For Prim- An Everlark Fanfiction

Chapter 2- The Fight

Peeta POV: We enter back into the gymnasium, and immediately there are looks and whispers. Everyone seems to be fascinated by the sight of a Seam and a Merchant holding hands. "Peeta, people are staring at us." Katniss whispers, her cheeks red.

"Let them stare." I say, gripping her hand tighter. I hope she won't pull away. She doesn't.

"Wait, I almost forgot!" I say, slipping my hand into my pocket. I pull out something that has everyone enchanted. A wedding ring. She gasps. Her hands rise to her mouth. "You can wear it if you want." I offer. She still looks flabbergasted. "You don't have to, I'm sor-" "It's perfect." She says, holding out her left hand.  It's very uncommon to have a wedding ring here in 12. Most people have a sheet of paper and a house; that's it. I got this ring from my father when I told him my plans to ask Katniss to marry me.

- Earlier that day-

"Take it, Peeta. Give it to her." My father held out the small band in his hands which were, for once, not caked in flour.  My breath caught in my throat. He hadn't offered my brothers the simple wedding band when they were proposing to their (now) wives. 

"Dad, thanks. Really. You have no idea how much that means to me. But why?"

"Peeta, she's giving up everything she could ever be with anyone else for you. At least give her something beautiful."

He knows. He knows how I feel like I'm going to stop her from any future she could have.  "Okay. Thanks again Dad."  His warm smile changes into a look of longing.

"I was going to give that ring to her mother." He says, laughing. "Good thing I didn't. Then Katniss would be your sister and that would be, well, awkward."

I laugh. "Well, I need to go." I put the ring in my pocket then open the door to leave. "Son?"

"Yes?" I say, turning to look back at him. 

"Good luck."

-Back to current time-

She holds out her hand and I carefully slip the ring on. After, I bring her hand up to my lips and softly kiss it. I can feel her hand shutter as a reaction to my lips, but the smile on her face never left. She pulls her hand to her heart and leans over to whisper into my ear. "I'm never going to take it off." Her confession shocks me. Then I realize that the ring is probably the first piece of jewelry she ever owned. A simple, small silver wedding band. A luxury. Her first.  I grin from ear to ear. She hugs me then retreats to her seat to be followed by a friend of hers, Madge, and they begin to talk and eat. I walk slowly back to my seat. I still feel crazy. 

"I take it she said yes? You lucky dog." I hear the familiar voice and whip my head around. My best friend Finnick Odair comes and pats me on the back. "Congrats man." I smile to him and he smiles back. Other boys I know come to congratulate me. Then I hear another voice, a voice that brings bad memories and angered feelings.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Did dough boy finally manage to tell that Seam slut about his schoolboy crush on her?" I feel my body burning with anger as I turn and face Trenton Reart.  Trenton Reart was the school bully and he thought that he was better than everyone. He came from an extremely rich family, their social status right under the mayor's. Trenton has been teasing me since he found out about my crush on "that Seam slut".  He knew how much that term made my blood boil. But I refrained from saying anything to him. "Hey, did you hear me? What were you guys doing out there for so long, hm?" I was confused. What was he saying? He couldn't be saying...oh my god.

"Trenton, what do you want?" My eyes narrow.

"Hey, calm down. She actually said yes to you? How much money did you offer her? I could probably give her twice as much. Then she'd be marrying me and not you." That does it. He can't judge me and my future wife like that, even though she doesn't love me. I begin to walk toward him. 

"Peeta, don't. He's not worth it." Finnick pulls on my shirt. But I shrug him off, ignoring him. I slowly walk to him, then punch him in the stomach. He fights back, punching my already hurt nose. Trenton pins me on the ground, hitting me anywhere he can. Everyone around us cheering on.

"Enough! Stop it! STOP!" I hear a female voice shriek. Then I feel a very bloody Trenton being pulled off of me. Finnick throws him to the side, then bends back down to help pull me up. Katniss stands behind him, a worried look on her face. "What the hell Peeta! Seriously?!" She yells, anger pouring out of her. She pulls me into a hug then says "What were you thinking?! That stupid idiot isn't worth a dirty look!" "I'm so sorry," I mutter, then I release her and fall into a seat. "Peeta? Peeta! Someone help! He's losing a lot of blood!" She yells worriedly. That's the last thing I hear before the world around me fades to black.

Katniss POV: "PEETA! YOU CAN'T DIE!" I yell over his seemingly lifeless body. Finnick shoves me over and puts his head to Peeta's chest.

"He's still breathing. Katniss, we have to get him to Prim!" Ever since mom died, Prim began to take over her position as a Seam healer. What my mother had not taught Prim, Prim had learned by experience. Lots of miners come in with burn injuries and a bad cough, and Prim soon became an expert. Even though she's only 14, she seems wise beyond her years.

"Yeah, we do." I say relieved that he's still alive. I begin to twist the ring on my finger, realizing that this will become a regular habit. A few other of Peeta's merchant friends (he has many) come to pick him up, as we carry him away from the graduation party and to my small house in the Seam. "Prim! Help! Peeta, the youngest baker, got in a fight and fell unconscious!" My sister whips her small blonde head towards me.

"Put him on the table." She says calmly and the merchant boys do as she says almost immediately. Prim's blonde merchant hair and large blue eyes cause many young boys to be smitten by her looks, causing her to have an undeniable power of adolescent men. She begins to rub herbs on Peeta's bruises and cuts after cleaning him of any blood. Then, she rubs some sort of oil over the herbs and then works on his broken nose. She examines it, seeing just how broken it is, then places two braces around his broken nose to hold it straight then raps it in a white gauze. "This is the most I can do for him now. Call me over when he wakes, it shouldn't be too long."

"Thank you, Prim," I hug her than turn to the boys. "And thanks to you guys too." I say, dismissing them. They nod then leave quickly but not without stealing a few more looks at my sister.  I pull a chair that had been pushed aside next to Peeta and take hold of his hand.  I allow myself to reflect on the day. How did I feel about marrying Peeta? Well, it could have been much worse. Another man could have proposed to me the same option as Peeta did. Peeta had a great smile and a genuine goodness about him, and I believe he won't force me to have children. Other merchants could be cold and angry. He has a good heart. I definitely think I could grow to care for him deeply, but probably not love him. Love only brings hurt. For this reason, our exchanges will be brief. I can't lead him on. Not after he's going to provide such a nice home for me and Prim. Speaking of Prim, I have to tell her soon about my recent promise to Peeta. And Gale too. Oh my god! I forgot about Gale! How will he react? He's been single for a while now after his latest relationship had gone sour, which was odd for a Seam boy. I'll have to tell him on Sunday when we go hunting on his day off from the mines.  But there is one more variable left. The kiss. My hand still burns from the feeling of his lips against my hand. I can't deny the pleasure that this creates for me and I decide to let Peeta shower me in his affections, and maybe, just maybe, I will return them effortlessly someday.  I feel Peeta's hand squeeze mine. He opens his eyes and he looks purely happy at his situation, and he hold my hand tight.  I look into his loving eyes for a moment before yelling for Prim. She comes and gives Peeta a pain reliever then rubs more herbs on his wounds.

"He should be fine in a few weeks Katniss, no worries." A weight is lifted off of my shoulders as smile down at the blonde man lying on my kitchen table. "Hey Katniss, can I ask you where you got that silver ring that you have been twirling between your fingers?" She challenges.

"That, Prim, is what I need to talk to you about now." I say, leading her away from Peeta to confess how I've made a deal that will keep us safe forever.