Better with you by my Side

Katniss's POV

Haymitch pushes open the door" They're back. We're wanted at the hospital" My mouth opens with a flood of questions that he cut off with"That's all I know. I want to run but it looks as if Finnick has lost his ability to move. I take his hand and lead him like a small child. Through Special Defence, into the lift and on to the hospital place is in an uproar, with doctors shouting orders and the wounded being wheeled through the halls on beds.

We're sideswiped by a gurney bearing an unconscious young woman with a shaved head. Her flesh shows bruising and oozing scabs. Johanna Mason. Who actually knew thd rebel secrets and this is how she has paid for it."Finnick" Something between a shriek and a cry of joy. A lovely if somewhat bedraggled young woman runs towards us in nothing but a sheet. "Annie". And suddenly, it's as if there is no one in the world but those two,crashing through space to reach each other.

A pang of jealousy hits me. Not for either Finnick or Annie but for their certainty. No one seeing them could doubt their love.

I catch a glimpse of Gale. slightly wounded, but alive. I walk towards him and extend my arms to embrace him. He pulls back and looks me in the eye and I find the same seam grey eyes that look back at me when I look in the mirror every morning. He points at the door and states " He's in there. You should be with him when he wakes up". I think that on this subject, for now at least, that we understand each other. He can tell that I have chosen Peeta and he won't question it right now. I whisper my thanks to Gale for rescuing Peeta before walking towards the door of the ward.

Boggs, looking a little worse for wear finds Haymitch and me."We've got them all out except Enobaria. But she's for two so I doubt she was bding held anyway. The boy's at the end of the hall. The gas should be wearing off anytime now.

Peeta. Alive and well-maybe not well but alive and here. Away from Snow. Safe. With me. In a moment I can touch him. See his smile. Hear his laugh. Haymitch is grinning at me as if he is proud and glad that I have finally joined up the dots and that I have realised that fighting my fear of love may be worth the risk. "Come on, then" he says. I feel light headed with giddiness. What will I say?.Who cares about that. Peeta will be estatic to see me despite what I say. I throw open the door and see a confused Peeta surrounded by a trio of doctors poking and prodding at him.

He sees me over one of their shoulders and he slides of the bed to make his way towards me. Blue meets grey and suddenly he is only three feet in front of me yet neither of us are moving but only staring at each other in utter disbelief. Certain moments over the last year and a half flash through my mind : The kisses in the cave, The finale on top of the cornucopia, keeping each other safe from the nightmares on the train, watching the sunset on the roof,almost losing him when he hit the forcefield, the kisses on the beach that set me on fire. I open my mouth to try and say something but Peeta is always the one who was good with words was the first to speak. " Katniss, I missed you. Thank god you are alright"he sighs, his hand coming up to stroke my face. My eyes are filling with tears and I close the gap between us pulling his lips towards mine.

I feel that thing again the hunger that I realise now that only Peeta can make me feel. The kiss is warm and loving and filled with all the things that I would never be able to tell him in words but I hope he understands, our lips gently but passionately come together in perfect sync and I know that this was always going to happen anyway, All I need is my dandelion in the spring, the bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction the promise that life will always go on no matter how bad our losses are. After what feels like forever we need to come up for air but we are grinning like idiots at each other and cover in a mixture of each others tears.

Haymitch tells the doctors to get out for a few minutes and heads for the door himself . Peeta smiles at me and pats the place next to him on the bed. I sit down next to him and then he asks something that really I should have expected"Katniss, there isn't any cameras. What's going on? " I look down at my lap sadly, ashamed by how I had treated him in the past before looking up and staring into his eyes hoping that he will understand without me having to say anything. Peeta's way better at this sort of thing. His bright blue eyes beg me for an answer and somehow I find it in me to get out" Peeta" I sigh and takes his hands " I'm not sure how to put this but it's real for me too now. I feel the same way about you as you do about me and I'm not sure of much right now but... I need you with me".

I hope this is enough and I realise that it is when a huge smile breaks out on Peeta's face. I lean in closing the space between us and kiss him like before. It's like fire, warm and blazing and only growing more stronger and more frantic by the minute. I pull myself on to his lap and he wraps his arms around my waist. My hands slide up his back and into his messy blonde hair. He may be battered and bruised but he is still my boy with the bread. I hear someone cough behind us. I gently pull away from Peeta and turn around to find my innocent baby sister Prim looking on with confusion and amusement. I feel my face go hot and see that Peeta is beginning to blush also. I slide off of his lap but take hold of his hand and stay next to the bed. Prim smiles trying desperately to conceal a laugh. I can tell I'm going to be hearing about this from her later with a lot of I told you so's. She left a tray of food on the bed and gave me a look that told me exactly what I expected. She is getting older everyday and I know that my little baby sister, my little duck is nowhere near little anymore, forced to grow up far too fast by circumstances. I an sure that Peeta can sense that I'm worried about her and begging that I'm upset and again we find ourselves in a situation where I am the one who should be comforting him yet he is comforting me.

The doctors return soon after and I'm sent out of the room despite mine and Peeta's protests to being separated again despite who they are. I walk out of the ward to find Haymitch sitting outside he turns around when I come in "Hello Sweetheart, thought you'd be in their makin' sure bread boy knew how much you missed him or is he still in the dark" I scowl at Haymitch but sit down beside him nonetheless."He's in with the doctors they told me to come back later and yes he knows" I tell Haymitch still scowling at him."You following doctors orders and sharing your feelings, Jeez Sweetheart, hell must be freezing over any day now. I glare at Haymitch and he laughs, it must be his weird dry humoured way of saying he is happy for us.

I see the doctors leaving the room at the end of the hallway and Haymitch and I hurry back towards the soon as I walk in the door Peeta smiles at me from the hospital bed his bright blue eyes still completely his own. I sit down next to him and take his hand while Haymitch comes over to the bed and claps Peeta on the shoulder "Good to have you back, Kid. How was the Capitol" he asks as if Peeta had only been away on holiday. I freeze not being sure that I'm ready for a detailed account of what happened Peeta at the hands of Snow. Peeta however just goes along with it " Ah, wouldn't recommend it Haymitch. Food's crappy and the company is terrible" although something does change in his eyes and he looks pained even though his response was light hearted. I stroke his thumb in circles hoping to calm him down.

Later when Haymitch is gone I am still there with Peeta talking about what was going on with the rebellion and filling in the blanks for him to the best of my ability. The kissig is good too, it helps to heal the hole in my heat that was formed over the last few month without him. As it is getting later and the nurses are telling Peeta to get some rest he asks me "Stay With Me". I peck him on the lips and answer "Always". We snuggle up next to each other that night laughing about how these hospital beds are far too small for two people. The last thought in my mind is I think I have fallen for my boy with the bread for real...

A/N hope you guys enjoyed this. Do you think I should make it a multi-chapter or leave it a one shot. let me knoe your thoughts/suggestions in the reviews or PM me I promise I'll do my best. until then see ya