Katniss

I wake up and reach for Peeta's warmth but find the other side of the big bed empty. I lift my head and groan a little as I feel the residual pain from the miscarriage. I look around the room and take a deep breath as the fact that that I'm sleeping with a man who can swing a penthouse suite bigger than the house I grew up in for two weeks.

He always paid, but it never occurred to me that Peeta was rich. He's just not the type. I know the type who like to flash theur money because they know how it draws in the desperate. But he has happily sat in those cheap motels with me for over a month. And I can't complain about that.

I also won't complain about him pampering me either.

"You sleep alright?" Peeta ask as he comes out of the bathroom I sit up and shrug.

"Well enough," I say. "I'm a little hungry though." He comes over and sits on the bed. I get up and sling my arms over his shoulders.

"It'll be up in a few minutes," he says.

"I'm happy you're still here," I say. "And not just because you treat me like I'm worth a lot more than I know I am. Although that is a bonus."

"You are worth every penny, Sweetheart," Peeta whispers in my ear, kissing my hand and a  I smile at him.

"You try too hard, Lover Boy," I say and he chuckles.

"Well, I've got to keep myself under your spell," he says and I chuckle.

"Peeta, Peeta, Peeta," I chide. "I might as well be your girlfriend. You've got me here. Now what do you plan on doing about it."

"But are you my girlfriend?" He asks and I move so I'm facing him.

"Do you want me to be?" I ask.

"Yeah," he says.

"Well then I am," I say. "Because if we were just friends, this whole situation would be very odd at this point." Peeta laughs and kisses me softly.

"Well then I should take you out then," he says. "Maybe a dinner and a movie." I nod and smile.

"Maybe," I say. "We could also just go out dancing."

"We have plenty of time for all of it, Katniss," Peeta says. He gets up and goes to the door to retrieve our breakfast as a ring comes from the door. I stand up and straighten up the old tshirt of Peeta's I had worn to bed. I grab a piece of toast and walk over to the fridge to get a drink. "What do you want to do first?"

"How about we just see what happens," I say. "Just take a walk and see where we end up." Peeta nods and I plop back down on the bed.

"Well then go get dressed and we'll head out," Peeta says and I frown.

"I don't have a whole lot of clothes," I say. "Definately not nice clothes." Peeta looks sympatheticly at me and just grabs a sandwich of his own.

"Just get out what you have and we can find you something in town today," he says. I roll my eyes and get up.

"Really?" I say. "You can't just spend all your father's money on me just because I'm a starving artist."

"Its my money, Katniss," he says. "My share of my father's company going into the account once a week like clockwork. I can spend it how I please and you've worked harder than I have and haven't a lot to show for it. Let me give you what you deserve."

"Fine," I say. "But you are not going to be unreasonable with that money today. Only a few small things. Then we'll find something to do that does spend every last drop of this bottomless pit you just revealed to me." He nods and I go over to the bathroom where my suitcase is and dig out the blue and black dress I was wearing the night Peeta first told me he loved me. I slip it on seeing as its my only real nice piece of clothing. I pull up the zipper at the side and straighten the wrinkled ruffles and apply a soft line to my eyes before walking out into the living quarters.

Peeta smiles at me as I walk out and I just shrug and look down.

"You look good, Katniss," he says and I feel a small smile cross my face.

"Normal?" I ask.

"Yes, normal," Peeta says softly, reaching for my hand. I let him take it and he leads me out of the hotel room. We end up walking down a street with little shops on both sides. I feel eyes on us because of the tattoos sticking out from beneath my clothing. This much ink isn't exactly common amongst people on the right side of the law.

"Where do you wanna go?" Peeta finally asks. I shrug.

"Most of the clothes I own come from thrift shops or church sales," I say. "Ironically enough." Peeta chuckles and squeezes my hand.

"Well, why don't we just try one," he asks. I shug and he leads me into a shop. I shift a little uncomfortably and skim through the clothing absently. I pick out afew things and we buy them but I look up at Peeta and he just laughs.

"Are you making fun of me, Blondie?" I ask and he shakes his head.

"I've just never known a girl so disinterested in clothes," He says. I roll my eyes and he grabs my bags from the counter.

"I'm not going to linger somewhere hoping to find something," I say. "If I don't find something, I leave." Peeta shakes his head.

"You have no patience Miss Everdeen," he chides and I grab my bag from him.

"I don't have room in my bag for useless junk," I insist. "I got a nicer evening gown so you can take me out without being embarassed. A few other shirts and skirts and another dress. What more am I supposed to dress in? And don't think you are dragging me somewhere to find underwear because we are not doing that." Peeta turns bright red and we start walking back to the hotel but I see a record store and before Peeta can say anything, I'm in the door.

I enjoy the welcoming scent of cigarette smoke and vinyl as I walk through the elaborate setup of milkcrates, alphabetized and full of every category. I walk around to look through the big black disks for something, not really sure what I intend to find. Peeta looks over my shoulder as I turn over a Billy Joel album and smirks.

"That doesn't really seem like your style," he says and I glance at him.

"Its the 1980s, who doesn't like the Piano Man," I say putting the record back. "I already have that one." I continue to browse the records. "I like looking for songs to cover. We can't just sing the same songs forever." Peeta pulls up a newer Cher album and hands it to me. "Don't go there."

"What?" He says. "She's got a rocker vibe going right now." I roll my eyes and take it from him.

"Fine," I say. "But I really don't think anything on here will speak to me." I make a few more selections and buy them myself before Peeta can attempt to pay for them.

My band. My money.

We go home and I lay on the big bed, looking up at the reflection in the ceiling. Peeta makes lunch and I eat as much of the first home cooked meal I've had in months as I can.

"What do you wanna do now?" Peeta asks.

"Don't know," I say. "I don't think we've ever spent this much time together dressed." We both laugh and I lay back down on the bed.

"I could teach you to dance," he says and my head snaps up at him.

"What do you mean teach me to dance?" I ask.

"I was an apprentice dance instructer in Detroit," Peeta says. "It paid better than drawing."

"Like you had to worry about money," I say. "You have your big cake and donut fortune."

"Not until I turned eighteen," He says laying down beside me. "I had to earn some of what I got." I laugh at him and he grabs my arm laying above my head. I look over at him and he smiles at me. Peeta gently squeezes my hand and I roll my eyes as I let him pull me up.

I stand there and he pulls out my favorite Journey record out of my suitcase. He opens the record player and places it in and selects a random song. The first few coards play and I instantly recognise the soft, soothing song. I stand still and Peeta grips my hands and places one on his shoulder and the other he holds gently in his. He lays his other hand in the small of my back and gently guides me to the melody of the music. I feel ridged, and uncoordinated. I look down and feel embarassed of myself.

"Hey," Peeta whispers, forcing me to look in his eyes. "Just relax. Its only me. No one to impress. Just relax and I'll lead you." I nod and slowly, I let myself be lead instead of followed. Its nice, relaxing. The dance gives that little bit of physical contact and I feel like the whole world outside has gone. Time stand still. There is no worry. No fear. Even the pain and shame of the pregnancy I lost disappears. Its just me and my lover. I feel disappointed as the song ends and he slowly lets me go. I turn away from him and he chuckles.

"What's wrong?" He asks.

"I don't know," I say. "I, I've never felt like that. I've never felt like I'm being intimate with someone when we're both fully clothed." Peeta chuckles and he looks me over a moment.

"Thats how I always feel around you," Peeta says. "And it is the most perfect feeling in the world."