Falling For You

Chapter 24

I smooth my curls out of my face with my hand, as my prep team does their final touches on my makeup. As they're working Peeta comes into view, dressed in a white button up shirt and pants. "You look nice." I say, smiling at him. "You look nice too." He leans up against the doorframe, watching my prep team work on me. "Okay, all done!" They clean up their makeup and hair products and after whispering to themselves, about me I assume, they leave. "Ready to go out there?" Peeta asks, once they leave. "No. I don't think I'll ever be ready." I pout, glancing at myself in the mirror. "The faster we get this interview done the faster we'll get back to our room. Where we can order anything you want for dinner." I get up, feeling a rush of motivation. We walk towards the stage, holding hands. "Damn. I hate these!" I groan, bending down to massage my ankle. Walking in heels was hard enough non-pregnant, now it's just unbearable. "You want me to carry you?" Peeta suggests. "Are you sure you can?" He laughs, making me feel annoyed for a second. "Yes." He says, still laughing. "Then yes." I reach my arms up for him and he lifts me up. He carries me on stage and the audience goes wild, clearly not expecting him to be carrying me. I bury my face in his chest, thankful for the opportunity to hide my face, as he carries me to the couch they've provided for us to sit on. He sits down and I try to move away from him, but he doesn't let me go. I take his hand and wrap it around myself, perfectly content with sitting on his lap. He asks us how we're doing and we answer the same way we always do. Then before I can say anything else Peeta dives into a story about me leaving the ice cream out on the counter for hours while I took a nap and then waking up and remembering. "She was so disappointed when she found out the ice cream was melted she started crying." He says and I giggle, remembering that day. I had finally stopped throwing up all the time and had moved on to eating all the time. "But instead of having me go and get some ice cream to replace it like I was planning to do she started drinking the melted ice cream." He starts laughing, just thinking about it. "Well, what was I going to do?" I burst out, interrupting his story. "I couldn't let him go out and get ice cream when we had perfectly good ice cream right there. Plus it tasted just like normal ice cream, just warm and melted." I explain, trying not to laugh. We finish our story together, interrupting each other at some parts, and laughing most of the time. We answer a few more questions. Then Peeta leans in and gives me a quick kiss, just before the cameras shut off.

I throw my hair up into a messy bun and start the shower. The Capitol showers used to intimidate me, but now I'm used to them. I've memorized what almost every button does. I rub soap into my hair and stare up at the ceiling. I miss being in my own house. I'm already uncomfortable enough at home, but having to travel and deal with interviews just makes it worse. I scrub the soap all over my body, covering myself with bubbles. I try to relax as I rinse off under the warm shower water, but even after I finish my shower I'm still tense. I step out and dry off, taking time to towel dry my hair as much as possible.

I shut the bathroom door behind me, as I walk out. "Hey, Peeta do you have a t-shirt I could wear to sleep in tonight?" I ask, my bare feet sticking to the floor as I walk a few steps into the bedroom. I almost bump into him as I walk into the bedroom and I take a step back, giving him space. "Uh.." He pauses for a second, looking me up and down. "Sure. Right after I do this." He leans in and kisses me, wrapping one arm around my waist to support me. I moan, blushing all over. How can him kissing me effect me so much? I wrap my arm around his neck, deepening the kiss, dropping my towel in the process. I let it fall to the ground, not caring about covering up, as we kiss passionately. My fingers fumble over the edge of his shirt, as I pull it up over his head, and throw it onto the floor. He pulls me closer, forcing our chests against each other, skin against skin. I pull his boxers off and continue kissing him, this time harder than before. "Let's.......move to the bed." He mumbles between kisses and I nod,
allowing him to lead me to the bed. He gently lowers me down onto the bed and climbs on top of me. He keeps one hand on both sides of me, supporting most of his weight, and leans in to kiss me again. I wrap my arm around him, wanting to be closer to him, but he stops me. Instead, he rolls us both over so I'm on top of him. I press my lips against his jawline, then his cheek, then finally his lips. I ease myself down onto him, forcing us closer. I moan, burying my face in his neck. He tangles his fingers in my hair and moves his other hand down my back. I kiss him, pushing myself against him with all the force I can manage, over and over again until I find a steady pace. "Fuck." I moan. "I love you." I say, but it comes out more as a whisper.

A/N: I just took forever to update again. It happens.