The next morning I woke up, greeted by the sun that was reflecting onto my face by the small pond. I put my hands up to my face, and rubbed my sleepy eyes, trying to wake myself up. I looked around, watching my allies sleep with calm faces, and for the first time since I got here I felt a small twinge of affection shower over me. They were after all counting on me, they wanted me. Cato made a small smacking noise before turning to lie on his side. I decided to try and find something to eat, and so I left the others as silently as I possibly could, watching carefully to not snap a branch under my weight. When I had left the small cave I was greeted by the peaceful singing of a couple of birds, Mockingjay's, to be precise. I couldn't help but to let out a smile, I've seen Katniss broche, and so the birds reminded me of her.

I pursed my lips, and started to whistle a small melody of 5 tones that mom used to whistle when she was cooking. The birds fell silent, and then repeated my melody. Another smile appeared on my lips and I continued my walk further into the woods. There were no paths to follow, but the terrain wasn't hard to get through, and before I knew it I was surrounded with small bushes. On the bushes there were small blue berries that to me looked highly edible, and very appetizing. I started picking them, whistling the same melody that to me was connected to food. After picking a handful, I grabbed one of the berries between my index finger and my thumb. My hand found its way to my face and just as I was about to put the berry into my mouth a stern voice ejected from behind me.

"I wouldn't eat that if I was you, unless you're planning to commit suicide." I couldn't help but to smile before I turned around to meet Katniss blue eyes.
"I'm not." I dropped the berries on the ground, giving her a lopsided smile as I raised my hands above my head, showing her that they were empty.
"Thank you" I said. I couldn't help but to feel relieved, having her here in front of me once again, without anyone here to... Oh shit. Cato. My smile vanished in an instant as I trained my eyes to the ground.
"They're looking for you, you know." I said, avoiding her blue eyes that I knew were staring at me.
"I know. And I don't expect you're going to give me away are you?" My head snapped up to her, and this time she was giving me a lopsided grin, almost teasing me. It was as if she knew how attached to her I was, and she wasn't afraid to use it against me. She had dimples, I had never seen them before.
"Given the fact that you saved me." She said while taking a step towards me. A small branch snapped under her feet, and I flinched at the sound. This situation reminded me a lot of the first time we really talked, when she gave me my very first hug.
A nervous smile escaped me once again, and her eyes reached my lips. No way I was getting away with this.

"You look like you're about to jump out of your skin again" She took another step.
"I thought we connected?" She said, tilting her head a bit to the side. It was obvious that she was teasing me, and I couldn't figure out the reason.
"Do you feel safe?" She took another step, and I increasingly felt less and less safe as she approached me further.
"What do you mean?" My eyes couldn't find a spot to stick to, and so they flickered between her feet, her eyes, and her lips.
"Do you feel safe with them? Cato, Peeta?" My heart felt as if it would burst any second, she knew that we had Peeta.
"I don't know." My voice was frantic and unstable. It felt as if every word got stuck in my throat as I could feel it get tighter. She took another step, and now we were in the same position as before, she was inside of my bubble, looking down on me with blue eyes that seemed as if they were a shade darker. The birds were singing, as if they knew what kind of turmoil my insides were in. They matched the chaos that was taking place within. Her eyes was even more beautiful than ever before, the dark dot expanding even though sun was beaming onto her face.
"You're really, really beautiful." Her voice rang through my ears, paralyzing my whole being.
"What?" My thoughts were once again racing. Why did she say that? When we're in the middle of the woods, in an arena where we're going to die, and she tells me I'm beautiful.
"We're in the arena, Why is that relevant?" I could hear my voice sounded harsh, but I was annoyed and frankly I didn't understand why she kept doing this to me.
"I needed to tell you something, and that was a good start." Her voice was soft, and I could tell my tone wasn't making any difference in her approach what so ever.
"Tell me, I have to get back soon."
"Do you?" I almost choked, I knew what she was suggesting.
"I like you, and I frankly can't stop thinking about you." Her voice sounded so sincere I could barely breathe.
"Truth be told, I don't want to be without you." Her eyes flickered down for a second, and soon I felt the warmth of her skin against mine, her fingers smoothing themselves out over mine as she took a light grip around my hand. A shiver ran through me
"Come with me?" Her voice was small, almost like a whisper, and her eyes looked pleading.
"What about Peeta?" My voice shattered mid-sentence and I pushed my eyes shut in pain.
"It doesn't matter right now" Her grip around my hand tightened, forcing my eyes to open once again. I was met with those eyes once again, and I knew in that instant that If I was going to die, I wanted to die fighting for her.
"Okay." My voice was small; I could barely hear it myself. But when her eyes instantly turned softer I knew that she had heard me. The second after I was buried into dark hair once again, enveloped by that sweet scent that I had grown attached to. Her arms found their grip around my shoulders, clinging onto me like I was the last person in the world. The warmth of her neck pressed against my cheek made me shiver, and her abdomen pressed against mine made me feel euphoric.
"Thank you." For the first time ever her voice sounded vulnerable. My hands found their way to her waist, and I could feel her toned muscles through the thin layer of
fabric.

"So where do we go from here?" I said as she ended the embrace, letting my shoulders go. Not wanting to let go my hands slowly left her waist.
"Since they're looking for me, and soon will be looking for you, I suggest that we keep on walking. Find somewhere to stay, and that we build up strength. I'm pretty sure Peeta will wear them out quite a bit, and by the time they find us we have a better chance of beating them." I got the feeling that Katniss had already thought this through, maybe Marvel was right. They had set up a trap after all.
"Actually, I've been staying the night with the others at this little cave near a pond." I replied, and nervously put my hands in my pockets. I had never been very good at strategy, and frankly I didn't know why I was even trying to help, I always screwed things up in the end anyways.
"Maybe we could stay there when the others leave." I shrugged my shoulders.
Katniss seemed to ponder over the suggestion for a while before speaking. "Okay" She simply said, before giving me a small smile.
"Let's go then." I nodded in response before I felt a very distinct lump form in my stomach, the second after a loud rumble emerged from within me.
I looked down for a second, before shooting my gaze up at Katniss once again. I felt blood rush to my head and I once again knew that I was blushing.
"Right, you were looking for food." She said, tilting her head to the side.
"Should we go back to the pond, see if they're still there? Chances are we could gather some fish there." Katniss said, shooting me a reassuring smile. I nodded in response before turning around to start walking.


We had been walking for about five minutes when I stopped in my tracks, putting my hand out to the side as if to tell Katniss to stay back.
We were hiding behind a big bush, from where we had a clear view of the cave and the Pond. I could see Cato, Marvel, Glimmer and Peeta discussing, and soon Cato's voice were loud and clear for us to hear.
"Clove! Where are you?" He cupped his mouth and then looked around, obviously not seeing me and Katniss behind the bush. My throat was dry. I kind of felt sorry for nut running to him, but I knew that I wanted to stay here, by Katniss. I saw how he turned to Marvel who apparently had said something; soon he was falling to the ground, cupping his jaw. Cato had given him a hard punch; I could tell from here that I would probably cry from the pain.
"She's coming back, okay? She wouldn't leave me!" Cato was screaming against Marvel that still was wriggling on the ground. Peeta said something to Cato, and in response he got a glare from Glimmer. Cato just nodded, and picked up his sword from the ground.
Glimmer helped Marvel up, and soon they were walking away from the area.
The lump in my throat didn't disappear, but when the coast was clear I followed Katniss to the Cave.

"This is actually a nice place to stay. We could make it here for quite a while." Katniss pondered, sliding her hand against the walls of the cave.
"That depends on if there is any fish here." I added, training my eyes on the back of her head.
She turned around and met my gaze before opening her mouth.
" Let's go check it out then, shall we?" She gave me a wink before walking by me and out of the cave.
I followed her, almost slipping on a wet rock.
"Take it easy" Katniss chuckled as she grabbed my hand, keeping me from falling to the ground.
I just gave her a small smile, feeling the embarrassment boiling within before following her out to the pond. We sat down next to the edge, and soon I could see some small golden fishes swim near the surface.

"How are we going to catch them?" I said, letting my eyes slide to my side where Katniss were sitting.
"If I shoot them with my bow we could easily end up bursting their gall bladder, and that ruins the meat, makes it poisonous. So I suggest you try to hit them with one of your knives." She stood up, and started taking off her jacket, throwing it to the ground.
"What are you doing?" I asked, as she started taking off her shoes. My eyes felt as if they were going to fall out their sockets any second, but she just kept on staring at the pond.
"If you catch them, I'll go retrieve them." She stated simply, before taking her top off. I gasped at the sight. My eyes couldn't leave her, those toned abs, her collar-bones, that dark hair. I don't even think she noticed, because she started unbuckling her pants the very next second. I swallowed a dry gulp and shook my head to try and get a hold of myself. I stood up and retrieved a small knife from a holster in my jacket. Taking it by the blade, I aimed at one particularly big fish, and extended my arm forward. The surface was shattered and by the big splash left by the fish, I realized I hadn't missed it.
I did the very same thing 5 more times, before Katniss jumped into the water. The water barely made a ripple as her body hit the surface. She had gone in graciously, and a few seconds later her head was above water again. I couldn't help but to smile, she looked very comfortable as she went around in the water, retrieving fish that now had risen to the surface.

"You have to get in, it feels so good!" She exclaimed after reaching land once again. I couldn't help but to stare, because her body was covered in small prickles of water, and she was panting so her chest was heaving up and down. She looked absolutely gorgeous.
"I don't know" I said. All the bacon I had been eating the past weeks had not made me feel that good about my body, and after seeing her all my self-confidence flew out the window. She was so… how do you say it? Oh, Perfect. I was nothing compared to her.
"Why not?" She replied after laying the fish down on her jacket.
"I just don't know." I said, almost excusing myself for the bad answer.
"Come on." She said, approaching me slowly, and soon I was standing very close to her undressed body. I couldn't even answer, I was speechless.
Before I could react I was under the surface, feeling the warm water surround me, getting inside of my clothes. When I made it up to the surface again I was attacked by Katniss who jumped in after me. Her body pushed mine under surface again as she made contact. And soon I was watching her through the clear, blue water. She was above me, smiling at me. Her hair was everywhere, as if it was floating. She is a Goddess after all, I thought.
When we made it up once again we both started giggling. I know this really wasn't the time for it. Anybody could come kill us any second now, and we were making all these unnecessary noises.
However, at this point I really didn't care. I would die here, and I might as well make the most of the time I had left.


After making a fire, and hanging all my wet clothes to dry, Katniss had started cooking those golden fishes we had caught before. She had lent me her Jacket and top, so that I wouldn't catch a cold. That however seemed impossible, since this was one of the hottest days I had experienced in a while. Katniss wore nothing more than her boots, and her trousers. Of course she had underwear, but those toned muscles were all mine to gawk upon.
She didn't seem to mind, she didn't even seem to realize I was doing so. That didn't bother me at all, it meant I could shamelessly enjoy the eye candy on my own.
"Here you go" She said, giving me a fish that was attached to a wooden stick. I nodded and mumbled thanks before bringing the white flesh to my lips. It smelled delicious, I never thought fish cooked like this could ever smell good, or taste good. I was proved wrong as my teeth dug into the meat, and my tongue was enveloped in a salty, creamy taste. I couldn't help but to moan at the sensation, it felt so good to finally eat, and this fish must be a gift from the gods or something. Like Honeysoda. My mouth was filled with saliva at the thought of the sweet beverage, and I could almost taste the sizzling against my taste buds.
"Do you like it?" I hear Katniss say from beside me. I turned my head and was met with a pair of curious blue eyes.
"It's like the best thing I've ever had." I exclaimed, taking another bite from the white flesh.
Katniss giggled before she took a bite of her own, and soon I heard her moan as well. The sound of her moan brought my stomach into turmoil; it knotted together into a big ball of tickle.
"I second that" She said. I watched her as her lips parted to let a pink tongue guide its way out. She slowly licked around those plump lips, and I swear I could almost feel my stomach explode. Something was boiling within me. I wanted to lick those lips like she did, I wanted to touch her face, I wanted to be closer to her. I tried my best not to look at her while she was eating, and ate my share of the catch in silence.


"So what do we do now?" I said after finishing our meal, still filled with that annoying craving.
"We should probably rest a bit, and then we could go out. Your clothes should be dry by then, and we should probably gather something more to eat for dinner." Katniss answered. I turned my head to watch her, and when my eyes met here, her eyes were darker than I had ever seen them before.
"Is there something wrong?" I said, mesmerized by the expression plastered upon her face.
"No, it's just…" She stopped mid-sentence, and looked down to the ground.
"What?" I asked, feeling very confused by her antics.
She suddenly started crawling towards me on all four, and when she was standing with my legs between her knees, she looked up.
"I have this feeling." She said softly, almost whispering. My throat and mouth was instantly dry, and I could feel my heart beating against my ribcage.
"I don't think I can explain it, but it's like this craving." She continued. I swallowed dryly, and nodded.

Her hand found its way to my jawline, and soon her fingers had enveloped my chin like it had before. Her eyes were burning into mine, and I could almost feel my brain turn into some kind of jelly.
She lifted my chin a little, and leaned in to push her soft lips against mine. I couldn't think, I couldn't move, I could only feel. Feel her hand, feel her lips against mine. That soft buzzing that took place where she was touching me.
My hand found its way up to the back of her head, and so I deepened the kiss. I had never kissed anyone before, but I couldn't think about anyone else that I would rather share this with. Her scent once again infected my senses, and when she took my bottom lip between hers I couldn't stop a small moan from escaping my throat. Her other hand found its way up to my shoulder and soon enough I was being pushed to the hard ground.
I immediately missed the feeling of her lips upon mine, but it didn't last for long because the second after she was crashing into me once again. The kiss was hard, it was like some kind of release, it was frantic, it was rushed, but yet it was the best thing I had ever felt.
There were so many emotions intertwined in the kiss. It was like I could feel how she had been holding this in, and safe to say I didn't mind at all that she had released it. Her abdomen was pushed against mine, and soon I was also aware of that one of her legs had found its way between mine. When I felt the tip of her tongue slip over my bottom lip I quickly opened my mouth, granting her access. When our tongues connected I could feel something starting to build within me.
It went like a shock through me; it made me shiver down to the bone. I never wanted this to stop, I never wanted to leave this, leave her body, leave her lips, or that soft, moist tongue of hers that was now massaging my own. When the kiss ended it felt like something was taken from me. As my eyes opened once again I was met with a pair of crystal blue ones that was beaming at me with warmth. A beautiful smile played on her lips, and when she pushed a stray strand of hair from my face I couldn't help but to smile myself.
I wanted to say something, but the words never came out, so we just stayed like that. Her body upon mine, staring into each other, and I felt as if I was complete.


Hey everybody. Sorry about the late update, and I'm sad to say that it'll be the last in a while. I will probably not be able to update this coming week since I'm having a friend over at my house.
However, I will update as soon as i possibly can, i promise you.
I hope you enjoy this chapter, I know some of you were quite anxious about how their relationship progressed very slowly, and so it thought: Why the heck not?
Special greetings and thanks to Sparky.182. Your review made me very, very happy, and I was in your exact same position a couple of weeks ago. But then i decided to write this fanfiction, And finally get this ship going. Cloveniss is on, my friend.
Thank you all so very much for the Alerts, Reviews and Favorites, It makes my day. Really.

If you enjoyed this chapter - why don't you tell me about it? ;)