A Game Of Justice ✭ Cato Hadley

Nineteen - Guard Dog Privileges

𝘞𝘈𝘙𝘕𝘐𝘕𝘎!

This chapter contains smut which I'm going to mark with *** and a page break in case you don't want to read it. It's at the end of the chapter but I'll do it anyway. Please only read that if you're over 18. You're responsible for your own media consumption.

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"Can you fucking believe them!" Clio shouts, anger bubbling in her words at the treatment Katniss is receiving following her return from District Two with a gunshot injury - if you can even call it that. The anger comes from the fact that the mockingjay was shot whilst wearing a bulletproof vest and so has some major bruising at most, and yet the medical team in District Thirteen are running around like headless chickens and acting as if the girl requires organ transplants or life saving blood transfusions. And although Clio is somewhat warming up to the girl after being stuck underground with her for the past two months, the attention she receives annoys her and the idea that someone in District Two attacked her frustrates her because firstly, it wasn't her and secondly, if she was to die then all of this useless rebellion shit would have been for nothing. She looks at Luna in front of her and mocks the medics, "do you think she needs new organs? Because who are they going to sacrifice for that? Probably me since they all hate me here."

Luna lets out a laugh at the girl's words but her eyes leave Clio's and focus on the doorframe as the shorter brunette continues her rant, consumed by her anger. "Of course it would be me, wouldn't it? That's the only reason that the higher ups haven't killed me yet, because if their mockingjay needs a new kidney they'd cut it out of me in my sleep and make her body accept it somehow, I wouldn't even get a chance to protest."

"Hey Clio, can you–"

"Don't interrupt me whilst I'm ranting. Please Luna, unless you want me to take my anger out on you?" Clio asks her sarcastically, raising a brow.

"No, I'm serious Cli–"

She cuts Luna off again. "It's not fair! She doesn't even do anything and they treat her like someone they should worship, how is this–"

Luna cuts Clio off this time by grabbing the girl's shoulders and physically turning her around to divert her attention, sighing. "I know you're deprived but so am I, so either you kiss your boyfriend or I'll do it for you!"

What the fuck? She thinks before her head turns away from Luna, confused, and a shocked, breathless gasp leaves her mouth. "Cato," she breathes out with a sob, as tears of happiness well in her eyes.

He smiles at her - a relieved smile - and she doesn't waste another second, her legs practically carrying her to him on their own accord in a sprint. Launching herself at him, she jumps into his open arms and wraps her legs around his waist whilst her arms clutch at his neck, hugging him so tightly as if she is afraid he'll disappear. Cato hugs her back just as tight, letting her tears wet the fabric of his top and her gentle sobs be muffled by his neck.

"Oh my god– I– I thought you were dead– they told me you were dead." Clio tells him through her tears as she rests her forehead on his and feels one of his hands holding her against him while the other finds her hair and strokes it gently.

"I'm so sorry." His voice cracks as he replies, and Clio can hear the pain within it. "I'm so so sorry, I thought you were dead, they told me you died when the arena was blown out."

"I thought the cannon was you. I thought you were gone, that I'd never see you again. What happened to you? What did they do to you?" Clio's voice holds so much confusion and loss as panic starts to wash over her, because after seeing the state Johanna and Peeta returned in, her mind begins to race with a variety of different scenarios; ranging from torture to murder. She removes a hand from around his neck as she traces a finger over his jawline and cheekbones to make sure he was real, to reassure herself that he wasn't going to vanish; that her mind wasn't playing cruel tricks on her.