The Capitol music tune began playing, immediately sending chills down Kurt's spine. The careers were chatting about the characters they were getting ready to display to Panem, and Brittany skipped out first. A strangely proud grin took across the latina girl's face as she watched Brittany twirl in her dress. Turning away with nervousness, Kurt crossed his arms tightly over his suit and walked towards Rachel. She seemed to have little to no fear, fawning over her make-up in a mirror. "I'm about to be interviewed on live TV." murmured Rachel. "Rachel please don't lose sight of who these people are, they want to see us die. I mean, enjoy it and pretend you're more than just a cow that might be slaughtered in these stupid games but... don't forget who your "admirers" are." Kurt warned, laying a hand on her shoulder. "They won't want to see me die. Not after this interview I'm about to give." she said matter-of-factly, getting up from the chair and dissapearing through the hoards of costumes and people. Kurt started after then decided against it. Rachel was on cloud nine, it was best to let her enjoy this glamour as much as possible. Suddenly a whispering noise sounded. Kurt's brow furrowed, and he searched the faces backstage around him. Then a hand tugged him into a closet and Kurt's shout of fear was muffled.
"Shh! Hey sh- Kurt. It's me." said Blaine quietly, closing the door and turning on a dim lightbulb. Kurt let out a shuddery breath and shoved him.
"You scared me! Why couldn't you just have talked to me out there?"
Blaine stumbled back and held a finger to his lips. "You have to be quiet. I just wanted to wish you luck and... this is going to be the last time we see eachother until the arena. And I'm. SO glad I met you because I've... never had... a friend like you but you're more than just a friend and-"
Blaine's babbling was cut short by the sound of footsteps nearby. He didn't talk again until he couldn't hear them anymore. This time he spoke slower.
"Kurt we're not going to know eachother very much longer and you only live once so..."
Kurt's breath quickened as he saw the look in the other boy's eyes. What was he giving that look for. This was one of those moments where time just stops and when you have to do something and you know what it is.
Blaine grabbed Kurt's waist with both hands and crashed their lips together, and Kurt ran a hand through Blaine's curls as they backed up against the wall of the closet. He opened his mouth, breathing hotly against Blaine's face and moving one hand down his neck to pull their faces closer.
"Where's Blaine?" someone called.
After a moment pressed tightly in eachother's hands and arms, Blaine broke the kiss anxiously and put a hand on the doorknob. Giving Kurt eyes that he wish could convey everything in those few seconds.
"I know." Kurt whispered. And Blaine ran to where he was called from. Trying to brush his hair down and unraffle his suit collar, Kurt rushed out beside the stage entrance and caught tidbits of tribute interviews. Holy hell, that kiss.
------
"Is that your cat?" asked Caesar Figgins, pointing to a fat cat on a large screen. Brittany giggled. "Yes that's Lord Tubbington." she twirled a strand of blonde hair as the audience laughed at the cat's name.
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Lauren Zizes stood and rolled up her dress sleeve, showing massive muscles and smirking. Caesar and the crowd applauded. "You're certain to get a nasty kill or two!" said Caesar.
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Solemn, Mike from District 4 answered the interview questions, every now and then giving a dark stare at the cameras.
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Blaine shifted uncomfortably in his chair, and it was hard to miss the flush in his cheeks and the over-messiness of his hair. His bowtie was sideways. Kurt wanted to kick him. Could he not have tried to make it a little less obvious that he had just been making out in a closet. "...brother?" Caesar was asking. Blaine sighed and rolled his eyes. "I love Cooper but him being the center of attention in my District neighborhood gets pretty annoying." Caesar smiled. "Maybe you can steal all the fame if you win these games!" Kurt's heart sunk, remembering what Blaine had told him in the training room. He really wanted Blaine to get out alive but he wasn't sure if that was possible...
After many other tributes, and a stunning singing demonstration from Rachel, Kurt heaved in some air and mounted the steps, coming out onto the stage and being blinded by showlights. The audience clapped loudly as Kurt took a seat and Caesar Figgins shook his hand. God how much he didn't want to be here... how many times had he seen tributes come up and shake this man's hand only to die a week later. And yet he still couldn't get Blaine out of his head.
Kurt hoped he didn't look near as obvious that he'd just been making out as Blaine had. The scene couldn't stop replaying in his head and everything else was deafened. He had just been kissed by the most incredible boy alive and probably for the last time.
Caesar grinned a pearly smile. "How are you liking the Capitol?" he inquired.
It's horrible.
"Fine. The Diet Coke stuff is heavenly. Everyone's fashion is so bright and colourful." okay that was true.
Caesar made a face at the cameras. "You hear that? How flattering!"
Blaine kissed me.
"What do you miss most about home?"
Kurt's heart was smacked with a coal-pick at the mention of home. "I... have my best friend, Rachel here," and Blaine who tastes wonderful. "But it's kind of a two-edged sword that I have her, you know."
The audience murmured sympathetically.
"I miss my brother Finn. He's ditzy but I gotta love the big lug. I miss my father who was-" his voice broke. "-always so supportive. Of me. And you know genuinely I miss home because there I was safe."
The viewers took in what he'd said and something close to compassion shined in Caesar's eyes.
------
Kurt held Rachel's hand as long as he could. Down the hallways, at lunch, they talked every night. So when the day came for them to go into the arena, and they had to go into different rooms, they burst into tears in eachother's embrace and touched fingertips one last time. "I love you! Run for me!" he called, and she nodded. Kurt thought he saw Blaine go into a room waving at him but he wasn't sure. Mercedes closed the door to his room then and his stylists began last touch-ups. She moved him this way, that way, and began strapping the belts and sleeves and layers onto him. As hard as she tried to remain stone-faced, Kurt could still see how sad she was about this. Mercedes loved him although he couldn't imagine why. Too soon the stylists left and Mercedes walked him to a tube in the corner of the room.
"Mercedes, thank you. You have been valiant in your fashion taste." Kurt said.
A tear rolled down her face and she hugged him. "I've gotten real attached to you, Kurt. I shouldn't have but I did. Please know there is more potential in you than you give credit for. You really do have a shot."
Mercedes handed him his home token, a little gem his father had brought up from the mines one day.
In spite of how whether or not he won didn't matter to him, Kurt only wanted Blaine or Rachel alive, he took her words to heart anyways. She kissed him on the forehead, he walked into the tube and with a countdown over the intercom he was lifted up and saw Mercedes' eyes dissapear beneath him.
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The arena was beautiful. Nothing like the Capitol but a very traditional city. New York City. Ahead of him was a shining red sign with a bottle on it, and Kurt knew where he was. Times Square. He'd read about this place in New York. It was the place every young star dreamed of looking up at. And here he was. Wiping tears from his face so the other tributes wouldn't see weakness, he focused on his surrounding. The tubes all laid scattered in a large circle with a lot of distance between them. In the middle of it all was a giant Cornucopia filled to the walls with tons of supplies. Kurt even saw a glittering sai sword set inside a red pouch. The farther from the Cornucopia you got, the less supplies there were. This was it. The bloodbath. Kids would run towards the prizes and be ruthlessly murdered by the bigger teenagers. Kids would panic. Kids wouldn't grab supplies and would die without them.
He saw Rachel. She was about three tubes down from him. The 60 second warning began and he desperately tried to signal her. He finally got her attention and she showed understanding, run to Kurt, not to the stuff.
Then he saw Blaine. He was farther down, shaking but trying to look mean. Blaine's eyes flickered to Kurt and pain swept over his face. He was mouthing something now. What was he saying?
"Courage."
"Ladies and gentleman let the 63rd Hunger Games begin!"