Finding the Missing Piece: An Everlark Story

Chapter Thirty-Six

Katniss POV-

Snow.

I look at Peeta and my eyes grow wide.

His do the same.

"Look it snowed! It snowed last night, Peeta, look!" Prim says excitedly and then hugs him tightly.

Peeta smiles happily, "No wonder it was so cold." He laughs.

"Mom! Can we go play in it? Please, please, please?" Prim begs her.

It's these little moments that make her go from a sassy teenager to a little girl in an instant.

Mom laughs, "Go ahead but I'm not gonna get out in that. You might ask Katniss and Peeta to go with you."

"Peeta, you'll come right?" She asks knowingly.

He nods, "Sure, Prim."

"Will you come too, Kat, please?" She begs me.

"I'll come, Little Duck." I say.

Prim gives Peeta a look and he grins mischievously.

"This better not even be a trick to get me back from the summer." I tell them as Peeta drags me out into the weather.

The snow drifts are nearly higher than Prim's head and I'm not sure how we even got out of the house.

We run through the snow, making pathways and immediately, Prim and I team up against an ally-less Peeta.

Bet he didn't see that one coming.

We take cover behind a tree in the front yard and begin pummeling Peeta with snowballs.

While Prim and I discuss our next move, we don't notice Peeta as he swiftly runs by me but luckily, I have a ready snowball in hand and I throw a snowball right at his butt.

"Hey, watch it!" Peeta laughs as he runs towards me again, missing yet again.

I smirk, "I had to have some way to make your ass not so hot!" I tease him and he shakes his head.

"Katniss, language!" Prim scolds me.

"Yeah, Katniss. Language!" Peeta says, just as Prim nails him in the back of the head.

Peeta shakes it off.

I reach down and form another cold, blistering snowball and I chase Peeta across the yard with it.

He runs away quickly as Prim joins along side me, all of us laughing hysterically.

I can't help but to laugh, just spending time with my two favorite people and seeing them so happy too.

I should've known something was up when Prim just stopped chasing Peeta but that's when Peeta turns himself about and started to run towards me, Prim following him.

"What the heck?" I call, looking back as they trudge through the thick snow, against the wind.

Peeta speeds up dramatically, running by and scooping his arms around me waist and that's when he slips on the snow and falls.

Peeta and I fall chest to chest, I laugh, a little embarrassed and lean my forehead against his chin.

"I'm sorry, that wasn't apart of the plan." He laughs breathily.

I laugh awkwardly and start climbing off of him but his hands wrap around my waist, pulling my body closer to his.

That's when I decide this isn't too bad and I'm gonna use it as the perfect opportunity to warm up so I lean down and attack his lips with my own.

Prim better not utter a word to Mom.

I put my hand on his chest and I can feel his heart race, in sync with my own.

I smile against his lips as the kiss deepens.

Peeta smiles too.

I notice something is off though.

Peeta seems kind of distracted, so I open my eyes to see his eyes open too, watching something from behind me.

That's when Peeta pulls of the edge of my coat and shirt and a freezing cold, wet, snowball hits the small of my back.

I leap up, letting cuss words fly at whoever did it.

Peeta and Prim burst into laughter and high five.

"Peeta!" I scream, trying to get the snow from my pants and shirt.

"Ugh! Are you kidding me?" I groan.

He laughs, "It was Prim too, Katniss." He says trying to help me get the snow off my back.

Prim scoffs her little teen scoff.

"Seriously, Prim?" I say.

I roll my eyes and playfully push Peeta, he nearly falls over but he catches himself.

"I love you!" He bats his eyelashes.

I shake my head, stuffing my hands in my pocket.

"I'm going inside." I say, rubbing my numb, wet back.

Peeta walks over and takes my hand, "I'm sorry but that was the perfect set up, Katniss."

"I'll agree, you got me good but I'm still mad at you."

He looks down at me, giving me puppy dog eyes and a pout.

"I'm fine but your punishment is going to be coming inside to snuggle with me after I get out of these stupid wet clothes. You're soaked too." I say, looking him over.

"It's because we fell." He says, nonchalantly.

"Come on, let's go inside and get all cleaned up. You're helping me get Prim back for being a traitor." I tell him.

Peeta chuckles, "Oh. Come on, Katniss. She's just a little kid. It was my idea to do that anyways." He says, feeling guilty for Prim playing along with his plan.

I shake my head, "She will be fine but you are helping me." I tell him.

Peeta looks down and I give him a scowl to let him know that I'm serious, even though he knows that I won't plan that devious of revenge upon my sister.

"Okay! Let's go inside now, you're shivering." He says.

"I wonder why." I laugh.

Peeta gives me a cheesy grin.

I shake my head at him and we all three start into the house.