So as I left the old me behind
Cat, in all honesty, didn't think she'd make it to the merge.
But she did, and red and blue became purple. Eight were alive, Aleksa, Waylon, Mira, Flynn, herself, Kevlar, Alessandro and Vissie, and there were now two clear-set power pairs in these Games. Waylon and Vissie from Three and Eleven had shown themselves to be a tough pair in challenges, and the only ones who could rival them were her talented district partner, Kevlar, and herself. They weren't a pair, really, but had a tendency to work together.
And she knew Kevlar was the only reason she was still in the land of the living.
She wasn't pretty or smart like her siblings, and her one talent back home was insignificant compared to the gymnastic prowess of Waylon and Alessandro. She was noticed at first for her fiery hair, but when they didn't see an adequately strong girl, they backed off, favouring Luna and Brialle over her. As she could remember anyway, she had a sort of anti-fanbase of sorts, the Dogs.
And her friends? They were the only ones that cared, but they'd probably written her off as dead. Thistle wouldn't consider a dead girl walking as a girlfriend. Kevlar was nice, but viewed her as an obstacle too. The others had someone else. She was just a street cat. A sad, lonely street Cat.
The moon starts to set, the sun starts to rise
Waylon Wilder had no clue how he came to be sitting under a palm tree with Cat Oxnard.
Well, yeah, maybe he'd had a crush on her from the time he'd seen her. But he was still Waylon, right? He was still the life of the party! Totally! Why wasn't he down with everyone else having a good time? Why was he fidgeting next to his competitor in an awkward silence?
He hated and adored being in love.
"Uuh..," he tried to speak. This was a new experience for him. By now, he would have gotten the person he was speaking with to laugh loudly, smile, and trust him with their life. Social awkwardness, of course, had to pop up at the worst possible time.
"Tough competition," says Cat, breaking the silence, "Everyone has a reason to be here."
"Yeah, um, I guess," Waylon agreed, "But Luna had a reason too, and she was second-last."
"But a good reason," said his fellow redhead, "Aleksa wants to redeem herself and is a fan favourite, I'm assuming you want to go home, and you are basically the sponsor dream. Mira is strong and talented, and wants to get back to her family. Flynn has a crush on this girl, and no one wants to vote him off. Kevlar is the token goofy trumpeter, and apparently his family band would be incomplete without him. Alessandro is the hot circus dude that Capitolites dream about, and you know how tough he is to beat. Vissie, well, you know better than anyone why Vissie's still here."
"And you?"
"There's no reason for me to be here," she said with a sigh, "I just floated. I'm not particularly special, at least compared to everyone I seem to run into. My family nly notices when I mess up. The Capitolites were bored with me from the start. I missed being first death by a hair."
"I'm still not sure. I think...you're great.."
Just like it always does but then something changed
"No, I'm really not. I'm just an average girl," replied Cat, looking down at her feet, "You're the great one. You're the coolest person on the island. You are excellent at dancing, you're smart, and you can make anyone and everyone laugh with just a smile."
"That's only because I tried," said Waylon in response, "Being an ADHD kid isn't easy, especially when you're like me. I was one of the smart kids, so I was branded a nerd. I can't be a nerd if I tried. And so I didn't fit in anywhere for a while. Then I made a joke and smiled, and bam, you're lead in the school play, everyone wants to be your friend, the little kid who was an outcast is now in the spotlight. I was scared. But that didn't mean I lost the most trustworthy of my newfound friends. Or everyone talking to me. Some still say I'm hopeless. Some still say I'm an idiot. Some still say I'm overrated. I just try to block them out. I'm not a total fake, I love hats, gymnastics, dancing, and making people laugh. But that doesn't always answer things."
"I guess everyone's flawed," replied Cat softly, "Much as we can hide it."
"Yeah," said Waylon, "The elimination challenge is tomorrow. I don't know if I can get through. Everyone seems so strong, and I think I can face up to them, but then I remember I'm just a scrawny thirteen-year-old who has one gimmick that can hardly win a deathmatch."
"You can, I know you can, I'm not too sure about myself."
"Well, until then, I suppose we just have to seize the day," says Waylon, "We shouldn't stop living because they want us to."
He rests his head on Cat's shoulder, taking her by surprise, but not necessarily disgust. She smiles, and looks out with him to the sea, leading far away from Panem. They had no clue what would happen tomorrow, but they knew that they shared each other's love, and it made them happy beyond all belief.
They stay there for quite some time.
When you took my hand in yours
Story: Dreaming Of Starry Skies' Survivor
Pairing: Waylon Wilder and Cat OxnardSong: Night Sky Patrol Of Tomorrow (lyrics by rachie)
This oneshot was requested by PurpleFrenchFryArmy! I hope it turned out well. No adorable first kiss this time, but there probably will next time. NEXT UP: The most adorable gay cinnamon rolls.