Lean In Closer
I have no idea what to get him.
What do you get for the boy who excels at giving gifts?
I frown, strolling through the Capitol department store, one of many, occasionally picking up an item to examine it, before setting it back down with a sigh.
Money isn't an issue; I have plenty of that, what with being a victor and all. I simply have no idea whatsoever on what I should use my money on. Or even if I should even spend money. I'm not a creative person though: I can't make something half-decent even if I tried.
He however, is the most creative person I know. He'll probably have a beautiful painting for me, baked goods, and then maybe still buy me the perfect gift he managed to find somewhere in the Capitol. How does he do it? Be so perfect.
I sigh, putting down the oven mitt and leaving the kitchenware section. Peeta probably has way too much of this sort of stuff already. Buying him more would be expected, and well, stupid. Buying him more paint supplies has the same problem.
I have gifts for everyone else. A pretty piece of pottery for my mother, some Capitol medicine, tools, and cat supplies for Prim, a bottle of (ridiculously expensive) liquor for Haymitch, a cute dress for Effie, a gold necklace with a ruby attached for Madge, and this fancy new quiver for Gale. His old one is starting to get real run down and I think he'd appreciate this gift.
Peeta is the last person on my list. And I have no idea whatsoever on what to get him. My complex feelings toward him only make this matter even more painstakingly difficult. Should the gift be one of just simple friendship, or suggest more than that? Why can't I be good at this sort of thing?
I leave the store finally, having walked around the entire place probably half a dozen times. While most of the Capitol adores victors, silent walking without buying anything still isn't very approved of.
I consider heading to another store, but decide against it. I have a feeling I'm not going to have any luck here in the Capitol. Besides, the train heading to District Twelve is leaving soon, and the next one isn't until tomorrow. I don't really feel like staying another night in the Capitol. Haymitch and Peeta had left already: I had made up some excuse to stay a little longer.
Well, it was partly made-up. Snow had wanted to speak to me, so I used that as an excuse to go Christmas shopping later. It probably wasn't a good plan. Trying to find a good gift for someone while having a manipulative old man's menacing words running through your head is not an easy task in the slightest. I decided I would worry about him later: Christmas, less than two days away, is my first priority.
I get back to Twelve and it's dark out. Gale's probably getting his younger siblings ready for bed. I almost instantaneously feel a rush of guilt fall over me. We had planned a hunting trip today: and I had forgot. Hopefully he's not too disappointed…
We can do it tomorrow, I'm sure. Prim will most likely kick me out of the house in order to prepare for the Christmas Eve party tomorrow night, as I'm really not much of a help with those sort of things and will probably just get in the way. We can go hunting then. Start out early in the morning. It'll be good.
On my way back to Twelve's Victor Village I stop by Gale's house, to inform him of this. He can't chat for long because his mom needs his help with something. I nod, understanding, and we hug for probably a moment too long.
When I arrive I let myself in to our house. Mom's already upstairs in bed and Prim is decorating some Christmas cookies in the kitchen. I ruffle her hair and ask if there's anything I can do to help. All she asks of me is to make sure Buttercup stays upstairs.
"Can do, little duck." I kiss her gently on the top of the head before retreating upstairs.
As I step off the last step I quickly bend down and pluck Buttercup off the floor, right before he can make his grand entrance to the first floor. He must've found a way out of Prim's room.
"Not today, tiger," I mumble, holding the struggling cat as I walk into my room. I close and lock the door before setting him down on the soft carpet. As I get ready for bed I watch him scurry around the room, trying to find an escape route, but to no avail. By the time I climb in bed Buttercup had long since given up and curled up on my windowsill. Or at least for now. He'll probably end up on my face at some point during the night. Stupid cat.
I attempt to fall asleep quickly, knowing I have a long day and an early rise tomorrow, but naturally it takes almost an hour of lying awake staring up at the ceiling before I finally drift off.
Gale and I are out in the woods at an obscenely early hour this Christmas Eve. I manage to miss an easy shot due to an unexpected long yawn, causing me to have to run after and retrieve my arrow that had lodged itself into a tree. Gale intelligently decides we should walk a bit to wake ourselves up as to not cause any more serious hunting accidents.
Unfortunately, Christmas Eve turns out to be a very bad day for game. We only manage to get a few rabbits, which we catch in traps rather than by shooting that we roast over a small fire and eat for lunch. They are tasty, but not enough meat to sell for much, or to feed much more than a small family. Despite our ill luck at hunting, we still happen to walk a long distance away from Twelve, into uncharted territory. Or at least, it is uncharted for us. Due to Gale's excellent tracking skills however, we are able to find our way back home.
"There! I see the fence!" I exclaim, breaking off into a run.
Right before I reach the electric fence I feel a heavy weight tackle me to the ground. I land with a muffled oomph. After a few moments of playful, light wrestling we stop with me looking up at Gale's chiseled face, both of us covered in snow. It is cold, but our faces are flushed with energy. He grins at me and I grin back.
He bends his head down and presses his lips to mine, kissing me. I follow through, but when his tongue asks for admittance I push him off and stand up.
It is already dark out and at this rate we won't arrive back until the evening—practically the same time the party was supposed to start.
When we pass by Gale's house he pulls me into a hug and promises he'll attend my party as soon his family and him are ready. I nod, uncertain, and walk back to my own house.
I let myself into our very bright, well-decorated house (I briefly wonder who Prim had help her with the lights and outside decorations, Peeta maybe?) and sigh with relief when I see that the only guest who is here currently is Haymitch.
He is sitting in an armchair that he must've dragged right next to the refreshments table that was set up: where he was drinking all of our liquor. Prim stood at the entrance to the living room, biting her lip nervously, looking very much like she wanted to say something to him. I step in for her, as I should.
"Haymitch, please, save some for the other party guests," I reprimand him, not to gently.
"Out of all the party guests, I do think I'm the one that needs this most, sweetheart," Haymitch shoots back at me.
I roll my eyes and walk over to Prim, putting a reassuring arm around her thin shoulders. "It's all right. We don't want our guests getting too tipsy anyway."
She nods a little, hugging me, and scurries into the kitchen to finish up the last minute preparations as our invited guests start piling in. I manage to sneak upstairs to quickly get ready, silently entering my room. I get changed into heels and a dress I bought myself as a gift. It fell to my knees and was a dark green with a lacey white collar and hem. It was modest, but not excessively so. Most people might pin me as the kind of girl to loathe dresses, but now that isn't true. I love dresses; they just make moving around efficiently difficult sometimes. I twirl around in the mirror for a bit before my mom lets herself in, knocking once first.
"Hi Katniss…oh, my." She stops in place, staring at me
I attempt an awkward chuckle. "Yeah, I know. Weird, isn't it." I look over at the measly make up supplies on my dresser. "Do you think I should—"
She shakes her head. "No. You look beautiful. Let me fix that hair for you."
I feel a blush rising on my cheeks as she leads me to my bed, rushing over to the bathroom to grab a brush and a few hair ties first. We don't talk as she does my hair, but it's nice. The silence, her touch, it's really all the intimacy I need from my mother. More would be nice, though. Especially directed toward Prim.
When she finishes she stands up off my bed. "Ready?"
I nod. "Head down, I'll be there is a second."
She returns my nod and I scurry over to my closet, slipping into a pair of heels. I smooth out my dress before leaving my room, playing with my new braid a bit.
Of course the first person I see as I'm walking down the stairs is Gale. He looks like he just entered our house, standing in the closed doorway, looking around with slight skepticism to his expression. He notices me and smiles. Knowing I can't make an escape now, I approach him, and we hug. He makes it a point to bring my attention to the mistletoe hanging above us, casting a meaningful look upwards.
I laugh a little in response, trying and failing not to appear awkward. "That's such a stupid tradition, isn't it? Having some silly little plant requiring two people to kiss. It's so…cliché."
Gale's face falls, and, probably to avoid embarrassment, says he's going to go get a drink. He offers to bring me back one as well, but I politely decline.
As more people arrive I greet them, standing by the door to do just that. I feel as hostess that's what you're supposed to do? I've never really hosted a party before. Prim, on the other hand, despite this being her first party as well, was performing brilliantly. She was absolutely shining. Whereas whenever anyone approached me I made some god-awful attempt at small until they eventually walked away, probably feeling pity for me, the poor victor girl.
At least this wasn't as bad as Capitol parties. God. Not at all.
Finally I spot Peeta.
Fortunately, he spots me too. He makes an effort to walk over to me, to save me from having to cross the room myself. He opens his mouth to stay something but nothing comes out. Or rather, I can't hear whatever he desired to say. I shush him and grab his hand, running up the stairs, hoping no one noticed us.
Once safe in my room I slid back against the closed door. "Thank God. Finally, peace."
Peeta snickers a little. "Well, it's a good thing we came up here, because it's where I put your gift when I arrived."
My face falls, but I quickly replace it with a smile. He noticed. We were exchanging gifts now?
Peeta takes my hand and leads me over to the canvas placed by the window. He flips over a large sheet of paper and I am met with the most beautiful painting of a sunset I have ever seen. There's also two silhouettes holding hands as they walk away from (or to?) the horizon. It's really cute. I turn away from the gorgeous painting to thank Peeta and see he's holding something.
"I found this little thing down at the Hob. It was cheap, but it's cute…"
"What is it?" I asked, peering to see what it is.
"It's a hair accessory. It attaches to a hair tie, I'm told. It's a cute little bird! A dove, I think? Not a Mockingjay but…"
I finally see it and smile. It's adorable. I go to take it from him but he gently pushes my hand away. Instead, he turns me around and pins it onto my braid himself, his hands lingering on my hair for a few more moments than necessary. I don't mind in the slightest.
I turn around to face him and realize we're standing extraordinarily close. I lean in a little, perhaps deciding to thank him in a romantic, clichéd way, but he steps aside, approaching the canvas once again.
"I almost forgot! One more thing, Katniss." He flips over the painting of a sunset and I'm met with the painting of the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen. She was billowing hair that's practically black, smooth, flawless skin, and the most entrancing grey eyes. Peeta looks at me expectantly, grinning like a goof.
"Peeta…it's beautiful." I frown a little. "But what…who is it?"
"It's you."
I gap at him. "No, Peeta, it's not. I couldn't." I shake my head.
This time Peeta frowns. "It's how I see you Katniss. I see you as the absolutely beautiful girl you are. …The girl I fell in love with."
I shake my head, not looking at him. What do I say? What can I say? I don't even know what I feel about him, my childhood best friend, or anyone for that matter!
Peeta notices this and changes the subject. "So…what did you get me?"
He realizes a second to late this might not have been the best topic change.
But I'm prepared. I thought of something, rather on the spot, but nonetheless. "You're going to have to wait until tomorrow for that," I smirk, poking him on the nose. I hope this seems genuine- not an excuse to give me more time. Because I actually have an idea this time around. Because material items aren't always necessary as gifts, bought or not. Sometimes experiences can be just as good.
"But for now, I think we should probably rejoin the party. Sooner or later, we're going to be missed." I smile and grab his hand and we walk back downstairs together. Together. Like always. Always together, with whatever we have to face. Being it trained murderers, manipulative politicians, or a bunch of friendly acquaintances demanding small talk.
When we get down the stairs to the front hallway Peeta points out the mistletoe.
I smile at him as he wraps his arms around me and lean in closer.