The Hunger Games: Extended Epilogue

Chapter 15: Beautiful

Peeta and I sit in front of the fire and play an old game he used to play when he was a child. It's an easy game of cards, so simple that trying to understand the first time was doable. And I was appreciative he suggested it because it got my mind off the letter that still sits in my pocket and is waiting to be read.
I never told Peeta, and I found no need to. Before she left, Hazelle told me read it alone and that is what I am going to do. I fully trust Peeta, but he doesn't need to know about Gale. However, mainly I was worried that if I did show him, those old distorted memories would claw back in. And the consequence might be too much to handle.
I gave up on trying to sneak away and read the letter. The time never came and I didn't want to get caught, the risk was too big. So I waited.
But now, slowly getting bored of the game Peeta and I have been playing for a few hours, those questions replay again in my head, and the need to read the letter grows with every minute.
The sun was setting, and I impatiently watched as it snuck behind the trees far into the distance. The sky blew up into various shades of pink, purple, red, yellow, and orange.
I guess I was mindlessly starting out the window because Peeta has to repeat my name a few times.
"Katniss!" He laughs. "What are you looking at?" and turns around and too understands. "Wow." He whispers. "Come on!" As he stands and grabs my hand and lifts me up to follow.
He runs out the backdoor and I trail, still holding his strong hand that pulls me with ease. And yanking me forward in front of him when he stops in the middle of the backyard, and wraps his arms around me. And we stand there watching the sky turn colors as the sun falls.
"Beautiful isn't it?" He says and I laugh because his breath tickles and nod, and I can feel his smile form because his lips are pressed against my
neck.
The sun is in the last stages of setting and the night sky begins to take over, but we don't move.
"You know, Katniss" he continues. "I have seen a lot of beautiful things in my lifetime." He pauses and squeezes me tighter. "The way children smiles when I bring them treats," and kisses my neck. "The way rue followed you around in the training center," and kisses my neck again. "The way Hazelle brightened up today when she saw you for the first time in months," and kisses my neck one last time, but lingers there for a little while, making me slowly go weak at the knees. And I turn towards him, looking into his eyes.
"But Katniss, I have never seen anything or anyone more beautiful than you."
I have no words, he is simply too perfect. The only thing that my lips can form is the absolute truth,
"I love you," is what I answer with.
Our lips crash and he kisses me slowly and passionately. Then, he lifts me up and my legs straddle his back. He is so strong, but yet so gentle.
My right hand strokes his hair while my other wraps around his neck and his move to slowly unzip my jacket, exposing my body to the cold air, and slips it off. My fingers find the bottom of his shirt and slowly lift it above his head, on then on the grass floor on top of my jacket.
Our lips never separate, only to gasp for air and when moves to my neck, which makes me laugh because it tickles but also makes my body limp and need more.
It is completely dark now, and the only light comes from the inside that radiates a yellow glow. And, still straddling my legs around his body, he begins to walk inside, though I barely notice because I'm too preoccupied with his lips. And before I know it, he lays me on my back in front of the warm fire which warms our exposed skin from the frigid night air from outside.
The hunger consumes me, the same feeling that night when I stated our love was real. The outcome was inevitable, every loving emotion I had towards Peeta would expel itself that night. And it did.