A/N

By Alan Gilfoy in the world of Suzanne Collins. Pre-trilogy AU. A dashing young man from the Seam catches the eye of a beautiful lady living in the Merchant Section. First-person present-tense POV from her perspective.

Some of this might not make sense unless you're already familiar with the series.

"I think I'm in love. No, I know I'm in love."

"So, Ingrid, who's the unlucky guy?"

"Shut up, Priscilla. I have a feeling Jacob Everdeen and I are very lucky."

Mom said, "Tell us about him, dear." She was more positive than my sister, although I suppose that isn't saying much.

I was afraid that neither of them would have a positive reaction to this. Jacob is from the Seam neighborhood, a coal miner like the rest of its residents. We're merchants - far better people living in a far better part of town, or so the rest of my family thought. Old stories insisted that such things didn't matter when it came to love; it sure didn't seem to bother me and Jacob so far. My best friend Maysilee died in the Hunger Games arena five years ago, comforted by a friendship with Haymitch, the Seam boy who did make it out alive. The Capitol, the truly rich in Panem, laughed as they killed Maysilee, crushed Haymitch's spirit and did the same things to who knows how many others. My folks rationalized that we didn't have it as bad, but to me that was not good enough.

I would relish the reveal. "Okay, Mother. We happened to be walking around town at the same time. I stopped dead in my tracks when he started to sing. Even the birds stopped to listen." Artistic types are fairly common here in the Merchant Section, so this wouldn't be too surprising. However, we looked different for the most part, and Jacob's physical features clearly marked him as amongst the poorest of District Twelve. "I looked straight into his gray eyes, and I knew." No response. Did they not hear me, or had they heard exactly what I said? I went on. "I waved him over to my side of the street. The sweat on his dark hair and toned skin glistened as the reflection changed during his walk across the street."

Once Mother got the point, she was aghast. "You can do better than some Seam rat! They only want one thing anyway!" Yes, a pretty young lady like me can afford to have standards, and I do. He obviously must be something special if I'm already thinking about him like this. I might not mind that with a man who looks like him anyway.

Father didn't exactly approve either, but he was calmer about it. "Maybe you two are a good fit for each other. But don't choose him just to be rebellious; you'll regret that."

Mother cut back in. "I'm not some lovestruck youngster anymore. You'll regret it anyway. Love might not last. He might not last – doesn't he work in those filthy coal mines? Would he be worth giving up everyone and everything you have over here anyway?" Even if this works out, would I really ditch my whole life for him? It was hard enough losing just Maysilee, and everyone I knew would be as good as dead to me if I ran off with Jacob. This seemed cruel and ignorant of my supposed friends and family. Yet at times I could still see beauty, kindness, patience and virtue. They were crazy, but they were mine.

But I couldn't resist the temptation. I was young and I thought I knew everything; it's so hard to change a fool's mind. Later that week, the next chance we had, we spent the afternoon together. Here I am in my twenties, looking the part of an idiot schoolgirl. I'm lying down in the meadow, my chin resting on my hands as my head looks up at him. He sung best when not lying down, you see. The tune that captivated me was a simple work chant. This was a full-on love song, and it was working.

"Angels in Heaven know I love you."

As he finished the piece, I rose from the ground and channeled his verse as I brushed aside my long blond hair. "Jacob, I know I love you."

"Ingrid, do you want to know what else this mouth can do?" My agreement was silent, yet obvious. His kiss had the intoxicating taste of exotic plants.

I continued acting with the infatuation of a schoolgirl, walking home hand in hand with him. We reached the Kolster house, probably a mansion compared to what he was used to. "Better not go in," I said. He could win a fight with them, whether physical or verbal, but that would just make things worse. We embraced again before he had to go.

We kept on dating. Maybe my folks figured fighting it harder would make me love him even more. Maybe they thought I'd grow tired of him – yeah right, it kept getting better. One day he said, "Ingrid, I have a secret to tell you."

"Is it something sweet?" Here I am giggling again.

"No, but it's something you must know. I go into the woods, and today, I want you to go with me." Great, I'll be made an outcast and a criminal. Yet something calmed my fear-borne sarcasm – he did. "Lately, there's nothing I care about like you, so of course I'll keep you safe. After all, I know how to pull it off myself." So strong, yet so calm.

Once we actually crossed through the fence, I realized how beautiful it was out here. The aroma of his kiss wasn't so exotic after all – it came from these woods that he was obviously so happy to be in. There was a sense of awe as I looked up into the tall trees. I recognized many of the medicinal plants, as well I should from working in the family apothecary. Jacob eagerly started naming the others.

He slowed down when we came to a particular cluster of flowers. Their petals were rounded and yellow, with the center an even more vivid yellow. He picked one and threaded the stem through my hair. "Primroses. They're almost as beautiful as you are." Swoon. I got compliments like that all the time, but he actually meant it, and I actually felt it for him. As I started to stumble, he steadied me with his hands around my back. I'm sure brushing up against my bust was not accidental, but I didn't mind. Amongst other things, this was a good place for lovers to be alone. "They can't kiss back, but you can sure kiss them."

"I think I shall."

As I released my blouse's buttons, I said, "Go on, lick something besides your lips." He did and I almost wished he wouldn't stop.

"Is it time?" We both knew what that supposedly unclear statement meant – fuck me is the same in any language, verbal or nonverbal.

"No, not quite yet." I fixed myself back up, and it was obvious that it was time to end things for today, but we still walked back glowing. He showed me how to dart back to safety and we parted ways to head back to our homes on different sides of the district. It would be a short walk between the Kolster and Everdeen residences, but certain people made it seem worlds apart.

"You were out with him again, weren't you?" The venom in Mother's voice hung thick in the air. I let my silence speak for itself. I could plead his romanticism and many other things, but it would do no good. However, I had a bounty of healing herbs, and she was too practical to pass up a bagful of those – even the Merchant Section couldn't afford to waste like the Capitol could. They salved her anger for now as I made plans to see him yet again. I took the primrose out of my hair and pressed it in one of the back pages of my diary.

We were both bolder about our second trip into the woods together. He pulled a bow and a quiver of arrows out of a fallen log. "Angel, I'm not out here just to pick flowers." He had a unique sort of grace for this, arrow after arrow finding their mark in small woodland creatures. I imitated his careful tread as I found more herbs.

This time we'd both head back to his house. The building looked even worse than I anticipated. The shack was only half as large as our house, if that. It was made of rough, weathered and cracking boards. He opened the door and I saw a dingy mattress slung on the floor to the right of the entranceway. "You sleep on that?"

"Yes, myself and my brothers."

One of them spoke up. "So this is the legendary Ingrid Kolster – Jake wasn't kidding. He can't stop talking about you, and I understand why."

"Thank you."

Then we heard from his mother. "I'm glad you love each other, but, Jake, can you take care of a Townie though?" This was downright mild compared to the kinds of things my mother said, but I could still feel the disdain in her voice.

The other Everdeens were glad to see Jacob and welcomed me. Their surroundings made it look they'd be miserable, but they were happy. My family was often the other way around. "Jacob, I don't know how you do it. I'm certainly not sure how I could. We are in love, but I'm not sure how that would weather the stress. I admire your will and ability to survive gracefully, but I'm not sure if I could ever adjust to crossing the line." Would the wonders of the woods be our salvation, or would the forbidden flora and fauna doom us?

"I'd help you adjust, and we'd still have each other. These past few months have been exhilarating. I can only imagine how wonderful a whole life with you could be. My angel, will you be my wife?"

Love conquers all only in fantasy. He might sing out to the heavens, but the heavens won't buy the bread. My heart still thought of saying yes, but my brain said, "No."

A/N

I imagine that their canon courtship went something like this, except that she didn't have doubts or ignored them (and said yes of course)