I do, I need you. #wattys2016

Mr. Everdeen

Everything's bright when my eyes open wide. I'm standing in the woods, my father stands next to me. "Daddy." I sigh.

"Hello sweetheart." He smiles as I hug him tight.

"I've missed you so much."

Prim appears from behind us and I squeeze her tight too. "How have you two been?" I ask quietly. "I miss you both so much."

"We're good."

I wait a moment. "Where am I?" I ask.

"The I between phase." My father explains.

"In between what?"

"Death and living." Prim speaks up. "Here you have to choose." 

"I choose death." I say almost instantly.

"Baby doll." My father frowns. "You have to live."

"Why? I've got nothing there."

"Then what is Peeta?" He asks smiling. I stutter a few seconds before he puts a hand on my shoulder. "You love him honey, there's nothing wrong with that."

"Do you approve?" I whisper.

"He's a good man Katniss, you and Gale would have never worked. Your too much alike." I smile and hug him. "I can't wait to watch you live a full happy life. And while your at it, give your mother some grandkids." He jokes. I laugh at my dad, this is how he used to be.  "You need to go now, Peeta's having a fit." He frowns. 

"How can you tell?"

"I've been watching over you your entire life since I passed. I can see him now."

"Okay." I nod. I turn to Prim and hug her so tight. "I love you little duck." I kiss her head.

"I love you too."

I hug my dad tight and he kisses my cheek lightly. "Find peace Katniss, I know you can."

I nod. "I love you."

"I love you too darlin."

***

I gasp awake and my head is on the grass. I'm met by a pair of gorgeous blue eyes. I close mine and kiss him hard. "I'm so sorry Peeta. So so sorry." I sob into his neck. He cries even harder than I do. I start coughing up looks of water into the dirt.

So I comfort him as if he's the one who just died. "Please don't ever do that again!" He sobs into my arms. "Do you want to try and stand?"

"Yeah." I mumble and stand. He clings to my torso and I hold his shaking figure.

"You were dead." He sobs. "It's been fifteen minuets." He sobs even harder.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I repeat stroking his blonde locks. After fifteen minuets of holding his shaking body I let go. He pulls me back in for a long, passionate kiss. "I love you Peeta, I love you."

"I love you too." He nods and kisses me again.

"We should keep moving." I say looking at Gale. He gives me a slow sad nod before bringing me my bow, arrows, and backpack.

I sling my backpack over my shoulders and wait for everyone to gather their supplies. I help Peeta tighten his prosthetic leg then grab his hand. I kiss his cheek reassuringly and we start our journey. "We've got a hundred foot drop to tackle up here." Gale says.

I steal a look at Annje and find her with puffy lips, swollen cheeks, and red eyes. She holds onto Finn and kisses his head. I think about what I experienced earlier. Was seeing my father and sister just a dream? Or was I really in the in between phase? And should I tell anyone? Maybe, I'll tell Peeta if the time comes up, or Gale. He knew my father well, or Cressida; maybe she'll like to hear of how my father approves of Peeta. But the person I should tell is Peeta, he'd be proud to know my father thinks he's a good man. I so proud to be able to have him by my side and call him mine. He's not Delly's, Not Madge's, he's mine. He could have had any rich town girl, he could have treated her like a princess. But still he chose me, I'm far from perfect yet he picked me. It boggles my mind he loves me.

"Have you ever thought about whag my father would think of you?" I ask.

"Yeah, actually I have a lot." He nods and I smile leaning into his side. He holds me closer and kisses my temple. "I always wanted permission to marry a woman. It's kind of a tradition."

"Peeta, I had this experience...while I was dead." I start.

"Yeah?" He raises an eyebrow. "Want to share what happened?"

"I was in the in between phase. Between life and death. Prim was there, and so was my father. But my father told me you were a good man, that he approved of me."

He smiles proudly of me and let's a single tear fall. "Katniss, I don't care if it was real or not real." He says bluntly. "If it was real, your father meant it. If it was fake, it was what you want yourself to know."

I smile as we stop walking and he wraps his arms around my shoulders. "I love you Katniss Everdeen."

"And I love you Peeta Mellark." He brings our lips together softly. Gale walks by making kiss noises in our ears and I feel Peeta laughing but he continues to kiss me.

When we break, I cross my arms and smirk at Gale and Cressida who stand side by side. I walk to them making kiss noise myself, Gale shrugs an kisses her roughly. Cressida, who was unaware the kiss was to happen stands with her fists on his chest. She relaxes into it and wraps her arms around his neck loosely. "Get a room you two." I laugh as I watch her bring her hand to his cheek and play with his hair sensually.

I get shivers thinking about Gale being with a woman. It's not that I'm jealous, it's just that I don't want him with other women. I guess that does make me a little jealous.

When they finally stop and I job walking back up to Haymitch. "Hey there." He smiles.

"Haven't talked to you in a while." I laugh hugging him from the side.

"I'd say you've been safe, but if I do recall you died today." I punch his arms and we keep walking.

"Was he a mess while I was gone?" I ask quietly making sure he's not around.

"He was balling. Like Annie was when Finnick died. Or when he was hijacked, it was really bad. I had to hold him back while they worked on you; I thought you were gone. Like actually gone this time." He nods while talking to me.

"I'm sorry." I note.

"It's good girl on fire. Your fire's just burning out."

"My fire?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Your flames goin' out." He notes.

"Oh." I smile.

"Katniss!" Peeta calls behind me.

"I'll talk to you later." I tell Haymitch who nods. I slow down to meet Peeta's pace and then hold his hand tight.

"Would you have married me if I would have held the wedding in thirteen?" He asks getting straight to the point.

"Peeta, I'd marry you wherever we were."

"You wouldn't want it tone somewhere special?" He asks shocked.

"I wouldn't care. I'd be marrying my best friend." I smile into his side.

"I would too."