so, it is a pretty common joke in the everlark community that only two people don't know that katniss is in love with peeta. katniss and peeta (here). and it is so funny because it is so true. everyone paying attention can figure it out (mj, 135). gale (mj, 280). prim (mj, 131). haymitch (mj, 141). finnick (mj, 135). johanna (mj, 204). even, terrifyingly, snow (mj, 135).Ā Ā
but peeta doesn't ever really understand how much katniss is really in love with him. even after the beach scene (mj, 280). because while the beach scene was a pretty clear indication of her feelings for him, they never really got to talk it out. and peeta knows better than to just assume katniss's love from her actions in the games.Ā
because he believed (correctly) that katniss loved him enough to die for him. and then it was quickly reframed as just a 'stunt' against the capitol (thg, 371). and even when he came to terms that katniss genuinely cared about him, in his mind he is quick to think that he isn't special. although katniss sees herself as a person who is only kind to her inner circle, peeta sees her for who she truly is. he sees her as a selfless provider who will defend any people around her in need.
so he sees himself as just another person that katniss would protect. it is almost like peeta can imagine katniss doing the same trick with the berries with any other person that would be in the arena with her. he sees himself as replaceable. and the people that he believes are irreplaceable to katniss are in the locket (cf, 100). gale. prim. katniss's mom. and not him.
and in my mind, it all seems to stem from peeta not truly understanding the significance of the bread. because the only person in the entire series that understands just how important that interaction was is katniss. for katniss, it was everything. it not only saved her from imminent death. it not only gave her an avenue to hope for a better future. but it also represented a higher way of living. a way of living that was dictated by love rather than survival. a way of living that inspired her to put poisoned berries to her mouth as she prepared to die for the boy she loved standing next to her.Ā
so she could not lose peeta (thg, 297). he was not replaceable (cf, 100). the same outcome would not have happened with anybody else. because no one else inspired katniss as much as her boy with the bread. but peeta never understood how impactful the bread was to her. he quickly bushes it off when she brings it up in the cave (thg, 292). because it was nothing compared to what she does on a daily basis and in the games for him, right?Ā
the readers quickly conclude that there wasn't ever really a love triangle, not really. because we can see clearly how katniss subconsciously chooses peeta over gale over and over and over again. and how gale never had a chance the moment that peeta threw that bread to her. but all peeta can see is how there is no love triangle because she has obviously chosen gale (mj, 280). and he never stood a chance.Ā
and that is why it is so important that katniss's declaration of love comes through the 'real or not real' game (mj, 329). because it is less of a declaration of love and more of a confirmation. peeta is asking if something that he feels (and maybe has felt for a long time) is true and katniss reassures him that it is true. that it was true. that it was always true. that the concept that katniss everdeen loves peeta mellark is very, very much real. from the very beginning. from the moment that he let those two loaves fall into the coals. it could only have been him.
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