Finding the Missing Piece: Book 2

Chapter Seventy-Eight

Katniss POV- (The next morning, Christmas Day)

"Peeta, it's Christmas!" I say over-excitedly in his ear.

He groans and turns over, I leap on him, "Wake up." I laugh and start tickling him.

He can't resist laughing out loud, "Okay! I'm up." He says, jumping out of our bed with a huge grin.

I hold out my arms towards him, he picks me up and I wrap my legs around his waist and lay my head on his shoulder and he carries me down the stairs like a kid.

"You can open yours first." I say softly as we walk into the living room, the blinding light of the Christmas tree in our eyes.

Peeta sets me down a few feet away from the tree and sits across from me, I start handing him his Christmas presents one by one.

Some from Finnick and Annie, his brothers, and parents, my mom, Bristol and surprisingly enough, tons from me.

Peeta smiles as I hand him each gift, one by one and telling them who they're from.

He opens each present one by one and says something nice about each one, I can tell he's extremely appreciative. Then, he starts with my presents, I smile widely.

I really hope he likes everything I got him.

Peeta carefully begins unwrapping the first box, "Hurry!" I say impatiently, just ready to see his reaction.

He chuckles and I begin ripping off the wrapping paper and destroying my once neat work.

"Oh, Katniss. Thank you!" Peeta says unveiling the high-tech digital camera I bought him.

He has been wanting a nice camera so that he can capture things in our life and then use it in his art work.

Artist often carry phones or cameras around and when they see something they like, they capture it in a photo and draw it.

"Now you can draw and paint us and our life." I say.

Peeta smiles gratefully, "I can. This is great, thank you so much." He says happily.

"Well, there's more. Open them." I say, gesturing the rest of his neatly wrapped gifts. He pulls out red tissue paper out of a festive bag, and pulls a Mason jar out.

He gives me a confused look, "It's my favorite memories with you, this year only though." I explain.

Peeta smiles, "Can I open it?" He asks.

I chuckle, "Go ahead." I say.

He carefully opens the decorated jar and pulls a slip of paper from the dozens.

"When we had the date night in my dorm, right after Bristol's wedding." He reads aloud and grins.

I blush.

"Katniss, there's hundreds of these." He says, digging through them.

I nod, "I have a lot of favorite memories with you. Almost every day is in there." I tell him.

"How long did it take to make this?" He asks sincerely.

"I started it at the beginning of this year and ended it when you were changing last night." I inform him.

"Wow, I had no idea about it." Peeta chuckles.

"I'm thinking about doing it every year, you'll read them all right?" I ask hopeful.

"Of course. Just like you'll read all my letters when your suppose to, right?" He grins.

I laugh, "Of course. I've read a few since you gave them to me and they make me feel so much better."

Peeta smiles lovingly, "I'm glad."

"Okay, keep going. There's a few other store-bought things but the rest are just things I've made you." I tell him and he nods happily.

He receives a few t-shirts and baking stuff too as well as a few paintings I made while he was at work a few months back and a few other piddly things.

He was very appreciative and excited about everything everyone gifted him, as expected.

That's Peeta for you.

"Your turn!" He says, bombarding me with tons of bags and boxes in brightly covered ribbons and wrapping, wrapped to perfection, better than I could possibly do.

Peeta stares at me just as excited for my gifts than his own. I let out a breathy laugh and open my first gift, from my mom.

It's a necklace and it has a picture of my mom, Prim and I in it.

I smile sadly at it and hold it out for Peeta to examine.

"It's beautiful." He says sympathetically.

I nod and he helps me put it on.

"Perfect." He says.

I smile and begin opening other gifts, one from Finnick and Annie, Bristol, and even Johanna.

They got me clothes and some beautiful jewelry.

Peeta's father and brothers got me a little something too which was nice.

I really love everything I received.

Hopefully everyone liked what I picked out for them.

I make a mental note to call or text them all to say 'Merry Christmas' and thank them for both Peeta and I's gifts.

Peeta smiles ecstatically at me as I begin unraveling his perfect handiwork. I open the first box to find some really beautiful, expensive sweaters.

"These are so cute, Peeta." I smile holding one up to my body and examining myself.

I continue ripping open bags and boxes left and right, receiving tons of great things from Peeta.

I feel bad because I didn't buy him nearly this much stuff and everything he got me was so expensive.

Down to two gifts, a good sized box wrapped in green polka dotted paper with a red bow and a smaller sack.

I go for the smaller sack first, I open it up to find a calendar.

It's a calendar from three years ago, opened to the day we met with a heart around the exact date.

Then I look through it and see it's marked every special first in our relationship.

Our first kiss.

Our first date and so on and so forth.

My breath is immediately taken away, "Peeta..." I soft closing a hand over my mouth.

Peeta chuckles but there's a sense of pride in his eyes, "It goes on until December of that year, so for about four months. The first four or so months of our lives together, from friendship to relationship." Peeta smiles.

I throw myself into his arms the best I can, trying to avoid hurting my broken leg or crushing any gifts near by.

Peeta hugs me tightly and kisses my cheek.