Chapter 13
Shower scene.
(Katniss's POV)
I could still taste the blood in my mouth long after he kissed me, but I pay little to no attention to it. I don't acknowledge that he is decked out in bruises from head to toe, or that his knuckles are swollen, cut and bleeding. I don't want to know what he has been up to this morning, but it's probably not hard to guess who he got into a fight with. If Peeta wants me to know what is going on then he will tell me, but in the meantime I just want to relax and focus on this new book that the two of us agreed to start. He hikes up the stairs for a shower leaving me alone on the couch, rubbing the baby tenderly. She's so active today, has barely stopped moving since I woke up this morning. The kicks and nudges are sometimes very painful but mother says its normal because the baby is running out of room, today officially marks my seven month. I'm seven months pregnant and as big as a house. It was hard for me to roll out of bed this morning, its hard for me to do anything really, but sit here on the couch day in and day out, watching the world pass me by. Part of me feels like I should get up, wander through town a bit since its been so long since I had the fresh outdoor air on my face, but I don't do it for fear I'd trip and fall over my feet. The baby is more important than my need to venture out into the snowy landscape. It'shard to believe the baby will be here in about 2 months. I don't know whether to be excited or terrified, maybe I'm a bit of both who knows. One thing is for certain I don't know the first thing about being a mother. What if I'm no good at it, if I am to screwed up to take care of my child it will give my mother an excuse to take her from me. No, I can't think like that, I'm all about moving on now, looking ahead, in front of me. I got Peeta back and I have Haymitch and now thanks to Peeta I have Effie.
My mother comes around the corner a couple of minutes later and sits on the empty cushion next to me, taking Peeta's place. I sit up, curling my legs underneath me and allowing her to take his spot. She lets out a large yawn and rubs her temples in frustration, I know a conversation is coming and its going to be one that I'm not going to like it, now-a-days she has all kinds of comments that gets my heart going, angers me from the inside out. My mother has become a walking, talking pain in my ass. She folds her hands together and leans forward slightly, tilting her head sideways to get a better look at me.
"You two been sleeping in the same bed?" Mother comments and I looked at her shocked, at how she has come across that information.
"Yeah, So" I shrug. I'm not going to deny the fact that Peeta has slept with me in order to chase the nightmares away, but she doesn't realize that, she doesn't realize that I haven't been waking up screaming until my lungs were raw and painful. No, she only see the fact that he is sleeping in my bed with me and in her eyes that is a bad thing. "What's so bad about him sleeping with me. Haven't you noticed that I haven't had any nightmares lately."
"Yes Katniss I have" She says in an irritated tone of voice "It's just that I don't want you two making a habit of it. That boy is still sick and its only a matter of time before he..." I cut her off, anger and rage filling my voice.
"He's fine. He can control his flashback." I haul myself up from the couch, not wanting to be anyway near her, her presence alone is making me tired and rundown "I'm tired of this whole thing you're pulling" I snap.
She stares up at me, but doesn't say anything, just allows me to pace back and forth with my hands behind my aching back.
"I'm so sick and tired of you being here and trying to take control of my life. You wouldn't be here if it weren't for this baby. You wouldn't want nothing to do with me."
"Katniss Everdeen how dare you speak to me like that. I am your mother and I cared enough to come back here to help you"
"NO all you care about is delivering this baby, and then making excuses as to why I'm not fit enough to take care of her. You failed Prim and I, this baby is your second chance. I'm broken and damaged anyway so there is a strong possibility I wont be able to take care of her, that's where you come in right? Tell me something mother will I even be in the baby's life in you somehow manage to take her off me? Will she know her mother, or more importantly will she know her father. We all know how much you dislike Peeta for reason that aren't his fault."
My mother looks at me in absolute shock. I have never once talked to her like this, but it was something that needed to be done, maybe now she will stop with her dreadful comments about taking the baby, about trying to set ground rules for me because I wont listen to anything she has to say and I wont obey any rules that she sets for me because on she isn't my legal guardian anymore Haymitch is, so what Haymitch says goes, and I'll be more than willing to listen to my mentor. My mothers face is a deep shade of red and I'm not sure if it's because she is angry or getting ready to cry at my harsh words, harsh or not they are true and I'm to mad to stop them from spewing from my lips, so I continue.
"You abandoned me twice mother, once when dad died and now since Prim died. Admit it your only here for my baby. You don't care what happens to me."
"How dare you accuse me of such things. Your my daughter and losing your sister and father was the hardest thing I had to go through in my entire life. I dealt with the grief as best as I could. How dare you think I don't care about you, I'm trying to do what's best for you and my grandchild, and what's best for her is to be with a stable home environment, with a stable mother and father. I'll be honest you guys are not stable at all and it's not your fault. You have no idea what raising a baby is going to be like on the two of you. You haven't healed yet, neither of you have."
"Bullshit since he's been back I've felt so much better. He holds me at night and chases away the nightmares so I don't wake up screaming my head off, but that doesn't matter does it, what matters is there is a man in your daughter's bed and its irresponsible right?"
"Katniss I'm not going to fight with you everyday like this so you can stop now. I'm here to help you transfer Districts and deliver the baby as comfortably as possible."
"Oh thanks what would I ever do without you. Don't forget the part where you take my daughter off me" I say sarcastically.
My mother shouts in frustration "It was an option Katniss. The baby would be better off in District 4 with me then here."
"Screw you she needs Peeta and I" I shout back and I can't take much more of our conversation so I head towards the stairs and ascend them step by step, ignoring the glares coming from my mother. I know my words were harsh but she needed to hear them, needed to know how I felt about her. I don't hate her I just hate what she is doing to me. The stress of having my baby taken from me is overwhelming and I wont stand for it. Who cares if I hurt her feelings or not, she's been hurting my feelings since the moment she decided to abandon me for the second time, the moment where I needed her the most. We were both grieving for Prim, we had lost a daughter and a sister, instead of being there for the only family she had left she left me, let the capitol dump me off in the ruins of 12, never so much as offering to come and take care of me, until now. The knowledge of the baby became known to her.
I hear the water running from the bathroom which means Peeta is still in there. I want nothing more than to take him in my arms under the shower head and kiss the life out of him, forget everything that has happened in the past couple of weeks, but the self-conscious feeling I get at the thought of taking my clothes off right in front of him and having him stare at the stretch marks, the stretched scars and the large prodding of my stomach stops me. I can't help it though I settle for entering the bathroom, feeling the steamy hot air against my skin. Peeta has his hands against the shower wall and hangs his head low. I can see the outline of his naked form through the shower curtain and I blush like a madman.
"Katniss?" He asks shocked and pulls back the shower curtain so he can poke his head out and glance at me. "What are you doing?"
"Well since all my mother tries to do is fight with me I decided to...well...I" I blush massively and try my best not to look at his slick chest.
He smiles at my innocent behavior "You want to join me?"
"Well yeah I do but I have to keep clothes on" I reply honestly.
Peeta chuckles "Why, your beautiful no matter what. Come on, you know I wont judge you."
I bite my lip as he pokes his head back inside the shower. He has seen me naked before but that was when I was small and my clothes fit properly. I undress achingly slow, starting with my pants. It takes three minutes for me to undress and I'm horrified as I pass the mirror and almost have half a mind to put my clothes back on. He pulls back the curtain and helps me inside the shower, being extra careful so I don't fall and hurt myself. I cant help but blush as he stares at my body.
"Stop staring" I frown.
"Why you're beautiful" He says seriously.
I say nothing and watch as he rubs the cream-white shampoo through his hair, an urge to wash his back overtakes me and I don't ask, just take the pink soap bar laying in the corner of the bathtub and bring it to his slick, wet shoulders. I'm shocked at how much muscle he still has considering the Capitol starved him, beat him and destroyed him, curiosity as to what he was up to in the Capitol overrides me. What was he doing when he wasn't with Dr. Aurelius.
"You okay?" Peeta asks as he enjoys the feeling of me rubbing his back with the bar of soap. I give both his shoulders a gentle squeeze and the spot two parallel whip lashes on each of his shoulders. I don't answer him, just trace the scares with the tips of my fingers, the scars climb down his back and meet in the middle. A sudden urge to vomit overtakes me, how can someone hurt him like that. There is another whip-lash going across his lower back.
"What did they do to you" I mutter unconsciously.
"Katniss" He turns around so I'm facing him and takes both my hands into his, leaning forward to claim my lips "It doesn't matter now okay. We're safe, this is history. They don't hurt anymore"
I frown "But you have to wear these for the rest of your life"
He takes me in his arms and the feel of his bare chest squished up against mine makes my heart melt. I'm in a stat of total bliss as he holds me under the shower-head, between the warmth from his body and the warm water spraying us I couldn't ask for a better place to be at this moment than in his arms.
"I don't care about what happened in the past. I only care about you and the baby" Peeta mutters and places a hot, wet kiss against my cheek I take his face between my hands and look into his beautiful blue eyes.
"I love you so much".
We kiss, shower and hop out of the tub to dress. I take a moment to look at every inch of Peeta. His knuckles are still cracked and swollen, fresh bruises are starting to blossom on his right cheek. Looking at him and imagining Gale's fists flying into his face for no reason angers me to the very core. The thought of him causally walking down the path leading into town and being bombarded by my ex-friend sends me into a blind rage. Peeta has been through a lot, we both have and the thought of someone hurting him is unbearable. I wont allow anyone to give him anymore scars. We're silent for a couple of minutes, both of us are looking into each others eyes from across the room. I take a step forward, reaching up to place my hand against his freshly bruised cheek, shaking my head in complete disgust.
"I hate the fact that Gale gets away with picking a fight with you" I mutter sadly, standing on my tiptoes to place a delicate kiss on his cheek.
He sighs heavily, rubs his temples in frustration and begins pacing back and forth with his hands tucked behind his back and a conflicted look on his face. I can see the wheels turning in his head and he is have a mental battle with himself, trying to decide if he should reveal what has happened earlier today between him and Gale or just keep it quiet and move on and act like nothing happened. Peeta stops his pacing and takes a deep breath.
"He didn't exactly pick a fight with me." He reveals.
I stare at him "What?"
"Look Katniss if I tell you what happened do you swear you will not be angry, upset. Don't withdraw from me"
"What's going on Peeta. Whatever it is, tell me. We keep no secrets from each other."
Peeta lets out a sigh and nods his head multiple times, he is praying whatever it is he has to tell me wont hurt me too bad, but what exactly is it. "I started it, went over to see him and ended up punching him, We got into a fight in one of the empty houses he was staying at." I guess Peeta wasn't so innocent after all. I'm not mad at the fact that he went looking for a fight. Gale does it all the time. I'm more curious as to why he did it is all. Before I can open my mouth to ask him why he would do such a thing he continues and answers for me "He did something really, really bad that he needed punished for, something that is truly unforgivable."
"What?" I ask getting a tad bit frustrated "What did he do that was so bad that you had to go and seek him out?"
Peeta begins pacing again and the pacing irritates me "He...He called a Capitol reporter on us. The guy came over this morning while you were still asleep asking for an interview with the star-crossed lovers because supposedly he has been promised one and we've agreed"
My body is completely numb and imagines of cameras flash through my mind. How could Gale do this to me. How could he call this guy just to get back at the fact that I don't love him like he loves me. The entire nation is going to find out about this baby and it was all going to be Gale's fault. I look over at Peeta, tears are swelling in my eyes and he takes me in his strong loving arms, stroking my head and whispering comforting words into my ear. I'm so disgusted with Gale that I can spit, this is truly an unforgivable thing Peeta's right on that. Haymitch suggestion in making up with Gale before he does something drastic is all but forgotten about, no way in hell I'm making up with him now.
"How could he" I wail "How could he do this to us."
"I know its bad and I wasn't going to tell you for this reason" He says wiping the tears away with his thumbs "I'll do everything I can to make sure this guy doesn't come near you. Understood."
I nod my head.
"In the meantime we have a District to transfer" Peeta smiles and rubs my arms soothingly.
He hugs me tightly against his body, allowing me to soak his t-shirt in tears. Anger, hurt, sadness, fear, and revenge are all coursing through my body, I want to stalk over there and strike Gale myself. He wouldn't hit a pregnant woman would he? Who knows anymore, I don't know him like I used to. He has changed the war and my love for Peeta has twisted him into this monster. One thing was for certain if Gale came within five feet of me I was going to kill him.
To be continued...