I edited some things in ch 4, so if you didn't just read it, you might want to go back and read it again. Thank you all for reading, i'm sorry i didnt update sooner
I don't own the Hunger Games
Peeta's POV
I awaken to the realization that the person I had in my arms last night isn't there anymore. I roll over to her side, it's still warm, so she must have gotten up not to long ago. I make the decision to get up and go see if she's still home. I walk into the bathroom that shares our room, and I see her. Just getting out of the shower. Only a towel on. The sight makes my heart leap. She just stares at me though.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Do I look that bad?" she asks with a laugh. Oh, I should probably wipe that stupid grin of my face.
"Of course not, you look amazing, and all mine." I say heading over to her and taking her into a deep kiss.
"Well aren't you reassured?" Wow. I say she looks amazing and she laughs at me. This is one of the many reasons I love this girl, she has spirit. I see it every time she laughs or gets mad.
"Yes I am." I announce before pulling her into another kiss.
"Ok, well lets get ready and head over to the bakery." She says like that is actually going to happen. Look what I did to her before, and she wants to go back?
"I know what your thinking Peeta Mellark, and there is not a chance in hell that you are going to stop me. I am a big girl, and can take care of myself. If you do anything, I will run, I promise." She says and then kisses me. This girl certainly knows how to make someone agree. With that she goes into the bathroom and changes.
"Are we going or not?"
"Yes, just wait a minute." I go and get ready and then we leave. I really hope she stays good to her promise. Then again, I really hope I don't have to make her. The whole way there she is holding my hand as a reassurance that she believes in me. We pass by all the places that live in our nightmares. The places that I know it's hard for her to look at like the remains of her old house and the state building, where Madge lived. She is the one that gave Katniss the pin which named her.
We eventually pass through all the ruins and get to what used to be my family's bakery. Even new and remodeled, I can still hear my mom yelling at me, saying that I didn't do something right. No. I have to push those thoughts aside for right now, I can't face them when she is with me. I don't even know that I can face them at all. I let go of her hand as if telling her that I need to do this by myself, and stepped in the cold building. Strangely, there is nothing immediate that will make me have a flashback. Nothings shiny either. This place doesn't exactly hold good memories, but not the worst memories I've ever had took place here either. I look around and I see what used to be, not what Snow wants me to see. I turn around and motion for her to come in, and she does. I put my arm around her shoulder and I know that with her here, I will have the restraint to not have a episode like the other while she is around. I hope I won't forget this moment because now I know. I thought I knew before, but it wasn't with the finality that I do now. She is the one who keeps me sane.
Katniss POV
He did it. He stepped through those steps and faced his childhood agony combined with what Snow wanted him to see. I'm so proud of him. My sandy haired, blue-eyed man has done the impossible by taking the couple of steps inside this building. I pull him into a long meaningful kiss to signify the importance of this moment. I can't imagine this getting any better.
"Are you ok?" I ask him
"Surprisingly, yes." He flashes that amazing smile at me while he says this. We go into the back to get the kitchen set up for tomorrow. Since people keep flooding back to 12, they need a food source. When he is working tomorrow, I think I'm going to go hunt. That would be nice, go to the spot where Gale and I used to spend our Sundays. Gale. It's been so long since I've thought about him. Maybe because it hurts so bad to. The image associated with his name now is Prim dying. That won't go away. I know it was his bomb and that's never going to change. I just can't help but think, what if he wasn't responsible? Where would we be now? Would I still be with Peeta? The last question generates an immediate answer Yes, I love Peeta with all my heart. Gale was always just my friend, even when he wanted to be more than that. When he kissed me, it felt totally different from when Peeta kissed me back then. It felt more like kissing a brother than a boyfriend/ husband. I stop myself from thinking when I realize that there are tears running down my face and Peeta is trying to talk to me. I came here to comfort him and instead he's comforting me. I don't know how I ended up so lucky in this world that I end up to be with this amazing guy wrapping his arms around me in a warm embrace that makes everything I just thought about go right back to where it was before. In the back of my head.
After my little meltdown, we stayed at the bakery for about 2 hours. We made dough so it could be baked in the morning, we made some frosting to go in the refrigerator, and we cleaned up the kitchen. A lot of work goes into running a business, I am finding out. As we walk home we hold each others hand the whole way there. When we get home I find that the kitchen light is on, we walk in to find Greasy Sae and her granddaughter cooking. Just like they did before Peeta got home. I'm surprised, but happy to see them. If we are all here we might as well get Haymitch. I run over to get him, and his stupid geese are starting to peck at each other. All I can think about is poor Haymitch. I think he got a little more than he bargained for with them. All well, I open the door and enter the repulsive place he calls home and start to look for him. He's on the couch passed out, big shocker. I decide to leave him be just because I don't want to get hit when he wakes up. So, I decide to head back to my house and enjoy the dinner that Sae made.
After dinner, Sae and her granddaughter leave so Peeta and I can do the dishes. In truth, I do most of the washing while he tries to distract me by kissing my neck. I almost drop a dish due to this, so I turn around and hand him the dish towel so he can dry them. When we finish doing dishes, he goes into the study and starts to paint. I sit on the couch in there and just watch him. Watching him is so amazing, he is so careful and pristine with every wave of his brush. Before I know it, he's done. He turns the canvas around and suddenly I'm starring at a yellow primrose. I smile widely at this and he smiles back.
"Peeta, it's beautiful."
"Thank you, I was thinking I could put it on the wall in the living room if you were ok with it."
"Yes, of course. This makes me remember her in a more peaceful way then what I usually see when I think of her. The rose is a great way to remember her by." By now we are beyond tired, and Peeta has to get up early in the morning tomorrow. As we are walking up to bed, I think how perfect today was. With nothing spectacular about it, it was perfect. I open my dresser, quickly grab a tank top and shorts, and go to the bathroom to change into them. When I get back out, he is already in bed waiting for me. Instead of falling right back to sleep, we stay awake talking. I am the first to close my eyes. Before I'm engulfed in the warm embrace of sleep, I feel his arms wrap tight against me. I know I'm safe and loved.
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