A/N: I know it has been a decade and a half since I have written or uploaded anything, but I was randomly inspired by this new Adele album and just had to get this out! If there is still anyone out there who follows and cares about anything I have to write, this is for you! I am not opposed to continuing this story, have a lot of ideas and hope to do so. But, that all depends on the traffic and desire to hear more. So for now, this is a onesie. (: Enjoy! Reviews, PMs, all of it is so welcome. Find me on tumblr! Char-thelove.

P.S. As always, I own none of this. All the praise to Suzanne Collins for creating such a vivid world, and Adele for the inspiration and heartbreak (;

She was so nervous that she had nearly made herself sick.

Katniss hated these types of events: these congratulatory, self indulgent galas. The expensive dresses and the uncomfortable shoes and the powdery shit they would pat on her face, over and over. It was a "necessary engagement", Effie, her events coordinator had told her when she tried to wiggle her way out of it. And she knew, she always knew. Her little non-profit that could; her home for the abandoned children of 12-Ward, needed all the exposure and self-indulgent money it could get. So Katniss would suck it up and put on the sole crushing heels and the too tight gowns and let Effie pester with her hair.

But this time was different.

She had nearly keeled over when Effie placed the itinerary on her desk on a foggy morning two weeks ago. There, in shimmery gold lettering, was Keynote Speech by Home in the Meadow President, Katniss Everdeen. A speech. A keynote fucking speech in front of the elite of 12-Ward, and even all of Panem. Oh yeah, it gets worse. Worse than her name in bright gold letters was the name underneath it: Introduction by Mayor Peeta Mellark.

Peeta Mellark.

He was everywhere, that was no shock. Everyone knew he was going places, ever since grade school when we the teacher would ask the class if anyone wanted to read the paragraph of our text book aloud, and his hand shot up in the air like a rocket taking flight… He was good at his job, very good. The youngest mayor the city ever had at a striking age of 27. He cared about 12-ward, and most importantly, the people who inhabited it. But even with his good intentions, his policies were hurting those who needed the help. Those in the Seam, where she grew up, struggling to feed themselves and their children. To find jobs with decent wages. To survive. But he was a huge donor to Home by the Meadow, was one of it's first donors when the house first opened it's doors five years ago. She never questioned the motive, just kept the image that he was a man with money and wanted to put it to good use. But on certain nights, when the loss of a child chilled her down to her bones, more than the lack of heat in her small apartment, she imagined that he did it because he knew It was home for her. A home she built to give kids what she never had. Or simply because he saw her name on the door.

Katniss shifted uncomfortably in her seat, shockingly early to the event in honor of the most charitable charities in the city. The irony of that statement never failed to force her eyes to roll into the back of her head. People began to trickle into the decorated ballroom, full of crystal chandeliers and three tables spread with the richest of foods. Effie got her eye from across the room, and motioned for Katniss to join her. The woman of honor should not be hiding at her table chewing on ice cubes. Katniss cursed herself as she stumbled in her shoes to gain her footing, plastering the smile that Effie deemed "appropriate for appearances". She shook hands and accepted the praise and compliments for her work for the inner city youth. One older woman, with wrinkly skin that nearly matched her leather handbag and cloaked in a fur shawl that was probably worth two months of her rent, leaned down and whispered, "I don't know how you do it. Live with those hopeless vermin. You deserve more than a check." It took everything within Katniss not to wrap that prized vermin made coat around her head and feel the last of her air pool from her body. Instead, she excused herself.

Katniss found a stairwell and climbed to the fourth floor, far enough away where she felt no one could imagine she had gone. She found a dressing room, complete with vanity mirrors and couches, clearly tailor made for a wedding party. She fell onto the couch with a loud "oomph", kicking her shoes off and burrowing her feet under her. She relished in the quiet, the hustle and bustle of the gala a few floors below draining her in a way her work never could. She reached into her bra and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, slightly damp from the sweat that had collected between her breasts. She glanced at the sheet, the words blurring together in front of her. She had never been good with words, and this speech was making her crack.

"Guess I'm not the only one hiding, huh?" Katniss turned her head to the other side of the room, not sure if the crack in her neck or the ache in her heart was more painful. There in the doorway of the bathroom stands Peeta Mellark, in a well fitting plum suit and shimmering baby blues that sent a chill through her.

"Katniss Everdeen?" He took a few steps towards her then stopped, taking her in. The way he was watching her, devouring her, it made her feel more uncomfortable in her green gown.

"Peeta Mellark. Or, Mayor Mellark, I should say." He cringed, then let out a slight chuckle.

"Katniss, please. You've known me since before I could tie my shoelaces."

"I do remember you, countless times, tripping over your laces in your rush to the jungle Jim. Would the people of 12-Ward be as head over heels if they knew their precious mayor couldn't tie his own two laces?" His lips spread in this wide white smile, slightly crooked, and she realized how much she had missed it. How could she miss something that was never hers? She didn't realize how close he was now, how steadily he was inching towards the couch.

"So, I'm guessing you hate giving speeches as much now as you did back in school?" He motioned towards the crumpled sheet that was still in her hands. She moved her hand behind her, hiding the speech under her butt. Peeta chuckled.

"I am truly amazed at how little people change."

"And here I am, amazed at how much people do." A chill filled the air as their eyes linked, question in his stare.

"Katniss—"

"Don't." She stood up and dusted herself off, stuffing her speech back into the safety of her bosom. "I should get back. Effie is going to kill me." She attempted to walk past him, but his gentle touch meeting her shoulder froze her.

"Wait. Please, just…wait." She stood still but refused to meet his eyes and face him. The close proximity of him was already too much. His scent was so sweet, a soft mixture of cinnamon that reminded her of his father's bakery, and a musk completely him. "Use your heart."

"What?" Now she turned to him, and immediately regretted it when his sincere eyes found her soul.

"You don't need a prewritten speech. Don't tell them what you think they want to hear. Tell them what they need to hear."

"Some of us don't have the luxury of being loved by the entire city. They get what they want, and my kids get money. We survive another year."

"Trust me, Katniss. You've always been at your best when you are…well, when you are yourself. Save the soul crushing appeasement to me." Katniss couldn't take her eyes off of him. Something about him was so…captivating. The way his hand was ghosting over the small of her back and the desperation in his eyes…she trusted him. For a reason she could not quite place.

Katniss left first, stumbling back into her shoes and nearly falling down the stairs as she found her way back to the ballroom. Things were settling now as patrons were finding their seats, the first course soon to be served. Katniss could feel the irritation of Effie's stare from across the room, but she simply smiled in return as she took her seat.

"Where were you?" Effie seethed through smiling teeth.

"Had to finish up my speech. Sorry, I didn't mean to be gone so long." Effie scoffed but Katniss could tell that she was already over the entire thing. No matter how much Effie cared about appearances and utterly trivial things, the woman had a true genuine spirit. She loved deeper than anyone Katniss had ever met. Well, besides her sister.

The room suddenly fell silent besides the sound of chairs scooting backwards against the wood floor. Peeta was entering the room, his advisor, Haymitch Abernathy, preceding him. It was customary to stand when established members of the government entered a room, and Katniss was no exception. But, she felt her knees buckling as Haymitch stopped at the seat next to hers at the main table in the front of the room. The thought that the mayor would be sitting at this table made complete and total sense, but at this moment it pained her. When Peeta arrived after a few minutes of shaking hands and schmoozing the room, he whispered something to Haymitch and he moved over a seat. A cloud of cinnamon floated around her as Peeta sat next to her. Effie was on her feet immediately, leaning in to speak.

"Mayor Mellark! It is such an honor to be at the same table as you. Truly, truly an honor!" Katniss rolled her eyes as Effie's more traditional and precise accent came back; it tends to make an appearance when she is nervous and trying to use her Capital background as leverage.

"Of course, Ms. Trinkett. It is a true pleasure to be in such wonderful company." Katniss could have sworn she saw him looking at her from the corner of his eye.

Dinner was being served and Katniss ate quietly while those around chatted and laughed. She felt so uncomfortable being the center of attention at this huge table and event. She felt like a circus animal, everyone staring and probably whispering about her. The worst part being that the whispers weren't even about her life consuming work, but more about her appearance and personal life. Katniss Everdeen: the girl who escaped the Seam. The orphan girl. The girl with the dead sister.

Strange how your past defines you.

"You never get used to it." His warm breath in her ear startled her. She turned to look at Peeta, his earnest eyes on her, and she wondered how long he had been staring at her.

"What?"

"The spotlight. You never quite get used to people staring at you all the time. Trust me."

"This is nothing new for you, Mayor Mellark." His left eyebrow twitched, again. It was as if he had some involuntary reaction to being referenced as the mayor. "Even when we were young, everyone always had their eyes on you. Everything you did was always so…beautiful. From the way you would unwrap your rolls at lunch and then immediately hand your extras out to the kids who lost their lunch to the bullies at recess…" Katniss clasped her hand over her mouth, suddenly realizing that her words had been real and not in her head. She shoved a large spoonful of lamb stew into her mouth to shut herself up.

"You make me sound like a movie, Katniss. I never knew you had been watching." His voice was soft, almost inaudible. Me either, she thought. Before she could stick her foot any further into her mouth, Haymitch leaned over to whisper something to Peeta. He stood up and the room came to attention.

"Showtime." He whispered to her with a soft smile. She could feel the lamb stew crawling back up her throat. Peeta stood at the podium, his mayoral smile gleaming brightly under the chandelier lights.

"Good evening, patrons of 12-Ward! How are we doing tonight?" The crowd answered excitedly. Katniss could never dream of moving a crowd so easily, with such purpose.

"I am so happy to see this room filled. I know it was no cheap ticket to this event, but this money is going somewhere so worthwhile. As we all know, 12-Ward is an amazing place to live and to grow. I have lived here my entire life, and could never imagine living anywhere else. I am who I am because of this brilliant city, and I think I turned out alright!" The crowd laughed like it was the funniest thing they had ever heard. Katniss felt a small smile on her lips. Effie pinched her arm, a signal to be more engaged.

"But this night is not about me. This night is about those working on the ground floor, those dedicating their lives to service those working the hardest in this city. For the people who are struggling to make ends meet and to taste all that this place has to offer them. I know that no matter how hard I have worked, my family never had to want for anything as I grew up. We were steady, and because of that, our lives were steady. But, there are so many who deserve to have a steady life yet cannot. Myself and my cabinet are working hard to find solutions to change this, but things do not happen overnight.

"That is where these lovely people come in. They do the work that I, unfortunately, cannot do. And they do a damn good job. Can we take a moment to appreciate them? These hardworking, dedicated and selfless people and organizations?" The room jumped to their feet in applause and whoops, and for the first time, Katniss felt pride swell in her. There was always applause and appreciation, but Peeta made it genuine. People see that their mayor appreciates the work, so they will appreciate it, really appreciate it, too.

"As we continue to honor, donate and support these people doing this work, we must remember that we all cannot reach the mountain without the opportunity. These people are providing that opportunity, and myself, and all of 12-Ward, are indebted to you for that. But enough of me!" The crowd cries for more, begs their mayor to stay, but he is vigilant. "It is time for me to introduce our keynote speaker." Katniss thought she was going to vomit before, but she could now feel every meal she had eaten today in the back of her throat.

"This woman has overcome more obstacles than one should in such a short life. She has lost all those that were with her at the beginning of her life: a father, then a mother and eventually the most treasured of all, her beloved sister." Katniss hated it when people talked about her like she wasn't there, like she was some fable. How could anyone else know what it was like to lose those that were meant to protect and love you forever? How it feels to have your heart ripped out your chest, over and over and over? But Peeta…he saw it all happen, and the delicate way his voice drops, she is less unnerved.

"Growing up in the seam, Katniss fought her way from poverty and hardship and by sheer will and brilliance, attended the prestigious Panem University out on the East Coast. She got away and soaked all the world had to offer before coming back home. Seeing her old neighborhood still struggling, Katniss knew what she had to do. Immediately after returning to 12-Ward, Katniss started the Home by the Meadow foundation which provides scholarships, after school programming and housing for those struggling the most in our city. Katniss Everdeen is a huge proponent to the crime and homelessness in our city declining at record speeds. Without her and Home by the Meadow, this city that we love so dearly, would be lost." As Katniss watched Peeta speak, she felt her words from earlier come to life. The way he held the podium with both sturdy hands, and his lips as his tongue would dart out as he would pause between his words. It was like she were watching a film she wanted to replay in her mind over and over.

"Please help me in welcoming Katniss Everdeen to the stage!" The crowd was on it's feet, clapping with pride as Katniss stood from her seat. She wiped her trembling hands on her silk dress as she watched the crowd. This was unreal. She had the sudden need to run, and could feel her feet turning towards the exit when his hand met her shoulder. She looked up and felt all the nerves fade away as he leaned in to her ear.

"Remember what I said." And he was leading her towards the podium and she was suddenly alone. The room was quiet, watching and waiting. Katniss reached for her chest where her speech was waiting but stopped. She could do this. As she gazed into the crowd, Katniss found the face of the old leathery woman who insulted her kids, and the fire sparked in her heart.

"H-hello everyone." The crowded shouted a hearty hello back. "Thank you all for coming and honoring all these organizations tonight. We all truly appreciate your donations and support. I cannot lie to you; I have no idea why the hell they let me give a keynote speech!" The crowd laughed, almost as receptive to her as they were to Peeta. He was right. "But regardless, I am here and you are forced to listen. Pee—Mayor Mellark gave me an incredible introduction, but I am truly not that wonderful or worthy of this praise. I made it out of the Seam because I worked hard and worked the system. I got scholarships for the most expensive school in the country because I had no family and a perfect ACT score. My kids, the kids who live in the Home by the Meadow house and who use our programs, do not have those opportunities. Even without families, they were never told they were brilliant and could be successful. Or are more worried about feeding their siblings and families than the homework they have due the next day.

"I came home because I never wanted to see anyone else from my home suffer the way I did. Children should never know the constant pain of hunger. They should never have to feel unloved and unwanted. They should never have to be mom and dad to their baby sister." Katniss took a long sip of the water near the microphone, her chest getting tight at the memories of her youth. "Home by the Meadow, and all these other organizations and even those not here tonight, need as much help and support as possible. We are non-profits and work off the donations we receive. We charge nothing to feed our families. And there is no stress quite like the one of trying to save a life that means something to you. Those nightmares never truly go away. So, my hope is that you all truly see how hard we are working to save the lives of those forgotten of 12-Ward. And I can only hope that this inspires you to come see our facilities and see how brilliant and wonderful these children are. I am lucky to be with them. They are saving me, and not the other way around. Thank you."

The crowd was on it's feet, some already writing checks as they stood to cheer on her speech. Peeta was next to her and without thinking, she fell into his arms and let her tears fall onto his shoulder. He wrapped her in a tight embrace, and she suddenly wanted to be in a movie she never thought she needed to see.

When the night had winded down and Katniss' arm was sore from shaking hands and posing for pictures, she was more than ready to slip away and go home. But he was still here, talking with important members of his cabinet and donors. Effie had long left, which means she really was more than welcome to leave, but she just couldn't. She stood in the lobby, pacing back and forth and questioning her motives for staying at an event she did not even want to attend, long after the checks were written and coffee cups cleared.

"Waiting for me?" Peeta was standing in the doorway to the ballroom, exhaustion deep in his eyes.

"God no. Just waiting on an old friend." She smiled as he walked over to her.

"People were tripping over themselves after your speech. Writing checks like it was their job!"

"Yeah well…we'll see how long these acts of kindness last. These people act like they care for a few hours and suddenly they think they have changed the world."

"They do what they can in the only way they know how." Katniss watched Peeta silently for a moment, completely overwhelmed by him. His ability to always find the good in people, no matter how minuscule, never failed to amaze her. She had denied herself a full view of him all night, but she could no longer ignore how the plum shade of his suit reflected the small brown flecks deep within his blue eyes. The way one strand of his golden hair fell into his left eye constantly, the same way it did all those years ago. She moved closer to him and like magnets, he moved too.

"I…I wanted to thank you." Her voice was low, afraid for anyone to hear.

"For what?" He was uncomfortably close to her, their noses inches apart. This was inappropriate and it sent a rush through her. She intended to thank him for his advice and trust in her when she did not have it for herself. But...he had opened her heart and on the rare occasions she let the door fly open, it was hard to close it so quickly.

"For not changing. For still being…the way you always have been."

"You give me too much credit, Katniss." He moved away, the sudden distance upsetting her for a reason she could not place. He ran his hands through his hair, showing his sudden frustration. Old habits die hard. "What you said earlier? About how people really do change? You were right."

"No, I was…I was wrong. It was all so clear tonight, in the way people would look at me. To them, I will always be the girl who survived the flames; The girl on fire. And you will always be the boy with the bread. To me at least."

"No! You don't get to do that!" He caught himself, his voice carrying throughout the lobby and down the hallways. "When you left. With no goodbye? You were just gone." She couldn't look at him, because when he was wounded, it was like looking into the eyes of a child screaming for a parent that could never come.

"I couldn't say goodbye."

"So you just left? You just run? I…I had feelings. So many feelings for you."

"I know." If anyone was still around, they would know everything. Their biggest secret. Their love that never really went away. It had all felt so familiar; the joy and the rush and excitement of being near him. Of how it had always been before she left.

"I had to find out you were back from Jordan from a newspaper clipping being used as a table cloth at a restaurant. You couldn't even call me? How is this the first time I've seen you in person in five years?"

"I was afraid. Of this!"

"Of what? The truth?"

"Of it feeling like nothing had happened. Of it feeling like how it did when we were young." Of me still loving you.

"Don't worry about that. You can move on. I have." And with that he was gone; out the door and into his limousine before she could even blink the tears out of her eyes.

It was all so familiar…

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