The day sparked bright and green. Water droplets twinkled on the tips of leaves and bits of grass in the early morning sun. Although the outside air was fresh, the smell of yeast is what drove his senses soaring. Not many people were up at this time of day, and he'd been at it for at least an hour. There was dough rising, bread baking, and the sounds of the world coming alive outside.
He turned at the light tinkle of the bell at the door and raised his eyebrows. Katniss didn't often visit him at the bakery. They'd been in a kind of no man's land for a while. He'd shaken himself of many of the demons from the Capitol and she'd opened up more and more to him. They'd stalled out, though, and he wasn't sure where things would take them. Perhaps they'd end in easy companionship. There were certainly worse things and truly, it was hard to imagine two people who'd had more troubles with romance than the two of them. He knew he loved her and he was pretty sure she loved him, too. Whether that love still had the flash of passion remained to be seen.
"I'd like to buy some of your best," Katniss said. "Whatever you think is the most delicious thing you make, I'll take it."
"Well, you don't need to pay for it, but do you have an idea of what kind of thing you want? It's a bakery; I make a lot," Peeta ended with a smile.
"Nope, no idea what to get. I'm relying on you as expert. Whatever is your best, I want it. And I'll pay, Peeta. You know I have the money for it." She was deadpan in her delivery, so he really didn't know what to make of the request. He wasn't going to argue with her, though, so he conceded the payment issue.
"Alright. I recommend these. They are baked with a hefty amount of cheese and practically melt in your mouth. If you heat them up a bit before you eat them, you'll never get enough."
"They aren't for me. Thank you. Will six be enough?"
Perplexed, he merely said, "Yes." With a nod, she took the biscuits and walked out the door.
The jingle of the bell at the door rang in his ears for the remainder of the day. People came and went, buying, sampling, and planning for future events. As the hours wore on, the bell came to remind him more and more of his first customer of day.
When he arrived in the Village, he saw that the lights of her home were on. As they'd gotten into the habit of spending evenings together more than not, he didn't bother to walk to his own place, but instead went straight over to hers.
She was a vision. She was wearing a light blue dress that made the grey of her eyes look stormy. Her hair curled around her face and there was a tint to her cheeks that suggested she'd just been looking in a hot oven. He was struck and stumbled on his words. "Er, Katniss. I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were expecting company. I'll see you later." He turned to walk to his home, but was stopped by a hand on his arm.
"Stay with me," she said. She was smiling, taking the echoes of pain that phrase sometimes conjured out of them.
"Always."