Pregnant in the 75th

25. Childish events

Peeta's POV

I'm woken up the next morning by the first light of the sun rising in the sky as it brightens the morning sky. The cons of being a baker .. The early wake ups. I don't budge from where I am lay, Katniss still in my arms, her had resting on my chest as she sleeps. She doesn't need to be woken, when she can get the sleep its best to let her have it at the moment as our little tinker isn't quite accustomed to normal sleeping patterns... Better get used to that too.

As I sit with Katniss in my arms I find myself running my hand gently through her hair, as though a reassuring presence that she is there. After what will happen later on today I want to saver every moment with her. The two of them have to come out of that arena alive, even if it means I do not.

I lay for so long I feel myself drifting off to sleep only to be awoken again by an overly cheerful voice, "Up Up Up Peeta. Today is the day, the sun is shining, the ... Katniss?!"

"Urrgh talk about a rude awakening," Katniss grumbles from beside me but I catch her hastily pulling down her top covering her little bump before anyone notices it.

"What are you doing here?!" Effie screeches.

"Sleeping." I can't help but snort in laughter at Kat's reply before she continues, "What did it look like?"

"Ever the charmer Katniss..." Effie sighs.

"Can you blame me on a day like today ... Especially after you woke me," Kat grunts.

"You growing to be too much like Haymitch Missy! And I don't like it..." Effie retorts.

"No but you like him..." I here Katniss say under her breath and can't help but give off an agreeing smile.

"Now now Kat its not Effie's fault and besides its me the should be disgruntled with her. It's my life that lies on her shoulders at the minute..." I start to explain but see Effie's smile drop so decide to change the subject. "Why are you here so bright and early anyway Effie?"

"Oh... Well your prep teams are eager to get started ..."

"Yeah I'm sure they are. They seem to have a thing for ripping every stray hair out of my body," Katniss snarls and I can't help but laugh.

"She's almost as bad as Haymitch for being woken up ... and I bet you never thought you'd ever find anyone that bad huh Effie?" I chuckle but she just waves me off.

"Fine you two. I'll leave you be. I just thought I'd warn you. I never came here for you anyway Katniss." Effie says before turning on her very high heels.

"Whats got her corset in a twist?!" Katniss exclaims snuggling back into my chest.

"She isn't being let off here lightly either you know Kat. She's basically sending us to our death. And its not like last year, now she's grown to know us and I'd daresay even like us and later today she'll be sending us off to our deaths."

"Way to put even more of a downer on it huh Peeta? I was thinking more that her wigs on too tight."

"Well yeah, that too... Come on then we might as well get up seeing as we're awake." I say standing up but she just rolls off me and pulls a cushion over her head.

"If I can't see you I can't hear you Mellark."

"Oh no you can't see me can you not? Well in the case you won't see me do this!" I say diving down and tickling her sides sending her into hysterics. She told around on the floor trying to get away from me ending up in her lying on her back kicking away trying to stop me.

"That's...not...fair!" She stifles out between laughs.

"Life's not fair Mellark," I say with a wink stopping tickling her so that she can sit up.

"Nooo, but it did end up with us being together so I suppose it's not all too bad. Hmm. Katniss Mellark. Rolls of the tongue don't you think," she says with a smile.

"Too bad it's not..." I'm interrupted with her finger to my mouth.

"Don't ruin it bread boy!"

"Ha ha yes Sir!" I say standing up and imitating a salute at her.

"Muppet," she says shaking her head at me, "Are you going to help this poor pregnant girl up or you going to just stand there and laugh at me," she says looking at up at me with her big eyes.

"I do apologise my dear," I say bowing continuing to try and make her laugh. I crouch down placing an arm under her legs and one behind her neck and lifting her up pulling her into my chest. "Why don't we get something for you to eat?" I say walking into the kitchen

Katniss shakes her head, "I'm not hungry.."

"Even for cheese rolls?" I say as we reach the kitchen placing her down so that she sits on the bench.

Almost right on queue her stomach rumbles causing her to laugh, "Ooh how could I refuse your cheese rolls."

"There's one condition... You have to help me bake them." I say wandering around the kitchen pulling out all the ingredients we will need.

"Me bake? Do you want them to be edible? Are you trying to poison our child?" She says with a smirk.

"Come on I'll be doing it with you anyway so they'll only be half bad," I say with a wink receiving a slap to the top of my arm from Katniss.

She jumps down off the bench where she was sat and walks over to the bench near the oven rolling her sleeves up, "Come on then bread boy I'm going to prove you wrong," she says defiantly.

I come up behind her wrapping my arms around her waist so that my hands lay on her bump, "There's one more thing you need before we get started."

"Oh yeah," she says turning her head slightly but not turning around, "and what would that be Mister chief baker?"

"An apron," I say as I pull the one off the chair beside me and hold it out in front of her.

"Oh if I must Bread boy," she says taking it from me and placing it over her head and attempting to fasten it behind her back.

I take the laces from her hand and wrap a small bow with them,"Need a helping hand?"

"Thank you," she says turning to kiss me on the cheek.

"Come on then let's get going otherwise we won't have time to eat them. First we need to sift the flour." I say, placing the sieve on top of the bowl whilst Katniss eagerly pours in the flour.

She picks up the sieve and starts to bang it sifting the flour at such an immense rate the the flour seems to go everywhere but in the bowl, "Maybe not that hard sweet. It's everywhere but where it should be ... Even on us!" I laugh.

"If I'm right this is how you look every time you bake..." She says elbowing me in the ribs, "So I must be doing something right."

"Oh I do do I?" I slowly pick some of the flour keeping her attention on me as I lift my arm up above her hehead, "Hey Kat?"

"Hmmm?"

"How do you feel about grey hair?"

"That better not be one of Cinna's plans, I'll look like an old woman!"

"Oh no don't worry its not ... Even Cinna's not that rash..."

"Then...?"

"It's one of my ideas," I say opening my clasped hand sending the flour crashing down on to her head.

"You are soooo going to regret that Peeta Mellark!" She says grabbing the whole pack of flour.

"Oh no no no, now that's not fair!" I say running to the other side of the room to my baking cupboard where my flour collection is and grabbing a bag. "That's better... Bring it on Kat."

Flour is thrown and dropped till all our reserves are empty, the floor is white and we are covered in it from head to toe, "OK Peeta Truce!"

"As you wish m'lady," I say making a quick bow trying to contain my laughter. I hold out my hand which she takes and pull her into my embrace, "I love you Katniss."

"I love you too bread boy," the words that never fail to make me smile.