Half an hour later I pulled up outside Hawthorne Hardware. I normally avoided this store because even though Katniss worked here, so did Gale Hawthorn and I didn't like him. Luckily he wasn't home at the moment.

Katniss and Gale had been friends a long time. He was a couple of years older than us but that didn't seem to hurt their friendship. The Everdeens and Hawthorns had always been friendly and socialised quite a lot together. Katniss dad Tom and Gale's dad Luke had been best friends and it was their shared love of the outdoors that led to their untimely death by an avalanche five years ago.

Katniss had been devastated. I had watched her during the weeks and months afterwards as she struggled to portray a tough exterior but I knew it was a front. She had swallowed her pain and grievance to try and help her younger sister Prim and her mother through it. I had longed to reach out to her then, it had hurt watching her, wanting to be there for her and not knowing what to do. Gale had stepped in then, their shared grief bonding them closer and she had moved that bit further away from ever being mine.

They had been best friends ever since right up until last summer when word had gotten out they were a couple. That had killed me. It wasn't as if I didn't date, I did, but it was never serious, I never felt anything like what I felt for her. Katniss and Gale were different. They had history and I knew real feelings had to have been involved for them to progress to a couple. Those few months had been torturous for me. My insides had twisted every time I saw them together and I had avoided them every chance I had. When Finn told me they had broken up it was the best news I had ever gotten. Those two months had been the longest of my life.

I had seen them together a few times after that before Gale left for UCLA. They still seemed to be good friends but at least the kisses and hand holding was absent.

I spot her car at the far end of the car park. At least she is working. I can do this I repeat to myself. My hands are sweating as I open the car door and I rub them on my jeans, straightening my shirt and try to gather some composure. My mind is racing. What's the worst that can happen? She can tell me to get lost and I'll never see her again. "No pressure then" I whisper to no one in particular.

I pull open the store door and approach the counter. There is nobody there. The store is silent except for a radio playing somewhere out the back. She has to be here somewhere. I start to move along the top of the aisles when I hear her. Her soft sweet voice is singing along to the distant radio. I freeze at the sound letting her vocals wash over me. She sounds amazing; I never knew she could sing like this. I walk softly on towards her voice in a daze – wow, just one more thing to add to the list of things I love about her.

I pause as I spot her near the top of the middle aisle. She is half way up a ladder, her back towards me reaching for a box on the top shelf. I freeze as I take in her appearance. Her hair is in the side braid which she seems to favour but a few strands have come loose and cling around her neck. She is wearing a black work shirt and jeans. Her shirt has ridden up her back as she reaches leaving a swarthy expanse of skin which looks smooth and soft. I gulp down the strong feeling of want that tugs in the pit of my stomach. Pull it together Mellark I shout in my head.

Almost as if she heard me Katniss turns, her eyes latching onto mine and the singing stops.

"Peeta…. Sorry I didn't hear you come in. Can I .. can I help you with something?"

I am frozen. This thing I have to do is so important to me but the words just don't come. All I can think is that she is leaving in two weeks and I can't seem to cope with that thought.

The longer I don't answer, the longer we stare at each other, the more the atmosphere changes. I can see the confusion flicker across her face and then something else almost as if she realises why I am here. She twists her hands nervously.

"Well if you need help just shout" she blurts out quickly.

Climbing down the ladder she turns away, quickening her pace to go to the back of the store.

"You're leaving" I shout at her retreating back.

She freezes but doesn't turn round. I can see the quick rise of her shoulders as her breathing has quickened. Mine has to.

"Katniss … are you leaving?"

We stand there for what seems like a long time until she turns slowly round.

"Yes im going" she barely whispers.

I can't pretend anymore. I'm through with putting up a friendly façade around her. I take a couple of steps towards her. Her head shoots up as she realises I am approaching her and she starts to back away.

"Peeta…. ?"

Im right in front of her now staring down at her bright silver eyes that look full of shock.

"Katniss, you have to know… I mean you must know…. How… how I feel about you"?

She looks at me in confusion.

"I ….. like you ….. a lot".

I've said it now, it's out there. Twelve years and it comes down to this moment. I can see the words sinking in to her and she closes her eyes dropping her head.

"Peeta don't". She whispers. "There is no point to this now." She turns as if to walk away from me again. I reach out and touch her shoulder turning her round to face me.

"Don't Katniss! Look, I know I'm coming across as a bit crazy right now but I've liked you for a long time. Like crazy long. I know you're going but …"

I feel as if I am hyperventilating now and as I look at her I can see she is having a hard time breathing too. My hand reaches out, almost as if it has a life of its own, and slowly touches her face. I run my fingertips from her temple to the side of her mouth. My fingertips feel as if they are on fire. How can I feel this much from just one touch? My eyes lock with hers and the rest of the world blacks out. My stomach flutters and my heart beats so loudly it sounds like a jackhammer. I look at her lips as she nervously sweeps her small red tongue over them. I can't help it, I need to taste her. My head dips slowly towards her and I can see her eyes widen as she registers what I am about to do. My lips skim hers lightly, her eyes flutter closed and before I can think about what I am doing I pull her in close, my hands wrapping around her waist and deepen the kiss.

This feels like nothing I've ever experienced. Electricity floods my body from head to toe filling every crevice. Her lips respond to mine as I kiss her slowly. My tongue shoots forward looking access to her mouth and she opens up to me. I slowly dip my tongue into her mouth tentatively touching her own, letting the amazing feeling wash over me. Before I know it her hands have slid up my arms and around my neck as she pulls me closer into her embrace. I can't help the wild burst of desire that floods through me and before I know it I have pushed her up against the nearby shelves, my tongue exploring her mouth while my hands move up the back of her shirt to caress the expanse of skin my eyes had seen earlier.

Is this real? I ask myself in my head. If this is a dream I don't ever want to wake up because in no dream I ever had did Katniss kiss like this. Her hands have curled into the back of my hair now and the feeling of her caresses are mind blowing. Even though it goes against every fibre in my body I know I have to stop this before it gets out of hand. I pull away gently from her dropping softer kisses around the outside of her mouth. She seems to realise what I am doing, her hands uncurl in my hair as she slowly drops them and as she opens her eyes I see the shutters coming down. Great we're back to that.

"What the hell was that!" she blurts out, her eyes filling with rage.

She pushes me back and I reluctantly let my hands slip from her shirt. Redness floods her cheeks and I don't know if it is from rage or embarrassment. Im still in shock from that amazing kiss that I don't really understand why she is so angry.

"Why'd you do that Peeta?" She shoves at me again.

"I had to know Katniss" I manage to answer. "I couldn't let you leave without telling you and I could see it in your eyes. Tell me I'm not on my own in this!"

"What is the God damn point though?!" She takes a deep breath and I see a hint of sadness flooding into her eyes. "I'm out of here in two weeks Peeta and I won't be back. There was no point in what we just did." I realise the truth of her words and pain floods me even worse than before.

"You felt something too Katniss!" I attack.

She makes to leave again and I grab her wrist, clinging onto her hand.

"Don't go" I whisper softly. "Look, you're leaving, I get that." The thought of it rips through me. "We have two weeks until that happens and all I'm asking for is a chance".

She looks at me now in confusion querying my words.

I look into her eyes beseechingly taking her hand within both of mine .

"Katniss I like you and I think….. maybe you like me too. All I'm asking for is two weeks. Two weeks together before you leave."

And convince you that I love you, I add in my own head.

"I just can't let you go yet. "

...

Thanks folks hope you enjoyed that. Next chapter will be from Katniss POV. All reviews welcome!