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Chapter 7- Better Together
"I feel like I'm dreaming, Katniss. I could die tomorrow and I'd die happy because you've finally said it. I can't wait to see you now." Katniss smiled and felt a tear rolling down her cheek and she quickly swiped it away. "Me neither, Peeta. I want to feel your arms around me." 'Among other things' she thought to herself. "Well, I guess I should get some sleep before the procedure tomorrow. I wish you could be here with me. I just don't feel like I work right without you, you know." Katniss knew exactly what he was talking about and told him just that. "I know just how you feel, Peeta. We just work better together." Peeta laughed into the phone, 'such a great laugh' she thought. "You said it perfectly, Katniss. I'll have Dr. Aurellius call you as soon as my procedure is finished so stay close to the phone. I love you." "I love you, too, Peeta."
The following day was spent lying next to the phone. Effie tried to get her to go outside for a little while to no avail. "I'm not leaving this spot until I hear from that damn doctor, Effie! Now leave me alone about it already, dammit!" Effie knew that she was not going to win this battle so she left Katniss to her sulking. It was way too beautiful outside today. Effie walked around the Victor's Village. She didn't dare venture outside of the gates for fear she would get lost in the district. She heard a wolf whistle and looked around to see where it had come from. "Of course, Haymitch. And how are you this fine day? Done playing with those birds?" "Come here, sweetheart. I want to talk to you." Effie sauntered over to Haymitch's front porch. "Well…come up here, Efs." Effie climbed the steps and could feel her heart begin to race and her face become flushed. "You okay, Efs; you look a bit peaked. Take a seat will ya." Effie sat in the chair he had on the porch. It wasn't a nice rocking chair like Katniss had, but it was a seat none the less. "I think I've forgotten to eat today." Haymitch snorted, "Hmpf, looks like you forget to eat a lot of days, Effie. Are you ill, sweetheart?" He was actually concerned for her which surprised her somewhat. "Why do you care, Haymitch? I could die tomorrow and you wouldn't shed one tear." That hurt him and she knew it. "Come on, Efs. I'd shed at least one." He smiled half a smile. "You can't actually believe that right. I really hope you know how I feel about you." He stopped short and squeezed his eyes shut as if cursing himself for what he'd just said. "No, actually, I do not know how you feel about me, dear Haymitch. Please enlighten me." She knew what she was doing and gave him a sly smile. "You're killing me, you know that right." Effie suddenly felt very brave. She stood up, walked over to Haymitch, grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him towards her; stopping just short of kissing his lips and spoke, "Yes, am I succeeding?" Haymitch wanted to pull away so he didn't do anything stupid, but she was just too damned tempting so he closed the gap between them and pulled her into him for a kiss.
Katniss had fallen asleep. She jumped up out of her sleep by the ring of her phone. "Hello? Dr. Aurellius is that you?" "Katniss." Katniss felt her heart fall into her stomach. "Mom? Why are you calling? Where's Dr. Aurellius? How is Peeta?" She had so many more questions for her absent mother but those would have to wait for another day. She needed to find out how Peeta was now. "I asked the doctor if I could give you the news about Peeta. I missed your voice, Katniss." Katniss felt very annoyed. "Just tell me how he is! I have been waiting impatiently all day, dammit!" She couldn't help but raise her voice. "Okay, I'm sorry sweetie. Peeta's procedure proved to be very difficult and it was a long process. We found a lot of venom in the brain fluid and we were able to extract most of it. They are going to wait 24 hours until they wake him." Katniss became startled at this, "What do you mean you'll 'wake him up' in 24 hours!" "Katniss, calm down please. I only mean they have sedated him while he recovers and whatever leftover venom gets cycled out of him. We believe he will be 90-95% free of any venom. His chances of having another attack are very slim, but the chance is still there." Katniss took in the information and tried to even out her voice. "So if there is still a chance, do you think he will want to come home to me?" Katniss knew Peeta wanted her safe, but if he was the one putting her in danger, would he want to still be with her? "Katniss, my daughter, you are the great love of his life. You need not worry about any of that. He could very well never have another attack or maybe the attacks will be able to be controlled. He will never leave you willingly, Katniss. You must know that. Do you love him?" Katniss felt her face getting hot, but answered her mother anyway. "Yes, yes I love him very much. I want to be with him always and this distance right now is killing me." "Finally!" her mother began to laugh heartily, "It's about damn time you realized it!" Katniss sat astonished at the way her mother was acting. It made her forget the anger she felt towards her and soon she began to laugh as well, "I know! I know! Oh, stop laughing at me. Did you just snort?" Soon they ended their call with an agreement that her mother would accompany Peeta home to Twelve for a visit with them.
Effie came in while Katniss was prepping vegetables for the soup she was making for dinner looking a bit disheveled. "What the Hell happened to you, Effie?" Effie looked affronted, "What do you mean? What's wrong with me?" "Um, well first of all, your hair looks like you were in a wind storm and you lipsticks all smeared….ohhhhh! You've been making out with someone!" Effie gasped and clapped her hand over her mouth. "HAYMITCH!? Way to go, Effie Trinket!" Effie turned beet red much to Katniss's enjoyment. "Well, will your friend be joining us for dinner? It was Haymitch, wasn't it?" Effie's smile answered her question, "Yes, he will be over for dinner. I am going to bake a blackberry pie. I picked them yesterday morning. I would really appreciate if you did not question him about what happened in front of me. It will make me very uncomfortable. Please, Katniss, I beg of you!" "Okay, not in front of you but I intend to get the details from you if he doesn't supply them. "Katniss, do you think he kissed me because he pitied me?" Katniss frowned at her friend, "No, Effie. You didn't see him in Thirteen. He was worried about you and when they came back from rescuing Peeta, Annie, and Johanna and you were not there he'd shut himself in his room for days. He thought we'd lost you; he thought he'd lost you." Effie smiled with tears in her eyes. That is just beautiful, Katniss. You know I never had children of my own so my tributes were all I had until my Victors came around. I love you and Peeta very much, Katniss. I hope you know that."
Dinner was just about finished when Haymitch arrived. He'd been drinking but he was not drunk for once. Katniss wondered if Effie had anything to do with that. She watched them closely. They would be eating and Katniss would see Effie look across the table at Haymitch and once he met her eyes, she'd blush and he'd smile with kind eyes at her. It was very surreal to her watching two people that always seemed to loathe each other now smiling and laughing together. "So, Haymitch, you do anything special today?" Katniss whispered to him once they relocated into the living room while Effie served the pie she had baked for dessert. "Why, sweetheart, whatever do you mean?" Haymitch gave her a mischievous smile. "You made out with Effie. Do not mess with her heart, Haymitch or I will kill you. You've seen what I can do to a mahogany table. Imagine that is your penis. I'm a good shot." Haymitch rolled his eyes at her. "I know what I'm doing, sweetheart, so stay away from my dick." Effie came over with the pie so Katniss did not get the chance to finish messing with him. "There's always tomorrow."
Gonna end the chapter here, but I will be writing the next one in a couple days. Don't think anyone has caught on to the fact that the titles of each chapter of this fanfic is a song title. I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am enjoying writing it. Don't worry! Peeta will be back next chapter and it's going to be very "M" rated! As always, please review!
