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Underground. He hated it. The walls felt too cold and the ceilings too low, the air too stale and the people around him too... confusing. He had no idea who to trust or if he could ever trust anyone again but himself - though even then he doubted himself. There were days when kindness challenged the tumbling mess of memories in his mind full of nightmares and images he was unable to separate from fantasy or reality.

He had lashed out at Katniss more times than he could count and although the shackles strapped to his body at night helped him stay in bed, they did not help him sleep in peace. Why was he even here? Why had they saved him? Especially her... She had looked so happy to see him yet all he could think about was the pain and suffering she had caused so many people.

The violent thoughts had calmed somewhat after the wedding, but they would still poke at his mind every now and then, tempting him. He still trusted no one.

Yet here he was now, guarded constantly and chained, but able to walk out of his room at least. He was headed down a corridor out of the wing that held the hospital rooms, not sure where he was going really... just anywhere that had better air. The guard following close behind was a constant reminder of his current state of mind, though a part of him was whispering that it was probably best like this.

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He shakes his head, unsure if They were doing something to him again or it was just his body and mind truly exhausted.

"No but I feel tired..."

"I don't think we need to be anywhere any time soon."

It was teasing, but she was worried a bit. How long had they been down here? And they hadn't gotten any food yet.

They wouldn't just leave them down here, right?

"Mm..." he hummed, voice trailing off. His eyes were still fighting to stay open but it was a losing battle and even the cold floor was welcoming right now, though he refused to curl up anywhere else but beside her. "I don't want... to wake up and... forget this."

"Forget this?"

He was fading out, and she eased him down, keeping him close to her. Because as much as she wanted to pretend it would still be ok in the morning, who knew what sleep would bring.

Settling his head on her thigh, she stroked her fingers through his hair.

He was afraid of closing his eyes and waking up with that hateful rage again, the kind that blinded him for hours to anything but the images and supposed lies that had been forced into his mind. If what Katniss and Haymitch and all of them were saying was true, that they were once happy and friends, he wanted that. A part of him really did.

It felt nice being curled up like this with someone to support him, even if he knew it wouldn't last. Her fingers were so comforting and only aided the process of falling asleep, though he was still able to murmur out:

"I'd want this to be real always..."

God, that was heartbreaking.

She let her head fall against the wall, eyes closing. This was such a mess. The thought of easing him down and moving away, just in case...and then realized that'd be pointless. It'd upset him, and it wasn't like he was tied down anyway. She'd just try to stay awake...

It wasn't long until the fingers twisting and tangling in his hair stilled, and Katniss was lost to sleep. And the nightmares that came with it.

He fell into an easier slumber than he had for weeks, his hands chained yet not to anything solid. He normally would have demanded that someone did, but even if they had light... he was sure there was no place for that along the smooth walls of their temporary prison. The only other thing in here was Katniss.

Her soothing nature was enough for him tonight when his mind was already so confused, but once he fell asleep his own nightmares took over. He didn't like sleeping. It was the one place he had the least control over what he saw and felt, and even her presence in the real world did not help. There was still so much space between them and it would take a long time to fill it up with the love he once held for her.

Her dreams were not as vivid tonight. Maybe Peeta offered some comfort. MAybe he didn't, because in her dreams she was smothered, tangled in hands, couldn't reach the light above her before her breath was chocked out of her.

Once again, she woke up screaming and thrashing. Not aware enough to even consider the fact she was curled up next to a time bomb.

Her loud reaction to her dreams woke Peeta up with a start, probably saving him from his own freak out. It did cause her knee to knock into his head however, waking him with a painful start, his heart beating rapidly because for a long moment he forgot where he was and why it was so dark.

"What?!" He gasped out from his shock, scrambling to get away from her thrashing as he pushed up and away, the chain binding his hands together rattling far too loudly as he did.

Still caught in the dream, she lashed out at the air where he was, before realizing where she was.

And the fact she'd just undone all of last nights work with a single act.

She was an idiot.

"Peeta...Peeta, it's ok." She said, voice shaky and thick.

His eyes were wide as he watched her carefully, hair a mess from how he'd been sleeping and his chest rising and falling rapidly. Her screaming had scared him and his head was aching from more than just her knee now, hands clenching so tight.

"Y-You... You..."

It's all he could hear now, curling up with his knees to his chest as he pressed his balled up fists to his forehead, trying to breathe normally. Her screaming sounded like it was straight out of his own nightmares, like he had been tortured with it over and over again and it haunted him nightly. He simply hadn't known who to pair the voice to but now he did.

This couldn't be good.

He wasn't trying to kill her, at least. But what he was doing didn't look much better.

Tentatively she reached out, gently laying her hands on his shoulders. Trying to mimic the position from last night, hoping it calmed him again. Hoping the shaking in her hands didn't undermine the whole thing.

"Peeta?"

((I also have this for you))

Yet this time he wasn't responding as easily, his body and mind once more on alert, so the moment Katniss touched him he recoiled, glancing up with a suspicious gaze... though it was not all meant for her.

"D-Don't touch me... I'm fine. It's fine."

Yeah, she wasn't going to argue with that. Sitting back, she watched him warily, not sure what to do now. If she should do anything.

Her instinct was to get away, but there wasn't really a lot of away to get to. She she stayed still, like he was a wild animal, and waited.

He wasn't as full of rage as he could have been or would have been just some weeks ago, but it wasn't that much of an improvement. This "therapy" or whatever it was had been working and he definitely had not forgotten last night - or was it morning, they had no way of knowing - just as he wanted. Yet it was almost worse that way... to remember good things about Katniss.

The screaming was still vibrating through his mind and he had to tear at some of his hair with his fist, gritting his teeth. He had heard that voice so many times.

"Are you... okay...?" Was the only other thing he managed to force out, not looking at her and still trembling.

Was she ok? Was he really sitting there, tearing his hair out, and asking her if she was ok?

She wanted to reach out and shake him.

"I'm fine. It was just a nightmare."

If she hadn't gotten use to nightmares by now, the rest of her life was going to be hell. It would be, either way.

Her voice seemed to be calming him down a bit though nothing could stop his heightened sense of wariness now. Not for a while. But it was nice to hear her when she wasn't screaming - for her life, for her sister, for Rue, for whoever it was...

Finally, Peeta looked up from behind his arms, looking tired yet alert. "I thought I was in one when I woke up. That scream..."

Of course. Maybe by the end they had poisoned him enough that her scream wouldn't have been useful, but at the start? Hadn't Peeta said his worse nightmare was losing her?

And being changed by them.

That thought crashed over her again, like a punch to the stomach. It was good at sneaking up on her, unexpected.

"No. I'm here. I'm fine. I was just having a nightmare." About you. But she thought that might be good to leave out.

Nightmares. Will there ever be a time when they didn't have nightmares? Peeta wasn't so sure anymore.

He couldn't take this anymore though, the confinement, the feeling of helplessness, and this was suddenly the last straw. Standing up, he was shaky on his feet but it didn't stop him from hobbling over to the wall that had initially opened to throw them in here, banging on it angrily with his fists.

"Let us out already! We get your stupid game, we're done!"

He was done. With everything. All of this.

Scrambling after him, she felt her heart ski, and wasn't sure why. This wasn't aimed at her. And she wanted the hell out too.

They must be on camera. She didn't believe they couldn't see them.

As if in answer, a small slot opened at the bottom of the door, and a tray was slid in with two perfectly proportioned bowls of stew, accompanied by over cooked beets, 2 pieces of bread a piece and a glass of water each.

Katniss stared down at it for a moment. And then had to fight the urge to kick it across the room.

Well. That certainly hadn't been his idea of a response.

Even though he was realizing just how empty his stomach was, the hunger pains were nothing compared to his current rage at being kept locked up like animals, and he didn't even think before kicking the door as hard as he could with a frustrated cry... before it turned into a pained one because that was a very hard door and his foot was still made of flesh.

"Damn it!"

"Are you all right?"

She didn't want to grab him, even if that was her first response. Still she moved closer, hoping he hadn't done any lasting damage to his good foot. If he had....she wasn't sure what she had in here for first aid.

He wriggled his toes and arched his foot to make sure, sighing in relief when nothing felt broken. "Yeah... yeah, just stupid." At least he could admit to that much. "They clearly heard me."

"At least we know they aren't just leaving us down here for ever..."

Squatting down, she lifted up the tray, walking away from the door with it. Although she knew in reality if they were watching one point, they were probably watching the whole room, it made her feel better getting 'away' from them.

Settling in a far corner, she patted the floor next to her. "Let's eat."

He stayed by the door for the longest time, even when Katniss picked up the food and left, and it was only out of his intense hunger that he gave up kicking the steel doors for now and joined her. His body was still in a rush from the nightmares and waking up as they did, but his stomach was growling rather loudly now... not that either of them weren't used to that.

Peeta sat down beside her slowly, eying the food with reluctance. "At least we know they're not trying to starve us to death now."