Peace?

runaway

Coriolanus and Lucy Grey had been walking a day until they had seen the cottage.  Lucy sped her footsteps and shook the knob until it opened. Coriolanus stepped in after her and brushed some of her damp hair from her face.
"Can you check under the floorboards for fishing rods?" Lucy Grey asked of Coriolanus.
        "of course," Coriolanus walked past her and felt on the floor for a loose panel. He found one, tugged at it, and when it was finally open, he stilled, not unlike when prey spots its predator. Lucy Grey turned at the silence and saw what he had.
"I guess Spruce hid them here. I didn't know he knew where this was," she watched him, her voice sounding more forced.
"Yeah," Coriolanus' voice was far off, his gaze focused on the weapons. Lucy Grey stepped forward and put her hand gently on his shoulder. He turned his head to her and fiddled with the trigger absent-mindedly.
"I'll just go get some Katniss and some others," she retracted her hand and turned to the door. She stepped quickly, her hand on the door in a second.
"I thought it was too early for Katniss." Coriolanus put down the gun and stepped forward in the absence that Lucy Grey had left.
"I'm sure I'll find some good ones," Lucy Grey smiled and stepped out the door.
"But it's still raining."
"I'm not made of sugar, sweetheart," Lucy Grey smiled and went to close the door before Coriolanus reached out his hand to stop the door- to stop her.
"Wait- I," he faltered in his sentence meeting Lucy Grey's eyes, "I- I had lied to you about killing my old self"
"A blind man could see that, Corio," Lucy had cut him off, her eyes emulating the color of charred wood in that moment of distrust.
Coriolanus couldn't breathe for that moment, thinking he destroyed his chance of staying with her.
"The truth is, I didn't mean to, but I think I killed Sejanus. I knew I was recording him with the blabber jay but I thought I could just send it off and Gaul would show his dad and his dad would bring him home- I thought I was saving him like I always have- I always protected him- it felt like what we did at the academy-" his voice was unsteady. She had moved her head to try and see his eyes, to scan his features, to see if he was telling the truth.
"Listen, as long as you didn't want it to end that way, I think you'll be able to do it. Remember, we are born good, it's the actions we follow later in life that lead us down the path of evil or good," Lucy smiled, then she looked outside and stepped out again.
"I'll be in the patch of Katniss or berries."
Coriolanus nodded like a kid and wrapped the weapons up so he could get rid of them. Once he had finished, he picked the packadge up and walked out. He saw Lucy humming and picking various plants for food. He got onto the boat, rowed into the middle of the lake, and dropped the guns into the lake. He watched them disappear into the depths and sat there, looking into the void.
He rowed back to the dock and strode to Lucy Grey. He saw her picking red berries with some bigger Katniss plants in her free hand. She was singing a soft melody until she saw him walking towards her.
"If I can get a fire going, I expect this dinner will be a fancy feast," Lucy Grey said, showing him what she had picked.
"How can I help you with it?" he asked, kneeling beside her.
"Not sure. You can catch one," she motioned back at the lake with her head.
Coriolanus caught two fish for him and Lucy Grey. Lucy Grey had started a fire and they sat side by side cooking their fish and watching the fire roar.
"Thank you, by the way, for telling the truth," Lucy Grey said.
Coriolanus was watching the sparks fly off of the fire.
"But I wasn't, not before. I still broke your trust."
"And you owned up. You did the right thing, Corio."
Coriolanus turned his head to her, watching the fire warming her face, the way her eyes reflected the light and the way her side profile was being changed with the ever-moving light. She turned to him, and their eyes met, kind words from both of them not needing to be spoken to be understood. He moved his freehand and held the back of her head, her hair, warm from the fire, interlacing with his fingers. She had leaned forward and both noticed the proximity of the other in the back of their mind. Warmth spread from his fingertips, Lucy Grey warming his entire body. He studied her face, like how he had studied back at the academy. She leaned forward carefully, and they kissed. Coriolanus closed his eyes and his hand moved to bring her closer. He felt warm and his heartbeat was rapid. Lucy Grey was smiling, he could feel it. She heard bird cries and they broke apart, watching for whatever had caused the birds to stir.
After nothing had presented itself, they continued to eat their food.
The next morning, Coriolanus' thoughts mainly focused on Tigris and his grandma.
"Songbird?" Coriolanus whispered.
"Corio?" Lucy Grey responded.
"I'm going to go back to the Capitol so I can bring someone who would like it here," Coriolanus thought of his Grandma, who wouldn't like to mingle with a district girl, but Tigris wouldn't mind, "I also have to say goodbye to someone..."
Lucy Grey looked at him, her eyes searching for a reason, "well, I can't keep you here forever."
He sighed and hugged her.
"I'll be back for you. I promise," Coriolanus promised to his songbird.
A couple of days worth of hiding and traveling brought Coriolanus back to his home. He walked with his head down in the Capitol until he found his home.
"Coriolanus!" Tigris laughed and ran to him, "Where have you been?"
"In District 12, I ran away with the songbird, I need you to join me," he said this all very quickly, so his grandma wouldn't hear, "I can't take grandma'am with us, she wouldn't approve-"
"Corio, slow down. Stay the night, tie up any ends you have here if you are leaving," Tigris calmed him down.
"Okay," He nodded, his eyes moving rapidly.
They spent the night talking, Corio settling back into his home. The next morning, he entered the academy and walked into his old classroom.
"Highbottom," he said.
"Coriolanus Snow," the professor said, watching Coriolanus walk to him. Coriolanus dropped Sejanus' items on the professor's desk.
"His parents can't know I dropped this off. I'm leaving Panem," Coriolanus told him. Casca Highbottom moved the box to the side of his desk.
"You know how the Hunger Games started? As a stupid joke, a piece of homework for your father and me. I was drunk, and I thought the idea was something that would never flesh out, but your father, decided that the idea was great enough to become reality. He decided the Hunger Games were just punishment for the districts," Casca said, his voice bitter of the memory, "You always looked like your father."
Coriolanus glared after the final comment, "Do not compare me to my father."
Casca leered at Coriolanus' comment, "Finally rejecting the shadow of your father?"
"Goodbye, Highbottom."
With that last comment, Coriolanus turned his back on the professor, put his hood up, and walked out of the classroom.
            He slipped through corridors and doors until he reached his final destination in the academy. He saw Dr. Gaul and walked into her lab. She recognized him and grinned at his appearance.
"Have you come back for the games?" Dr. Gaul said sarcastically.
"Why, why do you love the Hunger Games so much?"
"I think you know why. I saw you, in the arena. Those cameras got a good look at your face," Dr. Gaul smiled like a cat who got the cream, "that boy's family, if they knew, I'm sure they would be in a riotous mood."
"I'm sure they would be, but I would be missing," Coriolanus told her, his voice devoid of kindness.
"I'm sure you will be. That trick with the blabber jays was ingenious. Turning in your friend is something I wouldn't expect you to do."
"I didn't mean to," Coriolanus started but gave up. He shook his head and turned away to leave, giving up on communicating with the doctor.
"The next games will be much, much more different," Dr. Gaul said to the back of Coriolanus.
Coriolanus didn't turn and walked out, returning his hood. He slipped through the academy and back to his home.
"Tigris we have to leave today," Coriolanus said quietly.
"Really, Corio?" Tigris was confused by the sudden statement.
"Yes, Tigris, they'll follow us if we waste time. You should pack your things first."
Tigris nodded and walked to her room. For the rest of the night, they were trying to let down grandma'am so she wouldn't be too mad. They made more food and packed some of the ingredients that they could. Finally, when it was after they should be asleep, Coriolanus knocked on Tigris' door softly. Tigris opened the door and she had a bag for just her fabrics. She smiled bashfully
"I couldn't help myself," Tigris laughed softly, "I won't need many clothes if I can make myself clothes."
Coriolanus smiled at her excitement.
"Okay, you ready? I can carry a bag for you as well, I didn't bring anything," I knew I would return, he thought of Lucy grey again, knowing how much the two women would love to meet each other.
"The journey isn't the best, just a final warning."
"If it's with my favorite boy, I'll be okay," Tigris smiled. Coriolanus grabbed her fabric bag and walked out, Tigris following closely.
The journey,  as Coriolanus found it, was nicer when he knew he would be returning with a woman he loved to  the woman he loved. Tigris was very cheery and the trip treated her well. She would end up feeling closer to Coriolanus and Lucy Grey out there, where wherever you were from doesn't matter. Once they finally reached their home, Lucy Grey ran to Coriolanus.
"You came back, Corio!"
"I promised I would, Songbird."
Tigris smiled at the pair. She hugged Lucy Grey like the sister she never had before.
"Hello, Lucy Grey, I'm Tigris, I'm his cousin." She was smiling at the shorter girl, her hands on the others shoulder.
"I love your outfit."
"I do too."
"I made this, actually," Tigris smiled, "I think I'll like you, Lucy Grey."
The three ended up living on the land for years, some people from Lucy Grey's family would come by, but they always ended up leaving. A couple of years went by, and Corio made a ring of some wood for Lucy Grey.
"It's the most I could do for you, at least out here," his hand found the familiar spot it had on her head, and as his eyes gazed at her features, a feeling of something in his throat came up. He smiled at his songbird, as she smiled at her corio. She had her arms loosely resting on his hips like arm rests, and she put her hands on his mid back to pull him down as he pulled her head back gently. The two rested, still for a moment, enjoying the warmth and smell of each other, before Coriolanus lowered his head to kiss her. They stayed like that until they were dizzy, and even then neither would deny they would have stayed that close even after they fell. They heard noise of Tigris, and they broke, flushed and breathing deeper than normal.
"I hope I didn't break up the two birds, did I?" Tigris was smirking playfully, some berries in a bag she had made not too long ago. A lot of what they wore came from prices Tigris had made, all exquisite and unique, but not the lavish pieces of the Capitol. They had all found their role, like Tigris. Lucy Grey had a knack for finding safe berries and ripe plants. Coriolanus enjoyed fishing and hunting. All three made a great team. Lucy Grey also had a knack for knowing how to make medicine, even from the simplest plants. They would live for years in peace, and when the time finally came, when they were old, they would all still take care of each other. By then, district or Capitol didn't matter. It was safe, they were safe. Safe from the Capitol, the games, and war.

guys im not okay