I awake in the early morning to find the bed empty and cold around me. I sit up and look around the dim room for Peeta. I can't imagine he is in a good state considering the state he was in last night. I call his name as I search the upper floor but he does not answer, when I finally find him he is sitting silently at the kitchen table, his head resting on his bandaged hands. His feet are cut up from walking across the glass still splayed all over the hall floor.

"Peeta?" I whisper as I creep closer, "are you feeling ok, would you like me to get you some water?" His body stiffens at the sound of my voice but he does not answer. I stand there for a few moments in silence waiting for an answer before giving up and walking towards the counter. I light on the stove; place a kettle of water upon it and take a seat opposite Peeta to wait for the water to boil. As I take my seat Peeta starts to mumble into his hands. I strain my ears to decipher what he is saying but to no avail; his mumbling becomes louder but no clearer as the kettle begins to whistle. As I move to take the kettle off the stove he raises his head and shouts clear as day "JUST LEAVE KATNISS".

I almost drop the kettle from my hands at the ferocity of his outburst. His eyes are raw red as he stares at me intently. "I'm just trying to help Peeta" I say, trying to remain calm. I know sometimes he cannot control his outbursts and that there is a part of him that still fears me, hates me even. "I don't need your help, I need you to leave" he says gruffly, his words scratching against his throat as he spits them out.

I can feel an angry fire begin to burn within me as my patience runs thin. I try to stay calm as I turn to answer him "you don't need to be afraid of me Peeta" I say simply "I thought we were working through this" I add quietly placing the kettle down on the counter.

"I'm not afraid of you Katniss" Peeta says, his voice softening a little "but you should be afraid of me" he says as he slowly gets up from the table and leaves the room. I stand there dumbfounded as I watch Peeta stroll back across the glass in the hallway and bound up the stairs leaving the faint imprints of bloody footprints in his wake.

I race up the stair after him, sidestepping the glass and blood. I find Peeta sitting at the end of his bed rubbing his temples with the palms of his hands. Instead of heading into the bedroom I turn and go back down the stairs. I make him a tea of white willow bark and passionflower and head back upstairs with a mug of the soothing mixture. I kneel beneath his crouched frame and search for his eyes with mine, when they meet mine they are full to the brim with guilt and pain.

I move my hands up to cover his and remove them from the side of his head. "Here drink this" I say softly while placing the mug in his hands "it will help". "Thanks" he mumbles, averting his gaze from mine. As he takes slow sips of the hot liquid I shuffle closer to him and tentatively lay my head against his lap. Peeta sighs under my touch but does not flinch. I sit silently as Peeta finishes his drink afraid to move in case I shatter the fragile tender silence that fills the room. After what seems like a half hour Peeta gently places his hand on my head and begins to softly brush my hair with his finger-tips. "I'm not afraid of you" I whisper cracking the silence like a pane of glass. His fingers stop working through my hair and he sighs "I think you should be". I turn to face him and state earnestly "well I'm not, and I never will be". He shakes his head away from my gaze "but what if I can't stop hurting you?" he whispers with fear in his voice. "You will" I say firmly "I won't let Snow live in your head forever".

I raise myself up on my knees so our eyes are almost level. "We'll get through this" I say, taking his hands in mine. His gaze remains averted. "Look at me" I plead but he does not. I move my face close to his and whisper in his ear "I am not afraid" I say placing a kiss on his jawline just below his ear "I am not afraid" I repeat myself as I begin to pepper his face with light kisses. As my lips near his he takes my face in his hands and hungrily plants his mouth on mine. I match the passion of his kiss with the fire of my own as I rise and press my body against his. Peeta leans back on the bed resting on his elbows, to keep our kiss intact my body follows his onto the bed and I swing a leg over his to straddle him.

I run my hands through his messy blonde curls as his mouth leaves mine and works its way from the lobe of my ear to the base of my neck. I moan beneath the feeling of his tongue lapping up my skin like milk. I slip the loose sleeves of my night dress from my shoulders bearing more flesh for Peeta to explore, and he does, moving his way south towards my newly exposed breasts. He kisses his way across my left breast before stopping as he reaches my nipple, his tongue swirls around the erect nub before he hungrily sucks it into his warm mouth. I shudder and moan beneath his touch my moans intensifying as his left hand covers my right breast. His fingers move to pinch and roll my right nipple as his teeth tease my left.

AAAAAND I HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE FOLKS. I HAVE AN ESSAY DUE IN THE MORNING THAT I HAVE YET TO START. I PROMISE I'LL HAVE THE NEXT CHAPTER UP IN THE NEXT 2/3 DAYS. THANKS FOR READING AND PLEASE REVIEW XX