Disclaimer: I own a rubik's cube, not The Hunger Games
Peeta's P.O.V.
Effie sat us down and explained everything. Well, everything concerning our visit to the capital, and Katniss was not happy. Not happy at all. Effie said we would need to present ourselves like we always have; hopelessly in love, star crossed lovers. I guess people are still rooting for us. She wants us to pretend like our "marriage" is going well and to mention trying for another kid. All this wasn't really a surprise but what got Katniss so upset was that they wanted us to explain what happened back during the war. Mostly with me because people were suspicious as to why I said what I did in the interviews. They wanted to know what happened and Katniss wasn't willing to explain. When Effie told her Katniss stormed out of the room. I didn't understand what the big deal was. After searching every cart for her I finally found her outside, leaning against the train rails, starring off at the rolling green hills and the walls of trees surrounding us.
I stepped outside and leaned next to her. After a minute I spoke.
"Are you going to explain why you're so upset about all this? I mean are you really surprised?"
She didn't speak at first but after a while she answered,
"It's just not right." She turned to face me. "They have no right to know what happened. They were so excited to watch us die and now they just want another tragic story. It's hard enough pretending like we're in love when we're obviously not. I mean pretty soon they're going to expect to see our kids. How long do we have to keep this up? And on top of all that they want us to explain what happened? They don't deserve to know! They don't care about us! We're just their entertainment! I thought these games were over..." She trailed off and looked out in the distance.
"I think you're wrong. Not all the people in the capital are bad Katniss. They didn't know any better. They were raised to believe that these games were a normal thing. Now they know how wrong it was because you showed them that the people in the districts matter too. You showed them that we have families and hopes and dreams. You showed them just how much the games affect us. We started this whole war, which means it's our responsibility to finish it. We have to do this for Panem." I say.
She looked at me in awe. "I still don't understand how you always manage to see the good in people. You're really special, you know Peeta?" I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks, god this girl. She shook her head and spoke again,
"Even though you're probably right I still don't want to do it. I'm tired of pretending. I'm tired of all the lies. I don't want you to have to go through all that."She looked down at the moving ground.
"Hey," I said while lifting her chin up, forcing her to meet my gaze, "Who said anything about pretending?"
She gave me a confused look. "What do you mea-" Before she could finish I crashed my lips against hers. I already knew what she was trying to ask and words wouldn't give a suffice answer. I needed to show her, to prove to her that this isn't pretend. This is real. The kiss was slow, like time itself stopped just for us. Her lips were soft and inviting. We moved in sync, neither one of us wanting to pull away but eventually we had to. That's when I finally said what's been on my chest.
It took me a while to finally admit what I'd always known but didn't always realize. I said the words I was most afraid of, "I love you Katniss."
I starred into her eyes, wanting her to understand that I meant every word, and she got the message. I could tell from the smile plastered on her face. This time she leaned in to kiss me and I eagerly kissed back. She wrapped her arms around my neck while mine wrapped around her waist. Each kiss seemed to be even better than the first. I couldn't stop, and neither could she. It was like nothing else even mattered.
We stayed like that for a while. It was nice. Eventually we sat down and let our feet dangle off the side of the train. We talked a lot. We kissed a lot too. There was no barrier between us anymore, nothing holding us back. I wasn't afraid of her anymore. I finally listened to that little voice in the back of my head that kept trying to tell me, "She's not a monster. The capital is a monster. You love her Peeta. You always have." I listened and I knew it was the right thing to do because I've never been more happy, even if I am going back to the capital. I have Katniss.
When the sun started its slow descent out of the horizon I figured it was time we went inside before people started to worry. And by people I mean Effie. I got up and reached my hand out towards Katniss. She let me help her up and together we went back inside the train. Not long after we found Effie, worried as usual.
"Oh there you two are! I've been looking everywhere for you! You're just in time for dinner." She led us into the dining room where we saw a table set up for us. There were steamed vegetables, berries, a variety of breads, some sort of chicken with red sauce on top, and of course, lamb stew. Katniss' eyes lit up, making me smile. We all sat down and began eating.
"Now where are all the boos?" Haymitch complained. "Can't a guy get a drink?"
Effie rolled her eyes and said, "Come on Haymitch, manners! We're having a nice dinner and you're going to ruin it with your unhealthy addiction!"
"But I-" he started to say.
"No buts! And get your elbows off the table!"
This went on throughout the whole dinner. It got kind of tiresome. After we ate all four of us sat in the next cart, which had a couple of couches. Katniss rested her head on my shoulder as Effie went on about tomorrow's preparations. After 20 minutes of this Katniss was out cold. I gently lifted her up and carried her into the nearest guest room without saying a word. I laid her down on the bed and tucked her in. I didn't bother changing her clothes because I didn't want to wake her. I gently kissed her forehead and slowly backed out of the room. I was almost to the door when I heard her call my name,
"Peeta?"
"Yeah Katniss." I took a few steps back, so I was at the foot of the bed.
"Stay with me?" She whispered. Memories flashed through my head, as if someone pressed rewind. The rainy day I found her outside the bakery, her singing to the class, all the years of me liking her and her never paying attention, the reaping when her name was called, then mine, our handshake, her finally noticing me, the train ride to the capital, us holding hands while engulfed in flames, on the roof, in the arena, the kisses in the cave, the berries, the months of silence between us, the second trip back to the capital, the nights in the train, the picnic on the roof, the new arena, the beach, the pearl, waking up in the capital, the months of torture, the horrific images, me strangling her in District 13, the war, and then back where it all started, District 12.
"Always" I whispered back because that's how long I've loved her, and that's how long I will love her, and that's how it's always been.
I climbed into bed and wrapped my arms around her.
She turned to face me and rested her head on my chest, her arm draped across my stomach. A smile plastered on my face. I couldn't help it. This is where I was meant to be.
Before she went back to sleep she asked,
"Do you think everything will be okay?"
I looked at her, still smiling.
"Of course it will." I said.
She didn't look so convinced.
"Katniss, you're the girl on fire. You're brave, you stand for what's right, people love you. Snow's dead, no body can hurt you now." I say.
"How do you know there aren't other enemies? How do you know we won't go back to becoming the same country we were before?" She asks and I can tell she's really worried about this.
"Because we have leaders like you to keep this country in line. We'll show them reason. Plus, you've got me to protect you."
"You can always throw a sac of flour at them." She joked.
"That's true." We laughed.
After we calmed down she said,
"I'm really tired."
"Then go to sleep." I replied.
She yawned out an "Okaaayyyyy"
I kissed her forehead again.
"Goodnight." I whispered.
She kissed the corner of my lips,
"Goodnight." She said back.
Within seconds she was back to sleep. Shortly after I fell asleep too, the exciting day finally catching up to me, my racing thoughts quieted by the draining day.
The last thought I had before I drifted into the unconscious was that one word,
Always