Hunger Games – New Beginnings
Chapter 4: Back to normal
Katniss POV
The next few weeks I try to talk to Peeta but he seems to be avoiding me. What did I do? I walk to his room and check in the door and he has already left for the day. He is getting a lot done on the rebuilding of the Bakery. At night he eats with me but I know he is drawn into something.
At dinner I finally decide to break the silence and not wait for him to speak. "So, how is the rebuilding coming along?" I ask. "Fine, we have just started to reinforce the structure and now are just working on the walls and roof" he replies "It will be done soon". "That's great, when are you looking into reopening?" I ask. "Soon, very soon. Actually I am working on my old house. I should be able to move back in soon. That will make it easier to work in the Bakery in the morning" he replies.
He is leaving? Why is he leaving? I thought things were going well. "Is there something wrong?" I ask. "No, just need to pick up the pieces and that will allow you to have your home back" he replies. "It's our home" I reply with a look of concern on my face. "Stay, please" I reply. "You don't need me" he replies "No one needs me, and that way you can come back to some sense of normalcy".
I can't believe what I am hearing. "Peeta, you are helping me come back" I leave the table and walk to my room and shut the door. I walk to the window and look over the wooded area in the distance. He is leaving me… he will be nearby but he is leaving me. I don't know if I can go through this again.
Peeta's POV
It has been a few weeks since my night with Katniss. I think she regrets what we did that night. I don't blame her. I am not the man who I wish to be and the games has scared me beyond belief. That night though, I will cherish.
I move fallen wall panels from the shop and feel like I am followed by her essence. That kiss, that touch, it makes the day longer so I try to find more to distract myself. Work on the house….that is what I will do. I need to get out of her house. Seeing her every night at dinner and knowing that she doesn't feel for me the way I do her, it hurts. I need to figure out a way to space myself from the situation.
As I begin to work on what is left from my old room I begin to work on the cleaning the room out so that I may rebuild.
After I week I think I have fixed up the house to move in soon and distance myself from Katniss. I arrive home with some bread I baked earlier. I head to the kitchen and shortly after hear the front door open and I know she has come home. She walks by the kitchen but doesn't look in. She looks like she is thinking about something. I will tell her tonight, I am moving out soon. I can do this, this is the right thing.
Katniss POV
I am in my room for what seems like hours when I finally doze off. I awaken screaming after dreaming of the second Hunger Games when I thought I had lost Peeta and the events that followed. Peeta comes running in. "Katniss are you okay?" he asks. "It was a nightmare, I dreamt about the quell" I reply "I can't do this Peeta". "Do what?" he asks. "Act as if nothing has happened, act as if we never happened" I reply "Too much has happened to do that".
Peeta looks at me while he takes a breath. "I don't want to pretend" he replies "I care for you Katniss and I don't want to get hurt". "How do you figure you will get hurt" I ask. "Katniss, I still have problems adjusting between what was real and what was made by the capital in my memories" he replies "Did you ever love me? Real or not real?" he asks. I take a second then answer "Real" I reply. His face changes entirely. He comes to the bed and grabs my face and kisses me soft but so loving. He takes me in his arms and holds me. We spend the rest of the night asleep in each other's arms.
The next morning we awaken late and just lay in bed thinking about last night. "Katniss did you mean what you said last night?" he says. "Yes, I did" I reply "Peeta, I love you. I realize how long it has taken me to come to this but I have never been in this kind of a situation". "Situation?" he asks. "I have never really had many friends, and never dated. I never really intended myself to get to this point" I replied. His face looks at the window and back at me. "I guess what I am trying to say is this is all new and I would like to take things kind of slow. We never really got that when we were in the games. I really want to get to know you and you me" I reply.
A smile creeps across his face. "I agree, but you know slow marks this out" he says with a crooked smile on his face. I look for his hands and clasp them. "Well that is true, but I'm thinking the sex. Maybe we should slow down on that" I reply with a smile. "I like this, it's simple and with everything we have been through, it is just nice" I reply. "So no sex for the time being, I think I can handle that" he replies.
We spend the rest of the day walking around the house writing in our book and notating the various herbs we have in the garden. "Peeta, do you want to come with me hunting tomorrow?" I ask. "Wow, me hunting? Well it would be interesting in a different area, yeah I suppose I could do that" he replies.
The next morning he comes with me through the front gates of the Victor Village. We walk holding hands looking at each other smiling as we are distracted by a voice coming straight toward us. "Well hello Sweethearts!" Haymitch yells "Aren't you too looking close today. What are you up to?" "Katniss is taking me hunting" Peeta replies. Haymitch gives me a quizzical look. "Hunting you say?" he gives me a smile. "Yes, Hunting" I say with a smile. "Well have fun, and visit me later we have much to talk about" he replies as he walks back to his house.
"Oh Haymitch, always one to have the last laugh" I reply "Shall we?" I motion toward the fence and show Peeta the opening in the fence. We walk a bit until we get to the log holding my bow and quiver of arrows. "Did you bring the book?" I ask. "Got it" he replies. We walk by the stream and I slow when I realize we are near a deer. I can see it moving in the distance. Peeta has made sure not to draw too much attention as I get near. I draw the arrow and watch as it pierces the deer which falls over almost instantly. "Wow you really are good" he replies. "Well I hope to be, can you help me get this?" I ask. "Yes, hold on a sec" he replies putting the book in his sack.
We bring back the deer to Greasy Sae in the village and decide that it is early enough we can go back to the woods.
"So what all do you do when you hunt in the woods, do you spend all day chasing?" he asks. "No, actually we probably should set some traps. Want to help?" I ask. "Sure" he replies with a smile.
I bring him to the meadow where my father taught me about Katniss roots. "This is where my father used to bring me when he was teaching me how to hunt" I state. "It's Beautiful Katniss" he replies. We found a rock and he sits down and welcomes me to sit in front of him and lean back in his arms. We watch the ripples of water as a fish comes to the top for air and then burrows back down.
"This is where I have always been most happy. The calm, the serene, I feel home here" I reply. He snuggles up to my ear and whispers "I like it here too" and kisses my cheek. I turn around to look in his blue eyes and kiss him very lightly on the lips and turn back around to face the water. His arms circle me and we just spend time in each other's company just looking over the water.
I look over the valley and see that the sun is beginning to go down. "We should head back, you have a big day tomorrow" I reply. "Yes, the reopening of the Bakery" he replies. We walk hand in hand back to our home. "There you two are" Greasy Sae yells. "Hello Sae, how are you doing?" I ask. "Did you two want some venison stew? I just finished cooking" she replies. I look at Peeta, he smiles "We would love to". We walk to Sae's house and eat dinner until it is dark out. We say our goodbyes and decide to walk back to our house. It appears while we were inside that it has begun to rain. Our walk home, even short distance we get soaked.
I run upstairs and change, and within a few minutes Peeta walks into my room. "Do you mind if I stay in here tonight?" he asks. "No, I don't mind" I say as I smile back at him. We lay in bed caressing each other's arms. For a moment I feel like all was as it used to be. Prior to the hijacking, just him and I making it through the world.