"Oh no," Cassander deadpanned. "What a tragedy."
"It is!"
He raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "What kind of problem could you possibly have?"
Clove hesitated, suddenly regretting bringing this up, but Cassander was already staring at her expectantly. She let out a frustrated sigh.
"What do I get Cato for Christmas?"
Cassander blinked. Then he blinked again. "...What?"
"You heard me."
"Yeah, I just don't believe it." Cassander leaned back against the lockers, crossing his arms. "Why the hell are you getting Cato Hadley a Christmas present?"
Clove groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "It's not like I want to, okay? We're doing Secret Santa."
Cassander's eyebrows shot up. "With who?"
"Everyone. Glimmer, Marvel, Finnick-our whole friend group."
"And you got Cato?"
"No, Annie got Cato for me," she muttered.
Cassander snorted. "Oh my god."
"It's not funny."
"It's hilarious."
Clove smacked his arm, but Cassander just grinned.
"So let me get this straight," he said, clearly enjoying this. "You're buying a Christmas present for the guy you've been competing with since the first day of school?"
"Yes," Clove snapped.
"And you're freaking out about it?"
"Yes!"
"Because you want it to be good."
Clove froze for half a second before glaring at him. "Shut up."
Cassander smirked. "You totally want it to be good."
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do."
"Cass."
He just kept smirking. "So what's the big deal?"
"The big deal," Clove said through gritted teeth, "is that I don't know what to get him, and if I mess this up, he'll never let me live it down."
Cassander tilted his head. "So don't mess it up."
"Wow. Why didn't I think of that."
"Hey, I'm just smart like that."
Clove groaned again and leaned back against the lockers. "I hate Annie so much right now."
"No, you don't."
"Fine, but I do hate Secret Santa."
Cassander shrugged. "Sounds like a you problem."
"Ugh."
"Look, just get him something cool. He's into sports, right? Get him a basketball or something."
Clove rolled her eyes. "Yeah, let me just get him a basketball like I'm his mom."
"Then get him gear or something. Jerseys, sneakers-I don't know, you figure it out."
Clove opened her mouth to argue but paused. Gear wasn't the worst idea.
"See?" Cassander said, noticing her hesitation. "You'll be fine. Stop being so dramatic."
Clove frowned but felt some of the tension in her shoulders ease. Maybe she was overthinking this.
"Thanks, I guess," she muttered.
"You're welcome," Cassander said, ruffling her hair before she could duck away.
"Hey!"
"Come on, drama queen," he said, already heading down the hall. "Let's go before Marvel and Glimmer leave us behind."
Clove glared but followed him, her mind already running through ideas. She still had no clue what she was actually going to get Cato, but at least she wasn't completely panicking anymore.
---
Clove sat cross-legged on her bed, her laptop balanced on her thighs, scrolling endlessly through online stores. Her screen was cluttered with tabs-sports gear, hoodies, cologne, even a set of fancy dumbbells-but nothing felt right.
She flopped back against the pillows, letting out an exaggerated groan. Why is this so hard?
Her bedroom was dimly lit by the string lights she'd hung along the walls, casting a soft golden glow. The faint sound of Christmas music drifted up from the living room, where her dad had apparently decided it was never too early to blast holiday classics.
But even the cheery music didn't help.
Clove sat up again, glaring at the screen. Her cart was full of half-baked ideas for Cato's Secret Santa gift, but none of them seemed good enough. He'd know if she didn't put in any effort-and she'd never hear the end of it.
Her phone buzzed next to her, lighting up with a text from Marvel:
𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐥: You better not get Cato something lame.
𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞: Shut up.
𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐥: No, seriously. He'll roast you for life.
𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞: You're the WORST.
𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐥: :)
Clove chucked her phone aside and rubbed her temples. This is impossible.
Clove was halfway through scrolling through yet another online store-this one specializing in high-end sports gear-when a loud cry echoed down the hall.
"VeeVee!"
Clove's head snapped up immediately, heart leaping. That was Kieran-and he sounded upset.
Without hesitation, she shoved her laptop aside and jumped off the bed, bolting out of her room and down the hall to his.
"Kieran?" she called, pushing open his door.
Her little brother was sitting on the floor by his bed, his cheeks streaked with tears and his lip trembling. He looked up at her, sniffling hard. "VeeVee," he whimpered.
Clove's chest tightened. She dropped to her knees in front of him. "What happened? What's wrong?"
Kieran sniffled again and pointed to his knee, which had an angry red scrape across it. His jeans were bunched up above it, and the bandage he'd had earlier was starting to peel at the edges.
"It still hurts," he mumbled. "And-and I tried to fix it, but I made it worse."
Clove's heart melted. "You didn't make it worse," she said softly, reaching out to tilt his chin up. "You're just having a rough day, huh?"
He nodded miserably.
Clove gave him a small smile and ruffled his hair. "Okay. Let's fix you up, yeah?"
Kieran sniffed again but let her help him stand. She guided him to sit on his bed while she crouched in front of him, inspecting the scrape more closely.
"Looks like the bandage just came loose," she said. "I'll clean it up and put a new one on. Easy."
Kieran still looked uncertain. "But it hurts."
"I know." Clove softened her voice, brushing his hair back from his forehead. "But you're tough, Kieran. The toughest kid I know."
He gave her a watery look. "You really think so?"
"I know so," she said firmly. "Now sit tight. I'll be right back."
She dashed to the bathroom and grabbed the first-aid kit again, then returned to find Kieran sitting patiently, though his hands were fidgeting in his lap.
"This might sting a little," she warned as she started cleaning the scrape again.
Kieran sucked in a sharp breath but didn't flinch. Clove worked quickly, wiping the area and then smoothing a new bandage over it.
"There," she said, leaning back. "Good as new."
Kieran poked at the bandage, his frown easing slightly. "It doesn't look that bad," he admitted.
"It doesn't," Clove agreed. "And you should see some of the scrapes I've had. Yours is nothing."
Kieran gave her a small, proud smile. "Did yours hurt more?"
"Way more," Clove teased.
He brightened at that and leaned into her, hugging her around the middle. "Thanks, VeeVee."
"Anytime, sweetheart," she said, hugging him back.
When he pulled away, he was noticeably less teary-eyed. "You're the best sister ever."
"Obviously."
Kieran laughed at that, and Clove felt her shoulders relax.
"Do you wanna stay here for a bit?" he asked, giving her his best puppy-dog eyes.
Clove smirked. "Only if you don't make me watch cartoons."
Kieran gasped dramatically. "How dare you disrespect cartoons!"
Clove rolled her eyes and flopped onto his bed anyway, patting the spot beside her. "Fine, you win. But I get the blanket."
Kieran grinned and climbed up next to her, grabbing the remote. "Deal."
As he flipped through channels, Clove leaned back against the pillows, her laptop forgotten for now.
Cato's gift could wait. Right now, her little brother needed her-and honestly, she needed this moment too.
The soft click of the door opening echoed through the quiet house, and Clove barely glanced up. It was 8 p.m., so she assumed it was her mom and dad returning from work.
But when she looked over, she noticed Kieran had fallen asleep beside her, curled up into a little ball. His chest rose and fell with soft breaths, and his eyelids fluttered occasionally, fighting off the last traces of consciousness.
Clove smiled softly at him, the corners of her mouth turning up. He must have worn himself out earlier.
She gently shifted, making sure not to wake him, and slid her arm beneath his small back. As carefully as she could, she lifted him, cradling him against her chest. Kieran mumbled something unintelligible but stayed asleep, his head nestled into the crook of her neck.
Clove took a moment, just standing there, letting herself feel the weight of him in her arms. He wasn't so little anymore, but in moments like these, when he was so small and vulnerable, she was reminded of how much she still had to protect him.
She started to move toward Kieran's room, her steps light and careful, the weight of her brother still cradled gently in her arms.
When she reached his bed, she pulled back the blankets and carefully tucked him in, making sure he was comfortable before standing up and brushing a stray lock of hair from his face.
He murmured something, but it was too soft for Clove to hear. She smiled to herself and gave him a light kiss on the forehead.
"Goodnight, Kieran," she whispered, moving back toward the door.
As she stepped into the hallway, she heard her dad's voice, soft but sincere. "I'm really proud of you, Clove."
She paused, glancing back at him, a fleeting smile tugging at her lips. "I know."
Then she turned, heading toward her room to pick up where she left off-her laptop waiting, the Christmas gift dilemma still unresolved.
Clove paused just outside her bedroom door, her hand still on the doorknob. The faint glow from inside lit up the hallway, and her mind immediately clicked-I know I turned the lights off.
She frowned, furrowing her brows. The house was quiet, and there was no sound of her parents, so it didn't seem like they were home yet. She had just assumed she'd be alone in her room. What the hell is going on?
With a mixture of confusion and curiosity, Clove pushed the door open quietly, stepping inside. The sight that greeted her left her frozen for a moment.
In the middle of her room, casually sitting around her bed, were Cato, her younger brother Kallias, her sister Haelyn, and her twin brother Cassander. They were deep in conversation, clearly comfortable with each other, like this wasn't the most bizarre thing to Clove.
Her gaze immediately snapped to Cato. Why is he here? She blinked, still in disbelief.
"Okay, what the hell?" she blurted out, her voice a mix of shock and confusion. "Why is everyone in my room? And why is Cato here?"
All four of them turned to look at her, and Cassander smirked while Kallias just shrugged, his arms crossed over his chest. Haelyn raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything right away.
Cato, however, flashed her a grin like he hadn't just invaded her personal space. "Hey, princess. We were just talking about Christmas plans." His voice was casual, almost like he belonged there.
Clove blinked a few more times, processing what he said. "Christmas plans? In my room? Without telling me?"
Cassander chuckled, leaning back on her bed. "We thought it'd be a nice surprise. You know, a little family bonding session. Besides, you don't own this room, you just sleep in it."
"I-" Clove felt her brain short-circuit for a moment. "What the hell are you guys even talking about? And why are you-" She glanced back at Cato, trying to make sense of it. "-why are you here?"
Cato, with his usual nonchalant demeanor, shrugged casually. "I just came to grab my sweater."
She blinked, processing that information. "Your... sweater?" she repeated, looking around the room as if expecting to see it hanging somewhere obvious.
"Yeah, the one I left here the last time we all hung out," Cato explained, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to be lounging in her bedroom at this hour.
Clove's eyes narrowed, her confusion deepening. "You left your sweater here?"
Cassander grinned mischievously, leaning back into her bed. "We were all in here the other night, remember? You and Cato were practically arguing over something, and he took off his sweater. Just forgot it in the chaos, especially when Finnick jumped off your bed and almost crushed Johanna."
Clove's face heated slightly at the mention of her and Cato "arguing," but she didn't let herself dwell on it. Of course, she thought. That night, with all of us in here talking and laughing...
"Honestly," Kallias said with a lazy shrug, "Cato didn't even notice it until today. Thought he was gonna freeze to death without it."
Clove shook her head, still trying to make sense of the situation. "So... you just walked in here, made yourselves comfortable, and didn't think to mention it?"
Cato's grin never wavered. "I'm here for the sweater. If that makes you uncomfortable, I can leave. But I'm not gonna lie-I'm enjoying the... unexpected company."
Clove shot him a look, but there was no real venom in it. He'd obviously made himself at home in her space, and the idea of her siblings all hanging out in her room without her knowing was jarring-but she couldn't deny it was a little nice, too.
"I'm not complaining," Haelyn added, clearly entertained by the exchange. "It's not every day we get a surprise Cato in the room. We're making Christmas plans, you know."
Clove's eyebrows raised. "Christmas plans in my room? How long has this been going on?"
"About thirty minutes," Cassander replied with a grin. "You were busy with Kieran."
Clove didn't have time to process that before Cato interrupted, holding up his hands innocently. "No need to worry. I'm just here for my sweater. I'll be out of your hair as soon as I grab it."
Clove let out an exasperated sigh but couldn't suppress a small, amused smile. "You're unbelievable."
"I try," Cato replied, flashing her another grin before standing up and heading toward the corner of the room where her discarded jacket and sweaters were hanging. "Thanks for the hospitality."
As he rummaged through the pile, Cassander nudged Clove with his elbow. "You know, I think he's secretly one of us now."
Clove shot him a look. "You're crazy."
But her words felt a little less sure as she glanced over at Cato, who was now pulling the sweater over his head, completely at ease in her room. Maybe he's not so out of place here after all, she thought, even if the whole situation was still incredibly weird.
Cato finally grabbed his sweater and gave Clove a quick, almost mocking salute. "Alright, I'll leave you to your peace now. No more surprise visits-unless you want me to come hang out again."
Clove rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on her lips. "Please don't."
"Alright, alright." Cato chuckled and headed toward the door, waving a lazy goodbye to her siblings as he passed them. "Merry Christmas, Kentwells."
After he left, Clove leaned against the doorframe, watching him go. Her family was still in her room, talking about plans and Christmas gifts, but the whole evening felt a little more chaotic now.
Haelyn glanced at her with a smirk. "You're not mad, are you?"
"No," Clove said, though her tone was softer than she expected. "Just... surprised. But whatever. He's not that bad."
"I'm glad you're coming around," Cassander teased.
Clove shot him a half-hearted glare before shaking her head. "Don't get used to it, you guys. Just because I admit he isn't that bad doesn't mean I'm going to tolerate him crashing in here all the time."
"Sure, sure," Kallias chuckled. "But you've got to admit-he fits in here better than we all thought."
Clove rolled her eyes, but deep down, she couldn't deny it. Maybe this Christmas was going to be even more unexpected than she'd anticipated.
---
Clove stared at her laptop screen, her eyes glazed over from the endless scrolling. The soft glow of the screen illuminated her face, but it barely made a dent in the growing stress she felt. Her fingers hovered over the keys, poised to type, but nothing came to mind.
Four days until Christmas Eve, and she was no closer to figuring out what to get Cato. Her mind had gone blank.
She had narrowed down a few ideas earlier in the week, but every time she thought about them, something just felt off. Nothing seemed right for him. It wasn't that Cato was hard to shop for, it was that... well, Clove didn't want to mess this up. She didn't want to give him something that felt too impersonal, but she also didn't want to give him something that screamed "I don't know what you actually like."
She leaned back in her bed, groaning in frustration. She knew what kind of person he was-he had that aloof, carefree attitude that made it seem like he could take or leave anything. But that made it harder. How was she supposed to choose a gift for someone who acted like they didn't care about anything?
The clock on her laptop screen blinked, reminding her of how little time she had. Four days. That's it.
Clove ran a hand through her hair, her thoughts swirling. She could hear her siblings talking and laughing in the other room, but her own thoughts were consumed by the anxiety of picking the perfect gift for Cato.
"Ugh, what am I even supposed to get him?" she muttered to herself. "He doesn't need anything, and he's always so damn... difficult."
She sighed and opened a new tab, staring at a list of potential gift ideas. "Gift for a guy who's impossible to buy for... great." She clicked through a few suggestions, but nothing felt right. A new hoodie? Too basic. A watch? Too predictable. A book? He wasn't really the reading type, and besides, it would probably be seen as too personal.
Then there was the looming question: What did Cato even like?
She had to admit, she barely knew the real Cato-just the version he showed to everyone else. He was charming, confident, always quick with a quip, but there was something about him that made it difficult to get close. He was a master at keeping people at arm's length, including her. And, well, if she was being honest, she kind of liked it that way.
Clove's thoughts drifted back to the times they had spent together-those moments when it was just the two of them. The quiet moments that never seemed to last long enough. She hadn't even realized how much those brief interactions had meant to her until now.
Her gaze fell back to her laptop screen, the blinking cursor mocking her with its unblinking stillness. Stop thinking about it, she told herself. Just figure something out.
With a frustrated sigh, she closed the laptop and threw it to the side, not caring about the small thud it made as it landed on the bed. She stood up and paced around her room, biting her lip. The pressure was building. She had to get him something good.
Then it hit her-a memory, faint but sharp, of one of their more memorable hangouts. Cato had been teasing her about something, and she'd barely caught the hint of something different in his eyes-a brief moment of sincerity before he cracked another joke to deflect the attention.
He'd always had this odd way of pretending to be tough, but Clove had caught glimpses of something else beneath it-a vulnerability he never let anyone see. She remembered him mentioning something about a specific type of music once-one of those obscure bands that no one
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