You'd Do It For Me

Chapter 10- Gone

''Peeta, what is it?'' I ask as I wrap my arms around him, saying goodbye. I finally had to go home, back to District Twelve, as Prim's funeral was in a couple of days- after all I really did need time to grieve.

''It's nothing I promise,'' he murmurs into my hair, his arms wrapped around me tightly as I felt his chest tense. He'd been acting strange for the past couple of days, yet brushed it off whenever I asked him the problem. I sigh, deciding to leave it, before pulling away and frowning. ''All I care about right now Katniss is you, alright? Promise me you'll concentrate on yourself this week, hm?''

''Alright, I'll see you soon alright,'' I nod to him, as he grabs my hand, pulling me closer to place a soft kiss on my cheek. I smile wryly, before saying goodbye to Johanna and Annie, Peeta stepping back to give us some privacy. ''Look after her won't you?'' I whisper into Johanna's ear as we hug.

''You know I will,'' she assures me, pulling out of my grasp. ''I'd say have fun, but I've had my fair share of funerals, and I know they're the worst. Especially when it's someone you care about,'' she sighs, looking down to the floor before shaking her head. ''Anyway, you can do this. You've got this Brainless,'' she smiled, trying to lighten the mood slightly. I smile at her joke, happy I had a friend as lively as her to shed a little light on the situation. As I approach Annie, I see she's zoned out again, so I place my hand on her shoulder, watching as she comes back to the now.

''You best not do anything stupid,'' I say, shaking my head, before frantically pulling her into a hug- her arms wrapped limply around me.

''I won't. I'll still be here when you come back, I'm not letting it ruin my life Kat,'' she smiled sadly. ''You've looked after me, now it's time for you to look after yourself. I'm so sorry,'' she sighs.

''I'll see you soon,'' I murmur, pulling away and walking to the car. I open the boot, throwing my case in and walk around to my door. As I reach out a hand grasps mine, unexpectedly taking me into a hug. I sigh, inhaling Peeta's musk as his tight grip dissipates, releasing me. I can see it in his eyes, the look of pity, sorrow and fondness, but most of all what I see...it's distinct worry. ''What are you keeping from me,'' I plead, looking deep within his sapphire eyes, searching for an answer.

''I'm just going to miss you,'' he grins sheepishly, the smile not quite reaching his eyes- something was definitely wrong.

''I'll miss you too. But you'll ring Thursday?''

''I promise,'' he smiles, opening the car door for me. Before getting in, I do something very unlike me- I place my hand on his cheek and lean forwards, taking his lips in a gentle kiss as both our emotions flowed through one another, making it mean more than the other kisses we'd both shared in such a short time. I pull away, sliding into the passenger's seat, as he closed the door and walked away from the glass.

The kisses we'd shared before were only ever brief, after all we weren't officially together and most of the times it'd be Peeta kissing the top of my head comfortingly, or him pecking me quickly- neither one of us ready to open up fully to each other. But, there was something about Peeta, maybe it was the way he'd hold me close, giving me a sense of hope I didn't know I needed, or maybe it was the way I'd catch him watching me from across class- I didn't know. But, whatever it was, was drawing me closer to him, and the kisses we did share together were filled with so much emotion I never wanted to pull away.

I sighed, as my mother turned on the engine- neither one of us saying so much as hello, the eerie silence filling the car as she drove down the gravel and from the school. We spent the entirety of the journey in silence, which was strange as normally, we'd be arguing- I guess neither of us had the strength. The thing which hurt the most however, was peering behind my seat and not seeing two perfect blonde braids sat neatly on Primrose's shoulders, it was terrible to not hear her babbling away, or hear her giggles and laughter- instead her death was filled with an inconsolable silence.