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Peeta blinked and froze, Katniss looks like she's tearing up and Peeta quickly wiped her tears and rested him head on her shoulders. Accepting your death is too much to take in, a part of him still doesn't want to die.
"I'm sorry— but the moment you volunteered I wanted you to be the victor, honestly I was glad I was chosen as the male tribute and had the chance to confess."
"Thank you" she whispered "are you doing this because you like me or if it was any other female tribute..."
"I would think about it, but if it wasn't you my family would've managed to knock a sense out of me." he chuckled "Of course I'll train with them everyday and would protect them if ever they survive the first day."
"What was your family's reaction to this?" she asked nervously
"Mom was angry of course, Dad knew the moment I was chosen as the male tribute and promised to help your family, and all my brothers tried to talk me out of it but mom angrily said your a fighter. That was the first time I saw mom and Rye cry, that was so moving." he laughed bitterly.
~~~~~~~~~~
So they both survived, it's been 3 weeks and they barely processed that they both survived and here they are being interviewed by Caesar answering Capitol questions.
"Peeta, about your family." Caesar started
'Oh shit' he smiled at the host "Your family owns a bakery and your named after the Pita bread right?"
"...yes..." they all then laughed
"So what's your family's names?"
"My dad's name is Ragi after the Ragi Flour— that is why mom calls him 'Flour boy' which was i- why are you laughing?" he asked Caesar
"Of course it started with the dad."
"Anyway hahhaha, it was ironic since my mom's name is also a flour named Maize so dad also calls her 'Flour girl' after they married. My eldest brother's name is Bryash-"
"Brioche?" Caesar asked trying not to laugh but Katniss laughed at Caesar making the crowd laugh, Peeta pretended to not hear anything and continued talking.
"My second oldest brother is Rye who's 18, I'm the third, and our youngest brother's name is Xalah from the Challah bread he's 15-what's so funny?" he asked the host in a straight face who fell on his chair laughing.
Peeta looked at Katniss who's trying not to laugh and when their eyes met she closed her eyes and wheezed.
"Katniss?!" he gasped in a betrayed tone
She waved her hand at him apologetically and he unconsciously grabbed it. They both did not let go and Caesar smiled at them cheekily. He smiled back, scrunching his nose at the process.
"Another questions," his smile dropped and became serious
"After Katniss volunteered, did you hope that your brothers will help you? You were looking around,"
"No, my parents always say to choose our survival instincts and not blame the other if they can't volunteer. And when Prim was reaped we know Katniss would volunteer herself. Me and my brothers had a silent conversation that is it was Rye or Xalah that was reaped I'll volunteer. And if I was reaped—which I did— they wouldn't volunteer. Because it will be too cruel if I have to watch my brother and my crush in the arena." Ceasar nodded in understanding, he seem to already know the answer to this and just picked another question.
"What would your parents say about both of your.. relationship?"
"Well they weren't be amused because of their past history before we were... born." Katniss slowly covered her mouth and Peeta closed his eyes.
"What past history?" Caesar asked with genuine interest
.
.
"I'm so sorry" Katniss apologized at him and probably their parents, definitely their parents.
"It's fine," they both know it's not fine, his mom will kill him. "Uhh, there's also a reason why me and Katniss never talked to each other even though we're the same batch and sometimes even classmates. My dad and her mom's parents were best friends and..." Katniss squeezed her hand supportively "wanted" he gulped "them married."
"What?" Caesar leaned back with interest, Peeta felt like draining.
"My mom and his dad were arranged to be married. That was why I never talked to him, it's.. awkward"
"Hah! Wow! The invisible strings were always there huh? Peeta are you alright?"
Peeta nodded "It's just, mom will kill me"
"It's just arranged marriage it's not like one of them like it- one of them do?" Caesar looked at the two teenagers who were quiet.
"Who?" The question seem to fall on deaf ears
"The whole District 12 already knows..." Peeta whispered to himself trying to look at the bright side, Katniss is busy admiring her dress like it's the first time she saw it.
"My dad," Peeta announced "Wasn't against the idea, Mrs. Everdeen was his first 'love'. But he was the reason Mr. Everdeen met Mrs. Everdeen. When they were 15 Mr. Everdeen got into an accident and my dad helped him by going to the Apothecary where Mrs. Everdeen worked. And when they fall in love my dad helped her ran away. They were 20 when that all happened." Peeta explained while imagining how he will die, either his mom's roller pin
"His grandparents demanded Mr. Mellark to bring her back and marry her before my grandmother will have a heart attack, but he said his in a relationship. That was a white lie, he wasn't but Mr. Mellark begged Mrs. Mellark who was his academic rival to help him when they were 18 since that was he knew my mom is inlove with my dad."
"My mom and dad did hit it off right away, because at 21 they had Bry."
"That's quite a story, how old is Bryash Mellark?"
"20"
"Everyone in District 12 knows about this story?"
"Yeah, it's so popular Bry made a book about it distributed around 12."
"That book helped us when my dad died," Katniss said giving Peeta a grateful smile
"It wasn't much though"
"I think we skipped a lot of chapters here— but how did Mr. Everdeen die?"
"My dad died during a horrible mine explosion. I was 11," The audience gasped and looked at Katniss with pity
"I'm so sorry for your loss, a breadwinner for 5 years, you and Peeta deserve this Happy Ending. Am I right?" Caesar asked the audience who clapped and cheered for both of them.
"And Peeta, I'm sure your mom wouldn't mind their being shared with us. I mean the whole District 12 knows about it."
"Yeah, but... she's like an adult mother version of Johanna Mason."
"... I can't imagine that," Peeta laughed
"In a sense that they're both bold, outspoken, and unafraid to express their opinion. Curse a lot but my mom never did in front of children, just grown adults who started it first." Some laughed "When Johanna Mason started attacking the other tributes my dad told us that was what my mom once told him she planned to do if she was reaped. Mom, like Ms. Mason is also know to others as impatient or vicious. With a defense mechanism to cover up how they feel, but I think that's just my mom since I don't really know Johanna Mason. Her victory tour wasn't even shown fully,"
"That's an interesting take of both your mother and Johanna Mason. Katniss do you compare your mother to a Victor as well."
"A little, Annie Cresta, before my dad died my mom was like 'Pre-Victor' Annie Cresta but after mom slowly started.." Katniss gulped and Peeta squeezed their hands,
Before Annie Cresta was put in the Dark Maze Arena she's quite well liked by everyone, her soft lively expression with her sassy smart comments and empathetic remark. Whatever kindness she'd done during the training made District 3 and 7 tributes spare her life during the Careers attack. But when District 7 boy beheaded District 1 boy who tried to use her as a shield and a huge flood came Annie was not the same. Dissociating during the interviews and suddenly having a panic attack when Ceasar showed the screen. Her Victory tour was delayed for months with the District 4 mayor begging President Snow to give her time having a therapy.
Peeta don't know what happened to Mrs. Everdeen but she was also respected and well liked by everyone but his mom and vice versa. But his mom also cried for Mrs. Everdeen when her husband died and let Bry make the novel to help the Everdeen family.
"Oh I see, sorry, I took psychology class and I'm quite interested in this take of projecting a Victor as someone you know."
"Maybe just us,"
"Well you can't be so sure," there was then a 20 second silence of Caesar looking at them with comfort before speaking "Now— going back to the games, a lot of people around the Capitol had been curious." Caesar made a cheeky smile and looked directly at Katniss, the audience cheered.
Now this is part of the script, this is the one they prepared for.
"Katniss what was the song you sung when Peeta realized he had a crush on you?"
Katniss made a shy smile and Peeta blushed looking down.
"Now lover boy don't be embarrassed! You flirty young man!" Caesar teased and Peeta laughed covering his face, the reason he was shameless was because he thought he was going to die. That is why he put his heart out, now he wants the ground to eat him up now realizing that it's not just his family and friends who teased him relentlessly about it but THE WHOLE PANEM WATCHED EVERYTHING. Now Caesar Flickerman is going to show it and Peeta have to watch himself-
"I'll sing you the song," Katniss said
"Thank you" he whispered
"The song is a famous District 12 love song, the one my dad sung during his and mom's wedding."
"My parents used it at their wedding too!" Peeta excitedly said
"It's that popular?"
"Yeah, and sorry but it has a 12 accent since it's an old music and made before the mandatory accent was established."
"It's alright," Katniss was given a guitar and Peeta faced his sit towards her to get a better view with a huge smile on his face.
"It just won't feel right if you change it, the title is Pure as the Driven Snow."
Everyone's born as clean as a whistle—
As fresh as a daisy
And not a bit crazy
Staying that way's a hard row for hoeing—
As rough as a briar
Like walking through fire
This world, it's dark
And this world, it's scary
I've taken some hits, so
No wonder I'm wary
It's why I
Need you—
You're pure as the driven snow
Everyone wants to be a hero—
The cake with the cream, or
The doer not dreamer
Doing's hard work, it takes some to change things—
Like goat's milk to butter
Like ice blocks to water
This world goes blind
When children are dying
I turn to dust, but
You never stop trying
It's why I
Love you—
You're pure as the driven snow
Cold and clean
Swirling over my skin
You cloak me
You soak right in
Down to my heart
Everyone thinks they know all about me
They slap me with labels
They spit out their fables
You came along, you knew it was lying
You saw the ideal me
And yes, that's the real me
This world, it's cruel
With troubles aplenty
You asked for a reason—
I've got three and twenty
For why I
Trust you—
You're pure as the driven snow
That's why I
Trust you—
You're pure as the driven snow
She finished the song and they both realized they were looking at one another and looked away, Peeta blushed and bit the inside of his cheek to remind himself not to smile.
"Let's give it up to Katniss Everdeen!" Everyone clapped with Katniss bowing, Katniss looked at him and Peeta nodded at her giving a thumbs up and mouthed 'You did great!'
"Wow can't you all just hear the wedding bells?" They all laughed with Peeta nervously looking at Katniss who's face is red. When their eyes met Katniss looked away and Peeta pursed his lips looking away.