I see a smile break across Peeta's face as I tell him I love him for real. It's not for the games or our survival anymore, I have truly fallen for the boy with the bread and I can finally admit without questioning how i feel about before him and Gale. It is Peeta I want for the rest of my life and Gale understands that I hope.
Peeta cups my cheek gently and leans down to kiss me. As he does and our lips meet I feel the same warn sensation and I even find myself smiling against his lips. He pulls away and looks me in the eyes with the same blue eyes, now gentle and loving unlike the cold and deadly glare he wore when looking at me in 13.
"I love you, real or not real?" He whispers with a slight smirk on his face.
"Real...I hope" I say a little confused as in my current state of mind I started to question it. I can't seem to work out if he is joking or being serious. He lets out a little laugh and kisses my forehead, wrapping his arms protectively around me.
"Of course I love you, Katniss" he says softly and I feel myself relax and rest my head gently on his chest. We lay in each other's warm embrace as I listen to his heartbeat which after some time sends me in to a restless sleep.
I wake in the middle of the night screaming as Peeta holds me and whispers in my ear until I begin to calm down and sigh.
"I'm sorry... " I whisper hoarsely as I look up at him
"Katniss, you don't have anything to be sorry for" He says softly "We all have bad nights, the games haunt us all"
I just nod and snuggle in close to him. This happens almost every night, if is not me having a nightmare, its Peeta. I do the same for him as he does for me. I whisper comforting words to him till he is calm again because that's what we don't we protect each other.