Yellow Blossoms, Part 2: Bedtime
Rating: General
Summary: "What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again.” Yellow blossoms have always held a symbol of hope for Katniss Everdeen. Even years after the war has ended, and she's started a family with Peeta, the reminder is not lost on her. Various insights on Katniss's and Peeta's life as parents.
Warnings: None
Part of the Dandelions and Fire Mutts series.
AO3 - FFN
"Peeta," I whisper as loudly as I dare. He glances up from the sketchbook he’s been hunched over for the past half-hour. I widen my eyes and look in the direction of the doorway, hoping he’ll understand what I’m trying to tell him. Luckily, he does.
"Dilly," he says quietly, putting his sketchbook and pencils gently aside. As he moves to get up, there’s a quick shuffle from the hallway as Dilly scrambles in a vain attempt to hide. It’s clear we already know she’s there, and hiding is useless. But at four, that concept hasn’t quiet sunk in yet. Peeta catches up with her in no time, and scoops her up.
"Why are you still awake?" he asks her.
"I’m thirsty," she says. "I had a bad dream."
"Okay," he says. "We’ll get you a glass of water and tuck you back in. I’ll check your closet again for monsters."
I see her blue eyes peek over his shoulder at me. “I want mama to sing to me,” she says.
"Mama can’t sing," Peeta explains. "She just got Ri to sleep."
Dilly gives a scowl that Peeta always says reminds him of me. “But I need mama!” she insists.
Peeta glances back and briefly meets my eyes. “Why mama, Dilly?” he asks.
"Because she’ll shoot them,"
Peeta is trying to conceal his amusement as he looks back at me. I give them both a small smile. “Okay,” I concede. “Come over here.”
Father and daughter cross the room, and as he approaches, Dilly wiggles to free herself from his arms. He bends over to let her go, and she runs over to the couch and climbs up next to me. “Careful,” I tell her, because she’s moving a lot as she settles in. “You don’t want to wake your brother. Why don’t you lay your head on my lap?” She does, and as Peeta joins us on the couch, she stretches her tiny body so that she’s draped across both of us.
"Daddy, can Mamma and Ri and me visit you at the bakery tomorrow?" she asks once she’s made herself comfortable.
Peeta places on hand securely on her back. “Of course. As long as mama is up for it.”
Those blue eyes twist around to look up at me. “Mama, can we?”
"If you go to sleep now," I tell her, but I can’t help smiling. She snaps her eyes shut and quiets immediately. Peeta and I exchange a grin at how well that worked. Balancing my baby boy who lays with his head nestled against my shoulder in one arm, my free hand moves to her head where I gently begin stroking her hair, smoothing it back. I can feel her relaxing under my touch, until finally her breath evens out and I know she’s asleep. I turn to Peeta to ask if he’ll carry her back to her room, and find him staring at me with a dreamy smile on his face.
"What?" I ask.
"Nothing," he says. "Just… you’re a natural at this."
I smile, and look down at our little girl sprawled out over us. “She sounds like you when she sleeps,” I say.
Peeta raises his eyebrows. “What are you saying, Katniss? That I snore?”
"No. You’re just a heavy breather," I say.
He rolls his eyes. “I’ve never heard you complain before,” he says.
"Who says I’m complaining?" I smile at him. He gives me a skeptical look, but it soon melts into a grin of his own.
"Okay," he says. "I’ll take her upstairs." He maneuvers himself carefully so that he can lift her without waking her. She stirs, but just sighs and rests her head against his shoulder.
As he gets up, I scoot forward to stand up myself. “Why don’t we go to bed, too?” I say. He smiles and nods. Grabbing his sketchbook for him, I follow him upstairs.
Summary: "What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again.” Yellow blossoms have always held a symbol of hope for Katniss Everdeen. Even years after the war has ended, and she's started a family with Peeta, the reminder is not lost on her. Various insights on Katniss's and Peeta's life as parents.
Warnings: None
Part of the Dandelions and Fire Mutts series.
AO3 - FFN
"Peeta," I whisper as loudly as I dare. He glances up from the sketchbook he’s been hunched over for the past half-hour. I widen my eyes and look in the direction of the doorway, hoping he’ll understand what I’m trying to tell him. Luckily, he does.
"Dilly," he says quietly, putting his sketchbook and pencils gently aside. As he moves to get up, there’s a quick shuffle from the hallway as Dilly scrambles in a vain attempt to hide. It’s clear we already know she’s there, and hiding is useless. But at four, that concept hasn’t quiet sunk in yet. Peeta catches up with her in no time, and scoops her up.
"Why are you still awake?" he asks her.
"I’m thirsty," she says. "I had a bad dream."
"Okay," he says. "We’ll get you a glass of water and tuck you back in. I’ll check your closet again for monsters."
I see her blue eyes peek over his shoulder at me. “I want mama to sing to me,” she says.
"Mama can’t sing," Peeta explains. "She just got Ri to sleep."
Dilly gives a scowl that Peeta always says reminds him of me. “But I need mama!” she insists.
Peeta glances back and briefly meets my eyes. “Why mama, Dilly?” he asks.
"Because she’ll shoot them,"
Peeta is trying to conceal his amusement as he looks back at me. I give them both a small smile. “Okay,” I concede. “Come over here.”
Father and daughter cross the room, and as he approaches, Dilly wiggles to free herself from his arms. He bends over to let her go, and she runs over to the couch and climbs up next to me. “Careful,” I tell her, because she’s moving a lot as she settles in. “You don’t want to wake your brother. Why don’t you lay your head on my lap?” She does, and as Peeta joins us on the couch, she stretches her tiny body so that she’s draped across both of us.
"Daddy, can Mamma and Ri and me visit you at the bakery tomorrow?" she asks once she’s made herself comfortable.
Peeta places on hand securely on her back. “Of course. As long as mama is up for it.”
Those blue eyes twist around to look up at me. “Mama, can we?”
"If you go to sleep now," I tell her, but I can’t help smiling. She snaps her eyes shut and quiets immediately. Peeta and I exchange a grin at how well that worked. Balancing my baby boy who lays with his head nestled against my shoulder in one arm, my free hand moves to her head where I gently begin stroking her hair, smoothing it back. I can feel her relaxing under my touch, until finally her breath evens out and I know she’s asleep. I turn to Peeta to ask if he’ll carry her back to her room, and find him staring at me with a dreamy smile on his face.
"What?" I ask.
"Nothing," he says. "Just… you’re a natural at this."
I smile, and look down at our little girl sprawled out over us. “She sounds like you when she sleeps,” I say.
Peeta raises his eyebrows. “What are you saying, Katniss? That I snore?”
"No. You’re just a heavy breather," I say.
He rolls his eyes. “I’ve never heard you complain before,” he says.
"Who says I’m complaining?" I smile at him. He gives me a skeptical look, but it soon melts into a grin of his own.
"Okay," he says. "I’ll take her upstairs." He maneuvers himself carefully so that he can lift her without waking her. She stirs, but just sighs and rests her head against his shoulder.
As he gets up, I scoot forward to stand up myself. “Why don’t we go to bed, too?” I say. He smiles and nods. Grabbing his sketchbook for him, I follow him upstairs.