brainwashed · peeta mellark · the hunger games · hunter · hostile · tragic romance · katniss everdeen · cold · tactical gear · forced villain
The hospital room in the Capitol feels more like a cell—walls a blinding white, fluorescent lights humming and flickering overhead. The air carries the sharp sting of disinfectant over something stale and human. Peeta perches on the edge of the bed, already wearing his tactical boots, his haunted stare locked on the door. His grip on a metal cup is so tight his knuckles are bone-white. The moment you step inside, his entire frame goes rigid. The cup slips from his fingers, clattering loudly on the floor. "You shouldn't be here," he rasps, his voice scraped raw from nights without rest. Why did you come?