We'll Watch the Sunset - Peeta Mellark x Reader Story

Chapter 16 - Here We Are Again

Peeta, Haymitch, Katniss and Effie all sat around a table on the luxurious Capitol tributes train, Effie chattering about new fashion in the Capitol while they ate.

"Once again, you will have the tributes parade, I can't wait to see you in wonderful outfits again this year," Effie went on to say, "Oh and the outfits for your interviews!"

The two tributes had to hold their tongues, while they knew Effie didn't like the fact they were going back to the arena, they wished she would stop talking about the dresses and suits.

"Oh you two would have looked amazing in wedding outfits, you poor things."

Katniss felt Peeta visibly tense beside her, and she rested a hand on his arm, the furious look on his face as he clenched his jaw most out of character for him, "Effie could you please-"

"Oh, Cinna will work wonders with your outfit, Katniss. And Peeta, what about-"

The sound of a chair scraping the floor resonated throughout the train car, the sound of cutlery clattering on a plate shocking everyone at the table as the usually calmer tribute stormed out of the carriage towards his room.

Effie looked at Haymitch and Katniss, a look of shock plastered on her features, "Was it something I said?"

"Well-" Haymitch started, giving her a look as Katniss went after the bakers boy.

"Peeta?" She called, as his door slid open to show the boy sitting on the bed with his head in his hands. Slowly, Katniss walked over and sat next to Peeta, "What's wrong?"

Sobs started to wrack his body as Katniss wrapped her arms around him, trying her best to comfort him like he had done for her when her nightmares would keep her from falling asleep. She rocked him back and forth, letting him cry it out.

"It's not fair," He mumbled, after calming down.

"I know, I know."

"I want to go home, Katniss, I want life to go back to how it was," He said, wiping his eyes and standing up, running a hand through his hair, a habit he picked up when he was young, which he would do when he was stressed and needed to calm down.

"I don't think it can, Peeta."

"I just wish it could."

Katniss stood and wrapped her arms around the blonde, who immediately hugged back and whispered in her ear, "I shouldn't have ignored y/n, I was trying to keep her safe but all I did was hurt her and myself."

"Well you can make it up to her after you go home."

"Katniss-"

"I'm going to protect you no matter what, you're going home, I promise."

*****

I watched on from home as 12 horse drawn chariots rolled through the Capitol, and soon, the 12th and final chariot came into view, with two people looking straight ahead and ignoring the citizens of the Capitol.

Soon, training would begin, and all I could do was go about my normal life, with a pain in my heart and the feeling of regret weighing me down.

*****

Here we are again, sitting on old couches, snuggled together, watching the interviews of the tributes once again. I was waiting to see what lie Peeta had formulated to gain an advantage in the games for this year. I watched in distaste as the Careers did their interviews, at this rate they could be professional actors, especially the woman from district one. I also watched in pity for the other tributes who had not recovered from their games, or for those who you could just feel wouldn't make it through. As Johanna was speaking, I shifted slightly and whispered in Gale's ear.

"You know, everything Johanna is saying, I completely agree with."

Gale nodded and smirked at Caeser's reaction to Johanna yelling at the audience.

Settling back down, we continued to watch the tributes, and finally, the time came for our tributes.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Caeser Flickerman's voice rang out, "The victor of last year's Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen."

Doors opened and Katniss emerged in a large, white gown. Gasps filled my house, as my mom whispered, "A wedding dress."

"You look fabulous! Doesn't she? My my. Whooh whooh whoooh. Now Katniss, this is... A very big... And very emotional... night. For all of us. Wouldn't you say?"

Katniss immediately replied, "Now don't go crying on me now Caesar."

"I can't be making any promises, you know me."

"You know I wouldn't believe you even if you did."

"I love it!" Caeser exclaimed, looking to the audience with an over the top facial expression, "The girl on fire is so cheeky. But Katniss, on more serious note," his voice softened, "I think we're all here a little disappointed - more than a little disappointed - that a certain wedding did not take place. Aren't we folks? But, am I correct in assuming that this is the gown that you would have worn on that day, yes or no?"

"Yes. President Snow thought everyone would want to see it."

"Well President Snow as usual was right. Was he not folks?"

I rolled my eyes, and I knew Gale did the same next to me.

"Will you do us the honor please, please, please?" Caeser stepped back to let Katniss twirl, and I couldn't believe my eyes as the big white wedding dress disappeared and in its place was a dress of various greys with wings as Katniss lifted her arms.

"It's like uh... it's like a bird... it's like umm... umm..."

"A Mockingjay." I say at the same time as Katniss, in complete awe.

"Your stylist has certainly outdone himself this time. Cinna. Take a bow."

The camera changed angles to show Cinna, a man I had met a couple of times, who had a kind soul, and was talented at his work.

Katniss made her way up the steps to take her place with the other tributes as Peeta walked on in a beautiful white suit, most likely the one he was going to wear at the wedding. My gosh he looked beautiful. I was snapped out of my thoughts by Gale snapping his fingers in front of my face.

"You good?" He asked, to which I just nodded and focused my attention back on Peeta's interview.

"But Peeta. The wedding. The marriage. Never to be?" Caeser asked, pointing the microphone he held in his hand towards Peeta to hear his answer.

"Well actually we got married. In secret."

"A secret wedding? Alright do tell?"

"We want our love to be eternal. You know Katniss and I... We've been luckier than most," Peeta said, looking back and forth between Caeser and the audience, although in his eyes I saw an emotion in them which I couldn't place my finger on, and as quickly as the look in his eyes had appeared it had disappeared again, "and I wouldn't have any regrets at all... If uh... if it weren't..."

Caeser looked at Peeta confused, and tried to see if he could get the ending to Peeta's sentence, "If it weren't? If it weren't for what? What?"

"If it weren't for the baby."

I froze, as sounds of uproar from the audience filled my ears. I then began to think this might be his plan to stop the games, like I imagined many of the other tributes have tried to do over the course of the night.

"Alright. This is news. Let's find out more. Calm down this is news to all of us." Caeser tried to calm the furious audience, calling for the games to be stopped. When he realised his attempts were futile, he turned and whispered something in Peeta's ear, who nodded and went up the steps to Katniss, who returned his hug as he embraced her.

The last thing we saw before the lights went off and the feed was cut, was the tributes showing their unity, hands joined and raised proudly. I was proud, but I knew that as soon as the timer reaches zero in the arena tomorrow, that unity would be gone, and there would be a bloodbath.