The Games We Play

Feast

Cato and I were coming home together.

This is the one thing we were certain about the next day.

Both of us were energized at our profound vigor to fight against Twelve and the other tributes alive in the arena. We will make sure that we will go home, this is the sentence that we keep on repeating the next day as we hunted for tributes. We still refused flatly to go and see Eleven. We planned that Eleven will have to be saved last, he was going to be the opponent we were going to take down together. Katniss was just going to be part of the show but she won't play much in our victory. We weren't going to give her that privilege, she meant nothing but a block to us.

There was no more Clove. There was no more Cato. There was Cato and Clove. There was Clove and Cato. We stopped being individuals. We were allies. We were a team.

We were one.

After the rule change, our true selves started peeking out. After all, there was hope that we were coming back. All we need now are our skills. We can make it out alive without anyone else's help but ours. We disregarded the opinion of the Capitol or the twelve districts whenever we would talk. We normally would have kept our conversations vague and normal but after the announcement, we just lost all the care for other people. If we lose sponsors, we'll still be able to survive because we are definitely coming home together.

"Can I ask you something, Cato?"

He raised an eyebrow at me and stopped by a creek, "Yeah?" Cato was suppressing a smile as he watched me try to find the exact words I could use, "You can ask me anything, Clover."

I nudged him when he teased. "Do you remember what happened in the party back in Two?" I felt my face heating up when I asked.

I just...wanted to know because I could remember it as if it was yesterday.

"You're so damn frustrating, Clove Holt, but what's more frustrating...huh?"

"What?" I asked, to humor him a bit.

"I still try. I still..." He muttered a few curses, "try!" He straightened up and stumbled a bit, if not for the nearby wall to support him. "Gawd. Why do I try? You're hopeless. Your eyes are on the prize and I'm as good as dead because my eyes are on you."

"What party?" Cato looked confused for a while. "I think I got drunk then." He said thoughtfully as he looked up at the sky, as if that would make him remember whatever it is that he should remember.

Feeling slightly disappointed, I started walking without a word. Of course he doesn't remember! He was drunk that night!

"Of course I remember." There was laughter and I had to control myself so I don't kill him now. "My eyes are still on you."

I paused.

My heart started pacing quickly. I moved back around, just so I could see if he was sincere, but when I did, Cato was already there. There was nothing but a few inches between us. I looked up hesitantly and took a deep breath when I met his blue eyes. They were beautiful.

"Always has been. Always will be." Cato said softly but I know the Capitol can hear this loud and clear. "Promise me that we're going home." He offered me his hand.

I tried to push a smile away from my face but I couldn't. "I promise." I took his hand and squeezed it gently. "We're going home."

We knew we couldn't be all lovey-dovey after that. We had priorities. Our feelings can wait. After that moment by the creek, we started hunting for District 12's Katniss and Peeta – I am sure they are struggling to find each other now.