- Anzac Day Tribute -

Peeta is called to fight in the war, leaving her news reporter girlfriend Katniss behind.

Katniss' POV:

He wraps his arms tighter around me, squeezing me at this rate. Tears rapidly flow down his face but no sobs escape. Not just yet.

"Promise me you'll come back." I sob into his shoulder. Tears finding no time to stop streaming down my face. "You have to."

"Yes of course . You'll always be on my mind." He chokes out and buries his head deeper into my neck.

The uniform he's wearing is reflecting my, and his present and future life. A young man with a girlfriend, being sent to war. A young woman with a boyfriend. Being separated.

"Write me letters." I get out, "I'll check my mailbox everyday until I get one." I whisper, holding onto him tighter as I let out another sob.

"I will. You will too. I'll be checking at every opportunity I can get." He answers and a few sobs escape his mouth.

I grasp his head, pulling him closer to me. I'm crying full force now, "I wish you didn't have to go." I whisper.

"I know, I do too." He sobs back.

"Mr Mellark. You're needing to board." A guard says and he lifts his head to briefly look at him.

"I'm so sorry Katniss." He cries, holding my cheeks in his hands. He quickly grabs his other bag before bringing his lips to mine.

I kiss him back with an open mouth. Trying to soak in as much as I can of him until he has to finally go. He's the one to pull away, and he takes a couple steps back.

"I love you." I say. "I'll be waiting for you."

He grasps onto my hand and leads me to the door he must enter. "I love you so much. I'll come back I promise."

I kiss his lips one more time. The tears still streaming down my face. I sniffle, and exhale, trying to calm myself down. "I love you more." And I already know his reply.

'Don't play that game with me' His voice plays in my head.

"Please don't cry, you're too beautiful to cry." He comments and sniffs, trying to blink away more tears.

I grab his cheeks. "Listen to me. You're strong. You've trained for years. You know what you're doing. You damn well know what you're doing and you'll come back. Okay? You can't leave me." I cry.

"I'll always come back for you. I'm not going to leave you." He cries back.

"Mr Mellark." The guard says again and he quickly kisses my lips before I let his hand reluctantly slip out of mine.

I force myself not to launch myself onto him. I don't want him to go. With the risk of him never coming back. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too." He chokes out before turning to the guard. "I'm sorry."

"We all can understand how you're feeling." The guard states as they walk even closer to the door.

He looks back to find me, I've sunk to the floor. In absolute tears. He's gone, he's going, and I'm broken. What if he never comes back? I look up to the door to see him looking back at me. I hold up a hand, as if to say a silent goodbye.

He blows me kiss, and I pinch my eyes closed until I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look up to find another woman with tear stained cheeks, she helps me up.

"You okay?" She asks me.

"Yeah I'm fine." I mutter wiping my tears away.

"I'm Annie." She tries to smile, "My husband left too, to fight." She says, and my heart sinks in sorrow, I look to the promise ring that Peeta had given me a few weeks before the call.

"You could say I'm in the same situation as you, then." I tell her. "I miss him already." I try to laugh, but Annie only looks at me, nothing sorrow filling her eyes.

~~

Weeks fly by, and I've received my first letter. Before I left my apartment building for work, I checked my mailbox to find a ragged looking letter. Hope fills my veins as I shakily rip the letter open. Tears beginning to form when my eyes land on his handwriting.

Peeta's POV:

I managed to write to her. Through all this war, I got my chance. Through the blood and gore, I managed to write on paper.

By the end of this war, if I'm still alive, I'll be changed. Katniss might not want me. I carry the box around. The small black box stays tucked away in the depths of my bag. My hope is that I will have my chance to do it.

Writing the letter brought tears but when she reads it, she'll probably be ecstatic.

~~

I grab my bags with one hand and board onto the plane I arrived in. I'll be arriving back home in just under a day. I'm so happy I survived. Apart from two things. But I'm seeing Katniss again.

With one hand I rummage through my smaller bag to find the box. Smiling at it, I slip it into one of my uniform pockets.

~~

I look out of the airplane window and look as we're approaching base. Home. I smile as I see a large group of people down below. I hope my arm sling won't bother our reunion.

"Soldiers may off load." The intercom speaks as we land and I undo the seat belt. Everyone is eager to see loved ones. I get up from my seat. Slinging one bag on my good shoulder and carrying the other. I join the long queue of soldiers filing out.

My eyes search the crowd for her as I exit out and it takes a while to see her. Tears spring to my eyes and I get off the ramp as soon as I can. Once I'm off, heading in her direction, I walk faster.

She runs to meet me halfway, she avoids my arm and wraps her arms around my neck, burying her face into my shoulder. She starts to cry now, I know this because her shoulders have begun to shake.

I drop my bag I was holding to wrap my arm around her.

"Katniss." I mumble and start sobbing. I bury my head into her shoulder and wrap my arm tighter around her.

"Oh Peeta." Katniss sobs. "I've missed you so much." She moves his hand to my head and she begins to stroke my hair. She pulls away and brings her hand to my cheek, wiping away some of my own tears. "I love you." She says.

"Katniss." I say and, finding the right moment, carefully go down onto one knee.

"Peeta?" She whispered, looking at me confusingly.

"You'll probably get the connection in a second." I state and pull out the small box from the uniform pocket and placing it in the palm of my hand.

"Katniss. I've changed. I've seen things I have not wanted to see. My mind being accumulated with negative moments. But the thing that kept me going thorough this tough time was you. The thought of you. Your love, embrace, kisses and even words. I knew I had certainly loved you since we met. When you interviewed me for your cover story. It was love at first sight."

She covers her mouth with both of her hands, letting out a sob. She tries to stay standby on her now unstable legs. "Peeta..." She whispers into her hands.

"I want you to stay with me for the rest of my life. I can't imagine livening my life in this world with anyone else it you. We promised to love forever earlier this year but this time it's true." I pause and try opening the box up to reveal the ring. I manage to and Katniss let's out another sob at the sight of it. She looks into my eyes, I notice they're glassy as well. She knows to wait, I'm not done and so she does.

"I love you more than you ever tell me. You'll never beat me at the game we play. Will - Will you marry me Katniss Everdeen?" I ask and I feel that I'm about to lose it. A whole load of emotions overflow me. Pain, fear. From the war. Happiness, relief. From being able to see Katniss again.

"I- I'm- Y-" She lets out a strangled laugh, and just nods, giving up on trying to talk. She sinks to her knees as I slide the ring onto her finger. A whole overload of joy coming as I do. She looks into my eyes and smiles with teary ones. Then she leans in and presses a loving kiss to my lips. We're probably making the hugest scene right now but I don't care.

I bring my free hand to hold her cheek as we share a kiss. How I've missed her kisses. "I missed you." I whisper and start sobbing as we break apart.

"You're here with me now." She whispers, holding up her hand with the engagement ring on her finger, "Forever for that matter."

I let out a laugh before peppering her face with kiss. "I...love...you...so...much." I manage to make out between the pecks.

"I love you more." She whispers, her face then breaking out into a huge grin. I won't start the game up. She knows I've already won.

"Let's go home." She says. I was never myself when I was at war. Without her. But now that she is beside me, I'm completely myself once again. Because I am only myself when I have any contact with the very person who accepted my proposal. We're both ourselves once again. Together.

I stand up, along with Katniss. I grab my bag but Katniss takes it from my grasp. I smile as she slings it over her shoulder. I wrap my free arm around her back.

"So this is where we start? As new people?" I question as we head towards Katniss' car.

"Yeah, I guess so." She responds, turning her head to look at me. She smiles and pecks my lips. This is just the beginning.