Disclaimer: This fanfic is rated 'M' for language and sexual content. I do not own any of the characters of The Hunger Games.
Chapter 26: Sundown
I chance a quick glance over my shoulder to see if Peeta is looking as I discreetly shove his sketch pad and a box of his pencils into my unassuming canvas bag. His back is towards me and I pause to watch as he reaches up to grab a shoebox from the top shelf of the closet. The hem of his shirt rides up just high enough for me to catch a glimpse of the waistband of his boxer briefs peeking out from his shorts, and my eyes lazily drift lower to settle on the curves of his perfectly sculpted backside.
It's rude to stare, so I've been told, but damn it, how can I not when provided with an opportunity such as this? My throat goes dry and I struggle to swallow back the groan that's threatening to give away my quickly mounting urge to jump him right here and now. A heated rush courses through my veins and I have to give my head a good shake to refocus. No. I need to stick to the plan.
For the fifth time already in a span of ten minutes, I nervously check the contents of the bag. Sketch pad, check. Pencils, check. Blanket, check. Then I run through the list of additional items that are already safely stashed away in my backpack that's sitting out in the living room. After three failed attempts, I somehow managed to fit all the necessary containers, utensils, and even a mini bottle of wine and two classy plastic wine glasses into my trekking pack. I've been planning this evening for weeks now, stressing over every trivial detail and knowing my luck, I'll be damned lucky if this goes off without a hitch.
"So, I was thinking…" I trail off as Peeta bends over to place the box onto the floor. The gentle thud breaks the trance that his body has pulled me under, and my eyes dart back down to my fidgeting hands for a few moments before they're drawn towards him like a magnet once again. It's useless. I watch helplessly from the corner of my eye, tugging my bottom lip between my teeth as the muscles of his bicep strain against the sleeve of his shirt.
Huh. It seems like an uncanny coincidence that he's wearing the exact same grey band t-shirt he was wearing the day I ran into him at the grocery store. It seems like an eternity ago now and I can't recall him wearing it since that day—the day he came barreling back into my life unexpectedly, rekindling the flame that I was certain I'd snuffed out long ago when I left this town—and everyone in it—behind.
"Mmmhmm?" He doesn't look up as he begins to riffle through the contents of the box, the tip of his tongue darting out from between his lips as his brow furrows in concentration.
I clear my throat. "Uh, well, I was thinking it was about time we took a well deserved break. Don't you think?" Peeta's head snaps up and his eyes meet mine before they flit over to the alarm clock on the nightstand.
"We just got started," he says as he rises to his feet with a frown that comes across as more endearing than serious. "I told Finnick I'd be out of here by tomorrow morning and we've barely made a dent in my stuff because somebody keeps putting this off." He pins me with an incriminating stare and arches an eyebrow.
He's right. I'm guilty as charged for the accusation.
The past few weeks, Peeta has put in a valiant effort to pack up the rest of his belongings to move them back home where he's reclaimed his old bedroom. His dad had offered him the spare room in the basement, claiming he'd thank him later for the privacy, but Peeta said he didn't want his dad to feel lonely now that he had their huge house all to himself.
However, with the summer days already starting to grow shorter, I've been selfishly monopolizing all of Peeta's spare time with, well…myself. Whether it's been him dropping by after work to hang out and have dinner with my family or us spending our free time cooped up here at the apartment almost every night, I've been quite a successful distraction in keeping him from his other obligations. Not that he's seemed to mind…until now that is.
"Fine," I huff as I lower myself to the floor and turn my attention back to a pile of books that I'm supposed to be working on. Peeta disappears into the closet again as I begin to hum to myself, taking a moment to procrastinate further. I pull one of his heavy art textbooks into my lap and begin to thumb through the pages filled with colorful masterpieces. Eventually, my attention wanders over to the now stark white wall that once was the canvas to his woodland mural that I'd grown to love and now miss terribly. It still saddens me that he had to paint over it, especially since I never got the chance to see the finished product.
"So, how's your father today?" His question startles me and I clap the book shut before tossing it into the empty cardboard box and reach out for the next one in the pile.
"Good, real good. Today's a rest day though, so I think my mom and Prim are taking him to the park for some fresh air and ice cream."
I still can't believe how well my father's recovery has been coming along, let alone how fast the past few weeks have flown by. It's been a little over four weeks now since the accident. I still get a little anxious when I allow my mind to drift back and linger on the events that have passed, but its getting a little easier with each passing day.
As it turned out, Snow was in a lot deeper than anyone could have ever expected. After some thorough digging on Haymitch's part, the board of trustees not only uncovered enough evidence to convict Snow of negligence concerning numerous health and safety protocols, they discovered that he had actually paid off some senior official who approved a permit that Snow had applied for to excavate the quarry deeper than was originally planned. My father and Mr. Hawthorne, along with the majority of the senior staff, had been conveniently left out of the loop with in regards to the blast that day. The weasel of a man even tried to pin the blame on my father and Mr. Hawthorne for putting their own lives at risk by working in a restricted area of the quarry, but the judge saw right through Snow's lies.
Since the quarry is pretty much our town's lifeline, there was an overwhelming push for a swift, low profile trial to determine Snow's fate in hopes of getting things up and running again. By the time the trial date came along, more and more employees had built up the courage to take a stand and testify against Snow. Unfortunately though, the trial turned our quiet little town into a three-ring circus for the better part of the month, but once the initial hype settled, it was a pretty simple open-and-shut case.
All in all, Snow was not only hit with a fine totaling a quarter of a million dollars for 'criminal negligence causing bodily harm,' he was charged with bribery of a public official. I can still recall the exact key phrases the judge had called out during the hearing, the trial still fresh in my mind: "neglecting his obligation to ensure the safety of the workers" and "blatant disregard for the lives and well being of others." The guy was never going to work in the industry, let alone with any corporation, ever again.
Once he was out of the picture, the board had offered Haymitch the opportunity to sit in as acting CEO of the company in recognition of his efforts in brining down Snow until a suitable replacement could be appointed. But knowing Haymitch and his love for all things corporate, he "graciously" declined, suggesting a man by the name of Plutarch Heavensbee instead. The guy apparently has a flare for dealing with corporate scandals, and thankfully was able to spin the whole fiasco in a certain light that didn't drag the company's good name through the mud.
The persistent hounding by the press was another ordeal that Haymitch and Mr. Heavensbee were able to thwart. Thankfully, they were more than willing to take the brunt of the inquiries that the reporters directed towards my family. The questions ranged from asking my father to relive his horrific accident in detail to whether or not we were going to sue Panem Aggregates. One reporter even had the audacity to ask how much of a payout we were expecting to get from the insurance companies. I'm glad Peeta was with me that day to hold me back or else I swear that woman would still be recovering from a broken nose.
Not that we'd expected much to come from it, and it's still a touchy subject with me, but we'll just say that the money we did receive was beyond adequate. It was more than enough to cover the costly physiotherapy bills that my mother knew would inevitably pile up due to my father's current condition.
Turns out that learning to walk again, especially while sporting a prosthetic leg from the knee down, isn't exactly an easy task. It wasn't at all as simple as my father initially thought. He quickly grew tired and discouraged by the phrase "one foot in front of the other," which was usually followed by him mumbling under his breath something along the lines of "easier said than done." The surgeons did all they could to save his leg, but it was just too mangled from being crushed by the falling rocks that they found the nerve endings too far gone to salvage. They ended up amputating just below the knee, but I was surprised at how well my father took it. We were all just thankful that he came out of this alive, and even looking back now, his leg was a small price to pay to have him still here with us, alive and breathing.
My father has never been a very patient man, a trait that had been put to the test over the past few weeks of spending day after day trying to get acquainted with his new leg. Once his other wounds had fully healed, he was thrust head first into an intense rehab program to get him on his feet once again. Cue Prim, who has proven to be an integral part of his recovery, was just what the doctor ordered. Her never-ending patience and encouraging nature have deemed her 'a god sent' by his doctors. When it came to the grueling schedule of his recovery program, Prim had jumped in with two feet, and in a way, I feel like it's brought them closer. It's given them time together that I know he missed out on when we were younger because she was never interested in the hobbies that my father and I shared.
My mother, on the other hand, was a bit trying at first, testing what little patience I already had. Being the medical professional in the family, you would have thought she'd be the one to rise to the occasion and take the reigns from Prim. To say she was a little overwhelmed by the whole situation is an understatement. Even though my father was alive and recuperating exceptionally well, it was as if she'd detached herself from the whole situation, effectively checking out while the rest of us scrambled to keep our lives together. But slowly and steadily, as she watched from behind her glazed-over expression, she came to realize that the world hasn't stopped and that our new life wasn't going to be as destitute as she'd originally anticipated. My father's perseverance to get back on his feet again was enough to bring her out of her worrisome state, and I'm thankful because it could have been worse…a lot worse.
I must be staring off into space because I don't notice when Peeta makes his way over and kneels down behind me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and effectively bringing me back to the here and now. "Hey, where'd you go?"
I release a heavy sigh as my body sinks back into the comforting confines of his chest. "Oh, uh…I was just thinking." His lips find my left temple as he maneuvers my braid out of the way, twirling it around his finger before letting it rest flat against my back. "About anything in particular?"
My body tingles from his warm breath against my ear and I turn my head, our eyes meeting for a brief second before mine flutter shut. I rest my forehead again his, the tips of our noses pressing together slightly. It's moments like this that I'm thankful for Peeta's extraordinary knack for reading me, allowing me the option to open up to him if I wish to, but still offering up an ear to listen without making me feel like I have to spill all my thoughts and emotions out to him whenever I retreat into myself.
"It's just…this summer was…well, kinda crazy." I chuckle nervously before the words being to tumble out of my mouth freely. "It's flown by ridiculously fast, and now that things have finally started to settle down at home into somewhat of a routine, I feel like I missed out…on summer that is. Before I know it, I'll be packing up again and heading back to school and you'll be staying here and I'll be leaving everyone behind again and things will change and—"
"Hey," he interrupts as he squeezes me tighter into his chest. "What'd I say?"
I release a shaky breath as he loosens his grip from around my shoulders and slides the palms of his hands up and down my arms. My skin prickles with goose bumps in their wake and the muscles of my lower abdomen clench anxiously. "Everything will work out." My voice is unconvincing, rising slightly at the end, causing my answer to sound more like a question than a statement.
"Exactly. And it will, you'll see."
I have to give Peeta credit for being so vigilant in his quest to reassure me that once I'm back at school, the distance won't be as big of a deal as I've made it out to be. The more I think about it, the hour-long drive between school and home isn't really that far. Besides, I'm less hesitant now of braving the drive alone and arriving in one piece after finally saying goodbye to my old Honda and biting the bullet to buy a slightly larger and more reliable vehicle. The idea of purchasing some flashy new car with the insurance company money didn't sit well with me, but after some convincing by my father and of course Peeta, who was persistent and more than enthusiastic about car shopping, reasoned with me that if I'm going to be making the trip back and forth more regularly, I might as well do it in comfort.
My lips twitch into a timid smile. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"Well, everything really, but mostly for being so patient with me. I know I can be quite…" I pause and scrunch up my nose as I search for the most accurate word. "…challenging…at times."
My whole body shakes and my smile widens as a hearty laugh rumbles through Peeta's chest. "Well, to someone else maybe, but for me…you're perfect." To further prove his point, he twists his face to capture my lips in a slow, yet searing kiss that causes my body to go limp in his arms. He pulls away far too soon as his nose drops to the sensitive patch of skin just behind my ear. "God, I love it when you do that," he says as he buries his face into the crock of my neck and inhales deeply.
"Do what?"
"Shower here and use my stuff." His lips brush against my collarbone and he nips at my skin before dragging his nose up the column of my neck. "You do that on purpose, don't you?"
When Peeta had stepped out to the bakery this morning in search of breakfast, it quickly became evident that I was in desperate need of a shower. Our previous night's tumble under the sheets had pushed my body to the brink of blissful exhaustion before I eventually passed out in Peeta's arms still naked, my hair a matted mess and skin still slick with sweat. I could have used the bar of soap he keeps in there for me, but instead I opted for his body wash. I don't know, there's just something about being wrapped up in the smell that is distinctly Peeta that sends a tingling shot of warmth straight to my core, and apparently it has a similar effect on him too.
His lips find the curve of my neck again, the tip of his tongue darting out to brush along my shoulder as I tilt my head away, fully exposing my neck to him. I can feel him grin against my skin as his thumbs sneak their way under the hem of my shirt. The rest of his fingers eventually follow and I release a breathy sigh when he drags them back and forth along the bare skin above the waistline of my jeans teasingly. When he reaches the ticklish spot along my sides, I lurch forward and to my feet to escape his hold, all but stumbling my way over to the other side of the room. "Hey now! Aren't you the one who said we needed to focus?"
He barks out laugh as he pushes himself up. I suppress a smirk when he snakes a hand down the front of his jeans to readjust himself, the obvious tenting mocking the both of us. "You make that kind of hard sometimes…well, most of the time really."
"Seriously though, if we just take a short break now, I promise I'll stay up all night to get the rest of your stuff packed up."
Peeta surveys what's left of the chaotic piles of books and clothes that litter the bedroom floor before shaking his head. "Why do I have a feeling this deal won't exactly work in my favor?" I shrug nonchalantly and he responds with a heavy sigh, running a hand through his curls that are in serious need of a trim. "You're a master of procrastination, you know that right?"
"Hey, procrastination is my middle name." I lean over to pick up my canvas bag off the floor, slinging it over my shoulder before closing the gap between us. I stop short when we're toe to toe and look up to greet him with an innocent smile. "Besides, I have a feeling you'll like it."
His eyebrows rise curiously and I can tell I've sparked his interest when he leans down to plant a quick kiss to my lips. "Oh really…and does this break happen to involve whatever you've got squirreled away in that bag of yours?"
I scrunch my nose up and grin as I take hold of his hand and turn to drag him towards the door. "You'll just have to wait and see."
"So, is the blindfold really necessary?" Peeta huffs as the toe of his shoe thumps against another tree root. I pause to steady him, grabbing hold of his arm before he has a chance to fall forward. A quiet laugh escapes my lips before I can suppress it and I catch Peeta's frown just before he shakes his head.
"For the third time, yes, it'll all be worth it. Don't worry, we're almost there. Just another few minutes."
"Uh huh, right. You said that, oh, twenty minutes ago," he mutters under his breath.
Normally this little jaunt would be a forty-five minute hike, but with my back loaded up with my pack and towing a not so surefooted Peeta who's also carrying a backpack, we're already pushing an hour and a half. I didn't make him wear the blindfold the whole time, just for the last leg of our journey. Besides, he'll thank me soon enough. I can already make out the beams of brilliant orange bursting through the trees up ahead of us.
The lake has always been a secret spot that only my father and I have shared, escaping to this hidden paradise once in awhile during our trips into the woods behind our house. At one time it used to be part of the quarry, but it's long since been abandoned and once nature had the chance to reclaim it, the cool, turquoise blue waters were quite the sight to behold, especially when perched high up on the rocky outcrop that overlooks the landscape to the west, providing an unobstructed view of nature's masterpiece almost every evening.
I've never shared this place with anyone else. Now that my father is, well, unlikely to be making the trip up with me anytime soon, the only person I feel right sharing it with is Peeta. He has an uncanny eye for beauty, a weakness really if you ask me, but I know he'll appreciate all the view has to offer just as much as I do.
As we make our way down the somewhat hidden path, the overgrowth starts to thin and the grassy earth is suddenly replaced by hard rock beneath our feet. Peeta stops and taps his heel against the ground. "Where are we?"
A smile spreads across my face as I release his arm and take a few steps forward, shrugging off the backpack before gently placing it on a rock. "Just wait here."
The crisp, cool air is a refreshing shock to my lungs and I'm suddenly invaded by a slew of memories from my childhood: The summer my father taught me to swim along the rocky shore below. The times we ended our fishing trips here to clean off and fillet our catch before returning home so that my mother and Prim wouldn't have to witness the messy parts of our hobby. The days my father would bring me here and we'd just sit for hours in silence or sing to the birds that happily joined our chorus. So many wonderful memories were had here.
"Katniss?" I almost forget that Peeta is still standing blindfolded behind me. I lower myself to my feet to sit cross-legged at the end of the rocky ledge that overlooks the lake. "Is everyone alright?"
I feel a tinge of guilt from the slight tremor in his voice as I look over my shoulder at him. "Yeah, more than alright. Almost perfect actually." When I turn back to face the sunset, I close my eyes and stretch out my arms and legs, allowing the warm rays to cover every inch of my skin. "You can take off the blindfold now."
The silence that follows is both calming, yet unnerving. I'd expected him to say something by now. Peeta Mellark is rarely at a loss for words. I'm hoping it's because he's entranced by the majestic beauty of it all, that I made the right decision in bringing him here, but the stillness around us is starting to eat away at my nerves. I chance a glance over my shoulder and a light breeze sweeps by that causes a few loose hairs to whip across my face. I reach up to tuck the unruly strands behind my ear before I lift my gaze to study Peeta's face, tugging my lower lip between my teeth. "So? What do you think?" I ask, my voice almost a whisper.
His impossibly blue eyes are not on the sunset. Instead, they're trained on me, boring into mine as though he could read my every thought and insecurity. "It's breathtaking," he finally says. The tone of his voice sends a shiver down my spine and the glint in his eye tells me he's not talking about the view. I'm thankful for the red and orange hues the sunset is casting upon our faces because I'm certain the blush that covers my face would rival that of the sun.
"I wish I had my sketch pad with me right now." He sighs as his eyes finally drift over to settle on the still waters of the lake and to where the brilliant orange orb has started to dip below the glassy surface.
"Well you're in luck, check your backpack."
He knits his brow curiously before he drops to one knee and swings the pack forward to unzip it. Not a moment later he looks back up at me, grinning from ear to ear with his sketch pad in one hand and his box of pencils in the other. "You planned this."
I reply with a simple nod as he turns over the cover of the pad and fishes out a pencil. As he lowers his gaze to the blank piece of paper and his hand starts to dance across the page, I turn my attention back to the lake. We fall into a comfortable silence as he draws and I stare out into the sky, getting lost in the smattering of colors that paint everything around us. I pass the time absentmindedly playing with the yellow dandelions that have somehow managed to squeeze their way up through the cracks in the rocks. Persistent little plants. I smile to myself when I realize that their little blooms remind me of a certain mop of curly blond hair.
Just as the last of the setting sun dips below the horizon, I feel Peeta's presence at my side, his ever-present warmth radiating from his body from the places where his skin touches mine. He brings his arms up and crosses them over his knees as I lean my head down to rest against his shoulder. I can't help but revel in how perfectly we fit together in every way. He moves to wrap an arm around my waist but I shuffle over his thigh instead until I'm seated between his legs and he pulls me back into his solid chest. As I settle in, he plays with the end of my braid and my eyes flutter shut as I quietly hum to myself.
Once the sun has set completely and the stars have begun to peek out from the darkened sky, I begin to wonder if he's hungry. My stomach protests a little, but I'm far too warm and too comfortable where I am in Peeta's arms that I push aside the slight hunger pains. The food can wait.
I'm going to miss this. Being with him like this. My hands lazily explore every inch of his body that I can reach, starting with his legs and then moving up to his arms, trying to commit every curve and line to memory all over again. My stomach begins to churn and I'm pretty certain it's not because of the lack of food, but rather from the empty feeling I know I'll have to face when I leave next week. Just then, his hand that was toying with my braid stills and I open my eyes. "What?" I ask.
"Stop."
"Stop what?"
"You're doing it again." I can feel his hot breath at the outer shell of my ear as he trails off and nips at my earlobe before placing a gentle kiss just below my ear.
"Doing what?"
"Worrying." My teeth curl around my bottom lip as I start to gnaw at it. "And the same goes for that lip of yours." He reaches his thumb up to my chin and gently tugs at it until I release my lip. "That's my job."
He's right. What good is spending our last few days together sulking over the inevitable? He's here now and I'd be an idiot to waste this evening. I release a heavy sigh and pat the tops of his thighs with my hands. "Okay."
I pull away from his lap and reach over to my pack, yanking it open to produce a thin blanket before carefully extricating the food. Peeta shift over and helps me to spread out the blanket before resuming his seat on one end, and I kneel down on the other. As I open and arrange the takeout containers, Peeta leans forward curiously and watches as I unpack our feast: fresh rolls, two apple and goat cheese tarts, and the main course, a large container of lamb stew on wild rice.
"What's all this about?" he asks as he arches a brow at me. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to…"
I shrug my shoulders and avert his stare. "You don't know how many times I've wished I could redo that night. I really fucked up and it was supposed to be perfect and I know this doesn't even come close to making up for what happened, but I was hoping—"
"It's fine, Katniss," he says as he reaches over to take my hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing my knuckles. "Please stop apologizing, that's all in the past. This is perfect." He flashes me that sexy lopsided grin of his that makes my insides melt and my breath catch in my throat. His smile is infectious and before I know it I'm beaming back at him as I retract my hand and pull out the remaining items from the backpack. The last item is a lantern that I place in the center of the spread and once switched on the light casts a ghostly glow across Peeta's face that highlights his rugged features. I have to look away before my body takes over and I forgo the food in favor of my desire to satiate a different hunger that's causing my thighs to clench.
Peeta leans in again to study the contents of the containers more closely, but when his eyes find the apple and goat cheese tarts, they widen before darting up to meet mine. "Where are these from?"
A blush starts to creep across my cheeks and I'm thankful for the cover of the darkness. "Um, I made those," I all but whisper, dropping my gaze to the empty plate in front of me.
"Wait, what do you mean you made them?"
I let out a slightly annoyed huff and cross my arms over my chest. "I mean I made them, you know, as in followed a recipe? Mixed together the ingredients? Baked them in an oven? Is that so hard to believe?"
Peeta chuckles and picks up the tart to study it more closely. "No, I know you can do anything you put your mind to; I just didn't know you baked."
"Well, I don't normally. I did it just for you. And, well, your dad kind of helped a bit." He raises his eyebrows and his lips twitch playfully. "Fine, a lot," I say, throwing my hands up into the air. His shoulders shake as he struggles to keep in a laugh, but when he lifts the tart up to his lips, I reach over to stop him. "Peeta don't! That's dessert!"
"Maybe I want my dessert first." He pouts and I wave him off, trying to feign indifference as he takes a sniff of my creation. "Besides, maybe I have something else in mind for dessert."
Trying to ignore the darkened look that flashes in his eye that causes my body to hum with desire is impossible. I struggle to not watch his expression as he takes a generous bite and chews slowly, but the bob of his throat as he swallows is mesmerizing. My muscles tense as his face scrunches up, as though he can't decide whether he likes it or not. Shit, did I use too much cinnamon? Too much goat cheese? Oh crap, did I switch out the sugar for salt my mistake? I knew I should have taste tested them first! When he doesn't say anything, I let out a frustrated huff, rolling my eyes as I shake my head.
"Hey, I'm just kidding! It's amazing, better than anything I've ever made." He sets the rest of the tart down and leans over halfway across the blanket. "Come here."
I hesitate for a moment, just to toy with him, before closing the distance the rest of the way and indulging him in a languid kiss. The familiar softness of his lips has a dizzying effect, and my eyes flutter shut. When he encourages me to part my lips, the sweet yet tart flavor of the apples and goat cheese that lingers on his tongue beckons me to taste the rest of his mouth. I lift my hand to weave my fingers into the soft curls at the nape of his neck, but of course my body decides to betray me at the most inopportune time and my stomach growls loudly.
Peeta pulls away with a smirk. "Hungry?"
Once I've untangled myself from his grasp, neither of us hesitate as we load up our plates and dig in. Peeta smiles around a mouthful of stew as I divvy up the wine into the plastic wine glasses. I offer one to him and we toast our cups, taking a sip and sealing it with a kiss. After we've had our fill and Peeta has packed away the containers, he moves the lantern to the side of the blanket and beckons me over once again to sit between his legs. The slight buzz from the alcohol in combination with the richness of the meal starts to take a toll on me as my eyelids grow heavy and Peeta frees my hair from my braid, combing it out into loose waves.
I must fall asleep because the next thing I know, there's a soft kiss to my temple as a pair of calloused fingers brush up and down my arms. "Katniss, wake up, it's getting late. We should head back, and if I'm not mistaken, you have a promise to keep."
I yawn as I rub the sleep from my eyes, arching my back off of Peeta's chest to stretch out my arms. Oh yeah, my promise. Good thing I got that quick nap in if I'm going to be up all night packing. Although, maybe I'll be able to use my powers of persuasion and we can spend the rest of the night doing other things.
In no time we have the rest of our gear packed up and Peeta uses the lantern to do one last sweep of the area. I sling my backpack over my shoulder and take his hand in mine, intertwining our fingers together. "Ready?"
"You sure you know your way out of here in the dark?"
"Please," I scoff as I tug him forward to lead the way. "I know these woods like the back of my hand. Why, don't you trust me?"
He stops and pulls me towards him, crushing me to his chest as he plants a chaste kiss to my lips. "With my life." He squeezes my hand and brings it up to cup his cheek. The intensity of his eyes is all the evidence I need to convince me of the sincerity of his words. "You?"
The last thing I ever expected to find was love upon returning home for the summer to this small town. I'd have laughed if someone had told me so, fueling my cynical view on relationships and further cementing the belief that it was inevitable I'd spend the rest of my life alone, never truly understanding what it was like have what Peeta and I share.
It'd be naive to think that all of our issues have been resolved, that we'll never have another fight or disagreement again. But I do know that whatever odds we come up against, he'll be right there beside me and we'll face it together. It's Peeta's unwavering optimism and profound goodness that I've come to trust and rely on, and having him to pull strength from whenever I need it is what gives me the courage to see what our future holds.
I blink away the tears threatening my eyes and he repeats his question again, more softly this time as he brushes the pad of his thumb beneath my eye. "Do you trust me?"
"With all my heart."
Author's Note: I promised fluff and I hope I delivered (not too fluffy of an ending though I hope)! So, that's all she wrote folks! Well, not really, there's still an epilogue to be posted but that's it for chapters. I really hope you all enjoyed it and can't wait to hear what you guys think!
Big thanks to a handful of ladies that helped see me through the different stages of this project: JenieZee, Court81981, andStreetlightlove1! Your support that ranged from beta work to prereading to just plain old telling me that my writing doesn't suck helped to see me through to the end. I love you gals!
To all my faithful readers who stuck by me every step of the way (even when I went months between updates, eek), thank you for all your kind words and for taking the time to follow/favorite and especially review, your encouragement and interest kept me going when morale was low.
As always, come visit me on tumblr (pookieh) for more stuff such as fic updates/recs/drabbles and my borderline obsessive love of The Hunger Games and Everlark fanfiction. If you're looking for something different to read, I'm currently working on a historical WIP called First Impressions that's a Pride & Prejudice/The Hunger Games cross-over fic, come check it out!