The smell of baking cheese buns wafts through my house and invades my dreams. Dreams of happier times and places, dreams where a life full of love and laughter are possible. Slowly I begin to wake and these thoughts don't leave. I can feel my lips still hold the smile of my slumber. I open my eyes and can see Peeta sitting in an armchair just watching me.

"Cheese buns are your favorite, real or not real?"

"Real." I say. "They smell delicious."

Peeta gets up and sits on the floor in front of the sofa where I'm lying. "You look beautiful when you sleep."

I look down at my hands, still scarred and multi colored from the parachute bombs. "Thank you."

"You really do." Peeta puts his hand under my chin and gently makes me look up at him, just like Cinna used to. "You're always beautiful. There's just something so peaceful about when you sleep."

I give him a small smile, not really knowing what to say. I take one of his hands in mine, tracing the outlines of his different colored skin. Just like my hands. The oven timer beeps and beeps but he just keeps staring at my face. "I think the cheese buns are done."

"I know." He says. His voice is different. Not like he's about to have an attack and try to break my neck, but concentrated. Slowly he reaches up and touches my cheek, my forehead, my eyebrows, my nose, and finally my lips. Without warning he stands up and goes to the oven. Taking the buns out and setting them on the counter to cool.

My head spins as I try and figure out what just happened. My thoughts begin to jumble and I have to repeat what Dr. Aurelius taught me. "My name is Katniss Everdeen. I live in District 12. Prim is dead. My mother is in District 2. Peeta is acting strangely. I kissed him on the cheek yesterday. I am acting strangely. Peeta made my favorite buns. He remembered what my favorite buns are. Why is he acting so strange?" Peeta puts a bun in my hand, bringing me out of my thoughts. "Thanks." I take a big bite letting the warmth run through me.

"Your mother called while you were asleep." Peeta says, while settling back into the armchair.

"What did she want?"

"She just wanted to check on you. I told her you were asleep…and smiling. That made her happy. She also said she won't be able to visit for a few more months. There's still a lot of injured. She's also busy training to become a real doctor."

"They were going to do that for Prim. Until Coin…" I trail off, sinking back into my own world.

"Katniss!" It takes a little while for Peeta's voice to bring me back.

"Sorry." I tell him, taking another bite of bun. "Have you checked on Haymitch today?"

"No." He says, looking a little guilty. "I didn't yesterday either."

"We should probably go make sure he's still alive." I say, pulling myself up. I shove the last of the cheese bun into my mouth and trudge over to the door.

"Uh, Katniss, some pants maybe?"

I look down and see I'm in the shirt, underwear, and socks I fell asleep in last night. I start to laugh and then all of the sudden I'm crying.

"What's wrong?" Peeta rushes over to me. "What did I say?"

"Finnick, he- he…I said the same thing to him in the hospital. And now he's…" I choke out between sobs.

"Oh no, I'm sorry." Peeta wraps his arm around me and I bury my face in his chest. I'm still crying, but I like it here where it's warm and safe. After a few minutes I pull my head away to look at him. His eyes are the same blue, and full of concern.

"I should go change. We need to check on Haymitch." I try and pull away, but he doesn't let go. Something in the back of my mind tells me I should be afraid, but I stay right where I am."

"What can I do?" Peeta asks, his voice choked with emotions, and I know he's talking about making things better, not finding me clothes.

"Hold me." I say, laying my head against his chest again. "Just hold me."

Peeta picks me up and carries me to the couch. I sit curled up in his lap for a long time, just letting him make me feel safe and loved. Eventually I open my eyes and can see through the front window that it's the middle of the afternoon. I unglue my face from Peeta's shirt to see he's still asleep. I lightly trace my finger along his lips for a while, not even thinking he might wake up when he says, "It would be alright if you kissed me."

I smile and that feeling erupts inside of me again. Very slowly I lean towards him, my gray eyes locked on his blue until the last second. His lips are warm and gentle against mine. I let my hands find his hair and run my fingers through it. Too soon Peeta pulls away, leaving me breathless. He gives me a light kiss and starts making me get up. My muscles are sore, but I don't care. I could have stayed with him on the couch forever.

As Peeta rises from the couch I drag myself up the stairs to find something clean to wear. I manage to find a clean and not too wrinkled pair of pants and a shirt to pull on. All of my clothes are piled at the bottom of my closet and I don't remember how they got there. Back downstairs Peeta's waiting for me. He takes my hand and leads me outside toward Haymitch's house.

Peeta and I walk right in the door as we've always done. It would be sort of useless to knock anyways. Surprisingly, Haymitch is somewhat sober and clumsily eating a bowl of broth at the table.

"Hazel just left." He says, not even bothering to look up. "What do you two want?"

"Just checking to make sure you're still alive." I say, still amazed at how clean the place is.

"Well, you're out of luck today." Haymitch finally catches sight of me and Peeta. "This is new." He says, indicating our intertwined hands.

I just glare at him and Peeta grins at his feet.

"Are the cameras back?"

"Yeah," I growl. "They came back especially to film me killing my old mentor."

"Charming. You could do a lot better than her." Haymitch says to Peeta.

That stings, but I guess I kind of deserved it. Instead of stalking out like I normally would, I sit down at the table. "Any news?"

"Plutarch still wants you to do that new singing show. He keeps calling me, because you apparently don't answer his calls."

"And that's exactly why."

"I think you should do it." Peeta chuckles.

"Not a chance."

They both start laughing like idiots and I decide it's time for me to leave.