Promises of a Sacrificial Lamb |Destiel x The Hunger Games|

-16-

A grim silence awaits us in the dim apartment.  It weighs down on my shoulders, makes my heart ache inside my chest, and the pain only worsens when Rowena turns around to face us and I see a steady stream of tears flowing down her cheeks.

She and Bobby will not be around tomorrow morning when we're roused for the Games.  This is the time for our final goodbyes.

I never thought I'd be so distraught thinking about the possibility of never seeing Rowena again.  But here I am, chest burning, throat tightening up, as she pulls Cas and me into a trembling embrace and chokes on a sob.  She cradles my head, gently strokes Cas' hair.  The soft floral perfume she's wearing reminds me of my mother, how she hugged me so desperately before I was taken away to the Capitol.

How much I miss her and the comfort of my home.

When Rowena lets us go, she tries her hardest to put on a smile, but the torment shining in her gaze is as clear as day.  "You two boys were some of the best tributes I've ever had the pleasure of working with,"  she tells us, her voice wavering with every word she speaks.  "I'm, I'm so sorry this happened to you.  You both deserved so much more."

Another sob slips past her lips.  Another surge of tears spills from her eyes.  I don't know what to say.  Is there even a right thing to say in a moment like this?

Cas reaches out and takes her hand.  He doesn't say anything, just squeezes her palm, and I find myself doing the same with her other hand.  I suppose actions speak louder than words sometimes.

Rowena's smile grows.  She sniffles, draws an unsteady breath.  "Good luck,"  she murmurs, giving our hands a delicate squeeze in return.  "I have faith in you two.  You are capable of doing this."

And with that, she releases her grasp on us and turns on her heels, disappearing down the silent corridor.  I can still hear her muffled sobs echoing through the cold air.

It's difficult for me to calm the tension in my body as Bobby steps in front of us next.  Like always, his expression is near-indecipherable, but something about the glimmer in his eyes makes me believe he's just as torn about our upsetting farewell as we are.

"Any last pieces of advice?"  I ask him.  I don't sound like myself anymore.

"Don't go for the Cornucopia,"  our mentor says.  "It'll just be a bloodbath.  It's not worth it.  Stick together, run far away from that thing, and find water and high ground.  You'll have a better chance of survival if you stay together at all times, you hear me?  And you're both very capable of surviving this.  What you did in training proves that much.  Just stay alert, and stay alive."

There's not much else to say.  With those final words of guidance, our time as a team is slowly ticking away.  Rowena is already gone, and I miss her enthusiasm and floral perfume that reminded me so much of my mother.  Bobby, with a firm nod of his head, shakes both of our hands and wishes us luck, and says he'll see us soon.  Then, he lets go of a tentative sigh and leaves Cas and me alone in the room that only grows more solemn and desolate by the second.

Our team is no more.  It's just the two of us now, and I never imagined I'd be so devastated about the disbandment of something I always tried so hard to despise.

The sudden silence rings in my ears, fuels the unsettled fire burning in the pit of my stomach.  I spare a glance at Cas, and my movement makes his head turn, too.  For the first time since I left for my interview, we lock eyes.

He looks exhausted.  He falters, his gaze falling to my chest for the briefest of moments, before he takes a deep breath.  "I'm gonna go get cleaned up,"  he says softly, "and then maybe we can figure out a plan for tomorrow."