The Angel of Death || Peeta Mellark x Reader

...Ready for It?

I woke up the next morning, dread filling my mind and stomach. I glanced at the boy who I held tightly in my grasp, still stuck in somewhat-peaceful sleep. I ran my fingers through his straight blond hair for what would probably be the last time, and tried to wake him up.

"Peeta.. Peeta, we have to get ready".

"Already?".

"Yes".

We both pried ourselves from the comfort from the bed and each other's arms, and Peeta left me alone to go find his room. We hadn't spoke of what happened on the balcony last night, and I kind of wish we had. But it was too late, the Games were starting in just a few hours. 

——————

After I had gotten dressed in yet another black shirt, but this time paired with tan khaki pants, the mandatory outfit, I had been told. I entered the dining area. I saw that Effie had already made me a plate of sausage, eggs, and toast, and I moved to thank her.

"Thanks, Effie", I said, pulling her in for a hug. I knew the gesture wasn't much, but Effie and I's relationship had grown so much over the past few days, it felt weird to leave her with nothing.

"Oh, of course Y/N, it's nothing really. Just be sure to eat and drink a lot before the big event!".

I smiled at her, then sat down next to Haymitch, who was surprisingly sober. Unlike Effie, he didn't say anything to me, and just ate his meal in silence.

I pushed the food on my plate around, mixing the sausage links with the scrambled eggs in an odd concoction. If I ate anything, I thought I would surely puke all over the beautiful glass table and the deep, maroon-colored rug, so I just sat at the table.

I felt Effie and Haymitch's eyes all on me, since Peeta hadn't shown up yet. It puzzled me, since we spent the whole night together, but then he just disappeared after the morning. I couldn't dwell on it too long, though, since next thing I knew, Haymitch was walking me towards a terrifying-looking Capitol hovercraft. 

"You're going to do fine, you're handy with an axe, right?", he questions, even though I feel he already knows what my response will be.

"I'm nothing special, at least compared to everyone else. Sure, I can cut up a stationary dummy that doesn't fight back, but what happens when it's an actual person?".

"Be confident. And you've already got people tripping over themselves to sponsor you, thanks to your interviews. Now look, I don't care what happens to you and Peeta once that gun goes off, but I suggest continuing the star-crossed lovers approach. It's more- dramatic. And you know how much these people love that".

I don't say anything in return, particularly because I don't know what I can say. Sure, Peeta did both of us a huge favor with his interview strategy, but what happens when we get into that arena. Say we're lucky and neither of us dies in the bloodbath. We can't play off this romance thing forever, because by the end, at least one of us will have to die. And I don't want to lose him, even though I don't even know what he is to me, yet.

"Stay alive", Haymitch says, his last piece of lifesaving advice.

I let out a small laugh at his words, thankful for at least some level of comedic relief at this point of my life. I turn around to give him a hug, to thank him for everything he has done and everything he will try to do for me. He hugs back, surprisingly, but then I am forced to leave him behind and walk onto the hovercraft. 

I'm met with a couple of Capitol workers, and eleven of my fellow tributes. I take a seat next to the red headed girl from District 5, Finch, and survey everyone around me that I will soon try to kill. My eyes lock on the boy from 2, and suddenly I'm reminded of our previous encounter. He sends me a malicious smile, and I felt myself shrink back into my seat.