Chapter 2 Families
It has been a couple of days since Effie called and told us about the victory tour. It is happening in 4 months but we have to start prepping for it now, everything that has been going on in the capital isn't as interesting as us. Everyone wants to know, are we still together? What are we doing now? Are we happy? They are sending cameras and our prep teams here tomorrow. I knew what cameras meant... No more hunting for a while, my head felt like it sunk 10 feet. Peeta walked into my bedroom with cookies, they smelled like they just came out of the oven. I love Peeta's baking, his bread, cookies, cakes, cupcakes, anything he makes really.
"So what exactly are we?" Peeta sat down on my bed and looked at me. The question caught me off guard I almost choked on my cookie. I narrowed my eyebrows and looked at him as I tried to swallow whatever I could. "I mean are we together? Are we dating? Are we just friends?" The look on Peeta's face made me want to cry, I can't stand it when Peeta is upset.
"I thought we were dating" I was so confused at this moment that I so badly wanted a narrator to say what was going through Peeta's mind. "Peeta what brought this on? We were fine until Effie called us. What in your heart changed that you have to ask this?" I was confused but sympathetic, I knew he was asking because there were going to be cameras here, and because of Gale. He thinks he comes out second to Gale.
"Well I was starting to think you didn't want me anymore. And every time you see Gale you get quiet and reserved" ... I knew this was about Gale. This has nothing to do with the cameras. Peeta has no problems with the cameras, Peeta knows all the right things to say in front of them, unlike me every time I open my mouth something stupid comes out.
"Peeta you don't have to worry about Gale. He loves me, I know that. I love him.." The moment I said that Peeta's head dropped, my heart sank. "Peeta I love him like a brother. He is one of the family, I'm like his sister, it would be weird you know? This is real. I love you" I lifted his chin with my finger so he would look at me, "Understand?"
"I love you Katniss" Peeta's eyes sparkled when he said it, a way I've never seen in him before. He put the cookie try on the ground and leaned over on his hands so he could kiss me. He kissed me more passionately and pushed me back a little, I laid down and he came on top of me. He wasn't laying down he is propped up on his hands and knees. The only reason we stopped was because there was a knock on my door. Peeta moved beside me and sat down. "come in" I grabbed another cookie and just picked at it eating it slowly.
"Katniss can you get me some squirrels?" My mother was standing in my doorway. "I only have bread and milk left" before I could answer Peeta was talking
"How much bread do you have left?" Peeta made his way off the bed to grab the cookie try to offer my mother a cookie.
"Thank you sweetie. We are good on bread I will let you know when we are almost out" She used her free hand to touch his face in the caring way that she always does to Prim.
"Yes I can go get some, how many would you like?" I sat up and looked at my mother, I guess the look on my face was funny to her for some reason.
"I was thinking 5 or 6 would be good" My mom was savoring her cookie. Six squirrels? That will take me a half hour! I told Peeta that he could even come with me... Even though hes not the quietest person to ever walk in the woods.
When we got back from the woods with all the squirrels that my mother wanted and some quail for Peeta's mother. This time we ended up in Peeta's bedroom. When I am over at Peeta's his parents don't bother us. They don't ask him for anything, they don't disturb him at all. I like his parents and his mother loves me even more now after I brought he two beavers a couple weeks ago
"What was that back at my house? You have never done that before" I laid down on his bed.
"Well you told me that you loved me and I'm just happy i guess. Was it to much? I mean I know we kiss but was that to much?" He started to panic and I thought it was cute.
"It wasn't to much, I was actually a little upset when my mom came to my door. I wanted to see where that was going." I gave him a little wink and a small laugh. He still didn't have a shirt on. The look on his face was cute yet funny. I just used my finger to get him to come over. I guess he was feeling cute because he did a little funny walk coming over. No hesitation what so ever he just crawled back on top of me on his hands a knees. There was a feeling in my stomach that I have never felt before, it was a combination of nervousness, that butterfly feeling and something I have no idea. Peeta started kissing me slowly, he would kiss me once then stop pull back and just look at me. I think he was waiting to see what I would do. I just put my hand on the back of his neck and pulled him back down for his lips to meet mine.
*"No! Prim!"... "Peeta?!... Peeta!?" I could feel my body moving but I couldn't control it. My heart felt like it sunk as my mind races through the moments when i couldn't find Peeta in the arena.
"Katniss..." a disembodied voice comes through the darkness, "Katniss" It was more pronounced this time, my shoulder started shaking, my eyes fluttered open but all I saw was blackness. "Katniss its okay, you're okay" I recognized Peeta' voice and turned into him, he was already sitting up trying to wake me up. I couldn't help but start to cry, "Katniss I'm right here its okay" He rocked back and forth rubbing the back of my head until I calmed down. I was happy Peeta didn't have a clock, I don't want to know how long I kept him awake with my screaming.
"Do you not have nightmares?" I didn't want to move from his chest, that was my save place at night, in his comforting arms.
"I do, but I freeze, its like I'm paralyzed" Peeta kissed the top of my head and slowly started rocking back and forth again.
"Why don't you wake me up? You weren't alone in the arena and you aren't alone now" my hands found his face and I moved back from his chest.
"I can deal with it, I don't need to wake you up, I just want you to feel safe with me. Nothing will hurt you when you are with me" He pulled me back to his chest and laid down. In the next few minutes he gave me a few kisses and I was back asleep on his chest.