Peeta's Stories

Rye

I swing my legs over the side of the bed and rub my eyes, trying to rid them of the drowsiness that comes with sleep.

I glance to my right and find that Katniss is already out of bed. She must be having breakfast with Johanna. I look at the clock on the wall and find it to be ten in the morning already. It's quite strange not having a human alarm clock that is a crying toddler to wake you up in the morning, or so I've come to realize.

Katniss and I have taken a trip to visit Johanna in district seven. It's not too much different from district twelve here, but the slight change in scenery from forestry to even more forestry is nice. I guess.

I tread across the wooden floor with bare feet and push open the door that separates this bedroom from the rest of Johanna's spacious home. Patterns of light formed by the shapes of trees outside the windows dance on the flooroards and the wall beside me.

In the kitchen, Katniss isn't having breakfast with Johanna. Johanna is having breakfast with Johanna. And a mug of hot chocolate.

"Morning, Peeta." She says, still staring at the bottom of her mug.

"Hey," I don't want to sound to eager, but I have to ask anyway, "where's Katniss?"

"She went out for a walk at around eight, she should be back soon but nothing's really changed with her when it comes to spending time in the woods, now, has it? So your guess is as good as mine if you want to know when she'll be back."

I nod. Katniss and I have been here for four days now, and every morning I've woken up next to her. I'd be lying if I said it's not a little awkward to be alone with Johanna after all that we went through together in the Capitol even after all these years.

I find myself taking a seat across from her at the table, although I do nothing but drum my fingers on the surface.

"Did you have breakfast?" I ask. I'm kind of hungry.

"It's ten, Peeta. That's like asking if I... I don't know, but I ate. With Katniss, but she wasn't feeling well so she went out like I said. There's some fruit on the counter and some milk in the refrigerator that you can help yourself to."

I take her up on that offer immediately, and at the same time try and relieve tension between the two of us with some more small talk.

"Are you still seeing that guy that fixed your porch that one time?" I question, curious as to her answer. Last time she visited, she brought with her a man that towered over me, with muscles like I'd only ever seen in pictures and never quite believed possible to achieve. He was only slightly less intimidating than Johanna herself.

"Silas? Yeah." is all the answer I get.

"Um... got any plans for today?"

"Well, if Katniss still isn't feeling well when she gets back, that's yours to deal with. I don't know what I'm going to do today but I do know it does not involve getting vomit on these hands. Or anything else that girl discretes."

...Okay then.

I eat an orange and swallow a glass of milk in silence while I watch the window intently for any signs of my wife. After a while, I see her coming up the driveway.

"I'll get the door." I say.

"Thought you would." Johanna mutters.

Katniss' face goes white when I open the door.

"You're up early." She says sarcastically but nervously at the same time.

I start a compliment on her braid, but she brushes past me and towards Johanna.

"Hey, can I borrow your truck?" She asks her.

"What for?"

"I need to go into town. To pick up something. From... the butcher."

"I'll drive, then. Don't need a liability on my truck when I'm tight with money as it is right now."

"No. I'll drive. I'm better than last time you saw me drive, trust me."

Last time Katniss tried to drive Johanna and I to a lake in District 11, but backed into a tree not a mile into our trip.

"It's not like you're going to run off and bury a body, Katniss. I'll drive."

"I'll drive myself."

Silence for a minute fills the room, then Johanna breaks it.

"One question before you go. What kind of wine do you want with dinner?"

Katniss looks a little confused, then says, "uh, I'm not really in a wine mood today."

Johanna smirks. "Or you're pregnant."

I watch this unfold, my mouth probably hitting the floor right now.

"What? No! Maybe I just don't want to end up like Haymitch used to be." Katniss refutes, her face red.

"Or maybe you're pregnant." Her smirk is now a genuinely devilish grin.

Silence once more.

"You know what? Maybe I am. So shut up and drive me to a doctor."

I'm at a loss for words, so they're not stopped by any intervening of mine when Katniss and Johanna hurry out the door and into Johanna's truck.

I'm still trying to comprehend exactly what's going on when I take Willow's picture from my wallet and look at her little chubby cheeked face and wish I could call her up at Haymitch's house and tell her she's going to have a sibling. Well, I guess I can, but I don't know of that for sure yet. I tend to get ahead of myself when it comes to children. I love them.

My day so far has been nothing but waiting. For Katniss to get back, specifically.

Now I have Johanna's whole house to myself for who knows long. Their trip will be longer than necessary if anything. When you put two headstrong women together in an enclosed space, bickering is the inevitable.

I can do anything I want. But you know what I do? I sleep.

Like I hadn't gotten enough of that last night. It's my final defense against insanity that this waiting is causing me.

Katniss shakes me awake. A little more violently than necessary, but whatever. I rub my eyes again, mimicking my actions from just a couple of hours ago.

"So. Are you going to be a mother?" I ask.

"Peeta, I already am a mother." She says.

"Oh you know what I mean."

She takes a moment to let a broad smile spread across her face.

"Yes."

And suddenly her lips are on my own.

"Get a room." Johanna calls.

Katniss and I are having another child.