Never Yours (Peeta Mellark X Reader)

Chapter 28--In the Hospital

It couldn't have come any quicker.

The thought raced through your head yet again as you heard Claudius Templesmith's voice boom once more through the arena, announcing you and Peeta as victors. Relief seemed to surge through you as you turned around gave Peeta yet another hug, and he wrapped his arms around you again in return.

"Wow," Peeta finally said. "Finally."

"You didn't eat any berries, didn't you?" you asked him quietly.

Peeta shook his head. "No. You?"

You shook your head as well. "Would have been dead by now if I did."

For a moment, the both of you stood silently as you let the thoughts of victory course through your mind. Finally, you can get out of the arena. Finally, you can go home. But...no longer would you be able to see the tributes of the Games again. This thought greatly disturbed you, yet you managed to push that away as the hovercraft approached the both of you, a ladder descending down towards you.

"Shall we?" you asked, holding a hand out to him.

Peeta laughed as he took it now. "Let's go."

Together, the both of you got onto the ladder and went inside the hovercraft, which carried you out of the arena and all the way to the hospital wing. You glanced at Peeta every now and then, noticing his cheek crusted with blood from the scar that the mutt gave him. His blue eyes were still staring intensely, as if another tribute is to leap out somewhere, but a squeeze of your hand made him relax just a little bit.

"You were right," Peeta murmured to you. "You were right about...both of us coming out of this alive. Honestly, I doubted myself so much I turned blind and--"

"Hey." You squeezed his hand again and he turned to you now. "We beat the odds. We're still together."

"Victors too," Peeta whispered, smiling gently. "But what would happen now? Like...you've screamed out a lot of really interesting things if you asked me."

You shook your head and glanced down, embarrassed. "I hope they don't, you know, tell me off for trouble. After all, I do find it outrageous." And it was true. Thinking about Glimmer, and Clove, and Rue, and Marvel, and even Cato, made you feel disgusted and sick all the time. It's a wonder how everyone managed to keep their sanity after the Games. All the victors and mentors, really.

Soon, the hovercraft reached the hospital, and you and Peeta were forced to break your handhold as you were ushered away to separate hospital wards. The instance you got to your own ward, you were instructed to take off your tribute clothing and put on a hospital gown, leading you to a bed.

"Huh." You glanced around at the white walls that surrounded your view, the thin hospital gown that made you feel exposed. You wished you were still wearing the tribute clothing, but no, even those were damaged beyond repair after countless times diving in lakes and climbing up trees and dodging mutt claws too. The pendant still stayed with you, funny enough, and you glanced down at it now, the sapphire glittering dully under the white fluorescent lights. Your mind floated also to Cato's sweater, hopefully still hanging in your room, but no. It was probably too far away, and who knows where it could have ended up now? Hopefully it wasn't gone. You can't bear to lose it. Not when Cato promised. Shivering, you brought your arms around you again, knowing that this time, there was no one to help you.

Eventually, a Peacekeeper came in holding a tray of food. A small bowl of stew, a bun the size of your palm, and a glass of water was all that came to you, and he set it down on the table and left without another word.

This is it? you thought, picking up the bun and rolling it around and around in your palm. Shouldn't the returning meal be a bit more extravagant? One look at the rest of the meal made you feel a bit queasy, though--after who knows how long in the arena eating nothing but squirrels, groosling, bread and cookies, maybe you could start off with something simple again. Just to be sure you're back on track with food intake.