I do not own the Hunger Games.
Cato's POV
Was Peeta insane? For him to announce feelings for Katniss to the public, only moments after what had just happened between us, was a colossal risk. I didn't even know what to say. I guess we would just have to wait it out. Maybe this could be good for her; it might attract sponsors. However, it seemed Katniss had a different view on this. Despite my desperate calls of her name, she was up and out of the door in a moment. Ignoring me, she continued to sprint down the corridor, her rage clearly strong, with her fury emanating off of her. I realised she was going into the direction of the interviews again.
Although she had a good head start, I was catching up. I had realised by now that she was actually quite strong and was able to run very well because of her strength. Nevertheless, she was no match for my speed, especially since her ankle was numb and she was wearing heels. As Katniss made a turn around a corner, I cussed. I hated not being able to see where she was going.
When I came around the corner, I arrived to find Katniss shoving Peeta into an urn, tipping it over, and making it shatter into lots of perilous serrated pieces. Peeta's hands began to bleed straight away, staining the clean, Capitol floor.
"What was that for?" he asked, astounded. Katniss stepped towards him again, so I held her from behind, pinning her arms behind her. Despite my firm grip, she kept on struggling and talked as if I weren't there.
"You had no right! No right to go saying those things about me!" she screeched, shaking in my hold.
"Katniss, don't worry about it," I murmured into her ear, "it will all be fine."
"No! He had no right, Cato. He can't just say things like that!" she struggled more. Surprised, District Twelve's team all came off the elevator, running over to us in concern.
"What's going on? Did you fall?" Effie questioned in a frenzy, helping Peeta up with Cinna.
"After she shoved me."
"Shoved him?" Haymitch turned towards Katniss and I, with the rest of the team looking at us too. Only now were they acknowledging that I was there.
"This was your idea, wasn't it?" Katniss accused her mentor, no longer moving from my hold, but just accepting it. "Turning me into some kind of fool in front of the entire country?"
Pulling hazardous shards of the urn out of his palms, Peeta replied with "It was my idea. Haymitch just helped me with it."
"Yes, Haymitch is very helpful. To you!"
"Katniss," I hiss at her, for only her sensitive ears to hear. "Calm down."
"You are a fool. Do you think he hurt you? That boy gave you something you could never achieve on your own." Haymitch saying that made me just realise what this was about. It was all an act. They were going to do it for sponsors. A love story... It was genius!
"He made me look weak!" Katniss shouted, still oblivious.
"No, Katniss. He made you look desirable," I said. "Now that Peeta wants you, they'll all want you and only be talking about you and thinking of only you. You'll be all that they talk about, as the star-crossed lovers from District Twelve." Everybody stared at me, mouths gaping open.
"But we're not star-crossed lovers!" she still stubbornly shouted, the only one not finding it strange that I was there. Sighing, I realised that I was going to need to use a more forceful approach. I turned her around, grabbing her shoulders and pinned her against the wall.
"Who cares? It's all a big show," I spoke, my eyes daring her to defy me.
"Oh my!" Effie gasped, getting ready to call for help.
"It's okay," Haymitch grasped her shoulder.
"It's all how you're perceived," I continued. "The most I could say about you after your interview was that you were nice enough, although that in itself was a small miracle. Now I can say you're a heartbreaker. Two boys in one day! Oh, oh, oh, how the boys back home fall longingly at your feet. Which do you think will get you more sponsors?"
"Little git stole what I was going to say," Haymitch muttered. Cinna walked over to us, and lightly removed my hold of her. I stepped back. Gingerly, he put his arm around her.
"He's right, Katniss." All of her team were so caring for her. They weren't faking it. They actually were concerned for her safety... Even her drunk mentor wanted to look after her. He just had a different way of showing it.
"I should have been told, so I didn't look so stupid."
"No, your reaction was perfect. If you'd known, it wouldn't have read as real," Portia said.
Chucking another sharp and bloody piece away, Peeta said, "She's just worried about her boyfriend."
"Boyfriend?" I turned towards Katniss.
Blushing furiously, she replied, "I don't have a boyfriend."
"Whatever," Peeta muttered. Did he have a death wish? Even I knew not to mess with Katniss like that. "But I bet he's smart enough to know a bluff when he sees it. Besides, you didn't say you loved me. So what does it matter?" Giving him a deadly glare, she takes a few more steps away from, calming down a little.
"So, Cato..." Haymitch started awkwardly. "What exactly is your involvement with Katniss?" When I looked at her, she seemed scared that they would find out about everything that has happened between us.
Putting on my best lying smile, I replied with a simple, "Nothing at all."
"Well why did you go to her on stage?" I wasn't quite sure how to answer this one. I couldn't be honest.
"I was just nearby and saw her falling. I would've run up for anybody."
"You didn't need to take her off though, did you? Where have you guys even been until now?" As I struggled for an answer, Katniss chipped in.
"I was scared and didn't know what to do. He just did me a favour by helping me off." There was a long silence, where everybody attempted to make sense of the situation.
"Oh, this is so exciting!" Effie shrieked. "A love square!"
"What?" Cinna asked, heads turning towards her.
"A love square, you sillies! There's Katniss, Peeta, Cato and Gale. That makes a love square," she beamed.
"Who's Gale?" I frowned.
"Her boyfriend," Peeta added gruffly.
"He's not my boyfriend!" she shouted again. "He's... family. My cousin." I could tell she was lying, but she didn't owe me any explanation. I didn't want to show my jealousy.
"Right, well," I began walking away. "Good luck with your star-crossed lover stuff and all. See you tomorrow in training!" Katniss knew that I would really be seeing her tonight. Before anybody could say anything else, I quickly went to my district's rooms.
As I walked in, my mentor Brutus, shoved me into the wall.
"What the hell?" I rubbed my head, where it got hit from Brutus's surprise attack.
"I should be the one saying that. What was with your little performance?" he spat.
"She fell over and I helped her up. That's all."
"Not by what the rest of Panem think. They all believe that there's some sort of love triangle going on between you two and that lover boy."
"So?" I asked. "I don't care. They can say whatever they want to say."
"Oh come on," Brutus begged. "Please tell me you're not falling for that District Twelve dirt?"
"Of course not," I scowled, pretending otherwise. "She's scum. I'm just trying to confuse her for when the Games start." This seemed to please Brutus.
"Ah, good lad. I guess you are smart," he grinned, patting my back. "Just don't go overboard, okay? It could affect your sponsors."
"Sure," I agreed vaguely.
"I'll go and tell the others not to worry." When he left, I let out a sigh of relief.
I sure was going through a lot of effort for this girl, but it would all be worth it. I owed it to her.
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