It's Alright

My eyes flicker open and I am staring at the white ceiling of my bedroom, the bright sun bouncing light off of it. I sit up in my bed, slowly, before slipping out of it and into my soft, silk robe. I walk into the bathroom that is connected to my room and I look into the mirror. The girl in the mirror is almost recognizable once again. It has been two months since my life fell apart. Since I lost nearly everything that was important to me. I stare at myself in the mirror for a few more moments before exiting the bathroom and heading down the stairs. I shuffle into the kitchen where Peeta has apparently been waiting for me.

"Hey." He says to me. I am unable to completely make out his tone, but he gives me a sliver of a smile. I smile back at him and I give him a curt wave of the hand as a greeting. "How are you feeling?"

I shrug my shoulders, "I'm fine." The hoarseness of my voice catches me off guard. I try to clear my throat, but it's no use. I just continue. "I'm fine. Tired, but fine." I look over his face. The hijacking of his mind is still not totally corrected and you can see the confliction in his expressions. This brings a pain to my stomach. A deep sadness.

Peeta nods, the confliction leaving his face as he's understanding things again. He begins to walk towards me slowly, but I cannot wait that long. I fling myself into his arms. He wraps his arms around me unhesitantly. I let my face rest in the crook of his neck. I close my eyes and inhale deeply, taking in the scent of fresh baked bread that Peeta always smells of.

He breaks our embrace, but does not move away. He lets his arms wrap around my waist and presses his forehead against mine. "You're alright." He says.

I look into his eyes. "I know." I whisper. He looks back into my eyes and we share a moment, reading each other's expressions. Peeta's eyes look down to my lips and then back to my eyes. He leans in slowly, pressing his lips gently against mine. A warmness flows through my body which has been cold with an overwhelming sadness for so long. The warmth is not a true happiness, but it is the closest I think I could get to it.

Peeta pulls away, a smile slowly taking form on his lips. He moves farther away from me, but grabs my hand, leading me toward the den. We sit on the couch. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and I rest my head on his shoulder. My feet are tucked against the side of the couch. My right hand is intertwined with his.

We sit together. A comfortable silence takes over. The only sound is that of the chirping birds flowing in from an open window. I close my eyes and I breathe deeply, letting out the breaths shakily. Then I hear Peeta's voice repeating what he had said earlier. "You're alright." I nod my head and tighten my grip on his hand. He kisses my hair and rubs my arm, trying to calm me.

I try to only think of where I am and who I am with. Trying to forget everything else for the time being. Right now, the only thing that matters is Peeta. Everything is okay. I open my mouth and three words come out spilling out, "I love you."

I hear Peeta take a deep breath. "I know." He says. I nod and nuzzle my face back into the crook of his neck. We sit like this for a while longer, not saying anything else. Everything is alright.

The Nightmare

I awake in the middle of the night. It takes me a few moments to process that the high pitched wailing is my own voice, crying out helplessly. I bring my hands to my face, sobbing loudly into them. Another nightmare.

Since Prim died, the nightmares that contain my father being blown to bits in the mining incident have long passed. Now, they are only the revisiting of my little sister's death. I see it over and over again in my mind. Even now that I am awake. My sobs grow louder. I hear my bedroom door open and soon I feel familliar arms being wrapped around me.

Peeta holds me close to him. He lays us down, doing his best to comfort me. I hear him making calming shushing sounds, and soon I have stopped crying. Now, I just lay trembling, held close in his arms. He does everything he can to get me to calm down. He kisses my head, tells me everything is alright... I want to believe him so much.

I turn over so that I am facing him directly now. I press my forehead to his chest. He is very warm. Being close to him gives a reassuring feeling. A feeling that makes you think everything is okay. But I know it is not.

"Katniss," Peeta begins, "You're going to be okay." He tells me. But I reject the thought. I shake my head violently. I hear him shushing me again, running his fingers through my hair. I begin to calm down once again. I try to stop thinking all together, but it does not work. Then I hear Peeta speaking again.

"When I was younger, my father told me that everything happens for a reason. We don't always know the reason.. It may always seem unfair.. But it will always be okay again." He pauses a moment, "The sadness might not go away, and that's okay. But things will get better.." He begins to stroke my hair. "I promise."

Peeta finishes his story. I begin to take into consideration what he's said. These thoughts calm me. Soon, I am able to lie still, no trembling. It's okay now. I get as close to Peeta as I possibly can. Taking in all of his warmth, inhaling his scent, hoping he wont have a relapse into the hijacked sections of his mind. In return, he holds me tightly, as if he's afraid to let go.

So many times in my life I have been thankful for the boy with the bread, but never as much as now. I've no idea what I would do without him. But I am certain, I would not be okay. I'd never be okay in the slightest. Peeta Mellark is the only person who is now able to keep me sane.

I shut my eyes tightly, then nuzzle my face into Peeta's chest. He rubs my back soothingly. I can feel myself giving into the drowsiness, and soon, I drift off to sleep. A peaceful sleep. For tonight.