Peeta and Katniss

Chapter 1

There she is. Her blonde hair makes her stick out from all of the rest and I start walking to her. I wrap my arms around her and then tuck in the back of her shirt like I do every day.

"You silly duck." I say and we both laugh.

We're walking through the meadows and I look over at her to put emphasis on my story and she's on fire. I rip my jacket off and start trying to get the fire to go out. I push her to the ground and try to get her to roll but she just sits there like she's paralyzed, stiff. My surroundings change. We're in the capitol and the memories come flooding back even though they've never happened. In my nightmares that is. I try to reach her. I'm clawing at the ground beneath me and the other kids that are injured around me trying to get to her but I can't. I don't move one inch. I see them coming and I know I can't let them take me away but they do and then everything goes black. I sit up and bed and scream her name. I'm sweating but I feel freezing. I imagine the smell of roses in my room and I bolt up. I put my father's hunting coat on and my boots and run down the stairs; unaware of the tremendous amount of noise I am making. I fling myself out of the door and towards Peeta's house. I run through the door and lock it as soon as I am inside. Before I can call his name he's at my side pulling me close.

"Shh…it's ok. You're going to be ok. You're safe. I'm here." He continues to say it over and over again.

"It was so real…" I say through the sobs that are racking my body.

"I know…I know…but it wasn't."

"Yes it was! It was real! It happened!"

"No…no, Katniss. Don't believe it."

"But she really is dead!" I sob into his shoulder and he looks at me like he's horrified. He pulls me back towards him and his arms tighten around me. After 20 minutes of me crying into his shirt he picks me up and carries me over to the couch in both arms. He sets me down in his lap and strokes my hair until I fall asleep.

I wake up the next morning sleeping on the couch. Peeta's on the other couch and the way he's sleeping so uncomfortably that I think he was watching me all night. Worried. Concerned. It makes me smile at how protective he is. I stand up and take the blanket that was on top of me and cover Peeta with it. I wipe the blonde hair off of his forehead and kiss his cheek. I slip over to my house and get into the shower where I stay for half an hour. I dress in my normal clothes and then head for her grave. She's buried next to the rubble of our old Seam house. I sit down next to the headstone and play with the grass and with the dandelions that are mixed in with the green. I talk to her for two hours though it only seems like it's been 30 minutes. I look up in the sky and see the sun is high above me.

"I miss you little duck." I say before I pick one more dandelion and head back to the victor village.

The houses come into view and I see Peeta on the front steps of mine. I smile because I'm happy to see him but then he looks up at the sound of my footsteps and his face is creased with worry and fear. I run to him because I know what has been going through his mind.

"I'm sorry, I should have left a note or something!" I say as he wraps his arms around me and nuzzles his head in my neck. He's silent for a moment.

"Or woke me up." I feel horrible now. It was stupid for me to leave like that. "Why did you leave like that, Katniss?" I pull back so that I can look him in the eyes.

"I…I had to do it alone."

"Do what?"

"I went to go see Prim." I say in a strong voice. His face immediately softens.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted that way."

"Peeta…" I object. He smiles at me and reaches down to kiss me on the forehead.

"Come one…I have Lunch." He pulls me towards his house and we eat cheesy bread and sliced meat for lunch. I help Peeta clean up his kitchen.

"I should go." He looks disappointed but doesn't say anything but goodbye and be safe. I leave the dandelion on the table before I go back to my house. I'm not sure what to do. There is so much time on my hands anymore and I have hunted so much I'm not sure what to do with the meat. I look around and everything is clean. I don't cook like Peeta. I'm not a talented artist, like Peeta. I sigh in frustration and look out the window. More frustration. There is a pile of glass liquor bottles in Haymitch's yard and so I decide, that is what I'll do. I have nothing else to do and I refuse to look out my window to see a garbage dump. I grab a garbage bag and start throwing everything in the yard into it. I reach for a bottle and cut my hand clear open on it. Stupid Haymitch! I think but I just clench my teeth and will myself not to cry in his front yard.

"Gosh dangit!" I say and Peeta is poking is head around the corner. I'm confused now. There is no way he heard that from his house and got here that fast.

"Katniss…are you ok?" He asks before he sees my hand.

"Not really." I say and drop the bag. I walk over to him and I'm squeezing my hand but blood keeps flowing.

"Haymitch…" He mutters a swear at him and then pulls me towards my house. He sets me down at the counter before reaching for my first aid stuff that my mother left behind. He puts some cream on it and then wraps it in a bandage. I wince a few times and he tries to do it quickly and with as little pain as possible. I smile at him when he's finished.

"Thank you." I say sweetly. He smiles at me and it almost seems like a laugh.

"What?" I ask defensively.

"You just sounded so…innocent."

"Maybe I am." I tell him. He looks at me like he's trying to figure me out and then goes back to trying to put the kit back together. I stand up and start to walk towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Peeta sounds surprised that I'm even walking.

"I'm going to finish what I was doing."

"Katniss you just cut your hand open trying to clean up his mess. Just let him live in it."

"I'm tired of looking at it, Peeta." I defend myself. I'm not an idiot and I know that Peeta didn't want to make me feel that way but it made me feel that way just a little.

"Then at least let me help you." I smile and shake my head yes. We go out to the yard and finish, carefully.

"Thanks for the help." I say as we're lugging the garbage to the giant dumpster we all share.

"No problem." He says. We stand there awkwardly before I say that I'm going back to my place and Peeta agrees before we head separate ways. I feel emptiness when he leaves and I almost want him to come back. I go inside and sit at the counter; staring at my 'wounded' hand. That's when the phone rings and my heart starts pumping because it's either Peeta or it's bad news. I pick it up and give a sweet, "Hello?"

"Hey Catnip."

My first Hunger Games FF. I hope ya'll like it. I've been trying to write it forever so I've got a lot of ideas and hopefully ya'll are gonna love em'! If you've got any requests leave a review and I'll check it out! Thanks