A/N – AU Peeta Mellark has been broken hearted for five years. Not a soul in the whole of Panem hasn't heard of Peeta Mellark, and he can get any woman he desires. Yet none are what he want. The only person he will ever love never loved him back. And she broke his heart on the alter. Now, can Peeta cope with familiar faces, family, an arranged marriage and the man he had loathed for so many years?
It's my wedding. Nothing can spoil that.
I frown at myself in the mirror, adjusting my suit. I run my fingers through my hair, try to straighten up. I've been feeling like this all day, something has been off. Not right, I swear, I just can't put my finger on it…
I'm surprised when my best man, Gale, appears behind me.
Choosing him as my best man doesn't seem right. Gale loved my fiancé, Katniss, for years. Yet she chose me. Gale isn't my friend, never will be, but he's not my enemy.
"Nervous?" he asks me, raising one eyebrow.
"Yes. Very." I say, looking down.
Before I can protest Gale is right behind me, talking, no growling at me.
"I know she picked you, but if you ever hurt her in one of your freaky seizures, I will personally drive the knife through your back." He growls at me, his stormy grey eyes piercing trough my soul. Before I can defend myself, agree, whatever, he's gone.
He has a point though.
I don't want to think about the nights when I have to go outside, to remember I'm safe. Nobody is going to kill me. I'm safe. I'm safe. I'm finally-
"Peeta." Says a bridesmaid. "Your turn."
Standing at the alter is either like standing on your grave or your stairway to heaven. You're nervous. You're scared. What if something goes horribly wrong? Times that by a thousand. But everything goes away once you've seen the most perfect person walk down the isle towards you. Forever.
Katniss looks perfect. Perfect and scared. Is this all a massive mistake in her mind? I'm just praying she won't run away…
"Katniss Everdeen, do you take Peeta Mellark as your lawfully wedded husband during sickness and health?" the priest says.
"I do." She says, tears of joy in her eyes. I hope they're tears of joy…
"And do you Peeta Mellark, take Katniss Everdeen as your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do," I swear, without a flicker of doubt.
"If anyone has a reason that these two should not be together, please speak now or forever hold your peace."
There's a silence for 2 seconds before a response comes not from the audience, but right beside me.
"I object!" Gale yells across the hall, shaking the chandelier above us.
All eyes turn to him as he continues.
"Katniss, you can't marry him." He insists, taking her hands.
"I love him." She says quietly to Gale.
"I know that. But Katniss Everdeen cannot marry Peeta Mellark," Gale says. Katniss locks eyes with me and takes my hand.
"Because she's pregnant. With my child."
Katniss finally has the decency to look away.
When I was a child, my mother hit me so hard I fell and hit my head on the stone floor. The pain was so blinding I almost blacked out, struggling to breath, to speak, to even cry. That's how I feel now. Numb.
I look a Katniss for second, before her eyes start to well up wit tears. She looks into my eyes, sorrow brimming in her tears.
"Please say you still love me." She whispers.
I drop her hand, and swiftly walk away. Down the isle, through the doors, into the square. I hear cries after me, but I ignore them. Ignore the world, black it out. I knew her love was too good to be true.
I'm sitting by the town fountain, face in my hands. What seems like forever I spend sitting, face in my hands, eyes closed. When I open my eyes it's dark, and I hear a group of male voice thick with drink a few meters away. Looks like the drama earlier wasn't enough to spoil a good party. When I take a closer look I notice Gale is among them, laughing with his friends. How dare he?
Before I can stop myself I walk up to him and punch him straight in the jaw.
"That's for knocking up my wife." I hiss at him. "Don't even talk to me again."
He just laughs, and punches me straight back.
"I'll think about it why'll I'm sleeping with your wife." He teases. Walking away with his friends. Everyone's laughing at me. The fool. The laughing stock of district 12.
From a distance away I see Katniss, still in her white dress. She catches my eye for a second, only took shamefully look away.
As far as know I'm staggering to Haymitch's house, hand on my jaw.
When I walk in the stench of alcohol is so overbearing I almost faint. Yet I stagger into the kitchen where Haymitch is slumped on the table his hand wrapped around a red bottle.
"Here to complain?" he says. "Here to tell me it's not her fault? Because it is. She could live a thousand lifetimes and not deserve you."
I take in his words, surprisingly he's the only one let who still cares about me.
"I'm here for drink" I say.
He laughs and hands me a bottle from under the table. And I take an immediate gulp. It's fiery, but it relaxes me. I down more and more and more.
That should have been my child. Not his. I never hated him, but now I loathe him more than anything.
As fore her, did she ever love me? No, she settled for me. We all know this was going to happen anyway.
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