#katniss x gale

: You and Peeta have finally found some semblance of peace after the games and the war.

: 923

: None

For the first time in weeks, rain woke you from your slumber instead of horrific, vivid nightmares of your time in the arenas. The ones from the Quarter Quell seemed to be worse than your ones from the first games, but they were insufferable either way. Peeta was asleep in his own bed but you both left your doors wide open in case either of you needed comfort during the night, so you crept down the staircase as quietly as you could. In the kitchen, you set about boiling some water for herbal tea, stopping every ten seconds to yawn. It was much earlier than you realised - just gone 5am - and through the kitchen window you saw the sun determined to rise over the Victor’s Village in District 12, pushing through the grey storm clouds with an almost enviable amount of force. Once your tea was ready, you padded through the hallway and to the front door, which you flung open, letting the fresh air and scent of rain engulf your senses. You loved storms, so you set your tea down on the doorstep and sat down with your back against the doorframe to watch.

You had no idea how long you sat there watching the rain, but when Peeta appeared above you, he startled you.

“Sorry,” He said softly. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s okay,” He was in plaid pyjamas and his warm dressing gown, rubbing the sleep from the inner corners of his eyes. You patted the space opposite you. “Join me?”
“Sure,” He smiled.

For a while the two of you sat in comfortable silence, the rain being the only sound to be heard. The last few months had been the calmest of your whole life, the months that you should have had after the seventy-fourth Hunger Games; this was how things should have been all along, before the Quarter Quell and the revolution, before everything got turned totally upside down. Or maybe they really got turned the right way up. You still hadn’t sorted through the mass of feelings you had about the events of the last few years, but the one thing you had sorted through were your feelings towards the boy with the bread. Most mornings, you woke up and cursed yourself for not figuring things out sooner, for not realising that your feelings for him were the furthest from an act that anything could possibly be. You were still trying to decide how to tell him this, even though it was clear that he already knew. The love that you two shared was an unspoken rule, your safe place - it was home. Since rescuing him from the Capitol all those months ago, this had been pretty obvious, but you still wanted to apologise for all those times you made it out to be one-sided.

“How come you’re awake so early?” Peeta asked. “Did you have a nightmare?”
“No, the storm woke me up,” You explained. “How come you’re awake so early?”
He shrugged. “I woke up and noticed you weren’t in your bed, so I thought I’d better check on you.”
“You know I’d have come to you if it was a nightmare,” You assured him. “I always do.”
“I know.”

The sun was well above the horizon now, shining down on District 12 and making the puddles glisten in its light. The rain had yet to cease, however, which resulted in a beautiful rainbow. You couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Peeta stood and took both of your hands in his, pulling you up with him. He led you out onto the front steps so you could get a better view of the rainbow; the stone was cold beneath your feet, but you didn’t care in the slightest.

“That smile looks good on you,” Peeta murmured.

You turned to face him. You always thought he looked best in the mornings when sleep still danced behind his brilliant blue eyes and he had yet to run a comb through his blonde hair. He was smiling too - grinning like a fool, actually - and your heart raced within your chest at the sight of the boy in front of you. After the Quarter Quell when he was taken from you, you vowed to never take advantage of him ever again, so every day you reminded yourself to be grateful; for his safety, for his love, for him. You looped your arms around his neck and rubbed your nose against his, forcing yourself to wait for the sweet release that would be his lips against yours. There was no reason for you to rush this moment, but Peeta apparently couldn’t wait because before long he was pressing his soft lips against yours. You could still feel his smile.

You never wanted the moment to end. He wrapped his strong arms around your waist and lifted you up, spinning you around in a circle without breaking this kiss. When he set you down gently, you were standing on his socked feet. You’d only done this once - in the kitchen - but it had made your heart melt then, too. He started to move slowly while holding you tight, dancing for the both of you so your feet wouldn’t get cold on the steps. There were no words to describe how much love you felt for him in that moment; in every moment.

“This is our future,” He whispered into your ear. “Real or not real?”
You kissed him again. “Real.” You said against his lips. “Real, real, real.”