Never Yours (Peeta Mellark X Reader)

Chapter 19--Double Death, Double Farewell

Guide:

(F/G): Favourite Gem

The shrill scream made you panic almost immediately as your eyes snapped open. No one else could be capable of making such a sound unless it was--

"RUE!" you cried, immediately recognizing the voice that called you for help. "Rue! Where are you?"

"(Y/N)!" you heard her voice call out again, and you felt your feet thud harder than ever on the ground as you began to run to her. "(Y/N), HELP!"

The sound of your heart pounding was all you could register as you made your way through the forest, her voice growing louder and more desperate with each second. At long last, you saw her trapped in a net, sprawled on the ground like a little animal. 

"(Y/N), please, help me!" Rue pleaded now, tears streaming down her young face. 

You nodded. "I'm on it!" you said, taking out a knife and cutting through the thick ropes that bound her to the ground. The moment she was out, you immediately opened your arms, and Rue took no hesitation to fall into them as she shivered with fear. 

"Shh, Rue, it's okay," you whispered. "You're alive."

But those words spilled out of your mouth too soon. You heard a whistle off to your right as you turned your head and saw a spear incoming. Immediately, you let go of Rue and rolled away as you set an arrow onto your bow and released it in the general direction the spear came from, not even glancing once at the tribute who attacked until he dropped to the ground, completely lifeless, the arrow sticking out of his chest.

For a moment, you thought that was Cato you accidentally shot, and you almost screamed. But then a closer look told you that it wasn't Cato--it was Marvel. Oh right. Who knew Marvel was good at throwing spears too?

But right now, you had bigger problems. You glanced at Rue, hoping that she also had the sense to duck away from the incoming spear...but no. Time froze as you saw Rue, the spear that Marvel threw stuck deep into her stomach, a bloody circlet forming on her t-shirt. As she pulled the spear out, you ran to her and gently lowered her down, kneeling beside her as her head rested between your legs. Her hand reached out and grasped onto yours, and you clutched it tightly for whatever the remainder of her life was worth. Tears threatened to spill from your eyes, and you decided to let them go freely. 

"Did you blow up the food?" Rue asked quietly, looking up at you with tears also welling in her eyes. 

You nodded, feeling your arms tremble from fear. "Yeah. Every bit of it," you responded. 

Rue smiled serenely at this answer. "Good." She squeezed your hand, and this just brought more tears to your eyes. "You have to win," she whispered now, putting in as much sincerity in her words as her strength would allow.

This was too much for you to process. For a moment, Rue was in danger, then safe, and then close to dying again. No one is safe in the Hunger Games, and for the moment you were already in danger of dying as you crouched by Rue. But it doesn't matter. You made the promise to Prim to get out of the Games alive. Now Rue was repeating the same thing. 

"I'll...I'll try," you whispered, hugging her gently. 

Rue nodded as she whispered one more word in your ear. "Sing?"

Normally you weren't one to sing a lot. In fact, you have never sang a lot unless it was singing lullabies with your mom to ease each other of the nightmares of your father. There was one, though, that your parents taught you when you were still very young, and even through the tough times following your father's death you and your mom would sing it together. You have never sang to anyone else however--not to Peeta, or Delly, for that matter. Yet if this was Rue's request, you have to honour it. You glanced down at the pendant flashing in front of you and nodded, opening your mouth to sing.