Underneath the shock, questions whirl in Johnny's eyes. Peeta reads them easily, and wonders which, if any, Johnny will ask. And which, if any, he'll be willing to answer.
He's surprised when Johnny stops him by laying a hand on his shoulder. From his initial impressions, he wouldn't have expected that from him. Johnny's earnestness, however, isn't surprising, the quickness and ease with which he slips into assuaging Peeta's guilt and - properly, it must be said - assigning the blame. The tendency to put aside one's own pain to focus on relieving another's is something Peeta understands completely, and the corner of his mouth pulls up into the softest hint of a smile.
Then Johnny's gaze shifts to something just over his shoulder, and before Peeta can react Johnny pushes him aside. Peeta stumbles slightly, regaining his balance even as he pivots to face the danger. Johnny has the first one well in hand from the looks of things, so Peeta turns his attention to the two others that are approaching. Very slowly. At not much more than a shuffle.
In any other circumstances besides life-or-death, Peeta might pause to wonder about the difference between these things and the one that literally chased him to the ground. As it is, only the slightest of hesitations indicates his thought process, and he's soon falling on their would-be attackers with battle-tested efficiency.
no subject
He's surprised when Johnny stops him by laying a hand on his shoulder. From his initial impressions, he wouldn't have expected that from him. Johnny's earnestness, however, isn't surprising, the quickness and ease with which he slips into assuaging Peeta's guilt and - properly, it must be said - assigning the blame. The tendency to put aside one's own pain to focus on relieving another's is something Peeta understands completely, and the corner of his mouth pulls up into the softest hint of a smile.
Then Johnny's gaze shifts to something just over his shoulder, and before Peeta can react Johnny pushes him aside. Peeta stumbles slightly, regaining his balance even as he pivots to face the danger. Johnny has the first one well in hand from the looks of things, so Peeta turns his attention to the two others that are approaching. Very slowly. At not much more than a shuffle.
In any other circumstances besides life-or-death, Peeta might pause to wonder about the difference between these things and the one that literally chased him to the ground. As it is, only the slightest of hesitations indicates his thought process, and he's soon falling on their would-be attackers with battle-tested efficiency.