Random stuff I write/one shots and short stories

Another random idea

The hunger games short(ish) story.
(Ideas for names/one pairing are from  When the Moon Fell in Love with the Sun By Mejhiren on AO3.)

Alright so I get the thing with the age gap but I accidentally went down a rabbit hole reading above mentioned story so I changed one age a tiny bit.  And overall the whole thing is mentioned somewhat briefly.

Peeta's P.O.V.

Being a baker's son, you wake up before first light and are dressed and downstairs before you're even completely awake. Today, however, is reaping day. Which means an even earlier start since we close at noon for the reaping at two.

Being the bakers son has its perks, even if we eat pretty much only stale bread, there's always plenty of it. And of course, burned bread goes to the pigs and gets us hit.

Well, it goes to the pigs all but once....

I think about that moment from five years ago at least once a day, along with Katniss. My father pointed her out to me eleven years ago, on our first day of school. The same day I fell in love with her. She had her hair in two braids instead of one and she was wearing the prettiest dress I'd ever seen.

I see her at school, mostly only at lunch though. She only ever hangs out with the mayors daughter, Madge, if anyone. She rarely has much more to eat than tesserae bread made of grain and oil and stone soup. It makes me wonder how many times her name is entered into the reaping. I doubt she'd let her sister, Primrose, take out tesserae. She's to selfless and she cares to much about her sister for that.

By now, I'm half way through making the bread dough. At this point in my life I've memorized the things I make daily and then other that I make regularly(and of course a few others too).

By the time we closed at noon, wed made more money than usual, since many families buy something to celebrate that their families are safe, despite the fact that the reaping has yet to take place.

We all washed up, or at least me and one of my brothers, seeing as my oldest brother -Luka- is no longer eligible for the reaping. Marko is a year older than me.

By the time we're signed in it's about five to two. I keep an eye out for Katniss.

At two o'clock on the dot Effie Trinket walks onto the stage to begin.

By the time we've gotten through the necessary videos and speeches my feet are sore. But now it's time for the reaping.

"Ladies first!" Effie says happily, crossing the stage to where the bowl full of names sits.

The silence is just as suffocating as every other year. But this year when she calls out the name, it's one of the names I dread hearing.

"Primrose Everdeen!"

Silence. This has got to be a dream. I look for Marko who's behind me in the sections. When I find him, I can tell he's completely tensed up. I think he's shaking.

As this is happening, not one person speaks. It's completely silent.

Effie calls for Prim again. She slowly begins walking. As she moves the girls around her clear a wide path. Once she makes it to the path between the boys and girls sections I see Katniss burst out of the crowd for 16 year old girls, across from the boys of the same age. My section.

"Prim!" She calls out, her voice sounding broken and strained. Two peacekeepers were holding her back even as Primrose turned to look at her.

She broke through the peacekeepers.

"I VOLUNTEER! I volunteer as tribute" she screamed. Prim turned to her startled. Wide eyed, yelling and crying for her not to do this before Gale Hawthorn came to pick her up and take her to her mother, who even now showed little emotion. It was still registering in my mind. Katniss is up there. She's going to the Hunger Games and probably never coming back.

Although if her general attitude and skill with hunting were any indication, she has a better chance than most in our district, even without consistent food.

She's a skilled hunter and plenty smart.

I know. It's wishful thinking. But it's better than just immediately caving. That'll probably happen once the games start. But at least I'm calm until I get home.

By this point Effie had pulled a name from the boy's bowl and had walked back to the microphone. I try to pay attention but the most I catch is "Peeta Melark."

Well shit.

That's me.

Apparently I'm never going home.

I panic.

I walk up to the base of the stairs in almost a trance. At the bottom of the stairs I hesitate. Effie urges me up.

I cross the stage with Edie and when we reach where Katniss is standing and she tells us to shake hands. Not knowing what else to do for Katniss, I simply squeeze her hand. Hopefully only enough for just her to notice, to realize I'm here for her.

After that Effie finished up before we were supposed to be pulled into the justice building for the allotted hour of time for family and friends to say goodbyes and give well wishes, all while hoping and praying it won't be the last time they see their tributes.