Seasons of Everlark

Katniss tries to make herself smaller than she already is as she hurries down the aisle, all the while avoiding the eyes of her fellow passengers. There’s something unnerving about trying to find the right seat while others watch—usually with suspicion and a wary eye.

Flopping into her seat, she glances sideways at the man next to her. He’s handsome but clearly uninterested in talking to her. With an internal shrug, she pulls her water from her bag and settles in for the flight.

“Excuse me,” says a voice in the aisle, “I think you’re in my seat.”

For a split second, Katniss has no idea that the woman in the aisle is speaking to her. When she realizes, she flushes bright red and digs her boarding pass out of her pocket to check the seat assignment. Realizing she’s read it incorrectly, she flushes from embarrassment at having sat down on the wrong side of the aisle. Muttering her apology, she scrambles to gather her belongings and plops into the seat across from where she was just sitting.

“Now you’re in my seat,” another woman announces.

Trying desperately not to sink into the floor, Katniss checks her boarding pass again and is horrified to realize that, not only has she sat down on the wrong side of the plane, she’s also in the wrong aisle. Mumbling a profuse apology, she finally sinks into the correct seat and shoves her belongings into place as her face flames and skin crawls.

“Are you sure this is your seat?”

The low rumble of her seatmate’s voice washes over her, and she raises her head to fix a steely gaze on him. Fully prepared to shoot a sarcastic barb his way, Katniss almost swallows her tongue at the sight of the man next to her. Broad shoulders and thick thighs matched with wavy blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes make her mouth water, and she has to work hard to be sure her mouth doesn’t gape open widely.

“Oh, God. Am I wrong again?” she finally manages to sputter as her heart sinks. There’s only so much humiliation a person can take before spontaneously combusting.

A bark of laughter answers her question before the beautiful vision reassures her, “No, I don’t think so. I’m sorry. That was a poorly timed joke. I’m Peeta, by the way.”

For a moment, she wonders if she should offer her hand to shake, but it’s not needed when the two of them are pressed together in the tiny confines of a small plane. Peeta’s trunk-like thigh presses against her much smaller one, and his arm rests next to hers. The sheer force of his smile is almost blinding, and she can’t help but gulp when his eyes flit down to her mouth.

“Katniss,” she sputters after several long seconds of her staring at him. “I’m Katniss.”

“What an unusual name.”

Before she can think, she blurts, “I’m named after a potato.”

Peeta blinks at her for several seconds before nodding slowly. “I see.”

Ducking her head, she berates herself silently for sounding like a total moron. It only takes her a split second to make a decision, and she tugs her wallet free and flips it open to grab a business card. Thrusting it at him, she attempts to defend herself.

“I’m really not an idiot,” she insists. “I know I’ve given you nothing but a terrible idea of who I am in the past few minutes, but you can see from my business card that I’m a fairly intelligent responsible person.”

As he studies the card she’s handed him, his eyebrows raise as he scans the information. Eventually, he nods and squeaks, “Well, your degree and job title seem to support that. I’m impressed.”

Determined to keep him interested and improve his image of her, she launches into a humorous story about collecting soil samples that ends with him giggling silently until his ears burn bright pink from trying to stay quiet. The flight passes quickly as they chat, and it’s not long before the fasten seatbelt sign is illuminated and the plane begins its descent.

“Is this home?” he asks as they land and taxi on the runway.

With a quick shake of her head, she realizes she’s running out of time, and the little flutter in her chest is enough to make her want to extend their time together. “No, I’m just connecting here. How about you?”

“Connecting through to Pittsburgh. Headed home for my parent’s anniversary.”

“Ah. Nashville. Sister’s birthday,” she explains.

As they gather their possessions and wait for the passengers seated toward the front of the aircraft to deplane, Peeta leans over and murmurs quietly, “You know, if you missed your plane, we’d have more time to talk.”

A wide smile spreads over her face, but she knows that’s not something she can afford to do. Her baby sister is waiting, and she can’t disappoint Prim. Still, there’s something about this guy, and she doesn’t want to let Peeta go. Unfortunately, there’s no choice if she wants to get home without spending a night at the airport. After a quick hug and a wave goodbye, she trudges to her gate and straight onto the plane that’s already begun boarding by the time she gets there.

Rain pounded down around them, but Peeta didn’t care. Angrier than he’d ever been, he fumed as Katniss smirked at him, and it took everything in him not to say something even worse than he’d allowed himself over the past several months. How he’d fallen for her so completely when he was a callous bastard who refused to let anyone close was beyond him. Still, there was nothing to be said except that he had. He loved Katniss Everdeen with every fiber of his being, and nothing about the cold rain pouring from the silver sky that matched the perfect hue of her eyes did anything to cool his ardor.

“Don’t push me, Mr. Mellark,” Katniss snapped at him, despite their physical distance.

He knew what she meant because he’d been poking at her all day with his careless words and loose tongue. Instead of explaining that his poor behavior was a result of his affection for her, he’d allowed her to believe that she held little interest for him, even though there could be nothing further from the truth. If he kept goading, he risked the very real possibility that she’d walk away, and he’d lose the love of his life forever. Fury drained from him in an instant, and he regrouped quickly so as not to threaten his own happiness.

“My dear Miss Everdeen, I’m not pushing,” he admitted, his voice softer than it had been just moments prior. “I’m not doing anything but hoping you’ll let me touch you. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I’m asking for it anyway.”

Obviously, his words threw her for a loop as she started to retort and stopped in confusion. A little line of uncertainty emerged in her forehead, and his fingers twitched to reach up and brush it away. If he was honest, his entire body yearned for hers. He no longer had the luxury of prodding at her to gain a reaction.

“Why would you want that?” she asked, clearly flabbergasted. Her beautiful eyes sparkled as rivulets of rainwater trailed down her flushed cheeks, and he couldn’t help himself. With no other choice than to give into his deepest desires, he reached forward and brushed his fingertips over the swell of her cheek.

Her skin was cold under his touch, but he was burning with desire. Before she could jerk back from him or express her displeasure, he leaned forward and captured her mouth with his. Heat flooded through him as her lips moved under his, and he tugged her deftly against his body until he could feel her straining bosom against his rain-soaked chest. Her fingers clutched his sodden clothing, and she strained onto her tiptoes to kiss him back more fully. In seconds, he was hard and thick in his breeches as he captured her moan in his mouth.

Water fell from the sky in thick sheets, and he broke the kiss only to grab her hand and tug her into the forest. She was shivering when he came to a stop in a thicket with an impenetrable canopy that remained relatively dry.

“Miss Everdeen, I’m so sor—”

“You never stop talking. Shut up, Mr. Mellark. Shut up, and get back to warming me up.”

Fisting his jacket, she tore it over his shoulders and made quick work of his cravat. Desperate for her touch, he arched into her hands and fumbled with the stays on her dress. The clothing fell to the forest floor until she stood before him in nothing but the briefest slip of wet silk clinging to her curves and outlining the peaks of her nipples. Dragging her against him, he reveled in the way her body molded to his and the warmth of her skin against his.

“My affections are yours,” he murmured against her skin as he went to his knees. She followed quickly, and then they came together.

The feel of her gripping him, the slide of him inside her, the way her eyelids dropped closed as he trailed his lips along her neck, her moaning in his ear, the slickness between her legs, his body shaking as he emptied himself into her was all too much. She was too much, but he wanted all of it.

Stunned, he sucked in shuddering breaths with her head resting on his chest. Terrified that he’d upset her, he waited until she lifted her face to his. Shining eyes met his, and he smiled tentatively at her.

“I fear you’ll have to marry me, Mr. Mellark,” she said softly. “Unless you’re planning to make a fool of me. If so, please allow me to leave first and make my way back to Panem Manor on my own.”

Heart bursting, he drew her into another kiss that was ruined only by the wide smile on his lips. “If you’ll have me, I’ll be the happiest man alive, Miss Everdeen.”

Besotted and smiling from ear to ear, Peeta helped Katniss back into her soaked clothing and took her hand in his. Carefully picking his way to the manor house, he allowed his mind to wander with promises of the joys of marriage with his intended. Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t see Finnick Odair, a vain peacock and his best friend, until he and Katniss entered the foyer and glanced at each other with flushed cheeks and affection.

“What do we have here?” Finnick crowed, and Katniss blushed deeply. “Got lost in the rain? You’re both looking a little disheveled. What will the others think?”

“That we’re to be married,” Peeta answered quickly and firmly, leaving no doubt of his intentions. The gratitude on Katniss’ face almost broke his heart. Did she really doubt him that much—even after what had transpired between them in the forest?

“Married? What wonderful news!”

Katniss scaled the apple tree in the back of the bakery. She sneezed consecutively, feeling awful. She wanted nothing more than to be in the arms of one person in the district that could make her feel better.

Climbing the tree, she lost her footing and lost a slipper. “Oh well,” she muttered as she pushed her aching muscles up the tree. The sleep syrup and the medicinal tea Prim forced her to take made everything wobbly and distorted.

Katniss was determined to get to her boy with the bread, one Peeta Mellark.

Peeta and she had gotten closer during an air raid before the 74th Hunger Games. They had spent several days in the reinforced bunker at the school, unable to get out. They slept in each other’s arms, shared food, and got to know one another.

Unbeknownst to District Twelve, District Eight led a rebellion under the leadership of the newly voted President Paylor. They managed to win the hearts of District Two. Once Two became part of the rebellion it was only a matter of time before the other Districts fell in line. With Transportation and Power in their grasp, they attacked the Capitol.

District Twelve, being the poorest of all the districts and the furthest outlying district, had no clue what was going on in the rest of the country. It wasn’t until the Capitol bombed the districts in a last-ditch effort did District 12 learn about the rebellion. Once the raids stopped, they crawled out of the basement to a new world.

President Snow died during the bombing of the Capitol, and without his leadership, the Capitol crumbled and quickly gave up.

It was suddenly a new era. Everything that came before ended. Tesserae was freely given to stop hunger and not for slips in a bowl. With the old system gone, Katniss had to readjust her way of thinking. There had been a price, the Mayor’s mansion was bombed and sweet Madge didn’t make it; she’d been home sick. Had she gone to school there was no doubt Madge would’ve survived. Peeta lost his older brother Wheaton and his wife. Delly lost her brother Terry and Gale lost Vick, both had been playing hooky from school.

But for the most part, the District survived and now two years later the District thrived.

Katniss discovered that she could daydream. She could finally want things for the first time in her life that had nothing to do with survival. One of those things was her boy with the bread.

They banded together closer so much so that either he snuck into her home or she’d sneak into his window. Tonight Katniss was cranky, tired, and feverish. She couldn’t rest in her own bed, not without him. So she’d waited until her sister and mother left in an emergency then she took off to be with Peeta.

Katniss made her way into town dressed in her house slippers, flannel pajama bottoms she’d stolen from Peeta, and one of his comfy wide shirts. She wore a gray sweater because she was cold. Climbing the tree had been a feat. Had she the wherewithal to resist the temptation, she should have stayed home. But her drive was to feel his solid arms around her and breathe in his calming scent.

When she got to the window it was closed, but she didn’t notice and bumped her head. “OWWWW,” she cried, rubbing her head.

Katniss sat on the branch perplexed as to why the window was closed. It was unfathomable that the window was closed. Katniss frowned, “it’s open, always,” she muttered.

Her mother and sister often complained that when Katniss wasn’t feeling well, she turned into the biggest baby who had no sense whatsoever. Her mother described it as giving a stick of lit dynamite to a drunk. No good could come of it. Katniss peered at the window and noticed the curtains were drawn. Through her blurry vision, she could see the silhouette of two people. One of them she recognized as Peeta’s.

Katniss reached out and knocked on the window. “Peewa,” she said as she sneezed and proceeded to cough.

“What is that?” The sound of his mother’s annoying voice could be heard from the other side. Muriel Mellark always sounded like she was yelling at people. Katniss was too far gone to realize the woman was in Peeta’s room.

“Nothing, it could be a squirrel or some animal,” Peeta said from inside of the room.

Determined, Katniss knocked on the window again.

“Don’t tell me I heard nothing! I heard something!” Muriel shouted with alarm.

“Mom, it’s probably a branch,” Peeta said.

Katniss sneezed loudly.

“That,” the harpy yelled.

“Mother it could be Haymitch’s geese getting loose in the yard again,” Peeta said. Katniss could make out his shadow in front of the curtain.

“Those geese are a menace! I have half a mind to put in a complaint at the Justice Hall,” Muriel complained.

The geese were a menace; they ganged up on her as she had made her way into town. They chased her, thankfully even in her weakened state she was able to outrun them. The window opened a crack and Katniss, seeing her opportunity, scuttled forward.

“Peewwwaa,” Katniss cried. She put her hand in through the slit in the window. Peeta’s hand brushed her aside. Katniss narrowed her eyes as she tried to concentrate and grab his fingers. She wanted her boy with the bread. Had she been feeling better she would’ve been as quiet as a mausoleum. But she wasn’t and right now she had tunnel vision, and her focus was on getting to Peeta.

“That wasn’t one of the darned geese!” His mother cried.

“MOM!” Peeta yelled, just as the curtains were pushed to the side and the window opened.

Mrs. Mellark’s red face stuck out of the window and she came face to face with Katniss.

Peeta hovered right behind her. “MOM!”

“Helwo,” Katniss said, then sneezed twice. “I wan Peewa,” she mumbled as she yawned.

“Isn’t that?” Mrs. Mellark said.

“Yes,” Peeta firmly pushed his mother out of the way. “Katniss, I thought you were sick?” He reached out to her.

Katniss gratefully grabbed onto him as he gently pulled her inside. “I’m not feeling well,” she whispered. His arms were warm and she sighed the moment her head found purchase on his neck.

“She doesn’t look too good?”

“She’s been sick with the flu,” Peeta said. “And before you ask, yes we’re together.”

“Is she the reason,” his mother said.

Just then there was a loud crash. Peeta’s father held up a broomstick in his hand, ready to fend off whoever was in the room. “What in tarnation is going on here? I looked up and saw a figure climbing through our son’s window.”

“Oh great,” Peeta said as he walked Katniss to the bed and sat down. He held Katniss on his lap, her arms were thrown around him.

“I’m cold, Peewa,” Katniss whispered.

Peeta’s father paused talking when he saw Katniss. Turning to his wife he said, “Muriel, is that Meadow’s oldest?”

“Now, Samuel,” Muriel said.

“She’s going home right now, back to the Seam,” Samuel said.

“No,” Muriel said.

“No,” Samuel muttered.

“I think we ought to be neighborly to the Mockingjay,” Muriel said.

“You say they call her the Mockingjay? Seems more like a Honey Badger to me,” Samuel said laughing.

“Samuel,” Muriel warned. “This child kept all of the children bunkered at the school calm and collected while we were being bombed. She sang songs and helped ration out the food. And afterward,” Muriel said.

Samuel became quiet.

“When we lost Wheaton, she…sat by me…sat by you! She became a beacon of hope during those days. She hunted in the woods bringing the entire district meat, wild fruit, and medicinal herbs,” Muriel spouted as she patted Katniss’ cheeks. “She saved us all. She’s our Mockingjay, not a honey badger…”

In her altered state, Katniss laughed. A combination of sleeping syrup, her tiredness, and some medicinal tea her sister forced down her throat, Katniss was flying high.

“She’s not a honey badger,” Peeta said.

Although Katniss had never seen a honey badger, Prim told her badgers were small fierce creatures that could be found in District 10. She sang, “HOMEY BADGER, honey pots, honey bear,” before placing a kiss on Peeta’s cheek. “My honey beautiful, are you my homey badgers?

“She can’t stay here, not in her condition,” Samuel said.

“Of course she can, they’re practically engaged.”

“Mom,” Peeta said.

“Well aren’t you?” Muriel turned her beady eyes at Peeta.

“Yes,” Katniss answered. “We’re gonna have a Toasting soon,” she added in a sing-song voice.

“There you see,” Muriel said.

“But she’s sick and she can get…”

“Her maw will tend to us for free, we’re practically kin. Now,” Muriel pushed Samuel out of the door. “Let’s leave the lovebirds alone.”

“But,” Samuel said.

And suddenly Katniss was all alone with Peeta. “Sleep,” she muttered.

“Let’s get you into bed,” Peeta said.

Katniss muttered an unintelligent reply as her world was turned on its side. She sighed when she felt the bed dip and Peeta’s warm arms gathered her close.

Two days later the dim sunlight peeked through the window. The day was overcast and dreary, the muggy air drifted into the dry cool room. Sundays were always a day meant to sleep in late. Katniss snuggled closer to Peeta Mellark.

She put her ice-cold feet on his muscular calves.

“Mmmph,” Peeta sleepily murmured.

Katniss snuggled closer.

“Katniss,” Peeta said, opening up a bleary eye.

“No, sheeps.”

Peeta chuckled.

She pressed her nose into his chest. Katniss always sounded childlike when half-asleep.

“Kat-kin, it’s time to get up.”

Katniss grumbled as she clung to Peeta. She’d been staying at the bakery ever since she’d gotten caught sneaking into his bedroom. It wasn’t her fault either. Peeta had the blasted window closed. She was feeling better, and to her surprise, Peeta hadn’t gotten sick.

Last night while her mother was in the room checking up on her, Katniss heard Muriel demand that Peeta have a Toasting with her. Surprisingly, Peeta’s father opposed the marriage.

Her mother had waited until Muriel, Samuel, and Peeta were out of the room before she asked if that is what Katniss wanted. Katniss affirmed it and hearing her words, her mother acquiesced.

“You know my mother is downstairs as we speak, arranging our Toasting tonight,” Peeta said.

“I know,” she said with her eyes closed. She felt Peeta gently let go of her. His fingers traced her mouth and chin.

“Are you,” Peeta paused, “Are you sure you want this? Me?”

Katniss heard his insecurity. Letting her lashes fall open she sighed. Peeta was staring down at her with fear in his eyes.

“Do you doubt us?”

Peeta’s face became red. “No.”

“I chose you Peeta.” She lifted her hand and placed it on his cheek. “I’ve chosen to be with you. I chose to make the trek from the Seam into town to be with you, whoever saw me be damned. This is a new world and you and I have the right to be happy. We have the right to dream. Have the right to want and be wanted.” She gave him a fierce look before saying, “I want you Peeta. I want forever with you, and if you’re okay with that, then I’m okay with your mother planning our toasting.”

Peeta smiled. “I’m okay with that. Though you should know, I think my mom’s got a crush on you.”

Katniss laughed. “She’s already hinting at grandkids.”

Peeta turned pale.

“Don’t worry, I told her we’re working on it…”

“You did,” Peeta gasped.

“Yup in about five years or so when we’re damned ready.”

“Thank goodness,” Peeta said.

Katniss smiled, “Now shut up and let me sleep…”

There’s a strong knock on the door that startles me. 

“Gale! What are you doing here?” His visit is unusual so late in the evening, and his face denotes anger. Something has happened. 

“I just came to tell you that there’s been an incursion of the Merchants. We think it was a small group, possibly spies or explorers scouting for an imminent attack. One of them, at least, has been badly injured, although he has escaped. We need to hunt down all of them. We don’t know what they saw, and we could be vulnerable. I came to warn you to take care of you and your family and not to go out in the next few days. If they want war, we will give them war.”

The animosity between Merchants and Seams is old, but recently the word ‘war’ can be heard all around. My father used to say that we were lucky we didn’t know war and starvation. The last war ended 9 months before I was born, but recently it seems like the frail truce between the two nations is reaching its end.

I nod as an answer and answer carefully, “Ok, but it won’t be easy to keep mom at home.”

“You must, Katniss,” Gale says, reaching for my hand and kissing it softly. “I hate that I have to go and won’t be able to see you. I will be thinking of how our wedding is only a few weeks ahead.“

“I hate it, too.”

“But you understand, don’t you, Catnip? It’s my duty.”

“Of course, Gale!” 

He then laces his arm around my waist and brings me to him to softly kiss my lips.

The kiss is comforting, warm and familiar, but it’s nothing like what other girls talk about; there’s no butterflies or heat…

I’ve never searched for romance or longed to fall utterly in love. No, that kind of love only brings misery like it did to my mother and my father.

I’m looking for something different: safety, companionship, a hunting partner, someone who can predict my next move in the woods while hunting, someone who will ever have my back.  Someone like Gale.

I disentangle myself from his embrace with a delicate movement and caress his cheek, which is covered partially in stubble. It’s tradition for men to grow a beard when they’re engaged and about to be married. 

“Be safe, Gale,” I beg him because I know he can be relentless in battle. 

“Don’t worry, Katniss. I’ll see you soon,” he replies and turns around to jump on his horse without another glance back. I know this separation is hard for him also. 

I close the door and go into the kitchen; my mom is in her usual rocking chair singing to herself. 

“Mama, where’s Prim?”

She takes a while, as she always needs to break out of her daydreaming, and answers, “She said she was going to take Lady to the meadow, by the stream.” 

“Damn, Prim!” I gasp in worry. “I need to go and get her.” I put on my shabby coat and my purple, wool beret and head towards the door. “You stay here, okay, Mama?” 

“Okay, but we will have to go later to see your dad.”

She means the gravesite of my father. She still goes there every day to speak with him. I’m not really sure if she always realizes he’s dead. Most of the time she’s lost in her own thoughts and memories.

“Okay,” I agree because I will deal with her later. For now I need to make sure that Primrose is safe.

Thirty minutes later I’m starting to get desperate; I keep calling my sister’s name in the woods, but I don’t get any answer, and I don’t see any trace of her, or Lady.

Then I realize. If Prim is in trouble, she’ll be hiding in our dad’s old cabin. It’s our spot, Prim’s and mine. No one else knows; it’s a very secluded spot behind a hidden entrance in the mountains. A cave that opens to a clearing in the woods. 

I’m nearly there when I yell out once more, “Prim!” But this time my search is productive, and I see my sister exiting in a rush from the cabin.

“Oh, thank God, Katniss, that you are here!” she says, launching herself into my arms. “I need your help.”

There’s a hitch of urgency in my sister’s voice that rings an alarm in my head.

“Why? what’s wrong?” And then I see it‒a big blood stain, covering her dress, and hands. “Oh my God, Prim! You are hurt!”

“No, it’s not me, Katniss.” 

“Who, then? Is it Lady?” 

She stops for a moment, considering her next words and whispers, “Listen, you have to promise me that you won’t be mad.”

“Primrose Everdeen, tell me right now what is happening!”

“I’d better show you,” she answers, grabbing my hand and walking towards the cabin. 

Prim opens the door, and the familiar mustiness hits my nose. Soon enough, though, I can distinguish a different smell; it’s metallic…it’s blood. Prim moves to a dark corner, and it’s then that I see a blond man, sprawled on a blanket on the floor.

“It’s the Merchant! The spy Gale told me about!” I exclaim and forcefully grab my sister by her shoulders to hide her behind me. “We have to go now and warn Gale and the other men.”

“No!” Prim shouts in anguish. “He’s badly injured, Katniss; we need to apply a tourniquet to that leg, and we need some of mom antibiotic’s ointment, or he will die.”

“I don’t care, Prim. He’s the enemy! It’s them or us!”

“He saved me, Katniss!”

“What do you mean? And why did you need to be saved in the first place?” Horrific images of my sister in danger cross my mind in the few seconds she takes to speak again and tell her story. 

“I was in the meadow with Lady; there was a loud noise, and she ran away. I followed her into the woods and finally got her, but on our way out, we came across a black bear. It was aggressive, and it was going to attack us, but he intervened and fought the bear. After that, he wanted to escort Lady and me out of the depths of the woods. His team told him it could be dangerous, but he didn’t listen and said it was his duty to make sure a young girl got home safe and sound… And that’s when Gale’s unit found us. I was able to hide and they didn’t see me, but Gale’s arrows injured him in the shoulder and in his leg. The rest of the Merchants confronted our men, and he escaped to the river. It took me some time to find him, but when I did, I brought him here, and he passed out due to loss of blood. I owe him, Katniss.”

She knows she’s got me with that. I hate owing people. 

“Ok, we will help him,” I concede… For now.

“Thanks, Katniss.” 

A smile spreads across her face, and I return it, but I point at her with my finger as I establish my rules. “Listen to me carefully, Primrose. We will just heal him, and then we are out. This isn’t like the animals you bring home, nursing them until fully recovered. He’s a Merchant. Perhaps he was kind, or perhaps he was looking for something else. We can’t trust him.”

“Peeta isn’t like that!” My sister defends the unconscious soldier.

“Oh! He has a name…” I frown, looking at my sister with a nagging suspicion. “He can’t be your friend, Prim. The sooner you understand that the better.”

“I understand; I ain’t a child anymore, Katniss, even if you don’t want to realize it. But he’s in critical condition; this isn’t going to be ‘clean and patch.’ It will require a bit more time than that, and I’m going to do everything I can to save him.”

“This is dangerous, Prim. If our people find out, we will be accused of treason. If his people find out, they could kidnap or kill us. There’s no easy out of this situation.” 

“I want to be a healer, Katniss.” The defiance and determination in her voice is unmistakable. “I won’t let him die if I can help it, but I promise I won’t try to be friends with him. Deal?”

“Just one more thing,” I add because I’m still unsure of the whole situation, “you won’t be with him alone. I’ll be here also.”

“Ok,” she concedes.

It’s getting dark, so we agree, not without some argument from my sister, to boil some water and concentrate on his leg first. Prim will go home with Mom and come back tomorrow morning when it is safer with some antibiotics and a sewing kit. Me, on the other hand, I will stay with him tonight, clean the rest of his wounds and try to control the fever that’s starting to break.

I have another reason to be here tonight, although I don’t share it  with her. I don’t trust Merchants; they are cruel and arrogant, and I am going to make sure this guy doesn’t fool us. My sister is too innocent; she doesn’t know how Merchants operate.

—————————-

The moon is high in the sky, and a cold breeze sneaks through the wooden planks. I light a small fire because I don’t want to bring any attention to us, but I hope that the trees and mountains will cover the smoke from the fireplace. 

Prim left around thirty minutes ago, so I return to my chore. Slowly, I pass a wet cloth over his face, cleaning the mud from his skin. It is pale, but not as pale as his leg; you can see that his face is sun-kissed, and there are freckles gracing his Roman nose. His mouth is generous, and the profile of his jaw is strong. He’s blond like ninety percent of the Merchant population. Oh yes, and he’s handsome. 

Very handsome.

He has no beard, and I wonder how he’s clean-shaven, even in the current circumstances when he obviously has been away from his home for weeks. Or maybe he’s too young to grow a beard, although he looks to be my age.

The next step, as I was told by Prim, is to clean his shoulder injury, but for that I need to undress him. Well, his shirt at least. I blush at the thought. I have never been comfortable with nudity, but it’s just his shirt, I tell myself. There’s no reason to be nervous or shy.

I repeat the process of removing blood and filth from his upper body, only to discover broad shoulders, a strong chest, and firm abs. Without thinking, and by their own accord, my fingers caress the middle of his chest, playing with the hairs there. They are very blond, and they glow under the orangish-yellow light of the fire. His hairs tickle my fingers, creating a warm shiver that runs down my spine. He’s attractive.

Devilishly attractive.

Lost in my thoughts of the foreigner, I’m caught by surprise when I find his eyes fixed on me. They are blue opals, and I get lost in them just long enough for the man to catch my arm with surprising strength for being injured. 

“Where am I? Who are you?” he asks, pain reflected in his voice.

“I am Katniss, Prim’s sister. Let my hand go,” I demand, but Peeta doesn’t follow my order and holds on tighter to my hand.

“You’re Seam.” 

The cold statement riles me up, and with my other hand, I grab the dagger I always bring with me and position it near his jugular.

“Yes, I am, and if you don’t release me now, I’m going to slice your neck, Merchant.”

Katniss had been looking forward to this weekend for months. Three and a half days locked away with her five closest friends. She couldn’t wait to be surrounded by the wilderness, to inhale the piney scent of the fresh air, and to have what would hopefully be a relaxing Memorial Day weekend at Annie’s uncle’s lake house.

She had finally arrived, no thanks to the miserable two-hour drive in her beat-up, air-condition-less Toyota Corolla. The second she stepped inside, she was more than thankful the lake house came fully stocked (meaning all she had to do was pack her clothes), but most of all, that it had fully functioning central air.

It hadn’t surprised Katniss in the least when Annie was assigning their bedrooms, that she was somehow paired with Peeta. Logically, it made the most sense. Annie would room with Finnick, her boyfriend since‒well, actually, Katniss couldn’t recall a time in which Annie and Finnick weren’t a couple. Then there was Gale and Jo. They would share a room, since, like Annie and Finnick, they were also an “item.” That left her and Peeta, and only one remaining room. In their previous trips to the lake, Katniss and Peeta always had their own room, but apparently, this year one of the rooms was undergoing renovations, leaving only one spare guest room.

Katniss wasn’t sure why sharing a room‒or was it the bed‒that seemed to be bothering her so much this time; it wasn’t as if she’d never shared a bed with Peeta before. Though they weren’t a couple, and never had been, they were best friends. They hit it off from the very first moment they met. She couldn’t count how many times she’d thanked Gale for forcing her to go to the beach that day.

“You know, I can always sleep on the couch if it–it um…makes you uncomfortable.”

Peeta’s voice broke her from the trance she was in‒thinking about that day on the beach as she mindlessly unloaded her clothes from her suitcase and tossed them into the drawers.

“Don’t be silly, Peeta; it’s fine. Your snoring doesn’t bother me anymore,” Katniss joked, trying to keep the mood light.

Peeta snuck up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist before planting a kiss on her cheek. For some reason, this caused goose pimples to form there, in the exact spot where Peeta’s lips had grazed her skin, all the way down her neck, along with a strange tingling-warm sensation throughout her insides.

“I don’t snore,” Peeta pretended to be offended, backing away. “It’s just…I don’t know, you seemed kind of tense when Annie paired us up. Anyway, just know it’s an open-ended offer. My feelings won’t be hurt if you change your mind.” Peeta tried to assure her.

“Shut up,” Katniss retorted playfully, pushing him away. “It’s fine, Peeta. I was shocked, is all,” Katniss defended herself, though even she didn’t believe her own words.

Since Katniss and Peeta were the last to arrive at the lake house, they weren’t privy to Annie, Finnick, and Jo’s deception. While Gale was scouting the woods, Jo cornered Finnick and Annie with a plan of her own. (A few hours earlier)

“Okay, who else is fed up with Cinnamon Buns and Brainless? They’re obviously sickeningly in love with each other…have been for God-knows-how-long. Everyone sees it except for them, so we’ve have to force them to admit it to themselves.”

Annie squealed, jumping up and down and clapping giddily like an excited little girl. “Oh! I’m so in, what were you thinking?”

“Well, hmmm,” Jo began, pressing a finger to her chin in thought. She had to think, and quickly, before Gale returned. He wouldn’t approve of their scheming against his two closest friends, and if he found out, he would definitely sell them out.

“Aha! I got it!” Jo beamed, her eyes lighting up with an idea.

Finnick simply stood back, observing the girls with amusement.

“First, we need to eliminate one of the rooms. Force them into sharing a room‒and a bed.” Jo waggled her brows for effect. “Any ideas?”

Annie’s brows furrowed in concentration as she thought of how she and Jo could pull this off. Then her eyes widened, lit up like a Christmas tree as the grin stretched across her face.

“We’ll block the room off. Say my uncle is doing renovations or something and he told me the only stipulation for us spending the weekend here was the one room is off limits.”

“Okay, but how do you suppose we block the room off?”

Finnick, who had been listening intently to the scheming girls had the perfect thing in his bag. And, of course he would, for he wasn’t known as an immature prankster for nothing.

“You girls just leave that to me.” Finnick grinned mischievously, pulling out a roll of yellow “KEEP OUT” tape from his pack.

X-X-X

Throughout the evening, Jo and Annie occasionally traded devious grins when no one was looking. Their first night was coming to a close‒everyone was exhausted from the drive down, coupled with the mind-numbing heat and the fact that it was almost midnight.

“I think I’m going to call it a night. This face doesn’t achieve perfection on its own; I need my beauty sleep,” Finnick said with a yawn. Annie shoved his head playfully, pushing him into the sofa.

“Shut up, Odair,” Katniss snarked as she and Peeta watched their friends exit the room. First Finnick and Annie, then Gale and Jo, disappearing down the hallway.

“You coming?” Katniss locked eyes with Peeta as she stood up to fall in line with her friends.

“I think I’m going to tackle the dishes. I wanted to make breakfast in the morning, and I’d rather start the day with a clean kitchen.” Peeta told her.

  “Oh, okay. Um…” Katniss faltered, feeling disappointed. “I’ll help you then,” she offered.

“Katniss, um, that’s sweet but no‒” Peeta said softly. “You can barely hold your eyes open, and it’s really not that much. Just everyone’s glasses and a few bowls. Go get comfy, and I’ll meet you in there.” Peeta could tell that Katniss wasn’t going to let this go. “Look, it’ll take me less than ten minutes, but if you stay in here with me, we’ll end up talking and it’ll take twice as long.”

Katniss frowned, her brows drawing together. She wanted to object, but she knew Peeta was right. “Fine,” she stated stubbornly. “But if you’re not there in ten minutes, I’m coming to find you,” she playfully threatened her best friend.

“Deal,” Peeta said.

Katniss made her way to the room she’d be sharing with Peeta, grabbed her nightclothes and toothbrush, then opened the door to the adjoining bathroom.

I sure am glad it was the other room and not this one that’s getting renovated, Katniss thought optimistically as she made her way into the private full bathroom attached to her room. She picked up her nightclothes and slipped into the dark, hunter green tank top. Then, as she climbed into the orange-like-the-sunset, with light, paler orange polka dotted pair of boxer shorts she’d once stolen from Peeta, a smile crept upon her lips.

As she brushed her teeth, her eyes locked with her reflection.

“This is no different than any of the other hundred times Peeta and I have slept in the same bed,” Katniss felt silly defending herself‒to herself. Then, she could have sworn that her reflection crossed its arms and raised a condescending brow at her, so she closed her eyes tightly and shook her head back and forth. “Man, I must have drunk more than I thought,” she told herself.

When she was finished in the bathroom, she headed back into the room. She was eager to climb into the feather-light, queen-sized bed and slip under the goose down comforter and fall asleep in Peeta’s arms. For some reason, the nightmares never came when he was next to her.

So, that’s what she did. She pulled the covers back, toed her socks off, and waited for Peeta to join her.

And it wasn’t long. Two, three, maybe four minutes later, Katniss heard Peeta’s heavy footfalls entering the room. He spent less than ten minutes in the bathroom before he slid in next to her, smelling like…Peeta. She inhaled slowly and savored his musky scent of cinnamon and dill. Then, as if it was second nature, Peeta immediately pulled Katniss into his arms, close, close, closer to his body, not fully satisfied until Katniss’s back was pressed against his chest.

“Sweet dreams, Kitty,” Peeta whispered into her ear as she fell into a deep slumber.

Half-asleep, and moments from losing consciousness, the corners of Katniss’s lips curved up at the nickname. And then, just like that, she was out.

X-X-X

Katniss remembered waking up sometime in the middle of the night to see Peeta sleeping soundly. She was still cradled in his arms, their faces only inches apart. She was afraid to move, as she did not want to disturb him‒he just looked too peaceful. She was more than happy lying there, staring‒studying his features, something she rarely had the chance to do during her waking hours.

He really is a beautiful man, Katniss thought to herself as she mentally traced his perfectly symmetrical features.

And then: ‘Wow, I never realized how long and blond his eyelashes are…I wonder how they don’t get tangled when he blinks.’

That was the last thought Katniss had before she fell back asleep. She awoke some time later to the succulent aroma of bacon and the sound of grease sizzling in the frying pan‒in addition to an empty bed. She rushed into the bathroom, brushed her teeth and got dressed, then hurried to the kitchen.

“Good morning, sleepy head!” Peeta called out, grinning from ear to ear. Katniss surveyed the room to see that everyone else was already up. 

“So, us girls are going into town today. Gonna have a girls day while the boys stay home and do housework,” Jo mumbled with a mouthful of eggs.

“And, what exactly does that mean?” Katniss questioned with a raise of her brow. She wasn’t sure she liked the sound of where this was going.

Annie politely covered her mouth with her hand and giggled. “The boys said they have a surprise for us tonight, so I decided we’re going shopping.”

Katniss rolled her eyes. She hated shopping. But she knew it was pointless arguing with Annie.

Once breakfast was over, everyone pitched in to help Peeta get the kitchen back in order. Then the boys kicked the girls out, demanding they not return until at least six o’clock.

X-X-X

“Tell me Katniss, how was snuggling in bed with Cinnamon Buns all night? I’m telling you, girl, if Gale wasn’t so talented with that thing he does with his tongue—” Annie shoved Jo, knowing Katniss could only tolerate so much teasing before she snapped.

“Don’t listen to her, Kat; I’m sure Peeta was a perfect gentleman.” Katniss rolled her eyes at Annie’s retort, although she was always grateful for her friends support.

“Anyway, Brainless,” Jo went on. “Cinnamon Buns is just going to love your swimsuit.” Jo chuckled.

“Oh, you’re out of your bloody mind if you think I’m actually going to wear this thing. I don’t get it, though; why does something with less fabric cost more than the one with more?”

“Because sexy ain’t cheap!” Katniss had to laugh at Jo’s statement. She supposed there was some truth to it.

The girls went back and forth with their chatter until they got back to the cabin, right at six o’clock. 

“We’re out back!” They heard Gale call out as soon as they walked inside. The cabin, which was filled with the scent of fresh bread, was spotless. Katniss didn’t actually think they would do anything but drink beer and maybe go fishing. They followed the sound of Gale’s voice, walking through the cabin and out the back door to see the boys‒each with a beer in hand on the patio by the grill. 

“Kiss the chef? You’re such a weirdo,” Jo said when she saw Finnick in his ‘Kiss the Chef’ apron. But when he turned around to grab the plate for the steaks, Jo almost fell on the ground from laughing so hard when she got a full view of Finnick’s backside. The only thing underneath his apron was a skimpy, navy blue speedo. 

“Oh, come on. I’m bringin’ sexy back!” Finnick waggled his brows suggestively, then twirled Annie into his arms before pressing his lips to hers.

“I’m sorry, baby, but I have to agree with Jo. You’re such a dork!” Annie giggled, returning Finnick’s affection.

They had dinner outside, down at the Men’s Den, which was a small, screened-in porch-like structure at the end of a dock that floated on water. Dinner was steak, fried squash and zucchini, and baked potatoes, all cooked on the grill, in addition to Peeta’s famous yeast rolls.

After dinner, Annie handed out her and Finnick’s famous, homemade drinks. Fanny-rita’s, they called them.

Katniss began feeling the effects after her third drink. Her body slowly began to relax, and for some reason, every time she looked at Peeta she got this warm and fuzzy feeling inside. The feeling reminded her of happiness.

“Let’s go swimming!” Jo shouted from her position, straddled on Gale’s lap, cowgirl style.

“Let’s do it,” Gale mumbled in agreement.

“Oh yeah!” Annie squealed. “We forgot to show the boys what we got today!” Annie said, jumping up and flinging her sun dress off to reveal a cute two-piece bikini. Finnick pulled her to him and groaned.

“Oh baby, that is so sexy! And it’s definitely coming off…and soon.”

Peeta groaned at Annie and Finnick’s tongue-aerobics and said, “Gross, you guys‒get a room!” 

Jo soon followed suit and stripped down to her two-piece bathing suit that Katniss wondered how it even stayed on. It barely came with enough fabric to cover her nipples.

“Okay, your turn, Brainless.” Jo called out. Katniss crossed her arms and shook her head.

With narrowed eyes, furrowed brows, Jo glared at Katniss until she finally conceded.

“Okay, if anyone laughs at me, I swear I’ll skewer you with an arrow in your sleep!” Katniss threatened her friends. 

Peeta gave her a soft smile. “No one’s going to laugh at you,” he promised her.

Katniss removed her tank top first; that seemed the easiest thing to do. Then she slowly unknotted the tie of her wraparound skirt to reveal a modest, simple green halter-like top, and the bottoms looked like a pair of boy shorts. Jo was adamant she buy a bikini for tonight, and since Katniss lost a bet, she chose a bathing suit with the most fabric available.

Katniss was averting her eyes from everyone, trying to avoid their stares. But had she been privy to where her friends’ attention was directed at, she would have seen everyone’s eyes on Peeta, for they were only interested in his reaction.

Peeta tried, but he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Katniss as she stripped down to her swimsuit. When the big reveal happened, his jaw dropped, his eyes widened, and then darkened with nothing but pure lust.

“See, that wasn’t so bad, now was it?” Jo asked, breaking the tension. 

“Alright, let’s jump in!” Gale said, shoving Jo into the lake. The sky was beginning to darken, the sun was setting on the horizon.

At once, Katniss realized this was Peeta’s favorite time of day. And the sky‒it was his favorite color. She wondered if that’s why she chose an orange bathing suit versus her favorite color of green.

The boys rough-housed, as boys like to do on the swinging rope for a while. Then they gradually paired off‒Annie and Finnick to one side of the dock, Gale and Jo on the other, leaving Katniss and Peeta lying-floating on their life jackets.

X-X-X

Peeta reached out for Katniss, pulling her into his arms. He hugged her tight, and the warmth of his wet skin raised Katniss’s body temperature by at least two degrees. Or at least, that’s how she felt.

“I missed you today,” Peeta whispered into her ear, inhaling her scent. Katniss didn’t know what to say–she wasn’t sure how to respond since they’d only been apart for a few hours today.

Peeta finally released his grip on Katniss, so she treaded the water, her and Peeta’s noses only inches apart.

There was a pregnant pause, although not uncomfortable in the slightest. “Katniss,” Peeta whispered her name, and it sent another surge of heat surging through her limbs.

“Yes?” Katniss managed, beginning to regret those last two shots. The way Peeta said her name had her instantly worried, that, and the fact that he was refusing to meet her eyes.

‘Oh no, this is it. This is the moment I’m going to lose him. He’s going to tell me he’s met someone. That we won’t be spending as much time together,’ Katniss silently worried.

“There’s um…I need to tell you something, and I need to say it now, while I have the extra courage. But you have to know, Katniss; you have to know I’m not saying this just because I’ve had a few drinks. I’m not drunk, and I know exactly what I’m saying. I just need you to know the things I’m going to tell you…I feel them…every minute of every day, and especially when I’m completely sober.”

“Okay. Tell me, Peeta. You know you can tell me anything.”

“I know, Katniss,” Peeta paused, finally looking up to meet her eyes. “I just…I don’t want to lose you, I can’t—”

Katniss locked her hands around both of Peeta’s wrists, thankful for the life preserver keeping her afloat. “That would never happen Peeta. There is nothing you could ever say or do that could—”

In an instant, Katniss felt her body colliding against Peeta’s, his hands still firmly on her hips. He pulled her body flush to his—and the only place for her legs to go was around his waist. Then he pressed his forehead to hers so that their noses were touching.

“You feel it too, don’t you. Katniss?” Peeta’s question came out in a raspy whisper, almost seductive. Or, maybe Katniss was just imagining things.

“I…I—uh,” Katniss stuttered. Of course, she felt it, too; she’d felt it for a long time. But she was too much of a coward to say it out loud.

“I know you feel it, Katniss. Please…tell me,” Peeta begged her. “I-I need to hear you say it.”

Katniss tried to wiggle out of his arms, tried to break the hold he had on her, but Peeta’s grip remained firm.

“Peeta, you’re drunk,” Katniss dismissed his words.

“I might be, but that doesn’t change anything. My blood alcohol level doesn’t affect the way I feel about you, the way I’ve always felt about you. From that first day on the beach, I knew you were something special Katniss. I knew you were precious, someone to hold on to. I knew I had to have you, in whatever capacity you would allow.” The vibration of Peeta’s voice sent a shiver up Katniss’s spine.

“Now you’re just making things up.” Katniss blushed, finally giving up on trying to escape Peeta’s arms.

“I’m not. I remember the day I met you as if it were yesterday. It’s permanently embedded in my mind.

 (Four years ago)

“Holy shit—who is that girl with your girlfriend, Finnick?” It took Peeta a moment to get his voice to work when he saw her. They were on the beach tossing a football back and forth while they waited for the rest of their friends to join them.

“Oh, that’s Katniss.” Peeta watched this “Katniss” run up to Gale and wrap her arms around his neck, and he felt red-hot jealousy bubbling in his veins.

“I didn’t know Gale had a girlfriend,” Peeta said to Finnick.

“Oh, they’re not together. They’ve been friends since like…they were in diapers—oh shit, Peet! You wanna tap that, don’t you? Don’t let Gale find out; he’ll beat the shit outta you if you hurt her. He’s like…fiercely protective over her.”

Peeta couldn’t wipe the grin off his face as he watched Katniss walking toward him, sandwiched between Annie and Gale. There was no way on God’s green Earth that he would ever hurt her. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. She was someone to love, to cherish, to worship. Her chestnut hair was in a single braid, slung over her left shoulder. The hair tie at the end of the braid was in the shape of a primrose. Her olive-toned skin sparkled under the sunlight, beads of sweat forming across her freckled nose. She wore a dark green, one-piece bathing suit, with one of those wrap-around skirts, tied at her hip.

Peeta forced himself to focus; he didn’t want to make a fool of himself—he knew first impressions were important.

“Yo, Peet,” Gale called out as he walked over to him, Katniss by his side. “This is Catnip.” Peeta frowned at the name, just as Katniss punched Gale’s bicep.

“It’s Katniss, don’t listen to this idiot,” Katniss corrected Gale, smiling from ear to ear, meeting Peeta’s eyes. At that moment, Peeta had never seen a smile as beautiful as hers.

“I’m Peeta,” Peeta said, waiting for her face to sour at hearing his name. Most people did.

“Like the bread? Hmm, I like it,” Katniss said, amused.

“Well, yes and no. It’s spelled differently. My dad’s a baker…”

“I can’t believe you remember all that.” Katniss blushed after Peeta took them down memory lane.

“I remember everything about you, Katniss.”

Time stood still as their eyes locked. No words were spoken under the light of the moon, for they didn’t need to be. Katniss felt her heart pounding inside her chest, felt a stirring in her belly, then a throbbing at her center.

Peeta reached up and cupped the back of Katniss’s head before gently, slowly, pulling her lips to his, so as to allow her time to reject him. However, the rejection never came. Peeta pressed his mouth against hers, ran his tongue across her lips and peppered her with sweet, gentle kisses.

In that moment, Katniss could swear she heard trumpets blaring, followed by fireworks. She meant to tell Peeta no, that they couldn’t do this. They shouldn't do this. She didn’t want to ruin the best friendship she’d ever had. She couldn’t lose Peeta, not over some silly crush. She meant to push him away, to swim back to the dock, but the moment his lips touched hers, she melted in his arms. She pulled herself closer to his body, if that was even possible and deepened the kiss, and she locked her arms around his neck, tightening her legs around his waist. A wave of embarrassment rolled over her when a moan escaped her mouth as Peeta’s lips found their way to her neck.

“Woo-hoo!!!” Annie called out, clapping giddily in Finnick’s arms.

“About fucking time!” Johanna snarked, and Katniss could feel her cheeks turning a deep shade of crimson.

“Shut up, ass suckers!” Peeta yelled at his friends, unable to wipe the shit-eating grin from his face.

Katniss hid her face in the crook of Peeta’s neck, too embarrassed to face her friends. They’d been giving her and Peeta hell for the longest time. Always nagging them about “getting over it and hooking up already.” And for the longest time, Katniss and Peeta insisted that they were only friends. And they were.

But now there was no turning back.

“Okay, continue,” Annie waved them on. “Pretend like we’re not even here.”

Peeta continued to hold Katniss while he bobbed in the water, but their moment was broken. Katniss was too nervous to do anything more. But Peeta was at least grateful she wasn’t pulling back.

“Want to go inside?” Katniss nodded at Peeta’s question. Peeta  guided them to the ladder and climbed out, then helped Katniss up the ladder. He grabbed two towels from the warmer, handing one to Katniss.

“We’re going in. Don’t drown,” Peeta called out without looking back.

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll be up soon.”

Katniss and Peeta walked back to the cabin with their fingers linked and their hearts connected.

X-X-X

“Peeta, I-this-I don’t think‒” Katniss began to protest, but Peeta stopped her.

“Katniss,” Peeta whispered into Katniss’s ear and she melted like silly putty. “Can you honestly look me in the eye and say you don’t want this as much as I do? Because if you can, I’ll never mention it again. We’ll pretend like the last twenty-four hours never happened and nothing will change.”

Peeta and Katniss had been back from the lake for at least an hour. They had both showered (separately), gotten into their night clothes, crawled into the bed, and slipped under the covers.

A tear escaped from the corner of Katniss’s eye, and Peeta caught it with the pad of his thumb.

“Don’t cry Katniss, I’m‒”

“Peeta, no, I can’t‒” Peeta felt a giant lump form in his throat and it took everything in him to force the tears away. “I can’t tell you that Peeta, because I do. I feel it, too. I have for a long time.” Katniss knew this wasn’t what she should say, but she had never lied to Peeta and she didn’t plan to start now.

As suddenly as it appeared, the giant lump in Peeta’s throat vanished just as quickly. Peeta thought Katniss was saying she can’t—with him, but she was simply answering his question from a moment ago.

“Peeta, you’re my best friend. When something happens in my life, whether it’s good, bad, or something as simple as me finding a clearance sale at the grocery store, you’re the first person I want to call. You mean so much to me, and it’s just that…I’m not just scared, I’m terrified.”

“What are you afraid of Katniss? You have to know that I would never hurt you, I’d never betray you, I—”

“It’s not…that’s not what scares me. I don’t doubt that. But…what if it doesn’t work out? What if things end badly and I lose the best friend I’ve ever had? I…I don’t think I could survive that.” Katniss’s voice trembled as she spoke these words. The thought of losing Peeta, or the possibility of never seeing him again…it truly petrified her, and she wasn’t sure which scared her more.

Peeta gave Katniss a soft smile and twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. “But what if it does work out? What if it’s great and amazing, or better than anything either of us could dream of? Because I think it could be. I think we could be something beautiful. And I think it’s worth the risk. That you’re worth the risk.”

Katniss hooked her arms around Peeta’s broad torso, scooted her body as close as she could manage and just held on for dear life. “I can’t lose you Peeta…I can’t. It would break me.”

Peeta engulfed Katniss in his arms and used his cheek to brush the stray hairs from her face. “You’ll never lose me Katniss. Never.”

Katniss hooked her leg over Peeta’s and rested her head against his chest. She inhaled the scent of cinnamon and dill and shivered.

“Are you cold?” Peeta asked. Katniss blushed, glad for the poor lighting in the room.

“No. I’m perfect.” Katniss said.

Then Peeta pulled back slightly, tilted Katniss’s chin up so their eyes met. Katniss wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, just staring into the others eyes before Peeta leaned in. Slowly, slowly, he inched closer and closer until finally, his full, soft and lush lips grazed her own.

It took everything in Katniss not to attack Peeta, she so badly wanted to flip him on his back and devour him right here.

Peeta’s kisses were soft and gentle at first, as if they were asking for permission. One of his hands rested on the crest of her hip while the other reached out to cup the back of her head. Katniss wasn’t sure how it was possible, but Peeta pulled her closer, deepening their kiss. She parted her lips, granting him access, which he accepted greedily. His tongue traced her lips before he slid it into Katniss’s mouth.

Feeling an insatiable amount of pleasure, Katniss moaned and couldn’t find it in herself to even be embarrassed. Then she slid her hand up the back of Peeta’s t-shirt and dug her palms into the firm muscles of his back.

“This is a million times better than my dreams,” Peeta’s raspy voice vibrated against Katniss’s lips, and it sent a surge of electricity straight to her core.

Katniss had always wondered if Peeta was a good kisser. She even occasionally found herself daydreaming about Peeta’s tongue. She wondered if he tasted like he smelled…thought about what his tongue would feel like inside her mouth. She had even fantasized on a few occasions, what his tongue might feel like…in other places. But all the daydreaming in the world could have never prepared her for this moment. 

Peeta’s tongue…it was, in one word…sublime. Everything about it was perfect. Like the final puzzle piece, it fit perfectly in her mouth; it moved in perfect synchronicity with her own. It glided in and out, in and out slowly, then side to side…with the utmost perfection. 

Yes, Peeta was definitely a good kisser.

“God, you taste so good,” Peeta groaned, his slick tongue gliding against the sensitive skin of her neck.

Katniss untangled her arms from Peeta and tugged his shirt up. She wanted it off. She needed it off. She yearned for his bare skin to collide with hers. Peeta acquiesced and raised his arms, allowing Katniss to rid him of the thin fabric.

In turn, Peeta did the same to Katniss, seamlessly slipping her tank top over her head. Like a magnet, they gravitated into each other’s arms. For several minutes, Peeta held Katniss against his chest, savoring the pleasure her bare skin gave him, and then finally, tracing his fingers lightly across her back.

“Katniss?” Peeta rasped her name, and once again she shuddered. “I want you.” Katniss wondered how three little words could have such an effect on her body and how they caused every nerve in her body to come to life.

“I’ve wanted you for so long. I’ve fantasized and dreamed about this day so many times over. I never…I guess…what I’m trying to say is you’re the one in control tonight.“ Peeta’s serious gaze penetrated through Katniss as she listened to him continue. "You call the shots. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you. But if you don’t…if there’s something you don’t want, or you’re not ready for, all you have to do is say the word. We won’t do anything you don’t want to do. I… just…please don’t be afraid to tell me no.”

How is this man so perfect? Katniss silently wondered as she tangled her limbs with Peeta’s, then slammed her mouth against his.

Katniss didn’t think there was a single thing she wouldn’t give Peeta‒tonight or…ever. Because the truth was, she’d never wanted anyone or anything more than she wanted Peeta right now.

She’s been running for months now, hopping from planet to planet only by the mere chance someone was willing to let a desert rat onto their ship. Nearly a month has passed since she got stranded on Tatooine—an absolute backwater planet—after her last transport decided to dump her off and leave her behind.

Katniss knows she’s overextended her stay because she can’t leave the cantina during the day without worrying that glimmering beskar armor and a T-shaped visor will meet her outside. Sleep practically clings to her like a second skin, but she doesn’t dare close her eyes—she can’t.

So she sits in the corner of the cantina, using the last of her credits to order something strong. She doesn’t even realize that her eyelids begin to feel heavy, steadily blurring out the dim lights around her while she waits for her drink. Luckily, Katniss catches herself before her head hits the table, blinking away the exhaustion.

She should stay awake. She needs to stay awake—

~~~~~

Her luck runs out that day, and she’s disappointed that she made it easy for him—how he’d walked into the cantina and scooped up her sleeping form out of the dusty booth without destroying half the place in the process.

When she’d woken up to find herself tied down to his co-pilot seat, she cursed him out in every word of huttesse she could think of. Although, he’s probably used to it by now because he blatantly ignored her, only talking to her when he warned they were going into hyperspace. 

That was several weeks ago. Now, Katniss finds herself stranded on another planet that’s more green and vibrant than Tatooine, and this time, she’s stuck with the Mandalorian because his rust-bucket for a ship decided it didn’t want to fly anymore.

She’s sitting on the landing dock, twirling around a blaster that he gave to her solely for emergencies while he left to search for a mechanic—to say that she’d been a little surprised when he handed it to her is an understatement.

Although he’s a lot nicer than she first gave him credit for, he’s always very serious that it’s often hard to pinpoint if he’s merely tolerating her existence until he can get rid of her. It’s not like he goes out of his way to talk to her for her to assume otherwise. Over the past weeks, the most she’s learned about him is that his hair is blonde and curly when she had accidentally walked in on him while he was using the fresher.

Of course, it was too dark for her to see anything else, and she’d quickly closed the door before he could say anything that would embarrass them both. Yet, she’s curious about what his voice would have sounded like if he had. 

Is it deep or raspy behind the scratchiness of his modulator? Speaking of…

Katniss looks off in the direction where he’d disappeared into the thick mangrove hours ago, wondering if she should go out looking for him (mainly because she’s hot and sticky from the humidity) despite him ordering her to stay put. But after another hour rolls by, she heads off in search of something to help cool her off.

Luckily, unlike desert planets, there isn’t any water shortage on one that sees rain three times a day, so it doesn’t take her very long to find a small pool next to a large waterfall. She sets her blaster down on a rock, followed by her wraps until she’s left in nothing but her plain underwear. 

The water is icy cold and laps gently at her feet when she steps in. But she can’t complain as the heat from the day slowly washes away the further she walks into the pool and finds a ledge to sit on. 

Her thoughts drift back to the Mandalorian, incessant and intruding even though she shouldn’t be thinking about him while wet and naked. Still, she thinks about his hands as she runs hers along her neck. She knows they’re probably rough and scarred from years of hunting—aware that they’re big enough to encase her waist.

Katniss sighs, sinking further into the water while her hands smooth over her breasts and down her stomach. 

She wishes she could see him without violating ancient laws that hid him from the rest of the world. Instead, she’s left with just her imagination. Katniss pictures what he might look like under the heavy beskar, knowing that the broadness of his shoulders isn’t only due to his armor but also from the way his job has shaped him.

Her hands travel lower, fingers brushing through the sticky slick between her legs that’s evidence of what the Mandalorian does to her even when he’s not around. A breathy moan slips past her lips as she uses her middle finger to circle her clit, slow, precise swirls that make her heart skip. 

Except, she frowns at how small hers are compared to the ones she’s caught herself staring at far too many times. They don’t fill her nearly enough, not like his would—thick and unrelenting.

Katniss’s breath hitches from pinching the sensitive peak of her nipple, just until she feels a slight sting. Then it slips out, a tiny thing that’s only audible to her ears: “Mando,” she chokes even though that’s not his real name.

Does he have a name? If so, does he remember it? What would it sound like rolling off of her tongue…?

“Dirty,” he’d tell her for thinking such lewd thoughts about him. Which she probably is for getting so worked up over a man she knows nothing about.

A man who’s so big that he makes her feel small—it’s enough to make her shudder, body vibrating from the chill of the water and her frayed nerves.  

Fantasies aren’t nearly enough to sate the longing that swirls deep in her chest. Yet she’s slipping over the edge of ecstasy before taking her next breath—little moans of the Mandalorian’s artificial name spill from her lips like the waterfall that rushes into the pool around her waist.

Her orgasm makes her feel light, floaty even, while leaning against the stone ledge to slow her heart rate.

She doesn’t realize her eyes have fallen shut until they flutter open, and she’s startled to find gleaming beskar peaking out through the mangrove across the pool. The Mandalorian’s chest heaves as if he ran here, though he probably did to find her. 

Katniss feels glued to that moment, and the longer she stares at her reflection in his visor, she’s suddenly struck with the mortifying realization that he’d seen her cum—that he heard her cry out Mando so intimately.

On top of that, he came alone, meaning he didn’t find a mechanic and that she’s stuck on this desolate planet with him for who knows how long. 

Katniss Everdeen’s life read like one of those steamy trashy novels her sister Prim always hid in their room, not realizing they were easily found. The ill-conceived tropes of enemies to lovers were all rooted in teenage angst.

“Katniss,” Peeta muttered right before his lips kissed her own, his large masterful hands gripping her hips, as he pressed against her fabric-covered center.

“Peeta,” Katniss muttered in between kisses; she ground her hips into his. The blanket beneath her was soft and warm. She wished she had the ability to vanish the clothing barrier between them.

There was a time that the boy in her arms was the enemy. So hated and despised for his blonde hair, popularity amongst the school kids, broad shoulders, muscular arms, and incredible blue eyes. Now she appreciated all of his attributes, but she especially had an affinity for his large hands. Peeta worshiped her body with his large, wonderful hands.

His warm lips were gliding down her neck, nipping at the tender flesh. Katniss gasped at the sensation of his straight white teeth scraping along the column of her neck.

They were once enemies that exchanged frosty glances in the hallowed halls of District Twelve’s high school. They were enemies in that most ancient way that the Montagues and the Capulets would have died for, and the Hatfields and the Mccoys duked it out in civil disobedience over. So hated that the thin line between love and hate snapped and one day a heated argument became a passionate kiss for dominance.

That kiss led to an awakening and a surge of hormones. What was once distasteful, was now attractive, and what was once unthinkable, was now mouthwateringly appetizing. That rush of lustful abandon somehow morphed into something deeper and sure, as steady and as unmoving as the mountains that surrounded District Twelve.

Yet here they were in the dark underneath the apple tree in his yard, under a symphony of brightly shining stars, making out like rabid beasts during another secret midnight rendevous.

“Peeta,” Katniss whispered into his ear.

“Katniss,” Peeta, looked down at her, his body rhythmically rubbing against hers.

Her womb felt tight, desperate for the sweet release only Peeta could bring her to. She wound her legs tighter around his waist as they pressed their most intimate parts over the other seeking the friction. Until she was rocketed into ecstasy.

Katniss gasped as she came.

Peeta became still watching her fall apart and float back to reality. He held her tenderly. Katniss noticed the bulge in his pants.

“You didn’t,” Katniss whispered.

“It was all about you,” he said tenderly, moving them so that they lay side by side, snuggled closely. Katniss rubbed her nose into the curve of his neck.

This was once her enemy and now her beloved treasure.

“When are we going to tell everyone?”

Katniss sighed at Peeta’s question. This was the current problem, the reason they argued.

They were graduating soon and the real world was looming. Katniss was unsure about the reception they would receive if they made their relationship public.

Peeta said what was once a secret could no longer be kept hidden. Peeta insisted they had a right to strike out on their own and make a life for themselves.

Katniss struggled with this. Her heart was given to him and there was no way of taking it back. If they ended because of the prejudices and Peeta was forced to choose another she would become a soulless beast, hollowed out by the pain of loss. Grief was, after all, the absence of where love had found purchase. There was no solution she could see for their immediate future if they came out as a couple.

They had survived their last Reaping and it was time to leave behind childish pursuits and take the mantle of adulthood. There had been a time in her youth when Katniss had not wanted to pursue romantic or physical pleasures as the majority of her youthful brethren had.

She’d been a stalwart of pious purity for selfish reasons. Then Peeta collided with her self erected monument and it had tumbled and crumbled to rubbish.

“Katniss.” Peeta turned his face to see her. She could see the question on his face.

“I,” Katniss said unable to come up with another word.

“Katniss,” Peeta gently touched her face. “I don’t want to pressure you. However, I just want to be able to break free from the expectations my family has for me, because of you. I want you and only you. If you decide you do not want me, I’ll understand. But know I will never find contentment with another…I could never…”

Katniss understood. She pressed her lips up to his, it was a short sweet kiss. They weren’t going to be able to see each other for two weeks.

“I’m going to miss you,” Peeta said, holding her close.

“I better get home. Mrs. Porath has babies fast,” Katniss said in a clipped manner. She didn’t want to sound that way but she didn’t know what to do. She wanted Peeta, needed him much the way nature needed bees to ensure survival.

“Okay,” Peeta said. “How about we meet under the red tree in the meadow, after all of the graduation hullabaloos die down.”

“There won’t be much of a party at my house. My maw will be busy. There are a lot of women ready to give birth.”

“If we come out, you could join me and my family.”

“Peeta, do you think your mother really will allow me to set foot in your home?”

“Katniss, I don’t care about what she thinks. I just want you.”

“But you don’t know what you’ll be losing.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Peeta said, running his hand through his golden ash-blonde hair. “I understand what your mother went through…I get the risks.”

“Peeta, your mother would kick you out! The Merchant community would shun you the way they shunned my mother. And the only job available to you would be working in the mines.”

“Katniss.”

“I’m not willing to let you take that risk.”

“I understand you’re afraid. I know it’s easier baking a cake than working in the mines. I also know you’re petrified of losing me like you did your father.” He put up his hands to keep her from interrupting. “But these are risks I’m willing to take to be with you.”

“I can’t lose you.”

“You won’t, you just have to have faith in me, in us.”

Katniss slowly stood and brushed down her shirt. There were unshed tears in her eyes. Peeta knew better than to push Katniss.

“I’ll see you at midnight, after graduation?” he asked gently, wanting to hold Katniss and reassure her that everything would work out.

Katniss nodded without making eye contact.

She left with her head cast low. Peeta was left standing in his backyard watching her leave. The moon and the stars above were the silent witnesses to a love so forbidden that it was doomed to fail unless perchance there was a miracle.

In his room, Peeta silently sat in his bed, his face in his hands.

Peeta was afraid of losing Katniss. He wanted their relationship to exist in the open; he was tired of hiding. What they had was pure and genuine. He didn’t know of many happily married couples on the Merchant side. They were all quietly suffering in miserable silence. Outwardly they showed a united front, but privately they could not stand each other. Marriages amongst the merchants were cold, heartless contracts for financial gain.

Peeta did not want what his parents had. He wanted a marriage where there was genuine trust, respect, and love. He knew he could have that with Katniss.

In the time they had formed a relationship, Peeta learned what they shared went deeper than the paltry surface skimming physical relations of his friends. Peeta and Katniss were a unit, one flesh and of one mind.

They stood against the storms that battered their existence as a couple and they sheltered themselves in each other’s arms for months. Peeta nurtured the relationship much the way mothers held their babies close to their hearts. Now it was time to give birth to what they had fostered for so long, and sadly Katniss did not want to bring it out into the light.

Peeta longed to have a future with her. It did not matter to him if Katniss didn’t want to have a Toasting or children. Peeta solely wanted to be with her, in the open, the way her parents had been in the district. He desired the sweetness of being her one person in life she looked to as her confidant, as her friend, and as her equal.

Katniss was afraid, and rightly so. There were mechanisms in place to pry them apart. The mattress across from him squeaked. Peeta looked to find his brother Rye’s pale blue eyes staring at him.

“So you and Katniss?” Rye’s voice said softly, breaking the quiet in the room.

They needed to speak quietly; their mother Helen was a light sleeper.

Peeta’s first thought was to deny. He could potentially besmirch Katniss’s reputation in the district. Sadly, if a Merchant girl was found with a guy from the Seam, she was quietly married off quickly. If a girl from the Seam was found with a Merchant she was immediately cast as a woman without virtue. Katniss’s business depended on her ability to remain virtuous in the eyes of the entire district.

“No,” Peeta whispered with enough emphasis hoping Rye would believe him.

“Don’t bother denying it,” Rye whispered. “I’ve been watching you sneak out for weeks to meet her.”

“Rye,” Peeta tried to communicate to his brother to drop the subject.

“Peet,” Rye said quietly. “I’m not like mom. I know what will happen to Katniss if I say something. She isn’t like the girls who see you as a meal ticket. Or the others who are in it for some fun. If Katniss is with you, it’s because she’s serious about you.”

Peeta wasn’t sure what to make of what Rye said. His brothers were a source of childhood torment. They took pleasure in making sure he suffered. Rye, who was only a year older than Peeta, worshiped Wheaton, their older brother. Rye did everything the eldest Mellark brother did. As kid, Wheaton was a righteous prick who wholeheartedly believed the nonsense the Capitol spouted about the Seam being inferior.

Wheaton did everything their mother bid, except marry the woman their mother selected for him.

“I know you guys are terrified about mom, but you shouldn’t be. Wheaton married Drucilla and mom couldn’t do anything about it.”

Their mother, Helen, was a cruel cold woman, whose life revolved around profit. She was a foe to everyone who she believed to be beneath her. Her proclivity for misdeeds had aptly garnered her ‘the witch’ as a moniker within the confines of the district. His mother had, in essence, alienated the vast majority of the populace, including some of the Peacekeepers.

The need for bread was the only reason the bakery had a clientele at all. Peeta was sure that if there had been another bakery in the District, people would flock to that one instead, even if the prices were expensive or if the bread wasn’t as good.

Rye sat up. The mattress squeaked and both of their eyes flew to the door. After a space of time, they released the breaths they held.

“Look, I know I tortured you as a kid, but we’re adults now… and I’m sorry for being an unapologetic moron,” Rye said, then he shrugged. “To be fair, I’ve never believed the vitriol the Capitol wants us to believe. If we were better, we wouldn’t need to buy Katniss’s game meat. We would be as rich as the Capitol. No,” Rye stopped speaking to glance at the room. “I hate to say this, but Wheaton is right.”

There was one dresser in the room and two beds. Each one of them had two drawers to put all of their worldly possessions in. Wheaton was the privileged one who grew up with his own room. When he left their mother took the room for herself. She slept there now.

“What is Wheaton right about?” Peeta expected Rye to spout some stupid pro-Capitol sentimentality.

“He said, and I quote, 'We’re all the same to the Capitol. They see us as an outlying district filled with barbaric customs.’ He’s right, District Twelve is made up of poor folk trying to get by,” Rye quietly said.

Peeta raised an eyebrow, although the words Rye spoke were true, He doubted that his brother Wheaton had a change of heart and actually said them.

“If you love Katniss, be with her. Mom will change her tune, believe me. Katniss is seen as the golden girl of the district. Everyone wants to be her, and you and I both know half the guys in the district want to be with her.”

Peeta knew this was true. Katniss had no idea the effect she had on people. She pulled her family out of starvation at the age of eleven. Began her own business and was, by far, the most profitable. Her game meat was prized amongst the Merchants. Not even Gale, her hunting partner, garnered that reverence.

“Look, I wasn’t going to say anything, but I heard mom say that she was going to sign you up to the Peacekeeping Forces.”

“What?” Peeta sat up. This was news to him. “Can she do that?”

“She can; you haven’t graduated yet, so technically you’re still a minor.”

“Why would she do that?” Peeta’s mind was reeling. All of his hopes and the things he dreamed about went up in flames. He mourned the loss of Katniss and his future. As a Peacekeeper, he’d be sent to another district, and he wouldn’t be able to get married. The bulk of his youth would be spent under Snow’s command. It was a frightening perspective.

“Apparently there is a bonus given to the family for their sacrifice to the nation’s security.”

Hearing about the money made sense. Helen would do it, if it meant making a profit. Peeta’s thoughts became dark.

“Peeta,” Rye called out to him.

Peeta shook his head angrily.

“Peeta, there’s a solution,” Rye said.

Peeta wasn’t given to violence, but there were a few things that made him angry. The thought of his freedom being taken away was one of them. Peeta clutched the edge of the mattress to stop himself from falling into an abyss. Taking a deep breath, Peeta pushed his enraged sentiments aside.

Peeta began to think logically. Helen was a practical woman. She was always very thrifty. The woman she’d handpicked for Wheaton was rich, Wheaton bucked their mother and married a girl with no prospects. In the end, the girl their mother picked for Wheaton ran away with the old Head Peacekeeper Cray.

Looking at Rye he said, “I have to find a job, Rye. You’re inheriting the bakery and our mother thought this would be the most economical solution that would result in compensation for the loss of profit.”

“This is like our mother got into her head that I should learn to do sculpting,” Rye chuckled.

“She thought if you learned about sculpting, it would help you stay out of trouble.”

“All I wanted to do was play outside with Wheaton.”

“I began to eavesdrop during the lessons.”

“You’re the brother with natural artistic ability, like our great Uncle Biale.”

“He never married,” Peeta said. Their Uncle had to join the Peacekeepers in order to make a life for himself because there had been no choice for him. He’d come home after his time was up and quietly lived the rest of his life in quiet dignity as he often remarked.

“Our great uncle was unique. Mother actually mourned his loss,” Rye mused.

“I think mother wants me to have a great adventure outside of the District like our great uncle,” Peeta sighed. It was wrong of Helen, but in her own twisted way, she was trying to do the best for Peeta. “I get that there are only a handful of ways we can find employment, but I don’t want to become a Peacekeeper.”

“I can’t see you marrying someone just for a job. Especially now that you’re with the girl of your dreams.”

Rye was right, Peeta was in love with Katniss and he wanted to be with her and no one else. “I thought about this; I could work for the train station.”

“That’s seasonal work at best.” Those who didn’t have a full-time job at the train station worked from the fall until spring. Their main job was maintaining the tracks. But that left them unemployed in the spring and summer.

“I could open up a booth in the Hob, make myself an oven, and trade for Tessera grain. Make bread.”

“Mother would kill you.”

“That’s why I thought of the mines, it’s hard, honest work. And this way I wouldn’t have to join the Peacekeepers.”

“You’d really join the few Merchants who work in the mines to help Katniss and her family?”

“Yeah,” Peeta confirmed. “I’ve got to find a way to convince our mother that I’d be better off working for the mines,” Peeta said. He briefly thought of telling Katniss his predicament, though he tossed the idea out.

Peeta knew Katniss would swiftly marry him as a way to save him from becoming a Peacekeeper. Nonetheless, he didn’t want to get married that way. He wanted Katniss to choose him. Peeta wanted to hear Katniss say she wanted him.

“There is another way,” Rye said, scooting closer to Peeta. “I was trying to keep this quiet, but you should know in a week I’m going to tell our parents I don’t want the bakery.”

“What?” Peeta was shocked. The bakery was everything to Peeta. It was their connection to the past, to the Mellark heritage.

“Shocker, right,” Rye chuckled. “I’m not built for this loathing-filled, masculine toxicity the Capitol wants to extrapolate from us. I found something I want -” Rye’s eyes took a hard silverish glint in the moonlight. “Fred Wilkerson is going to make me his apprentice. I’m going to paint houses for a living. I enjoy the work and there is something gratifying about decorating houses whether they are here or in the Seam.” Rye sighed, “Fred is getting older and he can’t paint anymore. He never-” Rye gripped the edge of the bed frame as he quickly formulated what he wanted to say next. “He lost everything, just like me.”

Peeta processed the information as he watched the moonlight bathed his brother’s dirty blonde hair as it fell over his forehead. Fred lost his only child to the Hunger Games. It was a travesty the twelve-year-old boy died within seconds at the Cornucopia. His wife died of grief three months after their son’s death. It was another example of how the divide between the folk of the Seam and those who lived in the Merchant quarter was nonexistent. Fred, like many widows and widowers, never bothered remarrying. He lived his life quietly.

“I will never love anyone else-” Rye said brokenly. “Like you, I fell for someone from the Seam. They were Reaped and I couldn’t do anything to help them.”

Peeta had no idea that his brother had been in love with someone from the Seam. The divide between the Seam and the Merchants was ridiculous. To Peeta, love was love. Love did not care for limitations of time and space; it wasn’t ephemeral. True love existed and bloomed without any prodding. It was a miracle that had to be protected.

Foolishly he had nearly tossed it away, the careless way a person might throw out a mismatched sock. Peeta loved Katniss as a child but loathed the boy she befriended at twelve. So he forced his heart to detest the one thing he valued because society said they were to be enemies. Stupidly, Peeta convinced himself that boy was his enemy because he took Katniss away from him.

For years he repressed his heart and senselessly followed the belief extolled by his mother and society. Until one day when his heart took over and he found himself kissing the lips, he had once dreamt of. Soft plump lips that molded to his as if designed for his lips alone.

Katniss’s innocent wide-eyed stare after their shared kiss was like a slap in the face. And his apology tumbled out of his soul like a gush of spring water from a freshly dug well. Peeta promised Katniss and himself he would never allow cynicism to rule his gentle heart again. Thankfully, she accepted his sincere words.

Peeta didn’t realize the bond Katniss and Gale formed was out of necessity. Jealousy ate at his heart until he learned that Katniss only beheld Gale as a brother. He was a kindred spirit who she could rely on to spot her safety in the wilds beyond the fence.

It bothered Peeta greatly how close they were. Katniss, being true and loyal, defended her friend. He was embarrassed to see how unfairly he judged her when they were enemies.

“Now that you’re safe from the Reaping and I no longer need to volunteer in your place, I decided I am going to take my chance and give you yours.”

Peeta was taken aback by his brother’s admission. All of his life he didn’t think he was needed. Yet here was his brother confessing he would have volunteered as Tribute if Peeta would have been reaped. Peeta questioned who Rye’s Seam lover was.

“I want to do what I want and I want you to be with who you want, while I still hold breath in my chest.” Rye gave Peeta a sincere open gaze. “I know you love her, you’ve loved her for a long time and hid it, but now that you have your chance, don’t let it slip through your fingers.” Rye wiped his face before slipping back into his bed.

Peeta nodded as the message was clear, do everything in his power to give himself and Katniss the future they deserved.

Rye’s announcement that he was leaving the bakery was met with cries of anguish and tantrums from his mother. Rye stood his ground. Peeta was glad for Rye when he struck out. His mother and father were now forced to consider him as the sole owner of the bakery. Oddly enough, Peeta saw his father relieved when Rye gave his announcement.

His father was a quiet man who kept to himself. Peeta had only seen his father put his foot down once in his life. And that was the day his great uncle had come looking for a place to stay. As a child, Peeta had been gobsmacked at how his father became enraged. He’d never seen it since. If anything, after the incident, his father became even more docile.

When Peeta graduated, he did so with relief. His entire family celebrated his good fortune. Helen acted as if she’d planned Peeta inheriting the bakery as if it was her idea all along. The only problem was not being able to see Katniss because of the pomp of the graduation. Many couples arranged a Toasting now that they were free from school. The bakery was busier than ever.

It was a joyous time in the district. The crisp summer sun invigorated the normally downcast district. Everywhere there was a smile. An indescribable twinkle in the eyes. There was a sense of newness. It smelled of hope.

The entire district celebrated the graduation and weddings. Neither Katniss nor Peeta could meet up as they were both occupied. Every day there was a wedding or a humble gathering to celebrate a life that had phased out of the Reaping.

The following week they were meeting in the Meadow under the red sunset maple. Its red leaves swayed gently in the light summer wind. They graduated last week and they had decided to wait to see one another until after all of the celebratory festivities died down.

The warm air rushed around the lithe figure as it approached the tree. The games were finished and the children had a precious week off from school. The Capitol allowed this so that the fallen Tribute’s bodies could be brought back to the districts to be buried.

Katniss quietly approached their meeting place. Thankfully, her mother and sister were out on a call. Katniss was able to sneak out. Her heart was conflicted. She looked up at the darkened sky littered with uncountable twinkling stars. Peeta wanted them to become a couple out in the open. She did not care about losing her reputation. People were going to believe what they wanted to believe. It was Peeta’s future she worried about.

If he came out with her, there could be a chance he would never get the bakery. His Witch of a mother would see to it, even though the bakery belonged to Peeta’s father. Rye was supposed to inherit it, but things happened. And Peeta deserved that chance. Katniss had once thought Peeta was rude, unkind, and like his family. She was surprised to discover he was a good person, generous, sweet, funny, sassy, and someone who tempered the fire she held within her.

In short, Katniss had fallen deeply and irrevocably in love with Peeta Mellark.

Katniss couldn’t live with herself if she allowed him to descend into the mines to work. The mines killed people’s spirits. She’d seen Gale change in the few short years he’d worked in the mines. Katniss didn’t want that for Peeta. She loved him too much.

Katniss took a deep breath, as she gripped the skirt of her dress. The only time she wore a dress was for the reaping. Tonight she dressed with care. She wore an orange dress, his favorite color, and combed her locks to fall softly around her shoulders. Katniss pinched her cheeks as she heard Prim say she did it to make her cheeks appear fresh.

Katniss did this to say goodbye to Peeta. She could not let him waste his shot because of her.

The familiar heavy tread caused Katniss’s heart to wobble in her chest. The familiar ash blonde wavy locks came into view. He smiled at her and it was as if the sun illuminated the semi-darkness.

“Hi,” Peeta greeted.

Katniss took the first step this time, eagerly raising herself up on tiptoe, and placing a kiss on his cheek. She grabbed both his hands. She needed Peeta’s touch to ground her fears. What she was about to do was the most difficult thing in her life.

Peeta’s smile was instantaneous, his blue eyes sparkled. “Hi, I missed you.”

“Peeta,” Katniss said.

“Wait, I have…” he pulled away from her, and from his bag, he produced a blanket and set about making a small fire.

“Peeta,” Katniss said as he worked. She was trying to find a way to end things between them, but she was lost as she watched the way Peeta’s hands worked. He had such large hands with long graceful fingers. One of the things she noticed before they got together romantically was the way his fingers nimbly made flowers with a pastry bag, or out of gum paste. The gum paste flower petals looked so delicate in the palm of his hand. Katniss realized how much she secretly watched him.

It was so easy to be distracted by him. Once the fire got started he pulled out a loaf of bread. “I baked this today, are you hungry?”

Her stomach grumbled much to her mortification.

“Guess you are,” Peeta said good-naturedly.

They sat to eat. The bread was hearty and flavorful, packed with raisins and nuts. Peeta also brought with him her sister’s goat cheese, Mrs. Apple’s cheddar cheese, pork salami made courtesy of the pigs his father kept, and various herbs such as mint, basil, and oregano. He also brought with him dried cranberries and sun-dried tomatoes that were sent in Tesserae. It was a feast. They ate like Kings.

Katniss sat in Peeta’s arms relishing his nearness. She inhaled his cinnamon and dill masculine scent that was so dear to her. She committed to memory the warmth of his embrace, the sturdy strength of his body. She raised her lips to Peeta silently requesting his kisses.

The softness of his familiar sweet tasting mouth, caused her to sigh. Katniss wanted to remember the way his kisses made her feel. The way his mouth moved against hers.

She turned in his arms sitting astride him, wanting to be with him one more time. Her fingers played with the buttons of his shirt.

“Do we have time?” Peet asked.

“Yes,” she whispered, kissing him, and pulling his top lip into her mouth.

Peeta grunted at her action.

Her fingers quickly undid the buttons of his shirt, in between passionate kisses that excited them both. Katniss untucked his shirt, her hands found purchase on the fine nearly white hair of his chest. Her lips traced a path from his lips to his chin, to his clavicle. Peeta’s hands clenched and unclenched at her waist, letting her take the lead. Delightful noises escaped his lips as her fingers played with his flat nipples.

Katniss felt hot, her dress was constricting and she wanted to rip it off. But seeing Peeta’s heated look gave her confidence. She moved back and smiled seductively at him.

She began to slowly undo the front buttons of her dress. Peeta’s eyes became wider as he realized she wore only an orange spaghetti strap slip underneath her dress. Katniss had found the yellow stained silky slip in the Hob and traded for it. She took it and dyed it orange using the barberry shrub she found in the woods and baking powder.

“Katniss, "Peeta croaked. His eyes were blown wide as she stood and shimmied out of her dress. The short slip fell mid-thigh. She pulled up the slip to show him that she’d worn no underwear.

The excitement of the reveal made her wet and achy.

Peeta groaned. A soft garbled word that sounded like a curse fell from his lips.

"I want you to ride my face,” Peeta said as his hands slid up her legs.

Goosebumps erupted on her olive skin as she pictured his mouth on her needy core. Katniss had to force herself to stay on track. She slowly slid down her hands and let go of the fabric to slide down his muscular chest. When her hands reached his belt buckle Peeta’s breathing was harsh. Her own breathing was heightened, and her body trembled with need. There was an aphrodisiac in the act of holding the power when they were intimate.

“You’re killing me, Katniss.”

She laughed softly, because, despite her suave demeanor, her hands trembled with the want to rip his belt off. She bit her bottom lip, giving him a coy look as she slowly unlooped his belt, and unbuttoned the top button, before slowly sliding his zipper down.

The bulge in his pants grew exponentially by the time she finished. She was so wet she was dripping down her thighs.

“Lift your hips,” Katniss instructed as she pulled at his pants.

Peeta eagerly did as she requested. Katniss licked her lips as she caught sight of his member springing free. She shivered as she kneeled, knowing soon he would be snuggly held within her.

Katniss took hold of his cock and admired his girth and length. His skin was velvety smooth as she pumped him. Peeta’s loud groan exploded from his chest when she slipped his weeping tip along her drenched folds.

Katniss levered herself up to slowly sink onto him. The familiar stretch caused them both to moan. Their lips met when he was fully seated within her.

Their lips parted and she held onto his shirt as her plain gray eyes sought his vivid azul eyes that reminded Katniss of the deep cobalt sky that emerged after a long tempest with gray and saxe-hued skies.

Just as he was going to lift her up to ride him, the shrieking sound of Peeta’s mother filled the air.

They froze still joined, eyes wide and filled with terror, as the area was filled with light.

Katniss quickly got up, she couldn’t let his mother find her half-naked and in a compromising position with him.

“Katniss,” Peeta hissed, as he stood. His pants at his knees.

“Help me climb up the tree,” Katniss urged. She didn’t have her shoes on.

Peeta assisted her, as his mother’s voice and the lights got closer. Katniss found a hiding spot just as his mother, Darius the Head Peacekeeper, Peeta’s father, and two other Peacekeepers filled the area.

Peeta was holding his trousers up, “Mother!”

“Don’t you dare call me mother!” His mother yelled.

“Helen,” Peeta’s father, Roy warned. His eyes swept the area.

“He’s out here no doubt getting drunk!” His mother looked around. “Where are they?”

“Mother, this isn’t what it looks like.”

“Don’t you dare lie to me, boy!” His mother spat. “I heard from Amber Smith’s mother, that the entire wrestling team was meeting in the meadow to have a drunken debauchery. I will not have my son become drunk. It’s bad enough that your brother decided to become a painter and quit the bakery. We came into your room to find you and you were gone…and I remembered what Amber Smith told me.”

From her perch, Katniss gasped. Her quiet sound alerted Darius who looked up. His grin instantly became devilish when he recognized her.

“Where are your half-witted friends?” Mrs. Mellark’s beady gaze searched the perimeter.

“Helen,” Roy tried to get her attention.

“Ah, Mrs. Mellark.” One of the junior Peacekeeper’s tried to get Peeta’s mother to stop her triad.

“Mrs. Mellark,” Darius said a little louder.

“Mother really, none of the guys are out here. I don’t drink.” Peeta was trying to calm his mother down.

“You will not start your first day as the owner of Mellark Bakery with a hangover.” Helen Mellark made a move toward Peeta as if she was going to strike him.

Katniss saw red.

Angrily she jumped down from her perch in the tree and landed in the grass in front of Peeta, ready to claw out the woman’s eyes if need be. “Touch him and die!”

Helen Mellark screamed. “Arrest her, she tried to kill me!”

Katniss thought she heard herself growl as she stood before her man.

Helen Mellark jumped back.

“I’ve heard and seen how you treat your boys! You don’t touch him anymore. And if I hear that you lifted so much as an eyebrow at Peeta or say an unkind word towards his person, there will be repercussions!” Katniss was smaller than the woman, but she wasn’t afraid. Bullies have to be taken down a notch or three. And this woman needed to be pinned down like a losing opponent in a wrestling match.

“What are you waiting for… she…,” Helen pointed wildly at Katniss. “She threatened to kill me and accosted my poor innocent son!”

“We can’t,” Darius said.

“Why not!” Helen demanded.

“Because she only threatened to kill you if you hit your son. So as long as you don’t, she won’t. Besides, she’s your kin,” Darius smartly said.

“She ain’t no relation of mine, she’s nothing but another Seam…. ”

“HELEN!” Roy roared, “They’ve had a Toasting!”

Helen then became quiet as her eyes took in the surroundings. The special nut and fruit bread, the fire, the sticks that they used resting on the blanket, the dress Katniss wore.

Katniss went cold as her anger cooled enough to finally catch on to what Darius had suggested. Her plan to walk away from Peeta had gone wildly astray.

“It’ll be okay,” Peeta whispered as he put his shirt around her frame before snaking his arms around her middle and pulling her against his chest.

“Oh…” Helen said.

“Ain’t no use crying over spilled milk. Our boy here got himself hitched to a fine girl,” Roy said, taking out his glasses and wiping them with a handkerchief.

“But Roy, what will…”

Katniss got mad because the woman was so blinded by her stupidity. All Peeta’s mother was concerned about was appearances. It dawned on Katniss, she was good enough to be married to Peeta, even if it was a fake Toasting. Any family would be happy to have her as a daughter-in-law. Katniss didn’t have to be afraid and she could handle this with aplomb and dignity.

“The neighbors will say nothing, because they all trade with me, and they know if they do say something, then I won’t trade with them,” Katniss defended. She stuck her nose in the air and gave Mrs. Mellark an air of superiority. If she was going to be married to Peeta Mellark, she was going to make sure his mother knew things were about to change for the better.

“I reckon they’ll say our son is the brightest boy in the entire district. He got himself an unachievable girl who single-handedly saved her family. And don’t go saying you can’t stand her because just yesterday you were remarking how clever she is…”

Helen opened and closed her mouth.

“Mother, you should know Katniss is a wiz at math; she’s at the top of the class,” Peeta continued, giving a bright smile. “Besides, bringing her game meat to our home will save money….and she has access and knowledge of herbs and edible plants that can keep costs down.”

Then with a quickness that caused Katniss to blink, the woman smiled and cackled. “Well, welcome to the family, daughter.”

“If you folk don’t mind,” Darius said, winking at Katniss.

Katniss scowled at him.

“We better get going. Congratulations and I hope to see you at the Justice building bright and early to fill out the marriage certificate and the paperwork to pass Peeta the bakery.”

“Don’t worry, we will,” Roy said. As soon as the Peacekeepers were gone Roy turned to his wife. “Helen, dear, I think we should leave the children to enjoy their evening.”

Helen raised an eyebrow. And nodded, walking away with Peeta’s father. But as she left Katniss heard the woman say “At least one of my sons isn’t a disappointment.”

Turning to each other they said at the same time.

“I’m sorry Katniss…”

“We haven’t had a real toasting yet…”

“That’s not a problem, Katniss.”

“For what?”

They laughed. It was a relief to finally be out in the open.

“We can always have a private Toasting after we sign the Capitol mandated documents.”

“I guess what we have to do now is tell my mother.”

“That will be the easy part,” Peeta said.

Katniss laughed; she quickly donned her dress and her shoes, while Peeta picked up the remnants of their feast.

“What’s so funny?” Peeta questioned.

“You’re about to discover where the infamous Everdeen’s scowl comes from and where I get my temper.”

“I thought you got that from your dad or Gale?”

“Nope, not from my dad. And just as an FYI, Gale copied my scowl.” Katniss chuckled at his innocent confusion.

Katniss moans softly into Peeta’s mouth as his fingers dip under her shirt. This isn’t supposed to happen—not here, anyway, and not when they’re already late to meet their friends. Somehow, though, she knows it would have happened anyway, especially with the way Peeta looks at her like she’s the best thing he’s ever seen. In spite of everything, Peeta loves her, and he’s never let her own low self-esteem influence how beautiful he thinks she is. For him, she might as well be a goddess. For her, Peeta is everything she didn’t know she needed until she fell in love with him.

“Peeta, we can’t,” she gasps as his hands slide up her back and unhook her bra. When she protests again, he slips his right hand over her breast and squeezes gently before running the pad of his thumb over her hardened nipple and swallowing her groan. “Peeta, we…”

He’s hard against her stomach, ready for her as he always is when they’re alone together. It seems almost cruel to keep him at arm’s length when his own need is so present. In spite of how good it feels, she’s still protesting, but she’s losing the will to resist. After all, she wants him as much as he seems to need her.

“Okay, sweetheart,” he murmurs against her lips. “Okay, I’ll stop if that’s what you really want.”

Almost frantic with emotion, Katniss wraps her arms around his neck and tugs him to her in a passionate kiss. Taking the hint, he lowers her to the ground and settles into the crook between her legs. When he grinds into her, she mewls in his ear.

“You don’t want to stop,” he says, his tone laced with desire. “Thank fuck.”

“Peeta, yes,” she sighs before finding enough strength to admit, “No, I don’t want to stop. You feel so good. Feel so good…”

Working underneath her clothes, his fingers dip into her slit and tease until she’s wet and panting. She jerks with every sensation and pleads nearly inaudibly for him to give her more. The others can wait; it’s time for Katniss to be selfish, and there’s nothing she wants more than to make love to her fiancé in her favorite place.

The meadow where they first met shields them with tall grasses dotted with bursts of wildflowers in multiple colors. Red, blue, purple, pink, orange, and yellow all bloom around them, and she dips her face into the fragrant blooms when Peeta rears back on his knees to manhandle her onto all fours. Her bare knees scrape against the dirt and ground cover, but when he enters her, she doesn’t care. Crying out, she arches her back and rocks against him.

It's so good when they’re together. She’s always wanted to be loved, even if she didn’t know how to explain it. Somehow, though, he knew what she needed, or at least he’d been persistent about his own interests until they aligned. Now, she can’t imagine her life without him, can’t fathom how empty she’d be without him next to her in the morning. She’s never been so happy to be wrong about needing someone, and she used to protest plenty.

Peeta pounds into her, hard and insistent, and she drops her head in surrender to bliss. Bent over her with his chest plastered to her back, he murmurs in her ear. The dirty talk makes her eyes cross, or maybe it’s the way his right hand circles her clit in tight, fast circles that match the rhythm of his hips. This isn’t going to take long, and that seems to be intentional on Peeta’s part.

“Love being inside you, sweetheart,” he gasps. “So wet and tight. Exactly what I want. Taking it so well. Letting me fuck you senseless. Love you so much.”

She tries to answer, but her voice is lost in a combination of breathy moans and high-pitched grunts every time he slams into her. She’s so turned on she can’t even say his name. Everything that comes out of her mouth is indecipherable gibberish.

“Yeah, I feel you tightening, Katniss. Feel you winding up. Almost there. Almost there, and then—”

Arching her back, she wails as she snaps. Her entire body clenches, milking him inside her, and she melts. Gathering her to him, he bucks into her a few more times and then follows her over the edge before collapsing onto her back in the fragrant bed of flowers.

“Peeta,” she finally manages, but it takes almost all her energy. She can feel the scrape of weeds on her belly and knees, and she’s stupidly thankful that they didn’t bother to strip each other completely since neither of them bothered to toss a blanket down before losing themselves in each other.

With a groan, Peeta rolls off her and heaves a few uneven breaths before answering. She knows the feeling because she’s just as overwhelmed as he seems to be. This is part of why she finally gave in, finally said yes when he asked her to marry him. If she loves him this much and she can’t keep her hands off him, maybe he really is her soulmate. Even if he’s not, she doesn’t really care. Right now, he’s everything she wants.

“We should go meet our friends,” he mumbles into her temple, but she’s sure there’s no sense of urgency.

Pulling him into a kiss, she makes sure they’re good and late. Maybe that’s why Finnick and Johanna tease them mercilessly when they show up, or maybe it’s what Gale says when he leans down and whispers in her ear.

“Hate to say it, Catnip, but I didn’t ever think I’d be so jealous of grass stains on your knees.”