A/N: I own no characters, settings or lyrics here. They are Susan Collins' and Chris Isaak's respectively. I was working on my other story while listening to this song and it just sort of made this pop into my head. Hope you like it. The song for those who don't recognize it is Wicked Games by Chris Isaak.
The world was on fire and no one could save me but you
It's strange what desire will make foolish people do
The games had nearly cost him everything. All of the games: the capital's games, her games, Haymitch's games had taken something from him. They had all used him and he had allowed it.
Why? He thought that when Katniss had saved him it was real and he let himself not notice the signs because of it. He didn't let himself know all of the games he was in until it was too late and he had already played his part beautifully. He was a good little pawn.
It didn't matter though; he was alive and home, where he could shut out all the players and live outside of the games.
Game over. No more.
I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you
And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you
There was an ache in her heart that she couldn't explain.
The games had taken their toll and she had nightmares every night. She dreamt of Foxface's limp body being hauled away, of Kato screaming and begging to die, of Glimmer's swollen, venom-filled hands gripping the bow, and mostly of the mutts hunting with their human eyes in the night.
But there were other dreams too. She always woke crying from them but she could quite consider them nightmares. They were not like the dreams of the horrors of the games. She dreamt of Peeta.
They were always the same. She would see him and he would see her from across a field. He would be bleeding from somewhere indistinct and she would try to go to him. He would run. She would follow. She would never catch him and she would know that he was going to die from the blood loss even as they ran. He would never stop to let her help him. It would end with him collapsing on bed of clover.
She always ran him too death trying to save him.
These dreams made her even sicker than the rest.
No, I don't want to fall in love
No, I don't want to fall in love
With you
She knew it wasn't love, she swore to herself to never fall in love. It nearly destroyed her mother and it had brought too many unwanted, unloved children into the world only for them to suffer and die. The thought of love made her angry and disgusted.
Love was stupid.
No, she was not in love with Peeta Mellark.
She just owed him for saving her life so many years ago.
No, that wasn't it either. She saved him in the games. The debt was paid.
Why then? Why did she chase him though the endless field almost every night?
Why did Peeta cause this ache in her core?
What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way
What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you
Peeta had dreams too. Mostly like Katniss's where he relived the games, but he too had even more disturbing dreams. He would have dreams that he would awaken panting and sweating to and have no chance of going back to sleep after.
He would dream of Katniss in their cave. In his dreams she would comfort him and lay him down in the cave and they would kiss. Oh, would they kiss. She would touch him and squeeze him in all the right places and they would pant and moan against each other's skin in the dark of the cave.
He dreamt of making love to her.
Each time he awoke form these dreams he hated her more. Each time he awoke from these dreams he loved her more.
What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way
What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you and
When he saw her in town and she look at him with those grey eyes, he's heart finally broke. He knew it because he could feel his chest caving in on the spot that should have held it and there was nothing to support it.
He knew he would never stop dreaming of her and the games and the hurt. He needed to escape from this life. Go somewhere far away. Go to the capital and let the vultures have him.
He ran.
She followed.
I want to fall in love
No, I want to fall in love
With you
She was coming to see him when their eyes met in the square. She had to talk to him. She had to dull the ache and nothing she was doing was helping. She needed to make him not hate her somehow.
She had begun to realize that she could hate everything about love and still be in it. The way you can hate open wounds and still have one, or hate killing and still have done it. It was a contradiction and she despised that, but she had still gone and fallen in love with damn Peeta Mellark.
She promised herself to never tell him and that just making him not hate her would be enough to stop the pain. Just friends. Somehow.
But then she saw him and it was just like in her dreams. His eyes told her that he was dying slowly and painfully. But this was not a dream, she knew, and she could stop it.
The world was on fire and no one could save me but you
It's strange what desire will make foolish people do
I never dreamed that I'd love somebody like you
And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you
His bad leg slows him down considerably and she is on him before he really knows she is chasing him. Her hands grab the back of his shirt and pulled back hard, knocking him onto his butt and sending up a little cloud of dust around him. His lungs empty of air and he has to struggle a little to catch his breath.
Katniss stands a few feet away, breathing heavily and trying to think of how she will explain this monstrous overreaction.
Peeta has his breath back but no words.
They don't look at each other.
Finally, Peeta breaks the silence. "I'm leaving," he says, "I'm going to the capital to live like a popular victor should. They've had enough of the star-crossed lovers and if I slip in under the radar no one will even wonder when I got there."
Katniss is speechless. Her whole body revolts at the idea. She knows the fate that awaits him there. He will be the new Finnick Odair. Katniss never told Peeta about him because she never told him anything of importance, but she knew. The thought of anyone touching him makes her blood run cold and her mind races for a way to stop him, but all her mouth produces is a strangled cry.
This pitiful sound is what finally brings Peeta's eyes to her's. She uses them to plead with him.
His resolve wavers. Maybe he could stay if she really wants him to. He remembers quickly that he hates her and he begins to stand. He needs to get away from her.
She desperately throws herself at him. She must make him stay here. She pushes him back but he shoves her hands away. Her mind is a blur and she does the only thing she can think of.
Their lips meet and then neither of them moves. Katniss moves her lips against Peeta's not daring to open her eyes and see him still hating her, just hoping to massage her meaning into his mouth and make him understand.
Then Peeta steps back.
At first, Katniss can't look back at him though she can feel his eyes burning holes in her. But she knows that she must convince him that she meant the kiss or at very least that he must not got to the capitol.
Their eyes meet again and it's just like in his dreams. He does care if it's real, but he wants more. He'll play the game.
No, I want to fall in love
No, I want to fall in love
With you
No, I...
Somehow they made it back to the victor's village and into Peeta's bedroom. Their clothes lay littered around the room. They move with each other, rocking and arching into each other.
Katniss's touch and moans are sweeter than in any of Peeta's dreams. They are locked together in almost frantic thrashing for what seems like hours and seconds at the same time. Then Katniss mutters something unintelligible and her hips shake, squeezing Peeta in the best way possible. He whispers her name as he gives over to the feeling, releasing into his blanket lying under her. Then he rolls off of her and they both lay panting.
They don't touch for a long moment. Then Katniss rolls onto her elbow and faces him. He allows her to hold his gaze.
"You will not go the capitol."
Silence.
"You will not go," she says more forcefully. She curls up next to him, resting her head on his bare chest. All he can do is wrap his arms around her. He's not going anywhere. He just prays that this is not another wicked game she's playing.
Nobody loves no one