Cabin Fever
Author: @evestedic
Prompt: hi friends! I would love to request a little birthday drabble for my birthday in August: my prompt is Katniss and Peeta painting on each other (or one on the other) post Mockingjay … soft (and cheeky/sensual, if you want!) and full of summer air and beautiful colors … bonus points if you set it a cottage in the woods somehow and bonus bonus points if you set it at night! … but honestly, wherever the muses lead you ☺️ [submitted by @rosegardeninwinter]
Rating: T+
Summary: Peeta reminisces about the time where, for the first time, Katniss shared with him a very special place to her, the times they spent in there and how it would, undeniably, change their lives forever.
Cover: by @kireikoami (Thank you so much!)
Author’s note: I hope I made it justice and I wish you a very happy birthday ^o^!
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The days seemed to be longer for at least a couple of weeks, and Peeta started to feel the need to sleep without a shirt, in addition to the open window. That could only mean one thing.
Trekking trip.
Katniss and Peeta had started the tradition more than a decade ago. At first, Peeta noticed how she would take several full days outside the house. She would tell him, of course, that she was planning on going to the woods and not to wait for her. Peeta would simply put more bread, cookies, cheese, milk, and cheese buns in her bag and wish her a good hunt. Katniss would faintly smile and say goodbye.
Then, after three or so years of this, Katniss asked Peeta if he would like to come with her. Peeta hesitated at first, for he knew there was no way she would be able to hunt peacefully with him beside her. He hadn’t been the greatest with his two good legs; now there was simply no hope for him with his prosthetic. Katniss quickly told him it wasn’t about the hunting, so Peeta went to bed, rose early, and prepared everything for a full day out, even some pain medicine, for he wasn’t planning on slowing Katniss down.
Thankfully, all of his preparations were useful as after two hours of walking, Katniss had stopped only one time. She always asked if he was feeling okay, if he needed to rest, but no more than necessary. Katniss understood Peeta despised feeling like a cripple, and Peeta was thankful because the last thing she would ever do was feel pity towards him.
Half an hour ahead and Peeta was speechless. He knew about this place; Katniss had told him about it. In hushed whispers in darkness, when the rain hit the ground and made the earth smell rich and strong, she would open up about her father, about the man he was and how much she still missed him, about the trips they would take into the woods to a small cabin with a lake beside it, their special place, now Katniss’ sacred place.
“This…” He couldn’t actually articulate more.
“The water is warm a bit before midday and for a couple more hours after that. There’s a tent in the cabin and we can eat near the field.” It was all she said, but Peeta got her. Katniss was sharing something so big with him, so intimate that he actually felt humbled.
The place was something the Capitol couldn’t even dream of replicating, even in its prime. It looked fierce, wild and natural, much like Katniss was.
True to her word, they extended a blanket under a huge tree that provided lots of shade and sat down to eat. They didn’t talk, however Peeta took out his sketchbook and pencils and started sketching everything he was seeing around him. Eventually, Katniss stood up and went to a different tree, shooting simply for sport, and Peeta turned the page to portray the strength emanating from Katniss’ stance.
It was a quiet day, a fun day, a ‘them’ day, and later that night, Peeta asked her if they could make some modifications to the cabin. Katniss looked miffed at first, but he begged her to listen. After stating his ideas and actually putting them down on paper, she started to see his plans didn’t involve changing or invading her space but improving it and maintaining it for future years.
Katniss agreed.
They started that same first year with small repairs and making plans for the next summer. It would’ve been impossible for Peeta to follow her into the woods with the prosthetic in the dead of winter; either way, Katniss said even she wouldn’t stay out there with the huge amount of snow that fell in the season.
It was tacit that this would remain between only them, so when Haymitch asked why they were suddenly asking for so many tools and implements, Peeta shrugged and Katniss glared. Their ex-mentor didn’t ask anything more and returned to his geese.
Each summer they went back and added or changed something in the cabin, making it a bit more homey, more livable.
After the third year, they stayed for a weekend.
After the fifth year, they stayed for a week.
Peeta was the happiest when ‘cabin time’ approached. They could truly be them whenever they were there. Katniss would completely let down her guard, diving into the lake and emerging with a beautiful smile on her lips, a water nymph to Peeta’s eyes; she would even hum or sing if she was feeling particularly relaxed.
Of course, making love to her under the shade of their tree was also a favorite part of the trip. Here, they didn’t have to be cautious or mindful of Haymitch or worry about being overheard and later teased by him, being asked to at least close the window on ‘those nights’, no.
Here, Peeta felt as if they were the only two human beings left in the world, and maybe Katniss felt it, too, for she didn’t hold back at all during those few days they had together. She would open up to him, body and soul, readily receiving him inside of her; or she would take charge and sit atop him and slowly ride as the sun moved around them.
Peeta knew people praised him for his words, that Haymitch and Plutarch had wanted him to be the true spokesperson of the rebellion while Katniss was the face, all because of his quick wit and manner of speech, but it was during these moments when Katniss and he reached their peaks and finally returned from there breathless, panting and satiated, that he wished he had the perfect words to write her a poem or a song.
He remembered reading somewhere about a goddess who carried a bow and an arrow; he managed to see a painting during his time in the Capitol. In it, the huntress’s torso was uncovered, but the motif wasn’t a lewd one; on the contrary, she looked calm and at ease with her dress disheveled, walking through a field. Katniss looked much like that right now, for they hadn’t had time to totally rid her of her dress, and it hung low on her waist. Katniss’ most gorgeous look, for Peeta, was when she opened her eyes after reaching an orgasm between his arms. She would give him this soft look, this tender smile, these barely-there touches…She was still pure. How did she manage it? He didn’t know and had stopped wondering after a few years, but even if she didn’t believe it, for Peeta, Katniss’ purest feature was her heart. The reminder that she had willingly given it to him almost always brought tears to his eyes, but by now, he already knew to hug her close and breathe in her scent in order to calm down and not to make her worry, to simply enjoy and bask in the feeling of being free.
Although, who was he kidding? He may be free of the Capitol, but he was Katniss’ slave, whether she knew it, liked it, acknowledged it, or not. He had almost died for her once, and he would do it again.
“Hey, you okay?” Her voice next to him pulled him from his thoughts. They now slept together every night; whether it be her nightmares or his, they could handle it better when the other was near.
“Yes, I was just thinking about our next trip to the cabin.”
She hummed and stretched. “You’re right; the weather is changing. Is there anything we need for this summer?”
“We’ll have to make a one day trip to check on possible repairs. Last winter was brutal. But if all is good, then we can go at the end of the month.”
Katniss looked at him and moved her head a bit, and Peeta flopped back on the bed, adjusting his weight then pulling her to him.
Today could be a stay in bed day.
°•. ✿ .•°
No repairs were needed, thankfully, and Katniss and Peeta got ready for their week away.
“You two realize that if something happens to either of you out there, there’s no way we will know where to look for the bodies, right?” Haymitch said as they geared up on their porch that morning.
“That won’t happen,” Katniss told him.
“And even if it did, you already know to call Katniss’ mom, and she’ll know what to do.” Peeta added.
“And, pray tell, why can’t I simply know where you are going?”
“Because you’re impossibly annoying and wouldn’t stop bothering us for years to come, Haymitch,” Katniss said in a flat, no-nonsense voice.
“That hurts, sweetheart. I’ve always looked out for you.”
Katniss rolled her eyes and started walking while Peeta offered Haymitch a hand salute and followed his…girl?
That was something neither had taken the time to define. They were everything to each other, at least Peeta thought so, but he wouldn’t call Katniss his girlfriend; that was too juvenile. He also couldn’t call her his wife, for they hadn’t toasted or made any promises in that aspect; plus, he knew how Katniss felt about the whole idea, even if they spent almost every day together and did everything a couple would. Peeta wasn’t in a hurry to have a label; for him, it was more than enough to be able to share his life next to the woman he loved and cherished.
After a few hours, they reached their safe haven and started to unpack. The cabin was no longer a forgotten space with a tent for when the wind picked up. They now would walk into their second home and see furniture, a mattress, and clothes. Peeta kept some painting implements here, and Katniss stored her handmade arrows and a bow, too. Peeta had even managed to fix the old wood-burning, steel stove that was in the middle of the room. How Harland Everdeen had managed to drag such a heavy monstrosity out here, they would never know, but they were grateful. On the chilly nights, the stove would provide all the heat they needed as they laid in front of it.
“Plans?” Peeta asked Katniss once they had settled in.
“A swim. I’m all sweaty, and I really want to freshen up.” Katniss was tying up her hair in a bun while she spoke.
“I’ll just sit and sketch something for now; go enjoy your swim.”
Katniss nodded and deposited a small peck on his lips, which left Peeta a bit surprised. Not that they didn’t do far more than kiss, but it wasn’t usual for her to demonstrate it so freely.
Who was he to complain, though?
Peeta finished the sketch and set out to chop some wood to have for later‒best to get to it as soon as possible. When the sun started to go down, he went back inside and found Katniss placing the fruit and other supplies they’d brought for the weekend on the wood shelves she had carved and put together so many years ago.
“Now you’re all sweaty,” she said in greeting.
“Yeah, I was thinking of taking a quick dip and then coming back to eat something.”
“Go, I’ll fix something while you’re out.”
With a smile, Peeta went outside and shed his clothes, not worrying about being seen by anyone but a roaming wild animal. They’d been lucky enough not to come across a bear or something as big as that, mostly elks and rabbits, but even those steered clear of this part of the woods as they could probably sense the difference in the air, the presence of invaders in their terrain.
“Tough luck, fellas.” With a final laugh, he dove into the lake.
°•. ✿ .•°
It was very late already, the moon’s vibrant shine seeping through the windows, but both Katniss and Peeta were still up. She was reviewing the Memory Book, and he was painting on a canvas.
“What do you think they used to paint their skin?” Katniss suddenly asked, and Peeta stopped. It was incredibly rare for her to want to think about anything Capitol-related; she must have gone through a chapter on their prep team or something.
“I’m not sure. I know it was dye, but I don’t know what kind. It made it possible for them to shower and never lose the hue, at least from what I remember.”
“They couldn’t even leave paint alone.” Katniss’ eyes seemed to suggest she was thinking about the past, so Peeta tried to draw her out of that train of thought.
“Though I can see the appeal-”
“Are you kidding me? Purple skin with green stripes? Or orange like Effie’s hair?”
“Oh, God, no.” He groaned but smiled. “I mean that I understand the appeal of having some art on your skin. Like what Cressida had. Those vines and leaves, they looked beautiful on her.”
“…you think?”
“Yeah. And, if I were to use this paint, I could even do something on me for a night and then erase it the next day. Wouldn’t that be fun? Having a different pattern on you whenever you feel like it.”
“Not like we’re all artists, Peeta.”
“I’m not saying that- Come here.”
“What?”
“Just come.” He extended his hand and moved his fingers, beckoning. “Quickly, come.” Katniss huffed but left her spot and went to Peeta. “Now, give me your arm. I promise you can have it back soon.” Katniss acquiesced, and seconds later she felt a brush on the back of her hand. She couldn’t actually see what he was doing, but she could feel the gentle strokes of the brush.
“There, now, how do you like that?”
Katniss inspected her hand, which now displayed a beautiful pink flower with a bit of white in it. As much as she would’ve liked to deny it, she actually liked it.
“What flower is this?”
“It’s called a sakura flower. One of the books I was reading mentioned flowers from around the globe from before the Dark Ages. This one represented a time of renewal and optimism, so its meaning got stuck in my head.”
“Well, that would hardly be me.”
“Why not? It’s a beautiful flower, just like you. And what you represent, Katniss, brought renewal and optimism to all of Panem. So, I would say this flower fits you to a T,” Peeta claimed before kissing the dried paint on her hand.
Katniss’ cheeks were flushed, so she tried to distract Peeta by grabbing a brush, too. “Well, you painted on me, so I get to paint on you, too.” Peeta chuckled and raised his arms to her. “No, on your back. I may mess it up, so it’s best if you don’t get to see it.”
“If you want me to take off my shirt, Katniss, you need only ask.”
“I’ll tackle you, Mellark, bad leg or not.”
“Promises, promises…”
They both laughed, but Peeta complied and took off his shirt. Feeling the slight tremble of the brush against his skin made his own blood start to warm.
“There.”
“What did you draw?”
“A dandelion.”
Peeta turned his gaze on her and remained silent.
Katniss had told him about it years ago, how she compared him to this flower, how she felt it was like a promise that life could go on and that, no matter how bad the losses, life could be good again. It had been the single most precious thing Katniss had ever told him. It even trumped the day she had first told him ‘I love you’ for real.
Taking her face between his hands, Peeta kissed her. The noise of the brush falling to the floor was the only thing they heard before falling, themselves, onto the rug near the stove.
He didn’t know if this had been Katniss’ intention when she mentioned the paint and the dandelion, but she seemed to be on board with what was happening right now. She encouraged the stroke of his fingers against her skin, no longer flinching when Peeta touched the scarred side of her body, which had been marred by the fire so many years ago.
Their kissing was put on pause only long enough to remove their clothes, slowly, but assuredly, and Peeta ran his fingers through Katniss’ hair, releasing it from her usual braid.
“Peeta…”
“I’m here.” There was nothing else he could focus on right then, although something told him he should, but he trusted Katniss to take care of it. “I could paint a whole garden on your skin and you would still be the purest, most beautiful flower among them.”
Katniss’ rapid breaths fell from her lips as her body asked him for more.
Without any more words, they made love slowly, surrounded by the warmth emanating from their bodies.
°•. ✿ .•°
“Peeta…?”
“Hmm?” They were currently packing up their things as nine days had already gone by and they were sure Haymitch would probably be sending a search party soon.
“There’s something I wanted to tell you.”
“Yes?” He left the bag on the floor and turned his sole attention on her.
“I didn’t take my pills.”
“Which ones?” They had both taken some medications since the Hunger Games ended, whether for insomnia, anxiety or a couple other things, and they’d both forgotten them a time or two in the past. It wasn’t as if it was a daily necessity.
“You know…the daily ones.”
“Daily? There aren’t any-” He bit his tongue as he remembered the other medicine that actually was a very dearly daily necessity. “Your birth control?” At least, that was the name under which the doctors sent it.
“Yes.”
“But, wait…these were safe days, then. Right?” Katniss looked away, clearly starting to get uncomfortable with the questioning. Peeta had read and listened about how to be ‘safe’ on certain days of Katniss’ cycle, but that didn’t mean he kept count. She was pretty strict on the ‘no kids,’ rule so he hadn’t pushed or asked in a few years. “Katniss?”
“I-I thought you wanted…Forget it. I can just take them again.” She went to the door, but Peeta, for once in his life, was faster than her and caught her hand.
“Wait a minute. Please, give my brain a second to catch up.” Katniss nodded. “You didn’t take the pills.”
Nod.
“By accident?”
A shake.
“Intentionally.”
Another nod.
Peeta felt the world swirl on its axis as the revelation of what Katniss just told him fell upon him.
“Katniss, you’re telling me you want a baby. Real or Not real?”
The seconds she took to answer made Peeta’s heart beat so hard it hurt his ribcage.
“Real.”
°•. ✿ .•°
The sheer fear and elation Peeta felt the day Katniss confirmed to him that she was, in fact, pregnant couldn’t compare to the day Emmer Mellark was born into this world.
From Day One, Peeta knew Katniss was terrified and had only done this to please him; however, the moment Emmer was placed in her arms, he could see the calm and absolute love radiating off her.
No one would lay a hand on their child, not while she was alive. And no one would lay a hand on either of them while he was.
“Jesus, kid. You were already stuck with her for years to come; you really had to knock her up?”
“Thank you, Haymitch, for the kind wishes,” Peeta simply said.
“Yeah, well…cute kid. Not that I could tell as sweetheart wouldn’t let me near until I took a shower. So, I might meet him in a few months.”
Peeta chuckled when he saw Haymitch leaving their house with a smile on his face.
Cleaning his hands on a towel, Peeta ran upstairs to check on his family, finding them safe and sound in the middle of the bed.
“Hey, how are you feeling?”
“Tired, but I’m okay. Really.”
“I’m glad to hear. I’m cooking some stuff to last for a few days as I don’t know how much time we’ll have once we start not sleeping.”
“You’ve been talking to my mother?”
“She may have sent some suggestions…Annie, too.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
They were lying there, just admiring the perfection of the small being they had created, and Peeta thought this moment was the best he’d ever experienced.
“Katniss?”
“Yeah?”
“Would you marry me?”
She turned her grey eyes to him, and Peeta now had a new perfect moment stored in his memory, plus a new favorite smile. “Yes.”