Living Lies ✜ Hunger Games x Reader

Sacrifice

Today isn't just any day.

Today when Effie woke you from your slumber, with her usual "It's a big, big, big, day!" she didn't sound quite as cheerful. You find it surprising how easily it seems she had attached herself to you and Peeta, seeing as she already knew it was unlikely you would survive. Even more surprising, you found yourself feeling a pang as she bade you goodbye for what might be the last time.

Yes, today was "the day". D-day.

The day the Hunger Games officially started—when you enter the arena.

Your emotions are no worse for the wear than they had been the night before. You couldn't make yourself forgive Peeta, but you had to act like it. That might be the hardest part of it all.

You stand quietly underneath the arena—your possible future graveyard—staring back at Cinna across from you. "(Y/n)," he begins, taking something out from his pocket, "I believe in you."

When you look down at his hand, you spy something. A little mockingjay pin. You gasp, snatching it from his hands. You recognize it. It's the pin that Katniss had received from Madge Undersee the day of the Reaping. You think hard about how Cinna got this, and you quickly begin to put the pieces together, but you need to check with Cinna first.

"Where did you get this?" you ask, still astonished, turning the pin over in your hand.

Cinna gently takes the pin from your hand again and pins it to your suit, fingering the (h/c) fishtail in your hair. "I found it inside the pocket of the dress you wore on the train. It's your district token, right?" he asks, to which you numbly nod. "It barely passed the review board. People thought it could be used to an unfair advantage as a weapon. They eliminated a ring from that District 1 girl, though—if you twisted the gemstone on it, a spike popped up. A poison one, too. She claimed she knew nothing about it; got taken anyways."

You barely hear the last part of his explanation. In my dress pocket. Katniss must have slipped it in when she hugged me. Suddenly your mind flashes back to the time right before you boarded the train—when Katniss and Prim came to say goodbye.

Prim was sobbing as she threw her arms around you. "(Y/N)! Why did you do it?"

You hugged Prim back hard. "I couldn't let you get thrown in there, and I knew that if I didn't volunteer, Katniss would—and I'd never let that happen," you told her.

Katniss walked forward to lay her hand on your shoulder. "You should have let me do it, (Y/N)," she choked out.

You shook your head. "No, Katniss, you have to look after Prim and your mother, because you know they couldn't do it themselves. My mother can take care of herself and my father, and if she can't... I know Gale will," you let go of Prim and grabbed Katniss' shoulders. "I'm not going to die. I promise I'll find a way to get home."

Katniss had never actually hugged you before they left—she never could have put that pin in your dress. It was Prim. Her height made her the perfect size to slip the pin into your back pocket while you were bending down to hug her.

Only problem is, it doesn't seem like something Prim would do. And even if Prim carried it out, it could have been Katniss' idea, since it's likely you would have noticed Katniss sneaking you a suspicious looking—not to mention rebellious—token. The Peacekeepers would have noticed such a strange token being handed over easily. Prim made it more discreet—she enabled it to be brought this far.

Through all the times you've had adoring crowds, good scores, and earth shattering interviews, the pin hasn't been far away.

Who knows? Maybe the little rebellious thing is good luck.