AN: Written for the first anniversary of EverlarkBirthdayDrabbles onTumblr.
PART 2
The small red fox runs through the forest, making its way through the slippery moss. The air around him is thick with dew, but the sky is still dark.
The insistent howls of a hungry pack of wolves loom in the distance.
The fox runs faster. His tiny paws crush leaves and branches as it desperately tries to escape.
But it's no use.
The wolves are too fast and strong for him. Their beautiful white fur gleams under the moonlight as they jump and howl, easily catching up to their terrified prey.
They're upon him in an instant. Circling him and barring their teeth to show they mean business.
The fox stills, green eyes wide in terror. He knows he's doomed.
There's nowhere left to run, nowhere to hide. So, when the wolves begin to tighten their circle, the small fox knows that his time has run out.
Anguished wails reach the treetops, pained and insistent, as the fox says his last goodbye.
Suddenly, the world turns dark.
"Katniss!" Peeta calls out. His voice, urgent and clear, breaks through the darkness. "Katniss, stop! Stop, you're alright. You're alright."
Katniss wakes up.
She's thrashing in Peeta's arms, crying and gasping for air as she desperately clings to his shoulders.
His arms wrap around her. "You're safe," he whispers into her ear. "I got you. You're safe."
Katniss presses her cheek against his chest. The sound of his heart, beating under her ear, soothes her and, for an instant, she believes him.
XXXXX
Days go by quickly in the tribute center. Proper, professional Effie keeps her tributes on a tight leash. Waking them early, sitting with them through breakfast and making sure they reach their training sessions on time.
Unlike the last time they were there, Effie keeps all her comments about the improprieties of two unmarried teenagers sharing a bed to herself. It's a small thing. But Katniss appreciates the lack of fuss nonetheless.
As days go by, Katniss gets to know the other tributes who'll be joining her in the arena. Sometimes she hates Haymitch for asking her to play nice with the other victors, but her determination to keep Peeta safe keeps her anger in check.
Besides, Beetee and Wiress intrigue her. Even if she didn't have instructions to befriend them, she'd still be fascinated by how their minds work.
Unlike Mags, who quickly wins her over with her gentleness and warmth, Finnick and his overtures make her uncomfortable, and she can't talk to Johanna without feeling exposed, but she still tries. For Peeta, she tries it all.
She only sees Darius at dinner time. The sight of her old friend still saddens her. But now that the surprise has worn off, she notices the small things she missed on the first day. Like the silent fight that's still left in his eyes. Or the soft smile that tells her he doesn't blame her for his fate. It doesn't make a difference, though. She still blames herself.
Every night, she beckons Peeta back into her room.
Back on the Victory Tour, she'd always wait for him to come to her side. He never failed, joining her even when she'd already fallen asleep. But things are different now. After spending all their training months apart, they've finally grown closer. And she refuses to let a new void open between them again. So, every night, Katniss invites him over. All it takes is a small gesture, a smile, a nod. But Peeta always gets her meaning.
He never hesitates, never lets her down.
They spend their nights talking, sharing a handful of happy memories as they try to keep the nightmares at bay. Sometimes it works. But when it doesn't, they're there for each other, whispering soft assurances that push their fears away.
XXXXX
"What are you waiting for?" Cato taunts, his arm firmly wrapped around Peeta's neck as he holds him firmly in place.
Peeta struggles to keep his eyes open. The wound on his leg is bleeding profusely, and he doesn't have enough air. He's running out of time.
Katniss takes a deep breath and lifts her bow. Her eyes land on Cato's unprotected hand, and she smiles. With a steady hand, she releases her arrow and watches it fly.
Cato's lips turn up in a sinister grimace. He lifts his hand.
The arrow pierces Peeta's skin, lodging itself cleanly in his neck. His eyes, wide and shocked, reflect the light of a thousand stars.
Cato releases him.
Peeta's dead body slumps to the floor.
Katniss gasps. The blood in her veins turns to ice, her body goes limp. The heavy bow slips from her slack hand, and she follows, collapsing in a pile on the floor.
Cato's cruel cackle rings in her ears; his hoots and hollers piercing through her like daggers.
Tears run down Katniss's cheeks. She covers her face with her hands and shakes like a leaf, desperately trying to erase the image of Peeta's bloodied body hitting the cold steel floor.
Desperate and alone, her sobs turn into heartbreaking wails as her whole world shatters into a million pieces.
Suddenly, the cold air around her is replaced by warm, gentle hands that rub her arms and back. A pair of strong arms, tightly wrapped around her slender frame, soon follow.
Gradually, Cato's screams are replaced by the most comforting sound. "I'm ok," Peeta whispers into her hair, "Open your eyes, Katniss. Look at me. I'm ok."
She´s shuddering violently when she wakes up; nestled in Peeta's arms with his sleep shirt tightly clutched in her fists.
"I missed," she whimpers into his chest. "You… died."
Gently, Peeta pushes her away from him. "Hey! Look at me."
Sniffing, Katniss does as he asks.
"You didn't miss. See? I'm ok?"
Katniss nods. Her stormy eyes lock with his. She reaches out to cup his cheek. "We're going back, Peeta."
Peeta's face hardens. It's the first time after the night the Quarter Quell was announced that either one of them has openly referred to what's going to happen. Even after all the training and planning, no one has ever said the words out loud. "I know."
"What if I can't protect you? What if I miss, and kill you instead?"
Peeta's steady voice cuts through the dark. "You won't."
"How do you know?" she whines.
"Because you never miss, Katniss. Not when it matters." His hand covers hers over his cheek. "As long as you're by my side, I'll be fine."
Katniss nods. She wishes she could be as confident as he seems to be. But she doesn't feel like arguing with him. Instead, she lies on her side and pulls him back to the bed. "I'm sorry I keep waking you," she whispers, "You need your rest."
Peeta smiles. "Yeah, we both do." He reaches out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "But I'd rather be here with you, than hearing you call out my name from across the hall. At least here I don't feel so useless."
The sadness in his voice tugs at her. "You're not useless, Peeta," she says, mimicking his motions and running her fingers through his hair. "I never would have made it this far without you."
"I don't believe that for a second, Katniss."
Katniss smiles. His words are rough, but there's no bite to them. He's just trying to protect her. Somehow, he still thinks that putting up a wall between them will keep her safe.
Not too long ago, she would have gladly played along. She would have kept quiet and let Peeta have his way. But she knows better now, and she refuses to spend the little time she has left hiding and being at odds with him.
"And why is that?" she presses.
Peeta's eyes lock with hers, even under the pale moonlight, they look as warm as a summer sky. He keeps his voice hushed but speaks with the clarity only certainty can bring. "Because nobody needs me."
Katniss looks away, too proud to let him see how much his words distress her. Her heart aches for the kind boy who's still willing to give his life for hers, and who expects nothing in return.
Suddenly, her mind jumps a few weeks ahead, to a world in which Peeta's plan has succeeded. An impossible reality in which she's alive, and he isn't.
She's been so focused on saving him, that she hasn't even considered the possibility that he might get his wish. The thought, combined with the remnants of her recent nightmare, makes her chest constrict under the weight of a grief so intense she can hardly breathe.
Peeta wants her to keep on living without him. But the emptiness setting in her bones tells her that will never happen. Because, even if she escapes the arena, she will never escape him. And, while other people might recover from Peeta's death, she knows she won't.
She'll still have Prim, and her mom, but Peeta's death will damage her beyond repair.
Her eyes find his again. Her fingers tangle tenderly in his hair. "You're wrong."
Peeta stills. There's something in Katniss's tone that has his heart pounding furiously in his chest. Blue eyes search her face as he desperately tries to understand what she's trying to say.
Katniss smiles sweetly at him, her words are as soft as a caress. "I need you."
Next to her, Peeta's body goes rigid. The crease on his forehead tells her he wants to argue. She can almost see his mind working, coming up with the perfect combination of words to dissuade her. But there's nothing he can say that will change her mind. She's done with words. She's never been good with them anyway.
Katniss closes the short distance between them and kisses him. Tenderly, then passionately. Without guilt, without restraint.
She kisses him for all the times she wanted to but didn't. For every moment he spent taking care of her when she broke her heel, and for every stroke of color he added to her family's weathered old book.
She kisses him for every smile and every hug. For standing up to a rabid peacekeeper, risking his own life just to save Gale's.
For every nightmare he's pulled her out of, for every dream he's had to forget.
For every afternoon he spent helping Prim with her homework, and for all the mornings when he showed up with a basket full of cheese buns and an open heart.
She kisses him fiercely, deeply, with a hunger she never knew she could feel, eagerly making up for every time they had to pretend, losing pieces of each other and their love to satisfy someone else's demands.
She also kisses him for the beautiful stories he tells her before they fall asleep. For being him.
And for her. Because she needs Peeta, and she simply can't go on pretending, acting like he isn't her whole world.
She kisses, and touches, and feels him deep into the night; until she's breathless and spent, trembling in his arms like a delicate flower dancing in the rain.
Peeta kisses her back, matching every one of her silent promises with one of his own. Sealing their fate and their bond under the light of a thousand twinkling stars.
XXXXX
Haymitch cancels their last day of training. Katniss and Peeta greet the news with a smile and spend the day together, enjoying a quiet picnic on the terrace of the training center.
They eat. They play. They laugh. They kiss.
They talk about everything and nothing, cramming as many happy memories as they can into the precious minutes they have left.
They watch the sunset. A beautiful show of pale oranges and bright pinks crisscrossing the deep blue sky.
Katniss rests her head on Peeta's shoulder and tries her best to pretend that this is just another day.
He plays along. But when they look into each other's eyes, they both know. Their days are almost gone.
Quietly, they make their way down the stairs and into the penthouse.
"I'm gonna drop this in the dining room," Peeta says, gesturing to the picnic basket swinging from his hand.
"I'll go with you, I'd like to get some water."
They reach the dining room and find Darius there, standing ramrod straight as he silently waits by the long table. He smiles at them, his green eyes twinkling under the bright lights.
If she didn't know any better, she'd think he was happy to see them.
Swiftly, Darius walks over to them. He's still smiling when he lifts his arm, wiggling his fingers to ask for the picnic basket.
Peeta hands over the hamper. "Thanks—"
Darius presses a finger to his lips, instructing Peeta to be quiet.
Surprised, Peeta does as he's told. He turns to Katniss, who shrugs, just as confused and intrigued as he is.
With swift, urgent motions, Darius gestures to the two victors.
They nod, encouraging the avox to keep going.
Darius turns toward the empty hallway that stretches behind him and points to it.
Katniss cranes her neck as she tries to see what Darius is indicating. Her breath hitches. "Haymitch's room?" she whispers.
The avox nods and cups his ear with his hand.
Katniss is still trying to understand this new signal when Peeta's hand wraps around hers.
"Thanks, Darius," he whispers, quietly pulling her to Haymitch's room.
Intrigued, Katniss follows.
They reach their mentor's door and stop in front of it. Katniss's eyes widen when she notices the small gap between the door and the frame.
Quickly, she glances back.
Darius is still in the dining room, his eyes trained on them as he cups his ear once again.
Katniss nods back.
Katniss and Peeta hold their breath as they lean in, trying to get as close as possible to the small gap. It doesn't take a lot of effort to follow Darius's instructions, though. Haymitch isn't exactly whispering. His words reach them clearly through the open door. "Have they set a date yet?"
"No, not yet," Cinna answers, "they already have a hovercraft, but they need to see how things play out before they can choose a day."
Katniss frowns. Hovercraft?
"So, they're going in without knowing," Haymitch grumbles.
"Yeah, it can't be helped. But Plutarch's already found a way to communicate with them."
Plutarch. Katniss pales at the mention of the head game maker. Her palms begin to sweat as she remembers the intriguing man who carried a watch engraved with her mockingjay.
Haymitch's gruff voice brings her back to the conversation. "He has?"
"It's pretty smart, actually. Simple. He wants to send them bread."
"Bread?"
Katniss turns to face Peeta. He's staring blankly at the door. The tight grip he keeps on her hand tells her he's following the conversation just as closely as she is.
She keeps her eyes trained on him, waiting for his reaction as they listen to Cinna's reply. "Mm-hmm. The number of rolls will indicate the time. The district the bread comes from will be the day. I think it's pretty ingenious."
"Yeah, assuming we can break into the arena on a day that matches our allies' districts," Haymitch scoffs.
Katniss's heart skips a beat. Break into the arena?
Suddenly, Peeta lets go of her hand. Before she even knows what's happening, he's pushing the door open, and stepping into the room.
Katniss follows.
Peeta's voice bounces against the walls, an unexpected roll of thunder unleashing a storm. "What's going on here?"
XXXXX
AN. Reviews are as lovely as an afternoon by Peeta's side. You always make my day when you share them with me. Thanks!
You can also find me on Tumblr. I'm javistg over there, come and say hi!
The Hunger Games Trilogy is the property of Suzanne Collins. No money was made off of the creation of this fanwork.