Hi, guys. This is a one-shot story I wrote recently. I've noticed that I haven't written anything with angst, so I decided to write one. Originally I've had this idea for so long but just too lazy to write it down. I always wondered what would happen if Katniss really did run away with Gale. Anyway hope you'll like it.
Disclaimer: Characters and series belong to the amazing Suzanne Collins. I only own the story.
Peeta POV
As usual I'm at my house at District 12, painting the horrors I get every evening to a white canvas. Even though Katniss hates them because she doesn't to see them in the morning, I do too, but I just can't stop myself from pouring all those images from my head to this white canvas. I just want to keep them away from my head. Speaking of nightmares, I remember when we were on the train during the Victory Tour; Katniss would have her nightmare and ask me to sleep with her.
Honestly to say, I miss those moments when I can lay down on the bed with her. The first time she asked me to stay with her; I was hesitant because I wasn't ready to face her yet after I found out about her act during the Games. But I couldn't let her suffer alone since I also experience the same thing every night. At first, it was awkward since the only times we had slept together was in the arena, but those were for the audience so they didn't count. However we eventually get used to feel each other's body in the dark. I doubt she wants to sleep with me if it weren't for the nightmares, if she has Gale.
My hands stop from moving my paint brush on the canvas the moment I think of him. I don't like to admit it, but I'm actually jealous of him. She can be herself with him. She doesn't have to feel pressured from the Capitol, she doesn't have to act, and she doesn't have to feel threatened. If she's around me, I can see how much she acts half-heartedly for the cameras. How come I was so stupid to think that she would fall in love with me if she can have a better person like her best friend? As much as I want her to be with me, I prefer her to choose him if she can be happy with him. Who knows that one day they will marry and have children together; something I've always wanted since I was a boy, since I met Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire, he girl I love.
Someone knocks on my door, which snaps me out of my trance. I put my paint brush down on a table next to me and wipe the paint off my hands. I run down the stairs as the knocking continues impatiently. I look at myself to see if I'm decent enough, in case if it's Effie. I turn the door knob and open the door, expecting to see that annoying, pink-haired woman. Instead the person standing in front of me is a girl with a braided brown hair, olive skin and those grey that always drown into. It's Katniss. It's not a normal occasion when she'd come to find me in the morning so I have no idea what to say.
She looks as if she just ran in a marathon. "Hi, Peeta," she pants.
"Hi," I say.
"Are you busy?"
"No. Why?"
She looks hesitant, fidgeting her fingers. I don't know if it's just me or not, but she looks in a hurry and nervous. She continues, "I want to talk to you."
"Sure. Come on in," I say, opening the door wider for her to enter.
"No, thank you," she rejects. "Here is fine."
Knowing how stubborn she is, I just fulfill her wish. "Okay," I say. "What do you want to talk about?"
She doesn't say anything for I don't know how long but I know I shouldn't disturb her from saying what she wants to say. Her breath is still ragged from the running. Her head ducks downwards so that her eyes are facing the wooden porch of my house. Her fingers stop fidgeting, replaced by shaking. What is it that she wants to say but too afraid to tell me?
I grab her shoulders and lean closer to her. "Hey, calm down. Take it easy, okay? Take a deep breath first," I tell her.
She raises her head and looks at me with something filled in her eyes. Hesitation, I guess. And all of a sudden I feel something bad is going to happen. I swallow my fear and brace myself. I've been in the Hunger Games, will there be anything worse? She takes a deep breath and let the words out.
"I'm running away with Gale and our families."
I stare at her for an eternity, I guess. Finally I let go of her shoulders and take a step back. My head is filled with various emotions; shock, disbelief, sadness and anger.
Totally worse than the Games. This should explain why she doesn't want to talk in the house, which has hidden cameras.
"When are you leaving?" I ask, trying to sound normal.
"Tomorrow in the morning." Of course, why did I even bother to ask? It's obvious they want to leave as fast as they can.
"I see."
She continues, "I want to bring you along, Peeta." Well, that's shocking. "But Gale said we already have too much people to bring." Duh, obviously he doesn't want me to come along.
I keep a calm face while telling her, "He's right. Besides, I'd be a burden to you anyway."
"What? Why would you be a burden?" Why would she ask such easy question?
"Think about it; you have Prim and your mother to take care of. Gale has his mother and his siblings. Combine all of you together, how many people are you going to look after? And if you're going to add me too, I'd be a nuisance."
"No you won't!" She cries, grabbing the front of my shirt with both of her hands. She has tears in her eyes. Why would she cry for me? "Come with us, Peeta. Please."
It takes all of my will to pull her into my arms and say yes. But I shake my head. "I can't, Katniss. If I leave, the Capitol would look for my family."
"But I can't just leave you here!"
I take her hands of my shirt and clutch them tightly. "Please understand. I can't leave them too." What I said is a half lie. Half of me want to stay here with my family and watch Katniss and Gale with their families leave District 12. While the other half of me keep on screaming to tell her that I would die just to be with her. And my brain shouts at that other half of me to shut up.
"But-" I stop her lips with my finger and shake my head one more time.
"It's okay, Katniss. I know that you want to escape from this hellhole. I do too but I don't want to abandon my family."
She reluctantly nods in understanding. I wipe the fallen tears from her cheeks and she places her hands on my own in their place. She looks into my eyes for a while then she asks, "Can I kiss you?"
If it's her final wish, why can't I just grant it? I close our gap and very slowly press our lips together. This kiss is different than the other kisses we have shared. This kiss tastes like salt due to her tears. It also tastes of sadness and grief. But for some reason I don't want to pull away. Maybe it's because this will be our last kiss.
Katniss slips her hands from my grip and locks my neck with her arms. My arms automatically wrap around her waist, pulling her close to me. The kiss lasts longer than I thought, and it's replacing the sadness into passion. Her lips start to open and her tongue lightly licks my lower lip, begging for an entrance, and I gladly allow her. Our tongue battle for dominance and eventually mine won, slipping into her mouth. My fingers dip into her skin and I'm afraid that I'd hurt her.
But she doesn't seem to mind because when I'm about to let go, she keeps my hands still with one of her hands. Her other hand travels from my neck to my hair, tugging my hair with her fingers. Very reluctantly, we pull apart to breathe, our breaths ragged. Even though our lips leave each other but our hands are not. Mine are still on her waist while hers are on my hair.
"I think you should go now," I pant, "to pack."
She purses her lips and nods. Her hands release their grip on my hair then move to my shoulders. She pulls me into an embrace. "Goodbye, Peeta," she whispers, her head at the nape of my neck.
I close my eyes and try to relish this moment. I try to draw in the smell of her hair, her color of her eyes and skin, everything about her. Then, I let go of her. "Goodbye, Katniss. Take care of yourself."
"You too," she says before she leaves to wherever she wants to go.
Finally, the tears that I've been holding back fall to my cheeks. Once again, my heart is broken beyond repair. And it will never happen again. That's the last time I've seen Katniss Everdeen.
So, what do you think? I hope I did fine. I mean, writing Peeta's POV isn't an easy job. I hope I didn't change Katniss' character too much too. By the way, if you guys noticed the 'for now' in the story's name, it means I may be writing a sequel for this one-shot. If I receive so much reviews, so you know what that means; reviews make me smile.
By the way, for my story 'Hunger Games: High School Life', I'm not gonna update the 24th chapter because I'm gonna have my end of year exam soon. I'll update it as soon as I finish it. See you soon.