#we're not gonna talk about how i had all of these quotes memorized almost perfectly

[the-gayest-tree-you-ever-did-see]

"there was an attack on 12." peeta says, slowly. prim: "yes." "my family?" "the bakery didn't survive." he goes quiet, cold. "it's katniss. it's because of katniss—" "—wasn't because of her—" aggressive, "—she tell you to say that?" "she didn't tell me anything—" "she's a liar, prim. it's a trick!" "peeta, what you're saying isn't real." his eyes turn sharp, like he understands something. "she sent you here to talk to me. she knows you're here now—" "—it's okay—" he gets desperate, terrified, angry. "—she knows! you can't trust her, she's a monster! she's a mutt that the capitol created to destroy us! do you understand me? you have to kill her, prim, you have to kill her!"

its just. his immediate response is to protect prim. to keep her safe. prim, a girl he has no connection with besides saving her life with the bread he gave to a girl in the rain, bread he took a beating for burning. did he even know her then? and then—

"our favorite color is green. is that real?" katniss, soft. "yeah. that's real." pauses. "yours is orange. not... bright orange. soft, like the sunset."

and closer—

"you're still trying to protect me. real or not real?" "real. that's what you and i do. keep each other alive."

and even, if i may—

"what do all those deaths mean? they mean that our lives were never ours. there was no real life because we didn't have any choice. our lives belong to snow and our deaths do, too. but if you kill him, katniss, if you end all of this, all those deaths — they mean something."

until finally, finally—

"you love me. real or not real?"

real.

everyone talks about "real or not real" no one talks about prim telling peeta "what youre saying isnt real" and peeta immediately latching onto that and thinking katniss sent prim to trick him and trying to protect her from katniss