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~.*.~

Peeta didn't do anything, hand clutching to the shaft of a spear. He or Cato.. maybe both.. would die. "You'll survive," he said softly, throwing the spear again.

"You will to."

"I won't. I'll die quickly because I'm from District 12 and you'll survive and probably win because you're from District 2 and you've been trained to do this since you were little. I'll die. You'll survive and win. Everyone will forget about me because no one cares about the stupid little kid from District 12."

"That's not true!" Cato hissed now, throwing his sword down and pushing Peeta against a dummy. "That is not true." He took a knife out of his belt, jamming it into the dummy beside Peeta's head. "I care about you. More than fucking Clove. I will not let you die. I will die first before I let that happen."

Peeta's eyes widened, actually watering a bit. Cato.. cared about him like that? No one else did.. "I.. I'll meet you tonight.. your floor. I just.. wanna talk about some stuff."

Cato nodded again. He pressed a kiss to Peeta's lips, taking his knife back and going back to target practice.

~.**.~

Cato took Peeta's hand when he found him walking around his floor a bit.. absently. Distracted. He snuck him past Clove and their mentor, heading up to his room and locking the door. "So, you wanted to talk?"

Peeta nodded, sitting on the bed lightly Indian-style. "Were.. Were you serious? About me? About us?"

Cato nodded, kneeling in front of him on the little bench at the edge of the bed. "Completely serious. I won't let you die before me. I promise you that."

Peeta took a deep breath. He didn't like talking about his life in District 12, but he wanted Cato to know. "When I was little.. I met Katniss at school. My dad said that he wanted to marry her mom, but she ran off with a coal miner before he married my mom. I thought.. Katniss might be.. the one. Someone I'd love and marry and have kids with. But I wasn't really.. attracted to her. I had a crush on Gale, her best friend and the guy she learned to hunt with. But he only had eyes for her, so I didn't think that anyone would ever like me. Love me even."

Cato's eyes narrowed a bit, but Peeta didn't notice. Gale.. must have been one of the people Peeta had been talking about before.

"My own family doesn't even believe in me. My mom blackened my eye because I burned bread. I have two older brothers that weren't allowed to volunteer in my place because they were too old and a younger brother who didn't want to volunteer in the first place." He knew he was starting to rant and some of the things Cato had already heard, but he didn't care. He couldn't stop himself. "My mother said that District 12 might finally have a tribute to bring honor to us, but it wasn't me. It was Katniss she was talking about. She never believed in me and why should she? I'm a failure. I can't do anything. And I'll die."

"Shut up."

Peeta's mouth opened and closed a few times, no sound coming out for a minute. "W-What?"

"Shut up." Cato's gaze narrowed as he stared at Peeta. "You are not a failure." He leaned closer, holding Peeta's chin lightly to look into his eyes. "You will not die. You will not be killed. I will die before I let that happen." He pressed a kiss to Peeta's lips again, pushing him down on his back on the bed. "You will not die.. " His lips trailed down Peeta's cheek, down to his jaw and neck. "I won't let it happen.. "

"You can't promise that.. " Peeta's eyes clouded with tears. "You can't promise anything.. I'll die.. "

"Shut up!" Cato snapped now. "You will not die, Peeta!"

Peeta stopped talking, not able to help the slow tears that slid down the side of his face. Cato gently kissed him, trying to help him stop crying. "I care about you.. " the Career whispered against his lips. "I care about you.. I care about you so much.. "

"You don't.. even know me.. "

Cato smiled, kissing him again. "I know you enough.. " He pulled the blankets over them. "Just enough.. to know you're a sweet.. caring.. " He punctuated each with a gentle kiss. "beautiful.. strong.. everything anyone would ever want.. "

Peeta smiled, lightly wrapping his arms around Cato's neck to keep him close. "You.. You promise.. you'll protect me?"

Cato smiled. "I promise.. "

"I should.. go back to my floor.. "

"Or you could stay here and sleep with me.. " And that sounded much better.

~.**.~

Peeta woke up naked in bed with an equally naked Cato, his head on the Career's bare chest and Cato's arms around his waist as he slept. He glanced at the clock, eyes widening. Shit! He started to move from bed, grabbing his clothes and yanking them on.

"And where is that sexy ass going?" Cato growled playfully, grinning as he watched Peeta.

"It's almost time to get up to get ready for the Games," Peeta said, blushing a bit as he pulled on his clothes. "Effie's gonna be wondering why I'm not in my room and she can't find me in here."

"You make sure you stay near me when we got to the Games." Cato pulled Peeta down, pressing another kiss to his lips. "I'll see you later."

Peeta smiled, accepting the kiss and pushing another to his lips. "Bye." He left the floor without being caught, getting up to his own floor where Effie, Haymitch, and Katniss were waiting for him.

"And where exactly where you?" Haymitch asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I was.. out. Just for a walk." A little white lie wouldn't hurt anyone.

"Well, come on. The Games are starting soon."

Neither Katniss or Peeta really spoke on the way to the hovercrafts to take them to the arena. Just listened to Haymitch give them last-minute advice. Peeta made sure to sit next to Cato on the craft, holding out his arm for his tracker. The Career found his hand as they sat there, holding tightly to assure him that he'd be fine.

They were taken to the rooms under the Cornucopia for last minute preps. Peeta took a deep breath as he stood in the tube, slowly rising up into the bright light of the arena. It looked nice. Woodsy area, a bit like the area cut off by the electric fence that Gale and Katniss hunt in. In front of them stood the Cornucopia, filled with supplies and weapons of all kinds.

Peeta saw Cato standing on his own plate not that far from him and he nodded a bit, licking his lips nervously.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Seneca's voice rang out in every District, the Capitol, and the arena. "Let the seventy-fourth Hunger Games begin!"

~.**.~

So.. the Games have started..