Hi guys, I'm sorry this has taken so long to post but I've been so busy I've literally had no time to write it.
As I said in the first chapter I wanted to get through the games quickly because the story I have in mind takes place after the games so that's what I've done, there will be flashbacks to Peeta time in the arena later in the story but for now I've skipped ahead, I hope you like the new chapter, and thank you all for your lovely reviews, Please continue to give me feed back, I really appreciate it!
-x-
Chapter Four
I blinked widely.
It was over.
It was all over and Peeta had...won. I stare at the screen in a daze.
The events of the last two weeks whirled around my head and made me dizzy. I had seen him befriend rue, destroy the Pyramid of supplies, kill her murderer, cradle her as she died, surround her in flowers, fight for his prize at the feast, retrieve it, use it, run for his life from fire, run for his life from mutts, battle Cato and...win.
The battle with Cato had lasted 20 long gruelling minutes. I had cried, screamed, cheered and finally battered and bruised Peeta had managed to impale Cato on his sword then let him fall to his death into the readily open mouths of the Mutts. It had taken over an hour for him to die. Peeta had sat for the entire time pushing his hands to his ears as hard as he could.
Finally when the cannon had sounded signally Cato's death Peeta had risen, looking lost in a multitude of emotions. As the hovercraft came to retrieve him he let a tired broken smile touch his lips and shouted a single name. My name.
He had won. He was coming home.
Everyone in the square erupted into cheers, for the first time in 24 years, district 12 had a victor. As the celebrations continued around me, I allowed myself to drop to my knees, I rested my head against the railing and I let the barrage of emotions loose. I wept with a smile on my face.
It was a mere two hours later when Effie and the prep team had arrived, they were different then last time, Peeta's prep team must have been getting him ready for his return to 12. They insisted that mine and Peeta's reunion tomorrow would be televised and I must look absolutely perfect. I sat in a daze as they fussed around me. Peeta was okay, he was being treated for his injuries and would be home tomorrow. My abdomen filled with hundreds of butterflies. I would finally see him.
I didn't know what to expect. Would he be happy to see me, would I be happy to see him? Were the emotions I had been feeling over the past two weeks just a trick of my mind or were they songs from my very heart? I would not know until the following day. A realisation hit, I had never actually spoken to Peeta, I wonder what my first words that I ever speak to him would be? Surely I should rehearse something, make it special. I concentrated on that while the prep team started the awful waxing treatment again, it made a good distraction to the feeling of guilt that swept over me when I realised I had no idea what to say to him. Ah well, It was probably better just coming straight from my heart anyway.
Two hours later I lay in bed, I was scrubbed clean, completely hairless apart from the hair on my head and my eyebrows, and had my nails shaped and painted a pretty shade of pink. Not very me.
Effie came and crouched besides my bed, taking my hand in hers she congratulated me, I nodded and gave thanks.
"Did you see him?" I ask, hope filled my heart, even though he was out of that godforsaken arena I still worried, the capitol is a dangerous place.
"Yes dear, I saw him." She smiled softly.
"Was he okay? That cut on his leg turned pretty bad by the end and even though he got the medicine he was limping, and the cut on his chest and on his face what about thos-"
Effie shushed me gently.
"He is in the best hands Katniss, he will be taken care of, healed, fed and bathed and all before he arrives tomorrow. He is strong Katniss." She stroked my hair, brushing a piece that had fell into my eyes behind my ear.
"You know I saw him as soon as he was taken by the hovercraft and you know what he said?"
"No..."
"He said, when will I be able to see Katniss? He said you were waiting for him and he wouldn't keep you waiting much longer." She laughed and I smiled. I breath catches in my throat, even though he had been through so much, he was still thinking of me. I wanted to burst into tears and smile all at once.
"He must love me a lot huh?" I ask feeling my cheeks tingle and blush red.
"He does. Anyone with any kind of sense can see that. Go to sleep my dear, and in the morning your victor will await you." She placed a kiss on my forehead and stood, and I felt a strange feeling of affection wash over me...maybe all capitol people weren't the same. I heard the door quietly close and rolled onto my back. I wish that I could go to Peeta tomorrow without the whole nation watching. That we could quietly talk and hold each other in private, away from prying eyes but it was not going to happen like that.
They were in a whole different kind of game now.
-x—
I look into the full length mirror and sigh, my hair has been tied into a messy bun on top of my head, stray piece fall down and curl gently around my face. The dress they had chosen for me was the colour of daffodils. I look young and innocent. My makeup is soft and understated, thank god.
My legs shake, and it isn't because of the heels this time, I am so nervous I feel like my entire body is vibrating, like I want to be sick, run into my forest and hide there forever. Effie circles me slowly before squealing with delight.
"She's perfect! This will be all anyone is talking about for months! The boy on fire and his songbird reunited once again and can finally relish in their unexplored love!" She fantasises and I can almost see her vision of me and Peeta running into one another arms, tears rolling, sharing sloppy kisses and 'I love you''s. I may not know how it was going to happen, but that was definitely not it.
Effie straightened the ends of my dress and runs me through every movement that will happen within the next two hours. We will arrive exactly 5 minutes before the train rolls in, Peeta will get off the train and I will be waiting for him, we will reunite as the cameras catch our every movement, Peeta will give a speech in the square and I must be with him on the stage then we will go to the Mayors house where there will be a party and feast to celebrate his victory.
That was an awful lot of socialising...
Looks like it will be near impossible for me a Peeta to have a moment alone today, but one can wish.
Effie checks the time and starts to rush people out of the door, squealing about not being late. I'm reluctantly pulled along and manage to take a long wanting look at the forest beyond the fence before I am escorted down the street. I feel eyes on me from every house we past, some are stood outside their doors, taking in my appearance. Some look amazed and star struck while others look disgusted. A see a girl point at me and tug at her mother's hand. "Look mummy, a princess!"
I smile at that, I am far from a princess, probably the furthest you could get to be quite honest. As we near the square my heart starts to slam against my ribcage and my stomach is doing flips, my hands are clammy and shaking. I wasn't even this nervous on reaping day. Effie turns to me and smiles. The offers a small, "you can do it" before pulling me in front of the train station and positioning me where she had planned me to stand. Cameras were everywhere. People crowded to watch the reunion. I bite my lip so hard I worry I made it bleed. Effie would be furious with me.
I can hear the train approaching and I squeeze my hands into fists. Focus now, this has to be perfect. The white sterile looking capitol train rushes in, causing a gust of wind that makes my dress flow gently. It seemed like hours before it finally came to a stop, perfectly placing one of the doors directly in front of me, about 15 meters away. The windows are blacked out so I can't see anything but I know Peeta is behind it, I feel like every bit of air is being sucked straight from my lungs.
The door slowly slides open and there he is. My boy with the bread. He is looking down and once the door have fully opened he take one step off of the train and pulls his eyes up look into mine. Impossible blue. Then there is nothing, not a sound, not a movement, nothing. Time just seems to stand still and the only movement I can feel is my hair waving gently in the wind. My breath hitches as I drink in his appearance, his face is still bruised slightly, but his blonde curls are no longer a dirty light brown as they were in the games, they are once again a sandy blonde that seems to shimmer in the sunlight. His eyes draw me in, they are looking at me like I am the very moon and star's themselves. That look makes my legs weak.
Finally after what seemed like an eternity, he begins to walk forward, slowly at first and then he picks up into a jog until he is inches away. I stand stunned as one arm snakes around my waist and the other wraps around my shoulders and he pulls me to him with such force I go limp in his arms. I am pressed so tightly against his chest I find it hard to breathe, his face is tucked away in my neck. I blink several times before I wrap my arms around him too, but when I do I collapse on the inside, I tuck my face in his neck too because there are tears in my eyes and I hate him for it. We stand there frozen in time, frozen in this one pure perfect moment that, no matter how many people are watching, is ours.
He says my name, he says it over and over and I hear his voice getting softer and softer until a hiccup interrupts his chanting. I understand why he holds me so tightly and why he whispers my name so thankfully, it's because he never thought he would.
He pulls back suddenly and his hands are on either side of my face, he looks over my features as if looking at a priceless piece of art, his thumb runs down my cheek, then gently across my lips. I feel my knees go weak and my heart jump right out of my chest and I whisper his name quietly. I try to speak, to do what I did the night of my interview but I am so overwhelmed I feel like I'm drowning. He holds my chin in his hand and before I can do anything his lips are on mine. I once again go limp as the crown bursts into fits of cheers. I feel like every cell in my body explodes, simmers and dies away. I gingerly bring my hands up, I slowly let one get lost in his blonde curls, and the other one rests on his shoulder. I relax into the kiss as the cheers drown out and all I can hear is he heart beat in my head. His lips are so gentle, so loving, so...Peeta. The cameras, the people, the world all just seem to disappear until it is only me and him and our kiss. Nothing else exists.
We pull back and barely have enough time to catch our breaths before Effie is grabbing us and pulling us through the crowd and to our next location, there are hints of tears in the corner of her eyes and a huge smile of her face, which means that the reunion is exactly what the people in the capitol wanted. Peeta's fingers entwine with mine and hold on tight, I never realise how big his hands were, it made me feel steady.
The next location was the square, where Peeta would give his winning speech in front of the justice building and I would be expected to look thrilled and thankful and tearful and every other emotion. I had trouble conveying just one emotion; god knows how I would successfully show a whole selection.
We are rushed to the square and onto the stage where our makeup is checked and topped up. All the time Peeta holds my hand and every now and again sends me small smiles and reassuring hand squeezes. The square quickly fills with people eager to hear from our new victor, eager to see the reunited lovers stand together and talk about how happy they are to finally be together once again.
As the cameras start to roll it takes every inch of will power not to bolt from the stage, or throw up what little I had managed to stomach that morning. I stand next to him, my arm linked with his, trying my hardest not to think about the hundreds of people in front of me or the millions watching. I smile and look at Peeta lovingly as he begins his speech of how he overcome the challenges of the games and how without me he probably would have given up hope and ended up dead. I go through the motions, reacting to his words and it's easier than I thought. Peeta snakes an arm around my waist and pulls me close. "She was my reason for surviving, and now here I stand alive and a victor and I have only her to thank." He smiles and its real, the smile reaches his eyes and they just seem to sparkle, he pecks my lips with a kiss before he lets me go and holds my hand.
He looks humble as they finish the speech by announcing their victor and Peeta waves a thank you to the crowd, I smile awkwardly and give a short wave and scan the crowd. Then a catch a glimpse of a familiar face, Gale stood about five rows back and he isn't smiling, in fact the look on his face is not one I've seen before. It's a mixture of disappointment and sadness; he has never looked at me like that. It hits me in the chest like a giant snow ball, cold and heavy.
Peeta is leading me into the Justice building and I manage to steal another glance before the doors close, I see him shaking his head as he turns away. Effie is waiting inside and ushers us into a empty room. "I thought you two could use a few minutes alone, the prep teams will arrive shortly so don't get to comfortable!" she giggles and closes the door. I stare at the brown panels and brass doorknob for several moments before I find the courage to turn to him.
He stands patiently with a gentle smile; he doesn't move to touch me. He just stands and lets me make the first move. So I do, I take a few steps and I lay my forehead on the hard muscle of his chest and he wraps his arms around me tightly.
"Hi" He mutters with a chuckle.
"Hi" I reply unable to contain the short laugh that escapes my lips.
"You look so beautiful" I can hear the happiness in his voice.
"Well I preferred you in the leather bodysuit but I suppose this will do" I chuckle and he joins in.
He pulls back and leads me to a love seat and we sit. "I guess we have a lot to talk about" He lets out a sigh. "I guess we do."
"We don't have the time to go into everything right now but Katniss, I want to ask you something, before anything else..." He says carefully biting his lip. I sit patiently in silence and nod.
"If this was... an act to help me out of the games, I want to know now. I can't stand the thought of you carrying this on if you were only pretending. I don't think my heart could take it." He pauses; for once he is the one struggling to find the words. I sit and stared wide eyed, was all of this an act? Was this my way of repaying him for what he did for me? I can't deny the pull I feel towards him, the electric I feel shoot through my body when he touches me.
"Katniss? Say something." He pleads, his eyes are heavy with sadness and I hate it, I never want his eyes to look like this.
"Is this real? Or not real?"
I place my hand on top of his.
"Real."
Suddenly he is pulling me towards him, he kisses me all over my face before finally claiming my lips, a dig my hands into his blond hair and I'm lost. Lost in him, in everything he is. It was real, it had to be. I had never felt this way about anyone.