Guys! You are all ABSOLUTELY amazing. Seriously, I am overwhelmed with these responses!
I'm intrigued to see everyones' responses. I know a lot of ppl are expecting something huge to go down between Katniss and her mother but this is Peeta's chapter so we may not really see everything that is going on inside Katniss's head. ;) but I hope it doesn't disappoint!
It's not even evening and I wanted to give yall a long one. I'm off to work but if I check back and see some reviews tonight, I'll post one more before bed! Hope you all enjoy and thanks for being so awesome!
XOXO
I feel like that's my cue to leave but Katniss's hands are clenching mine so tightly, all I can think is how glad I am that she has no rings on. I squeeze back to assure her I'm not going anywhere and I remain on the couch with her, as she stares up at her mother.
"M-Mom. What are you doing here?"
"Peeta called me when you were stricken. Lucky that he acted so quickly, we were able to catch the plague in plenty of time. How are you feeling?"
"Ok," she shrugs. "My throat is dry and sore."
"That's to be expected," Mrs. Everdeen nods. "It will be sore for a few days but you need to keep drinking this. And no you may not add any sugar. That would defeat the purpose." Katniss gives the mug a nasty look and she pouts. I try to hold in my laughter; she looks too adorable and I suddenly have the image of a little Katniss sticking her tongue out at her mother and pouting like she is doing now. Mrs. Everdeen leans forward and places her hand on Katniss's forehead. I see her shrink back a little and I squeeze her hand again.
"Your fever's broken. You've managed to sweat it out."
"Um. Is that why my clothes are gone?"
"Yes, we needed to wrap you up thoroughly and keep the heat in." Katniss clears her throat and winces.
"I'll mix up more tea. There's some soup on the stove, if you're hungry?" She nods and I jump to my feet.
"I'll bring you a bowl." I lean down to kiss her head and follow Mrs. Everdeen into the kitchen.
"Thank you," I say to her as I ladle some into a bowl. "Thank you for coming."
"I'm glad you called me. It would have gotten very serious very fast if you had called a doctor." I nod and she turns toward the stove, to prepare more tea.
"I'm glad you came to help her. She needed to know that you're still there." I see her tense and immediately bite my lip. Funny thing is, I don't regret my words. The woman should know how much she's hurt Katniss. Why does she think Katniss is any less damaged by Prim's death than she is? She should be here with her daughter; they should be healing together.
"You can't understand," she says a bit coldly without turning to face me.
"What can't I understand? My family is dead, Mrs. Everdeen. I lost them in the War. You lost a daughter. Katniss lost a sister. But you haven't lost each other and yet you stay away from her when she has needed her mother. Not a healer but a mother! Did you come here to treat a patient? Or to take care of your daughter?" Her shoulders are slumped and she reaches out and grips the counter top. I worry that I have gone too far but I'm angry. And I know Haymitch is angry, and even Katniss feels anger as well as pain.
"She has you, Peeta," she finally says. I shake my head and hesitantly approach her. When I reach out to touch her shoulder, she flinches but I don't pull away.
"I'm there when she needs me. I hold her when she has had a nightmare, I bake for her, I share my life with her, and I love her above all else. But I don't know Prim like you both did. I can't possibly understand what she meant to Katniss. I know that they were close and I watched them together quite often. But I didn't lose a sister. You lost a daughter, Mrs. Everdeen, but you still have one, who is trying to rebuild her life. It would be great if her mother would be a part of that life." I stare at her back for the longest time, until I hear Haymitch calling my name from the hallway. Sighing, I go to greet him and motion for him to continue to the living room.
He stops when he sees Katniss sitting up and he nearly sinks into the chair.
"Well fuck, sweetheart. Never thought I'd say this but I am happy to see that scowl." Her scowl deepens and I join in with Haymitch's laughter. We're both so relieved to see her recovering that we don't care that she is shooting us death glares. I collapse on the couch and pull her into my side, before I remember her soup in the kitchen. But as I make to stand up, Mrs. Everdeen is there with the bowl of soup and the mug of tea. She sets them down in front of Katniss and gives her a sad smile.
"Eat. You need to regain some strength. Your body is undoubtedly exhausted by fighting off the sickness." She looks at me and folds her hands. "I made an entire pot of tea. Make sure she drinks it twice a day for a week at least. If you don't feel better, Katniss, call me and I will return."
"Wait…you're not leaving, are you?"
"I've been away from the hospital for long enough. You're doing better and I'm leaving you in the best hands." Katniss tries to stand and I reach out to help her but she swats my hand away.
"But Mom, you…I mean, I just woke up, I haven't had any time with you. Can't you…stay an extra day?"
"I'm afraid not, dear." My heart hardens and I wonder what is going through her head. Haymitch is chewing on his tongue, undoubtedly holding back the rude remarks he has for her.
"But…perhaps I can come back to see you, in the spring?" She sounds hopeful and Katniss's eyes widen in disbelief.
"Yes. I'd like that." The women hug though it's awkward and Haymitch and I both avert our eyes. I feel like we are trespassing on a private moment and the tension in the room is too thick. I feel like I'm suffocating so I motion to Haymitch and we are both heading out the door. I can't hear what they are saying but when the door opens, Mrs. Everdeen nods to both of us.
"Thank you for taking such good care of my girl." We both nod and she steps up to me, her hand resting on my cheek.
"You are the best one for her, Peeta. No one could love her as much as you do. I am thankful that she has you."
"Thank you," I mutter but she's not finished. She leans closer and our Merchant eyes meet.
"Thank you for fighting it. Thank you for doing everything you could to get back to her. They didn't break you, Peeta, and one day I will be proud to call you my son-in-law," she pats my cheek and I blink, shocked. "You are so much like your father." She gives me another smile, says goodbye to Haymitch, and walks down the steps and out of Victor's Village.
I am frozen in shock. She knows what I've done. When we were in 13, I know she had to have heard about how I acted toward Katniss. What I did to her. She has to know that I nearly murdered her daughter. And yet she stood there and thanked me for returning to her. I feel Haymitch clapping my shoulder and he lets out a low chuckle.
"You ok, kid?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I-you heard all that?"
"Son-in-law," he grunts and he chuckles again. "If sweetheart ever comes to her senses, and I do think she will, you'll be calling that lovely woman mother." My throat tightens and I turn back to him.
"You think she will?" He grins and his eyes sparkle, as if he knows something that I don't. And he usually does.
"In time, boy, I definitely see a toasting in your future."
The thought makes me giddy and light and I walk back inside with a stupid smile on my face. Katniss is sipping at her soup and she looks up when I come back in.
"Did Haymitch leave too?"
"Yeah, he's going to feed the geese. He said he'd be back over here later to check on you."
"Peeta, I'm sorry that I scared you," she bites her lip and is looking genuinely guilty.
"It's not your fault, Katniss. We just have to be careful. I cannot lose you."
"You won't." I lean down to kiss her but she jerks away. "I don't want to get you sick. I should probably sleep down here, actually. So that I'm not so close to you." I don't like the idea of sleeping without her but as I'm getting closer to the opening of the bakery, I can't really afford to get sick. I sigh and nod and she smiles up at me.
"I heal really fast. You won't have to take care of me for very long."
"Katniss, I plan on taking care of you for the rest of our lives," I tell her honestly.
I'm lying in bed, awake, missing Katniss's warmth and comfort. I hate this. I hate sleeping alone. I haven't done it in a long time and I wonder if she's having as hard of a time as I am. I start to hear strange noises coming from the hall and I stare at the door for the longest time before I fling my leg over the bed, pull on my prosthetic, and cross to the door.
The first thing I notice when I open the door is I am no longer in my house, but on a moving train. What the hell is happening? I continue to make my way down the hall, to wake Katniss. To ask her if she knows what's going on. I hear grunting and whimpering coming from a closed compartment and I lean closer, frowning. Deciding this dream or whatever it is (am I dreaming?!) couldn't get any stranger, I open the door a crack and peer in.
I see two men standing in the corner of the room, taking care of themselves with their meaty hands. Another man is kneeling on the bed, thrusting into a slender girl. Her head is lowered and she seems to be holding in her whimpers and cries. But I can just make out a look of pain on her young face. My knuckles turn white on the doorknob. What am I doing? I should be going in there to help her! These men are hurting her…raping her! I start to move in but her head jerks up and I nearly stumble back. I'm met with wide grey eyes that are filled with tears. But when her gaze meets mine, she gives a little shake of her head as if she is warning me. The man behind her reaches around and his hand closes around her breast, squeezing tightly. I see her wince and lower her head once more. I start to burst in and kill every single one of them but someone stops me. I whirl around to glare into the sad Seam eyes of my mentor. Haymitch sighs and looks into the compartment, shaking his head.
"I'm sorry I couldn't stop this, kid. I know how much this kills you."
"Haymitch," I finally find my voice. "I'll fucking kill them for touching her."
"Don't say that too loudly, Peeta," he warns. "She belongs who whoever pays for her."
"She 'belongs' to no one," I growl. "She's not some kind of fucking sex toy! She's the love of my life! And she's…I'm the only one who is able to touch her," I finish, too flustered to complete a damn sentence.
"In your head only, kid. She's a desirable Victor. Just like you are. And you have an assignment to get ready for yourself. I'll let her know when she's finished that you had to go. She'll understand. She doesn't like sleeping alone but she understands when you have to work." I frown at him until I hear Katniss's shrill scream behind me. But she's screaming my name. I don't hesitate. I run in and scoop her into my arms. She's shaking and sobbing and panting my name. I don't pay any attention to anyone else in the room. Only to the girl who is clinging to me for dear life.
My eyes open and I feel vastly confused. I sit up in bed and look around, noting all my belongings. Realizing it was a dream and a horrible one at that, I collapse back on my pillow and squeeze my eyes shut. But then the scream comes.
The one from my dream. I'm up so fast that I get tangled in the blankets and nearly crash to the floor. But my door is open and I'm running down the stairs toward the scream until I find Katniss thrashing around on the couch. I fall to my knees and pull her close to my chest, my fingers sliding through her hair comfortingly. She gasps and her arms move up and around me, her tears soaking my nightshirt.
God. We are both so broken, is there any point in trying to fix the other when it seems so hopeless at times? The nightmares we both have just prove how difficult it is to put the past behind us. I hold her until she falls back asleep and I lay her back on the couch. But I don't return to my bedroom. I sit in the chair beside the couch and reach out to hold her hand. Let her get me sick. At least the nightmares would leave.
I think back to my own dream and shiver. I realize that we were lucky. We weren't in the Capitol long enough to really be trapped in their terrible lifestyles. But it makes me sick to think of the others being caught in it. Finnick and Annie and Johanna and all the other Victors. If a Victor was considered desirable, they were given as gifts to Capitolites and upstanding citizens of the higher Districts. I would not have been able to handle it if Katniss had been bought and sold like that. And I'm thankful that we ignited the rebellion before we had been in the Capitol for too long. Why did I even dream that in the first place? Katniss's small hand curls around mine and I feel myself relax. I sink back into the chair and close my eyes.
The next morning, after I've made Katniss drink her mother's tea, there is silence for the longest time. Finally, after what seems like hours, she speaks.
"You stayed with me last night. Real or not real?"
"Real," I tell her. "I had a nightmare and woke up to you having one too. So I stayed down here with you. Don't worry, I didn't get too close." She nods and sets her cup aside.
"Thank you," she says softly. Her voice is still very weak but at least some of her color has returned. I reach over and squeeze her hand and feel her squeeze back.
"Haymitch told me it was your idea to call my mother." I wince. She doesn't look pleased.
"I had to, Katniss. I was so afraid of losing you…"
"Thank you, Peeta," she interrupts me. "I'm not brave enough to call her and I have missed her. So thank you for doing that." This surprises me. I know she's missed her mother. But Katniss is stubborn and she will hold a grudge for a long time. Never get on her bad side, because she will not let go so easily. She sees me bite my lip and she squeezes my hand again.
"You are still protecting me. Real or not real?" In spite of myself, I have to smile.
"Real," I whisper back to her before giving her a gentle kiss before she can stop me.
Winter is pretty harsh in District 12 and the construction of the bakery is delayed a bit. Not that I can be mad about it; it just gives me more time to prepare and order the necessary supplies. Delly comes to help me out. Since she works in the Mayor's office, she knows a lot about being in an office and the clerical work that I need done. I don't think Katniss particularly likes Delly and I being together so much but she never says anything. Since she got sick, she seems to be taking it a bit easier than she used to. Still, she refuses to stop hunting and insists on feeding the whole damn district.
As the seasons change, Katniss and I grow even closer. The only thing that comes between us is my flashbacks. Since we are approaching opening day of the bakery, I am having them all the time now. Small ones, manageable, but still irritating and definitely painful for Katniss to witness. I woke up one night several weeks ago to Katniss curled up in the corner, weeping. She wouldn't tell me what had happened but later on, I remembered having screamed at her that I would rather die than be in the same house with a Capitol mutt. Though it shows progress that I remember what happened during a flashback, I'd just as soon forget it all. I can't stand seeing Katniss in pain and knowing that I put her through that just kills me.
Still, we find a way to go on. We stay busy and we find times to be together. She comes to help me at the Bakery when she can and we work on the Memory Book in the evenings. Life is, dare I say, simple. Simple enough anyway. I know Katniss never wanted this sort of domestic life with anyone but I think it's growing on her. And the more I think about it, the more I want to ask her to make it official. She's already told me many times before that she never wants to get married and it's true, I've told her I don't mind that, but the truth is, I hope she's changed her mind.
One morning, I rise before Katniss does and hurry down to bake her cheesebuns. When I come back upstairs, she's standing in front of our window, getting ready to start her day. I stop in the doorway, completely mesmerized. She's stark naked, the light hitting her frame perfectly and her long hair cascading down her scarred back. Her back is turned to me so my eyes rake down those perfect curves of hers. I long to lick and kiss those paths of scars. My mouth starts to water and I feel my cock straining against my pants. I set the plate of cheesebuns on the table and quietly as I can, I approach my prey.
Naturally, the Huntress hears me but it's too late. I've captured her in my arms and claimed her mouth with my own. She moans against my lips and I grow even harder. I don't waste any time. I have to make her mine. Bending her over the bed, I shove my pants down my legs just enough to let my cock spring free and I rub myself against her. She reaches back and grips my thigh, her nails sinking into my skin. I reach past her and fumble through our drawer, finally finding what I am looking for. I yank open the condom and roll it over myself. With a hiss, I lift her leg and thrust into her with all my might. She nearly buckles underneath me and I hold her up while I continue my assault on her willing body. Her whines and moans only encourage me and we both reach our peaks rather quickly. When I pull away from her, she collapses forward on the bed, her breathing heavy. I gather her in my arms and pull her onto the bed with me, just holding her while we both catch our breath. She looks up at me and her hand strokes my brow.
"Good morning," she breathes. I can't help but chuckle.
"Yes, it is," I agree. She leans up to kiss me and I feel so elated that I don't even notice the sun streaming through the window, which means I am very late. She notices the plate of cheesebuns and she sighs, a content look on her face.
"You made breakfast?"
"Of course. And now I'm so late."
"You chose to partake in alternative activities this morning," she reminds me. I raise my brow.
"And you weren't a willing participant in those activities?"
"Does it matter? You're late and it's not my fault." I laugh while she rolls off me and hurries into the bathroom to shower. I don't have time to have another one so I quickly spray myself with some of the cologne Effie sent me from the Capitol for my belated "welcome home" gift. Katniss isn't too fond of it but I don't want to show up to the bakery smelling like Katniss and what we had just done. Well scratch that, I do, but I don't think anyone else would like it. When she comes out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, I squeeze my eyes shut as I slide into the bathroom to brush my teeth. She smirks up at me as she removes the towel and slowly moves into our closet. I watch her with a gaping jaw as she swishes her hips and flips her hair over her shoulders. I don't care what she says, she is a perfect seductress and damn if she doesn't have me under her spell.
"Katniss, you're going to be the death of me one day," I groan.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she says in a mock-innocent voice. I snort and roll my eyes. I have to get out of here. Shaking my head, I turn to leave but feel something push against me and I go flying into the doorframe. Katniss looks up at me with a predatory look in her eyes and I gulp audibly. She's put on a pair of tight pants but she's still topless. She reaches up and threads her fingers in my hair before closing them into a fist and yanking on my curls. I squeeze my eyes shut, ignoring my throbbing cock.
"Katniss," I gasp out but she stops the words from continuing as her lips are pressed against mine. Her breasts are crushed against my chest and she grinds against me, eliciting a gasp and a moan from my throat. I don't even notice that she is undoing my belt and my zipper until her hand dives into my pants and closes around my heated flesh. I gasp and try to jerk back but she has a firm grip on me.
"K-Katniss!"
"Do you really want to leave, Peeta? Now?" What the hell has gotten into her?!
"I…I…" I stammer. I become such an incompetent idiot when it comes to this girl. She starts to stroke me and I lose all focus. She lowers to her knees and pulls my shirt up a little so that she can kiss my stomach. I swallow as I look down at her, watching her pull my cock from my pants and take me into her mouth.
"Ah! Shit!" My head slams against the doorframe as I struggle to maintain control of the situation.
Who am I kidding? I've had no control since I came into this room! She grips my hips and pulls me into her. Before I know it, I'm thrusting to her mouth and she's taking me as deep as she can. When I feel myself hitting the back of her throat, I come to my senses and start to pull out but she grabs me and opens her mouth wider, sinking over me completely before she comes back up for breath. When she looks up at me, I lose it before she takes me into her mouth again. She gives me a disappointed look and I shrug apologetically. What she's disappointed about, I have no idea, but I feel that I have to explain myself anyway.
"Your mouth is pure magic," I tell her honestly. She looks surprised for a moment but then stands back up.
"You're just going to have to make it up to me." She pushes me back toward the bed and follows me down, her hands pushing my pants around my feet and my shirt up to my chin. Her hand lowers to the front of her pants and when she pulls it back out, her fingers are glistening.
Holy. Shit.
She smirks at me and holds her hand to my lips. I eagerly suck at her fingers, relishing the tangy taste of her arousal. Only Katniss could ever drive me this crazy. Everything about her, her scent, her taste, her touch, her looks, her love, can send me into oblivion. I start pulling at her pants until I have them down around her ankles and I pull her up my chest so that I can taste her further. I grip her luscious ass as I pull her into me, my tongue exploring every part of her. She writhes over me, against me, as I determinedly bring her to the edge. She collapses over me and I suck on her nipples as I stare up into her eyes. She sits back for a moment, gazing down at me, until she starts to scoot lower. Her ass comes into contact with my hardened length and I jerk my hips upwards. She rubs herself against me for a few moments before rising up and sinking down on top of me. My eyes nearly bulge out of my head as I realize what she's just done.
"Katniss!"
"God Peeta, you feel so incredible inside me." I throw my head back and let out an animalistic groan that I still can't believe came from me. But the way I feel inside her, without any barriers, is unlike anything I've ever experienced. I knew sex with her was great but this was un-fucking-believable! And I'm too far gone to stop her. To insist that we use protection. To ask her what was going through her head. I know immediately that I'm not going to last long. It's like making love to her for the first time again. Every time she moves, I feel her wet walls clench me tightly. Every time I thrust upwards, I hit her special spot that make her moans reverberate on the walls. I quickly flip her over without breaking our intimate connection and I fling her legs over my shoulders. She screams at the change of position and I feel her walls flutter around me with no warning. The power of her orgasm hits me and I feel myself seize up.
"Oh god," I stammer as I hurriedly pull out of her but her legs close around my waist and she pushes me back in.
"I want you to finish inside me," she gasps, reaching up to grip my face with both her hands. My wide eyes find hers and I'm momentarily speechless. Something is going on. This isn't the Katniss I know. She reaches down to caress my balls as I increase my thrusts. Blame it on my teenage hormonal urges that I just can't pull away from her and instead explode inside her for the first time. I come harder than I ever have in my entire life and I collapse on her chest, feeling all breath has completely left me. I feel her heart racing underneath me as she reaches up and her fingers tangle in my sodden curls. We're slick with sweat and the room smells of our passion. I have a hard time moving, definitely forgetting how late I am. When I finally feel an ounce of strength return, I lift my head off her chest and look her in the eyes.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" She raises a brow and looks bemused.
"What do you mean?"
"Come on, Katniss. We just had unprotected sex. Do you realize…you know what could happen, don't you? I mean, is everything…ok?" Oh god. Oh my god, I am coming to my senses now and realize what we have done! Holy shit, why didn't I stop her?!
"Everything is fine, Peeta. We weren't…unprotected." I stare at her, waiting impatiently for her explanation. Please tell me this isn't a joke. As much as I want kids with her, we are nowhere near ready for that.
"I've been on birth control for several weeks now." My jaw drops at her confession. How did I not…I shake my head. It all makes sense now. She has been having some crazy mood swings and she jumps my bones any chance she gets. It's been going on for several weeks but of course I never questioned it. Why would I complain? I can deny her nothing and definitely won't deny her my body, if she wants it.
"Why didn't you tell me?" I finally find my voice. She shrugs but she's avoiding my gaze.
"I didn't know how to bring it up. Doctor Mersa and I discussed different methods of birth control and she told me that condoms can be ineffective. Plus I wanted…I wanted to feel you inside me, Peeta. I mean all of you. Without anything in the way. I hope you're not mad," she adds, biting her lip.
Mad? She's just given me the best sex of my life. How can I be mad?
"I'm not mad, Katniss, I just wish you had told me. You know you can always talk to me about anything." I cup her chin and force her to look up at me. "And thank you," I add quietly and her brow goes up into her hair. I smile and lean my forehead against hers.
"That was the most incredible…I have never…I mean, you felt amazing. I'm surprised I held on for as long as I did." She smiles and kisses me, and my eyes shoot open as she tugs my lower lip into her mouth. Are these birth control pills going to make her horny 24/7? As a teenage boy, I'm definitely ok with this but I have to remember I have responsibilities.
Screw responsibilities. Katniss and I have been through enough to want to take some time for ourselves and just be selfish for once. So without a word, I get up and walk to the study, where my phone is. I dial the Bakery and tell them I'm sick and won't be coming in today. When I return to my room, Katniss watches me cautiously until I swoop down on her and spread her legs wide so I can devour her. I peer up at her and smile when I see her biting her lip, hard.
"The Bakery isn't even finished and I'm already pretending to be sick for you."
"Fuck Peeta! Just fuck me!" Her dirty mouth only spurs me on. And for the first time in our lives, Katniss and I don't leave the bed for the entire day. We find new ways to take each other to brand new heights and I'm shocked at some of the things my little mockingjay wants to try. I'll say this for myself, though. I'm definitely making the mockingjay sing more than once today. I won't be surprised if Haymitch comes over, or even phones telling us to be quiet. But I relish the way she screams my name as she comes. It's the most beautiful sound in the world, next to her telling me she loves me. We fall asleep, wake up to make love again, and go back to sleep. It continues for the rest of the day and even though I will have to return to reality tomorrow, I allow myself to indulge in the love of my life for this one blissful day.
"My, my, my. Look what they're doing now," her voice coos in my ear. I want to slam my eyes shut but they're being held open by some kind of Capitol device. So I'm forced to stare at the screen where Katniss is writhing against Gale, their moans heavy in my ears. I try to turn my head but I find I can't. My Interrogator chuckles softly.
"And weren't you two betrothed? What a shameful excuse for a fiancé she was. Is."
"No," I grit my teeth and feel a surge of pain coursing through my body. My interrogator clicks her tongue disapprovingly.
"It doesn't have to be like this, Peeta. It doesn't have to hurt so much. All we want is information. We'll even release you if you tell us what we need to know."
"Do what you want to me," I snap. "But you won't touch Katniss!" The pain shoots up my body again and I cry out, unable to move my head, my arms, or my legs. I should be numb from the pain by now but no such luck.
Dear God, please just end me now. Make it stop! Just make it all stop.
"He needs another dosage," I hear her saying and I feel something prick my arm.
"What the hell is that," I growl, blinking back tears. She pats my cheek and shakes her head.
"Nothing to worry about. Just some medicine to help with the pain. I think we're finished for today. I'll just leave you with some more entertainment." She winks at me and nods to the peacekeepers around her. They all leave but leave me restrained and naked. The screen in front of me flashes and Katniss once again appears. Gale appears behind her and rips her shirt off, revealing her olive skin that is tinged pink from her blush. I let out a pained moan and writhe on the table, crying for them to stop. But no one hears me.
No one hears…