The sound of the front door opening and closing stirs me from my doze. I take a deep breath and slink out of bed. Normally, I'm already up and hunting by this time, but sleep did not come to me easily last night, or the last few nights.
Peeta's in my kitchen, arranging bread on the table. He's early. He looks so tired, too. "Hey," he greets me.
"Hey," I say. "Bad night?"
He nods, and I notice he's hiding something behind his back. He gives me a shy smile and I freeze when he pulls out a bundle of dandelions. "I picked these for you on my way over," he says. "I remembered you liked them."
Numbly, my hand reaches out to take them. Again, I'm reminded of that hollow day he gave me the bread. His fingers brushing against mine rouses me to the present. As if in slow motion, my arms wrap around him and I kiss his lips for the first time in a long time.
"Katniss?" he whispers, an unsure half-smile playing on his features. There's so much hope in his blue eyes. I give him another gentle kiss and lead him by the hand upstairs, into my bedroom.
"I'm going to put these in water," I tell him.
"Okay," he says as he starts fiddling with the knots in his shoelaces.
When I get back, he's nestled in between my blankets with a corner upturned for me to slip into. I curl up next to him and he holds me close in his arms. The delicious feeling of happiness warms my chest as I breathe in the faint scent of cinnamon. With the familiar comfort that Peeta gives me, the rhythmic pounding of his heart, sleep's tendrils lure me under almost immediately and I don't wake until the smell of bacon frying wafts throughout the house.
Peeta's stroking my hair as my eyes flutter open. I look up at him and he grins. "Race you to the kitchen?"