After Rue . . .
After Rue something breaks within Katniss.
Peeta is getting worse and she knows it. The fevers last longer, the chills shake him harder and he all but glows in their dark little cave he's so pale; but she still sleeps pressed up against his side, he head on his chest and an arm flung over him. He smells of decay and disease, but still she stays.
Because she smells of death and that was worse.
"Please don't die," she whispers to him one night after she's sure he's out. "Don't leave me too," she asks as she stretches up and presses a kiss to his cheek before sinking back into her usual place at his side. She's never been this scared of being alone, not even when it looked like she and Prim were going to end up with all the other orphans, but now?
She hopes she dies before she's alone in the arena again.
The citizens of the Capital clink their glasses together betweens gales of laughter.
The citizens of District 12 finally leave the public viewings for the night.
Seneca Crane crosses his arms over his chest and studies the playing field.
The camera buzzes quietly and adjusts it's focus.
Peeta yells at her when she comes back from the feast. Fuelled by fear, he yells at her about lying and leaving him and she lets the rage wash over her.
Because Thresh rescued her and let her go, because she got the medicine.
Because she made it back to him.
Katniss is all business while smearing the pearly purple goo over the wound in his leg. She pushes thoughts of blood and infection out of her mind and focuses on the sounds of relief coming from Peeta. She works ruthlessly to keep her thoughts away from Rue and the darkening stain that spread across her t-shirt because Peeta isn't Rue and he isn't going to die because she was 10 seconds too slow.
She finally leans over him and lets him spread some of the goo over the knife wound on her forehead. The gel is cool and it numbs the wound but it's the look in Peeta's eyes that makes her feel better, not the over priced medicine from the Capital. The adrenalin and rage start to leave Peeta and he soon sinks back onto his elbows before lying back down completely.
She takes off her pack and quiver and takes her place against his side before he can even ask.
She doesn't think about the camera anymore.
Crane pulls his bottom lip between his teeth and worries it when he thinks no one is watching. The situation is getting out of hand and he's not completely sure how to fix things. Snows cryptic warning's bounce around his head a while longer.
Peeta is so well the next morning, and so elated that both he and Katniss are nearly healed that he is giddy. He's still not really in any condition to be out tromping around in the woods yet, so she decides that they can afford to stay put for one more day. When she tells him this, he can't control his giddiness any more and suddenly he's kissing her again. But this time it isn't like the other times and Katniss gives as good as she gets.
Before she really completely sure what's happening, she's on top of him and his hands are on her. He's pulling her jacket off and pushing her hair away from her face and then they're both scrambling with belts and the fastenings of their pants and then she's full.
Full of him, full of life, just full. She forgets about Rue dying in her arms and Prim screaming for her at the reaping and this whole stupid charade that she's been forced into. She forgets about the fear of being alone, about the risk of being killed and simply allows herself to exist with him.
She arches her back and keens while he pants and groans.
The camera buzzes quietly in the dark.
The citizens of the Capital fall silent and still as they watch the elegant line of Katniss' neck arch while the pale skin of her ribs is revealed as Peeta's hand ruck up her shirt and Crane knows he's lost control of the situation.
Effie Trinket blushes through her make up while Haymitch raises his glass in a toast to the young lovers. He wanted her to put on a good show, but he had never expected this.
President Snow crushes the rose bloom he had been fingering.
After Peeta . . .
After Peeta, something begins to heal within Katniss.