Effie's visit was nice. The rest of the day was spent catching up. Her eyes glowered to how close Peeta and I was, and we talked about the change in the capitol over dinner. Peeta made his signature dinner rolls and Haymitch put together a stew which was actually pretty good. Who knew the old man could cook?

"Oh it's just lovely! I always rooted for you two," She smiled, the same saddened smile from earlier but due to a different pain. "I'm so thankful every day to have met you two when I did." Haymitch nudged her arm, as if asking if she wanted another drink. She shook her head no, and Peeta and I moved to help clean up at Haymitch's.

"We're thankful too," said Peeta, offering her a warm smile. This must have made her feel better because she smiled, a big beautiful bold one as she raised her glass.

"On second thought, Haymitch…" Her voice met a higher octave, both of her thin brows raised. "I'll have a glass of wine for our joyous occasion!" I couldn't conceal the laugh, typical Effie still drinking wine. Haymitch looked relieved almost, silently thanking that there could be alcohol again.

He moved to the cupboard, a place I thought only held scotch and expired food, and pulled out a dark purple bottle. He dusted it off, using a knife as a makeshift corkscrew as he poured her drink in one of his own tumbler glasses.

"Sorry princess, we don't have wine glasses or those fancy white wines you were in love with," He handed her the glass and she gladly accepted, nearly chugging the whole 8 ounces before she held it up for another pour. Haymitch just watched her for a moment, curious, before pouring her another. If she wanted more, that meant the man could drink it up! - and he needed it, for being trapped with her.

"I don't mind a bit – say! How about our two love birds have a glass! To celebrate a new life!" I opened my mouth to protest, but Peeta was already there to save the humiliation.

"I think we will pass Effie. Besides, Katniss and I are barely of age and, well, she was feeling a little down." Bless Peeta and his suave way with words. Effie pouted almost, before taking another sip.

"Understandable, maybe tomorrow!" I offered her a smile, thanking Peeta mentally for what he had said, which wasn't entirely true.

"Of course." I said, moving over to give her a firm hug. "Welcome back, Effie. We missed you." Her tiny arms wrapped back around me as she held me there for a minute.

"Oh Katniss dear, we'll have plenty of time to catch up!" Her hands moved from behind me to claps my own, a little light sparkling on her eyes. "Oh, I was going to wait but I can't hold it any more. I'm moving here, to District 12 to be with you three!"

Peeta and I had matching facial expressions. Shocked. Haymitch, however, spit his drink out and nearly kneeled over. "Oh, that's great!" I tried to be supportive or something along those lines, but she didn't care for the unsatisfied expressions.

"Yupp! The rest of my stuff comes in next week and I'll be an official resident! Katniss, I cannot wait to venture out with you a—"
"Are you serious?" Haymitch cut her short, glaring for a moment. "You're just going to make me sleep on the couch for a whole week while, what, you get cozy! Where the hell are you staying?!"

Effie seemed a bit offended, giving him a cold look before returning her hands to her lap. "I'll be here for the week until I find a hotel or a house. Haymitch, you've slept in worse places than the couch – you know, like the goat shed?" Effie did have a point, Haymitch pretty much fell asleep anywhere when he was drunk enough.

"Whatever." He fumed, beginning to drink straight from the bottle as he stammered his way back into the living room.

"Well, he'll get over it…" Effie smiled, standing to hug both Peeta and I as we got ready to leave. "You two go and get some sleep, I'll see you in the morning. Oh and Katniss, I have a few things for you. We'll talk over tea…" She giggled almost, giving me a wink as she walked us to the door. Haymitch nodded, holding up his hand with the bottle of scotch as he silently told us bye.

"Of course, get some rest!" Peeta and I both smiled at her, closing the door as we made our way towards my house. Peeta was unusually quiet and a little distant, but from the corner of my eye I could see him looking over to me.

"Listen, Peeta…" I broke the silence, stopping my stride as I turned to him, trying to see the expression on his face. He seemed rather confused, swallowing hard as he held my own gaze. In the dim lights of the sidewalk between our houses, I could make out how tired Peeta really was.

His young dubious appearance was tainted almost, darkened with wrinkles scars. His eyes, once light even through his own personal hell were darkened. My heart was sinking into my chest. All this time I had ignored that Peeta was hurting, living through the same nightmare. I hadn't even asked if he was alright, not to his face at least.

The silence lasted, before I couldn't hide the discomfort I felt. Reaching out a hand, I grabbed one of his and looked shyly away. "Could you stay for tonight? We both could use the sleep…" His rough hands squeezed my own genuinely, tugging me a bit closer as he then wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug. Words didn't escape him as he held me like that, and if Effie could see us right in this moment she would be squealing with joy.

"Always." Then he did something I didn't expect. Strong arms moved to my waist, before he pulled me up off the ground and held me bridal style. His steps were slow but easy, uneven and untamed as he carried me across the path to my house. In the darkness of the night I saw he managed to smile, and being this close it dawned on me how much we needed this. This saved us in hell, and it would save us now.

At the house he fumbled with the door to get it open, pushing it hard as he tripped inside and caused it to hit hard. I laughed, and the sound must have been magic to Peeta's ears. He closed the door behind us and let me down, keeping his eyes on me.

There was something about the way he looked at me, and for an instant it flashed back into my mind the day I saw Peeta crying on the television. Through all of this he still managed to come back to me, and even now he hid the pain too well. I took his hands in mine, turning the knuckles so I could see as my thumbs traced them.

Scarred and bloody and scratched. Peeta always held my hands, sure to hide the fact he was destroying the walls of the bakery. He tried to pull his hands away but I stopped him, dropping my head so he couldn't see my hues. As much as he tried to protect me from this, there was no denying it.

"I'm so sorry…" I muttered, feeling the sting of the tears as they weld into my eyes. With a shakey breath he'd pull me to him once again as I cried into his strong shoulders.

"It's not your fault… I just can't control it sometimes…" Typical Peeta. No one else could do no harm. It was taking everything I had to not push him away, yell at him for not telling me about his problems. I wanted to scold him, the way a wife would when her husband was sick and he refused to rest.

"Peeta, don't do that!" The anger in my voice was new to me, something I don't recall happening until after awakening from the Quarter Quell to see that Peeta was taken by the Capitol. "I want to know these things, okay? I want to know when you are upset or mad. I want to be able to try to help you! I have a right to know!" Taken aback, Peeta stepped back and looked at me, nearly ashamed as he gathered his own thoughts.

"Katniss, I… there's nothing you could do," His shoulders slumped, admitting defeat before we even got started. "I didn't want to worry you, and they just… it was too soon." He was pacing now, as if trying to find another way to justify his own actions.

"I don't care, Peeta. I want to know when you're hurt, or mad, or confused, or anything! I want to be there for you." He was making me mad now, and before he could do anything else I grabbed ahold of him, staring straight into those perfect blues.

"Why, Katniss? So you can keep on saving the day?" That was cold, even for Peeta. My face must have shown how disgusted I was because Peeta instantly began to try to fix his words. "Not what I mean, look… I'm just under a lot of pressure." His hands moved up in self-defense, brows raised as he tried to move away from me again.

"Because I love you." With the resulting silence I thought something had been said wrong, and then I realized what I actually said. Letting go of his arm, it fell awkwardly to my side as I just stared at him. Can't take it back now, even if I needed to. It was right there, hanging in the open. Mentally, I wanted to punch myself in the face and run off in the woods in the middle of the night so no one could find me.

Peeta didn't say a word, instead he just looked at me as if he had seen a ghost. Arms fell to his side, before he opened his mouth but no words came out. I love you. Incidentally, this wasn't the first time I had said it, just the first time in front of Peeta. The first time those words left my mouth were when I attacked Haymitch when he said the capitol held Peeta Captive. There was another time with hijack Peeta, who constantly played a game of real or not real.

"I must have loved you a lot" He said,

"You did" I replied, as if it was a regular conversation.

"And did you love me?" He'd ask, those blue eyes boring into my very soul.

"Everyone says I did." I said. That's all I left it at.

Honestly, if he said anything in this moment I'd be good with just that. Hell, if he walked away to save me from the embarrassment that would be great as well. Any kind of reaction would be great! I was about to turn away and go lock myself in my room before he reached out and grabbed me.

His touch was gentle but there was a force behind it. As he moved closer to me, his baby blues were darker with something else, a hidden hunger. Peeta had needed to hear this, and finally he did. "You don't know how long I've wanted to hear that." Lips hungrily landed on mine, hands holding my face close to his. There was a warm sensation that washed over my body, taking me by storm and the pits of my stomach turned like they did the other day in my dream.

"I love you," He breathed, more eager with his kisses as he pushed me back against the wall. "I love you so much." There was a hint of a growl in his voice, a lustful hunger as his hands moved to my shoulders and pinned me against the wall. My own lips fought with his, hungry and eager for more. I hadn't felt this way since that damned dream, and the fact that this was reality was sending me into overdrive.

We were two teenagers lost in a haze of hormones. My lips parted as Peeta's tongue shyly ran the length, something new to the both of us. We had kissed before, but nothing quite like this. His broad body pressed against mine, a new heat washing over the both of us. I didn't push him away, didn't want to push him away. My arms rose to his shoulders, pulling him even closer as he trailed his own hands down my slender arms. The feeling of him doing that sent my body into overdrive, causing chills and Goosebumps to raise my hairs. This was really happening.

We'd stay like that for a few minutes, not wanting to part because we weren't sure how the other would react. Shifting my weight under him, it was apparent of the new presence I hadn't felt before, at least not in real life. Peeta was turned on, and that bulge was presenting itself against my midsection.

I was growing hot, hot and bothered like the other day and I was simply losing it. I just wanted to feel him do to me the way he had in that dream. Peeta must have felt the stirring, because as quick as he came on he turned off. Pushing away and back from me, he'd look so powerless and apologetic.

"I'm so sorry, Oh god, I'm so sorry…" He was stammering, confused, in a haze. He felt like a monster, I could tell, because he was trying to find something better to say than I'm sorry.

"It's alright," Yet my tone seemed unconvincing, due to me being lost in the moment. Frantic, he was uncomfortably shifting his weight on either leg, trying to hide that noticeable bulge to save himself from embarrassment. "Peeta, just stop…" My legs took me closer to him, holding up my hands palms out trying to act in surrender. "I promise," I met his gaze, noticing the fire that still brewed in his childlike manner.

"I… I don't know what got in to me…" He was still trying to find something for how he acted, and I couldn't help but smile. He looked at me as if I had gone insane. "Katniss…?" He questioned, which caused me to laugh.

"You're something," I said, reaching out to grab onto his hands. I never let my eyes fall from his. This was a side of Peeta only I got to see, and a part of me really enjoyed that. Swiftly tugging him downwards, I planted another fevered kiss to his lips.

Another animalistic sound left Peeta's throat as his arms quickly wrapped around my frail figure and pulled me into him. He kissed me, a different kind of passion than ever before. I wrapped my own arms around him and pulled him closer to me, lips parting so my tongue could trail his sweet lips. He tasted like vanilla. His hands moved from the back, to the nape of my neck as he pulled lightly at my hair. There was too much going on, every fiber of my being doused in lust. That familiar pang hit my insides, the warmth between my legs make its signature appearance, but it was nothing until I felt Peeta rock hard against me again. Wandering hands then slid down my back, straight to my behind where Peeta gave a firm but shy squeeze. Before I had knew it, we were heading upstairs…