Okay I've been getting some questions about ages and timelines and what not so...
Ares and Athena Laud: (almost) 19. Ares is the Victor of the 72nd Hunger Games 15 (almost 16)
Cato Porcius: (almost) 21, Victor of the 73rd Hunger Games 18 (almost 19)
Finnick Odair: 23, Victor of the 66th Hunger Games 14
Tide Odair: 18
Gale Hawthorne: 18
Katniss and Peeta: 17, Victors of the 74th Hunger Games at 16
Johanna Mason: 20, Victor of the 70th Hunger Games at 15
Cato and Athena have been training together since she was 8 and he was 10 (you enter the training academy at 8). Their first kiss was when he was 13 and she was 11. They "broke up" when he left before his games, almost 6 years later. I hope this helps!
"Don't do it, Jo," voices from the hall pull me from my light sleep. "Just go in there and shake him a little."
"Hush," Johanna's voice answers. The door to my room opens and light floods in. Part of me knows I should just sit up and tell them I'm awake. But I've still got Athena's pillow wrapped in my arms, and I'm not ready to let go just yet.
"I'm serious. He's going to kill you," I recognize Ares' voice before I'm plunged into a cold, wet stream.
I jump up, coughing and spitting. Johanna is standing several feet back from my bed at this point with a smug grin. In her hands is a now emptied bucket. Ares is standing beside her with an apologetic yet amused twinkle in his eye. The clock on my table reads 5:34 AM.
"You couldn't have just knocked?" I ask with a yawn. Johanna's smile falters slightly; she was clearly looking for a fight. Instead, I walk by her into the bathroom, shaking my wet hair in her face before grabbing a towel.
"I thought you'd be mad," she says, her voice moving closer to me. "I must admit I'm disappointed. Not because you didn't try to fight me. I honestly thought you were the type to sleep in the nude."
She pops the band on the back of my boxers. I turn quickly, picking her up by the shoulders and tossing her across the room. She hits the soft bed with little more than the wind knocked out of her and sighs. Ares looks as angry as I am, but Johanna shrugs and walks into the hall calling over her shoulder, "I'll be by the elevator when you Debby-Downers are ready to get this show on the road."
Ares shakes his head and follows her. I pull on sweat pants and a t-shirt before doing the same. We climb into the elevator, where Ares presses the button for the penthouse. When the doors open, we find Finnick, Peeta, Haymitch, and a man I recognize as the District 3 mentor, Beetee, waiting for us. Before anyone can ask, Peeta speaks up, "Katniss is asleep. It's the first time she's fallen asleep since the reaping. I figured it was best to let her rest."
He says it firmly with his arms crossed protectively over his chest, as if daring someone to disagree. When no one does, we all make our way to the roof together. The wind is loud and wiping, and I'm sure there is no way any microphones could pick up what we say this morning. When we arrive near the edge, Beetee is the first to speak, "Today is the first day of sponsorship activities. Now I don't need to tell you what this means, but you do need to know that there are supporters out there. Rebels, here in the Capitol…"
He continues, explaining that they may show us some form of Katniss's mockingjay pin. We are to respond by running three fingers along any part of our face. I see Johanna pass them along her lips and Peeta across his jaw line. It is subtle and unnoticeable, unless you are looking for it. Fairly quickly, though, Finnick dismisses himself. His eyes are tired as if he hasn't been to sleep, and I wonder if he's had appointments through the night. Haymitch, Ares, Johanna, and I follow, but Peeta places a hand on my shoulder and asks me to stay.
When the others have left, I turn expectantly to him, but he can't seem to look me in the eyes. He speaks, but it is mumbled and the wind is too loud for me to understand. Finally, he walks back toward the penthouse, gesturing for me to follow. He leads me down the hall with the bedrooms and steps into one, locking the door behind him. He turns the sink, the shower, and a hairdryer on before finally speaking, "So tomorrow is the beginning of sponsorship…"
His voice trails off, and my confusion is turning into agitation. He must be able to see this because he with more confidence and clarity, "I guess I may as well be blunt. Are you aware that selling your… time is an accepted way of sponsorship?"
His statement takes me aback. Not only because of the information but also because of who said it. For a moment, I think I'm going to laugh, but Peeta's expression is solemn. I clear my throat and answer, "I was under the impression that could possibly be an option."
"I need a favor," Peeta sends me a pleading look.
Although I've never had much personal contact with him, I admit I like him enough. He is strong and protective, though not overtly so. And I can tell by the way he looks at his co-Victor that he would die for her in a heartbeat. This is something I can relate to, and I realize he and I may be more alike than I had ever considered. So I nod, "Sure thing, Mellark. What's going on?"
"I'm going to do it. To sponsor Prim," he stays sternly. I'm surprised, but he explains, "Haymitch can't know; he'd never let me. Hawthorne can't know; he'd use it against me. But most importantly, Katniss can never know. She'd find some outlandish way to blame herself, and she's having a hard enough time as it is. But I have to make sure that little girl stays alive until we can get them out."
I nod again, "Athena's already taken to her. She talked about her tonight at dinner."
He smiles, "I've never met anyone that wasn't completely taken with her the moment they met. But you didn't answer my question. Will you help me pull this off without them knowing?"
"Of course," relief washes over his features. "I have one question. Why can't her cousin know?"
Peeta's face slips involuntarily into a scowl, something I've never seen from him. "They aren't cousins. They were best friends."
The way he practically spits the word "friends" implies to me that there was something more, and I'm shocked. Everdeen doesn't seem the type to fall in love once; twice seems impossible. But I decide not to press the subject. Instead I stand and turn to leave, telling Peeta I will seem him later at the Sponsor's Gala.
I've barely made it to the elevator when I feel something small but sturdy slam into my side. I look down to see Katniss Everdeen wrapped around me, sobbing into my chest. Peeta sticks his head out of his room and is immediately stunned by the situation. Seeing the state she is in, though, he comes running to meet us.
"There was so much blood, Peet," she chokes out, face buried in my shirt. Peeta is still only halfway to us, and I'm unsure what to do. "I woke up and you were gone. I've never been so scared. I–"
Her voice is cut off when she finally looks up from my torso. Her face twists into a horrified gape just as Peeta reaches the spot where we stand and pulls her into him.
"It's okay, Katniss. Look at me. I'm here; I'm sorry I left. I was going to wake you, but you needed to rest," he rambles.
She turns to look at me again, her eyes red and puffy for the second time today. The sight makes my stomach churn. I never thought I'd see her cry. Her voice is much more confident than her face portrays, "The blonde hair, the stocky build. I just thought… But you're taller. And you're hair is lighter and skin darker. I just… I'm sorry, Porcius."
She turns before I can answer, dragging Peeta along with her.
Tonight is the Sponsor's Gala, and the very idea is so revolting that I consider calling in sick. It wouldn't exactly be a lie. But when I half-heartedly suggested this to Ares, he threw the remote at the back of my head. So now, I'm standing in front of the floor length mirror in my bedroom wondering why they insist on putting me in grey suits and baby blue shirts for all of these functions.
"It's because it makes your eyes impossibly blue."
I don't need to look to know that Athena is standing in my doorway, but I do none-the-less. Her face is flushed and sweaty and her hair is plastered to her forehead. I realize this afternoon was her private session with the gamemakers. She walks over and sits at the bottom of my bed, folding her legs up Indian style the way she always has.
"You still think out lout when you're anxious," she states. I can't do much of anything but stare at her.
"What are you doing in here, Athena?"
She winces slightly and looks down at her hands. "Tide kissed me today."
I'm absolutely floored. I don't know whether to scream or vomit. I want nothing more than to track him down and snap his neck with my bare hands, but I'm afraid that if I move my knees will give out and I wont be able to stand. My hands have balled into fists around my tie, and I can't unclench them. I don't seem to have control over any of my body. My throat is so dry I can't even swallow the bile that's rising in my throat.
I finally bring my eyes up to meet hers in the mirror. She's studying my reaction. I know the part I'm supposed to play in this. I'm supposed to tell her that I don't care, that I've spent the night with a different woman every night since we arrived. But I can't. I'm afraid that if I start to speak, I won't be able to help what I say. Instead, I unclench my hands from my tie and move to get another that isn't wrinkled beyond repair.
Anger and pain flare in her ice blue eyes, "You don't have anything to say to me?"
"What do you want me to say?" I ask, but my voice is forced and hoarse. I'm trying my best not to look at her.
"I want you to yell at me. I want you to get angry with me. I want you to fight for me. Say something, say anything! Give me one reason–"
"I can't!" I scream over her. "God dammit, Athena! What do you want from me? Do you want me to tell you these past two years have just been a bad dream? That we'll wake up tomorrow and nothing will have changed? Do you want me to tell you that you'll come out of your games a happy little victor and then all the sudden your problems are gone?"
She does not shrink away. My Athena would never, "I want you to tell me why! I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me why, after everything we went through, you disappear the night before your games. Almost six years, Cato! Six years we're together, and you leave me a fucking letter saying you don't want to see me when you get back? You couldn't even say it to my face! You don't explain. You won't even look at me once you came home. You shut me out just like Ares did. I didn't have anyone, you bastard. And you knew it! You knew it, and you still left me to go crazy in that academy on my own. I just want to know why!"
She starts hitting me in the torso over and over, and I can't make myself stop her. She keeps going, until tears are streaming down her face. I grab her wrists and push them to her sides, before pulling her into me. The sensation is so welcome, so surreal that I think I'm dreaming until I feel my shirt start to get wet. Even then, I don't pull her away. Instead, she pushes away, stands up straight, and wipes her eyes.
She's halfway out the door when I hear her ask, "I guess nobody finds their soul mate when they're eleven, right?"
There's about four chapters left until the games actually begin, so be expecting Cato/Athena action to lick up a little between now and then because they'll obviously be separated for a while.
For those of you missing a certain green eyed, devilishly handsome tribute, he will be making a BIG comeback next chapter. We have to hear about that kiss, don't we?
xoxo