#Clove and Cato

[dreamofescaping]

In the hunger games they change the rule to say that both tributes can win if they are from the same district. Katniss thinks that its because of her and Peeta’s love story which true… BUT I don’t think they were the only reason why.

I think the people of the capitol also saw the love between Cato and Clove. The glances between the rough layers. I think they wanted a pair of lovers to win. Imagine the story between them which lover pair will survive. The anguish if they lose a partner. Best of all for the Capitol if Cato and Clove win a selling story for future Careers.

[enobariasdistrict2]

the heat of your electric touch by enobariasdistrict2/enobarias on ao3 | clato oneshot | word count: 2.5k

"You were lucky. Probably didn't get any major arteries. Come on, let's get you more comfortable," he tells her after his assessment. A brief glance downward proves him right - the blood loss doesn't seem too concerning. She only nods vigorously, breathing slowing to a steady rate as she waits impatiently for her body to adjust. When he holds out his hand between them, Clove accepts his help, allowing him to guide her to a nearby rock, his palm flat against the relatively small plane of her back. The relief she feels once seated on the cool grey stone and having pressure off her foot is immediate.

Clove accidentally injures herself and needs her district partner's help. Cato comes to the rescue with first aid that might just be too effective.

Read on ao3 or under the cut.

The steel jaws of the snare clamp around her ankle with a vicious, unforgiving clang of metal, teeth grazing the skin of her foot and tearing, before she can yank it away in time. This torturous pain draws an involuntary gasp from her, and every amount of self control she has prevents her from stumbling around clutching her foot like an idiot. The screaming of her nerve endings in that region, and the accompanying sight of blood pouring forth from the recesses of her foot, contribute to her own personal hell, but are not nearly as unbearable as the shame that squeezes her heart, a self-loathing that comes only from her own carelessness and incompetency.

Really, she is, or should be, better than this. A decade of training under her belt, only to be injured by some strange animal trap like a half-witted lower district imbecile? Much like some of the blood vessels of her foot, her pride is torn into pieces.

Clove at least has the strength to not curl into a ball and whimper on the ground the way she desperately wants to. Being idiotic enough to land in an easily avoidable trap is bad enough, but she doesn't need to look like a weakling with low pain tolerance as well. The reputation of her District is too important, the consequences of betraying a home that gave her everything too great. Unfortunately, her nervous system doesn't seem to agree, continuously attacking her with sharp signals of pain that she won't be able to ignore for much longer.

"Clove, come on, why the fuck did we stop - oh," Cato responds to his own question once he sees the issue.

Right. Yet another miserable aspect of her current situation: her ally (and the boy who has become almost an extension of her) is present to witness her humiliation. Although his words are harsh, she detects none of the frustration typically characteristic of her district partner, only a weary exhaustion that she too has been feeling the effects of.

"Listen, I can help you out with that," he offers his assistance quietly. She doesn't face him, instead glaring daggers at her traitorous foot confined by the snare trap at the base of a tree. Judging by the proximity of Cato's voice, so intense that she can almost feel the pulse of the vibrations in the air between them, he is now far closer to her than he strictly needs to be. Clove wonders if she's imagining that heat at her back being a result of his body's closeness, or perhaps it's just the Gamemakers and their sadistic temperature controls.

She removes her boot quickly and tosses it to the side of the path - whether or not she retrieves it later isn't something she cares about at the moment. Clove releases her foot, tentatively setting it on the ground to right herself, taking great care not to place too much weight on the sensitive area, and uses one of her hands to lean against the tree. Unfortunately, her hands are now both very much covered with thick blood, like messy paint splatters across skin that will congeal into a rather lovely if mildly disgusting paste, but Clove can't bring herself to think about hygiene right now.

"God, your ankle is fucked up," Cato murmurs, staring at with widened eyes in morbid fascination. Clove briefly turns her attention away from catching her breath to glower at him for his asinine statement. Unfortunately, he isn't worth the effort it would take to deliver a scathing comeback, and her rapid breaths wouldn't allow her to form a coherent insult anyways.

"I'm fine. We'll rest for thirty seconds and then keep moving," she grinds out between clenched teeth, her voice too high, blinking back tears. Cato's polite enough not to point this out, and she might have considered it a kindness on his part, that he had no interest in extending her indignity, but he could also very well be afraid of the fact that she'd tear him apart for daring to tease her. (Both possibilities are strangely heartwarming.)

Clove is not pathetic enough to be in this much pain, but they've spent hours hunting for the damned wonder-kids from Twelve and if she's being entirely honest, the tediousness of the task is getting to her - to them both. Besides, even if she did experience the sick euphoria of taking her competitors down that everyone back home had promised her, spending her days killing people was unbelievably tiring, even more so than Training had been.

(It's a secret she will carry deep down in her bones, never to be known by anyone other than herself...

or the boy who wordlessly stares at her across the campfire every night with silent understanding.)

"We both know you're not going to be just fine in thirty seconds, Clove," the boy in question mutters softly. The fact that he isn't yelling at her or degrading her for her mistake is jarring. Clove isn't used to him being so subdued. She can see his jaw clenching with irritation, but there are no signs of a classic Cato meltdown, no traces of the boy who could go ballistic at a moment's notice for even the slightest provocation. The absence of bulging veins against a reddening face, and the general lack of a hysterical outburst, is more terrifying to her than anything.

"Yeah? Then what's your plan, genius?" she replies bitterly. Her voice is far more shaky than she wants it to be, frayed at the edges with little of her typical venomous edge to her otherwise mean-spirited words.

Clove has never felt more weak in her life, especially for a technically benign, non-life threatening injury. She can only imagine the disappointment of their family and friends back home, staring at the large screens installed in the Square, watching their chosen Tributes repeatedly disgrace what the Games stood for with their failure to kill Twelves - Twelves, such easy opponents, the laughingstock of Panem. The additive pain of an incoming headache joins the ache of her ankle, the effects of both making her dizzy.

Her partner doesn't answer right away, and only conducts a silent once-over of her from head to toe, mouth slightly parted with concentration in a way that's oddly distracting. His gaze snags on the torn skin at her foot, narrowing in on the wound.

"You were lucky. Probably didn't get any major arteries. Come on, let's get you more comfortable," he tells her after his assessment. A brief glance downward proves him right - the blood loss doesn't seem too concerning. She only nods vigorously, breathing slowing to a steady rate as she waits impatiently for her body to adjust. When he holds out his hand between them, Clove accepts his help, allowing him to guide her to a nearby rock, his palm flat against the relatively small plane of her back. The relief she feels once seated on the cool grey stone and having pressure off her foot is immediate.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. We can just continue on," Clove concludes, her voice a light, breathy gasp, a fragile band that is worryingly close to breaking. She knows she has no chance of convincing him, but sheer stubbornness might work out well in her favor...

"Absolutely not," he snickers, more fond amusement than mocking. Clove inhales sharply when he suddenly drops down to his knees, unfortunately maintaining eye contact - if she didn't know better, almost deliberately. She spends far too much time viciously fighting off the salacious mental images that plague her diseased mind.

Thankfully, he doesn't seem to notice what effect the sight of him kneeling before her has, setting to work with the resolute purpose she's more familiar with from Cato. She watches him more intensely than she should as he shrugs off his backpack, taking in the ripple of his muscles and his confident movements as he pulls out a first aid kit - one of the few salvageable items from Fire Girl's little stunt on the mines. He unravels the white gauzy material and flings it over his shoulder before grabbing the ball of her foot gently and wiping away the blood with a damp cloth.

"I'm cleaning it," Cato grunts in answer to her hiss of discomfort as the searing liquid makes contact with damaged skin. "Last thing we need is you dying of something stupid like an infection," he reminds her, not unkindly, looking up to meet her eyes. Clove is stunned into silence by the impossibly soothing effect of his gaze, the delicate way he handles her foot. The little circles he rubs on the sides of her ankles render her placid, a serene calmness enveloping her as her eyelids flutter, tempted to close and simply let him massage her foot for eternity.

That simply won't do.

"You're taking too long," Clove feels the need to complain, rather childishly - if only to save face, to distract from what she's sure is very visible evidence of the effect he has on her.

Cato only grins at her cheekily. "Yeah, yeah, then do it yourself," he snaps back at her with little fire behind his words. He returns to his task with determined focus, and she's transfixed by the way he dutifully approaches his work, efficient in the way he takes care of the wound for her.

She knows that he's right - the curriculum back home had extensively covered first aid and injury recovery. Clove could have certainly taken care of this on her own - and really, before their circumstances had so drastically changed, she would have had to.

There is no help, no guide, for anyone in the Arena. Although alliances and partnerships were of incredible importance in the initial part of the Games, self-sufficiency was quite literally essential to survival. A Victor that needed assistance beyond the generous gifts of sponsors and the efforts of Mentors was practically a waste, and their Academies would never produce a Trainee who couldn't stand on his or her own, let alone clear them for the Games.

Training had in fact prepared them well for the physical demands and psychological impacts of killing 23 kids, and endowed them with practical survival/first aid skills, but the teachers never told them about some of the unsavory realities.

Long nights staring at the stars after seeing hazy electric-blue images of dead people flash across the black canvas of night sky - lives they had taken, a revelation that Clove knows should have brought exclusively pride with no residual guilt.

Or what to do with the silence that is a natural effect of fellow Careers having long since been knocked down like flies, a stark reminder that just nights before their sleeping space had been alive with the crackling of the fire and the sounds of teenage chatter.

The Academy had also never taught them how to work as a team for so long - by now, had the rule change not intervened, she and Cato would have gone their separate ways or, more likely, fought among each other for the honor of being labelled Victor, as was the expectation of any worthy representatives of Two. Instead, they'd been forced to retain the alliance for convenience.

But alarmingly, it was beginning to not feel that way. Clove had grown rather accustomed to him being an irritating thorn in her side, but somewhere into their partnership he became something other than a meat-headed brute, transforming before her eyes into someone more logical, focused, even receptive to her ideas. It certainly wasn't overnight, but she finds his ego more manageable nowadays. Rather than assuming he had automatic executive authority, he instead deferred to her. Cato constantly checked if she'd had enough to eat from their sponsor gifts, listened respectfully when she suggested something, and had even granted her Fire Girl, the kill that he wanted the most.

These were the signs of a more functional partnership, but none of this explained him holding her foot with such reverence as he cared for the wound, helping instead of hurting, willingly submitting to her needs... It should have been impossible. If anything it is unnatural for people like them to act this way.

Predators, rivals, enemies. This is what they were always meant to be, but Clove isn't sure anymore of this simple fact. She isn't sure of anything, really, only that her foot hurts less now and he managed this small crisis so well she can't help but swell with gratitude and pride for him.

The deep, throaty timbre of Cato's voice cuts through her thoughts. "Clove? You're real quiet up there. Don't tell me you're going to pass out on me over a little blood," he teases lightly, even as his pretty blue eyes glance up at her in wary concern.

Suddenly, she wants to scream in frustration for reasons that have little to do with pain. Doesn't he know who they are, where they are? He really can't be staring at her with such obvious affection, or handling her injury so gently instead of taking advantage of her weakness the way he was trained to. It isn't right, nor is it fair for him to treat her this way, to look at her so softly it hurts, to have a touch that makes her crave more.

"I just know when to shut up, unlike you." It's easy to slip back into the sultry, apathetic voice she usually speaks with, now that the pain in her ankle has been reduced, calmed into dull throbbing.

For as much warmth and concern he dares to show her, Clove will be twice as hard, twice as cruel. It's better this way, for them both.

He narrows his eyes at her in disbelief, then tightens his grip on her foot. "Way to show some gratitude, Clove, really." Cato squeezes her ankle one final time in the wounded area, not enough pressure to exacerbate the pain but certainly enough to make her flinch, before repacking the kit and rising to a stand. She ignores the pinpricks of guilt that prod at her chest when he refuses to meet her eyes.

Clove also will never admit that maybe she wouldn't have minded if he'd taken slightly longer to heal her. The heavy warmth in her foot, left behind from where he'd touched her, would have to be enough.

"Come on, Clove. We still have hunting to do," he reminds her. Hobbling over to her discarded boot, she manages to pull it back on, wincing at her ankle's protest. When Cato wordlessly offers his arm for support, still not looking at her, Clove has no choice but to ignore her pride and accept, leaning into his body far more than was probably appropriate.

"Thank you," she whispers softly into the space between them, not expecting an answer. He pulls her closer to his side in answer, almost compressing her into him. They didn't look like classic warriors, the loyal Tributes their District and country expected them to be. She doesn't even withhold the small smile that pulls at the corner of her lips.

Clove wonders how they must look to everyone back home in Two. Ruthless, courageous soldiers acting like best friends, dangerously teetering towards something more.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she didn't care.

[tclerateit]

"Cato!" she screeches, "Cato!" "Clove!" I hear Cato's answer, but he's too far away, I can tell that much, to do her any good. (...) "Clove!" Cato's voice is much nearer now. I can tell by the pain in it that he sees her on the ground (...) Cato kneels beside Clove, spear in hand, begging her to stay with him. In a moment, he will realise it's futile; she can't be saved.

-Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games

[everythingcalypso]

She was an icon

[clatoera]

Picket Fence is Sharp as Knives Chapter 3: All I know, Is this could either break my heart (Part 1)

Heyyyy besties. Sorry this has been a minute. My future is crashing in on my very fast and i'm falling apart. Originally this was a much longer chapter, but I realized this could stand alone and gave me time to really dig in on part two which features Cashmere and Enobaria and Gloss and others I don't use as much so I want time to be sure I do them justice and this is to tie you over until then :)

Title from tswift Electric Heart bc of course it is.

AO3

Masterpost

Shoutout to the usual besties but especially @kentwells who actually inspired this whole arc and @bodyelectric77 who said yes split it and is also my go to enobaria/cashmere source who I will heavily be consulting on part two.

Love you all thank you as usual, see you soon for pt 2!

They should be used to it by now. Expect it, even. 

They should be used to the fact that their home is the place of refuge, of meal times, of assembly for their small group of friends for an impromptu gathering. For two adults who were once children whose only real friend was the other, it should remind them of how far they have come. The fact they even have people who want  to barge in to their kitchen unannounced should make them feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 

And you know, maybe that would be the case if absolutely anyone ever asked if it was a good time.

Cato and Clove are probably not people who you should show up on unannounced, considering Clove sleeps with a knife in arms reach and Cato sleeps with Clove. 

They absolutely should not be shocked, when Glimmer absolutely flies through their front door for the second time in a week, just as distressed and disheveled as the first. 

Maybe, actually, even more so. 

“This is all your fault.” Glimmer actually screams, wasting no time on pleasantries as she stomps her way up the stairs and to their bedroom, throwing her shoes off unceremoniously as she confronts the couple in their own bed.

“Good morning to you too, Glimmer. Sure you can come over, Glimmer. Sure, we absolutely weren’t in the middle of anything, Glimmer. Yes Glimmer, we are absolutely awake and ready to hangout with you.” Clove greets, not even lifting her head to glance at her friend who so casually entered her home apparently only to lose her mind at them. She wraps her arms tighter around Cato’s neck and stifles a yawn into his shoulder, having been so cruelly pulled out of her sleep by Glimmer’s intrusion and following tantrum.

“We really need to change those locks..” Cato mumbles into her hair, before he lifts his head to rest his chin atop Clove’s head. He brings up a hand to rub his finger tips over his eyes, willing himself to be more alert in light of whatever accusation Glimmer had come to throw their way. ‘Nice to see you too, Glimmer.”

“What exactly is our fault,” Clove mumbles, stretching one arm out above her head, before stretching it down to grab the comforter and bring it to snuggle her face into. “And what is so important that you decided to break into our bedroom over it.”

There is a hesitation, a heavy and shaking breath that escapes her before she loses all semblance of composure (of which there was not much) before she truly and fully bursts into hysterical sobs. “Everything was going so well, so so well, and now it’s ruined. I’ve gone and ruined everything good and ruined my life and..and.. and–” She sits on the edge of their bed without an invitation, fiddling with the hem at her shirt with a desperate attempt to find anything to focus her nervous hands and attention on. “I’ve ruined everything.”

“Glimmer. Use your words. Actual sentences, preferably.” Cato groans, glancing over at the bedside clock. “Did you come here at…ten in the morning to wail at us like a banshee? Come on Glim at least wait until afternoon to do that–”

“I’m pregnant,” comes out in a clipped voice, Glimmer unable to look anywhere but her own hands that itch to dig into the skin of her arms, that yearn to break the skin and watch rivulets of red wash away some of her anxieties with them. “And it’s your fault.”

Clove’s blood runs absolutely cold, and as she feels Cato’s chest tense underneath her, she knows he is just as taken back. Eyes that were once fighting sleep go wide, and Clove finds herself pushed to a seated position before she even realizes she has control of her body. She feels her heart catch in her chest, as if her own heart were trying to catch it’s breath and calm down. “What do…when..who…are you absolutely sure?”

At the same time Cato slowly rises himself, narrowing his eyes as he focuses in on the woman– barely more than a girl, really, and looking even younger as she curls herself up– at the foot of his bed. “How is that our fault.”

“It’s your fault because it was your stupid wedding and your stupid champagne and your stupid cake and your stupid speeches and that stupid stupid suit and that look on his face and–” Glimmer blubbers out, shaking her head rapidly as if she can will this all to be no more than a terrible dream. “You two did this to me.”

“I don’t know how drunk you were, Glimmer, but I can assure you we did not participate in ANY activities that could lead to this with you present.” Cato put his hands up in defense, glancing more intently over at his wife to gauge her response, because such wild accusations could go one of two ways when it came to Clove. 

“I obviously did not have sex with you two, genius.” Glimmer snaps back at him, finally looking up to see them. Dark circles under puffy red eyes betray exhaustion and quite substantial crying– definitely the entire train ride to two if not longer. She’s got crinkly hair falling in her eyes, and when they look long enough they can see that the sweatshirt she wears as a dress is most certainly not hers at all.  Paired with the obscured black running shorts underneath, it is somehow the most exhausted either of them have ever seen her, which is quite the feat when considering her and Cato’s time together in hell- okay, District 13. 

Clove is still frozen, unblinking, unmoving as the gravity of Glimmer’s words settle in her chest. It aches in a way she cannot understand. Deep down she wonders if it is because of her own mother. Was this how that poor, unsuspecting teenage girl had felt? For a moment Clove can picture her own young mother, crying that her life was ruined by Clove’s unintentional existence, and she has to bring herself back to the hard reality infront of her before she thinks too deeply on that front. 

“Are you sure?” Clove almost moves closer, but hesitation keeps her firmly planted beside Cato, just in case an unsuspected touch would send Glimmer spiraling further and further into her despair. “Is Marvel…”

“Of course I’m sure. Trust me I checked over and over and over and- seven times.  I couldn’t make this up if I tried.” Glimmer digs the heel of her hands into her eyes, pressing in with just enough pressure to make the world dark. “Of course he is, Clove. And now everything is ruined, things were so good.. We were getting back together and now- now it’s all ruined.”

“Was he mad? What did he say to you Glimmer, I swear-” Cato raised a blonde eyebrow, pushing the sheets off his legs as he swings his feet to the ground. “I can go beat the hell out of him right now Glimmer, he has no right to be pissed–”

“No! No. I…he doesn’t know. He can’t know. I can’t tell him.” Her eyes go somehow even wider, welling with even more tears as she shakes her head rapidly back and forth, and she reaches forward to grab Clove’s hands as if she were going to up and run to One on her own. 

“What the fuck do you mean you can’t tell him. You have to tell him.” Cato nearly snaps at her, the signature Cato Hadley aggression a hard 180 from the way he was willing to literally kill for her just moments prior. He still pushes himself to his feet to begin grabbing scraps of clothing off the floor and pulling them together in a make shift outfit. “It’s his right to know, it’s his kid. If you aren’t going to tell him I sure as fuck will–”

“Cato…” Clove pleads, reaching out and grabbing him by the hand as he shuffles around their bedroom. She stills him, calms him with just the grasp of her hand, with her fingers threaded through his. She’s the only person in the world who will grab him in the middle of his rage, and she is the only person in the world who can pull him out of it. Despite her choosing to stop the impending rampage, she does vocalize her agreement. “He is right, Glimmer. He needs to know.”

“No! He’ll hate me again–”

“No he won’t, Glimmer. He absolutely will not hate you, not over anything, but especially not over this.” Clove tries, but Glimmer has already curled on her side, rolled into a ball at the foot of the bed like a dog. “What did your sister say?”

“She doesn’t know, either. I went to see her yesterday when I found out but she wasn’t home and I didn’t want to just let myself into Enobaria’s house because she kind of scares me still and so I just stayed home but I can’t stop crying and I cried all night and–” Glimmer throws herself face first into the mattress, but even still the thick layer of mattress barely muffles her cries. If they didn’t know any better they’d think she was being tortured– and maybe emotionally she was. “Everything was starting to be good again.”

“Cato is going to go get your sister.” Clove instructs, and the glare he shoots in her direction tells her he may be going to get a lot more than just Cashmere. “Don’t.” She mouths, as if she can read his mind and his plan to go all the way to One. “She’s right across the street, he will be right back with Cashmere and she’ll tell you the same thing! He isn’t afraid of Enobaria.”

“Depends on the day.” Cato glances between Glimmer and Clove, and the look of disapproval written all across his sharp features tells Clove this fight is far, far from over. “Fine. I’ll go get Enobaria and her sweater–”

“Cato!”

“I’m going, I’m going.” 

“And don’t you dare tell them whats going on, Cato.”

When Cato slips out the bedroom door, Clove waits until she hears the front door both opening and closing to signal he’s left. She reaches down and pulls some of Glimmer’s blonde hair that is stuck to her tear slicked cheek and pushes it out of her face and behind her ear so she could actually see her as they speak. 

“Now, Glimmer.” Clove starts, her voice somewhere between her normal volume and a whisper, almost soothing in nature. “Your life isn’t ruined. I thought you wanted this..”

“I was just so stupid, Clove. I thought, after all the things they gave me and all the times– I didn’t think I could get pregnant. I didn’t think I had to worry.” Glimmer lifts her head weakly, resting her forehead on Clove’s knee, grateful when she does not push her off. “I used to want to when I was little! When I didn’t know the world was horrible and the things men do. I don’t..I can’t put someone through this! And things were going so so good the last few weeks! And now..he’s going to think I trapped him or something.”

“He will absolutely not think that, Glimmer. He’s good. He’s kind. He absolutely adores you. I’d go as far as to say he is absolutely in love with you. You have to tell him.” Clove reiterates, gently pushing her hair back off her face and behind her ear as they spoke. “I…know it’s very scary Glimmer. After everything. But the world is different. There's no more victors, no more games..it would never have to go through what you did. If that’s what this is about…wasn’t that the whole point of everything we went through? You know, a better life for the future, and all that?”

“You can’t know that, Clove! I’d never forgive myself for having a baby only to let her go through this-“

“But it won’t go through what happened to you and Gloss and Cashmere and Finnick. Or what happened to me and Marvel. They’re going to be safe, Glimmer. Your kid will be safe.” Clove promises, and though she can’t guarantee it, wasn’t that the literal point of all the shit they went through? The point of that entire war? “You thought you couldn’t have them, and here you are. He’s a good guy, and you live in a world where you won’t have to send it to be a Victor. All in all Glimmer…I’d say it’s not a life ruiner at all.”

Another round of sobs rack Glimmer’s body, as if another wave of immense grief has racked through her thin frame. “What if it’s a boy, I can’t have a boy.”

Clove sighs, and leans back to support her body on her hands. “You can’t change that, Glimmer, you don’t get to decide–”

“I have had to share my body with so so so many boys and men, Clove, almost never my choice. I can’t have to do this–”

“You don’t get to decide. That’s a risk you have to take, if you want to have a kid. Thats a risk you’d have to take no matter when, I guess if, you got pregnant again. It’s a risk you take and you can’t choose–”

“I didn’t ask for this! I can’t have to share my body with a boy again, I just can’t.” Glimmer sounds as if she is begging, begging a girl who can not help her nor change the fate that is already decided.

Clove brings her hand down to Glimmer’s cheek, turning her face up so that she had no choice but to meet her eyes. There was an ache she herself couldn’t place, and her voice betrayed it with the slightest waver as she spoke.  “It wouldn’t be a random boy, Glim. He’d be yours. He’d be your baby, You would get to be his mom. And you could make absolute sure that he turns out good and kind and loving– and he has a really good dad. There are good men in the world, too. Who would never do what was done to you. Cato, and Marvel, and your brother…You can’t just…You can’t not love him because of the crime of being a boy. He didn’t choose it. It isn’t your kid’s fault that they exist, you have to love them. If you have a baby you have to love it, please, Glimmer, you have to. ” 

It feels like something in her own mind snaps, the metaphorical levee breaking, and Clove finds herself silent and looking away to avoid Glimmer’s green eyes piercing into her from below. 

Glimmer rolls from her side to her back, tears now streaming back towards her ears instead of down her cheeks towards her lips. “Clove? Are you okay?”

“I can’t help but wonder if my mom said I ruined her life, too.” Clove admits quietly, looking off into anywhere but Glimmer on her thigh. “Because I did. I definitely did. And everyone always told me she wanted me and she loved me but, no fifteen year old wanted to give up a year of training for a kid. My grandmother always told me I ruined my mom’s life and I just wonder if she thought I did, too.”

“Oh…no, Clove, there’s no way she didn’t want you, we’ve all heard about her...”

“Even if she did…she died. She died and then noone wanted me, Glimmer. So I know what it is like to be unwanted and unloved and know it and thats why I am just begging that if you decide to have this kid, Glimmer, that you love it. And you want it. And you never let her or him feel otherwise because it is really really really hard to be a kid that is unwanted. Don’t tell your kid they ruined your life. Please don’t have a baby you do not want.”  Clove actually pleads, glancing up at the ceiling and not daring to look at Glimmer, even when she feels a hand slipping into her own. 

“I’m sorry, Clove. I didn’t…I didn’t mean that it ruined my life. I am the one who ruined everything. I do want it Clove. Of course I do. And of course I will love it because it’s mine. I didn’t..I do want it. I promise, I didn’t mean it like that.” Glimmer blinks away a round of tears, rubbing them away with the back of her hand. “I’m just scared and i’m alone and I don’t know how to do this alone and i’m tired and can’t eat and can’t stop crying and keep throwing up and i’m just …I’m scared, Clove. I’m really scared. I don’t have a mom anymore. I don’t know how to be one and noone can teach me and I really want to be a good mom.”

Clove nods swiftly, bringing her own breathing back to a normal pace. She would argue, later, that she wasn’t alone. That if she would just tell Marvel– who she has to tell– this would all be resolved. That she had all of them, really, that in this post war world none of them would ever really be alone.

“For what it’s worth, Glimmer, I think you’ll be a really good mother.” Clove says as a peace offering, letting out a steady sigh through her nose.

After Glimmer lets out a soft  “thank you,” in response a comfortable silence falls between them for a few minutes as they await the return of Cato with her sister, before the whole conversation will begin again. 

“....do you want something to eat? I know you said you haven’t eaten in a few days. You’ve been sick, but I can make something simple...”

“Oh. No. I’m not hungry, Clove, but thank you.”

Clove does not accept her denial as an answer, and instead gently removes Glimmer’s head from her legs and standing instead. “No, you have to have something, especially if you’ve been sick too.”

“I’m really not hungry, I swear. Thank you, though, really.” Glimmer insists, curling her knees up closer to her chest once she is alone in Clove’s bed. 

“You may not be hungry, Glimmer but your little–” Clove struggles for the word to use next, as Parasite seems too cruel for Glimmer right now, but baby felt far too formal for the thing that it was at this point. “...your little… stowaway needs something too so. Whether you want me to or not, i’m making you breakfast. So.  What do you want?”

Glimmer hesitates, but gives the slightest hint of a nod, rolling on her side to face the doorframe. “....can I have a grilled cheese?”

And despite the fact it is not even 10:30 in the morning yet, Clove says yes.

[whenicarusflies]

Who was the most lucky and un-lucky person from The Hunger Games trilogy?

Why do you pick them? Please give reasons.

You can interpret the luck and un-luck thing however you want.

Thank you :)

@curiousnonny

Actually, i think the most unlucky person in the trilogy was Clove. No, okay hear me out, with everyone else the odds were stacked against them: Katniss was always an underdog, Prim wasn't even 14 when she died, when she fought in a war, Peeta was always Katniss's weakness, ect. ect.

But Clove. She had all the odds. She was deadly, smart, and from one of the better districts. All things considered she probably should have won, the reason she died- she said one wrong thing. If she hadn't said anything about rue then thresh wouldnt have intervened and Katniss would have died. But she did. All it took was one mistake. Which is why she's unlucky

[rhysandswingspan]

Hi! I’m back with a new chapter to my Clato fanfic: Fragile!

Go check it out, and here’s an excerpt from the new chapter! 

-

"I shouldn't have gotten so mad." Cato replies, "And I shouldn't have called you a child." "Is the high and mighty Cato actually apologizing?" she can't resist taunting him. "At least I don't beg." Clove flushes slightly and glares at him. "You can't deny it," he says, smirking. "The way you plead for me when you-" Clove presses her knife to his throat, cutting him off. He doesn't even look scared, instead, his eyes lock to hers.

Yes that’s right to anyone who has been reading this, the teaser from the fanfic summary is finally here!

-

New Chapter:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/34894465/chapters/108117627

Chapter 1: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34894465/chapters/86888572

[clatoaf]

TITLE COMES LAST

- with every leap of faith, there comes a silver lining.

“Fine a day or fine you’ll take it?” “A day. I will take a day.” 

My brand new Clato fic is live on AO3! Super excited to share this with everyone. I missed my children dearly.

[ohhowwehavefallen]

SOMEONE TALK TO ME ABOUT CLATO PLEASE

[enobariasdistrict2]

clato are so "'i could fix him' well good for you, i can be the one thing he's truly afraid of" coded

[debeedoublefu]

I'm certain I'm not the first to think/realise this, but during my hunger games reread I noticed that the announcement that there can be two victors if they are from the same district comes when the only pairs left are Katniss/Peeta and Clove/Cato. Plus, when Thresh gets ahold of Clove, she calls for Cato. The book states he cradles her, begging her to stay with him. I reckon the rule change was not just for the Katniss/Peeta romance drama angle, but because unbeknownst to our otherwise occupied narrator, Clove and Cato had formed a romance in the arena that was being televised. So the capitol was like,,, let's add a couple V couple love island element

[mellarkdandelion]

new hunger games stills :D

[nickeverdeen]

The Hunger Games characters getting jealous

Includes: Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Finnick, Cato, Clove

Katniss Everdeen

She’s more insecure than jealous

But if so…

She’d definetly give the person “the stare”

Katniss has a self-doubting kind of jealousy

She’s comparing herself with the other person in some ways

Katniss would indeed need a reassurance from you when the person is gone

Even though she wonn’t admit it

She would just try to bottle her feelings in very unhealthy way

She’ll 100% deny that she’s jealous

“I was not jealous Y/N, I just didn’t really like them”

Peeta Mellark

Tries to act polite

He’s smart and rational enough not to throw hands

Peeta would be really uncomfortable

He is aware that you’re loyal to him, but he can’t help it

He hates being jealous

Peeta would walk up to your side and put his hand around your waist trying to give the person hint

Passive-agressive behaivor

He’d talk with you about it after the person left

Or he just wouldn’t want to “bother” you with it and would try to bottle it up

One of you would at the end bring it up at some point

“So.. you and them? Yeah, right. Sorry”

Gale Hawerthrone

Gale is a very jealous person

He has some insecurities and gets all defensive with the person

Death stares

If the person would flirt with you, man would NOT let that slide

Gale can be rational, but if the person won’t drop it then he can and will throw hands

He’s bittter and snicker more during the interaction

Will deny for his entire life that he got jealous

He wouldn’t even try to cover his jealousy up when being near the person

He’s not gonna talk about it

Just kiss will be pretty much enough to reassure him

“I wasn’t jealous. They were flirting with you! It was enough of a reason for me to act that way!”

Finnick Odair

Even though he doesn’t really have a reason to be jealous he indeed does get slightly at times

Finnick is the most famous guy in whole Capitol, but that doesn’t mean that jealousy can’t get the best of him

Just like Peeta he’d try to act polite

Really, he tries not to be jealous, but he can’t help it

Finnick, feels kinda dumb for being jealous ‘cause he trusts you

He isn’t one to really show it

He’s constantly just bottling it up inside of him

Finnick is prepared for being teased about it later by you, but he doesn’t really mind

Walks up to you and the person and puts his hand on your waist

If the person still wouldn’t get the hint he’d kiss your cheek and call you “love” or “sweetheart”

His sassy side kicks in while talking woth the person

Finnick would let you tease him about it later and he’d probably laugh it off

“Yeah, okay *chuckles* I get your point”

Cato Hadley

Definetly the hard stare or some glances

Cato is the type of a person “punch first, ask second”

He isn’t really insecure, but it does bother him when other people are hitting on you

But if the person isn’t bothering you, he wouldn’t pick a fight with them

He’s more bitter and sassy towards the person

Cato doesn’t really shy away from PDA

So he’s not afraid to wrap his strong arms around you protectively or kiss you

He wants the person to get the hint

If the person is your friend he’d be much calmer ‘cause he doesn’t want to ruin yours and their friendship

Cato can and will flex just to prove the person that they ain’t good enough for you

If the person would dare to touch you in uncomfortable way, Cato would be quick to give them piece of their mind

He ain’t losing you to some jerk from a bar

Extremely affectionate with you during the interigation with the person

“Hey love, who’s that? I see… *hard stare at the person*”

Clove Kentwell

Pretty much like Cate “punch first, ask second”

Clove definetly has some jealousy issues

She very quickly loses her cool when someone starts flirting with you

If you weren’t there, she’d most definetly punch the person

Agressively conforts them

She’s indeed intimidating when she wants to be so the person would probably back off

But if not, things could escalate to the point where she throws hands

You’re pretty much the only person who can calm her down at that point

Death stares

Clove isn’t really into PDA, but at that point she would put her arm around your shoulders or rest her hand on your waist

She doesn’t even hide her jealousy

Will deny her jealousy later at all cost

Clove will talk absolute shit about the person after they leave (unless it’s your friend)

Is very clingy afterwards

If it’s your friend, she’ll get slightly bitter with them, but would calm down

After all, she doesn’t wanna ruin your and the person’s friendship

She’ll start playing with her knifes next to you only to intimidate the person silently

“Hey dickhead! Y/N has a girlfriend!”

[nourtarts]

felt the spirit of the hunger games take hold of me and drew a bunch of characters from the first book the way I imagined them! might post finnick and the catching fire gang later

[7s3ven]

LACY. cato hadley

( master list )

IN WHICH… Clove Kentwell can’t help but compare herself to Cato’s ex. They may have dated a year ago, but she sees the way he still looks at her.

“Lacy, oh, Lacy, it's like you're out to get me. You poison every little thing that I do”

—

“Cato, are you listening?” Clove placed a hand on her boyfriend’s muscular arm, her eyebrows knitted together. She wasn’t usually worried but with how distant Cato had been lately, she couldn’t help it.

“Huh?” Finally, Cato turned to her. “Yeah. I’m good. Sorry, I’m just tired.” But his eyes didn’t fail to trail back to her. Clove followed his line of sight, feeling a sudden burst of jealousy.

He had been paying more attention to her than Clove.

Y/N L/N, District Two’s prized possession. A delicate beauty none the less. And Cato Hadley’s ex-girlfriend. It had been a year since the two broke up but he was still gazing at her from time to time, which angered Clove.

She had tried to bring it up with him, but he brushed her off. “Cato.” She tugged on his shirt, gaining his attention. “Do you want to go somewhere else?” The pair were sitting in a small cafe that happened to be Y/N’s favorite. She was always sitting in the corner, laughing with friends.

“I thought you liked this place.” Cato tilted his head to the side.

“I do.” Clove glanced down at the cinnamon spice coffee that she adored, “But I… want a change of scenery.” All she wanted was one day where she didn’t have to witness Cato eying up Y/N.

“Uh. Yeah. We can leave.”

Clove did her best to hide her sigh of relief. They stood up, pushing their chairs back. Clove grabbed her drink and practically shoved Cato out the door.

“What about that dessert place you like?” Cato questioned. Only, Clove didn’t like desserts. She liked warm and hot things; like hot chai lattes and spicy soup. Y/N was the one who liked desserts.

“I’m not in the mood for cold things.” Clove smiled, cooly playing it off. She couldn’t help but loathe Y/N for influencing Cato this much and leaving such a huge mark. But it was partly her fault for falling in love with a guy who wasn’t over his ex.

“Do you just want to go home and watch a movie then?” Cato suggested. Finally, he remembered one right detail about her. Clove silently nodded, taking another sip from her cup.

Cato abruptly paused. “Hey, your friend is friends with Y/N, right?” Clove wasn’t even disappointed at this point.

She heaved a light sigh. “Yeah. I guess. They talk.”

“Great. I need to return some things to her but I don’t know her new address. So do you think you could ask your friend?”

“I’m not really comfortable with you being around Y/N.” Clove fiddled with her fingers, which was another trait she had gained from her relationship with Cato.

Cato quietly scoffed, but not in a rude way. He smiled. “It’s just a few things, Clo. I’ll be in and out like that.” He quickly snapped his fingers. Clove rocked back and forth on her heels before giving in.

“I’ll ask but I can’t make any promise.” She uttered, the light in her eyes dimming when she saw Cato grin wider.

Y/N was the type of girl nobody could compare to with her stunning E/C eyes and lingering perfume that hung heavily on her skin.

She was Heather Conan talked about. She was Lacy Olivia referred to. And in a way, she was Clove’s rival.

“Excuse me.”

Clove’s heart practically dropped after she heard that all too familiar voice. Cato seemed to spin around impossibly fast.

Y/N stood behind them, softly smiling. “I think you left this.” She held up a hardcover book that Clove had forgotten to grab despite it being her favorite.

“Oh…” Clove quickly reached for it, hugging it tightly to her chest. “Thank you.” She choked out. Y/N sent her another smile that made Clove feel sick. How could she be so perfect?

“Cato, I found some of your stuff in my closet.” Y/N turned to the blond-haired boy. “Would you be wanting it back?” Clove almost prayed for Cato to ignore her. To not reply. But Cato opened his mouth anyway.

“I have some of your things too. I was planning on asking Clove’s friend, Aria, for your address.”

“Oh, Aria! She’s so nice. She let me borrow her perfume once.”

It was like Clove wasn’t even there. She clenched her hands into fists as she watched the two converse like they were old friends. They somewhat were but their dating history made it weird for them to be speaking so casually.

Cato was hanging off every word Y/N said which left Clove alone. She almost shrivelled under all the pitying looks people passing by gave her, but she continued to stand tall.

“I’ll meet you there then?” Y/N asked, her perfectly tinted lips curving upwards. Her makeup was always perfect, unlike Clove who preferred to wear none at all. Suddenly, Clove grew self-conscious.

Did Cato like feminine girls? Clove looked Y/N up and down, noticing her neat outfit. The H/C-nette was wearing a skirt while Clove was dressed in loose fitting cargo pants. Her gaze flickered to Y/N’s hair. Every strand was placed perfectly while Clove’s hair was simply pulled back into a messy ponytail.

“Yeah. See you.” Cato bid Y/N farewell. He looked at Clove again, who was losing her confidence the more she compared herself to Y/N. “You ready to go?”

Clove hid her insecurity behind a smile. “Yeah.” She muttered, her voice quieter than she planned it to be.

The couple always watched movies at Cato’s house. His family had a spare room that they used as a small movie theatre. Clove leaned against Cato and despite him allowing her to do so, she knew he wished she was someone else.

“So, what were you and Y/N talking about?” Clove carefully questioned as the movie had begun playing. She felt Cato shrug.

“Not much. We were just arranging a place and time to give stuff back.”

“Why do you still have her stuff?”

“I must’ve forgotten about it.”

The pang in Clove’s heart told her that he was lying. She saw the way he hugged a pink hoodie to sleep. It wasn’t her’s, and it didn’t smell like her either. Clove’s perfume was heavy and mature while the hoodie smelled airy and floral… just like Y/N.

Clove did her best to focus on the movie. She would get lost in her thoughts from time to time but always came back to reality when Cato shifted around.

Clove yawned and slightly slouched, letting the cushions of the couch engulf her. She glanced at Cato who was too focused on the screen to notice.

She suddenly paused the movie, confusing Cato. “Are you leaving now?” He asked, watching as she stood up. She shook her head.

“Cato, we need to talk about…” Clove paused, choosing her next words carefully. “Some things that have been happening recently.”

Cato raised his eyebrows, indirectly telling her to continue.

“Lately we haven’t been the same. I mean, I’m training more and you… you seem distracted. Did I do something wrong?” Clove had never felt more vulnerable than right now.

“I mean… you did eat salt and vinegar chips with Oreos.” Cato quietly chuckled.

“That’s not what I mean!” Clove exclaimed, “And that was a dare just so you know!” She pointed a finger at Cato. “You keep looking at her. And don’t pretend like you don’t know who I’m referring to.”

“What? Y/N?” The way Cato immediately caught on unnerved Clove. “Clo, she’s just a friend. Not even that. I only talked to her today because I needed to.”

“I see the way you look at her. And…” Clove had to take a minute to compose herself, “I know that you wish I was her.” Cato said nothing, confirming her theory.

“Clove.” He uttered after a moment. That was the first time he had called her by her real name in a long time. “I’m dating you. Not her. I”- Clove unexpectedly cut him off.

“Then why does it feel like we aren’t dating?!” She shouted, her voice slightly shaking. She was glad no one else was home. “Why does it feel like… I’m a replacement?”

“You aren’t”-

Clove didn’t let Cato speak. She launched straight into another scolding. “Why are you always looking at her?! And ignoring me! I’m your girlfriend, Cato! Me! Not her! So why do you pay more attention to Y/N than me? You hardly even talk to me now!” If Clove was a normal girl, she would be sobbing. But her parents taught her to keep her emotions, especially her sadness, at bay.

Cato remained silent, staring at her with the same look of pity everybody else did. All Clove wanted was for him to look at her the same way he looked at Y/N.

“I’m sorry, Clo.” He uttered. Clove took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself for whatever was next to come. “I just can’t love you like I love her.”

“I see.” The brunette whispered. She quickly gathered her things, blinking away small tears.

“Clove. Come on.” Cato stood up as she walked away. “We can talk about this. Where are you going? Clove.” He was annoyingly insistent on following her.

Clove spun around, staring right into Cato’s eyes. “I can’t be her, Cato. So maybe it’s best if we split up.” She was prepared to leave but Cato grabbed her wrist.

“Y/N.” He uttered without thinking. His grip loosened on Clove’s wrist once he realized his mistake.

“See? That’s what I’m talking about.” Clove unlocked the front door, stepping out. “Just… leave my stuff on the doorstep and I’ll do the same.” She closed the door behind her and allowed herself a moment of weakness.

Cato stood on the other side, listening to Clove’s quiet sobs and sniffs. He slowly backed away. He knew that deep down, Clove was right. He did wish she was Y/N.

He glanced at the box Y/N’s stuff. It sat at the bottom of the stairs, almost collecting dust.

Maybe it’s for the best, he told himself. He had already hurt Clove enough. There was no reason for him to pretend that he loved her as much as he still loved Y/N.

[rhysandswingspan]

hey! I'm back after a summer of reading Fourth Wing and adoring it, so fanfic of that soon maybe??? There will be a new clove and cato fanfic up in a few days as well, so if you love a toxic dynamic, just go read it