there is some kind of twisted irony in the knowledge that, in Karniss and Peeta’s first games, Katniss was analyzing and scrutinizing Peeta’s every move under the lense that he was nothing but an enemy- someone who’s job is to kill her. Even in moments where she cared for him, it was always combated with a firm “no, I can’t care for him. Only one comes out. His job will be to try and kill me, and mine will be to kill him.”
and Peeta never, not once, thought that about her. His goal was always to protect her.
but after the quarter quell, after everything for Katniss became protecting Peeta, it is now Peeta who analyzes Katniss’ every move under that lense of “it’s her or me. Her job is to kill me, so I have to kill her first”, even while having to fight with himself over moments where he cares for her- where she seems to care for him.