One more tribute: That's all that stands between Noah and getting weapons. After one more tribute dies, then they will probably have a feast at the cornucopia. Instead of a feast with food, it will be a weapons feast. I already know it's going to be a like a second bloodbath, but Noah is smart, quick, and strong. He can really win this thing. We watch intently at the screen. Haymitch, Effie, and I are on the edge of our seats. Effie woke us up this morning at 3:45 because things started to get intense. We all gathered in the seating area, and haven't left since. Noah has mastered a strategy of following the Careers wherever they go. He stays pretty far behind, but he always has an eye on them. They go deeper in the palm trees where they stumble upon a makeshift hut.

"This is it," I exhale.

I can almost feel all of us take a gulp of air and hold it in. Faster than lightening they pounce onto the tribute from Ten. After a few minutes of violent beating the canon fires.

"Well done tributes," Claudius Templesmith announces, "you have the night to rest, for in the morning there will be a feast at the cornucopia; a feast of which you will not want to miss. May the odds be ever in your favor."

And then the voice is gone. At that moment we all let out a deep breath. Effie smiles and turns to us,

"We may actually have another victor this year!"

Haymitch and I don't smile back. We don't want to think like that. Both of us couldn't handle the disappointment if he loses. Our hope and expectations are kept low. I don't want to ruin it for Effie, though.

"Yeah, maybe, Eff," I grin.

With that, I make my way to the training center. The longer I think about it the more the excitement of Noah still being alive bubbles up inside of me. I'm almost overflowing with joy when I get to the door. I thrust it open and spot Cato. I guess he can see it on my face how happy I am.

"Look at you, fire girl," he smiles.

Without thinking, I run up to him and throw my arms around his neck. He wraps his muscular arms around the small of my back and holds me tightly. Since he's so much taller than me, my feet dangle in the air. Slowly he puts my feet back on the ground, but still holds me close to him. I put my head on his chest and cross my arms behind his back.

"Noah could actually do this, Cato," I say still with my head buried in his chest.

He doesn't say anything at first, but instead puts his hand on my head and strokes my hair. After a few moments he decides to speak.

"Listen, Katniss, you have to be prepared for if he doesn't make it"

I pull away from him, but he pulls me back in.

"No. Don't do that. Don't get mad. Just listen. I know how the Career tributes work, I was one of them; they will stick together until the very last second when they have to turn on each other. It's three to one. The odds aren't in Noah's favor."

I know this is true and I know what I said before, but I don't want to accept it. I don't want to face the fact that Noah's chances of surviving the Careers with weapons are slim. So I push myself away from Cato.

"You have no idea what you're talking about! He's gotten this far, and he can do it!"

I can my blood turning hot.

"I'm just trying to help, Katniss!"

He isn't trying to help. He's telling me that Noah is probably going to die. He doesn't know anything. I know Noah can do it.

"You have one helluva way of showing it!"

My voice is now straining. I know I'm yelling, but I can't bring my voice down. My heartbeat grows fast.

"You're acting like a child. Why can't you just accept that I'm not the bad guy here?"

I can't stand to be around him anymore. So without another word I turn to leave, and of course, he follows. When I get to the door, he grabs my shoulder and spins me around. My back is now against the cold metal of the door. I stand there panting, looking at the red face of Cato.

"Let me-"

I can't even finish because his lips are on mine. He presses himself against me. I try to squirm away but his legs are holding mine tightly together, and his hands are around my wrists, which he is pressing against the door. So instead of fighting it, I give in. I close my eyes and let him kiss me. When he pulls away, he is breathing heavily.

"Stop trying to with fight me."

He says this with complete seriousness in his voice. I hang my head in shame, but he doesn't let me. He lifts my chin with his finger, so I'm looking into his eyes.

"Next time you do, I will have to shut you up again," he winks.

Then he backs off me. The door is now warm because of my body heat.

"You can either go, or you can teach me how to shoot some more."

As he's walking over to the weapons station, I realize that there is no reason I should be mad at him. I know he was just trying to prepare me. What I don't know is how a kiss got me to settle down. I think winning the Games and the Capitol might be changing me. If that had happened before the Games, I would have punched him and left him on the ground bloody. This worries me, but instead of giving into my worry I pick up the bow and place it in Cato's hands. He smirks at me then nocks the bow.

For a while, we stay silent. I don't think he's looking for me to say anything, but I feel like I should. I almost think that Cato can read my mind, because right when I start to panic about what to say he turns to me.

"Look, it's almost time for us to go and I don't like how today turned out."

I nod. Today didn't go very well.

"Meet me on the roof at nine."

He doesn't ask, he more so tells. We walk out together and he takes me up to my floor. Before I get out he speaks again.

"Oh, and dress comfortably."

Then the doors close.

The rest of the day is pretty bland. Since all the tributes are just eating and resting, there isn't much to watch. Haymitch and I play a card game, which he turns into a drinking game for himself. A little later, Effie tells me that Cinna has sent more clothes up for me. Instead of going through the clothes like I'm supposed to, I lay on the bed. My life has changed so much since the Games. Before, all I did was hunt because I needed to support Prim and my mom. Now, my earnings from winning take care of them. I used to hang out with Gale everyday, now I only see him once a week in the woods. I know that he has to be in the mines to support his family but I can't help but be selfish and want him to spend more time with him. He's like a brother to me and I really miss seeing him everyday. And all this time away from my district and Prim is taking a toll on me. I want to be there every night to make sure she goes to sleep safely, and I want to be there for her every time she has a nightmare.

"Katniss! Have you even looked at one piece of clothing?"

Effie's piercing voice snaps me out of it. I shake my head then get off the bed and start going over every item of clothing, putting ones I like in a pile and things I don't like in another. This takes much more time than I anticipated, because when I look at the clock it says 8:50. Quickly, I put on a pair of tight stretchy pants and a tank top. On my way out Effie hollers behind me, but I ignore it.

I arrive at the roof and look around to find Cato. I can't see him so I sit down and wait. Within a few minutes Cato emerges from the garden area wearing grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt. If it were up to me, I'd dress him in this everyday. It looks better than any suite his prep team dresses him in. He nods his head and I get up and follow him. I gasp as I see what he's done. There's a huge blanket laid out in the grass. On the blanket there's all kinds of food with two candles in the middle. I look to Cato with a confused, surprised look on my face.

"Don't tell anyone I'm nice."

"Cato, what is this for?"

"I told you, I didn't like how earlier today went."

All I can do is laugh because if he didn't like how today went all he had to do was sit and talk to me.

"This will be our little secret," he says as he flashes a smile at me.

He motions for me to sit down, and I oblige. I'm so hungry, that I head straight for the food. After eating, we lay back. You wouldn't expect it, but you can see so many stars in the Capitol. It reminds me of home. We stay on the roof until we hear the Capitol citizen's voices all but become silent. As we walk back to the elevator he takes my hand in his. Before the doors open to my floor he kisses my forehead.

"Thank you for tonight," I say through a smile.

I fall asleep fast, and don't have a single dream.

i wanted more cato/katniss unf- so i made some! although, i feel like i'm losing sight of who cato is, so i think i'm gonna find a way to go back to his "bloody, brutal, cato" ways. let me know what you think! review bitches.