#mr. everdeen

6 year old Peeta Mellark, very seriously, asked Mr. Everdeen for Katniss' hand in marriage when he was trading at the bakery one day.

Mr. Everdeen was absolutely chuffed about it. He thought it was the cutest thing in the world and it took everything in him to maintain a serious tone when he responded with:

"That's a really big commitment. What do you have to offer my daughter, young man?"

"I can draw real good, my cupcakes are way better than both of my brothers, and I'll always let her take the top bunk."

Here are my clues:

She was Maysilee's friend. She got her canary after she died, inheriting the symbol of a warning in the form of a songbird.

Haymitch's victory frightened Show. If the Capitol's control was strong at the time, Haymitch's forcefield trick would have been just good tv. The fact that Snow came down so hard on Snow suggests there were threats of rebellion before Haymitch even went into the arena.

When Gale is whipped, Haymitch says they used to take people who got whipped to Katniss's mother. Specifically, he says, "She's the one we took them to," which seems to imply it was just her, not her whole family.

After treating Gale, she briefly speaks to Haymitch about "before." They understand each other so easily with just a few words despite us seeing hardly any interaction between them before. It feels like they have more of a shared history than what Katniss knows.

Speaking of what Katniss knows, she considers this interaction and wonders what they are talking about but decides she's too upset to ask right then. She never thinks about asking again, but the whole thing suggests that there is a lot more to the story of D12 in Haymitch and her parents' youth.

Katniss remembers her mom getting angry at her dad for teaching her "The Hanging Tree." Little Katniss had cried because her mom yelling was so out of the norm. Katniss assumes that her mom didn't like her little girl learning such a dark song, but we know better. Her dad sang a rebels' song, and her mom got scared of him teaching it to her daughter.

and yes, there’s a chance we won’t learn his name in sotr. but we might so shut up and vote.

"Okay lets go the bakery and see your boyfriend-"

(She blushes) "He-he is just a friend! Not even, he is just taking over the trade for-"

"And your boyfriend, I know" The smirk in his voice is THICK.

Someone, please write a fix-it fic where Haymitch doesn't push Burdock and Blair away and they stay friends PLEASE. A hurt/comfort fic, I need it rn. Haymitch stays away from alcohol and becomes Katniss and Prim's uncle god PLEASE.

Her father just knows that something is happening.

The way the boy looks at the girl while he is negotiating the price of game meat with the baker. Always pretending like he's doing something else, just to look at her more closely.

Or how Katniss take off the cap and redo her braid every time on they are in thw way to the bakery.

He just knows very well what is happening there, remembers his romance with a merchant girl years ago.

Then, thinking that the boy is intimidated by seeing Katniss always accompanied by her father, he starts sending her alone to sell the squirrels. Then ask "how was on there"

"normal..." Katniss replies with a shrug, without understanding the reason for the question.

And he gives a small smile, which leaves Katniss even more confused. The truth is that that old hunter realizes much earlier than she does that the boy has a crush on his daughter.

And he takes immense pleasure in seeing her slowly realize it too. Watching the two go from acquaintances to friends, and slowly, to lovers.

It's funny because Peeta, that boy raised with good manners, makes a point of talking to Katniss' father after she agrees to date him.

"I'm Peeta Mellark, sir." he says, with a firm voice and a strong handshake. Well, he doesn't really know what he's doing. He's only 17 and she is his first girlfriend, but he's trying to do it right. He doesn't want to ruin everything.

"Oh, yes. Katniss's boyfriend, Am I right?" he says with a wide smile.

"Oh, stop treating me like I'm not here" Katniss crosses her arm in embarrassment. "I feel like a goat for sale in the market"

She prefers it when everything is more relaxed, for example when Peeta comes to dinner with them on a Sunday.

He sits at the Everdeens' table and watches everyone share a bowl of rabbit stew. It's not much, but Katniss's father offered little to Peeta as well. Peeta is so grateful.

It's his first time with a "real family". With love, with communion, with laughter at dinner time.

So he is always invited again, every Sunday. Peeta brings bread and cakes to share too. Brings sweets that Prim always wanted to try, brings yeast that Mrs. Everdeen needs for some medicines, brings cheese buns for Katniss. This causes him some ear tugging and pinching from his mother, but he doesn't even care anymore.

Because every end of the night Katniss' father picks up the guitar and teaches Peeta some old songs. It's funny because he's a terrible and out of tune singer, especially compared to the Everdeens. It makes Katniss and Prim laugh, but Peeta could never feel happier.

Because everyone makes such a great effort to make him feel at home. It's no surprise when Katniss and Peeta get married they move near her family.