Katniss POV.
The phone rings. Once, twice, while I wait patiently for my mother to pick up. After the fourth tinh she picks up.
"Hello?" I hear from the other side of the line.
I take a deep breath before I speak up:
"Hi mom, it's me Katniss." I say shakily.
"Katniss?"
"Yes, mom. It's been a while, right?" I ask, still uncertainly.
"Oh, Katniss, I thought you wouldn't want anything to do with me." she says, laughing nervously.
"Yes. Let's say someone really wanted me to." I remind myself that this is for Peeta, specially. Because he couldn't solve things out with his mother, unless I'd be able to. Plus, I do miss her protective mother touch, her caring affections and warm words. These are things only a mother can give.
"How is everything there in Twelve?" She asks.
"Everything going ok, they started rebuilding the district, they are planning something big, though it'll never be the same as before." I answer sadly.
"I hope everything is going right for you, you desserve it."
"Thank you, and things are getting better. I've been speeding a lot of time with Peeta." I add.
"Isn't he dangerous, or moody?" She really seems concerned, like a mother should. That makes me feel more complete.
"No, of course not. He makes me happy."
"So I'm happy for you, too. i promise I'll visit you soon. I love you."she is about to hang up, because I never answer her. I never say 'I love you' to her.
""Wait mom?"
"Yes, honey?"
"I love you" I breath out. "I'm sorry I pushed you out of my life."
i can feel her smile for the other side of the line "I love you too, and always will.
And with that she hangs up the phone
I put it down and go to the living room where Peeta is, probably lounged in the sofa.
"I've spoken to my mother." I say coming in the living room.
Peeta is, as I suspected, in the couch, with Buttercup in his arms.
He turns around and smiles at me.
"That's great, Katniss." he says.
"Thank you for making me do it." I say shyly.
"Thank you for doing it." he says.
"I did it just for you, you know?"
Peeta smiles even wider and opens his arms to me. I've learnt to love his safe warm embrace, and it's impossible for me to denie any kind of affection from Peeta. Without thinking twice I run up to his arms, resting my head on his chest, Buttercup squeezed beetween us.
It meows loudly,squerming around, clawing everything around it.
"Stupid cat!" I say, pulling off the embrace when Buttercup claws me in the cheek. It falls to the ground. "I still cook you!" I snap, angrily. Buttercup runs upstairs, away from me.
Peeta chuckles. "I'll never understand your relacionship with that cat."
I pout, my hand pressed to my cheek. "it clawed me!" I say.
"Let me see." Peeta says, taking my hand from my cheek, and placing his thumb I'm the cut. He looks at it overly cautiously. "Looks like we have a problem here." he says, a smile playing on the corner of his lips. I can feel a smile appearing in my face, too.
"Yeah, a big problem." I say pouting.
"What are we going to do about it?" Peeta asks, his smile growing bigger by the second.
"Maybe you could kiss me boo boo." I suggest, making my best puppy eyes.
Peeta chuckles and kisses me cheek, warm flooding from where his lips touched. "Better?" He asks.
"Much better."
Peeta tuggs a few strans of my dark hair behind my ear, and kisses my forehead.
"Maybe it's time for me to go home." he mumbles.
"Why don't you stay, tonight?" I ask, hoping he says yes.
his grin contracta into a worried expression. "I don't know, Katniss. My flashbacks are worse during night." he says.
My heart shatters always Peeta mencions his flashbacks. he hates to have them, and he feels guilty about it, though it's certainly not his fault.
"But you haven't had them in a while. And you can controll them." I argue. I've already seen Peeta having one, and it wasn't all that bad. Yes, I was frightened, but he only shut his eyes strongly, and gripped the back of a chair for a few minutes. After that he went normal. Of course I saw how weak he got after that, his skin got paler and he barely could stand with tiredness.
"But Katniss, I can't always controll them, specially if it's dark." he says looking down.
"Please Peeta, I'll help you if you have one." I beg.
"Katniss I really wish I could stay with you, really. But I could be putting you in danger, that'd be selfish."
"Than be selfish for once. Please, Peeta, stay with me."
There's a small break, while Peet considera his options, before he says "Always"