Glimmer Point of View

District 5 is mundane, and we've finally come to expect the glares, the whispers, the forced cheers for another Districts victory. I don't blame them- in years past, when other Districts have won instead of mine, we were the same way. Especially when my friend Calla volunteered for her pregnant older sister and the boy from 4 killed her. That year, I glared at him, the proud victor, and I saw the smirk he flashed at me.

Either way, we're back on the train and heading to 6 by the end of the day. I'm in the shower when I hear my door open. Cato's voice barely comes through the door as he says my name, and I shout "Just a minute", before hurriedly turning off the water and wrapping myself in a towel. I'm lucky that I do it so quickly, because he steps through the door just as I'm covered. My blush begins to rise. I'm standing in front of this boy who has admitted that he likes me, and that I like him. My body is covered in nothing but a towel, I've got on no makeup, and my hair is dripping and flat. But he sucks in a breathe, and whispers as he looks at me.

"I've never seen someone more beautiful in my life." He's just staring at me, and I still feel a little strange. Slowly, he comes over to me and tilts my head up for a kiss, which I give him, and then he finally shuts the door.

This puts me in a frenzy, and I'm quickly pulling on clothes and wrapping a towel around my hair, sticking it under the dryer so it's dry in 10 minutes. That's when I finally go out to him. He's sitting on the bed, but stands up and comes over to me, smiling, when I come through the door. I feel his arms wrap around my waist, and he pulls me close and kisses me again. We slowly go toward the bed, and I lie down, waiting for him to get in too. I love the way he holds me at night, our whispered questions in the dark as we fall asleep.

Tonight as I let him hold me, his hand did the same thing as the first time- trace my stomach and any exposed skin between my shorts and top. It feels good, his warm hand on my skin, just a little rough still, from the Games. But I think his hands were always rough, probably from training. Some of the callouses he has on them have been there for years. Again, he keeps his hands where they should be, and I fall to sleep just as he stops.

"I love you, my beauty. Sleep well."

District 6 is even worse than all the others. We're well beyond Career territory, and it shows. It shows in the weak people my own age who stand and clap for someone who killed their friend. It shows in the parents who sigh and tear up, probably knowing as soon as their child's name was called that they would never see them alive again. My last thought strikes. As we board the train, I can't contain my emotions and I run back to my room, Cato trailing behind me. I rush into my room and sit on the bed, almost gasping. My pink dress is too tight, the back done up in a tight corset. The tears are slowly beginning to run down my face. If I was one of those parents...

"Glimmer, what's wrong sweetheart?" Cato is behind me. He puts his hands on my shoulder and I turn to face him, explaining my sudden burst of emotion.

"What if I was one of their parents? They're not Career's. They don't have the assurance that we do. And even sometimes we don't come back! What if my children one day get reaped and...and they don't come home?"

I was in a panic, having never realized the possibility before. No wonder her older friends were wary about children. They knew one day, the reaping would happen. And the possibility would drive them mad.

Cato had me in a deep hug, caressing my back, whispering words of comfort in my ear. Slowly, I calmed down a bit, enough that my dress was getting awfully uncomfortable. With a small smile I went into the bathroom to unlace it. Then I found out why my dressing team had helped me get into it- it was just as impossible to get out of by yourself. I knew Cato was in the next room, but I was nervous. I tried to talk myself into calming down- I'd stood in front of him almost naked, once with just a towel wrapped around me, Why was I nervous now, what was the difference? The difference was that this time he would have his hands on me, with the ability to take advantage of me. He never had before, why should he now? So with a deep breathe I opened the door. He seemed surprised that I was still in my dress, and I blushed.

"Could you help with the back of it?" He smiled and came over, turning me around and undoing the laces. His fingers were deft, and I could barely feel them graze my skin. When he reached the end, he simply stopped and stood back. I was grateful, and went to finish changing.

Cato Point of View

I had my hands on her, for crying out loud. I should have kissed her, should have made some sort of move. Lord, I had been undressing her. She was right in my grasp. But I knew why I hadn't, why I hadn't shoved her up against the wall and let my desire become carnal. Because I cared about her. I cared more than to force her- again- to do something that should be a choice. Because I wanted her first proper time to be good, not evil, not harsh or animalistic. Yes, she was a beauty. Yes she was most defiantly sexy and defiantly turned me on sometimes. But I loved the gentle moments, the times I got to hold her and talk to her, I loved that more. Yes, I'm an 18 year old boy, driven my hormones, and that slipped through a lot. But I cared about Glimmer so much more than I cared about myself.

When she came back out, I simply smiled at her. It was too early for bed, but she was already dressed for it, though I was still in my suit. She came over, and instead of sitting next to me, sat down on my knee, swinging her legs over mine so she was sitting in my lap. My breath hitched as she put her head on the inside of my shoulder. I rubbed her back and kissed her hair, and she smiled, sighing. When I went to kiss her cheek, she turned her head and put her lips to mine. My hands slid to her sides, almost down to her waist, and she shivered, kissing me a little bit harder. My tongue grazed her lips, but she didn't open them, and I didn't do it again. I could be patient for the beauty in my arms.

We lay in bed that night, and I slowly began to fall asleep. Glimmer had fallen asleep an hour ago, tired and relaxed in my arms. My eyelids drooped.

They pulled her away before I could hold her tight enough. What were they doing, and why? The Gamemaker stood nearby with President Snow, him leering, the President simply business-like, as always. Glimmer was crying, sobbing, begging for them not to do something. That's when I realized.

They'd sold her, like Finnick Odair. We all knew that what his purpose was. But how could they do that to my Glimmer, knowing, knowing what had happened to her during the Games? The Gamemaker took her arm harshly in his grasp. Barely, I felt myself running, and screaming.

"No, no don't! Don't hurt her!" But Snow's guards caught me, and I watched in horror as the Gamemaker drug her off, back into a room with a hidden door. I waited with bated breath, until I heard a sheer, awful, gut wrenching, blood curling scream. He'd hurt her, he'd hurt my Glimmer. I yelled in anger and frustration, running towards where they disappeared. And that's all I could do, run, run towards her screams, and I could never find her...

I woke up sweaty. The nightmare hadn't been long, but I could still hear screams echoing in my mind. Glimmer stirred slightly, woken my sudden start. She turned over, eyeing my gasping and sweaty form. Gently, she put a hand to my cheek, sliding closer with her other hand on my chest.

"What's the matter?" She sat up with me, concerned. I looked at her for a moment before grasping her tightly to my chest, holding on to her for dear life.

"Oh Lord sweetheart, they took you, the Capitol sold you... And I couldn't stop them, I tried, but I couldn't... Oh dear Lord..." She wrapped her arms around my back, holding me just as tightly as I was holding her. I hoped I hadn't scared her. My nightmare could very possibly become reality. They sometimes sold victors as sex symbols, and Glimmer defiantly passed the good-looking requirement. If something like that happened, I knew she'd be scarred for the rest of her life, and me, I would be heartbroken.

"It's alright Cato, that won't happen, everything is fine." She said it just as much for me as she did for herself, and we smiled weakly at each other. As I lay back down she put her head on my chest, and I rubbed my hands on her back. Before we both fell back to sleep, I heard her voice.

"You won't let that happen, will you?" I wish I could promise her that. But I can't. Either way, she needs to know I still love her.

"I will try my very best sweetheart." I kissed her head. "Now go back to bed, we both need it."

District 6 was boring, just like all the ones since 1 and 2. We waved, we smiled, they cheered for us, their new most hated enemies. It's not like we were so thrilled to be doing this, it was just waving at people we didn't particularly like either.

Back on the train again, eating dinner on a mahogany table under a crystal chandelier. The food had always been good, but after eating it for so long I craved my mother's homemade apple bread and the smell of my father's strong coffee. Though I would never admit it, sometimes the chocolate cake was too rich and dinner had so many smells it was overwhelming.

I woke up at dawn the next morning. For some reason, my body told me something wasn't right. Glimmer wasn't next to me, although I'd been holding her tightly hours ago. Rubbing my eyes to try and see, I saw where she was. She was kneeling at the window, looking out as the sun began to rise. Why, I didn't know, but I joined her at the window and soon found out why.

District 7 produces lumber, and we were going through a huge forest. The trees were giant, the sun filtering down through green leaves to hit the brown floor beneath them. Pinks and oranges lit the place, and it was breathtakingly beautiful. I slid next to Glimmer on the floor, and she put her head on my shoulder.

"It's lovely, isn't it?" I simple nodded, putting an arm around her and pulling her closer. The moment was perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better start to the day- watching the sunrise with my love at my side. The Capitol tried to say life would be better there, with their crazy fashions and foods, never ending parties and abundance of riches. But right now, this was much better than any stone home in the heart of an overwhelming city. Right now would be described as simply indescribable.

After seeing something with so much beauty, we actually felt bad for their people and the families of their tributes. Yes, we still waved and smiled and acted like the happy victors. But in a way, we were a bit jealous. Jealous that they got such beauty, while back home, there was nothing but rocks and quarries and factories for me, however well-disguised, with Peacekeepers always around for training. And for Glimmer, there was nothing but factories in fancy buildings, supplying the Capitol with their much needed luxury items. Here, there were woods, you could hear the birds and see chipmunks running through the tops of the trees. This simple view of nature was something to be jealous of.