Cato and Clove: Scared

Love and sacrifice

Sorry in advance for the short chapter but I have been VERY busy, and I'm VERY tired so I can only write a short chapter today. I will try to write a longer one another day but I can't promise as my life is VERY unpredictable.

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Clove's P:O:V

 I can't stay sat on these stairs forever, but I do not want to leave yet.

I haven't done what I came here to do, but only because the person I am waiting for has not arrived.

So I can't leave.

I am still sat on the steps that I was sat on before, but I have moved over to the side, as people are starting to enter the building and I did not want to get in the way. The steps belong to one of the main stonecutting buildings in the whole of district 2, and a lot of workers are going in to start their shifts.

Houses don't build themselves, after all.

Cato and I meet here every Saturday morning, because it is a very easy place to find. Normally, if he was late, I would just walk over to his house, or another place that he might be likely to go, but not today.

I can't take the risk of missing him.

I need to talk to him.

Desperately.

My eyes skim through the air, as I search through the crowd, watching, waiting, for Cato's arrival.

I am about to go, despite my worries about missing him, when I spot him, weaving his way through the river of people.

Good thing I waited.

"Took you long enough," I say with mock exasperation. "It's not like you're used to coming here every week!" Cato laughs, filling the air with the sweet, airy sound that always makes me smile. When we had first met, I wouldn't have dreamed that he was capable of making such a carefree sound. I wouldn't have even thought that he could be happy at all, unless he was either being mean to someone, or murdering them, but I was wrong.

I was so very wrong.

"Maybe you can let me off just this once?" He suggests, a playful glint dancing in his eyes. "I won't do it again, I promise."

"You say that every time you're late, but you do it again all the same. You probably owe me hours of time." I point out, though I am suppressing a laugh myself.

"Will this make it up to you?" He asks, and leaning forward, kisses me gently on the lips.

"Just about." I say, though it more than makes up for the time that I've lost, as this is why I come.

He gives me another kiss, this time on my cheek. "For compensation." He says, making the grin on my face even wider.

Suddenly, I remember why I was even here in the first place, at least today. I can't believe I let myself get distracted.

"Do you know a private spot where we can talk? I need to speak to you in private." I ask him, hoping that he does.

The rest of the district would not like what I have to say to him.

He looks at me, trying to analyse my thoughts, then says "Yes, I do. Follow me."

He leads me through a maze of cobbled streets, and a mixture of different material buildings, until we reach a secluded alleyway. After looking over his shoulder to make sure nobody is around, he asks, "what's on your mind Clove? You aren't usually this tense." He must have read the tone in my voice when I asked him to speak in private, as I had been anything but tense before.

"We're 18 now. We're at the age where, if we are strong enough, we are expected to volunteer for the Hunger Games, and you're the strongest teenager in the whole of the district. You'll be expected to, not just volunteer, but be eager to. I have no doubt that you would win, but you never know what could happen. I don't want to lose you." Tears well up in my eyes, as Cato says,

"You won't lose me. I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay right here in district 2."

I am glad that he doesn't want to volunteer, but things don't always work out, and sometimes the pressure will get to you.

"Cato, you know how the system works. They train us up, and the strongest volunteer for the Games. If you refuse, the whole district will hate you."

I try to speak evenly, but my fear of losing him is so strong, I can't put it into words. I know if I loose him, I'll never be happy again.

Cato looks me in the eyes the whole time I'm speaking and when I'm finished, he takes both my hands in his and I feel a shiver of electricity run through my veins. Then he speaks.

" I don't care if the district hates me. I don't even care if the whole of Panem hates me. As long as I'm here with you, as long as you love me, I'll never not be happy."