Heaven is Falling (The Hunger Games x Male Reader)

The Scores

Everyone’s waiting at the table, even Cinna and Portia. I wish the stylists hadn’t shown up because for some reason, I don’t like the idea of disappointing them. It’s as if we’ve thrown away all the good work
they did on the opening ceremonies without a thought.

The adults begin some chitchat about the weather forecast, and I let my eyes meet Katniss ’s. I raise my eyebrows. A question. What happened? She just gives her head a small shake. This looks bad I hope she didn't do something stupid.

Then, as they’re serving the main
course, I hear Haymitch say, “Okay, enough small talk, just how bad were you today sweetheart?

"I shot an arrow at the gamemakers" Katniss says

We all stop eating. “You what?” Effie asks in horror.

“I shot an arrow at them. Not exactly at them. In their direction. I was shooting and they were ignoring me and I just ... I just lost my head, so I
shot an apple out of their stupid roast pig’s mouth!” Katniss says defiantly.

“And what did they say?” says Cinna carefully.

“Nothing. Or I don’t know. I walked out after that,” Katniss says.

“Without being dismissed?” gasps Effie.

“Well, that’s that,”says Haymitch. Then he butters a roll.

“Do you think they’ll arrest me?” Katniss asks. “Doubt it. Be a pain to replace you at this stage,”says Haymitch.

“What about her family?”I ask. “Will they punish them?”The last thing I would want is for Prim to get hurt.

“Don’t think so. Wouldn’t make much sense. See they’d have to reveal what happened in the Training  Center for it to have any worthwhile effect on the population. People would need to know what she did. But they can’t since it’s secret, so it’d be a waste of effort,” says Haymitch. “More likely they’ll make her life hell in the arena.”

“Well, they’ve already promised to do that to us any way,”I say.

“Very true,” says Haymitch.

Katniss let's out a sigh of relief

“What were their faces like?”
I can feel the edges of my mouth tilting up.

“Shocked. Terrified. Uh, ridiculous, some of them.One man tripped backward into a bowl of punch.” Katniss says

Haymitch guffaws and we all start laughing except Effie, although even she is suppressing a smile.

“I’ll get a very bad score,” Katniss says.

“Scores only matter if they’re very good, no one pays much attention to the bad or mediocre ones. For all
they know, you could be hiding your talents to get a low score on purpose. People use that strategy,” said
Portia.

“I hope that’s how people interpret the four I’ll probably get,” I say.

After dinner, we go to sitting room to watch the scores announced on television. First they show a photo of
the tribute, then flash their score below it. The Career Tributes naturally get in the eight-to-ten range. Most of the other players average a five.Even the finished girl got a 5.Surprisingly,  the little
girl from district 11 comes up with a seven. I don’t know what she
showed the judges, but she’s so tiny it must have been impressive.

District 12 comes up last, I lean closer towards the screen as my face comes up, expecting the worst. Then they’re flashing the number nine on the
screen.

Nine! I can work with that.Maybe some of the game makers were watching me.

Everyone gives a sigh of relief.

Next Katniss pulls up a eleven
Effie Trinket lets out a squeal, and everybody is slapping her on the back and cheering.

“There must be a mistake. How ... how could that happen?” she asks Haymitch.
“Guess they liked your temper,” he says. “They’ve got a show to put on. They need some players with some
heat.”
“Cheers to Katniss, the girl who was on fire,” says Cinna

Alright pretend I'm not here

"And to (Y/N)" says Portia, probably reading my mind.

Katniss and I congratulate each other as the adults start blabbering with each other in their drunkness .

"Wanna go somewhere quiet?" I ask Katniss .
"Yes, please " She replies.

We both walk upstairs to the balcony.
Knowing there won't be anything we talk that could offend the capital we decide not to go to the garden or whisper .

We stand taking in the quiet capital air in a comfortable silence.

"I wonder how Gale is doing " I ask her.

The thought of District 12 makes me homesick but I need to talk about It to someone. Who better to do that to than Katniss.

"He would is probably asleep by now.
Tomorrow is a Sunday A day
off . We devoted all of Sunday to stocking up for the week. Rising early, hunting and gathering, then
trading at the Hob. Must be hard for him now without us." Katniss says

"Yeah ,we can hunt alone, but we’re better as a group. Particularly if we’re trying for bigger game. But also in the littler things, having  partners lightens the load,it made the dreadful task of filling our family’s table enjoyable."I say

Katniss turns towards me her eyes meeting mine.

"I wonder what would  have happened if hadn't met you both that day five years ago. You gave me a sense of security I’d lacked since my
father’s death." We rarely ever spoke of our fathers as it was hard pill to swallow.

"I became a much better
hunter when I didn’t have to look over my shoulder constantly, when someone was watching my back." Katniss continued."But you turned into so much more than a hunting
partner.Being out in the woods ... sometimes I was actually happy."

Her grey eyes meet my (e/c) ones.Only now do I take in how stunning she looks even in her casual clothes .The Capital lights make her olive skin look flawless.

I take a moment to wonder if I ever looked at her as anything more than a friend.

Yes... yes I did but I always brushed it off as she was my best friend and anything more just felt wrong.
Anyways Gale seemed to loves her and would abruptly bring up conversations about children when with her.

But I wonder if she ever felt the same about me or about Gale, would I ruin everything if I lean into her lips. But  there is a good chance we're not going to make it out of the arena alive.

It's now or never.

Instead I take the coward's way out.

"It's getting late we should go to bed."
I abruptly say.

Katniss becomes silently for second.

"Y-You're right let's go to bed"she says.
I catch a glimpse of disappointing in her face.

We wish each other good night and go our separate ways.

I get back to my room and find a avox cleaning my room. I'm glad it's not the other avox girl because I don't think I have the guts to even look in her eyes after what happened that day.

I jump into bed my bed and start wondering about Katniss.Then I hold back my thoughts.

What am I doing!? My main objective should be to help her return home alive instead I'm fighting myself over stupid stuff.

After all even if we do manage to be the last two standing in the arena according to  game rules only one can be crowned winner.So one of has to die.

Romance will only complicate everything.

But aren't things complicated enough already?