Here it is everyone! Then ext chapter of AKTKB is here!
KPOV
I didn't know how to react to this. Of course it was a wonderful thing to hear that he felt the same, but I couldn't help but wonder if things were moving too fast.
"Seriously Mellark. Let a girl talk here for a second. I'm glad that you love me. Honestly, relieved actually, because by some miracle on earth, I love you too. We haven't even been together that long but I know a few things already. I know my bed is cold on the side you usually sleep on, no matter how many times I wear your T-shirt and attempt to warm it up. I know that you hate sugar in your coffee even though you say you are naturally predisposed to it because of your father's work at the bakery. You think you're really bad at soccer, but every I game I see shows that not only are you awesome, you're the star of the freaking team. For whatever reason, you get enjoyment out of watching me eat, whether it's something you've decided to make for me or taco bell that's left over from the night before. I love you and it's something I've been wondering about admitting for the longest time. I wasn't gonna tell you. Expressing my love is typically something I never do for anyone, but you have this habit of making me do things I would never normally do, but I like it. Hell, I love it. Almost as much as I love you."
For a moment, he just stared at me; almost as if he hadn't heard a word I'd said. Then I could look into his eyes and tell something had snapped inside of him. He was registering the fact that I felt the same way.
PPOV
As I was hearing her, I swore I wasn't listening to her right. There was no way I was lucky enough for Katniss Everdeen to admit out loud that she loved me. Then I saw her nervous smile and knew it had to be true. I gathered her into my lap and began to pepper her with kisses.
"Glad to know you're just as smitten with me as I am with you, Everdeen."
I watched as she rolled her eyes.
"Apparently love only succeeds in making you more corny than you already are."
No matter what she said to me that night, nothing could kill the natural high I was on, and it was all because she had said that she loved me.
"Say it again."
"Mellar-."
"Katniss. Tell me how you feel again."
"Peeta Mellark, I love you."
I picked her up and laid her into bed, kissing her face and neck and reveling in the way she giggled. As I saw the happiness on her face, I decided I wanted to find a way and magnify. Crossing the room to my desk, I picked up the bag of cheese buns there and dramatically offered them to Katniss. She smiled and reached for the bag, devouring the first cheese bun before my very eyes. I loosened my tie and discarded my button up, leaving me in a white T-shirt. I swiftly removed my black jeans and and laid down next to Katniss, clad only in my boxers and T-shirts. As I laid down, I opened my arms in a subtle invitation for Katniss to lay in my arms, her head on my chest like she always did. I was glad for this moment. I knew that even though my heart would've fallen out of my chest if she had declined to reciprocate my feelings her, I didn't want anything to ever stop me from being able to be perfectly nestled here. Katniss against me with me holding her. I got so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even notice when she fell asleep fully dressed. Had it not been for the small mewling sounds she usually made in her sleep, I probably would have never known. I quickly and quietly extricated myself from the death grip she had my T-shirt in and went to clean our dinner things up. I was fully prepared for Katniss to bitch about the fact that I cooked and that she should clean. I put the food into my mini fridge and blew out the candles surrounding the table. After taking the strawberry shortcake I'd made out of the freezer to defrost, I went to wake Katniss up. Before I could, I watched the worry line between her eyebrows appear. Kissing the line away I decided it was time to get her up.
"Everdeen, stop having that wet dream and wake up."
"How did you know I was having a wet dream?"
I looked at her and started laughing. She had to have known I was joking, but by the blush that was spreading across her face, I knew that her statement had been serious. I nervously scratched behind my ear and tried to quickly change the subject.
"I have something else for you on the table. We both know it's food. The only thing that's up for grabs is the amount of time it will take you to devour it?"
I saw her blink to try and remove the sleep from her eyes and when it registered that I had said something about food, I watched her fly across the room. I never understood where she put all of the food she consumed. She was just as slender as the day I met her, except for her curves. Katniss Everdeen had extraordinary curves. There was something about the muscles and the thickness in her thighs. As I watched her sit on the table to almost swallow whole the things I placed before her, I noticed she was still blushing.
"What is it Everdeen?"
"About that wet dream..."
That wasn't the response I was expecting from her. She wasn't typically so open with me about things concerning her and sex unless it was to tease me.
"What about it?"
"You were right. I was having one, and I was just wondering, since we hadn't had sex yet, when that was going to happen."
I should have seen this coming. I knew we were going to have to have this talk soon.
"Katniss, I have something to tell you, and if you get mad, just don't hit me."
I watch as she cocks her head to the side, waiting to hear what it is I have to say.
"The reason we haven't... um... you know us because I don't want to rush things and I don't want you to feel pressured into doing anything you don't want to do."
I absentmindedly scratch behind my ear and I feel the heat starting to form there.
"You didn't answer my question Mellark."
Good, She was still calling me by my last name. That meant that things could still be considered as playful, and after taking a second to think about it, I realized that she was right. I hadn't answered her question and I really needed to.
"I guess that's really up to you, but know that I can wait for as long as I need to. I love you, so time isn't something I'm worried about running out of any time soon."
I see the agreement in her eyes, but a part of me wishes she would just give me an exact date so that I don't freak out about this constantly and worry needlessly.
"Tomorrow then. We'll do it tomorrow."
I don't know why I'm surprised when she says this. Fate seems to be on my side today and Katniss is the type of woman that likes to face most of her fears head on. I just nod my head and go to my fridge to grab a can of Cranberry Sierra Mist for Katniss and I. I drove a ridiculously far distance for these since they only sell them during the holidays and I managed to find a store that had some left. I tossed Katniss her can and took mine and sat on the bed. I couldn't get my mind off of the conversation we had just had. I was also trying to figure out the way to explain to Katniss that technically, I was still a virgin. Things hadn't exactly gone well with Delly as far as sexual experiences were concerned. Her and I had never had sex even though we had basically done everything that typically leads up to it. I don't know how to tell Katniss that this will be a first for me and that I'm extremely anxious about it. I'm so absorbed in my own thoughts, I don't realize that Katniss is sitting on the bed next to me.
"Peeta, you can talk to me about anything. I love you. Spill your guts."
I chuckle nervously and pull her against me. If I'm going to have this conversation without babbling incoherently and freaking her out.
"Katniss, you're my first. I can understand if you're pset. I probably should have told you earlier, but I didn't really know how to explain it. I'm giving you the information, and you get to decide what you're going to do with it."
I heard her take a deep breath in and out and I felt a slight strange sensation against my next. After I stopped trying to overanalyze the situation, I realized that she had kissed my neck.
"Next time Mellark, don't scare me with things that don't matter to me. Whether it's your first time, or your millionth, this will be beyond special because this is us we're talking about here. You're the only man I've ever loved and trusted with not hurting me. Assuming you want this to happen, assuming you want this relationship as much as I do, everything should be fine."
Let me know what you think! I'm thriving off of each one of your reviews and I really do appreciate them. Please feel free to check out my other stories and let me know what you think! I'll see everyone next chapter!
Your reviews are like large sums of money.
With them, I feel rich!
-V
