@1ungs . . . ❝ don’t you know how dangerous this is ? ❞ ( for : peeta. ) ( from : haymitch. )
peeta is still unsure of just what he was awaiting when he tuned into the annual broadcast that evening. another barbaric tactic by the capital to keep everyone in line, an obvious expectation. thus was the markings of every passing quarter quell. he should've considered the target on katniss' back to have a heavy hand in it. he should've seen all of this coming, still, he didn't.
above everything else, he's afraid. but he knows it's not for himself. & of course katniss is capable. a fine survivor in the most damp of circumstances. she'd proven that to him long before either of them stepped foot on that stage during the reaping. but this is no longer about strength, or wisdom, or skill. peeta knows corruption when he sees it. he's been drowning in it his whole life.
maybe he's blinded by feelings he has no place to keep . . . maybe he's being self sacrificial. & maybe anyone might think him a fool to lay down his chances of survival just to save someone who half the time off camera can't look him in the eye. but he doesn't care. he's at haymitch's house before he can even think to do anything else. nothing past this point can change his mind. ❝ yeah, i do, which is exactly why i need you to do this. for me and you, it's a fifty - fifty chance for katniss, it's a death sentence. we both know this isn't a coincidence. we can't stop her from getting reaped but we can make sure that she wins. ❞
❝ i'll go in with katniss, & you need to do what you can to keep her alive from the outside. sponsors, allies anything she needs . . . you help her. forget about me. ❞ he's holding onto haymitch's arms, partly to keep him upright in his drunken sway, partly so haymitch has no choice but to look him in the eye. ❝ . . . it has to be her, haymitch. there's no other way. ❞
