Even If You Cannot Hear My Voice, I'll Be Right Beside You (complete)

-Chapter 2-

In District Thirteen, the living quarters aren't exactly spacious, so when a nightmare hits me, the bed can get quite occupied.

Wolves are closing in on us, Peeta at my feet, back against the damp soil, moaning my name. I am trying desperately to pick him up, but the wolves leap on top of me, bringing me down with their heavy weight and I watch helplessly as the rest of them surround Peeta and slowly claw at his skin, chomping their fangs down on his limbs. His screams pierce the air, yells out my name, begging for my help. It reminds me of the time when Cato was being eaten alive by the mutts, moaning out several names, including his partner from District Two, Clove.

The last thing I see is Peeta's blue eyes, filled with agony and helplessness. The sight breaks my heart and I wake up with a huge gasp, my lungs yearning for air, which I gulp down hungrily. My heart is thundering in my chest and I feel someone gripping the side of my arm. My eyes trail up the shadow of a strong and toned chest before meeting a pair of wide eyes that bring the color of the sea to shame.

"Finnick?" I ask out into the darkness.

"Hey, hey, hey," he's murmuring softly, soothingly. He keeps repeating this as I press a hand to my chest, as if that would calm down the speeding of my heart. I take a few minutes to catch my breath and after a while, my heart is slowing down and I suck in one deep breath before blinking away the leftover traces of the nightmares. I look down to see Finnick grasping my hand. Strangely, I don't let go, since it's the only thing anchoring me to Earth right now.

"Are you alright now?" he whispers. His thumb brushes over my knuckles repeatedly and it's an oddly comforting gesture. My hair is sticking to my scalp with sticky sweat, and I flick some strands out of my eyes.

"Yes," I say, my voice barely reaching above a whisper.

"Was it Peeta again?" I look at him strangely for a moment, wondering how he could have possibly known that since the Capitol had attempted to destroy every single person I love and he quickly adds in a slow voice, "You were screaming his name".

Screaming? "Oh God," I mutter to myself while bowing my head.

"It's no problem. Only problem was you took all the covers, leaving me to freeze to death." Neither of us laugh at the attempt of a joke.

"I'm sorry." I rub my hands to stave off the cold. There are no heaters in District Thirteen, so it feels very sterile and cold and detached from the rest of the world. "Here." I offer up the covers, sitting up a little.

"Again, no problem, Kat." I frown at the nickname and that brings the ghost of a smile to his lips. "It's kind of cute when you frown. Your nose scrunches up like this." He pokes my nose lightly and I scowl even further, making him chuckle. Now I know he was trying to make himself laugh and all I do is roll my eyes. I then turn back and stare at the pillow, my eyes boring into it so deep since I'm afraid of what would happen if I set my head back down on it. Finnick notices this and clears his throat almost uncomfortably and this makes me look back at him, eyebrow raised.

"If it helps, I can lie down with you for a bit until you get warm again. You're shivering, you know." he points out and I peer down at the goosebumps popping up on my pale arms.

"Uh"...

"Katniss, I promise not to do anything," he says seriously. "Lie back down," he tells me. I believe him and carefully set myself back down. I furrow my eyebrows, but he nudges my shoulder, moving to lie on his side. We're facing each other and I look into his eyes, which are drooping shut as he stretches an arm around my back. His touch sends more shivers down my body and I shift a little closer, resting my head against his bicep. I let out a breath, my body slowly relaxing against his. For a second, I imagine me engulfed in Peeta's arms, the warm embrace the only thing healing the panic inside of me.

"Is this better?" he asks, needlessly, I think.

"Yeah".

A moment of silence follows. I curl up beside him a little more, and we're about to fall asleep, so he mumbles out with his eyes still shut, "You know, Girl on Fire, for this to be the most effective, we'd have to be naked".

I know he's teasing me and when I grumble, "Finnick," it sounds like a whine, and making him laugh, the sound resonating in his chest.