Okay, I have been searching for a good theme-song for this story, and it came down to two. I can't choose between them, so I'm going to give you guys your homework early. Which song do you think is better: Your Surrender by Neon Trees, or Gimme a Chance by Plain White T's? If you guys have to time, please look up the lyrics and give me your input! I'll give you a little snippet of each at the ending A/N.

oOo

PEETA'S POV

It was awful, the last few hours before 8:30. We hadn't talked much after Katniss poured her heart out to me. We just sat there in bed, wrapped in each others' arms. Occasionally there would be exchanged kisses, but everything we did was subdued. At 6:50, Katniss sighed.

"I'd better take a shower before the-the appointment." Her voice was strong, but we both knew she was scared. I was, too.

"Okay." I got up with her, though my arm never left her waist.

There was a moment when we both just stood by the bed, silent and unmoving. Then, Katniss reached up and kissed the very corner of my mouth. But, without saying anything, she turned around and disappeared into the bathroom.

I wanted to say something to her, though. I wanted some last connection, if any at all. "Don't get the paste stuff on your head wet." I shut my mouth after that. I shouldn't speak without thinking.

Katniss voice came, amused, from the bathroom. "I won't, Peeta."

Sighing slightly, I sat down on the edge of the bed, my brain just about to explode, when the rustling of the curtain made me look up. A hand was sticking out from the bathroom and dropped clothes into the hamper right outside the door. Nothing too special. I went back to exploding.

My eyes raked the sparse items around the room I had come to know; the tiny clock on the wall telling me that it was, indeed, 6:58 in the afternoon; the few plastic chairs shoved into an empty corner; this curious white bed I've spent nights with Katniss in; the metal box lodged into the wall that brings food and clothes.

Sure, I miss my 'old life' here in District 13. I would bake and paint during the day, and after Katniss' family was gone, I would go into her room and we'd lie awake talking. In the morning we would go to breakfast together. I remember that feeling that has sort of haunted me. Whenever we were out walking in the halls and my arm was around her shoulder…I was almost too afraid to let go. The feeling of complete emptiness after the Quell made me a little paranoid, I admit. I didn't like being alone.

I felt guilty about the little arguments between me and Katniss that have been happening over the past few days. She wanted the surgery, I didn't. She wanted to try and skip a very important part of growing up, but I don't want her to. Sometimes…we need to know the meanings of 'normal' and 'childhood' before we become supposed 'adults'. I wanted Katniss to be able to enjoy that last bit of being a kid I guess she never had before accepting the responsibility.

Maybe she just doesn't fully grasp it. Before, it was fine sharing a bed and a house. The concept of children weren't quite as daunting as they would be. There would have always been people around telling how to raise children, what to teach them, how to live through it all until they grow up. But once we are on our own, with no one standing over us, things won't seem quite as easy. We don't know how to raise a kid on our own.

To be honest, I didn't like our other agreement much, either. We would go back to living like we had when we go back to District 12, but only when the Capitol was defeated we'd start our life together, in the means of adults. But what when we go to war, there is no certainty we'll win. If one of us dies, our plans of living together go down the drain. So it was pretty much "die or live together". It was harsh, yes, but it provided somewhat stability for Katniss. Something to look forward to. Something she can rely on when other things go bad.

The sound of a bell rang through the room and my thoughts immediately fizzled away. Sighing slightly, I walked over to the metal box in the wall and opened it, planning to have dinner on the bed for when Katniss got out. But when I peered inside the container, the dinner tray wasn't the only thing in there. Next to it, tied with the usual gray string, was a fresh bundle of clothes. Frowning, I took them out and stood next to the closed curtain.

"Hey, Katniss?" I cast my voice louder to be heard over the sound of the shower spray.

A squeak, then the water shut off. Katniss voice responded. "What?"

"You didn't happen to leave you new clothes in the metal box thing, did you?"

A pause. "No, why?" Katniss peered from around the plastic drape, frowning.

I held out the clothes.

"Maybe…" She reached out a bare arm and took the clothes from me. "They were sent deliberately to me for the surgery."

"Probably."

Katniss shrugged. "Well, it couldn't hurt to have fresh clothes. I'll be out in a bit."

"Okay, but—wait, wait!" I said as she began pulling the curtain back closed. "Before you disappear again,"

Katniss tilted her head up, waiting for whatever I was going to tell her.

But she never got the chance to hear because I reached over and brushed my mouth gently across hers. It was over in a second, and I pulled back away. "You can get dressed now. I'm good."

Katniss said nothing, only shook her head slightly to get water out of her ear. Gaping slightly at me through the corner of her eyes, she reluctantly pulled the curtain back closed.

When she was concealed by the plastic drape, I felt a smile spread across my lips. Not just because I kissed Katniss when she wasn't exactly wearing anything except for a towel (I try not to think about that), but the look on her face. If this really was our last day, that expression would be in my mind forever.

A few minutes later she came back out, except she didn't put on her usual shirt. So she was just in her pants and undershirt. When I gave her a look, she shrugged. "It's just one of those days, you know?"

"When you don't feel like wearing clothes? Yeah I know." I laughed and put my arms around her. Feeling the measured thrumming of Katniss heart in my own chest was one of the best feelings in the world.

"Um, no." She was giving me a weird look (what's new?), but nevertheless accepted my hug and twined her arms around my waist as well. "I was thinking when you just don't care if you are wearing all your clothes or not. But I guess the other works, too." She leaned her head on my chest and blew a gusty sigh. "So what do you want to do in the hour and a half we have left?"

She didn't specify on 'have left', but we both knew what she meant.

I tucked her head under my chin in thought. "I don't know… This right here is okay with me for now."

"Yeah…" Silence followed that word, leaving it ringing in the air. It was only when I kissed the top of her hair she looked up.

Still keeping the silence, I rested my forehead against hers and just breathed in her clean scent. Though, I missed the fresh forest scent that lingered in her hair every time she would come home from hunting.

I felt Katniss blink against my eyelashes and a silver tear fell down her cheek. Something about the moment reminded me of a while ago, right after when we found out she was pregnant with a mutt. She was crying nearly every night…

"I'm scared, Peeta." Her grey eyes opened and stared dolefully into mine.

Her confession nearly surprised me. It wasn't really like Katniss to admit to something like that. We both were trying to be strong for one another. But you can't always be strong. You need to learn to be flexible sometimes, or you'll break. And trust me when I say this, we've broken a lot.

I gently kissed Katniss' cheekbone, feeling the perfectly round droplet dissolve against my lips. It tasted like salt. "I know. So am I."

Katniss unlocked her arms from around my torso and just draped them onto my shoulders. "Maybe this surgery isn't such a good idea." She mumbled, voice muffled since her face was pressed against my shirt. I was about to protest, but thought better of it. "I want to stay like this forever. Forget about the stupid operation. I just…want…" A shaky breath cut off her words and I knew she was trying, hard, not to cry.

"It's okay, love." I cupped one hand to the back of her head and rocked her close to me, back and forth like a small child. "It's okay." Again and again, I threaded my fingers through the ends of her hair, holding her tight. "What do you want, Katniss? Anything…" I murmured against her hair. All I wanted was her last few hours before the operation to be the best she's ever had.

"I want…" She hiccupped quietly and pulled a little bit away from me so I could see her eyes. Out of the blue I felt her hands reach up and bend my head down towards her. "I want you."

There wasn't any time to frown before the gentle pressure of her mouth on mine making it feel like my brain was melting out my ears. It wasn't like some of the times Katniss' has kissed me; fiery, unstoppable. Whenever she did that, I felt so out of control, it nearly scared me. But this kiss, sweet and gentle, just made me want to shut out the rest of the world and just float around in space, just me and Katniss. To fly away with wings we just sprouted, and live forever.

When Katniss' lips left mine, I tried hard not to let the little sigh in my throat come out. But it did, in the form of a hushed "Wow…"

"How about—" Even though she was doing her best not to cry, tears were falling down Katniss' cheeks and she hiccupped occasionally. "How about we pretend I'm not going to lose my memory? How about we pretend tonight will be just like any other."

"Okay." My voice was just barely a whisper, but I knew it wasn't the end of our so-called 'goodbyes'.

I pulled her back onto my chest and continued to rock Katniss' petite body gently. I could feel the sobs shaking her shoulders, the tears falling onto my shirt.

"Its okay, Katniss…" I said automatically, but stopped myself. Feeding her lies is the last thing I wanted to do.

But she didn't say anything, which surprised me. I expected her to pull away and tell me how everyone says that, and maybe it won't be okay, and to stop lying to her. Instead, she just wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and said nothing.

I took that as a sign of encouragement, so I bent my lips closer to her ear. "It'll all be over soon, and when you wake up, you'll be back in your room, with me at your side."

She seemed to like that idea, judging by the sad smile that crept onto her face. "That may be true, Peeta, but what if I don't remember you? What if…I wake up and you are just the boy with the bread, and-and nothing more. What then, Peeta?"

My hands brushed a long strand of black hair back over Katniss shoulder and I pressed my cheek to the top of her head. "That's for you to decide."

oOo

Well, as you may have noticed, my computer isn't in the shop quite yet. My mum has to 'get around to it', which is mother-language for "not any time soon". So, until that happens, I will continue to update, blah blah blah. So on and so forth. The surgery is next chapter! I hope everyone is as excited as I am. Like I promised in the beginning A/N, I will put little snippets of the songs up for you people to vote on or whatever, and if you really feel like it, go to youtube and listen to it. Here is a piece of Gimme a Chance by the Plain White T's:

Why don't you open up your eyes?

These are more than passing glances.

Why don't you say what's on your mind?

'Cause I'm taking all the chances.

If I'm not everything you wanted,

If I'm not everything you need,

Then you can walk right out,

And you can block that out,

But you're never gonna see

Just how good it's gonna be

Until you

Gimme a chance,

Gimme a chance.

I could have put more of that song up, but I didn't want to bore you guys absolutely to tears if you didn't want to hear the songs. So, um…here is Your Surrender by Neon Trees:

I become

Your shadow

I've loved

But don't know how to.

I'm always lost for words.

You look like

A thousand suns,

I wanna be the only one,

Left when your day is done.

Ooh, how long 'till your surrender?

How long 'till your surrender?

It's a long way

For heartbreak

Let your heart wait and bleed.

Ooh, ooh,

How long 'till your surrender to me?

Alright, I know you guys are now thinking "I wish she wouldn't put so much crap in her A/N's because no one really cares what she listens to." So, okay. That's okay with me. I just hope the chapter was worth it.