that's how he loves.

Late at night in the train, when Katniss hides herself under a thick blanket trying to block the nightmares away, Peeta creeps silently beside her. His hands wrap around her, and he touches his forehead with her's. Katniss, unconsciously, moves towards him to get closer and share the warmth.

She never says anything, but Peeta takes the clue. And after the sleepless nights roaming the train, hearing her screams, he can't help but climb the bed and hold her until morning. Every night.

"I love you so much, you have no idea," he whispers gently, to her disheveled dark hair. He feathered kisses her forehead, her nose, her closed eyes, her cheeks. So light she doesn't wake up. He needs her sleep to ever say this. How pathetic.

That he loves Katniss so much it scares him. It scares him to imagine after this Victory Tour he will not get the chance to hold her, let alone touch her. It scares him that after all these nights they fingers entwine, Katniss will never need him like she does right now. Because Gale is there for her.

It hurts. So he kisses her to stop the pain.

And after she wakes, her pretty grey eyes full of question, Peeta smiles.

"No nightmares."

But, it's okay. It's his way to love her, even if it's her only way to need him.

Hunger Games series and its characters belong to Suzanne Collins.