Twisted Perfection ~ Everlark

Connecting again.

Peeta's Pov:

It's night time. My bedroom is dark and cold. It's always dark without Katniss. Even though she may be sad and in a time of grief, her eyes captivate me at the best of times. She's so broken, yet somewhat robust and real. Real. There's something that she hasn't asked me for a long time. To be honest, I haven't asked her it for a long time. There will be times when I tell myself something is real. It's like a script: 

My name is Peeta Mellark. I'm from District 12. I am a baker's son. I won the 74th hunger games with Katniss. We went into the 75th games and then I got captured. I was tortured, but then I was rescued. I hurt Katniss. She started a revolution. She killed Coin. Snow is dead. The war is over. We are all safe. 

I lay in my bed and usually by this time, 1:00am, that I relay the one sentence. I hurt Katniss. I still don't know if I am hurting her. But she did say that I was a safe stability to her.

My mind ponders the notion of going over to her house, and laying in bed with her. But, I still don't know if that would be appropriate. She wanted to go to the hob with me tomorrow, to buy some groceries, which of course, I didn't oblige to. I want her to feel comfortable around me. It's been 6 months since Prim died, and the mention of even a medic sets her off into tears. I want to look into her eyes and tell her it's ok. I want to stop her cries with a kiss. She can be cold and stubborn, but I love her for who she is.

She's the kind of girl that women love to hate. She's an adult I suppose, but so young that she still has the exuberance of youth. She has that movie star look, not overly tall and willowy, but more like an action star. Her muscle definition is perfect and she walks with the confidence of someone a decade older. She isn't just flawless in her bone structure, her skin is like silk over glass and she radiates an intelligent beauty. 

I am jolted from a comfortable sleeping position, when I hear a scream erupt from outside. And then another. Instantaneously, I leap out of bed and follow the screams and end outside her door. I knock on the door, instead of going in straight away and shout up the window. 

"Katniss, are you okay? It's me, Peeta. I'm coming upstairs to see if you're okay." 

I don't hear anything, so I reach under the doormat, grab the spare key and manoeuvre it into the lock until I hear a click. When I do, I run upstairs, and follow the screams that turn into sobs. As I open her bedroom door, she's in the corner of the room, looking terrified. I've never seen her like this. She just looks scared. Not sad or worried, just incredibly scared. I rush up to her and bend down on my knees. 

Her grey eyes meet with my blue eyes and her breathing becomes rapid. I lift her up and embrace her shaking body in a hug. I feel her tears dampen my shirt, only to dry a few seconds later. 

I shush her down and she begins to become calm. Her head is nuzzled into my neck, and I feel her breath tickle it. 

"Nightmare?" I query to her. 

I feel a gentle nod in my neck. She lets go from the hug and smiles gingerly at me. 

"I got your shirt damp." She says, as a smile creeps onto her face. I laugh slightly. 

"It's ok. It's all ok Katniss. You're safe. I'm here." I say, trying to pump some reassurance into her. I don't know if she wants me to stay, so I take her back to bed and she carefully pulls the covers over her. I don't have to leave her house so I sigh knowing she'll want to be alone.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me." I say, but I feel a quiet voice radiate the room.

"Peeta, can you stay with me?" She asks, like a child. I nod and climb in bed with her. She wipes the tears from her swollen eyes, still trembling. When her head rests on my chest, I feel her sweat trickle from her forehead onto my chest. She's still shaking, so I say,

"Always."

She stops shaking and I hold her tighter hat night than I ever have done before.