A/N: So, this is my very first fanfiction on this site, as well as my very first fanfiction, period. This is just a one-shot; I thought I'd try it out. I will take any constructive critisism, but please, no hate. Tell me anything you thought about this, things you liked, or things you didn't; be completely honest! This helps me to improve my writing greatly. I thank you in advance for reading/ reviewing. Hope you enjoy!
~hungergames98

Protect You Forever (Peeta POV)

I watch as Katniss shifts around in her sleep, oblivious to the fact that I am staring at her, unable to take my eyes off of her until she is asleep. I look at her beautiful sleeping form, her body rising and falling as she breathes. I look at her intricate braid, wondering how in the world Cinna was able to pull that off, but wanting to run my fingers through her hair all the same.

She doesn't know that everything I said about her was true; about me watching her go home from school everyday; about my father wanting to marry her mother; about me having the biggest crush on her since we were only five years old. I don't blame her for being unsure; with the Capitol's infinite cameras around, no one can be sure that anything anyone says is true. But I am.

My body becomes stiff as I hear a rustling of leaves outside the cave. My mind races to images of Cato, Clove, Marvel, and, worst of all, Thresh, outside the cave, waiting to come inside and kill us for all of Panem to see. I quickly force myself to forget about that. Katniss must sense that I wrap my arms around her tighter, because she says, "Peeta, what's wrong?"

"Shhh," I reply, so quietly that I'm probably barely audible, and put my finger to her lips, "there's something outside the cave."

I slowly relax as I realize that whatever made that rustling noise is gone. I feel guilty, though, for waking Katniss by accident. "It's okay, Katniss, it was just a small animal of some sort. I'm really sorry for waking you up. We don't get much sleep in these Games as it is, and I just took more away from you. I'm sorry."

Katniss just looks at me and smiles. I can't help but notice how happy her grey eyes look. Why is she so happy? We are in The Hunger Games, and we could quite possibly be dead at any minute. Besides, it's not like I'm Gale, Katniss' best friend and hunting partner. "Don't worry, Peeta. I'm glad I'm up, so I can stare into your perfectly blue eyes. There's no one else I'd rather be with right now." She gives me her most beautiful smile as she curls her body into mine. I can't help but smile at the thought of Gale fuming back home. Of course, this beautiful girl lying right beside me at this very moment is the real reason that I'm smiling. The sincerity and truthfulness in her voice is why I'm smiling. Everything that she says, everything that she does, everything she stands for, everything about her is why I'm smiling. Somehow, behind all of the cameras and audiences, I know that she meant it with her heart and soul.

I hug her close to me and say, "Me too." Then I whisper into her ear, "I'll do everything in my power to get you back home."

Katniss quickly grabs me tighter, as if I'm breathing my last breath. She seems to know what I meant; her going home as Victor means a certain death for me. So she says in response, "No! I'm not going home without you! I won't let you die! If you die, I don't know what I'll do! I'll kill myself!"

I can't believe Katniss cares about me enough to say that, but I know it's true. There's not a doubt in my mind that it isn't, despite how artificial everything else is. I can't let her do that to herself, though.

After a long silence of us holding each other, she says, "Peeta, I'm serious. Let's just make sure that we both stay alive, okay?"

Her voice is full of exhaustion and desperation, so I say, "Now that I can agree on. Besides, I always knew from the moment I first laid eyes on you that I would protect you forever."

She clings on to me and buries her face in my neck. Then she says, with purpose and meaning, "I love you, Peeta."

I wrap my arms around her as tight as possible without hurting her and say, "I love you too, Katniss." She then tightens her grip on me even more.

We spend the whole night wrapped in each other's arms, temporarily not caring about what dangerous and life-threatening challenges tomorrow brings. I am now determined to somehow bring Katniss and myself back home alive. Haymitch was right; we really are the star-crossed lovers of Panem.

The End