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Commander Snow; 8

Commander Snow

Summary; Under the advice of Dr Gaul Coriolanus returns back to district 12 where without blinding light of lucy-grey he could see you.

Warnings; dead dove to do not eat, stalking, unrequited love, breeding kink, violence, possessive!Snow, unco/dubco, sexual content, she/her pronouns, explicit, violence, death.

Editor: @hotline-to-hell

chapter one

Chapter two

Chapter three

Chapter four

Chapter five

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

The door was fixed with great haste. Before you knew it, you were back in the apartment playing housewife again. Coriolanus’s distrust of you grew to a new level. He no longer trusted you to remain home by yourself. Edmund was still not found, and Coriolanus was certain he would reappear and take you away.

You now worked with him, slept with him, and ate every meal with him. The fence line seemed like an impossible goal with him being so suffocating. You were pretty sure the broken chain was not found. He would have said something, would have taunted you with how close your freedom was. It meant you had something up your sleeve against him.

But you had no way of getting to it. You had tried to disappear during his work hours, when he was most distracted, but the only time you seemed to be out of his sight was when you showered. If there had been a window in the bathroom, you were sure that he would have been in there too.

You tried your best to soften him with affection. When you had the chance, you baked him the oatmeal cookies he loves. He ate whole plates in one sitting.

But as his work increased, your work decreased. Long days spent at his office were hard to fill. He sat behind his desk and never seemed to stop working. Sometimes there was mending you could do, or shoes to shine but most of the day you sat on the couch reading what was on hand.

You had taken to organizing the books in alphabetical order, then grouped them according to color. You worked quietly and slowly. Careful not to make any noise to disturb Coriolanus from his work. You had taken them down again just moments ago to reorganize them by subject when Coriolanus' assistant came in carrying a tea tray and a large parcel.

She drops the parcel down on the table in front of you, amongst the books. You look over it to see your name neatly scribbled on the recipient's information.

The receptionist doesn’t look at you as she puts the tea tray in front of Coriolanus.

He thanks her but her response is drowned out to your ears by the opening of the box.

“Is it from Tigris?”

You wait until the receptionist shuts the door behind her to respond.

You confirmed it was, as you pulled a soft silk nightdress from the box. It was light pink which was uncommon for the districts. Dark pink lace trimming boarded along the bottom and top of the dress. You run your finger across it. It was the most expensive material you had ever felt.

Another dress was folded in the box and you take it out.

It was light blue with yellow birds flying across it, made of a soft cotton material that would fall around your ankles.

“You like them?” he asks.

“They are beautiful,” you admit.

You look in the box for more to see a small pouch filled with sweets from the Capitol.

Tigris was too kind. If things had been different, you would have been a good friend to her. But as her cousin's captive, you were now sworn enemies. The box of treats didn’t change that.

You return the items to the box and see parchment paper protecting soft material at the bottom.

“There's a shirt for you.” It was a long white dress shirt with gold stitching running in horizontal lines down it.

He comes from his desk to collect it. Taking it gently from your hands, he brings it up to his nose and inhales the scent.

“You really miss home,” you comment, watching him breathe in the scent the shirt carried.

“I do. More than anything.” He returns to his desk with it still in his hands.

“You’ll be home soon.”

“We’ll be home soon”.

You smile thinly at him. “That’s what I said.”

“You should see the Capitol. Clothing, culture. Actual buildings, not these pieces of tin. You’ll be able to breathe much better in the Capitol.”

The scratching of his pen picked up where his sentence had been incomplete as he began his work again. The shirt lay across his lap.

“I have the day off tomorrow,” he said without stopping his work, “I was thinking we could visit the waterfall again. It will probably be the last time before Ravinstill dies.”

The thought made your stomach drop. If you don’t make it beyond the fence, it would in fact be the last time you ever saw your favorite place. The time was better spent within the compound waiting for an opportunity. He would never let you get too far in the district.

“I’d prefer not to.”

“Why?” he questions with a hard tone. He continued to write but the pen pressed firmly into the paper.

“I am behind on my chores, and I haven’t made anything in a while. The food in the fridge will go bad if I don’t get to it soon.”

“Let it. The Capitol is full of food.”

You realize now that Coriolanus had already made up his mind to do the activity. You wondered why he chose it. He hated the heat and the bugs.

You walk over to the tray of hot tea and pour out a cup, making it to his liking and placing it down in front of him.

“We’ll go if you want to.”

“Why don’t you want to go?”

“Why do you want to? The walk up there will take us nearly the whole morning in the hot sun.”

“I thought it might make you happy.”

He was trying to win your approval before he ripped everything you had ever known from your finger tips. It was something to use against him. Coriolanus responded best when he was in a position to be a hero. He would do anything so long as he felt he was the only one who could do it for you.

You lean down and wrap your arms around his shoulders, resting your face against his neck.

“You know what would make me happy? Some vanilla extract so I can send Tigris some shortbread cookies back”.

He responds positively by wrapping his hands around your forearms. He liked you looking out for Tigris.

“She’s been asking to meet you.” He says, his hand gently wrapping your arm around his shoulders. “I have a call with them next Friday afternoon. Maybe you’d like to come with.”

You retract your hold now that he was in a better mood.

There was only one answer you could give him when it came to his family.

“I’d love to”.

You had a deep hate for Capitol people but Tigris seems different. In any case, you were sure you could remain civil for an hour-long phone call.

Pouring yourself a cup of tea, you return to your spot with it and Coriolanus returns to his work.

———-

You stood out in the sun with Coriolanus as he discussed the new recruits' performance with another high-ranking officer. They were splitting them up into areas of work. The strong and fast became foot soldiers, the slow were put on kitchen duty, and the ones who showed a inclination to aggression were watchmen. He spared a couple to the infantry to learn basic medic care and help around the hospital. You couldn't work out what sent those recruits apart. It seemed random but you knew nothing Coriolanus did was without great care and strategy.

All the men seemed equally angry and you wondered if Coriolanus was the same when he was a Peacekeeper.

The sun felt nice upon your skin after so long. It was late afternoon and it had just begun to set, leaving behind a nice cool breeze.

You thought about your mother and Edmund. Were they enjoying the sun too?

The sound of a vehicle approaching ruined the moment of reflection. Coriolanus took your hand in his as soon as the tires upon the gravel could be heard as if you were to be run over if he didn’t.

It surprisingly stopped in front of where you stood. A transport car with no doors and a large trunk carried two men. A younger man wearing a District 12 peacekeeper uniform and an older man who wore a Commander uniform set apart by its light purplish color.

“Commander.” The older man greets as he swings out of the car.

“Vongurt.” Coriolanus uses his spare hand to offer a handshake which is strongly and fervently taken.

Another Commander had come to see Coriolanus. You doubted he was any better than the last.

“This is my wife, Y/N.” With his hand, he leads you in front of him to show you off to the Commander.

You were stiff with shock as the man's disapprovingly raked his eyes over you. He too felt jarred at the label of wife. District women weren’t wives. They were barely considered human.

But he smiles nonetheless, something you couldn’t return.

“Pleasure.” With a kiss placed upon your hand, the Commander's attention was turned back to Coriolanus.

“Your compound is impressive, Commander Snow. It has to be the largest I’ve seen.”

Coriolanus seemed unimpressed by the comment. He turns back to the Peacekeepers watching them as they leap, and fight.

“A palace of scrap metal.”

He waves over a tall man in a high-ranking uniform, who quickly makes his way over from across the field.

“Your apartment is only slightly better. Sergeant AJ will take you there.”

“I was hoping that we could talk. I’ve come all this way from District 2.”

“Later, Commander. The conference room at 7. You’ll have my undivided attention there.”

The man nods back and follows his guide back into the car.

Coriolanus makes a comment to his officer about a recruit and the man jotted down all of his thoughts.

You wanted to get away. Break free from his hold and bolt to the fence line. His delusions had reached a new height, with him now openly telling lies to men with power.

Your body moves to your thoughts. You hadn’t even realized you were twisting your hand away from him until he tightened his hold.

He turns to you, asking if you are ok.

“I need to go home” you respond. Home to my mother. Back home to normalcy.

“Take whoever we missed today and regroup them tomorrow morning” he directs the man next to him. A whistle is blown and the recruits stop their training, instead they congregate in front of you.

Coriolanus turns as his officer begins to dish out instructions, taking you back to the apartment.

“The heat can get to you,” he says.

You had lived in District 12 all your life if anyone was to know about the heat it was you. But you verbally agree and apologize for taking him away from his work.

He hushes you and it ends the conversation for the walk home.

He lets you go as you enter your prison, and you take off without him to the bedroom.

You hear his voice wafting down the hallway telling you to lie down. You shove your boots off and get into bed. Every day your window closes. It won’t be long before either the broken fence is found or you are carted off on the train.

But he had called you his wife. Not just to anyone but a Capitol Commander. Even if you got away, the idea that he would leave you here for the presidency is just a fantasy.

How long would you need to live in hiding before he forgot you? Could you bear the costs of it for as long as needed? What work could you do in the mountains to support yourself and your mother?

Wife. Why did he have to say wife? You weren’t that. You were his captive, a victim of his need to be cared for.

Coriolanus enters the room with a wet, cold rag and runs it over your forehead. A victim of his need to pretend he was capable of caring for something.

He sits on the bed beside you running the cloth over your forehead and into your hair.

“Do you feel alright?” he asks as you take the cloth off him.

“I am fine. Just a little lightheaded.” You throw the cloth on the bed stand and he takes it as a signal to get up.

“I’ll get you some water.”

He disappears and you're thankful for the space to think. Could you tell him you just need a walk around the compound by yourself to think? No, he would take it as an insult.

You had to get out. The fence was so close.

You don’t notice him as he sits back down beside you. Only the glass to your lips made you see him.

“I won’t go to the meeting with Vongurt if you are unwell.”

You sit up straighter at his words, pushing the glass away from you.

“No!” you say harshly, “No, you should go. I am fine.”

“You don’t look well.” You were sure you looked terrible after you had the shock of your life.

“But I feel fine. Just too much sun.”

He looked annoyed that you were arguing with him so you switched tactics.

“We need his support to get back to the Capitol. Maybe you could just leave the door open for some fresh air?”

You had pushed too hard, and he got up

“If I am not here, the door is shut.”

“Of course,” you breathe with a soft smile at him, “I’ll be fine by the time you have to leave.”

Coriolanus hovered around you for the next hour and a half before he had to start getting ready for his meeting. He took a shower to wash the sweat off him from the day and changed into his official outfit. It fit snugly, his broad shoulders carried the uniform well.

He attached the dressings of his uniform as you watched him from the bed.

“Maybe I shouldn’t go tonight. What if you feel unwell while I am away?” His fingers were still on the badge he was trying to put on.

“I am fine,” you assure him, “I feel fine.”

“We should invite him here. That way if you need me, I am here.”

You cringed at the thought of serving Commander Vongurt.

“I won’t need you. Besides the conference room is much nicer.” You get up to help him put on his badge and send him on his way.

“I haven’t felt unwell since dinner.” Coriolanus stood over you as you cooked, convinced that the heat in the kitchen would make you unwell again. With a knife in your hand, it was a dangerous time for Coriolanus to tell you what to do.

“You’re sure?” he pokes.

You were tired of saying it so you just nodded your head.

“Go to the bathroom then.”

It was an odd request.

“What?” you question.

“Go to the bathroom and take a shower. Get changed into your night dress.”

He checks his watch once before motioning you forward.

There was no other option for you then to follow his request. You thought maybe he just wanted to complete the bed time routine. He wanted to know you were washed and dressed for bed for his own comfort. You never knew what made him tick.

You complete the tasks quickly and return to find he had placed a glass of water and a packet of dried mixed fruit.

You quiz him on it but he doesn’t answer. He takes your wrist in his hand and tugs you to the bed.

Taking out his handcuffs, he clips your wrist into the cuff, pulling it up to the headboard where he attached the other cuff.

You tug against it in protest. “What are you doing?”

“Just in case, Edmund comes back.”

“He won’t! Please unlock me.” you beg.

“I left your book there if you are not ready to sleep yet.” He stands tall and readjusts his uniform.

“Coriolanus!” You say in a serious tone, “Get this off of me.”

You pull against it brutally and he captures your hand against the headboard.

“I left you one hand so you can read. I don’t have to.”

“Please, don’t leave me here like this!” He ignores you, bending down once more to flick on the lamp.

“You’ve had a big day. Try and rest. I’ll be home soon.”

“Coriolanus!” you call out watching him leave. He flicks off the main light as he goes.

“Coriolanus!” you yell.

You had never felt anger as you lay trapped in bed. He dictated when you worked, when you rested, when you ate. Nothing was yours anymore. Every breath you took was only because he allowed you to take it.

There was nothing to tell the time on. It felt like years waiting for him to come back and release you. You didn’t read, only plotted.

Could you feed him something to make him sick? Surely he would request you to come see him in the infirmary. You could break away when returning from your visit. What if he caught you trying to poison him though?

Friday provided the perfect opportunity. While he was distracted with his family you could sneak away. The communication building was on the other side of the compound but at least you would be outside of the apartment.

But how would you get away far enough to make a break for it? You thought about what was in the surrounding area of the communications building. Nothing would be a reasonable excuse to pardon yourself.

Could you excuse yourself to the bathroom? Surely one of the surrounding offices would have one. Would he let you go alone? Sacrifice time with his family to take you. Would he even let you go or just expect you to make do until the phone call was over?

You came up with twenty different scenarios of escape routes, each one ended with Coriolanus catching you.

You wished you didn’t shoo Edmund away now. He could have got the door opened in time. It was only your fearfulness that stood in the way of your escape. You could be with him now, with your mother. Up in the mountains, safe and sound.

God, you hoped they were safe and well-fed.

You wished for nothing more than to tend to your mother, to ensure that she was alright.

The care that was supposed to go to her was now unjustly turned towards Coriolanus, who was adamant to wring it from your hands.

Edmund had always taken whatever care you gave him with great appreciation.

Never demanded more, and then took it with force.

He was kind and patient. Two things Coriolanus is not.

And now you have dragged him into this mess where his life is at great risk. Still, he had never demanded any more from you.

When his lips first met yours, they were placed almost in questioning. It was up to you to accept and beg for more.

You wished you had seen his affection for you sooner. But he was your brother's best friend, and the main protector of you and your mother. If Coriolanus never entered the picture you doubt he ever would have acted on it.

But he had, and you had returned the affection. It was the start of something new and beautiful or the end of years of friendship and familiarity.

Once Coriolanus went back to the Capitol, your new life would begin.

You hoped it would be alongside Edmund. You would pay him back for his bravery.

You would be a good girlfriend to him, then wife, and then mother of his children. You would never ask him for anything, and take great care of his family life. You would ensure his happiness, as he ensures your life now.

You almost forget you were chained to the bed of the Commander as you daydream of brown-haired babies. But the sound of Coriolanus arriving home was a solemn reminder. His boots against the hardwood floor soften as they reach the bedroom door.

You still had a great challenge before you got to nurse Edmund’s children.

You had to get away from Coriolanus, and the only way you could do that is if he had no idea that you planned to.

The door creaks open and you sit up straight to watch him enter.

“I am sorry. Did I wake you?” He places his coat on the foot of the bed and crawls over to where you lay.

“No. I was waiting for you.”

He smiles down at you as he unlocks the cuff from your wrist with the keys in his pocket.

“You seem happy,” you comment. You could smell the whiskey on his clothes as he leaned over you.

“I am. I have you. I have Commander Vongurt’s support behind me, and Ravinstill is not expected to last the winter. We’ll be home before you know it.”

Throwing the keys on his bedside table, he leans down to kiss you before resting his head on your collarbone.

“That’s not long,” you comment.

“Three months at the most.”

You drowned in your anxiety quietly as he rested.

Three months and your life was over.

He takes your silence as a quiet contemplation.

“Are you thinking of your mother?” he runs a curled finger along your nose.

“Yeah. I’ll miss her”. You hope to never have to know the pain of missing her again. These past few weeks have been unbearable.

“You’ll write. I’ll organize a time she can come to the compound for video calls.”

You were sure he was going to let you write and call. For how long was another thing. You could see it already, your calls being cut short, your letters ‘lost’ in the mail.

“Yeah,” you respond again.

Your mind races with ideas of escape. You could fake a sickness and be sent to the medical camp. No, he wouldn’t send you there. He panicked today over a supposed case of heatstroke.

He lowers his head down closer to you where you can smell the evening on him.

“You want to know what I was thinking?” he asks playfully.

You could start a fire during dinner time. He was sure to open the door to let you out before dealing with the flames.

“Yeah?” you entertain. Fire could go wrong for a number of reasons. Besides you would have to fight your way to the oven. Especially now that Commander Vongurt was here. Coriolanus would be too busy to wait for you to cook something.

“I was thinking I hope we have a boy first. Then two girls, then another boy.”

Your eyes shoot open as his hand reaches out across your stomach. His hand finds its way under your shirt and he lays a warm palm over your belly.

Then again, a big enough fire might kill him. Was it worth a shot?

“You called me your wife today. That’s not true.”

“What else should I have called you? We sleep together, eat together, wake together. We look after each other. The only thing missing is an official title but as soon as we get back to the Capitol, we’ll fix that.”

You turn away from him to your side. Now that the talk of the Capitol was becoming a more serious threat, you felt sick.

“Did I scare you with talk of babies? It wouldn’t be for a few more years yet.”

His rants did scare you. That would be your life if you didn’t figure out a way to the fence. Nursing Commander Snow’s babies in the Capitol. Away from your mother. Away from Edmund.

Still, you had to perform. You couldn’t let any more distrust between him and you grow.

“You didn’t scare me. I am just tired. I’ve waited up all night for you.”

You feel a soft kiss press against your ear before the weight of the bed was shifted as he moved.

“Go to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He leans over you once more to flick off the light. You hear him walk out to the bathroom to take a shower.

Could you force him to give you the keys? The chain was still dangling from the headboard. If you could somehow get his wrist caught, you could threaten him with a kitchen knife. You shake the thought from your head. You couldn’t hurt him with a knife. You were sure even one-handedly, he could take it off you if you tried.

You just needed a distraction, just two seconds when his attention wasn’t on you to escape.

Wet, salty tears rolled down your cheeks as you lay in the dark, but you made no sound.

You were still awake when he returned from his shower, dressed in his pajamas. Thinking you are asleep he is slow and quiet as he rejoins you in bed.

He curls up against your back and rests his hand on your stomach as if there is something already inside. He wasn’t going to wait a few more years. He said it purely for your comfort.

He dreamt of being a young President with a baby on the way. And another one close after that, and another, and another. He would undo history. He would have as many baby Coriolanus’s and Tigris’ as it took to heal the past.

Watching you nurture, feed, and play with his children would overtake his memories of fighting for his life when he should have been nursed by his mother.

He felt as if he was in the area but soon to be crowned Victor. President Ravinstill just had to die before he could have it all.

His destiny that had been interrupted when his father died but was now back on track. From birth, Coriolanus Snow was supposed to be the man who had it all. Not some impoverished boy, hanging on to his father’s legacy.

When he died, he would be remembered as his own man. Not as the shadow of his father.

Coriolanus Snow; Beloved President of Panem, star pupil of the Academy, Plinth Prize winner, devoted husband and father, and Victor of the games. Coriolanus would be remembered as the man who had it all.

You lay awake under him. The smell of alcohol mixed with the scent of his soap. It burnt your nose as you inhaled.

President Ravinstill could die tonight. There was no guarantee that he would even make it to winter. You had to get out. If you made it to the Capitol, you would never get back home.

While he was intoxicated was your best chance. He seemed so still now, you could take the keys off the nightstand and go through everyone. You were sure he wouldn’t wake, not until it was too late. You remember when your father drank on special occasions, he would sleep for 14 hours at a time. Coriolanus was sure to sleep for at least half that.

You wait until you can’t feel him twitch before you rise from bed. Very slowly, very carefully, you peel yourself from him, shoving a pillow in your place. He doesn’t move from your actions so you continue over to his nightstand where his key ring is laid.

Rows and rows of keys looped together. They jingle as you pick them up. Panic runs like ice up your spin as you turn back to see Coriolanus; unmoved and unknowing.

You wrap your hand around as many keys as you can to stop further noise and make your way to the door. Checking every few steps to ensure he wouldn’t turn up behind you.

The floor creeks as you pass the hallways to the living room but no other sound follows as you cross the kitchen to the door.

You start at the very first key. It slots in but refuses to turn. Moving on to the next, and the next in methodological order, bypassing the ones that were too big or small to be entertained.

You try numerous times but the right key is buried among the many.

Feeling as if it had been hours since the first key, you felt confident that it was coming up.

You stuck a key in with no resistance. The hope that died in you reappeared as the lock turned with the key.

But all too soon it died again, as you felt a hand snake into your hair. It yanks your head harshly back and you find yourself pressed against Coriolanus.

“That key will get stuck in the door, and it’d be a great pain to get it out again.”

His hand in your hair pulls you back.

“I was just going to the kitchen to get some ingredients for a hangover cure. I was coming back.” His hand twists unforgivably in your hair as you make your plea.

“Don’t lie to me,” he seethes.

“I am not!” You protest, trying to break free from his grasp.

“You think I am some type of fool?”

Reaching over you, he takes the keys out of the door and leads you back to the bedroom.

“Coriolanus. Please just listen to me.”

“If I had listened to you, I would have left the door opened. You spoiled, deceiving, little bitch.”

He was still drunk. You could smell it from his breath.

You thought it would make him complacent but it instead made him more violent.

“I was getting you my father's hangover cure.”

You stumble as he pushes you over the doorway.

“You need to trust me, Coriolanus.”

He shoves you until you are back to your side of the bed.

“I don’t.”

He throws the keys hard across the room to free his hands.

“I trust you.” You don’t fight him as he recuffs your chain, instead you willingly go along with it.

For good measure, you place a kiss on his cheek which throws him off guard.

“I don’t trust you.” he reiterated softly.

“That’s ok,” you state, “One day you will. We’ll have a happy life together. You, me, and our children.”

He looks perplexed at your words but makes no further comment as he lays down by your side, resting his head on you.

“I’ve tried my best to take care of you. To make you happy.”

“You have.” you console. You were no longer worried about President Ravinstill lasting the night, but rather yourself.

“Then why-”

“I wasn’t running. I was trying to take care of you.”

His face turns into your skin. You bring your free hand up to his head and press it down.

“Everything is ok. Just go to sleep. You’re drunk. You don’t mean it.”

You run your fingertips up and down starting from behind his ear, down to the bottom of his neck, and up again. You do it until you feel his shallow breaths upon your skin, only then do you release the tears from your eyes.

When you wake the next morning, your wrist is free and Coriolanus is not in bed.

You rise to find him in the kitchen, frying bacon. Maybe he was too intoxicated last night to remember his anger towards you.

“Good morning,” you offer. He doesn’t return the greeting. Maybe he did remember last night, and you were in a lot of trouble.

“How are you feeling?” you try again.

“What’s your father's hangover cure?”

“Two eggs, hot sauce, milk, salt, pepper, and honey”. Your father did not have a hangover cure and it did not include hot sauce or honey, both of which were considered luxury items in the District.

He looks for the ingredients, slamming the cupboards he turns towards you. “All here.”

“Oh,” you comment, “That’s good. Did you want me to make you one?”

The bacon pops in the pan and you rush over to distract yourself with it.

“Sit down. I’ll take over cooking”. The bacon was overcooked to the point where it would be barely edible.

“So what did you need for the compound kitchen last night?”

“I didn’t know we had the items. It's been that long since I cooked, I just assumed we were out.”

“You assumed you wouldn’t get caught.”

You sigh. Coriolanus in a bad mood would only mean bad things for you.

“I wasn’t running. I was trying to help. Are you always going to doubt me?”

“Yes.” he answers, pulling the pan back off you.

He dumps the bacon onto a plate and takes it to the kitchen table. You begin to clean up after him as he sits and eats.

The plate is still full by the time he is telling you to go get ready for the day.

You put on the blue sun dress he likes which acts as a two-second buffer for his anger when he sees you.

He had paused in the middle of throwing his bacon into the trash. Such a waste of food. You thought.

But he was determined to stay in his mood. He slides the empty plate across the counter.

“I am late for work,” he says.

It was unusual for him not to hold your hand as you walked to his office. You would have to work hard today to please him.

His tea was already sat upon his desk when you arrived and you rushed to pour him one.

He doesn’t drink it. It goes cold as he does his work.

You try extra hard to be quiet. There was sewing left from yesterday which you begin to complete.

“We still haven’t found your mother,” he says out of the blue after a morning of not speaking or looking at you.

His words filled you with confidence. If you could get to the mountains, at least you knew you were safe.

He doesn’t look up as he speaks.

“Edmund hasn’t returned to his house but there was a rumor that he was swapping meat for medical supplies just yesterday.”

What would he need medical supplies for? You wondered. Was your mother okay? Was he okay?

You needed to see them to make sure.

“He’s probably hiding with your mother in what’s left of the forest. Don’t worry. We’ll find him and bring your mother home.”

It was a disguised threat. He was trying to get a rise out of you.

“Good,” you comment. Keep searching the forest while they remain safe in the mountains.

“Good.” he repeats back.

A comfortable silence returns as you both go back to work, but it’s interrupted by his secretary bursting through the doors.

“Sir! Sir!” she gasps. Coriolanus shot up from his chair.

“Commander Vongurt is angry!”

You follow him without a word out of the office.

“The courtyard!” the secretary directs.

You fall behind his fast pace and reach for him blindly to keep from falling too far behind.

A crowd had formed by the time you reached the courtyard. You could hear the familiar sound of flogging and painful cries.

The crowd parts as Coriolanus approaches. In the middle of the bystanders was Commander Vongurt and a young boy curled on the dirt floor.

Coriolanus looks upon the same boy who failed to hit the target on the hot day.

Grabbing the baton from the Commander, he throws it to the ground.

“What are you doing?”

“Commander Snow,” Vongurt was out of breath from exerting himself in his beating, “This boy is a disgrace to your legacy. I caught him passing scraps to the prisoners through the bars.”

With the protection of Coriolanus, you felt safe enough to speak out, “He’s just a boy.”

“Take him to the jail. He can sleep there for a week if he likes their company so much.”

“Coriolanus!” you take his arm and tug it. He gives you a harsh look and you know you won’t be able to persuade him.

The boy cries out and begins to beg as he is carted away by two others.

“Coriolanus, please!” You tug his arm once more and he hits you harshly across the cheek.

You stumble upon the impact. The men shuffle away from you as you try and regain your footing.

Coriolanus takes your arm in a harsh grip, pulling you back in the right direction but he is turned to speak to Vonngurt.

“District 12 is my district. Next time you feel like taking discipline into your own hands, don’t.”

The older Commander nods his head, but you can see he is displeased to have been spoken to in such a manner.

“Let’s go.” He was now talking to you and shoving you forcefully in front of himself back to the office.

You tear yourself free as the door shuts behind you.

“You don’t dictate my decisions.”

Your nose is clogged from your tears. You couldn’t tell if you were crying out of pain or anger. Your brain was still trying to catch up.

“Calling my name,” he says astonished, “It doesn’t matter if you disagree with my decision. Your job is to support me.”

He catches you as you try to make your way from him and he tosses you to the couch, where he stands over you.

“You embarrassed me. Vongurt already thinks I can’t control my Peacekeepers, now he thinks I can’t control my women as well.”

You cup your bruised cheek. This wasn’t about Vongurt. He was still hurting about your attempt last night. All day he was looking for a reason to lash out, Vongurt only provided the opportunity.

You were put back on defense. With only at most a month before you were carted off to the Capitol, mistakes couldn’t be afforded.

“I am sorry.” you choke out.

He squinted his eyes, bringing his hand up to his head before throwing it back again, “What were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t!” you spit. There is no sincerity in your voice.

“Look at me when I am talking to you.” He takes your chin into his hand and pulls it up to his eye level. “Ravinstill is expected to die shortly. This behavior of yours cannot be brought back to the Capitol.”

“It won’t be. I am sorry.” Your fists clench by your side.

He turns your chin to expect your cheek.

“I did it too. That’s the only reason I spoke out. I would have been thrown in jail too.” you contend.

He lets go of your chin and stands up to full height, “You think a Peacekeeper would get the same punishment as a District? No. You would have been hanged. Yet another reason to be loyal to me. I’ve saved you.”

“I am loyal to you. Grateful for you.” You get up and follow him as he makes his way to his desk.

“Coriolanus, please don’t be mad at me. I was only ever trying to help.”

You sob ugly causing him to spin around. Your cheek hurt, and you felt the weight of the world on your shoulders trying to get away within such a short time frame. You were overwhelmed with the whole scenario and the thought of dealing with Coriolanus as he looked for opportunities to lash out was too much to bear.

He softens upon your unraveled composure, taking you into his arms.

“Stop crying. It’s okay”. You feel him rest his head on top of yours. “I am just a little wound up trying to get everything in order. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. I am sorry.”

You smile slightly, he is back on defense.

—------

Friday came quickly. The call wasn’t until the afternoon so you spent the whole day as a ball of anxiety.

But at least you had a plan. On evening walks you took more notice of the building surrounding the communications tent, and saw a nurse carrying a load of blankets into a building of washing machines.

There were few things Coriolanus let you do alone, washing was one of them.

The washing machine in the apartment would need to be dealt with. But the long hours spent in his office meant that the dirty clothes were piling up. He would demand a fresh uniform for work. If you left it close to his phone call with his family, he was sure to let you go.

You push it out for as long as you can. He had wanted to leave ten minutes ago but you kept pressing him for one more minute.

You had taken small rocks from the ground during your afternoon walk, telling Coriolanus you would like to take a part of home back to the Capitol with you. He had allowed you to collect a small jar, you picked the biggest rocks you could find.

Big enough to jam the pipes of the washing machine.

“Darling, please. We have to leave.” He bangs on the door of the washing room.

You finish shoving the rocks as far as they would go down the pipe. It made an awful sound as the washing machine ate them up causing the water to rise.

“Coriolanus,” you call. As soon as you open the door, he grabs your arm, ready to yank you out.

“Coriolanus. The machine is broken. Look.”

He barely glaces at it, “ I’ll send someone to fix it. Let’s go.”

“I need to do the washing,” you pick up the basket as he pulls you from the room, “Can I use the compound washing machines?”

“That’s fine. Just move, we are late.”

You struggle to keep up with him as he rushes along the compound. He hated it if his phone call was cut short by even a second. Now he was two minutes late and he was almost running to make up time for it.

You reach the building in record time. He lets go of you to pick up speed, leaving you by the door as he hurries.

He rushes to the small screen, not bothering to sit down on the wooden chair as he twisted the knobs. “Tigris, Tigris? Can you hear me?”

He must have heard a voice on the other side as he broke out into a smile. It was a pretty, genuine smile that you had not seen before.

“Hey,’’ he laughs. You watch from where you stand by the door. He seemed almost unrecognizable. A young boy sent away to a summer camp instead of a ruthless and ambitious Commander. “I am sorry. The washing machine broke. How are you?”

His tone is light and happy as he talks to Tigris. You wonder if he had forgotten he even brought you. He didn’t glance at you as he spoke, giving her his full attention.

You wonder if it is best to make your exit now but his words stop you.

“She’s here.” he waves you over. You drop the basket in coming to him. You wondered what Tigris would look like. What she would sound like.

Coriolanus holds out the receiver for you. You peer at the screen to see a blonde girl in colorful clothing before you put the receiver to your ear.

“Hello,” you greet.

“Oh!” Tigris croons. She pulls the receiver away from her mouth to lessen her shout, “Grandma’am come see!”

She smiles as she turns her attention back to you, “Oh, Coryo has talked so much about you.”

“What is she saying?” Coriolanus places his hands on your hip and pulls down so you are sitting on his knee.

“She’s said you’ve talked about me,” you answer.

He smiles gently at you, turning the receiver in your hand out between you.

An older woman comes too close into the frame and Tigris pulls her back.

“Is that her?” the old woman asks Tigris who nods.

“Girl-Girl.” she talks into the speaker.

“Yes, Ma’am?”

“You must be grateful he is sending you back to the Capitol. Don’t ruin it like the last one.”

Coriolanus snatches the receiver away from your ear to soften her words but you heard them any way.

“Grandma’am is unwell,” he tells you, “Pay her no mind.”

Tigris takes back the receiver and positions it in a similar fashion to Coriolanus.

“Did you get the dresses I sent?”

“I did. Thank you. I was hoping to send you back some shortbread but Coriolanus has been busy with work.”

“He was saying you cook. Grandma’am and I are so excited to meet you!”

“Me too,” you lie. “I hear the Capitol is wonderful. I look forward to exploring it with you.”

Tigris laughs. She was beautiful, you thought. Perhaps too popular to be showing you the capital. You felt foolish for even lying about it.

“We’ll have a ball. I’ll show you all around.”

“In time,” Coriolanus interjects. The chains around you would not loosen just because you were in the Capitol. “The Capitol is big. There’ll be time to see it all.”

You let Coriolanus take over the talking. Only offering agreements or soft smiles as the Snow women talk.

The family soon falls into a comfortable way of talking. You had said next to nothing for the last 10 minutes, and it had gone unnoticed. It was time to make your way.

You slowly rise from Coriolanus who latches out on your arm.

“I’ll just put the washing on. That way it will be done by the time we finish.”

He tugs you back down causing you to fall into him. Out of the corner of your eye, you can see Tigris almost cringe.

“We’ll do it later,” he demands.

“We’ll be washing well into the night if we leave it any longer. I’ll just pop it on. I’ll be five minutes.”

His face twisted with his words but you kissed him to stop them from leaving his mouth. It was the first time you had ever kissed him on the lips. You could tell by the way his mouth stilled that he was surprised.

“Five minutes.” You kiss his bottom lip to quell any fight he has in him. Grabbing the phone in the meantime.

“Tigris. Grandma. I’ll just be 5 Minutes to put the washing on”.

Tigris smiles at you, letting you know that it is fine. You could just barely hear Grandma’am make a comment about how the people in the Capitol don't do their own washing but it is cut off by you shoving the phone back in Coriolanus's hand.

He cups your face to bring you down for another kiss.

“Five minutes,” he repeats.

You smile at him as you pull away. It was too easy, You had won.

It felt like victory as you picked up the basket and placed it on your hip. You turn back halfway out the door to see he has gone back to talking to his family.

You don’t make it to the tent. Five steps away from the door and you had dropped the basket and taken off at a fast pace.

You walk to try not to draw attention to yourself. It worked for the most part. Hardly anyone gave you a glance. You could see the bins coming into sight. Your freedom is just behind them.

“Hey!” you hear someone call out. You ignore them at first, not thinking they could mean you. But a harsh hold on your arm spun you towards a Peacekeeper.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“What? Nothing”. Your freedom lay not ten feet away but was hindered by a zealous guard.

“Where’s Commander Snow?” He held you too tight. It interfered with your clear thinking.

“The communications tent.”

“Is that where you should be?”

“No,” you try and tug your arm away from him but his nails dig in. “Let go of me. Let go!”

“Let’s go ask Commander Snow what you should be doing.” The man starts to drag you along as you dig your feet into the dirt.

“Let go!” you shout. He was sure to notice you gone soon if he hadn’t already. Time was running out.

In frustration, you slap the Peacekeeper across the face.

“How dare you touch me. I’ll tell Commander Snow about this. You’ve hurt me.

You feel his grip loosen on you but he doesn’t let go completely.

“No, I haven’t!” he says somewhat fearfully,

“Commander Snow has asked me to get something for him, and not only have you stopped me from doing that but you hurt me in the process. How do you think he will react to that?”

You manage to tear free from him and give yourself some distance.

“I am going to do as he asked me, and you are going to do your duties like you should be doing. Otherwise, I’ll report you to the Commander."

The Peacekeeper mulls over his course of action before raising his hands.

“I didn’t mean to cause any trouble. Excuse me.”

You turn your back on him and quicken your steps to your destination. Making sure the coast is clear, you crawl behind the large bins. You couldn’t see any broken fence behind it.

Did they find it? Have you just made a fatal mistake?

You continue to crawl, placing your hand on the metal for any movement.

The chain bends showing cut wire as they bend. Relief washing through you.

It digs harshly into you as you pull yourself through.

You could have kissed the dirt on the other side. Freedom. Edmund.

The guard in the tower above you looks out across the field. You keep under his eyesight as you slide across the fence as quietly as you can.

It runs out, leaving ten feet of open field before the safety of the forest. Ten feet and then you were free. There was no cover, meaning that the guard could easily spot you if he was looking.

You say a silent prayer that the guard will keep his focus straight before you take the chance of discovery.

You leap across the field, throwing yourself upon the first tree you touch. The bark smashed your bruised cheek as you waited for the sirens to sound.

He mustn’t have seen you. You had got away.

You take a second to laugh as quietly as you can. Run, a voice in your head told you. You regain your breath and do. You run as fast as you can, taking the backroads back to your home.

Your lungs burn, willing you to stop but you keep going until your house is in view. You only slow down to stop drawing attention to yourself.

People had started to return home from work. You could see them as you walked along the back of their houses. You're careful not to be seen.

The back steps of your place come under your feet, and your caution disappears as you fling yourself into your home.

Edmund was sitting at the kitchen table dressing a rabbit he caught.

He stood up. Turning his knife towards you thinking you were an intruder.

You knew he would never hurt you so you throw your arms around his shoulders despite the threat.

The knife drops and he takes you into his arms.

“I was so worried.” he breathed.

“We have to go. We need to leave,” you state but make no attempt to pull away.

He does pull away, throwing the rabbit into his hunting sack and picking up his knife. You take his bloody hand and he leads you back out the back door and into the forest.

The walk to the mountains takes well into the night. You both do it silently. What was there to say? There was still a long road to safety.

You stay as close as you could to him. Always holding his hand or latched onto his arm.

The mountain trail is tough and you wonder how he made it up with your mother on his back. He knew the way well, having worked in the mines nearly all his life. He warned you of which boulders were loose, and when you tripped over he caught you as if he almost expected it.

You were worn out by the time you reached the campsite. Rows and rows of small wooden houses for the miners. All were empty this time of year as it got too dark too early and not light enough too late for the hours they worked.

You saw a freshly put-out fire and knew that your mother was close.

“Your mothers in that one,” he pointed to the right cabin, “My family’s in the next one.”

For the first time in the hour's walk, you tore free from him and ran into your mother's cabin.

It was a relief to see her sleeping figure. You throw yourself on top of her and begin crying.

She wakes in fright but knows the figure of her daughter well. She throws her arms around you and joins you in crying.

You were home. You were safe.

—---------

As soon as the door closed, Coriolanus felt as if he had made a mistake. He trusted you.

You were better now. Doing well. He could trust you.

But Tigris’s words made no sense to him. You were coming back.

He tried to focus on his family but he eyes the door expectantly.

Dread fills him. How long did it take to put on washing?

“Coriolanus?” he hears Tigris call.

He dashes out of his chair. He had made a very big mistake.

“Coriolanus?” the receiver resounds.

Upon opening the door he is met with his washing by his feet. He takes off running to his apartment. You were sick the other day, maybe you had fallen ill again and taken to bed.

He pushed past Peacekeepers as he ran to his steps. Taking them two at a time he reaches the top and pushes open the unlocked door. It was only ever locked to keep someone in, never someone out. He calls out for you but is met with silence.

He opened every door along the way to the bedroom, hoping you were just hiding.

He calls your name again and again until falling silent upon the empty bed. You weren’t here. Coriolanus had made a big mistake.

Clicking the radio built into the collar of his shirt, he demands that the compound is shut down.

“Has anyone been through the gates?” Both leading officers of the two entryways confirm that no one has. The Peacekeepers are diverted into searching the compound for you.

Coriolanus joins too. He didn’t trust the ability of his Peacekeepers. He searched every nook and cranny of every office and building he could find. His temper flared the longer the search went on.

You had to be in the compound. How could you have got out?

He returns to his apartment. Maybe you had returned upon hearing the sirens.

A cat catches his attention as it sits meowing and eating bits of food from the ground that the birds had managed to pick out.

He had never seen a cat in the compound before. Could it have got in the same way you got out?

He walks over to search it for any clues it might have but it runs off as he comes closer.

He chases it behind the bin where he watches it slip through the bent wire in the fence.

You had got away. Now at large in the districts.

He sighs deeply before taking his rage out on the back of the bins, bashing and kicking at it until he is forced to lean against it to catch his breath.

A search party would be sent out, interrogations would be issued. Someone had to have seen you along the way. He would find you and he would bring you home to him.

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slaymitchabernathy · 16 hours

Text

Mr. Peacekeeper

Coriolanus hears her before he sees her. Or well, he hears the other guys and their jeers, alerting him of her presence on the base.

Becoming a Peacekeeper—involuntarily—has been a difficult adjustment for Coriolanus Snow who was used to the ways of the Capitol, to say the least. In that beautiful city, there was law and order, a natural hierarchy and he was so close to making his way to the top.

Snow lands on top after all.

But he fell, fell down the rabbit hole and here he was sitting on the edge of his bunk shining his black Peacekeeper boots. At least he was from the Capitol, he knew the rest of these men couldn’t say the same and that gave him an upper hand. At least in his mind, it did.

It’s empty in his barrack, everyone’s either down at the Hob or in the mess hall. He chose to forego either so he could have some time to himself, plan out his grand future. More like his grand escape. That’s why he’s really here, so see her, talk to her, learn from her.

They do things differently in the Districts. Without the Capitol here to direct and instate immediate order it’s become a bit of a wasteland. And who in the Capitol gives a shit about District Twelve?

The sound of the door creaking open pulls him from his thoughts and he looks up to see Soarynn wearing that sweet smile as she walks towards his bunk. She's put some effort into her appearance today which is a stark contrast to how he first met her, stumbling out of another barrack in the middle of the night, with no shoes, her hair a mess, her makeup slightly smudged and she reeked of sex.

A barracks bunny.

That's what she was. At least that's what Beanpole told him when Coriolanus asked about the messy-headed blonde girl the next morning at breakfast He'd gotten a few chuckles from the older Peacekeepers, "She's real wild in the sheets, you should meet her sometime," Smiley had told him. The idea of a girl willingly entering the Peacekeeper's base to provide...services was somewhat revolting to Coriolanus who was used to women being civilized. He certainly hadn't come across any prostitutes while roaming the streets of the Capitol after dark.

It instantly made Soarynn trash in his eyes. Lowlife, pathetic, District trash.

"Well, don't you look pretty?" He asks, looking her up and down. She's wearing a light pink dress that has lace detailing on the hem. It's probably the nicest thing she owns and she wore it just for him. Her hair is pulled back and there's probably a ribbon tying it up with a few pieces framing her face. Soarynn giggles and plops down next to him, her hand immediately taking his. He's still taken aback by it, her confidence. But Soarynn is more than used to being around dangerous men like him, it's second nature to her.

"Had to look good for my favorite Peacekeeper," she says sweetly, batting those blue-gray eyes up at him. Oh, how he'd love to see them roll back in pleasure. He smirks, "You look the prettiest when you're crying on my cock, but you know that already don't you?"

Soarynn hums, absentmindedly playing with his fingers, the same ones she loves lodged deep in her cunt until she's teary-eyed. “Saw y’all strung up someone else today,” she says, but she doesn’t sound mad like some other people in town. They’d hung a known criminal today after he attempted to attack one of the mine bosses. The crowd was outright aggressive and Coriolanus was honestly surprised shots hadn’t been fired.

He nods, “Yeah, didn’t see you in the crowd though.” Soarynn giggles and drops his hand, “I was asleep.” Well he’s not surprised there. Soarynn is a true night owl, sleeping during the day and wide awake during the night. A bit unusual but when your job is sleeping around with all sorts of men you tend to have an odd sleep schedule.

At first, Coriolanus had been slightly put off by her work. Sleeping around was one thing but selling yourself? He did his best to avoid her, not become another one of her customers. But she was hard to ignore with that smile and those eyes not to mention the moans she’d let out while she got fucked. He knew most men on this base couldn’t give her what she really wanted but it wasn’t really about her and she knew that. Still, she put on quite the show with her exaggerated gasps and moans.

All for a few crumpled up pieces of money.

Eventually he caved. Got her to give him a blowjob one night at the Hob. Soarynn’s services extended past the base into the greater area of District Twelve and she was more than happy to help him out. That’s when he got addicted to her.

Maybe it was because the base lacked a certain amount of feminine charm but Coriolanus was downright desperate for some female company. He didn’t always fuck her. Sometimes he’d finger her or she’d give him head, other times they’d just talk. She was seventeen, one year younger than him but well beyond her years in his opinion. She was funny, clever and so, so sweet.

And no matter how many times he fell asleep with her in his arms, he always woke up to an empty bed.

“Did you have sweet dreams?” He asks, frowning at the loss of physical contact. Soarynn shrugs, “Doesn’t really matter does it?” Well she has a point. And he didn’t ask her to come here for conversation this time. He needs to fuck. Let all his frustrations out on her. The worst part is that she’ll let him do whatever he wants to her. As long as he pays her for it.

It’s almost pitiful the way her eyes light up at the sight of a shiny coin when he pulls it from his pocket. She’s got siblings at home, lots of little ones to look after, mouths to feed. Her mom died when she was little and her dad works in the mines. He has no idea that his daughter’s a whore.

“You miss me?” He asks, placing the coin into her palm, her small fingers wrapping around it. Coriolanus leans in and presses a kiss to her neck, smirking when she whimpers, “Mhm, missed you a lot Coriolanus.” The way his name rolls off her tongue is a sweet symphony. He wants to hear it again and again and again. He slips a hand under he dress, his fingers dragging along her lace panties.

Her lingerie is probably the nicest thing she owns but when you make a living selling your body he supposed that you’d need to invest in a good lingerie selection. He sometimes imagines her in proper, expensive lingerie from the Capitol. Taking her there, giving her a leash and collar and teaching her how to be a good girl for him. Train her.

Soarynn asks him lots of questions about the Capitol, so curious about it all. He thinks it’s cute the way her eyes light up when he tells her a new fact about the city he used to call home. “Why don’t you lay on back for me then?” He asks, pulling his hand back out and earning him a whine. He shoots her a stern look and Soarynn is quick to lay down on his bunk. Thank goodness he chose the bottom bunk because he can’t imagine trying to conquer the top bunk while conquering her sweet cunt.

“How much to finish inside of you?” He grunts, grabbing her hips and tugging her under him. Soarynn gasps and sits up on her elbows, shooting him a nervous look, “I…I don’t know if I can let you finish inside me anymore,” she says quietly.

Coriolanus raises his eyebrows. It costs extra to finish inside that pretty little cunt of hers and not too many men can afford that luxury. Just another thing that sets him apart from these District folk. “Why not?” He asks, his tone far from kind. Usually he wouldn’t fight her on it but he’s had a long day and all he wants to do is bury himself inside her cunt.

Soarynn swallows and stares at the springs of the top bunk above her, “I um…I just don’t wanna do that anymore. With anyone, not just you I swear.” And that’s more than a reasonable answer but Coriolanus wants nothing more than to bury himself inside of her when he finishes and he just can’t take no for an answer. Not today. Not after the week he’s had.

Anger flashes through his eyes and he grabs her thigh, squeezing it so tight that he'll definitely leave behind bruises from where his fingers were, "A bit ironic huh? The District Twelve whore doesn't want to do her job anymore?" He knows he's being mean, cruel, and that Soarynn's just doing her best to provide for her siblings but this just might push him over the edge.

He can't stand it here. The heat, the bugs, the smell, and the people are the worst part of it all. Everyone has sunken faces and bony figures, he's surprised most of them can stand. Soarynn is no different, even at seventeen she could easily pass for fifteen the way her growth has been stunted. Coriolanus can count every single one of her ribs when she arches her back from pleasure and far from well-fed. Sometimes the guys on base will sneak her some food, a piece of bread, or some leftover bologna.

A small price to pay to fuck her senseless.

Soarynn's eyes slightly widen at his hurtful comments but she's got thick skin she shakes her head, "I can't afford another mouth to feed." He wants to roll his eyes at that line of defense because heaven knows Soarynn could never carry a child inside of her malnourished body but there has to be a better reason as to why she won't let him finish inside of her.

"I think you're lying," he says slowly, sliding his hand up to her inner thigh, "I think you're too scared to tell me the actual truth Soarynn." Soarynn presses her thighs together but his hand stays where he put it and she huffs, "What's it matter to you?" She snaps, a defiant look in her eyes, "Not like you wanna be around the likes of me for any longer than you have to." She's got him there. Coriolanus has spent one too many nights telling Soarynn about his grand plans once he gets the hell out of here. She'd sit wide-eyed and listen to him, hanging on every word he said.

"I'll go back to my penthouse," he'd say, "fix it up, get a new chandelier, then I'd go to the University, get a true education. Then it's off to the big leagues, running for President." Soarynn would be so attentive, so interested in his perfectly planned future. One night as they were drifting off to sleep she had mumbled some words that still stuck with him to this day, "Maybe I could come with you, just for a bit."

This little girl often believed in him more than he did and he'd be damned if he let all that go to waste. He shakes his head and sits back on his knees, "There's still something you're not telling me. What is it? Did your old boyfriend find out about your little job?" Soarynn turns a shade of pink at him mentioning her old flame, Billy Taupe. According to Soarynn, Billy Taupe had been her first time in everything. First kiss, first time having sex, and all of the in-between. Coriolanus hated him for that. Mainly because the man was the same age as Coriolanus, making him older than Soarynn. And yes, Coriolanus was no better than him in that regard, but, he wasn't dating Soarynn.

He was fucking her. There's a difference.

She looks down at her dress and he sees something he's never seen in her eyes before, shame. Soarynn is a lot of things, she's quick on her feet, witty, and confident. She's never had any shame for her chosen profession but it's written clear as day on her face.

"My dad," she finally says, "he came home early the other night, must've caught wind of what I've been up to. We argued for a long while before...before he kicked me out. Won't let me see my siblings, won't let me back in the house, nothin' is gonna change his mind." She's crying now and Coriolanus is beginning to feel uncomfortable because all he had wanted was a quick fuck and maybe to get the local scoop on what was happening in town. He doesn't need a sob story but he can play this to his advantage.

He wastes no time in wrapping his strong arms around her, embracing her small, shaking frame, "Oh, Soarynn I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how difficult that must be for you." He doesn't mention how he has literally been kicked out of his home and the Capitol because that's not going to get him where he needs to go.

He's got to play his cards right.

So he lets her cry, the poor thing sounds devastated as she sobs into his white Peacekeeper shirt. He rubs her back in soothing circles, figuring she might as well get it all out now while she can. When she finally pulls away her eyes are puffy and her face is stained with tears, "I don't know what to do Coriolanus," she whispers, her fingers playing with his dog tags, "I'm staying' with a cousin of mine but I can't stay there forever."

For some reason, his mind drifts to the Officer's test he took the other day. Only those who were Capitol-born could qualify to take the test and Commander Hoff had basically told Coriolanus that he'd get the position considering most of the men on base can't read. He might even get transferred to a higher-ranking District, like District Two. Which was still a District nonetheless but for once, Coriolanus couldn't be picky.

Once he got to Two he'd climb up the ranks until he would be able to get back to the Capitol. He'd make it work somehow, he was sure of it. Too bad he'd have to leave Soarynn and all her troubles behind though. He'd miss the feeling of her sweet cunt wrapped around his cock.

Coriolanus perks up. "Soarynn?" She sniffles and wipes her face with the back of her hand, "Yeah?" It's a crazy and stupid idea but it just might work if he plays his cards right, "I um...I'm going to leave Twelve soon, very soon actually once my Officer's test results come back," he starts, and Soarynn's face drops. She looks even sadder if that's possible, "Oh, oh, well that's real exciting Coriolanus," she mumbles. He bites the inside of his cheek, debating whether or not to propose his idea to her. But Soarynn's harmless for the most part, and dispensable but she doesn't need to know that.

"Yes it is and I was thinking maybe I could take you with me."

Soarynn drops his dog tags and stares down at her lap for a moment, his words sinking in. She looks up at him and she looks like she doesn't believe a word he's saying, "Take me with you?" She repeats, tilting her head like a sweet little puppy. Coriolanus scratches the back of his neck because it does sound a bit crazy when you say it out loud but Soarynn could be the stepping stone he needs to climb up the ranks. It's a shot in the dark but it's a risk he's willing to take for her.

He nods, "Yeah. Um, you could come with me, I'm sure I could make it work, convince Hoff to let you leave Twelve, and that way you could kind of start over." He's overselling it but Soarynn doesn't pick up on it. Soarynn brushes her hair behind her ears and bites her lip the way she always does when she can't make a decision. Sometimes they play a game where he'll put a coin in one of his hands and tell her to pick which hand it's in. If she picks the right hand, she gets to keep the coin. Right now, she has to pick the correct hand.

"I'd have to leave my family," she finally says. There's pain and sadness in her voice but Coriolanus can't afford that, not when he already has this entire thing formulated in his mind, "They already left you," he tells her, cupping her face with his hand, "they all turned their backs on you when all you wanted was to provide for them."

More hurt flashes in her eyes but he is right to a certain extent. Sure, sleeping around with half the District wasn't the best way to make money and it sure as hell isn't legal but at least she was using her assets.

"How would you get me out?" She asks and he knows right then and there that he's got her. Coriolanus presses a kiss to her forehead, "Don't you worry about a thing."

꧁ ꧂

It's a bit nerve-racking to willingly walking into Commander Hoff's office but no one has gotten anywhere without a little bit of courage. So Coriolanus musters up all the courage he has before entering the office, his head held high.

He's greeted with a curt nod and Hoff gestures for him to take a seat, "You've impressed me, Snow," Hoff starts, "haven't had a man like you in a long time." Coriolanus swallows, "Thank you, sir." He has to keep it strictly business until the last moment. Hoff nods and holds up a file, "Your test scores came back. Passed with flying colors, as expected of course. We'll be sad to see you go." Coriolanus feels a small smile tug on his lips, "I'm leaving the base?" He asks, feigning surprise.

Hoff grunts and reaches for his glass of what looks like whiskey and takes a drink, "You are. District Two has a much better program than we do down here. Say, you wouldn't happen to be Crassus Snow's boy would you?" The painful reminder of his overachieving father stabs Coriolanus right in his ego but he nods, "Yes sir, he's my father." Hoff nods, seemingly impressed, "Now that was a real man. Always willing to do whatever was needed for us to succeed. These other men on this base, they don't have that, have the guts, the gaul. You have it though Private, I can see it."

Those words do nothing but inflate his previously stabbed ego. To be praised to the same degree as his father is something Coriolanus isn't used to but he's beginning to like it. Hoff waves his hand in the air, "But that's not what you're here for. You leave at the end of the week, make sure to say your goodbyes and get your affairs in order. tie up any loose ends."

Coriolanus only has one loose end and he plans on taking her with him whether he reaches to top or the bottom. He clears his throat before leaning forward in his chair, "That's what I was hoping to talk to you about sir." Hoff raises his eyebrow, Coriolanus is sure that the man doesn't get a lot of requests from his men but Coriolanus is willing to be the first. "Is there something you need Private?"

Coriolanus laces his fingers, "There is sir. You see, there's this girl here and I can't find it in myself to cut things off with her." Hoff lets out a laugh, it's so loud and unexpected that Coriolanus jumps in his seat. He watches the Commander laugh, laugh so hard that he has a tear running down his face, "Well give her one more slap on the ass before you go Private," he chuckles, wiping his tear, "can't stay here from some District lowlife."

Coriolanus glances at the closed door that leads outside before inching even closer to the edge of his seat, "You know the girl who comes here at night? The barracks bunny?"

"The blonde one?"

"That's her."

"What about her Snow?"

"That's the girl. The girl I can't leave. I need to take her with me to Two. She won't cause any trouble I swear."

Hoff manages to win the dumbstruck look off of his face in under a minute but Coriolanus is still nervous about what he's going to say. He could dismiss him, strip away all titles and achievements and Coriolanus could spend the rest of his miserable life in Twelve. "This girl of yours, she's a crowd favorite isn't she?" It pains Coriolanus to think of all the men Soarynn has been with. She hasn't slept with anyone else since he proposed the idea to her per his request. He'll have to get her properly tested for any diseases.

He nods, "She is sir." Hoff strokes his chin and leans back in his chair, lost in thought, "You know, I've seen her running around my base. Never chased her off though, it's good for the men to have something to motivate them you know. But after all these years I've never spoken to her, never run into her myself."

Coriolanus can't stop the grin from spreading across his face, "What if I could make that happen for you sir?"

꧁ ꧂

Thirty minutes later Coriolanus is walking out of Hoff's office with a skip in his step. They'd reached a wonderful agreement. He finds Soarynn right where he left her, sitting outside with her back against the wall. She's wearing her cleanest dress and he scrubbed her down in the shower until her skin turned pink. He wanted her spotless. Her hair is brushed and braided and she managed to get some makeup from her cousin when she went to get her things the other day to move out.

Soarynn looks up at him and she looks nervous, he knows why though. She's never met Commander Hoff, didn't want to risk getting arrested. He offers her a hand and she gingerly takes it, her small fingers wrapping around his larger ones, she glances at the open door before looking back up at him.

Coriolanus leans down until his lips ghost the shell of her ear, "Go in there and make him happy."

And Soarynn does, because she's his good girl and his favorite little toy to share when need be.

They'll both be leaving on the next train should things go well tonight.

For her sake, he hopes they do.

꧁ ꧂

"I've never seen mountains like that before." Coriolanus looks up from his book and looks out the train window. He can see the icy peaks of District Two's mountains jutting into the sky, "The biggest mountain is called 'The Nut' and there's a base inside of it," he tells her, directly reading from the book in his hands. Hoff had given him the book as they got onto the train so he could brush up on his District Two knowledge. Soarynn's eyes widen and she looks up at him, "You're lyin', no way there's a base inside of that." He chuckles and closes the book, "You'll see it soon."

Getting Soarynn on this train hadn't been easy but he did it. After she spent the night with Commander Hoff she came back to his bunk covered in bruises with blood dripping down her leg. Coriolanus hadn't known what to say when she collapsed in his arms and sobbed until she passed out. The next day he was told that both of them would be traveling to District Two together where she would be his responsibility.

All Officers were given private sleep quarters which included a single twin bed, a dresser, and a small bathroom with a sink, toilet, and shower. There was one window and one door in and out of the small shack but it was much better than sharing with several other men.

Soarynn had been so excited when he told her about it. She didn't even care that she would be thousands of miles away from her family. She'd gone to say her goodbyes to her siblings the morning the left. Coriolanus had accompanied her to the sorry excuse they considered a house. All her siblings looked just like her, blonde hair and blue eyes and they were all so young. Soarynn had kissed all their heads and whispered words of devotion and encouragement before giving her dad a more than awkward hug goodbye.

The man stared Coriolanus down the entire time as if this was all his fault.

Now they were almost to the station where they'd be driven directly to the base. Coriolanus had been more than pleased with the accommodations they'd been met with so far. First-class train tickets, a private escort to the station in Twelve. Things were already looking up for him.

He places a hand on Soarynn's thigh, giving it a firm squeeze, "Remember, manners, no talking unless spoken to and do-"

"Don't tell anyone how we really met," Soarynn finishes for him, "I know. I'm not dumb." She kind of was but he just kisses her temple, "It'll be good for us to start over," he decides."

As they pulled into the station he felt better than he had in a long, long time. Snow lands on top once again.

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