Chapter 4: Bonding

As the weeks went by, Katniss found herself more and more bemused. Peeta had continued to walk home with her and Prim on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And he always brought something. Loaves of bread, cookies, tiny cakes, danishes. When they got to their house in the Seam, Prim would work at the table with their mother while Peeta and Katniss did their homework on the couch. They conversed softly to keep up the appearance of tutoring to Mrs. Everdeen. The topics were always light hearted, with Peeta doing the most talking and Katniss struggling to resist his charm. She felt uneasy divulging personal details with him. Every day he was there, she convinced herself that he was practically a stranger, that they didn't know each other and that she should not answer his invasive questions.

It wasn't until months later, a week before midterms, before Katniss realized that Peeta was no longer a stranger. Her one-word responses became longer and longer- until they were both contributing equally to their conversations. Prim adored him. He listened to her stories with apt attention while Katniss rolled her eyes at her sister's "problems." At some point, Gale and his brothers had started walking home with them. Gale was hesitant at first, keeping a wary eye on the baker's son the whole way and shooting meaningful glances at Katniss before they went inside. She knew those looks, he used them when they hunted to signify possible danger ahead.

He eventually warmed up to Peeta. Although, he was still wary and wasn't exactly friendly towards him. He politely answered Peeta's curious questions, asked a few of his own, but spent most of the walks listening to him interact with Prim like Katniss did.

In school, things hadn't changed much. Peeta still kept with his own friends most days, but when Madge was absent, he joined her for lunch and shared his sweets. She definitely noticed him looking at her. At first when they would meet eyes, both of them would look away quickly. It was a subtle shift. Peeta would hold her gaze until she looked away, and occasionally, he'd give her small smile or an eye roll behind a teacher's back.

It was the Thursday before their midterm exams. Peeta, Katniss, Prim and Gale (and his brothers) were walking towards the Seam from school. As usual, Prim was talking Peeta's ears off. How does she have so much to say? Katniss thought. Peeta was listening good-naturedly, interjecting comments and praises when he saw fit. She couldn't help but admire him. He was so nice to everyone. She felt Gale nudge her ribs.

"Ow." She scowled, looking sideways at her hunting partner.

"You were drooling." He teased.

"I was not!" She hissed as she felt her face heat.

"It's okay, Catnip. I can understand. He's great with Prim; not bad looking either." He laughed softly at her uneasy expression. "But, be careful. He's still a Merchant kid."

Katniss stopped in her tracks, snapping her head to the side to look at him. Was Gale implying that she had feelings for Peeta? Preposterous! She would admit that Peeta is a nice guy, and as Gale said, not bad looking. Handsome, even. And he was really good with Prim. But she did not, would not, think of Peeta that way. They might be friends but that was it. Katniss had no intention of becoming romantically involved. With anyone. Ever.

"I don't like him. He's my friend. That's it." She stated quietly, giving him her best glare.

Gale rolled his eyes skyward. "Okay, Catnip, if you say so. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Well, you have nothing to worry about since there is nothing between us." She said before stalking off after the group that had left them behind. Peeta caught her eye as she caught up, an eyebrow raised in curiosity. She shook her head at him and refused to meet his eyes the rest of the way home.

"So, next week is midterms," Katniss stated cautiously when they sat on the couch in her house. The completed homework lay on their laps. Their "arrangement" was quickly coming to an end.

Peeta slipped his book into his bag. "Yeah..." He said without meeting her eyes. It bothered her, she realized, because she was so used to seeing his blue irises when she so much as glanced at him. Now he was avoiding her gaze purposefully.

"I guess things will go back to normal." She ventured, not knowing why she was annoyed by his answer. "You'll go back to the bakery and since we don't really speak in school..."

"What? No!" Peeta exclaimed as he whipped his head in her direction and she was rewarded with the flash of blue. His face softened out of it's perplexion and he scratched his head in an innocent manner. "I mean, I don't want things to go back the way they were. I like being your friend, Katniss."

She managed a small smile. "Me too, but if your grades improved, which we both know they have, that means you don't need a tutor anymore."

"That doesn't mean we have to stop being friends." He argued.

"Oh?" She narrowed her eyes. "So when we go back to school the Monday after midterms, you're just going to start talking to me like you do your other friends?"

Peeta opened his mouth to argue, but Katniss cut him off. "We've been 'friends' for a months now, Peeta, and the only times you've ever talked to me in school is when Madge is absent or with her other friends." She hadn't realized how much she resented the fact they were only friends when it was convenient for him.

"It's not because I don't want to." He stated softly. It caught Katniss off guard. She was wholly prepared for an argument. There he was, unnerving her again. She wasn't sure how to handle him.

"Whatever." She decided to say. It still hurt, that he seemed ashamed to be her friend in school. Even if he denied it, it didn't ease the pang in her heart. She pushed up from the couch and strode to the door, holding it open for him when he followed reluctantly.

"Katniss-"

"Good luck on your midterms, Peeta." She said icily before slamming the door. She walked back to the kitchen and was greeted by two worrisome faces.

"What's wrong, Katniss?" Prim asked, her delicate face pinched in concern.

"Nothing." She said distractedly and began on the preparations for dinner. The fine bakery bread, his bread, was mocking her from the table as she cooked. During the hour it took to prepare their soup, she managed to cut her finger, lose one of the potatoes and almost burn her eyebrows off. She concluded that nothing good could ever happen when thinking about Peeta Mellark.

Katniss successfully avoided him the next day in school; and on Saturday, when Gale managed to snare good-sized squirrel, she begged him to go to the bakery without her. By the time Monday rolled around, Katniss was determined to put him as far from her mind as possible and focus on her exams. Everyone was certainly doing just that. Even if someone managed to finish any of the exams before the allotted time, students were expected to remain silent. It carried over into lunch hour. It was strictly forbidden to talk to one another about any of the eight Capitol-mandated exams. The eerie silence didn't bother Katniss. She embraced it and reviewed material for her next exam while she ate.

Friday, the day they received their exam grades, came slowly. Katniss loved the Friday after midterms. If she passed, she was free to leave after she got her scores. She supposed everyone loved that Friday. So she should have expected that everyone would be in a good mood, asking one another about their prospective scores. As it happens, she was completely taken aback when she sat down and Peeta had wandered to her desk in the minutes before the first bell rang.

"Hey, Katniss!" Peeta greeted. "How do you think you did?"

She really wasn't in the mood to deal with him. She was positive he was just making a point to talk to her after she said he never did. She seethed beneath his towering form as he leaned over her. "Fine." She ground out.

He leaned back abruptly and drew his eyebrows together. A flicker of sadness in his blue orbs. "Sorry, I just wanted to come and say hi. I'll talk to you later."

She sighed and waved her hand to dismiss him and brooded in her seat. She put on her best neutral expression in order to hide her troubled state. She warred with herself. She genuinely believed Peeta was just trying to be nice and be her friend, but Gale's warning and Peeta's aloofness at school still burned a spiteful fire in her heart.

It was no surprise that everyone passed their midterm exams and were allowed to go home. Katniss waited for Prim outside by the front door, enjoying the bright, spring sun. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the sweet scent of renewal and basked in the sun's warmth. A shadow fell on her and she frowned when it didn't move. She opened her eyes to see the object of her anger blocking the delicious rays of the sun.

"Katniss," Peeta addressed her. "I'm sorry about this morning. And about not talking to you more these past few weeks."

"Okay." She shot at him. She really didn't want to be mad at him, but her stubborn side won out. It always won out.

Peeta's eyes looked away at her detached answer and he shuffled in place for a moment. "Can we take a walk?" He asked earnestly. "I just really need to talk to you."

Katniss peered around him to the doors, searching for Prim. She really shouldn't leave her. She was about to decline his offer when she spotted Gale jogging towards them.

"Aced them!" He shouted and he joined them, raising his grading paper in the air.

"Me too," Peeta said, flashing a smile that wasn't quite right. Katniss cursed her heart when it panged at the sight. She nodded when the boys looked at her expectantly. What should she do now?

"Hey, Gale," Peeta said, turning away from her and facing the tan teenager. Katniss had a bad feeling pooling in the pit of her stomach. "Would you mind seeing that Prim gets home? Katniss and I are going on a walk. We shouldn't be long, but she didn't want Prim to walk home alone."

Gale studied him for a moment, frowning. Then he turned his eyes to Katniss and studied her as well. Eventually he sighed and said, "Sure, no problem, Catnip. See you in the morning?"

Katniss nodded, not trusting her voice. She felt Peeta's fingers close around her arm as he gently led her away from the school. Her anger soared at being drug along, but she waited until they rounded the corner of the first building before whirling on Peeta and stabbing a finger in his face.

"What the hell, Peeta?!" She hissed at him. The alarm in his eyes was evident, but she ignored it. "I wanted to go home with Prim! I don't have time for this!" She gestured between them, then averted her eyes at his wounded look.

She wasn't sure how long they stood there, but when she finally found the courage to look up, his eyes were still on her. He ducked his head forward to catch her eye, remaining slouched as he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Katniss." He whispered gently. "I really needed to talk to you. I shouldn't have assumed you'd go with me. I promise this won't take long."

Katniss released a slow breath, commanding her brain to respond to him and not get lost in his impossible blue eyes. "Fine..." She answered at last. His small smile eased her anger somewhat and Peeta turned to start walking again. It was silent at first. They walked by the buildings surrounding the school and finally to though the rows of houses between the Merchant square and the Seam. She hadn't realized where they were going before they got there.

The meadow was bright green with dots of yellow springing up here and there. She turned to Peeta and smiled. She told herself it was the meadow that made her heart lift, not the boy beside her. Although, when he answered her smile with that lopsided grin of his, she felt her stomach flutter.

"So," She said after stamping down her emotions. "You wanted to talk?"

Peeta sat in the long grass at the edge of the meadow and patted the dirt beside him. She sat, making sure to keep plenty of space between them. She stared at Peeta, waiting for him to saw something. She was starting to get nervous about what he could possibly want to talk about. He seemed more troubled as the minutes ticked by before he spoke.

"I just wanted to say how sorry I am for treating you the way I did when we were in school." He said softly. "I didn't think you minded that much. If I'm honest, I didn't think you wanted to be my friend. I sort of thought you were… kidding."

Katniss pulled her legs up to her chest as she considered him. "I did it for the food." She confessed softly. She saw the sad, knowing smile on his lips and rushed to continue. "At first! Mom and Prim really enjoyed the bread and it helped. But then I got to know you and I don't know… Really, you didn't do anything wrong. I was just upset that we might not be able to hang out anymore."

He flashed her a real smile before turning his gaze to the blades of grass and fiddling with them. "That's another thing… Besides school, I won't be able to see you anymore."

"Why not?"

Peeta looked at her for a long moment, seeming to hesitate on what to say. "My mom."

"What about her, Peeta?" Katniss whispered fiercely, fearing the answer.

Peeta shook his head. "Nothing. I just can't sneak away from the bakery anymore. I'll probably get in trouble by not going home straight from school, but Clyde and Winnie were going to the bakery today. I might be able to come up with an excuse."

She took in the hunch of his shoulders, the pain in his eyes and the words he just spoke. Mrs. Mellark was beating her son, she knew it. "Peeta…"

A sad smile followed by a nervous laugh. "What, Katniss?"

"I hate her." She said viciously.

Peeta started at her confession. "You don't know her! She's not that bad. Really, it's my fault I can't-" he stopped abruptly and clamped his jaw shut.

"It's not your fault." Katniss said as she impulsively reached for his hand. "Whatever she says to justify her behavior is bullshit. You don't deserve to be hit by your own mother."

Confusion flicked across his features as he studied her hand resting on his. "You mean… You mean, your mom doesn't… Punish you?"

Katniss couldn't keep her mouth from gaping open. "No! Of course not. Not like that!"

"Oh." He said. "I thought all parents did. At least the moms in the Merchant square. My friend, M-" He paused again. "I have friends whose parents are… physical. But even I have to admit my mom is a bit cruel."

Suddenly, Katniss was thankful for her birth status. She couldn't think of anyone from the Seam being beaten by a parent. Was it really so commonplace in the Merchant square? She looked down when she felt his thumb slide over her fingers and she immediately pulled away. Her brain was frantic as she replayed what he had done. He seemed to pick up on her uneasiness. He laughed unexpectedly and threw himself backwards into the grass. She watched him as he bathed in the sun, still confused and scared about what was happening between them. She was quite naive on the subject of love and dating. She wasn't sure if that was considered flirting or not. All she knew is that she needed to fight off any of his advances. Marriage was not in her future. And it would only hurt both of them if she pretended.

She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry about your mom, Peeta. We can still talk in school, right? Unless... You're embarrassed by me?"

He sat up and furrowed his brows. "What? I'm not embarrassed by you."

"Oh," Katniss stammered. "I just thought…"

His hand reaches up to brush along her cheek and she leaned into it momentarily before flinching back. Grab a grip, Katniss! She yelled inwardly. Stop this before you do something stupid, like kiss him! Her heart hammered violently in her chest as she stood and faced away from him. She felt him stand up behind her and hover over her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Katniss, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He said softly. "Please, don't think I would ever be embarrassed by you. If anything I thought you would be embarrassed by me… Or annoyed." He chuckled.

She pondered his words, confused as to what to do or say that will erase the awkwardness between them. She pivoted around and offered him a nervous smile. "You've been apologizing a lot today…"

"And you haven't accepted any of them." Peeta teased.

She felt herself relax at his words, her nervous smile turned into a smirk. "I accept your many apologies, Peeta." She said mockingly.

He chuckled then looked back down at the ground, his smile fading. "I need to get back to the bakery…"

"Okay." She told him as she begins walking towards town. The silence between them was comfortable. Katniss reveled in the warm sunshine and couldn't help the smile that flitted across her face. When they reach the edge of the Merchant square, Peeta hung back in the shadow of a building and brushed his fingers along her arm before gently pulling her to a stop. She gave him a questioning look.

"You should probably head home." He said, looking down at his shoes.

"Oh," The disappointment evident in her voice. "I thought-"

"I just don't want my mom to see you." He interrupted. "She found out that you were 'tutoring' me and she got really mad about it. If I show up late to the bakery, with you, she'll go bezerk."

Katniss drew her eyebrows together. "What did she do? Did she hit you?" She asked angrily.

"It's nothing, Katniss. I don't even think there's a bruise." He offered her a tight smile. His hand reached up to touch the back of his head.

Katniss sprung like a jungle cat, turning Peeta so he faced the wall. She inspected the area where his hand had been, eyes narrowed in concentration. It was hard to see anything under his shaggy curls, but after a moment's scrutiny, she spotted a patch of his blonde hair that was slightly darker than the rest. She brought her fingers to the dark spot and brushed his hair back, revealing blue-black skin underneath.

"There is a bruise." She snapped. She pressed her fingers to the spot and he hissed in pain. "Is that the only spot? Did she hit you somewhere else?"

Peeta grabbed her hand and pulled it away from his head as he turned to face her again. "That was the only place she hit me." He admitted tensely, avoiding her eyes again.

"Peeta," She warned. She removed her wrist from his grip and took a step back to examine him. She didn't see any other bruises or cuts. He looked fine. Not all wounds can be seen, she remembered her mother saying once.

"I'm fine," He reiterated. "Really. She got a hold of one of the rolling pins is all."

"Head injuries can be bad, Peeta. At least let my mom take a look at it." She implored.

"Katniss, I'm fine. I've had worse beatings." He said, pursing his lips and looking remorseful. He probably hadn't wanted to tell her that.

"Fine. I'll see you later." She said softly before brushing past him and hurrying home.

Nothing was the same after that. Peeta kept his word and talked to her at school, joining her and Madge nearly every day for lunch. But the conversations were short and almost forced. Katniss watched for any more signs that he wanted to get closer to her like when they were at the meadow, but he kept his distance. Maybe he wasn't interested in her like that. She couldn't ignore the hurt she felt when she came to that conclusion.

The rest of the school year went by quickly and without incident. And even though she spoke to Peeta almost every day, she felt their friendship slipping. It was almost as if he was avoiding her emotionally, but, she had to admit, she was doing the same thing. She was afraid of what might happen if they were alone again. He no longer held her gaze for more than a second. She missed him, even though he never left. Whatever she was feeling, Katniss was afraid of it. She kept telling herself it didn't matter what she felt, or what he felt, she was never getting married and there would be no point to pursue a relationship.

She and Gale, on the other hand, seemed to be growing closer. They still hunted every day together. She found herself talking to him more now that she didn't talk to peeta as much. After the incident at the meadow, Katniss explained her worries to Gale, hoping he would have some sort of advice for her. He never did. After awhile, he snapped at her for being so concerned about a Merchant kid and told her to worry about her family and the upcoming reaping instead.

The Reaping. It was only a month away. It would be Prim's first year, Katniss's fifth. Her name would be in the Reaping bowl twenty times, if she signed up for tesserae again this year, which was the only option. If she wanted to keep Prim and her mother alive, she had to sign up for it. Her sixteenth birthday was in a few days. She made a mental note to go down to the Justice Building on Thursday after school.

One month, she reminds herself. One month until the Hunger Games.

A/N: You guys are amazing! I know this last chapter is a little rushed, but I promise I am slowing it down in the next chapter! Thank you for the reviews and the favorites!