Nightmares With A Side Of Comfort

Nightmares With a Side of Comfort

Katniss Everdeen x GN!reader

Warnings: swearing (only once), mentions of killing, and death, fluff?, angst if you squint, (I think that’s it?), first fic, comfort

Summary: Katniss awakes from yet another nightmare about the upcoming 75th quarter quell Hunger Games to you, another victor, who just so happens to have attraction to Katniss, who comforts her and grounds her back to the world around her. Maybe you’re not as bad as she thinks.

____________________________________________

Keep running.

That’s all Katniss could think about while being chased by Cato and his posse, including Peeta. If she stopped now she would’ve fallen victim to them, becoming prey to the predator. Her heart was beating in her chest,

‘Katniss..’

She heard them call her name but she didn’t listen. Her panic continued to rise,

‘Katniss..!’

The sound of her name being called became louder, and louder. It didn’t sound like it was coming from behind her any more, but instead, all around her. ‘Where was it coming from?’

’Katniss!’

Katniss jolted up right, her eyes blinking rapidly, still adjusting to her surroundings. Everything looked how she left it, except there was something different. You, (Y/N) (L/N), victor of District 5, leaning over her, sitting on the edge of her bed, with your hands on her shoulders and your face displaying a worried expression. ‘Why were you here? Were you worried for her?’, she thought. Her voice, hoarse and raspy from just waking up, a bead of sweat sliding down her forehead from the previous nightmare, she couldn’t help but ask. “Why are you here?”, she asked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You sat in the unfamiliar bed, spread out on your back, looking up at the ceiling. You checked the clock for the 7th time in the past 30 minutes. 1:18 AM. You couldn’t sleep. You’re were too distracted from your thoughts of Katniss, and the 75th quarter quell, that your name just had to be drawn for. And it wasn’t helping that you weren’t in your own space. Not to mention, no one’s attempts to stop the games had worked so far, and you knew none of them would. In a little less than 48 hours, the 24 victors names drawn from the 12 districts would have to fight to the death. Again. Even though you’ve already won, you had to come back and do it all again. You knew you probably weren’t going to survive it this time, since you barely survived your own game years back. Your mind went back to Katniss. You’ve shamed yourself for having any feelings towards her, knowing she’s Peetas. You hated how you were plagued with the concerns of her safety during the upcoming quarter quell. You knew she was strong and didn’t need a protecter, knowing that Peeta would take that position anyhow. Damn this silly crush.

In fact, you were most likely going to be taken out by your own district partner. Hence, leaving you in your situation of having to sleep in Distract 12’s extra room, which was connected to the other victors from 12’s rooms. You see, the other victor from District 5, tried to go ahead and kill you at dinner with a steak knife, having snapped at the current situation with strong emotions towards the quarter quell. Now that you think about it, maybe that was another attempt to stop the games. But they decided to separate you both until the actual game, like trying to delay your time of death so they can wait to enjoy it on their flat screen. Sick people they are. You were pulled from your thoughts by the sound of thrashing and heavy breathing coming from one of the other rooms. Small groans and whimpers could be heard as well.

You, being curious, decided to check on whoever it was. You left the room you were staying in and listened to where the sound was coming from. You walked to the entrance of the room that was emitting the strange noises, your hand slowly twisting the handle. Peaking in, you see Katniss, thrashing on her bed, and soaked in sweat. You were going to leave but something in you was pulling in, urging you to do something. You couldn’t just leave her there, suffering. Besides, it’s not like your feelings towards her would have let you do that anyway. Having nightmares of your own before, you felt a need to comfort her. Walking over to the side of her bed, you start to slowly shake her, picking up the speed after she doesn’t wake up, and calling her name as you continue your attempts to wake her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You explained everything, keeping a hand on her shoulder, as a way of grounding her. “But why would you do that for me?”, Katniss asked, looking for a clearer reason. “I guess I understood what you were going through. When I saw you laying there, I had the urge to help you. Would you rather me walk away and leave you to your nightmare?”, you said, a small smile covering your face, with a hint of smugness in your tone. With a swift shake of her head, Katniss adjusted her position in her bed, fully sitting up now, while forcing her lips to not turn upward at your comment.

The tension in the air was thick, yet you couldn’t understand why. You could feel it, and you knew she could as well. Feeling awkward, you give her one last reassuring squeeze on the shoulder and get up, walking back to the entrance of her room, Katniss’s eyes watching you with every step you took. Putting your hand on the door knob, you turn around, a sleepy smile on your face, and you say, “Goodnight Katniss. Sleep well.” With her eyes already on you, her own lips curl into a small smile, finding yours contagious. “You too, (Y/N).”, she replies. You turn around stepping out of the room about to close the door. “Wait, (Y/N)!”, Katniss calls out. You turn around once again facing her, your hand still on the door knob. “Yeah?”

“Thank you.. You know, for waking me up.”

“Of course.” You mumble something under your breath, after she lays back down, waiting to fall back asleep.

“anything for you.”