The One and Only Real (Everlark - After Mockingjay)

Chapter 14

Katniss POV:

I wake up screaming and heavily breathing. "Peeta!?" Is he alive!?

"Katniss!" Peeta exclaims as he sits up quickly in the bed and darts his eyes towards me. I can see through the darkness of the world that he is really worried about me.

"You - you were dead." I stutter before bursting into tears.

I shuffle over closer to him and bury my head in his shirt. I clutch onto his shirt fabric and let it all out.

Peeta starts rubbing circles on my back. "Ssshh. It's okay. It wasn't real. I'm here." Peeta repeats to me calmly. Peeta kisses my head and rests his chin on my head. I soon start to feel him shaking. I must have scared him. I slowly but quickly stop my sobbing and look up at Peeta. He had a frown written across his face. With his free hand he wiped away my falling silent tears.

"You want to talk about it?" Peeta asks me and I slowly nod.

"Outside?" I ask, not caring what the time was.

"Katniss it's pitch black. What about on the couch downstairs?"

"Okay." Peeta then scoops me up in his arms and carefully walks downstairs. I'm surprised he can see where he's going.

Once we get to the bottom, he stands me up on the cold wooden floor planks. I grab his arm and wrap my hands around it. Peeta doesn't mind and switches on the lights. Afterwards, Peeta somehow wraps an arm around me and we slowly walk to the living room.

Once we reach the couch, Peeta sits down before letting me lay on top of him. I get myself comfortable before talking.

"I was in the bedroom sleeping with you. I had woken up from a dream and I wanted to tell you about it. I shook you and called your name but you didn't respond. I - I checked for a beating heart and there wasn't any. I burst into tears and screamed to try and get you awake. But you had died." I say with tears starting to fall. Peeta holds my hand and I tighten my grip on his.

"Well Katniss, I didn't die. I'm perfectly safe with you." Peeta reassures me. I close my eyes and try to settle, with Peetas embrace I manage to. After about 10 minutes of comfort from Peeta I slowly sit up.

"I'm okay now." I stand up and Peeta follows by standing up as well. I was wrong because my legs give way but Peeta catches me. He helps me stand up again and I clutch onto his left hand.

He wraps his other arm around my waist and we slowly walk back upstairs to get back to sleep.