I dont now own anything, not the hunger games storyline or the characters, setting none of that. Although i wish i did so i didn't have to work anymore.

Fire and Flames

Chapter One

Peace

I sat on the large leather couch with my feet curled under me and a wool blanket draped over my cold body. I was never a fan of the winter season. I hated the chilly feeling I would get when I stepped foot outside and allow the cold to slap me in the face. I much rather be warm then cold, I hated the winter season so much. Hell nobody was a fan of the chilly season, it use to mean starvation, death and so many other things, but not anymore. Now it was just another season taking it's toll on the large spinning planet known as earth. No nothing is like how it used to be, Death would not take lives because of lack of food or because we didn't have enough clothing to keep us warm during this season.

Since the Capitol has been gone District 12 and so many others districts are actually treated like human beings and not like animals. The new people in charge of the captiol has been taking care of their districts giving them plenty of food, water, warm clothes and shoes. It has been wonderful. Like they say out with the old in with the new, one of my favorite statements. It was offical the capitol was gone and it was all thanks to me. Well not just me, but the people that had the nerve to stand up for what was right and what they believed in, people who were sick and tired of being treated like someone's entertainment, someone's toy, something that was owned. I will say this straight up, nobody could ever in their wildest dreams own me. I am as many other people may say...My own person.

It's been five years and all I've wanted to do was start over fresh, leave all the memories, all the pain behind me. So far I have been doing good, but sometimes nightmares creep into the back of my mind and I wake up with sweat all over my body, pains in my neck and arms, My breath sometimes is ragged and heavy. It's not as bad as it used to be, but it is still there lingering in the back of my mind waiting for a chance to creep up and attack me. Since the battles and wars I am proud to say my life is going in a pretty good direction I still live at the house in the victorys village. As much as I hated the capitol and want to erase them from my mind I did manage to keep the house they gave me for winning the Hunger Games and of course I kept all the money which would probably last me for the rest of my life; so overall I am doing pretty good for the most part.

Haymitch and Peeta still live next to me although I barely see Haymitch anymore, his house is always locked tight up, I really think he is trying to quit drinking just because when I do see him he is cleaner and has more manners, What a shocker that is. Maybe him being locked up in his house all the time proves me right I mean what else would he be doing in there? A bunch of things I suppose, But still I just have this feeling and my feelings usually are right most of the time.

As for Peeta; He is always at the bakery baking cheese buns, cookies or something that has a thousand calories. He is really good to me, he comes over everyday just to check on me and make sure I am not doing anything crazy or out of the ordinary, They think I have a large case of depression can you believe it? After five long years they still think I am still a looney toon.

I will admit I used to be, but not anymore, not like it used to be when I first came home. I"m not at all depressed, but I won't lie there are times where I would just cry out because of my sister, because of my father and mother, and just because of everything I have been through. And I will admit I will never get over the fact that my family has been ripped apart never to be rebuilt again. My father and little sister were dead and there was nothing I could do about it, My mother last I heard she was practicing medicine somewhere in 13 or 11 I'm not sure which, but I haven't spoken to her in five years and it was going to stay like that.

A chilly breeze makes it's way over to me and blows over my body, I shiver and tightened the hold I have on my wool blanket and snuggle deeper into the leather couch. I wish Peeta was here I needed his strong arms around me, his heavenly scent and his warm body pressed right up against me. I loved the way he comforts me or the way he would rob me of shy kisses when I least expected it, My feelings for Peeta hasn't changed since the wars, not one little bit. I still would protect him from anything and anyone and he would do the same for me.

I looked over at the clock it read 10:55 not as late as I thought it was, In fact it was still pretty early yet. The comfort of the couch vanished as I lifted my body off it, wrapping the blanket around my body to keep the warmth inside; I stalked towards the large window across the room and stared out into the snowy night, the sprinkles of light feathery snowflakes fell from the heavens and covered my entire front yard. My eyes scanned the landscape and came to a rest at Haymitch's house, I had a perfect view of his house when I looked out my living room window and If I were to enter the kitchen and peer out of the window on left I would be able to see Peeta's house.

I couldn't help it I just had to sneak a peek, I ventured over to the kitchen window and peered out, his lights were on, but I could see no movement inside the house. I felt like a stalker gazing down at her prays nest hoping to catch any movement so I could pounce. I thought about going over there to his house for a change, but then quickly decided against it. He would come when that clock hits 11, He would always wait until it was time for him to go to bed and then come over to sleep with me. My eyes rested on the microwave clock, it read 10:57. It was about time he turned his lights off and headed back over here. Yup just as I called it, his lights were off and it was only a matter of time before I heard a knock came at my door. Exactly at 11:00 Peeta knocked on me door which I Immediately answered it. His blue eyes rested on me and as soon as they did... I melted, I loved his eyes it was the color of the sky and he was holding a plate wrapped in tin foil in his left hand which can only be one thing... Cheese buns. I stepped sideways to allow him in, He shivered from the cold air and brushed off flakes of snow with his free hand.

"Hey Kat" He greeted me and handed me his tray of cheese buns so he could take off his large winter jacket and hang it up on the wooden coat rack located in the corner.

"Hey" I smiled at him warmly and took the cheese buns right out of his hands and rushed to the kitchen to get first dibs on them. I unraveled the foil and the heavenly smell of cheese filled my nostrils, I didn't waste anymore time, Taking a huge bite out of the bread my eyes rolled backwards and I invoulntary let out a soft moan. I was so lost in the cheesebuns that I hadn't notice Peeta until his arms came up and wrapped themselves around my waist.

"Careful those will go right to your thighs" Peeta warned.

I giggled and took the last bite of my first cheese bun and then grabbed another from the glass plate, "So I don't care you'd still love me even If I did weigh three hundred pounds" I leaned back against him so my back was against his chest, He dropped small kisses on my neck, collar bone, cheek and then the corner of my lips.

"I'd love you If you weighed two thousand pounds and spent your life in bed because you couldn't get up" Peeta told me, I almost thought he was serious there for a moment, but then he burst out laughing and let go of my waist to walk across the kitchen floor to flicker on the light.

"You know how disturbing that sounded" I lightly scolded.

"Yeah, Well It's...Kinda...sorta true" He laughed.

I rolled my eyes and finished off my second cheese bun before folding the foil back over-top of them. Peeta had left the kitchen and was now in the process of building a small fire in my fireplace. I joined him in the living room a couple minutes later and took my place back on the couch, He warmed his hands and took his place next to me.

"What did you do all day?" I asked him.

"Baked, Baked and uh baked some more. I'm really getting overwhelmed with orders. Not that it is a bad thing... I could always use a little extra money"Peeta answered me.

"Well thats good it looks like your family business will live on after all" I smiled and shifted my position so I was laying against his side with my head on his shoulder and the blanket draped over me. I loved snuggling up to his warm body, he was always warm probably because of spending all day around a hot oven. Peeta placed his arm around me and we both stared into the reddish yellow flames that burst from the fireplace.

"Have you seen Haymitch lately?" I asked Peeta.

Peeta shook his head, "No not lately why?"

"Well I'm kinda worried he hasn't come out of his house for a couple days" I said.

"Maybe he is trying to stop drinking" Peeta suggested.

"That's what I thought too" I said.

"I'm sure he is fine" Peeta kissed the top of my head and turned his attention back to the fireplace. I don't know if it was the soft glows of the fireplace or the way his sandy blonde hair fell into his face, but I had an extremely bad urge to kiss the life out of him. He hadn't given me a real hard kiss for three nights and I think i knew why. A couple nights ago we were in this same spot and in this same position, He started kissing me and one kiss led to two kisses and two kisses lead to many and eventually we ended upstairs in my bedroom where we discarded each others clothes very quickly, We tried making love that day, But I didn't make it, I couldn't make it. He didn't even get a chance to break through my barrier, He just barely tipped it and that was it for me, I just couldn't do it...It just hurt me way to much and I didn't even know why, Maybe I was a little bit more tender than most girls. I usually could deal with pain very well, But as soon as he pushed just a little bit... agonizing pain shot through my body and I had to make him stop. I was really embarassed at first and kept apologizing to him, He kept assuring me it was fine, but I could tell he was sorta bummed out and If that could all happen with just one kiss then it was possible he didn't want to start a hard kiss in fear it would lead to something else. I didn't care I really wanted him in that way to begin with and I knew he most likely wanted me in that way too.

"I love you" I told him randomly.

"I love you too" He chuckled, "Where did that come from?"

"I don't know I just love you" I titled my head up and placed a soft kiss on his lips hoping he would connect them and drive us into a deep and passionate kiss, But he didn't after my soft kiss he merely gave me a peck and continued watching the flames burst with colors. I decided to brave it and place my hand against his cheek and guide his head down so I could peck him on the lips. He didn't deny me, but pulled back after yet again a peck.

"What's the matter Peeta?" I asked him feeling a slight bit upset that he was merely giving me soft little pecks. I didn't like it when he would just peck me, I liked it when he connected our lips and drove us into a long deep kiss. I loved the feel of his lips on mine, the pressure wasn't too hard or too light.

"Nothing I'm fine Kat" He replied.

"Do you not want to kiss me?" I asked,

The corner of my lips twitched into a frown and my eyes began to fill with worry.

"Of course I want to kiss you Katniss. I just don't want go some place and end up hurting you again" Peeta replied honestly.

"It won't lead to nothing and even If it does I know I can do it this time" I wasn't about to let him win this one I was determine to convince him that I was strong enough to handle our passion.

"It's not time yet" Peeta rejected me.

"I know, but can I at least have a kiss and not one of your small pecks" I demanded.

Peeta chuckled and leaned forward, He stopped only inches from my lips and whispered, "Always so needy and clingy"

"Damn straight" I said grabbing the back of his head and crushing my lips to his in a deep passionate kiss. The kiss dragged on for what seemed like ages and suddenly a felt a surge of desire pass through my body, I leaned back until my back hit the couch, bringing him down with me so that he settled on top of me. I was surprised he allowed it to go on this far, It was when I slide my hands under his shirt and rested them on his bare back did he flinch and break the kiss... that was the wrong thing to do, my lips now felt abandoned and cold, Peeta looked down at me and grazed the side of my face with his fingers.

"Behave yourself" He muttered.

"No I don't want to "I replied.

"Don't you talk back to me young lady" Peeta teased me.

"Or what" I challenged.

Peeta connected our lips without another word, He kissed me long and hard this time and didn't break away until a loud pounding on the front door caused us to part our lips. I groaned as Peeta rolled off of me, Glancing at the clock on the wall I frowned in anger, Who in the fucking hell (Excuse my french) was pounding on my door at 12:00 at night. I got up and stalked towards the door ready to take whoever was behind that door's head off. If It was Haymitch and he was drunk I swear I was going to push that damn lush down my icy stairs and watch him roll face first into the snow. I flung opened the door and opened my mouth to yell at Haymitch as my eyes locked with the figure in front of me I closed my mouth and stared up into the eyes of My ex-friend Gale Hawthorne

"Gale?" A soon as the name escaped my mouth Peeta was by my side pushing me behind him, before I could do anything Peeta stood straight up and tried shutting the door in Gale's face, But Gale wouldn't have any of that He stuck his foot in between the door and pushed it open.

"I'm not leaving until I talk to Katniss" He said.

"Like hell your going anywhere near her after what you did" Peeta spat.

I watched the two men stare hard at each other and something in the pit of my stomach said this was not going to end well. My question was why he even came back to district 12 when his new place was in 2. I pushed Peeta aside and allowed Gale to enter, There was so many things I wanted to say to him...so many nasty things to make it specific. He pushed past Peeta and purposely bumped into his arm, Peeta hissed and slammed the door as hard as he could. I shot him an apology look, but he merely shrugged it off and stalked in the opposite direction of Gale, This really wasn't going to end well, But I had no choice in letting him in I had to know why Gale Hawthorne was pounding on my door at midnight.

To be continued...