Finding the Missing Piece: Book 5

Chapter Twenty-Two

Katniss POV-

"Katniss. I hate to tell you this but you have a rose petal stuck to your ass." I hear Peeta says from the top of the stairs.

I turn look at him, "I wonder how that got there." I laugh, rolling my eyes. He rushes down the stairs and brushes it off.

"There. All taken care of." He smirks as we open the front door.

"Hey, I hope you guys had a good time." Finnick smiles, handing me Willow who is wide awake in her carrier.

"How was she?" I ask him.

"Let's just say I'm glad that she acts like Peeta and not you."

"Shut up."

"I grew up with you. I know exactly what kind of heathen you were." Finnick teases me.

"So I've heard. I don't know that I believe that though." Peeta says.

Finnick laughs, "Well, maybe one day you'll have a kiddo like her and then you'll know exactly what I'm talking about."

I laugh, "Go home, Finnick."

"She ate about two hours ago." He smiles.

I smile, "Really. Thanks for watching her." I tell him.

Finnick laughs, "No problem. Peetie-Pie, I can't believe it's been a year since you got married." He sighs.

"I can't believe it either. Things are going by so fast." Peeta slaps his shoulder playfully.

Finnick wipes a fake tear as embraces us both.

"Thanks for watching her, Finn. We really do appreciate it." Peeta says.

"No problem, buddy." Finnick smiles, "Bye, Willow." He says, catching her attention. She blinks her blue eyes at him, uninterested.

"Bye, Finnick." I say.

"Bye, Kat." He messes my hair up and runs to his car.

I laugh and shake my head as I shut the door and I turn around to see Peeta has already gotten Willow out of her carrier and into his arms.

"Willow, Momma and I missed you so much." He says, kissing her cheek.

She looks at me as I come over.

"Did you have fun with that crazy friend of your Daddy's?" I ask her, scratching her back gently with the tips of my fingers, her head on Peeta's shoulder-all snuggled up to him.

"I think you mean that crazy friend of your Mommy's?" He laughs.

I smile.

Willow tries holding her wobbly head up for more than a few seconds but fails.

"If Daddy would leave you down on your tummy instead of picking you up when you fake cry then you could hold your head up better." I tease them and Peeta just scoffs.

"Hey, you pick her up too."

"That was before I realized she has a fake cry she only uses when she wants to be held, especially by you." I nudge him with my elbow

"I hear no difference in the cries you speak of." Peeta smirks at me.

He presses a kiss to the top of her brown head and she rubs her nose into his shirt and rubs her eyes too.

"I think she's getting sleepy." Peeta says, rubbing her back.

She lets out a yawn and then just closes her eyes and like that, she's out.

"And she's out."

"Really?" He laughs.

"Yep. She just needed to be in her Daddy's arms. I know being in your arms helps me sleep but I don't know that I ever fall asleep that fast." I laugh, shrugging my shoulders.

Peeta smiles softly at me.

"What now?" He asks after a minute or two of silence.

"I don't care." I shrug.

"How about we watch some movies and spend some more quality time together before the day is up?" Peeta suggests.

"Okay, I can go make us some popcorn?"

"That sounds great. I'll find us a movie and set it up." He says.

I nod and head into the kitchen. I make some popcorn and grab us both something to drink and head back into the living room to find Peeta putting the movie in, Willow still clutched tightly in his arms.

I smile at the sight.

"Here's the popcorn, Loser." I say, dropping the bag onto the coffee table and plopping down on the couch.

"I'm pretty sure you're the loser in this situation, Sweetheart."

I scoff, "Why's that?" I ask him with a smirk.

"Because I'm holding the baby." He smiles and sits down next to me.

I stick my tongue out and spit at him playfully.

"I'll grab your tongue. Don't underestimate my dad multitasking abilities." Peeta laughs.

I keep it out and tease him.

He reaches up and grabs my tongue, just as he said he would and as I had imagined he would.

"Pee-ah!"

He gets a huge grin on his face.

"Leg-go." I say, struggling.

He just laughs at me.

"Yer-such a bat!" I say, not at all the words I intended making an appearance.

"I'm a bat?" Peeta chuckles, he knows exactly what I meant to say.

"Yeah." I giggle.

"Meh tong hurts, Pee-ah." I say after a second of his grip.

"Would you like me to let go?" He asks.

I nod my head.

"Will you give me a kiss?" Peeta asks me.

"Yesh. With tong." I tease him.

He chuckles and releases my tongue.

"You're an idiot." I laugh and press my lips to his.

I start pushing my tongue into his mouth playfully and I can feel him smiling widely into the kiss.

A minute or so later we both pull away, "Well, that was nice." He says.

I laugh, "Yes, me shoving my tongue into your mouth is always nice." I tease.

"Well, I find it very nice." He exaggerates.

I scoff, "Let's watch the damn movie."

He smiles, "'Kay." He says reaching up behind him and flipping off the lights.

I snuggle up to Peeta's and lay my head on his other shoulder, Willow's tiny head on the opposite shoulder. He wraps an arm around my waist and holds me tight, intertwining our fingers. Peeta squeezes my hand reassuringly, then presses a kiss to the top of my head and then, he does the thumb thing.

You know, when he rubs his thumb across mine and my heart melts?

Yeah.

That.

I can't even focus on the movie, all I can think about is how I wouldn't change a thing about this.

Our little family and the home and love Peeta and I have created together in such a short amount of time.

It is truly perfect.

And if there is one thing I've learned throughout this last year, is that perfect things come from imperfect people.

Peeta and I are imperfect but we created a life, love and a daughter that is perfect in every way and perfect for us.