A/N: This chapter contains sexual content. And it's long too... Enjoy!
Cato walked into the kitchen, hearing Pastel's soft humming as she cooked breakfast and Alex's muttering of how much he hated being woken in the morning so he could hand Pastel tomatoes and bloody frying pans. Pastel smiled when she saw her younger brother and Alex heaved a sigh of relief before shoving a spatula in his hands. "The omelets." He said and plopped down on a chair before tilting his head. "So, how was last night?"
Cato frowned and laid the spatula down on the counter. "Meaning?"
Alex grinned evilly. "You know... Newlyweds and all."
Cato paled. "Alex, there was nothing like that. I'm not going to attack her."
Alex shrugged. "Are you sure it's because of that?" Cato furrowed his eyebrows as Alex continued. "Or is it because of that mark Melody left you?"
Cato's eyes widened as he instantly remembered that night, a year ago. When he had been brutal and cold, acting as if he hadn't a care for the world. The night when the Mayor had arranged for a ball in honor of the tributes that had been chosen for the 74th Annual Hunger Games.
Cato laughed as Clove told him the story of how she had gotten the scar on her arm. "You actually let him get the better of you?" Cato asked with an amused smile.
"Nah, I knew he wouldn't win. I just wanted to have a little fun." Clove answered. She was wearing a poofy pink dress that Cato had nicknamed 'The Humiliating Cupcake Dress'. Her partner was dressed in a black suit with his blonde hair gelled to perfection and his eyes hard as ever. Clove began another story and then stopped abruptly.
"Hey, what's up?" Cato asked, noticing how she had fallen silent.
"Melody is ogling." Clove's voice was bitter and had a hint of over-protectiveness, the tone she saved for her many younger brothers.
Cato looked up to see the Mayor's daughter steal another glance. She was wearing a short, tight black dress and the black eyeshadow gave her eyes a smoky touch. Her lips were a too-bright red and she wore five-inch long silver high heels. Cato laughed a cold laugh. "She looks hideous with all of that makeup on."
"Oh, since when have you started fancying the au naturel look?" Clove gave him a smirk.
"Since I saw that ugly hag with the ink black eyelids and bloody lips." Cato hadn't noticed that Melody had disappeared from where she had been standing and was now behind the two future tributes.
"I'm assuming that 'hag' is me."
Cato and Clove whirled around to be confronted with the tall female who was twirling a strand of her curled hair around her finger. Clove nearly started laughing and Cato managed to pull a smirk onto his face. "How did you ever figure that one out, Melody?" His tone was sarcastic.
Melody scowled, her blood-red lipstick looking even worse close up than from afar. "I don't know what I'm going to tell my father when he asks if I had a good time or not." She growled. "My own boyfriend ditched me for some shortie in a pink tutu."
Clove got ready to retort but Cato beat her to it. "Tut, tut, tut, Melody. You know better than to insult Clove in front of me." His icy blue eyes seeming as if they were watching Melody die painfully... and enjoying it.
"Hotel room 560. Be there, or else." Melody hissed into Cato's ear as she made her way out the door. Cato's face scrunched up as he recalled her words and then grabbed a glass of vodka from a nearby waiter before gulping it down. "Bitch." He mumbled.
"I don't see why you put up with her." Clove muttered.
Cato smirked again, this time a bit playfully. "She's got those legs."
Clove rolled her eyes. "You and your sexual adventures. Why do they even bother sleeping with you when they know they'll only last a week at most?"
"Because I'm sexy, Clover." Cato grinned. "Girls swoon when they catch a glimpse of me."
"Right. The handsome Cato being God's Gift To Women, I nearly forgot." Clove snatched the glass from Cato's hand before he could drink himself insane. "I will personally make sure your wife teaches you a good few lessons."
"Wife?" Cato raised an eyebrow. "As if I'm ever going to get married. That'd be cruel to the female population of Panem."
"You really think you can beat Finnick Odair?" Clove smiled. "Now that's what I call sexy." She loved piercing her best friend's ego.
"Shut up Clover." Cato grumbled. "No one can compare to what I've got."
"That ginormous ego?" Clove winked. "True that."
He ignored her as she laughed mockingly.
"You're late." Melody whispered into Cato's ear as he entered the dark hotel room. Her dress lay discarded on the floor and her face had been transformed to that of a seductress's. She grabbed Cato and pushed him against the wall, yanking his shirt and tie off. Cato growled in anger when she ripped his favorite shirt but didn't say anything as Melody began kissing him furiously. His pants came off next as Melody dug her nails into Cato's back, scaring and bruising him.
"Fuck me." Melody's voice was hoarse. "Fuck me hard."
And he did just that. She didn't moan his name, she screamed. And she ordered him to fuck harder. In the end she smirked and bit him. Right in the middle of his chest.
"That will leave a bloody mark." Cato growled.
"Just to remind you that," She narrowed her eyes, "You. Are. Mine."
And he pushed inside her again, deeper than before. Harder and angrier than before. And she screamed in pleasure until hot liquid erupted from both of them and their bodies slumped against the wall.
Cato's mind swirled as memories of the past rushed back to him. Suddenly he wasn't standing in the kitchen anymore, he was holding Clove's immobile body. And then she was gone and he was clutching the cause of the deaths of so many innocent teenagers, his sword. He was laughing in the face of a dying tribute and joking with Clove about another tribute's death.
Cato gripped the side of the counter, his knuckles white and his eyes clouded. He felt someone's gentle touch on his arm and a soft voice calling his name. And he saw blood, a dead tribute, hollow eyes. Cato grabbed the hand that had reached out to him and gripped it tightly, his nails digging deeply into the pale skin and his ears deaf to the calls of his name.
"...Please stop." He heard faintly. Cato blinked twice and his vision began clearing. He was still in the kitchen. Blinking again, he looked around to see a scared Pastel and a wide-eyed Alex looking at him. Indigo had a concerned look on her face. And then he saw her. Mint's blue eyes were watery as blood slid down the sides of her hand. Cato instantly let go when he realized what he had done.
His breathing hitched as he said, "God, I-I'm so sorry. I-I..." He shook his head to clear his thoughts.
"It's okay." Mint answered. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I just..." Cato's voice trailed off.
Alex was the first to leave, followed by Pastel and then Indigo. Cato didn't look at Mint, too afraid to confront the hurt in her eyes. "You should take care of that." He whispered finally.
Mint smiled and placed a hand on his cheek, making him look at her. "I'm more worried about you." She rubbed his temple with her good hand. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"
Cato looked down at Mint and sighed. He knew now that they were married and his secrets were hers as well, but it was rejection that Cato feared. He didn't want to empty all of his memories on her. What if Melody and their very physical past relationship scared her off? What if what Cato had done during the Hunger Games scared her off? Then all of this would disappear and Cato wouldn't wake up to the fact that Mint was his wife and he didn't have to be scared of Melody anymore.
"Cato, what are you thinking?" Mint asked as she wrapped her arms around her husband. Cato felt comforted by her touch and in return he slid an arm around her small waist, holding her tightly against his body. He had never felt this close to someone before and now he was holding onto this petite girl as if his life depended on it.
It must have been the heated memory. Or maybe it was the feeling of Mint's warm and very feminine body next to his. Cato lifted Mint's face and kissed her. She was startled, to say the least. And she nearly pushed him back but his grip on her tightened and his hands ran down her waist as she clutched his shirt, feeling emotions she had never felt before. Cato licked the bottom of her lip, hoping for entrance and Mint pulled away. "What are you doing?" She asked while tilting her head. The concept of kissing had never been clear to her and it was only yesterday she had found out that kissing on the lips was something only a man and a woman very much in love should do.
Cato scrunched up his eyebrows, willing his face not to turn red in embarrassment. Had she not liked the kiss? He had to admit, it had certainly put him in the mood.
"I'm sorry I didn't-" He began but Mint cut him off.
"Why are you sorry? I liked that." She smiled as her cheeks flushed. "I just don't know why you" -she gestured towards her bottom lip- "did that."
Relief washed over Cato when he realized she probably didn't know what French kissing was and that she hadn't hated the kiss. He grinned and pulled her closer. "When I lick the bottom of your lip, you're supposed to open your mouth." He explained.
"Why?" She asked innocently.
"I'll show you." And he kissed her again. This time when he licked her lip, she didn't open her mouth again. Cato growled in frustration, feeling very horny indeed, as Mint clasped her lips shut. It was only a moment later he realized she was probably afraid as it was a new feeling for her. Cato placed his lips firmly on hers and coaxed her lips open. She tried and failed miserably in clamping them shut as Cato gained entrance to her mouth. His tongue met hers and he felt her tense up underneath his touch. After a while, she calmed down and allowed his tongue to play with hers. When he pulled away, he picked her up bridal style and walked to their bedroom.
"I can't control myself anymore." He whispered, his voice hoarse.
Mint didn't understand what he meant. She was about to ask when he placed her on the bed and locked the door. Mint watched him pull the curtains together and then he was kissing her again. He pushed her onto the bed and climbed up over her, his knees on either side of her shaking body and his hands on the sides of her head. His hands made their way to the bottom of her shirt and he began tugging it. That's when Mint realized what was happening. She instantly pulled away, her blue eyes wide and scared. She didn't say anything as Cato searched her face for the reason why she had pulled away so quickly.
"I don't know how to do this." Mint admitted finally.
Cato cupped her face. "I'm going to go slowly. I'll show you how." He pushed back her hair. "Tell me if it hurts and I'll stop."
He pulled off her shirt and then worked her jeans. His shirt and pants came off next. Mint shivered as the cold air hit her body and Cato moved his body so that it was comfortably covering hers in a warm blanket. He kissed her again and then slid his lips to her jaw, making his way down her neck. After a while of biting and sucking, Cato looked at the trail of bruises that ran down Mint's neck to her collarbone. It felt good, marking her as his own. He looked up and saw Mint's eyes squeezed shut. "Open your eyes." He said softly.
Mint did as he said and Cato smiled before pulling off the remaining piece of clothing on her chest. Mint closed her eyes again and Cato sighed. "I told you I wasn't going to hurt you. Please open your eyes."
Mint opened them again and instantly noticed the mark on his chest. She rubbed it gently. "What happened?"
Cato licked his bottom lip. "Can we not talk about it right now? I want to focus on you."
Mint nodded and smiled while Cato gave her a few Eskimo kisses. He began placing light and feathery kisses on her stomach, making his way up to her breasts. Her breasts weren't overly large, like Melody's. But they weren't small either. They were in-between and for Cato, they were perfect. He kissed both of her breasts and lightly touched them. Mint sighed and Cato continued his journey upwards. Taking a nipple into his mouth, he bit it, causing Mint to jolt upwards and squeeze her eyes shut again. He bit it again, knowing that Mint was enjoying this new sensation. His other hand played with her other nipple, both now swollen. He took the other one between his teeth and tugged lightly. After a while of playing with her breasts, Cato pushed up. "Ready?" He asked.
Mint didn't answer as Cato pulled off her underwear and then his boxers. He grinned when he saw she was wet. Mint noticed and asked. "Is that normal?"
"Yes, yes it is." Cato answered and ran his hand down her inner thigh, biting down onto the pale skin so that he could mark her there too. His fingers found her moist clitoris and he rubbed it. He felt Mint's hands slip through his hair, tugging it when he rubbed a bit harder. Finally, he realized he was hard enough. With one gentle push he was inside her. She felt wonderfully tight around him, a tight he wasn't quite used to.
Mint's eyes flew open and she dug her nails into Cato's back, willing herself not to scream. The pain was intense and as she pushed her hands on his back, trying to control her scream, she pushed him deeper inside too. Tears trickled down her cheeks, falling onto the bedsheet. After a very painful moment, Mint couldn't take it anymore. "Stop! Please!" She screamed.
Cato slid his arms around her and rubbed her back soothingly. "It'll fade away. I promise." He kissed her tears and then kissed her lips chastely.
After a while, Cato felt Mint's nails pull out of his back as she relaxed. The tears stopped and she fell back onto the bed. As hot liquid burst from Cato into Mint, her head fell deeper into the pillow. Cato pushed her hair off of her forehead. "Better?"
Mint nodded and rubbed the long scratches she had left on Cato's back.
"Would you like to do it again?" Cato asked a bit hopefully.
Mint was reluctant. There was still a throbbing pain between her legs but she didn't want Cato to think she hadn't enjoyed it. She had, after the pain had resided. "Maybe in a while."
Cato seemed content with her answer. He kissed her over and over again and then taught her how to give a hickey. She painfully marked him on the neck. "Did it hurt too much?" She asked worriedly, noticing Cato's pursed lips.
"Not too much."
He asked her to kiss it better. She fell asleep later after they had made love twice more.
Cato lay there with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling. What had just happened was the best moment of his life. Sure he was no virgin, but something about the moment had made him feel like one. He looked down and gazed at Mint who had fallen asleep in his arms. Cato pushed a few fallen strands of hair from her face and marvelled at how peaceful she looked. If anyone could see her now they would think she belonged in the Capitol because a girl as innocent as her didn't look like she came from a bloodthirsty District like 2. Cato ran his hand over her shoulder and down her slim side, tracing her skin. His hand ventured further down her thin legs and he skimmed her inner thigh, feeling one of the marks he had left on her. He smiled at the thought that he had done that. That he had been her first and he would be her last. When his blue eyes looked back at her face, Cato found that she was awake and watching him with a small smile on her face.
"I'm sorry if I woke you." He whispered as he felt his neck heat up. Mint reached up, tracing her own mark she had left on his shoulder during the last moments of their heated love making session. A low growl came from Cato as he closed his eyes, savoring the way her fingers ran over the bite mark on his shoulder.
"Did you know that hurt?" He whispered. Mint rubbed the mark and then moved closer to him. She buried her face in his strong chest. Cato's stomach rumbled and Mint looked up, a giggle escaping her lips.
"We never really did get to eat those omelets." Cato said as his stomach rumbled again.
"Do you want me to cook you something?" Mint asked and Cato nodded enthusiastically. Mint rolled over and pushed herself off the bed, taking the sheet with her.
"Hey!" Cato exclaimed as the cold air hit his warm and very bare skin. Mint wrapped the sheet around her own bare body and smiled. Cato grabbed her arm and pulled her back onto the bed. Mint pushed him away, causing him to fall back, and ran out of the room wearing only a sheet.
Cato grinned and jumped to his feet, pulling on his pants before racing after her. He paused outside the door, trying to judge which way she had gone when he heard her unmistakable giggle come from the left. He followed her laugh through the hallways until he smirked and slid into a hallway closet. He waited quietly as the laughter paused.
"Cato?" He heard her whisper. Mint stood with her hands clutching the sheets to her chest, waiting for Cato to run around the corner. She bit her bottom lip and tiptoed back down the hall. She peeked around the corner, surprised when she didn't see him. She could have sworn he was right behind her. She walked to the next hallway and paused, her breathing coming in quick gasps as she wondered where her husband had gone. She didn't have time to react when Cato lunged from the closet, wrapping his arms around her waist and hauling her up over his shoulder.
"Cato! Put me down!" Mint exclaimed as Cato carried her down the stairs and into the kitchen. He sat her down on the counter before pulling out two glasses from a cupboard and pouring orange juice in them. He handed Mint a glass and gave her a few Eskimo kisses before taking a sip.
"I'm holding you against your promise." Cato said after a while.
"Give me a second for my heart to return to its normal beating pace and then I'll cook us some pancakes." Mint raised her glass to her lips, enjoying the taste of the fresh juice running down her dry throat.
"Cato, are Alex, Indigo and Pastel staying with us?" Mint asked him after a while. Cato paused and set his glass down. He had never really thought about what his siblings were going to do. Right now they were probably at the Academy.
"I'm not sure." He answered. "Why?"
"Because I want them to stay." Mint wiped her mouth with a tissue. "I like them here."
Cato smiled and opened his mouth to say something when the doorbell rang. The young couple froze realizing that they weren't exactly wearing proper clothing. Cato, being the guy he was, decided his clothing was fine and started walking towards the door. Mint's eyes widened and she set her glass down before racing after him. She grabbed his arm and tried to tug him towards the stairs.
"Coming!" She yelled at whoever was at the door. And then she turned to Cato. "You can't open the door looking like that!"
"But I look fine!" Cato whispered back, a smirk playing on his face. He couldn't help but chuckle at the brunette clinging to his arm.
"Oh no!" She shook her head.
Cato grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him, engulfing her in warmth. Mint let out a small shriek and struggled in his arms. Just then the door flew open. Frozen in shock, a very red and very out of words Melody took in the scene. Cato half-naked holding onto a petite brunette who wore nothing but a white sheet. Cato's arms tightened around Mint as his eyes hardened. Mint let go of him and clutched the slipping sheet to her chest. None of the three said anything until Mint whispered, "Cato, can you please let me go?" He noticed her red cheeks.
"I don't think I want an explanation." Melody folded her arms across her chest, glaring at the other two.
"I wasn't about to give you one." Cato answered. He bent down and pressed his face against Mint's neck, whispering something. Mint nodded and Cato let go of her. She raced up the stairs and returned a moment later wearing a blue summer dress and holding a shirt for Cato. Cato slipped it on and thanked Mint with a kiss. "Why are you here?" He asked Melody.
"Because I just found out that my boyfriend had gotten married to..." She looked at Mint in disgust.
"Ex-boyfriend, Melody." Cato corrected. Mint realized with a start that the girl standing in front of her was Melody. Melody smirked and stepped inside.
"Let's talk about this." Melody said and closed the door behind her.
A/N: Uh oh. Melody is mad. And when she gets mad, all hell breaks loose...