Maybe It Can Be Real

Chapter 26

ALL RIGHTS GO TO SUZANNE COLLINS. I OWN NOTHING.

ENDING OF LAST CHAPTER:

I put my hands over my mouth to stifle a sob. I breathe in and out through my nose to try and calm myself down. I don't want Peeta to hear me and ask what's wrong because I know I would crack right down the middle and tell him.

I bring my legs up to my chest and wrap my arms around my legs. Silent tears run slowly down my face.

I can hear Peeta moving around downstairs, doing who knows what. I know I should get up and help him with whatever, but I can't bring myself to do it. So, I just lay there, wallowing in self misery.

****

Pull it together, Katniss, I say to myself.

I splash some cold water on my face. Of course, some of it flies away and onto the floor. I sigh and wipe it up with a towel.

I inspect my face for any signs of me previously crying. My eyes are a little red and puffy, but there's nothing I can do about that. The tear stains that were on my cheeks got washed away with the water.

I leave the bathroom and walk slowly down the stairs. I put a fake smile on my face when I get to the bottom of the steps and turn the corner.

Suddenly, arms wrap around my waist from behind me and spin me around. I can't help but smile for real and laugh.

"Peeta!", I squeal.

"You're finally awake! I thought you'd never wake up!", Peeta says.

He puts me down and starts to take his arms away, but I put my hands on his forearms and keep them around my waist. I put my arms around his torso and rest my head on his chest. His heart is beating rapidly. A smile takes its place on my face when I realize that I make his heart race, just like he makes mine race.

Either that or it was a lot of work to spin me around.

"What are you smiling about?", he asks.

I take my head off his chest and look up at him.

"Just you," I say simply. I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him.

I pull away slightly, then I put one hand on his cheek and kiss him again. I close my eyes. As usual, butterflies explode in my stomach because of him.

Every time he makes me feel this way, my mind goes back to the time when I wasn't in love with him, to the time when I never got butterflies when he came near. Now, it almost seems impossible to not be in love with him. No, scratch that. Now, it is impossible to not be in love with him.

To my disappointment, he breaks the kiss shortly after and rests his forehead on mine. I jut my bottom lip out in a pout.

He kisses my nose. "Don't pout. I just figured now isn't a good time to do that considering you just got up."

I back away and furrow my eyebrows. "Excuse you, but I am seventeen. I can, in fact, do what I want," I say matter-of-factly. "And you can't do anything about that."

"O-oh. Uh, okay. Uhm, I'm not sure how to respond to that," Peeta says.

I nod my head in confirmation. "Good."

He looks at me quizzically and I just smile.

I turn around and walk to the kitchen. I walk over to the counter, grab an apple, and take a bite out of it.

"So, Peeta," I say in between bites,"What have you done all day?"

He shrugs. "Not much. I was waiting for you to get up. I started to get a list together for what I want in the bakery." He sits down on the couch.

I run over and jump onto the couch next to him. "You did? What do you want?"

He chuckles. "Just normal stuff that a bakery should have: ovens, tables and chairs for people to sit, the works."

"It it going to be big or small?", I ask.

"It's going to be just a little bigger than the old one. I don't want anything too crazy," Peeta replies.

I think for a second. "The old one was pretty small, though. It's not going to be much bigger than that?"

He nods his head.

"That's pretty small. Maybe you should ask them to build it bigger. Only if you want," I say.

"I might," he says. "I just don't want it to be too much to handle, you know?"

I thoughtfully take a bite of my apple. "That's true."

He puts his arm around my shoulders and kisses my temple.

I hold my apple out to see if he wants a bite, and he takes a bite, mumbling a Thanks.

We're quiet for a few minutes after that. I'm just thinking about random things. Nothing important.

I stand up and walk over to the window. I open it up and toss the core out, leaving the window open as I walk back to the couch.

I sit back down and lay my head on his shoulder. I close my eyes and breathe out, "I love you."

He kisses my head and says, "I love you too."

***************************************************************************************************************

THERE WAS ANOTHER LIL MAKEOUT SESSION WOOOO

Hey people!

IM SO SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO UPDATE!! I saw your guys' comments on the last chapter asking me to update and it took me so long): it makes me sad): I've just been super busy lately.

Last week sucked especially, so let me know if you guys need to talk! It's definitely not fun keeping things bottled up. I speak from experience.

HAS ANYONE READ THE SPECTACULAR NOW?! I NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE ABOUT IT BUT NONE OF MY FRIENDS HAVE READ IT YET! AND HAS ANYONE SEEN THE AGE OF ADALINE?! I WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT TOO

Please, please, please comment, vote, and share my story! It means the world to me when y'all do that(:

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Shoot straight and be brave my fellow lovelies,
Weezabeth <3