31Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! I've had this chapter done for a while but hadn't put it on. Im not sure why I didn't but TheMockingjay'sBoyWithTheBread's review reminded me that I should! Again, thanks to everyone who reviewed, it really does mean a ton!
I don't own the Hunger Games or anything affiliated with it, all rights go to Suzanne Collins.
Luck: Chapter 4
I slowly pushed the door to my small house open and dragged Peeta in behind me. My mother was on the couch sleeping and Prim was next to her, humming and braiding my mothers hair. My mother seems so weak. She says she is sick but how can you believe in a sickness that just makes you sleep all the time and mope around? If it was, it was something completely unheard of in district twelve. She called it "depression" but she is the first person I'd ever met with such an illness.
As our guest came into view, Prim gave me a strange look full of questions but I ignored them, giving her a light smile of reassurance and led Peeta into the bedroom, as it was the only room in the house sealed by a door aside from the bathroom.
I set myself on the edge of the bed, and Peeta joined, sitting beside me.
"So" I said awkwardly, "the explanation?"
"Katniss, im going to tell you the whole truth and I want you to promise not to say anything at all until im done explaining it." He said, grabbing my hand.
"I promise I won't interrupt" I said softly, staring at him.
He began, "On the first day of kindergarten, my father pointed you out to me. Apparently he had a thing for your mom back in the day and said that he almost married her. Because of that, I paid more attention to you on that first day than I would have if my father had never said anything. Later that day you sang for the class and it was beautiful, Katniss. Your voice was so beautiful. I'd like to say that's when my "crush" on you developed, but Katniss, what I feel for you is more than a crush. I know that's strange for me to say because I've only just talked to you the first time three days ago but its true. Im in love with you Katniss, I have been for about eleven years now. And I don't care if you don't say it back because even just being in your presence, sitting with you at lunch, walking to your home with you, its enough for me. I love you and I'll take whatever you give me."
I had never thought myself a romantic person, nor have I ever though of a future with a husband and children, I'd certainly never thought of my future with Peeta. That's why my reaction to what he said was so strange to me. My eyes welled up with this foreign feeling of… affection and, confused as I was, I acted on instinct and threw my arms around Peeta, hugging him to me as tightly as possible, realizing in the process that he was holding onto me just as tight.
I pulled my face away from Peeta's shoulder and looked up at him. He was looking at me with that same intensity he had in his eyes when he stared at me in school and finally, after all these years, I could figure out why he was staring at me and what it meant. He loved me. Slowly our faces came closer.
We were centimeters apart, I could feel his breath on my lips. We stayed there, wondering who would make the move first, who had the guts to do it. Peeta began to move himself a bit closer to me and we were touching. Our lips were pressed firmly against eachothers and the things I felt running through me were impossible. I wrapped myself tightly against him as he slowly leaned backwards and I was on top of him, we were kissing, barely stopping to breathe and it felt so good and I thought that maybe its possible that I love Peeta the same way he loves me.
Lost in eachother, as what happens when you have your first kiss with a guy like Peeta, I barely registered the opening and then slamming of the bedroom door. When I did though, I jumped up in surprise and looked at Peeta.
"What was that?" I asked confused and with a shake of his head and the shrug of his shoulders, I ran out the room to see who had caught us kissing. Gale was just leaving the front door when I got to the kitchen.
Peeta had chased after me when I had left so I looked back at him. He looked sad and I couldn't understand why.
"Its okay" I said to him, wrapping my arms around his neck and getting up on my tiptoes. "It was just Gale. He's probably really confused, he didn't know we were even friends, only that you gave me chocolate. When we go hunting this weekend I'll explain it to him." I said softly, smiling.
"Katniss, you don't know?" Peeta asked, frowning.
"Know what?" I asked,
"Gale feels the same was about you as I do." He said simply and his words crashed down.
It seems everything makes sense to you only after its too late for you to do anything about it. I never thought Gale had feelings for me and maybe it was stupid that I didn't. I'd never had feelings for any boy that way until now with Peeta and he must be mistaken because Gale and I are just friends. We are hunting buddies, nothing more. As im mulling this over in my head, my mom walks in, apparently not surprised to see Peeta in her kitchen, or just not caring, and comes over to me. "The interviews are showing in ten minutes, it's a mandatory viewing." She said.
"Okay mom, thanks." I responded, following my mother into our small living room with the old static-y television with Peeta close behind.
The interviews were horrendous as usual with Caesar's fake enthusiasm flowing out of every sentence he spoke. I spent most of the hour peeking swift glances at Peeta, my boyfriend if that's what he is now. Every time I looked his way, he look right back at me, smiling and giving my hand a squeeze. It made the interviews much more bearable.
He left after the showing that night at eight with another quick kiss and a promise to see eachother tomorrow. I was so new at this relationship stuff but it came natural with Peeta.
Seconds after he left, Prim bombarded me with questions to which I answered, simplifying the dynamics of it for her, for shes only twelve. Basically I just said we like spending time with eachother. I curled up to sleep with Prim and Buttercup, excited for tomorrow.