"Your cute smile and your happy laughter attracted me to you, but your caring and loving heart is the reason why I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Everlark

Peeta POV

Marvel finishes his ridiculous story that leaves us all in bursts of laughter, he just told us about another one of his crazy dates. He seems to have a new story for us every week. This date in particular was with Cashmere, apparently he took the snobby girl fishing. When they got there, she complained the entire time. So when Marvel finally caught a fish he unhooked it and threw it on her. She started freaking out and it scared her so much she fell smack dab into the water.

I have tears in my eyes, along with everyone else at the table, from laughing so damn hard. We are currently at lunch and I'm sitting with all my friends. Cato, Marvel, Finnick, Gloss, Brutus, Glimmer, Clove, and Cashmere, and Thresh. I probably have more than I need, but who cares.

I wipe the tears from my eyes and shake my head, still chuckling slightly.

"Is this true Cashmere?" I ask the glaring girl with a smirk.

"Sadly yes," she huffs. "The idiot threw it at me as I was standing on the edge of the fucking dock!" She yells towards the end.

That only results in the table laughing even harder, our laughter eventually comes to an end allowing me to hear someone at the table behind me. A sound easily recognizable

Katniss POV

I look up from my pathetic excuse for a lunch, all I have is a turkey sandwich that is 90% bread. As I look up I meet the beaming smile of Peeta Mellark. The schools most popular and most desirable guy ever to be known here at school. He is laughing at something one of his many friends said, his whole table is laughing actually.

I sigh and take a bite of my bread sandwich, I gave Prim the last of the turkey this morning. Leaving a morsel of it for myself, so while she eats an actual sandwich with cheese and lettuce I'm stuck here eating bread. It's for the best though, she needs her food. She's only eleven after all.

"Staring at bread boy again?" Johanna asks me, her lips curved up into her famous smirk.

"Maybe," I mutter.

She now looks at my sandwich and snorts. "From the look of your sandwich, you need a butcher. Not a baker."

The rest of my table laughs, and I can't help but laugh as well. It was pretty funny, although I don't want a butcher. Peeta the baker seems perfectly fine.

I'm sure every other girl at this school wants him, and I'm sure a lot of them have been with him. After all he is a teenage boy with raging hormones with many girls falling head over heels for him. But just like every other girl at this school, I've fallen for his charm and good looks. No, we haven't ever shared a conversation, yet I've fallen for him. It's crazy, I don't know how it happened. I just woke up one day and boom, I realized I was in love with a man who doesn't even know I exist.

xxx

"Katniss, we are out of milk..." Prim calls me from the kitchen.

I sigh, putting my pencil down and take a quick break from my hellish homework.

"Prim, we are out of everything." I stressfully call back.

I hear a deep sigh from her, "Yeah. I know."

I look at the clock on the wall; 5:00.

"I have time to go to the store, but that just means no getting anything for the next week. Because I don't get my pay until then. I was going to save up... but I guess we can't really go much longer with nothing." I say, getting up and walking to the front.

"Alright, well be safe." Prim says, appearing in the doorway of the kitchen of our one story house.

I smile and ruffle up her hair. "Of course. I'll be home in about a half hour."

I quickly put on my shoes and open the door, as soon as I do Prim's hellish cat appears out of nowhere and runs out the door into the fall air.

"Buttercup!" Prim cries, calling after her cat.

I groan, great. Now I have to chase a fucking cat.

"I'll get him, just go do your homework or something." I tell her before I close the door, running after the damned cat.

Peeta POV

I'm walking down the street, just coming home from football practice. My car's in the shop and none of the other players go straight home after practice. So I have to walk home, it's not that bad though. It's only a twenty minute walk, and it's good for me anyways. An extra work-out for me.

As I'm walking, I hear the most God awful sound. It's a mix between a hiss and a meow of sorts. It comes from the bushes I'm walking past and next thing I know, I have a butt ugly cat attached to my face.

"Ahhh!" I yell, pulling the thing off of me. I hold it away from me and give the squirming mutant cat a good look. I would have thought it to be a stray if the poor thing didn't have a collar on. The cat is a mustardy yellow color with matted fur and a smashed in face. The wretched thing even has an under bite. Ugliest cat I've ever seen...

I check the name tag on the collar and see the name 'Buttercup'.

I don't see an address though, so I simply hold the smelly cat as far away from me as possible as it hisses and spits.

"You must be the cat from hell," I mumble.

I hear running up ahead and look up to see none other than Katniss herself running towards me.

"Who brought an angel..." I whisper, freezing up. Is she really running towards me? Is one of my many fantasies of her running into my arms about to come true? Is this devil cat the cause of it? She stops in front of me but I notice her eyes are solely trained on the cat.

"Thank god you found him!" She exclaims, still not looking at me. "Buttercup, you rat you," she scolds, glaring at the cat. He hisses at her and buries himself closer to me, his disgusting fur getting up my nose.

She rolls her eyes and reaches for him. I gladly let him go and she brings him into her arms as he struggles to break free.

"Thanks again, I don't know what I would have don-" only now does she look up at me, and when she does she stops mid sentence.

I can't seem to form words myself, I'm too lost in her gray eyes. I've never seen anyone with gray eyes before...

I mentally slap myself and give her my best smile.

"Of course, the little rascal ran right to me," I say charmingly.

She smiles shyly, "If I hadn't found him, or rather if you hadn't found him, my sister would have been devastated! This demon is her angel.

I raise a brow, "Now how does that work?"

Katniss lets out a small laugh, making my heart skip a beat.

I just made her laugh. Score.

"I have no clue." She says, holding Buttercup a little tighter as he fidgets in her arms, trying and failing to get out of her hold.

I look at my shoes awkwardly, maybe now is my chance. Maybe now I can ask her out. Maybe we ca-

"Well I better get this rat, I mean cat, back home. Thanks again Peeta." With those final words she begins to walk away.

"Uh, yeah. You're welcome, Katniss." I say somewhat dejectedly.

I just lost my chance... The voice of Finnick invades my thoughts and begins to mock me. If he were here, he would force me to go and ask her out. Her walking away is no excuse.

So that's what I'm going to do, I run after her and fall into step beside her. She looks over at me, surprised.

"Uh, hey?" She asks confusedly.

I chuckle, "Hey, again... Uh, well. I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to go get something to eat? After you take Buttercup home of course." I add quickly And completely lamely.

She stops walking and just kind of stares at me, making me nervous. No wonder, I just asked the most special girl ever to live, in the most boring way. She'll probably walk straight to Gales after slapping me in the face for such a lame date proposal.

Then she interrupts my thoughts and slowly nods, "Yeah, sure."

"Really?" I ask. "I mean, of course. I'll meet you at, uh... At the Hob in fifteen minutes. Dinner on me, so don't bring anything other then your beautiful smile." I say, my charm back for the moment.

She blushes and nods, "I'll see you then."

xxx

Her eyes light up, her laughter filling the room. I laugh along with her, my arm situated around her as we lounge in our apartment. It's been four years, four years since I manned up and asked her out that chilly fall day.

"Oh god, why am I not surprised?" She asks, laying her head on my shoulder.

I chuckle and kiss the top of her head.

"Because Marvel is the stupidest man alive." I suggest.

She laughs again and agrees with me.

We've been together for the last four years, living together for the past two. We admitted our love on that first date, as crazy as it sounds. I said it first, finding it hard to keep my feelings in. I was completely surprised when she said it back. I had honestly expected her to get up and run, never to look at me again.

Much to my liking, she had said it back hesitantly. As soon as she did so, I got up and kissed her. I will never forget that kiss. She was definitely surprised at first, her lips still for a few seconds. Then, her lips started moving against mine. I must say it was the best kiss I had ever received at the time.

From then on we have been inseparable, no one has ever been able to tear us apart. Trust me, other people have tried. Just after we got together, Gale tried to take her from me. And a few months after that, Delly tried to take me from her. But of course we would never leave each other, we're in love after all.

She became close friends with my friends and I with hers. She became closest with Finnick, mainly because he and Annie got together shortly after Katniss and I did.

Tonight is our four year anniversary as a matter of fact. As cliche as it is, tonight is also the night I will propose to her.

We are going on a double date with Finnick. I wanted it to just be us two but the place I'm taking us is very expensive and I have a coupon for two couples and everything half off.

The reason we are going to the restaurant we are, is because Katniss told me that it's the place her father proposed to her mom. I want to make it memorable, and what better place than there?

xxx

We finish dinner and Finnick orders us all refills on wine. This will be Katniss' first glass though, she's not much of a drinker.

I give Finnick a grateful smile, because if she didn't have wine then my plan on proposing wouldn't work. You see, I'm going to put the ring in her wine glass. But I have to do so without her seeing, so I wink at Finnick so he knows I'm ready. He nods slightly and then looks behind Katniss with a gasp.

"Oh my gosh! Katniss, your sister is here! And she's with a boy!" He exclaims.

Katniss' eyes widen and she whips her head around, giving me just enough time to slip the ring inside her wine glass.

Now I just have to hope she doesn't choke on it.

She turns back around and gives Finnick the funniest look ever.

"She's not here..."

He looks behind her again, confusedly.

"Hmm, I guess you're right. Oops." He shrugs, throwing an arm around Annie. He proposed to her only a year after they got together. Their freshman year of college, and they got married only months after that.

Katniss begins to take small sips of her wine as we talk about memories of our relationship.

She pauses mid story as she takes a sip, giving us a dumbfounded look. She reaches into her mouth and her eyes widen when she takes out a ring.

"P-Peeta?" She asks, staring at the ring in shock.

By now I'm on one knee, and I take her hand slowly.

"Katniss... I love you, it's no surprise. I express it whenever I can. And I want to express it even more, what better way than to propose? We've known each other since kindergarten. I've been in love with you since then as well, you have always been the apple of my eye. We've been together since senior year of High school. Four years today. And. Well, I want to spend the rest of my life with you as my wife by my side. For better or for worse, Katniss Everdeen will you marry me?"

She has her hand over mouth as she gasps, her eyes wide as tears of happiness form in them.

"Yes," she says so softly I barely hear. "Of course I'll marry you, Peeta!" She says louder, I stand up and quickly envelope her in my arms. I swing her around before placing her on her feet and connecting our lips in a heated kiss.

"You just made me the happiest man alive." I whisper against her lips as the whole restaurant cheers for us.

She smiles, "You have always made me the happiest, and luckiest, girl alive."

Wow, terrible ending I know...