Since the Beginning

Homecoming.

Chapter 10

~Peeta POV~

"Shh!" Kat hisses, shutting the door silently behind her and we drop down into the pile of blankets and pillows we brought down last night. She sits behind me and wraps her arms around me from behind, face buried in my shoulder. "Stay quiet, Peeta. Maybe she won't find us." She whispers. I nod silently, hearing Mrs. Everdeen pass by the closet.

"Katniss, Peeta! We need to bring Peeta home, his family misses him!" Her steps fade away and Kat clutches me tighter.

"I don't want you to go. You'll be to far away to go to in the middle of the night." I turn and see the tears in her eyes. I smile and wrap my arms around her.

"You can come over in the middle of the night." I whisper, smiling. "Just don't let momma or daddy hear you. I sleep with the windows open, so you can climb right in." She smiles at me and latches onto my neck, when suddenly the door's thrown open.

"Aha! I knew I heard voices!" We stare in horror at Mrs. Everdeen.

"NOO!" We scream, clinging harder to each other. She chuckles and comes, plucking us up in each arm.

"Yess, you two'll be fine, you live right down the street from one another." She says, carrying us to the door. My bags are already there, ready to send me off back home. She sets us down but holds our hands tight and we each take a bag. "I'm taking Peeta back home, I'll be back in a few!" She calls over her shoulder. Mr. Everdeen comes around the corner with Prim in his arm. He smiles at us and walks over

"Aw, you're leaving buddy, aren't you?" He says sadly, messing up my hair with his big hand. I smile and nod.

"I guess I am, Miss Everdeen seems to think so." I say to him, earning a hearty chuckle from him.

"Daddyyy, tell momma that we can keep him forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ev-"

"Katniss baby," he chuckles, picking her up. "Peeta has a family who wants him home too, his daddy and brothers are home now, and they miss him!"

"But I'll miss him more!" She argues. I can't help but grin widely. This tingly feeling goes off in the pit of my stomach at her words, making me blush.

"Aw, but you've had him all week here with us, his family wants him back."

Most of my family at least.

"But-"

"You'll still see him at school!" She scowls at the ground. Mr. Everdeen chuckles and kisses her cheek, setting her back down next to me. "You two'll be okay, Katniss. I promise." She looks at me.

"Promise?" I smile.

"Promise promise." It's her turn to smile as she takes my hand, picking up my book bag.

"Well come on guys, it's starting to get dark." Mrs. Everdeen says.

"WAIIIT," Mr. Everdeen says. She turns to him. "Kiss for me," she smiles and kisses him. "And kiss for Prim." He holds out the squirmy baby and Mrs. Everdeen laughs, kissing her forehead. "You're free to go."

"Thanks for the permission." She chuckles. We open the door and head out hand in hand into the setting sun.

"You look a wholeee lot like your daddy, Kat." I say. She and Mrs. Everdeen laugh.

"She does. All she has of mine is my nose and height, so,"

"Hey!" Kat says, offended. "I'm tall!" Mrs. Everdeen laughs.

"You're right, honey, you're very tall." I bite my lip in order not to giggle. Because Katniss Everdeen is not a tall girl.

I find myself staring at the sky as the sun settles slowly behind the District 12 woodland mountains. The color draws me into it's beauty, the orange is not to orange, it's softer than that.