Together

Chapter 17

Katniss P.O.V.

"Stop! Don't touch me!" I scream as Peeta desperately tries to calm me down.

"Katniss, please. You're just upset from your nightmare. Please calm down," Peeta pleads. I'm doubled over in our bed with my forehead resting on my knees and my hands over my ears. I close my eyes tightly as I try to get over re-living those awful sights and sounds.

I can still see the second arena. I can still hear the awful noises those monkey's made. I can still feel their biting at my skin.

"Make it stop," I sob. "Please."

"Katniss, it is stopped," Peeta says softly. "All you have to do is open your eyes. I'm right here. I promise."

I slowly lift my head and open my eyes. Peeta is sitting in front of me on our bed with a panicked, worried look on his face.

"See?" Peeta says. "You're awake. That wasn't real. It was just a nightmare." He reaches out and tentatively touches my hand.

"You're real?" I ask slowly.

"Yeah," Peeta says as he gives me a sad smile. I can tell that the question almost breaks his heart. "I'm real. You're okay now."

I start bawling. Peeta quickly pulls me up onto his lap and he holds me as close as he can.

"You're okay. I've got you," Peeta whispers over and over as he runs small circles into my back. I try my best to stop shaking as I start coming back to reality.

"Willow…" Before I can say anything else, Peeta stops me.

"She's not here. She's with Ellen, remember?" Peeta says. I nod and take a deep breath. At least she wasn't here for me to scare her. "Are you okay now?"

"I think so," I breathe. "It's been forever since I've had one that bad." I lay my head on Peeta's shoulder and he kisses my temple.

"You want to lay back down?" Peeta asks.

"Yeah," I reply. "But please don't let me go back to sleep, Peeta. I can't go through that again tonight."

"Okay," Peeta says as he rubs my back. "You don't have to go back to sleep. Just rest for a while, all right?" I nod and we lay back down.

After a few minutes, my eyes start to involuntarily close. "Wake up," Peeta says as he gently shakes my shoulder. "Don't go to sleep."

"I'm trying," I mumble sleepily. It's not long until I just can't hold my eyes open anymore.

When I wake back up, I find that I'm alone in our room. I go downstairs to the living room and sit down on the couch.

"Breakfast is ready," Peeta says as he walks in from the kitchen. I shoot him an angry look.

"You weren't supposed to let me fall asleep."

Ha laughs a little. "I tried to keep you awake, but you were so tired." I sigh and lean my head back against the back of the couch. "Come on," Peeta says. "Let's go eat."

"You go ahead,"I tell him. "I'm not hungry."

"Kat…"

"I'm not hungry," I repeat slowly. "I want to be alone for a while anyways." Peeta sighs and walks back into the kitchen. Of course, Peeta doesn't want to leave me alone, so he comes back in once he's done eating.

"Are you okay?" he asks as he sits down beside of me.

"Yeah," I croak out. "It's just… It's been forever since I've had one that bad. I mean, yeah I have nightmares regularly, but I thought the really bad ones had stopped. I haven't had one that bad since Willow's been born." A few tears slide down my cheeks. "I guess I was stupid for thinking that they were gone."