Chapter Text
The Grand Hotel of Tributes is truly an astonishingly gigantic structure. Koushi can make out twelve storeys – one for each district – with balconies filled with blooming flowers. Large yellow neon letters read the name of the building right above the entrance, where two guards dressed in black suits stand by each side.
“Sugawara-kun, Shimizu-chan, move along, I have to register you to your respective rooms” Takeda calls and they follow him hesitantly.
They cross the glass doors of the resort and a huge lobby stretches out in front of them.
He watches as Takeda approaches the front desk, discussing something with a blond receptionist. She hands him two pairs of keys and in turn he gives them to Koushi and Kiyoko, who simply stand looking around, unsure of what to do or how to act.
"Shimizu-chan, your room is on the second floor. Oikawa-kun is waiting for you"
One could see the flinch on the girl's face as she opens her mouth as if to say something, but decides against it last minute.
"Sugawara-kun, you will head up to the eleventh floor. I believe Sawamura-kun is already settled in."
That's right. His new teammate from district one. He had forgotten everything about him.
Nevertheless he nods and walks to the elevator with Kiyoko.
"A servant will assist you with your needs and please be quiet so that you don't disturb the other tributes. Meet me here in three hours."
The doors slide closed and they slowly ascend, seconds away from meeting with the person who will either be their saviour or the reason they die in one month's time. He glances at Kiyoko's reflection barely visible reflection on the silver wall of the lift.
It would be nice to compete with her. From what he has seen she is quite dependable and intelligent. Then again, he might not be thinking things through. It could just be his emotions clouding his judgment because it would be reassuring to rely on someone who calls the same place as him home.
Then again, he might not be thinking things through. It could just be his emotions clouding his judgment because it would be reassuring to rely on someone who calls the same place as him home.
And he misses his home so much.
The ding followed by a female voice announcing that they are currently on the second storey makes him realise that it's time to share their goodbyes.
"Good luck" he says as she leaves him.
Alone.
With no one to be with him or make him feel remotely comfortable.
He doesn't need much. Kiyoko herself wasn't of much help.
But she is from district eleven and that was something.
"You too"
Of course they will see each other in training and their free time, but it won't be the same.
They will be accompanied by their teammates. Ukai strongly urged the two to stay close with them, since building trust is important.
Why he must become friends with someone who will likely want to get rid of him when the moment comes is beyond Koushi.
Before the elevator opening slides closed he hears a high-pitched "Shimisu-san! Hi!" and cringes.
Hope finds its way into his heart as he prays for the umpteenth time today:
Please let Sawamura be a nice person.
Before he even has time to put his thoughts in order he is right outside his room.
His hands run through his hair and down his shirt, fixing anything that can be fixed. He takes a deep breath and pushes the key to the lock.
A total contrast between different shades of yellow and silver hits him, causing his face to slightly contort in disgust.
The room - it actually is bigger than his house, fully equipped with a kitchen, dining table and living room aside from closed doors that are probably their private chambers and a bathroom - is split in half in terms of decoration, the left side which consists of the kitchen and the dining table full of glimmering chandeliers and glass vases and the right with traditional paintings of fields in district eleven, wooden chairs and a couch with a floral fabric splayed on top of it.
Combined together, the two art styles form a cacophony to his eyes. Back home the houses are almost empty, the only ornaments that contribute to the aesthetic enhancement of a household being family photos and colourful tablecloths.
The resemblance between the side dedicated to his homeland and his actual home is chilling.
He concludes that his room is the one to his right and he moves tentatively, wondering where this Sawamura guy is.
He assumes that he must either be out doing something - what precisely he couldn't fathom- or he has chosen to ignore him in favour of providing himself (and automatically Koushi) some more spare time without forcing an unwanted confrontation that could be pushed for later. Making friends isn't really on his agenda.
He believes it is on no-one's agenda here.
Especially making friends from district one.
The bathroom is located exactly in the middle of the apartment, half the door a charcoal grey and the other half a deep brownish shade.
He briefly wonders if the toilet itself or the bathtub will also be separated, whether he will bathe on his side and Sawamura on his.
He plans to take a shower, so he will find out soon enough. Right now, however, the object of his curiosity is his bedroom.
The softest bed, newest television and most beautiful view are expected as he enters.
They owe everyone who is here at least that.
And he does find those things.
But what he also finds is Sawamura, laying unconscious on his custom made homey bed.
*
He is on his belly, his brown head of hair resting on his folded arms. His frame is slightly bigger than Koushi's, body rising and falling steadily, almost reassuringly, as he sleeps without even stirring in his teammate's presence.
Koushi is taken aback. This - he - came as a surprise. Taking a room clearly not made for himself and dosing off in it didn't even exist in his mind as a thought, or a way to behave.
"What the hell..." he softly whispers.
His face isn't in sight, as it is buried in his arms and the boy draws nearer, in an attempt to study him closely.
He looks...peaceful.
The bedside table next to him has a card placed on top of it and he lifts it up reading its message:
We hope you enjoy your stay here, Sugawara-san. Here are some useful telephones in case you are in need of anything.
Front desk: 1278
Servant (Yamaguchi Tadashi-san):5190
With regards,
Hunger Games Organising Group
He lifts his head, looking around, suddenly noticing the telephone right next to the written note.
If this were his room, there wouldn't be a land line installed next to his bed. Nowhere in the residence, to be precise.
Now that he thinks about it, where is the servant? He imagined that they would be here, waiting for him or catering to Sawamura's wishes.
It's not that his services are wanted right now, but it still is a valid question.
His gaze falls once again on young man. Koushi stands over him at a loss.
A strong desire to lay down overcomes him and he wishes with all his heart Sawamura were more considerate and less of an insensitive person who feels entitled to everything.
Including Koushi's room.
He positively does not even think about lounging in the chamber across, feeling too out of place and homesick already.
Can't he at least have this? Something his?
He storms out leaving the door open whilst walking towards the kitchen to quench his thirst and hunger, but mostly to just explore his new place.
He crosses the thin white line entering the part designed to imitate the world of district one.
The oven and all electric appliances are state of art and everywhere he looks, his eyes stare back at him through the shiny metal on the counters, the hanging pots, the sink.
There are enough supplies to last them for the month, judging by the full cupboards and refrigerator and he prepares some bread with cheese, too exhausted for culinary experiments.
He eats absentmindedly, sitting at the small table set in a corner.
The container he had found earlier read "District 11 goat cheese", but as he swallows with difficulty he concludes it tastes more like plastic. Same thing applies to the whole wheat bread, which only suffocates him even more, rather than helping push everything down.
At least the water feels the same, except for the fact that it cools his throat, what with being in a glass bottle in the fridge.
He finishes up quickly, hurrying to take a shower before Sawamura wakes up and he can properly introduce himself.
Towels and a fresh change of clothes (a pair of grey sweatpants, t-shirt and sneakers) are placed on the washing machine, identical to the one the brown haired boy wears.
Koushi wastes no time getting in the tub, quickly scrubbing under the warm water. He always had to hurry when taking a bath, since he couldn't tolerate the freezing temperature. They couldn't -and can't- afford a boiler.
He examines the five different bottles of shampoo laid across him and picks a rose scented one. He spreads the lotion on his scalp and loose hair.
He should be done in about five minutes.
That would never be enough time for him to wake up and use the bathroom, right?
It's fine, he can remember himself saying as loud stomps echoed through the apartment.
Stomps coming his way.
And his heart stops.
Okay, either he woke up and the call of nature is too urgent to wait around or he wants to start toying with Koushi from day one.
He concludes it's probably the latter.
At this point there's nothing he can do to fight back. He is naked, exposed and without any means of defense with him and he can feel him getting closer.
Frantic steps are now a door away and a soft breeze shakes the curtains that conceal him after the door handle jiggles and clicks, opening the door wide.
He can't help the gasp that escapes him.
And both of them stay silent.
"I-I'm so sorry!" his voice thunders in a high pitch and he clears his throat.
If he hadn't seen him earlier, Koushi would assume he was in his late twenties by the sound of him.
"It's okay"
"No! I'm sorry, Sugawara-san."
Someone has done their homework.
He could hear the blush dusting his tan cheeks.
"It's- it's fine-"
A relatively loud slam cuts him off, leaving him hanging.
He concludes that his search for an excuse to despise his teammate has come to a stop.
The guy is an arrogant idiot.
He literally barged into the bathroom, knowing that Koushi was in there to initiate small talk; though he did not try anything or insult him in any way. And his tone sounded genuinely apologetic.
But that doesn't mean that he'll be forgiven so easily.
He finishes up and changes, preparing for the things he will hear.
For the next month, he will be living with him, eating with him, sharing a place to stay with him.
Neutrality is the best way to go, though it depends on the guy's actions.
He doesn't see him nearby when he exits the bathroom, so he makes a run to the left, hoping Sawamura got the message and backed away.
"Sugawara-san"
He turns to him abruptly, drops shooting from his silver strands.
"Hi" he forces a smile.
His face matches his body, brown eyes glimmering at him. He abandons his seat at the dining table and slowly walks towards him.
"Again, I'm very sorry about before. I didn't realise you were here and I... really needed to use the restroom. I still do, actually..."
He fumbles with the hem of his shirt, while trying to hide his stiff movements.
Koushi feels his cheeks heat up.
"It's okay, no problem." he catches himself saying before he has a chance to stop. "Go and we can...just go"
He nods curtly and practically sprints away from him.
He stands, unable to do anything else.
What just happened?
He plops down on the couch, waiting for him to come back and talk. About what he isn't sure, but he definitely can't leave it at this and he is positive Sawamura won't either.
After the muffled sound of the flush, he reappears, sitting next to him a good meter apart.
The silence is deafening and Koushi could practically hear the gears shifting in the other's head.
"So, you probably know, but my name is Sawamura Daichi and I'm from district one."
"I'm Sugawara Koushi and I come from district eleven. And just Sugawara is fine."
They both have been told about each other, know the basics. However they are also aware of how well these pieces of information work as a way of breaking the ice.
That's all Koushi wants to do. Make their interaction less awkward.
"Do you have any siblings?" he asks.
"I have twin brother, his name is Asahi"
"Oh...that's tough" he can't think of anything else to say as Sawamura's head lowers faintly.
"I have a little sister" he offers.
"How old is she?"
"Eleven"
"That's even tougher" he replies, locking eyes with him.
"Yeah"
For some reason, mentioning his sister to him didn't trigger his anger like other times. Sawamura doesn't look at him with pity, but with understanding. He understands that the prospect of never seeing someone you love again is terrifying and he also relates to this problem.
Because he is in the exact same position.
As time passes, they talk about what people who have just met discuss over, such as their family, friends, every day life.
Sawamura lives in the richest part on his district and his parents own a very successful jewellery shop. He aspires to take over his family's business one day.
Koushi shares very little personal information, not wanting to sound too pessimistic and...well...
He just didn't want to say much about home.
Every time he answers one of the questions fired at him, he talks for a little while and for those mere seconds and meaningless yes or no answers he felt Sawamura's stare get heavier and heavier. But it's not a condescending look. On the contrary, it's a attentive gaze, pleading him to expand and generally compelled to listen.
Or at least that's what Koushi thinks.
"And the girl from your district? Did she get someone good?" he can't help asking in curiosity.
Does Sawamura know her? Are they friends?
"Michimiya? Um...she got paired up with a guy from twelve, Hinata"
The chances of Hinata being a person he was acquainted with were almost non-existent, so it doesn't surprise Koushi that that name does not ring any bells.
"What about yours?"
"Shimizu got Oikawa."
Something shifts on Sawamura's face, his brows pinching and a concerned look dancing on his features.
"Oikawa? Really?"
"Yeah...do you know him?"
If there was something sketchy about him, he could at least warn Kiyoko. She might be his opponent from now on, but in the case of Oikawa Tooru, one can't be too cautious.
There is something very wrong with him, but he can't put his finger on it.
When he first saw him on TV, even when crying his heart out, his eyes gave away a malicious glare. It could just be his imagination, but the way his eyes made contact with him through the lense, the way his voice sounded earlier when Kiyoko met him up close for the first time; it just didn't sit right with him.
And apparently neither with Sawamura.
"He's from two, right? I know the story...", he trails off, hesitating to continue.
"He asked me to be his ally out there" he finally states blankly.
And that is why he was apprehensive about this collaboration from the start. An alliance is about the worst case scenario when it comes to people like him.
People whose parents do not own a jewellery shop and whose district's do not make luxury items or weapons.
Those groups consist of tributes from district one and two. However, this new arrangement could cause a different consistency.
Maybe tributes from other districts could also be accepted this year.
That makes Koushi sick to his stomach.
"And...what did you say?"
"I told him that I would discuss it with you and we would let him know"
Discuss it with me.
We would let him know.
"So...you want to do this together?"
He needs to know. Is he going to help him or work against him?
"Yeah, yeah...I mean...it's pretty difficult for one to do it on their on, don't you think?"
"Yes, you're right."
A weight is lifted from his shoulders at that, because he has a teammate, a person.
He isn't completely alone.
"And in all honesty I don't want to make an alliance with Oikawa" he blurts out in his rush of relief.
It's like all muscles on his body relax as Sawamura replies: "Good, because neither do I" with a smirk.
Both share a breathy laugh and the doorbell rings, startling them.
"Sugawara-san, Sawamura-san" a teenage voice comes through.
"It's Yamaguchi, your servant. Can you please open the door?"