You guys honestly crack me up. Some of those reviews I got were so hilarious… I send out warm (or cold, in this case) Alaskan thank-you's to everyone who took the time adding me/my story to your favorites list, or reviewed, or anything like that. :D

This chapter dedication will have to be split between two of my best friends. To Rachel, who had the funniest conversation with me about hot book characters and splitting Gale between us. And to Michelle, who had another conversation with me and understands it when I say that this Hunger Games obsession is getting very dangerous. :DD So love you guys, and everyone else out there who I haven't named. (Rosa, Sophie, Ali, Izzy…)

oOo

KATNISS' POV

I knew the second I opened my eyes and saw everyone standing over me, I had made it. It wasn't even something I had to think about too long. Even though my drugged mind was still very slow and hazy, I knew immediately things were going to be alright.

How when I said his name, Peeta's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and he cried. Most men don't like crying in front of anyone else; they don't think its "manly", or whatever. But the special thing about Peeta is he doesn't keep anything from me. Crying isn't a big deal to either one of us.

Though beating sluggishly from the morphling, my heart felt like it swelled fifteen times its normal size and I asked Peeta for my pearl. I needed it, as a reassurance to myself that I wasn't just dreaming. Peeta had put his lips to my ear and slipped his hand into mine. I felt the warm bead in-between our palms.

After that, I fell asleep, but the next time I woke up, all of the medicine had run dry, and I was completely aware of everything. The room was strange, the bed was strange, the off-white walls were strange, but Peeta was lying down next to me, and nothing else mattered. If he was there, everything else was going to be just fine.

"I'm okay with just this, right here." Peeta mumbled against my neck. He had his arms secured around me, and I had my eyes closed against his chest.

It was 11:00. Neither of us had eaten, I was still in the pathetic cotton hospital gown from the surgery, and my feet were cold, but I was okay with it too. I said nothing; only let my lips twitch up into a tiny smile.

Peeta apparently didn't see it. His finger brushed my shoulder blade. "Are you still awake, Katniss?" His voice was low and soothing.

"Mm, I'm awake." My eyes opened and I blinked lazily. "I was just thinking of my astounding lack of clothing."

Silent laughter shook Peeta's chest. "You have a gown."

"And nothing else." Smiling, I tried lifting myself up. Despite the fact that I was perfectly okay with staying curled up on his chest, general care wasn't something you could just ignore.

Lifting didn't work so well. The second I tightened my shoulder muscles, sudden whiteness filled my eyes and I was forced to flump back down onto Peeta with a groan.

Peeta's voice was amused, but soft. "We have to 'order' your clothes, remember, Katniss?"

No, I didn't remember. In fact, without even trying to remember, I knew I hadn't been told that.

"Here," Peeta reached over to the bedside table and handed me something.

It was a single sheet of paper—plastic-coated for some reason—and on it was some boxes, and in each box was a clothing option. One box was labeled "shirts", and in that box was a very short list of shirts available. The next box was labeled "underclothes", with different types and colors of those available, and so on.

I flicked my eyes upwards from the sheet to look at Peeta. "And we have to do this because…?" My sentence trailed off in a question.

He gladly explained. "You and I are ordered to stay in this room until further notice. The white clothing was just for the MI patients. I can't let you be alone anywhere until the doctors give the say-so."

I frowned and lowered the paper. "No offense, Peeta, but I'm not sure I'm too comfortable with showering with you just yet."

"There is such thing as underclothes, you know, Katniss." His voice was gentle and teasing.

I felt stupid. "Oh…" Glancing back at the catalog, I changed the subject. "So what am I supposed to do with this then?"

But Peeta was already one step ahead of me. In his fingers, he twirled a little dry-erase marker. When I gave him a look, he handed it to me. "You circle what you want and stuff it into the box."

A little idea popped up into my head. "Can you do it with food, too?"

"Nope. Not unless you like eating denim for lunch."

I deflated, but dropped the subject. My hand gripped the little marker as I pondered what to wear for today. The shirt and trousers wasn't too hard to decide, but I absolutely refused to get any light-colored undergarments. We all know what happens when you get white material wet, now don't we?

After circling some things, I handed the sheet to Peeta, who took it and put it into the metal box. But when he walked back up to the bed, he didn't lay back down. Instead, he gave me a sweet kiss on the forehead. "I'll be right back." And he started to turn around, but stopped. His eyes met mine, suddenly all-business. "Don't get up from that spot, you understand me?"

I nodded.

With a charming little smile, Peeta disappeared into the bathroom.

While he was away, I was free to ponder about things that brought funny looks on my face. I had understood Peeta correct, had I? He had to shower with me? And…going to the bathroom? My nose wrinkled. The showering we could get away with wearing our underclothes, but eventually the places covered by the undergarments would need to be washed.

Blood crept up to my cheeks. It wasn't as if I didn't trust Peeta completely to close his eyes while I wasn't wearing anything, like he had done before, but just the simple thought of being naked in the shower with Peeta made me acutely uncomfortable. Ashamed, even, that I had thought that at all.

A familiar 'ding' sounded through the room, and I was relieved I didn't have to think of that certain topic any more. But, um… I couldn't exactly get up to get it. Even if I tried to lift my head up an inch off the pillow, vertigo would hit me and I would have to take a few deep breaths in order to stay conscious. I couldn't even image what standing up would be like.

The bathroom door opened (no curtain this time, thank goodness) and Peeta came back out. It was apparent he had heard the little bell, because instead of heading back over to the bed, he went the perpendicular route and opened the little metal box. Like I suspected, a bundle of clothes were sitting innocently on the metal base.

Scooping it up, Peeta went over to sit by me. "That was awfully fast."

I took the clothes from him and shrugged nonchalantly. "They are watching our every move."

Peeta laughed quietly, but the subject was dropped when he saw me blinking confusedly at the clothes. "What?"

"If I nearly pass out from propping myself up on my elbows, I doubt I would be able to dress myself properly." But as soon as it came out of my mouth, I glanced, concerned, up at Peeta, afraid he'll made some crude joke. But like always, he amazed me.

"If you want I can lock myself into the bathroom or something while you change under the covers." He didn't even smile jokingly, nor have that mischievous glint in his eyes.

That, actually, was a smart idea. If it was even possible to put on underwear in a bed.

Peeta, seeing my agreement, nodded and smiled at me. "Scream if you need anything." And he vanished back into the bathroom for a second time.

I let out gusty sigh, and pulled the covers up to my eyes. If I actually managed to get dressed this way, I would be very proud of myself.

Twisting around, I fumbled with the tie on my back, belonging to the hospital gown. Little white dots obscured my vision, but I managed to get the robe off. I was abruptly aware of being completely in the nude.

By the time I had managed to get my underclothes on the right way, I was panting heavily. This whole "getting dressed" ordeal was tiring me out. Hopefully, tomorrow I would be able to at least sit up.

Since it had been a whole fifteen minutes, I wasn't surprised when the bathroom door cracked open an inch and Peeta called out, "Are you dressed yet?"

Wheezing, I answered. "Sort of. Half."

"Enough for me to come out?"

I peeked down at my underclothes. Instead of the normal undershirt, I had chosen a less-bulky item that I've never worn before. It was like a half-undershirt, made out of something stretchy that clung to my skin. It was cozy. I looked back up. "Yeah."

Once again, the bathroom door opened and Peeta stood by the bed, unsure of whether or not he should sit down next to me.

To break the silence, I looked up at him and joked, "It is harder than it looks to dress lying down."

Peeta shrugged, and smiled. "Without passing out, that is." After popping his back, he stretched out next to me on the bed again. "But other than that you're okay?"

"Yeah…" With an exhausted sigh, I flopped my head onto his shoulder. Now that the issue of clothing was taken care of (sort of), and our reunion was nice and tear-filled, I was hungry. And my head hurt. "Hey, um...hey, Peeta?" I lifted my head up. "What time does food come?"

"I think it already came, but you didn't say you were hungry so I left it in the box." With an apologetic look, Peeta pressed his lips to my cheek. "I'm sorry. I'll get it."

I just love Peeta….

Peeta stood up again and pulled the food out of the metal box in the corner. There were two trays stacked on top of each other, with the usual food on it. I have to admit I wasn't looking forward to picking the remnants of dried goose from my teeth, but having the hollow feeling in my stomach gone sounded inviting.

After we ate and Peeta had the empty trays put back into the box, he took his usual seat on the bed. "Feeling better?"

I felt woozy and my head hurt a little, but I didn't admit that. "I'm fine." Using almost all of my energy, I shifted onto my side and curled myself around Peeta's chest. That probably wasn't the most proper thing to do, seeing as how I wasn't necessarily dressed. But Peeta, like always, acted normal.

Fighting a headache, I looked up at him. "You are just so different from all the other boys, Peeta. You are totally not acting as though a half-naked 18-year-old girl was lying curled up in your arms. How many guys can do that?"

When Peeta laughed, I felt it vibrate through his chest into mine. "It's hard. I'm glad I'm doing such a good job at hiding it." And he put his lips right next to my ear. I could feel his breath tickling my skin. "You have no idea the effect you can have on me."

With a tiny gasp and a stab of pain, the memory came flooding back to me. We were in the dining room of the train with Haymitch, Peeta and I. We were talking about talents… I had blown off any recognition of my excellent hunting skills, and Peeta, weirdly enough, goes to my defense.

"She has no idea," He had said. "the effect she has."

Back then I had thought he was just fooling with me, trying to worm his way into my heart so it would be easier to kill me when he had to. But now that I think of it, he wasn't messing with me. That spiteful look in his eyes when he said that… He knew we didn't have a chance. He was just being honest to the both of us.

Wordlessly, my eyes found Peeta's and I was rendered speechless. Up until then I didn't give that moment a second of thought. Now, it just made me even surer.

Peeta's fingers traced the line of my jaw, his face sweet and puzzled. "Everything alright in there, Katniss?" He asked softly.

Blinking, I nodded slightly. "I'm just… speechless."

He put his lips to my cheek and spoke against my skin. "I wasn't lying, you know. I could see it in those beautiful gray eyes of yours that you didn't trust me. Even when you kissed my bruise."

Shivers were running up and down my spine. So many thoughts whirled around in my head; I didn't even know which one to focus on. There wasn't really anything I could say to that anyways, was there?

"Your face is priceless." Peeta, who still had his face close to mine, closed his eyes serenely. "What I wouldn't give to live in this moment forever…"

I knew what he meant. Being this close to Peeta, things quiet and tranquil. Smiling slightly, I leaned forwards to kiss him. "We can. As long as you want."

"Forever is good enough. As long as it's with you." Peeta returned the kiss.

oOo

Whew… Was it just me or was that last line to generic? Cheesy? Lame-o? All of these above? Oh well. Sorry that chapter took so long to finish. I have decided to take your advice and further this would-be career and work on an original story that maybe someday I'll publish. Maybe possibly if I find motivation… Best wishes to all of you and have a happy Monday. Or…whatever day it is.