okay so now i have to talk about it. the reason as to why peeta takes notice of katniss, why she leaves a lasting impression on him is in fact her purity. that's why to him, she's perfect. because when the teacher asked if someone knew the valley song her hand shot straight up. not as a sign of confidence necessarily but of honesty that could not be contained inside of her. the teacher asked a question and so she answered. then the teacher made her sing it for everyone, and even though slightly shy, she just closed her eyes, thought about her mom, her dad and her baby sister and sang as if they were in the room with her.
because that's the kind of home katniss grew up in. a home that felt like one. a safe haven. a place in which the only person she had the choice of being was herself. and no one else. the kind of place that even when completely gone, stays with you. because that's her thing, she may not understand what she's feeling but she will feel it either way. she will let her body take care of her. she will scream and trash when having a nightmare. and if she can't be herself she will try her hardest to be no one at all.
unlike peeta who, even asleep, is not allowing himself a reaction. no, instead he just wakes up, too paralyzed with fear to move. and all of this you can say is me reading too much into it, and maybe i am, but books don't have time to waste. if we're told about something then it's important.
and it's just... of course the kid who's such a good liar, who would never just shot his hand straight up falls in love with a kid who would. no, he has to think about it all first. what is appropriate, what is going to happen after, what is expected of him and how he can give that. he will not be moved by impulse. unless katniss is in danger. or unless katniss is grieving and something screams in him to plant those primroses beside her house. but of course someone like that will find someone who is so natural, and so pure extremely attractive and incredibly charming. it's not random, it's intentional.
