AN: If you like the story please review. First girl's name posted in a review or Pm will be used for the EverLark baby.
By the time we reach the Capitol, we are desperate. We make endless appearances to adoring crowds. There is no danger of an uprising here among the privileged, among those whose names are never placed in the reaping balls, whose children never die for the supposed crimes committed generations ago.
We don't need to convince anybody in the Capitol of our love but hold to the slim hope that we can still reach some of those we failed to convince in the districts. Whatever we do seems too little, too late.
We lay on the bed of my room of the Training Center, it was here in this room six months ago that my life changed forever. Cinna dressed us in the same outfits from that day.
"What's you favourite color?" He asks and I feel the smile come to my face. "It's green. The pale green, like new grass in sping. What's yours?" He runs his fingers down the side of ribs and rubs the hem of my top between his fingers. "Orange. Not bright more muted like the sunset." He places a kiss to my forehead and we both laugh. It feels good, not forced or staged.
I run my finger along Peeta full bottom lip. Lips I've come to love as much as the boy who owns them. "This is where you first turst me Katniss, let me touch you in a way I had only ever dreamed of. You opened up a world to me and I love you for it."
"I brought you pain, put you through hell, pretended to be in love with you...lied to keep you safe and alive. I broke your heart and then selfishly wanted you back because I can't survive without you." I kiss him and he kisses me back, it's a gentle soothing kiss and I moan when his hands pulls at me until I'm sitting on top of him.
"Katniss, I hate this idea as much as you do. It's stupid to propose to a women that's already my wife bit we have to play their game for just a few more days then we can go home and get back to our real life. You'll hunt and I'll bake. You'll sing and I'll paint. I'll hold you and you'll love me." I smile because this was our life before the Tour, before the threats on our lives.
Breakfast comes and we eat with Cinna and Portia in our room as we did that first Saturday. We go over a list of possible interview questions and then we part ways and our left to the prep teams. I reluctantly let go of Peeta and give myself over to the pain it requires to make me Capitol beautiful.
For the interview Cinna puts me in a pale green strapless cocktail dress with a sweetheart neckline. I hear a knock on the door and there's Peeta in a gray suite with a pale green shirt and tie. He takes the ring box out out and take my left hand and slides the ring off. He kisses the place where it was. "I'll put it back where it belongs soon enough."
We stand and listen as Caesar works the crowd. Cinna and Portia hug us and Cinna rests his forehead to mine, our preshow ritual. "We're always betting on you."
"You know them as the boy with the bread and the girl on fire, but we know them as Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen." We join hands and walk out together, the crowd cheers and we are greeted my Caesar with a kiss from his powder blue lips.
We sit on an over sized white love seat and resume the pose we did during our last interview with him. "Aren't they simply stunning ladies and gentlemen?" He asks and everyone cheers. "We have amazing stylists." I say with a real smile.
"So tell me Katniss what was your favorite part about your tour through the Districts?" I smile and try to keep my voice light. "The bread. They always made sure we tried it. 7 and 4 had my favourite but nothing's as good as the Capitol's bread." This gets me a laugh from the crowd.
"So what has life been like since your victory in the Game Peeta?" He take my hand his his an smiles. "It been an adjustment for us but we're very happy. I've spent years icing the cakes and cookie at my father's bakery now I can paint with real paint on canvas and Katniss has been a great source of inspiration." The crowd awws and Peeta kisses my cheek. Then Caesar asks me what I've been doing and I want to say something like 'oh you know some illegal hunting and trading, insighting riot, trying to stop rebellions.'
"Peeta's been teaching how to bake. He hasn't gotten sick yet, so I guess I'm doing ok." Again I get a laugh from the crowd. "I've enjoyed learning to cook...but my lamb stew just isn't as good. I love to read while Peeta paints."
"Well that just sounds lovely. So tell me Peeta any big plans for your future with Ms. Everdeen?" At this Peeta's smile grows brighter then the sun. "Well Caesar I do have hope but I'll have to ask Katniss about it first."
He pulls me to my feet and drops down on his good leg and pulls my ring from his pocket. "Katniss Everdeen I've loved you since the first day of kindergarten and I promise to love you evry day for the rest of my life. The Reaping changed my life becaise it gave me the chance to show you how I felt. You risked your life more than once to save mine. You falling in love with me was a dream come true for me and I want that dream to last for the rest of our lives. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He opens the box and I cover my mouth and I hear the crowd as they gasp and murmur.
The tears down my cheeks are real and they are happy tears because every time Peeta makes one of these grand declarations he does such an amazing job and this time I'm glad he didn't use his real proposal speech. The Capitol will not take that from me.
I nod my head, "Yes Peeta. Yes." I smile and help him to his feet. He wraps me in his arms and kiss me so firmly that I feel the breath pulled out of me. The kiss goes on for a moment until we are broken apart. Caesar is beside himself with delight as he watches Peeta put the ring on my finger.
"Well ladies and gentlemen isn't this a special night indeed and quite the victory for our favoirite Star Crossed Lovers. He joins our hands and raises them high. "I present to you ladies and gentlemen of the Panam the victors of the 74th Hunger Games Peeta Mellark and the future Mrs. Katniss Mellark!"
The Capitol audience is hysterical, shots of crowds around Panem show a country besotted with happines and joy.
President Snow himself makes a surprise visit to congratulate us. "It is with great pride, the pride of the nation of Panam that I want to personally congratulate these two fine young Victors as they join together in such a special union. We must set aside our fighting and remember that we are strong as a whole, Panam must remain as strongly unified as this couple."
He clasps Peeta's hand and gives him an approving slap on the shoulder. He embraces me, enfolding me in the smell of blood and roses, and plants a puffy kiss on my cheek. When he pulls back, his fingers digging into my arms, his face smiling into mine, I dare to raise my eyebrows. They ask what my lips can't. Did I do it? Was it enough? Was giving everything over to you?
In answer, he gives an almost imperceptible shake of his head. In the moment my world threaten to fall apart and once again I am hit with the fear that I will lose Peeta, my family, his family, and everyone we have come to love.
President Snow silences the audience and says, "What do you think about us throwing them a wedding right here in the Capitol?" I pull off girl almost catatonic with joy without a hitch and when Caesar Flickerman asks if the President has a date in mind Peeta chimes in with something about us only being seventeen.
President Snow pulls me into a hug that wraps me in the sickening smell of blood and roses. "Maybe if the whole country puts its mind to it, we can get you legally married before the Quarter Quell." I want to scream or craw his eyes out. He knows."You'll have to pass a new law, I'm only 16." I say with a giggle. "If that's what it takes," says the President with conspiratorial good humor. Oh, the fun we two have together.