Catching Fire: The New Story

Chapter 33

Peeta's POV

"Good morning, sleepy head," I hear someone whisper in my ear, sending chills throughout my body. I shiver, shaking, the warmth pressing against my cheek and neck. I smile as I open my eyes to see Katniss laying besides me. 

"Good morning," I say. I kiss her forehead and am glad she was with me today. 

"Happy birthday!" she then screams. She jumps from the bed and onto me. I groan as she hugs me tight and kisses me everywhere playfully. I roll to get her off of me, but end up falling off the bed, dragging her with me. We laugh a bit too hard. She rolls off me and onto the floor. We lay there for a few minutes, holding hands. 

"Thank you," I whisper. She looks at me confused. 

"Why?" 

"Because, you're here with me and I'm glad. It's the best way to wake up on my birthday," I say. She smiles, blushes and stands up, pulling me with her. She tells me, more like commands me, to get ready and leaves my room, not before giving me a quick kiss on my lips. A short on just to tease me until later.

I change as quickly as I possibly can and head out the door. I slow my pace as I see Katniss and Gale outside, talking.

"Go Gale. Please hurry!" she calls as he runs off with a bag in his hands. She heads back inside her house, biting her lip. What is she up to today?

I walk to her front door and knock. Katniss opens it and pulls me in quickly. She races me up to her room where the window is slightly ajar and her clothes are laid out. She pulls her jacket and shoes on quickly and we head out without a word to her mother or sister. "Where are you taking me?" I ask as she pulls my arm towards the unknown place she's dragging me to. 

"It's a surprise Peeta. Just wait!" she says happily. 

We finally make it to the fence where we would enter the woods. 

"W-why are we here?" I ask shockingly. 

"Don't worry Peeta. You’re safe with me,” she promises me, reassuringly. We slide under the fence easily and head deep into the woods. I've never been so scared in my life before. Maybe I have, but I have never been in the woods, ever. Remembering Katniss almost dying for me to live in the arena reminded me that that was the scariest thing I have witnessed. The woods is just a representation of that.

She finally stopped. We were literally in the middle of nowhere, bare trees and ground covered in snow laid around us. "Where are we Katniss?" 

"The woods. Happy birthday!" she exclaims. She hugs me tightly by surprise. I laugh. 

"Yes. I know we are in the woods. But what about it? What are we here for?" I ask. 

She almost looks sad I asked, but smiled. "Come here,” she whispers, motioning for me to follow her. I trailed along behind her and not to long after, we came upon a cliff. It was covered with a blanket and a basket. I could smell the sweet fruits in it. 

"What's this?" I ask. 

"Your birthday present Peeta. We have all day to ourselves, in the woods. Where no one is around, and we can watch this." She pointed out to the view from the high cliff of the barren mountains and horizon. 

I smiled. "Thank you,” I whisper. I kissed her forehead and we sat down. We nibbled on cheese and bread while talking about the view. I told her I would paint that later, if I had the time and I have the time. Probably. I never really glanced at the mountain side and the trees covered by snow. My eyes were on Katniss. Her smile, her shining eyes as she looked over the mountains. I have never seen her so happy. 

"Katniss, why are you so happy?" I laugh. 

She turns to me, "I'm not sure. Gale always says I only smile in the woods."

I flinch at Gale's name, but let it slide. We keep talking. 

So she only smiled in the woods. 

Maybe Gale is wrong about that.

*

Author’s Note:

*wink wink* maybe gale is wrong about that. Hahahah.

Keep reading guys!

~Jez xo