Author's Note: Here it is! The chapter you've been waiting for (sort of/ I hope so!). Get ready for some Everlark moments! :)

Just to let you guys know, I am posting them as soon as I write them. So at the moment, I have not started chapter 12, but I will soon! I promise!

By the way, you guys sure know how to motivate a writer! I've got so many ideas floating around in my head and all I want to do is write them down. Unfortunately (for you) I have a ten (almost eleven) month old who is discovering the world the entire time he is not sleeping. Please bear with me!

Enjoy!

~Abi

Chapter Eleven: Confessions

Peeta's cheeks still burned from smiling the next morning. He always knew Katniss was amazing, her top score just proved it to everyone else. He had never been so proud of someone. That pride also filled him with hope. Hope that she would live and that their last days together wouldn't be strained. He was sad they wouldn't get to spend a lot of time together, especially after the promising moment they had had the day before. They were being trained separately for their interviews and would only see each other at meal times.

"Alright," Haymitch said, bringing him out of his thoughts. "I don't think you'll have much trouble with the interviews. You seem a likable enough kid."

"Okay." Peeta said uncertainly. "Then what are we supposed to do?"

"I thought we could come up with a plan for the arena." He replied. "Whatever we decide is likely going to affect what you'll do during the interview. Have you given any more thought to the romance angle we talked about?"

Peeta pursed his lips in deep thought. He had thought about it. Although, his thoughts had less to do with the actual plan and more so with convincing Katniss to team up with him so he could protect her. Not to mention the thousand times his mind wandered to how he would have to convince people of his love for her. Stolen kisses, tight embraces… other things. Peeta felt his face get warm and took a deep breath to try and regroup his wandering mind.

"Are you going to answer me?" Haymitch asked, irritated. "Or are you just going to stand there thinking about your sweetheart in her underwear?"

Peeta blanched and turned narrow eyes toward his mentor. "That's not what I was thinking about!" He shouted. But now that it was said, the image was the only thing he could see. He closed his eyes tightly and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Relax, I was only teasing…" Haymitch said. They stood in awkward silence for awhile before Peeta finally sighed and throwed himself onto the sofa.

"The only thing I want is for Katniss to make it out and back to District Twelve," Peeta confessed tiredly.

"Easier said than done," Haymitch muttered under his breath. "Has she reconsidered teaming up?"

Peeta shook his head. "I don't think she wants to team up with anyone."

Haymitch took a long drink from his metal flask and wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve. Peeta noticed it was the same one he had been wearing the day before. The plaid pattern and wrinkles were a stark contrast to the Capitol fashions worn even by the Avoxes.

The older man cleared his throat and sat on the arm of one of the plush chairs. "So, Plan A was to get Sweetheart to team up with you so you could protect her." Peeta nodded and Haymitch continued, "Now we need Plans B and C. I say Plan B is you trailing her and watching her back for as long as you can. If you can stay out of sight, you might be able to step in and help if she needs it. She'll be pissed about it, though."

Peeta chuckled humorlessly. "She'll be pissed if I do anything other than try to win for myself."

Haymitch stood and began to pace about the room. "So, that leaves Plan C. You've made a good impression with the Careers. Do you think you could convince them to let you join them?"

Peeta drew his eyebrows together. "I don't think so. I might have caught their attention during training, but with my score, they probably see me as a target now."

"Katniss got the highest score," Haymitch responded. "They'll most likely target her after the initial bloodbath."

Peeta winced and looked down at the floor. "How do I keep them away from each other?"

"Join them," he stated. Haymitch sat down on the coffee table in front of the tribute and leaned forward, causing Peeta to look up. They locked eyes and the mentor narrowed his. "If you want to protect your sweetheart, you've got to lead the Careers away from her. You know how she thinks. Tell the Careers that, and they just might let you in. It's risky, but if you can get in with them, you have a shot."

Peeta sat back and thought his options over. None of them sounded too promising. Katniss would never go for his prefered Plan A. And she would lose it if he went with Plan B. He hated Plan C, knowing he might have to do some awful stuff to convince the Careers he was on their side. But if it meant keeping Katniss's biggest competition away from her…

"Okay," Peeta asserted. "Plan C it is."

"Alright," Haymitch nodded at him. "Let's work on your interview."

Peeta shifted nervously from foot to foot. Thresh was up on stage, giving one word answers and grunting when words didn't suit him. Caesar would cut his interview short for sure. Katniss was up next and Peeta worried for her. He knew she wasn't a people person. He and Haymitch had talked about it earlier. Katniss may have gotten the highest score, but sponsors were still wary of her. His mentor said it was because she wasn't very "likable." It didn't make sense to Peeta, he thought the opposite.

That's when Haymitch had voiced his intentions for the interviews. He made a big spiel about how popular Peeta was, and that if he confessed his love for Katniss in front of the entire country, other sponsors would fall in love with her too. It didn't make a lot of sense to him, but Haymitch was more familiar with Capitolites than he was.

Katniss glanced back at him and he offered her a reassuring smile. She was stunning in her flame inspired dress. He noticed the jewels covering her dress were very similar to the ones on the sleeve of his suit jacket. He wondered if their stylists planned to dress them similarly for a reason.

"You look amazing, Katniss." Peeta whispered.

She blushed and he thought she looked even more beautiful. "Thanks," she muttered back.

"Hey," he said just as she was turning back around. She paused, turning her head back slightly. "Whatever happens tonight," he told her, "will you meet me up on the roof tonight?"

She turned to face him directly. "The roof?" She asked, confusion pinching her eyebrows together. He nodded and she tilted her head to the side. "But, why-"

"Katniss!" Effie squealed. "It's time."

Peeta watched her walk unsteadily towards the stage. When she was out of sight, he turned to the screen that showed a live feed of the stage. He watched as Caesar asked her questions. She was doing surprisingly well. Then he saw her twirl around and his breath caught in his throat. The light reflecting off the jewels on her dress resembled a flickering flame. The audience cheered wildly for her and Peeta felt his lips pulling into a smile. And then it was over and Effie was gesturing him to the stage.

He smiled and waved at the people as they cheered for him. There were a lot of them and although it was slightly overwhelming, Peeta kept his expression cheery. His mind went on autopilot as he told Caesar a story about his first Capitol shower. The audience laughed louder than he thought they would and Caesar went along with the whole thing, prolonging the joke. When the laughter died down, the hard question came.

"So, Peeta," Caesar began. "Do you have a girlfriend back in District Twelve?"

Peeta looked in the audience and caught his mentor's eye. Haymitch nodded once and Peeta shook his head and looked down at his feet. He felt his cheeks color as he thought, This is it.

"Really?" Caesar asked, lifting his eyebrows as high as they would go. There are a few catcalls from the audience and Peeta felt his lips quirk up. "I find that hard to believe," Caesar continued. "A handsome guy like you must have a special girl! Come on, what's her name?"

Peeta sighed. "Well, there is this one girl. I've been in love with her for a while, but I'm pretty sure she doesn't feel the same way."

The people in the audience "awed" and Caesar beamed. "No problem! Win the Games and she'll fall in love with you for sure!"

"Winning won't help me…"

"Why ever not?" Caesar asked, frowning.

"Because she came here with me."

After the interview, Katniss avoided everyone, especially Peeta. She went straight to her room and skipped dinner. Peeta sat at the table and avoided eye contact with the people around him. Effie kept trying to console him, saying things like "she'll come around" and "don't worry about it so close to the Games."

Peeta excused himself from the table early and made his way to the roof. Haymitch had showed it to him the day before. From the roof of the building, Peeta could see the people below. They were shouting and dancing in the streets. Screens were set up in regular interviews and each showed something different. He noticed his and Katniss's face showed up more than the other tributes and hoped that meant they would get more sponsors.

The concrete barrier was cool against his skin as he leaned against it. Peeta wasn't sure how long he had been up there, but it was long enough for the sun to start to disappear behind the skyline. He stood and watched the colors dance off of the metal and glass sctructures around him.

He felt her approach from behind. He had hoped she would come here, but until this moment, he wasn't sure she would. She stopped just out of his line of sight, standing at his shoulder. He was afraid to face her. What do you say to the girl you confessed your love for in front of the entire country? His mind was drawing a blank. All he could see was her face when he saw her after the interviews were over. The look of betrayal she gave him before turning in early for the night. She hadn't said a word once the interviews were over.

Peeta angled his head towards her, but kept his eyes averted. "Katniss, I'm so sorry-"

"Don't apologize." She said softly. He looked up at her. Her dark hair was loose around her shoulders and her cheeks stained with tears. Was that his fault? He was surprised when she gave him a tentative smile before moving past him to sit on the bench carved out of the cement barrier.

She looked up at him expectantly and he took the seat beside her without a second thought. His heartbeat picked up speed when she inched closer as she adjusted her position. She was angled towards him, but her focus was on the city before them. She stared down at the twinkling lights and jubilant people celebrating below. He stared at them too, anxiously waiting for her to say something. It was several minutes before she did.

"Is it true?" She asked softly, keeping her eyes on the Capitolites below.

Peeta turned to face her, shifting his body so that he was sitting sideways on the bench. He swallowed the lump in his throat, determined to give her the truth she deserved. "Yes." He choked out, resisting the compulsion to look away.

She turned her head slowly to face him. Her gray eyes shone bright in the city lights. It looked as if she wanted to say something, but she remained silent. Her eyes narrowed as they searched Peeta's. He held under her gaze, refusing to back down. When he could no longer take the silence, he spoke.

"I love you." He declared. Her eyes widened and her lips parted to speak but he pushed on. "I've loved you for awhile now. Well, I've liked you for as long as I can remember, but I fell in love with you within the past couple of months. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I should have. I was just afraid of your reaction, especially after what you said about not wanting to get married."

Katniss turned her face away again. She drew her knees up to her chest and hugged them tightly. Peeta considered saying something else, but he wasn't sure if that was a good idea. Luckily, Katniss picked up the lull. "I think I have… feelings for you." She admitted so quietly, Peeta thought he had misheard. She looked back at him. "I'm not exactly sure what I'm feeling, but I know it's more than friendship. The only person I've ever loved is Prim. It's the only love I can compare it to, and it's different, so I don't know..."

Peeta was sure his chest was about to burst with happiness. He reached out to stroke her cheek with his fingers, and she nuzzled into it. "It's okay. You don't have to analyze anything." He smiled at her, feeling the happiness bubble over. "I'm just happy you feel anything for me at all."

"But, tomorrow-"

"Don't worry about tomorrow, not right now." He interrupted her. "There's just one thing I want to know."

Katniss tilted her head to the side, out of his reach and sat up straighter. "What?"

Peeta let his hand fall into his lap and looked down at it to hide his nerves. It was something he had been wanting to ask her since her birthday, since she told him she didn't want to get married. He cleared his throat and looked back up at her perplexed expression. "If we hadn't been reaped…" He began, pausing briefly to take a deep breath. "If none of this had ever happened, would there have been a chance between us? I know you said you didn't want to get married, but was there any chance that we might have just… been together?"

Katniss looked away and furrowed her brow. "I never wanted to get married. And I still feel that way. If by some miracle I make it out of this alive, I'm sure I will never get married." Peeta felt his stomach drop. When she looked back at him, her expression was filled with grief and uncertainty. "When my dad died, it was rough on me and Prim, but it completely destroyed my mom. She would lay in bed for days and not eat or anything. Prim and I almost starved to death, and she would have just let us. All because she couldn't deal with my dad's death. I… I never wanted to be like that, so I told myself I didn't want to get married or have kids or anything like that, because I don't want to risk losing myself in grief."

Peeta hurt for her. She has lived through more pain than any one person should have to bear. He shifted closer to her and pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back gently. "I'm so sorry, Katniss." He whispered into her hair. "I didn't know."

She let him hold her for a few moments before pulling back slightly and wiping her eyes dry. "I've never told anyone before, but I feel like I can tell you anything."

He smiled at her. "I'm glad."

Katniss smiled in return and chuckled quietly to herself. "I never answered your question."

"What are talking about? You just told me…"

Katniss took a deep breath and turned her head to lay it on his shoulder. "I told how I felt before and how I think I feel now… But part of me just gravitates towards you. I already know I'll never be the same if you die. That's why this has been so hard for me. I think I can honestly say that if we had both survived all the reapings, I might have considered it… Eventually. And not necessarily marriage, but just... being together."

"Really?" Peeta asked her, feeling his aching heart stitch itself back together. Katniss nodded. She was still in his arms and before he lost the nerve he asked, "Can I kiss you?"

"You've never asked before." Katniss laughed, leaning back.

"It's been hard." Peeta said, thinking about the times he had let himself kiss her over the past few days. "It's hard to be near you. To know that I'm about to die and not be able to say goodbye to you the way I want. But if you let me kiss you now, I can die happy."

"You don't know if you're going to die." She said fiercely, her fingers digging into his arms. "Stop saying that!"

"Katniss…" Peeta whispered. "I don't want to live without you. I'd rather die than go back to District Twelve alone."

"Don't sacrifice yourself for me, Peeta!" She argued, her cheeks flushing in frustration. "You could win. And the money you would get as a victor could help all the starving people in the Seam. Think about all the people you could help!"

"What about you?" He asked. "You have a better chance at winning than I do. You have the highest score!"

She sat up and away from him. "I'm not giving up. I want nothing more than to go back to Prim."

"Then let me help you." Peeta pleaded, scooting closer to her. "Let me protect you so you have a better chance of going home."

He saw her eyes fill with tears. "I can't ask you to do that." She breathed.

"I want to." He insisted. "I'm going to, whether you ask for my help or not."

"You can't do that!" She exclaimed angrily.

"What? I can't kill off every other tribute until we're the only two left and then just kill myself?" He questioned loudly.

"Stop it!" Katniss shouted. Peeta instantly felt guilty.

"I'm sorry." He said quickly. "Let's talk about something else."

"No." She declared. "We need to talk about this. We need to figure it all out. And then we need to say goodbye."

"I don't want to say goodbye."

She sighed and closed her eyes. "Peeta, we have to. Why not now? While we have the time. Who knows what will happen in the arena?"

Peeta wanted to argue with her. He wanted to tell her he wouldn't leave her side until it was time for him to die. His plan was a good one, he knew it. He just had to keep her alive as long as possible. Instead, he asked, "You still don't want to team up, do you?"

Katniss hesitated before shaking her head. "There's only one victor. If we did make it to the end, I think watching you kill yourself would be worse than watching someone else do it."

One victor. The phrase echoed through Peeta's mind and he started to think. The ludicrous rule had been ingrained into their heads since they were old enough to understand what it meant. But did it have to be that way? What if there were no winners? No victor for the Capitol to exploit and flaunt in front of the other Districts. No victor. It was crazy, but it might just be enough to start a revolution. Revolution? Peeta thought. Where did that come from? Do I really want a revolution? Yes. At the cost of Katniss's life? He paused. He couldn't ask her to sacrifice her life for the off chance that it would cause the people to uprise. It was selfish, but he tucked away all thoughts of rebellion and focused on Katniss's beautiful face.

She caught him staring and he saw her cheeks colored slightly. Her lips were upturned at the corners. Peeta gave her a reassuring smile. She returned it shyly and cleared her throat.

"So…" She began haltingly, her face reddening more. "You still want that kiss?"

Peeta straightened immediately, his eyes growing wide. "Really?"

Katniss nodded and averted her eyes. Her cheeks were still flushed and Peeta could feel his pulse pounding in his veins. He eagerly leaned toward her and she did the same. When their faces were just inches apart, Peeta paused and scrutinized her. Seeing openness in her features, he reached up to cup her cheek and closed the remaining distance between them.

Her lips were softer than Peeta could have ever imagined. He pulled her head closer to press deeper into her lips. And as much as he wanted to recreate every fantasy he had ever had of Katniss, he restrained himself and pulled away after a few seconds. When he leaned back to take in her reaction, she followed him, keeping her lips pressed to his for a second longer.

"That's it?" Katniss exclaimed when they parted. She blinked up at him, disappointment evident in her eyes. She was positively radiant when she blushed.

Peeta couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his lips. He stared down at her in wonder as he whispered hopefully, "Did you want more?"

Her chest heaved with her labored breaths and she smiled at his playful tone. "I just thought…" She stammered. "It's probably the only kiss I'll ever get," she whispered.

He furrowed his brows in concern. "Not if you win."

"Even then…" She admitted.

"Katniss-"

He never got to finish his argument because Katniss pressed forward suddenly and captured his lips in a fiery kiss. Peeta blinked his surprise at the feeling of her lips on his. He soon recovered and wrapped his arms around her. Their mouths moved against each others vigorously and he pulled her closer until their torsos were flush. Katniss's hands found their way into his hair and he groaned when she tugged on the strands at the base of his neck.

Katniss turned her head to the side and drew in a large breath. Peeta started to pull away, but once again, Katniss pulled him back to her lips. He readily responded, capturing her bottom lip between his own. He barely heard her sigh when he nipped her.

An obscenely loud horn sounded from the streets below and the two jumped apart with a start. They glanced at the scene below them and saw the screens lit up and flashing colors. In bright red lettering the words "12 HOURS!" blinked on all across the square. More words and pictures of tributes blinked on the screens so rapidly, Peeta could feel his head start to ache.

"Their counting down the hours until our deaths." Katniss whispered hotly.

Peeta looked over at her, his expression sobering. He knew the anger she felt. He felt it too. But it was one thing to think these things, and another to think them out loud. Peeta laid a hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention to him.

"Come on," he said. "We should get to bed."

She sighed deeply and took one last look at the people dancing in anticipation for their deaths. Her face became neutral, but Peeta could still see the fire in her eyes. When she nodded her assent, he took her hand and led her down the multiple flights of stairs to their floor. Outside her bedroom door, Peeta made to say his goodbyes.

Before he could speak, Katniss wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "Thank you, Peeta. For tonight and everything else."

He smiled at her when she pulled away. "Anytime, Katniss." He replied. "If I don't see you, good luck… And I love you."

Katniss blushed and nodded. "Good luck to you too, Peeta. Don't give up."

"I won't." He told her, unsure about how true it was. He leaned forward and brushed his lips across her forehead, unable to keep from thinking it might be the last time he kissed her. "Goodnight."

Katniss opened her door when he pulled back and stepped inside. Peeta heard her whisper "goodnight" before the door closed.