I am so sorry for the long wait. I was totally going to update the next day after the last chapter, but then my brother was on the computer, and I got caught up in homework, and I just pushed this back. But, here it is. I hope you like it, and please remember to review! Reviews really motivate me to write, and let me know how you like the story so far.
I don't know how long we stood there, our lips pressing against each other. My arms were tight around him, holding him to me so hard he could hardly move, but that was okay with both of us. I had been waiting so long for this moment, dreaming about it, and then when he was thought to be dead, I fell apart. I didn't know what I would do, but he's here now, and everything feels right, and all I want to do is hold him until the day I die. Peeta doesn't say a word, just let's his lips do all the talking. In this one kiss, I can feel every emotion imaginable. There's fear, anger, sadness, regret, but most of all, just pure happiness. And love. There's a lot of that, too. I feel a hand on my shoulder, but it seems distant, like it's a million miles away, or maybe it's like the soft stroke of a dream. Either way, I ignore it, pressing myself closer to Peeta, if that's even possible. I'm not ready to let go yet, not when I just got him back. The pull of the hand on my shoulder gets stronger, but I still fight it. Unwillingly, I bring my arms up to push them away, but there's more of them now, and I can't fight them all. Finally, like a cord being pulled from its socket, my lips are torn from Peeta's, and I'm falling backwards into the mud, gasping for air. I hear Peeta take in a huge gulp of air, and then caugh it back out. Haymitch's face appears above my own.
"Jeesus, Katniss! Give the boy some air! You nearly suffocated him," he says. I blink once at him, confused, and then look at Peeta. His face is slightly blue, and he's gasping for air like a fish out of water. Finally, it dawns on me. I hadn't thought to give him air. I just assumed that since he wasn't complaining, or struggling, that he was fine. Or maybe he was trying to pull away, and I was too caught up in my thoughts to realize it. I take in a rather shaky breath myself, and then slowly sit up. But Haymitch isn't done with me yet. "Didn't you feel him trying to push you away? Didn't you feel him struggling?" So it was Peeta's hand on my shoulder. He was trying to push me away for air, and I didn't even realize it! God, I feel awful. I ignore Haymitch and crawl over to Peeta. It's so strange. Did I really not feel him struggling? I could have sworn he could hold his breath longer than that before. I gently touch his cheek, and he looks up at me.
"I'm sorry," I say, my face starting to turn red. "I didn't know. I thought it was Haymitch or something. I didn't realize you needed air." He doesn't say anything for a long, agonizing moment, but then he smiles ever so slightly.
"It's okay," he says softly, and then he chuckles. "You sure do know how to make an impression on somebody." My face turns even more red, and I hear Finnick snort somewhere behind me.
"I'll say," he says, and I turn to him.
"You better wipe that grin off your face, Finnick O'dair, or you'll really get to see what an impression I can make," I say. The grin falls off his face immediately, and he looks down at his toes.
"Katniss, why don't you go take Peeta to get something to eat. I have a lot of cleaning up I need to do here," says Haymitch. "And no stops along the way!" I give him a glare before standing up and offering my hand to Peeta. He takes it and I pull him up, but he doesn't let go. I don't really care. I like the feeling of his hand in mind. It reminds me that he's really here, and that things can maybe be the same way they used to be, except this time everything will be real. We finally reach the cafeteria, and I leave him at the table before going and getting us both food. When I come back, he's sitting on the bench, drumming his fingers against the table top. He doesn't stop, even when I give him his food. I sit across from him and just watch, and after a minute he notices my gaze.
"Oh, sorry," he says. "It's just weird to be able to move again after being frozen for so long." He starts to eat, eagerly stuffing as much food as he can into his mouth at once. I have no idea how hungry being frozen makes you, but I'm guessing a lot, based on how fast Peeta's inhaling his tray. When he's done, he looks up at me, and my untouched food.
"Aren't you going to eat?' he asks. "Or are you not hungry?"
"I was just watching you," I say, and then take a bite of mashed potatoes. He smiles slightly.
"You seem to be doing that a lot lately," he says. I stop eating and look at him.
"I've just spent months wondering if you were okay, dreading the fact that you were probably being tortured, and then when I finally got you back, I thought you were dead. I've just been through every single emotion on the whole planet. So, I think I deserve to be able to look at you," I say, and I hate how defensive it sounds. This just makes Peeta smile more.
"I didn't say it was a bad thing. I'm just not used to it, that's all," he says, and suddenly a thought strikes me.
"Peeta, could you hear anything while you were frozen?" I ask. He frowns.
"No, not that I know of. I think that injection, whatever it was, froze up all my eardrums, too. It froze everything. And now that I think about it, I really have to go to the bathroom," he says. "There wasn't exactly bathroom breaks back at the Capital." I quickly finish the last of my food and get up to put away our trays.
"There's a bathroom in my room," I say, taking his hand and leading him down the hall. When we make it to my door, I pause for a fraction of a second before opening it and pulling him into the room behind me, slamming the door a little harder than I need to. Peeta flinches at the sound, but then heads for the bathroom. I lay down on the bed, and look up at the ceiling. I can't believe he's really here, that he's really alive. It just can't be true, can it? I'm startled as he flops down on the bed beside me. I hadn't even heard the bathroom door open. I must have been deep in my thoughts again. He lets out a soft, content sigh, and turns so that he's facing me. I turn my body to face his, and pull him to me. He feels so warm, like he always does, but he no longer smells like cinnamon and dill. He no longer has the strength he once had before, and he's lost a few pounds, but otherwise he seems okay.
"You don't have any scars," I whisper, and he looks right into my eyes.
"That's because they fixed me up before freezing me and sending me here. They wanted it to seem like they killed me, and then prepared my body for the funeral they were sure you were going to hold. But it's all just a trick. Believe me, I looked a lot worse than this," he says, and my throat gets tight at the mental images that come to my mind. It's quiet for a long time. I can't stand the thought of Peeta being tortured, his body torn and bloody, beaten beyond repair, but I guess the damage was reparable. At least, the physical damage was. I have no idea what his mental health is like, but it seems okay. He hasn't really changed much, and I'm glad for that. I gently press my lips to his for a second, and then pull away. I want more than that, but I don't want a repeat of earlier. I have to control my excitement. He closes his eyes and scoots closer to me.
"Please tell me there aren't any cameras around," he mutters happily, and once again I remember that he never heard me when I told him I loved him. He still doesn't know, but I'm sure he knows I care about him.
"There aren't any that I know of," I say, and this makes him smile.
"So, what does this mean?" he asks, and it's my turn to smile.
"What do you think?" I ask. "I love you, Peeta Mellark. I'm sorry it took so long for me to finally figure it out." He smile grows huge and he takes my face in his hands.
"And I love you, Katniss Everdeen, like I always have, and always will," he says, and kisses me, a slow, soft kiss, that melts my heart and turns my brain to mush. I don't think I'll ever get used to his kisses, or his unconditional love for me. When we finally pull away, there's only one thing I can say.
"We're together again."
Okay, there you go! I hope it lived up to your expectations. Please review. You'll make my day! And maybe I'll be motivated enough to write the next chapter really soon.