Peeta sighed. He stood with his back to the doorway, the entire house behind him was silent, like it always was. He closed his eyes, staring at the painting in front of him, wondering how he could have even considered the painting in front of him could substitute for the real thing. Gray eyes stared back at him, just as stormy and confused as the last time he had seen them. Black hair flowed across olive skin, and dirt and blood felt caked into the picture as well, somehow. It doesn't even matter where, it's the fact that children's blood is worth nothing that has been plaguing him.

He slumped down in his chair, dejectedly dropping his brush to the floor. He reached out a hand to stroke the lines of her face, tracing her lips and jaw. Tears streaked both cheeks, and he wiped them away, forgetting about his paint-covered hands and streaking black and green over his pale skin.

"Peeta Mellark, victor of the 74th Annual Hunger Games!" He jumped as a familiar voice behind him bellowed. He plastered a smile on as he turned to see his brothers in the doorway.

"Germain, Noethe, I haven't seen you since the Reaping, where have you two jerks been?" Although he said it with a grin and teasing tone, he knew his eyes betrayed his seriousness.

"I'm sorry, Peet, Mom wouldn't give us any time off other than to eat or sleep or go to school, so we couldn't get away. But she caught a cold." Noethe grinned. Germain smiled gently, handing Noethe the package he carried.

"Noe, go make us something to eat, would ya?" Noethe nodded, patting Peeta on the shoulder and heading downstairs.

"What's wrong, Peet?" Germain asked, squatting down to pick up the dropped brushes and wipe at the stained flooring.

"Nothing, I'm fine, I survived the Games and finally got Katniss, didn't I?" He said, a little too brightly. Germain frowned, and Peeta's smile turned downward as he closed his eyes.

"It wasn't real, was it?"

Peeta bit his lip and shook his head.

"When did you find out, or was it your strategy the whole time?"

"I-no-well," Peeta choked out, "See I wasn't planning on winning. I was going to have Katniss win, so it didn't matter if I told the world I liked her. It was a strategy to save her, but then, she came and dug me out of the mud. I was so confused, why would she do that? I did nothing but drag her down and make more work for her. I thought-" He sniffled and cleared his throat to finish. "It was just a strategy to get sponsors. I found out on the train ride home. I still don't know why she didn't kill me or let me die." He swiped at his cheeks, and turned around to mess with his easel so he wouldn't have to look at Germain.

"Wow-I just... I can't believe she would do that to you. You almost died several times to save her life. What a bi-"

"Stop it. It's not her fault, she saved both our lives." Peeta interrupted angrily. Germain raised his hands.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-" he trailed off. His frown stayed in place. "You... you are actually in love with her."

"Of course I am, you knew that." Peeta scowled.

"No-not quite, you never said you loved her, you said you'd had a crush on her forever. Everyone else said love." Germain explained, dropping the brushes into the cup of water.

"Well they were right." He said bitterly. Germain didn't say anything for awhile.

"You did something that's never happened before. Two victors. I don't care what Mom thinks, I'm really proud of you, Peet." He smiled.

"What does Mom think?"

"Do you really want to know? It will make you feel worse."

"Yeah, what could she possibly think that's worse than before the Games? At least now I'm a victor and not just her accident child."

"Well-I don't want you to let her get to you, this is just her opinion-she thinks you should have let yourself die after the District 2 brute sliced you, so the cameras wouldn't have to watch you slowly starve like a District 12 disgrace. And she's not happy about your leg..." Germain watched Peeta's reaction.

"Well nothing's changed then." He said softly, his shoulders slumping. Germain got up to hug his brother, resting his chin on Peeta's head.

"Nothing ever will, that's just how she is. Don't let it upset you, okay?"

"But she's right, I should have died. Nobody expected me to live because I wasn't supposed to live."

"Peeta." Germain pulled away, gripping his shoulders tightly so Peeta had to face him. "Listen to me, if anyone deserved to win, it's you. You gave up so much for Katniss and I don't care what anyone says, she wouldn't have done the thing with the berries if she didn't care if you lived. You told her to kill you, or she could have just let you bleed out but she was ready to give up her own life because she refused to let you die. Do you understand me? She does care about you."

"She would have done that with anyone, you saw what she did for Rue. She barely knew her."

"Rue reminded her of Prim, she wouldn't have let Prim die either."

"I know what she said, and Haymitch knew it was an act too."

"Katniss can't act. You know that." Peeta found himself smiling a little remembering their training with Effie and how much Katniss struggled to be likable. He thought it was precious.

"Hey, show me your new foot, we only saw it during the interview." Germain grinned, changing gears. Peeta sighed, kicking off his shoe and pulling up his pantleg to show him where it attached and how it moved.

"Hey, that's pretty fancy. Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore, unless I've been on my feet for too long or sleep with it attached. Sometimes I feel like my real foot is still there, the doctors called it 'ghosting' or something."

"Has she seen it?"

"Only in the interview." Germain raised his eyebrows. "I haven't really seen her since we got back." Peeta explained.

"Not at all?"

"Not since the cameras left."

"Wow. Have you seen anyone?" Peeta shook his head.

"Prim comes over sometimes to make sure my leg is okay, but other than that, no."

"We thought you would be with them during the day, or maybe Delly. We would have come sooner if we knew..."

"It's fine, I haven't really been in the mood to deal with other people lately."

"But you love people." Germain protested.

"I used to." Peeta sighed, rubbing his temples. It scared him how much the Games had changed him.