There were so many parallels between the past and present, and yet, so many things that Haymitch had chosen to do differently. He had never expected to find himself back in the arena, and although he was older now, wiser, previous failures continued to linger within his mind. Katniss was a chance to do things right, to make sure that she made it home where Maysilee Donner had never had the chance. It was something that Haymitch was never going to forgive himself for, and even though he continued to remind himself that Katniss and Maysilee had nothing in common but being girls from the Seam, he still feared the worst every time she went off on her own. Just from looking at her, Katniss didn't seem like she stood a chance but she had fooled everyone the year before, proved an entire country wrong and Haymitch was banking on that to get her to the end.

Lost in thought for a moment, Haymitch only filtered back into reality when Katniss spoke again. Her words were alarmingly articulate and those three words that always made him so uncomfortable had managed to catch him completely off guard. Between the two of them, Haymitch didn't feel that either he or Katniss were all that skilled with the subtle art of romance and emotion and this sudden turn in their relationship was so new that the blond man felt as though he was walking on eggshells. Unfortunately, the arena didn't encourage slowness and Haymitch knew that he didn't have a lifetime to get things right with Katniss—he had to go all in, move past his discomfort and open up—the very thing she had already done.

“Look around,” Haymitch laughed, humorless as he gestured past the fire and all around the clearing, “everything is already ruined.” Although he knew that wasn't her meaning, he was attempting to make a point; it couldn't get any worse than being trapped in a nightmare all over again. With one arm, he squeezed her closer and placed a kiss on the top of her head. “I love you, and all the stupid, pain in the ass things you say.” Being vulnerable wasn't so hard when he was with Katniss and in a way, she deserved to hear everything that he was thinking in case they never got another chance in the future.

Before he could say anything else, the anthem blared through the surrounding area and Haymitch tilted his head back in unison with Katniss to view the dead. His own kill from the blood bath was displayed right away, but when the succession of fallen tributes disappeared from the sky, the former Victor immediately thought something was wrong. Eight was such a low number for the first day and Haymitch could only assume that he and Katniss were going to be in for an eventful night when no one of significance, besides Brutus, had been killed. “Don't count on getting much sleep tonight,” he warned, agreeing that things were about to get much tougher.

Despite the constant threat of peril and death, Haymitch was still determined to make it to the mountains the following day. “We might be able to stay off everyone's radar if we walk the perimeter,” he said, going back to his old strategy from the first games. It was rare for large groups to hang out so close to the edge and avoiding confrontations was a rather high priority. “Maybe we'll find your sister and Gale tomorrow, too,” he thought to add as two more cannons fired in quick succession off in the distance.

The makeshift town was still eerily quiet as Prim exited the building and stood with her back pressed to the door. She had come a long way from where she'd left, but the trip was ultimately worth it considering all of the extra supplies she'd found. Keeping alert, the blonde began to walk back toward the meeting point, making sure to stay as quiet as possible, keep her breathing even and ignore the sound of her own boots crunching against the gravel beneath her feet. There was a sense of unease within Prim that prompted her to check over her shoulder every few seconds and then duck down an alley when the artificial wind blew too hard. It was probably terrible news for the sponsors out there—no one wanted to give gifts to a scared child.

After ducking in the shadows for a good five minutes, Prim stood and had barely set a foot out into the moonlight before she heard several loud voices. Sucking in the gasp that had nearly left her mouth, Prim sank back into her hiding spot and watched as Cashmere, Gloss and Enobaria sauntered by, looking as though they didn't have a care in the world as they brandished their blood-covered weapons around. 

“I want the little one,” Cashmere preened, leaving Prim unsure of who the three Victors were talking about.

“Her sister,” Enobaria said, the conversation no longer so disjointed. “This is all her fault anyway.”

Gloss spit onto the dirty ground, a look of hatred contorting his face. “All of them. We search everywhere tomorrow, pick them off and then take out the others—then we go home.” 

The voices soon began to fade off into the distance and Prim peeked around the corner to see that the three had disappeared completely, only moving through the town and not stopping for the night. When she was sure that it was safe, Prim ran back to the first building and secured herself inside. Gale wasn't back yet, and the blonde could only hope that those cannons she'd heard after the anthem was finished hadn't been for him. While she waited, Prim busied herself with unpacking the extra supplies and tried not to focus on the fact that they might be all for her.

Finally, Gale came through the door and Prim breathed a sigh of relief. She wanted to run over and hug him, but it all felt too dramatic. Instead, her blue eyes fell to his bloody sword and lingered on the stained blade for a moment before she looked back at him. Whatever had happened out there wasn't important—it was kill or be killed and Prim was just happy to have Gale safe. “I found all kinds of stuff,” she said, showing him the backpack and the other supplies she'd stored inside of it, “there's a lot in those other buildings, even a few beds.” She paused, unsure of whether or not to tell him about the careers.

“We should leave first thing tomorrow,” she suggested, moving to sit so that they could eat together. “Right when the sun comes up and try to find Katniss and Haymitch.” Unable to resist, she leaned over and kissed his cheek, the feel of him enough to calm her worries. “Who sent you that?” she asked, noticing the coil of copper-like wire.