Maybe It Can Be Real

Chapter 30

ALL RIGHTS GO TO SUZANNE COLLINS. I OWN NOTHING.

ENDING OF LAST CHAPTER:

"Yes! Today is your birthday!", Peeta says through a laugh. "So happy birthday!"

I smack my forehead and crack a smile. "Thanks. How could I forget my birthday? Didn't I forget it last year too?"

He nods his head. "Yeah, you forgot it last year too. I don't know, Katniss, that's pretty sad."

I smack his arm. "Shut up."

****

Peeta and I are laying on our couch. My head is on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Our arms are wrapped around each other, and our legs are tangled together. My eyes fall closed due to my lack of sleep and the comfort Peeta gives me.

I feel completely at ease, like nothing is, or ever could be, wrong. Of course, I know that is entirely wrong. But I let it go and try to not think about it. Nothing could ruin this feeling of pure bliss right now. A smile creeps its way across my face. It doesn't go away for a while.

"I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, right now and live in it forever," I whisper, repeating what Peeta said 7 years ago the day before the Quell on the roof.

I can tell that by the way he says it he's grinning. "Okay."

"Then you'll allow it?", I ask.

"I'll allow it," he replies softly.

I open my eyes and look up at him. His eyes are closed, a small smile still present on his face. My hand reaches up and brushes the hair away from his forehead.

His eyes flutter open, and he looks down at me. Our eyes lock together, basically having a staring contest with each other.

I break our little 'contest' by leaning up to press my lips against his in a short, sweet kiss.

After a minute or so, I pull away. I put my head back on his chest and close my eyes again. I take a deep breath, enjoying this pleasant moment.

I start to drift away, but I'm aroused by a loud knocking on the door. I sigh and say, "I'll get it," before getting up and going over to the door, making my hair look somewhat presentable since I haven't done anything to it all day.

I rub my eyes and open the door. My eyes widen at who's in front of me.

"Haymitch?," I ask. "What are you doing here?"

Sadly (well maybe it's not too terribly sad), I haven't seen Haymitch in ages. I've gotten over him leaving Peeta in the arena, but I can never fully connect with and trust him because he still drinks heavily. To me, that's a waste of a man. He used to be extremely sharp and cunning since he outsmarted the Gamemakers in his Quell by using the force field as a weapon.

I wonder if that's why he didn't start a family, or if it was because he's against having kids. To me, he doesn't seem like a fatherly person. Granted, he did pretty much take on that role as our mentor during the Games, but that was because we made him be sober. I doubt he would be sober in a family, honestly.

I should probably try to see him more, maybe try and coax him out of drinking so much. That's probably useless though. I don't think he'll stop. I'm surprised all of his drinking hasn't affected his health much. Nothing has really happened to him, which shocks me.

"I came to tell you something. Can I come in?", he asks.

I decide to mess with him a little bit. I mean, why not? I shake my head. "No, you can tell me here. I don't want old drunks like you in my house." I have to suppress a smirk.