Gladiators -- Clato

-A Perfect Crime-

this chapter contains slight sexual content! nothing serious tho (:
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I watch in horror as her red dress goes up in
flames. Cato and I are backstage with the other Careers.

"What the fuck!" Cato roars, earning him some terrified glances from the other tributes.
"That bitch!" Glimmer chirps indignantly. Her normally beautiful features are twisted in a feminine snarl of disgust.

I have no words. I can only watch as the crowd goes wild and Katniss Everdeen thoroughly steals our show. The anger within me is rearing wildly, and my fingers twitch instinctively, searching for the cool weight of my knife.

They love her. She is an instant favorite. And what does she have to show for herself?
It's then that I realize she has a lot. She's beautiful, even though her body is malnourished. She's got an amazing stylist who wins her favor with his flaming creations. And she has a score of Eleven.

I watch her leave and the boy come onstage. He's trying to play the humorous angle. It's working for the most part. Caesar plays into his jokes.

The Interview takes on a slightly more serious tone when Caesar turns to the blond boy with a knowing look, and asks him if there's "A special girl back home."

Peeta chuckles, and brushes it off, but Caesar continues to pry. He says he has a crush on a girl. Cute. Caesar says he should win so she would go out with him. That's where everything begins to break down.

"I don't think winning would do me much good," Peeta says solemnly.

"Why's that?" Caesar asks.

"Because... She..." He stutters. "Because she came here with me."

"Fuck!" Cato shouts. The Crowd freaks out. I freak out, letting out a shrill shriek of dissent.

Oh, now he's done it. He's made the Fire Girl an object of his affection. That was fake, FAKE! How could he possibly love her?

Liar, I think. Liar. What does he know about that? I look at Cato, but he's looking at Glimmer. As if...

As if they're in love. But he should be looking at me!

I'm seething as our mentors, stylists and Plumeria arrive to whisk us away. I don't look at Cato. Why would I?

Once we're back in the apartment, I run straight to my room and slam the door, and scream into my pillowcase. I want to destroy things, but the night before the Games it's not smart.

I keep screaming until my throat rubs raw. Then I just lay there in the silken sheets, letting my breath run in and out. In and out.

Everyone has gone to sleep by the time I finally get off my bed. I'm still fuming, but the energy has left my body and now I just feel like a limp rag.

My feet guide me to the door, and then down the hall. Down the hall and to...

Cato's room. My feet are bare and I'm wearing only a tank top and my underwear. I open the door without knocking.

I nearly walk back out. Cato is completely naked save for a towel wrapped around his waist. He has his back to me, and I see the muscles in his shoulders flex as he turns around to face me. He's got that look on his face again. The one that tells me, "I'm dangerous. I'm a killer."

He walks towards me, and my eyes fall to his rock-hard abs. I meet his blue eyes once more, at a loss for words.

"What do you want?" He growls.

I'm taken aback by the hostility in his voice. "I-"

He places a hand on my shoulder, but his hand
snakes up my back to hold the back of my neck, bringing me closer to him. "What do you want?" He says, more quietly this time.

I'm electrified by his touch, and I close my eyes. "Tomorrow we'll be in the arena," I mutter.

"We'll be together," Cato rumbles.

It seems like I don't have any control of my body as I move forward and wrap my arms around him. His skin his warm and slightly damp from his shower. I feel a bit of relief as I feel him do the same.

When we pull apart, he still has his arms around my waist. The dangerous look from his eyes is gone. It's replaced instead with a warmness I've never seen in Cato.

"I don't want to lose you, Clove," He whispers. I realize this is probably the most emotion Cato Hadley has ever shown.

"It's okay," I lie. It's obviously not ok. One of us will be dead in a fortnight.

He bends down to kiss me, and I meet his lips eagerly. His right hand cups my jaw, then slides down to tilt my chin up. His hands sent shivers down my spine and I struggle to stay calm.

Cato drops the towel around his waist. I pause, look at him. Up and down. His eyes hold a question.

"Is this ok?" He asks.

"Y-yeah," I stammer. Still keeping eye contact with him, I slip my arms out of the tank top and pull it over my head. Then I lean down and gently remove my underwear.

I feel so exposed standing like this in front of him. He makes no move to touch me, doesn't talk. We just stand there. Staring at eachother's bare bodies.

"You're so beautiful," He says finally.

I smile a little. "Thank you." I take a tentative step forward. My hair is down, and it brushes the small of my back. Cato reaches forward and touches a lock of my dark hair, letting it fall through his fingers. He looks at me, and gives a little chuckle. I blush.

Look at me! Clove Kentwell, reduced to a blushing mess.

"You can touch me if you want," He murmurs.

"Where?" I ask nervously. I've never done anything like this before, and my heart beats loudly in my chest.

"Anywhere," He replies. He then takes my hand, and guides it up to a scar on his bicep. "You remember this?"

I smirk a little. "Do I," I say. The tip of my pointer finger traces the white scar.

"You liked it, didn't you?" He says teasingly, eyes sparkling. "Fighting me like that?"

"Lived for it." I stop, and feeling more confident, let my fingers travel up to his shoulder, then down his chest to his abs. I run my hand over the taught muscle. Cato seems to like this, and he pulls me to him again, kissing me harder.

I feel a little tremor of fear as his hands feel my chest. I have to remind myself over and over that this is Cato, that he's not trying to hurt me.
I back away suddenly. "You...don't care about what's happened to me?"

He stops touching me. "What?" he asks.

"About my father. What he did."

"You're perfect," He says firmly. "Nothing he's done can change that."

I smile, and kiss him again.