Prompt: Everlark making snow angels with toastbabies and eventual snow ball fights

Rated Teen

The air is frigid and he can see the tip of her nose turn a bright shade of red. She's crawling along the ground as she collects snow before packing it together. He's reminded by how much she looks like her mother when he notices the way her dark braid runs down her back from under her bright orange knit cap. Peeta scoots over to her on his knees to help her build the first wall of the snow fort. She's so concentrated on the task that when he begins to help her with the snow she's slightly startled. Peeta chuckles because even though she resembles Katniss, she's definitely inherited his tunnel vision when it comes to a task. He glances at her as the tip of her tongue comes poking out between her chapped lips. He smiles to himself as they continue to pat down the snow and Peeta remembers how they ended up in the snow.

Peeta had just finished down at the bakery after closing up early due to the weather. Most of the district wasn't going to venture out in this weather for fresh bread so late in the day. He had come home to Katniss and their son snuggled up on the couch as she sang to him and Peeta found himself leaning against the wall as he listened. After a few minutes he made his way upstairs. He was walking past his daughter's room when he noticed that the door was slightly ajar. Peeta pushed the door open all the way. The room seemed to be empty and before he could yell down to his wife he heard the soft sound of someone sniffling. Peeta bent down as he placed his hands at his knees to look underneath the bed. His brow furrowed when he met the gaze of his daughter's bright blue eyes before she closed them.

He stood up and walked over to bed before laying down on his stomach. She was curled up with her knees tucked into her chest and it concerned him how troubled she looked.

Peeta lightly tapped the floor board to gain her attention and when she opened her eyes he smiled softly. "Olive?" She watched him silently, her expression nearly unreadable. "Sweet girl, why are you under your bed?" He held his hand out for her to take it but she just stared at it.

He was about to reach for her arm to bring her out when she spoke. "Why didn't you tell me about you and momma being in the games?" The question was enough to cause him to stop moving and for a second Peeta would have thought he quit breathing as well.

Olive watched him closely as he attempted to formulate an answer. Peeta took in a shaky breath. "We wanted to wait till you were older. When you could fully understand." Her blue eyes were already filled with tears and Peeta wanted nothing more than to reach out and take her in his arms.

She narrowed her eyes causing a few tears to fall down the side of her face and disappear in her dark hair. "I'm eleven. I'm not a child."

Peeta sighed as he offered his hand once more. "You're my child."

Olive scooted closer before laying on her stomach and taking a hold of his hand. "You both should have told me."

He nodded as he wrapped his fingers around her smaller hand. "You're right we should have." Olive laughed as he slid her out from under the bed and once she was free gathered her up in a tight hug. She held onto him tightly as he bent down to place his cheek at the crown of her head. He could feel her shake slightly as she cried but after a minute Peeta could feel her relax. "Why don't we go play in the snow?"

Olive looked up at him with red rimmed eyes before smiling in between hiccups. "Papa, you're silly."

Peeta looked down at her as he gave her the crooked grin that always makes her mother laugh. "It's alright to be silly, Olive."

He's brought back to the present as Olive flicks a few pieces of snow at his face. Peeta chuckles as he does the same to her before resuming their work.

Olive is starting to build the next wall when she looks over at him. "Is this how you used to build snow forts with your brothers?"

Peeta nods as he packs the cracks with snow. "When we were younger, yes."

She tilts her head causing the end of bread to fall down her side. "Why did you stop?"

He shrugs while he joins her before burying his hands in the snow. "Not all siblings are close like you and Asher."

Olive creases her brow and her nimble fingers scoop up the snow. "Were momma and her sister?"

Peeta swallows hard and he can feel his throat become sore as he breaths in the cold air. "You said you learned about the Hunger Games?" He looks over at his daughter as he chooses exactly how to phrase the question. "So you know how your momma ended up in the 74th games with me?"

Olive nods but she doesn't meet his eyes. "She took Aunt Prim's place."

Peeta attempts to give her a reassuring smile when she looks up at him but he's worried it comes out as more of a grimace. "Yes. She did."

She remains quiet for a while as they finish the snow fort until they're nearly done with the last wall. Her expression is earnest when she looks at him. "How did the both of you live through all of it? It all seems like too much."

He reaches out to take her in his arms and hugs her tightly. "Your momma fights for the people she loves and for me I think it was a promise."

Olive looks up at him while he attempts to rub some warmth back into her arms "What promise?"

Peeta smiles to himself when he remembers something that Katniss had shared with him years earlier. "The hope that things could always be better and that someday I would be out in the freezing cold building snow forts with my daughter." He leans down to kiss her on her cheek as he hears the front door open and along with Asher bundled up, Katniss comes walking down the steps.

They all take turns crawling through the fort, although Asher takes more than his fair share. Olive laughs when he stands up too soon and causes the top to fall all around him. Snow covers his blond hair before his mother brushes it free and reminds him to keep his winter hat on. He sticks his tongue out at her before running after his sister through the snowy yard.

It's later on when they all find themselves laying on the frozen ground as they move their arms and legs in the snow. Asher jumps up and looks at his creation. His teeth are chattering but nothing can stop the smile that threatens to overtake his face.

He points down to where he was laying. "Look! Look! I made an angel."

Peeta sits up as he grins at his son. "You did, Asher." The little boy dances around excitably while Katniss and Olive stand up. He doesn't notice where they go but when a snow ball hits him aside the head he looks over to where she crouches on the other side of the half built fort.

He pushes himself up from the ground as Asher laughs and runs over to where his mother and sister form snow balls. "Hey!" Katniss begins to laugh and he can hear Olive join in while he bends down to make a snow ball. It's incomplete and falls apart before it even reaches the fort.

Katniss is laughing so hard that she has to force herself to breath when she stands up and nails him with another ball of snow. "It's not my fault your aim has always been terrible."

Peeta brushes the snow from his chest. "Oh now it's personal!" Katniss and Olive squeal loudly as Peeta begins to chase them around the yard with Asher on his heels.

Hours later the children are asleep underneath a blanket across from the fireplace when Peeta comes up from behind Katniss and brings her against him. She clings to his arms as they wrap around her.

He leans down to speak in her ear. "She was told about the games." Peeta can feel Katniss still. "It's alright. I talked to her."

Katniss nods but he can feel her shaking. "I've been dreading this day."

Peeta places a soft kiss to the sensitive skin behind her ear. "I know but it ended with us playing in the snow with our children."

Katniss turns in his arms. "I'm always going to need you."

He smiles that crooked smile that never ceases to make her laugh before he leans down to press his lips to hers. "Just as much as I need you."