Just like candy ✔️ Treech

|6|

"You shouldnt be here, V"— was the first thing Treech said to her, as she neared the cage for the second time today, not long after Arachne's death.

"Cant help it, your just so captivating." She teased, desperatly trying to divert her eyesight from the pool of blood just a few feet away, by now they had cleaned up the bodies, but the blood hadnt been washed away yet.

"Funny." Treech shook his head, "why are you really here?"

"Forgot to bring, Mizzen his birthday cupcake. With all the commotion." Avi smiled slightly.

"He'll live." And for a moment Avi didnt know in what way he meant, but after a few moments she knew he meant the cupcake, he'd live without it.

"Gotta make up for the last two years I missed." Avi shrugged, tossing him the bag through the bars, "you'll give it to him?"

"Yeah." Treech nodded, glancing over to the sleeping boy, "when he wakes up, or else he'll kill me."

Avi frowned, like she was just remembering that Mizzen was in the games, and not just stuck in that deathly cage, she remembered hating it, curled up in the Corner feeling so helpless, waiting for her death to come around. Leer had tried to entertain some capital kids for food, but even with that, they only managaed a few scraps. It was better than most, but it wasnt enough, he didnt give it tho. He was like a walking symbol of hope, atleast for district four, he was the only sense of home she had even gotten in that arena, and it got her thinking, if it was just the two of them leftover, if she'd kill him, but she knew she wouldnt. 'You can take humanity away from people you dont know, but you cant take it away from people you've seen grow up. '

"Dont think I forgot about this morning." Treech told her, frowning as he leaned back, tossing the bag to the side.

Avi avoided his eyesight, "sorry." She mumbled.

"For what?" Treech asked, "for what the capital did to you?"

Avi pressed her lips together, "I should go."

"Wait, im sorry." Treech sighed, "I didnt mean to bring it up again. Just please dont leave."

Avi shook her head with a laugh, it was delicate, so contagious it made Treech laugh to, without even knowing why, "you gonna miss me?"

"Maybe." Treech smiled, squinting at her through the dark.

"I knew you liked me, seven." She pointed a accusing finger at him.

"I never said I didnt." He laughed, watching her carefully as she leaned against the bars, to get closer to him, her face just a few inches, and he wondered how it was so easy for her to be back here, wether or not her just helping him was bringing up old memory's, he noticed the way her eyes shifted to a far back corner, and he follower her eyesight.

"I'd take his place in that arena, if I could." Her words confused Treech, making him frown, then he relized she was talking about Mizzen.

"I know." He said, glancing towards the peacefully resting boy. He was just a child, and he shouldnt even be here, anywhere in this cruel world, "but I wouldnt let you."

Avi frowned, turning to him, her focus off of that back corner, "what?" Her voice cracked slightly, like she didnt understand it.

"I wouldnt let you." He repeated, turning completly towards her, it seemed like whenever they were alone, he was trying to tell her something, let her know. Even if they had just met, it felt like he had known her forever.

"Like I'd give you a choice." She scoffed, like she was annoyed, but treech knew she wasnt.

"I'd find a way." He told her, "You've gone through it once, you dont need to go through it again."

"He shouldnt have to though."

"Your right." He agreed, swallowing harshly. "But he is, hes strong, Avi. He'll get through it."

"It doesent matter if hes strong." She shook her head, "anything can happen in that arena."

"You got out." He mentioned, like she had forgteen.

"I wish I hadnt" she said dryly. That only made Treech frown.

"Im glad you did—" He couldnt finish what he was going to say to her.

"What are you trying to say here, Treech?" She asked, eyebrows raised like she was expecting something entirely different.

Treech sighed, shaking his head as if he didnt know how to answer her, "That arena wasnt your fault." No matter how many times people told that to her, she didnt believe them.

"You dont know what happend in there."

"I dont need too." He took her hand in his, in a desperate way to comfort her, his actions saying so much more than he could ever put to words. "You didnt have a choice."

AUTHORS ANNOUNCMENT

THIS CHAPTER IS PREETY empty, so ill prob post another one, not much to say bout it tbh
Mizzens birthday tho 😭 poor buddy

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