Here's the next chapter! I really liked this moment in the book, it's so emotionally charged and I really had fun writing it, so I hope you like it! Enjoy! I do not own THG so any direct quotes will be in italics.

Ch. 37

I didn't wake Katniss up until I was absolutely sure I had to. It wasn't that I was tired or scared, but the groosling I had eaten last night was long gone. My stomach hadn't been this empty in a long time. I knew Katniss wouldn't approve of me eating with out her, I wouldn't like it either, and I doubt she's still has all the emotions running through her. Her face had eventually calmed as the hours passed, even in her sleep I could see she worry. It wasn't like that earlier, but after telling me about Rue her face stayed scrunched up in sleep.

She had woken up hungry as well. The food we had left wasn't much. We had rationed it and talked of hunting tomorrow. I didn't mention that the rain could go on for a long time, but being pessimistic in the Games definitely won't help you. It will be better tomorrow. That's what you have to focus on. It's what you have to tell yourself.

Our conversation moves along to I can't hunt and Katniss reassures that I could hunt. But being next to an expert hunter, I look like a person that can do nothing in that field. She tells me I could gather and hunt, but who wants to be stuck with those jobs? I guess being a baker I do have some cooking skills. Sometimes we sell soup and sandwiches at the bakery, but I don't really know much.

Once I bring up bread our one-fourth filled stomachs begin to wish for it. It's not pretty; Katniss tries to silence it with mint leaves. It seems to work for her, but not much for me. When you're used to the smell of bread every morning and then all of a sudden it's not there, you miss it.

Katniss begins to ask me questions about the other side of the arena, where Thresh had taken claim. I remember Clove asking Cato if we should go check it out. He had just shaken his head and dismissed it. We all knew Thresh was a big contender; we just didn't want to face it.

When Katniss asked if I ever checked it out I say, "No. Nobody really wanted to track Thresh down in that grass. It has a sinister feeling to it. Every time I look at that field, all I can think of are hidden things. Snakes, and rabid animal, and quicksand." I never really looked over there much; I tried to keep my back turned away from it. If I looked at it to long, my imagination wandered south, "There could be anything in there." One of my tracker jacker hallucinations had actually been Katniss being eaten by a giant snake within that field. It gave me even more to worry about.

"Maybe there's a bread bush in that field." Both of our minds had never really left the bread subject, but now they come right back to it. "Maybe that's why Thresh looks better fed now than when we started the Games." I haven't seen him since the start of the games, but he was already a big guy.

"Either that or he's got very generous sponsors." I realize how my sponsors weren't there for me until Katniss came along and all they really got me was some broth, which helped, and some sleep syrup, which encouraged bad behavior on Katniss' part. I'm not even sure if they were really for me, well the broth was, but the sleep syrup? It helped me in the end but… "I wonder what we'd have to do to get Haymitch to send us some bread." My stomach growls and I feel as if the little I just ate was never actually there.

"Well he probably used up a lot of resources helping me knock you out." She says finally bringing up the sleep syrup

"Yeah about that," I say taking a hold of her hand as to make sure she doesn't leave again. "Don't try something like that again."

"Or what?" Says Katniss cocking her head mischievously.

"Or… or…" I can't think of anything. I wasn't going to harm her. After all, what she did helped me in the end. But it could've resulted in her death. Which would've resulted in mine. Then where would we be? It was taking an extreme risk and in those few seconds that I was conscious and had figured out her plan I was so scared. How could I even breathe with out knowing that she was breathing too?

"What's the problem?" A slight grin comes across her face.

"The problem is we're both still alive. Which only reinforces the idea in you mind that you did the right thing." She did, didn't she? The answer to that is no. Katniss Everdeen isn't supposed to die for Peeta Mellark. It doesn't work that way.

"I did do the right thing." She tells me. Doesn't she get it? Yes she made it back; yes we're both fine, but what if we weren't? I went into this game fully aware that I was going to die so Katniss could live. It's not supposed to be the other way. We aren't both supposed to die.

"No! Just don't, Katniss." I grip her hand harder, I'm afraid that maybe she'll leave again. Doesn't she know the danger is real, "Don't die for me. You won't be doing me any favors. All right?" If she was the one to die, and I was the one to live, I wouldn't really be living. Sure I'd be breathing and eating, but a life would not be lived. Life is never whole with out love. If the love of my life died, I'd be lost.

"Maybe I did it for myself, Peeta, did you ever think about that?" If there's one thing about Katniss, she wasn't selfish. She volunteered for her sister; she risked being caught every day and still goes hunting, only not for her, but for her family. She didn't do that for herself. There's no way, "Maybe you aren't the only one you…who worries about…what it would be like if…" She doesn't say the next words but I hear them loud and clear. What it would be like if only one of us wins. I always thought about if Katniss dies, but does she worry about if I die? Does she love me?

"If what, Katniss?" I want to hear it from her. I need to know if it's true. I mean I already know she's determined to keep me alive, but can she imagine her life with out me. If she can't, it's love. I've done the impossible. I've made the love of my life love me.

"That's exactly the kind of topic Haymitch told me to steer clear of." Her words cut through me. She doesn't want to tell me. I'm going to be wondering forever.

"Then I'll just have to fill in the blanks myself." I move in towards her and this time it's me deciding when the kiss begins. I'm no longer sick, in a daze. I'm here, in this moment, and it's perfect. Our lips work perfectly against each other and I get my answer. She loves me. It's not rushed or hurried as our lips touch, it's just simple. It's a kiss. Katniss is mine. It's simple.

It's over too soon as I notice new blood soaking Katniss' band-aid. Maybe it was a little too much excitement, but it still reached perfection.

Don't you just love that? I love all the raw emotion :) So, I'm going to move on into something more serious, I recently got a new reviewer that showed me all the stuff that was off from the book, I really want to stay true to the book, but I'm only human, so if you guys could give me a little break that would be awesome! It's hard to get everything right, you'd understand if you were doing this, but I'm so sorry, and I try to fix my mistakes. So any ways, I really hope you guys like this story even though I make mistakes :) Don't forget to REVIEW on the way out! Thanks! -boywithbreadlover