He was one of them. The first Capitol son to participate in the Games. This audience was his.

As soon as the train doors opened, more Peacekeepers arrived to usher them into the tributes' building. This would be the central hub of all training for the next three weeks. Blaine and Kurt were separated as they were led to adjacent salons for “re-making.” Each tribute would be shined up, polished, and made presentable for the Capitol audience. They were then shown off as the main attraction in the Tribute Parade where sponsors would get their first look at all them all together. It was also the first time they could see their competition.

It was tradition for each pair of tributes to be dressed in a style that represented the industry of their district. For District 12 that meant coal mining. Typically the tributes were dressed in an oversized coal miners uniform, which was not at all flattering, or smeared in black dust which all but guaranteed that no one would remember them or recognize their faces in the Games. Kurt wondered what horrible fashion choices would be made this year. After enduring over an hour of having every inch of his body scrubbed and scrutinized by a prep team, Kurt's appointed stylist finally showed up. Her name was Unique, and Kurt immediately had the sense that she lived up to that name. Unique was dressed in a strapless, form fitting black sequinned dress that went down to her knees. She was more filled out than the stylists Kurt saw on television who always looked as starved as the poor kids in the Districts. Her dark skin was patterned with shimmering gold tattoos that wrapped around her arms and up her neck. Unique possessed the confidence of someone who was used to nonconformity. Kurt liked her immediately.

“Now I know you District 12 kids usually end up looking ridiculous, but there is no way in hell I'm going to cover up that handsome face with a bunch of tacky black powder.” She pinched Kurt's cheek for emphasis. “I've already had a little chat with Blainey's stylist across the hall and we think it would look amazing if you two cuties matched.” She gushed about how everyone thought it was so sweet when Blaine volunteered to be with Kurt.

Kurt smiled at the new nickname for Blaine and was thoroughly pleased to hear he wasn't going to be subjected to a hideous makeover. It turned out that Unique had made some alterations to the standard coal miner's uniform to make it more form fitting and sleek. Kurt knew she had gone for style over functionality which was a nice change. The single-pieced outfit was lightweight and flexible, but still somehow felt heavier than it looked. It complimented his figure more than he had expected. Also instead of the horrendous dusty orange, Unique had opted for a dark charcoal color that emphasized his fair skin tone. She used coal colored eye makeup to give Kurt a smoky look without going over the top. His hair was colored with highlights, coiffed, and held in place with product.

Clearly Sue was right about them trying to portray the tributes from 12 as sexy this year. When Kurt was finally able to catch his reflection, he was stunned. He was still recognizable as the boy from that morning's reaping, but he looked like a different, more confident version of himself. Kurt waited with his father and Unique at their designated chariot. When Blaine walked over to them, Kurt couldn't help but stare.

Blaine was wearing an identical miner's suit, but his was almost skin tight and was somehow highlighting muscles Kurt never even knew existed. His abs and arms looked tight and strong. Blaine looked toned and handsome. His curly mop of hair was held back with copious amounts of styling gel, clearly highlighting his pedigree as a former Capitol citizen. He had eye makeup similar to Kurt's, but his also extended under his eyes making his eyes look much darker and more sensual than usual. He looked stunning, and Kurt knew that the audience would have as much trouble looking away as he was. As he approached the group at the chariot, Blaine winked at Kurt and did a little twirl. Kurt pretended to swoon. Burt and Sue laughed at their antics while Kurt took note of how good his boyfriend looked from behind. Blaine's stylist followed behind him and introduced himself to the Hummels as Jesse St. James. He handed Blaine and Kurt each a small black device with a single button. “As you enter the main square, press your button.” They both looked confused, but nodded. After all, who were they to question Jesse and Unique when they were arguably the best stylists 12 has had in decades?

Blaine stepped up onto the chariot first and held his hand out to pull Kurt up next to him. Burt gave Kurt a quick hug, grasped Blaine's hand and wished them luck. It was crucial that they make an impression on the Capitol sponsors. Since they were the last chariot to enter the square, Kurt took advantage of the few seconds alone to pull Blaine in for a quick kiss. Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt and held him close, wishing he never had to let go. As their chariot pulled into view, the crowd immediately went nuts seeing the two tributes holding onto one another. Blaine took Kurt's hand in his own and raised them both high over their heads as they passed through the screaming crowd. Kurt was glad it was Blaine standing beside him because he was completely overwhelmed by the roar of the Capitol. People were shouting their names, throwing flowers into their path, begging for notice from the tributes.

He caught a glimpse of their chariot enlarged on the screens around the parade path and tried to see themselves through the eyes of the crowd. Two male tributes from the poorest, most pathetic district. He thought about what made them different from the other tributes this year. There was the hard to miss fact that due to a cruel joke, Kurt was here in place of a girl. He wasn't particularly special as far as tributes go, but at the very least everyone would remember his unusual reaping. And thanks to Unique, he knew he looked good. Then there was Blaine. Born in the Capitol and banished to 12. The first volunteer District 12 had ever had. And he was gorgeous. Sure Jesse had dressed him up and given him some smoky makeup, but Blaine always looked incredible. Kurt could never choose what he liked better about his boyfriend, his lopsided smile or his out of control eyebrows. As their chariot crossed into the main square, Kurt and Blaine simultaneously pressed their little black buttons and were just as surprised as the crowd at what happened next.

Their sleek miner's suits were suddenly illuminated. Softly at first, then they slowly begin to change color to the flickering orange and red mixture of coal as it burns. They both look like fireplace embers, the light from their costumes highlighting their darkened facial features and makeup. Kurt watched Blaine's face light up on the screens and impulsively tugged his face down for another, deeper kiss in front of the entire Capitol audience. They love it. Gone are the shouts of “homo,” “fag,” and “fairy.” Instead are jubilant yells from a crowd eager for a good love story. After all, in the eyes of the Capitol, it was the one thing the Games had always lacked. How was anyone supposed to fall in love when 23 people were actively trying to kill you? Blaine leaned into the kiss and when they finally broke apart his confident, knowing smile almost made Kurt grab him again. Their chariot came to a stop next to the rest of the tributes, many of whom were staring daggers at Kurt and Blaine. No one wanted to be upstaged by District 12. And it was hard to top forbidden love.

The President welcomed them to the 125th Hunger Games and 5th Quarter Quell. He gave his standard speech about how the Games were designed to remind the Districts of the lasting consequences of rebellion. He emphasized that this year they were chosen from within their Districts in remembrance of the choice that had been made more than a century ago to rise up against the Capitol. To Kurt it seemed unfair that 23 tributes would be slaughtered when no one was left alive who even remembered the rebellion.

He looked around at the other tributes for the first time. As usual, the boys from 1 and 2 were big and burly, looking like they couldn't wait to get into the arena. The girls also had a fierce look to them. They were all vicious contenders and sure to be crowd favorites. The male tribute from District 4 was staring at their chariot and Kurt realized he was eyeing Blaine intensely. Shirtless, dressed only in skin tight sailor's pants, he was probably disappointed that Blaine had received a more enthusiastic welcome. Kurt thought he had a boy band look to him, but his stare was a little bit unnerving. Both tributes from District 6 had bleach blonde hair and Kurt had the impression that they spent a lot of time outside in the sunshine. The male had the biggest lips Kurt had seen on a boy his age. Kurt was surprised to note that everyone seemed to be about the same age this year.

The ages for tributes runs from 11 to 18, and for every year Kurt could remember there had been at least one tribute who hadn't even made it to puberty. The girl from 9 looked like she could be younger, but Kurt got the impression that she was actually his age, and maybe hadn't hit some developmental milestones. She had blonde hair and glasses and wore a goofy sort of smile. It made Kurt sad that someone like her had been sent to the Games by her own people. As he looked around at the rest of the tributes, no one else really stood out to him. He hoped that would make it easier knowing that all but one of them would be dead in a month or so. The President ended by thanking the tributes for their courage and their sacrifice, just as Kurt and Blaine's battery packs died and their costumes went dark.