them. he hated that.

he studied her, they way he could almost see a resemblance to sejanus but feeling as if he’s grasping at straws. her left hand holding a champagne glass she hasn’t drank from, and her right hand resting on sejanus’ shoulder. she’s nodding along to whatever nonsense pup harrington is spitting at her, no doubt making a pass.

she excuses herself and points at her glass, which is now empty after having to listen to the poor boy. when she reaches the full glasses lined up on the table coriolanus makes his move. “hello, ms.plinth.” her head turns to him and her eyes narrow. “coriolanus snow. my brothers supposed best friend- where’s tigris? i like her.” she quickly downs the glass and reaches for another. coriolanus can feel the disdain for him leaking out of her pores.

“she’s, um, she’s back at home. with grandma’am. she is quite nice to be around, isn’t she? how are you enjoying your night?” he attempts to flip the conversation back to her- oh wait, she’s not even looking at him anymore. her eyes find sejanus’ as he’s talking to livia cardew, and she begins walking in his direction. “nice talking to you, coriolanus.” but he felt like it definitely wasn’t nice. was he wanting to marry her for her money? yes. but was she also beautiful and apparently quite funny, as ma plinth has said? also yes.

she spent the rest of night collecting champagne glasses and not leaving sejanus’ side. even he was beginning to get bothered by the bachelors approaching his sister. she leaned against the back wall, yes, another glass in hand. she’d gotten roped into a conversation with festus, clearly tortuous. coriolanus was standing with sejanus about a foot away, so sejanus could keep and eye on festus.

“it’s just so frustrating, coryo! all these guys coming up and trying to make a pass at my sister while i’m right there, if i didn’t know any better i would’ve taken pup harrington outside. you should’ve heard some of the stuff he was saying to her. it’s horrible.” sejanus rants while staring at festus. “well, she’s gonna have to get married eventually, sejanus.” coriolanus says with a slight smile to his bestfriend.

“i know that, just none of these guys. we’ve been everyday with them at the academy. you know how bad they are, the shit they say about women in general. i don’t want those guys with her.” it’s obvious he’s quite over protective of her, even though she’s three years older than him. coriolanus nods along with him and pats his back.

“i’ll go save her.” coriolanus comforts his friend and makes his way to festus. “sejanus said he needed your opinion on some ideas for the food, seemed urgent.” she nods and offers a knowing smile to coriolanus. festus leans his head on the wall “man! i really felt like i was getting somewhere with her” coriolanus rests a hand on his shoulder. “trust me, you definitely weren’t.”

the party has picked up and died down, everyone sitting to eat but coriolanus couldn’t seem to figure out where she was. she wasn’t sitting with her family and unless she had friends he didn’t know, he couldn’t see her anywhere. he’d made his way outside to take a breather from all the talking and hugging old people who knew his parents.

that’s when his eyes laid upon the girl in the silver dress, and he took a seat next to her on the steps. she’s staring out into the gardens and her eyes are glazed over. no champagne glass in her hand this time. she doesn’t turn to look at him.

“i’m really drunk right now and i hate almost everyone in there. all they care about is money and those stupid hunger games.” she confided in him and rested her chin on her arms that are wrapped around her knees. “yeah, you didn’t look like you were having a great time. i tried counting how many glasses you had but i lost count after ten.” she lightly laughed and shook her head.

“i think it was thirteen but i’m not sure, i drank four while festus was chirping in my ear about how many children he wanted.” she feigned chills at the mention of his name and they laughed. she turned to look at him with a barley noticeable smile “you’re not like them, are you? you’re more like sejanus. quiet and doesn’t bother women they want to marry.” the comparison of sejanus would normally upset him, but coming from her it felt the highest compliment a man could receive.

she rubbed her hands over her arms to conserve warmth and coriolanus quickly removed his blazer to wrap around her and she muttered a small thanks. resuming her staring at the gardens. “would you like to grab you some water? or something to eat? it’s not gonna be very good for you tomorrow morning if you don’t eat something.” he whispers towards and she nods her head.

as coriolanus is walking back in, the plinths are walking out. “hey coryo. we’re heading home for the night as ma doesn’t feel too well, have you seen-“ coriolanus points outside “she’s on the steps, make sure she eats something when you get home. way too much champagne for a human.” seianus claps his hand against coriolanus’ chest and continues outside.

the sun is battering down on the capitol but the plinths home is cooler than a beautiful spring day, probably for the hungover girl inside. coriolanus knocks on the door and smiles as his eyes meet ma’s. “oh! coriolanus, it’s so good to see you. we didn’t talk much last night. come in! i just finished up some pies!” she ushers him inside as sejanus joins them in his mothers corner of the kitchen.

after the grueling and quite long conversation with ma coriolanus excused himself. sejanus seemingly interested in this new sugar ma had found. as coriolanus rounded the corner to her room, he stopped. suddenly feeling quite nervous and as if he might throw up. her bedroom door opened and her eyes meet his, he looks down and she’s holding his blazer out. “i heard you talking to ma, here this.” her calloused tone returns, maybe she only likes him she’s drunk. he better find a lot more champagne.

the plinth family plus coriolanus are sitting in the sun room, drinking iced tea and munching on whatever treats ma had baked. “so, coriolanus, do you have any plans on getting married after university?” strabo’s deep and rough voice cut over his wife’s story.

coriolanus set his tea down “i’d hope so, certainly.” his eyes skip between strabo and his daughter. she’s sitting with her knees pulled up to chest and she’s looking out the window. “well you know how much we’d love to have you in the family, we could arrange your marriage with-“ she sets her cup down harshly and stands up.

“you always do this! could you just leave me alone? maybe i don’t want to get married, ma said it was fine if i didn’t marry.” she’s waving her hands around and waits for him to answer. when she’s met with silence she storms out and slams the sunroom door. “strabo, you can’t make her marry someone she doesn’t love.” someone she doesn’t love.

coriolanus stands up and thanks them for the tea. “tigris wanted to head to the market and i’d never let her go alone, i’ll see you guys tomorrow night.”

he walks by her door and tries the handle, quietly. he fully expected it to be locked but the door swings open and she’s laying face down on the bed. “sejanus, go away.” she grumbled through her mattress. “it’s not sejanus.” she sighs and sits up, staring at him.

“do you not knock before entering a room?” she tilted her head and studied him. “i expected it to be locked, sorry. i’ll knock next time.” his eyes seem to gravitate towards the floor and he can’t will himself to bring them back up.

“i’m sorry about my father. i’m sure it made you very uncomfortable, he’s just always trying to marry me off.” her hands fidget awkwardly in her lap. “i wasn’t too uncomfortable, any guy would be lucky to marry you. i always heard that you were quite mean, i’ve yet to see that.”

she scoffed and turned her head to the window. “they only say that because i don’t hesitate to speak my mind. i taught sejanus that. i am definitely what they call me, but only to them.” why does she feel so comfortable spilling her guts to him?

“i saw you and sejanus’ sister a few minutes ago, coriolanus. are you willing to deal with her grating voice and attitude for the plinths money?” arachne sneers towards him and the group laughs. “it helps that she’s pretty, it’s already hard enough trying to talk to her.” coriolanus regrets it the second it escapes his mouth.

she liked him. she really did like coriolanus snow, but who doesn’t? she weaved her way through the crowd trying to escape him. he was hot on her trail until he catches up to her in one of the various bedrooms inside the ravinstalls estate.

“do you think i’m stupid, coriolanus? be honest.” he scrambles to find the words but his brain couldn’t function in the one moment he desperately needed it. “i said you were different, i talked to you about things i liked, i would tell ma all about you. but you aren’t different, you’re just like the others.” he ran his hand through his hair. “i was different, i am different. i don’t know why i said that, it just came out. i didn’t mean it, i promise.”

he attempted to take her hand but she ripped out of his grasp and stomped out of the room. shit.

the next day her door was locked. and the next. and the next. he wasn’t even sure she was there anymore. sejanus hasn’t mentioned anything but he wished he would. he wished he would tell him if she was okay or if he majorly screwed up.

as coriolanus and sejanus sit in the sunroom attempting to study, there’s a knock on the door. coriolanus cranes his neck to see festus ravinstill standing there with a bouquet of flowers. god, this kid is tragic. but then he sees you, take the flowers with a smile and a kiss on his cheek. strabo’s never looked happier.

coriolanus suffered in silence watching festus become a daily guest and drowning out sejanus’ complaints about him being there. for once in his life, he agreed with sejanus. when he enters the kitchen to refill his glass of lemonade he sees her watering the plants in the kitchen.

“don’t marry him. he won’t be good to you.” she drops her head and turns to him. “and you would?” she spits back sending him into a whirlwind. “yes.” he whispers out and she takes a few steps closer to him. “festus is nice and fathers happy with this. i don’t have another choice, coriolanus. i have to do this” how does she always sound so sure of herself? maybe coriolanus could take a class from her.

their eyes finally meet, after weeks of not seeing her eyes, she’s finally looking at him. “you could marry me, instead. i wouldn’t treat you like a prize, like festus would.” she steps impossibly closer and he feels like he can’t breathe when she’s around. oxygen becomes molasses and his knees become jelly.

she looks over coriolanus’ shoulder and stands up on her toes to kiss him. he takes a moment to catch on but he his hands find purchase on her waist and he leans down. all nerves thrown out the window and all he can think of is her, how she tastes, how she smells, he can’t even remember who festus is.

her hands wind his curly hair around her fingers as she swipes her tongue against his own and he pushes her against the refrigerator, causing a few magnets to fall onto the floor. his hands are trailing up and down the waist of the yellow dress she had decided to wear that day.

festus had left the plinths the second he saw her look at him over coriolanus’ shoulder. knowing he lost and there’s nothing he could’ve done.

she pulls back, panting. “i’ll marry you, just don’t call me annoying again.” her lipstick is smeared across both of their mouths and he gives her a dopey smile. “i wouldn’t dream of it” he brushes stray hair out of her face.

“in the kitchen?! we make food there!” sejanus is standing in the doorway, seemingly traumatized. “sorry, sej.” he shakes his head walking away but throwing a secretive thumbs up at coriolanus.

[f10nnbh4rr]

Collins, S. (2020). The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. p. 381.

[0sincerelyella]

MORE TBOSBAS SPOILERS LOL

the real winner of the 10th hunger games (and the boy who should’ve been remembered) was reaper ash. gotten five minutes maybe even less of screen time and still by far my favorite character for everything he stood for

reaper RIPPED DOWN THE FLAG and REFUSED to fight in the games any longer. HE WAS THE ONE WHO REBELLED. he gathered up people HE KILLED, people he watched murder, people he watched be thrown in a game and labeled monsters. AND HE KNEELED DOWN, TOOK PLACE INFRONT OF HIS FRIENDS, HIS ENEMIES, HIS STRANGERS, AND HE REFUSED TO FIGHT ANY LONGER.

he had the upper hand, he could’ve killed coral, he could’ve killed lucy gray, but he didn’t. HE COULDVE WON but he valued the end of the games instead. HE SHOULDVE BEEN THE ONE REMEMBERED. reaper, just as his name suggests (reapers collect souls) collected all of his fellow tributes and places them on the ground covered in what murdered them. not eachother, but panem.

reaper my beloved

reaper ash my one and my only fr

[therottendrawflies]

The fact that no one has said this yet is shocking to me becuase it’s so rare that I come up with an original thought but it is seriously not talked about enough.

In The Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes Lucy Gray is a songbird who’s “weapon” is a snake which she killed no one with except in the games, and she respects them greatly and Coriolanus is a snake who’s weapon who he used to kill one of the only people who loved him is a song bird and he wanted every last one of them dead including Lucy Gray.

Like why have I seen nobody make this connection yet like hello😭

[diamondsunbursts-and-marblehalls]

Coriolanus Snow's character is so fascinating to me.

At the movie's beginning, he is just this sweet boy, just trying to protect his family, keep them alive, and protect his tribute and keep her alive. And you adore him, and you're rooting for him; by the time you get to the end of the movie, he's slowly twisted everything around, until suddenly, he's not the person you thought he was, and even though you saw glimpses of that person, he's gone now, and you don't like what's left.

The thing I love is that you can see the inner fight that was there all along, the darker side is represented a lot by how Coriolanus is similar to his father and connects back to his past. He gives up pieces of that person throughout the games where Lucy Grey is his tribute, sacrificing them in the form of a handkerchief (a piece of his dad) that has the potential to implicate him in a crime that would cost him his life, but also the potential to grant Lucy Grey hers. You can see it in the way he gives her his dead mother's compact full of rat poison. In the way he cheats to save her, even with the knowledge that he won't gain anything from it. You can see it in the way that he lets her in on secrets he's guarded so fiercely from his capital friends. Living in a world where he has almost no control.

He also has close zero regard for the people in the arena with whom he has no connection. He convinces a classmate to help kill her tribute to save his, and he tells Tigress he felt powerful killing a little boy (a feeling she connected back to his dad). Things that grow smaller in comparison to his love for Lucy Grey, the affection he shows for Sejanus, the way he cares for his family, and the relationship he has with Tigress.

It's in the second part of the movie that things start to go awry. he gets his father's handkerchief and his mother's compact back. along with those pieces of himself. His hair is buzzed, and he's shipped away from his family, who were the original motivation for everything, most importantly the motivation behind befriending Lucy Grey. He has nothing. Seajanus ends up joining him and they go together to District 12, where he has even less control than he did before.

Coriolanus stands by while an innocent man hangs. He holds Sejanus back from stopping it to keep him safe. He gets in a fight with Lucy Grey's cheating ex. His best friend gets him out. He gives Lucy Grey the last piece of his parents he has with him. He gives the girl he loves all of his trust. He betrays Sejanus to the capital. He tries to protect his best friend. He kills a woman, putting them all in danger. He killed her to keep them safe. It's his fault Sejanus hangs for treason. His best friend cries for him right before he dies. He runs away with Lucy Grey to keep himself safe. He runs away with his lover so they can be together. He lies about Sejanus's death, so Lucy Grey leaves him. He lies about his best friend's death, to keep his love with him.

He abandons his friend and is abandoned by his lover because of it. He breaks trust, and so his trust is broken.

He gets all the pieces of himself back with his mother's shawl Lucy Grey leaves for him to find.

He had so many opportunities to be good, and you could see that he was fighting against the worst part of himself. And yet, you can also see him fighting less and less as time goes on, eventually, once he gets all of the pieces back he stops fighting. He goes back to the capitol, prepared to do whatever it takes to gain control. He's not a victim of circumstances or his childhood, Tigress proves that. But he is a victim of the choices he had to make.

Coriolanus Snow is such a complex character, who is shaped by his own choices, and the people in his life, who he can never really escape, the echoes of which will follow him throughout his whole life.

[osfi-am]

Heyyyy look at them!!! Just a couple of besties (I hate you Corionalus snow you will never see the light of day for what you did to Sejanus and Lucy Gray, I am in your walls)

[satans-kneecap]

Pinterest again 😔

[thequeenofuselessinformation]

Xoxo Social Justice Warrior Girl

[imsofuckingdonewiththisgoddamn]

When Our Stars Cross Paths; IV Treech x Mentor!Reader

Pairing: Treech x Mentor!Reader

Word Count: 1.71k

Warnings: Swearing, Violence

Sweet Angels🪻: @nemesii @mrsyixingunicorn10 @chmpgneprblem @thxmiss @storiesofmyhead @valdezsttuff @nekee-lilac02 @shykittycat @aceofspades190

🎬Mood boards🎬

Let the record show that you went above and beyond as a mentor.

That was the first thought to pass through your mind as the heavy doors of the van were slammed shut by oblivious peacekeepers, trapping you and Coriolanus in a confined space with around a dozen tributes who wanted you dead.

You kept your eyes fixed at a point on the floor towards the opposite end of the van, scared of what—or rather who you would see if you lifted your gaze. Not that you would be able to blame them. Had you been in their position, you would’ve jumped at the opportunity to seek revenge.

If Coriolanus was as unsettled as you were, he did a damn good job of hiding it. Straightening his posture, he brushed off the dust that had accumulated on his vermillion Academy uniform. While he may have had the confidence, he stuck out like a sore thumb and you were suddenly very grateful for having chosen against such a conspicuous outfit. Coming to the conclusion that you were just as safe, if not more safe than Coriolanus, due to having introduced yourself and offered food to several of the tributes you were currently riding with, you allowed your eyes to slowly lift from the dirty metal floor of the van. Unfortunately for you, the spot where you had previously been fixating at had been right where Treech was standing, with your eyes suddenly meeting as your gaze ascended from the floor. His arm was hanging onto the railing that ran along the length of the van, and his eyes bore into you the same way they had when you had slapped him minutes prior. Behind him you could see a little girl who you believed to be Wovey from District eight. Your few tedious moments of tension were broken by Coriolanus clearing his throat, an action that brought the rest of the tributes attention towards the two of you. If they hadn’t been staring already.

“Hi.” It was barely audible, but the echo of the van carried the single word and let it hang in anticipatory silence. Your face cringed at t he sound of if. Here you two were, a couple of rich Capitol kids who had waltzed into a vehicle with a bunch of exhausted kids who were being held like prisoners, and he was acting like it was some sort of field trip.

“What’s the matter, Pretty Boy? Got in the wrong cage?” The boy from District eleven, Reaper spoke up from where he stood at the opposite end of the van, next to Treech. Clemmie had been assigned as his mentor and had been more than pleased when it was announced, and you could see why. The boy was by far the biggest out of everyone in the van and stood well past six feet tall, with huge shoulders and a square jaw permanently shaped into a scowl, he was downright terrifying.

“No, not at all. This cage is delightful.” It was an awful attempt at clearing the tension, but you had to give your classmate credit for having the balls to make such a statement.

Reaper, however, didn’t appreciate the boy’s comment and suddenly lurched forward, making great strides across the van from where he formerly stood next to Treech. Before you knew it, the dark skinned boy had Coriolanus pressed up against the wall of the vehicle, his large hands fisting the material of his Academy coat.

The van suddenly came to life with action, with variously tributes egging on Reaper to kill Coriolanus. Exceptionally happy for the sudden opportunity to retaliate in the violence that was being imposed upon them.

“Get him Reaper!” You could hear a boy urging from somewhere behind you. Coriolanus’s formerly collected facade was quickly falling apart at the realization of his probable imminent death, his hands desperately reaching out in a feeble attempt to push the much larger boy off of him.

“I’ll kill you right now.” Reaper growled as he somehow managed to push Coriolanus further into the wall. You didn’t take Reaper as someone who was all bark and no bite, and was nearly certain he would go through with his threat if there was no immediate intervention.

“He’ll do it.” A raspy voice piped up from next to you—Dill, Reaper’s district partner. “He killed a peacekeeper back in eleven. They never found out who did it.” The young girl smirked a bit after the past comment, before a cough came over her and she was sent into a fit.

“Quiet Dill.” Reaper turned around only long enough to reprimand the younger girl, but his scolding had already brought all eyes towards Dill, which subsequently brought attention to you.

“Looks like Pretty Boy came with a friend.” Tanner, the boy from District ten, whistled out. He was Domitia’s tribute, and you had been severely disturbed by his reaping, where his hands had been shown to be bloody from what you hoped was a morning at the slaughterhouse. While now there was only faint traces of blood buried underneath his fingernails, the taller boy still wore a particularly wicked grin on his face as he slowly approached you, eyes never leaving yours. You subconsciously took a few steps back, your body now flush against the cold metal wall alongside Coriolanus. “What’s a pretty little thing like you doing in here?” Tanner’s question might have been phrased more nicely than Reaper’s, but it was still laced with the same tone of anger and vengeance. Your petrified eyes left Tanner’s unnerving gaze, and you peered over his shoulder, to shaken to answer the District ten boy. Treech’s eyes were also fixed on you, but in a way that was much more contemplative and pensive, as if he was debating on whether or not he should intervene. However, much to your shock it wasn’t Treech nor Coriolanus who came to your rescue. It was Lamina.

The sullen girl had slipped from her spot beside Treech without anyone noticing and moved to stand between you and Tanner, acting as a barrier to protect you despite her obvious shaking. Lucy Gray also made herself known, appearing from her spot deep in the van to approach Reaper, a silence falling over the riled up tributes as the girl spoke up.

“You got family back home?” The question was obviously intended for Reaper and Tanner, but she looked around the van as if her question was pointed towards all of them.

“They’ll kill them if you hurt either of them, and then they’ll kill you.” Lucy Gray spoke as if it were obvious, and the realization seemed to set in on the two boys and they thankfully backed away towards their respective district partners. Lamina let out a sigh of relief, her hands still shaking in little balled fists. You were in awe at her bravery, not only for confronting a much larger tribute, but also that she did it for you, someone who was virtually a stranger.

“Besides, I might need him, being my mentor and all.” The last part caused Coriolanus’s gaze to immediately shift to Lucy Gray, as if he was shocked that she was coming to his defense.

“Mender? How come you get a mender?” A girl with a bright red bob, Coral, interrogated from her corner of the van.

“A mentor.” Coriolanus corrected, he was always a stickler when it came to grammar and pronunciation. Something that could annoy you to no end when he went of his rants during class. “Each of you get one, to help guide you throughout the games.”

“And were supposed to trust you on that?” Coral retorted, unimpressed with the boy’s answer. “Why does Little Miss Rainbow get special treatment?” The redheaded girl pointed an accusatory finger at Lucy Gray, as if she was responsible for her mentor’s shortcomings. You made a mental reminder to warn Festus, Coral’s mentor, on how much of a firecracker she was before he could meet her for himself. You were near certain he would pleased though, feisty types tended to fare well in the games. Getting her to entertain the Capitol however, would be a different battle.

“She doesn’t get special treatment, you all have mentors.” Coriolanus reiterated, clearly still on edge from his close encounter with Reaper. “Then why aren’t they here?” This time Bobbin, a boy from District eight spoke up, clearly interested in the prospect of having a mentor.

“Just not inspired, I guess.” Lucy Gray added, a smirk forming on her face. She must’ve known her performance at the Reapings had garnered her mentor’s attention. You felt a pang of sympathy for the girl. Little did she know that only a few moments before her singing, Coriolanus had already given up any hope of her winning.

“Who does she belong to?” Tanner inquired, although he had backed a few feet away, his stare had never broken away from you. He slightly licked his lips which was already enough to make you shudder. What was his deal?

“Back of ten.” Your eyes suddenly moved towards the voice, landing on the tall frame of Treech, who had let go of his railing and was moving closer towards Tanner. “You got lucky Lumberjack, I’m honestly a bit jeal-”

Tanner didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence. Because before you knew it, the van jerked, knocking everyone to the ground in a wave on shock and confusion. Lamina landed on top of you, which surprisingly didn’t hurt due to her being much smaller. She quickly moved off of you with a soft apology as everyone tried to regain their balance. However, another lurch sent everyone tumbling onto the floor once again. This time you landed next to Treech, your head falling against his chest as the floor started sloping, sending the piles of tributes and mentors into the metal doors with a slam. You tried to raise your head from Treech’s chest to get a grasp as to what was happening, but his arm reached out to wrap around you, holding you in place against his body. Before you could fight against him the metal doors of the van suddenly jutted open, dumping everyone out, and sending them falling towards the ground below.

A/N

We are Lamina stans here!!! Love to see Treech’s protectiveness as well, so stay prepared for that in coming chapters! Hopefully I will be able to post another chapter in the next day or two!

XOXO

[deepseaorchid]

Kiss Me Better - Sejanus Plinth x GN!Reader

Summary: When a certain sweet little boy offers to share his candy with you on the school yard, you find yourself with a lifelong best friend. What happens when these feelings of friendship melt into deeper feelings as you both grow older? An unfortunate event causes these two best friends to get closer than ever before, making your heart flutter.

Pairing: (Childhood bestfriends! To Lovers!)Sejanus Plinth x GN!reader, (platonic!)Clemensia Dovecote x GN!reader

Warnings: None, fluff, mutual pining, childhood friends to lovers

Word count: 5.2k

A/N: Clemensia may be OOC, I modelled Reader's interactions with her after myself and my own best friend

Accepting that you had fallen in love with sweet Sejanus Plinth, your childhood best friend was not easy. From the time you both met, Sejanus had been a constant and welcome presence in your life. One of you two always trailing after the other, hot on each other’s heels. The pair of you could often be found pouring over books in the library, comparing what you had read versus what you had not. Or, you could be found at a small cafe on the Corsus, sharing a sweet pastry or sipping tea and studying.

With the frequency of your hangouts, and the fact that you had few other friends, it was impossible for the other Academy students not to notice and gossip. You had grown accustomed to hushed whispers and jeers directed at the both of you. After all, what business does someone from the Capitol have with a District transplant who makes a display of his disdain of the very place he lives? You found that befriending Sejanus Plinth has been a lonely experience, isolating you from many, but not all of your peers. However, it only made the bond you two had stronger.

A hand slapped your shoulder, and a shrill voice called out “Tag! You’re it!” From behind you. Clemensia Dovecote sped off, her jet black hair flying out from behind her. You watched her climb up the iron monkey bars and perch at the top, flashing you a crooked smile. She had just lost her two front teeth, leaving a large gap in her smile. To you, she was the coolest girl in school. 

“You have to chase us now!” She yelled at you from her spot on the monkey bars. You hadn’t even been in this game of tag, but you took this as an invitation. Not wanting to disappoint her, you took off, running full tilt to the group of children. You picked the easiest target, Felix Ravinstill, and chased after him. You weaved in and around the play structure, dodging large beams and the occasional rogue ball. While Felix didn’t have speed on his side, he had fast reflexes and was quick at evading your every attempt at catching him.

Felix leapt onto the pavement, running straight through a game of foursquare. You dodged the wonky chalk barrier marking the borders of the pitch as the players yelled at Felix for ruining the game. Felix rounded a hard corner. You sped up, the collar of his shirt almost within reach.

“Get him!” Clemensia cheered. Your head snapped in her direction, she was beginning to climb down from the monkey bars. The momentary loss of focus resulted in your shoe colliding and hooking under a rock on the yard. You sprawl forward. You had just enough time to put your hands out and prevent your fall before you hit the pavement hard. You yelped out in pain, your knees and hands hot from the impact. You barely registered that you’re crying until Clemensia runs up to you, teacher in tow. A crowd had begun forming around you, and you found yourself crying thick, hot tears. The teacher helped you up, offering kind words of encouragement as students gathered asking if you’re okay. The tears that started didn’t seem to stop, and you sobbed a little harder looking at the state of your bloodied knees.

 And so the game of tag abruptly ended. Nobody on the schoolyard blamed you, of course, but you found yourself sitting out for the rest of recess. You sat cross-legged on the hot pavement holding a large wad of gauze to your bleeding knee and sniffling occasionally. You stared off at the play structure, watching the others go down the slides and run around. You don’t think anyone thought too much of it, but the embarrassment you still had over the situation hung thick around you.

A shadow above you blocked out the beating sun, and two little legs obscured your view of the play structure. You looked up, squinting a little.

“Hi,” said an unfamiliar voice. Your eyes focused on the shape in front of you. Sejanus Plinth, the new boy who just arrived from District 2 stood above you. He was well-fed, dark curls above his eyes and his chubby hands clutched a bag of colourful, sugary gumdrops.

“I saw you fall,” He stated. Great. Someone else who saw your tumble. You said nothing, did he come here to make fun of you?

“Want some?” He asks, shoving his bag of candy in your face. You were a little shocked at his blunt kindness. You had not spoken to Sejanus since his arrival at the Capitol a month ago. His arrival was instantly marked with hostility and distaste from other students. The others in your class rejected him entirely, opting to make him the object of their bullying, leaving Sejanus utterly friendless. You never participated in the bullying, but you never stopped it. You were simply indifferent, and maybe that made you complicit.

“Sure,” You sniffled, and wiped leftover tears from under your eyes. Sejanus moved to your left and sat beside you up against the grey concrete wall of the school. He ruffled through the bag, placing a bright blue gumdrop in your palm. You plopped it in your mouth, its sweetness enveloping your tongue. While your family wasn’t poor, the war had been rough on your family. Candy and sweets were only for birthdays and special occasions now.

“I’m Sejanus by the way,” The boy smiled, sticking out a chubby hand, waiting for you to shake it. You’d met enough of your mother’s coworkers to know what to do. You awkwardly reached out and shook his hand and returned the greeting. His hand was sticky.

“You ran really fast out there,” He said, reaching into the bag and grabbing a gumdrop for himself. 

“Thanks,” Your voice broke a little, tears still threatening to spill. Sejanus looked down at your hands, trailing his gaze to your knees, Bloody scrapes littered them, pieces of gravel still stuck to your left side. He reached forward and brushed it off for you.

“Do you wanna play hide and seek?” He asked, turning towards you.

“Can’t,” You sniffled. “M’knee hurts.”

Sejanus thought about this for a moment. A look of deep concentration washed over his soft, round features. 

“Want me to kiss it better?” He asked, his voice filled with innocence. 

“What?” You asked, a little shocked. “A kiss,” he repeated. “When I fall and get sad, my Ma kisses me better.”

Before you can say anything, he leans down, placing a feathery kiss to your knee, lips barely grazing your skin.

“There, now you’ll get better!” He smiled sweetly. It was contagious, a small grin crept up your lips in return. Sejanus rummaged in his pocket for a moment before he pulled out a packet of cards.

“Wanna play go fish?” He asked eagerly.

“I don’t know how to play,” You said quietly. Sejanus thought for a moment. “We can make a card tower if you want?” Now that, you could do.

“Sure!” You chirped. Sejanus’s joy was infectious. He spent the rest of the recess making you laugh, cheering every time you both successfully added another level to your tower. When the bell rang signaling the end of recess, you quickly knocked your 4-level tower down and helped Sejanus put the cards away. 

“Thanks for playing with me today!” You smiled, a new spring in your step, your injured knee long-forgotten about.

“Do you wanna play together tomorrow?” Sejanus asked, looking down at the ground. You knew he was used to people not wanting to play with him, let alone be near him.

“Of course!” You beamed at him and lined up behind Coriolanus Snow. Some of the other students shot you dirty looks, seething that you would associate with a District boy. You paid it no mind, however. You were just happy to have a brand new friend to play with.

It's funny how tripping on the school yard completely altered the course of your life. A familiar voice snapped you out of your thoughts. 

“If I have to write one more paper for Dr. Gaul, I think I’m going to drop out and join the Peacekeepers.” Sejanus sigh, tapping your shoulder from behind. You glance up and follow him with your eyes as he sits across from you in the dining hall. 

“Don’t,” you groan in mock annoyance. “Who else will I have to annoy and pester during class?” you say, knitting your eyebrows together in concern.

“I’ll talk to Coriolanus, I’m sure he can annoy you at least once a day,” Sejanus smirks, pulling his notebook from his satchel. You tut and roll your eyes. Sejanus rests his elbow on the white marble table, placing his head in his hands as he skims his notes. His dark curly hair falls over his forehead, largely obscuring his face. His cheeks look soft, lips pursed as he concentrates. His baby fat from childhood had now melted away and made room for a strong, muscular build that differed from the usual physique of Capitol boys. Sejanus definitely looked District, but maybe that’s why you found him so attractive now.

“Are we still going to the White Pony?” He asks, referencing one of the restaurants you both frequented. He never looked up from his notes. Good, he didn’t see you staring. Your eyes snap down towards your lap, making it look as though you are utterly engrossed with your red cloth napkin that you're playing with in your hands.

“Can’t today,” you sigh, leaning back in the hard dining hall chair. “Clemensia and I are meeting for coffee.” Your eyes drift around the cafeteria. The low light of the late afternoon cast shadows across the pristine white floors, bathing everything in a golden light. A few stragglers from the day remained in the cafeteria, chatting and reviewing notes, much like you and Sejanus were.

“That’s unfortunate,” he said, only glancing up at you momentarily. The single beam of orange light from the large arched window behind you illuminated his eyes perfectly. The caramel-coloured specks in his eyes lit up only for a moment.

“I was hoping I could show you some of the renovations they did.”

Now you feel guilty. You cursed yourself internally for making spur of the moment plans for a coffee date with Clemensia.

“I’m sorry Sej, tomorrow?” You ask, your voice softening. His eyes flick up to your face momentarily at the use of the nickname. Only you called him that. You reach your hand forward and stroke his wrist, covered by the crimson fabric of the Academy jacket you both wear. He lifts his head up, smiling at you, but visibly unhappy. You’ve known Sejanus for almost 10 years now, and you know when your best friend-turned-crush is upset.

“How can I make it up to you?” You loosen your grip on his wrist and trail your hand downwards to his fingertips, tapping yours against them gently as a comforting gesture.

“You can’t,” he groaned. “I will never forgive you for this,” He slumps forward, touching his head to your hand. His curly brown hair feels so soft tickling against your hand. “I see your loyalties lie elsewhere, I’m devastated,” he sighs, voice muffled and shaking as if he is on the verge of tears. You’d be tempted to believe it, if it were not for the fact that you can feel his lips smiling into your palm as he speaks. You choose to play along with his pretend outrage.

“Oh no! This really is terrible! I am so upset that Sejanus Plinth, my oldest and best friend, hates me!” You spoke almost too loudly. Two ginger-haired boys nearby shot you a glare, but you quickly disregarded it. “How ever will I regain his trust?” You ask, voice dripping in sarcasm and a smile creeping up your lips. Sejanus kept his head pressed in your hand, his shoulders shaking as he attempted to stifle his laughter. You continue.

“Maybe…” You hesitate for a moment. “Maybe I can bring in one of my chocolate muffins? Would he forgive me then?”

Sejanus’s head snaps up, beaming at you. “Deal.” He laughs. You giggle in return. Sejanus loves your baking, often saying it was almost as good as his Ma’s baking. That was high praise for you, always hoping you can outdo Ma Plinth but never fully succeeding.

You squeeze his hand gently before removing it. Your heart flutters at the loss of contact, wishing you could have that connection for even a moment longer.

“I have to get going,” you say, moving to get up, Sejanus stands too. You smooth out the wrinkles of your jacket and shirt. “Clemensia is going to kill me if I’m late again.”

“I don’t think you’ve been on time to anything in your whole life,” Sejanus smiles at you, teasing you. He picks up your bag as well as his own.

“You are so rude! I don’t know why I put up with you!” You gasp, laughing as you give him a playful shove, walking out the swinging white doors of the cafeteria and down the hall.

“Probably because you love me,” Sejanus laughs. You could tell it was supposed to be a joke but you feel your breath hitch in your throat. He knew? How did he know? Who told him? His words echo through the high ceilings of the hall and your mouth opens and closes like a fish. Sejanus sensed the shift in atmosphere and his laughter died out too. 

You muster a dry chuckle.

“Yeah,” you smile. “Something like that.” The tension in the air still hangs thick between you. Sejanus stares down at his shoes, shifting his weight between one foot and the other awkwardly. He opens his mouth to speak, but you beat him to it.

“Thanks for carrying my bag!” You chirp, trying to diffuse the tension. You reach and grab the brown satchel off his shoulder, pulling it close. Before he can speak, you glance at the watch on your wrist. 

“I really have to get going, I am officially dead to Clemensia,” you muster a nervous laugh. He chuckles half-heartedly in return. “Yeah. I should get home too,” he said softly. You turn and wave goodbye to him, before starting at a quick pace down the hall. Sejanus’s booming voice shouts out from behind you.

“Don’t forget the muffins!” He calls, cupping his hands over his mouth. The high intricate ceiling of the hall echoes his words.

“Muffins! Muffins! Muffins!”

You smile, not turning back to face him. “I won’t!” You yell back, before ducking into the stairwell. 

Exiting the school, you gasped in the crisp spring air. The embarrassment hit you a second time. 

“Idiot!” You curse yourself, slapping your temples as you march down the road.

…

“Oh my god, you didn’t,” Clemensia claps a hand over her mouth. “No, you’re messing with me, you didn’t,” She gasps in disbelief. You offer her a wonky smile as an answer. “Oh my god, you’re serious,” She sighs, running her hands through her raven hair, eyes wide. Clemensia had become a close friend of yours after that day on the playground - one of your only other friends aside from Sejanus. Coincidentally, she was the only person who knew of your huge crush on him.

“I’m so worried he’s going to hate me, Clemmie,” You sigh, waving your hand in dismissal, but accidentally almost knocking your rose tea over. You caught it before it fell, taking an awkward sip. “I don’t know why I froze up, I know he meant it in a friendly way.”

Clemensia picked up her latte, a look of concentration etched on her face. She pauses for a moment, the chatter in the warm cafe filling the silence.

“I don’t think you messed anything up,” she speaks slowly, lowering her cup. Her red lipstick is smudged against the dainty china. “But I do think you have to be careful. He probably won’t think too much about it, but if he reads too much into it, he’ll get suspicious.” She says pointedly. You groan and cover your eyes with your hands. For the last two years, you had successfully kept your crush on Sejanus under wraps. You already showed physical affection to one another through playful nudges, hugs and you would even occasionally hold hands. And it satisfied you for a while, content with the limited physical affection. But as time passed, Sejanus grew more into his features, and his demeanor only got sweeter, and suddenly affection between friends was insufficient. You found yourself lying awake at night dreaming about him, wondering what it would feel like to have his body pressed against yours, drifting off to sleep together. More than anything, you wanted to know if those soft pink lips felt as gentle on yours as you had imagined.

“Promise me you won’t tell a soul,” you peak up at her from your hands, glaring slightly. Clemensia laughs, her dark eyes crinkling at the corners. Her laughter was a sweet sound.

“I promise,” she said, kicking you gently under the table. "When have I ever told anyone? I might make you start paying me to keep a secret, though," She winks. You roll your eyes playfully. Clemensia looks to the side, gazing off at the art and floral arrangements in the elegant cafe. A devilish grin appeared across her face. “If things between you and Sejanus don’t work out, you could always try that guy over there instead,” she pointed to her right, her finger obscured by her latte cup. You know the drill, you crane your neck, pretending to stretch and follow Clemensia’s gaze and finger with your eyes. You snap back into place. “Clemensia, he’s old!” You whisper-yell at her. She snorts with laughter as the old man dressed in tweed in the corner she pointed to is none the wiser to the interaction.

…

“So I told Festus that if he so much as looks at me again, I’m going to report him to the Dean and have him sent to what’s left of District 13 myself,” Clemensia jokes as you walk around the Capitol park. She had insisted you go for an evening stroll through the park. The sun has set now, and the only light to be found in the park is that from the dim street lights. Crickets nestled in the bushes and dewy grass chirp their song into the evening. While the students’ overall opinion of you is not favourable at the Academy, you were thankful for having Clemensia by your side. It was nice having at least one friend who wasn’t complicated the same way Sejanus was.

“God, do you think Festus'll try anything again?” You giggle, cocking an eyebrow as you walk around the park together, gravel crunching under every step. “Doubt it,” she smirked. “Consider it handled.”

You round a corner, approaching some sleeping ducks, the moon shining bright over the pond, casting its reflection into the water. Further down the path, a tall figure stands, skipping stones into the water. They bounce one, two, three times before sinking with a loud plop. The dim street lamps provide no light where the figure stands, surrounding him in mystery.

“Who’s even out this late?” Clemensia said, judging the figure ahead of you. You turned to her, staring blankly into her eyes.

“Us, Clemmie. We’re also out this late.” You said flatly, Clemensia rolled her eyes. “Do you think maybe he’s a murderer, preying on unsuspecting people in the park?” She grabbed your shoulders, startling you. Your heart pounds a bit harder in your chest at her actions.

“If he is, I’m pushing you and running,” you tease her, smirking. She laughs loudly. You had been so engrossed in the conversation with her that you failed to notice the winding root of a willow tree poking out of the pathway. 

“Careful!” Clemensia yelled, trying to get your attention. It was too late, your foot had already hooked underneath the root and sent you flying forward. You lift your hands quickly to protect your face and you hit the gravel of the path below with a loud thud. You slide on impact, loose gravel flying everywhere.

“Are you okay?” Clemensia shrieks. If the figure was a murderer, he was definitely coming for you now. The sound of rapid footsteps comes pounding up to you. A familiar voice calls out your name in panic. Glancing up from your position on the floor, you saw Sejanus running up to you from a distance. So that’s who the dark figure was. You groan, partially from pain and partially from the situation you just got yourself into with him. You glance over at Clemensia as she tries grabbing your arm, attempting to help you up. You mouth the words “help me,” to her. She only stifles a laugh, leaning in to whisper in your ear, “You’ll be fine, you still have your humour.” You really don't want him to see you like this, especially not after such an embarrassing fall. You groan again as she tries lifting you a little higher. The pounding of Sejanus’s footsteps stops abruptly and you feel a second arm snake around your waist. 

“I’ve got you,” Sejanus whispers softly as he lifts you. His face pressed into the side of your head as he lifts you, breathing softly against your hair. He's stronger than Clemensia, helping you to your feet with ease. You stand, but your knee buckles under you. Sejanus catches you, firmly holding your waist in place with his arm. “C’mon, over there,” You hear him say to Clemensia, he cocks his head gesturing to the bench nearby. You hobble over to the bench, both of your friends holding you up. With every step, you feel a sharp sting in your knee, shooting up your body. You wonder how bad it looks. You hadn’t even had the chance to assess the damage before your friends rushed to your aid.

Clemensia helps you lower yourself onto the wooden park bench as Sejanus sits beside you. He gently lifts your leg and pulls it onto his lap as he sits to elevate it.

“Guys, it's really not that big of a deal,” you groan. You feel your face flush darker at all the extra attention.

“Let me just look,” Sejanus mumbles, pulling something out of his bag. “Can you even see in this light?” You ask incredulously, raising an eyebrow at him. “Mhmm,” he mumbles again. “This will sting.”

Before you even have time to process, a sharp burn hits your knee. Rubbing alcohol. You hiss through gritted teeth, throwing your head back. Sejanus has a look of absolute concentration on his face, his head lowered close to your knee. As you suspected, he couldn’t see well, but the idea of him trying to help you regardless makes your heart beat a little faster.

“I… I just remembered I have a paper for Professor Click due tomorrow.” Clemensia stutters, awkwardly taking a step back from you.

“What? No we don’t!” You exclaim, staring at her open-mouthed.

“Well, it's an extra credit paper!” Clemensia gazes down at her feet, starting off down the path.

“I want extra credit!” You call after her.

“No you don’t!” She yells back, you could barely see her wink in the dim light of the path, giving you a thumbs-up gesture. What a jerk. You'll be sure to give her a piece of your mind tomorrow. You roll your eyes and chuckle slightly as she takes off out of sight. Your focus falls back on Sejanus. You see that the red Academy pants you wear are ripped open, blood coating your knee. You gasp a little at the sight. Sejanus picks up on this, still tending to your knee.

“It looks worse than it is,” he said, attempting to reassure you. You sigh, tilting your head back. The budding tree above your head rustles, and the rushing water of the duck pond calms your nerves slightly.

“I’m sorry,” you start. “I didn’t mean to ruin your evening. I didn’t even know you’d be here.”

Sejanus chuckled softly. “You could never ruin anything. I’m just happy to see my best friend.” You swallow hard. ‘Friend.’ Yeah. Because you two are friends and little else.

“I’m happy to see you too,” you swallow. Sejanus dabs at the blood on your knee with his handkerchief, rummaging through his satchel some more. “It’s like we’re kids again,” you whisper quietly, tears pricking at your eyes.

“Hm?” Sejanus mumbles, concentrating on tending to you. “The playground, when we were eight,” you mumble. Sejanus laughs softly. “Yeah, it is actually.” Silence washes over you two again. He was so warm beside you, giving a little extra heat in the cool spring night. An owl hoots softly in the distance as Sejanus reaches into your pant leg to wrap gauze around your knee. You think back to the day you properly met him. How sweet and innocent he was, providing a childish love to you, who had never shown him the same courtesy until that moment on the pavement. The tears gather at your eyelashes, not yet spilling. He’s so attentive to you, face scrunched in concentration as he finishes dressing your knee.

“You forgot something,” you whisper, your voice barely audible. Sejanus lifted his head, giving you his full attention.

“What did I forget?” He asks, leaning his elbow against the back of the bench. You can just make out a sweet smile on his face in the moonlight. A single tear trails down your cheek, he looks perfect. Sejanus leans forward, wiping it away, rough hands caressing your face. You lean into his touch.

“You always kiss it better,” you say quietly. Sejanus lets out a low laugh. “Where does it hurt?” He asks, his voice matching your volume. You choke up and point to your knee. Sejanus chuckles, adjusting himself on the bench. He leans down, gently bending your leg at the knee and places a soft kiss to the fabric of the gauze enveloping your leg. You feel the slight pressure of his lips and sigh, content.

“Anywhere else?” He whispers playfully. You nod slightly, stretching out your lightly scraped hands and forearms.

“Here.” You say flatly. Sejanus sits up, shuffling closer to you on the bench. His arm wraps around your waist and pulls your body a little closer to him on the bench. He gently takes your hands in his, bringing them up to his pink lips. He kisses your fingertips gently, smooth lips touching the pads of your fingers. He presses one, two, three, four, five kisses to the tip of each finger, before repeating on the other hand. Your eyes flutter shut, and another tear rolls down your cheek. 

Sejanus brings the palm of your hands up to his mouth, his lips ghosting over them before pressing his mouth gently onto your palms over and over again. The contact stings slightly, but that melts away quickly, your body relaxing into his touch.

You barely register as he pulls the arms of your shirt and jacket up to reveal your slightly scraped forearms. He kisses your arms, starting at the wrists and gradually working his way up to the elbow. You feel your eyes glaze over and your breathing becomes shallow. He's perfect. His breath tickles your sensitive skin as his plush pink lips touch your skin. Sejanus lifts his head up.

“Anywhere else?” He asks under half-lidded eyes. His kind dark eyes flit down to your lips before back up at you. You swallow. It's now or never. Before you lose your nerve, you take a deep breath and lift your hand up. You gently tap your own bottom lip with your fingernail.

“Here.” You whisper, voice barely audible. Sejanus gasps softly. He doesn't hesitate, tilting his head slightly. He places one of his fingers under your chin and gently tips your head up towards him. His eyes scan yours for a moment, searching for a sign of hesitation. When he doesn't find it, he closes his eyes, as do you, and his soft lips grace yours momentarily before meeting for a full kiss. Your head spins immediately and your surroundings melt away. All you can focus on is him. You wrap your arms around his strong, broad shoulders, kissing him back. Sejanus’s grip on your waist tightens as he pulls you in, your chest presses against his and you can feel his heart hammering against his shirt. You tilt your head a little, deepening the kiss. His lips are sweet like sugar, parted mouth pressing gently against your bottom lip while you capture his upper lip with your teeth, pulling gently. His tongue swipes over your bottom lip, you gasp a little and arch your back. Sejanus’s tongue slips inside your now-open mouth, his tongue immediately finding yours. You push back against his slightly, still allowing him control. He sighs into your mouth and the sound lights something up inside you. You kiss him deeper, tilting your head and alternating directions. Sejanus's hands rub your back, while you grab a fistful of his hair, pulling lightly. He groans, teeth clacking against yours. You don't register the pain, too consumed by Sejanus as he grips you tighter.

You break apart for air first, panting. He rests his forehead against yours, his soft dark hair gently rubbing against your skin. His gaze falls into your lap, where he now holds your hands in his.

"Wow," he breathes, wiping saliva from the corner of his mouth. You giggle, still gasping for air.

“You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that,” he muttered, leaning in again and pressing another chaste kiss against your lips.

“How long?” You ask smiling, your heart pounding in your chest. Sejanus thinks for a moment. He jokingly places a finger against his chin and stares up at the moon in mock consideration.

“Hmm, probably since your 15th birthday party,” he smiles back at you. You gasp, grinning. “Your mother turned out the lights and you blew out your candles, and I remember how perfect you looked in the low light.” He continues. “And I have been hopelessly in love with you ever since.” He rubs his nose against yours.

You melt against Sejanus, throwing your arms around him and burying your face into his neck. “I think I’ve been in love with you for two whole years now,” you whisper against his neck, and he squeezes you even tighter.

“Really?” He whispers the question into your hair. You nod, your hair rubbing against his face. Pulling back, you smile at him.

“Your kisses are like magic, I feel better already,” You giggle. He laughs in return, leaning closer.

“You sure? Want another one just to be safe?” He asks softly, smirking as he already knew the answer. He leans in and captures your lips in his again. 

The air in the spring night is cool, but it's impossible for you to pay it any mind with Sejanus by your side. The wind whips around you as you kiss him hard. How grateful you are to have your best friend-turned-lover by your side. You make note to thank Clemensia next time you see her. This night is filled with soft glances and kisses, hushed ‘I love yous’ and the sweetest boy you ever met, sweeter than the gumdrops he gave you ten years prior.

[eymie]

HEAVY !

pairing: sejanus plinth x fem!reader

warnings: smut, size kink, porn no plot

Sejanus needed to have you close to him, touching his hot skin. You hated to admit it but you loved the way he felt pressed against you. He was larger than you, by a lot you’d say. The way his weight felt on you made your cunt clench.

It didn’t take him long to find this out.

He had you pinned to the bed, from behind with his full body weight on you. Thrusting into your sopping wet cunt, stretching you wide. Your moans were muffled by the pillow your face was pushed into.

You felt his chest pressed hard against your back, his hips constantly smacking back against your ass. The room was filled with the sound of your skin slapping, his grunts and moans, and your muffled cries.

His fingers intertwined with your hands from behind, every ounce of skin touching.

“You like that?” He murmured into your ear. His thrust still unrelenting, splitting you open. “Talk to me.”

He almost whined out his words, wanting to hear your voice but he’d been fucking you so long you couldn’t think straight. You were drunk on his cock and touch, only whimpers and cries leaving your lips.

Your pussy clenched around his hard length, signaling your impending orgasm. Your cunt was overstimulated, along with the rest of your body. Your throat was raw along with your stretched pussy.

“Cum for me, pretty.” His thick fingers let go of your hand, sliding down to your neck. He pulled your head out of the pillow, ignoring the large pool of drool. “Shh, that’s it.”

Your mouth fell open, a quiet moan of his name. He pulled out almost entirely before thrusting back in, your juices coating his cock. Ecstasy filled you, coming once again tonight. A louder moan of his name leaving your lips, more like a rasp from your sore throat.

”Good girl,” He mumbled into your skin, fucking you through your orgasm. His thrusts got sloppier, his own orgasm sparking through him. His hot seed filled your tight warm cunt, spilling out around his length.

He shallowly thrusted a few more times before going still, your cunt still stuffed full of him. His breath was hot on your skin, his weight on top of your body making you whimper.