Chapter Text
Chapter 1 - The Breakup (Katniss POV)
“I can’t believe you just said that.” My voice is stone cold and I can feel my heart pounding with anger. “You need to leave right now.” I can’t even stand looking at him right now, so I turn around and head out the door to my back yard. I know it’s a pretty futile move because he’s just going to follow me right out the door. I’m just tired of this fight, and really tired of having to deal with Cato and his ever eternal tempestuous moods.
I walk across the lawn as fast as my short legs can take me, but I can’t beat Cato’s large stride as he comes stomping after me. During this time of year, the garden is so full of color and life. My mother’s roses bob their full heads in the breeze causing their alluring scent to drift in the air around me, but sadly I’m really not in the mood or situation to appreciate it. I hurry past all the flower beds and head to my sanctuary, a large jacaranda tree in the very back of my yard. The tiny green leaves are all gone and in their place are hundreds, maybe thousands, of small purple flowers weighing down the branches and carpeting the lawn. When I finally reach the tree, I place my hand on the rough trunk, and take a deep cleansing breath. I try to focus on the scents of the outdoor around me, listen to the sounds of the buzzing bees going from flower to flower, and try to calm my racing heart.
The peaceful moment doesn’t last long, because a moment later, a large hand grabs my arm pulling me around. An angry flush blossoms on his face, and his nostrils flare open as he breathes hard. I don’t know why he should feel the right to be angry considering what he’s done. I try to shake him off me but his grip is too firm and I can feel his fingers dig further into my flesh.
"Let me go." I say through gritted teeth. "I'm done with this and I'm done with you, especially after what you just said right now."
"Well, it's true isn't it? Peeta has just been aching to get inside your white cotton panties, get a glimpse of a little Katniss pussy. You just don't see it, do you. Or maybe you like the way he looks at you. You probably feed off of the attention, don’t you. You must be sick otherwise I don't see why else you'd keep that freak around."
“Just shut the fuck up Cato!" The anger raging inside somehow gives me enough strength to shove him away from me and into a nearby rose bush. He quickly gains his balance, but not before the thorns leave their red marks on his hands and arms. I feel no regret since the painful stings they leave are nothing however compared to the pain I feel throbbing from my arm. I know that I'll have a bruise in the shape of fingerprints by morning. I spot a pair of garden shears my mom forgot laying down on the ground and quickly pick it up and point it at Cato in what I hope is a threatening manner. He lifts his hands up in a sign that he's backing off, although I know he's still raging inside.
"I told you to leave Peeta out of this. You're the one who fucked up, you're the one who had your dick so far up Glimmer she could taste the cum on the other side. So don't you dare throw him under the bus to protect your ass. Peeta doesn't see me that way, he's my friend, and he'll always be my friend. You know I used have friends before I met you, not many, but some really good ones. Because of you, I don't know if I have them anymore. I'm so tired of this...this..this mess, and I'm tired of you and I'm really tired of me when I'm with you. I deserve better. I don't even know if you like me. Just, please leave."
Everything that has been building inside of me for so long just spills out in a flood. It's been a long hard road to get to this point where I finally have the strength to get rid of Cato. Our relationship didn't use to be like this, he was actually good to me in the beginning and when it started going bad, I thought I deserved the way he treated me, a part of me still does.
"You're a fucking idiot Katniss. You always have been. I don't know why I put up with you. You're going to get it from me so good, and you'll like it, and you'll realize you deserve every bit of it. Now put down those that god damn garden tool and apologize to me for being such a moron." Cato was hissing like snake, spittle going everywhere. I see that his hands are clenching so tight his knuckles are turning white and I know he's more on edge than ever before. My hands start to shake as my resolve starts to crack.
I know that my indecision is going to be the end of me and I fight to look strong and hold back the tears that are swimming in my eyes. I take a deep breath and raise the shears a little higher, pointing them right at his throat with false courage, ready for him to pounce, when suddenly water goes shooting past me with such strength that it knocks Cato down onto the ground. As it drenches him, he struggles to get up, but it continues to push him into the ground.
"You're the moron Cato, and don't you ever fucking talk to her again. You need to leave here now and never come back. You won't like the alternative. You're trash, and we should have thrown you out a long time ago." I turn to see Peeta holding the power hose that we share between both our houses and he's not letting up. His ususally sweet face is tight with resolve and every muscle is taut like a spring ready to burst.
Cato finally manages to get up and spits out water before declaring, "This is not over Katniss, and you know it. You can't push me out for long, you never can. You'll come crawling back. And Mellark, you better watch your back."
Peeta lowers the hose as Cato turns and storms away. With him goes the last of my strength and I begin to drop to the ground. Of course Peeta is right there to catch me and hold me as I start to break down. The years of tears I've held back rush forward and take over as I sob into his chest. It feels so good to have his arms around me again and I welcome his protective embrace. It feels like if he let's go, I'll break into a million pieces. He gently brings me to the ground as I let it all out and just hugs me, whispering words of comfort into my ear that I don't quite catch. Eventually I calm down enough to realize I left tears and snot all over his shirt. I wipe my face with my arm, feeling the heat of blush on my face.
"Sorry about your shirt and I'm sorry you had to see that. God, you must think I'm an idiot." I divert my eyes in embarrassment. Instead I focus on some jacaranda flowers laying nearby which my nervous fingers pick up and start tearing apart.
He grabs my hands softly but firmly and dips his head to look me in the eyes. "You never have to be sorry about that. And don't you dare call yourself an idiot. I only got the tale end of that conversation. I wanted to tear his nuts off and feed them down his throat. I take it you're finally rid of him for good?" he asks me.
As I look into his sparkling blue eyes, I can see a flicker of hope blossom, pleading with me to agree with him. Not too long ago he was one of my best friends, a vital part of my support system as I was for him. That all changed when he started dating Delly, and well, in large part to the influence of his mother. I still had my family, and of course Gale, but without him rooting for me, I felt like I was floating, Cato was the one who filled that void, took advantage, and tethered me down.
I bite my bottom lip then nod silently, my throat too thick with emotion to say anything. His smile is brighter than the sun and he pulls me in for a tighter hug. I put my head in the crook of his neck and breathe in deep, his scent is warm, familiar, and comforting. It's so good to be back with him.
"You don't know how much all of us have missed you. That asshole took you away from us for too long. I thought Joanna was going to tear out his throat when we saw him at Haymitch's pub the other night. This is definitely a cause for celebration. I'm calling the gang and we're going out tonight. We need to get you plastered with victory drinks."
"You all have have missed me?" I ask. Although Peeta's exuberance is catching, I can only focus on his emphasis on the word 'all' and not 'I'.
"Yup!" he agrees, "Definitely all of us. They'll be so excited when I call them. The only way we knew anything was through Prim."
He pulls me down to lay on the ground and holds my hand as we gaze into the blue sky letting the golden sun warm us like we used to do when we were children. Although I am excited about seeing my friends again, I'm still scared they're going to judge me for all the bad decisions I've made in my life recently and I just don't know if I can handle that right now. More than that, Cato's words keep haunting me because I know he's in some aspects right. I've been totally over my head in love with Peeta for longer than I can remember but I know he doesn't feel the same way. Every time I realize that, it squeezes my heart a little bit tighter.