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TBOSAS ⋆ 🏹🐍🕊️. ♯
❝ PASTY OF COURSE. ❞
CHAPTER THREE ✧･ﾟ

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        BRUSHING BACK THE MESSY BRAID OFF HER SHOULDERS, (Y/N) sat on a rock beside Lucy Gray and Jessup, the girl humming softly while tracing lines over Wovey's palm, to calm her down. The little girl was sat on the ground in between her legs, watching her brother talk with a few other tributes near the tree in the cage.

      Lucy Gray glanced up from the two next to her wearing a smile, it getting a bit bigger spotting the Snow brothers walking up the cage fence, and nudged her sisters side gently.

     "Prince charming's are here again, (Y/N)." She whispered in amusement, keeping her voice quiet so only her sister could hear, and stood up from the rock.

      The said girl stopped her humming causing Wovey to glance up worriedly, making her smile reassuring, and give the child's hand a soft squeeze, "We'll be right back." She assured, stepping up to stand beside Lucy Gray and gave Jessup a look to watch over Wovey for the time being.

      (Y/N) felt excited butterflies in her stomach seeing the handsome Snow brother again, quickly walking over to Cassian while Lucy Gray went over to Coriolanus a few feet beside them.

      She honestly didn't know if it was hunger causing her stomach to leap, and churn, or if Cassian's smiling face beaming at her from on the other side of the bars caused it. Either way, it didn't bother her. At least not now that is.

      When she got close enough to the metal bars, he dug into his bag around his shoulders, and pulled another blue cloth out, one that had his homemade food and the food he took from the academy.

     "I'm amusing you baked something again." She spoke flashing a small smile, touching her palms to the bars looking into his blues, then the food he outstretched for her, "Is there enough for Lucy Gray, and Jessup?"

      She's too selfless but then again, that's what special about her. Cassian thought to himself hearing her words, a fond chuckle escaping him, "I did indeed cook something for you, darling." The name slipped out of his mouth easily, "And don't worry, Coryo bought some food for them also."

     He gently placed the cloth into is palms passing it through the fence gaps, as she didn't respond to him straight away, and took it from him, their fingers brushing each others in the process.

      She unfolded the cloth in her palms, mouth watering at the sight of the two cookies he made, and the small sandwich on the side, "You didn't have to," She mumbled bashfully, looking up to flash another smile at him, "food for the other two would of been enough."

       He resisted the urge to reach out and touch her face, but instead shakes his head, and gently grazes his fingers along hers on the fence bars, "I did have to." He stated firmly, blue eyes holding a fondness for her, "You're my responsibility now, therefore I will take care of you, (Y/N)."

       She gulped down the piece of bread she had in her mouth, face feeling warm hearing him say her name in his accent, and decided to glance over to her left, seeing a girl dressed in the same clothing as Cassian, teasing a tribute with a bottle.

     "One thing I learned in 12 is that hunger is a weapon." She commented in a sadden tone, frowning watching this happen before turning back to Cassian, "Your friend over there sure knows it, and it's not very nice to see."

      "She is not my friend, love. She is poison with perfect teeth." He retorted rolling his eyes at the very thought, making her smile amused, but stopped when he dipped his head to her level more, "Are you going to share the things I give you with Jessup? I know my brother will tell your sister the same thing."

     (Y/N)'s body stiffened up at this, wide eyes flickering between his serious blue ones, "Wha- Why?" She spluttered back in a quiet voice, "You think I ought build up my strength so I can kill him in the arena with a bow and arrow? Not exactly my thing."

       He sighed frustrated through his nose, remembering Coryo telling him that this would happen, "I might have a chance to help you. Just like my brother will with Lucy Gray." He told her gripping the fence near her head, "To make some suggestions to the game makers. I might even be able to get the audience to send you gifts in the arena, food and water to keep you going. You just have to try singing again to win people over."

     "I don't perform when I'm told to, I do it when I have something to say, or need to express myself." She was quick to say, not telling him yet that she was a drummer, not the singer of the covey, "Besides, I've seen your arena and there's nowhere to hide. What's the point?"

      Cassian's frown over his forehead creased more leaning the side of his head on the fence, not saying and just stared at her. She took this as a chance to speak seriously some more, "The guards say you get money if you get more people to watch, and you say you want to help me. Which is it?""

      He didn't miss a beat when he gripped the fence more in his fingers, licking his bottom lip staring more intense into her nervous eyes, and opened his mouth to whisper, "Both."

      She made a bit of a shocked expression hearing how confident he just said that, gaze searching his to see if he was telling the truth. When she found he was, she smiled to herself and took another huge bite from the sandwich, looking back to see him staring at the cookie in her palm.

       He quickly glanced away like nothing happened when he was caught, a small red hue over his cheeks that had her chuckling softly. She picked up the cookie, and offered him that food, to which he denied shaking his head kindly.

     "Don't be silly now. I saw you starin' Cass." She commented in a scolding way, pushing the cookie through the fence gap into his larger hand, "Please. You deserve it for cooking it."

      He took it with a shy smile in thanks, the two of them squatting down a bit together on opposite sides of the fence, and began to eat their food, ignoring everything else around them for now.

      "I always thought there was plenty of food in the Capitol." She commented after a few minutes of silence between them, munching on the rest of the sandwich humming, "Guess I was a bit off there."

       He snickered a bit breaking a piece of the cook into his fingers, and glanced up to look at her, "You know, one time during the war, me and my brother ate a whole jar of paste." He told her, and gestured to his lower half, "Just to stop the pain in our stomachs."

      She wiped her mouth with her long sleeved arm, finishing off the piece on her food, before tilting her head to the side curiously, braid flowing the movement, "How did that taste?"

      He released a breathy chuckle through his nose, hitting his ringed finger on the metal throwing a piece of the cookie into his mouth, "Pasty of course." He somewhat joked, shrugging.

     (Y/N)'s face scrunched up amused and laughed sweetly, that sound being music to his ears as he grinned widely at her. She looked over her shoulder confusing Cassian, who followed where she was staring, and saw Wovey who was laying her head on her brothers shoulder, eyes closed on a rock.

     "That little one is so sweet. So young." She voiced in a soft, but heavy tone feeling her heart ache for them, "Something about her reminds me of Lucy Gray cousin's, Maude Ivory."

      She looked back at Cassian looking at her in pity, warm hand over hers on the fence bars now fully, "It's even worse knowing that my sister is in here with me." She wavered out sparing at glance at Lucy Gray smiling a few feet away with Coriolanus, "If one of us is making it out, it has to be her. I can't stand to think of the covey without her like this."

      He bit his bottom lip feeling his own heart ache for her now, thumb rubbing over her fingers under his soothingly, "You'll both be getting out of here." He whispered in a firm tone, blue eyes burning into her teary ones, "I'll make sure of it. You're going to be alright, (Y/N)."

      She exhaled heavily leaning her forehead on the bar he was against, a warm smile across her lips feeling like she could believe those words, "You seem like a good man, Cassian Snow." She breathed out, making his frown soften, "It sure would have been nice to meet you under different circumstances."

     He chuckled fondly with a charming grin, flashing her his perfect teeth, "One of your shows, maybe." He answered winking flirtatiously, "Maybe had a few drinks, a dance or two till our hearts content."

     "Could of had all the time in the world." She added on with a sad expression, smile turning into a frown that made him do so also, and stare at her guilty, fingers squeezing hers some more on the fence.

     A sudden scream caused the pair to break eye contact, both looking over their left side to see one of the tributes had grabbed their mentor by the collar, breaking the glass bottle on the fence, and stab their mentor in the neck with it, no one bothering to help.

     (Y/N) gasped as her eyes widened in horror watching this occur, standing up from her position feeling familiar, shaking hands grabbing her. She saw a shocked Lucy Gray behind her, the one who pulled her up away from the chaos.

      Cassian straight away rushed over to help his classmate, exclaiming protests as he caught her body with Coriolanus help, sitting her bleeding figure on the ground, as the crowd runs away screaming.

     "It's okay. It's okay." Cassian tried to reassure her frantically hearing her struggling to breath and talk, hands placing pressure on the bleeding wound, "We'll get help, it's okay-"

      Coriolanus held onto the dying girls forearms, glancing up with panicked breathing to see if anyone was around, but there was only peacekeepers who hadn't moved, "Somebody help! Please-!"

      The peacekeepers only moved to walk up to the fence, and started firing their guns at (Y/N), Lucy Gray and the other tributes, causing the brothers to duck protecting each other, and their bleeding out classmate on the ground.

     When there wasn't anymore shots, and just silence, Cassian looked up with wide eyes, not believing that just happened. His breathing picked up again looking to see his twin unharmed, and found (Y/N) safe behind a rock with her sister, and Jessup.

     "Let's go, come on." Two peacekeepers came up to drag the brothers way, despite Cassian trying to get back to their classmate, who was now very much dead, her blood staining his hands.

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       BEING LOCKED UP IN CHAINS AROUND HER WRISTS, was something (Y/N) never thought she get to experience in her life. Well maybe, since she got into trouble for her sister or others easily, but where she was now chained to a table was different, and under different circumstances.

      "In spite of yesterdays tragic events, our president has decided that the games must go on." Highbottom announced to the tributes and mentors inside the tall, large room walking into view, "Show everyone the Capitol is unafraid of such acts of terror, to which end Dr. Gaul wishes you to preview the arena this afternoon with your tributes. Later this evening, there will be a special televised presentation of each tribute to our audience to get to know them. You'll have an hour to discuss credit."

      He turned around to pull out a small tube of blue drink, quickly downing that into his mouth, "You may begin." His tone was snappy, as no one had moved until they heard him say that.

      All of the mentors went to their selected tributes to talk, some pleased while the others weren't so much. (Y/N) fiddled with her fingers on the table she was sat at, her hands chained to it also, so she couldn't move very much.

      Her eyes moved away from Lucy Gray beside her talking with Coryo, and hear footsteps coming up to her table. Her unease died down when she saw it was Cassian, and sat down across from her at the table.

      He didn't look at her straight away, which made her heart squeeze in pain, knowing why he wasn't in high spirts, and stared at him in pity, feeling bad ever since his classmate died right in front of him, in his and his brothers hands.

     "I'm sorry about your classmate, Cass." She finally spoke up breaking the silence between them, voice soft and holding sympathy, boots shifting to nudge his under the table in a comforting way.

     "Thank you." He rasped out now glancing up at her sad expression, his lips turned up a bit hearing her say his nickname, and noticed the way she was trying to stop her hands from trembling, "Are you alright?"

       She pursed her lips looking at Lucy Gray from the corner of her eye, before sighing and brining her attention back to him, "Wearing my adopted mothers dress is the only thing keeping me together here. And the very thought of making sure Lucy Gray survives." She admits shakily, fiddling with her fingers again.

      Cassian desperately wanted to grab her hand, touch her to reassure her everything would be alright. But he knew he couldn't, at least not now in front of everyone. It didn't help either feeling the judging eyes of Highbotton on him also.

     "My mother, she used to smell like roses." He began to speak, her head perking up hearing the soothing sound of his accent, watching him play with a pen, "She died at childbirth. Me and Coryo were going to have a little sister."

      She frowned softly peering up at him through her eyelashes, "Both your parents gone?" She questioned hesitantly, him remining silent, and she knew the answer straight away, "You're an orphan, just like me. I never had real parents, so I guess we can relate in some way."

       As her words hung in the air, he met her gaze with a bittersweet smile that seemed to reflect the weight of shared experiences, "Yeah. I guess so, (Y/N)." He mumbled in a thick voice, his eyes, though fixed on her, held a distant glimmer, as if memories long buried had been stirred to the surface.

        Sensing his emotional turbulence, she delicately extended her pinky across the tabletop the best she could, a covert gesture of empathy and comfort. Her movement was discreet, a dance of empathy performed in the open yet concealed from the prying eyes that surrounded them.

          Their pinkies brushed against each other, a silent communion of shared emotions. His pinky looped around hers in response, a gentle intertwining that spoke volumes. For a few precious seconds, they held onto this secret connection, his eyes meeting hers with a soft fondness.

         Aware of the watchful eyes that surrounded them, they reluctantly broke the hold, releasing each other's pinkies before their clandestine gesture could be discovered, Cass fearing for her safety if they did get caught.

         He sighed through his nose brushing back his bangs off his forehead, "Look, I need you to perform in these interviews later." He began to tell her, causing her face to scrunch up, "It's the night before the games and your last chance to win people over. We can't send you gifts in the arena without their money."

       "Maybe. A drum set, could persuade me. Maybe." (Y/N) stated firmly, which had him writing that down for later still listening to her voice, "You really want to take care of me in that arena, Cassian? Start by thinking I can actually get my sister to win."

        His face shifted again from its interested expression to an alarmed one, not liking how she only thought about Lucy Gray's life, and not her own. He would have to change that. He couldn't have his tribute not caring, or throwing away her life that easily.

        "Snow." Highbottom called out from the doorway, causing Cassian to turn around spotting his brother standing beside the short man already, "Let's go."

        He glanced back at (Y/N) slowly to trail his eyes over her figure from head to toe, "I'll get you that set, darling." He dropped his deep voice into a whisper, her making a in awe expression watching him get up to follow Highbottom and Coriolanus out of the room.

❪ ✏️ ❫ 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳𝚂 : 2885
─►☆ AUTHOR'S NOTE :
not a really long chapter but i swear the next one will be longer and if i continued writing i wouldn't be able to stop LMAOOO so yeah this short ass thing is gonna have to be it for now until i write the
next chapter 👺

thank you to those who are reading this, i appreciate it sooooo very much <3 and i can't wait for you to see how y/n and cassian's love story plays out... might not be a happy ending fair warning now... LOLLL just a bittersweet one MAYBE🌝

˚ ༘ .˚🌱୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ