It all started when she meet Gale in the school library, up until that point she was convinced there was something wrong with her like maybe she needed to dress differently, more like a girl but she was comfortable in her converse and baggy jeans and a thee, her long blonde hair always in a pony, away from her face and paint marks always on her fingers, she never was drawn to guys in the typical way, yeah she had friends here and there but it never made her want to know more, she could see some boys looking at her at it almost made her mad, like they were expecting her to change and run to them, so gale was different that way, he took his time to get to know her first.
They began to talk and she supposes that he's okay and they're are so different that it keeps her entertained, he did all this things like hunting and climbing mountains, he works at a shoot range, she was a high school junior this year and wanted to do paintings, help her dad. She finds it funny really.
The first time they were intimate was scary, not only was this her first time with someone and that was uncomfortable enough but when it was done and over she felt nothing, none of the feelings people are always talking about, no butterflies in her stomach, no deep connection with the guy. She felt disappointed and betrayed by the world because books, songs and poems are written about these types of things but there was nothing and so she left as soon as he fell asleep beside her.
It wasn't long after when Peeta meet his family, his mom was incredible, so kind and good to her, she immediately liked her, so different from her own mom who's always on her case about her appearance and her school that she never felt good enough for her. His dad is a typical southern dad, tattoo one arm and a friendly smile on his face.
Then there was his sister, Katniss, the reason he was at the library at her school that day. Peeta finds herself drawn to her. Everything about this girl fascinated her from her braid and her olive skin to her quicksilver eyes. She's dressed in shorts a tank top and boots.
She smiles at her and extends her hand to her
"hi, I'm Katniss" she says and it sounds like a song to her.
"Woooow easy there catnip, she's mine" Gale laughs and Katniss gives him the finger and flushes. She for some reason finds the blush on her cheeks adorable. And she had no idea why Gale needed to point this out but she didn't want to make a big deal out it, she's also the baby so she knows how big brother's work, while at dinner katniss and her get to talking and she's in her grade and she feels like an idiot for not noticing her before but once she did she couldn't stop herself and in the following days she looks around for Katniss. One day when she's running late for class she finds her press up against a looker by another girl, blonde and her head half shaved and they are kissing, Peeta can't do anything but stare and Katniss catches her eyes, she flushes and runs away. That's the first time she gets that feeling in her soul.
They clicked right away and even though, she's the exact opposite as her and she's never felt more connected or comfortable with someone than she does with Katniss.
They go to the movies together, and go hunting together, Katniss likes to tease her saying that if their life depended on it they would starve to death because of how loud she is,when they hug she could get lost in the scent of her , they do homework together and lie in bed, sometimes she catches a gleam of Katniss's skin when her shit gets pull up by the bed and others she'll catch Katniss staring at her and her whole body goes on fire. She really likes that feeling.
Even their families tease them about it, her brothers ask her about her partner in crime when she doesn't come to her house for diner and Gale tells Katniss to get lost when she's with them and he wants to be left alone, she never does.
One night his mom and dad are out of town she spends the night at Gale's, when her dad asked her where she was going she said.
"I'm going to katniss's we have some stuff to do" he laughed a little and said
"I like Katniss for you, pea! Such a nice girl" and she said nothing, deep down she wished Katniss not being such a good girl with her, she felt like an asshole you don't think about your boyfriend's sister like that.
Once she's there she notices that Katniss has a friend over, another girl.
"oh this is Madge, Madge this is Peeta, Gale's girlfriend" Katniss introduces her and she gets this feeling in the pit of her stomach that she hates it she has no right to be so protective over her friend, her best friend, her friend of almost a year, she thinks to herself so then she thinks that maybe she does have a right to be so protective over her. Doesn't she?.
They play games and drink some beers Gale decides is a good idea to go get tacos at 2 in the morning and Madge in all her drunk stupor accepts and they go
They play the mandatory game of spin the bottle while alone she kinda thinks is lame for a couple of high school seniors to play this game but, what does she knows? .
Spin, spin, spin
She realizes that she'll have to kiss Katniss no matter what and her breath cachets In her chest, this funny thing at her lower tummy is new to her and the bottle lands on her.
Blue eyes lock with silver and she's willing this thing to go away because she knows bad things will happen if something happens tonight so she shakes her head and walks away from this girl that's becoming her everything.
In Gale's room she lies in bed and cries because she does want to kiss her friend and do more but, she can't and she won't, she falls asleep .
Morning comes and they get dressed for a day in the pool, Madge is nowhere to be found and Gale is hung over so Katniss and her get in the pool.
They swing for a long time neither one of them wanting to talk about it, is at sunset when they're sitting at the edge of the pool that Katniss says
"Your favorite kind of orange" Is gentle and simple but it means a lot to her.
She's looking at this girl in front of her and she can't take it any more she kisses her.
Soft lips meet hers in the middle and she reaches for the back of her neck and her skin is even better that what she imagined the kiss grows neediner on her part, Katniss takes control of the kiss her tongue willing Peeta's lips open and this, this, she thinks is what she needed before, her lips, her tongue, her hands on her waist pulling her more secure to her body.
I all goes to hell then, Gale is pulling her by her hair away from his sister, calling her unspeakable things and he slaps her across the face , she falls to the ground and she has no idea what happens next, she sees Gale on his back in the ground katniss on her knees at his sides pinching him and she's crying while she beats her brother,there's blood everywhere on Katniss's face and hands on Gale's as well, she tries to pull them apart and when she finally does she sees Gale crying as well because of heartbreak or anger she doesn't know, he promises never to talk to his sister anymore, she's death to him and leaves without another word.
she feels like she should leave too but again they are alone and she can finally be with this girl she loves and because she's done pretending,putting up this face for everyone else to see.
So she looks up at this girl before her and even though her face is bruised and bloody she has never beheld a more beautiful sight in her life and she knows nothing is going to happen today or tomorrow but maybe someday.
She brings her hand to her face and flicks the tears and the blood away, she leans in and gives her a peek in the lips which Katniss returns, is just a soft promise to one another and says she'll call later and Katniss says that she'll see her in school.
On her way home she can't help but think that yes she feels bad about Gale and she has no idea what her brothers and Dad are going to say and that's scary but she can't deny how normal it all felt like it was just there and she's now acting on It. Because at the end of the day there's nothing new in a girl liking a girl so as long as she has her best friend at her side, together they can do anything