Everlasting

Chapter 14

Peeta P.O.V.

I feel Katniss's elbow in my side and I look over to see her trashing around. She's breathing really hard and muttering under her breath. Before I can try to wake her up, she screams to the top of her lungs and quickly sits up.

She pants and looks around the room with wide, panicked eyes. I reach over and place a hand on her shoulder.

"You're okay," I tell her. She looks back at me and slowly reaches over to touch my cheek.

"It was just a dream," she mumbles. I nod my head and Katniss closes her eyes. Tears of relief flow down her cheeks, and I pull her in close to me. She clings to me and tries to calm her breathing down.

"You had a nightmare," I tell her. "But you're okay. You're here with me."

"Thank God," Katniss breathes. 

"You want to talk about it?" Katniss quickly shakes her head.

"Not right now," she says. "What time is it?"

"Five thirty."

"I'm sorry I woke you up." I look at her and shake my head.

"Honey, you should know by now that there's no reason for you to be sorry," I tell her. "You want to try to go back to sleep for a while?"

"No," Katniss says as she shakes her head. "But you can if you want to."

I shrug. "We might as well get up then. Do you want to go on to the hospital when visiting hours start, or do you want to wait until it's time to go get Rye?" Katniss looks at me with an odd expression. 

"What?"

"We're bringing home Rye today," I tell her. "Remember?" If I'm not mistaken, I think I see fear flash across her face for a split second.

"Yeah," Katniss says quietly. "I remember."

"When do you want to go over there?" I ask her again.

"It doesn't matter," Katniss replies as if she's a million miles away. She gets up out of bed and starts across the hallway.

"Katniss, where are you going?"

"To check on Willow."

"Willow stayed with Ellen last night." Katniss turns to face me, and there's no denying the panic there this time. "Kat, what's wrong?" I ask her as I walk towards her.

"It's... It's just like my… my dream," she says so quietly, I barely catch it. "Everything's just… It's the same…" I gently touch her shoulder and she looks up at me with wide eyes.

"Katniss, maybe you should rest for a few more minutes," I tell her. I can tell she's about to cry, so I wrap an arm around her waist and lead her over to the bed. I sit down beside of her and kiss her temple. "I know nightmares are hard to talk about, but maybe you need to try. It might make you feel better."

"I don't know if I can, Peeta."

"Just remember that it was just a nightmare. It didn't really happen."

"But it could," Katniss says as a few tears fall down her cheeks. She takes a deep, shaky breath and stands up off the bed. "I'm gonna go get ready," she says as she starts towards the closet.

"Do you want me to go get breakfast ready?" I ask her. She gives me a small shrug before heading into the bathroom. I go downstairs and fix breakfast, but I know it's probably a waste of time. Just as I thought, Katniss refuses to eat when she finally comes downstairs.

"You need to eat," I tell her.

"Maybe later," Katniss says as she stares straight ahead of her.

"Katniss." She jumps a little and looks at me. "Talk to me."

"Maybe after we get our babies back home," she says. "I'll feel better once I see them." I nod my head and she walks away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katniss holds Rye in her arms as I sign the release forms. Once I'm done, I turn around and give Katniss a huge smile.

"Are you ready to take this little guy home?" I ask her.

"Of course," she says as she kisses Rye's forehead. "Are you ready to go home, baby boy?" Rye just looks at us as we walk out of the hospital.

"You've got a big sister who's so excited to finally see you after five days," I tell Rye as Katniss lays him down in his car seat. We both get in the car and start toward Ellen's to pick Willow up. When we pull up, Katniss gets out of the car to get Willow. Rye starts crying and I unbuckle my seat belt so I can turn around to see him.

"What's the matter, buddy?" I ask Rye as I put his pacifier in his mouth. "Are you ready to get out of your car seat?"

"Daddy!" Willow squeals as Katniss opens the door to help her up into her seat. Rye starts crying that much harder and Willow looks up at me and Katniss. "I not mean to make him cry."

"You didn't, baby girl," I tell her. "He was already in a bad mood."

"You not gots to cry no mores, Rye," Willow tells him. "You're all better now and you ain't in the hopsitle no mores." I laugh at her mispronounciation, and Katniss just smiles a little.

Once we get home, Willow goes upstairs to play, and Katniss goes to put Rye in his crib. I sit on the couch to wait for her. When Katniss comes back downstairs, she's on the verge of tears.

"Peeta, can we talk?" she asks quietly.

"Of course," I tell her as I pat the seat beside of me. She sits down and takes a deep breath.

"Are you happy?"

I give her a look. "Of course I'm happy, Katniss," I tell her.

"I mean in our marriage," she says. "Are you happy with me?"

"Yes," I say without any hesitation. "Honey, is this what's been bothering you?"

She looks at me and bites her bottom lip. "I… In my nightmare last night, you were talking about how you were afraid that with everything going on, that things would build up between us. You suggested that we…" she stops talking and starts breathing hard, obviously having a panic attack. I place a hand on her back and pull her in close to me.

"I suggested what, Katniss?" I ask her softly.

"That we… That we seperate for a while." She breaks down sobbing and I kiss her temple.

"No, Katniss. Never," I tell her sincerely. I put my hand under her chin and push her head up a little so I can look into her eyes.

"Honey, listen to me," I say with sincerity in my tone. "No matter how bad things get, we will always have our mariage. Katniss, I will promise you this. I will never suggest that we seperate or divorse or anything like that. And if I do, by some idiotic reason, break that promise, I want you to promise me that you'll do one thing."

"What's that?"

"Shoot me."

Katniss laughs as tears fall down her face. I give her a light kiss and lean my forehead against hers.

"I will never have to do that, though," she says. "Not for that reason anyways."

I chuckle. "And what other reason would there be for you to shoot me?"

"Trust me, Mr. Mellark," Katniss says in a low voice. "I have a long list of stupid things that you could do that would cause me to bring the bow and arrows back out."

I laugh at her and she connects our lips again.

"Are you going to give me a heads up as to what's on that list?"

"Of course not," Katniss says. "I like for my prey to be surprised."

I kiss her once more, trying to pour every single ounce of love and devotion that I have for Katniss into the kiss.

"You want to know the best part? Katniss asks.

"What?" I ask her, trying to sound scared.

She gives me a wicked smile before replying. "You won't know what on earth hit you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BET YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING!! I had it all planned out. I just wanted you all to panic. 😂😘