Real - An Everlark Fanfiction

- Chapter Nine -

What is happening? I hate this. I can't see anything. All I can hear are footsteps, and I feel so vulnerable. This is how it feels when the games begin, during the bloodbath. Like everyone is out to get you. Like you are not safe no matter what you attempt to do. I know the inside of Peeta's bakery isn't a threat, but I am still worried. Was this planned? Or is something going wrong?

Suddenly the footsteps stop and all I can hear is my breath. In and out. Is everyone gone? I consider feeling my way over to a light switch, but before I can start moving, a light slowly turns on, and I turn around.

It's Peeta. He looks so handsome in the dim light. He's on one knee. He has a small box in his hand. And I can't believe it.

"Katniss Everdeen," he says. "You are everything to me. You are my rock. You are my light. You are my girl on fire," he laughs and he starts to tear up. "I saved your life once, and you saved mine a few times. We saved each other," he quotes what I said during the Caesar Flickerman show after the games. And I'm having a harder time holding back my tears now than I did at the reaping.

"I never want to leave your side. And I hope I'll never have to. The mere thought of losing you is too much for me to handle," he says, and now he's crying too. "The nightmares try to convince me that I have no one to love. That there is no one that I'll ever be truly happy with. Once I wake up and see you in my arms, I know that the dreams are complete lies. And Katniss," he chokes up. "I will always stay with you."

I am practically sobbing now. But I'm not sad. There's no way that I'm sad. I know everyone is watching me, but I don't care. All I care about is Peeta and looking into his teary blue eyes. This is the happiest that I've felt in years. And it's an incredible feeling.

"I know that you haven't known me that long," he continues. "But I've known you your whole life. And you've lead a pretty extraordinary life." He says. "And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you," and he can barely speak anymore. "So please, please marry me, Katniss."

He opens up the box and I can't believe my eyes. It's a ring, of course, and it's the most beautiful object I've ever seen. It's gold. The same exact shade as my mockingjay pin. Small bronze cutouts line the ring creating an intricate design. What really takes my breath away is what delicately sits on top of the gold base. The pearl. The one Peeta gave to me in the arena. That I couldn't find in my drawer- was shimmering inside the red padded box. Peeta got my pearl made into a ring! And whoever did the job did a beautiful one.

I'm not surprised that he didn't get me a diamond ring. Like I said before, diamonds mean nothing to me. They're overrated. Everyone dreams about gorgeous gems and sparkling jewels, but I'm not like everyone else. If there is one thing I learned from being the mockingjay, it's that if you put enough pressure on coal, it will turn to diamonds.

He puts the ring on my finger and I remember that Peeta is still waiting on my answer. As if he doesn't know what I'm going to say. I absentmindedly blurt out, "okay." I say this a couple of times to make sure he hears me. Of course he can.

He stands up and kisses me, taking my hands and swaying them. Like he does every time I'm afraid. It always calms me down. Unfortunately, our arms sway a little too much and we fall to the floor. We laugh. It's just like after the games. When Peeta was still learning how to use his new leg. And we fell and kissed in the snow. This time around, though, Peeta Mellark isn't mad at me. This time around, the boy with the bread loves me. And I love him.

"Yes, Peeta. I'll marry you," I say again to clarify. Just in case he didn't realize yet. He smiles at the amount of times I say yes. He loves it. He loves me.

We kiss once more, and I feel the hunger again. The hunger I felt in the cave. The hunger I felt on the beach. And I never want it to stop.