#12daysofeverlark

Guilt twisted in Peeta’s stomach as he looked from the brunette to the clerk, but he ignored it. He had earned this doll. After visiting the store ten times in the past fourteen days, the clerk, Annie had finally promised to call him if they received a surprise shipment.

“So that’s it? There isn’t another one?” the brunette asked miserably.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. It was a stroke of luck this one was returned in the first place.” The clerk handed the shopping bag to Peeta. “Merry Christmas, Mr. Mellark.”

“Merry Christmas, Annie. And thank you.” Peeta took a step back. “I’m really sorry,” he told the brunette, who was still staring, crestfallen, at the empty spot on the counter where the doll had been.

She glanced up at him, a scowl on her face. “I can’t believe this,” she snapped. “That was supposed to be mine.”

Peeta was taken aback by the animosity in her voice. There was no reason to be rude to him. It wasn’t his fault the employees had a communication problem.

“Guess you should have went shopping earlier,” he said before walking by her.

“Wait!”

He turned around, surprised to see her scowl replaced by desperation. He studied her for a moment, noting her downcast gray eyes, her dark hair twisted into a messy side braid. Several strands had come loose and hung in her face. She really was gorgeous, even in her frustrated state.

“What?”

“I really need that doll,” she said. “Please. Let me buy it off you? I can give you, um…” She pulled out her wallet and dug through the few bills inside. “An extra twenty dollars? It’s for my sister. She’s had such a hard year, and…” She trailed off, her cheeks suddenly flushed red.

“What happened?”

She shook her head. “You know what? Never mind. It’s none of your business. I’ll just…get her something else.”

Before he could say another word, she disappeared into the flood of people outside of the store.

“Wait!” He pushed past a family of four walking entirely too slow only to stub his toe on a stroller. Finally, he stumbled into place beside her.

“Wait,” he repeated, leading her out of the flow of traffic to the railing overlooking the first floor of the mall. “I bought this for my niece to piss off my brother. We’ve been fighting. When his wife told me he couldn’t get the doll, I started hunting for it to show him up. Be uncle of the year.”

She pressed her lips together and looked away.

“That’s my noble reason,” he said. “Your turn.”

She fiddled with the green scarf around her neck, wrapping the fabric around her fingers. “My father passed away last year about a week before Christmas. We didn’t celebrate last year, so this is like our first Christmas without him. And all my sister wants is this stupid doll.”

“It is quite stupid, isn’t it?” he said. The doll was based on the main character of some children’ show that had premiered earlier in the year. He knew nothing about it except that every little girl between the ages of four and eight watched it. “I’m sorry. About your dad.”

“Thanks,” she said, not quite meeting his eyes. “I just wanted to make this Christmas a happy one. I was all set to buy the doll the weekend after Thanksgiving, but then the transmission on my car went. I had to max out my credit card and – I really don’t need to be telling you this.”

“It’s okay.”

“No. You’re a complete stranger. You don’t need to hear how shitty my holiday season has been.”

“Well, at least finish the story. You maxed out your credit card and…didn’t have enough to buy it until after it was sold out everywhere?”

She nodded.

“Here,” he said, offering the shopping bag. “For your sister.”

“I – I really can’t. I mean, you got there first. It’s only fair.”

“Come on. You heard my reason for needing it. I kind of feel like an asshole.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”

“Well, there you go. Only way to make me feel better is if you accept the doll.”

Tentatively, she took the bag from him. She even glanced inside to confirm the purple box was really in there. A smile lit up her face, and something warm and light ran through him.

And he had thought purchasing the doll had made him feel good.

“Maybe I could ask for something in return?”

“Of course!” She pulled out her wallet. She counted out five twenties, but he immediately shoved one back into her hand.

“I’m only charging market value. And that’s not what I meant.”

Her brow crinkled. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

“Get a coffee with me?”

She opened and closed her mouth before saying, “I don’t drink coffee.”

“Tea? Soda? Hot chocolate?”

She glanced down at her feet, pushing a few pieces of hair behind her ear. “I like hot chocolate.”

“Come on,” he said. “There’s a Starbucks downstairs.”

*

The line was long, snaking out the entrance and around the corner. After a few minutes of waiting in silence, Peeta regretted asking her, certain she had somewhere she needed to be. But there was no sign of impatience on her end, no fidgeting or repeated checks of her phone.

“I’m Peeta, by the way,” he said, holding out his hand.

“Katniss.” They shook, and he felt that thing again, the warm, light feeling. It was a little bit like the anticipation he used to experience on Christmas morning as a kid.

When it was finally their turn, she insisted on paying for their hot chocolates.

There wasn’t a free seat, so they headed back upstairs to the food court, and found an empty table in the furthermost corner by the McDonald’s.

“What’s your sister’s name?” he asked.

“Primrose.” She pulled off the top of her cup and blew into her drink.

“That’s a beautiful name.”

“Thank you. I, uh, named her actually.”

“Yeah?” he asked as she took a tentative sip.

“Me, my mom, and my dad each suggested two names for the baby, and we all voted on our favorite one. My suggestion won.”

“I’m the youngest of three. Rye is five years older and we...don’t always get along.”

“Right. Your fight. Has it been going on long?”

“Off and on for, oh, three years?”

Her eyes widened. “Wow.”

“My father died when I was nineteen. He left his business to me and my brothers. Rye wants to sell it, but I want to keep it going. And Tyler, ever the mediator, won’t vote. He’s just waiting to see what we decide, and he’ll go along with whatever.”

“That sounds really hard.”

“It sucks. He keeps telling me I can buy him out, but of course I can’t afford that. So we just... fight. Every chance we have. Which is often considering we currently run the bakery together.”

He took a long sip of his hot chocolate. She seemed to sense he was done talking about it because she asked, “So what are you going to get your niece now?”

“A gift card?” He shrugged. “I’m not really sure what seven-year-olds like.”

“Is she artistic? Athletic? Does she like to read?”

“She’s quiet. Plays with dolls. Reading frustrates her, so I don’t think books are a good choice.”

She fiddled with the top of her drink, spinning it in lazy circles on the tabletop. “I could help you. Pick something out, I mean. As a thank you.”

“Yeah? Are you sure you want to brave another store on Christmas Eve?”

“I can’t go home without making sure your niece is getting something amazing from you.”

“Okay. Let’s do it.”

She tapped the shopping bag she had sitting beside them on the table. She hadn’t taken her eyes off it for more than a few seconds. “Let me just stash this in my car first. I keep thinking someone is going to spot it and rip it out of my hands.”

“Maybe bury it in your trunk, so people don’t see it.”

She smiled and leaned forward. “You know, I was thinking the same thing.”

*

As he waited for her down by the east entrance to the mall, a part of him wondered if she really would come back. She had no reason to. She had gotten what she came for, and it was Christmas Eve. Surely, she had other, more important things to do: cookies to make, food to eat, Hallmark movies to watch.

But a couple of minutes after she disappeared, she re-entered the mall with a small wave. As soon as he saw her, he couldn’t understand why he had doubted her. They headed toward the escalator in the center of the mall. They were only a few feet away when they heard the announcement.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a very special surprise for all of you. It’s time for the Christmas Games! We are looking for married couples to compete to win the ultimate prize this holiday season: a Princess Gwendolyn doll.”

Katniss and Peeta turned around in time to see a green-haired man wearing a bright green suit covered in red Christmas trees waving around a purple, glittery box.

People everywhere took notice. Several couples started toward the announcer. Katniss and Peeta had a split second to make their decision.

“Marry me?” Katniss asked.

“Are you sure?”

She grabbed his hand. “Let’s go get you that doll.”

*

Thanks to their close proximity, Katniss and Peeta made the cut and joined four other pairs in the center of the mall. A huge crowd of shoppers surrounded the group of competitors as the announcer - Caesar Flickerman, as he had introduced himself - chatted with each couple.

“And how old is your daughter?” Caesar asked Peeta after learning their names.

“Seven,” Peeta blurted out, thinking of his niece rather than the fact that he was only twenty-two. Katniss didn’t seem much older.

Caesar frowned. Well, sort of. He made the effort to do so, but the Botox he obviously used didn’t allow much of an expression change. Peeta could hear the doubt in his voice. “You two have a seven-year-old?”

“We’re high school sweethearts,” Peeta explained. “What can I say? I knocked her up young.” He smacked her ass for added effect. Katniss offered the crowd a tight smile before leaning into his ear.

“Do that again, and I can promise you’ll never have children,” she whispered before planting a kiss on his cheek.

“Alright, we’ve met our contestants. Now let’s get this party started! The lowest scoring couple each round will be eliminated until there’s just one pair left standing.” Caesar clapped his hands.

A woman dressed as an elf passed out a strip of bells to each couple.

“For our first round, we’ll be testing your knowledge of the Princess Gwendolyn show. If you know the answer, shake your bells.”

“Oh, shit,” Peeta muttered.

“What’s wrong?” Katniss asked.

“The show’s about a princess, right?”

She bumped his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ve seen every episode like three times. We’ve got this.”

She wasn’t lying. Twenty questions later, they were in first place, and the third couple, who hadn’t answered a single question correctly, was eliminated.

Peeta wrapped his arms around Katniss and lifted her up in a bear hug. She let out a squeak of surprise.

“Great job!” he said.

“One down, three to go,” she replied.

“For our next challenge,” Caesar began as the elf reappeared, this time carrying several rolls of wrapping paper, scissors, and tape, “we’ll have the wives wrap their husbands. With the exception of their head, every inch of the men must be covered.”

Katniss spun the tape around her finger and shot a smile at Peeta. “You ready?”

He held up his arms and spread apart his legs. “Let’s do it.”

“3...2...1...go!” Caesar yelled.

Katniss quickly wrapped his first leg but hesitated as she went to tape the paper together along his thigh.

“Don’t be shy,” he mumbled. “We’re madly in love, remember?”

She rolled her eyes and made quick work of the rest of his first leg and then his second. She moved to his midsection.

“Come on, Glim, you’re taking forever!” the man next to them complained.

“Well, if you’d stop moving, the paper wouldn’t keep ripping!” the woman snapped back.

Peeta watched as the woman - Glim - tried and failed to keep the wrapping paper in place around her husband’s body. Meanwhile, Katniss papered his stomach before beginning on his arms.

Then, all that was left were his shoulders. He pulled his arms back down to his sides as she wrapped his upper body.

“Geez,” she said underneath her breath.

“What?”

“You’re so...broad.”

He laughed. Before he knew it, he was a veritable Christmas gift mummy. A member of the crowd ran up to Katniss and handed her a bow. Katniss peeled off the bottom before sticking it to the top of Peeta’s head. She held up her arms in triumph and the audience cheered.

“Looks like we have our first winner!” Caesar announced.

Two other couples finished in rapid succession. Glim, unfortunately, never got past her husband’s stomach.

“It was your beer belly,” she snapped as they stomped off. “It kept ripping the paper.”

“Alright,” Caesar announced. “We’re down to our final three couples. I believe it’s time we have a...lip sync battle.”

After the elf cleared away the wrapping paper mess, she dragged out a single chair.

“Husbands, you’ll each take turns serenading your wives. I think you may have heard this song before?” The first few notes of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” filled the air. “You’ll have about forty-five seconds to impress us. The audience will vote on the winner. Cato, Clove, you’re up first.”

Cato mouthed along to the song as he danced around his wife. He grabbed his wife’s hand, and squeezed his eyes shut as Mariah hit her high note.

The crowd cheered.

The second husband performed a very similar routine for his wife, with a few extra thrusts of his hips thrown in. He knelt for the final few lines, earning a huge round of applause.

Then, it was Katniss and Peeta’s turn.

“They were good,” Peeta said.

Katniss poked his side. “You’ll just have to be better.”

Peeta started the song standing behind Katniss’s chair. As the melody picked up, he moved to her side and dropped to his knees. He grabbed her hand and held it to his chest as he sang. Then, he jumped up, spun around, and sat on her lap. She laughed as he caressed her cheek and brushed her braid over her shoulder.

Then, he was back on his feet, his eyes squeezed shut, his arm moving wildly up and down, as he exaggerated his delivery of the next several lyrics. When he started the chorus for the second time, the point where they had stopped the song for the other two couples, he pulled Katniss up. He twirled her, and she nearly stumbled over her own feet. When he spun her back into his arms, he dipped her low enough that her braid brushed the floor. Finally, he pulled her back up in time to sing the famous line, “All I want for Christmas is you.”

Peeta stared at her as the crowd clapped and cheered and the music began to fade. The two of them were close, close enough to --

“Do it,” Katniss whispered.

So he did. He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her into a kiss, sealing their victory.

The crowd went wild, whistling and yelling their names. A few people even shouted, “Encore!”

Peeta barely noticed. She felt good in his arms, like the Christmas present he had been patiently waiting for all year. He didn’t want to let go.

Finally, Caesar stepped in front of the pair, and said with a chuckle, “Excuse me, you two. There are young children present.”

Peeta was tempted to push him aside, but Katniss finally pulled away. Peeta pressed a quick kiss to the side of her head, and they stayed close, even as Caesar announced that they were the “obvious winners.”

The crowd voted on the other couples, eliminating Cato and Clove.

“Ready for the last round, Mrs. Mellark?” Peeta asked.

“We so have this,” she whispered back.

“Alright, for our final round,” Caesar began, “we’re going to find out how well these couples know… each other.”

Peeta and Katniss shared a glance.

Peeta groaned. “Son of a--”

*

“Well, that was humiliating,” Katniss said as they walked through the parking lot. “Although I can’t believe you guessed my favorite color.”

“I was just going off your scarf,” he said. “I can’t believe you didn’t guess mine.”

“Orange? Who’s favorite color is orange?” she teased.

“Not like a bright orange,” he explained. “More of a softer, muted orange. Like a sunset.”

She was quiet for a moment. “That sounds pretty actually.”

“Thank you.”

They reached Katniss’s car. She leaned back against the trunk and looked up at him. “I’m sorry you don’t get to be Uncle of the Year tomorrow.”

“It’s fine. Your sister will be ecstatic. I think that’s more important.”

“You don’t even know my sister. Or me, for that matter.”

“Hey, we were married for almost an hour. We’re bonded for life.”

She shook her head, a smile playing at her lips. She held out her hand. “Give me your phone.”

He whipped it out of his back pocket.

She pressed a few buttons on the screen before handing it back to him. “My number,” she said. “Just in case you need help in any more competitions.”

He couldn’t help the goofy grin that appeared on his face. “Perfect. Have you heard of the Wife Carrying Championship?”

She rolled her eyes. “Bye, Peeta. Thanks again for the doll.” She kissed his cheek before getting into her car.

He watched her drive away. It wasn’t even Christmas yet, but he was certain he hadn’t had a more perfect holiday in a long time.

*

The next morning, Peeta sent Katniss a quick text message wishing her a Merry Christmas. He didn’t hear back until late afternoon, shortly after he arrived at his mother’s house.

Katniss: I have a major surprise for you that can’t wait until tomorrow. Can you meet me somewhere?

Excitement pulsed through him. He was fully prepared to ditch his family dinner, but he knew he didn’t have a good enough excuse.

Peeta: I just got to my mom’s house

Katniss: I can come to you? Are you still in Panem?

Peeta texted her the address. Thirty minutes later, he answered the knock on the door. Katniss stood on the porch, her dark hair free from its braid, falling in waves down her back. She wore the same green scarf from yesterday. She even held the same shopping bag.

He shut the door behind him and joined her on the porch.

“What are you doing here? Is that…” He pointed at the bag.

“Ready to be Uncle of the Year?”

He glanced inside the bag and found a wrapped box peeking out.

“But Primrose?”

“Oh, yeah, um.” She sighed. “We had Christmas morning at my grandparents’ house. Every year before this one, all they ever got us was a phone call. But this year, they went all out. Made us a fancy breakfast, bought us a ton of gifts, including…”

“The Princess Gwendolyn doll,” Peeta finished for her.

“Yeah. Prim opened their gifts first. I didn’t realize they knew she wanted it. They probably just bought it because everyone else was buying it. I know it doesn’t matter who gave it to her as long as she got it, but it still kind of sucks that it wasn’t me.”

“But Prim’s happy?”

Katniss smiled. “Very. So...ready to show up your brother?”

He took the bag from her and considered it for a moment. He still felt like a tool when he compared his reasons for wanting the doll to Katniss’s, but what did it matter now? Her sister had received one, and he was about to make his niece, Hailey, very happy.

Poor Hailey had ripped through the toys Peeta’s mother had bought her in record time. As soon as she reached the last one, she had burst into tears. All afternoon, she had stared longingly at the Christmas tree as if looking for a lost gift hidden beneath it.

“Can you wait just one second?” he asked. “I’ll be right back.”

She nodded. He rushed inside and handed the shopping bag to Rye. “For Hailey,” Peeta said.

“What is this?” Rye asked.

“The doll.”

“The doll? You’re serious?” Rye said. “She’s going to be over the moon.”

“You give it to her.”

“Really? Are you sure? How did you even get this?”

“It’s a long story. But go ahead. Make your daughter happy.”

Rye stared down at the shopping bag before looking up at Peeta. “Thanks, Peet. I mean it. Really. Thank you.”

Peeta clapped his brother on the shoulder before grabbing his coat and racing back outside to where Katniss waited.

“Do you have to get back right away?” Peeta asked her.

“I have a little time.”

“Go for a walk?”

“Sure.” She followed him down the front path and into the street.

“Thanks for bringing that all the way over. You saved my niece’s Christmas,” he said.

“You let your brother give it to her, didn’t you?”

“How’d you know?”

“You seem like a good person. I had a feeling.”

His arm brushed against hers. When it happened a second time, he grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Merry Christmas, Katniss. Did you get what you wanted this year?”

She gave him a sidelong glance before replying, “I didn’t ask for anything this year.”

“Well, it’s not too late. There’s still a few hours of Christmas left.”

She stopped and turned toward him. “What about you?” she asked. “Did you get what you wanted?”

The Christmas lights that decorated the house behind him danced across her face. For the first time, he noticed her earrings. They were shaped like gift boxes.  

“I can’t answer that without coming off as incredibly cheesy.”

“Then, don’t say anything,” she whispered, leaning forward.

He closed the gap between them. Her hands slipped inside his coat, coming to rest against his back. Her cheek was frozen beneath his palm, but he kissed her until every bit of her felt warm against him.

Later, he walked her back to her car with the promise that they’d see each other tomorrow.

“No shopping malls though, right?” she asked.

“No malls,” he agreed. “I thought maybe you could come to my apartment. And we could stay in.”

“Throw in some hot chocolate, and you’ve got yourself a date.”

He watched her car until the taillights disappeared around the corner. Then, slowly, begrudgingly he headed inside, where he watched the clock for the rest of the night. As a kid, he used to hate the day after Christmas. It signified the end of the holiday season. No more presents, no more surprises, no more excitement or anticipation.

For the first time ever, he was eager for the day to end.