#evestedic

The days seemed to be longer for at least a couple of weeks, and Peeta started to feel the need to sleep without a shirt, in addition to the open window. That could only mean one thing. 

Trekking trip. 

Katniss and Peeta had started the tradition more than a decade ago. At first, Peeta noticed how she would take several full days outside the house. She would tell him, of course, that she was planning on going to the woods and not to wait for her. Peeta would simply put more bread, cookies, cheese, milk, and cheese buns in her bag and wish her a good hunt. Katniss would faintly smile and say goodbye. 

Then, after three or so years of this, Katniss asked Peeta if he would like to come with her. Peeta hesitated at first, for he knew there was no way she would be able to hunt peacefully with him beside her. He hadn’t been the greatest with his two good legs; now there was simply no hope for him with his prosthetic. Katniss quickly told him it wasn’t about the hunting, so Peeta went to bed, rose early, and prepared everything for a full day out, even some pain medicine, for he wasn’t planning on slowing Katniss down. 

Thankfully, all of his preparations were useful as after two hours of walking, Katniss had stopped only one time. She always asked if he was feeling okay, if he needed to rest, but no more than necessary. Katniss understood Peeta despised feeling like a cripple, and Peeta was thankful because the last thing she would ever do was feel pity towards him. 

Half an hour ahead and Peeta was speechless. He knew about this place; Katniss had told him about it.  In hushed whispers in darkness, when the rain hit the ground and made the earth smell rich and strong, she would open up about her father, about the man he was and how much she still missed him, about the trips they would take into the woods to a small cabin with a lake beside it, their special place, now Katniss’ sacred place. 

“This…” He couldn’t actually articulate more. 

“The water is warm a bit before midday and for a couple more hours after that. There’s a tent in the cabin and we can eat near the field.” It was all she said, but Peeta got her. Katniss was sharing something so big with him, so intimate that he actually felt humbled. 

The place was something the Capitol couldn’t even dream of replicating, even in its prime. It looked fierce, wild and natural, much like Katniss was. 

True to her word, they extended a blanket under a huge tree that provided lots of shade and sat down to eat. They didn’t talk, however Peeta took out his sketchbook and pencils and started sketching everything he was seeing around him. Eventually, Katniss stood up and went to a different tree, shooting simply for sport, and Peeta turned the page to portray the strength emanating from Katniss’ stance. 

It was a quiet day, a fun day, a ‘them’ day, and later that night, Peeta asked her if they could make some modifications to the cabin. Katniss looked miffed at first, but he begged her to listen. After stating his ideas and actually putting them down on paper, she started to see his plans didn’t involve changing or invading her space but improving it and maintaining it for future years. 

Katniss agreed.   

They started that same first year with small repairs and making plans for the next summer. It would’ve been impossible for Peeta to follow her into the woods with the prosthetic in the dead of winter; either way, Katniss said even she wouldn’t stay out there with the huge amount of snow that fell in the season.  

It was tacit that this would remain between only them, so when Haymitch asked why they were suddenly asking for so many tools and implements, Peeta shrugged and Katniss glared. Their ex-mentor didn’t ask anything more and returned to his geese. 

Each summer they went back and added or changed something in the cabin, making it a bit more homey, more livable. 

After the third year, they stayed for a weekend. 

After the fifth year, they stayed for a week. 

Peeta was the happiest when ‘cabin time’ approached. They could truly be them whenever they were there. Katniss would completely let down her guard, diving into the lake and emerging with a beautiful smile on her lips, a water nymph to Peeta’s eyes; she would even hum or sing if she was feeling particularly relaxed. 

Of course, making love to her under the shade of their tree was also a favorite part of the trip. Here, they didn’t have to be cautious or mindful of Haymitch or worry about being overheard and later teased by him, being asked to at least close the window on ‘those nights’, no. 

Here, Peeta felt as if they were the only two human beings left in the world, and maybe Katniss felt it, too, for she didn’t hold back at all during those few days they had together. She would open up to him, body and soul, readily receiving him inside of her; or she would take charge and sit atop him and slowly ride as the sun moved around them. 

Peeta knew people praised him for his words, that Haymitch and Plutarch had wanted him to be the true spokesperson of the rebellion while Katniss was the face, all because of his quick wit and manner of speech, but it was during these moments when Katniss and he  reached their peaks and finally returned from there breathless, panting and satiated, that he wished he had the perfect words to write her a poem or a song. 

He remembered reading somewhere about a goddess who carried a bow and an arrow; he managed to see a painting during his time in the Capitol. In it, the huntress’s torso was uncovered, but the motif wasn’t a lewd one; on the contrary, she looked calm and at ease with her dress disheveled, walking through a field. Katniss looked much like that right now, for they hadn’t had time to totally rid her of her dress, and it hung low on her waist. Katniss’ most gorgeous look, for Peeta, was when she opened her eyes after reaching an orgasm between his arms. She would give him this soft look, this tender smile, these barely-there touches…She was still pure. How did she manage it? He didn’t know and had stopped wondering after a few years, but even if she didn’t believe it, for Peeta, Katniss’ purest feature was her heart. The reminder that she had willingly given it to him almost always brought tears to his eyes, but by now, he already knew to hug her close and breathe in her scent in order to calm down and not to make her worry, to simply enjoy and bask in the feeling of being free. 

Although, who was he kidding? He may be free of the Capitol, but he was Katniss’ slave, whether she knew it, liked it, acknowledged it, or not. He had almost died for her once, and he would do it again. 

“Hey, you okay?” Her voice next to him pulled him from his thoughts. They now slept together every night; whether it be her nightmares or his, they could handle it better when the other was near. 

“Yes, I was just thinking about our next trip to the cabin.” 

She hummed and stretched. “You’re right; the weather is changing. Is there anything we need for this summer?” 

“We’ll have to make a one day trip to check on possible repairs. Last winter was brutal. But if all is good, then we can go at the end of the month.” 

Katniss looked at him and moved her head a bit, and Peeta flopped back on the bed, adjusting his weight then pulling her to him. 

Today could be a stay in bed day. 

°•. ✿ .•°

No repairs were needed, thankfully, and Katniss and Peeta got ready for their week away. 

“You two realize that if something happens to either of  you out there, there’s no way we will know where to look for the bodies, right?” Haymitch said as they geared up on their porch that morning. 

“That won’t happen,” Katniss told him.

“And even if it did, you already know to call Katniss’ mom, and she’ll know what to do.” Peeta added.  

“And, pray tell, why can’t I simply know where you are going?” 

“Because you’re impossibly annoying and wouldn’t stop bothering us for years to come, Haymitch,” Katniss said in a flat, no-nonsense voice. 

“That hurts, sweetheart. I’ve always looked out for you.” 

Katniss rolled her eyes and started walking while Peeta offered Haymitch a hand salute and followed his…girl? 

That was something neither had taken the time to define. They were everything to each other, at least Peeta thought so, but he wouldn’t call Katniss his girlfriend; that was too juvenile. He also couldn’t call her his wife, for they hadn’t toasted or made any promises in that aspect; plus, he knew how Katniss felt about the whole idea, even if they spent almost every day together and did everything a couple would. Peeta wasn’t in a hurry to have a label; for him, it was more than enough to be able to share his life next to the woman he loved and cherished. 

After a few hours, they reached their safe haven and started to unpack. The cabin was no longer a forgotten space with a tent for when the wind picked up. They now would walk into their second home and see furniture, a mattress, and clothes. Peeta kept some painting implements here, and Katniss stored her handmade arrows and a bow, too. Peeta had even managed to fix the old wood-burning, steel stove that was in the middle of the room. How Harland Everdeen had managed to drag such a heavy monstrosity out here, they would never know, but they were grateful. On the chilly nights, the stove would provide all the heat they needed as they laid in front of it. 

“Plans?” Peeta asked Katniss once they had settled in.

“A swim. I’m all sweaty, and I really want to freshen up.” Katniss was tying up her hair in a bun while she spoke. 

“I’ll just sit and sketch something for now; go enjoy your swim.” 

Katniss nodded and deposited a small peck on his lips, which left Peeta a bit surprised. Not that they didn’t do far more than kiss, but it wasn’t usual for her to demonstrate it so freely. 

Who was he to complain, though?

Peeta finished the sketch and set out to chop some wood to have for later‒best to get to it as soon as possible. When the sun started to go down, he went back inside and found Katniss placing the fruit and other supplies they’d brought for the weekend on the wood shelves she had carved and put together so many years ago. 

“Now you’re all sweaty,” she said in greeting. 

“Yeah, I was thinking of taking a quick dip and then coming back to eat something.” 

“Go, I’ll fix something while you’re out.” 

With a smile, Peeta went outside and shed his clothes, not worrying about being seen by anyone but a roaming wild animal. They’d been lucky enough not to come across a bear or something as big as that, mostly elks and rabbits, but even those steered clear of this part of the woods as they could probably sense the difference in the air, the presence of invaders in their terrain. 

“Tough luck, fellas.” With a final laugh, he dove into the lake. 

°•. ✿ .•°

It was very late already, the moon’s vibrant shine seeping through the windows, but both Katniss and Peeta were still up. She was reviewing the Memory Book, and he was painting on a canvas. 

“What do you think they used to paint their skin?” Katniss suddenly asked, and Peeta stopped. It was incredibly rare for her to want to think about anything Capitol-related; she must have gone through a chapter on their prep team or something. 

“I’m not sure. I know it was dye, but I don’t know what kind. It made it possible for them to shower and never lose the hue, at least from what I remember.” 

“They couldn’t even leave paint alone.” Katniss’ eyes seemed to suggest she was thinking about the past, so Peeta tried to draw her out of that train of thought. 

“Though I can see the appeal-”

“Are you kidding me? Purple skin with green stripes? Or orange like Effie’s hair?” 

“Oh, God, no.” He groaned but smiled. “I mean that I understand the appeal of having some art on your skin. Like what Cressida had. Those vines and leaves, they looked beautiful on her.” 

“…you think?” 

“Yeah. And, if I were to use this paint, I could even do something on me for a night and then erase it the next day. Wouldn’t that be fun? Having a different pattern on you whenever you feel like it.” 

“Not like we’re all artists, Peeta.”

“I’m not saying that- Come here.”

“What?” 

“Just come.” He extended his hand and moved his fingers, beckoning. “Quickly, come.” Katniss huffed but left her spot and went to Peeta. “Now, give me your arm. I promise you can have it back soon.” Katniss acquiesced, and seconds later she felt a brush on the back of her hand. She couldn’t actually see what he was doing, but she could feel the gentle strokes of the brush. 

“There, now, how do you like that?”

Katniss inspected her hand, which now displayed a beautiful pink flower with a bit of white in it. As much as she would’ve liked to deny it, she actually liked it. 

“What flower is this?” 

“It’s called a sakura flower. One of the books I was reading mentioned flowers from around the globe from before the Dark Ages. This one represented a time of renewal and optimism, so its meaning got stuck in my head.” 

“Well, that would hardly be me.” 

“Why not? It’s a beautiful flower, just like you. And what you represent, Katniss, brought renewal and optimism to all of Panem. So, I would say this flower fits you to a T,” Peeta claimed before kissing the dried paint on her hand. 

Katniss’ cheeks were flushed, so she tried to distract Peeta by grabbing a brush, too. “Well, you painted on me, so I get to paint on you, too.” Peeta chuckled and raised his arms to her. “No, on your back. I may mess it up, so it’s best if you don’t get to see it.” 

“If you want me to take off my shirt, Katniss, you need only ask.” 

“I’ll tackle you, Mellark, bad leg or not.”

“Promises, promises…” 

They both laughed, but Peeta complied and took off his shirt. Feeling the slight tremble of the brush against his skin made his own blood start to warm. 

“There.” 

“What did you draw?” 

“A dandelion.” 

Peeta turned his gaze on her and remained silent. 

Katniss had told him about it years ago, how she compared him to this flower, how she felt it was like a promise that life could go on and that, no matter how bad the losses, life could be good again. It had been the single most precious thing Katniss had ever told him. It even trumped the day she had first told him ‘I love you’ for real. 

Taking her face between his hands, Peeta kissed her. The noise of the brush falling to the floor was the only thing they heard before falling, themselves, onto the rug near the stove. 

He didn’t know if this had been Katniss’ intention when she mentioned the paint and the dandelion, but she seemed to be on board with what was happening right now. She encouraged the stroke of his fingers against her skin, no longer flinching when Peeta touched the scarred side of her body, which had been marred by the fire so many years ago. 

Their kissing was put on pause only long enough to remove their clothes, slowly, but assuredly, and Peeta ran his fingers through Katniss’ hair, releasing it from her usual braid. 

“Peeta…” 

“I’m here.” There was nothing else he could focus on right then, although something told him he should, but he trusted Katniss to take care of it. “I could paint a whole garden on your skin and you would still be the purest, most beautiful flower among them.” 

Katniss’ rapid breaths fell from her lips as her body asked him for more. 

Without any more words, they made love slowly, surrounded by the warmth emanating from their bodies. 

  °•. ✿ .•°

“Peeta…?” 

“Hmm?” They were currently packing up their things as nine days had already gone by and they were sure Haymitch would probably be sending a search party soon. 

“There’s something I wanted to tell you.” 

“Yes?” He left the bag on the floor and turned his sole attention on her. 

“I didn’t take my pills.” 

“Which ones?” They had both taken some medications since the Hunger Games ended, whether for insomnia, anxiety or a couple other things, and they’d both forgotten them a time or two in the past. It wasn’t as if it was a daily necessity. 

“You know…the daily ones.” 

“Daily? There aren’t any-” He bit his tongue as he remembered the other medicine that actually was a very dearly daily necessity. “Your birth control?” At least, that was the name under which the doctors sent it. 

“Yes.” 

“But, wait…these were safe days, then. Right?” Katniss looked away, clearly starting to get uncomfortable with the questioning. Peeta had read and listened about how to be ‘safe’ on certain days of Katniss’ cycle, but that didn’t mean he kept count. She was pretty strict on the ‘no kids,’ rule so he hadn’t pushed or asked in a few years. “Katniss?” 

“I-I thought you wanted…Forget it. I can just take them again.” She went to the door, but Peeta, for once in his life, was faster than her and caught her hand. 

“Wait a minute. Please, give my brain a second to catch up.” Katniss nodded. “You didn’t take the pills.” 

Nod.

“By accident?” 

A shake.

“Intentionally.”

Another nod. 

Peeta felt the world swirl on its axis as the revelation of what Katniss just told him fell upon him.

“Katniss, you’re telling me you want a baby. Real or Not real?” 

The seconds she took to answer made Peeta’s heart beat so hard it hurt his ribcage. 

“Real.” 

  °•. ✿ .•°

The sheer fear and elation Peeta felt the day Katniss confirmed to him that she was, in fact, pregnant couldn’t compare to the day Emmer Mellark was born into this world. 

From Day One, Peeta knew Katniss was terrified and had only done this to please him; however, the moment Emmer was placed in her arms, he could see the calm and absolute love radiating off her. 

No one would lay a hand on their child, not while she was alive. And no one would lay a hand on either of them while he was. 

“Jesus, kid. You were already stuck with her for years to come; you really had to knock her up?” 

“Thank you, Haymitch, for the kind wishes,” Peeta simply said. 

“Yeah, well…cute kid. Not that I could tell as sweetheart wouldn’t let me near until I took a shower. So, I might meet him in a few months.” 

Peeta chuckled when he saw Haymitch leaving their house with a smile on his face. 

Cleaning his hands on a towel, Peeta ran upstairs to check on his family, finding them safe and sound in the middle of the bed. 

“Hey, how are you feeling?”

“Tired, but I’m okay. Really.”

“I’m glad to hear. I’m cooking some stuff to last for a few days as I don’t know how much time we’ll have once we start not sleeping.”

“You’ve been talking to my mother?”

“She may have sent some suggestions…Annie, too.” 

“Okay.” 

“Okay.” 

They were lying there, just admiring the perfection of the small being they had created, and Peeta thought this moment was the best he’d ever experienced. 

“Katniss?” 

“Yeah?”

“Would you marry me?” 

“Dad, can we take the long way home today?” 

Harland Mellark didn’t mind. Sometimes, Peeta and him preferred to take the ‘long way’ as his youngest called the road that would deviate them at least 10 minutes from getting home, but they enjoyed the extra time and the change of scenery from the usual path. 

“Sure thing, buddy. Anything you want to talk about?” 

Also, whenever Peeta asked to go the long way, it usually meant he wanted to share something: His score in art class, how he had thought about a new idea for the bakery, or an event regarding the girl with the braids. 

“No…I just um- Aren’t you hot, dad? It’s very hot today, right?” 

“Well, yeah, it is…” 

District 12 had one of the hottest summers among Panem, and that year promised no difference. It was either scorching hot or ‘penguin cold,’ as Peeta called it. 

“Because there’s a lemonade stand over there, look.” 

Harland turned his head and smirked. 

Of course… 

In front of a small house stood a weird-looking lemonade post with a sign that read ‘$1 and very yummy!’  There was a girl with braids sitting down there, reading. 

“Uh-huh…well, I could go and get us two of those, just so that you don’t have to walk in this sun.”

“I’m okay!” Peeta immediately exclaimed, and Harland had to laugh. 

His boy had been lovestruck since the first day of school when he saw a small girl with a red dress, two braids, and a beautiful smile. 

“So, you finally found out where Katniss Everdeen lives.”

“It’s not like that, Dad! I just happened to hear that she has been offering lemonade this week, and Madge asked her if it was easy selling on Seam Street because not many people pass through there…and then, because we sometimes come around this way…” His voice had increasingly lowered with every word, and Harland smiled to himself, ruffling Peeta’s hair. 

He couldn’t blame his son for his crush. Katniss Everdeen was a very pretty and unusual girl, and Peeta had been cast from his own unique mold. Far as he knew, though, Peeta wasn’t exactly friends with the girl, which seemed weird because of the youngest Mellark’s popularity among his friends. At only 10 years old, Peeta was a very handsome boy, and Harland wasn’t only saying that because he was his own flesh and bones, but because it was true. Peeta had even been chosen on more than one occasion to be on the cover of the school pamphlets. Still, he didn’t like the attention all that much and would rather be in the back of the store, frosting cookies, or inside his room, mixing up new colors.

Bran was the jock of the family; he’d even earned a baseball scholarship. 

Rye was the fun one, always joking and being loud. Being a salesman came naturally to him, so he was in charge of the counter on the weekends. 

And Peeta was the artist. As soon as Harland and his wife had allowed him in the kitchen, he didn’t want to leave. Peeta’s hands were steady with the frosting bag, and Harland had already promised him they could try decorating a cake on Peeta’s next vacation.

Always being the one to bring sweets to class had also given Peeta extra points among his peers. However, apparently, the cat still caught Peeta’s tongue whenever Katniss was involved. 

“Well then, son, we better go and get something fresh to drink, what do you say?” 

“Yeah!”

______

“Oh, honey, it was awful!” Harland tried to contain his laughter so that it didn’t reach his youngest’s ears. 

“Shh! What if he hears you? Don’t be so mean!” However, Harlands’s wife, Cassandra, was also having a hard time containing her grinning. 

Harland had told the ‘lemonade incident’ to his wife, and he thought one really couldn’t just come up with these things. 

He and Peeta had approached the stand and Katniss had smiled, greeting them and asking if they’d like a glass. Harland had paid for two while Peeta simply stood there, trying to come up with something clever to say, no doubt. 

“Aren’t you hot, young lady? Shouldn’t you have an umbrella so you don’t get sunburned?” 

“Oh, it’s okay, sir. I’m already dark-skinned, so a bit of sun is no big issue.”

“You-uh…I always have sunscreen with me, in case you want to borrow some,” Peeta told Katniss. 

“Why do you always have sunscreen?” 

“Well, I-my skin is fair. Not delicate! Just-I get, like, super red and swell up like a lobster if I stay out in the sun for too long.”

Of course, Katniss had laughed at his son’s reasoning for having sunscreen in his backpack at all times, but she had thanked him, anyway, and offered him a glass. 

“It was the worst lemonade I have ever tasted in my entire life. The lemons were too green, the water too warm, and I bet you a cake she put the sugar in last.” 

“Oh, poor thing. Why didn’t her parents help her?” 

Harland’s smile fell away, and he sat on a chair. “I asked her where her parents were, and she just told me they were working. I asked Peeta while we drove back, and he knows her father was fired last week and her mom is taking double shifts at the hospital to make up for that. Graham is currently job hunting.” 

“Oh! Was he working in the coal factory?” 

“Yeah.” 

Everyone had heard last week about the huge scandal in coal factory number 45. Half of their workers had been laid off, and the other half was still fighting for their severance pay, marching in front of the gates and declaring a strike. 

“The Everdeens have two girls, right? No wonder their father is job hunting instead of rallying with his friends. Perhaps Peeta could take them some bread?” 

Harland smiled because his wife’s family always tried helping out with food. No wonder his pant size had gone up more than once in the years since they’d been married.

“I’ll ask him. I’m sure he’ll want to do something nice for her.” 

______

For the next two weeks, Harland made sure to take the ‘long road’ home and always stopped at the lemonade stand. He always bought two lemonades, although he never drank his, but Peeta would valiantly finish the whole thing in front of Katniss; he said he didn’t want to make her feel bad. 

Then, one day, Peeta seemed more excited than usual and urged his dad to actually drink his glass that day. Surprisingly, it tasted quite good, and the water was cool to the lips. 

Katniss was so happy; Harland didn’t even know the girl could smile so much. She went to hug Peeta, to his son’s immense surprise, and profusely thanked him, saying his lemonade was free today. Apparently, Peeta had finally gathered his courage and suggested to Katniss she change the way she was making her lemonade. It was a resounding success, and she’d even started getting a few more sales, if the jar of dollars was any indication.  

Peeta started to take on his brother’s duties back home just so he could get his allowance. He wanted to pay for his own lemonade, and Harland couldn’t be prouder. It was good to start learning about the value of money as soon as possible. 

However, something he learned about the Everdeen’s oldest girl was that she had pride in spades. Not in the bad sense of the word, no; she was more the kind to repay a drop of water with a fountain. Apparently, her father had taught her that, and even if they didn’t have much, she always insisted on Peeta’s and Harland’s lemonade being free on any day Peeta would take bread or pastries to her at school. There was no way to even slip her a dollar while she wasn’t watching; the girl had the eyes of a huntress. 

Fortunately, after a couple of months of constant afternoon lemonades, Katniss told them she was closing the stand as her daddy had gotten a new job and she needed to concentrate more on her studies, which Harland took as an opportunity to offer Peeta as a study partner, for he was very good in his classes. Katniss then brought her father from inside and, finally, Harland was able to introduce himself. 

What happened after that was pretty much textbook. Both families got to know each other; Peeta’s brother’s would tease him mercilessly whenever Katniss came to the bakery, and the eldest and youngest of the Everdeen and Mellark families became the best of friends for the years to come. 

______

“But I don’t know if Mom is going to let us, you know?” 

“We lose nothing by asking; I mean, the worst thing she can say is no.” 

“What are you two plotting, hmm?” Harland surprised both youngsters in the kitchen. 

“Nothing!” They answered at the same time. 

“Really? Because it seemed as though you were scheming a secret plan. Come on, won’t you let me in on it? I’ve been bored.” 

The young girl and the slightly taller boy looked as if they were considering it, and then they showed Harland their drawing. It was a lemonade stand with glasses and all, lots of people around, and some dollar signs as well. 

“You want to sell lemonade?” 

“I want to be able to buy things on my own without having to ask Mama or Daddy…” Alyssa looked at Harland with those big puppy eyes. The man never thought he would ever love another woman as much as he loved his wife, but his granddaughter had simply taken his breath away from the moment he saw her bundled up in her white blanket 8 years ago in the hospital.

“And what do you think, Emmer?” 

“I could help her, Grandpa. If Mama says it’s okay, I’ll look after Ali.” 

Harland wore a big grin on his face; he ruffled the hair of both his grandchildren and told them to go play, said that he’d look into their plan and help them later when they spoke with their parents. 

Truth was, they would surely smile about it, remembering how all of this started for them many years ago‒with an awful glass of lemonade and a school crush that turned into a marriage. 

“We’re home!” Harland heard his younger son exclaim as he opened the door. “Hey, Dad. Were the little ones too much?” 

“No, son, we had fun.” 

“Please, Harland, tell me you didn’t fill them up with sugar, or else I’ll leave them with you all day today,” Katniss told her father-in-law with a playful glare. 

“Just a couple of cheese buns and then yogurt with cereal, nothing crazy.” 

“Good. Thank you so much for taking care of them; we really wanted to make sure the cake arrived okay.” 

“No problem at all, dear. I know how the business goes. Cassandra wants you to come later for dinner, though. That way you can both rest a bit from the kitchen.” 

“That’d be lovely. Prim is arriving later; she’s staying for a week.” 

“Oh, right! College vacation.” 

They talked for a bit more before Alyssa and Emmer came down the stairs after playing God-knows-what. 

“Mama, Mama, you know that I love you very, very much?” 

“And I you. Now, what do you want?” 

Alyssa asked her grandpa for help and started to explain how she wanted to sell some lemonade this summer, just so she could start saving her own money. Ever since that piggy bank project in school, she had been adamant about starting to save her pennies. 

“Really, a lemonade stand?” Seated next to his son, Peeta was grinning like crazy. 

“Yeah, Dad. I mean, we saw it in a movie, but it could be cool, right? People are always hot and going around in summer.” 

“You should probably ask your dad about your mom’s lemonade stand.”

“What?!” both children exclaimed, and their parents laughed, surely recalling those weeks a long time ago. 

Peeta had been working overtime for at least two weeks. While Memorial Day was usually a holiday for everyone, the bakery didn’t stop. Families poured in wanting to buy pies, cakes, cookies, cheesecakes and the like; it was a good day for the Mellarks. Even his brother Rye took a day off from work to help with the sales; he was rubbish at baking but good at convincing everyone to leave with at least one more product than they intended. Heck, even his mother dressed to the nines and put aside her usual attitude, for she knew that, aside from the usual holidays, Memorial Day was a day to earn good money. 

The youngest Mellark didn’t mind the hard work; he had been used to bakery work since before he started school, trying out his frosting skills on stale cookies or measuring the ingredients so his dad could bake the cakes. What Peeta did mind, though, was not being able to be with his girlfriend today. 

Peeta had asked his dad, and Harland had been completely okay with it, simply asking Peeta to be sure to bake enough for the sale day. His mother, on the other hand, had been livid. 

“Why do you have to leave on one of the busiest days of the year just to be with that girl!? Doesn’t she know how this business works?” 

“Mom, I already told you she lost her father last year and it really affected her.” 

 “And what, didn’t we lose Bran as well? You don’t see me crying in the corner because of it!” 

The Mellarks had lost their eldest in the war as well, but that had been almost ten years ago, and they were all together. His father, mother, Rye, and Peeta had grieved and taken the time to visit his grave and put flowers on it. But, as with everything, life goes on. You still remember your loved ones, just not with the same pain as before.

“It was going to be his last year, Mom. He was 38, already a reserve, and they called him because he was an extraordinary man when it came to tactics. You know his unit name was on the news more times than we can count. He accepted out of love for his nation and countrymen. We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to every man and woman who has fallen in the name of our country, but I believe Graham Everdeen deserves a special demonstration of respect. I can’t tell you how proud I am to be able to be in his family’s life.” 

“Hear, hear. Graham was a good man, the best man. I will never forget him. Just let the boy go; he already did everything we asked of him.” 

Peeta’s mom didn’t like it, but she relented before her husband’s gaze and tone. “I’m blaming you if the sales this year aren’t as good.” 

Katniss had been a surprise baby. 

Graham and Lavender had been high school sweethearts in secret, him being a scholarship student and she, the daughter of a member of the board. 

As love stories go, theirs was the cliché after school special where Lavender found out she was pregnant at barely 16, Graham at 17. Not wanting her to get an abortion, they eloped without finishing high school and prayed to every God out there that her family didn’t charge him with kidnapping, or worse. They were lucky, though. She had been disowned, and her family didn’t want to have anything to do with them or the baby to come. 

As for him, his family tore him a new one but accepted them both with open arms. A few months later, Katniss came into the world, silently, but with that characteristic gaze of hers. Graham then decided the best thing he could do was to apply for the Navy as he was now 18. That way, he would be able to provide for his new family without having to impose upon his parents. So, leaving his very young, soon-to-be bride and newborn daughter, he set off to try his luck. Turns out, he was built for it. His Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery score was impressive, and his body, already used to rough sports, also helped him in quickly becoming one of the favorites in his class. 

As soon as Lavender turned 18, they got married in a small chapel, surrounded by a huge amount of love and joy from the people who truly loved them. 

It wasn’t easy; those first few years were the hardest, but they both put in the effort and as parents, they were blessed with a quiet child in Katniss. Although she was a bit of a tomboy, she seemed to possess a greater level of understanding compared to other toddlers. Always serious, a perpetual frown on her face, Katniss Everdeen was often misunderstood as broody or difficult, but each and every member of her family knew she was a total daddy’s girl. 

Whenever Graham would come home, the first woman he would crumble before was his little flower, his Katniss, the child who had forced him to become a man much faster but who had also shown him that there was no limit to the love one could feel towards a little human being. 

Lavender loved her husband with all of her being. The few friends she still communicated with had told her the spark would die, that the child would change everything, and they were right‒but only about the last part. Katniss had changed everything, but for the better, and she still felt the same spark within her body whenever Graham caressed her skin. He was also the greatest father he could be whenever he was home. He loved Katniss to death, and although he realized she already had him around her tiny little finger, Graham didn’t mind one bit. 

He did several tours, and things started looking better, financially. They were able to finally move out of his parents house, although Lavender always visited regularly. Prim came as another surprise four years later, Lavender finding out about this pregnancy while Graham was away in some foreign country, no less, but he was still ecstatic at the news. 

Primrose Everdeen came loudly into this world, the spitting image of her mother, and for the third time in his life, Graham fell in love. His unit friends would joke around, telling him he would have to try for a boy the next time he went home, but he always said he was more than happy being surrounded by his beautiful flowers. There wasn’t a single man who didn’t know about Petty Officer Second Class Everdeen’s love for his daughters. Even his superiors always asked him about his girls back home, and everyone gathered around him to hear about Prim’s first steps of Katniss’ latest knee scrape. 

Time went by, and Graham did his time, always coming back home. He was a blessed man. 

Even if the beginning of his life hadn’t been what he had planned, he really couldn’t complain. His wife adored him; his youngest loved him, and his eldest idolized him. And even if Graham claimed to love both of his daughters equally, everyone knew Katniss was his favourite. Katniss was the rowdy girl he could teach to wrestle or to punch, explain how navy tactics worked, or sometimes, open up to about a fallen comrade. Katniss was the light in his eyes and the smile on his lips whenever he saw her. 

“I’m gonna have to buy a RGM-84 harpoon in a few years just to keep them at bay, Lav. She’s gorgeous,” he told his wife one night.

“Oh, I think there’s still time, don’t you think? Katniss is only twelve.” 

“You didn’t see the baker’s boy looking at her this morning. Poor boy stuttered through the whole interaction and even gave her a free cheese bun.” 

“What will you do when Primrose turns twelve, then?” 

“I think an AIM-7 Sparrow to begin with, and then…an entire fleet!” 

And Graham had been right about Peeta. When Katniss graduated college‒the first Everdeen to do it!‒she brought Peeta home to meet her family.  

“You all know Peeta. We’re dating now. What’s for dinner?” Typical Katniss. 

Unfortunately, it was that same year that Lieutenant Everdeen was called back to action. He was a reserve, technically not obligated to do it, but he chose to, for his countrymen and his comrades. 

That day, he kissed all of his girls, shook Peeta’s hand, and went to war. 

Graham Everdeen never came back home. 

“Katniss?” Peeta entered the Everdeen’s home with the spare key Lavender had given him last year. 

It was a quaint home with pictures all around, the biggest one, of course, being of Lieutenant Everdeen in his navy uniform, surrounded by flowers and a candle. Surely Prim’s doing. Speaking of the youngest Everdeen, she must have gone to Rue’s house to finish up her paper due next week, but she would undoubtedly be back for lunch. Lavender must be at her in-laws, as she wouldn’t be able to stand being alone with the girls today, of all days. Graham’s departure had been almost a death sentence for her, and it had been Katniss who stepped up to take care of her broken family. 

Peeta put his backpack and the pastries he had baked for her in the kitchen, and then he went to look for his girlfriend. He found her in her bed, tear tracks on her face and still in her pajamas, although she did have her father’s navy working uniform jacket on. 

“Hey…have you eaten anything today?” Katniss shook her head, and Peeta was glad he had prepared tea before coming here. “I have some of that red berry tea you like. I’ll put it here so it stays hot, okay?” She nodded. 

“I bet your mother was thrilled about you staying with me today.” 

“You know her so well.” Peeta smirked. 

“You don’t have to do this, you know? I don’t need a babysitter.” 

“I know. I just want to stay close to you, as always, but especially today.” He kissed her forehead and she rose up to hug him. 

Katniss rarely let her guard down, but with Peeta, it was a usual occurrence. He had managed to tear down her walls, brick-by-brick, throughout the years. Of course, the cheese buns always helped. 

“Someone came yesterday.” 

“Yeah? Who?” 

“A friend of Dad’s. He said he had been in the same explosion but had been lucky. He lost a leg, though, and the physical therapy, plus the fact that he lived far from here, prevented him from coming to visit sooner.” 

“He must have been a good friend of your dad’s, then.” 

“He…He had my dad’s letter.” 

Oh.

Peeta didn’t have to ask what that letter was. Every man always left a message for his loved ones with a friend before embarking on a difficult mission, and Graham would have been no exception. 

“What did it say?” 

“I don’t know. I haven’t opened it yet.” 

“Do you want me to give you some space?” 

“No, I- Could you stay? I don’t think I can read it alone.” 

“Sure.” 

Katniss pulled a yellow envelope out from under her pillow. It was a bit wrinkled but still in good condition. After opening it, they found three more envelopes inside, smaller and white, one for each of the women of the Everdeen family. 

“This is for your mom, this one for Prim, and this is for you.” Katniss took it with trembling hands and fresh tears in her eyes. 

Peeta had loved his brother Bran and had cried when he died in combat, but Katniss had lost something much bigger. She had lost a father, the first man she had ever loved and her best friend, all at once. Graham had been her superhero, and Peeta had always been nervous about proving himself worthy of her because of all the love the good man had showered on Katniss. They were both very much alike, even if Graham hadn’t been home during Katniss’ first years, and whenever he returned, Katniss wouldn’t leave his side. 

When he heard a chuckle, he turned to see Katniss, the sheets of paper in her hands, avidly reading her father’s handwriting amidst cleaning her tears. Peeta hadn’t even peered in on Graham’s last words, out of respect. He would stay with Katniss and be her support, but he wouldn’t intrude into this special last moment she had been given with her dad. 

“He mentions you.” That comment surprised him. 

“Really?” 

Katniss proceeded to show him a paragraph that made his chest swell with pride. 

“I’m glad, though, that you chose a good man to start dating. I’ll always have a tiny spark of hate for Peeta for stealing my girl, but I know it could have been worse. Don’t be afraid to rely on him; you’ll need his love and his support. Although, please, do your old man a favor and always, ALWAYS use protection. I’m not going to pry into your private life, but I wouldn’t want you to have the same rough start as me and your mother did. 

I know Peeta is a great guy, and I knew he would sweep you off your feet from the first day he gave you a free cheese bun. I may be gone, but I’m relieved to know I couldn’t leave my girl in better hands. 

Love each other, respect each other, and when he asks for your hand in marriage, let him know he has my blessing.” 

Damn, that was touching. Peeta knew Graham liked him, but knowing he already had his blessing for when, not if‒he would definitely marry Katniss Everdeen down the road‒Peeta decided to pop the question, meant the world to him. 

“Well, there you have it. Now there’s no way you can say no to me, Everdeen.” 

“I wasn’t planning on it.” 

“Good to- Wait, what?” 

It was so bittersweet, seeing Katniss’ face red and blotchy, exhausted from the night she had undoubtedly spent crying, remembering her father, but also smiling back at him with a tiny glint in her eyes, a glint that spoke of her love for him. 

“I wasn’t planning on looking for someone else. You’re stuck with me, Mellark, so when we get married, you’d better be ready. Okay?” 

“O-Okay!” 

“I think I can drink a bit of tea now.” 

“Alright, I’ll get you a piece of pie, too.” 

And so, Graham Everdeen was gone, but he would always be remembered, both in this house and in the one Peeta would share with Katniss.  This, Peeta vowed in his head right at that moment. 

Going to the kitchen and uncovering the striped pie he had brought, Peeta made sure to cut an extra slice and put it next to Graham’s picture. 

“God damn it!” Katniss was not happy. 

It was Thanksgiving, which meant she was being forced to spend time with people she didn’t even know.

Why?

Because they’re family, Katniss.

She could hear her Aunt Martha’s voice. 

Why should she care that her cousin was getting married?

Or that her nephew had gotten into college? 

Or that her godfather was slipping her a 20 buck bill while winking an eye at her? 

She wasn’t a total bitch, so she bore with it, but this was people she saw one fucking time per year! 

If it wasn’t for Thanksgiving, she was sure she wouldn’t see them again as they never even called. Nor did she.

But, be that as it may, Prim loved big gatherings and the attention; she was, after all, quite cheerful. Her father also bore with it, although better than her. 

However, who knew? This year her mother was coming with her new boyfriend. 

Ugh, puke… 

And that was why she was there, November the 26th, coming back from work and on her way to Aunt’s Martha’s house. 

Katniss was not happy. 

She had already left the store not five minutes ago, but something kept nagging at the back of her head while she accommodated the bags in the back of her car. 

Of course, being who she was, she had forgotten dessert. The pumpkin pie with maple whipped cream. Sighing and fuming, she went back to the absolute chaos of the aisles. If she arrived at her aunt’s without dessert…well, she would rather face a biblical plague. 

After perusing the dessert stand and seeing everything was completely wiped out‒not even crumbs were left‒she gave up and thought about getting some canned peaches and cherries.  That’s when she heard it…   

“Is that you, Katniss?” 

That voice. 

She had loved it at one point. Now, it was just nails on a chalkboard. 

Turning around, she set her eyes on a huge blonde guy; he had a perfect gym advertisement body, a smirk on his face, and his arm around a blonde girl with the same perfect gym advertisement body. 

“Cato.” 

“Buying for Thanksgiving?”

“No, just came because I was craving some peaches.” 

“Oh.”

Seriously? It was the most direct sarcastic answer ever, and he had actually believed her? 

Katniss rolled her eyes and was about to turn around when the Barbie clone spoke. 

“Is this the one, babe?”

“Yes, baby, that’s her.”

“Oh, I thought she’d be…I don’t know, prettier?”

“She never wanted to put in the effort, baby.”

“She is standing right here. And if working out turns you dumb, I’m glad I didn’t do it.” 

Katniss had gone out with Cato for two years when they were nineteen. Back then, he had been a kind guy, funny and perhaps a bit silly, but very nice, normal. He had asked her out after a college party, and she accepted; the rest was history. 

However, after one year of being together, he began frequenting the campus gym and suddenly started to change. All he could talk about were diets, exercise, and protein. Katniss was all in for a healthier life; hell, she knew if she kept on eating Greasy Sae’s food every other night, she was going to clog her arteries by the time she was 35, but Cato was relentless. He got rid of all of her comfort food and she had been forbidden to eat chicken and meat ever again. Only turkey and fish were allowed, vegetables, no dairy or eggs, no sugar! She was going crazy; Katniss had reached the obscene point of hiding in the bathroom to eat a Snickers bar, only to quickly brush her teeth and rinse with Listerine at least thrice so that her boyfriend wouldn’t taste any trace of chocolate when he kissed her. It was that night when she knew she couldn’t do it anymore. She no longer recognized the guy she had agreed to date or herself, for that matter. So, Katniss decided to end it right then and there. She skipped her next class and went to their dorm only to find him banging the very same Barbie girl who was in front of her in the canned aisle right now. 

Quickest breakup ever. 

He had said it was her fault for not ‘putting in the effort,’ and she hated him for it. 

“Jealousy doesn’t fit you, Katniss. Well,” Cato gave her a once-over, “I doubt anything does. Have you gained weight?” 

“If I have, that wouldn’t be any of your fucking business. What are you doing here? Came to buy something for dinner? I think there’s a celery and mineral water pack on sale.” 

“Still salty because I chose someone better?” Cato shamelessly licked the girl’s ear, making her giggle in an obnoxious way that made Katniss want to gag. 

She didn’t have to stand here and watch this; she-

Was that a hand on her waist?

“Hey, sorry I took so long. I literally had to wrestle this from an old lady.” 

That voice. 

Peeta Mellark was holding onto her waist and smiling that charming smile that could probably tame a wild animal, while proudly presenting a ham to her.

“Um…” Eloquent as always. 

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know you were with friends.” 

“Yeah, no…Not my friends.” 

“Aren’t you the baker guy? You’re slumming it with the bakery employee?” Cato laughed while Barbie‒Katniss really couldn’t care less about her actual name‒looked at Peeta appreciatively. 

“I haven’t introduced myself,” Peeta said, extending his right hand but not letting Katniss’ waist go. Cato immediately took it, flexing his bicep as he did so, but his expression faltered when he shook Peeta’s hand. “Peeta Mellark, owner of ‘The Cake Lair’. Have you guys ever been?” 

Katniss was confused. 

It wasn’t as if she and Peeta were actually friends. They had talked, yes. She simply loved the pastries he sold, and because of how she had raved about his cheese buns, well…the double entendre put her in an uncomfortable position, but he had only laughed and thanked her for the compliment, as he had, in fact, baked those himself. 

Peeta always made sure to set aside at least two cheese buns for her prior to the end of the day. 

And okay, yeah, they had exchanged numbers and texted from time to time, but nothing deep. It was always things about the weather, the cheese buns, or how Prim was. Did that qualify as being friends? 

Katniss was awful at being a good friend, hence why she only had two: Gale and Madge. Her sister and father didn’t count; they were family. 

Shaking her head, she returned to the present to find that arm still around her and Cato’s face getting red. 

“Just let go, dude.  You’re about to pop a vein.” Peeta chuckled. 

Katniss directed her gaze at their hands; she could see they were both squeezing the hell out of each other. Cato probably thought he could scare Peeta off with his muscles, but he clearly hadn’t seen Peeta shirtless on a hot day, hauling 100-pound flour sacks onto his back as if they were light cargo. Peeta was strong, like ‘I could iron clothes on your stomach’ fit; he just didn’t flaunt it, and Katniss appreciated that.

Cato huffed and let go, and Peeta smiled once more and winked at Barbie, who was giggling like an idiot. 

“So, we should be going soon if we want to make it, Katniss. You know how Aunt Martha gets if we don’t get the groceries in time for her.” 

So yeah, she had told him about her hellish weekend to come last week, but Katniss didn’t think he would remember. 

With his hand still on her waist and her still not shrugging it off, they made to pass Cato and his doll, but, of course, the bodybuilder felt the need to use the sole neuron in his brain. 

“You know you’re just a replacement, right? I mean, she went and looked for the next guy that kinda looked like me because she clearly can’t forget me.” 

Tuck your thumb over your middle finger to make a proper fist. If you wrap your fingers around your thumb, you’re likely going to break it. 

Her father’s words and the boxing lessons came back in a flash, and before Peeta could hold her back, Katniss pivoted on her left foot, momentum aiding her, and connected her first with Cato’s jaw. She wasn’t an expert boxer or anything of the sort; she just liked the exercise, and she was strong. But Katniss must have been lucky enough to hit the sweet spot because Cato dropped to the aisle floor, unconscious. 

“Babe!” Barbie girl screeched, and suddenly, two more gorilla-looking guys were coming to her aid. 

Friends of his, no doubt. 

“Tell your boy toy, next time he wants to bully me to think twice, lest he finds himself beaten up again by a woman,” Katniss spat at the blonde girl. 

“You did this?” A broad and tall black guy asked. He was actually pretty scary, but Katniss held her ground and managed to nod. To her surprise, he chuckled and sort of bowed to her. “He’s an ass. I bet he had it coming. We’ll take care of him.” 

“Thresh! He’s your friend…” Barbie girl actually had tears in her eyes. 

“He’s not. We’re just in the same weightlifting class. And don’t cry; he’ll come to soon. Finnick, help me bring this idiot back.” 

“You must have a mean right hook, hon,” the guy with reddish hair and perfect teeth told Katniss. 

“I do.” She jutted out her chin proudly; her dad had taught her well. 

“Nice to know you have it all sorted out. Katniss, should we go?” Peeta was pulling her a bit, and she let him, both soon finding themselves out in the parking lot, having decided to leave behind the cans and the ham. 

Once they were in front of her car, Katniss did something she rarely did. 

“I’m sorry I cost you your ham.” 

Peeta seemed surprised, but he simply smiled. “That’s okay. There are a lot of hams left, actually; I just needed an excuse to walk up to you.” 

“Why did you do that?” 

“That guy was an ass, and I know you could’ve handled it on your own, but…,” he leaned in a bit and whispered, “doesn’t it feel good to let him know you’re with someone much better now?” 

Katniss couldn’t help it, she laughed. “You’re full of yourself, Mellark!” 

“Hey! I’m a catch, I tell you. Owner of his own bakery, hard-working; I know how to cook and bake, and I’m easy on the eyes, too.” 

“Not to mention, tons and tons of humility.” 

“That, too.” He smiled, and Katniss rolled her eyes, but she really didn’t feel angry with him. She hadn’t needed his help, but he had offered it freely without expecting anything in return. “So, I guess this is where we part ways.” 

“What are your plans for tonight, Peeta?” Katniss suddenly asked, and he was surprised as well. 

“Uhhhh, not much. Bake something? Eat it while watching TV, nothing exciting.” 

“You can come to my Aunt Martha’s, if you want. Prim would love to see you, and this way I can repay your ‘act of kindness’.” 

“Really? You sure it wouldn’t bother you?” 

“If it did, I wouldn’t have asked.” 

“Sure, I’d love to.” 

“Okay, but before that, there’s something I need you to do for me.” 

“What is it?” 

“Can you drive? My right hand is killing me.” 

                                                °•. ✿ .•°

“Why couldn’t you just buy it?” Katniss whined.

“Because I actually enjoy baking. You should know this already.” Peeta chuckled as he handled the mixer. After a few more turns, it seemed everything was ready. “I just need to flour the containers now.” Peeta patted his hands on his apron and went back to the pantry. 

Katniss took her chance. 

She slowly inched her hand forward, her eyes not leaving Peeta’s back, just in case. 

Two more inches and-

“I swear, Katniss, if you’re reaching for that dough I won’t make any cheese buns for a week.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” she exclaimed, shocked. That wasn’t fair! Peeta hadn’t even turned around, but he knew what she had been about to do. 

“Try me, love.” He then approached the table again, watching a grumbling Katniss cross her arms. “You know you can’t have raw dough while pregnant.”

“That’s a stupid rule. I bet it’s invented. How did women manage centuries ago, then?” 

“Oh, I don’t know. They sometimes died intoxicated, so no biggie.” Peeta was serious now. 

“I wouldn’t die over a bit of dough…” She said it under her breath, but he heard.

Peeta sighed, and Katniss felt a pang of regret. Damn him. “Katniss, do we really have to discuss this again? It’s Thanksgiving, and I’d bet my bank account Aunt Martha would come down here and force you to go to the party if you weren’t so-” 

“Go on, finish what you were going to say.” Katniss knew she was so big she might be in need of her own postal code. 

“-tired. You’re carrying twins, and that’s not an easy feat. The only thing she asked for was the pumpkin pie with maple whipped cream.”

“Every fucking year.” 

“She indulges during the holiday.”

“Why not just get one from the bakery?”

“She wants it fresh.” 

“Why doesn’t she come down here and get it herself?”

“You really want your Aunt Martha here? Right now? Today?”

“…No.” Why did Peeta have to be so logical? 

“I know you’re crabby and your feet are probably swelling. Let me put this in the oven, and then I’ll massage them with some of that lavender cream your mother gave you.” 

“And a bath.”

“A massage and a bath, you got it.” 

Peeta, of course, fulfilled his promise and left Katniss so relaxed she fell asleep and didn’t even notice her husband had gone and come back from the Everdeen’s annual Thanksgiving gathering. 

By the time she opened her eyes, he was sitting next to her, reading a book. 

“Hey…did you all get a proper rest?” Peeta put a hand on her belly, smiling. 

“I think so, yeah; they just started moving.” 

“I can feel. Here, let me help you up.” Peeta’s strength was no joke. He could single-handedly lift her up, yes, even when she felt like a whale, and prop her on the bed so she could sit comfortably. “That okay?” 

“Yes, perfect.” 

“Happy anniversary, love.” He presented her with a huge cheese bun, making her laugh.

“Peeta, just because we fucked for the first time four years ago today, doesn’t mean it’s an anniversary.”

“For me it is! Come on, I bet you didn’t think we’d end up doing it in the bathroom that night.” 

“I seriously didn’t.”

“But here we are, and that’s all that matters.” 

Her husband really was the cheesiest person alive, but she secretly adored that part of him. 

“Shut up and let me enjoy my cheese bun.”