Hello, well...I just finished watching the Hunger Games (YES I HAVE READ ALL THE BOOKS! before the movie -.-) and when Cato started to cry at the end, this just kinda popped into my head, that maybe...he had another reason to cry that night/day... whatever it was. Yes, I know that there have been other Cato/OC stories, but, yeah...I wanted to write this...so enjoy! This is my first lemon...so please, don't be too harsh :s Anyways, enjoy! :)
Disclaimer : I do not own anything! Not the Hunger Games or Taylor Swift's (feat the Civil Wars) song, Safe and Sound. [that is the song used in this incase ya'll didn't get that! ;) ]
Can Never Be Safe and Sound
I've loved him for as long as I could remember. We've been friends since we were practically born, even our parents were friends before us. For eleven years, though, my friend-like feelings have been growing, and they still have not stopped growing. I will love him forever. As cliché and naïve as that sounds, I am sure that I will love him until the day that I die.
I sit on the edge of the river, my feet are not visible through the moving water. I pick at the grass, my hair blowing in my face. It is a warm summer day – or night now - and the sun is high in the sky. It heats my usual cold skin and I know that my skin will turn into a soft brown color by today's end. I pull my skirt higher up my legs so that it will no get wet from the splashing water.
"Winnow?"
I turn my head and see him taking long strides towards me. Instantly, my eyebrows pull together in sadness. Tomorrow is the day. The dreaded, horrible day. I swallow the lump in my throat and turn my attention back to the river.
"Winnow, I've been everywhere looking for you. Should've known that you'd be here." He chuckles and I feel him sit down beside me, heat radiating off of him. He must have been practicing extra hard today. Of course he was. He was always practicing.
I don't answer him. I say nothing, trying to fight back the tears that threaten to spill onto my cheeks. I feel weak, powerless. I know that if he doesn't get picked, that he will volunteer to go. I know this. He will. He will leave, and I will have lost my chance, even if he somehow wins, he will never be the same. He will never be the man that I love ever again. Nightmares would haunt him, eventually kill him. He said once to me that he would not get nightmares or remember the games if he won, but as he said it, I knew that I saw fear and hollowness inside his eyes.
"Winnow?" He leans towards me and I turn my head away from him. I can almost feel him frown.
"Winnow, what's wrong?" He persists, but all I do is shake my head and ball my hands into the soft, green grass. He is worried, I know. He is himself around me, not hard and mean as he usually is around the towns people. He is kind and caring – loving even – when he is around me. Another reason why I love him.
"Winnow…." He says my name again, and I can't help but let out a small sob. I am being foolish, weak – pathetic. I am almost ashamed of myself, to be acting this way when I know that the odds of my name being pulled are very slim. But if he goes, I have a high chance of never seeing him again, I have a very great chance of hearing the cannon go off and hearing the Game Makers' voices call out his name.
Suddenly, I turn my head and I stare into his eyes.
"Cato…."
His arms wrap around me and pull me close. I burry my head into his chest and sob my heart out. I know he will go. He will go. He. Will. Be. Gone.
Forever.
My hands are clutched in his shirt so tightly that my knuckles are showing white. I am not sure how long we stay like this, but when I am finally done crying, Cato cups my face in his hands and makes me look at him. His beautiful blue eyes stare into my strange green ones.
"Winnie," Cato begins, using his nickname for me. I try to look away, but alas, it is impossible to separate his gaze from mine. He wipes straying tears from my cheeks and smiles sadly at me. A smile that I rarely see. A smile that nobody else sees.
"I'll be fine, I can win. You know this, Winnie. I'm going to win." He states.
"You haven't been picked yet! Don't talk as if you're already going!" I hiss out at him, batting his hands away from me. Cato doesn't back away, but grabs my arms with his strong hands and squeezes. He leans his face closer to mine and I look up at him, fresh tears falling freely from my eyes. I search his eyes, trying to find something. Anything. And I do. I find fear, hurt, confusion, but also determination. And that will never leave his eyes. Never.
I place my fists on his muscular chest and shake my head once again. "Don't say that….don't say that, please. Don't talk about death like it's just a game. Don't say that you're going to leave me." I know I am being whiny, I am being pathetic. This is just how the world turns. But I can't loose him. I just cannot loose him.
Cato's fingers loosen, and they travel up back to my face. He holds my face in his large hands and places his forehead against mine. His eyes close, and I watch him take deep breaths as his thumbs stroke my cheeks.
Finally, his eyes are open again and he stares at me. "I'm not going to leave you. I can't leave you, even if I wanted to." He whispers. My eyebrows furrow even more.
"Cato…."
"Don't. Just…" He holds up a hand, looks away. His icy shield returning. I reach up a hand and cup his cheek. There is a small cut, and I smile. I remember when I had given him that. He was teasing me and I threw a metal rod at him, it had cut his cheek, and the scar is still there.
He looks down at me, shocked, then his eyes soften once again. I know he is about to speak, so I keep quiet.
"All my life, you have been there. Since we were children, you were there. I…I was only myself around you. I am only myself when I'm with you. I can be weak when you are beside me, I don't have to be strong….I don't have to be 'Cato', I can just be Cato. If that makes any sense to you. I can be free. But if I leave, I will hurt you, I know that, but either way, if I stay, Winnow, I will loose the chance to give my family the chance to live happily for the rest of their lives. If I win, we can run. Live somewhere else. I don't know….I'm just rambling, aren't I? But if I don't win, I will loose myself…and you." He finishes, a sad smirk appearing on his face. My hands find his face and I run my thumbs across his dry cheeks.
I remember tears
streaming down your face
When I said,
"I'll never let you go.."
"You will not loose me, Cato." I tell him as he looks back up at me with painfully sad eyes. I lean my forehead against his gently and let tears fall. "You never could. And I could never walk away."
Cato's eyes bore into mine and slowly, ever so slowly, his head tilts to the side and his eyes begin to close. Unconsciously, mine close, my head mimics his actions, and before I know what his happening, Cato's lips are touching mine. He is kissing me, not fiercely, like I thought he would, but gently, as if he knows that if he is too strong with me, I will disappear. I won't though. I couldn't.
My hands find the back of his neck and fist there, grabbing a handful of hair. Cato's hands fall from my face and one travels to my neck, tilting my head back as he deepens the kiss. The other finds my lower back. He pulls me flush against him, you could not fit a piece of paper between our upper bodies. His hand tangles itself into my hair. I grasp at his neck and his back, wanting him closer to me.
Then, as I let out a sound, Cato's gentleness washes away.
His lips are fierce against mine, and I try to match his ferocity, but I am inexperienced and have only kissed one other boy in my seventeen years of life. But not like this. Never like this. Cato's tongue suddenly traces my bottom lip slowly, agonizingly, painfully, slow. I push his head closer to mine and open my mouth. He instantly deepens the kiss, his tongue finding mine in a mere amount of seconds. I am not sure what to do, though. Cato's tongue plays with mine, almost as if it's dancing with mine in a spontaneous waltz. I follow his lead in the dance.
When all those shadows
almost killed your light,
I remember you said,
"Don't leave me here alone,"
We pull apart, both panting and trying to catch our breath. Cat looks down at me and smiles, a wicked, smug, and pleased smile. I cannot help but smile back sheepishly.
"I have wanted to do that for as long as I can remember," Cat whispers into my ear, and I shiver, but not from the night.
"Again…please, kiss me again." I ask him shyly, feeling the blush appear on my cheeks. But, as I know, Cato does not need to be told something twice.
His lips crush mine in another sumptuous kiss. I let out a moan as his tongue dances into my mouth and finds my tongue quickly. Again, they waltz in perfect synchronization. Never missing a beat. My hands move over his shoulders and trace his muscled chest. There is a loud grumble that comes from the back of Cato's throat that can only be interpreted as a growl. Of pleasure.
He pulls me to him again and pushes me down onto the soft grass. I squeak into his mouth, but he doesn't stop. I am not sure that I want him to stop. I want this, whatever this might lead to, I want it to happen. Not just because this might be the last night that I may ever see him, but because I love him, because he loves me. Because if he does….die…in that arena, at least I will have a fond memory of him and I together. I know it will hurt, my friends have told me that, but I don't mind. He will be gentle, I am sure of it.
I have never been with a man, but I know that Cato has been with other women. They fall at his feet almost every day. Why wouldn't they? He is beautiful, mysterious, and dangerous. Of course women are attractive to him. But I am not like most girls he has been with. I am not as pretty as them, nor as…built…as them. Most are blond, wile I have a head of ugly brown. I am tall, they are short and cute. We are different in every single way. I try to push the thought away.
Cato is here. With me. Kissing me.
I smash my lips against his once again and pull him closer to me. His forearms are resting on either side of my head, holding himself up. But as I pull him closer, he has no choice but to lower his weight onto me. I do not mind at all.
I pull away to breath and Cato is staring at me with his intense gaze. I look down and try to not to blush to deeply. Cato's hand is warm on the side of my neck. His thumb is stroking my jaw, waiting. He is waiting for me. I squeeze my eyes shut and take a deep breath.
"Cato…?" I whisper.
"Hmm?" He continues to stroke my jaw line, his other hand is stroking my hip gently, almost seductively. I sigh and open my eyes slowly to see his also opening slowly, as if he was afraid that I wasn't real. I raise a hand to his cheek and he leans down and kisses my hair line.
"I love you."
Cato's head jerks back and he stares at me with wide eyes. I keep my eyes locked on him, knowing that it was very sudden, but I needed to say it. Had to. Or else I would be regretting never telling him. Then, the strangest thing happens. Something I thought he would never do to me. He whispers three words – the three words I've wanted to hear for eleven years.
"I love you, Winnow."
I feel tears prick at my eyes and I wrap my arms around his neck and press my lips to his in a sensuous kiss. I can feel him smiling against my lips and I giggle against his. He pulls me closer as I run my hands over his chest. Down his torso, to the edge of his shirt.
I pause, so does Cato.
"Winnow…." He doesn't say the question, but I see it in his eyes. I nod, not able to say a word. Cato leans down and kisses my cheek lovingly. I turn my head and capture his lips in mine. Cato moans and presses his body into mine. I couldn't help but let out a soft moan as well. I wrap my fingers around the hem of his shirt and pull it up. I try to get it past his arms, but fail. Cato chuckles and sits up, bringing me with him. He lifts his arms for me and I remove his shirt quickly, throwing it to the ground. I try to kiss him, but he holds me and smiles.
"Not here, love. Not here."
But all that's dead and gone
and passed tonight….
Cato picks me up in his arms and moves us to the small shed that is off to the edge of the forest. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss it sweetly. He groans and holds my more tightly. My lips trail up to his ear and I kiss it, too. I want to kiss every inch of him. I want to remember him like this.
Cato reaches the shed and kicks the door open, then kicks it closed. As soon as the door clicks shut, Cato shoves me against it and ravishes my mouth with his. I moan and grip his broad shoulders, holding on while his hands find their way to my bottom and lift me up off the ground. I wrap my legs around his waist as he presses our lower halves together. We both let out a small moan at the same time. My hands travel back up to his hair and the fist in it. Cato groans again as his hips press into mine. I let out a small squeal, but moan short after when he presses our hips even closer.
Suddenly, Cato turns us around and pushes me down onto a stack of mats. It if cushiony, if not a little comfortable. My legs do not untangle themselves from his waist, but our hips are no longer pressed together. I run my hand down his chest and kiss him once again.
"Winnow," He hisses against my lips.
"Y-y-yes?" I stutter out, locking my eyes with him, pulling our lips apart. Cato looks down at my clothing with disgust.
"These have to go."
I let out a small laugh, but nodded in agreement. Yes, these pesky things had to be removed.
Cato's mouth covers mine sweetly as his hand trail down the buttons of my blouse, undoing the buttons as they go. I feel my breath hitch as his cool breath hits my bare stomach and chest. Cato's lips move from my lips to my jaw, down to my throat and halt at my collarbone. I grasp his hair between my fingers, waiting. He gently moves his fingers up my torso, finding to arm-holes of my blouse, and tentatively moving the soft material down my arms. He then removes me of my skirt, moving the zipper down slowly, almost teasing me. He leans back and looks at my near-naked body.
I am laying there in only my bra and underwear. I have never felt so naked in my life. Cato leans down slowly and kisses me gently with a closed mouth. His fingers trail down my body, teasing the skin with his callused fingertips. I squirm underneath him. His lips find my ear.
"Calm down, Winnow. It'll be okay," I turn my head and find him smiling at me. I smile back and relax. But I can't help but tense up again when his finger find my stomach. My pulse quickens stupidly and I let out a small, shrill squeal. Cato looks at me with questioning eyes.
"Are you okay?" He asks, stopping his fingers. I nod, but cover my hand with my mouth.
"I've…I've never….." I can not even get the words out. But, Cato only smiles at me.
"I know. I will be gentle. But if you don't want to, Winnow, that's fine." Cato tells me, stroking my hip bone. I shivered and shake my head.
"No, I want this. I do. I...I am just nervous, Cato. Will it hurt?" I ask quietly, fearing the worst. Cato nods and strokes my cheek.
"Yes, it will. But only for a little bit, alright? I will try my hardest not to make it hurt." He states. I nod and lift my head to his and kiss him roughly. He moans into my mouth and his fingers resume their travels down my torso.
"I am yours." I whisper.
Just close your eyes,
The sun is going down.
Cato pulls away from my lips, but does not remove his lips from my body. They trail down my throat, down my collarbone, and he kisses my still covered breasts. I burry my hands in his hair and moan quietly. He continues to kiss them while his hands gently push the straps of my bra down my arms. He reaches behind me and finds the clasp. His fingers fumble with it for a moment before it falls loose from my breasts. Cato kisses my chest once more before removing my bra completely. It joins the pile of clothes on the floor beside the stack of mats. I feel myself blush from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. Cato lifts his head up to mine and stares into my eyes.
"You are beautiful."
I grab his face and pull him into a ravenous kiss. Cato moans and his fingers start to wonder again. This time, over my breasts, teasing the peaks slowly, then moving on. I moan and squirm underneath him, but not from nervousness. From wanting.
His fingers move down, stroking my ribcage, my stomach, and the skin right above the waistband of my panties. My breath hitches and I kiss Cato with everything I could muster. But he pulls away too soon with a question in his eyes. I answer him by kissing him.
His fingers hook around my panties and pull them down. Soon, they too, join the ever growing pile of clothes.
Cato is panting, as am I, and I cannot seem to catch my breath. He kisses down my throat until he reaches my collarbone. He starts sucking on it, and I let out a mewl. I feel him smiling against my skin and I let my hands fall onto his shoulders. His fingers move gracefully up my legs, making me tingle all over, but then they reach the part of me that no other man has ever touched. That no one has ever touched. His fingers touch me gently, and I let out a loud moan. His fingers stroke me slowly, and with each stroke, I moan. I get louder and louder, not able to contain what comes out of my throat.
Cato's fingers find the most sensitive part of me, and he rubs. I cry out, digging my nails into his back.
"C-C-Cat-t-t-o…" I shutter, panting out the words. He continues to rub me, moving his fingers in small, agonizing circles. I only moan his name, every other word has been lost to me. All I can think of is his name. Cato. Something builds inside of me and I unconsciously thrust my hips up. My body has a mind of its own. Cato does not stop his fingers. I groan and my hips move again.
Cato stills them with his other hand. I moan in protest.
"No…please…Cato….ah…" I couldn't even form a proper sentence. The feeling continues to grow in the pit of my stomach and I move against his restraining hands, but he holds me firmly.
"Winnow…." He whispers, licking the inside of my ear. I moan loudly. The feeling is growing bigger as Cato rubs me. His fingers are moving faster, rubbing harder, and I can feel his hip wanting to grind into mine. The feeling is still growing until….
Cato strokes me once, hard, and I cry out his name. My body shaking, I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my head into his shoulder. But even then, his fingers do not stop. Instead, they grow rougher, quicker, and I can't help my cry out again. I am practically sobbing, I can't breathe properly.
I remove my hands from his shoulder as he continues to torment – yet pleasure – me, and run them down his torso, over his chest, down his abdomen, until I reach –
"Winnow!" Cato exclaims, increasing his movements as I run a hand along the bulge in his jeans. I bring my lips to his in a searing kiss and fumble with the zipper on his pants. Once the button and zipper are open, I pull his pants down, wanting to feel him against me. Cato moans, and I feel the same feeling growing again.
We are both completely naked to each other, but I have never been so comfortable in my entire life. I can feel his manhood pressing into my inner thigh, and I loose all my train of thought. All I want is him inside of me. I want him to stop teasing me. I want him to make love to me.
I pry my lips from his mouth and plead to him. "Cato…please…please!"
But he does not stop and I feel the heat in my stomach coil tightly, ready to burst. But I want him. I want him. I want him.
"Please what?" His voice is husky, and somewhat shaky, not how I expect it to be. I tighten my hands in his hair and pull his lips to mine for another hot kiss. I know that he knows what I want. How could he not know? He is teasing me.
He moans into the kiss and his fingers enter me. I whimper and open my mouth against his. He moves them, in and out. In, out. And I can barely take it any longer.
"Cato! S-s-stop….please just…." I lift my hips against his to tell him.
Finally, finally, he stops the movement of his fingers and looks down at me with hazy blue eyes. His face is flushed and his arms shake as they hold his weight off me. I stare back at him, panting. Cato leans down and kisses my sweaty forehead and brings his hand up to stroke my cheek. I sigh underneath his touch and close my eyes. His lips trace the outline of my eyebrows, my nose, my cheekbones, my jaw, then finally rest on my waiting lips. It is a slow and sensual kiss, as if it would be the last kiss he would ever give me. I feel tears spring to my eyes.
When he pulls away, I open my eyes and touch his cheek. It is wet and I am surprised to see that he is crying. I wipe one away with my fingers. He does the same to me.
"Silly girl. Why are you crying?" He asks as more tears fall from both of our eyes.
You'll be alright,
No one can hurt you now,
I let out a sad laugh. "Why are you crying, Cato?" I ask him and he brings his hand to his face and touches his wet cheek. He looks down at his hand, at the tears, then back at me. Without answering, he leans down and kisses me fiercely and I can taste our salty tears on my lips.
Cato shifts overtop pf me and nestles his hips between my legs. His lower half is pressing into mine. I wait. He pushes into me slowly, and I let out a small, pained gasp. Cato stops and looks at me, fear clear on his face. I shake my head. He understands and continues to push. Soon, I feel something tear inside me and I cry out in pain, a flood of new tears fall from my tightly shut eyes. Cato kisses them away and does not move. He waits. Waits for me.
After a while, the pain subsides, and I move my hips to tell him to move. And he does as he is told. He places his forearms on either side of my head and moves in and out of me, making a slow rhythm. We both moan each time he comes back inside of me. And the familiar feeling starts to grow inside me again. For the third time tonight.
We move together, meeting each other, the small shed fills with our pants, moans and Cato's whispered curses as we both near our end.
A few more movements, and the wound up coil inside me releases, and I shriek, calling out Cato's name. Cato pushes three more times before his arms shake and he screams out my name.
Cato falls on me, his sweaty body heaving breaths with mine. We don't say a word while we try to catch our breath. Cato rolls off me, but pulls me to his side, kissing my hairline. I curl into his body and close my eyes.
"Goodnight, Cato." I whisper softly.
"Goodnight, Winnow. I love you." He murmurs to me, his own eyes closing in exhaustion. I smile and lean up to kiss him lightly.
"I love you, too, Cato."
Come morning light,
You and I'll be
Safe and sound.
He is picked. I knew it. He is picked.
I nearly fall to my knees when they call his name. I can barely hold the tears back as he walks up to the stage, his head held high, his chest high and his back straight. I reach forward. I reach for nothing. He can not come back into the crowd. Impossible. Why do they pick him? Why?
"Thank you, District 2, and may the odds be ever in your favor." Someone says, but it is barely audible to my pounding ears.
Cato was picked.
Cato was picked.
Cato was picked.
I rush forward and follow his frantic parents to where we can see him, one last time, before he would die. And yes, somewhere deep inside me, I know that when he leaves, I will never see him again.
I wait as Cato's parents are ushered into a room. They are in there for no more than five minutes before Peacekeepers pull them out. His mother is in hysterics, and for the first time, I see that his father has tears falling from his eyes. I am surprised that there are not any tears falling from my eyes. How are they dry? Surely, that would change as soon as I saw Cato.
A Peacekeeper comes to stand beside me. He grabs my arm harshly and hauls me towards Cato's door. Worry envelops me. Now, the tears will come, I know they will. They always do. I can't stop them. No one can, not today. Not even Cato.
The Peacekeeper growls, "Five minutes," Then shoves me into the room and slams the door behind him.
I stare at his muscled back, how straight it is. I reach my hand out slowly just as he spins around and intertwined his fingers through mine and crushes me to his chest. Yes, as I predicted, the tears flow freely from my eyes. His arms shake around me.
"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you." Cato says, his voice cracking. My heart breaks at the sound.
Don't you dare look out the window, darling,
Everything's on fire.
I clutch at his back and run kisses along his jaw. Strong and chiseled. I want to remember every part of him. I want to be able to draw him from memory. I want him. I want him. I sob into his neck.
"I love you, Cato. Forever. Forever." I sob, looking up at him. His blue eyes shine and I wipe away the remaining tears. He cups my face in his hands and brings his mouth onto mine. We kiss, slow and lingering. A kiss that we will remember. Forever. No matter what happens in that arena, we will have this kiss.
But too soon am I being pulled away. I scream at the Peacekeepers, as does Cato. It is the first time I have seen him so distraught. I reach out to him. I need to touch him once more. One more time, I need to feel him.
"Cato! I love you! I love you!" Those are the only words I know.
"Winnow! Winnow! I'll win! I promise you! Winnow! I -" but the words are cut off by the door slamming. I am being pulled away, but still I fight. I kick, scream, bite even, but the door that is hiding my only love is getting smaller and smaller.
Hold onto this lullaby,
Even when the music's gone…
I never watch the screens. I flinch every time I hear a cannon. But this time, there are only three tributes left. Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, and Cato. The two are from District 12, and then there is Cato. Still, I do not watch, I can't. I know how this will end. I close my eyes and hear the screeches and growls and screaming of the tributes and the mutated creatures. Those sounds will never leave my mind. They will haunt me forever.
Just close your eyes,
The sun is going down…
I hear a high-pitched shriek. Sobs, screams, angry and devastated yells coming from the next room. I hear a shot of an arrow being released. I do not open my eyes. The shrieks stop, so does the growling and screeches. I clutch at my bulging stomach. Tears run down my cheeks. I know. I know. I know. They announce the winners and I let out a painful shriek of agony. I knew it. I knew it. I knew it.
His mother and father come into the room. I am laying on the floor, clutching his shirt to my face. It smells like him. If it smells like him, then I can still picture him. I am crying, in hysterics. I cannot breathe. I don't need to. I don't want to.
I feel arms wrap around me but I do not acknowledge them. I have never felt so empty. Would it matter if I left to join him also? Would I see him again?
I see him in my mind.
He is walking with me and our child down the river bank, hand in hand, we swing the child up. The child is giggling with joy. Cato and I are smiling brightly. Another child is running ahead of us in the long grass.
We are married.
We are happy.
We are alive.
You'll be alright,
Nothing can hurt you now;
Come morning light,
You and I'll be
Safe and sound.
PLease Review! :)