Hello again, loves! I'm so so so excited about the response to the last chapter. In fact, I've decided to give in to the requests I've been getting. In this chapter (most likely the last in Cato's POV before the games begin) there is... FLUFF. I know, unusual for me. It's not over the top, but I really wanted to add some before they're separated (sniff sniff).
Anyways, love you guys. Thank you so much for the kind words, favorite, and follows. You're the best!
Finnick's signature smile illuminates our sitting room from the television screen. We've been watching the interview replay for the last hour and a half, though I'm not sure I can recall a single sentence he has uttered. I am far too engrossed in the young woman sleeping peacefully in my arms. The feeling is surreal, and were it not for my left arm falling asleep about thirty minutes ago I would be convinced I was dreaming.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ares rise and stretch dramatically. "I'm going to bed. I suggest you all do the same soon."
He leaves, and I expect Cassius to do the same. Instead he stares at the two of us; a mixture of hatred and another emotion I can't seem to place paint his features. "You could at least pretend that you're going to give me chance to live, you selfish bastard. Is her life really that much more valuable than mine?"
His voice is quiet and gruff, but I feel as if he has screamed. This is the most I've heard him speak, and I'm honestly too shocked to respond. He continues for me, "It was smart, convincing her to form a new alliance. I would have killed her from the start, just to spite you. I'm still going to be the one to kill her, you know. I can't wait to watch the hope seep from her eyes and know that with every drop of blood she loses, it's killing you, too."
My muscles tense involuntarily at the threat, and I resist the urge to lunge at him. I know that if I wake Athena things could get ugly fast. "You won't live to touch a hair on her head if you say another word. Do you have a death wish? Are you insane? Do you realize I control the gifts you receive inside the arena?"
He laughs, "Because you were going to help me at all, right? I'm telling you this because I want you to know that it's your fault. Her blood is on your hands. You single handedly created her greatest enemy by refusing to be the mentor that I deserved. You and her bloody brother get first dibs on mentoring because you were the last ones to win. It should be my father sitting in your chair, not you. I deserved to be afforded every opportunity she has been, and now I'm going to be tossed into the games like your personal sacrificial lamb. You're willing to ruin my life to save hers. Now I'm going to make sure you've done it all in vain."
He exits without waiting for an answer, leaving me feeling dazed, infuriated, and culpable all at once. He is right, of course. I can only technically save one tribute, and I chose her. It's not a choice I'm proud of, but it's one I'd never change. When she stirs slightly in my arms, my sentiments are affirmed. I'm not killing these children, the Capitol is. While I'm doing what I can to change this, I cannot be held responsible for the executions they enforce. These are the things I repeat to myself; still I cannot ignore the gnawing feeling in my conscious. I am distracted from it only when I realize how long I have been sitting and pondering my actions. It's nearly midnight, and I may only have two nights sleep left in the foreseeable future.
"Athena," I mutter quietly, shifting her in my arms so that she has to sit up. This proves ineffective, as she simply rests her head on my shoulder, buries her face into the crook of my neck, and continues to sleep. I laugh quietly, "Athena, we can't stay here all night."
"Hmm," she mumbles into my shoulder. Her eyes have still yet to open, and when she yawns the innocence that overcomes her features is overwhelming.
My fingers tremble slightly as they slide through her soft curls. "Thena, sweetheart. You should really be heading off to bed. It's late, and you need your rest for tomorrow."
Her response is to wrap her arms around my neck and legs around my torso and grumble a sleepy, "No."
Resigned, I wrap one arm beneath her legs to support her, stand, and carry her to her room. The door is slightly ajar, so I move to push it open. I pull back the covers, but I'm unable to let go. Finding myself at a stalemate, I come to the only logical conclusion I can think of. "Will you sleep with me?"
Her eyes find mine for the first time tonight, and it's clear she's not happy with my request. She slides out of my arms, falling cross-legged on her bed, her arms folded to match. "I should have known. That's what all of this was about, just so you could sleep with me one or two last times before you ship me off to my death. That's all women are to you anymore, Cato. Sex. And I for one–"
"Athena!" I shout lightly to get her attention. I grab her wrists, as she's been talking with her hands more and more as her anger grew. When she sees the grin playing at the corners of my lips, she sneers slightly. "I don't mean it in that way. I just wanted you to stay in my room. Literally sleep in the same room as me. I'll sleep on the floor if you want."
Her features slip into embarrassment, and I can see her cheeks stain with blush even in the dark. I let my mouth slip into a sideways smirk. She stands and treads across the hall to the entrance to my room. Once inside, she immediately beings to dig through my drawers, finally pulling a large t-shit from one of the piles. She shoots me an uncertain look before pulling her own shirt over her head.
My throat dries. "What are you doing?" I croak. She doesn't answer. She doesn't even acknowledge my question. She simply unfastens the button to her shorts and allows them to fall down her legs and join her discarded top on the floor. I'm not sure I can remember how to breathe.
Athena's eyes finally meet mine, and the piercing blue sends my heart into overdrive. I know by the smirk on her face she's toying with me, but I can't remember why I should care. Before I can make my legs work to take me to her, she pulls my t-shirt over her head, effectively ruining my previous view. Still, the fabric barely reaches past her upper thigh, and her long, toned legs are still very much in view.
"Cato?" Her smile spreads as she pads seductively towards me. "Say something?"
"I–erm. We really should be getting to sleep," my voice cracks like I'm fourteen all over again. I move around her towards the couch before she reaches me and I do something I regret. But when I turn to face her again and see rejection in her eyes, I immediately find remorse in my decision. "Athena, I didn't mean… I just don't know how far we can push this. I've had to watch and wait for you for so long. Don't misunderstand me, there's nothing I want more than this, than you. But I'm not sure how much self-control I can exercise in this situation."
Her hands twist and wring each other, and her gaze seems locked onto them, "I understand. I wasn't trying to… I've just had this dream so many times. You apologize, give me some wild reason why you left, tell me you love me, take me to bed, and then I wake up. Alone. If this is going to end when I open my eyes in the morning, I want every second of contact I can get."
I hesitantly wrap my arms around her again. She melts into my embrace, and I breathe a sigh of relief and burry my face in her hair. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise, I'll be here in the morning. But it's time to go to sleep."
She nods, and turns to go to bed. When she pulls back the covers, she turns to look at me again. I turn away quickly and begin making my bed on the couch, aware that I have just been caught staring at her. "Cato. What the hell are you doing? Get over here."
She's standing with one hand on her hip and the other pointing forcefully toward the now unmade bed. I stifle a laugh, but move quickly toward her, diving onto the bed and pulling her in beside me. She laughs, and it's so impossibly reassuring that for half a second I forget where we are. For half a second, everything is exactly the way it should have been.
"Rise and shine, princess! We've got some errands to run this afternoon before–whoa!" Finnick, who has just burst into my room unannounced, dodges the pillow I throw at him. "Hey, mister. That was not very nice."
"Finnick, get the fuck out of here," I grumble, wrapping my arms tighter around Athena. Wait, Athena!
As if she can hear my thoughts, she begins to stir. Shit, shit, shit. Please don't sit up while he's in here. He cannot know that you're in here, Athena. Please stay asleep.
"Hmm. Cato?" Her voice rings out light and feminine. Damnnit. Finnick freezes in place.
"Finnick, I said get out," I yell sitting up, pushing the covers over Athena's head so that he can't see her.
She tosses the covers off her face and bolts up beside me. "Cato, what the hell? I can't breath! Are you trying to kill me, you–."
She stops, suddenly aware of Finnick's presence. At first, he seems confused, but then realization sets in and so does his perpetual smile. I groan and flop back down, knowing what is coming. Without warning, Finnick dives into bed and wriggles his way between us until he is lying on the pillow beside me staring up at Athena, who could not look any more mortified. "So this is the Mrs., huh? Finnick Odair, at your service, m'lady. Tell me, are you the one that has seduced my little brother, too?"
"Enough, Finn," I roll out of bed and shoot him a scathing look. "I'll meet you in the kitchen in a minute."
"But we were just getting to know each other!" He pouts insincerely, rolling on his side so that he can face Athena fully. "I hear you're quite the kisser. If you ever get tired of these inexperienced children, I'd be happy to show you what a real man is like."
He leans in to her face as if he is going to kiss her, and Athena looks up at me, bewildered and angry, before shoving Finnick away. He is clearly not expecting her to be as strong as she is, because he tumbles backwards and nearly falls off the bed. "I'm only kidding, sheesh. No offense, toots, but your not exactly my type."
Athena rolls her eyes, but still looks quite flustered in the situation. I walk to her side of the bed, now fully dressed and ready for the day, and scoop her into my arms. She turns nimbly, wrapping her legs around my waist so that we face each other. The knits her fingers into my hair and winks at me, then brings her lips forcefully down to mine. Her actions have the desired effect, as Finnick scoffs and bounds off the bed, "Would you two get a room?"
"This is our room, Odair," Athena growls against my lips, and I can't help but smile. I hear him gripe something about meeting me in the kitchen after all, and the door closes.
As soon as it does, Athena untangles herself from my grasp and leaps to the floor. "You could have told me we'd be having a wake-up call from the most famous man in the Capitol," she laments sarcastically, throwing a hand over her eyes dramatically.
"You're bed head is sexy, Thena. And just so you know, there's nothing more tempting than you in my shirt," I purr in an intentionally raspy voice.
Her hands fly to the hem touching her thigh, "Oh my… I don't have any pants on. Finnick Odair just watched me roll around in your bed without any pants on."
I laugh and kiss the top of her head, "Finnick doesn't care. He doesn't see any woman that way besides Annie Cresta. Do you think I would have let him act that way of he did?"
You can almost see the gears turning in her head. "Annie Cresta? You mean the crazy girl from District 4? I don't understand. He's the sex symbol of the Capitol. He could have nearly anyone he wanted. Why her? She's so broken and…" Her voice trails off when she sees me wince slightly. "What?"
"I can't explain it, really. He just loves her; he always has. The games change all of us. Annie just happened to be a little more pure than the rest of us, too pure to handle everything she saw. I think that's why he loves her, because she was too good for it all. Did you know she's the only Victor to have ever won her games without taking a single life?"
"The broken dam," She thinks aloud. "Finnick. He was responsible for that somehow, wasn't he? He found a way to save her."
I shake my head, "Again, I'm not sure. He never would say, but everyone says he paid a high price to get her out of there alive."
She nods and pecks me lightly on the lips. I brush her untamed, dark tousles back away from her face, and kiss her lightly on the forehead, "I would do the same for you, you know? I don't care what it takes; you are going to survive that arena."
She nods and opens her mouth to say something when there is a knock at the door. "Cato, dearie. Have you seen Athena? No one can find her. I'm starting to get worried. Maybe I should check the cameras from last night and see where she ran off to," Rosaline coos from the hall.
Athena's eyes grow wide, and I stifle a laugh. "I think I know where to find her."
"Oh good. Would you send her to the remake center when you find her? She needs to be preparing for her interviews!"
Athena waits a moment until she believes she has gone and lets out a breath I wasn't aware she was holding in, "Thank goodness she didn't come in. Could you imagine the look on her face if she knew I stayed here last night?"
"Athena, my dear, do not under estimate your escort," Rosaline indifferently opens the door. "I knew you were in here the whole time, I was simply trying to be discrete."
Athena flushes beet red and her jaw drops. Rosaline scoffs, "Oh don't give me that look. This is far from the most scandalous thing that's happened on this floor in my years here. Now, shoo. Off to your stylist right this instant. My tributes will not show up to their interviews without being fully polished." As Athena scurries off, she turns her scolding tone to me, "Oh and you left those in the kitchen."
She points to the door where Finnick has peeked his head around the corner. Rosaline sashays out of sight as he steps fully into view. "Look who decided to join us!"
He pushes Johanna around the corner, and I am shocked to see that she is very clearly still dressed in a revealing silk nightgown. She tries to take a swing at Finnick, who stiff-arms her head so that she can't reach him. "Finnick, you impossible ass."
"Ah, ah, ah. Jo, would you like to tell Cato what you're doing here, or should I?" Finnick grins happily, excitement bubbling over. He looks like a kid who has caught his sibling doing something wrong and now gets to tell on her.
"Go to hell, Odair," she growls, giving up the struggle. She flicks him off and turns to face me. "Oh, fine. You're such a taddle-tale. I stayed with Ares, alright? Are you happy now, Odair? Can I go put some clothes on, or are you secretly enjoying the view?"
My jaw drops in shock, and Finnick doubles over in laughter. Because his timing is always impeccable, Ares chooses now to walk into my room. His eyes are half closed and sleepy, and he's scratching his shirtless chest.
"What the hell are you two so chipper for this morning?" He asks. When he sees Johanna, he freezes. I'm afraid Finnick may actually die laughing. "Oh hey, Jo. Uh, what are you doing here so early?"
She rolls her eyes, "Save it. Finnick caught me leaving."
Ares looks as if he's going to be sick. Finally, Finnick seems to regain control of himself. He straightens and wipes a tear from his eye, "You've got to be kidding me. The unobtrusive, protective, gentleman that is Ares Laud is sleeping with Johanna Mason, the loudest, crudest, rudest little she-devil I have ever met. I've got to hand it to you, Laud. I can honestly saw I never saw this one coming."
Johanna seems to have had enough, as she begins raining punches down on Finnick's side. If it hurts, he doesn't let it show. Instead he succumbs to another bout of laughter.
"Alright, alright," Ares lifts Johanna up by the waist, kicking and screaming. "Don't you two have anyone else to pester? Or interviews to get ready for?"
Finnick claps him on the shoulder, still laughing his words, "Your absolutely right. We're going to get pretty for our close ups. You find something to do with that."
He points at Johanna, sticks his tongue out, and lightly walks out the door. She flicks him off, but he doesn't see. "I really hate him sometimes."
"No you don't," I laugh, ruffling her hair. She struggles against Ares' arms to hit me, and I look at him skeptically. "Are you sure she didn't drug you or something? Or threaten to kill you?"
He smiles, "Don't worry, we have a safe word for those kinds of things."
"Ares Laud!" Johanna screams, turning her attack on him. I laugh and leave them to their quarrel.
Finnick is waiting for me in the hall, "You look different today."
"It's called happiness, Finnick."
"Do you know where you're at? There's no such thing as happiness here." He presses the button that will take us to the Victor's stylist floor.
"You don't understand. I know you have to go without Annie for a while, and you worry. But you've never had to try to make her hate you, to make her think you hate her. I can't explain the weight that's been lifted off my shoulders."
"That's great, man," he says softly, his voice somber. "Enjoy it while it lasts, I suppose. You're only sending her into a death match tomorrow morning. What could go wrong?"
For those of you who asked if Ares was going to have a love interest... Yeah. And I just love them together. They're like the normal bad/good couple except it's kind of backwards because it's usually bad boy/good girl. But you get it, and I'm rambling.
You know, you should review. Finnick would want you to. He loves reviews.
xoxo