She sat back on the plush mattress, eyes widened, looking up at nothing in particular. Her brown locks fanned out around her head. She clutched the white sheet to her chest, taking in deep breaths. He crossed his arms, nudging her body with his elbow. He turned to her, with a hint of a smile and muttered, "Hi."

"Hi." She replied quickly. She looked down picking at her nail polish before sighing, "So, work's gonna be weird today."

He laughed dryly, "Yeah."

The strap of her bookbag pulled at her grey tee, tugging it down and she awkwardly shot him a glance before pulling it up. He strolled along beside her rapid pace, stuffing his hands deep into his pockets. They kept on like that, the silence deafening as she trailed a hand up and down the exposed skin of her arm.

"Okay, so listen… about last night." He began and she sighed, grateful for the words. But then he trailed off and he grimaced.

She turned to him, stopping mid-stride and raised her eyebrows, "I'm listening."

He smiled and said, "Yeah, I didn't really have anything after that. I was hoping you'd cut me off with like a shhh." He raised his pointer finger to her lips in a gesture of silence. He shook his head and shrugged.

"Wow... good plan." She deadpanned with a smirk before walking. She rubbed her hands along the top of her jeans in a nervous tick and shook her head.

"Look, the point is," he began running to catch up with her, "this is the first time I've ever done this." He accentuated his words with hand gestures.

In mock-seriousness, she gasped, "I took your virginity!" She then laughed, pushing on his chest.

"No…" he smiled along and she shook her head disappointedly.

"Man, that would've been so awesome." The grin remained on her face as they walked down the busy street, happy that some tension had been alleviated.

But, of course, he had to bring it up again. "I'm talking about," he looked around at the empty sidewalk before moving close to her ear and whispering, "the one night stand." She crossed her arms, big eyes looking up at him, "I don't really know the protocol."

"Okay," her hand stretched out stopping him dead in his tracks, "well, first of all, don't call it 'protocol'."

He smirked, "Got it." And he counted on his fingers, 'one'.

"And second of all, why are you whispering?" She giggled when he threw an oblivious look to her.

"I thought it was part of the 'protocol'." He quipped.

She smiled but then composed herself again, "Okay, Peeta, but in all seriousness, let's keep this between us, okay?" He nodded staring at her and for only a second she felt guilty. Let's just say she pushed that down… deep. "I just don't want this to be a big thing…" His eyes were wide as he looked at her like a lost puppy dog, taking in her every command, "So, when we go inside, let's just act normal. Play it cool?"

"Yeah."

"So, we don't have to talk about this, anymore."

"Never again." He shook his head, holding in a breath with raised eyebrows.

Oh, god.

"Alright," he commented as they walked down the hall, standing a bit too close, "we're just two co-workers who happen to show up at the same time. Who knows, maybe we just bumped into each other down the block and started talking about each other's friends and families and pets." He just kept going on and it was driving her nuts, "And-"

"Okay." She cut him off, "that's too much backstory!" He inclined, at looked to her, waiting, "Alright, we-"

"Hey guys!" Her desk mate Thom stated, with an easy going smile.

Katniss panicked, her mind blank as she beamed at him, "What's up?! My man! What the mad happs my happer?!" She laughed nervously, retracting the two hands she was currently pointing towards him, "Alright check you latro bro go!" And she ran away shooting a glare at Peeta.

He smiled at her flushed cheeks and looked back at Thom, whose eyebrows were knitted together curiously. The blonde shrugged. He followed her for a few steps before she whipped around, a crazed look upon her face. "Wow…" He droned with the hint of a grin.

"I- I don't know what happened! I buckled under the pressure!"

He laughed and she scowled, "How 'bout we just split up?" And she darted away.

Katniss sat back against her black office chair, running her hands along the contours of her face as she tried to focus on her work. "Hey, have you seen Peeta?" A voice asked out of the blue and she jumped, whipping her body around, a deer caught in headlights.

"Why would I see, Peeta. I haven't seen Peeta. I don't see Peeta." She burst out quickly before pausing a long while and averting herr eyes, "Uh, I haven't seen him." And she pickeed up her headphones and ignoring her co-worker.

"Katniss looked cute today." Thom stated beside Peeta, looking to the guys at the table for confirmation.

A shot of panic ran down his spine, "Ew, Katniss…" He drawled, his voice oddly high. "That Katniss? I personally thinks she looks awful, ugh!"

Everyone stared at him curiously while Boggs, an older guy nodded, "Yeah, I've never seen it either."

Peeta turned on him blushing, "Hey! There's no need to be rude." If he didn't look weird before, he certainly did now.

Oops!

He stumbled into the break room, wishing for a midday nap. She got coffee instead. When he walked in along side her, she shot him a look and he avoided eye contact. Bonnie, the office inter sat on the couch, presumably on her break and smiled at them. "Oh, hey you two! How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun?"

They both nodded robotically and spoke in unison, "Just stayed home and binge watched Orange is the New Black."

They both ran out then. She didn't even get her coffee.

There was a miscommunication here, somewhere.

She walked out of the building, magic hour around her. The sweet spot where there was no sun to blind you but she could still see everything around her in that blue-ish light. "Caw! Caw!" She jumped and held a hand over her chest.

"What the hell are you doing?!" She called down the alleyway where he stood, waving her closer.

"Duh, it was a bird call!" He grinned, flicking her arm. So immature.

"From the sounds of it, I don't think you know what a bird is." She placed her hands out in front of her, accentuating her words. He shrugged and she tucked her hands in her jeans, rolling back and forth on her flats. "How long have you been out here anyway?"

He dismissed her and smirked, "I dunno." He began tapping his watch with his pointer finger and grinned, "I'm not exactly sure, my watch died." He joked, casting a glance her way. He grinned even broader when she bit her lip to hide her amusement. "Anyway, I just wanted to see how your day went."

"It went well." She snicked, "I think we're in the clear."

"Cool…"

"Yeah."

"Then I guess, that uh, wraps things up!" He tapped his hands together and her saw the muscles in her neck flex.

"Yea, well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

He shook his head and glanced at the ground, "Ugh, that was weird."

"Well I'll just get going now."

"Bye…"

She groaned, hitting the pillow beneath her. Really, again! He chuckled underneath her, and she smiled against his bare chest.

Whatever, it didn't really matter.

A/N: Might continue, but this was just for fun.

-RC