18 DAYS

Chapter 8: The Arena

 As soon as the door of his room closes behind him, Cato slips to the ground and his head falls into his hands. He doesn't remember the last time he's cried. Probably when he was too young to leave a lasting memory. But the salty tears he can taste on his mouth now, he will definitely remember for the rest of his life. Which turns out will be much shorter than expected.

The door Cato's leaned against suddenly bumps into him. He jolts up to his feet to get out of the way but isn't fast enough to get to the knob. The person trying to get in bursts inside the room as soon as the resistance's gone. 

The second after she is in his arms. Tired of thinking, exhausted with today, he hugs Clove back. 

"We are going to die.", says Clove in a shaky breath. Like a sin said in a whisper wouldn't be one. 

A cold feeling pumps into Cato's heart like poison rotting his sanity away. She's right. He rests his chin on her head. 

"That's never gonna happen.", he answers. She looks up at him her eyes wet with fear and questions he cannot answer. They both know he is lying. He isn't ready to explain how he hopes he isn't yet. 

Clove tip-toes to grab onto the collar of his black shirt. He's never seen her that way. It throws him off balance and he holds onto her back. A warm fuzzy feeling takes over his lower stomach. It had been way too long since he's felt this way. Holding her small body in his arms.  

"I can't have you mad at me.", she whispers. 

 All the resolutions he had taken during Scoring day disappear in a split second. Like a mirage or a lie lost in the mouth of a pathological liar. 

"I'm sorry." Before he explains more, he decides to tilt his head and softly press down his lips against hers. She is shaking and takes barely a second to answer his gesture. Her tongue invades his mouth and she pushes him onto the bed. 

*

DAY 1 

For a night before going into the arena, not sleeping at all was not a good strategy. But after the Interviews, neither of them really gave a shit about strategy and commercial angles. 

Cato and Clove are intertwined naked in the soft sheets of the bed, their eyes lazily open but clearly not looking to fall asleep. Outside the morning mist started to cover the Capitol. Both know with the first sunlight Clove would have to go back to her room, and the next time they'd see each other would be in the arena. Each second counted. 

"Please no more relationship updates.", says Cato shifting his stare to Clove's collar bone. 

Soon looking is not enough and he brushes the skin around her throat with his knuckles. 

"Uh?", she also turns her attention to him. 

Cato chuckles and grabs her hips under the covers to bring her body between his: "Every time I think I know what I am for you, you turn around and blow everything upside down."

"What...", she tries to push him away by pressing her hands flat on his chest. But his good mood is unbreakable. He locks her legs in his and presses his face into her neck. He takes a deep breath.

"I didn't do that.", she says giving in. 

Cato laughs again and leaves a kiss on her shoulder: "You know you did. Lovers, enemies, friends, partners, nothing...". This last one stings a little.