Poor Memories (Peeta oneshot)

Peeta sat in his room, hands through his hair, thinking about the news he had just been given moments before. His mother had come into his room and told him that Katniss had been executed. Peeta knew why and he hated himself for it. If in the first Hunger Games he had just killed himself she wouldn't be going through this would she? She would be living happily ever after with her family and that Gale boy she loved so much. She probably never loved him as she claimed to have on TV.

Peeta then had a terribly wonderful idea of how he could see his beloved Katniss again. He could simply take the dagger he always had with him and pierce his chest. Would it really be as hard as they always made it look or would it be as simple as breaking a toothpick? There was only one way to find out. He took out the dagger and brought it to his chest. He pressed it against his torso, drawing blood, and breathed out. He tried to plunge it into his chest but he coudn't do it. His life force fought against him. Memories came to mind of Katniss.

He remembered that time when he had admitted his love for Katniss ....

Peeta had the audience all falling in love with him. He was playing his role as the baker's son in District 12. He was comparing the other tributes to different types of breads he used. "Tell me, do I smell like roses?" He asked randomly. Then they take turns sniffing each other comically.

"Do you have a girlfriend back home?" Caesar asked, nudging him with his left arm. Peeta shakes his head. "Handsome lad like you. There must be some special girl. Come on, what's her name?" He asked, this time obviously thinking that he was lying.


Peeta sighed. "Well there is this one girl. I've had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I'm pretty sure she didn't know I was alive until the reaping." Peeta heard many sounds of empathy, sighs, loving gazes, even shouts telling him it was alright. No one could possibly understand how he felt though. They all might have been in love but never as he had with his Katniss. After all he was just a teen and he already admitted his love for her. Oh, that time when he gave her the bread. That was when he had started loving her.

"She have another fellow?" asked Caeser.

"I don't know, but a lot of boys like her." said Peeta.

"So, here's what you do. You win, you go home. She can't turn you down then, eh?" Said Caeser encouragingly.

"I don't think it's going work out. Winning .... won't help in my case," responded Peeta, sadly.

"Why ever not?" said Caeser, mystified by how this could possibly happen.

Peeta felt his cheeks burn red and stutters, "Because ... because .... she came here with me."

Peeta snapped back to reality. That had been the most embarrassing moment of his life. What if he had not said that and just said it was some girl named Sandra from the Seam? Would she have killed him in the end or would he have just died. And those moments when he had thought they were going to live happily ever after ... in the end ...

Claudius's booming, urgent voice beams through the final moments of the Hunger Games. "Stop! Stop! Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present the victors of the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark! I give you - the tributes of District 12!"

That was what Peeta thought would set his life forever. He would be with Katniss forever but that was no longer true. They had been chosen fort the Quarter Quell. Many times in a day Peeta would wonder if that entire thing had been rigged just to murder them, but it hadn't worked. Surprisingly ... Haymitch had come to save them ... the Drunk Man had rescued the Damsel and Peeta in distress. How the hell did that work out?!

Peeta ruffled his fingers through his hair, smelling the strong scent of cookies in the background. He could hear his father moving around in the kitchen frantically, probably searching for his spatula or something. He had the chance to escape all of this, his life. All he had to do was plunge the knife deep into his chest and then everything would be over ... hopefully. Now would be the best time but before he could think enough to make himself commit suicide he plunged into another memory.

Peeta walked through the door to see his Fashion people again and was engulfed in a deep embrace that lasted for several seconds. He loved feeling loved and he would never forget this moment. As he finally pulled away from the embrace Portia said, grinning widely. "Oh I love you honey!" She said, kissing him on the forehead gently.

Peeta lay sleeping laying who knows where when he was startled awake feeling something on his lips. He opens his eyes to see Katniss kissing him and accepts it, kissing her passionately before she pulled back and began to speak to him.

Peeta heard all of the voices of everyone he knew.

"I love you."

"You are so wonderful."

"So smart that Peeta is!"

"Oh, Peeta I couldn't wish for a better son!"

Before he could stop himself, though, he stabbed himself with the knife. He fell to the ground in a pile of his own blood. He was going to see Katniss again. No matter what it took. Peeta was dead.