Oneshots and Drabbles from District 12 and Beyond

Father's Day- Everlark (Modern AU)

1:43 a.m. | June 18th, 2017

"Peeta," Katniss grumbled, a small whimper following it as her hand slid down to her rounded baby bump. It had been a long night for them. Around six the prior evening, she had begun to feel contractions, but because they weren't bad at all, or frequent, she insisted that they just wait before heading to the hospital. Peeta had already grabbed everything in record-breaking time.

"It was a drill," he had told her, going to put everything away as she laughed at his eagerness. He couldn't help that he was an excited new father in waiting, and Katniss was just as excited as he was for the arrival of their baby. They spent every night of her pregnancy after the both of them were off work talking to their baby, and telling the baby, who they later found out to be a girl, all about the world and wonders that she was coming into. They were sure she knew how much she was loved and cherished.

It had taken them nearly two years to conceive their daughter. When they visited with a doctor, everything seemed to come up regular. There were no answers that could explain why it was taking so long to have a baby. At the point that they had sought guidance on the matter, Katniss and Peeta had been married for three years. Shortly after their fifth wedding anniversary, which was a month before Peeta's twenty-eighth birthday on October tenth, they had found out that they were finally expecting the baby they longed for. It was a joyous moment filled with tears as Katniss cried into Peeta's shoulder.

It had been a little over nine months since then, and Katniss and Peeta thought they were prepared for this baby. They turned the spare bedroom across from theirs into a nursery, Peeta doing all of the painting before putting the necessities into it. Her small bassinet already resided next to Katniss' side of the bed.

"Peeta," Katniss said again, this time louder as she reached over and lightly shook him. His soft snores ceased.

"Hmm?" He hummed in response groggily.

"They've gotten worse," she told him softly, speaking about the contractions. "I don't think I'll be able to go back to sleep." She winced as she began to push herself up. As she shifted next to him, Peeta turned over, helping her some.

"Do you want to go to the hospital now?" He took her hand, rubbing her knuckles comfortingly. After a few moments of contemplating and one other contraction, she nodded. He climbed out of the bed quickly, yet smoothly, not stumbling over anything as he changed clothes. He then helped Katniss up, helping her to change as well before grabbing all of their belongings. As he gathered everything, Katniss stepped out of their bedroom, going into their daughter's nursery.

"Looks like you'll be here soon, Sweetheart," she murmured as she turned on the light and looked at the nursery that was currently unoccupied. It wouldn't be long before it was, and as reality set in, so did fear. What if something goes wrong? What if my daughter isn't healthy? What if-

"You okay?" Peeta asked her softly, placing his hand on her back. She jumped slightly, quickly looking up at him.

"Christ, Peeta," she sighed. "Don't sneak up on me like that," she buried her face in his chest, trying to erase her mind of any negative thoughts.

"I snuck up on you?" He asked in disbelief he ran his hand along her back soothingly. "You always tell me how heavy my feet are. I didn't think I would ever do that," he chuckled.

"That's because my mind was elsewhere," she replied, looking up at him as he let her go. He smiled, tucking some of the loose hair from her braid behind her ear.

"Ready to go have a baby?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

With that, Peeta turned off the light and they made their way down the hall, to the living room, and out the front door, Peeta lugging the bags.