Star Crossed Lovers ; by ForEverdeen88
. . . . . The birds were chirping high up in the trees, the wind whistling through the air and picking at the District 2 tribute girl's brunette hair. A knife fidgeting between her shaky blood stained fingers, young career Clove stared off over the shimmering arena lake, her knees hugged tightly to her chest as her mind swarmed with thoughts about the outcome of the days to come toward her. With only six tributes left in the arena, and her unstoppable career team down to only two surviving members, she was beginning to become afraid of death for the first time in her life. Her stomach was empty due to their lack of food, and she found herself feeling nauseous often because of it.
Cato, a blonde haired boy from the same district sat close beside her, a sword laying by his leg that was covered in rich and dry crimson blood. The two of them didn't have a word to say to one another, though both were aching to escape the prison of their own minds. Truthfully, the two of them were in love, although they were far too afraid to do anything about it; after all, there could only be one winner of the Hunger Games. That was the most painful part about it.
The people in the Capitol were on the edge of their seats for Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the adorable couple brought in from District 12. They were so charming, both so different. Peeta so sweet and witty, Katniss so mysterious and brave; they were undeniably the favorites of viewers all over Panem. It made Clove angry, really, thinking about the fact that the whole nation was cheering on one love story, while the other love story in the picture was being torn apart at the seams. Surely the people had to see it in their eyes every time they looked at each other... Surely, someone had to be rooting for them instead.
. . . . . The daylight was dawning above their heads, and nighttime was filling the forest around them. Crickets were chirping, birds were quieting down for their hours of rest, fireflies were floating amongst the grass by the lake. Clove looked up into the sky in time to see the last light of day, the whole world around them dancing with orange and purple, before being swept over with dark blue like a coat of paint. It was hard to believe that such a beautiful sky could be a part of something so sick, so disgusting; something so wrong like the Hunger Games.
"I can't believe we've wasted our entire lives being excited for this." Clove whispered through the dim light, closing her eyes and breathing in a long breath. "Nobody should ever be excited for this... How naive I was to believe that it would bring me some kind of pride I've never had before." Cato turned his head to look at her, his eyes saddened by her words, because he knew exactly what she was feeling. He felt it too. "I thought people would be there to watch me, and to root for me..." Her eyes still closed, her breath was beginning to snag in her throat, and she knew tears weren't very far behind. "but we're just the enemies of the people everyone wants to win."
"Don't say that, Clove." Cato hushed her, leaning forward so he could see her face that was turned downwards towards the ground. Her hair was blowing in the breeze against her cheeks, and a tear was running down her pale skin. "I'm sure just as many people are rooting for us as they are for them."
"You don't need to lie in order to make me feel better, I think we both know the truth." Her eyes wander up to meet his, and they stare at each other in silence before moving their gazes elsewhere once again. Clove wanted nothing more than to just let herself be in love, even for just a minute... but she knew that she would never be able to get back up again if she let herself slip. It was painful to think about it, showing affection to him, when she knew that they were going to lose one another no matter what they did. She felt utterly helpless against the games at that point in time. She felt so helpless, that at times, she even felt numb with frustration.
"You don't need to pretend, Clove." He said, his voice gentle.
"Pretend about what?" She refused to take her eyes off the lake, that was dancing in the fresh moonlight.
"About not feeling anything for me."
"Who says I feel anything for you?" Her eyes were suddenly glaring daggers into his, and he looked wounded by the words. Deep down inside, she had wished she didn't have to say that. It felt like a kick in the gut to see his reaction, but she kept a straight face on. It was all part of her plan so that she wouldn't have to cry when he died. Mostly denial, partially antagonism. She didn't have enough strength left, so if he were to die, she needed to save it. She didn't have enough energy to snap, because she would surely die if she did. She was determined that she'd be going to go home to her family, and by extension, not him.
. . . . . The night dragged on for what seemed like an eternity to Clove, as she laid awake, staring up into the starry sky. The dimly lit fire by her feet, and a sleeping ally by her side. She had no idea what was in store for the next day, and for all she knew, she could have been dead within the upcoming twenty four hours. The sky lit up in an anthem, showing only a single face from District 7 before quieting down again. The fact that there were only six tributes left was what scared Clove the most. She didn't sleep a wink, only because she didn't want to have to wake Cato. He seemed to peaceful while he slept, so at ease, as if he was vacationing from the cruel world around him. She loved to listen to his soft breath throughout the night, mixed in with the chirping of the crickets and the soft breeze overheard. Truth be told, she loved him... it was just too impossible.
. . . . . Clove hadn't realized she fell asleep until she was awoken by a loud voice echoing through the anthem speakers. At first, she thought it had been Cato talking to her, but he looked just as frightened as she did. "Attention tributes, attention." They recognized the voice to be owned by Caesar Flickerman's companion, Cladius Templesmith. Clove could almost picture his frighteningly pale face saying the words. "The previous rule regarding that only one victor may be crowned, has been... revoked." Cato and Clove gave each other a look as they listened, both finding it hard to understand what he meant by it. "Two victors may now be crowned, if both originate from the same district. This will be the only announcement."
Both their faces looked utterly shocked for a long while, as they tried to truly register what he had said. Two victors, from the same district? Clove was certain she was dreaming. "Did he-" She stopped, her words catching in her throat like a mousetrap. A smile was growing on her face, tears pooling in her widened eyes.
"We-" Cato gasped, swallowing back the confusion. "-we can go home... together." They stared at each other in awe for a moment longer, before pouncing into each other's arms. They both muttered with their joy, Clove crying with all the happiness she could possibly muster in that moment.
"Oh, Cato." She cried, letting sobs wrack her body as she stared into his eyes with the biggest smile she had ever had on her face. "Oh, Cato!" She repeated, cupping his face in her hands as she sat there in his lap. "I love you." She choked out, taking in another sharp breath and collapsing into his arms.
"I love you too," Cato cried, burying his face in her silky brown hair. He kissed her on the head more times than he had kissed anyone in his whole life, squeezing her into his chest and rocking her gently. He couldn't believe what was happening, and he knew in that moment that he would spend the rest of his life with Clove. They were going to win. They were going to go home. Perhaps the Capitol was rooting for them after all.
. . . . . Hours past, Cato and Clove spending the entire time sitting on the ridge of the Cornucopia. They were wrapped in each other's arms, laughing with each other and having fun as a couple, despite their location. The games didn't seem to matter to them much, but they knew when the time came, they'd have to fight for their lives in order to go home. Clove somewhat regret coming clean like she had, since there was still a chance that her Cato would die; but she kept pushing away the thought, because she refused for it to happen. It couldn't possibly happen, not then.
It wasn't until another announcement came through the speakers before sundown, that they both began to think about the games again. "Attention, tributes. There will be a feast tomorrow, at the Cornucopia at dawn. Each of you needs something, desperately, and we plan on being... generous, hosts. Good luck."
"It's probably just food." Cato sighs, but Clove had looked excited about it.
"What do you mean, it's just food?" She asks, raising her eyebrows. "We need it, don't we?"
"I'm sure we can find something somewhere else. Other than trying to kill tributes, there's really no point in being here at dawn."
"Well that seems like a good enough point to me; and by extension, we'll get food." Clove suggested, pulling a knife from her belt and playing with it between her fingers like she had the night before.
"It's not worth it. Not to me, at least." Cato takes one of her hands away from her knife, squeezing it. "We need to be careful, if we're planning on both staying alive."
"If we go together, neither of us will die." She replies, squeezing his hand back. "Come on, it'll be fun."
"Fun?" He murmured back, scoffing a bit at the thought. "Killing people is fun to you?"
"No, but it is to you?" She asked, a bit confused. "What happened to reckless Cato?" She teased, laughing a bit.
"He's gone. I can't be reckless anymore, not when I need to protect you."
"Have you seen me with a knife?" This all seemed playful to her. "I can protect myself."
"Oh, can you now?" Cato narrowed his eyes. "Why don't you go by yourself, then?"
"What?" Clove suddenly looked a bit surprised. What she had seen as a playful debate had just became a bitter argument; perhaps not a bad one, but Cato was still mad.
"Exactly." He looked down at their hands, just before Clove pulled her's away.
"Why don't you want to do it? We need it, plus we can narrow people down faster."
"But it isn't safe, Clove. Can't you see that?"
"Alright, fine. I'll just go by myself." She stood, hopping down from the ridge of the Cornucopia.
"Clove, come on." Cato growled, hopping down after her. "You can't actually be serious."
"Do I look like I'm kidding?"
"Stop, we should at least talk about this."
"We just did." Clove chuckled, turning back towards him. "I'm hungry." She said sternly. "So if you aren't going to come with me to the feast, then I'll just go by myself. The other tributes are probably too scared to anyway."
"Please, just don't go." Cato begged.
"I'm gonna go sleep in the trees at the edge of the forest, so I can wait until people start showing up tomorrow." She announced, grabbing her things without looking back at him. "If you want to die, then go ahead and stay here. I suggest you come with me though." She hoisted her bag up onto her back, glancing back at him as he looks at her with concern flooding his eyes.
"I'll come." He murmured, but he knew he wasn't going to let her go to that feast.
"Good."
. . . . . They both settled down in a tree that night, to the left side of the Cornucopia. Cato hadn't been very good at climbing trees, so Clove selected one with a lot of branches that he could hoist himself up onto. They were hidden within the foliage from the ground below, though they had a perfect view of the Cornucopia. They both agreed to sleep, but Cato laid awake all night long. He couldn't stop worrying about her, hoping he'd have the strength to keep her from going when dawn came. Then he decided in the darkness of that night, that he would go with her if he had to.
. . . . . The morning rolled around quickly, and Clove woke up at the first peak of the sun over the mountain. She looked over to see that Cato had fallen asleep on his branch, and she suddenly knew that if she wasn't quiet, he was going to keep her from going. She saw the mouth of the Cornucopia, decorated with a table and four bags, each marked for different districts. She wouldn't mind getting away with all of them if she could, and there were no tributes around to be seen. Perhaps it would be easier than she thought.
After collecting her knives, Clove began slipping down the tree as quietly as she possibly could. As soon as she made it to the forest floor, she began walking around the Cornucopia, still hiding within the tree line. That's when she saw her, an orange haired girl from District 5. She ran from inside of the Cornucopia, snatching the District 5 bag and running off before Clove could even get her knife out. There was no point in going after her now, because she wouldnt be fast enough to catch up with her. The was getting ready to go, when she suddenly saw another tribute break through the trees. It took her a bit to recognize her, but then saw the bow in her hand, and the braid flying in the wind behind her back. It was Katniss Everdeen.
. . . . . Clove began creeping up the side of the Cornucopia, just as Katniss got a hold of the District 12 bag. She was running for the trees, but unfortunately for her, took an unintelligent turn around the left side of the silver dome. They made eye contact for a split second before Clove was running for her, a knife clutched tight in her fist. Katniss began backing up, grabbing an arrow from her quiver and barely missing Clove's head with her shot. The impact brought a loud yelp out of the both of them, and soon they were tumbling through the grass, trying to get dominance over the other. The bow had been flung to one side, leaving Katniss defenseless besides her bare hands. Clove had a knife clenched between her teeth. They violently thrashed at each other's faces, toppling along the edge of the dome as they both struggled against the other. Clove refused to lose the fight, and finally managed to lock Katniss against the ground, her heels digging her wrists into the dirt.
"Where's lover boy?" Clove grew a dark smirk as she look the knife out from between her teeth. She pressed the cold blade against her opponent's neck, hatred burning through her eyes. Katniss was about to die, which would leave the people of the Capitol heartbroken for the District 12 lovers. Wouldn't it have been a shame, if they started rooting for Cato and Clove instead? Of course it wouldn't, which is what made Clove want her to suffer all the more. "Oh," she murmured, looking at the District 12 bag laying just off to their right. "I see, you were gonna help him, right?" She made a bit of a pouty face. "Well isn't that adorable?"
"Just kill me." Katniss growled under her breath, making Clove laugh at her misfortune.
"Oh, that's no good Twelve... We haven't had any fun yet." Katniss suddenly make an effort to throw Clove off of her, which only ended with being shoved back into the dirt head first. Katniss yelped as her skull made an impact with the ground, Clove merely narrowed her eyes. "Nice try."
"Thanks." Katniss murmured, clenching onto the dirt at her locked finger tips. "You know Clove, it doesn't have to be this way."
"It's funny how you say that, just as I'm about to kill you." She replies, taking a smaller knife from her belt. She pressed the tip of it up against the edge of Twelve's lip, slowly making an indent until blood was shining through.
"Well, I wasn't exactly planning on trying to kill you, until you attacked me."
"Yeah, alright." Clove agreed sarcastically.
"We could both leave with our bags, and deal with this later on. Wouldn't that be fair for the both of us?"
"I don't think it would be." She hissed, digging her knee into Katniss' rib until she was wincing in pain. She began tracing the cut on her lip down towards her chin. "Such a pretty face." She pouted again. "It's too bad that it has to go to waste... I'm sure Peeta will be very upset when he sees your face in the sky."
"How are you so sure it'll be mine he's seeing?"
"Oh, I'm positive." Clove stuck the knife in further, until it hit the chin bone underneath the skin. Katniss let out a yelp, her entire body suddenly tense and struggling against her hold. Clove managed to hold her down. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when I kill him, just like I'm about to kill you." She yanks the knife from Katniss' bone, making tears stream down the sides of her face. "Goodnight, Girl On Fire." She raises her knife, about to plunge it into her enemy, when a strong hold grabs onto her wrist and yanks her off her knees.
. . . . . The next thing Clove knew, she was slammed up against the metal wall of the Cornucopia. A large man she recognized as Thresh from District 11 had a grip on the collar of her jacket. He was staring death into her soul, and she struggled against his strong grip. Her heart was thumping in her chest like a galloping horse, and time itself began to freeze around her. He was yelling at her, saying unspeakable words and cursing her name for hurting the little girl from his district. She didn't look at this moment like it was the end of her life, as much as she looked at it as punishment for trying to make Katniss suffer. It was a punishment for being stubborn, and for being violent. It was punishment for being a career. "Please." She gasped through the grip he suddenly had on her neck, and the only word after that came into her mind. Cato.
"Cato!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, despite the fact that he was cutting off her air. "Cato!" It was ear piercing, loud enough that her own ears seemed to pop at the volume. A loud thump was the next thing she heard through ringing ears, and then another, as her head was slammed into the metal wall. Seconds later, everything went black.
. . . . . Cato practically fell down from the tree, hitting the ground with a huge amount of force. He forced himself up despite the new found pain, running in the direction of Clove's desperate scream. The canon boomed before he could even get halfway there, and both Thresh and Katniss were gone seconds after that. He didn't even care, because all he could see was the lifeless body that laid before his eyes.
"Clove." He collapsed onto his knees by her limp being, taking her into his arms and wrapping her up like a blanket in his chest. He didn't want to believe she was dead, and he couldn't even begin to register that it was true. He had only awoken seconds before when he heard her screams, and he was at a complete loss of reality. "Clove." He whispered again, staring down at her hair as he held her close. The back of her head was bloody, her hair stained in crimson all around her. Her lifeless eyes were staring off into space, and after staring into them, he began to realize that she was really gone. He gazed at her for what seemed like hours to him, but was only minutes in reality. His eyes were overflowing with tears by the time her took her into his arms again. Keening over at the hip, he buried his face in her brunette hair and just sat there sobbing. He felt as if he had been the one to die, not her. He felt as if his entire life had been leading up to this moment, and he had failed to save her... by extension, he had failed to save himself. Guilt was setting in, and all he could possibly do was sit there helplessly and sob over her dead body.
"I'm sorry." He cried, rocking her in his arms like he had done with the Clove who said she loved him. "I'm so sorry." He could barely breath through the tears that clogged his throat. "This is all my fault."
. . . . . By the time he left her body there to be taken away, he had begun to realize how dead he really was. Not only for losing her, but for being a piece of the Capitol's games like they had always wanted their tributes to be. He felt dirty, and guilty for what he had done... and deep down inside, he knew that the little girl from District 2 had been the only thing keeping him sane.
Author's note ; Yay, I hope you guys liked that (and cried c;). Clato used to be my favorite shipping in the whole world, so I felt like I kinda needed to write a one shot about it. :D Pleaaaaase leave a review and let me know what you thought about it? Also, ideas for future one shots? Thanks for the read!