The Hunger Games: Extended Epilogue

Chapter 9: Gestures

The sun is beginning to set and the fire is the only light illuminating the living room.
I have not moved in a few hours probably, but I don't care. Even if I wanted to, my body probably wouldn't have allowed it. I still am numb inside from the thought of being ripped out of the woods before I had a chance to begin to heal.
Peeta, over the course of the day, has checked in on me, though never said a word. When we first got home, he left me alone and, to my knowledge, was gone for a little while. Where I was completely by myself and gave me time to cry. Cry about everything that I had been holding on to for so long.
He returned, obviously, and he sat next to me for a few minutes. I wanted so badly to tell him to leave, that he doesn't control me, that he doesn't know what I need...but I didn't.
I don't know if it was, in that moment, the lack of physical or emotional ability or possibly my conscious not allowing the words out, but I said nothing.
His stay was only short, however, and with in a few minutes he left.
Figured, I thought. He probably was only there out of self pity and when he got too hot from the fire, he found no need to stay.
Despite my anger, and despite the fact that I said nor wanted to say anything to him, I wanted Peeta back and sit next to me again.
And surely, he came back. This time with two mugs of hot chocolate that he must have purchased on his trip to the town earlier.
One mug orange, his favorite color, and the other green, which was mine. And it served as a small, silent gesture that reminded me he was there.
Still, I didn't say a word. Nor drank the hot chocolate although I was quietly starving.
He sat there for a long time but then left again, which made me angry and I didn't know why.
While sitting there, I thought about a lot of things, but finally came to the conclusion that I will return to the woods again tomorrow, this time alone.
The fire burned so long that it began to go out, just like the embers. So, for the first time since I sat, I moved to lay down.
I was cold, but didn't restart the fire. I only laid there and soon fell asleep.
When I woke up, I was in Peeta's bed, tucked it, warm, and his arms around me.
I didn't want to ever move them off.