"Maybe tomorrow?" Katniss said quietly. Peeta had, to Katniss's extreme embarassment and at one point anger, offered to buy her lunch- hot- and had saved her a seat with his dumb friends. At first she didn't want to, but saw Peeta's blue eyes, the ones she'd secretly liked for so long, and said yes. He smiled cheekily and led her to his table. Tayte was there, grinning at Katniss, and he wedged himself on his knees between Peeta and Katniss when they sat down.

He put one elbow on the table and pushed Katniss's dark hair behind her ear. He said in what was supposed to be, Katniss guessed, a sexy voice, "Hey. How're you?" His voice was very low and he had his eyes half-open, and Katniss thought that he just looked sick. She tried to smile and looked to Peeta for assistance. Peeta shoved Tayte backwards and he eventually left, after saying more 'sexy' things but not getting anything out of Katniss and a punch out of Peeta. He growled toward Tayte as he walked away, and then said, "Yeah, tomorrow's Friday, right? That works."

Peeta hoped it would work. He was sure he could find some way to get his father to cover for him, if it meant he could be with Katniss, even for just an hour for tutoring. She smiled and started picking at her food. Peeta watched her for a moment, then started in on his food too. While they ate, Katniss quietly tried to teach Peeta slope-intercept, and he was happy to listen. He now understood what he'd been missing out on when he heard her voice. Peeta's father had told him that, just like her father, the birds stopped to listen when she sang. Anything with ears would stop to listen.

Peeta dumped Katniss's tray for her, and when he came back they talked for a few more minutes. She sat very still when she talked, and he noticed that she didn't use her hands at all. This allowed him to focus on her face, which he would not complain about. The bell rang, and they, at least on Peeta's part, sadly departed and went to seperate classes. The day dragged on for Peeta and hoped it felt the same for Katniss, and as soon as the bell rang, he searched to find Katniss. She walked him to his house and Peeta watched her go further and further into town, where she would eventually reach the Seam. He vowed that, someday, they would live together in the nicest house in town in the nicest part of town, and she would always have plenty to eat and so would their babies and the homeless people who came to their door, even. He knew he could take care of her. He would.

Peeta took his work inside, scribbled down what he hoped the right answers were, put his books away, and looked around the shop for chores to busy himself until he would see Katniss again.

"Do you, Peeta Mellark, take Katniss Everdeen to be your wife?"

"I do."

"Katniss Everdeen, do you take Peeta Mellark to be your husband?"

"I do."

He closed his book and smiled toward Peeta. "You may now kiss the bride."

Peeta took a deep breath and Katniss smiled slightly. He pulled her closer to him, put one hand on the back of her neck and whispered, "I love you." Her eyes twinkled, shimmery with tears and glitter, and she said, "I love you more." He smiled again, then leaned forward. He could feel her warm breath on his face, smell her hair and perfume, and his lips made contact with hers and they finally, for the first time, kiss-

"Peeta!"

Peeta groaned and smacked his fist against the wall. Why, oh why, couldn't he have these dreams when he first got to sleep so that he could finish them?

"Smack the wall again, I dare you!" his mother screamed. He grumbled incoherently at her as he made his bed and pulled on his pants. He made sure to brush his teeth twice and comb his hair just right, so he would make a good impression on Katniss's mother. He wore nice black pants, cleaned off his shoes and tucked his navy blue shirt. His father saw him getting dressed so nicely and half-smiled. "What? Do you have pictures today or something?" Peeta blushed, caught, and shook his head.

"No," he said quietly, looking over his shoulder for his mother. She was baking. "Katniss Everdeen invited me to go to her house after school. She's tutoring me in math." He focused on his shoe laces so he couldn't see his father's angry expression. He could just picture him bellowing, "You need help in math? From a girl from the Seam?" But he didn't. Peeta slowly looked up and saw his father smiling at him. Not a huge smile where you could see all his teeth, just a smile.

Peeta whispered, "Can you cover for me?" His father nodded, then swatted at him with a towel. "And if there's a hole in that wall," he yelled. At first Peeta was confused but then heard his mother's footsteps. His father pointed a finger at him, putting the other on his hip, and continued, "the cost will come out of your allowance and you're grounded for a week!" Peeta appeared to be aggravated and when his father turned a cheek toward him and put a finger behind his ear, Peeta mumbled, "Yes, sir."

"What was that?"

"Yes, sir!"

His father nodded and then opened the door, "Go to school!" Peeta walked out the door and started for the school building, thankful he had such a wonderful father. Tonight, he might even get a kiss, a real kiss on the lips, from Katniss Everdeen.

The day went quickly and since he had last period with Katniss, she walked him out. They were both quiet as Katniss led Peeta to her house. She hesitated outside the front door, and then faced Peeta. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..." she mumbled. She, once again, was speaking to her shoes, and Peeta took a step forward. "Why?" he asked, worried he'd done something wrong. She looked at her house, and Peeta guessed she was ashamed at the condition it was in. For not having a father, being 16 years old and having to provide for three people plus go to school, Peeta thought the house looked fantastic.

"My mother is..." she said, almost so low Peeta couldn't hear. She shook her head once, steeled herself, and opened the door. There was a fire in the hearth and a small blonde girl sat at the table, scribbling in a book with an oversized pencil. Her feet couldn't reach the floor. She looked up and smiled at Peeta. "Hi!" Peeta smiled back, surprised at her charm. Katniss put her bag on the table next to the girl and Peeta did the same, then held his hand out to the girl. "Hi," he said, "I'm Peeta." She wrapped her fingers around his thumb and shook his arm. "I'm Prim."

Katniss pulled out a chair for Peeta and Prim picked up her book, moving to the floor. She laid on her stomach and curled up next to the ugliest cat Peeta had ever seen. Peeta cast a sideways glance at the cat and Katniss sighed. "That's Buttercup. I knew I should've drowned him when I had the chance." Prim stuck her tongue out at Katniss, then petted the purring cat. "He's unique." She put her head on his stomach and continued scribbling.

Katniss pulled her books out of her bag and Peeta got his books. As they flipped through the pages Peeta looked up and noticed a woman in a bed, staring at a wall. She didn't appear to be asleep and he worried she was ded, but Katniss said nothing. He figured this was Katniss's mother. That would, anyway, explain why she had mumbled about her mother before they went inside. Peeta shook his head and focused back on Katniss, who was explaining solving for a variable, which Peeta hated. For a few minutes he could focus and was actually learning something, but then he started to feel uneasy. It was a talent of his, if it could be called that. He could just sense bad things before they'd happen. And he did not want something bad to happen while he and Katniss were in the same room.

Prim stood up off the floor and stood on tiptoe to look out the window. "Katniss," she said. The door bursted open and Gale came inside, plopped down at the table across from Peeta and gushed, "I got a D in art class! A stinkin' D! How do you even get graded in art class? It's doesn't even take any talent! What-" Gale stopped yelling to stare at Peeta, who he had not noticed until now. "What are you doing here?"

Peeta raised an eyebrow and held up his pencil. "Learning math," he said calmly. He looked back to Katniss's mathbook, which she had never looked away from, and filled in a problem Katniss had set up for him. She nodded, said, "Very good," then sighed. "I'm sorry, Gale," she said. Gale continued glowering at Peeta. He paid him no attention, though, when Gale said through clenched teeth, "I'm sorry to intrude." He stiffly turned toward Katniss. "Are we hunting tomorrow?" Katniss nodded subtly, and scratched down another problem for Peeta. "Yes," she mumbled. Gale snorted and stood up. "See you later, Katniss," he grumbled, slamming the door on his way out. Katniss sighed again.

Peeta resisted the temptation to say anything about Gale's outburst and hasty retreat, and Katniss didn't mention it. Prim, after a while of tutoring, brought a small plate of cheese to the table and a glass of goat's milk. "Lady was being good today," Prim said cheekily. Katniss looked questioningly at the cheese, then asked, "Prim? Where did you get this?" She held her hands behind her back and said, "I brought it home from school. I was kinda full but I couldn't see wasting it, so..." Katniss shook her head and smiled, then picked up a small piece. Peeta did the same.

They worked for about twenty minutes longer, then finished the work. Peeta knew it would be a long weekend without Katniss and he didn't want to leave, but didn't want to overstay his welcome, either. Katniss helped him pack up his things and as he reached for his math book he very narrowly missed knocking over the glass of untouched milk. Katniss grabbed it. "Here," she said, holding it toward Peeta. "Have you ever had goat's milk?" Peeta shook his head and took the glass. He eyed it warily for a moment, then took it sip. It was tangy, and tasted like goat cheese. Peeta smiled a bit and drank more.

Katniss opened the door for Peeta and smiled. "Thanks for coming," she said quietly. Peeta stepped outside and started walking away, but Katniss put a hand on his shoulder. He turned and faced her, squinting. "Yeah?" Katniss looked up at him, at his blue eyes, and lost her nerve. Peeta waited for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Why did you kiss me at the bakery?" Katniss's eyes flicked down, and she mumbled. Peeta couldn't hear her. "Huh?" She let a breath whoosh out and then whispered, "Because I knew you wouldn't take it wrong."

She let Peeta process that for a moment, then said in a louder voice, "I never forgot what you did. That day with the bread? I never forgot. I can't think of what to do to make us square. I thought that maybe, you just knowing I never forgot..." She raked a hand through her hair. She looked miserable. She turned to go back into the house, and Peeta thought he saw tears streaming down her face.

Gale making himself look dumb by yelling at Peeta, and Prim liking Peeta, and his father covering for him and Katniss's wonderfully womanly smell filled Peeta with confidence and determination, and he reached forward, grabbed her arm, and pulled her into a kiss. At first he didn't know what to do. Should he hug her or just stand there? Should he move his lips first or wait for Katniss's reaction? He didn't know and didn't care when Katniss kissed him back, wrapping her fingers in his curly blond hair. His closed his eyes and couldn't help but notice that his eyebrows were raised to his hairline or that his face was hot and beet red.

Katniss pulled away and the seperation made a smacking sound, and then she smiled a small smile. Peeta gasped, staring dizzily at Katniss. Was there two of her? She whispered, "I'll probably be at the sweet shop tomorrow." Peeta asked, "Will you be with Gale?" Katniss frowned slightly and nodded, "Yeah." They stood two feet apart in silence.

Katniss said, "Be at the sweet shop?" Peeta touched the tip of his nose to hers.

"Absolutely."

So sorry, my readers. I had a terrible weekend. You know what I hate? School. You know why? The teachers think it's funny to give you three test-grade projects over one freakin' weekend! But I digress. It's just I wanted someone to know how much I hate the eighth grade. So, as I post this, I am thinking of my lovely readers and how much I hope I didn't disappoint them. I finished Mockingjay today, so hopefully my knowledge will be more accurate. Review, lovies!
~Paige