Help Me Make it Through the Night (Everlark Fanfic)

Chapter 31: Mending

Katniss' POV

Just as Gale walks away Peeta walks up the path. I jump off the porch and meet him half way up the walk. I hug him and he holds me close like he thinks I might disappear. And I let him.

Gale leaving for 2 seems to lift the weight of the world off my shoulders. He's gone and Peeta and I can finally live our lives. I don't have to hide away so I don't see the one person who was my only comfort now someone I almost dread, our eyes always asking what could have been.

I suddenly find feet off the ground, Peeta lifting me off my feet.

"Peeta! Put me down! You could hurt yourself!" I say trying to sound serious but a chuckling sound invading my words.

"Katniss, your light as a feather. If I can carry the sacks of flour at the bakery over my shoulder," he's says with a slight playfulness in his voice,"I can carry you." and with that he throws me up on his shoulder and carries me into the house. I try to fight the giggles that escape but it feels great to laugh again.

"Hey you two, some people like to take afternoon naps. I don't need mine interrupted because you two make a racket in your front yard," Haymitch yells from his front porch.

"Shut up you old drunk!" I yell back at him as Peeta carries me through the front door and I swing it shut.

When we get inside, Peeta throws me onto the couch and I almost tumble off it.

"What was that for?" I ask him.

"Do I need a reason to carry you around?" he asks playfully.

"No, but why did you throw me on the couch?" I ask him.

"Didn't see a softer way to get you off my shoulder," he says simply walking away," What do you want for dinner. I brought cheese buns from the bakery
and I think we have some squirrel somewhere around here. That sound okay?"

"That's fine Peeta," I say going over to him,"You seem to be happier then you've been in days. Did something happen at the bakery?" He looks at me with a strangest look on his face. Like confusion.

"Yeah. Gale visited me," He says.

"He visited me too," I tell him.

"I saw him on my way out. What did he say to you? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine, but what did he say to you? It had to be something to make you feel better," I say crossing my arms across my chest.

"Tell me first."

"No you."

"No, you."

"No, you."

"God you're stubborn!" He says.

"That's why you love me. Does that mean I win?" I ask.

"He told me why he abandoned you okay. He just told me about how bad you got seeing me in those stupid Capital interviews and then how you watched me in my cell, how all you wanted was to hold me and I thought you were some monster. And he admitted it was his bombs that killed Prim, and that he knew what would happen before it did. I'm so sorry Katniss. I'm so sorry I doubted you," he says hugging me close. He buries his face in my hair and I feel his tears run down my neck and my own falling on his shirt. He killed Prim? I knew in my heart that it was true, but I never imagined he knew she would be in the crossfire when those bombs were dropped.

"He told me about the nightlock, Peeta. He told me that you saved me while he just stood there. Why have you never told me about that?" I ask him pulling away.

"Probably the same reason that he didn't tell you about Prim. Because as much as you hide it, your as fragile as a glass Mockingjay. Prim's death already cracked you. The details would shatter you. You need to heal a little before you knew. I didn't want to hurt you. You could handle it when I first came back and I never wanted to destroy your image of him," he says.