So, I recently watched Purple Hearts and really enjoyed it, and a few of us wanted to Everlark it. @daydreamsandcaffeine, @absnow
@absnow, you had some ideas for this fic but no time, and you gave the green light on this one. So anyway, I got inspired today and quickly wrote up the scene where they meet. I can’t say if/when I’ll continue, but I hope you enjoy. Tossing the Darius/Rue pairing in there was just a last minute impulse. And yes, due to a couple pieces of dialogue I put in, I will have to change something later on.
“Alright, sweetheart, one set,” drawls Haymitch, giving her a rare smile. “Go for it.”
Katniss smiles back and rushes giddily off to get Delly and the boys.
Once they’re set up, Katniss whips her braid over her shoulder and warms up her vocal chords with a cover of “Sweet Caroline.” Her voice starts off quiet, but after a few encouraging cheers from the audience, it builds. Midway through the song, her confidence is soaring on wings, and she’s belting out the lyrics back to back with her guitarist, Delly Cartwright. The crowd in the bar is clapping to the beat and singing along with the chorus.
She finishes strong and makes it part way through “Feel It Still.” She’s in the middle of singing ‘I’m a rebel just for kicks now’ when her vision begins to blur. The room starts to spin and darken, and her ears are buzzing.
“Kat!” she hears Delly call out just prior to feeling her arms wrap around her. Supporting her, Delly leads Katniss off the stage.
“Hey,” she says gently, looking into her eyes. “You okay?”
Katniss takes a shaky breath. “Y-yeah.”
Delly presses her lips together. “Why don’t you go take a breather and take your insulin.”
Delly releases her slowly and holds out her arms, just in case, as if she’s sending her off to walk for the first time, and Katniss goes for her purse. She makes her way outside to take her injection.
Katniss stares down at the bottle, noticing that it’s nearly empty. “Shit.” She sighs. Only two more doses. She’ll have to hit up the pharmacy first thing tomorrow. She hopes to God she can get a refill.
When she goes back inside, Katniss catches sight of Delly, who immediately heads over.
“You alright?” Delly places a hand on her shoulder.
“Great,” says Katniss, faking a smile.
“Do you want to sit this one out?” Delly asks.
As Katniss finishes an old favorite song of hers, “The Valley Song,” she notices a raucous group of guys off in the corner; they’re applauding, cheering, and whooping loudly, and it brings the briefest of smiles.
“Well, back to work,” says Katniss to herself, heading over to the bar. She notices Delly is taking the guys’ drink order, even though they’re in her section. Probably trying to help her out, which is unnecessary. She decides to go and take over.
When she gets closer to the group, Katniss notes that the one in the middle looks familiar, very familiar. It couldn’t be…
A smile spreads across her face. She hasn’t seen this boy in quite some time. No, not a boy anymore. He’s a man now.
“Darius?” For the most part, he looks the same, only he’s taller now, more muscular, and his once thick head of red hair is buzzed short.
He sees her, and his mouth drops open. “Katniss?!”
Smiling, she makes her way over to him and throws her arms out. He catches her around the waist and spins her, grinning and laughing.
“It’s been too long,” he exclaims, setting her on her feet. Then he turns to his buddies and motions between them and Katniss. “Can you believe this girl was my babysitter?!”
“Okay, now you’re just making me feel old.” Katniss ruffles his barely-there ginger hair‒it’s so fuzzy and soft.
“Nah, Kat, you were the youngest, prettiest babysitter ever, and I think you’ve only gotten more beautiful.”
“You flatterer.” She gives his still-slightly-chubby cheek a playful smack.
Darius chuckles. “You know, I had a major crush on you back then.”
The group of guys reacts to this, a combination of oohs and laughter.
Katniss’s gaze then flickers across the group of men, her eyes landing on a stocky blond off to the right; he’s flashing her a pearly smile, and he’s got the bluest eyes she’s ever seen.
She snaps her eyes away and looks back at Darius. “I had a feeling.” She smirks, ignoring the pair of blue eyes trained on her.
“Really?” Darius laughs. “Oh man, I’ll bet I was so subtle.”
The other guys laugh, too, and the blond guy with the blue eyes pats him on the shoulder.
“I thought you were the most beautiful girl in the world,” Darius goes on to say. Katniss flushes lightly. “‘Course, I can’t say that anymore, since I’m engaged, but you still come in second.”
The other guys holler and cheer.
“You’re engaged?” Katniss’s eyes widen with delight. “Who’s the lucky girl?”
“Oh,” Darius’s cheeks go bright red. “Rue is her name. She’s great. I’m so lucky. Well, actually, we’re not engaged yet, but I have the ring, and I think she’ll say yes... I’m hopeful, anyway.”
“She’s gonna say yes, for sure,” says the blond guy, and a copper-haired guy gives Darius a shoulder squeeze and chimes in with a ‘definitely.’ One of the other guys starts talking about those great benefits military spouses get.
Darius laughs, and he’s wearing that boyish grin of his that’s never changed. “So, uh, these are the guys from my unit,” he tells her.
“Hi.” Katniss holds up a hand in a static wave, and the guys give her an enthusiastic group greeting.
“So, what can I get you boys?” They’re amused by her calling them boys, and the tall, dark-haired one in the back is quick to correct her, saying they’re ‘men,’ not boys. “Alright, men, what’ll it be?”
They give her their orders; most of them want beer (and she’s pretty sure she’s gonna have to card at least one or two of them); the guy in the back wants a whiskey sour, and oddly enough, Blue Eyes wants sugarless tea.
“Oh, my kinda guy,” she flirts, though she doesn’t know why. The handsome blond just grins.
She leaves to get their drinks. When she returns, she overhears Delly telling them that Katniss just loves military men. That gets them pretty excited.
For crying out loud, Dells.
Katniss shoots her a glare‒she hates when her friend tries to fix her up‒and Delly quickly changes her story. “Actually, I was just kidding. Katniss has a strict no soldiers policy.”
“But we’re Marines!” one of them shouts out.
They all stare at her expectantly, as if they want her to up and choose one of them right now like this is the military version of The Bachelorette‒a show she doesn’t watch but hears waay too much about from her little sister, Prim.
Katniss shakes her head. “Sorry.” And she starts handing them their drinks off the tray.
“Come on, baby,” the one in the back, who definitely gives her the strongest asshole vibe, cajoles with full-on pouty lips.
His pout fades away into a grimace. “Oh, I see, so we’re good enough to fight for your ass but not allowed to touch it.”
“Oh, you’re excused. This time,” the dick says.
Katniss glares at him a moment, then spins on her heel to leave. As she’s speed-walking off, empty tray knocking against her thigh, she hears the guys talking.
“What the hell is your problem?” one of them says. “I’m gonna go talk to her.”
Another one replies, “Good luck. Behave yourself, baby boy. Don’t do what he did.”
Katniss is leaning against the bar, waiting for Haymitch to bring back the drinks for one of her tables, when she sees Blondie approaching. She exhales heavily and stares out straight ahead, ignoring him.
“Hey,” he says, leaning against the bar a couple feet away from her.
“Hey,” she deadpans, resting her cheek in her hand, glimpsing him out of the corner of her eye.
“You know, I think Darius was wrong.”
“What?” She turns slightly to look at him.
“About you being the second prettiest girl,” he says. “I’ve seen his girlfriend, and while she’s super cute, you’ve definitely got her beat.”
“Oh? Well, I’m sure D would just love to hear that. Why don’t you go say that to him?” She waves him off with a hand.
“Look,” the guy sighs, “I really just came over here to apologize. Marvel can be a real asshole sometimes, but we’re not all like him.”
“His name is Marvel?” She rolls her eyes, then turns to face Blondie, one hand on her hip. “Well, your friend, Marvel, was just talking about his right to touch my ass, and apparently you also think you’re entitled to do so.”
“That’s not what this is,” he defends.
He sighs again. “We meant no harm; we’re just here blowing off some steam. It’s our last night on leave, and we ship out to Iraq in two weeks, so we’re a little geared up.”
“Yeah, well, that’s really no excuse for casual misogyny.”
He opens his mouth to speak, then shuts it. “You’re right, it’s not. But I’m hoping you’ll let that go. When guys get together in a group we can get pretty stupid.”
“I’ll say.” She huffs. “We done here?”
“Not yet. We haven’t even been properly introduced. I’m Peeta.” He sticks out his hand. When she doesn’t take it, only stares down at it, he slaps it against the side of his jeans. “And you are?” He raises his brow.
“Your waitress/bartender,” she dismisses. “Excuse me.” She moves past him, but he jogs backwards until he’s blocking her path, and suddenly, she’s staring at a wall of broad chest draped in a snug-fitting green tee.
Katniss stops short and scowls at him. “Look, let’s get this out of the way right now. I’m not interested in you.”
“Why not? Because of what my friend said?”
“No, because I know your type.”
“What’s my type?” Peeta persists.
“Well, let’s see... You’re cute and all too aware of it. You’ve got those boy-next-door good looks, and you’re a soldier, so you probably have the girls lined up. You were probably super popular in high school, too. Prom king? Captain of the football team‒?”
“Wrestling team, actually,” he interjects.
Katniss raises her eyes to the ceiling and huffs. “Anyway,” she rolls her eyes, “you’re nice enough; you compliment women and hold doors for them, and you’re able to charm your way into the pants of most women you meet.”
“You’re being extremely complimentary of a guy you’re shooting down, you know?”
“Oh, you think I’m paying you compliments?” she snarks.
“Sounds like it,” he snarks right back.
He clears his throat. “I know your type, too, you know,” he adds after a moment.
“Yep. You’re strong and stubborn. Closed-off. You hate macho, asshole guys‒”
“Who doesn't?” she cuts in.
“But the nice guys don’t stand a chance, either,” he continues. “Because you keep most people at arms’ length.”
She folds her arms and looks away, and he keeps going.
“You don’t date soldiers because you don’t agree with what we’re out there doing. You’re a pacifist, aren’t you?”
“Actually, I’m quite deadly with a bow. And my best friend enjoys making homemade explosive devices in his garage.”
Peeta gapes, and she smirks satisfactorily at shutting his mouth. “That’s not funny,” he says.
“There’s nothing wrong with pacifism, but there comes a point when it no longer works. You can complain about the government and Tweet about people’s rights all you want, but that doesn’t change what’s going on in the world, or how serious the situation we’re in really is.”
Katniss scoffs. “Ugh, do you have a Ph.D. in mansplaining?”
“Sorry, but am I wrong? Sometimes you have to stand up and fight, you know. Turn around and face what wants you dead.”
Fed up, Katniss turns her back on him.
“Hey, you have a tattoo on your lower back. Peace dove?”
She turns around to glare at him over her shoulder. He’s smirking at her. “Actually, it’s on my ass, which you can’t touch, but you can kiss.”
***
(this happens later on)
“Let’s get matching tattoos or something to seal our…marriage.”
“Peace doves?” he teases.
Katniss smirks. “Actually, I was thinking dandelions. They symbolize rebirth, abundant strength and power. Also, hope.”
Peeta smiles. “I like that. Let’s do it.”
“Where’d you get yours?” he asks.
“Wait and see.” She grins back at him.
