Hold your Breath // Lazarus x Lightning {blitz}

L A Z A R U S ;

Siblings- 

The word sits on the edge of his mind, pushed deep into the shadows that pool in the corners of his life, forgotten memories submerged and lost, drowned, their last breaths bubbling to the surface in his nightmares, only in his nightmares. Hopeless, desperate, Lazarus and Scarlett Stroms are the sibling duo that cannot live without one another, tying their heartstrings together before leaping with faith from the bridge. They plummet.

But Scarlett Stroms does not run in his blood, she runs under his skin, spewing venom that leaks from his pores, from his being. Hopeless, desperate, late at night they meet under the cover of the moon, looking at one another with fire in their eyes and laughing. They have the Capitol fooled, in the way they intertwine fingertips as if it does not burn to the touch, the way they throw their lives on the line, praying the other dies first just so they can watch. 

He had a sibling once, he thinks.

No, he knows. That is why he came here, after all. 

But the buildings become a maze as he prowls through them, dodging men in white and jiggling door handles. Caught in the moment and desperate for an escape, the ghost of his mother's training slithers down his spine, carving into his soul. He sighs, reshaping his plan in his mind. He'd need outside help, someone with knowledge. He turns on heels that have shattered under the pressures he's faced, fingers curling as if he carries a knife with him. It's an instinct, of course. Glass windows line the walls next to him as he walks, scent of chlorine stinging his nostrils. 

Stop- his attention turns towards the pool.

Siblings- him and Scarlett weren't the only ones. 

He is silent like a snake in between blades of grass, letting the steam from the pool soak underneath his skin. Wordless, silent, he stares as the boys shadow hits the wall. The surface breaks and the boy looks up at him, surprise melting in his eyes. He can see it, the way his nerves break as he stands there, the way he warily exits the pool. Lazarus basks in it, only letting it break when the boy speaks. Toxins pool on the edge of his tongue, but he presses them behind teeth, smile wide and any form of maliciousness slipping from his face. He is a boy from Ten, no more, no less. He wishes. 

"Yeah..." he replies, looking out into the pool, letting the smile drop from his face as if he cares. "Just couldn't live without each other, right? You know." 

He squats down, running his fingertips along the surface of the water. It reminds him of the warmth of blood, scrubbed from underneath fingernails. 

"Must be beautiful living next to the ocean, huh?"