The rain was relentless. Night was just beginning to fall in the arena, the dim light of dusk being lit up by the bright cracks of lighting. The rocks did a decent job of keeping the water out of the cave, with the tiniest stream running down from the mouth. They had fashioned a shelter in the deepest corner of the cave, where the water did not reach. The tarps Cato had taken from the cornucopia seemed to be extremely useful now, keeping them off the cold ground and diverting the water that slipped through the cracks in the ceiling away from them. Katniss had been busy while he was still unconscious, hunting, setting snares, cooking the food, washing their supplies, bandaging his wounds, refilling the canteens, and purifying the water.

They sat now, eating some of her recent catches. He didn't even bother to ask what it was. Recovering from their injuries had made both parties ravenous, and in mere minutes their supplies had dwindled significantly.

"What do you think this rain is for?" Katniss spoke up, placing her now-empty bone down on the growing pile. Cato thought for a moment.

"I really don't know. Maybe they're trying to give us all some time to recover." He shrugged.
That's not the answer and we both know it. They're trapping us with the rain while they plan something.

"Is everyone injured?" She turned her head to him.

"Thresh looks even better than when the games started. Maybe there's some kind of secret resources in that field." He joked.

"You didn't go looking for him? When you were with the others, I mean." Katniss asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Nobody wanted to brave what was in that field. It's strange, did you see it?" He remembered standing on the edge of the tall grass, the wind blowing it in each direction. The eerie noise of the blades shuffling, and the strange creak of the dried grain left a sour taste in his mouth. The others had played off their fear, claimed they didn't want to go for such a big target so soon.

"Only from a distance when we were all on the plates." She opened a package of dried apples, slipping one in her mouth as she spoke.

"I don't know what it is about it. The grass is always moving, and it goes on farther than you can see. It's just… unnerving." He explained to her.

"Well, I guess here's to hoping we don't have to go in and find him." She shrugged, a grim tone in her voice. Cato looked down, the thought of killing Thresh created a lump in his throat.
"What's wrong?" Katniss asked, placing her hand on his arm.

I don't want to kill Thresh. I don't want more blood on my hands, especially that of a man who's hand I just shook mere days ago. I'm sick of the death. I'm sick of the killing. I can't even think about what happened yesterday, watching Clove die. I'm sick of this arena. I want to go home. I want you to be safe, Katniss. I want to be safe.

But of course, I can't say any of that. Not just because it's rebellious and may land us in a conveniently placed pack of mutts or worse… no. I can't say it because I chose this. I chose to be here. It's the price I pay for a chance to see my family again. It's the price I pay for getting the chance to meet you Katniss.

So, instead of answering honestly, he answered with the story of him and Thresh's interaction. "I was fighting Clove at the feast. She pinned me, and she had all of her weight on my bad arm so I couldn't move. I don't know if I would have gotten out of it in time… but then Thresh showed up. Clove was being, you know, her usual self, talking about Rue. Thresh heard her say that they had killed her, and he killed her." His voice was grim as he spoke, replaying the events in his mind. Katniss was fiddling with the lace of her boot, wide eyes trained intently on him. "I think we both thought we were going to fight it out right then and there, but I was injured, and I needed to get you your medicine. Maybe he heard when Clove mentioned that you were sick… I don't know. He asked about Rue, and I told him… all of it. So, he… I don't know, drew a white flag? I'm not sure. But he offered to let me go without a fight, as payment for us taking care of her. He said we were even then, no more owed. And then we both left, I guess I just don't like the idea of having to hunt him down." He finished, wiping the remnants of his meal on his fingers onto his pants.

Katniss was silent for a moment, nodding her head. "I think that's an outer district thing. The owing people. We don't like debts." She answered.

"My mother was like that, is like that." He corrected himself, "She never wanted any hand-outs, even if someone was just trying to be nice."

"Hmmmm, I feel like I would definitely like your mom." Katniss smiled at him.

"I know you would. She'll love you too." He returned her smile, reaching forward to tuck a lock of hair that had fallen from her braid behind her ear. Katniss reached up, grabbing his hand, and intertwining their fingers before placing it in her lap. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, small reassuring circles as she spoke, "I suppose we just have to get out of here so I can meet her then."

"Yes, we do." He answered, trying to maintain positivity. It seemed slightly dire at this point, with all of their competitors seeming to be playing the game well. He would have to rely on his training and will to survive with Katniss in order to get out of here, both reliable sources of determination.

I'm not saying I'm going to like it, but I'm sure as hell going to do it.

"What about Foxface?" Katniss changed the subject.

"Foxface? You mean the girl from 5?" He questioned.

Katniss blushed then, seeming a bit embarrassed, "I've been calling her that in my head. She reminds me of a fox."

The girl was sly, cunning. With her bright red hair and small nose, and the smart thinking she had displayed at the feast…

"You know, she is a lot like a fox now that I think about it." Cato chuckled as he spoke. Katniss returned his laughter, throwing her free hand up, "Right?"

"She is smart as hell. She was hiding in the cornucopia when the table came up, she was the first one there and gone by the time any of us had even thought about moving." Cato responded.

"That's actually a really good plan, why didn't you think of that dumbass?" Katniss shoved him in the arm, a playful tone in her voice.

"You should be grateful I even risked my life to get that antidote you evil little thing. I didn't even get a thank you!" He chided, "You should be saying 'Oh! Thank you, Cato, the wonderful, strong, love of my life, for risking life and limb to get my medicine! Here's a kiss for your troubles!'" He raised his voice to pretend to be her.

Katniss scowled at him, "I do not sound like that. And I'll be dead before I ever say that to you."
"So… you're saying I can't have a kiss for my troubles?" He smirked at her. She rolled her eyes in response, deepening her frown.

"Wow. What happened to the 'owing people' thing?" He raised his eyebrows at her.

Katniss moved then, grabbing his face roughly and planting a kiss on his mouth.

Well, if you can even call it that… she's damn near close to breaking my jaw.

"There. You ass." She scolded him as she pulled away.

"Now that wasn't so hard." He smirked as she looked away from him.

"Yes, it actually was." She scowled at him once more, "I found it revolting."

His smirk widened as he leaned forward, pulling her into his lap, "C'mon little flame, you saw how well this pretending to hate me thing worked out for you earlier. Perhaps you just want to do that again, hmm?" He whispered in her ear; his voice low so the mics didn't catch it once more. Katniss blushed through her scowl, adjusting awkwardly in his lap.

"That's not true. You love me." He teased loudly, pretending as if he had never said his previous comment.

She sighed then, welcoming his distraction, "Unfortunately, yes. I do love you." She replaced her frown with a sly smile, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Anyways, now that we have covered that… I didn't get a good enough look at her to see if she was injured." He answered her original question.

"And that just leaves Peeta." Gone was the playful, happy Katniss from earlier, a grim look on her face and guilt in her voice as she spoke.

Fuck.

"I don't even know where he is." Cato answered honestly.

Katniss wrapped her hands around his neck, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I think he's hurt, I heard- "

"I know. I heard it too." He cut her off. The memory of Peeta's scream of pain echoed in his mind. Remembering reality was unpleasant. He wanted to stay in their little bubble, their little cave, never face the outside world. Unfortunately, if they ever wanted to leave the arena, he would be forced to confront the strange history with Peeta that him and Katniss shared.

"We are probably going to have to find him. He can't be well, not after what we heard." She frowned, looking down at the ground.

"Katniss, it's okay." He attempted to comfort her.

"No, it's not." She answered simply.

She's right. It's not okay. Nothing about this is okay. But it's the only option. I fucking hate it here.

"I'm sorry." He turned his head and placed a kiss on her forehead, a desperate attempt to hide his own anger and comfort her.

"It is what it is… you know?" She frowned.

Yeah, I know.

"Speaking of uncomfortable topics, I have to tell you something." He spoke up.

Better to tell her about Clove's apparent secret love for me now, than have her find out on stage at the recap of the games. Or die without knowing. Or before I die and never get a chance to explain, or… you know what, fuck this. I just better tell her now, so I don't ruin a good mood later.

"Oh boy, I can't wait." She answered flatly. He smiled at her sarcasm for a moment, before taking a breath and beginning his story.

"I don't think I really need to tell you that Clove really hated you." He began.

"Oh really? I thought the poisoned knife in my side was a sign of love. Silly me." Katniss rolled her eyes.

"Alright, smartass. Anyways, I thought it was because you were stealing the spotlight or something from her. All anyone could talk about was you after you volunteered and the tribute parade and the fire and the 11… turns out she was especially pissed about something else." He gritted his teeth as he spoke. Somehow, spilling Clove's secrets seemed wrong, even after she had done it herself in front of the entire country.

"What else did I do?" Katniss furrowed her brows at him.

"Well, it turns out that Clove had some kind of crush on me. She said it was supposed to be her, and that's why she wanted you dead." He rushed as he spoke.

"Oh." Katniss pulled back from him, "I didn't see that coming." She sat with a surprised expression; her eyebrows raised.

"Don't look so surprised!" He joked, poking her in the side.

Katniss rolled her eyes again, "Oh yeah, you're a real catch." She joked.

"You seem to like me, most of the time." He reminded her.

"I do… you just don't really seem like the kind of guy Clove would like." She answered, Cato caught on to her double meaning. Of course, she didn't know that Clove had invented some sick, twisted version of him in her mind that was exactly what Katniss was referencing. "Um, well I take it that her declaration of love didn't really go over well." Katniss finished.

"Not really, considering I was actively in a fist fight with her while she decided to admit that. She went the 'If I can't have you, no one can' route after that and well… you know how it ended." His voice grew somber as he continued.

"It's kind of sad, actually." Katniss frowned.

There you go again with the empathy little flame.

"Yeah. Like you said, it is what it is." He answered. He did feel slightly bad that he had never noticed. He felt bad about being so cruel to her in what eventually became her final moments. But there was no way to change it now.

Maybe, don't admit your undying love while you're in the middle of a fight to the death with someone. That's actually, like, the worst time to do it.

"I'm tired." Katniss yawned against his neck, interrupting his inner monologue, still nestled against him.

He moved then, leaning his back against the cave, and pulling the two sleeping bags they had zipped together by his feet over top of them. He rubbed small circles on her back.

"Go to sleep beautiful, I'll keep watch." He answered.

"We don't need someone to keep watch. We have barely done that then entire time we have been in here, and nobody is coming out in the rain." She told him.

"Better to be safe than sorry." He shrugged. His training echoing in his brain as he refused her.

"Lay with me. Please." She looked up at him, big grey eyes pleading.

That's just not fucking fair. How am I ever supposed to say no to this girl?

He shifted, placing her down on the ground and moving to lay down next to her. He laid his arm out for her to use as a pillow and pulled her back flush against his chest. She nestled into him happily as he wrapped his arms around her. From where he was positioned, he could see the camouflaged mouth of the cave clearly. He kept his eyes open, intently watching the rain dripping through the cracks. That was until Katniss, in the haze of her sleep, whispered his name and forced herself even closer to him. He felt his heart race, a smile spreading across his face.

His mind flashed back to the roof, on the morning of the start of the games. Everything between them was still so new, so fresh in the rays of the sunlight that encased them. That was the first time he had ever heard her sleepily mutter his name. He remembered how his heart had soared, the way it was now. He placed a kiss on her shoulder, squeezing her body to his large frame.

He remembered vowing to find a way to survive with her in those moments on the roof. He hadn't even gotten to the point where he needed to worry about it before the rule change solved his problem for him. There was still road ahead, surely laced with the same bumps and ditches they had encountered on their way here. But laying here now, with Katniss… alive and safe in his arms, the possibility of surviving together just on the horizon, a moment of peace in the middle of a thunderstorm, he found himself relaxing into sleep alongside of her.

Katniss, I think we're going to be okay.