A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. Chapter 9 already? Wow! Thanks in advance for reviewing. You know the drill: R & R! Enjoy!

Ghanaperu: My main goal for this fanfiction isn't really to write about what I think should have happened, but, like you said, it's more of a fun thing, doing what I want with them. I'm trying to tell a different story, yes, but use the general theme and change some things up a bit. Does that make sense? I try to use some of the same dialogue from the actual books so it's not completely different, but I don't want it to be the, same, either. Katniss and Peeta are moving faster than usual because Katniss liked him back in the first place, and she's also looking for support. Peeta gives her that, obviously. Thanks for reviewing, again! And thanks for the tips/ suggestions, too! ;D

Chapter 9: Confessions

As we arrive at my dwelling, I suddenly realize that Peeta forgot to tell me whatever it is that he wanted to tell me. "Peeta, didn't you have something to say?" I remind him.

"Oh, right," he says, "Why don't you drop off the cake so we can go for a walk?"

I agree and tell him to wait outside so I can leave it here. When I walk in the door, I see Prim outside in our small backyard with her goat, Lady. She sees me come in, so she ties up Lady and walks into the house. She explains that our mother went into town for a little bit. I show her the cake Peeta made me, and she has this look of utter shock and surprise plastered onto her face. "Is that . . . a real cake?"

I grin and reply, "Yes. Peeta, the baker's son, made it for me. I stopped by the bakery before I came home. He's waiting outside."

Prim gives me a toothy grin and says, "So your boyfriend is waiting outside for you, then?" She giggles and I blush. I can't tell her I kissed him.

"He's not my boyfriend, Prim. I simply asked him to frost me a cake and he did," I reply, sparing my dignity.

"So, you mean to tell me that it was completely innocent for him to bake you a random cake out of the blue with hearts all over it, and you're not going out? I find that very hard to believe. And he's waiting outside for you, why?"

"He said he had to tell me something," I reply. I'm so embarrassed.

"He probably has to tell you he loves you," Prim says, drawing out the word "loves."

"He doesn't love me. We barely talk to each other. I really gotta go, now, Prim. Tell mom I'll be back later," I say, then hurry out the door and leave Prim to her own devices.

When I go back outside, Peeta's waiting for me. He asks me if I want to go to the Meadow, and I say yes. We walk to the Meadow in silence. I notice that Peeta has a heavy tread, and would scare all the food in the forest away. I make note to not bring him to the woods. The route between my dwelling and the Meadow conveniently runs through town, so everyone can see us together, and who knows what they're assuming about us right now? I really don't want to know. I'll never hear the end of this at school and just in general. I feel really bad for Peeta because he has plenty of friends, and I don't want them thinking that he's going out with a poor girl from the Seam. It's not that I'm embarrassed to be seen with Peeta; that couldn't be farther from the truth; I just don't want people to think poorly of him. He deserves much better than that. I pray that I don't see my mother, and so far we're good.

After what feels like an eternity of walking through town with Peeta, ignoring everyone's looks, we reach the Meadow. Oh, how I love the Meadow. No matter what I'm feeling or going through, the Meadow is where I go to escape. I've never pictured Peeta in the Meadow with me, but I like it. We walk into the Meadow a bit, and then we just lay down, staring at the clouds. "You know," Peeta started, "when my father pointed me out to you on the first day of school when we were five, he told me that he wanted to marry your mother, but she ran off with a coal miner?"

Now he's just making things up. "I don't believe you," I tell him, but he insists.

"I'm dead serious, you can ask him." Peeta sighs and closes his eyes. I close mine too, because when Peeta's eyes are closed, there's nothing for me to look at. He then says, "I remember, on that exact day, you had your hair in two braids," he laughs, "After that, I followed you home from school every day. Every single day."

I sit up and look at him, to see if there is any hint of a joke in his now open eyes, but I see nothing, just an endless sea of blue that I can stare in forever. "Wow. I thought you forgot all about me after you tossed me that bread."

"I tried to, Katniss, but I couldn't. I never had the guts to go up to you and talk to you. Until now, that is. I figured you could use a shoulder to cry on after what happened to Madge and Gale today. I'm so sorry, Katniss." Peeta sits up with me and stares at me. I stare back. Then, all of a sudden, too many tears gather in my eyes for me to conceal. They spill out and I'm sobbing, holding onto Peeta. "It's gonna be okay, Katniss."

After I calm down a bit, I say, "Madge and Gale were my best friends, especially Gale. After my father died, I met him, and he knew what I was going through because his father died in the same accident. We both became the main providers for our families. We both knew how to hunt, and we were both good at it. We had so much in common. We told each other our secrets and our fears. We knew everything about each other. I just can't bear the thought of losing him. I'm scared, Peeta."

"It's okay to be scared, Katniss. I was terrified today at the Reaping, petrified that my name would be called," he assures me. "Just know that I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Peeta. That means a lot. I can't really confess all this to Prim; I don't want to scare her. The only other person I can tell is my mother, but it's nice to know I have someone other than a member of my family to turn to," I reply. We lie down together, staring at the sky, the blue sky that almost matches Peeta's blue eyes perfectly. We lie there for a while, and I eventually fall asleep. I dream of Peeta and I running through the Meadow, running away from District 12.

When I wake up, I find my head in Peeta's lap, Peeta staring at me. I sit up and realize that there is something in my hair. It's a daisy chain. "Did you make this?" I ask Peeta.

"Yes," he replies. We sit together, our arms around each other, and stare at the sunset. After a while, he declares, "You know, Katniss, this is my favourites time of day."

I hadn't realized that it was mine, too, until I sat here with Peeta. "Me too," I say in agreement.

"This is my favourite colour, this sunset orange," Peeta says.

"Mine is green," I say, then add in, "I guess it's because I spend a lot of time in the forest, hunting."

"Speaking of hunting, I was always meaning to ask you if you would teach me how to hunt," Peeta asks.

"Sure," I reply. "We can go tomorrow."

"Katniss, about that thing I was supposed to tell you earlier," Peeta starts. He looks down at his hands. "I really like you. Like-like you. Since we were five."

I consider this. Then I ask, "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"For fear of you turning me down," he replies.

"Well, guess what? I'm not. I like you too, Peeta," I say.

This seems to surprise him. "Really?" I nod. Then, he kisses me, for the second time that day. I kiss him back.

"We should probably go back home," I announce. We get up and start walking. Peeta kindly offers to walk me home again, and I accept. This time I don't care who sees. When we arrive at my dwelling, Prim opens the door before I do. I have a feeling that she was spying on us, waiting for us to come back home. She says hello to Peeta and Peeta says hello back. Peeta quickly hugs me, then leaves to go back to his house. We wave him goodbye, and as we do, I can hear Prim trying to conceal her laughter, but this time I don't care.

...