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"That wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be." I chuckle as I pass through the doorway to our
"Is that your way of saying you almost enjoyed yourself, little miss I-don't-do-parties?" Peeta asked, raising his eyebrows at me. I smirked, nodding.
"Say your goodbyes and be on your way, boy, this girl needs some rest before we get back to work tomorrow." Haymitch shouted from the next room over. I rolled my eyes and tossed my clutch and jacket into the nearest chair.
"I'm glad you asked me to be your plus one." As he spoke, he tucked errant strands of hair behind my ears. "I've never been to one of those fancy 'good job you skated well' parties. It's quite the experience." I laughed.
"Well, I've been to far too many, and after awhile, the thrill wears off."
"I can definitely see how that can happen. Well, Haymitch is right, I should get going. It's pretty late. I'll talk to you later, okay? Get some sleep." I nodded, stifling an ill-timed yawn. He opened his arms and I walked gratefully into them. I yawned again, laying my head against his chest.
"You give good hugs." I mumbled, smiling when his chest rumbled with his soft laugh.
"Thank you, I've worked very hard on that." He smooched the top of my head and released me, turning me into the hands of Effie, who'd just walked in.
"Thank you for escorting her, Peeta, it gave me great peace of mind that she wasn't alone."
"It was my pleasure, really. Take care, Effie, goodnight Katniss." He kissed my cheekbone and left. When I caught sight of Effie's look, a blush rose to my cheeks.
"What?"
"You two get along pretty well, it seems." Her eyes crinkled up at the corners, reminding me of how my mother's used to whenever I would sing.
"He's easy to get along with."
"You like him?" I nodded. "He's a good guy, he'll take good care of you."
"Yeah, he is a good guy." I waved off her follow up questions, not really having the energy to deal with explaining myself tonight. She let me go until I'd almost gotten to my door.
"Peeta loves you too, by the way." I spun around to see if she was joking. She wasn't. I gaped after her for a minute before my mouth formulated a response.
"Peeta loves me like I love bricks."
"He does. You just can't see it, Katniss." I didn't respond this time as I closed myself in my bedroom, noticing how the air still smelled like him.
Do I love Peeta? He's on my mind a lot, and I think "this is something Peeta would like," "Peeta would be good at this," or more recently, "I wish Peeta could see how good this dress looks on me." I know that I like him a lot. I can't imagine how boring life would be if he didn't come back. Peeta brings a sparkle to my life that wasn't there before. Is that love?
"It's a little loud, I'm going outside." I shouted at Effie, handing her my champagne glass. I don't know where Peeta's gotten to, and the pulsing feeling in my head isn't going away. I weaved through the people mingling, the well-known skaters looking down their noses at the wealthy people who bought tickets to the evening to say they bumped elbows with celebrities.
I was stopped two or three times and congratulated on my win at Snow's. I smiled, thanking them politely, my manners that Effie had worked so hard with me on shining, and my cheerful mask impenetrable.
Eventually, I found my way to the door, foregoing my wrap and lifting the train of my light blue dress as I descended the stairs. I kicked off my heels, hissing as my cramped feet stretched and pressed against the cold flat concrete. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure nobody was watching. When I was sure I was alone, save the three staff men and valet, I took off over the grass towards the gazebo and swing I'd see from the balcony.
Once there, I put my shoes on the rail, hoisting myself up to sit next to them.
I breathed the cool air deeply. After spending nearly six hours in a packed space with all kinds of perfumes, smoke and colognes, the scents washed away leaving me only inhaling the pine wafting from the ring of trees surrounding the estate. I swung my feet in the empty space below me, smiling slightly as I thought of how childish I must look right now. Good thing there's no one around to see it.
After a long while, I hopped back down to the dirt, going to the swing and curling against the back of its long bench. The breeze made me sway gently back and forth. I didn't think about anything, I just let the ideas and colors and memories swirl around my head, sorting themselves out. I've always loved doing this, ever since I was little. It helped me clear my head. I don't know how long I sat there, but I jumped when I heard a gentle, smooth voice approaching. I opened my eyes, smiling when I saw Peeta.
"What are you doing out here?" I scooted my feet back a little so he could sit down. He pulled my ankles back into his lap as he made himself comfortable, resting his arms over my bare skin. I'm sure he knows how cold my legs are, and being surrounded by his warm body makes me smile.
"Thinking." I don't elaborate, knowing he won't press me if I want to keep something in my head.
"It's 1 o'clock. And freezing. You should come inside, Effie and Haymitch are saying their goodbyes." He placed his hand over my icy cold ankle, warming it with his touch. I'll never get used to his gentle caretaking. Which makes me ask aloud,
"Effie says you love me. Is she right?" Peeta froze, the hand he had been defrosting me with pausing before sliding around the bottom portion of my calf, spreading heat there too. His voice was just as soft as before when he asked,
"When did she tell you that?"
"The other day. I've been trying to see if she was right but either you don't or I really am blind." I played with the end of one of the locks of hair falling over my shoulder. I looked back up at him, cocking my head to the side. "You didn't answer me."
Peeta used his free hand to run through the curly hair he'd agree to leave down.
"This is not how I imagined this going at all. But yes." He looked into my eyes, "I am in love with you." I reached out to take his hand, and his lopsided smile made me feel warm despite the icy wind that circled us. His hand closed over mine, completely covering it.
I realized I still hadn't said anything, and he continued to watch me with that smile. I felt myself blush as I looked back down to the piece of hair still in my fingers. This one loves me, no, is in love with me.
"I really love you a lot." I finally tell him, grinning when his face lit up.
"Then I guess now is an appropriate time to ask you to be my girlfriend?" The faint lights from behind us made his golden hair glow, and the cold night left him with rosy cheeks and bright eyes. He is a beautiful human being, and he's offering to be mine. I sit up straighter, leaning forward to capture his lips with mine. When I leaned back again, I pressed my forehead against his.
"That's a yes." I tell him. His smile consumes his whole face as I traced the line of his eyebrow, sweeping down to his jawline. His eyes close as my hands find their way into his hair, twirling a couple of locks around my fingers. I've always had stick-straight hair, so Peeta's soft curls were somewhat of a novelty to me. He scoots closer, pulling me into his lap and wrapping his arms around me. My face finds its way to the crook of his neck, and he shivers a little when my cold nose touches him. I giggled, moving back a little mumbling an apology. He brings his hand up to put my head back where it was, before shifting to slide his arm behind my knees, picking me up. I squeaked in surprise, my hand grabbing his shoulder to make sure I wouldn't fall.
"I won't drop you," he chuckled. I loosened my grip a little.
"I know... reflexes."
"Where did you leave your shoes?" He asks, looking around on the ground for them. I pointed to the rail of the gazebo where they still sat. He led me inside, setting me down on one of the graceful benches, picking up my shoes and kneeling down to put them back on my feet.
"I feel like an actual Disney princess, with Prince Charming of the flowing hair." I giggled, feeling the champagne I'd had earlier start to flood my system. Peeta must have noticed the tiny slurs of my words, and he pulled off his jacket and tucked me inside it. I inhaled.
"S'warm and it smells like you. I'm never giving it back, Charming." He laughed, smiling up at me as he finished buckling my shoes and offered his hand to help me up.
"I never expected you to. Shall we, m'lady? Your pumpkin awaits." He kissed my knuckles as I took his hand.
"It's a carriage, not a pumpkin," I corrected him with a snort which in retrospect was very unladylike. Whatever, it's only the two of us.
"Oh, but my dear, you've missed your deadline, meaning your intricate lift has been likened once more to its original orange." I blinked a coupe times, trying to figure out what he meant.
"No Britishing, I've had too much champagne to come up with a good response." I scolded jokingly, leaning into his shoulder as we walked back to the noise.
"As you wish, Miss." He laughed right before we entered the double doors.
/dont forget to review/ *she said quietly*