A Healing Mockingjay

Chapter 2

"Good morning." Peeta greets me as he takes a seat by me in our breakfast table.

"Hey," I smile. 

Peeta has spent about two full weeks in his hospital room ever since his rescue from the Capital. I've visited him almost every day. The doctors and nurses, one including my mother, have finally finished treating his wounds. They've prescribed him with medicine, vaccinations, and even morphling in case of emotional trauma left from Snow and his torturers. He's doing okay it seems, he was released from his hospital room two days ago. His compartment where he now lives is down the hall from mine. 

Ever since Peeta was brought back, everything around me has been so shaky. I just want to spend every moment with him now. Gale has stopped talking to me partially, and when we occasionally speak, the conversation is awkward and ends rather quickly. I could understand why, though. For the past two days Peeta and I have done everything together. He's came over to my compartment, I took him to special weaponry and the artificial "meadow" that District 13 has made where they plant roots, vegetables, and exotic fruits.

"How've you been, with training and all?" Peeta asks me. Probably talking about mockingjay training and propos and stuff.

"It's been...rough. I'm busy a lot but its getting better now." I respond. "How have you been?"

"I feel so much better. I started to paint again. The doctors wanted me to start baking again as a part of therapy."

"That's great, Peeta. Hey, after we eat wanna go to the meadow?" I ask him.

"I'm actually done eating," Peeta says as he sets his plate and fork down. "Wanna go now?"

"Let's go."

...

I open through doors and shafts to enter the meadow. Its so many feet below our usual living quarters it tends to feel almost suffocating, but the view is worth it. Peeta and I settle down on a nice patch of green grass, taking in the sight of giant trees and spring waters.

A comfortable silence grows as Peeta reaches down and intertwines our fingers. Tranquility takes over me as I ease down, not allowing anyone to feel my vulnerability except for the one person sitting beside me. It's times like these where I feel like I can do anything as long as Peeta is next to me. I can lead a rebellion, I can make my family safe once and for all, I can kill Snow. I can survive.

As long as Peeta is here. Peeta is here, I remind myself.

I rest my head on his shoulder and close my eyes, taking in everything about this moment, this is the first true feeling of peace I've had in my time here in District 13, and I'm grateful for it.

"Reminds me of the rooftop on the train.." Peeta says, snapping me out of my trance. At first I'm completely lost, until he nudges my shoulder.

Of course he would.

On the day of the interview before the Quarter Quell, Peeta and I had a free day to ourselves so we went on the rooftop of the train. After having a picnic there I laid my head on Peeta's shoulder and that's when it all started.

He lifted my chin to face towards him so our eyes could meet. We kissed. But that night... I felt something different about him. About us. And through our limited amount of time I wanted to make that feeling last, our happiness last.

That night was special. It was full of laughs, hand-holding, kissing. He made me feel in that one day I may not have to be in this alone, he made me feel as if I weren't going to go into a slaughter house the very next day. So instead of worrying about the following hours to come, I made my day worth while with someone I really.. care about.