The Hunger Games - Peeta Mellark (1)

}10{ - Unforeseeable Allies

For a moment, the cameras held on Peeta's downcast eyes as what he said sunk in.

Then Livia could see her face, mouth half open in a mix of surprise and protest, magnified on every screen as she realized.

Her.

He meant her.

She pressed her lips together and stared at the floor, hoping it would conceal the emotions starting to boil up inside of her.

"Oh, that is a piece of bad luck," Caesar said, and there was a real edge of pain in his voice.

The crowd was murmuring in agreement, a few have even given agonized cries.

"It's not good." Peeta agreed.

"I don't think any of us can blame you. It'd be hard not to fall for that young lady", Caesar asked, "She didn't know?"

"Not until now." Peeta admitted.

Livia allowed her eyes to flicker up to the screen long enough to see that the blush on her cheeks was unmistakable.

"Wouldn't you love to pull her back up here and ask for a response?", Caesar asked as the audience agreed, "Sadly, rules are rules."

He turned back to Peeta, "Well, best of luck to you, Peeta Mellark. I think I speak for all of Panem when I say our hearts go with yours."

Deafening roars of comfort came from the audience as Peeta absolutely wiped the rest of them off the map with his declaration of love for Livia.

When the audience finally settled down, he choked out a quiet thank you, before returning to his seat.

They stood for the anthem.

She had to raise her head out of the required respect and couldn't  avoid seeing that every screen was now dominated by a shot of Peeta and her.

After the anthem, the tributes filed back into the Training Center lobby and onto the elevators.

She headed onto an empty elevator, as far from either blonde she so desperately wished to avoid.

Only it was her luck when Peeta waltzed into the elevator like nothing had happened.

The doors had only just closed when Livia shoved Peeta into the wall- she gripped the collar of his shirt in her fists.

"What have you done?" Livia quizzed.

"Livia-" He started gently.

"You just signed your death certificate." Livia mumbled, her grip on Peeta's collar loosening at the realization- the realization that she cared.

She couldn't care.

Not with the Games merely twelve hours away.

"I know what I'm doing." He assured- still maintaining his calm composure.

She snapped back from whatever world she'd disappeared to, more conflicted than ever.