Fawn In The Dawn | Peeta Mellark

sixteen

We walked through the rubble of District 8 and carefully scanned for pods when suddenly, rapid beeping occured and Boggs went to investigate.

The film crew filmed, and Boggs had Katniss shoot an arrow through two buildings. The arrow, just as it hit center mark, triggered the pod and flames torched the area ahead. That would have been us, lovely.

Katniss, Gale and I had other plans to leave this squad behind and get to the Capitol. But we couldn't get through the minefield without the holo Boggs held. So the two of them spoke of retrieving it while he slept. My head perked up when the sound of rumbling came from down the road. We all looked as we heard a vehicle approaching and nearly immediately recieved word it was friendly, so we left the building and went over to it. A door opened and to everyones surprise, Peeta came walking out with his head down and eyes to the ground. Katniss guarded herself with her arrow and I couldn't help but rush over to him, and drape my arms around his neck.

"I know you still don't know who I am, so apologies if this is weird for you." I whispered to him as he hugged me just under my lower back, slightly.

"It's fine." He said in response, so quiet, I could just barely hear the response. I stepped back and followed him back over to the squad. I listened as he repeated to himself 'My name is Peeta Mellark, my home is District 12' over and over.

"Kat, put your bow down." I told her, in a hushed tone. She looked to me, still hesitant, but began to lower.

Lt. Jackson marched over and cuffed Peeta, which I understood. We had to take precautions. "News is, they want us to add him to the promo to show he's on our side now." Boggs informed as we headed back inside the building we set up camp in for the night. I sat next to Peeta as he stared down at his feet, scared and lost.

"He's not in control of himself." Gale stated, in concern for Kat's safety, which again, was understandable.

"We will have a schedule for around the clock watch on him." Lt. Jackson compromised. "And I'm sure this one wont be leaving his side much." She said about me, with an off-putting look. She continued to speak of watch times and to most peoples surprise, even Katniss got a rotation time. I looked to Peeta, and slowly grabbed his hand. He needed someone to help him. He was like a scared puppy at this point and I felt like maybe just talking to him could help.

"There was this one time after we won the games, you didn't speak with me for months." I smiled to him. He looked over at me slowly, and a little confused by my smiling. But at this point it was almost funny how angry I was with him, the irony of how that was much better than what was happening to him now. "I went to visit you to see why and you refused to answer the door. I loved you so much that I began to hate you for leaving." I told him, attempting to jog back his memory, as I did everytime I saw him. His eyebrows furrowed at me.

"Why would you love me if I did that to you?" He asked me, finally.

"Because it was my parents. They threatened you if you did speak with me. They said they'd kill you or hurt me. I just didn't know at the time." I told him. He looked surprised at that statement. "I'm going to get you to remember me, Peeta." I told him. "To remember all of us."

"You said one time that you and I were... intimate?" He questioned. The way he worded that was humorous to me, and my cheeks flushed red with warmth.

"We were." I smirked at him. "Before we went into the second games this previous time."

"Was that the only time?" He asked me.

"Yes. Because then we were kidnapped together by the Capitol-"

"And that's where we would sleep next to the glass dividing us, right?" He continued to ask.

"Ari," Peeta's voice trembled.

"Yes?" I asked, weakily. Eyes were drifting down but not to sleep, rather to go into a hybernation.

"Sing to me. Please." He begged and I looked to him. He needed something to calm him and I needed to keep awake. I hated my voice, but he needed it right now.

"Train's coming but I'm stuck on this road"
I choked out, a little rusty and embaressed, yet how could I bother caring with the situation we were in.
"Moon's rising and my blood is growing cold
Preacher man can't save a soul like mine
Miracles are just too damn hard to find"
The glass between us made this so much harder because I longed to just hold him and be held by him. I craved his touch.
"Ain't gonna drown in the water
Cause the good Lord ain't bringing me home"
I traced the glass where his hand lay and wished I could just punch my leg through it, opening this divider.
"Law man can't catch a soul like mine
Miracles are just too damn hard to find"
I looked to him. His eyes finally drifted shut and a soundless snore came from his lips. Almost non existent, just like all of us. We didn't exist anymore. We were now turning into Captiol Mutts.

"Yes. Every night." I agreed. "I know you remember me telling you these things but I need you to actually remember them happening, Peet." I begged.

"I remember one thing, I think." He finally spoke up and I looked over at him quickly, curious to what it was. "You had blood on you. And you were on the ground, shaking and, trembling. I was holding you and begging you to snap out of it, but you were petrified. Why?" He asked. As much as I hated talking of that day, this was progress.

"Because President Snow made me kill two people. And I didn't want to kill them but it was self defense, so I had to." I told him, remembering that awful day in the first games, that I tried so desperately to forget.