Falling For You

Chapter 22

I watch my mom as she cleans her medical supplies over the kitchen sink. "Hey, mom, could I maybe ask you some questions about the um, about the baby I mean. It's just I don't really feel comfortable talking to the capitol doctors about it." She drops everything back into the sink and turns around to face me. "Of course. What'd you want to know?" She asks, a little overly eager. I know she's wanted me to let her take care of me since she snapped out of her depression, but I didn't want her to. I don't now, but she's the only doctor in district twelve I can talk to, and I hate the Capitol doctors too much. "I haven't been able to sleep and my back hurts all the time and I feel like I can't ever catch my breath because everything wears me out too much." I chew on my lower lip, trying not to look at her. This is awkward and uncomfortable. Just when I'm thinking I should've kept it to myself and waited she speaks up. "Where does Peeta sleep in your bed? Do you have sides?" I don't know how this is relevant to anything I just said. "We have sides, yes. But I usually take up more than my half of the bed." I admit, chewing on the inside of my lip. "So space is not an issue. try sleeping with a pillow between your legs and a pillow just under your waist. It should support your back more and help you sleep." She says. "Okay.... And the other things?" I'm still trying to imagine myself sleeping the way she described. I almost want to go home and try it now, but I know prim will be waiting for me. "For your back I think the sleep would help that a lot but for the breathing there's not much I can do. You'll just have to do everything slower and try not to do anything too physical." I nod, thinking about what she said. "Okay. Um.. Thanks." I turn towards the stairs so I can watch for prim. "Glad I could help. You can talk to me anytime you want." She says, but I'm not really listening anymore.

Prim hops down the stairs and wraps her arms around my neck, hugging me. "Hey, little duck." She steps back and I turn around to look at her. She's wearing a beautiful off-white dress, lined with lace and taken in at the waist. I don't recognize it as one of my mothers, so it must be new. Her hair's in two braids, framing her pretty, young, face. She's even wearing makeup, something I've only seen her wear on camera. "Oh! You look beautiful." I hug her again, clutching her tightly against my chest. "And your wearing makeup. When did you learn to do that?" I ask, examining her face. It's natural looking makeup, nothing like the Capitol, but it's still noticeably different. "Mom's been teaching me. She let me buy some with some of her extra money since it's getting warmer out and less people are sick." Of course our mother would know how to do that. She loves all those kinds of things. She looks like the perfect merchant girl. Not at all like anyone from the seam. I turn back to my mother and she smiles at me. "You should let me do yours, Katniss! You'd look so pretty!" Prim grabs my hands, smiling at me. "Okay. I'm all yours." I follow her upstairs to her bathroom and she sits me down on the toilet. The same way my prep team would. But this is different. Prim is different.

The brush lightly traces over my cheek bones and my face scrunches up a little. I know she told me to stay still but it's hard. She's too gentle. It tickles when the brush touches me. "Stop moving Katniss! I'm almost finished." She holds me down with both arms. "Okay! okay." I remain perfectly still. I wonder if this is what normal sisters do when they aren't worried about their survival. She pulls something else out of her bag-a tube of lipstick- and applies some to my lips. Then she zips up her makeup bag and tosses it onto the counter. "All done." She smiles at me and helps me up.

Prim and I walk into town, towards the bakery, me waddling and her walking slowly beside me. "C'mon Katniss! You're so slow!" She pulls on my arm making me walk faster. "I'm going as fast as I can!" I try to walk faster to keep up with her, but it's so much work. She finally slows down once we get to the bakery, giving me a chance to catch my breath. She opens the door, but pauses in the doorway to wave at someone. I turn my head to see who it is and I barely catch sight of Rory as he's walking into the hob. I roll my eyes at her as she continues smiling even after he's disappeared inside.

Prim and I stand by the counter, as Peeta talks with his mother inside the kitchen. They sound like they're arguing but I can't tell what it's about yet. Peeta appears from inside the kitchen, looking annoyed, but he smiles when he sees us. "What was all that about?" I ask, but he doesn't get a chance to answer before his mother reappears. "Oh great, you're here." Her tone makes it obvious it's not great. Last time I saw her she wasn't this bitter. She didn't necessarily like me but she was thankful I saved her son. I don't know what's changed. "Mom." Peeta tries to stop her, but he doesn't know what to say either. "Don't defend her Peeta she's a seam slut. She's manipulative and a liar. That baby probably isn't even yours!" I try not to be hurt by her words but they still hurt. "Don't say that! The baby is obviously mine." Peeta glares at her, but she doesn't relent. "You're really going to defend her after how she's treated you?" I remember now why last time was so different. That was right after Peeta and I returned from the games. He must've told her about me ignoring him or maybe she asked about me and he told her I was with Gale. Either way she's right. I'm selfish and manipulative and a liar and Peeta is so much better than me. For a while the bakery is dead silent. Then his mother stomps back to the kitchen, leaving us alone.

I taste a bite of the peanut butter cookie in front of me and I swear my eyes roll back in my head. "Do you like it?" Prim nods eagerly at Peeta. "I love it! Actually I love everything you make. It's all so good!" He smiles at me, seeming satisfied with my answer. We've tried nearly every kind of cookie he has. He's technically not allowed to give out free cookies but he's allowed to give samples of anything we want to try, although he has snuck prim and I a few cookies when no one was looking. I peek back into the kitchen at his mother and he follows my gaze. "You sure your okay with everything?" I feel like I shouldn't be here even though he's tried to assure me that it's okay. "I'm fine." He leans over the counter towards me, mirroring my position. "It is nice to see you bending over this counter though." He brushes his hand over my arm and his eyes flit down to my chest. Wow, this conversation took an unexpected turn. He's flirting with me. I smile and press my body closer to the counter, shifting slightly so he can see down my shirt. I glance up to see if his mother is looking and she isn't. Prim seems totally oblivious, or she just doesn't care. She staring out the window, nibbling on a cookie. It's just us. I turn back to him and smile. Then he leans in to kiss me, taking my breath away.

A/N: GODDAMN it took me a long ass time to update. I haven't had a phone and the phone tI have now is a pretty big downgrade from the one I had before, but I'm working on getting a new one.