The Hunger Games Oneshot
I always thought that the final Real or Not Real scene in Mockingjay was too short and needed a bit more. So I wrote it in depth from Peeta's point of view. This is the first time I have tried writing from a boy's point of view so I hope it's good. Reviews are highly appreciated :)
You love me
Her hands move softly through my hair. I hold her. Her rapid heartbeats finally return to normal as I clutch her. She looks so vulnerable, so weak in this state. She is so different than the girl I knew from the arena.
"Katniss, are you okay?" I ask
Her tangled brown hair sticks to my sweaty cheek as I trace calming patterns on her back.
"Yes" She replies, her voice almost breaking.
"What was it? The nightmare" I ask. We have never discussed about our nightmares. We simply comforted each other. Talking about it made it worse; as Katniss had told me. Until now.
"Prim…Her and…" Katniss manages to whisper hoarsely.
"And…?" I notice that she had trailed off her sentence.
"You… Oh god, Peeta!" She chokes and I grip her tighter when she says my name.
"Peeta… You… You died! Both of you… The blast, the firebomb… And I…. I couldn't do anything"
I stroke the hair of her face and raise a hand to her chin, tilting her face upwards and making her look at me.
I watch the fear filled, glassy seam grey eyes of the girl I love. I'm sure she can see her eyes reflected in my blue irises.
With one small move, I bring her face up to mine and kiss her comfortingly, clutching her shivering shoulder and pull back gently. She tastes of pine and ash and sweet like the berries that she loves so much.
"Katniss. I'm not dead. I'm right here. With you. Where I'll always be" I say soothingly and she puts one hand to her chin, tears slowly flowing down her olive colored skin.
As I watch her face, I suddenly feel an urge to attack her. To rip her apart. Sink my nails into her neck and remove her from this world forever.
As the attack comes on and my eyes go out of focus I can only see the realization dawn on her face. "Peeta…" She mumbles, slowly backing away.
I crawl away from her, shutting my eyes and repeating in my head what the therapist told me to.
It's not you Peeta. You love Katniss. She isn't the enemy. You do not want her dead. This is not real.
"Peeta" Katniss shrieks
She lunges at me and shakes me. My shoulders feel heavy. My legs feel as if they are made of lead. My eyes slowly turn to normal. I want to take care of her.
I wake up from the trance and look at her, horror clenching my heart.
"What did I do? Did I… I didn't hurt you, did I?" The panic in my voice is so palpable. I can feel the tears pricking my eyes.
"No. No… Peeta, listen to me. You were great. You didn't even touch me, let alone hurt me." Katniss soothes me and touches her forehead to mine.
"Katniss, look at me" I whisper, scared of what I'm about to say.
She looks; her grey eyes bore into mine and she asks, "What?"
"You love me. Real or not real?"
The question doesn't send her shying away like it always did. She looks at me for a minute, clamping her teeth on her bottom lip.
"Real"
I feel the speed of our heartbeats as I hug her tightly, a few tears escaping my eyes as I close them. And there we laze. On the floor next to the bed, holding each other as we always did; until the morning rays touched us.