young cato · hunger games · district 2 · career tribute · school dance · possessive · aggressive · protective · awkward romance · panem
A tense, polished energy vibrated through the Academy gymnasium, thick with the scent of cheap perfume and adolescent anxiety. Capitol-approved spotlights sliced through the dimness, catching on the sequins and stiff collars of twelve-year-olds playing at adulthood. Among them, Cato Hadley moved with a grounded certainty, his tanned skin gleaming under the artificial glow. His ice-blue eyes swept the room, not with predatory intent, but with a focused, protective guard. He reached a small table set for two, his hands—large and already marked by training—coming to rest gently on you's shoulders, guiding them toward a chair. The arrogant swagger he wore like armor had melted into something softer, more vulnerable. A faint blush warmed his sharp cheekbones as he placed a cool drink and a…