Cato threw the big doors of the academy open, grinning.

"Clove! What's been happening? I missed you!"

"Haha you've only been gone for one night!" Clove smiled "I hit a dummy from 30 meters. My new record babe!" Clove said as she watched Cato's impressive figure enter the large training room.

Cato looked at Clove and smirked slightly.

"Good one, babe!" He said and dumped his bag along the wall.

Clove ran up to welcome him, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a light kiss on the cheek. She knew there would only be one winner, and she deeply wanted it to be him even though she would be in the games too.

"How are you feeling today? Ready for training?" She asked.

Cato wrapped his strong arms around Clove gently,

"Sure am." He smiled at her.

"Good," Clove then added with a wink, "We don't want you getting hurt now that there's only a week until the games now do we?"

Cato chuckled lightly, planting a small kiss on the top of her head.

"Please; you should be watching out for yourself." He smirked and returned her wink, pulling away and going over to one of the weapon stations.

* * *

Clove watched as Cato walked away, wishing she could spend more time with him, but knew that now was the most important time to train ever. She reluctantly returned to throwing her knives, knowing that if she were to help him win, she would have to practice much more.

Cato had a sword in his hand and was cutting the foam heads off the dummies, skewering them through the heart with a blade.

Clove kept hitting the dummies hearts and heads with her knifes, trying to stay accurate from 31 meters this time. But it was harder with Cato around, even when her head wasn't turned to see him, her mind seemed clouded with thoughts of him.

Cato appeared behind her silently.

"What's wrong with you today? Thought you were the girl that never misses." He raised an eyebrow.

Clove turned around and met his eyes, with tears forming in her own.

"I love you." She sobbed. "I just want so badly for you to win... But part of me wishes we didn't have to go in, that we could just go and have a normal life together."

She buried her face in his chest. She didn't want to lose him, and she wanted to have a future with him. It was just all so messed up...

Cato sighed slightly, wrapping his arms around her again and resting his chin on top of her head lightly.

"You don't have to go in, Clovely, I can, and then win and come back and live with you forever." He told her.

"But I couldn't just wait here knowing that you might die!" Clove said with determination. But she really did like his offer. She sobbed, not letting go.

Her mind frantically searched for a solution.

"How about I take extra tesserae so I have a bigger chance of getting in, but if I don't, I won't volunteer?" She suggested.

Cato frowned slightly.

"I don't want to lose you." He told her.

"And I can't lose you."

* * *

"You won't lose me." Cato promised her.

"How do you know that? What if one of your allies killes you in your sleep? What if the Capitol doesn't like you? What if..." A million possibilities raced into her head, but all that came out were tears.

Cato bit his lip gently, he didn't say anything, just held her close.

Clove continued to sob into his arms, enjoying the comforts, if few, of his warm embrace. Her knees felt weak and all she wanted to do was lay down and cry, so she went off to her room the academy provided, partially hoping Cato would follow, and partially wanting to be alone.