umm may i request sejanus and reader in a pre-established relatiosnhip but it's kept private so people dont peer into their lives but they lowkey get caught making out 😂😂🫰 Im projecting my fantasies here.
I cant remember if it was U who had a fic similar to dis or someone else but i🤤 could go for more of these fics... Um. If U dont want to write this U dont have to Ok? I love ur sejanus fics and I feel so fed and full egerytime I read them 🩷🩷 Thank U
Sweetest Secret
sejanus plinth x fem reader
anonn :( u are so sweet!! im so glad you enjoy reading my sejanus fics because he barely gets any love in the fandom lol <3
Your family was far too nosy for their own good, spending too much time dishing out details that didn't concern them. Not wanting to become their next victim, you always vowed to keep the details of your life private. None of them were informed in the change in your relationship status, neither did they know the boy you spent your time with was none other than Sejanus Plinth. Your older brothers and a few of your uncles had been working on some sort of plan to take an audience with Strabo Plinth and somehow convince him to give your family a hefty donation, truth was that Strabo Plinth was just the latest wealthy man that contained riches your family were enchanted with. He wasn't the first nor would he be the last, you didn't understand how they hadn't grown tired of this game by now. Why would a rich man ever carry the key that would unlock the treasure chest of your family's dreams to begin with? Who's to say that the key wasn't in the possession of their own selves?
Unlike the rest of your family, you always knew that you held the key to your own dreams. You just weren't sure what to do with it. What good is a key without a lock? For the longest time you deemed your key as useless, there was nothing for it to unlock or open.
When you met Sejanus it was as clear as day that he was the lock you were looking for. When you both became involved with one another, it was easier to understood your family's obsession with living out the dream. You just weren't going to tell them that.
"I've heard the Plinths own the largest estate in the area", your uncle fawned over breakfast. "Strabo's done pretty good for himself".
"Didn't know the two of you were on a first name basis", you muttered under your breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing! I'll be heading out now!" You pushed your plate away just as fast as you made your way to the door.
It was lovely outside, and the day became even brighter when you ran into Sejanus right before you got to the library. "Didn't we have plans for today?"
"Did we?", you acted as if you had forgotten but in truth you just wanted to keep him on his toes. But Sejanus knew you too well for you to pull tricks like that.
"You remembered", he chuckled. "You remembered but?" he waited for you to finish his sentence.
"But I had a few errands to run beforehand".
"Alright", Sejanus slung an arm around your shoulder as you pulled out a slip of paper from your pocket that listed to books you were here to pick up.
It didn't take long for you to retrieve your books, and once you did Sejanus gladly held them for you. "So now that you're done with your errand I was thinking that we could-"
"I have to drop these home first", you interrupted.
You watched as he clicked his tongue before smiling back at you. "Alright, let's go sweetheart".
The house was empty when the two of you arrived, just as you knew it would be during this time of day.
"Where do you want these?", you were glad that the stack of books in Sejanus's hands hid his line of sight from how messy your room currently was.
"On the floor is fine".
"Is that all?"
"You've done enough". You kissed his cheek in thanks.
"You're welcome". He pressed a soft kiss to your lips in return. His gesture was much bolder than yours.
Sejanus quickly stepped back. "Was that too?-"
"No", you breathed out as you pulled him closer to you. This time it was you who pulled the bold gesture of initiating a kiss.
Sejanus was no fool, of course he reciprocated back. You two were both sprawled out at this point, he couldn't help himself and neither could you.
"You're so pretty", he pulled away for a short moment to brush the hair out of your face so it wouldn't bother you. "Beautiful".
You smiled against his lips. "You always tell me that".
"I can get more creative". He smiled before he locked his lips back onto yours.
You were more than willing to kiss him senseless, but you suddenly caught a hold of yourself.
"What's wrong?", Sejanus asked.
"Nothing. I just.. I didn't mean to get so carried away".
Sejanus was still breathless as he slightly titled his head in confusion.
"I'm sorry", your hands wipe at your face. "I shouldn't have-"
"Shouldn't have what?"
"I just.. I got carried away". Repeating yourself only made you more nervous. "It's just.. I was being sloppy".
"Sloppy? You were doing just fine baby".
"I was slobbering".
"So now it's slobbering?", he smiled but you didn't reciprocate it. "You're perfect. What makes you think you're a bad kisser lovely?"
"Nothing, I just-"
"Is it this?", he kissed the side of your lip. "Is it me? Am I doing something wrong?"
You would have responded if Sejanus wasn't so eager to kiss you properly. "Sejanus.."
"Angel..", he cooed back. His soft hands cradled your head as he kissed you once more.
You giggled at his antics. "So this is funny now?"
"Nuh-uh", your hand reached for his hair.
"Well what's got you giggling then?-"
"What're you doing home? I thought you were- Oh-"
You pushed Sejanus away as soon as you heard the voice. You didn't expect anyone to be home, let alone one of your brothers. He didn't seem to pay too much attention to you though.
"That's- You're the Plinth boy. What's the Plinth boy doing here?"
"So what do you need? Whatever it is, you're not getting it cause of how you barged in here!"
Your brother paid you no regard. "Did your father get one if my uncle's letters? Or maybe one from any of my brothers? Did he get mine at least? Is that why you're here?"
Sejanus cleared his throat, "Letters?"
"I'm sure he had to receive at least one. "How'd you even get in here anyway?..", your brother suddenly turned to you.
"What?"
"Is this?..", he gestured between you and Sejanus, "Are you two?-"
"Strabo Plinth didn't get your letter alright!", you yelled.
He turned to Sejanus as you pushed him out of your room,"If you can put in a word with your father next time you see him-"
The door slammed before he could finish his sentence. "Ignore that", you told Sejanus. "All of that".
"Even what happened before?", Sejanus smiled.
"You know what I meant", you scoffed playfully as he leaned in to kiss you once more.
sejanus plinth is the type of boyfriend to get carried away during a makeout session and accidentally give you a bunch of love bites all over your neck — and then the next morning he sees them, feels bad, and offers to cover them up for you before you leave for the academy. he’s all “I’m sorry, sweetheart, I didn’t mean to make them so obvious. where’s your concealer?” with his adorable pout and puppy eyes, while you’re just giggling to yourself because you actually kind of love when he marks you up like this, and you wouldn’t mind people seeing them as much as he thinks <3
Warnings: nothing really it’s just fluffy, lil bit of self doubt from Sejanus, wintertime, small mention of the war :P
A/N: this is a small apology for pt2 of Capital Don’t Cry taking so long, this is kinda inspired by take me anywhere but home by Seulgi (my love) you’ll all need some cute Sejanus fluff before the angst of the next part (also none of this is proofread)
ೀ Sejanus is actually the sweetest boyfriend ever
ೀ is 100% a caregiver
ೀ you feel slightly ill he's making sure you're tucked up in bed and Ma will send an entire basket of homemade pastries
ೀ he's definitely a neat freak
ೀ if you hurt yourself in anyway at all, he has something for it
ೀ your stomach hurts, he has painkillers
ೀ you cut yourself, he has bandages
ೀ you have a killer migraine, he somehow has some morphling to help ease the pain.
ೀ and he tops it all off with a forehead kiss
ೀ definitely a paranoid type
ೀ knows you would cheat on him ever, but the second he sees you talking to someone else, he's immediately insecure
ೀ I think he feels he's not good enough for you
ೀ a successful Capital citizen, your family is very powerful, you already had your foot in some of the business your family owned.
ೀ he was just him, no matter how hard he tried, he'd never be seen as Capital, he was the black sheep of his family and the black sheep in the Academy
ೀ you never cared about his background
ೀ at the Academy he was the only person you met who wasn't self-centred and vain and that was really fucking attractive
ೀ probably thought you were only trying to be his friend because of a friend or something
ೀ definitely a bit cautious of you at first but that man is head over heels in no time
ೀ definitely the type to buy you flowers and a teddy bear
ೀ let's be honest you probably have a collection of teddy bears from every date you've ever been on
ೀ definitely love physical touch
ೀ always walking round hand in hand
ೀ loves walking you from class to class, just the feeling of your small hand in his makes his heart soar
ೀ he's also big on forehead kisses
ೀ he's definitely embarrassed of his Ma the first time you meet
ೀ she's pulling out the photo albums, all Sejanus's baby pictures on display
ೀ he genuinely wants the world to swallow him whole in that moment
ೀ assumes (incorrectly) that you'll see him as inferior, since you're seeing photos of him when he was in the district
ೀ it honestly makes you fall in love with him more, getting to see him in his childhood home
ೀ that night he walks you back to your apartment, snow falling, walking hand in hand
The Capital look beautiful at this time of year, arguably more than usual with Sejanus by your side. The cold breeze that left the tip of your nose red to the plush scarf Sejanus insisted you wear on your walk back to your apartment. The snow crunched beneath your feet, bring back memories of your childhood. Innocent memories of winters past spent making angels in the snow and the bleak, grim wintertime during the war. Although the snow brought unpleasant memories, it also brought you him.
His soft black hair had begun to turn white, sprinkled with powdery flakes. His Ma insisted he wear a woollen hat but he tore it off the second he was out of her sight. You could tell he was a bit embarrassed all night, she immediately took you in as if you were family, showing you all the family photos, including ones of him as a child.
He looked so cute, seeing him back in his home back in District Two. His Ma told stories of their town and flaunted photos of the picturesque mountains they lived near. Ma Plinth was proud of her home, and you could tell she missed it dearly. You wished you had the same type of bond with your home like she did but the Capital wasn't a place to be proud of. You felt like a songbird stuck in a cage, only to be ogled at. You wanted to be free, that's what drew you to Sejanus in the first place, he was a breath of fresh air. Lost in thought, you slowed down a bit.
"Are you alright?" Sejanus looked a bit concerned, he was convinced that his Ma's sales pitch of District Two had completely turned you off. He was almost certain that you'd never speak to him again after tonight. You turned you head to him happily humming examining his red cheeks.
"I was thinking..." Sejanus froze in his tracks, turning to face you, fearing the worst. His heart melted when he heard what came out of your mouth.
"After we graduate from the Academy, if you'd like to take a trip to Two, you could show me around the place, I'd love to learn more about where you grew up,"
"You want to visit District Two?" Sejanus was shocked, thinking the idea of visiting the districts would never cross your mind.
"Well, your Ma made one hell of a sales pitch, it sounds like the most beautiful place," you're soft hands pushed some hair out of his eyes, resting softly on his cheek, "you don't talk about it often and I know how important it is to you, I want to learn more about your life before you came here," Sejanus's hand covered your own, he looked at you in awe, he couldn't have dreamt up a better partner.
"Are you sure you want to?" You smiled brightly, nodding while pulling him closer to you. It was like a scene out of a movie, the snowflakes continued to fall in clusters across the quiet streets of the Capital, the entire city fell silent. His brown eyes bore into your soul, his hands tenderly cradled the back of your neck, pulling you in swiftly to unite your lips. He couldn't help but smile throughout the kiss, happiness radiating within him. He pulls back gently, his hand resting on your cheek, carefully examining your face.
"I'd go anywhere with you, just take me anywhere but home."
Sejanus Plinth x fem!OC
fluff and angst, strangers to lovers, T/W: canon-typical violence (everything that happened to Sejanus still happens), 10.5k words
They only knew each other for two weeks. Such a short lived romance, and such intensity in their hearts. Perhaps a part of them knew it was doomed from the start, though both could not help but hope for a future.
Coryo wasn’t kidding when he said the training was mind numbing. Sejanus was weary and yet bored. He was exhausted and restless, desiring more than anything to just get up and wander. It hadn’t been longer than a week and a half since he arrived in District 12. He was beginning to adjust to the routine, but he missed his privacy–his freedom.
There was a weak point in the fence behind the generator he could slip through, he’d noticed it earlier that day. The base was buzzing ambient as people came and went from the dining hall or duties they were assigned. He was the only one in his barracks free right now. He knew the way to the Hob and back, he knew how to navigate the town. Conditions were arguably perfect. And so he slipped out. He made his way into the square, which was beginning to settle into night. People passed by in their many conversations and interactions. Quiet chatter of miners going home, shopkeepers trying to sell the last of their wares before closing down, the energy was one of waning, but less of dying and more of change. The quiet of night called for other things, not necessarily less lively.
From afar, Sejanus saw a girl about his age, seemingly arguing with a boy who was also about their age. He towered over her, and while no voices were raised, the tension and fear could be seen from a mile away. She started to walk away, but her wrist was grabbed in a flash. Words were exchanged and let go of her wrist. They walked slowly together, her head hanging low as she stared at the ground beneath her feet.
Sejanus kept his eyes peeled for her that Saturday at the Hob. His business with Billy Taupe and Spruce was concluded, so he felt content in throwing back some white liquor and enjoying the night. Tam Amber took centre stage with a mandolin and began to play a lively melody. Looking out to the dance floor, Sejanus found that the mystery girl from before was standing before him, just where the floor met the stage, dancing by herself. The music was loud, with a fast, stomping beat. Her long skirt flared out as she spun, tendrils of yellow hair flying to match. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she moved. Soon she took her skirt into her hands and swung it back and forth, showing off the intricate steps and stomps of her feet. Despite the skill she demonstrated, it was clear to Sejanus, who was watching intently, that her dance was entirely improvised. Her smiling eyes and broad, laughing mouth indicated such incredible freedom. She was entirely in her body, hearing the music and letting herself move with it, unencumbered by any sort of social inhibition. It was stunning. Inspiring, even. Coryo seemed content just watching it all from their seats by the wall, and their other friends were blackout drunk as they often were on Saturday nights. And so he decided to take to the dance floor. Though in reflection, he likely would have gone on to join her in dancing regardless of what his friends were doing.
Writhing bodies and loud music overwhelmed his senses. From his seat by the wall, he could keep his eye on the mystery girl, but how he saw now sign of her, his line of sight blocked by all the other dancing people. She was close to the stage, she knew that much. By the time he got there, worming his way through the crowd, the song had ended. The crowd stilled as Tam Amber took a bow, barely smiling as he stared aimlessly into the mass of people below him.
“Woo! Tam Amber!”
Sejanus looked to his left, where he saw the mystery girl with hands cupped around her mouth, cheering for the man on stage. A small smile creeped onto Tam Amber’s face as he walked upstage and Maude Ivory introduced the next song.
Sejanus was beaming. Her voice was heavenly, energetic, somehow more fitting than he had imagined. It occurred to him as the music started up again that perhaps he had been staring for a bit too long. She spent a moment just listening, eyes closed, tapping her foot to the beat. It was slower, not exactly something to dance to, at least not in the way she was before. People around them began to find partners and sway. She glanced over to her dazed admirer, a charismatic smile spreading across her face.
“Well, hello.”
“H-hi,” he managed to utter.
Her gaze flitted around the room, watching lovers sway to a gentle ballad. Something burning and hot sparked in Sejanus’ chest, emboldening him to speak again.
“Would you like to dance with me?”
He tried to sound as confident as possible, which he wasn’t terrible at. She walked over to him, dress swaying like water with every step.
“Gladly.”
There was little hesitation as she draped her arms around his neck. Sejanus on the other hand was almost shaking as he placed hands on her waist.
“Is this alright?”
“It’s perfect.”
They swayed for a bar or two before she spoke again.
“Have you danced with anyone before?”
“First time. Can you tell?”
“Sort of. You just seem a touch nervous.”
“Guilty as charged.”
“Don’t be. You’re a lovely partner.”
Sejanus could feel his face reddening. She was just gorgeous up close, and he was very close. In fact, she was inching closer, practically cheek to cheek.
“ Is this alright?” she asked, breath soft in his ear.
“It’s perfect.”
She giggled, and with their chests pressed flush against one another, he could feel her laughter reverberate in his own body. No words were spoken until nearly the end of the song.
“Sejanus!”
Coryo called his name from a few feet away, unable to make his way onto the crowded dance floor. He gestured that they should leave. Sejanus slowly lifted a hand from her waist to check his watch.
“I’m sorry, I think I need to go. I gotta get my friends back to base before curfew, and they’re pretty drunk so it usually takes a while.”
“To base? You’re a peacekeeper?”
There was evident shock in her voice.
“Yeah. Though it’s not–”
Coryo called his name again.
She pulled her arms off him and he immediately missed their warmth.
“It was nice meeting you.”
“Nice meeting you.”
His sentence was rushed; he could see Coryo getting anxious. She waved to him as he left. And he couldn’t help but look back with a massive smile and wave in return. He couldn't hear it, but he could see a laugh escape her lips.
With their friends drunk and draped over their shoulders, Coryo and Sejanus walked back to camp.
“Found yourself a girl, huh?”
Sejanus just laughed. He was truly at a loss for words, giddy, with a face still red and blushing.
“What’s her name?”
His head snapped up.
“I don’t know. I didn’t get the chance to ask. God I’m so stupid!”
Coryo laughed.
“Next week. Hey, you can ask if any of the Covey know her tomorrow at the lake.”
Both of them knew that Coryo’s words were just a sorry attempt at comfort.
“Yeah. Tomorrow should be fun."
Tam Amber led them into the Meadow, where they stopped for a bit. He then looked uphill and waved.
“Canary!”
Sejanus turned his head and watched as the figure of a human moved closer. Tam Amber started running over to them, meeting in the middle of the meadow. They spoke a few words to one another before turning back to the group. Sejanus felt a surge of exuberance when he saw their face getting closer, which was soon followed by a sinking pull of dread when he noticed how close she was to Tam Amber. Her yellow hair was braided and pulled into an updo today, though waves and tendrils seemed to escape and frame her face as they walked over. Her dress reminded Sejanus of the porcelain tea set his family only brought out for guests, with its delicate blue flowers painted on the white linen.
“Hope y’all don’t mind, I invited Canary to come with us today.”
Canary. At least he knew her name now. Tam Amber spoke again, pointing first to Coryo.
“Birdie, that’s Coriolanus, Lucy’s boy, and that’s–”
“Sejanus,” she interrupted.
The word rolled so naturally off her tongue. He liked the sound of his name when she said it. She knew his name. It wasn’t implausible, Coryo had shouted it multiple times last night as they finished dancing. But this meant that she had listened–and not only that, she had remembered his name.
“Well hello again.”
“Hi.”
Tam Amber moved to the front of the group and began leading them to the forest again. Canary lingered behind by Sejanus.
“I was hoping I’d see you again soon. How d’you know the Covey?”
“Oh, Coryo and I are friends. We sleep in the same barracks.”
“Ah. This is my second time meeting everyone. Tam Amber introduced me last night. After you left.”
“And how’d you meet him?”
“I was in the meadow and so was he. Call it fate.”
Sejanus tried not to let this turn in events mar his mood. He didn’t know for sure that they were together, he didn’t even know for sure that he liked her that way. But he knew that they were walking together, that they were talking together, and that she was just lovely to be around. They chatted all the way to the lake. He learned that Canary lived in the Seam, was the daughter of a coal miner, and probably going to start working soon, now that she was done with school. Her father and brother didn’t love the idea of associating with the Covey, but she snuck out anyway. Today, she said she was going out with friends Lucy and Barb. Of the Covey, her family only knew rumours, and she had told her brother Elk only the name Tam Amber. They suspected nothing of these new friends Lucy and Barb.
“New friends are always worth a little bit of lying,” she said like they were lyrics to a melody no one else could hear.
Her willingness to share about her life inclined Sejanus to do the same. It was so easy–natural, even–to tell her everything. She listened as he spoke and was genuinely interested in his story. There were a couple of things he kept close to the chest, namely how exactly he got sent to Twelve as a peacekeeper, but most everything else he shared.
“I’m from District 2 originally. I was young when we moved to the Capitol, but it’s still home. I remember everything about it, and what I forget I try to find again.”
“How do you do that?”
“I dunno. I think a part of me seeks out that which I’ve forgotten. My friends and I used to always buy these blueberry pastries after school. We’d pool our money and split one or two. Sometimes I was able to get more from my allowance and I could treat them to one pastry each. I forgot what those tasted like until they had something similar in the school cafeteria. After that, my Ma started making them at home. She sent some in the mail recently, I’ll save one for you next time.”
“That’s very sweet of you.”
She paused to form her thoughts.
“If District 2’s home, then you must be pretty used to being homesick.”
“Yeah. The Capitol wasn’t anything close to home. But I think this place is much better. In every way.”
“Is it?”
“I think so. I’m free here. I can say and think and do as I please.”
“That sounds nice. I always thought that’s what you do in the Capitol.”
“I guess it is and it isn’t. But anyway, I like it enough to be happy here.”
She smiled at him, but there was a slight restraint, a touch of sadness behind her eyes.
“I’m glad.”
As they walked, she would occasionally crouch down and pluck up a couple of wildflowers and stalks before catching up with the group.
“What are those for?”
“Medicine. I think. I got this old book recently about medicinal plants, and I’m trying to learn how to identify them.”
The two of them spent the rest of the hike discussing medicine and botany. Sejanus wanted to become a medic to help people, but the scientific side of it was also undeniably fascinating. It seemed Canary held similar sentiments. She had an empathy for others, a passionate care for everyone, and also a love of the science that informed medicinal care. As she told Sejanus about how she got the book, there were frequent tangents about the friendly neighbours or strangers she encountered. It made sense to him, why everyone she met was friendly. How could anyone not be sweet to her? Her love of people and her faith in individuals was inspiring. They made it to the lake in no time.
Despite the lovely conversation, the hike was still quite long and tiring. Once they were at the lake, little time was wasted stripping down into undergarments and jumping in the cool water. The lake was surrounded by green trees and hilltops on all sides. Canary looked around as she waded in.
“It’s like Mother Nature herself is protecting us.”
“Us and everything else that lives here,” Sejanus added as he noticed the ducks on the other shore and the fish by his knees.
“I wonder if somebody could live here. Looks like people used to.”
“I’ve heard some still do. Not here, but further north. Some miners were telling me about it last night, actually. They just live off the wilderness and they’re too far away for the Capitol to care.”
“How do you know all that? I’ve heard those stories all my life, doesn’t make them anything more than stories.”
“I think it could be true. Don’t you?”
“I guess. I dunno. A place like that feels too good to be true. A place with real freedom.”
In that moment, Sejanus felt more of a rebel than ever before. He’d talked to Billy Taupe and Spruce and some of the other miners about running away, there were even moments where they threw around ideas of the kind of rebellion Arlo had wanted, but this was the first time Sejanus felt such burning need to get away–and to take people with him. Here in Twelve, he had plenty of freedom–enough that, under different circumstances, he could lead a happy life. But the people here were just as stifled as he was in the Capitol. So long as that was the case, he couldn’t just stand around and do nothing. Becoming a medic wouldn’t be enough. He needed to do something more. He wanted to show the world that a place with real freedom could be true, that something good didn’t need to be just a fantasy.
After some time in the lake and then drying off on the shore, everyone was beginning to feel hungry. Sejanus was sitting under the shade of a tree with Canary and Tam Amber when Maude Ivory strolled over.
“Sejanus, come with me. There’s a blackberry patch over there.”
She pointed to a collection of foliage growing from the side of what used to be a house.
“Canary, you wanna come?”
Canary looked back at Tam Amber, who was starting to fashion fishing poles from thin branches and string. Clerk Carmine walked over with a handful of freshly dug-up worms and there was a slight look of disgust on her face as she turned around.
“Yeah, I’ll tag along.”
Upon reaching the blackberry patch, the three of them began to pick in relative silence. Maude Ivory liked to fill silence with the sound of her voice.
‘How come you didn’t come backstage last night? Sejanus and Coriolanus did.”
“I didn’t know there was a backstage. Tam Amber just said to show up.”
“Yeah, he’s never really been one for words. But now you know!”
“Am I invited then? It seems rather exclusive,” Canary added, looking over to Sejanus with a smile.
“Hmm… Your request is pending. Do you like music?”
She chuckled. “I dance when you play, don’t I?”
“Do you sing?”
“I do indeed.”
Sejanus watched this exchange with fond eyes. He adored Canary’s playful nature and her ease of wit and banter with Maude Ivory. Her confidence was terribly attractive.
After some pondering and a few more questions, Maude Ivory came to a response.
“...Then not only are you invited, but I’ll also share my popcorn balls with you.”
“I am honoured.”
Sejanus leaned over as they continued to pluck berries.
“You’re sweet. She seems to like you.”
“I try. And for the record, she rather likes you too. You bring her sweet things.”
“More like my Ma does. Oh, and speaking of which–”
He leaned even closer to whisper in her ear.
“I brought some cookies. I’ll take them out when we join the whole group, I want it to be a surprise.”
“Oh Sejanus, that’s lovely.”
It was at this point that the trio began to split. They’d harvested all that was ripe from the first bush and Maude Ivory had moved to a bush to the right. She left the pail with Sejanus and Canary who, being older and taller, pressed deeper into the patch. They continued to talk as they filled the bucket between them.
“Are you sure you don’t want to keep them? The berries are plenty dessert and cookies keep well.”
‘Oh, yeah. Ma sends more than we can finish.”
“Ah. And the base has a canteen, right?”
“Yup. Three over-salted meals a day.”
She nodded. Sejanuss hadn’t noticed when, but her mood had evidently soured a bit.
“You alright?”
“Hm?”
He might have pulled her from deep thought, he realised.
“Yeah, just a little hungry is all.”
Hunger. The longer he spent in Twelve, the more he realised that he hadn’t felt hunger before–not really anyway. Even during the war, his father’s wealth kept the family well fed while the rest of Two fought over crumbs. And Sejanus somehow felt little restraint in saying all this to Canary as he reflected on it. It was so easy to talk to her.
The conversation eventually turned into a long winded discussion of hunger, privilege, and activism. Canary at one point mentioned her father’s irrational distrust of the Covey. Sejanus asked why he held such prejudice, and she answered.
“I think it’s just easier for him this way. It’s easy to blame everything on a scapegoat instead of the actual governing system. I think it’s how he stays sane when he’s starving and angry. ‘Cause one hungry man can’t fight the Capitol. And he has a family to provide for. He can’t be caught agreeing with rebels.”
The two of them sat with this statement before she continued.
“Of course, this is all speculation–he’d never admit it even if it were true. And a part of me still hates him for being such a dick to my friends. But he’s my father. And he’s certainly the lesser of many evils. At the very least, these problems did not start with him.”
Sejanus listened in awe of her eloquence. She was brilliant, she was empathetic and still opinionated, and best of all, she was rebellious. Her thoughts spilled out of her in a way that made him suspect she didn’t have many people to tell these things to, and fewer that would listen. Sejanus felt a certain pride in being her only confidant for such topics. He wondered if she would agree with his business with Billy Taupe and Spruce. She was from the Seam, perhaps she knew Lil. He doubted she knew about the plot, but if she did, would she join them? The more they talked, the more Sejanus believed she would. He at one point while they were picking berries, out of earshot of Maude Ivory, considered telling her about Lil and the plot to break her out. He decided against it, remembering Spruce’s warning to keep tight lips.
They rejoined the groups when Maude Ivory filled her skirt, at which point fish had been caught and cooked. If solely judging on the taste, Sejanus found the lunch subpar–sans his mother’s cookies of course. The fish were seasoned with some herbs they had plucked, but the flavour wasn’t very strong, and Sejanus found himself missing the blackberries of the Capitol, which were sweeter and bigger as a result of being farmed instead of foraged. But in the company of friends and with the knowledge they’d caught it all themselves, the meal became infinitely better. Canary also seemed to be thoroughly enjoying her food. Sejanus liked to see her happy. And perhaps he was wishfully thinking, but her smile seemed to broaden when she looked at him.
Blankets were spread out on the ground after they ate, and the group relaxed in the calm afternoon.
“I’ve never seen a sky quite that colour,” Sejanus noted as he was lying next to Canary on the blanket, staring up at the clouds and the sky.
“Sure. We each get our first name from a ballad and our second from a colour. Barb is from ‘Barbara Allen’ and azure blue like the sky. Me, I’m ‘Maude Clare’ and ivory like piano keys. And Lucy Gray is special, because her whole name came fright from her ballad. Lucy and Gray.”
“That’s right. Grey like a winter day,” Lucy Gray said while smiling up at Coryo.
Maude Ivory poked Coryo in the stomach. “Your name sounds Covey. Both your names, actually,” she added, looking at Canary.
“How so?” Coryo asked with a chuckle.
“Because of the snow part. White as snow. Snow white. And canaries have those bright yellow feathers. Kinda like your hair.”
“You’re even a songbird,” Tam Amber added. “You fit right in.”
“Guess I do. I’m glad. Y’all are the friendliest in the Seam by far.”
“All you need now is a ballad name,” Lucy Gray said.
Maude Ivory giggled with her next thought. “Is there a ballad with Coriolanus in it?”
“Not that I know of. Why don’t you write one about me? ‘The Ballad of Coriolanus Snow.’”
“Lucy Gray’s the writer, why don’t you ask her?”
“Stop pestering him, you.” Lucy Gray pulled her little cousin beside her. “You should probably take a nap before we head home.”
“People will carry me,” Maude Ivory countered as she wriggled to get free. “And I’ll sing for them!”
She started to sing her favourite song, which she had done several times on the hike earlier, but was cut short by Clerk Carmine telling her to pipe down.
“Come on, try to lie down.”
“Well, I will if you sing for me. Sing me the one from when I had croup.”
“Okay, but only if you hush.”
Lucy Gray sang the meadow song as Maude Ivory settled into her lap. After the first verse, Canary joined her, harmonising a simple major third higher, lilting and repeating a phrase here and there like an echo. Sejanus and Coryo both sat in awe of the songbirds sitting before them. Soon, by the time Maude Ivory fell asleep, mockingjays joined in the chorus, taking the song and making it their own. The group, aside from Coryo and Lucy Gray, who sat with Maude Ivory as she slept, decided to take another dip in the lake. It was not unlike the first one, mostly laughing and splashing in the cool water, though this time Canary didn’t hang around Tam Amber as much as she did Sejanus. It wasn’t noticeable to anyone except Sejanus, who let a giddy enjoyment of her presence course through him again.
On the way back to town, they stopped to refill the bucket with berries and then collected some apples Clerk Carmine spotted off the path. Tam Amber, Sejanus, and Canary continued ahead with Maude Ivory and the supplies carried between them. When they got back to the house, Canary gave the berries to Barb Azure and kept Maude Ivory company while the boys put the tools away. The blanket belonged on a rickety metal bed, the jug in the kitchen area, and the fishing supplies in a small box in the loft. Sejanus let his curiosity get the better of him as they climbed up.
“How long have you known Canary?”
“Couple weeks.”
It was true, Tam Amber wasn’t one for words. Neither him nor Canary had said anything about being a couple, but Sejanus had to know for sure. If anything just to quell his hopes and stop this childish fantasy he’d been playing all day.
“And how long have you been together?”
“Together?”
He felt a surge of excitement and hope.
“We’re not together,” Tam Amber said matter-of-factly.
It was just reality to him, and it seemed he hadn’t thought of any other possibility as regards to Canary. Sejanus just nodded.
When they were finished he found her standing idly by the door.
“I gotta get back home, but I wanted to say goodbye.”
Impulse and perhaps even instinct took over before Sejanus before he even knew he was speaking.
“I’ll walk you home.”
She smiled and took his arm.
“Thanks.”
Maude Ivory, with a mouthful of berries, spoke up from across the room. “I thought you were coming to the Hob with us. I wanna show you my new shoes.”
“I’ll meet you guys there.”
The two of them didn’t say much as they walked through the Seam, though Sejanus was a bit too busy overthinking to notice. She took his arm. When they had lied next to one another at the lake, there were moments where their skin brushed against one another, which he promptly burned into his mind, but this was different. This was intentional. And they weren’t dancing this time, she didn’t need to do this by any means. She chose to hold on to his arm and she chose to lay her head on his shoulder as they walked.
Canary’s house was at the other edge of the Seam, near the Justice Building. It wasn’t as dilapidated as the Covey home, in fact it seemed rather cosy. Sejanus couldn’t help but wonder how much money her family had. Her father was a coal miner, recently joined by her brother who had come of age to work just half a year ago. The house wasn’t glamorous by any means, but it was better than the homes of most miners deeper in the Seam.
She stopped moving a few metres from the door.
“Thanks again for walking me home.”
Standing square in front of him, her gaze shied away, avoided his own, looking down and away. And then she moved closer, rising onto her tiptoes. Sejanus felt fingers gingerly cup his face as a kiss was pressed on his cheek. She exhaled, her breath warm against his skin. There was barely time to think. He ran through one or two scenarios in his head very hastily before he needed to act. He brought his own hand to her chin and turned her face to his. She didn’t look away this time. Tilting his head, he kissed her properly. She melted against him, and it took every bit of strength in him not to do the same. When they pulled away, the air between them was warm and breathy.
“When can I see you again? Saturday?” she asked in a quiet voice.
“Definitely then. I’ll see if I can sneak out some night this week too. Would it be alright to just knock on your door?”
She paused for a moment. “I think so. You’re a peacekeeper, he doesn’t have anything against you. I’m sure it’ll be fine. I might even tell my brother about you,” she added with a smile.
“Okay. Don’t tell him too much.”
He pressed a kiss to her lips again. They stayed standing and looking at each other for a bit until, wordlessly, she went inside and he headed towards the Hob.
Sejanus’ mind buzzed with excitement all through the week, hardly focused on the mundane tasks to which he was assigned. Of course he had thoughts of the plan to run away in his head, and he was constantly worrying that it would go as planned: that no one would get hurt. But more at the front of his mind were thoughts of Canary. He saw her everywhere. Her voice in the wind, her smile in the grass, some part of her was always somewhere. It had really only been a day and a half, and he felt he needed to see her again. On Tuesday night, he decided to sneak out. As he walked through the quiet of night, he recalled less than a week ago when he was doing precisely the same thing. He hadn’t actually thought back to that first sighting of Canary. That man she was with was in hindsight probably her brother.
The route to her house was a bit harder to find in the dark, but Sejanus eventually figured it out. Some houses had lights still on, and fortunately, Canary’s was one of them. He could even see the silhouette of a person in an upstairs window. When they moved closer to the window Sejanus realised that it was Canary. She was sitting beside the window and brushing her hair from the looks of it. The whole scene felt like a painting or tableau they’d analyse in art classes at the academy. He felt a little silly knocking on the door so late at night, but throwing pebbles was such a cliche. So he walked up the porch and rapped gently on the door. There was a short bit of waiting for a response, but the door did eventually open. As he heard the locks clicking on the other side, he stood up a bit straighter and straightened his uniform. He’d tried to clean up a bit before leaving, but the grime of the day still lingered on his skin. Hopefully it would be clear that he was a peacekeeper based on his uniform. Admittedly, the blue jumpsuit looked a lot like the denim that he saw miners dressed in at the hob. Peacekeepers only wore the white armoured uniforms for official events like hangings and such things. Surely Canary’s family would know that.
A stern face greeted him when the door fully swung open. The man before him was the same as Sejanus had seen last Thursday night across the square with Canary. He had broad shoulders and veiny forearms, exposed by the sleeves he wore, rolled up to his elbows. His arms were crossed and his eyebrows furrowed.
“Hello.”
“Hi. My name is Sejanus. I was hoping to see Canary, is she–”
“Sejanus?” a familiar voice called from deeper in the house. Canary shortly appeared at the side of the man that had greeted Sejanus.
“Elk, this is the guy I told you about, the peacekeeper.”
“Ah. Come in, I suppose.”
Just as he had suspected, it was in fact her brother. Elk led the way into the house and sat down at a wooden table with a convenient three chairs at it. Canary took Sejanus’ arm again and walked with him to the table after her brother.
“So why the late night house call?”
“I… I’ve been busy all day, and this is the only time I could find to come out here. It’s not exactly close.”
Elk nodded.
“Did you need to discuss something?”
“No.” Sejanus turned to Canary, “I just wanted to see you.”
She smiled.
“Let’s go to the meadow. That should be fine,” she added, looking to her brother.
“Sure. Just be safe and don’t be back too late.”
Canary had already taken Sejanus’ hand and walked halfway to the door when Elk was done speaking. She waved goodbye and closed the door, pausing and leaning against it when they were alone outside.
“I’m glad you were able to come. I wanted to see you too.”
She kissed him before they started walking to the meadow. At first the conversation was just talking about their days. Sejanus recounted the business with the mockingjays and the mundanity of cleaning their cages all day. Canary told him about how she was still procrastinating finding a job like her father and brother were endlessly suggesting.
“What kind of job would you want?”
“Something like being a medic, I guess. I’m like you. I wanna help people, and I’m not bad with plants and all that.”
“Well then can’t you? There’s gotta be a hospital or apothecary in town that you could work at. Even if they’re not hiring, I’m sure you could charm your way in.”
She laughed and held his hand a bit tighter.
“I’ve tried. They’re not exactly interested in a girl, let alone one with no experience.”
Sejanus hadn’t thought of that. The longer he spent in Twelve the more apparent his privilege became. And the more he hated Panem. Or rather, he hated the Capitol and the system it imposed upon Panem. The Covey were good people. But the only value people saw in them was entertainment, and even that was subject to all sorts of discrimination. Canary was lovely. She was incredible and passionate and good, and kind, and yet she wasn’t ever given the opportunity to live up to her potential.
“You can still help people without some stupid job. People get sick, and you’ll know how to make them better.”
“If they trust me enough to believe what I tell them.”
“I…” It was increasingly difficult to look on the bright side for her, at least the brightness within the confines of social expectation.
“Look, this is… God, I can’t believe I’m saying this.”
By this point they had made it to the meadow. Sejanus sat down on a rock and patted the spot next to him. To his surprise, she ended up sitting in his lap, her arm draped over his shoulder.
“What’s going on?”
Sejanus hesitated, trying to find the right words to express all the million thoughts that ran through his head. It didn’t help that she was so close to him and he could feel his face heating up.
“Part of why I wanted to see you tonight is because I wanted to tell you something. There’s a group of rebels planning to head north, out of Panem, for good. I agreed to help them. They wanna get Lil out and bring her too, so I’m gonna sneak her out the way I do to come see you.”
“So… You’re leaving?”
“Not immediately. Around the weekend after next, I think, but yeah. I’m leaving. I can’t stay here, you know that. This whole medic thing is such a long way away, and I can’t get there without being a Peacekeeper for a lot longer. I snapped back in the Capitol and it got some people really upset. I can’t do that again, so I gotta leave before it gets that far. And I needed to tell you. I don’t wanna just leave you behind.”
“That’s kinda what you’re doing, though.”
“Not if…” Sejanus took a breath and calmed himself.
“Not if you come with me.”
“Come with you?”
“Yeah. You and I both know you don’t like it here all that much. And I saw you at the lake, talking about living out there. You looked so excited just thinking about it. Besides, we could use someone like you if somebody gets hurt or sick.”
“I…”
She rested her head against him.
“I’ve dreamed about running away. But really doing it? I mean, what would my brother say–what would my father say?”
“That’s the best part. We’re not going away forever. At least, I can’t. Once I help these folks leave, I wanna help more people in Twelve do the same. And if you start to worry or if something happens, I’ll be right there. I can hold you for as long as you need. And if you really need to, I’ll take you back myself.”
“Sej…”
“I’ll be honest. I don’t really want to leave you behind. And I think you’d be really happy if you came with me. Please come with me. I could make you so happy.”
She shifted to straddle and wrap both of her arms around him, her head rested in the crook of his neck.
“I hate how persuasive you are.”
Sejanus chuckled. “Is that a yes?”
She moved her head and pressed her lips to his, keeping them there for a long time. Sejanus gripped her waist with one hand and the other was planted firmly where the back of her head and neck met. Their lips moved in tandem until either they ran out of breath or simply needed to see each other’s faces again. Canary smiled up at him.
“Yes. I s’ppose I could come with you.”
At that, Sejanus moved in to keep kissing her.
The rest of their short time together was spent lying in the grass, wordlessly staring up at the night sky. They watched the moon trace a path overhead, and when it no longer touched the tallest trees, Canary could no longer deny the time.
“If we’re out any longer, Elk’ll get angry,” she said as she stood up and patted the dirt and grass from her clothes.
Sejanus nodded and stood up as well. He offered his hand and she took it with a smile. As they walked back up to the top of the valley, Canary once again rested her head on his shoulder. She spoke softly, with sleepiness at the edges of her voice.
“You know, I’ve never gotten so attached to someone so quickly. But when I’m with you, and when we’re close, I feel like it’s exactly where I’m meant to be.”
“My thoughts exactly. It’s strange how I feel when I’m with you. I’m excited, but also completely at peace. Like you said, like this is where I’m meant to be.”
She nuzzled a bit further into him. Sejanus could feel her eyes getting heavier as they approached the house. She must have had a long day, tending to everything in the house before going out to try and find a job. He wanted only peaceful, perfect days for her.
“We’re here,” he said as he stopped a few feet before the porch. She moved to face him and wrap her arms around his neck, just as she had done when they danced together. He pressed a kiss to her lips, avoiding every urge to linger as long as he wanted to.
“I’ll try and sneak out again this week.”
“Okay. Just don’t get in trouble.”
“Oh I won’t.” He pecked her cheek and spoke softly against her face, “I promise.”
When she finally did leave his arms and go inside, he stood smiling like an idiot for a moment or two. Then he heard a window slide open and looked up. Her yellow hair fell over her shoulders as she leaned over the windowsill and blew a kiss to him.
“Goodnight,” she called to him as he smiled up at her.
“Goodnight.”
While still quite giddy in the morning, there was also a guilt running through Sejanus’ head. He had felt bad enough before, keeping all of his plans secret from Coryo, but now that he had brought someone entirely new into it, he couldn’t continue hiding the truth from his friend. Today was the day to tell him. A package from his Ma was to come in today as well, which would make for a good distraction to get Coryo alone. He made sure to carefully wrap two blueberry pastries in a handkerchief and stow them away in his locker before walking to the hangar where Coryo and Bug were working. Birds were chattering up a storm when he entered, but Sejanus paid them no mind.
“Good news! Another delivery from my ma!”
“She’s the best,” Bug said as he headed for the door, presumably to go to their barracks and get into the package.
“I’ll tell her you said so.”
After making absolutely sure they were alone, Sejanus turned to Coryo and spoke in a hushed voice.
“Listen, we’ve only got a few minutes. I know you won’t approve of what I’m going to do, but I need you to at least understand. After what you said the other day, about us being brothers, well, I feel I owe you an explanation.”
Coryo turned away from the table he was working at and nodded.
“It’s like this: some of the rebels are leaving District Twelve for good. Heading north to start a life away from Panem. They said if I help them with Lil, I can go, too. And I haven’t asked them yet, but I wanna take Canary with us too.”
Coryo raised his eyebrows.
“I know, I know, but they need me. The thing is, they’re determined to free Lil and take her with them. If they don’t , the Capitol will hang her with the next lot of rebels they bring in. The plan is simple, really. The prison guards work in four-hour shifts. I’m going to drug a couple of my ma’s treats and give them to the outside guards. This medicine they gave me in the Capitol, it knocks you out like that–” he snapped his fingers.
“I’ll take one of their guns. The inside guards are unarmed, so I can force them into the interrogation room at gunpoint. It’s soundproof, so no one can hear them yell. Then I’ll get Lil. Her brother can get us through the fence. We should have hours before they discover the guards. Since we’re not going through the gate, they’ll assume we’re hiding on base, so they’ll lock it down and search here first. By the time they figure it out, we’ll be long gone. No one hurt. And no one the wiser.”
Coryo looked incredulously at his friend before dropping his head and rubbing his brow with his fingertips.
“I couldn’t go without telling you. You’re as good to me as any brother could be. I’ll never forget what you did for me in the arena. I’ll try to figure out some way to let Ma know what happened to me. And my father, I suppose. Let him know the Plinth name lives on, if only in obscurity.”
Coryo’s eyes darted to the door. “Here comes Bug.”
“We need another water bottle. One broke,” Bug said with a nonchalance that soothed Sejanus.
“I’ll find one.”
Sejanus followed his friend over to a bin that they presumably kept water bottles in.
“It sounds crazy, Sejanus. So many things could go wrong. What if the guards don’t want your ma’s treats? Or one does, and collapses with the other watching? What if the inside guards call for help before you get them in the room? What if you can’t find the key to Lil’s cell? And what do you mean, her brother will get you through the fence? No one’s going to notice him, what, cutting through it?”
“No, there’s a weak spot in the fence behind the generator. It works, I snuck out last night through there to see Canary.”
“Of course you did.”
“Look, I know a lot of things have to go right, but I think they will. They have to. And if they don’t, then they’ll arrest me now instead of later, right? When I’m wrapped up in something worse?”
Coryo shook his head.
“I can’t change your mind?”
“No, I’ve decided. I can’t stay here. We both know it. Sooner or later I’ll snap. I can’t do the peacekeeping work in good conscience, and I can’t keep endangering you with my crazy plans.”
They kept on going like this for a bit, Coryo asking practical questions and Sejanus replying with optimistic answers, until Bug came through the door again.
“Wel, I guess all there is to say is I’ll miss you. And good luck. I’ll let you get back to work.”
With that, Sejanus left, a weight suddenly lifted from his chest.
The next evening, everyone else in the barrack was preoccupied enough that Sejanus was able to sneak away again. Though this time, he did tell someone before he left. Coryo was just sitting on his cot, reading a book.
“Hey, I’m headed out to see Canary. Cover for me, if they ask, yeah?”
“Sure. You do this often?”
“No, but I just have to see her. I dunno how to explain it.”
Coryo smiled and shook his head, lightly shoving his friend towards the door.
Once again, there was a silhouette in the window, brushing her hair and most likely singing to herself. She paused, putting the hairbrush down, and in a flash she was gone from sight. Before Sejanus could knock on the door, it was opened by a smiling Canary.
“Hey. Come to call on me again?”
“I couldn’t stay away,” he responded with a joking smirk.
Turning back inside, Canary called to her brother, “It’s Sejanus again. I won’t be out too long.”
“Fine. Just be back sooner than you were last time,” Elk said from inside the house.
They walked hand in hand to the meadow, this time fantasising about life by the lake, or even up north.
“Would you want to learn how to hunt?”
“I suppose if I have to. I’d much rather fish, though. I know it’s basically the same, but it feels more humane to kill a fish than a deer or a rabbit. Something about the eyes.”
“I wonder if the plants up there are different. Maybe I could find a book on it.”
When they reached the top of the valley side, Canary stopped and sighed.
“Though, I worry about us getting out in the first place. It can’t be easy. Or everyone would have done it.”
They walked deeper into the meadow without saying a word, Canary sinking deeper and deeper into her own thoughts. Finally, she sat down and spoke. They were further from town than they were the other night.
“I could stay back, you know. Do what I can to keep peacekeepers off the trail. I don’t know what I’d do, but I want to help.”
“No. No, Canary, please. Please don’t stay behind, you could get caught just like Lil. I can’t have that. And you’ll be helping plenty if you just come with us.”
“It just feels so selfish; running away, leaving everyone behind.”
“It’s not selfish. And we’re looking for people. If we find people, or even a safe place to live, we’ll send back for everyone else. It’s just the beginning.”
“I know. I’m just… I guess I’m just scared.”
He took her in his arms and held her tightly.
“I’m scared too.”
When Saturday night finally came, Sejanus felt an unexpectedly large amount of relief wash over him. There was nothing taboo or illegal about going to the Hob with his friends–practically all of the peacekeepers did it. He wasn’t sneaking out this time. However, nervousness and caution still informed all of his actions. For the first hour of the show, he periodically scanned the room for both Canary, Billy Taupe, and Spruce, although it was really only necessary to keep an eye out for his fellow rebels. Canary’s entrance was impossible not to notice. When she came in through the door, it seemed like the whole room went quiet. Realistically it most certainly didn’t, but Sejanus could only see, could only perceive, her. She greeted the people around her with bright eyes and an infectious smile before heading straight to the dance floor like always. Sejanus stood up from the crate he was sitting on soon after and followed. He made sure to pass by Spruce on his way there and give him a covert nod, as though to say that he was still fully intent on following through with the plan.
For a moment, Sejanus just watched from a few feet away. Even with the people moving around, he saw Canary clear as day. The ruffles on her dress flapped as she spun and swayed. She seemed so unbothered, enjoying herself with little to no care for who might be looking at her. Selfishly, Sejanus hoped that he was the only one that saw her in that moment. And so he walked over and offered his hand. She didn’t take it, but she did lean in and kiss his cheek before beginning to dance with him. The music was upbeat, but still befitting a partner. Admittedly, Sejanus wasn’t all that familiar with the dances in Twelve, but he was able to piece together enough from her movements and what everyone around them seemed to be doing. Embarrassment heated his face as he realised that this song in particular didn’t call for a dance with any sort of linked hands. Wordlessly, her gaze reassured him that no one cared or noticed. They were all just here to have a good time. The two of them continued to dance together and enjoy the music, smiles on both of their faces. They had an undeniable glow about them of those who are young and in love. When they were finally able to dance cheek to cheek, Sejanus wasted no time whispering in her ear.
“I’m meeting with some of the rebels tonight. I want to introduce you to them, since you’ll be coming with us. Keep an eye out for when I head outside, okay?”
“Sure. And you’re sure they’ll be okay with it?”
“If you come with me, yes. You’re too cute to say no to.”
She snorted with laughter.
“If you say so.”
After a bit more dancing, Sejanus decided to sit back down and have something to drink before he met the others. Then, Billy Taupe gave him a nod from across the room and walked outside. A minute later, Sejanus followed. They walked into the shed, where Spruce and Marjoree, their arms dealer, were already waiting. Canary was quick to join as well.
“You got it?”
“Yup,” Sejanus said as he pulled a wad of cash out from his pocket and handed it to Marjoree. “This should be enough.”
“Plenty, thanks,” she muttered before exiting the room.
There was a burlap sack full of weapons sitting on the floor that Billy Taupe began to inspect. Sejanus took Canary’s hand and brought her over to where the others were standing.
“This is Canary, she’ll be coming with us.”
“What? Why?”
“Same reason y’all of going. I wanna get out of here,” she stated. There was a determinate confidence in her voice that Sejanus wasn’t sure if he’d really heard before.
“Besides, she can be of aid to us. She knows her way around a forest.”
Spruce took a moment to consider and rolled his eyes.
“Alright, fine. The more the merrier, I guess.”
“I promise, I won’t be a burden.”
Sejanus pulled her closer by the waist, attempting to reassure her. She looked up at him with a nervous smile. There was a moment of silence as Billy Taupe lifted a gun from the sack and the gravity of their situation fully donned on both Sejanus and Canary. The presence of real, functioning firearms made all of this so much more dire. Then, the floorboard creaked and all heads turned to the person in the doorway.
It was Coryo, Spruce wasted no time pointing a shotgun point blank at his chest. As he began to raise his hands, Lucy Gray approached from outside, gleefully unaware of the situation.
“Hey! Saw you slip out. Barb Azure said if you–” her sentence trailed off when she saw the gunman.
“Inside” was all he said. The door shut behind them with an eerie scrape.
“No. It’s all right, Spruce. He’s with me. They’re both with me,” Sejanus quickly said.
“Thought we agreed this was between us,” Spruce responded with clear irritation through gritted teeth. His eyes flitted from Coryo to Canary to Lucy Gray.
“He’s like my brother. He’ll cover for me when we run. Buy us more time.”
Coryo nodded.
Spruce then pointed the gun at Lucy Gray.
“What about this one?”
Billy Taupe was quick to speak: “I told you about her. She’s going north with us. She’s my girl.”
“If you’ll take me.”
“You two aren’t together?” Spruce asked with evident suspicion.
“He’s seeing my cousin. Barb Azure. She sent me to tell him where to meet up tonight is all.”
“That’s right.”
The two of them were clever, and quick on their feet. Sejanus hoped they wouldn’t be too mad at him for all this mess. Spruce shrugged and lowered his gun. Coryo, Lucy Gray, Canary, and Sejanus, all let out a breath of relief.
“I guess you’ll be more company for Lil.”
Coryo looked to the sack of weapons.
“That’s quite the haul.”
“Not for six people. It’s the ammo I’m concerned about. Be helpful if you could get us some more of that from the base.”
Sejanus nodded. “Maybe. We don’t really have access to the armoury, but I can look around.”
“Sure. Stock up,” said a voice from the corner.
“Who’s there?” said Spruce.
“Guns, ammo,” mocked the voice. “You can’t make more of that, can you? Up north?”
“It’s Mayfair Lipp, the mayor’s daughter.”
She continued to talk and taunt. “Always keep that last bullet somewhere safe. So as you can blow your brains out before they catch you.”
“Get home,” ordered Billy Taupe. “I’ll explain this later. It’s not how it sounded.”
“No, no. Come in and join us, Mayfair,” invited Spruce. “We’ve got no quarrel with you. You can’t choose your pa.”
“We won’t hurt you,” promised Sejanus.
“Course you won’t,” she sneered with an ugly laugh.
Spruce turned to Billy Taupe. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing. She’s just talking. She won’t do anything.”
“That’s me. All talk, no action. Right, Lucy Gray? How’d you enjoy the Capitol, by the way?”
In a flash, Spruce readied and aimed the shotgun at her, but Billy Taupe knocked it toward the floor. Coryo grabbed the Peacekeeper rifle in the sack and fired toward her voice. She cried out before collapsing to the floor.
“Mayfair!” Billy Taupe yelled as he ran across the shed to her. The palms of his hands shiny with blood, he looked back and spat at Coryo like a rabid animal. “What’d you do?”
Coryo pushed Lucy Gray toward the door. “Go back. Get onstage. That’s your alibi. Go!”
“Oh, no. If I swing, she’s swinging with me!” Billy Taupe cried as he charged after her.
Without hesitation, Spruce shot Billy Taupe through the chest. He crumpled to the floor just like Mayfair had. It was all so shocking, all so fast, but Sejanus couldn’t let himself freeze. Not yet.
“You better do like he said,” Spruce told Lucy Gray. “Before they miss you and someone comes looking.”
Coryo turned to Canary, whose dress now had small drops of blood spray dotting the skirt. It almost looked like red blossoms painted on like the dress she wore to the lake.
“Canary, you should do the same. Get onstage and sing if you can. People need to see you.”
Her eyes were shaking and she was clearly terrified, but she nodded. She looked to the two that were lying limp on the floor. Quickly, she pulled Sejanus into a hug.
“Check their pulses. Maybe we can still save them. And get something to stop the bleeding if you can. There’s no reason for them to die.”
“Go. I’ll take care of this,” Coryo said to Lucy Gray before pushing the two girls out the door.
Sejanus bent down to check Billy Taupe’s pulse.
“Don’t bother. I know exactly where I got him. He’s dead.”
Spruce stuffed the weapons back into the burlap sack. “I’m planning to keep this to myself. What about you two?”
“The same. Obviously,” said Coryo.
He was so calm under pressure. Sejanus stared at both of them, eyes wide with shock and stuttering confusion.
“Him too, I’ll make sure,” Coryo said to Spruce.
“You might think about coming with us. Someone’s going to pay for this.”
With that, Spruce vanished into the night. They left the bodies in the shed and walked to an empty alley at the side of the Hob. All the while, Spruce’s words echoed through Sejanus’ head. Someone was going to pay for this. In a just world, it would be Spruce and Coryo, along with the bystanders that did nothing, which included himself, Lucy Gray, and Canary. They had done something wrong. But they were good people. Spruce was a good man, all he wanted was a better life. Coryo was a good man, all he wanted was to keep his friends safe. Did they deserve the punishment this system had in place for them? Did anyone? Once the bodies were found, someone needed to be arrested. If it wasn’t the true culprits, it would be someone innocent. Someone who did nothing but stand in the wrong place at the wrong time would lose their life all because he and his friends weren’t good enough. This was his fault, wasn’t it?
A sharp voice pulled Sejanus out of his thoughts. “Not a word,” Coryo hissed.
“Not a word,” Sejanus repeated.
Inside, they took their seats once more. Beanpole, Smiley, and Bug were all still having a lovely time. Lucy Gray was still a little frazzled to a discerning eye, but she got up onstage and sang, choosing a number that required all the Covey to back her up. She also invited “a new friend” to come up and sing with them.
“She’s not Covey but she might as well be with a name like that, give it up for Canary!”
Sejanus tried to lose himself in the music. If he sat with his own thoughts for too long, who knows what might end up happening. So he tried to watch Canary and listen to her voice. She loved to sing, but she was shaking. She didn’t like to see people get hurt any more than he did. But as the number went on, he saw her calm herself. It steadied his own breathing, seeing her close her eyes and let the music take over. She harmonised with Lucy Gray just like she had at the lake. She looked beautiful.
Sejanus was able to briefly talk with her before they had to go.
“Are you alright?”
“I will be. Are you?”
“I’ll be okay.”
“And we’re still doing this?”
“I am. After all this I get it if you don’t want to join me. I know I said all that stuff about wanting you there with me, and that’s all still true, but… I understand.”
“I’m going. Your hope is infectious, you know. You’ve made me think that all this might work.”
Sejanus pulled her close again, holding her tight as though to say that he didn’t ever want to let go. When he had to leave, he placed a kiss on her forehead.
The next three days were spent in a quiet, nervous sort of caution. Coryo and Sejanus were practically attached at the hip, too afraid to separate lest the lack of companionship push them to the brink of confession. On Sunday, the whole base was buzzing with news of a murder. On Monday, about half of the Peacekeepers, specifically those so desensitised to such tragedy, had completely forgotten about the incident. Sejanus kept wondering how the rest of the town was taking the news. Perhaps they were the same way, with the older folks moving on with their lives, while the younger ones couldn’t pry their minds and eyes from the scene. Melancholy gazes fell upon the saddened, knowing that one day they would learn. And what of Canary? Sejanus longed to hold her, to sit with her in the meadow and feel the weight of her body in his arms. They would close their eyes and listen to the breeze and the birds in the distance. The sound of the meadow would pull them back down to Earth, if only for a moment. But alas, he couldn’t see her. It would be such a risk to sneak out again. It could put her in far too much danger. So Sejanus had to settle for holding her in his mind, hoping that she could in some way sense it.
On Tuesday, around midday, Spruce was brought to the base, bloodied and restrained. He was strong, but it was only a matter of time until things were revealed. Sejanus only hoped that Canary would be left out of it. With any luck, she could just live a peaceful life with only a week-and-a-half-long blip of rebel involvement.
By Wednesday morning, news of Spruce’s death spread through the base, and a new prisoner was brought in. Her sobbing cries rang through every hall as she was dragged to the cell right beside Lil. Sejanus couldn’t risk visiting her. Come lunch, he didn’t have to. A pair of military police officers fetched him for arrest, and Sejanus was too devastated to say anything. He was quickly informed of the reasoning behind his arrest: he was suspected of involvement with a rebel plan to break a prisoner out of Peacekeeper custody. This had nothing to do with the murders. When Sejanus was thrown to the floor of a cell, Canary rushed to the bars between them.
“Sejanus! What happened? Are you alright?”
Pulling himself towards her, Sejanus tried to smile as he spoke. As the words tumbled out, an attempt at a smile was replaced with watering eyes and a guilty breaking voice. “Canary… I’m so sorry.”
A sob escaped her as she pressed her forehead to his.
“I’m scared.”
The hanging was Friday morning. In the interim, Sejanus and Canary were constantly connected by their hands reaching between the cold metal bars. The two of them were only separated when they were shackled and shoved into a van. At the gallows, their hands found one another as the sentences were read out. The trapdoors opened with a bang. Their bodies went limp. Coriolanus squeezed his eyes shut, but it only made the sound clearer. Sejanus cried his last word, repeated like a mockery of his life by the birds that flew into the sky. Looking back, he could see them hanging like puppets strangled by their own strings. Even in death, their hands were clasped together.
Sejanus attends the gala with the girl he’s loved ever since they were kids
not proofread! so there might be a few mistakes lol
Sejanus had been told that he was intelligent, his professors at the University were always trying to prove it to him. So why couldn't he use his wits in a way that would earn your attention?
He had loved you ever since you were kids, when you had stood up for him after being teased by the other boys in your class. After that his heart started to beat out your name, and he wasn't sure if you even knew his name.
His friend Coriolanus had much to say about you as well, especially how marrying you would elevate his standing. Your family wasn't originally from any sort of superior social status, but your charm and involvement had raised them, Sejanus guessed that Coriolanus wished to experience the same effect if he was to wed you. Sejanus felt sick to his stomach just thinking about it.
"Hey Plinth?", you called out to Sejanus one day after class. He felt his bones still at your voice, which gave you a chance to catch up to his stance. "Do I have the wrong person?", you asked seeing Sejanus's surprised expression.
"No! No I'm Plinth! I mean Sejanus. Well technically both can apply-", Sejanus blurts, "Well my first name is Sejanus and my last name.. is.. Plinth. Sejanus Plinth. Sejanus".
"Right…", you smile awkwardly clutching your books. "Well your going to the New Years gala right?"
"Yeah…", he drawled out. He had no interest in any of the yearly galas, but he was hooked on the possibility of you asking him to accompany you to the event.
"Great!", you beamed. "Then you wouldn't mind accompanying me? My date canceled last minute and its not right to go to these type of things alone.. You wouldn't mind would you?"
No he wouldn't. "I would be glad to".
You may have technically resorted to Sejanus as a last resort, but you still resorted to him. The last time Sejanus got an opportunity like this with you was when the two of you were nine years old and your fallen pencil had rolled to his direction.
"So what are you planning on wearing?", Sejanus asks before noticing the expression on your face.
"…Huh? Uh I don't know, a dress".
"A dress", Sejanus answered back. "Right uh I was just asking in case you wanted to uh match.. or color coordinate or something".
"Good thinking Plinth! Well my dress is black is that helps". You had walked off with one of your friends before he got a chance to answer.
Your plan was perfect.
You weren't sure that Sejanus would take you as his date to the gala, but saying that you non-existent date had dumped you last minute was genius! Sejanus was always ready to lend a helping hand, it was a part of him that you had always admired especially now that it was being extended to you.
You and Sejanus had a long childhood of stolen glances and shared stares, well at least that's what you would like to think. As a little girl your feelings for him started to form when he had saved your class's pet worm from being stepped on by other boys. They had then proceeded to mock him for it and you had defended his actions, that was the first interaction the two of you had.
Your friends didn't know about your little crush, instead they urged you to allow yourself to be doted on by Coriolanus Snow. Even those with weak vision could see that Snow was desperately trying to court you. Oh why couldn't it be his best friend Sejanus instead!
Oh but securing Sejanus as your date to the gala was a step in the right direction! As a little girl you always envisioned galas to be magical, imagining them to match the balls you read about in fairytales. Growing up killed that fantasy for you, but now as you were getting ready to meet Sejanus at the gala you couldn't help but feel like a princess before her big night.
You're all dressed up", Sejanus's ma notices, "Are you heading somewhere?"
"New Years gala", Sejanus replied as his hands combed through his hair.Would you like his hair if he wore it this way?
"And you're going willingly?"
"Yes, Ma", he chuckles at his mother's questioning. Ma would usually have to drag Sejanus to formal events and could never manage to get him to actually stay past the 'good evening!' greetings.
"Did you lose a bet with a friend?", his ma couldn't guess why else Sejanus would attend.
"Actually.. I have a date tonight", the tiniest bit of pink began to settle onto his face.
His ma knew immediately who he was referring to, the only girl her son ever had interest in was you. "I'm sure you'll have a great time", she smiles tenderly.
"Hey there you are", Sejanus greets as his eyes meet yours in the ballroom. He had gotten to the gala a bit earlier and was practicing his first words of the night. 'Good evening' sounded too casual, like he was just any other guest. At first Sejanus was considering taking a more casual route, until his younger self who had loved the same girl who was now standing in front of him appeared in his head.
"You look beautiful", Sejanus continues as he tucks a flower behind your ear. He had found it in one of those rose bushes surrounding the gala's venue, immediately he had thought how well it would compliment your eyes.
"You look pretty.. presentable yourself", you had said while Sejanus was attempting to get his heartbeats to drum out in an even order. 'Presentable', Sejanus could barely believe that you really attached such a beautiful word to him.
Maybe it was your nerves, but your dress felt tighter and your hands felt all clammy. As soon as you saw Sejanus, all the confidence you had gained earlier while encouraging yourself in the mirror was long lost. 'Presentable?' Really you needed to stop this act! He probably now thinks that you didn't even like him, and that would definitely not help with getting you two aquatinted. "No but you really do look nice", you say in an attempt to save your chances.
"Did you want to dance?", Sejanus asked taking your hand to which you nodded.
"Your legs were so enthralled by the idea of being so close to him that you had grown two left feet. You never really were the best dancer to begin with, but you were never the type to mistakenly step on your dance partner's feet. "Sorry!", you cried out whenever you had noticed Sejanus hiding his winces.
"It's fine really", he reassured you. "I usually mess up during the waltz too, no one's going to notice your mistakes if you have a klutz like me around. I've been waiting years for this, you think clumsiness is going to scare me away?"
"Waiting?"
"For you. Ever since you defended me when we were kids really.." Your eyes had to have some sort of super power behind them, why else would Sejanus suddenly get so bold?"
"..When you saved the class's pet worm. And the other boys were making fun of you for it", you finished his sentence.
"You remember?", Sejanus's dance steps had came to a pause.
"Yeah.."
"Would you like to go out with me someday?", Sejanus blurts. "Soon preferably".
"Sure yeah I-I would love to". On the outside you started to waltz with him again, on the inside you were a little girl again jumping up and down in excitement. The joy was clearly getting to your head as your inched your face closer to his, "Would you mind if I-"
Sejanus understood what you were hinting at and kissed you softly, it started like that before it slowly transformed into something more desperate, the two of you were waiting years for this after all.
Being with him now put fairytales to shame, for no storybook could live up to the feeling of his lips on yours.
Can you please write some sej fluff :( where he's all stressed and tired but reader makes him laugh or something I feel like he needs that
☁︎｡✦ comforting sejanus when he’s overworked ☁︎｡✦
sejanus plinth x fem reader
You knock once on the door of Sejanus's study. When you didn't get an answer you knocked once more, "Sejanus? Are you still in there sweetheart?"
You hear a faint mumble and open the door to find Sejanus studying a list of laws, his eyes barely fluttered open as he flipped the pages. "Sejanus? What're you still doing at your desk? You promised me that you would come to bed an hour ago.."
"Has it been an hour already?", Sejanus's weary eyes try to focus on the hands of the clock. "Oh.. I'm sorry dear I must have lost track of the time, but I just need to get this done alright?"
"But you-"
"I'll be just a moment baby, go on back to bed it's late".
Your perch onto Sejanus's lap instead and one of his hands play with the lacy edges of your nightgown while the other flips through the pages on the desk. "Sweetheart I'm fine".
You ignore Sejanus's pleas as you pull him way from his work, cradling his face in your arms. "You've been cooped up in here all day, something's bothering you isn't it?"
"I-", Sejanus starts. "It's just.. these new laws I'm supposed to study, I can barely wrap my head around them let alone understand and remember them in case of a meeting or-"
"I'm sure that's just your stress talking". You take his hands in yours, noticing the scabs surrounding his fingers. Sejanus always had a habit of picking at his skin whenever he was stressed, you kissed his fingertips hoping it would start to relieve his anxieties.
"You've worked yourself to the bone", you whispered as you note Sejanus's worn out appearance.
"Yeah I'm guessing I don't look very pretty right now", Sejanus joked as he was met with your more serious expression.
"I think you look as handsome as ever", you rebutted. "You didn't tell me that you've been so worried".
"I'm not, I'm fine", Sejanus says as he rubs at his exhausted eyes. "Really, I just need to get this one thing done-"
"Nonsense", you put a finger to his lips and Sejanus felt his cheeks turn pink at the sensation.
"Did you just-", Sejanus stutters as he watches you push the papers off his desk despite his protests.
"It'll still be there in the morning alright? Unless of course these laws that you're studying involve sheets of paper magically growing a pair of legs to run away".
Sejanus laughs as he holds you tighter against himself. "You're taking the day off tomorrow", you say as you watch his weary smile grow bigger.
"And what if I can't love?"
"Oh you will", you reply smugly as you start to brush through his curls. You knew you had Sejanus in your clutches when he started to close his eyes as your fingers continue to knead through his hair.
"Why yes I am", Sejanus mumbles softly. "So what did you do today honey while I was running myself ragged".
"I made sock puppets!", you pull out a pair of sock puppets out of the pocket of your nightdress. "Look this one sort of looks like you if you squint",
"Sock puppets?..", his laughter only gets more difficult to contain as he goes on, "And you were just keeping these in your pocket the whole time?"
"Well yes! In case I need them in a moment's notice, like right now for instance!"
At first Sejanus's laughter starts out as a chuckle, but then he's laughing so hard that you nearly fall out of his lap. "Oh I see.. you find them ridiculous".
"No, no!! I love them with all my heart, really they're just adorable!", Sejanus protested as you took the sock puppet out of his hands and moved off his lap. "Do you have to go baby, I like you right here".
"It's late. We're going to bed".
"We?"
"My sock puppets and I!.. and you too".
"Well then we better get going shall we?", Sejanus says playfully as he takes your hand. "Don't you think I've kept you waiting long enough?"
You nod as you squeeze his hand. Who knew all it took for Sejanus to step away from his work was a few sock puppets.
hey, i just stumbled on your account today and ur ask box is open so I'd like to request something, if you don't mind. I'd like to see your take on Modern!Sejanus with a reader who's kind of a huge "loser" ... asking for a friend. But reader is a gomebody who playa Genshin Impact, otome games, watches Marvel, is deeply into Sonic, Lego, DND, and anything in that realm? love ur stuff!
aww thank you so much anon! Tomodachi Life has been favorite game as of late so I wrote about that lol :) sorry this is such a short blurb
☾⋆⁺₊🎮✩°｡ Sejanus discovers your island on Tomodachi Life ☾⋆⁺₊🎮✩°｡
"Sejanus?"
He was perched on the couch, fumbling with your gaming console in his hands. "Oh- There you are sweetheart. How was your day?"
The guilty look on Sejanus's face made you raise an eyebrow in confusion. "It was good.. What are you up to?"
"Nothing!" he spoke too quickly, jumping when you pressed a small kiss to the back of his neck.
"You're jumpy today..What's that in your hand?"
"Oh this? I was just trying to play one of those games I saw you playing the other day."
You looked down to see the console in his hands. "You were trying to play a video game?"
Sejanus looked to you sheepishly. "I just had to try, you know I love whatever makes you happy."
You smiled as he pulled you closer to him, your head made a home on Sejanus's shoulder. "What're you playing?"
"The game I saw you playing last night when you were supposed to be sleeping." You let Sejanus be a tease as you grabbed the console back.
"Tomodachi Life!" Your eyes lit up with joy as you watched Sejanus's mii run around circles your own. You had been not-so-subtly trying to push your miis to be together, even sacrificing your sleep schedule for it. "How did you do this?"
"Do what?"
"You got our miis to be together!" you gave him a celebratory kiss on his cheek as thanks.
Your kiss made Sejanus feel giddy inside. If this was how you got whenever he tried to play a video game, then maybe he should invest in a game console. "Miis? What's a miis?" He hoped that his obvious confusion wouldn't scare your kisses off.
"A mii," you corrected. "It's a character you can customize. See, that one is supposed to be you."
"That's supposed to be me?"
You playfully hit his arm, "Don't sass me. It's an honor that you made it onto my island Sej."
He pointed to the "An honor? It seems like my mii is more popular than yours."
You scoffed. "I get along with everyone, your mii only talks to mine."
"He knows quality over quantity," Sejanus smiled. "Is something wrong with that sweetheart?"
"Control your mii Sejanus," you warned playfully. "He's too clingy and he's scaring off all my friends."
"My mii has a crush on yours," he pointed out.
"How did you get him to do that? I've been working all week to get us together."
"All week? Is this what you have been doing after I go to bed?"
You flash him a guilty smile. "Maybe. Now tell me how you got our miis to finally be together."
sejanus plinth who diligently stays up with you when you can’t sleep <3 he’ll get you a glass of water or a hot drink and then read to you until you feel tired enough for him to switch the lamp off, and then he’ll rub your back until you fall asleep <3
