17He wanted to head out for the lake early this morning but his mom told him he had to at least work the morning shift, especially if he was planning on being gone for a few days. He should be able to make it there by noon. His mom was also on board for him to get Katniss back but that's probably because the Bakery's profits had gone down since they stopped selling the meat pies. Plus he thinks his parents feel guilt for forcing him to marry Delly.
He's not sure if disturbing her at the lake is a good idea. Should he just wait for her to return, talk to her then? What if she doesn't want him anymore, regardless of what he has to say? He shakes himself out of his negative thoughts. No he's doing this. He needs to stop being a coward, stop letting fear control him. He's going out there and fight for her, for them and their future.
He goes through he's backpack one last time. Making sure he didn't forget anything and placing the last items inside. Which happen to be Katniss's favorite foods, a bag of cheese buns, a thermos of hot chocolate and two cans of Lamb Stew which he had traded Purnia this morning for several loaves of fresh bread. Remembering his sketch book and pencils he leaves his bag on the counter and hurries upstairs. When he gets back he finds Rye putting something inside.
"What are you doing?" He asks Rye
"Nothing, just throwing in a note for Katniss from Madge" he says with a smirk on him face. He doesn't have time to question him any further. He grabs his backpack, shoves his sketchbook and pencils in, zips it up, swings over he's shoulder and heads on out the doors. He hears Rye wishing him luck. Good, he's going to need it.
When he crawls under the fence he is reminded of the first time Katniss had taken him into the woods. It was on his 17th birthday and he was feeling a little hurt. His family never did anything for their birthdays but this time they didn't acknowledge it at all, not even his dad.
After his morning shift Katniss is waiting for him at the back door, she greets him with a 'happy birthday' and a soft smile, he pauses to study her pretty face. She has huge beautiful gray eyes, long black lashes, tiny delicate nose, full pink lips and all his. He still has to pinch himself to make sure he's not dreaming. She gives him a quick kiss and they headed out to the wood.
The moment he was on the other side of the fence, it was like a whole different world. Instead of all the black coal dust, there's green all around him with a familiar smell of pine and damp earth. He was so in awe that she practically had to drag him to the nearby stream where she had set up a birthday picnic.
They ate grilled fish, biscuits, strawberries and blackberries. Once they had their fill she took him for a hike and showed him all her favorite spots which included a meadow full of blooming wildflowers, yellow, white, red, blue and lavender, he sees so much color, it's blinding. As she climbed a tree to pick some apples, he wandered around and found a berry bush. He had collected about a handful when he heard Katniss shout 'Peeta! No!' and hit him in the back with an apple, effectively startling him into dropping the berries. She rushed them back to the stream. Made him wash his hands over and over making sure he didn't get any berry juice on them. She goes on about how they were 'poisonous nightlock berries, dead in a minute, you scared me half to death'.
"It's alright Katniss, no one really needs me" he said before he could stop himself. He knows he shouldn't feel sorry for himself, especially since he's had a wonderful birthday with Katniss. But he's family forgetting his birthday really got to him.
"I do, I need you" she tells him. She takes him by the hand, leads him to the picnic blanket, pushes him down and proceeds to shows him, just how much he means to her.
When they walk back to the bakery, he had the biggest grin on his face; they had never gone that far before. He's feeling happy and loved by the girl walking next to him. Pushing open the bakery door there are shouts of 'Surprise' and 'Happy Birthday, Peeta'. Even Katniss's mom and sister were there plus a few of their friends. He was shocked. Looking down at Katniss, she reaches up gently kisses his lips and whispers 'you'll always be needed Peeta'. He's hoping that's still true.
As he gets closer to the lake he hears her singing and like everything else around him he stops to listen. Her sultry smooth voice is absolutely beautiful and it helps to soothe his battered heart.
And the first time ever I kissed your mouth
I felt the earth move in my hand
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
That was there at my command my love
That was there at my command my love
And the first time ever I lay with you
I felt your heart so close to mine
And I knew our joy would fill the earth
And last till the end of time my love
And it would last till the end of time my love
The first time ever I saw your face
Your face, your face, your face
He didn't know how long he had been standing there; the haunting melody had completely captivated his mind. He shook his head to clear away the haze, forcing himself to focus and continue walking. She was singing a different song now and it was just as enchanting. As he approaches the thicket ahead that leads to the cabin she stops singing. She must hear him coming. She did like to remind him of how loud he was, asking him if he was stomping his feet on purpose.
His legs shake with ever step; his hearts beating faster making its way from his chest to his throat. He walks through the thicket and she's there. Oh god, he hadn't seen her in so long, she takes his breath away. They stand there taking each other in, neither one wanting to break the spell that has taken a hold of them. He recognizes the sadness and longing in her eyes.
It's too much; all these months of trying to keep himself together have finally taken a toll on him. He can't move, can't speak, can't do anything and its taking all his strength to keep him from falling to his knees. He tries to make himself say something before her walls come up. If he could just get passed the lump that has closed off his throat but he only manages to choke out "Katniss".
She hears him whisper her name and sees the pleading in his eyes. She takes slow tentative steps towards him and with a shaky hand stretches out and tenderly touches his face. The feel of her touch is his undoing. His hands reach her; pulling her close to him and takes her down with him as he crumbles to the ground on his knees, burying his face in her neck and burst into tears.
She feels her own tears falling down her face as she hugs him. He's babbling as he sobs into her neck. She can make out a few words 'drugged him' 'Thom's baby' 'never touched her'. She'll get the full story later. She coos and hums as she rocks him, like she does for Prim after a nightmare.
When his sobs turn to sniffles she begins to loosen her hold, causing him to tighten his grip on her. Because holder her felt so impossibly good he didn't want to let go. Then her hand caresses his back as she whispers reassuring words into his ear. He has always been her weakness and right at this very moment with him in her arms again she doesn't care.
Hesitant to let her go he clings to her, as he makes it back to his feet. As he pulls away he looks down at her, giving her a sheepish smile, feeling embarrassed that he had fallen apart like that. She returns it with slightly amused smile of her own. They walk to the lake to wash up and he splashes the cool water on his face. This was not how he had imagined it would go but he's all too happy that he didn't end up with an arrow in his eye. They know that they need to talk but they sit at the edge of the lake in companionable silence enjoy being in each other company.
"Have you had lunch yet" he asks. She shakes her head. He retrieves his backpack where he had dropped it and they go into the cabin where he heats up the lamb stew. She moans when she takes the first bite of the cheese bun, she hasn't had them since before the reaping and she almost finishes all the hot chocolate by herself. When they finished up, she grabs a blanket and they headed out to enjoy the rest of the late afternoon sun. He had stalled as long as he could so he starts to talk.
"I'm not sure how much you where able to understand earlier" he rubs the back of his neck; face turning beat red, remembering his break down "but um…the baby isn't mine, he uh…is Thom's son."
"So she had the baby already?" doing a mental calculation she knows the timing is off.
"Yeah, that's the thing she was already pregnant before the reaping. I still don't completely understand what motivated Delly to try and pass him off as mine, he was born with all seam features and later told us he was Thom's. I think not wanting to move into the seam was one of the reasons." He waits for a bit to let it sink in. Hopefully she'll be able to believe what he's going to say next. Taking a deep breath he pushes forward.
"Katniss" he reaches out taking her hand. "She also said that we didn't do anything that night" her lips begin to quiver at the memory, tears pooling in her gray eyes. As his voice begins to shake he has to stop swallow a few times before he continues "Delly told me she put something in my drinks; by the 3rd one I blacked out, all she really needed was for it to look like we had slept together knowing I wouldn't remember."
He continues telling her about being forced to marry, refusing to toast, rejecting the assigned housing, sleeping in a cot in the shoe shop among the shoes instead of in her room.
She's actually surprised that Delly didn't abort the baby like every other merchant girl that finds herself pregnant by a boy from the seam or seam girl by a merchant. But how is drugging someone, making him believe he's the father, forcing him to marry her knowing it's all a lie and then not giving the real father the opportunity to get to know his baby, make Delly any better. Thom is a good person and he'd want to be there for his baby.
She gets to her feet, pacing back and forth along the shore. She feels a smoldering, all consuming rage boiling within her. All these months of pain, struggling to drag her way out of the fog of sadness that losing Peeta had caused. The never ending sleepless nights she'd spent feeling miserable and alone. Having to fight the constant desire to go looking for Peeta knowing he belonged to another. And Peeta want about him? They were childhood friends. How can she possibly justify taking advantage of his friendship and trusting nature? Oh she can wait to get her hands on her. This is not going to end well for Delly.
He watches her pace, seeing the storm of emotions playing out on her face and it terrifies him. Maybe she doesn't believe him, will this be the last day he'll spend with her. He needs to keep trying, he'll beg if has to.
"Please Katniss, I didn't cheat, I swear it." The plea she hears in his voice forces her to calm the fire that was raging in her blood and turns to look at him; she can see the look of concern across his face. Delly took what was most precious and turned Peeta into a piece in her own personal selfish game. She'll deal with her when they get home. Right now she needs to take care of Peeta.
She goes to him and he takes her hands, drawing strength from them. "Even after I was forced to marry, I promise, I never touched her. Please, believe me." He chokes out.
She sees the pain in Peeta's beautiful blue eyes and knows he isn't lying. "Okay" she nods. "I believe, you" she reassure him. His eyes go wide and his face brightens with hope.
"Oh god, Katniss thank you." He's beaming with happiness; he grabs her and pulls her onto his lap. "There's no life for me without you, I've been so unhappy." He burrows his face into her neck and his lips graze it lovingly, just the way he knows she likes it. It sends a shiver down she spine causing her to stifle a moan. If he keeps this up she'll probably agree to anything. "I love you, Katniss, you're my whole life. Do you think…" he swallows hard trying to get the rest out. Hoping he's not pushing his luck "you can give us another chance?" he asks "I put in for an annulment already." he adds quickly. "We can take it as slow as you want." he finishes, silently waiting for her answer please say yes.
She knew the answer the minute he crossed the thicket but she's going to make him sweat a little, especially since he's playing dirty. She wiggles slowly on his lap, letting her hip slightly rub up against him. She hears his breath hitch; it takes all she has to keep a straight face.
"I don't know Peeta, I've embraced the single life" she muses "It'll take a lot to convince me to tie myself down again." She moves her hips one more time and she can feel a hardness that wasn't there a moment ago. He tightens his grip on her hips to prevent her from moving again. She has to hold back a giggle.
"What can I do to persuade you to give us another shot?" his voice comes out rough and husky making her want to squirm some more but he has a firm grip. He bends his head down and begins to nibble on her earlobe knowing this is another one of her weak points and he can feel her shudder. She whimpers as he pulls away. "Is that a yes, Katniss" and he takes her earlobe in his mouth again and sucks on it.
She lets out a breathy "yes". With a move acquired from his years of wrestling, he has her on her back his hips flushed against hers and he rolls into her. "Tell me, Katniss" he rolls his hips again "tell me you'll take me back" he whispers in her ear.
"Yes, Peeta" she moans out, feeling him push up against her aching center once more "I'll take you back" she grabs him by the neck and pull him down for a kiss. This kiss was familiar yet new, filled with shared hunger and longing over these wasted months apart.
When they finally come up for air he asks "You love me, real or not real."
She tells him "real" and pulls him back down for another searing kiss.