Catching Fire: The New Story

Chapter 46

Peeta's POV

Katniss sleeps peacefully in my arms, when she got so clingy I don't know. I smile, though. She's excited. She's excited for our baby! She sniffs and moved around a bit, probably getting comfortable. I pull up the blanket covering both of us, up to her chin.

I ran my hand over her flat stomach again. She shivered and turned from my arms; leaving them empty from her warmth I had a few seconds ago. I decided to get up, leave her be. She looked peaceful when she slept, that is when she actually slept. I opened the window a crack and felt a cool breeze fly in. I watched Katniss breathe in and out for a few minutes. Her chest growing big to flat as she exhaled.

The girl I loved, the girl I never thought would be mine. Too good for me. Too perfect. Too kind. My thoughts of ever being with her were taunted by my family every day. I was always pushed upon the idea of Katniss hating me. That she didn't want a thing to do with a baker’s son. One who made little money and had a morsel every day. One who got beat for doing everything right, who got teased because he was the youngest of the three Mellark brothers.

My mother told me all those horrible things, trying to sweep my mind of Katniss by telling me lies to get over her. Like I could. I learned to hide myself from them, all the words my family threw at me. My father would listen and help me, teaching me about girls or the things I asked, but my mother, and brothers, just straight out embarrassed me. When I told them I was in love with Katniss for the first time, my father smiled, my brothers laughed, telling me that she would never, ever, love a boy like me. A baker, they said, taunting me, a stupid, pathetic, little, blond haired baker boy. Who would love a baker, especially one like you? My mother waited until everyone was quiet of their words, then she smacked me across the face, laughing.

"You stupid little boy! Nobody would love you! Who gave you that idiotic idea?! You can't do anything right! She wouldn't even spit on you, you worthless piece of shit!"

She then slapped my other cheek with her wooden spoon, instead of the back of her hand.

"I'm not worthless!" I screamed, standing for myself, like I did a few times. "And she wouldn't, because she's too nice! Unlike you!" My brothers were terrified of my mother’s reaction to me yelling towards her. My father had a sorrowful look on his face. I was wondering what was going through their minds.

"You do not talk back to me, young man!" My mother screamed.

The impact of whatever she hit me with knocked me out cold. I felt my head hit the tile floor painfully, then I saw black. I remember waking in my father’s lap, curled in a blanket with a major headache. It was the first time I saw him cry. It was too late for anyone to be up, too late for any costumers to come to the counter, but he was awake. "Are you okay?" my father asked. I nodded. Though my head throbbed with that little movement, I was fine.

He nodded, accepting my action, and cried a bit harder. I never knew my father cried, or had ever cried before. Possibly when my brothers and I were born, yet I've never seen him cry besides that moment.

I remember that day. I was seven, I think. I was very small for my age, one reason why I got tormented by my brothers who were twice my size. I always have. Yet I tower over Katniss and Prim now. The whole Everdeen family was under me, by height.

I now realized my hands in my hair, gripping for dear life. I was sat on the floor, curled up and rocking back and forth. I jumped and hit my head on the cabinet by the bed when I saw and felt Katniss beside me, pushing hair back from my face. "Katniss, I'm sorry-" I pulled my hand to reach for her. She pulled back but then reached for me. She whipped tears fallen from my eyes and down my reddened cheeks I never noticed.

"It's all right Peeta,” she smiled. "You can cry." Her whispered voice soothed me and made me believe Katniss wouldn't say anything about me crying. Although, I cry often.

I let a few tears slip and Katniss caught them with her cold, slim fingers. After a few minutes, I burst. She hugged me and my head laid on her chest. Her heartbeat was at a steady pace that I longed for it to stay that way. She asked desperately what was wrong. I told her my flashback of telling my family. She laughed at first, thinking it was cute, but then remorse came over her. She grabbed a thin blanket, wrapping my cold figure in it.

"Shhh, it's okay Peeta. I promise, she won't lay a hand on you, ever again,” she promised, brushing my hair that laid over her neck. She sat on my lap but, she was protecting me. I'm glad she was with me. I would have went crazy without her.

Once I've cried as much as I could, let all my tears out, Katniss helps lay me down. She hovers over me about a foot on the bed and brushes my hair lightly, which make me shiver inside. I smile and her warm one fills the room. I could see how tired she was, but I knew she wasn't sleeping until my eyes were closed first.

She rubbed my arm and brushed my hair until my eyes finally grew heavy. Her lips searched for mine, purposely. It made me smile. I yawned and heard Katniss do the same. I moved for her to lay and be comfortable. She gratefully took the offer and laid higher than me. My head was brought onto her chest once more and my heart fluttered at every beat of the one heart of Katniss Everdeen.

My eyes grew so heavy, I was slipping from reality. I held Katniss's hand tightly until I couldn't feel the feeling in my body, and I was asleep.



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Author’s Note:

So cute

Keep reading guys!

~Jez xo