thecapitol | I've been away for so long

Who| Courfeyrac & Max
What| Brother and sister reunite.
Where| The streets, outside Enjolras' favorite cafe.
When| After this hot mess.
Warnings/Notes| N/A

It wasn't just his broken nose which caused Courfeyrac pain. As he retreated from the cafe, intent on making his own way back to the Tribute Center, he nursed his bruised ego, too. His friends had been angry with him, and rightfully so. However, the feeling was quite mutual, with Courfeyrac feeling just as wronged as his brothers. And they were still his brothers.

That said, punching Enjolras was strangely cathartic. The moment of impact between fist and face had brought about a release of all the tension that had been mounting between his amis for months. It felt like a wave of relief rushed over him and left him feeling refreshed, energized, and a lot less angry. Except for the caked blood on his shirt and the obviously swollen nose, he felt like a new and carefree man.

Now all he wanted to do was return to the District Eleven suites, knock on Cindy's door, and beg her to dote on him for the next few days. Was that really so much to ask for? Courfeyrac didn't think so, though he was more than a little concerned about his appearance now that his friends had thoroughly wrecked his face. He would cross that bridge with Cindy when he came to it, he supposed.

Walking on his own, he lingered outside the cafe for a moment, adjusting his jacket so that his busted nose wasn't quite as obvious. He didn't slouch when he walked though. Even with his handsome face mangled so cruelly, he felt the need to walk around with pride. He sniffed back some of the blood, coughing sharply as he inhaled a bit of the metallic liquid.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Hm, and for Cindy's sake," she teased.

Max relaxed herself in Courfeyrac's arms more, just enjoying his presence and wondering what her other siblings would think of him. Already she knew Zac wouldn't approve of a civilian relationship, but she bet Jondi would like him.

He leveled a serious look at her, not exactly finding the humor in it. "Yes, Max. For Cindy's sake. I would not want her to grieve for me."

She frowned for a moment before backing off of Courfeyrac. "I don't want to grieve for you either." Max hesitated before speaking again, her voice just above a whisper. "Sometimes I dream of Eva. Colonel Lydecker shot her. She wanted to protect me. Us and he shot her." She looked back up at Courfeyrac and although her eyes were dry they still held heartbreak. "I don't want to grieve again."

Courfeyrac felt as though he had been shot through the heart. He'd never wanted to harm anyone, especially not his Max. Frowning, he reached to pull her closer to him. "There, now. No one wants to grieve, my darling. Most of all, I do not wish for you to grieve me. You've had far too many sorrows in your little life. I would take them all away if I could."

"He would have killed you too. And me. I'm the reason she died. They were coming for me and then Zac and Eva decided we were going to run." Max sighed heavily. She had never taken time to process the emotions that night left her with; everything had happened so quickly and then, in a blink, she was in this strange world once again fighting to survive. For right now, in the arms of her new brother, she felt safe enough to think about everything that had happened. Unfortunately, Manticore didn't train them to deal with such things. She didn't understand the pain in her chest or why her stomach flipped when remembering Eva's sacrifice.

"I saw what they did to Jack and I didn't want them to chop me up. I was happy to run."

He shushed her softly, petting her head, hoping that she would be lulled into silence. It wasn't that he didn't wish to hear her. Rather, he couldn't stand to hear her so upset. It hurt him to think about her past and pain. "You do not need to run any longer, Max. Manticore will not hurt you again."

"They could send me back to my world. I was in the frozen lake when they brought me here; the soldiers were looking and might still be there." It was a concern that she hadn't really put much thought into until now. "That's why I have to show them I will win, so they don't send me back. Pruna and Sandy said I need to have Sponsors, but I don't know how to get them."

"You will win, Max." He said that instinctively, but he really meant it true. If it came down to it, he would let himself be killed if it meant she would win. He would do anything to spare her some tragic fate. His own destiny had been sealed. Her life was an open book. "If I were to wager, I would place my bet on you."

"Maybe we could win together and both be free. There was a pair that won together once, although Peeta was much more willing to train than you ever are." Yes, she was ready to poke at Courfeyrac's laziness. It left a strange feeling inside her to be able to be so light with someone. Happiness? She really needed to study emotions more.

He shushed her again, patting her cheek. "I would rather you and Cindy win together. I would not let myself live if it meant that my mistress would die."

"You're an idiot." She said it as though a sister might; a sister who both admired and was embarrassed by her older brother. "Maybe we can all win together. Everyone." Hey, it was nice to imagine that this prison was also one that she could escape from.

I've been away for so long

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end?