The moment my sister gets home, a fight has started. This is the best way to introduce my family to my.. boyfriend? They most likely already know how aggressive he is, and this would not make his situation and impression on them any better than it probably was before.

I jumped up and ran in-between the two. Cato was not afraid to hit a girl, and I was sure he wasn't going to make an exception because this one was my sister.

I threw my hands up in front of Cato as he (literally) growled and lunged at Katniss. I couldn't let them battle it out over me, which I was sure this was about. I was always Katniss', and now I'm Cato's.

"Katniss, please don't," I pleaded while trying to keep Cato away from him.

"Why?!" she yelled. "He took advantage of you!"

"I didn't fucking take advantage of anyone! It was her choice!" Cato yelled back at her. His face was red; he was fuming already. That crazy look in his eyes was there.. just like it was in the Games.. oh no.

Katniss tried to punch him again, but Mother got in the middle of us so that I wouldn't have to try to hold both of these monsters in control. It was already hard enough trying to keep Cato calm since he was twice my size. Plus, he was five times stronger than me.

"You didn't give her a choice!" Katniss yelled back, struggling under Mother's grip. "Mom, let me go!"

"Rose, let me go!" Cato yelled, trying to push himself toward my sister.

"Cato, no. Calm down, please!"

"No, just give me one fucking sec-"

I shoved Cato as hard as I could up the stairs and to my room, interrupting him from finishing his sentence. First, he shouldn't be swearing in front of my Mother. Now was not the time for a fight. This was my first time being home. I didn't want to start it off on a bad note. I wanted to talk to my family, see how things were going, not leave early because Katniss and Cato couldn't maintain their tempers.

Cato kept his angry eyes trained on Katniss until we made it to the room and the door was closed. He paced back and forth across the room, rubbing his hands along his face and through his hair as if that would help him in any way.

"Cato, what was that about?"

Cato stares at me, bewildered. "What the fuck do you mean? She started the whole thing!" he yelled, swearing at me.

"Stop swearing, please?"

"I can say whatever the fuck I want."

That was a lost cause.. I shook my head and sighed, placing my hands on my hips. "You didn't have to react that way," I tried to reason, even though it was technically her fault. But, she is my sister, and I expect that she went through a great deal of pain that she couldn't handle.

"So I'm supposed to let an uptight bitch do what she wants and keep a smile on my face?" he shouts at me again.

"Don't call her that! I know she shouldn't have hit you, but you could at least be reasonable. Think of what she's been through since I left," I told him, hoping it would put some sense into his impaired logic.

Cato rolls his eyes and sighs. "Did you think about what we went through? Who cares about how she feels." He hisses and grabs his jaw, which was beginning to bruise. Katniss hit him, and she hit him hard.

He must be so furious that she actually got away with that.

I walked up to him and touched his jaw, causing him to jerk away from the pain. "Sit down. Let me take care of your jaw."

Cato shook his head, cupping his cheek in his hand. "It's fine," he mumbled, turning away from me. I could tell he was both angry at me for siding with Katniss and angry at the fact that she was able to actually hurt him. I don't think anyone's been able to hurt him before.

"Cato, please," I pouted. Cato looked away again and sighed, hopefully in defeat.

"Fine," he muttered, finally looking at me.

I smiled and turned away, going to the door to find the bathroom and a first aid kit. I walked past Katniss' room and heard her speaking with Mother. Maybe now would be the time for me to talk to her alone.

I slowly walked to her door and knocked before twisting the knob and pushing the door open slowly.

I peeked my head in and saw the two women on the bed. I silently walked in, watching the two hesitantly.

Mother stood up and wiped her hands on her apron. "I'll give you two a moment alone."

She walked out of the room, closing it slowly behind her, leaving me standing in the room with Katniss.

Katniss didn't say anything as I sat next to her on the bed. She stared at the floor, waiting for me say something.

"Katniss, I'm sorry," I apologised, hoping it would ease some tension. I knew deep down inside that it wouldn't, though, since Katniss was a very stubborn person.

Katniss sighed and looked at me. "Why would you let him do that to you?" she asked weakly.

"Do what?" I asked. I had no clue what she meant. Cato had never done anything to me, not that I knew of.

"Take advantage of you? Strip you of having any choices?"

I shook my head. "He didn't do those things to me, Katniss. I was the one that chose to stick with him."

"He didn't give you the opportunity I choose, Prim. I know how guys like him are."

"Cato saved me."

"No, he didn't. He's hurting you."

I nodded, watching as her eyes welled with tears. How could something so simple as this make her so emotional? I never see Katniss cry. "He did. He never forced me to do anything that I didn't want. And he always made sure I was okay."

It was true. No matter what, even if he was angry with me, or whatever it was, he always made sure I was taken care of before anyone else, even himself. It felt good to have someone care for me so much.

"I just don't understand. The old you would never be with someone like that. The old Prim stayed away from people like him," Katniss almost whispered. It was as if she was speaking to herself more than she was actually speaking to me.

I took her hand, squeezing it tight. "That's the point. I'm not the old me anymore. Not after the Games," I told her honestly. It was apparent that as soon as I got on the train at the reaping, I would not be the same person anymore.

Cherche was the one that told me I would have to accept that. Cherche, the girl that betrayed me..

"I know," Katniss whimpered, letting her tears finally break free. "It wasn't supposed to be you, Prim. It was suppose to be me that changed. You were the one that was supposed to stay pure." She wiped her eyes, trying to stop them, but they continued anyway.

My heart crumbled. I understood now why she was so hurt about the whole situation. She felt guilty for allowing me to leave on that train all those days ago. Katniss was guilty for not protecting me like she promised all those years ago to our dead father. If she would have went, there would be no Cato and I would be the same small girl that I used to be.. completely oblivious to the extent of the world around me. I would only know District 12.

"But I wouldn't be the way I am, stronger and better, if it weren't for you," I admitted. "I wouldn't even know what true love was if it wasn't for you."

Katniss letting me leave helped me find Cato, someone that I am most grateful for. He makes me happy, at least happier than I was before.

Katniss shakes her head, obviously not believing a word I said.

"Trust me Katniss. Because of you, I'm happier."

Her eyes widened and she looked up at me, surprised that I said that.

"Really?"

I nod. "I'm happy."

"Because of him?"

"Yes."

Katniss hesitates, wiping her running nose and eyes. "That's all I ever wanted."

I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close and trying to reassure her that I was okay. I couldn't really say much, or at least more than I already had.

I took my arms away from her and stood silently. I needed to go back to Cato, who was most likely still waiting for me to take care of his jaw.

I walked out quickly, rushing to the bathroom to get the kit. I returned to my room, where Cato was still sitting on the bed, his leg shaking in anger.

"Where the hell were you?" he almost shouted.

I sat down next to him and shook my head. "Calm down. I was talking to Katniss."

"You were gone for almost forty minutes!" Geez, I was really gone for that long. It didn't seem like it.. we really weren't talking for what I thought was at least fifteen minutes.

"Cato, I'm sorry. I didn't know that I was gone for that long."

Cato rolls his eyes. "Whatever. Just hurry up."

I began working in his jaw, trying not to say anything about him being so angry with me.

"You shouldn't be angry with me. She's my sister. I'm going to take her side no matter what."

"You think I give a shit about that? It doesn't matter," Cato snapped.

"But-"

"Just shut up and finish your job."

"I'm sorry."

His leg was shaking again. What on earth could he be so bothered by? I did nothing wrong, and he of all people should know that family comes before anything else. The only reason he would be angry about this was if he was..

"Cato, are you jealous of Katniss?" I ask with a smirk. I knew asking him that would make him upset, but it was funny.

Cato scoffed and pushed my hands away, turning his head to stare at the window.

He was definitely jealous..

"No, why would I be jealous of your stupid sister?" he asks, mostly sarcastically.

"You are!" I shout, keeping in my laughter. Cato was seriously embarrassed about this. Was it that he wanted all of my attention and being here would take that away from him? He should know that he has me forever from now on, whether we want it that way or not. The Capitol will make sure of it.

"No, stop," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

I smile and pull his hand away, trying to get him to look at me. "It's okay to be jealous."

Cato sighs and shakes his head. "I shouldn't have to feel this way. You're supposed to be all mine and all that good shit," he admits. "Why do I have to compete with your sister?"

I shook my head as he finally looked me in the eyes. "You don't have to compete with her. I'm yours, and I'll probably always be yours."

"Probably?"

I smiled and almost laughed again. "Well, you are pretty crazy. I don't know if I'd be able to handle it," I told him with a smirk.

Cato laughed. "Okay. We'll see."

"You don't have to worry about anything. You've got me."

Cato nods. "I know," he sighs.

"Well, why were you acting that way?" I ask.

He shrugs, and I can tell he doesn't want me to know what was going through his mind. But, I bet he also knew that I wasn't going to stop asking either.

"Because I know you love her more than me."

"Yes, I do."

"Right.. but I want to be your number one."

"You are," I start, "just in other ways."

After I finish tending to Cato's cheek, I begin packing everything up to put them away. The conversation sort of went away, and I didn't really know what more we could possibly talk about. Cato gets too defensive when I ask about his family, so I wasn't going to try that, especially when he was already a little upset.

I was just returning from the bathroom to my room, where Cato was still sitting on the bed with his head propped on his hands. He watched me closely as if trying to find the answer to some unknown question.

"What?" I ask. Something was wrong with him, especially if he was being quiet.

"Why haven't you said that you loved me yet?"

My breath catches and I choke on air. "What do you mean?" I ask weakly. I knew, though, what he meant. I haven't admitted what I had at the victor's interview to him at all, and he's already said it more than once.

"Why haven't you said it yet?" he repeats, watching me with a frown.

"How come this just came up so randomly?" I ask in an attempt to forget about the answer he wanted from me.

"I don't know. I just noticed."

I sigh and plop down on the bed, hoping my mother would miraculously call for dinner so that I wouldn't have to answer his question.

I was too scared to admit it to his face because I guess I was still paranoid about this whole relationship. I knew what I felt, and I guess I knew what he felt, but I sometimes can't help but think about how many times his words have hurt me and how he may hurt me in the future. I don't want to throw myself out there, only to get dumped and be embarrassed of myself. I know that Cato says he feels one way, but he's on an emotional roller coaster, so I never know when he's going to snap.

"I don't know," I answer after a while. "I guess I'm just afraid."

"Afraid of me.." he trails of, rubbing his palms against his now reddening face.

I sigh. I've told him time and time again that I was not afraid of him.. I was afraid of what he could do to my heart, yes, but I wasn't afraid of him.

"Cato, no," I tell him once again.

"Then why won't you said it?" he asks. "Did you actually mean it?"

I scoff and move away from him. How dare he accuse me of something like that? I mean every word that I say to him, or anyone really.

"Of course I meant it, Cato! Why would you say that to me?" His comment really hurt my feelings.

"Look, I'm sorry," Cato apologises, "but you not saying it scares me." Why would it scare him? He knows, or I hope he knows, that I wouldn't leave him unless there was a really good reason for it.

He falls back onto the bed and rubs his face again.

"Why?"

"I don't know.. what if you leave?"

I fall back onto the bed next to him and turn my head to face him. "I won't. I've told you that already."

Cato turns to me and pulls me by my hips, bringing me closer. His eyes were closed as he rested his forehead on mine.

"Then say it."

"Cato-"

"Say it, Rose. I want to hear you say it," he pleads, combing his hands through my hair.

"But-"

"Please? I need to hear it."

Please? Oh..

I sigh, trying to get the words to rise out of my throat. It should be simple.. it should be easy for me to say it and mean it wholeheartedly. I do mean it, but I just can't say it.

I need to say it, though. Cato needs it more than anything. He already feels so low, like he doesn't deserve me in any way, and while it should be obvious that I'm still here, he's still insecure.

"Kitten, say it, or I'll know you don't mean it," Cato speaks up.

I just.. I need too..

"I love you," I finally say with as much confidence as I possibly could.

Cato sighs and pulls me in to kiss me. He pulls away, his eyes still closed. "Say it again," he mumbles against my lips.

"I love you." He kisses me again.

"Again."

Cato seemed relieved after I say it maybe twenty times, each time with much more relief and confidence than the last time. Cato smiles every time I say it and kisses me harder than the last.

It makes me smile. I love that I can make him happy with three words, when most of the time, my words make him angry.

Every word that I say, I mean, truly.

"My fucking god, I love you," Cato breathes. "I love you so fucking much, I don't know what to do with it."

I wish he would stop swearing so much, but he was my Cato, and I couldn't change him for anything in this world.

The request has been granted and the chapter is finally done, after two weeks.. I think? Yeah, I'm just so busy, much more than I thought I would be. I have midterms and all this homework.. it's a bad combo.

How are you guys? What's life like? Good.. bad? Talk to me. Sometimes I get so bored, I don't know what to do. Soo, send me a message.

Urr, this was late, but I still want you to vote, comment and share. And thank you so much for reading!

Cheers. 😚 Laters, baby.

Myesha xx