My Ivy [A Peeta x reader fanfiction]

i could go anywhere I want, just not home

No. No. No. Not him. You watched him walk onto the stage, all eyes staring up at him. As you looked to the crowd, you saw your mother cover her mouth. The poor boy's father stared down at his feet, then looked back up at him. His mother was staring blankly at the stage before she whispered into her husbands ear. He stared back at her in response, disbelief in his eyes. 

"Now, shake hands!" Effie giggled cheerfully, as if we weren't going got be dead by next month. You turn towards him and see tears in his eyes. You take a deep breath and shake hands. He looks you in eye, bottom lip quivering.

 As Effie steps forward to the microphone, you realize that Peeta doesn't let go of your hand. Instead, he slowly raises your intertwined hands into the air, resulting in an "Oh!" by Effie. She asks for a round of applause, but it is silent. Nothing happens until you see Prim, in the front row, take her three middle fingers, press them to her lips, and raise them to the sky. The three finger salute. Katniss does it, and Gale follows suite. Soon everyone in the crowd is doing it. Your aunt and mother put a hand on their mouths, tears rolling down their faces. 

You feel your hand being torn apart from Peeta's and you turn your head. 

"No! y/n!" Peeta cries out as the Peacekeepers separate the two of you, dragging you into a room. The last thing you see is tears running down Peeta's face as they close the door. You take a deep breath. What was all that about? With Peeta? Stop. Don't get attached. Oh. But how it would be lovely if you did. Don't say that. You already were. Your thoughts stop when the doors open. 

"Y/N!" Prim cries and runs into your arms. Katniss follows her. 

"You have to win. You have to," Katniss tells you. "Please. For us. You can use a bow, and you aren't to bad with a spear." You nod, stroking Prims hair. She looks up. 

"Please, y/n. "She sobs. "You have to win." 

Katniss hugs you next, whispering something in your ear only you could hear. "You didn't have to this."

"Stop. You know I had to." 

A Peacekeeper tore you apart, sending in your mother. She cried and hugged you. 

"Shhhhhhh," you whispered. "It'll be ok. I'm smart, you know that. I'll try to win. You can't give up. Gale will bring you game, you know that. It'll be okay." She slowly walks out, telling you that she loves you. You mouthed it back. Minutes pass, then the Peacekeepers come and take you away, loading you into one of their shielded vehicles and drive you away. 

"Oh, you two are in for a treat!" Effie giggles. "Steel train cars, mahogany tables, cushy mattresses, cozy blankets, and best of all, a feast!"

Peeta blankly nods his head. You didn't respond. After minutes of her babbling on and on about crystal chandeliers and customizable showers, she shuts up, giving in to the silence. 

You stare in silence out the window in the back of the car where you sat. The workers, grateful for the day off, stared back, watching you leave off to your death. Your knee started bouncing up and down and tears rolled down your face. All of these faces you loved, some you didn't even know, just watching you leave. You are going to die. You are never see any of them again. 

You suddenly felt weight on your knee. You look down to see a hand on it. You slowly gaze at the person next to you, offering you a comforting smile. Peeta's hand rests lightly on your knee, and he squeezes it reassuringly once in a while. About halfway through the ride, he takes his hand off your knee and sets it in the cushion in between the two of you. You set your hand on top of his. When he looks at you, you notice a pinkish tint in his cheeks. You hope that you don't have the same.

You woke up half an hour when the vehicle pulled to a stop outside the station. You lifted your head off of—wait. What is that you're resting your head on? Oh. His lap. You were going to sit back up, but you felt him stroke a clump of hair out of your face and put it behind your ear. You stayed there in peace until he rubbed your shoulder to wake you up. 

"Hey, y/n," he said. "They're coming to get us." 

You quickly sat up, cheeks and ears burning. What was wrong with you? You don't even have a crush on him! 

You finally mustered up the courage to sneak a peak at him when you entered the fancy train. You think he had been staring at you most of the time, because when you looked, he quickly looked away, smiling. Cheesy, but cute, you thought. 

"Have you ever met him?" Peeta ask you as you sat down in a turquoise chair, taking in the scenery. Everything was extremely fancy. 

"Met who?" You ask back. 

"Haymitch, our mentor. Other than he dove off the stage," he joked. You laughed. 

"No, I suppose not," you respond. 

"Oh," he says, disappointed. "Do you know anything about him?"

"Other than he's always drunk? Not not much. But he can't be that bad. He did win the games, maybe he'll be helpful."

"Ha. Yeah," he laughed. He flinched when the door swung open. In came Haymitch Abernathy.