Always: After mockingjay

9

Peeta pov

Katniss walks of stage and straight into my arms

"You did good sweetheart." haymitch says from behind us with a smirk.

We let go and I turn around to see Haymitch

"Thanks" Katniss tells him.

His at attention turns towards me. "so you know what your gonna do?"

"Yes, answer the questions, don't tell them about Katniss and I." I answer

"Ok good, your on." he tells me and walks away. I turn to Katniss and give her a quick hug and kiss her head.
"Hey, after today, we can go home." I whisper in her ear.

"Yea, good luck." she says

"Ok now may I introduce Peeta mellark!" I hear ceaser tell the audience. I walk on stage with a huge cheer from the crowd. Ceaser and I shake hands then sit down. He wastes no time getting on the topic of Katniss and I.

"So Peeta you and Katniss? Your love since 5? " I don't know how to answer that, it was more of a statement. but ok.

"What about us" I ask him, smirking

"Well, she told us that you aren't together, is that true?" Nope.

"Yea, with the war and all." I say trying to defend Katniss.

"So is there any hope of you two being together?" He asks raising his eyebrows.

"Well, I don't know. Things have happened, people have burned. hope may be out for other people but that doesn't mean it affects everyone. we gave hope, all the hope until it ran out. and that left the people who gave the hope to those who needed it, with none of there own. they are glad that people are happy but that left them to the burning embers and dead loved ones. it made them think, what if? What if this never happened, would it have been better or worse. it left them with nightmares and flashbacks. it left them to there horrid and cruel memories and imagination. it kills them, more every day. it kills them to think of the milestones there loved ones missed. Like, there 16th birthday or there first love and heart break. yeah we gladly gave people hope but that left us as the after ash."

The crowd has a sickening silence.

"Wow, I-I never thought of it like that Peeta, thank you" Ceaser says. draining up the words I just said.

"Yeah so when people ask 'are you and Katniss together?' That's what I think. but to really answer your question, there's a chance ,yes. but it will be painful and if something happens to the other, it will kill the both of us. even now. I guess it's inevitable. but oh well. I think it's worth it." I say with a sad smile.

Caesar nods and reluctantly says "that's all of Peeta Mellark until the breaks folks" we stand and shake hands. I walk off stage to see Katniss and Haymitch there. I walk up to them and give Katniss a quick hug and turn to Haymitch to hear him say

"What the hell kid, do you just pull that stuff out your ass?" Haymitch asks me, he was slurring his words slightly, the nerves must have been getting at him.

"Ha, no." I reply, holding Katniss close to my chest. She wraps her arms around my torso and buries her face in the crook of my neck. I rest my heat atop of hers. we stay that unroll she says
"That was beautiful, what you said about loved ones missing milestones. I was thinking of prim the whole time." she lets a few tears fall and I reply
"I was to, thinking of prim." I tell her.

I feel her smile into the hug. we stay like this until Haymitch comes up to us and says
"You two better let go or your whole not together act will be for nothin'. "
I reluctantly pull away and give Katniss a sad smile. I put her hands on her shoulders and whisper in her ear
"I would kiss you right now if I could. but I can't so I will as soon as I can."

She smiles, a sad smile, and says
"I was thinking the same thing."

"Ok folks" Ceaser introduces "the moment you have all been waiting for! The star crossed lovers of district 12!"

Katniss and I walk on at the same time, not helping the whole ' not together thing'

Ceaser sees us and hugs Katniss briefly and shakes hands with me. We all sit down and the audience's cheering does with it.

"So you two. I still can't wrap my head around it." Ceaser says and shakes his head as he does so.
He just can't let it go can he?

"Ahh, so district 12? How is it?"

"It's good Ceaser, much better than before really." Katniss says with a slight smile.

"How good to hear. so do you know how people got over the war? How you got over prim?" Ceaser asks.

I guess that since we are saying we aren't a 'we' he has to take a stab where it kills. I never thought of Ceaser as low but that was just wrong.

Katniss looks at him with hurt, anger and betrayal written all over her face. I guess she thought Ceaser was kind to.

"Honestly?" She asks him, I don't know if she's honestly doesn't know or is trying to stall. probably the later.

"Yeah" Ceaser says

"I didn't. I'm still not. I've thought about how if I just let snow kill me in the games, or anytime really, prim would still be here." I change glances of pure hate at Ceaser for making her go through this and sorry looks at Katniss because I know this kills her. "I thought of the after effect of what the war did and how it killed all those innocent people and I make my self wonder and think. that should be me. not them. they should get to live a long, happy life, not burned to death. But if you want advise on how to get over it I'm the wrong person to ask. but I will say this. keep your loved ones as close as you can. because without them, who are you?" I never thought Katniss could say something like that in public, on live television. but I know she wouldn't have said anything like that if she didn't want to.

"Food for thought. well that's all of the star crossed lovers of district 12! Good night!" Ceaser concludes.

And we walk off stage. waiting to go home, willing to beg to do so.