Broken Wings

Chapter 40

 There are moments in your life that you will remember forever. Usually, some deep emotion helps sick it into your mind, like anger, joy, or humiliation. But this morning I feel perfectly happy and content, and I know I will never forget this. Waking up laying on Peeta's chest with my legs wrapped around his, I feel like for the first time I have a purpose for this life. I think of the passionate kisses we shared last night, and I blush, but I stay still because I don't want to kill this moment of pure bliss. A bliss that is amplified by Peeta's lack of knowledge to my consciousness as he runs his fingers through my hair. I don't even move when Haymitch comes barging into Peeta's house calling, "Well, she leave, or did you talk some sense to her!?"

Peeta laughs a little and hushes Haymitch when he rounds the corner to the lounge. "Sssh, she's sleeping."

I hear Haymitch's feet abruptly stop as he lets out a gruff 'oh' sound. He regains his sarcastic nature quickly and covers up his surprise. "Ah, I was wondering why I heard so much shouting coming from you of all people. So, you finally tamed the beast did you."

"This beast is about the go wild again if you don't shut up." I groan shifting a little on Peeta and hiding my face deeper into a blanket that covers us. "Well, you heard her, go away." Peeta chuckles and Haymitch turns to leave while mumbling something about 'who actually wears the pants in this mess'. When Haymitch is well and truly gone Peeta uncovers my head and kisses my forehead. "Good morning."

In response I hum a slightly croakily, while stretching and propping myself up in order to sit "Good morning, I hope you slept okay." I say while supressing a yawn.

"I slept fine thank you." He says, grinning a knowing smile.

"What?" I ask laughing a little at his expression.

"Nothing." He says cooly in a way that tells me that there is definitely. He strokes my arm while his face is still plastered with a knowing look.

"It's got to be something you're grinning like you know something I don't. So, tell me."

His look forms a smirk as he leans into me, stopping just far enough away to not technically be touching my lips with his, but I am sure I can feel them. "Why don't you make me." he whispers, tickling me with his light touch and minty breath. "You brushed your teeth already?" I say playing it cool, even though my heart is racing. "No, but I had some mint tea earlier." He says pulling away and laughs as if I couldn't make him tell me. It rubs me the wrong way a little as I try not release a breath, so as not to make it obvious I was holding my breath. "When did you get up?"

"About 7 this morning. I needed to take my meds since the doctors set them to morning doses." He responds rubbing his face, and I notice that his bruise is less angry than last night. I get an idea to prove that I could make him if I wanted to.

"What's the time now?" I position myself sideways on his lap and lean into him like Finnick did to me when we first met, I even try to mimic his seductive voice.

"About..." Peeta trails of struggling to find words, and I start to see sweet victory in the game he started. I snicker a little and lean sightly forward so that my lips brush his while I say in the voice, "about?"

"Nine." Is all he says before trying to close the gap, but im having to much fun and I pull back. "Kat... I..." I smirk as I continue to hold my lips a millimetre out of reach. "Hmm, Kat?" I say still keeping maintaining the tease, "I don't hate it. But don't let anyone else say it."

"Katniss..." I ignore him, "Fine. Kat," I nod in approval of the new name. "What are you doing." He says looking at me with puppy eyes. I move my mouth to his ear and whisper, "Showing you that I can make you do anything." I say before abruptly pulling away to tease him and because I was getting a little flustered myself.

Getting up I go to the kitchen and find some of the loaf I cleaned up after yesterday, starving I eat it hungrily and I put on the kettle to warm for some tea. When I pour in the water, I feel Peeta's arm wrap around me, and his lips start trailing up and down neck. "That might be a bit of a dangerous power." He says between kisses, then he finds a spot just below my jawline and begins to focus his time on that, causing a sound of surprise to escape my throat. My legs have turned to jelly and as I turn around to stop him Peeta latches on to my mouth and kisses me in a way that makes my toes curl. Peeta takes advantage of this and lifts me onto the counter while avoiding the teacups I have forgotten completely, all without breaking contact. It begins to get to much for me, and I whimper his name while I catch my breath. This, unfortunately, causes him to only tighten his grip on my outer thighs and move his lips down to my neck again. I like the feeling, but I don't want to get to carried away. "Peeta, I made tea." I gasp and he nods before kissing me gently one last time and trying to catch his breath.

We go to the back porch and sit on the swing sipping our tea in a little bit of an awkward silence, as we think about what happened. "I was thinking about the fact that last night wasn't a dream."

"huh?"

"this morning before you... I don't know what that was, but anyway before you teased me I was thinking about how you told me you loved me." he says rocking us with his good foot, while looking in the distance. My only response is 'oh' before blushing a little because I did. I did say I loved him, and I meant every word.

Looking over into the view, I realise some thing. Once I used to believe that our lives are like the old view before town reconstruction, waiting for the peace and safety. But really, we are more like the town itself. After destruction and remorse comes repair, and that repair can only happen with help. Who you end up getting help can stick with you for life. Once you have repaired more people and friends come, but that one to help you repair will remain special. Like Thom, he led the reconstruction of 12 and now he is the mayor, and in return Thom has a sense of stability and purpose after his own loss. Now Thom's main focus is keeping the peace, and maintaining the town he loves so dearly. My life is much the same, I have mostly repaired the pain and devastation with the help of Peeta, and hopefully I have done the same for him. And now as I open myself up to more people, he remains special and helps me maintain the peace I have.

Looking over at the person next to me I know I will do whatever it takes to stick with him, because without him I wouldn't be here, and I don't think I'd want to be. I see the person I'll spend the rest of my life with because of his pure beauty in every area. So, when I lean over to kiss his cheek and wrap myself in his arms I say. "I will always love you."

The End.