Thank you so much for the reviews and nice words, they all meant so much to me. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.
Disclaimer: The Hunger Games and the rightful characters are not my property, but that of Suzanne Collins; this is just how i think things would have gone had there been a direct continuation after 'The Hunger Games'.
Rated M for Adult Content
Everything freezes and for a moment I want nothing more than to drop the entire charade and run into his arms. Its only been a few weeks but it feels like a century sine I've been this close to my best friend.
Peeta notices me staring and nudges me slightly. My cloudy vision takes him in for a moment, registering where we were, what we were doing and smiled at him with as much love and admiration as I could muster.
But I couldn't help but think, I was doing this to save the ones I loved. To save Gale.
Just then, my mother runs into my arms, nearly knocking me over as she places kisses all over my face, her hands running through my hair and pulling me close to her.
"You did it! Oh Katniss you made it…you did it!" she said, shaking me into her arms, tears spilling down her face. It had been quite some time since I had seen mother like this, beside herself, crying from complete happiness and relief instead of grief.
And it was hard to reciprocate. I couldn't help but think of the alternative, what it would have been like if I hadn't made it back. Would she be dead by now? Would Prim?
Prim.
The cameras are pointed at me and mother, not wanting to miss a single second of the glorious reunion. A round of 'awes' and applause fill the air as I accept my mothers hug and kiss her cheek, smiling as warmly as I can force.
"Where is Prim?" I cant help but ask immediately, searching the crowd for the small girl I couldn't get off my mind since the departure. Without hesitation, something shot into my arms.
Encasing me in her embrace was Prim, shaking from the tears that racked her body as she held me close-her lifeline- the sister she never thought she would see again. And I have tears in my eyes too, because although I didn't want to think it true, I hadn't counted on ever seeing Prim again after that day in the Justice Building. But here we are.
It's then that I notice Peeta and his family reuniting, hugging each other smiling, though, it seems with force, as if to promote the happy family look rather than genuine. I stare at Peeta's mother, the witch of a woman and wonder how she can smile so nicely right now, as if she's thrilled her son has returned safely.
Haymitch shoots me a look and interlocks his fingers to which I respond by grabbing Peeta's hand. He turns to look at me, confused until he senses its me holding onto him, and then pulls me into him further, kissing my forehead.
"Mom, what do you think of all of this? Ever see it coming?" one of the camera men asked with a grin.
Mother looks us over with suspicion, but plays along, just like she knows she ought to.
"I think Katniss is a bit too young for dating," this earns some laughs, and some relief from my end. "But we'll see what happens."
As the crowds slim down, and the cameras move around the district to film parts of the festivities, Peeta and I are wisped away to prepare for a small interview and a large Capital banquet dinner for our return. Tonight-no one is District 12 will go hungry.
Effie is beside herself with the welcome home we've received and cannot believe how 'crappy old District 12' could have possibly transformed itself into the District she stares at now.
"You know, maybe its not that embarrassing to representing the least liked District." Effie says nonchalantly, as if talking about the weather. "Although, you two are definitely bumping up the status of this place."
"Thanks Effie," I grumble as Peeta snickers. He's sitting clear across the room, as if we cant stand the sight of one another, as soon as the doors are closed, we're pushing away from each other.
Me, because I'm confused as to what I want. Why I've played along for such an extended period of time.
Him, because its too painful to stay close to me for too long.
"You two, over here now" Haymitch says, rubbing his temples, his blood shot eyes shut tightly with the pressure of the lights being too much.
Peeta and I sit beside him, waiting for him to speak in silence before he pops an eye open, as if startled to see us sitting next to him.
"What the hell was with you today?" he asked, staring pointedly towards me.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"We're past the cue cards sweetheart, I'm not always going to be around to remind you you're supposed to be madly and insanely in love."
"I wasn't convincing?" I scoffed, as if the idea itself were ridiculous.
"Sweetheart, its hard to notice much of anything about you and lover boy here while you're shooting googley eyes at your cousin across the crowd."
My cousin?
The words pour directly from my mind to my lips as I stare at Haymitch with confusion and uncertainty.
He proceeds to fill me in on all the blanks of my life, about when it was time to come around interviewing the contestants families and friends, everyone directed the interviewers to Gale. A boy best friend? Oh, well that just wont do, not with a blossoming romance being the main event of the 74th Hunger Games. Instead, they made up a long story about how Gale was my….cousin.
"Really? Cousin? I expected more creativity from you."
Haymitch shrugged. "Look, I only follow directions of higher forces, and so do you. Since I am your mentor, I am your higher power and I am forbidding you from seeing that boy as of now."
I scoff. Haymitch could not control my life in this way. He was not my mother or father and he wouldn't treat me as so. I opened my mouth to inform him of this, but he beats me to the punch.
"Save it," he speaks lowly, his hands up in the air. "I don't want to hear it Katniss. I'm your mentor and I'm telling you what I think is best. Its not an option or opinion. It's a demand. You stay away from Gale, and while you're at it, try not treating your boyfriend here like some social pariah the minute the cameras are gone."
I steal a glance at Peeta. His head hangs low, looking down at his lap where his hands sit entwined. I feel guilt rise in me. Couldn't Haymitch have waited until we were alone to tear me a new one, instead of right in the face of the victim?
Before the dinner, we would have one more ceremony to attend to, where Peeta and I would be awarded new homes across the street from Haymitch in the small and lonely Victors Village, towards the nicer part of District 12. With late afternoon approaching, we were eager to be released from the Justice Building-our place of captivity- and into the arms of our families and loved ones.
But no Gale.
"Katniss please, stop fittling with your hair. It looks simply darling the way you had it. If you keep pulling at those loose ends, we'll be forced to start over."
I had hardly noticed I was occupying myself with the loose strands of my hair which had come free of the braid, a newer nervous habit I had picked up since I was nearly forced to stop biting my nails to bits by my prep team.
"Sorry," I say simply because there is no other way to respond to her comment. She patted my arm lovingly before the doors open wide and two Peacemakers nod for us to come forward.
"Oh goodness!" Effie says, prancing around like a rabbit, my arm encased in her squeezing fingers. "Peeta? Haymitch? Come along! Its time to get your brand new houses!"
I had never lived in a house before. Just the small shack like home from the Seam Prim, Mother and I lived in before the games. Oddly enough, I missed that old home and the comfort it held, an odd level of security and pattern.
I was a creature of habit, and within the last month had had my fill of change for a lifetime. Too bad the change would continue until I was dead.
Peeta laces his hand in mine without asking and I look up to be met with his smile, before he mouths the words, "You ready?" to me.
"No," I say silently back to him, which makes him chuckle. Then, out of no where, he leaned forward to place a quick and gentle kiss on my lips, lingering if only for a second too long. He stands up straight after and clears his throat.
"You'll be fine," he assures me. "I'm right here with you."
But it wasn't fine, because throughout the entire celebration and awarding of our new homes I could think of nothing other than what that kiss might have meant, his words behind it, and how I felt about the entire situation.
"Haymitch wont be happy if you don't start smiling now." Peeta grumbled to me through his plastered smile, his one hand holding mine, the other high in the air with a wave.
Screw Haymitch. I felt like saying, but instead thanked him with the squeeze of my hand and smiled largely, thanking the people of District 12 for the beautiful home-as if they were the ones to give it to me.
It wasn't until after the lavish dinner and festivities ended that we were bided goodnight into our Victors Village, allowing an allotted time slot for us to actually be alone and talk. I watched as Prim headed up the stairs sluggishly, the back of her shirt un-tucked from her pants, causing a small duck tail to hang over her bottom. I caught up with her tired form quickly and gave it a small pull, causing a small smile to play on her lips.
"Tuck in your tail little duck," I whispered, planting a kiss on her cheek and scooting her further up the stairs.
"Goodnight Katniss," she yawns, shuffling along the wooden floor until I heard her door shut quietly behind her.
"Goodnight," I whisper, passing mother on the stairs and giving her a small nod of the head. We would need to talk, that was certain, but now was neither the time or the place for that. So instead, I let her go on to bed, and I moved back down the long steps and slipped on my shoes.
Even with Prim and mother obviously fatigued from the day and heading straight to bed, there was more privacy over in Peeta's home, and I would rather not take my chances talking about anything costly here.
The walk over was a simple one, just a few steps across the eerily empty Victors Village and I was knocking on his door. I thought to just walk straight in, but decided against it. This was after all, his new home. However, when the door flung open, it was Haymitch staring at me, not Peeta.
"Am I…at the wrong house?" only three people occupied these large houses in the village, it shouldn't have been that difficult to locate Peeta.
Haymitch pushed the door open more fully and placed his body flush against the wall, his arm extended in an odd welcome. "Oh no sweetheart, you're right where you're supposed to be."
My first thoughts were confirmed when I smelt the overwhelming stench of liquor on his breath. I moved my hands in front of my face, pushing the fume clouds away obnoxiously before glaring towards him and stepping inside.
Peeta's house was nearly identical to mine, and I figured Haymitch's resembled ours as well. If you followed the path down the short hallway, it split off into two directions, one leading to the kitchen, the other to the living room. I heard the television quietly playing in the living room and decided to follow its course, Haymitch dragging along behind me.
The silhouette of Peeta's frame is dancing off the walls in the firelight. His body sits on the couch, hunched over.
I thought of Haymitch's words; 'and while you're at it, try not treating your boyfriend here like some social pariah the minute the cameras are gone.'
He was right. Surely not about the boyfriend setup, but about the way I had been treating Peeta. He hadn't done anything wrong, in fact, it was me who hurt him. I sighed, looking at the boy with the bread, the boy who always taught me things would in time get better and suddenly felt sharp pangs of guilt pouring over my body.
I moved toward him slowly, trying to calculate what it was exactly I was going to do, then, I rest my hand on his broad shoulder, rubbing it gently before he turns to look up at me, his blue eyes boring into mine with confusion.
"Are you ok?" I ask, my voice cracking as I indicate towards his prosthetic leg with a nod of my head.
He rubs it gently before tugging down his pant sleeve and standing up, quickly-but measurably.
"Yea," he breathed. "Still just getting used to it. All this walking…" he stops short, shaking his head. "Sorry…I know we all have problems. All have things we need to get used to."
My arm, still holding onto his shoulder moves down the length of his arm and back up again in what I hope is a comforting manner. "You should sit down, we all need some well deserved rest."
He nodded and lowered himself back onto the couch. I followed a second later, and a few minutes after, Haymitch came to box me in between them. He flipped through the same Capitol channels over and over until he finally threw the remote with a curse.
"This damn piece of junk!" he slurred as Peeta and I bit our lips to keep from laughing. He grumbled something under his breath, swinging his half empty bottle around and heading for the door without further discussion.
It's silent. Peeta yawns. Silence. I tap my fingers annoyingly against the leather of the couch. Peeta's eyelids get heavy. I yawn. Silence.
"I think its bedtime," I whisper, close in his ear causing him to shutter lightly and then after a second nod. We rise to our feet and for the first time since we were with Caesar, I take his hand willingly. He doesn't seem to notice the action in his dozing state but just allows me to lead him up the staircase.
He falls into bed without changing from his dressy apparel and I pull the blankets up over his head, rubbing his soft curls from his face. For a second, he looks like the small boy I met that night in the rain. His features softer than normal and his eyes drifted shut. I wonder, do all men look like boys when they sleep? He's beautiful, but then again, he always had been.
I go to turn away, disturbed at the twist my mind had taken without my permission and get to the door before a soft mewling stops me.
"Katniss," he whispers, sitting up more straight in his bed. His eyes are wide, searching for me. I wait.
"Stay with me," he asks quietly, his arm moving to push back the blankets and provide a space for my small body to slip next to his own.
Without another word, I found myself tucked under his blanket with him, our bodies melting into one as a good nights sleep over took us for the first time in weeks.
Morning came all too quickly and Peeta and I were jolted awake by the odd sound of the doorbell. Peeta recognized it, of course, but my first thoughts led to attack in the strange house full of things I had never known.
Haymitch was too impolite to knock, so it couldn't possibly be him sounding at the door, not to mention, based on last night, he was probably still sleeping off a throbbing hangover.
I thought of Prim, but she would be in school by this time.
Peeta told me I could stay put and he would go and get the door. I followed him to the stairs and crouched behind the wooden railing. He walked down the stairs stiffly before opening the door just wide enough for me to make out the figure behind it.
His black hair was unmistakable, his olive skin and green eyes practically pierced into my body, even though there was no way he could see me. I cant hear the full extent of the conversation, just my name on his lips, Peeta shaking his head no, Gale's frustrated expression, and then the door shutting.
What did he say to him?
I was bounding down the stairs a moment later. I didn't have to ask for Peeta to know what I wanted to hear. His hands fly up to stop me from running out the door and for a moment I cant decide if he wont let me go because he doesn't want me to be with Gale, or if this is under Haymitch's instructions.
"Let me go Peeta!" I hiss, "He's looking for me!"
"Katniss, you can't. Not right now anyways, believe me, please." he grunts with the struggle to keep me from escaping his grasp. Peeta is strong, there is no doubt about that, but I am fierce, and do not like feeling trapped.
I'd like to say it were an accident, I could even play it off as just that, but it was no accident. Amongst my flailing, I jammed the back of my foot square into Peeta's bad leg. He fell down immediately, releasing his grip on me and allowing me to go flying through the doors.
"Gale!" I call, just as he's about to pass the gates of the Victors Village. "Gale!" I call again.
He turns, and flashes me a winning smile. "Well look who it is. I knew you couldn't hide from me forever, Catnip."
Thank you for reading, update will come soon.
~SoYouThinkYouCanWrite