*The canon sounds and Peeta is nowhere in sight, "Peeta!" I start running in the direction he went off "Peeta!" My voice turns to turmoil as I still cant find him... * Unknowingly in my sleep I'm yelling, first I cant find Peeta now I feel some ones hands on me... Oh no, am I dying? Is someone waking me up so they can look in my eyes as they kill me? My heart is starting to pound and is almost jumping out of my chest, I can feel my lungs starting to contract like I cant breath. My mind is fully awake but my eyes still closed, my first instinct is to ball my fist and swing,
"Katniss! Wake up" I heard Peeta's worried voice and my eyes shoot open. As soon as I see his face my heart jumps some more and I can finally catch a breath "Katniss shh it was just a dream, I'm right here..." He's whispering and embracing me in a tight hug, he started to run his hand up and down my back. Peeta slowly started to rock back and forth trying to calm my sobs, "Katniss talk to me, what happened?" I just looked at him with the horror I remembered when I couldn't find him. The thought of losing him in the arena killed me.
"It was... the canon... and I couldn't find you..." I started just making sounds thinking that I was saying words, Peeta's hands started to embrace my head and pull me back to his chest. The sound of his heart beating calmed me, it was something that relaxed me in the arena when we were laying on the cave floor after I found him by the river. We sit like that for about a half hour before I was finally calm enough to hold a conversation. I walked down the hall to the kitchen with my fingers intertwined with Peeta's.
"Stay here for just a minute" Peeta turned to me and gave me a smile, I didn't want to let his hand go but I did. As soon as his touch was gone I felt the sense of panic that I had a minute ago. I saw the glass on the floor and just looked at him puzzled. "I had a cup in my hand when I heard you scream and I dropped it. It's okay Katniss don't worry" He gave me the smile that I couldn't help but smile back to him. "That's the face I love to see" His smile grew bigger as he gave me a hug. I got a feeling that I couldn't put a finger on when he hugged me. He asked me if I wanted breakfast and made me some eggs and bread. I loved Peeta's fresh bread, the smell, the taste, the sound of it is just perfect. "Are you going hunting today?" his face just went emotionless as he looked up from his breakfast. I didn't know how to respond, if I say yes he knows that I will be out with Gale but if I say no then he knows I'm most likely lying to him. I took a second before I answered.
"Do we need meat?" ...Stupid, Stupid question... We don't need anything we have more money than we would ever need! He just looked at me, he was trying not to smile but my face was dead serious... Or at least I was trying to look serious.
"My parents might want some, I'll go home and ask, you should ask your mom what she wants" Peeta dropped his smile and walked out the door to go home. I sighed and dropped my head to the table with a loud thud. After a few minutes I grabbed my old leather coat and put on my boots just as my mother was walking up the stairs.
"Bring back some squirrel" It was kind of a question but not so much as a order not to trade it all away this time. She walked into Prim's room and closed the door. She is upset about something... I ran into Peeta when I walked out the door.
"Do you parents want anything?" I made it seem like I knew he was going to be there so I hugged him
"If you can find one, my mother would love you even more if you brought her a beaver" Peeta gave me a quick hug and walked to the fence with me. I couldn't hear the low hum of the fence so I knew it was off. Peeta is hesitant every time i go under the fence, he always thinks that t will come back on while I'm out there or that they will catch me turn me into an Avox and he will never see me again. One day he sat here all day waiting for me to return. The ground under the fence was untouched still packed down so I knew Gale wasn't out in the woods, I decided to tell Peeta maybe it would put his mind at ease.
"Look at the ground." Peeta just looked at me confused, I pointed to where was talking about "It is packed down no one has gone through yet today, Gale is in town not in the woods." I looked at him and gave him a small smile
"Good to know" His smile was almost ear to ear, "Now come back to me soon okay?" He gave me another hug and a very enthusiastic kiss and i was off under the fence. Once on the other side of the fence I looked back at Peeta and smiled and ran off into the bush. Once I couldn't see him anymore I stopped and let out a big sigh. I love Peeta, I really do, the games made me realize it. But I also have a love for Gale that Peeta just wont understand if I tried to explain it to him. I cant explain it to him, it would break his heart and I cant stand to see him sad, I don't want to see him upset. When I saw him this morning holding me my heart was breaking because I made him feel that way.
I made it to the tree that held my hunting gear, I grabbed my bow and threw my sheath around my shoulder. I used my hunting walk, knees bent a little, crouched over enough to keep my weight distributed evenly and bow at ready. My first take down was a quail, second was a squirrel. My next target was the beaver that Peeta's mom wanted. I Slowly made my way to the lake that I knew was about 5 kilometers into the woods. Before I even got there I took down 2 more quail and 4 more squirrels. At least now I had my trading numbers. When I got to the lake I stood there and looked at it. I tilted my head back, closed my eyes and remembered back to the times when my father used to bring me here and taught me to swim and we would just sit here and have picnics. Before I could have another thought I was taking my jacket off and boots, pants, and shirt and jumped in. It was midday when I started hunting, by the time I stopped swimming the sun was starting to go down. Just as I lifted my bow after I got dressed I saw 2 beavers swimming about 30 feet away, they were just coming out of the water.I drew my bow and let my arrow fly. I could hear it slice threw the air and the sound that the beaver made was a sound I've only heard a few times before. The other beaver just started looking around after trying to lower itself to the ground, I hit that one to . I could still count the amount of beavers I've killed on a single hand. The sun was almost down behind the trees when I collected the beavers, the two together wouldn't fit in my bag. I had enough room to cram one in but the other one I had to carry. I had no form of light with me this time I came out. I knew there was a little concrete shed about 500 feet from the lake. I decided to stay there tonight and I will just go back in the morning, maybe with more game. I fell asleep fairly quickly, after spending a day out in the woods I'm exhausted. First light in the morning felt warm on y skin. It has been a couple months since I spent the night out at the lake here. The last time I didn't come to hunt, I got into a fight with my mother and Peeta and I ran out here to think. When I am out here I think about my dad and try to think about what advice he would give me about everything that is going on at the time. After I thought about my father for a little while i remembered,
"Oh my... Crap!" I grabbed my game bag and my extra beaver and took off running towards the fence. I told Peeta I would be back soon, he is going to be worried sick. I ran for about 3 kilometers when I had to stop, the game was just to heavy to keep on running. I didn't bother trying to be quiet, I wasn't hunting right now my priority was getting back to Peeta. I reached the tree that housed my bow and sheath after what seemed like forever. It felt like forever to get back to the fence which was only about 1000 feet away from the tree. When I got there I didn't see Peeta. He went home. I threw the beaver and the bag over the 12 foot high fence and By the time I was under the bag was hitting the ground. I didn't bother going to trade I went straight home, my mother was used to me leaving for days on end but Peeta if I'm gone for more than a couple of hours and he doesn't know where I am he freaks out. He thinks that I am dead, that is what the games do to you. They take away your sanity and think that everyone is going to leave you.
My mother was to happy to see some variety this time, not just rabbits and squirrels but this time, rabbits, squirrels ad quail! I cant remember the last time I brought home quail. There aren't very many around anymore, but their meat is better than chicken. I gave my mother a big hug and told her that I loved her,
"Katniss, I love you, and I'm sorry that I haven't been completely together lately. There has just been a lot of sick people lately and I'm kind of caught up in the work." My mother looked sympathetic and I felt bad
"Mom I understand, so does Prim, she likes helping you I know because she has told me before" I gave her another hug and a kiss on the cheek. She just smiled at me, she understands that I am not upset with her and I can take care of anything we need while she is working. I ran to Prim's room because I haven't seen her in a few days. She was still sleeping when I went in, I sat on the side of her bed and she started to wake up. She sat up enough for me to hug her, wen she realized that it was me she gave me the biggest hug I had gotten since I got back from the games. "Good morning little duck"
"Where have you been?" She was still so tired that it took an expert to know what she was saying,
"I was out hunting and it got to late so I stayed in the woods, but I'm back now so don't worry little duck" I kissed her forehead and she fell backwards to her pillow. She almost went back to sleep instantly, all I could do was smile at her and leave the room. I was half down the hall when the phone went off. The only people in this district that have phones are the mayor, Haymitch, and Peeta's parents. My mother picked up the receiver off the wall
"Hello,... Oh hi, Katniss?" I came around the corned and used my hand to tell her not to say anything about me and that she hasn't seen me since I left yesterday. "No I haven't seen her since yesterday, she went hunting I think... Is Peeta home?... He's sleeping?..Ok I will let you guys know when she gets back... Okay goodbye" Once the receiver was back on the wall she looked at me,
"I want to surprise Peeta, I didn't want you to ruin that for me" I laughed a little so she knew I wasn't being rude. My mother started to chuckle a little bit, I liked when we were on good terms, not yelling and getting angry with each other over stupid little things. I ran around the back of the house and peeked into Peeta's window, he was laying in bed but I don't think he is asleep. I didn't even knock I walked in, saw Peeta's parents sitting in the loving room, I stopped and said hello but was very quiet about it. I made my way to Peeta's bedroom, I tried to open the door quietly but apparently the gods just weren't having it today, the door was as noisier than it has ever been, Peeta still didn't move,
"Mom go away, Katniss hasn't come back and I don't want to see anyone until she comes back" Peeta was mumbling through his pillow
"Then I guess I will go back to the woods?" As soon as he heard my voice he shot up in bed, the moment he saw me he was out of bed faster then I could blink. I threw my arms around him, he hugged me and was so happy he picked me up and spun me around a couple times. "Peeta I am still here, its like you haven't seen me in years!" I laughed,
"You said you were coming back soon and when darkness fell I stayed there a few more hours. I thought something happened to you I came here and stayed in bed." When he put me down, his hands moved from my back to my face. He leaned his head forward and put his forehead to mine, I could tell that he was trying to hide his face. Tears started falling down his cheeks and quiet sobs started to leave his lips.
"Peeta its okay" one of my hands moved from his back to his head. This time rolls are reversed, he calmed me yesterday after my nightmare, now its my turn. "Peeta shh its okay Hun I'm right here" He started to calm down, he looked up and me and slowly started to move his chin closer. His lips met mine so gently I almost wanted to push a little harder to see if they were actually there. There we stood, slowly, passionately kissing each other for who knows how long. When I pulled away he just looked at me,
"I thought you were gone." He was no longer crying and no longer looked sad. The rest of the day we just spent together, no farther than 2 feet from each other. All his mother could do was smile at us.