Caged | The Hunger Games AU ✓

vi. dulcet

six - dulcet

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the next morning, i am immensely glad when the sunlight coming from the huge window wakes me. the night had been restless, leaving me tossing and turning and unable to find an uncomfortable position to sleep in, and when i finally did sleep, i was plagued with nightmares about the oncoming games. i saw matthias being brutally murdered by asher, who was stabbing him in his heart repeatedly. then asher fled and was shot by an arrow to the throat not much later.

one by one i saw all the tributes die until it was only me and another i had yet to meet face-to-face. it didn't take long for us to find each other, and when we finally did, i realized i would rather have spent my entire life in that arena searching rather than finding him so quickly. it wasn't just some dumb, random career. no. it was roy. and this roy didn't hesitate in killing me.

so naturally, when i wake up, i am a mess. i have to force my eyelids to open due to how heavy they are and i stumble into the bathroom sleepily. because i don't want to end up smelling like something odd and unpleasant, i take extra caution into which buttons i press. luckily for me, even in my uncoordinated state, i manage to shower decently in lukewarm water and lemon-scented, bubbly soap with the vanilla shampoo again because i love how it smells.

when i am blow-dried and have a towel wrapped around me, i find an outfit already prepared for me in front of the closet– tight black pants, a burgundy tunic, and leather shoes. i put my hair in the same kind of ponytail as yesterday and suddenly freeze when i realize something– my phoenix pin is nowhere to be seen.

my heart races. where was it the last time i saw it? i remember; it was on my shirt before my prep team rid me of the hair on my body. what did they do with it? did they just throw it away?

"looking for this?"

i turn and am surprised to see peeta mellark standing in my doorway, holding up my silver phoenix pin in between his thumb and index finger. i sigh in relief, my shoulders relaxing and my body losing its tension as i nod.

"where did you find it?" i ask as peeta begins walking toward me, turning the pin between his fingers thoughtfully.

"your prep team had it and gave it to me," he replies. "they figured it must be yours. i'm glad they didn't lose it– it's a nice symbol."

i can tell that he is thinking of katniss's pin because of the distant expression on his face and the faraway look in his eyes. he comes to a stop about half a foot away from me and reaches out, pinning the phoenix to my collar with care.

"thank you," i say, looking right into his crystal blue eyes as i say so. i want him to know i genuinely mean it.

"you're welcome." peeta smiles warmly, and it is then when i realize what katniss sees in him. peeta is kind, gentle, and very caring for others. i already see him as a good friend of mine.

but then i remember gale, and i wonder what he looks like. katniss didn't describe him, but i imagine him to be a lot like roy- tall, strong, determined, and brave. why didn't katniss choose gale? he would have made a great husband if he actually was like roy.

but as i see how genuine peeta's smile is, and yet there is so much pain in his eyes, i realize why. peeta levels katniss out. their personalities balance each other, and i think that is what makes them the perfect pair of mentors. katniss is the lemon in the lemonade, slightly sour, while peeta is the sugar, sweet and cloying. without one of them, the drink would be incomplete and wouldn't be the same.

"we'd better hurry to breakfast," peeta says, his voice pulling me out of my thoughts. "are you ready?"

i nod and follow him to the door, grinning slightly when he lets me go through it first. i notice that manners have not died out as i thought. or maybe it's just peeta.