Coriolanus Snow X Reader (The Hunger Games)

Part 9

Coriolanus Snow arrives at home just as the Peacekeepers were preparing the tributes for their first training. "Where have you been!?" Tigris asks, arms crossed. Coryo shrugs. "Wanted to stay up at the Capitol with Sejanus before training." He lies, heading into the bathroom to take a shower then fix his uniform and make his hair look a little more.. pretty. Even though most would argue his hair always looks pretty, but here at the Capitol being presentable is a big part of getting people to like you and root for you and your tribute. So why not make it look as good as he could possibly get it? Once satisfied with his hair, which was smooth and knot free, and also dried to make it look wavier than usual, he heads back over to the kitchen where his cousin and Grandma'am were. "Hey Grandma'am, do you have another rose? This one looks a little rough." He hands his grandmother the bent rose who immediately pulls out another white rose seemingly from nowhere. Guess she always had them on her. Coryo slips the new rose into his red jacket where the previous one had been- right in front of his heart. "Look at you! So handsome!" Grandma'am smiles, patting him on the cheek. Tigris just watched with a laugh, but agreed. "Wishing you and Y/N good luck. You'll do great, Coryo. Don't look so nervous." Tigris tells her cousin, patting him on the shoulder and sending him out the door.

Coriolanus enters the Capitol building feeling fresh. His bruise was almost completely unnoticeable, and now that he knew Y/N was okay he felt a lot better about everything. He was gaining confidence in her more and more everyday. Of course, a lot of it depended on how this training will go. He'll either lose the confidence or gain some more. Either way, he was determined to keep her alive both in and out of that arena. Before he was going to go into the training viewing area, he wanted to talk to Dr. Gaul about something. Entering her office, he studies various of her experiments as well as dozens and dozens of snakes. He wasn't sure why she had so many snakes, but he assumed she just liked having a lot of reptile friends. "Ah, Mr. Snow! I was just about to come get you, we have a lot to discuss." Dr. Gaul appears behind one of the snake tanks and her voice fills the air. "We do?" Coryo asks, confused. "We do. Come sit young man." She says, pulling out a chair. Coryo does as he's told and takes a seat, his confidence was now lowered. "What is it? Is it-" he remembers his time with Y/N earlier, and suddenly realizes that Dr. Gaul could have found out about it. Now he was really panicking. "Mr. Snow. Do you remember what happens to those who disobey rules?" Gaul asks, fingers interlocked. Coryo shakes his head in denial. "Oh, my boy. I'm not going to punish you. I'm here to congratulate you, to thank you." She smiles widely, taking a snake from the tank and watching as it slithers around her gloved hand. "What?" Coryo was completely lost. "I know what you came here for today, Mr. Snow. You want to get closer to your tribute. Well, I'm here to tell you that from now on, I'm allowing just that." Dr. Gaul pulls up a screen, which played the events in the woods from earlier. "How?" Coriolanus squints at the screen, not believing what he saw. "Oh, you forget that we have cameras throughout that entire forest. Can't let a tribute get away, right? Well, long story short, people loved, and I mean loved your little act with the girl from 12. It's gotten more views than her interview with the boy did." Dr. Gaul strokes her snake, which was a shiny rainbow color. "I- I just wanted to help. She could've died and I knew people wouldn't have been happy about that." This was true, but what other people thought wasn't the real reason he had wanted to help Y/N. "So intelligent." Dr. Gaul beams. "Well, as you can see your idea was the better one, once again. So, we're going to scratch Sejanus's idea and use yours. Meaning all mentors can now have close access to their tributes. Yes, all. Not just you. You'd better hope they don't have any better ideas than you." She laughs and shoos Coryo away. "Go on now, go see your little friend from 12 while I spend some time with my own little friends." Dr. Gaul smiles ear to ear and watches as Coriolanus leaves her office.

Entering the mentor's viewing room, Coryo still couldn't believe what had just happened. He was ecstatic. Not having to try to help Y/N with a bar or a Peacekeeper blocking their view of each other? This day was starting to turn into an alright one. He couldn't wait to tell Y/N the news and then be able to physically help her train! "What are you smiling about?" Asks Sejanus. Shoot. He would also have to break the news to his friend that yet another one of his ideas had failed. He pulls Sejanus aside. "They want us to get closer to the tributes now. Instead.. instead of the tributes getting close to each other." Coryo bites his lip. "And you're happy about that!? My whole plan was working just fine! We were getting views! What the hell changed that?" Sejanus yells, obviously angry at the rule change. "I, uh- tended to Y/N earlier today and apparently it was caught on camera and got a ton of views. People seem to love mentor tribute relationships more, I guess. I'm sorry, Sejanus." It wasn't Coryo's intention to upset his friend, but Sejanus still stood there shaking his head in disbelief. "You're sorry? You always ruin my plans, Coryo! Whether they're intentional or not, I don't think you remember my main goal. I want to help these people. I can't do that if I'm supposed to reel them in and taunt them with a fake relationship." Sejanus rolls his eyes. "Maybe it's not a fake relationship." Coryo suggests. "You're crazy. We all know we'll end up watching them die if we go this route. And it'll be our fault." Sejanus sighs and walks away as the tributes enter the room for their first training.

     The tributes were dressed in all black uniforms with their district number in white on the sleeves. It would most likely be what they where up until and during the games. Coriolanus looks down at the two from twelve, they seemed to be nervously talking to each other as they walked into the training room shoulder to shoulder. Again, they were at the back of the line and would go last as they were the final district. Mr. Highbottom was in the stand in the front of the room, and he stands to get to the microphone, signaling the beginning of the training. "Tributes. Mentors. Welcome to the first training day for the 10th Annual Hunger Games. You will have 5 total training days before participating in the games. In these trainings, both mentor and tribute will go over certain survival skills as well as discuss any possible strategic skills. One tribute and mentor will go at a time, starting with the male from District 1, and ending with the female from District 12. Tributes may wait in the waiting room with their mentors. Boy from 1 and his mentor, please make your way to the designated training area. You will be monitored during the entire training process. You may begin." Mr. Highbottom speaks into the mic before stepping back and taking a seat to watch the trainings go on.

    Coryo looks at Sejanus, who doesn't look back. He nudges him, "we can go down there and wait with Y/N and Aaron." He starts walking and eventually Sejanus follows him down into the tribute's waiting room. "Sejanus!" Aaron yells upon seeing his mentor. Sejanus smiles at his tribute, Aaron giving Y/N a quick kiss to her good cheek before heading off to chat with his mentor while they waited their turn. Coryo, spotting Y/N, takes a seat next to her. "Quite a pair, huh?" He chuckles slightly. Y/N frowns, thinking of what Aaron had kept on telling her. About Coriolanus being dangerous, and the plan to kill him and the other mentors. But, when Y/N looked at her mentor with sad eyes, she only saw another human being trying to survive this cruel world. Not a monster as Sejanus and Aaron had been making him out to be. Even if she hasn't known him for long, if she were to be completely honest with herself.. she felt it was easier to trust Coryo than it was Aaron. Aaron had changed a lot since the reaping, in a way she didn't like. And the boy next to her has only helped her so far, even with these terrible circumstances. When it came down to it, she didn't know if she'd be able to help Sejanus and Aaron with their plan. In fact, maybe she should try to stop them. She didn't know yet. "What's wrong?" Coryo asks her, looking worried when noticing her sad expression. "Nothing." She shakes her head. "I thought mentors weren't allowed to help us? Won't you all get in trouble?" She didn't know about the rule change yet, so Coryo was quick to explain it to her. "Wait. Is that good? People are watching us?" Y/N didn't know what to think of being semi-popular. "It's great! The more views, the more donations. And a better chance at survival." Coryo says while grabbing the handbag off his shoulder. "I brought you food." He takes out a container of chicken tenders and fries. "Sorry, they're probably cold by now, but I thought you'd like something." Y/N takes the food and smiles brightly at him, immediately perking up at the sight of food. "Thank you." She says through a mouthful of chicken. "Here." She gives him the last chicken tender and remaining fries. Coryo shakes his head. "Huh? No, they're all for you." He insists, but Y/N rolls her eyes. "Coriolanus, I know you're giving me your lunch and not eating any yourself. Please just take the last piece so your stomach isn't growling throughout training." She giggles, and he finally cooperates and eats the last tender.

     Half an hour passes and they're on the last tribute from District 9. Almost time. "So, what are you good at?" Coryo asks Y/N. "Me? Well.. I'm good with animals and nature, maybe fast and good at hiding because I'm smaller, but.. that's about it." She sighs. "I can work with that." Coryo shrugs and bumps her side with his own. The two smile at each other before Y/N slowly lowers her head to rest on her mentor's shoulder. She was exhausted, and she felt safe by Coriolanus. Coryo lets her rest on his shoulder, even going as far as letting her fall asleep on him, moving her body on top of his for warmth and tucking her head beneath his chin. He felt safe too; but also protective over Y/N. He was so scared for her.. but he knew he had to stay confident or she would lose any sense of hope. He would do anything for her. Even if it meant destroying any chance at the prize. Coryo gently rubs Y/N's back with his thumb as she sleeps, and about another twenty minutes go by before he feels something tapping his shoulder. "Coryo, it's your turn." Sejanus says after giving him a light punch to the shoulder. "Huh? Oh, sorry. I must've dozed off." Coryo says sleepily, rubbing his eyes and lifting Y/N off of him to wake her up. Sejanus just stared blankly at the two. "Are you ready, Y/N? We're up." Coriolanus says helping Y/N up while standing up himself. "Ready as I'll ever be." Y/N laughs nervously, and the pair of mentor and tribute walk side by side into the training room.