Hunger Games High School

Chapter 10:

"What do you want for dinner?" Peeta asks, placing his hand on the small of my bare back and pulling me on top of him. 

The sheets ruffle and I giggle a little bit.

"You." I purr softly. 

He smiles and kisses me again. 

I look down at him and rub my hands over his chest as he flips me over and switches our positions. 

"I love you, Katniss." He kisses my jawline slowly.

"I love you more, Peeta." I peck a kiss onto his neck. 

"I love you the most." He kisses the top of my collar bone.

"I don't know what comes after that, but I really really love you." I laugh, pulling the covers over top of us and putting my lips on his again and again. 

"Can we just live in this bed forever?" He suggests, slightly out of breath.

"Well," I grin. "We might get tired of each other after a while." 

He shakes his head. "I could never get tired of you, Katniss." 

"Good." I smirk. "Me neither." 

He turns on the television and I snuggle up against his chest.

"Do you still have homework to do?" he asks casually, but I know he's serious.

"Would you believe me if I said no?" I frown slightly.

"Katniss, I know when you're lying."

"No you don't. I'm a great liar." I counter.

"That's yet another dis-truth." He says and kisses the top of my head. 

"You're so mean to me!" I joke, playfully messing up his hair.

"Whoa!" He says, alarmed. "You know how much I love my hair!"

"Do you love it more than me?" I pout and he squints as if in contemplation. "Oh my god! Do you actually have to think about that?" I feel betrayed, but I know hes kidding.

"No. I think I might love you more." He purses his lips, like he's afraid that I'll slap him. 

"I'll shoot you." I coo.

"With what? Your bow?" He laughs again.

"Yes!" I hold close to him, letting the warmth of the bed envelop me and sigh to myself. 

"Why does your mother hate me, Peeta?" He looks shocked.

"Where is that coming from?" He asks with concern, turning the tv off and scooting to face me directly.

"It's just, I started thinking about the future. College, the bakery, our families. Your mother will never accept me." 

"You don't know that, Katniss." He says, lifting my chin gently and gazing into my eyes with that look I can't resist. "I think right now she just still has this notion in her head that you're a high school girlfriend."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, my brothers were never ones for a serious relationship. With them it was more just hookups. She's never had one of her children get this serious with anyone." He explains. "And I guess no one in our family has ever dated someone...... from the Seam."

"I know." I say gently, getting ready to open up to him.  "Peeta, when we first started dating, I went by your house one day. Your mother called me a prostitute and a gold digger. She said she never wanted to see me anywhere near you again." He looks hurt. "I knew by then that she was abusive toward you, and it scared me. That's why I was always so eager to stay around the south side of the District. I wanted to keep you away from that house for as long as possible everyday. A few times I've even considered letting you go, thinking maybe she'd be easier on you if you weren't with me."

"Katniss!" His voice strains with worry. "This is exactly why I wanted to move in here with you. I wanted to keep you safe."

"I want to keep you safe!" I say deflatedly. 

"We protect each other, Katniss. It's what we do."