We'll Watch the Sunset - Peeta Mellark x Reader Story

Chapter 7 - The Careers

It was late, I sat watching the games, after having hunted and cooked dinner, I was glued to the TV. Twelve tributes had already being killed and from the looks of it, another was about to be killed at the hands of the Careers.

One of the tributes had lit a fire to keep themselves warm, which in theory is smart, except the light danced around the trees and the smoke must have alerted at least some of the other tributes by now, the smell can travel far and I had hoped it hadn't alerted the Careers, although that was unlikely. I watched intently as the cameras changed to one that showed the pack creeping towards the girl who I didn't remember which district she was from, and a scream came from the screen, and I hid my face in my hands, not wanting to see her death. A canon sounded to signal to the rest of the tributes that someone was dead. An image was probably flashed up on the screen to mark which district had lost another life. Now that's thirteen people who had died in this years games.

The camera's followed the Career pack along, focusing in on their conversation which led right under the tree Katniss was in.

I knew she was in the tree because the camera angles kept switching between her and the Careers to build the tension. As I heard who then spoke, emerging from the bushes, my eyes widened with at what they saw. A familiar boy, with bright blue eyes and dirty blonde hair spoke about how sure he was that Katniss had come this way.

"Oh, Peeta. What are you doing?" I mumbled to myself.

I shook my head, disappointed at him. I couldn't believe it, although some small part of me hoped it wasn't because he wanted to kill her, but to possibly help her by keeping them away. But then again, I didn't know what was running through his head.

The next day, I was back in the kitchen of our small house in The Seam, preparing food, while mom and Axel sat on the uncomfortable couch in the small area we called out living room.

I kept an eye on the TV. An inferno had started by Katniss, causing her to have to run, but those gamemakers found that that wasn't enough entertainment for the Capitol viewers, and started throwing fireballs in her direction, one hitting her thigh.

I cringed at the thought of something that hot touching my body. Being injured was bad enough when you weren't in the games, so when you are in the arena and are the career pack's main target, being injured is the worst thing to be.

I stopped what I was doing and stood behind the couch. Katniss had made her way to a small lake, running in to cool her sweating body and charred thigh, and at first, I thought she was safe, until I heard the irritating laughs of the careers fill our house. Once again, Peeta was at the back of the pack, trailing after them as they spotted Katniss in the water and started running towards her and chasing her through the woods.

"Y/N, darling, I'll take over preparing dinner." Mom stood up and squeezed my shoulder, before taking the kitchen towel from my hands and walking past me. I sat down next to Axel who cuddled into me.

"Is Katniss going to be okay, Y/N?" Axel asked me, looking up so his eyes met mine.

"You want the honest answer?" He nodded, I paused, before taking a deep breath, "I don't know."

We watched as Katniss had climbed up a tree that the others couldn't climb up due to the added weight of their muscles and height, compared to Katniss, who not only was slight in build, but already had enough knowledge of climbing trees and which branches would hold and what ones wouldn't.

Peeta had suggested that they wait Katniss out after they had tried and failed to kill her and a couple taunts from her about throwing the sword instead of trying to shoot her with the bow and arrows, which had her life not been in danger, she would've found quite funny at how atrocious their skills were.

She had been up in that tree for hours now, and it was getting late in twelve.

"Y/n, get some sleep," Mom said after she and Axel had finished washing the dishes after the smaller dinner we had due to mine and Gale's previous hunt being so poor.

"I will."

The next morning, I came downstairs to find the TV already on and the cameras were focussed on Katniss, who was looking at something in the trees.

As the camera angle changed, I saw Rue, the female tribute from District 11 and the youngest of all 24 who went into the arena, and a tracker jackers nest, and then the camera angle changed again, to a sleeping pack of Careers... If people in the Capitol find things like this entertaining, they were going to love what would happen next as the plan that Rue had forged in her mind clicked in mine.

I wanted to stick around and watch what was going to happen afterwards but I had places to go since my usual routine couldn't stop for the games, so I grabbed my hunting jacket that was hung up by the door, slipped on my boots, left the house and made my way through the Seam, weaving through the many workers who were heading to the dangerous coal mines.

I knocked on the Hawthorns door after reaching their house, letting Gale know I'll be waiting in the normal spot we usually meet at before school. I hope that when I get back before heading back out to hunt, Katniss, Rue, and hopefully Peeta will still be alive.

I have a feeling I can trust Rue to keep Katniss safe, and I hope Katniss will keep her safe as well.

Edited: 27/12/22