Peeta POV
Peeta stared at Katniss without reserve. No matter how pretty she looked in his memory, it could never compare to the woman before him, and he'd missed her every second he'd been away. Her clothes were the usual mix of professional and sexy, the knee-length skirt stirred by the slight breeze outside the seam school.
"Hey."
Coming out of whatever state of shock his sudden appearance had brought on, Katniss smiled and stepped closer. Her smile was radiant, much more than the sunlight.
"I didn't expect you back so soon."
"Didn't find much comfort in Capitol Hospitals." he thought"(*I couldn't stay away*)" "Besides, I missed this place." (*I missed you*)
"Look at you..." Katniss's hand gently grazed his now-bare cheek.
Without thinking, Peeta caught her hand, releasing it a moment later with a shrug. "Like it? thought a 5'o'Clock shadow would help me grow out of my 'The Boy' image."
She smiled and let her hand fall back to her side. "You look good."
Trying not to let on how much the compliment meant, Peeta replied, "Thanks." Without thinking, he stepped closer. "I missed you."
Katniss looked down, a blush creeping over her cheeks. "Peeta-"
He lifted her chin with one finger and kissed her, gently at first, unsure of her reaction. For a few seconds, he honestly expected to be slapped senseless. To his surprise, her hands were soon in his hair and she was holding him as close as he was her. The sensation of actually doing what he had imagined so many times was overwhelming: her touch, her scent, her warmth all surrounded him.
And then it was over. Katniss stood a few feet away, hand covering her mouth, mumbling something to the effect of "I'm sorry" and backing away. Peeta reached out for her, but she disappeared into the Crowd.
(*Damn. Knew it couldn't be that easy*)
Gale Pov
Gale slid the auto repair book back into its place on the shelf and glanced out the window, doing a double-take when he saw Katniss talking with a familiar man.
(*That guy looks so familiar ... where do I know him from? ... Peeta!*)
He felt his chest constrict when he saw Katniss's hand reaching out to touch Peeta's bare cheek.
(*Chill out, Gale. It's a perfectly innocent gesture. You trust Katniss even if you'd rather blast Peeta than have him anywhere near her*)
Gale forced back the little voice warning him that he should trust his gut instinct, that nothing involving Peeta could ever be innocent.
(*Why am I watching this? I'm not that insecure about Dough Boy, am I?*)
Suddenly Peeta moved closer to Katniss. Gale knew with perfect clarity what he intended. (*But Katniss's gonna stop him. right ?*). She remained in place, though Gale could see her glance down at the ground before Peeta lifted her chin. (*C'mon, Catnip, stop him*) Before Gale's mind could process the fact that Katniss had yet to back away, Peeta kissed her. (*I'm gonna kill him!*) And Katniss kissed him back. Gale could see her arms sliding around his neck.
He fell back into the desk chair, almost unable to breathe, heart still to the point of stopping.
(*She kissed him.*)
He repeated the phrase over and over silently, not trusting his eyes alone. Finally, Katniss did pull away, shaking her head and covering her mouth with her hand. Gale saw her retreating toward the the seam.
(*Might as well get this over with.*)
Katniss POV
Katniss staggered into the school, mind reeling. She could almost feel Peeta's lips on hers, and it wasn't helping anything. Suddenly Katniss knew she wasn't alone in the hallway. "Gale!" It came out as more of an exclamation than she'd intended, and she knew her voice was as unsteady as she felt.
"What is it?" (*Oh, God, he knows.*)
"I was at the window."
She felt her breath catch in her throat. "Oh, God... Gale-"
"Don't." Reaching out, he took her left hand and slid off the engagement ring that rested there. "You're free. Do whatever you want." he clenched his fist and he turned away.
(*Stop standing here like an idiot. You're losing him!*) "Gale! Wait!"
He shook his head and hurried down the hall, sending, (*Don't, Katniss. Not now.*)
Katniss fled to the first place she thought of, Haymitch's House. He was with Effie, and she needed to be alone quickly. As soon as she shoved open the door, Katniss fell against the nearest wall, letting the door slide shut on its own.
(*Why did I let this happen?*)
Tears flowed down her face and she fought to get a grip on her own thoughts.
(*What am I feeling? Why can I tell everyone else what's happening in their mind and not my own?*)
The door clicked open and she jumped with a gasp. Haymitch entered the room, brow furrowed.
" Sweetheart? What is it? I could see you running away distressed halfway across the town."
Unable to speak, she held out her bare left hand, the pale band of skin where the engagement ring used to be painfully apparent. "I see. What happened?"
Before Katniss could answer, the door opened again and Peeta stepped inside. Instantly, Haymitch's expression became one of understanding, his suspicions confirmed when Katniss gazed steadfastly at the carpet beneath her feet rather than look at Peeta. "Could you return later? I believe we need a moment."
"Yeah. Sure. I just wanted to make sure Katniss's okay."
"She will be." With a tight nod, Peeta ducked out again. "I see. I'm not going to ask what happened. I can figure out enough without knowing the specifics." His tone wasn't accusing or angry, merely maddeningly rational. "So Sweetheart, What do you intend to do?"
"I don't... I... Haymitch, how am I supposed to decide anything when I can't..." Katniss took a deep breath and tried desperately to clear her head. "I just want to be alone."
"Perhaps you should stay here for time being. There is a room down the far hall that is more or less isolated. Might that help?"
Katniss nodded and swallowed past the roughness of her throat. "Yes." (*I hope.*)