Hold On

Chapter 6

Song - The Diary of Jane by Breaking Benjamin
(Peeta's pov)

I awake from my horrible slumber, I hear an announcement but I can barely hear it because of the lack of frequencies. All I can hear is a deep rumble. My hearing slowly comes back to hear her.. I hear.. Katniss. Shit! Katniss!

I quickly open my eyes but find myself too weak to move as well as roots and other things keeping me tied to the ground. She is yelling for me. Wait why..? She probably wants to kill me for what I did.. and I'm just foolish enough to come to her if she ever called. I can never deny Katniss Everdeen. But I can't move.. if I could I'd be by her side in a millisecond.

"Peeta!" She calls. But then as quick as it was called, it was gone. I hear a splash near me. I look in the direction of the noise and smile but it's quickly replaced by a slight frown, maybe she is here to kill me. Hell, right now I'd be grateful.

"You here to finish me off, sweetheart?" I say with a raspy chuckle. I didn't know my own voice could sound so hoarse and gravelly. I cough slightly, my throat is so damn dry but I can still taste iron in my mouth. I watch her whip around and look around for the source of the sound.

"Peeta?" She whispers and looks around. "Where are you?" She asks, she probably thinks she's going crazy.

"Peeta?" She asks again.

"Well, don't step on me." I laugh softly. She gasps softly as she kneels down beside me. "Close your eyes again" she orders. And as a loyal soul I comply. Again I can never deny Katniss Everdeen. "I guess all of those hours decorating cakes paid off" she smiles.

I chuckle weakly. "Yes, frosting. The final defense of the dying" I tease.

"You're not going to die" she says rather firmly. Like she's so sure.

"Says who?" I ask softly but it comes out raspy. I slowly close my eyes.

"Says me. We're a team now, you know"

I open my eyes and look at her. "Yeah.. I heard.."

She asks if Cato cut me. Among other things but I only nod and whisper "Yeah.. left leg. Up high"

"Let's get you in the stream, wash you off so I can see your wounds"

"Lean down a minute first." I whisper before quickly adding "need to tell you something."

She leans down and I only can smirk. "Remember, we're madly in love, so it's alright to kiss me anytime you feel like it" she moves away quickly and laughs. I smile. God I love her laugh.

"Thanks, I'll keep it in mind" she says before looking around to see how she could get me out. "I can't move.." I whisper.

She nods and tries to drag me to the stream, soon the roots that have attached themselves to me and the mud caked on me, releases it's hold on me and she gets me free. I am trying so damn hard to stay quiet, I bite my tongue then switch to my cheek until I feel blood coat my tongue.

I grit my teeth as she gets me closer to the stream. I cry out in pain as my bad leg scrapes against a rock. I didn't realize that I was crying until I feel the tears roll down my cheeks.

She warns me that she has to roll me into the stream but she quickly tells me that it's shallow.

I nod and whisper "excellent" before she moves beside me and before I know it she keeps on pushing me til I'm in the water. I let out a few cries of pain before she gets me to the edge of the stream.

"Okay change of plans. I'm not going to put you all the way in" she mutters mostly to herself.

I smile. Good. No more rolling. She starts pouring water on me until she finds my clothes. As she does this, I chuckle "Katniss.. forget it.. your wasting your time and energy..." I inhale softly and try to regain my focus. "forget it. Just shoot me.." I whisper as I exhale. She shook her head sternly. "No. You're fine. I am fine. We are going home, Peeta. Don't say things like that" she growls out.