A/N:
This is a new fanfic of mine! I hope you all like it! It's a love story between Katniss and Peeta so all of you Everlark fans out there will enjoy this! Thanks for reading tributes! And happy holidays!
Disclaimer-
I do not own the characters and all credits go to Suzanne Collins and the Hunger Games trilogy.
Hearts On Fire
Chapter One
Katniss P.O.V
The morning was crisp and cold as it usually was on the winter mornings in District Twelve. With a game bag practically empty I headed out of the woods, stashing my bow and arrows in the usual tree trunk that I hid them in. The amount of game around lately was horribly low, causing the amount of food I brang home to be hardly enough for all of us. But I have no choice, this was all the woods at this time was willing to offer.
It could be worse, I tried to convince myself as I trekked towards the fence, which as always was not electrified. But I couldn't really see how it could be worse, it was barely into winter yet and there was already a lack of game. I could already see affects of the lack of game beginning to pay the price. Prim was getting sick, my frame was getting thinner and less muscular and my mother, well let's just say the lack of food wasn't helping her depression at all. This winter was definatly going to be a hard one to get through if we were able to get through it at all.
The key to survival was to take everyday as it came. One step at a time. And right now all I had to think about was making a successful trade. I knew Greasy Sae was struggling with buissness so I guess I would skip my rounds there today. The mayor was also out of the question as he was away on a visit to District Four. So that only left one possible trading possibility. The Mellark bakery.
Mr Mellark was always a generous trader, but I made sure I would only go there once a week, max. Because I had a strong feeling that he pittied me, and that was the only reason he even bothered to acknologe me and my meat. I hate being pitied, I hate people looking at me as if I'm weak. Because I know I'm not. But as I look down as the clothes that hang loosly around my body I even begin question my strength.
The dirt road the leads to the bakery is empty, which I suppose is a good thing concidering what I'm about to do is techniqualy illegal. But it's only illegal if the peacekeepers know about it.
I jump the white fence to the back of the bakery and jog up the concrete steps to the back door. The smell of warm bread feels my nostrils, the scent is so good I just stand there for a few seconds taking it in. But it only lasts for a moment because I force myself to knock the door.
A few moments later the door opens and I'm faced with a blonde haired and blue eyed boy. I look away for a moment as the memory of a rainy day and burnt bread overwhelms me. But I swallow hard and force myself to make eye contact with the boy called Peeta. By the looks of things he seems on edge, maybe because a girl from the Seam is standing on the door step of a merchants shop. I guess it wouldn't be good for business since people from the Seam are generally looked down upon by the rest of District Twelve.
I recover from my moment and regain my look of stubbornness before inhaling deeply. "Is your father home?" I ask tiredly.
He opens his mouth to speak but no words come out. I give him an encouraging look before he suddenly disappears from the back door. Well, I guess we will be eating my own game tonight.
I clench onto my bloodied game bag hard and trudge down the steps, overwhelmed by disappointment and anger. What is Peeta's problem? Are people from the Seam really that bad? Obviously, because he seems to talk to every other girl at school except me, and I'm from the Seam. Explains a lot.
"Katniss!" I hear someone call my name.
I whip around and see Mr Mellarks kind face peeking out of the doorway.
"Have you got any game?" he asks with a smile.
I nod egerly and walk back up the steps.
"What have you got for me today?" he asks whislt eyeing the bag.
"One rabbit and one squirrel," I say with a sad look towards the bag.
"Okay," he says, "I will take both. Come inside while I get everything Katniss, it's freezing out there."
I hesitate briefly before stepping into the warm room. This place must be hevean during winter. The best place to be in town.
"Peeta!" Mr Mellark calls, moments later he appears in front of us. I look down at the floor, not willing to make eye contact.
"Can you please make Miss Everdeen some tea?" he asks Peeta.
I open my mouth to protest, "no, it's okay Mr Mellark. I'm in a hurry."
Mr Mellark looks at me sideways, he only ever offers me tea when Gale is not accomping me. And as always, I decline.
"Are you sure?" he asks.
"Postive," I say hoarsely. Don't get me wrong, it was temping, it always is, especially during this season. But I knew the only reason they were offering was because Mr Mellark felt bad for me. And besides, how could I stay here when Peeta looked at me the way he did, I felt bad for even coming here. He probably hates me after the whole bread incident.
Mr Mellark hands me a bag of bread, two loves. I gasp when I look inside the bag. This is highly generous of him. I look up, "I can't accept this!" I exclaim. "My game is thin, and there is only two of them!"
"Take it Miss Everdeen," he says. I sigh before looking down and nodding, his is just another way I always seem to feel small around people from the Seam.
"Thank you," I say.
"I look forward to trading with you again, Miss Everdeen," Mr Mellark says with a smile.
It seems as if he is trying to get reassurance that I will return soon. So I nod. Despite the feeling that they still pity me I know that I cannot lose Mr Mellark as a trader. He has always been kind to me.
"Goodbye," I say quickly as I skirt towards the door.
"Oh and Katniss?" Mr Mellark calls.
I turn, "yes?"
"Say hello to your Mother for me," he says. I see something flicker behind his eyes, some kind of emotion that I cannot see.
"I will," I say as I eye him for a moment. I turn around before the quizzical expression which is forming on my face can be seen. And before anything else can happen I rush out the door. I sprint down the steps and jump the fence. But before I leave with my empty game bag and the bread I turn one last time. And what I see surprises me in a way. Because I see Peeta Mellark looking at me from the back window. As soon as we make eye contact I look away, feeling my face start to redden. And as soon as I do look away I sprint down the dirt road towards the Main Square.