He was right; the cave wasn't very far away. I knew I must've been getting sick, because I was getting tired. And I hadn't been doing all the walking and running. Peeta had.
The cave was fairly big, and set halfway between being on top of the ground and being underground. Peeta slid in first and then slowly helped me inside. I fell down as soon as I entered the cave. He helped slide me over to the back of the cave, so I could rest against it. I gasped out in pain, and I cursed at myself for doing so. I didn't want Peeta to worry about me.
He tried to get me comfortable. He opened my backpack and found the sleeping bag. He also helped me slide into that. His hand went to the zipper.
"Don't zip it up. I'm feeling warm," I said. Peeta felt my forehead.
"I think you have a fever," he said. I was suddenly aware of the sweat on my forehead and all over my body. I was getting really hot.
"Peeta, you should just leave me here," I said, letting my hand brush his. He got the hint and grabbed my hand. I tried to smile, but really just grimaced, at him.
"I'm not going to leave you. I'm not going to do that," Peeta said, examining my wound again trying to figure out any way possible to make it better.
I started to take off my jacket, and Peeta helped me, though I bet he didn't want me too. Even if I was feeling hot, it was probably cold out. I could catch a cold. But I didn't care. I would rather catch a cold than stay steaming in this jacket. I leaned back down, trying to get comfortable.
"Peeta, I'm just going to make the Games more dangerous for you. Toting a cripple around isn't going to help you at all," I said, biting my lip when his hand touched the jacket around my leg. It was getting worse with every moment.
Peeta looked me in the eye. First, he looked at me with an almost blank face. But it turned into a loving gaze. He came and sat next to me, grabbing my hand again.
"You are going to help me. Did you know that the only reason I was trying to help the Careers find you was to make sure you were okay?"
"I thought you just wanted to kill me," I said, realizing how stupid I had been. Peeta would never betray me. I should've known that.
My pain was becoming unbearable, and my head started to go fuzzy.
"If I wanted you dead, I would've told them when I saw you in the tree the very first night," he said smiling. My eyes shut, trying to get the fuzziness to go away. I was starting to get tired. I was happy for this. If I was unconscious, I wouldn't feel the pain as much.
No, Ivy, don't go to sleep. Stay with Peeta.
"You did see me," my words came out in almost a whisper. The night had fallen, and I could barely see Peeta.
"I was looking for you," he said, his hand going to my cheek. A shiver ran through my body at his touch.
"Well, you found me," I smiled, feeling even more sweat forming on my forehead and arms. He laughed and nodded. His thumb began to caress my cheek. And I felt like I could stay in this position forever.
Much to my hatred, I yawned.
"Are you tired? You should go to sleep," Peeta said, starting to move away from me.
"I don't want to sleep," I said desperately, grabbing his arm. He turned to face me, and I melted in his gaze.
I don't want to have another living moment without my eyes on you, Peeta.
"Why, because of nightmares?" he asked. "I'll protect you."
"No, I'm afraid that you'll leave. Or worse, I'll die without seeing you tomorrow morning," I said.
"I'm not leaving you. Not again," he said smiling.
"But what if I die," I asked, eyes slowing closing.
"I'm going to stay with you. Always," he said. I barely caught the last word before I fell asleep.
I woke up before Peeta. My face was on his chest. I had curled up against him in my sleep. My blood had seeped onto the cave floor, and I was feeling light headed. Peeta had his arms wrapped around me, so I had no choice but to stay where I was, which was fine with me.
I was feeling unnaturally hot, even warmer than yesterday. I definitely had a fever. But I also didn't have the urge to cool off. Cold sounded unappealing to me. So, even though it made me sweat more, I snuggled up more to Peeta.
I didn't know how long it was until Peeta woke up. When he woke up, his eyes opened to meet mine. His eyes were bluer than I had ever seen him. He smiled at me groggily. The smile made me blush.
"Good morning," he said releasing me from his arms. I regretfully started to sit up. But immediately, my leg hurt, and I went back to laying on the sleeping bag.
Peeta sat up and took off his jacket. He balled it up and stuck it behind my head like a pillow.
"Good morning," I said, grimacing. His smile returned. I saw the daylight pouring in from the cave entrance. I had slept all night. Peeta took my jacket that was lying next to us on the ground and used the sleeve to wipe sweat off my forehead.
"Glimmer died," Peeta murmured.
"The tracker jackers?" I asked. He nodded, his hand still wiping my forehead. He set the jacket aside. I looked up at the cave above me, feeling more sweat form on my forehead. Peeta's hand brushed a strand of hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear. I smiled.
"Yeah, and the District 10 boy," Peeta said. I sighed. There were still 3 Careers, Foxface, Rue, and Thresh in the Games. And there was one more boy, but I forgot what District he was from.
"Nine tributes left," I muttered. I felt like it was hopeless and that I wouldn't last in a fight with all those tributes, but at the same time, I had a feeling that I wouldn't make it to the end.
"Only seven we have to beat," Peeta said. I looked at him confused.
"Well, eight. One of us has to die," I said with a frown. Peeta shook his head smiling.
"There was a rule change when you were sleeping. They said that two tributes can win if they're from the same district," he said. I grabbed his arm and sat up so that we were almost eye-to-eye, even though it caused agonizing pain.
"We can both go home?" I asked. He nodded.
"We can both go home!" he cried. I cried and hugged Peeta. I felt him kiss the top of my head and prayed that he would kiss my lips next.
"I can't believe it!" I exclaimed into his shoulder.
"We'll live in Victor Village together with our family!"
"Our family?" I asked. Peeta blushed. It was cruel, trying to make him say that we would have a family eventually. But I wanted him to say it. I wanted him to love me unconditionally. Like I felt I loved him.
"Well, I'll live with my family. The mayor already lives in the Village. But we'll have our own houses. It will be just us!" he exclaimed.
"And Haymitch," I muttered before remembering that our mentor could hear every word. Peeta laughed a real laugh. His laugh made me smile and made me remember that I was with a real person. I thought of how many people were out there without a real person with them in the Games tonight. How alone they must feel. Like how I felt on the first couple nights of the Games.
"But even that won't be so bad, Ivy. We would be alive," Peeta moved closer to me and placed his hand behind my head. "And we'll be together."
My prayers were answered.
Before I could even smile, Peeta drew me in for a kiss. He pulled away quickly, and I caught that look in his eye. The blank look I had seen earlier. I saw it for just a split second. But I saw it, before his gaze turned back to loving.
"Together forever," I whispered, before hugging him again, burying my face in his shoulder.
I did this so the Capitol wouldn't see my face. They couldn't see my face; that would give it away. And I had a feeling that this moment in the cave right now is one of the reasons why I was still alive. And I couldn't ruin that, no matter how sad I was.
I couldn't do that to Peeta. If the Capitol saw my tears, they would blame him too. And we would both be dead.
I was going to carry on as if nothing had happened. But something had happened. And that something could change my Games completely.
Peeta was acting.