Never Yours (Peeta Mellark X Reader)

Chapter 24--Heavy Hearts

PEETA POV

The soft patter of the rain in the cave immediately roused me to my senses as I woke up later in the afternoon of the feast. I suppose I've been asleep for a few hours, and when I rolled over, there was (Y/N) lying right next to me...her forehead cut open and blood pouring out, making puddles all over the muddy ground of the cave.

By now, my own ankle has felt a lot better. I don't feel much pain anymore sitting down, so I slowly got to my feet and started walking around again, which didn't hurt as bad as before. My burn was also improving--just a bit more medicine was all I needed for further improvement, which I put on gratefully. But I don't know if I can say the same for (Y/N). If that wound isn't cleared up and if the blood flow doesn't stop, she could lose consciousness entirely and...I don't want to be left alone to fend off myself in the arena.

As I rummage further into my bag, I realized I was clean out of gauze, though I still had a bit of bandaging cloth left. Quickly, I went through (Y/N)'s bag, and saw a loaf of bread with seeds on it, a (F/G) circlet--possibly from a sponsor--a long roll of white cloth, some gauze, several safety pins, a water bottle, and two pairs of those glasses she wore two nights ago. I grabbed a couple wads of gauze and wiped away all the excess blood on her face, being extremely careful now with her wound. Then I used some water from her bottle, wet the gauze a bit, and laid it on her head, hoping that it didn't make her wince with pain. Unrolling the huge roll of white cloth now, I wrapped that around her wound and used a safety pin to pin the bandage down, tightening the bandage now so that it doesn't slip.

Pulling away, I gazed at my handiwork, then at her sweet innocent face bearing no expression. A single tear leaked out of her eye, though, and I carefully brushed it away with my thumb, my hand cupping her cheek gently. Her skin making contact with mine sent a warm rush down my arm, a smile now tugging on my lips. Seeing her like this right now, I have to say I felt some new respect for her on a higher level--to go through so much with the Careers, and then Rue, and now me...she's a fighter, someone who doesn't give up on anyone she cared about. 

And I don't want her dying on me.

Just as that thought crossed my mind, the anthem suddenly boomed outside, and I ran to the mouth of the cave to check the statistics, praying that a cannon hadn't boomed for (Y/N) while I was asleep. Surely enough, the face that flashed in the sky wasn't (Y/N). It was Clove from District 2. Then the Panem seal reappeared, and the presentation was over.

Clove. The girl who admired (Y/N)'s knife throwing, the girl who once proved herself to be a threat with her own knives in her own way, gone. Something snapped in me, but I didn't dare start screaming. Okay, well, maybe I don't have much sympathy for her since she is a Career and desperate for a win, but why? Why do people like her devote themselves so much into this--this thing that the Capitol so carefully constructed as punishment for us for the last 74 years? No one in the right mind would want to see another one of their children go away, dead under someone else's hands. 

This sudden realization made me think of (Y/N). I glanced back at her now and walked back to her, kneeling beside her and gazing at her sleeping form, and then I heard a weak moan escape her lips. It didn't take me a long time to realize that (Y/N) was waking up. Slowly, I caressed her cheek with my hand, stroking my thumb against her skin as I gazed at her.

"(Y/N), you okay?" I whispered. 

YOUR POV

"(Y/N), you okay?" you heard a voice call out softly to you.

The sound of Peeta's voice made you stir now, and slowly, you opened your eyes to see him crouched over you, his face bearing no expression. Well, almost no expression. You did see a little bit of worry in his eyes as you glanced up at him.