So here is Chapter 4! I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it! It gave me little butterflies. I also want to thank each and everyone of you who has reviewed, bonds of light, anbeedomo, 2015, emi, labrat3000 and fadi25402702! It's absolutely wonderful to hear from you! Don't be afraid to let me know what you think of this chapter too! I'll stop talking now so you can start reading.

Training Night 1

Katniss and Peeta looked at each other from across the table with wide and exasperated eyes, they felt as if they were under interrogation at dinner. It was like both Effie and Haymitch had made a truce in their often snarky war of words and decided to create a joint force solely focused on learning everything about their Tribute's day and whipping them into shape with their collective advice.

They shared with Haymitch the trouble Stasson would most likely present in the games and how Katniss whooped his ass in the obstacle course.

Haymitch seemed proud if anything, "That's great! You two already would have had an enemy in him from the opening ceremony and all the chatter about you Peeta, so showing to him you're not gonna be an easy kill can only work to your advantage. He will be more cautious around you in the Arena, giving you time to plan, instead of being ambushed."

Peeta asked, "But he's a giant. I'm not sure anyone is going to be able to take him down."

Haymitch sneered, "Pft. Giants may have a physical advantage, but can be outsmarted any day of the week. They think with muscle and not strategy."

Effie quipped, "There's always some hotheaded careers. It's to be expected every year, just keep your baby blues on him. He's sure to do the same!"

After dinner Peeta went to shower. He truly enjoyed the luxury of hot water and all the different faucets and perfumed soaps to play with and sample. He had never experienced such a soothing feeling with the steady water pressure, all the steam and the crisp, perfectly clean feeling he got afterwards. He thought of home while he was in there, remembering how his brothers always took their time with their baths, so that the water in their wooden washing tub was cold by the time he got to it and dirty from them. And his mother would never warm more water for him. He got upset just thinking about it.

After getting dressed in a clean black shirt, one of many provided for them, as it was their district color, and comfy cotton pajama pants, he decided to take the night to wonder out of his room and check things out. On his way into the living room he caught Katniss staring out a window over looking the Capitol. It was a spectacular view from the 12th floor. In the distance you could see the lights reflecting off the massive white mansion that housed President Snow. It looked like a siren in the distance, beautiful and enticing, but sure to cause death and destruction for all those who lay sight on it.

"Hey."

Katniss' body tensed, having thought she was alone. She turned to look at Peeta; her arms wrapped around her legs, looking very childlike, "Hey."

"Why did you intervene today?"

She gazed at him a moment then turned back to the window. "With Stasson?"

"Was there anyone else I don't know of?" He asked a little sarcastically.

She laughed a little, "I guess not…"

Peeta stayed standing behind her, knowing he should not join her. They both needed some time alone each night, to process things, grieve, whatever.

"So…?" He prodded her a little.

"Oh, sorry… I just thought you might need some help."

Peeta didn't buy it, "I'm perfectly capable, Katniss."

She decided to turn and face him as she stood up. Her voice was soft but unwavering, "I figured anything I can do to help take some of the eyes off you. You may not have realized it yet, but everyone is watching you. You may not think it, but you're the one to beat. Even if they don't think you can win, like Stasson, they want to be the one to kill you."

Katniss surprised Peeta again, he never expected her to care so much about his well being in these games. He wished he could return the favor somehow. But he guessed she was right, he already had enough unwanted attention from the other tributes. But he could try to protect her in the games to the best of his ability. He already knew he could never kill her. He wasn't sure he could kill anyone in these games anyways.

"Katniss, you don't need to get yourself in harms way for me. I volunteered, I asked for this to happen to me, you didn't."

She nodded, "I know... Have a good night Peeta."

Then she was headed back to her room and Peeta was alone again, with more heavy thoughts weighing down his already overwrought brain. He needed fresh air. He couldn't escape this prison they had sentenced all the tributes too until the Hunger Games began, but he knew there was a rooftop he could at least get some fresh air on.

Upon entering the dome shaped room on the roof, Peeta headed to the door to the outside and was awestruck by the almost 360 degree view of the city, all the electricity in the buildings sparkling around him. District 12 never looked like this, only getting power for a few hours a day, if they were lucky. He walked to the railing at the edge, wondering what sort of device the Gamemakers had concocted to keep tributes from jumping to their death. The loud wind buffeted him slightly.

He continued to make his way around the dome to its opposing side and was surprised and a little delighted to find a garden. With potted flowers of different varieties, all white though; and lovely trees that were surprisingly in bloom, with beautiful white flowers blossoming all over as wind chimes that hung from the branches tinkled persistently in the wind.

He weaved his way over to sit on the sole bench in the garden, under one of the wind chimed trees. He took deep breaths, taking his time to enjoy all the smells of the outdoors. It smelled different from home, but that was to be expected in such a large city. The scent of the flowers and trees slightly tinged by the city smells wafted up by the wind. But it was still nice to be outside. He had never been confined indoors for as long as he had been here.

Peeta almost jumped a foot in the air when another warm body sat beside him. He had thought he was alone, but it turned out someone was already up here in the garden. He must have startled them into hiding until they knew who it was.

Peeta's breathing exercise was now ruined for it was none other than Cato who was up here beside him. This guy just kept doing that today, appearing by his side unexpectedly. He wondered what he was doing on the roof. Cato obviously had more on his mind than anticipation for the bloodbath that would soon be their lives.

They sat in silence for some time as they listened to the chimes and wind that rustled through the leaves of the trees while looking out at the city. It was actually a nice moment of solitude with Cato. They seemed to have reached some understanding between the garden and silence. Peeta's right shoulder was close enough to feel the heat that emanated from Cato, warmth that beckoned him to lean against. But he restrained himself, not wanting to break the moment with some stupid urge to touch Cato.

But to Peeta's surprise Cato broke the silence first, "Why did you volunteer?"

Peeta had not expected that. He wasn't sure what they were going to talk about, if at all, but he would certainly have not guessed he would be asked such an intimate question. Maybe we are having an intimate moment, Peeta hoped.

"I'm not exactly sure…" Peeta paused to think. It was kind of the truth. He didn't go to the reaping of the mindset that he would volunteer for the Hunger Games. But he knew well enough once he did why he had done it.

Cato turned to look at him now with a calm and surprisingly boyish face, "It's okay, with all this wind and noise from the chimes were safe."

Peeta hadn't even thought of that, but of course the Capitol would have surveillance everywhere. "Something in me just, it just changed that morning. I was ready for something more… something different. For a change. I couldn't really stand for any of it anymore. Am I even making sense?" Peeta let out a jagged laugh as he looked up into Cato's eyes.

"Kind of. I'm sure it was a complicated feeling when you did and there was probably no one reason."

Cato was dead right about that. But now he wanted to know. "And why did you? If you don't mind me saying, but I saw your reaping, the way you lunged forward, so ready to be part of this slaughter. But you don't seem like that guy here."

Peeta was afraid he had maybe overstepped some bounds, but hey it was Cato who started with the personal questions. Cato only raised one eyebrow, seemingly unfazed by his insights.

He sighed, "Unlike you, I went to the reaping that morning prepared to volunteer. It's what Careers do." There he went with that word again. "It's what I had to do."

Peeta was not sure what he meant by that. Had too?

He seemed a little tenser than before, like memories of the reaping were not as exciting for him as it looked in the show. "You probably know that in Districts 1, 2, and 4 there are schools some kids go to their whole lives to prepare for the games. It's not seen like it is for the rest of you, a death sentence, but as a way to achieve honor, glory, riches." He would throw his hands about for emphasis. "And for those that don't train, they know they are safe from being reaped as a career will with out fail volunteer for the spot."

"So you've been training since you were young for this?" Peeta asked.

"Yeah and this is the last year I was eligible, so I had to get the male tribute spot. It was expected of me back home, my dad would have had nothing less of me. And my mom, well she didn't care for anything other than herself and money. So volunteering for this was probably the first time she actually noticed me, because now I have a chance of making her richer."

So he had family problems too, maybe we have more in common than I thought. Peeta reached out to touch Cato's shoulder, as he was still so tense. He relaxed a little.

"My family life was pretty shitty too. My mother is a pretty horrible woman, controlling and demanding. No one could live up to her expectations, especially me. And my father is just a meek, weak-minded man whom she tramples all over. And don't get me started on my two older brothers. They love to take any and all chances they get to make life miserable for me."

"That's bullshit. Brothers should protect their younger siblings." Cato was quite forceful on this point. Peeta wondered if he had any siblings.

But then Cato decided to steer the topic elsewhere. "Hey, watch this."

Cato stood up from the bench and Peeta was a little disappointed they were no longer so close, but he did want to see what Cato was going to do. He was confused when he saw him tear off a branch from a nearby tree.

"What're you doing?" Peeta asked skeptically.

"You'll see." He says with a sly smile that sent trills up Peeta's spine.

Cato then swung with a powerful pitch the branch out and over the ledge of the roof. Okay, I'd say just a little anti-climactic. But then suddenly he heard a sharp zap and the branch was flung back over the ledge straight at Cato. He caught it with a small "Oof." The branch smoked slightly in his hands.

Peeta stood and asked incredulously as he walked near him, "What was that?" He took the branch from Cato's hand and it was cool to the touch, betraying the smoldering look of it.

"Clever Gamemakers, always worried about our safety, they wouldn't want us to accidently fall off the roof or anything you know."

Peeta laughed, "Of course. Of course."

Peeta wondered what Cato was thinking of all this. How friendly they were being to each other. Katniss was right that not many tributes from a more favored district like 2 ever associated with the likes of 12 during the games.

And he had to ask; "You know most people would think it weird that a tribute from 2 was hanging out with a guy from 12. I don't think we've ever associated like that."

Cato turned to look at him, still smiling from his little show. "Fuck them, I don't give a shit what those people think. They should care what I think." He said as he flexed a bicep for me with a laugh.

"You are a pretty intimidating sight, with those large guns."

"Do they intimidate you?" He says with a wiggle of the eyebrows.

Where they flirting? Peeta had never done this, so he had no clue. But it seemed more than just playful banter. Especially with that wiggle of the eyebrows. Cato certainly knew how to work it.

"Nope." Peeta said with a touch of defiance.

Cato stalked in closer, a dark look coming over his face. He kept moving in until he was towering over Peeta and still he kept coming. Peeta wasn't sure what was happening, so he took a few steps back as the branch fell from his hand. Cato smirked and continued pressing in on Peeta, like he was some prey he was stalking.

Maybe that touch of defiance was the wrong approach, Peeta worried as he came flush against the trunk of one of the larger trees in the garden.

"How about now?" Cato asked in a deep and husky voice as his large arms came up on either side of Peeta, trapping him between the tree and Cato's massive frame. His stomach twisted in knots, like a snake coiling in on itself.

Peeta held strong in his boldness, although he responded in a slightly breathless tone from the sheer intoxicating proximity to Cato, "Not a bit. You don't scare me Cato. I'm the boy on fire." Peeta smiled widely, his blue eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

And then suddenly Peeta was actually out of breath for Cato had closed the distance between them, gripping with both hands Peeta's shoulders as he pulled him up for a deep and sensual kiss. A large gust of wind blew across the garden and shook loose petals from the blooming flowers on the trees around them. It was like magic as the soft white petals swirled and fell gently around them as Cato embraced him passionately, pulling Peeta's tongue into his mouth as they deepened the kiss.

Peeta had no clue how long the kiss lasted for as his brain was currently fried from the onslaught of sensations, the electricity of Cato's lips on his, the feeling of their tongues dancing against one another, the vibration of the wind chimes throughout the garden, their noses grazing each other, teeth clacking from inexperience and the scent of all the flower petals flowing about them. His first kiss and it could not have been more perfect.

Cato eventually pulled back with reluctance and Peeta could breathe again. He thought maybe he had forgotten how. All he ever needed were Cato's lips on his. He looked up at Cato with a furious blush on his cheeks, "O-okay, maybe now I'm a little intimidated."

Cato laughed and it caused his eyes to crinkle and bring that boyish look back to his face. He had made Cato laugh and it was a deep and sexy laugh that Peeta really wanted to hear more often.

"Well I'm not sure that's what I was going for then. Sorry if I startled you... or took advantage." He withdraws his hands from Peeta's shoulders and pulled a petal from Peeta's hair, wear he began to rub it between his fingers.

Peeta tentatively reached out to Cato, gripping his forearm, looking him directly in the eyes as he said softly, "You do not need to be sorry for that. I should be thanking you. And honestly, you can take advantage anytime you want." He grinned foolishly at Cato.

Cato laughed lightly again, but paused looking thoughtful and slightly perplexed. Then he said, "We should probably go back inside Peeta and get some rest. Only a few more days until the Games start."

Once in the plush down bed in his room Peeta replayed the night over and over again in his head. The kiss flashed of moist lips and stubble grazing against one another through his minds eye. Sharing their family pain. The wind chimes making the perfect soundtrack to their embrace and breathy noises. The flirting and anxious feeling in his stomach. The swirling of the petals and their aroma. The kiss. It was turning him on as the kiss continued to play over in his mind. He would have to take care of the throbbing in his pants tonight. He never in a million years thought he would be kissed like that and most of all not here at the Hunger Games.

And fuck, the Hunger Games. That one inescapable thing, the thing that would damn them all and force 24 kids and teenagers to kill each other. Peeta and Cato would have to fight each other. Only one of them can make it. This is not going well, Peeta thought fearfully, I already don't want Katniss to get killed and now I don't know if I can stand by and let Cato fall either. What have I volunteered for?

Peeta rolled around the overly large bed in tumultuous reflection of his situation. But he was also anxious for morning to come sooner rather than later. He needed to see Cato again. To make sure the whole thing wasn't some wild fantasy of his. To maybe kiss him again. But for now he settled for some spit and his hand to help bring a little release and shut-eye.