Chapter 13

Katniss's and Peeta walked hand in hand back to the car, they date couldn't have been any more perfect and even though they only briefly discussed Katniss's plans to go to university she felt reassured that they'd get through it together because even though they only went on a few dates she knew they were a team. As they sat in the car Katniss couldn't help but hum along to the radio, Peeta glanced over at her a twinkle in his eye and he couldn't help but smile as her. She was glowing was it from the baby she was carrying or was it because of him?

"I love it when you sing" Peeta said as he came to halt at the traffic light. Katniss began to blush she wasn't aware that she was singing, she was too busy thinking about how perfect the day went and how unbelievably happy she was. "I wasn't aware that you were familiar with my singing" she said with a confused tone.

" Katniss, believe it or not but I was the one paying attention to you, you were the oblivious one" he laughed before driving again as the light turned green, before she could answer he began to speak again " I mean I remember in primary 1, when the teacher asked who knew the school's song, your hand shot right up. I was memorised by your confidence even at the age of five, your hair was in 2 braids instead of one and you smoothed down your red tartan dress and took a breath and suddenly you began to sing and I knew right then and there that I had to get to know you, but you were fearless and my mother's words about not being good enough for anyone popped into my head and that made me afraid to talk to you so I watched from afar. Heck I hate running but I was adamant to join the running club just so I could sneak a peek at you every Wednesday, you've no idea how much I fantasied about you in those short running shorts and those toned olive legs" he said with a wink. "You know I was heartbroken, when you gave up running when you started working in Sae's diner, but deep down I knew you were struggling. Do you know when you came into school the day with a black eye and busted lip I was so angry, thinking who could have done that to you and the when Sae told me you got mugged after your shift one night, I stayed in the carpark every night and followed you home to make sure it never happened again, I should have offered you a lift home but I was too afraid Gale would take it up the wrong way, I mean I knew all about bro code".

Katniss blushed and she was processing everything Peeta had just said, even about the night she was mugged, I suppose that would explain seeing him in the carpark the night she saw him again after 4 years. How was it that the boy she fancied in secondary school was paying attention to her and she never even noticed. She thought back to the day she had to give up running and the coach begged her to stay on, saying they needed her to win the relays but she needed every hour going in Saes and she knew that her extracurricular activities had to go, so she could work after school. As she thinks back to that day, she remembers leaving the track and seeing a sombre look on Peeta's face as she walked off. But she was snapped back to Peeta's last words "Gale would take it up the wrong way and I knew about bro code"

"Peeta, what has Gale got to do with you giving me a lift home" she asked

"You know because he was your boyfriend?" Peeta replied

Katniss couldn't help but let out a laugh, did he really think her, and Gale were dating! The image of them two kissing popped up in her head and that made her laugh even harder, " Peeta, you idiot" she said through her giggles, " Gale is my cousin, his dad died 2 years after mine, so his mum and siblings packed up and moved closer to us because they had no other family where they lived and they wanted to be closer to us"

Peeta done an emergency stop in the middle of the road. Not believing what he had just heard, he can remember Gale starting school and Katniss being inseparable from him. He remembers when Katniss's dad died and how withdrawn she became and when Gale arrived, she seemed happier and he couldn't help but feel Jealous of the charismatic man that was constantly attached to her. Gale was four years older than them and he was popular with everyone and it didn't help that was extremely good looking and even though Peeta was on the wrestling team he knew if he was paired against Gale, he wouldn't stand a chance, he was tall and lean. So, he accepted that he lost his chance to confess his feelings to Katniss.

"you mean to tell me I didn't confront you about how I felt about you because I thought you were dating your cousin" he said almost with a touch of fury to it.

Katniss couldn't believe what Peeta had just said, "You liked me in secondary school?" she asked.

"Of course, I did! Have you seen how amazing you are?" Peeta responded

Not being very good with words Katniss, just bit the bullet and said "I liked you too, but I never felt good enough for you… I still don't" she whispered the last part before placing her hand on the slight swell. She remembered the words Haymitch echoed to her one night in the diner, she was in a mood that Peeta had skipped town and didn't tell her, thinking that he had left her because he couldn't deal with getting her pregnant and was regretting his decision of being all in, she was shouting at everyone and just happened to get in crossfire with Haymitch who in turn snapped back at her saying " You could live a hundred life times and never deserve that boy" she knew he was drunk and probably didn't mean it because after all Haymitch was a drunk and she could see a hint of guilt in his eyes after he had said it, knowing she was fragile. But Katniss couldn't help but feel some sort of truth to it.

Almost sensing her thoughts and wanting to reassure her, Peeta took one hand off the staring wheel and placed it on top of the hand Katniss had on her stomach, "How could you not be good enough for me?, you are the most amazing woman ever, if anything I don't deserve you".

His touch on her stomach warmed her whole body and she knew she should respond but she didn't want to ruin the moment. As time passed, she knew she should say something about how he is wrong and that she wasn't amazing as he had described, but before she could respond the car came to halt and she noticed that she was back at her house. She turned to look at Peeta, who was looking at her with a smile that was so big she wanted to freeze the moment and live in it forever. "My doctor's appointment is next Monday at 2:30pm, do you think you could get out of work to come? I if you can't make it it's fine, I can always swing by afterwards?" she said

"Are you kidding me, I wouldn't miss seeing our "daughter" he said with air quotes, for anything in this world, of course I'll be there"

With a nod she leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek before getting out of the car and waving goodbye to him "See you on Monday" she said as she closed the door.

Peeta waited in the driveway until Katniss had closed the door to her house. She leaned up against the door with the biggest smile on her face, she thought about the confessions each of them made today and she knew they were on the same page,

She was broken from her thoughts when she heard, "Okay tell us everything" Joanna had said as her and Prim came barrelling down the stairs as if waiting for Katniss to come home.

Katniss made her way up the stairs where they sat on her bed and she told them everything that happened that day, even adding the parts about how he fancied her in secondary school.

"I'm really happy things are starting to work out for you Kat" Prim said as she handed her sister the chocolate chip ice cream, " you deserve this, I mean it happened fast but hey if it didn't you'd be a middle aged woman with 30 cats" she said with a giggle.

Katniss punched her sister playfully on the shoulder " I would not have been a middle aged woman with 30 cats" she said almost defensively and then she took a spoonful of ice-cream " besides things are going good with us now, but eventually the honeymoon phase will end and he might just stick around for the baby" she said with a shrug.

Joanna and Prim looked at each other almost knowing Katniss still couldn't accept that maybe she was getting a little bit of happiness in her life. Not wanting to dwell on it any longer they simply just turned the film that they were watching, before Katniss came home, back on. Katniss snuggled into the middle of her sister and her best friend and couldn't help but think and that even if it didn't work out with Peeta, she was lucky to have these two amazing people in her and her baby's life and she knew that she'd be okay.