Midnight ✔️ ||Peeta Mallark x OC|| ( A Hunger Games Short story)

No stranger would it be

Katniss pov:

Sitting next to Peeta I see that he's freezing.

I know I shouldn't be doing this, but I have to. How else would I be surviving?

I look over at him.

To the capital it may look like a loving glance at his sleeping form but he and I both know it's an act.

I know he likes her. He likes Grace. I'm not stupid, I've seen the way he whispered to her at the capital, the way she smiled as he held her hand behind his back. I was stood behind him of cause I would have seen.

——————
Flashback

I watch as Peeta, Grace and I stand in the queue for Caesar. I pick at my nails in anxiousness.

Thresh gets called up and we all step forward.

Peeta leans forward and whispers something in Graces ear. She goes to turn around, but he stops her, whispering something else.

I watch.

She crosses her arms behind her back as she waits and she smiles to herself, slightly turning her head behind her.

Her name gets called and she walks up to Caesar.

Peeta keeps his sloppy smile on his face and I take that as an opportunity to speak to him.

"You know you really shouldn't be trying to make friends" I point out, saying my thoughts out loud instead of whispering to him, because no one else is with us.

"Oh really? I thought that was the aim: to make allies" he says back sharply, the smile slowly leaving his face " I think that you should try to be a little more friendly with people Katniss" he says "might help you get some allies as well"

I go to respond before I gasp

"Peeta look" I say as I look up at the screen behind Grace who is being interviewed.

There for all the world to see if the little private interaction between the two of them.

Peeta starts to blush.

I look at Grace and see her doing the same.

I sigh

"If you like her Peeta, I'd say go for it" I say as he turns around, ignoring the guards, to look at me in shock

"Really?!" He asks

"Yeah..." I say "not like we've got much longer left " I say sadly and his smile leaves as he looks back at her

"That's too true" he says just as his name gets called

—————————
End of flashback
—————————

I wonder what happened to Grace.

She's clearly still alive because Peeta stares at the sky looking for her portrait all night, hoping not to see her among the dead.

We've not seen her.

I sigh, standing up from sitting watch over Peeta. I can't just sit around doing nothing, I have to get him medicine.

Quickly I exit the cave, making my way to the middle of the arena where I know the cornucopia is.

I watch from the side, hidden in the trees before quickly darting out and running to grab another backpack that has been placed there for us.

I'm almost there when I feel a person push my back, sending us both to the floor.

Quickly I turn on my back and see it's Clove.

"I've got you now" she grits out

"Get.... Off!!!" I manage to struggle out as we toss and turn around on the grass.

Suddenly she uses her knife to stab at me and I just about move my head out the way.

Without warning she stands on my hand, meaning I can't move to dodge her attacks.

I'm dead!

Just when I think it's all over, a force pushes her off me.

I sit up as I see Thresh grab her and smash her against the side of the cornucopia.

"Stay away from her!" He shouts

"Cato!" She screams "Cato!!!"

Thresh quickly grows tired of her shouting and hits her twice against the metal structure.

She falls to the floor, her eyes wide open and her head bleeding.

I quickly stand up as Thresh turns to me.

"12, Next time Grace needs you, you better be there for her" he says before running off

I sweep the backpack off the floor and run back to Peeta.

———————

When I reach the boy, I see that he's awake

"Katniss what happened to your face?" He asks concerned

"Clove tried to swing at me" I say keeping it brief "She's dead... Thresh killed her" I say

I get out the medicine from the backpack and I start to generously apply it to Peetas leg.

He sighs as it starts to sooth the pain.

"Thresh?" He asks breathlessly as he sighs "Was Grace there?" He asks hopefully

I shake my head

"No, but I think she must be with him. He told me that he saved me in order that I promised to protect Grace" I say

"So she must be alive" Peeta adds

"Yes" I say

"Then we have to find her" he says

—————————————

The next day Peeta and I find out that Foxface is dead after she followed Peeta who was collecting berry's. They turned out to be poisonous.

"So that leaves, Cato, Thresh and Grace" I say

"Well Grace is obviously off the table" Peeta quickly points out

"Right" I mumble

"That leaves Cato and Thresh" he says "but we can't kill Thresh because he's in Graces district. That means we must go after Cato"

I nod

"He will probably not be too happy to see me after I got Clove killed" I point out as we continue walking.

Suddenly the arena starts to grow dark as I look around.

"They must be eager to end this thing" I say with a shiver.

Suddenly doglike noises start to call out.

"What was that?" Peeta asks as I hold out my bow in front of me

"It's the finale" I say

Within seconds a cannon goes off.

Peeta and I look to the sky in hope that it's Cato.

Instead we see Threshes face.

Peeta places a hand over his mouth and I bite my lip.

"Come on, we'd better go" I say "Grace must be alone"