This chap might be weird, and just like the last chapter, it's T for a reason… but it's going to be short. If I should suggest, I recommend you to listen to What About Love? by Lemar. It kind of fits here, and I mentioned it. Anyway… Without further ado, I am here to present you…

Chapter 7

Favored Memories


"Kat?"

"AAAAAHH!"

Surprised, she threw the box at the unexpected guest in front of her, her shriek lasting three seconds straight. Fortunately, it didn't hit the floor and spill the contents that were yet to be exposed. But, unfortunately, the one who shocked the fuck out of her was no other than the man of the house.

"Oh, God, I'm so sorry!" Katniss exhaled, heart pounding frantically. "It's… it's okay," Peeta gave her a half-hearted smile. "No, really, I shouldn't barge in on your privacy. I'm really sorry. Fuck this shit." Kat swore under her breath. Wait, isn't she all prim and proper? Peeta asked himself. This Katniss is really messed up. Maybe he was high or something. "I should… I should leave." She hid her face with her hair from shame. Smart move, Kat, smart move.

But before she could walk two feet away, he turned and called her name, looking at the box. Katniss turned around; cheeks still tinted a pinkish color. Peeta took a minute to speculate on the box that held the climax of his life before it all tumbled down to the hill of Jack Daniels and strippers. What the actual fuck was he thinking? Was he seriously going to…? "Where'd you get this?" he asked off-handedly. Her brain processed this question for a good ten seconds. "Oh! Uh, at that cupboard." She pointed timidly at the reason why she was in her current position. "Mmm…" he nodded. She tried to stop herself, but she just couldn't. She had to know. She didn't know why, but she had to.

"Peeta, what's in the box?"

Peeta met her eyes for a bit, and sadly smiled at the box again. "Just some good memories." He replied. "Of?" She wasn't going to stop now, now that he was finally opening up to her. Without Gale around to observe her every move, it felt weird. "A girl I used to love." And at that precise moment, at 4:00 in the morning on the nose, in a poorly lit kitchen, Peeta couldn't help the words that tumbled out of his mouth.

"She was beautiful and stunning. Absolutely gorgeous. She was awesome, and she wasn't like most girls I know." He started. She could already feel the emotions radiate off of him. "She was funny, and she drove me insane. She was weird, but in the way I loved. She was defined as the most daring woman. She had that illuminating smile I used to see every day, and when it turned upside down, I always wanted to find a way to bring that grin again. She had the most insane laughter. She was carefree. She was the girl I used to love. Hell, she still is up to now. She's the girl I still love… but, she'll never know." He sighed dejectedly. "Why not?" 'Because I didn't tell her," he confessed.

"Well that's stupid. Why didn't you tell her?" Kat took a step closer. Now she was getting more curious. Peeta seemed like a nice guy, who would reject him? "I couldn't. Someone else had her. Someone else has her. I can't just barge in to her life. She's happy now, I guess." He shook his head. "We made this together." He admitted, "And back then, everything was just alright, for her, anyway. I told myself I was lucky to even be with her." "Why didn't she see it?" she asked. "See what?" he raised an eyebrow. "You. The love you had for her? It must be pretty obvious, because you're pretty close." She was now beside him, looking at the box that treasured so much memories of the past Peeta had.

"Because she loved someone else, remember?" the pained look in his eyes told Kat that this was no ordinary girl after all. It affected his life too much, that it left him hurting and tortured. "Do you want to tell me?" she queried. Maybe she was getting close to figuring out what was inside the box. But not once did Peeta take the lid off. He just played with it in his hands, tossing it back and forth like a ball.

They leaned on the counter and stared at the admirable package. "We made this in the second movie we were in, out of boredom. I was Crazy, she was Crazier. You see this?" he pointed at the Chihuahua and Boxer. "I'm the Boxer and she's the Chihuahua." He explained. "Yeah, I thought a lot on that. Why?" she questioned. "Well, I used to have two Boxer dogs that I loved. And one Pit Bull. But she didn't own a Chihuahua, though. She referred to herself as one, because… well, she has her reasons." It made him smile genuinely and actually chuckle a bit, but he let out a breath, and he was back to reminisce on the past.

"Oh, could you tell me more about her?"

She used to be you. That was enough to satisfy Kat's interests, if she wasn't an innocent amnesiac.

"Well, she's just perfect, that's what I can tell you," Peeta bit his lip. And added, "She hates flying first class, because she thinks she looks like a kid compared to everyone. And she never believes in diet. She can exercise, but she would never lessen the food she eats. She thinks that's just stupid." "She sounds like someone I would get along with." Kat giggled. "Yeah," he gave her a grin.

All of a sudden, he opened the box, and it seemed like a bright light shone from inside it, like a treasure chest filled with gold. Finally, Katniss's curiosity ebbed away.

There, in the middle of the sea of colorful paper stars, sat a large clear plastic ball. The ball had an equator-like line, indicating that it could be split open. Inside the ball, there were many tokens and trinkets, and they all seemed valuable to the two owners. There were movie tickets, little papers, a bandage, infinite tiny figurines, some key chains. The candy-colored paper stars also covered the inside of the box's lid. It was worth the efforts they exerted.

"The paper stars have letters we wrote on boring days, and we never bothered opening them. We told ourselves we'd keep it a secret, and open it when the time comes. But I guess the time never came." He shrugged as if it was nothing. But the hurt he was feeling bounced off every wall in the room. His aura changed, the atmosphere changed. Peeta lifted it to his face, and he closed his eyes. "It still smells like her." His lips curved upward. He revealed his eyes again, and shut the box. But her quick eyes captured something, and it left her speechless and stunned for a moment. A small photo inside the ball.

He placed it back in the cupboard and motioned for Kat to go upstairs first.

Oh, right. Damn, she didn't realize it had been 40 minutes since she's been down here.

Peeta led her to the guest room. "Thanks, for letting me open up." He mustered a smile. "You know Peeta, if I was that girl, and some guy loved me like that, I guess I'd notice him." She said seriously.

Then why didn't you? Peeta wanted to bawl and cry at her feet, then hold her close. Ask her why she didn't recognize the time he took for him to love her. To ask her why she didn't see that he put no one above her. Why weren't you there to see that I sacrificed the things that really mattered, just for you? Why didn't you take a glance to see that I ran through every disaster, to make you stay? She didn't care if he never made it, because she didn't even know. I'm in this alone, so why can't I face it? But he couldn't blame her, it was his fault after all. He was an ass for leaving himself in this situation.

What about love? What about feelings? What about all the things that make life worth living? What about faith? What about trust? Tell me, what about us?

How can he start a new love all over again? How can he stop the rain that's never ending? How does he keep his soul believing, if memories of her keep on nagging at him?

"Because you seemed to love her like… crazy." She bubbled with laughter. "And," she quickly cut the happiness off her voice. "I hate to see someone's efforts go unappreciated." She shook her head. "Good night, Kat." He waved. "Night." She bowed theatrically, trying to make him smile, and successfully, she did.

But one question made her think hard. Too hard, that she didn't know if she actually slept.

What was I doing in a picture with Peeta?


Short as hell. Sorry. I just wanted you to know what was inside the box. And if you figured it out exactly like I imagined it, great minds think alike! ;) I'm sorry you haven't heard of Nameless. But I guarantee you she writes next. Because if she doesn't, we might as well announce her as gone.