"There's a strategy to everything," Cato says. "The key to it has always been to predict your opponent's move before they do."
I nod, knowing that what he's saying must be true. Cato is an ace at hand-to-hand combat, the topic of conversation on our walk home. We'd had a lovely evening. Cato and I had gone out for dinner and spent the entire time talking and laughing. This, us, is still so new, but I'm enjoying each moment. In this first month of being together in the Capitol I've learned how funny Cato is and how much I love his laugh.
"I just don't understand how you can predict someone's moves like that," I say as Cato releases me to unlock the door to our home. "I can't even predict my moves after I've made them."
Cato shrugs. "Keen observation. Remember, I was a quiet kid." I nod as we step in and Cato closes the door behind us. "I think that's how I learned. I never talked; I spent most of my time in the back of the room watching everyone with my thumb stuck in my mouth."
The image of a young Cato sucking his thumb makes me smile. He was probably the cutest kid.
Cato reaches for my jacket and I shrug it off. "I don't know, I think you're just born naturally smart," I tell him as I bend over to take off my shoes. Cato stops me and bends to do it for me. "Observation is useful, don't get me wrong, but to predict a person's moves takes a great deal of mental power, I'd think."
"There's that, too," he says with a smirk as he stands back up, turning as I note his blush. He may be very confident, but he sure does get shy when I compliment him on things outside of his looks or physical strengths. "It comes naturally." He gives me a sideways glance, making me giggle.
"Ok big guy," I say sarcastically, but I don't hide my smile. "Can you spare some of that gift? I have two left feet and trip on air."
Cato laughs. "Sorry. There's a lot of it, but unfortunately, I can't afford to spare any. Big Daddy's got a whole lot of charisma he's got to maintain." His lips curl into his charming smile, but I snort and roll my eyes inwardly. This is the love of my life...
"But hey, you don't have to worry. If you trip and fall, I'll catch you before you hit the ground. I always catch you."
My cheeks burn. That he does.
As he takes off his jacket, I watch his back contract and my blush deepens.
Cato turns and leans closer to me, placing his hand on my cheek. "What're you thinking about?" he asks almost as if he knows. I lean into his hand and look down, suddenly feeling shy. Sometimes when he looks at me, I just...
Cato questions me no more and kisses my forehead. I lead him to the kitchen. He sits down as I turn to grab him some water. He doesn't drink nearly enough.
I shake my head, not wanting to tell him the truth. I need to change the subject. "When we met, could you predict my moves?" I ask as he finishes the drink.
He places the glass down and takes my hand, leading me to our bedroom. I sigh happily. I cannot wait for sleep, it's been a long day.
"No." Cato stops in his tracks to frown. "No I couldn't. I never realized that before. I couldn't predict anything with you."
"Really?"
Cato flips on the bedroom lights. "Yes. You threw me for a loop every day."
"I don't know, I wouldn't say that's true. I think you read me like a book, just like you do now."
He reaches up to stretch as he yawns and his shirt pulls up against his body, straining against him as much as it could. I glance at his hips, watching his pants droop down in the opposite direction of his shirt, revealing the lower part of his stomach. My mouth goes dry. His pants are hanging so low.. just a tug of his zipper and he'd be free. I'm not so tired anymore.
Cato glances at me and smiles. "I do."
He takes a step forward, closing the distance between us. My heart skips.
"What're you doing?" I ask quietly. I almost can't bear to look at him.
"Reading you." He smirks. "What're you thinking about?" he asks me again.
I turn to look away. It's embarrassing to admit that every time I feel the smallest bit of arousal, he immediately knows. He's like a bloodhound who can sense a change in my scent when I'm in heat.
"Baby," he presses, taking another step. My heartbeat quickens in response. Cato grins.
I huff in frustration. "Do you see what I mean?! You need to stop doing that! I had one single thought!"
"Oh, no," he shakes his head. "It wasn't just one thought. Putting aside the two just moments ago, I distinctly remember two more at dinner."
I shake my head. I have to gain some self control.
"Tell me," he says playfully. "What do you want?"
"Nothing." Why am I so pale? I can't hide my blush.
"Well, if you look down, you can see what I want," he says lowly, seductively.
I look at him wide-eyed, and he's watching me closely with that lustful glint in his eye. I try, I really do try to resist, but as I look down, I see his erection standing tall and proud, for me... holy cow.
Cato laughs. "Keen observation, baby."
My lips part. I need to remember to breathe.
"You..?"
"Mhm," he nods. "I've spent this past month doing my favorite thing: getting to know you, body and soul."
I suck in a breath.
"I've always been proud to be a good student, and tonight, I'd really like you to give me another lesson."
A lesson? There's nothing I could teach him. I have so few experience compared to him. The last I'd been kissed before I met Cato was grade school, and surely that shouldn't count for experience. I was ambushed as we played outside the school, and by the time I realized I'd been kissed, he was running away.
"What could I possibly teach you?" I ask.
"I'm learning what every look means, what every sounds means, what you want from the way you breathe. It's always a lesson with you." Wow...
"Cato, I-" My mouth closes dumbly. I've got nothing to say.
"This is my favorite class; I don't think you understand how much I want to earn an A. So, as I said, I'd like another lesson."
I clear my throat. Is he asking..?
"I don't have anything to teach you," I can barely manage out.
I get another smile in response. "Well, it's a good thing you don't have to talk much."
The comment is innocent enough, but I can't help but feel the rudeness behind it all. I don't have to talk much, but that doesn't mean I'll be quiet. The air in the room changes abruptly. It suddenly feels warm.
"That blush," he mutters. "It's going to be the death of me." My eyes widen. I didn't even know I was blushing. He looks at me lovingly, the smirk on his lips doing things to me.
I drop my head with a shy smile, biting my lip to try to hide it. My sweet, bad boy...
How does he make me feel like this? How on earth did I give him such power over me?
I feel his fingers reaching under my chin, and he presses it up and reaches down to kiss me swiftly. It takes me by surprise, but he tastes so sweet that I fall into it easily. He wraps himself around me and tugs me close, his hands cupping my butt greedily as I lean up onto my toes to get closer to him.
We've come alive in an instant.
Our hands are fumbling quickly to undress one another. I'm breathing hard, excited, anticipating what's to come with him. I've never wanted him naked more than right now.
"You make me feel so alive, baby," he whispers to me, tugging on my hair to pull my head back and kiss me again. His tongue presses against mine and if I weren't being held up my him, I'd have gone weak in the knees.
He's moving so fast that he's gotten me down to my bra and underwear. His hands are all over me: in my hair, on my face, on my breasts, my butt. I'm so entranced by him that I've only gotten his shirt off.
Cato reaches under my legs and lifts me, pulling me up to him to carry me over to the bed. He lays me down softly and leans to stand over me, gazing at me as he undoes his pants and kicks them off. I sit up on my elbows to watch him. He's so hard already. His eyes trail down me slowly. The butterflies in my stomach going wild. I don't know if I'm nervous, excited... I'm everything right now.
"You have no idea how fucking irresistible you look all trussed up like this." My stomach flips.
"I'd say the same for you," I say back, making him smile.
"Take off your bra," he tells me. I sit up and reach back to unclasp the bra. Once it's done, I tug on the straps to pull it down my arms. It falls into my lap, and I grab it and toss it to the floor.
"Lean back again, just like before," Cato says huskily. Again, I do as I'm told, leaning back onto my elbows like before. I look up at him, silently asking if I've done it right.
"Dear god," Cato groans.
He's crawling onto me in an instant. I lay back fully. He looks so good like this.
One of Cato's hands slides up my side, and I shiver at the touch. He lands on my face and brushes my hair away, clearing the view.
"Let's not waste any time," he shakes his head.
His hand reaches back down and into my underwear. He takes no time pressing his fingers down below, feeling how wet I am. He smiles appreciatively. "Oh, baby, I knew you'd be ready."
I nod and push my hips up, closer to his fingers, urging him to explore more. He obliges, slipping a finger inside me slowly. I moan quietly, but continue to watch his face. He's look at me pensively, searching for what, I don't know.
He presses his finger in more and the heat builds inside me as he slowly drags it back out. He returns, this time with two fingers, and presses the pads of his fingertips up. Cato watches my face closely as he presses his fingers up and in. As he gets almost all the way in, he massages his fingers around and around in heavenly rhythm.
My head falls back heavily and I moan so deeply, so lustfully, that it shocks me. My eyes flutter open. Cato's beautiful green eyes watch me back. He bites his lip.
"Just there," Cato says, pressing into me softly. My eyes close again and I cry out in blissful agony. I can hear the smirk in his voice as he massages and coaxes the spot over and over again.
I feel myself building so quickly, so warmly. It's never felt this good before. The hair on my arms are standing at attention, my skin is buzzing delightfully. The feeling of his body hovering over me, his breath hitting me softly, his attentive gaze.
"Come on baby, that's it," he urges me on.
"Please," I beg him helplessly. I want to feel that delicious feeling. I need him to possess me in the unholiest of ways.
"I know, baby, I know."
I feel it coming. My hips are bucking against his rhythm, I'm desperate.
He's never made me come this way before, with his fingers inside of me like this, touching that spot, coaxing it into submission. The thought sends me over and sooner than I'd ever imagined, I'm falling into the bed and clutching the sheets as I come and come.
My underwear is tugged off and Cato is inside of me before I've even finished. He fills me with incredible ease. It's my favorite feeling.
"That's it," he moans, leaning down to kiss me after what feels like a lifetime. Still coming with him inside me feels so good, I kiss him back thankfully. He always knows exactly what I want, exactly what I need.
Cato takes no time pressing into me, though our hips don't separate much. Instead, he grinds into me over, and over... and over again, pressing on the same spot that he had so softly massaged an orgasm out of already. He urges me on, higher and higher, my cheerleader in the quest to be his forever.
I keep my eyes open while his are closed, watching him come undone while claiming me. The look on his face lets me know that it feels that good to him too. It's dirty, it's possessive.
He's all mine.
"It's only you, Cato," I whisper to him, reaching up to kiss him. "I'm yours."
Cato groans, and then he's shoving himself into me as he comes. I bring him down to me and kiss him again, sweetly, as he still presses into me. His arms snake around my hips and he lifts me, shakily slamming once, twice...
I holler out and grip onto him as I come with him. He's moaning through his orgasm in my ear and it's sending ripples through my legs. His hands press gently into my back for a moment before he settles me back down, falling into my chest.
Cato is wrapped around me in our post-orgasm glow. My heart is slamming in my chest, attempting to calm down as I run my fingers through his hair and kiss his head.
"So?" Cato asks after we've been silent for a while, letting our bodies and minds settle into the peace that always follows.
I look down at his peering eyes. "So what?"
"Did I get an A?" Cato asks with that smirk.
I roll my eyes, pretending to be annoyed. I can't help it for long, and smile down at him. "Cato, after that performance, you deserve your diploma."