title: i can be your everything
summery: A broken Cato returns home from serving overseas to a loving fiancee and friends who support him. can he open up about what happened? a.u.
pairing: cato/katniss, other pairings mentioned
rating: strong T
disclaimer: i do not own hunger games
notes: if there is enough interest, i may continue this. if not though, enjoy!
try listening to 'they move on never ending tracks of light' by this will destroy you.
i can be your everything
He walks slowly down the gangplank, accepting the greetings from observers with swift and brief nods. He doesn't meet anybody's eyes as his own search the crowd for the dark haired godness that he knows is there somewhere.
And then he sees her.
Her hair, streaked with red, is fixed in it's usual braid down her back and she wears jeans and her hunting jacket. High heeled boots adorn her feet and a small, sad smile is on her lips. Those beautiful lips that he had been thinking about for the past year.
She is standing amid all of those people, just standing still with her arms crossed behind her back, her legs entertwined with each other. That tiny smile gets bigger when she sees him, his duffel bag slung over his back.
They stand a few yards away from each other, their eyes locked, blue on grey.
Sea on diamond.
"Welcome home you," she breathes before walking into his embrace. "I don't plan on ever letting you go again."
He lets out a tiny laugh, burying his face in her neck. "I don't plan on ever leaving again."
"Good because then I'd have to kill you."
His laugh becomes stronger, despite the pain in his ribs. "I have missed you so much."
She sighs, not saying anything for a moment. And then, her eyes fill up with sudden tears to which he catches as they fall. No words were needed in this moment, or had they hardly ever been before.
"Let's go home."
/
To his surprise, her ex-boyfriend and his former friend Peeta is outside waiting by the Jeep. Neither man says a word as Peeta steps forward, carefully lifting up Cato's bag and throwing it into the backseat.
It's then when Peeta turns back around, holding out a hand. "I'm glad to see you are all right, Cato," he sighs quietly. "It's been hell while you have been gone."
Cato knows his friend, knows what's going through his head. And he accepts it.
"Thank you, Peeta," he whispers, accepting his hand and shaking it firmly.
"Come on, boys," Katniss murmurs, breaking through the haze after a moment. "Let's get home."
/
The welcoming committee is a small group of dear friends. He recognises Finnick and Annie Odair along with their daughter Rejoyla. Johanna Mason is there with her fiancee and Katniss's friend Gale Hawthorne. Katniss's sister Prim has returned as well, having gotten the time off from medical school.
It's quiet when they enter the house, Peeta still carrying his bag. He walks through the door first, followed by Katniss who's right hand is linked with Cato's left one.
"We're here," Katniss calls gently and one by one, they walk from the kitchen and into the living room.
Annie is the first one to break the silence, taking three great strides and gently wrapping her arms around his stiff and sore upper form. "Welcome home, Cato," she whispers in his ear. "Don't ever leave again, okay?"
He smiles against her cheek, gently patting the small of her back as she releases him from her embrace. "I don't intend too."
And it goes like that. The men shake hands, the girls give soft embraces, aware of the fact that he is still healing from his injuries. A glass of red wine is pressed into his hand and he takes a few sips, remembering that alcohol is not the best thing to have with his pain medication.
Finally, Katniss manages to pull him from the quiet chitter chatter, nodding towards the stairs.
"You can get out of here and have some time alone, if you want?" she says carefully, quietly so no one else would hear.
He nods, knowing what she means. Without a word, he slips past her but not before pressing a kiss to her temple, and he heads up the stairs to their bedroom.
/
He had just turned twenty four when he asked his beautiful love to move in with him in this tiny shack of an apartment, hoping that they could just be together.
And of course, she turned him down flat.
He wasn't surprised, knowing her spirit. She was Katniss Everdeen and she went by her own schedule, not a man's. Even when she had been with Peeta, it had been like that.
And two weeks later, he awoke early to a loud pounding on the door. He found her standing on his welcome mat, a duffel bag slung over her shoulder.
"Is now okay?" she had asked, quirking an eyebrow. He didn't answer, letting out a growl and grabbing her, dragging her into the apartment.
They lived in the apartment for almost a year before finding this tiny cottage and moving in. He had gotten called up for a tour of duty three weeks after they had moved in, returning home after four months, never seeing combat.
All of that changed this time.
The ring had been picked out, hiding in his duffel bag when he had gotten the call to come back.
/
"Babe?"
"Come in."
The brunette beauty stepped soundlessly through the doorway, her eyes widening when she saw him.
He was naked to the waist, the bandages still wrapped around his ribs. Scarlet tinged the gauze, so bright and blazing almost like a fiery sunset.
"Oh, Cato..."
"It's not bad," he whispers. "The doctors said that there would be a little oozing. Nothing to worry about."
"You can't expect me not to worry," she sighs, taking a delicate step forward. She doesn't dare to try and touch him, terrified that she would hurt him. Cato could read the worry in her eyes and let out a tiny laugh.
"Kat, I'm not going to break into bits if you touch me," he says quietly, a small smile on his lips. As the words left him, he reached out a hand and pulled her closer, brushing his lips against hers. "See?"
She chuckled, tears brimming behind her eyes. "All right, all right," she says. "I just-"
"You just what?" he asks.
"I just love you, that's all."
/
"How do you feel about pizza?"
"I feel really good about pizza."
"Good, because Peeta made three sheet pizzas at the bakery and brought them over, free of charge. He even made your favorite, mushroom and anchovie."
"I always knew I liked that guy."
Katniss rolls her eyes, laughing quietly. "How's that?" she says as she adds the last piece of tape to his side. "Maybe I should have called Prim up here to do this."
"Nah, it's beautiful. You are a natural healer, Katniss."
"Not me. That title belongs to Prim. I'm lucky if I can put a band-aid on."
He laughs too, ignoring the stab of pain in his ribs, and kisses her again. She lets out a tiny moan into his mouth, gently pushing him away after a moment. "Stop it, will you? Or I will never get this done." Her hands resume gently wrapping the ace bandages around his waist, gently pressing the tape down to keep them still.
"Sorry."
"There. All done."
He glances down to his midriff and sees that he is all wrapped up like a Christmas present, but comfortably.
"Thank you, love," he whispers as he leans over to pick up his shirt. Painfully and delicately, he pulls it on over his shoulders, Katniss gently pulling the end down over his bandaged midriff. As her hand brushes against the skin on his belly, he catches it between his fingers, bringing it to his lips. His lips brush against her knuckles in a such a way that electricity crackles through her body.
It was always their way of saying 'I love you' ever since they got together. The words weren't really needed but it was nice to say them every once in a while. But all that was needed was that simple touch and that kiss to the hand.
\
This can be read as a stand alone but if you want, I can continue into a short series of drabbles around this subject. I hope you liked the fluff and the love.