sundragons9- Oops, haha. Yeah, that would have been a sanitarily conscience thing for me to add. Thanks for the heads up.
abugsaunt- It's never wrong to want more :) And if Cato is anything like the rest of us, nothing could cool down his obsession with Peeta. I mean it's Peeta for goodness sakes! lol. And if Peeta is anything like us too, one taste of Cato could never be enough ;)
sysi huhu- Glad to hear it. I don't know if them being sweet to each other is in the cards just yet, but hopefully you'll like this chapter anyway. They have to work up to "sweet." ;)
MangoMagic- Yes, poor Cato. He has to pay his dues though. And to answer your question: YES! The attraction is still definitely there. When I think of Cato, I think of him as a possessive individual who goes beyond just the chase. He had Peeta, now he wants to keep him.
CupcakeSprinkles14- Thank you! I was getting bothered by the awkwardness too and I just couldn't keep it up anymore lol.
Abysslullaby- A little roughness is always welcomed in my book. Yes, these two aren't going to be lovey dovey right off the bat, given the situation they're in. Nothing will ever come easy for them in this story.
Dark France- I'm happy to hear it! Their relationship is definitely evolving now, so wait no more!
DrarryFrerard- Hahaha, hooray! I forgot about the cookies and now I'm right back to craving them again. It looks like I know what I'll be doing after posting this... better preheat the oven now.
Training so early in the morning was grueling for Peeta. His arm was throbbing around the stitches and his ass was sore as hell from his night with Cato. Still, he didn't let it alter his performance as he pushed through the team obstacle courses and dominated at the firing range.
At lunch he sat with Boggs and Mitchell until he saw the tributes coming in from their first day of military training. Katniss waved him over and he excused himself to go catch up with her. It was nostalgic as Peeta sat at a lunch table with Katniss, Thresh, Rue, and Pip. Jazz may have passed on, but the girl from five they nicknamed "Foxface" sat with them instead. She was welcomed warmly and Peeta grilled them all on how their first day of training in 13 was going so far.
Pip was the first to speak up. "Rue and I are too young to join 13's military. They made us go to school with the other little kids," the mousy haired child groaned.
Peeta laughed and rustled the boy's hair. "District 13 is a lot more compassionate than the Capitol, Pip. They want to give you the chance to actually grow up and be a kid."
"I know," Pip smiled up at his friend.
"What about the rest of you guys?" Peeta asked the older kids.
Katniss informed them of their day. "They first ran some more medical tests on us and then we had to complete a physical test. After that, we basically just ran a bunch of obstacle courses and worked on combat skills. It reminded me a lot of the training center. Except we all did so well this morning that we get to visit the weaponry floor and learn some basic firearm safety after lunch."
"Well, except for Foxface here," Thresh interrupted. "They discovered how extraordinarily brilliant she is and gave her permission to skip training. Instead of fighting as a soldier, she was invited to join Beetee in Intelligence."
"That's so awesome! Way to go!" Peeta congratulated the redhead. Foxface just blushed.
"So where are the Careers?" Peeta asked.
"The three of them are on their way. They all got caught up in some competition to see who could climb the vertical rope the fastest. We didn't stay to watch their little ego-fest," Katniss explained with an eye roll. "Speaking of the Careers, I want to talk to you alone about something when we get a chance, Peeta."
"Here they come now," Rue tilted her head in the direction of the dining hall entryway.
They all pretended not to stare as Cato, Clove, and Marvel walked in. In all honesty, the whole dining hall pretended not to stare. All the district 13 citizens had seen the Careers gunning for Peeta when he was in the arena. They knew the teens did it to survive, and they knew they were all on the same side now, but there was still the slightest bit of hostility towards them. If only everyone knew what activities Peeta participated in with Cato last night. The three Careers were aware of all the stealthy glares but didn't seem to care. They got their food and sat together at a table in the corner. Peeta suddenly felt their eyes on him. He made sure not to look over.
"Did I tell you Cato went to see Peeta last night?" Clove asked Marvel.
"Clove, for once in your life, would you just mind your own damn business?" Cato groaned exhaustively.
"You know I can't pass up good gossip," Clove winked.
"So, how'd it go?" Marvel asked curiously.
"It went fine," Cato nonchalantly shrugged.
"Just fine?" Marvel pressed further.
"…It went fuckin' awesome," he finally admitted with a beaming smile.
Clove squealed and Marvel pumped his fist before playfully punching Cato in the shoulder. Cato looked over towards Peeta then and noticed Katniss eyeing him warily. He saw the girl whisper to Peeta and the pair from 12 suspiciously left the dining hall.
Outside the dining hall, Peeta stopped his partner before they reached the main hallway. "Katniss, what do you have to talk about that's so important to drag me out in the middle of lunch?"
"Cato was staring at you the whole time in there."
A light smile crept upon Peeta's lips and he fought the blush rising to his cheeks. "So?"
"So? Do you not see what's going on, Peeta? He's totally into you and you need to be careful! Remember what happened when you got tangled up in those vines in the arena? He grabbed you and said that you were his, like he owned you. He has always looked at you so predatorily, even back when we were training in the Capitol. And it looks like even though we're all safe now, nothing's changed. He's still after you, Peeta. I know it. I'm just trying to look out for you."
Peeta couldn't help but chuckle at his partner's obliviousness to the situation. "Katniss, I appreciate your concern, but none of this is news to me. I'm fully aware of the situation. Cato made his intentions known to me long ago."
"Wait, what?" This was the first Katniss was hearing about it.
"The very first day at the training center when he sparred with me, I felt 'little Cato' poking me through his pants and then he told me I wouldn't be getting very far from him in the arena. Cato made it perfectly clear from day one that he'd be gunning for me in the games in more ways than one."
"So you've known all this time what he was up to? Why didn't you tell me what was going on with you and him?"
"Well, frankly, it was none of your business. You had your own problems as a tribute. Besides, he wasn't after you, he was after me. I didn't feel the need to drag you into that. But I promise you, you have nothing to worry about. Cato and I are good now. We've talked and 'stuff.' You don't have to worry about him."
Katniss just sputtered as she tried to soak up this new revelation. "So, this thing with you and Cato… you're okay with it? You got this?"
Peeta placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Yes, I got this. Katniss, you don't know the whole story of what's going on between me and him. But you do know me and you know I'm perfectly capable of handling myself. Don't worry your braided little head off. I can handle a Career. No matter how much he's still 'looking' at me, he's not trying to kill me anymore. It's quite the opposite actually. Things are different now that we're out of the arena. I am… enjoying his company." Peeta's unforgiving blush returned full force and he averted his eyes from the girl.
Katniss' own eyes grew wide along with her grin as she gave him a playful slap. "You're right. That is none of my business," she laughed. "But still, this whole time I've been watching him like a hawk, waiting for him to make a wrong move, and it turns out you've had the situation handled and then some. Am I naïve or what?"
"Just a little," Peeta smiled. "You're a good friend, Katniss. Now let's go back and finish lunch."
The two returned and finished eating and Peeta eventually left the tributes to rejoin his men who then left the dining hall. Cato sighed as he watched Peeta walk away and he tried to formulate a way to run into him later. I refuse to let last night be a one-time deal.
After lunch, Cato, Clove, Marvel, Thresh, and Katniss made their way to the beginner's firing range. They met with the instructor who passed them all safety glasses and quickly began the day's lesson.
"For all of you, this will be your first time handling and shooting a firearm. They are incredibly dangerous to you and your fellow soldiers if not handled properly. Before we begin, we must extensively go over the necessary safety precautions and then we can go into the basic handling of a firearm."
The instructor taught them the different parts of a handgun, semi-automatic, and automatic rifle. He showed them how to hold it and how to carry it when not in use. As time passed, he finally showed them how to load and cock a handgun. The tributes were allowed to start out with handguns and they all took their places to aim at stationary targets only 7 yards away. After firing their first round of bullets, the only slightly impressive marksmanship was from Katniss. Her bow skills had somewhat transferred over, but the slight kick in the gun threw her off.
Peeta and a few other soldiers were just passing through the hall after a heavy training session with sniper rifles when they all stopped to take a peek at the tributes struggling to hit their targets in the beginner's firing range. Katniss was slowly making progress while the others seemed to be only getting frustrated. Peeta and his team were enjoying watching the Careers huff and puff every time they missed. It may have seemed petty, but it was nice to see that the Careers weren't good at everything.
After another round of subpar shooting, Cato got frustrated and slammed his gun down to fume. As he threw a fit, Peeta just rolled his eyes. This kid's got some serious anger issues. One of the soldiers giggled at the sight, catching the attention of the trainer who was sitting by the sidelines.
"Oh, how perfect! Everyone stop shooting for a moment. We're lucky enough to catch some of our best marksmen passing through. Come on in, soldiers. We could use your expertise!"
The soldiers grumbled as they made their way inside while Peeta was turning beet red. His eyes locked on Cato who seemed embarrassed at first that Peeta had been watching him, but then he just smiled. The Career waved the younger blonde over to his station and spoke seductively. "You heard the instructor. I need you to use your 'expertise' on me."
"There's no 'off' switch on you, is there?" Peeta smirked towards the flirtatious Career.
"Not with you. You always 'turn me on'," Cato quipped back.
"And I guess I just walked right into that one," Peeta chuckled as he approached. "Okay, Cato, from what I saw, you have the gun outstretched with a slight bend in your elbow. That works for some, but try straightening your arms out more. Use the sights on the top of the handgun. When you can see the bead at the sight on the end of the barrel through the notch on the sight closest to you, center it on the target. Then shoot."
The Career took the advice to heart as he straightened out and aimed. Focused and determined, he fired at the target and saw he hit it dead center. Looking over at Peeta for praise, the younger blonde had a look of sheer pride in his dazzling blue eyes. "See, you got this," Peeta rubbed soothingly on Cato's back. "You were getting frustrated for nothing."
A shiver went down Cato's spine at Peeta's touch and he wanted to just take the boy right there but instead turned around to aim again. After a few more rounds and a few more tips from Peeta, it was decided Cato was ready to move on.
"I think we can move on to something bigger now," Peeta suggested.
"Bigger, huh? I've got something in mind," the taller blonde winked.
"Ha ha, very funny. Now go choose one of those rifles over there."
Cato came back with a rifle and Peeta left to get the ammunition for it. He took the rifle out of the older boy's hands and began to show him how to load the cartridges into the magazine. "This is a semi-automatic rifle. Just like the handgun, you have to pull the trigger every time for each bullet fired. And just like the handgun, a semi auto only needs to be cocked before the first shot. It will automatically reload each bullet from its magazine after that. Ready?"
"Yes."
Peeta helped him aim the bigger firearm. "Good. Now cock it and pull it"
"Are we still talking about the gun?"
"Yes, you perv. Just fire the damn thing."
Cato cocked the rifle and pulled the trigger. There was a lot more power behind it and he loved the rush it gave him. He pulled the trigger again and again, adjusting to the movements of the firearm. When he emptied the magazine, both boys saw nearly every bullet had at least hit somewhere on the target. Just then the instructor called it quits for now and sent everyone to go get dinner.
As the two boys walked next to each other, Cato smiled.
"I was getting real pissed off back there until you showed up," he admitted.
"Yeah, I saw that," Peeta smirked. "Like any skill, it just takes practice. You can't be perfect right off the bat."
"I'm not used to not excelling at everything," Cato spoke as a matter of fact.
"Well, aren't you full of yourself?" Peeta jabbed at him playfully.
"You can be full of me too, if you want… again?" Cato eyed the smaller boy.
"Is that a formal invitation for round two?"
"It's not really my nature to give out formal invitations. I'd gladly just take you, but I want to make sure your body's up for it again," the older boy spoke as he stroked over Peeta's damaged arm. Cato's eyes traveled to the stitches upon the younger blonde's bicep and he grimaced at the thought of how much worse it could have been. "I know I can get pretty rough and I don't want to get too rough with you just yet."
"I told you last night; I can handle rough," Peeta spoke defiantly.
Cato looked at the boy then with pure mischief in his eyes. "You're about to regret reminding me that."
Cato suddenly grabbed Peeta as they passed a dark alcove, pulling him into the shadows while the rest of the group continued obliviously forward. Cato slammed Peeta against the alcove wall and the two of them began furiously making out. They were biting at each others' lips until Cato bent down to nuzzle Peeta's neck. He began sucking at the boy's collarbone and was rewarded with soft moans and caresses. He smirked before his sensual sucks turned to teeth as he bit down on Peeta's supple skin. The younger blonde hissed as he clutched Cato's arms in a death grip.
"Shit, you ass!" Peeta snarled. "That's gonna leave a mark!"
"I know," was all the Career cared to say. He aggressively flipped the smaller blonde around then. With Peeta facing away, Cato reached around to undo the younger boy's pants. He pushed the boy harder against the wall as he nudged his own pants down. The brute slathered his raging hard-on with spit and with one quick and jarring movement, gripped Peeta's cheeks and shoved himself inside. One of his hands left Peeta's ass to cover the boy's mouth as the sharp cry erupted from his quivering lips. Peeta clawed at the unforgiving steel he was pressed up against, seething from the pain that hurt so good. Cato had sought to prove just how rough he could be and he was doing a good job so far. He didn't even wait for Peeta to adjust and just gave into his own desires as he immediately started thrusting wildly. The Career viciously grabbed the boy's hair, pulling Peeta's head back to expose more neck. Cato growled as he went to feast on it, still pounding away.
Every slam into Peeta forced out a whimper as he fought to keep from screaming. The district 12 tribute was going into overdrive from the overload of pain and pleasure. Hearing the animalistic grunts and growls from the older boy behind him, the pain started to melt until only pleasure remained. He was blinded by ecstasy as he felt Cato's cock brush against that spot inside him. Still whimpering, Peeta was now begging for Cato until he lost control and exploded. The Career had to cover the boy's mouth again from the unruly cry that escaped his throat. Cato gave in at that moment, having to bite down onto Peeta's shoulder to stifle his own cry of ecstasy as he released inside him.
Coming down from the high, Cato flipped Peeta back around to face him again. Peeta stared up at him wildly, trying to analyze the Career's next aggressive move. Contradictory to what he expected, the older boy leaned in to tenderly kiss the younger boy's lips. He kissed the bite marks on Peeta's tender neck and shoulders and then proceeded to pull up and button both of their pants. Peeta just stared at him, shocked and confused by the sudden contrast in behavior, as Cato took off one of his socks to clean up the wall he had just forced Peeta against.
The two left the alcove to meet the others in the dining hall. Peeta stayed silent, walking a little behind the older boy. His mind was swimming at what just happened. He couldn't wrap his head around the district 2 male. Ever since he met the brute at the training center, he saw the boy as aggressive, self-righteous, and dominatingly possessive. Cato had made it seem perfectly clear from day one that Peeta was an object to be lusted after. Now that they weren't forced to kill each other, Peeta didn't mind playing that game at least a little bit. He had given in… to a certain extent. He wasn't about to be "owned" and he certainly didn't expect things getting so serious with Cato. The Career was an egotistical brute. But then Cato would go and act like… like he really cared about Peeta; sharing his bed for the night and cuddling with him, making sure he was feeling okay, and now ending a ferocious sexual encounter with tenderness and compassion. It was all throwing Peeta for a loop. This wasn't what he expected. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Cato was acting like the kind of person Peeta would want to truly be with. Not just physically, but completely. He felt himself slipping into dangerous territory and knew he'd have to make sure to stay rational and guarded.
Cato looked back and noticed Peeta deep in thought. He also noticed the young blonde walking with a bit of a hobble now. Shit, I hope I didn't screw things up.
"Was it too much?" Cato asked. Peeta looked up and saw genuine concern in the Career's eyes. Don't be an idiot, Peeta. Pull yourself together and think with your head.
"No," he quickly assured. "I told you I could handle it."
"And you did," Cato nodded. They continued to walk in silence a little longer until Cato spoke again. "I like this… a lot."
"Me too."