The Hunger games - I'm still breathing (Everlark)

Chapter 24

I stare at the world that has been painted white outside our bedroom window. The snow falls in fat, heavy flakes, not an inch of the ground has been spared. It takes me back to many different times and places. Gale's bloody body slumped against the whipping post while the snow raged around us. The multiple snow coats we had to place on his back to soothe the pain. The uncomely contrast of the fresh white powder against the burning yellow flames when the bombs were dropped.

It's coming up for a year. A whole year without my sister. A year since everything was put right and pulled out of shape all at the same time. Snow and Coin finally got what they deserved but so many lives were lost in the process of that. I would trade places with Prim in a heartbeat if it meant that she could still be here. I'm the one who should be dead not her. She never did wrong by anybody, she never hurt anyone like I did.

This would have been her favourite kind of day. I think I owe it to her to make the most of it. I sigh and turn to look at Peeta who is still snoring softly beside me.

"Peeta," I say, gently shaking his shoulder. His snores become halted for a second but then begin once more. I try again, shaking his shoulder a little harder this time. This only results in him swatting my hand away. I throw my head back on to the bed in exasperation. Then my fingers get a grip on the edge of my pillow. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

I get to my knees and hold the pillow above my head. Just as I'm bringing the pillow down on him, his eyes snap open and he rolls to the side causing me to flip over him and land in a heap on the floor. I lay in shock for a moment trying to figure out what on earth just happened until I hear his laughter coming from up on the bed.

"You know that's not one of the smartest ways to wake people, Katniss, a kiss would have been more preferable," he says, his head poking over the side of the bed looking down at me. He has a goofy, smug looking smile on his face.

He was awake the whole time.

I struggle to suppress the smile I can feel dire to make an appearance. I fold my arms instead and turn my head away from him. It's no good though, his laughter is contagious and I can't help but laugh along with him.

"That's not funny," I say to the wall I'm facing.

"Really? Because it looks like you find it funny to me," he says, his hand reaching down and turning my head to face him again. I smack it away and clamber on to my feet.

I stand over him with my pillow in hand. He jumps up on his knees, matching my height and grabs his own pillow. We eye each other down, no one making the first move.

"Peeta, it's snowing outside look," I say, pointing to the window. His eyes stay honed in on me.

"No, I'm not falling for that one," he smiles at me, raising his eyebrows. He does look good when he raises his eyebrows. "Now, we don't have to do this, Katniss, a simple kiss could end it all," he continues.

"Okay," I say, lowering my pillow and leaning in close to him. He drops his own pillow and wraps him arms around my waist. He leans in and closes his eyes, perfect.

Before our lips can meet, I swing my pillow back up and hit him on the side of the head with it. His eyes flip open with a new mischievous glint in them as he retrieves his own pillow again and returns my hit, just catching my shoulder as I turn to run from him.

I don't get very far before his hand comes snaking round my waist and drags me back to the bed. I shriek in protest, hitting him repeatedly with my pillow but his hold doesn't loosen until I'm on my back with his full body weight on top of me. My wrists are held down by his knees while his hands hold his pillow in the air above my head. I'm having difficulty breathing through my laughter.

"I think you should apologise," he says, very seriously.

"No! Get off me!" I giggle, attempting to wriggle myself out of his grasp.

"You won't like what happens if you don't," he says, raising his pillow even higher.

"You wouldn't dare," I say, challenging him.

He swings the pillow down and I close my eyes waiting to feel the impact hit me in the face. It's not the pillow that hits me though, it's his kiss. I kiss him back, moving my hands that he's finally released up to stroke his face. The fresh stubble tickles my fingers. When he pulls back he's smiling the same goofy smile again. No doubt I'm doing the exact same smile back at him.

"That is how you wake someone up," he says, giving me a final kiss on the nose. Then his pillow appears out nowhere and hits me in the face with the impact that I was expecting the first time. "And you are wrong because I would dare," he laughs.

I sit up grinning and push him off of me. I look out the window and remember the snow.

"Come on, it's snowing!"

I jump off the bed and throw open the wardrobe doors. I rummage through the bottom of it, looking for our hats and gloves. When I find them, I place them on to the bed and begin to dress myself.

I look up and notice that Peeta hasn't moved and seems quite content to just sit and watch me with an amused expression.

"Come on!" I say, throwing a glove at his head.

He looks from the glove to me in disbelief.

"Can we be done with throwing and hitting each other with things now?" he asks, starting to laugh again.

"It's snowing, Peeta!" I shout, throwing his other glove at his head too.

"Will you stop?" he laughs, getting up and coming over to me.

"Lets go!"

"In our pajamas?" he asks, smirking down at me.

"Yes! We can put our coats and boots on top!" I reply.

"Okay," he says, pulling me into him with my scarf and kissing me on the forehead. "Lets go."

We finish getting ready and run out into the snow like children, becoming invisible in the sphere of white.