𝖙𝖊𝖒𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖚𝖘 | THE HUNGER GAMES

Twenty six

Twenty-six

Katniss

I watched them. And something in me craved what they had. I watched as his fingers softly applied the ointment onto her skin, and I could hear the occasional groans from her followed by laughter from the jokes he would use to distract her. I was lost in thought, watching them from a distance like a creep until the body next to me groaned. I basically jumped up from the mat Finnick had knit and I was across the hot sand in a second. "Hey!" He groaned and a laugh ripped from my throat. "Don't do that again." I said and there was a bit anger laced with my voice. For a second a tried to find where the anger came from but that though was ripped away as Peeta's horse voice filled my head.

"I'd always run to you if you were in danger." A tear slipped out my eye as I wrapped my arms around him. No body had ever said that to me. I was always the one protecting everyone. Prim, my mother, now even Gale. Nobody had ever tried to protect me and I have to admit, it felt nice.

For a moment, I allowed myself to be taken care of. I allowed myself to be protected.

I hated the cold that covered me when Peeta pulled away as Kamari approached us. "You okay now?" He asked, his rasp filling the air. "I should be asking you that, pita chip." She asked, both of them chuckled and I hated how that made me feel. "But seriously, are you?" Kamari asked as Peeta nodded. "A little sore, but I'll live." He said as she smiled at him. "Finnick?" She called out and he was next to her in a second.

Like a well-trained dog.

I smiled at the though and I could feel Peeta's eyes on me. I watched as Finnick and Kamari treaded into the water to catch some food for us after she tossed the silver pot of ointment to Peeta. I watched as the two waddled around in the water trying to catch some food for us. We still had the bread from before but Finnick still said that we should catch some fish so we could preserve bread.

A shout came from Kamari and I raced to the edge of the water, scared that the fish in the water might be cannibalistic or something. Instead, all I saw was Finnick dragging Kamari underwater. She let out loud laughter as she resurfaced. My heart ached watching them splash each other with the salty water.

And only in that moment did I realize that Finnick and Kamari were not just people who would stop me from getting Peeta home safe. They were also just two kids. Kids who were forced to grow up too fast. Kids who were trying to protect each other.

Watching them reminded me of every reason I never wanted to have children. I never want to bring them into a world where they will be forced to grow up too fast. Where they will be forsake their childishness to fight a war that will only get them killed.

But I still couldn't let go of the negging at the back of my head that they had some ulterior motives that they weren't telling us. So, I needed to stay close to know what it was.

But for now, I just watched them.