Twisted Perfection ~ Everlark

A gift, but not one that's wrapped in paper.

6 months later
Katniss' Pov:
Johanna left 2 weeks after Christmas. We heard she'd found a man, named Nolan. I hope she's found him forever.
It's my birthday today, but no big celebrations. Only Haymitch and Peeta join me today, they're the only people I want today. Today is full of happiness, joyful-ness, but not extravagance, just simple pleasures. Peeta gifts me quite a few things, my favourite being a green necklace he bought me. Haymitch gives me some new arrows he has imported especially from District 2. All the districts are still making their original things from before the war, but instead of them all going to the Capitol, and them only, each districts produce is going to each district as well to keep them healthy, warm, protected and safe.

Peeta has baked me a small cake for the occasion. Chocolate with nuts in it and a spread of ganache on the top. It's delicious, but almost too sickly for me to handle. Even after a few small bites, I feel sick and full. But mostly sick. I push away the thought because thinking about being sick, will most likely result in just that.

"I'd love to eat more, but I just can't. It was delicious though, thank you love.' I say to Peeta. He smiles and rubs my wrist. "No worries, it'll keep for tomorrow."

Eventually Haymitch sees himself off and me and Peeta start to wash up a few things. Whilst i'm scrubbing the pots and Peeta is drying them, I yawn a good three times in the space of 2 minutes. Peeta chuckles to himself lightly. "Tired?" He asks me. I nod my head whilst having a fourth yawn. I'm never this tired. My nightmares made me an insomniac when they first started, but as the years have gone on, I've found a way to tame them so that I am tired enough to fall asleep. But tonight, I'm more tired than ever. I have been the past few days.

"Go to bed." Peeta says taking a soapy dish out of my hands. I dry my hands and head up to bed, smiling at him to say thank you.

Eventually he makes it upstairs. "Did you have a good birthday love?" He says, undressing. "Yes, I did. Simple, but amazing." I say, from bed.

Peeta climbs into the bed, embracing me. I give him a kiss, only to find him deepening it, which I accept for a few minutes. Eventually, I pull away, leaving him with furrowed eyebrows. "I'd love to Peeta, and it's not usually I turn you away, but I'm just too tired tonight." I say, smiling to myself.

Peeta smiles back. "Don't worry, you just get some rest. Have a lie-in in the morning. Don't do much tomorrow." He says.

Quickly, I fall into a deep sleep, and for the first time in years, I go a night without any nightmares.

~

All i want to do after I wake up from my sleep is sleep even more. I'm exhausted. Of course the question we all are thinking is in the back of my mind; the very back. I decide to get up and go to talk to Haymitch. I can have a nap later.

Saying goodbye to Peeta with a hug and kiss, I make my way outside on the pavement to Haymitch's house. It's spring now and everything is at its most beautiful. May really is my favourite month. It promises lighter nights, more cherry blossom trees appearing and the growth of new life.

I go straight in and see him tucking into a bowl of hot grain. The smell of cooked oats permeates the whole room. "Morning sweetheart." I smile. "Morning Haymitch, good to see you eating well." I say.

"Yeah, I fancied it this morning. Although I've made it a lot more flavoursome than when 13 did. Added a crap tone of sugar to it, I feel like a little kid." He says.

I chuckle at him. "How are you?" I ask him. He nods his head, still chewing on a mouthful of grain. "Actually, I'm in a good place at the moment. Yesterday was nice, especially that chocolate cake." He chuckles. All I can manage is a smile because between the pungent smell of the grain and the mention of that sickly chocolate cake, I feel like I could throw up. The constant smell of the oatmeal doesn't help to stop my stomach's urge anymore.

All in one big movement, I cover my mouth mumbling to Haymitch 'excuse me' and clutching my stomach to run to the toilet where I imagine Haymitch regularly throws up his day-before drinking. Lifting up the toilet seat, I instantly release the food that my stomach has held from my birthday yesterday. I hear Haymitch coming to the bathroom to see if i'm okay.

"Can I come in Katniss?" He says. I can't say anything as the waste exits me. I don't mind, but he still comes in anyway. Haymitch instantly rubs my back, probably mimicking what I've done for him a lot of the time with his head over the toilet. I stop for now, breathing very deeply into the toilet. Haymitch flushes it, my head still there and hands me a glass of water he fetched from the countertop beside me. I take it in my hand, too out of breath to drink it yet.

"Are you okay?" Haymitch asks me. I manage to mutter out a few words. "Yeah, get Peeta." He rushes out the bathroom door to get Peeta and within a few seconds Peeta is with me, concerned. He says to Haymitch that he's got me. It's just me and Peeta now.

"Hey, what's wrong. Are you i'll?" He says, rubbing my back and placing his hand on my forehead, checking for heat.

"I don't know." I say. And I don't. This might be an illness but it might not be. Our ancestors used to call it, what I dare not name, a condition; not an illness. If I do have the 'condition', I think I might just wish for the ground to swallow me up from absolute and total fear.

Peeta takes a deep breath. "Katniss," He sweeps the hair out of my face, to make direct eye contact. "The extreme exhaustion and sickness, have you ever considered-"

Before he can finish what I daren't let him say, I shoot out the door, run towards home and go to another bathroom, but this time I lock myself in for what feels like forever and I don't open the door for anyone or anything.

"Katniss?" Peeta knocks on the bathrooms door and I can feel him leaning up against it. "Katniss, you've been locked up in there for over an hour. Please open up. We need to talk about this."

"Go away." I say, in a firm but fragile tone and sniffle as I lift my head from my knees. The sound of the door being unlocked makes Peeta stand up straighter. I just place my head back into my lap. Peeta finds me crying, my cheeks are wet with tears as I look up at him. He lowers himself, struggling slightly on his prosthetic, and sits next to me on the floor, mirroring my position.

"We need to talk Katniss." He says, in calm but concerned tone.

I lift my head to reveal puffy and wet eyes. "There's nothing to talk about Peeta. I'm...I'm...I'm pregnant."

Although that's what Peeta wanted to talk about, he still freezes. He's always wanted kids, always. But i've never been keen on the notion. I wasn't a year ago. It terrifies me, and Peeta knows it. My fear is that my nightmares being of lost and dying children will come true.

Instead of Peeta giving me a speech on how I'm going to be a great mother and how it's going to be ok, he simply asks me one question:

"You're pregnant, real or not real?" The old question sends shivers down my spine. He hasn't needed to ask me real or not real for a few years now.

All I can muster is a small smile and 'real'.

So...I haven't written in ages because I've lost motivation and nothing has inspired me to do it, but I feel like once I finish the story, it'll be a huge burden off of my shoulders and I'll be proud of myself. Hope you like this chapter for those who are still reading! Ahaha! x