A/N: This chapter starts in Peeta's POV! Here goes! We're so close I CAN TASTE IT.

"That's..all I want." I whisper as I hear the door shut. I go grab some foil and pull it over the cake before going and sitting on the stairs. I don't want to go up there. Not yet. I sit there for a few minutes before I hear a knock on the front door. ~

After lying in bed for a few minutes, I hear a noise coming from downstairs. A noise that sounds like knocking on a door. Fearing the worst, I run over to my bedroom door and open it quietly. "Peeta?" I whisper down the stairs. "Peeta, upstairs!" ~

Suddenly, I hear Cato's voice. "If I go up the stairs, people will be able to see me through the front window." I whisper back. I'm frozen in my spot, guarded by a plant by the base of the stairs. It'd never shield me in person, but to the people outside, there was nothing but a plant. ~

Shit. I sprint down the stairs and over to the door. As I put my hand on the knob, I turn to Peeta. "What do we do?" ~

"Distract them. Talk to them through a crack in the door. And I'll run up. As soon as you hear your door close, open the front one completely." ~

"Oh...kay." I twist the knob and open the door just a tiny bit, but I jam my foot up against the door so that they couldn't push their way in. "Who is it?" ~

"Capitol News!" A high pitched woman's voice exclaims. ~

"What?" I ask. ~

"We're here for an interview! We've met before, Cato! I did your first interview after you came home from the Games!" ~

"Oh...right." I barely remember anything after the Games, let alone some frivolous Capitol interviewer. "What's the interview for?" ~

As Cato speaks to her, I quickly make my way up the stairs and close the door quietly behind me, making sure nothing was altered from the moment before.

"Have you been living under a rock?" She says. "Peeta Mellark!" ~

"From Twelve?" I pretend to be indifferent. If I get too excited, or too nervous, I might let slip that I know something...and that won't be good for anyone. I open the door and let the woman into my home. "What about him? He's dead, isn't he?" ~

She walks in, followed by a small army of cameramen, makeup artists and other technical workers. About 10 people in total. She leans in close towards Cato and whispers, "That's not what everyone's saying! And I'm here to see what you think! After all, you two did have quite the thing during the Games." She winks at Cato. "And the Capitol loved it." ~

"Did they now?" Of course they did. I knew that already. "What is there to think anyway? I was with him...I saw him die. I made it out. It's impossible for him to be alive. Anyone who thinks they saw him must be mistaken..." I start to cry a bit for effect. ~

"Someone get the boy some tissues!" She shouts to her crew, and a random young girl walks up to Cato with the box filled with tissues of an odd pink color. "Now, since we know you know what's going on in the nation.. What if, by chance, they did find him alive? What would you think of that? What would you do?" ~

"I..." How do I even answer questions like that on camera? "They wouldn't...but if, in a hypothetical situation, they did, I wouldn't know what to think, to be quite honest..." I recall yesterday, when Peeta magically showed up in my life again. "I would probably think I'd gone insane." ~

The woman makes a point to give Cato a sympathetic face. "I can understand that. So it's safe to say that you miss Mr. Mellark very much, Cato?" ~

"I think I always will, but I knew it had to happen." Especially since he swore that if we both made it to the end, he'd kill himself for me. "Every day of my life will be spent missing him." Hell, I kinda miss him now and he's only upstairs. ~

"How touching," she says into one of the cameras. "Now, let's say-hypothetically-he is out there, watching this. What do you want to say to him?" She nods for Cato to look directly into the camera. ~

I look to the camera and frown, remembering the talk with my dad earlier. "Don't follow me. You can't keep defying the Capitol." I look back at the woman. "If, hypothetically, he was out there...there's no hope for him." ~

She gives Cato a sad look and pats him on the back. "Very right you are. Have you heard what's been happening in Twelve?" ~

Something's been happening in Twelve? If Peeta hasn't told me yet, does he evenknow? "No, I haven't..." I'm thoroughly confused and anxious now. ~

"Oh!" She squeals. "They're doing searches of the District. Just to see if anyone saw him. But a lot of people are trying to gain rewards from other districts by giving false claims! Quite interesting. But now they're not taking claims anymore, they're setting Peacekeepers out to homes in all of the Districts." She sighs. "I didn't know they were that serious about it. You can't tell until you've lived it." ~

"They're really doing that?" I may look concerned, but it doesn't really matter since one lives here. "That's really serious...but I think efforts are being wasted, to be honest. He's not alive, that's ridiculous..." I look down and hide my face. "Whoever took him needs to be punished, though." ~

"I understand your feelings, Cato." She wraps her arm around him. "Now, on a less serious note-we haven't heard from you since the Games!" She smiles. "What's been new? Any new love interests for you?" She winks into the camera. ~

I almost say no, but after yesterday, someone might've seen us. And if that's the case, they'd know I'm lying. And my dad told me to move on, so...here ya go, you bastard. "I don't know...maybe." I half-smile. "It might be too soon, but..." ~

"Oh, come on! You can give us more details than that!" ~

"No...it's not really anything..." Any wrong answer, and they'll be wanting to meet him. "It's just me hoping I can find someone." ~

"Well, you never really do know where you'll find someone! After all, your Victory Tour is coming up in about a month, isn't it?" ~

"Yeah, I can't wait..." I still have yet to figure out what to do with Peeta once I leave for the Victory Tour. So really, I can wait. "But I think I'll stay single for a while. Don't wanna break any more hearts out there." I wink to the camera. ~

That's what the audiences want to see. So that's where she ends it. "Well, thanks again for letting us talk Cato!" She stands and hands him a small piece of paper. "Here's my card." She winks again. "We'll be in touch, I'm sure." She holds her hand out to him. ~

"Um...no problem?" I take her card and crumble it up when she turns away. "Any time. Goodbye." I wave to them as they rush out of my house. ~

I poke my head out of the door after waiting a few seconds and hearing their car pull away, and can't stop myself from laughing as soon as I make eye contact with Cato. ~

"And what's so funny to you up there?" I ask. ~

"Women hitting on you." I laugh. "I mean, after knowing you make out with guys-" I step out of the door and lean on the banister. "-It's just funny to me." ~

"I get it a lot." I wait for his jealousy to overcome his face. "The ladies can't take their eyes off me." ~

My eyes leave his. "Yeah, I bet." I say sternly. It's like he's trying to make me jealous. Because it wasn't that hard to do. And it was working. ~

"I might just run off with her or some other Capitol girl," I laugh. ~

My breath hitch in my throat. Yes, somewhere deep in me, I probably know he's joking. But my immediate reaction is hurt. I sit there on the ground at the top of the stairs, my head leaning against the banister and eyes focused on some distant portion of the wall behind Cato, by the door where the group just left. ~

"Are you okay?" I start walking up the stairs. "I was just teasing. I already told you I only want you." ~

"Yeah," I whisper. I'm a terrible liar. ~

"I didn't mean it." I sit down next to him and put my arm around him, but he pulls away. "Come on, Peeta. I had to play along with it." ~

"I understand," I mutter. "Don't worry about it." ~

"But...you're worrying about it. I told you, I won't go off with one of them." ~

"I know. I'm not worried," I lie. ~

"I can see right through you." I stand up and walk over into my room. "Let me know when you're ready to talk." And I shut my door. ~

I don't turn to watch him go. In fact, I sit there outside his room for about three hours. The clock said so. And I think. Why I feel this way so easily, over such silly things. I cry maybe twice. And I realize it's partially because I think so lowly of myself and so highly of Cato, that I don't realize why he's with me. Maybe it's because of my youth and the people who made it hell. But I don't understand. ~

I sit on my bed in silence for a while, but after about an hour, I lie down. There were countless minutes of tapping my feet on my bed and humming. Peeta has yet to come in and it's already midday. I didn't think he would feel so low about it, after telling him how I felt about him. "Peeta? Are you still out there?" I call towards the door. "Please come in. I'm bored out of my mind!" ~

"I'm here," I say, broken. I stand and open his door only slightly. "Why?" I ask simply. "Why me? You said it. You had your choice of anyone. Why me?" I have to know. Understand. ~

I sit up when he shows up at my door. "Why you?" Is he really doubting us? "Because you know that there's more to me than what people see. That you care enough to be with me. I told you all this in the arena." I reach over to my nightstand and pick up the broken picture of me after the Games, where I was still shaken and upset. "That wasn't just a spur of the moment thing." ~

"...I'm sorry." I say, looking at my feet. "I am." I close the door behind me and lean against it. "I've been stressed, and...I don't know how to get it out of my system. So I take it out on us." ~

"At least you don't take it out on me, like I do to you." I pat the spot next to me on the bed. "Come sit." ~

"You don't..." I don't make eye contact as I approach the bed and sit next to him. "You don't take anything out on me." ~

"Yes I do. Remember yesterday?" I hug him and kiss the top of his head. "And I'm sorry about before. I wasn't thinking when I teased you." ~

"It's okay... I take things too seriously." I lean into him. "No stupid Capitol girl is going to take you away from me." I pout. ~

"I know you do. And no Capitol anyone will take me away." I sigh. "Since we got talking about it... why me?" ~

I almost laughed. "That's a silly question." I say, holding onto him. "I always admired you...I had to think there was something more. More than a volunteer. You were strong, intuitive, clever, funny...and when I got to know you more, kind, thoughtful, passionate, caring... Need I go on?" ~

"...Yes." I laugh. "And don't describe yourself this time." ~

"I was talking about you!" I grumble. "Take the compliments." ~

I push him playfully. "I am taking them! I was kidding...and all you ever do is compliment me. Even I don't compliment myself that much. You need to stop putting me up on a pedestal." After all, that's partially the reason why he thinks so low of himself...always comparing himself to me. ~

"I didn't put you on the pedestal...you were already there. I was just pointing it out." I smile at him. "So what's the plan for the rest of the day?" ~

"There isn't much to do around here." I'm still not happy with him for comparing himself to me, but I let it slide for now. "What would you usually do when you're not in the bakery?" ~

"School?" I laugh. "In Twelve, you go to school until you're 18, then you go work down in the mines. That's how it is, at least for the kids in the Seam. I had an opt out from the mines with the bakery, but other than that there isn't much recreation. I'd go to school in the morning, work at night, and sleep. Sometimes I meddled with painting on days off, but usually they were spent doing errands for my dad." ~

"Oh...around here, school only goes until you compete in the Hunger Games. Either way, I would've been done this year since next year I'd already be too old for the Reaping." I pause. "You like to paint?" ~

"Not particularly, I just...it's like frosting cakes. But we never had enough money for actual paints or canvas or even paper to waste. So I'd make designs out of the old frosting and dyes at the end of the week. I got real paint once, on my birthday like, two years ago, and used them on the stone walls of the cellar in the bakery. It was cool..." I sat back a bit, remembering the colors that'd brightened up that horrid, dark room. "My dad always wished we had more money so I could get into it. He said I was pretty good. But I think that was just because I was his son and I enjoyed it, and my brothers were less creative and more physical." ~

I walk over to the desk that was by the window and opened the drawer. "Show me." I take out a relatively small pad of canvas paper and a set of watercolors. "These were here in the house already, just like that piano downstairs." I give him the items and smile. ~

"I haven't painted anything in like, a year though." I laugh, embarrassed. "That was probably the last time I had free time, really." I look at the paper and paints in my hands. "Fine. But you can't look while I'm working, and I'm not going to show you if I think it's terrible. Fair?" ~

"It won't be terrible! Did you see that cake you made?" Now, I suddenly want more of it. "But I won't look." ~

I see the look in his eyes. "Go get cake..you can see when you get back." I smile. ~

"But I just had about a third of a cake only a few hours ago...and that was not a small cake." I laugh, but turn towards the door. "Besides, I have to leave some for my mom. She'll never believe that it was better than the box." ~

I laugh and simultaneously shoot him a dirty look. "Then watch tv here and keep me company." ~

"No, no, no." I pick up the remote control and press the power button and wait for the screen to light up. "You insisted on me getting cake...so I feel obligated to listen to you." The chocolate dessert that still lays on the kitchen table is practically calling my name. "I'll just cut some of it off...and bring it back up here." I rush over to the door before he could stop me. "See ya soon!" I wave and close the door behind me. ~

"Hurry back!" I call after him before taking the paints and sitting myself on the ground. Now...what to paint? Well, duh. I know whatI want to paint. But it just depends on reaction. ~

Just for that, I decide to take my sweet ass time going down to the kitchen for food. Thinking that he might be hungry too, I cut a considerably large slice of cake and put it onto a plate. I get the milk out of the fridge and pour it into a large glass, filling it nearly to the top, and stick two straws in it. With the plate and cup in my hands, I stop by the kitchen sink and take a fork out of the drainboard. "Coming!" ~

As he went down, I had started my base and first coat. "Get back here!" I sigh and yell. I already hate it, but I'd finish. Just to see how it comes out. ~

"I'm coming!" I yell as I open the door. "I came." I set the plate onto the edge of the bed and put the milk on the nightstand, waiting for him to look at me. "Peeeeeeeeta." ~

"Whaaaat?" I say, looking up from my paper. "I'm working." I glance up, then back down at my paper. Up, then down. "Hm." ~

"Peeta...I brought you some cake." I show him my giant chunk of chocolate cake. "And a drink." I reach for the glass of milk and, using my hands, I put emphasis on the fact that there's only one cup but two straws. ~

I laugh. "Thank you, love." I look over to the cake and smile. "I'd hope that wasn't all for you. You did want to save it." I stick my tongue out at him. I look back to my work in progress. ~

"There's still some left." I stick the fork into the side of the cake and hold it up to Peeta's mouth. "First bite?" ~

I smile and take the cake into my mouth. "Thank you." I say muffledly, holding the painting against me so he can't see it yet. "Don't look!" I laugh. ~

"I'm not!" I say, stuffing my face with cake and taking a sip of milk through one of the straws. "Is it almost done? Is it any good? Well, of course it's good because you're the artist, but what's it look like?" ~

"Well, they say you always hate your own creations." I laughed. "You'll see when it's done." ~

"How close are you to being done?" I'm starting to think that maybe he was right about the sugar. ~

"Relax." I look over to him. "Remember when we didn't rush the cake? Go watch tv." ~

I sigh and look up at the television screen. "But nothing's happening. It's just a countdown to the Victory Tour." I try to peek at his art, but he pulls it away again. "Sorry! A little impatient here." ~

"Maybe if I have to stop hiding it from you, I'll have more time to finish it." I continue painting, trying to make conversation that would distract him. "What're you going to do about the Victory Tour anyway?" ~

"I hadn't really given it thought...I was a bit preoccupied with you." I laugh. "I...there's no possible way you could come, right? Nowhere to hide." ~

"Not that I could think of..there could be a way, but I don't know it yet...Especially not now." ~

"Well, I hope we can think of one. I can't be away from you and I don't think it's safe for you to be here alone..." ~

"I don't think so, either.. It'd probably be safer going, you know?" I laugh nervously.

"You're probably right." I laugh with him. "Though there's still no way to hide you. Unless you can fit in a suitcase." ~

"I'm probably short enough." ~

"I could probably smuggle you in under my shirt." I laugh again and look at him. "I know you'd enjoy that." ~

"I would." I glance up at him once more and continue with the little brush. "But I don't think the Capitol would buy it." ~

"I'll just...tell them I put on a bit of weight." I take another bite out of my lunch. "I 'eat my feelings'." ~

"At the very least in cake." I laugh. "Cake for lunch..." I look at the clock. "And snack, nicely done!" I laugh, stealing a bite of cake from him. ~

"You took that right off my fork..." I look at him, my mouth gaping. Probably with chocolate all around it. "That was the most delicious bite of cake I have ever laid my eyes on. And you ate it." ~

"You can kiss me to get it back." I smirk. ~

"Hmm..." I consider it for a moment. "It wasn't that tasty looking." I look back at my plate and take another bite of cake. ~

I tuck back into myself with the paint and paper. "You're a jerk." I pout. ~

When I finish the plate, I put it to the side and look back up at Peeta, who's concentrated on the painting again. I decide to catch him off guard by leaning forward and giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "You were tasty looking though." I grin. ~

I look quickly up at him. "Aren't you clever?" I smile, adding a last few touches to the painting. ~

"I guess so. You've only told me that about a hundred times." It's true that he's said that about me a lot, but in reality, I'm not too bright. "So...are you done yet?" ~

"Just one second..." I take some black and added a last bit of shadow. "Now, I'm done." ~

A/N: I'm sorry these chapters are so unnatural this wasn't written as a chapter story BUT I'M SO GLAD YOU ALL STILL LOVE IT AND REVIEW BECAUSE YOU'RE ALL WONDERFUL. xx