I do not own anything to do with The Hunger Games - I just like to play around with the characters.

Thank you to the author Chash - for her permission and her initial inspiration for this story. You rock!

A big thank you to my friend sponsormusings for pre-reading and beta-ing this story!

Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Katniss hadn't planned on buying the coupon booklet - she'd already bought Peeta an expensive and impressive set of new paints and brushes for his birthday. However, while she's trying to find the perfect birthday card for her best friend and roommate, the colorful little booklet catches her eye. Picking it up, she quickly studies the text scrawled across the front cover; 'Daily Favors For Friends and Housemates', and realizes it's perfect for a little extra something. Browsing through it, she sees page after page filled with coupons that have different tasks inscribed. She can't help smiling at some of them.

'This coupon entitles you to a movie night of your choice.'

'This coupon entitles you to skip chores for a day.'

She knows Peeta would appreciate that one. She isn't a messy person but she knows she can be lazy getting her chores done on time; Peeta usually ends up doing them without complaint. How her best friend has put up living with her for the last three years she'll never know.

Observing the booklet more closely, she decided she's not too fussed on the color of the cover – red and blue isn't really what she thinks of when she thinks of Peeta. Putting it down, she notices more of the booklets sitting towards the back of the shelf, and uses her hands to dig around until she sees one with an orange cover. Grinning triumphantly - it's Peeta's favorite color - she grabs it, along with a birthday card, and heads towards the cashier.

A young blonde woman whose makeup is plastered to her face, greets her with fake politeness as she rings up her purchases. Her eyes begin to glint when she sees the booklet. "These are so much fun," she remarks with a knowing smile. "I'm going to put this into one of our fancy envelopes for you – I'm assuming it's a birthday present?" She asks.

Katniss nods, wishing the sales girl would hurry up with the needless and false chit chat. It's Peeta's birthday party tonight and she has a lot to organise back at their apartment. Grabbing her change, Katniss picks up the items and walks out - she can't wait for tonight to see the look on Peeta's face when she gives him the paints and brush set.


By 10pm the party is in full swing with groups of people mingling and drinking. In the middle of the living room, Peeta and some of his friends have set up a makeshift dance floor where most people are congregated. With a solo cup in hand, Katniss leans against the doorframe of the kitchen and looks out towards the living room. She can see some of her friends (and a lot of people she doesn't know) sway and grind up against each other to the loud music. Katniss has no idea what's playing, but it sounds like hip hop – definitely something their friend Johanna would have chosen. Looking above the fireplace, Katniss can see one of Peeta's framed artworks (a drawing of both of them sitting on the beach staring at the sunset) is vibrating against the wall. She wishes the music didn't have to be so loud, but at least they don't have to worry about noise complaints from the neighbors - because Peeta's invited them all. He's just that type of guy – friendly and includes everyone.

All of a sudden Katniss feels a presence behind her and the smell of cinnamon and dill invades her senses. She knows who it is immediately.

"So can I open my present now?" A masculine voice hums in her ear. Katniss feels a shiver run down her spine when the warmth of his breath hits the nape of her neck. These physical reactions to him have become quite common over the last few months. She's not sure what it means but she knows now is not the right time to sit down and assess them. Peeta's her best friend and it's his 25th birthday. It's a milestone and needs to be celebrated, and she definitely doesn't need to spend it worrying about things like that.

Turning around to give him a smile, she sees that he's already got her gift in his hand, which he must have picked up from the gift table. "I see you can't help yourself!" She yells out over the music.

He leans down to speak into her ear again. "Hey, you only get to celebrate your birthday once a year," he defends. "And you looked quite pleased with yourself when you came home earlier - you've sparked my interest." His blue eyes stare into hers pleadingly, his lips slowly turning down into a pout.

Katniss laughs, and takes a hold of his hand. "Alright, I can't say no to you, especially when it's your birthday. Come on let's go out to the balcony, it'll be quieter." She leads him through the crowd of people and opens the sliding door out to the balcony - surprisingly there's no one out there. Closing the door behind them, Katniss welcomes the sound of the music being muffled and the refreshing cool night air against her warm skin– she didn't realise how hot it was getting in there with all those people. She hears the ripping of paper and turns to see Peeta opening his gift with lightning speed. Katniss can't help but laugh at him; he reminds her of a kid on Christmas morning.

Peeta pulls out the paints and brush set enthusiastically. "Wow, these are great! I can't wait to try them out on a new idea I have," he tells her, and puts them down onto the small table they keep outside. She watches him as he pulls out the envelope with the coupon booklet inside and rips it open. His brows narrow in confusion for a moment before he begins to flick through it. His features change from puzzlement to curiosity and then suddenly his mouth drops open in shock. He looks up at her quickly and she thinks his eyes are about to pop out of his head.

Katniss begins to worry as she's not sure what to make of his mixed reactions. "What? Don't you like it?" She can already hear the defensive tone to her voice.

After a pause Peeta replies, "Like it?" but his voice comes out hoarse before he has a chance to clear his throat. "I think it's safe to say I love it but I'm…surprised… and confused."

Katniss raises her brows in question.

"It's so unexpected…I mean, this just doesn't seem like something you would do?"

Katniss laughs, her concern evaporating. "Is that what you're worried about? That I won't do any of that stuff?" She asks, pointing to the booklet. She thinks about the chores coupon she saw in there earlier. She knows she doesn't have the best track record for cleaning the apartment – so it's no wonder Peeta doesn't believe her. She owes him this though and besides, it could be fun to see what he'll make her do. "Seriously, anything you want in that booklet, I'll do."

Peeta's eyes are still wide with shock, as he looks back down and reads the cover. Katniss can see his brows and forehead are still narrowed in concentration, like he's thinking about something really carefully. When he looks back up at her, his features have softened and he looks suddenly vulnerable. "Are you really sure about this Katniss? Is this real?" He asks her softly. She thinks she can hear a glimmer of hope in his words.

"Of course I'm sure. I wouldn't have given it to you if I wasn't. You know me, no one can make me do anything I don't want to do."

Peeta gives a chuckle and looks at her in amazement. "I can't believe this…"

"Well believe it - it's been a long time coming," she tells him with a grin. "And I've seen some of the stuff in there, so all I ask is that you don't take advantage of it – maybe one or two a day," she adds with a wink.

Peeta lets out a strangled sound, "Oh my god," he whispers.

"Anyway, we'll talk later, I see Finnick heading this way and I need to use the bathroom. I'm glad you like your presents, though." She opens the sliding door, the music blasting in her ears again, and waits for Finnick to come through. Closing the door behind her she looks back over her shoulder. Peeta is still standing where she left him, and he's staring back at her dumbstruck. Meanwhile Finnick, with a beer in his hand, is now standing next to Peeta, knocking his shoulder several times trying to get his attention. She shakes her head to herself – she can't believe his response to her gift – was she really that shitty a roommate?

After coming back from the bathroom and turning down the music to a more reasonable volume, Peeta finds her again. Surprising her while she's putting out some mini pizzas onto the food table, he takes the platter from her hands and wraps his muscular arms around her in the biggest hug she's ever had. Her body melts into his instantly and her head rests comfortably just under his chin. The scent and warmth radiating from his body makes her sigh happily. Ever since she met Peeta in college he's always been an affectionate and giving person. Back then it took her a while to warm up to him as he just seemed too good to be true, and nothing good came from people like that. However as he lived across the hall from her, they'd quickly become part of the same social circle, and she'd soon realised that like everybody else he had his flaws, and she slowly thawed towards him. Their friendship had grown quickly after that and no matter what was going on in her life - a bad break up, a fight with her mother or a loss of a job, he was always there for her. She never feels more safe and protected than when she's in his arms.

"You've made me so happy," he murmurs, lowering his mouth so it's against her skin, giving her a soft kiss on the curve of her neck. She's surprised – he's never kissed her in what feels like such a boyfriend area before – but Katniss closes her eyes and sighs again, though this time it comes out like a raspy moan. She feels a jolt in her lower belly and tingling goosebumps break out over her entire body.

The moment is broken suddenly and quickly, and Katniss is brought back to reality when their neighbor in apartment two, a brute of a guy called Cato, swings his arm around Peeta's neck, almost hitting Katniss in the face and tells him he's needed out on the balcony with some of the guys. Before Peeta can reply back he's being hauled away but manages to mouth back over his shoulder to her, "Sorry."

Katniss gives him an understanding smile and then watches him chat with some of the guys who live in their building. Her mind starts to wander about what just happened between them when they hugged. These reactions she's experiencing around him seem to be getting worse and it's not just the physical responses anymore - now the emotional side of her wants to join in. She just doesn't understand what's going on, or why. She shakes her head to clear it and heads back into the kitchen to grab another drink.

They don't talk much again for the rest of the night, as both of them are too busy playing host and everybody wants a piece of the birthday boy. Katniss spends most of it mingling and chatting with her close friends – but after awhile she begins to think that maybe they've all been hitting the kegs way too hard. The dance floor is like an orgy she didn't want to be invited to, there's a brief but vicious fight over the last mini pizza, some of the guys start giving her appraising looks, and she's getting weird suggestive winks from Cato - not to mention Peeta's increasing obsession over the coupon booklet.

At one point she spots Peeta standing across the room, pulling out the booklet from his back jeans pocket for what's possibly the millionth time. She watches him flick through it again, stopping and staring at a page with wide eyes, his tongue darting out to lick across his lips. Although Katniss is happy that he seemed to like her gift, she really did think the paints and brush set would have gotten more rapt attention. She didn't think she'd ever seen anyone get so excited over the possibility of someone else doing the dishes.

But then the night gets even weirder as the comments begin; her friends are all so drunk she doesn't really know what to make of them. When she comes out of her bedroom, Johanna passes her in the hallway and says, "About time brainless," as she bumps her hip playfully against Katniss'. Considering that it was normal for Johanna to call her brainless on almost a daily basis, she decides to let it go. But within twenty minutes, Madge throws her arms around Katniss and smacks a loud kiss on her cheek, telling her that she's so damn excited for her, while Gale smiles smugly off to the side, flashing her a quick thumbs up. Definitely weird.

A little while later, she's talking to Darius about the local camp grounds, when Peeta's old college roommate, Finnick, comes and joins them on the sofa. He swings his arm around her shoulders and gives her a huge grin – he's clearly drunk. Slurring his words he says to her, "Didn't think you had it in you Girl on Fire - that's one hell of a gift you've given him."

Katniss turns her head to face him and nods, "Yeah, I thought he'd like the paint set."

Finnick lets out a cackle and takes another sip of his beer before shaking his head. "Nope, not that."

Katniss' eyebrows draw together in confusion. "What? You mean the coupon booklet?" she asks him incredulously.

"That's the one," he smirks and raises his beer to her in a mock toast.

"It's just a coupon booklet."

Finnick scoffs, "It's not just a coupon booklet – it's the meaning behind it, isn't it?" And he takes a longer slug of his beer before he stares into her confused grey eyes as intently as a drunk person can. "I tell you, I've never seen him so happy; he's wanted this to happen for a really long time."

Katniss eyes widen in shock. What the hell has Peeta been saying about her? Has he been going around telling Finnick and Johanna and Madge that she's a lazy slob who never cleans up and that she's the worst roommate in the world? She feels angry for a moment but that's quickly replaced with worry. She hadn't realised things were that bad and she doesn't want to lose Peeta over this - he's her best friend and she can't imagine her life without him. She'll prove to him that she can be a better, cleaner and more responsible roommate and it's going to start tonight – straight after the party - with that coupon booklet.


More to come soon - come and visit me on tumblr at - peetaspikelets :)