Sorry this chapter is a little bit short, I was in college all day and in work all evening. I promise the next one will be longer, and more juicy :P

Chapter Four.

I part my lips and allow his tongue to slip between them. I can taste my tears on his tongue. I can taste our grief, our desperation, I can taste the fragility of our grip on reality and the strength of the tether that binds us together.

I can't help but fall into him, I lean my body against his strong and stable warmth. He leans back so he is resting on his elbows, supporting the full weight of my body on his.

We kiss slowly, our tears mingling, on our cheeks. I feel all our unresolved questions being answered in this one kiss.

And then, after what seems like hours of bliss,

He breaks away.

I feel all my confusion and anxiety bubble back up inside me, all I want is his mouth back on mine, to quell my thoughts and spark the fire I can feel burning inside of me. Peeta must notice the look of dismay in my eyes as he chuckles lightly and places a hand on my cheek. "We should head back Katniss, it's getting cold".

In all my fiery feelings for Peeta I had not noticed the sharp change in weather. The temperature has dropped drastically and we crunch through frost as we make our way back to the Victors Village. I feel myself shivver under my light shirt, Peeta notices this and takes off his heavy woolen jumper, placing it around my shoulders.

I unwittingly find myself peeking at Peeta in his undershirt. I can see the outline of his muscles underneath the thin cotton fabric, his toned arms are speckled with paint. I can just about make out the faint outline of a burn scar emerging from the neck of his shirt, licking his collarbone.

I can't help but wonder when exactly the boy with the bread turned into a man, was it during the Hunger Games? Was it during his capture? Was it in these past few weeks since returning from 13?

I am still wondering all these things when we reach the door of my house. I say my house because, well, it has never been my home, and ever since Prim died and mother moved away it has felt as much a prison as any cell in the Capitol, or any underground room in 13.

I open the door and let Peeta in. There is a pot of warm stew left on the stove from Greasy Sae's daily visit (what a shock she must have gotten, finding me out of the house!). We share the stew, finding ourselves as ravenous for food as we were for one another by the tree.

It is almost midnight by the time we are finished eating and I can't help but smile as Peeta leans back in his chair and undoes his belt. "That was a feed and a half" he sighs contentedly. I laugh a little as he rubs his toned stomach as if it were the jolliest beer belly.

"Well" he says with a yawn as he straightens back up in his chair "I better get moving before I fall asleep!".

"What" the frightened sound emerges before I can stop myself.

I can't go back to the restless nights of fear and torment. I can't battle the night without Peeta by my side. "You can't go".

Peeta must recognise the terror in my voice and moves to take me in his arms. "Hey, hey" he says soothingly as he tries to stop my body trembling with his embrace. "I'm just going to get some night clothes, I will be back in a few minutes".

"No" I say firmly.

"No?" he asks chuckling. "What do you mean no?"

"I mean no, you don't need them, I don't want you gone for even a moment" I say, instantaniously regretting the needyness in my voice.

"I mean" I say trying to regain my composure "I'm sure there is something here you can borrow" I say as offhandly as possible.

"Ok" says Peeta, obviously amused "if you say so".

He takes my perpetually cold hand in his ever warm one, once again soothing my shakes (this time of embarassment!). "Let's go to bed then" he says, leading me up the stairs.