A Fresh Start-After Mockingjay (Before the Epilogue)

Chapter Three

Katniss POV- (A few days later, around 7am)

"You stupid cat! Get out of here." I say to Buttercup who's been annoying me all night long by jumping up, hitting the the door knob and mewing. I let him out but he wants right back in. He does it over and over again, but it's not like I would've slept well otherwise.

It's more of a terrifying reality. The reoccurring dream of every person that I knew that's died because of me, burying me alive. It's not real but it seems like it and what is real is that these people are dead and they're dead because of me.

Buttercup usually sleeps next to me. Most nights, he cries with me but tonight, he's not having any part of me. I've thrown pillows, boxes of tissue and even an empty cup at him in anger through out the night and he's still nagging me. "Go." I groan, opening the front door to the dim, early morning and he runs out.

I'm just about to shut the door when I see Peeta approaching my walkway, he startles me. "Peeta, is everything okay?" I say and open the door wider.

"You look rough." Peeta says simply, looking me over in the dim light.

I scoff, "Right. Thanks."

Peeta shakes his head, "I didn't mean it that way." He's quick to say.

"I know what you meant." I sigh, closing the door behind him.

He sits down in the chair and I sit on the couch, embarrassed by the mess.

"I'm sorry." He tells me.

"Don't be." I say.

He glances around, it's the first time he's been inside my house since before we left for the Quell. "Sorry about the mess. I didn't think anyone would be coming over. I don't get many visitors." I say and pick up a cup I had thrown at Buttercup earlier and replace it on the coffee table. "I just had a really bad night." I shrug, trying to blow it off but knowing he won't.

Peeta laughs a little, "If it makes you feel any better, I had a bad night too." He says.

"It actually makes me feel worse." I admit.

He sighs, "Hey, just because we started over, it doesn't mean I won't still be here for you when you need me. Like I was for the Tour and the Quarter Quell." Peeta tells me quietly.

My throat closes up, "Those weren't very friendly things we did to cope." I tell him softly and look away.

"You know, we are already horrible at this whole only being friends thing." Peeta smirks.

I hide a smile and sniffle, "I know."

"We barely managed to act like friends after the first Games, let alone lovers." He reminds me. I shrug. I wonder how we are going to manage to be friends when being lovers is the only thing we know? He shifts awkwardly, "I promise I didn't come by to insult you."

"That's what Haymitch does."

"Trust me, I've only been back four days and that's the only time he visits. To insult me or eat my cooking."

I can't help but to laugh at this. That's Haymitch for you.

"Why did you come by, Peeta?" I ask him curiously.

"I wanted to ask if you would go to town with me?"

"Greasy Sae should be here soon. I don't want to worry her with my absence." I lie. She isn't going to be here today. It's her day off but Peeta doesn't know that.

"She's not due here for another few hours. Besides, I haven't seen it yet and I wanted to go before anyone else got out and about." Peeta says.

I shake my head, "I don't think that's a good idea yet, Peeta. For either of us."