Peeta went over to the bakery and immediately started mixing bread dough. He needed something to take out his hurt and anger on, and he figured that the long, strenuous, physical process of kneading and pressing the heavy dough would be therapeutic. Besides, he had a lot to think through, and he always thought better when his hands were busy.

He wasn't really mad at Katniss. He was a little bit hurt that she'd felt she couldn't tell him about the kiss, but he understood her reasoning. He was mad at Gale. Not in a jealous kind of way so much, because Peeta knew that Gale was probably not the only man in Panem who had a thing for his famous girlfriend, but he was furious with him for putting Katniss in that position. He was supposed to be her best friend, yet he had kissed her and then told her she had to make a choice between her best friend and her boyfriend. Gale had to have known how excruciating it would be for her to have to make that choice, one way or the other. Peeta figured that this must have been eating her up inside all this time, for her to completely avoid going out to the woods that she loved so much, just to avoid seeing Gale. How could Gale do that to her?

Peeta worked on his bread all morning, and just as he knew it would, it helped him see more clearly, and work through his emotions. By lunch time, he knew what he needed to do.

Meanwhile, Katniss sat at home, waiting and wondering. The suspense was killing her, not knowing how mad Peeta was at her, or what was going to happen. She cried off and on all day, wondering if he was going to come over and break up with her because she had kept the kiss a secret from him. She didn't dare leave the house in case he came over to talk.

She hoped that maybe he would come over at lunch time, but he didn't. She didn't think that it was a good sign.

Oh no, he's still mad at me and doesn't want to see me, Katniss thought to herself. What if he doesn't come over after work? What if he never comes all night?

She just kept waiting all day, doing anything she could to pass the time... pacing the floor, trying to clean the house, breaking down in tears every so often.

Late in the afternoon, as she was sitting on her bed with her knees pulled up to her chest, she heard the back door open and then click shut.

"Peeta?" she called.

She walked out to the kitchen, and saw him standing there with his back against the door.

She didn't dare get too close. His face just looked calm... she couldn't read whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Peeta?" she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

A soft, sympathetic smile crept onto his lips.

"Come here, baby." he told her, and he held his arms out to her.

She rushed into his arms with such force that he fell back against the door, and she threw his arms around his neck. She buried her face into his shoulder and sobbed.

"I'm so sorry, Peeta! I'm so sorry, please forgive me! I love you so much..." she wailed.

He pulled her away from him just enough so that he could take her face in both of his hands and look her in the eyes.

"I love you Katniss. I'm not mad at you." he said, and then he kissed her lips gently.

"You're not?" she sniffled.

"No." he answered. "I was a little hurt at first, but I understand why you did what you did. I know that you were trying to protect my feelings. I was more mad at Gale for putting you in that position of feeling like you were forced to choose between us. It wasn't fair of him to ask that of you..."

As he looked at her, he noticed that her eyes were all puffy and red rimmed.

"Have you been crying all day?" he asked.

"Yes." she answered.

"Did you think I wasn't coming back?" Peeta asked.

"Yes. When you left this morning and then didn't come back all day, I thought that maybe you were going to break up with me."

"I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean for you to think that. I was just upset and needed some time to think things through, and now I'm okay. It made me realize what I needed to do." he said softly.

"And what is that?" she asked.

"Well, I understand that you are pretty famous in these parts, and I am absolutely certain that Gale is probably not the only man in Panem who has a crush on you, and most of them would take a chance on kissing you if they had the opportunity, too. I thought that maybe we could make it clear that you are off the market, you know, make it official that you belong to me..."

Katniss looked at him quizzically.

Peeta continued, "I know that we are basically being blackmailed into being engaged, but I want you to be engaged to me because you want to, not because you have to."

Peeta got down on one knee and pulled a ring out of his pocket. He held it up to her, and it sparkled in the golden late afternoon sunlight. It was a dainty silver ring, with one oval shaped fiery red ruby in the center.

Katniss started shaking, but with happiness.

Peeta looked up at her and said, "I chose a ruby because it reminded me of you... brilliant and warm and fiery. Katniss Everdeen, will you marry me?"

"Oh my gosh Peeta, YES, YES, YES! Of course I will marry you!" she cried. She pulled him up and

they hugged and kissed each other for a long time.

Finally he took her left hand and slid the ring onto her ring finger.

"I chose a ring that wasn't too big or set too high, so it wouldn't get in the way when you're hunting," he explained.

She held her hand out in front of her and admired it.

"I love it," she said. "It's perfect."

"And just so you know," Peeta said, hugging her, "I don't expect you to avoid Gale for the rest of your life. He is your friend, and even though I'm not happy about what he did, I would never ask you to just give up your friend forever. I'm not going to make you choose between us. I trust you. So as long as he can respect your boundaries, I don't have a problem if once in a while you want to go out hunting with him. I can't ask you to give up something that makes you happy, that makes you... you." Peeta paused for a moment, than continued, "But, if he doesn't respect your boundaries, then I might have to kill him!" he said, with his eyes twinkling.

Katniss hugged him tightly. "What did I ever do to deserve someone as amazing as you, Peeta?"

"Well, you did save my life, for one thing, so I guess now you're stuck with me." he said.

"I would be honored to be stuck with you for the rest of my life, Peeta Mellark." she said, smiling.

"And I would be honored to call you Mrs. Mellark." he replied.

She liked the sound of that.