One Day

Chapter Two

It had been two weeks since Peeta had brought the primroses to her yard. Time still seemed like such a trivial thing even if she had a piece of herself back. Peeta coming back to Twelve had been like someone drawing open the curtains on the darkness that had been her life. She needed to breath, needed to see beyond the madness that she had driven herself to. Peeta had become her lifeline once again. His patience with her, a kindness that she never thought would be bestowed upon her again, was lightening a load on her shoulders that she didn't think she could bear.

He understood that she still didn't have words. Most days they did things with very few words spoken at all. He often asked her only yes or no questions so she could nod or shake her head. He wanted only simple things from her these days. He would ask to hold her hand if they went on walks, but they only often got as far as where the old Hob was before her anxiety would spike and the only word she could muster was "Home." He asked if he could make her dinner every night since his return. He knew she still didn't eat as much as she should, aside from what they made and if Sae still came by.

He could see it, deep down inside her, how numb she was. He had prayed to be so often following the Quarter Quell and everything that had happened. But if he was numb, he would forget. Forget why he fought through all the false memories that would pop into his brain. Forget why this girl was worth fighting until his last breath for. Forget the sound of her whispering words of comfort to him if he woke from a nightmare. He was afraid for her, despite all the evil in his own life, he still thought of her first.

They were sitting in his house one evening after dinner, a warm spring breeze making the filmy curtains of his living room dance in the fading light of twilight. They were curled up on his couch, her head nestled in the crook of his neck as her hand laid flat on his chest. She felt the steady gallop of his heart beneath her fingertips as her eyelids began to droop. They still hadn't shared a bed and Katniss knew she did it to hold him at arms' length. She didn't want him to only hear her voice when she screamed from nightmares. She knew that wasn't fair to him. Her thoughts were interrupted when he leaned down and spoke gently in her ear.

"What's your favorite memory of Finnick?"

It felt like he had punched her in the stomach. Pushing herself off his chest, she sat up quickly. Before she could get away though, his fingers had intertwined with her own and he brought his hand up to cup her face.

"I don't want to forget. I'm worried with all the hurt and anger that has happened to us, that we'll forget to keep living sometimes. They died so we could have a better future. They fought for something. But that doesn't mean I want to file them away somewhere in my head so it doesn't hurt. I think it should hurt. But I need to remember Katniss. Even if it's the simplest thing. I just… I don't want it to be in vain."

Her exact thoughts from the weeks prior on why she should tell Peeta the word "Real." came floating to the forefront of her mind. She didn't want to forget any of them. But they were all the ones she couldn't save. All the ones she had failed. How many times was she going to be haunted by their voices and deaths? Despite all that though, she already knew the answer to his question before she could halt the stuttering words that escaped her.

"Wh-when he sa…wh-when he saved you in the Qu-Quell."

"When I hit the forcefield?"

Her head bounced as she nodded.

"Why?"

She gave him an incredulous look as she knew that explaining why would be difficult. She never realized speech could be so foreign. That stopping her voice altogether meant fighting to gain it back. She hadn't gone past a few words back and forth with him. Now his eyes asked for an explanation. Especially since her answer was revolving around him.

"He dr-dropped to his kn-knees and st…he started saving you. I…I wa- I watched him bre-breathe life back into you. He did it fo-for me. Hay-Haymitch told him th-that I wo-would…I would…"

She stopped a moment, trying to focus as he looked at her so intently. Taking a deep breath she started again.

"I wouldn't be the Mockingjay if so-something happ-happened to you. But it w…was the look he ga-gave me after you woke. Wh-when I pulled you up and into my arms."

He interrupted her, his eyes faraway as he tried to pull the memories that weren't real away from the image that came back to him from in the arena.

"You were shaking. Uncontrollably shaking. And you were wrapped around me so tightly that I could do nothing but hold you. You were crying…"

"Your…your heart st-stopped!"

Sliding his fingers gently across her cheek he felt a smile reach his lips.

"What look did he give you?"

Biting her lip she took another breath before finishing.

"Like he…like he knew. He knew I…I cou…couldn't survive …with…without you. He told me later Annie use to look at him li-like that. Es….especially after she won. Sh-she stopped ta-talking too."

"But you're talking now."

"Sometimes."

Leaning over, he set his forehead against her own as he kissed her slowly, just enough to bring a blush to her cheeks.

"I could listen to you talk all night. Even if you stutter, even if you can't find the words. Even if it's a word at a time. I want to hear it."

Rolling her eyes, she felt the brush of a smile reach her lips as he looked at her. Breaking out into one of his full fledged smiles, he laughed heartily as he kissed her again gently.

"One day wasn't so far away now was it? Was that a smile I saw Miss Everdeen?"

Smacking his chest lightly, she made to get off the couch again as he tugged her by the connection of their hands. Falling into his lap, her arms wound around his neck as he brushed the hair out of her eyes.

"So I have an idea…and I think it might help both of us."

Peaking her interest, her eyebrow raised, telling him to continue.

"I asked you what your favorite memory of Finnick was because I'd like to start a memory book. I remember the plant book you showed me that your father had started. I'd like to do something similar. But of everyone we lost. I can draw the pictures of them. And you can write down our happiest memories, or what they did. What they died for. I just…I don't want to forget Katniss. Little things I find slipping lately. The exact hazel of Cinna's eyes. The soft lines around my father's eyes. Finnick's smile when he and Annie officially got married. The color of Prim's hair on a summer afternoon when I'd see you showing her the cakes in the bakery. I want to write what's real because when those shimmering memories come, those times I'm not myself, I don't want to scare you. But something to help would be nice…"

Brushing her fingers across his forehead, sweeping his growing blonde tresses away from his eyes, she nodded softly as his words hit home. She knew those things were slipping from her too. And if nothing else, she needed those memories to put herself back together again. One day, they wouldn't be her ghosts anymore. One day, they wouldn't haunt her dreams.

"That sou-sounds like a gr-great idea."

Kissing her again, he let a content sigh slip from his lips. His eyes were growing heavy as he set his head against her shoulder, allowing himself to place a soft kiss there as well.

"Could I go so far as to ask one more thing of you?"

Tilting her head to the side, she waited only a moment for his question.

"Would you stay with me tonight? My…well my dreams as of late have been painful. I haven't been getting much sleep. I just…I just want to make it through a night. I just need to sleep."

Biting her lip, she felt empathy for him on the grandest scale. She had been sleeping better since Peeta's return to Twelve, but by better she knew only getting two hours at most of sleep per night was going to continue to damage her. His offer was like a long forgotten dream.

Kissing his cheek softly, her mouth moved down to whisper in his ear.

"Always."

She swore she saw tears well in his eyes, but they remained unshed. Standing, he took her hand and led her upstairs and into his bedroom. Giving her a t-shirt of his to sleep in, he crawled into his bed as she made quick use of the bathroom before opening the windows for him in the bedroom. Laying down into his heavenly soft bed, he nestled against her until his head rested on her chest, his ear laying flat upon her heart. His arms would around her waist, as her fingers descended into his hair, gently stroking the soft locks in her fingers.

"Goodnight Katniss… I love you."

"Goodnight Peeta. I love you too."

Chapter two in only one day?! I think I'm going to like this =P

Read and review my lovelies!

Xoxoxo

Piercedstarling