Chapter 14

The Dress

…

Feeling a hand gently shake my shoulder, I let out a half-hearted moan of protest as my head rolls to the right. Yet that does not stop the hand from shaking my shoulder again.

"Katniss," the familiar, soft voice whispers, "Katniss, com'on we're here. Wake up."

I let out another moan, bringing my knees closer to my chest. "Katniss." The voice repeats, but I don't respond. I don't want to wake up. Continuing stay curled up in the position I had fallen asleep in, I don't move. There is a moment of stillness to which I let my mind think whoever is trying to wake me has given up and let me to my peace, but hearing a soft creak, second later I then feel something jab me in the side. With the jab I jump up letting out a squeak. Now up and awake, I stretch my legs out across the truck's cab before looking around for whoever had poked me. Looking to the driver's side to the hood and then to the bed, I turn to look behind me. And behind me, through the window stood Peeta on the sidewalk with a wily like smirk on his face.

"Morning." I shot him a glare.

"Sorry," he said, "Had to wake you and nothing else was working."

Not acknowledging him, I let out a yawn before slowly pushing against the passenger's side door of the truck's cab.

Stepping out of the truck, my bones ache. These last few days have been a killer on me not only physically, but mentally. Last night, this morning, I hadn't closed the bar till about four and by the time I had cleaned up and made sure everything was prepped for the next night, Peeta was already waiting outside my apartment in the truck so we could go and drive into the city to go find a wedding dress...

This whole week my life had been a miniature version of hell. The bar had become so crowded each night this week that I had to bring in Collin to act as a bouncer while I had Johanna, Rye and Marvel working for me most the nights. Plus in addition, Peeta and I had been working on end, crazily putting together our plans for the wedding so everything would go smoothly during the ceremony and all at the end of the month. In the meantime, I had been barely getting any sleep since I had not been getting home from the bar between any time from two to five and for some odd reason I had been waking up at the crack of dawn for no apparent reason...

Finally out of the truck I shut the door behind me, falling into Peeta's side. "It's a Sunday," I mumble against his chest, "It's our day off, our day. Why are we here?"

He laughed, rubbing his hand up and down my back making small circles. "Cause you need a wedding dress and supposedly I need a new pair of dress shoes," he says, "Plus you said "We are going to go this and listen to Cinna 'cause he knows his shit."

Letting out another groan I slightly slam my head into Peeta's chest. "Don't listen to me next time. Stupid move, very stupid move."

Letting out another laugh, Peeta wrapped his arm my waist and began to lead me around the block toward the front doors of Marcus's apartment building. Then through the front doors and into the elevator, Peeta basically carried me the entire way. It was as the doors of the elevator closed and as Peeta presses the seventh floor button that I could feel myself surrendering to the drowsiness I had been fighting. It didn't help that there was a soft classical melody playing throughout the elevator. And as the elevator dinged as it passes each floor I felt myself sink deeper into Peeta's side as my eyes shut. By the time the elevator stop at the seventh floor I was sure I was asleep or somewhere in that hazy state between being awake and being asleep. Nevertheless Peeta picked me up into his arms, bridal style and carried me out of elevator.

After a few strides out the elevator, Peeta stops. There is a moment of silence and then something happens which I am not completely sure of. But hearing the click of a lock and the creak of a door I assume that we are standing across from Marcus whom had just mostly opened the door and was probably standing in the doorway with a confused look.

"What did you do, kill her," I hear a voice say sarcastically, Marcus.

"Shhh," Peeta says in a low tone stepping forward, "She hasn't slept more that six hours in the past week."

I hear the door shut and assume Marcus had nodded in acknowledgement of Peeta's statement. Now most likely standing in the middle of Marcus's apartment, I curl closer into Peeta's chest. The room smelled of fresh coffee and toast… and guy. The air was a little chilly; probably a result of the air conditioner running, but it was bearable.

"Why are you here so early anyway," I hear Marcus from behind us, "It's like what, seven, eight?"

"Cinna told us to get here by seven, shopping was to begin at seven-thirty."

"You didn't-" Marcus begins before starting over, "Ohhh shit, you didn't get my message last night."

"What message?"

"That Cinna couldn't meet up with us till one-ish." With Marcus's response I feel Peeta's chest rumble as he lets out an aggravated moan. "Sorry," Marcus says and Peeta's chest rumbles again, "I thought you got my text."

Then we start moving. We leave the main area of the apartment and… go down the hall. Peeta turns and push against something. And then he took a few more steps before setting me down on something soft and cushioned… a bed. Letting go of me I let out a whimper. No, I think, don't leave me. Yet it is only after a few moments pass before I feel the bed sink down beside me. Then his arms wrapped around me and pull me close. My body curled into his, I unsystematically mumbled into his chest.

"Shopping… need to get-"

But he cuts me off with a long shhh, drawing me closer against him. "We got some time, get some sleep."

And so we lay there in silence. Its- it's perfect really. Just the two of us. Yet feeling myself drift further into the darkness, I feel Peeta shift. And with his moment my body grasp on to his for dear life.

"Stay." I say in a slurred drowsiness.

And like every time he replied, "Always."

…

The dress is puffy and sparkly and overall awful. Cinna must see it as he gives me a short nod of the head letting me know that I can get out of the damn things. So as fast as possible I rush out of the room and back into the dressing room not getting out of the dress fast enough. But once out of the dress and back into my shorts and flannel shirt I'm back beside Cinna in the front of the shop. Handing me my cup of coffee, I gratefully take it only when to bring it to my lips to find it empty. Giving Cinna a glance he let out a snort.

"You drank it all?" I nod my head. "That's like your fourth cup."

I shrug my shoulders. Even though I had slept a couple hours before Cinna showed up at Marcus's apartment I was still in a haze. Any minute I felt like I could just pass out.

"One more?" I ask causing Cinna to give me a look. "Oh, come on Cinna, you have made me try on just about every dress in this store along those other four shops and I haven't even found I'm the slightest bit interested in."

And so thinking about it for a minute he nods his head, "Okay, but this is your last cup, I swear to god this shit can't be good for you."

So giving him a smile I head for the door while Cinna goes to say goodbye to the owner of the shop, an old friend from college he had told me earlier.

Out the door and down the block, Cinna and I find a small coffee shop of the street corner. Inside and once prepared with a large cup of green tea in hand, Cinna is pulling me out the door and down the block again.

"Ah… Where to now?"

"There's a place on the north side of town that I heard has some nice dresses. I haven't been there, but all the places we have already gone to have… Well I thought you would have found a dress at one of them."

Turning to look at him I give him an apologetic smile. "Sorry," I say truthfully, "I mean I heard it's hard to find a dress, but I just supposed at least one store would have something simple and plane that I would like. Not all this glitter and puffy fabric and fancy shit." He returns to smile wrapping his arm around my shoulder and giving me a small squeeze.

"It's fine," he says stepping out onto the street, "I'll hail a cab and we will stop at this last place and then we'll go back to Marcus's place."

Nodding my head in acknowledgment a cab pulls up beside Cinna. And so ushered into the cab we ride over to the north side of the city.

Thus twenty minutes later, Cinna is leading me down this and that street. He didn't know where he was going. I think he just gave the cab driver a random address and hoped for the best. Anyway… we're lost. But… we weren't as Cinna wouldn't come to admit it. By him, the store is just around the corner. Just around the corner my ass, we had been at this for ten minutes. Nevertheless turning down another street, mid-way Cinna comes to a halt. Are we here?

"We're lost," he states.

Ah, no shit, I think, anyone could have told you that.

Watching him pull out his phone mostly likely attempting to connect to the local Wi-Fi to find out where the hell we are I let out a soft laugh. I am never going shopping ever again with Cinna. Tired with no more green tea and no dress in hand, I was a little pissed. As Cinna typed away on his phone, I turn to look at the location around us. We're of one of the side streets from Cornelius Drive. There were a few shops near the corner of Cornelius. So not bothering to just stand there I walked toward the corner. On the left was a small pizzeria and on the right a music store. Taking the right I make my way down the street.

Pass cafes and book stores and small offices and bouquets, its two blocks down that I find myself frozen in front of one of the store's windows. Quickly pulling out my phone, I pull up Cinna's contact and call.

"Two block to the right, now."

Then hanging I wait a few minutes before I feel Cinna beside my side.

"That's it," I say pointing to the dress in the stores window. The dress was simple. It was strapless. A plain, white fabric that looked light and comfortable. It hugged the wired manikin's rib cage and flowed down straight at the hips. It was not puffy. It was not bedazzled or glittered. There were no elaborate stitches. It was not long and flowing. It was not layered of multiple fabrics. It was not fancy. It was exactly what I wanted. In my head I couldn't help, but laugh. It was the exact opposite of what Effie Trinket would have picked out for me. But it… It was me. Giving me a smile, Cinna wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"Well it looks like you found what you were looking for," he says with a genuine smile, "It's perfect."

Returning his smile I say, "So we can go home now."

He laughed. "Let's buy the dress first."

…

Feeling something rustle me from my slumber my eyes barely open to see Peeta gathering me up in his arms. Then feeling my eyes close I mumble, "I found a dress, Cinna can show you it in the apartment."

"We're home, Katniss."

He then shifts his hips and in response I hear a door shut before begins to climb the steps to my flat. When he reaches the landing at the top he stops, sliding his key into the lock using his arm hooked under my legs he opens the door. Inside he closes the door behind us. Following he hangs something up on the old coat hanger with his hand wrapped around my back before carrying me down the hall. Then feeling him shift and shuffle he lays me down on my bed. I then feel him untying and slipping my shoes off my feet. When he gets my left shoe off my foot I turn and groggily pull at my jeans shorts. Must get these off, I think. After a moment I hear Peeta let out a silent chuckle.

"Katniss."

And so giving in I stop pulling at my jeans. Then feeling Peeta's hands unbutton my jeans, he slips them off my hips followed by pulling my flannel shirt over my head. It's then as I lay in my sports bra and panties that I feel Peeta settle beside me, pulling a blanket over us.

Immediately snuggling into his warmth, he wraps him arms around me. "How many cups of coffee did you have today?" He whispers against the top of my head.

"Five, six," I mumble into his chest, "And a tea."

Feeling him shake his head he says, "You need to sleep." But I twist in his grip pulling away as if I was going to roll out of the bed and stand up.

"I have to see you in the dress."

"I have to see you in your dress?" He questions.

I nod only to feel him to shake his head again.

"That's bad luck." "

No it isn't." I mutter like a child.

"It is."

"No," I say in protest, "It's not."

Hearing him laugh in response he tightens his grip on me so we are pressed up against one another, inseparable. "Is or isn't, I don't want to see you in your wedding dress till our wedding day," he says, "I want it to be a surprise."

I grunt, "I hate surprises."

"I know," he laughs, "And it's not a surprise for you."

"What if you don't like it?"

"I'll love it," he reassures me, "I love you, you could walk down in a gorilla suit for all I care."

Letting out a laugh I say, "I love you too. And I'm not wearing gorilla suit."

"Good." And like that we fall into a peaceful silence. It is as I feel myself being overcome by my drowsiness I hear Peeta mumble, "I love you Katniss Everdeen."