Stay With Me - A Clato Hunger Games FanFic

Chapter 11~ Forgiven

A/N~ I know, it's been too long since I've updated! Here is a nice long one for my romantics! You will be very happy with how it turns out, I know I am. VOTE & COMMENT! Love ya'll~ Jordy

Chapter 11~

Forty-five minutes later,  Lolatrix comes to escort me to the train. We pick up Cato on the way. He doesn’t make eye contact with me, and I can tell he’s upset. When we reach the train and climb on, I freeze. We have money in District Two, so we’re pretty used to nice things, but this was beyond belief.

I take a few steps into the train car, just so the people behind me can crowd in. I start walking around in awe. The place is magnificent. There are black and red drapes adorning the walls. Two white couches sit in the middle, with black and red accent pillows and throw blankets on each. Several end tables are scattered throughout, as well as arm chairs. Lolatrix is obviously excited about showing the place off. She leads us into an adjoining car, where a buffet table is set up along one wall, and a large dining table with crystal tableware is resting. We are also shown to our respective bedrooms. The entire train theme colors must be red and black. My room has a large platform bed on the opposite wall, with a pretty red and white comforter. There is also a desk, nightstand and two arm chairs in the room. I have a large closet and a private bathroom also. I walk back down the hall towards the dining room, peeking into Cato’s room as I go. His is identical to mine, but he has a more manly bed set. He meets me at the door and we walk silently towards the dining car. I can tell he wants to say something, but doesn’t know how. He stutters, just as we get there, “Clove, I-,” I cut him off, “Don’t. We’ll talk later, but not with these people around.” He glances up and sees who’s already there. It’s not many, thank goodness. Lolatrix is there obviously, but the only other ones are a few Avoxes, who are tending the buffet table. I walk over to Lolatrix, “Where are our mentors?” I inquire. “Oh, they’re both still at the Capitol. They don’t even stay in the Victor’s Village. They prefer the Capitol, and they can’t be bothered to come get the tributes,” she finishes rather huffily. Then she mumbles something under her breath, and it sounds like, “So I have to come by myself to meet the kids who will be killed soon.” You can tell she is upset about having to come alone, but she covers it up well. She claps her hands together, “Well, let’s eat, shall we? I’m sure you’re both famished.” That was entirely opposite what I was feeling. This whole thing was sinking in now. It’s real. I’m here. And there is a very real possibility I won’t be coming home. My stomach was tying itself in knots. There was no way I could eat, but I went over and sat down anyway. Cato sat next to me, and Lolatrix was across from us. Cato digs in, saying it’s great, yada yada, all the usual stuff. Lolatrix takes small, dainty bites, while giving me strange looks. “Aren’t you going to eat?” she asks, with a concerned expression. “Actually, no, I’m not feeling well. I’m gonna go to my room.” I say, excusing myself. When I get behind Lolatrix, so she can’t see me, I give Cato a questioning look over her head. He gives me a very slight nod, and I head to my room.

I decide to shower, while I wait for Cato. I strip down and climb into the warm water. The hot water does wonders for relaxing my muscles. It feels heavenly. I get confused when it comes to the shampoo though. There’s so many knobs. We only had two at home, and neither of them are here. I go with a cherry blossom scent. It smell great, but it’s got a spicy undertone that I like. When I’m finally all rinsed and ready to get out, I swing the door open, only to realize I don’t have a towel. Ughhh, what am I gonna do? Then I notice the button next to the shower door. It reads, Dry. Well, that’s easy enough. I hit the button, and hot wind surrounds me, coming from various holes in the wall. I grab a robe and go out into my room to find some clothes.

The closet is pretty cool. I just hit a button, and the clothes rack rotates for me to choose. I sift through the ridiculously colored clothing to find an outfit that is semi-normal. It’s just a pair of black leggings, and a long green tunic-like thing. I throw my hair into a pony tail, and go over to the window. I sit in the arm chair and watch the scenery fly by. Dozens of thoughts are running through my head. Who will tell my parents I’m gone? How can I tell Cato I love him, if we’ll have to kill each other. I can’t make this any harder on him. If he dies, who will be there for Arie? He has to go back to her, and be with her, so she’ll get better. But then I’ll have to die. In order for Cato to win, I must die. I love him and all, but my life? Can I give that up for him? I’m debating all this and more, when a soft rap on my door pulls me from my thoughts. Cato is leaning on the door frame. It’s time to face him.

He comes further into the room, closes the door, and positions himself in the chair across from me. Neither of us says anything for a long time. We just sit there watching each other, listening to the sound of the other’s breathing. Then I finally work up the nerve to speak. Apparently so does he because we both speak at the same time. I blush, and wait for him to continue, but he doesn’t, so I say, “I just wanted you to know that I’ve forgiven you. For everything. I am not condoning your actions, but I cannot go into this arena, knowing I might not come out, without telling you this. I love you. I really do. I’ve loved you since I first saw you, but I didn’t know it until you were imprisoned, and I had to live without you. It was horrible,” I finish, waiting for his reaction. He doesn’t say anything for a minute, and then a large grin spreads across his face. “Really? I was going to say I’m sorry, for all of it. I should have never let her get in my head. It cost me two weeks without you. But we’re both here now, and we’ll be okay, right? Us? I mean, there is still an ‘us’, isn’t there?” he asks. I pretend to think for a minute, and then say, “Yes, there is still an ‘us’. But only until we go into the arena. If the sponsors think we’re soft, they won’t give us as many gifts, won’t think we’re capable of being killers. This ends the second those buzzers go off,” I say. “Clove, I promise you, I will find a way for us both to make it out,” he assures me. I give him a half –hearted shrug, to sate him, even thought deep down, I know he’s wrong. He comes over and picks me up from my chair. He plops down in the chair I was moved from, and pulls me onto his lap. He wraps his arms around me, and I snuggle into his chest. Right here, right now, I feel safe. No Hunger Games. No death. No one else. Just Cato and I, together. We sit there silently for a little while, relishing in the feel of each other. Then he starts to shift. He sits up more, and says, “Clove? Can you hop down for a sec?” I give him a questioning look, and move off him. He stands up and steps in front of me. I eye him suspiciously. He backs up a foot or something and gets down on one knee. Oh. No. No way. He is not. He is. He reaches into his shorts pocket and pulls out a red velvet box. My hand flies to my mouth and I have to hold back a cry. My heart is breaking. There is no way we can do this. We’ll both be killed. “Clove Rae Sirenia, if we both make it out of there alive, will you marry me?” he asks sweetly. He looks so open, so vulnerable. I must be taking too long, because his face is contorting, like he thinks I’ll say no. But I wouldn’t so that, because, what’s the harm in being engaged? If we do both make it out, we’ll get married and live in the Victor’s Village together. If we don’t, we haven’t lost anything. So, for his sake I say, “Yes.” Before the word has even left my mouth, he is planting a huge kiss on me. He wraps his arms around. I have missed this so much. I melt into his embrace. He pulls back and slides a beautiful princess cut diamond ring onto my ring finger. “Wait, how long have you been planning this?” I ask, trying to figure out when he would have gotten a ring. “When I was imprisoned, I was miserable. I missed you so much, I decided that if you ever forgave me, I would make you my wife, so I could never lose you again. My mom came to visit me one day, and I told her about my decision. She and Arie went and picked this one out a few days before the reaping. I would like it to be your token in the Arena. Would you do that? Wear my ring as your district token?” he asks sincerely. “Of course I will” I say. He gives me that trademark smirk that I haven’t seen in weeks, that I hadn’t even realized I missed. Then he leaned in for another kiss, which I happily returned.  

~A/N~ Well? How was it? VOTE and COMMENT if you liked it! Even if you didn't, just hit vote, and you can be on your way! VOTE VOTE VOTE COMMENT, RECOMMEND, ah, you know the drill!