Give Your Heart A Break
Don't wanna break your heart
Wanna give your heart a break
I know you're scared it's wrong
Like you might make a mistake
There's just one life to live
And there's no time to waste, to waste
So let me give your heart a break
~ Unbroken
He was viscous, malicious but most of all... a complete masochist. Little does everyone know that he's not a monster, not a cannibal nor a man eating machine; he's just a guy. He's just a guy who's forced - like everyone else - to fight to the death to bring pride to himself and to his beloved district. People mistreat and second guess him like he's barely even known as a person. Cato of District 2 is demon. Cato of District 2 is menacing monster. Cato of District 2 is a killer. But to Glimmer, he is so much more than that.
"Marvel, you douche!" Clove yelled in response to Marvel's silent attack. Marvel had tickled her by the waist which caused the masochistic Clove to turn, yell and start running after the cackling Career Tribute. Clove and Marvel had been a thing since Training Sessions. Everyone didn't know how it happened - but they just seemed to suddenly grow out each other's invisible sprouts. Glimmer guessed, they just brought out the best from each other. They were like kids - little kids, to say the least - in love and not giving a care in the world. They were too consumed of each other that they've forgotten that they've left Cato and Glimmer to themselves in the Camp they set under the Girl on Fire.
Katniss Everdeen sat perched atop a tree where the Careers have cornered her. In the dark of the night, none of the Careers could distinguish what she was doing - but they couldn't care less. Tomorrow, they would surely kill her and this time; without any mercy.
"Ah, young love," Glimmer sighed in contrast to Clove and Marvel's current endeavor.
"It sucks," Cato said under his breath as he pointed the metal tip of his sword on the fire.
Glimmer gave him a sad smile. "And why so, Cato?"
"I don't really know," Cato replied absent-mindedly. "I just think it's stupid."
"You can't really tell me without bluffing that you've never fallen in love before, right?" Glimmer laughed a bit which only caused Cato to smirk at the other Career's remark.
"Actually," Cato said, glancing from his sword to Glimmer. His face suddenly turned from cocky to less of a clown. "I did fall in love before. Remember the day I first met you? You suddenly asked me about love and I retorted with a "I'll never fall in love"? Of course, it was an evident lie; but now... I guess all that has changed since then."
Glimmer nodded. She knew where this was going. "So, Clove... right?"
Cato looked away and turned to look up to the digital stars of the fake night sky. He almost smiled to himself as if the pain he was feeling was a burden to laugh sarcastically about, "Marvel's lucky."
Glimmer could already feel her heart sink. Even though Cato looked so strong that it's as if nothing could break him, deep down Glimmer knows how broken he felt; simply because that's just how broken she felt too. She wanted to tell him that Clove isn't worth him. That Clove is in love with someone else now. That Clove couldn't care less about him anymore. That she herself can fix him - wants to fix him. But if only he would let her fix him - which he doesn't. Every single time Cato talks about Clove - she just sits there and... painfully listens to him. She listens to all the praises and compliments he gives Clove, wishing it was meant for her all this time. But instead, she listens to him about Clove as if he was mentally slapping her in the face.
Cato was broken - Glimmer knew that, but Clove never did. Clove and Cato were a couple even before the games, but sadly; Marvel had swept Clove off her feet, making her forget about Cato - making her twice as heartless as people think Cato is. All Glimmer wanted to do was try to fix him. If she and Cato were together, she wouldn't break his heart. Instead, she'd give his heart a break - but she knew well enough Cato wouldn't understand. He was head over heels for Clove.
"You don't have to torture yourself," Glimmer told him. "You can always find another. Clove isn't the only girl in the world even though to you, she is."
If only Cato understood.
She was there for him, alright. She was there for him after Clove broke up with him. She was there for him when Clove and Marvel were flirting with each other right in front of Cato. She was there for him when he was on the verge of tears. She was there for him even if he didn't need her to be. But he just neglects her tries and takes them for granted. Because in Cato's eyes... it'll always be Clove, not Glimmer.
It'll always be Clove, not Glimmer.
"Cato, listen to me," Glimmer sighed, trying to form words that have been a part of her remorse and this time - she wanted to sum it all up. "Life will give you ups and downs and apparently, this might be the worst - but remember that others have had it worst than you did. Instead of being a bitter sap, at least... be happy for her. I mean, if you love someone so much, you'd do anything for them, right? Even though it already pains you to see them with someone else? If you can't be happy for yourself, at least be happy for her. She's alive and well and miraculously, she can still love despite the pain she's caused you. Just be thankful that you had her. Just remember, when someone walks out of your life, it's not the end of your story. It's just the end of their part in your story.
I'm pained to see the guy I love love someone else. But I'm happy for him because... he's happy to be in love with her even though he's already hurting... Even though I'm not the one causing his happiness, at least someone else is - and that's good; actually even better than to see him try to crash and burn without a rational reason. And being hurt by that one person you love doesn't mean it's the end of the world. It only means that that person isn't the right one for you and that you'll find someone better. It may seem as the hardest thing to do, but you have to forget the girl who forgot about you. I guess I learned otherwise to that."
Cato gaped at her. Glimmer looked away and shook her head. She didn't need a reply to the longest speech she could give to a guy she likes. At least she's said it all now. But nonetheless, she didn't care whether he understood her or not - as long as she knows that she's done her part, she's content by then. Glimmer fixed her bow and arrows as she set them beside her.
"Well, good night, Cato," Glimmer said, nodding to him before she slipped her body to rest on the damp and autumn leafed ground. She yawned to herself before closing her eyes; trying to reciprocate what she just did. Did she do the right thing or did she just let Cato slip out of her fingertips with a snap? She feared that he might be mad at her - but she couldn't care less. If Cato was going to torture himself with his situation with Clove, she didn't care now - because she might as well have taught him a lesson, much less told him her feelings than for him to not realize his mistake.
When she was on the verge of slumber, she heard rustling from behind her but she didn't mind. She shifted a bit in her position and almost cried aloud when she felt a hand wrap around her waist as someone's warm body press against her back. She must be dreaming or... hallucinating, maybe. She thought it was him, but she couldn't be sure. She was too stubborn and vial to turn to look. The warmth of this person's body felt so resonating and the smell of mint leaves left a tingle down her nose. She felt so... safe.
The moment she heard his breath falter and whisper against her ear, she has never felt so attached to Cato in the days they've known each other. Her heart started to thud hard against her chest. Little did she know how powerful words are when it escapes from Cato's lips.
"I'm happy now." He told her, his breath hitching a bit in the process.
"And why so?" She asked him, it's as if she didn't already know the answer. Of course he was happy now. He's happy for Clove, which he thankfully realized.
She heard him chuckle from behind her. "Because the girl I truly love just told me she felt the same way. And I know... she would give my heart a break rather than break my heart."
They were bounding down the forest like a pack of mutts. When in technical terms, they were mutts. A day after Glimmer's death, she was genetically engineered into a mutation like all the rest of the dead Tributes in the 74th Annual Hunger Games. The Capitol took the dead Tributes's eyes and attributes which almost felt like they resurrected dead people. They were chasing Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark up to the Cornucopia.
Glimmer died from the many stings of a Tracker Jacker. Thanks to Katniss Everdeen, her death was painful physically and emotionally. The last thing Glimmer saw before she died was Cato running up to her and screaming her name. She didn't know whether it was real or part of the hallucinations that had brought her to believing a make believe. But even so, she had hoped that Cato at least tried to save her.
She was leading the pack of mutations and as soon as they arrived at the Cornucopia, they were clawing at the metal walls to reach the two Tributes who had already climbed it. When she heard beating footsteps from atop the Cornucopia, Glimmer stopped clawing.
Standing atop the Cornucopia near Katniss and Peeta was... Cato. He was still alive. Glimmer was probably the most happiest mutt there was despite the life or death situation the three remaining Tributes are at the current moment. Glimmer knows that Cato will win - besides, those two don't stand a chance with someone who had trained almost half their lives for the games. Cato was the Career Pack's only hope now.
The scene above them was fast that Glimmer, well, her mutt suddenly had a headache. It was fast but as soon as Cato had his grasp on Peeta Mellark, Glimmer's mutt grinned. Cato was going to win. Well, she thought he will until Katniss had shot an arrow at Cato's hand. Peeta pushed his opponent off and made him start tumbling down the Cornucopia - causing the dead tribute mutations to run up to Cato's body and start biting and scratching at him. Glimmer's mutated eyes widened in fear. She neared the others but didn't dare to interrupt their kill.
The first and last thing Glimmer heard that escaped Cato's lips left her hanging before she ran off and decided not to participate in the bloodbath that the dead tribute mutations were causing.
"Glimmer!"
'Cause you've been hurt before
I can see it in your eyes
You try to smile it away, some things you can't disguise
Don't wanna break your heart
Maybe, I can ease the ache, the ache
So let me give your heart a break, give your heart a break
The day I first met you
You told me you'd never fall in love
A/N: This is my second Hunger Games fan fiction and this is most probably just a short drabble. This story confused me, I should say. I was just inspired to write this because most people should know, especially Glimmer/Cato shippers should know that Cato screamed "Glimmer" while being attacked by the mutations in the movie. I have a camera recorded movie of the Hunger Games in my computer and I skipped to that part - apparently, it was muffled; but loud enough for anyone to hear. So yes - I only realized that just today so I wrote this.
Anyway, I'll be writing that Cato/Glimmer and Clove/Marvel fic very soon! As for the reviewers of "All for the Games", thank you so much! I'm glad you guys liked it. Leave a review on what you think of this little drabble I made. Again...
LONG LIVE THE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE OF CATO AND GLIMMER.
- EMPG22HoPe