Just in time for Christmas! I know. I really need to be updating my other story, and I promise I will. But for the first time, I've been inspired to write a little Christmas story with my favorite characters. I hope you like it!

This will be a two-shot, something I've never written before, so I hope I do okay.

Enjoy!

Christmas Spirit

The first sign of Christmas is the stock crews pulling the decorations out of boxes from all over the shopping center where I work. Capitol Park Mall is the largest is Panem and boasts the nicest staff in the area, and when it's time for the holidays, we're expected to be twice as chipper than usual. It's the chipper part I always have a problem with.

Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas. The music, the decorations, the presents, and most importantly, the time off I get to be with my family and friends. It all makes grinning and bearing it easier when I'm not in the mood to handle disgruntled customers on a rampage. We don't get a lot of those at Capitol Books, but I've had my fair share when the close strikes midnight on November 1.

Yes, we decorate for Christmas two months early. Some stores outside of Capitol Park don't even wait for midnight. They have their boxes of tinsel and lights ready to go as soon as they close the night before. This is something I think is overdoing it a little, but it's not like there's a better time to do it. When the mall closes for the night, it's the only time when customers won't be demanding time from stocking the shelves.

I'm one of the few employees in Capitol Books who don't take other holidays off besides Thanksgiving and Christmas, for the sole purpose of taking those days off. And I'm always the first in line to sign up when I can. The downside of that is that I'm expected back to work bright and early the day after Christmas to make up for it. Our sale the day after Christmas is the biggest of the year, and I've been working it for three years now. It's a nightmare.

"You better get that scowl off your face, brainless," Johanna Mason chides as we work the Customer Service desk. "Our fearless leader is supposed to visit today."

I sigh when she says this, trying to force a smile on my face. We have two managers who operate the store through its day to day happenings, but twice a year, in June and December, the store's owner come to visit us and see how we're doing.

It's just December 1 today. He doesn't usually come until closer to Christmas. Our managers, Haymitch Abernathy and Effie Trinket, are probably two of the most mismatched people in the entire history of Capitol Park, but somehow, we're able to pull in some of the highest sales in the mall every year at this time. Johanna says it's because someone in the store is bribing people to come in and shop here. She's always thinking there are ulterior motives behind a lot of the good stuff happening here. We've been working together for all three of the years I've been here. I guess you could say I'm accustomed to her by now.

"What about the scowl on your face?" I counter to her warning.

"I'm not as pretty as you," she explains.

Pursing my lips, I go back to categorizing the books in front of me, not agreeing and disagreeing, but I make a mental note to remind her of this later.

"Ma'am?"

The tiny voice draws me around to a girl on the other side of the counter. She looks about nine, with brown curly hair, big brown eyes and an innocent smile on her dark brown face.

"Can you help me and my brother?"

The smile on my own face appears more naturally than usual. "Of course I can, honey. What do you need help with today?"

"We're looking for a book in the children's section, but we can't find it."

"What book are you looking for?"

"Beautiful Bears in Winter."

I recognize the name immediately, because it's the newest book my best friend Gale's mother Hazelle has released. I also know we should have an entire stand of the latest book in the special offers section of the store.

"Well, I just happen to know we have a brand new stock of that book," I say, still smiling. "It's just over that way. Let's go collect your brother first."

She laughs softly as I leave customer service desk, and I step around to where she is.

"What's your name, sweetie?" I ask gently.

"Rue."

"Well, Rue, it's nice to meet you. I'm Katniss."

I reach for her hand, and she slips hers into mine as we move toward the children's section.

As our store is one of the largest in the mall, Rue and I have to weave through a bit before we reach the Children's section. We haven't reached our peak of the day quite yet, but this part of the store is almost always busy because a lot of parents are able to leave their kids with us while they do their shopping. This is especially true during the holidays. Our attendant back here, Annie Cresta, is really good with most of the kids and has a story time hour set aside just after lunch.

"So how long have you been reading Hazelle Hawthorne's books?" I ask Rue as we walk.

"Only about a year," she admits, then adds, "but as soon as I read the first one in the library, we went out and bought every book there was. This will be the first one I've read when it's come out."

"I like do that too," I say and smile at her as she smiles up at me.

The Children's section is the only part of the store completely laden with garland, tinsel and fake snow that compliments the Christmas music playing of the PA system. It's also the only part that was devoid of decorations one night and gleaming with red and green the very next morning. This year, the boys doing the trimming seem to have gone all out.

"So did your brother buy you the books for Christmas last year?" I ask Rue, entering the Children's section and following her to the young reader shelves.

"Yeah, both my brothers did, and my parents chipped in. There he is," she exclaims and pulls me closer.

We miss a kid here and a store associate dressed as an elf before arriving at Rue's destination, where she shouts cheerfully.

"I found a lady to help us!"

Currently leaned over the shelves in deep thought, a stocky, casually dressed, blond haired, blue-eyed young man looks over at us. For a split second, I'm speechless.

Then Rue speaks again.

"This is Katniss," she tells him, giggling. Then she looks up at me. "This is my brother, Peeta."

His smile is warm as he straightens and extends his hand to me. "Katniss," he says and nods. "It's nice to meet you."

I meet him halfway, surprised by the strength in his hand. "It's very nice to meet you too, Peeta."

We stand there with our hands together for probably a couple seconds before Rue shakes his arm. "So Katniss knows where they have more books," she says, and we both look at her.

It takes me another second to compose myself. "Yes, I do," I agree and look at Peeta again. "It's just this way."

Blood blooms across my cheeks as I blush, but I try not to look too embarrassed even if it's pretty much impossible as this point. I lead Rue and Peeta to the middle of the store where most of our special offers are set up, and her face lights up as soon as we're within sight of the table where Hazelle's book is waiting. Rue has the book in her little hands almost as soon as we arrived, flipping it open and then turning it over to look at the back cover.

"It's so pretty," she giggles. She looks at me, even happier now that she's found what she wants. "Thank you, Katniss."

Her happy laughter makes me smile even more. "You're very welcome, Rue. It was a pleasure to meet you both."

She hugs the book to her, obviously content, and I happen to lift me eyes from her just in time to see Peeta watching me. After probably a minute, I clear my throat.

"So are you ready to check out?" I ask, adding, "Or do you have more shopping to do in the rest of the mall?"

Rue nudges Peeta, and he looks at her. "No, we're actually finished for the day," he says but doesn't sound very convincing anymore.

"Well, if you'll follow me," I prompt, "I can help you with that too."

I move first, toward the Customer Service desk where Johanna is still cataloguing, and Rue follows me closely with Peeta behind her.

I've never reacted like this with a guy before, not even Gale and Finnick Odair who are the only two guys I know personally. Gale has been my best friend since I was twelve, and he's more like a brother to me than anything. Finnick teased me relentlessly when I started working at the mall, but because he was already dating Annie, he just teased me. The few times we've had scares at the mall, Finnick has been the one to make sure we're all safe, even if Johanna always contends that she doesn't need anyone to keep her safe. He's known her a while too.

But Peeta is just . . . different.

And it's almost like he senses the same thing with me. It's just strange.

Johanna smirks as I step up behind the counter, but she doesn't say anything as I take Rue's book and ring it up.

"With the special offer we're having this week, your total is only 15.67," I announce automatically.

Peeta hands over a shiny black Capitol Union Bank card with his name embossed on the front, and I only glance at his last name, sliding the card and waiting for it to clear to hand it back. He pockets it smoothly and just glances at me as the receipt comes up for him to sign. His messy scrawl fills the line at the bottom of the paper, and I pull out one of our special cloth bags for Rue's book to hand it to her.

"And there's your book, young lady," I say with my biggest smile. "Enjoy it."

"I will," she assures me. "Thank you, Katniss."

I nod as she wraps her arm around Peeta, and he takes her under his arm with a wave back at me.

I don't realize that I'm grinning like an idiot until Johanna finally speaks.

"So did you get his phone number?" she asks, and it doesn't sound like she's joking.

Trying to ignore her, I type in the last purchase to my log, only slightly grinning now but feeling warm like I'm still blushing.

She scoffs and steps over to my side, taking over my keyboard and easily pulling up Peeta's phone number.

"I'm not writing that down," I tell her, forcing my face into a frown.

She grabs a pen and a piece of paper, doing it herself. "I never said you would," she counters.

After my trip to the Children's section, my day stays uneventful, even when Effie rushes passed me from the resale books to the new releases with her eyes bulging out like a clown. I'm going about my business when Haymitch walks back from the new releases to the coffee shop attached to the store with a white-haired, short man in a three-piece suit. He only nods to me, and the man with him glances but doesn't acknowledge me.

This appears to be the only view I get, because when we close at ten, Johanna finds me in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section with a knowing smile on her face.

"Well, you were definitely all Snow could talk about on his way out," she muses with a gleam in her light brown eyes.

"Who?"

"The owner, brainless," she groans. "Haymitch told him all about you and how great you are with the customers. Especially that pair this morning. Looks like somebody's going to be our new staff manager soon."

Stunned, I stand there silent until she loops her arm through mine and tugs me from the book shelves.

"We're celebrating," she declares. "Coffee's on me."

I also appear to be the last person to the party, as we approach the coffee shop in the midst on shut down with only three people populating a table up front.

Annie has wrangled Finnick from the men's clothing store down the main causeway of the mall, and Gale has come in for his usual end-of-the-day brew from the animal reserve nearby.

Johanna sits me down and disappears behind the counter, leaving me to the trio already halfway through their cups.

"Drink up, Annie," Finnick urges and nudges the sugar dish across to me. "Katniss is going to throw back her first cup as soon as it gets here."

He winks his sea-green eyes at me and flips his curly bronze hair from his face. Despite his flirting having little to no effect on me, he's always trying to impress me. He worked in the book store when I first started, but probably six months after that, he transferred to the men's clothing store because they needed a manager. I really think it's because Haymitch got sick of watching Finnick and Annie canoodling in the farthest corner of the book store.

While I'm waiting for my coffee, I tug the pins keeping my own black hair in a messy bun atop my head. Immediately, the pressure on my scalp is gone, almost tingling. It's only when I'm working that my hair is in a bun. Normally, I braid it or let it fly. I showed up to work with the braid one day during my first six months at the book store, and Effie about had a fit.

"It's very cute, Katniss," she'd said, "but not very professional. We do after all have a certain look we wish to project."

The next day, it was up in a bun, and she never said anything else about it. By now, it's just part of my routine.

"Rough day?" Gale asks from my right.

Without thinking, I lean over until my head in on his shoulder. "Nope," I reply. "Just the same tediousness I've come to expect from this place."

He leans his cheek against my head, and for a second or two, the day seems to melt away.

"Don't be telling lies now, Ms. Katniss Everdeen," Johanna taunts, dropping a cup of black coffee in front of me. "I already told them about your pair of specials."

With a sigh, I sit up straight and grab the sugar dish, dumping a generous amount of the sweet substance into my coffee and stirring it diligently.

"It was just a pair of customers," I insist. "No big deal."

"But this one had her blushing," Johanna adds, much to my dismay.

The blush from earlier returns, but this time, it is because I am attempting not to lose my temper. I've known her too long for anything she says to bother me this much. It's only that she's not wrong, which she usually isn't.

"What was this customer like?" Finnick inquires in an even more teasing tone than usual.

"He was extremely good-looking," Johanna muses. "Blond and blue-eyed with these really broad shoulders, and he looked interested enough in our aspiring night manager here."

At her description, I only shake my head, sipping my coffee silently.

"Your mom will be happy to hear about the staff manager position," Gale says so diplomatically that it's obvious he's avoiding what Johanna said.

"I didn't even know Haymitch was thinking of giving it to me," I shrug.

"But you'd do such a good job," Annie assures me, to which I smile slightly.

She and Gale are usually the ones I can count on to be liberal in their opinions of my love life, nonexistent as it is. Since my father died, I haven't had time to really date, even though Johanna has set me up on plenty of dates to make sure I'm not missing out on anything.

"Okay, but about this extremely good-looking customer," Finnick interrupts, steering the conversation back to Peeta. "Maybe he'll come back. What was he here to get?"

"One of Hazelle's books," Johanna answers. "The little girl with him was the one he was buying it for. What was her name, Katniss?"

"Rue," I say automatically, adding, "she was his sister."

Finnick opens his mouth to speak again, but I stop him. "Please talk about something else. When are we having our Christmas party?" I ask Gale.

He glances at Finnick and Annie before answering. "My last day for the season is the 18th. It'll take a couple of days to get everything ready. How about the 20th?"

"Sounds perfect," Johanna grins. "Just the right amount of time for me to find Katniss a date. Will Madge be here by then?"

Gale nods, and she does too, ending the debate.

I'm gulping down the last of my coffee when the booming voice of our main manager breaks up our little group.

"All right, kids," Haymitch calls over us. "Time to close up and shut down for the night. Katniss, can I talk to you for a minute?"

I don't hesitate to follow him away from the others as they clean up, and we're almost at the front of the store before he turns to me.

"Just wanted to let you know our head man is really impressed with your numbers," he informs me without warning. Then he slows down and says, "You're doing a good job, Katniss. So if you do good this month, we'll be looking at moving you into management. Is that something you'd like?"

Despite having the heads up from Johanna, I'm still surprised. "That would be wonderful, Mr. Abernathy," I practically gush.

He waves off my enthusiasm but then pats my shoulder. "You're perfect for the job, kid. I'll see you in the morning."

I nod quickly, and he leaves me there to close up the rest of the store.

When Gale finds me, we walk outside together where his truck is parked next to my car.

"Madge is still asking when you're going to come up to the District Managers Conference with me," he says as we make it to our respective vehicles.

To that, I shrug. "I guess once I'm a Manager, I'll be able to do that."

He smiles the same way I do, his hair the same as mine, as is his skin, which is why people actually do mistake us for siblings.

"Looks that way," he agrees and then gestures for me to get in my car.

I do just that, pulling on my seat belt and turning the engine over, waving as I pull out of my spot. I wait for him to follow me, and we leave the parking lot together to return to our shared neighborhood.

I realize probably halfway home that I've been thinking about Peeta Mellark the entire time.

So for a first part, it's not too bad, right? I'm going to write the second part tonight and post it tomorrow. At least by the end of the day.

Happy Christmas Eve, y'all!