The problem, Katniss decided, was that Peeta had gotten hot.
He had always been attractive, technically. Katniss could admit that now. The blond curls, the blue eyes, the broad shoulders from hauling sacks of flour around since childhood.
But after the war, something happened.
It was deeply inconvenient.
He'd regained the weight he'd lost in the Capitol and then some. Years of rebuilding the bakery had put muscle back across his shoulders and arms. He kept his hair shorter now. His jaw had sharpened with age.
Katniss didn't understand the leg.
Obviously, she'd known about the prosthetic since the first Games. She'd watched him learn to use it.
But sometime around twenty-four, Peeta had stopped trying to disguise his limp.
The result was an irritating sort of confidence that Katniss hadn't been prepared for.
Unfortunately, neither had the female population of Panem.
Katniss first became aware of the problem in District Four.
They were there for Annie's birthday.
Peeta had gone to buy bread because, according to Peeta, District Four bakers did something interesting with sea salt and he wanted to investigate.
He returned forty minutes later.
Katniss looked up from the porch.
Annie, sitting beside Katniss, covered a smile.
Katniss narrowed her eyes.
Peeta's ears turned pink.
"The baker wanted to talk."
Annie made a suspicious choking noise behind her.
"What kind of questions?"
"I didn't ask if anything happened."
Peeta kissed her forehead.
Katniss remained suspicious.
The next morning, the baker sent a loaf to Annie's house.
It happened again in the Capitol.
Katniss hated the Capitol anyway, so this was simply another reason.
They'd been invited to some reconstruction anniversary neither of them wanted to attend.
Peeta wore a dark blue suit.
That was mistake number one.
Mistake number two was rolling up his sleeves after dinner.
Katniss watched it happen from across the room.
One woman approached him.
Within fifteen minutes, Peeta was surrounded.
Johanna appeared beside her.
Katniss didn't look away.
Peeta laughed at something a brunette said.
The brunette touched his arm.
"Oh, this is going to be fun."
"What's going to be fun?"
The brunette touched Peeta again.
Johanna followed immediately.
"Absolutely not missing this."
The brunette looked at Katniss.
It wasn't a particularly friendly smile.
The brunette returned her attention to him.
Katniss slipped her hand into Peeta's.
The brunette glanced down.
Peeta squeezed Katniss's fingers.
The woman continued talking.
She put her other hand on his chest.
Johanna was openly laughing behind them now.
The brunette finally seemed to understand.
The woman excused herself.
Katniss watched her leave.
Then she looked at the other two women.
Katniss turned toward him.
"Are you marking your territory?"
"Because you practically climbed me."
"Do you want her touching you?"
That took some of the wind out of her.
Johanna leaned between them.
"For the record, this is disgusting."
District Seven was worse.
Peeta took off his shirt.
Katniss almost killed him herself.
They were helping rebuild a community hall. It was summer. It was hot.
Katniss still felt betrayed.
Peeta pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it onto a fence.
Three women stopped working.
One of them walked directly into a wheelbarrow.
Katniss picked up his shirt and walked over.
"That's why I took it off."
Then understanding dawned.
Katniss's mouth fell open.
The bastard actually smirked.
"I'm going to shoot you."
"That's not very romantic."
Katniss shoved the shirt against his chest.
Behind her, someone giggled.
Three women abruptly became very interested in lumber.
Peeta was biting his lip.
"You know what you're doing."
Peeta looked down at himself.
Katniss forgot what she was angry about for approximately four seconds.
Peeta laughed against her hair.
The worst incident happened at home.
Katniss had assumed District 12 was safe.
Everyone knew they were together.
Everyone knew Katniss had a bow.
Apparently none of these facts were sufficiently discouraging.
She walked into the bakery one afternoon and found a woman leaning across the counter.
Very far across the counter.
Peeta stood on the other side.
She was young. Pretty. Probably visiting from District Two.
Peeta looked suspiciously innocent.
Katniss looked at the woman.
"I was asking Peeta about his buns."
The woman lasted approximately three seconds.
Peeta made a strangled noise.
The woman bought six rolls she clearly didn't want and fled.
Katniss waited until the door closed.
Katniss smacked him with a dish towel.
"Women are throwing themselves at you."
"She practically climbed over the counter."
"She wanted your *buns*."
Katniss threw the towel at his head.
Then he came around the counter.
Katniss crossed her arms.
Peeta stopped in front of her.
"You know I don't care, right?"
She reluctantly looked at him.
"I could have every woman in Panem throwing herself across this counter—"
"Don't say things like that."
"—and I'd still want you."
Katniss's expression softened.
When he pulled away, she caught the front of his shirt and kissed him again.
"You're still too attractive."
"Not sure what you want me to do about that."
"I don't know. Get an ugly haircut."
"Grow a terrible mustache."
"Stop taking your shirt off in public."
Peeta kissed the tip of her nose.
Her eyes traveled downward.
Peeta whispered, "Be nice."
The woman approached the counter.
"I've seen your photographs."
"I haven't done anything."
The woman smiled at Peeta.
"You're even better looking in person."
Peeta caught her around the waist.
"Thank you," he said quickly.
The woman finally noticed Katniss.
Peeta's arm tightened around her.
The woman bought her bread and left.
Peeta waited until the door shut.
Then he buried his face against Katniss's shoulder.
Katniss tried to stay angry.
It lasted maybe two seconds.
Peeta's eyebrows shot up.
Katniss immediately turned away.
He caught her around the waist.
"You absolutely did not say nothing."
"Have you been objectifying me this entire time?"
Katniss grabbed the nearest loaf.
He disappeared into the kitchen laughing.
Outside the bakery window, two women stopped to watch Peeta run past.
Katniss pointed the loaf at them.
Peeta's laughter echoed from the kitchen.
The problem with Peeta Mellark, Katniss decided, was definitely that he'd gotten hot.
