DANGEROUS WOMAN || THE HUNGER GAMES ²

12.

"PEETA'S AT THE WEDDING..."

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Standing outside of Peeta's door, Boggs gives me a weary smile as I look at him. He had given me a small insight on Peeta, saying that he was hellbent on Katniss being a mutt. That the Capitol was safe, and that everyone around him was out to kill him; but after some talking from Prim, he was a little more relaxed. The last I had seen of Peeta was the night that me and Finnick reunited, which had to be at least a few weeks ago. It was hard to tell, when the days blurred by.

I hadn't heard anything about him, but I only assumed that Coin or my doctor's may have had something to do with that. Possibly not wanting me to be distracted, or for me to put myself aside and focus on Peeta. It was kind and smart of them, but still Peeta and Johanna went through the same things I did; they were the only two that understood my pain, who saw me breakdown. I need that assurance that they were safe and well.

"Are you sure you want to talk to him?" Boggs asks, making me smile softly at his worry.

"Yeah. We went through the same things. I know how he is feeling." I said, wiping away the sweat on my hands.

"Alright, I'll be at the door. Call for me if it gets too overwhelming." He said, typing in a code on the keypad.

"Thank you, Boggs." I said, as the door buzzes open.

"No problem, Miss.Grey." He said, with a hint of a smile on his lips.

Taking a shaky breath, I prepared for the worst case scenario which only made me more nervous than ever. Taking a deep breath, I shake my hands to rid myself of all the nerves in my body. Patting me on the back, I walk into the room listening to everything around me. The sounds of someone tossing and turning on a bed fill my ears.

Freezing for a second, I remind myself that this was Peeta; the same Peeta that was kind to me. The Peeta that preferred to talk issues out that resort to violence. Walking further in the room, the sounds of struggling come to a halt making the hairs on my arm raise.

"Peeta?" I call out, swallowing my fear.

Cautiously approaching the bed, Peeta looks up and instantly relaxes; making me feel slightly better. Offering him a smile, he gives me a happy one back. Glancing down at his wrist, they were a nasty mix of red and purple; leading me to guess he had been doing this for a while.

His eyes were bloodshot from what I had to guess was nightmares or restless nights. He had put on some of the weight he lost, but was still very skinny. The bruises on his cheeks were now fading, and the small cuts that littered the side of his face were now scabs. He appeared to be better for the most part, but he still had that haunted look in his.

"Hi Peeta." I said, keeping my voice soft to not show my disgust at the sight of his bruising wrists.

"Athena! I missed you!" He chirps, with an excited smile.

"I missed you too, Peeta. How are you?" I ask, smiling back at him.

"I⎯I think I'm okay. It hurts⎯sometimes." He said, making my smile falter.

"I know. It hurts for me sometimes. What did the doctor's say? Anything good?" I ask, brushing over the mention of night terrors from our stay in the Capitol.

"Yeah! Dr.Martin said that I can eat with everyone now. I'll have to be cuffed." He said, his smile falling at the mention of cuffs.

"That's a start!" I said, trying to cheer him up.

"Yeah⎯I don't know if I can see her, tho." He said, making me frown; he was now referring to Katniss as 'her'.

"That's okay. Remember to take it slow." I said, giving him a comforting smile.

"I will." He said, looking down.

Drifting into a silence, I slowly approach the side of the bed closing the large gap between us. Sitting next to him, I glanced at his hand and hesitantly reached out to touch it when he held his hand out. Gently brushing my hand against the bruises, he hiss making my eyes water. The skin was sensitive, I wonder how bad it truly was with the cuffs removed.

"It hurt?" I ask, looking up at him.

"Kinda, I don't like them. They hurt when I move." He said, tugging his hand away from mine.

"You want me to ask them to remove it? To get them to remove them for an hour." I ask, hoping that Boggs was listening in on our conversation.

"I don't want trouble." He whispers, chewing on his bottom lip.

"It won't be. It would be good for you, Peeta." I said, trying to convince him.

"How?" He asks, almost like a child would.

"It can be a start. If they give you an hour without the cuffs and build up the time⎯it can get to the point where you can be around her and not wear the cuffs. Where you can be in control.." I said, making him smile bashfully.

"Okay..." He whispers, tapping his finger on the blanket.

"Okay.." I said, nudging him with a smile.

Smiling at me softly, he nudges me back before hissing in pain as his wrists rub against the plastic restraints harshly. Tensing up at the sight, I held back the urge to rip them off with my bare hands.The fact that they blocked and heavily monitored his contact was fair enough; Peeta could hurt himself or other. But keeping him chained to the bed for god knows how long? It was borderline Capitol level of fucked up.

"Athena?" He asks, his voice low and soft.

"Yes Peeta." I said, taking a deep breath to calm the brewing tears.

"Why are you here? Why? I know it hurt you. I know that seeing me like this hurts. Why?" He whispers, making a teardrop.

"Because I do want to see you, I need to know that you are doing well⎯and I wanted to talk." I said,

"What about?" He asks, shifting slightly.

"Um⎯Something is coming up, Peeta." I said, trying to find the rights words to say.

"Are you okay? Did Finnick do something to you?" He asks, making her shake my head.

"No⎯No⎯No. It's⎯I wanna keep it a surprise. I wanna tell everyone after we plan out the basics. God⎯Why is it so hard to say?" I said, cursing myself for making this so much harder than it had to be.

"Um⎯Just know that it's something big and personal for me. And you are a friend. And I want you to be there with me, that is if you want to be. I'm dragging on, aren't I? Right⎯the point is that I want you to be there with me, is that okay with you?" I ramble on, as his lips quirk up into a small smile; before he nods.

+++++

And I am done with the chapter! Stay safe out there guys!

I hope you all are doing okay emotionally and physically in quarantine! I love you all!

I hope that you are enjoying the book so far! A quick reminder to comment below about the story of what you think so far!

LITTLE NOTE!

Okay so with the wedding chapter coming up soon...I've been asked by my Editor (Ghost) and some people in the DM's, if I would write smut or lemon...The answer is NO! 

I'm sorry if you were looking forward to it, but it just makes me cringe and feel gross. I really did try to do it..but me and my editor (Ghost) both shut our laptop's from disgust...It just makes me feel gross, and my editor (Ghost) is ace so...none of us know where to start...and it just feels wrong...

Once again..I'm sorry..