Hunger Games: Peeta Mellark × Fem! Reader

Chapter: 7

+Y/n p.o.v+

After changing into your outfit, you walked to the dining room and saw  Haymitch, Effie, and Peeta already eating.

"Oh, there you are! I was starting to get worried!" Effie exclaimed loudly, pulling Haymitch and Peeta's attention to you.

"Hi," you answered shortly, focused on observing the food and the room, the banquet was unlike anything you've ever seen in your life.

"Well, do come in and join us!" Effie said gesturing to the seat next to Haymitch and across from Peeta. You made your way over quietly before taking a seat and quickly piling up your plate. You could feel a gaze on you and from the corner of your eye saw Peeta looking at you with a small smile gracing his lips.

What was he looking at you for?

You began to eat when Haymitch started talking, "Easy career, do you know what that is?" He asks.

"District 1," you replied while cutting into some chicken. "And 2, they train in a special academy until they're 18, then they volunteer, and by that point, they're pretty lethal." He continues before taking a bite of his food.

"They don't receive any special treatment and they stay in a smaller apartment than you do. I don't think they even let them have dessert, and you can." Effie chimes in.

You and Peeta both stare at her for a second. Well, at least you guys get something they don't.

Dessert over special life saving training. Yippee.

"So, how good are they?" Peeta asks turning back to Haymitch. "Mhm, obviously they're pretty good, they win it every year" He responds with a tilting his head in thought.

"Almost every year, almost." Effie says shooting Haymitch a glare. "But they can be arrogant and arrogance can be a big problem," He continues, ignoring her gaze.

You're taking a bite of an apple when you feel a stare on you once again, looking up you see its Haymitch this time.

You hold his gaze as he speaks. "I here you can shoot." You move your focus to the food again and shrug. "I'm alright."

"No. She's better than all right, my father has bought squirrels off her," Peeta speaks up with eagerness. You look at Peeta brows scrunched in curiosity.

"He says she shoots right through the eyes, every time." Peeta continues, looking you straight in the eyes. Why was he talking you up, Is it some kind of tactic? You stare at Peeta a moment longer before turning to Haymitch, "Peeta's strong."

"What?" Peeta asks confusion lacing his tone, you ignore him and keep your gaze on Haymitch. "He can throw a hundred-pound pack of flour right over his head, I've seen it." You finish.

"Well, I'm not gonna kill anyone with a sack of flour, " Peeta answers with a scoff. Effie who is about to take a sip of her drink, stops and tilts her head in confusion at you both. Haymitch continues to watche with amusement.

"No, but you might have a better chance at winning if somebody comes after you with a knife-," you try to speak.

"I have no chance of winning," Peeta exclaims frustrated and interrupting you. "None, Alright." He finishes looking at you.  

Haymitch sits up and you glance back down at your plate, letting Peeta's words sink in. "It's true," Peeta continues, you glance up at him again.

"Everybody knows it," He says staring at his plate. "Huh.. you know what my mother said?" His eyes meet yours again with a mix of emotions swirling in them.

"She said District 12 might actually have a winner, and she wasn't talking about me." You turn your head from him but can feel his eyes on you. "She was talking about you." He finishes.

It's quiet for a minute before you hear Peeta get up from his seat. "I'm not very hungry, " He mumbles, throwing his napkin on the table, and walking away.

Everyone's silent and the first memory of Peeta runs through your mind looping with his words.

-----------------------+Flashback+--------------------

His mother had hit him as they came walking out on their shop porch. She was yelling at him but you couldn't hear her words because of the pouring rain. She handed him two loaves of bread before heading back into the shop. Peeta turns from the shops door and walks to the end of the porch, it overlooks their pigpens.

You watched from your place seated on the mud, against a wooden streetlight post, as he threw some of the bread to the pigs, his eyes caught yours in a glance. The young man looked behind him before he threw the remaining loaf out to you, and turned back in for the night.
--------------------+Flashbackover+----------------

You wiped your mouth with the napkin, before getting up. "I'm done too." You mumble out and without waiting for a response, head back to your room.

That night, as usual, you have a hard time finding sleep. The conversation with Peeta from dinner was on repeat in your head.

Did his mother really say that to him? She thought you could win? Did he think he wouldn't have a chance at winning?

Why was he talking up your archery skills so much?

God, you wished you had Katniss or Gale to talk to, you missed them. You wondered what they've been doing since you've been gone. You hoped Gale was getting Katniss to take care of herself.

"Ugh, I just want to go home." you groan outloud, lifting a hand to rub your eyes.

With all the thoughts of home and the frustration of dinner's talk, you didn't fall asleep until early morning.

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Hey guys, first of all, thank you so much for reading this story and sticking with it! It means so much and I really can't thank you enough.

Also, I would like to apologize for taking so long to update this story, I've been working on a few other projects and ended up getting a bit sidetracked 😅.

I will continue this story and update again when I can, message me if you have any questions or comments, and again thank you so much for reading this story!

-Goth☠