I'm writing another Clato fic, but if you're still reading this then you know how terrible I am at updating so I'm pre-writing the chapters to try and avoid that. I'm pretty excited about it though, it's a bit darker and there's a whole lot of drama, so hopefully I can get back up to date with my other fics and then post that. :)
I don't own The Hunger Games.
Clove's idea of fun wasn't to dress up and dance in the school gymnasium with a couple hundred sweaty people that she didn't like. But, her friends wanted her to go, so she was sucking it up and going. Clove even began to feel a little excited as she was getting ready, and hopeful of a good time. She wore a short, midnight blue sheath dress, with sheer material around the neckline and keyhole back that was decorated with intricate, swirling silver designs. She had applied natural looking make-up and curled her dark hair before pinning half of it back. At some point whilst she was getting ready, Clove heard her friends arrive. When she was ready, she slipped her blue stilettos on and made her way downstairs.
Her friends were gathered in the hallway, waiting.
"Hey." Clove greeted them from halfway down the stairs drawing, their attention. The way Cato, who looked amazing in his dark suit, paired with a white shirt and a tie the same blue as his eyes, was staring at her made Clove feel like his eyes were boring through her.
"Are you losers ready to go?" Clove asked when she reached the bottom.
"Slight problem." Johanna sighed. She was leaning against the door frame that led to the living room. She wore a tight, black corseted dress and her hair was loose. She already looked irritated.
"I'm not coming."
Clove pushed her way through her friends and into the living room, where Melissa was sat on the couch in a pair of old pink pyjamas. Her bandaged foot rested on the coffee table in front of her.
"What do you mean you're not coming?" Clove sat down next to her. "I'm only going because you wanted me to."
I just don't feel like it." Melissa shrugged.
"Missy, come on. You love dances." Clove sighed, but Melissa could not be convinced.
"I can't even walk properly right now. What good would that be at a dance?" Missy raised an eyebrow.
"Fine." Clove groaned. "Then I'm not going either. I won't leave you here alone."
"You have to go, Clove. You're one of the Homecoming queen nominees; it's mandatory." Marvel stepped into the living room in a white tuxedo. "I'll stay. I don't mind."
"You're Clove's date." Melissa pointed out. The others in their group- Katniss and Peeta, Annie and Finnick, Madge and Gale and Cato and Missy- were all going in their couples. Johanna was meeting her date, a guy on the wrestling team, at the dance. Clove and Marvel had agreed to go together has friends to avoid any awkward third-wheeling.
"She could with Cato." Marvel suggested.
"This isn't Wife Swap." Clove rolled her eyes.
"No, I think it's a good idea." Melissa shrugged. "We'll meet up with you guys at the after party."
"Are we leaving or what?" Johanna sighed. "I have to meet my date in fifteen minutes."
"They're going." Melissa said decisively. "Clove, go with Cato."
"I-"
"Come on." Cato stepped into the room and took Clove's arm, pulling her off of the couch. "I'm not so bad."
"I disagree."
Cato practically dragged Clove out to the stretch limo they had booked. She was torn about going to the dance with Cato- on one hand, they were going as friends. On the other, she was in love with him and she was pretty sure he wanted her too.
Clove ended up sitting in between Cato and Katniss, who was wearing a forest green top that showed off her midriff and was intricately designed with silver diamante pieces, and a simple, flowing skirt in the same colour that stopped an inch above her knee.
"Homecoming champs, baby!" Finnick whooped as the limo pulled away.
"State champs, baby!" Johanna cheered, high-fiving Clove and Katniss from the seat opposite them.
"You look great." Cato whispered subtly in Clove's ear.
"You look okay." She whispered back with a shrug. He laughed and knocked his knee playfully into hers.
"Johanna, did you bring the stuff?" Gale asked. Madge, wearing a beautiful gold dress, was gripping onto his arm.
"Oh, you mean this?" Johanna, grinning slyly, produced two hip flasks from her purse.
"Jo." Clove groaned. "Don't be that person. Don't spike the punch."
"Oh, I'm spiking it. And you are going to be the first to drink from it!" Johanna grinned wickedly. "No excuses. We're officially in the offseason, sweetheart!"
"Fine." Clove said boldly. "Toss it."
Johanna tossed Clove one of the flasks, and she took a huge gulp of what tasted like vodka.
"Okay. That's enough." Cato pulled the bottle away from her mouth and screwed the cap back on. "Something tells me you can't hold your liquor."
"Are you sure it's a good idea?" Peeta wore a concerned expression as he gestured to the flasks.
"Quiet, Mellark." Johanna waved him off. "This is gonna be the best night of our West Palms lives!"
…
The gym had been completely transformed, and was full of students having a good time. It seemed like a hundred people has come up to Cato, both teachers and students, congratulating him for the win, asking him about playing college ball, and telling him what a 'great young talent' he was. Clove didn't mind. She was happy for him. Johanna had gone off with her date, Katniss was letting Peeta lead her around the dancefloor, Gale was getting Madge a drink, and God only knew where Finnick and Annie had scampered off to.
"Wanna dance?" Cato asked. He extended a hand to her.
"I don't really dance." Clove shrugged awkwardly.
"You were a cheerleader. Come on."
Cato took her hand and pulled her out onto the dancefloor. Bodies twisted and turned all around her, so Clove tried to focus on just Cato. He was actually an okay dancer, and soon they were laughing as they tried to out-dance each other. Cato wasn't as good as Clove, who had years of cheer experience under her belt, but he was light on his feet after playing QB his whole life. They switched between fast paced movements and holding each other when slower songs were playing. Clove knew that it was completely wrong to feel so happy in the arms of her sister's boyfriend, but she was hardly thinking of Missy tonight. For once, she wanted to think of herself.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen!" After what felt like hours, not that Clove was entirely sure, the principal took to the stage.
"Woo!" The crowd applauded him. To be honest, even now in her junior year, Clove wasn't entirely sure of what his name was. Around her, she could see some of her friends. Johanna and her date were stood not too far from them, and so we Glimmer and Cashmere and their dates.
"The time has come to announce this year's Homecoming king and queen!" The principal announced to the sound of another cheer. "Please welcome one of our most successful alumni to the stage to announce the winners. He's taken the fashion world by storm… It's Cinna!"
Cinna, who's time at West Palms had been a good decade before Clove's, took to the stage as they audience cheered from him.
"Hey everybody!" He called into the microphone. "You're all looking wonderful tonight. Go Warriors!"
"Go Warriors!" The students cheered back. A member of the prom committee handed Cinna a white envelope.
"Your West Palms High 2016 Homecoming king is…" Cinna paused dramatically. "Finnick Odair!"
The crowd, mainly the girls of West Palms', screamed for Finnick.
"No surprise." Cato grinned as he applauded his friend.
"I had a twenty on him." Clove smirked as she too clapped for Finnick.
"I'm offended."
"Okay, ladies and gentlemen." Cinna spoke into the microphone again once he had crowed Finnick. "Your Homecoming Queen is… Johanna Mason!"
Clove practically hear Cashmere and Glimmer's hearts breaking.
"Damn." Cato sighed. "I had fifteen bucks on you."
"Me?" Clove raised an eyebrow at him. "I was never going to win it."
"The school bookies had you as second in the running." Cato shrugged. "Would have been a pretty good return. Are you disappointed?"
"Nah." Clove waved a hand as Finnick and Johanna began their celebratory dance. "I have almost everything I want."
"Almost?" Cato looked at her meaningfully. Clove stayed silent.
"I'd like to invite the other nominees to dance with our victors!" The principal had taken the mic again.
"We're up." Cato winked at her. He pulled Clove against him and they began a slow dance. Gale was dancing with Annie, Glimmer was dancing with Peeta, and Cashmere was dancing with Brandon, the other nominee for king. They danced in a slow circle around Finnick and Johanna, until Johanna got bored and jumped on Finnick's back.
"Crank it up, losers!" She yelled. The DJ did as he was told, and a fast song started to play.
"Try to keep up." Clove grinned at Cato.
"Oh, trust me." Cato grinned back at her, eyes sparkling. "I won't be having a problem with that."
…
Cato's car was still at the school, having grabbed a ride with Finnick after the game earlier to go celebrate their victory. Unlike Clove, who was slightly tipsy, he had steered clear of the punch and had said he would drive her home so that she could change before arriving at the after party at Glimmer and Cashmere's house. Clove was relieved- she didn't think she could last much longer in her dress and heels.
"So, was I a good date? Or did I make you want to cry?" Cato joked as he pulled out of the school parking lot.
"Oh, you know." Clove shrugged, a lazy grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I've had better. I've had worse."
That was a partial lie. She had definitely had worse, but there were very few people out there that she thought would make a better date than Cato Stone.
"Yeah." Cato snorted. "I'm sure Bryce and my cousin were the best."
"Jealous?" Clove raised an eyebrow at him mockingly.
"It's you that wants me, princess. Remember that." Cato winked at Clove, who laughed loudly.
"Seriously though." She dropped the playful manner. "I've had a great time tonight."
"Me too." Cato looked over at her and smiled before turning his eyes back to the road.
Clove's phone beeped, and she pulled it from her purse to check her messages. It was from Melissa.
Hey, Chicky. Just arrived at the party, get here ASAP. I miss my little sis.
And suddenly, Clove felt like the worst person in the world. There she had been, partying it up and having the time of her life with the guy she liked, whilst her sister, said guy's girlfriend, stayed at home nursing an injured leg. It wasn't right. She wasn't that girl.
"I'm skipping the after party." Clove said. She unbuckled her seatbelt. "And I can walk from here."
"Are you crazy?" Cato frowned. "No way am I letting you walk home alone in the middle of the night. Why don't you want to go?"
Clove reached for the door handle, but Cato clicked the child lock on before she could open it.
"Dammit Cato, let me out!" Clove sighed, angrily slumping back in her seat.
"What's the matter with you?"
"I just don't want to go!"
"This is your problem." Cato stopped at a red light and turned to look Clove in the eye. "One minute, we're having a great time together, and then the next, you're freezing me out. I don't understand why. You don't have to be like this with me."
Cato reached for Clove's hand, but she pulled it away sharply. The light turned green again, and Cato accelerated. When they reached her house, Cato released the door and Clove rushed out of the car. She unlocked the front door and tried to slam it behind her, only to have it hit something solid.
"Cato." Clove rolled her eyes. "Move your fucking foot."
"Nope." He kicked the door open with ease and stepped inside before closing it behind him. "What just happened?"
"I don't want to go the damn party! I don't want to show up with you!" Clove snapped. She hadn't been trying to hurt Cato, but she had expected to. Instead, he just looked irritated.
"You're really fucking annoying, you know that Clove?" He stepped forward, backing Clove up against the wall. "This is the exact shit you pulled on me at the Inter-State Games. One second we're great. The next, you're trying to push me away. I'm not going to let you do that!"
"You really think that if you hadn't started dating Melissa, I wouldn't have let you back in?! She would have gotten over her crush on you! We could have been together!" Clove's face felt hot as she yelled back at Cato. She knew she wasn't being fair to him, but months of quashed emotions were flowing out of her now.
"How the hell was I supposed to know anything that was going on in your head? You changed your mind about me pretty dramatically, Clove!"
"Go to the party, Cato." Clove said firmly. "Go be with your girlfriend. My sister."
"I'll never care about her the way I care about you!" Cato yelled. They both stood in silence, watching each other, waiting to see what would happen next.
"Don't you get it?" Cato finally asked. "She's a great person. I tried. I tried to care about her, I tried to want to be with her, because that's what made you happy. It kills me every time I kiss her, because I want to be kissing you. I tried hard to make both of you happy, and it's destroying me."
"I-"
"I can't do this anymore, Clove. I won't be with Melissa." Cato sounded defeated. "You and me, whatever the hell it is that we're doing. It's done."
Cato stepped back. He turned around. He walked away. Clove felt her heart shatter in her chest.
"Cato."
His hand on the door handle froze, his whole body rigid.
"Cato, I'm in love with you."
It was all he needed to hear. They met in the middle of the hallway. Clove's arms went around Cato's neck, and he hoisted her up so that her legs wrapped around his waist. Their mouths seemed to melt into one another as they kissed. Cato slammed her against the closed guest room door. His lips lowered to her neck, leaving light kisses that made Clove's heart hammer rapidly against her chest. She reached down to the door handle and pushed the door open. Together, they stumbled into the room.