Always: A Hunger Games Fanfiction

Chapter 77

Katniss
I can almost make out hushed voices around me. But I can't seem to force myself to move, to speak. To do anything. I can hear almost a high-pitched yelling coming from somewhere behind me. Suddenly I'm in the air. At least I think I am. I can feel arms carrying me. I think of Peeta. It must be him. But I swear I heard two voices. And the yelling. It's seems far off, not coming from right beside me. I know I'm on my bed. I can feel the plush blanket beneath my fingertips. And minutes later, I am consumed by darkness again.

I open my eyes with a start. I had a nightmare, but it must not have been a bad one because I don't remember it. I furrow my eyebrows when I hear a hushed wailing noise coming from downstairs. It takes me a few seconds but all of the events that happened earlier come flooding back to me. I sit up and push away the sheets that I'm entangled in. I swing my legs over the side of the bed and stand. I immediately fall back to the bed. The room spins around me but I still stand, using my dresser to guide me out of the room. I put a hand to the side of my head to try and steady my vision, but I feel the wetness of drying blood. "Peeta..." I whisper. I can hear muffled voices coming from downstairs. I make it halfway down when I slip on a step and land on my back. It takes me a few seconds to regain my breath and I stand again. The voices become clearer. It's Haymitch. I scrunch up my face when I see him. I remember Peeta and soon realize he's the source of the loud cries. Haymitch sees me and a guilty expression washes his face.

Peeta's sitting on the ground beside the couch, his head in his hands. I've never seen him cry like this before. I take a few steps forward when Haymitch grabs my arm. I'm about to turn around and yell at him but he speaks before I can. "He handcuffed himself after his...flash back," he pauses. "And he won't tell me where the key is."

"What..." I trail off and look at Peeta. He looks different for some reason I can't place. "Why are you here?"

"Well, I was sleeping. For god sakes it was five in the morning," Haymitch says grumpily. "That's when I heard him bawling his eyes out. He didn't have to tell me what happened."

I put a hand on my forehead and use Haymitch's arm to steady my balance. I pull away from his grip and take a few steps towards Peeta. He senses that I'm near him and pushes himself away from me. "No, don't come near me! Katniss, get away from me!" I draw back, surprised. After his flashbacks he'd usually just take about a half an hour to cool down and he'd be normal again. It's never been like this. But I guess this time was the worst. The side of my head is bloody and I was out cold. So when he came back to his senses he probably thought I was dead. I guess I would be the same way. But I take another step forward anyway. "No! Get away from me!" he yells. And I'm about to turn away. I almost listen. Almost. Suddenly a flash of anger pulses through me. I shake my head and kneel on the floor beside me. I grab his wrists and he fights it. He tries to get away from me but I don't let him.

"Peeta!" I yell, surprisingly loud. He stops and looks at me, his blue eyes filled with tears. "You can't do this every time you have a flashback. You can't keep me away from you. I'm fine! See!" I say, motioning towards myself for effect. "I'm fine. And you have to stop. Now." He looks into my eyes, his mouth hanging open in shock. I don't yell at him. I haven't in a long time.

"I'm sorry. I just...The idea of hurting you..." he says.

"Shh...Don't. I'm fine,", I repeat. I wipe away a single tear running down his cheek. "Peeta, where's the key?"

He looks away, thinking. I can always tell when he's thinking. His eyebrows get close together and his eyes focus intently on something. "Peeta."

"It's in the pantry," he whispers so quietly I barely hear it.

"Haymitch. Get the key. It's in the pantry," I say, not letting go of Peeta's wrists. Haymitch does as I say and brings me a silver key. I un-cuff Peeta and immediately pull him into my arms. I hold him tighter than I possibly ever have. I can tell that he's crying again, but he doesn't cringe away from my touch. His arms are around my waist. "Shh...I'm fine," I say. "I'm going to be here with you." I pause, thinking about when I asked Peeta to stay with me one night when I had a nightmare what felt like so many years before. "Always."