It was at least half one when Clove was allowed to leave. Tired and VERY agitated, she ripped Gale's hand off her knee and stomped up and away once she had gotten the go ahead. Most of the Capitol officials had left, along with most of the tributes, and Clove was fairly confident of her standing in their milky old eyes. She had charmed the bejesus out of them; and for half of the time spent there Gale had been stonily silent, due to her tactic of ignoring him, but after leaving his hand's place on her leg and their irritated conversation, it was like the friendly God himself had touched him. He was open and sparkled with cheerfulness and confidence, and they kept a light and cheeky banter with one another which of course captured everyone's delight at the easy nature between the two. Little did they know there was an electrical storm brewing between those calm not-quite-insults.
She thought if she found out he was the infuriating douchebag that he was, it would be the boost that she needed to get her head back into the game, get her focused into training and not dreaming about frivolous things like love when she might be facing her death in a matter of days, but it didn't. It made him insanely more attractive, so much more so that she literally wanted to attack him over the table with all those important Capitol people watching, and kiss him.
It was messed up.
The elevator clunked open, ending Clove's philosophical thoughts. Shuffling out, her head all in a tumble of thoughts she couldn't explain, she stuck the small silver key into the special lock that their escort had requested, and strolled in, slamming the door behind her. She didn't expect her guardians to be back; normal Capitol parties raged on until at least three or four in the morning, but she knew Cato would be in, he'd been released before her. She kind of just felt like curling up and watching a film like they sometimes did, not having to deal with her muddle of thoughts and just sit there mindlessly.
"Cato? You in?" She called out tiredly, rubbing her eyes and sighing.
Then something white and shiny by the door caught her eye as she turned to look.
A pair of perfect white heels, with spiralling pieces of ribbon like a dove's feathers.
Shoes that would match a white dovetail dress.
And who wore a dovetail dress?
She should've known he'd only be in it with her for sex, but come on, she was thirteen. She couldn't believe Cato. She'd have to wait for home to "finish" so she could confront him.
Another person she guessed she couldn't trust.
He knew that was wrong. She told him it was wrong to do THAT with her. He'd promised he wouldn't, not until she was older, if they survived. She knew they wouldn't; only one comes out, right? She knew that Gale and her wouldn't be able to survive if they did, and that's why loving him felt so surreal, like these games weren't really coming. It was terrifying, because she didn't know if she could even concentrate on the training. And no training meant no
survival.
She collapsed on one of the tasteful black and scarlet couches and switched on the white marble fire grate, resulting in a warm and cushy blaze.
It was around half three when Cato eventually creeped out, smiling to himself, wearing a pair of boxers. Clove was in the half-awake, half-asleep world where everything was blurred, so he startled her awake as he crept over to the small avox call station.
"Cato?"
"Jesus!" He yelled out, jumping up and almost falling over. "Oh, it's just you, Clove. What's up? Just came out for a glass of water."
He pressed the button hard and turned round to face her.
"Hey, you okay? What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? Oh, nothing." She whispered, standing up and shuffling over to him, changed out of her beautiful gown into a set of lace pyjamas. "Just that you fucked a thirteen year old girl. When you said you wouldn't."
"What are you talking about?"
"Leah. I know her shoes. You promised me, Cato! You know how wrong it is, right? She's thirteen!"
"She's not thirteen." He mumbled, looking down.
"What? She's obviously thirteen."
"No. People just keep thinking she is. She's fifteen. She's just short, like you."
"Course she's fifteen. You wouldn't just say that to cover your back."
"Jesus, Clove!" He sighed, pushing back a wayward blonde strand of hair back from his mesmerising eyes. "Look, I'll show you." Crashing onto a sofa, he clicked on the TV to reveal a late-night talk show. Ignoring that, Cato flicked through a couple of channels until he found the one he wanted to- a24/7list of the tributes and their statistics. "Look, right there. Leah Cerulean."
Clove's eyes scanned the black screen with the cyber yellow font.
Leah Cerulean, female, age 15, blue eyes, ginger hair, 5 ft 3.
"You weren't lying."
"I wouldn't do that with a thirteen year old, Clove."
"Good. Pretty cosy, though for one night of knowing each other."
"I don't know what to say, Clove." He switched off the TV, and turned to face her. The room was full of that mustythree amair, and the movements of the two were slow and almost like they were drunk. Light was dark blue-ish and weak, casting thin, lighter shadows around them, so it was like they were underwater. She drew up her legs onto the cushy softness and crossed them, listening to what he needed to say. "We talked all night, and I know that I'm not going to get sponsors, because I practically ignored them all. I've never fell for someone like this Clove; she's just amazing, and it scares me! She's so beautiful, and so, so funny. More funny than my friends, apart from you, like she's not afraid to say what she thinks which is so new to me from a girl that I like. It's terrifying." He hangs his head, and tears begin to leak out of his eyes, and he roughly pushed his hands against them, like a little boy. "I've never felt like this, it's scary and new and strangely amazing. And it doesn't feel like I've come here for the reason I've come here, because instead of blood and victory, it seems my world revolves around her. And I know it's crazy and strange because I've only just met her, but-however cliche this sounds- its like I've known her forever. And she says she feels the same. And I actually feel like I'd put her in front of myself in the arena, like I'd do anything for her not to die. It's awful, but I love it at the same time. And I just wish we weren't going now, because I know we aren't going to make it out. But, I think I love her Clove." His voice broke with tears at the end. Clove slowly placed her hand on his, at loss of words to comfort him. He glanced up at her, and they began to edge closer. Maybe it was the affect of tiredness, or just because, but it didn't register what they were doing until their lips touched. But it wasn't right.
It felt WRONG.
Pulling back quickly, they stared at each other in shock.
"We definitely are better as friends." Clove whispered. "None of that again. That was just weird."
"I know right?" He laughed.
"I'm going to bed now. Night." She smiled and raised up from her place. "Oh, and by the way, you better make Leah leave before Gale finds out. He is really protective of her."
Training was exhausting, but it was fun to antagonise Clove almost by the minute. Gale stole her spear and threw it perfectly, striking it in the bullseye that she had been trying-and failing-valiantly to hit. When she was practising knots, he pulled them free. When she was identifying plants, he got up behind her and pressed all the wrong buttons. It was so amazing, knowing that she knew he existed. It was funny too, and even she had to stifle a giggle before venting out her anger at the knife station. It was horrifying but weirdly attractive, watching her cause death by exsanguination to five dummies in a matter of minutes.
"Hey, Leah." He directed at the girl who was facing the buttons in the elevator.
"HOLY... Oh it's you, Gale, you scared the bejesus out of me!"
He laughed.
"So how's the young'un then?"
"I AM FIFTEEN!"
"Fifteen?"
"Yes! Why does everyone think I'm so young?"
"Guess it's the baby face."
"Hey, Gale?"
"Yeah?" The elevator began its ascent.
"Are you scared?"
"Scared?"
"Everyone seems so funny and happy and content, like the arena isn't even coming soon. And I don't think I could ever kill any of these kids that are so nice and relaxed. And it feels so weird to know that in a couple of days I'm going to be seeing a side to these people- a monstrous side. I'm scared."
He thought about what she was saying. He really was scared- more than he consciously realised.
But it seemed he wasn't scared for himself. He was scared-as weird and jumped-up as it was- for her. Clove.
"I am scared, Leah. Very scared."
It was silent for a while, till they passed the eleventh floor.
"You hear about the mixer tonight?"
"Mixer? What? Not another dinner?" He groaned.
"Nope. A mixer for the tributes to get to know each other.
"Just brilliant."
"We don't have to go?" Clove asked, incredulously, glaring at their escort. They were on the bottom floor, just stepping out of the lift when they had the news.
"Not if you don't want to, dear."
"So I got dressed up for something I didn't want to go to? I hate this!" She whispered to herself. "I'm not going to gotonight, sorry Esmerelda. I'm not feeling well."
"Thats fine, sweetie. Do you know where Cato is?"
"Nope, sorry."
Esmerelda swept out, and Clove repeatedly pressed the call button till she watched the golden light signifying the elevator was making its way down.
"So, you just found out that we didn't have to go either?" A warm, chocolatey voice asked her from around the corner, followed by a slick Gale, looking delicious in general, normal clothes. He had dark jeans on, with a dark red and navy checked shirt on, slightly undone to reveal a white t-shirt, left untucked. Clove was wearing a navy silk dress with sleeves down to the forearm and a sweet petticoat. It was cosy and wintery and with their colour schemes, they looked like a perfect model couple.
"What do you want?" She snapped.
"Clove, can we just try and be friends?"
They both stepped inside the elevator and pushed the button to their respective floors, before turning to face each other.
"Well you don't act like you want to be friends!"
Don't ask how by the time the elevator reached the second floor they were screaming at each other, but they were.
"Ahhh! Why are you SO infuriating?!" Gale yelled, one hand on his forehead.
"Possibly because you're a bastard?" Clove screamed back, tumbling back out into the District 2 corridor. They were so involved in the argument that they didn't even notice that he followed her out, shouting and yelling at each other.
"Why do you act like I hate you when you know perfectly well that I l-" Clove stopped short when she realised she said, and resorted to just staring at him with those apple green eyes of hers.
"That you what?" Gale asked, smoky eyes boring right back into hers.
She didn't reply, instead shuffled back into the wall.
"That you what, Clove?" He asked, edging closer and closer to her until his body was almost pressed against hers. She ducked her head and mumbled an answer, a crimson hue of less embarrassment and more curious guilt lighting her cheeks.
"What?" He asked, cocking his head as if to hear her better. He lowered his head so their noses were just-just touching.
"That I like you." She whispered, glaring at her shoes.
He lightly tilted up her chin for her to look at him, until two pairs of fiery eyes stared into each other, his fingers like a flame on her skin, making her skin spark with unidentifiable happiness. For a moment it was just the heat of that almost embrace, the minute of dropping a lit match to the floor, the calm before the flames rule over the surface where your feet stand. Then, the blaze engulfed them both, and his lips meet hers in an incredible explosion. It quickly deepened and his tongue invaded her mouth. Her teeth grazed his lip and he melted into her until they are no longer bodies, just a blinding expanse of light that shouldn't be in a grey hallway, should be in a sky or a forest or somewhere free, each a cluster of sparks and flames that are two living beings of love. Soon her back and shoulder blades are pressed against the wall and her legs are wrapped around his waist as they stutter and breathe into each other. Passion and fumbles, too hot to see or slow down.
"Well, this is awkwaaaard." A sarcastic-and a bit frightened- voice snapped them out of their daze. Her legs slipped from around his middle, but his arms slid around her waist, pulling her closer, missing her touch, craving as much of her skin as possible.
They turned her face to see Cato and Leah, hands entwined, coming out of the elevator. Leah was trying not to smile, but you could almost see visible smoke pouring out of Cato's
nostrils.
"What the FUCK are you doing with Clove?"
"What the FUCK are YOU doing with Leah?" Gale shouted, his arms slackening from her as he registered the situation. She whined quietly and he found himself smirking as he tightened his arms again.
"Come on, Cato. We'll discuss this with them later."
"But Lea-"
"Don't but Leah me, move it. We'll go watch a movie on my floor instead." When he didn't budge, she put a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes "I SAID, move it." She hissed, and Cato grinned slightly and stepped back in.
Once the elevator closed and they were alone again, the atmosphere had changed. They awkwardly untangled themselves and sort of stood there limply, just looking at each other.
"Well," Gale started, rubbing the top of his arm awkwardly. "I'll speak to you tomorrow, okay?"
She nodded sadly.
"Goodnight." He told her, before leaning down and planting a soft kiss on her lips. It was meant to be small, not important, but when neither of them pulled away, it became more intense, deepening brightly. It wasn't as intense as reckless as before, calmer, but more eternal, like a slowly burning candle that lit them both up like beacons, brighter but less blinding, more important, less fumbling.
Soon, the door had been opened and they slowly stumbled in, not breaking the seal between their lips, until they crashed into Clove's bedroom, the door swinging shut behind them. The kiss was broken, and the darkness was illuminated by the burning inside of them, as she stumbled, unbuttoning his shirt and peeling off his white t-shirt to reveal his smooth, fluid muscles and tan skin. He slowly unzipped her dress, each craving the constant touch of the others skin. Once she was only in her crimson underwear, their lips met again and they fell back onto the messy bed, him wriggling out of his jeans as he supported himself on his elbow with one arm, so not to crush her.
"Stop." He gasped, breaking the flame.
"What? What's wrong?"
"I don't want to do it like this, only because of the threat of the arena hanging over us, only because we're scared. I want to do it somewhere special, where we want to do it, only because we love each other."
"Where are we going to do that, Gale? The arena is soon. Only one of us comes out. There's no chance otherwise. And, I know it sounds stupid but... but," she breathed in. "I already think I love you."
"I love you too, Clove." He smiled down at her. "But just trust me on this."
"Okay." She sighed. "But I don't want you to leave."
"Can't I just stay here?"
"What do you mean?"
"Sleep here, with you."
She responded by pulling him down next to her. He chuckled, and wound his arms around her, pulling her back against his abdomen. He placed soft kisses along her neck, soliciting a moan from her.
"Stop, I want you so much already."
She giggled softly, before they fell asleep together, breathing in the others scent, revelling in each other's incredible heat, together in the darkness."
clato4ever7- You're so funny, you really make my day! Thank you! What do you think of this chapter?
UnseenWonders- I added more Leah, Chicken Pie :3
Can I have ten reviews if that's not too much to ask? Thanks!