Hey guys! I hope the wait wasn't too long :)

So, since there isn't much new going on in this chapter, I started a series of flashbacks which will continue throughout the story. The flashbacks are basically Everlark back-story, how they came to know each other, how they got together and other important stuff. The flashbacks won't be in every single chapter, though. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Day 547, still don't own The Hunger Games.

Chapter 3

Peeta

I'm waking up

I feel it in my bones

Enough to make my systems blow

Welcome to the new age

Peeta spotted a sleek black car waiting for him outside the Justice building. Once again he was heavily flanked by peacekeepers whose purpose he couldn't fully comprehend. He thought that one man with a loaded state of the art shotgun was enough to escort an unarmed seam boy to the car but apparently the Capitol was a little insecure or a bit too over-conscious. The vehicle was a stark black, elongated machine that glimmered brilliantly in the sun and would've been swoon worthy if it wasn't currently in District Twelve. The people who weren't certain of their next meal had long since abandoned hopes of such Capitol luxuries. Nor would they know how to operate a car even if they owned one.

Peeta slid in without protest and found Katniss already seated inside while Effie babbled away. The ride to the station was unnaturally quiet if Effie's constant chatter was ignored. The tension in the air was so thick Peeta would probably a hacksaw to cut through it. Both of them maintained the uninterrupted silence while Peeta discreetly observed her from the corner of his eye. She had tear tracks on her cheeks and her eyes were puffy and red. Seeing her hurt, hurt him return so he made sure to look away. He had only remotely managed to conceal his own tears and didn't want them to make a reappearance. Her tears were evidence to the severity of the situation because he was almost certain that he had only ever seen her cry twice since the day the two of them legitimately met. And that was a well long time ago. That day was starkly engraved in his mind.

Peeta changed his course and ducked hastily behind a marble column as he heard her walk pass. Once again she was accompanied by another blonde haired and blue eyed girl that he distinctly remembered to be the mayor's daughter. He cursed lightly under his breath. That girl seemed to accompany Katniss everywhere which was making his goal more and more difficult by the minute. It was almost time for the last bell and he hadn't been able to catch her alone. For the whole day Peeta had found himself fidgeting and glancing in her direction before swiftly looking away before her eyes could meet his. He had never known that a single thank you would ever cause him this amount of anxiousness.

When the bell signaling the end of another school day sounded, Peeta was out before the rest of the class could get out of their chairs. He hugged his threadbare grey sweater closer to his emaciated body as he jogged outside. Yesterday's heavy rain had been reduced to a chilly breeze that picked up and fell over the course of time. His shoes splattered heavily in the leftover muddy puddles and he leaned against the small fence that decorated the boundaries of the school premises. Just as he expected she tumbled out of the building amongst a group of students not a moment later. He saw her waving to a group of merchant friends before heading for the direction of the bakery, her golden hair twirling around her face as the wind teased it.

He heaved a large breath and gulped down the block in his throat. He could do it. It was just like talking to any other person. He would walk to her; say a few words and pick up Prim to walk back home. But he knew it actually wasn't. He was going to talk to the girl that saved his life \and thank her for a debt that could never be repaid. He rubbed his sweaty hands against his pants and held his shoulders a little higher. Really, he hated owing people.

"I…um…Katniss?" he cleared his throat awkwardly before tapping her lightly on the shoulder.

The look on her face as she spotted him could only be described as surprise because her eyes went wide and her mouth formed a little 'o'. She took control of her emotions soon enough and arranged her features in a look he couldn't properly decipher.

"Umm…Hi." The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could get a grip over is tongue. His voice came out quiet with additional octaves of awkwardness.

"Hi." she replied in what she made to pass as a casual manner but he could very well tell otherwise.

"I…uh…" he stammered suddenly having no idea what to say. All the words he had been practicing repeatedly through the math lesson felt too idle or silly. His mind had stopped working momentarily and he was left tongue-tied. How do you thank a person who saved your life? You couldn't, that's how.

He tugged at the too-large sleeve of his sweater in his fingers, twisting the loose threads anxiously. When he dared to look into her eyes, she was looking at him expectantly one of her pale eyebrows slightly quirked. He blew air out of his lungs and decided to give it a shot. Best case scenario, she accepts his apology tells him how to repay his debts and they both live on with their lives. Worst case scenario, she walks away and considers him a complete weirdo for the rest of his existence.

"I…uh…just…thank you." The words were rushed and said hastily. He fixed his gaze over a spot above her shoulder, anywhere but her face and forced himself to calm his speech. "I wanted to thank you…for yesterday…I..uh…it meant a lot." He managed to stammer out and wondered why his speaking abilities had been suddenly thrown out the window. By the time he stopped his spluttering his face was flushed and he stared down at his shoes, his eyes picking up odd little details. Like how he spotted a four leaved clover or how there was a tear in his left shoes that wasn't there before and how the rough little pebbles on the ground were so oddly shaped.

The silence seemed prolonged and he dared to actually look up she was looking at him with the repeated surprised expression and a look that he could interpret as kindness. Her features had softened and her lips had quirked up from the corners. When she spoke her voice held warmth and none of the stammer that had accompanied his.

"It was nothing, really. Anyone would have done the same." she told him. He wanted to disagree with her outright because he knew the fault in her statement. No one would have helped him. He had been dragging his feet across the district in vain hopes for almost two desperate days and not a single person had been willing to help. It was because of this that he knew he had to say something. Express his gratitude in some way even if it was just mere words.

"If there is anything I could do to repay you…I'll do it." This time his words were met with less hesitation from his part and he found that he had meant every single syllable. He just wanted to repay her in any way that he could so the both of them could forget that this ever happened and move on with their lives.

She blushed lightly and looked down obviously embarrassed with the suppressed amount of gratitude between the lines of his statement. "It's okay, it was nothing-"

"It was…sometimes a little help means a lot." He cut her off, his eyes slowly daring to look at her face "really, I mean it. You name it and I'll do it, anything." His hands had started playing with the tattered sleeve of his sweater again and he raised one of them to rub the back of his neck.

Her face got redder, if only. But she still looked at him directly and he couldn't help admire her for that. Her hair blew around her face and she pushed a lock away in frustration. She bit the corner of her lips in contemplation "Peeta…you don't have too… do anything that is."

He was a little shocked that she knew his name but he let the fact slide since he knew hers too and they had been in the same classes since almost six years. He pondered arguing with her but he found that he didn't have it in his heart. Nevertheless his seam pride was one thing that would never let go. "Okay. But I owe you. If ever-"

This time it was her that cut through his sentence. "I'll tell you, don't worry" She flashed him a smile and he gave her a tiny quirk of his lips. He wasn't too big on smiling. He couldn't even remember the last time he smiled since the mine incident but he felt that he couldn't not return hers. It seemed inexplicably rude then, although the not-smiling was almost a habit. Peeta nodded once gave her an awkward wave of his hand and was about to head off when he saw Prim bounding over to where he stood. His heart swelled at the sight of his sister's beaming face. He had gone too long without seeing it. Prim clutched at his hand and he started to lead her away.

"Hello." Prim smiled up at Katniss brightly. Peeta silently cursed her sister's social tendencies because he had no desire to prolong the discomfort that he was causing both himself and Katniss. It wasn't that Katniss wasn't nice, in fact she was much more admirable than the regular merchants but he had never been the social butterfly and talking to merchants was the last thing he wanted to do. If he had a head start he might even be able to venture into the forest for the second time that day. He was already planning another few hours of hunt when he found that his sister had started an animated conversation with the baker girl. For the rest of the fifteen minutes Peeta stood by awkwardly while he watched Prim discussing frosting designs with Katniss.

When Katniss invited Prim to the bakery the next day, Peeta almost wanted to shout out his disagreement but one look at Prim's eager expression and he knew that he could never deny her anything. Prim was one thing that could waver his will and he constantly berated himself for the weakness. Grudgingly he agreed. Prim squealed excitedly and hugged his legs between her little arms. When he walked home he truly smiled for the first time in months.

Peeta shook himself out of his reverie as the car halted to the stop in front of the train station. The drastic events of the day had resurfaced old memories. He could vividly remember every minute detail from that day. It was the first time he had talked to Katniss and the sight of her had uplifted his hopes. He smiled vaguely at the thought of the little blooming dandelion he had picked up after. In his mind she was still like the dandelion, a little hope amidst the coal covered earth. Whatever he did, he wasn't going to let the dandelion wilt.

The train begun to accelerate and the initial speed took his breath away. Like the car Peeta had never been inside the train before. It was forbidden to travel between the Districts except for official business or for special people like victors or occasionally the mayor. The inside of the train was magnificent to say the least. Effie gave them quick directions which included their own rooms, private bathrooms and dressing areas. He slowly made his way down the narrow hallway adorned with mirrors and antiques into the dinning cart which was lavishly decorated with mahogany tables that held laden baskets of fruits and plates of light appetizers. Effie escorted the two of them into the train lounge where she offered them congratulations and briefly recited the schedule from a tablet like device she held in her hand. Peeta felt like he couldn't concentrate on anything. Effie's words rushed over his head like a wave and everything seemed dulled and blurred. It was only when Effie left the room to get Haymitch that his mind seemed to focus.

All of a sudden Katniss stood up from her seat and he stood up as well. For a moment the room was eerily quiet as they stared at each other before Katniss was shouting at him,

"What did you think you were doing? She yelled with a hitch in her high-pitched voice. "Did you completely lose your mind?"

She continued the course of the shouts and her voice rose higher with each cry and insult she threw at him until; her breath was heaving and traitorous tears glistened atop her eyes. Then she was hitting him, slamming her closed fists against his chest, all the time screaming obscenities. Her voice was mingled with tears but she daren't let a single fall. He stood there noiselessly and waited for her to let it all out. When she seemed like she had exhausted her reserves of energy she let her hands fall limp besides her and chose to glare at the ground instead. For the second time that day he wrapped his arms around her and molded her framed against his.

They stood there for a few moments while Peeta gently twirled the bottom of her braid in his fingers and planted a light kiss atop her head. She sniffed a few times and when they finally drew apart she was once again in full control over her emotions. He caught the sight of the Mockingjay pin she had previously gifted to Prim pinned crookedly to her chest. The pin surprisingly reminded him of his father. Seldom, in the deep confines of the forest his father would sing a little tune or hymn in his soft voice and he watched with silent wonder as the Mockingjays reverberated the sound. Instead of questioning, he straightened the pin so the Mockingjay's beak pointed in the right direction. She eyed his movements.

"I told Prim to keep it but she gave it back." Her voice was light as she fingered the glittering pin "I hear the tributes are allowed a token."

He nodded mutely, "I wish I had brought a reminder from home." He immediately regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth as Katniss's face transformed into a scowl. He hastily turned to change the subject and grabbed her hand, "Come on, I think that's Effie."

Not a moment too soon, Effie re-entered the cart, huffing under her breath and wearing an absolutely miffed expression. If she had stomped her feet with a little more force, she would have without a doubt, tumbled to the floor all in her capitol glory. She stopped short when she saw his and Katniss's interlinked hands and her eyes widened just a little. Beside him Katniss blushed lightly. He barely contained his smile at seeing her flushed face and swung their hands around just for extra measure. Effie seemed a little quiet so he coughed loudly and spoke

"Where's Haymitch?"

Effie was startled from her trance and looked a tad embarrassed at being caught staring. She straightened up her posture and ran a hand to fix the ruffled up feathers of her dress. Thankfully, by now she had straightened her atrociously blaring wig.

"Drank himself raw, that old hag. Why I had been knocking on the door for almost five minutes before he decided to show up." Effie huffed loudly. "He'll be at lunch, probably needs more alcohol by now."

While Effie had her little tantrum Peeta and Katniss shared a small smile behind their backs. There was supposedly a rumor flying about since the last games concerning Haymitch and their currently very annoyed escort. After all anger was one of the most common ways to show affection.

"Time for lunch!" Effie announced.

They made their way to the dinning cart and Peeta's mouth watered at just seeing the mere amount of delicacies' that sat leisurely on the table that had been set up for four. There were steaming pots of gravies and an assortment of stews sprinkled with bright spices and herbs and paired nicely with salads. On the other side were placed dishes that raged from rice to steamed chicken and other sweltering bowls whose content he couldn't recognize. Katniss was currently admiring the three different kinds of bread that sat in one corner of the table and as the both of them took their place beside each other it, the buttered rolls were the first thing she grabbed. Peeta loaded his plate with far more amount of food that he could possibly digest. It seemed impossibly long ago that he had sat with Prim and his mother eating the bread with strawberries. And they had never had food like this, so much and so good. Katniss too was eating at a much faster pace but was still slightly behind Peeta who was much likely inhaling the food.

"At least you two have good manners." Effie interjected as Peeta silently scooped the last remains of tomato and garlic gravy from his plate. "The pair last year ate everything with their hands like a couple of savages. It completely upset my digestion"

The kids from last year were both from the seam who probably never had enough to eat in their whole life. Peeta's mother had thought him table manners and Katniss was the baker's daughter, it was guaranteed. But the seam kids would have fervently grabbed nay food on which they laid sights on, table manners or not. Peeta felt so annoyed with Effie's comment that he made a point to lick his plate clean with his fingers and then wipe his hands against the table cloth. Katniss's lip twitched in a barely concealed smile while Effie pursed hers together tightly.

After a few minutes of rabid eating Haymitch stumbled into the room, placing a hand against the adjacent wall to steady himself. He slid into the seat next to Effie who scrunched her nose and discreetly edged away. For a moment Peeta thought that Haymitch might actually consider drinking orange juice before he was proved wrong when Haymitch pulled out a small flask from inside his waistcoat and tipped its mouth over the rim of the glass containing the orange liquid. He took a long swing from his glass almost downing half of it in one gulp before slamming it roughly on top of the table. Peeta saw Katniss's eyes narrow slightly.

"So you're our mentor." She said in a casual manner but he detected the slight annoyance in her voice.

Haymitch looked up at being addressed before he continued to gobble up the chicken leg he had grabbed in his hand. This time Peeta's eyes narrowed too, mirroring Katniss's expression.

"So you got any advice for us?" he asked, subtly prepping up a conversation.

Haymitch glanced up from his food again and gave them a look that suggested that they had suddenly grown bullhorns. He swallowed and then scoffed at them, jerking his head in a manner that suggested ridicule.

"Yeah I've got advice for you." He took another gulp of the alcoholic orange juice. "Stay alive."

Haymitch let out a bark of laughter, pleased at his own joke but Peeta felt a huge burst of irritation quickly bubbling up inside of him. Here they were, waiting to be thrown into an arena in a fight to death and all this man had to offer was some kind of drunken jibe. Peeta had a hard time believing how Haymitch had survived his Games. The only thing that Haymitch looked capable of doing right now was snoring in his own vomit. That was part of the reason tributes from Twelve would never win. Haymitch would never be coherent throughout the games to even bargain them a sponsor. Peeta suddenly lashed out at the glass in Haymitch's hands in his anger. It shattered to the ground in small shards with the orange liquid running over the tiles.

"That's extremely witty." He retorted. "But unfortunately, I don't have a sense of humor."

Haymitch considered Peeta's words before punching him square in the jaw. The blow was unexpected and it sent him rocking painfully, in the back of his chair. Peeta balanced himself back up almost instantaneously, his anger boiling precariously on the surface when he saw Haymitch reach for another bottle of spirit. This time it was Katniss that drove a knife between his fingers, barely missing the flesh by an inch. Her eyes glinted with rage and she plucked the knife out of the dented table forcefully glaring at Haymitch. His own anger masked his face. Effie watched the spectacle in shock, blubbering incoherently about table manners.

Haymitch didn't seem to react at either of their glares but instead studied the both of them intently. He squinted before titling his head to one side. "What's this?" he asked "Do I actually have a couple of fighters this year?"

None of them responded and Haymitch continued to study them fixedly. He turned to Katniss, "Fancy killing something with that knife other than a placemat?" he asked.

Katniss locked eyes with Peeta and he gave her an almost indistinguishable nod of his head. She gripped the handle of her knife tightly in her right hand until her knuckles turned white, took careful aim and threw the knife at the opposite wall. The knife swung in mid air before it lodged itself squarely in the middle of the wooden panel that ran alongside the wall, making her look even better than she actually was. Peeta passed her a small grin. This was her first step out of the arena. You can't impress the crowd unless you impress your mentor.

Haymitch muttered something inaudible under his breath and turned his attention towards Peeta. Peeta could practically see the gears churning in Haymitch's head before a sudden emotion registered upon his face. Peeta took it as recognition. He knew that Haymitch recognized him from the Hob and probably knew that Peeta was an archer. He suddenly stood up.

"Get up." he commanded. "Both of you."

Both Peeta and Katniss obeyed and walked over to the middle of the room. Haymitch then proceeded to circle them, occasionally murmuring under his breath. He poked and prodded them, checked their muscles and closely examined their faces to the point where it made Peeta want to flinch. He then backed away with a look of contemplation on his face and folded his arms over his chest.

"You're fit enough." Haymitch concluded. "Not particularly frail like the rest of the seam." He continued; this particular comment directed at Peeta. Haymitch then reverted his attention back to Katniss and spoke, "And you sweetheart, got a bit more muscle than the rest of them. That'll be fair advantage."

Katniss scowled at the faux term of endearment but otherwise retained her position. Haymitch's point was correct too. Katniss had grown up in the bakery where she had learned to lift small loads and eventually heavier ones. This had given her a slight edge added with the combined fact that she had a healthier diet than most of the seam kids even though it usually consisted of stale bread that the bakery had failed to sell. Peeta had also occasionally taken her to the woods. This was where she had learned to throw a decent shot with the knife, after giving up on archery lessons before even an hour was up.

Katniss groaned again before huffing irritably and plopping herself atop the bearded roots of an old pine.

"This is useless." She said heatedly and wrenched out some weeds that grew on the ground beside where she sat.

"Oh, c'mon Katniss. You've barely been at this for an hour." Peeta said as he joined her on the ground and tried to make her accept the long bow he held in his hands. "If it's any consolation, it took me weeks to actually shoot a squirrel and even then on the stomach."

Katniss brought her knees to her face, placed her arms around her legs and promptly buried her head between her knees. "I know. It's just….this doesn't feel right." She informed Peeta with a muffled voice. "Archery isn't for me. I just know."

Peeta shook his head before noticing that she couldn't see him anyway. "Katniss" he spoke "you'll get better eventually. You haven't even properly tried." He protested.

Peeta's argument turned out to be of no avail. Katniss continued to ignore his persistent protests and instead repeated her words constantly. The bow and arrow had not been made for her hands and she was aware of the obvious fact. The bow felt awkward in her fingers and too long for her height. She had difficulty in even notching the arrow properly against the bow much less actually taking a shot. Her hands were unstable and she couldn't decide which one of her eyes enabled her to focus better. This was the first time Peeta had seen her hands wobble. They were the same hands that swiftly cut through loafs of bread and that designed perfect intricate patterns on top of cakes without a hitch.

Katniss groaned again before lifting her face and setting it atop her knees. "Well, there goes our plan." She said gazing at the trees. "If I ever get reaped, I'm screwed."

One day out of the bloom as the reaping approached, Katniss had commented on how, if he ever got reaped, he would at least have a decent chance of surviving provided that the cornucopia had a bow. If it was her by any chance, she would probably blow herself up by jumping of the platform before the gong even rang. Katniss had meant it as a joke but Peeta had taken the comment to heart and persuaded her to learn how to shoot. There they were the next day, already with disastrous results.

"Well all hope's not lost." Peeta tried to heighten her spirit. He rummaged through his game bag and pulled out the knife he used to skin his game. He cleaned the knife of dried blood against his pants before he handed it to her. She would be more familiar with the knife having used it around the bakery for a long time. "Try this."

Katniss eyed the knife warily before taking it from his hands. She gave him a shrug before she threw the knife aimlessly at the nearest tree. To both their astonishment the blade sank into the bark with its handle lodged out. They looked at each other with wide eyes and grinned.

"You'll both be attractive enough. Once the stylists have gotten hold of you." Haymitch concluded his observations. Neither Peeta nor Katniss questioned the last statement. It was a well known fact that the best looking tributes got the best sponsors. "And well, you'll already be in the spotlight. With the drama you put up today."

The both of them exchanged an uncertain look not sure how to interpret Haymitch's last comment. How would the Capitol interpret their exchange? By Effie's reaction Peeta guessed that they would be intrigued if not curious to learn their story. But would the attention be enough to warrant Katniss a pass out of the arena?

They decided not to comment and instead made a deal with Haymitch. They wouldn't interfere with his drinking and he would stay sober enough to coach them. This suited Peeta just fine, as long as Haymitch was there when he was needed. He had to admit that although Haymitch was useless most of the time he had to have some qualities that had enabled him to win his own games. He would have let his skills tarnish but experience and clever was vital and something that couldn't be lost over the years. Peeta hadn't seen them but he had heard that Haymitch's games had been quiet a spectacle themselves.

As both Haymitch and Effie had predicted, District Twelve was the talk of the evening as commentators with atrocious accents speculated on the nature of connection of the two tributes. Two horridly dressed women discussed the attributes of all the tributes commenting on their traits that raged from their looks to their physique, age and the judging their ability by appearance. The shorter women of the two gushed on about how the district twelve tributes were so mysterious this year and how she couldn't actually wait for the interviews! Peeta had a hard time looking at her face. Her lips were charcoal black both her eyes were outlined with studs. Her features looked altered and she gave out a wave of unnatural.

They waited for a few more minutes before they started showing the recap of the reapings. As per usual the reapings from Districts One, Two and Four compromised solely on heavy volunteering. More from One and Two than from Four. The Careers appeared the same with heavy builds, able bodies and proud attitudes. Shouting and jeering in front of the screaming crowds as Effie Trinket replicas tried to control the mayhem. Peeta concentrated on their appearance, thoroughly judging his competition. The males from One and Two were particularly buff with their structures practically shouting the evident years of training. The girls were smaller compared to the guys but still had at least a foot on Katniss in height and almost ten more pounds in muscle. As the reapings proceeded none of the other tributes particularly caught his attention and he soon had difficulty in recalling even a few names. He thought that the girl from five looked a little sly and felt a pang of pity for the crippled boy from ten which was an emotion that was mostly foreign to him.

It wasn't till the girl from Eleven walked up to the stage did he feel like his breath being knocked out of his lungs. She was little to say the least with dark skin and frizzy hair. She had a frail and petite structure with her body constructed like a bird positioned for flight. She was twelve but she hardly looked her age. She reminded Peeta so much of Prim that he had to constantly remind himself that she wasn't his sister and was a stranger from Eleven who would probably be slaughtered in the bloodbath before the games even properly begun. At least Peeta wouldn't have to kill her then. Beside him on the couch, Katniss tensed up and reached to put a comforting hand on his knee. Unlike the rest of the tributes Peeta remembered the girls name clearly. She was named Rue, after a plant just like Katniss and Prim. Rue's district partner was almost Career worthy with a robust, broad shouldered and muscular built and Peeta mentally jotted him down amongst his mental list of competition.

The tension in the room was pungent as the District Twelve reaping started up. Effie groaned about loudly when she saw the disarray that was her hair and complained about how she had finally wanted to be better dressed than the District Seven escort. Peeta sat upright in his seat as he saw Prim's name being called and had to remind himself that his sister wasn't here right now, although he did regret his reaction upon her name being called. He cringed and looked away as his own hoarse cries were replicated through the screen. When he looked up again he saw himself volunteering and felt minute satisfaction at seeing his emotionless mask back up. Unfortunately the scene where he had hugged Katniss was also fully displayed on national television.

Immediately the reporters were back on.

"My, my, Glaze did you see District twelve this year? Something fishy is surely cooking." The short plump commentator said to the women to her right. Her voice was high pitched and overly enthusiastic.

Glaze promptly responded. "I can almost smell it all the way to the Capitol!" the two women laughed before Glaze continued.

"And two volunteers! From the same day! This day is going down in history ladies and gentlemen."

Peeta tried his best to tune out the rest of the blabber but his mind caught on to the end of the conversation anyway.

"And the hug!" The shorter women gushed out. "I don't know how they are related but I can tell you this folks, these two certainly aren't strangers and certainly not siblings for that matter." She winked blatantly at the screen. The meaning behind her words was heavily implied.

Once again Peeta fought the urge to flinch and turned his attention to Haymitch to notice his reaction. Haymitch looked skeptical, tapping his fingers against his leg while staring off into space but a few minutes passed and he didn't share any views. Not moments later Effie stood up and clapped her hands loudly.

"Time for bed everyone. We have a busy schedule tomorrow!" she said.

Effie trotted off with her heels clanking loudly and Haymitch was quick to follow muttering something that sounded like 'I need a drink' under his breath. Peeta and Katniss remained sitting in their positions and as the cart emptied they both turned around to face each other.

"Well, we are in a right mess, aren't we?" Katniss asked with a loud sigh and leaned her head against his shoulder.

He shrugged lightly. "Yeah, you could say that."

The two of them remained quiet after that, silently sharing each other's company. Out the window the world passed by in a blur, visible through the faint wisps of moonlight. He shifted in his seat to wrap an arm around her waist and she snuggled deeper into his side, burying her face in the crook of his neck. He inhaled deeply in her scent and closed his eyes, tiredly. It was only then when he had almost drifted off that Katniss reluctantly stood up with her mouth opening in a huge yawn and led them both to their separate bedrooms after kissing him goodnight.

So that's it, until next time :D

Guys, I really need your help in something, though. I have a lot of problem with writing dialogue that doesn't seem too awkward or something. I really need you to tell me how I did in this chapter because it had comparatively more dialogue than the other chapters. I still think it was a little awkward though. Tell me what should I do to improve my dialogue or whether you find it okay. English isn't my first language so its kinda harder for me.

The song is Radioactive by Imagine Dragons.

ciao! c:

~EG