It was moments before the hovercraft carrying Katniss and her team away from District Thirteen would leave. President Coin had decided that the districts needed a little bit of encouragement to join the rebellion and asked both Katniss and me to lead two teams throughout the districts. We were promised that it wouldn't be long, but no one could predict the future. Katniss had just changed out of her wedding dress when she approached me, standing mournfully behind her hovercraft. "I'm not gone yet, you still have a few minutes with me," she said, and I smiled at her and wrapped my arms around her, holding her tightly against my chest.
"I don't think I can do this," I whispered to her.
"It won't be for long... We can have our happy ending when we're all finished," she said, holding me tightly.
"But what if we don't? What if I lose you?" I asked her.
"I won't let that happen," she replied, and she pulled back to look at me. "And you need to say the same. You get back to me. Don't let anyone or anything take you away from me, Peeta Mellark, do you hear me? Promise me." She spoke rather sternly, and I just couldn't help but smile.
"I promise, Katniss Mellark." It was the first time outside of the wedding ceremony that she had been addressed with my name. She broke her stern expression to smile, then took my face in her hands and kissed me.
"I can't believe I'm spending my first day as Mrs. Mellark leaving you for so long... I should be spending my night with you in your arms."
"We'll have another day, as long as we promise to stay with each other." We shared another kiss when Gale approached us.
"We're on a tight schedule, we've gotta go," he said, and both Katniss and I looked at each other. She tightened her grip on me and a tear formed at her eye.
"Peeta... I don't want to go," she whispered to me.
"Be strong, Katniss. It'll be okay. We'll see each other soon, yeah? We've already seen the worst in the arena... This is easy, right?" She smiled gently and nodded.
"I love you, Peeta Mellark," she said to me.
"And I love you, Katniss Mellark," I replied, and we shared one final deep, passionate kiss and held each other for just another moment before Gale cleared his throat. Katniss and I broke our hug and exchanged a glance, and just like in the arena, I watched her walk away from me. As she walked away, I felt Gale put a hand on my shoulder, but I didn't look at him. I watched Katniss as she climbed into the hovercraft, then looked over her shoulder at me as Gale climbed in behind her, and then the door closed, the hovercraft lifted off and flew out of sight.
......................
I woke up with a slight startle, the final image of Katniss's hovercraft fading from my mind as I looked around and realised that I was safe and sound in District Fourteen, with the love of my life lying against my chest still nude from our actions the night before. I smiled as I looked at her and tightened my grip on her. I let this woman go for nearly two years and I wasn't planning on letting her go again. If we had another mission, then we went together. Whatever it was, whether I was qualified or not or vice versa, we were going together. She must have felt me shifting because she flattened out her palm against my chest and ran her fingers through the small patch of chest hair I had started growing within the last few months.
"Mmm... morning..." she muttered sleepily, her eyes remaining closed as she adjusted her head to lay more comfortably.
"Good morning," I said, placing my hand over hers. "I love you..."
आप पढ़ रहे हैं
Our Anthem
एक्शनThree years after the Third Quarter Quell, the war between the Capitol and the Rebels is still raging. District Thirteen has been destroyed, President Coin and Plutarch are dead, and Peeta and Katniss haven't seen each other in nearly two years than...
