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.

"How about lamb stew and cheese buns?" I ask her.

"My favorite, but where will we get lamb?" she says.

"I got some not long ago. I've been saving it for a special occasion." I tell her and she smiles.

"Well I can cook that up while you make those cheese buns." she says. And that's exactly what we do, although Katniss had to have me help her when she wasn't sure what to do with the stew. None the less, our dinner tastes amazing and we eat it very quickly leaving no left overs. We go into the living room and sit down on the sofa.

"Your gift is in the study. I have to go get it." She says.

"Good because I have to get yours too. Its just upstairs." I tell her before rushing upstairs. I grab the small boxes and slip them in my shirt. As I make my way down the stairs, the tiny ring box feels like it is getting heavier and heavier. I really hope this goes well. I find her sitting on the couch waiting for me. She looks a little nervous.

"Do you want to go first?" Katniss asks with almost a shaking to her voice.

"Yeah sure. I kinda got you two anyway." I tell her.

"In a away I did too. " she says. I gently hand her the bigger of the two boxes.

"Well go on open it." I tell her gently she she opens it and has tears in her eyes.

"Oh Peeta! It's beautiful!" she says. "Can you put it on me?" I nod and gently unclasp the necklace and hook it around her neck as she holds up her hair.

"I love it." She says.

"Well now I hope I can give you your second present." I tell her.

"What more could I ask for." She says looking down at her necklace in a daze. Well this is it. This is when I ask her. Get down on one knee and she looks up and gasps.

"Katniss, I've loved you forever and can't ever truly express how much I love you. You told me a while ago that your love was real back and I believe you. Because of that I want to ask you to be mine forever. Katniss, my girl on fire, my mocking jay, will you marry me?" I ask her. Her eyes fill up with tears and just as I'm sure she will say no, she takes my face and gives me a long passionate kiss. We pull away and she looks at me.

"Oh Peeta, my boy with the bread, my dandelion, of course I will!" she says and hugs me. We pull away and I gently put the delicate ring on her delicate finger and she smiles oh so very bright, her silver eyes shining like the moon.

"This is the last thing I expected." she says." but this makes the timing of my gift even better." And she hands me a small orange package. I open it to find the mocking jay medallion I gave her in the quell.

"Open the locket." she says nervously. I open it and find a picture of us after I got back in it instead of the pictures I had given to her. I also notice a small folded piece of paper tucked inside. I unfold it and read in her careful handwriting

Peeta,

I know you ask for next to nothing from me and you get next to nothing in return. But I want to change that. I want to give you more than a maybe. I will marry you because I love you more than life itself and I don't see you needing to ask me. And when we get married I am going to promise you something I swore I would never do. I want to promise you children. I want to give you more than a maybe. I want to give you your dream. I want to give you children. Even though I'm scared I know you can get me through that. I hope they one day can fill these frames, that are held over your heart.

I love you.

This is real.

~Katniss

I look up at her speechless. I know how scared she is to have children. That she won't be good enough for them. And she has just promised me my dream. I pull her into my embrace and bury my head in her hair, tears streaming down my cheeks. I love her so much.

"Do you like it?" she asks, in almost a teasing matter.

"You've promised my dream. I could never be happier." I reply. I don't know how long we sit her, whispering sweet nothing's to each other. But eventually we both decide to go to bed. When we lay down, she asks me a question.

"You'll never leave me right?" Katniss asks.

"Never. I swear to always be with you." I say kissing her head. and with that we are dragged into the peaceful dreams of what our future holds.

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Please don't get mad that Katniss agreed to have children already. I just wanted her to show how much she loved Peeta before they get married. I hope this can be forgiven. I really like how this chapter turned out.

Also 566 reads so I will do a short authors note about myself, for those of you who want to know more about me. If you have a certain thing you want to know please tell me in the comments. This is further than I saw this book ever going.I'll try to do it tomorrow.

Love y'all

-Kayla