Ever since he was five years old, Peeta had a huge crush on Katniss Everdeen. On the first day of school, Peeta's father pointed her out, saying that he wanted to marry her mother but ultimately didn't as she married a coal miner.
Was Peeta lying when he said he had a crush on Katniss?
She remains uncertain about Peeta's true feelings almost until the end of the novel, only conceding to herself that Peeta is telling the truth when he recalls details about the first time he saw her that prove he isn't simply acting.
Katniss Fell in Love With Peeta During the Quarter Quell
Losing Peeta made her see what she had failed to see. However, the series' frightening antagonist, President Snow, remained unconvinced of Kantiss' feelings in Catching Fire. But that also seemed to imply Katniss fell in love with Peeta during their second games.
It took time for Peeta to break out of that conditioning, and even when the possibility existed that Peeta could be a danger to Katniss, the two of them still elected to be together and build a future in a post-Hunger-Games world. Their love for one another is evident.
The Hunger Games (6/12) Movie CLIP - Star-Crossed Lovers (2012) HD
When did Peeta find out Katniss was faking?
After their last interview, in which the two continue to affect their romantic feelings for one another, Peeta comes to the realization Katniss has staged her love for him all along.
It's only implied that they get it on via snuggling and other affectionate acts in close quarters — but if you have read the book, they really imply that they took their relationship to the next level.
Katniss's focus on survival and her family's safety prevented her from fully considering romance, but her feelings for Peeta and Gale diverged in the end. Katniss ultimately chose Peeta because he understood her trauma and she didn't want to lose him, proving her love for him.
Peeta used the dyes to paint a picture of Rue after Katniss covered her with flowers when she died. He says he wants to hold them accountable for killing Rue, and Effie tells him that that kind of thinking is forbidden. Katniss then tells the team she hung a dummy of Seneca Crane.
In the end, Katniss and Gale grew apart, as many childhood friends and young loves do. She needed something different in her life, and with Gale's link to Primrose's death, Katniss found a reason to cut ties. If Katniss ever wanted to find comfort again, she knew she had to return to Peeta for the long term.
What happened the first time Katniss kisses Peeta?
When they kiss, Katniss describes it as the first that both are fully aware of. Neither is sick or dazed by injury, and it's the first kiss that makes her want another. Because of the cold, they share the sleeping bag again, and Peeta puts his arms around her.
She kisses him, thinking of how they're supposed to be in love. She steps outside, and a new gift from Haymitch arrives. It's a pot of hot broth, and Katniss realizes Haymitch wants her to play up the romance.
Peeta sleeps first. Katniss kisses him on the forehead, for herself, she admits, and not for the audience. She is glad to have him there with her, comforted by the thought that together they can fight Peeta.
While the Hunger Games film never talked about it, the Catching Fire novel explained why she could only communicate through hand gestures. Katniss briefly mentioned that a previous stroke could have caused Mags' garbled speech. However, post-traumatic stress disorder could have also caused her speech incapacity.
She apologizes to Peeta and, again, feels that she owes him. That night, she and Peeta say goodbye to Effie and Haymitch, who will go to the Games Headquarters.
I did nothing to prepare physically for this role. I went on the CGI diet, computer-generated images. They just sucked my face down in post-production.
In The Hunger Games, the first tribute Katniss allied with was the twelve-year-old Rue from District 11. Katniss was drawn to Rue as she reminded her of her little sister Prim and sought to protect her in the Games.
Rue reminds Katniss very much of her sister, Prim. Katniss acts as the primary protector of Rue once the two become allies. In this sense, she continues the role that she formerly played with her sister, Prim. Katniss and Rue share food, supplies, and stories about their lives.
Interestingly, Katniss is taller than Peeta only in the film versions of The Hunger Games novels—so it's not that the film is simply staying faithful to the source material. In fact, the books contain subtle text clues that Peeta is the taller of the two.
Gale was responsible for creating weapons that would trigger a second wave of bombs to target first responders and combat healers. This invention potentially ended up killing Prim, but even if he wasn't directly responsible, Katniss found this tactic so abhorrent that she lost her affection for him.
Gale is jealous of Peeta, even in his altered state, and Katniss has always been conflicted when kissing Peeta because of Gale. They have faced the truth together, and Katniss feels she and Peeta may never be together again, so in a vulnerable moment, she kisses Gale.
She is upset she will be forced to be with Peeta the rest of her life, but that is not what troubles her the most. In District 12, one of the few freedoms people have is the decision of when and whom to marry, or if to marry at all. Before the Games, Katniss had never wanted to get married — to Gale, Peeta, or anyone.
It isn't until the end of Mockingjay that Katniss and Peeta are married; however, this isn't revealed until the epilogue after all of the events of the series take place.
