Fighting (Sequel to Fate)

Chapter 20

"So you leave tomorrow morning?" I ask Peeta.

"Yeah," Peeta says as he lays his uniform down. "At eight-thirty." I walk over to Peeta and lay my head against his chest.

"I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too," Peeta says as he kisses the top of my head. "Both of you. But don't worry about me. Just promise me that you will take care of yourself and our baby."

"I promise."

"Katniss, I… Listen," Peeta says softly as he grips the top of my arms. "I don't know how long this mission will take, and I don't want to regret you not knowing how much you mean to me."

"I do know," I say.

"I just… I know I've been neglecting you here lately with training and…"

"You haven't been neglecting me," I tell him truthfully.

"I feel like I have. And I want to make it up to you. If you'll allow me to."

I nod my head, and Peeta's lips are on mine before I can take another breath. I wrap my arms around his neck as he places a hand on my lower back and my head.

"I love you," Peeta breathes out between kisses.

"I love you too."

Peeta backs me up where my feet are against the bed. I sit down and lean back onto the bed, but not before Peeta makes sure that I have pillows to prop myself up on. Peeta pulls back to look at me as if he's asking for permission to continue. Instead of nodding my head or saying anything, I take the hem of Peeta's shirt and pull it over his head.

I run my hands over Peeta's chest and realize that even though he was really weak when he was rescued from the Capitol, he now has almost all of his strength and muscles back.

Peeta's lips move to my neck as he pulls my shirt up over my belly. He lays one of his hands over my belly button and spreads his fingers out as far as they'll go.

The baby responds, and I feel Peeta smile against the skin on my neck.

"You have no clue how much I love the thought that you're carrying my baby," Peeta tells me quietly.

I smile as I feel my heart swell. I know Peeta is still struggling with some things, but he's the same Peeta I've married and is my baby's daddy. Sure, he goes through moments where he doesn't remember certain things. But, that does not change the fact that he's the same, sweet Peeta that's he's always been and always will be.

He pulls back to look at me and takes a deep breath.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I tell Peeta as I nod my head. "I'm not going to break."

"I know," he says. "But I want to make sure you're okay before we continue."

I put both of my hands on Peeta's cheeks and kiss his lips.

"I'm fine," I tell him. Peeta seems a little reluctant, so I begin to unbuckle Peeta's belt and take it out of the loops. That's all the encouragement Peeta needs to lift my shirt up over my head and throw in onto the floor.

Everytime Peeta kisses me, it's like he's trying to make up for lost time. Each kiss gets deeper and more passionate by the second.

I finally have to pull away for air, and we're both left panting.

"You tell me if you need to stop," Peeta says.

I smile at him. "I will," I say truthfully. "But I won't have to. I want this. Possibly more than I've ever wanted it before. I've been waiting for this."