The Hunger Games: Continued

Rumours

2 weeks later...
Katniss' POV

Peeta says I need to leave the house more often. Perhaps he's right. When Peeta and Haymitch shop for groceries at the market, I stay at home with Buttercup. When Peeta works on rebuilding the bakery, I stay at home - Yes, after three years, Peeta has finally decided to rebuild his bakery. I understand why it took him so long, it took lots of debating with himself. Of course the bakery was a family business, it could bring back nasty memories - his abusive mother, his brothers who let their junior be sent off to The Hunger Games without objecting, but nothing has triggered him yet - I haven't seen what he's built so far, probably due to the fact that I need to get out the house more...

Peeta has insisted I visit Delly and her husband with him today, he usually goes alone, but he says it's not good for my health to be alone and indoors. I like Delly, I really do, although sometimes her all round cheerful manner can be somewhat irritating. Her husband, Thom, was one of Gale's best friends and then naturally an acquaintance of mine.
"Why are we visiting them anyway?" I whine, as Peeta takes my hand and pulls me up off the sofa.
"Because, Delly and Thom, are our friends and I want to meet their son." He says, succeeding in his task of separating me and my settlement.
"Their son?" I say, standing up.
"Yeah. Their new born son..." Peeta says, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"I didn't even know she was pregnant." I say, as Peeta fetches my coat and tackles me into it.
"Shows how much you pay attention." He laughs. "Okay, let's go."

***

Delly's house smells like scented candles, when we enter. Not the subtle, refreshing kind, but the strong, sickly kind. Delly can't know that the smell of sweet roses makes it almost unbearable for me to be in her house. I try and breathe through my mouth and keep quiet. Delly had invited us in her usual chirpy manner, embracing us, offering us hot beverages. I suspect she's very house proud, her curtains are hung precisely, cushions plumped, canvases hang the walls straightly. The paintings on the walls are very peculiar. A particular painting catches my eye, two people holding hands, one hand shaped like a tornado, a mess of black swirls. The other hand, like a rainbow, perfect and colourful. If you look closely you can see the colours from the rainbow hand seeping into the tornado hand. Perhaps it's a representation of love, how your lover can change you for the better, but then again I don't know much about art.

I turn my attention to Thom who enters the living room with a baby basket, holding it like it might crumble at his touch. "This is Leo," he says placing the basket on the floor, in it is the most beautiful baby, everything about him is tiny, from his tiny toes, to his tiny hands. I just stare at the child. Frightened to touch him, not quite sure how to go about it either. When Prim was a baby she could never stop crying, she was so fragile. My mother would never let me be alone with her until she was a toddler, incase I tried to pick her up or play with her. That's as far as my experience with babies go. Never held one, never changed a nappy, never fed one.

Of course Peeta immediately moves closer to the baby. "He's a smiler." Thom tells him - and he's right, as soon as Peeta starts chatting to Leo, the baby bursts into laughter. I think it might be the cutest thing I've ever witnessed. Peeta tickles his stomach and laughs with him, he's a natural with the baby. It doesn't surprise me at all. I can't think of any experience Peeta could have had with babies, not that I know of. His brothers were both older than him. But still, his way with the child doesn't surprise me. He's a people's person. I however, am the opposite, my social skills are limited - even socialising with a baby who probably won't even remember his encounter with me.

Peeta waves me over. Oh dear.
I move closer to the baby and sit next to Peeta by the basket. Leo's big blue eyes stare at me intently. "Uh, hi" I say to the baby. Why did I say hi to a baby? Peeta laughs. "He won't bite you," Thom says, apparently aware of my cautious manner.
"I know that!" I snap, more harshly than I had intended. But Thom knows I'm not friendly. "I've never really been around a baby before, I'm not quite sure what to do." I say.
"What about Prim?" Thom asks.
"I was four and I wasn't aloud to hold her." I answer. Leo's eyes remain glued to me, making me feel stupidly uncomfortable. Peeta places his hand over mine.
"You go about it..," Peeta says, gliding my hand over and placing it on Leo's stomach, "like this." Peeta removes his hand. I'm terrified to hurt the baby, but I cautiously run my hand over him. Leo laughs. I feel giddily happy, he's so adorable. I see Peeta staring at me intently, with the look he usually does, but I can see the question in his eyes - How about now? Do you want children now? Isn't he cute? We could have one. I scowl at Peeta, he knows he's been caught, he looks away.

Delly enters with steaming cups of tea. We all sit and talk about Peeta's bakery being rebuilt and mostly about the latest Capitol tabloids. "The Star Crossed Lovers Baby Rumours" - that's the title, what an awkward coincidence. Peeta and I are used to being in the tabloids, even now. Stupid rumours, gossip. But what a terrible coincidence it is that the Capitol publish such a title, when having a child has been a sensitive topic recently. "So, Katniss is it true, are we to be expecting a little one soon?" Delly chirps.
"Uh, no." Is all I say.
"I should have thought as much." Thom says. "The Capitol tabloids publish a lot of rubbish." Delly nods, agreeing.
"Yeah..." Peeta sighs, absently. He's being so unfair. I just wish he would stop moping and hinting. I can't do it. The whole thing. Getting pregnant, dealing with the pregnancy, giving birth, caring for the child. I just can't.

***

That night, curled up on the sofa next to Peeta with a glass of hot milk, I wait for him to ask me the question. For him to mention having a child. For him, at least, to mention how cute Leo is, some sort of persuasive technique. He doesn't say a word. Then the  TV flashes onto Capitol news. "Star Crossed Lovers Baby Rumours" takes the screen.
"Oh, great..." I mumble.
"I'm sorry, Katniss." Peeta suddenly says.
"What for?" I say, although I have an idea.
"For pushing you into something you don't want. For asking for children..."
"You should be."
"Katniss! I said I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just want a child so badly...but I can learn to accept that you don't. Alright?" Peeta says.
"Alright." I say. I'm curled up on the sofa against him, but I fold my arms over my chest, instead of putting them around him.
"You're angry. I know you're angry." Peeta tells me.
"Yeah, Peeta. I am angry. I saw you making hints with your eyes at Delly's today, when I was meeting Leo."
"Hints with my eyes? Katniss, are you kidding! I don't like arguing with you." He says.
"Yeah? Me either."  I say. Peeta leaves the sofa and walks up stairs.

That night he holds me a little less tightly.