The Everlark Family: Book 1

4 - Pure Black

We got back inside the old house soaked and cold. Freezing to be exact. Peeta took a quick hot shower, then I followed after him.
All the while, we couldn't help but stare into each others eyes. There was a closeness between him and I that I couldn't explain. As he made dinner that night, I watched him closely. The way he prepped everything. His delicate and patient nature. In that moment I could only imagine what he would be like with children: loving, kind, caring.

"What are you cooking up for dinner tonight?" I asked.
"Well, since I haven't gone to the store lately, we have quite a lot of spinach and carrots, but I figured you would rather prefer pancakes since we have so much batter mix."
"It's been forever since I had pancakes."
Peeta raised an eyebrow curiously, "Wanna help?"
"Hun, we all know that cooking is not my thing, I'd rather not screw up your creation."
He manages to charm me with one of his grins, and those sparkling blue eyes. Of course I'd be crazy to say no.

Peeta puts his hand around mine and pours the batter onto a buttered pan, then he directs my hand to flip the other pancakes. Surprisingly, I don't fail at it.
"I'm a chef now, huh?"
"Hey, at least you're confident in yourself." Peeta jokes with a sly grin. "But you're not half bad at it."
"Thank you." I stick out my chin and eyed him, quite pleased with my capabilities.
But Peeta doesn't joke back, instead he searches my eyes like he never had before and caressed the right side of my face. His sparkling eyes and soft warm palms ignited the passionate nerves in my body. I reached in for a kiss on Peeta's lips and he returned it. And just like that, we continued kissing back and forth until we struggle to control ourselves from pure infatuation.

Peeta began to kiss the crook of my neck intimately as I tried to stop myself from giggling. His lips tickled me, but at the same time they excited me in a way that was so blissful.
But suddenly the smell of smoke distracted me from Peeta's attempt in romancing me.
"Peeta."
"Mhm?" His mind was so inundated with me, that he—Peeta Mellark—temporarily forgot how to cook.
"The pancakes." I chuckled while he planted kisses up and down my neck.
"Peeta." I continue.
"Yes, beautiful?"
"Our dinner is done. . . Overdone I should say."
Finally he snaps out of his euphoria, and his eyes widened in shock. "Oh, no!"

We both looked down at the pan of our charcoal-cakes. The only response we can think of is laughter.
"They sounded so good, too!"
Peeta runs a hand through his hair, "We're out of everything else."
I look at the fruit basket beside me as Peeta scrapes off the blackened pancakes.
"We have fruit, it's good enough to last us through the night."
"Then fruit it is."

Luckily, there was a lonely snickerdoodle cookie sitting in the bottom of the basket, so the both of us split it. It wasn't the most nutritious dinner, but it was something.
Unluckily, the power went out from the heavy rainstorm, and the house was left in an eerie darkness. It was pure black.
"Damn it," Peeta whispered, "I have no idea where I put those candles."
"Maybe we should go to sleep since we can't see much or do much for that matter," I suggested.
"Good idea." Peeta said softly, "Here, take my hand, I'll lead you up the stairs."

We finally slipped into bed after tackling the stairs. I couldn't see Peeta, but I could feel him mold himself against my back. His fingers lightly rubbed my arm as I drifted off to sleep.
"Goodnight, my love."