Help Me Make it Through the Night (Everlark Fanfic)

Chapter 14: The Words That Changed Their Lives

(A cool song to listen to while reading this chapter is "I Swear" by John Michael Montgomery. Just a suggestion from this country girl.)

Peeta's POV

I wake up Christmas morning to a blinding light through our bedroom window. I look out to see the sun sparking in the freshly fallen snow. I look over at Katniss and see her still peacefully asleep, her mouth making small puffs of breath as she breaths. She is so beautiful, I can't believe she's mine.

Well, she's not quite mine yet. But I hope after tonight' she will be. I gently get up as not to wake her and shut the curtain. I look over, to make sure she is still asleep, and since she is I go over to my dresser and dig to the bottom of the top drawer. I pull out the small, green, velvet box and open it. Inside lies the delicate gold band with a small delicate diamond in its center. It's beautiful and simple. I would have gotten the biggest, most beautiful stone I could find, but I know Katniss wouldn't want that.

I also know she would not want more than my proposal but I had to get he something else. So I got the pearl from the quell, the pearl that she loves, put into the charm of a necklace. It's a version of her mocking jay pin and I had the pearl placed on the arrow it holds. I really hope she likes it. I really hope she agrees to be mine forever.

I hear her stir and quickly hide her presents away. She looks over at me with those beautiful silver eyes and smiles at me.

"Good morning, Peeta." Katniss says, yawning. "How long have you been up?"

"Not long. You hungry?" I ask her.

"You know I am." she says. I turn to go make breakfast, but she stops me." Oh one more thing Peeta." she says.

"What?" I ask.

"Merry Christmas Baby. I can't wait to give you your present." she says smiling. I smile back and go downstairs to make us breakfast.

Quickly make French toast and finish just as I hear her quiet feet coming down the stairs.

"Smells delicious Peeta." Katniss says.

"Well thank you. Now hurry up and eat so I can show you how to decorate the Christmas cookies." I tell her.

"Will do sir." she says with a laugh and goes to gobbling up her toast. I lead her to the table. I take the piping bags that i prepared last night from the fridge.

"So what do you want to put on them?" I ask her.

"I don't know. This is my first Christmas remember?" she says. Yeah I guess that's right. I feel really bad that she wasn't rich enough to do so. I couldn't imagine not waking up Christmas morning to presents and cookies.But then I remember she didn't even know she was missing anything.

"Well maybe to remind us spring is coming we could do flowers." I suggest.

"Yeah that would work.' she says. I show her how to make delicate flowers. She tries to copy them, and some don't look half bad, but she isn't really meant to decorate cakes.

"These are nice." I say, holding one of her good ones up.

"Don't lie Peeta. I'll never have your talent." she says.

"Maybe not but I love them. Besides, whatever they look like, they still taste wonderful." I reply. We both laugh at this and spend the time until dinner talking and laughing. I notice the time and laugh a little.

"Katniss, we spent the whole day in here and I forgot to start dinner." I say, slightly concerned.

"That's okay I'll help you cook it." she says. We go into the kitchen and I try to think of what we could cook.