Chapter 13

Safe

There was a collective gasp from the audience and everyone looked at me carefully.. I tried to remember what Haymitch had told me to do and began crying. It wasn't actually that hard to cry at that moment, because I was so overwhelmed what with Cato being in jail and all. Cato placed his large hand on my knee and gave me a pitiful smile.

"I'm so sorry for your loss." Caesar added, gasping along with the rest of the Capitol.

"Thank you." Cato replied. A peacekeeper walked forward and freed Cato's hands from the shackles. We both stood up and hugged each other in a long embrace and I didn't want to let go. It seemed as though if I let go, the Capitol would take him away again.

"Well thank you for the lovely interview, and we look forward to hearing from you in the future." Caesar nodded towards us and smiled and i burried my face in Cato's suit to hide my relieved smile. He was free. We were free.

For the time being at least.

We exited the stage and Haymitch welcomed us with a drunken, "good acting sweetheart, really sold that one." and a nodd. Brutus and Enobaria were no where to be found, probably back upstairs in the room

"Shall we?" Cato offered his arm and I took it with a relieving laugh.

"We shall." I mimicked. We went up the elevator and onto the district two floor. It seemed like so long ago that we had been here, and all the memories came flooding back to my mind.

I walked to the window that over looked the city and saw the lights illuminating the dark night sky. I felt Cato walk behind me and he pushed the hair away from my neck, leaving it bare. "I'm sorry, Clove." he sighed, breathing onto my skin.

"Guess you'll just have to make it up to me." I smirked, turning around to kiss him.

Cato and I lay there, in the bed we had shared last year. His breath was still staggering and my heart was beating soo fast. I cuddled closer to his chest as he rested his lips on my head, petting my hair softly.

"So about what you said." I traced shapes on his chest. "At the interview. Do you think we'll ever have kids?"

"C'mon Clove, don't be ridiculous. We talked about this last year. I'd be a terrible father and plus we're not the type to have kids anyway. I'm fine with just you and me."

"I know but-" he silenced me with a gingerly kiss and my train of thought dissapeared.

"Clove." his mouth tightened. "I know we have our fights, and our dissagreements, but I've always known you were my one and only. You knnow that right?" I nodded. "I just want you to know that I love you more than you can even imagine."

"Riddle me this, oh wise Cato. If I mean so much to you, why have we not gotten married yet?" I asked, peering up a him. His lips pulled back into a wide grin.

"I tried that last year." he laughed.

"Well who's to say we can't get it right this year?"

"You're right. Clove, will you marry me?" he raised an eyebrow. "And don't say no because that's not an option." I laughed.

"Yes Cato."

"Hey Clove?" Cato shouted through the house.

"I'll be down in a second." I replied, struggling with the button on my skinny jeans. he walked right in anyway.

"No need to dress up for me." he kissed me on the cheek. "I'd love you just the same in yoga pants."

"Yeah," I kept struggling with the button, determined to spite the goddamn pants. "I know."

"Plus, we're not going anywher. We're just going to watch tv."

"Yeah, I know." I sighed, slipping off the jeans and puling on sweats.

"That's better." he smiled, picking me up over his shoulder and carrying me down the stairs. He dropped me on the couch and quickly followed, placing me in his lap. We sat there for a moment as he fiddled with the ring he had given me. It was nothing expensive, but it was still beautiful. A cluster of red and green sea glass on a silver band.

"Have you told your dad yet?" I asked.

"Nope"

"Have you even told Finnick?"

"Not really."

"Cato! Aren't you going to tell anyone. Are you embarrassed to call me your wife?" I asked sarcastically.

"What? No! I just want to drag out the surprise" he inched his face closer to mine.

"Wait wait wait." I insisted, un-mutifying the tv so we could her the announcement of the third quarter quell. I waited and waited until Snow finally anounced the deadly announcement.

"This years quarter quell tributes will be pullled from the existing pool of tributes." he said. My heart stopped.

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