Peeta was a nervous wreck. His palms were sweaty, the glass of water brought by the waitress totally drained. Maybe she isn't coming, he thought dejectedly. Quickly, he shook his head, banishing the errant thoughts away. Katniss wouldn't do such a thing, he was sure of it. She wasn't that cruel.

You don't even know her, the practical side of him rationalized. She might not even be who she says she is. He hated to admit it, but it was true.You've been sitting here for over an hour and she still isn't here. Might as well cut your losses and head home.

He sighed, both upset and embarrassed that she had stood him up. He had been looking forward to meeting her for weeks. They had been talking for nearly six months; their online friendship blossoming as a result of her commenting on a piece of artwork he had posted on his blog, based on his favorite book series.

His fandom obsession was one he shared with absolutely no one, a closely held secret he'd kept since high school. He recently decided to try his hand at producing fanworks, a combination of his two of his most beloved things: his fandom and art. His work, and his blog by default, became wildly popular, amassing thousands of followers and fans. He liked to interact with fans of his art, often checking out their own fanworks and even producing images based on different fanfiction. He loved rendering his favorite characters in different situations, often wildly different from the dystopian nature of their canon world while keeping key character traits.

Katniss initially contacted him by leaving a comment on one of his drawings. He was used to praise from others in the fandom, but her comment was markedly different from the usual acclaim. Her words were eloquent, her admiration dotted with minor critique and suggestion. He was intrigued by her ideas, and his perusal of her blog led him to discover that she herself produced fanfiction. The worlds and situations she created for their beloved characters were rich with detail, her gorgeous prose pulling him into these unfamiliar environments, leaving him inspired to create more based on her work.

They clicked instantly, becoming fast friends. They spoke nearly every day, their conversations drifting from their fandom to personal matters. He learned about her job, her little sister, the absolute pride and joy of her life, and her wild roommates. She was told about his family's bakery where he still helped out on weekends, his job as a high school art teacher, and even helped him through his break-up with his longterm girlfriend.

She knew things about him that absolutely no one knew, things he would never share with anyone but her, and he was sure she wasn't coming. He barely even knew what she looked like; they had never exchanged photos during their entire correspondence. He had a vague description of her, an approximate height, eye color, and hair color, but that was it. He attempted to call her thirty-five minutes into his wait but it went straight to her voicemail, her soft voice telling him to leave a message at the tone. He exhaled heavily, resigned, and made to gather his coat to leave. The kind waitress gave him a sympathetic look as he buttoned his coat up.

He gave a cursory nod to the host, and opened the door of the restaurant to make his way outside when he collided with a woman quickly trying to make her way inside. The collision knocked the woman to the ground, and he instantly felt horrible that his awful mood got in the way of simple manners.

"I'm sorry," he apologized to the woman, offering an arm to help her to her feet.

"It's okay," she replied, dusting herself off. "I wasn't looking where I was going, it wasn't your fault."

"No problem," he replied shortly, wanting nothing more to go back to his apartment, bury himself under a pile of blankets with a six-pack of Sam Adams and his Netflix queue, and forget the entire evening happened. "Have a good night," he said to the woman, offering her a smile when her eyes met his. He froze, pierced by her silvery grey orbs.

Is this her? Could it be?

"Peeta?" the woman asked tentatively, cheeks flushed.

"Katniss?" he questioned.

His answer was a brilliant grin, and he felt his heart pound at a million miles per hour. She was radiant.

"I'm so sorry I'm so late," she apologized profusely. "The trains were delayed because of the snow, and my phone died as soon as I called a cab. I'm so sorry if you tried to reach me." Her eyes were bright and sincere, and he knew she wasn't lying.

He was speechless. He couldn't believe it was really her. Her hair loose in glossy, black waves around her shoulders, her navy peacoat parted to show off her deep orange dress, his favorite color, as though she had worn it just for skin was clear, the only makeup being the delicate swipe of mascara on her lashes and a clear gloss on her lips.

She was stunning.

Gathering his wits, he replied to her. "It's okay, really. I'm just glad I wasn't stood up," he said with a wink.

Katniss laughed, a gorgeous, rich sound that made his knees go weak. "I feel bad, still. I'm sorry you thought I wasn't going to come. I wouldn't do that, I've been looking forward to this for weeks," she said, then immediately flushed, as if she had said too much. He felt as though his heart would burst out of his chest.

"You wanna go inside?" he questioned, holding his hand out for her to grasp. "Their water was fantastic, probably some of the best in the city," he joked.

She laughed again. He felt like he was floating.

"Yeah," she agreed, taking his hand. He reveled in the warmth of her smaller hand in his, a perfect fit, as though it was made for him.

"Let's go."

A year and a half later

Posted 11 minutes ago with 321 notes.

An Apology and an Explanation

Hey guys,

I wanted to apologize for being sparse these past several weeks, and thank you to each and every one of you who took the time out to send me a message (and I promise I'll reply to each and every one!)

A lot of things have changed in my life lately (all good!), and I haven't been able to spend as much time on here, drawing, or doing any fandom-related stuff as I'd like to. And I wanted to let you know that I'll be away for the next few weeks, too (don't hate me, I have good reason).

I know the final book is coming out in a week and a half, and I'm just as excited as you all are, but I won't be able to freak out with you guys.

This series has been a massive part of my life since I was in high school. I'm so glad to have found such an amazing community to share my work with, and enjoy what you've all created. I've met so many amazing people here, people I'm so glad to call my friends, and I'm so happy to have you.

Okay. Enough rambling. Let me explain why I'll be gone.

I'm getting married. To my best friend. In a few days.

We met on here. She was a fan of my work, and I was a fan of hers. We started chatting, and ended up talking every day. On here, via email, and on the phone. Then we decided to finally meet.

I thought she stood me up. She was just late.

And here we are now.

I love you, K. More than anything. And I can't wait to make you my wife.

And I love you guys, too. Thank you for being so great over the years, and I can't wait to talk about the final book when we get back.

-P

(Also-tag your spoilers or I'm unfollowing you. I'm not joking)