Arrows in the Dark

11

There's a short interview before we leave for the Victory Tour. A hologram of everyone's beloved Caesar Flickerman is placed before us that acts both ways. So we can see him but not the crowd and they can see us. "Now wasn't that romantic.?" Caesar asks the crowd. We can hear them cheer as Peeta grabs my hand and strokes the back of it with his thumb. I smile lightly before lifting my eyes back up toward the screen. "What's it like living so close to each other in the Victor Village?" Peeta and I have decided to answer the questions one after the other. Peeta is up first.

"Well it's not that different. We lived near each other already. I just see her more often now." He smiles down at me and I blush under his gaze.

"And how is the relationship?" Truthfully I don't know how to answer this question. Dang it. Peeta should've gone second.

"It's ok." Caesar waits patiently.

"That's it? Just ok?" There's laughter from the crowd. My cheeks get redder. "Give me some details. How far along is this romance?" He questions.

"I think that's something to keep between the two of us." Peeta says lightly catching my eye.

"Ooo! Scandalous. I love it! Don't you?" More cheering from the invisible crowd.

"We actually fight more than I thought we would." Oh no. Why did I just say that.

"Oh? About what?" Caesar presses curiously.

"Nothing really. She's always right anyways." Peeta jokes. I breathe out a sigh. He's saved us. Caesar laughs along with the crowd. We sign off.

"I have no idea why I said that." I whisper harshly into his ear. Peeta chuckles.

"It's ok. It's fine. No harm done." He kisses my temple and we're ushered out of the room, we head toward the trains where we bid our final farewells, board and head in the direction of District 11. When Peeta and i are alone in the living room a scoot closer to him and kiss his cheek but before my lips leave his skin i whisper "I think we have to tell Haymitch about Snow." Pulling back he stares at me quizzically. "Wanna let some air into this room?" he asks loudly getting up and walking over toward the windows. He pulls them open, all of them. The wind rushes in and whips my hair around but its loud enough now that nobody will be able to hear us if the train is bugged.

"Why?" he asks taking my hands in his pressing his forehead against mine so we can hear better.

"Maybe he'll know what to do to help us. He gave you that note. He.. Coached you in.." i can't make myself say it. Peeta sighs.

"I'm sorry." i wait for him to say something more. "I'll get him." Peeta kisses my forehead before exiting the room to go find Haymitch. An Avox boy runs in seconds later looking at the windows a bit frantically.

"Sorry!" i shout over the wind. "A bit stuffy! Peeta and i wanted some air." the boy looks from the windows then back to me. I smiled widely showing him it's ok. The boy nods then exits slowly. Peeta walks in followed by a drunk Haymitch who starts yelling at him about the wind.

"Why the hell am i out here!" he shouts at us. Peeta whispers something harshly into his ear and his face lightens with recognition. He stumbles over to the couch and sits down next to me. Peeta sits on his other side. "I think you better start from the beginning. Peeta and i exchange a look. We tell him everything. They encounter with President Snow, our fight, how we made up. Haymitch laughs at the end. He laughs so hard tears form in the corners of his eyes.

"I don't see what's so funny!" i yell at him. He takes a swig from his bottle and chuckles.

"You two. You're screwed. Every year they're going to go back to this. You'll be mentors. They'll bring up your love affair. There's no escaping this now. You two.." he gestures back nad forth between us. "Are going to have to get married." he starts to laugh again and Peeta and i exchange shocked looks. Marriage? I've always wanted to be with Peeta but it was always a far fetched idea. Marriage was out of the question with us. Now here Haymitch was telling us how the rest of our lives are going to be and I'm.. Scared. I can't marry Peeta. It's not that i don't want to. I'm young. To young. Peeta's seventeen turning eighteen soon and i'm still sixteen! There's no way. No way that we could...