(( s/o to myfren phold8 for inspiring me to continue w this chapter haha. If any of you like the anime 'Fairy Tail', go check out her profile! ))
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Scott stepped tentatively into the water.
"Of course it is," Vincent called out from the middle of the lake, paddling the water. "This has to be the most secluded part of the entire arena. I bet nobody else even knows it's here."
"Apart from all of Panem," Scott muttered under his breath, but sighed, reaching down to grab the hem of his shirt. He hesitated for a moment. Did he really want his skinny, pale, underfed body being televised live? He'd almost dropped stone dead when Vincent took his shirt off, revealing his toned stomach and firm chest.
"Come on," Vincent shouted. "This might just be the only bath you get for the entire games!"
Scott snorted with laughter. Somehow, washing himself had been the last thing on his mind recently. Deciding it was more than likely the cameras were busy with something else - there was probably some fight to the death going on elsewhere - he steeled himself and pulled his shirt up and over his head, throwing it aside.
He glanced back at Vincent quickly, trying to gauge some kind of reaction from him, whether it be positive or negative, but the other tribute's face was unreadable. Scott wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing, but at least he wasn't making any unkind comment about his appearance. He looked down at himself and grimaced. His stomach was caving inwards, each of his ribs poking out. That'd be right, he thought sourly to himself. Make it to the last few tributes and then /starve/ to death. Gawd, they were all right about me. I'm hopeless.
Taking a deep breath and pushing his thoughts out of his mind, he waded further into the lake, watching as the murky water rose from around his toes to his ankles, then further up to his knees and finally to his waist. It was so cold that it was hard to breathe. He was about to take another step when he halted suddenly, realising that the lake dropped away abruptly. He looked up at Vincent, "It- How deep is it?"
"I dunno," Vincent looked down at the water, contemplating for a moment, and then suddenly disappeared with a splash.
Scott flinched as the freezing cold water washed against his stomach. All was silent for a while, apart from the rippling water, before Vincent reappeared, shaking droplets out of his hair. "It's about as deep as two of me. Which shouldn't be a problem, seeing as you seem to think I'm pretty shallow." He laughed at his own joke.
Scott didn't join in the laughter. Twice as tall as Vincent? Vincent had to be 5'7. That placed the lake at around 11'4! Almost three times Scott's measly height of 5 feet. "Oh."
Vincent's laughter died away, he cocked his head curiously, "What? Can't you swim? That's fair enough. There's not really many swimming centres in Panem, apart from in the Capitol. I can teach you, if you like."
"No... No, I can swim. Back in District 11, we all used to swim at the places where the animals drink. But..." Scott glanced down at the surface of the lake, only just able to make out the lake floor.
"But what?" Vincent asked, apparently oblivious to what Scott was trying to silently communicate. He followed Scott's gaze to the murky water, "Are you worried about infection? You shouldn't be. It tastes fresh. I don't think there's much risk of getting sick."
Scott looked up at him incredulously, "Are you really that thick?" He hissed, "I... I'm scared of water, okay?"
"What?" Vincent recoiled slightly, his violet eyes wide. "Scared? Of water? But... what's wrong with water?"
"I don't know!" Scott snapped. "I get it. It's a stupid fear! I don't care."
"It's not stupid," Vincent pushed away from the drop off, swimming a little off shore. "We all have weird fears. I'm afraid of heights."
"Well- Wait... You are?" Scott asked. He'd never thought someone like Vincent would - could, even - be afraid of anything. Before he could help it, a lopsided grin tumbled across his lips, "So that's why you were so short-tempered in the tree that day!"
Vincent grinned back, "Alright, alright, guilty as charged. But hey, this could work in our favour!" He spread his arms slightly. "Swim over here to me."
"W-What?" Scott swallowed faintly, his bravado withering as the nerves took its place. "Swim... over to you? A-And then what?"
"Well, we'll find out, won't we? C'mon, what have you got to lose? This might very well be your last day alive. Why not get as much accomplished as possible?"
Vincent's grin suddenly seemed a lot more sinister. Scott shivered, wondering how quick Vincent's change in attitude would be once he realised one of them had to die. Maybe, as soon as Vincent realised they were the last two tributes left, he'd suddenly turn on Scott, killing him before he even had any time to think. All this friendship was just a façade. A distraction, so that he wouldn't try to run away.
That's not his fault, Scott reminded himself. It wasn't Vincent's fault they were all thrown in here and forced to murder each other. That was beyond either of their control...
...and Vincent was right. If today was, indeed, his last day alive, he wanted to be remembered as enjoying it to the fullest.
"Alright," Scott said finally. "But if I drown, I'll have you know that I am so coming back as a ghost just to haunt you." Swallowing his nerves, he pushed himself off of the ledge.
Oh my gawd, this was the worst idea ever! Scott thought instantly, kicking furiously, trying to keep himself afloat. It felt ten times deeper than it really was, and Scott daren't even imagine the hideous, slimy, slippery things in the water below him. Fish, sea snakes... muttants!? "Vincent!" He warned.
"Hey, it's alright," Vincent called to him. "Just swim over to me, okay? It's not that far!"
Scott looked up at Vincent, soft brown eyes meeting sharp violet ones. A kind of calmness swept over him all at once, driving the fear away. He stopped thrashing around as much, starting to fall into a rhythm of paddling. Slowly but surely, he made his way to Vincent's side.
"See? It's not that bad," Vincent grinned at him, paddling.
"Uhh, I... guess not," Scott reluctantly smiled back. The nerves had completely disappeared from his body, when suddenly, something brushed against his legs.
He practically flung himself into Vincent's arms, screeching. "What was that?! Was that an eel!?"
"Hey!" Vincent almost went entirely underwater from the added weight, he looked up at Scott and frowned, "You almost drowned me! Geez, maybe I was wrong about you, and you're the one who's going to end up killing me."
Scott laughed. Vincent seemed to be good at calming him down. "Me, a killer? I doubt it." He draped his arms over Vincent's shoulders, beginning to kick slightly to help them both keep afloat. "Especially not people I'm close to."
"Hm?" Vincent hummed. That mischievous sparkle in his eyes was back. "Do you consider us close?"
Scott felt Vincent's arm slide around his waist, his hand resting in the curve of his back, and the entire rest of the world melted away.
Scott stared down at Vincent, suddenly aware of how close he was, their bodies pressed tightly against each other in the water. He'd never kissed anyone before but... surely, this was how it happened, right? When you're wrapped in each other's arms, when your heart is pounding in your ears... when everything is telling you the moment is just right...
Scott tilted his head just slightly, nerves buzzing through his body as he noticed Vincent do the same. His eyes fluttered shut, knowing he'd be far too terrified to go through with this if they were open, and he began to lean in slightly. The next thing he knew, Vincent's lips were brushing ever-so-gently against his.
A twig snapped in the distance.
Scott jolted away all of a sudden, killing the mood. A tight knot of disappointment welled up in his chest, making him feel like he was going to cry. That had been the perfect moment for his first kiss, and he just had to have ruined it with his paranoia.
He looked down at Vincent to apologise, but he was staring over at the lake bed.
"What is it?" Scott slid around in his grip, turning to face where Vincent was staring.
Standing there was a person that Scott recognised instantly.
It was the girl tribute from District 11.