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

Chapter 6 - Let the 74th Hunger Games Begin

I was sat in the field with Gale, I knew I should've been watching the beginning of the Games, but Gale and I just couldn't. Peeta's out there, with Katniss.

I was scared for them, terrified for what the outcome of these games could be.

As if sensing my unease, Gale wrapped his arm around my shoulder, comforting me in a way that a brother would as I wished that everything was normal, no Snow or games. But here I was, sitting in a field, the tall green grass around me, separate from the horrors of what living in a district was like and compared to what 12 is, I should feel like I'm in paradise, but my mind wandered to Peeta, and how he's fighting, for all I know, he could already be dead, the bloodbath's already begun, the weakest killed, the youngest, the most innocent.

We sat in silence for a while, our thoughts only that of the worst of what could happen to Katniss and Peeta in the arena, whatever type of arena that it could be, we didn't know. For all we knew, they could be in a jungle, or a forest, or a desert. Either way it would be deadly, made for danger to provide twisted entertainment.

"Come on," Gale said, standing up and holding out a hand to me to pull me up from the grass, "We're providing for three families now."

I grunted as I was brought up from the grass and the two of us made our way over the uneven landscape to get our tools, ready for another long day of hunting on a sunny day. Although the weather seemed to be mocking us, being so bright and cheerful while the Mellark's and Everdeen's could already be mourning their children.

Making our usual rounds to the traps, we then settled down in a spot to wait for some animals to pass. Our haul wasn't very good though, and we had barely anything to sell for other materials if we hoped for any food for our families and the Everdeens. So we made our way to the Hob to trade a couple of things.

The sun was slightly lower than before, and some clouds had appeared as we made our way out from the dense woods to the long grass of the meadow, stopping along the way to collect some berries to sell to the mayor and at the Hob.

Gale and I walked in silence through the Seam, tired of the pitiful looks that were thrown our way as everyone thought of how sad it was that our friend was in the arena, and they were probably already thinking of how our trio was now permanently a duo since we've only ever had 2 Victors in the past 73 games, one of them dead and the other was scarred for life from the games.

"Hey, Maggie," I said, dropping a rabbit on her table at the Hob, waiting for her to give Gale and I our usual trade.

"Y/n, Gale," She smiled weakly at us, a sympathetic look on her face as she handed us each our thread and scraps of cloth to repair some clothes.

Next we went to the bakery to give Mr Mellark the usual two squirrels that Katniss would usually trade with him.

"Ah, y/n, thank you," he nodded, glancing to the back room where they made the bread and pastries, presumably where a screen was for the games, "I take it you watched the beginning."

We both shook our heads, "Couldn't bring ourselves to watch it, sir."

He nodded in understanding, "Both Katniss and Peeta got away from the bloodbath unharmed."

Both of us let out sighs of relief that we were unaware we had been holding at the sound of our friends being safe while he went to collect a loaf each for Gale and I, but threw in an extra one with a quick glance around to check his wife wasn't around.

"For Katniss's family," He told us in a hushed voice.

"Thank you, Mr Mellark," I thanked him.

"Have a good one, you two," He bid us goodbye as we headed out the door of the bakery to make our final stop at the mayor's house to sell him the berries we had gathered.

Madge greeted us at the back door, paying us our usual amount before shutting it after a small conversation with the two of us about how we were doing.

"I'll drop these off to Mrs Everdeen," I told Gale, holding up the couple bits of game and loaf of bread from the bakery, "I'll see you before school tomorrow."

"Okay," He said, and hugged me quickly before we went our separate ways.

Trudging through the miserable streets of the district, I thought about how Peeta and Katniss were doing in the arena, my thoughts being slightly less dark knowing they didn't meet their demise in the bloodbath.

"Mrs Everdeen!" I called out as I entered the house, the woman having told me that I could always enter the house without knocking, "Prim!"

A small head appeared from round a doorway and the youngest Everdeen came towards me, hugging me around the waist after I had taken my bag off.

"Y/n," Prim muttered, "She's okay so far."

"Mr Mellark told me," I responded, untangling myself from the hug as I bent down to retrieve the food I had brought for them and placed them on the counter of the small kitchen.

"Oh, thank you, y/n," Mrs Everdeen thanked me as she came in from outside having been tending to Prim's goat.

"No worries, Mrs Everdeen."

"You run along home now, before it gets too late and rest after your hard work today," She said, pulling me into a hug.

"I will," I nodded, heading back out to head to my house so mom could get started on dinner and I could fix some of our clothes while watching the games so I could stay informed on whether my two friends were still alive.

Edited: 27/12/22

Please feel free to point out any mistakes I may have missed