Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia nor the characters, they belong to Himaruya Hidekaz-sensei. Hunger Games series belongs to Suzanne Collins.

A/N: Uhm… uhm… h-hello. So, first of all, I'm really terribly sorry for the long absence! I really am! I will explain myself down there properly, I swear! Well, there's nothing much to explain but… well, I will anyway OTL. But really, I'm so sorry guys. I'm so sorry and I'm so very thankful to you! I'd really like to thank you all, and I will.

Hime, because you're my support

Meg, because you kept encouraging *coughthreateningcough* me

Lins, because even though you saw me at school nearly every day, you didn't strangle me! (Bless Doctor Who, though…)

Hunny, because you've been very kind and sweet to me

Izzy, because you kept giving me awesome ideas

Gardyloo, dear, because you're such an awesome person and you didn't rush me and- *hugs*. I'm still calling you Spade in my mind, just so you know *cough*

StorfenglegurStelpa21, because you're so lovely to me, you read all of my stupid crap and it really means a lot!

Nessie, because one can get called a bitch only to a point, before they finally start writing.

Queen Umbugartus, because you've reviewed and feedback really does help ^^

Catsdon'tcry, because I kind of feel like I failed you with all the wait, and… thanks for being patient *bows*

Kittyruvsyou and Serial Mood Killer, I'm not sure if you two still read it, but even if you don't, thanks for the past few months, really ^^

And to all the other readers, the anonymous ones as well as the ones that I have forgotten to mention (which I hope weren't too many OTL), as well as my precious Niki, Joan, Gil and Riri. I'm really very sorry and big, big thanks to you for staying with me. You've been great strength, really. Something like that won't happen again, pinky promise!

Right. Right. Man. I wrote a lot of crap. Well. Um. The chapter is… is right here. Below. Yes. I will… go now. Yes. Okay. I'm gone. Enjoy.

Chapter 8: Numbers

As I stride towards the elevator I fling my bow and arrows over the shadow, trying to look as calmly as possible. It's hard, because I'm still pissed at these Gamemakers, but all of the Avoxes are already looking shocked and frightened enough. I push past two of them that are guarding the elevator, and slam my fist on number '12'. I can't even feel any pain nor cold caused by the sudden touch of metal, because a plump face stuffed with cheese and other kinds of food is still stuck in my brain, laughing merrily to just as idiotic looking woman dressed into skimpy outfit, which was certainly as fucking dumb as the rest of the Capitol. I catch a glimpse of three more gaping Avoxes and frown, before the door zip shut and the elevator is flying upwards.

I actually make it back to my room, slam the door with all my strength and shout out in frustration. Tomato bastard, the drunkard and possibly even other tributes could hear me, but I couldn't care less. I walk to my bed quickly and throw myself onto it. It annoys me that it's so soft, because I'd love to taste some pain right now, right in that second. I grip the sheets of my bad tightly and bit my lower lip. Now I've fucking done it. Any chances that they would like me have been ruined by me just a few minutes ago, and just because I made something a brat would do. Screw liking me, what the fuck will they do to me right now, actually? Send me to prison? Cut off my tongue and turn me into an Avox to serve the next tributes from District Twelve, who will be send here die in the Games? Execute me? What if they do something to my mother or worse, to Feliciano? What if they take their belongings, or kill my mother and take Feli to a foster institution? What if they kill my little brother as a punishment? They wouldn't, but on the other hand, why not. It's not of interest to them, if two more people die. What was I thinking, shooting at the Gamemakers. I mean, I wasn't trying to shoot them, I've wanted to shot the apple the whole time, but how can they know it? How can they fucking know that I wasn't trying to kill them? They can't. They have no idea that if I wanted any of them dead, they would be. I wouldn't miss.

Oh, fuck this. It's not like I was going to win the Games anyway. There wasn't any hope to begin with. I'm just a poor kid from the Seam from District Twelve, who happened to be good at shooting. There's no way someone like me could survive the Games, could win. Not someone from 12. Carlos is the only exception, there's no way something like that could be repeated, much less by someone like me.

I should have stayed, I think. Stayed and apologized, or laughed it off, pretended that it was a joke or something. They looked dumb, I'm sure they would go along with the idea of a joke. The tall guy with these platinum blond hair that looked the most shocked looked a lot like Gilbert, just with a scarf and more muscles. He must have been dumb, he would have believed. But instead of fucking thinking or being polite, I walked away with an angry expression.

Carlos and Feliks are knocking on my door, ordering me to open them. I yell at them to go away, and it takes them way too fucking long to do so. But they eventually do go away. For the next hour I try to bury my head even deeper in the pillow, using every cuss word that I know every five seconds, and yell scream into the pillow out of frustration. I can feel an unpleasant taste in my mouth, and I realize that my lip is bleeding. I lift up my head for a moment and stare at a shape on the white pillow, a small figure that came to be because of my blood. I wonder how long it's been bleeding and realize that it must have been at least thirty minutes.

I sit up with a sigh, my voice hoarse. I think that maybe screaming wasn't such a good idea. I look outside my window and stare, as the sun sets in the Capitol. It's the only thing that reminds me of home, the only thing that hasn't changed since my coming here, the only thing that the Capitol has in common with Twelve.

At first I expect the guards to come and get me. But as time passes, I realize that it won't happen. They still need another tribute from Twelve, someone that could represent a district alongside tomato bastard. But I know that I can't possibly get away without a punishment. The Gamemakers will probably do everything to humiliate me during the Games. A hoard of hungry animals might be send to get me. They can slowly kill me inside, make me more scared than ever, in front of the whole Panem, before killing me a painful death. And one thing for sure, I definitely won't get a bow and arrows to defend myself.

Before death, though, they will give me one more fucking present. A score so low that no one in their right minds would decide to be my sponsor. The training isn't open for the people of Panem, and therefore, for the possible sponsors, it's up to Gamemakers to let everyone know the worth of the tribute. They hand out scores, from 1 to 12, to show the value of a candidate. One is stupidly low, and almost no one gets it. I think there has been a few incidents, but only a few, nothing more. Twelve is also a rare score, because it's ridiculously high. It's a rare thing for someone to get a 12, and they're usually almost always the Careers. Of course the score which a tribute receives doesn't really affect their survival in the Games. Many times the ones with high scores ended up dead before 'real fun' could even begin. A few years back a kid, who only received a 3 won. But even though it's like that, the score which you get really can affect you. A tribute which receives a better review is more likely to get sponsors. I was hoping for a 6 or a 7, but I fucked it up really bad.

When Feliks knocks on my door and invites me for dinner, I decide that I might as well go. There will be a program in TV today where they will announce the scores that tributes received, so it's not like I can hide it from stupid Carlos or Feliks. And explaining myself before they see that terribly low number is a better solution than making that drunkard think I'm that unskilled. I go to the bathroom and wash my face with cold water. It's soothing, somehow. I glance at my reflection in the mirror and notice a nasty wound on my lip. I guess I bit it a little too hard.

Everyone's waiting at the table, even Kiku and Yao. Tomato bastard's stylist is saying something in an excited voice, making vague gestures with his hands, and Kiku laughs. My heart feels heavier and I can feel something dropping to the pit of my stomach. I really wish those two haven't showed up. Thinking that I disappointed them so much hurts me, somehow. It's fucking insane, because they're from the Capitol, but they tried so much. They feel like friends, like allies, they did their best to make us look stunning during the opening ceremony, and yet I've gone and destroyed it all. All of their efforts to get us sponsors were trashed, because I couldn't fucking control myself. Somehow, imagining Yao's hurt face makes my heart break. Maybe it's because he looks so feminine, or maybe it's because he reminds of my brother's innocence. Both of them turn and look at me with bright smiles, but I cast my eyes down. I take an empty sit and avoid looking at anyone, stuffing my face with huge spoonful's of fish soup. It's too fucking salty.

The adults begin a conversation about fucking weather, and I'm relieved they aren't asking any questions yet. I look up and meet Antonio's eyes. His gaze is piercing, questioning. He stares at me intensely, with his eyebrows raised. I can hear him murmur an unspoken question, 'What happened?' and it makes me mad. He doesn't know me, not at all, he's just a fucking bastard from these rich folks, and yet why the hell does he know that something's wrong? I shake my head, a sign for him to stop asking, and there's a brief flicker of hurt in his eyes. I'm confused and I hate him, because he's the one that makes everything fucking confusing. Then the adults finish the main course and Carlos turns to us, a glass of wine in his hand.

"Okay, ya little brats. Just how much did you fuck up?" I frown. That's exactly why I fucking hate people like him. They're too fucking straightforward.

"Oh, I don't really think it mattered!" tomato bastard says cheerfully. Everyone raises their eyebrows at that, even me. "By the time I showed up, they were in their own world, singing some stupid drunkard songs, playing card games, stuffing their faces with food, drinking even more. Just ignoring me, really. So, I threw around some heavy objects, and when they seriously stopped looking at me, I picked up an axe because she was so beautiful, stood with her for a while, and imagined a beautiful pool of red forming where they stood. Oh, and then they dismissed me, so I went away" his smile is a bit maniacal and downright creepy. Just what the fuck is wrong with him? I try to suppress the smile from appearing on my face. It's good to know that he was provoked, too. Well, at least he didn't try to chop their heads off though.

"You're one crazy brat, you know" the drunkard bastard starts laughing loudly, spilling a bit of wine from his glass. Yao is giggling quietly and that fucking stylist of mine is just sitting there with an expression of an emotionless statue. Feliks, on the other hand, seems furious.

"Like, why would you even think like that! That's- that's totally blasphemy!" he screeches furiously, hitting Carlos' hand with a glare. "You shouldn't laugh! Like, you should teach your students manners! Oh!" the both of them start arguing and I let out a sigh of relief. Then I meet Antonio's eyes.

He smirks at me, points at himself, and I swear he's mouthing an 'Aren't I amazing?' to me. I stare at him blankly, and a brief thought that he's told it to post point my own tale crosses my mind. But it's impossible because he fucking doesn't know.

"And poor Maria, really! She looked so lonely when I had to put her down!" he continues, and Carlos roars with laughter again.

"I thought her name was Querida Fortuna, ya cheeky brat!"

"I think Maria suits her better!" tomato bastard giggles like a fucking hormonal girl, and takes a sip of a juice. His eyes meet mine for a brief second again, and he sends me something, that in a different time and different place, I would call a warm, friendly smile. But it's fucking Antonio Fernández Carriedo and he's plotting how to kill me inside that sick mind of his. Probably with that 'Maria' too.

"What about you, sweetheart?" Carlos' voice brings me back to reality. I blink. Well, shit. The time has come. And what the fuck, why did he call me 'sweetheart'?

"I shot an arrow at the Gamemakers" I say as emotionlessly as I can muster, staring at my hands. All the laughter dies down.

"You WHAT?!" the horror in Feliks' voice confirms my suspicions. I fucked up really bad.

"I shot an arrow at them. Well, not at them. Just in their fucking direction. It's just like tomato bastard says. When I came in, they were busy being drunk assholes to even notice me shooting, so my hand fucking slipped and send an arrow, that happened to pierce an apple that this roast pig they were eating was holding in its' mouth. It just happened to be exactly in the center of the table, too" I say quickly, and wonder if it came out like I was fucking whining or something.

"And what exactly did they say, Lovino-kun?" Kiku asks quietly, carefully, and I can feel his gaze on me. I refuse to look up.

"Nothing. Or, well, nothing that I'm fucking aware of. I left before they could say anything" I say.

"What?! You left, like, before being dismissed?" gasps Feliks, tightening his grip on a fork.

"I dismissed myself" I say quietly. I remember how I promised Feli that I will try to win these games. That I'll do my best to survive and come back home. And how I've ruined it all just a few minutes ago, just because I'm a hot-heated idiot with no control over my rage. I feel like a ton of coal has just been dropped on me, and it feels awful. Thinking that I betrayed Feliciano out of my stupidity hurts and scares me more than the things that Gamemakers might have planned for me.

"Well, that's that" Carlos says and pops a roll into his mouth.

"I think I, like, totally need a drink" Feliks groans and sinks into his sit, snatching Carlos' glass from his hand, and emptying its' content straight into his mouth. That drunkard's eyes squint slightly. He glares at Feliks, who glares back, and they're back into their own bickering world, forgetting about me completely. Somehow, it makes me irritated.

"Will they arrest me?" I say loudly, and I'm not sure if I've managed to pray anger away from my voice. Feliks' quirked eyebrows tells me, that I didn't.

"Nah, kid, what are you sayin? There's no way. Finding someone as yer replacement would be a bigger pain in the ass than that prat over here" he points at Feliks with his head, who huffs with irritation. Before he can open his mouth again, I cut in again.

"What about my family? They won't do anything to them, will they?" I can feel everyone's stares at me. I don't blame them. It's probably the first time since these entire Games' fiasco when my voice sounded so desperate and scared. I can feel Kiku's eyes on me, but it's tomato bastard's piercing green that makes me really uncomfortable.

"Don't think so, brat. Wouldn't make much sense, and it would take much too long. For it to have any sort of long-lasting impact on the people, they'd have to revel what is it that you've done in during your presentation, but they can't, so it would be all in vain, brat" I watch as he eyes the food in front of him with boredom "Ya can expect that they'll make yer life a living hell in the arena though. And trust me, when these bastards want to fuck up your life or strength, they will definitely do it. Just a friendly piece of information, ya?"

"It's not like they aren't doing it already, amigo. I mean, they told us to come here and spend time with them. It's a living hell as it is already" Antonio jokes, flashing Kiku, Yao and Feliks a smile. They smile back, and I'm amazed how a jerk like him manages not to insult people with every breath he takes.

"Wise words you say!" both bastards laugh. I blink, as I stare them down. I glance at Kiku and Yao, who give me encouraging smiles. I blink again. I can't fucking believe they managed to cheer me up. That they aren't mad at me. Carlos picks up a pork chop with his fingers and throws it into Feliks' glass, which makes him squeal girly. Then he stands up with a stomp and actually punches my stupid mentor straight in the face.

"Like, that was not okay!"

I wonder if I have any chances of survival with a bunch like that supporting me. My mentor if fucked up and a drunkard, the bastard that repeated me is crazy, Yao has weird tendencies of giggling to himself, and Kiku refuses to show emotions. Then there's the fucking tomato bastard, who's not supporting me at all, rather he wants to kill me. He's stabbing an apple with a fork right now. He's insane.

He notices my gaze and waves his hand at me, smiling.

"What were their faces like, Lovi?" it takes me a second to realize what exactly was he asking about.

The corners of my lips move up a little, and I can see his eyes light up with something I can't quite describe. Feliks and Carlos stop their bickering for this short while, and look at me with curious eyes. "Fucking stupid. Shocked. Terrified. Ridiculous as hell, you call it. They weren't expecting that at all" I say, and an image pops up in my head "There was this one guy that fucking started choking on a grape, and that one woman slipped on nothing at all, and ripped off that other woman's wig. It was hilarious"

They all start laughing, with exception of that annoying pink bastard, who's trying to suppress a giant grin from spreading on his face, and Carlos, who's fucking guffawing.

"You've done well, kid! Just 'cause yer from Twelve doesn't mean they have any right to ignore a fabulous" here Carlos gives a mocking glance at Feliks, who scowls almost immidietly "brat like you, or that idiotic fool on my left!" his heads points at tomato bastard, and it's a relief to know that I'm not the only one who thinks he's fucking stupid.

"I think that, like, you were a little bit right. They shouldn't ignore the tributes, like, at all" Feliks says with a light huff. "I am, like, sorry if I insulted someone with my words, but that's totally what I think" he adds, looking at no one in particular. I'm pretty certain he's directed it towards the Capitol people, and it's only now occurred to me that they seriously might be listening in, and I think I've called these bastards assholes a few times.

"I'll get a low score anyway" I mumble, because it feels weird to suddenly hear all these praises from these people. Drunkard I can understand, but Feliks? What the actual hell!

"They aren't that important so you shouldn't care too much" Yao pipes in, chewing his meat bun slowly.

"You should swallow before speaking, Yao" Kiku murmurs quietly, throwing all of us an apologetic look that I don't understand. What the fuck? What exactly was he apologizing for?

"You're so annoying, aru!" tomato bastard's stylist grumbles, but swallows nonetheless "Like I said, scores don't really matter. For all the audience might now, you might have been trying to pretend to be innocent, and go all out during the Games. They can also think it's just the Gamemakers with bad tastes. Both of these have happened before. I remember, when I barely started working here, there was this one cute little girl. Seventeen was her age, if I remember correctly. She was from five. Charming girl. She got a 2, can you believe it! But guess what? She wiped out all of her opponents without much trouble, that kid. So I wouldn't be too bothered about the scores, aru"

Carlos furrows his eyebrows "There was an incident like that? When?" he asks, and I can see Feliks looking confused, too.

"Twenty two years ago, of course! I remember it like it was yesterday!" Yao says cheerfully, before taking a bite of an apple pie. We fall into silence, all eyes on the very young looking man enjoying his cake. How fucking old is he and how does he keep his youth?

"Really! Hopefully it'll be a case with me! I'll be happy if I get a 4, but I hope people will think it's because I was holding back. I would probably give myself a 1, because there can't possibly be anything more boring than watching a person pick up a heavy ball and throw it a few yards. One almost dropped on my foot, I nearly got a heart attack because of it! I think the only way for me to get anything higher than 4 is that brilliant intimate moment that I shared together with Maria" tomato bastards finishes his rant and flashes me a smile. And at that moment, I can't help myself. I throw my head back and laugh, because he's a fucking retard and it feels like home. Home, where no one will be affected by my stupidity, which means that no harm was done, really.

After dinner, we go to the sitting room and turn on the television. First, the Gamemakers will flash the picture of a tribute, and then the score underneath. Antonio sits on a couch and pats a spot next to him, grinning at me. I glance elsewhere, trying to avoid eye contact, and contact in general, with him as much as possible. Feliks is going off about something, when the music begins and they start showing the tributes. Both Careers from 1 get beautiful, round eights. Then a face of 2's girl flashes , her glare as menacing through the screen, as it is in real life. She pulls out a nine, and I wonder if's a lot in her eyes. Her obnoxious looking partner comes with a 10. I bit my lip as I stare into these clear, and yet somehow terrifying, blue eyes. I'll have to watch out for him, I think. Next one that catches my attention is a dark-skinned girl from 5. So far, hers and boy's from 2, are the only photos, on which the Tributes are actually smiling. She gets a 7. The rest gets mostly fives, though there are some sixes and fours as well. Then, surprisingly, little Emma gets a 7 as well. I don't know what is it that she's shown them, but it must have been quite impressive. I can feel a small smile forming on my face. Somehow, knowing that she's done well is reassuring. There's something about her that makes me want to protect her. Her cute photo is soon gone and replaced by a tall guy from 11. He's really well-built and makes me feel like a stick in comparison. He gets a 9. I'll have to be careful around him. Then, finally, Antonio's big face appears on the screen. I sneak a peek at him. His fists are clenched tightly, and eyes wide open. He's holding his breath. So the score really is important to him, after all. That annoying dramatic music seems to be stretching out, now that we've finally reached District Twelve. A big 8 flashes on the screen, and he lets out something similar to a sigh of relief and a joyous yelp. If he got so much, at least a couple of Gamemakers must have been paying attention to him. Carlos gives him a slap in the back and Yao ruffles his hair. And now my frowning face is staring back at me. I dig fingernails in my sweating palms. It's time to lose hope, I think to myself. But then, an eleven appears on the screen.

Eleven!

For a moment, I can't hear anything. I can see Feliks' excited expression, Kiku's small smile and Carlos' smirk of approval, I can see them move their lips, but I don't register the words. I'm too stunned. The number slowly fades away, and I suddenly start hearing again. It's like an explosion of sound, and it makes my head ache.

Especially Feliks' loud squeal way too close to my ear. I only now notice that he's frown himself at me, and has been hugging me.

"There must be a mistake!" I manage finally, looking at Carlos with wide eyes "Definitely. There's no fucking way I got an 11"

"Well, sweetheart, you just did. Shut your trap and be happy, will ya? They must've liked your fierceness. They've got a show to put on. And yer definitely gonna be one of the most interesting birdies in there"

"Lovino, the boy who was on fire" Kiku whispers with excitement. I turn to him and see his eyes sparkle with mischief. He grins and pulls me in a hug, and I don't feel like resisting. "You've done great, Lovino-kun"

"I still think it's a fucking mistake" I say. He chuckles and squeezes my hand gently.

"I'm sure it's not. We're going to make 12 Sparkle. Just wait till you see your interview dress, Lovino-kun" he says, before his eyes widen in realization. I can see that he's about to correct himself, so I cut in quickly.

"A fucking what?" I swear Yao have just muttered 'I told him it'll be a bad idea' under his breath.

"An outfit, of course" that fucking bastard dares to lie to me with a straight face like that? What the hell!

"You fucking said 'a dress'! You wanted to put me in a dress?!" Antonio bursts out laughing and I glare at him. My cheeks heat up, and oh fuck them all.

"No, you must have misheard me, Lovino-kun. I said an outfit, clearly. I don't blame you for your misunderstanding, you've just gone through a massive shock. You've been expecting a horrible score, and yet you got a brilliant one, it's normal that you're in a state of confusion. At times like that humans tend to mix up words or hear different things" tomato bastard is practically crying from laughter. I gape at my stylist "It's okay, it is not an illness, it will pass soon"

"Are you fucking-"

"As I was saying, the outfit will be amazing" he cuts me off and smiles gently. I glare at him again, hoping that he'll get the message straight. If he makes me wear a dress, I'm going to murder him in his sleep with a spoon, because I don't really have any bows and arrows here.

"More flames?" I ask sarcastically.

"Of sorts, yes" he smiles, and it's a fucking mischievous and sadistic smile, fucking hell. I've always known these Capitol bastards were all insane, absolutely crazy.

Antonio comes up to me and congratulates, a half-smile on his face. I say my congratulations, too, and then we stand in an awkward silence. It's all confusing. At times he's all laughs and smiles, and then, at the most fucking awkward moments, he just stands there like a fool and fidgets on his feet like a hormonal girl that he is. I curse at my inability to be a proper human being who can interact with people. Seriously, back in Twelve, life was so not stressful. When you were making a deal, you just greeted people, made your offer, made a deal, eventually made a small talk about hunting or how fucked up Capitol is, and then you were off. With Gilbert, it usually came naturally. We'd just start talking about nothing, and we'd talk like that for hours during some days. With Matthew it was a nice, comfortable silence, or a small talk, that wasn't nearly as awkward as that. But then here's mister Antonio Fernández fucking Carriedo, one of the semi-popular guys at school, and he's fucking silent. I get that we're enemies, I don't like him either, and I couldn't care less about his score, but what the hell, Carlos is looking at us with pointed looks and it's annoying.

Eventually we don't say anything. At all. I quickly excuse myself and go back to my room. I don't bother to take off the clothes, I just throw myself on the bed and close my eyes. I let out a sigh of relief. I had no idea I was that tired. It must've been the stress, and anger, and awkwardness, and just my temporary life here. I've been unable to calm down ever since the shooting incident, but now that it's cleared up, and a weight's been lift up from my shoulders, my eyelids feel extremely heavy. I close my eyes. Eleven. I can't believe it. A small smile tugs in the corner of my lips. I think of Feli's face and wonder if he was happy and proud of me. I hope he was. With his smiling face in my mind, I slowly slip away and let the darkness overcome me.

I wake up at down. A good sleep really does help. I feel much better than yesterday. Maybe it's because it's Sunday, a day off at home. A day I'd usually spend together with Gilbert, in the woods. Every Sunday we'd meet up in the woods just barely before the sunrise, and then we'd hunt for as long as possible. The weekdays are usually very busy, so we try to stock up on food on Sundays. When we're done hunting, we go and trade our game in the Hob, and talk a little with that crazy Heracles as he hands us his newest mixture he calls a soup.

I watch the sun rise slowly on the horizon. Gil's laughing face pops up in my head. It's almost as if I can really see him standing in front of me right now. A fairly tall boy, with a mischievous smirk on his face and terribly cheerful crimson eyes. Small wrinkles are forming on his forehead, from years of frowning at the teachers and because of the effort. His cheeks are a healthy rosy color, clothes and hands a little dirty. There's a knife attached to his pants, and a bow thrown over the shoulder. I reach out my hand to grab his, but the illusion disappears, and suddenly, I'm alone in a big room in the Capitol, lying in bed hopelessly as the sun slowly wills away the night.

I wonder how he's doing. Is he in the woods already? Is he hunting? I bet he is. I wonder if he's doing okay, though. It's not like he can't hunt, because he can. Both of us are perfectly capable of getting food on our own. We can both fight, we can both defend ourselves, we know which plants to pick up. We're both hunters, and these need to be able to cope on their own. And I'm sure that that idiot's doing just fine. But we've always been better off as a team, especially when aiming for a bigger game. But not only that. Having a partner helped. With everything. Having that self-centered bastard next to me lightened up the mood, lifted weigh from my shoulders. I could talk to him about family, school, Capitol, everything, and I'd listen to him as well, even to all of his 'I'm awesome's.

I had been all on my own for about six months when I first met that albino bastard. Or rather, was accused by him for no fucking reason at all. I was like a child, that even though knew the basics, didn't really know its' way around. It was a chilly Sunday in October. I was picking up nuts and mushrooms, trying to be quicker than little animals, readying themselves for the winter. It was a tough competition, especially because these sneaky little things were faster than lightening and, the me back then, was about as fast as Feliciano's lazy, fat cat. Along my hunt, I was also harvesting all the eatable plants I found, the only meat being a very small squirrel that I've managed to kill only because it was too stupid. It literally came running at me out of fucking nowhere. But a small squirrel wouldn't sell for much, and wouldn't fill Feli's and mom's stomachs. I knew that whit winter's arrival, I'd have to forget about the herbs and nuts, because even then, in early October, they had all been dying. I remember that on that day I strayed further from home than ever before, and was hurrying back, when I came across a dead rabbit. It was hanging on its' neck right above my head, its' wide, lifeless eyes staring at me. About fifteen yards further was another one. I knew that technique. They are called twitch-up snares. My father used them a lot, because they were very profitable. When a prey was caught in one of these, it was yanked upwards and hung high in the air, to prevent other animals from stealing it away. I had been trying to learn them, as well as other snares, for the whole summer, but it was in vain. I was about as good with snares as I was with being nice, sweet and loveable. That's why, having seen a snare so well done so close to me, I wanted to examine it. I put down my belongings and came closer to the wire. My hands touched it delicately, trying to memorize the way it should be tightened, when an angry voice snapped from behind me.

"That's dangerous, kiddo"

I jumped back several feet, my head snapping quickly towards the direction his voice was coming from. Suddenly, a very real and tall boy materialized in front of me out of fucking nowhere. I realized that he must have been standing behind the trees the whole time, carefully watching my every move. I was fucking terrified, because even though he was only 14 back then, he was extremely tall. Well, taller than normal boys his age, and at least two heads taller than me. In my eyes, he was no different than an adult man. His face wasn't unfamiliar to me, it would be hard to forget someone with that eyes color. I'd seen him around the Seam and at school, and I'd often hear him a lot, too. He wasn't exactly the quietest person out there. But there was one more time when I've seen him. Back in January, I wasn't the only oldest child in the family, who was receiving a medal of valor in the Justice Building. His father was killed in the same explosion as mine. I remember standing next to his mother. Two small boys were clutching by her side. She had a swollen, round belly, a sign she was only days from giving birth to another child. A beautiful, little girl, as it turned out it the future.

"What's your name?" he asked, coming over and undoing the snare around rabbit's neck. His fingers moved fast, but I didn't have time to be impressed by that. What impressed me more were three identical rabbits hanging off his belt.

"Lovino" I said quietly, staring at anything but him. Somehow, he annoyed me.

"Well then, Domino. Didn't you hear that stealing is punishable by death?" he asked me with seriousness in his voice, glaring at me coldly. Strangely, it didn't make me flinch or anything. It just made me irritated. Plus the bastard mixed up my name.

"Lovino" I said louder, glaring right back. His pale eyebrow rose at that "And for your information, bastard, I wasn't stealing. I was trying to take a look at your snare, because for a bastard such as yourself, it's done very well. And mine never catch anything, so I thought I might learn something" he frowned at that.

"You could at least stop lying, brat"

"I'm not fucking lying" I growled.

"Oh yeah? Then where did you get the squirrel from? Did it fall from heaven?" he asked skeptically, his eyes bore into mine.

"I shot it, smartass" I pulled my bow from my shoulder, showing it to him. I was still using the smaller version, that my father has made for me, but I was practicing with the full-sized one whenever I found some time. The smaller one would never be as good as my father's, for it lacked in size and strength. I hoped that I would nail it till spring, and then try to get bigger games. Which, of course, would bring me better trade. Gilbert's eyes were focused on the bow. I could see amazement in them.

"Can I see that?" he asked, and his voice was so fucking hopelessly hopeful, that I handed it to him.

"Just remember that stealing is punishable by death, bastard" I said. He blinked and looked at me. At my emotionless face.

That was the first time I saw him smiling such a nice, warm smile. As it transformed into a toothy grin, I couldn't help but think how much it has changed him, from someone menacing and annoying, to someone you truly wish you knew. It took me six months to return that smile, though.

We talked about hunting then. He was so fascinated with my bow that I said I could get him one, if he really wanted to. But not for free. He had to trade. He argued almost right away, saying that he has no food to trade. But I didn't want food. I wanted him to trade techniques with me. To teach me snares, so that I could make some of my own and catch a lot of fat rabbits in one day. Agreeing took him ages, and when he finally did, he was very reluctant. As seasons went by, we grudgingly kept exchanging our knowledge. He taught me fishing and making snares, laughing every time I'd fuck up. In exchange, I told him everything about the plants which were eatable. I showed him where to get them, as well as some fruits and nuts. He showed me where rabbits and wild turkeys liked to spend their days. With every passing week, we became closer, and eventually I gave him one of my precious bows. He was excited like a little child, and run through the woods shooting arrows at random things, while laughing maniacally. It was the first day he got a smile from me, and the invisible wall between us fell apart. Soon after, we became a team. No words were exchanged about that, we just stopped being lone hunters. We became partners, dividing our goods in half. Meeting up in the woods and talking. Making sure that both our families had enough food.

Gilbert gave me a sense of security that I've lacked ever since my father's death. Being together with him, I feel like I've improved my hunting abilities. Not having to constantly turn around and make sure that nothing was going to eat me alive really helped. He had my back and I had his. When that fucking wolf was trying to throw itself at me, Gil threw a knife, which pierced its' head. It was a big prey, that one. But because I fucking hated being indebted, thankfully, something tried to kill him, too. It was a rather insane turkey, running around like crazy. It would practically run him over if I didn't shoot it in time. Hunting partners were great. But he became so much more to me. He became my support, someone whom I could confidante to. I could tell him everything I think about various things, and he didn't judge me. I told him my secrets, my insecurities. In exchange, he told me his. He could be very annoying at times, though. Sometimes, he'd randomly hug me, just to piss me off. When he really wanted me to chase him around, trying to shoot him dead, he'd kiss my cheek playfully when I was least expecting it. He was the very first person I could call a friend. Being in the woods together with him, no matter how fucking annoying he could get, made me really happy. Happier than I've ever been at home or school.

I call him a friend, but recently, it doesn't feel quite right anymore. It doesn't seem to express just what exactly that loud, albino bastard is to me. I know we're not really just friends, but I have no idea what to call us. A pang of longing shoots through my chest. I turn my head sideways, staring at the spot the imaginary Gilbert was standing at just a little while ago. I can't believe I miss him so fucking bad. If only he really was here together with me! But I don't want that. I would never want him to be in a place as fucked up as this one. A place where he'd have to go out to the area and, most definitely, be killed in just a few days. I just miss him. And it sucks, because he's just a bastard, and his ego would boost that much more if he heard about my longing. But I miss him, and I hate being so alone. Does he miss me, I wonder? He must.

An 11 from yesterday flashes in my mind and I know exactly what he would say to me.

"There's always a place for some improvement! You should learn from my awesomeness!" and then he'd give me a big, warm smile, that I'd return without hesitation.

I can't help comparing what I have with Gil, to what I'm pretending to have with tomato bastard. It's unfair, and I know it, because the latter one can never be on the same level as the first one. What I have with Gil is real. I've never, not even once, questioned his motives. Not even when I just thought about him as annoying prick. Not that I don't do it now, I do. But right now, he's an annoying prick, who is my best friend. I know that I could tell him everything, and he'd never betray me. But Antonio? All I can do is doubt him. Will he slip me poison in the drink, will he slit my throat when no one is looking? I can't help but have those thoughts whenever I look at his face. But then again, our situations are too different. Gil and I are both from Seam. We were thrown together by mutual desire to survive. But tomato bastard is from the richer part, he had never experienced my life, and in our case, one's survival means the other's death. How do you overlook that?

Feliks is knocking at the door, reminding me in his loud, booming voice, that today is another 'like, totally big, big, big day!". I roll my eyes and get up. Carlos is going to tell us today how we should act during the interview, which will be televised tomorrow. I bet Kiku and the rest of the stylists are having their hands full with preparations.

I head to the bathroom and undress. I walk into the shower and carefully hit a few buttons, making sure to avoid the 'tomato scented' one. Wouldn't want a creepy tomato bastard sniffing me again. I shudder at the memory. I quickly dry myself and put on some clothes. As I reach the dining room, I notice Feliks, Carlos and Antonio hurled up together around the table, talking in hushed voices. I raise my brow, but brush it off. Just another weird thing they're doing, I think, and load my plate with delicious food. There's a stew made of soft lamb chunks and dried plums, laid on a bed of rice. I devour about half of my breakfast, when I realize that no one's talking. I swallow quickly and look at the drinking bastard.

"What's wrong? You're coaching us on the interviews today, aren't you?" I ask, swallowing another forkful of my stew.

"That's correct, spunky brat" he nods, taking a sip of wine. Seriously, why the fuck is he drinking that early?

"So talk. It's not like eating will prevent me from hearing" I say. I notice the pink bastard exchange glances with my stupid mentor. Suspicious.

"Well, kid, there's been a change of plans. About our current approach" Carlos says, staring at me calmly. Fucking creepy, in my opinion.

"What approach? What change?" I can't fucking remember our current approach. Do we really have one? Is it acting like friends in front of other tributes? Because that's literally the only thing that comes to my mind. I don't remember any other possible strategies.

Carlos shrugs, placing his glass down. "Antonio has asked to be coached separately from you from now on. So I'll be doing just that"

A/N: Yay. An update is done. Whee. Fireworks. Yay.

No okay, joking apart, I'm sorry for the last time, and to make it up, you'll be getting a new chapter this weekend/Monday/Tuesday evening. I sweeear!

Btw. did you enjoy all the Prumano? Because I sure as hell did. Don't worry, there will be plenty of Spamano in future chapters ;P.

So, it's our first time meeting in the New Year's. I hope you'll all have a wonderful year, full of happiness, love, fanfiction, that we'll all actually get some studying done and that we'll stay awesome under Prussia's kind eyes watching over us.

Before I start explaining why I was not updating, just a shout out, okay? I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT LOVINO IS SUPPOSED TO WEAR! A DRESS IS KIND OF RIDICULOUS! SO ANY IDEAS WOULD BE HELPFUL! I WOULD LOVE YOU FOREVER!

Okay, so the reasons why I haven't updated is mostly me being lazy, but also, for a very big part of it, school. It's the end of the term soon, and I'm dying, but it's all done, I feel rainbow grow in my heart when I think that there's only half a year left and it's fucking summer vacations. Seriously. I can't wait. If only we could delete April though. Like, I have exams. High School entrance exams, or something like that D"x. It's going to suck.

Right, so laziness and school, that's two. The third one, I'm actually living in the summer of 2014 already, because my brother proposed to his girlfriend and that's when they're getting married, so yes. I'm all sparkles and happiness, because she's awesome, and my brother is a twat, but he still did something romantic and OMG *dies*.

And the nearly-last thing, I got hooked on LOTR. Like, you have NO idea. I've watched it twice, ALL THREE MOVIES, in a week. Yes, it's fucking possible, I did that. And I LOVE it. I'm going to watch it soon again, and I just really need the second part of Hobbit already, because I'm slowly dying.

And finally, the last thing. This Christmas crushed my soul. Like, does anyone watch Merlin on BBC? Yeah, well. I hope you had as Merry fucking Christmas as I did. Thanks, BBC. Seriously. Thanks.

Okay, I've done a lot of ranting. Sorry for that, and for the delay. You're all very precious, and I love you the most *hugs*. I hope you're all alright! Take care~!