The Photograph
Katniss returns home after her mom died. She finds a picture of Peeta Mellark, a younger man (only 10 years older than Katniss), with whom her mother had a short affair ...
A series of letters chronicling the love story of Katniss and Peeta as they try to resolve their stalled relationship.
This fic is complete, and I'll be updating it at least weekly.
P.S. Suzanne Collins owns The Hunger Games Trilogy. I'm only having fun!
16 November
Dear Peeta,
Why did you do it? Do you have a habit of luring your patients at the hospital into having a romantic relationship with you? Buttering them up with your tender loving care, making them feel special before you go to bed with them? Tell me! Did you do it for kicks? To make you feel powerful and wild? To satisfy some sick hidden fantasy? Are you for real right now?
I know what you are. You're a wolf hiding under sheep's skin. You disgust me.
I'm so mad at you, Peeta. All I want to do is scream and punch the wall imagining it's you standing in front of me. Curse you until my throat is raw and ragged, pushed to the limit of how much I can pour out my anger with you.
How long? How long was the affair?
My poor father was oblivious and living a lie about my mother's love and loyalty. He died slaving for his family only to roll over in his grave and find out that his wife, whose dead body lay beside his grave now, had an affair twelve years ago. An affair, with a man just ten years older than her eldest daughter. To the same man who said he would have loved to have met the father of his girlfriend and thanked him for his sacrifices. You are some piece of work, Peeta Mellark. Way to go with toying with my family. What did we ever do to you?
How could you? How could you take pleasure and enjoy a body that already belonged to someone else? To a devoted husband. To a mother of two daughters. To a family.
What you did hurts like hell, Peeta. You just brought inferno into my world, and I'm burning slowly, agonizingly, without relief. I wish I could just escape. To drop into the deep recesses of my soul just like my mother did when my father died. She loved him, and she died inside without his love. I really wish I could do that right now. It's so much better than feeling this pain. I hate you and my mother for what you did.
You ruined me, Peeta. I'm crawling out of my skin for kissing you back this past year. I let you touch me, hold me, love me. I let myself reciprocate your touches and affection, taking pleasure in them because I wanted you. You knew how hard it was for me to let anyone in. Love was a weakness, and it led to nothing but heartache in the end. Unexpectedly, you crept into me, soothing my worries without even knowing it and making me feel safe and secure in sharing my life with another person. I trusted you with my heart and fell for you hard, but I guess I was wrong. You were only after one thing, and worse than my greatest fear. Tell me, Peeta, how do you live with it? How do you sleep at night?
When did you know that we were related, huh? That the Everdeen you claimed and had in your bed twelve years ago was the same woman who raised me? Who taught the girl you declared had your heart for good to brush her teeth, to eat her vegetables, to say please and thank you? How long were you going to keep it a secret? Did you think you could really get away with it? Run along scot-free? How did it feel when you kissed me? Did I taste like my mother? Did you have a flashback when our lips met? Did you know at that instant that we were related?
I bet you did.
But you didn't care. You just sucked face because you wanted a fix. And I'm the stupid one that fell for you. I'm such an idiot. I let myself get swayed by the electricity of your affection, and the smoothness of the words that roll out of your silver tongue. You ruined me, Peeta. I could never trust again because of you.
When I look at myself in the mirror, I get affirmed by a voice that taunts me and mocks me for letting my guard down with you. All this time, you made me believe your declaration of love and security. I let myself dream of a different future, a possibility of a family because it will be with you. But say no more. Those things are just bubbles popped in the air now. Fragile little things that were only too good to be true. A mere child's toy in a fantasy world.
I hope you're happy with the consequences that followed you after twelve years - with the life you ruined because of your selfish carnal flesh. I hope the disgrace rots you more than it does me because that would be my only speck of consolation in all this madness. When you look at yourself in the mirror, I hope you can't stand your image and that your blue eyes reveal your past to you every day and not let you forget what you did.
Our life together this past year was real for me – you were real for me. I never lied when I said those were the happiest and most secure months of my life. My joy was truer than the sun rising every morning; looking forward to living because you were in it. I miss your kind smile, your enveloping hugs, and the way everything felt right when you held me and whispered I love you in my ear. Every day you told me you loved me; you never let the night pass without letting me know that. Even when I was away for work, your love followed me and comforted me.
But now I'm glad I haven't told you I love you.
I don't want any part of you.
Goodbye, Peeta Mellark.
Katniss
...…
17 November
Dear Katniss,
I'm so sorry.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
Please give me a chance to talk to you. Allow me to explain everything to you in person. I'll tell you everything - everything you want to know. My promise to tell you all about my life after your trip to Asia still holds. I know my words don't mean much to you right now, and you have every right to feel and think that way, but I'm not lying when I gave my promise to you. I wanted you to know the truth. Please give me a chance to explain my mistake in the past.
Katniss, my love for you was and is true to this very day. You matter so much to me, and I never lied to you about how I felt for you. I meant everything, every 'I love you,' ... every dream I shared with you. I wanted you in my life for good and worked to better myself to deserve your love and be the man worthy of you.
I hurt you, Katniss. I truly did. I regret my past - have been regretting it all these years. Please give me a chance to explain and make things right. I'm so sorry, Katniss.-
I will wait under the apple tree by the meadows every sunset for you. I hope you'll give me a chance.
Sincerely,
Peeta
Here goes nothing ...
This fic has been in my folder for a really long time because I was so scared to post it. Infidelity is a serious and complicated topic, and to Everlark it was a big challenge and outside my comfort zone. I like writing fluff but this prompt has stayed with me so I just went for a ride.
A big thank you to sommmee for pre-reading this fic.
This fic wouldn't have seen the light of day without the support and help of alwaysevelark and JHsgf82. They were my sounding board and motivator. I'm really grateful for your kindness and generosity in helping me out.
My good friend lemonluvgirl87 has been nothing but joy in all my writing. She's the one who got me here on Tumblr, and she keeps me going strong. Thank you, my friend.
This fic will be a series of letters. Hopefully, I can post in good succession so as not to keep you all waiting.
Thank you for reading and giving this fic a chance. If you ever need prompts, come to prompsteverlark. There are so many to choose from there. Just have fun!
