The smell of blood... it was on his breath.
What did he do?
Drink it?
Livia imagined him sipping it from a teacup.
Dipping a cookie into the stuff and pulling it out dripping red.
Outside the window, a car came to life, soft and quiet like the purr of a cat, then faded away into the distance.
It slipped off as it arrived- unnoticed.
The room seemed to be spinning in slow, lopsided circles, and Livia wondered if she might black out.
She leant forward and clutched the desk with one hand.
A visit from President Snow.
Districts on the verge of uprisings.
Everyone she loved doomed.
And who knows who else would pay for her actions?
Unless she turned things around on the tour.
Quiet the discontent and put the president's mind at rest.
And how?
By proving to the country beyond any shadow of a doubt that she loved Peeta Mellark.
Spinning.
Everything was spinning- spinning out of her fickle grasp of control.
Had it always been so hot in the study?
It took everything she had to peel herself from the chair and crash into the bathroom a few doors down.
Within seconds she was emptying her stomach into the toilet bowl.
Her eyes were squeezed tightly and she shakily breathed in and out, trying to desperately find any bit of relief.
She rested her head on her arms- and must have fallen asleep like that, because Peeta woke her only after running her a bath.
She sat with her knees pressed her chest, arms clutching them closer and closer, waist deep in a fruity scented bath.
Peeta sat on the tub ledge before running his fingers gently through her hair.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked softly.
"President Snow visited me." Livia explained numbly.
"What did he want?" Peeta quizzed.
Livia paused, "You know I love you... right?"
Peeta gently grabbed her face, making her look at him, "What's this about, Liv?"
"The berries. It's always about the berries." Livia cried.
"What did he say?" Peeta asked.
"He doesn't believe we're in love, he thinks it was entirely an act of rebellion- districts are rising up, Peeta." Livia muttered.
"So what do we do?" Peeta asked.
"I have to convince the districts that I'm crazy in love with you and not feeding a rebellion." Livia explained.
"How?" Peeta quizzed.
"I don't-", Livia's voice cracked as she broke down, "I don't know."
Peeta pulled her head into his chest and cooed soft comforting words as she sobbed into his shirt.
"Hey, come here."
Livia looked at the mirror towards Peeta behind her.
She turned to face him and he brought his hands up to her face.
