Katniss and Peeta; Time of Their Lives

CHAPTER 2

Peeta is onstage while I wait in the back room. Caesar and him are having small talk about the crowd's reaction to him walking up to the stage. He cracks a couple of jokes and the crowd laughs. Then, Caesar gets to the topic everyone is wondering about.

"So Peeta, how are you and Katniss? I heard that you lost the baby."

"Well, actually, there never was a baby. We never were married. Katniss and I had an act so we would get sponsors, but I really did love her when i admitted it. Katniss played along and soon we had to lie to the extremes to stay alive. Katniss was never pregnant, Panem and nor were we married." Peeta admits.

Everyone gasps and Caesar looks like we might cry. I hear my prep team crying in the background because they didn't know it was fake, either. Only Peeta, Haymitch and I knew that. I squeeze my hands together as the memories flood back.

"I do love Katniss and I always will even if she loves me back or not. It will always be that way. Hopefully, one day, she will love me back. She's just so beautiful and amazing. Her personality is like none other. She under estimates herself all the time, but she shouldn't. Every time I'm near her, my heart skips many beats. I don't know what I would do without this girl." Peeta adds truthfully.

Then I start to cry and Effie comes running over with a tissue so I don't mess up my make-up. The crowd is also crying and awe-ing. Peeta doesn't know how amazing he is with words and he never will. I will have to find out later if he really means all of that. Caesar then finally speaks up.

"Now we should bring Katniss in, shouldn't we?"

That was my cue to walk out. The door opens and I still have tears in my eyes. People gasp at my appearance and stare at my illuminated face because of the spotlights and sparkles on my lips and eyes. I let a silent tear slip and hope nobody notices. I don't want to be caught looking like an idiot on television. I walk gracefully up the steps to the stage and force Peeta up so I can hug him. We hug for a bit and everyone goes silent or moans "awweeee!". Finally, he breaks apart and ushers me to sit don't next to him. I sit, flattening my dress beforehand. Caesar looks a bit teary-eyed also. To add to the emotion of everything, I give Peeta a kiss on his jaw, since his head is turned. He turns around after feeling my touch, and kisses my nose. The crowd goes crazy at our simple gestures. It takes at least a couple of minutes to rein them in. Keeping in mind to sneak in kisses, we begin our actual interview session.

"How are you, Katniss?" Caesar asks.

"I'm great!" I say.

"Is it true? All of what Peeta said about staging the marriage and pregnancy?"

"Yes. It's all true."

"Well that's a shame, you guys seem like you would be great parents".

Peeta gives me a slight hug and I look down and feel my cheeks turn red.

"I suppose you're right. Maybe someday." I finally say.

Peeta puts my head to his shoulder and caresses my arm. The crowd goes wild at our gestures and my response.

"Do you plan on having children?" Caesar asks.

"No, I mean, I wasn't but everyone is pressuring me to. Everyone always makes fun of us and i honestly don't know how to feel." I say truthfully.

"By everyone, what do you mean?"

"My prep team always teases Peeta and I about having kids and such. Effie is always giving us 'advice' about romance, and our stylists just laugh along. So in a way, everyone who is important to me, except Peeta and my mother, but it's a mothers' job not to encourage that stuff."

Caesar and the crowd laughs while they take in our awkward situation. Peeta looks at me with a giant grin and I crack a smile also. I sit my head up and he grabs my hand. I begin to laugh playfully at the situation. Soon, everyone is laughing. Peeta's face shows pure happiness as he sits here with me, laughing. Finally, the crowd's giggles silent and Caesar turns back to us again.

"Peeta, do you want kids?"

"Woah, now hold on! We aren't even married! I want kids, but we don't even know what's to come of our future. All I know is that I NEED Katniss in it." Peeta says.

The crowd awwwhhhs and my face brightens up.

"I can't imagine a future without you, Peeta." I say, adding to the effect.

The crowd starts screaming at us to kiss and I look at all those faces in the crowd. I look at all the capitol people, happy about my relationship with Peeta.

"KISS, KISS, KISS, KISS, KISS, KISS, KISS, KISS, KISS!" the crowd roars.

Peeta and I look at each other and slowly move in for a kiss. I can feel him trying to keep all of his laugh in, and I try as well. We kiss and the crowd jumps out of their seats; either crying or chanting our names. Pretty soon, it is time to leave. Caesar has one more question for us though.

"Katniss and Peeta, how far do you want this relationship to go?"

Peeta responds coolly, "the moon and beyond".

I kiss his cheek and nod, confirming his answer is also mine. The crowd awwwhs again and we nod our goodbyes.

"Next time we see Katniss and Peeta will be next month! On the 2nd day, I will be interviewing them again. Viewing isn't mandatory but highly suggested! See the star-crossed lovers in" Caesar counts on his fingers, "19 days!"

We wave our goodbye and step off stage.

"Again I ask, how are you two not married yet? You two are both hopeless romantics! You BELONG together! How is Katniss not pregnant? More self control than I thought of you guys!" Octavia rants backstage.

"Okay Octavia, probably someday but for now, we are happy just knowing we are together and will always be in each other's hearts." Peeta says.

He has such a way of words. As we walk back to the hovercraft, I entwine my fingers in Peeta's and we stride the same step. Nobody will ever have a space in my heart as big as Peeta's space. Never. Peeta is right; if I like it or not; he will always have his spot in my heart. As of right now; I'm liking it.