Multifandom X Reader Stories

For the Sake of Survival ( Peeta Mellark) Part 1

You had known Peeta Mellark long before his name was whispered in every corner of Panem, long before the Hunger Games had turned your world upside down. You had been with him in the quiet moments—before the Reaping, before the Capitol—and your love had grown in the safety of District 12, where you believed nothing could tear you apart.

But now everything had changed.

You sat on the edge of your bed, staring at the letter that had arrived earlier that day, your heart heavy with the weight of it. The Capitol had sent a reminder of the "love story" between Peeta and Katniss Everdeen, and it was splashed across every screen. The star-crossed lovers of District 12. The romantic tale that kept the Capitol entertained and kept Peeta and Katniss alive.

But no one knew the truth. No one knew that before the Games, you had been Peeta's. And in a way, you still were. He had warned you before he left for the Games that he might have to play along with the idea of loving Katniss. He had sat you down, his hands trembling as he told you the Capitol might force them into a romance, that it was the only way they could survive.

"It's just for show," he had said, his voice full of desperation. "It doesn't mean anything, I promise you."

You had believed him then. But now, after seeing them together in the Games, after seeing the way he looked at her, held her, kissed her—it was becoming too much.

The knock on your door startled you. You didn't need to guess who it was. You had been expecting him.

Peeta stood in the doorway, looking weary and older than his years. His usual warm smile was missing, replaced with a look of guilt and pain that twisted in your chest.

"Can I come in?" he asked softly, his blue eyes searching yours for any sign of forgiveness.

You nodded, stepping aside to let him in. The room felt suffocating with him there now, even though you had once found comfort in his presence. You could see the tension in his shoulders, the way he carried the weight of everything that had happened since the Games. But it wasn't enough to quell the storm inside you.

"I got the letter," you said, your voice quiet but steady. You didn't need to explain. He knew exactly what you were talking about.

Peeta's face crumpled slightly, and he rubbed the back of his neck, as if trying to find the right words. "It's just... it's still part of the act," he murmured, his eyes pleading with you to understand. "The Capitol is watching, the whole world is watching. If we don't keep up the story, Katniss and I... we're both in danger. And if you—"

"I know, Peeta," you interrupted, your voice sharper than you intended. "I know why you have to keep pretending. But that doesn't make it any easier."

He stepped closer, his hands reaching out for yours. His touch was familiar, warm, and it took every ounce of strength you had not to melt into him like you always had before. "Please, Y/N," he whispered. "You have to believe me. It's not real. What I feel for Katniss—it's just for the cameras. You're the one I love."

You swallowed hard, your chest tightening at his words. You had waited so long to hear them again, but now they felt hollow, weighed down by the constant barrage of images of him and Katniss wrapped in each other's arms.

"I believe you, Peeta," you said softly, pulling your hands away from his. The pain that flickered across his face at the loss of contact made your heart ache, but you needed distance. You needed to say what you'd been holding in for so long. "I believe that you love me. But this—this situation—it's too much."

He shook his head, his eyes wide with desperation. "No, don't say that. Please, Y/N, we can get through this. Once the cameras stop, once the Capitol isn't breathing down our necks, we'll be okay. We'll be together again."

"Peeta, it's not just about the cameras," you said, your voice breaking despite your efforts to stay strong. "It's about you and her. I see the way you look at her. Maybe you don't even realize it, but there's something between you two now. I don't blame you. You've been through hell together, and I know the Capitol is forcing you both into this, but that doesn't change the fact that... I can't do this anymore."

Peeta looked as if you had punched him in the gut. "What are you saying?" he asked, his voice hoarse. "Are you—are you leaving me?"

Tears welled up in your eyes, but you blinked them away, determined to stay strong. "I'm saying that I love you, Peeta. I love you more than anything. But I can't watch you be with someone else, even if it's not real. I can't watch the world fall in love with this perfect romance between you and Katniss, while I'm stuck in the shadows, pretending that it doesn't hurt."

He reached out for you again, his hands trembling. "But it's you I want, Y/N. Not her. I never wanted this. I never wanted any of it."

"I know," you whispered, your voice barely holding together. "But I can't be with you while you're still tied to her. Every time you kiss her, every time you hold her hand—it feels like I'm losing you all over again. And I can't do that anymore."

Peeta's face crumpled, and for a moment, you thought he might cry. He stepped closer, closing the distance between you, and you felt your resolve slipping. "I can't lose you," he said, his voice shaking. "You're the only thing that's kept me sane through all of this. I can't—"

"You won't lose me," you said, cutting him off gently. "I'll always love you. But I can't be in this relationship anymore, Peeta. It's tearing me apart. I need to let go before it destroys me."

He stood there, frozen in place, as if he couldn't quite process what you were saying. His lips parted, but no words came out. The silence between you was thick with unsaid things, with the love you both still felt but couldn't hold on to.

You stepped back, putting space between you as you tried to gather the strength to walk away. "I hope... I hope one day we can find each other again, when all of this is over. But right now, I can't do it."

Peeta took a shaky breath, his hands falling to his sides, defeated. "I love you," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm so sorry. I never wanted it to be like this."

Tears stung your eyes, and you nodded, unable to speak through the tightness in your throat. You turned toward the door, forcing yourself to walk away, even though every part of you wanted to run back to him.

As you reached the threshold, Peeta's voice stopped you. "Y/N, wait," he said, his tone laced with desperation.

You hesitated but didn't turn around. You couldn't bear to see the pain in his eyes.

"I'll never stop loving you," he said softly. "No matter what happens with Katniss, no matter what the Capitol makes me do... you're the one I'll always love."

You closed your eyes, letting his words wash over you, and for a brief moment, you allowed yourself to believe them. But then, with a deep breath, you stepped out the door, knowing that for now, love wasn't enough to save you both.

End.