Simply Everlark (After Mockingjay)

Chapter 10

"What do you mean she woke up last night?"

"It was around midnight and I was just sitting in the set of chairs beside her bed when I heard Katniss call my name."

"Okay, well did she seem fine? Was she in any pain?"

"She told me her head hurt, but that's it. From what it looked like, she was in a lot of pain." The man's voice pauses for a second. "She couldn't move so I had to help her."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, she was sitting up when I first saw her, but I remember the doctor telling us how that would only increase the pain. I told her to lay down but you could tell she was already hurting by moving only an inch. So I picked her up seeing that it was the least painful option for laying her down."

"And did she fall asleep after that?"

"You ask a lot of damn questions, Bread Boy."

"Well, I'm sorry that I am concerned, Gale." The man now identified as Peeta says through clenched teeth.

There is a pause for a few moments. I imagine that the two males are sending glares in each others directions. Not being able to see the whole scene is limiting my thoughts.

I'm laying in my hospital bed and judging from the light that is showing through my eyelids, the morning hours have now begun. My eyes remain closed, though being that I am not yet ready to open them and be bombarded with questions. Also the fact that after being woken up by the sounds of two males talking, I decided to listen in on their conversation without being caught.

Being like this, the pain in my head had subdued. I feel a small pressure that is pounding slightly on the back of my skull, but other than that, I feel fine.

"I'm going down to the cafeteria. Are you coming?" Gale scoffs as his footsteps boom around the enclosed walls.

"No, I'm going to stay."

Gale takes a deep breath reacting to Peeta's response. "Suit yourself." and then the door gently clicks shut, with what I think leaves only Peeta and I in the room.

I open one of my eyes slightly, trying to get a glimpse of what is going on in the room. Peeta is standing in the middle of the white confined area, just at the foot of my bed. His eyes are remaining fixed on the door where Gale had just exited from. Opening my other eye now, I can see that his jaw is clenched, and tight fists are resting on the sides of his upper legs.

So in the end, I quickly come to the conclusion that I have waited long enough without seeing his smile. A year apart now seems impossible to live without Peeta. The craving to hug his body is eating myself away along with the absence of his heartwarming laugh following a smile.

"Peeta," I say so quietly, I almost think he might not hear.

But I was wrong. His angered expression fades as the color drains from his face and his mouth slightly opens. I also notice how his clenched fists soften upon hearing my name.

He doesn't look at me right away, almost in a shocked state. He remains looking at the door and saying completely still. But after regaining composure and snapping back into reality, his head slowly turns into my direction and stopping when our eyes meet.

He looks the same as he did when seeing his appearance last night. Eyes still very puffy, but the dark circles seemed to fade slightly thanks to the little sleep he had gotten. At first, he watches me, apparently still in the state of shock as silence swallows the room. But after taking a couple seconds for recomposing, he starts on a fast pace walk to the side of my bed.

Peeta pulls a chair over, the same chair that Gale had managed to squeeze in last night and he whips it with shaky hands in a spot situated on the side of my bed. He looks so broken, looking down at me with no words being exchanged whatsoever. His eyes just continue to search my face as I watch his, waiting for Peeta to make any sort of move.

Then, after moments of sitting in this endless silence, he slowly moves forward. At first I am unaware at what he is trying to accomplish. Thoughts of him trying to make some kind of move on myself cross my mind, but quickly fade as I feel his arms grab at my waist. Now being very confused yet intrigued, I squirm my body around as he starts to pull my whole structure up.

He continues to gently lift my weak body very carefully, not wanting to cause any pain. He then stands up, lifting my figure so now I am sitting on the bed facing him and looking up at his tall figure questioning his next move.

That's when he hugs me, leaning down and wrapping his arms around my body, ending at the lower region of my back. I quickly catch on and snake my arms around his neck and burry my head into his shoulder. He then gets out of the crouched position and stands up with each other's limbs still strung together.

Now I see the whole meaning for all of this moving around after he sits down on the bed with myself sitting down on his lap. Peeta was accomplishing giving me a hug while getting a good excuse for my frail figure to sit on his lap.

We remain hugging in a rather awkward position now because of the way we are seated, but I could care less. Peeta is sitting on the edge of the bed with his legs dangling off of the side. He is looking out the window with no sign of emotion visible on his features. His hands are in a formation of a circle around me, hugging my waist while providing a form of support to keep me from falling.

My head remains laying on its side on his chest so I can hear the steady rhythmic his heart beat. My arms are resting now on his chest, unmoving on the cotton fabric of his shirt. While sitting down on his lap, my legs are slung over the side giving a full view of my pale legs and feet that are uncovered by the blue hospital gown.

"I'm sorry." Peeta breaths causing my eyes to look up.

He is still looking out of the window but I notice the heartbreaking tear that is rolling down the side of his face. Without thinking, I shakily lift my hand up and wipe it away, afraid that I will break.

"Stop, please." My horse voice manages to croak out causing him to look at me. "This was my fault so in no way should you be blaming yourself for it."

"But I wanted to be there to protect you. I shouldn't of let you on that latter being in the condition it was. This whole think could of been avoided if I would have just-"

I'm crying now. He is beating himself up more the longer I keep my eyes on him. The tears are pooling in his eyes but aren't falling as he keeps his gaze on me, but he suddenly stops talking when noticing my sadness, just before the tears spill out of his eyes too.

"I have only been here three days and all that I seem to be doing is making everything worse, Katniss." he whispers while drawing his thumb across my cheekbones and whipping away any stray tears.

"I wanted to be there to protect you." he finishes his thought with the whisper cracking in the end.

I look at him, a real look at the broken boy whom I am so close to. Here he is, blaming my accident on him, throwing punches at his gut and saying how all he wants to do in the end is protect me. He cares so much and I have learned that only certain people are willing to go that far for my sake.

I think back to the conversation with Gale. How Peeta was holding my lifeless body and begging for me to wake up. I couldn't have ever imagined someone treating me as well as Peeta does, and I can't even express how grateful I am for having him in my life.

It is all making sense now. The way I reacted when seeing him after a year. The feeling in the pit of my stomach when we make skin to skin contact. Knowing that he will go to the end of the world just to make me happy. And the fact that we have stuck together through everything we have been through.

Right now, sitting in Peeta's arms it is all hitting me faster than I can process.

But I know that all if these feelings can add up to one thing.

I am in love with Peeta Mellark.

(A/N)
I cried while writing this chapter. I think sad Peeta brings out this fandom's weak spot.