"Come in," a familiar voice said from the other side of the door, but distant, as if he were not close to the door. My heart jumped up into my throat as I walked into the room.
In the far corner, someone was sitting in a high-backed chair in front of an easel, putting finishing touches on a painting. He was lean and tall, with shaggy blond hair and blue eyes I knew only too well.
"Peeta!" I cried, running over to him. Peeta looked up from his painting and smiled.
"You seem healthy," he said to me, setting down a thin paintbrush.
"Yep. They patched me up nicely. What about you? I haven't seen you in quite a while."
"Healthy as a horse. The only thing they had to fix up after the explosion was head trauma." Peeta stood up, stretching his arms above his head.
"The only thing?" I laughed shakily. "The only proof I had that reassured me you were alive, was the word of the officials,"
"Hard to trust what they say. "Peeta laughed too. "So how is your family? Prim…your mother… Gale?" Even though Peeta tried to hide it, I could hear the jealousy in his voice.
"Yeah… they are all good." The awkward silence was more than I could bear, so I tried to make things better. "But I missed you, too. Seriously, Peeta. I can't imagine life without you. "
Peeta turned his tight face to me. "Why miss me when you have Gale?"
Ouch. "Peeta, Gale is my friend. After living and dying with you several times, it is hard to be without you. To me you are just as important as Gale."
Peeta ran his fingers through his hair, scowling. Finally, his eyes locked onto mine and he said, "Coming from the person who spends every waking hour with him. You didn't even come to see me once while I was worried sick about you."
"I wasn't allowed, Peeta! And Gale and I only see each other a few hours a day, at the most. I wanted to see you! I needed to know that you are okay, but the officials didn't let me," I hated how difficult he was making this. My sanity won't hold together forever.
"How do I know you aren't just saying that to get yourself out of trouble?" Peeta's face was considerably more relaxed, but he still looked cautious.
It took a few seconds to think, but I ended up saying, "I have been having way too many nightmares lately," It was true. Most of the time they were violent and painful. "I miss sleeping next to you." Even hearing it from my own mouth, it sounded cheesy. To most normal people, what I had just said would be considered proof of anything, but nonetheless, Peeta accepted it.
His face melted into a relived, happy expression. Taking a step towards me, he opened his arms. I immediately walked into them and everything was okay again.
"I don't think it would be very wise, here. People would see me go into your room at night and not come out until morning. They would seriously wonder." Peeta laughed into my hair.
"I know," I sighed. "It's a bummer, too. I really have been having nightmares."
Peeta and I just stood there for a while, wrapped in each other's arms, just when stupid Peeta had to ruin the moment.
"Katniss, I have a question for you," he said.
"Yes?" I lifted my head an inch off of his collarbone.
"Well, you know how you are supposed to be pregnant?"
Eek. Somehow I knew this was coming, but I didn't want it to. "Yeah." My voice wavered; I was afraid to hear the rest.
"When I announced it, I was under the impression that both of us would die, so it wouldn't matter if it was true of not But now that everyone knows your alive, they think you are still carrying our child. How is that going to work? You aren't going to get any bigger, and there isn't a child, so what now? People will find out sooner or later."
This wasn't quite what I expected, but it was along those lines. "Well, um… miscarriage."
"Tragic. The star-crossed lovers' first child died before birth. But you still won't get any more round if you know what I mean," Peeta put the back of his hand on my abdomen.
"I'm stuck. You got me there. I have no clue," I put my head back on Peeta's chest. That is when he said something that caught me completely off guard.
"I wish it were true."
"Ah," a little squeak escaped my lips and I begun to pull away.
"No- Katniss, I didn't mean- Don't go!" Peeta caught my wrist as I turned away.
"What brought that on?" I managed to choke out when I stopped pulling.
"I-I don't know. It would just be a heck of a lot easier if our act was less of an act than reality." Peeta obviously regretted saying anything at all.
"Yes, but I am only seventeen. I would like to keep my virginity intact, thanks," I said nastily in his direction, refusing to look at his face.
"I know, Katniss, and I didn't mean that we- that you and I- I didn't mean that!" I could feel Peeta trembling through his hand that was clutching my wrist.
"How else do girls get pregnant, smarty?" I snapped at him. I really hated making Peeta so upset like this, but he wasn't helping me not be angry at him. I don't know what I was feeling towards him at the present time. Not hatred, possibly misunderstanding, but I didn't want to hurt him this badly.
"Katniss…" Peeta pleaded with me.
"Don't you 'Katniss' me!" I hissed venomously at him. My heart ached seeing him this ashen-faced, but I tried not to show it.
Suddenly, Peeta began to laugh. I felt my anger fizzle away, seeing him enjoy himself so much.
"What? What's so funny?" I tried to fight back the smile that was threatening to form on my lips. Peeta looked genuinely humored.
"We sound like any other married couple. It just makes me laugh," Peeta grinned at me. He had a point. An airy laughed bubbled in my mouth and I couldn't help but laugh along with him.
Peeta raised his eyebrows at me. "Do you forgive me?"
"No," Peeta's face fell when I said that. "I will hate you and your stupid ideas forever." I reached up and kissed his cheek. "Now let's go get dinner. I'm starving."