The Spoils
By: Actresswithoutastage
I take deep breath and inhale the scent of new wood and paint that still lingered in my new home. Our home. I corrected myself. Peeta and I were a unit now. Married. Never one without the other. I still wasn't sure how I felt about it. The marriage I mean, I had always known how I felt about Peeta. I ran a hand over the textured counter top in the kitchen, trying and failing to imagine what life would be like in this place.
"So, what do you think?" Peeta asked from the doorway. He must have finished bringing in their bags while I had been woolgathering.
I turned to face him, and smiled. "It's beautiful." I said softly.
Peeta's eyes narrowed in concern, "Hey," he said, reaching out to pull me closer and began rubbing my back. His hand found my braid and he pulled it over my shoulder, toying with the end. "What's wrong?" he asked?
"It's nothing." I said smiling again. I should have known better than to try and fool Peeta, however. He shot me a look.
"I keep waiting for the next bad thing to happen, I guess." I said, lowering my gaze. "I'm not sure I know how to be happy. I don't know that I can."
Peeta took my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him. "Katniss, you aren't the only one who's scared, okay." he said. "I am not saying were riding of in to happily ever after here. Nothing is perfect, but we're together. We survived." he pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Isn't that what's important?"
He was right. I knew he was, but the cynical part of me couldn't help but point out the obvious. "We're together." I repeated. "Sometimes you get a barely controllable urge to kill me and we both have horrific nightmares is all." I said. To my surprise, Peeta laughed.
"But, you see Mrs. Mellark, We are the victors." he said, "And to the victor," he leaned in to kiss my cheek. "Go the spoils."
When he leaned in to kiss my other cheek I turned to catch his lips with mine. With a soft moan he kissed me back, wrapping me tightly in his arms. I was never more sure of myself than when I was in Peeta's arms, I felt safe and at home. We had been kissing for several minutes, when Peeta pulled back suddenly.
"You haven't the rest of the house." he said, a light of mischief in his eyes. "I think we should start with the bedroom" I rolled my eyes at him and reached back to slide my hand in his. At a pace that was faster than was entirely necessary, when climbed the stairs of our new home.