The Night Train | EVERLARK

Night Five | The Endurance of Love

Warning - Explict smut ahead
(Don't ever say I don't treat you guys ;)

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NIGHT FIVE

The crowd screamed as Peeta got down on one knee, proclaiming his love for Katniss and asking her to be his wife.

Katniss could only pretend to squeal as she overzealously accepted the engagement, pantomiming putting on the ring and showing it to the eager crowd, listening to their oohs and ahhs over the size of the rock. In Katniss' opinion, it was garish and tacky, but Cinna had insisted that everyone else would love it, and as usual, he was right.

Katniss smiled at the crowd, pretending not to notice how the light had disappeared from Peeta's eyes as he struggled to get up on his prosthetic, it took a moment for him to find his balance before he took his turn to smile at the crowd, grabbing Katniss and holding her close as if he never wished to let her go.

Fear crept all the way through her as President Snow stepped onto the stage, coming over to congratulate the couple on their forever happiness.

Katniss froze as the dry, plump lips of Snow grazed her cheek, trying to maintain her smile as he held her hand, shaking his head in a determining no.

No.

It hadn't been enough. Snow clearly hadn't bought it, and so by extension, neither had the districts. That no was the start of Katniss' nightmare of a night. Her last night before having to return home and pray that Snow wouldn't kill her, Peeta, and her entire family upon their arrival to District 12.

But before any of that could happen, they had a party to attend.

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"I think it's time for a dance," Peeta smiled, grabbing Katniss' hand and almost dragging her onto the dance floor, leaving the Capitolites to their disgusting vomit-inducing drinks that mocked all those in the districts who were slowly starving to death.

Katniss could barely contain her rage over the entire affair, with the frivolous outfits and insane amounts of food, all she could think of was how she and her family were probably going to be executed at any moment after this party.

Peeta and she hadn't exchanged a true word to one another all night, the stings of their conversation from the day before not subduing with time.

Katniss knew she'd hurt Peeta by rejecting him. She knew that introducing this idea of a wedding was hurtful and deceitful and stupid. But she was desperate. Desperate for her to have been imagining Snow's head shake from earlier. Desperate for someone to stop this party and acknowledge how obscene this whole affair is.

But more than all of that, she was desperate to see that light in Peeta's eyes again. Desperate to kiss his lips just for them and tell him that she was just trying to protect them and that Snow could never know how much she truly loved him.

"I can't believe these people," Peeta whispered in her ear before he twirled her around, perfectly in sync with the other dancers, not missing a single step. He was leading Katniss entirely, knowing that she would've fallen on her face by now without him.

Katniss agreed with Peeta, of course she did. But just shook her head in response. Letting Peeta know that it wasn't safe to speak like that here. They were right in the snake pit. Being inSnow's manor meant that there was nowhere to hide.

Peeta understood, as he always did, and continued their dance in silence, only stopping to dip Katniss, leaving the other party guests whooping and hollering over the young couple.