Hey everyone! Sorry for the cliffhanger, I know you all hate that, but I love your reactions to them! :)
I think you'll enjoy this one. There's a funny Haymitch/Effie scene that was fun to write and the interview with Caesar at the end!
Review!
His eyes go wide. "Did you . . . are you serious?"
I nod. I don't know if I'm caught up in the moment or I really truly love him, but I nod anyway. "Katniss," he whispers, kissing my temple. "I love you, too." He brings his lips to mine and I kiss him back instantly. I know what he wants, what he's expecting, but I don't want to. Not now, not here, on a Capitol Kingdom train. I want to do it somewhere special.
"Peeta," I say, pulling away. He kisses me again instantly. "Peeta, please."
He pulls away. "What? I thought you said–"
"I know what I said," I reply. "But here? On a Capitol Kingdom train?"
"What's the problem with that?" he asks.
"This place isn't special!" I say. "Don't you want it to be special?"
He chuckles. "It'll be special wherever we do it, Katniss," he says with a grin. "Trust me."
"I know, you moron. But it'll be more special in a place we're both comfortable," I say.
"You're not comfortable here?"
"Neither are you," I point out.
He sighs, defeated. "I guess it's kind of sweet that you want to do it somewhere special. I suppose that would be the romantic thing to do, isn't it?"
"I don't know, you're the romantic one," I point out.
"That I am," he says. "So you want to wait?"
"It's not that long," I point out.
"Three days of travel, both ways, and three days in the Capitol Kingdom," he says. "That's nine days."
"The day after we get back is your birthday, though," I say.
"Well, there's no better way to ring in sixteen than making love to you," he says.
"Well, good," I say. "Because that's the only present you're getting. I'd get you something else, but I don't have money."
"You don't have to get me anything," he says. "But Effie told me she's planning to take you shopping in the Capitol Kingdom for my birthday."
"Awesome," I grumble. "That's just what I want to spend an afternoon doing."
"She's not that bad," Peeta says.
"I was talking about shopping," I say. "But now that you mention it, it will be worse with Effie."
"She's not that bad," he repeats. "She's just a little . . . frivolous."
"Frivolously annoying," I point out. "Frivolously loud."
"Frivolously loveable," he decides. "She grows on you, I promise."
"Yeah, okay."
"She does," he insists. "Now. What should we do for the rest of the day?"
"Help each other out," I say. He grins before bringing his lips to mine.
Effie collects us for dinner at 6:30, just minutes after we got dressed. We eat a ridiculous amount of insanely good food and then we watch television for a little while. Effie says that we'll arrive in the Capitol Kingdom in just under two days and that Caesar Flickerman, who hosts Panem News, will interview us that night. I'm terrified. I love Peeta – or I think I love Peeta – but I'm still nervous. I'll be in front of millions of people. I'm not good in front of one person, let alone millions.
"You'll be fine, sweetheart," says Haymitch, noticing my tension. "Normally the people in the Capitol Kingdom aren't listening, anyway."
"They are so, Haymitch," Effie says. "Excuse my husband, he's drunk."
"I am not!" Haymitch roars. "I always sober up when we go to the Capitol Kingdom."
"Your sober is everyone else's drunk," she snaps. "You're a horrible example."
"You married me, sweet cheeks," Haymitch says sarcastically.
"Yes, I did," Effie says haughtily. "Because I'm the only woman on the planet who could deal with your drinking."
"I could've married plenty of women," he says, brushing her off.
"Haymitch Abernathy, you know for a one hundred percent fact that's not true!" Effie shouts. "You were knocking down my door the second I turned twelve!"
"Yeah, well, this is why we shouldn't get married at fifteen," he says. "You hate each other by the time you're forty."
"We don't hate each other, kids," Effie says. "It only seems like it."
"Yeah, unfortunately I'm still completely head over heels for this chick," he says, leaning back and kicking his feet up. "But we don't get along very well."
"All marriages have their problems," Effie points out, sitting next to him. "But I love him and he loves me and that's all that matters."
"Not true," Haymitch says. "I love her and she loves me and we deal with each other's shit. That's all that matters."
"Good point," Effie says. "I deal with his drinking."
"And I deal with your insane shopping habits," Haymitch snaps. "Don't act like you don't have flaws."
"Not as many as you," Effie says.
"Completely untrue," Haymitch says, waving a hand at her.
"You're so infuriating!" she huffs, storming off.
Haymitch rolls his eyes. "We really do have a good marriage," he says.
"It doesn't appear that way," Peeta says.
"No, it doesn't," Haymitch says. "The best marriages come off the worst. If a couple's all happy and googly-eyed at each other, chances are they're hiding something. Like your parents, Peeta. Absolutely hated each other and the Capitol Kingdom idiots think they're completely in love."
I think about that for a moment. Peeta and I don't agree on everything, no. We've had arguments and we've been married for a day. Maybe he and I will have a good marriage. Maybe I really will be truly happy.
"Go to bed," Haymitch says. "I'll see you two in the morning." When we return to our room, Peeta sits on our bed and looks confused.
"What's with the face?" I ask.
"That's the first time Haymitch has ever said something useful," he says. "I mean, those two argue all the time, but they really are happy. I've walked into their quarters when they didn't know it before. Once, they were cooking dinner together and he came up behind her and kissed her neck."
"Something you would do," I point out.
He smiles. "Yeah, something I would do. But what he said, about the best marriages coming off the worst, it's true. My brother Dave and his wife fight all the time, but he really loves her. Mikal and his wife despise each other and they come off a lot better."
"They only tolerate each other in front of cameras," I say. "The best marriages just act normally because they have nothing to hide."
"Exactly!" he says. "You and I have nothing to hide. Right?"
"Right," I say.
"Because we're going to have a good marriage," he says. "Right?"
"Of course, Peeta," I say.
"And you'll be happy?" he says. "I know I will, because I get to spend my life with you, but will you be happy?"
"Peeta, didn't you hear me earlier?" I say.
He smiles. "I just don't want to wake up tomorrow and have this all be a dream. I mean, I've had everything anyone could ever ask for, for my entire life. But it was never complete because you weren't in it. And now you're in it and I'm so happy and I just want you to be as happy as me."
"I am," I say.
"No, you're not," he says. "Too much has happened to you. You can't possibly be as happy as me. I've never really felt pain."
"Your mother beat you," I point out.
"Emotional pain," he says.
"Your mother verbally abused you."
"Loss," he decides. "I've never lost someone. You've lost two people to death and one to mental diseases. I can't even imagine what you and Prim have gone through."
"You're sending me a mixed message," I say, trying to lighten the mood. "You want me to be as happy as you but you say I can't be as happy as you."
He smiles. "I'll try my best to fill the holes in your heart that Gale and your father left," he says.
"You want to fill the hole in my heart for my father?" I tease. "That's odd."
He laughs. "Okay, I'll fill Gale's hole," Peeta says. "He was your best friend. I'll be your best friend."
"Let me get this straight," I say. "You're going to be my best friend, my boyfriend, and my husband?"
He nods. "And you're my best friend, my girlfriend, and my wife," he says.
"Let me just say," I say. "We have the weirdest relationship ever."
He laughs. "But at least we love each other."
I swallow the lump in my throat. "Yeah."
The rest of the train ride is uneventful. Before I know it, I find myself backstage in the Capitol Kingdom, getting ready for Caesar to call our names and interview us. I squeeze Peeta's hand so hard my knuckles begin to turn white.
"Our newest Kingdom 12 Royal Couple, Katniss and Peeta Mellark!" Caesar says. We begin to walk out and I almost pass out. Millions of people, all over Panem, staring at me. I push the thought out of my mind as we sit down across from Caesar.
"Well, well, well," Caesar says. "Quite a ruckus you two are causing. It seems you might be everyone's favorite Royal couple of the past decade!"
"It seems so!" Peeta answers. "I mean, how can we not be, when one of us is as beautiful as Katniss?"
I blush and look down. "So it's true?" Caesar says. "Your father has been telling everyone that you were courting Katniss before she was reaped?"
That's a total lie, but Peeta deftly swoops in and answers the question with another lie. "Yeah," Peeta says. "I mean, I'd been crushing on her forever, but right after I turned fifteen I figured I'd go for it because there was no way she'd get reaped. And I'm so thankful she did."
"Why'd you kiss her cheek, then?" asks Caesar. "Had you never kissed before?"
Peeta looks down and smiles, like he's embarrassed. "No, we had," Peeta says. "Quite a few times. But Katniss isn't huge on public displays of affection."
"Is that true, Katniss?" Caesar asks.
"Yeah," I say softly. "I don't want to see anyone else making out onstage, so I don't imagine people want to see me doing, either."
"Now, how was the wedding night?" Caesar asks. "Since you were courting before, it must've been special."
I blush a deep red and look down. Peeta blushes, too. "Yeah, it was special," Peeta says.
"Don't be shy, we want details!" Caesar says.
"I don't really want to give you details, Caesar!" Peeta laughs.
"Oh, you kids," Caesar laughs. "I'll get it out of you someday. Have you discussed the idea of children yet, Katniss?"
"Yeah," I say. "And they're a ways off. Not until we're at least . . . what did we say, Peeta, nineteen?"
"My father said seventeen, but I think we decided eighteen," Peeta says. I try and recall the conversation we had the night before on the train. I was having trouble remembering, however – Peeta and I had just finished another game of Truth or Dare and things were getting steamy.
"Seventeen?" Caesar asks. "That seems like a good starting age. You must have two kids before you're thirty, you know."
"I don't think we'll have a problem with that," Peeta says, looking at me with a smile on his face. I turn and look at him, my cheeks still bright red. "At the rate we're going, we'll have two by the time we're twenty two."
"You two are just so adorable!" Caesar says. "I just can't even believe it. It's just . . . amazing, how fate wanted you two together so badly."
"I agree," Peeta says. "Katniss has always been the girl I wanted to marry. My life wouldn't be complete without her."
"The same goes for him," I say, turning my head back towards him. He grins and kisses my cheek. The crowd communally sighs.
"How many of you think they should have babies right now?" Caesar says. "I just can't even imagine a child between the two of you. It'll be adorable overload!" The crowd goes nuts. "Seriously, though. You haven't considered becoming parents now?"
"We're only fifteen, Caesar," Peeta says.
"So? That hasn't stopped people before," Caesar says. "My first son was born just after my seventeenth birthday."
"That would mean you waited at least three months after you turned sixteen," Peeta says.
"Are you wearing protection?" Caesar asks.
"Oh my God," I say, putting my head in my hands. The crowd laughs at my embarrassment.
"Yes," Peeta says, putting a hand on my back.
"Well, stop!" Caesar jokes. I don't think he realizes that the more he presses the issue, the sooner we'll be forced to have a child. If he continues, Peeta's father will demand one out of us in the next year. "If you think these two should have a baby right now, scream your heads off!" And then there's a deafening roar.
"Well, the people have spoken," Caesar says when it stops.
Peeta and I look at each other and I can tell we're thinking the same thing.
Fuck.
