Rated Adult for Sexual Situations, Character Death, and Language.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The lyrics and title are property of 'Atlas Genius' and Warner Bros. Records Inc. No copyright infringement is intended.

Dedication: All my love and gratitude goes to my best friend and Beta Scoutchick104. I depend on her support and our epic discussions about all things Everlark. You are one of the good ones, Sue! And I'm lucky to know you.

TROJANS

Notice: There are mature situations and language in this chapter. Please Be a Responsible Reader.

i. change the locks, change the scene/change it all but can't change what we've been

The sides of his duffle knock into his shins with every step and Peeta can't help but become annoyed by the repetitive contact. He lifts the bag over his head, swinging it over his shoulder to have it rest at his back as he walks down the concrete sidewalk, kicking gravel as he goes. The edge of his sneakers are already scuffed and worn as alternates walking and kicking the ground, attempting to relieve some of the tension that has his muscles and joints in knots. With a deep exhale, Peeta proceeds down the cracked walk way studying the neighborhood, periodically comparing the present to what he faintly remembers from his child hood. For the most part everything seems to have stayed the same, except for a few homes that have clearly forgone repairs and a new coat of paint, but other than that it looks as though nothing had changed. The air still has the crisp scent he remembers, a contrast from that of the city and he appreciates the simple things a small town like this can offer.

He mentally scolds himself for thinking of his former home which only causes him to remember the reason he impulsively packed his things and walked straight to the nearest bus station. His mother had arranged for him to fly out the next morning but the walls of his step father's town house were closing in on him, until all he felt was trapped, but he recognized his limits and when his self preservation would kick in, usually ending in violence. He had already fouled up enough, just recently being expelled from the latest private school his mother could find that would accept a disciplinary case. How was he supposed to know that the head master had an extremely attractive daughter who had a thing for fucking on her father's antique desk? It was safe to assume that his step father hadn't been happy when the school refused to return his payment for Peeta's yearly tuition since he had violated a rule that had been in the school contract. It was still amusing to him that they had deemed the incident as disorderly behavior, he'd been given detention for cutting class and immediately expelled afterwards. He assumed that the girls' father only wanted to punish him as much as the balding man could. His mother had convinced the head master, (he snickered when he had remembered where the girl's mouth had been), not to press charges since the girl was only sixteen and he had recently turned eighteen.

He sat in the den as his mother and step father argued about what they would do about his behavior and where they should send them. Legally his step father could remove him from the premises since he was no longer a minor and the property belonged to the man. Peeta strained to hear their hushed conversation voices occasionally erupting in shouts that echoed off the marbled walls of the foyer. The boy could hear the mention of military school which only made his blood run cold as he worked his hands through his thick blonde curls. Thankfully Peeta's mother had convinced her husband that the best thing would be to send her son off to her hometown where her Aunt Maggie still lived, a small town in the Midwest. The thought that she was yet again sending him away, made his emotions run high and all he could see was red as his temper flared and he threw the sliding doors of the den open. The boy's mother and step father stopped in mid sentence as he began to yell and scream, refusing to be something they discarded when it suited them. His step father had quickly charged forward grabbing him by the collar and pushing his broad shoulders up against the wall. The man wasn't patient, becoming furious when the boy would challenge his parental authority in any manner so it wasn't surprising when he threw Peeta to the floor, his body a pile of limbs.

He could still see the look in his mother's eyes, the disappointment and disgust she held for him, her only child his feeling only reflecting hers. The thirteen hour bus ride beside the elderly man who he was positive had worn a soiled diaper the entire way was worth every second to be rid of his step father's abuse.

Lost in his reverie, Peeta nearly walks past the picket fence that surrounds the yard of his Aunt Maggie's home. The exhaustion has finally settled in now that he's arrived at his destination, leaning forward placing both of his palms on top of the fence, he takes in his new home. He looks down smirking, even with hunching over the fence only reaches his torso. As a child he had barely been able to see over the fence, forever climbing onto it, perched on top as he claimed it as his own. A vivid memory plays out before him as though it were happening in the present and not ten years prior.

He sees himself, arms raised above his head in triumph as a dark haired girl with a single braid falling over her shoulder, grabs hold of his pant leg forcibly. Her eyes were steely and bright with fury as her temper erupted.

"You cheated! You watched me the whole time you were supposed to have your eyes closed and counting!"

He watches as his younger self shakes his head, causing a cascade of over grown blonde curls to fall into his blue eyes, a glint of mirth playing there. "You can't prove it." He said as he bends over, their faces only inches apart now. "I am the king of the fence and you aren't!"

The girl takes her hands from where they rest at her hips, reaching up to his collar, and pulling him from the fence to collide with her on the ground. "That's cause I'm not a king, you bugger butt. Girl's are queens."

They roll on the grass taking turns tickling each other, until the girl had easily pinned him to the ground, her bony knees digging into his forearms. "Admit it. Admit that you lost and that I'm better than you, Peeta Mellark."

The boy laughs as he struggles free from her weight, pushing her off to land beside him, in a giggling pile of limbs. "Never Katniss Everdeen. I'd rather kiss a dog's butt."

Katniss' giggles increase. "I can find a dog for you."

The lights seemed to dim back to night as the memory fades resting at the back of his mind. Peeta sighs, pushing the squeaky gate open, the tone the same as he remembers it giving off as a kid. The walk way is short and he reaches the front porch steps in only a short stride, the bottom step creaking from years of use and in need of replacement. Peeta pulls the strap of his duffle from his arm throwing the bag to the porch as he reaches up along the door frame, remembering where Maggie would keep the spare key incase she locked herself out. He feels the grooves of the key, curling his fingers down over it to place it into the key hole turning it to the left. The click is loud, echoing on the deserted porch before he turns the knob and pushes the door open. Peeta bends down to retrieve his bag before standing up and walking over the threshold. The smell of vanilla invades his senses causing him to recall a plethora of child hood memories of running through the halls, giggling, and teasing the dark haired girl who lived next door. Peeta scratches the back of his head as he pulls the door shut, he hadn't thought about her in years but the flash of her face as she stuck her tongue out at him reminded him that the memory he had outside featured the same girl, Katniss Everdeen.

He doesn't want to turn on a light, and wake his aunt, but thankfully she has tiny night lights plugged in that illuminate the living room just enough that he spots the deep plush carpet of the stairs. Peeta remembered digging his toes into the fabric, reveling in the feel of it underneath his toes, the way it would tickle his feet. The rest of the first floor is covered in the original hard wood, but Maggie had always been proud of the purple carpeting that covered the stairs. It reminded Peeta of something royalty would have laid out for their presence, which only made him smile as he ascended up to the second floor, it was his own welcoming sign. When he reached the landing he spotted the door that led to the room he stayed in when he was younger. The wood was the same red color he had painted it when he was five, and he couldn't stop the smile that had begun to form just minutes prior. Maggie was one of the few people in his life who hadn't forgotten about him, but he reminded himself that there was always the possibility that she just favored the door that color and it nothing to do with sentiment on her part.

The duffle on his arm begins to bother him with how cumbersome it is, prompting Peeta to open the door at last. A gust of wind hits his face traveling from the opened window across the room, and the faint scent of mint fills his nostrils. It seems out of place in the room but he sets the thought aside along with his bag as he throws it in the corner by the aged dresser. The moon light filtering in from the window enables him to see enough to walk to the private bathroom connected to the room. He can just spot the king sized bed that is pushed up against the wall and he's thankful that Maggie hadn't kept the twin bed he had once slept in. Peeta makes it to the bathroom door, only knocking his shin into the bed frame once, and reaches for the light switch flipping it up. The florescent lighting in the bathroom blinds him momentarily as he had become used to the darkness filling the rest of the house.

Peeta catches his reflection in the bathroom mirror as he shuts the door behind him, a habit from sharing a community bathroom at boarding school, but habits seem to stay with him even the ones he knows he should stop. He leans forward pressing his forehead into the cool glass exhaling slowly before standing up again to survey his appearance. The ends of his over grown bangs stick to his skin and he reaches up to smooth his hair back, the curls sticking up every which way. Peeta pulls the hem of his t-shirt over his head throwing it beside the toilet with his sneakers, socks and pants soon following. He debates taking a shower but there's a chance that the warm water will only revive him and he desperately seeks sleep. He had been too paranoid to find rest on the bus and there were moments when he questioned his impulsive act. Now he reasons that there's only a few more hours till he'll actually have to get up and let Maggie know that he's already arrived, he can shower then.

Shutting the light off, he opens the door, padding into the room with only his boxer shorts on. The wind moving into the room is welcome on his back his skin flushed from the humidity during his long walk from the bus station. Peeta pulls the blanket back, his fingers curling over the edge of the sheet to pull it along as he slips inside, attempting to settle in. His head hit the pillow a contented sigh escaping his lips as he stretched out. He stills when his foot comes in contact with what feel like the back of someone's leg, too petite and hairless to be his, it feels like it belongs to a women.

He doesn't have long to ruminate on the situation before a dark head of hair springs up and he comes face to face with deep grey eyes, and before he can utter a word a loud high pitch scream comes from her lips. It tears through his mind and he sits up beside her to hold his hands over his ears hoping to muffle some of the sound. His sudden movement must have startle her further because before he can piece a thought together the knuckles of her right fist connect with his jaw, and the force of the action sends him off the bed, landing on the floor in a rumpled mess. The girl is still wailing when the light suddenly comes on and he can feel footsteps vibrating, signaling someone entering the room. Peeta places his hand on his injured jaw, the muscles there ticking away, in sync with his pulse, as he sits up. He spots his Aunt Maggie, her graying hair tied into a tight bun for sleep, as she holds the girl close rocking her as you would a frightened child.

The weight of the mattress is redistributed as he leans onto it, alerting the girl of his presence. She turns towards him, breaking free of Maggie's embrace to stare him down. "He attacked me!"

Peeta jumps up from the floor, his hand still holding onto his face while the other points at the girl on the bed accusingly. "Bullshit! You crazy ass, you attacked me!"

Her eyes are still narrowed in his direction. "You crawled into bed with me."

Peeta rolls his eyes. "You make it sound like I'm some pervert that waited for to go to sleep so I could molest you."

She pushes away from Maggie, settling on her knees and turning towards him fully. "Well didn't you!"

Peeta scoffs. "Oh sweetheart. You may fill out those sleep shorts alright but I usually don't get handsy with nut jobs who nearly knock me out."

Maggie sighs heavily as she snaps her fingers into the air attempting to gain his attention. Peeta steps to the side to get a better view of her due to the girl blocking her from him. "I thought you were coming in the morning."

Peeta glances at the girl who was watching him closely until turning and giving his full attention to his aunt. "I got tired of waiting, so I decided to take the bus."

Maggie shook her head. "That's a very long trip to take, when you could have waited a few more hours and flew."

He began to rub at the sore spot on his jaw. "Like I said I got impatient, but seeing that I could have forgone a beating I should have just sat in the airport all night."

Maggie nods as she scoots off of the bed tugging at the girl's arm, prompting her to follow. "Come Katniss, let's get you to a bed where you won't have to resort to violence."

Peeta watches as the girl pushes off the bed, her tank top rising up a bit at the back showing a good portion of soft olive skin. "Wait. You're Katniss? The girl who used to live next door?"

Katniss turns towards him as Maggie stops at the door. "Yes. And I still live there."

"Then why don't you sleep there?"

Katniss mumbles an insult his way as she turns towards the door to join Maggie, he watches the muscles at the back of her thighs flex, he hadn't been lying when he had complimented her on the way she wore her shorts, but he deemed that her crazy out weighed the slight attraction he felt towards her. Because hell he could become hard for pretty much anyone who didn't have a cock between their legs. Maggie spots him watching the girl exit her expression slightly amused. She waves at him as she pulls the door closed.

Peeta suddenly feels dejected, his voice high and hurt. "Hey! I'm the one that is injured here!" He waits for a response but soon the silence again fills the room. He holds onto the side of his face, his eyes roaming over where Katniss had been sleeping. It irritated him that she had been using his space to rest, normally he wouldn't have complained if a girl had been in his bed but something about this one got under his skin. And besides he hates the fact that someone who's a hundred pounds dripping wet could hit harder than he could that only infuriates him further.

She kicks off the spare blanket that had been positioned at the foot of the bed, as she attempts to settle. The air is thicker in this room than it had been in the previous one, she assumes that the window hasn't been opened in here in quite awhile. An anxious energy runs through her limbs and she shifts her body, irritated. She had been comfortable where she was before having to come into an unfamiliar room, it only infuriated her that she had been pushed out because he was too much of an idiot to actually arrive when he said he would. She could already tell that he had the tendency to be impulsive and unpredictable and it just seemed to bother her. Katniss exhaled slowly as she lifted her hand in front of her face using the moon light that filtered into the room to inspect the damage. She flexed her fingers which still felt a bit stiff but she could already feel the tension ebb, and even in the low light she could see that there weren't any bruises forming but the knuckles had swelled, the skin there irritated. She couldn't help the satisfied smile that formed at her lips, she wasn't normally a violent person, in fact she went out of her way to avoid any conflict usually. Her tendency to retreat with in herself, mentally and emotionally, was an instinct that she and her councilor had been trying to correct for years now. And there were times when Katniss felt confident enough to overcome her own fears, but when the occasion arose to act, she would shut down. But something about this boy, that she had known as a little girl caused her to react entirely opposite than she would have had if he had been anyone else.

After she recognized him as the boy she had known, it didn't take her long to compare the young man in front of her to child she had been close to. Katniss could already see that he was different, she had remembered him quiet and reserved sitting underneath the tree that was rooted between their houses, allowing them access to each others other's window. It had been the way she had made it into the room that night. He would sketch in a notebook, his head down as he held his tongue between his teeth as he attempted to etch a line just so. He had only been eleven then, but she had marveled at the way he could capture life, he had a light inside of him. But the young man she had seen earlier no longer had that spark, he seemed to be drowning, just as she was.

Katniss rolled onto her side, hoping that the new position would help her finally fall back to sleep. She lifted up enough so that she could pull her hair from underneath her, gathering the strands and moving them above her head. She could feel her body relax but as soon as her breathing began to level out the image of him, the boy, Peeta she remembered his name being, flooded into her mind once again. She groaned in irritation at her ability to pick the utmost worst times to let her mind wander, and usually the things she thought about were incredibly inappropriate, a side effect, her counselor told her was from censoring herself so much. Katniss hadn't missed the way his shoulders had flexed when he had held onto his face after she had struck him, or the way his toned abs held the smallest amount of body hair. She couldn't deny that he had become even more attractive than he was when they were younger, even then she had noticed the way his golden curls made his deep blue eyes shine. Katniss shifts moving her right leg against her left causing friction and it's then that a warm tingle builds at her thighs traveling up to settle beneath her cotton boy shorts. She abruptly stills, she can feel a flush heat her cheeks and she's thankful for the solitude. Her body stays still until she trails the tips of her fingers up her thigh to rest at the waist band of her panties. She can feel her fingers twitch, her inhibitions free, but at the last second she sighs loudly falling onto her back. Katniss' muscles tense and she curses at herself for being so ridiculous to think of someone who she hasn't known for the past six years in such a way. She wills her mind to quiet down, but she can't erase the sight of him half naked out of her mind. Before her hands could roam her body once again, Katniss reaches for the pillow beside her, holding it against her face, screaming all her frustrations into it, hoping it muffles the sound. When she finally feels like she has a hold on her actions, she throws it to the side. Her body has begun to relax once again, allowing her to fall asleep, as she hopes for once she can have a dreamless sleep, one without nightmares of the day her mother died. However to her dismay, and perhaps pleasure, his face is the last thing she thinks of before she drifts off.

A/N: I've had this one waiting on my computer waiting to be published for a while. I would love to know what you all think. Please Review.