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49. family line
As the night comes to a close, all that remains of the celebration are the tables and chairs left outside. Treech’s older brothers, their wives and his niece bid them a good night around midnight. But even after everything quietened down, not much can diminish the spark left behind by Treech’s homecoming.
Although almost the entire household is expected to leave for work or school early in the morning, it still takes another hour for everyone to settle back into the house. The youngest, however, are too tired to help with the cleanup and Daisy practically forces them into bed at the sight of their exhausted faces.
But as tired as June is, she can’t seem to fall asleep just yet. Since there’s only one bathroom available, June for the first time ever in a long time has to come to terms with the fact that she needs to wait before she can get ready for bed. There’s the bedroom Treech’s parents share, the bedroom Birdie and Ivy share, the bedroom for Treech’s youngest brothers, and the bedroom that Treech once shared with his older brothers.
Apparently the youngest took turns sleeping in Treech’s bed while he was gone, sometimes even together in the most uncomfortable positions Daisy has ever seen. They often complained over sore backs and muscles, but she let it slide. At the end of the day, they were just little boys that were trying to cope with their big brother’s absence. After all, Treech has been in their lives for as long as they can think, and even though him being reaped was undoubtedly a punch in the gut for the entire family, his little brothers had it the worst.
This year was twelve-year-old Ranger’s first time being in the reaping bowl. Of course, he was very nervous, but his older siblings were all able to calm him down, reminding him that none of them had their names called even though they were older. Ranger knew his name was in the bowl only once, he knew his odds were slim, and that his brothers had more reason to worry, but he believed them.
But when Treech’s name was called, he felt like it was the end of the world. If not even his big brother can be safe, what are the odds of him not being next? It left a terror deep in his body and mind that even Treech’s “victory” at the Games only did little to soothe his nerves.
He doesn’t want to be next. But who wants to be? No one wants to leave their home, knowing they’ll likely won’t return.
Out of fear of getting his family caught up in his mess, Treech refuses to share any details regarding how he survived. He’s not ready to talk about it yet, and he worries what might happen if word spreads that things didn’t go exactly as they were supposed to.
Because if they did, he wouldn’t be here right now. He knows the snakebite would’ve been the end of him, and that’s a horrifying thing to think about. He doesn’t like living with the knowledge that according to Dr. Gaul, likely not even one of them were supposed to make it out.
Treech isn’t supposed to be alive, but he’s grateful he is. His mind is plagued with the worst thoughts imaginable, things he could never tell his parents or his siblings about because he doesn’t want to scare them.
It’s enough that June knows already, and while he trusts her fully and knows she’s not judging him, he also knows that there’s only so much she can take. He hears and sees her crying whenever he does, and it breaks his heart even more that he knows it’s because of what the Capitol did to him.
But, then again, he would much rather be alive to deal with his pain than leave her all alone with her grief. He knows that she’d have a good support system, but he doesn’t want her to go through that kind of pain, so he tries to be strong. And yet, there’s only so much one person can take.
When June finishes setting up her things in the room that’s now his — no, theirs, Birdie stops by his door to tell them that the bathroom is now free to use. Treech sends June to go with her, wanting some time to unwind after everything that happened today.
Being home still feels surreal. Sitting on his bed after all these weeks feels like a dream, one that he’s afraid to wake up from in the worst ways possible. What if all of this was just a dream, and he’s still in the arena?
If it weren’t for his father’s unexpected presence in the room, he might have started questioning what’s real and what’s not even more. But no dream could ever perfectly replicate his father’s face.
No, his brain would always forget about that little scar above his right eyebrow. It’s small and if he didn’t know it was there he wouldn’t have noticed it, but it’s there. Treech doesn’t know where or what, maybe even who it’s from, but he doesn’t care. The sight of it grounds him immediately and he exhales.
And he’s glad to see him here. After everything, the one person that knows best what it’s like to live knowing that you took someone’s life is his father. Their circumstances were different, but they both have blood on their hands.
Maybe that’s why he’s so willing to take his father’s comfort. He doesn’t speak much, but allows himself to lean against his father and soaks up his warmth, basking in the comfort of his presence. And even though his father is usually a talkative man, he lets his son rest.
If anything, he knows Treech needs it. He doesn’t ask questions, not until his son is ready and willing to talk. He’ll wait; no matter how long he might have to.
The only thing, or rather person, that’s bugging him has to be the girl he brought home with him. Not only a girl from the Capitol, but one carrying a name he’s all too familiar with.
Treech doesn’t know how long they’ve been sitting there, but when the sound of creaking floorboard reaches his ears, he’s quick to whip his head around. In the doorframe stands June in her pajamas, her expression both tired and curious.
“The bathroom is free,” she informs him gingerly, holding her folded clothes to her chest. She clearly hesitates, not wanting to interrupt or intrude. “If you need a moment, I could…”
“No, no, we’re good here,” Treech quickly says with a wave of his hand. He looks at his father but when the man only shoots him a grin, he puts his hands on his knees and stands up. “I have to wash up anyway, can’t go to bed stinkin’ up the whole place.”
Treech’s father barks a laugh. “That’s my boy,” he says, giving his son a firm pat on the back that makes him groan. “Wash up, do your lady’s nose a favor.” There’s a warm twinkle in his eyes as he turns slightly and June’s shoulders visibly relax.
“I don’t smell that bad, dad!” Treech protests, his legs already set in motion. He shakes his head in mock exasperation, but his smile is bright and his eyes are equally warm.
He briefly halts when he walks past June, and gives her side a light pinch which makes her squirm away from him and laugh. As tempting as it would be to curl up next to her right now, he’d rather do that when he’s clean and finally gets his hands on his pajamas. It’s been three weeks since he wore them, after all.
June hesitates to enter the room for a moment but when Treech’s father doesn’t make a move to leave, she decides she’d rather not be rude. She shoots him a little smile and walks past the bed he’s sitting on. It’s right in the middle of the room, one bed directly next to the door and the other near the window. But since his big brothers no longer live with their parents, he now has it all to himself.
It took some convincing (although his mother insists it was begging), but June is allowed to share a room with him. Maybe that alone is enough to lift Treech’s spirits because unlike previous nights at the hospital, he feels more at ease. But maybe it’s more the comfort of being in his own home.
The wood creaks beneath June’s feet as she walks and admittedly, walking barefoot inside the house is something she’s not quite used to. Even at home, she’d always have her slippers with her but since Daisy insisted they’re only necessary downstairs, she does her best to adapt.
Still, she can feel Treech’s father’s eyes on her when she puts her bag on the wooden crate serving as a makeshift nightstand, and puts her folded clothes in there.
“If they need a wash, just toss ‘em in the laundry basket under the sink,” he tells her. He sees June’s surprised look and clears his throat, scratching at the calluses on the inside of his hand. “I mean, you could wash them yourself. It was just an offer, but I get it if you don’t want strangers messin’ with your clothes.”
June shakes her head. “It’s alright, I don’t mind. I’d like to pull my weight, I think that’s the least I can do since you’re letting me stay here,” she says. “If you get tired of me thanking you, just let me know. I’d hate to get on your nerves, but I really appreciate it.”
“Don’t worry about it, kid. We’ve got more than enough space,” Roscoe eyes the girl’s face closely but his brows only furrow in slight irritation. He brushes it off. “I mean, my wife thinks it’s been a bit too quiet in here. And Ivy’s been beggin’ for another sister anyway.”
A little laugh escapes June’s lips when she hears that. Although the man’s frame intimidates her, she doesn’t think he’s as scary as she feared he would be. From what she observed earlier, he seems to be a fun-loving man that hides his past behind warm smiles and witty comments. She doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with that.
That, and his almost striking resemblance to Treech definitely helps.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Treech said something like that on the way here,” June says. “I think it’s sweet. I don’t have any sisters, though, so I might need to get used to that first.”
“You got a brother then, huh?” He asks and she can tell he’s thinking about something. “How old?”
“Well, Cas is eighteen like me. We’re twins,” she explains and watches the way the man’s eyes light up for a moment. She tries not to get too emotional, but she struggles and has to take a deep breath. “Max is ten, but he’ll turn eleven in a couple of weeks.”
Treech’s father swallows, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. “Like Ivy, then,” he says and heaves a sigh. “Sorry, kid. Must be hard for you, bein’ so far away from your family and all.”
June nods and bites down on her lower lip. “I’ll be honest,” she says. “If it weren’t for Treech, I’d probably be off a lot worse. He’s been helping me a lot more than he thinks. He keeps me grounded, you know?”
“I think you’re doin’ the same thing for him. He hasn’t said anything about the Games to us, but I know that he’s holding it in. I don’t wanna think about where he’d be without you right now,” he says. He sees the way she frowns, and raises an eyebrow. “But I’ve got a feeling you know.”
“I believe I do,” June mumbles quietly. “I don’t like thinking about it.”
She’s not sure what Roscoe suspects happened in the Capitol, but he seems to have an intuition that there’s more to it than just romantic feelings that made her come here. Someone with a bright future ahead of them, someone that was born with a silver shovel in her mouth, doesn’t just give everything up for some hick lumberjack from Seven.
“How about you tell me what you did?” He asks, trying to steer the conversation in a slightly different direction. When he sees the puzzled look on her face, he goes on. “I know Treech is a good kid and all, but that’s not the only reason you came here, is it? You running from trouble in the Capitol?”
June feels a slight flush creeping onto her cheeks as the man seems to be looking right through her. But she doesn’t see a point in lying. “Not directly. But we agreed that if people find out what I did, no matter how, things won’t end well for me,” she says. She takes a deep breath. “I cheated so Treech could win. I just… couldn’t stand the thought of him not making it back home.”
She sees the way Treech’s father thinks about what she just told him. He looks at her as if she’s the most complicated puzzle in the world that he has ever laid his eyes upon, but she can’t blame him. Not given what he must know about her family.
“How?” he asks.
“How much do you know about the Games?” June replies and takes a seat on the bed across from him. It creaks beneath her weight and she places her hands in her lap, feeling her heart race. She hasn’t told anyone except for Sejanus about it, it makes her nervous. “I’m specifically asking if you know about the snakes. Just that one part. We don’t need to talk about the rest.”
The man leans back, placing his big hands on the patchwork quilt that’s covering Treech’s mattress. “Birdie mentioned something about the girl from Twelve singing when they put snakes in the arena. She said they sent snakes in the arena after the president’s son died when they bombed the arena.”
“It was retaliation, at least that’s what they pretend it is,” June explains. “They’ve put the blame for the bombing on rebels, but even most of us at the Academy knew that was impossible. But yes, the Capitol claims the snakes were sent in retaliation.”
“Yeah, I heard the rainbow girl… Lucy Gray?” Roscoe furrows his brows. “She tried to attack Treech with a snake. Smart thinking, that’s the one thing he’s scared of.”
June frowns when she thinks back to Treech’s expression when she first told him about the snakes at Dr. Gaul’s lab. She still thinks he looked terrified, but was clearly trying not to show it. “The snake did get him,” she says. “But it didn’t kill him because I injected him with the antivenom first. I stole it.”
For a moment, it’s quiet. June hears the crickets outside, the gentle breeze rustling through the trees’ leaves and feels a wave of calm washing over her. Then, Treech’s father bursts out laughing and she’s left utterly dumbfounded. He’s laughing as if she just told him the funniest joke he has ever heard, but she’s dead serious.
She watches the way the man has to place a hand on his stomach in order to calm himself down, only to wipe at his eye immediately after. Even though it’s a loud laugh, and she jumps a bit at first, she eventually finds herself smiling as well and waits until he’s done. He shakes his head in disbelief.
“You’re kidding.” Is all he says. “How’d you get your hands on it? I thought your daddy was a politician.”
“Well, my mother works for the Gamemakers. She’s a researcher in their lab,” June confesses and sighs. “Cas helped me figure out how the snakes work, and since my mom was working on the antivenom at home, it was surprisingly easy to get my hands on it. She doesn’t know, and I don’t know if she ever will.”
“So that’s why you ran away? ‘Cause they’ll kill you if they find out?” he concludes. He chuckles once more but then stops, shaking his head again. “I’m having a hard time wrappin’ my head around all of this. How does a girl like you end up as a rebel? ‘Cause you can say what you want, you’re definitely a traitor to your folks in the Capitol.”
“I always had some troubles with the Games. My parents are both very much in favor of them, but me and Cas have never liked watching them because… Why would I enjoy watching children be forced to slaughter each other?” She says. June exhales, feeling the clean air enter her lungs. It’s so much different from the air in the Capitol. Breathing here feels liberating.
“That aside, my best friend was born in Two. I knew the second they introduced us to the mentoring assignment that I wanted to do my best to bring whoever they assigned me to take care of home. They wanted to award us with a bunch of money, but…” She trails off with a sigh. “I find materialistic things don’t always make you feel better. I didn’t do it for myself.”
“Didn’t think you’d need the money anyway,” Roscoe says, wrinkling his nose slightly. “I know your family…”
“Treech told me,” she quickly interjects and shakes her head. “We don’t need to talk about it. I’ve known since before the Games, it didn’t make me want to help him any less.”
The man stares at her with his mouth slightly agape, as if he can’t process what she just told him. He swallows again, his hands clench slightly, but his jaw relaxes at her words. “Why?” he eventually asks. It’s the only thing that comes to his mind, because he truly can’t fathom it.
Shouldn’t she be angry at him instead for taking her grandfather away from her? Or at least hurt? She’s old enough to remember him as well, after all. And to him, it wasn’t even that long ago.
“Families in the Capitol are… complicated,” she explains, lacking a better word. She chews on her lower lip, but then looks at him with an unreadable expression. “Growing up, I was always taught that I should respect and support my family no matter what. But when you get older, sometimes you realize that the people you love aren’t always what you thought they were.”
“I was very young when my grandfather died, and I was never close to him either. My father would always tell me that he was a great man and that he never did anything wrong, but I know that’s not true,” she says. “I don’t… I don’t want an explanation or anything like that. It was during the war, and we’ve all had to suffer during those times. And I also know that taking someone’s life is not an easy thing to do. At least the aftermath is never easy to deal with.”
She doesn’t need to explain how she knows the last part specifically. Of course, Roscoe knows his son must be struggling with the things he had to do inside the arena. No one wants to kill another person just like that, especially not children.
“I’ll be honest with you, kid. Your granddaddy was a piece of shit,” he eventually answers, watching the way her eyes briefly widen at his crude tone. “No offense, but something just wasn’t right with that man. If your daddy told you he was doin’ a good job, he lied to you.”
June nods. It’s strange, hearing this out of someone else’s mouth. She’s not shocked because of what he’s saying, she’s more shocked that he has the guts to say it out loud. She has not thought highly of her grandfather since she really thought about the things her father told her.
And yet, she carries his last name just as much as the rest of her family does. Galen Beaumont, her grandfather and father’s father, was never a good man. In the eyes of the Capitol, he was a martyr but to the Districts, he must’ve been a tyrant.
“I figured that out later in my life,” June replies. “But I hope that… I know that this must be very complicated for you, but I hope that one day I’ll be able to prove that I’m not like my father or his father.”
“Your granddaddy took my mother away from me,” Roscoe answers and pauses for a moment. “She was sick, but the Capitol decided to stop shipping out medicine. The medics here couldn’t do anything.”
June’s heart sinks, and she can’t help but feel ashamed. She knew her grandfather had done this, but to meet someone that was actually affected directly makes her heart hurt and her cheeks burn in shame. She knows that she technically has nothing to do with it, but the pain of losing someone while knowing that they could’ve been saved is one she’s often confronted with whenever she thinks about the war.
The situations are different, but she understands his anger and resentment. And she doesn’t blame him for projecting some of that onto her. Killing Galen Beaumont might have given him some closure for the moment, but he must’ve known that the man already had a son to follow in his footsteps. And Alaric Beaumont never set a foot outside the Capitol, not after what happened to his father.
“I’m sorry,” is all she can say in reply, although it comes out as nothing more but a hushed whisper.
June freezes slightly when Roscoe stands up, and for a second she almost thinks he might leave. But the floorboards creak and before she knows it, she feels his weight on the mattress right next to her. His warmth spreads immediately, and she looks over at him with wide eyes when he tilts his head to the side.
Up close, she can see more than just the scar above his eyebrow. There are remnants of what must’ve been little cuts once, but she’s too afraid to ask, nor is it the right time. She notices him rubbing a hand over his arm, even more leftovers of the war etched across it. She thinks she sees a burn scar, but she’s not sure. All of this doesn’t make the man seem any more intimidating though; his eyes are warm and kind.
“I wasn’t done yet, kid,” he says, his tone a bit softer. She can tell that he hesitates but eventually, he reaches over and places a hand on her back. The warmth of his big palm seeps through her satin pajamas immediately and she relaxes. “I was just… Your granddaddy took my mother from me, but you brought my son home. I can’t get her back but… havin’ my boy where he belongs means the world to me.”
She feels herself starting to tear up, deeply moved by his words. She hadn’t thought about it like that, but she realizes that from his point of view, this whole thing must still be hard to understand. Surely Birdie told him about her name when June and Treech were first seen on TV together. In fact, June doesn’t even want to imagine what he must’ve been thinking, hearing that his son is in the care of the granddaughter of the man he killed.
Even more confusing must be hearing that she did all of this to bring his son back home. She knew she was risking her life to save Treech, but she never once thought of anything but bringing him home as her motivation. Falling for him was unexpected, but she wouldn’t want it any other way.
“It was rigged,” she manages to rasp and quickly sniffles. She wipes at her eyes and shoots the man a teary smile when she senses his confusion. “My father wanted either me or my brother to mentor someone from Seven.”
Treech’s father pauses, taking her words in. A wry smile tugs on his lips as he speaks next. “Well, ain’t that ironic?” He mutters more to himself.
He doesn’t need to say it out loud. The irony that killing her grandfather would one day bring his son into her care; it’s the last thing he had expected. He shakes his head and pushes those thoughts away, although her tears make him take pity on her.
Such a young girl, carrying around the guilt of things her ancestors did. It tugs on his heartstrings, especially when he sees her cry like that. He just wonders how a family like that could raise someone so kind and understanding, and he doesn’t want to imagine how much trouble her opinions have already gotten her into.
Rocoe’s eyes soften and he rubs his hand over her back in small circles. “It helps that you don’t look like your granddaddy,” he says half-jokingly and smiles when she chokes out a laugh and nods. “I’ll wrap my head around it eventually. It might take some time, but I just want you to know that there’s no bad blood between us. You did nothing bad.”
“Well, we’re on good terms as long as you’re good to Treech. That boy’s really smitten with you, I can tell that much,” he says, a knowing smile tugging on his lips when the girl blushes.
“Guess the hat’s luck did wear off on him after all,” he adds thoughtfully after a second of silence passes. “He’d always steal it as a kid. But I guess he’ll always be that hat-thievin’ little rascal to me.”
His laughter is warm, and June is about to reply when she hears little footsteps approaching. The floorboards barely creak and when her head turns towards the door, her eyes soften at the sight of Ivy. Treech’s little sister is in her pajamas, her hair sticking up in all directions possible. The ten year-old rubs at her eyes and while June thinks she’s just getting rid of the sleep in them, her father seems to know better.
Roscoe stands up in an instant, looking his daughter up and down. “What’s wrong, pumpkin? Had a bad dream?” he asks. The girl doesn’t reply and only lifts her arms, looking up at him with a pout on her face. “Alright, alright.”
He picks her up easily and June has to suppress a smile at the sight. Ivy curls into her father and when he rubs her back, her chin rests on his shoulder and she sniffles.
“I wanna stay with you and mommy,” the girl says, her voice small and tired. “Please?”
“Sure thing, sweetie. You wanna tell me what your dream was about?” But all he gets in response is a muffled “no” which makes him sigh.
He shouldn’t have asked. Since Treech left, most of them had some nightmare involving his death. Even with him back home, he silently curses himself for not knowing better. Of course it won’t make those bad dreams go away immediately.
He turns towards June who’s still watching him, a small smile on her face. “Well, duty calls,” he jokes. “You and Treech get some rest, alright? We’ll let you sleep in.”
She nods. “Yes, thank you. I’ll let him know,” she answers. “Good night!”
The man nods and as he walks away with his daughter in his arms, Ivy blinks at her and waves tiredly until she’s out of sight. June can’t help but feel warm on the inside. It’s a similar feeling that she had when she saw Treech and his niece together. It’s a warm, fuzzy feeling and in Treech’s case only affirmed her feelings for him even more.
She heaves a sigh. With Treech still in the bathroom and getting ready for bed, she stands up and walks over to the window, placing her hands on the windowsill. A comfortable breeze immediately runs through her hair and she’s left sighing softly when she closes her eyes.
June realizes that here, in the depths of District Seven, she truly feels at peace. There’s still things in the back of her mind like her brothers and friends in the Capitol, but she feels too tired for her mind to spiral right now. Her eyes flutter open again and in the distance, barely visible through the thick greenery, she catches a glimpse of the moonlight reflecting on a body of water. She knew about the stream near the house, but she wonders where it might lead.
Her mind briefly drifts off to Cas. What is he doing right now? Is he already asleep? And what about Max? She wonders how her parents are reacting to the news of her being gone. Are they upset? Angry?
She has to force herself to stop thinking about it. The last thing she needs on her first night here is more sadness. She’ll have plenty of time to catch up on that later.
She hears her own breathing, the faint beating of her own heart in her chest, and again the crickets somewhere below and around her. She inhales deeply and lets the fresh air soothe her mind, only tensing up slightly when she hears footsteps again. The door is closed and as she takes her hands off the windowsill, she can’t even turn around because Treech’s arms already encircle her waist from behind.
He pulls her close against him and brushes her hair aside, only to place a kiss on the side of her neck. It’s short and sweet, but it makes her heart skip a beat anyway. Treech’s warmth engulfs her and she can’t help but lean back into it, feeling a flutter in her belly when she feels him smiling against her skin.
“You’ll catch a cold like this,” he mumbles, pressing his nose further into her neck and nuzzling into it. “Come to bed where it’s warm, sweetheart.”
“It’s not that cold,” she says with a slight laugh.
A new scent wafts into her nose, and she leans her head back to smell him as subtly as possible. Something that smells faintly of wood, citrus and spice reaches her. “What’s that smell on you?” she asks and turns around in the embrace, smiling at the tender expression on his face. “It’s nice.”
Treech hums, watching the way she buries her nose in his neck and inhales deeply. He runs his hand down her back to rest on her waist, smiling when she sighs contentedly. “Aftershave,” he merely says. “I had to shave some time, sweetheart. I can’t walk around with a pine tree on my face.”
June laughs, picturing that inside of her head. “I didn’t even feel anything,” she says and pulls back to run the back of her hand over his cheek as a test. “Well… you do feel a bit softer,” she admits.
“You’re so cruel to me, sunshine,” he shakes his head in mock disappointment and cups her cheek with his free hand in return. “I’ll forgive you, though. But only if you give me a kiss within the next… ten seconds.”
“And if I don’t?” she jests, chuckling at the way his eyebrows furrow. She leans in and kisses his cheek. “There.”
“You call that a kiss?” He frowns. “You can do better than that.”
June can’t help but smile. She shakes her head, pretending to be exasperated. “I thought I told you already; no kisses after midnight.”
“That’s a stupid rule,” Treech immediately protests. Even though he knows she’s just kidding, he wants to go along with it anyway. “Let me show you why,” he says, dipping his head down slightly to kiss her.
She knows she doesn’t need any convincing, not when she’s always overcome with the urge to kiss him whenever she sees him anyway. But when he places his lips on hers and she feels the tension in their bodies melting away at once, she comes to the conclusion that, while she might not need it, she won’t mind.
ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ
might share a name and
share a last name,
but we are not the same
ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ
fun fact of the day: you know how treech always points out that june and cas don't look like their parents? he's wrong, they do have similar features! but he likes the twins (and max) sm, he doesn't even notice
random side note but my throat has been acting strange for the past twelve hours or so. i feel like i'm getting sick but i hope it's nothing y'all pray/manifest/whatever for me, i don't need that rn. i'll keep you guys updated
anyway, opinions on treech's dad? (i lowk need him ngl)
tysm for over 10.6k reads!!<3
have a nice saturday, i'll (hopefully!) see you on monday!! <33
memes!