Chapter 6

Previously on The Hunger:

Considering the fact that he was supposed to end the night high with blood lust and the satisfaction of murder, Cato feels hollow inside. He's done the one thing he never wanted to; he's fallen in love.

With a man he'll now have to kill.

-x-x-x-x-

The smell assaults him first. Peeta's nose is clogged with smoke, drowning him with instinctive emotions of panic and fear. He finds himself reaching out beside him where he knows Cato should be. His arms freeze when they find no resistance in the sleeping bag, no body where Cato should be. A whimper rips from his lips and his eyes tear open, fear scratching into each and every nerve he has.

Light dances into his eyes, blinding him momentarily. He blinks quickly, sitting up as fast as he can. His fingers curl around the dagger that Cato gave him the day before, tightening on the hilt on the knife. His eyes blink more rapidly and soon enough shapes begin to emerge. He can still smell the fire, but he can't see it. His heart thuds painfully in his throat, and if he was looking at himself he'd think he was on crack.

A painfully high giggle dances into his ears, causing him to wince and turn. His eyes fall on Glimmer, who's watching him with amusement in her eyes. She's beautiful, there's no denying that. Even after sleeping on the floor all night and running almost the entire day before, her hair still falls into flawless curls to her waist. The sun dances on her skin in a golden glow, making her appear radiant. Even the blocky outfit that the Capitol gave them makes her look like a model, somehow hugging curves at her hips and chest where they just flatten everyone else. But when Peeta drags his eyes to look into hers, he sees who she truly is. Even from his ten foot distance from her he sees the ice in her gaze, the menace in her crystal eyes. Peeta doesn't let the crystal fool him; he knows the girl isn't fragile. He's hated her since the moment he first saw her, but he can't deny the fear that he feels when he looks her in the eye either.

"Good mooooorning." She over-enunciates, a slow smirk growing playfully at her lips. Her expression reminds Peeta of a cat with a mouse's tail caught between its claws, toying with the animal moments before it ends its life. Peeta represses a shudder as he glances around. He sees Clove at the other end of the clearing, rolling up her sleeping bag and barking orders at an annoyed-looking Marvel. So she's not a morning person, Peeta thinks absently, shrugging internally. He's not surprised.

He glances around the clearing once more, seeing the girl from 4 eating a small breakfast and the boy from 3 trying desperately to impress Clove by packing up his own sleeping bag in record timing. A small frown takes its place at Peeta's lips as he turns back to Glimmer.

"Where's Cato?" He asks, wincing at the desperation in his voice. Her eyes narrow on him and she bares her teeth in a snarl. Obviously she's more protective of the blonde than Peeta had assumed.

"He's scouting the area, checking quickly that no one's in the proximity before we set off. Now pack up your bag, Cato's too. We don't want anyone taking them while we're out." Glimmer reaches down to grab her bow, counting the arrows with smugness embracing her features. Peeta sighs, accepting that Glimmer just does not want to talk to him. He knows that most of the Careers don't want him around. Actually, he knows that all of the Careers don't want him around. He's pretty sure they're using him to find Katniss, but he doesn't mind. If it means keeping her safe from them he'll do whatever it takes.

At least that's what he used to think. He used to think that he needed Katniss like he needed air; that her life meant more than he could ever comprehend. But after his chat with Cato last night he wasn't so sure. When was the last time he had ever even spoken to Katniss, apart from their time at the Capitol? Who was she really? He had to force awkward conversation with her and all he knew was that she's good with an arrow and is a pretty amazing singer. Katniss was the only girl he ever had feelings for, but now that he comes to think of it, he's not sure why. Who is Katniss Everdeen? And why should he even care?

A frown etches into his lips as he thinks this over. The girl who he had risked his life over, the girl he had murdered for, did he really love her? Hell, did he even like her? He had known Cato for, what, a bit over a week, and already he knew more about him than he'd ever know about Katniss. Already he felt closer to Cato than he could ever see himself becoming with Katniss. The realisation that this girl he's fantasised over almost his entire life is just that, a fantasy, hits him hard. He nearly drops his sleeping bag that he's rolling up, his head reeling with shock.

Well, that's… confronting, he thinks, shock taking his breath away. What does he do now? What is there to do when your whole life's purpose is taken away from you in the blink of an eye. Looking up slowly he sees Cato walk into the clearing, and he can't help but drink in everything about the boy. The way he moves with an arrogant swagger in such a way that shows off his 'V' shaped body. His sharp hips dance, almost as if she has his own sound track continuously playing, and his upper arm muscles flex without him even realising it. Despite getting four hours, tops, sleep the night before, his face is sculpted stunningly, as if an angel did it themself. His stoic chin sticks out as he walks, keeping his head held high as he joins the rest of the group.

Peeta can't help but notice the accelerated speed in which his pulse now goes just by seeing the other boy. The soft wind pushes back Cato's stylishly tousled locks making him seem more like a model than a killer. It's not until he gasps in that Peeta realises he's been holding his breath.

A flash brings him back to the night of the interviews, his memories from that night causing him to flush uncontrollably. There's a warm hole in his stomach making him feel nearly nauseated as he tries to push the memories, his fantasies, away. Cato's hair stuck to his forehead, slick with sweat; the outline of his bare chest, smoothing down into a sharp 'V' before ducking into his sweet sex A wave of lust rolls over Peeta's body, causing the boy to shiver uncontrollably, despite the heat that he feels tumbling over him in flares.

No one's ever made him feel the way Cato does. No one's ever made him feel so confused or so disoriented. It's not like he's homophobic, but he's never seen himself as gay. He's never given much thought to sexuality, to be honest. His feelings for Katniss had always been so strong that he didn't think he needed to. What if Katniss had been a subconscious mask, shielding himself from this realisation? Come to think of it, he's never really been all that attracted to girls. Not even Katniss, who he had thought about every day of his life.

This second shock leaves him even more confused than he was to begin with. The boy scratches at his head, his brow creasing in frustration. He's not sure what it is, this place maybe, or possibly Cato, but it's changing him. He's losing sense of the person who he is. Or maybe it was just the person who he thought he was. Really, who is Peeta Mellark? He's the baker's son, a quiet boy who keeps to himself. He doesn't have many friends, despite the fact that he's extremely friendly to everyone he meets. Is he gay? Is her dark?

Is he falling for the most dangerous tribute in the Game?

Peeta feels his head swimming as he tries desperately to bring himself back to earth. In seconds he finds himself kneeling in the middle of the meadow, his fingers still curled around his half rolled sleeping bag. His breath comes in jagged gasps as he looks around him. The first thing he notices is two sets of eyes on him, causing his skin to crawl.

The first pair belongs to Cato. Peeta swallows back his new knowledge and forces himself not to blush. He will not let Cato know what he was just thinking. Cato would kill him in a second if he knew the way he made him feel. If he knew that Peeta thought there was a connection between them. He'd seem like a crazy stalker, like those girls who go to the Seem to find 'love potions'. He isn't sure what he's going to do now that he doesn't have any reason, now that he's not in the Careers just to save Katniss, but he does know that joining the Careers is a permanent thing. There's no way of getting out until everyone else is dead, there's no way of getting out. Peeta's stuck with the Careers until one of two things happen: a. Someone kills him or b. Everybody else dies.

He can just feel the optimism.

So no matter what, even if he decided that he wants to leave, he'd have to stay. Which means he's just going to have to mask his feelings for Cato until… well, he's going to have to mask his feelings. No one can ever know how he feels, and even if he dies in this place, he still can't tell anyone.

He looks at Cato, surprised to see concern in his gaze. Well, that explains the second pair of eyes. Glimmer is glaring at him with a look of blazing hatred. He's surprised that the girl doesn't light up in flames right then and there. It's almost amusing to see the super-model-like girl with such an ugly look of jealousy and hatred on her face. Well, it would be if it wasn't directed at him.

"Are you okay, Peeta?" He hears a familiar voice ask. Shock rocks through him as he turns to look at Cato. He tries to keep his eyes from popping right out of his skull, but he's pretty sure it isn't working. Cato is worried about him, something that he didn't think was possible. Sure, he knows that Cato isn't who he pretends to be. But he never in a million years thought that he might show the person he really is to the rest of the world.

"Uh, fine." He replies, blinking the shock from his eyes. He notices that Clove has turned to face him, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes narrowed on him. He swallows, rolling his shoulders back under the pressure of their gazes. "It's just… the smoke. It's getting to me." He frowns, glancing up. "Why is there smoke anyway?"

Cato turns his head, peering out into the horizon. The whole meadow is encircled by trees, and it seems those trees never end. Along the edge of the trees furthest back to the north smoke billows up. The smoke is steadily dancing towards them, spreading wider as it does so. A slow smirk crawls onto Cato's lips, hunger flaring his expression.

"They're flooding someone out. Come on kids, it's time for a party trick." And instantly, the sensitivity that Peeta had seen just seconds earlier is gone. Peeta feels a sharp pang in his chest; missing the moment that Cato showed he's more than what everyone thinks he is. But if it keeps Glimmer and Clove's glares away from him, he sees it as a worthy sacrifice.

Peeta watches as the faces of his fellow tributes are lit up with crazed glee, the blood lust of death sinking into their expressions. Peeta feels his stomach flop with nausea, but he drags his own manic grin to his face anyway. It's not too hard. Underneath everyone there's a bit of a monster, a wicked taste that would be easy to give into. Being amongst the Careers, Peeta's monster is closer to the surface than he normally would like, but it is convenient in times like this. At these times he has to bring the monster to the surface, he has to let it become him. Because the only way he's ever going to fool the other Careers is if he becomes one of them.

"Finish packing up. We follow the smoke in five minutes." Cato murmurs, a soft sound, but everyone in the clearing hears it. Peeta finishes wrapping up his own sleeping bag and does the same to Cato's before packing them both into one of their backpacks.

"What about the stock, Boss?" Clove pipes up, her eyebrows mashed together in the middle of her face. Peeta only then realises that she really is quite an ugly creature. Maybe if she stopped looking so God damned grumpy all of the time she'd almost be pretty, but it seems as if the girl doesn't know how to.

Cato turns around, looking around the clearing as he considers her words.

"Marvel will stay with it tonight. We'll kill whoever the Game Makers are trying to flood out tonight, and then be back by tomorrow morning. Now let's move it." Cato takes one of the backpacks with supplies for the night in it and hikes it over his shoulders. Without waiting to see if everyone else is ready or not, he begins the trek to the fire.

The rest of the Careers, apart from a grumpy looking Marvel, scramble to get the rest of their stuff together before jogging after Cato. Peeta's at the back of the line with a hefty pack hiked high onto his back. He doesn't like being at the back, where anyone could be creeping behind him. But he guesses it's better than being behind Glimmer, where the blonde could shoot him in the back at any given moment.

They walk for a long time until they hear the tell-tale crackle of fire dying down. A murmur of anticipation tumbles through the group as their speed picks up rapidly. Peeta feels a faint nervousness spread through him. What if it's Katniss? Even if he isn't in love with her, she's still from his district. It's not like he can just stand back and watch the Careers kill her. What would the people at home think? He imagines Prim, her child-like face crumpling as she watches her sister fall to the ground, blood pooling around her. Or worse, what if she has to see the Careers torturing Katniss? Because Peeta knows how much his alliance hates the girl from his district. He knows that they wouldn't let her death be merciful.

The Careers are at a downright sprint when they cross by a small lake. Peeta's ears prick when he hears splashing. His head turns to see it, but he's too late. The rest of the Careers have already seen it: Katniss, in the lake.

Peeta feels his heart lurch into her chest, his eyes widening involuntarily. He absently hears Cato whistling, sees Glimmer and Clove sprint right into the way like over excited puppies. He can see the twistedly manic glee on Cato's beautiful face as he chases after them, but he's lost the ability to feel anything. Katniss was in the fire, it was Katniss they spent the last hour hunting. It was Katniss who was going to die. All of district 12 is going to watch him be a part of Katniss' death just days after confessing his love for her.

Bile rises in the back of Peeta's throat, but he moves his legs anyway. He has to. He has to stay with the Careers now, no matter what. Nothing else is really important. Maybe if he stays with them he can let Katniss' death be as merciful as possible. Maybe then he can justify his participation.

Peeta pushes his legs a bit harder, frustrated by the resistance of the lake's water, but he rushes through as fast as he can. Once he makes it out of the lake it isn't hard to follow their track. His fellow Careers and Katniss weren't exactly being stealthy as they sprinted through the growth, leaving a clear track. Peeta soon hears cat calls and the whistle of a bow shooting through the air. Hearing this makes him run harder until he almost collides into Cato's back. Panting slightly, he glances at the Careers, noticing that they're all looking into a tree. He follows their gaze to find Katniss, her leg ripped and burnt, but otherwise safe. She's holding on to that tree for dear life, Peeta can see that even from his distance, but she's high enough up that none of the Careers would be able to follow her.

Apparently though, need clouds Cato's judgment. He turns around and thrusts his sword into Peeta's hands, not even thinking for a second that maybe he shouldn't be trusting him, before walking over to the tree.

"You go Cato!" Peeta hears Glimmer call, amongst other things. The boy is still feeling faintly dead on the inside, but his eyes stay locked on Cato as he steadily makes his way up the tree. Peeta can't help but be surprised at Cato's still. He wouldn't have thought that someone so big would be able to climb even half of what he manages. But still, only a third as high as Katniss has gotten, Cato falls to the ground, landing with a painful 'thump' and a groan. Peeta winces in sympathy before crouching down and extending a helping hand. Cato's eyes fall on Peeta's outstretched hand, scepticism clear in his expression for a moment before taking the hand and allowing Peeta to help him up.

Electricity sets fire to every nerve in Peeta's body for the duration of their touch, sending goose bumps all up his arms and neck. He hopes that no one sees, and is suddenly glad that they're all so focused on Katniss. Cato only watches him for all of two seconds before turning his attention back to the girl in the tree.

It's only then that Peeta realises Glimmer has been trying to shoot Katniss out of the tree. Well, that explains the sound of bows earlier. He isn't too surprised when Glimmer misses not once but twice, and a twisted satisfaction nestles into his stomach. He's glad to see something that the blonde can't do.

Cato growls in Peeta's ear, still dangerously close after being helped up. Peeta's can't help the goose bumps that pepper his skin in reaction to the sound. Lust attacks him before he can push it away, making him bite down on his tongue hard enough to draw blood. So not the time.

The reason for Cato's growl turns out to be frustration, which is shown when he grabs the silver bow from Glimmer viciously.

"Let me do it." He spits, pure wrath in his voice. Peeta can't help the slight amount of confusion. Sure, he knows how much Cato hates Katniss and he knows that he sees her as competition, but that doesn't explain just how much he hates her. It doesn't explain the pure wrath and anger that he shows after two attempts on her life fail. What could make anyone hate someone else that much? Especially when Katniss has never done anything to Cato?

Cato aggressively takes one of Glimmer's arrows from her carrier on her back before setting it up with the arrow. His hard fingers move professionally, proving that he's quite the expert with a bow and arrow. He aims high in the tree before letting go of the arrow, letting it whistle through the wind. It gets much closer to the mark than Glimmer's shots did, but it's still not enough. This alone is the decider for Peeta. If Cato can't shoot her down then no one will be able to; it's not worth wasting the arrows.

"Maybe you should throw the sword!" Katniss baits, trying to put up a strong front. But Peeta, who knows her a little bit better than the other Careers, can hear the nerves and uncertainty in her voice. Her feeble attempt at baiting turns out to be enough for Cato though, who growls and tries to shoot another arrow, missing narrowly.

"Let's just wait her out." Peeta calls, reaching forward to rest a daring hand on Cato's shoulder. The taller blonde turns to Peeta with an arched eyebrow, as if he doesn't understand. He can hear Glimmer hissing under her breath, a sound like hearing nails on a chalkboard.

"She has to come down sometime." He adds, fighting the battle with his words. He watches the stages of Cato's expression, from the scepticism between his eyebrows to the acceptance in his endless-ocean eyes.

"You heard him." He murmurs, dropping the bow and arrow to his side, letting his arms go limp. There's a moment of indecision that ripples through the Career pack, before Cato sits down defiantly, letting his backpack drop to the floor behind him. Two seconds later, the rest of the pack are on the ground in a circle, waiting for the Girl on Fire.

They wait for three long, boring hours, until they hear the national anthem of Panem lacing through the air. Peeta glances into the sky, knowing what to expect. The face of the boy from district 10 fills the sky, showing the fallen. A soft buzzing fills Peeta's ears, rippling his eyebrows with slight confusion. Something dribbles down on the Careers, almost like saw dust, and in the very back of his mind he hears a soft choke of pain.

Peeta looks up to where Katniss is in the tree, realising what's going on a moment too soon.

Peeta's eyes widen as he sees the tracker jacker nest falling down on them, exploding in the middle of their circle into a swarm of pissed bugs. Everything gets a bit confusing after that. Pain shocks him, dancing along his arms and legs as he jumps up, trying to run away. Screams fill his ears, but he's not sure who they belong to. Arms fling everywhere, desperately trying to keep the wasp-like creatures away from them.

Peeta has never seen a tracker jacker before, but his father told him all about them when he was very young. He hadn't understood much then, but he had known he never wanted to get stung by a tracker jacker. Oh, how right he was. His skin is on fire, venom dripping through his system, setting him on fire internally. Pain distorts his vision and the entire world waves around him. His ears feel like they're going to explode with the sounds of the Careers screams. Distantly he sees two bodies on the floor, stings the size of plums sticking out from their bodies with green puss oozing from their skin.

A hand finds his own and before he knows who it belongs to, they're running. The forest zooms by him in a shock of green and brown, blurring by him in a kaleidoscope of panic. There aren't so many screams now, but the one that's left is jagged and sharp, as if the screamer has swallowed a milkshake of broken glass. His own throat burns and he can taste blood. He must have been screaming, although he can't remember it.

He stumbles often as he runs, but the mystery hand pulls him up every time. He knows that he should find out who it is that saved him, but he can't seem to focus on one thing for too long. Plus, he can't trust anything he sees in this state. Peeta's last scrap of common sense reminds him of that, remembering that tracker jacker stings often result in hallucinations. Is he hallucinating now? Is he dead, a member of the fallen back beneath Katniss' tree? Does the hand really belong to someone, or is he dreaming?

What can he trust, when his eyes deceive him?

The hand lets go of him and he finds himself falling. A moment of clarity shows him that he's in the clearing by the Cornucopia. A strange giggle laces its way into his throat. It seems like a million years ago that he was last here; was it really just this morning? Everything's different now, he's sure of it, although he doesn't know what's changed.

Dark figures blur his vision and he hears more screaming. No, now it's more like shouting. The more he tries to focus, the more the fire burns him. But he forces his eyes to concentrate on the vague figures. After a few seconds he recognises Clove, splotchy with stings and Cato, fury etched into his features. Their lips are moving and it takes a tremendous effort, but Peeta eventually hears their words.

"…was his fault!" It's Clove screeching, her fingers pointing to Peeta. If he wasn't in so much pain he'd be terrified. "He knew what she was planning! That's exactly why he made us wait, so she could dump those bugs on us! We have to kill him Cato, don't you dare try to deny me that." Her voice lowers slightly as she grabs one of her daggers at her belt. The short girl turns to face Peeta, her eyes dark with rage as she pulls the dagger back, preparing to throw it at him.

"No!" The single word roars through the clearing tremendously, shaking Peeta to his very bones. He can hardly stay connected to reality. In the corner of his eye his brothers stand in the clearing, watching him with blank faces. Their eyes are hollowed out, gone, and their lips twist into bitter smiles as they await his smile.

"You deserve this." The oldest hisses. Peeta's heart rate picks up and he feels like screaming. A slow cackle attacks him from all sides and he twists away from his brothers in time to see the blade pointing at him. By this point, the fire in his veins is bad enough he'll embrace death. He's hopeful for the moment Clove's dagger penetrates his chest, letting blood pool from him. The poison will leave his body and for just a moment there will be no more pain.

But his dreams of a merciful death are shattered as a massive figure leaps for the dagger. There's a screech, and the dagger comes flying towards Peeta, who's crumpled into the ground like a wounded puppy. Agony rips from his thigh, coaxing another scream from his raw and ragged throat. Blood and bile fills his mouth and he finds himself choking on the taste, although nothing comes out.

Peeta's forces his eyes to drag up from the ground. He vaguely sees the dagger shoved into his thigh, sticking out at a painful angle. He notes that Clove is pushed into the ground, mud and dirt creating a blanket over her body. Shock is etched into her ugly features, her eyes looking imprecisely towards Peeta. Confusion dances through his body, until he feels arms cradling him, lifting his near-dead body from the waving ground.

Comfort surrounds him externally, but it isn't enough to end the fire on the inside. His vision is spotted with black and grey, and he knows he'll die soon. He just has seconds left now. In his last moment he looks up to the person holding him. Even in his disoriented state he recognises the sharp lines of Cato's chin.

Cato. Cato stopped her; Cato stopped me.

"If you want to kill him, you'll have to go through me." Cato calls, his words like a hot knife through butter as he calls to the members of the clearing. With that, he turns and starts running. Peeta can feel the world shaking around him, fragile as a leaf. With his weakened arms he clutches to Cato, clutches to life, but he knows it's pointless. He's just glad that the boy will be the last thing he sees.

"Let the Games begin."

And then the world goes black.

-x-x-x-x-

AN: MY GAWD GUIIIIS! I've plotted out the rest of the story! After this there will only be six more chapters (:c) which means we're halfway now. Good news though, I've also planned that there's going to be a sequel (review if you want to know what it'll be called!) so if, at the twelfth chapter you feel disappointed by the ending (which, if you like this story, you probably will be) don't worry, the show shall go on.

But, oh my God, I'm so excited. I've never planned out a story like this and I just can't wait to see it finished! Keep reviewing because I love you all

Also I'm sorry for leaving this on a cliff hanger! I didn't know how else to end it. Even as it is I don't like it.

But wow. 4,710 words in this chapter. Might not be that long to some people but it's by far my longest chapter. I hope you love it. Keep reviewing! The more you review the faster the next chapter comes up!

PS: I started out this story thinking it would be completely smothered with smut. Turns out there's only one smut chapter (so long as you don't count the first chapter). But there will be lots more in the sequel