Fragile

Chapter Six: Telling Her

I love you.

Three words.

Eight letters.

All of which Peeta could not say. Whenever he'd get around Katniss, the words wouldn't come out right and/or she wouldn't give him a chance to say anything. Katniss had started to lock her door at night, shutting Peeta out.

She barely gave him anything more than a sideways glance whenever they were in the same room together. Her appearance had become even more fragile than before and regardless, he could tell she wanted to do much more than just give him the sideways glances. Maybe she wanted to scream at him. Maybe she wanted to cry. Maybe she already had been crying. He didn't know, but he certainly wanted to find out.

Peeta was sitting in his room on his laptop when he heard the front door open and close. It couldn't have been Gale because he didn't get off of work until nearly nine o'clock that night. Madge was known to just let herself in with the spare key, or sometimes without it, just opening the door and waltzing in as if that was her apartment too, so maybe it was her. To be sure, Peeta closed his laptop and got up.

He walked into the hallway and as he made his way into the living room, he bumped into a small figure. She stumbled back. It was Katniss. She looked up at him, her eyes full of resentment. As much as Peeta seemed like one of the toughest guys there were, her look stung him a little bit. He was so used to seeing this fragile, note softer side to her. He never saw that look from her.

"Excuse you," she said, pushing past him. He grabbed her arm.

"Where've you been?"

She winced a bit, her face contorting into a grimace before she quickly pulled her arm away and scurried off to her room without a word. Peeta didn't grab her all that hard. Or at least he didn't try to.

She closed the door as Peeta tried to figure out what he possibly did to hurt her. He didn't try to at all. After an hour, Katniss came back out of her room. She went into the bathroom and he heard her ramble through the cabinets in there. Apparently, she didn't find what she was looking for, Peeta thought.

She didn't acknowledge him as he watched tv. She went into the kitchen and looked through the cabinets. She still came up empty, but she refused to ask Peeta for help. He took it upon himself to help and ask her what she was looking for. When he stepped in the kitchen, she looked at him. "What do you want?" She snapped.

Peeta puts his hands up in defense. "I just want to help you get whatever you're looking for. Now what is it exactly that you are looking for?"

She bit her bottom lip before murmuring, "Bandages."

"We don't have any. Gale was going to get some on his way from work today. Why do you need some?" He asked her curiously. She didn't say anything. She just attempted to scurry away back to her room. Before she could get away from him though, he grabs her hand and pulled her back. "Katniss, look at me."

Slowly, she looked up at him. "Why do you need bandages?" He asked her again.

"I-I just do," she said. Peeta wasn't buying it. He searched her face before a possibility popped up in his head. He quickly rolled up her sleeve. He remembered her telling him about her old habit, and there before him, fresh cuts were on her forearm, nearly perfectly aligned with her scars.

"K-Katniss..."

She didn't say anything. All she did was cry. That's all she could do. Peeta carefully wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. She cried into his chest. He rubbed her back comfortingly, but all of the sudden, she jerked away from him, giving him a cold glare, the tears still coursing down her cheeks.

"You don't care," she spat. A wave of confusion washed over Peeta.

What the heck is she talking about? "What?"

"You don't care. You don't love me."

Peeta went silent. All because he didn't tell her he loved her. "Katniss--"

"Go ahead and tell me, Peeta. You don't love me. You just wanted to stay long enough to get in my pants. That's it--"

"Katniss--"

"You. Don't. Love. Me," she cried. Peeta sighed and threaded his fingers through his hair.

Get it together, Peeta. Tell her. "Katniss--"

"Tell me you don't," she cried. Peeta couldn't get it together as much as he tried. She gave him one last look before turning on her heels to leave. Peeta got it together then. He grabbed her by her hand and pulled her back hardly, but not enough to hurt her, just to pull her to him. He then pressed his lips to hers. She kissed him back surprisingly after a moment.

When they pulled away from each other, Peeta wiped the tears from her eyes. "I love you," he finally said. The smallest smile appeared on her face. "I love you too, Peeta."

They spent the rest of their day cuddled up together on the couch, eventually falling asleep together.