Everybody has someone waiting
The sounds of tired footsteps and the occasional moan could be heard from just behind the mound where we lay on our backs, looking up at the darkening sky. It was the lower branch of the mineworkers making their way home in the twilight.
Those workers were the ones who had the longest hours and the highest number of mouths to feed. When I looked at their sweaty and worn out faces I felt thankful that my father wasn't one of them. But the feeling only lasted for å moment when the thoughts of what he had to do instead came rushing to me. A peacemaker. A mere foot solider doing the Capitols dirty work in districts they wouldn't even set their precious little feet in. And when I say little I mean that literally. According to my father it's very in to have small feet in the Capitol this year. I snort loudly at the idea of wearing shoes that are three times to small just so that other stuck up women can compliment the size of your feet!
"What's wrong baby? Not thinking about tomorrow are you?" A soft voice asks med quietly form my left. I look to the person whom the voice belongs to two incredible blue eyes stare back at me. I turn around to my stomach and he starts to stroke my back with a warm hand. "Well I wasn't until now", I say playfully back. But my whole body tenses and I try very hard to make it loosen up. But the horrible feeling inside won't go away, and now it will probably stay there until I have him save in my arms again. He sits up and gestures for me to do the same, and as I do he pulls me into a warm and safe embrace. "I've been training for this for as long as I can remember. This is my chance to escape the dull work in the mines, to never have to lift a sword again if I choose to. And then I'll move into on of those big mansions and we'll get married and maybe, when the times comes we'll get a dog". The last part makes us both laugh, mostly because of the mock serious tone he said it in. But also because it would be kind of nice. "Yeah, cause' you know Cato I'm not really ready to get a dog just yet. There's just so much I want to do first, you know?" I say in a dead serious voice. "I understand", he whisper's into my ear like he's really sad about it. I shriek as he blows into my neck and starts tickling me. "Stop it! Its not funny" I gasp between the laughs as I try to hold his hands away from any area that will send me into fit of laughter. But he's got the upper hand and soon he nearly sits on top of me holding my hands tightly with one hand and tickling me with the other. I fought him back with all the strength my petite body could measure. "I give up, okay? Now stop it Cato!" He stops with the tickling but he's still holding my down. "Are you sure? Because I can go on for days! Any time Erica, and you'll know I'll beat you". He smiles down at me with a handsome crooked grin of his that my little brother always tries to copy. "Oh you think so? I think I know one thing that will make you always come out losing", I say mischievously and his head bends down to meet mine. He lets go of my hands and runs his fingers through my long dark hair. As his lips meet mine I feel that same spark deep inside my stomach that I feel every time he looks at me. As our kissed become longer and more passionate he quickly remove he shirt and starts unbuttoning my blouse. "I love you", I murmur into his ear as he stars kissing my neck. "I love you to", he answers back like it was the most normal thing in the world. To love me.
"And soon, I might never see you again", my voice cracks as I say the words and Cato pulls his head up from my shoulder to look at me. "Can you stop doing that? It's like you have no faith in me! You've seen me Erica! You know how good I am! I will kill them all then come back to you! I'm better then all of them and I thought you knew that". He angrily takes his shirt on and starts to get up when he sees the tears in my eyes. "I'm sorry.." I began but he interrupted me with a soft kiss. " No, I'm sorry. It's just that I'm sick of people looking at me like I'm about to die. They all know I'm volunteering tomorrow, do they really think I would do that if I thought I would just walk to certain death? I'm not an idiot and I have no problem getting over what's going happen in the arena. It's either you or them, and I have this beautiful girl with eyes that I could just get lost in who's waiting for me back home. And I know if I die in there she's going to kill me". A sound half way between a sob and a laugh escapes my throat. "Okay that last one was good, I might tell it Caesar. We would just become the best of friends right away".
I can't help but laugh at this, yes my darling boy had all the confidence in the world."Come here you overconfident bloke!" I say and he leans down to me and we start up where we left. Completely lost in each other's warmth and comfort.