You Will Be Loved - by peetae
This fic is based on the song “She Will Be Loved” from the Maroon 5 and the movie/book “The Last Song” by Nicholas Sparks - but ofcourse I gave it a twist. English is not my native lanuage but I tried to write at my best English :) You can also find it on FF.net and AO3. Hope you like this one-shot !
No. No mum. Please say you are kidding me.
That is what Katniss Everdeen thought when her mum said the news.
"Katniss, I talked with your father…" her mother said.
"Why would you talk to him?" Katniss interrupted.
"Katniss, he is your father. You have to give him a second chance."
"He left us, mum. He LEFT us for a singing career he doesn’t haveSinging was more important to him than his family!"
"He just wanted to follow his dream…"
"Without us? Aren’t we a part of his dream?"
"Katniss, enough! You are going to spend this summer with John!" her mother shouted and Katniss walked away and slammed the door behind her. She just had to leave. She just had to go to her woods and hunt.
Look, if it was for a few days, she could handle it. She could shut him out and stay at her room. But it is for a few weeks.
Now she is at her hill, watching her view, with her bow and arrows next to her. Prim would like it, to spend the summer with her father. She forgives easily and is always happy. She even went a few afternooms to him. Katniss is, on the other hand, not a kind of person who forgives easily. And when someone hurt her deep, like her father did, she shuts people out. She cannot use pain.
Why is she still seventeen. In two months, she will be eightteen, and an adult. Then her mother cannot push her anymore, or her father.
Katniss sighs and takes her bow and arrows. No animal to see. Just singing birds.
Birds. Singing. It reminds her of her father.
She used to sing a lot when she was little. It was something she did with her father and she actually liked it. But now, singing is the reason her father left her and she hates it. She hates her father. She hates singing. And she will never sing again.
Katniss walks to the village where she lives. She has no choice. She can’t leave Prim alone with her father. She loves Prim.
"There you finally are!" her ten year old sister says with a smile on her face.
Her mother walks to her daughters. “Finally. Katniss, your suitcase is still inside. Can you bring it to the car? Oh, and you leave your bow and arrows here.”
"What!?" Katniss shouts. "Are you insane?"
"Katniss, please stop making all this drama! Just leave it here! You cannot hunt at a beach! Listen to me for one time for Gods sake!"
"This is torture!" Katniss yells and she runs inside.
"Katniss, come on! Take your suitcase, leave your weapons and get in the fucking car!" her mother screams.
Katniss feels tears in her eyes, but she won’t, she won’t cry. Six weeks with her father at a place where she don’t know anyone. Six weeks at a damn beach. Six weeks without a bow. It is torture.
And she is still seventeen. Goddamn seventeen.
She grabs her suitcase, throw it in the car and gets in. She is not going to say a word to her mother again.
Prim also gets in the car, next to her mother, who also gets in.
"Katniss, please look a bit more happy," her mother asks.
Katniss starts to look even more angry and put in her earphones. Her mother sighs and starts the car. 5 hours in the damn car for her damn father. Damn, damn, damn.
After ten songs on her iPod, Prim breaks the silence, as she always does.
"So mum, dad asked us to spend with him the summer?"
Of course you did. So you can go to a wellness center with your friend and leave us by that asshole.
"Do you still have a lot contact?" Prim asks.
"Yes, actually yes. I still love him you know, but in a different way."
Katniss leaves an angry sigh. Shut the fuck up.
"So he knows that I want to become a doctor?"
"He knows, Prim. He asks a lot about you and Katniss."
"Yeah he wrote us. I read all his letters, but Katniss didn’t."
"Well, that is Katniss’ choice."
"I am here too, remember?" Katniss wants to say, but she remembered she was not going to talk to her mother.
"Does he know that Katniss has a tattoo and that she got arrested?" Prim asks.
Enough. Katniss loves her sister to death, but she stepped over the line.
"SHUT UP!" Katniss shouts. "It wasn’t my fault! Do you still not believe me?"
"Hey, Katniss can talk," her mother deadpans.
"Shut up," Katniss whispers and turns on the volume. She is crying inside. Inside.
4 hours later, they arrived at Panem, the city who is at the coast and the city where John Everdeen lives. The city where Katniss is going to spend her summer. And it makes it even worse that is actually a cool city. Lots of restaurants and shops, and the beach looks pretty. Katniss has never been here, because her father always went to their house. When he did that, Katniss went to the woods and stayed there the rest of the day, and at night she went to Gale, a friend her mother hates. Gale is her huntingpartner, and her mother hates it that she hunts. That is why she does it so much. But she also really loves it.
"I can see dad!" Prim says happily and she opens the door and jumps out of the car. Her mother smiles and also goes out the car.
John opens the door of his house and Prim jumps into his arms. He smiles. He looks really happy.
Katniss looks out the window and she sees everything. One happy family without her. It would be better if she wasn’t a part of the family.
Her father looks at her, with the same grey eyes as she has. He has messy grey hair now. The last time she saw him, it was black. But that was 6 years ago.
He smiles. And Katniss steps also out of the car this time.
"Katniss…." he starts and wants to give her a hand but Katniss slaps it away.
"If you think I am going to sing for you, well, I won’t! I haven’t sing in these 6 years and I will never, ever sing again! And absolutely not for you!"
She runs away, to the beach behind her father’s house. Away from her father, from her mother. And all she can think is: why am I still seventeen.
The sun is setting and it is a bit cold, but fortunatly Katniss is wearing her black jacket. The wind blows and makes huge waves in the sea. That is why there are a lot of surfers, probably. 10 or something.
It are all boys of her age, maybe older. Tanned, muscled boys. Her friend Madge would describe it as “hotties”. Katniss has no opinion about them, but they are surfing, and surfing looks kinda cool. Like they are controlling the waves. Maybe she could try it this summer, so she is not at her father’s house.
Katniss sits down in the sand, watching the surfers from a distance. One by one the surfers go to beach and then go to the waves again. Like a game. And Katniss likes it.
There is one surfer Katniss recognizes everytime he comes back. The surfer has blonde hair, almost gold in the setting sun. But the reason that she recognize him is that he has a tattoo of an arrow at his hip. A hunting arrow. It is a small tattoo, but it is still a tattoo of an arrow.
Katniss also has a tattoo of an arrow, at her arm. Almost the same size, just a bit different kind of arrow, but still a hunting arrow. Her mother was so angry when she saw the tattoo.
"Why are rebelling the whole time? What have I done to you?"
She doesn’t understand that hunting is her passion. Okay, it started as an act of rebellion, but it became her passion. And when you take a tattoo, you don’t have to be rebel. Katniss just did it without her mother’s permission.
Katniss keeps watching, for hours. Some surfers went home. Others stayed and kept going.
"Watching the hot guys?" a male voice says behind her.
She turns around and behind her stands a bald man.
"Nah, I was eh, just going to leave," Katniss says and she stands up. She doesn’t like this.
"But you had a great view," the man says with a low voice. "And so had I."
"Great. But I have to go," Katniss says, trying not to show how affraid she is.
"Why?" And the man grabs her wrist.
"That is none of your damn business."
"Oh cheeky, I like that. I’m Brutus," he whispers in her ear. "And you look hot tonight."
"Leave me alone!" Katniss says and tries to push him away. But he is too strong.
"Oh no, I won’t," he smiles and he grabs her jacket and pulls her closer.
"Leave her alone!" a voice shouts. Brutus looks up, but before he can say anything, he is roughly pushed away.
It is the blonde surfer. “Go away.”
Brutus laughs, but you can see that he is hurt, because of his face. “And you think you can handle me, blondie?”
"I say it one more time. Leave her alone. Or I will push you to the ground again and call the police."
Brutus looks angry at the boy and then at Katniss. “I will find you. With my friends,” he whispers. He is drunk. The smell of alcohol walks into her nose. Brutus turns around and walks away into the darkness, leaving an affraid Katniss. What could have happened if this boy wasn’t here? She doesn’t want to think about it. She looks at the boy who just saved her. He has blue eyes, shimmering in the darkness. He takes her wrist gently. His hand is wet from the sea.
"Good…" the boy says, and he hestitate a bit. "Watch out for him. He is a creepy guy."
"I saw that," Katniss says. She should thank him. But she is too angry at herself, because she couldn’t handle it alone. And this handsome boy looks very cocky and she hates that,
The boy nodds. “Well, I was about to go home, actually. Bit cold to surf at night.”
"Don’t you have wetsuit for that, or are you just trying to impress girls with your body?"
She doesn’t meant to be mean to him and she doesn’t understand herself. This boy just saved her and she treats him like this?
But the boy laughs. “No, I just prefer to surf without that wetsuit. But I think I have impressed you, because you were here watching all evening.”
She gives him an angry look. Who the hell does he think he is?
But he laughs again. “I’m Peeta by the way.”
"You know this was actually meant to get to know your name."
"That is none of your business, Peter."
"Whatever." Katniss stands up and starts to walk away. She catches a glimp of the arrow tattoo at his hip. Goddamn.
"Katniss, where were you?" her father asks when Katniss walks inside.
"None of your business," she mumbles.
"It is my business. You are my daughter."
Her father sighs. “Go to your room and have some sleep. You had a busy day.”
"Stop saying what I have to do." But Katniss walks to a door and tries to open it.
"That is the bathroom," her father says and he points to another door. "There is your room."
"Whatever." She opens the door and walks into the room. It is a tiny guestroom. She closes the door behind her.
"You know, I’m here too," she hears her sister say.
"Prim! What are you doing here?"
They are quiet for a while.
"Can you please give dad a chance? He is actually very nice, you know. You are always so angry at him."
"Maybe," Katniss says. "Go to sleep, little duck."
The next day when Katniss puts on her clothes, Prim wakes up.
"Katniss, listen! Dad is singing!"
And Katniss hears the beautiful voice of her father.
Katniss storms out of the room.
"No! No! No! I won’t sing! You can sing what you want, but I won’t!" she shouts to her father.
"You just sang the song we always sang together. I remember it. I am not stupid!"
"You are not stupid. But your voice is so beautiful and…"
She just thought about what her sister said. But now he was singing, their song… It was too much.
"Okay…" her father whispers weakly and Katniss walks away.
"Breakfast," she shouts and slams the door.
It is quiet in Panem at morning. It is 10 o’clock and a few people are walking at the beach behind the house of Katniss’ father.
Katniss is hungry, so she starts walking and hopes she will find a bakery or a supermarket or something.
After 10 minutes, she finds a bakery, because of the smell. A delicious smell of fresh bread and pasteries walks into her nose, and she sees a bakery. “Panem Pastries”, is what the place is called and it looks very cosy and retro. She feels in her pockets and find some coins. Enough for a cup of coffee and something to eat, she guess.
When she enters the bakery, a retro bell clingles and she walks to the counter. No one is there.
"Can I help you?" a male voice says and a boy walks to the counter. It is the boy from yesterday, Peeta. Oh no. She hopes he doesn’t recognize her. But he does. "Hey."
She sighs angrilly. “No, I don’t need your help. You are not a hero or something.”
Peeta laughs. “I work here, so I ask if I can help you. That is what you ask a customer when he or she enters your shop, you know.”
"You work? Aren’t you busy enough to look at yourself in the mirror or something?"
She hates it that he looks attracting and that he has a nice smile. She hates it that he helped her. She wish she didn’t need him yesterday.
Peeta laughs even louder. “You are a funny one, ma’am.”
"Don’t call me ma’am. It’s Katniss," she sighs. He was going to know it, sooner or later.
"What a beautiful name," Peeta says and he looks like he means it. "What do you want, Katniss?"
"A cappuchino and a donut."
"Okay, take a seat, I’ll bring it."
Katniss walks to a table and a chair near a window. Peeta comes two minutes later with two cups of coffee and a donut. He is wearing dark jeans with a white v-neck tshirt and an apron. On his apron is his name written: “Peeta Mellark.” His blonde hair is a bit messy and he has curls, she realized.
Peeta sits down at the other chair at Katniss’ table and gives her her coffee and donut, and takes his own cup.
"Why are you sitting here."
"Because I haven’t had my daily cup of coffee yet."
Peeta sighs. “Okay, I’m sorry if I offended you or something, or that I helped you yesterday…”
"You regret it that you helped me? Seri…"
"No," Peeta interrupts. "But it looks like you didn’t like it, and I am sorry for it."
She sighs. Peeta has nothing been but kind and she treats him like shit. She should… apologize.
"No, it is just… It is so much and I can’t handle all of it! Fights with my mum, spending a whole summer with a father who I barely know, almost got raped and then you who saved me because I couldn’t handle it all by myself!"
"Shh," Peeta says. "If you want to talk about it, I’m here."
"Do it when you think you are ready. If you want, of course."
She wish she could trust him. She wish she wasn’t affraid to get hurt. She wish she wasn’t mean.
Peeta gives her a warm smile. “Now, drink your coffee and relax. Enjoy your view.”
He stands up and walks to the counter. “I’ll drink my coffee here.”
"It is fine Katniss. Relax and enjoy your coffee."
She does. The coffee is delicious, and so is the donut. She stays at her place for a long time. Customers are walking in and out, but none take a seat. They all come to buy bread or cakes.
At 11.30, Peeta comes to Katniss again. “Want something to drink?”
"Oh no, I don’t have enough…"
"It is from the house," Peeta smiles. "From me."
She smiles, for the first time in a few weeks. “Thank you.”
Katniss doesn’t know if it is because of Peeta or because of the good coffee and donuts, but every morning she goes to the bakery. She insists every time to pay, but Peeta refuses every time. “From the house,” he says then. Sometimes they have small talk. She told him for example why she is in Panem and that she has trouble with her parents. They gave eachother their phonenumbers. And sometimes they just look at each other and don’t say a word.
Katniss spends her days by going to the bakery, walking, watching the sea and avoiding her father. Though, the last thing is hard.
It is because her father really tries to be nice to her. He makes her favourite dinner every night, he placed flowers in his house (Primroses and Catnip) and he even bought her a new pair of earphones, because her other ones broke. And he hasn’t sung after Katniss shouted at him.
And this night, now Prim is sleeping, he places a blanket over his radio. And that is when Katniss talks to him in a different tone for the first time.
"You don’t have to do that, Dad," she says.
"I have to. I want you to feel welcome. I want you to be happy and to know that I love you."
Katniss sighs. “I know that, Dad, it is just…”
"I know it Katniss. It is hard to forgive. We look a lot like each other."
Her father smiles. “Yeah. You are my dear Katniss. I love you, Catnip.”
And then, Katniss does something she did for the last time when she was 10. She hugs someone.
And not just someone. But her father.
"I’m so sorry dad," she whispers and tears are in her eyes. "I treated you like shit. I treat everyone like shit."
"No you don’t Katniss. You are just having a hard time." He has tears in his eyes too.
"I believe you," he says.
Katniss’ eyes widen. “You…”
"Your mother told me that you were arrested, because there were drugs in your bag. But I couldn’t believe it. You are a good girl."
Katniss laughs softly. “I am a rebel, mum said.”
"Maybe. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have a good heart." Her father laughs. "Well, let me see your tattoo."
Katniss shows her under-arm, the small arrow.
Her father raises an eyebrow. “Is that why your mum freaked out?”
He smiles. “You can shoot with a bow and arrow?” When Katniss nodds, he says: “I did that too.”
And that night, for the first time in since she is in Panem (just 2 weeks), she can sleep well. Without nightmares.
The next morning after the night she talked with her dad, she goes to the bakery again. Peeta is standing behind the counter and smiles at her.
"Hi Katniss. You look happy today," he smiles.
"Yes. I talked with my dad. I guess things are a better now. Not totally, but yeah… We talked."
"I am so happy to hear that!" Peeta smiles while he gives her her cappuchino (her daily order).
"You know," he says. "I am going to surf this afternoom. Do you want to come with me?"
"I can’t surf," Katniss says.
"I am able to teach you," he laughs and he gives her a cheeky wink. "Come to the beach at 13:00. Be sure to wear your swimwear."
"Fine," Katniss laughs and drinks a bit of her coffee.
At 11 o’clock, Katniss decides to walk to her father’s house, instead of the beach. When she approach the house, she sees her father and Prim working in the garden.
"What are you two doing?" Katniss asks.
"We are planting flowers," Prim says enthusiastic. "The garden will be beautiful."
"I’m sure it will, little duck," Katniss smiles.
"Had a nice breakfast?" her father asks.
"Oh that is a damn good bakery. So Kat, what are you going to do today?"
He is trying so hard to be a good father. It is almost hard to stay angry.
"I guess you don’t want to talk about it. Ehm Katniss? Can you be a home at dinner time?"
Dinner. For the first time with her father in 6 years.
"I’ll try," she says and walks inside.
After lunch with her dad and Prim (Prim looked so happy when she had finally lunch with everyone together), Katniss changed her clothes (a bikini and an oversized shirt - she puts a short in a bag) and walks to the beach.
It is a bit crowded at the beach, because it is a very sunny day. But Peeta already saw her.
"Katniss!" he smiles. "Glad you came."
"Of course," she says. "I really want to learn how to surf."
Peeta laughs. “Well, let’s go then.”
He is wearing swim shorts and he has his board under his arm. “The waves are great today. I guess Finnick and Thresh and Cato and the others will come tonight.”
"Who are these guys?" Katniss asks.
"Surfers," Peeta explains. "But now they are doing their job. I asked permission for a free afternoom today."
Katniss feels a bit guilty when she thinks of what she said to Peeta when she walked into the bakery for the first time. She wants to apologize, but she can’t.
"Come on!" he laughs and runs to the sea. "Can you run?"
"Of course!" Katniss takes her tshirt off, so she is wearing only her bikini, and she laughs and starts running to him. She is a fast runner. Gale always said that to her.
"You’re a fast one," Peeta laughs. "So, let’s get started. Make a pirouette."
"Come on, trust me. Make a pirouette."
Katniss does what he asks and makes pirouette with one foot at the ground.
"Okay, your right foot. Your right food is the one which is at the front of the board. Mine too."
"Now, we are going to exercise how to stand up. Let me show you."
Peeta lies down at his board, pushes himself up and moves his right foot. Then he stands.
"Wait, whaaat," Katniss asks.
"I’ll help you," Peeta says and Katniss lies on the board.
"You place your hands at the same height where your breasts are," Peeta says and Katniss does what he says.
"Now, push yourself up and move your right foot like I did. Yes, like that. That’s it!" Peeta says when Katniss stands.
"But my feet are so far away from eachother!"
"Now we go into the water and I’ll show you how to paddle. It is a bit like breast crawl." Peeta shows a little bit of how he paddles.
"Ohhh," Katniss says and she tries it too.
"Great," Peeta smiles. "Now we are going to catch a wave."
He takes the board and paddles, paddles, paddles and then by the wave he stands up and there he goes. It looks wonderful.
"That was a great wave!" Peeta shouts enthusiastic and Katniss laughs. Peeta swims at her and gives her the board. "Now your turn."
"When you feel your board is a bit lifting."
Peeta laughs. “I’m sure.”
Katniss paddles and paddles, and Peeta swims along with her. There is a wave. Katniss tries to stand up, but she can’t control the board and she falls into the water. Peeta swims to her.
"Are you allright?" he asks concerned and he takes her into his arms and wipes her hair away from her face.
"Yeah… Wow, that was scary," Katniss laughs.
"Are you sure you are allright?" Peeta asks, still concerned.
"Yes," Katniss says and wipes Peeta’s hair away from his face. He smiles and leans to her, pulls her closer. And he kisses her.
It is Katniss first real kiss. Of course she has kissed a few boys but that was because of trying and be a rebel to her mother. This one is the first one where she feels something. Butterflies in her stomach, flying everywhere. Giving her a warm, happy feeling.
So she kisses him back and wraps her arms around his neck.
His blue eyes sprankle and she smiles at him.
"Hey," she whispers back and he kisses her again.
"Get a room!" a boy shouts and Peeta just smiles at Katniss and a bonfire is burning inside her. She didn’t know this feeling exist.
"Let’s go back to the beach," he whispers. She nodds and Peeta takes the board and they swim to the beach.
"Want some ice cream? My treat," Peeta says. "I know a place with damn good ice cream. But we have to walk to my car then and drive to it."
"Okay," Katniss smiles and she takes his hand and they walk to the parking places.
He looks at her arm. “You have a tattoo? Why an arrow?”
"I love hunting and archery," Katniss says. "Why do you have an arrow?"
He raises his eyebrow. “How do you know…”
"Why," Katniss asks. "I am curious."
"Well em… I have a brother, Rye, who is 4 years older than me. But he had a lot of fights with my parents. So he moved out when he was 16. I haven’t seen him in 6 years. So, Finnick and I went out two years ago and Finnick wanted a tattoo of an anchor. I decided for an arrow, because the zodiac sign of Rye is a Sagetarius. I wanted something small to remind me of my best friend and brother."
"I’m sorry," Katniss says softly.
"Don’t be. I’m thinking about visiting him. It is just… A bit scary, you know? I think he is also angry with me. I never stood up for him. I was young. I didn’t understand it."
She doesn’t know what to say. She wish she had a way with words. But words and talking were never Katniss talent.
"It is a wonderful tattoo," she says.
They approach the car. It is a kind of a “truck”, an old one.
"Get in ma’am," Peeta says and he opens the door.
Katniss laughs and gets in the car. Peeta puts his surfboard and Katniss’ bag back in the car, and gets in.
"Wait, let me grab a shirt," Peeta says and he grabs a black v-neck from somewhere in the car and put in on. Then he starts the car.
He is a very carefull driver. Katniss notices that he is carefull with everything: with driving, teaching and serving. Even surfing.
Peeta drives to a cute icecream shop at the edge of Panem - still with a view at the beach. It is very quiet. Most people go to the ice shops near the beach.
"Here is the best ice shop of Panem," Peeta smiles. "My friend Finnick works here."
He gets out of the car and opens the door for Katniss.
"Oh wow, you are a real gentleman," Katniss laughs.
"Ofcourse," Peeta laughs. "You’re a Mellark or not."
Katniss laughs again, steps out the car and takes Peeta’s hand.
"Heeeeeey Peeeetaaaa!" a boy calls when Katniss and Peeta walk into the shop.
"And a beautiful young lady," he continued.
"Finnick, this is Katniss. Katniss, this is Finnick," Peeta says.
Finnick looks like a God from Greece with bronze hair and green eyes. Also tanned and muscled, like Peeta.
"Hi Katniss," Finnick says. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," Katniss says.
"So, Peet, you went surfing? Your hair is wet," Finnick says to Peeta.
"You are a surfer?" he asks Katniss.
She shakes her head. “No, Peeta tried to teach me but I can’t.”
"Just more practising," Peeta smiles. "But Finn, two of the special ice cream please."
"Okay baker," Finnick laughs. "It will be ready in few minutes."
"That was the best ice cream I’ve ever had!" Katnis smiles when they get in the car again.
"I told you," Peeta laughs and starts the car.
"It is 17:00. Shall I bring you home?"
Katniss doesn’t want to go home. But she remembered what she promised to her father.
"Yes. I said to my father I would try to have dinner with him and Prim."
Peeta smiles. “Then I’ll bring you home. Just tell me where you live.”
He starts the car and they drive. Katniss feels the fire of happiness again. A warm feeling which makes her smile the whole time. She had an amazing afternoom.
So, when they arrive at Katniss’ house, Katniss says something she want to say to him since the night she met him.
"Thank you," she whispers when Peeta stops the car.
"Same," Peeta smiles. "You are a great girl Katniss. I like you and we had a great date."
"For me it was," Peeta smiles.
"For me too," Katniss smiles back.
She looks into his blue eyes, filled with joy and happiness.
When Peeta opens the door for Katniss, she gets out the car and kisses him one more time.
"See you tomorrow," Peeta says and he gets in his car and waves at her. Katniss waves back until she can’t see his car anymore.
She smiles and goes inside her father’s house.
"You are here," her father smiles when she walks into the kitchen. "Did you have a good afternoom?"
"OOOOH Katniss is in love!" Prim sing-songs while she walks into the kitchen.
"Girls. Dinner is ready," her father says and they all sit down around the table. Like a real family.
Katniss has a new way to spend her days. She has breakfast at home, in the afternoom she goes to Peeta, she has dinner at home (sometimes with Peeta in a restaurant) and at night she goes to the beach and watch Peeta surfing. Perfect routine. They kept on dating and once Peeta asked her to be his girlfriend and she told him hes,
She told her sister that she has a boyfriend and she was so excited that she told it to her father, who smiled and said that he was happy about it.
What Katniss likes the most about her routine is the afternooms with Peeta. Sometimes they go swimming, sometimes they go walking, once they went shopping or once they watched a movie in the cinema when it rained.
Today Peeta wanted Katniss to meet his parents and Katniss is pretty nervous about it. She is waiting at her bedroom when she sees Peeta in his car.
"Good afternoom, Katniss," he says in a charming voice.
"Hey," she says. "How do I look?"
"Beautiful," Peeta says and he kisses her cheek.
"No, but for your parents."
"Don’t worry about it," Peeta smiles.
"Okay," Katniss says and tries to smile. Peeta opens the door, as he always does, and Katniss gets in the car.
While they are driving, Katniss is still nervous. And Peeta sees it.
"You are still nervous, love," he says. "Wait, I’ll turn on the radio."
Beauty queen of only eighteen
She had some trouble with herself
He was always there to help her
She always belonged to someone else
I drove for miles and miles and wound up at your door
I’ve had you so many times but somehow I want more
Peeta smiles. “I love this song,” he says, and he starts to sing along.
I don’t mind spending every day
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
It sounds horrible and Katniss laughs. She thinks of singing. Peeta looks like he enjoys it. Maybe… Maybe she can…. Maybe she can try it. She loves this song too.
Tap on my window, knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful
I know I tend to get so insecure
It doesn’t matter anymore
It’s not always rainbows and butterflies
It’s compromise that moves us along, yeah
My heart is full and my door’s always open
You come anytime you want, yeah.
I don’t mind spending every day
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
Peeta looks at her with suprise.
"That was so beautiful!" he smiles and starts to sing along again.
I know where you hide alone in your car
Know all of the things that make you who you are
I know that goodbye means nothing at all
Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls
Katniss laughs and Peeta smiles back.
Tap on my window knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful
I don’t mind spending every day
Out on your corner in the pouring rain, oh.
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
I don’t mind spending every day
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Please don’t try so hard to say goodbye
"Katniss, seriously, who thaught you to sing?" Peeta asks. "You have talent sweetheart!"
"My… My dad thaught me. I haven’t sing in six years. My father choose singing over us, so I was so angry that I promised myself to never sing ever again."
"Good thing you did not," Peeta smiles. "Your voice… It is beautiful. Like you. You are a beautyqueen of only seventeen."
"Shut up," Katniss laughs but she feels she turns red. She had sung. She had sung for the first time in six years. And it felt amazing.
"Fuck!" Peeta says. "Mud!"
"Hey hey, don’t use dirty words," Katniss laughs.
"Katniss, look outside. We can’t go further."
Katniss looks outside and sees what Peeta means. The way is full with mud.
He grumbles. “I’ll go outside and try to make a way.”
He opens the door and jumps out of the car.
Katniss sees how he tries to make a way, but it doesn’t succeed. She has an evil little plan.
She doesn’t know how to drive a car, but she knows where the gas pedal is…
"KATNISS!" Peeta shouts and Katniss starts laughing loudly. Peeta laughs too and takes some mud and throws it at Katniss.
"Oh no," she laughs and gets out her car and throws mud at Peeta. They look like little children.
"I think the mud is a bit away," Peeta laughs after they had the mud fight.
"Yeah…" Katniss laughs. "Look at your face."
Peeta laughs and the mud is on the dimple in his cheek.
"We’ll clean it together," Katniss smiles and gives him a kiss on his cheek, the one who hasn’t mud. "But this isn’t a really cool meeting with your parents in this way."
"They aren’t probably at home at this time," Peeta winks at her. "Now, get in the car, ma’am."
She does and Peeta does too. And they drive again.
"Wow Peeta! You have not told me that you are RICH," Katniss says when Peeta drives to a big house. A mansion.
"My parents are rich," he says shortly.
"That is what all rich people say," Katniss says.
"Does it matter?" Peeta asks.
"Come," he smiles, gets out the car and opens her door.
"Peeta Mellark. What…" A blonde woman says.
"Hi mum," Peeta says. "This beautiful girl is my girlfriend Katniss."
"Ah," Peeta’s mother says. "You two need a shower before the high tea."
"Yeah, probably," Peeta laughs and takes Katniss’ hand. "Come, to the garden hose."
After they sprayed each other with the garden hose and were a bit more clean, Peeta gave Katniss some clean clothes of his mother and he changed clothes too. Then they went to the dinning room. It is a very chic dinning room, with a large table full of petite cakes and cups of tea.
Peeta’s father is an older man, a year of 50 or so, with grey hair and the same blue eyes as Peeta. Peeta’s mother has red hair (probably dyed) and also blue eyes. She has a very small face.
"Ah, there is the girl. Hello, my name is George," Peeta’s father says. "Nice to meet you."
"Katniss Everdeen," Katniss smiles. She feels Peeta’s mother looking at her clothes. "Nice to meet you too, mr. Mellark."
"Lily Mellark," Peeta’s mother says.
"Nice to meet you, mrs. Mellark," Katniss smiles.
"Oh call us George and Lily please," Peeta’s father says.
"All right George," Katniss says and Peeta lays his hand on her knee.
"Want some tea, dear?" Peeta asks.
"Yes," Katniss says. Oh she so nervous. And Peeta sees it and smiles at her. As if he would say: "it is gonna be okay."
"So, you have your high school graduation?" Lily asks.
"Yes, I have," Katniss says.
"And what do you want to do at college?"
Something she doesn’t want. Or well, she can’t.
"I am not going to college. My sister wants to become a doctor, so I give her my college money to make her dream come true."
"Well, that is really nice of you," Peeta smiles.
"What about your own dreams?" George asks.
"I… Don’t really know yet," Katniss says. Please another subject.
"My boy has the dream to study in New York for financies," Lily smiles.
"New York is awesome, yeah," Peeta says.
"I am sure you will have the opportunity to find a job and a house there, love," his mother smiles at him.
Katniss looks at Peeta in shock. And then in anger.
"Katniss! Please come back!"
Peeta starts running after Katniss, who runs to the huge garden of Peeta’s parents.
Katniss stops and turns angry to him.
"I am not in your dream, am I?"
"What are you talking about?" Peeta asks.
"What am I talking about? Your dream. New York. I don’t fit there, do I?"
"Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell me you are going to study in New York?"
"Go look for a beautiful blonde rich girl who fits in your dream! A dumb girl who doesn’t go to college doesn’t fit in your perfect dream!" Katniss shouts.
"Katniss! Enough!" Peeta shouts back and he holds her shoulders.
"Stay away from me! And don’t ever come back!"
And Katniss runs away, leaving a shocked Peeta behind with tears in his eyes.
She is mad. So mad. How could he not tell her?
She already pictures him in New York with his beautiful eyes and blonde curls and a pretty girl next to him.
She thinks back of all their happy afternooms together and gets even more angry. He will leave her alone. Just like her father did. Just like her friend Gale did after he found out about that she was arrested and he didn’t believe her. Just like everyone does.
And the worst part of all is that she actually thought he was different. She is dumb - maybe it is good she isn’t going to college because she is dumb. Dumb and stupid. If she were Peeta, she would have left already.
Tears streams down her face while Katniss is walking home.
"Goodmorning beautiful," Peeta says with a smile when Katniss enters the bakery.
"Hi Peeta," she smiles back and he walks to her and kisses her on her cheek.
"I love you Katniss. And I’m so lucky to have you as a girlfriend."
Lies. It were all lies. Peeta is going to leave her, just like everyone else.
"What a beautiful night," Peeta whispers into Katniss’ ear. They are together at the beach, watching the stars. The stars are shining and so does Peeta’s eyes. Katniss smiles and kisses him on his forehead.
She takes his hand and Peeta pulls her closer, so her head is on his heart.
"Stay with me," she whispers to him.
"Always," he whispers back.
"LIAR!" she screams to the trees on the sides of the road. "I HATE YOU! I DON’T NEED YOU!"
It is starting to get dark and Katniss keeps on walking. She is almost home. Almost at her fathers place, at the place from the person who also left her.
She sees the little white house of her father and lights are burning. Through the window she sees Prim laughing with her father.
They don’t need me. No one does. Everyone leaves me.
She doesn’t want to go to her father. Or her mother. Or Peeta.
She walks to the beach. The surfers aren’t there anymore. Peeta said there won’t be enough waves this evening.
How could he! How could he…
She feels the tears streaming down her face again. She can’t take it anymore to be alone. She always thought she was strong but she can’t handle it anymore. She isn’t as strong as she think she is. She hates herself.
Katniss sits down and watches the calm ocean for a while. This gives her rest. Like the woods always gave her rest, does the sea now.
She is so focussed on the ocean, she doesn’t hear that a car stopped at a parking place and Peeta walks to her.
"Katniss…" his soft, sweet voice says behind her. Katniss turns to him. Great. There he is and he can see her cry.
"Go away. To New York or something."
"I told you to never come back. Leave me alone." She tries to hold herself and not to cry.
Too late. The tears come in her eyes again. She looks at him and sees that he has also tears in his eyes. He stands in front of her.
"Katniss, I could never, ever leave you. I love you."
She looks away. “Don’t lie,” she whispers.
"I don’t lie. Why would I lie to someone I love?" He is quiet for a while. "Katniss you make me so happy. And when I go to college… That doesn’t mean I’ll leave you…"
"Everyone does!" Katniss shouts suddenly. "My parents, Gale, you! I am too stupid to be with! Everyone leaves me and I am so tired of it so don’t lie to me and say that you are not leaving. Don’t lie to me. Like you did that night on the beach."
"Katniss, I won’t leave you. Yes I will go to college, but that doesn’t mean I will leave you. You’re my girlfriend Katniss. I need you."
She looks to the ground. Peeta sits down next to her and lifts her chin up a bit. “Katniss, please look at me…”
"I hate myself," she sobs softly. "I hate myself."
"You have no reason to hate yourself, you are amazing Katniss," Peeta says to her and he wraps his arms around her. "You are so amazing Katniss and you don’t even know," he whispers and he strokes her hair.
"I am mean to everyone and you were so kind to me and my father did too and I am so mean to everyone and…"
"Shhh," Peeta whispers. "I love you. I really, really love you. And I am so sorry."
"My father left me, Gale left me, I am not a good daughter and a good girlfriend…"
"Katniss please stop. You are wonderful. Remember the song we sang in the car today?"
"You will be loved Katniss. My heart and door are always open for you. I love you so much and I will never ever ever leave you. I promise."
Katniss is quiet for a while and looks into his blue eyes. And at the arrow at his hip.
"Stay with me?" she whispers softly.
"Always," Peeta says and then her lips reaches his.
Katniss talked to her parents, an idea of Peeta - a good conversation after all these years. It is was emotional but worth it because after the conversation she understood her parents more and they understood her more. Katniss promised her father to read his letters and that one afternoom, when she was ready, they would sing together and her mother said that she actually liked the tattoo and believed her. And when the summer was over, she had one last afternoom with Peeta. They went to the mansion of his parents and he showed her the garden and they took a swim in the lake. They kissed. They made love in a small gardenhouse near the lake. And when she said goodbye to Peeta at the airport, she knew he wouldn’t leave her. She would come over to him in a few weeks. They would call everyday. They would make it.
So after, when Katniss was back home hunting in the woods and saw the message of Peeta on her phone:
I love you, beautiful. Together?
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