District 12 Drabbles

He shook his head. “You always astound me, Katniss.”

She snuggled into his side. “The part where Jack Nicholson is chasing them and busts through the door with an ax is pretty intense.”

“It is.” He held her a little closer and took a handful of popcorn. The movie kind of freaked him out, but he wasn’t about to admit that.

They watched the movie in silence for a while and then Katniss sat up suddenly. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Peeta peered around.

“It’s like a baby crying or something?” She got up and walked to the window. She stood very still.

He watched her for a minute, sure she was just joking. But when she didn’t move after more than a minute, he paused the movie and walked over to stand beside her.

Katniss pointed. “Don’t you see?” Her voice was low and full of fear.

He searched the small yard just outside his house, but saw nothing.

“It’s right there. It looks like a bear, but not a bear.” Her voice was barely above a whisper now.

Peeta’s eyes peered out to the dark tree line just across the road. After a few seconds he thought he saw something, movement just in the shadows.

“Oh, my god, no!” Katniss screamed.

Peeta jumped. “What? What is it?”

It took a few breaths for him to hear her laughter muffled behind her hand. He grabbed her up in a tight hug.

“You are a horrible woman.” He admonished, his heart still pounding.

She grinned and cupped his cheeks. “At least I know how to make your heart race.”

“In more ways than one.” He whispered, lifting her up by her hips.

She wrapped her legs around his waist. “Wanna make out during the scary parts?”

“You mean the whole movie?” Peeta said as he walked toward the couch.

Katniss grinned and reached for the remote. “What are you so scared of, Peeta? A few ghosts?”

“You look lovely Madge!”

“Thanks! So, um, do you.”

Well that was a lie and Katniss knew it. She turned to Johanna and saw the look on her face. “You look…very…interesting Jo.”

She snorted. “Unlike some others brainless, I have actually put the effort in. This is my sexy lumberjack costume!” The outfit consisted of one very low cut (and very short) pair of dungarees that showed a lot of leg, a lot of midriff and a lot of boob. There was a plaid top underneath the denim but even calling it a top was optimistic. To top it off Johanna waved around a plastic axe as she gave Katniss a twirl.

“So you do know this is a costume party right?” Jo gestured with the axe waving it up and down Katniss’ body.

“I’m wearing a costume.”

Another snort from Jo. “Yeah and what the hell is it supposed to be?”

“Me. On a Sunday.”

Jo just glared at her while Madge politely sipped her wine. Katniss knew it wasn’t the most original, or most exciting, of costumes and could probably not even be called a costume at all but it was what she wanted to wear. Hiking boots, walking pants, waterproof and the fake bow. Not a boob in sight.

“If you seriously think you’re going to impress anyone wearing that-“

“I don’t want to impress anyone!”

“Yeah? You sure about that?” Her face took on a sly look. “I heard your boyfriend might be there.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Fine. I heard your fuck buddy might be there.”

Madge shifted uncomfortably. “Guys…”

“He’s not my fuck buddy! We went on three stupid dates. I don’t care if he’s going to be there and I certainly don’t want to impress him!”

“Well at least he managed to get his bow in your quiver. He’s probably looking for a Halloween treat this evening.”

Katniss groaned and was sorely tempted to tell Jo and Madge that they could just stick it and go without her and that instead of sleeping at her and Madge’s this evening, Jo could try and find her own drunken way home across the city. Before she could speak up and say anything Madge managed to step in.

“Well ladies!” She clapped her hands together. “All the wine is gone so let’s catch that cab shall we? Otherwise our hosts will be wondering where we are!”

Jo and Katniss murmured their agreement but Katniss knew that the whack on her ass from Jo’s axe on the way out wasn’t entirely accidental.

When Finnick’s elderly aunt passed away five years before she had left him and his wife Annie a small fortune and a large house outside of the Merchant part of the city. It had surprised everyone. Not the part where Mags left everything she had to Finnick but because she actually had something to leave.

It turned out the small fortune and large house were unexpected surprises, something she was determined to keep hidden until after she had died. She was also pretty determined to give everything she had to the one person who was her everything.

Since Finnick couldn’t quite throw away his party days he and Annie were constantly hosting dinners and parties for their friends. The Odair’s Halloween party had become a fixture in a lot of people’s calendars and as the cab pulled up outside the house even the driver gave a low whistle.

“Yeah, they go all out.” Jo chucked the driver some money and started to climb out the cab. “Hey you turn out to be free later, give me a call.”

Madge and Katniss shot each other a look and followed her out. The front yard had been turned into a temporary cemetery complete with howling noise effects and a fog machine. They passed a Lurch at the front door, someone who had been hired to open the door for the evening and stepped inside the foyer.

Sidestepping the creepy séance layout they went deeper into the house. The den was dimly lit and Katniss could hear the shrieks of people as they played games while the living room was a bit brighter and not as loud, set that way for the people that wanted to talk.

“Ladies!”

Simultaneously they turned towards the voice. “Annie!”

The hostess appeared before them dressed as Hermione Granger. “Hello-accio!” She broke into giggles. “Sorry, I’ve had a lot to drink!” She hugged them each in turn before Jo asked where the aforementioned drinks could be found. Annie pointed Jo in the right direction and then turned to Madge and Katniss.

“You both look so good! Madge you look gorgeous! And Katniss you’re not the only archer in here this evening!”

“Oh?”

“Yeah I’m pretty sure I saw Gale carrying a bow and arrow set.”

Madge spoke up next, a slight tremor to her voice. “Is Gale here already?” She took some of her hair and started to curl it between her fingers.

“Yeah he got here about half an hour ago.” Annie then turned to Katniss. “Are you ok that he’s here?”

Why on earth would she care? “Yes fine. It was literally three dates. I didn’t want to go on anymore and we were both fine with that.”

Annie frowned at her. “I’m not so sure that-“

Before she could finish her sentence the man in question seemingly appeared out of nowhere. “Trick or treat.” He bent down and planted a kiss on Katniss’ cheek which took her by surprise. But maybe this is what people did when they were being courteous after going on three dates and having sex on the third.

“Gale. Hi. How are you?”

“I’m really good.” His grey eyes looked her up and down. “That’s not a Black Widow costume.”

“Excuse me?”

“Pretty sure that’s hiking gear.”

“It is hiking gear.” She looked down at herself and then at what Gale was wearing. “Who are you?”

“Hawkeye. Y’know from The Avengers?”

Katniss met his eyes. “Yeah I know who he is. Why would you think I’d be Black Widow?”

Annie muttered something about new guests she needed to greet and shuffled off waving her wand leaving Gale, Katniss and Madge standing there.

“I thought we were going to be wearing matching costumes?”

 Huh? Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline. This was new and unexpected. “No…I think maybe you thought we were going to be wearing matching costumes. I’m not sure why we would even be matching.”

“We discussed this. On our last date, I said we would look good if we went to the Odairs party as Hawkeye and Black Widow. Especially as I’m an archer.”

Katniss could feel an odd sensation boiling in her stomach and her fingers flexed unconsciously. “Well so I am,” she spat.

“Yeah but I don’t think I’d look any good as Black Widow!” he started to laugh at his joke but all Katniss could feel was bewilderment. Exactly why Gale thought that they would be wearing matching costumes to a Halloween party she didn’t know. She was wracking her brains, desperately trying to recall how they ended things on their last date, when she heard her name being said beside her.

“Katniss-expelliarmus!” She turned and came face to face with Ron Weasley aka Finnick Odair brandishing his wand at her. And for once in her life she was grateful for a distraction of a phallic object in her face.

“Finnick, I am glad to see you.” She practically threw her arms around him. He pulled back and winked at her.

“Well I need to say hey to everyone obviously but thought I would come over and point you in the direction of the kitchen to get a drink.” He bent forward and whispered in her ear. “It really looked like you needed one.”

She made her excuses to Gale and Madge and turned to leave, ignoring the disappointed look o Gale’s face but managed to catch the tail end of their conversation as she went.

“So Gale, how have you been?”

“Fine, thanks Margo.”

“It’s Madge.”

Katniss shook her head and walked off towards the kitchen. Something somewhere between her and Gale’s last date and tonight had gone horribly horribly wrong.

The kitchen was relatively empty considering as it was the place where all the drinks were held. As she pushed through the swinging double doors she was instantly aware of the person standing on the other side of the island pouring a drink into his paper cup.

Without meaning to she let out a sudden exclamation and he looked up, a blank look at his face for a split second before he registered who it was. Then his face lit up, a grin spreading across his face as wide as it could possibly go.

“Hi.”

It took a moment but Katniss realised that Peeta had spoken to her and was patiently waiting for her reply. She said the first thing that popped into her head. “Trick or treat?” and then cringed at how awful it sounded.

He didn’t seem to mind though and if anything the smile got wider which was near impossible as he basically running out of room on his face. “Oh it’s most definitely a treat! Drink?” He motioned to a variety of bottles and mixers and she nodded.

“Yes please. I’ll just take a wine.” She took a look at him. His arms and shoulders were bare and she had a feeling his chest was as well but she couldn’t fully tell as the chef’s apron he was wearing covered the majority of it. “Are you on drink duty?”

“Well, I’m usually found in the kitchen at these places so I thought I would make myself useful. I think the wine’s in the fridge.” Peeta then turned facing away from her to reach to the fridge behind him and as he did so Katniss let out a gasp.

“Oh god! Are you naked?!”

He turned back laughing. “Yeah I keep forgetting!”

“Why…why are you naked?!”

“Well I’m wearing an apron and some sneakers so not fully naked….”

Katniss had been right, his arms, shoulders and chest were bare. And so, most definitely, was his bottom half. When he turned she caught a glimpse of the broad expanse of his back and the muscles that flexed as he moved. Then further down, the back of his calves but of course there was the bit in between. The sight of his bare ass, all round and smooth and….she shook her head in the hopes it would clear her mind.

“But why are you just wearing that? Is this your costume?”

“Well when you said that your costume was you on a Sunday I quite liked that idea.” He gestured to her outfit and she hoisted her bow further onto her shoulder, suddenly feeling quite shy at the attention. “So I thought, ‘I’ll borrow it’ and go as me on a Sunday.”

Peeta handed her the glass of wine and a light blush covered his cheeks. “I hope you don’t mind? I realise I should have asked.”

She took a large gulp of the liquid and shook her head. “Not at all. It’s not a very good costume idea though so I’m surprised. It was mainly me being lazy.”

He picked up his own glass. “Well I quite like your ideas. And I like your costume. Makes a change on Halloween. All these people that insist on getting practically naked.” Then he winked at her, his eyes shining, and she almost choked on her drink.

Swallowing down what she could she waved her hand at him, “I still don’t understand, is this really you on a Sunday?”

“Ah there is many a think you don’t know about me Katniss Everdeen! And one of those things is that I like to bake on a Sunday.”

“Naked?”

Peeta grinned at her again. “Oh yes, naked. There’s lots of activities that I like to do completely naked.”

He took a sip of his drink and she took a sip of hers, murmuring into the glass, “I can imagine.”

Katniss had spoken to Peeta for what seemed like five minutes in the kitchen before Madge came to get a drink and told her she’d actually been in the kitchen for fifty minutes. During that time both her and Peeta had poured glass after glass after glass and so a few hours later Katniss was truly feeling buzzed.

Madge had ended up speaking to Peeta and then more people arrived to join in and Katniss found that her conversation with Peeta had come to a natural end. When asked what they had been speaking about, Katniss found that she couldn’t give Madge a proper answer. Just ‘stuff’ she told her. Her brain couldn’t seem to retain any information but she did know that she spent a large portion of the time talking to Peeta trying not to think about what was hidden under his apron.

Everyone had dispersed out throughout the house and Katniss had spent time talking to some of Finnick and Annie’s other group of friends, people that she had met at previous parties. She let Madge convince her to play some Halloween games in the den and it was that that made her realise she was on the way to being fully drunk.

Swaying she walked from the bathroom back into the living room looking around for people that she knew. In the corner, talking to a pretty blonde dressed as Harley Quinn, was Peeta and Katniss wondered for a moment if she was feeling bold enough to go and interrupt. Not that she wanted to, she reasoned. She wasn’t feeling any feelings of irritation towards the woman at all.

It seemed that Peeta could sense her looking over because he chose that moment to look up from where he was paying attention to the woman speaking. They locked eyes and he smiled and despite the booze Katniss felt inexplicably shy.

“I heard Mellark fucks like an animal.”

Katniss turned so quickly her braid whipped across her face. “Jo! What the hell!”

“Just saying. Reliable sources have told me so.”

“I don’t want to know.”

“Don’t you?” The brunette raised an eyebrow and stood closer to Katniss. “Apparently Finnick overheard a lot when they were sharing an apartment in college. And he said that Peeta’s ex-girlfriends have been very complimentary.”

“Good for him.”

Jo snorted. “Good for him? Good for them! You know you should join him in his costume choice. Get naked and offer him a trick or treat.” She looked at Katniss, focusing intently on her face. “I think he would be very receptive to that offer.”

Katniss could feel heat flood her face. “Pretty sure all guys would be receptive to that offer. If the woman he’s talking to offers him a treat I bet he would take it.”

“Who, Glim?” Jo took a swig of the drink she was holding. “Nah. He likes you.” She looked Katniss up and down and sighed. “Though sometimes I swear to god I don’t know why, you have the imagination of a dead jellyfish and sometimes the humour to match.”

“Thanks.”

Jo shrugged. “Just do everyone a favour and get rid of tall, dark and moody. Oh look he’s coming this way now.” She put her empty glass down. “I’m off to play some games. I need to see which guy can hold his breath the longest when bobbing for apples. Intel for later.” She winked at Katniss. “Catch you later brainless.”

With that she sauntered off leaving Katniss standing alone. Peeta had obviously noticed and it looked as though he was trying to politely disentangle himself from the woman he was with as he kept glancing over at Katniss and was clearly trying to shuffle walk towards her. For a moment it looked like he might achieve success but unfortunately Gale walked up to her first.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

They stood there in silence. Katniss not knowing what to say. She never knew what to say. It wasn’t like she had a lot of experience in dating and it wasn’t like she was the one who went around breaking things off. Her error though, she realised, was sleeping with him.

Date one was fine albeit a slight let down as the chemistry that Katniss was expecting never appeared. Date two was just to see if date one was an unfortunate fluke but she managed to have more fun and so date three was the equaliser. It was a mix between dates one and two. It was fun and they got on well but the chemistry just didn’t materialise.

The sex, whilst fine, had been a bad idea. Katniss vowed to never make decisions or go on dates ever again when she was hungry or horny. Speaking of horny she watched as the blonde woman speaking to Peeta laughed and touched his arm, leaning a little too far into his body. He glanced at Katniss but she looked away, not wanting to read anything into it.

She ended up looking straight at Gale and found that he was looking at her, his grey eyes cool and clear. His jaw seemed to flex and he swallowed. “I really enjoyed our dates. Sorry if I got mixed messages about the costumes. Maybe I read into one of our conversations a bit.” He nudged her elbow with his. “You were right to go as an archer, you are better at it!”

Katniss couldn’t help but laugh, not noticing that the sound drew Peeta to look over. “Yeah, well I think I am. Our archery date proved that. You’re good but not that good.”

Gale grinned at her. “Well someone’s not practicing modesty.”

She shrugged. “Hey, why fight what you know to be true.”

Gale looked over towards where Peeta was standing and then quickly back to Katniss. “I’m going to have to take a shot at something Katniss. I think you’re right about fighting.” With that he cupped his hands around her face, leant down and pressed his lips against Katniss.’

Her eyes fluttered shut, partly out of shock, partly out of a natural response. They had kissed before, obviously, and so the feel of his mouth against hers wasn’t a completely alien one. The alcohol had lowered her inhibitions and her reaction times, so when Gale deepened the kiss and she felt his tongue slide against hers she responded in kind. It was only when his hands started to travel lower that she remembered this wasn’t what she wanted.

Katniss pulled away, “Gale wait. I don’t think we should do this.” He lowered his eyes slightly but Katniss quickly looked around the room, checking who had seen and hoping no one had. The odds, it seemed, were not in her favour. Peeta was staring directly at her with a look of hurt and confusion before he flitted his eyes back down to his companion, an easy smile plastered on his face.

She shook her head. Maybe she had imagined it. He certainly seemed fine speaking to the blonde that Jo had called Glim. In fact he now seemed more than fine. Before, the woman had been leaning into Peeta and whilst he seemed polite he didn’t seem particularly interested. Now however he was leaning forward, laughing at whatever she was saying and then, after she nodded, reaching out and touching the red coloured hair at the end of her ponytail.

Katniss felt her stomach constrict and she sucked a breath in. Her heart started to pound a bit faster and she could feel it in the roof of her mouth. She had way too much to drink obviously and she needed fresh air or water, preferably both. She quickly made her excuses again to Gale, saying she wasn’t feeling too good. He offered to go with her but she told him no. In the busy party, amongst the loud and chatty crowds, the shriek of the games in the next room and the Halloween music, she just wanted a moment’s peace.

The garden was cool and clear and she sat warming her hands against the fire pit. Someone had offered her a glass of cider when she was out there but she declined, already feeling woozy from drinking. She was about to turn and go in, see what Madge and Jo were up to, when she heard a voice behind her.

“Hey there Katniss as Katniss.”

“Hey there Ron.”

Finnick dropped into the chair beside her and swished his cloak out of the way. “Annie is taking this year’s costume way too seriously.” He raised an eyebrow at Katniss. “She just spent fifteen minutes telling me it’s pronounced ‘levi-o-sa.’ I told her I had no clue what she was talking about but she said I just needed to get into character.”

Katiniss smiled. “You love it though.”

“Yeah. I love it.”  

They sat in silence for a moment before Finnick spoke again. “You ok?”

“Yeah I just needed some air. And some space. To think.”

He nodded. “Yeah I need that sometimes too. Especially at parties.” At Katniss’ look he laughed. “Hey, there’s more to me you know then party party party. I’ll have you know I’m a very sensitive individual. Just ask Peeta.”

She groaned. “I’d rather not.”

At that Finnick sat up. “Has something happened?”

“Not really. Well not yet. Give him another twenty minutes and then maybe he’ll be sticking his baguette into someone’s oven.”

Finnick gave such a guffaw of laughter than Katniss jumped. “Sorry but that took me by surprise, you just made such an awful baker pun that was worthy of both Peeta and Jo.”

“Yeesh. I must be drunk.”

“You know he likes you a lot.” Katniss saw Finnick glance at her from the corner of his eye. “He’s absolute chicken shit about it though. I mean this guy can charm the panties off of women and their mothers yet when it comes to you I swear he looks at you like you’re the sun itself.”

“I don’t think so.”

“I think so. He’ll respect whatever friendship boundaries you’ve set up though, mainly because he would rather have you as a friend then not at all and he doesn’t want to risk ruining that. He also thinks that you’re just not interested in him like that. But I think you are.”

“Finnick?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re Ron Weasley not Jon Snow so you don’t get away with knowing nothing.”

He laughed again. “Oh I know a lot. He thinks you’re interested in Gale. If he thought he had half a chance with you then I’m pretty sure he’d be whipping out his baguette to show you.”

She groaned. “Please stop. Now I’m just getting hungry.”

The air had cleared her mind a little and she knew what she needed to do. Tell Gale that she wasn’t interested in him and that, while she enjoyed their dates, it wasn’t going anywhere. Tell Peeta that she was interested in him and that she would quite like it if he asked her out on a date. Tell Madge that she either needed to make Gale know she was keen on him or get over him as she just wasn’t fooling anybody.

Back in the living room there was no sign of anyone she was looking for. Gale had obviously moved on and Peeta and the blonde were nowhere to be seen. Checking the kitchen also came up with nothing and she couldn’t make nor tail of anyone playing the games.

She moved from room to room downstairs, stopping to say the occasional hello to people she recognised but when she ended up in a longer then she wanted conversation with Beetee she didn’t even need to pretend she needed the bathroom as she had genuinely began to need the bathroom.

The queue for the downstairs and upstairs bathrooms were long, always women and always in pairs, but Katniss remembered that one of the guest bedrooms had its own bathroom and so she would just use that.

Approaching the door she thought she could hear noises coming from inside. It sounded like a woman’s voice peppered with gasps. She was also sure she heard something else, an occasional grunt, and wondered if she was intruding on something private. Then an unwelcome, uninvited thought crept in. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be.

She should have just turned around and gone downstairs, found another bathroom. Instead she walked down the hall and waited in the dark. Watching to see who would be coming out. A sick sense of panic began to rise up from her stomach and she wondered if she would throw up. Her reactions seemed too strong, too disproportional, she has no ownership on anyone, but she couldn’t pretend that her heart wasn’t being slammed against her ribcage.

After a while the guest room door clicked open and into the darkened hall stepped Harley Quinn. Katniss watched as she walked down the stairs, her ponytails swishing around her face. Less than a minute later another figure stepped out into the darkness and Katniss started in shock. Following Harley was Hawkeye. The plastic bow and arrow set carried under one arm.

“Coming,” she calls. Hurrying to her door, she mutters, “Who the hell can this be? The gate’s locked, and I ate every one of those damn mini candy bars two days after I bought them.”

She opens the door and blinks. When the vision doesn’t change, she blinks again. There’s an angel at her door.

“Hey, Katniss,” he says. His voice is a deep baritone, and his piercing blue eyes sparkle under the halo of golden waves that sit under his…well, halo. White feathers protrude over his broad shoulders, and she can’t help but rake her gaze down his bare torso to the muscled thighs that are exposed below his tight, white, barely-there boxer briefs.

“Holy fu…” she hisses and startles at his deep chuckle.

“I don’t know if I’m holy or not, but I lost a dare with my buddy Finn that I’d wear this get-up tonight to his Halloween party—which is why I’m here.”

She blinks again, seemingly in slow motion, and shakes her head. It finally clicks that her downstairs neighbor is standing in front of her, apparently dressed in costume and telling her he’s attending a party. Wait, is he asking her to go with him?

“Huh? What’s why you’re here?” She rolls her eyes at her own lack of eloquence, but he doesn’t seem to mind. Instead, he grins at her with a blinding smile that she imagines rivals actual spiritual beings (if they exist, that is), and explains.

“I promised I’d bring some of my sugar cookies tonight, but I didn’t realize I was so low on sugar. I ran out when I was making the frosting. Do you have some?” When she doesn’t answer, he points to his bare chest and explains, “I’m not exactly dressed to run to the store, and I’m going to be late if I don’t get a move on it.”

“I, uh…” He shouldn’t have pointed to his pecs or his abs or whatever it was he’d just indicated because she can’t stop looking at them anyway. The way the muscles ripple below his honeyed skin is mind-boggling, which is what she’s blaming for why she can’t seem to speak.

His cheeks flush at her scrutiny, and he drops his hands in front of him to shield his crotch. She glances down involuntarily, and she swears he’s thicker than he was when she opened the door.

“Right, so… Can you help me out?”

“Yeah! Yes! I’m sorry. Let me get it.”

She swivels and practically sprints to the kitchen where she clutches the countertop until her knuckles clench white and gulps in ragged breaths. She didn’t expect this tonight, and it may be the best thing that’s happened to her since—well, ever.

“Mother of God,” she breathes and knocks the stainless steel canisters she bought at a thrift store the year before together until she finally finds the correct one. She opens it and sticks her fingertip in, tastes, and nods. It’s the sugar. She mixed up the salt and sugar a few months before while making cookies, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. After a few more deep breaths, she runs her hands over her braid to expend the nervous energy that buzzes through her and stumbles back to the door where the angel waits.

“Here you go,” she murmurs. Another smile splits his cheeks, and he reaches out to take the container. His fingers brush against hers, and she bites her bottom lip as her palm tingles.

“Thank you so much, Katniss. You’ve saved me from certain embarrassment.”

“Sure. No problem.” Her voice trails off as he turns to go, and a rush of longing makes her blurt, “What’s your name?”

He stops on the stairs and turns over his shoulder to offer, “It’s Peeta. Peeta Mellark.”

“Peeta,” she says with reverence. “How did you know mine anyway?”

“I make it a point to find out the names of all my gorgeous female neighbors—especially ones with silver eyes.”

She blushes and backs into her apartment. “Have fun at your party, Peeta. If you have any leftover cookies, I wouldn’t turn them down.”

His eyes darken to midnight blue, and he attempts to surreptitiously adjust himself. “I’ll see that you get some.”

When the bell rings at the end of the class, I join the rush of students in the hall and make my way to my locker to pick up my bag. I only have a few minutes to gather my belongings and walk the two blocks to the elementary school to pick up my sister. A thick square of paper falls on my foot as I pull my bag free. Frowning, I lean down and shove it into my pocket. I’ll take a look at it later when I’m home and not surrounded by my nosy classmates.

It’s after eight o’clock before I’m able to do so. It’s my responsibility to help Prim finish her homework before cooking dinner and getting her to bed. It doesn’t leave me much time for my own studies, but it’s the least I can do to help out Mom when she’s worked so hard get back on her feet.

I empty my pockets onto my desk and consider the ominous note. Who would write to me and put it in my locker? My gut clenches, so I change into my pajamas before opening it. The green flannel feels good against my legs, and the cotton of my t-shirt is soothing. By the time I’ve washed my face and re-braided my hair, I’ve worked up enough courage to open it and am faced with a coded message.

My cheeks flush, and my heart skips a beat at the mystery. I’m so unused to this I can’t even venture a guess as to who wrote it. The individual images are works of art, much more detailed and creative than the scratches I make when I write this way. Pulling the key from my math book, I settle in to work out the message.

“Thumbs down is a D. Swoopy capital M is an E,” I muse and glance at the rest of the top line. I’ve seen the second word enough to know it’s my name, so I move on.

It takes several more minutes, but soon enough I’ve worked out the message.

Dear Katniss,

I know yesterday was a bad day. I’m sorry things are hard, but you are an inspiration to me and so many others. You’re as strong and delicate as a dandelion.

Your Secret Admirer

I suck in a few disconcerted breaths before grabbing my phone and calling Madge. When she answers, I’m so worked up, I can barely talk.

“What do you think it means, Madge?” I’m close to hyperventilating. No guy besides Gale and his brothers has ever paid any attention to me. Now, someone in school is watching me, studying me closely enough to know that I struggled to get through the third anniversary of my father’s death. “I barely interact with anyone, so how is that possible?”

“It means someone likes you. That’s what it means. It’s not rocket science, Katniss.”

“But—”

“Kat, I have to go. My mom needs me. Can we talk more at lunch tomorrow? Maybe we can figure it out by the handwriting or something.”

“Yeah, fine,” I grumble and heave a sigh. I spend the next hour staring at the note, but it does no good. Disgruntled and surprisingly flattered, I slip into bed and into a fretful sleep.

The next morning seems to last forever, and I bolt to the cafeteria when the bell after fourth hour rings. I fidget as I survey the room and wait for my friend to find me so we can figure out what to think of my secret admirer.

The art teacher, Mrs. Trinket, tuts at me as she passes. “Manners, Katniss. Don’t lean on the drawings. Your classmates worked hard on their projects and deserve your respect.”

Embarrassed, I realize the wall is covered with student artwork. In order to avoid having to make small talk or eye contact with anyone else, I turn to study them. A three-paneled sketch of dandelions catches my eye, and I move over so I can examine the charcoal strokes.

The first of the three drawings shows a closed dandelion before it blooms. The stem and bud are proud and strong, much as they are in the second when the flower is opened. The images are black and white, but they’re so lifelike, I can almost see the bright yellow of the blossom.

As my eyes shift right to the third sketch, I gasp at the evolution of the dandelion. The stem is still solid, jutting upward proudly, but the head is dandelion fluff. It’s gone to seed, and a few of the detached parachutes float on the page so delicately that I can almost feel the wind blowing them into the sky.

“You’re as strong and delicate as the dandelion,” I murmur and glance at the card hanging next to the sketches.

The artist is Peeta Mellark.

I swivel and scour the tables until I find him. His blue eyes catch mine for just a moment before he drops his gaze.

“There you are!” Madge exclaims, and I startle. “Sorry I’m late. Mr. Abernathy held me after class. What’s going on?”

I grab her and pull her to the closest empty table in spite of her protests that I’m squeezing her wrist too tightly.

“Shhhh,” I snap. “Stop making a scene.”

“What? Why? What’s going on?”

“Katniss,” he hissed. His hand twitched, and he placed it on her upper thigh before slipping his fingers in between her legs.

Her breath hitched at the contact. His long fingers wiggled and made the briefest contact with her sensitive bud, and she released a soft groan that made him chuckle.

“Peeta…” Her voice trailed off into the electrified air of the room. A fire crackled in the hearth, and the faintest hint of cinnamon hung in the air between them.

“What?” he breathed against her neck. His tongue darted out to trace the cords of her neck, and she tilted her head away from him so he could caress all of her.

“You know you’re really good at this?”

“Hmm,” he mumbled into the dark hair at the nape of her neck. “Tell me more.”

Katniss twisted her face to his, and their mouths met. His kiss was gentle and sweet with a hint of shyness that made her heart twist at his hesitancy. When she pressed forward, he traced her lips with the tip of his tongue until she opened for him and allowed him to explore.

“It’s hard to talk to when you’re doing this kind of stuff to me,” she reasoned. “Anything else getting a little, uh, stiffer?”

“Don’t,” he huffed. “I’m trying to be a gentleman here.”

“If you were a gentleman, we probably would have had dinner before we started necking on the couch.” She tugged his lower lip between hers and worried it between her teeth until he grunted.

“If you were a lady, you wouldn’t be trying to seduce me, now would you, Katniss?”

“Stop using logic,” she ordered with a smile and placed her hand on his crotch.

“Fuck,” he moaned and sucked in air when she squeezed. “That’s one way to get me to stop thinking.”

He cupped her jaw in his hands and bumped his forehead against hers. His nose knocked against hers, and he nibbled at her like she was the delectable thing he’d ever tasted.

“Brain power’s overrated. I hardly use it at all anymore.”

“Is that so?”

She raked in a shaky breath and pulled away from him. His chest heaved as he tried to regain control. His eyes were darkened almost to black as he stared her.

“How do you still do this to me?” she grumbled. “It’s not fair. After all these years, you still make me want everything from you.”

“Hey,” he joked as he flicked the end of her braid and tugged it affectionately. “That’s a good thing, you know. Together. That’s how it’s always been with us. I hope that never changes.”

A sharp knock at the door startled them, and Pearl, their daughter, called from upstairs, “Mom! Dad! Will you get that? I’m not ready yet.”

Peeta stood and adjusted himself, and Katniss grinned at the knowledge that her husband still wanted her as much as he did when they were younger. She admired his frame as he crossed to the front door and opened it to find Delly and Thom’s youngest son standing on the porch.

“Hi, Mr. Mellark. Mrs. Mellark,” the younger man squeaked. “I’m here to pick up Pearl for our date.”

And it was with that thought that the uncertainty crept in. She was sat in a guy’s kitchen wearing nothing but his shirt after having slept with him on their first date. When people asked how the date went this wasn’t exactly something she could tell them. Or was it? Katniss was so out of touch with the dating world that she just didn’t know anymore what was socially acceptable.

Except when she thought about it that wasn’t the main reason she was feeling unsettled. What was the saying? Why buy the cow if you could have the milk for free? She was sure Peeta of all people didn’t think like that but the worry niggled in her gut and made her squirm. She wanted him to not think badly of her, for him to not think she did this regularly. Dammit, Katniss wanted Peeta to buy the cow.

“You ok?”

“Huh?” Peeta had stopped whatever it was he was whisking and was standing in front of her, freckled broad chest on eye level display. It took all of Katniss’ will power to look him in the eye.

“It’s just your sat there shaking your head and I’m not entirely too sure if that’s at me or –“

“No no.” She shook her head vehemently. “In my mind I’ve basically just referred to myself as cattle. My Women’s Studies professor would not be less proud right now.”

He chuckled. “Well I won’t tell if you won’t.”

“Deal.” He turned back to the food and began plating up. Katniss played ahead in her mind. Peeta would finish cooking, they would eat, she would get back into her clothes from last night, he would wish her a good day and she would go home. Then, Katniss would sob in the shower, eat her body weight in ice cream and ignore him forever out of shame whilst simultaneously watch him fall in love and get married to his beautiful wife who never had sex on first dates. All because she didn’t have the guts to say what she needed to say.

“Peeta.”

“Katniss.”

At the moment she decided to bite the bullet and speak he had chosen the same moment to turn around and address her. He shook his head and gestured. “After you.”

“Ok.” She swallowed, trying to get some moisture in her mouth. It had suddenly and inexplicably gone dry. “I was going to say that I don’t want you thinking I’m the kind of girl who does this. I mean obviously I did this but I don’t usually. I’m not saying that it’s not ok, it totally is. For other girls. Just not me. Although this was ok. It felt better than ok. But I don’t usually do this.” She stopped, realising that she was rambling and that Peeta was just looking at her. “It’s just that I don’t want you thinking badly of me.”

“Katniss.” His voice was soft and low. She didn’t say anything, choosing to focus on the suddenly wildly exciting pattern of his tea towel. “Katniss.” He walked over to her, reaching his hand out to hers and she stared as his fingers wrapped around hers.

She whispered. “Yeah?”

 “I don’t think badly of you. I would never. I don’t usually do this either but it felt right. We went with the moment.”

“Well we went with the moment a few times.”

Peeta grinned at her. “Yes we did!” He gave her hand a squeeze. “I want to see you again. This evening, tomorrow, the night after. Any time you are willing to give me. I like you Katniss, like I said last night, I’ve liked you for a long time.”

She glanced up at him, his blue eyes so wide with anticipation. She could feel his palm grow clammy with nerves.

“But only if you’ll allow it. No pressure.”

Katniss smiled at him, his face relaxing as she did, and she squeezed his hand back. “Oh yes, I’d certainly allow it.”

He kissed her then, slow and sweet, before turning back to their breakfast his tuneless humming growing louder and more enthusiastic. Suddenly her diary had cleared, she was free that evening, pretty much free for the week. For the month. For the rest of her life.

Sunday. 8:30am.

Katniss opened one eye to see that Peeta was still asleep beside her. His bare chest rising and falling with his breaths. She sat up, glancing down his chest towards his abdomen where the dark line of hair trailed from below his belly button towards what was currently hidden by the sheets. She blushed. This wasn’t like her. Katniss never slept with anyone soon into a relationship let alone a first date. She had no clue what she was thinking.

At that moment Peeta turned over towards her, the sheet sliding off his body and pooling down beside him. Oh yes. She remembered. She knew exactly what she had been thinking.

He took a deep breath and then his eyes fluttered open and Katniss watched as they adjusted to the morning light, taking time to focus on her face. For a moment she had a horrid feeling that she shouldn’t still be there. That she wasn’t adhering to some ‘morning after’ protocol.

His hand reached up to touch her hair, rubbing a strand between his fingers, before he beamed at her. “Good morning. It’s a pleasant sight to wake up with you in my bed I have to say.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Peeta’s hand trailed lower, stroking her neck down past her shoulders to her collar bone. A finger lightly tracing the skin there before he moved his hand lower and rested it between her breasts, the steady beat of her heart pounding a rhythm against his palm.

“I feel like I should go.” The words came out before she could stop herself, silently cursing why she had even said them. She didn’t want to go, not really, had only said them out of some ridiculous notion of politeness.

Peeta gently pushed her back towards the bed and she allowed herself to fall easily back against the pillows. He leant over her, his naked form covering her still sheet clad one. He looked slightly disappointed and it was an expression she didn’t want to see on his face again.

“You don’t have to. If you want to then of course, but don’t go because you feel you should. Personally, I would keep you here forever.”

She snorted. “Forever in your apartment?”

“My apartment. My bed. Wherever you’d let me.”

His hand slipped past the sheet, pushing it gently to the side, the cool morning air hitting her exposed left breast. She gasped as his fingers trailed over her flesh, gently circling a nipple as his ministrations caused a pull far lower down.

“You’d get bored of me. Being here forever. You’d soon find out I’m not much fun.”

“Oh I think you’re plenty fun.” His hand had left her breast and trailed down her ribs, smoothing past the flat planes of her stomach circling round her belly button. She gasped as his mouth quickly took over from his fingers, his lips enclosing over her nipple, the wet warmth surrounding it as his tongue flicked over the bud. The pull grew and her hips shifted upwards towards his, feeling him hard and hot against the sheet, her thighs moving open to accommodate the weight of him above her.

“Isn’t it too soon to be using words like forever? I mean we’ve only had the one date.”

“But Katniss I feel like we are quite acquainted.” He shifted off her, just enough to allow him to pull the sheet completely from her body and she found herself fully naked before Peeta, for god knows what time in twenty four hours.

“Yes but,” her breath hitched in her throat as he moved his mouth even lower, planting a kiss on her ribs, her stomach, his tongue dipping into her navel before he kissed her abdomen, a wet open mouth kiss. “We barely know each other.”

He held onto the bones of her hips rubbing his thumbs tenderly onto the skin. “We already know the deep stuff.”

“The, uh, deep stuff?” A gasp wrenched itself from her mouth. His hands cupped her thighs, pulling them apart ensuring that her centre was fully exposed to him.

“Yeah, the deep stuff. Like my favourite colour is orange and yours is green.” He bent forward, the tip of his tongue lightly flicking through her folds.

She groaned. “That’s hardly deep.”

He glanced up at her, mirth making his blue eyes sparkle. “Oh Katniss. I’ve just gotten started.”

Saturday.12.30am.

His mouth moved down to her neck, sucking at her pulse point and she gasped, her hips rocking upwards at the same time he pressed his firmly down onto hers, the feel of him pushing against her warmth making them both groan. Katniss had long since given up caring that the dress she was wearing was hoisted up to her navel; and that her legs were open and her knees were hitched up towards her chest.

She felt delicious. Peeta’s hands skimmed up her sides touching everything he could from hip to breasts and down again, his hips thrusting lightly against hers. His pant covered centre grinding against the silky material of her panties. Thank god she went with the good underwear.

“Let’s go to my room. I don’t want to take you on the couch.” He had pulled his mouth away from her neck and kissed her lips between words.

Katniss felt a thrill shoot through her spine at his words. “Couch. Bedroom. Wall. Floor. You could take me anywhere you want.” She sucked his top lip into her mouth flicking it gently with her tongue and watched as his eyes flickered shut.

He groaned. “You can’t say things like that if I’m going to last longer than five minutes.”

She wiggled her hips underneath him. “I’m just impatient.” Her hands reached round to his back, gripping his shoulders before moving down to his ass. She grabbed it with her hands, digging her nails in and making him gasp. As she reached to kiss him, her tongue sliding against his, she moved her hips up and drew his down and onto hers, rubbing as hard as she could against him.

Peeta grunted and pulled his mouth away. “That’s it. Bedroom. Now.” Without another word he quickly stood pulling her up and into his arms, slinging her over his shoulder like he was a Neanderthal and she weighed as much as paper. She giggled, a drunk, giddy feeling settling over her wondering why she was feeling like this when she hadn’t touched a drop.

Saturday. 11:30pm.

“I’ve liked you for a long time Katniss. I wanted to ask you out for so long but you were with Gale and then when you broke up I didn’t want to be that guy. You know the one that creeps around heartbroken women waiting for their chance.”

They had been done with dinner hours ago but with an unspoken agreement both had gravitated towards the piano bar next door, neither one seemingly wanting the evening to end. They were sat in the darkened corner with the tealights on the table casting shadows on their faces. Something about the evening or how comfortable they felt or the intimacy of the place had left them opening up. Discussing feelings. While Katniss wouldn’t normally be ok with that there was something that made her want to discuss them. A part of her desperate to know what Peeta felt and a part of her desperate to make him understand whatever it was she was feeling.

“I wasn’t heartbroken.” She shrugged at his quick look. “I wasn’t. I liked Gale, but I think I was always waiting for the end. I knew it was inevitable. We were too similar. We hated all the same things and that wasn’t good.”

“So you had a lot in common?”

Katniss wrinkled her nose. “I guess, but not the good stuff. We both had tempers in common. And the ability to wind each other up. Gale used to say we had ‘debates’ but it gets to a point where you just realise that those debates are actually arguments.” She took a sip of her Coke. “I think at the end we didn’t even like each other as people anymore.”

Peeta looked genuinely contrite. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not.” There was a moment of silence and she felt the nerves build up in her stomach. “If we were still together then I wouldn’t have had this date with you. I’m really glad you asked me out. I’ve had a really great time.”

He shot her such a look of happiness that Katniss felt her insides go warm. “So have I. To tell you the truth I was terrified.”

 “Terrified? Peeta ‘Sunshine King’ Mellark is not terrified of anyone.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “Yeah remind me not to disclose any more High School nicknames to you again. But yes, terrified. You have quite a scowl on you and I was already calculating how fast I could run for my life when I asked you out.”

“I am not that bad!”

“Have you seen your scowl? Ah there you go!”

Katniss quickly relaxed her features. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Peeta took a sip of his own drink and looked over at her. “I like it. Your nose scrunches up a little. But I like it when you smile. I particularly like it when you smile at me.”

“Well I’m not sure that they’ll be more of that if you keep talking about my scrunched up nose.”

He grinned at her and reached out to trace down her nose with a light fingertip. As soon as he touched her skin she felt a little jolt, just a small spark underneath her skin. “It’s cute.”

She gave him another scowl which earned her another laugh. It was a lovely feeling, Katniss had decided. The feeling that tingled all over her whenever Peeta laughed, or more specifically, when she made him laugh.

“Yeah well you better practice your running if you think you could survive me.”

Peeta winced. “True, I’m not much of a runner but I could definitely pin you.”

She looked over at him in surprise. “Oh! Um. Well you could.” An image flashed through her mind of Peeta’s broad golden body over her small dark one.

“I wrestled, Katniss.”

“I knew that.” But he was looking her with what could only be described as amusement. The corner of his lips turning up and laugh lines appearing at the corner of his eyes.

He took another sip of his drink and leaned forward, joking in a whispered tone. “I could show you some wrestling moves if you wanted. Maybe even let you pin me down.”

“I can be ferocious.”

“I bet.”

They looked at each other in silence, the air between them thick. Somehow they had moved closer towards each other without both noticing and Katniss hadn’t realised that she was practically in his lap. She licked her lips to wet them, the sudden closeness making her anxious for something and as her tongue slid past her lips she could see Peeta’s eyes flicker down and darken.

His hand was in hers, their palms pressing tightly together. The pulse that beat in his wrist and the way his thumb caressed her skin caused those earlier sparks to tingle up her arm. “I think we should go.”

Peeta reluctantly nodded and begun to pull away before Katniss could finish. “I mean I think we should go someplace else. Prim is staying at mine this weekend and so we could go to yours?” There was a moment of quiet and Katniss could feel her stomach drop. She had massively misread the signs on an unprecedented level of stupid. It had taken a lot for her to say something like this, to make the first move and she had misjudged the situation. This, she thought, was why she never made the first move.

“Yes.” It was said almost breathlessly but the next thing Peeta was pulling her closer to her him, his nose brushing against her cheek, his mouth heading towards hers. “Oh thank god yes.”

Saturday. 7.00pm

Peeta had told her that she looked beautiful. In fact he had looked at her like she was the sun in the darkness when he came to pick her up. She had just shrugged it off and muttered ‘oh this old thing’ but he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her.

“I’ve never seen you wear a dress like that. Or a dress at all. They suit you.”

“I suppose you’re more used to seeing me in outdoor gear?”

“And there is definitely something very appealing about you in hiking boots and parka jackets. In fact the first time I saw you, you had mud on your top and twigs in your hair.”

Katniss looked at him incredulously. “There’s no way you remember what I was wearing the first time we met.”

Peeta tapped his temple with a finger. “Oh yes, it’s all logged here. Green jacket, braid, scowl. I was hooked.”

She gave him a good natured tap on the arm. “Yeah right. I remember I was having a really bad day that day.”

“You remember?”

“Yeah, I had a really bad group on the trail and I couldn’t wait for the day to be over. I had a craving for something sweet, popped into your bakery and as the say, ‘the rest is history.’”

Grinning Peeta gestured down his body. “Well you got something sweet indeed.”

“Let’s just start with dinner. See how we go from there.”

Saturday. 5:00pm

“You’re not wearing that are you?” Prim was in Katniss’ bedroom watching her get ready, looking her up and down with an appraising eye.

Katniss glanced at herself in the mirror and couldn’t work out what the problem was. Her hair was in its usual braid, she was wearing a nice fitted shirt and smart jeans. “Yeah. I think this looks good.”

Prim signed and launched herself off the bed and into the wardrobe. “It just won’t do. This is a first date with Peeta Mellark.”

Katniss looked at her and nodded. “I know that.”

“No no. Let me say it again. Peeta Mellark. Whilst I know that guy would like you wearing a potato sack –“

“Oh I don’t think – “

Prim held a finger out to cut her off. “Whilst he would like you in anything, and correctly so, you want to be impressing him this evening.”

“Prim, this is just a friendly date, no strings attached and no expectations. I’ve got a full diary with work and you know I don’t do dating.”

Her little sister signed as she took a dress off its hanger. “You won’t get another first date with him, Katniss. I know you like him so I am acting as your counsel for this evening. Wear this. Make his heart race a little. All of you are going to be thanking me in the future for my kick start.”

Katniss took the garment from her sister glancing at how short it was. She couldn’t remember why she bought a burnt orange dress that fell mid-thigh. It was something of a whim purchase after seeing it one day and deciding that it called out to her. “Who are the ‘all of us’ that will be thanking you exactly?”

“You, Peeta, my yet to be born nieces and nephews.”

“Prim! Don’t get ahead of yourself!”

“If you wear that dress it also means you’ll have to shave your legs. Trust me, you should always shave your legs before a date. And wear the good underwear. You never know what will happen.”

The eldest Everdeen’s mouth dropped open in horror as she looked at her baby sister. Though she wasn’t really a baby anymore but still. “We’re going to need to talk, you and I.”

“It isn’t about Peeta seeing it but about giving you a confidence boost! You’ll be more confident if you feel good.” Prim dug around in Katniss’ underwear drawer. “Here, these say sexy and fun.”

Katniss snatched them from her sister’s hand. “Fine, I’ll wear them. And the dress. And I’ll shave my legs but nothing is going to happen Prim. It’s a first date with Peeta. You have levels of expectations that are too high.”

“Take a condom too.”

“Don’t push it.”

The knock on the door at seven was prompt and Katniss gave her sister a kiss on the forehead and a promise that she would be back before ten. Prim just rolled her eyes and told her to have a good time and to not make promises she couldn’t keep.

Before the front door closed she managed to catch Peeta’s exclamation of how beautiful Katniss looked and she could almost hear the blood flow to her sisters face in pleased embarrassment. Before they disappeared into the night Prim scuttled over to the window to see them walking towards Peeta’s car. Peeta looking at her sister like she had hung the moon and her sister returning his look in kind.

Prim grinned. Katniss would find easily find the condoms that Prim had snuck into her bag, along with her toothbrush for the morning. Call it a hunch but she had a feeling that it was going to be a good first date for them, she’d watched them interact long enough to know that all it took was one little push in the right direction and some subtle hints to Katniss to get the ball rolling.

Katniss crumpled her forehead at this. She felt bad joining in with the comments at Peeta’s expense, but she had gone along with the joke last week.

They had been drinking after work; Katniss, Jo, Finnick and Annie, when the blast from the past that was Delly Cartwright came over, her large unfettered bosom bouncing before her, as she greeted them with a high pitched squeal and kisses for everyone. Delly was in particularly high spirits having just booked a last minute holiday with her fiancé.

“But, I feel so bad really,” she’d pressed her hands to her chest to emphasise her sincerity, ”Peeta’s coming back next week and I had said I would be here to welcome him, you know, help him settle back in to the area.”

Everyone remembered Delly’s cousin, Peeta Mellark. He had been socially awkward and twitchy, and carried a scent of stale cookies and cheesy crisps about him. He’d moved away the summer before high school, when his parents split up, and he was bundled off to stay with some distant relative. The unkind story that went around was that neither his mother or father had wanted him as part of the settlement.

“Oh!” Delly squawked, “You guys must remember Peeta? You wouldn’t help me out with this would you?”

Katniss had looked down hard at the table, studying the stains left from drinks spilled on the wood.

Unfortunately Finnick wasn’t good with silence or leaving anyone wanting, “One of us will do it for you Delly,” he raised his eye brows suggestively, practically loosening her panties with his dashing smile. She passed over Peeta’s details and left his reintroduction to Panem in Finnick’s dubious hands.

Katniss had lost that nights round of drinking games and been awarded the booby prize; a night out with Peeta Mellark.

So here she was, a week later and it seemed she had hit the jackpot after all. Peeta’s late arrival gave her a perfect excuse to stay in on her own with the TV. Jo had quickly changed and headed out to the bar, leaving Katniss waiting on what looked like a no show. She wandered back out to the kitchen to see what she could find to snack on, and was just popping a bagel in the toaster when someone knocked on the door.

Her bottom lip stuck out, irritated by the disruption. Surely it wouldn’t be Peeta now, over an hour late?

But there he was, much bigger than the Peeta in her mind, but still shaking like a leaf and avoiding eye contact.

“I didn’t think you were coming,” she greeted him in the abrupt manner that her friends knew to ignore.

“K..K..K..Katniss,” he stammered. “I’m sorry I’m so late.”

As he shifted his gaze from her bare feet to her left ear, earnestly avoiding her face, she noticed something glistening on his forehead.

She reached out to touch the sticky substance, causing Peeta to withdraw further into his coat as though her fingertips might scald him.

“You’re bleeding!”

“Oh,” he looked at the red stain, now spread to her hand. “I had a bit of a bump. That’s why I’m late. I’ve had to abandon my car, I’m afraid.”

“Peeta,” she tried in vain to get him to look at her, “are you O.K.?”

“It’s nothing. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to keep apologising,” her tone had softened just a semi-tone, barely noticeable, but it was enough for Peeta to finally look at her.

“Sorry, it’s a habit.” He shrugged apologetically.

Katniss grabbed his elbow and dragged him into the ground floor apartment she shared with Joanna. She directed him to sit in the kitchen whilst she found a pack of plasters.

“So what happened to you?” she asked, dabbing at his forehead with some cotton wool. It was one of those oozy abrasions that wouldn’t stop leaking, but the flow was sluggish.

“I think you’ll live,” she muttered, interrupting before he could answer; she pressed the dressing down, struggling a little to get the cheap adhesive to stick to his damp skin. Peeta remained patiently still, allowing her to tend to his wound in her cack-handed way.

She leant back to look at her handy work and had to cover her mouth to stifle a giggle. She’d managed to make him look odder than ever, with a layer of sticking plasters in the middle of his forehead.

She swallowed it down as his blue eyes met hers, pricking her conscience. She remembered Peeta at school. He always seemed so innocent, so underserving of the taunts he had to take every day. She’d never once seen him retaliate even when he had his chair snatched away just when he was going to sit down, or his lunch thrown around the yard.

She peeled the plasters away. “Sorry, that doesn’t look right.”

The bleeding seemed to have stopped anyway. “It’ll probably heal better left to the air.”

“Thank you.” His smile really changed his face, like a shaft of light peeking through the clouds could make you see the day in a different light.

Katniss was annoyed to feel heat rising in her cheeks, so turned away to the fridge.

“Would you like a drink?”

Peeta looked at his watch, “Well,” he hesitated, “if we leave now we could still make the show.”

This caught Katniss off guard. He still wanted to go ahead with the date. She sucked in her breath and let it out slowly, remembering that had been the deal, ‘a night out with Peeta Mellark.’

“O.K., where are we going?”

They had exchanged messages to confirm the time and her address, and Peeta had insisted on it being his treat.

“The museum.”

“Great,” Katniss didn’t mean to sound sarcastic, because that didn’t seem so bad to her. It would make a nice change from hanging out at the bar with the usual suspects on a Friday night.

“There’s a visiting astro-physicist giving a lecture, she’s supposed to be really good!”

“Fantastic!” Katniss couldn’t help but hear Joanna’s jeering voice echoing at the back of her head. She was going to love this story.

Peeta appeared to know the bus timetable off by heart, enough to know if they left straight away they’d be just in time to catch the 106 that stopped just outside the museum.

They sat side by side, Katniss staring out into the damp darkness of the autumn evening, Peeta fidgeting and squirming, his nerves alive with the whole experience. She noticed he didn’t smell stale anymore. In fact he had a good smell now, something warm and spicy. It reminded her of walking into the kitchen just when the oven was ready to be opened. Her stomach gurgled loudly at the thought.

“Sorry,” Peeta was managing to look at her when he spoke by now. “We missed dinner because of my accident.”

She dismissed his concern again, although in truth she was just about hungry enough to start gnawing on her own hand. She didn’t want him to feel guilty for being in an accident.

As she avoided catching his eye, sure he would be able to tell she was lying, Katniss noticed the phone screen in the hands of the person sitting in front of her.

There was a news headline:

 “Ten mile tailbacks after multi-vehicle pile up. Strange lights over city distract drivers.”

“Peeta.” She barked his name out to make sure she had his full attention. “Don’t tell me that was the ‘bump’ you were involved in.

The colour blooming in his cheeks answered for him.

“We could have rearranged you know?”

The blush deepened. “I didn’t think I’d ever get another opportunity to take you out.”

Katniss folded her arms across her chest. “I may have a reputation, but I’m not actually that heartless.”

“I didn’t mean that. I meant, well, I’ve been really looking forward to seeing you tonight. That’s all.”

They sat in companionable silence after this small revelation. Both of them busy with their own thoughts and not sure what else to say. Katniss didn’t often get sweet compliments like that. Nobody looked forward to seeing her scowling face.

The show at the museum was fascinating and beautiful too. The ceiling was covered with projections of various solar systems and galaxies. Katniss lost herself as she gazed up at the heavens and rested her head on Peeta’s shoulder. He froze beneath her, holding his breath in fear of spoiling the moment. But she stayed there, the softness of her body leaning into him, until the lights came up, bringing them back down to earth again. Katniss stretched out her limbs, they felt loose for a change, in fact she couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so relaxed. Her hand caught Peeta on the face as she arched back. She span round to apologise but he was grinning, enjoying the rare sight of Katniss with her guard down.

“I enjoyed that, a lot of what she was saying went over my head but it was very interesting,” she babbled a little to cover up the awkward feeling of finding herself so close to Peeta now the lights were back on.

“I’m glad it was ok as a choice for tonight. It’s kind of my thing. I’ve been studying cosmology at Uni.”

Katniss hadn’t expected that. But then again she really didn’t know much about Peeta at all other than he was Delly’s cousin, came from a broken home, and had always been treated as a bit of a joke by the other boys in her class. But that was a long time ago.

“Why did you come back?” Katniss could only imagine this city would have bad memories for Peeta.

His face tensed and she wondered at herself for prying. It wasn’t even like her to show an interest in anybody else’s business. Her own life experience had given her plenty of respect for privacy.

“Nowhere else to go, I guess,” he replied with a shrug, and she let it go.

The auditorium was nearly empty and an elderly security guard was encouraging people to vacate the building so he could lock up for the night.

“Would you like to get something to eat?” Peeta managed to pluck up the courage to ask, not wanting the evening to be over just yet.

Katniss looked at her watch. Already ten o’clock, it was a bit late for eating, but she was hungry.

“O.k.” she allowed, “why not?”

Puzzlingly, Peeta went over to talk to the security guard. She noticed how much easier he looked as they joked about something together. He wasn’t stammering or shrinking into his coat. In fact she couldn’t help noticing that he seemed to fill his clothes out very well when he relaxed.

He looked up at her just as she had this thought, so it was her turn to feel shy as he beckoned her over.

The guard unlocked a door at the back of the theatre that opened into a service area for staff. Peeta dropped coins into a vending machine, choosing some sandwiches and fruit and a couple of cups of hot chocolate, passing the drinks over for Katniss to carry.

“This way,” he took the lead into a lift.

Katniss followed, her heart beating a little faster with the uncertainty of where he was going to take her next.

She watched the buttons light up, one by one as they passed floors 1 to 5, stopping with a judder when they came to the top.

The door opened out onto the roof.

Now it was just the two of them Peeta was nervous again, dropping a sandwich and apologising.

“This was probably a bad idea, there’s nothing up here.”

He was right about that. There was a bench and a plant pot with cigarette ends stubbed into the soil. But Katniss could immediately see the reason for coming up here even if you didn’t smoke. The lights of the city were spread out sparkling before them and the lights of the stars bejewelled the sky above. The sounds of cars floating up from the streets made the city’s music as they passed by before disappearing out into the night air.

She put her hand on Peeta’s to reassure him as they sat down.

“How did you know about this place?”

“I used to spend a lot of time here when I lived with my parents. It was my escape.”

He opened the remaining sandwich for them to share. Maybe it was because she was so hungry, or maybe it was the fresh air, but the bread and cheese tasted better than any vending machine food she had ever had before.

She wandered over to look out at the city, trying to pick out her street from the map of roads below.  It was probably a little over to the east from here she thought and leaned out over the rail to try to see around the corner of the building. As she tilted her body, the stilettos she had chosen to wear when she thought the date would be in a restaurant slipped out from underneath her.

For a second she was falling, the world moved past in a dizzying way, confusing her sense of direction. She knew she had to grab hold of something but her hands were too slow.

And then she was still. Something strong and solid had a hold of her, burying her in its grasp. Looking up, she found herself face to face with Peeta. She gripped onto his neck for dear life, closing her eyes as she glimpsed the sight of her legs dangling with sixty feet of air between her and the ground.

When she dared to look again they were sat back on the bench, Peeta still cradling her in his arms. She clung on, in shock, not wanting to let go. Quietly, he whispered soothing words into her hair, rubbing her arms and fingers until they loosened their hold. She couldn’t quite make sense of what had happened. She had been sure she was going to die, but Peeta had been there. How he had reached her in the second it took to fall she couldn’t fathom.

“How…?” was all she could manage to say.

“Sssh, stop thinking about what might have been. Everything is O.K.”

Words failed her, but she hugged Peeta close, her body thanking him for being there.

“You’re Ok,” he reassured, “but I think it’s time to go.”

Katniss fell asleep on the bus ride home. Peeta wrapped his arm protectively around her shoulder and cursed himself for taking her on the roof and putting her in danger. He’d spoiled everything as always.

In her dream Katniss flew over the city, marvelling at the lights that blurred together as they picked up speed. Peeta carried her in his arms, and although they seemed to be flying without any wings or motor, she felt no fear.

Back on her doorstep, blue eyes and grey danced around each other and feet shuffled.

“Sorry,” Peeta finally spoke, “I guess that’s probably been one of the worst nights of your life.”

Katniss looked up in surprise. She hadn’t been thinking that at all. “No, I’ve definitely had worst dates.”

“Really!” He found that pretty hard to believe.

“Oh yes,” She smiled back at him, “Like when I went out with Gale and I hadn’t even realised it was supposed to be a date until he kissed me.” She shuddered at the memory of how uncomfortable they’d been around each other for a month afterwards.

“Well, I won’t make that mistake,” Peeta took a step backwards.

Katniss reached out for his hand and pulled him back. Before she could think about it too much, she leaned in and kissed him softly on the cheek.

“Shall we give it another go? Next Friday? But I’ll choose what we do this time.”

His smile made her feel like she missed him, even though he was standing there in front of her.

“Next Friday. It’s a date.” The warmth of his lips grazed over her cheek as he gave her a quick farewell hug before turning to go.

Katniss watched as he walked away, the street lights seemed to flicker and glow brighter in turn as he walked past.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she scolded herself. He had saved her life, but she needed to stop getting carried away with this.

With a heavy resolve she lifted her eyes for the first time since her off putting show of briskly marching down the aisle without any grace or decorum as expected. Even though it had been practiced rigorously during rehearsals. Her intentions of not wanting any part of this was as clear then as it was today. The only true reason why she stood up there, donning a bridesmaid dress and exceptionally done make-up was because of her little sister. Primrose’s heartfelt cries to take part bit at her resolve until she finally relented against her better judgment and justified reasons to turn her back.

It also didn’t help to have the pleading blue eyes of the boy who had turned her world upside down watching her every move. The boy who had broken down every wall she had managed to pile up ever since the death of her father. The boy who saved her countless times and without much of a fight, had successfully captured her heart. That same boy who stood on the other side of the altar steps could not keep his eyes off of her even now. Over the brides veil, she caught him peering at her. Katniss knew he must have been trying to get her attention for quite some time. Their eyes locked on each other in a silent communication of emotional turmoil. Everything she was feeling and wanted to say from the bottom of her heart was so clear on his face that she couldn’t take it anymore.

Avoiding his eyes once more, she turned to the audience. The sea of bright faces in attendance, happily staring at the soon to be wedded couple. As much as she wasn’t completely taken with the idea of marriage, the image of the rightful couple would not leave her mind.

And why should it?

They deserved to be up there. Peeta was supposed to be staring at her with eyes full of love and incredible warmth. She was supposed to be the bashful bride with a cool composure yet bursting on the inside with happiness. Because he was hers, and she was his and in her opinion, they deserved to be happy.

Katniss couldn’t help gliding her cold eyes around and unfortunately finding one of the main sources for her trouble happily glued to the spectacle. Once again spiteful blue eyes found her silver orbs and Katniss wanted to wipe the smile from her face with the bouquet. She hated this woman and was sure the feeling was mutual. More than anyone she was starting to realize yet could only count on one hand the amount of times they ever exchanged words. Most encounters were very cool and far from welcoming. After all, what could a merchant and a girl from the seam have anything in common to discuss.

It would be unfair on her part, to blame those she hated on the actions of others. Even if they were the catalyst in forcing a marriage just to keep up appearances and save face after suffering embarrassment when their well bred merchant child fell for some seam trash. The true issue didn’t lie with that woman but she would never not have a day in her life where she wouldn’t hate her.

“May we have the rings…”

Peeta looked at her with heavy eyes and she could see everything he wanted to tell her. Everything he had told her that morning and the days leading up to this moment. Hushed Promises made in the dark of night against swollen lips and warm sweat slick bodies wrapped around each other. His eyes spoke of making true on a promise of stopping this from happening. A promise to choose her no matter what as she promised the same. She bit the inside of her cheek when his hand reached into the inner pocket of his suit but kept herself reined in. The velvet box so tight in his grasp that his knuckles visibly turned white before falling to the floor.

A murmur echoed throughout the church but she could only hear ringing in her ears. She saw him release a shaky breath and level her with panicked eyes. He was as lost as her. Neither knowing what to do or how to proceed. It was a blur before he was standing back in position, the box once more secured in his hands, offering a sheepish smile to the crowd but nothing more. Under normal circumstances, she would expect Peeta to say something in jest for his blunder but this moment was far from normal. If she were to be honest, it was absolute bullshit and unfair. Not even Peeta Mellark and his way with words could ease the true pain of this moment.

At that moment, her control had completely depleted. Any chance of being peaceful and ignorant of the situation had ran its course.

She was done.

With little grace, Katniss snatched up the ends of her dress and marched down the marble steps away from the alter and the nonsense before her.

“Katniss!”

“Kantiss! Wait!”

She heard her name being called but did not stop her movements. Doing her utmost best to ignore the shocked faces and murmuring as she stomped down the aisle. Praying that her tears did not break through before she made it to the outside. Away from all of this.

Coming to a halt in front of her, Katniss couldn’t help but level her with hard eyes and an emotionless tone. The witch looked at her with shock and annoyance but wasn’t prepared for the bouquet to come flying in her face.

“If you truly think this changes the past, I pity you. Your daughter still fucked and ran off with a coal miner. Accept that, grandmother.” she spat vehemently but took extreme satisfaction at the wide eyed expression she received before continuing her escape through the heavy wooded doors. The moment the sunlight hit her skin, she took off as quickly as her tears fell.

Everything became a massive blur as she sped through town. Those that didn’t go to the wedding service staring at her in wonder but she didn’t care and she didn’t stop. Only after bursting through the door of her old house in the seam did she slow down her pace to even out her breathing. Her heart hammering through her chest as she fought picking up something and sending it clear across the room. It was only seconds before she did just that. The porcelain vase shattered to pieces against the wall.

Her scream filled with pain and salted tears echoed as she shook with rage. Hating that this was what she had resorted to. Angry that she didn’t put up a better fight resisting this wedding. Angry that she wouldn’t let Peeta do the same. Angry at her mother and his father for choosing to rehash old feelings even though their respective children were together already.

For the first time in their tumultuous relationship, she did not even hear his normally heavy tread but was not fooled by the touch of his arms embracing her from behind. The feel of his strong hold trapping her against him in hopes that she wouldn’t take flight again or continue her mad tirade.

She wondered why he followed her. Why he wasn’t playing the role of the perfect son and groomsman watching his father wed another who just so happened to be her own mother. A divorced baker and a widow. Two people that had their chance to be together and chose to turn the other way only to come back together just because. The real reason whether it was old flames reignited or mutual partnership, Katniss had no interest of knowing. She only hated that her mother would do this without discussing with herself or Prim. Allowing her merchant family that all but spat at them because she had chosen a man from the seam to comeback in their lives as if nothing happened. As if they didn’t suffer by themselves after her father died. How pathetic she thought Peeta’s father was for falling for the same woman that chose another over him after spending nearly two decades with an abusive and arrogant wife and mother.

She hated them for this.

“Let…Let me go!” she choked out through sobs. Trying in vain to pull herself free but he wouldn’t budge. Only holding her tighter.

“I can’t.” he whispered back softly. “I won’t. I’m tired of letting you go.”

His words hit her hard as she closed her eyes. Eventually her body stopped fighting and relaxed into him. Her fingers touching the roughness of his hands. The torn skin slowly healing from where he had punched the wall from his own outrage at the announcement of the sudden nuptials.

“I hate her.” Katniss cried as more tears fell down her sodden cheeks.

“Don‘t say that,” he tried to soothe her and ease the tension but she would have none of it.

“I will never forgive her for doing this.” Katniss cried shaking her head. Peeta closed his eyes, leaning his chin on her shoulder.

“You don’t have to forgive anything or anyone.” he vowed gently.

“I want to get out of this thing. I want this dress off of me.” she argued turning in his arms to frantically pull at the straps and material. Ripping some places in her haste to remove the garment from her skin. He held her hands after a moment of watching her. His eyes calming as he gently moved behind er to pull the zipper down and help slide the material from her shoulders. The sensation not new to him but still a thorn in his heart. If things hadn’t become what they were, the dress he removed would not have been for a bridesmaid nor a step sister but a dress for a bride and his wife.

Then again, whether the wedding continued after her abrupt departure he wouldn’t know and he didn’t care one way or the other. The moment Katniss took off, he was running right behind her. He only wished that he made the decision to get her out of there faster.

Shaking off the black jacket from his shoulders, he held it open for her to easily slide her hands through but she shook her head. Not even wanting that. She turned to face him then and he could see the darkness in her eyes. The slow predatory steps she took towards him before pushing her body, clad only in her undergarments against his finely pressed dress shirt.

Her hands instantly wrapping around his neck as his own fell to her waist. Already feeling himself reacting to her. Wanting her badly yet being so afraid of the right way to approach her after their last rough encounter filled with desperation and a consuming need the night before.

“I want to forget,” she breathed against his lips. Peeta closed his eyes at her touch and lips ghosting over his own before leading a trail from his chin to his throat.

“Help me forget,” she begged pulling at him desperately. He swallowed hard trying to control the situation.

“It won’t change anything…” he tried to argue but she shook her head.

“I don’t care. I just want to be with you.”

“Katniss…”

“Marry me then.” she said quickly. Effectively cutting off anything he intended to say. His eyes widened and she knew he was recalling the night he asked her to marry him and she had refused citing that they had all the time in the world and no need to rush. “ The same night they were given the bombshell of another engagement.

“Just…Please, don’t let them take you from me…” she pleaded with a tearful glint in her eyes. Her fear of losing him and what they had so evident. And they almost came close to it even though they both knew that today would not have kept them away from each other for too long. No matter what, they always found their way back to each other. Still, the days events was just a little too close for comfort even with the few weeks of preparing their hearts to no avail.

“Look at me,” he said cupping her face in his hands. When their eyes locked he didn’t hold back. “I don’t care what they do. They made their decision and we will make ours. You’re still the girl I have wanted to be with all my life and nothing will change that. I have every intention to marry you, Katniss Everdeen.”

A single tear fell from her eyes and down her cheek and his thumb rubbed it away.

“So is that a yes? You will stay with me?” she asked nervously. Hoping that he wouldn’t turn her away. Hating how weak she sounded but her heart had been through enough to last her a lifetime that she didn’t care. Her walls could crash and burn for Peeta.

His lips slowly pulled into a grin making her heart flutter.

“You don’t even have to ask but since you did, yes and always.”

This time she couldn’t help but smile. For the first time that day she realized and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her lips.

“I love you.” she breathed leaning her forehead against his. Wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

At her admission he moved his hands to frame both sides of her face, leaning back to peer at her with a wide smile before wasting no time closing the little space between them. His mouth molding over her own. Sealing any and all promises with eager insistence. He could taste the salt from her tears but kept her close to him. Hoping that his kiss told her everything she needed to know about his love for her and putting to rest any doubt ever since this incident sprung up at them. Her fingers slid through his hair to keep his head in lined with her own. The warmth of his mouth with the tinge of something sweet on his tongue making her need for him greater. Her need to be with him stronger than anything she had ever felt. She could not give him up and she wouldn‘t.

With a sigh she moved from the front door into the kitchen, squeezing her way past the table that she had just about managed to fit into the tiny space, to see what her husband thought about it. And also to ask him whether he had even remotely seen this coming.

Peeta stood with his back towards her, the muscles in his arm flexing slightly as he sliced through a loaf of bread for their usual Saturday breakfast. Katniss cleared her throat. “Hey, did you know about this?”

He stopped slicing and turned around, running a hand through his hair before he took the card from her outstretched hand. She saw his eyes widen the second they clocked the words ‘Mellark-Undersee.’ “Holy shit.”

“I take that as a no?”

“Yeah that would be a no. Wow.” Peeta did exactly what she had done a few minutes earlier and traced the lettering with his fingertip before letting out a low whistle. “That’s one expensive looking invite. And the reception is being held at the Undersee Mansion? Shit. I bet mom is swinging from the curtains.”

Katniss snorted. The image of prissy Virginia Mellark swinging from anything amusing her. “Don’t you think it’s a little….soon? I mean they’ve only been seeing each other six months and I know they joked about getting married but I really thought they were joking. Or that they would at least wait a few years.”

Peeta shrugged. “I’m used to Rye going full pelt into everything. Sure, I never thought that would include marriage but they seem happy and they’re both adult’s so what’s the harm?”

“I guess.”

“Hey.” He put the invitation down and took a step towards her. “What’s going on?”

It was her turn to shrug. “Nothing. I just don’t deal well with surprises obviously.”

Peeta pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her body and chuckled into her hair. “Tell me something I don’t know. At the very least we get to have a free five course meal with dancing and drinks at the Undersee Mansion, that’s got to be fun right? I love a wedding.” He pulled away, winked and kissed her on the nose before going back to their breakfast.

She stared down at the invitation. “Yeah. Fun. Of course.”

Two days later she managed to catch up with the woman of the hour. Katniss called Madge to offer her congratulations and after half an hour of excited squealing, solely from Madge, they arranged to meet up for brunch.

“Just an orange juice for me thank you.”

“Oh Katniss! It’s a celebration, have the champagne! I’m paying if you’re worried?”

“No no it’s not that. I just don’t understand how anyone can drink at eleven in the morning.”

Madge giggled. “It’s an engagement celebration brunch, drinking champagne is acceptable at every point.”

“I’ll just stick with the orange juice.”

When their drinks arrived they toasted to the upcoming nuptials, glasses chinking delicately against each other. Katniss spied the large diamond in its platinum setting on Madge’s finger and went to reach for her own pearl engagement ring finding comfort in its familiar shape. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling out of place in the super white, super perfect Coriolanus restaurant.

Madge was practically bouncing on her chair as she went over the wedding plans. “I know six weeks isn’t a long time to organise anything, and gosh Katniss there is so much to organise! Rye isn’t one for planning anything but luckily I have my mom. And Ginny is really keen to help out which is nice. I’ve basically given her the entire ceremony and reception floral arrangements to sort out and –“

“Wait a second. Ginny?”

“Yeah, that’s just what Gin – Virginia told me to call her now. I didn’t think she was keen on nicknames but –“and at that Katniss felt her stomach drop. She knew she wasn’t the Mellark matriarch’s first choice, or any choice for that matter, for her baby boy but it still stung.

The history between the Mellark’s and Undersee’s stretched back to when Peeta and Madge dated. In fact that was how Peeta and Katniss were set up. Madge and Peeta were long over and still on very friendly terms when Madge suggested to Katniss that her and Peeta would be perfect for each other. After a lot of cajoling from Madge, Katniss had agreed to a date. And then agreed that Madge was right.

But this was new. The nicknames and the floral arrangements. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise as Virginia had apparently been devastated when Peeta and Madge broke up all those years ago. She had also expressed borderline devastation when Peeta introduced the very non-pale, non-blonde, non-wealthy Katniss to the family. It was a mission in Virginia Mellark’s life to get her son married to Madge Undersee. It seemed that she didn’t care what son.

“Sometimes Katniss I think you and Peeta did it right. Just the two of you running into the sunset together with your sister and your grumpy uncle as witnesses. I look at the pictures of you both having your wedding picnic and I just think-“

“Madge.” Katniss winced, feeling bad that she was interrupting her friend. “Can I ask you a question? I mean it was a surprise when you started dating Rye and you both seem very happy but this is very quick and well I was wondering…what about Gale?”

To her credit Madge didn’t look upset but just nodded, her blonde curls bouncing around her face. “I know, I know. I mean I’ve known Rye for years, from back when I was seeing Peeta obviously, and I didn’t think of him as anything more than my boyfriend’s horny older brother. But he’s not like that anymore and when he came back from travelling we got talking and just clicked. I feel like I’m old enough to know when it’s ‘the one’ and this is it. Didn’t you feel that way with Peeta?”

Katniss swallowed from her glass of orange juice and managed a quick imperceptible nod. She didn’t like openly discussing her emotions, always felt a bit embarrassed at conveying how strongly she felt but she remembered the moment. It was just him and her one morning in bed. The soft light streaming in the window and the curtain was moving, ever so slightly, in the cool breeze. There was something about the way the light lit him from behind, making his hair gold and his skin glow and he reached for while laughing at a joke she made. All she could think of was how she loved the way his eyes crinkled and how long his lashes were and it was that moment that she knew she was tied up in him forever.

She gave Madge a simple yes.

“I’m also so excited Katniss that we basically get to be sisters! I mean you’re my best friend and now we’re going to be related.” Madge reached one manicured hand across to Katniss’s chapped one and squeezed it tightly, her eyes shimmering slightly. “I’ve always wanted a sister and I can’t think of a better one to have. The Mellark boys and their wives! All we need to do is get Graham married off and it’s a full set!”

Katniss smiled at that, the joke was that the Mellark children seemed to do things in reverse order, starting from Peeta, before moving to the middle boy Rye and then the eldest, Graham. Not wanting to spoil the fun but knowing she needed to ask, Katniss went for it. “Have you spoken to Gale?”

“Yeah. I let him know before we sent the invite’s out. I didn’t want him finding out from someone else.”

“How did he take it?”

“Silently.”

Katniss laughed. Gale was one for portraying the silent, brooding type but give him the opportunity and the angry ranting often won out in the end. “Well you both ended it amicably. He’s probably just a bit shocked at the timescale.”

Madge took a sip of her champagne, the rock on her finger sparkling in the chandelier light. “He had opportunity to commit, he never took it. Besides I think he spent a long portion of our relationship pining after someone else.”

And there was the other element of the slightly incestuous relationship square. At the same time Peeta and Madge were dating so were Katniss and Gale, except Katniss shut down her relationship a lot sooner into it. After a lengthy period of silent treatment Gale finally accepted the situation and they worked their way back to being friends. Something that had continued quite harmoniously until Katniss and Peeta went public. Then it was more silent treatment and two years of him dating Madge before he could even attend social events with the pair of them. It was only recently that he even referred to Peeta by his name rather than ‘Mellark,’ or prior to that, ‘bread boy.’

“Gale didn’t pine. He was never that upset over our relationship ending, I think his pride was hurt more than anything.”

Madge nodded. “I think it was the same with us. I think he was more surprised that I’d enough of his bullshit and called time on it.” She giggled at something. “He was quite silent when I told him about the engagement though but when the shock settled he did get rather annoyed.”

“Did he rant?”

“Oh yes! And guess what he said?” Madge deepened her voice and squared her shoulders in her best impression. “This is twice now that I’ve lost a girlfriend to one of the Mellark’s. What have they got dicks made of chocolate and wine or something?” She laughed. “I don’t know, both you and I only entered into relationships with Peeta and Rye after we were with Gale and in your case way after!”

“I think he will always have an issue. I’ll accept civility. Anyway I’m sorry I bought it up. We should be talking floral arrangements or whatever it is ‘Ginny’ is helping you with.”

“Well I’m glad you’ve said that as I may have some wedding brochures with me.” And at that Madge reached into her bag and pulled out a wedding planning book and a stack of brochures, flagging down the waiter and signalling for more drinks. “I want to talk to you about hair.”

Katniss automatically reached for the end of her braid, curling it around her finger. The stack of brochure looming ominously on the table. She could see words such as ‘ice sculpture,’ ‘chocolate fountain’ and ‘horse drawn carriage’ and she swallowed heavily. “Great. Sounds great.”

It wasn’t great. It was all far from great. Madge wasn’t a bridezilla but she wanted a lot and as the wedding date was slowly approaching – two weeks and counting – there was a lot to do. Katniss had the distinctive honour of being chief bridesmaid and had promised Madge that she would do whatever she could to help.

That particular Saturday was the worst. Foregoing her and Peeta’s usual Saturday routine had put her in a foul mood but he had to head into the bakery early to lead the creative team on the five tier wedding cake with white and gold decoration, the groom’s cake, a separate bridal cake and individual cupcakes for 200 guests. So there was no time for him to bake, let alone eat, bread with her that morning.

When she had looked through the planning book for the Mellark-Undersee cake extravaganza she couldn’t help but think back to her and Peeta’s wedding cake. A simple one tier Victoria sponge with buttercream filling and the most delicate sugar work in flowers and leaves on top. It wasn’t much but it was beautiful however Katniss couldn’t help but wonder if Peeta had wanted to make something more opulent for his own wedding.

She didn’t have time to dwell though. Her own day was busy. Final dress fittings for the bride and her eight bridesmaids had kept them busy until the early hours of the afternoon and lunch was canapes and champagne, of which Katniss ignored the champagne and picked on the canapes avoiding the ones with soft cheese. Unfortunately as they made up the majority by the times the fittings were over Katniss felt tired and hungry.

After the fittings she had the list of final bridal items to collect; the ceremony shoes, the reception shoes, the going away evening outfit, the tiara, the bridal underwear, her own underwear for her bridesmaid dress and finally the wedding jewellery that Madge would be wearing.

Finally, when she was done Katniss headed home and collapsed on the bed. The mass amounts of shopping bags taking up the space in their small home. She must have fallen asleep because when she woke Peeta was standing in their bedroom closing the curtains against the darkening sky. “Shit.” She sat up and rubbed her eyes. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

“Hey.” He sat on the bed and tucked a loose hair from her braid back behind her ear cupping her jaw with his hand. “How was your day?”

“Crappy. How was yours?”

He stroked his thumb across her cheek. “Crappy. You look pale. Have you eaten?”

“Not really.”

“I’ll take a shower and make us some dinner.” Peeta yawned. “Sorry. It’s been ridiculous. I never thought I’d say this but I hate weddings.”

“A few weeks ago you weren’t saying that. You love weddings remember?”

He chuckled and laid back on the bed. “I did say that didn’t I? Ok I take it back. I love weddings when I don’t have to bake enough cakes to feed the continent. And ours. Ours was pretty good.” Peeta yawned again, his eyes blinking once and closing.

Katniss leaned over him, watching as his chest rose and fell as he started to fall into sleep. She reached across and stroked his hair. “Yeah ours was pretty good.”

The Mellark-Undersee wedding was also pretty good. It wasn’t Katniss’ style but it was definitely in Madge’s and Rye seemed to be gloriously happy as long as his wife was gloriously happy. Which she was. She was also gloriously beautiful and Katniss had to try her hardest to not burst into happy tears at several points during proceedings. Madge’s blonde hair was swept into an elegant French chignon twist and her off-the-shoulder lace mermaid gown hugged her figure in all the right places. Rye couldn’t keep his eyes off her.

Peeta managed to sneak over to Katniss after the vows to tell her that he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. She blushed as he planted a quick kiss to her bare shoulder, ignoring the disapproving glance of Virginia Mellark, and grabbed him by his tie to pull him closer, pressing her lips hard against his.

“I love you.”

He grinned at her, smiling so wide his cheeks must have hurt. “I love you too. See, everyone loves a wedding.”

“You weren’t saying that a few weeks ago.”

“Listen Mrs. Mellark, stop remembering everything I say.” He winked at her. “It all came good in the end. Not as good as ours though.”

“True. But I hear there is good food. And dancing.”

“We had great food and we danced.”

Katniss blushed at that. “Well if you could even call it dancing.” After their vows in the small church with Prim and Haymitch as witnesses, all four went to the local park, ate picnic food and wedding cake and drank champagne until they fell over with giggles. In the evening Katniss and Peeta stayed in a one bed cabin they rented by a lake and stood, pressed against each other as tightly as possible, swaying to music they played from Peeta’s iPod.

“Oh it was dancing. And I’m definitely getting you on the dance floor later.”       

After an hour and a half of schmoozing at the drinks reception, with Katniss wishing she could take off her shoes and nap, followed by the five course dinner and speeches (Peeta’s best man speech being the best of course) there was finally the dancing. She watched as the bride and groom performed their first dance and wiped her eye which seemed to be misting up again before her own husband appeared by her side with two glasses of champagne.

“You ok?”

“Yeah, I just have something in my eye.”

He gave her a look. “Fine, fine I was feeling a little overcome. I know I thought they were moving quite quickly but they do really love each other. They were both so happy when we got married and so I just needed to remind myself how happy I should be for them.”

Peeta handed her a glass. “Let’s toast to that. To their happiness. And ours.” He took a sip from the glass while Katniss held onto hers.

“There is something else though.”

Peeta paused. “Oh?”

“I think I was feeling a little, well jealous, as to all the money that they could spend on their wedding. I know ours wasn’t expensive and sometimes I worry that you missed out on all the expensive, extravagant things because of me.”

“Katniss no. Never.” Peeta put his glass down and placed his hands on her shoulders, rubbing his thumbs lightly across her skin. “First of all I would do whatever you want to make you happy and secondly this isn’t me either. I love our Saturday tea and toast breakfasts, I love getting in the Sunday papers while you go on hikes, and I love our wonky home and holidays to see Prim at college. I loved our wedding so much but it isn’t about the wedding, it’s about the marriage and if we could measure wealth in happiness then dammit we would be millionaires.”

She rolled her eyes but smiled at him to show she didn’t mean it. “You’re so cheesy.”

“Yes I am. So are my buns.”

“Oh stop.”

“I can’t help it. I’m so bun-y.”

Katniss groaned. “No really please stop.”

“I just curr-ant.”

She ignored that one. “There is also something else.” There was a pause as she looked at her, waiting for her to continue. “I was also thinking of all the money that Madge was spending on the wedding and how it could be spent on other things. Things that we would need.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Like a crib. Or a pram. Or breast pumps and diapers. I don’t know.” Katniss paused and looked at him, making a point of putting down her untouched champagne.

“Katniss.” His breath hitched in his throat. “I need you to say it. I’m getting excited here but I need you to say it.”

“Peeta.”

“Yes?”

“I’m pregnant.”

Because, and she quoted, ‘they were sisters now’ and because Prim was having to study for her finals it was Madge that hosted Katniss’s baby shower. Katniss wanted it to be small, family and close friends only. No stupid baby games, no baby themed cakes and no mass pile of presents. Madge had agreed, whatever it was that Katniss wanted, Katniss got.

Here they were in the Mellark bakery, a closed sign on the door, with hot and cold drinks being passed around along with cheese buns and cupcakes. Katniss happily chatting with all those who mattered to her. And Virginia.

Rye and Graham who were so ecstatic at becoming uncles and couldn’t get over how big her bump was getting kept making sure her drink was re-filled and that she had a full plate of food. Prim who flew back for the weekend couldn’t stop touching the bump to feel the baby move and Madge who made Katniss cry by buying her a pram that she had her eye on but couldn’t afford. The pram that was suitable for use in the woods.

Virginia wasn’t being too bad. Being told that Katniss and Peeta were expecting her first grandchild wasn’t the disappointing bombshell that Katniss thought it might have been. Instead she was bragging to anyone who would listen about how her first grandchild would be arriving in a month and waving the ultrasound picture in their faces.

As Katniss stood and watched her do that to Haymitch, Peeta came over resting his hand on her belly. “Having fun?”

“Yes. I am.”

He bent down to her stomach. “And you baby? Are you having fun?”

Katniss laughed. “Oh I think so.”

“And do we think Gale is having fun?”

They both looked over to where Gale was currently talking to Prim, listening to her tell him about her upcoming exams.

“Yeah. I think he is. He was slightly awkward around Rye earlier but I think he got over it. I think his new girlfriend helps.”

“Yeah she seems really nice, a real creative type.”

Katniss nodded in agreement. Gale had asked if he could invite his new girlfriend of five months to the shower as he wanted her to meet Katniss and she was happy to say yes. Cressida was an attractive woman with half her hair shaved showing off a beautiful green vine tattoo. It was very much a talking point, with Virginia being half horrified while the remaining Mellark’s loving the creative side of it. Katniss had even had a wonderful conversation with Cressida about her job as a wildlife photographer and decided that she liked her very much.

Gale took that moment to wonder over to them both. “Hey Catnip.” He bent forward and kissed her cheek. “Peeta.” He submitted a cursory nod and at least, Katniss thought, that was progress. “It’s a nice set up here. You’re both looking well.”

“Thanks man.” That was Peeta being courteous. “Thanks for coming. It means a lot to Katniss.”

Gale nodded. “It’s cool. So have you both met Cressida?”

They both nodded at the same time. “Oh yes,” Katniss said with enthusiasm. “She’s lovely.”

“I like to think so. Not too sure where she is at the moment though. She was working the crowd.” Gale started to look around the bakery. “Can’t see her at the moment.”

There was a moment’s pause before Peeta quietly spoke. “Erm, she’s over in the corner by the pastries. Looks like she’s speaking with Graham.”

They all turned to look and there by the eclairs was the eldest Mellark brother, his eyes looking enraptured by the woman in front of him. Cressida was enthusiastically nodding at something he was saying, stepping closer to hear better, her eyes staring intensely back at his face.