A/N: Thank you all for the reviews!
Isugirl: yes, I'm planning on writing this entire story from Cato's POV, however, plans are merely plans and I might have to change it at some point.
So, cutting to the point: since I have too much time on my hands, I give you another chapter. I couldn't help myself and I already confronted Cato and Katniss, and I really hope you'll like it. Please R&R, as always.
Chapter 2
Cato still feels the adrenaline pumping in his veins when he returns to his suite after the opening ceremony. Clove follows him through the door, ripping off her costume to shreds with deadly precision. Cato cannot help but picture that girl on the arena: smiling viciously and cutting the skin of some poor tribute into even, bloody slices, and oh, it's a beautiful, scary sight. He glances at Anthea, who unsuccessfully tries to stop Clove from ruining the dress even further, but it's a lost cause. It looks like a roadkill covered in golden glitter.
Brutus and Enobaria are already at the table, eating dinner, but before they have a chance to speak, Clove, now only in her see-through underskirt, vents her fury on a wall.
"I can't believe this! That worthless bitch from 12, how dare she steal my show! I swear, I will kill her, I will rip her heart out, I will bloody skin her-"
"Clove, honey, there's no need to be so emotional about-"
"Emotional? I'm not fucking emotional, I am fucking angry! And take that piece of shit away from me!" Clove send the dress flying at Anthea who looks like she's going to cry.
"Language, Clove," reminds her Enobaria.
Clearly, Clove has issues. Cato gets why she feels betrayed - she's not used to being in the shadow. He remembers how she was shooting dirty looks towards District 12's tributes, clearly angry that they had outdone them. Clove may have been covered in glitter but that murderous expression on her face implied there would be nothing glittery in the way she planned to kill Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark.
But they were quite a pair, Cato has to admit. He remembers the image he saw on the screen above his head. Everdeen, aflame in a dark dress, was glazing like an otherworldly, exquisite bird, her eyes were pointed directly at the camera… it was a sight so hypnotizing he couldn't take his eyes off her. Never mind the blond guy, the crowd on either sides of the walkway lost it completely for Katniss. People of Panem were throwing flowers at her, screaming in a frenzy the girl on fire, desperate to touch her. And then Katniss smiled, baring her teeth, and Cato felt the heat travel up his spine. It was like a fire turning him to ash, tearing him apart, burning in his veins, and suddenly, he wanted to burn with her-
"Oh, calm down, Clove," Brutus interrupts his little reverie in a harsh tone. Cato takes a deep breath, because it's suddenly too hot. He mentally slaps himself for loosing control like that. He shifts in his chair and takes a few sips of water, hoping that nobody, especially Clove, noticed that his pants got a bit too tight.
"You'll have plenty of time to show off in the next few days," continues Brutus.
Clove just huffs with annoyance and assaults her salad with the fork.
"Just don't expect me to be nice to Roma and Esca, they sucked today," she still looks wind up and tense. "Why didn't we get a decent stylist like 12? I bet they did it on purpose."
"Listen, no-one expected those underdogs from 12 to literally outshine everyone during the opening ceremony", continues Brutus. "District 1 is not happy either. But you still have an advantage 12 can't even dream of. They might have caught the Gamemakers' attention, but that's why you have to do excel during individual evaluations and your interviews. And rake some kills as soon as the bloodbath begins."
"Nothing turns the Gamemakers on like a sight of a fresh spleen dripping with blood, believe me" croons Enobaria. Oh, Cato believes her, all right. She never talks much, but when she does open her mouth, she scares the shit out of him. And he doesn't get scared. He knows one thing, though: he would rather have Enobaria as his ally rather as an enemy. He doesn't need convincing she could be very, very deadly.
"Going already?" asks Clove, chewing on the lamb. She, on the other hand, seems to enjoy Enobaria's company in a very twisted way. Which Cato cannot understand, but girls will be girls, no point in over thinking it.
Cato sends her an apologetic grin.
"Yeah, I want to rest before tomorrow's training. See you," Cato quickly grabs a scone and disappears in his room, eager to finally be alone.
He really must have been tired, because he can't remember going to sleep.
Cato wakes up at 5 am. He looks out of the window - Capitol is silent. He has one hour until the sunrise and that might just be enough for a quick run, but he decides against it. He sneaks back into the lounge, grabs something to eat and proceeds to the elevator. He knows that he's not supposed to wander around and that there's always someone watching, as Brutus put it elegantly the day before, but screw that. Cato has never been a guy who cares too much for anything, especially not for the rules.
He presses "zero" and soon the door open to reveal a patio with a fountain. It's peaceful, almost serene, and Cato fixes his gaze on the water.
And then he hears it. The silent "bing" of the elevator, the doors opening, someone's steps echoing through the hallway.
It's a reflex - he immediately tenses up and hides behind the column anyway. The steps are getting closer and Cato casts a quick look towards the fountain. Of all the people he expected to see, he didn't expect Katniss Everdeen. The odds are definitely in his favor.
"Well, well," he drawls, causing her to jump. "Isn't this the famous Girl on Fire. Couldn't sleep?"
"That's none of your business." she wears no makeup and her hair is let loose - a ripple of dark curls that makes her look somehow different from the burning image Cato still has in his memory. It makes her look almost fragile.
"On the contrary. What if someone sees you here?" asks Cato, taking a step closer. She doesn't move an inch. "With me? What will people think?"
"I couldn't care less," she pauses, examining him. "Would you?"
"No," he replies, having a moment of honesty. That girl truly brings out the worst of him.
"I thought you would," she states matter-of-factly. And then she asks out of the blue, "Don't I know you from somewhere?"
He didn't expect that.
"Please, that's absurd," he scoffs.
"I did my homework, Cato. I know you've been in my district. We've met, don't you remember?"
That unsettles Cato a bit. What is she playing at? He is absolutely sure he's never met her. He would have remembered. Who in their right mind would forget a girl like that? But that's not him problem right now. She surprised him, he let his guard down and that just doesn't happen.
"Fine, I admit, I've been there. And you know what? I saw nothing but poverty, filth and miserable children," he punctuates every word by taking another step closer. "It was all very unpleasant and pathetic-"
"Watch your mouth," she spits, and oh, Cato likes that. This fiery attitude, this anger burning in her eyes, directed at him, he can see it all again. It is so easy to provoke her, almost too easy. It makes him drunk with power, and he wants more.
"I know exactly why you volunteered. It's easier to die in the arena than die of hunger, and much more quicker," he's really close now, all he has to do is reach out to touch her. His words irritate her, irritate her fire, Cato can see the sparks in her eyes. "A quick end of a miserable existence…"
She smiles. She actually smiles. Cato can't believe that. She has guts. This conversation is getting more interesting by the minute.
"I won't give you the satisfaction. Besides, it's a pity you don't remember," she finishes with a knowing expression written all over her face.
"And why is that?" he blurts, cursing himself immediately. What is happening to him? He sounds like a naïve teenager who doesn't know what he's doing, except Cato knows exactly what he's doing. So where he went wrong?
He doesn't get a reply, however, because they hear someone's steps, and in a blink of an eye, Katniss is gone and Cato hides behind the column. When the Peacekeeper is in a safe distance, Cato knows he has a problem. And damn him if he doesn't solve it really soon, because otherwise... well.
Things might get dangerous.
