A/N: Hooray, long chapter because I couldn't find another natural break in the story! :D

Finally, we reach our old spot. I frantically run around, looking for our packs. There isn't a trace of anything besides food crumbs on the ground near the tree. "Everything's gone." ~

"But...but who? The others weren't going in this area. Were they?" I let go of his hand and look around for a while. "Damnit... We have to get out of here." ~

"They weren't. It could've been anyone." But I still think it was the others...I'd imagine that they would be pretty pissed off that we took off with everything. As to not worry Peeta, I'm vague about the possibility of them coming back. "Let's go. This way!" I take his hand and drag him off in a completely different direction. "We'll find somewhere." ~

"This arena is insane." I look around into the trees as we walk. "Unless you have a pretty good sense of direction, you could get lost so easily.." ~

"There's nowhere to get lost from." The only useful area here is the Cornucopia, which is in the center, so that shouldn't be too hard to find if we needed it. "Then again, I can barely tell my left from my right." When I say right, I stupidly raise my left arm. Again, stupid. ~

I laugh at him. "You're wonderful." I lift my arm around him, getting on my toes to put it around his shoulder. "Well then, Mister Directions, where to?" ~

"To...the left." He begins to step in front of me, but I pull him away to the right instead, laughing. "This way." ~

"You're a jerk." I stick my tongue out at him. "Do you want to find a place to settle? It looks like it's going to rain..." I look into the sky, and there are definitely fabricated rain clouds up there. ~

"It's not gonna rain!" Right on cue as I said that, a torrential downpour starts. "Damn it!" I run with him through the trees looking for adequate shelter. "There's nothing around here!" ~

"I guess we'll have to find a thick tree or something for now!" Good thing the jackets are pretty good with the rain. "Damnit!" ~

When I find a thick tree to the right of us in a clearing, I tackle Peeta to the ground and sit on top of his legs. "Is this one good enough?" ~

"It'll do." I smile, pulling him closer in so he doesn't get soaked. "You've got to stay dry, too. I don't want you to get sick." ~

"The rain is still dripping above us." A raindrop lands on my cheek when I look up at the sky. Not wanting us to be completely soaked by the end of the day, I pull my jacket off and tie the sleeves to two low-lying branches so that it would serve as a type of umbrella. "Now you have a roof over your head." I look around for a similar setup of trees that I could maybe use with his jacket, but there's nothing nearby. "I'll just...sit out here, and let you go underneath." ~

"No!" I whine. "I don't want to sit here without you." I stand and step out into the direct path of the pouring rain. "You go first. We'll both fit. You'll see." ~

"There isn't enough room...look, I'll show you." I walk over to the spot at the tree and slide down the trunk. I'm just barely able to fit under our makeshift shelter. "See? Look." ~

"You're only thinking in one dimension." I smile, and walk over to him. I'm already almost soaked, but I digress. I come between his legs, turn my back to him, and sit, leaning back onto his chest. "See?" ~

"You expect me to be comfortable with this?" I laugh. "Can we try this the other way around?" ~

"But I'm smaller!" I smile at him. "If you lean on me, your shoulders will be well above my face." ~

"Well...I don't think that's very fair." I pick him up from underneath his arms and pull him up a little bit more. "But if you're comfortable with this, then so it will be." ~

"But you're uncomfortable, and now I feel bad." I pout a little. ~

"No, I'm not. It feels nice." ~

"Don't lie." I sigh. "You can't let me push you around just because I pout!" I laugh. ~

"You push me around? Pfft." I laugh at him. "Really, it's fine. We're both dry now." ~

"Because I'm obviously the biggest brute here." I smile, resting back on him. We lay there for a few moments, venture I speak again. "I always liked the rain." ~

"Why? Because then if clumsy you trips, you can blame it on a slippery ground?" ~

"No." I shoot him a look, but then break into a big smile. "It's because the rain always seemed..unsafe? No, that's not the right word.. Like you didn't want to be in it. So I would have occasion to stay in and snuggle up safe and warm with blankets and pillows and a warm muffin or something." ~

"A muffin or something?" ~

"Well, yeah, I kinda lived above a bakery. Why wouldn't I take advantage?" ~

"Well, it's raining now and you have no muffin to eat." I laugh. "But you still have me to keep you warm." I cough. ~

"You're better than a muffin." I frown slightly. "You're getting sick." ~

"I don't get sick." I start playing with his hair as we talk. "You mean to say I'm better than any food at your bakery?" ~

"Well, yes." I like when he plays with my hair. "I mean, I love both things. But...it's a different kind of love, with you." ~

"And I love you. You're the best." ~

"Psh, no I'm not." ~

"You are," I say, managing through a terrible hacking cough. "That's why I chose you." ~

"I told you that you're getting sick!" I exclaimed, turning to face him and kissing his forehead. "Come on, take my jacket." I pull it off and put it over him like a blanket. He's got to keep healthy to win. ~

"No, you'll get cold. You need it more. I'm fine!" I give it back. "Stop babying me." ~

"I'm not!" I force it back on him. "I'm your boyfriend, and I worry about you, so I want you to have my jacket." ~

"I worry about you! Keep it!" ~

I groan. "Why don't I just go under with you? Would that make you happy?" ~

"Oh, under the covers with you?" I smirk, taking his jacket back and laying it over the both of us. "Sounds like something that would make you happy." ~

"Whatever makes you happy makes me happy." I snuggle into him a bit, tucking my head into his shoulder. ~

"Well, I'm very happy right now, so this is good." I cough into my am. "Imagine if we had met at a different time in a different place?" ~

"Then it'd really be perfect.." I sigh. "Nothing stopping us. We could just be...happy. And maybe then, you wouldn't have to regret us meeting." I stare into the rainy sky. "Hey..I have a question." ~

"What is it?" ~

"More of a request, really.." ~

"Yeah...?" Oh no. If he asks me to let him die, I'll have to object immediately. The point of the Hunger Games is to have the best tribute win. And between the two of us, he's the better person in general. ~

"When you win...you have to promise not to forget me. Okay?" That's been my worst fear my whole life. ~

"If I win." I correct him. "And I wouldn't forget you." Especially if I'll be seeing repeats of these Games for the rest of my life. ~

"You'll win, if I have anything to do with it." I whisper. "I want you to win. You've got to. For me." There's a look of apprehension on his face.. I know that he wants the same for me. "If something happens to me, and we're not the last two...you have to. Promise me." ~

"I won't let anything bad happen to you while I'm around...I promise, if you do leave, I'll win. That was my original intention after all, remember that." He's lucky he didn't make me promise to win even if we do end up being the final two. "You know, this isn't all just to play with you...I truly do want you to win." ~

"Well...that kind of sucks, doesn't it?" We both want each other to win. It can only end badly. "I want you to win...and you want me to. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?" ~

"I want to win!" I laugh. "Feel better about it now?" ~

"Just a bit." I smile and tuck myself under his arm. "I really do. Maybe because I never expected myself to. And when I saw you...I suppose I can't picture a world that doesn't have you in it. And if it does exist...I don't want to be a part of it." ~

"But...you wouldn't be a part of a world where I do exist. And I can't be a part of a world where you still exist." ~

"...And I hate it." ~

I sigh. "Then let's stop discussing that." I pull him closer to me and farther away from the rain. "What else can we talk about?" ~

"Uh...home. Tell me about your life back home. Who do you live with? What's District Two like? ~

"It's just me and my parents." Well, my dad isn't home a lot because of work, but he still lives there nonetheless. "Two is very busy...sometimes I have no idea what's going on around me. I mean, it's not as crazy-busy as the Capitol, but it's close." I pause to let out a sneeze, then continue. "It's okay, though. I like noise." ~

"Like...Like traffic and all? There aren't any cars at all, really, in Twelve. It's pretty quiet, exact opposite, really." ~

"What, do people walk everywhere?" How can anyone manage that? "What about bicycles?" ~

"Bicycles?" ~

"You know, bikes?" He just stares at me, questioning what the fuck I'm even talking about. "The things that you sit on, with the wheels, and you pedal to go forward?" I draw an amateur picture of a bicycle in the damp soil. "You've never seen one before?" ~

I shake my head. "No... Like, a human powered...mini car...with...no roof?" That sounds absurd. ~

I nearly start choking on laughter. "A human powered mini car without a roof? That's something I've never heard before. But I think I'll be calling it that from now on." ~

"...I still don't get what's so funny." I say seriously. ~

"It's...I'm sorry..." I say between coughs and laughs. "I know now you've never seen or heard of them before, but...that was just really cute." ~

"My District's lack of...bisickles? Is cute?" I laugh. "Besides, we don't have a lot of unnecessary things that're made of metal. The metal's usually used for the coal miners tracks. ~

"No...just you, that's what's cute." I lean forward and kiss the top of his head. "And bicycles, not...bisickles." I let out a small laugh this time. "They are completely necessary, though! They can't be using all the metal for the tracks!" ~

"No, but whatever we don't need-which is what's used for tracks, or cars-is taken from the Capitol for other things. Whatever they need it for." I sigh. ~

"Well, if I could, I would build you a bike here...but it would probably fall apart, even if I did have all the materials." Maybe if he becomes a victor, he'll be able to buy a bicycle. Hmm. ~

"Well, thank you for the thought." I laugh quietly. "Two sounds pretty great." ~

"It's alright." I don't want to make him feel bad about being from Twelve. I'm talking about all these awesome things that we have in Two-still not comparing to the Capitol-and he doesn't even know what I'm talking about. "What else goes on in Twelve?" ~

"It kinda sucks." I can laugh about it now, knowing I'll never see the place again. "I mean, seriously." I know the cameras will cut me off when I start to talk about the conditions in Twelve. "People die on the street all the time because they don't have food. You go to school everyday, make some friends, and sometimes, kids just don't come back in the next day. Because they get sent to work to support their families." ~

I've never had to work a day in my life. "People just...die on the street?" I think in my entire life, I've only ever seen one person on the street, and that was because a couple of my childhood friends sent a homemade toy rocket into his house and set it on fire. That took a great deal to hide from everybody. To this day, I think only they know, besides me. "Well...I'm lucky you live in a bakery, then, right? Food for you." ~

"Not always, but definitely more than everyone else." I can't blame him for being naive to what happens in Twelve. "There's nothing we can do about it. The Capitol doesn't really care about us." ~

"Well, they're missing out. People like you could be littered all over the District, and they don't even care?" ~

"More people die every week than they do in the two or so weeks it usually takes for the Games to happen. We're a pretty big District because of the mines, so that number's never certain. Miners go missing and show up years later, insane... They really don't care." ~

How is there this much of a difference between Districts Two and Twelve? Every time I watched the Games, the tributes from Twelve have always seemed dirty, or weak, or depressed-usually all three. But I never actually imagined it to be that bad. Then, if kids make it far enough without dying, they could still get reaped, just like Peeta... "I don't know what to say about that...they should care." ~

"I'd rather be here, to be honest with you." ~

"Because I'm here?" ~

I nod. "I was so scared coming here at first, but...but when I saw you, I thought maybe...just maybe, it'd be okay." ~

"I was waiting for this my entire life, but then after last night...nothing would ever be okay ever again." I frown. "But at the same time, it's completely okay." ~

"I know the feeling..." I sigh. "I'm just happy that...that, well, I'm finally happy." ~

"And I'm happy to bring you happiness." ~

"I wish we could stay here forever, Cato." ~

"I wish we could both make it out alive." But I know that can't happen. That's why it's a wish. "Peeta, you're the brightest thing in the arena...and that isn't just because it's raining." ~

I laugh at him. "You treat me as if I'm perfect. I'm far from perfect, love." ~

"As am I, dear." He's lying so much right now. At least to me, he's close enough to perfect. "Stop trying to ruin my pickup line." ~

I smile even bigger as he calls me 'dear'. "Fine, fine." ~

"So uh...what do we do about food?" We haven't eaten since very early this morning and I'm already starting to get hungry. "It's all gone." ~

"I suppose I didn't notice..." I'm used to a lack of food. "Kinda used to it." ~

"Right...sorry, I forgot." Fuck, now I'm going to feel guilty every time I mention being hungry. Peeta's been hungrier than you, and you're complaining about how you haven't eaten in a little less than twenty-four hours. I mentally slap myself. "We can figure it out some other time, then." ~

"We should find food eventually, though." I say quickly. That wasn't meant to make him feel badly, it was just to state fact. "We will need it sooner or later. To keep strong." ~

"Yeah, we will..." I cough again. "We will." ~

"Damnit, Cato...You can't be sick. You need to be strong." ~

"I'm not sick!" I protest. "Do I sound or look sick to you?" ~

"Uhm, yes. You sound very sick. You're hacking and sneezing all over the place." ~

"Eh. Allergies." I've never had allergies in my life. ~

"You're a terrible liar." ~

"I must be allergic to boys named Peeta." I laugh. "What a shame." ~

"Does that mean you're leaving me now?" I put on a terribly dramatic sad face. ~

"I probably should...but I can't, love." ~

"Hey, hey. No. That's you." ~

"But..." I make my voice sad and pouty. "You don't want to know why I can't?" ~

I sigh. "Why can't you?" ~

"Because you're so perfect...you have me trapped." ~

"Trapped?" I question. "I...didn't mean to." ~

"Damn it, Peeta!" I start laughing, despite the terrible effect it has on my voice. "You ruined my attempt at being corny and cliche like you!" ~

I wrap my arms around him. "See, now you're trapped." I smile. "Mine forever." ~

"No, let me out!" I fake a poor attempt at getting out of his hold. "Damn it." ~

"Like you'd want to anyway." I kiss his cheek. ~

"I'm trapped." I admit defeat. "Why only the cheek?" ~

"What, are you asking for something else? So needy." I smile and kiss his lips softly and quickly. ~

"Ha!" I wipe my mouth with my arm. "I just gave you my sick germs!" ~

"Maybe I took them away. Best possible scenario." ~

I make sure to let out a loud, congested cough. "You didn't take them all away." ~

"Now you're just trying to foil my plans to make you feel better." ~

I lean my head against the tree. "I'll be fine. It's you I worry about." ~

"And it's you that I worry about." ~

"Then I guess we're even." ~

Things go quiet for a little bit and we sit there together, watching the rain. "Oh, Cato." ~

"What is it? Am I boring you?" ~

"Not at all." I smile. "Can you play with my hair some more?" ~

I narrow my eyes at him and smirk. "Why?" ~

"Why're you giving me that look? I just like it when you play with my hair...that's all." ~

"That's an interesting fetish." I laugh, taking some of his hair in my hands. "It's uh...a nice shade of blonde. Were you born with it like that?" ~

"It's not a fetish!" I complain, before sighing and moving on. "Mm-hm. There's never been a Mellark who wasn't blonde...Or a baker." I laugh. ~

"Well, I like it." Smiling, I continue to comb through it with my fingers. "You know, when I saw your reaping, I remember seeing a few other blondes near you. Your brothers?" ~

"No," I laugh. "They wouldn't want to be seen with me, their dorky little brother. A lot of people from the middle class of District Twelve are blonde. Who knows why. But they're a lighter shade of blonde. We're this awkward dirty-blonde color." ~

"Oh, I was about to say...you're the one who got the looks out of you guys." Every once in a while, I have to pull blood clumps out of his hair. "It's not an awkward color, though. It's nice. Perfect for sex hair." ~

My heart stops a little and I blush slightly. "And you'd be the perfect judge of that?" I manage to get out. ~

Ruffling his hair a little bit, I say, "I'm the perfect judge of everything...and I judge you as perfect." ~

"You're such a cheese. I really did rub off on you." ~

"I told you I could pull it off if I really wanted to." Well, it's true. Even if perfect doesn't exist, Peeta is still pretty damn close. And here I thought I'd never say that about someone, but here he is. ~

"Fine, fine, you win this round." I laugh. "And unlike you, I'm not mean. So you get a prize. Pick." ~

"The ultimate sex." ~

I don't know if he's bluffing or what, but for once in my life, I don't blush. I call it. "Alright then." I grab the front of his shirt and pull him up to me. "Do it." ~

Then, I don't do it on purpose, but I sneeze right in his face. "I'm sorry!" ~

"That's unfortunate." ~

"I'm so sorry," I say, laughing nervously. "I didn't mean to!" I lift up the bottom of my shirt so I can wipe his face clean. "That was quite unfortunate." ~

"It's very unfortunate, because I was going to let you screw me, here and now..." I smile a bit. "But you kind of killed it." ~

"I wasn't going to, anyway." Not on national television. If we had privacy, maybe I would. I don't completely object to the idea, but it's way too soon. Maybe tomorrow. "It doesn't matter if I killed the mood. I know you still want it." ~

"Well, look at you!" I exclaim. "Of course I do!" I laugh aloud. ~

"Look at you!" I mimic him. "You're a pathetic fool for sexy guys like me!" ~

"No, just you." I laugh. "I'm a lovefool for you." ~

"And I for you." ~

"Just works out well, doesn't it?" ~

"Yes, it does." I hug him tightly and start playing around with his hair again. "How did I get so lucky?" ~

"Well, I don't know about you, but I've had some crap luck in my day. So it figures that just as things are about to be worse than ever...I get some fantastic luck." ~

"Yep, some great luck here," I say, partially sarcastic. Of course, we're lucky to have each other, but it's the worst luck in the world that it'll have to end. "I can't escape you, Peeta...we're doomed together. Doomed." ~

"...Is that such a terrible fate?" ~

"It could be, but I'll go with no for now." Still not glad we met. He's such a life ruiner! "Are we fated to be with each other?" ~

"I think that...because I met you, I've been changed for the better." I admit. "I don't feel so badly about who I am anymore. I used to hate it. Me." I look up into the tree above us. "But we met in the most unwilling circumstances, and you didn't judge me. You didn't know, and still were my friend. And when I told you...you liked me back. I guess what I'm saying...is that you gave me hope." ~

"You gave me some, too." ~

"And you said no one could love you." ~

"I was wrong, then. I was also wrong about never being able to feel anything." We sit in silence for a few minutes, until I ask, "Why didn't you tell me it was you before?" ~

"When?" ~

"When you ran after me. You didn't tell me it was you." ~

"You were so upset...I didn't think you would believe me...You'd think it was the Capitol or something." ~

"I did, for a minute..." I sigh. "But you're right. There will only ever be one Peeta. And that's you." ~

"The one and only." I grin. "Do you think this rain is going to let up anytime soon?" ~

"I don't think so. It's still going at it pretty hard." ~

"Hopefully no one is traveling in this." ~

"They probably are, you know." Knowing the other Careers, they'll travel all night, rain or shine. ~

"I can hope, can't I?" ~

"Sure, but don't worry about it. I'll save you from them." ~

"My hero." ~

"You are so corny." ~

"You picked me." ~

"What was I thinking?" That I'm crazy for him. ~

"You probably just felt badly." I pout jokingly. ~

"Yes, I'm with you because I pity you." I stick my tongue out at him. "I actually have someone waiting for me back home." ~

I can't tell if he's being serious or not, but my heart drops. "I suppose you've...got to win, then. To get back to them." Probably her. ~

"Yeah, I bet she misses me." ~

"I...I bet." How could I have been so stupid? ~

"We're going to have all the sex when I get back home." I laugh. ~

I move away from him a little bit. "You really think I want to hear this?" I say, hurt, turning from him and leaving the warmth of the jacket. ~

"Um...no?" I look over to him. "I was only teasing..." ~

I look back at him. "You know I take things way too seriously..." ~

"I'm sorry...please come back." ~

I sigh. "Okay..." I crawl back under. "You're lucky you're cute." ~

"I didn't know you'd take it that bad...next time I'll try to remember to not joke about it." I pull him closer and hug him. "I really do want you." ~

"I know." I sigh. "I need to stop being so touchy." I smile. "Don't beat yourself up about it." ~

"I like you being touchy...touchy." ~

"Now you're just trying to be a suggestive tease." ~

"I've been a tease this whole day. I'm not stopping." I laugh. ~

"Yeah, but now you're really just trying to make me blush." I shiver a little. ~

"I live for that." I move the jacket to cover him a little bit more. "Red is my favorite color, after all." ~

"My face matches your jacket." ~

"It does." I laugh. "I'm lucky District Two gets this color. I think it brings out my everything." ~

"Any color would've brought out your everything." I laugh at him. "I mean, really." I say, knowing I'm just blowing up his ego. ~

"You know what brings out the best of my everything?" ~

"...what?" ~

"You." ~

I just smile. He makes me smile. "You make me smile in the worst times, you know." ~

"Do I?" ~

"You do. Throughout all of this, whenever I've thought of you, I've just smiled. Even if it was a terrible moment to." I laugh. ~

"Just try not to think about where we are, okay?" If he really wants to be happy forever, he'll just have to forget about being in the Games. ~

"I'll try." I get back into my position cuddled up against him. "I'll just remember I'm with you." ~

"Good." I put my arm around him to keep him warm, as well as me, because Peeta warmth is the best kind of warmth. "We're good." ~

"You're good." ~

"Nah, you're alright too." ~

"First you call me perfect, now I'm just alright?" I smile. "Make up your mind, jeez!" ~

He's so cute. "Only I'm perfect, according to you." ~

"You are. I'm just saying you've got to make up your mind, love." ~

Yawning, I say, "You're...you. Amazing." ~

I yawn, too. "Sleep time?" I blink groggily. ~

"With you? Yay." ~

"Yes..Yes, with me. Just...one more promise." ~

"Yeah?" ~

"Promise you'll be here when I wake up?" ~

"Of course I'll be here!" Why wouldn't I be here? ~

"I just...worry." ~

"It'll be fine. I got you." I cough, covering him with the jacket more. "Stay dry." ~

"S-sweet dreams..." I sigh, wrapping my arms around him and falling asleep happily in his arms. ~

"Sleep tight, Peeta," I whisper. He falls asleep immediately-it was a long day, so of course he does-but I don't. I just lie there and listen to his light breathing and slight mumbling. If I listen close enough, I can catch some words like 'fun' or 'ooh,' but I can't completely decipher what he's saying, so I ignore it all for the most part. "Shh, Peeta." I laugh. He seems so vulnerable when he's asleep, more than he usually is. ~

A/N: That's that! I wish that supported colors, because this would be a lot easier for you all to read…but I hope you don't mind! Blah. Review! I love critique. x