based off of this request! (I have never written something like this before, so i hope y’all enjoy!)

what i would imagine finnick odair like as a dad.

༄ after the first few months of bringing your son home, it was stressful. there was no doubt that you and finnick had your moments where you wanted to scream into a pillow and wander off to a week long slumber. but when finnick would be sitting in a chair, gently rubbing his pinky finger up and down your baby’s nose to calm him down, you’d be awake as if you’ve never missed a single moment of sleep. you could watch him forever, and finnick would look up at you with a proud smile that he got the once screaming baby to fall asleep.

❥ around the age of three, finnick would start taking him to the beach to collect seashells and play in the water. you’d bring extra blankets and little snacks you made—you ate the scraps in the kitchen, because you couldn’t help yourself, you were a lot more hungry with the constant chaos of moving. your son had made you more active than you could have ever thought, despite the fact you’ve been in the hunger games twice. instead of saving yourself, though, you and finnick had the responsibility of saving your toddler… especially when finnick one time found him up on the wardrobe in his room, crying and unable to get down.

༄ by the age of seven, finnick introduced him to fishing. he gifted a small trident to him on his fifth birthday, but you thought that was a little too soon for a kid to handle a weapon like that. with his own trident, finnick would be in the water with him. “aim right there! you can do it, take it easy now,” he’d say, like the proud father he’s become. sometimes you couldn’t help the little giggles that came out when finnick would say the most dad thing you’ve ever heard. he’s even started making the jokes. “finnick… that joke doesn’t even make sense,” you’d laugh out with a hand over your mouth. to which your over enthusiastic son would say, “but dad’s funny! he’s the funniest man alive!” and you and finnick would smile at each other with a look of ‘i love you.’

❥ “i can’t believe we made someone like him,” you started, head resting on finnick’s shoulder as you watched your 10 year old son sleep. “we made the best versions of ourself into him,” finnick whispered out, thumb gently caressing your hand. “i’m so glad he will never get to experience what we did, he’s allowed to be,” you mumbled with a wobble in your voice, “free.”

༄ when your teenager brought his first significant other home, you and finnick were more than delighted to make a feast. finnick wouldn’t pry, but he’d still be a dad. he’d ask questions, crack a few jokes here and there—which he’s improved quite a bit over the years. he’d hold your hand all throughout dinner, give his son little winks here and there. he’d offer privacy to the young couple to see the stars on the beach with a bottle of wine, to which you kicked his leg under the table because ‘he’s too young.’

❥ when you and finnick were in your sixties, waiting for your son to arrive later in the evening, you’d look back on all the memory albums you’ve created. “i’m so proud of the man he turned into,” finnick would say, “i’m so proud of the person we raised.” you gently nodded, fingers gently brushing over the photos. “i don’t think i could have ever done it without you… you grounded me. you turned me into a good person,” you sighed. reminiscing on the life before snow had died, you hated it. that you were just a kid turned into a cold-blooded murderer. “hey, hey…,” finnick repositioned to look at you, “we might’ve not been able to be free, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t good. we fought, and we gave our son the best life imaginable.” you nodded, leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek. he was right, your son is living the best life he possibly could, due to the both of you.

Three Peaky Caps

Request: Tommy Shelby x reader, taking there triplets babies with him to a meeting with other peaky blinders, while reader goes shopping or something else. And I feel like Thomas would have custom hats made just like the peaky blinders but for the babies like maybe pink or blue ! Also hope you are safe and okay 💕

Requested by Anonymous

Thomas Shelby x Reader

Word Count: 767

Warnings: None??? Just the mental image of Tommy w/ his children

A/N: I hope this turned out well, I love the idea of Tommy with his children. I hope to god I can get all my requests done soon cause I got some ideas of my own that I want to work on. And I get my wisdom teeth out on the 22nd and hopefully the recovery period will give me some time to work on stuff.

Masterlist

Tommy sat at his desk, paperwork for a new business deal sat in front of him. Eyebrows furrowed, no amount of education could help him translate the stupidity he was reading into something that made an ounce of sense. With a sigh, he ran a hand threw his neatly combed hair as something hit his leg. Glancing down, a soft smile spread his lips as leaned down to pick up Percy, the toddle giggling as he was placed in his father’s lap.

“Don’t go into this line of work, it’ll piss ya off,” Tommy told the young boy, shaking his head as he looked back over at the paperwork he wanted to burn. The toddler, unable to comprehend his father’s words, played with his fingers, poking the buttons on Tommy’s waistcoat. 

Just as he was about to put his son down and return to his work, a playful shriek came from the main room of the betting shop before two small children ran into the room. Full of giggles and smiles, the two children ran laps around the open space of the office. Tommy chuckled and placed Percy on the floor to play with his brothers. Percy wasted no time joining his brothers in their madness as their father leaned back in his chair and watched. 

Percy was the calmest of the three boys, reminding Tommy of the man he was before the war. He hoped his boys never had to experience that form of hell. Then there was Louis, he was like a bull in a china cabinet. Y/n always feared leaving him to his own devices for too long, something would always end up broken. The last boy, Will, who was happily chasing his brothers around, was a mama’s boy. Where ever Y/n was, he was. But when she wasn’t around, he had no issue raising a little hell.

“What is going on in here?” Polly sternly asked from the doorway, hands on her hips. The three boys slowed their pace. They’d been in trouble with their Aunt Polly before and were wise enough to know when she meant business. 

Tommy shrugged, resting his hands behind his head. “We’re working.”

She snorted, rolling her eyes. “If this is what you call working then I’m surprised we’ve stayed afloat this long. Children don’t belong in the workplace, Tommy, why aren’t they with Y/n?”

“She’s at the market. Difficult to control three small children when you’re trying to pick out apples.”

Polly stepped into the room and picked up Percy when he raised his hands up in front of her. Placing the child on her hip, she walked around the room. “And this is control?” Her nephew nodded causing her to roll her eyes once more. “Why don’t you take them home, along with your work, so everyone else can work in peace?” she suggested. Turning, she walked up to the coat rack, ready to throw Tommy’s coat at him and force both him and his children out the door but stopped short when her eyes landed on three small caps. “Are these peaky caps?” It was a stupid question to ask, she already knew the answer.

Nodding, Tommy stood up to collect the remaining children on the floor. “Had ‘em made last week,” he informed her as he walked over to where she stood and grabbed two small coats. “The boys kept running off with mine, this was the best solution to keep my caps where they belong.”

His aunt shrugged and placed a coat on Percy along with a cap. “I better never see a blade in their caps, Thomas, ever,” she warned and put the small boy on the floor. 

“You never will,” Y/n assured her, stepping into the room with a wicker basket hanging from her arm. “Right, Tommy?”

“Right,” he agreed, fearing what would happen if he didn’t. “How was the market?”

“It was lovely, quiet without my three little beasts,” she mused as she was greeted by her children. “Are we going home?” she asked the boys, smiling when they all nodded in unison. 

“Yes, we are,” Tommy said as he slipped on his coat.

His wife raised a brow and stepped in front of him to adjust his coat. “Oh, Mr. Shelby, I thought you had to work?”

“That can be done tomorrow,” he said with a smile and leaned in to kiss her. “I’d rather spend time with my lovely wife and children.”

Walking out of the room, Polly howler back, “He’s also afraid of what’ll happen if his lovely offspring keep interrupting my work.”

*~~*~~*

Let me know if you would like to be added to any of the taglists.

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Peaky Blinders: @simonsbluee @queenofmankind

Thomas Shelby: @captivatedbycillianmurphy @imnotuglyimjustpredebut @creativemayhems

Heated

Author: @hutchhitched​

Prompt: Bonfire [submitted by @endlessnightlock​]

Rating: E

Summary: Peeta Mellark left home at 18 for college at his girlfriend’s request. He hadn’t seen her since, but one night, a decade later he joined his high school friends for a bonfire on the beach and found her again in a very heated way.

__________

Peeta checked the time and pressed harder on the gas pedal. He was running behind, and he hated being late. Unused to having a chance to take time during the fall for anything personal, he felt a little out of sorts as he wound along the ocean highway on his way to meet his friends for a seasonal bonfire. He hadn’t been to the event for ages, not since he’d left for college and spent the bulk of his time back east. He’d missed Oregon autumns and nights on the beach with crisp air and changing leaves. It was good to be back, even if he was going to be late.

Darkness fell as he steered the car, passing slower traffic when he could and wondering exactly who was coming. Finnick, his best friend from high school, invited him several weeks ago, and Peeta had put him off until his calendar opened up for a few days during his business trip to the west coast. As wind blew in through the car windows and ruffled his hair, he admitted accepting the invitation was the appropriate action. He needed this break from the regular stress of his job.

By the time he exited the highway and pulled onto the dirt road that led to the beach, it was dark, and the stars twinkled above him. He smiled at the forms sitting around the fire, friendly figures from his past who called out for him to join them.

“Peeta!” Finnick shouted, his cheeks rosy from merriment and drinking. “We were just about to go skinny dipping.”

“Before I even had a chance to say hello?” Peeta observed drily. “That’s…just great, man. Seriously, great.”

“You can stay,” he offered. “Katniss is planning to.”

Her name washed over him, friendly and comforting. Katniss Everdeen. His first love, high school sweetheart, best friend for years until he made the difficult decision to leave and pursue his education from halfway across the nation. It had broken his heart to leave her, but she’d insisted, refusing to allow him to give up anything for her. And now, here she was, in the flesh, and flashing a tremulous smile his way.

“Hi,” Peeta managed to say. “Good to see you.”

“Good to see you, too, Peeta.”

Her melodic voice soothed him, working its way into his joints and spreading out in warm waves that swelled through his bones. His body relaxed, inch by inch, until his limbs loosened and grew peaceful. All his usual twitching and extraneous energy stilled as he sank down next to her. He was too lost in her to even notice as the others slipped into the darkness. The sound of their laughter swept in from the waves, but he didn’t bother to pay any attention.

“How have you been?” he asked, eager to hear her speak again. “It’s been so long.”

“Okay. Still here. Put my sister through college. She’s in med school in California now.”

Peeta nodded, memories of Prim Everdeen’s infectious grin danced in front of his eyes. “Good for her.”

“She’s doing great. My mom’s okay. Better mentally. Always takes her medicine,” she added, referring to her mother’s mental health issues that had forced Katniss to grow up much too fast and parent her younger sibling. Peeta’d tried to help out as much as possible to ease her load, but he’d had his own problems to worry about. He still wasn’t sure if he would stop by to visit his own mother before he left town.

“What about you?” he asked, curious about her reticence to talk about herself. “What’s happening for Katniss Everdeen?”

She shrugged and twisted her braid around her index finger before pulling the tie free and nervously unbraiding her hair. Once it was free, she plaited it again, all the while biting her bottom lip.

“I mean…”

“I always loved your hair down,” he said softly. “I know you like it tucked back, but when it’s loose around your face, you’re gorgeous.”

She flushed, pleased but bashful, and shook out her hair. “Thanks.”

“You’re always gorgeous.”

He held her gaze, shining molten silver as the fire reflected in them. She stared back at him, uncertain, and he scooted closer to her. There weren’t words enough to explain how much he’d missed her, how the dull ache of wanting and not having her had left him empty inside so that his victories felt hollow and his losses hurt even more. He’d only been with her for a few minutes, and he already felt like he was reborn.

“Things haven’t been so great for me,” she admitted, barely audible over the crackle of the fire and the rush of the surf. “I… I think I got lost after you left.”

“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry.”

She smiled sadly and stared out over the ocean. “I know I told you to leave, and I don’t regret that at all. I thought I was prepared to stand on my own, and I did. I’m proud of that. I took care of myself in addition to helping my mom and supporting Prim in her success.” She curled her hands into fists for a split second, but then forced them to relax. With a rueful smile, she turned to him and admitted, “You weren’t here to remind me to take care of myself first, and I forgot. I figured I’d worry about me later, but now… It’s been a decade, and my life’s at a standstill.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? You should have.”

“Why? What could you do about it? We drifted apart. You had your own life. You deserved that. You still do,” she argued. “I wasn’t going to take that away from you. I wouldn’t ever.”

“What if that’s what I wanted? What if you’re what I want now—who I want now?” Agitated, he thrust his fingers through his hair, shoving his curls off his forehead in exasperation.

“You don’t even know me anymore. I doubt you would.”

Peeta opened his mouth to protest, but their friends returned at that moment, giggling and sopping and partially clothed. Finnick and his fiancée were lip locked, and other couples were paired together as they grabbed bare skin and donned their discarded clothing. It took only a few minutes before they descended into complete debauchery and peeled off for more private surroundings. Peeta could hear vehicles starting and driving away, leaving him alone with Katniss again.

“So much for reunions,” he muttered, slightly irritated and simultaneously thrilled with his remaining company.

“Well, maybe it’s time to go,” she mumbled and made to get up, but Peeta grabbed her arm. Squeezing it gently, he looked at her, pleading silently, until she settled back onto the beach blanket where they sat.

“You know,” he mused, “I hated that you told me to leave. I didn’t see it as you doing what was best for me so much as you giving yourself a chance to have a life without me. I thought maybe I’d been too overbearing, too serious, too concerned about settling down when you deserved a chance to make your own choices. I missed you, and I couldn’t admit it because my heart was broken, so I cut you out, concentrated on school, got my MBA, started working, received a promotion or two. I did all those things, but none of it really mattered to me. Not without someone to share it with, and there was no one I wanted to do that with but you.”

“I could have fought for you. I could have, but I was scared. I loved you so much, and I knew what that kind of love had done to my mom when my father died,” she admitted hoarsely. “It was almost a relief when you gave up on me.”

“I never gave up on you. Never.”

“Almost a relief,” she repeated, “but not really. I always felt like part of me was halfway across the country with you.”

Her admission washed over him, flowing like warm honey and sweetening the world around him. She felt the same way. She must, and that meant he had a chance. He finally had another shot to be with the woman he’d loved since he’d first seen her the day they started Kindergarten.

“Come with me, then,” he whispered. “Or let me come back to you. Whichever way works, just let us be together.”

It was too fast, too ridiculous to expect their reunion in one night, but that didn’t stop him from wanting her. I couldn’t keep him from imagining the future he’d not allowed himself to believe he could have. He could see it all so clearly—them together, marriage, children, building a life he wanted so badly he ached for it.

She raised her face to his, wistful and cautious. Carefully, he tilted her chin and brushed his lips against hers. A delicious whimper fell from her, and Peeta almost crushed her to him. The feel of her in his arms was nearly too much to bear after the years apart. She was oxygen to air-starved lungs, and he craved her. He swept into her, eagerly chasing her taste, practically swallowing her whole. A warning tickled at the back of his brain—don’t come on too strong. Take it slow. Let her make the move. Don’t beg her to agree.

Pulling away reluctantly, he leaned his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry. That was a lot. I’m back on my best behavior.”

“That’s too bad,” she answered hoarsely, licking her lips. “That’s really, really too bad.”

“What is?” he whispered, afraid to burst their bubble. It was safe there, warm and affectionate and full of possibility. He willed her to feel the same.

“I was hoping maybe you’d want to be a little naughty.”

Katniss stood, then, and held out her hand. Head spinning, he rose and watched as she took a step back and shrugged off her button down. His mouth fell open as her olive toned skin lit up golden in the firelight. She licked her lips and slid a strap over her shoulder, exposing the curve of her breast.

It was too soon. This couldn’t be happening. He attempted pinching himself to wake up, but what he saw was real. His first love stood before him, baring herself to his eager gaze, and he swore he’d gone to Heaven.

“Katniss.”

Her name came out as a prayer, but her body was the gospel. Acres of gilded skin emerged as her clothes fell, and he observed the ritual reverently. When she stood before him, exposed and waiting, he joined her. Disrobing, he breathed in the ocean spray as cool breezes caressed his feverish skin.

Peeta stared, unable to tear his eyes away from the glow of firelight on her smooth body. Pert nipples graced perfect breasts, and her waist curved into swayed hips and lithe legs adorned with a strip of dark curly hair that practically invited him to dive in. Stepping forward, he pulled her into his arms and jumped.

The combustion was spontaneous. No, even that was too slow for the flagrance between them. He was on fire, burning brighter than the sun with his skin melded to hers. Collapsing onto the beach blanket, she wrapped her legs around his waist and rutted against him.

“You have… no idea… the effect you have,” he whispered between breaths as he worshipped her body with heated open-mouthed kisses. “Sweetheart.”

She arched her back and opened for him. He dipped his head slowly, giving her time to protest if she wanted. When she did nothing more than moan his name, he nudged his nose against her slit and licked a stripe along her skin. Grinning at her reaction, he shook his head and prodded deeper. Her flavor burst on his tongue, simultaneously tangy and sweet, and he savored and devoured at the same time.

“Peeta,” she cried, desperate but eager. “Feels so good…”

Her approval convinced him to raise his expectations and give her what she really wanted. Tilting her hips, he spread her open and dove back in. She bucked against him, her hips growing wilder while her cries became wanton. Groaning her name, his voice was muffled against her slick skin. Latching onto her clit, he sucked, while she twisted under his mouth and cried his name to the night. Milking her with his tongue, he worked her through a climax, grunting as writhed under him.

She went limp, shivering, although her skin scorched his, heat radiating from her in the wake of her orgasm. He shifted on the blanket, moving her from the moisture captured in the blanket beneath her and draped her over him. Her breath puffed on his chest as her limbs tangled with his, clumsy and pliable as he traced her spine with the pads of his fingers. She mouthed against his chest, painting him with sloppy kisses, and nuzzling his chest.

“You want more?” he asked hoarsely. “You need to come again?” She nodded and snuggled into him, so he maneuvered her limbs so she straddled him and guided her onto his cock. “That’s it,” he groaned. “Feels so good.”

She moved, and he slanted his head back as she began to ride him. Stars flickered overhead, twinkling cheekily at the bonfire. The fire crackled, flames leaping to the heavens, dancing happily in the breeze and cheering their coupling, years in the making.

He burned from the inside out, embers filling his belly, until he was coming, spilling deep into her, pouring the very essence of contentment from him to her and connecting them in a way that he knew would change him forever.

Peeta watched her—beautiful, graceful, powerful. He surveyed her as she tightened, her face peaceful, her hair wild. He steadied her when she threw back her head and shouted, spasms wracking her body. When she was done, she slumped against him, sated and drowsy, her skin dewy and fused to his.

“I’m never going to be able to let you go after this,” she murmured into the sweaty crook of his neck and shoulder.

“Don’t. Don’t do it.” She shriveled, and he realized how that must have sounded. “No, sweetheart. I mean, don’t let me go. I don’t plan to let you get away after finally finding you again.”

“It’s not practical.”

“Love’s never practical. Fuck practical. Come with me, or let me come here. I’ll make it happen,” he insisted.

She didn’t speak for several moments, and he realized what he’d implied—that he loved her, that he’d move for her, that he’d upend his life if it meant he could spend the rest of his life with her. After what felt like an eternity, she finally spoke.

“I’ve kind of been ready for a new adventure.”

A smile split his face, and he rolled them over so his body blanketed hers. He accepted her offer with a deep kiss as the bonfire lit their future.

Springtime Edition 2019.

These are the prompts we’ve received so far.

Crossed out prompts have already been selected and are being turned into fics!

I’d like to thank everyone who’s taken the time to come up with an idea and send it our way. Your prompts are the heart of the Exchange. Without them our lovely authors wouldn’t get to write all those beautiful fics. So, please, keep them coming!

You haven’t sent anything yet? Don’t worry, there’s still time. We’ll be receiving prompts until March 3.  Don’t be afraid to inspire us!

Prompts:

Prompt 1: Peeta calls Animal Control Officer Katniss for help with something in his attic. [submitted by @567inpanem​​]

Prompt 2: Struggling artist Peeta is a licensed cosmetologist attracted to gorgeous girl Katniss posting a makeup artist job he assumes is for stage actors but turns out is for her family's funeral home. [submitted by @567inpanem​]

Prompt 3: When students are forced to squeeze together and share seats because of water damage in classroom, Peeta and Katniss spend hours pressed against each other, like in cave, whispering, sharing... [submitted by @567inpanem​]

Prompt 4: I loved this from papofglencoe‘s Bros Before Ho!Ho!Hos! and wondered if it could be everlarked so Katniss has an epiphany like Finnick did when he released himself from past hurt and opened his heart to Annie: “People died every day, whether or not you let them go.” [submitted by @567inpanem​] Bros Before Ho!Ho!Hos! by @papofglencoe​ is HERE

Prompt 5: In the Seam, you can’t do what you want. You just do what you can to survive. When Mrs Everdeen, who never wanted children as long as there were Games, gave birth at home to identical twins, she did what she could: kept one of the girls hidden at all times. And, she taught them to keep the secret when they took turns leaving the house for school or hunting or the reaping. Genre? Drama, romance, comedy, tragedy? [submitted by @567inpanem​]

Prompt 6: Cupids are the guardian angels of the heart. Cupid Katniss is sent to answer Peeta’s prayers that he finds a girl before his mother picks one for him. If she fails one more time, she’ll lose her bow privileges forever. Peeta notices every girl. But as Cupid Katniss spends time with him becoming his friend and confidant, she starts feeling jealous of these unworthy girls. Time is running out. [submitted by @567inpanem​]

Prompt 7: Peeta opens his bakery back up after the war. There are, as expected, lots of female customers who would like to get a little to close to Peeta for Katniss's comfort. Sensing her jealousy, Peeta sets out to prove she has nothing to worry about (can be rated M, if you please!). [submitted by @albinokittens300]

Prompt 8: I have an Everlark music prompt, use the song Animals by Maroon 5. Rated E/smut is a must 😏😉 [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 9: Fic based on Tim McGraw’s “Angry All the Time.” Not necessarily Everlark, but could be. [submitted by @butrfac14] 

Prompt 10: Based on "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift music video: Katniss is Lucas Till's character, she has a relationship with Gale, but she doesn't really like being with him. Peeta is pining for her, like Taylor Swift's character, observing them and think he and K belong together. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 11: Based on Aladdin [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 12: canon compliant, except Gale isn't pining for Katniss and actually try to support her after the Games, helps her with Peeta and become friends with Peeta. He makes fun of her with Peeta and Prim and all three of them kind of find a peaceful refugee in this awful world where they can act like the teenagers they are. I would love to see how this would affect the war and the quarter quell too. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 13: Peeta is rescued with Katniss, so they're sleeping together even in the hospital (after in Katniss' family bunker too, like her dream in the movie), P helps K find her place as the Mockingjay, they are late at night talking about how they don't trust those 13 people, they visit D12 together, Katniss sing to him, Peeta is working in the kitchens, Katniss sometimes have crisis of anxiety bc she can't believe her family, Peeta, the Hawthornes are there with her... they're together through it all. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 14: High school AU based on High School Musical films. Katniss is finally singing after her dad died, Peeta is in love with her the moment they sing together in the New Year. K goes to his school and they've these cute moments like each others photo in theirs lockers and rooms at home, they sing together in drama's club plays, Katniss is at Peeta's games, he's touching her every second, especially when they sing (watch HSM2's everyday), his father and brothers laugh at him blushing when she calls... [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 15: You wanna marry me?” Everlark arrangement marriage AU based on true story. Madge’s essay submission wins contest on importance of family. Prize: be reunited with family from home, on stage! She invites best friend Katniss to be there for the big big big event. Madge’s cousin Peeta packed for short visit, but once there finds that his manipulative mother set him up with a job and orders him to marry before he gets deported home for overstaying. Poor Katniss has no family, no other friends... [submitted by @567inpanem]

Prompt 16: The baker hires Katniss to make his deliveries as she walks her trade route. She gets eye opening glimpses of town life and especially of the Mellark family relationships as her job responsibilities grow and she spends more time in the bakery. [submitted by @567inpanem​]

Prompt 17: "We’re always making stupid bets like ‘bet you can’t drink this whole bottle of BBQ sauce’ but then you did and now you’re sick and I feel really bad here let me look after you" prompt? Pretty please? With extra Everlark fluff on top? :) [submitted by Anonymous via @katnissdoesnotfollowback]

Prompt 18: we’ve never met but our showers are on opposite sides of the same apartment wall so sometimes we’re showering at the same time and we sing duets AU? [submitted by Anonymous via @katnissdoesnotfollowback]

Prompt 19: I wish you would write a fic where… katniss and peeta are rivals chefs dating in secret [Submitted by Anonymous via @katnissdoesnotfollowback]

Prompt 20: Gale returns and he and Katniss patch things up. Peeta seems to feel he's lost her to Gale even after they healed together. Katniss won't stands for this, and explains that no matter what, they would have happened anyways. "I'd chose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a a hundred worlds, in any version of reality. I'd find you and chose you." [submitted by @albinokittens300]

Prompt 21: Prompt! One of them struggles to tell the other that they can read minds. [submitted by @sandyeyes]

Prompt 22: Student/Professor. Katniss is stressing out about an assignment and decides to go and talk to Professor Mellark about it, as he’s always been understanding and patient in class. However things turn awkward when Katniss stumbles upon him in his office after hours watching porn on his laptop. Is it deliberate, maybe he needed to relieve some stress or did his brother/friend send him a link to something that he shouldn’t have opened?? It’s up to you writer :) [submitted by @peetaspikelets]

Prompt 23: I would love to read an In-Panem AU fic/this would have happened anyway story where we see the beginnings of an Everlark relationship and how it slowly turns into puppy love [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 24: Canon Divergence. Through the years Katniss can't stop paying attention to Peeta and she's actually aware of it. When they settle as victors in district 12 or when the time for the victory tour comes (whichever you prefer) she can't keep herself away from him and the line between friendship and something more becomes blurry until it disappears. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 25: I have a song prompt based on Maroon 5's Maps. It fits Everlark so much. Peeta was there for Katniss in her dark times while she almost gave up on him when he was at his worst down on his knees. But eventually he followed the map that led to her and they got back together. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 26: An everlark fic based on the start of Brooklyn 99 where Jake and Amy were 'rivals' and had a bet going on who will get more arrests. Peeta's end of the deal will be getting Katniss on a date while Katniss' prize would be getting to use his car just like the tv show. You can add twists to make it more everlark if you like. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 27: Gale plans on proposing to Katniss and asks for Peeta's help since he's her best friend and he helps Gale plan everything. What Gale doesn't know is that Peeta is in love with Katniss. How everlark gets together is up to you. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 28: Everlark fic based off of 13 going on 30. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 29: Katniss and Peeta are heartbreakers who are afraid of commitment. When they meet they get a bet going with their friends on who will fall in love first. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 30: One night stand everlark and an awkward morning after. [submitted by @sunflowerslyf]

Prompt 31: everlark on the brink of a divorce, but then they remember all of the things they've gone through, the sacrifices they made for each other, that they can't live without the other and end up not getting the divorce. [submitted by @sunflowerslyf]

Prompt 32: katniss and peeta are best friends who have a biological child together (how they ended up having a kid is up to you and how they'll get together is up to you) [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 33: "Where's my engagement ring?" [submitted by @sunflowerslyf]

Prompt 34: Peeta offers to teach Katniss how to bake thinking it'll be a great laugh, but? She's actually kind of amazing at it? [submitted by @ally147writes]

Prompt 35: Katniss and Peeta teaching each other a skill. [submitted by @themiffywrites]

Prompt 36: A fic where katniss and Peeta are on a day cruise that ends up in a storm. Katniss and Peeta end up on a small island by themselves - basically a Blue Lagoon kind of story. [submitted by @spoonlicker817]

Prompt 37: Pre-med student Katniss, who hopes to be a radiologist because then she wouldn’t have to actually speak with patients, cleverly registers for what looks like an anatomy course but fulfills the dreaded fine arts requirement for her biology major. She expects to sketch articulated skeletons in various poses, maybe draw muscle groups and systems. Nope. News flash: it’s daily nudes. Peeta is teacher or model or student? perhaps as an amputee? [submitted by @567inpanem]

Prompt 38: A modern AU Everlark dealing with mental illness. Angst, laughs, anything possible. 😁 I'm leaving it open but it's something I'd appreciate seeing. [submitted by @aihodineverlark]

Prompt 39: Pick some memorable fanfics. Write about Peeta so confused, pops in and out of different realities from those fanfics, living lives not his own, yet Katniss is always there or was before he popped into that plane of existence. He wants to “go home” but what is that anymore? Will he ever settle into a life? Will anyone believe him? Is he crazy? Cursed? Dreaming? [submitted by @567inpanem]

Prompt 40: Everlark in the Court of Thorns and Roses universe - maybe Katniss/Feyre, Gale/Tamlin and Peeta/Rhys, preferably with everlark smut! [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 41: Everlark based off the Hallmark Christmas Movies Meme: I still going to watch them and act surpsied when she falls in love with the small town baker who only wears sweaters instead of falling for the big city CEO? Yes! Does not need to be Christmas time, but definately end game Everlark! [submitted by @historywriter2007]

Prompt 42: Everlark based off the Coke and Delta Airlines marketing fail of passing out napkins with "Because you're on a plane with interesting people and hey … you never know" featured on one side. The backside featured a spot for one to write a name and phone number. [submitted by @historywriter2007]

Prompt 43: Prompt: I would love anything the "there's only one bed" trope.[submitted by @booksandchocolatesmears]

Prompt 44: Their love was forbidden in more ways than the obvious one (older!Peeta). Their love conquers all even with revelations that destroys other person relationships. AU. Toast babies for extra cookies. [submitted by @animekpopxx]

Prompt 45: They fell in love young, they married young. People kept telling them that it’s not gonna last. Well they are proving them wrong. [submitted by @animekpopxx​]

Prompt 46: Peeta, the Greek god Apollo, hears the most beautiful voice at his temple so he comes down to earth to find this beautiful maiden. Follows how this god falls in love with a mortal and withstand the trials the other gods put them through. [submitted by @animekpopxx​]

Prompt 47: Modern. Peeta is back home on his time off from the Air Force or army. He meets the newest employee in the bakery, a younger Katniss, who’s working hard to help her family while still going to school. They fall for each other and they didn’t even know when it happened. [submitted by @animekpopxx​]

Prompt 48: Their people had a period of peace that stared to crumpled when bad choices and bad people started to destroy that. With a war in the horizon, there is only one choose to keep the peace. The chief’s daughter needs to marry the crown prince. Werewolf!Peeta Humans and wolves. [submitted by @animekpopxx​]

Prompt 49: He has spent centuries coming at night and sleeping with as many humans as possible, many dying from childbirth with no child to bear, or because his lust overpowered them. He needs to find a women that can live through his lust and birth an healthy offspring and after centuries, he thinks he found the one, the sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen. Dark incubus!peeta Angst Old times. [submitted by @animekpopxx​]

Prompt 50: In an ancient time, grief-strickened 17-yr-old Katniss (fatherless, emotionally abandoned by her mother, just lost beloved sister) walls off her heart, curses the gods for taking Prim, and is severely punished with immortality = unending days of mourning and emptiness in which life has no meaning, until she meets Peeta and learns it’s not years but love that makes a good life. In loving him the curse breaks, she is mortal again, and together they live a HEA. [submitted by @567inpanem]

Prompt 51: Fantasy: “Buttercup” (ironically named “Freedom Cat” by Capital scientist who created him) is an intelligent mutt designed to infiltrate rebel groups and sabotage uprisings, but after being healed by Prim and seeing the impact of Mr. E’s death, he turns on the Capital. “This whole operation was your idea.” [submitted by @567inpanem]

Prompt 52: Everlark Game of Thrones AU! @albinokittens300

Prompt 53: Everlark have been friends for a long time. Then this exchange happens. Person A: Why Do I even like your dumb ass? Person B: Huh? Person A: *panics* I SAID YOU HAVE A NICE ASS. [submitted by @iliveilaughiloveiread]

Prompt 54: Katniss, for some reason, using a car's window as a mirror not knowing there was someone inside the car because of the window being so heavily tinted. Until Peeta, the owner of the car, rolls down the window. [submitted by @sunflowerslyf]

Prompt 55: everlark fic based on 'the proposal'. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 56: Katniss is damaged beyond repair when Peeta comes back highjacked so she impulsively goes farther with gale in 2 (becasue we all know he wouldn’t have stopped and didn’t do so bc of any altruistic impetuses) Then, of course, Peeta gets better and regret and bad choices lead to angst. Madge is alive and in D13 too. Thank you for continuing this! [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 57: prompt "hey, you're that asshole that closed the elevator when i yelled at you to hold it!" [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 58: Katniss trying to hate Peeta because she thinks he's the absolute worst but he did something really nice for her little sister and it doesn't hurt that he's also really hot [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 59: "The 'caution floor is wet' sign was there, so it's not my fault you can't read." [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 60: Katniss and Peeta are both in a very crowded train when suddenly Katniss falls onto Peeta's lap and they don't know each other but Katniss finds Peeta really attractive. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 61: everlark prompt "You're the asshole who's been using my wifi!" [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 62: Everlark getting matched in an online chat roulette. [submitted by @sunflowerslyf]

Prompt 63: Katniss walking out of the dressing room wearing only a bikini to ask her friend if it suits her but it isn't her friend standing on the other side of the door but Peeta (who she doesn't know yet). [submitted by @sunflowerslyf]

Prompt 64: Katniss and Peeta both have high positions in one company (they're the boss) they despise each other but every employee in the office are secretly pining for them and do everything to get them together. [submitted by @sunflowerslyf]

Prompt 65: Dialogue prompt “You did all of this for me?” [submitted by anonymous via @katnissdoesnotfollowback]

Prompt 66: Dialogue prompt ”I could, uh…I could give you a massage.” [submitted by @katnissdoesnotfollowback]

Prompt 67: How about everlark recalling their "reunion" in 13? I imagined it to be intense considering how Katniss was expecting kisses and whatnot and what happened instead was totally heartbreaking [submitted by anonymous via @katnissdoesnotfollowback]

Prompt 68: Katniss had to have her gallbladder removed and her husband Peeta is there to take care of her. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 69: Peeta finds out that Haymitch fathered a child when he was being tortured. He isn’t sure if it’s real or imagined. He asks Haymitch ..... [submitted by @ealaatnara​]

Prompt 70: No one Katniss knew got reaped, and after the 75th the games stopped, hunting became easier, she’s looking forward to graduation, and she feels a growing attraction to boy with bread but she’s clueless as to what to do after 1 1/2 decades of acting role of son her father never had and man of the house. She approaches problem like stalking game: observe. She learns a lot but realizes she needs help from only one person: popular merchant and Peeta expert Delly who’s thrilled to help in manhunt <3 [submitted by @567inpanem​]

Prompt 71: Dialogue prompt: "Hey! You're the one who knocked me over!" [submitted by @creamytinydays​]

Prompt 72: A Legally Blonde crossover, with Peeta inspired by Elle Woods and Katniss as Emmett. [submitted by @creamytinydays​]

Prompt 73: Katniss marries Gale before he’s sent to fight WWII. Gale sends home his buddy Peeta to break the news to his wife and family that he’s fallen in love with someone else in Europe and is staying there after the war... Peeta is under the impression Katniss is a cold woman that only married his friend out of obligation but finds out the other side of the story soon enough. [submitted by @alliswell21]

Prompt 74: In Panem AU (no reapings): Katniss miscalculated how soon a snow storm was supposed to hit D12, and gets stuck in town while trading with the merchants. Peeta comes out in the snow to get her to come into the the bakery... she thinks he’s either crazy, up to something or simply dumb... whatever happens next is up to you! [submitted by @alliswell21]

Prompt 75: after work playing games like truth or dare, spin the bottle, etc. that for some reason brings everlark together. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 76: historical au where katniss and peeta are bethrothed since birth and peeta's mom is actually nice. they grow up to be best friends neither of them knowing about the bethrothal until something breaks their friendship and they become enemies. when they finally turn the right age, they find out about the bethrothal and are forced to marry and consummate their marriage even if they despise each other. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 77: super drunk katniss and peeta who are exes wake up together hungover, naked, and... married. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 78: forced to share a bed and building a pillow barrier but still waking up tangled together. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 79: Bounty hunter Katniss thought she was prepared for anything. Then she goes after Mellark, wanted dead or alive. (innocent? alibi? excuse? or fall in love and nothing else matters? or is she getting played by him? what’s real? does it matter if she needs the money?) [submitted by @567inpanem]

Prompt 80: Really can’t keep hands off each other: Students of massage therapy Peeta and Katniss are partnered up in intensive 16-wk course for hands-on experience. (Final project? Homework? Or is final exam show us what you learned? Or does Peeta have a girlfriend? Think Katniss has a boyfriend?) [submitted by @567inpanem]

Prompt 81: Dr. Abernathy convinces Katniss to work with new VA hospital patient Peeta who is there for treatment of? But of the two, is she the damaged one that needs help with what’s crippling her? [submitted by @567inpanem]

Prompt 82: Young Prince Peeta gets the attention he craves and the revenge on his mother he desires by fucking all her friends’ and acquaintances’ daughters then dumping them quietly or publicly but always chipping away at her manufactured reputation as the perfect powerful Queen. Then he meets Katniss who is pure in every way. What will he do? [submitted by @567inpanem]

Prompt 83: A witch is more powerful and safe when they join a coven, in danger without one. But there’s a saying that’s been passed down through generations that’s everyone thinks is just a myth; A witch finds their true powers when they find their true love in their coven. [submitted by @animekpopxx]

Prompt 84: Katniss tells Prim bedtime stories about a clever, brave duckling’s many adventures. With her good friends cat and goat. Who love baked goods. Maybe Peeta finds out. [submitted by @567inpanem]

Prompt 85: Katniss makes unsettling discovery that everyone in her close and extended group of friends has dated at least once and sometimes even each other. Except for her. The “late bloomer” teasing (b/c she’s never even been kissed) stings. Older boy Gale crosses paths with group, finds he shares common interests with Katniss, they get together to hunt, leads to him casually inviting her out for a real dinner date. Not feeling desire but pressure to “get it over with,” she accepts. Peeta has regrets. [submitted by @567inpanem]

Prompt 86: Everlark meet on Survivor. Maybe they are contestants? Maybe one works the cameras and keeps following the other around? One is the host and the other a contestant? They compete against and hate each other? Maybe they form an alliance, but end up thinking the other backstabs them? who knows. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 87: Katniss and Gale are about to get married and while Katniss isn't entirely sure if she really wants to marry Gale, she does nothing to stop the preparations. While Peeta, realizing he can't just let Katniss go, does everything to stop the wedding and tell Katniss his feelings for her. Peeta thought he's a hopeless case the day before the wedding until... (it's up to you how it will end, but hopefully it's hea) [submitted by anonymous] 

Prompt 88: Historical Katniss and Peeta hate each other. They attend a masquerade ball and for some reason end up kissing each other. Sparks fly everywhere. Katniss tries to find the man behind the mask but Peeta knows it was Katniss though he doesnt say anything. They end up bethrothed even if they 'despise' each other. How they fall in love is up to u and how katniss figured out it was peeta is up to u [submitted by anonymous] 

Prompt 89: Canon divergence. Katniss and Peeta talk when they return to District 12 after the first games and grow closer.... [submitted by @thestuckinbed]

Prompt 90: Peeta seizes the moment his mother is gone to dash out and quickly give the burnt bread to Katniss in person. Does this more personal interaction change anything? [submitted by @wingletblackbird]

Prompt 91: I have a personal headcanon that Peeta was involved in drama, and participated in school plays. Unsurprisingly, he is an excellent actor, often receiving lead roles. This can make two prompts. Canon-compliant: Katniss goes to see Peeta perform. AU: Katniss can’t help but get herself involved behind the scenes, and things spiral. (Perhaps Peeta also helps paint props, and sees Katniss working there? It’s up to you!) [submitted by @wingletblackbird]

Prompt 92: Modern AU: Katniss is present when her father dies a traumatic death. She doesn’t just stop singing. She stops speaking completely. Desperate to help her daughter heal/express herself, Mrs. Everdeen enrols her in art therapy where she meets Peeta Mellark. [submitted by @wingletblackbird]

Prompt 93: Strangers or not. Katniss and/or Peeta hired as trade show model (for ?) to draw traffic to booth. Does the one who hired the other get crazy jealous over all the ogling by strangers? Or perhaps a competition between them to attract more people ends in melee when they go way way way beyond what is appropriate? [submitted by @567inpanem]

Prompt 94: Smut. Hot, sweaty, passionate, loving, smut. Everlark has to be married and it can only be the 2 of them. No three-somes or switching partners. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 95: Modern a/u: Katniss and Peeta are personal assistants to overzealous bosses Effie and Haymitch. They try to coerce their bosses together in order to get some relief themselves. Meanwhile they start to fall in love as their plan backfires. [submitted by @ra3lynn3]

Prompt 96: Based on "Crazy Rich Asians". I would love to see all the amazing fluff crazines that was that movie everlarked. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 97: Katniss and Peeta’s new PE teacher sets up competition to motivate class, but things quickly get out of hand when students begin placing all kinds of bets on outcomes of events. Winning is all that matters. Lines are crossed. Mind games played. Risks taken. People hurt. Supporters engage in dirty tricks and pressure favorites to win at any cost. [submitted by @567inpanem]

Prompt 98: Cannon compliant except Petra isn’t hijacked. What their reunion should have been. [submitted by @spoonlicker817]

Prompt 99: Peeta banks sperm (maybe before chemo; maybe eldest bro infertile, asks Peeta & Rye to donate samples to be mixed so no one can say who bio father is, but never go through with procedure). Katniss needs $, becomes surrogate BUT impregnated with Peeta’s sample by mistake! Client backs out, facility shut down, Katniss broke, Peeta wants baby. Age Gap? [submitted by @567inpanem]

Prompt 100: Mistaken Identity. (Maybe Peeta or Katniss makes gesture to express feelings for other who doesn’t realize it was him/her, receiver then goes on to accept date from wrong 3rd party. [submitted by @567inpanem​]

Prompt 101: You're my best friend's relative, (maybe Finnick is Katniss's cousin?? Maybe Annie/Madge/Johanna is Peeta's relative??) And I've convinced myself you're off limits and not interested anyway. But now we're in very close quarters (group trip to the cabin? Vacation? Roommates for the summer? Snowed in?) and I'm having a hard time denying the chemistry between us. Every. Single. Time. I try to bring it up or kiss you we get interrupted. [submitted by @7-ah]

Prompt 102: There's only ONE bed! [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 103: An AU where Katniss's father is a victor. [submitted by @wingletblackbird]

Prompt 104: Peeta is on the short side, hasn’t joined the wrestling team yet, is known to be artistic, in other words “soft,” and is all around going through an awkward period of puberty. While he is well-liked within his own circle, Peeta is in no way a part of the “in-crowd.” Katniss is infuriated when she discovers a gang of boys bullying him and steps up to his defense. [submitted by @wingletblackbird​]

Prompt 105: Katniss was naked when Peeta first saw her. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 106: When Katniss and Peeta talk it out after the first Games, they get close and spend their nights together. Mrs. Everdeen, is not the happiest about this and she much face the fact that as far as her daughters are concerned, she abandoned them when their father died. And she can't blame them. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 107: Peeta leaves notes, sketches, drawings, paintings, (maybe even parts of his allowance if it’s a bad winter?) etc. in Katniss’ locker. It’s the only way, given their circumstances in twelve, both social and familial, that he can realistically show her affection, even if she doesn’t know who it’s from. At least she’ll know, she’s admired/not alone. Katniss initially is resentful of the gesture, but over time grows fond of her secret admirer, and looks forward to her next gift. What happens next? [submitted by @wingletblackbird]

Prompt 108: Katniss, or at least Peeta, isn't reaped AU: Peeta decides to become involved with the rebels in 12. He realises the victors are the best chance at unifying the districts, and finding Capitol sympathizers, since they all go to the Capitol once a year, then return home. Suspecting he isn't the only person to have thought of this, he approaches Haymitch who brings him into the fold. Peeta uses his talents as an artist, (graffiti?), and orator to inspire rebellion. [submitted by @wingletblackbird]

Prompt 109: Rated E Everlark story where Virgin!Peeta affectionately describes Virgin!Katniss's uhh... Woman hood between her legs as a beautiful flower. Everlark has to be end game. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 110: A time travel AU: Katniss from Mockingjay, (any part of the book, it's up to you), winds up back the day before her sister's first reaping. What does she do now that she knows what's coming? Now that she knows how Peeta feels about her, and she knows how desperately she needs him, and what they could share? What on earth could she, or should she, even do/change? And what is she should lose it all again? [submitted by @wingletblackbird]

Prompt 111: Write me a good enemies to lovers, Hogwarts crossover, where Peeta is a Slytherin, Katniss a Gryffindor... extra points if Finnick is a Hufflepuff and somehow is best friends with both of them. [submitted by @alliswell21]

Prompt 112: I was hoping for one bed, but there are actually two, so now I have to find a way to naturally end up snuggling with you. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 113: Little mermaid prompt. Or something along those line where one of them is a mermaid and the other isn’t. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 114: Katniss is sick ( could be an injury, disease, or the common cold! Whatever you want) and Peeta freaks out over it and tries to take care of her. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 115: Peeta‘ s mother dies shortly after Peeta tosses bread to Katniss. 11 months after she dies, Peeta’s dad remarries the “plain” younger daughter of the Hardware store. No one ever expected her to marry, she’s quiet and “not very pretty” according to some merchant women. She is kind, caring and doesn’t care if your seam or merchant. She and Mr Mellark have a daughter together a year or so after the marriage. What will happen when this happens and what of Peeta and Katniss’ future? [submitted by @ealaatnara]

Prompt 116: Katniss and Peeta are recently married, and Katniss is teaching Peeta how to drive. Peeta has never learned how since he could always either walk to where he needed, or take the bus. Why go through the expense and hassle of driving school when you can be environmentally friendly, enjoy the scenery, relax and not have to worry about the wheel, and otherwise avoid uncomfortable things like road rage? Katniss has had enough of this nonsense. YOU NEED TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE, PEETA! [submitted by @wingletblackbird]

Prompt 117: Fairy Tale AU: Katniss and Peeta as Beauty and the Beast. Katniss would go looking for her missing father, and absolutely trade places with him. The ominous rose is from Snow who rules the land, and whom Peeta has offended for some noble cause. Gale as Gaston, because he is a hot-headed hunter who would, of course, rush in to KILL THE BEAST! for Katniss. [submitted by @wingletblackbird]

Prompt 118: katniss and peeta seeing each other again years after the last time they saw each other which was their senior prom where they slept with each other. in high school were they best friends? maybe lab partners? or were they just drunk off their asses? [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 119: Everlark friends, one is a writer of romance or smut (novels, fanfiction, whatever) and uses the other as inspiration. What happens when they find out? [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 120: “Whatever happened to Pretty Baby contest winners Peeta and Katniss who did that commercial for baby food? She was the scowling ‘before’ and he was the adorable happy ‘after’ baby delicately eating a spoonful of orange? Then she rips the bowl away and makes a mess? Remember that? Whatever happened to them?” [submitted by @567inpanem​]

Prompt 121: Post mockingjay everlark based on this post and its hashtags. “oh this would absolutely be them every single morning lol trying to be productive and get things done and then this happens peeta trying to bake things/prep things for his day at the bakery or trying to make breakfast katniss trying to get ready to hunt/gather in the woods and then passing kisses and caresses turn into full blown makeouts only to have peeta cave and hoist katniss up into his arms which after a while 1 imagine would turn into habitual morning sex/makeout seshes lol like they'd be like okay we're not even going to try getting ready first we're going to focus on each other first before anything else at least for the first few years they live with each other lol rabbits ra b b i t s.” Also, it would be awesome if Katniss noticed how Peeta's body grows with time, like he is even more hot and this makes Katniss is even more horny. [submitted of anonymous]

Prompt 122: Hi would like to submit a prompt where a young Prim starts posting sticky notes on her bedroom door as a sort of wish list when things like her birthday or Christmas are coming up. The Everdeen’s think it’s incredibly endearing and all start doing it, eventually it sort of becomes a tradition. Later on when Katniss and Peeta are together they do it too and Peeta uses the sticky notes to propose and Katniss uses them to tell him she’s pregnant, etc for important and sweet moments in their life. [submitted by @persephoneprim]

Prompt 123: Everlark - Instant Family inspired where they end up deciding to foster a child but end up with three children. [submitted by @que-sera-sera88]

Prompt 124: Drunk Katniss can’t take her make up off so Peeta does it for her. Fluffy everlark! [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 125: Happy, fluffy Newlywed!Everlark, please? [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 126: Peeta doing a lap dance/stripping for Katniss. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 127: Everlark plays April Fools pranks on each other, but not just on the day, they do pranks throughout the week of April Fools up to the day and one them, I'd say Peeta, takes it too far and puts a fully naked picture of themselves on the front of the other's phone and when they discover the prank they're not the only one who sees it. [submitted by @amazinglovers747]

Prompt 128: Everlarked Superheroes (Bonus points if one is the hero, the other the villain!) <3 [submitted by @thelettersfromnoone​]

Prompt 129: Modern AU inspired in the song ghostin by Ariana Grande. [submitted by @lavender-evelopes]

Prompt 130: Katniss works as a park ranger. Peeta is a photographer/artist coming to said park to find inspiration. [submitted by @wingletblackbird​]

Prompt 131: I’d like to submit THIS as an Everlark prompt. [submitted by @amazinglovers747]

Prompt 132: Please tell me about the night before the 74th Games at the homes of the Mellarks, Everdeens and Hawthornes; and what it’s like the next night after the reaping with Peeta and Katniss gone; and how Rye bonds with Prim over the days following; and how they celebrate the win cautiously; and how they help Peeta and Katniss to heal and to bond and to love. Thank you 😊😘 [submitted by @567inpanem]

Prompt 133: Visual prompt [submitted by @amazinglovers747]

Prompt 134: Visual Prompt. [submitted by anonymous]

Prompt 135: Peeta has baby fever, Katniss on the other hand, not quite. [submitted by anonymous]

Feeling inspired?

Choose a prompt from the list and tell us about it. (Chosen prompts will be removed from the list so that there will only be one fic/artwork per prompt.)

Write a fic or create some artwork. Fics can be as short as 500 words or as long as you like. They can be one-shots, new chapters from your current WIPs, or out takes from any one of your fics. As long as your work covers the details provided in the prompt, you can create whatever moves you.

Submit your finished fic or artwork. We’ll be posting finished works from March 24 to April 7.

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Time Won’t Let Me

A/N: Welcome to @aketch-22 and I’s beautiful disaster! This is chapter one of part one to our hopefully three part series. Chapters will be posted once a week, probably on Sunday! It’s a crossover between Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and Supernatural. We took characters from all three fandom’s and stuck em’ in Hogwarts, but we see things through the eyes of Dean and Castiel. Reblogs and likes would be gladly appreciated and if you have questions you can direct them to mine or @aketch-22‘s ask box! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1: Long Train Runnin’ - The Doobie Brothers

Dean Winchester studied Platform 9 ¾ with a weary eye. He was ready to go back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but he wasn’t entirely eager to leave the safety of his home. Despite the current state of the Wizarding World, Dean and his brother Sam had managed to have a pretty fun summer. Sam was a Gryffindor, just like Dean - but a year younger. Sam was going into his fourth year and Dean was heading into his fifth - which meant things would be different for him now. Ever since the dark wizard Voldemort overthrew whoever the last Minister of Magic was, Hogwarts has been more of a training ground for the older students rather than a place of actual learning. That suited Dean fine on most days, he preferred a hands-on experience to pouring over some dusty old book in the library.

He chewed on his lip, watching Sam make his way through the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10. Sam was safe from the worst changes at Hogwarts, at least for now. That fact comforted Dean slightly as he pushed his own cart through the seemingly solid brick wall that separated the Muggle world from the Wizarding world. The crowd of people he was met with blocked his path, and he lost sight of Sam in the fray. He groaned, maneuvering his possessions around kids and their parents kissing each other goodbye. He tried not to let his gaze linger on any particular farewell, partially due to the pang of jealousy he felt at seeing the level of affection most of these parents were freely showing their children, and partially because he simply felt like he was intruding.  As he made his way onto the train, he caught sight of Sam ducking into a compartment about midway down. He stowed his baggage and followed his brother, just long enough to make sure he was okay. He smiled as he passed, seeing Sam with a few of his friends and getting his hair mussed by the girl he pined over all summer. Dean ducked into an empty compartment, pulling out his dad’s journal.

His parents never came to see him or Sam get on the train… they’d drive them to King’s Cross, but Dean had never been able to get them to even get out of the car. He frowned at the yellowing pages of  the journal that used to connect him to his father. Now, the stories of creatures John Winchester had hunted only caused a pit to form in Dean’s stomach. Sure, the stories were great when Dean was a kid. His dad was a hunter, which to most kids would have meant he got dressed in some sort of camo and hunted deer, or maybe coyotes, but it didn’t take long for Dean to find out that his father’s targets were much… bigger. His dad hunted creatures like werewolves and vampires, ghosts and ghouls. Definitely not deer. Dean used to think he was a hero, until his 11th birthday when an owl of all creatures delivered a letter that changed his life. A year later, the same thing would happen to his brother. They were wizards… the very sort of things that their father spent his life trying to kill. Dean didn’t think he’d ever seen his father that mad. The letter that explained Hogwarts and the wizarding world was, of course, burned immediately. It didn’t deter Dean and it most certainly didn’t deter the flock of owls that followed, each carrying a letter identical to the one that found a home amongst the ashes in their fireplace. It took weeks for his mom to convince his dad to let him go, and in the end, Dean was fairly sure his dad only agreed because he couldn’t stand the sight of him anymore.

He turned the page in the journal, running his thumb over the words he’s read a thousand times: “In their transformed state, werewolves are mindless beasts - acting purely on instinct and are incapable of rational thought.” He was interrupted when Lisa Braeden slid open the compartment door and sat down across from him.

She grinned broadly at him, her eyes shining. “Hey Dean! How was your summer?” Her smile faded slightly as she added, “I guess you didn’t get my letters.”

Dean glanced at her quickly and then averted his eyes. “Nah, I got ‘em, just couldn’t write you back. You never gave me your address, and the owls near my house don’t exactly know how to deliver letters. The one you sent always took off again before I could find my damn quill.”

Lisa frowned slightly, forgetting again that Dean was technically from a muggle family. He had such a natural gift for magic, it was sometimes hard to remember he hadn’t been doing it his whole life. Her voice softened. “Hey, that’s okay. Are you ready for another year?”

He gave a noncommittal shrug in response, looking at the floor and trying not to think about what was potentially in store for him. “Yeah, I guess. It’s gonna be like any other year, right?”

Lisa moved over to sit next to Dean, taking one of his hands in her own and leaning into his shoulder. “It’s going to be fine, Dean. Hogwarts is a big place, and they’re only going to take one kid from our house and year. I’m sure you’ll be fine, even if your name does get picked… I’d bet my whole stock of Chocolate Frogs that Gordon Walker takes your place. He actually wants to go.” Dean leaned back, kicking his feet up on the seat where Lisa had been sitting and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. He tried to remember that her name is up for The Choosing this year too, and the gloomier he was about it, the worse it would be for her. He squeezed her gently and chuckled. “Yeah, that crazy son of a bitch has been chompin’ at the bit to get to his 5th year. Guess it’s his time to shine, huh?”

Lisa nodded briefly and then fell quiet, allowing Dean to slip back into his thoughts. The Choosing. Already? How the hell did time pass so damn quick? Every year since Voldemort gained power, 5th, 6th, and 7th year students were chosen from each of the four Hogwarts Houses - Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. One kid from each year in each house, for a total of 12. They were always… lesser students, ones that Voldemort deemed unworthy. Voldemort hated anyone and anything that wasn’t a pureblood wizard. That included half-bloods, muggle-borns, and just about any creature that wasn’t a giant. Even Voldemort knew the tactical advantages behind having a giant on his side. The rest were disposable, and seen as less than human. There was a problem, though, as there so often is when bigotry is involved. And that problem was population. The purebloods were dwindling in numbers, and Voldemort created a solution: The Mudblood Hunger Games. He’d round up a mix of students and magical creatures from Hogwarts and give them a chance to prove that they belonged in his new world order. Names would be drawn from The Goblet of Fire, and unless someone volunteered to take your place, you were transported with the rest of the chosen few to Purgatory. Not much is known about what happens in Purgatory, but only one tribute ever makes it out alive. The rest either die in Purgatory, remain trapped, or… by some outlandish theories, are fed to Voldemort’s snake Nagini if they aren’t the first one to find the portal out of there. Dean shuddered at the thought of being fed to a giant snake, which causes Lisa to sit up and squeeze his hand.

“Seriously, Dean. Quit worrying. You’re not going to get chosen, and neither am I. We’re going to have a great year and you’re going to pass all your exams and then I’m kidnapping both you and Sam over the summer.” She nodded her head once, matter-of-factly.

Dean narrowed his eyes at her. “Sorry, what now?”

Lisa nodded again, more insistently this time. “You heard me, Winchester. You and your brother are going to come stay with me whether you like it or not. My mom already talked to yours, it’s all set up.” She grins and kisses him quickly. “It took me ages to convince my mom, but I finally did it. I told her how you have to stay at school over the holidays and you dread going home for the summer break, because your dad is such a --” She cut off abruptly and pursed her lips. “I’m sorry, Dean. You know what I mean, though. She thought it would be good for you two to spend some time with proper wizards, and I --” She blushed, and continued quietly, “I didn’t want to spend another summer away from you. Please tell me you’ll at least consider it?”

And he did consider it. A summer away from his dad sounded too good to be true. He smiled widely and kissed her again, just as Finnick Odair opened the compartment door and made a very disgusted noise when he saw them. “Oy! Get a room, you two, other people have to share this train too.” He walked over and shimmied himself between them, then looked over at Lisa and winked, clicking his tongue. “Hey Braeden, you miss me?”

Lisa scowled and Dean smacked Finnick’s arm, then pushed him to the seat opposite him. “Don’t be a tool-bag, Finn. You know she’s about as taken as it gets, so knock it off.”

Finnick’s eyes danced as he smirked at Dean. “What, are you afraid of a little competition, Winchester? That doesn’t sound like you at all. Who hurt you over the summer?”

Dean rolled his eyes, but was more or less thankful for the distraction. He had a feeling he was going to need a lot of those if he was going to survive this year.

18. I'm still smoldering a little, so it's with a tentative hand that Caesar reaches out to touch my headpiece. The white has burned away, leaving a smooth, fitted veil of black that drapes into the neckline of the dress in the back. "Feathers," says Caesar. "You're like a bird." "A mockingjay, I think," I say, giving my wings a small flap. "It's the bird on the pin I wear as a token." A shadow of recognition flickers across Caesar's face, and I can tell he knows that the mockingjay isn't just my token. That it's come to symbolize so much more. That what will be seen as a flashy costume change in the Capitol is resonating in an entirely different way throughout the districts. But he makes the best of it. "Well, hats off to your stylist. I don't think anyone can argue that that's not the most spectacular thing we've ever seen in an interview. Cinna, I think you better take a bow!" Caesar gestures for Cinna to rise. He does, and makes a small, gracious bow. And suddenly I am so afraid for him. What has he done? Something terribly dangerous. An act of rebellion in itself. And he's done it for me. I remember his words ... "Don't worry. I always channel my emotions into my work. That way I don't hurt anyone but myself." ... and I'm afraid he has hurt himself beyond repair. The significance of my fiery transformation will not be lost on President Snow. The audience, who's been stunned into silence, breaks into wild applause. I can barely hear the buzzer that indicates that my three minutes are up. Caesar thanks me and I go back to my seat, my dress now feeling lighter than air. As I pass Peeta, who's headed for his interview, he doesn't meet my eyes. I take my seat carefully, but aside from the puffs of smoke here and there, I seem unharmed, so I turn my attention to him. Caesar and Peeta have been a natural team since they first appeared together a year ago. Their easy give-and-take, comic timing, and ability to segue into heart-wrenching moments, like Peeta's confession of love for me, have made them a huge success with the audience. They effortlessly open with a few jokes about fires and feathers and overcooking poultry. But anyone can see that Peeta is preoccupied, so Caesar directs the conversation right into the subject that's on everyone's minds. "So, Peeta, what was it like when, after all you've been through, you found out about the Quell?" asks Caesar. "I was in shock. I mean, one minute I'm seeing Katniss looking so beautiful in all these wedding gowns, and the next ..." Peeta trails off. "You realized there was never going to be a wedding?" asks Caesar gently. Peeta pauses for a long moment, as if deciding something. He looks out at the spellbound audience, then at tin floor, then finally up at Caesar. "Caesar, do you think all our friends here can keep a secret?" An uncomfortable laugh emanates from the audience. What can he mean? Keep a secret from who? Our whole world is watching. "I feel quite certain of it," says Caesar. "We're already married," says Peeta quietly. The crowd reacts in astonishment, and I have to bury my face in the folds of my skirt so they can't see my confusion. Where on earth is he going with this? "But ... how can that be?" asks Caesar. "Oh, it's not an official marriage. We didn't go to the Justice Building or anything. But we have this marriage ritual in District Twelve. I don't know what it's like in the other districts. But there's this thing we do," says Peeta, and he briefly describes the toasting. "Were your families there?" asks Caesar. "No, we didn't tell anyone. Not even Haymitch. And Katniss's mother would never have approved. But you see, we knew if we were married in the Capitol, there wouldn't be a toasting. And neither of us really wanted to wait any longer. So one day, we just did it," Peeta says. "And to us, we're more married than any piece of paper or big party could make us." "So this was before the Quell?" says Caesar. "Of course before the Quell. I'm sure we'd never have done it after we knew," says Peeta, starting to get upset. "But who could've seen it coming? No one. We went through the Games, we were victors, everyone seemed so thrilled to see us together, and then out of nowhere - I mean, how could we anticipate a thing like that?" "You couldn't, Peeta." Caesar puts an arm around his shoulders. "As you say, no one could've. But I have to confess, I'm glad you two had at least a few months of happiness together." Enormous applause. As if encouraged, I look up from my feathers and let the audience see my tragic smile of thanks. The residual smoke from the feathers has made my eyes teary, which adds a very nice touch. "I'm not glad," says Peeta. "I wish we had waited until the whole thing was done officially." This takes even Caesar aback. "Surely even a brief time is better than no time?" "Maybe I'd think that, too, Caesar," says Peeta bitterly, "if it weren't for the baby." There. He's done it again. Dropped a bomb that wipes out the efforts of every tribute who came before him. Well, maybe not. Maybe this year he has only lit the fuse on a bomb that the victors themselves have been building. Hoping someone would be able to detonate it. Perhaps thinking it would be me in my bridal gown. Not knowing how much I rely on Cinna's talents, whereas Peeta needs nothing more than his wits. As the bomb explodes, it sends accusations of injustice and barbarism and cruelty flying out in every direction. Even the most Capitol-loving, Games-hungry, bloodthirsty person out there can't ignore, at least for a moment, how horrific the whole thing is. I am pregnant. The audience can't absorb the news right away. It has to strike them and sink in and be confirmed by other voices before they begin to sound like a herd of wounded animals, moaning, shrieking, calling for help. And me? I know my face is projected in a tight close-up on the screen, but I don't make any effort to hide it. Because for a moment, even I am working through what Peeta has said. Isn't it the thing I dreaded most about the wedding, about the future - the loss of my children to the Games? And it could be true now, couldn't it? If I hadn't spent my life building up layers of defenses until I recoil at even the suggestion of marriage or a family? Caesar can't rein in the crowd again, not even when the buzzer sounds. Peeta nods his good-bye and comes back to his seat without any more conversation. I can see Caesar's lips moving, but the place is in total chaos and I can't hear a word. Only the blast of the anthem, cranked up so loud I can feel it vibrating through my bones, lets us know where we stand in the program. I automatically rise and, as I do, I sense Peeta reaching out for me. Tears run down his face as I take his hand. How real are the tears? Is this an acknowledgment that he has been stalked by the same fears that I have? That every victor has? Every parent in every district in Panem? I look back to the crowd, but the faces of Rue's mother and father swim before my eyes. Their sorrow. Their loss. I turn spontaneously to Chaff and offer my hand. I feel my fingers close around the stump that now completes his arm and hold fast. And then it happens. Up and down the row, the victors begin to join hands. Some right away, like the morphlings, or Wiress and Beetee. Others unsure but caught up in the demands of those around them, like Brutus and Enobaria. By the time the anthem plays its final strains, all twenty-four of us stand in one unbroken line in what must be the first public show of unity among the districts since the Dark Days. You can see the realization of this as the screens begin to pop into blackness. It's too late, though. In the confusion they didn't cut us off in time. Everyone has seen. There's disorder on the stage now, too, as the lights go out and we're left to stumble back into the Training Center. I've lost hold of Chaff, but Peeta guides me into an elevator. Finnick and Johanna try to join us, but a harried Peacekeeper blocks their way and we shoot upward alone. The moment we step off the elevator, Peeta grips my shoulders. "There isn't much time, so tell me. Is there anything I have to apologize for?" "Nothing," I say. It was a big leap to take without my okay, but I'm just as glad I didn't know, didn't have time to second-guess him, to let any guilt over Gale detract from how I really feel about what Peeta did. Which is empowered. Somewhere, very far off, is a place called District 12, where my mother and sister and friends will have to deal with the fallout from this night. Just a brief hovercraft ride away is an arena where, tomorrow, Peeta and I and the other tributes will face our own form of punishment. But even if all of us meet terrible ends, something happened on that stage tonight that can't be undone. We victors staged our own uprising, and maybe, just maybe, the Capitol won't be able to contain this one. We wait for the others to return, but when the elevator opens, only Haymitch appears. "It's madness out there. Everyone's been sent home and they've canceled the recap of the interviews on television." Peeta and I hurry to the window and try to make sense of the commotion far below us on the streets. "What are they saying?" Peeta asks. "Are they asking the president to stop the Games?" "I don't think they know themselves what to ask. The whole situation is unprecedented. Even the idea of opposing the Capitol's agenda is a source of confusion for the people here," says Haymitch. "But there's no way Snow would cancel the Games. You know that, right?" I do. Of course, he could never back down now. The only option left to him is to strike back, and strike back hard. "The others went home?" I ask. "They were ordered to. I don't know how much luck they're having getting through the mob," says Haymitch. "Then we'll never see Effie again," says Peeta. We didn't see her on the morning of the Games last year. "You'll give her our thanks." "More than that. Really make it special. It's Effie, after all," I say. "Tell her how appreciative we are and how she was the best escort ever and tell her ... tell her we send our love." For a while we just stand there in silence, delaying the inevitable. Then Haymitch says it. "I guess this is where we say our good-byes as well." "Any last words of advice?" Peeta asks. "Stay alive," Haymitch says gruffly. That's almost an old joke with us now. He gives us each a quick embrace, and I can tell it's all he can stand. "Go to bed. You need your rest." I know I should say a whole bunch of things to Haymitch, but I can't think of anything he doesn't already know, really, and my throat is so tight I doubt anything would come out, anyway. So, once again, I let Peeta speak for us both. "You take care, Haymitch," he says. We cross the room, but in the doorway, Haymitch's voice stops us. "Katniss, when you're in the arena," he begins. Then he pauses. He's scowling in a way that makes me sure I've already disappointed him. "What?" I ask defensively. "You just remember who the enemy is," Haymitch tells me. "That's all. Now go on. Get out of here." We walk down the hallway. Peeta wants to stop by his room to shower off the makeup and meet me in a few minutes, but I won't let him. I'm certain that if a door shuts between us, it will lock and I'll have to spend the night without him. Besides, I have a shower in my room. I refuse to let go of his hand. Do we sleep? I don't know. We spend the night holding each other, in some halfway land between dreams and waking. Not talking. Both afraid to disturb the other in the hope that we'll be able to store up a few precious minutes of rest. Cinna and Portia arrive with the dawn, and I know Peeta will have to go. Tributes enter the arena alone. He gives me a light kiss. "See you soon," he says. "See you soon," I answer. Cinna, who will help dress me for the Games, accompanies me to the roof. I'm about to mount the ladder to the hovercraft when I remember. "I didn't say good-bye to Portia." "I'll tell her," says Cinna. The electric current freezes me in place on the ladder until the doctor injects the tracker into my left forearm. Now they will always be able to locate me in the arena. The hovercraft takes off, and I look out the windows until they black out. Cinna keeps pressing me to eat and, when that fails, to drink. I manage to keep sipping water, thinking of the days of dehydration that almost killed me last year. Thinking of how I will need my strength to keep Peeta alive. When we reach the Launch Room at the arena, I shower. Cinna braids my hair down my back and helps me dress over simple undergarments. This year's tribute outfit is a fitted blue jumpsuit, made of very sheer material, that zippers up the front. A six-inch-wide padded belt covered in shiny purple plastic. A pair of nylon shoes with rubber soles. "What do you think?" I ask, holding the fabric out for Cinna to examine. He frowns as he rubs the thin stuff between his fingers. "I don't know. It will offer little in the way of protection from cold or water." "Sun?" I ask, picturing a burning sun over a barren desert. "Possibly. If it's been treated," he says. "Oh, I almost forgot this." He takes my gold mockingjay pin from his pocket and fixes it to the jumpsuit. "My dress was fantastic last night," I say. Fantastic and reckless. But Cinna must know that. "I thought you might like it," he says with a tight smile. We sit, as we did last year, holding hands until the voice tells me to prepare for the launch. He walks me over to the circular metal plate and zips up the neck of my jumpsuit securely. "Remember, girl on fire," he says, "I'm still betting on you." He kisses my forehead and steps back as the glass cylinder slides down around me. "Thank you," I say, although he probably can't hear me. I lift my chin, holding my head high the way he always tells me to, and wait for the plate to rise. But it doesn't. And it still doesn't. I look at Cinna, raising my eyebrows for an explanation. He just gives his head a slight shake, as perplexed as I am. Why are they delaying this? Suddenly the door behind him bursts open and three Peacekeepers spring into the room. Two pin Cinna's arms behind him and cuff him while the third hits him in the temple with such force he's knocked to his knees. But they keep hitting him with metal-studded gloves, opening gashes on his face and body. I'm screaming my head off, banging on the unyielding glass, trying to reach him. The Peacekeepers ignore me completely as they drag Cinna's limp body from the room. All that's left are the smears of blood on the floor. Sickened and terrified, I feel the plate begin to rise. I'm still leaning against the glass when the breeze catches my hair and I force myself to straighten up. Just in time, too, because the glass is retreating and I'm standing free in the arena. Something seems to be wrong with my vision. The ground is too bright and shiny and keeps undulating. I squint down at my feet and see that my metal plate is surrounded by blue waves that lap up over my boots. Slowly I raise my eyes and take in the water spreading out in every direction. I can only form one clear thought.

This is no place for a girl on fire.

This is the Ending Of My Story I said Don’t kill me for... I was going for...

So Because I got many many people tell me do the everlark end game in my story I did… The one with that everlark ending will be here  I only added here what I was going for without an Everlark ending yes I said those words.  

So in my story It was the Day Before Katniss’s and Finnicks wedding. They Get Married but surprise Katniss’s ex Peeta shows up who made their Cake… Turns out he’s been seeing someone else as well.  Now they do have a rough patch make up but in the end they do what  for the best  for their situations. 

I get a letter in the mail shorty after her birth… Its from Peeta It says

“ Dear Katniss I know about the baby, Finnick told me. I am so happy for you.. I am sure she is Beautiful like her mother and have quality’s like her father. I know you are already a great mother… I come to write you to let you know I have yet to pop the question to Johanna .  I hope to do it soon…. Also I’ll be in District 4 in mid November Hope we can meet up and I can meet that beautiful baby of yours. She is lucky to have parents like you two…Hope I am not a burden for us to meet up but I would really like to talk to you in person…”

I write back

“ Dear Peeta Her Name is Olivia Paige she is the most beautiful baby  I’ve ever seen But I’d prob say the same thing  of all my children. We are  doing well here.  And  Oh I know you will find the right place and time to do that you always do.. I would love to meet up with you when your in I work at the coffee shop in the district. And of course you can meet her… we’d be happy to put you in a room  while you stay…”

Mid November when Peeta arrives in District 4.. Al lot has happened since I wrote that Letter. We meet at the coffee shop… Even tho their might be nothing romantic between us I don’t hesitate when we hug… He says “  Well I know I am going to propose to her when I Get home” I say “ That’s great, Finnick got prompted at his job. Which means he can be home a bit more.”… Peeta continues  “ But I want to get your opinion on the ring…” Peeta pulls out the ring and acts  like he is proposing to me. And says “ Katniss Odair do you think this ring is the one for Johanna Mason?” And shows me a beautiful ring  I say “ Yes yes I do”…and I can’t help but laugh of how silly he’s acting and I give him a quick hug and say “ She’s going to love it Peeta I cannot  believe your getting engaged”. Peeta just smiles… I continue “ Oh Wanna  meet Olivia?”… Peeta Answers “ I sure do” He makes says some baby talk and says with a smirk “ This baby has beauty and brains.. Gets the Beauty from the father” I  playful smack him and say “ Well I give you that one no one can deny Finnicks good looks” He smiles a bit… Then Suddenly my phone Buzzes… I look at it and say “Oh Finnick needs to talk to me I better go down to his job.. You know where the hotel is right?”  Peeta gets up and puts Olivia back in her stroller and says “ Yeah I do see you later ?”  “Yeah that sounds good I answer”

I get to Finnicks work after Dropping off Olivia at her grandma’s house and just am smiling because of how nice it was to see my friend Peeta. But then that Changes when I see Finnicks face. Which looks angry… I almost say out loud what did I do now… But then I remember he knew about Peeta’s  for weeks now…. He says “ We need to talk alone”… in an angry tone…I give him a confused look he ignores  once the door shuts he says “ How was your meeting with Peeta”… I carefully say “ It was good we were just catching up… Whats wrong Finncik?”… Finnick says almost yelling. “ Katniss I think you know what’s wrong”… I shake my head to tell him no I really don’t . Finnick shows me a Vidio on his phone its of Peeta down on one knee right in front of me and you cannot hear what he is saying but all you hear is me saying  Yes ….all I can say is “ Oh my god”… Finnick is Basically yelling at this point “ Katniss we have been married for over a year have a kid together and  now when your ex comes back here you want to marry him while you still have my wedding ring on”… I look at him and say Calmly “ Finnick it’s not like that”…. Finnick says loud “ Then what is it like Katniss” Now I am Yelling “ Peeta was just showing me the ring that he got to propose the Johanna Mason, His girlfriend and if your stupid enough to think I’ll leave you like that your wrong” I leave the room slamming the door behind me… Finnick follows right behind and says  in a voice I know he means regret “ Katniss I am sorry I jumped to that conclusion”… I smile at him and say “ I am sorry too I shouldn’t of left the room like that”… He hugs me Picks me up swings me around… I am giggling… and he says quietly “ So Johanna and Peeta didn’t see that one coming”… I smile and say “ Don’t think too many saw us as a married couple either”… Suddenly he pins me against the wall and kisses me … I look into those sea green eyes and say “I love you”… and Kiss him back…

What breaks us apart is one of Finnicks coworkers saying “ awe” and then saying “ I ruined the moment didn’t I” and quickly hurries off.. Finnick just Laughs and says “ So I’ll make it up to you tonight” and gives me a wink… I say “ Finnick Odair” and hit his chest “ But I know you have the best surprises”… He smiles and says “ I better get back to work” I say “ Oh don’t be to late Peeta will be at our house for dinner”.. I give him a quick kiss  tell him bye and hurry off…

The door bell rings and Finnick Answers it.  And said “ Peeta how nice for you to join us” … It’s everything for me not to roll my eyes… Peeta brought flowers, Cheese buns and a stuffed animal for Olivia… I say  “ Oh who are the flowers for” with That smirk of his he says “ I got them for Finnick” He heard what happened earlier… “And the cheese buns are for the both of you”… and out of no where he pulls out a ring pop gets down on one knee  “ And my dearest Katniss this is for you…” I laugh and Finnick does too… I say “ Oh how unromantic”…  I hear the  oven beep and say “ Excuse me”.. Leaving Finnick and Peeta in the living room… I hear Peeta say “ Sorry about today I was just joking around”… Finnick say’s “ Stop, I jumped into it to fast. I know she’s not that type of girl to jump ship like that, But we made up now… I also know your not that kind of  guy either”.. “ Yeah” Peetas says…  “ We just started to be friends again I wanted a friends option on the ring I might of went to far going down on one knee” Peeta says… Finnick Says “ Yeah maybe, But hey your gonna be engaged soon congrats on that”… Peeta smiles and says “ Yeah she’s great…” He was going to say more but I enter the room and say “ Well dinners ready lets eat”… We go to the dinning room and eat a wonderful meal of cheese buns and sea food… we make small talk…

I walk Peeta out  later that evening… He says not looking at me in the eye “ Katniss you know how we are being honest with each other now”… I give him a question look and say “Yes”… He is looking down at his feet avoid something… so I add “ We did.. Everything alright?”… He looks up and says “ I am going to be a father”…

Rewind.

Written by: @thegirlfromoverthepond

Prompt 8: Start your story at the end (like the backwards Seinfeld episode “The Betrayal” about a wedding in India) and reveal how it began at the end. [submitted by @567inpanem​​]

Thank you @javistg and @xerxia31 for hosting this amazing fic exchange :) it’s always been a great opportunity to start wirting different things … I still remember the first fic I posted for the exchange :)

Thank you for the prompt, @567inpanem, I hope you’re not disappointed in what I wrote. (I’ve never watched Seinfeld ;) )

And again thank you to @xerxia31 for betaing this story so well. Your help made this story much better.

I’m dying. I can feel it. Life leaves my body, finger by toe. My heart will soon stop, and I’ll finally join him. These last two years have been too difficult, too sad. Too empty.

I know they’re gathered downstairs. I can hear them all. Children, grandchildren. I’m glad I’ve met them. I’m happy we made them.

The cold is taking more and more space inside of me. I’m not strong enough anymore.

I don’t want to fight it.

Maybe, in death, I’ll hold his hand again. Maybe we’ll sit in the Meadow, watch our family live and laugh. Maybe he’ll whisper in my ear, like he used to when we were younger.

Or maybe we’ll just look at each other.

The cold is going to take me away …. I turn my head, and I see him looking at me, from the old armchair near the bed.

He extends his hand, I think he wants me to come with him ..

I take his hand. The cold is everywhere.

I’m dying.

———-

I never thought there would be something scarier than giving birth. Or surviving a war and two Hunger Games.

But there’s something even worse than suffering.

It’s seeing someone you love deeply in pain.

Peeta holds my hand the whole time. I can see the distress in his eyes - so much like when I gave birth to Charlotte and Aiden. This time, though, it’s different.

Because it’s our little princess who is delivering, bringing her own child into this world.

Our little daughter, who once was a carefree kid, laughing and playing in the Meadow. Who grew up to be the kindest of big sisters, caring so much for others that her becoming a doctor was as natural as breathing.

And now, after a few years in a happy union, she’s about to give birth.

And we’re freaking out.

Not because we’re becoming grandparents.

But because she’s going to become a mother.

I exchange a look with Peeta, which says it all. We’re in this together. Always.

We only break eye contact when we hear the waiting room door open.

Our son-in-law, eyes sparkling in what would have been a ridiculous outfit if we weren’t too distracted to notice it (pink scrubs never look good on men) enters, announcing that the baby is here.

A girl, named Lily.

I start crying at the news.

—–

He dies on a beautiful summer day.

For years, summers meant death and dread for him. Now, they mean afternoons spent in his backyard or ours, watching Charlotte and Aiden play with the animals we have. Our little farm, expanding with each passing year, along with his neverending flock of geese. Why he had so much, he never said.

He lived a tough life, full of tears, full of pain, full of loneliness.

We hope he had a happy ending, full of laughter, full of joy, with his adopted family.

Charlotte cries for days over the loss of her Grandpa.

—-

Of course, Peeta agrees before I can say anything.

Just like every other time.

How I find myself with a cat, chicken, rabbits and a goat is beyond me.

But they make the children happy. Which makes Peeta happy.

Seeing my loved ones happy makes me happy too.

Hearing Haymitch complain about them is a bonus.

–

Having two kids makes everything different.

Only one thing still amazes me.

Love can’t be divided.

It multiplies.

—

Charlotte comes into the world screaming.

It took me a long time to agree to having a child, but I finally caved. Our world has changed, to something I never dreamt of.

I never dreamt of having children before, but if the world can change, so can I.

Charlotte has my hair, and what I hope will be her father’s eyes.

I’m happy I brought her into our lives. I feel at peace.

Haymitch has even quit drinking. I think he’s found his peace, too.

—-

It’s a quiet morning and I’m feeling lazy. Peeta is asleep next to me, his arm resting on my belly.

He’s protective, my Peeta. I don’t want to get out of bed. I don’t want to wake up yet.

I just want to bathe in his warmth.

I turn on my side, feel his hand slide to my back. I find my place on his chest.

I close my eyes.

I’m happy.

–

It’s always harder on the anniversary of her death.

The first years, it felt like I was dying inside.

Today marks the tenth anniversary. Prim would be 24. She would be married. She would be worrying about her children’s first reaping.

No mother will ever again have to worry about her children being sent to death.

Ever.

It helps with the pain. Time soothes all wounds, Peeta says.

He’s right.

I still have bad days, but they are few and far between.

Maybe, in the end, it was worth it?

—

The first day is hard on Peeta. Opening a bakery that bears his family name in view of everybody, in front of the cameras, reminds him too much of what he has lost. What he’ll never have again.

His family.

His parents and brothers.

I try to be as supportive as I can, even helping with the front counter. It’s like people have come from all over the country to be part of the opening. But after a few minutes of people asking me more about our life as a couple rather than about bread, I let the staff we’ve hired manage the sales.

I can feel it’s a tough day for Peeta, I can feel it in my bones.

I find him sitting on the steps of the back door, his gaze lost in the sky.

I know he misses them.

I know I’m nothing like they ever were to him.

I just know they are his past, when I can be his future.

I hug him.

We watch the sunset, watch the birds fly by.

We wait until he’s ready. Until the tears are dried.

Then we go home, hand in hand.

————

It happens because it’s where all the kissing and exploring leads us. It’s not a date we’ve chosen, it’s no particular day, it’s nothing out of the ordinary.

Our hands wander a little more than usual. Mine like to trace his muscles, the firm lines that reappeared when he started making bread again. Lifting sacks of flour did his body good.

HeI can hear soft moans softly as my fingers linger on his chest, under his shirt. It’s like he’s as sensitive to my touch as I am when his hands are on me.

I don’t know why today I feel bolder than usual. my mouth wants to taste his, or linger on his jaw, feel his pulse under my lips when they find his neck. Over and over again.

I thought I knew what hunger was until I hear his moans - they do something to me, break all the barriers.

They set me free.

He sets me free.

We find ourselves more adventurous than ever. Clothes are thrown away, hands wander again and again, touches become more intimate… until we’re finally one.

It’s short, it’s rushed.

But we have a lot of time to practice.

So we practice.

—-

He’s back.

He came back.

I don’t know why.

He’s back.

Yesterday, he planted primroses around my house.

Primroses.

He made her come back.

Even when she couldn’t.

She’s everywhere now.

In every flower that will bloom.

In every whisper of the leaves.

She’s back here.

With me.

He brought her back.

He brought me back.

My boy with the bread.

He saved me.

Again.

—-

I hate the sun. It’s scorching.

Even through the windows.

I haven’t been outside in days.

Or weeks.

It’s not important.

I just want to die.

Everyone left me.

Finnick died for me. He should have lived.

Mother - she couldn’t even look me in the eye. She’s in Four, I think.

I don’t care.

Not anymore.

Gale- I can’t even think about him.

Prim. My sweet little sister. She wasn’t supposed to die.

Or maybe she was. Maybe it was her destiny all along.

Peeta - they keep him in the Capitol. I guess he’ll never come back to me.

I’m nothing but scars and pain.

I’m worthless.

—-

It’s true, what they say.

When you die, you see your whole life passing in front of your eyes.

Mine has been so long… I was supposed to die at sixteen.

I never expected to survive the Hunger Games, much less a second one. Or a war.

I never thought I’d be one to believe in love.

Yet, I did.

For every loss, every pain I felt, happiness came my way. First with my boy with the bread, so many years ago. Then with my fellow tribute. Or the man I loved with all my heart. The one who held my hand when our children were born. The man who shared my life, through everything.

He was my past. He became my present.

Now we have all of eternity.

Together.

Always.

23. A clock. I can almost see the hands ticking around the twelve-sectioned face of the arena. Each hour begins a new horror, a new Gamemaker weapon, and ends the previous. Lightning, blood rain, fog, monkeys - those are the first four hours on the clock. And at ten, the wave. I don't know what happens in the other seven, but I know Wiress is right. At present, the blood rain's falling and we're on the beach below the monkey segment, far too close to the fog for my liking. Do the various attacks stay within the confines of the jungle? Not necessarily. The wave didn't. If that fog leaches out of the jungle, or the monkeys return ... "Get up," I order, shaking Peeta and Finnick and Johanna awake. "Get up - we have to move." There's enough time, though, to explain the clock theory to them. About Wiress's tick-tocking and how the movements of the invisible hands trigger a deadly force in each section. I think I've convinced everyone who's conscious except Johanna, who's naturally opposed to liking anything I suggest. But even she agrees it's better to be safe than sorry. While the others collect our few possessions and get Beetee back into his jumpsuit, I rouse Wiress. She awakes with a panicked "tick, tock!" "Yes, tick, tock, the arena's a clock. It's a clock, Wiress, you were right," I say. "You were right." Relief floods her face - I guess because somebody has finally understood what she's known probably from the first tolling of the bells. "Midnight." "It starts at midnight," I confirm. A memory struggles to surface in my brain. I see a clock. No, it's a watch, resting in Plutarch Heavensbee's palm. "It starts at midnight," Plutarch said. And then my mockingjay lit up briefly and vanished. In retrospect, it's like he was giving me a clue about the arena. But why would he? At the time, I was no more a tribute in these Games than he was. Maybe he thought it would help me as a mentor. Or maybe this had been the plan all along. Wiress nods at the blood rain. "One-thirty," she says. "Exactly. One-thirty. And at two, a terrible poisonous fog begins there," I say, pointing at the nearby jungle. "So we have to move somewhere safe now." She smiles and stands up obediently. "Are you thirsty?" I hand her the woven bowl and she gulps down about a quart. Finnick gives her the last bit of bread and she gnaws on it. With the inability to communicate overcome, she's functioning again. I check my weapons. Tie up the spile and the tube of medicine in the parachute and fix it to my belt with vine. Beetee's still pretty out of it, but when Peeta tries to lift him, he objects. "Wire," he says. "She's right here," Peeta tells him. "Wiress is fine. She's coming, too." But still Beetee struggles. "Wire," he insists. "Oh, I know what he wants," says Johanna impatiently. She crosses the beach and picks up the cylinder we took from his belt when we were bathing him. It's coated in a thick layer of congealed blood. "This worthless thing. It's some kind of wire or something. That's how he got cut. Running up to the Cornucopia to get this. I don't know what kind of weapon it's supposed to be. I guess you could pull off a piece and use it as a garrote or something. But really, can you imagine Beetee garroting somebody?" "He won his Games with wire. Setting up that electrical trap," says Peeta. "It's the best weapon he could have." There's something odd about Johanna not putting this together. Something that doesn't quite ring true. Suspicious. "Seems like you'd have figured that out," I say. "Since you nicknamed him Volts and all." Johanna's eyes narrow at me dangerously. "Yeah, that was really stupid of me, wasn't it?" she says. "I guess I must have been distracted by keeping your little friends alive. While you were...what, again? Getting Mags killed off?" My fingers tighten on the knife handle at my belt. "Go ahead. Try it. I don't care if you are knocked up, I'll rip your throat out," says Johanna. I know I can't kill her right now. But it's just a matter of time with Johanna and me. Before one of us offs the other. "Maybe we all had better be careful where we step," says Finnick, shooting me a look. He takes the coil and sets it on Beetee's chest. "There's your wire, Volts. Watch where you plug it." Peeta picks up the now-unresisting Beetee. "Where to?" "I'd like to go to the Cornucopia and watch. Just to make sure we're right about the clock," says Finnick. It seems as good a plan as any. Besides, I wouldn't mind the chance of going over the weapons again. And there are six of us now. Even if you count Beetee and Wiress out, we've got four good fighters. It's so different from where I was last year at this point, doing everything on my own. Yes, it's great to have allies as long as you can ignore the thought that you'll have to kill them. Beetee and Wiress will probably find some way to die on their own. If we have to run from something, how far would they get? Johanna, frankly, I could easily kill if it came down to protecting Peeta. Or maybe even just to shut her up. What I really need is for someone to take out Finnick for me, since I don't think I can do it personally. Not after all he's done for Peeta. I think about maneuvering him into some kind of encounter with the Careers. It's cold, I know. But what are my options? Now that we know about the clock, he probably won't die in the jungle, so someone's going to have to kill him in battle. Because this is so repellent to think about, my mind frantically tries to change topics. But the only thing that distracts me from my current situation is fantasizing about killing President Snow. Not very pretty daydreams for a seventeen-year-old girl, I guess, but very satisfying. We walk down the nearest sand strip, approaching the Cornucopia with care, just in case the Careers are concealed there. I doubt they are, because we've been on the beach for hours and there's been no sign of life. The area's abandoned, as I expected. Only the big golden horn and the picked-over pile of weapons remain. When Peeta lays Beetee in the bit of shade the Cornucopia provides, he calls out to Wiress. She crouches beside him and he puts the coil of wire in her hands. "Clean it, will you?" he asks. Wiress nods and scampers over to the water's edge, where she dunks the coil in the water. She starts quietly singing some funny little song, about a mouse running up a clock. It must be for children, but it seems to make her happy. "Oh, not the song again," says Johanna, rolling her eyes. "That went on for hours before she started tick-tocking." Suddenly Wiress stands up very straight and points to the jungle. "Two," she says. I follow her finger to where the wall of fog has just begun to seep out onto the beach. "Yes, look, Wiress is right. It's two o'clock and the fog has started." "Like clockwork," says Peeta. "You were very smart to figure that out, Wiress." Wiress smiles and goes back to singing and dunking her coil. "Oh, she's more than smart," says Beetee. "She's intuitive." We all turn to look at Beetee, who seems to be coming back to life. "She can sense things before anyone else. Like a canary in one of your coal mines." "What's that?" Finnick asks me. "It's a bird that we take down into the mines to warn us if there's bad air," I say. "What's it do, die?" asks Johanna. "It stops singing first. That's when you should get out. But if the air's too bad, it dies, yes. And so do you." I don't want to talk about dying songbirds. They bring up thoughts of my father's death and Rue's death and Maysilee Donner's death and my mother inheriting her songbird. Oh, great, and now I'm thinking of Gale, deep down in that horrible mine, with President Snow's threat hanging over his head. So easy to make it look like an accident down there. A silent canary, a spark, and nothing more. I go back to imagining killing the president. Despite her annoyance at Wiress, Johanna's as happy as I've seen her in the arena. While I'm adding to my stock of arrows, she pokes around until she comes up with a pair of lethal-looking axes. It seems an odd choice until I see her throw one with such force it sticks in the sun-softened gold of the Cornucopia. Of course. Johanna Mason. District 7. Lumber. I bet she's been tossing around axes since she could toddle. It's like Finnick with his trident. Or Beetee with his wire. Rue with her knowledge of plants. I realize it's just another disadvantage the District 12 tributes have faced over the years. We don't go down in the mines until we're eighteen. It looks like most of the other tributes learn something about their trades early on. There are things you do in a mine that could come in handy in the Games. Wielding a pick. Blowing things up. Give you an edge. The way my hunting did. But we learn them too late. While I've been messing with the weapons, Peeta's been squatting on the ground, drawing something with the tip of his knife on a large, smooth leaf he brought from the jungle. I look over his shoulder and see he's creating a map of the arena. In the center is the Cornucopia on its circle of sand with the twelve strips branching out from it. It looks like a pie sliced into twelve equal wedges. There's another circle representing the waterline and a slightly larger one indicating the edge of the jungle. "Look how the Cornucopia's positioned," he says to me. I examine the Cornucopia and see what he means. "The tail points toward twelve o'clock," I say. "Right, so this is the top of our clock," he says, and quickly scratches the numbers one through twelve around the clock face. "Twelve to one is the lightning zone." He writes lightning in tiny print in the corresponding wedge, then works clockwise adding blood, fog, and monkeys in the following sections. "And ten to eleven is the wave," I say. He adds it. Finnick and Johanna join us at this point, armed to the teeth with tridents, axes, and knives. "Did you notice anything unusual in the others?" I ask Johanna and Beetee, since they might have seen something we didn't. But all they've seen is a lot of blood. "I guess they could hold anything." "I'm going to mark the ones where we know the Gamemakers' weapon follows us out past the jungle, so we'll stay clear of those," says Peeta, drawing diagonal lines on the fog and wave beaches. Then he sits back. "Well, it's a lot more than we knew this morning, anyway." We all nod in agreement, and that's when I notice it. The silence. Our canary has stopped singing. I don't wait. I load an arrow as I twist and get a glimpse of a dripping-wet Gloss letting Wiress slide to the ground, her throat slit open in a bright red smile. The point of my arrow disappears into his right temple, and in the instant it takes to reload, Johanna has buried an ax blade in Cashmere's chest. Finnick knocks away a spear Brutus throws at Peeta and takes Enobaria's knife in his thigh. If there wasn't a Cornucopia to duck behind, they'd be dead, both of the tributes from District 2. I spring forward in pursuit. Boom! Boom! Boom! The cannon confirms there's no way to help Wiress, no need to finish off Gloss or Cashmere. My allies and I are rounding the horn, starting to give chase to Brutus and Enobaria, who are sprinting down a sand strip toward the jungle. Suddenly the ground jerks beneath my feet and I'm flung on my side in the sand. The circle of land that holds the Cornucopia starts spinning fast, really fast, and I can see the jungle going by in a blur. I feel the centrifugal force pulling me toward the water and dig my hands and feet into the sand, trying to get some purchase on the unstable ground. Between the flying sand and the dizziness, I have to squeeze my eyes shut. There is literally nothing I can do but hold on until, with no deceleration, we slam to a stop. Coughing and queasy, I sit up slowly to find my companions in the same condition. Finnick, Johanna, and Peeta have hung on. The three dead bodies have been tossed out into the seawater. The whole thing, from missing Wiress's song to now, can't have taken more than a minute or two. We sit there panting, scraping the sand out of our mouths. "Where's Volts?" says Johanna. We're on our feet. One wobbly circle of the Cornucopia confirms he's gone. Finnick spots him about twenty yards out in the water, barely keeping afloat, and swims out to haul him in. That's when I remember the wire and how important it was to him. I look frantically around. Where is it? Where is it? And then I see it, still clutched in Wiress's hands, far out in the water. My stomach contracts at the thought of what I must do next. "Cover me," I say to the others. I toss aside my weapons and race down the strip closest to her body. Without slowing down, I dive into the water and start for her. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the hovercraft appearing over us, the claw starting to descend to take her away. But I don't stop. I just keep swimming as hard as I can and end up slamming into her body. I come up gasping, trying to avoid swallowing the bloodstained water that spreads out from the open wound in her neck. She's floating on her back, borne up by her belt and death, staring into that relentless sun. As I tread water, I have to wrench the coil of wire from her fingers, because her final grip on it is so tight. There's nothing I can do then but close her eyelids, whisper good-bye, and swim away. By the time I swing the coil up onto the sand and pull myself from the water, her body's gone. But I can still taste her blood mingled with the sea salt. I walk back to the Cornucopia. Finnick's gotten Beetee back alive, although a little waterlogged, sitting up and snorting out water. He had the good sense to hang on to his glasses, so at least he can see. I place the reel of wire on his lap. It's sparkling clean, no blood left at all. He unravels a piece of the wire and runs it through his fingers. For the first time I see it, and it's unlike any wire I know. A pale golden color and as fine as a piece of hair. I wonder how long it is. There must be miles of the stuff to fill the large spool. But I don't ask, because I know he's thinking of Wiress. I look at the others' sober faces. Now Finnick, Johanna, and Beetee have all lost their district partners. I cross to Peeta and wrap my arms around him, and for a while we all stay silent. "Let's get off this stinking island," Johanna says finally. There's only the matter of our weapons now, which we've largely retained. Fortunately the vines here are strong and the spile and tube of medicine wrapped in the parachute are still secured to my belt. Finnick strips off his undershirt and ties it around the wound Enobaria's knife made in his thigh; it's not deep. Beetee thinks he can walk now, if we go slowly, so I help him up. We decide to head to the beach at twelve o'clock. That should provide hours of calm and keep us clear of any poisonous residue. And then Peeta, Johanna, and Finnick head off in three different directions. "Twelve o'clock, right?" says Peeta. "The tail points at twelve." "Before they spun us," says Finnick. "I was judging by the sun." "The sun only tells you it's going on four, Finnick," I say. "I think Katniss's point is, knowing the time doesn't mean you necessarily know where four is on the clock. You might have a general idea of the direction. Unless you consider that they may have shifted the outer ring of jungle as well," says Beetee. No, Katniss's point was a lot more basic than that. Beetee's articulated a theory far beyond my comment on the sun. But I just nod my head like I've been on the same page all along. "Yes, so any one of these paths could lead to twelve o'clock," I say. We circle around the Cornucopia, scrutinizing the jungle. It has a baffling uniformity. I remember the tall tree that took the first lightning strike at twelve o'clock, but every sector has a similar tree. Johanna thinks to follow Enobaria's and Brutus's tracks, but they have been blown or washed away. There's no way to tell where anything is. "I should have never mentioned the clock," I say bitterly. "Now they've taken that advantage away as well." "Only temporarily," says Beetee. "At ten, we'll see the wave again and be back on track." "Yes, they can't redesign the whole arena," says Peeta. "It doesn't matter," says Johanna impatiently. "You had to tell us or we never would have moved our camp in the first place, brainless." Ironically, her logical, if demeaning, reply is the only one that comforts me. Yes, I had to tell them to get them to move. "Come on, I need water. Anyone have a good gut feeling?" We randomly choose a path and take it, having no idea what number we're headed for. When we reach the jungle, we peer into it, trying to decipher what may be waiting inside. "Well, it must be monkey hour. And I don't see any of them in there," says Peeta. "I'm going to try to tap a tree." "No, it's my turn," says Finnick. "I'll at least watch your back," Peeta says. "Katniss can do that," says Johanna. "We need you to make another map. The other washed away." She yanks a large leaf off a tree and hands it to him. For a moment, I'm suspicious they're trying to divide and kill us. But it doesn't make sense. I'll have the advantage on Finnick if he's dealing with the tree and Peeta's much bigger than Johanna. So I follow Finnick about fifteen yards into the jungle, where he finds a good tree and starts stabbing to make a hole with his knife. As I stand there, weapons ready, I can't lose the uneasy feeling that something is going on and that it has to do with Peeta. I retrace our steps, starting from the moment the gong rang out, searching for the source of my discomfort. Finnick towing Peeta in off his metal plate. Finnick reviving Peeta after the force field stopped his heart. Mags running into the fog so that Finnick could carry Peeta. The morphling hurling herself in front of him to block the monkey's attack. The fight with the Careers was so quick, but didn't Finnick block Brutus's spear from hitting Peeta even though it meant taking Enobaria's knife in his leg? And even now Johanna has him drawing a map on a leaf rather than risking the jungle... There is no question about it. For reasons completely unfathomable to me, some of the other victors are trying to keep him alive, even if it means sacrificing themselves. I'm dumbfounded. For one thing, that's my job. For another, it doesn't make sense. Only one of us can get out. So why have they chosen Peeta to protect? What has Haymitch possibly said to them, what has he bargained with to make them put Peeta's life above their own? I know my own reasons for keeping Peeta alive. He's my friend, and this is my way to defy the Capitol, to subvert its terrible Games. But if I had no real ties to him, what would make me want to save him, to choose him over myself? Certainly he is brave, but we have all been brave enough to survive a Games. There is that quality of goodness that's hard to overlook, but still ... and then I think of it, what Peeta can do so much better than the rest of us. He can use words. He obliterated the rest of the field at both interviews. And maybe it's because of that underlying goodness that he can move a crowd - no, a country - to his side with the turn of a simple sentence. I remember thinking that was the gift the leader of our revolution should have. Has Haymitch convinced the others of this? That Peeta's tongue would have far greater power against the Capitol than any physical strength the rest of us could claim? I don't know. It still seems like a really long leap for some of the tributes. I mean, we're talking about Johanna Mason here. But what other explanation can there be for their decided efforts to keep him alive? "Katniss, got that spile?" Finnick asks, snapping me back to reality. I cut the vine that ties the spile to my belt and hold the metal tube out to him. That's when I hear the scream. So full of fear and pain it ices my blood. And so familiar. I drop the spile, forget where I am or what lies ahead, only know I must reach her, protect her. I run wildly in the direction of the voice, heedless of danger, ripping through vines and branches, through anything that keeps me from reaching her. From reaching my little sister.