A/N: I like Peeta and Katniss, but after I watched the movie I figured out that Cato can stand a chance with Katniss if only they were given the chance and because Alexander Ludwig and J Law look so good together. Probably it just me who sees it that way. For whoever doesn't like this pairing, don't even bother to read. By the way, it's rated M for Cato's foul mouth and who knows, sexual encounters on the next chapters, perhaps? Read the title, mate.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunger Games, if I did Katniss will end up with Cato and none of the important tributes will die. I'll have them rebel and run together. Happy?

Special Thanks to: DragonDaemon93, for being a great help for me lately and help me correct the first 4 chapter. You rocks!

"The Tension"

My head is aching and I can feel that my eyes are still puffy from crying all night. I looked at my face from the mirror across my bed, the reflection showing the face of the saddest person in all Panem. My heart started to sting again, and the memories from three days ago replaying in my mind, my cheeks feels hot from the falling tears.

"Shame on you," I whispered to my reflection who whispered the same thing. I got up from bed, heading towards my bath room to take a cold shower. I need it every morning to clear my mind from the horrible thoughts of him leaving me. I can't be like this forever; hell I came here on the first place to feed my family, not for broken heart over some stupid bread boy.

"You need to get over it Katniss, he's not coming back for you, he never will, get a hold of yourself, girl," I mumble to myself as the water falls from on the top of my head and wets my body. I close my eyes, resting my hands to the wall in front of me and steadying my breath.

Oh I think I forgot to tell you who I am and the situation I'm in. My name is Katniss Everdeen, I'm 20 years old, dark brown hair, grey eyes, 171 cm, 56 kg, and I love to hunt. The world I live in called Panem, and the people who live in it are threaten from the mutation animals or we called them mutts. A hundred years ago the twelve districts in Panem rebelled against the Capitol, the city I lived in now. It's a long story actually, but the point is that the Capitol was able to restrain the rebellion with their technology and biological weapons. Peace came at last but we didn't know what would hit us next. In one disastrous night, one of the Capitol research facilities in the north was destroyed by a storm. Everyone thought that everyone and everything in there was dead, but they were wrong. All hell broke loose. The biological weapons escaped into the forest, multiplying like bunnies, and it took them 20 years before they finally tried to conquer this world for them, to exterminate the humans, and from year to year, it's getting worst.

Until 74th years ago a special military unit called the Hunger Games was formed to control the colonization of the mutts. To defend the Capitol and the twelve districts in it. I came from district 12, which is the poorest. My father died in mine explosion, and that left me with my pathetic mother and my dear beautiful sister Primrose. I need to feed them because my mother was too weak to take her role in the family after my father died, so I started hunting at the age of twelve at the forest near my district. It's illegal but I didn't care. At first it was easy, we lived enough to feed ourselves, but it got harder since the mutts expanded their occupying movement by conquering the forest in Panem, including mine, and it's getting dangerous for me to hunt. If I died who will fed my family?

That is why at the age of 16 I joined voluntarily with the Hunger Games. I heard that the pay was quite nice for a soldier, and I proved it that it's not a rumour. Unfortunately our district only allowed 2 volunteers each year because they doubted our fighting and survival skills, the rest of the district gain more quotas. Fortunately, I was capable of hunting and accepted in at my first trial. So I left my home with a boy name Peeta Malark; he is the reason why I am so broken right now, which I will explain later.

Anyway, I came to the capitol four years ago, I received basic training for a year, and gained the best scores from all the volunteers that year. When we were tested for the first time (entering the real forest and really surviving what will hit us) it was I who succeeded, bringing back the half of the team alive back to the base. After that I was assigned in the special team with my other teammates, our superior made me the captain, and when it comes to battle, I'm the commander of the long range team. Have I mentioned that I'm good with bow? No, correction, I'm excellent with bow.

Okay, back to Peeta. He charmed me from the first time we met with his friendly personality, and mainly because he saved me and my family once from starvation. He declared that he loved me just a moment after the basic training begun. At first, I thought he was joking, but then he proved it to me in his own way. He was really sweet with the way he treated me, the way he spoke to me. We finally started a relationship in the middle of the training years, it last three and half years, until a couple of days ago. What happened was, I screwed up.

The couple of months have been very difficult for me; my mom's really sick and I needed to get extra money for her hospital bills, plus Prim medical school fee, and their daily needs. Not to mention I helped my friend Gale with his family too, in exchange he keeps mine from harm. The point is I lost my temper really often. I don't lose it in battle field, because I know I mustn't screw up, but with Peeta… Both unconsciously and consciously I took my anger out at him. I didn't know that it depressed and put him under the pressure so much, and I shouldn't pick a fight and test him by saying we could be just friends and good bye, when eventually he said yes, which shocked me to death.

I said I'm sorry the next day I broke with him, I asked him to come back to me and hell, I even promised I change myself. But he didn't want to, he said he was tired of me, he said we can really be friends like I said or brother and sister-which very absurd to me. You can't just ditch 3 and half years feelings! But he said he lost it, he doesn't love me anymore in that way which stabbed me in the heart. He's the first boy who understood me and was really patient with me, he's the first one who kissed me, he's good looking, kind, and the one who took my virginity away and I took his. I seriously thought that he's the one who I would spend the rest of my life with, the one who would stand by me no matter what. I thought we would have a chance to live happily ever after!

And the next day I know, which is last night… He's not a gentleman at all! Because the real reason he ditched me (well, I'm the one who said good bye but that's just because he didn't want to break me and everybody looked at him as the bad guy) is for other woman. That's right, another bitch! He was assigned in the same team with me, but three months ago my superior lent him to another special squad and he assured me that Peeta was still ours and would be back to us in no time. What I didn't know was that there's a girl on Peeta's new team who apparently gentler than me, well, better for him. And a month before he broke up with me, he already started approaching her.

Okay, enough explaining, I have to get down to the cafeteria and get myself something to eat even though I don't feel like it.

"Oh wow, Katniss, your eyes," a red haired girl stopped me in middle way. She's my team mate, our strategist, I know her real name but I gave her nick name, Foxface, which I'm more comfortable to call her with that and so the others. "You are not getting in to the cafeteria like this," she practically dragged me to the nearest toilet. Well, you can say that she's the only one in my team who knows about all my private problems. Her understanding to the others is saintly and it would be useless to lie to her; she outsmarts us all.

"I miss him… I miss the feeling when I wake up and someone lying next to me, him," I murmur while I watch her pull her beauty pouch from her bag.

"I know," she smiles sadly and starts to work the concealer on my face.

"We were supposed to marry this year, I supposed to tell him about that. I loved him," I bit back my tears.

"Katniss, he's in some place now, probably making out with his new girl. You deserve so much better! Why are you weeping here when he's the happiest man in the world right now? You also deserve to be happy," Foxface shook my shoulders and looks at me in the eyes.

I can't hold it much longer, I cry. I'm so relieved because this toilet is empty; no one ever laid an eye on me when I'm weak like this; it will ruin my image if they did. I can't afford to look hopeless.

"You're pretty and you have to remember that it's not all your fault. You have to be proud of yourself. Trust me, you'll find someone else," Foxface wipes my tears away.

"I hate feeling so weak like this, I'm so ashamed, I never let anyone affect me so badly before," I try to control myself.

"You'll work back on that, I know you will," Foxface pulls me into a big hug.

I laugh and choke back a sob as I hug her too. "Thank you." I'm so happy to have this girl as my best friend.

"Anytime. Now, let me apply this to your face. I can't afford my captain presenting herself miserable in front of everyone," she playfully let me go and we both laugh. After we finish with everything we're having breakfast together at the cafeteria. "How is your mother doing?" she asks when we finally sit down.

"Better," I shrug.

"You know I'm willing to help you right? You just have to ask," she looks at me seriously.

"I know," I nod and respond no further, just digging into my food.

"Look who's here," Foxface glances at my back, she looks relaxed while sipping her coffee but her eyes look intense, and I know who she saw. "Don't-" she tries to stop me but it's too late.

I already turned my head and see a pack of Career. They're the people from the wealthier districts. They were trained their whole life to survive in the Hunger Games. Most of the raw ones (like me) assigned in Bravo team, or you may say tracker. Our duty is to find the mutt leaders in the forest; after we found it we back off and let the Alpha team – the Career – do their job, killing and exterminating the nest; they really good at that. Actually there's a lot of teams which consist of Career, but this one is special because you may say that my team is the top dog around Bravo and their team is the best around Alpha. We're practically rival, plus, we know and dislike each other really well. We were one team back at the test drive year.

The only one blond spiky haired guy in that team glances at me as if he knows that I watching them. That is Cato, he's the reason why three years ago only half of the team managed to get back alive. He really is a brute and probably the strongest soldier in the history of Hunger Games. He's also vicious and very evil towards his prey; he played with them before he killed them. He was chosen as the leader by us back in the test drive because he seemed to be the strongest, the most mature, and the oldest, which was a big mistake. We were given two choices, two paths, the first path is quicker but with more dangerous arena and animals – not to mention mutts, and the second path was longer but safer and less threatening.

Of course he chose the first, and no matter I and some of my team mates objected, he still led us to the path of dead. There were twenty-four of us in total, but by the night there were only ten left. We were all exhausted; wild and vicious animal could have come out at any time, and if we didn't get to the base by morning we would have been as good as dead.

"I can't continue… I'm too tired." Poor Rue; she's only twelve at that time. I kneeled beside her with Peeta and tried to keep her awake.

"Come on guys, up, continue!" Cato clapped his hands and commanded. He's big but I'm sure that he have small brain.

I had had enough of him, previously he killed one of us just to prove that he'll do the same for anyone who doesn't follow his command.

"We should cross to the second path," I finally found my courage and stand, face him.

He laughed mockingly and the rest of the Career snickered.

"Can't you see? You lost more than half of your team and that can't be good. You're the only one who can still stand while the others can die in exhaustion in any minute, even your… friends," I glanced to the other Career who glared at me. "I know you all tired too."

"And who do you think you are bitch?" he crossed his arms and raised his chin. I knew he tried to intimidate me with his superiority, his position as leader, his body, his age, everything about him.

I didn't want to use my next argument but I realize that was my strongest weapon to save everybody, I've seen enough death. "I'm the person who scored higher than you and I'm a survivor, I can get you all out from here," I raised my voice in confidence and looked all my team mates in the eye, assuring them that I meant what I said.

"I dare you, repeat that again," Cato stiffened and walked towards me. I knew that right then my end is near. I held back my fear while I'm watching him cracking his fingers.

"Easy fella, Katniss is-" Peeta stepped between us and tried to cool him down, but instead Cato slammed him to the ground at the speed of light and started punching him.

Everybody else was too weak to stand on their feet and separate them. I don't know what's got into me; I think I saw blood start to burst from Peeta and that got out my anger, so I jumped on Cato's back.

"Let him go!" I screamed and, with extra effort, I was able to lock his head with my thighs. He fought me then and left Peeta alone. He found my arms and tried to drag me down but I tighten my head lock. I was sure that he would faint until suddenly he found the tip of my hair and pulled it as hard as he could. I yelped and my power ran out. He threw me to the ground and in matter of second I felt him strangle me. I choked and tried to fight but he was so powerful. I thought I will die until suddenly I felt light. I inhaled the air abruptly and somebody helped me sit down roughly, when my vision clear I saw that Cato held by three boys – including Peeta, and a girl.

"Enough Cato!" the girl who is also a Career and from the same district as him pointed her dagger to his throat. "She got a point, you will get us killed!" I can't believe how easy for her to calm him down. I know then that her name is Clove, she's the one that helped me sit, and she's the knife throwing master.

"What do you propose?" Thresh, who is now a combatant in my team looked at my eyes seriously.

"Oh this better be good," Marvel – who after that joined forces with Cato – looked pissed at the fact that I, the slum girl from district 12 held the key to our survival

I looked at to Peeta and he nodded.

Okay, end of flash back. Eventually we survived under my leader ship. After that I was assigned in Bravo, division 20, with three positions; main tracker, long range attacker, and captain. I was so glad when Peeta, Rue, and Thresh joined forces with me. Foxface is the last. At first I didn't really like her, I never liked anybody at the first sight. But now she's my best friend in here.

"What are you looking at, girl on fire?" Cato smiles cockily at me and the rest of his team also looking at me. Shit.

"There you go," Foxface said as if she could read my mind. I scowled at her because it's her fault to begin with. "Uh oh, he's coming here," she murmurs and pretends to eat her bagel.

When I was about to turn my head again the alarm goes on. "It's code red," I whisper almost gladly because I now have the chance to flee. Foxface immediately follows my exit of the cafeteria. I don't look back, it's not like I'm afraid of Cato, it's just not… the perfect time. He never missed his chance taunting me every time we met (and I never missed mine), and once a month when our team spar together he always get the chance to confront me physically, which always ends tied and makes me proud because he can take down anyone except me and Thresh. His favourite nick name for me is the girl on fire; it's actually pretty annoying but I used to it. There's actually nothing to be ashamed from the nick name because I earned it after I saved Rue from the fire back in training, I was caught in the fire and immediately rolled on the ground to put it out. Most people helped me but Cato and the Career just laughed at me. I was so glad that he doesn't live here on the academy's dorm because that means we will see each other frequently and only God knows how much longer I can take his foul mouth and his brute force.

Xxx

This is bad, we were out numbered. The perimeter almost broke off. There are too many mutts. But we can handle this many. We just have to buy some time until our mechanic preparing the canon.

"Archers to the ready!" I give my command from the top of the hill and pulled out my own arrow. Actually there is also gunner and sniper under my command, but I told them I will use the name archer in every of my command. I don't know why, gun feels to easy to handle for me, but archery has its own difficulty and it kills with divine grace that I can't understand yet. I save my gun for emergency events, like if my quiver is empty and I ran out arrows. "Take your aim!" I yell as I take my aim, I can hear clicking sound surrounding me. We were taught to aim the nearest enemy and which in line with us. So I pull my string and point my bow at the biggest mutts below. "Now!" I release my poisonous arrow and I can hear the rest do the same.

After that I take down as many enemies I can find, below me all my comrades fight bravely, but many start to fall and this starts to make me panic. Some mutts pass the barricade and start climbing up the hill, to us, to me.

"Go to the higher grounds!" I stop shooting and push everyone around me away, signalling them to go up. After the last archer went up I make sure that no one is left behind. The first mutt is just twenty meters away from me. I shot it, bulls-eye! And then I start climbing.

Suddenly someone releases a battle cry and I look below. I find Cato fighting brutally – like usual – against four mutts at a time, but what he didn't notice was one mutt on the top of a rock preparing to jump and bite his throat / head / whatever to death. Arrogance is the first enemy on the battlefield. Hasn't he learnt that from the training and experience? I raise my bow and shot the thing in its heart right after it jumps and lands on one of Cato's opponents.

"Commander, watch out!" I hear someone warn me but it's too late. Something hits my right side; I fall to the ground and feel a sharp pain on my right upper arm. I cry out. But thank God in a split of second my hunter is dead on the hand of my subordinates and strong arms pulled me to the safer ground.

Xxx

It takes two hours but we win the battle. I can imagine that my team will be sent as soon as possible to know what caused the attack. Maybe tomorrow morning.

"There, you as good as ever," Rue finishes tending my wounds. The bandages are wrapped neatly on my arm. She's our healer and she's good at it.

There is crowd partying out door in front of us, but my team stayed at the line with me.

"Thank you," I smile at Rue.

"Anytime," she smiles back as she puts her medical kit back into her box.

"What happened? You always get hurt when you're not paying attention," Thresh crosses his arms. I know he's worried about me, but sometimes it's really annoying when he suddenly protective to us.

Mean while, Foxface eyes me suspiciously with that this-is-not-about-Peeta look.

"Hey that's not fair, you have wounds too, why can't I?" I try to defend myself.

"Because you are our leader Katniss, one of the best, and you're my friend. None of us can afford to lose you or anyone in this team," Thresh argues. Actually I think it's sweet how our team is not just a team; we are also a family.

"Seriously, what made you lose focus or not pay attention?" Foxface asks curiously.

"Maybe she just trying to protect someone and got hurt?" but it was Rue who really scared me because her guessed is 100% right. She knows me well, because as the long range attacker I'm not supposed to receive too much damage, but when it comes to protection, especially her, I never hesitate to take the wounds for her.

"Is that true?" Foxface reconsiders this possibility and from the look in her face I know that she thinks it makes sense. Far behind her I can see Cato dancing with Glimmer, his blonde-perfect-Barbie girlfriend, celebrating our victory.

"Who?" Thresh just getting it worse.

I decide it's time to retreat. "Oh I'm so stress out, need a drink. You all go back to the party too," I stood up and walk away while waving at them.

I want to tell them. But I don't know why I just can't. Probably because they hate him so much after all these years of rivalry with the man I saved, Cato. They at least want to see some scratch at him, but I ruined that.

"You're not the talkative type this morning." I choke on my drink and nearly fall from the tree. I was hiding from everyone and this is a perfect place. Who the hell found me? I look down.

"Mind your own business," I lean back on my tree after I recognize him. My last favorite person in the world. Cato.

"I think I'll join you," I hear a branch crackling and glance down.

"Come on, I'm really high and last time I remember you broke your rib because you were trying to match me," I laugh bitterly.

"Just watch and see," he smiles with determine in his face. I arch my left eyebrow. I never saw his expression like this. He never smiles; he smirks. His expression is always cocky, never determined, or anything close to friendly. And for the first time he's success in climbing a tree. "See, told you?" his pride is back in town as he pick his steps carefully and finally sits in front of me.

"What do you want?" I stare at him coldly. And it disgusts me how his t-shirt is still stained from the blood of the mutts.

"Can't I have a drink with my favorite rival? And hey, take that as a compliment," he smirks. The Cato I know is officially back.

"I'm honored," I raise my glass in sarcastic way.

He watches me drink and his next words almost make me fall from the tree, again. "So you checked me out this morning and you saved me this afternoon, does that mean my charm is finally working on you?"

I cough and spat some of my drink. "Please, that just means you owe me," I wipe my mouth.

"Really?" he taunts me. I raise an eyebrow as assurance. "So, I'm curious. I may as well ask now, where's lover boy?"

I know that he means Peeta, and suddenly I feel a pang in my heart. "Not my business anymore," I take a sip from my glass.

"Ah. So it's true that you and him officially broke up? I heard that he already has a girlfriend. Hmm, quite bad ass," he mocks me. "My friend who is now one squad with him told me," he adds after realizing my questioning look.

"And why he told you?" my lips draw into a thin line.

"Because he wants to know if Katniss Everdeen is available." I was caught off guard for a while, because for the first time in my miserable life Cato has just called me by my real name.

"Tell him that even the most handsome man in earth can't have my heart," I regain my thoughts and respond.

"Glad to hear, I don't even know what he'd like from a slum girl like you anyway," he shrugs in annoying way.

"Oh he must be blind, or probably I am really hot," I smirk and drink again.

"I agree that he need to check his eyes," the man in front of me salutes me with his glass. Then suddenly he drops it and pulls out his dagger from its sheath on his pants. I gasp when he launches it at me and stabs the bark behind me. His breath felt hot in my ear and gave me goose-bumps; that's my weak spot. "You don't feel its presence aren't you? As a hunter you put your profession to shame," he turns to face me. I look up and saw a dead snake, its head pinned to the bark thanks to Cato's knife.

My mind shouts danger. I feel shame for feeling this but I feel an urge to touch him, yes, Cato. It's been a while since Peeta ditched me and left with his kisses and love making. I should be handling that like a piece of cake, since I'm not going to die because the lack of sexual actions, right? But now the tension builds in my body. "Shut- aww!" I try to push Cato away but end up hurting my shoulder wound.

He didn't move an inch. "Where was this coming from?" he let his hand go from the dagger and pulls my arm. I don't respond and avert my face. Our faces are close, too close. If he wasn't a sick bastard he would probably be perfect. I know he's handsome but I never realized how handsome he really was until we were only inched apart. "From the mutts which strangled you after you made me owe you?" he laughs, and for the first time I sense no arrogance in his voice. It even sounds… nice.

"Whatever," I finally look at him and try to pull my hand. He doesn't let go. "What are you doing?" then my brows twitching as I watch him open his pouch with his free hand. "Let go," I pull harder but his grip tighten.

"Stop moving or I tie you," he glares at me, running out patience.

"Feel free. We were always tied, remember?" I glare back at him to let him know that I won't go down without a fight.

"Then that means that now I can win because it's you who won last time," he smirks. And I know that it useless to forcing him to let me go now.

"No one around, so you finally decide to abuse me in private?" I stop moving and decide to save my energy for later. If he does something odd I'll push him from the tree, and that will require so much strength.

"That sounds interesting, but I happen to have the right medicine to heal it," he chuckles sarcastically and pulls a glass flask from the pouch.

I stare at the symbol on the flask. I know that medicine. "It's expensive." Another realization hit me; first, how rich he is if he able to afford it, and why is he still in Hunger Games? Second, I don't want to owe someone, especially Cato. "I can't use it," I thrash again.

"Don't be so stubborn! I don't want to owe you; just accept this as my payback so we're even, and I know you'll need it because tomorrow the Capitol will send you to track whatever was behind the attack today," he finally loses his temper, but surprisingly he doesn't yell at me like usual. His tone is harsh, but not rude, not brutal. And his grip is surprisingly firm, not tight.

"How'd you know?" I know that I must look surprised right now because he grins that victory grin.

"It's simple, when you're team goes, my team goes. I thought you're the master of reading patterns," he really enjoys mocking me.

"Fine, even sounds good. Shut up," I spat at him and surrender. I let him open the bandage Rue put before and again I was surprised with how gentle he is. He removes it softly so I won't feel any sudden streak of pain.

He laughs when I wince as he applies the ointment against my wound. "It doesn't hurt," he continues his actions. And he's right; it gives a nice cooling sensation in my skin. "See?" we watch together as my wound closes, as the skin heals until it fully flawless.

Then something I don't anticipate happens. When I smile and was about to say thank you, he suddenly bends over and kisses my upper arm, near my collar bone, right where the wound had been before. I shiver and freeze. I don't think he did it on purpose; it was probably an accident because I saw his eyes widen for a moment and he quickly pull back. "See you later, girl on fire!" he says coldly and jumps off the tree.

At that moment I wish that I will never, ever, have an encounter with Cato again. But damn, he left his medicine and his dagger with me. And when I looked down to call him, he has already disappeared into the dark side of the forest.

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