02.
"Katnissss...Katnissss..." the hissing of my name grew louder, and I could taste the dread in the back of my throat, reeling at that horrible sound. I knew without laying eyes on the source, that somewhere near was lurking the frightful, snake-like Mutts, determined to rip me limb from limb and swallow me up.
I started to shake, and all of a sudden a wave of scent hit my nose, causing me to stumble and gasp for breath. The sickeningly sweet smell of roses was unmistakeable, and I found myself wondering what I had done now, to deserve such a miserable fate.
Without a second thought, I was running, sprinting as fast as my legs would carry me. Desperately, I searched for somewhere safe, somewhere maybe high enough that I could climb and escape the wretched end that every hiss was promising.
My surroundings shifted, taking me from the dark tunnels under the Capitol, to a vast wooded area, also cloaked in shadow. A wave of relief washed over me, as surely I was in my sanctuary in the woods outside of District Twelve. I was certain that I recognized the foliage and sounds of the birds around me, until I went tumbling into a shallow creek. It was wrong, misplaced but still so familiar.
The horror of my new revelation had me scrambling to my feet. I stumbled over the spot where Peeta had once hid himself for hours during the first Games we had been in, fleeing the exposed area, overcome with the need to find shelter from the danger that was surrounding me. The hissing of the Mutts continued, always so close behind but never in sight.
I started at the sound of a cannon firing, and with a jolt of terror, I froze in my tracks. My heart started racing, fearing the worst, though until the anthem blared and Peeta's face flashed in the darkened sky, I wasn't sure what the worst was. Now I knew.
The cannon was signaling his death.
I screamed, falling to my knees where I stood, and now the hissing was definitely close enough to mean my ultimate demise.
"Katniss..." I turned to the sound of my name, meeting the cold snake eyes of President Snow, and I couldn't stop myself from shaking.
"Katniss...Katniss..." I watched the words fall from his puffy, blood-stained lips as he reached toward me, but his voice had changed and distorted, sounding closer to that of my now dead lover.
I squeezed my eyes shut, awaiting death's grip, but it never came.
"Katniss, wake up!" Peeta's voice was urgent in my ear, and my eyes snapped open. The first thing I noticed upon waking was a strange, rusty gasping. Upon further investigation, I determined it was coming from my own lips. My body was shaking like a leaf, and I had a death grip on the bedsheets.
"Sweetheart, it's okay. You were having a nightmare, but I'm right here. You're alright," Peeta's voice again, this time so soft and gentle that while I was still trembling, and I felt a bit more calm.
I wasn't in the tunnels, or the arena. I was in my bed, tucked under the covers with Peeta Mellark, who was here to hold me together. With an almost desperate edge, my lips began hunting across his skin, searching up his neck, across the strong line of his jaw, until he read my mind and tipped his face down for better access. When I finally reached his mouth, I could have drank him in forever.
I inhaled his warmth, allowing it to spread through me to my fingers and toes, until I felt as though I was glowing. When I finally pulled away, Peeta's laugh tickled my senses, and his soft voice sounded airy now.
"Do you feel better?" he asked, and I felt myself sigh before a small smile graced my lips.
"So much better," I told him, and he pulled me closer, entwining our legs together so I was completely wrapped in his embrace.
"Good." We remained quiet for a long time, my head pressed to his chest so I could hear the strong pounding of his heart, until he spoke again.
"Do you want to talk about it?" his voice rumbled through his chest, and for a second I hesitated because I'd forgotten what he was referring to. When my nightmare came flooding back into my mind, I shuddered.
"Maybe in the morning," I offered, and he said nothing as he pressed his lips to mine again. We spent a lot of time kissing, and while I was expecting myself to feel tired again, all I felt was anxious and a bit giddy.
"The sun will be rising soon," Peeta spoke, gazing out the window as the world became a little brighter by the second, "Do you want to go to the lake?"
I debated for short moment, before nodding. A walk at sunrise with Peeta was always on my list of things to do. He grinned at me, leaning in to press his lips to mine, before he was rolling out of bed and making his way across the room in just his boxers. I couldn't stop my eyes from trailing over his skin, down the curve of his spine and the swell of his bottom.
He could feel my gaze on him, I'm sure of it, because he looked at me over his shoulder and gave me a knowing smirk.
"You'd better get dressed if we're gonna make it in time," he prompted, and I sighed, deciding he was probably right. With one last long glance at his bum, I forced myself out of bed and joined him at the dresser. Mainly because I wasn't wearing much more than he was, and it was bound to be a bit chilly outside in the early morning.
The two of us wiggled our way into some jeans, Peeta pulled a white v-neck over his head before a hooded sweatshirt when on over it. I slipped my arms into one of his many flannel shirts, and was in the middle of pulling on my socks when Peeta left the room, doing a sort of shuffle/run and laughing under his breath. I cursed silently, knowing that he was going to tease me for taking so long, just as he had every day prior to today.
I knew it was just because he was fully aware of my competitive side, and he just loved to challenge me. After my feet were covered, I dashed out of the bedroom, sliding to the stairs across the hardwood floor. I nearly lost my footing, stumbled for a moment, and continued down to the front door. I pulled on my boots and just finished lacing them when I heard the back door close, signaling Peeta's exit.
I smiled, and to an external set of eyes, it may have looked vaguely evil. I yanked open the door just in time to hear a muffled laugh, already two house away. It didn't matter though, because I was faster, and he knew it. I rounded the back corner of the house, and started sprinting across empty backyards, only a few hundred feet behind Peeta.
He slowed his pace, and I caught up quickly. By the time I was close to him, he spun and stopped, with barely a split second before I collided with him. I sent us both tumbling to the ground in a small patch of dandelions, and almost instantly felt the dew of the chilly spring morning soaking through my pants. Shortly after, I realized that I was on top of Peeta, which meant his whole back must have been completely wet.
"Why did you stop so suddenly?" I asked him, annoyance speckling my voice as I tried to get off him and help him up.
"Because I wanted you to catch me," he said simply, wrapping his arms around my waist and holding me where I was. I pushed against his grip with a hand on the ground on each side of his head, but it was no use. Finally, I gave up and relaxed against him, moving to my elbows so I was lower down, closer to his face.
"You're getting all wet," I smiled, and he smiled back, shrugging. Instead of waiting for a reply, I leaned down to press my lips to his, and was met with enthused kisses. I shivered as Peeta traced a line down my spine with his fingers, gently pressed to the bare skin under my shirt. His hand stopped at my lower back and held me close to him as his lips grew more heated against mine.
After several minutes, I finally broke away and spoke after Peeta whined a protest.
"We're gonna miss it," I told him, and he pouted, but I slipped out of his arms and offered him a hand up. He took it, and laced his fingers with mine until we reached the fence that separated us from the meadow.
I went through first, and Peeta follow close behind before taking my hand again. Both of us were careful to walk around the center of the field, choosing instead to skirt the edges. The dirt was still almost bare from when it was dug up and turned into a burial sight for the victims of the fire bombs that destroyed our homes. It felt so wrong to walk across, knowing that Peeta's family was more than likely among the remains.
So we wordlessly made our way in the dim light of dawn, to a smaller, less ominous clearing, situated just of the west edge of the larger meadow. The ground changed from green and brown to solid indigo as far into the woods as I could see. In the middle of the sea of Bluebell flowers was a fallen tree, covered in spongy, almost fluorescent moss. It made for a perfect seat to watch the sunrise from, and before I had a chance to vocalize my thoughts, Peeta was already leading me to the log.
I sat down, beckoning him to take the spot next to me. He gave me a brilliant smile that warmed my insides, and straddled the log so he could face me.
"Katniss..." he said quietly, and I trained my eyes on his. In that moment, the sun crested above the trees and illuminating the intense look on his face. When he continued, I could have sworn I could see his eyes glowing. "I love you."
The severity of the statement caught me off guard, and I couldn't help the smile that burst across my features.
"I love you too, Peeta." He kissed me so fiercely that I wasn't sure whether I was blushing, or it was just the sun's rays, warming my cheeks, but I was so insanely happy, that I briefly considered the idea that a visit to the Capitol may not be so bad. If I had this man by my side, I could endure, and even enjoy, anything.
Before I could even speak a word of it, Peeta was laying on the ground and pulling me on top of him once more.
When our lips met again, we were swallowed by the sea of Bluebells.
I've got a good idea about where I'm going with this now.
But obviously I have to add a few filler chapter's with lots of Peeta goodness.
So this is kind of one of those.
Please, please review. I like hearing from you.