Odds in Our Favor: A Joshifer Fanfic

Chapter 24

[Song: A Thousand Years - Christina Perri]

Josh's POV:

The cameras are rolling. I look at "Katniss" and say my lines.

"Katniss, we never finished our dance." She looks at me and asks "What do you mean, Peeta?" 

"Before the Quarter Quell." On cue, Jen smiles. She asks "Well, Peeta, do you want to finish it now?" with a smirk. I nod. "Will you have this dance, Ms. Everdeen?" I ask Jen, extending a hand. "Of course, Mr. Mellark." I take her hand and stand up, and the cover of Thinking Out Loud plays in the background.There's a split second of relief when it sounds like Ed's version, but then I recognize the voice. It's mine. I want to groan in protest, but the cameras are rolling, and now I'm Peeta. Not Josh.

Jen's body is pressed closely to mine, and our hands are entwined. She can't help but smirk, even when Katniss probably wouldn't. Francis doesn't protest, though. Maybe he thinks it's okay?

We spin and swirl to the music, our bodies pressed together, and I can't help but break into a grin. I find myself forgetting that the camera's rolling. Forgetting that my hair is blonde and her hair is hidden under a Katniss wig. For a moment, the set appears to change. Her hair is blonde again. Mine is brownish-black again. We're standing under a gazebo near a lake, I can't even tell you where. It's night time, and we're dancing. She's wearing the dress she wore at the Mockingjay Part One premiere, and I'm wearing the same suit I wore that night. We gaze into each other's eyes. Then, all of a sudden, it starts fading back to the set. Her hair changes, then her outfit, then mine, then the whole scene.

The music shows up in the scene again, and I realize it'll be close to the on-screen kiss. Jen stops and her hand touches my cheek. I smile. As the song ends, I close my eyes and kiss her.

It's a different feeling this time. This is our first kiss as Katniss and Peeta after we've actually been a couple in real life for a while. It almost feels like I'm expressing too much passion for a hijacked Peeta, but right now I could care less. Francis might even like it. We kiss, and I really want to continue it, but we're forced to pull away because there's one more line of dialogue we have to exchange.

I press my forehead against Jen's and whisper, "Everything's coming back to me in one single instant, girl on fire." Jen laughs. "Well, I'm glad I can be some form of assistance, Peeta." She puts on this really awesome, particularly sexy smirk, and I laugh.This is all in character, of course.  We kiss again, this time it requires a little more passion to transition into a particularly sexy scene. Again, I feel this hunger to continue the kiss, but Francis calls "CUT!" With his megaphone, he says "Really great job, Jen and Josh. We could really feel your chemistry coming through in that." Jen and I smile. I can't help but think that it would've been okay to continue the kiss, since the cast all already knows that we're dating. Francis may have thought we didn't hear him, though.

"Alright, Clarise, are the kids ready?" Francis calls to one of the makeup artists. "Yes, Francis! They're both looking fabulous!" Clarise calls back. Madison comes strutting over, her head held high, smiling like mad. Her hair is done into a singular braid. Hmm, that's funny. I thought she was supposed to have pigtails. Maybe they thought it would be too similar to Prim, and Katniss would react negatively. A few seconds later, a super excited Bear runs towards his aunt, adorable blonde curls sprouting up his hair. Jen squeals at her nephew, and picks him up with a smile plastered on her face. "You look so adorable!!" She kisses his cheek.

Francis picks up his megaphone and says "Alright everyone! To the meadow!"

Jen puts down Bear and lets him walk around, grabbing his hand. Some of the camera crew people start moving their equipment, and Jen and I head outside with Francis and some of the cast members that came to watch. As we walk, I grab Jen's free hand. She looks at me with curiosity. I lean in and whisper "This is our last scene together." She gives me a weak smile, with sadness in her eyes. "I know. But we'll spend it together." She kisses me on the cheek. Before she pulls her head back, she moves her mouth up to my ear and whispers "We'll have to finish that kiss later." I smirk at her. I know exactly what she means. I look down at Bear as he jumps around with excitement, still holding onto his auntie's hand, and waves at me with his other hand. My smile brightens and I wave at him. For a split second, I imagine him someday calling me uncle, and let out a quiet sigh, a smile still on my face full force.

We walk outside the set to our cars, and Jen fastens Bear into his seat she had had in her trunk before going to sit in the drivers seat next to me. "Please tell me Franco gave you directions." I pull out a piece of paper. Following the directions, and stopping at McDonalds for drinks, we make it to the meadow.

We set up and do some touch ups to our makeup and hair (yes, in the middle of a real meadow. Don't ask me how we did it, I honestly have no idea how we got the makeup chairs out there, but whatever.)

[Song: The Only Exception - Paramore]

All Madison and Bear have to do is run around the meadow and play. Jen and I have the dialogue, despite how little it is. Once the kids start running around and Jen and I get a bit romantically close to each other, the camera rolls.

"It's going to be okay, Katniss. We have each other...and the book. We can tell them in a way that won't make them afraid of the world." I tell her. Jen looks up at me on cue, with sad eyes. Her expression changes to happy. She whispers, "I know, Peeta. I know." She pauses. "I love you." I smile at her. "I love you too. I promise I will stay with you." We pause and look into each other's eyes before whispering at the same time, "Always." Grins creep up on our faces before we kiss one last time as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. We're still smiling, but there's a wave of sadness that overcomes me inside. As we pull in for another quick kiss, Francis yells "Cut."

We can hear how sad he is too. "That's a wrap on the Hunger Games series!" He shouts. There's some applause, but no cheers. There's just this aura of sadness that is looming over the cast and crew right now, and we're all hugging and some of us are exchanging numbers with the crew. Jen and I hug, and I kiss her cheek, when I feel wetness on her cheek. I can see that a tear has rolled down her face, and I hug her tighter. Francis notices that Jen's crying, and he pulls her into a hug. "Oh, Jen. It's okay." I hear her mutter, "I'm going to miss shooting these movies so fucking much." He whispers, "I know. I am too. We all are. We can see each other elsewhere though. We should all have a reunion sometime!" He suggests to the group. They all nod and cheer in agreement.

Jen looks back over at me and kisses me. I kiss her back with a smile forming on my lips. As I embrace her again, I whisper, "I'll see you at midnight." This makes her laugh. God, her laugh is so cute. Jen turns to the cast, wiping under her eyes with her fingers, and yells "Damnit, Suzanne Collins, I will go to your house and make you write another one of these damn books." This generates a laugh from the group.

We talk and chat for at least another half hour, before we all have a group hug and say our goodbyes. After Jen says goodbye to Bear and he leaves with his dad, we head to the car hand in hand. I prepare for the cameras waiting outside the set boundaries, dreading the moment when I finally have to let go.