thicker than blood; a clove/cato fic
She scratches the blood under her nails frenetically, trying to take it off, with some sick despair in her face. The blood, who was all over her clothes, her neck, her hands, even in her mouth. Blood of innocent children.
Blood. So much blood.
Clove doesn't realize at first, but by scratching her nails in the stones, she had started to bleed herself. Mixing her blood with the dry ones, from the other tributes she had killed that day. And she keeps doing it, feeling the pain, enjoying it. Until another pair of hands holds her own firmly. Looking up, she meet a pair of bright blue eyes, looking directly at her. She fights him, trying to continue.
'I'm a warrior, I must be strong' she whispers to herself, fighting the tears, fighting the feelings, fighting with Cato to continue the scratching. Fighthing with her own mind. She had been trainned for this. She had been trainned to kill her whole life. Why was she feeling like this?
Cato continues to hold her wrists, until she completely stops. She expects him to mock her, like he always does. But his face isn't smiling, and she understands that the same question is floating in their minds. He let go of her wrists, but never stop looking directly at her. "I know. I know. Don't think about it now. Let the regrets for when one of us is a victor, and the other one is underground."
And so she does. But his words justs makes her even more terrified. Terrified to be killed by him. Terrified to kill him.
Terrified to think that this is their only destiny.
*
"Under the new rule, both tributes from the same district will be declared winners, if they are the last two alive."
The taste of sweat and blood are all over his lips, but there's something else, too. Desire. He's hungry for her, and he's hungry for victory as well.
Their bodies are entwined, as close as possible, and her head is spinning. They could be killed anytime, with their wapons down, and they couldn't care less at that moment.
They finally break the kiss, breathless. She cleans her mouth with the back of her hands. A malicious smile is forming in the corner of her mouth, and Cato realizes what she means. He smiles too. The vulnerable Clove is gone, and the real one is here again. Ready to do whatever it takes to get them to the top.
The warrior is back.
They share a last look before start walking, silently. They don't need to talk. Both have the same thought.
Let's kill everyone and get out of here.
*
"Cato! Cato!"
She screams, as loudly as she can, and hopes he listen. She doesn't see when the Thresh makes the deathly move, she doesn't see the rock hitting her temples. Clove feels pain for a second, and then she doesn't feel anything anymore. The brave warrior, the girl who minutes ago was seeking for the girl on fire's blood, is gone.
She's numb. Lying dead on the ground.
Cato runs as fast as he can, trying not to think in the worst. Only when he sees her body, he breaks it. "Stay with me. Stay with me Clove!" he shouts, and a little voice in his head knows that there's no one listening anymore.
She's numb, and so is he.