A/N: I love you all! Just a warning, this chapter involves some... Female issues. Guys if you're squeamish about that kinda stuff I apologise. I got so many wonderful reviews for the last chapter! Keep it up; your reviews make my day! Part of this chapter is in Cato's Point Of View.
Cato is shocked for just a moment before his lips move against mine and he is kissing me back. We have stopped moving but I'm not sure when that happened; my mind is focused solely on the soft warmth of Cato's lips on mine. He presses slightly harder against me and I sigh softly into his mouth. I feel his tongue snake across my bottom lip and I grant him access; our tongues fight for dominance and my head starts spinning.
Cato ends the kiss and leans his head against mine. "You certainly are full of surprises." I smile back at him but the moment is short lived as I remember the burning pain in my leg. Seeing the look of pain on my face Cato continues back to camp.
Clove is throwing knifes at a tree when we are back and she rush's over to us when she sees Cato carrying me. "What the hell did you do?" Cloves eyes widen when she sees the burn on my leg and I wince as Cato lays me on the ground.
"The game makers decided we needed a little fun." I grumble.
"Clove see if we have any burn cream." Cato carefully peels the burnt remains of my pants away from the bloody portion of charred flesh.
"We don't have any burn cream, but we have pain killers." Clove offers.
"No, I don't want pain killers."
"Why the hell not? You can't even move without being in pain."
"If we are attacked I need to be able to focus; I can't be high on pain killers." Cato looks at me like I grew a second head and its speaking Spanish.
"Katniss if we are attacked I will protect you."
"I don't need your protection Cato." I snap back at him and I instantly regret it.
"Fine, suffer through the pain than; see if I give a damn." I groan as Cato gets up and storms off to grab his sword. Clove sits down next to me.
"You know he didn't mean that you need protecting, just that if we are attacked he won't let you get hurt." She pours water down my leg and I let out a hiss of pain and bite my lip. "He knows you're more than capable of taking care of yourself."
"I know he means well, I'm just not used to relying on someone. I have been the primary caregiver for Prim for five years. I rely on myself and that's it."
"That doesn't mean you can't accept help when you need it." I consider this for a moment and think about Gale. I refuse to tell them I rely on Gale too; just in case something about my hunting slips out. I won't ever forgive myself if Gale is punished because of me.
I call Cato over but he ignores me. Clove glares at him and walks over to where he is swinging his sword around. I watch them in amusement; it's like watching a little sister chastise her older brother for being a dick. Several minutes pass by before Cato sigh's throws down his sword and comes to my side.
"What can I do for you?" I smirk at him.
"What are you willing to do?" he gives me a bored look. "I would kill for a foot rub." It only takes a moment before Cato cracks up at my joke. When we catch our breath I smile and ask for some pain killers.
"You sure you want them, you'll be pretty loopy." I nod at him and tell him I could use the help. After a brief moment he comes back with a canteen and two little white pills; I take them at the same time and gag on the chalky taste.
I hear Glimmer laughing. "Well that was an attractive face." I roll my eyes and refuse to answer her. Clove doesn't have the same idea.
"It's a step up from yours." I smile but try to hide it when Glimmer sends me an icy glare.
"How did you do?" Cato asks them.
"We got the boy from 7 after he killed the boy from 10."
"Ten of us left." I mumble and Cato squeezes my hand reassuringly. "What happens when it gets down to the five of us?"
Cato tenses and Glimmer laughs at me. "I kill you." The second the words pass her lips Cato has her pinned to a tree and he's whispering something; by the look on Glimmers face I assume it's not a very happy something.
I hear a tinkling laugh from behind me and turn to see Katniss holding her sides as she laughs like a lunatic. Clove and Marvel are watching her with puzzled expressions and Glimmer puts her hands on her hips before stating "She's finally snapped."
Katniss looks up at our puzzled expressions and goes into another fit of giggles. After several minutes and a couple snorts she looks up at me with a very serious face. "So serious!" She does an attempt at mocking my voice but doesn't succeed as she is already launched into more laughter. I realise it's the pain killers making her so loony.
I walk over and gently pick her up, cradling her softly against my chest. "Where are we going?" she asks but I smile; her voice went very high pitched on the last word and she made herself giggle again.
"I'm taking you to bed."
"Oh you should at least buy me dinner first mister!" I shake my head and laugh softly.
"No Katniss I'm putting you to bed."
"Well that's not nearly as much fun." I frown as I lay her down and she winces slightly.
"Are you still in pain?" She shakes her head no.
"Cuddle with me!" She reaches out for me but I pull my arm from her grasp. I don't want her to do anything she will regret.
"Go to sleep Katniss." She pouts and to be completely honest; it's damn adorable.
"Mister grumpy pants!" I roll my eyes and lay her down.
"Good night Katniss." She closes her eyes and mumbles a good night. As I walk back to the others I order Marvel to start a fire. Clove and Glimmer are arguing over something and as I pass Marvel he informs me I shouldn't go over there. But being the dumbass that I am I don't listen.
"Stop being so dramatic." Clove snaps at her.
"It's not being dramatic, it's being polite!"
"It's being immature!" I am so beyond confused.
"What the hell are you to arguing about?" I snap at them.
"Glimmer is too much of a prude to ask for-" A hand clamps down over her mouth to silence her.
"Nothing that concerns you Cato." Glimmer yelps in surprise and yanks her hand away. Clove bit her.
"Stop being so immature Glimmer!" She snaps. "Enobaria send Glimmer some damn tampons!" My smirk slides off my face and I walk to where Marvel is getting the fire going.
"You should have listened to me Cato." He shakes his head chuckling. I can hear the two girls bickering again behind me when a white parachute carrying a little silver tin falls from the sky. "Maybe now she won't be such a bitch."
Glimmer smacks Marvel across the back of the head. "I heard that you prick."
We sit around the fire, Glimmer and Marvel laughing about the look on the face of the boy they killed only hours before. Clove and I don't participate in the dark conversation. Until Glimmer turns it around to include us.
"He begged for his life, just like the girl we killed last night!" She narrows her eyes at me. "Like the girl you killed last night." I cringe internally but on the outside I keep my face a blank canvas.
"Go to bed. I'll take first watch. Marvel will take second." It's early still, probably only seven or eight but I don't leave it open for debate and the three teens get up and head to bed. I lean back against a tree and ready myself for a very long night.
Only an hour or so passes before I grow bored and restless, I decide to do some training; grabbing my sword I start swinging it in different patterns. This lasts maybe two hours and I move onto physical training; starting with three hundred push ups than two hundred sit ups. I decide that should make a good chunk of the night go by and start on that.
A/N: Reviews get you a sneak peek into the next chapter! I hope you all enjoyed loopy Katniss as much as I enjoyed writing her!