SIREN #cato hadley

04

ROOFTOP, 8PM

Cato arrived after Y/N. She was sitting on a nearby stone bench, sitting cross-legged. "We're both as bad as each other, it seems." He sat down next to her, slinging an arm around her shoulder.

"He insulted me. Said I was being manipulated." Y/N's eyebrow twitched as she shuffled closer to Cato, hesitating to lie her head on his arm.

"You almost killed him." Cato remarked, "I'm not complaining. I like crazy girls."

"Until they try to kill you."

"Hm." Cato didn't say anything else. He sat there in silence, his presence already comforting enough.

"Clove confronted me today." Y/N muttered.

"About joining the Careers?"

Y/N silently nodded.

"Is an axe really your best weapon?" Cato questioned, "Every time you throw it, you look like you're about to throw a spear for a second."

"Of course. The ones in the Capitol just feel different." Y/N tried to hide the fact that she was lying. That was easier said than done, though.

"Are you telling truth or lying?" Cato whispered, his hand finding its way to Y/N's head. For once, she had nothing snarky or sarcastic to reply with. "I don't like being lied to, Y/N. You can tell me. I won't tell anyone, I promise."

He was so close. Y/N could feel the ghost of his lips on hers. Her breath shuddered as she leaned back, much to Cato's dismay.

"An axe." She confidently said, sticking to her lie. "My best weapon is an axe."

Cato tilted his head to the side, easily reading Y/N like an open book. "Are you a compulsive liar, by any chance?"

"That's none of your business!" Y/N snapped, suddenly getting angry.

Cato held his hands up in surrender, not wanting to face more of Y/N's wrath. Lio was about as tall as him, and Y/N easily took him down.

"I don't use spears very well. I tried but I prefer axes." Y/N grumbled.

"You're still lying."

Y/N heaved an annoyed sigh and stood up, ready to leave. She hated how Cato could see through her no matter how good her lies were.

Cato followed after Y/N, quickly grabbing her shoulder. "Look, if you don't wanna tell me your real weapon, don't. But will you at least tell me if an axe really is your best?"

Y/N glowered at Cato. On one hand, she wanted to put this conversation to an end. On the other, she was still determined to hide.

The metal door leading to the rooftop suddenly slammed open, almost whacking Y/N in the face.

"Cato! Are you here- Oh, there you are." It was Clove. She paused, her gaze flickering to how close Y/N and Cato were. "Oh shit! Oh shit! Hahaha!" She laughed, slamming her hand into the metal door. "Were you guys about to kiss?!"

Cato cleared his throat, taking an awkward step back. "It would've been preferable" He muttered, brushing past Y/N to get to the door. "See you, Y/N. Clove, let's go."

Before Clove left, she showed Y/N an enthusiastic thumbs up. "It's about time he got some action with a girl instead of his sword!" She whispered before racing after Cato.

"Weren't you telling me to stay away from her?" Cato uttered as the elevator doors closed.

"I changed my mind. I like her. But again, don't get too attached. It's her or you."

"Whatever." On the outside, Cato seemed like he didn't care. If he had to kill Y/N, then so be it. But nobody saw how conflicted he was on the side. Unfortunately, Clove was right.

It was him or her, and in the end, he knew he would choose himself.

—

Y/N mentally cursed at herself. Why, out of all days, had she chosen to wear this lipstick? It was a full challenge to get half of it off.

When she entered the District Four apartment, all the lights were turned off. She arched an eyebrow, flipping the switches. Lio was sitting on the couch, petting a pillow like it was a cat.

"Oh, my gosh! You scared me! What on earth are you doing?!" Y/N shouted, "You look like an idiot!"

"You almost killed me." Lio got straight to the point. Y/N rolled her eyes. This again?

"Yeah? So what. You deserved it." Y/N attempted to walk past Finnick, but he stood up and blocked her path.

"President Snow wanted you executed. Obviously, he couldn't do that because you're a tribute and the Gamemakers already like you."

Y/N stared at Lio, bored. She raised an eyebrow. "Are you done?" Her words seemed to offend him.

"I have tried being nice to you. I have tried to put up with you, no matter how infuriating you are. And how do you repay me? By almost putting an axe through my chest."

"I didn't ask you to be nice. I don't know why you even bothered."

"Yeah, me neither. You're on your own now. I think you could live a hundred- No, a thousand years and you still wouldn't deserve kindness. You don't deserve Finnick, you don't deserve me, you don't deserve a loving mother, and you don't deserve love." Lio whispered the last part, taunting Y/N.

"Talk about my mother one more time and I will kill you, no matter where you are. I'll kill you in front of everybody if I have to." Y/N glared at him, daring Lio to say another word.

"Next time you think your opponent who's only using you actually likes you, remind yourself that you're unlovable." Lio stomped off, shakily breathing as he placed a hand on his chest. Thank God Y/N didn't have a weapon right now.

Y/N clenched her jaw, barely containing her rage. The more she thought about Lio's words, the angrier she got. She clenched her hands into fists and punched the nearest wall.

I deserve love, she repeated those three words to herself like a mantra as she slid down the dented wall, hand bruised and skin split.

I deserve love, don't I?