Alrighty then... hello! This was pressing on my mind for a while. I probably got some things wrong, but I had to manipulate the situation a little to get Feli and Luddy alone. Hope you like this!
Ludwig really didn't want to be here.
He really didn't want to be standing awkwardly in a room full of beautician supplies, waiting for his prep team and stylist to show up. He didn't want to be in the Capitol. But most of all, he didn't want to be a contender in these stupid games.
He glanced at his black-and-white watch, a gift from his older brother and what he would take into the arena, calculating how late those stupid Capitol fools would be.
Honestly, it's like life is only a game to those stupid petlings.
Just as he let out a heavy sigh, the door burst open with a bang.
"Veee~, sorry we're late! We saw an adorable little kitten down the street, and we got caught up!"
"Oh my god, you were the only one caught up by the stupid kitten! I swear, if you do this again on the actual day of the games-"
"Aw, let the boy have a little fun! You're such a wet blanket, Lovi!"
"He's not a boy! He's eighteen fucking years old!"
"But kitties!"
"Ahem." Ludwig gave a sharp cough to remind the three fools why they were actually there.
"Oh, sorry! Um, I'm Feliciano Vargas, this is my brother Lovino, and that's Francis! We're your prep team, and we're here to make sure you look absolutely fabulous, ve~!"
"I gathered that." Ludwig studied the three men. Feliciano and Lovino looked remarkably similar, though Feliciano's hair was dyed pink. Francis had long blonde hair and a smattering of stubble on his chin. Lovino was snarling, Feliciano looked slightly dazed, and Francis was studying Ludwig rather intently.
"Hm, you're from district 2, correct?"
"Yes. Masonry and stonework." Ludwig glanced at his watch again. "You all are half an hour late."
"Ve~, better get started then!" Feli rolled up his sleeves excitedly.
"Yes, now-" Francis stared at Ludwig with a rather greedy look in his eye.
"Like, Francis, Lovi! I need your help in here with the outfit! Feli can handle him on his own, right?" A surprisingly feminine voice called from an adjoining room. Francis groaned, Lovi looked rather relieved. They both went to join the mysterious voice in the other room. leaving Feli and Ludwig alone. "Don't get too comfortable with eachother, ohonhonhon!"
"Alrighty then!" Feli gave a little nervous giggle. "So, um, I need you to take off your clothes. You can keep your underwear on though." Ludwig stared at the man with a pink tinge rising in his cheeks.
"Okay." He decided, beginning to take off his shirt.
This is not a man. This is a Capitol petling. I should not be embarrassed.
Once Ludwig was...prepared, Feli led him to a normal-looking bathtub. The water within it was tinged pink, a light rose shade that perfectly matched the look on both of their faces. Feli helped him into it, steadying him to make sure he didn't slip. The temperature of the water was scalding at first, but then it dulled to a slight warmth as his body adjusted. He wasn't prepared, however, when it started to sting.
"Ow!"
"Um, yeah, it'll hurt a bit. Forgot to tell you." Feli wouldn't meet the man's eyes. Ludwig looked at him, curiosity peaking.
Why am I so interested in a Capitol plaything?
"You can look, it's fine." Ludwig said softly. Feli turned his eyes to the boy in the tub, the honey brown orbs widening when he took into account how big the other's muscles were.
"Ve, Luddy, your six-pack is huge!" Feli giggled. Ludwig tried to smile, but the consistent throb of pain made him wince and shift his position once more.
"Ve, you can get out now! Here, I'll help you." Feli hooked his arms under Ludwig's and hefted him up out of the tub, ignoring the droplets of water staining his black apron or the protests of the stocky tribute.
"There we go!" Feli brushed his hands off cheerfully. "Alright, I have some simple clothes for you to wear, we've pretty much finished up all the skin stuff now." Feli left the room for a few minutes, returning with a lump of folded white cloth.
"Boys are much easier to prep than girls, ve! With girls, we had to do sooo much more! More baths, more procedures, bleh! Nail polish smells funny, and hairspray hurts my eyes." Feli chatted while Ludwig dressed himself. "Alright, you can just sit down over there, okay? I have to do your hair, face, and nails now." Feli's eyes shone bright as he collected the various tools needed for him to do his job, humming a tuneless little ditty as he did so.
How is he so cheerful all the time? It's almost cavity-causing.
Ludwig slowly trudged over to the chair and lowered himself into it, staring at the pink haired lunatic. He found it almost therapeutic, studying the man. His movements were very fluid, and as he went from station to station collecting his tools, Ludwig found that he was also very efficient. He held two bottles of clear nail polish between his pointer, middle, and ring fingers, and he was using his other hand to place various items in the pocket of his apron. His curl bounced up and down as he swept from station to station, cooing as he found the things he wanted and discarding the ones he had no need for. Finally, he turned and skipped (skipped? Who does he think he is?) back to Ludwig.
"Lovi and Francis prefer to work at different stations for different tasks, but I like having everything I need in one spot." Feli babbled as he made his way behind Ludwig's chair.
"Do you usually condition?" Feli asked suddenly. Ludwig blinked and turned to face the bubbly man. "What?" "Your hair. Do you use conditioner?"
"No. We could never afford it." Ludwig scowled as Feli's eyes widened in shock. "I'm going to use dry conditioner then, okey-dokey?" Feli asked, preparing the little bottle. "Go ahead. I don't care." Ludwig growled, turning around again. The way these idiots behaved, as if conditioner was a necessity to daily life, it made him sick.
He was jolted out of his stew by gentle hands caressing his scalp and moving through his short blonde hair. "This'll make your hair nice and shiny and soft, ve~!" Ludwig felt his cheeks go pink again as Feli's hands massage his head. He was really quite good at it, Ludwig felt relaxed, though still tense. He was used to clenching his shoulders and stomach, and he didn't realize that he was unclenching them until Feli stopped. "Alright, I'm going to brush your hair out now, okay?" "Fine." Feli put the tiny bottle back in the pocket of his apron and grabbed a yellow hairbrush, the bristles soft and gathered close together.
Feli started to brush his hair out, an unknown feeling to Ludwig. He usually just combed it straight back, for when his older brother attempted to brush it, he yanked extra hard on every tangle, causing shrieks of pain. This was nice, comfortable, and over way too soon.
"Hmm, it seems like you have some split ends back here. I'm just going to fix this up, 'kay?" For some reason, this really annoyed the blonde tribute. Maybe it was the manner of speaking, the little trill in his voice as he asked, but it got on Ludwig's nerves.
"Why are you even asking me? You're the stylist here, you can do whatever the hell you want! You don't need my input." Feli blinked a few times, then smiled softly. "Because I want you to look nice, ve! What's the point of looking good if you don't like the way you look?" Ludwig was taken aback at this display of...emotion. Usually the prep teams and stylists did whatever they fancied with the tributes, and if they didn't like it, tough. But Feli actually cared about this not-so-little scrap of humanity, actually wanted his input. It was a nice feeling.
Ludwig pushed his bangs out of his eyes and turned around. "Thanks. Do whatever. I don't care." Feli's goofy smile returned, and he set to work. Ludwig could make out babbling chatter between the snips of the scissors, and he was content to just sitting back and listening to the crazy, pink-haired worker talk.
"Alright! You had your hair slicked back when you first came, right?" Feli chirped, sticking the scissors back in his apron pocket. "Yes. That's how I usually wear it." "It makes you look tough and scary, ve! I like it." Feli pulled out a comb and handed it to the blonde tribute. "You probably do it best." Ludwig took it gently from the boy. He didn't want to pull too hard or grab it too fast; he had a feeling that if he touched this boy, he would shatter. With three strokes, he slicked his hair back and handed the comb back to Feli. "Alright! I have to do your nails and face now."
"I thought you said boys didn't have to do makeup?" Ludwig looked confused. "It's just some highlighting and shaping. No fancy polishes or anything, just making them presentable." Feli wrinkled his nose before coming around to the front of where Ludwig was sitting. "Hands out, please!" He chirped. Ludwig placed his hands on his knees, Feli leaning down to meet him. He set to filing and preparing his nails, chattering all the while. Ludwig found that it wasn't necessary to make conversation, Feli went on and on without needing to be prompted or replied to. Feli was quite good at his job, for being so young. Most of the prep teams Ludwig had the misfortune to see on the television were old, gross, and surgically altered to the point of becoming more plastic than human.
"Done with your nails!" Feli held up one hand and inspected his handiwork. "What do you think?"
"They're fine, I guess, I really don't know this kind of thing." Ludwig shrugged, causing Feli to giggle. He squeezed the blonde tribute's arm affectionately, giving a gasp of surprise. "Wow, your muscles are really big!" "I lift stone for a living." Ludwig scoffed, looking at the man's weak and scrawny frame. "Okay-dokey, makeup time now!" Feli sorted through his apron pocket and came up with a brush and a powder compact. He gripped the side of Ludwig's chin with a tender hand, steadying it. Ludwig's heart started pounding in his chest when Feli's fingertips came into contact with his skin.
Why are you behaving like this? Stop it, stop it, I'm supposed to hate you!
Feli gently brushed powder onto the tribute's face, his tongue poking out as he concentrated. The little brush tickled on Ludwig's cheeks. "Hold still." Feli dipped the brush into another thing of powder and moved it along his cheekbones. "Mmhmm! Done!" He slipped the brush and compacts back into his pocket for the last time that day.
"Francis! Lovi! Feliks! I'm all done!"
"Perfect timing, so are we." The two idiots from before entered the room, followed by a new figure, with bobbed blonde hair and aquamarine eyes. "Like, I'm Feliks. I'm your stylist, blah blah blah blah blah, boring formalities, you are going to look fabulous." Feliks grinned at the look of shock on Ludwig's face. "Here, go get changed, please." Ludwig staggered back when Feliks thrust a bundle of grey clothing into his hands, spinning him around to face the changing room.
"Changing room's over there. Hurry!"
Ludwig, the back of his neck burning, started towards the changing room. "And don't wrinkle the merchandise!" Feliks called after him, causing the four to burst into fits of laughter.
The blonde tribute changed quickly, his cheeks hot. The outfit was rather stiff, but it loosened up after a couple of steps. He left the changing room when his cheeks returned to their normal shade.
"Oh, you look amazing!" Feliks kicked one leg up behind him like a cheerleader and clasped his hands together. Ludwig faced the mirror, unsure of what to think. He was wearing a simple dark grey jumpsuit, a lighter grey blazer, and long boots that were the same shade of grey as the jacket. On the blazer pocket, there was a small brooch in the shape of a gem.
"Ve, you look awesome!" Ludwig gasped as he felt unexpected weight on his back. Feli had enfolded him in a bear hug. "Get off of the tribute, you idiot!" Lovino swore, trying to pull his brother off of Ludwig's back. Feli released Ludwig with a whine. "You look good, mon ami." Francis smiled, looking the tribute up and down with a sort of hunger. His tongue moved over his lips, earning a jab to the ribs courtesy of Lovino.
"Alright, one of you needs to accompany him down to the chariots."
"I will!" Feli waved his hand in the air like an excited schoolboy. "Like, go ahead. You were supposed to be there five minutes ago." Ludwig's eyes widened.
"Where's the elevator?"
"Over there." Feli strolled over to the gadget with no sense of urgency. Ludwig, however, rushed over to the elevator like his butt was on fire.
"Why are you in such a rush?"
"We're late!" Ludwig screeched, pulling Feli into the elevator and pressing the only button. Feliks gave a little finger wave, Lovino just huffed, and Francis made a sweeping bow.
Then, the elevator descended and they were all pushed out of sight.
...
Feli watched the winning tribute explain his strategy, tears threatening to leak out of his eye sockets and spill onto his cheeks. This boy, Ivan, was very cheerful and cocky, the winner's crown perched upon his head. He made hand gestures as he talked, and Feli's lip started to quiver when he made a strangling motion with both hands. This boy, Ivan, had taken Ludwig on with only his bare hands. He had won, both the fight and the games.
"Quit crying, you idiot, he didn't mean anything. One kid, you never acted like this with Peter, or Sadiq, or Heracles."
"He meant a lot to me." Feli said simply. His heart felt like it was being ripped in two as Ivan and the host, Alfred, laughed with him.
What was this feeling? He wasn't used to it. Guilt maybe? Or sorrow?
"Don't tell me you fell in love with that bastard."
Oh. That was it.