townes zamoras. 18.

late march, 89 add.

afternoon.

It had been about a month and a half.

In lots of ways, nothing changed. They still did homework. They still bickered. They still went to class. They still got coffee.

(But it was also so much more than that. He finally had someone he could let his guard down with, and just be with. He liked knowing his stupid coffee order and how to irritate him without crossing a line. He enjoyed figuring out how to make him laugh, and the feeling of intertwining his fingers with his.)

It wasn't all perfect. There were days Esper couldn't handle taking his medication, and witnessing Esper's sleeplessness was disheartening. There were times Townes said something too mean. Sometimes class exhausted them both, and all their time was spent in productive silence.

(But it was all just a little easier together.)

He loved spending afternoons in the Myrellis-Verilla house, talking with Ryden about Science Olympiad and Rhylee about drawing. He loved the board games and how competitive all three of them were. He liked eating dinner with a family that was never at each other's throats, and the cozy safety of Esper's room. He liked seeing Esper be truly comfortable, because he really was most relaxed when he was at home.

Maybe he was an idiot, but it just… it was the best things had been in a while.

"So," Esper said. "You haven't said much about this weekend."

They were in their usual cafe spot, mugs nearly empty. Townes glanced up from his notes to see Esper's attention solidly on him. "Oh. What do you want to know?"

"All I know is that some birthday thing is happening at your house," Esper said. "And your dad's in charge of it, apparently?"

"Yeah… he is. He does it every year to sort of, I don't know… prove something."

"Other than that it's your birthday?"

"Keeps up the image, I guess," Townes said. "Also, I think he just likes throwing parties."

"I did meet you at a party," Esper pointed out.

"You did."

"And he had the party when he won the election, and after my tour…"

"Those were the big ones," Townes confirmed. "There's been a lot of others between those."

"Like, how many?"

"I don't know. A lot." He hesitated. "I think they just… having parties means he has something to be celebrating, which means things are, theoretically, going well. So if he's constantly celebrating, it makes him look… I don't know. More successful?"

"That's a bit sketchy."

"Yeah, I know."

"I'm assuming you have to go?"

"I mean… yeah."

"Do you have to be there the entire time?" Esper asked.

"Most of it, I think."

"Who'll be there?"

"Oh, uh… lots of people. Lots of coworker's relatives and shit. A decent amount of them are around our age, I think. But, ah, lots of people he wants to impress. Basically."

"Rich people."

"Lots of those, yes."

"Fantastic."

Townes caught his tone. "You count as rich people too, you know."

Esper wrinkled his nose. "Not like that."

"You're more well-known than any of them, too."

"Yeah, I know."

"There's a chance that people will actually want to talk to you."

"Really."

"Yeah."

"I've found the whole Victor thing usually has the opposite effect," Esper said.

"Yeah, at school."

"So?"

"Believe it or not," Townes said, "in class, you're not the most… approachable."

"Well, yeah, I'm there to study."

"Some people talk to their classmates," Townes said.

"I talk to you."

"You have to talk to me."

"Yeah, and?"

"It's gonna be different, because it's not school, it's a party, where people like to socialize and talk to each other. Which includes famous people who are objectively the most interesting people in the room."

Esper tapped his pen against the table. "I'm not that interesting."

"Even if that was true," Townes replied, "think about it like this. You're the only person who's been outside Six. You've been to literally every district, and you've spent an extended period of time in the Capitol."

"And I hated it."

"They don't know that."

Esper exhaled. "So, what? People are gonna be nosy?"

"I'm just trying to warn you."

"I appreciate the warning," Esper replied. "Do I have to be nice?"

"I mean… a little bit, yeah. Or… polite might be the better word."

"I can be polite," he said. "But if people are rude-"

"Then yeah, do what you want," Townes said. "I'm just, like… I'm not saying there'll be issues. But I know it's not a super familiar thing for you, so I just wanted to say it."

"Oh. Okay. Got it. I appreciate it."

"Yeah. No problem."

"I promise I'm not totally useless in public, by the way," Esper said. "I can talk to people. I'll be fine. I just wanted to know the deal."

"No, I get it. I know."

"And I promise I'll have fun."

"Yeah?"

"It's your birthday," Esper reminded him. "I'll have fun."

"I didn't know you could do that," Townes replied.

"I can."

"We're talking about the same person, right? Esper Myrellis-Verilla?"

"I can have fun! I can be fun!"

"Prove it," Townes said.

"I will."

"If you say so…"

"What, you don't believe me?"

"I just don't have a lot of evidence," Townes teased.

"That's not true at all."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah. If I wasn't, you wouldn't stick around."

"Really? What about the homework answers?"

"Nah, I think that's a cover."

"A cover for what, exactly?"

"Personally," Esper said, leaning in a bit closer, "I think you have a crush on me."

"Do not!"

"Do too."

"You have no proof!"

"I have plenty," Esper retorted, leaning across the table until he was only inches away. "Like right now. Someone who didn't have a crush on me would be reinvesting in their personal space. Which you're not doing."

"I was here first," Townes replied.

"Uh-huh. So you don't want me to do… this…?"

Esper tilted his head as he finished closing the gap over their small table, his lips almost brushing Townes'. Townes rolled his eyes, but was willing to engage-

-until Esper shifted to the side, planting the kiss on his cheek, and pulled away with a grin.

"Rude," Townes frowned.

"What?"

"Don't 'what' me. That was mean."

"I'll make it up to you later?"

Townes reached across the table, smacking Esper's shoulder with his pen. "You're ridiculous."

"That's not a no."

"Of course it isn't. I've been cheated," Townes replied. "Yeah, you'll make it up to me."

Esper raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"The joke's on you. You owe me now."

"What, this is a transaction now?"

"Yes."

"That's how you see this relationship?"

"You're making it weird."

"I'm just saying."

"And I'm just saying: you got extra annoying all of a sudden."

"Hurtful."

"Just the truth."

"Being annoying is subjective, not objective," Esper said.

"Well, it's my truth."

"Uh-huh."

"And no one gets to define my truth but me."

Esper smirked. "That really got to you, huh?"

"No…"

"Yeah, right."

"Only a little."

Esper's smirk broadened. "Alright. Let me finish chapter nine, and let's get out of here."

esper myrellis-verilla. 19.

late march, 89 add.

night.

He got there fifteen minutes earlier than Townes had told him to, expecting the party to still be warming up; instead, it was already close to full swing. People were everywhere, and music was blasting. He scanned the crowd for Townes, but he was nowhere to be seen.

It's fine, he told himself. He's just further in the house. Just keep looking,

It wasn't as though Esper hadn't seen him that day, either. They'd gone out to lunch and spent the entire afternoon together, until Townes had to leave to get ready.

(Townes hadn't admitted to it, but Esper had picked up on… nervousness, he thought, about the party. Given his suspicions about Townes' father, he had a feeling his father was the main source, but he wasn't sure, and he didn't know how to bring it up. There hadn't been any more nights like the one in January, and Townes clearly wasn't interested in talking about it.)

A hand clapped him firmly on the shoulder, making him jump.

As though he'd summoned him by thinking of him, Townes' father had appeared next to him, smiling warmly. "Sorry to give you a scare," he said, raising his voice to be heard over the music.

Esper glanced at his hand, which hadn't released his shoulder. "Hello?"

"I'm glad to see you here," he said. "I've actually been meaning to speak with you!"

"About what?"

The smile broadened. "This conversation might be better suited to a quiet atmosphere. What do you think?"

As much as he didn't want to go anywhere with the Mayor, the volume of the music was starting to get to him. "Fine."

Mayor Zamoras, still with a hand on Esper's shoulder, guided him through the crowd, down a hallway, and up a grand staircase. After one more turn, they arrived at what looked to be an office- large, heavy-looking wooden desk covered with papers, filing cabinets, fancy armchairs.

Mayor Zamoras released his shoulder in order to shut the door behind them.

"I really am glad you're here," he repeated. "I wasn't sure you would come. My son has made it clear you're not interested in these types of events."

Esper frowned. "Well, I'm here now."

"You are!" He smiled again, but the gesture was far from reassuring. "Now. As for the matter at hand."

"Which is?"

"I'll be frank. I want your support."

"What?"

"Politically," he clarified. "You'd have a strong influence on this district, Esper, if you chose to use it."

Esper stared at him. "Yeah, I know…"

"You seem confused."

"I don't get why I would do that," he said.

"A partnership goes both ways," the Mayor replied. "If you're interested, we could of course discuss what I could do for you."

"I'm not," Esper said, taking a step toward the door. "I'll be frank. I don't need anything from you, and I don't support your policies. They've fucked me over more than once, and-"

"The bowl," the Mayor interrupted.

"…What?" Esper asked, immediately irritated.

"You have two younger siblings, correct? A brother and a sister?"

"Yes."

"You should know that my position gives me access to many places," he continued. "Including the bowl."

Esper eyed him. "What are you saying?"

"I can remove their slips."

His heart stopped. "What?"

"I can remove them," he said again. "Reduce their chances of being in the Games… to zero."

He felt sick. "Did you… did you put me in-"

"No. Of course not. I never add, only take away," he answered. "Do you think I would leave my son's name in that bowl? No. Of course not. And that's a service I can offer in moments such as this one."

(His head was spinning. He could keep Rhylee and Ryden out of the Games. He could keep them safe from all of it. And what was the price? Giving away more of himself? That had never stopped him before.)

(But this man… Esper did not like him, or respect him, or trust him. He-)

The door opened behind him.

"What's going on?"

The Mayor's smile was tight. "Townes," he said, "go enjoy your party."

Townes ignored him. "I was looking for you," he told Esper.

"I'm in a meeting right now, Townes," his father said.

"A meeting for what?"

"To make sure our Victor is enjoying the party, of course," he replied, his tone smooth.

Townes glanced at Esper. "Yeah?"

"Of course," his father repeated.

Townes didn't look away. "Are you?" he asked Esper.

"I don't know," Esper managed. "I wasn't there very long."

Townes reached for his hand. Esper looked down, noticing his hand had curled into a fist at some point. "Let's fix that."

"Townes," his father said, his tone with his son very different from the one he'd used with Esper.

"It's my birthday," Townes answered. "You can't have him the whole time. Come on."

He started to tug Esper away.

"Think about it," the Mayor called after them. "There's no deadline on the offer."

Townes yanked the office door back open and pulled Esper through. He then dragged him down the hall, navigating a few turns before pushing him into a different room and shutting the door behind him.

Townes' room was much more organized than his own. Everything was tidy, from the pens on his desk to his bedspread to his shelves. His furniture and sheets were all matching black-and-white, very modern-looking. More sophisticated than Townes himself, in his opinion. The clutter was minimal, and all of his wall decorations were art pieces, not sentimental items. Esper didn't see a single picture. It was a very nice room, if... impersonal.

Townes himself was the most colorful thing in the room. He wore a red velvet suit, with nice black shoes and a silver watch. He was watching Esper closely as he finished taking in his room, leaning up against the door.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I… I don't know," Esper said faintly.

"What did he say?"

"He wanted political support or something," he answered, pressing the heels of his hands into his temples.

"Sounds like him."

"But he said… he said he would take their names out."

Townes crossed his arms. "What?"

"He said that if I did, he would take Rhylee and Ryden out of the Reaping pool," Esper said. "Is that- can he do that?"

"Probably," Townes replied, his eyes wide. "That's… wow."

"So you didn't know?"

"No, I didn't. I mean, it seems like something he would do… take out names for loyalty… that would make sense."

Esper took a deep breath. "Did you know that your name has never been in it? He told me that, too."

"He said that?"

"Yeah. He did."

Townes exhaled. "I, uh… no. I didn't know that. But I'm not surprised."

Esper buried his head in his hands. "This is so fucked."

"It is," Townes said. "I'm sorry. I didn't think he would go after you right away- I thought I could keep you with me, that maybe he'd leave you alone. I'm sorry."

"It was the only thing I could have possibly wanted," Esper said. He raised his head to look at Townes. "Anything else, and I would have walked out."

"I know," Townes said. "That's why he offered it."

"I've been trying so hard not to think about it. About them being…" He couldn't finish the sentence.

"Please tell me you said no."

"I didn't say anything. That was when you got there."

"Good."

"But… but I don't know if I can say no. What if I say no and he adds their names in more?"

"He wouldn't. You have to say no."

"How do you know that?"

"If he rigs it like that, he has nothing to offer you," Townes said. "He wants you to freak out about it so that you say yes- maybe not this year, but in time for next year. And if you say yes, it'll only get worse. He'll start wanting more and more specific things, and when you don't want to, he'll threaten to add their names back in. You can't let yourself owe him anything."

Esper sat down on the edge of his bed, taking a minute to think. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I am," Townes answered. "I've seen him do it."

"To who?"

"All sorts of people."

"Has he done it to you?"

"I…" Townes hesitated. "Not exactly. It's a bit more complicated."

"How?"

"Let's not get into that right now," he said. He sat down next to him. "You okay?"

"No," he muttered. "This is terrible. I want to say no so bad, but… like… how?"

"Don't let him fuck with you. It's not worth it."

"I know… I just…"

"Yeah. C'mere."

Townes wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer. Esper scooted toward him, resting his chin on Townes' shoulder. The velvet felt nice against his face. And Townes smelled nice.

Once they'd settled a bit more, Townes murmured, "You know, there's a party downstairs."

"I hadn't noticed."

"It's my birthday party, actually."

"Oh, nice. Happy birthday."

"Wow, thanks. Want to come downstairs with me?"

Esper sighed. "Sure."

"It'll be fun."

"Yeah. I know."

"Besides, I want to show you off."

Esper pulled away from his shoulder. "Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said."

"So what, I'm a prize to you now? That's all I am?"

"Yes."

"I'm offended."

Townes laughed. "That's not new."

"That doesn't make it better."

"Let's see if this does." Townes leaned in and kissed him, pressing one hand to his right cheek.

Esper returned it for only a moment before breaking away. "What about your party?"

"It can wait a few minutes," Townes said.

Esper grinned "If that's what you want, birthday boy."

"Shut up."

"Gladly." Esper kissed him again, still smirking, happy to let his troubles fade if only for a moment.