"Welcome back." Clove broke the silence that filled the camp, stiring me from my sleep. "I left some bread for you, I just finished the other piece."
"Great it would be you on watch." Katniss voice and footfalls fully awoke me. Peeta was pushed up against my chest, we couldn't have been asleep very long if Katniss was just returning.
"Oh it's good to see you, too." Clove shot back, "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that I won't be getting any sleep with you on watch." Katniss argued.
"Why not?" Clove asked. I could picture her anger starting to boil at Katniss' quips at her. "Afraid I'll run off while you're sleeping and leave you vulnerable?"
"I can only wish." Katniss answered, "I just don't trust you, and frankly don't care much for you."
"The feelings mutual, bitch. Aparently you would trust Cato?" Clove steamed. My back was to them, I couldn't see them. I had the feeling of being stared at and they both paused.
"Are they both in there?" Katniss asked. I never really thought about it, but she probably didn't know about me and Peeta. She always stayed to herself and showed no interest in any of the other tributes.
"It's freezing, of course they're both in there." Clove hissed back. Thanks Clove, that was one conversation I wasn't ready to face. Peeta must have woken up too; he was moving his head to turn around.
"Don't move; let's stay out of this one for now." I whispered in his ear. He nodded and pushed himself closer to me and I instinctively wrapped an arm around him, feeling his chest move with his steady breathing.
"I'd still rather stay in my own sleeping bag." Katniss answered. Shuffling filled the silence, Katniss must have pulled hers out and was crawling into it. "Why don't you make yourself useful and figure out what those packs have. We have to many to be hauling around everywhere."
"Excuse me?" Clove said, "Why don't you fucking do it, princess. Anyway, I thought you couldn't sleep while I'm on guard."
I felt like this was a good time to pretend to wake up. I didn't want the two girls to get in a huge brawl that could have been prevented. "What's going on?" I asked with my best sleep-filled void. I let go of Peeta so I could roll over and see them.
"Cato?" Clove asked, "Sorry, did we wake you up?"
"You woke him up with your annoying banter." Katniss chimed in.
"Who asked you?" Clove shouted, "You are impossible, no wonder no one ever wanted to get to know you."
Peeta poked his head up behind me, "Knock it off, you two. There's no sense in fighting among ourselves."
"Tell her that!" Clove shouted. The sleeping bag was warm, but I needed to calm Clove down before she attracted someone with her yelling. Or she killed Katniss. Pulling myself away from the sleeping bag was tough, I didn't want to leave Peeta's side but I had to.
"Clove, calm down." I pulled Clove close to me, trying to help her relax.
"No Cato," Clove had her mind set, "I know you want to stay here with Peeta, but I can't stay here with her!"
"You two just need to get to know each other a little better." Peeta was by my side again, helping to counsel Clove.
"I'd rather not." Katniss answered. She was sitting alone and seemed to be bothered by the fact that no one was trying to her. Peeta glared at her.
"What do you have against me?" Clove shouted, "It seems like I'm the only one you hate!"
"Like I said earlier, I don't trust you. And I don't want to trust you. I had everything I needed with Peeta until you two showed up." Katniss hissed. "I don't see the point in keeping you two, but Peeta wanted both of you. I spared you for him."
It seemed everyone was fighting for Peeta and it put him in an awkward position. "Likewise to you. I didn't kill you for Peeta because Cato would never forgive me if I hurt Peeta." Clove answered.
"Everyone shut the fuck up!" Peeta shouted. I never saw him so angry, not even in the tower when he was mad at me. His anger was terrifying, but for some reason it turned me on. This isn't the time for these kinds of thoughts. Clove and Katniss are at each others throats and I'm thinking about jumping the furious boy next to me. I'm such a good friend.
"Why is everyone fighting over me? Don't you all realize where we are? We are in the arena! As much as I wish we weren't, we are! It's only the second day and already my friends are fighting amonst themselves. Because of me, dammit. I won't have it." His voice lost the anger it initially had.
"I'm sorry, Peeta." Clove apologized, "I tried, but I can't anymore. Cato, I can't stay here. I won't wait for her to kill me when I least expect it."
"Clove, please think about it a little more?" I begged her. I couldn't let her leave on her own, but I couldn't leave Peeta again now that I've finally found him.
"Let her go, we'd be better off without her." Katniss answered. Peeta seemed to be infuriated again.
"Can't you two even try?" He shouted.
"You don't get it Peeta, I did try." Clove answered, "I tried for you! And for Cato. She never gave me the chance."
"Clove, don't make me choose." I pleaded, "You know who how it will end."
"I know, Cato." Clove answered, "And I understand, I wouldn't force you to come with me. I know that if I leave, I'll be leaving alone. I'd rather face this arena alone than wait to be killed by her."
"I could just make it quick and do it now." Katniss started. Peeta was glaring at her, his gloved hand and bare hand clenched into fists.
"Clove, don't go." I was begging her, something I have never done before, "I don't want you be out there on your own."
"Why exactly is Cato going to be staying?" Katniss asked. What is this bitch's problem? Both me and Clove never did anything to her. Suddenly I could understand why Clove was so upset after Katniss' comment was directed at me. Clove had taken the brunt of it all morning, I only had a comment and I was ready to punch her out. How did Peeta put up with her? And why did he want to?
"He's not." Peeta answered. What was Peeta doing? Was he kicking me out? "If Clove wants to leave, I won't let her go off alone."
I wanted to shake him all of a sudden, my voice was low and I didn't recognize it. He was approaching me but I didn't want him to touch me after what he said.
"Peeta, I'll be fine on my own." Clove answered, gathering a few of her things together and sliding her pack on. "I know Cato doesn't want to leave you, and it's my choice. I know what I'm doing."
"No you don't." Peeta bellow to Clove and turned back to me.
"Don't make me leave." I did want to leave his side. I never wanted to again but he wanted to me leave.
"You'll be fine, maybe it's better this way. We won't have to kill or watch each other die." He paused at the thought "We both care about Clove, and I won't let her run off without someone there to be with her."
"I can't leave you. You keep me who I am." I felt on the verge of tears and I pulled my fasemask off, the constraint was becoming too much. "Without you, I'll fall apart." I thought of the black marble in my pocket and knew that it wouldn't be enough this time.
"I'll always be there in your mind." Peeta pulled off his facemask and smiled up at me. "You can do this."
"Why don't you come with me?" I asked him, not really understanding why he had such an attachment to Katniss.
"I can't leave her. I don't know how to explain it. She's not the most pleasant person, but I still care about her." Peeta answered. The first few snowflakes started to drop from the sky. A single snowflake landed on Peeta's cheek and it took everything I had not to wipe it away.
"You can't save everyone, you know." Clove interrupted. "It's easy to think that we can all make it out of here, but honestly, even if we are lucky only one of us will make it out of here."
"I know that."Peeta answered, our gazes catching. "But I couldn't forgive myself if I didn't at least try to help the people I care about."
His arms were around my neck in a moment, my hands pulling his waist closer to me. If this was the last time I was going to see him, I wanted to remember the feel of him against me. Memorize the eyes that I've drown in so many times before. It hurt me to close my eyes, but the touch of his lips was overwhelming. The fire inside me was building from our locked lips. The fire that would probably never be felt again if I let go of him.
"What the fuck?" Katniss shrieked. We broke away from eachother at her scream. She was scrambling for her bow, pulled an arrow and raised it to my head.
"I knew there was something going on, but I didn't think it could actually be true." Katniss shouted. "I didn't want it to be true. I've always had respect for you Peeta, ever since you saved my life; I just never knew how to express it. Now I find out you're a faggot? You expect me to respect that?"
Clove reappeared, slamming into the distracted Katniss. She lost hold of her bow and they both fell to the ground. "Fuck you Katniss! Don't you ever talk to them like that." Clove shouted, pulling out her knife.
"Don't kill her!" Peeta shouted, running at Clove.
Katniss was laughing "Why not? It's not like you actually care about me like you say you do. You and your boyfriend can die for all I care. So just let her. Let her kill me, you faggot!"
Peeta stopped in his tracks at her words. I ran towards him feeling the anger in me start to build. I knew that I had to help Peeta, but I wanted to be the one to finish the bitch off. Clove had her knife against Katniss' throat, my arms around Peeta. "Clove, don't kill her. Please."
"Then what should we do with her?" I forced myself to ask, he was shaking in my arms and I instinctively tightened my embrace feeling him suck the anger out of me.
"Let her go. This time." Peeta answered. "But believe me Katniss, this is the last time I'll show you any mercy."
Peeta pulled away from me, I grabbed my sword and Clove slowly released her grip on Katniss. She must have known she was outmatched because she looked defeated. "Don't think I won't find you again." She hissed before running off. She grabbed her bow and a pack before we could stop her and we watched her run off into the forest.
"We should move incase she circles back to pick us off with her bow." Clove answered. Peeta nodded, but he looked wrecked. We silently rolled the sleeping bag back up and started on our way in the opposite direction of Katniss. Our footprints heavy in the snow, but the wind was increasing and the snowing grew heavier. We didn't need to worry about our tracks being followed thanks to the weather. I couldn't tell if Peeta was crying or if it was because of the snow. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder as we walked trying to silently comfort him the best I could. The next time I see her, I will kill her. as the blizzard slowly approached us.
So... This one took me a bit to write. Sorry. Hope you enjoyed it.