Forever and Always (a Katniss and Peeta fanfiction)

Chapter 3

"It's getting late, I think I should go" he says. He starts to get up so I do too. "Okay" I say. I walk him to the front door where we say an awkward goodbye. I go upstairs and get ready for bed. I watch Peeta for a few minutes but then I go to bed. I turn off the lamp and close my eyes.

***

I wake up to Peeta's face inches from mine. What? I think. I look and see his window and mine open. "Did...you climb through the window?!" I ask.

I imagine him doing that and slipping and falling to his death.

"yeah. I heard you screaming" he says.

I notice he's lying down next to me. I put my arms around him. I like that he's here. It reassures me somehow. "Can you stay here for the rest of the night?" I ask him. "Sure" he says comfortingly. I put my head on his chest and he still has his arms around me. I feel him kiss the top of my head. Even though it was just my head, my stomach gets butterflies. I wish I could kiss him right now but he would get confused. I close my eyes and he pulls the blanket up to my shoulder. This moment feels perfect, but I know it's far from perfect, with all the things going on now.

***

I wake up and Peeta is still next to me. The sun hasn't risen yet. I didn't have a nightmare after Peeta came. I watch the sun rise through the window and listen to the birds chirp their morning songs. A few minutes after the sun rises I hear a knock at my door and I pretend to be asleep. I know it's Sae. When I hear the door open, I pretend It woke me up. She sees Peeta and smiles and I smile back. She softly closes the door behind her. I close my eyes and try to fall asleep again.

"Wake up sleepyhead" I hear Peeta say. I open my eyes and see him watching me, with my head still on his chest. "What time is it?" "noon" he says. "Okay" for some reason I'm really tired today. It's probably because I haven't eaten anything. I sit up so Peeta can get up. Honestly, I don't want him to go home today. Once he's out of bed, I lay back down and close my eyes again. My head starts to hurt again. "You feeling okay?" he asks. "Yeah" I answer. "Okay" he says then he's out the bedroom door. I some how fall asleep. Again.

***

"Gotta wake up Katniss" Peeta says. I open my eyes. I see the sun is close to setting. "What time is it?" "six o'clock" he says. My stomach growls. Luckily he doesn't notice. I get up and use the bathroom. I go downstairs and find that Peeta went home. I become sad. I sit on the couch. I think of something to do. I could eat but I don't want to. I could go see Haymitch? No, he's probably at home drunk. Go see Peeta? No, I've been with him all day, well when I was awake. I decide to take a walk. I go outside and walk around the district.

So many people give me a pity look. They know about Prim. They know about Peeta. They know about everything, and how I have no one left. I walk until my legs are sore and my feet tingle and until it's pitch black. I walk home which is only about two minutes away. I look up at the stars. I look at my watch, it's close to midnight. I haven't eaten all day which I'm fine with honestly. My hands shake from lack of food. It's cold out tonight and I forgot my jacket. I open the door and go inside. I'm a little startled when I find Peeta sitting on my couch.

"What are you doing here?" I ask. "Oh, I came to make sure you ate dinner, Haymitch asked me to, but you weren't here so I thought I would wait here until you got back. I hope that was alright with you?" "Thank you, I ate dinner already" lie. "and it's alright" then right on cue, my stomach growls. I pretend like it didn't happen in case he didn't hear it, but he did. "Doesn't sound like you ate" he says pointing to my stomach. "Fine, I didn't eat, but it's not really your problem" "I care if you eat, you have to eat" "I'm not hungry" "Then why did your stomach growl?" I have no answer. I stand there and look down at my feet.

He comes forward to me and puts his hands on my shoulders. I look up at him. "Come on, you have to eat. I mean I know you're still upset but you still gotta eat" he says. Why does he even care if I eat? It's not like it effects him.

I take a deep breath. "Fine" I say. I let him go get me a sandwich and I sit at the table and I eat half of it but then stop eating it. "Gotta eat it" "I'm full" I say. I'm really not. He tears off a little piece of the sandwich and forces it into my mouth. "Peeta!" I exclaim. "Eat it by yourself or I'll force feed you" he snaps. He's scaring me a little. I take the sandwich half and finish it. "There, happy?" I say. He nods.

Then he looks guilty. "Sorry I shoved it in your mouth" he says. "It's okay" I say. He grabs my hand. I stare at our hands. He's coming back to me, but slowly. He kisses my forehead. I can't help but smile.

Maybe things will be better sooner than I thought.