A/N: Please review and let me know what you think of this story. Also, let me know if you have any ideas for where you'd like to see the story go. I'm open to ideas. :)
After the party I tell my mom and sister to walk home so I can stay and help Peeta clean up. He pushes my hands away when I try to pick up trash.
"Hey, it's your birthday. You don't have to help." I roll my eyes and push his hands away now sneaking him a grin.
"I will help you clean up, and you can't stop me." He chuckles and shakes his head. He knew arguing with me was a losing battle. I was too stubborn and he knew that. He knew me like the back of his hand, just as I did with him. "You're mom didn't care that you threw a party?" I ask arching an eyebrow. His mom had warmed up to me, but still wasn't fond of me. She wasn't fond of her own children I shouldn't expect her to be fond of me. He shrugs.
"My father argued with her, until she agreed. Even Rye and Jessie stepped in. They love you, you know. You're like the younger sister they never got." He says with a chuckle. I look at him and wonder if that had more meaning behind it.
"But, they got you. You're much better." I say winking at him he grins and his arms circle around my waist as he places a soft kiss on my shoulder blade.
"Hmm, think so?" He asks playfully. I nudge him gently and jokingly.
"Know so." I turn and place a kiss on his lips. He grins down at me and we get back to cleaning up. We start walking home, hand in hand smiling and laughing. I contemplate taking him to the lake as I had wanted to so many times, but I wanted to save it for a time when I may not be able to say everything I wanted to anymore to him. Which would be the night before the reaping, only two months away. I sigh and he looks at me.
"What is it, Kat?" He asks stopping and turning me so I'm looking at him. I look into his bright blue eyes that are just as bright and breathtaking in the moonlight as they were in the sunlight. I lean my forehead against his.
"It's just. The reaping's two months away. What if...you get..." I can't bare to finish the sentence just the thought sending sharp pains over my heart. He shakes his head and kisses me lightly. We had a while until we had the reaping, but I knew all too well these two months would go by in the blink of an eye.
"Don't worry about me, Katniss. Worry about yourself." I shake my head rolling my eyes. He didn't understand that he wasn't the only one in this relationship that put the other before themselves.
"Peeta, you don't understand. Without you, I could never be whole again." He gives me a knowing smile. It was the same for him.
"Let's not think about that now." He says and kisses my forehead. I nod in agreement and we resume to our previous state smiling and laughing and enjoying each other's company. We walk about five times slower than usual not ready to part just yet. When we reach my house I look at him with a pout which makes him chuckle.
"Hey, I'll see you tomorrow at school." He says walking in to collect his stuff. He was careful to be quiet and not wake my family. He kisses me goodbye and leaves. I watch him walk away until the trail contains nobody. I tear myself away from the window and find my mother or Prim had put the flowers in a vase. My fingers curl around the necklace handing from my neck and I smile.
Quickly I get ready for bed and silently slip into bed falling asleep quickly.
I wake up on a Saturday with the sun streaming in through the windows. The reaping was in a week. I couldn't wait any longer to take Peeta to the lake. I needed to share it with him, but mostly I wanted my father to see him. To see how much I loved him. My father was always trying to convince me that love is a good thing, and I shouldn't dismiss it so quickly.
When I finally understand what he means he's not here to say I told you so. I feel an aching in my chest, a longing for my father. What I would give to go hunting with him again, to have him meet Peeta, to hear his laugh, and see his smile, and see my family whole again. I whip away a tear and shake the thoughts out of my mind.
"Oh, daddy. I miss you." I whisper almost inaudibly. I quickly get dressed and walk out of the bedroom to find Peeta and Prim chatting on the couch.
"Good morning, beautiful." Peeta says causing my cheeks to burn red. He ruffles Prim's hair causing her to giggle and stand up pulling me into a warm embrace. Which was exactly what I needed.
"Ready to go?" I ask as he pulls away and he nods grinning at me. He takes my hand and we both say goodbye to Prim. We walk silently until we reach the meadow, and then he stops me.
"Alright, what's wrong?" He asks crossing his arms waiting for an answer.
"How did you...?" I ask arching an eyebrow wanting him to answer me first.
"Katniss, you only bury your face like that in my shoulder when you're upset." Damn. He knew me so incredibly well.
"I just miss my dad. I miss his laugh and his I told you so's, and this morning when I woke up I found myself wishing he was here to give me the biggest I told you so of my life." I take Peeta's hands in mine. "I always told him I would never ever fall in love, never get married, never have children, and now look at me. I'm so in love with you and he's gone and not here to see it. Not here to tell me I told you so, and not here to meet you. And if we ever did get married he wouldn't be there to walk me down the isle." I feel a sob building in my throat at the last part.
"Shh." Peeta pulls me into a tight embrace and I find myself breaking down over my father's death once again. I knew it had to do with my dream last night. It was my father and I in the woods, and he was teasing me about being in love with the baker's son. When I finally stop crying I pull away just slightly.
"I want to take you somewhere." I say and take his hand pulling him towards the fence. He questions me on the long walk to the lake wondering where we were going. I only replied with just be patient, or you'll see. He groaned every time I did. When I reach the concealment of bushes I know I've reached the lake. I place only my father and I had shared. I would've brought Prim here if she wasn't afraid of the woods.
"Katniss, are we almost there?" Peeta asks and I nod grinning at him. I push through the bushed my hand still locked with his. We stare for a moment at the lake and the little shack beside it.
"Wow, it's beautiful. Almost, but not quite as beautiful as you." He says kissing my temple. I close my eyes trying to call my dad trying to bring his presence here. As I do I feel the wind pick up, and I'm not sure if it's coincidence or if it's actually my father. Peeta and I sit down, hip to hip, shoulder to shoulder staring out at the lack.
"Why is this place so special?" He asks curiously playing with our fingers absentmindedly.
"My father use to bring me here when I was little. It was a place for just him and I. After he died I wanted to bring Prim to have someone to share this place with me again but she was afraid of the woods. I still came every now and then when I felt loneliest. When I just needed my dad, and I wanted to bring you here. I wasn't going to until the night before the reaping but I couldn't wait any longer."
Peeta's blue eyes bore into me hanging onto every word I said. I look up when he doesn't say anything his eyes meeting mine. "What?" I ask.
"You really wanted to share this special place with me? Why?" He asks truly curious. I thought he would know me well enough to know the answer.
"Because I love you, Peeta. You know that." A smile ghosts across his lips and he kisses my temple.
"I love you too, Katniss. Always have and always will." Now it was my turn to smile. The wind picks up again and swirls around us, and I can't help what I say next.
"Hey, dad." I whisper and again the wind swirls around us and I know in my heart it was my father's way of saying he was happy for me, he was glad I was happy and in love. Even if he couldn't say it, he could still show it. A tear of happiness combined with sadness rolls down my cheek and Peeta catches it.
"Why did you want to take me here before the reaping, though?" I turn my gaze meeting mine again.
"Because I'm terrified that you or Prim are going to be reaped. I'm only eligible to volunteer for Prim. I have no way of protecting you, though. I just thought if I brought you here I could tell you everything I've been afraid to say. I'm not good with words like you, and I'm still so afraid of love even if I'm in I'm scared of it. It's just if one of us gets picked -" He cuts me off with a kiss.
"Katniss, stop talking like that. We'll be fine like we have been for four years now." I look at him doubtfully.
"You don't know that." I counter and he sighs.
"No, I don't. But we'll get through it." He says trying to reassure me.
"Not if you die." I say and he frowns.
"Katniss, please just worry about yourself." He says pleadingly.
"No. You put me before you put yourself, and I do the same with you. I put you before I put myself. Please understand that." I say and I know he has to, because he's in the same position. His lips meet mine passionately, and I feel something stir inside my chest. A hunger for Peeta. It spreads through out my being and the kiss doesn't satisfy me, only make my knees greater. We rise to our knees getting wrapped in each other.
There was nothing to interrupt us, but ourselves. Well except maybe Madge Undersee's long time boyfriend Gale Hawthorne who also use the woods to hunt, but I seriously doubted he knew of this lake. The wind swirls around us again and our bodies move closer together, becoming one and moving as one. We pull apart when we need air.
"Katniss Everdeen, I love you so much." Peeta says looking in my eyes and I can't help but smile.
"I love you too, Peeta Mellark." His eyes light up, glistening with happiness. We lay down our legs tangling together as we talk. Bringing Peeta here was one of my best ideas. I knew my father approved by the gushes of wind, and I know had someone to share this place with again. I know had everything out in the open to Peeta. Nothing was a secret between us. We were one, and I finally know what my father was trying to tell me about six years ago.
"Ew." I had said when my father had kissed my mother. My dad chuckled and bent down in front of me so he was eye level.
"Just watch, Kat. One day you'll be kissing some guy with a little girl in the background saying ew." He taped my nose lightly and I shook my head.
"Never. Love is for people who are weak, and bringing children into a world with the Hunger Games is cruel." I stated simply. He shook his head and stood up.
"Katniss, one day you'll meet a boy and you'll have an instant connection. You'll fall for him, even if you fight it. You'll be best friends in love. There will be no secrets, and you'll know each other like the back of your hands. You'll do anything in the world to keep him safe, and he'll do the same for you. You may argue and disagree but nothing will tear you apart. You'll become two parts of a whole." He said. I just stared up at him with wide eyes trying to understand what he had meant.
But, now laying here with Peeta, I realize this is everything my father had said I would find. Down to the very last thing. Peeta and I had become two parts of a whole. I hated admitting I needed someone, I didn't like feeling weak, but Peeta was my weakness, and honestly I couldn't ask for a better weakness. The only thing that still rings untrue is "nothing will tear you apart." Nothing that either of us did, or argued about, or anyone said would. But the Hunger Games could do it in an instant. I hold onto Peeta a little tighter, kiss him a little longer, tell him of my love a little more and pray we'll be okay.