Chapter 30--Put on Replay

                                    

                                          
"And there we have it! Look at her! Look at them!"
                          
The sound of Caesar Flickerman's charming buoyant voice boomed through the Capitol, and all you could see were the dazzling bright lights glaring into your eyes. Cheers erupted all over, and if they weren't loud enough when Effie, Haymitch, the prep team and the stylists stepped onto the stage, you could appropriately say that they have just gone beyond the roof, the way they were shouting your name, wolf-whistling from the top, the flashes of neon colours and vibrant hues shining into your eyes.
                          
And then, as you glanced to your left, you saw him, and you felt a smile grow. There, standing just opposite of you onstage, in a jacket of the same material as your dress, black dress pants, and sturdy black dress shoes, his blond hair gelled back the same way as it had at the reaping, was Peeta Mellark. The sight of your best friend, well groomed and practically okay, immediately made you rush to him as he surged towards you at the same time, his limp barely noticeable as he ran. Eventually, you felt him collide with you, his arms wrapped around you so tightly you didn't want to let him go, your head buried into his chest as it had all those years, all this time, and even in the arena too when you thought you would never find your way back to him. 
                          
"So, we meet, (Y/N)," Peeta murmured, and you glanced up at him with a smirk.
                          
"Yes, we do," you replied before cupping a hand on his cheek and kissing him full on the lips again, making the crowd go wild. Of course, they probably would. Having seen you and Peeta work together, they would have to agree you and he made a great team throughout the second half of the Games, and seeing your chemistry onscreen and even now made the cheers grow louder.
                          
Of course, Peeta didn't hesitate to kiss you back. Lips moved perfectly in synchronization for a few moments before Caesar eventually had to get the show rolling, and you both obliged as you took your seats, preparing yourselves to watch the compilation of the Games in a 3-hour long video. 
                          
In the past, the victor had to sit in a throne-like chair, but since there were two victors a love seat was arranged for the both of you to sit on. Instantly, you hopped onto the love seat and bounced on it eagerly, making Peeta laugh as he took his seat beside you, and you wrapped your arms around him from the side as you kicked your sandals off too, bringing your feet up. Peeta chuckled as he wrapped an arm around your back, leaning his head on yours as the crowd went "AWWWWW!!!!"
                          
Every year, the video tries to illustrate a different theme that surrounds the victor. But this year, for the first time, they decided the theme was to be a love story, since both you and Peeta won the Games. Oh, and also a bit more to that, since you have made a lot of friends in the arena, they added on, "A toast to Friendship and Love".
                          
Now that was a stellar title for the video, in your opinion.
                          
The first half an hour was basically a recap of the reapings, the parade, the training scores, and the interviews. No big surprises there, in your opinion, except for the fact that cameras were literally everywhere. It was a miracle you didn't start crying--and it was a good thing you didn't at the interview anyway. If you did, right then and there onstage, it would have been embarrassing to put on a film.
                          
Then the Games began. There was much confusion as you ran off with the Careers while you watched Peeta dart into the woods straight behind the cornucopia. Your eyes widened at this, and then you realized the cameras shot back to you with the Careers. Of course, they got all the footage, including your brief comforts with Cato and everything you did with Pearl and Glimmer and Clove. Peeta also got a bit of share of camera, dodging fire balls and running on a seriously sprained ankle.
                          
"I didn't know," you murmured to Peeta, looking up at him. "No wonder you looked so banged up after."
                          
Peeta nodded bitterly. "Yeah. Or one of the reasons anyway," he whispered, pulling you close to him as you examined his legs. How did the Capitol fix him up then?