Chapter 6: The Reaping
(Third person POV)
Another year passed in a blur for the passionate couple. All the memories coagulated into one long film of passionate kissing and sweet nothings. All that had changed was their relationship was unveiled but surprised no one due to the obvious signs. The day it was made open was during Peeta's 14th birthday party. He openly stood up, on the table, and shouted out:
"Thank you all for coming to my party. Today is the day I reach manhood and as my first truly manly act I want to claim my girlfriend and greatest love in the world, Katniss, as mine forever and beyond by taking her as my fiance wife to be!"
This proclamation silenced everyone and turned both parties relatives a bright shade of pink.
"Stop with your antics and get down here,'' his father said, "We all knew to begin with, why scream it to everyone at the top of your voice?"
"Sorry", he said placing his hand behind his head rubbing his hair similar to the childish way he apologised in his previous youth.
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The reaping was a month away and following her usual habit Katniss was worrying to the extreme. This was amplified by her sister entering for the first time. To think it all over Katniss sat in the meadow next to her house, bordered by the fence.
'What if I am chosen with Peeta would that mean 1 of us would have to kill the other to survive? What if it was Prim and him were chosen? Would he kill Prim to survive and return to me? Would the Games change him into some unrecognisable psychopath who would kill willy nilly? '
Seeing Katniss lying in the tall grass dazed, Peeta approached his fiance with caution in case she snapped out at him. He was not afraid of being hurt due to his body reaching the stage where he could level the entire Seam like something Madara Uchiha would do, instead he was afraid of angering her and not receiving his morning and evening kisses for the rest of the month like she had done after his birthday.
"Sweetheart would you tell your darling fiance what is bothering you?"
"No, and stop calling me sweetheart, call me Katniss" , she snapped back. At this Peeta sweatdropped, why was she acting so unruly?
"Fine, fine ,fine. But if you need anything please give me a shout."
As he got up to she leave she started tugging at his t-shirt, pulling him backwards. She then pulled him into a tight hug, wrapping her legs and arms around him they became a tight knit group of limbs passionately pressing against each other.
"Really, you want our first time to be out here in the open? I am up to it if you really want to."
"No, Baka. I just wanted to kiss and tell you that even if I am chosen as tribute please do not volunteer to protect me as it will end up with me fending for my family alone again."
"I will do whatever you say, lady."
"Not that nonsense again, please stop"
"Your wish is my command"
They embraced once again becoming a mess of tangled limbs
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The day of the reaping had arrived, to start of the day the pair of lovers went hunting in the woods for the recreational fun of killing animals weaker than themselves.
"So you got the plan for later, right?", the girl in a slightly muddied white dress,
"Of cause I got it.", the blonde haired, blue eyed ikeman responded.
"Then repeat it to me," the modestly dressed, beauty demanded.
"You said 'if a defenseless 12 year old we should step in and volunteer as tribute but if Prim is selected you would volunteer as tribute and i would not', that right?"
"Damm that great memory of yours. How did you get it?"
"I must have been a wonderful man in my past life to deserve it."
After the 2s brief lover's quarrel, they both headed back to Katniss's house where they cleaned up and made themselves ore presentable. Prim joined them at the door, her mother would go in later.
"Hey duckbutt, tuck in the bit sticking out or just pull it all out. Just do not leave it like that."
"Okay, big sis. Big bro when are you and sis marrying?"
"Oi, stop changing the subject and tuck it in"
Their sibling antics continued all the way until they reached the town square where they separated and registered individually. Both Katniss and Peets had entered the tribute draw 3 times this year as neither had put their name down for the Tesserae and Prim was only in once. Following routine all the boys lined up atone side and all the girls at the other. As tradition went the weirdly dressed lady for the Capitol came up with Haymitch and sat down and then the mayor came up and gave his bullsh** speech on the 1st rebellion.
Then it began, the Capitol lady stood up and walked towards the glass bowls full of names filled out on paper sheets each written as a barely legible scribble. Using his mana strings adapted from the chakra strings jutsu taught to him by Kankuro and his mana sensing he skillfully manipulated the paper slips out of the may of the long, fake, plastic nails and placed one with the readable letters "P" ,"r", "m" and "E" written on it into the grasp of the decider of death.
"Prim, Prim Everdeen"
The deafening silence was broken by the shouting of a girl raising her hand as if saluting the sky.
"I volunteer as tribute!!!"
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(Katniss Everdeen POV)
I slowly trod along the gravel up the steps thinking over the enormity of what I have just committed myself to. I begin thinking off the consequences: Peeta will go crazy,Prim and mother will be all alone and I… I will be dead.
"What is your name?"
"Katniss Everdeen."
"Trying to be a hero, saving your little sister from almost certain doom, eh."
I then look towards the lady who has just sentenced me to death. I look at her for any sign of remorse, there is none, only enjoyment for what is to come
"Next for the boys is..."
While waiting for the lady to begin her next sentencing I see my husband-to-be flinch and his fingers move sporadically. Maybe he is contemplating whether he should volunteer as tribute just so he can protect me all throughout the 74th Hunger Games and have himself die at my hands so I can survive. As this all rushes through my head I see the sadistic woman decide on which poor boy to sacrifice next.
"Peeta Mellark"
I look at the boy coming up to the stage smirking. Not him, anyone else but him. He walks towards me reaches out for a hand shake as if we are meeting for the first time. I to reach out, as I do so he jumps forward kissing me. We stay like that until peacekeepers began dragging us apart. His final words to me are…
"See you on the train."
He says them in such a hoarse voice that they are barely audible, but I catch them anyway. I scream as we are pulled apart backwards both towards our doom.