Together, Always || An After Mockingjay Everlark Fanfiction

Chapter 27

Since everyone staying in the Victors Village knows that the last few days haven't been all that great for Peeta and I, everyone understands when we don't make an effort to catch up for a few days. We spend time together, painting and baking and resting, enjoying each others company and distracting ourselves. After about two days of hiding away we feel ready as ready as we could be to be around the others again.

We take Byron out everyday to show him more of District 12. He loves us showing him around and seems so interested in our district, probably because its so different to District 4. I still love how confused he gets when we tell him that we are no where near the ocean and that we don't have any beaches or salt water in our district. Even though it would have to have been the fifth time we've told him today, he still seems so surprised after practically living in the ocean since he was born. Peeta adores Byron. After every time we see him he comes home smiling, raving about how smart and kind he is for someone his age and how fast he learns and grows. Peeta's so good with Byron too. He always knows exactly what to say when Byron asks a hard question and knows how to make him laugh. I can tell Byron loves Peeta as much as Peeta loves him.

All of the inhabitants of the Victors Village have dinner together every night, catching up before they leave again in another week. I learn that Effie's boyfriend is an arrogant jerk who clearly shows why I and so many others in the districts have hated Capitol people for so long. He constantly complains that we don't serve him enough food and that the food he is usually served in the Capitol is so much more "flavoursome" and "interesting". He argues with other people's opinions in light hearted discussions and complains about how boring and dirty the districts are and how that now the Capitol has been so generous as to share their money with the districts, they should now be able to afford proper renovations and cleaning. As if the Capitol had a choice in finally "sharing" their money with us.

"I don't know how Effie can tolerate someone with such terrible manners!" Haymitch says after everyone left one night, putting emphasis on the last two words with a pretty accurate Effie impression that leaves us in fits of laughter.

"Almost seemed like you were jealous, Haymitch," Peeta mutters, smirking as he guides a very tipsy Haymitch out the door of our house. Despite how drunk he is, I guess he hears him judging by the burning look Peeta gets. Peeta guides Haymitch home and onto the couch, knowing that he won't go to bed til morning when it isn't so dark.

I wonder how this new but familiar company is making Haymitch feel. It probably doesn't seem to most people that it's even affected him, but I know better. I see it in the clouds settling in his grey eyes tinged greyer with age, trauma and more alcohol consumption than usual. I see it in the tremor in his hands as he reaches for another glass. I see it in how whenever one of the other victors shudders with a suddenly triggered flashback, or the accidental mention of our horrific past, his face softens and he cracks a joke to lead everyone back to the present and make us smile, then returns to his usual sullen self. Usually hostile, drunken Haymitch, helping the other victors without even meaning to. I don't think even Peeta has noticed these changes in our mentor lately, but there's a deep understanding between Haymitch and I with our alike personalities that means that there are things that only I know about Haymitch and only he knows about me.

Another behaviour I've seen in Haymitch for the last week is the way he studies my face when he thinks I'm not looking, checking my reaction to things and how I'm dealing with our visitors. I wonder if he can see the pain that shoots like an arrow through me every time I am reminded of the life I had. I wonder if he can see my insides squirm violently at the smell of Effies floral perfume that makes me want to flee into the forest and never return. I wonder if he can see the overwhelming grief that tore through me whenever I look at my old friends faces as I'm reminded of the lives we lost, the ones I couldn't save. I think both Haymitch and Peeta have picked up on the way our visitors have made me feel. Haymitch pats me on the shoulder whenever he notices me slipping and Peeta squeezes my freezing hands under the table, stroking my knuckles.