Help Me Make it Through the Night (Everlark Fanfic)

Chapter 16: In Our Own Time

Peeta's POV

Katniss leaves and I can't help but regret that she has to go. How did I get this lucky. I turn over, laying on my stomach, and pick up my medallion. I open it and take out her letter. I read it over and over. I can't believe she would give this to me. To promise me something she never wanted.

I finally decide to give up on going back to sleep and go down the stairs. I make my way to the kitchen and begin breakfast for us. When it's almost done, I hear a knock at the door. This doesn't make sense. Katniss never knocks.

I open the door to see Thom holding an unconscious Katniss.

"What happened?" I ask, shaking.

"I don't know.I found her half frozen in the meadow." he tells me.

"Is she okay?" I ask terrified

"I think so. You'll have to have a look yourself. I saw Greasy Sae go next door. If there is anything wrong I'm sure she can help you." Thom says, carefully caring her over and laying her down on the sofa.

"You proposed didn't ya?" he says looking over at me as he begins to walk over to leave.

"How did you know?" I ask.

"Well your more worried than her mother. Plus there's a ring on her finger." he laughs and with that he leaves.

I go back over to her and look to see if she is injured in anyway. She isn't visibly injured so I quickly go over and make a fire. Once it is lit, I turn of the stove and take our breakfast off. I go back into the living room to find her still asleep. I carefully remove her boots and coat. Her socks are soaked and I remove them and start to try to rub warmth into them again.

This reminds me of when we were in the cave in our first hunger games. After she risked her life to save mine. I wrap her in a blanket and kiss her cheek. I'm about to leave when she begins to stir.

"Peeta?" she says, opening her eyes looking confused," Peeta how did I get home?"

"Thom carried you from the meadow. Do you remember why you were there?" I ask her.

"I'm not sure. I think I was heading out hunting and decided to visit Prim. I wanted to tell her that we're getting married. I must have got upset and had a black out." she says sounding embarrassed. Black out? As in she blacked out from the memories? This worries me.

"Do you black out often?" I ask her.

"No, this was first one since before you came back." She replies.

"Well that's good." I say.

"Yeah." she says.

"I'm gonna go make us dinner. Why don't you try and sleep until its ready. I'll wake you up then." I tell her, kissing her cheek.

"I will thanks." she says pulling me down and kissing me short and passionately.

I go into the kitchen to find our uneaten breakfast. It's no good now so I take it out back and throw it over the fence. Katniss likes that we do this. It helps the animals in the woods during to winter. As I'm about to go back inside, I hear a voice call out to me.

"Peeta, how have you two love birds been doing?" Haymitch yells to me.

"Good and bad I guess." I tell him.

"What do you mean?" he asks, puzzled.

"Well I asked her to marry me yesterday and she said yes." I tell him.

"Wow well that took you long enough. I'm sure you both are happy about that. What's the trouble then?" He asks.

"She went to the meadow today, to tell Prim and she kinda blacked out from the grief. Thom found her, thank God but what if no one finds her next time." I tell him. He just sighs.

"Look Peeta, that girl is stronger then she looks, but that doesn't mean she's not damaged. She had one of those everyday before you came back. You've both obviously healed each other quite a bit." he tells me.

"But I'm scared of what might happen if she's not found after one." I say.

"Maybe you should try to go out with her when she goes to the meadow or other places she might black out. You can protect her if you know how." he says.

"Thanks Haymitch, I'll try and take that advice." I say. As I walk away I hear him laughing as he calls after me.

"Be careful with that one Peeta. She might not like my advice." he laughs.

I go back into the house and begin to cook up some venison burgers. When they are finished I turn off the stove and go to wake Katniss.

"Hey beautiful, you hungry?" I ask when she opens her eyes.

"Yeah a little." she says.

"Well lets go then." I say picking her up. She giggles and wraps her arms around my neck. I set her down on a chair and she kisses my cheek.

"Oh Peeta." she sighs, "What am I going to do with you."

"I don't know. Marry me?" I say and we both start laughing. I go out to get our food. When I come back we sit down and we eat in a comfortable silence. When we are done its almost time for us to go to bed. I change into a pair of lounging pants and go into our bed room to find Katniss in a pair of shorts and one of my old T-shirts. I sit down on the bed and am about to curl up with her when she asks me a question.

"Peeta, when do you want to get married?" she asks.

"Well I'd marry you tomorrow if I could but I know you don't want to do that. Why do you have an idea?" I ask her.

"I was thinking maybe June 21st. You know first day of summer, longest day of the year. Plus we'd both be 18 by then and I kind of want to be at least considered an adult by law before we are married." She says.

"That's fine with me. If that's what you want that's what will happen." I tell her.

"Really, you'd wait for me that long?" she asks me.

"Of course Katniss. I've waited twelve years for you, I can wait six more months." I say kissing her. She kisses me back, filling me with the burning feeling of love for her. I want more but she doesn't want to until we get married and I respect her for that. We cuddle each other and I softly kiss her forehead as she lays on my chest.

"I love you Peeta." She says.

"I love you too, Katniss." I reply. And my last thoughts are about how lucky I am to have her as sleep pulls me into its peaceful dreams.

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Sorry it took so long. I was unpacking stuff in my room. Had fun diving into stuffed animals. I'm gonna be in the house by next weekend so might be able to write more sometime then. 1.0k reads you all are awesome and I will try to get you more Everlark as soon as I can. Sorry for the wait and I'm gonna warn you that it may be a little while before I get Internet so I may not update right away. but I'm still thinking of you and I love all of you especially those of you who put me on their reading lists. You gave me this success.

Love y'all

-Kayla