Rose on Fire

Chapter 9

(Peeta POV)

I feel bad for Gale, if I wasn't picked at the 74 Hunger Games reaping Katniss would have probably won, and had a happy normal life in 12 with Gale in Victor's Village. If I didn't really like Katniss now I would probably hate her and be in the Capitol living a couple apartments away from Haymich. Snow might not have hijacked me. All the suffering I went through was worth it though I'll love her forever, and nothing can change that, or at least only temporarily. It was 8:00 when Haymich's  phone rang telling us the hovercraft was here to take us back home from Emily's birthday party.

Katniss had about a half a bottle of wine, and was leaning on my arm fighting off sleep. Haymich who had been sober for 2 straight years now (due to his daughter, and wanting to be a good parent) had brought out some old bottles for the special occasion was only slightly drink, Effie easily controlling him from doing anything stupid. I carefully picked up Katniss, she immediately buried her head in my chest. She started drifting off as we took off in the hovercraft.

She looks so peaceful as she sleeps, her head in my lap, for once her face looks like it's never seen war, so innocent. I love her so much she moves her left hand under her head, using it as a pillow. As she moves her hand I see her empty her empty ring finger. I think to myself how much I love her and how much I want that ring finger to have a wedding ring on it. Weddings have changed in 12  instead of just signing papers getting a new house, and having wine and bread as a celebration we do this confusing thing the Capitol does.

I think about when I should propose. Maybe in a week or 2, but how should I propose, and where? I wonder how she'll react, I wonder if she'll even say yes. After another 4 hours I carry Katniss to bed, that's when it hits me the tracker jacker venom, they could never really filter it out of my blood so I usually get quick flashes of fake memories, like Katniss attacking me. But this one was different. I quickly lay Katniss down in the bed and blindly run out of the room, the memories almost fully blinding my vision.

I hear crashing around me, I probably broke a table or something, I can feel warm blood dripping down my face, left leg, and the left of my torso above, just above the waist. A large piece of wood keeps me from moving, I just lay back my head, feeling the pain from my injuries, not even being able to examine them. The blood isn't stopping though the injury to my torso must be bad, the memory faded away, as I lay there unable to speak through the pain. I lay waiting for Katniss' help, or death.