AN/ And here it is! The long awaited, everlark chapter 4.

Firstly I'm sorry if it wasn't what you expected, I wanted to do something different. XD

And...I'm so sorry it's been so long, it's just i've really struggled with this one. It's a kinda linking chapter so was hard to try and make it exciting with the 'Katniss meets Peeta' for the first time dilemma and how they'd act around from it.

Sorry for my rant and here it :)

The sound of the train rattling against tracks echoes around the nearly empty carriage.

I click open my phone to reveal the time, 19:30.

Rush hour's over.

I turn my body around to face the window behind me, squinting to look beyond my reflection painted on it, trying to spot which station we're at. Bank. Still got plenty of time. Adjusting my body back 'round, I sit facing myself in the window opposite me again.

It's oddly silent in here tonight, I think, looking around at the few other occupants of the carriage I find myself in, their faces buried in their phone, blocked from the outside world via their headphones. I am I the only one who still likes a chat, hey.

As I glance back down again, deciding I might as well look Instagram or something, I spot a young man around my age sitting in the next carriage along, staring at me for mere second, then quickly returning to look back at the empty seat in front of him, as soon as we make eye contact. I smirk as I stare back at him, slowly realising I'm doing the exact same thing he did to me once he sees my glare. He smirks, the creases of his mouth forming tiny dimples in the side of his cheeks, as I feel my own burning up. Katniss stop blushing, I think desperately trying to cool my cheeks down by my covering them with my hands.

This is a stranger.

A hot stranger.

What?! No! Stop it!

My thoughts are stumped by the tube's door rushing open, the hydraulics making a whooshing sound as they always do and the familiar automated voice booming through the speaker, 'Please mind the gap between the train and the platform'. I turn to see the station name again, even though I know it's Liverpool St.

I sort of do it impulsively.

I do it to try and see the young man again.

I don't even know why, all I know is that my heart drops once I see him step off the train.

Come on Katniss, he doesn't even know you.

So I go back to my first plan; Instagram.

"Not up for human interaction then?," a voice calls jolting me to look up from my phone. The young man stares back, suddenly sitting across from me.

"Wait, what?" I reply startled. Come on Katniss, act cool.

"Got bored in the other carriage, everyone's so caught up there phone's these days," he says, completely unaware of my heart thumping.

"Tell me about it," I laugh awkwardly, inwardly grinning to myself that he hadn't left the train yet, but mostly that he'd physically come to sit near me.

Does he like me? I suddenly think.

Oh now you're just getting ahead of yourself, I think again.

"On for much longer?" He says, bringing me back to my senses.

"Until Stratford,"

"Oh, I'm on 'till Mile End, going to see my Grandma. I normally get off at Tottenham, you see."

"Oh right, much longer journey than usual," I say, my mind rushing to try and think on what to say next.

"Yeah, not that bad though when I get to have an actual conversation with someone, especially when they're as pretty as you," He laughs, his blue eyes catching the light and glinting towards me. I blush furiously.

Is he flirting with me?

Oh god.

Don't mess this up, don't mess this up-

"Thanks," I quickly mumble, in the most unattractive way possible.

Shit.

"I'm Katniss, by the way, Katniss Everdeen,"

Better.

He smiles again, "Peeta, Peeta Mellark. So what do you do for a living?"

"I, um, I" Come on Katniss this is not hard. "I'm a writer for 'Elle' magazine, I write about fashion and stuff and then someone edits it and it goes on the magazine or the website-"

Katniss. Stop. You're rambling.

Don't end it with so yeah-

"-So yeah," Oh for god's sake. "What about you?" I say, quickly.

"Oh me? My job's not as interesting as yours," he blushes. This time I smirk. "Fine then, I work in business for my father's bakery. Counting sales and that. You know, the boring stuff,"

I thought Mellark sounded familiar.

An image of one of the local bakeries around the Elle offices springs to mind.

Mellark Bakeries.

Oh god, this guy's probably real rich.

Living in Tottenham Court area, oh god.

"Oh right, I see, don't you like to bake or something?" I say concentrating on not letting my mind slip.

"I used, when I was little, but my Mum wanted me to 'do something more useful' than just be a baker's boy, like one of my older brothers." He sighs as the brakes screech, lettings us know we're at a station. Yet again I turn around to see which station we're at. Mile End. Yet again, my heart sinks.

"Oh, my stop," he says, getting up and walking towards the doors next to me.

"Bye," I mumble, trying to look away from his strong jawline and curls of loose blonde hair. But's it's no use, he just too goddamn good looking.

"Bye. Hope to see you again sometime," he replies, his navy pea coat brushing close to me as he steps off.

Again. That's a long shot, I think as I sigh and look back down to my phone, which much to my surprise has a small piece of ripped paper on top of it. Strange, that wasn't there before. Carefully, I pick it up and turn it around.

'Call me, 07714 541667. Peeta x'

As the tube finally makes it Stratford and I make my way home, yes I'm 22 and I still live with Haymitch, all that replays in mind is the sheer happiness I'm feeling.

A guy gave me his phone number.

A hot guy gave me his phone number.

On the tube.

I've hardly ever had proper relationship with a guy before, let alone, like this.

Love in my life was the one that was pushed the furthest back in my mind and now here it is irking its way to the front foremost. The only thing I can think about.

As I lie in bed that night, I don't sleep. I can't sleep. The excitement rising in my stomach seems to stay with me. That new feeling, that I've never felt before. A crush. A crush that seems so close to being real. I keep looking at the paper and then at my phone. Should I call him? Would that seem too pushy? I'll just text him. But he said to call him on the paper-

"Katniss, please turn the light out, it's eleven and I have college tomorrow," Prim suddenly murmurs, stirring from her cocoon like shape, tangled in her bed sheets.

She's 18 now, which seems crazy beyond belief. I still can't comprehend the fact I'm 22. A proper adult as you were. It was a whole year ago that I'd just graduated from my college course at RCA. Six months, since Elle called up saying that they're interested in me becoming one of their article writers for their magazine, and of course I said yes.

Prim just started her college course in medicine about a month ago, as she's wants to be a doctor when she grows up, like our Mum. She's incredibly good at it, much smarter than I'll will ever be; her seven A's compared to my measly three. She told me that she really wants to be a paramedic, working on the front line, saving lives. I told her that, she's much braver than me in that aspect, I can't stand the sight of blood, yet alone nakedness for that matter. She just laughed and called me 'pure', which I was pretty pissed at. I still enjoy sleeping in the same room with her though, even though I'm 'supposed' to be finding my own place now. But I like it here. Haymitch doesn't seem to mind, so I don't. Saves me a bit of cash.

"Katniss, please," Prim calls again, this time a little stronger. "You've been daydreaming for the last five minutes,"

"Oh, erm sorry," I call, knowing that I have work tomorrow as well, so should probably get to sleep. But much to my surprise I get up, with the paper and my phone, turn out the light in the bedroom and sneak out into the living room.

I open the door slowly to find Haymitch slumped on the sofa, an empty bottle of gin in his grasp. Carefully, I remove of it and grab a blanket from the other chair, tucking him in, as to not wake him. He usually sleeps in here, sometimes so much that I don't even understand why he has his own bedroom.

I go to the kitchen instead, running my fingers along the wall in the pitch black darkness, in order to find the light switch. Flicking it on, the light soon fills the room, blinding me in its brightness. I rub my hands over my bare arms of my pj's, shivering slightly.

God it's cold in here, I think.

Why am I even in here?

Oh, yeah too call Peeta. I click open my phone, the screen illuminating my face slightly, as I make Peeta's contact. "Okay, Katniss just call him and ask him whether he wants to do anything, if he wants to be friends that's fine. It's cool, you'll be friends," I say, giving myself a little pep-talk before I press the 'call' button, as if this is the hardest thing I've ever done.

It rings-

And rings-

And rings-

Still with no answer-

It goes to answer phone. Peeta's voice soon filling my ears, 'Sorry I can't take your call at the moment, please leave a message and I'll ring you back as soon as possible-'

I hang up.

Who am I kidding? It's quarter past eleven.

I send him a quick text saying that this is my number and leave it at that, creeping back into the bedroom and slowly falling asleep.

I am awoken by Prim's alarm going off at six. Why she has to get up so early I will never know. Groaning, I turn back around and try and fall asleep again, only to realise, ten minutes later, that I need to get up too, immediately hopping out of bed and banging on the bathroom door, shouting for Prim to hurry up. The morning routine.

By the time I'm finally ready and saying my goodbye's Haymitch, my phone buzzes in my pocket. Quickly I take it out to find a text from Peeta.

'Hi, Katniss. Sorry I didn't pick up the phone last night, it was pretty late and I thought that you hadn't got the paper. But I'm glad you did. :) Had to get up early to help out at the bakery this morning so I'll be able to talk about 12ish'

So I reply, 'Haha. Sorry, I called you late. Which bakery are you at? I could come and see you in my Lunch break if you're near by'

With him quickly replying back, 'The one near Leicester square? Idk, I'm normally there, so I'm not sure on the others.'

'Cool, I know the one. Seen it before once or twice. Meet at 12:30?'

'Course'

And I nearly burst with excitement.

You know, whenever you're waiting for something to happen and it always seems to take a hell of a lot longer than it usually does; that's what work feels like today, slowly edging on 'till my lunch break. Waiting to see Peeta. I usually enjoy work, I feel as if I'm liked here. Which is quite an achievement. I even have a new 'work buddy', Madge Undersee who's the next desk over from me. She normally does cover design work, so we work together to decide which article to feature on the the front. But today, I have no inspiration to write about new 'Winter trends' or whatever. I just sit there. Typing. Then re-typing, deciding for the umptinth time that I don't like what I've written. Finally I come up with at least something, however it's a bit shabby and I know I can do better. I'm just hoping that it gets the thumbs up and I can go off for my lunch break as planned.

As soon as 12:00 rolls onto my screen, I grab my coat, scarf and bag, and dash out of the door making my way out by running down the stairs, stopping half way realising that I'm acting pretty childish; and that I'd left my money on my desk.

I figured that I could buy something from the bakery, last minute, as I normally buy something from the 'Pret' across the road or whatever.

As I make my way back up to my desk, breathing a little heavy, Madge turns to me only just getting up from her desk to go out.

"You were in a rush," she calls, laughing a little as she puts one arm into her jacket.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. I'm meeting someone, you see and I just came back to get my mone-"

"Who?" she smirks, suddenly very interested in the conversation.

"Ermm," I murmur, blushing bright red.

She laughs and brushes past me in a playful manner. "I have fun with your date, Katniss," she calls, as she walks out.

God dammit, I think as I grab my purse and walk a little slower down the stairs this time.

Madge never leaves these kind of conversations, always asking me whether I'd found the one yet. Which I always blatantly reply with, No.

Sometimes I think she's more into my love life than myself.

I mean I've obviously been in few relationships over my time, after Gale kissed me, but they were mostly two week hook-ups in college, with some 'hipster' arty guy, who I thought was mega cool back then. Never worked out though, I'm guessing they got bored of me of whatever. And yes, I did get drunk once or twice and end up 'one-night standing', but who doesn't in college? Anyway, as I grew into my twenties though, I started to want a proper relationship, you know something where it lasts longer than two weeks or whatever. But, as you've probably guessed I never found it, till now?

By the time I've found myself just outside of the 'Mellark Bakery' it's about, 12:25. I'm on time, cool. Smoothly, I try and peer my head through the shop window to try and spot Peeta, whilst trying to act natural in the crowd of tourists and locals swarming around the Leicester Square area. His eyes meets mine briefly, from the back of the shop, as I quickly remove my face from up close to the window. Slowly I turn back around, breathing to myself as I step through the door of the bakery, its bell making a tiny 'ring' sound as I step into the shop.

The first thing that hits me is the sheer smell of freshly baked bread. Of course, it's a bakery. But the smell is just too good to ignore. I take a large inhale. Normally at home we just buy bach loaves, because their cheaper down at the Co-op, but wow, I should really start eating fresh bread, my mouth is watering and I've only just smelt it.

I stand there for a moment a moment or two, looking wistfully at the array of breads behind the counter, when a young man, who looks oddly like Peeta, asks me what I want.

"Oh, ermm, just looking, thanks," I reply in my smallest voice, slowly stepping back from the counter when I realise there's a slight queue forming behind me.

Suddenly Peeta's voice calls from the kitchen, "Noah, give her a cheese bun, please. Free from me,"

Noah raises an eyebrow, as he reaches for the bun. I try to refuse, bringing out my purse. But, Noah insists I follow Peeta's rule.

"There you go," Noah, replies handing me over the bun in a little paper bag, turning his head 'round to call back to Peeta, "I'll stay on for an hour huh, so you can have your little date," he sniggers.

Me and Peeta both blush red.

Why does, everyone keep saying that, we've just met yesterday. We're just new 'friends'.

Although deep down I somehow hope that it doesn't end that way.

And I've never felt that way before.

Peeta walks through to the back of the counter, whilst I've shuffled away to let other customers buy their goods. He wipes his hands on his apron, that he's wearing, and then takes it off, hanging it behind Noah, playfully hitting him round the head with it as he does, before he walks over to me.

"Err, sorry about that. Just my brother being annoying," he says, eventually standing next me, his hand nervously brushing the back of his neck.

Oh, that makes sense now. I thought I remembered him saying that he had brothers.

"You wanna sit," he says, pointing to a nearby table.

"Okay-" I reply, "-you have any more brothers then?" I ask, trying to start conversation, after we've finally both sat down, hanging my scarf on the back of my seat.

"One other older brother, well they're both older than me. Noah's 23 and Hunter's 29. He doesn't work here though. He works as a bank manager, has his own family and stuff."

"Oh, cool. How old are you then?" I reply, trying my hardest for my voice not to crack, or my face to blush red under my nerves.

"22,"

"Same," I cry, maybe a little too over excitedly. He laughs.

"Cool, cool. What about you then Katniss, got any siblings?" he says back.

"Oh, just my little sister Prim. She's 18," I reply shrinking back into myself. Quickly I try move the conversation on from my family situation.

His seems perfect.

"I thought you said you didn't bake?" I say eventually.

"Ah, my day off, so I thought I'd help my Dad and Noah out. They work full time here- Hey! That reminds me, you're cheese bun will be going cold. I freshly baked them."

"For me?" I ask, suddenly reminding myself of the paper bag before me on the table.

He doesn't reply to that. Just blushes slightly, causing me to blush back. Avoiding his gaze, I open the bag.

Mmmm. Smells good.

Gently I remove of bun from the wrapper and tear off a small chunk, indicating it to Peeta.

"Have some. It's yours of course,"

He declines though. Leaving me feeling pretty stupid to be honest; that it is 'till I tried it.

Goddamn it's good. Okay another thing this guy is good at: baking.

"Peeta, they're amazing," I say, forgetting that I'm speaking with my mouth full. Immediately I stop myself from talking, by covering my mouth with my hand. Peeta just bursts out laughing, forcing me to do too.

"Glad you like them," He chuckles, grinning widely at me.

Our eyes catch for just the slightest moment, before we both flutter our looks away. I get his sort of warm feeling all over my chest when that happens. I hope he does too- Katniss, stop it. Stop getting ahead of yourself.

"You okay?" he asks, obviously aware of my flustered look.

I try my hardest to calm myself down.

"Yeah course," is all I manage, my voice cracking a little at the end.

After that, Peeta glances down to his phone observing the time. He sighs, as he looks up to me and says "It's half past one already, you wanna meet up after work tonight? I gotta get back to my shift, otherwise my Dad won't be happy," My heart flutters slightly, as he asks me to meet him, as I grin widely and nod my head.

Has it really been an hour already, fuck, I don't think I'd ever be finding myself believing in the cliche saying 'time flies when you're having fun'. But I am. I am having fun.

"That sounds great. Meet you at Marble arch?" I mumble a little too hastily than I would've wanted, but he doesn't seem to mind.

"Cool, about five-ish?"

"Yeah, thanks of the cheese bun by the way, it's incredible,"

"Thanks," he mumbles, my comment forcing him to blush for what seems like the thousandth time so far between us.

We both manage to awkwardly stand up at the same time doing that little shuffle dance together, as we try and decide who walks first. Eventually I give up my politeness and push through, knocking my shoulder against Peeta's accidently, suddenly apologising profusely. Meaning we got back to where we started. A jumbled mess of trying to 'out-polite' each other.

That's one thing I've noticed about living in Britain for so long. British people are so goddamn polite. All the time, and Peeta seems to be the extremity of it. Saying sorry, for things he hasn't done, then saying sorry for saying sorry too often. The list goes on. But I kinda like it. It kinda makes me feel all fuzzy inside, that someone could be, just- just so nice. Yes, I haven't had many relationships, but from the ones I have had, they all seem like pretentious assholes compared to Peeta, which makes me giggle.

"What?" he says defensively, nudging arm slightly, as realise I giggled out loud.

Shit.

I hold back the larger laugh rising in my throat, and manage to squeak out a lame, "Nothing," finally giving way a bursting out into hysterics, Peeta slowly joining in too. Soon enough the whole bakery is looking as us, as we suddenly cut short and burn up madly.

Peeta rolls his eyes at me, as he's quickly darts over to the kitchen, mouthing thanks in a kinda sarcastic, jokey way and then holds up five fingers. I nod at the message and mouth bye, loving this little game we're playing. He mouths bye back, and then he's gone. Leading me to shuffle embarrassingly out of the bakery. Finally to breathe out.

Prim finds me frantically running around our bedroom when she gets home, dumping her school bag lazily by her bed and flopping on to it.

"What's going on? You're not normally this hectic on a Thursday night." she laughs, obviously finding my flustered state hilarious. I sigh overdramatically, playfully throwing an unwanted top in her face She squirms, screaming "Katniss! You going on a date or something hey?"

I throw another.

"You are!" she squeals, making little 'ooo' noises.

"Well, I wouldn't call it a date, as such, more of a meet-up between friends," I sigh finally feeling as if I need to explain myself.

"I knew it!" Prim squeals again, not content with my 'friends' answer.

"Oh shut up and help me chose what to wear!" I cry, running over to her, holding up various tops in her face.

Eventually we decide on my usual casual stuff, consisting of washed-denim jeans, a grey slouchy jumper, biker boots and my brown leather jacket, that I've had for what seems like decades. Yes, it's a little worn and the leather slightly faded, but it's warm and I still want Prim to think that I'm going nowhere special. She plaits my hair in the usual way and I apply a little more mascara and lippie, before grabbing my phone and scarf and running out the door.

I find Peeta sitting on a lonesome bench by Marble Arch tube station, as we decided. I don't think he's seen me yet, so I take my time to saunter over to him. He's wearing the same navy peacoat that he was wearing yesterday, with the sun slightly glinting over his face, illuminating his blue eyes. Damn. I take a deep breath, just before he has time to notice me.

"Katniss, hey" he calls, as soon as I'm a few feet away.

I smile "Hi,"

We talk for a several minutes together, just sitting on the bench and enjoying each others company, before Peeta pulls me up abruptly whisking me down the path, and into the park. Out of confusion I playfully hit his arm and soon were a catastrophe. Laughing and running, as if we've been best friends for years. I don't know how it happens, but I like it. It's all in the moment. I don't feel embarrassed, or stupid, or flushed red. I feel happy.

"Oi, oi slow down you," Peeta calls between laughs, trying to catch up with me running ahead as if I'm ten.

I quickly stop and let Peeta rush up beside me.

"You're a funny one, all I wanted was to walk," he calls, still laughing.

I don't say anything, to tangled up in the giggles.

"Sorry, I don't know what came over me, a 22 year old running like a ten year-" I eventually stumble after I've caught my breath. But Peeta interrupts.

"I've never met a girl like this before. I was lucky," he mumbles, to himself, but I hear and I blush. God dammit.

But yet again he doesn't mind, and so we just walk along the path again as if nothing happened. As if we were old friends.

He doesn't judge me.

And then I get that thought all over again. What if he likes me? I examine his speech, his constant looks towards me, soon to be flickered forward. My chest tightens. This could be real.

By this time, it's about six and the sun is soon to be setting over the November skies. We've nearly treked the whole length of the park from, Marble Arch to Green Park station. "Wanna go see the river before I have to go?" I suddenly mumble.

Haymitch would always take us up to the Thames whenever it was a nice evening. Me and Prim would love it 'cos it meant that we'd go on the bus and sometimes get ice cream. The thought of it makes we want to spend this moment with Peeta even more. I don't even care anymore about being pushy.

"Yeah, course. They might have already put up some of the Christmas lights." Peeta replies.

"We could catch the bus?" I say, and were soon running again, towards the nearest stop.

"Did you see the sign for the Winter Wonderland?" Peeta says happily, after we've made it to the bus, I shake my head.

"What is it?" I reply

"Sorry, it's kinda childish" he mumbles shyly.

"No, no go on,"

"It's like a fun fair they do each year for Christmas, with markets and stuff. I used to go there with my Dad and brothers when we were younger. I thought it be nice to go again, and get to know you more," His eye fluttering up to mine at that last bit.

I am completely freaking out right now.

"That's sounds fun, even for 22 year-olds" I reply, knocking into his shoulder, trying to play up my own joke.

Why the actual fuck did I do that?

But Peeta yet again laughs and agrees with me. We settle for the 23rd of December, just before Christmas, even though it officially opens in a week's time, and the 23rd's way off. However, there's something quite magical about the month's wait I'll have to our Christmas, dare I say, date.

As soon as I see the glistening of the river ahead of us, I slam down the 'Stop' button and hop off the back of the bus, leading Peeta to the waterfront. We lean against the railings as close as we can get, watching as the tiny, fairy light bulbs, shimmer and change on the water in front of us. Just staying silent. Just watching. It feels so magical.

Though I'm quickly interrupted with Peeta laughing to himself out of the blue.

I shoot him a quizzical look.

He quickly explains, "We're already already making plans to go out together and I don't even know much about you,"

"What you wanna know then?" I ask.

"Oh, I don't know," he says, then pausing to ask "What's your favourite colour?"

"Oh well, now you've stepped over the line" I joke back.

He laughs again, before saying,"Seriously, though what is it?"

"Green, what's yours?"

"Orange,"

"What like that lifeboat?" I laugh pointing at the nearest.

"No, not that orange, more, more like a sunset orange," he says softly, looking down to himself. I edge myself closer to him, breathing in the scent of freshly baked bread once more. He nudges me ever so slightly, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin. I go in for the playful hit back, until that is, I look up.

A november sunset hanging loosely in the sky.

Peeta's favourite colour.

We stand for what feels like hours, just staring into the distance, squinting every now and then to observe the orange tinge on each others faces. Until, I realise I probably should go back. I tell Peeta and I awkwardly walk away leaving him still by the river. Only to come back a few seconds after saying, "Thank you for tonight, it was fun, we should meet up tomorrow again,"

"Yeah, of course. Text me. Bye Katniss," he smiles turning around to meet me again.

"Bye Peeta,"

And we nearly hug each other, before I stop myself and walk away once more.