A/N - Very short last chapter. I've had fun writing this, but once I got to a certain part I felt like I'd really just be doing some filler chapters that I wasn't especially excited to do. We all know how Everlark ends, and once it got there I just wanted them to be happy. I want to send a special thanks to Carmelle (check out her fanfics) who without her comments K and P probably would have turned out as the bad guys, and of course, all the other reviewers, you all turned me into a review junkie! I have some ideas for more stories, and possibly even some one shots based on this story. Thanks for reading everyone ;)

Chapter 11

Darius pulled Peeta's car into his driveway, Cato had decided to spend the night at Darius' house since he was very curious as to how this Peeta and Katniss thing would turn out. They were being pretty hilarious, making out in the back of Peeta's car as if Katniss' heart hadn't just been broken by Marvel again.

Delly's car wasn't too far behind and parked at the side of the street in front of Peeta's house, Darius and Cato got out of Peeta's car, yelling to the two that they had gotten to Peeta's house safely and that it was time to get out. They just continued what they were doing in the back seat of the car.

"Hey what's going on?" Delly yelled as she got out of her own car, Madge also getting out and walking towards the boys.

"Katniss and Peeta are going at it in the back seat. I don't know if they'll stop." Darius said.

"What do you mean? They're hooking up in there, right now?" Madge asked.

"Yeah, I don't know what to do. They're both so drunk, do you think they know what they're really doing?" Cato asked.

Just then the car door opened and the two came spilling out of the back of the car, laughing the whole time, when they landed on the grass they just continued their kissing. As Peeta's kisses landed on Katniss' neck she noticed her friends standing watching them with surprise written all across their faces.

"Oh good, Madge, I know I'm supposed to stay at your place tonight, but I'm going to stay here with Peeta." Katniss managed to push Peeta off of her and stumbled to Delly's car to get her overnight bag that she had brought with her.

"You're doing what?" Madge asked incredulously. "Do you really think that's a good idea?"

"Don't worry, it's not the first time we've spent the night together." Peeta scoffed.

Now all of the friends were in shock. With her bag slung over her shoulder Katniss ran back to Peeta, jumping into his arms and wrapping her legs around him. They kissed again and then started to stumble their way into his house.

"See you guys tomorrow!" Peeta called over his shoulder as the two disappeared inside, leaving their friends gawking after them.

Katniss woke the next morning in a strange bedroom. It was obviously a boy's room, but it was very neat and tidy. Her head was still spinning; she had a headache and a queasy stomach.

The bed was so comfortable, the bedding was very plush and the pillows were extra fluffy, and she immediately recognized the familiar scent of Peeta, somehow always just a hint of cinnamon. She sat up and noticed that she was wearing one of his shirts, but Peeta was nowhere to be found.

She stood up, head pounding, stomach churning; she pulled her hair back and tried to put it in to some kind of order. The door opened and Peeta came walking in with aspirin and water, he looked as if he showered and dress, but somehow he still looked like he felt like hell.

"What happened? How did we get here?" Katniss asked.

"I assume Darius dropped us off." Peeta said. "I had a few messages on my phone this morning; I think we made it pretty obvious last night that this isn't the first time we've been together." Katniss nodded her head, she couldn't remember everything, but she definitely remembered not caring who saw her and Peeta together, especially after the fight with Marvel where they broke up.

She checked her own phone; there were messages from Madge, Delly, and Marvel. She decided to ignore the messages from Marvel for now, the ones from Delly and Madge told her where she could catch up with them. She checked the clock; found that they had slept away the whole morning. "I think it's for the best anyway. It shouldn't matter to anyone but us if we decide to be together, I'm tired of playing these games." Katniss said in determination.

He agreed Katniss took a shower in Peeta's bathroom; he lent her his t-shirt and a hoodie for her to wear out. When they headed down the stairs Katniss looked around the house. It was very well known that Mrs. Mellark loved to show off their wealth, the house was one of the most modern in the district. Every room looked as if it were designed and decorated by a professional, not a thing out of place. It didn't have a very homely feel to it, there were hardly any family photos, and it seemed that unless it was put there by a professional decorator then it wasn't necessary.

"Where are your parents?" Katniss asked.

"My dad's at the bakery, I was supposed to work this morning but when he came in I was still a little drunk so he just gave me the day off. My dad is pretty awesome that way. My mom is off on some spa retreat this week." He pulled the skin around his eyes back, indicating that spa retreat was code for some kind of plastic surgery. It made Katniss laugh.

"Oh my god, your dad saw me in your room?" Katniss asked with dread.

"Yeah, but don't worry, he won't say anything or make a big deal or whatever." Peeta said laughing.

They made their way to the very modern kitchen and Peeta started to make them breakfast. She thought they were just going to have toast or something, but Peeta started to make them French toast using the fresh bakery bread that his father must have left for them. It was delicious, although her stomach was still at little queasy, she found that the food helped. They had a good time; they ate their food in the living room at the coffee table, just relaxing, eating slowly, talking, and letting their bodies recover from the night before. Katniss thought it would be a good idea to call Madge to let her know that she was ok, since her friend kept sending her worried text messages; she was on the phone with Madge reassuring her friend and giving her little tidbits Madge to gossip to Delly and Johanna about her relationship with Peeta when the doorbell rang. Peeta got up to answer the door, when he pulled it open he was shoved aside and Marvel came storming it.

"So, it's true! You two have been sleeping together behind my back?" Marvel yelled when he saw Katniss in Peeta's house, confirming his worst fears.

"Marvel, what are you doing here?" Katniss asked ending the phone call in mid conversation.

"Cato told me what happened last night; I just had to come here to see for myself. I never would have thought that you could do this to me Kat, how could you?" Marvel demanded angrily. "Just because we got into another fight last night doesn't mean you had to go and sleep with Mellark!"

"It's not as bad as you think, we didn't sleep together, well…we didn't go all the way yet or anything." Peeta tried to explain.

"Yet? You didn't go all the way yet? Is that supposed to make me feel better? You're supposed to be my friend man," Marvel looked at Katniss, who was standing there guiltily. "You definitely are not supposed to be putting hickeys on my girlfriend!" Marvel yelled angrily.

Katniss' hand flew to her neck to cover the hickey that she had noticed in the mirror after her shower earlier. "I'm not your girlfriend Marvel, we broke up last night remember?" She said, trying to be understanding to Marvel's situation and hold back her own anger.

Marvel took Katniss' hands into his own and spoke gently, desperately, "We love each other, yeah, we both made mistakes, but you know we always forgive each other and fix things."

Katniss looked down at her feet, she couldn't look him in the eye, those big brown doe eyes that she fell in love with, "Not this time, Marvel." She said in a low voice with all the finality she could muster. His arms fell to his sides. "We've hurt each other too much, I don't know what we have anymore, but it's not love. I'm sorry; I never meant to hurt you. I never meant for anyone to get hurt. I thought I could do what you did to me with Glimmer. I thought I could just have this one thing to make me feel better sometimes, you know, when I would think of you and her together. It hurt so bad, I just needed something to take the hurt away, but, really, this hasn't been about you and me for a long time now." She finished breaking him as a tear slid down her cheek.

"So I was right all along? It was Mellark?" Marvel asked.

"Yes, it's been me the whole time." Peeta said, wanting to take his share of the responsibility. Katniss was openly crying now.

"I knew it, I saw you two together a couple of times, I saw you go into that closet together on the first day of school, I knew it was Katniss with you that night at the movies." Marvel said bitterly. "I guess I just didn't want to believe that either of you could do this to me, especially you Katniss, I thought we loved each other." Marvel accused.

"We did, that was real, we just flamed out. There was too much distrust, too many lies, especially from me." Katniss admitted.

Marvel nodded his head and as if he couldn't stand to be there anymore, he turned and left the house silently, not looking at either of them, slamming the front door shut behind him.

Peeta went to Katniss and comforted her as best he could. He let her cry, knowing that it didn't mean that she loved him any less just because she was crying for the end of her and Marvel. He had been a spectator to the relationship between them, anyone could see that for the two of them, what they had was real in the beginning, but it had been destroyed by them both. Two people who had forgotten how good it was to be together, and made choices that benefited them both, forgot who they were when they were together. Peeta knew that he would never forget, he would never let her forget who they were together. They had come together the hard way, but he knew that through this pain Katniss had also learned her lesson.

Katniss leaned on Peeta, her solid, caring Peeta. This was definitely worth the pain that she was going through now, this lesson that she had learned through many mistakes. She would never take for granted the relationship that she had managed to develop with Peeta, it was more real than anything she had ever experienced. Through this game she learned how to appreciate someone you can trust, she could not imagine Peeta putting her through anything like this. She knew that this is what she needed, she would not let anything burn away what they had managed to create together so far, and she hoped that they would become stronger together.

In the end they didn't care what their friends thought of how they came together, and they overestimated how much people would care. Marvel and Cato left the group, Marvel and Glimmer came together, but it seemed that they did not learn their lesson. Through the rest of their high school career there were times when it seemed that they were all still playing a game, Marvel and Glimmer against Katniss and Peeta, sometimes Katniss and Peeta won, like when they would hear people talking about how they both just seemed so destined to be together, that they looked so right together, that they were the couple that everyone wanted to be. Other times, Marvel and Glimmer would win, but frivolous things like prom king and queen, somehow those victories didn't seem as important to Katniss and Peeta.

They both went to the same college, Katniss as a business major, so she would be able to help Peeta when he took over Mellark's Bakery one day. His brothers wanted no part in it, they moved on to more prestigious careers, but Katniss and Peeta loved the world they grew up in and wanted to raise their family where it felt like home to them, and home for Katniss and Peeta is always district twelve.