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Prim, the infamous Primrose whom Clove supposes she should thank for getting reaped (otherwise she would never have found Katniss) takes a liking to her immediately, and Clove finds herself walking the girl to school almost every day, laughing at the similarities between her lover and the younger girl. And she must admit that goat gives the most delicious milk she has ever tasted in her life.
Prim, one day, decides to teach her how to play.
The conversation is sparked when Clove casually mentions she saw some children doing something odd on the way back from the market at dinner, and had no idea what they were doing.
Prim, in shock, puts down her fork and stares. "You've never played Fox across the River?"
Clove swallows a bite of venison and shakes her head. "No."
Prim is aghast. "You mean ever? Well, what kind of games do you play in District 2?"
Clove feels rather embarrassed, and as Katniss takes her hand under the table and squeezes it, she says quietly, "I don't think I've ever played anything in my life." That's not entirely true- any games that she has played were geared towards her training and survival in the Games. But an actual game with no purpose or service? No.
After dinner, then, Prim drags her outside, and promptly gives her a ball made of solid rubber. "Here"
"Um... what do I do with it?"
Prim rolled her eyes. "Throw it against that wall there, and then catch it. Then it's my turn."
Clove does it, and is surprised to have the ball come back so fast that it whacks her in the face. She doubles over in pain, holding her injured eye with one hand and groaning while Prim tries very hard not to laugh.
They spend the rest of the evening playing games, everything from tossing the rubber ball to Fox across the River, to even just racing each other back and forth across the Victor's village.
And for the first time in her life, Clove learns what it's like to have real fun.
-
Mrs. Everdeen (whom Clove can't bring herself to call her Rose, like she insists) is not as warm at first, and understandably so. She watched Clove be a monster on the screen and murder many people, so she was quite concerned that Clove was not the best choice for her daughter. That and she is a woman- any mother would be concerned that their daughter was attracted to the same gender if she hasn't shown an tendency to it before.
But, one night, it pours rain. Huge streaks of lightening streak the sky, turning everything in the district from the Seam to the Victor's Village into a muddy mess.
The house that Katniss had chosen in the village was one of the older ones, and of course, being there weren't very many victors, the house was in disrepair, as they sound found out- a leaky roof had Prim running to the door of Katniss and Clove's bedroom, yelling at them that the her bed is soaking wet.
Katniss is up and dealing with Prim, which leaves Clove to go check on Mrs. Everdeen.
She finds Mrs. Everdeen in the living room, calmly placing buckets and bowls here and there to catch the water. She walks over, padding across the damp wooden floor and asking if she can help.
Mrs. Everdeen looks over at her, and for a moment, Clove realizes that while Prim really does favor her, Katniss and her have the same calm expression.
Mrs. everdeen nods, and hands Clove a bucket already full of water. They work in silent tandem, emptying full containers of rainwater and replacing them with empty ones.
When the rain finally stops, Katniss comes down the stairs and grumbles aloud how she's going to have to ask the mayor to have the roof fixed, and how it will cut into their food fund, and that she hates being a victor sometimes.
Clove and Mrs. Everdeen both say at the same time that they'll talk to the mayor, and it obviously catches both of them off guard they have the same thought. They blink at the other, which causes Katniss to burst out laughing at their expressions.
The next morning, Clove is helping Prim dry out her things while Katniss is off talking to the mayor. She's just laid out a blanket on the fence when she hears Mrs. Everdeen call not for Prim, but for her. She turns and jogs up to the porch, where Mrs. Everdeen is standing wearing an apron that suits her well.
"Did you have enough at breakfast this morning?" Mrs. Everdeen asks, and it causes Clove to blink.
"Uhm, yes." Clove says, trying her hand at a smile.
"Good. I just wanted to make sure." She gives the girl a smile, and turns back to go inside. "Lunch is almost ready."
Clove nods, and realizes that Mrs. Everdeen - Rose has not only called her by name, but has spoken to her for more than a few moments, and wasn't prompted by Katniss or Prim to do so.
-
The hardest one is Gale. Gale hates her. That much she can tell, and it irks her because she has done nothing but be polite to him.
She realizes later that it's because Gale has probably loved Katniss his whole life. To be honest, she's annoyed at that, and wishes he would grow up and move on. But on the other hand, she understands in a way, and wishes he would stop putting himself through the pain.
Still, it would be nice if he at least showed her a little courtesy.
One afternoon, Gale brings Katniss back to the house in his arms, she curled in a little ball and sobbing while he has no idea what's wrong. Clove immediately rushes over to her lover's side and kneels beside where Gale has placed her on the floor. Through her sobs, she makes out that while they were in the woods, a mockingjay began to sing, and suddenly Katniss was holding Rue's dead body in her arms.
Clove's heart breaks and she pulls her lover into her arms, both of them crying now, Clove at Katniss' pain, and Katniss at the memory.
There is a blanket placed around them, and Gale leaves the two of them alone so they can cry.
Later on, Clove is sitting on the front porch when Gale comes walking up to her. She's sharpening one of her knives when he clears his throat and hands her a package.
She takes it from him and opens it to see chocolates in the shape of seashells. Her favorite- but you can't find them in 12 because they were so expensive.
"Where did you--"
"You're good for her," he says, looking down at his feet and then back up at her. "She's... broken, and so are you, but... together you fit. I couldn't- I can't give her that."
Clove, after a moment, nods, and watches Gale leave.
The next day, when Katniss and Gale go hunting, Clove tags along too.