Under The Stars

Chapter 5

Peeta

I wake up with a huge headache and when I try to get up, a gentle hand pushes me back down. I blink open my eyes and am met with a gentle face and dark grey eyes framed by dark hair.

"Don't get up," Katniss whispers. "I want make sure you aren't bleeding anymore."

"What happened?" I ask as I feel her start to unwrap my head.

"You don't remember?" she asks.

"Not really," I say.

"You decided that my life was worth more than your own and went after the medicine for my blood poisoning," she says. As I look at her, I notice the pale look has left her cheeks and that her eyes even seem a little brighter.

"I think it was worth it," I say as I reach out to touch her cheek, finding that her fever has all but vanished. "You look so much better." She shakes her head and moves my hand away.

"It was brave but it was also very stupid," she says standing on her shaky legs. I notice that she is wearing her pants again. She cut the other leg off so they are even and you can visibly see the long scar that she will most likely have for the rest of her life. "I am never going to be able to repay you Peeta. You've saved my life twice over. I've done nothing in return."

"Twice?" I ask, feeling puzzled. Then as I watch her standing there, I realize what she means and feel shocked she remembers. "You don't mean you count the time I gave you that bread when we were kids?" She nods and sits down beside me.

"Without that bread, Prim and I would have surly starved Peeta," she says. "Wether you think so or not, that wasn't nothing. You saved my life that day. I can never pay you back for that. You never forget the dace of your last hope. Why do you think I've watched you the way I do?" She doesn't wait for me to answer. Instead she stands and looks outside. "This may be my last chance to hunt for a while. I'll be back before the storm breaks." She grabs her bow and slinks out of the cave as smoothly as a panther, her feet not making a sound.

"Katniss, wait!" I say and she turns back to me just as I try to stand up. I feel lightheaded as I do and she grabs my arm to stop me from falling, even though she's not strong enough and I end up pulling her down with me.

"You aren't going with me," she says. "You are far too unsteady on your feet."

"You can't go out there by yourself," I say. It's hard to comprehend, but I find myself dreading the thought of her getting hurt out there. "I don't want Cato to find you out there." Katniss smiles and gently helps me sit up.

"He won't," she says. "I'll be fine. You wouldn't be able to keep up with me in your condition anyway. I'll be like a squirrel, going through the trees, never touching the ground. I promise." She kisses me gently and stands up. "I'll be back before the storm." She stands again and leaves, taking the tension with her.

I don't know what it is about her. It's like she's a drug. And I'm almost terrified to become addicted.

She's perfect. Long dark hair framing her sharp features. Grey eyes that study with intelligence that seems to piece right through me. Her dark completion makes her seem like some untouchable force. I can't help but wonder if these feelings mean more than just a phase.

It could be entirely possible that I'm falling for the girl on fire. I almost hope I can. It would make things easier for both of us that way. But I know that deep down, I'm very confused as to how I really feel about that girl. I feel myself falling back into unconsciousness, though I fight it, worry for my partner being my anchor. But eventually, I lose my fight.

🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃

I wake up to a clap of thunder and I shoot up to see rain pouring down outside. The warm smell of meat cooking causes me to turn away from the mouth of the cave where Katniss is carefully roasting some sort of bird over a small fire. The smoke drifts towards the opening of the cave and dissipates as it hits the heavy rain outside.

"How long has it been raining?" I ask and Katniss jumps before she realizes its just me. She must have had her guard up with me being asleep and taking the risk of starting a fire in the arena.

"Oh, you're awake," she says. "Maybe an hour. I've been back a little longer than that before you ask." She takes out her knife and slices a chunk of meat off the lightly charred carcass and walks over to sit beside me. She hands me half of it and we eat in a tense silence. I see a tear run down Katniss' cheek and I carefully wipe it away.

"What's wrong?" I ask her and she shakes her head.

"It's nothing," she says. "Its silly really."

"Can't you tell me?" I ask.

"I don't want to look weak," she says. "We aren't alone. We're never alone. Not even here." I realize what she means as her eyes dart around, searching for the invisible camera that undoubtably watches us now.

"You came back from the brink of death," I say, not feeling that I'm at all stretching the truth. "I'll never think of you as weak and neither will anyone else who matters." She looks at me with tears welling up in those dark grey eyes of hers and and draws in a breath that is just barely holding her together.

"I want to go home Peeta," she cries out and it like the floodgates open as she starts letting out horrible, heartbroken sobs. I find myself slowly pulling her closer to me and she clings to me as though her life depends on it. Her skinny form shudders with every sob and I gently rub her back as I let her release the tears she's probably been holding in for a while now. "I want to go home," She cries over and over. I rest my head on top of hers and pull the sleeping bag over both of us, trying to keep us warm as the fire begins to smolder out.

"Shhh," I whisper as I hear her cries soften slightly. "We're nearly home already. Just go to sleep and dream about home. Before we know it, we really will be there."

"In the Victor's village," she says softly.

"That's right," I say. "And then, maybe in a few years, we will be even closer than neighbors." She laughs at that and curls her tiny form closer to me. I indulge myself in kissing her forehead and feel her breathing slow as she finally relaxes and falls asleep. I lay down carefully as not to wake her and close my eyes, feeling that the storm will deter any threats from the others.

And as I sleep, I dream of a child so much like Katniss it's erie. And what really puzzles me is her eyes. Because they aren't Katniss'.

They're mine.