Welcome, welcome!

Ah a new day, a new story. Today I present a modern day AU, everlark (like it could be anything else) with a little bit of sad. Ok more than a lil sad, a lot of sad here. You've been warned. Thank you for reading, and please be mindful of the triggers below.

TW: Depression-Mental Illness- Hospitals- Self injury- ((No others at this time))

She doesn't know why this man, his hair golden like the sun that shines into her tiny room each morning and eyes as blue as the painting of the ocean in the common area, keeps coming to see her. The nurses, in their pastel colored scrubs that always smell like antibacterial soap seem happy when they tell her Peeta is here.

Honestly she doesn't know who he is. Probably would yell and scream at him until he finally left her alone if not for the fact that Peeta brings cheese buns everyday, of course. The fluffy bread and cheese kind of making up for having him stare at her with those sad eyes the whole time. Like something's repeatedly hitting his heart with a hammer.

So she eats the cheese buns, he sits, and together they spent their evenings in the visiting room at Capitol Mental Health Facility.

Every time he comes, there's a conversation planned out in his head as he walks in with the Mellark bakery bag that's steaming hot with his freshly baked gift for her. But when he sees Katniss sitting alone in a corner, her head in between her knees cause the nurses tell sometimes the headaches get to be too much. And she refuses to swallow the pills, because Katniss always hated pills.

Peeta can still see his Katniss in the shell of a girl left, the shell so fragile that she's kept locked up in this place for an undetermined amount of time because she may break. He's never seen Katniss break, but just the thought of it makes his heart drop.

So Peeta comes every night with cheese buns, slides them over the table to her and doesn't talk. It's not what he wants. He wants to take her to dinner at some fancy place downtown, go to the movies, cook together in his little crap apartment. But Peeta takes this, because this is the best he can get. Broken Katniss is better than no Katniss.

Katniss can't remember anything before this place, she knows at one point she wasn't here and was a child. But it's fuzzy, like a thick fog is covering any memory before this place like a blanket. Although sometimes she'll see something that'll make everything blurry, her head feels light, and then she feels sick and suddenly she's on the ground and can't control herself. After that's everything goes black like she's sleeping.

There's always a nurse when Katniss wakes up in her room, watching her. Sometimes the nicer ones will sit with her until she can feel everything again, wait until Katniss can remember how to speak before checking on someone else. But the others, usually the younger ones, will run off soon after she opens her eyes. Letting her make sense of everything by herself.

He decides to bring something sweet that day too, because Peeta's pretty sure the new Katniss will like his pastries as much as old Katniss did. He spends hours making them two goat cheese and apple tarts, cause it was her favorite. Flaky dough, baked apples, a layer of creamy goat cheese and all topped off with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Peeta's actually nervous as the security scans he at the entrance. The officers check the bakery bag, like always. "Looks delicious," One of them comments and jokes, "Where's ours?"

"Tomorrow I'll bring you guys something." He tells them, "Sugar cookies?"

At their nod he walks into the facility, greeting all the nurses by name. How long has he been coming here again? Two years? That sounds right. At least now she's up, not lying lifeless in her room. Mrs. Everdeen had been considering to pull the plug the week before she woke up.

Thank God that woman is so withdrawn.

(Peeta's POV)

Katniss is sitting in the corner again. She's holding her head in her hands too, a bad sign. But a nurse in a pale pink uniform takes one of her arms lightly, leaning in to whisper something. At the nurses words Katniss's eyes move up and meet mine across the room. The smoke colored orbs don't stay on mine for long, the bakery bag drawing her attention more.

"She refused to eat today." A nurse says, making me jump. She's standing next to me, and looking at Katniss as she moves to the visiting tables. I bid the nurse goodbye before meeting Katniss at the table.

"Hi." I say while sitting down. It's stupid but I make sure to wear one of the flannel shirts she got me for our last Christmas when I visit. Her vision hones in on the bag in my hand, expectantly waiting for me to give it over. "Uh," I clear my throat, "I brought something different today."

Katniss tilts her head, still ever so quiet as I pull the tarts out. Once both of them are placed on the table she reaches for one hesitantly. "I hope you like it." I smile and take a bite of mine. Katniss's eyes flutter shut as she sinks her teeth into the pastry, a moan slipping from her lips as it melts on her tongue. "Good?" I ask hopefully.

She nods, the most I've gotten out her since these visits started and instantly I start rambling nervously, "I thought it would be a nice chance, since you probably don't get stuff like this here. I mean, the foods great, but nothing beats bakery fresh, you know?"

Another bite, Katniss nearly inhales the rest of her tart. Happily I hand her one more, glad I packed extra, before finishing mine. We're eating in comfortable silence for once, although this feels like our first date all over again. I look up to see her peeling the flaky crust bake and examining the treat.

"Baked apples and goat cheese." I explain, instantly regretting when the scowl falls from her face, color draining from it like water. "Katniss?" I hesitantly question, "Are you OK?"

She vomits right there on the table.

The nurses rush over, but not before she falls over to the side.