Help Me Make it Through the Night (Everlark Fanfic)

Chapter 32: Back To Me Again

Peeta's POV

I roll over trying to get away from the sunlight that streams through the bedroom window. I get up and hear Katniss groan beside and I can't help but chuckle at the sight of her. She's sprawled out on her stomach with her wavy hair tangled and stuck to her sweaty face, a strand stuck in her mouth. Quite the sight for the former face of the rebellion, with drool running out of her mouth as she lets out soft snores.

I try to shake her awake but she just moans and throws a pillow at me.

"Leave me alone Peeta!" she mumbles covering her face with her pillow.

"You have to get up. Your going to the bakery with me this week, remember?" I say.

"Yeah I know, but why do you have to open so early?" she groans.

"I don't. But when I do, some of the baked goods need to be hot and ready," I say taking the pillow off her face," so get dressed and I'll go make breakfast so we can get our early start."

"I'm not gonna survive this week," I say. She just groans and gets up, heading to the bathroom, almost bumping into the doorway on her way in.

I quickly make her scrambled eggs and some toast. She walks down the stairs still half asleep and sits in front of the plate I set on the kitchen island.

"Eat up.I wanna leave in 15 minutes," I tell her and she just looks at me,"We have a lot to do before we open the bakery." She says nothing but just eats quietly. She finishes quickly and goes to get her shoes while I wash her plate.

I look over at her as she ties her shoes, the scars on her arms and legs from the burns and skin grafts visible but fading and then I notice her T-shirt had ridden up a bit, showing the edge of her bandage. A tear runs down my cheek when I think about how she had done it. Why she thought she needed to hurt herself because she caused me pain. It explains the things that had happened over this past week, how she had tried to avoid touching me, how she hid in our room like I hid in my art room. I just wished I could have stopped this.

"Peeta? Are you okay?" she asks then she follows my eyes, " it's over Peeta, I promise I've stopped," she carefully pulls part of the bandage off to show that it's clean," See, I haven't opened it again. I'm not gonna do it again. I see what it's done to you, and I never want to hurt you again." She gets up and hugs me and then looks at the clock. "Peeta, its time to go. You said you wanted to be there by now." I look and see she's right.

"Yeah, I guess I did. C'mon lets go," I say taking her hand and walking out of the house with her. We walk through the waking village, the birds chattering in the trees, and the spring breeze warming the air around us.

"Looks like the beginning of a good day." I say trying to ease the tension that has fallen on us since yesterday, since I saw her leg bleeding last night and saw the truth rear its ugly head.

"Yeah, this would have been one the old Katniss' favorite kinds of days," she says.

"Old Katniss?" I ask her.

"The one that got up at the crack of dawn everyday to catch breakfast, the one who swore she would never fall in love, never get married. Hell! She would have fought as hard to get up this morning. In fact she would have gotten up an hour earlier to drag you out of bed," she says and I laugh.

"What happend?" I ask her.

"I fell in love, and he spoils me," she says.

"Well maybe you'll start getting up earlier if I stop spoiling you, making you breakfast, bringing home fresh baked goods, letting you shower first.." I trail off as she shoves me playfully.