"I revel in knowing that after all these years I can still have this effect on him, and he on me. That he can make me feel so full and whole even when moments before I felt starving or broken."
Katniss and Peeta escape the Harvest Festival to the cabin by the lake for a night together. Set seven years after the end of Mockingjay. Rated M.
my submission for @district12flufffest harvest festival edition is now up on ao3! you can check out the full collection of wonderful fics here <3
thank you to everyone who has already read it and said lovely things!!
Summary: After their best friends are reaped and crowned victors in the 74th Hunger Games, Madge Undersee and Delly Cartwright form a friendship while watching Katniss and Peeta's feelings dance around each other. Madge and Delly narrate the seasons between Katniss and Peeta's return from the Games to the announcement of the 3rd Quarter Quell.
My very first fanfic, written in Spring 2025 for Fluff Fest.
The first time Peeta Mellark saw her was on a snowy night, a little over ten years ago. Rebellious hair tucked under a faded red hat, a scarf covering her face except for a pair of bright gray eyes, a huge coat, and a small girl in her arms. When she approached the counter, the mysterious young woman set the little one down on a stool and looked straight at him.
“Hi,” she said, pulling the scarf down from her face to her shoulders. She gave him a wide smile, and he felt his heart leap out of his chest. “Are you still open?”
Peeta was too stunned to speak. He had always considered himself a man of words, always found something to say at the right moment, could strike up a conversation with anyone who came near him, always managed to make everything sound natural and precise — but in that instant, words flew not only from his mouth, but from his brain entirely. He couldn’t form a single thought, nor could he stop staring at her face. Her olive skin, slightly flushed from the cold, her hair so dark yet shining like her eyes. He was dazed; he didn’t think he had ever seen anyone so beautiful.
“Uh, yes—no! We close at eleven,” he said, mentally hitting every part of himself.
Her smile faded, but not completely. Even as small as it was in that moment, it could have lit up entire cities lost in darkness.
“Oh! That’s a bummer,” she said with a small pout that he found utterly adorable. “We just moved in—literally,” she added, “the house keys were handed to us ten minutes ago. We haven’t eaten anything, this was the only place I saw with the lights on so I thought it was still open.”
Peeta looked down at the little girl on the counter. Her head rested on her folded arms, tracing small circles with her fingers on the surface. She looked just like the woman standing in front of him, only smaller. Her little sister, he thought.
“I can—uh, I can make you something,” he said, slipping on his apron. “I think I’ve got enough fries and a couple of burgers left. Would that be okay?”
The gray eyes before him brightened even more —if that was possible— and Peeta felt something warm bloom inside him. It was all the motivation he needed to cook a thousand burgers if she asked; he didn’t care if it meant staying two extra hours cleaning, even with an early morning ahead.
“Oh, yes! Do you want a burger, Sophie?” the woman asked.
The little girl nodded, smiling the same smile.
“Can I offer you something to drink? Water?” Peeta asked.
“Do you have coffee?” she replied. “But not decaf.”
Peeta frowned slightly. “Coffee? It’s—” he glanced down at his watch “11:23. You won’t sleep at all if you have regular coffee.”
“Decaf coffee tastes completely different from regular coffee,” she added, still wearing that same smile as she sat down on the stool beside the little girl. “You work here at a diner, you should know that better than anyone.”
“Alright, whatever you say,” Peeta replied.
He turned around and focused on one of the coffee machines behind the counter, setting it up to start brewing. After a couple of minutes, he grabbed the pot and walked back toward them, feeling warmth spread through his chest — though he wasn’t sure if it came from the steaming coffee or from being near her. What was wrong with him?
He set the cup on the counter and poured the coffee, feeling her gaze on his face. Peeta tried his hardest not to blush. It would be ridiculous to do so; they had met barely twenty minutes ago. When he finished pouring, he was about to head into the kitchen when the little girl’s voice brought his attention back to them.
“My mom thinks she’ll die if she ever drinks decaf coffee,” she said.
Peeta frowned.
“You’re her… mother?” he asked the woman.
“Yes,” she said, blowing on her cup.
“But you’re like—”
“Twenty-three,” she interrupted.
“And I’m—” the little girl unfolded her arms to hold up seven fingers. “My name’s Sophie.”
Peeta was too stunned to speak, again. He only nodded before heading into the kitchen to make their food.
How could she have a seven-year-old daughter? he thought. That means she had her when she was… well, never mind. He shook his head and started preparing the burgers. But his thoughts kept spinning. He was twenty-three too, and still felt like a kid most of the time, barely capable of running the shop with his brother, let alone raising a child. How could someone so young have already lived so much?
Peeta decided it was best to stop overthinking and forced himself to focus on what he was doing. He sliced the buns, pressed the patties onto the grill, letting the hiss of the fryer keep him grounded. Because at this point, it wasn’t just the fact that they were the same age, or that she had a daughter. He had to stop thinking about her smile. And her voice. And her eyes. And how adorable she looked with that red scarf. God.
A couple of minutes later, with the burgers and fries ready, he plated everything as quickly as he could. He added a few pickle slices on the side, he wasn’t sure if they liked them, but he wanted them to have options. When he came out of the kitchen with both plates in hand, they were sitting next to each other on the tall stools at the counter. Sophie had her head resting on her mother’s arm, playing with paper napkins, folding them into different shapes and showing them to her mom, who was holding her coffee cup with both hands and smiling —not at him this time, obviously— but at her little girl.
“I hope you like it,” he said, placing the plates in front of them.
“Smells delicious,” she replied immediately. Her eyes lifted to meet his and Peeta felt a strange twist in his stomach. Surprising, since he had already eaten — but this was different, warm and dangerous all at once.
Sophie took a bite of her burger and let out a small sound of approval.
“This is way better than the sandwich you tried to make this morning,” she told her mother, mouth half full.
Her mother gave her a very particular look, one Peeta knew very well, because it was one he did all the time and everyone teased him for it. But on her, it looked different — softer and gentler.
“Sophie, manners.”
“Sorry, mommy,” she said quickly, swallowing and glancing at Peeta. “It’s really good, sir.”
Peeta chuckled softly. “Thanks. But don’t call me sir, that makes me feel old.”
“My mom’s old and you look the same age,” Sophie added before taking another bite.
Her mother chuckled, and Peeta couldn’t help laughing too.
“Kid, you’re very lucky I love you,” she said.
Peeta used the time to keep cleaning up the place. He flipped the chairs upside down on the tables, gathered all the salt shakers and condiments into their baskets and swept the floor while the two of them finished eating. When he was done, he went back behind the counter to start cleaning the machines, when that voice, that angelic voice, spoke again.
“Have you lived here long?” she asked suddenly. He turned around and their eyes met. Peeta started feeling nervous; it was such a simple question, but there was something about the way she asked it that unsettled him in the strangest ways. And he had just met her.
“My whole life, basically,” he said. “My parents owned a bakery here for years, but they moved away. When I graduated, my brother and I re-did it and turned it into this diner. I still bake the bread, but now I make other things too.”
“Do you like cooking?”
“I love it,” he answered without hesitation. “Always have. This town needed a place like this, so when we got the chance, we took it. We’ve had a lot of support from the people here. I really appreciate that.”
“Is that why you make them burgers even after closing time?” she asked, taking another sip from her coffee cup.
He couldn’t help but smile.
“Eh, you could say that.”
She just nodded, smiling back at him before turning to her daughter, who was chewing with a look of deep concentration. He watched the scene for a few moments and could see how much she loved her child just in the way she looked at her. Peeta’s smile softened a little, but didn’t fade.
“Thank you,” she said quietly. “Really.”
Peeta felt something warmer than the coffee rising through his chest.
“Don’t mention it.”
She blew lightly over her cup before taking another sip. Peeta could tell she was more at ease now, as if the meal and the coffee had lifted some invisible weight from her shoulders. The little girl had set her burger aside and returned her focus to the napkins, now trying to fold them into some kind of flower.
The mother asked for the check, Peeta nodded, moving toward the register. As he tallied up the total, he couldn’t help glancing at them from the corner of his eye. The way she held her daughter close, adjusted her hat, and wrapped her in her coat. There was something about her, that confident yet slightly tired voice, that soft smile, that overwhelming, fragile beauty… that made him want, absurdly, to offer her a blanket, a comfortable chair and a place where she wouldn’t have to worry about anything at all.
When he handed her the check, she pulled a couple of bills from her pocket and slid them across the counter. Then she took her daughter’s hand and together they headed for the door. But Peeta quickly noticed she’d left too much money.
“Hey, miss! You left extra cash.”
She nodded.
“It’s not necessary,” he said.
She raised an eyebrow, her lips curving sideways into a small smile.
“It’s a thank you, sir. We’ll see you around.”
Peeta felt his face heat up and tried not to smile more than he should.
“I didn’t catch your name!” he called out.
She adjusted her scarf the same way she had when she arrived, before covering her face again, he caught one last glimpse of her smile.
“Katniss.”
Peeta smiled.
“Peeta.”
“Yeah, I knew,” she said with a laugh. Peeta frowned, confused. “Your apron says Peeta.”
He felt stupid. No — stupid didn’t even cover it. What do you call it when your smile freezes on your face, your hands shake while serving coffee and you forget you’re literally wearing your own name on your chest? Something like that.
Sophie waved at him, still holding her napkin flower.
“Bye, coffee man.”
“See you later,” he said, unable to stop smiling.
Katniss.
Peeta had never heard a name so beautiful and unique.
It was time to start over.
That’s what Katniss kept telling herself again and again. She had left many things behind, some on purpose, others because she simply didn’t know what else to do. Sophie walked a few steps ahead of her, her backpack swinging side to side —she had offered to carry it, but the little girl refused— wearing a cap that didn’t match her coat, a pair of gloves too big for her hands and that endless energy children have before they learn what emotional exhaustion feels like. Katniss watched her daughter with a knot in her chest. It didn’t hurt, exactly, but didn’t loosen either. If there was one thing Katniss was sure of in this life, it was that everything she did, she did for Sophie.
Living with her aunt had been… practical. Not ideal, but practical. She was grateful, of course, they’d had a roof, food, help with Sophie. But she couldn’t keep living that way; she needed to find her own path, to be more independent. The Independence Inn had been a small salvation. The pay was low and the hours long, but for the first time in years, Katniss felt like she had something she could truly call her own thing. Besides, it would bring her closer to her real dream: opening her own inn someday.
“Bye, kid,” Katniss said, stopping in front of the school. “I’ll see you here in a couple of hours.”
“I can walk home by myself, you know?” Sophie said.
Katniss smiled and placed a quick kiss over the top of her daughter’s hat.
“Yeah… that’s not gonna happen.”
The little girl waved goodbye and headed toward the school. Watching her go, Katniss felt a pang of sadness. It had to be just as hard for Sophie — starting fresh in a new town, new school, new friends.
Katniss had an extra hour before work, so she decided to take a short walk around Stars Hollow to get to know the town a little better. There were more people out than she expected for such an early hour, also a lot of hand-painted signs, perfectly kept gardens, strings of lights hanging from the trees in the park, little bells on every door — everything looked like it had come straight out of an old movie. Even though Katniss had lived her entire life less than an hour away from Stars Hollow, she had never actually set foot in it. And now, it struck her as… peculiar, yeah, that’s the word.
She kept walking for a bit longer until, without realizing it, she found herself standing in front of the same place as the night before: Mellark’s Bakery & Café. From outside, she could already smell the coffee and pancakes, and it made her smile instantly. But she quickly pushed that smile away when she realized she wasn’t sure if it was the smell of breakfast that made her react — or the thought of the young man behind the counter.
She couldn’t allow herself anything with anyone. And yet, she couldn’t deny how much she’d liked him from the moment she saw him. She remembered his kind voice, his messy curls, the way he carried himself and that smile. So she decided to step inside to see if she’d run into him — and for coffee, of course.
She pushed the door open, and the little bell above the frame chimed softly. Katniss rolled her eyes as she stepped inside — apparently, having a bell was a requirement for every business in this town.
Inside, the place felt just as cozy as the night before, though this time there were people around. She spotted him immediately: tall frame, broad shoulders, messy blond hair. Smiling without even realizing it, she walked closer and without thinking twice, tapped him on the shoulder.
“Hi!” she said cheerfully.
The guy turned around… and it was not him.
Katniss froze for a second, feeling the warmth rush to her cheeks.
“Oh—I’m sorry, I thought you were—”
A small laugh cut her off.
“Peeta?” the stranger guessed with an amused grin. “That would be my brother. He’s right—” he turned toward the door leading to the kitchen, which swung open just then, “—there.”
Peeta stepped out wearing the same apron as the night before, holding two plates in his hands. When he saw her, he stopped for a moment, lips parting in surprise.
“Katniss,” he said, his voice touched with surprise. He set the plates down on a nearby table, then walked toward her and his brother, wiping his hands on his apron before running one through his curls. “It’s so good to see you again.”
Katniss smiled, feeling her face grow more warm. She adjusted her scarf, hoping the movement might hide the color in her cheeks.
“I had a bit of free time before work,” she said, trying to sound casual, “so I thought I’d stop by for some coffee. And maybe something to eat.”
Peeta was just about to reply when his brother’s teasing voice jumped in first.
“Where do you work?” he asked, leaning casually against the counter.
“At the Independence Inn,” Katniss answered with a polite smile. “Actually, today’s my first day.”
Peeta cleared his throat, shooting his brother a look that he seemed to understood right away. The other man raised his hands in surrender.
“Alright, I’m going,” he said with a grin. “Food’s not gonna cook itself.”
Once he disappeared back into the kitchen, Peeta rolled his eyes, half amused.
“That would be my brother, Rye,” he said, turning back to her.
Katniss nodded.
“I actually mistook him for you when I walked in. You look identical—from behind.”
Peeta placed a hand dramatically over his chest.
“Identical?” he repeated, pretending to be offended. “That hurts.”
Katniss laughed softly. The kind of laugh that escaped before she could stop it.
“So… what do you recommend for breakfast?”
Peeta moved behind the counter and pointed to the week’s special: crispy chicken and waffles.
“You have to try that,” he said. “I know the combo sounds a little weird, but it’s amazing. Trust me.”
Katniss pressed her lips together, trying not to smile too wide and told him yes. She settled onto one of the barstools while Peeta returned to the kitchen, but not before serving her a cup of coffee —yes, with caffeine— and got to work on her meal.
Fifteen minutes later, he came back with her plate in hand: waffles perfectly stacked, with their crispy chicken strips arranged neatly on the side. Katniss thanked him, saying it looked delicious, and once she tried it, there was no doubt — it was delicious. So much so that she let out a small, muffled moan before immediately feeling embarrassed. Peeta smiled but didn’t say anything.
“So, why the Independence Inn?” he asked, casually wiping down a mug.
Katniss finished chewing a piece of waffle before answering.
“It’s not like I had many options,” she admitted. “But I did choose it.”
Peeta raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
Katniss nodded, turning her coffee cup slowly between her hands.
“I’ve always wanted to open an inn,” she said. “It’s a dream I’ve had since I was a kid. When I played with a dollhouse, I didn’t pretend it was a house. I always imagined it was a hotel.” She took a sip of coffee. “It sounds a little silly, I know, but I like the idea. So when the opportunity came up, it just felt… like a logical first step.”
Peeta smiled. “That’s amazing.”
“And besides,” she went on, “I’ll be starting night classes at the university next month. In Hartford. So I needed something that wouldn’t clash with that and the Inn was really flexible with the hours. It worked out perfectly.”
“Really?” he said, genuinely impressed. “What are you going to major in?”
“Business,” she replied.
“Business,” Peeta repeated and she nodded. “Sounds like you’ve got a plan.”
Katniss pressed her lips together, looking down at her plate. Then she lifted her gaze to meet his, “something like that,” she said softly.
“That’s great,” Peeta added, now wrapping spoons and forks in napkins. “And your daughter, will she stay with… your husband?”
Katniss frowned slightly. The question didn’t sound entirely casual. It wasn’t direct, but it had that tone. The kind that tests the water without fully stepping in. It was a polite, carefully neutral way of asking if there was someone else in her life. She looked down at her plate, not because the question bothered her, she’d been through enough that the subject of Gale no longer hurt — but simply out of habit. She ran her thumb along the rim of her cup before replying.
“No,” she said finally, lifting her eyes to meet those blue ones. “I am not married. I’ll hire a sitter, I asked around at the Inn and they gave me a few names.”
Her tone was simple and direct, no drama, because there was no need for any.
“The situation with her father is… complicated,” she said, picking up a piece of chicken with her fingers and taking a bite.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Peeta said quietly.
But Katniss quickly waved her hand dismissively, shaking her head.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said, clearing her throat. “As you probably guessed last night, I was pretty young when it all happened, and it’s just been… complicated ever since. They see each other sometimes, but not always.” Peeta nodded, eyes still on the spoons he was wrapping. He didn’t say anything and strangely enough, that gave Katniss the space to keep talking “iIt’s always been just her and me, but—”
She stopped.
The sentence trailed off before it got too personal. She realized, with a sudden twist in her stomach, what she was doing, spilling her heart out. To someone she barely knew, someone who, twelve hours ago, didn’t even exist in her life. She shook her head slightly and took a long sip of her coffee, letting the heat burn her tongue a little. Maybe she needed it.
“Sorry,” she said, lowering her eyes to her cup with a nervous smile. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all this. We just met and I’m already venting.”
Peeta looked up for the first time from the spoons and when their eyes met, Katniss saw something in his expression. Not pity nor discomfort. It was softer, a faint crease between his brows, the kind she often made herself. But if she wasn’t mistaken, she could recognize something she’d seen in her own eyes many times before: disappointment.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said finally, giving her a half smile.
The silence that followed wasn’t long, but it was just enough to feel awkward. Katniss turned her gaze toward the window, took another sip of coffee and broke it before it thickened.
“Do you always bake everything yourself?” she asked, interested in the tray of pastries behind the counter. “Because if you do, that officially makes you my friend.”
The question hung there like a rope thrown out of a well, pulling them both out of the awkward pause they’d fallen into. To her relief, it worked, Peeta let out a short laugh.
“Yeah,” he said, leaning his elbows on the counter in a relaxed way. “From the burger buns to the donuts, muffins, cookies… basically, everything that makes you gain weight is my fault.”
Katniss narrowed her eyes in mock suspicion, though she couldn’t help the small smile forming on her lips.
They kept talking for a while after that. Nothing important — this time, nothing uncomfortable. Peeta told her a bit about the town: the gatherings, the festivals, mentioning names Katniss knew she wouldn’t remember yet. There were laughs, glances, jokes; the conversation flowed easily between them, without effort. Three cups of coffee later, she noticed that there was chemistry between them. Maybe not in that way —or maybe exactly in that way— but it was there.
She didn’t even realize how much time had passed until she caught sight of the clock on the wall. Her eyes widened slightly, and she set her empty cup down on the counter.
“I have to go,” she said with a soft groan. “My shift at the Inn starts in half an hour, and I still have no idea how to get there without getting completely lost.”
Peeta nodded, pushing himself up from where he stood. Just before she could slide off the stool, he turned toward a tray on the counter, grabbed a glazed donut and placed it on a napkin, handing it to her with a small smile.
“Happy first day at work, on me.”
Katniss blinked, feeling the blush climb up her cheeks before she could stop it.
“Thank you,” she said, returning his smile despite herself.
After paying and heading for the door, Peeta was already at another table, writing down an order in his little notepad. She placed her hand on the door handle and just before stepping out, she turned slightly.
“What’s with every place in this town and their bells?” she called out, raising an eyebrow as the door chime jingled behind her.
Peeta turned toward her and let out a soft laugh. She smiled back, and before stepping fully outside, she said: “See ya.”
Then she left. Carrying with her the smell of coffee, a donut, and something else she couldn’t afford to feel… but was starting to.
Peeta had tried to avoid it over time. At first, it was easy to think it was just a small crush — and how could it not be? Katniss was beautiful woman, new in town, a young mother with a laugh that came out in this strange, unexpected way with the most peculiar expressions. It made perfect sense for anyone to like her. But liking someone was one thing. Falling in love… that was something else entirely. And as much as he tried to convince himself it wasn’t that deep, Peeta knew exactly what he was feeling.
He was falling. Hard.
It happened little by little. With the mornings when she came straight to the café after dropping Sophie off at school, her hair tied up in a rush, smelling faintly of floral shampoo — like her name. With the days when she laughed unintentionally at something silly he did. With the nights when, if Sophie was at her new friend’s house, Katniss stayed a little longer after her shift, helping sweep up even though no one had asked her to. With every moment they spent together —even if it was just a few minutes— Peeta grew more certain.
But he also knew it wasn’t that simple. Katniss had never opened up about her relationship with Sophie’s father, but from the start, she’d made it clear her situation was complicated — which, to Peeta, sounded like there was no room for anything else in her life.
And there was also Sophie. Sophie, who waved from the door every time she passed by. Sophie, who left him drawings to hang in the window. Sophie, who was the center of Katniss’s world. And there was also the father — not present, but not completely gone either. A name he didn’t know, but one that surfaced now and then in conversation, usually by Sophie, and that made things even harder to read. Who was he to interfere? To insert himself into a dynamic that, while imperfect, was still a family?
But as the months went by, something shifted. Not in her —at least not obviously— but in him. He started to wonder if he was really intruding… or if he was simply waiting. Waiting for there to be space. For her to look at him differently. For Sophie to smile at him like always, and for that not to mean he was crossing a line. Maybe —just maybe— things could happen, if he was patient enough. He only had to wait for the right moment.
That moment came one night.
It was an ordinary evening. He had the night off, which was rare since he usually buried himself in testing recipes, baking new breads, or spending time with his brother. He had planned to go to the movies, watch whatever was playing —it didn’t really matter— and maybe stop by the local bar afterward, sit in the corner, have a beer, and head home later.
He’d just stepped out of the shower and was buttoning his shirt when his phone buzzed. The name on the screen made him frown — more in surprise than concern. Katniss. He answered immediately.
“Peeta!” she exclaimed quickly on the other end, as if she’d been holding her breath for a while. “Thank God. Are you busy?”
Peeta blinked, still not processing much of what was happening. He glanced at the clock, then at his jacket on the bed. Technically, he wasn’t busy. Not yet, anyway.
“No,” he said. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Is Sophie okay?”
“My tire blew,” she said, her voice dropping, more frustrated than scared. “I don’t have a spare. I’m in the middle of nowhere—somewhere between Hartford and Stars Hollow. I don’t have the number of any mechanic. I was wondering if… if you could come get me. I know it’s late, I’m just really stressed—”
Peeta didn’t even think for a second.
“I’m on my way.”
He didn’t even ask her exactly where she was. He would drive the whole road until he found her. Something inside him told him this was the kind of thing you did for someone who mattered. And even if he hadn’t said it out loud, Katniss mattered to him.
As he drove, Peeta caught himself thinking about it — about her, about what might happen that night. They had never been alone anywhere that wasn’t the café. But now… now it was different. Just the two of them on a starry night. A favor she had asked him, not anyone else.
Maybe this was the moment. Maybe he could ask her to go to the movies afterward. Nothing too forward, just casual. Or maybe he’d tell her he’d been planning to grab a drink and ask if she wanted to join him. Maybe it was time to tell her he wanted to try something with her -- that he thought about her every moment of the day, that they could take it slow. The only thing that mattered was her. And Sophie. Always Sophie. And that meant respecting every boundary, never trying to take a place that wasn’t his; he knew it and was more than willing to. Because it wasn’t about being someone in her life, it was about being there for her, when she needed him. He realized he was smiling like an idiot — literally. He shook his head slightly. We’ll see, he thought.
A few minutes later, he saw her. The car pulled over to the side of the road, the lights flashing. She was sitting in the driver’s seat, arms crossed, her face lit dimly by the cabin light. His heart gave a small leap at the sight of her. When he parked in front of the car and stepped out, he gave the hood a light tap and waved. He saw her open the door and turn toward him, and for a second, when their eyes met, it nearly killed him with tenderness — because yes, the tire was flat, and yes, it was a little cold, and yes, this was just a favor. But he couldn’t help it. Seeing her like that, with her face a little anxious and her eyes finding his with relief, it was impossible not to feel it.
“I’m here,” he said, not raising his voice much.
He didn’t expect Katniss to move so fast, much less to do what she did — closing the distance between them in barely three steps. She just hugged him. Her arms went around his back, her cheek pressed against his shoulder for barely a second. But it caught Peeta completely off guard. His body went still, unsure if he should hug her back, but just as he started to lift his arms to return it, she had already stepped away. Still, the scent of her hair —something soft, lavender with a hint of sweetness— lingered on his jacket and, even more strongly, in his chest.
“Thank you for coming,” Katniss said, holding herself this time.
“It’s nothing,” he replied, nervous. He cleared his throat,and she looked toward the car with a faint grimace.
“I’ll have to leave it here. No spare, and hopefully someone can come help me tomorrow… I don’t know. I’ll figure it out in the morning.”
Peeta nodded. He thought about offering to take care of it himself. To stay, to find a solution, to not let her worry one minute longer, but just then she spoke again.
“I’m tired, honestly.”
“Okay,” Peeta said calmly, “get in mine. I’ll take you home.”
Katniss nodded with a small smile, walking beside him toward the car. Peeta couldn’t help the faint smile that crossed his face as he lowered his head a little, hoping she wouldn’t notice. He kept thinking about that hug — brief, but still lingering on his skin.
Once they were in the car, Peeta’s hands stayed firm on the wheel. It wasn’t that he was tense… or maybe it was — either way, he was nervous. The night had shifted the moment she hugged him. It wasn’t the hug itself. It was having her that close, really close, for the first time.
“Were you going somewhere?” Katniss asked, breaking the silence. She didn’t turn completely, just tilted her head a little toward him. “You look freshly showered, and that shirt doesn’t exactly scream regular night in.”
Peeta laughed, caught off guard by how right she was. He had the sudden urge to look at her, to catch those gray eyes that always made his chest stir, but he held himself back — he didn’t want to crash. He kept his gaze on the road and tightened his grip on the wheel, trying to keep his feet on the ground.
“It’s my night off,” he said, “I was going to catch a movie. Maybe grab a drink after.”
Katniss let out a sharp little sound, like a gasp.
“Peeta! You should’ve told me.”
He chuckled, a little flustered. “I wasn’t going to leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere. My night off isn’t as important as making sure you’re safe.
She didn’t answer right away and he thought that would be it — like so many other times when his words hung in the air and faded. But then she spoke again.
“How about… well, it’s too late for a movie,” she said, her tone softer now, “but I could buy you a beer? Sophie’s with her sitter, so I can afford to be a little late. Come on, say yes.”
Peeta pressed his lips together, trying to hide the smile threatening to escape. Inside, he felt like a happy idiot. Of course he wanted to, he wanted to say yes with every part of him. It was just a beer, but it was also something else — an opening, a chance.
“Alright,” he said at last, his voice steady even though his chest felt anything but. “Let’s go get that beer.”
Twenty minutes later, Peeta parked in front of Abernathy’s, the only halfway decent bar in town still open at that hour. From the car, the sign’s neon lights blurred through the mist, the “A” flickering every few seconds. Katniss leaned toward the windshield, one eyebrow raised.
“‘Abernathy’s’? That’s a strange name.”
Peeta smiled as he shut off the engine and stepped out. He walked around the front of the car and held the door open for her.
“That’s the owner’s name,” he said. “Well, his last name.”
Katniss let out a small laugh. “Of course. Everyone in this town names their business after themselves.”
Peeta shrugged, still smiling, as they stepped inside. The soft chime of yet another bell greeted them.
“I’d say that’s true.”
The air inside was warm, the wood on the walls worn by time and use, filled with a mix of scents — beer, liquor, old leather, and pretzels. The music was low, old rock, and the murmur of the few people scattered around matched the tone. Only a couple of tables were taken. As they walked toward the bar, Peeta couldn’t help but feel that, even if the plan had completely changed, the night was going far better than he had expected.
They took two seats at the far end of the bar, on a pair of tall old stools. Peeta sat carefully — not because of the stool itself, but because of the person next to him. It didn’t take long for Haymitch, the owner, to appear, moving with his usual half-closed eyes like someone who hadn’t slept in years. He rested his knuckles on the counter and looked at them, raising his brows without bothering to soften his tone.
“What do you want?”
“A beer,” Katniss said.
Peeta motioned with his hand that it would be two. When Haymitch turned to grab the drinks, Peeta shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. They were sweaty, his hands always got like that when he was nervous, and right now he couldn’t help it. It was the kind of nerves that made him too aware of everything: every movement, every word, every glance. He didn’t want her to notice. Haymitch came back with two beers, set them down, and fixed Peeta with a raised eyebrow and half a smirk.
“Wow, Peeta. Finally got yourself a date.”
Peeta rolled his eyes. “Get lost.”
Katniss let out a quiet laugh. “We’re just friends,” she said.
Peeta nodded without answering, but couldn’t help the tightness that formed in his stomach, like being reminded of exactly where he stood. Haymitch, pleased with the awkwardness he’d created, wandered off. Peeta took a sip of his beer, searching for something to say — he didn’t want the silence to stretch too long.
“How was class?” he asked, turning slightly toward her.
Katniss drank from her bottle. “Eh. It was fine,” she said finally. “But I had a few problems that stressed me out, and the flat tire pretty much ruined the rest of my mood.”
Peeta frowned. “Problems? What happened?”
Katniss shrugged, her fingers turning the neck of the bottle slowly. “The same as always,” she murmured. “Problems with Gale… um—Sophie’s father.”
Finally, the name. Peeta didn’t say anything; even though he had plenty of questions, he knew the important thing wasn’t how many to ask, but how to ask them. Katniss didn’t look at him while she spoke.
“He helps with some things,” she continued. “School stuff, supplies, clothes every once in a while. Things like that.”
Peeta nodded but stayed quiet. He could tell that wasn’t what was really bothering her.
“But that’s not what matters,” her voice dropped slightly; she seemed to hesitate before going on, but she did anyway. “What… what gets to me, what I can’t understand, is the fact that he doesn’t want to see her.”
There it was—the truth, needing no more explanation. Katniss lifted her gaze just enough for him to see the emotional exhaustion behind her gray eyes, the kind that comes from having to justify an absence that never made sense.
Peeta felt something twist inside him — a mix of disbelief and anger. Not at her, never at her. How? How could someone choose to stay away from someone like Sophie? Because if there was one thing Peeta knew for certain, it was that the girl was wonderful. She was genuine, curious in a way that lit up everything she asked about, far too smart for her age, sweet, polite, and endlessly imaginative — like when she folded napkins into flowers, or when she left her little drawings at the café with his name written in slightly crooked letters.
How could anyone not want to be near that? His own daughter?
Peeta forced himself to take a slow breath. To not grip the beer bottle too tightly. To not let what he felt show on his face. Because this wasn’t about him — it was about them. The fact that Katniss was opening up to him about it calmed him somehow, because it meant she trusted him enough.
But if there was something else he realized while listening to her talk between sips of beer, it was that this definitely wasn’t the right moment. Katniss hadn’t said much more yet, but Peeta could feel it went deeper than the fact that the jerk —that’s how he called him in his head before he knew the name— sent money but never showed up.
Maybe, he thought, she still loved him. God, he was the father of her child, of course she did. That kind of feeling didn’t just vanish, not when you shared something as strong as Sophie.
And if that was the case, if there was still a part of Katniss holding on to that past, even if it was through anger or pain or nostalgia, then it wasn’t his place to step in between. So he decided not to do anything. Not to say anything. To stick to empty words, no attempts at comfort — because if he really said what he was thinking, that Gale guy deserved a talk with his fists first. He wasn’t going to try to fill a space that wasn’t his, or break the quiet with his own feelings. He would just stay there, beside her, listening for a little while longer or for as long as she needed.
Sophie’s first day of school always came with a bit of chaos, just enough to make Katniss start the morning with a tight stomach and a mental checklist of a thousand things to do before eight. Backpack, lunchbox —which consisted of a Pop-Tart and five crumpled dollars— uniform, and hair as presentable as she could manage. It never turned out quite as perfectly as she planned, but Sophie, as always, made it work. The little girl never complained. She never did.
When the doorbell rang, Katniss went to open it, still half-asleep, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, wearing the most faded sweatshirt she owned, only to find Peeta standing on the porch with a large paper bag in one hand and a coffee cup in the other.
He didn’t ask if he could come in; he just walked inside with the ease of someone who already knew where everything was. He handed Katniss the coffee, set the paper bag gently on the table, and took a seat. The moment Sophie saw him, she ran over to greet him. While she excitedly told Peeta how thrilled she was to start fourth grade and showed him the book she’d just finished reading, Katniss peeked into the paper bag: inside was an egg sandwich, a small container of cut fruit and a granola bar with ‘Soph’ written on the wrapper in blue marker. Something stirred deep inside her chest.
“You didn’t have to go to all that trouble,” Katniss said, tugging at her sweatshirt a little. “The breakfast, I mean.”
Peeta shook his head, smiling. “I didn’t do it for you. It was for Sophie.”
“Thanks, Peeta!” Sophie said brightly.
The little girl threw her arms around him clinging to his neck, wrapping her small arms around him and resting her head on his shoulder. Peeta hugged her back without hesitation, bending slightly to hold her tight. He ran a hand over her back and rested his chin gently against the top of her head.
“It’s nothing, muffin,” he said with a soft smile.
Katniss couldn’t look away. Her heart clenched, not with sadness, but with something deeper, something that had terrified her every day since she met Peeta.
As tempting as it was, she couldn’t let herself start a relationship with anyone. Not because she was completely closed to the idea —though she often told herself she was— but because she was afraid of trusting again. She was someone who protected herself from love, knowing exactly where her weak spots were. Someone who had learned to shut out anything that could disturb the fragile balance she’d built since her daughter was born. Everything she did, she did for Sophie. Because more than the fear of loving, what scared her was trusting: opening up again, picturing a future that wasn’t just her and her daughter. Not because that was wrong—but because it was the way she survived. She couldn’t let anyone in who might unravel what she’d worked so hard to keep steady.
And yet, there was Peeta. Who, little by little, had begun to tilt that balance she’d sworn to protect. Seeing him like that, with her daughter in his arms, holding her close —without having to do it— took her breath away. That image of Peeta and Sophie together, felt like a dangerous crack in the wall she’d built to keep herself safe.
What if it could be different this time? What if… it already was?
Besides, Sophie, being who she was, never held back with her questions. More than once, without even looking at her directly, she’d said things like, “do you and Peeta love each other?” And every single time, Katniss froze for a second, swallowing either a laugh or her discomfort before saying no, of course not, that Peeta was just her friend — like she and Lily from her class were friends. Sophie never argued; she just nodded and went back to whatever she was doing.
And Katniss was right. Technically, she and Peeta were friends.
Over the past year, they’d built something solid. Notes in coffees, free donuts, weekly dinners at her place or his, Sunday trips to the park, Peeta washing the dishes without being asked, movie nights where Sophie fell asleep halfway through and the two of them stayed up talking for hours. They even spent Christmas together.
Yes, it sounded ridiculous — and she knew it. Still, inside, her stomach always twisted whenever she thought about Peeta for more than five seconds. Because she didn’t know what he thought. Friends did those things; maybe for him that was all it was. Simple friendship, loyalty and support. And who was she to imagine anything else? After all, that’s what friends do, right? Maybe the problem was hers. Maybe she was the only one questioning everything inside her head.
And she couldn’t let herself do that. Because no matter how much warmth, sweetness or longing lived at the bottom of her chest when she imagined the three of them as a family… she could never hand over the whole package of taking care of Sophie with her. It wouldn’t be fair and it wouldn’t be right. Sophie was hers — her responsibility, her everything. As much as Peeta loved her, if there was a possibility, she couldn't ask him to do it.
She forced herself to look away and take a deep breath, because questioning her entire life wasn’t part of the morning plan.
“Photo time! Stand by Sophie’s door,” Peeta said, standing up from his chair and pulling a small digital camera from his jacket pocket. “And Katniss, please fix your hair, would you?”
Katniss rolled her eyes, smiling as she tightened her messy bun.
The first-day photo had become a tradition just last year, when Sophie started third grade. They had stopped by the diner for breakfast before school and while they were sitting at the table, Peeta had come over and taken their picture. A week later, he’d given it to Katniss with a small note written on the back: Sophie’s third floor, nine to go!
She turned just in time to see Peeta adjusting the camera with a grin. Sophie stood with her backpack hanging off one shoulder, her ponytail crooked, her coat buttoned only halfway. Katniss stood right beside her, holding her close.
“One, two, three…”
Click.
Peeta pulled the camera back and looked at the screen, a soft smile on his face. Katniss, her heart beating faster than it should, leaned closer to look. She rested one hand on the back of the chair and tilted forward just enough to see the image. On the screen, she and Sophie were wrapped in each other’s arms, perfectly captured with their messy hair, half-open backpack, but both smiling wide.
Just as she was about to say something, she felt Peeta’s breath against her shoulder. A shiver ran up her spine, and she forced herself to stay composed, but it was impossible not to feel that rush.
She turned toward him, smiling nervously. “Thank you,” she said softly, “it’s perfect.”
Peeta gave her a quick smile and cleared his throat.
“If you’d like, I can go with you to the school,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “I came on foot, so it’d be nice if you gave me a ride after dropping this little one off.”
Katniss hesitated for a second. Not because she didn’t want to take him —that wasn’t the problem— but because she knew what gestures like that meant. Then she looked at Sophie, who was watching her eagerly with the same gray eyes she’d inherited from her.
“Sure.”
A few minutes later, the three of them stepped out of the house. Sophie climbed into the back seat while Katniss took the driver’s side and Peeta settled in next to her. Just before starting the car, Katniss twisted around to face the backseat, her expression serious.
“Before you get out, I have to fix that ponytail, kid,” she said, pointing at her daughter’s crooked hair tie.
Sophie groaned softly but before she could protest, Peeta added:
“Don’t listen to her, muffin. You look better than she does,” Sophie burst out laughing and Katniss only rolled her eyes, hiding a smile as she turned the key in the ignition.
Peeta hadn’t met Sophie’s father yet. In fact, he had never even seen him around town. As far as he knew, neither Katniss nor Sophie had had any contact with him in the last three years. Katniss didn’t usually share those kinds of details so openly, but also if it had happened, she would have mentioned it to him.
Sophie was ten years old. She already spoke with total conviction about her future. Sometimes she said she wanted to be a paleontologist, other times a writer or a doctor. Peeta didn’t know if she would change her mind a dozen more times, but what he did know was that Sophie was bright, creative, sweet, and genuinely a good kid. And still, her father seemed to have no interest in knowing her. That indifference confused him more every day he spent with the little girl, and even more, it broke his heart.
It hurt him for her, but it also hurt for Katniss. Because even though she didn’t talk about it, Peeta could see the weight she carried in silence. The days she arrived late to work, the times she didn’t ask for help even when she needed it, the way she smiled at Sophie without allowing herself to fall apart.
In the time they had known each other, he and Katniss had built a true friendship. Something that grew with every day they shared, with every activity that became part of their routine. But as valuable as that relationship was, Peeta couldn’t stop what was growing inside him more and more.
He wanted more.
He wanted Katniss to give him space not only in her life but also in her heart. Peeta wanted to be with them. He wanted to be there in the mornings, making breakfast while Sophie packed her backpack, to wash the dishes with Katniss at night after dinner, to help Sophie with her homework, to carry the grocery bags. He wanted the ordinary and the intimate.
And he wanted her. He wanted to kiss her. God, he wanted to kiss her. He imagined the touch of her lips on his, wanted to kiss her forehead when she finished a long shift, her cheek after serving her a cup of coffee, her neck when they were close enough. He wanted to touch every part of her. Not out of desire only, but out of the need to make her feel safe. He wanted to feel the warmth of her skin under his fingers, her breath against his neck. He wanted to hold her at night, her body fitting against his.
Peeta wanted everything with Katniss. He wanted her to let him love her.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the bell above the door, just in time for him to look up. When he did, he saw Katniss walking in quickly, looking tense, and Sophie behind her, dragging her feet slightly, her backpack hanging from one shoulder. Peeta frowned, setting the rag in his hand aside.
“What are you two doing here?” he asked, wiping his hands on his apron. “You’ve got class in…”—he glanced at his watch—“forty minutes. You should be on your way to Hartford.”
Without saying a word, Sophie walked to one of the tables in the back and dropped into a chair, resting her head on her arms. Peeta followed her with his eyes for a second before looking back at Katniss. She looked exhausted—and not just physically. There was sadness in her face that disarmed him instantly.
“I know,” she said finally, letting out a sigh. “But the babysitter canceled on me last minute. I don’t want to leave Sophie alone at home, and I don’t have time to drive her to Madge’s. That’d be at least twenty extra minutes.”
Peeta raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms as he waited for her to finish.
“I was wondering if…” Katniss continued, glancing toward Sophie and then back at him. “Maybe you could watch her? You wouldn’t have to keep an eye on her all the time, I promise she won’t bother you. She can sit over there and—”
“Katniss,” he interrupted softly. “That’s enough.”
She stopped right away, surprised.
“Of course I can,” Peeta added. “I’ll watch her.”
For the first time since she’d walked in, Katniss smiled. A small smile. She stepped closer, rested her hand on his arm for balance, leaned in, and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.
“Thank you!” she said quickly. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise. But not right now—I have to go.”
Peeta opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. That was the effect Katniss had on him. The kiss hadn’t been long, or even particularly intimate, but his skin, right where her lips had touched, burned hotter than the time he’d grabbed a boiling pot. The warmth spread from his cheek down his neck, up to his face, then lower, to his chest. He nodded awkwardly.
“Yeah… go,” he said.
Katniss gave him one last grateful look and rushed out of the café, leaving him frozen in place for a few seconds, his hand still on his apron and his heart pounding against his ribs. Slowly, he blinked and touched his cheek, right where she’d kissed him. But he couldn’t stand there all day.
He turned toward the back of the café, where Sophie still sat in the same position. Peeta could see her sadness, almost a mirror of her mother’s just moments ago. He approached carefully, resting a hand on the back of her chair.
“Why don’t you go upstairs, Soph?” he said gently. “You can put on a movie or something you like. I’ll bring you something to eat in a bit, okay?”
Sophie barely lifted her head. Her gray eyes, so much like Katniss’s, looked dim. She nodded silently, grabbed her backpack and walked with short, slow steps toward the door that led to the apartment upstairs. Peeta turned toward the kitchen then, where his brother Rye was already watching him with a crooked grin, leaning against the doorframe like he’d been waiting for the perfect moment to speak.
“I’m going upstairs with Sophie,” Peeta said plainly. “You’re in charge down here for a while.”
“Yeah, yeah, no problem,” Rye said, raising his eyebrows in amusement. “Funny how you use condoms all the time and still end up with a kid.”
Peeta frowned, rolling his eyes.
“Fuck you,” he muttered, untying his apron.
Rye laughed as Peeta grabbed a couple of freshly baked cheese buns and a few donuts wrapped in paper napkins. He climbed the stairs quickly, the warmth of the café fading behind him, replaced by a quieter, heavier atmosphere upstairs.
Sophie was lying on the couch, curled on her side with her backpack still clutched to her body and her eyes fixed on the floor. She wasn’t crying, but her face carried a very broken expression. His chest tightened helplessly. He set the food on the table gently, stepped closer without making much noise and crouched down in front of her.
“Hey,” he said softly. “Everything okay, muffin?”
Her eyes stayed on the floor, he thought she wouldn’t respond at all. But after a long silence, her voice came out small and shaky.
“I’m sad… about my dad.”
Peeta swallowed, careful not to let it show. He knew this moment would come sooner or later, but that didn’t make it any easier.
“Why are you sad about him?” he asked gently, not moving from where he was. Sophie shifted a little, finally lifting her eyes to meet his.
“Because all the kids at school have dads who love them,” she murmured. “They take them to school, and go to the festivals, and science fairs, or they’re just… there. And I don’t have anyone like that.”
It hurt Peeta more than he could have imagined. He felt a pull inside him, sharp and deep, like someone had squeezed his heart between both hands. Slowly, he sat down beside her on the couch, leaving her some space, but making sure she knew he was there.
“Sophie,” he started, choosing his words carefully. “What you said… that’s wrong. And not true at all.”
The girl frowned, confused.
“You do have someone,” he continued softly, “you have your mom. And believe me, there are so many kids who would give anything to have someone like her.”
Sophie gave a small, sad smile and looked down.
“Your mom does everything for you, Soph,” he went on, “absolutely everything. She wakes up early even when she’s exhausted. She worries if you’ve eaten, if you’ve slept, if something made you sad or mad. She works all day to make sure you have what you need, but she still finds time for you. To listen to you, to hug you, to help you with homework, with everything.”
Sophie let out a tiny laugh, barely more than a breath. Peeta smiled and took that as a good sign to keep going.
“She loves you more than anything in the world, Sophie. And that’s worth a loooot more than having a dad. You’re not alone, and you never will be.”
Peeta’s voice dropped a little.
“And even though I’m not your dad,” he added carefully, “you know I’m here for you, right? Whenever you want, whenever you need me, in any way. You don’t have to ask twice.”
He knew he was stepping into dangerous territory, but he couldn’t stand seeing her like that. Sophie blinked, and this time her eyes shimmered. Peeta’s heart tightened again.
“Thank you, Peeta,” she whispered.
“You don’t need to thank me, muffin,” he said, brushing a hand gently through her hair.
After a moment, Sophie stood and walked to the table, where the donuts and cheese buns still sat wrapped in napkins. She picked up a donut with both hands and looked back at him.
“Do you want to watch a movie?”
Peeta smiled. “Of course I do. You pick.”
A few minutes later, the screen lit up with Tangled — Sophie’s favorite. They settled back onto the couch, each with a donut in hand. Peeta didn’t even pretend to resist when Sophie started quietly singing along to the songs, by the middle of the movie, he was humming with her.
When the movie ended, Sophie began talking about her day at school. She showed him what she’d learned about planets and math, told him her idea for the science fair, and mentioned that she was going to sing at the spring festival. Peeta listened closely, asking questions, laughing, raising his eyebrows as if every little thing she said was somehow fascinating — and really, it was.
After a while, Sophie moved to the rug with her colored pencils while he stayed on the couch, a book open across his lap. Some time later, someone knocked on the door. Peeta set the book aside, stood up and went to answer it. Katniss stood on the other side with a smile. Sophie saw her and immediately ran toward her, throwing her arms around her legs in a tight hug. Katniss bent down at once, burying her face in her daughter’s hair and kissing the top of her head.
“Grab your things, kid,” she said, “we’re heading home.”
While Sophie started stuffing her pencils back into her backpack, Katniss lifted her gaze to Peeta.
“Thanks for watching her,” she said sincerely.
Peeta shook his head. “It was nothing. We watched a movie, ate, talked… a lot.”
Katniss tilted her head. “Tangled?”
Peeta let out a short laugh. “Obviously.”
She rolled her eyes with a smile. They just stood there, face to face, the open door between them. One more second and he would’ve wanted them to stay, but he didn’t say anything. Before leaving, Sophie gave Peeta a big hug and thanked him for spending time with her. When they pulled apart, he simply watched them go, his eyes following until the door closed behind them.
He walked back to the couch, planning to pick up his book again, but as soon as he sat down, he noticed something on the coffee table — one of the drawings Sophie had been working on before leaving.
He picked it up carefully, and as he looked at it, a knot formed in his throat.
There were three figures drawn in bold, colorful strokes: a woman with black hair, a man with yellow hair, and a little girl in a purple dress between them. Above them, written in big uneven letters, it read: Mom, Peeta and me.
He didn’t know what to do at first. He just sat there, the drawing in his hands, feeling something inside him loosen. It felt as if Sophie had opened a small door and let him in. Peeta pressed his lips together, lowered his gaze, and set the drawing against his chest as he leaned back on the couch. The paper crackled softly against his shirt. For the first time in a long time, he wasn’t afraid of what he felt.
Peeta made himself a promise. He would stay for as long as it took. For Katniss and for Sophie.
Always.
“Happy birthday!”
Katniss blinked several times before she could fully take in what she was seeing. Her usually quiet living room was now full of people. Madge —her friend from the Inn—, her aunt, Rye, Lily —Sophie’s friend— even old Haymitch, along with other familiar faces from town and work. Everyone was wearing party hats, there were balloons sticked against the ceiling, and a big banner hung from the bookshelf that read: Happy Birthday, Katniss!
She just stood there, scowling slightly. It took her a few seconds, embarrassingly long ones, to remember. It was her birthday. She’d been so busy the last few days with shifts, homework, and classes that she had completely erased it from her mind. A nervous laugh escaped her lips, and she brought a hand to her mouth, unsure how to react. Just then, Sophie appeared at her side, wrapping her in a huge hug.
“Happy birthday, Mommy!”
Katniss clung tightly to her small body.
“Oh my God,” she said against her daughter’s hair, still stunned. “Thank you, kid.”
Sophie pulled back just enough to smile at her. No wonder her little girl hadn’t mentioned her birthday like she usually did every year.
“Guess whose idea it was,” Sophie said.
Katniss held her by the shoulders and narrowed her eyes playfully.
“This is completely Peeta’s doing.”
Sophie jumped in excitement. “Yes!”
Peeta appeared right then from the kitchen, smiling and holding a huge chocolate cake in his hands. In the center, two candles shaped like a two and an eight flickered. Katniss ran a hand over her face, unable to stop the blush rising to her cheeks. Everyone sang the birthday song, and Peeta stopped right in front of her, holding the cake, his blue eyes fixed on hers and that smile — the one that charmed her no matter how hard she tried to resist it.
“You’re making me feel old!” she said, half laughing.
Peeta raised an eyebrow with that same grin. “Relax,” he said, “twenty-eight never looked so good.”
Katniss didn’t know whether to laugh or blush harder, so she just lowered her gaze a little, smiling anyway, feeling a thousand butterflies flutter in her stomach like she was turning fifteen, not twenty-eight. Peeta lifted the cake slightly, leaning in just a bit.
“Make a wish.”
Katniss closed her eyes. She didn’t know what to wish for. Of course, she wanted many things — some big, some small. She wanted Sophie to always be happy, above everything else. She wanted stability and peace. To finally open the Inn. To finish university without having to postpone it again. But at that moment, surrounded by friends, the cake in front of her, Sophie at her side, and Peeta so close she could hear his breathing — the wish that crossed her mind was so simple it almost broke her.
I hope this year I will allow myself to finally be happy.
She opened her eyes, smiled, and blew out the candles.
After a few hours of laughter, conversations, hugs, and congratulations that made her feel a little more loved than she was used to, the house returned to its usual silence. The guests said goodbye, and when the door closed behind the last ones —Madge and Rye— only Peeta remained.
Katniss stood by the table, a trash bag in hand, tossing out paper plates, empty beer and soda cans, napkins. Peeta had taken Sophie to her room; she’d fallen asleep on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder.
“She’s tucked in,” Peeta said softly returning to the living room.
Katniss straightened up a little, smiling automatically. “Thanks, Peeta. I’ll go change her in a bit.”
Peeta shook his head, smiling faintly. “It’s nothing.”
They cleaned up together in silence, the only sound coming from the faint music playing in the background — low enough not to wake Sophie. Peeta carried out bags full of trash while Katniss wiped down the table with a cloth. He washed the few dishes that weren’t disposable, and she packed away the leftover cake and food Peeta and Rye had brought from the bakery. Between the two of them, less than half an hour, the house looked like a home again.
Finally, they sat down on the couch, the space between them smaller than usual. Katniss turned slightly to the side, tucking her legs up on the cushion and hugging her knees. She blushed almost immediately when she noticed the way Peeta was looking at her. His gaze was soft, almost like he was trying to memorize her, and that made her stomach flip. The unease didn’t come from him, but from what he made her feel: that warmth in her stomach, that subtle alert running up her spine whenever he looked at her like that. A shy smile curved her lips.
“Thank you… for this,” she said, “I’ve never had a surprise party before—or ever.”
Peeta shook his head slowly, but his smile widened.
“It was nothing,” he said. “I’d do anything to see you happy.”
Katniss didn’t know what to say to that. Peeta let out a quiet breath, then added softly,
“You look really pretty when you smile.”
The blush spread instantly across her cheeks, just like it would have if she was a teenager. Rarely, when Peeta said things like that, it made Katniss want to forget every wall she’d built, every promise she’d made to herself. It made her want to move closer, to close the distance between them, to slide her fingers through his curls and to kiss him until she ran out of breath.
But she couldn’t, not yet anyway.
Katniss hadn’t set foot in a classroom in a long time. Every time she walked past the bag where she kept her notes and books, a hollow feeling spread through her chest. She’d tried, really tried, to make it work. Balancing her shifts at the Inn, Sophie’s homework, the sleepless nights, the bills. But it was too much, everything at once, piling up.
And now that Sophie had set her sights on Chilton —a school as expensive as it was prestigious— everything had changed. Time wasn’t enough anymore, but worse than that, neither was the money. Still, Sophie was determined; she’d had her goals clear for years and that both terrified and filled Katniss with pride. She wanted to go to Yale, to study literature, to become a writer or an editor or anything that would keep her surrounded by books for the rest of her life. Katniss would do everything in her power to make that dream happen.
And Gale… well, Gale couldn’t —or wouldn’t— help.
He’d only seen his now teen daughter again a few months ago, after such a long absence that Sophie no longer called him Dad. It had been Katniss who insisted they meet, that they spend some time together.
Since then, he showed up every now and then. He’d call a week in advance, ask if he could visit, and Katniss always said yes. Sophie seemed to enjoy it, though she never talked much about it afterward. But when it came to money for Chilton, Gale had been clear — he couldn’t contribute. He said he was barely managing his own situation. Katniss just nodded, as if she didn’t know what it meant to struggle, as if she hadn’t spent the past fourteen years raising their daughter almost entirely on her own.
So she quit university. Asked them to freeze her courses, hoping it would only be temporary.
Since then, everything in her life had felt heavier. The workdays longer, her body more tired. And even though she tried not to show it, the frustration followed her everywhere. It showed on her face, in her body, in how dim her energy had become lately. But she kept going—for her daughter. That’s what she reminded herself every night when she came home from work, when she looked at Sophie fast asleep, a book open on her chest. Always for Sophie.
Peeta had offered to help her finish school, but she refused immediately.
She couldn’t allow it. It was already hard enough to deal with everything he did for them — the breakfasts, the surprise visits after long shifts, the chocolate donuts that magically appeared whenever Sophie had exams, the bag of cheese buns in her porch every Sunday when she had the day off. Accepting something as big as him paying for her university would be something else entirely. Too much.
But what was hardest to accept wasn’t the money. It was the affection.
Katniss wasn’t a fool — maybe he wasn’t in love with her, but she could tell that Peeta cared about her. But she was the one who had drawn the line between them. Letting Peeta in, letting herself be loved — it still scared her, even after all this time. And in some way she couldn’t quite explain, she knew it wasn’t just her he cared about. He cared about Sophie, too.
Gale had never really been there for either of them. But that didn’t matter anymore, she didn’t matter anymore — he only thing that did was Sophie.
But Peeta?
He was there when Sophie got sick in the middle of winter and Katniss went two nights without sleep — he set up camp in the living room and took care of both of them. He was there when Sophie won her first science fair and nearly knocked him over with how tightly she hugged him. He was there when Sophie lost a tooth over breakfast and thought she’d never eat normally again. He’d been at every spring, summer, fall, and winter festival. He’d read every story she’d ever written for school. He had her drawings taped to the bakery counter.
It was like he didn’t know how not to be there — and that was what scared Katniss most. Because she had never met anyone who stayed that long without asking for anything in return. And deep down, she was starting to realize she didn’t want him to leave, not ever.
Maybe it was time to do something about it.
She’d spent too long letting opportunities slip by, too long waiting for things to somehow fall into place. But nothing would ever be real if she didn’t move.
So after dropping Sophie off at Lily’s house, she got in the car and drove. It was Wednesday —Peeta’s night off— and though she didn’t really have a plan, she thought of inviting him out for a drink. A beer, maybe a walk in the park, anything — just an excuse to be with him… and talk.
When she parked on the street outside the bakery, she saw him through the windshield. Peeta was coming out, and he wasn’t alone. A blonde woman, around their age, walked beside him, smiling, their arms linked. The way he looked at her, his body language… there was no way to misinterpret it.
A sharp, sudden pain hit Katniss in the gut, so clean it stole her breath. She swallowed hard and stayed in the car for a couple of minutes, hands gripping the steering wheel, breathing slowly. Peeta hadn’t seen her —thank God— because she didn’t want him to see her like that, not any day.
Eventually, she stepped out of the car. She needed to buy something for dinner anyway; there was nothing at home, and Sophie was spending the night away. She walked into the bakery, shoulders tense, trying to act like nothing had happened. She greeted Rye, who was behind the counter —of course, because Peeta wasn’t, he was busy with someone just as perfect as he was, someone who probably didn’t have a child— and ordered a burger to go. Then she sat on one of the stools. Truth was, she wasn’t hungry, or in the mood for small talk — she did it anyway.
“Where’s Peeta?” Katniss asked, trying way too hard to sound casual.
Rye ran a hand through his hair.
“You just missed him,” he said, “he was with Delly, his friend. Well, his ex-friend-ex-girlfriend,” he added, laughing.
Ouch.
The words hit Katniss straight in the chest. So she wasn’t just a friend, she was someone with history. Katniss nodded silently, pressing her lips together, forcing back the sting behind her eyes, pretending her stomach hadn’t just tightened painfully. She paid for the food and thanked him, then walked out with her head down, the warm paper bag in one hand, the other shoved deep in her jacket pocket. Tears stung her eyes.
As she drove home, her mind wouldn’t stop repeating the same question, over and over.
What did she expect? That Peeta would wait for her forever? That he wouldn’t move on with his life? That he’d be satisfied with the occasional dinner, a bit of harmless flirting, and a woman too broken to say what she really felt?
He had every right to be with someone else, to want something simple, something uncomplicated, something she could never give him. So how could she blame him?
But it still hurt.
Now she understood that she did want something — that maybe she’d always wanted it. But not with anyone else, with him. And it was too late. Because out of fear of losing, she never realized she might’ve already won something. Worse yet, she lost him without ever really having him.
Peeta was in the back of the bakery with Rye, going over the list for the fifth time. Donuts: 60. Pumpkin cupcakes: 80. Chocolate cupcakes: 100. Cakes: 15. Thermoses of coffee, chai tea, hot chocolate — all packed and neatly stacked in boxes, ready for the night. And still, Peeta couldn’t bring himself to feel excited about it.
He’d never been much of a fan of the town festivals. Sure, he went, but he’d never run a booth before —and probably never would have— if Katniss hadn’t convinced him. And he couldn't say no to her. After all these years, it was still impossible for him.
Besides, Sophie was performing that night, and he couldn’t miss it. She might be sixteen now, but to him, she was still his little muffin. So even if he hadn’t signed up for a stand, he would’ve gone anyway. For her, for them.
Peeta had tried everything to move on.
He’d dated other people, buried himself in work, tried to focus on anything —anyone— that wasn’t Katniss Everdeen. But no matter what he did, everything always led back to her.
Delly was the clearest example of that. Their relationship was a loop that never seemed to end. They weren’t exactly a couple, but they weren’t just friends either. Sometimes they went out, sometimes they fought, sometimes they made up. They kissed. They laughed. They had sex. It all seemed fine — until it wasn’t. And the reason it fell apart was almost always the same: Katniss.
Delly called him out on it constantly, told him straight to his face what everyone else probably already knew — that he was way too wrapped up in her. But Peeta always denied it. He said they were just friends. That Sophie was like a little sister to him. That he only helped them because they didn’t have much support. That it was nothing more than that.
Bunch of crap.
Every time Katniss called, he answered. If Sophie needed something, he was already on his way. If Katniss asked for a favor, he didn’t even think twice.
Delly wasn’t stupid — she saw it all. She threw it in his face every chance she got. Peeta tried to reason with her, to sound logical, to convince her there was nothing between him and Katniss. And technically, he wasn’t wrong. Katniss had never given him a real sign, that was true. Nothing had ever happened between them, that was true too. But what he never said aloud, what he could barely admit to himself, was the truest thing of all: he was in love with someone who didn’t love him back.
So every time Delly left and he found himself alone again… he went right back to the same place. Thinking about Katniss.
That's why he always took Delly back. Because being alone meant always wondering if Katniss and he could ever become something more than just friends. That was his Achilles heel; it had always been her.
“Let’s take these to the front,” Rye said, lifting a box of paper goods.
Peeta nodded, picking up one of the boxes and walking toward the front of the bakery. They weren’t open today, so they wouldn’t be disturbing any customers.
But as soon as he stepped out front, he froze.
Standing there were Sophie, Katniss… and young man he didn’t recognize. He scowled instinctively. He set the box down on the counter but didn’t take his eyes off them. Then Sophie ran over, throwing her arms around him, and his expression softened immediately.
“Peeta!” she said brightly. “Is everything ready for tonight?”
“Of course,” he said, hugging her back. “All the food’s done—and I wouldn’t miss your performance for anything.”
Sophie grinned, stepping back as he lifted his gaze — there was Katniss, walking toward him with her arms open.
The hug caught him off guard, but not as much as seeing her like that. Her hair was down, which was rare for her, and a blue cap covered her head. Peeta held her tightly, tighter than he meant to, closed his eyes for just a second, and before he could stop himself, he breathed her in. Lavender, she always lavender. Now it was his favorite scent in the world.
The truth was, he’d missed them. A lot. It had been two weeks since he’d last seen them. Katniss had gone back to university, Sophie was now at Chilton, busy with a thousand different things, and between prepping for the festival and running the business, there was never a moment that lined up for any of them.
“I missed you,” Katniss said, running a hand through his curls as they pulled apart.
Peeta looked down with a nervous crooked smile. The blush crept up before he could stop it. After all this time, Katniss still had that effect on him. When he finally looked up, he noticed the other person standing beside Katniss and Sophie — a boy. Brown hair, tall, about Sophie’s age. Hands tucked in the pockets of his jacket, though he quickly pulled one out to shake Peeta’s hand.
“I’m Sam—Samuel. Sam Harris, sir,” he said, clearing his throat. “Nice to meet you.”
Peeta blinked, one eyebrow lifting slightly. His mouth opened, mostly from surprise, as he tried to keep a neutral expression. He returned the handshake and forced a polite smile.
“Peeta Mellark. Nice to meet you, Sam.”
The boy took a step back, slipping his hands into his jacket again. Before the silence could stretch too long, Katniss broke it with a grin.
“Need help? That’s why we’re here,” she said, nodding toward the stack of boxes.
Peeta was about to reply when Rye appeared, carrying a pile of boxes so tall it nearly reached his chin.
“Yes, please,” Rye said immediately.
Sophie gave Sam a friendly pat on the back, and the two of them headed for the back of the bakery. Peeta followed them with his eyes until they disappeared from sight. Once he was sure they were out of earshot, he turned to Katniss, lowering his voice.
“What? There’s a Sam? When did that happen?”
Katniss laughed softly.
“Yeah,” she said with a shrug. “They met at Chilton. And they’re friends,”she added, making air quotes at the word friends. Peeta chuckled too, though not as easily. Katniss turned toward the kitchen, then looked back at him. “But it’s so obvious they like each other. Did you see them?” she teased. “They’re in that phase where they try to hide something everyone else can see.”
Peeta pressed his lips together and nodded. He felt a small, sharp pinch right in the middle of his chest. Because it was the same thing Delly had told him over and over: you’re both trying to hide something everyone else already knows — but he wasn’t thinking about Sophie and Sam.
The autumn festival was in full swing. Strings of lights glowed between the trees, the ground was blanketed with orange leaves, and the air smelled like food. Children ran holding sticks of cotton candy — Peeta couldn’t help but feel nostalgic, remembering Sophie at that age. There was live music, carnival games, booths selling crafts and food, even a stand where you could decorate your own pumpkin.
The Mellark booth was a hit. Donuts sold out in minutes, and the hot chocolate barely had time to be poured before another cup was ordered. Everyone agreed that the pumpkin cupcakes were the best in the festival.
Sophie sang just as the sun was setting, and the sound of her voice sent chills down Peeta’s spine, just like it always did. She sang “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” by Céline Dion. He knew she’d chosen it for Katniss — her favorite singer. The crowd went completely quiet through the whole song, and when she finished, the cheers and applause erupted all at once. Peeta clapped so hard his hands stung, and Katniss looked like she might faint from pride.
After a while, Rye left, saying he was heading over to meet Madge —his now girlfriend— and left Peeta in charge of the booth. Peeta nodded, a little nervous about handling the chaos alone, but only a few minutes later, Katniss appeared beside him, sleeves pushed up and her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. She slipped behind the counter without asking him and started helping. She didn’t need directions; they moved together effortlessly.
She took the orders, smiled angelically, chatting with customers while he handled the drinks, counted the money and refilled trays. It was as if they’d done it a hundred times before. Every time she laughed at something a customer said, Peeta couldn’t stop himself from glancing at her. That laugh, that smile — it still hit him the same way it always had: that sudden flip in his stomach and the undeniable certainty that he truly loved her.
“What time does Sophie have to be back?” Peeta asked, handing Katniss a beer.
It was Sophie’s first date with Sam. Finally, a week ago, he’d gathered the courage to ask her out — and Sophie had said yes without a second thought. For Katniss, the whole thing felt strangely beautiful, and deeply nostalgic. Watching her daughter fall in love for the first time stirred something in her chest — nerves and tenderness. But it also scared her. Sophie was now a year older than Katniss had been when she’d had her. And though the comparison was inevitable, it was also unfair. Because while they looked alike, Sophie was steadier, more grounded, more sure of herself. Still, no matter how hard it had been, Katniss had never regretted that choice.
They’d already had the talk. It was awkward, yes, but necessary. They’d talked about boundaries, decisions, sex, emotions. Sophie hadn’t avoided the topic; she’d handled it with a maturity that both surprised and reassured Katniss. Her daughter had made it clear she would always make the right choice. Katniss believed her. If there was one thing she was certain of, it was that Sophie was nothing like she’d been at sixteen.
“Ten o’clock,” Katniss said, taking a sip of her beer. Peeta scowled, and Katniss laughed. “What?”
“I don’t know,” he said with a shrug. “Isn’t that kind of late? Four hours? Seems like… a lot.”
“I could’ve given her ten minutes and it’d be just as risky.” Katniss laughed. “My last ten-minute date gave me a kid.”
Peeta burst out laughing and lifted his bottle toward her.
They were sitting on the couch, beers in hand, a movie long finished on the screen. It was Friday night. With Sophie out and no classes the next morning, Katniss had invited him over, and Peeta had switched his free night with Rye’s just to come. Katniss glanced down at her bottle, then at him, hesitating before asking what had been sitting in her head all night.
“So where’s Delly?”
She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer — her stomach tightened instantly. Peeta huffed out a breath.
“We broke up. Again.”
Katniss tried not to react, but her body relaxed before she could stop it.
“Are you okay?” she asked, trying to sound casual.
“Yeah. I’m used to it by now,” he said with a sigh, then chuckled to himself. “The only thing I’ll miss is having sex.”
Katniss felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She looked away, then she blurted, “tell me about it.”
Peeta frowned again, glancing over at her. She kept talking.
“I haven’t had sex in…” She lifted her left hand. All five fingers extended.
Peeta laughed. “Wow, that long?” Katniss nodded. Peeta took another drink of his beer before speaking again. “I think I’d lose my mind if it went a month, but five? No way.”
Katniss looked down, embarrassed, biting her lip before letting out a nervous laugh. Peeta noticed the shift, his expression softening — same smile but still raised brows.
“What?”
Katniss swallowed. “I haven’t had sex in five years, Peeta. Not months.”
Peeta had just taken a sip of his beer when she said it. He spit it out to the side, stunned.
“What? Five years? How? No way.”
Katniss covered her face with both hands, laughing in pure embarrassment. “Yeah—yes, okay? Stop looking at me like that.”
“No-no, I’m—not judging,” he said, recovering. “It’s just—wow. That’s very hard to believe.”
Katniss nodded, laughing but just as nervous as before. Peeta stayed quiet, leaning back against the couch, his gaze fixed on her. He didn’t say anything, but his eyes were soft. And a little —no, very— intense. She could feel the air between them grow heavier, so she leaned forward, trying to change the subject fast.
“Why did you guys break up? You and Delly.”
Peeta looked down at the bottle in his hands, picking at the label with his thumb.
“I don’t know,” he said after a pause, shoulders lifting slightly. “It’s… complicated.”
“How complicated?” Katniss pressed, her brow creasing just a bit.
Peeta exhaled through his nose, still not looking at her.
“We broke up because of you.”
Katniss felt something shoot up from her stomach to her chest. She wasn’t sure if it was the three beers she’d had or Peeta’s words, but suddenly her whole body felt warm, and it was hard to breathe normally.
“What?” she managed to say.
Peeta ran a hand through his hair, visibly nervous.
“Yeah. Um—you’ve always been kind of a topic between us,” he admitted. “Since the very beginning.”
Katniss stared at him, speechless. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.
“W-why—why?” she stammered.
Peeta finally looked up, meeting her eyes.
“Because she was jealous. Since the day she met you,” he said quietly, swallowing hard. “She’s always been jealous of you.”
Katniss didn’t move. Her hands felt hot, her face hot, her whole body felt hot. Her thoughts were spinning, but her body stayed still. All she could do was look at Peeta. They were sitting across from each other on the couch, knees nearly touching.
He didn’t look even slightly sorry for what he’d said.
“Why?” she asked again, her voice softer this time.
“Come on, Katniss,” Peeta said with a small laugh, his blue eyes steady on hers. “You’re the most incredible woman anyone could ever meet. You have an effect on people, it’d be crazy not to be jealous of you. Even I’m jealous—you’re just… perfect.”
Katniss couldn’t take it anymore.
She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his — hard.
Peeta’s eyes widened in shock, completely caught off guard, no chance to react before she suddenly realized what she’d done and pulled away as fast as she could.
“Oh my God, Peeta,” she said, her voice high and trembling. “I am so sorry—I don’t know what came over me, just—forget it, please—”
Peeta didn’t hear anymore. He closed the gap between them, his hand wrapping around her neck as he pulled her lips against him. Their mouths crashed together in a kiss that was fiercer, more desperate. And why wouldn't it be? They'd both been aching to taste each other almost from the moment they met nine years ago, but neither had ever mustered the courage to make the first move.
Peeta's hands slid down to her waist, drawing her forward until Katniss was straddling his lap, their hips grinding together. She clutched at his shirt, yanking him closer, her body instinctively rocking forward. The pressure of their bodies rubbing sent a moan escaping her lips against his neck as she felt his hardness pressing up beneath her.
Peeta's fingers traced the full length of Katniss's back, dipping lower to grip her hips and press her even tighter against him. Katniss could hardly believe the rush of sensations overwhelming her; it was beyond mere pleasure — kissing him alone felt better than any sex she'd ever experienced. Peeta slipped his hands under her shirt, fingers finding the clasp of her bra. Katniss pulled back from the kiss just enough to nod, giving him the go-ahead to unhook it. He didn't hesitate, fumbling with trembling hands until it came free. She shrugged the straps down her arms and slipped the bra out from under her shirt, and he eagerly grabbed the hem, yanking the shirt over her head in one swift motion. They were both starved for this, more than just sex — they craved each other completely.
Peeta was dying to see her, to touch her. When her breasts finally came into view, words failed him; she was stunning, infinitely better than in all those lonely nights he'd fantasized about her. Her nipples were already stiff, and he couldn't resist. He placed a hand on the small of her back, pulling her closer as he captured one in his mouth. He sucked hard, his tongue swirling around the sensitive peak while his other hand kneaded her opposite breast, pinching the nipple between his fingers. Katniss threw her head back with a loud moan she couldn't hold in any longer. Pleasure shot through her entire body, urging her hips to grind more urgently against Peeta's rigid center. He growled against her skin and switched sides, latching onto the other nipple with equal need. Katniss threaded her fingers through his hair, tugging gently to keep him there as her body arched into him.
"Get up," he commanded.
They both stood, hurriedly shedding their pants. Katniss was about to slide off her panties when she caught sight of him — his thick length standing proud before her.
"You're so—" She couldn't finish, just swallowed hard. Peeta gave a nervous smile and leaned in for a quick kiss, which spurred her to finish stripping. As her panties came down, Peeta couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle at the sight. The front read 'Wednesday,' even though it was Friday. It made him grin widely — that was so Katniss. "I didn't know I was going to have sex today," she said, her cheeks flushing bright red. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have worn these. Next time, I promise."
Hearing her say that made his cock twitch and harden even more. Once they were both fully naked, he gazed at her with pure adoration.
"You're so beautiful," he rasped, his voice thick. "I can't believe this is real."
Katniss blushed even more —if it was possible— and leaned in to kiss him again. Peeta sank back onto the couch, this time reclining fully and stretching out his arms to draw her in. She was about to lower herself onto him when Peeta shook his head, stopping her.
“I want you here,” he said, pointing to his face. Katniss furrowed her brow slightly, not quite grasping it at first, but her heart pounded harder than ever. “I want you to sit on my face,” Peeta clarified, his voice low and husky. “I need to taste all of you.”
His words sent a shiver through her. She obeyed, climbing onto the couch carefully. She straddled his face, knees on either side of his head, fully exposed and already slick from their earlier kisses. Peeta looked up at her, his blue eyes gleaming with raw hunger and gripped her hips to guide her down. When his lips brushed the sensitive skin of her inner thighs, Katniss gasped, clutching the back of the couch with one hand. He started slow, pressing kisses along her thighs, his tongue gliding over the soft flesh until he reached her core, parting her legs wider to fully reveal her to him.
Katniss moaned loudly, not caring about anything else — the pleasure was too overwhelming to hold back. Peeta devoured her with devotion, sucking on every fold. When he found her clit and circled it with the tip of his tongue in tight little swirls, she arched above him.
“Peeta, oh—oh God,” she whispered, her hips instinctively bucking to press harder against his mouth.
He growled in response, his hands tightening on her thighs. He plunged his tongue into her entrance, savoring every flutter of her inner walls. Katniss rocked atop his face, grinding herself against his lips and the tip of his nose, lost in the every feeling. Her moans grew louder as the orgasm built inside her. Then she tensed, her thighs quivering around his head. Peeta sucked harder on her clit while sliding two fingers into her, curling them to hit that spot deep within. Katniss cried out, her climax crashing over her.
Peeta held her steady, planting soft kisses on her thighs as she caught her breath, but he didn't wait long. She was startled when he grabbed her waist and flipped her over, positioning her beneath him. Katniss's back sank into the couch cushions, her body still trembling from the release. He settled over her, harder than ever, but his expression faltered for a moment as he remembered he didn't have condoms. He frowned, pausing.
“Wait... I don't have protection," he said, “doubt it, but you have a condom?”
Katniss rolled her eyes but then she reached up to stroke his cheek, her gray eyes sparkling.
“I'm on birth control,” she assured him, “so it's fine. Just—don’t come inside.”
The words eased his worry, and he leaned down for a deep kiss. Having tasted her, he'd never get enough.
Peeta positioned himself between her thighs and guided his cock to her entrance, rubbing the tip against her swollen lips to coat it in her wetness. Slowly, he pushed forward, easing just the head in first. Katniss gasped, feeling a slight burn at the start; it had been a while for her, and the stretch from his thick shaft was intense.
“Peeta…” she moaned, digging her nails into his shoulders. He paused for a second, kissing her forehead.
“Are you okay?” he asked, concern lacing his voice.
She nodded, biting her lip.
“Yes, keep going,” she said, “I need you inside me.”
Peeta pushed forward slowly, inch by inch, until he was fully sheathed inside her. His cock sank into the heat of her core and Katniss arched her back as she felt him completely, a moan escaping her lips while she adjusted to the fullness, the initial burn melting into pure pleasure. Peeta began to thrust with slow but deep strokes, pulling almost all the way out before driving back in, feeling every contraction of her walls gripping his length.
“You're so—you feel—oh, amazing,” he growled against her mouth, capturing her lips in a fierce kiss. She moaned into his mouth, the sound vibrating between them as her hips rose to meet his.
“You can go faster—faster, if you want,” she pleaded, breaking the kiss for a moment. He obeyed, picking up the pace. His hips slammed against hers, faster with each thrust, hitting that sensitive spot inside her every time. Katniss moaned uncontrollably against his lips, their kisses were broken and wet, tongues brushing as the pleasure built. “Yes, like that—oh, fuck,” she wrapped her legs around his waist to deepen the penetration, lifting her hips slightly, “faster, Peeta, please.”
Peeta complied, and in the process, he slid a hand between their bodies, his fingers finding her sensitive clit. He rubbed it in circles, syncing the motions with his increasingly powerful thrusts. The couch creaked beneath them, the sounds of their ragged breaths and moans filling the room.
“I want to see you come again,” he murmured, his voice rough with effort, “I want to feel you.”
Her moans turned into choked cries against his mouth as the orgasm hit her again. Her walls clenched around his cock, making her tremble all over. Seeing her like that pushed him to the edge.
“I can’t hold it—I'm gonna come,” he grunted, pulling out of her with a sudden jerk just in time. His cock pulsed, shooting his load across Katniss's abdomen. She reached up to caress his face as he panted, collapsing beside her on the couch, their bodies pressed together in the afterglow of their finally consummated union. After a few moments of heavy breathing, she finally spoke.
“That was…”
“Amazing,” Peeta added. Katniss smiled and planted a quick kiss on his nose.
Clothes were scattered across the floor, the lights low, and the night perfect. Peeta’s hand brushed through her hair, and Katniss felt at peace, as if this was where she had always belonged and never wanted to move again.
Then the doorbell rang. Katniss shot upright, jumping off the couch.
“Shit. Sophie’s home. No way.”
Peeta checked his phone on the table. “It’s only nine ten.”
Katniss was already gathering her clothes in a panic. “Doesn’t matter. Get dressed. Now!”
Peeta didn’t argue. They both dressed as fast as they’d undressed. Katniss tried to smooth her hair with her fingers, and when she looked halfway presentable, she took a breath, forced a smile, and opened the door.
But when she saw who was standing on the other side, she froze completely.
“Gale.”
He smiled, casual as ever, a huge bouquet of flowers in his hands.
“Hey, Katniss.”
She didn’t know what to say. She felt embarrassed — not for him, but for Peeta. The last thing she wanted was this.
“What are you doing here?” she snapped, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.
Gale opened his mouth to answer, but Peeta appeared in the hallway, zipping up his jacket. Katniss felt her heart leap into her throat just as Gale spoke.
“Oh, hey. I’m Gale—Sophie’s father.”
Katniss turned her head slightly toward Peeta, searching his face for any sign of what he was feeling, but she couldn’t read him. His expression was neutral. Was he mad? Confused? Hurt? Peeta pressed his lips together, extended his hand.
“Peeta Mellark, friend—of Katniss.” The handshake was brief, almost cold. Then he added, “I was just leaving. Enjoy your night. See you, Katniss.”
He grabbed his keys from the table next to the door and headed outside. Katniss didn’t think — she followed, pushing Gale’s shoulder as she passed.
“Peeta, wait. We need to talk.”
He paused for half a second.
“Don’t worry about it, Katniss,” he said flatly. “We’ll talk later.”
Then he kept walking. She stood there, rooted to the ground, watching as he got into his car, shut the door and drove away.
When Peeta got home, he slammed the door behind him and stood there for a moment, forehead pressed against the wood, breathing hard. He felt tangled, knotted up in a mess of emotions he couldn’t even name.
He had crossed the line. That invisible, unspoken boundary he’d built between them for years — he’d broken it. And even if he didn’t regret it, even if what had happened that night with her had been the most real, intimate, and perfect thing he’d ever experienced, he knew he’d stepped into something that didn’t belong to him: Katniss’s family.
He dropped onto the couch and stared at the ceiling, chest tight.
Of course it was about Gale. Peeta had spent years convincing himself it didn’t matter — that Katniss didn’t love him anymore, that there was no place for him in her life. But all it took was one moment, one doorbell, for that idiot to show up again as if he had every right to. And the worst part? To everyone else, he did. The man was perfect — how could Peeta compete with him? He was Sophie’s father. Katniss’s first love. They had a past, a family.
Peeta shut his eyes, frustrated. He wanted to hit him. For everything he had ever put Katniss and Sophie through, for everything he’d done and everything he hadn’t, and for showing up right when Peeta had finally let himself believe that things between him and Katniss were about to change. He’d imagined that moment with her a thousand times. What he hadn’t imagined was Gale standing at her door right after. It wrecked him. Broke him. But more than anything, it made him question if he was the one who was ruining something, taking a place that was never his to take.
He grabbed a beer from the fridge and sank back onto the couch without even bothering to turn the lights on. He took a long sip from the bottle, eyes closed, head resting against the back of the couch. He didn’t want to think anymore, but his mind wouldn’t stop. It didn’t give him a single second of peace. All he could think about was her — her kisses, her body, the sounds she made, the way she felt against him.
And then —thank God— his thoughts were cut short by a knock at the door. He didn’t move at first. He wanted to pretend he wasn’t there, but deep down, he knew exactly who it was. Forcing himself to stand, he walked to the door and opened it.
There she was.
Katniss. Hair loose and a little messy, face tense, wearing that old sweatshirt she always wore when she needed comfort. Her gray eyes were filled with stress, and Peeta felt the blow in his chest before she even said a word. She didn’t wait for an invitation — just stepped inside.
“We need to talk,” she said, closing the door behind her. “The flowers—”
“I know,” he cut in quietly. “But let me talk first.”
Peeta pressed his lips together and looked down for a second, taking a deep breath before meeting her eyes again. She didn’t say anything — just crossed her arms tightly around herself. He swallowed hard and forced the words out before he lost his nerve.
“That was a mistake,” he said flatly. “It can’t happen again.”
Katniss blinked quickly, her expression shifting from confusion to something far worse — pure sadness. Her whole body seemed to tense; for a moment, she didn’t seem to know what to do with her hands, her gaze, or her words.
“What?” she whispered, so quietly that Peeta barely heard it.
His stomach twisted painfully. He swallowed, keeping his eyes down for a moment before forcing himself to look at her again.
“Katniss, I…” he inhaled deeply, steadying his voice. “I don’t want to ruin your chance to fix your family.”
She scowled, confused, but he didn’t give her space to respond. He had to finish.
“Sophie deserves to have her father around. And if you have that chance,” he said, each word feeling like it scraped his throat, “to fix things with him—to be together, to be happy, to give her that, then you should take it. I am willing to forget what happened today.”
Saying it felt like tearing something out of himself. But he couldn’t take it back now. Katniss lowered her gaze, breathing deeply. When she finally lifted her head again, Peeta saw it: her eyes shining with unshed tears. The knot in his throat tightened until it hurt. He couldn’t stand it. This wasn’t what he wanted, but it was what he thought was right — for her, for Sophie.
“Is that what you really want?” she asked, voice trembling.
Peeta held her gaze for a long second.
“It’s what I want,” he lied.
Katniss nodded slowly.
“And what happens to our friendship now?” she asked, barely above a whisper.
He had no idea how to answer without giving himself away.
“We can still be friends,” Peeta said quietly.
Katniss took a while to answer. She stayed silent, staring at the floor; the only thing Peeta could see was the rise and fall of her chest. Finally, she nodded. When she spoke, her voice was barely there.
“I should go. Sophie got home a while ago and—well, I need to get back.”
He nodded, unable to say anything else. He followed her to the door in silence, keeping a careful distance between them. Katniss didn’t look back. She just opened the door and stepped out, closing it softly behind her.
Peeta stood there for a few seconds, staring at the closed door. Then he walked back to the couch and downed the rest of his beer in one swallow. Then another. And another. And another. Each time he lifted the bottle, the same thought echoed in his head: It’s time to let her go. I’m doing the right thing. I’m doing this for Sophie. Because no matter how much he loved that girl like his own daughter, Sophie deserved to have her real father around.
But if there was one thing Peeta Mellark knew, one thing he was absolutely certain of, it was that he loved them both more than Gale ever could.
It had been three months since that night. The one that still kept her awake, replaying how everything had changed with a single impulse.
Since then, things with Peeta were… different. Not even in the very beginning of their friendship, when they were practically strangers, had things felt like this. Now there were no jokes, no long talks, no weekly dinners, no movie nights. Just silence, distance and hurt. Some days, Peeta couldn’t even look her in the eye—but only her. With Sophie, he was the same as ever: gentle and endlessly kind. And that, more than anything, broke Katniss’s heart a little more every day.
She regretted it —well, not that part, that part had been mind-blowing—, she regretted not thinking about what would come after. About not being brave enough to throw Gale out and talk to Peeta about what had really happened. That night hadn’t brought her clarity — it had only filled her with sadness.
The worst part was that Katniss didn’t even understand why Peeta had reacted the way he did. He’d obviously thought those flowers Gale was holding were for her, but they weren’t. They were for Sophie, a clumsy attempt to get closer to his daughter, congratulating her for making the honor roll at Chilton. Gale was more present now in Sophie’s life — but not in hers. Katniss hadn’t thought of Gale as anything other than Sophie’s biological father in years.
But she hadn’t been able to explain that to Peeta.
Maybe he’d pulled away because he cared about her too much, or because he didn’t, at least not in the same way she cared for him. Maybe crossing that line had only been curiosity, desire, the need to finally release years of sexual tension and see what it felt like. Maybe it hadn’t been what he imagined. Maybe he didn’t even like it that much. And Katniss couldn’t blame him; she was out of practice, her body wasn’t what it used to be. Her fears were too many. Maybe she hadn’t done it right. Maybe she hadn’t been enough for him. Maybe he thought that was all she had to give.
Now she just felt worse and very insecure, because in the end, beyond the physical, what truly hurt was losing Peeta as a friend.
No matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, she couldn’t find a real reason for him to have pulled away… because the one Peeta had given her was so stupidly obvious it didn’t even count.
I don’t want to ruin your chance to fix your family.
What family? she thought bitterly. She already had a family, she had one for years, long before Gale came back into their lives.
Katniss had done everything she could to stop thinking about Peeta. She threw herself into her work at the Inn, and finally, things were starting to happen. She’d found the perfect place to open her own at a surprisingly good price. The dream that had once felt impossible was becoming real. Even better, she wasn’t doing it alone — she’d gone into business with Madge, her coworker and one of the few people she truly trusted. They’d signed the papers just a few days ago, and construction was set to start the following week.
And if there was one thing besides her daughter that made her smile, it was her graduation. After years of effort, of long pauses, of sacrifices, of studying with Sophie asleep beside her, she was finally getting her college degree that Sunday.
Now she was on her way to Lily’s house, where Sophie had spent the night. The plan was to pick her up, then drive to Hartford to shop for dresses for the ceremony. When Sophie climbed into the car, Katniss leaned over and kissed her cheek, smiling wide.
“Ready?” Katniss asked, turning toward her daughter as she started the car.
Sophie nodded, but before she could say anything else, she scowled — a gesture she’d clearly inherited from her mother.
“Yeah—but can we stop at Peeta’s first? I can’t find my history book and I’m pretty sure I left it there yesterday when I went for lunch with Sam.”
The mention of Peeta’s name sent a small ripple through Katniss’s stomach, but she kept her composure and nodded.
“Of course,” she said, steering the car toward the café.
When they arrived, Katniss shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and glanced around, searching for that familiar blond head — but he wasn’t there. Only Rye stood behind the counter, drying glasses with a towel.
“Rye! Did you see my history book? I think I left it here yesterday,” Sophie called out.
Rye looked up and nodded.
“Yeah, Peeta took it upstairs. Go grab it, it should be in the apartment.”
Sophie darted off toward the stairs, leaving Katniss alone. She sat on one of the stools by the counter, not entirely comfortable but trying not to seem too obvious about it. Crossing one leg over the other, she leaned her elbows on the counter and watched Rye work. For a few seconds there was silence. Then, nervously, she lowered her eyes to the countertop and asked.
“Do you know if… Peeta’s coming to my graduation?”
Rye lifted a brow, and gave her a side smile.
“Why don’t you ask him yourself?”
Katniss rolled her eyes, fighting the urge to sigh.
“Oh, sure, um—yeah, I’ll do that.”
Only if I wanted him to stay three kilometers away from me, she thought.
Rye didn’t answer, just went back to drying another glass. Peeta already knew she was graduating — it had been something they’d talked about long before they ruined everything. By having sex. And yes, he knew it was this Sunday; Sophie had mentioned it more than once when she’d dropped by the diner. It wasn’t exactly a secret.
“Everything okay between you two?” Rye finally asked, setting the clean glasses in their place.
Katniss felt the heat rise to her cheeks and clasped her hands tightly between her knees. She forced a small casual smile.
“Yeah, yeah. Everything’s fine.”
“Oh,” Rye said, skeptical. “It’s just that I haven’t seen you guys spending much time together lately.”
Katniss forced herself to stay composed.
“We’ve just been busy,” she said, shrugging lightly. “You know, with the Inn and—everything.”
To be honest, she had no idea what Peeta’s been doing the past three months.
Sunday arrived. The day was bright and warm, the campus decorated with green and gold ribbons — the university’s colors. Katniss stood in line with the other graduates, the green gown draped over her new blue dress, the cap sitting neatly atop her loose hair and a knot in her stomach that refused to ease.
Madge was there, and right beside her, Sophie. She repeated to herself, over and over, that this was enough — that she didn’t need anyone else, that she couldn’t have everything, and that was okay.
She adjusted her cap again, clasping her hands together in front of her to keep them from trembling. Her heart was pounding; she’d never liked being the center of attention, and now that she was about to walk across that stage, her nerves were on edge.
“Trevor Evans,” the announcer called.
The applause began to swell as the boy in front of her walked across the stage. Katniss felt her legs trembling, her name was next. Her breathing quickened, but she forced herself to inhale and exhale slowly. This was it, the last step to close a chapter that had taken her years of sacrifices, work, and tears.
“Katniss Everdeen.”
The moment her name was called, Katniss felt her heart leap to her throat. She forced a smile as she walked up the steps to the stage, her cap slightly loose despite having adjusted it a hundred times. She looked out into the crowd, ready to find only Sophie and Madge… but she froze.
Peeta was there. Right beside her daughter.
Her eyes widened in surprise, and her lips curved into a smile, one filled with raw emotion and vulnerability. A knot formed in her throat, and she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. When their eyes met, the emotion hit her all at once. Her vision blurred — she blinked fast to keep the tears at bay, her trembling smile widening as her chest filled with warmth.
Peeta didn’t need words, his expression said everything: pride and nostalgia. He was clapping hard, the sound loud even from where she stood, and beside him, Sophie was jumping up and down, wrapping one arm around Peeta and the other around Madge, shouting “Mom!” over and over. That was it — Katniss’s heart completely gave in.
She smiled through the blur of tears, moving the tassel on her cap to the other side. Taking her diploma, she stepped down from the stage and rejoined her classmates, the applause still echoing around the hall.
Minutes later, hundreds of caps flew into the air. Katniss laughed as she hugged her classmates — she’d done it. She was finally a graduate.
When the ceremony ended, she made her way through the crowd, still a little dazed, until she saw Sophie running toward her. Katniss barley had time to adjust herself when she catch her, pulling her into a tight hug. She closed her eyes, silently thanking every force in the universe for letting her have her daughter by her side on this day. Sophie said she was so proud, so happy, and Katniss couldn’t stop smiling, or blinking fast to keep from crying.
Then she turned to Madge, who hugged her so hard her feet nearly left the ground. But when Katniss looked past her and met Peeta’s eyes, the air caught in her throat. She didn’t think twice, she walked straight toward him and wrapped her arms around him. Peeta pulled her close immediately, his arms circling her waist. Katniss tried to relax —and tried not to think about the last time they’d been this close— as she buried her face in his shoulder. He leaned down slightly, his voice a low murmur against her ear.
“I’ve missed you so much.” Katniss closed her eyes as she heard him, then Peeta added softly. “Congratulations. I’m so proud of you.”
Her eyes stung, and she fought to hold it together. Without pulling away, she whispered back, “Thank you for being here.”
Peeta didn’t hesitate.
“Always.”
“No, Peeta! It’s not going to fit through the door,” Sophie said, arms crossed. “Mom, tell him.”
Katniss rolled her eyes, laughing. “The kid’s right.”
Peeta dropped the mattress in defeat.
“Then you’ll have to help me, Katniss,” he complained.
Katniss placed a hand dramatically over her chest.
“That’s supposed to be your job,” she said, stepping closer and poking a finger at his chest. “You came here to carry the heavy stuff.”
Peeta leaned the mattress against the doorway, exhaling hard. The summer weather in New Haven didn’t help, nor did the fact that this was the fourth time he’d gone up those stairs carrying big boxes. But if Sophie needed help moving in, he was going to be there. He adjusted his grip and pushed again, but it was still stuck in the doorframe.
“Seriously?” he muttered, giving it another shove.
From inside the room, Katniss appeared again, peeking around the side of the mattress with an amused look.
“Sophie already told you—you’re pushing from the wrong angle.”
“I’m pushing with what’s left of my strength,” he said breathlessly, but managed a small smile.
She stepped closer, one hand on the doorframe and the other on the edge of the mattress.
“Look,” she said, shifting the base slightly to the side. “If you turn it like this, and then push up just a little…”
Peeta followed her directions. His arms burned from everything he’d carried that day, but as soon as he adjusted the angle, the mattress finally slid into the room.
“There it is!” Katniss exclaimed.
“You’re kidding… it was that easy?” he said, frowning.
“Apparently not for you,” she teased, giving his shoulder a quick pat.
Peeta let out a tired breath but couldn’t help smiling. The mattress was in, Sophie was officially moved into Yale — or almost. Him and Katniss still had to make another trip to Stars Hollow to bring more clothes. He leaned against the wall, watching Katniss tuck in the sheets while Sophie moved boxes of books around. For just a moment, he looked at Katniss with that familiar weight in his chest, the kind of nostalgia that never really went away. Sometimes he thought he’d finally gotten over her, but days like this reminded him he never would.
“Let’s go, Peeta,” Katniss said once the bed was made. “We still have one more trip before dark.”
He nodded, and after saying goodbye to Sophie saying they’d see her later, they left the dorm and headed toward Peeta’s truck. For a while, neither of them spoke. The silence filled the cabin until Peeta finally broke it.
“I can’t believe Sophie’s in college,” he said quietly.
“Trust me,” Katniss sighed, “neither can I.”
“I still remember that little girl who used to draw pictures and stick them on the counter,” he said, a nostalgic smile tugging at his lips. “Honestly, it makes me… emotional.”
Peeta kept his eyes on the road until he heard a couple of soft sobs beside him. Worried, he immediately pulled over to the side.
“Katniss…” he said softly.
She had her hands covering her face, her shoulders rising and falling with each sob. Peeta swallowed, his fingers trembling on the steering wheel, unsure what to do. Finally, Katniss spoke — her voice breaking through the tears but still gentle.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, still hiding behind her hands. “It’s just… I don’t know, everything hit me all at once.”
Peeta turned toward her, resting one elbow on the back of his seat. He kept a careful distance, but his attention was completely on her.
“It’s just…” Katniss quickly wiped her cheeks and let out a shaky breath. “It feels so real now, you know? Sophie’s growing up so fast. She’s going to stay there. She won’t be sleeping at home every night, I won’t be making her breakfast before school anymore—” she let out a small, broken laugh “—even if it was just a pop tart and some folded-up bills.”
Peeta chuckled under his breath, but his chest felt heavy.
“You’re doing exactly what any mom who loves her daughter more than anything would do,” he said. “It’s normal. And you don’t need to apologize for that.”
She looked at him for the first time, her gray eyes rimmed red with tears.
“I just—I don’t think I was ready,” she confessed, her voice trembling. “I raised her for this, to be strong and independent, but no one prepared me for when she wouldn’t need me the same way anymore.”
Peeta exhaled slowly. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn’t know how. Should he touch her shoulder, her arm, her hand? Every option felt too risky, like any wrong move could undo all the fragile rebuilding they’d managed after everything. Still, watching her break like that — he couldn’t just sit there and do nothing.
“She’s always going to need you,” he said softly. “Just… in different ways.”
Katniss lowered her gaze, swallowing hard, then nodded silently.
Peeta took a deep breath. Then he unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned toward her, wrapping an arm gently around her shoulders. Katniss didn’t resist—she let herself sink into him, her body curling against his chest. The moment her head rested over his heart, she started crying again.
Peeta closed his eyes and held her tighter, his thumb tracing slow circles along her arm while his other hand rested firmly against her back. He didn’t say a word, but he knew. He was going to be there, for as long as she needed him. Without thinking, he lowered his head and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her hair, breathing in the familiar scent of lavender. God, he loved her so much.
When Katniss finally pulled back, their faces stayed just inches apart. Peeta lost himself for a second in her gray eyes — now red and teary, yet still so beautiful. He swallowed hard, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he tried to ease the tension.
“I just realized you weren’t wearing your seatbelt,” he said quietly.
Katniss let out a tearful laugh, lowering her gaze.
“Oops,” she murmured, sliding back into her seat.
She buckled up this time, and Peeta turned back toward the wheel, starting the truck again. A few minutes passed in silence before Katniss looked over at him.
“Thank you, Peeta,” she said softly. “For this—for always being there for us, for everything.”
Peeta didn’t answer. He only tightened his grip on the steering wheel and swallowed hard. Because what he really wanted to say was, I want to be there for you, for the both of you, for the rest of my life. But he didn’t. It wasn’t his place.
So instead, he just smiled faintly and gave her a quick glance before turning his eyes back to the road.
Katniss was at the inn, taking notes and double-checking the final details. She paced back and forth with her notebook in hand, marking suppliers, confirming that every delivery had arrived, making sure all the lightbulbs worked. The place was still a mess, but almost ready. Just one more week until the official opening, but the inauguration party was tomorrow, and it had her completely on edge — especially now that Madge couldn’t help. She had her own chaos to deal with: in less than twenty-four hours, she and Rye would be getting married.
Since Katniss was one of the bridesmaids and Peeta was the best man, they’d decided to go together to the wedding, as friends. Of course, they’d always been friends, right? Despite everything that had happened, somehow they’d managed to rebuild themselves, to reach a point where things felt steady again.
They had dinner together, went to town fairs, took long walks through the streets, spend the holidays together. He helped her with everything related to the Inn, sometimes their arms brushed, their shoulders bumped while joking around, the kind of brief contact both could handle. It felt almost like before — the only things they still avoided were spending too much time alone at each other’s houses, drinking alone, and definitely watching movies. Katniss didn’t know how to do any of that without remembering that night — the one they never spoke of again, both keeping it buried deep.
When Peeta had asked if she was sure it wouldn’t cause problems for her if they went to the wedding together, Katniss had gone blank for a moment. Why would it? With who? she’d thought. She’d only shrugged and told him everything was fine.
Besides, if anyone got into trouble, it would probably be him. Even if he hadn’t told her straight to her face, Katniss knew Peeta was seeing other women now. Small towns didn’t keep secrets. And no matter how hard she tried to push the thought away, she couldn’t help it — she envied them. She envied every woman who got to kiss Peeta, to feel his hands, to hear his laugh up close. She envied the ones who got to touch him, to be held by him, to feel what she had once felt during that almost perfect night. The thought of someone else moaning his name with the same urgency she once had made her blood boil. But what could she do?
They were just friends.
The next day, Peeta arrived an hour before the party. Katniss opened the door already dressed, wearing a deep red-colored dress that fit her perfectly, her hair loose in soft waves and just a light touch of makeup. She smiled nervously when she saw him standing there on her porch, his blond curls combed back, wearing a dark blue suit that somehow made him look taller and utterly impossible to resist.
When she stepped closer to greet him, Peeta leaned in and brushed a kiss against her cheek. Katniss caught his scent, that familiar, warm, masculine one that made her knees weak. As she pulled back slightly, she felt her insides grow warm.
“You look—” he paused, swallowing before smiling softly “—beautiful. You are beautiful.”
Katniss lowered her gaze, trying to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks.
“Thanks,” she said quietly.
Peeta rounded the car and opened the passenger door for her. Katniss climbed in with a smile she tried to control but couldn’t. He shut the door gently and walked around to the driver’s side. They headed toward the church, Katniss ready to see her friend get married… while trying to ignore the whirlwind of feelings twisting inside her every time she looked at him.
Three hours later, Madge and Rye were officially husband and wife. The ceremony had been touching, filled with all their friends from Stars Hollow, many of them crying discreetly, or not so, in Effie’s —from the town council— case. Madge had looked breathtaking walking down the aisle in her white elegant gown.
Now, at her parents’ garden, the reception was the kind of party would be remembered for years. Lanterns hung between the trees, intertwined with garlands of flowers and dried leaves. Small pumpkins and blooms in shades of orange and brown decorated the tables. Since it was mid-October, Madge had chosen an autumn-themed wedding. There was a long table full of appetizers she’d made herself, and a live band filled the cool evening air with cheerful music. Peeta and Rye had handled all the desserts — including the three-tier wedding cake, ivory-colored and adorned with orange and brown flowers.
Katniss felt a twinge of sadness that Sophie couldn’t make it, but her daughter had to study for if she wanted to attend the Inn’s opening the next day.
After hours of helping with coordination and serving, Katniss finally collapsed into one of the round tables near the dance floor. She slipped off her heels under the table and rubbed her aching ankles, letting out a long sigh. A few minutes later, Peeta appeared with two glasses of something she didn’t recognize. He handed her one before sitting beside her.
“Thanks,” Katniss said, taking a sip and wrinkling her nose slightly at the taste. Whiskey and soda.
“Finally sitting down,” Peeta teased, taking a sip of his own drink.
Katniss let out a soft laugh.
“These heels are killing me, even if it doesn’t seem like it,” she said, slipping on the pair of slippers Madge had given as souvenirs.
After a few moments sitting quietly, Katniss noticed Peeta’s distant expression.
“Hey,” she said gently, leaning a little closer and resting her hand on his arm, “you okay?”
Peeta blinked, like he’d just come out of a trance, then nodded with a faint smile.
“Yeah, yeah… just a little sad. But not in a bad way,” he added quickly, “just—look at them.”
He nodded toward the garden, where Madge and Rye were smearing cupcakes on each other’s faces, laughing, very much in love. Katniss followed his gaze and smiled too, though there was a slight ache in her chest.
“I never thought Rye would settle down,” Peeta said with a small laugh, “and now here I am, at his wedding,” he let out a sight. “I never thought I’d say this, but—that’s all I really want. Someone who loves me like Madge loves him and he loves Madge.”
Katniss’s heart tightened.
She could tell him that she loved him like that — maybe even more than Madge and Rye loved each other. That she had loved him that way for years, that no one had ever made her feel so safe, so seen, so completely understood. But she wouldn’t say it. She was certain Peeta didn’t feel the same, and as much as it broke her, she knew that someday soon he’d find someone who truly loved him. Someone better for him.
But Katniss, being emotionally evasive as always, only looked down to hide the expression on her face. When she finally lifted her eyes again, Peeta cleared his throat and smiled, a little awkwardly.
“Uh… want to grab more food? Yours is probably cold by now, and the weather’s not helping,” he said.
Even though Katniss couldn’t bring herself to answer his earlier words, even though she knew they could never be anything, she wanted to feel him close just one more time before he eventually settled down with one of those women he’d been seeing lately. She couldn’t kiss him, couldn’t touch him the way she wanted to —that had been a mistake, she knew it now— but maybe… maybe she could still have him near, just for a little moment.
“How about we… dance instead?” she asked softly.
Peeta raised an eyebrow, but didn’t argue. He stood and extended his hand toward her with a gentle smile.
Katniss took it and together they walked to the dance floor. A soft piano melody filled the garden. Once near the center, Katniss looped her arms around his neck. Peeta hesitated for a moment before resting his hands lightly on her waist. The moment his touch met her skin through the thin fabric, a shiver ran through her.
They began to sway, slow and a little clumsy at first, but perfectly in sync. The rest of the world blurred away. Katniss felt her heart climbing to her throat; she couldn’t stop looking into his eyes — so blue, so intense she almost thought she could see her reflection in them. She felt foolish for staring, and even more for wanting to kiss him so badly. Closing her eyes, she rested her head against his chest to escape his gaze, Peeta didn’t move away. They danced through that song, and then the next one, and another, and another. Katniss forgot her aching feet, forgot the world. There was only him, and her, there together.
When the music finally faded, they slowly pulled apart. Katniss looked up, meeting his eyes again. Peeta opened his mouth as if to say something, but shut it right away. Her chest tightened, her breath shallow from having him so close — his scent, his warmth, his hands still lingering at her waist.
Her eyes drifted down to his lips, red from the cold, and at that exact moment, Peeta wet them with his tongue. Katniss leaned in slightly, just enough for their noses to brush. What if…?
But she caught herself, forcing reality back into her lungs, and stepped away quickly.
“I have to go,” she said, not meeting his eyes.
“Let me drive you,” Peeta offered, but she shook her head, already stepping back. Each step widened the space between them until she disappeared into the crowd, leaving her heart pounding wildly in her chest.
When Katniss got home after walking for a while, she leaned against the door, breathing deeply. She was on the edge — seconds away from breaking down, from crying, and she didn’t want to, but she couldn’t hold it in anymore. The knot in her throat burned. Just as she was about to slide down to the floor, she heard footsteps and looked up sharply.
Sophie stood there in her pajamas, frowning, holding a book in her hands.
“Mom? Are you okay?” she asked, taking a few steps toward her.
Katniss straightened immediately, trying to compose herself, swallowing down the tears.
“Yeah,” she answered quickly. “What are you doing here? I thought—you weren’t supposed to get back until tomorrow.”
Before Sophie could answer, Katniss headed straight for the kitchen, poured herself a glass of water, and sat down at the table. Sophie followed, still eyeing her suspiciously and sat across from her, setting her book aside.
“I decided to come home early,” Sophie said. “I missed being here, so I figured I’d study at home instead.”
Katniss drank nearly the whole glass in one go, her daughter watching silently.
“Mom, you’re clearly not okay,” Sophie said, scowling even deeper—looking more and more like her mother. “You look like you’re—about to cry. What’s going on?”
Katniss stayed silent, staring at the table, but finally spoke.
“Peeta…” She instantly regretted saying his name. She didn’t feel right dumping her love life —if it could even be called that— on her daughter. But she couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Things with Peeta haven’t been right lately. I just… I don’t know, I think—”
“You’re in love with him?” Sophie cut in, grinning like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Katniss froze, blushing furiously.
“What? No. Of course not,” she said, way too fast.
Sophie rolled her eyes, the kind of dramatic, teenage disbelief that only she could pull off.
“Mom, please.”
Now Katniss frowned, but Sophie just tucked one leg onto her chair and went on.
“It’s so obvious. Not always, but at least since I’ve been old enough to understand relationships, yeah. It’s pretty obvious.”
Katniss’s eyes widened, her hand flying to her chest.
“What? No, it’s not,” she insisted, but her voice lacked conviction this time.
Sophie laughed, shaking her head.
“Mom, everyone thinks so. You have no idea how you look when you see him—or how your whole face changes when he calls. Or that time at graduation? You love him. Anyone paying attention could tell.”
Katniss lowered her gaze, her heart pounding so hard it almost hurt. She didn’t know what to say—what could she possibly say? Sophie reached out and placed her hand gently over her mother’s.
“And if it makes you feel any better… he does too.”
Katniss looked up sharply, scowling at her daughter, but Sophie only pressed her lips together before continuing.
“Peeta clearly loves you too. Why do you think none of his relationships have worked out in the last twelve years? Why do you think he’s never settled down with anyone, like Delly? Why do you think yours haven’t worked either?” She gave a soft laugh. “I mean, I don’t know much about your private life, and honestly, I don’t want to, but I can tell you this—no man has ever loved you the way Peeta has, all these years.”
Katniss swallowed hard and closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the weight of every time she’d tried to deny it — even to herself.
“It’s complicated, Soph,” she finally murmured. “It’s not that simple.”
Sophie smiled gently, her tone soft but certain.
“I know. But sometimes the right thing isn’t simple. Just think about it, okay?”
Katniss held one end of the red ribbon in front of the Forest Inn while Madge held the other. A countdown began among the gathered crowd, and when they finally cut it, applause filled the air.
“We did it!” Madge exclaimed with a radiant smile, throwing her arms around Katniss in a hug.
The place was everything Katniss had dreamed of for years.
The lobby wasn’t that big but it was warm and welcoming. A wooden wall stretched behind the reception desk, decorated with fresh flowers, and the room was filled with vintage lamps they’d found in antique shops all over the nearby areas. Sofas of every size, a bookshelf stacked with all kinds of books for guests to borrow, and like the lamps, candles scattered everywhere filling the air with a soft scent.
The restaurant tables were decorated with glass vases and napkins folded into different shapes — Sophie’s idea, of course, reminding Katniss of all the times her daughter had folded napkins at Mellark’s when she was little. The chairs didn’t match but were carefully chosen to give the place a cozy, lived-in charm. At the back was the kitchen, where Madge was currently losing her mind trying to finish the appetizers for the night. Between the three of them —Madge, Katniss, and Sophie— they’d be serving the guests themselves until the official staff started the following week.
Even Haymitch came, and sat at a table by the window so he could sneak a cigarette now and then, no matter how many times Katniss told him to step outside. Sophie walked around offering trays of food, Lily chatted happily with some friends, and even Gale was there — sitting with Effie and a few of the townsfolk.
Of course, Katniss didn’t invite him, Sophie did. It had been more than six months since she last saw his father, and as much as Katniss despised the man, Sophie still wanted to maintain some sort of relationship with her father and Katniss couldn’t deny her that. She didn’t understand it, though. Gale had barely been around lately, not since he started seeing someone.
And then there was Peeta.
When he walked in, Katniss froze for a bit. He wore a rolled-up white shirt that hugged his forearms just right, holding a cake box in one hand —made by him, obviously— and on top of it, a bouquet of flowers. He smiled at her as he approached, and she felt like her entire insides were melting. Peeta, however, acted as if nothing had happened the night before, as if they hadn’t been standing in the middle of the dance floor, about to kiss.
He set the cake and flowers on one of the tables, then pulled her into a quick hug before she could even react, congratulated her, and joined Rye for a drink. Katniss thanked him, pretending to stay calm, and after that, she did everything she could to ignore him, at least until the right moment.
Because this time, she wasn’t going to let him slip away. Not yet. This time, she was going to tell him everything. What she felt for him now, what she had truly felt that night, and what she’d been feeling for the last twelve years.
It was just a moment. It was, right? That’s what Peeta kept telling himself. The truth was, Katniss confused him more than anyone ever could — but one thing he was sure of, was that they had almost kissed.
He sat at one of the tables near the fireplace, where he could see most of the room without being in the center of it. But what he couldn’t stop himself from doing was watching her. Katniss looked… radiant. He could tell she was nervous, he knew her too well, but she also looked happy. And that alone made his chest tighten.
He had promised himself to keep his distance and act as if last night hadn’t happened. After all, the last time he’d distanced himself from her, after they’d slept together, it had nearly destroyed him. Being away from her wasn’t an option anymore. He couldn’t, not after all these years. Not after everything they’d been through. He couldn’t imagine a life without Katniss, or without Sophie.
So he’d done what he could: smiled, handed her the cake, gave her the flowers, congratulated her… and quietly stepped back.
Sophie had arrived soon after to his table, hugging him like always. She filled him in on everything: her new classes, how she’d joined the college newspaper, the stress of exams, her relationship with Sam, how much she missed Stars Hollow. She was growing into such a strong, bright young woman —even more— and he was so proud of her, proud in a way that made his heart ache, as if she were truly his daughter.
When Sophie went off to help in the kitchen, Peeta found himself alone again. He turned his attention to his phone until it died, then lifted his head to look for Rye and ask for a charger — that’s when he spotted Gale.
He rolled his eyes and tried to ignore him. He hates the man. Always had.
Peeta forced himself to keep his composure — what else could he do? Of course Gale would be here; he was Katniss’s partner, Sophie’s father, part of the family she’d built long before him. Still, it ached. Every time he saw him, that old, bitter jealousy twisted in his chest. He hated knowing Gale had a part of Katniss that he would never have. He hated that she had a child with him. Hated even looking at him. Hated imagining him touching her. Hated knowing he could never truly compete with him.
Peeta inhaled deeply, then exhaled, and fiddled with the edge of a napkin to calm himself. After a few moments, he stood up. He walked to the Inn’s main door, pushed it open, and stepped out onto the front garde , where the cold autumn air greeted him like a slap.
The sky was clear despite the cold, and the string lights wrapped around the trees shimmered softly in the dark. He spotted one of the benches under a tree and started toward it. He just needed a minute. To breathe, to clear his head, to get away before Katniss walks up and kisses Gale or something equally unbearable.
He was just about to sit down when a voice called from behind him.
“Peeta!”
He turned, scowling.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
Katniss jogged toward him, leaning forward with her hands on her thighs, trying to catch her breath.
“Oh God, I need to start working out again,” she said between laughs, “I can’t run twenty meters without feeling I might die.”
Peeta raised his eyebrows, but his expression softened when she finally straightened up and he met her gray eyes.
“Don’t go, Peeta,” Katniss said.
“I wasn’t?” he replied, his tone sharper than intended.
Katniss pressed her lips together.
“Oh, I just—um, you looked upset earlier, and… when you left, you slammed the door.”
Peeta blinked; he hadn’t even realized he’d done that.
“So I thought you were leaving,” she continued. “I was going to come after you, but Gale started talking to me—”
Peeta rolled his eyes hard, letting out a loud, frustrated sigh. He turned away from her and braced a hand against the nearest tree, his jaw tight.
“Peeta?” she asked softly.
“What?” he snapped.
Katniss’s eyes widened. He never raised his voice at her.
“I’m sorry, Katniss,” he said quickly, his voice breaking a little. “I—I don’t even know why the hell I’m so pissed. I just—I’m pissed that he’s here.”
Katniss opened her mouth, but he didn’t give her the chance to respond.
“I try not to be,” he went on, voice low but shaking. “God, I try. But it’s so fucking hard.” He exhaled roughly, then added, “And I’m sorry… for last night.”
“For… what exactly?” she asked carefully.
Peeta let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head.
“For almost kissing you.”
Her expression shifted, something flickering behind her eyes that he couldn’t quite read.
“You don’t have to be sorry for that,” she said quietly.
“Yes, I do!” he shot back—too loud, then softer, but just as raw. “You’re with him!”
This time, Katniss scowled, her chest rising and falling faster.
“Believe me, I’ve been trying so fucking hard not to care,” Peeta continued, his voice trembling between anger and heartbreak. “Not to care about you, not to love you—but fuck, Katniss, you make it impossible!”
Her eyes glistened, blinking rapidly. She pressed a hand against her chest.
“You—love me?” she whispered.
Peeta let out a broken laugh, almost disbelieving.
“You didn’t know? Please.” He dropped his gaze to the ground, shaking his head. “I probably loved you from the start. What else was I supposed to do? I thought it was obvious. You’re supposed to let your actions speak, right? That’s what I did!”
“You’re supposed to speak yourself!” Katniss yelled, her voice cracking.
“And why is that?” Peeta shouted back. “I did everything right! I tried to keep myself apart, not get involved in your life, or Sophie’s. I didn’t want to take a place that wasn’t mine, no matter how much I wanted to! I never wanted to replace her father—I just wanted to be there, to be with you two, to be your family!”
Peeta lowered his gaze, his voice breaking.
“Every time I thought I had finally gotten over you, you sneaked your way back into me again. Like a disease, all the fucking time. All I did was to think about you.”
He lifted his head, meeting Katniss’s stunned expression, but he couldn’t stop.
“When we—when we had sex, I was a fucking goner. I’ve been a goner since the first moment I saw you smile. I needed you so bad and… it seemed like you needed me too. ‘Things are going to be different from now on,’ I thought. But then Gale showed up—”
“Oh my God. Shut the fuck up, Peeta!” Katniss shouted, and now Peeta was the one in shock. “My fight with Gale was always about my daughter, not about me! I haven’t kissed him probably since we—made Sophie, and ugh! I’ve never cared about him, not truly! We’re not together, we never were! So can you please stop mentioning my ex? He’s here because Sophie invited him, and I’m not going to fight with my daughter because she wants to spend time with her stupid father, no matter how much I dislike him!”
Peeta felt as if he’d been trampled by a hundred stampedes, drowned, thrown off a bridge, and then hit by a train.
“All this time, I thought you didn’t feel the same way I did,” Katniss continued, lowering her gaze. “Just like you thought it was obvious that I knew you loved me, I thought it was obvious that you knew there was nothing between Gale and me after Sophie. I always thought it was just an excuse not to be with me.”
Katniss took a step toward him, and Peeta instinctively took one back, confused.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
Katniss let out a dry, frustrated laugh.
“I’m going to kiss you, you idiot!” she shouted.
She didn’t wait any longer. She closed the distance, her hands cupping Peeta’s face, pulling him toward her. With years of bottled-up anger, of missed chances, of words left unsaid.
It wasn’t a rushed kiss this time nor impulsive. Katniss’s lips met his with a patience that clashed the strength she’d used to pull him close. Peeta froze for only a heartbeat before his hands found her waist, holding her firmly — he would never let her go again. There was no past anymore, only them, beneath the warm glow of the lights strung through the trees and the chill autumn evening.
When they finally pulled apart, they didn’t move far. Their breaths mingled in the small space between them, their foreheads resting together. Peeta kept his eyes closed; Katniss looked at him, her eyes shining, a soft smile trembling on her lips.
“I’m so sorry,” Peeta whispered. “For everything… I love you. I’ve always known, since the first moment you walked into the diner—” the words started to fade from his head, too full of feeling to continue. Katniss smiled, and Peeta opened his eyes at last. They had never seen each other so vulnerable. “I love you. I love Sophie, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“I love you too, Peeta.”
He didn’t need anything else. He kissed her again — this time with certainty. His hand slipped down her back, pulling her fully against him. The kiss was deeper and hungrier but full of relief and years of love compressed into one moment.
It only took them twelve years to get to this moment, but it was worth it. They won’t have to wait any longer.
A/N: What if the Hunger Games had ended during the 10th Hunger Games? Volumnia Gaul was killed by one of her creations, and Coriolanus Snow lived out his days in obscurity. In District 12, Haymitch Abernathy would have married Lenor Dove. The Covey would continue their musical shows, and life in District 12 became better. Gale certainly thinks so. He is handsome, and he can have any woman in the district, that is, until he drinks some Dandelion Brew and his entire world is turned upside down.
Special thanks to my beta, Norbertsmom, who is a wiz!
Rated G
KPKPKP
Gale was having a dry spell.
Ever since this past spring, Gale has had a dry spell. Well, it was because of Maysilee Donner, the matron who ran the town’s sweet shop. He’d been fooling around with her precious niece Madge Undersee. Madge wasn’t the first Merchant girl he flirted with. They were all the same, pretty and vapid. Madge was sweet, but her friend Mayfair Fouler was a vile, petty girl.
Gale knew enough not to tangle with the Fouler girl. She was as wretched as her namesake. Mayfair Lipp, whom to this day, people thought was evil. Mayfair flirted with Gale, but he didn’t return the favor. Instead, he began seeing Madge quietly. Mayfair caught him sneaking out of the Mayor’s house one afternoon and blackmailed him to date her also.
Madge found out about them. When Gale had gone to the sweetshop to get some mints, Madge told her aunt, and Maysilee threw Gale out of her sweetshop. She called him a no-good, lying, son of a dung peddler while swinging her broomstick. However, he never put the blame on Mayfair. His revenge came when he dumped her in the middle of the Hob.
Ever since then, he hadn’t been interested in any women. Sure, he’d kissed a few, but no one caught his fancy. And it was a shame. Gale loved chasing women. He never faltered or stammered, like other guys, when he spoke to women. Thom, from his mining crew, was a clutz, always saying or doing the wrong thing around women. Thom was a good guy, but he had never been able to catch any girl’s attention. Gale, on the other hand, was smooth and practiced. He knew what to say to women to entice them. He usually knew what to say to get out of trouble when he dated more than one at a time.
A/N: What if the Hunger Games had ended during the 10th Hunger Games, Volumnia Gaul was killed by one of her creations, and Coriolanus Snow lived out his days in obscurity?
In District 12, Haymitch Abernathy would have married Lenore Dove. The Covey would continue their musical shows, and life in District 12 would have been better, except for Peeta, who is madly in love with a certain popular huntress named Katniss. There are rumors swirling that Gale Hawthorne is going to take Katniss to the Harvest Festival. Will Peeta have the courage to ask Katniss before it’s too late?
**KPKPKP**
The train station was busy as merchants lined up to pick up their parcels shipped from all over the Districts. The three Mellark brothers – Martin, the eldest, middle child Harry, and Peeta, the youngest – were busily loading their truck with goods for the bakery. It was a warm day, despite being in the middle of fall.
“So, you gonna do it?” Harry asked Peeta as he roughly threw him a sack of flour. “You gonna ask her to the dance?”
Peeta takes a deep breath of the crisp autumn air. The first full breath he’s taken since they’d shimmied under the fence past the District 12 border.
‘The apples are ripe if you’re brave enough to follow,’ Gale had told him with a glint in his eye. Peeta had worn the older boy down into something like friendship, but with two older brothers, he’d known a dare when he heard it, and since he’d just turned twelve last week— practically a man, he’d risen to the challenge.
It didn’t mean he still wasn’t terrified. While each step took him further from the dangers of being caught by Peacekeepers (or his mother), it introduced new risks like wild predators.
“Up ahead,” his companion gestures, and Peeta is relieved to see that the spot will still be in view of the meadow and safety.
They walk to the closest tree when Gale looks up, his eye catching on the subtlest of movements. “Hey Catnip.”
Peeta squints up into the sun-dappled branches; his breath hitching at the sight of a slip of a girl, impossibly high, sprawled out on a branch like she lives there. Two braids, a red plaid dress, bare feet, munching on an apple.
“You allowed out here alone? ’Cause I’m sure not.” Gale hollers up with a grin. This is news to Peeta, who’d listened with rapt attention to his friend’s tales of the forest.
“Well, I didn’t see you,” she says.
“Me you either. Hey, toss us down some, would you?”
In answer, the girl stands up on her branch and begins to bounce up and down, showering them with apples.
“Hang on, I’ll grab a sack,” Gale says. “Peet, you know Catnip? My cousin, and a real pain besides,” he adds, tilting his head to direct his voice towards the girl in the tree rather than him.
A stray apple falls, headed right for Gale’s head, but he catches it easily, laughing and lifting the fruit in salute before taking a bite. “Thanks for the snack!” he says as he strides away to retrieve the bag— quickly, Peeta hopes.
Meanwhile, the girl scoots down the branches, swinging to the ground. Peeta didn’t know that Gale had any cousins, but kin is defined differently in the Seam. He wouldn’t pretend to understand.
He’s seen her around at school, but doesn’t know her to speak to, and she doesn’t seem in a rush to change that either, her keen gray eyes looking him over until he breaks the silence with the first thing he can think to say. “Catnip? Like the plant?”
She scowls, “No. It’s Katniss.”
“Oh,” he says, frowning. He’s offended her. Of course he has. No one wants to be likened to a plant—a flower, maybe, but not a weed. He searches for something to say in return. Katniss is not a typical name in District 12– or anywhere as far as he knows—
“It’s a plant,” she adds.
“Oh?” Good thing that cleared up about nothing. He casts his eyes around for another topic: something—anything. “Are those Mockingjays?” he says and winces. Of course they were, even babies knew that. He’s seen plenty in his life, can even draw them from memory if he wanted to, but never so many, and never so close.
A whole family—no flock, roosting in the apple trees surrounding them. The more he looks, the more he sees.
“Yeah,” she says, eyeing him with amusement. He flushes (how embarrassing!), but it doesn’t seem to deter the girl. “Wanna hear something?” She doesn’t wait for his response before beginning to sing.
He knows the tune— it’s just the Valley Song, though as he listens, he knows he’ll never think of it or her as ‘just’ anything ever again.
Her voice is beautiful. High and clear and so filled with life it makes him want to laugh and cry at the same time.
His head is spinning. Who is this girl and what has she done to him? Or maybe the air beyond the fence is thinner.
Peeta has always known what to say and how to say it, even to girls— especially to girls— he’s used this charm to kiss a few even, just to see what all the fuss was about. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, those quick presses of lips in the bakery alley. But now, as his head swims, he has the fleeting urge to give it another go— with this girl— this Katniss—not the plant, who at this moment was least likely to welcome such a thing.
Her song ends far too soon and the forest goes still.
His heart could stop, the world around them could evaporate or explode, but in this moment, he can register nothing but her.
Then the mockingjays begin to sing.
He knows they sang for other birds, but he’s never heard them sing for a person before and as he watches Katniss beam up at them, he realizes, this, not her, was what she had wanted him to witness.
But he couldn’t care less about the Mockingjays right now; he’s a goner for her.
We've come to the end of another amazing edition of @district12flufffest.
The Harvest Festival Edition was simply divine. All of this round's authors deserve a big round of applause and lots of love for their incredible efforts to bring fluffy fall goodness to our feeds.
For the next few days, this blog will continue to reblog the works in an effort to send their gorgeous efforts far and wide, and please, please do the same. Caring is sharing, after all.
Next week, a single post with all of the fics will be pinned to the blog for easy access.
Prompt: Katniss and Peeta have a scary movie night.
—
“I still can’t believe you own this many DVDs,” Katniss chuckled as she glanced over the contents of Peeta’s overflowing collection.
“I’m just your typical sucker for 90s nostalgia. It’s really nothing new.”
“90s nostalgia, is it, now? Nostalgia for scratches and movie skips?” She teased.
“Don’t act so superior. Surely you remember the unbridled joy of the hot-breath technique actually working on your favorite movie disc,” Peeta smiled as he lined his head up with hers to follow her gaze.
“Nothing a little heavy breathing and rubbing couldn’t fix,” Katniss agreed.
Peeta bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing as he peaked at her from the corner of his eye to see her expression. Of course she didn’t notice her own innuendo – Katniss was always so pure. For Peeta, though, she was perfect.
Katniss caught Peeta’s eye since he first noticed her in their Intro to Chemistry course, where by some stroke of luck, Dr. Snow paired them as lab partners. Their evil professor was a historically harsh critic. While Katniss was initially standoffish, they quickly realized their differing approaches to the lab practicals were exactly what was needed to succeed. Of the twenty-four students in their lab section, they were the only two to pass.
In that time, Peeta was lucky to catch glimpses of Katniss’s personality. Her love for her family, her steadfastness, her songlike laugh. So, when she gave him the opportunity to enmesh himself with her friends and life, he took it. Knowing good and well it would be better to be stuck in the ‘friendzone’ forever than to be without her in his life.
“Say,” Katniss began, pulling Peeta from his endless reverie of her, “you don’t have any plans tonight, do you?”
“Not anything I couldn’t blow off for you,” he admitted, hoping it came off more sarcastic than desperate.
Katniss smirked at him. “Well, if you’re busy–”
“I’m not.” Definitely desperate.
“It’s almost Halloween, and you have quite the selection of movies here. Perhaps we watch a scary one?”
It was Peeta’s turn to smirk now. “Katniss Everdeen is willing to watch a scary movie? Since when?”
“I just don’t like them in the movie theater. I think I’ll survive in the comfort of your dorm room that’s adorned with FunkoPops and cookbooks.”
Oh. Peeta hadn’t thought about that. How it would just be the two of them. How they’d be spending an extended period of time alone together. In private. In his bedroom. Where the only place for them to sit is his bed.
“Then take your pick,” Peeta answered, an almost imperceptible edge to his voice.
Katniss picked a movie and settled into Peeta’s bed as he fired up the DVD player.
“Don’t forget to turn off the lights and set the mood,” Katniss added from the bed. This time, Peeta damned her purity. Now, when he knows he’ll need to use all of his energy to focus on the movie and not on her, he has been forced to think only impure thoughts.
Once set up, Katniss and Peeta sat on his bed with their backs against the wall, feet dangling off the bed, legs almost touching but only just so, mentally justified by the small size of Peeta’s TV.
The movie started off slow, doing nothing in the name of helping Peeta keep his attention off of Katniss. The glow of the TV reflecting off her grey eyes was picturesque. A masterpiece before his very eyes. The profile of her pouting lips, and the… wincing?
“Katniss?” Peeta asked, allowing himself to fully turn and look at her. She was cowering, with half her face tucked back into her sweatshirt. Peeta chanced a finger near the collar of her sweatshirt, pulling it down just enough to expose the rest of her face. “You okay?”
“I don’t like gory stuff,” Katniss replied. When a bloody horror scene flashed back on the screen, Katniss tucked her face in the nearest crook, Peeta’s arm.
Instinctively, he put his hand behind her head, holding her there. Protecting her from what was causing her fear.
And slowly, they got more comfortable. Her head moved to his chest. Her thigh fully met his. And when Katniss complained of a “neck ache,” she slowly slid their bodies to a laying down position as they watched the movie.
Peeta knew this must mean something. He’d gone on dates before. He’d seen the movies. Two people never got this close without drawing closer. But this unofficial scary-movie-turned-cuddle-session hangout felt far more important than anything he’d had before. All because it was with her. He felt like a chicken – unable to take a shot at getting what he wanted out of fear of losing what he already had.
He forced himself to keep his eyes on the movie, not trusting himself to chance a look at her. He increased his grip on Katniss when there was a particularly graphic scene or simply when he felt her burrow her head onto him more.
“You still doing okay?” Peeta asked as the movie ended, peering down at Katniss. She looked up at him and nodded, a small smile gracing her lips.
“I’m okay. Better because you were here to protect me,” she replied. Peeta felt his cheeks turn bright red. If he were really brave, he’d be able to tell her how he felt.
“You might actually feel better if I just went and turned on the light,” Peeta joked.
“No,” Katniss said sternly, gripping the arm of his shirt. Her eyes still shone in the light of the TV when she looked at him fiercely. “Stay with me?”
Peeta took a good look at her face. Not only did she want to spend time with him, but she wanted to spend time with him like this. Alone. Laying with him in his bed. Even after their expected activities had finished. Maybe she wanted it for the same reasons as him. A quick glance of her eyes to his lips confirmed his suspicion.
Instinct, not thought, brought Peeta’s lips to hers, and she willingly accepted his kiss. No words were needed to express how he was feeling. Thankfully, Peeta didn’t have to force himself to focus on this like he did the movie. He would attend to this for the rest of his life.
Katniss finally pulled away, smiling through the stray tendrils of braid framing her face. Peeta tucked one behind her ear, giving him a better view of her. “Always,” he responded, before ducking for her lips again.
The first time Peeta Mellark saw her was on a snowy night, a little over ten years ago. Rebellious hair tucked under a faded red hat, a scarf covering her face except for a pair of bright gray eyes, a huge coat, and a small girl in her arms. When she approached the counter, the mysterious young woman set the little one down on a stool and looked straight at him.
“Hi,” she said, pulling the scarf down from her face to her shoulders. She gave him a wide smile, and he felt his heart leap out of his chest. “Are you still open?”
Peeta was too stunned to speak. He had always considered himself a man of words, always found something to say at the right moment, could strike up a conversation with anyone who came near him, always managed to make everything sound natural and precise — but in that instant, words flew not only from his mouth, but from his brain entirely. He couldn’t form a single thought, nor could he stop staring at her face. Her olive skin, slightly flushed from the cold, her hair so dark yet shining like her eyes. He was dazed; he didn’t think he had ever seen anyone so beautiful.
“Uh, yes—no! We close at eleven,” he said, mentally hitting every part of himself.
Her smile faded, but not completely. Even as small as it was in that moment, it could have lit up entire cities lost in darkness.
“Oh! That’s a bummer,” she said with a small pout that he found utterly adorable. “We just moved in—literally,” she added, “the house keys were handed to us ten minutes ago. We haven’t eaten anything, this was the only place I saw with the lights on so I thought it was still open.”
Peeta looked down at the little girl on the counter. Her head rested on her folded arms, tracing small circles with her fingers on the surface. She looked just like the woman standing in front of him, only smaller. Her little sister, he thought.
“I can—uh, I can make you something,” he said, slipping on his apron. “I think I’ve got enough fries and a couple of burgers left. Would that be okay?”
The gray eyes before him brightened even more —if that was possible— and Peeta felt something warm bloom inside him. It was all the motivation he needed to cook a thousand burgers if she asked; he didn’t care if it meant staying two extra hours cleaning, even with an early morning ahead.
“Oh, yes! Do you want a burger, Sophie?” the woman asked.
The little girl nodded, smiling the same smile.
“Can I offer you something to drink? Water?” Peeta asked.
“Do you have coffee?” she replied. “But not decaf.”
Peeta frowned slightly. “Coffee? It’s—” he glanced down at his watch “11:23. You won’t sleep at all if you have regular coffee.”
“Decaf coffee tastes completely different from regular coffee,” she added, still wearing that same smile as she sat down on the stool beside the little girl. “You work here at a diner, you should know that better than anyone.”
“Alright, whatever you say,” Peeta replied.
He turned around and focused on one of the coffee machines behind the counter, setting it up to start brewing. After a couple of minutes, he grabbed the pot and walked back toward them, feeling warmth spread through his chest — though he wasn’t sure if it came from the steaming coffee or from being near her. What was wrong with him?
He set the cup on the counter and poured the coffee, feeling her gaze on his face. Peeta tried his hardest not to blush. It would be ridiculous to do so; they had met barely twenty minutes ago. When he finished pouring, he was about to head into the kitchen when the little girl’s voice brought his attention back to them.
“My mom thinks she’ll die if she ever drinks decaf coffee,” she said.
Peeta frowned.
“You’re her… mother?” he asked the woman.
“Yes,” she said, blowing on her cup.
“But you’re like—”
“Twenty-three,” she interrupted.
“And I’m—” the little girl unfolded her arms to hold up seven fingers. “My name’s Sophie.”
Peeta was too stunned to speak, again. He only nodded before heading into the kitchen to make their food.
How could she have a seven-year-old daughter? he thought. That means she had her when she was… well, never mind. He shook his head and started preparing the burgers. But his thoughts kept spinning. He was twenty-three too, and still felt like a kid most of the time, barely capable of running the shop with his brother, let alone raising a child. How could someone so young have already lived so much?
Peeta decided it was best to stop overthinking and forced himself to focus on what he was doing. He sliced the buns, pressed the patties onto the grill, letting the hiss of the fryer keep him grounded. Because at this point, it wasn’t just the fact that they were the same age, or that she had a daughter. He had to stop thinking about her smile. And her voice. And her eyes. And how adorable she looked with that red scarf. God.
A couple of minutes later, with the burgers and fries ready, he plated everything as quickly as he could. He added a few pickle slices on the side, he wasn’t sure if they liked them, but he wanted them to have options. When he came out of the kitchen with both plates in hand, they were sitting next to each other on the tall stools at the counter. Sophie had her head resting on her mother’s arm, playing with paper napkins, folding them into different shapes and showing them to her mom, who was holding her coffee cup with both hands and smiling —not at him this time, obviously— but at her little girl.
“I hope you like it,” he said, placing the plates in front of them.
“Smells delicious,” she replied immediately. Her eyes lifted to meet his and Peeta felt a strange twist in his stomach. Surprising, since he had already eaten — but this was different, warm and dangerous all at once.
Sophie took a bite of her burger and let out a small sound of approval.
“This is way better than the sandwich you tried to make this morning,” she told her mother, mouth half full.
Her mother gave her a very particular look, one Peeta knew very well, because it was one he did all the time and everyone teased him for it. But on her, it looked different — softer and gentler.
“Sophie, manners.”
“Sorry, mommy,” she said quickly, swallowing and glancing at Peeta. “It’s really good, sir.”
Peeta chuckled softly. “Thanks. But don’t call me sir, that makes me feel old.”
“My mom’s old and you look the same age,” Sophie added before taking another bite.
Her mother chuckled, and Peeta couldn’t help laughing too.
“Kid, you’re very lucky I love you,” she said.
Peeta used the time to keep cleaning up the place. He flipped the chairs upside down on the tables, gathered all the salt shakers and condiments into their baskets and swept the floor while the two of them finished eating. When he was done, he went back behind the counter to start cleaning the machines, when that voice, that angelic voice, spoke again.
“Have you lived here long?” she asked suddenly. He turned around and their eyes met. Peeta started feeling nervous; it was such a simple question, but there was something about the way she asked it that unsettled him in the strangest ways. And he had just met her.
“My whole life, basically,” he said. “My parents owned a bakery here for years, but they moved away. When I graduated, my brother and I re-did it and turned it into this diner. I still bake the bread, but now I make other things too.”
“Do you like cooking?”
“I love it,” he answered without hesitation. “Always have. This town needed a place like this, so when we got the chance, we took it. We’ve had a lot of support from the people here. I really appreciate that.”
“Is that why you make them burgers even after closing time?” she asked, taking another sip from her coffee cup.
He couldn’t help but smile.
“Eh, you could say that.”
She just nodded, smiling back at him before turning to her daughter, who was chewing with a look of deep concentration. He watched the scene for a few moments and could see how much she loved her child just in the way she looked at her. Peeta’s smile softened a little, but didn’t fade.
“Thank you,” she said quietly. “Really.”
Peeta felt something warmer than the coffee rising through his chest.
“Don’t mention it.”
She blew lightly over her cup before taking another sip. Peeta could tell she was more at ease now, as if the meal and the coffee had lifted some invisible weight from her shoulders. The little girl had set her burger aside and returned her focus to the napkins, now trying to fold them into some kind of flower.
The mother asked for the check, Peeta nodded, moving toward the register. As he tallied up the total, he couldn’t help glancing at them from the corner of his eye. The way she held her daughter close, adjusted her hat, and wrapped her in her coat. There was something about her, that confident yet slightly tired voice, that soft smile, that overwhelming, fragile beauty… that made him want, absurdly, to offer her a blanket, a comfortable chair and a place where she wouldn’t have to worry about anything at all.
When he handed her the check, she pulled a couple of bills from her pocket and slid them across the counter. Then she took her daughter’s hand and together they headed for the door. But Peeta quickly noticed she’d left too much money.
“Hey, miss! You left extra cash.”
She nodded.
“It’s not necessary,” he said.
She raised an eyebrow, her lips curving sideways into a small smile.
“It’s a thank you, sir. We’ll see you around.”
Peeta felt his face heat up and tried not to smile more than he should.
“I didn’t catch your name!” he called out.
She adjusted her scarf the same way she had when she arrived, before covering her face again, he caught one last glimpse of her smile.
“Katniss.”
Peeta smiled.
“Peeta.”
“Yeah, I knew,” she said with a laugh. Peeta frowned, confused. “Your apron says Peeta.”
He felt stupid. No — stupid didn’t even cover it. What do you call it when your smile freezes on your face, your hands shake while serving coffee and you forget you’re literally wearing your own name on your chest? Something like that.
Sophie waved at him, still holding her napkin flower.
“Bye, coffee man.”
“See you later,” he said, unable to stop smiling.
Katniss.
Peeta had never heard a name so beautiful and unique.
It was time to start over.
That’s what Katniss kept telling herself again and again. She had left many things behind, some on purpose, others because she simply didn’t know what else to do. Sophie walked a few steps ahead of her, her backpack swinging side to side —she had offered to carry it, but the little girl refused— wearing a cap that didn’t match her coat, a pair of gloves too big for her hands and that endless energy children have before they learn what emotional exhaustion feels like. Katniss watched her daughter with a knot in her chest. It didn’t hurt, exactly, but didn’t loosen either. If there was one thing Katniss was sure of in this life, it was that everything she did, she did for Sophie.
Living with her aunt had been… practical. Not ideal, but practical. She was grateful, of course, they’d had a roof, food, help with Sophie. But she couldn’t keep living that way; she needed to find her own path, to be more independent. The Independence Inn had been a small salvation. The pay was low and the hours long, but for the first time in years, Katniss felt like she had something she could truly call her own thing. Besides, it would bring her closer to her real dream: opening her own inn someday.
“Bye, kid,” Katniss said, stopping in front of the school. “I’ll see you here in a couple of hours.”
“I can walk home by myself, you know?” Sophie said.
Katniss smiled and placed a quick kiss over the top of her daughter’s hat.
“Yeah… that’s not gonna happen.”
The little girl waved goodbye and headed toward the school. Watching her go, Katniss felt a pang of sadness. It had to be just as hard for Sophie — starting fresh in a new town, new school, new friends.
Katniss had an extra hour before work, so she decided to take a short walk around Stars Hollow to get to know the town a little better. There were more people out than she expected for such an early hour, also a lot of hand-painted signs, perfectly kept gardens, strings of lights hanging from the trees in the park, little bells on every door — everything looked like it had come straight out of an old movie. Even though Katniss had lived her entire life less than an hour away from Stars Hollow, she had never actually set foot in it. And now, it struck her as… peculiar, yeah, that’s the word.
She kept walking for a bit longer until, without realizing it, she found herself standing in front of the same place as the night before: Mellark’s Bakery & Café. From outside, she could already smell the coffee and pancakes, and it made her smile instantly. But she quickly pushed that smile away when she realized she wasn’t sure if it was the smell of breakfast that made her react — or the thought of the young man behind the counter.
She couldn’t allow herself anything with anyone. And yet, she couldn’t deny how much she’d liked him from the moment she saw him. She remembered his kind voice, his messy curls, the way he carried himself and that smile. So she decided to step inside to see if she’d run into him — and for coffee, of course.
She pushed the door open, and the little bell above the frame chimed softly. Katniss rolled her eyes as she stepped inside — apparently, having a bell was a requirement for every business in this town.
Inside, the place felt just as cozy as the night before, though this time there were people around. She spotted him immediately: tall frame, broad shoulders, messy blond hair. Smiling without even realizing it, she walked closer and without thinking twice, tapped him on the shoulder.
“Hi!” she said cheerfully.
The guy turned around… and it was not him.
Katniss froze for a second, feeling the warmth rush to her cheeks.
“Oh—I’m sorry, I thought you were—”
A small laugh cut her off.
“Peeta?” the stranger guessed with an amused grin. “That would be my brother. He’s right—” he turned toward the door leading to the kitchen, which swung open just then, “—there.”
Peeta stepped out wearing the same apron as the night before, holding two plates in his hands. When he saw her, he stopped for a moment, lips parting in surprise.
“Katniss,” he said, his voice touched with surprise. He set the plates down on a nearby table, then walked toward her and his brother, wiping his hands on his apron before running one through his curls. “It’s so good to see you again.”
Katniss smiled, feeling her face grow more warm. She adjusted her scarf, hoping the movement might hide the color in her cheeks.
“I had a bit of free time before work,” she said, trying to sound casual, “so I thought I’d stop by for some coffee. And maybe something to eat.”
Peeta was just about to reply when his brother’s teasing voice jumped in first.
“Where do you work?” he asked, leaning casually against the counter.
“At the Independence Inn,” Katniss answered with a polite smile. “Actually, today’s my first day.”
Peeta cleared his throat, shooting his brother a look that he seemed to understood right away. The other man raised his hands in surrender.
“Alright, I’m going,” he said with a grin. “Food’s not gonna cook itself.”
Once he disappeared back into the kitchen, Peeta rolled his eyes, half amused.
“That would be my brother, Rye,” he said, turning back to her.
Katniss nodded.
“I actually mistook him for you when I walked in. You look identical—from behind.”
Peeta placed a hand dramatically over his chest.
“Identical?” he repeated, pretending to be offended. “That hurts.”
Katniss laughed softly. The kind of laugh that escaped before she could stop it.
“So… what do you recommend for breakfast?”
Peeta moved behind the counter and pointed to the week’s special: crispy chicken and waffles.
“You have to try that,” he said. “I know the combo sounds a little weird, but it’s amazing. Trust me.”
Katniss pressed her lips together, trying not to smile too wide and told him yes. She settled onto one of the barstools while Peeta returned to the kitchen, but not before serving her a cup of coffee —yes, with caffeine— and got to work on her meal.
Fifteen minutes later, he came back with her plate in hand: waffles perfectly stacked, with their crispy chicken strips arranged neatly on the side. Katniss thanked him, saying it looked delicious, and once she tried it, there was no doubt — it was delicious. So much so that she let out a small, muffled moan before immediately feeling embarrassed. Peeta smiled but didn’t say anything.
“So, why the Independence Inn?” he asked, casually wiping down a mug.
Katniss finished chewing a piece of waffle before answering.
“It’s not like I had many options,” she admitted. “But I did choose it.”
Peeta raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
Katniss nodded, turning her coffee cup slowly between her hands.
“I’ve always wanted to open an inn,” she said. “It’s a dream I’ve had since I was a kid. When I played with a dollhouse, I didn’t pretend it was a house. I always imagined it was a hotel.” She took a sip of coffee. “It sounds a little silly, I know, but I like the idea. So when the opportunity came up, it just felt… like a logical first step.”
Peeta smiled. “That’s amazing.”
“And besides,” she went on, “I’ll be starting night classes at the university next month. In Hartford. So I needed something that wouldn’t clash with that and the Inn was really flexible with the hours. It worked out perfectly.”
“Really?” he said, genuinely impressed. “What are you going to major in?”
“Business,” she replied.
“Business,” Peeta repeated and she nodded. “Sounds like you’ve got a plan.”
Katniss pressed her lips together, looking down at her plate. Then she lifted her gaze to meet his, “something like that,” she said softly.
“That’s great,” Peeta added, now wrapping spoons and forks in napkins. “And your daughter, will she stay with… your husband?”
Katniss frowned slightly. The question didn’t sound entirely casual. It wasn’t direct, but it had that tone. The kind that tests the water without fully stepping in. It was a polite, carefully neutral way of asking if there was someone else in her life. She looked down at her plate, not because the question bothered her, she’d been through enough that the subject of Gale no longer hurt — but simply out of habit. She ran her thumb along the rim of her cup before replying.
“No,” she said finally, lifting her eyes to meet those blue ones. “I am not married. I’ll hire a sitter, I asked around at the Inn and they gave me a few names.”
Her tone was simple and direct, no drama, because there was no need for any.
“The situation with her father is… complicated,” she said, picking up a piece of chicken with her fingers and taking a bite.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Peeta said quietly.
But Katniss quickly waved her hand dismissively, shaking her head.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said, clearing her throat. “As you probably guessed last night, I was pretty young when it all happened, and it’s just been… complicated ever since. They see each other sometimes, but not always.” Peeta nodded, eyes still on the spoons he was wrapping. He didn’t say anything and strangely enough, that gave Katniss the space to keep talking “iIt’s always been just her and me, but—”
She stopped.
The sentence trailed off before it got too personal. She realized, with a sudden twist in her stomach, what she was doing, spilling her heart out. To someone she barely knew, someone who, twelve hours ago, didn’t even exist in her life. She shook her head slightly and took a long sip of her coffee, letting the heat burn her tongue a little. Maybe she needed it.
“Sorry,” she said, lowering her eyes to her cup with a nervous smile. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all this. We just met and I’m already venting.”
Peeta looked up for the first time from the spoons and when their eyes met, Katniss saw something in his expression. Not pity nor discomfort. It was softer, a faint crease between his brows, the kind she often made herself. But if she wasn’t mistaken, she could recognize something she’d seen in her own eyes many times before: disappointment.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said finally, giving her a half smile.
The silence that followed wasn’t long, but it was just enough to feel awkward. Katniss turned her gaze toward the window, took another sip of coffee and broke it before it thickened.
“Do you always bake everything yourself?” she asked, interested in the tray of pastries behind the counter. “Because if you do, that officially makes you my friend.”
The question hung there like a rope thrown out of a well, pulling them both out of the awkward pause they’d fallen into. To her relief, it worked, Peeta let out a short laugh.
“Yeah,” he said, leaning his elbows on the counter in a relaxed way. “From the burger buns to the donuts, muffins, cookies… basically, everything that makes you gain weight is my fault.”
Katniss narrowed her eyes in mock suspicion, though she couldn’t help the small smile forming on her lips.
They kept talking for a while after that. Nothing important — this time, nothing uncomfortable. Peeta told her a bit about the town: the gatherings, the festivals, mentioning names Katniss knew she wouldn’t remember yet. There were laughs, glances, jokes; the conversation flowed easily between them, without effort. Three cups of coffee later, she noticed that there was chemistry between them. Maybe not in that way —or maybe exactly in that way— but it was there.
She didn’t even realize how much time had passed until she caught sight of the clock on the wall. Her eyes widened slightly, and she set her empty cup down on the counter.
“I have to go,” she said with a soft groan. “My shift at the Inn starts in half an hour, and I still have no idea how to get there without getting completely lost.”
Peeta nodded, pushing himself up from where he stood. Just before she could slide off the stool, he turned toward a tray on the counter, grabbed a glazed donut and placed it on a napkin, handing it to her with a small smile.
“Happy first day at work, on me.”
Katniss blinked, feeling the blush climb up her cheeks before she could stop it.
“Thank you,” she said, returning his smile despite herself.
After paying and heading for the door, Peeta was already at another table, writing down an order in his little notepad. She placed her hand on the door handle and just before stepping out, she turned slightly.
“What’s with every place in this town and their bells?” she called out, raising an eyebrow as the door chime jingled behind her.
Peeta turned toward her and let out a soft laugh. She smiled back, and before stepping fully outside, she said: “See ya.”
Then she left. Carrying with her the smell of coffee, a donut, and something else she couldn’t afford to feel… but was starting to.
Peeta had tried to avoid it over time. At first, it was easy to think it was just a small crush — and how could it not be? Katniss was beautiful woman, new in town, a young mother with a laugh that came out in this strange, unexpected way with the most peculiar expressions. It made perfect sense for anyone to like her. But liking someone was one thing. Falling in love… that was something else entirely. And as much as he tried to convince himself it wasn’t that deep, Peeta knew exactly what he was feeling.
He was falling. Hard.
It happened little by little. With the mornings when she came straight to the café after dropping Sophie off at school, her hair tied up in a rush, smelling faintly of floral shampoo — like her name. With the days when she laughed unintentionally at something silly he did. With the nights when, if Sophie was at her new friend’s house, Katniss stayed a little longer after her shift, helping sweep up even though no one had asked her to. With every moment they spent together —even if it was just a few minutes— Peeta grew more certain.
But he also knew it wasn’t that simple. Katniss had never opened up about her relationship with Sophie’s father, but from the start, she’d made it clear her situation was complicated — which, to Peeta, sounded like there was no room for anything else in her life.
And there was also Sophie. Sophie, who waved from the door every time she passed by. Sophie, who left him drawings to hang in the window. Sophie, who was the center of Katniss’s world. And there was also the father — not present, but not completely gone either. A name he didn’t know, but one that surfaced now and then in conversation, usually by Sophie, and that made things even harder to read. Who was he to interfere? To insert himself into a dynamic that, while imperfect, was still a family?
But as the months went by, something shifted. Not in her —at least not obviously— but in him. He started to wonder if he was really intruding… or if he was simply waiting. Waiting for there to be space. For her to look at him differently. For Sophie to smile at him like always, and for that not to mean he was crossing a line. Maybe —just maybe— things could happen, if he was patient enough. He only had to wait for the right moment.
That moment came one night.
It was an ordinary evening. He had the night off, which was rare since he usually buried himself in testing recipes, baking new breads, or spending time with his brother. He had planned to go to the movies, watch whatever was playing —it didn’t really matter— and maybe stop by the local bar afterward, sit in the corner, have a beer, and head home later.
He’d just stepped out of the shower and was buttoning his shirt when his phone buzzed. The name on the screen made him frown — more in surprise than concern. Katniss. He answered immediately.
“Peeta!” she exclaimed quickly on the other end, as if she’d been holding her breath for a while. “Thank God. Are you busy?”
Peeta blinked, still not processing much of what was happening. He glanced at the clock, then at his jacket on the bed. Technically, he wasn’t busy. Not yet, anyway.
“No,” he said. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Is Sophie okay?”
“My tire blew,” she said, her voice dropping, more frustrated than scared. “I don’t have a spare. I’m in the middle of nowhere—somewhere between Hartford and Stars Hollow. I don’t have the number of any mechanic. I was wondering if… if you could come get me. I know it’s late, I’m just really stressed—”
Peeta didn’t even think for a second.
“I’m on my way.”
He didn’t even ask her exactly where she was. He would drive the whole road until he found her. Something inside him told him this was the kind of thing you did for someone who mattered. And even if he hadn’t said it out loud, Katniss mattered to him.
As he drove, Peeta caught himself thinking about it — about her, about what might happen that night. They had never been alone anywhere that wasn’t the café. But now… now it was different. Just the two of them on a starry night. A favor she had asked him, not anyone else.
Maybe this was the moment. Maybe he could ask her to go to the movies afterward. Nothing too forward, just casual. Or maybe he’d tell her he’d been planning to grab a drink and ask if she wanted to join him. Maybe it was time to tell her he wanted to try something with her -- that he thought about her every moment of the day, that they could take it slow. The only thing that mattered was her. And Sophie. Always Sophie. And that meant respecting every boundary, never trying to take a place that wasn’t his; he knew it and was more than willing to. Because it wasn’t about being someone in her life, it was about being there for her, when she needed him. He realized he was smiling like an idiot — literally. He shook his head slightly. We’ll see, he thought.
A few minutes later, he saw her. The car pulled over to the side of the road, the lights flashing. She was sitting in the driver’s seat, arms crossed, her face lit dimly by the cabin light. His heart gave a small leap at the sight of her. When he parked in front of the car and stepped out, he gave the hood a light tap and waved. He saw her open the door and turn toward him, and for a second, when their eyes met, it nearly killed him with tenderness — because yes, the tire was flat, and yes, it was a little cold, and yes, this was just a favor. But he couldn’t help it. Seeing her like that, with her face a little anxious and her eyes finding his with relief, it was impossible not to feel it.
“I’m here,” he said, not raising his voice much.
He didn’t expect Katniss to move so fast, much less to do what she did — closing the distance between them in barely three steps. She just hugged him. Her arms went around his back, her cheek pressed against his shoulder for barely a second. But it caught Peeta completely off guard. His body went still, unsure if he should hug her back, but just as he started to lift his arms to return it, she had already stepped away. Still, the scent of her hair —something soft, lavender with a hint of sweetness— lingered on his jacket and, even more strongly, in his chest.
“Thank you for coming,” Katniss said, holding herself this time.
“It’s nothing,” he replied, nervous. He cleared his throat,and she looked toward the car with a faint grimace.
“I’ll have to leave it here. No spare, and hopefully someone can come help me tomorrow… I don’t know. I’ll figure it out in the morning.”
Peeta nodded. He thought about offering to take care of it himself. To stay, to find a solution, to not let her worry one minute longer, but just then she spoke again.
“I’m tired, honestly.”
“Okay,” Peeta said calmly, “get in mine. I’ll take you home.”
Katniss nodded with a small smile, walking beside him toward the car. Peeta couldn’t help the faint smile that crossed his face as he lowered his head a little, hoping she wouldn’t notice. He kept thinking about that hug — brief, but still lingering on his skin.
Once they were in the car, Peeta’s hands stayed firm on the wheel. It wasn’t that he was tense… or maybe it was — either way, he was nervous. The night had shifted the moment she hugged him. It wasn’t the hug itself. It was having her that close, really close, for the first time.
“Were you going somewhere?” Katniss asked, breaking the silence. She didn’t turn completely, just tilted her head a little toward him. “You look freshly showered, and that shirt doesn’t exactly scream regular night in.”
Peeta laughed, caught off guard by how right she was. He had the sudden urge to look at her, to catch those gray eyes that always made his chest stir, but he held himself back — he didn’t want to crash. He kept his gaze on the road and tightened his grip on the wheel, trying to keep his feet on the ground.
“It’s my night off,” he said, “I was going to catch a movie. Maybe grab a drink after.”
Katniss let out a sharp little sound, like a gasp.
“Peeta! You should’ve told me.”
He chuckled, a little flustered. “I wasn’t going to leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere. My night off isn’t as important as making sure you’re safe.
She didn’t answer right away and he thought that would be it — like so many other times when his words hung in the air and faded. But then she spoke again.
“How about… well, it’s too late for a movie,” she said, her tone softer now, “but I could buy you a beer? Sophie’s with her sitter, so I can afford to be a little late. Come on, say yes.”
Peeta pressed his lips together, trying to hide the smile threatening to escape. Inside, he felt like a happy idiot. Of course he wanted to, he wanted to say yes with every part of him. It was just a beer, but it was also something else — an opening, a chance.
“Alright,” he said at last, his voice steady even though his chest felt anything but. “Let’s go get that beer.”
Twenty minutes later, Peeta parked in front of Abernathy’s, the only halfway decent bar in town still open at that hour. From the car, the sign’s neon lights blurred through the mist, the “A” flickering every few seconds. Katniss leaned toward the windshield, one eyebrow raised.
“‘Abernathy’s’? That’s a strange name.”
Peeta smiled as he shut off the engine and stepped out. He walked around the front of the car and held the door open for her.
“That’s the owner’s name,” he said. “Well, his last name.”
Katniss let out a small laugh. “Of course. Everyone in this town names their business after themselves.”
Peeta shrugged, still smiling, as they stepped inside. The soft chime of yet another bell greeted them.
“I’d say that’s true.”
The air inside was warm, the wood on the walls worn by time and use, filled with a mix of scents — beer, liquor, old leather, and pretzels. The music was low, old rock, and the murmur of the few people scattered around matched the tone. Only a couple of tables were taken. As they walked toward the bar, Peeta couldn’t help but feel that, even if the plan had completely changed, the night was going far better than he had expected.
They took two seats at the far end of the bar, on a pair of tall old stools. Peeta sat carefully — not because of the stool itself, but because of the person next to him. It didn’t take long for Haymitch, the owner, to appear, moving with his usual half-closed eyes like someone who hadn’t slept in years. He rested his knuckles on the counter and looked at them, raising his brows without bothering to soften his tone.
“What do you want?”
“A beer,” Katniss said.
Peeta motioned with his hand that it would be two. When Haymitch turned to grab the drinks, Peeta shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. They were sweaty, his hands always got like that when he was nervous, and right now he couldn’t help it. It was the kind of nerves that made him too aware of everything: every movement, every word, every glance. He didn’t want her to notice. Haymitch came back with two beers, set them down, and fixed Peeta with a raised eyebrow and half a smirk.
“Wow, Peeta. Finally got yourself a date.”
Peeta rolled his eyes. “Get lost.”
Katniss let out a quiet laugh. “We’re just friends,” she said.
Peeta nodded without answering, but couldn’t help the tightness that formed in his stomach, like being reminded of exactly where he stood. Haymitch, pleased with the awkwardness he’d created, wandered off. Peeta took a sip of his beer, searching for something to say — he didn’t want the silence to stretch too long.
“How was class?” he asked, turning slightly toward her.
Katniss drank from her bottle. “Eh. It was fine,” she said finally. “But I had a few problems that stressed me out, and the flat tire pretty much ruined the rest of my mood.”
Peeta frowned. “Problems? What happened?”
Katniss shrugged, her fingers turning the neck of the bottle slowly. “The same as always,” she murmured. “Problems with Gale… um—Sophie’s father.”
Finally, the name. Peeta didn’t say anything; even though he had plenty of questions, he knew the important thing wasn’t how many to ask, but how to ask them. Katniss didn’t look at him while she spoke.
“He helps with some things,” she continued. “School stuff, supplies, clothes every once in a while. Things like that.”
Peeta nodded but stayed quiet. He could tell that wasn’t what was really bothering her.
“But that’s not what matters,” her voice dropped slightly; she seemed to hesitate before going on, but she did anyway. “What… what gets to me, what I can’t understand, is the fact that he doesn’t want to see her.”
There it was—the truth, needing no more explanation. Katniss lifted her gaze just enough for him to see the emotional exhaustion behind her gray eyes, the kind that comes from having to justify an absence that never made sense.
Peeta felt something twist inside him — a mix of disbelief and anger. Not at her, never at her. How? How could someone choose to stay away from someone like Sophie? Because if there was one thing Peeta knew for certain, it was that the girl was wonderful. She was genuine, curious in a way that lit up everything she asked about, far too smart for her age, sweet, polite, and endlessly imaginative — like when she folded napkins into flowers, or when she left her little drawings at the café with his name written in slightly crooked letters.
How could anyone not want to be near that? His own daughter?
Peeta forced himself to take a slow breath. To not grip the beer bottle too tightly. To not let what he felt show on his face. Because this wasn’t about him — it was about them. The fact that Katniss was opening up to him about it calmed him somehow, because it meant she trusted him enough.
But if there was something else he realized while listening to her talk between sips of beer, it was that this definitely wasn’t the right moment. Katniss hadn’t said much more yet, but Peeta could feel it went deeper than the fact that the jerk —that’s how he called him in his head before he knew the name— sent money but never showed up.
Maybe, he thought, she still loved him. God, he was the father of her child, of course she did. That kind of feeling didn’t just vanish, not when you shared something as strong as Sophie.
And if that was the case, if there was still a part of Katniss holding on to that past, even if it was through anger or pain or nostalgia, then it wasn’t his place to step in between. So he decided not to do anything. Not to say anything. To stick to empty words, no attempts at comfort — because if he really said what he was thinking, that Gale guy deserved a talk with his fists first. He wasn’t going to try to fill a space that wasn’t his, or break the quiet with his own feelings. He would just stay there, beside her, listening for a little while longer or for as long as she needed.
Sophie’s first day of school always came with a bit of chaos, just enough to make Katniss start the morning with a tight stomach and a mental checklist of a thousand things to do before eight. Backpack, lunchbox —which consisted of a Pop-Tart and five crumpled dollars— uniform, and hair as presentable as she could manage. It never turned out quite as perfectly as she planned, but Sophie, as always, made it work. The little girl never complained. She never did.
When the doorbell rang, Katniss went to open it, still half-asleep, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, wearing the most faded sweatshirt she owned, only to find Peeta standing on the porch with a large paper bag in one hand and a coffee cup in the other.
He didn’t ask if he could come in; he just walked inside with the ease of someone who already knew where everything was. He handed Katniss the coffee, set the paper bag gently on the table, and took a seat. The moment Sophie saw him, she ran over to greet him. While she excitedly told Peeta how thrilled she was to start fourth grade and showed him the book she’d just finished reading, Katniss peeked into the paper bag: inside was an egg sandwich, a small container of cut fruit and a granola bar with ‘Soph’ written on the wrapper in blue marker. Something stirred deep inside her chest.
“You didn’t have to go to all that trouble,” Katniss said, tugging at her sweatshirt a little. “The breakfast, I mean.”
Peeta shook his head, smiling. “I didn’t do it for you. It was for Sophie.”
“Thanks, Peeta!” Sophie said brightly.
The little girl threw her arms around him clinging to his neck, wrapping her small arms around him and resting her head on his shoulder. Peeta hugged her back without hesitation, bending slightly to hold her tight. He ran a hand over her back and rested his chin gently against the top of her head.
“It’s nothing, muffin,” he said with a soft smile.
Katniss couldn’t look away. Her heart clenched, not with sadness, but with something deeper, something that had terrified her every day since she met Peeta.
As tempting as it was, she couldn’t let herself start a relationship with anyone. Not because she was completely closed to the idea —though she often told herself she was— but because she was afraid of trusting again. She was someone who protected herself from love, knowing exactly where her weak spots were. Someone who had learned to shut out anything that could disturb the fragile balance she’d built since her daughter was born. Everything she did, she did for Sophie. Because more than the fear of loving, what scared her was trusting: opening up again, picturing a future that wasn’t just her and her daughter. Not because that was wrong—but because it was the way she survived. She couldn’t let anyone in who might unravel what she’d worked so hard to keep steady.
And yet, there was Peeta. Who, little by little, had begun to tilt that balance she’d sworn to protect. Seeing him like that, with her daughter in his arms, holding her close —without having to do it— took her breath away. That image of Peeta and Sophie together, felt like a dangerous crack in the wall she’d built to keep herself safe.
What if it could be different this time? What if… it already was?
Besides, Sophie, being who she was, never held back with her questions. More than once, without even looking at her directly, she’d said things like, “do you and Peeta love each other?” And every single time, Katniss froze for a second, swallowing either a laugh or her discomfort before saying no, of course not, that Peeta was just her friend — like she and Lily from her class were friends. Sophie never argued; she just nodded and went back to whatever she was doing.
And Katniss was right. Technically, she and Peeta were friends.
Over the past year, they’d built something solid. Notes in coffees, free donuts, weekly dinners at her place or his, Sunday trips to the park, Peeta washing the dishes without being asked, movie nights where Sophie fell asleep halfway through and the two of them stayed up talking for hours. They even spent Christmas together.
Yes, it sounded ridiculous — and she knew it. Still, inside, her stomach always twisted whenever she thought about Peeta for more than five seconds. Because she didn’t know what he thought. Friends did those things; maybe for him that was all it was. Simple friendship, loyalty and support. And who was she to imagine anything else? After all, that’s what friends do, right? Maybe the problem was hers. Maybe she was the only one questioning everything inside her head.
And she couldn’t let herself do that. Because no matter how much warmth, sweetness or longing lived at the bottom of her chest when she imagined the three of them as a family… she could never hand over the whole package of taking care of Sophie with her. It wouldn’t be fair and it wouldn’t be right. Sophie was hers — her responsibility, her everything. As much as Peeta loved her, if there was a possibility, she couldn't ask him to do it.
She forced herself to look away and take a deep breath, because questioning her entire life wasn’t part of the morning plan.
“Photo time! Stand by Sophie’s door,” Peeta said, standing up from his chair and pulling a small digital camera from his jacket pocket. “And Katniss, please fix your hair, would you?”
Katniss rolled her eyes, smiling as she tightened her messy bun.
The first-day photo had become a tradition just last year, when Sophie started third grade. They had stopped by the diner for breakfast before school and while they were sitting at the table, Peeta had come over and taken their picture. A week later, he’d given it to Katniss with a small note written on the back: Sophie’s third floor, nine to go!
She turned just in time to see Peeta adjusting the camera with a grin. Sophie stood with her backpack hanging off one shoulder, her ponytail crooked, her coat buttoned only halfway. Katniss stood right beside her, holding her close.
“One, two, three…”
Click.
Peeta pulled the camera back and looked at the screen, a soft smile on his face. Katniss, her heart beating faster than it should, leaned closer to look. She rested one hand on the back of the chair and tilted forward just enough to see the image. On the screen, she and Sophie were wrapped in each other’s arms, perfectly captured with their messy hair, half-open backpack, but both smiling wide.
Just as she was about to say something, she felt Peeta’s breath against her shoulder. A shiver ran up her spine, and she forced herself to stay composed, but it was impossible not to feel that rush.
She turned toward him, smiling nervously. “Thank you,” she said softly, “it’s perfect.”
Peeta gave her a quick smile and cleared his throat.
“If you’d like, I can go with you to the school,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “I came on foot, so it’d be nice if you gave me a ride after dropping this little one off.”
Katniss hesitated for a second. Not because she didn’t want to take him —that wasn’t the problem— but because she knew what gestures like that meant. Then she looked at Sophie, who was watching her eagerly with the same gray eyes she’d inherited from her.
“Sure.”
A few minutes later, the three of them stepped out of the house. Sophie climbed into the back seat while Katniss took the driver’s side and Peeta settled in next to her. Just before starting the car, Katniss twisted around to face the backseat, her expression serious.
“Before you get out, I have to fix that ponytail, kid,” she said, pointing at her daughter’s crooked hair tie.
Sophie groaned softly but before she could protest, Peeta added:
“Don’t listen to her, muffin. You look better than she does,” Sophie burst out laughing and Katniss only rolled her eyes, hiding a smile as she turned the key in the ignition.
Peeta hadn’t met Sophie’s father yet. In fact, he had never even seen him around town. As far as he knew, neither Katniss nor Sophie had had any contact with him in the last three years. Katniss didn’t usually share those kinds of details so openly, but also if it had happened, she would have mentioned it to him.
Sophie was ten years old. She already spoke with total conviction about her future. Sometimes she said she wanted to be a paleontologist, other times a writer or a doctor. Peeta didn’t know if she would change her mind a dozen more times, but what he did know was that Sophie was bright, creative, sweet, and genuinely a good kid. And still, her father seemed to have no interest in knowing her. That indifference confused him more every day he spent with the little girl, and even more, it broke his heart.
It hurt him for her, but it also hurt for Katniss. Because even though she didn’t talk about it, Peeta could see the weight she carried in silence. The days she arrived late to work, the times she didn’t ask for help even when she needed it, the way she smiled at Sophie without allowing herself to fall apart.
In the time they had known each other, he and Katniss had built a true friendship. Something that grew with every day they shared, with every activity that became part of their routine. But as valuable as that relationship was, Peeta couldn’t stop what was growing inside him more and more.
He wanted more.
He wanted Katniss to give him space not only in her life but also in her heart. Peeta wanted to be with them. He wanted to be there in the mornings, making breakfast while Sophie packed her backpack, to wash the dishes with Katniss at night after dinner, to help Sophie with her homework, to carry the grocery bags. He wanted the ordinary and the intimate.
And he wanted her. He wanted to kiss her. God, he wanted to kiss her. He imagined the touch of her lips on his, wanted to kiss her forehead when she finished a long shift, her cheek after serving her a cup of coffee, her neck when they were close enough. He wanted to touch every part of her. Not out of desire only, but out of the need to make her feel safe. He wanted to feel the warmth of her skin under his fingers, her breath against his neck. He wanted to hold her at night, her body fitting against his.
Peeta wanted everything with Katniss. He wanted her to let him love her.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the bell above the door, just in time for him to look up. When he did, he saw Katniss walking in quickly, looking tense, and Sophie behind her, dragging her feet slightly, her backpack hanging from one shoulder. Peeta frowned, setting the rag in his hand aside.
“What are you two doing here?” he asked, wiping his hands on his apron. “You’ve got class in…”—he glanced at his watch—“forty minutes. You should be on your way to Hartford.”
Without saying a word, Sophie walked to one of the tables in the back and dropped into a chair, resting her head on her arms. Peeta followed her with his eyes for a second before looking back at Katniss. She looked exhausted—and not just physically. There was sadness in her face that disarmed him instantly.
“I know,” she said finally, letting out a sigh. “But the babysitter canceled on me last minute. I don’t want to leave Sophie alone at home, and I don’t have time to drive her to Madge’s. That’d be at least twenty extra minutes.”
Peeta raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms as he waited for her to finish.
“I was wondering if…” Katniss continued, glancing toward Sophie and then back at him. “Maybe you could watch her? You wouldn’t have to keep an eye on her all the time, I promise she won’t bother you. She can sit over there and—”
“Katniss,” he interrupted softly. “That’s enough.”
She stopped right away, surprised.
“Of course I can,” Peeta added. “I’ll watch her.”
For the first time since she’d walked in, Katniss smiled. A small smile. She stepped closer, rested her hand on his arm for balance, leaned in, and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.
“Thank you!” she said quickly. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise. But not right now—I have to go.”
Peeta opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. That was the effect Katniss had on him. The kiss hadn’t been long, or even particularly intimate, but his skin, right where her lips had touched, burned hotter than the time he’d grabbed a boiling pot. The warmth spread from his cheek down his neck, up to his face, then lower, to his chest. He nodded awkwardly.
“Yeah… go,” he said.
Katniss gave him one last grateful look and rushed out of the café, leaving him frozen in place for a few seconds, his hand still on his apron and his heart pounding against his ribs. Slowly, he blinked and touched his cheek, right where she’d kissed him. But he couldn’t stand there all day.
He turned toward the back of the café, where Sophie still sat in the same position. Peeta could see her sadness, almost a mirror of her mother’s just moments ago. He approached carefully, resting a hand on the back of her chair.
“Why don’t you go upstairs, Soph?” he said gently. “You can put on a movie or something you like. I’ll bring you something to eat in a bit, okay?”
Sophie barely lifted her head. Her gray eyes, so much like Katniss’s, looked dim. She nodded silently, grabbed her backpack and walked with short, slow steps toward the door that led to the apartment upstairs. Peeta turned toward the kitchen then, where his brother Rye was already watching him with a crooked grin, leaning against the doorframe like he’d been waiting for the perfect moment to speak.
“I’m going upstairs with Sophie,” Peeta said plainly. “You’re in charge down here for a while.”
“Yeah, yeah, no problem,” Rye said, raising his eyebrows in amusement. “Funny how you use condoms all the time and still end up with a kid.”
Peeta frowned, rolling his eyes.
“Fuck you,” he muttered, untying his apron.
Rye laughed as Peeta grabbed a couple of freshly baked cheese buns and a few donuts wrapped in paper napkins. He climbed the stairs quickly, the warmth of the café fading behind him, replaced by a quieter, heavier atmosphere upstairs.
Sophie was lying on the couch, curled on her side with her backpack still clutched to her body and her eyes fixed on the floor. She wasn’t crying, but her face carried a very broken expression. His chest tightened helplessly. He set the food on the table gently, stepped closer without making much noise and crouched down in front of her.
“Hey,” he said softly. “Everything okay, muffin?”
Her eyes stayed on the floor, he thought she wouldn’t respond at all. But after a long silence, her voice came out small and shaky.
“I’m sad… about my dad.”
Peeta swallowed, careful not to let it show. He knew this moment would come sooner or later, but that didn’t make it any easier.
“Why are you sad about him?” he asked gently, not moving from where he was. Sophie shifted a little, finally lifting her eyes to meet his.
“Because all the kids at school have dads who love them,” she murmured. “They take them to school, and go to the festivals, and science fairs, or they’re just… there. And I don’t have anyone like that.”
It hurt Peeta more than he could have imagined. He felt a pull inside him, sharp and deep, like someone had squeezed his heart between both hands. Slowly, he sat down beside her on the couch, leaving her some space, but making sure she knew he was there.
“Sophie,” he started, choosing his words carefully. “What you said… that’s wrong. And not true at all.”
The girl frowned, confused.
“You do have someone,” he continued softly, “you have your mom. And believe me, there are so many kids who would give anything to have someone like her.”
Sophie gave a small, sad smile and looked down.
“Your mom does everything for you, Soph,” he went on, “absolutely everything. She wakes up early even when she’s exhausted. She worries if you’ve eaten, if you’ve slept, if something made you sad or mad. She works all day to make sure you have what you need, but she still finds time for you. To listen to you, to hug you, to help you with homework, with everything.”
Sophie let out a tiny laugh, barely more than a breath. Peeta smiled and took that as a good sign to keep going.
“She loves you more than anything in the world, Sophie. And that’s worth a loooot more than having a dad. You’re not alone, and you never will be.”
Peeta’s voice dropped a little.
“And even though I’m not your dad,” he added carefully, “you know I’m here for you, right? Whenever you want, whenever you need me, in any way. You don’t have to ask twice.”
He knew he was stepping into dangerous territory, but he couldn’t stand seeing her like that. Sophie blinked, and this time her eyes shimmered. Peeta’s heart tightened again.
“Thank you, Peeta,” she whispered.
“You don’t need to thank me, muffin,” he said, brushing a hand gently through her hair.
After a moment, Sophie stood and walked to the table, where the donuts and cheese buns still sat wrapped in napkins. She picked up a donut with both hands and looked back at him.
“Do you want to watch a movie?”
Peeta smiled. “Of course I do. You pick.”
A few minutes later, the screen lit up with Tangled — Sophie’s favorite. They settled back onto the couch, each with a donut in hand. Peeta didn’t even pretend to resist when Sophie started quietly singing along to the songs, by the middle of the movie, he was humming with her.
When the movie ended, Sophie began talking about her day at school. She showed him what she’d learned about planets and math, told him her idea for the science fair, and mentioned that she was going to sing at the spring festival. Peeta listened closely, asking questions, laughing, raising his eyebrows as if every little thing she said was somehow fascinating — and really, it was.
After a while, Sophie moved to the rug with her colored pencils while he stayed on the couch, a book open across his lap. Some time later, someone knocked on the door. Peeta set the book aside, stood up and went to answer it. Katniss stood on the other side with a smile. Sophie saw her and immediately ran toward her, throwing her arms around her legs in a tight hug. Katniss bent down at once, burying her face in her daughter’s hair and kissing the top of her head.
“Grab your things, kid,” she said, “we’re heading home.”
While Sophie started stuffing her pencils back into her backpack, Katniss lifted her gaze to Peeta.
“Thanks for watching her,” she said sincerely.
Peeta shook his head. “It was nothing. We watched a movie, ate, talked… a lot.”
Katniss tilted her head. “Tangled?”
Peeta let out a short laugh. “Obviously.”
She rolled her eyes with a smile. They just stood there, face to face, the open door between them. One more second and he would’ve wanted them to stay, but he didn’t say anything. Before leaving, Sophie gave Peeta a big hug and thanked him for spending time with her. When they pulled apart, he simply watched them go, his eyes following until the door closed behind them.
He walked back to the couch, planning to pick up his book again, but as soon as he sat down, he noticed something on the coffee table — one of the drawings Sophie had been working on before leaving.
He picked it up carefully, and as he looked at it, a knot formed in his throat.
There were three figures drawn in bold, colorful strokes: a woman with black hair, a man with yellow hair, and a little girl in a purple dress between them. Above them, written in big uneven letters, it read: Mom, Peeta and me.
He didn’t know what to do at first. He just sat there, the drawing in his hands, feeling something inside him loosen. It felt as if Sophie had opened a small door and let him in. Peeta pressed his lips together, lowered his gaze, and set the drawing against his chest as he leaned back on the couch. The paper crackled softly against his shirt. For the first time in a long time, he wasn’t afraid of what he felt.
Peeta made himself a promise. He would stay for as long as it took. For Katniss and for Sophie.
Always.
“Happy birthday!”
Katniss blinked several times before she could fully take in what she was seeing. Her usually quiet living room was now full of people. Madge —her friend from the Inn—, her aunt, Rye, Lily —Sophie’s friend— even old Haymitch, along with other familiar faces from town and work. Everyone was wearing party hats, there were balloons sticked against the ceiling, and a big banner hung from the bookshelf that read: Happy Birthday, Katniss!
She just stood there, scowling slightly. It took her a few seconds, embarrassingly long ones, to remember. It was her birthday. She’d been so busy the last few days with shifts, homework, and classes that she had completely erased it from her mind. A nervous laugh escaped her lips, and she brought a hand to her mouth, unsure how to react. Just then, Sophie appeared at her side, wrapping her in a huge hug.
“Happy birthday, Mommy!”
Katniss clung tightly to her small body.
“Oh my God,” she said against her daughter’s hair, still stunned. “Thank you, kid.”
Sophie pulled back just enough to smile at her. No wonder her little girl hadn’t mentioned her birthday like she usually did every year.
“Guess whose idea it was,” Sophie said.
Katniss held her by the shoulders and narrowed her eyes playfully.
“This is completely Peeta’s doing.”
Sophie jumped in excitement. “Yes!”
Peeta appeared right then from the kitchen, smiling and holding a huge chocolate cake in his hands. In the center, two candles shaped like a two and an eight flickered. Katniss ran a hand over her face, unable to stop the blush rising to her cheeks. Everyone sang the birthday song, and Peeta stopped right in front of her, holding the cake, his blue eyes fixed on hers and that smile — the one that charmed her no matter how hard she tried to resist it.
“You’re making me feel old!” she said, half laughing.
Peeta raised an eyebrow with that same grin. “Relax,” he said, “twenty-eight never looked so good.”
Katniss didn’t know whether to laugh or blush harder, so she just lowered her gaze a little, smiling anyway, feeling a thousand butterflies flutter in her stomach like she was turning fifteen, not twenty-eight. Peeta lifted the cake slightly, leaning in just a bit.
“Make a wish.”
Katniss closed her eyes. She didn’t know what to wish for. Of course, she wanted many things — some big, some small. She wanted Sophie to always be happy, above everything else. She wanted stability and peace. To finally open the Inn. To finish university without having to postpone it again. But at that moment, surrounded by friends, the cake in front of her, Sophie at her side, and Peeta so close she could hear his breathing — the wish that crossed her mind was so simple it almost broke her.
I hope this year I will allow myself to finally be happy.
She opened her eyes, smiled, and blew out the candles.
After a few hours of laughter, conversations, hugs, and congratulations that made her feel a little more loved than she was used to, the house returned to its usual silence. The guests said goodbye, and when the door closed behind the last ones —Madge and Rye— only Peeta remained.
Katniss stood by the table, a trash bag in hand, tossing out paper plates, empty beer and soda cans, napkins. Peeta had taken Sophie to her room; she’d fallen asleep on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder.
“She’s tucked in,” Peeta said softly returning to the living room.
Katniss straightened up a little, smiling automatically. “Thanks, Peeta. I’ll go change her in a bit.”
Peeta shook his head, smiling faintly. “It’s nothing.”
They cleaned up together in silence, the only sound coming from the faint music playing in the background — low enough not to wake Sophie. Peeta carried out bags full of trash while Katniss wiped down the table with a cloth. He washed the few dishes that weren’t disposable, and she packed away the leftover cake and food Peeta and Rye had brought from the bakery. Between the two of them, less than half an hour, the house looked like a home again.
Finally, they sat down on the couch, the space between them smaller than usual. Katniss turned slightly to the side, tucking her legs up on the cushion and hugging her knees. She blushed almost immediately when she noticed the way Peeta was looking at her. His gaze was soft, almost like he was trying to memorize her, and that made her stomach flip. The unease didn’t come from him, but from what he made her feel: that warmth in her stomach, that subtle alert running up her spine whenever he looked at her like that. A shy smile curved her lips.
“Thank you… for this,” she said, “I’ve never had a surprise party before—or ever.”
Peeta shook his head slowly, but his smile widened.
“It was nothing,” he said. “I’d do anything to see you happy.”
Katniss didn’t know what to say to that. Peeta let out a quiet breath, then added softly,
“You look really pretty when you smile.”
The blush spread instantly across her cheeks, just like it would have if she was a teenager. Rarely, when Peeta said things like that, it made Katniss want to forget every wall she’d built, every promise she’d made to herself. It made her want to move closer, to close the distance between them, to slide her fingers through his curls and to kiss him until she ran out of breath.
But she couldn’t, not yet anyway.
Katniss hadn’t set foot in a classroom in a long time. Every time she walked past the bag where she kept her notes and books, a hollow feeling spread through her chest. She’d tried, really tried, to make it work. Balancing her shifts at the Inn, Sophie’s homework, the sleepless nights, the bills. But it was too much, everything at once, piling up.
And now that Sophie had set her sights on Chilton —a school as expensive as it was prestigious— everything had changed. Time wasn’t enough anymore, but worse than that, neither was the money. Still, Sophie was determined; she’d had her goals clear for years and that both terrified and filled Katniss with pride. She wanted to go to Yale, to study literature, to become a writer or an editor or anything that would keep her surrounded by books for the rest of her life. Katniss would do everything in her power to make that dream happen.
And Gale… well, Gale couldn’t —or wouldn’t— help.
He’d only seen his now teen daughter again a few months ago, after such a long absence that Sophie no longer called him Dad. It had been Katniss who insisted they meet, that they spend some time together.
Since then, he showed up every now and then. He’d call a week in advance, ask if he could visit, and Katniss always said yes. Sophie seemed to enjoy it, though she never talked much about it afterward. But when it came to money for Chilton, Gale had been clear — he couldn’t contribute. He said he was barely managing his own situation. Katniss just nodded, as if she didn’t know what it meant to struggle, as if she hadn’t spent the past fourteen years raising their daughter almost entirely on her own.
So she quit university. Asked them to freeze her courses, hoping it would only be temporary.
Since then, everything in her life had felt heavier. The workdays longer, her body more tired. And even though she tried not to show it, the frustration followed her everywhere. It showed on her face, in her body, in how dim her energy had become lately. But she kept going—for her daughter. That’s what she reminded herself every night when she came home from work, when she looked at Sophie fast asleep, a book open on her chest. Always for Sophie.
Peeta had offered to help her finish school, but she refused immediately.
She couldn’t allow it. It was already hard enough to deal with everything he did for them — the breakfasts, the surprise visits after long shifts, the chocolate donuts that magically appeared whenever Sophie had exams, the bag of cheese buns in her porch every Sunday when she had the day off. Accepting something as big as him paying for her university would be something else entirely. Too much.
But what was hardest to accept wasn’t the money. It was the affection.
Katniss wasn’t a fool — maybe he wasn’t in love with her, but she could tell that Peeta cared about her. But she was the one who had drawn the line between them. Letting Peeta in, letting herself be loved — it still scared her, even after all this time. And in some way she couldn’t quite explain, she knew it wasn’t just her he cared about. He cared about Sophie, too.
Gale had never really been there for either of them. But that didn’t matter anymore, she didn’t matter anymore — he only thing that did was Sophie.
But Peeta?
He was there when Sophie got sick in the middle of winter and Katniss went two nights without sleep — he set up camp in the living room and took care of both of them. He was there when Sophie won her first science fair and nearly knocked him over with how tightly she hugged him. He was there when Sophie lost a tooth over breakfast and thought she’d never eat normally again. He’d been at every spring, summer, fall, and winter festival. He’d read every story she’d ever written for school. He had her drawings taped to the bakery counter.
It was like he didn’t know how not to be there — and that was what scared Katniss most. Because she had never met anyone who stayed that long without asking for anything in return. And deep down, she was starting to realize she didn’t want him to leave, not ever.
Maybe it was time to do something about it.
She’d spent too long letting opportunities slip by, too long waiting for things to somehow fall into place. But nothing would ever be real if she didn’t move.
So after dropping Sophie off at Lily’s house, she got in the car and drove. It was Wednesday —Peeta’s night off— and though she didn’t really have a plan, she thought of inviting him out for a drink. A beer, maybe a walk in the park, anything — just an excuse to be with him… and talk.
When she parked on the street outside the bakery, she saw him through the windshield. Peeta was coming out, and he wasn’t alone. A blonde woman, around their age, walked beside him, smiling, their arms linked. The way he looked at her, his body language… there was no way to misinterpret it.
A sharp, sudden pain hit Katniss in the gut, so clean it stole her breath. She swallowed hard and stayed in the car for a couple of minutes, hands gripping the steering wheel, breathing slowly. Peeta hadn’t seen her —thank God— because she didn’t want him to see her like that, not any day.
Eventually, she stepped out of the car. She needed to buy something for dinner anyway; there was nothing at home, and Sophie was spending the night away. She walked into the bakery, shoulders tense, trying to act like nothing had happened. She greeted Rye, who was behind the counter —of course, because Peeta wasn’t, he was busy with someone just as perfect as he was, someone who probably didn’t have a child— and ordered a burger to go. Then she sat on one of the stools. Truth was, she wasn’t hungry, or in the mood for small talk — she did it anyway.
“Where’s Peeta?” Katniss asked, trying way too hard to sound casual.
Rye ran a hand through his hair.
“You just missed him,” he said, “he was with Delly, his friend. Well, his ex-friend-ex-girlfriend,” he added, laughing.
Ouch.
The words hit Katniss straight in the chest. So she wasn’t just a friend, she was someone with history. Katniss nodded silently, pressing her lips together, forcing back the sting behind her eyes, pretending her stomach hadn’t just tightened painfully. She paid for the food and thanked him, then walked out with her head down, the warm paper bag in one hand, the other shoved deep in her jacket pocket. Tears stung her eyes.
As she drove home, her mind wouldn’t stop repeating the same question, over and over.
What did she expect? That Peeta would wait for her forever? That he wouldn’t move on with his life? That he’d be satisfied with the occasional dinner, a bit of harmless flirting, and a woman too broken to say what she really felt?
He had every right to be with someone else, to want something simple, something uncomplicated, something she could never give him. So how could she blame him?
But it still hurt.
Now she understood that she did want something — that maybe she’d always wanted it. But not with anyone else, with him. And it was too late. Because out of fear of losing, she never realized she might’ve already won something. Worse yet, she lost him without ever really having him.
Peeta was in the back of the bakery with Rye, going over the list for the fifth time. Donuts: 60. Pumpkin cupcakes: 80. Chocolate cupcakes: 100. Cakes: 15. Thermoses of coffee, chai tea, hot chocolate — all packed and neatly stacked in boxes, ready for the night. And still, Peeta couldn’t bring himself to feel excited about it.
He’d never been much of a fan of the town festivals. Sure, he went, but he’d never run a booth before —and probably never would have— if Katniss hadn’t convinced him. And he couldn't say no to her. After all these years, it was still impossible for him.
Besides, Sophie was performing that night, and he couldn’t miss it. She might be sixteen now, but to him, she was still his little muffin. So even if he hadn’t signed up for a stand, he would’ve gone anyway. For her, for them.
Peeta had tried everything to move on.
He’d dated other people, buried himself in work, tried to focus on anything —anyone— that wasn’t Katniss Everdeen. But no matter what he did, everything always led back to her.
Delly was the clearest example of that. Their relationship was a loop that never seemed to end. They weren’t exactly a couple, but they weren’t just friends either. Sometimes they went out, sometimes they fought, sometimes they made up. They kissed. They laughed. They had sex. It all seemed fine — until it wasn’t. And the reason it fell apart was almost always the same: Katniss.
Delly called him out on it constantly, told him straight to his face what everyone else probably already knew — that he was way too wrapped up in her. But Peeta always denied it. He said they were just friends. That Sophie was like a little sister to him. That he only helped them because they didn’t have much support. That it was nothing more than that.
Bunch of crap.
Every time Katniss called, he answered. If Sophie needed something, he was already on his way. If Katniss asked for a favor, he didn’t even think twice.
Delly wasn’t stupid — she saw it all. She threw it in his face every chance she got. Peeta tried to reason with her, to sound logical, to convince her there was nothing between him and Katniss. And technically, he wasn’t wrong. Katniss had never given him a real sign, that was true. Nothing had ever happened between them, that was true too. But what he never said aloud, what he could barely admit to himself, was the truest thing of all: he was in love with someone who didn’t love him back.
So every time Delly left and he found himself alone again… he went right back to the same place. Thinking about Katniss.
That's why he always took Delly back. Because being alone meant always wondering if Katniss and he could ever become something more than just friends. That was his Achilles heel; it had always been her.
“Let’s take these to the front,” Rye said, lifting a box of paper goods.
Peeta nodded, picking up one of the boxes and walking toward the front of the bakery. They weren’t open today, so they wouldn’t be disturbing any customers.
But as soon as he stepped out front, he froze.
Standing there were Sophie, Katniss… and young man he didn’t recognize. He scowled instinctively. He set the box down on the counter but didn’t take his eyes off them. Then Sophie ran over, throwing her arms around him, and his expression softened immediately.
“Peeta!” she said brightly. “Is everything ready for tonight?”
“Of course,” he said, hugging her back. “All the food’s done—and I wouldn’t miss your performance for anything.”
Sophie grinned, stepping back as he lifted his gaze — there was Katniss, walking toward him with her arms open.
The hug caught him off guard, but not as much as seeing her like that. Her hair was down, which was rare for her, and a blue cap covered her head. Peeta held her tightly, tighter than he meant to, closed his eyes for just a second, and before he could stop himself, he breathed her in. Lavender, she always lavender. Now it was his favorite scent in the world.
The truth was, he’d missed them. A lot. It had been two weeks since he’d last seen them. Katniss had gone back to university, Sophie was now at Chilton, busy with a thousand different things, and between prepping for the festival and running the business, there was never a moment that lined up for any of them.
“I missed you,” Katniss said, running a hand through his curls as they pulled apart.
Peeta looked down with a nervous crooked smile. The blush crept up before he could stop it. After all this time, Katniss still had that effect on him. When he finally looked up, he noticed the other person standing beside Katniss and Sophie — a boy. Brown hair, tall, about Sophie’s age. Hands tucked in the pockets of his jacket, though he quickly pulled one out to shake Peeta’s hand.
“I’m Sam—Samuel. Sam Harris, sir,” he said, clearing his throat. “Nice to meet you.”
Peeta blinked, one eyebrow lifting slightly. His mouth opened, mostly from surprise, as he tried to keep a neutral expression. He returned the handshake and forced a polite smile.
“Peeta Mellark. Nice to meet you, Sam.”
The boy took a step back, slipping his hands into his jacket again. Before the silence could stretch too long, Katniss broke it with a grin.
“Need help? That’s why we’re here,” she said, nodding toward the stack of boxes.
Peeta was about to reply when Rye appeared, carrying a pile of boxes so tall it nearly reached his chin.
“Yes, please,” Rye said immediately.
Sophie gave Sam a friendly pat on the back, and the two of them headed for the back of the bakery. Peeta followed them with his eyes until they disappeared from sight. Once he was sure they were out of earshot, he turned to Katniss, lowering his voice.
“What? There’s a Sam? When did that happen?”
Katniss laughed softly.
“Yeah,” she said with a shrug. “They met at Chilton. And they’re friends,”she added, making air quotes at the word friends. Peeta chuckled too, though not as easily. Katniss turned toward the kitchen, then looked back at him. “But it’s so obvious they like each other. Did you see them?” she teased. “They’re in that phase where they try to hide something everyone else can see.”
Peeta pressed his lips together and nodded. He felt a small, sharp pinch right in the middle of his chest. Because it was the same thing Delly had told him over and over: you’re both trying to hide something everyone else already knows — but he wasn’t thinking about Sophie and Sam.
The autumn festival was in full swing. Strings of lights glowed between the trees, the ground was blanketed with orange leaves, and the air smelled like food. Children ran holding sticks of cotton candy — Peeta couldn’t help but feel nostalgic, remembering Sophie at that age. There was live music, carnival games, booths selling crafts and food, even a stand where you could decorate your own pumpkin.
The Mellark booth was a hit. Donuts sold out in minutes, and the hot chocolate barely had time to be poured before another cup was ordered. Everyone agreed that the pumpkin cupcakes were the best in the festival.
Sophie sang just as the sun was setting, and the sound of her voice sent chills down Peeta’s spine, just like it always did. She sang “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” by Céline Dion. He knew she’d chosen it for Katniss — her favorite singer. The crowd went completely quiet through the whole song, and when she finished, the cheers and applause erupted all at once. Peeta clapped so hard his hands stung, and Katniss looked like she might faint from pride.
After a while, Rye left, saying he was heading over to meet Madge —his now girlfriend— and left Peeta in charge of the booth. Peeta nodded, a little nervous about handling the chaos alone, but only a few minutes later, Katniss appeared beside him, sleeves pushed up and her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. She slipped behind the counter without asking him and started helping. She didn’t need directions; they moved together effortlessly.
She took the orders, smiled angelically, chatting with customers while he handled the drinks, counted the money and refilled trays. It was as if they’d done it a hundred times before. Every time she laughed at something a customer said, Peeta couldn’t stop himself from glancing at her. That laugh, that smile — it still hit him the same way it always had: that sudden flip in his stomach and the undeniable certainty that he truly loved her.
“What time does Sophie have to be back?” Peeta asked, handing Katniss a beer.
It was Sophie’s first date with Sam. Finally, a week ago, he’d gathered the courage to ask her out — and Sophie had said yes without a second thought. For Katniss, the whole thing felt strangely beautiful, and deeply nostalgic. Watching her daughter fall in love for the first time stirred something in her chest — nerves and tenderness. But it also scared her. Sophie was now a year older than Katniss had been when she’d had her. And though the comparison was inevitable, it was also unfair. Because while they looked alike, Sophie was steadier, more grounded, more sure of herself. Still, no matter how hard it had been, Katniss had never regretted that choice.
They’d already had the talk. It was awkward, yes, but necessary. They’d talked about boundaries, decisions, sex, emotions. Sophie hadn’t avoided the topic; she’d handled it with a maturity that both surprised and reassured Katniss. Her daughter had made it clear she would always make the right choice. Katniss believed her. If there was one thing she was certain of, it was that Sophie was nothing like she’d been at sixteen.
“Ten o’clock,” Katniss said, taking a sip of her beer. Peeta scowled, and Katniss laughed. “What?”
“I don’t know,” he said with a shrug. “Isn’t that kind of late? Four hours? Seems like… a lot.”
“I could’ve given her ten minutes and it’d be just as risky.” Katniss laughed. “My last ten-minute date gave me a kid.”
Peeta burst out laughing and lifted his bottle toward her.
They were sitting on the couch, beers in hand, a movie long finished on the screen. It was Friday night. With Sophie out and no classes the next morning, Katniss had invited him over, and Peeta had switched his free night with Rye’s just to come. Katniss glanced down at her bottle, then at him, hesitating before asking what had been sitting in her head all night.
“So where’s Delly?”
She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer — her stomach tightened instantly. Peeta huffed out a breath.
“We broke up. Again.”
Katniss tried not to react, but her body relaxed before she could stop it.
“Are you okay?” she asked, trying to sound casual.
“Yeah. I’m used to it by now,” he said with a sigh, then chuckled to himself. “The only thing I’ll miss is having sex.”
Katniss felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She looked away, then she blurted, “tell me about it.”
Peeta frowned again, glancing over at her. She kept talking.
“I haven’t had sex in…” She lifted her left hand. All five fingers extended.
Peeta laughed. “Wow, that long?” Katniss nodded. Peeta took another drink of his beer before speaking again. “I think I’d lose my mind if it went a month, but five? No way.”
Katniss looked down, embarrassed, biting her lip before letting out a nervous laugh. Peeta noticed the shift, his expression softening — same smile but still raised brows.
“What?”
Katniss swallowed. “I haven’t had sex in five years, Peeta. Not months.”
Peeta had just taken a sip of his beer when she said it. He spit it out to the side, stunned.
“What? Five years? How? No way.”
Katniss covered her face with both hands, laughing in pure embarrassment. “Yeah—yes, okay? Stop looking at me like that.”
“No-no, I’m—not judging,” he said, recovering. “It’s just—wow. That’s very hard to believe.”
Katniss nodded, laughing but just as nervous as before. Peeta stayed quiet, leaning back against the couch, his gaze fixed on her. He didn’t say anything, but his eyes were soft. And a little —no, very— intense. She could feel the air between them grow heavier, so she leaned forward, trying to change the subject fast.
“Why did you guys break up? You and Delly.”
Peeta looked down at the bottle in his hands, picking at the label with his thumb.
“I don’t know,” he said after a pause, shoulders lifting slightly. “It’s… complicated.”
“How complicated?” Katniss pressed, her brow creasing just a bit.
Peeta exhaled through his nose, still not looking at her.
“We broke up because of you.”
Katniss felt something shoot up from her stomach to her chest. She wasn’t sure if it was the three beers she’d had or Peeta’s words, but suddenly her whole body felt warm, and it was hard to breathe normally.
“What?” she managed to say.
Peeta ran a hand through his hair, visibly nervous.
“Yeah. Um—you’ve always been kind of a topic between us,” he admitted. “Since the very beginning.”
Katniss stared at him, speechless. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.
“W-why—why?” she stammered.
Peeta finally looked up, meeting her eyes.
“Because she was jealous. Since the day she met you,” he said quietly, swallowing hard. “She’s always been jealous of you.”
Katniss didn’t move. Her hands felt hot, her face hot, her whole body felt hot. Her thoughts were spinning, but her body stayed still. All she could do was look at Peeta. They were sitting across from each other on the couch, knees nearly touching.
He didn’t look even slightly sorry for what he’d said.
“Why?” she asked again, her voice softer this time.
“Come on, Katniss,” Peeta said with a small laugh, his blue eyes steady on hers. “You’re the most incredible woman anyone could ever meet. You have an effect on people, it’d be crazy not to be jealous of you. Even I’m jealous—you’re just… perfect.”
Katniss couldn’t take it anymore.
She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his — hard.
Peeta’s eyes widened in shock, completely caught off guard, no chance to react before she suddenly realized what she’d done and pulled away as fast as she could.
“Oh my God, Peeta,” she said, her voice high and trembling. “I am so sorry—I don’t know what came over me, just—forget it, please—”
Peeta didn’t hear anymore. He closed the gap between them, his hand wrapping around her neck as he pulled her lips against him. Their mouths crashed together in a kiss that was fiercer, more desperate. And why wouldn't it be? They'd both been aching to taste each other almost from the moment they met nine years ago, but neither had ever mustered the courage to make the first move.
Peeta's hands slid down to her waist, drawing her forward until Katniss was straddling his lap, their hips grinding together. She clutched at his shirt, yanking him closer, her body instinctively rocking forward. The pressure of their bodies rubbing sent a moan escaping her lips against his neck as she felt his hardness pressing up beneath her.
Peeta's fingers traced the full length of Katniss's back, dipping lower to grip her hips and press her even tighter against him. Katniss could hardly believe the rush of sensations overwhelming her; it was beyond mere pleasure — kissing him alone felt better than any sex she'd ever experienced. Peeta slipped his hands under her shirt, fingers finding the clasp of her bra. Katniss pulled back from the kiss just enough to nod, giving him the go-ahead to unhook it. He didn't hesitate, fumbling with trembling hands until it came free. She shrugged the straps down her arms and slipped the bra out from under her shirt, and he eagerly grabbed the hem, yanking the shirt over her head in one swift motion. They were both starved for this, more than just sex — they craved each other completely.
Peeta was dying to see her, to touch her. When her breasts finally came into view, words failed him; she was stunning, infinitely better than in all those lonely nights he'd fantasized about her. Her nipples were already stiff, and he couldn't resist. He placed a hand on the small of her back, pulling her closer as he captured one in his mouth. He sucked hard, his tongue swirling around the sensitive peak while his other hand kneaded her opposite breast, pinching the nipple between his fingers. Katniss threw her head back with a loud moan she couldn't hold in any longer. Pleasure shot through her entire body, urging her hips to grind more urgently against Peeta's rigid center. He growled against her skin and switched sides, latching onto the other nipple with equal need. Katniss threaded her fingers through his hair, tugging gently to keep him there as her body arched into him.
"Get up," he commanded.
They both stood, hurriedly shedding their pants. Katniss was about to slide off her panties when she caught sight of him — his thick length standing proud before her.
"You're so—" She couldn't finish, just swallowed hard. Peeta gave a nervous smile and leaned in for a quick kiss, which spurred her to finish stripping. As her panties came down, Peeta couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle at the sight. The front read 'Wednesday,' even though it was Friday. It made him grin widely — that was so Katniss. "I didn't know I was going to have sex today," she said, her cheeks flushing bright red. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have worn these. Next time, I promise."
Hearing her say that made his cock twitch and harden even more. Once they were both fully naked, he gazed at her with pure adoration.
"You're so beautiful," he rasped, his voice thick. "I can't believe this is real."
Katniss blushed even more —if it was possible— and leaned in to kiss him again. Peeta sank back onto the couch, this time reclining fully and stretching out his arms to draw her in. She was about to lower herself onto him when Peeta shook his head, stopping her.
“I want you here,” he said, pointing to his face. Katniss furrowed her brow slightly, not quite grasping it at first, but her heart pounded harder than ever. “I want you to sit on my face,” Peeta clarified, his voice low and husky. “I need to taste all of you.”
His words sent a shiver through her. She obeyed, climbing onto the couch carefully. She straddled his face, knees on either side of his head, fully exposed and already slick from their earlier kisses. Peeta looked up at her, his blue eyes gleaming with raw hunger and gripped her hips to guide her down. When his lips brushed the sensitive skin of her inner thighs, Katniss gasped, clutching the back of the couch with one hand. He started slow, pressing kisses along her thighs, his tongue gliding over the soft flesh until he reached her core, parting her legs wider to fully reveal her to him.
Katniss moaned loudly, not caring about anything else — the pleasure was too overwhelming to hold back. Peeta devoured her with devotion, sucking on every fold. When he found her clit and circled it with the tip of his tongue in tight little swirls, she arched above him.
“Peeta, oh—oh God,” she whispered, her hips instinctively bucking to press harder against his mouth.
He growled in response, his hands tightening on her thighs. He plunged his tongue into her entrance, savoring every flutter of her inner walls. Katniss rocked atop his face, grinding herself against his lips and the tip of his nose, lost in the every feeling. Her moans grew louder as the orgasm built inside her. Then she tensed, her thighs quivering around his head. Peeta sucked harder on her clit while sliding two fingers into her, curling them to hit that spot deep within. Katniss cried out, her climax crashing over her.
Peeta held her steady, planting soft kisses on her thighs as she caught her breath, but he didn't wait long. She was startled when he grabbed her waist and flipped her over, positioning her beneath him. Katniss's back sank into the couch cushions, her body still trembling from the release. He settled over her, harder than ever, but his expression faltered for a moment as he remembered he didn't have condoms. He frowned, pausing.
“Wait... I don't have protection," he said, “doubt it, but you have a condom?”
Katniss rolled her eyes but then she reached up to stroke his cheek, her gray eyes sparkling.
“I'm on birth control,” she assured him, “so it's fine. Just—don’t come inside.”
The words eased his worry, and he leaned down for a deep kiss. Having tasted her, he'd never get enough.
Peeta positioned himself between her thighs and guided his cock to her entrance, rubbing the tip against her swollen lips to coat it in her wetness. Slowly, he pushed forward, easing just the head in first. Katniss gasped, feeling a slight burn at the start; it had been a while for her, and the stretch from his thick shaft was intense.
“Peeta…” she moaned, digging her nails into his shoulders. He paused for a second, kissing her forehead.
“Are you okay?” he asked, concern lacing his voice.
She nodded, biting her lip.
“Yes, keep going,” she said, “I need you inside me.”
Peeta pushed forward slowly, inch by inch, until he was fully sheathed inside her. His cock sank into the heat of her core and Katniss arched her back as she felt him completely, a moan escaping her lips while she adjusted to the fullness, the initial burn melting into pure pleasure. Peeta began to thrust with slow but deep strokes, pulling almost all the way out before driving back in, feeling every contraction of her walls gripping his length.
“You're so—you feel—oh, amazing,” he growled against her mouth, capturing her lips in a fierce kiss. She moaned into his mouth, the sound vibrating between them as her hips rose to meet his.
“You can go faster—faster, if you want,” she pleaded, breaking the kiss for a moment. He obeyed, picking up the pace. His hips slammed against hers, faster with each thrust, hitting that sensitive spot inside her every time. Katniss moaned uncontrollably against his lips, their kisses were broken and wet, tongues brushing as the pleasure built. “Yes, like that—oh, fuck,” she wrapped her legs around his waist to deepen the penetration, lifting her hips slightly, “faster, Peeta, please.”
Peeta complied, and in the process, he slid a hand between their bodies, his fingers finding her sensitive clit. He rubbed it in circles, syncing the motions with his increasingly powerful thrusts. The couch creaked beneath them, the sounds of their ragged breaths and moans filling the room.
“I want to see you come again,” he murmured, his voice rough with effort, “I want to feel you.”
Her moans turned into choked cries against his mouth as the orgasm hit her again. Her walls clenched around his cock, making her tremble all over. Seeing her like that pushed him to the edge.
“I can’t hold it—I'm gonna come,” he grunted, pulling out of her with a sudden jerk just in time. His cock pulsed, shooting his load across Katniss's abdomen. She reached up to caress his face as he panted, collapsing beside her on the couch, their bodies pressed together in the afterglow of their finally consummated union. After a few moments of heavy breathing, she finally spoke.
“That was…”
“Amazing,” Peeta added. Katniss smiled and planted a quick kiss on his nose.
Clothes were scattered across the floor, the lights low, and the night perfect. Peeta’s hand brushed through her hair, and Katniss felt at peace, as if this was where she had always belonged and never wanted to move again.
Then the doorbell rang. Katniss shot upright, jumping off the couch.
“Shit. Sophie’s home. No way.”
Peeta checked his phone on the table. “It’s only nine ten.”
Katniss was already gathering her clothes in a panic. “Doesn’t matter. Get dressed. Now!”
Peeta didn’t argue. They both dressed as fast as they’d undressed. Katniss tried to smooth her hair with her fingers, and when she looked halfway presentable, she took a breath, forced a smile, and opened the door.
But when she saw who was standing on the other side, she froze completely.
“Gale.”
He smiled, casual as ever, a huge bouquet of flowers in his hands.
“Hey, Katniss.”
She didn’t know what to say. She felt embarrassed — not for him, but for Peeta. The last thing she wanted was this.
“What are you doing here?” she snapped, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.
Gale opened his mouth to answer, but Peeta appeared in the hallway, zipping up his jacket. Katniss felt her heart leap into her throat just as Gale spoke.
“Oh, hey. I’m Gale—Sophie’s father.”
Katniss turned her head slightly toward Peeta, searching his face for any sign of what he was feeling, but she couldn’t read him. His expression was neutral. Was he mad? Confused? Hurt? Peeta pressed his lips together, extended his hand.
“Peeta Mellark, friend—of Katniss.” The handshake was brief, almost cold. Then he added, “I was just leaving. Enjoy your night. See you, Katniss.”
He grabbed his keys from the table next to the door and headed outside. Katniss didn’t think — she followed, pushing Gale’s shoulder as she passed.
“Peeta, wait. We need to talk.”
He paused for half a second.
“Don’t worry about it, Katniss,” he said flatly. “We’ll talk later.”
Then he kept walking. She stood there, rooted to the ground, watching as he got into his car, shut the door and drove away.
When Peeta got home, he slammed the door behind him and stood there for a moment, forehead pressed against the wood, breathing hard. He felt tangled, knotted up in a mess of emotions he couldn’t even name.
He had crossed the line. That invisible, unspoken boundary he’d built between them for years — he’d broken it. And even if he didn’t regret it, even if what had happened that night with her had been the most real, intimate, and perfect thing he’d ever experienced, he knew he’d stepped into something that didn’t belong to him: Katniss’s family.
He dropped onto the couch and stared at the ceiling, chest tight.
Of course it was about Gale. Peeta had spent years convincing himself it didn’t matter — that Katniss didn’t love him anymore, that there was no place for him in her life. But all it took was one moment, one doorbell, for that idiot to show up again as if he had every right to. And the worst part? To everyone else, he did. The man was perfect — how could Peeta compete with him? He was Sophie’s father. Katniss’s first love. They had a past, a family.
Peeta shut his eyes, frustrated. He wanted to hit him. For everything he had ever put Katniss and Sophie through, for everything he’d done and everything he hadn’t, and for showing up right when Peeta had finally let himself believe that things between him and Katniss were about to change. He’d imagined that moment with her a thousand times. What he hadn’t imagined was Gale standing at her door right after. It wrecked him. Broke him. But more than anything, it made him question if he was the one who was ruining something, taking a place that was never his to take.
He grabbed a beer from the fridge and sank back onto the couch without even bothering to turn the lights on. He took a long sip from the bottle, eyes closed, head resting against the back of the couch. He didn’t want to think anymore, but his mind wouldn’t stop. It didn’t give him a single second of peace. All he could think about was her — her kisses, her body, the sounds she made, the way she felt against him.
And then —thank God— his thoughts were cut short by a knock at the door. He didn’t move at first. He wanted to pretend he wasn’t there, but deep down, he knew exactly who it was. Forcing himself to stand, he walked to the door and opened it.
There she was.
Katniss. Hair loose and a little messy, face tense, wearing that old sweatshirt she always wore when she needed comfort. Her gray eyes were filled with stress, and Peeta felt the blow in his chest before she even said a word. She didn’t wait for an invitation — just stepped inside.
“We need to talk,” she said, closing the door behind her. “The flowers—”
“I know,” he cut in quietly. “But let me talk first.”
Peeta pressed his lips together and looked down for a second, taking a deep breath before meeting her eyes again. She didn’t say anything — just crossed her arms tightly around herself. He swallowed hard and forced the words out before he lost his nerve.
“That was a mistake,” he said flatly. “It can’t happen again.”
Katniss blinked quickly, her expression shifting from confusion to something far worse — pure sadness. Her whole body seemed to tense; for a moment, she didn’t seem to know what to do with her hands, her gaze, or her words.
“What?” she whispered, so quietly that Peeta barely heard it.
His stomach twisted painfully. He swallowed, keeping his eyes down for a moment before forcing himself to look at her again.
“Katniss, I…” he inhaled deeply, steadying his voice. “I don’t want to ruin your chance to fix your family.”
She scowled, confused, but he didn’t give her space to respond. He had to finish.
“Sophie deserves to have her father around. And if you have that chance,” he said, each word feeling like it scraped his throat, “to fix things with him—to be together, to be happy, to give her that, then you should take it. I am willing to forget what happened today.”
Saying it felt like tearing something out of himself. But he couldn’t take it back now. Katniss lowered her gaze, breathing deeply. When she finally lifted her head again, Peeta saw it: her eyes shining with unshed tears. The knot in his throat tightened until it hurt. He couldn’t stand it. This wasn’t what he wanted, but it was what he thought was right — for her, for Sophie.
“Is that what you really want?” she asked, voice trembling.
Peeta held her gaze for a long second.
“It’s what I want,” he lied.
Katniss nodded slowly.
“And what happens to our friendship now?” she asked, barely above a whisper.
He had no idea how to answer without giving himself away.
“We can still be friends,” Peeta said quietly.
Katniss took a while to answer. She stayed silent, staring at the floor; the only thing Peeta could see was the rise and fall of her chest. Finally, she nodded. When she spoke, her voice was barely there.
“I should go. Sophie got home a while ago and—well, I need to get back.”
He nodded, unable to say anything else. He followed her to the door in silence, keeping a careful distance between them. Katniss didn’t look back. She just opened the door and stepped out, closing it softly behind her.
Peeta stood there for a few seconds, staring at the closed door. Then he walked back to the couch and downed the rest of his beer in one swallow. Then another. And another. And another. Each time he lifted the bottle, the same thought echoed in his head: It’s time to let her go. I’m doing the right thing. I’m doing this for Sophie. Because no matter how much he loved that girl like his own daughter, Sophie deserved to have her real father around.
But if there was one thing Peeta Mellark knew, one thing he was absolutely certain of, it was that he loved them both more than Gale ever could.
It had been three months since that night. The one that still kept her awake, replaying how everything had changed with a single impulse.
Since then, things with Peeta were… different. Not even in the very beginning of their friendship, when they were practically strangers, had things felt like this. Now there were no jokes, no long talks, no weekly dinners, no movie nights. Just silence, distance and hurt. Some days, Peeta couldn’t even look her in the eye—but only her. With Sophie, he was the same as ever: gentle and endlessly kind. And that, more than anything, broke Katniss’s heart a little more every day.
She regretted it —well, not that part, that part had been mind-blowing—, she regretted not thinking about what would come after. About not being brave enough to throw Gale out and talk to Peeta about what had really happened. That night hadn’t brought her clarity — it had only filled her with sadness.
The worst part was that Katniss didn’t even understand why Peeta had reacted the way he did. He’d obviously thought those flowers Gale was holding were for her, but they weren’t. They were for Sophie, a clumsy attempt to get closer to his daughter, congratulating her for making the honor roll at Chilton. Gale was more present now in Sophie’s life — but not in hers. Katniss hadn’t thought of Gale as anything other than Sophie’s biological father in years.
But she hadn’t been able to explain that to Peeta.
Maybe he’d pulled away because he cared about her too much, or because he didn’t, at least not in the same way she cared for him. Maybe crossing that line had only been curiosity, desire, the need to finally release years of sexual tension and see what it felt like. Maybe it hadn’t been what he imagined. Maybe he didn’t even like it that much. And Katniss couldn’t blame him; she was out of practice, her body wasn’t what it used to be. Her fears were too many. Maybe she hadn’t done it right. Maybe she hadn’t been enough for him. Maybe he thought that was all she had to give.
Now she just felt worse and very insecure, because in the end, beyond the physical, what truly hurt was losing Peeta as a friend.
No matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, she couldn’t find a real reason for him to have pulled away… because the one Peeta had given her was so stupidly obvious it didn’t even count.
I don’t want to ruin your chance to fix your family.
What family? she thought bitterly. She already had a family, she had one for years, long before Gale came back into their lives.
Katniss had done everything she could to stop thinking about Peeta. She threw herself into her work at the Inn, and finally, things were starting to happen. She’d found the perfect place to open her own at a surprisingly good price. The dream that had once felt impossible was becoming real. Even better, she wasn’t doing it alone — she’d gone into business with Madge, her coworker and one of the few people she truly trusted. They’d signed the papers just a few days ago, and construction was set to start the following week.
And if there was one thing besides her daughter that made her smile, it was her graduation. After years of effort, of long pauses, of sacrifices, of studying with Sophie asleep beside her, she was finally getting her college degree that Sunday.
Now she was on her way to Lily’s house, where Sophie had spent the night. The plan was to pick her up, then drive to Hartford to shop for dresses for the ceremony. When Sophie climbed into the car, Katniss leaned over and kissed her cheek, smiling wide.
“Ready?” Katniss asked, turning toward her daughter as she started the car.
Sophie nodded, but before she could say anything else, she scowled — a gesture she’d clearly inherited from her mother.
“Yeah—but can we stop at Peeta’s first? I can’t find my history book and I’m pretty sure I left it there yesterday when I went for lunch with Sam.”
The mention of Peeta’s name sent a small ripple through Katniss’s stomach, but she kept her composure and nodded.
“Of course,” she said, steering the car toward the café.
When they arrived, Katniss shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and glanced around, searching for that familiar blond head — but he wasn’t there. Only Rye stood behind the counter, drying glasses with a towel.
“Rye! Did you see my history book? I think I left it here yesterday,” Sophie called out.
Rye looked up and nodded.
“Yeah, Peeta took it upstairs. Go grab it, it should be in the apartment.”
Sophie darted off toward the stairs, leaving Katniss alone. She sat on one of the stools by the counter, not entirely comfortable but trying not to seem too obvious about it. Crossing one leg over the other, she leaned her elbows on the counter and watched Rye work. For a few seconds there was silence. Then, nervously, she lowered her eyes to the countertop and asked.
“Do you know if… Peeta’s coming to my graduation?”
Rye lifted a brow, and gave her a side smile.
“Why don’t you ask him yourself?”
Katniss rolled her eyes, fighting the urge to sigh.
“Oh, sure, um—yeah, I’ll do that.”
Only if I wanted him to stay three kilometers away from me, she thought.
Rye didn’t answer, just went back to drying another glass. Peeta already knew she was graduating — it had been something they’d talked about long before they ruined everything. By having sex. And yes, he knew it was this Sunday; Sophie had mentioned it more than once when she’d dropped by the diner. It wasn’t exactly a secret.
“Everything okay between you two?” Rye finally asked, setting the clean glasses in their place.
Katniss felt the heat rise to her cheeks and clasped her hands tightly between her knees. She forced a small casual smile.
“Yeah, yeah. Everything’s fine.”
“Oh,” Rye said, skeptical. “It’s just that I haven’t seen you guys spending much time together lately.”
Katniss forced herself to stay composed.
“We’ve just been busy,” she said, shrugging lightly. “You know, with the Inn and—everything.”
To be honest, she had no idea what Peeta’s been doing the past three months.
Sunday arrived. The day was bright and warm, the campus decorated with green and gold ribbons — the university’s colors. Katniss stood in line with the other graduates, the green gown draped over her new blue dress, the cap sitting neatly atop her loose hair and a knot in her stomach that refused to ease.
Madge was there, and right beside her, Sophie. She repeated to herself, over and over, that this was enough — that she didn’t need anyone else, that she couldn’t have everything, and that was okay.
She adjusted her cap again, clasping her hands together in front of her to keep them from trembling. Her heart was pounding; she’d never liked being the center of attention, and now that she was about to walk across that stage, her nerves were on edge.
“Trevor Evans,” the announcer called.
The applause began to swell as the boy in front of her walked across the stage. Katniss felt her legs trembling, her name was next. Her breathing quickened, but she forced herself to inhale and exhale slowly. This was it, the last step to close a chapter that had taken her years of sacrifices, work, and tears.
“Katniss Everdeen.”
The moment her name was called, Katniss felt her heart leap to her throat. She forced a smile as she walked up the steps to the stage, her cap slightly loose despite having adjusted it a hundred times. She looked out into the crowd, ready to find only Sophie and Madge… but she froze.
Peeta was there. Right beside her daughter.
Her eyes widened in surprise, and her lips curved into a smile, one filled with raw emotion and vulnerability. A knot formed in her throat, and she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. When their eyes met, the emotion hit her all at once. Her vision blurred — she blinked fast to keep the tears at bay, her trembling smile widening as her chest filled with warmth.
Peeta didn’t need words, his expression said everything: pride and nostalgia. He was clapping hard, the sound loud even from where she stood, and beside him, Sophie was jumping up and down, wrapping one arm around Peeta and the other around Madge, shouting “Mom!” over and over. That was it — Katniss’s heart completely gave in.
She smiled through the blur of tears, moving the tassel on her cap to the other side. Taking her diploma, she stepped down from the stage and rejoined her classmates, the applause still echoing around the hall.
Minutes later, hundreds of caps flew into the air. Katniss laughed as she hugged her classmates — she’d done it. She was finally a graduate.
When the ceremony ended, she made her way through the crowd, still a little dazed, until she saw Sophie running toward her. Katniss barley had time to adjust herself when she catch her, pulling her into a tight hug. She closed her eyes, silently thanking every force in the universe for letting her have her daughter by her side on this day. Sophie said she was so proud, so happy, and Katniss couldn’t stop smiling, or blinking fast to keep from crying.
Then she turned to Madge, who hugged her so hard her feet nearly left the ground. But when Katniss looked past her and met Peeta’s eyes, the air caught in her throat. She didn’t think twice, she walked straight toward him and wrapped her arms around him. Peeta pulled her close immediately, his arms circling her waist. Katniss tried to relax —and tried not to think about the last time they’d been this close— as she buried her face in his shoulder. He leaned down slightly, his voice a low murmur against her ear.
“I’ve missed you so much.” Katniss closed her eyes as she heard him, then Peeta added softly. “Congratulations. I’m so proud of you.”
Her eyes stung, and she fought to hold it together. Without pulling away, she whispered back, “Thank you for being here.”
Peeta didn’t hesitate.
“Always.”
“No, Peeta! It’s not going to fit through the door,” Sophie said, arms crossed. “Mom, tell him.”
Katniss rolled her eyes, laughing. “The kid’s right.”
Peeta dropped the mattress in defeat.
“Then you’ll have to help me, Katniss,” he complained.
Katniss placed a hand dramatically over her chest.
“That’s supposed to be your job,” she said, stepping closer and poking a finger at his chest. “You came here to carry the heavy stuff.”
Peeta leaned the mattress against the doorway, exhaling hard. The summer weather in New Haven didn’t help, nor did the fact that this was the fourth time he’d gone up those stairs carrying big boxes. But if Sophie needed help moving in, he was going to be there. He adjusted his grip and pushed again, but it was still stuck in the doorframe.
“Seriously?” he muttered, giving it another shove.
From inside the room, Katniss appeared again, peeking around the side of the mattress with an amused look.
“Sophie already told you—you’re pushing from the wrong angle.”
“I’m pushing with what’s left of my strength,” he said breathlessly, but managed a small smile.
She stepped closer, one hand on the doorframe and the other on the edge of the mattress.
“Look,” she said, shifting the base slightly to the side. “If you turn it like this, and then push up just a little…”
Peeta followed her directions. His arms burned from everything he’d carried that day, but as soon as he adjusted the angle, the mattress finally slid into the room.
“There it is!” Katniss exclaimed.
“You’re kidding… it was that easy?” he said, frowning.
“Apparently not for you,” she teased, giving his shoulder a quick pat.
Peeta let out a tired breath but couldn’t help smiling. The mattress was in, Sophie was officially moved into Yale — or almost. Him and Katniss still had to make another trip to Stars Hollow to bring more clothes. He leaned against the wall, watching Katniss tuck in the sheets while Sophie moved boxes of books around. For just a moment, he looked at Katniss with that familiar weight in his chest, the kind of nostalgia that never really went away. Sometimes he thought he’d finally gotten over her, but days like this reminded him he never would.
“Let’s go, Peeta,” Katniss said once the bed was made. “We still have one more trip before dark.”
He nodded, and after saying goodbye to Sophie saying they’d see her later, they left the dorm and headed toward Peeta’s truck. For a while, neither of them spoke. The silence filled the cabin until Peeta finally broke it.
“I can’t believe Sophie’s in college,” he said quietly.
“Trust me,” Katniss sighed, “neither can I.”
“I still remember that little girl who used to draw pictures and stick them on the counter,” he said, a nostalgic smile tugging at his lips. “Honestly, it makes me… emotional.”
Peeta kept his eyes on the road until he heard a couple of soft sobs beside him. Worried, he immediately pulled over to the side.
“Katniss…” he said softly.
She had her hands covering her face, her shoulders rising and falling with each sob. Peeta swallowed, his fingers trembling on the steering wheel, unsure what to do. Finally, Katniss spoke — her voice breaking through the tears but still gentle.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, still hiding behind her hands. “It’s just… I don’t know, everything hit me all at once.”
Peeta turned toward her, resting one elbow on the back of his seat. He kept a careful distance, but his attention was completely on her.
“It’s just…” Katniss quickly wiped her cheeks and let out a shaky breath. “It feels so real now, you know? Sophie’s growing up so fast. She’s going to stay there. She won’t be sleeping at home every night, I won’t be making her breakfast before school anymore—” she let out a small, broken laugh “—even if it was just a pop tart and some folded-up bills.”
Peeta chuckled under his breath, but his chest felt heavy.
“You’re doing exactly what any mom who loves her daughter more than anything would do,” he said. “It’s normal. And you don’t need to apologize for that.”
She looked at him for the first time, her gray eyes rimmed red with tears.
“I just—I don’t think I was ready,” she confessed, her voice trembling. “I raised her for this, to be strong and independent, but no one prepared me for when she wouldn’t need me the same way anymore.”
Peeta exhaled slowly. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn’t know how. Should he touch her shoulder, her arm, her hand? Every option felt too risky, like any wrong move could undo all the fragile rebuilding they’d managed after everything. Still, watching her break like that — he couldn’t just sit there and do nothing.
“She’s always going to need you,” he said softly. “Just… in different ways.”
Katniss lowered her gaze, swallowing hard, then nodded silently.
Peeta took a deep breath. Then he unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned toward her, wrapping an arm gently around her shoulders. Katniss didn’t resist—she let herself sink into him, her body curling against his chest. The moment her head rested over his heart, she started crying again.
Peeta closed his eyes and held her tighter, his thumb tracing slow circles along her arm while his other hand rested firmly against her back. He didn’t say a word, but he knew. He was going to be there, for as long as she needed him. Without thinking, he lowered his head and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her hair, breathing in the familiar scent of lavender. God, he loved her so much.
When Katniss finally pulled back, their faces stayed just inches apart. Peeta lost himself for a second in her gray eyes — now red and teary, yet still so beautiful. He swallowed hard, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he tried to ease the tension.
“I just realized you weren’t wearing your seatbelt,” he said quietly.
Katniss let out a tearful laugh, lowering her gaze.
“Oops,” she murmured, sliding back into her seat.
She buckled up this time, and Peeta turned back toward the wheel, starting the truck again. A few minutes passed in silence before Katniss looked over at him.
“Thank you, Peeta,” she said softly. “For this—for always being there for us, for everything.”
Peeta didn’t answer. He only tightened his grip on the steering wheel and swallowed hard. Because what he really wanted to say was, I want to be there for you, for the both of you, for the rest of my life. But he didn’t. It wasn’t his place.
So instead, he just smiled faintly and gave her a quick glance before turning his eyes back to the road.
Katniss was at the inn, taking notes and double-checking the final details. She paced back and forth with her notebook in hand, marking suppliers, confirming that every delivery had arrived, making sure all the lightbulbs worked. The place was still a mess, but almost ready. Just one more week until the official opening, but the inauguration party was tomorrow, and it had her completely on edge — especially now that Madge couldn’t help. She had her own chaos to deal with: in less than twenty-four hours, she and Rye would be getting married.
Since Katniss was one of the bridesmaids and Peeta was the best man, they’d decided to go together to the wedding, as friends. Of course, they’d always been friends, right? Despite everything that had happened, somehow they’d managed to rebuild themselves, to reach a point where things felt steady again.
They had dinner together, went to town fairs, took long walks through the streets, spend the holidays together. He helped her with everything related to the Inn, sometimes their arms brushed, their shoulders bumped while joking around, the kind of brief contact both could handle. It felt almost like before — the only things they still avoided were spending too much time alone at each other’s houses, drinking alone, and definitely watching movies. Katniss didn’t know how to do any of that without remembering that night — the one they never spoke of again, both keeping it buried deep.
When Peeta had asked if she was sure it wouldn’t cause problems for her if they went to the wedding together, Katniss had gone blank for a moment. Why would it? With who? she’d thought. She’d only shrugged and told him everything was fine.
Besides, if anyone got into trouble, it would probably be him. Even if he hadn’t told her straight to her face, Katniss knew Peeta was seeing other women now. Small towns didn’t keep secrets. And no matter how hard she tried to push the thought away, she couldn’t help it — she envied them. She envied every woman who got to kiss Peeta, to feel his hands, to hear his laugh up close. She envied the ones who got to touch him, to be held by him, to feel what she had once felt during that almost perfect night. The thought of someone else moaning his name with the same urgency she once had made her blood boil. But what could she do?
They were just friends.
The next day, Peeta arrived an hour before the party. Katniss opened the door already dressed, wearing a deep red-colored dress that fit her perfectly, her hair loose in soft waves and just a light touch of makeup. She smiled nervously when she saw him standing there on her porch, his blond curls combed back, wearing a dark blue suit that somehow made him look taller and utterly impossible to resist.
When she stepped closer to greet him, Peeta leaned in and brushed a kiss against her cheek. Katniss caught his scent, that familiar, warm, masculine one that made her knees weak. As she pulled back slightly, she felt her insides grow warm.
“You look—” he paused, swallowing before smiling softly “—beautiful. You are beautiful.”
Katniss lowered her gaze, trying to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks.
“Thanks,” she said quietly.
Peeta rounded the car and opened the passenger door for her. Katniss climbed in with a smile she tried to control but couldn’t. He shut the door gently and walked around to the driver’s side. They headed toward the church, Katniss ready to see her friend get married… while trying to ignore the whirlwind of feelings twisting inside her every time she looked at him.
Three hours later, Madge and Rye were officially husband and wife. The ceremony had been touching, filled with all their friends from Stars Hollow, many of them crying discreetly, or not so, in Effie’s —from the town council— case. Madge had looked breathtaking walking down the aisle in her white elegant gown.
Now, at her parents’ garden, the reception was the kind of party would be remembered for years. Lanterns hung between the trees, intertwined with garlands of flowers and dried leaves. Small pumpkins and blooms in shades of orange and brown decorated the tables. Since it was mid-October, Madge had chosen an autumn-themed wedding. There was a long table full of appetizers she’d made herself, and a live band filled the cool evening air with cheerful music. Peeta and Rye had handled all the desserts — including the three-tier wedding cake, ivory-colored and adorned with orange and brown flowers.
Katniss felt a twinge of sadness that Sophie couldn’t make it, but her daughter had to study for if she wanted to attend the Inn’s opening the next day.
After hours of helping with coordination and serving, Katniss finally collapsed into one of the round tables near the dance floor. She slipped off her heels under the table and rubbed her aching ankles, letting out a long sigh. A few minutes later, Peeta appeared with two glasses of something she didn’t recognize. He handed her one before sitting beside her.
“Thanks,” Katniss said, taking a sip and wrinkling her nose slightly at the taste. Whiskey and soda.
“Finally sitting down,” Peeta teased, taking a sip of his own drink.
Katniss let out a soft laugh.
“These heels are killing me, even if it doesn’t seem like it,” she said, slipping on the pair of slippers Madge had given as souvenirs.
After a few moments sitting quietly, Katniss noticed Peeta’s distant expression.
“Hey,” she said gently, leaning a little closer and resting her hand on his arm, “you okay?”
Peeta blinked, like he’d just come out of a trance, then nodded with a faint smile.
“Yeah, yeah… just a little sad. But not in a bad way,” he added quickly, “just—look at them.”
He nodded toward the garden, where Madge and Rye were smearing cupcakes on each other’s faces, laughing, very much in love. Katniss followed his gaze and smiled too, though there was a slight ache in her chest.
“I never thought Rye would settle down,” Peeta said with a small laugh, “and now here I am, at his wedding,” he let out a sight. “I never thought I’d say this, but—that’s all I really want. Someone who loves me like Madge loves him and he loves Madge.”
Katniss’s heart tightened.
She could tell him that she loved him like that — maybe even more than Madge and Rye loved each other. That she had loved him that way for years, that no one had ever made her feel so safe, so seen, so completely understood. But she wouldn’t say it. She was certain Peeta didn’t feel the same, and as much as it broke her, she knew that someday soon he’d find someone who truly loved him. Someone better for him.
But Katniss, being emotionally evasive as always, only looked down to hide the expression on her face. When she finally lifted her eyes again, Peeta cleared his throat and smiled, a little awkwardly.
“Uh… want to grab more food? Yours is probably cold by now, and the weather’s not helping,” he said.
Even though Katniss couldn’t bring herself to answer his earlier words, even though she knew they could never be anything, she wanted to feel him close just one more time before he eventually settled down with one of those women he’d been seeing lately. She couldn’t kiss him, couldn’t touch him the way she wanted to —that had been a mistake, she knew it now— but maybe… maybe she could still have him near, just for a little moment.
“How about we… dance instead?” she asked softly.
Peeta raised an eyebrow, but didn’t argue. He stood and extended his hand toward her with a gentle smile.
Katniss took it and together they walked to the dance floor. A soft piano melody filled the garden. Once near the center, Katniss looped her arms around his neck. Peeta hesitated for a moment before resting his hands lightly on her waist. The moment his touch met her skin through the thin fabric, a shiver ran through her.
They began to sway, slow and a little clumsy at first, but perfectly in sync. The rest of the world blurred away. Katniss felt her heart climbing to her throat; she couldn’t stop looking into his eyes — so blue, so intense she almost thought she could see her reflection in them. She felt foolish for staring, and even more for wanting to kiss him so badly. Closing her eyes, she rested her head against his chest to escape his gaze, Peeta didn’t move away. They danced through that song, and then the next one, and another, and another. Katniss forgot her aching feet, forgot the world. There was only him, and her, there together.
When the music finally faded, they slowly pulled apart. Katniss looked up, meeting his eyes again. Peeta opened his mouth as if to say something, but shut it right away. Her chest tightened, her breath shallow from having him so close — his scent, his warmth, his hands still lingering at her waist.
Her eyes drifted down to his lips, red from the cold, and at that exact moment, Peeta wet them with his tongue. Katniss leaned in slightly, just enough for their noses to brush. What if…?
But she caught herself, forcing reality back into her lungs, and stepped away quickly.
“I have to go,” she said, not meeting his eyes.
“Let me drive you,” Peeta offered, but she shook her head, already stepping back. Each step widened the space between them until she disappeared into the crowd, leaving her heart pounding wildly in her chest.
When Katniss got home after walking for a while, she leaned against the door, breathing deeply. She was on the edge — seconds away from breaking down, from crying, and she didn’t want to, but she couldn’t hold it in anymore. The knot in her throat burned. Just as she was about to slide down to the floor, she heard footsteps and looked up sharply.
Sophie stood there in her pajamas, frowning, holding a book in her hands.
“Mom? Are you okay?” she asked, taking a few steps toward her.
Katniss straightened immediately, trying to compose herself, swallowing down the tears.
“Yeah,” she answered quickly. “What are you doing here? I thought—you weren’t supposed to get back until tomorrow.”
Before Sophie could answer, Katniss headed straight for the kitchen, poured herself a glass of water, and sat down at the table. Sophie followed, still eyeing her suspiciously and sat across from her, setting her book aside.
“I decided to come home early,” Sophie said. “I missed being here, so I figured I’d study at home instead.”
Katniss drank nearly the whole glass in one go, her daughter watching silently.
“Mom, you’re clearly not okay,” Sophie said, scowling even deeper—looking more and more like her mother. “You look like you’re—about to cry. What’s going on?”
Katniss stayed silent, staring at the table, but finally spoke.
“Peeta…” She instantly regretted saying his name. She didn’t feel right dumping her love life —if it could even be called that— on her daughter. But she couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Things with Peeta haven’t been right lately. I just… I don’t know, I think—”
“You’re in love with him?” Sophie cut in, grinning like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Katniss froze, blushing furiously.
“What? No. Of course not,” she said, way too fast.
Sophie rolled her eyes, the kind of dramatic, teenage disbelief that only she could pull off.
“Mom, please.”
Now Katniss frowned, but Sophie just tucked one leg onto her chair and went on.
“It’s so obvious. Not always, but at least since I’ve been old enough to understand relationships, yeah. It’s pretty obvious.”
Katniss’s eyes widened, her hand flying to her chest.
“What? No, it’s not,” she insisted, but her voice lacked conviction this time.
Sophie laughed, shaking her head.
“Mom, everyone thinks so. You have no idea how you look when you see him—or how your whole face changes when he calls. Or that time at graduation? You love him. Anyone paying attention could tell.”
Katniss lowered her gaze, her heart pounding so hard it almost hurt. She didn’t know what to say—what could she possibly say? Sophie reached out and placed her hand gently over her mother’s.
“And if it makes you feel any better… he does too.”
Katniss looked up sharply, scowling at her daughter, but Sophie only pressed her lips together before continuing.
“Peeta clearly loves you too. Why do you think none of his relationships have worked out in the last twelve years? Why do you think he’s never settled down with anyone, like Delly? Why do you think yours haven’t worked either?” She gave a soft laugh. “I mean, I don’t know much about your private life, and honestly, I don’t want to, but I can tell you this—no man has ever loved you the way Peeta has, all these years.”
Katniss swallowed hard and closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the weight of every time she’d tried to deny it — even to herself.
“It’s complicated, Soph,” she finally murmured. “It’s not that simple.”
Sophie smiled gently, her tone soft but certain.
“I know. But sometimes the right thing isn’t simple. Just think about it, okay?”
Katniss held one end of the red ribbon in front of the Forest Inn while Madge held the other. A countdown began among the gathered crowd, and when they finally cut it, applause filled the air.
“We did it!” Madge exclaimed with a radiant smile, throwing her arms around Katniss in a hug.
The place was everything Katniss had dreamed of for years.
The lobby wasn’t that big but it was warm and welcoming. A wooden wall stretched behind the reception desk, decorated with fresh flowers, and the room was filled with vintage lamps they’d found in antique shops all over the nearby areas. Sofas of every size, a bookshelf stacked with all kinds of books for guests to borrow, and like the lamps, candles scattered everywhere filling the air with a soft scent.
The restaurant tables were decorated with glass vases and napkins folded into different shapes — Sophie’s idea, of course, reminding Katniss of all the times her daughter had folded napkins at Mellark’s when she was little. The chairs didn’t match but were carefully chosen to give the place a cozy, lived-in charm. At the back was the kitchen, where Madge was currently losing her mind trying to finish the appetizers for the night. Between the three of them —Madge, Katniss, and Sophie— they’d be serving the guests themselves until the official staff started the following week.
Even Haymitch came, and sat at a table by the window so he could sneak a cigarette now and then, no matter how many times Katniss told him to step outside. Sophie walked around offering trays of food, Lily chatted happily with some friends, and even Gale was there — sitting with Effie and a few of the townsfolk.
Of course, Katniss didn’t invite him, Sophie did. It had been more than six months since she last saw his father, and as much as Katniss despised the man, Sophie still wanted to maintain some sort of relationship with her father and Katniss couldn’t deny her that. She didn’t understand it, though. Gale had barely been around lately, not since he started seeing someone.
And then there was Peeta.
When he walked in, Katniss froze for a bit. He wore a rolled-up white shirt that hugged his forearms just right, holding a cake box in one hand —made by him, obviously— and on top of it, a bouquet of flowers. He smiled at her as he approached, and she felt like her entire insides were melting. Peeta, however, acted as if nothing had happened the night before, as if they hadn’t been standing in the middle of the dance floor, about to kiss.
He set the cake and flowers on one of the tables, then pulled her into a quick hug before she could even react, congratulated her, and joined Rye for a drink. Katniss thanked him, pretending to stay calm, and after that, she did everything she could to ignore him, at least until the right moment.
Because this time, she wasn’t going to let him slip away. Not yet. This time, she was going to tell him everything. What she felt for him now, what she had truly felt that night, and what she’d been feeling for the last twelve years.
It was just a moment. It was, right? That’s what Peeta kept telling himself. The truth was, Katniss confused him more than anyone ever could — but one thing he was sure of, was that they had almost kissed.
He sat at one of the tables near the fireplace, where he could see most of the room without being in the center of it. But what he couldn’t stop himself from doing was watching her. Katniss looked… radiant. He could tell she was nervous, he knew her too well, but she also looked happy. And that alone made his chest tighten.
He had promised himself to keep his distance and act as if last night hadn’t happened. After all, the last time he’d distanced himself from her, after they’d slept together, it had nearly destroyed him. Being away from her wasn’t an option anymore. He couldn’t, not after all these years. Not after everything they’d been through. He couldn’t imagine a life without Katniss, or without Sophie.
So he’d done what he could: smiled, handed her the cake, gave her the flowers, congratulated her… and quietly stepped back.
Sophie had arrived soon after to his table, hugging him like always. She filled him in on everything: her new classes, how she’d joined the college newspaper, the stress of exams, her relationship with Sam, how much she missed Stars Hollow. She was growing into such a strong, bright young woman —even more— and he was so proud of her, proud in a way that made his heart ache, as if she were truly his daughter.
When Sophie went off to help in the kitchen, Peeta found himself alone again. He turned his attention to his phone until it died, then lifted his head to look for Rye and ask for a charger — that’s when he spotted Gale.
He rolled his eyes and tried to ignore him. He hates the man. Always had.
Peeta forced himself to keep his composure — what else could he do? Of course Gale would be here; he was Katniss’s partner, Sophie’s father, part of the family she’d built long before him. Still, it ached. Every time he saw him, that old, bitter jealousy twisted in his chest. He hated knowing Gale had a part of Katniss that he would never have. He hated that she had a child with him. Hated even looking at him. Hated imagining him touching her. Hated knowing he could never truly compete with him.
Peeta inhaled deeply, then exhaled, and fiddled with the edge of a napkin to calm himself. After a few moments, he stood up. He walked to the Inn’s main door, pushed it open, and stepped out onto the front garde , where the cold autumn air greeted him like a slap.
The sky was clear despite the cold, and the string lights wrapped around the trees shimmered softly in the dark. He spotted one of the benches under a tree and started toward it. He just needed a minute. To breathe, to clear his head, to get away before Katniss walks up and kisses Gale or something equally unbearable.
He was just about to sit down when a voice called from behind him.
“Peeta!”
He turned, scowling.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
Katniss jogged toward him, leaning forward with her hands on her thighs, trying to catch her breath.
“Oh God, I need to start working out again,” she said between laughs, “I can’t run twenty meters without feeling I might die.”
Peeta raised his eyebrows, but his expression softened when she finally straightened up and he met her gray eyes.
“Don’t go, Peeta,” Katniss said.
“I wasn’t?” he replied, his tone sharper than intended.
Katniss pressed her lips together.
“Oh, I just—um, you looked upset earlier, and… when you left, you slammed the door.”
Peeta blinked; he hadn’t even realized he’d done that.
“So I thought you were leaving,” she continued. “I was going to come after you, but Gale started talking to me—”
Peeta rolled his eyes hard, letting out a loud, frustrated sigh. He turned away from her and braced a hand against the nearest tree, his jaw tight.
“Peeta?” she asked softly.
“What?” he snapped.
Katniss’s eyes widened. He never raised his voice at her.
“I’m sorry, Katniss,” he said quickly, his voice breaking a little. “I—I don’t even know why the hell I’m so pissed. I just—I’m pissed that he’s here.”
Katniss opened her mouth, but he didn’t give her the chance to respond.
“I try not to be,” he went on, voice low but shaking. “God, I try. But it’s so fucking hard.” He exhaled roughly, then added, “And I’m sorry… for last night.”
“For… what exactly?” she asked carefully.
Peeta let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head.
“For almost kissing you.”
Her expression shifted, something flickering behind her eyes that he couldn’t quite read.
“You don’t have to be sorry for that,” she said quietly.
“Yes, I do!” he shot back—too loud, then softer, but just as raw. “You’re with him!”
This time, Katniss scowled, her chest rising and falling faster.
“Believe me, I’ve been trying so fucking hard not to care,” Peeta continued, his voice trembling between anger and heartbreak. “Not to care about you, not to love you—but fuck, Katniss, you make it impossible!”
Her eyes glistened, blinking rapidly. She pressed a hand against her chest.
“You—love me?” she whispered.
Peeta let out a broken laugh, almost disbelieving.
“You didn’t know? Please.” He dropped his gaze to the ground, shaking his head. “I probably loved you from the start. What else was I supposed to do? I thought it was obvious. You’re supposed to let your actions speak, right? That’s what I did!”
“You’re supposed to speak yourself!” Katniss yelled, her voice cracking.
“And why is that?” Peeta shouted back. “I did everything right! I tried to keep myself apart, not get involved in your life, or Sophie’s. I didn’t want to take a place that wasn’t mine, no matter how much I wanted to! I never wanted to replace her father—I just wanted to be there, to be with you two, to be your family!”
Peeta lowered his gaze, his voice breaking.
“Every time I thought I had finally gotten over you, you sneaked your way back into me again. Like a disease, all the fucking time. All I did was to think about you.”
He lifted his head, meeting Katniss’s stunned expression, but he couldn’t stop.
“When we—when we had sex, I was a fucking goner. I’ve been a goner since the first moment I saw you smile. I needed you so bad and… it seemed like you needed me too. ‘Things are going to be different from now on,’ I thought. But then Gale showed up—”
“Oh my God. Shut the fuck up, Peeta!” Katniss shouted, and now Peeta was the one in shock. “My fight with Gale was always about my daughter, not about me! I haven’t kissed him probably since we—made Sophie, and ugh! I’ve never cared about him, not truly! We’re not together, we never were! So can you please stop mentioning my ex? He’s here because Sophie invited him, and I’m not going to fight with my daughter because she wants to spend time with her stupid father, no matter how much I dislike him!”
Peeta felt as if he’d been trampled by a hundred stampedes, drowned, thrown off a bridge, and then hit by a train.
“All this time, I thought you didn’t feel the same way I did,” Katniss continued, lowering her gaze. “Just like you thought it was obvious that I knew you loved me, I thought it was obvious that you knew there was nothing between Gale and me after Sophie. I always thought it was just an excuse not to be with me.”
Katniss took a step toward him, and Peeta instinctively took one back, confused.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
Katniss let out a dry, frustrated laugh.
“I’m going to kiss you, you idiot!” she shouted.
She didn’t wait any longer. She closed the distance, her hands cupping Peeta’s face, pulling him toward her. With years of bottled-up anger, of missed chances, of words left unsaid.
It wasn’t a rushed kiss this time nor impulsive. Katniss’s lips met his with a patience that clashed the strength she’d used to pull him close. Peeta froze for only a heartbeat before his hands found her waist, holding her firmly — he would never let her go again. There was no past anymore, only them, beneath the warm glow of the lights strung through the trees and the chill autumn evening.
When they finally pulled apart, they didn’t move far. Their breaths mingled in the small space between them, their foreheads resting together. Peeta kept his eyes closed; Katniss looked at him, her eyes shining, a soft smile trembling on her lips.
“I’m so sorry,” Peeta whispered. “For everything… I love you. I’ve always known, since the first moment you walked into the diner—” the words started to fade from his head, too full of feeling to continue. Katniss smiled, and Peeta opened his eyes at last. They had never seen each other so vulnerable. “I love you. I love Sophie, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“I love you too, Peeta.”
He didn’t need anything else. He kissed her again — this time with certainty. His hand slipped down her back, pulling her fully against him. The kiss was deeper and hungrier but full of relief and years of love compressed into one moment.
It only took them twelve years to get to this moment, but it was worth it. They won’t have to wait any longer.
After Peeta Mellark drops by her stand with a tub of ointment he claims will work miracles on her stump scar, Ripper’s forced to face the things she’s too uncomfortable to let herself know. For example, whether any of these so-called medicines she likes to avoid could ever work on her body. And what the district would think about the fact she likes women.
Or, whether her table partner at the Hob feels the sparks flying between them like she does.
Special thanks to @justafewberries for giving me a few Stewshine jokes to steal!
- - - -
“You’ve gotta try it, Ripper,” Peeta pleads, pushing the palm-sized container toward her across the table. “Katniss can tell you. My stump scar was monstrous before. Now, it’s only half as hideous as it used to be.”
Ripper raises an eyebrow as Katniss scoffs.
“Your stump looked fine to me, Peeta,” the girl rolls her eyes. “But really, Ripper, you should try the stuff out.”
Peeta continues to ramble about the supposed benefits of the Capitol-sent ointment he’s been using on his leg. With a concerted effort, Ripper manages to tune out his voice, opting to passively watch the last of the lunch crowd bustle around the Hob.
She’s never been much of a medicine person. Healers were more her speed. Besides, Peeta’s amputation was performed by a team of modern, high-tech medical professionals in the Capitol. Ripper got most of her arm sawed off by a low-grade doctor in District 12 almost three decades ago.
His body is young and fit, hers anything but. There’s no way her stump responds to this miracle salve the way Peeta’s allegedly does.
“Two bowls of wild root stew, for my two favorite lunchtime stragglers!” Sae’s gravelly voice calls from the adjoining stand. It sends a rush of warmth through the chilly air around Ripper’s ears.
She turns over the clear tub of ointment in her hands after Katniss and Peeta leave with their bowls. She’s never tried to put anything on her stump, where the skin still stretches tight over a dull purple scar. The old miners’ doctor wasn’t the best with stitches, but his work was decent enough to keep away infection.
So Ripper always tried not to mind how uncomfortable the scar tissue felt, pushing deep and solid into her muscle.
“While you were lost in your own world there, the boy said it’s supposed to soften old scars, by the way,” Sae taps her ladle, shaking Ripper from her thoughts. “Even deep ones like yours. Something about gettin’ the blood circulating, all that.”
Ripper scoffs. “I know it’s Capitol stuff, all fancy and nice. But this scar ain’t gettin’ better. And I don’t got the patience to put it on.”
Sae’s eyebrows knit together. “You want some help rubbin’ it in?”
A/N: What if the Hunger Games had ended during the 10th Hunger Games? Volumnia Gaul was killed by one of her creations, and Coriolanus Snow lived out his days in obscurity. In District 12, Haymitch Abernathy would have married Lenor Dove. The Covey would continue their musical shows, and life in District 12 became better. Gale certainly thinks so. He is handsome, and he can have any woman in the district, that is, until he drinks some Dandelion Brew and his entire world is turned upside down.
Special thanks to my beta, Norbertsmom, who is a wiz!
Rated G
KPKPKP
Gale was having a dry spell.
Ever since this past spring, Gale has had a dry spell. Well, it was because of Maysilee Donner, the matron who ran the town’s sweet shop. He’d been fooling around with her precious niece Madge Undersee. Madge wasn’t the first Merchant girl he flirted with. They were all the same, pretty and vapid. Madge was sweet, but her friend Mayfair Fouler was a vile, petty girl.
Gale knew enough not to tangle with the Fouler girl. She was as wretched as her namesake. Mayfair Lipp, whom to this day, people thought was evil. Mayfair flirted with Gale, but he didn’t return the favor. Instead, he began seeing Madge quietly. Mayfair caught him sneaking out of the Mayor’s house one afternoon and blackmailed him to date her also.
Madge found out about them. When Gale had gone to the sweetshop to get some mints, Madge told her aunt, and Maysilee threw Gale out of her sweetshop. She called him a no-good, lying, son of a dung peddler while swinging her broomstick. However, he never put the blame on Mayfair. His revenge came when he dumped her in the middle of the Hob.
Ever since then, he hadn’t been interested in any women. Sure, he’d kissed a few, but no one caught his fancy. And it was a shame. Gale loved chasing women. He never faltered or stammered, like other guys, when he spoke to women. Thom, from his mining crew, was a clutz, always saying or doing the wrong thing around women. Thom was a good guy, but he had never been able to catch any girl’s attention. Gale, on the other hand, was smooth and practiced. He knew what to say to women to entice them. He usually knew what to say to get out of trouble when he dated more than one at a time.
Gale loved the chase and the art of seduction. He wasn’t thinking about getting hitched. He was good-looking, and he thought to himself he would keep on living it up until he kicked the bucket.
Tonight, he was desperate for some female company. However, instead of going down to the slag heap looking for some company, he decided he didn’t want a warm body.
He’d gone to Rippers to buy some liquor. Armed with his jug, he made his way to the woods and blissfully drank to the beginning of the fall. After a few hours, he wobbly stood and walked through the woods.
A fog settled, and everything looked otherworldly. As if the earth was kissed by the heavens.
He stumbled on the elders of the Covey, the Clade brothers, Clerk Carmine, and Tam Amber. Their skilled fingers were flying over their instruments. Maude Ivory sang. Her leathered voice made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up on end as she stared right at him.
“He told me that he dearly loved me
How could I believe it untrue?
Until the angels softly whispered
"He will prove untrue to you.”
Gale wasn’t one to back down, so he sat down and listened. Then Lenore Dove, the wife of Haymitch Abernathy and cousin of the infamous Lucy Gray Baird, sat beside him. Lucy Gray had been reaped during the 10th Annual Hunger Games and helped stop the Hunger Games.
Her Hunger Games were a disaster. She won by default because of the explosion that went off during the parade, killing all of the other tributes along with the students who were assigned to be their mentors.
Many Capitol parents thought those who subjected their children to be part of the Games should pay. The originators of the Hunger Games, the Snows, the Highbottoms, and a mad scientist named Volumina Gaul lost the little credibility they had because of the loss of Capitol children. The scientist, the only one who pushed for the Hunger Games to continue, was killed by one of her own creations.
It turned out, people didn’t want to watch something that reminded them of the war. They wanted to move forward. As a result, the Hunger Games were abolished. Lucy decided to stay in the Capitol and became a successful singer. Because of her and Sejanus Plinth, a District transplant, the Capitol relented on its treatment of the Districts.
Lucy Gray never returned to District 12, but she became one of the most beloved songstresses in all of Panem. She was especially beloved by everyone in District Twelve. And was defended by her kin, the Covey.
The Coveys were neither Seam nor Merchant. They generally stuck to themselves and were mostly peaceful until someone slighted one of them. Then they came out of the backwoods like hornets.
Lenore Dove gave Gale a nudge with her pointy elbow.
“That’s you, ain’t it?” Lenore Dove said, tilting her head towards the band.
“No.”
She laughed. “You’re a child ripping flowers from a field, just because they catch your fancy.”
Even in his state, he could tell she was insulting him.
“No, I’m not. I’m like a bee sampling what nature has got to offer.”
“Hey, Uncle Tam, young Hawthorne says he’s a bee.”
Tam Amber grinned and shook his head.
“I’m not,” Gale protested, standing up. He took a sip of the flask he’d borrowed from Thom. The music stopped.
“You think you know what you want, and you think your life is fine….” she said in a sing-song voice.
“My life is great…” Gale affirmed.
“Really?” Lenore questioned.
“I think you need to take a sip of the brew,” Tam said.
“Brew?” Gale wasn’t sure what they were going on about.
“I don’t think he can handle the brew,” Lenore laughed from somewhere on his right.
Gale turned to her. He couldn’t spot her momentarily, but there she was speaking in hushed tones to her mother, Maude Ivory.
“What do you say, Clerk, do we give him the brew?” Tam asked.
Clerk only raised his eyes toward Maude Ivory. She grinned, then looked to the forest. Lenore nodded, and then she whistled. Gale wasn’t sure what was going on as nothing happened. Then one of the Covey kids came out of the woods holding a clay jar.
“Only one person outside of the Covey has drunk this,” Tam Amber said, right before he began playing his mandolin.
“Drink if you want the truth, but I don’t think you’re able to handle the truth,” Lenore taunted.
“The truth of what?” Gale questioned.
“Who your other half is,” Lenore said.
“My other half?”
“You’ll only know if you dare to drink it.” Lenore offered the jar.
Gale looked at the jug with dandelion flowers sitting atop. There was no way some drink was going to reveal some random person he was supposed to love. Gale didn’t want to give his heart away. He loved the life he led, but he had never said no to a dare.
He was in control of his own fate.
Wasn’t he?
That thought gave him pause. He stared into the eyes of the woman Haymitch Abernathy was married to. And he knew he couldn’t back down. Boldly, Gale grabbed the jug, threw off the dandelions, and drank deeply.
He closed his eyes as the liquid poured into his mouth. It was warm and welcoming. Gale smiled at the familiarity. He’d been drunk before, and he was no stranger to the warmth of a drink as it slid down his throat. This, however, was not tepid; this was fire going down his throat.
His knees became weak. Gale felt like a newborn colt who didn’t know how to stand up. The feeling was new to him. He fell to the ground as the world buzzed around him.
Maude Ivory began to sing and Gale tried to focus on the words.
“Cheeks as red as a blooming rose
And eyes are the prettiest brown
She’s the darling of my heart
Sweetest little girl in town”
Gale could see his home in the distance. There was a light that was lit from within. The door opened, and he could see this girl as she stood by the door frame, waiting for him. She was barefoot. The voluminous dark blue skirt showed shapely legs. She was soft and womanly. Her blond hair was piled over her shoulder. She had red cheeks, a smile as sweet as a honeycomb. But instead of brown eyes, she had eyes the shade of wild blue forget-me-nots.
His heart slammed in his chest.
Gale walked toward the vision, but it disappeared. He found himself sitting on the ground. He scrambled up and ran. Everything was distorted; he felt nauseous, unable to make sense of what he was seeing or feeling. When he made it to the meadow, he fell on his knees and took huge, heaving breaths to make the nausea stop.
A noise caused him to look up, and there she was, bathed in moonlight. She looked ethereal, just like in the vision.
“Gale?”
Her voice was filled with concern, and it was like a balm to the madness that was going on within him. He felt buzzed, but all of the other symptoms went away.
“Delly,” he said when he looked into her face. There was nothing otherworldly about Delly. Her face was round and simple. Though currently splotchy. But all the same, she looked lovely to him.
“Are you alright?”
“Better than ever,” he hiccuped.
“Are you drunk?”
“Yep.”
“I think you need to go home,” Delly said, helping him stand up.
He didn’t want to let go of her hand. “Nope, don’t need home, need you.”
She laughed, and it was like hearing angels sing.
“You’re two sheets to the wind, and you’re going to regret even speaking to me in the morning.”
“I don’t want morning to come.”
“Said every person who has made bad choices.”
Gale laughed because she was right. “You’re funny.”
“Come on, Hawthorne, let’s get you to your mama’s house.”
“Take me home, sunshine.”
“Alright,” she said. “But don’t you dare try nothing,” she warned.
“Yes, Ma'am,” Gale saluted her like he’d seen a Peacekeeper salute his superior.
She slid her arm around his middle and helped him move, even though he needed no help.
“What are you doing out here? It’s dangerous.”
“If I tell you, you promise not to laugh?”
“Cross my heart.” It took him a few tries, but eventually Gale crossed his chest with his free hand.
“My brother and my cousin Phillip Sterling catfished me. They’ve been sending me secret sweetheart messages for weeks. I thought it was real, that a man wanted me. I should’ve known it was a trick. No one wants me. They sent me a message to come out here to meet, but it was them.”
“That was mean of them,” Gale was outraged on her behalf. No woman needed to be treated poorly. He loved women, and though he was a rake, he always treated them with the utmost respect. Even when he ended things with him. “Someone should whoop their behinds.”
“Oh, don’t you worry. I told them to get all of their laughing done now. Because as soon as I got home, they’re going to get their arses handed to them when our fathers find out they were out after curfew.”
Gale laughed as they moved. “Good for you.”
“I might be sweet, but, as my father says, I’m spunky.”
Gale hadn’t known she was spirited. He thought she was as quiet as a mouse.
“Growing up with so many boys, you have to learn when to put your foot down, else they’ll run all over you.”
“You mean the Mellarks,” Gale said distastefully.
“Yeah, and my cousins. The Clades are truly tricksters. It was most likely Phillip Sterling who came up with the idea and fed it to my gullible brother.”
“You’re related to the Clades?” Clerk Carmine’s last name was Clade. Gale wondered if they were related.
“Well, once or twice removed, on my father’s side. He took pity on Phillip Sterling and is trying to help in his education. But that boy only has his mind on mischief. His father is not going to be happy to find out he was out after curfew.”
They made their way slowly through the district. Delly sighed and began humming softly.
He enjoyed listening to her. He recognized the song she was humming. It was called ’I’ll Fly Away.’ It was one of the slower tunes the Covey performed at the festivals to let the couples dance. They were approaching his house.
“You’re pretty,” Gale said.
“Now don’t start declaring flowery words. I know what I am.”
“You’re like one of those geodes we find deep in the mines. It looks like an ordinary rock. But when you crack it open, it’s beautiful.
Like a moth drawn to the fire, he cupped her face and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. He was seared, branded at the chaste kiss. She tasted sweeter than spun sugar. Gale wanted more. He slanted his mouth and coaxed her to open her lips. Suddenly, her warmth and comfort were torn away from him, and his arms were left bereft.
"No!” Delly pushed him away. She stood not a foot away, but it might as well have been a mile.
She planted her hands on her lips. Her eyes were wide and filled with tears.
“Delly,” he took a step forward.
“You stay where you are, Hawthorne.” She shook her head. “I will not become another notch on your bedpost.”
Gale was shocked. If she was the one for him, then why was she pushing him away? He felt broken, and he unfairly lashed out. “Fine, go! Get!”
Her eyes narrowed. “I figured you would turn into a jerk.”
Gale was shocked as he watched her walk away, head held high. As she walked away from him, all of the illness that was held at bay hit him like a blast of heat that came when they blew up a hole in the mines.
He dropped to his knees, shaking and threw up. He felt worse than before. His body ached in dazzling pain that nearly rendered him unconscious. Realizing what he had done, he dragged himself inside the house and shut the door.
In the morning, he found Katniss in the woods. He wasn’t feeling well. He chalked it up to having a massive hangover. “Hey there, Catnip.”
She rolled her eyes at him.
“Where’s your paw?”
“Had some business with Haymitch and CC.”
“Hmm,” Gale nodded.
When they finished hunting, he followed her around as she traded. Gale was grumpy; he had a splitting headache. His body hurt, and he felt nauseous.
It was when they got to the Cobbler that his symptoms began to ease.
When they stepped into the yard, he caught his glimpse of Delly. She stood surrounded by a halo of sunlight and his knees weakened. Suddenly, every memory about her came to mind. Delly laughing and playing with children at the spring fair. Delly drinking hot tea at the New Year’s Eve countdown in front of the justice building. Delly, who gave him a shy smile whenever they traded with her.
And finally, last night’s memory. Delly pushing him away after he had kissed her. A stinging pain like the jab of a hot needle pierced his head and heart. He cried out in pain and fell to the ground.
“Gale,” Delly cried, rushing to his side. Her small hand brushed up against his forehead, “Are you alright?”
Her touch healed him. It felt so good, he forgot that he was angry at her about last night. He felt alive, better than he had all morning. As he stared up into those gorgeous forget-me-not colored eyes, the pesky need to plant another kiss reared its head, canceling out all of his smoothness and control. The only thing that was stopping him from having alone time with Delly was Katniss. “I’m okay.”
“Is he alright? I can go get my maw,” Katniss said.
“I’m okay,” he said, sitting up. “I’m probably dehydrated from drinking last night,” Gale said.
Katniss snorted.
“Are you sure?” Delly asked.
“Katniss, go ahead and finish up trading.”
Katniss nodded.
Once she left, Delly stood. “Look, about last night.”
Gale stood but remained silent, observing her. Delly was as pretty as a cool summer day. Bright with the sun touching the earth. He wanted to hold her and tell her that she was important to him. Gale realized that he always noticed her. Delly stood out amongst the women in District Twelve. She had integrity, was loyal, and as he found out last night, she had her own special brand of fire, one that made his heart and mind soar.
“It was a drunken mistake.” She pointed between them. “Someone like you would never…”
Something within him snapped. “It wasn’t a mistake,” he repeated just before he kissed her hard. He tried gathering her into his arms, but her small hands pushed back on his chest.
Delly, once again, pushed him away.
Her face was a pretty study of different shades of pink before it turned red, and she opened her fiery eyes. “Gale Hawthorne, do not kiss me again.”
“What if I want to?” he teased.
“No, no, no, no, no, no,” Delly said, wagging her finger at him. “I am not going to let you treat me like you did Mayfair and Madge. Or like you did to Maggie. No, you’re not going to play mind games with me, mister.”
He stood there, mouth agape at her sass.
“But I’m not playing mind games with you.”
“Ha, just the type of thing someone who was playing with my head would say.”
“But I am being very sincere with you. Neither one of our kisses were a mistake.” He confessed, and he couldn’t help himself. It was as if he had been given a truth serum. It was the fault of the brew, Gale decided.
Delly laughed. “You’re good, but you’re wasting your kisses on me, Gale Hawthorne. I am not persuaded by you.”
“Are you saying I’ve wasted two kisses on you?” He was a fair kisser. A very damn good one. “I am a good kisser.”
She snorted. “One, you slobbered all over me. Two, I did not kiss you back. And three, I’ve had better kisses.”
The words came out of his mouth before he could stop them, “Delly Cartwright, you will not be kissing any other feller except for me.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, that’s rich coming from the manwhore of District Twelve.”
“Me a manwhore,” Gale spouted. “I will have you know I haven’t touched a woman in months.”
“That’s because the word is out on you, Gale. Everyone knows that you’re a lothario, and no one wants to date you.”
“Preposterous, have you seen me?” Gale pointed at himself.
“Of course.” Delly shook her head. She took a step toward him. “You’re just as vapid as the women you chase. Gale, I would rather die a spinster than have you kiss me again.”
“Is that so?” He took a step toward her.
“Yes,” Delly said, lifting her chin.
“We’ll see about that,” Gale growled while looking down at her.
“HA!” She poked him in the chest.
He wanted to kiss her again. He wanted to show her that he wasn’t a manwhore. “We’ll see.”
“You have to prove to me that you’re not out to conquer me just to break my heart.”
“How am I supposed to do that? How can I win your trust?”
“Court someone, and not some floozy, and without all of your silly games. If they don’t want you, then you can come to me.”
Just then, Gale decided that he was going to prove Delly wrong. He was going to see someone exclusively. And when they broke up with him, he would come to her.
“Everything alright here?” Katniss said.
“Yeah,” Gale said. He opened up his pack and said. “Here, keep it,” he thrust the pelts at her. “I’m sure your dad can make some gloves for my sister with this.”
“Of course, Mr. Hawthorne.”
Gale grunted before leaving. Katniss in tow.
“What was that about?”
Gale turned to Katniss, and that’s when it dawned on him. He could court Katniss. It was perfect, around Katniss, he didn’t feel the rollercoaster emotions he felt with Delly. And he could show Delly that he wasn’t a manwhore. Plus, he was sure Katniss would, at one point, get rid of him.
“Catnip, do you trust me?”
“Sure, you’re a decent shot in the woods.”
“No, I mean outside of the woods.” He rolled his eyes at her comment. This is what frustrated him: Katniss sometimes missed the mark completely.
“Why?”
“I,” Gale opened his mouth, but shut it again. He couldn’t tell her about the brew and his new attraction to Delly. He would sound like a loon.
“Gale Hawthorne, what are you cooking up?”
“Please trust me, and everything will turn out all alright!” Gale was hopeful Katniss would go along with his scheme.
Katniss scowled, then tersely nodded.
“I’ll talk to you later.” Gale left in a hurry.
First, he had to find out if Katniss had any suitors he didn’t know. Katniss was striking; she looked like her mother and had the Seam’s dark hair and grey eyes. Plus, she was a fierce huntress. There were many men who wanted to catch her attention. Katniss, however, was oblivious.
That night, he spoke with Burdock, who looked surprised to hear that he wanted to court Katniss. Burdock said he would speak with his girl. But a week later, Burdock told him Katniss said she didn’t want to court him. Gale tried to win Katniss’s affection without telling her why.
In the interim, he couldn’t get Delly out of his mind. Gale woke up every morning dreaming of Delly. Every time he saw her in town, he wanted to kiss her. But he denied himself, and he suffered. He lost some weight, and he drove himself to be sweet to Katniss even though she could be thornier than a rose.
A week before the dance, he was in the meadow, feeling ill again, feeling sorry for himself. Earlier in the day, he’d behaved like an idiot in front of the Mellarks. He was mean, and it was a stupid, impulsive thing to do. And he had to run with his tale between his legs when confronted by Madge and her aunt.
After he left, he found himself face-to-face with Delly. She had been waiting for him in the alleyway. She marched straight toward him. And he stood there frozen with wonder. She was beguiling in her little leather apron.
“Gale Hawthorne, how dare you go up to Martin and ask him about his wife, as if she wasn’t married!”
“I…” Gale said, swallowing, as she pushed him up against the wall. He wanted to kiss her roughly and hold her tenderly at the same time. Instead, he swallowed. He felt whole around her.
“Well?”
“I was wrong,” croaked.
“Of course, you were wrong. Would you like someone to treat your wife that way? How would you feel?” She poked him in the chest. “I swear you act like a child.”
Delly was correct that what he did was childish. The thought of someone treating Delly that way did not sit well with him. He shouldn’t have done that. He didn’t like the Mellarks; they were big-time teasers.
They flirted with girls but never took them out. Martin had spent weeks flirting with his cousin Lauralie. She thought he was going to take her to a spring festival, but he never asked her. Instead, he went with his family and looked like a dork when speaking with Maggie Candis. It’s why Gale went after Maggie. However, that was years ago, and they were adults.
“You are right.”
“Then do better, Gale,” Delly said. She grasped his hand, and his heart fluttered in his chest. “Be better.”
When she left, his shoulders fell, and her scent lingered in the alleyway. Then he cursed himself when he realized what his stunt had cost him. He was feeling sick and was so deep in thought that he didn’t hear when Katniss approached.
“Okay, Hawthorne, what in tarnation is going on with you?” Katniss said, standing before him.
“Not now, Catnip,” Gale said, rubbing his eyes.
“Are you drunk?”
“Do you see any liquor bottles around me?”
“You can have one in your pocket.”
“Oh.” He then sighed and said. “Good point, but I’m not drunk.”
“Why did you ask my father if you could court me?”
“I have a good reason, Catnip. I just need your help.”
“You sound crazy.”
“I’m not crazy,” Gale said, sliding his hands in his hair. “I have a good reason. You see…” Gale began trying to find the words to explain his situation.
“Okay, fine, why this sudden fervor in trying to get me to court you?
"Because on paper, we make sense,” Gale bemoaned as his head spun.
“Stop lying to me. I know your tells, I know when you’re lying.”
Gale looked up at her, feeling miserable. “Look, I just need you to agree to court me…”
“No, not unless you tell me the truth.”
“I can’t, Catnip, I can't…” He begged.
“If you want me to trust you, then trust is a two-way street, Gale. You’ve got to tell me what’s been going on with you.”
“I wish I could,” Gale whispered.
“You’ve lost weight. Your maw told my mother you haven’t been sleeping well. You look pale and drunk half of the time.”
“Well, I am not drinking.”
“My father chuckled when your maw told my mother all of the symptoms. He said you have mal-de-amores,” Katniss rambled on. “The last time I saw you even remotely like yourself was with Delly. It was as if you came alive, I don’t know. If anything, it’s almost like…but that’s impossible.”
“Almost like what?” Gale wondered if Katniss knew.
Katniss shook her head.
“Tell me,” Gale urged.
“Well, there’s the legend amongst the Covey about a special dandelion brew which is ready on the first night of fall. The legend says that whoever drinks the brew, well, they get mal-de-amores. Especially when their other…well, that’s silly, to be able to tell…”
“Who their other half is,” Gale whispered. He had a word for what was plaguing him, mal-de-amores.
“How’d you know that?”
“Katniss.” Gale never called her by her real name. She was always Catnip to him, except when he was serious.
“Gale, please tell me you didn’t.”
“I drank the brew, Katniss. A few weeks ago.”
“Is that why you come alive around Delly?”
“Yeah.”
“Gale, you need to tell Delly about this. If you don't…”
“Delly won’t talk to me. She thinks that I’m trying to seduce her.”
“Gale, do you even know what happens if Delly doesn’t come around to you!” Katniss exclaimed.
“Look, you can’t tell anyone about this.” Gale stood up, panicking. He grabbed her hand.
“Let go of me,” Katniss said, pulling away.
He was desperate and began to speak the first thing that came to his mind. “Look, what if I don’t believe in the power of this brew? What if this is some hoax made up by Lenore Dove? What if you marry me? I bet this will go away. Go to the dance with me, Catnip.”
“This won’t go away, Gale. The last person who drank this brew was Mayfair Lipp. She demanded to drink it because she wanted to prove Billy Taupe Clade was her other half. Turns out, Billy wasn’t, and she denied her spouse. She was so crazy, she convinced her father to rig the reaping. The Covey came to find out that Billy Taupe was cheating on both Lucy and Mayfair. He was kicked out of the Covey, and Mayfair…became bitter and mad.”
Gale was shocked. “Catnip, I’m in big trouble. If you don’t help me, this will…”
“I can’t help you with this,” Katniss struggled against him. “And I’m not going to the festival with you.”
“Come on, Catnip,” Gale said, holding onto her elbow.
“LET. GO. OF. ME.” Katniss said in a loud growl.
He was slowly becoming madder than the Mad Hatter. He tried wooing her, “Stop being silly, you and I are made for each other.” Gale was desperate. Delly didn’t want him, so he needed to find someone to court. “Now tell me you want to go with me to the dance.”
“No.”
“You’re being stupid. Do you know how many girls want to be in your position?”
“I don’t care.”
“Hundreds.”
“Then take one of them.”
“You’re going with me,” Gale said roughly.
“I said, no, and let go ya'big oaf!”
“She said, to let her go,” Peeta Mellark said, emerging from the darkness.
Gale saw the way Katniss looked relieved to see the baker’s youngest. “Peeta,” she said.
“Are you okay?” Mellark asked Katniss. “I know you can handle yourself, but if you need help, let me know.”
Katniss then gave Mellark one of her rare smiles. Gale cut her off. He was afraid that Katniss was sweet on the baker.
"Look, Baker Boy, get out of here. This doesn’t concern you.”
“Sorry, can’t do that,” Peeta said, standing next to Katniss. He calmly looked up into Gale’s face.
Gale couldn’t believe that the baker was assessing him to fight. He watched the baker angle himself to strike. Gale knew that the baker’s youngest was agile and struck with quick, lethal blows. Gale had seen him when he wrestled back in school. The kid was also freakishly strong. He was able to pick up large sacks of grain and carry them with ease. Gale took a deep breath; he didn’t want a physical altercation. He could only imagine what Delly would say to him.
“I said get out of here,” Gale growled.
“No, Gale, you go,” Katniss said, pulling her arm away.
“Catnip!”
“If you call me that one more time, I swear I’ll shoot you clean through the eyes,” Katniss said, sticking her finger in his chest.
Gale looked down at her finger. What was it with women and pokking their fingers in his chest? “You like me, don’t you?” he mocked.
Katniss scowled.
“I don’t think you understand her,” Peeta said. “I don’t think she likes you.”
“Shut up, Baker Boy.” Gale turned to Katniss, “Look, Catnip.”
“I wouldn’t call her that,” Peeta said. “Her name is Katniss.”
“I said, shut up,” Gale growled. He took a step forward, and Katniss tripped him.
Gale fell on the road.
Katniss grabbed Peeta’s hand. “Run!”
Peeta listened to her, and together they ran.
“Great,” muttered, getting up.
He didn’t want to chase them, but he had to. The Everdeens lived close to the Covey, and for Katniss to get home, she had to run the length of the Seam. It would be improper for Katniss to be seen holding hands with a fellow if they weren’t courting. Unfortunately, people could be cruel.
“Catnip,” he hollered as he ran.
He could just make them out in the dark as he neared the Seam. It was then he spotted Burdock standing before Katniss and the baker.
Katniss’ father was an imposing figure. He wasn’t as tall as Gale, but he was authoritative. Gale was glad her father had intercepted them before they got to the Seam. They were close enough that the lights of the Seam penetrated some of the darkness.
“CATNIP!” He thundered as an explicative came flying out of his mouth.
He was out of breath.
Her father turned his attention to Gale, and he looked livid. Katniss had her head lowered, and even in the semi-dark, Gale could tell that the baker was redder than a tomato.
“Hawthorne,” Mr. Everdeen said softly.
It was the kind of voice his mother used when she was well and truly peeved at some stupid stunt he and his brothers did.
“Mr. Everdeen,” Gale croaked.
“I think it’s about time you head home to your mother, Hawthorne.”
Gale was going to speak, but he closed his mouth. “We’ll talk later,” he said quietly to Katniss.
“You will not be addressing my daughter without me present. Am I clear?”
Gale felt the blood draining from his face. “Yes, Mr. Everdeen.”
On the day of the dance, Gale was drained. He couldn’t eat. He couldn’t sleep because Delly invaded his mind all the time.
He would go to the shoe store and sit with his back to the fence listening to her hum “I’ll fly away.” Her words were soft, and though she couldn’t sing like Katniss, she could carry a tune. It was during this time that he would find some peace.
It was maddening because she didn’t want him, and he didn’t want the legend of the brew to be true. Because it meant that he would lose everything. And so he was forced to follow through and pursue Katniss. But Katniss avoided him. And now, there were rumors flying around town that Katniss and the baker were courting.
Gale hoped that wasn’t true. He tried to talk to Katniss, but she wouldn’t speak to him. So when he saw the baker in the Hob, he thought to clear up the air.
“Hey, Baker Boy!” Gale growled.
“Hello,” Peeta said while nodding at him. As if they were long-time friends.
Thankfully, his brothers and friends blocked the baker’s path.
“I don’t want you around Katniss,” Gale said, sticking his face in Peeta’s personal space.
“I am afraid I can’t do that,” Peeta said.
“Catnip is mine,” Gale growled. He had a plan, and he couldn’t let it be derailed by the baker. For weeks, he was battling with himself, the mal-de-amores that had overcome his body. It was getting to be too much. He was slowly sinking into madness.
“One. That is not her name. And two, she doesn’t like it when you call her that. Katniss made that abundantly clear.”
“Who do you think you are?” Gale moved closer.
Smiling brightly, he said, “I’m Peeta Mellark.”
Gale’s emotions were running high, and in that moment, a fight would help relieve some stress. He felt like a coiled snake, and he wanted to strike. “Stay away from Katniss,” Gale hissed.
“You really don’t know her, do you?”
Gale recoiled back. He wanted to tell the baker that he knew Katniss.
“If you did, you would know that one, you can’t make Katniss do what you want. Two, she’s going to do what she feels is right. And three, Katniss will choose who she wants. And if she decides she doesn’t want anyone, we have to respect her and her decision. We have no right to impose what we want on her.”
“Katniss wants me,” Gale stubbornly said, holding on to straws. “She belongs with me. She belongs to me!”
“Are you sure? Because if she wanted anything, Katniss would get it. I mean, she’s a sharp shooter, shoots birds right through the eyes.”
“Stop talking!” The man’s words were giving him a headache.
“Sure, sure, you know, I think you need to do something about your blood pressure, your face is all red and puffy,” Peeta said.
As he stood there listening to Mellark, he saw Lenore Dove Abernathy standing at the entrance of the Hob. He was puzzled when she grinned and waved at him. He stood a little straighter, and he took a step back.
“Are you insane?”
“I’m just as sane as the next person who walks into the Hob.” Peeta slipped his hands in his pockets.
“He’s right, Gale. You should get yourself checked out. You’re looking flushed.” Clerk Carmine said as he came to stand behind the baker.
The baker looked behind him, his eyebrows shot upward in shock.
Clerk Carmine stood next to Burdock. Gale saw other members of the Covey gather. He spotted Haymitch Abernathy entering the Hob with his boys trailing behind him.
The Hob was filled suddenly with the Covey, and they stood arm to arm watching Gale, his brothers, and his friends closely. Gale had to proceed with caution. He turned his attention to Burdock, who looked disappointed.
“Maybe I’ll ask Asterid to pay a house call. You might be coming down with something,” Burdock said.
“He is looking a little peckish,” Haymitch spoke quietly.
Of all of the Covey and their extended family, Haymitch was the one person he respected. He was often called a mad genius. People said the man had figured out how to make an explosion using a potato. Then there was the legend of his knife skills. No one dared get Haymitch angry. Gale looked up, and he saw Lenore Dove smiling straight at him, and Gale began to sweat. He could feel his entire body trembling.
“I suppose he might need a good meal,” Clerk Carmine said.
“Why don’t you go home, son?” Burdock suggested.
At that moment, Gale took the way out. He was going to faint if he didn’t leave. As he and his friends and brothers left, he saw Lenore Dove wink at him. Gale doubled his steps and ran outside.
The cool air allowed him to clear his mind. He had been humiliated. It was clear that Mellark was under the protection of the Covey.
“Just glad we didn’t have to get into a fight with the Covey,” Thom said.
“I’d better go home,” he muttered.
“I’ll see you guys tonight at the festival,” Thom said cheerfully.
“Are you alright?” Rory asked.
“Yeah, let’s go home.”
That night, as he walked toward the festival. Gale knew he had to stay away from her. He told himself to concentrate on Katniss. So when he saw Mellark carrying cider for the Everdeens, he made one last-ditch effort. He knew that if everything went well between the baker and Katniss, he would be left out in the cold. So he clipped Peeta as he carried the drinks, causing all of the hot liquid to spill all over him. Peeta was drenched in sticky, sweet, warm apple cider.
“Oh sorry, didn’t see you,” Gale said, whilst smirking, congratulating himself on having stopped this burgeoning romance between the baker and Katniss.
Gale’s friends were laughing.
Katniss narrowed her eyes at Gale. “You did that on purpose.”
“It was an accident,” Gale said, shrugging.
“What happened?” Burdock Everdeen asked, reaching them. He was followed by both Asterid and Primrose.
“I saw Gale clip Peeta,” Katniss said scowling.
“I’m innocent,” Gale tried to sound innocent.
“Gale Hawthorne,” Asterid chided. “I can tell when you’re lying. Just wait till I speak to your mother.”
Gale flushed, but he glibly said, “Guess you won’t be able to dance now, Mellark.”
Everything he did backfired. Gale watched Katniss become irate. Her face turned dark, and her eyes narrowed. Katniss took the baker’s hand and dragged him to the dance floor. He looked to the Covey and was relieved when he saw they were taking a break. His luck didn’t last because when they saw Katniss standing with the baker on the empty dance floor, they grabbed their instruments and began to play.
Gale watched in disbelief as Katniss kissed Peeta Mellark in the middle of the dance floor. Catnip intentionally picked the softest of all of the baker’s kids. What bothered Gale most was the happiness on both of their faces. They were radiant with love. Gale’s fingers curled into fists as jealousy ate at him.
They had everything he wanted, everything that he could have, but was out of reach. Gale loved women. He could find something gracious and attractive in everyone. He liked them all, but the brew he drank a few weeks ago changed him. He sadly waged a bet and lost; there was no way Delly would look at him now.
The moment Katniss picked the baker, Gale knew he was cooked.
“Guess we know who she picked,” Rory joked.
“Shut up,” Gale growled.
A roar came up from the Covey as they began to play a lively jig. People surged onto the dance floor.
It was then he spotted her, sitting at the edge of the crowd. The girl he didn’t want, but who haunted his dreams. Gale turned to leave.
“You can’t leave,” Vick said.
Gale looked beyond his brother, but she wasn’t standing by the edge of the crowd anymore. He searched the crowd on the dance floor and noted she wasn’t dancing. It didn’t matter. He couldn’t be here tonight. He needed to leave. He couldn’t face the girl that haunted his dreams.
Gale moved through the pressing crowd, but he couldn’t get through. Now that the Covey were playing, more people were gathering. Gale scowled at people, using his height to intimidate those who blocked his way. He didn’t want to speak or deal with anyone. He was angry. He felt explosive, and he knew if he didn’t leave, he would do something stupid, like go after her.
He stopped moving and rubbed his face. The sounds of the festival became louder, and the laughter sounded menacing. Gale shrugged off the emotions that were boiling under the surface, wanting to come out.
A wondrous smell wafted in the air. It was mixed with the various scents of the festival. Instinctively, Gale sniffed the air, and he could smell the fried apples covered in cinnamon and sugar. He could smell the apple and goat cheese tarts the bakery was selling. He could smell the salty buttery goodness of popcorn. The grilled meat Greasy-Sae sold on sticks. Gale could smell the apple cider, and he could also smell her. She smelled like wild berries growing in the forest. It was a scent that always attracted him in the woods. She was just as sweet, too, like berries on a hot summer day.
His body trembled from the hunger that awoke within him.
“Gale,” his mother called.
Gale shook his head, breaking out of the trance.
“You alright, son?” His mother, Hazelle, reached him.
“Yeah, maw, just need to get away from the crowd.”
“I figured,” she said quietly. “But I also knew Burdock’s girl wasn’t for you.”
Gale frowned, “How’d you figure?”
“For one, Burdock’s girl would never stand for all of your dilly-dallying. And secondly, you two are like the ingredients that form dynamite, explosive and extremely damaging.”
Gale had never seen it that way, but what his mother said was true. He and Katniss would be a disaster.
“Sides, you didn’t love Katniss. You just wanted to win her away from the baker’s son. Everyone in town knew that he was sweet on her. I don’t understand your obsession with the women the baker’s boys have fancied. Those boys like unique, spirited girls. I always thought you needed a girl who could calm some of that fire you have.”
Gale wasn’t paying attention to his mother. The revelry on the dance floor intensified. His eyes picked up on the girl he was trying to ignore among the throng of dancers. Delly was being lifted up. Her head tossed back, and joy radiated from her face. His gut clenched. Fought everything within his body to run and get her.
“Are you listening- oh…OH!” His mother gasped. She clutched his hand. “So that’s who your heart’s been clamoring for!”
“No!” He exclaimed.
His mother smiled and said, “She’d be a good fit.”
Gale shook his head sadly, “No, she's…No…Maw. She wouldn't…” He couldn’t finish that thought. Instead, he said. “She’s not the one for me.”
“Are you sure? You’re lookin’ at her as if she hung up the moon.”
This girl made him weak. There was a time when weakness was something Gale despised. He prized strength and loyalty, which is why he chose Katniss for the ruse.
He laughed bitterly.
Delly had bucketloads of strength and was very loyal. Whenever she was around, he acted like a fool. And Gale hated this. He’d always been in control, and this girl, once again, brought a swirling, overwhelming feeling to the surface. Gale got chills and felt ill, the effects of mal-de-amores. He stamped it down. He liked control. It was why he loved flirting with women. He could control the narrative. Delly broke everything in him.
“Ma,” Gale warned.
“I’m serious, Gale, she’s the kind of girl I would love for you. She is a decent, good human being.”
“Drop it, Mother,” Gale said more forcefully.
His mother laughed delightedly. “I’ll be right back.”
Gale watched his mother disappear into the crowd. It was his chance to get away. He started moving away from the dance floor once more. Once he had broken away from the crowd, he breathed easier.
He took a deep gulp of air as he stumbled away. However, that’s when he began feeling nauseous. Gale wasn’t someone who became sick easily. He was steady. Things had always come easily to him. But all that stopped when he drank the forbidden brew. That stupid drink had caused all of his troubles. Because it brought Delly into his life.
Everywhere he went, he saw her. He could even smell her whenever she was near. She always hummed that stupid tune, and more often than not, Gale found himself humming it too. He dreamed of her smiling at him, pregnant with his children, laughing with him. He dreamed of a life with her. But Delly didn’t want Gale -- didn’t want anything to do with him. Had he not drunk the brew, he would have never even known true love existed and now he was destined for a life of desperate loneliness.
That ancient spirit had changed him to the core. Even now, he could still feel it in his system. He stopped, grasping onto a tree.
The music changed. He recognized the tune; it was her tune. “I’ll fly away.”
Gale felt ill.
“Where are you running to, kid?” Lenore Dove asked, appearing before him.
“Leave me alone,” Gale gasped.
Lenore laughed. “You can’t hide from fate.”
“Shouldn’t you be on stage singing?” Gale grumbled.
“I…” Some of her words sounded muffled. “… on stage right now.”
“What?”
“Listen to…sing,” Lenore laughed and twirled.
“What do you want?”
In a sing-song tone, “You’re running away from your future.”
“Stop saying that,” Gale muttered. He wanted to roar, but he couldn’t because everything was spinning.
“She’s your fate, and you’re running away from something concrete. Love is tangible; it goes past the laws of this world and the world beyond.”
“You’re crazy,” Gale said as he slid down to the ground.
“When are you going to accept that? You are going to feel like that until you give in to fate. You’re the very definition of crazy, making the same mistakes over and over again, and expecting a different outcome,” Lenore whispered.
Gale grunted as he relived that day in the woods. His hairs stood at the back of his neck.
Looking up into Lenore’s face, he frowned. As her face danced before his eyes. She leaned forward and put a cup to his lips. He refused to drink.
“It’s just water.”
Gale drank the clear, refreshing liquid. It made him feel stronger.
“Tonight’s the last night for you to claim the heart of your other half, out and you ain’t got any idea what you could have,” Lenore said.
“What if I do, but she doesn’t want me?”
“Then convince her,” Lenore Dove said, putting her hands on her hips.
Gale stood, grasping the tree. His hands shook, questioning what Lenore said. Did that mean he had carte blanche to go after her? He laughed gleefully; this was his way out.
Still feeling unwell, Gale decided to find her.
People moved out of his way. Gale was so joyful about his plan that he didn’t notice when he crashed into something solid but soft. He flew onto the floor and took the object with him.
“Ohh!” The feminine voice cried from underneath him.
Gale blinked and found himself staring into eyes the shade of wild blue forget-me-nots. He stupidly stared at the girl beneath him. He was trying to find her, yet he’d crashed with her.
He thanked his stars above for this great gift.
“Please, get off of me.” Her voice was sweet, and it sounded out of breath.
“Sure,” Gale said as he awkwardly tried to get up from the girl he’d been wanting for weeks, but his arms were like wet noodles. She was soft and womanly, like in his vision, and now, because she fell on top of her, he knew what she felt like.
His instincts told him to kiss her again and never let go. Her eyes were wide and innocent. He gently cupped her face. “We meet again.”
“Well, one introduction is enough for me,” she said primly. “Now, if you would kindly get off of me.”
Her voice was stern, and he liked it when she became authoritative. And he remembered what Lenore Dove said. Delly was his fate, and something feral unfurled within him. He was done hiding his feelings. He loved her, had fallen in love with her at first sight. And if she didn’t believe him, he would prove to her he did.
“Sorry,” Gale stammered as he stood. He slipped and nearly fell on top of her again.
“Please,” she said.
He offered his hand to Delly. He grinned, knowing what she would do next. Other girls fawned over him, but not his Delly. She refused to take his hand and stood up. She brushed herself off and said, “Thank you, but no thank you.”
She then walked away.
Gale stood there as he tried to think of a way to persuade her. Everything within him cried to follow her. His heart longed for her. Gale yearned for her kindness. Something he didn’t deserve. He treated her poorly after he kissed her and allowed himself to be tricked into going after Katniss. She was wicked smart, smarter than him.
“Get it together, Gale,” he admonished himself. However, when he saw her smile sweetly at Thom, Gale became angry at the sight. He stepped forward, his hands curling into fists.
Thom flushed and handed her a slice of pie.
“Hey,” Rory said. “You okay?”
“What?”
“You’re looking at Thom as if you want to tear his head off.”
Gale looked at his brother. He was going to deny it, but when Thom held Delly’s hand, he took a step forward. The fury he felt wouldn’t be tamed. Thom was daring to hold her hand. A hand she denied him from holding. Suddenly, they were split apart by her cousin Phillip Sterling.
Gale quickly walked close by to the couple, openly eavesdropping on them.
“Phillip Sterling! I swear, if you don’t be careful you’re going to hurt yourself and someone else!” Delly exclaimed.
The younger boy nodded. He then pointed to the opposite side where the rides were. Delly shook her head and, reaching into her pocket, she took a coin and placed it in his hand. Phillip took off running.
“Can I say something?”
“What?” Gale was startled; he didn’t realize his brother had followed him.
“I’m kind of glad Katniss chose Mellark,” Rory said quietly.
“What are you going on about?” Gale didn’t want to stop staring at Delly, but had to, so that he could hear what his little brother was yammering about.
“You and Katniss, you’re too similar, you’ve got a lot of fire. You need someone that’s, well, like Delly.”
“You know that’s what mother said earlier,” Gale rubbed his chin as he calculated what he could do.
“Delly is sweet, kind, and generous. But she can hold her own. I’ve seen her stand her ground when people try to take advantage of her. People say she’s not pretty, but she’s got something about her that if you look closely, you’ll see that her beauty is internal.”
Gale couldn’t believe that his younger brother saw the same thing he had seen in Delly Cartwright that no one else saw. She was like a geode, striking on the inside.
“So you think I have a chance with her?”
“I don’t see why not,” Rory said. “Wait, are you serious?”
“Maybe,” Gale said, sliding his hands on his hips.
“Look, Gale, you’re my brother, and I love you. Normally, I don’t say anything about the women you frequent. However, Delly isn’t like all of those women. If you go after her, you’d better be serious. She’s the forever type.”
His brother wasn’t saying anything that Gale already didn’t know.
“You know the kind you bring home to meet our mother. The kind of girl you marry.”
“Of course,” Gale agreed.“You’re right, Delly isn’t the type of girl I normally go after. She’s far better, superior, you can say, than me.”
“You can’t break her heart, because if you do, half of the merchants will go after you, along with our mother.”
Gale nodded. He recalled she said she was related to the Clades. No one messed around with that lot. Not to mention the Mellarks would love to take him down a peg or two for flirting with their women.
He looked off to the side and spotted his mother with Vick and Posy. “She knows our mother?”
“Of course, Delly comes to our house to drop off laundry. She always stays to talk with our maw.”
“That would explain a lot,” Gale muttered.
Rory was looking at him strangely.
Gale sighed. Just then, he spotted Lenore with her husband Haymitch. They were speaking to Katniss’ father, Burdock. Lenore stopped speaking and turned to him and mouthed, ‘tick-tock’ to him.
Gale turned his attention to Thom and Delly, who were waiting in line to get some apple cider. His heart thumped in his chest. If he was going crazy with mal-de-amores, he was going to do it while pursuing his other half.
“My problem is she’s with Thom.”
“I don’t think so. They look like friends.”
“She’s letting him hold her hand.” Gale hated watching someone else touch her, even if it was Thom.
“Let me see if I can find out what’s going on?” Rory said.
“Good, go find out,” Gale said.
He watched Rory walk to where they were now standing. He watched his brother stand behind them. After a few minutes, Rory came back with a hot apple cider.
“What did you find out?”
“Well, Thom asked her tonight. They came as friends, to see if there were sparks. And Thom is trying his best, she keeps on blushing, you know. But I noticed she kept on looking behind her. I saw her eyes when she looked at me. They went wide, then she realized I wasn’t who she was expecting. She became forlorn.”
Gale grinned. A plan began to form. “I hate doing this to Thom, but we’ve got to get her away from Thom, Rory.”
“Shoot, that’s easy,” Rory said, sipping his hot cider.
“What do you know that I don’t?”
“I know someone who is lonesome for Thom.”
“Oh?”
“Leevy,” Rory said.
“Leevy?” Gale recalled Katniss’s neighbor. A slight girl with bangs came to mind.
“Leevy’s got the largest crush on Thom. Her sister told Posy. Posy told me,” Rory shrugged.
“Huh,” Gale said as his mind worked quickly. “Rory, find Vick. I need you both to find Leevy. Tell her I can help her get Thom.”
Rory grinned and scooted away. Gale decided he was going to disrupt his friend’s night. With purpose, he strode to where Thom and Delly were standing. He was going to make this date crash and burn.
“Evening,” he greeted. Gale watched as Delly’s eyes widened, just as Rory told him. They glittered with passion.
“Gale,” Thom greeted.
“Thom,” he grinned. He put his arm around Delly, then Thom, and said, “So what are you two up to?” Her proximity made him feel amazing.
“Delly and I are trying to decide what we’re going to do next,” Thom said.
“Well, that depends on how many coins you have left?”
“Not a lot,” Thom muttered.
“Why don’t we combine our coins and make the best of it?” Gale suggested.
“I don’t..” Delly began, but Thom cut her off.
“That would be swell!” Thom exclaimed.
“Why don’t we do the free things?” Gale said. “We can go do some of the taste testing in the competition tents. Afterwards, we can each play a game to win a prize. Or even go on rides that hold more than one person.”
“That sounds good,” Thom said, smiling.
“I was hoping we would spend some time…” Delly didn’t get to finish what she was saying, because Thom interrupted her.
“We have all the time in the world; the festival lasts until tomorrow.”
Gale agreed wholeheartedly with Thom. He eagerly nodded his head. It all served his plan to come between Delly and Thom.
Delly sighed. “Fine, I don’t mind.”
As they walked toward the competition tent, Gale managed to wedge himself between Delly and Thom. He began speaking about the mines and Bristel’s latest prank at work. Thom laughed all the while Delly remained serious.
They walked into the competition tent and headed to the food competition first. There were all sorts of pies, jams, and potato dishes. There were trays set up with little tea spoons in front of each dish. Each spoon was filled with a bite-sized sample of each dish. There were small wooden coins and jars set up so that people could vote for their favorite one. There was no indication of who made each dish, only a number that corresponded to the jar.
Thom gravitated toward the pies. After a few moments, Thom came back with three spoons. “Hey, Delly, taste this one,” he said.
Gale blocked his hand.
“What are you doing?” Thom said.
“Delly’s allergic to nuts,” Gale said.
“Oh, sorry,” Thom said. “I’ll be right back.”
“How did you know?” Delly asked him, frowning.
Gale shrugged, “When we were back in school, Martin tried to give you some toffee brittle his sweetheart had gotten. I remember Peeta swiping it from his brother’s hands and telling him you were allergic to nuts.”
“But that happened when we were kids,” Delly whispered.
“I remember things about you,” Gale said quietly.
Delly became pink, just as Thom came back with spoons of persimmon pie. “I read the ingredients, no nuts, I promise.”
“Thanks, buddy,” Gale said, grabbing his sample. He hummed and thought carefully about the flavors of the pies. “Too sour,” he and Delly said at the same time.
“Oh,” Delly exclaimed, her face turned a delightful shade of red that Gale found fetching.
“Really, I think it’s fine,” Thom looked down at his spoon suspiciously before he set off to find something else.
“Let’s try another,” Delly suggested.
Gale looked at the samples and picked one up, and placed it at her lips. She opened her mouth to protest, but he deposited the apple and rutabaga cobbler into her mouth. He winked at her.
“Mmmm,” Delly squeaked.
Thom was back by then, “Here, try this one,” Gale said amicably toward Thom. “Delly likes it.”
“Oh, she’s right, that is good! Love, good old-fashioned apple pie.”
Delly cleared her throat. “It’s a cobbler, not a pie.”
“That’s funny, you sound just like Gale. He says the same thing. I called anything that has fruit a pie.”
“Thom, not all pies have fruit, steak and kidney pie,” Gale said.
“Chicken pot pie,” Delly supplied.
“A pie is a sweet or savory filling surrounded by a crust,” both Gale and Delly said at the same time. Delly looked at him in shock, and Gale slowly grinned at her. He cheekily winked.
“See,” Thom jovially said, and walked away to taste test something else.
“Why don’t we try the jams?” Gale suggested.
Delly nodded.
Gale wasn’t sure if his plan was working. But it amazed him at the things they had in common.
They moved on after voting and having their fill of the free samples. Thom was looking at some of the things Tam Amber’s son had made. Gale was with Delly’s side, admiring the quilts. “I think yours is going to win.”
“Alright, Mr. Smartypants, if I entered a quilt, which one is it?”
“It’s the one with the lavender material embroidered with the snowflake.”
Delly glanced up at him, “How?”
“You have a lavender dress you wear every New Year’s. It’s lavender with snowflakes embroidered on the hem.”
Delly’s eyes were wider than a saucer. Gale could read every emotion within them. Shock, awe, then disbelief, and finally annoyance. She shook her head and quickly walked away. She made a beeline for Thom. Gale wasn’t bothered because he knew she was thinking about him.
“Psst.”
Gale turned to see his brothers flagging him down.
“Hey,” he greeted.
“She’s standing outside.”
Gale nodded, “Vick, you keep an eye out for them. Rory, take me to Leevy.”
“Leevy, I’m about to make your dreams come true,” Gale said.
“What do you want?” Leevy narrowed her eyes at him.
“Look, I know you have a soft spot for Thom, and right now he’s trying to court the girl who is my other half. Now I want to help you.”
“How do I know this isn’t some ploy?”
“Because it’s true,” Katniss said, coming out of nowhere with Lenore Dove in tow.
“He’s been pining after Delly for some time now. And Delly won’t give him the time of day.”
Leevy looked at Katniss, then at Lenore Dove. “You know about this?”
“Of course, I know a few things,” Lenore Dove said.
“Fine, what do I do, cause I’m in love with Thom, but he doesn’t even know I’m alive.”
“The sweethearts’ wheel. You have to get him there and tell him the truth. Thom’s a good guy, and once he hears how you feel, he’ll be over the moon,” Lenore Dove suggested.
“That sounds like a good idea. I think we should meet up in ten minutes at the sweetheart’s wheel.”
“I’ll meet you there,” Leevy said. “Oh, and thank you!”
“Shoot, nothing to thank us, just go out there and get your man!”
“Tick-Tock,” Lenore sang as she left.
“We’ll go make sure you get to ride with Delly,” Rory said.
“Rory’s friends with Almanzo, he’s running the ride,” Vick said before leaving with his brother.
Gale was left with Katniss. She turned to him and hit Gale in the arm.
“Ouch,” he rubbed his arm. “What was that for?”
“For spilling cider on Peeta.”
“Sorry, I was…”
“Out of your mind because of the brew, I know. I suppose I can forgive you. Lenore Dove said I should anyway.”
“Thanks, I’ve got to go back in there.”
“Gale, do you love her?”
“I do. And I’m sorry, Delly would want me to apologize.”
“For?”
“She wanted me to court someone to prove to her that I could be honorable. I chose you, but I didn’t tell you why. I guess I just should have tried courting her instead.”
“Love is weird, isn’t it…” Kantiss said.
“Yeah, it is, but it’s also thrilling, wonderful, and humbling. Good luck with Peeta.”
Katniss nodded and walked away. Gale turned to the tent and quickly spotted Delly and Thom.
“Sorry about that, my brothers needed me,” Gale explained. “So what are we up to?”
“Well, Thom and I were going to go on the merry-go-round,” Delly said.
“To many people at the merry-go-round, you should try the Ferris wheel, shorter line, and cheaper.” He stepped away from Thom, but his hand now rested on the small of Delly’s back. She gave him a look, but didn’t move away.
“Thanks, Gale!” Thom said. “Shall we?” he extended his hand to Delly.
“Let’s,” Gale said, hooking his arm with Thoms and then offering the crook of his other arm to her. Delly sighed and linked their arms.
When they got to the Ferris wheel, Leevy walked up just as they were getting there. Gale took the lead of the group with Delly behind him, and behind her, Thom. Leevy stood behind Thom. Gale stood behind Delly. They waited as the wheel slowly moved. Rory’s friend nodded when he saw Gale.
They went to the front to pay for the seats.
“How many?” Almanzo asked.
“Three,” Gale said, pointing to their group.
“If you add one more to the group, there is a discount; it’ll be 2 coins for all four,” Almonzo asked.
“Ah,” Gale said, trying to fake not knowing what to do. “Hey, Leevy, do you mind joining us?”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Leevy said.
“Great,” Almazo said. “That will be two coins.”
Gale reached into his pocket and took the two coins. It was a deal; normally, it was 1.5 coins per person. After he paid for all three of their rides, he allowed Almanzo to queue.
“You two here,” Almanzo pointed to Thom and Leevy to a spot in front of a roped gate.
Thom walked to the spot, oblivious to the adoration on Leevy’s face.
Almanzo turned to Gale and said, “You guys are over here.”
Delly stood looking forlorn. Gale looked up at the wheel, which was known as the sweetheart’s wheel. When the small compartment stopped moving, they began to unload the passengers. They loaded people at the same time.
“It’s so pretty,” Leevy exclaimed when it came for them to mount the small carriage.
“Sure is,” Thom said as he sat on the opposite side.
When it was their turn, Gale put his hands on the small of Delly’s back and helped her enter the carriage. He sat down opposite her, trying to figure out what they would speak about.
Gale watched Delly closely as they moved up one to have another carriage dismount and mount.
“What are you doing?”
“What do you mean?”
“Gale, all night long, you’ve been nice to me and Thom. You’ve not acted like yourself?”
“How am I supposed to act?”
“I don’t know. Shouldn’t you be flirting with women?”
“Why would I want to flirt with other women when I’m devoted to you?”
“Pft,” Delly snorted.
“It’s true,” Gale said.
Delly looked at him with doubt. Her lips were thinned and her arms were crossed.
“Who told you all those things about me?”
“No one.”
“Okay, what’s my favorite color?”
“You like baby blue.”
“My favorite song.”
“I fly away.”
“My favorite flower?”
“Forget me nots.”
“How do you know these things?”
“I’ve always noticed you, Delly.”
She looked out of the windows of the carriage. “No one notices me.”
“I did,I do. I noticed everything about you. Haven’t you realized that I would do anything for you? I even chased Katniss because you said you wouldn’t consider me if I didn’t. Thank goodness Katniss chose Mellark.”
Delly gripped her hands in her lap and turned to speak to him. But she opened and closed her mouth several times before turning back to looking out of the window.
“I know you don’t believe me, but I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t feel anything for you.”
“You do have feelings for me?” Her voice was soft.
“Yes, I do, and they are genuine.” Gale gently shifted forward, “Why don’t you look at me?”
When she turned her face, Gale saw the tears flowing from her eyes.
“Delly, don’t cry,” he said, cupping her face.
“You told me once I was pretty, but I didn’t believe you because I’m ugly, everyone says so. And here you are telling me that you have feelings for me.”
“I think you’re prettier than the sunrise. And I am head over heels for you, Delly.”
She shook her head, but Gale reached over and kissed her gently on the lips. He blocked the instinct to pull her closer; they were perched nearly 20 feet in the air.
“I can’t believe it,” Delly whispered.
“Believe it when we get off the lover’s wheel. I’m going to find your father and formally request to court you.” With his free hand, he wiped her tears.
They sat in the carriage talking, and Gale couldn’t help but wonder at how much they had in common. The smile on his face slipped when he saw that Thom and Leevey were waiting for them.
“Thom,” Delly said.
“Delly, I had a nice time with you, but would it be okay if Gale took you home?”
Gale opened his mouth to speak, but Leevy spoke first.
“Thom would like to walk me home!” Leevy exclaimed, and a blush spread on her face. “No hard feelings.”
Gale cleared his throat. “None whatsoever, I was going to walk to my intended’s home.”
“Your intended?” Thom asked, looking between them.
“Delly finally consented to me courting her,” Gale said proudly, holding out his hand to Delly. Her smaller hand fit perfectly in his, and Gale wanted to shout to the heavens.
“Why don’t we go for a spin on the dance floor, before we leave?” Leevy suggested.
Gale wholeheartedly agreed. Grasping Delly’s hand, he led her to the dance floor.
“Everyone, it’s time for the sweethearts dance,” Lenore said. “You know love sometimes needs a little push, trickery, jealousy, or some sweet spirits.” Lenore winked at Gale.
Then the Covey began to play a lively song. Burdock came to the stage and began singing.
“There is a time for love and laughter
The days will pass like summer storms
The winter wind will follow after
But there is love and love is warm.”
Gale danced and lifted his girl. Her beautiful forget-me-not eyes were glowing brighter than the stars in the sky. And he was glad he drank the brew, because without the Dandelion Brew, he would have a lonely life.
After the show, Lenore Dove stepped off the stage. Haymitch stood at the bottom waiting for her. She hoped he didn’t catch on to her words.
“What did you do?” Haymitch raised an eyebrow.
“Why do you think I did anything?”
Just then, Travis Cartwright and Hazelle Hawthorne ran up to Lenore.
“Lenore Dove, we just wanted to thank you,” Hazelle said.
Lenore smiled, though she was wincing on the inside at Haymitch’s knowing smile.
“Twas nothing. Those two have been orbiting each other for years. All they needed was a splash of a good tonic.”
They walked away.
“Tonic,” Haymitch mouthed.
Ortho then showed up, “Lenore Dove, you’ve got free bread for the rest of your life.”
“Aw shucks, you ain’t nothing.”
“Nothing, both my boys are with the women they loved from afar. You were right, all they needed was a gentle push.” Otho nodded, “Hey, Haymitch.”
“A push,” Haymitch remarked. “That leaves jealousy and trickery?”
Lenore Dove smiled, “I could never pull the wool over your eyes.”
“What did you do?”
“I could see that they were soulmates, just like the geese, but needed a little bit of trickery to get them together.”
“And…” Haymitch said.
“So I gave Gale some dandelion brew mixed in with some poppy brew.”
“Lenore Dove Abernathy,” Haymitch said. “You gave that boy the equivalent of a truth serum.”
Lenore laughed. “I found out he was in love with Delly. So then I convinced Delly to tell Gale to go after Katniss, which then prompted Peeta to go after Katniss. Then asked Thom to make Gale jealous. It worked like a charm.”
“And the other two couples?”
“Madge and Harry, Leevey and Thom were happy accidents.”
“Somehow, I don’t think so,” Haymitch said, chuckling.
“Look at them, in love, happy. That’s what I intended.”
Haymitch chuckled. “It’s why I love you like all-fire.”
The End.
I was inspired by the music that inspired the books:
romaincrisis
gummygunk
andulkaphoto
snowghoul
discoholicmusic
jacobvanloon
pixelskylines
