"They can't see me,"

Peeta knew that. In fact, he had known that fact since he had first seen the mysterious boy with the bright green eyes and messy black hair. No one else had been able to see him and had given the blond strange looks whenever he had spoken to Harry.

After a while, he figured out that it was easier to keep his mouth shut when around other people, and to only talk to Harry when they were in private – alone together, in the times when Peeta would feel the most comforted about his life and what was happening outside, rather than with his family. The other just had that kind of effect on him, where any situation would seem better after speaking to Harry about it.

Though he wasn't sure how it had happened, Peeta realised he had come to rely on the other far too much. All of his troubles were washed away by comforting words in a lilted accent that he didn't recognise. But it didn't matter, so long as he still had the other by his side.

"I know they can't. That doesn't matter anyway," the baker's son said, a little incredulously. "It's not like I'm going to survive this place. Better go down talking to you and seeming insane than ignoring you just for my pride,"

Harry laughed slightly at that, a quiet sound that trickled through his friend's ears easily, like wind chimes on a soft, breezy day. Peeta could never get enough of that laugh. He didn't think he ever would, at the end of it all – it was addicting in the way that nothing else could be.

"You have a chance – I'm sure of it," Harry said, running a hand through dirtying blond locks, sitting behind the injured teen though unable to do anything to help. Katniss would be suspicious once she had returned, after all. "They have that pairs thing going on, remember? When Katniss returns safely…"

Peeta didn't trust the Capitol or their plots, but he trusted Harry. At his words, he relaxed slightly, eyes sliding shut to the soft petting of the one his head was laying on.

"She will," Peeta replied confidently, breathing out slowly once he had. "Katniss is strong. She'll be fine."

"I don't doubt it," Harry said, an amused yet slightly sad tone littering his words. The ministrations of his fingers did not cease in their movements, despite the tone he had taken on.

"—… Thank you for being here, Harry. I don't think—I don't think I would have made it through the first five minutes without you."

"You would have done fine. Have confidence, Peeta."

Footsteps echoed then, approaching the cave entrance. There was a moment of tense silence, until the barrier was removed to show Katniss, a bag in hand and a new injury marring her beautiful features. A sudden wave of calm seemed to overtake them both, and Peeta had to act panicked – even if he had been assured that she would be fine.

"Good luck, Peeta." Were the final words he heard from his friend, before the teen disappeared once more to who knows where.

At least Peeta was confident in the fact that his friend would always return.


a/n: /hides face in shame. this isn't very good but i'm posting it anyway.

this could be taken as pre-slash, if you squint slightly, though i prefer to see it as friendship between the two, despite my personal love of this pairing. and, uh - i hope you all enjoyed this! if you did, care to leave a review?