Together

Chapter 10

Peeta'S P.O.V.

I go upstairs to see Willow running towards me with wide eyes. She has a guilty look on her face, and there's something all over her, but it's mostly on her hands.

"What did you do?" I ask her as I pick her up. I look at her hands and my mouth falls open. "Uh-oh," I say as I realize that I'm in trouble too.

"Peeta Mellark!" Katniss yells. I flinch a little.

"Yep, I knew that was coming," I say. I sigh and sit Willow down in her bedroom. "I'll be right back, okay?" I tell her before I walk to where Katniss's voice came from. My art room.

I peep my head in the doorway to see Katniss standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips. "You need something?" I ask her sweetly.

"Yes," Katniss says, obviously annoyed. "I need you to tell me how this happened." She motions her arms around the room. The floor and the walls have paint splattered all over them.

"Um, it looks like Willow got in here, got into my paint, and made a mess," I say.

"Yeah, I believe that's what happened," Katniss says.

"Then why am I in trouble?" I ask, even though I already know the answer.

"Because she wouldn't have got in here and made a mess if you hadn't left the door open!" Katniss says as she jabs her finger into my chest.

"I thought for sure I closed that door," I say teasingly.

"Quit messing with me, Peeta," Katniss says as she crosses her arms and glares at me.

I smile at her. "You know something?" I ask her, trying to lighten the mood. "You sure are cute when you're mad." I can tell she's having a hard time keeping a straight face, so I do something that I know will get her to crack. I mock her expression and she bursts out laughing.

"Peeta, stop it!" she says, trying to get serious again.

"Stop what?" I ask.

"Making me laugh."

"I didn't make you do anything," I say innocently.

Katniss scoffs and rolls her eyes. "You're ridiculous." I lean in to kiss her, but she pushes me away. "No," Katniss says. "Not until you get this mess cleaned up."

"Fine," I laugh. "Willow!" I holler.

"No, Peeta," Katniss says. "Please don't get after her."

"I'm not," I say truthfully. "I'm just going to let her know that she messed up."

"Peeta…"

"Listen, Kat," I tell her. "I'm pretty sure that Willow's old enough to know a lot of what we're telling her. I'm not going to spank her or scold her. I'm just going to let her know that she did something wrong."

"Even though it was your fault," Katniss mumbles.

I sigh. "Okay. Yes, I left the door open. But Willow is the one who painted on the walls. You got after me for leaving the door open, now Willow needs to know what she did and that she shouldn't do it again."

Katniss just stares at me and I go out into the hallway. "Willow," I say. She comes out of her bedroom and looks at me. "Come here." She runs over to me and I pick her up. I walk back over to Katniss and I sit Willow down in the middle of the room.

I kneel down in front of Willow, but she starts bawling before I can say anything. I wrap my arms around her and pick her back up.

"Shh. You're okay," I say softly. "You're not in trouble."