Peetawas looking into the case, apparently uninterested in her. Perhaps he wassimply unimpressed, given the mean thing he’d just said.

Katnissfought back the sting of tears that threatened so fast she could barely groundherself.

My mother doesn’t like you? He’d barely bothered to speak to herthrough grade school, middle school, and high school. And his first words toher as an adult were to put her down, with what had sounded like a hint ofamusement?

Sheeyed him sideways, up and down, remeasuring him. She’d been silently watchinghim since they’d been eleven, all the way through high school, after she’dcaught something in his eyes the few times they’d accidentally glanced eachother’s way. Something sad, but still warm. It had grabbed her attention. And asshe’d gotten older, and the other girls at school were constantly droning onabout boys and boyfriends, those rare looks had threatened to claw up the dirtcovering something rooted deeper than just attraction.

Butshe’d had no time for boys, with Prim being her charge more often than not withher mother’s work schedule. Not to mention she’d been little more than a surlytom-boy. And Peeta Mellark had never been in her circle anyway. Wrestler.Well-liked. Naturally a good student. Well spoken in class and often the firstperson snatched up by the other girls for study buddies whenever there werepartner assignments. Why hadn’t he gone on to college?

“Shecan get in line.”

Whateverpleasant warmth she’d felt in the past towards him, as recently as a fewminutes ago in the car on the way over, it had been replaced with coldbitterness. While she might never have been worth his notice in a good way, itdidn’t mean he had the right to randomly hurl an insult at her.

Katnisshid her hurt behind crossed arms, and pretended to resume her scan therefrigerated shelves. It was only her pride, back stiffening at being insulted,that kept her feet planted. She’d come by Mellark’s to buy a cake for hersister’s, Prim’s, birthday. This year Prim was sixteen. Katniss was back fromher first year of college, and had skipped half her Friday classes so she’dhave time to make the drive home and make it to the bakery in time to pick upthe cake like she did every year.

Herritual.

BecausePrim’s birthdays had been the only regular times she’d get to see him, observehim, without others from school already having grabbed his attention. He’dalways seemed polite during her visits, if quiet and non-talkative. So muchless lively, more real, without others to… What? She’d wondered for yearswhether he’d fed off their energy, or if he’d simply been trying to pleasethem. She’d never come to a conclusion.

My mother doesn’t like you.

Asfar as she was concerned, he could keep on not talking to her for the rest ofhis life.

Sheleaned closer to the case, trying to break the angle that made the reflectionsof her scowling face, and his smiling one, stare back at her like ghosts in atranslucent mirror.

“Youcan get in that line too, right behind her,” she said.

Heleaned in closer to the case as well, clearly aping her in some sort of mock.“There’s a line?”

Thecheerfulness in his voice made her twist her neck. He was looking at her, theblue eyes she’d noticed so well were alive and beautiful. Beautiful? Wherehad that come from?

Shecursed, scowled, and looked back to the case. This time she dropped into asquat to avoid him. She hoped it looked like she was simply eying the bottomshelf.

Itdidn’t work. He dropped into a squat next to her, with his outer thigh grazinghers.  “I’m surprised there’s a line. Everyone liked you so much inschool.” She stared at the cakes without seeing them, struggling with anotherstab of confused hurt and automatically masking it with fire.

“HaveI done something to you? Because for the life of me I don’t remember a singletime I was mean to you in school.”

Heput his hands up. “What? Lots of people liked you. You just scared them all offwith that winning charm.”

“Whendid you become such a-”

“Andanyway, I’d be in a different line than my mother.” He leaned his head closerto hers conspiratorially. “I meant it as a compliment. She hates everything Ilike. I think it’s sort of like breathing for her.” While Katniss was trying toprocess his statement, he pressed his finger against the glass. “How about thatone? She’d love it.”

“Who?Your mother?”

“No.It’s Prim’s birthday, right?” he asked.

“Howwould you know that?” She stood up and was nearly in his face when he stood upas well. Her family business was none of his, and there was no reason for himto know anything about them aside from the mostly made-up gossip about the‘poor Everdeen girls’ she used to overhear in school after her father died. Shepressed her finger just under his clavicle, a spot she knew would hurt withonly a little application of pressure and narrowed her eyes once he winced.“It’s none of your damn business.”

Hecleared his throat and looked down. When his head came up again, the confident,easy smile he’d had before was gone. “Sorry, Katniss. I just…”

“Youjust what?” It irritated her that he’d used her name. Something he’d neverbothered to do when they’d passed each other in the halls every day for themajority of their life. In his hesitation, and staring back down at the floor,he seemed to find something. He raised his slouched shoulders and looked at herstraight on.

“Youknow what? I’m not going to be intimidated by you anymore.”

Sheopened her mouth, intent on showing him exactly how intimidated shecould make him for insulting her by calling her intimidating in the firstplace. But he huffed out his nose and made a determined, thin-lipped smile thatmade her pause with curiosity.

“Wewent to school together. I watched you every day. You never said hello to me.Including at graduation or before you left for college while I’ve been stuckhere working as low man at the bakery because supposedly this place wouldcrumble if I ran off to live my own life. I’ve never forgotten anything aboutyou, including that first time you showed up to buy a cake for sister’sbirthday four years ago, or you showing up the same day every year since. Myname is Peeta Mellark. I’m one of the baker’s sons.” He held out his hand.“It’s good to meet you, finally, Katniss Everdeen.” He pushed out anotherbreath and kept his hand out even though she didn’t take it.

“It’snot for Prim’s birthday,” she lied, trying to find some advantage. She feltsuddenly more unsure than she had when she’d thought he was being cruel. Hishand dropped and he looked away.

“Sorry,I thought I had the date right.”

“Wellyou don’t,” she snapped.

Andthen she dropped back onto her heels to continue scanning the shelves. It wassomething to do so she didn’t have keep looking at him; the sight of himlooking awkward and bashful, combined with him trying to convince her he’d beenanything but apathetic towards her in school, was too much to wrap her mindaround while simultaneously having to stare into the blue of his eyes.

She’dnever been boy crazy as a girl. She hadn’t gone boy crazy at college. Thoughpossibly that was because she’d still been gently curious about him.

Hehadn’t moved. She risked a glance. He was staring down at her, a determinedlook on his face. She growled at herself when she realized she’d gotten trappedby those eyes after all.

“I’msorry I bothered you, Katniss.”

Thetired quality of his voice, as he started to walk away, made her stomachtighten.

Sheignored it, because it felt a bit like rising panic, and stuck her face backinto the baker’s case instead.

Andthen she saw it. A perfect cake. Round, three tiered, with lavender icingspread glass-like without flaw. It was decorated on the sides and top withdelicate, gentle orange and yellow pastillage primroses. Happy BirthdayPrimrose was emblazoned on the top with a delicate hand.

“Whatis this?” She bounced to her feet. He was already several steps back tothe counter but he stopped, sagging shoulders lifted momentarily in a sighthough he didn’t turn around.

“It’sstupid. It’s nothing. Just forget it.”

Sheflanked him at the counter and shook her head once, stunned. Or maybe amazed.Touched?

“Imade sure I had the decorator’s shift yesterday so I could have it ready fortoday,” he said, looking over her shoulder so as not to meet her eyes. Therewas an excess of that sadness there, the same that used to tug at her heartwhen she was a girl. “And I made sure to have my brother tell me when you camein so I could come out and make sure you found it.”

Hiseyes refocused on hers for just a moment, before escaping to find the sameempty space again. “I really didn’t mean to… Well, never mind. It doesn’tmatter, does it?”

Shehad never been good with words where sentiment was involved, and couldn’t findanything to say. As it was, her mind was struggling to comprehend that hereally might be in earnest that he… ‘watched’ her? Did that mean he liked her?Or was he just being polite?

“Youcan have the cake, if you think she’ll like it. I won’t charge you since youdidn’t ask for it.”

“Ican’t let you give-”

Heheld his hand up. “Look, it’s okay. Okay? We won’t be able to sell it to anyoneelse anyway. It was just for you.”

“Youmean for Prim,” she corrected, still trying to search her way through heremotions, which were darting rapidly between disbelief and guarded hope.

Hiseyes came back and pierced through hers, now with a bit of fire in them. “No,Katniss.” He sounded angry. “I meant for you. My gift to you.”

“Idon’t understand.” She shook her head. “It’s Prim’s birthday, not mine. It’sher name on it.”

Hiseyes softened, as well as his voice, “The only time I’ve ever seen you reallyhappy is when you were with her in the hallways our senior year and she was afreshman. I’ve met Prim a few times this year when she’s come in to buy stuff.She’ll like whatever you get her because she adores you. But you adore hermore. And I wanted to make you feel extra proud tonight when she blows outthose candles.”

“Whywould you care?” she asked.

“Becauseit was something I could do to finally tell you that I… noticed you. That I’vealways noticed you, Katniss.”

She noticed she was leaning forward against the counter, her bodyof its own accord trying to lean towards him as if that could make it easier tobelieve him. She let her eyes drop as she dug non-existent dirt from under hernails.

“It’svery beautiful,” she said quietly.

“Thankyou.”

Sheheard him sigh again, and his feet shuffle on the floor as he shifted hisweight. After a few seconds of awkward nothing, the door’s bell jingling madethem both start. Peeta greeted the older woman by name, but his smile was tightand reserved. He grabbed a cloth and wiped at the counter, looking busy and notlooking up.

“Sowill you let me box it up for you to take, then?” he asked her quietly whilethe woman was busy studying one of the other display cases.

Ittook too long for her to open her mouth. The increased heart rate, the burningat the tips of her ears, the pit in her belly as she allowed herself to startto believe this wasn’t just some sort of miscommunication, had given the otherpatron too much time to make her own decision.

Peetawas suddenly gone from in front of her, eaten up and stolen by one of the caseshe had to duck behind to fill the order for muffins and danish. But soon, hewas back. Katniss stepped aside so the woman could step to the counter and pay,and watched Peeta’s face, and shoulders, and then arms and hands, as he punchedkeys on the cash register.

Itgave her time to think. Time enough for fear to squeeze her, fear that thestirrings of hope she felt might be premature or mistaken altogether. It feltlike a belt tightening around her heart instead of freeing it. She dug underher nails again, staring at them until the bell over the door told her theywere alone once more. She looked up to find him watching her. The intensity onhis face made that belt tighten.

“Willyou please let me box it for you to take home, Katniss?”

“Peeta…When you say you ‘noticed’ me…” She looked down at her hands again, “What doesthat mean?”

“Ithink it’s pretty obvious.”  He came around the counter and stood in frontof her, but then waited for her to look up. “I’ve always liked you. Since wewere little.”

Heavyon his feet, there was the sound of shuffling again as he inched towards her.Close enough she could reach out and touch him if she wanted. The belt was astight as a tourniquet, and the pit in her stomach exploded into a roilingcauldron of ice and fire, fear and excitement.

“Isthat for real?”

Hisforehead crinkled. “Of course it is. Why wouldn’t it be?”

Shepulled her lower lip in under her teeth. “Just… I just didn’t expect it.” Shecleared her throat and looked away, feeling the flush on her ears lower into toher cheeks.

Heshuffled forward a few inches. “I don’t see how you couldn’t. I only tried tobore a hole right through you with my eyes every day our last year of schooltogether.” She stiffened when his fingers came up and pulled her braid fromaround her shoulder, worrying the end between the pad of his thumb andforefinger. He let his eyes lift from it to her face. “Katniss, I know you’reaway at school, but… You know, I wouldn’t mind seeing you more often. You coulddo a hometown boy a solid by coming home some weekends.”

Shechewed on the edge of her lip and then managed to give him her best attempt ata small smile, even though it felt unnatural to be smiling at a guy. “I doalready. Most weekends, actually.”

Hebrightened immediately. “Really?”

Shenodded, and found her tentative smile growing without prompt.

“That’s…great. You could come by here, though? Maybe?”

Sheraised her eyebrows.

“I’dmake it worth your while,” he kept talking. “Prim tells me you always like mycheese buns.”

Katnissgroaned, blush deepening. The grin he gave her made it worse, as did the waythe timbre of his voice lowered into a surprisingly confident semi-tease. “I’dgladly barter cheese buns for your time, Kat.”

Kat? He’d gone from Katniss to Kat already? She’d hated thatnickname. Always. So why did it make her stomach flip now?

Shedarted her eyes around, mortified, trying to avoid looking into his while stillwanting to read his expression. He bobbed his head comically to try and matchthe evasive maneuver, until she laughed and finally gave up.

“Alright,alright. Stop before I spontaneously combust with embarrassment, Peeta.”

Helooked up for a second, hands steepled. “Oh my God, she used my name.”

Somethingabout the way he smiled at her changed, deepened, by the time his face returnedfrom facing heaven.

“Asthough I wasn’t already a goner… After that I’ll have to make it my personalmission to satisfy your hunger whenever possible.” His eyes betrayed hisflirtation with something more like tenderness than anything else.

“Imight like that,” she said while looking away again. Out of the corner of hereye she could see his face split into a grin.

“It’sa deal.” And after a few seconds of quiet lengthened between them, he added,“So I can box that cake for you then?”

Shechewed on her bottom lip as an idea came to her. “How about no?” The confusionand uncertainty playing across his face was empowering. “How about you box itand bring it yourself after work? You can sit around and rest for a bit beforedinner, or help me decorate. Prim and my mom won’t be back to the house untilaround six from their traditional mother-daughter outing. I’m making lasagna.And Prim won’t mind.”

Hiseyebrows rose. “You sure?” He looked surprised, and enthusiastic. She nodded,finding a bit more confidence for her smile. “And you’re cooking? That’s adefinite yes, then,” he said.

“Don’tbe so hasty. That’s why the pizza place is on our speed dial. But every yearthey at least let me try before calling for delivery.”

“Icook,” he offered. “I could get out of here a little early today and help withthat as well as the decorations.”

“That’sokay, I can-”

Oneof his hands came up and his fingers lightly brushed her arm right below whereher sleeve ended. It was an ask, but without words. She felt every single atomof contact between their skin.

Asfast as an arrow, she wanted nothing except for him to come by early toputter around in the kitchen with her, tease her poor cooking skills, put hishands on her shoulders to push her out of the way when she burned something onthe stove.

“Yeah,”she said, suddenly unable to look anywhere except his eyes. “Let me just… Letme give you the address and I’ll see you there whenever you can get free. Ifyou’re really sure you want to come help.”

“Ido. Very much.”

“Well,okay then,” she said, absently rubbing her arm where he had touched her.

“Yeah,okay,” he smiled. But then he snapped his fingers, remembering.

Hestepped behind the register and grabbed a pen and an unfolded cake box,bouncing a bit on his heels and wiping his palms on the sides of his pants asshe wrote her address out for him on the pink cardboard. He nodded, eyesbright, once she pushed it back to him across the counter.

“I’llsee you in a few hours then, Peeta?” She tried not to sound as eager as shefelt.

She pushes up from the ground to sit up before landing on her bottom. He’s now shielding his eyes with his forearm as she pushes at his side forcefully. Peeta’s eyes are narrowed when he lifts his arm and he mutters something along the lines of needing to rest due to not being the strongest swimmer.

Katniss matches his stare as she stands up over him. “I take it you’re not a gentleman or a doctor either.”

He sits up smiling as he dusts off the sand from his frayed breeches. “To be honest I’m surprised you let me operate on you.” She steps back to give him enough room to stand before he pushes himself off the beach. ”I wanted to be a gentleman but I was born poor you see.”

Katniss tilts her head to the side as he closes the gap between their bodies and she’s forced to look up at him. “So you decided to take on the life of a thief and liar?”

Peeta’s face is only inches from hers and she wills herself not to blush. “I only con to survive and it’s rich having a pirate lecture me on morality.”

She reaches out to push him back but not before allowing her hands to linger at his chest for a few seconds. “I never take from those who have less than me.”

He seems unfazed by her action as he continues to look at her. “Neither do I.” Peeta runs his hands through his damp curls, pushing them back and away from his brow. “I might be a scoundrel but I’m not entirely deplorable.”

Katniss sighs as takes a few steps toward him. “Never the less we have to learn to trust one another.”

Peeta folds his arms over his bare chest as he narrows his eyes at her. “Is that so?”

“Yes.” She attempts to ignore the flush that has formed at her chest and neck as he looks down at her intensely.  “If we have any chance of getting off this island we need to work together.” Katniss can feel her pulse quicken as her eyes flit down to the muscular planes of his chest before finding his startling blue eyes once more. ”I need to get back to my ship.”

Peeta scoffs and she’s once again reminded of how irritating he can be. “You want me to trust you?” She swallows hard before nodding as the warmth of her skin increases. The proximity of his bare skin is enough to cloud her mind, but she forces herself to pay attention. ”In the last few days you’ve bought me as a slave, nearly gotten me shot, locked me up in a brig where I nearly drowned to death and let’s not forget caused us to be stranded on this island.”

Katniss steps back from him as she attempts to seem indifferent. “Is that all?”

He gives her one of those wry smiles that she already associates with him. “I wish it was but we can’t forget your deranged uncle you seems determined to see you dead.”

At the mention of her uncle she can feel her resolve return. “I will deal with Snow. My father’s blood is on his hands and he will pay for it.” Katniss turns around before making her way up to the tree line where the jungle begins. She doesn’t stop as she glances behind her where he remains standing. ”We need to find fresh water.”

Katniss doesn’t stop to wait for him but he’s soon beside her as they trek up the beach and enter the thick green surroundings of plant life. They search for what feels like hours and she can feel the dehydration threaten to take over. Peeta isn’t in any better shape and she can see his steps falter more than once as sweat pours down his back. His cheeks are flushed and she doesn’t know how much longer he can walk when they come upon a small pool. They both jump into it immediately. It’s cool against her heated skin and she tries not to stare at Peeta as he sighs loudly. He’s gulping up handfuls of fresh water while working his hands through his hair and she once again has to remind herself what her priorities are.

After they have cooled down and she’s fashioned a few bowls out of the vines she finds, Katniss is kneeled down searching through the heavy moss and bushes. She looks over to where Peeta is barely bent down as he walks the same area she had seen him search an hour ago.

Katniss sighs as she pushes herself up off the ground to stand. “Foraging isn’t the same as stealing jewels from a noble woman’s head, slave.”

Peeta seems caught off guard but only for a second as he makes his way toward her. “Isn’t it though?”

She’s found herself enjoying these arguments they find themselves in and when he closes the gap between them she smiles. “Enlighten me.”

He’s incredibly close to her allowing her to smell the natural scent of him. The aroma is a musky mix of sweat and of all things cinnamon. “You must know what you’re looking for and learn the terrain. Because a misconception could cost you your life.” Peeta’s face is inches from hers and if she wished she could easily lift up to press her lips to his.

“Do you always spin words in such a way?”

Peeta searches her face and she’s surprised by how genuine he seems. “Only when I’m trying to impress a beautiful woman.” Of course she has to remind herself that he’s a thief and many silly noble women have lost their virtue as well as their jewels to his charm.

Katniss tries not to flinch when his hands land at her hips and she becomes aware of the lack of imagination that her damp shirt leaves. “And how do I know that you’re not trying to deceive me right now?” His gaze leaves her eyes to work over the curves of her breasts and she’s positive that the dusky rose color of her nipples is visible.

When he looks back up into her eyes and the blue color there is nearly black she can feel the warmth that started at her thighs turn into a raging fire. “You don’t.”

Katniss can feel her body hum with desire and when she presses her hips into his she doesn’t miss the hardness that presses into her belly. She so desperately wants to give in but she still isn’t sure if he can be trusted. So instead she steps back away from his grasp and walks over to where the bowls of fresh water wait. “We should use the broken wood from the life boat as kindling and start a fire.”

Neither utter a word as they walk to the beach to collect the broken wood that washed up on the shore. The silence is deafening as Katniss fishes with a net she had made out of the vines and Peeta starts the fire with the sun light and pieces of animal fur along with twigs. He was surprisingly inventive and it was just another thing she didn’t know about the handsome thief.

The moon is high in the sky when she’s awoken to the crash of the waves and the flickering of the flames from the fire. When Katniss opens her eyes she sees Peeta lying beside her watching her closely. She’s about to question him when he scoots over beside her and with a quickness she wasn’t aware he possessed begins to hover over her. The warmth radiating off him is enough to cause her to become dizzy and when he lowers his hips onto hers she can’t stop the gasp that escapes her lips.

She swallows hard as she attempts to keep her tone steady. “Be careful of your next move, slave.” He smiles as he steadies his weight with his muscular arms while his hands rest at each side of her head.

He lowers his mouth close enough to hers so that his breath tickles her lips but not close enough to kiss.  “I do have a name as you know.”

Katniss stares into his dark blue eyes as the fire casts a glow onto his bare skin and causes his blond curls to shine. “Peeta, why are you above me?”

He brushes his lips against hers and she can’t stop the shiver that travels through her body from the contact. “To be honest, Katniss. I was wanting that kiss you promised me.”

She places her hands at his chest to push him away enough to see his face fully. “Oh you mean the one that you tried to take after you operated on my bullet wound? Or was it the one after you took my map?”

Peeta shrugs as his fingers tangle in her dark hair. “Does it matter now?”

Her expression turns solemn. “Your intentions do.” She can feel his pulse quicken underneath her fingers and when his pecks flex she can feel her thighs clench. ”Is it another way to distract me from your actual plan to deceive me?”

Katniss’s breathe hitches when he lowers his face to hers and places a soft kiss at her lips before pulling back slightly. “Believe it or not even liars have moments of truth.”

“And is this one yours?”

Peeta smiles before he leans down to flick his tongue over her bottom lip. She sighs before opening her mouth to him and soon they’re in the middle of a passionate kiss that causes every nerve in her body to begin firing. It isn’t long until their clothing is thrown carelessly aside and Peeta enters her. The feel of him inside her is more than she could have imagined and the rest of the night is filled with their sounds of love making and Peeta’s quiet promises to her.

It’s the next morning when he wakes to the popping of the fire and sees Katniss throwing more wood onto the fire until it’s a roaring blaze. She’s fanning the fire when he runs up to her. She must have pulled him away from where they had been sleeping.

He’s still pulling on his breeches all the way when he approaches her. “What are you doing?!”

Katniss throws another piece of wood onto the fire. “Hoping that one of the ships coming through can see the blaze and give us passage.”

Peeta looks to her curiously. “Ships?”

She glances over to him before bending down for another piece before throwing it on as well. “Yes. It’s a well known trading route.”

He turns to her fully hoping to gain her attention. “You never mentioned anything about a trading route before.”

Katniss drops the wood she had been holding to stand in front of him. “I didn’t trust you before.”

Peeta reaches up to work his fingers through her hair as he searches her face. “And you do now?”

She smiles before perching up on her toes to kiss him passionately. When he pulls away she can feel that familiar warmth work through her system. “Well now I know where to touch that makes you squirm.”

Peeta’s begin to kiss her again when something catches his eyes and he points toward the distance. “Look!” Katniss turns around to see a ship a few leagues out.

He presses his body into her back as he leans down to speak in her ear. “We’re going to get your ship back.”

Katniss spins around. “We?”

A wide grin forms at his lips. “Yes. Even a thief can work with someone.”

She tilts her had to the side while searching his face. “So the map to the treasure that my uncle Snow is of ownership of has nothing to do with your newfound loyalty?”

Peeta reaches up to frame her face. “I am yours regardless.”

The corners up her lips quirk up “Is that so?”

He nods as he lowers his mouth to hers. “I think it has ever since we were being fired upon at Port Royal after you found me.” Peeta brushes the pads of his thumbs over her cheekbones. ”Will you have me, Captain?”