Peeta POV:
"Did you really eat like this every day?" Katniss asks me, staring at the spread of food in front of us. I laugh.
"Yep!" I say cheerfully. We're on the train back to District 12. She told me she doesn't blame me for Prim's death. We sleep in the same bed together. I have nightmares about the arena, but whenever I do she wakes me up. Having Katniss there when I wake up makes everything better.
"What's this?" she asks, holding up a cup of warm brown liquid.
"Hot chocolate," I say. Her nose wrinkles in disgust. "Try it," I insist. She sips at it.
"Mmmm…" she says. She pulls the cup away and she has a brown, chocolate mustache on her face. I laugh and kiss it off.
"Knock it off kids," Haymitch says, entering the dining area. Katniss looks at me, slightly embarrassed. Haymitch slaps Katniss on the shoulder. "Just kidding, kiddo. Mack all you want. Just don't make me watch it." An Avox brought in a bottle of alcohol for Haymitch and he immediately started knocking back glass after glass.
I roll my eyes. Katniss digs into her meal, and I follow her example.
"How far away are we?" I ask Haymitch.
"Couple miles," he says. His voice is already starting to slur. I sigh. "I can drink," Haymitch slurs, "If I wanna drink! There 'snot nobody stoppin' me!" Katniss and I quickly finish eating and leave the room. We spend the next few hours on a couch in a different room, stealing kisses and talking.
We hear a knock on the door and a voice telling us that we're in District 12.
"Show time," I say. I grab her hand and we walk to the doors of the car. Haymitch is standing (or, more accurately, swaying) in front of me. He walks into the streets, waving. Katniss and I follow him out. The crowd full of the entire population of District 12 shouts in happiness of our arrival.
I immediately look for my parents. They spot me before I spot them. They rush out of the crowd. My mom grabs me up in a huge hug. She's never hugged me this way before. She clings to me and cries into my chest. I pat her back.
"It's okay, Mom. I'm home. I'm okay." She kisses me on the cheek.
"My boy. My sweet, sweet boy." There's a smile plastered on my face. She releases me and I turn to see my father.
"Peeta!" he says jovially. He grabs me around the shoulders and hugs me to him. "You came home," he whispered to me.
"I came home." He smiles at Katniss. We're ushered to a room in the presidents house where a huge celebration is being held in the event of my return. The evening goes by in a blur of eating and dancing with Katniss. All I want is to be alone with her. Mercifully, the night ends soon. Katniss and I walk through the dark streets together.
We stop at the fence and face each other, hands clasped together. The moonlight that hit's her face brightens her eyes. I lean down and kiss her. We stand, forehead to forehead, staring at each other. In an instant the world becomes clear to me and I know exactly what I want. I make a split second decision.
"Katniss, do you think you'll ever marry me?" Her eyes widen.
"What?" she asks in shock.
"Do you think we'll ever get married? Not today, or next week, or next month, or next year. Maybe not until we're 50 years old and everything's beyond settled. But someday, before we die, do you think we'll get married." She's silent. Her hands are still clutching mine. She kisses me on the lips.
"Yes," she whispers, a smile on her lips. I kiss her again. "Yes," she says again. "And not when we're old. Soon. Now. Anytime you want. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." A grin explodes across my face. I kiss her once, and again. We walk the streets, hand in hand.
I never let go.