Kind of a filler chapter.
Meh. R&R anyway.
Chapter 34
"It was you, wasn't it?"
Caius opened his eyes at the unexpected voice. It was the first time he was able to be alone –– even when he went to the bathroom they watched him carefully, which was really creepy in his opinion –– since getting out of that arena four days ago, and it had just been interrupted by Petronius's annoying mentor.
(Seeing as the above paragraph alone contained at least ten unprintable words because Caius's dirty-mouthed mind is not worthy of a T rating, I shall leave this altered version as it is.)
Katniss Everdeen stood in the doorway to his bedchambers, her bony figure silhouetted by the hallway light and shadowed by the darkness in Caius's room. He preferred it to be dark when he was "meditating", though everyone knew that it wasn't real meditating but instead just sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed and his mind thinking about anything but peaceful and/or studious thoughts. But it was alone time in any case, and when Caius was stripped of his alone time he was usually quite irritated.
But not this time. Five words from Miss Everdeen's mouth had stirred something in him. "What?" he asked.
Katniss entered the room and sat down on the bed next to him. "It was you," she said quietly. "That boy that my sister gave her coat to before she died."
Now Caius was really interested. His eyes were wider than usual. "Your sister?"
Katniss nodded shakily. "Prim. She –– she was a medic for the rebels, and her first mission was with a relief squad. It was on the day that the rebels –– we took over."
A cold chill crept down Caius's spine, running along the jagged scar that was hidden now by a thin white tunic. "Primrose Everdeen," he whispered. "So that's where I had seen her before. The reaping, and then again on the day that all of those children were killed."
"You remember."
"I do remember. That was your sister?"
Katniss just nodded as a tear traced a path down her cheek.
"I'm sorry."
The girl on fire looked up and met his gaze. "No. I'm sorry."
He cocked his head. "For what?"
"You were crying when she gave you her coat. Why were you crying?"
He took a deep breath. A different person would have told Katniss their entire sob story without hesitation. Caius was not that kind of person.
"That bad?" asked Katniss.
Caius braced himself. Might as well get it over with. "You weren't the only one who lost your sister that day." His voice caught in his throat and the invulnerable mask faltered.
The blood seemed to drain completely from Katniss's face. "Oh. I'm –– I'm so sorry, I –– I didn't –– "
He blinked.
That alone shut Katniss up.
The smallest of grins flickered across Caius's face, though it was a sad one. "It's okay. It gives me one less reason to hate you."
Katniss smiled weakly, not entirely sure if this was an offense or a compliment or something otherwise. "Retribution, I guess it could be called."
And at that moment, something clicked between the two victors. Both of them held grudges against the other side, but in that moment these grudges were forgiven and lifted. Caius held out his hand to Katniss, in an attempt to shake hands and seal the silent agreement, but to his surprise Katniss did not accept it. Instead she reached over and crushed the small boy in a hug.
Seriously, what is it with people hugging me? thought Caius's darker side before the lighter side forced his arms up to hug her back.
It was only once they were both locked in the hug did they both hear a girl clearing her throat.
They looked up. Standing in the doorway was Peeta, with his arms folded across his chest, and Artemis, who was slapping a baseball bat in her hands. Neither of them looked very happy.
The confusion as to what was happening was eventually sorted out, but for a very long time afterwards Peeta and Caius were a bit prickly around each other.
And Artemis made sure to call Katniss "the girl who should literally be on fire" whenever possible.
Just read Mockingjay. He's in there. He's not named, nor is he mentioned anytime afterwards, but he's there. Page 347, line 2. "Then, as she yanks off her coat to cover a wailing child…"
So in a way, Caius is NOT an OC.
Though I do own his appearance, personality, general character, blueberries, et cetera –– agh! Hey! Unhand me you fiend! Untie these ropes NOW!
Caius: GIVE ME MY BLUEBERRIES. Then we'll talk.
Me: Never!
Caius: *glares, then raises knife and my stuffed pig*
Me: AHH! NO! DON'T!
Caius: Give me my blueberries…or the pig dies.
Me: *gasps* You wouldn't dare!
Caius: *grins maniacally* Killing people is wrong. But I have no qualms against disemboweling stuffed animals.
Me: Please don't kill Piggy Wilbur.
Caius: Where are the blueberries?
Me: …
Fine! You win! They're in the freezer! Chocykitty told me to put them in there!
Caius: I am glad you cooperated –– wait, what? The FREEZER? *checks freezer and pulls out bowl of frozen blueberries* AWESOME! *stuffs face with blueberries*
Me: Now untie me and let me have Wilbur. You got what you wanted.
Caius: Promise not to steal them again?
Me: I cannot answer to that promise.
Caius: *picks up Wilbur and puts him on my lap* Fine then. *walks away eating frozen blueberries*
Me: Hey! Wait, where are you going?! YOU DIDN'T UNTIE ME! GET BACK HERE! NOT COOL, DUDE! Hey, this author's note is half as long as the actual chapter…