After a few days I woke up again. My throat dry hunger gnawing at my stomach. I barely had enough energy to sit upright my head hurting like it got hit by truck-kun again.
"So you're awake my boy." Comes in Mr. Everdeen with the Mrs.
"Here drink this first, it should help." She says as she gives me medicine to drink and a glass of water.
"Damn how long was I out?" I asked trying to get my bearings.
"Language child. And to answer your question, you've been unconscious for the past 4 days. Are you sure you're alright?" Asks Mrs. Everdeen.
"Yeah for now at least. I think my mind is catching up to my body." I stated as I still felt a bit sluggish and slumped into the bed again.
"How's everyone doing?" I asked a bit hesitant.
Mr. Everdeen came and sat beside me. "They are all ok. No one hates you for not protecting the girl. Not even her parents. They said that your parents had raised you with a righteous heart and we helped maintain it. If you hadn't been there to protect her she wouldn't have come as far as she did. And what you helped her with. The fight you brought out of her made everyone proud. She truly did look like a princess and I have to thank you for that, on their behalf." He said with as much pride as he could.
I smiled. "She's waiting for us to tell her our adventures on the other side alongside my parents so I have to make sure I have many more to tell her both good and bad."
"Ok speaking of which who is this father in law you spoke of?" Mrs. Everdeen had a mischievous smile as she asked. I gulped in panic. And Mr. Everdeen had cold sweat dropping down his forehead.
We didn't answer not yet. I looked pale as I muster up the courage to talk.
"Mr. and Mrs. Everdeen." I began. "I'd like to marry Katniss one day." I stated as my resolve hardened as I spoke each word. I looked at the man before me. "Please allow me to date Katniss." I asked his permission as I stare intently at Kat's father.
The parents stare at each other and start to chuckle a little bit at his nervousness. Then they look back at me with soft smiles. I try and keep my composure neutral but I'm still in a child's body. They stand back up walk to the door hand in hand.
They look back and and the mother begins "We'll talk over dinner let us think on it till then." I nodded my head with a hopeful gaze. Fuck you Gale! You'll kick rocks. I'll have her. Make her stronger.
As I lay there resting head mildly clearing up from the throbbing pain I contemplate my next move. I've mastered the basic stances in the capital. Now just to keep practicing. And start training in my hunting skills. If I remember correctly then Johana should be selected in the next hunger games. She'll be a key figure for the 75th game and she helps Katniss remove the tracker. I could do it whenever through the system inventory but I'll keep that to myself. Just like I kept the weapons from the capital. I was going to see which ones were better. The ones I get from the system are almost always better. But we'll see soon enough. After I get back my strength. The serum did wonders for my body, but my mind needs to catch up to my body. Can't do anything from mental exhaustion. Just resting.
The door opens and in comes Prim with my lunch. I eat my sandwich and drink my water. I start feeling my mind getting clearer. Not as sluggish as when I first woke up. Prim and I chat a bit. About the parade. How I felt. How the capital looked. And how hot the desert was.
I skillfully manipulated the conversation to not talk about the killings or deaths. As day became night it was time for me to rest again. So Prim went and got things ready with her family. As I was there alone in my thoughts. I felt like my mind and body were finally in sync together so I tried to get out of bed slowly testing the movements and reflexes of my mind and body.
I stood up and started undressing. My door opens as I turn around I see a heavily blushed Katniss as her eyes look down at my cock she notices that is huge for my age. Not that she's seen one before but it was 6 inches flaccid what happens if it's awakened? Only some will know. wink wink.
"Like anything you see Kat?" I teased her with a mischievous smile bringing her out of her daze. She blushed even more. Turns around and basically yells at me to come to dinner in between her stammers and embarrassing herself a bit more. I tease even more by asking if she wanted to dress me herself if not then she should probably close the door. She bolts out the doorway and slams the door.
I chuckle at our first intimate moment. We know about the birds and the bees thanks to school teaching sex-ed. Only in this life it's meant to be for marriage.
I finished getting dressed and start walking towards the dining room. We now lived in the Victors Village. Haymitch usually keeps to himself always in a drunken stupor. I feel for the guy I do but damn. Others have it worse. The least you could do is your damn job the right way when the time comes. Hell you could even start training all the damn kids yourself instead of wallowing in self pity and survival guilt. All he has to do is try.
We sat down to eat some noodle dish and we start eating in a comfortable silence. Just home, everyone eating together. We are safe. No one trying to kill me. At least to my knowledge.
The parents look at each other and she gives him an almost imperceptible nod to her husband. He sighs puts down the cutlery puts his hands together and leans his chin on to them.
We stopped to look at his actions as we locked eyes.
"Son it's her choice but you have our blessings." Then goes back to eating. I sat there dazed and wondering if this was a trick. Kat and Prim confused. I look to the mother and I gave her a hopeful look and she nods with a smile. "We trust you." She said making me smile.
So I smiled back. A true genuine smile. So I get up go around to Katniss. The girls still don't know what's going on. Or what's going to happen.
"Katniss. We've been friends. Close friends." I began. "We know everything that's important about each other. We know when either of us are sad or just needs space." I continued. Making her smile not truly knowing where I'm going with this. So I reach out my hand as I kneel before her, her eyes widening as she starts to understand.
"Katniss I don't want to just be friends anymore because I want you to be my family. And I want to be your family." I told her with a loving yet teary gaze. She doing the same with me. As she's trying to grasp the reality of what I was doing and what was happening.
I took out a small golden ring that I got from the system. It can fit and grow with her finger. It had little mockingjays going around the ring with words 'Always and Forever' written inside the ring with our initials K. For Katniss and O. For Orion. So K.O. (Knockout lol jk)
"This ring is my promise to you that no matter where I am. Or what I'm doing. I'll come back to you. Because to me…" I paused and looked her in the eyes. "Because you're my home. And my life." I finished as I presented her with the ring to give me her decision.
(Ha fuck you Gale! Author-san as wing man to get daddy's blessings!)
The three gasps in the home from the girls almost made me laugh but I stayed composed and ready to be rejected but she launched herself at me and started crying like a baby started talking but no one could understand her. After a few minutes she ripped the ring box from my hands and said I wasn't allowed to kiss other girls ever again! Only except on the head.
We laughed as I agreed and helped her put the ring on her finger. I took another out for me and she placed it on my finger as well. I was truly blessed and welcomed in to the family and i made sure they moved into the home with me.
The next day we went to the hall of justice to get the certificate of marriage. Then we made an announcement at the square. We celebrated as I took Katniss over to the statue.
"We ask the "Princess of The Mines" to bless our household. To watch over us and our adventures. My friend im sorry I couldn't bring you home but I kept my promise that no one would ever forget you. Our first and last Princess Of The Mines and that title that moniker will be yours and yours alone. I'm taking care of your parents in your stead. So don't worry and rest easy my friend. Later when it's our time I'll tell you about all our adventures." I smiled through my heartbreaking tears. Little did I know I was being filmed and everyone in the square could hear me. I didn't notice. I didn't care to notice.
I grabbed Katniss's hand and placed it on the statues bow hand. "My friend you were right." I said with a bright smile. "Kisses should only be between the ones you love. Katniss almost killed me because I almost kissed you." I laughed as she blushes. "That'd be comical don't you think? Man wins the Hunger Games but dies because he broke his vows." I kept laughing as Katniss just hits my head she was covered in cake and you couldn't tell how good looking she was because of the food fight.
So she wouldn't get selected for the games by "accident" until she volunteers in canon. We're laughing and partying together with the rest of our people. I forgot that the stylists and Effie were invited to the celebration they weren't as enthusiastic but didn't show it because of the cameras. But everyone did have fun. We even gave the "behind the scenes" workers a chance to enjoy the festivities. It wasn't much but it was home and they could all tell. Not that it was a grand event like the capital obviously but they felt the love that they didn't think one could get at a random event. This was truly a harsh environment yet a lovely sense of belonging to a community bigger than yourself. Because if one suffers then they all suffer. But when one prospers then they all prosper. And they felt it. They all did. And that's what weakened the wall between Effie and our D12. She was happy to make a connection to her assigned area.