Hi there(: So here is chapter 10! Enjoy:D. Thank you for all the views and reviews! Reviews are always appreciated. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 10- Hand in hand

Peeta-

The air was warm and relaxing that night by the fire-place.

It was just me and Katniss.

Alone.

Gale had left a few hours ago, after we watched the sun set, ate dinner, and took showers we were here, by the fire.

An old movie was playing softly on the TV screen.

I was on the couch waiting for Katniss.

She had come back from the kitchen, holding two mugs.

I smiled at her.

She handed me a mug and I took a sip.

As I swallowed the sweet, warm, brown, creamy, liquid I felt a warm sensation spread through my body, it was similar to the one I get when I kiss Katniss.

I found it strange that I was comparing Katniss and hot chocolate but they were both such great creations that gave me such great feelings.

She took off her slippers and sat next to me, right next to me.

Not at all like when Gale was here, I felt her hair brush against my shoulder.

I could smell the sweet jasmine smell coming from her soft, dark hair.

I didn't realize I was staring at her until she said, raising and eyebrow, "Is there a problem?"

I was staring at her lips, at the perfect form of them, the soft plumpness, and the curve of her chin.

"You tell me" I said as I touched under her chin with my finger, pulling her lips gently toward me.

I leaned in and kissed her, and the best thing is, that she kissed me back.

I could still taste the chocolate flavor on her tongue as it danced with mine own.

We didn't pull away until after a long time.

She then set our empty mugs on the coffee table and snuggled up against my side, her arms wrapped loosely around my neck.

"You have no idea how much I missed you" she confessed to me.

"I missed you more than you did me" she shook her head against my neck.

"We haven't been like this since ..." I was interrupted by Katniss saying "the nights on the train, the victor's tour, and the quarter quell".

"Uh yeah, exactly" I said.

I was surprised she remembered it so quickly.

"Those were some of the only nights I could actually sleep" she told me.

"Wait, what so you mean by 'this'? " she asked.

I replied saying "being able to enjoy each other's company in peace.

We are able to be together because we want to..." I looked at her before continuing "you want to, right?"

She nodded and said "of course Peeta."

I smiled and continued "we can be ourselves, together. Do you know what I mean?"

"Mmhm" she mumbled.

"Katniss?" She looked up at me and said "yes, Peeta?"

Oh how I love her gray eyes.

I leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose.

I was afraid about what I was going to say next but the question had been stuck in my mind, nagging at me all day.

I took a deep breath, scared of what her answer might be and asked "You love me. Real or not real?"

I waited a couple of seconds before looking down at her.

When I did, she had her eye brows raised and a cocky grin on her lips. "Are you joking?"

I shook my head.

I tried to hold in my tears.

After a few moments she said "Real, real, and very real. You don't need to ask me that."

She finished her sentence with grasping my face with both hands, one on each side and kissing me.

I felt a tear roll down my cheek until it got lost in our locked lips.

I smiled while she kissed me, and she did too. "I love you Katniss."

I said in between kisses.

She replied by lacing her fingers with mine.

Then, a memory I forgot I had, surfaced, it was of us before the quarter quell, we were on the roof of the training center where we were staying.

I remembered how I had wanted to live in that memory for ever.

It seemed so long ago.

After a long time, I laid down on the same couch and she snuggled up against me, the couch was actually, pretty large, so we both could fit comfortably if we were close together, which was no problem.

Then, to my surprise, since this event coming from her was so rare, she started to sing.

I wrapped my arm around her and squeezed her gently.

I knew how this song ended so I sang the last verse with her when she got to it.

"This is the place , where I love you " she then kissed me one more time, rested one hand and her head on my chest and fell asleep.

I kissed her forehead before closing my eyes and falling asleep myself.

That night there were no nightmares.

No nightmares at all.

Just a blissful, dreamless slumber.

It was very pleasant.

When I woke up the next day, I woke up to a pair of grey eyes staring up at me.

She had probably been up for a while now.

I smiled at her, kissed her, and said "Good morning beautiful".

She pecked my lips and said "good morning Peeta". I glanced at the clock above the fire-place.

It was quarter to eleven.

I had never slept that late since I've been here.

"Want to go have breakfast?" I asked and she nodded, then got up and then stuck out her hands so I could use them as support to get up to my feet.

I washed my face and brushed my teeth in the bathroom before heading to the kitchen.

There was some bread from yesterday, it was a little hard but it was good enough since we dunk pieces of it in hot chocolate.

After breakfast she accompanied me out side to tend my garden even though there wasn't much to do.

We did agree though that we would soon add some primrose bushes to the flower beds in honor of Prim.

Katniss was pretty glad when I agree to it.

I also asked her if she would like some primroses on her front lawn and she did.

While she had her gaze fixed upon Haymitch's house, she told me that she felt like she had to talk to Haymitch soon and apologize to him, I nodded in agreement.

After we were done with the garden we headed in side to start planning lunch.

Katniss wanted to eat salad and then have pumpkin and turkey soup for dinner.

When we were discussing about how we didn't have any pumpkins, I suddenly remembered about Navy and how we had promised to meet up.

"I'll go buy some at the market; I have to meet up with a friend there anyways, so I'll go."

I told her. "Who? What friend?" she asked me.

"Navy, her name is Navy." I replied

"How do you know her?" She asked with a slight touch of jealousy in her voice.

"Well, I know her from the market and yesterday when I was in the woods, I ran in to her and we sort of became friends."

Katniss raised an eyebrow at me. "That quickly? Okay... And?" She urged.

"And we talked about a lot of things yesterday"

"what did you talk about?" she asked

"about everything basically." I said.

"What? You can't just go around telling strangers about your life Peeta!" she yelled at me.

I started to get angry since it's really none of her business who I talked to and what I talked about.

"Why do you care who I talk to?" I asked loudly.

"Why do I care? Because your, my ...my-" she paused and then simply said "friend."

I had a feeling she wanted to say another word but she didn't because well, I wasn't that word.

We weren't anything official.

Well we were engaged, married even but that didn't count.

We weren't anything but friends on our terms.

I hadn't really thought about it.

Suddenly the anger disappeared, and was replaced by longing.

I really wanted Katniss to be more than a friend and I knew I had to be the one to ask, but I figured now was not the time to ask her.

"Katniss, I was feeling lonely and so unhappy, I needed someone to talk to, and she told me I could trust her. I didn't have anyone to run to! I don't have family or friends! I don't even trust Haymitch. I have no one but you. I don't have a best friend that's willing to fly in from a long away district to come and comfort me. I think I finally found a friend that's not you and I need you to understand that okay? I would really appreciate if you didn't get angry. Anyways, how do you make friends if you don't talk to strangers? She seems really nice and trust worthy."

Her face changed from a scowl to glaring to just staring as I talked.

She nodded and then said nothing.

I felt that she understood me, since she must have needed someone too, because Gale did fly in.

I asked her if she wanted to come with me to the market and she told me she did.

Around twelve fifteen, we were making our way down the path to the town square.

Katniss hadn't seen it being rebuilt yet so she was sort of excited, but I could see in her eyes she was upset.

I guess she was thinking about all the people who had died and what this district looked like before the bombing.

I squeezed her hand to let her know that I was there.

"Be strong" I whispered to her as the square came in to view.

Katniss looked up at me, eyes glistening with tears.

I hugged her and ran my fingers through her hair and told her it's okay as she released some of them.

She recovered quite quickly.

After, with our hands intertwined we headed to the market were Navy was at.

I could tell Katniss didn't really want to see her but she greeted her politely any ways.

We chatted a little while and then I bought a small squash instead of pumpkin, a small plant of lettuce, a couple large potatoes and some herbs from Navy.

After a quick hug from Navy, which made Katniss grit her teeth, and our good byes, we left.

Even though I knew she was annoyed we walked up the path to her house hand in hand, I would rob kisses from her and that would make her smile.

I would tell her things like "You're really pretty when you're annoyed. Did you know that?"

And that would make her blush.

This was so lovely and just like I always wanted it to be.