Begin Again [Wattys 2013 Finalist]

Chapter 36

During dinner, the mood changes back to its previous state. It's light and everyone's laughing and it’s the most fun I've had in a long time. After dinner, Peeta cracks a joke, to which Annie and Johanna burst into hysterical laughter and I slightly giggle.

"What? Just a giggle!?" Peeta asks in a pretending-to-be-outraged voice.

"Looks like not even you can get a laugh out of her!" Johanna says, and Annie laughs in agreement.

"I bet you the last bite of chocolate cake that I can."

He signals to one of the decedent desserts that we've been eating.

"Challenge accepted," counters Johanna.

"Don't cheat for him, Katniss!" Annie jokes.

"I would never!" I say, laughing at the implication that I would pretend to laugh so that Peeta can get the cake. I turn towards him and raise my eyebrows. But he doesn't say anything. He reaches out and starts tickling my sides. He's one of the few people who have touched me enough times to figure out that I'm incredibly ticklish there. I immediately break into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. I kick my legs at him and I struggle to stand. But Peeta, rising to his knees, wraps his hands around my waist and pulls me back to the ground where he tickles me until I cannot breathe. When tears of laughter spill out of my eyes, still holding me in his lap, he asks Johanna and Annie,

"Do I win yet?"

They nod in defeat as he eats the last bite of cake and releases me from his arms.

"I didn't know you were ticklish!"  Laughs Annie.

"I didn't know he knew!" I exclaim back. 

Johanna lets out a yawn and Peeta glances up at the analog clock on the wall.

"It's after ten," he says.

"We should get going," I add.

Johanna wordlessly stands up and walks out the door saying,

"See you tomorrow."

Annie hugs me and Peeta and sleepily says goodnight. When we arrive back in the room, I put on m pajamas and hop into bed with Peeta.

"That was so much fun," he says with a smile.

"It really was," I say. "I just loved being tickled to death by you," I add in a sarcastic tone.

"Oh yes. And I really enjoyed participating in Johanna's mind games with you," he says in an equally sarcastic voice.

I roll over to face him and say,

"Oh you loved it."

"No, I love you," he says while staring at the ceiling.

"I love you back."

He smiles. 

"Why do you always smile when I say it?"

"It makes me happy."

"Wanna know what makes me happy?" I ask.

He nods.

"You."

And with that, he wraps me up in his arms and we both drift off to sleep.

~

I wake up in Peeta's arms. Where I feel warm and safe and loved and happy. But today is the day I've been dreading. The interview. It's 9:30 and I have a half an hour. I shake Peeta awake.

"I have to leave in thirty minutes," I say as I get out of bed.

He sits up too and says, "Okay. I'll see you soon. Don't be nervous, okay?"