An Extra Tribute

-change in the rules-

The next two and a half days seem like a repetition of that day. We wake up, check the traps (which rarely have anything in them), try to catch some fish, come back, cook the food, redress Peeta's leg (which is also getting much worse since I have no medicine to put on it and we ran out of bandages yesterday, so we've been dressing it with pieces of the spare jacket), eat, talk, and take turns on watch while the other sleeps. Right now, our schedule's being changed.

We're laughing while trying to fish, pretending to push each other into the water when the anthem starts playing. This only happens when they show the dead and announce the feist. It can't be time, can it?

"Attention tributes, attention. The regulations requiring a single victor have been... suspended. From now on, two victors can be crowned if both originate from the same district. This will be the only announcement." My eyes snap to Peeta and see his expression change from shocked to happy to confused then land at distraught. He looks back at me and we lock eyes intensely. I smile sadly and shift my feet, my shoulders slumping slightly.

"We knew only one of us was getting out of here, Peeta. Now it can be you two," I say, trying to be encouraging, but my voice falters. I don't know why I'm acting like this. I should be overjoyed. We're all getting out of here. What's wrong with me? Maybe I'm acting for the camera.

"No, Noah-"

"Yes, Peeta. It'll be you and Katniss, you know that. Can we go back to the cave to talk about this?" I ask, my tone changing to agitated. He nods and we walk back to the cave with tension filling the air between us, which is thin as I help him limp back to our spot. We get there in several minutes and once we've dropped into the rock, he starts talking.

"You can't just give up like that, Noah. You've won these things before, you've got to want to get out and go home to somebody. I mean, Annie, Finnick-"

"I've told you before, Peeta. They're fine without me. No one needs me. I want you guys to go home. And besides, the only person I'd want to go home to would be you, which wouldn't even be a sure thing with this whole triangle and these stupid games," I reply honestly.

"It could be," he offers.

"How? We can't just ask them to let me live," I shoot back.

"We could."

"You're too optimistic. They've never done it in the history of the Hunger Games and there have been countless other relationships."

"But, they're not us," he says, grabbing my hands quickly.

"What? A self-deprecating past victor girl and a boy who's in love with someone else? Yeah, they'd go for that," I say sarcastically.

"No, just listen-"

"No, you listen! I told you back with the Careers that if you wanted me to resign myself that I would. Well, I'm resigning myself for you. There. Problem solved. You didn't want to hurt me and I'm not hurt. You can go off with the girl you actually love and live a good, prosperous life in 12, have kids, and die a legend. You can both live. I'm letting you go," I cut him off, pulling my hands out of his.

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"You can't."

"And why not?"

"Because..."

"Why? Because why? Exactly, you don't like me like that. Be with Katniss, live well, lo-"

"Because I think I might be in love with you!" He exclaims, but it's not lovingly. He's rather annoyed with me, which makes sense. I look away and shake my head slightly.