Our Love Will Remain - The story after Mockingjay

Chapter 13

I wake up when I hear noise in the nursery next to me and Peeta's bedroom. Peeta must be carrying the paint cans inside. He told me that he was going to paint something beautiful for our girl, so she could wake up to something nice to look at. He didn't tell me what that beautiful thing was, he had even locked the door so I couldn't see his sketches. But he said that I would be the first person to see it when it was done. I feel a little frustrated. I hate surprises. But Peeta won't give in. I get up from bed, or at lest try to. When I sit up, pain shoots up my spine. Ouch. She's getting big. I have been pregnant for seven months now, and it's impossible to miss my bump. It's slowly getting more and more difficult to tie my shoelaces, and I get breathless of things that I've never gotten breathless of before. I let out a small shriek of pain. Peeta told me to always let him know if I was in pain, so he could help me. I tried to object, but he said that that was the least he could do, when I was carrying his daughter. I couldn't make further objections before he kissed me with such passion that I didn't dare to break the kiss.

"Owww!" I almost scream. Peeta hadn't heard the first one. He comes running through the door.

"Oh, honey, are you alright? Do you need something? What can I do for you? Please tell me." he says, he looks really worried.

"Uhhh... could you massage my back? It hurts like heck." I say, and Peeta answers quickly:

"Of course, I'll do anything to make you feel better. You know that I would take your place here and now if I could." He sits down on the couch behind me and starts massaging my back. I let out a moan. It feel so good. I would like to lie down on my stomach, but that isn't really comfortable when I have such a huge belly.

"I love you, Peeta." I moan with closed eyes.

"I love you too, Katniss." he says and kisses my neck. That sends shivers down my spine, and believe it or not, that makes the pain disappear for a second.

"Can you do that again?" I ask Peeta, and he kisses my neck again. "Keep doing it." I tell him, and he starts kissing my neck without pausing. In a while, he stops massaging me, but it doesn't really matter. The back pain is long gone. I turn around to get my turn with Peeta's lips and he starts kissing them at least as eagerly. He slides his tongue against them and I open my mouth. We explore each other's mouths, although I know every atom of his. Then I feel a kick. I take Peeta's hand and place it on my bump. She kicks like crazy now. I wonder if she can feel my skin tingle as I do. When we kiss harder, the kicks get stronger too. We finally break away when I feel a kick that makes Peeta exclaim "Whoa!", and he looks at me with his blue eyes full of worry and concern.

"I'm sorry for ending that, but that was a pretty strong kick. Are you okay? Did you feel any pain?" he says, still not taking his hands off my stomach.

"No, Peeta, I'm fine." I say. I really don't know if I felt any pain, but if I did, Peeta's kisses numbed it. "I have to take a shower and get dressed. Would you help me? I'm not sure if I can do it myself." I say, and he immediately agrees.

"Of course." he says, and I pull him into the bathroom. I undress myself and he does that too. We get into the shower and I stare at my belly.

"Look at me! I'm huge!" I say. I don't think that my body has looked any more unattractive before. Well, if you don't count the time that I was full of burns and I had to be patched with pieces of skin everywhere. I looked hideous. But if you count that out, I'm definately at my lowest point right now.

"I think you look beautiful." Peeta says, and I look at him in shock.

"I know you're just saying that to make me feel better. Look at me! I'm not beautiful!"