Made To Be His

5

I wake with my body pressed against another heat source. I shiver a little, not used to the feeling of bare skin without a pelt keeping my heat to myself. I blink open my eyes and turn over, away from the sun. I blink at Peeta, realizing the comfortable warmth had been coming from him, making me ever grateful he had gotten over his apprehensions and slept next to me as he always had One last night by his side is something I am very grateful for. 

I sit up and stretch, pulling the dark fabric of the t-shirt I had borrowed back down. I get out of the bed and step into the soft carpet of the bedroom, moving around the bed and back to my clothing. I dress in what I came with, careful to be quiet and not wake Peeta and have him find me like this. I really don't want to give him a chance to stop me.

Just as I stand, I hear the bed rumble as he rolls over, groaning. His arm reaches for me, gazing over the ruffled sheets. He opens his eyes and glances at me, before sitting up. I just stand there, a deer caught in the headlights as he cracks his neck and looks over at me.

"So, really not a dream, huh?" He says and I pull my arms around myself. 

"Like I said," I say quietly. "I can just go, Peeta. I'm healed now. You don't owe me anything." I walk over to the window and look out, feeling the calm of a fall breeze wrapping around me. "You never did."

"I think you owe me an explanation," He says and I look back at him. 

"I don't know what you expect, child," I say. "But I don't have answers either. In all the years, I've never had an explanation either."

"Child?" He says, sounding a little insulted. "You don't look any older than me." I chuckle and look back out at the sun rising over the green of the backyard.

"Looks can be deceiving," I say. "I mean, all this time you thought I was a wounded animal you took in. Clearly not the case, cub." 

"Katniss, stop dancing around the questions I'm asking you," Peeta says and I turn away from the window. 

"And I am telling you all I know," I say. "I don't know what I am, how old I am seeing as I lost count a long time ago of how many seasons passed my eyes. Perhaps I have always existed, though I don't remember the beginning of time nor my own. Really, I only remember the forest reservation."

"Are you just a fox?" Peeta asks and I shake my head.

"Any four limbed beast is within my grasp, though I prefer mammalian forms," I say. "I fear heights and don't like not being able to control my body temperature." I stop as I hear footsteps in the hall and glance at Peeta. "The others are awake."

"Don't worry about them," He says. "They won't notice you. They don't notice anything." He looks down and I feel the bile rising in my throat as I remember the often smell of blood and fear on him. 

Reminding me of why I didn't run as soon as I could hold my paws evenly beneath myself.

"Do you maybe want to go somewhere else and talk properly?" I ask and he looks aback up at me and down at my outfit. 

"I think you would kind of stand out, dressed like you are," He says and I look down, uncrossing my arms. 

"I'll figure something out," I say. "I'll meet you at the street corner."

"What do you mean?" He asks and I shrug, grabbing onto the window frame. 

"Just trust me, Peeta," I say, hopping out and landing on the four paws of a black cat.

I walk to the fence and hop up, climbing until I reach the top of it. I walk along the top of the fenceposts, tracing my way to the street corner. I watch people walking down the street, dressed in clothes that make me defiantly feel underdressed as I was before. I pick out a few girls in simple dresses that reach their knees of jewel tones and simple patterns. I feel the cat in me let out a purr and I jump down into a dense patch of bushes. I sit in wait and clean my paws, scenting every once in a while for the boy.