#peeta mellark one shot

[ceruleansx]

need | peeta mellark

↳ peeta mellark x reader

↳ warnings - tooth rooting fluff

↳ summary - you were extra cuddly and craving to give kisses to your bf peeta

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you woke up with your back towards peeta, the sunlight splayed on your face. you opened your eyes slowly, seeing the sun just setting. the shade of orange was peeta's favorite color.

you turned to him because you wanted to tell him to look at the sunrise.

he was facing you, eyes still closed. he looked so pretty in the presence of the sun. it made the blonde hair covering his face more beautiful, something that you thought was impossible.

the beauty that peeta had almost seemed like he wasn't real.

you moved his hair from his forehead, and gave him a loving kiss. his nose scrunched up and he squinted his eyes.

"mmmm." he mumbled.

you shook his arm. "look peeta, the sunrise." you whispered.

he looked away from you and looked at the sky.

"wow..."

"it's beautiful isn't it?" you said softly, admiring the different shades.

"the most beautiful thing i've ever seen." you turned your head at him.

he was looking at you as he said that. you felt your cheeks burn with redness, and you look back to try and hide it.

"i can see why this color is your favorite, it's so pretty."

"you wanna know why it is?" he said, and you layed down to face him.

"why?" you smiled, still a blush on your face.

he looked at you so lovingly, like you were the only person he wanted to kiss and love forever. no one else.

"cause it reminds me of you.." he whispered, as he brushed a strand of your hair behind you ear.

the butterflies erupted in your stomach, and you went to cuddle on top of him. his arms were now around your waist as you nuzzled your face in his neck.

you gave sloppy kisses on his neck as he rubbed your back.

"i love you peeta.." you mumbled into his neck, mid-kiss.

"show me how much you love me." you could practically hear the blush creeping on his face.

you removed your head from his neck and looked at him.

"wellll" you brushed his hair away from his forehead.

"i love your smart ideas and mind."

you gave a tender kiss to his forehead.

"i love how kind and caring you are."

you kissed his nose.

"i love how patient and loving you are, after every situation or fight."

you kissed his cheek.

you finally kissed his soft lips. "and i love that your mine." you whispered against his lips.

he kissed you this time, much longer than expected. he pulled away, trying to hide his smile. his face was as red as a tomato.

"your not shy with the kisses this morning." he blushed.

you didn't make a comment, just stared at his beautiful face. he did too, thinking that he basically hit the jackpot with being with you. he was going to marry you one day, he knew it.

"so you love me..?" he asked.

you rolled your eyes playfully. "no i totally just kissed someone that i don't love."

he chuckled and you smiled. "of course i love you peeta, only you. and no one else."

oh, how you can make peeta blush like a 9 year old. he kissed you once more before talking.

"i love you too y/n, and i'm going to marry you one day."

you were so in love, you didn't have a reaction.

"i would love to marry you peeta mellark."

after that, you layed on top him, just the two of you watching the sunset. you two were just both imagining your future kids, happily married, and loving each other for eternity.

[joshfutturman]

"always"

oneshot (request) - peeta looking after you on a bad mental health day (2.4k words) pairing - peeta mellark (the hunger games) + reader (gender neutral) tags: kissing, fluff, bathing, nudity, depression mention, established relationship, pet names

.・。.・゜✭・. .・。.・゜✭・. .・。.・゜✭・.

some days you awoke to that swirling darkness rising in your chest, clouding every thought and feeling like an unbearable weight. eyes adjusting to the bedroom, you could already feel it. despite the warmth and safeness of your surroundings - the weight felt heavy nevertheless. tears welled in your eyes, it was going to be one of those days. your fingers gripped at the sheets, pulling them closer to your face in an attempt to hide. a whimper escaped you as well as a small sniffle.

peeta shuffles, hearing that familiar sound. he blinks and lets out a soft, sleepy mumble before turning in the bed to find you curled up, shaking. his shoulders fall and he frowns before inching closer. peeta snuggles in behind you, wrapping his arms around your frame and nuzzling his nose into the crook of your neck. “one of those mornings, baby?” he whispers, and you barely nod in response.

.・。.・゜✭・. .・。.・゜✭・. .・。.・゜✭・.

notes: this was so sweet to write, thanks anon for the submission - sorry it took a while, still getting on my feet with writing on here! i hope this is okay for you! ( ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈♡)

.・。.・゜✭・. .・。.・゜✭・. .・。.・゜✭・.

some days you awoke to that swirling darkness rising in your chest, clouding every thought and feeling like an unbearable weight. eyes adjusting to the bedroom, you could already feel it. despite the warmth and safeness of your surroundings - the weight felt heavy nevertheless. tears welled in your eyes, it was going to be one of those days. your fingers gripped at the sheets, pulling them closer to your face in an attempt to hide. a whimper escaped you as well as a small sniffle.

peeta shuffles, hearing that familiar sound. he blinks and lets out a soft, sleepy mumble before turning in the bed to find you curled up, shaking. his shoulders fall and he frowns before inching closer. peeta snuggles in behind you, wrapping his arms around your frame and nuzzling his nose into the crook of your neck. “one of those mornings, baby?” he whispers, and you barely nod in response.

pressing a reassuring kiss to your skin, the blonde holds you a little tighter. he knew what it felt like, to feel that indescribable sadness. there were some mornings when you had been the same support for him, cradling him from behind as his shoulders shuddered.

“let’s get you in a nice, hot bath.” his voice was gentle and you tried to focus on it over the rising, overlapping and confusing thoughts fighting for dominance inside your head. peeta knew exactly how to tend to you during times like these, it helped you feel like maybe things would be alright, that maybe the world wasn’t so scary or too much. it’s like he always knew what to say and how to say it - you loved that about him.

he sat up, leaning on his elbow to reach over and wipe your tears before he left a kiss on your cheek. lingering there for a few moments, he offered you a smile before exiting the bed. you already missed his warmth.

making his way to the bathroom, the old floorboards creaked underneath him. entering, he stepped towards the bath and leaned over, turning the faucets on. peeta waited as the bath began to fill, checking the water with care for the perfect temperature. he knew just how you liked it, hot enough to give you that sensation of safety but with a cool touch. one last time, he checked the temperature before turning off the faucets.

upon leaving the bathroom, he wipes his tired eyes and stops in front of you, sitting on the edge of the bed. his hand finds your shoulder over the sheets and gives it a gentle rub. your eyes find him and his smile fills you with love.

“you ready to get up?” he asks, voice quiet. he knew to take it at your pace, willing to wait as long as you needed. “this’ll help, i promise.” and you nod, believing him.

with his help, you stand, shoulders shuddering as you let out a long sigh. his hand finds yours and he squeezes it as he leads you towards the bathroom. you follow, keeping close to his side as you hold onto both his hand and his arm. with your cheek against his skin, you close your eyes and focus on the rhythm of walking.

entering the bathroom, he tilts your chin upwards and gives your nose a chaste kiss. you smile sweetly and weakly back at him. standing together for a few moments, you raise your arms to help him remove your shirt and pulls it over your head slowly and carefully. folding it, he sets it aside and helps you out of the rest of your clothes. in the process, he removes his too - both of your clothes are neatly folded, he liked to be organised like that, it was cute.

peeta gets in first, dipping a foot in before sliding in all the way. he lets out a sigh of relief as he extends a hand to you to help you in. it felt so good to be vulnerable like this with him, he was the only person you felt like you could let your mask slip in front of. your hand takes his and you step in, being careful not to slip. you fit perfectly in front of him, your bodies merging like a puzzle piece. his arms wrap around you loosely and your back rests against his chest, neck leaning back on his shoulder.

the water soothes you, hot and refreshing against your cold skin alongside peeta’s warm presence. he holds you fondly, enjoying the comforting embrace in silence. his cheek rests against your head watching as the water ripples slightly with each rise and fall of your chest. your breathing was in sync, peeta made sure to take deep, sure breaths for you to follow. in, and out.

your eyes close and the two of you sit in peaceful silence. your mind focuses on the sound of peeta's breathing accompanied by the cool sounds of the water mingling between your bodies. with each breath, your body grows closer to his until it's flush against him. his fingers trace along your arm in a delicate pattern, eyelids growing heavy.

calm, peaceful, with no room for disruptive or negative thoughts, only the quiet breathing of your lover in your ear and the way he tenderly touched you.

his eyes rest on you from behind and he can't help but beam. the way your muscles began to relax against him told him you felt safe.

this beautiful moment lasted a while longer before peeta whispered in your ear, "baby, can i wash your hair?" in a sleepy daze, you let out a long contented hum of approval.

carefully, the blonde reached for the shampoo, letting some of the liquid fall into his palm. as he sat up slightly, he ran his hands over your hair, ensuring the shampoo coated your hair before he began to spread his fingers, massaging it in.

tingles ran across your scalp as his fingers danced across your skin, weaving between your hair. it was tender and you couldn't help but feel emotions bubbling inside you. "thank you, peeta." you mutter, opening your eyes for a moment.

 "you're welcome, my love." he says and though you can't see him, you can tell he's smiling.

his fingers continue down to the base of your scalp, rubbing slow circles before trailing the shampoo down to your ends. admiring his work, he lets out a soft chuckle before cupping some water, beginning to wash away the suds.

with each wave of water, you felt the stress wash from you. though your heart still felt heavy, there was hope and you could feel that small spark of joy - joy that you'd wake another day with him by your side. to have someone who cared for you in this way was in itself, live-saving, to say the least.

"i love you." you say, lip quivering, unsure just how you could ever express your thanks after all he has done for you over the years.

"i know," peeta replies, leaning over to look you in the eye with that radiant smile of his, "i love you too."

with a kiss on the cheek and one last wave of water, the shampoo had been rinsed. "now i can do the rest, that alright?" he checked in, ensuring he had your full consent. peeta often did this, checking in occasionally - you never felt trapped or pressured, in fact you always felt the opposite. secure and free, with him, always.

confirming with another nod, peeta takes some soap and begins running it over your shoulders. in a combined fashion he begins to massage your tight muscles, which had loosened slightly in the warm water. the suds wash over you as he works his hands, not too rough; but with just enough pressure to feel the effects. a sigh escapes your lips. this was in stark contrast to how restricted and snared you'd felt that morning in depression's gloomy clutches.

each silky swipe with soap was met with a rinse of warm water, moving to the front of your body. his hands are gentle with you and you look up at him under his chin to smile. slowly, you felt like you were regaining small bits of your murky vision back. the clouds were beginning to clear, if only a little.

the soap dances across your arms and peeta guides the water to ease the bubbling suds away. he holds up your arm slightly, leaning down to pepper kisses along your skin, following the patterns of your freckles like a treasure map. each kiss was slow, deliberate and loving. your heart swells with tenderness and you nuzzle into his touch, curling up a little to lay in his lap on your side, head resting at the crook of his neck.

enveloping you once more into his embrace, you both share the moment in silence. the outside world could wait for a day, this moment was created only for the two of you.

you both continued to enjoy the soothing bath water as he held you until it grew colder. "don't want you to catch a cold, better get some clothes on you." he petted your back in signal, having just traced small unintelligible patterns across your skin.

he helps you stand, holding your hand all the while as the two of you take careful steps out of the bath and onto the cosy fabric mat below your feet. the air nipped at your wet skin and you caught him attempting to hide a shiver. this caused you to giggle and he chuckles too.

his hands find the large towel beside him and he wraps you in it, rubbing your shoulders and down your arms to dry some of the excess water dripping onto the tiled floor. a smirk tugs on his lips as he pulls the towel up, wrapping you both inside it like a cacoon. you shuffle closer and wrap your arms around him, placing your cheek against his chest.

thump-thump, the soft rhythm of his heartbeat plays like a familiar song, like a soothing lullaby. And it reminds you that you're alive. the moment may be hard, but it won't last forever - peeta is living proof of that. despite everything you both went through, you're so very alive.

ruffling your hair with the towel, he dries it to the best of his ability and in a playful manner, roughly dries the rest of your back. a laugh escapes you that wobbles with each shake, shoving him away gently.

the blonde kneels down to take your leg in his hands, drying along it with a commendable closeness. your eyes focus on him, full of adoration. with the next leg, he looks up at you as he dries it delicately. offering you a kind smile, peeta stays there for a few more seconds simply admiring his view. you were so beautiful. he'd tell you that until his dying breath.

"what?" you ask in a quiet voice, still regaining some of your strength.

peeta stands and cups your cheeks in his hands, "i just think you're the most beautiful person i've ever seen in my life." he admits with a nervous swallow.

it was funny, how peeta could compose himself in front of thousands but you saw the real him, the soft, kindhearted boy with so much love in his heart. the one who'd tuck you into bed after a long day, the one who'd wipe your tears when the world became too much to bear and the one who'd lead you out of bed when you felt like you were drowning.

his words spark a smile on your lips and your cheeks flush under his touch, "i think you're pretty beautiful too, mellark." you whisper through the butterflies in your stomach.

peeta's smile brightens and he lets out a small laugh, almost a giddy giggle. staring at you for just a few seconds longer, he tears himself away from your doting gaze to guide you into the bedroom towards the wardrobe. you sit on the bed behind him, wrapped in the towel still as you let out a long exhale in an attempt to further regulate your breathing. you fell into a steady rhythm of slow breaths to help keep this calm energy that peeta had helped you create within yourself.

humming and hawing, the other looks through your clothes, searching for the perfect outfit for that day. something comfortable, he thought. turning when he found the selection he wanted, he held it up for you to view. you give a happy nod with a smile and watch as that endearing look unfolds on his face, like a proud puppy.

helping you into your new clothes for the day, he also got dressed and you both stood in front of the mirror. he pats down your shoulders before wrapping his arms around you from behind. chin resting on your shoulder, your hands find his arms and rest upon them.

he litters kisses on your cheek, over and over with exaggerated 'mwah' noises. you giggle and push his face away gently, but secretly you love it.

accepting his defeat, his chin lands on your shoulder again, content with the glowing smile on your face. "now, let's get you breakfast, hm?"

"i'd like that." you reply, turning your head to kiss him with all the love you can muster. your sunshine on a cloudy day, a hand in the darkness to guide you - peeta mellark. your eyes open to find his looking back at you, staring longingly at one another. you press your forehead to his.

"i'll be here for you every day, bad or good." peeta promised.

and you believed him, because he had already proven it to you. he fought the swirling darkness in your chest alongside you, keeping it at bay. and you would do the same for him in a heartbeat. your eyes close once more, enjoying the closeness with your love - alive, breathing, fighting, living with him by your side.

always.

[moonpascaltoo]

PEETA MELLARK

╰┈➤ 18+ none of these stories belong to me! this is a masterlist of all peeta mellark stories i’ve read and reblogged! just thought it would be nice to have them all in one spot! (if your fic is on here and you wish not to be, please let me know!) some with have summaries if provided <3

MASTERLIST • HUNGER GAMES MASTERLIST • 04/25/24

@futureman ❁ here in the garden the capitol was supposed to let you live in peace after you played and won their brutal game, and for nearly a decade, they did—until you're chosen as district 11's tribute once again for a special quarter quell. yet somehow, peace finds you anyway in an unlikely form: a golden-haired baker's boy from district 12 who makes you feel alive even in the familiar face of death.

@orangepeetals ❁ acurrucar You n’ Peeta have been best friends since you were kids, you win the Hunger games once n’ you’re a mentor now.

@waitimcomingtoo ❁ sweet nothing you and Peeta have an honest conversation after he defends Gale at the whipping post ❁ he’ll have to get in line Peeta amps up the star crossed lovers act when Finnick takes a liking to you. ❁ all those shadows almost killed your light you leave the cave to go get supplies and get lost, leaving Peeta to panic while you’re gone.

@bayjaruchel ❁ strawberry blonde late one night, you get a call

@quiet-out-there ❁ please When Finnick notices how the reader’s drink has been spiked with sex pollen at one of President Snows Balls, he and Peeta make a plan to save her from the special services the victors sometimes provide for the capitol. Finnick causes a distraction, while Peeta makes sure to take the reader away to safety, only the plan doesn’t go accordingly, and ends up with a sex crazed reader stuck on a closet.

@ervotica ❁ a life of our own finnick helps you find yourself again when you’re rescued from the capitol. you’re desperate to trust him again.

[notsocooljess]

i think my favorite not-explored-enough detail from Mockingjay is how after Katniss breaks down when she is reunited with Buttercup, she falls asleep on her sitting room floor but later wakes up in her bed.

i just imagine Peeta tagging along with Greasy Sae and her granddaughter to eat with Katniss for dinner, and they walk inside and see her laying on the floor, unconscious, her features red and puffy from crying. they see Buttercup curled up near her (but not next to her, since he’s still a little weary from the thrown pillows). the two of them exchange a brief look, and with no words said, Greasy Sae offers Peeta a nod and walks herself and her granddaughter home.

Peeta steps closer to her, noticing that she washed herself and changed her clothes from when he saw her earlier in the day. he silently studied her features. then, as gently as he can, he scoops her up into his arms and carries her upstairs to her room with Buttercup, awoken from the movement, trodding at his feet. he tucks her into bed, wanting to stay but knowing he shouldn’t. he gives her hand a gentle squeeze and goes home.

the next morning, he and Sae show up for breakfast. they don’t mention how her face looks puffy from fresh tears. they know this means she’s finally trying to heal.

[smallpapers]

always always always always always always always always always always

[darling-sometimes-i-wonder]

Rescue Mission- Finnick Odair

I loved your finnick fic! You are so good at writing!

Could you write a fic where the reader was taken to the Capitol (like Peeta and Johanna). They get saved and get to see Finnick in 13? Just a cute reunion (or a very angsty one which ever you rather lol)

A/N: again, thank you so much! i don't know how i feel abt how this one turned out, but here it is! i hope you love it<3 part 2 possibly if someone requests it. requests open!

WARNINGS: mentions of torture/blood/slight gore

word count: 2k

Time didn't matter anymore. Seconds turned into minutes turned into hours turned into days. Months, maybe even. It was all the same. 

You heard Johanna's scream echo through the hallway outside your door causing you to flinch. Bile rose in your throat as you anticipated what was to come; you, you knew, were next.

Just like everything else they did in the Capitol the torture was also excessive and elaborate, stretching far beyond anything the average imagination could conceive. 

You didn't know how long you'd been there; throughout your stay so far you were kept locked and chained in a small room with no windows indicating night or day, sandwiched between Johanna's and Peeta's rooms. The only reason you knew they were alive is because you heard them... daily. They were about as lucky as you were when it came to mercy- there was none. 

You felt completely and utterly defeated; you'd been told more than once that the three of you were the only survivors of the Quarter Quell. That meant everybody else had died- that meant Finnick had... passed. You couldn't bring yourself to put Finnick and dead together in a sentence. They were all killed either in the arena by the explosion or as an execution to be made example of. All considered to be part of a "rebel plan" to dethrone Snow and the Capitol according to what Snow and the peacekeepers have told you, which wasn't much. You had told them multiple times that you didn't know anything but they refused to listen, subjecting you to whatever violence they pleased in order to get information out of you. Information that you genuinely didn't have. No crying, begging, or pleading was enough to convince them that you were innocent. 

And truthfully you were; you had heard of Districts rioting and camaraderie between the victors but nothing as far as actually blowing up the arena.   

Whatever building you were kept on only housed the three of you there: Peeta to your left, You in the middle, then Johanna to your right. You didn't know what they were doing to the other two but you knew that for yourself it was more than just rough; it was excruciating both mentally and physically. It didn't sound any better coming from their end. 

They didn't hold back during beatings, going as far as to use physical objects to deliver the blows to your constantly fatigued, battered body. 

The room you were locked in was small and white- white walls, white bed, white papery nightgown you were forced to wear. It all reminded you eerily of Snow's garden of roses. 

Your bed was a thin mattress on a wiry metal frame, no blanket and no pillow. Attached to the bottom of the wall were the two bolts holding your chains in place, where they stretched across the floor until they cuffed tightly around both of your ankles.

The previously pristine walls were tainted by your blood. 

The door was flung open, ricocheting off the wall violently as Snow himself walked in. 

"Y/N," he smiled. "Let's see if we have something to talk about today, shall we?"

*

By the time he left you were laying on the floor, feeling woozy from the amount of blood in your mouth. You sat up, hearing a noise in the distance. It sounded further than Johanna's room, where they usually came in from. 

You heard bangs now directly outside of your room, making your heart race wildly. What was coming next? 

Suddenly your door flew open; someone, presumably a male judging by the height, dressed in heavy armor kicked your door down causing you jump about two miles in the air. Who was this? A new person to inflict pain on you? Were they peacekeepers, just dressed differently? 

They started to walk towards you and you shot backwards, scrambling as far as your chains would let you go. 

"Go away!" You shrieked, your throat raw from all of the screaming you'd done through your time at the Capitol. 

"Y/N! It's me," a muffled voice came out through the heavy duty mask. You stopped struggling against your restraints, looking at them in distrust. You couldn't see through the mask as it covered their entire face, but you could see their eyes- and you'd recognize those stony grey irises anywhere.

"Gale?" You whispered. 

A thick smoke began pouring from holes in the wall, holes which you had always previously assumed to be guns or other violent forms of reinforcements. 

You looked at him, panicked, and desperately tried to claw yourself lose from the chains. Your skin was red and bloody from how hard you were fighting it, squirming wildly like a rabid animal. 

The smoke easily filled the room, taking over your lungs and making you dizzy. You stumbled backwards, the backs of your knees hitting the bed and making you fall onto it. Your eyes shut. 

*

The next time you woke up you were being transferred from somebody's arms onto a hospital bed, an oxygen mask getting strapped to your face. You gasped and sat straight up, looking around frantically as multiple nurses rushed to your side and ushered you to lay back down. 

Heart beating wildly you took in your surroundings as you were wheeled from a landed hovercraft, approaching what appeared to be an entrance to something underground. 

You sucked in a breath. Was this new location just another place of horrors? 

"Y/N, it's okay," a young girl said, holding her hand out to you. She was blonde and had doe eyes, radiating innocence and purity. "You're not at the capitol anymore." 

The sound of the people surrounding you, a collection of doctors, nurses, and soldiers speaking in low voices faded into the background. 

You hesitantly touched her hand, noticing how your hand shook. 

"Where am I?"

"District 13."

District 13. 

District 13? 

Now you knew you must be hallucinating. 

You looked over your shoulder and saw Peeta being carted off on a hospital bed too, unconscious, an array of nurses and doctors surrounding him as well. 

"Where's Johanna?" You croaked. Your voice was weak. 

"She's here too," she reassured you. "She's behind you." 

You tried to sit up and turn further, trying to confirm for yourself that Johanna was indeed behind you, but the girl gently pushed you back down. 

"Don't strain yourself," she advised softly. You looked at her soft grey eyes and recognized immediately that she was from District 12. You distantly identified her as Katniss's sister. 

You approached what looked like a big room but she assured you it was just an elevator. "It's going to take us down to the bunkers." 

You paused, feeling the floor under your hospital bed go down, down, down as Prim explained lightly where you were and how it came to be. 

You couldn't wrap your head around it all; arriving in District 13, being rescued by people you had been told were dead, Katniss being the Mockingjay. It was all too much. 

The last thing you remember is someone slipping a needle into the back of your hand, hooking you up to an IV, Prim's big eyes gazing at you in concern. You felt comforted in her care; like no one was going to hurt you. Your eyes felt heavy and before you could leave the elevator it all went black. 

*

Beeping. 

You woke up to beeping. 

You sat up roughly and your your head immediately started spinning- Prim rushed forward and held her arm out, allowing you to steady yourself. 

"Where- what happened?"

She guided you to lean back, pulling the top part of your hospital bed into a reclined position so you could sit up a little. 

"You were rescued from the Capitol," she started slowly, fixing you a cup of water. You took it, not realizing how parched your mouth and throat were. Suddenly you were hyper aware of how sore your body was; you looked down to see your arms and legs covered in bruises and lacerations, your fingernails caked with blood underneath. "You, Peeta, and Johanna. After the arena blew up they took the three of you as prisoners, thinking you knew something about the rebellion."

"I didn't know anything," You whispered, looking up. Prim looked at you with sad eyes. 

"I know. Finnick's been going crazy not knowing where you were."

You swear your heart almost stopped. 

"Finnick?" You croaked and sat up again. "He's alive?"

She nodded in confusion. "He's been waiting for you." 

Tears pricked at your eyes and you tried to take a deep breath, which turned into a broken sob. You pressed your hand to your mouth trying to contain yourself. 

"Katniss? Beetee?"

"Both alive," she nodded, her brows furrowing. "Why, what do you think happened?"

"They told me the rest of the tributes were dead," You cried softly, your sobs getting louder by the second as you got worked up. "They said they caught and killed them all because they were rebels- to make an example out of them." 

She looked at you in shock, clearly taken off guard. Before she could say anything you heard noise from outside of the room. 

"Y/N?" 

You heard him yelling, running, his foot steps echoing. Your heart rate picked up. 

"Finnick," You screamed, drawing the attention of a few other nurses in the room. 

"Y/N! Where is she?"

You watched the door anxiously as Prim got up silently and opened it, poking her head out and waving her arm. 

"I want to see him," You demanded shakily even though no one was objecting, trying to ignore the big lump in your throat. You were so close to him, but so far. You slid off the hospital bed and Prim rushed back to your side as you wobbled and nearly collapsed onto the floor. She slipped her arm around your waist and basically carried you back into the hospital bed. 

As soon as you had been sat down he burst through the double doors; there he was. Your heart fluttered and it felt like a weight was lifted off your chest. He was there. Alive. In the flesh. He was facing the other way, head turning as he scanned the room. 

"Finn?" You said and you hated how broken your voice sounded. He whipped around with a frantic look on his face, eyes softening once they settled on you. He let out a loud breath as he closed the space between you with three long strides, reaching out and yanking you into his chest. You couldn't help the tears that fell as you clung to him desperately, unable to get close enough. His hands were all over you; rubbing, comforting, reassuring you as he tried to memorize every part of your body as if it was the last time he'd see you. 

You sobbed into his neck, holding onto him tightly with both hands.

"I'm so sorry," he breathed into your hair. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there." 

You couldn't find your voice to comfort him, instead just shaking your head and pushing it further against his chest.

He tightened his arms around you, pressing his lips to your head before lifting your face and kissing your salty tears away. He cupped your face with both hands, his ocean blue eyes gazing into yours burning with sincerity. 

"I'm never letting you out if my sight again," he choked. "Never."

[nightlocked-in]

peeta tells katniss she snores

(scene from a modern au wip)

EDIT: you can find the completed fic here

***

“Why don’t you sleep with white noise anymore?”

“What?” he asks groggily. He’s half asleep.

“Your white noise sound thingies. You haven’t put them on since, like, the first night I stayed over. I’m starting to think you’re a liar.”

We’re cuddling in my favorite position, facing each other where I’m able to hold his head against my chest and his arms are wrapped around my waist. We’re completely clothed. Well, I’m in a tank top and underwear, and he’s in boxers. We didn’t have sex tonight. Sometimes we don’t have time for anything other than studying and sleep. I don’t know when it became okay to have sleepovers with no sex, but now I can’t usually sleep without his arms around me. Even if I had to fuck him every night just to sleep next to him, I’d take it in stride and count my blessings. But he doesn’t seem to mind this way, either.

He chuckles, and the sound tickles the skin on my shoulder. I instinctively tug on his hair some, and I know it makes him wake up more because I hear his breath pick up speed a little. “I haven’t had to play them. When you stay over.”

I pause my scratches on his scalp. “What do you mean?”

His hands tighten around me and he seems to hesitate. “It’s um, easier… to sleep when you’re here, sleeping with me.”

My brows furrow at his nervousness, making me sense he’s hiding something. “What are you saying?”

He sighs. “Katniss… there’s no easy way to say this.”

“Spit it out, Peeta.”

He rubs circles on my back in a comforting manner. “You snore.”

I fake-slap him on the back of his head, sitting up. “I do not!”

He holds up a hand in a surrendering gesture, smiling. “You do, unfortunately. Well, not unfortunate for me. The sound helps me sleep.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “You’re lying. I’ve never snored a day in my life.”

“A night in your life.” I roll my eyes. “And you do.”

“My sister and I have had sleepovers my entire life! She’s never once mentioned something like that!”

“Baby,” he reaches out to rub my thigh, and I’m used to the feel of his body on mine, but the new term of endearment makes my eyes widen and my face heat. “I’m sorry she never told you.” He smiles. “But I’m not lying.”

I look at him for a moment too long, then scoff. “Whatever.”

I pretend to be making my way off of the bed, but he wraps his arms around me, “Uh-uh, not so fast, Everdeen.” I giggle while he pulls me to lay flush against his chest, so we’re face to face. His eyes are slightly crossed from looking at me so closely. His eyelashes are so long. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

He sighs in what seems to be contentment. “I really like being around you.”

My heart skips a beat. “I like being around you, too.”

“And I like it when you stay over. It means that my white noise won’t be top five on my Spotify Wrapped for this year.”

I scrunch up my nose. “I don’t know about that one, Mellark. It’s already November.”

He rolls his eyes, “Fine. Then I like it when you stay over because…” he trails off to gesture between the two of us.

And I thought he was so good at words. “Because the sex is great?”

His brows furrow, and his grip on me tightens. “No.” He observes me a second longer before continuing. “I just like who I am when I’m around you. Don’t you feel like that with some people?”

I search his eyes. I feel like that with Annie. “Yes.” With you.

He gives me a soft smile that I match, and then we both lean in for a kiss, slowly. Just when our lips touch, I pull back a centimeter, taunting him. “Peeta?”

“Yeah?” His lips move against mine.

“I don’t snore.” I try to keep a straight face.

He chuckles against me, grabbing the back of my neck to bring me closer. “Whatever you say, baby.”

[sweetpee-ta]

It’s cannon that toastbaby boy is a bit of a mommas boy. Don’t get me wrong, he adores his father, but he clings to katniss most of the time. And peeta doesn’t even mind bc his boy has a loving mother unlike him.

[alloftheimaginesblog]

why can't you see {peeta mellark}

plot: you're peeta's best friend and you've loved him ever since you could remember.

character: peeta mellark x reader

fandom: the hunger games

You sighed as you watched him as his strong arms tensed and flexed as he carried in the sacks of flour for his father. The way he could lift such heavy things without even breaking a slight sweat was impressive, what was even more impressive was that smile. Bright and happy; the exact opposite of everything in District 12.

"Hey, mouse," Peeta grinned, welcoming you as he dumped the bags of flour behind the counter, "What you doing here?" You smiled at the nickname he made for you years and years ago which started when he gave you a fright and you squeaked... like a mouse. Pretty self explanatory. Even now, years later, it still made you smile and sent a flurry of butterflies flying in your stomach.

"I remembered you saying that you were swamped this weekend with baking cakes for the Madge's birthday." Madge was the Mayor's daughter who was the same age as you and Peeta and in the same class too. She was a nice girl, friendly. It was her birthday and her father was sparing no expense. She was throwing a party on Sunday afternoon and the whole class was invited. You and Peeta were going but the order for cupcakes was pretty massive so you decided to come over early Saturday to help.

"You'd help?" Peeta smiled, flashing those big eyes at you, "That would be great, mouse. I'll get everything prepared."

It wasn't uncommon for you to help Peeta's family in the bakery. Usually most weekends you would come help. Peeta's father would always send you home with a fresh loaf of bread in your bag and some pastries for your family. Peeta's mother wasn't aware of the deal you two had but if she asked, Peeta's father would say he burned them or dropped them so they couldn't sell. It also meant that you got to spend more time with Peeta.

You and Peeta had been friends for years - best friends. You spent most of your free time together. Peeta would paint, you would observe or maybe do some writing of your own. He was the nicest person you'd ever met. District 12 didn't have many people like Peeta anymore. District 12 was cold, isolated... sad and so were it's people but not Peeta. Peeta was happy, always seeing the positives and always smiling. He could always make you laugh so who could blame you for falling head over heels in love with him?

You didn't really know when you fell in love with him, maybe you always had been. All you knew was that it was a hopeless cause. Peeta Mellark could never be in love with you for he had forever been in love with Katniss Everdeen.

As the first tray of cupcakes baked in the oven, Peeta began to make the icing. You watched him work, watching as his skilled fingers plucked out the different food colourings to mix the perfect shades of pink, purple and blue.

"Oh," Peeta said, "almost forgot." He wiped his hands on his apron before grabbing a bag from underneath the counter, "From my dad. He," he glanced around, "burned them pretty bad." The two of you shared a secret smile as you dug out two perfectly crisp and baked cheese buns. You inhaled deeply, about to tell Peeta that they were your favourite when he said, "You know, I think Katniss likes these." You stopped, smile falling but quickly caught yourself and smiled, making 'hm?' noise, "Yeah, I made some for Madge's party but some really did get burnt so was selling them dirt cheap and Katniss bought them all... She doesn't ever come in usually but she must love them cause she bought all of them!"

You forced a wide smile, "Amazing, Peeta... Or maybe she just came in to see you?" It killed you to give him hope but you wanted him to be happy even if it wasn't with you. If you got to see him happy then it was all worth it in the end.

Peeta's face lit up, "You- You really think so?" Quickly, his smile fell and hope died, "Nah, I'm- I'm nothing. She wouldn't like me."

"What's not to like?" You asked softly, "You're unlike anyone I've ever met, Peets. You're..." A giant wave of sadness washed over you as you spoke, "You're so kind, always thinking of others. You're so generous and helpful. You would do anything for anyone. You're a great baker so she'd always have lots of treats to eat-" Peeta laughed, "you're handsome, one look at those puppy dog eyes and she'll be weak in the knees."

"You really mean all that?"

"Course I do. Why can't you see yourself the way I see you?" You reached out, wiping flour from his cheek, "You're incredible, Peeta, and if she doesn't see that, it's her damn loss."

"Thanks, mouse," Peeta grinned, wrapping you in a one armed hug. You breathed him in, relishing in his warmth, "I'm so lucky to have a friend like you." You hummed into his shoulder, keeping your fake smile plastered as tears burned at your eyes.

"Yeah..." you whispered, "friend."

[jealousjersey]

promptober day 4: fire - after suriving a fire wth billy

prompt by @/joshfutturman divider by @/plutism

post movie comfort , fluff

AFTER

the fire at the gas station that you and Billy managed to escape, he felt like he was obligated to thank you. He reached out to shake your hand, gratitude evident in his eyes. "Thank you so much for getting me out of there," he said earnestly. You could still feel the heat of the flames on your skin, the adrenaline from the close call coursing through your veins. Billy stood beside you, his expression solemn as he surveyed the damage. It was a miracle that you had all made it out alive. As you looked at the charred remains of the gas station, you couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that everyone was safe. Billy nodded in agreement, his voice filled with emotion as he said, "We're lucky to be alive." You nod and silently agree as the police arrive. Billy sees your shakey hands and takes them in his. The heat radiating off of his hands is comforting in your cold ones. As the paramedics arrived shortly after, checking everyone for injuries and making sure they were all okay. Billy stayed by your side the entire time, providing you with the emotional support you needed. As the adrenaline began to wear off, you felt the weight of what had just happened sink in. But with Billy's warm hand in yours, you knew everything would eventually be okay.

"you're safe" he says softly as he calms your nerves. "You're safe," he repeats softly, his words like a soothing balm to your frazzled mind. The sound of his voice and the warmth of his touch help to ease the lingering fear that still clutches at your heart. You take a deep breath and squeeze his hand in appreciation. Despite the confusion and danger that had just passed, you felt a sense of peace knowing that you were not alone. Billy's persistent presence and comforting words were a reminder that you had him. "thank you" you say softly which he repeats. Billy's warm brown eyes meet yours, filled with empathy and reassurance.

[tearsonthemoons]

Kitchen dancing

Warnings: (none)

Prompt: Peeta’s been home alone all day, and struggling, to say the least. Once you get home to find him distressed, you try and comfort him in one of the few ways you know how.

Pairings: Peeta mellark x reader

As I walked up the path to our quaint cottage, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Peeta's had a rough day and been all alone ever since he was struggling this morning, I knew he needed me to come home. 

I quickened my pace, I was eager to be by his side and hopefully comfort him.

I approached my door, opening it, I heard soft sobs coming from our kitchen. My heart immediately broke, knowing that my usually strong and composed Peeta was in such emotional distress. I just want to hold onto him.

 I softly followed the sound, "Peeta?" I said, only to find him sitting at the kitchen table, his head buried in his hands. I couldn't see him but, I knew he was crying.

Quickly I rushed to his side and wrapped my arms around him, pulling him into my embrace, I tried to hold him gently, all while he was doing the opposite, He clung to me, his body shaking with tears. I waited patiently, waiting for him to say something.

Then, Finally, he lifted his head and looked at me with red, puffy eyes. My heart was aching for him. "I keep remembering." he choked out, his voice was stuttered.

My heart hurt, Peeta will forever be in recovery of his trauma from the capitol, and to know he was alone today only made me feel worse. thinking about how much he probably needed me today, made my heart hurt.

I didn't know what else to do, I could feel his tears soaking my shirt.

I suddenly remembered last night, when we were dancing in our kitchen, his laughter echoing through the kitchen when we did. Maybe I could make him feel better.

I suddenly took his hand in mine and led him to the center of our kitchen. "Dance with me?" I said, trying to distract him from his thoughts.

Peeta looked at me with surprise, as I put on our record from last night. As I jokingly swayed back in his direction, a small smile appeared on his face. I was relieved to see it. He wrapped his arms around my waist, snuggling his head down into the crook of my neck as I slowly rested my head on his, my arms wrapped around him as we swayed to the music playing in the background.

We danced in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the comfort of each other's presence, I was humming the toon in his ear, hopefully the sound brought him a soft comfort. then, Peeta began to meet his eyes to mine. His red tear stained under eyes just stayed glued to mine for a moment as we swayed. He whispered, "I love you." before laying his head back into my shoulder. I used my hand to hold the back of his head gently. 

"I love you most." I said closing my eyes and enjoying him in my arms.

we would get through this together I thought to myself. I would do anything he needed.

we continued to dance, I could feel the tension in Peeta's body slowly melting away, His tears had stopped, he had started moving me at his pace now, giving me soft neck kisses and a few on my cheek as well.

 I knew that the simple act of dancing in our kitchen had helped to heal his wounded heart.

We danced until the music ended, then we just stood there, holding each other close, like a everlasting hug. No matter what day peeta had, he would always have me to hold onto.

"Are you tired?" I said sensing the tiredness from his body movements. "Can we lay together?" he said quietly, hands still wrapped around me. 

"Of course we can." As we headed to bed that night, I could see the relief in Peeta's eyes, I'm just happy to hold him now. I slipped under our cozy blanket, him following me, removing his shirt and pants for comfort. I could only admire him. I scooted closer to him, my hand was on his warm chest, my legs wrapped around his.

"Cozy?" he said putting his arms around my body, and caressing my hands with his other hand. "yes." I said closing my eyes, close to drifting off into deep sleep. 

the nights in our kitchen lingered in my mind, it can heal even the deepest wounds. And I was grateful to have Peeta by my side, dancing through life together.

[ceruleansx]

tipsy | peeta mellark

↳ warnings : mention of being drunk, tipsy/drunk behavior, fluff at end

↳ peeta mellark x reader x best friends to lovers

↳ summary : after a random party, peeta accidentally had more than one drink. after a call from finnick saying that he needs help to put peeta to bed, you leave to help your boyfriend

------------------------------------------------------------

it was a long day, you and peeta had so many meetings with sponsers after the first games. you teo returned back home, with finnick and a few other visiting.

you said your goodbyes to peeta as he left for the party that finnick was hosting.

you wouldve gone, but the day wore you out, and all you wanted to do was stay back and watch tv. you basically had nothing to worry about, since you for sure knew peeta wouldn't act up.

even if he follows what everyone says, he knows what good and bad. plus, you promised him that you two will cuddle once he gets back home.

the thought of him made you miss him, making you wanting to go so badly.

as you thought more, there were 3 loud knocks on your door, pretty aggressively.

"y/n!!" you heard someone yell from the other side. the person sounded like finnick.

you got up, already a nervous face on your look by the tone of his voice. your heartbeat became faster. what if something bad happened to peeta? what if someone got into a fight with him?

you hurled to the door and swung it open.

to your surprise, you say johanna, finnick, and peeta. peetas arm was wrapped around finnicks shoulder as finnick held him up to balance.

peeta's legs were droopy, barely even standing. his face was staring at the floor eyes half open.

"what happened?" you asked.

"got too drunk i think."

"he said he didn't want anyone helping him except for you." johanna chimed in.

even with your nervousness, you still felt flustered at the thought of peeta wanting you instead of everyone else.

"okay um," you walked up to peeta and took his arm away from finnick.

he was still a little tipsy, but managed to stand.

"thanks guys, ill see you tommorrow." you said waving goodbye as you closed the door.

"johanna leave~.. mhbb.. i only want my girl." peeta mumbled.

you slightly gasped at his words. his girl? that was a new one to add to the book.

"let's get you upstairs.." you whispered as you took him and lead him upstairs carefully.

"j-johanna i said no.." he whispered, "i need y-y/n!"

you paused mid stairway and faced him. you grabbed his face with both your hands. he was so warm. he was always warm, something that you never thought would bring you comfort.

"peeta look." you whispered.

he looked up. his eyes widened.

"it's me.."

his smiled softly, making his eyes scrunch up.

"oh.." he whispered, as his face slowly grazed your hair.

"lets get you changed and put to bed, 'kay?" you said softly, taking his soft hand again.

-------------

after him protesting on him putting your shirt himself, you two finally managed to get in bed. your head was on his chest, while his arm drapped around you.

"y/n?" he whispered. you thought he already passed out after being so tired.

"yeah..?"

"thanks for helping me out tonight." he wiggled around getting more comfortable.

"anything for you peeta." you moved your head to look at him. "i'll always be here. i've been doing it for years."

he smiled softly while looking at you.

"i um.." he looked away trying to hide his blush that crept around his face.

he finally looked back.

"you know i love you right?" he whispered even more softer, like thin air.

you looked at him. no one's every actually told you that, like in a romantic way. you had so many things to say, but they somehow didn't come out.

"but not like the friend way, the-" his words by cut off by your lips.

his kiss was just as warm as his touch, now knowing that his kiss is the only kiss you want to feel for the rest of your life. after a couple seconds later, you finally pulled away.

"guess i have that affect huh?" he chuckled softly.

"peeta oh god-" you laughed, but cut off by a more tender and loving kiss.

both of your lips were in sync, it was like they were made for each other. you two pulled away, forheads touching. his hand lifted and allowed his thumb to graze your bottom lip.

"i love you.." you whispered against his thumb.

"i love you too baby."

[joshfutturman]

the golden haired boy & the stars

oneshot - peeta comforts you during your final moments in the games (800 words) pairing - peeta mellark (the hunger games) + reader (gender neutral) warnings: blood, death

shit. night was closing in on the day that seemed to last a lifetime. as your eyes settled on the stars that you knew to be fake, you still found some comfort in that familiar sight. it reminded you of those nights in district twelve, under the constellation-riddled sky - with him.

but those memories were long buried, you couldn't afford to think of them now. those fuzzy warm feelings in your stomach, the way he'd point with that bright-eyed smile and ask questions about the sparkles in the night. because now, you were alone. now, only one of you would make it home. and it had to be him, because how could it ever be you?

when the games had started, you'd ensured that distance was put between the two of you. there was no situation you could be put in that could make you hurt him. it wasn't worth thinking about.

but, as the night closed in on the day that seemed to last a lifetime, your blood was the one soaking into the muddied grass. hand clenching wound, your fingers gripped at the flesh that had been torn at your left side. peeta mellark was nowhere to be seen.

vision growing weaker, your eyelids felt heavy, a warm array of colours dancing behind them. a voice whispered your name. it was quiet at first, gentle, like remembering an embrace. another, this time louder, this time it made you smile. with one more, you slowly let the night sky and those familiar constellations take you.

not yet. something pulled you from that journey, a soft hand on your cheek with the warmth to bring you back to the present. the touch felt desperate, pleading, a thumb brushed across your cheek in a rhythmic pattern. you heard him call out your name.

peeta.

your eyes opened to find him hovering above you, those hazel hues wide through tears. "hey, hey, it's alright." he speaks in a hushed tone as your vision comes back into focus, "you're gonna be alright." and you believe him because peeta mellark never told a lie.

a hand envelops yours over your wound and the coldness seeps from your skin into his. you could feel the slight tremor in his touch as he fought back the sobs that threatened to escape. but all you could do was smile, weakly but still, as you examined his features.

the golden-haired boy whispered, "please don't leave me. . .", with his grip on your wound tightening in a futile attempt to stop the blood. words ran through his mind, all the things he hadn't told you yet, all the things he'd planned to tell you, all the things he'd wished he'd told you before it came to this. how had it come to this?

how had the boy who had admired you from close and afar in district-twelve become the one at your side as you passed? the boy who had sheepishly asked to be your partner in class. the boy who had watched the stars with you after the world became too loud. the boy who had so much to give and now, the only one he wished to give it to - slipping through his fingers.

his eyes stare into yours, afraid to leave them - what if it was the last time? "i'm sorry." he finally muttered after what felt like a lifetime, "i should have stayed with you, tried to protect you. . . i should have told you that-" words cut off with a whimper, peeta rests his head on your chest. the warmth was welcomed. despite your damp surroundings and the length of time it had been since he had been at the bakery, he still held the scent of fresh baked goods, cinnamon and spice. it lingered in your nose and you could have sworn you were back there.

the bakery, where you'd travel every day just to see him. peeta would offer a shy smile through the glass window and you'd wave back. one day, you'd ask him on a date. one day.

the gentle sobs on your chest only served to lull you further, lids closing. you were safe now. it was going to be alright, because peeta was here - it was time to go.

with the rising and falling of your shallow breaths ceasing, his head springs up only to be greeted with your blank stare. ". . .no, nono." peeta mutters, sniffling. "no, please, please it's. . . you can't go. i wanted to. . ." his sentences fail him, over and over. brow furrowed, he lets out soft cries into the night, placing his lips on your forehead with a gentle kiss as he wraps his arms around you. the cannon sounded.

he wouldn't let go. not even when his eyes grew tired and the air grew colder. because how could the boy who had watched the stars with you after the world became too loud let you go? his distant eyes drew upwards towards the constellations. alone, with the world entirely too loud.

[adsosfraser]

always

everlark; post mockingjay; jealous katniss

The roof is leaking. 

The tin bucket rings with the tap tap tap of the evenly spaced droplets. 

The deluge of rain hit hard last night and it has me humming happily, excitement in my chest. 

I’ve always loved thunder. The way it rolls deep within my chest and echoes in the deep old bones of the mountains around us. I would squeal with each clap and reach up to catch it in our Seam home as my daddy smiled from his chipped armchair. We’d play a game of hopping from spot to spot on the floor at each rumble and though his eyes hung in deep dark circles from his shifts in the mines, my father never tired. Then, Prim was born and she was terrified of thunderstorms for a time. 

It’s just one leak in our shiny and spiffy Capitol made home that’s been standing for almost a century now though. Thom and his builders have much more important things on their minds than a tiny leak in our roof. 

Some people still don’t even have roofs. The make-shift canvas of the sturdy tents lining the district hardly constitute roofs. 

When the war began, the Capitol wasn’t quite as invested in the architecture in their dear sweet Victors’ homes. They couldn’t keep up their perfect veneer in District 12 when they obliterated it into the ground. The poor things. 

And besides, a little water didn’t hurt that much. In my father’s home, we had at least ten designated containers to catch the drip of rainfall. 

When I step outside into the morning, the sun is bright and clear in the sky. No trace of the ominous grey and green puffs above remains. The grass is wet and smells of rain. A small trickle of a stream has formed on the gravelly road, opposite our home. At least the geese have been subdued into some semblance of peace because of the storm. 

Peeta had left this morning before the sun even stretched out into the sky. Usually I would already be out in the woods too, or by his side watching him knead dough or wipe sweat off his brow. 

But, I couldn’t settle last night. Even in Peeta’s arms I was restless. And when my eyes finally drooped shut, a nightmare had found me. The giant crash of thunder that split the sky in two in the middle of the night woke me up. In my dreams all I heard were bombs and gunfire. It had reminded me of-

Peeta let me rest in this morning when he heard my grumpy grunt as I shoved my face under the pillows to hide from the sunlight. Not that he let me do anything. But he had gently tucked me back in and left a muffin on my nightstand for when I was ready. 

Part of me wanted to pull him back in by the shirt of his buttoned collar and waste away the day. But even my arms wouldn’t listen to my demands. The bed was so nice and I fell deep into the mattress covered in one of the sheets as Peeta left the fan to run for me. The cinnamon and dill buried deep within the fabric of his side made me feel like I was rocking on a boat, in a lake with gentle rolling waves in my head. 

Besides, we haven't even kissed since he returned to me almost four months ago. At first the chaos of finishing the important parts of the bakery and going through the final touches to get it up and running had us distracted. Now I’m not so sure he wants to kiss me. 

I kick the loose rocks littering my path to the bakery. They skip and hop and fling themselves in the air. One hits another rock and angles itself to launch at someone passing me clear across the street but their back is turned and they don’t even feel it ping off the heel of their boot. I mumble an apology to myself though, and feel the heat of shame caving in on me from every inch of air around me. 

Before I know it, I’m in front of the bakery. It was one of the first buildings up in Twelve. Everytime I see it my heart swells with pride for Peeta. Even though it’s just the bare bones now, I can see its future clear across every brick. The sign hangs proudly over the front. The ‘s’ in Mellark’s is slightly crooked and splotchy because of my shaky hands, but when Peeta began painting it with such excited and reverent hands, he insisted I contribute to at least one part of it. 

Normally, I never enter through the front door of the bakery. The back door has always been home to me in a way. The first time I ever came to the back doorstep, I was sitting tall on my father’s shoulders and happily babbling along to a tune he was singing. He and Mr. Mellark quickly exchanged two squirrels with a respectful nod and I mimicked them which put the trace of a laugh onto the baker’s weathered face.  

Now, I want to surprise Peeta as one of his customers. The bell of the door jingles as I walk through the door. No one mans the front counter so he must be in the back. 

“I’ll be with you shortly.” 

His voice carries through the opening to the room with the ovens and prep tables and my shoulders relax at his calm but steady voice. The way the bakery was built and rebuilt, it’s easy for him to call out to customers without having to yell. My lip twitches up into a soft smile and I pull out one of the chairs dotting the tables around the room. 

His clomping footsteps and another ring of the bell clash together in my mind. I look up to see the new customer, expecting someone from Thom’s crew but I instantly tense up at the sight. 

Her hair is coiled perfectly into ringlets around her face and a big fur coat rests on her shoulders. Her chest is unnaturally large and her bottom even more so. But she’s perfect, right down to her nails. Not a blemish in sight and her blonde hair shines with health and lustre. 

She’s big and pretty.

“Artementia!” 

Peeta’s shout pulls me from my scrutiny of the clearly Capitol woman. His steps are quick as he approaches her and wipes the flour off of his hands onto his apron. 

My head jerks back when he reaches for her across the counter and they embrace. His smile is brilliant and he doesn’t even notice me lurking in the corner. 

“Oh my dear.” They pull back from their hug and that woman kisses both of his cheeks, dangerously close to the corner of his mouth. “It’s been far too long.” 

“It really has Artie.” He squeezes her hand. “How have things been for you?” 

“Well why don’t we go and have lunch together? I’m sure you’ll be having your break soon anyway.” 

“It’s just me today, I’m not sure I can just close up shop for my lunch break.” 

“They can survive without you for an hour I’m sure. Just flip your little sign over and we can go to the opening of that restaurant down the street.” 

Peeta’s head turns to the back, searching a long moment for something. When he turns around, it seems he’s already made up his mind. He lets out a sigh before plastering his smile back on for the woman. 

“Well alright,” His hands work swiftly to unknot the apron around his waist and place it on the counter. “Sure wouldn’t want anyone else to give you the grand tour of our pristine district.” 

She places a hand over her chest and lets out a soft laugh and Peeta’s chest rumbles with a short chuckle. 

They walk over to the door, not even glancing my way as Peeta flips the sign on the door over to ‘closed’ and locks the door. Before the door smacks shut behind them, I shove it open and storm past them in the opposite direction. To the woods. 

The rock in my hand scatters to the ground. 

It was pretty and I thought Peeta would’ve enjoyed its smooth surface and swirling brown rings. 

But maybe now it’s not enough to preoccupy his mind with the pretty blood and flesh woman beside him. 

His head whips back to the loud sound of the slamming door and ping of the rock and I quickly turn my face away from his line of vision. 

“Katniss?” His hopeful voice calls out. But I’m already pushing to round the corner of the rebuilt merchant businesses. “Katniss!” 

He can have fun with his gorgeous Capitol woman on his arm. I don’t care. 

I save the grumbling for later though, my mind focuses on the ground below me as my legs carry me in a spring towards the fence. I duck under my spot in the chain-link and snatch up my bow and arrows. 

After the fifth poor squirrel participates in my very important exercise of letting my feeling’s flow for the day, I climb up a strong and tall tree. I lean into the familiarity of pulling myself up its sprawling branches and swinging my body up and up. Reaching for the sky just as its leaves are. 

Have I really lost my dandelion in the spring already? 

Did the hungry storms of last night, and the contrast of the harsh summer sun this morning already wilt it?

He so easily welcomed that woman’s touch. Someone from the Capitol no less. And he’s barely touched me in months. Save our desperate grip on each other as the terrors of the night take over. 

I will not be sharing a town with the woman Peeta so readily shares himself with. 

Instead of rough bark behind my back, I feel the hard arm of a rocking chair digging into my spine. The room is cosy and safe, like Peeta. I feel the sway of my body with the branches of the tree and hug my knees tight to my chest. 

“This baby takes nothing from you Kitty, my heart just has to grow some more. Like my tummy. That’s all.” 

I relax into her arms, feeling the steady beat of her heart where my head lays. Her stomach is fat, nice and cushy. As fat as anyone in the Seam could ever get. She smells pretty. Like the dirt and plants Daddy lets me dig my grubby little fingers into. I feel the song rattle through my chest as she hums to me. My head gets droopy and I curl further into her. Her hands run through my hair and as she rocks our bodies together on the chair, my head clouds with dreams that I can’t touch yet. But I know they’re there. Happy and warm. 

“I’ll always be right here with you baby.” 

Shivering in the downpour I’ve been caught in, I hum the same tune she soothed me to. Without thinking, my body rocks back and forth on the soaked moss and lichen on the limb closest to the ground. If I let my hand hang limp from my side I could probably brush the tops of the chives sticking out near the base with my fingertips. I don’t remember my journey down from the top of the tree, but it must’ve happened somehow. 

I could be crying. I don’t know. The fat raindrops on my face disguise any that may come. 

But it would be hard to disguise the snot squirming its way out of me. I rub my bare forearm under my nose. 

I do what I do best. 

I run. I hide away. And I sulk. 

It doesn’t matter. 

They all leave. 

Even if they don’t want to, they always do. My father and Prim's choice was made for them. I don’t know what’s worse. To have Peeta’s choice made for him or for him to actively choose that I no longer fit into his life. 

Either way, it’s all unbearable to think about. I gasp in sharp breaths and my chest is tight with the pain and fatigue of it all. I feel like I’ve just run the worst marathon of my life, and I’ve never even gone over five miles when training for the Quell put a stick up Peeta’s ass. 

His clomping footsteps alert me to his presence long before I can see his form through the sheets of rain obscuring my vision. Maybe if I tuck further into myself he won’t notice me sitting on the lowest branch of the tree. 

I was never a lucky person though. 

He approaches me slowly, like I would a skittish animal. I tuck my chin into the safety of my knees. Surely he’ll go away if I ignore him hard enough. 

I feel the air move around me as he swings a leg up and over and brings his body to rest on the same branch as me. It’s not without difficulty though, I know his leg still bothers him and can be cumbersome at times. After a quiet moment of him gathering his balance again, he lifts my chin up with his finger. 

I can feel the tear tracks, dry and crusty against my cheeks and I know I look like a drowned rat, or rather a drowned Buttercup from my little pity party under the torrential rain. 

“Oh, Katniss.” Warmth floods through me, all-consuming and relieving as his thumb traces the skin under my eye. “What’s wrong baby?”

My nose stings again as a fresh wave of fat tears fall from my eyes at the nickname. My lip wobbles and I can’t breathe. I try to answer, but everything comes out as a choked sob. Peeta reaches around to wrap his arm around me, rubbing my back in comforting circles. When I finally get the words out, they’re incomprehensible with my stuttering breath, throat full of tears, and snot muffling everything. To anyone but Peeta, who knows me so well, past the need for language. 

“Why doesn’t she want me anymore?” 

“What brought all of this on sweet girl?” 

“You’re leaving me.” 

“Not real.” 

“Maybe not your arms. But you are. Your heart.” 

“Never Katniss.” 

Fat rain drops fall from his delicate eyelashes, leaving behind them a darker shade of blond from the moisture. 

“You’re right here Katniss.” His steady and warm hands take my hand that’s shivering from the cold. He guides it straight over his chest and the comforting thump of his heart beneath warms me more than his coat he wrapped tightly around me does. I blink at his motions, my mind puzzling and patching them together into an attempt at coherency. 

His other hand reaches towards me and he watches me closely for any sign of apprehension in my eyes. I can’t manage any to bubble up in me at the moment. Tentatively, he presses the pads of his fingers against my own chest, speeding up the beat of my own heart along with his under the firm press the palm of my hand has against it. His fingers straighten until the heel of his own hand is flush against my heart. The soaked fabric of my shirt clings to us both from the water of the rain. 

“And I’m right here.” The pitch of his voice sounds at the edge of a question and a statement. 

It’s not fair to him to be stuck with me though, just because he knows I wouldn’t be able to handle it. He deserves someone good and beautiful. Just like him. 

Not a girl scarred from the fire she wore for pageantry and glory. 

“I’m not pretty enough for you. I’m not big enough.” 

“Sweetheart.” 

“I wasn’t enough.” 

“Katniss.” My name breaks on his tongue; he physically can’t even force the muscles to move again, as if the ache in his chest is agonisingly painful from the blow of my words. I understand now. His heart is broken. Like I shot an arrow through him instead of the truth. Maybe I did, the day I sang to the birds in kindergarten and we’re forever tethered now from the invisible line of bow string to arrowhead. 

“I love you.” 

His beautifully made eyes well with tears, glossing the blue over with his pain. My eyes begin to water again, even after I’ve exhausted myself of the hydration required to sustain them. It’s not hard to feel what a man like Peeta feels for yourself, deep in your bones. 

“I came back for you. Back to twelve. Back to myself.”

“It kills me that you think you’re not enough. I’m so sorry I said those words in 13 to you. I know I’ll never be able to take them back. Or the-” He stares at my throat, where his hands once wove together into a nest of fear and pure hatred and I swallow under his gaze. “But I promise Katniss. I will remind you how beautiful and smart and brave and loving you are every single day. You are perfect for me.” 

“But you don’t want me.” 

“I’ve wanted you that way ever since I’ve understood what it meant.” 

But that doesn’t make sense. His constant distance and the sincerity behind his words clash within my mind. My brow furrows and my face deepens into a scowl.  

“Show me.” 

His eyes drag from their connection with mine, down to my lips. He looks back to me and his eyes widen with an emotion I’m all too familiar with. 

“I’m afraid.” 

“What?” 

“I’m afraid I won’t stop Katniss. They changed me. I don’t want to hurt you.” 

“So don’t stop. You’re my Peeta. No matter what.” 

The kiss is gentle and sweet and I pull my body back against the rough bark, forcing him to lean into me even more. I cradle him between my thighs and smile against his lips. They taste like a fresh burst of blueberries on my tongue and my smile widens at the thought of him sneaking his own fresh muffin from the bakery’s supplies. The way his lips slide against mine, slick with the torrent of rain that assaults us is new and exciting. To consume the very rain itself off of his lip makes my chest flutter at the fact that not even the rain will get the chance to touch him that way so long as I remain in this embrace. 

He shifts slightly against me and I immediately panic at the feel of him in that way. My body stiffens straight under him and he pulls back from my lips with a sheepish grin. 

There’s an apology in his clear eyes but I won’t have that. I speak before his mouth can form the words.  

I blurt out in a pant. “I like kissing you.” 

I tuck my head into his shoulder to hide the blush that crosses my cheeks. But it’s too late. He’s already seen it if the dopey smile on his face is any indication. 

“I like kissing you too.” His lips find the small space of skin by my hairline that isn’t hidden. 

I scoot closer to him and burrow into his chest. 

And that motion was a big mistake. Or maybe the best mistake I’ve made today.

We both carreen down into the cushion of soft grass below us when I push Peeta off-balance. A giggle bursts from my mouth unbidden as I land mostly on top of him. His body bears the brunt of the fall but he seems completely fine and a goofy grin crosses his face. He leans up to me and my heart flutters when he pulls me in for another short, sweet kiss. I nestle my knees around his hips and pull back from him with a smile. 

I reach my hand to his ear and tuck a wisp of blond back behind his ear. The kisses and our proximity have made me bolder. Bold enough to interrogate him. “What is your little blonde girlfriend going to think about this?” 

He sits up to bring his upper body off the damp ground and my body follows him. 

“Who?” 

I roll my eyes at him. I hold a hand to my chest and bat my eyelashes at him. “Oh Peeta it’s been far too long.” 

“So that’s what this was all about. You were jealous?” 

“No.” I scowl, crossing my arms tight over my chest. 

“Katniss, she’s old enough to be our mother. Maybe even our grandmother.”

“Hmm.” My eyebrow twitches. “Maybe you’re into that sort of thing.” 

He wraps his arms tighter around my waist, deliberately lower than where they were last time. He looks into my eyes for any sign that he’s gone too far but I won’t give him any. With a light pressure, he squeezes my backside tentatively with a wolfish grin, as if he’s just gotten away with stealing the last cookie from the cookie jar. 

“What I’m into is what I have my hands full of right now.” 

“But seriously Katniss, she saved us from the bombing in the Capitol after I tried to drag you away. She visited us both but I was the only one awake when she did.” His eyes are tender as he brushes a sopping wet piece of hair off of my collarbone. “It’s only ever been you my darling girl.” 

“And it only ever will be?” 

“Always.”

[notsocooljess]

dreaming of conversations we'll have tomorrow

hi there! i have finally finished this one-shot i've been working on for way too many months it's inspired by apartment by modern baseball (you can listen before without spoilers!) i hope you like it! :)

“Dude! Are you almost ready or what?” Finnick yelled up the stairs of their shared house.

“Just putting my shoes on,” Peeta mumbled in response.

Peeta wasn’t really in the mood to go out. He had a hellish week: a twenty-page midterm paper, a three-hour exam, and a painting for his art elective (which his professor swore wouldn’t take him more than three hours to complete, but his perfectionist tendencies made it take closer to ten) all due within a span of two days. Peeta would’ve preferred to just crash on the couch and catch up on the last few weeks of Abbott Elementary episodes he’d missed, but Finnick was invited to a party at Annie’s apartment. Finnick had gone on a handful of dates with Annie, and he wanted to impress her, so he insisted Peeta and their friends come to help him do so.

“And who else are you forcing to come?” Peeta asked Finnick when he was first told of his new Friday night plans.

“Thresh and Marvel,” Finnick replied, mentioning two of their roommates, “Thresh is the brauns, Marvel’s the brains, and you’re the funny guy. A perfect group to show me off.”

“So what are you?”

“The triple threat, obviously. Throw in a dash of charm and a whole lotta good looks and here I am,” Finnick finished with his award-winning smile.

“Interesting. Sounds to me like you don’t really need us then.”

“And I’m buying all of your guys’ beer, so you can’t complain.” Peeta let out a relenting sigh, and Finnick responded with a triumphant slap on the back.

Now, with exhaustion looming over him, Peeta really wished he had the personality of a dead slug. Then, maybe, he’d get to stay home like their roommate Cato, who couldn’t be trusted to help anyone make any sort of positive introduction.

Despite Peeta’s need for sleep, the walk to the party wasn’t too brutal. The crisp autumn air felt nice on his skin, and the sky was so clear that the stars helped illuminate their path. 

“Look alive, boys,” Finnick jeered as they approached the apartment, the top floor of a run-down duplex. He shot Peeta a quick look that indicated he was doing anything but. Peeta scrubbed his hand down his face to wipe away the tiredness etched into his features. 

Keep reading here :)

[sincere1ystar]

my masterlist 🧸

the hunger games + billy the kid (2022)

🎀 requests are open!! (sfw only) 🎀

──────────────────────

The Hunger Games

• Finnick Odair •

Light of my Life

Finnick brings the light back into your life (comfort + fluff)

Sleepy Hellos

late night conversations with Finnick (fluff)

Almost

you two almost have it all but then life changes its plans (angst)

Broken Promises (part 1) , part 2

Finnick comes home late to you after promising he’ll be on time for once (angst?? + hurt part 1, comfort part 2)

Seashore Sweetheart , part 2

sailor Finnick x mermaid reader au (fluff)

Flower Crowns

Making flower crowns with Finnick (fluff)

──────────────────────

• Peeta Mellark•

Hair Braiding

everlark domestic au where their daughter asks peeta to braid her hair (fluff)

──────────────────────

Billy the Kid (2022)

Midnight Miracles

Because of his reputation and the townspeople judgemental words on your relationship, you and Billy can only love freely during the night