A/N~ I don't know why, but I LOVE this chapter. Always have. It's another one of those "Happiness amidst a sorrow-filled relationship" sort of chapters. Unfortunately, however, it's also the last real chapter before Chapter 15, which is basically an epilogue of sorts. I hope you guys aren't disappointed in me! And more Toast (Girl On Fire + Boy With The Bread = Toast) romance is coming your way in the revised and rewritten version of Moving On! Can't wait to post that one! I've been working on chapter two for weeks now! This new version must be PERFECT. Thank you all for your continued support and for sticking with me until the end of this. :) Enjoy chapter 14 of "Moving On"
CHAPTER 14- Arrangements
Effie is dragging Haymitch out of the bar that has been set up in the newly renovated President's Mansion in the City Circle. Peeta and I sit at the long head table at the far end of the room, finishing up dinner as we chat with the VIPs of the day, which include our friends and family. Unfortunately, this means that Peeta and Gale are sitting at the same table, which is just about the most awkward thing I could ask for. Lucky for me, though, they aren't interacting much. Probably because Gale is somehow upset by our marriage and our love and Peeta, being the gentleman he is, is just trying to be civil. But of course, this means an awkward silence has fallen over most of the table, since Gale, Johanna, Delly, and Annie sit directly across from Peeta and me. My mother was sitting next to me a while ago, but she disappeared when I turned to ask her a question. All of sudden, to break the uncomfortable silence, a voice rings out.
"So Katniss, is the hot cousin officially mine?" Johanna gives an evil laugh. I choke on the forkful of greens that I had just stuffed into my mouth. I look over at Gale and I see he's eyeing me, intently awaiting my answer.
"Um, I don't know, that's kind of not up to me," I say nervously shrugging and stuffing my mouth full of lamb stew. When I look up, Gale has gone back to his food, but Johanna is slinking over behind his chair. She wraps her arms around him and pulls his chair out from the table. She grabs his hand and he is being pulled away when he turns around and mouths the word help. I just shrug, knowing that there's no way I can get Johanna to stop her crazy antics and sexual desires. I grab Peeta's hand under the table and lean my head on his shoulder as he eats. Much dancing from Capitol and District citizens alike ensues, and we just sit back and enjoy the view. Peeta finishes eating and tells me he has to go help with something elsewhere. I ask if he wants me to come help as well, but he just tells me he'd rather just do this on his own. I politely say "Okay" and then he walks across the room and it's just me and Delly and Annie sitting at the table. Delly is stabbing her last piece of salad with her fork and Annie is stuffing her mouth with the pink, frothy soup I was lucky enough to enjoy at the end of the victory tour. When Delly finishes, she turns to me.
"Peeta's really happy," she tells me, "He wasn't really excited for the big fancy wedding at first, but he got used to the idea, and he's happy now," She gives me a big, whole-hearted smile and gives me a one-armed hug, "But what I want to know," She continues, "Is if you're happy!" I stare at her, startled by her question, but the answer is so obvious, it isn't quite so hard for my mouth to form the words.
"Of course I'm happy, Delly," I smile. She gleams and hugs me again, this time it's a big all engulfing hug. When she lets go, I look across to the center of the room to see Peeta and two men in aprons wheeling out a huge cake. Before I know it, Peeta is walking over to the table, he grabs my hand and we walk down to the center of the room. I come closer to the cake and see it now in full detail. The cake is a mint green color, with small replicas of evening primrose flowers made out of frosting decorating the outlines of the circular cake pieces. What looks like lace is replicated on the sides of each tear. On the lowest of the three cake tiers stands a small white bird with a black underbelly, a Mockingjay. On the opposite side of the tear is a replica of my Mockingjay pin cut out of a circular cracker. On the second tear is piece of burnt bread and a tracker jacker; both made out of frosting. But on the top is the most important symbol of all, at least to me, on the top there are six small purple berries sculpted carefully out of frosting. The word Nightlock comes to me immediately, it's a symbol of Rebellion, but at this moment, it is a symbol of our love, and its humble beginnings. One of the men in aprons hands me a small knife and Peeta comes up behind me, he wraps his arms around me and clasps my wrist with both of his hands. He carefully guides my hands to cut off the first piece of cake, a custom in the Capitol. Then we each grab a piece of it and cross our wrists together in the air and share the first bite of cake. Then I just hug Peeta and rest my head on his chest.
After everyone has finished their cake, Peeta and I move to the dance floor where Effie, who is choosing the music, turns on the first slow song of the night. I bury my head in Peeta's chest and we do the dance we once did on the final night of the Victory Tour, in this very room, the dance that could be done on a pie plate. We spin in circles with tiny steps, and I feel the eyes of everyone in the room resting on us. But I just close my eyelids and give in to Peeta's soft, sturdy body. As soon as the song is done, there is a lot of clapping, which wakes me from my peaceful state. Many people come to join us and Peeta and I stay on the dance floor for a while. But then Peeta grabs my hand and quietly leads me out of the room and through many doors of the mansion, until we are suddenly in the mansion's never-ending garden. We find a small cement bench to sit on and I just sit there on Peeta's lap in my wedding dress. I rest my head on his shoulder.
He closes his eyes, "I'm so happy right now," He says all dreamily.
I wrap my arms around his waist, "Me too," I whisper quietly. Peeta leans down and gives me a short kiss. Just then we hear a rustle in the bushes and out runs Johanna, one of the straps of her dress is falling down and her hair is all over the place. She spots us and pulls up the strap of her dress and fixes her hair.
"Hello," She says calmly. Just then, Gale appears with all the buttons of his collared shirt ripped open and his tie undone and hanging around his neck. He scratches the back of his neck.
"Um, hi Katnip," He whispers, obviously embarrassed to be caught hiding in the bushes with Johanna.
I just laugh, "Hope you weren't having too much fun in there," I tell him. Peeta and I laugh and Johanna and Gale give a nervous laugh and then bid us goodbye and run back off into the Mansion.
"You took that well," Peeta observes, I give a quiet laugh and he leans his forehead down to meet mine.
"I don't need him anymore, I have you now," I whisper. Then we just sit there peacefully, cuddling and watching our lives unfold behind closed eyelids.