Epilogue
The war was over. We could go back to living in peace. Yes I just admitted my love for Peeta, but could he remember all that we've been through? All that he's done for me, the reasons I fell head over heals in love with him? I had to at least try. After all, we were the star crossed lovers from district 12, the ones who were forced to get engaged. But, There was a part of me that thought things were never going to be the same. I had to at least try right?
"Time to go home." Gale said to me. He still beats himself up for what happened with Prim, though I told him time and time again that he shouldn't. It was an accident, and I know he didn't purposefully kill her. I reached my hand up to his face, I placed it on his cheek. He grabbed it and held on to it for a moment. He pulled me into his embrace and held me there for awhile. Gale let go of me at the sight of Peeta approaching. Peeta placed his hand on my back almost instinctively, showing that I am his. Gale backed away slowly. I turn to Peeta. He still has that same sparkle in his eyes, from the first time we spoke on the train ride to the capital, after the reaping for the Hunger Games; the first time.
"Ready to go home?" He asks me grinning. That grin. It drives me insane. Every time he does it my heart races, my palms sweat, and I want to do is kiss him. I blush and look down at my shoes.
"Yeah, I just hope everything will return to almost semi-normal." Peeta chuckled. He pulled me into his arms. I snuggled my face against his chest. You could hear the whir of the helicopters propellers getting louder and louder. The wind started gusting, I covered my eyes and watched the helicopter land. Still wrapped in Peeta's arms, he refused to let me go. As the propellers slowed down, Peeta and I grabbed our bags. I looked around. I don't think I'll miss district 13. We boarded the helicopter. Peeta, Gale, and the other survivors of district 12 will be returning now that there are no peace keepers. My mother chose to stay and help out the wounded and ill until her services where no longer needed. I sat down between Gale and Peeta. This ought to be interesting. I held Peeta's hand as the helicopter started back up. We would be returning to Victor's Village. Hopefully we could share the same house now instead of separate ones. Separate houses meant separate lives, separate lives meant growing apart, and growing apart... I shuddered at the thought. Peeta tighten his grip on my hand. I looked up at him.
"What are you so deep in thought about?" I just shook my head. "Katniss..."
"No Peeta." I said. He gave me a puppy dog look trying to weaken me. "You know that's not going to work."
"Yeah, but it was worth a shot." He rolled his eyes. "But, please?"
"No." I said flat out.
"Fine then." He let go of my hands and crossed his arms across his chest. Trying to 'ignore' me. He kept peeking at me through the corner of my eye thinking I'd crack, and he was right.
"ARIGHT!" I said out of frustration. "I'll tell you." Peeta turned towards me. I tried to figure out how to word it. "I just... The last few weeks, everything has gotten so much better. No more nightmares, no more memories haunting me. I don't want it to go away. I don't want you to leave me..." The helicopter started taking it's decent. Peeta didn't say a word. We got off the helicopter and grabbed our things. This is really starting to worry me... did I push it to far? I followed Peeta towards Victor's Village. We were approaching the fountain were we'd use to make our separate ways. Tears started forming in my eyes, I was loosing him again. I turned to walk towards my house. I heard a loud thud, and Peeta grabbed my wrist. He whipped me around. My hands landed on his chest, his arms wrapped around me with an iron grip.
"I may not remember everything, but do you really think I'd leave you? I know I have feelings for you, and you have some for me. I wouldn't leave you again even if we were forced. I can see the pain I put you through everyday, and it pains me. I wish I could remember... I wish I could be the Peeta that I used to be." Tears fell from my eyes. I put my hands on either side of his face and pulled his lips to mine. The first time I've kissed him since we were reunited. Peeta tensed up. I didn't remove my lips from his, I opened my eyes. Peeta's eyes flew open. He closed them again, tightened his grip around my waist and picked me up. He spun me around. When he set me down he loosened his grip on me, his hands slid onto my hip. My hands slipped onto his shoulders. I didn't want the kiss to end. Peeta pulled away. "I- I-... I remember... I remember being separated... During the hunger games. The last one. They showed me the clip over and over again hoping I'd remember something good about you but nothing ever happened... Now I remember. I remember having to stay back with Finnick, and you were pulling the coil to the beach. I remember trying to fight to have you say... But nothing worked. That's the last thing I remember up until I tried strangling you..."
"Yeah... I would've given anything to stay with you. Snow may think that our love was just a survival technique... But honestly? Almost loosing you so many times made me realize I actually cared about you a lot, a lot more then I could've imagined. Seeing you on TV while you were in he capitol and I was in District 13, I just-" Peeta cut me off, he kissed me again. A short kiss. He smiled at me. He grabbed my hand, intertwining his fingers with mine, wed grabbed our things and went to his house. The night came quickly. The next thing I knew, I woke up in his arms... I looked around, it was only three in the morning. I was laying on Peeta's chest. His arm was wrapped around me, but it didn't feel the same. A million and one memories flood my mind.
Peeta talking to me the first time on the train ride to the capitol, the first time we were in the Hunger Games. Having his arms wrapped around me for the first time in that cave. The train ride visiting all the districts touring, when Peeta said we couldn't ignore when happened in the games. The night on the train he came in to make sure I was okay after a nightmare, I asked him to stay with me; he laid down beside me and told me 'Always'. Him proposing to me to impress Snow, I was honestly surprised, and wanted to marry him... On the beach during the Hunger Games with Finnick, eating a fish, he was having claims. He found a pearl and handed it to me telling me it was for me grinning.
That grin... It made me melt every time he flashed it. I sighed heavily. His arm wrapped around me just felt like he did it out of habit, almost mechanical. I look up at him, expecting him to be fast asleep, he wasn't. Peeta was looking at me, he smiled. "Nightmare?" He asked me concerned.
"No, I just woke up, I was just.. thinking." I told him truthfully.
"About what, if I may ask." I sigh.
"Just, just us. Memories came to mind." He sighed. He looked away from me, I could tell I made him upset. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have anything." He turned his head towards me again. He kissed my forehead.
"You didn't, I just want to be able to remember the things you remember. The capitol really screwed me up, screwed us up. I would do anything to try jogging my memory. Prim said, based on my condition awhile ago, the memories are still there. Depending on what the capitol did exactly, my memory should return, but the longest amount of time it should take would be a year or two. She said if it doesn't happen by then, it may never come back." A tear rolled down Peeta's face. I wiped the tear away. I kissed the bottom of his jaw. I hear a knock at the door downstairs. I got up to go see who it was. I walked down the stairs with Peeta close behind me. I peaked through the peep hole, and saw Gale. He had been crying his cheeks were puffy.
"I'll be right back." I told Peeta. He nodded and smiled at me. I walked outside and shut the door behind me. I walked down the steps and sat down on the edge of the fountain. I remember getting on camera with Peeta here, Ceaser wanted to know how the star-crossed lovers were doing. I 'accidently' tripped and landed on top of Peeta. I remember how I got butterflies, it had been awhile since we've kissed, or actually spoken.. I turn, Gale wouldn't sit down. I patted the spot next to me telling him to sit down. He refused. "What's going on?"
"I-" Gale's eyes look over at my window. I look and saw the curtain move. Peeta was watching. "Take a walk with me, I don't feel comfortable knowing he's watching me." I laughed. I got up and walked with Gale towards the gate of Victor's Village. "I just... ever since Peeta came to District 13, you've been different. I knew it was a long shot but I thought I actually had a shot with you. Yeah, it was a ridiculous idea, but I didn't want to deny it. You showed me you actually had feelings for me, and now I can't get you out of my head." The took my hand and placed it above his heart. It was fluttering and pounding. "See this? This is what you do to me. Every time you're around or I hear your voice." I take my hand out of his. I couldn't stand seeing him so upset, did I really do this? "I just needed to tell you. I know you're in love with Peeta, but that needed to be said." and with that, I took off into the woods, not looking back. I went to a place no one could find me, not even Gale.