Living Lies ✜ Hunger Games x Reader

Who Can Lie

Why doesn't he understand how hard this is for you?

Thump.

The last throwing knife leaves your hands, landing in the bark of a nearby tree and imbedding itself deep into the wood with a resonating crack-testimony to your frighteningly accurate skills. It's taken nearly an hour to become accustomed to throwing once again, and now you're fully dialed in and prepared. Once more, the knife sticks out starkly from the target's center, satisfying your anger like the last diminishing coal from a once blazing fire.

You let out a deep sigh, walking forwards towards the tree, grasping the handle of the knife and tugging it out forcefully. Running a finger over the blade, you stop suddenly, lifting your head at a familiar noise.

Another sponsor?

Curious, you round the tree from which you just pulled the knife and poke your head around the side, looking for the little gift. You spot it on the ground almost immediately, slightly surprised by the size of the gift-it's small. Definitely way smaller than the other gifts you've received before. You rack your brain, wondering what could possibly be in it of use to you. What do you need that comes in such a small container?

Medicine.

The thought hits you as soon as you reach for the gift. The tin is about the right size. It just might be. You hope it is. That way, you wouldn't have to go to the Feast to get what you need-except, for sake of entertainment, the gamemakers probably wouldn't let that happen. But still, you let a glimmer of hope live on.

Popping open the top of the can, you cautiously peer inside. It would be just your luck for it to be some sort of trap set up by Foxface. Now that would be a terrible way to go. Plus, Peeta would be on his own. But you're likely over thinking the whole sponsor gift; it most likely is some sort of medicine.

Sure enough, as you tip the can on its side, you're greeted with a simple little bottle, which looks like a bottle of medicine. You dump the box on the ground, running your fingers over the darkened bottle, tapping its glass surface. With a flourish, you unscrew the cap and hold it to your nose, taken slightly aback by the sweet smell that greets your senses. You hold it away, feeling a wave of tiredness wash over you just from smelling the substance.

You tighten the cap on the bottle once again, dropping down to the ground again quickly to read the message that came with it from Haymitch.

You know what to do with this, sweetheart.

-H

You lift your head, sighing and closing your eyes in realization. First off, it's quite concerning how well he knows you. Or, like Peeta said, how alike the two of you are.

Second off, he sent it to you for this specific reason. He could have sent medicine-who knows, maybe he wasn't allowed to, anyways-but he didn't. He sent sleep medicine. For you to use on Peeta. To escape and go to the Feast. To risk your life to get medicine.

Your intuition is telling you that, in some way, you're highly favored to die. But the first thought coming to mind is loudly insisting that this is Haymitch't way of testing you. Whatever his intention was, you're sure it's working in some way.

Opening your eyes, you glance towards a bush at the edge of the small clearing. They're small berries, ones you recognize from the District 12 forest. They're bland and easy to flavor. You steal a look towards the bottle in your hand as if it might burst into flames if you stare at it too long. You try to imagine how strong the sweet flavoring of the medicine would mask over the berries and seem natural.

Before you know what you're doing, the berries are in your palm, the bottle of sleeping medicine tipping precariously in your other hand over them. Blinking back your hesitance, you make one last flick of your wrist, dousing the berries in the medicine. Whatever Haymitch's test is, you've determined that you're not going to fail it.

***

"What took you so long?"

You pause at the entrance to the cave, surprised by how quickly Peeta began questioning you as you entered. "That was fast," you comment. "And it was nothing. I just kind of wandered around for a while."

"You 'just wandered around' for an hour, (Y/n)?" Peeta scoffs. "Haymitch was right-you really don't like to lie, do you? That makes it obvious."

"That's not true, and you know it," you respond dryly. "I'm perfectly fine with lying."

"There it is again."

You drop your bag on the ground with a sigh, holding your hands up in defense, conceding. "What, the irony?"

"Never play cards, (Y/n). You'll lose all your money with that attitude."

You roll your eyes, letting the silence hang in the air for a bit. Just as you're beginning to feel comfortable with it, Peeta breaks the silence with another tense question.

"Have you changed your mind?"

Oh damn it, Peeta-right when you were starting to rethink drugging him, he brings it up again. Tsk Tsk.

"I didn't really think about it that much."

"(Y/n)," he warns, sitting up on the cold cave floor, wincing. "Did you change your mind?" he persists, to which you dip your head slowly, starting to feel guilt once again-even before you pull out the big lie.

"I did," you lie quietly, "I'm sorry. I should have listened to you sooner." Peeta nods ever so slightly, acknowledging your fake apology, his eyes traveling down to the berries held lightly in your hands. "Umm, I, brought these for you," you offer, opening your hand slowly and stepping forwards. "While I was out I found a bush of these by the clearing and decided to take some. I recognize them from home-they're delicious. I saved some for you."

Peeta glances towards your hand again before cupping his beneath yours. You watch, holding your breath as a waterfall of berries pours into his outstretched hands, and as he pops the first few into his mouth, recoiling the tiniest bit at their extreme sweetness-only it's not natural. This, however, he does not pick up on.

"They're very sweet."

Your rehearsed lie spews out, perfect from practice all the way back to the cave. "They're called sugar berries," you tell him, "Katniss and Gale and I used to collect them. Our mothers used them to make jam."

"Sugar berries?" Peeta still sounds doubtful, and the slightest bit drowsy, swallowing the doctored berries. "They kind of taste familiar. I might have had them before. Where could you get them?"

"Not on the market," you answer swiftly. "They only grew wild in the forest. You probably never had them." You fiercely hope that the taste of the real berry is well disguised and that Peeta doesn't recognize them. The real ones are fairly common-he would know those.

"Huh, funny," Peeta mentions, his eyelids drooping slightly, "they're sweet. Like cold syrup." His eyes reopen, widening suddenly as the realization hits him too late. It does no good to attempt and spit them back up.

You watch carefully as his heads drop back and his body relaxes, breathing becoming even. When you're positive he's fully asleep and safe, you pick up your bag again, slinging it over your shoulder and gazing into the ever changing time of day. You squint to adjust to the haze of dusk. It might be the last time you see the old hunk of rock, but you've had enough for sentimentality today. They can at least say you tried, if nothing else. You pat the cave wall on your way out, smiling a bit at your District partner's sleeping form.

"Look who can lie now, Peeta."

(A/N: I should have warned you guys before hand that this was going to be a very short update. I'm going to try and get another one up soon, but it's unlikely. Here's the skinny: it's like, the last week for final testing with school, I have a busy week ahead with clubs and classes and right now I'm on vacation. I figured I could squeak out one this weekend, but it's not very impressive. I apologize, but it's something, at least.

Also, I offer out a Happy Mother's Day to all of the wonderful mothers around the world, and I hope the rest of the day goes well for all of you and your families!

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this too short update and that you stick around for better ones.Constructive criticism is always welcome and feel free to let me know what you thought by commenting or voting. Thanks for reading!

-Jay