How Will This Work Out? (a HG fanfic)

Chapter 10

I could feel my heart into a gazillion pieces. My childhood friend, more like my brother, just left me alone. I remember when we were younger, and how he said he'd never leave me........I guess things have just changed. Collapsing on the floor, I basically started having a heart-attack. I felt a small trickle of a tear fall down my cheek and onto my hands, which were closed on my lap.

Peeta could see my despair, and knelt next to me. "Katniss, I-"

"Go, Peeta. Go away." I whispered, my sadness and anger taking over me. "Leave this house now and don't return till I come for you."

Peeta's eyes filled with confusion and love. "I can't. I can't leave you, Katniss. Without you, I'm just a nobody. I'm just a drawing without you. Without you, I don't think my heart beats the same. Without you-"

"Save it, Peeta. Go away." I repeated emotionlessly, still staring at my lap. I knew that what I was saying was not me; it never will be. What I was saying broke my heart into pieces of the already-broken pieces. 

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I don't think that my heart was the only one that broke into pieces. I was pretty sure I could hear Peeta's heart being shredded like someone ripping paper into confetti. I heard him quietly sniff a tear, and walk away, whispering about how much everything was his fault. Then I came back to my senses.

"Please don't leave, Peeta."

He turned around, bewildered. "But you just said-"

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean it. I'm just.......upset."

"Okay..I'll stay, Katniss. Always." Peeta said soothingly. He came over to me, crouched down beside me, and engulfed me in his arms in a gigantic hug. We hugged for about a few minutes, which was really comforting. I wish we could do this more often, but with my hunting and Peeta's bakery (he now owns one in District 13), there's not really much alone time for the two of us.

"Peeta" I began. "About the engagement thing..."

"Yeah?"

"It's yes. It would be an honor to be your wife till death do us part." I quoted part of the wedding ritual from when I read "The Marriage of Carver Cunningham". It was one of the books in our school library.

Suddenly, the valley song struck my senses. "Deep in the meadow, under the willow, a bed of grass, a soft green pillow. Lay down your head, and close your eyes...."

Peeta just whispered the lyrics with me, and I got the memory of our school days, when the music teacher asked who knew the valley song and my hand shot straight up in the air.

Reaching into his cargo pockets of his shirts, he pulled out the box and took out the ring. Slipping it onto my left ring finger, he kissed my forehead quickly. "I love you, Katniss."

"I love you too, Peeta." And this time...........I meant it.