Forbearance • A Cato Hadley Story

2.05

Two minutes. Two minutes until the two teens would be on national television for the first time in weeks. Life had been, until President Snow had to come in and ruin it, surprisingly relaxing seeing as the pair had just returned from the Hunger Games. The blonde could hear the blue haired man's voice outside on the other side of the door as Effie and Augusta listened closely for the girl's cue to head outside in the cold for her interview with Cato. As Annette fixed Livia's hair Effie called out from her spot at the door, gesturing back at the girl. "Oh, it's time!" she called.

Livia looked down at her outfit, making sure everything looked correct as everyone shuffled around her. She wore a white long sleeved shirt with dark blue jeans, a pair of tan winter boots and a tan winter jacket with a grey scarf. The teen stepped toward the door and took a deep breath as Augusta muttered a few words of 'encouragement' to her. "You're excited, you're in love." she whispered, turning the door knob as the girl readied herself.

The blonde rolled her eyes and looked at the woman annoyed. "You say that like it isn't true." she said in a sing-song voice for what seemed like the thousandth time since the games. But the older woman simply ignored her and continued on. "Big smiles for the camera in three...two...one." she finished, opening Livia's front door, allowing the teen, herself, Annette and Effie to move to the steps right outside the door.

The younger girl wore a big yet believable smile on her face as she walked down the steps, going for the center of the walkway of Victors Village. "There she is! Livia Perez, the Golden Girl!" she heard Caesar's voice yell out from a speaker within the camera. The blonde smiled and waved at the camera as it followed her moving figure. Her gaze quickly switched to Enobaria's house across the way where Cato walked through the door.

The moment they laid eyes one each other their smiles grew and the boy quickly walked over to the girl waiting for him in the middle of the walkway. "And there he is... Cato Hadley!" the man called from the speaker as the pair hugged, the girl wrapping her arms around his torso, his around her shoulders. After a moment the pair didn't let go of each other, but let their arms hang loosely around each other to where Cato's arms moved to Livia's waist.

The teens looked at each other for a few seconds before the girl stood tall and the boy leaned down and let their lips meet in the middle. They could hear the audience cheer through the speaker as they lingered, the warmth of each other's lips warming their entire bodies. "Um...uh-hum. Anyone at home? Should we come back later?" the blue haired man half joked to the two who wouldn't separate from one another. Although their feelings were strong, Livia knew she had to play up her actions for her family's safety and let the kiss continue a moment longer before she pulled away.

Both teens smiled and laughed awkwardly, Cato pulling his girlfriend by the waist so she stood closer to him. She let her right hand stay around his mid drift and rested her left hand on the boy's abdomen, smiling at the camera. "Sorry, Caesar." Livia apologized, her voice breathy. Cato laughed beside her and looked into the camera as they waited for a response. "No, please. It's alright. It's your day. How's it going?" the man asked the couple. Both the boy and girl were quiet for a moment, unsure of how to answer the man's question.

"We're uh... we're good." Cato answered, leaving silence behind it. Suddenly the camera inched closer to the pair, taking Livia by surprise. Cato kept a hold on the small of her back, holding her from moving backwards as the camera moved closer. "That's it? That's all we have? "We're good." So tactful all of a sudden. Cato, give me some details." the blue haired man demanded, loud cheers coming from the crowd, confirming their desire for the boy to continue.

Cato hesitated for a moment, thinking his answer through clearly, although he still wasn't completely sure of what to say. "Things are uh... things are great here in Two." he answered before taking in a deep breath of the cold winter air. Livia nodded with a smile looking straight into the camera. "Thanks to the Capitol we've never been closer." she continued for the boy, signaling for him to piggyback off of her comment.

Thankfully he thought on his feet and smiled to himself before speaking up. "Twenty-five yards, to be exact." he joked, causing Livia and himself to snicker. Laughter from the audience could be heard echoing at his words before Caesar finished up the interview. "Fantastic! We'll be checking on both of you throughout the victory tour. Thank you so much Livia Perez and Cato Hadley." he finished off just before Panem's national anthem started playing.

The pair kept their smiles going as they waved goodbye to the camera which slowly backed away from them, as they waited for the music to shut off. After a few moments the music stopped and the teens dropped their hands with deep sighs, letting out their warm breath. "Wonderful! Everybody in motion we are out of here in ten!" Effie yelled out with a clap of her hands, turning to go back into Livia's house.

The girl looked at her boyfriend and smiled up at him sweetly. "I'll see you in ten." she said softly, pecking him on his lips quickly before turning around and entering her home to pack her last few items. When the ten minutes were up all of the blonde's things were stacked by the front door, waiting to be taken to the train. Her father and sister stood by the front door waiting to say their goodbye's.

Livia quickly wrapped her arms around her father, hugging him tightly as she wouldn't see him for a few weeks. "I love you, Liv. Your mother would be so proud." he whispered, letting go of his eldest daughter as he rubbed her upper left arm comfortingly. "I love you too, Papa." she replied, placing a soft kiss goodbye on his cheek. She then turned her attention to her sister who stood on the right of her father.

As the girls looked at each other the air became tense and neither moved a muscle. Livia thought for a moment she wouldn't get to say goodbye to her sister but was quickly proved wrong when the small girl tackled her in a tight hug. "I love you, Livie." the younger Perez sister said softly. The blonde smiled to herself and used her left arm to hold the back of her sister's head, her right around her shoulders as she kissed the top of the girl's head as one final goodbye. "I love you too, Chlo."