Shorty and the Giant

by Mazabm

A story on the shorty, Clove and a giant, Cato and how they were enemies then allies then lovers but overall they were something Cato was never suppose to be. They were losers. "I thought Shorty had it covered."

Shorty and the Giant

He always called her shorty. I guessed that was what angered her so. He should have won not Lover Boy and Fire Girl. It should have been their bodies the mutts ate, not Cato's never Cato's.

She sat quietly in her seat, her head faced the window but she couldn't care less about what was on the other side of it. Her hands were itching to hold a knife again. Her fingers scratching at her freckles. He also sat in his seat, his face was white, and his posture rigid. He spoke first. "I'm going to win, you know." Her head turned to him. "Is that right?" She asked dryly. "I'm going to kill you first." He said, "If you can catch me." She said, a dry chuckle coming from her lips. "You will probably be my worse enemy." He said. 'You bet that." She said turning back to the window.

She heard him get out of his seat. She didn't expect his whispered voice to ghost her ear. "So that's why I'm going to kill you first." She jumped in her seat and whipped her head toward him. "You'll have a fight on your hands." She said. "Is that right, shorty?" He asked smirking. She growled. "Don't call me that." She said. "I feel bad for you knowing you are going to die a shorty." She resisted the urge to hit him. "Shut up, giant." He got away from her, turning away slowly seemingly casual. "Better a giant then a midget." She rolled her eyes "When my knife enters your skull then I'll be happy knowing I'm going to eventually get taller. " She smirked as he frowned. He glared at her "You are so stupid. I could kill you now if I wanted to." He said. "I have no doubt of that." She said and knowing it was true.

Turning back to the window, her fingers softly counting her freckles in her reflection. His head came beside her in the refection. "You know what the people will remember you as?" She looked at him but his eyes were focused on the window. "As Clove the girl who thought she could win with just her knives. You need more then that, Clove." He looked at her meeting her confused expression. "You need strength, height, beauty." He chucked. 'You have none of that. That is why I will do you a favor and kill you." Stepping away from her he turned and walked out leaving her more confused then ever. I have 17 freckles on my face. She thought trying to take her mind off of Cato.

From then on he and her were enemies. Hardly a minute went by without them exchanging insults. Her mentors, brutal men and women, who had began to get used to one of the four districts bringing home the win. The man Bru-te-us? He called himself. He was seemly as brutal as his name and he had horrible scars. The women were both beautiful and wealthy and utterly capitol girls. They were district 2 for crying out loud. How could they win and just fall back into a life like this? Both her and Cato had agreed early on that they were useless. Her stylist made her look goregus and after her interview with Ceasar, a kind man. She made sure to remind Cato that she did have a little beauty. He didn't really have the concentration to make a good comeback.

They both obviously looked forward to showing off in the training center. When they trained with her showing off with her knives, Cato with his strength. It was so obvious whose district would have the biggest chance. Then when Lover Boy tossed some rocks and everyone was like "Wow." One of her knives "acciendenatly flew off the target and landed inches form Lover Boy's head. Cato had given her a brief smile but then returned to his trademark snarl. She snarled back but her next knife hit above Fire Girl's ear. At her private session with the Game Makers, She threw knives everywhere each one landing in the persist target. One landing in the right eye on the mannequin that Cato had destroyed earlier. When she scored a ten, she boasted that maybe she didn't need height just her knives. He looked at her and said " Well what did you expect shorty, they would have been afraid not to give you a 10." She glared at him but then smiled. "Great job on the ten. They must have been afraid of you to." He glared at her, she smiled It wasn't till the last day before they were pushed into the arena did he come to her.

"Hey Clove." He started. She did not turn her head away form the shining city. She could see her reflection in the mirror. She could already tell the difference from living in the districts to living in the capitol. Her freckles had faded or disappeared. She would not put it past her stylist to make them disappear. "What? No shorty?" She said her voice trying to convey the laughter she did not feel. She watched his face in the window. He seemed confused. "You like shorty?" He asked "A little." She admitted. He chuckled a dry laugh. She finally turned her head away from the window." What do you want Cato?" She asked. 'Look Clove," He started " I know I said I kill you first." Not a nice way to start a conversation. "But, I need you." She looked disbelieving at him. "You need me?" She said her voice conveying her disbelief. "Yes." He said, "I need you and your knives. Your wit. Your beauty. I can be your strength. We would be unstoppable." He said. A light danced in his eyes and she found it strangely hypnotic but she forced that feeling down. "Well, what happens when we kill everyone, huh? What happens then? You kill me and live your life. Happy and free of the Hunger Games? " He looked her dead in the eye and the light dimmed. " No. We go down fighting together and who ever has that last shred of life will be the winner." She looked away from him. "Well then," she said, "looks like I'm joining your pack, but don't lead me around like a dog. We fight to win." Cato smiled a genuine smile. "We fight to win."

The bloodbath was too easy. Fire Girl got away. Clove had thought about following her but Cato had advised against it. "No need to chase what is already dead, Clove." He said. She had nodded laughing. The blood had made her feel dizzy but not dizzy enough trust the dogs Cato had included in the alliance. She had hoped her knives were imiting to them all so they wouldn't think of slitting her throat in the night. Cato had included a useless fighter, the District 3 boy, but when Cato told her his plan. She thought it was brilliant. Lover Boy proved exactly how she thought he would. Useless. He didn't even lead them to Fire-Girl. He just got them stung multiple times. Luckily Cato cut him for her. Then when Cato finally got the District 3 boy to do what he was called for, she insisted she kill him right there but Cato ever the pessimist had said if anything went wrong they could use him to fix it. All district 3 did was get their supplies blown up and when Cato killed him she was reminded about why she had not trusted Cato in the first place. His recklessness. That night they talked again and she knew that Cato was going to win, it was in her heart. They were camping in a little cave. Her and Cato. Marvel hadn't returned after they had calmed Cato down. Marvel had always irritated her, he was that career that she did not think she imitated enough after the bloodbath. It was a little after that that they made the announcement. "Two tributes from the same district can be the winner." Her and Cato danced around forgetting for a few seconds the fact that all their supplies were gone. Cato had picked her up and spun her around. "Looks like were both going home, shorty." He said. They laughed smiling. It felt like noting could go wrong. Now however she could not stop looking at Cato. The way he has snapped the 3's boy neck had her scared. Where did she think she could last against him, alone? Hopefully they would win together. It wasn't until after the anthem came on and she saw Marvel's face flash across along with the little girl, Rue? She was called and the District 3 boy. She hardly heard when Cato came behind her.

"What do you want?" she asked. Cato rested his head on her shoulder. His large hands shrouded her small body. "Think, Clove, soon both of us will be able to go home." He said almost dreamily. "Yeah both of us." She said. "Who do we have left?' Cato was silent for a few seconds before saying. "The district 10 boy." She turned her body around to see him. "Lover Boy and Fire Girl." She said with a sneer. He smiled "red-Head." He said She looked at him with a smirk "What district?" He froze for a moment " I don't know but I know she 's not dead." She turned back to look at the stars and wondered were they real or animated. "And if the fates have it one of us." She whispered. "It will not be long, Clove, before one or both of us go home." Cato said. And then he kissed her neck and prayed it would be both of them.

It was not long indeed. The day they called for the feast. Her and Cato spent all day planning.

"So I'll go first and wait for Fire Girl or Red Head. If the district 10 boy comes_" Cato irrupted her "No! I want Fire Girl!" She glared at him. "If we do this right, Cato, we can go home." He matched her glare eye for eye "Fine," He muttered "But give them a good show." She mocked glared at him. Something she didn't think she knew how to do. "Are you doubting my abilities?" She said. "No." Cato said smiling at her." I 'll wait in the woods for Lover Boy or District 10 to come." Cato said. Clove scoffed "I can handle Lover Boy, Cato." She said "So," Cato said "I don't want you going to get yourself killed." Clove rolled her eyes. "I won't Cato." "District 10 is pretty big." Cato said quietly. "Well as you said before Cato, shorty has got it covered." Then he kissed her and mumbled "Shorty better have it covered."

It went wrong right away. The redhead had hid in the Cornucopia and gotten her pack. She cursed the fact that she hadn't thought of that. Cato should have planned for that, she blushed at remembering his kiss. She knew that Fire Girl had to get her pack next. So she tensed and waited. Boom. Fire Girl is running and her knife is there in an instance. The girl managed to block but only before she tackled her. Fire Girl is in between her thighs and her knife is tracing her lips and she is goading Fire Girl about Rue, adorable little Rue. When there is a pressure round her neck. She was picked up never having a chance to call Cato name. It is the big boy District 10. She calls out Cato's name as District 10 questions her. She mumbling and for a moment she is afraid. Then there is a pain in her head. —And then everything is strange and blurry and she isn't really thinking straight because there are so many colors and they are so distracting and she's not sure but she thinks Cato is holding her, telling her something, I love you but she can't make out the words because there's a buzzing in her ears I'm sorry Clove, so sorry that doesn't go away and she's not sure what's happening, but it's nice, Cato holding her and kissing her. Don't go, Clove Don't go Shorty Which is nice because she likes his lips. She dying its happening soon she thinks because the colors are dimming to black, first at the edges and then engulfing everything, and the buzzing has stopped and Cato's voice, urgent and wanting but it fading but she makes out his last words. I thought shorty had it covered and she wants to tell Cato she did.

Fin