Finding the Missing Piece: Book 3

Chapter Eighty-Six

Katniss POV- (The next morning)

I wake up with a pounding headache, a sore back and bottom too.

I look over to Peeta whose still sleeping.

He has two black eyes from his face fall yesterday.

My poor guy.

I know he feels really bad about us falling off of the horse yesterday but it could've ended worse and neither of us had to visit the hospital, which is great.

I look over at the time and see it's noon.

I look over, "Peeta? Wake up. If you don't wake up now, you're not going to sleep tonight."

His eyebrows crease but he stays asleep.

"Peeta..." I say, sorely rolling over to his bare chest.

I lay my head on his arm and rub the soft, warm skin and then look into his bruised, sun burned face and frown.

I decide to let him sleep longer.

Eventually, I get up and go downstairs, only to end up back on the couch.

My back is killing me and my whole body aches and my foot isn't feeling too hot either.

After another hour or so, Peeta comes down and sits cries-cross on the floor in front of me, rubbing my almost bare back with his hands.

I face away from him.

"We are pathetic." I say with a laugh that hurts my stomach.

He chuckles and kisses my shoulder blade, rubbing his thumbs in circles across my muscles.

"It's okay. As long as we are pathetic together, that's all that matters." He jokes.

I laugh again, "I love you." I say, turning back around to face him, even thought he looks pitiful.

He leans down and pecks my lips, "I love you too, my Princess."

I give him a soft smile, "Peeta, you are so cute. Even with two black eyes." I say patting his head.

"Thanks." He laughs a little.

"What do you wanna do today?"

"I don't care. I want us to take it easy." He says.

"Fine with me." I say, not wanting to move a muscle.

He laughs, "I believe that we need to pay a visit to Finn and Carter soon."

"I agree. I miss them and their crazy parents." I laugh.

My heart aches when I think about Carter in particular.

I miss her so much.

I miss her making both Peeta and I so happy and I know I would miss Finn if we saw him more-but we haven't seen him since he was born.

Over a month ago.

It crazy to think Carter is only 4 months old, it seems like forever ago she was born-but a lot has happened since then, that's why.

"Me too." He laughs.

We need to quit talking about them now before we start talking about our own baby problems like we always do.

"Will you kiss me?" I ask him.

He laughs and leans into me, kissing my sideways lips and then my nose.

I smile, "Sometimes, I wake up and I still can't believe we are married."

"I can't either. It still feels so surreal. It's better than I could've ever dreamed though." He says.

"I'm glad you got to be my first and only boyfriend. It makes me really happy that I didn't have to go through a bunch of jerks to find you."

Peeta smiles and leans his forehead against my arm, "I am still ecstatic you were my one and only girlfriend." He chuckles.

"Man, I love you so much." I say truthfully.

These are the moments I know I'm thriving.

Feeling so much love towards Peeta, but not knowing how to express it.

The number of kisses or 'I love you's, or even a round of complex sex couldn't express this feeling I have for him.

Not one or even all three.

It's a feeling I have that makes me want to hug him so tight that he can't breathe and it's a feeling that not one or all three tasks could help.

"I love you too." He laughs, a little weirded out by my extra affection.

I scoff.

"Why are you so happy this morning?" He asks with a laugh.

"I don't know. I just love you a whole bunch." I tell him embarrassedly.

He laughs at me, "I love you a whole bunch too."

"Do you ever get this feeling of love that's so so strong that you can't express it?"

"All the time." Peeta smiles.

"It's like I could kiss you, hug you so tight, tell you 'I love you' a billion times and make up the most beautiful metaphors for our love and even have sex with you or all of those things and the hunger I feel for you wouldn't subside."

"Okay." He says softly, hiding a smile.

"I just want to hug you so tight and that still wouldn't be enough." I say passionately.

"You're so so sweet, Katniss. I love you so so much." Peeta says, kissing me on the forehead.

"Come up here with me." I say, scooting over slowly, careful not to move too quickly to hurt myself.

I hold his hands as he stands up and lays down next to me. He presses his lips to my neck and wraps his arms around my waist.

I lay on his arm and our bodies press together, "You make me so happy, Peeta. I'm sorry about everything bad I've ever done to you." I say, feeling guilty for every thing I've ever done wrong in our relationship and what I've put him through about the baby thing.

"Katniss, don't be sorry. I've made a lot of mistakes in our relationship and I haven't always been so nice to you so you have nothing to be sorry for. You make me so happy." Peeta says against my neck, kissing it gently.

I close my eyes and as he continues, his nose pressed up against me.

"Peeta, stop your going to squish your nose and hurt it." I laugh a little.

"I am fine." He says as he continues to kiss my neck and make me feel all kinds of ways.

I take a deep breath, "You're going to give me a hicky and my luck, someone would show up and see it." I say, pushing him away. He laughs a little and hesitantly stops.

He steals a quick kiss from my lips.

"If you weren't so sore would you agree on, protective, you know?" Peeta asks shyly.

I scoff, "Sure, why not?" I laugh.

"So, after you aren't sore."

"And after your nose is healed." I chuckle and kiss his cheek.

"I like how we are being more honest with each other." I say after a while.

"So am I. I think it helps, even though asking for sex is kind of weird. I'm sorry."

"No, I want to. I promise I would be ripping your clothes off now if it wasn't for the fall yesterday." I admit, a little embarrassed.

For the rest of the day, we lay in each other's arms.

We kiss and joke around and sleep too and all in all it's a really nice day.