#FROMORBITS βΈ» β π’ππ'ππ ππ πππππππ . . . now you're a seasoned traveler. this is just the return leg of a voyage you already know. β
౨ৠ               sometimes i write. most of the time i think about writing.
Katniss Everdeen says Peeta wanted kids. I say Katniss Everdeen is a dirty little liar who spent three books projecting baby fever onto the softest man alive while denying it so hard she almost gaslit herself.
And because I'm tired of arguing that Peeta didn't force Katniss to have kids, here's my probable version of what went down:
baby fever, but make it apocalyptic β everlark
it starts when delly has a baby
and katniss gets to hold it and it squeaks
her uterus literally tingles
cue immediate panic
she hands it back like it burned her
and then she immediately goes outside to shoot at squirrels until the feeling goes away
exceptβ
(it doesn't really go away)
the next two weeks are a torture
"not everyone deserves to be a parent"
"what if they cry a lot"
"what if they're angry like me"
"what if they're allergic to bread"
"what if our child hates me"
"what if our child hates peeta"
no
no one can hate peeta
"but what ifβ"
it's exhausting
she steers clear of delly and her spawn the next few days
it doesn't work
her nightmares take a strange turn
she sees herself carrying a baby through the woods as she hunts
the baby giggles
another baby sits on the kitchen counter
with peeta's eyes and peeta's face
in matching aprons as peeta
and ughβ
she almost misses the mutts
anyway, she reorganizes the pantry
alphabetizes the herbs
knits something she insists is a herb pouch
but it's suspiciously baby-sized
eventually, it gets too much
and peeta is not helping
he's holding delly's baby when she visits him at the bakery
the baby is laughing
well, fuck
her whole resolve crumbles
he's making bread
she blurts, "your forearms are nice"
"thanks?"
"mm, they would be good for carrying things"
peeta raises a brow
"heavy thingsβ like... sacks"
"sacks."
"orβ like, baskets."
katniss is embarassed
peeta is visibly confused
and haymitchβ
haymitch is dying of laughter
"did you know babies can't see color for weeks?"
"katniss."
"i just wanted to share a fact."
"katniss."
"it didn't mean anything. shut up."
and then she starts knitting a tiny hat
βis that for dellyβs baby?β
"no."
"a friendβs baby?β
"no.β
"...katniss.β
peeta has suspicions
and they're confirmed when he finds her journal open to a page
titled: NAMES FOR HYPOTHETICAL BABY
Ember
Rue Rue β€
Bread Jr.
NOT GALE
it ends like thisβ
Peeta, eventually: βDo you want to have kiββ
βYESβ
βi didnβt even finish the wordβ
"i mean... i will if I have to, if you want too much... i mean i want to if you want to, i meanβ because i love you so much."
βare you sure?β
βare you sure?β
"uh huhβ
oh.
katniss blinks
"waitβ that's it?"
"katniss, i've been waiting for you to stop glitching long enough to bring it up.β
she punches his arm
he laughs
haymitch starts prepping a baby-proof survival kit
no one dares ask what's in it
nine months laterβ
the baby is just as beautiful as she imagined
good thing peeta convinced her to have babies, really
i know it's exaggerated for comedy purposes but this is really not that far from the course of events i imagine happenedβ katniss is an expert at gaslighting herself after allβ and I hope you liked it.
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