I might be okay, but I'm not fine at all
A chilly breeze swept through the room as Katniss stepped in. She marvelled at the way the house had somehow managed to feel homey from the first moment she had stepped in. She unwrapped the plaid scarf from around her neck and set it down on the table.
Peeta smiled at her and threaded his fingers through hers. Katniss could feel a tingly feeling travel from her fingers to her toes.
"Katniss," a warm voice said, Katniss turned the voice and recognized it as Peeta's dad. Peeta's father looked almost exactly like him except, his blonde hair was graying, and there were little wrinkles around his eyes.
"I think you might enjoy these." He was holding a couple dusty old books. A grin stretched across Katniss's face as she realized what they were. Photo albums.
Peeta had complained to her before about as a child he would have these large bulky glasses all the while attempting to play sports. Katniss was excited to see it, by the way he had described it she was expecting the worst.
Katniss let go of Peeta's hand to support the musty photo albums. She eagerly opened the books.
Peeta was adorable when he was younger. His blonde hair was in longer curls and his glasses sat thickly on his nose. One picture was of him sitting on his bed holding up a drawing that he must of done. He was smiling so widely that Katniss was sure that his face would break into two. Laughter bubbled up in her throat at the adorable picture.
Another picture was of a bright sunny day. It looked like a sports game and Katniss could easily pick out a young Peeta. He held a bat that looked too large with his small frame.
"You were so small." Katniss said as she pointed at the young Peeta. Peeta just shook his head at her and kissed her cheek.
"If I remember correctly I saw some pictures of you when you were younger and you looked to be hardly taller than my knee." Peeta said with a simple smile.
"How did you see those?" Asked Katniss suspiciously as she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Prim loves to go through old pictures."
Katniss groaned and continued flipping through the photo album.
.
.
Wind rushed at her face as she giggled at the look of concentration on Peeta's face. He was staring at the road as they drove along the streets. He glanced over at her and a smile lit up his face.
Katniss smiled back and then looked out the window. Orange, yellow and red leaves were falling from the trees and onto small piles on sidewalks and front yards. A small group of children were gathering to jump into the piles and it reminded Katniss of when she would try and do that as a child.
"When I was younger," Katniss turned her head towards him as he nodded at the group of children. "My brothers would throw me into the leaf piles and my dad would try to yell at them, but he never kept at it."
He looked over at her with a look that could easily melt her insides. It was so loving that she couldn't help but fall deeper in love with him.
Katniss glanced at the road for a moment and saw a stoplight was fast approaching, what caught her attention more was that it was a bright shining red.
"Peeta," Katniss tried to say calmly, but was sure that it sounded more like a screech. He looked out the window and slammed his foot onto the brake.
Her head slammed forwards, but not far enough to hit the dashboard. She holds onto the armrests until the car is at a complete stop.
Once it stops she looks over at him. For some odd reason she laughs and she can't seem to control it. A deep chuckle reverberated from Peeta as he can't seem to control himself either.
They gazed at each other for a moment before they couldn't control it and both of them burst into laughter.
.
.
Peeta ran a hand through his hair and blinked tiredly. He glanced at the alarm clock on his bedside table. The glaring numbers let him know that it was 1:58 in the morning.
He had awoken to the sheets beside him being cold. Peeta stood, his bare feet against the hardwood floor. He stretched and hobbled towards the bedroom door. He glided through the apartment until he could hear the faint sounds of the radio.
It was playing an old rock station, Katniss's favorite. He walked over and leaned against the doorway of the kitchen. He watched her leaning down and looking into the refrigerator. The light cast a faint glow over her features and it reminded him how beautiful she was. Her foot was tapping to the rhythm of the music.
She abruptly turned around and faced him. Her hair was mussed from sleep and there was a gleam in her eyes.
"Were you watching me?" She asked raising an eyebrow.
"Of course not," he replied easily as he walked closer to her. Once he was close enough he let his hands linger on her waist. Her skin radiated warmth and he couldn't help but be pulled in by everything that was her.
Katniss leaned up on her toes and kissed his lips. Peeta kissed her back and pulled her so she was flush against him. He smiled against her lips and deepened the kiss. Her tongue danced along the seam of his lips and he couldn't help but pick her up and set her down on the kitchen counter. Her hands ran through his hair and he let his fingers move in circles on her bare thigh.
"I love you," murmured Peeta, the words slipping unknowingly from his lips.
"I love you too,"
.
.
Peeta hit the button for the fourth time with Katniss's face on it and waited for it to ring. He leaned against the counter and waited for the ring and he hoped for the sound of her voice to greet him at any moment.
He let out a rough sigh when her answering machine came up. Why wasn't she answering? It seemed odd to him, she had been behaving off lately and he had been wanting to reach her to be able to meet soon. He wanted to get rid of the awkward tension that had been surrounding them like a dark cloud.
Peeta set his phone on the counter and put his head in his hands. They would be able to get through it, they had to.
.
.
They stood a couple feet apart. The air was heavy with unsaid words and the silent screams of frustration. Peeta silently urged Katniss to look up at him, she continued to stare at the ground avoiding his gaze.
They drifted apart in the usual way and both were far too stubborn to say anything about it. No matter how much they detested it when they were alone.
.
.
The cold air whispered into her ear as she wrapped her arms tighter around herself. Her feet hit the pavement with unnecessary force, as if it could work out all of her aggression. As if the foreboding dark cloud would miraculously lift from above her.
Katniss looked down the empty street and noticed a flicker of light in one of the windows. She resisted the urge to just walk down the street. She couldn't. His house was there and she wouldn't dare pass it. She continued to walk forwards, Katniss straightened her shoulders and tightened her resolve.
She couldn't afford to stop. It would give her a moment to breathe. If she stopped to breathe, she would break down. And breaking down was the exact opposite of what she wanted to do. She had to be strong.
There was nothing left if she wasn't strong. Katniss ignored the voices in her head that urged her to turn around and try to fix the shattered piece of glass.
Yet, to her there was no point. It was already broken, maybe at a time when she was whole, she could think about it. But in that moment she couldn't, only because it came to her in flashes at the slightest thing.
When she saw anything that related to Peeta she would become short of breath and her mind would get foggy. It came with a simple answer, really. She just remembered it all too well.
Down the stairs, you were there, you remember it all It was rare, I was there, I remember it all too well
A/N: Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think and if you have any requests!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.