The Hunger Games ~ Peeta's POV

Chapter 17

Ch. 17

"C'mon, Peeta, please?" she pleads for the millionth time. She gets so close to me next that when she speaks again her lips brush against mine gently. "Please?"

My gaze drops down from her eyes, to the soup, to her eyes again. "Fine," I agree. "But not much." I might hurl if I have to eat anymore... even if I've only had a few spoonfuls.

She dips the spoon in the watery mixture, and little oil bubbles rise in the bowl, making my stomach hurt, even just looking at them. Katniss puts the spoon to my mouth eagerly, and I take a little sip. I gag, and I can feel the rest of what she made me eat before starting to make a reappearance. I choke that back down, and she gives me a warm, tender kiss.

"Good boy," she says to me teasingly, smiling. I can't help but notice how much better she looks when she isn't scowling at everything, or shunning the world. When she smiles, her entire face lights up, wiping all of those frown lines off of her. It makes her look younger, too; she usually looks like she's thirty years old at times from all of the worrying she does. When she smiles, my entire world lights up.

Then she prods me to eat more, I eat it hesitantly, I gag, and the cycle repeats. On and on and on.

The only good thing about it is that every time I eat another spoonful, she kisses me. It's the only good thing that I have to look forward to, but it's enough. Even enough to get me to force down half a bowl of that retched, oily, slimy broth.

I eventually drift off afterwards, and I feel so at peace now that I have some food in me. So much better that it was almost worth eating that nasty soup. I dream about a Mockingjay whispering lullabies in my ear in a sweet melodic voice, and I am content.

I rouse to the rustling of pine straw and my eyes open, heavy as bricks. The first thing I do is glance around wearily, a little anxious when I see that Katniss is gone from her usual spot beside me. Did Cato get her? Where is she?

It's a little irrational to think that Cato killed her, of course. If so, then why would he take her and leave me? She's probably just out getting water or something... I hope.

I try to sit myself upright, but it's a pretty pitiful attempt, as I try to keep my leg as still as possible. I'm still trying to get up from the sleeping bag when Katniss crawls back into the safety of the shadows in the cave from the outside world.

"I woke up and you were gone," I say. "I was worried about you." The corners of my lips turn down into a slight frown, but she laughs, unaware of my discontent, as she gently positions me back onto the ground from my awkward, uncomfortable position.

"You were worried about me?" she giggles. "Have you taken a look at yourself lately?"

"I thought Cato and Clove might have found you," I say, my face still straight as I picture the horror in my own words. "They like to hunt at night."

"Clove? Which one is that?" she questions, confused.

"The girl from District 2," I say. "She's still alive, right?" I really have no clue, since I'm clueless as to how long I had been out from the Tracker Jacket stings.

"Yes, there's just us and Thresh and Foxface." She sees my confused expression, and then continues. "That's what I nicknamed the girl from Five. How do you feel?"

"Better than yesterday," I sigh. "This is an enormous improvement over the mud. Clean clothes and medicine and a sleeping bag... and you."

I smile. This is the truth, though. Just a day ago I was in the dark on if she even had survived, and was terrified for if she hadn't. But then I knew that she had when I heard the announcement about two tributes being able to live, and I knew she was alive, unless Cato and Clove suddenly got together and did something big enough to change the rule entirely. But I highly doubted that.