Chapter 6

Peeta Mellark closed the door unable to believe what just happened. What the hell came over me? Meet in the meadow? Tomorrow night? Jesus, Rye better give him something awesome to work with here or he was going to drown. Nope, he was just going to die. Drown in embarrassment then die in shame with an arrow through his eye, yup that is exactly what's going to happen.

Well, he better start thinking of something else to talk about at this meeting (he's not calling it a date, no way he'd get his hopes up that high) in case his idiot brother doesn't come through. The best he can think of is food, Katniss likes food, he thinks. Fuck, get it together, everybody in district 12 likes food (except maybe Haymitch). Think. Think. Think.

Nooooo, not just food, cheesebuns, a smile creeps up his face; Yes! That is my fallback. Cheesebuns. He has a lot of memories with Katniss trading with her dad, her face lighting up whenever her dad would get her a treat and she always chose cheesebuns. Well this Katniss steel trap mind I have sure comes in handy; he's muses as he hears Ryes feet pounding down the stairs followed by the slightly softer steps of his father.

Rye bursts into the kitchen, grabs his apron and yells, "Give me space! The Master Baker is about to get creative!" He even does some weird hand flourish thing, with a skip and a dance step. Awesome, Peeta thinks, Rye, you are already not letting me down! So with a bow and a flourish of his own hand, Peeta concedes the kitchen to his bother. He steps back next to his dad, gives him a grin and says "the fire extinguisher is behind your back right?"

"Sure is" his dad shoots back with a grin of his own, "think he'll make something edible this time?"

"Nope" Peeta shoots back, "but it will make one hell of a story!"

The next morning, Peeta opens the door to Gale's firm and demanding knock with the biggest shit eating grin on his face. "Morning! Gale, Katniss! What do you have today!" he's exuberant in his greeting, he can't help it.

"What the hell's up with you?" is Gale's reply. "Oh Sorry, nothing, just had an amusing day yesterday… just bursting to tell someone!" he states stealing a sly glance at Katniss. At his statement he can see the small smile ghost over her lips, ahh those lips, before she steels her face into her usual 'It's Sunday so I am annoyed but indifferent' expression.

"Oh goody for you, can we just get on with this because I have important things to do."

"Yup, sorry" he says back in a more subdued manner and proceeds to conducts the trade with as much politeness as he can muster. Why does he always act like he has a stick up his ass, what the hell? It doesn't matter how much of an idiot Gale Hawthorne thinks he is, Katniss is intrigued and will be there tonight.

Seven pm finds him sitting in the meadow, desperately trying not to think of his 'Katniss meadow dream' which made an appearance last night. He's not wearing an apron, so this encounter needs to be an exercise in restraint. He did think ahead and took care of himself in the shower (twice) before he set out for the meadow; he figured it might stop any embarrassing situation from occurring. Ah hell, who's he kidding, he really hadn't planned that in advance, he just had a Katniss daydream in the shower, twice. While he's sitting there he figures he should study the wild flowers, see if he can add to his frosting repertoire, she seems to be a little late any way. He's contemplating a purple aster, his dad really doesn't add enough depth to the petal section and the middle is really more orange then yellow, when he's startled by someone clearing their throat. He looks up to see Katniss standing there a few feet away from him in what seems to him a slightly guarded stance.

"Hey, glad you could make it I didn't hear you coming, come on, sit down, I brought something to share" he says giving her a reassuring smile and patting the grass next to him while showing her the paper bag he had on his lap. Careful Peeta don't scare her, nice and slow, he's thinking as he watches her slowly walk over and sink down next to him leaving a good foot of space between them. She turns to look at him asking "What's in the bag?" her tone is defensive and she looks ready to flee.

"Oh well it's not from Rye's experiment, sorry, 'Baking Extravaganza' yesterday", he adds finger quotes for empahsis, "if you're worried about poisoning. This is just bakery research for next week's Harvest Festival."

He watches as she chuckles a little at the 'Baking extravaganza' quote and with that she seems to visibly relax. OK good, not poised to bolt, moving forward. "So what's 'Bakery Research'?", she asks.

"Oh well, sometimes dad and I tinker with the recipes a little bit to see if we can make them better. Then we ask people to compare them to the original version and gather different opinions to see which is better." Good she looks intrigued; just gotta hope shell ask the right ques…

"So what recipe is that?" She interrupts his thought pointing to the bag.

"Cheesebuns." aaaannnnd jackpot, got her, hook line and sinker, he thinks watching her eyes widen, her mouth might already be drooling. She plays it off well though and states casually "So do you need another opinion? Is that why you have that bag?"

"Yeah, trying to figure out if dad's old recipe or my new one is better. Figured you can try them and let me know while I'm telling you about the 'Master Baker' disaster from yesterday, you know kill two birds with one stone. You want to try them? You don't have to if you don't want to…." Peeta watches as she seems to shake from excitement, but tries to hide it with indifference.

"OK, why not, it will help right?"

So Peeta opens the bag for her and steam rushes out with all the smells of cheesebuns. "Sure, the one on top is 'A' and the bottom is 'B', just tell me which you like the best and why." He watches as she removes 'A' takes a big bite, and then he almost dies as she moans in pleasure. I knew her moans would be spectacular, I want to be a cheesebun, no I want her to devour me like that cheese bun, his mind is rambling and he's practically vibrate himself, but for a completely different reason.

Not wanting to get caught he shakes his head to snaps himself out of his Katniss-moaning-induced haze, "OK while you eat that, I have a story to tell".

He jumps up and starts to regale her with the tale of 'Rye and the rock hard bacon-biscuits'. He starts from the beginning of the tale imitating Rye's entrance (hand flourish, dance step and all) and ends with an imitation his father trying to bite into one, pretending to like it. He has her in stitches, both of them laughing together, tears leaking out of their eyes from laughing so hard. He even has to stop at points so they can gather themselves before he can continue with the harrowing tale. During the entire story he has to be careful she never notices his stiff reaction to all the chest heaving, eye sparkling, and musical laughter he endures.

After the story, he sits down next to her not too close stating "see this is why we had to come out here? There is no way I could have told you this at the bakery".

"I agree" she chortles back. "I don't get it, how is Rye a bad baker? Doesn't he work in the bakery? Haven't all 3 of you been baking forever?"

"Rye isn't a bad baker, per se, he's actually fairly competent when hes not being an idiot. He can make all the standards from memory just like the rest of us, it's just the…. Hmmm how do I put this? It's the creativity part along with the caring part that's lacking"

"So Rye doesn't care about the bakery", Katniss asks looking at him questioningly?

"Not really, I don't think he wants it, but it's his if he has nothing else to fall back on." Peeta looks down at his feet sadness flits over his features before schooling his face back into his usual happy countenance.

"You want it", he hears her gently state, "you like the bakery and want to be there".

Looking up at her his breath catches at the way she is looking at him, molten swirling silver, those lips, If I leaned over I could kiss them, I could ravish her mouth. Stop thinking you are causing issues, focus that the hell did she say? Oh yeah the bakery. "Yeah, I want it, I'm good at it, I like it. But I'm the third son, I've known that for a while so I try not to think about it and get my hopes up. Right now the thing I've got going for me is that Rye doesn't want it and he is 'exploring his options' trying to figure out what he can do. I known this since I was 5 and I have been saving all my money that I make in tips for my decorating or my wages when mom lets dad actually pay us. I never go out and buy things and since the end of President Snow, things are getting better. I plan to try and buy a business or something, plus I would always have a job at the bakery. Rye would need someone to decorate the cakes." Peeta ends with a sigh, "sorry didn't mean to vent there, I'm sure that was too much information".

"It's OK" she says, "I'm not sure what I plan on doing after school is out". "I am definitely NOT working in the mines, maybe I'll keep hunting, make a deal with Rooba, provide meat or something. I need to keep taking care of Prim."

"Youll figure it out, Im sure", he reassures her.

"Yeah. You really save all your money since you were 5? That's really dedicated; most kids spend it on candy or other stuff"

"I have, never really had anything I wanted to spend it on except art supplies and they give those to us for free in school now." Looking around he notices that the copse of willows creates a sort of cave hiding them from the outside world, "this place is nice, very peaceful, and no one can see us here".

He watches as she looks around, "it is nice, I like it", she smiles at him.

"We should make this our special meeting place, if we want to tell each other stuff…. Or… whatever" he stammers back. Great, now I sound like I'm eight, ohh it's our fort Katniss, let's start a secret club. I'm an idiot.

Surprisingly she replies "Yeah, good idea, I'll meet you here for Rye stories and cheesebun tastings".

Emboldened he asks her what her opinion was of the two cheesebuns, making it a point to be very serious about her answer, so there is no way this could be construed as a bribe or charity. As she is answering him he lets it slip that B, which was her favorite, was his new improved version.

"I know", she states "cheesebuns are my favorite and I could tell which was the original and which was the new one". He pretends to be surprised at the fact that cheesebuns are her favorite, like you don't know Mellark, she can't know you've been stalking her since you were 5, his mind screams at him. End this before you kill yourself, baby steps baby steps and don't launch yourself at her. So he lets her know how much fun he has had, but that they should probably be getting back home, and he'll see her in the morning.

She agrees and thanks him for the buns before setting off towards the seam, braid swinging, hips swaying. Aaannd I'm going to need another shower, he thinks before setting off towards home.

The next few mornings they are relaxed around each other, he doesn't change the nature or length of their interactions, but he's waiting, he has one more thing up his sleave.

So Thursday morning during the daily trade he puts the next part of his plan into action. "Are you going to the Harvest Festival tomorrow", he asks casually?

"Yeeesss?" she replies in her guarded tone. Why are you asking?, is what he can tell she is really saying from her tone.

"Well I wanted to let you in on a secret; dad and I have made a bunch of the individual apple tarts that well be selling at the booth this year."

"That's not a secret, you guys always make and sell them" she interrupts him.

"Yes, but we made a batch, by accident, that are a little smaller than normal so we can't sell them at full price" he says while thinking; please buy the 'by accident' part. "So at 8 pm we will start selling them at ½ price, mom wanted to sell them at full price, but dad thought it wasn't fair. So we plan to have the Mayor announce the ½ price part at 8, so if you stand around the booth just before 8, you can make sure to get some. We don't have many and they are only a little smaller, so the deal is really good." Holding his breath he waits chanting, please don't think this is charity, please don't think this is charity, don't be offended, over and over in his brain.

To his surprise, she smiles. "Thanks for letting me know, Prim loves those tarts, so maybe we can get more than one. Is this a secret, should I let others know?"

"Ummmm, maybe only tell a few people, if a lot of people are hanging out before the announcement it will look suspicious to mom. Plus you might not get one!" He cautiously answers her smiling back. "And I'll see you there, right? Umm not that well hang out, I will be working the booth the whole time, 'expanding responsibilities' and all." Oh my god, I sound so lame.

"Sure, we can say hi when I buy the tarts" she replies as she turns walking away, torturing him.

The festival goes well; Katniss and Prim are the first in line for the tarts, followed by the smaller Hawthornes (although Rory is not that small anymore). He is ecstatic, even though he works the whole festival. He really wants to just ask Katniss to dance, but that would be impossible anyway so he's alright with working, sort of. Actually, Peeta's a little irritated at that, but it was necessary, those 3 girls that follow him around were getting insistent about dancing with him and his usual 'Delly block' wouldn't work the whole festival. Plus Delly has been irritating him lately, getting a little clingy with him and lately making comments about his 'Katniss infatuation' that were a little less than her usual encouraging. He knows she's just trying to look out for him by giving him advice like "Peeta, it has been years, I think you should just talk to her or give this up, you are only going to make yourself miserable and lonely."

He told her she was right and he would 'try to get through this'. He didn't tell her how or that he was already speaking to Katniss and making progress, it was a snail's pace, but it was progress nonetheless. This new Katniss-interaction was something he was keeping close to his heart and was very guarded about letting anyone know about it, He even didn't tell his dad how well it was going, there was no way he would jinx this. So he just let Delly assume everything was status quo and worked the whole festival.

After the festival, the friendly interactions increased, they even met again the next Sunday at the willow copse, just to chat. It somehow became a regular thing, meeting Sunday evening and just chatting and laughing about the past week. Somehow they developed a silent communication during Sunday morning trading to determine if they would be able to meet. Peeta would raise his eyebrows and lift his chin at Katniss, Katniss would imperceptibly shake her head yes or no, if she was able to go. October passed and soon they were meeting a few times during the week as well, this development was originated by her.

Peeta was shocked when Katniss first initiated a Tuesday evening meeting, asking if he could meet her, usual time usual place. This time she had a story to tell, about 'Buttercup', the hated cat, and how she found them, Buttercup apparently riding 'Lady', Prims goat, like a horse an incident that may or may not have been initiated by Prim.

By mid-December Peeta was in heaven and the meetings were no longer mostly initiated by him. It is clear that Katniss enjoys her 'time in the willow cave' with him almost as much as he does. He started bringing a few old empty flour sacks out to the trees, using them to create a little shelter, so they could be a little more comfortable when they meet. He was surprised that even though it was cold and snow was imminent their meetings did not cease nor decrease in frequency.

It was during one Sunday meeting that Peeta decided to make a move that was wonderful, stupid or completely suicidal.

They were sitting on the flour sacks in their normal positions (they had started sitting a little closer together since that initial foot distance, not touching but closer) and Katniss had just finished telling him a riveting story of a Lynx that had followed her in the woods when she first started hunting when he decided to just go for it.

"Ummm Katniss", he said softly, "I just wanted to tell you that I really enjoy our meetings and talking to you".

"Me too…. I uh… never would have thought, but I … I like having this um… time…talking …too" she said back, giving him more confidence to move forward.

"I…. I like you and I was wondering if you uhh if you would…letmebeyourboyfriend", he stammered out. She was staring at him in silence with a confused look, so he stammered forward to explain. "Um you wouldn't have to be my girlfriend, um not that I wouldn't mind, but you wouldn't have too. I could just be your boyfriend if you would let me" he desperately states holding his breath, waiting… waiting.

"Can you even be my boyfriend without me being your girlfriend?" She's looking guarded now as he rushes to answer her question. He's thought long and hard about how to approach this topic with her, he took her consideration her 'I can take care of myself' stance. He figures to do this, to convince her is a good thing, he needs to let her be the dominant one. He needs to let her feel in charge and set the pace, but he can subtly guide her there, by offering himself to her without asking for anything in return.

"I don't see why not, we can make our own rules, we already are with our friendship." He figures he's doing pretty well, she hasn't run, she hasn't injured me or even insulted me, just don't push.

"I see… so what would this entail" she asks, her tone is a little sharp almost suspicious.

"Well, I've never been a boyfriend before, but I think it wouldn't change this too much" he waves his hand between them to explain the 'this part'. "If you let me be your boyfriend it would mean that you would know that I like you and only you, that you are the only girl I think of like that. Umm it would mean that you would let me be nice to you every once in a while. Maybe you would hold my hand if you felt like it or…or let me kiss your cheek or just a… a kiss… occasionally if you felt OK with that. I guess it wouldn't change our chats or meetings except that you would know that I care about you in a special way. If you want to say no, that's OK too we can pretend that this didn't happen and just keep being friends" He finishes his little speech and holds his breath waiting for her to reply, facing the grass between his legs, but looking at her out of the corner of his eyes.

She has been staring off in the distance while he's been talking and when she turns to him and says "Why me?" he gets a little flustered. It's a question he hasn't anticipated so he just stammers back a "What"?

"Just, why me? I'm not really the girlfriend type. I'm not like your friend's girlfriends." She clarifies.

"Ohhh," he breaths out a sign of relief, this I know how to answer, "Well I don't want to be a boyfriend to the type of girls like my friends have. I think it's important to like having intelligent conversations with someone and it's important to think the girl is just as pretty on the inside as well as the outside. Not that you're not pretty, you are, I think your beautiful, but I like talking with you, I like just being with you".

"You mean you don't have intelligent conversations with the 'three panting wild dogs'?" she replies, referencing Kira, Jessica and Cassidy. Last week he had told her how much they annoy him and they laughed when she told him the nick name she and Madge had given them.

He looks at her a smile slowly creeping up his face laughing lightly. "Yeah, no. I don't think they've ever had an actual conversation, let alone an intelligent one." He's hopeful, so hopeful, giving her a shy smile looking at her. "So what do you think?" he asks as she appraises him, most likely trying to figure out how to let him down. Don't cry, don't cry when she crushes your puny heart, don't cry, he think as he waits.

"OK" her voice cuts into his haze. Shaking his head in utter disbelief he looks at her and asks in confirmation, "So, you'll allow it"?

"Yes, I'll allow it", and it's the only answer he needs.