Mystery Voice

by BreadBoy

This story is not connected to Fire Daisies or Panem High.

The songs in this story are not really sung or written by Katniss, but just let it go. She writes them in this story.

Peeta's POV

The days before class starts dragged on to be long and boring without Katniss. She'd been going silent on me fore a couple days, and it only got worse when I walked into the dorm one day to see Finnick and Annie making out on the living room couch.

I wish Katniss and I could be like that.

Now I was here, sketching away hopelessly, on my bed, the door closed. Then Beetee walked in on me with a bunch of textbooks.

"Here, you can have these," he dropped them on my bed, rolling waves across my duvet.

"Those are for this semester. You need them."

"I already memorized all of the words." Beetee shrugged, like it was no deal. He may be a bit geeky and nerdy, but a really cool guy.

"Thanks, man." I reached over to the books and put them on my desk. "Now, what did you really come here for?"

Beetee sighed and closed the door. Not a good sign.

"I hear Gale in Katniss' room all the time. And he's always ranting on you, and it sounds like he's..." Beetee didn't finish the sentence. Anger boiled up in the pit of ym stomach.

"WHAT?!" I shouted. "He's doing WHAT to Katniss?!"

"It sounds like he's forcing her on him..."

No.

NO!

I pushed weak little Beetee out of the way and stomped out of the room, and stopped in front of Katniss' door. I heard voices.

"I love you, Catnip. More than Baker Boy will ever be able to. He doesn't even love you. I do."

"We're not doing this again."

"We can. We have more in common."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"Oh, but it does."

"I love Peeta, Gale! Not you!"

"You'll pay for that."

Then a big thump echoed through the door.

Lots of slapping.

"PEETA! PEETA!"

I busted the door out and saw Katniss cornered by Gale, pinning her wrists aboce her head, forcing his lips on hers.

I gave the asshole a nice shiner.

I was about to give him a good one in the stomach, but he countered and threw a fist slamming into my neck.

I heard something rip and I was knocked to the ground.

Katniss' POV

I was sobbing into my knees as I watched Gale beat Peeta up. When I heard something tear and saw Peeta on the ground, I ran to his side and pressed my ear to his chest. Thankfully beating, but dangerously lagged.

"Gale!" I half screamed-half sobbed. "I HATE you! Get out of here!" Gale gave me a smirk and left the room, slamming the door in my face.

"Peeta..." I whispered. Annie and Johanna wouldn't be here for a while, and I couldn't take him down to the nurse. They could suspend Peeta if they knew he was in a fight.

But after all, I didn't know if he'd live until then.

I turned into a crying breakdown, pounding my fists into my thighs.

I looked at the spot on his neck where that terrible ripping sound was made. It was raw, puffy, swollen and blue. I got some ice on it. then I pulled his shirt off to check for wounds. A couple small bruises. It donned on me that this was the first time seeing Peeta shirtless, and I couldn't tear my eyes away.

This boy is perfect.

Or he was.

I sighed into his chest. I dragged him carefully to my bed and tried to get him on it. Then I remembered that random crank I found in the closet and wheeled it over. I placed Peeta's limp body on it, cranked him up to my bed, and rolled him on it. I tucked him in and sat by him.

It was irrestible. I had to do it.

So I climbed into bed with him. at least once. I was never able to comfort him when he was alive, but I still wanted to do it now.

I love him.

There. We were sleeping together now. I placed a protective hand across his broad, muscular chest, feeling the skin. The I settled my head against his chest also, placing his arm around my body.

But his body was cold.

It didn't feel comfortable enough to fall asleep, so I just laid there, snuggling into him. After thirty minutes or so, Peeta still hadn't awoken. I began to worry, and took the ice off of his neck and went into the kitchen to find something to treat him. Halfway out of the bed, I felt a large hand wrap around my forearm.

"Katniss, where are you going?"

I whipped my head around. "You woke up."

"I've been for some time now."

I wrapped him in a bear hug and pressed my head to his chest again to feel that steady, fast heartbeat.

The tears came streaming once again, and now I was impishly angry at him, squeaking things I didn't mean, pounding his body with weak little hits.

"Peeta! Don't ever leave! Don't go! You jerk! You scared me half to death, Peeta!" Peeta held my face and I stopped slapping. I choked down the last of my sobs.

He was here.

He would never leave.

I'm really really sorry that this wasn't the singing chapter, but I even surprise myself. Since now I'm not even sure what my writing will conjure up, I will only say this:

Hopefully next chapter will be the singing one.

And be ready for Peeta asking Katniss out!

AIIEEEE!