The Beauty Beneath The Beast

Chapter 6: Peeta

"You're running out of time," Finnick reminds me. I look over at the glowing rose and feel my hope drop as another petal falls off.

"I know," I say. "But it's not like I ever saw this happening." I look out the window to see Katniss in the garden, practicing sword fighting. I don't really know why she does it. it's not like there's anything here to fight. But she says she can't just sit around or shoot her bow all day. So she came across a stray sword and takes about an hour a day to get out her restless energy fighting invisible foes. "I didn't think we'd even get to be friends."

"You should give her a special night," he says. "And tell her how you feel."

"That won't work," I say.

"Trust me," he says. "I'm an expert on love." I think it over for a moment and shake my head.

"I'm gonna regret this," I say.

"I promise you won't and I'll have Mrs. Potts organize an extravagant dinner for you two," he says hopping away. "And I'll have the whole castle cleaned and the floors polished and oh I have so much to do." I sigh and look down at my feet. I walk out of my room and outside where Katniss is slashing at her imaginary enemies.

"I think the air is dead," I say. She jumps and turns to me.

"How many times have I told you," she says poking me in the chest. "Stop. Doing. That."

"I can't help it," I say. "My paws make very little noise."

"Were you this soundless as a human?" she asks.

"No, not by a long shot," I say. "I wasn't even allowed on hunts because my feet seemed to be able to find every stick and dry leaf on the ground."

"You would have driven me nuts," she says. "I hate noise when I'm hunting."

"Yeah, I wasn't very well liked either," I say.

"Well I like you anyway," she says. "You're probably my only friend left in this world." She stabs her sword into the ground and throws off her arm guards."Do you have a reason for disrupting my fun?" she asks laughing.

"I wanted to ask you to accompany me at dinner," I say.

"I accompany you to dinner every night," she says. "What's so special about tonight?"

"I want to have a special dinner with you," I say.

"Are you asking me on a date Peeta?" she asks.

"Maybe," I say. "If you don't want to think of it that way though, it won't be like that."

"I'd love to," she says.

"Well that's fine, I'll just tell Finnick there is no use in cleaning the ballroom," I start before I realize she didn't say no. "Wait, what did you say?"

"I said yes Peeta," she says. "I'll have dinner and if I just heard you right, dance with you."

"You mean it?" I ask her.

"If you keep bugging me about it, I'll say no," she says.

"Okay, okay," I say. "Then I'll see you at dinner?"

"Actually, I thought we'd continue reading Romeo & Juliet. We still have a whole act left," she says.

"I guess that would be fine," I say and she picks up her things and goes inside to put her things away and I follow her closely behind.

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Five hours later, I walk down the stairs from my room, dressed in the only suit of mine that isn't tattered. I look to see Katniss coming down her stairs at the same time. She wears a read dress with a jeweled flame design that wraps around her body. But Katniss does not look beautiful, nor pretty. She is an unearthly angel, as radiant as the sun. She smiles at me and I gently take her hand.

"You look beautiful," I say kissing her knuckles.

"You don't think it's to flashy?" she asks, moving the skirt so the multicolored jewels to glitter in the light.

"Not at all," I say. "You should wear flames more often, they suit you."

"Thank you," she says. "You look very nice too."

"Shall we go to dinner?" I ask her, offering my arm. she lays her hand in it and smiles.

"Lead the way," she says. I take her to the dinning room where there is a delightful smell of lamb stew cooking. When Finnick said extravagant, he was not kidding. "Is that lamb stew?" Katniss asks.

"Yeah," I say. "Why? Do you not like it?"

"No," she says. "Its my favorite. I just can't ever afford it."

"Well I'm glad to get to share it with you," I say. We sit down to a nice dinner that while its quiet, its a comfortable quiet.

"This is really nice Peeta," she says. "I like the fact that we can just sit like this and it isn't awkward."

"I like that too," I say. "Do you want desert?"

"Maybe later," I say. "I'd actually like to see that ballroom you were talking about earlier."

"Sure," I say. I gently take her hand and she smiles. I take her to the freshly polished ballroom and she smiles.

"It's gorgeous," she says.

"Would you like to dance?" I ask her.

"I'd love to," she says. She takes my hands and places one on her hip and one on her shoulder. She picks up her skirt and lays her hand on my shoulder. She allows me to lead her in a dance as Mrs. Potts sings softly in the background.

"Tale as old as time
True as it can be
Barely even friends
Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly

Just a little change
Small, to say the least
Both a little scared
Neither one prepared
Beauty and the Beast

Ever just the same
Ever a surprise
Ever as before
Ever just as sure
As the sun will rise

ver just the same
Ever a surprise
Ever as before
Ever just as sure
As the sun will rise

Tale as old as time
Tune as old as song
Bittersweet and strange
Finding you can change
Learning you were wrong

Certain as the sun
Certain as the sun
Rising in the east
Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the beast.

Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the beast.

Beauty and the beast."

"Lets go for a walk," Katniss says as the song ends. "I think I need to talk to you.

"Okay," I say and she takes my hand and lead me out into the garden.