A/N: Ok, another long chapter, but a fun one! Now I need to go work on finishing chapter 11 so I can keep updating! Thanks for all of you out there who have stuck with this story. It's still going strong! And thanks for the reviews! Comments are always welcome and appreciated.
For the next few days, Katniss felt some intangible barrier between her and Peeta had been broken. Whether he felt the same thing or not, he didn't let on.
Spring gave way to summer, the cool breezes turning into humid stillness. Katniss and Peeta worked diligently on their book of memories, pasting in photos and other trinkets to remind them of those loved lost - a soft blue ribbon clipped to Prim's page, a sketch of a dress Katniss found while rummaging through the bookshelf was pinned onto Cinna's entry, and so on til the book would hardly shut for the memories it contained. Katniss liked it that way, bursting with dedication and love. There were tears aplenty such that some sentences had to be re-written for the smudged words. There weren't many kisses though, just a peck on the cheek when Peeta brought her beautifully frosted cookies or when he drew a particularly skillful sketch of someone they loved.
At some point Haymitch started eating over more, Katniss speculating that he'd run out of liquor and was in debt to Peeta for restocking his supply. She thought she had heard extra loud shouting and curses coming from his house lately. She just laughed off the noise but their new neighbors, folks who had moved in to the Victor's Village from other Districts, didn't appreciate the disturbance of the peace. So Haymitch showed up to dinner smelling of liquor and sour clothes and even Greasy Sae wrinkled her nose at him. However surly he acted, he was particularly gentle with Greasy Sae's granddaughter, often crawling on the floor to play with her. He ate the older woman's cooking though and complimented her, and Peeta for the bread, although begrudgingly. He would stare at Katniss when she crossed her arms at him, throw up his hands and shout a "what?" in her direction. Of course he wouldn't thank her for the meat she had provided to make the meal.
After a few weeks, she decided to show Haymitch the book of memories. He had realized that Peeta was staying over after dinner each evening - which he wouldn't let either of them live down when he first realized it - and became curious as to what they were truly up to, knowing that despite his taunts, they weren't cuddled on the couch watching romantic movies. So Katniss lead him into the living room one summer night after one of Greasy Sae's filling meals and showed the book to him. He wrinkled his nose at first, much in the same way she did when showing dislike, and scoffed at her.
"Waste of time I say." He grumbled, half stumbling to the back door. "There's better things you two could be spending your time doing," he said with a laugh. Katniss couldn't stop the blush that crept up her neck as she slammed the door in his face. She silently hoped the geese would chase him home.
Peeta started taking one day a week off from working at the bakery. He had hired a young married couple who had moved into the Victor's Village from District 11. They had some experience with cooking and baking, and he paid them, along with Marc, and exorbitant amount. Beyond the supplies he needed for the bakery and his painting, Peeta had no use of his money. And the bakery was thriving. So he took time off for himself. Some days he stayed at his house, painting. Other days he spent with Katniss, working on the book together or just sitting around her house, doing nothing in particular.
The evening primrose bushes bloomed and Katniss picked one of the delicate blossoms to press between pages in the book.
She got the idea from summers long passed, and wasn't surprised when a box arrived from the Capitol one hot day. Peeta stood beside her, perplexed, as she opened the package. She pulled out two items of clothing with a triumphant grin, waving them around for Peeta to see.
"Swimming suits!" she exclaimed, thrusting a pair of dark blue shorts in his direction. Hers was red and looked like some sort of athletic leotard to him.
"I kind of borrowed a pair of your pants to get the size right," she told him, a look of mock guilt on her face. He folded his arms across his chest, still holding the swim trunks.
"Mhmm, 'borrowed'?" he said. "More like stole." He laughed when she threw the pair of pants she had procured from upstairs at his head and missed.
So on his next day off she lead him deep into the forest and to the lake. She had to remind herself not to wince every time his feet crashed down on the forest floor, scaring off every animal within a mile radius. But they weren't hunting or in the games, so she stopped herself from chiding him. It took much longer to reach the body of water than if she were alone, but Peeta was slower with his prosthetic leg and unease in the woods. She set their packs and towels on a boulder near the lake and waited for him to catch up. She could almost picture herself, years younger, swimming circles around her father, him laughing and splashing her. This had been her place, she hadn't even shared the significance of it with Gale. But having Peeta here felt right. It didn't break the spell.
"Wow, it's beautiful here," he said as he stood beside her on the lake shore.
"Yeah, this is where I learned to swim. I was so young I don't even remember. It's like I've always known how to swim." she told him, watching a few ducks preen themselves across the lake.
She pulled off her clothes, her red suit underneath, and climbed to a ledge above a deeper part of the lake. She positioned herself with her toes hanging over the edge of the rocky outcropping and dived gracefully into the water. The lake was still cool from the spring rains but it felt good on her skin. She swam under water, stretching out her muscles, and resurfaced near where Peeta was standing. He smiled at her.
"Show off," he said and ducked as she splashed him.
"Come in!" she called out to him, treading water.
She watched unabashedly as he pulled off his shirt, revealing the scared skin beneath. His blond hair shone in the sunlight and he had to brush it out of his eyes.
"You need a hair cut." she told him and he looked up at her. "You know there's a barbershop like two stores down from the bakery."
"Yeah yeah," he said wading carefully into the lake from the shore. "I was planning on growing it out so I could braid it like yours," he joked.
"Oh real funny," she said, but couldn't help laughing.
She swam nearer to him, to where her feet touched the muddy bottom. He waded in chest deep and stood, looking at her. She coaxed him a little deeper, where the water was to his chin and she had to tread water next to him. She spent the next hour or so teaching him how to tread water, having him practice for longer periods of time once he understood the technique. Then she showed him how to put his face in the water and pull his arms one over the other into a stroke. Peeta was a fast learner, but the weight of his prosthetic leg made his technique a little sloppy. Katniss was patient with him though, giving him encouragement when he struggled.
Soon enough he was following her around the lake, from one side to the other, and not drowning. They had scared all the waterfowl away though, so it was quiet around the lake. After they both were breathing heavy from the swimming, they climbed out onto the shore and found a flat shelf of rock to set their towels on. They lay side by side for some time, letting the summer sun warm their skin.
When Katniss's stomach began to rumble, she bregrudgingly sat up and dug through their packs for the lunch she had prepared. Sitting there next to him in just her swimsuit, her damp hair falling messily over her shoulders, she felt slightly self conscious, but hunger won over. Peeta sat crosslegged across from her, making no move to put on more clothes as she tossed him a sandwhich. She pulled her sandwhich out of the pack, along with two ripe apples and a bag of Peeta's cookies.
They both ate in amicable silence, faces stuffed with sandwhich or apple or cookie.
"These cookies are amazing, Peeta," Katniss proclaimed through a mouthful. She had another few cookies in her hand, ready to eat as soon as there was room enough in her mouth.
"Glad you like em," he eyed her, still working on his sandwich. "but I was kind of hoping you'd leave some for me," he said, watching the pile of cookies diminish. He was still working on his sandwhich, Katniss noticed, and was eyeing the bag of cookies that lay between them. Katniss placed her hand on the bag, as if threatening to move them from his reach. He moved closer to her and reached for the bag, but in a swift movement, Katniss held the bag far away and taunted him. He scowled at her playfully, then acted non-chalant. He finished his sandwhich and strolled behind the rock. Just when he was going to make his move for the cookies, Katniss stood up with the cookies in hand and made a straight line to the water, giggling the whole way. She waded out chest deep, keeping the package of cookies well above the water. She taunted him, swimming with an arm high above the Water to keep the cookies dry. He went in after her, swimming up to her only to have her swim off in a different direction.
Finally after Katniss was ready to stop her own childish acts, she looked for where Peeta had gone. He was in the lake with her, wasn't he? She hadn't heard his exit, but then again she had been making plenty of noise swimming around. She waded along the shoreline trying to see if he was up there. Normally, she would have expected to hear him trudging about, but there was an uneasy quiet at the lake.
Before Katniss could figure out the sense of unease she had, strong arms grabbed her from behind and pulled her down into the water. In her surprise she hadnt really had time to take a breath and so she came up coughing and choking on lake water, the cookies now soggy crumbs in the bag. Peeta was standing in the lake, a look of boyish triumph on his face.
"Are you happy now, huh?" Katniss asked as she climbed back to where her towel was and dried herself off. Peeta didn't respond but still had a boyish look of success plastered on his face.
Katniss dried off as best she could, then gathered the clothes that she had brought with her to change in to.
"You mind?" she asked Peeta who just stood and stared. It took him a minute, but then he registered it all and turned around while she changed out of her swim suit and put her dry shirt and shorts from earlier back on. She did the same for Peeta when he changed out of his trunks into different clothes he had packed.
Katniss was reluctant to leave the lake that afternoon, the area tranquil and near-magical. No, Peeta hadn't broken the spell.
So they trudged back through the woods together, going more slowly with full bellies and muscles tired from swimming. Katniss swung wide of her snares and usual hunting ground as she lead him back, not wanting to scare off any game.
"So what do you think?" she asked after walking silently for a long way.
"Hmmm..?" he replied, lost in thought.
"About my swimming lessons." she continued, looking at Peeta. She had had fun at the lake and hoped that he would want to go back there with her sometime, before the summer turned to autumn and the weather turned too cold.
"Oh," he said and made the effort to look deep in thought. "Well, I don't really have anything to judge them against..." he started, teasing her.
"Hey!" she chided him, shoving at his arm playfully. He laughed.
"No, no," he corrected himself, "this was fun, Katniss. I'm glad you taught me to swim." he finished softly. Katniss felt a spark between them. She realized they had stopped walking and were standing close.
"Yeah, yeah, don't feel like you're so special," she broke the spell with her crass words. "I mean who else am I going to get to swim with me?" She gave him a teasing look. Peeta rubbed the hair on the back of his neck.
"I don't know," he said slowly, "you never know, Haymitch might be pretty good." And they both let out peals of laughter at the image of a drunken, surly Haymitch trying to tread water.
When they returned to the Victor's Vilage, Peeta veered off in the direction of his house so that he could clean up before dinner. Katniss took a long shower, scrubbing the lake water from her skin and hair. She dug through the bathroom cabinet and found two different medicated creams and applied both generously to her skin, having been out in the sun and water much of the day. She towel-dried her hair as much as she could and combed out the tangles carefully. She pulled it into three strands and braided it down her back, tying the end with a small bit of loose ribbon. She didn't want to think that the ribbon might have been Prim's.
Peeta was making himself comfortable on the couch when she descended the stairs. On the coffee table was a bag full of cookies - the same kind that she had packed for their lunch and had ended up ruining in the lake before she let him have any. He saw her eyeing the bag and gave her a wide grin. She didn't smile back but instead plopped down on the couch right next to him. He had been resting one arm on the back of the couch and he wrapped it effortlessly around her shoulders when she sat. She leaned her head back, using his arm as a pillow, wondering when she had gotten so comfortable being this close to him again. She propped her feet up on the coffee table, carefully avoiding the cookies and the book of memories.
They sat there quietly for some time before the questioning game began. Sometimes he asked questions that required significant explanation, like when he had asked about their nights together on the train or about the pregnancy. Other times he would finish off a question with "real or not real" and Katniss would only have to reply with one of the two, Peeta content with the answer. When they had first started spending more time together in the spring, Peeta had resisted asking a lot of questions. But now that they were more comfortable together, there wasn't any area of the past he didn't question. Sometimes Katniss didn't know the answer, so Peeta would be forced to wait til Haymitch came around. And then sometimes the surly older man would refuse to answer or wave his hands and yell back. Peeta never got angry though, or frustrated, that Katniss could tell. He was blessed with far more patience than she was.
So they sat together on the couch, Katniss leaning her head on his arm, both of them staring off at nothing in particular playing the question game until Greasy Sae let herself in the back door. Haymitch wasn't far behind her and Katniss almost laughed at the honks of geese from outside and the curses that followed. Haymitch eyed the two as he stomped into the kitchen.
"What have you two lovebirds been up to?" he asked loudly. Katniss narrowed her eyes at him.
"Katniss taught me to swim today," Peeta replied good-naturedly, smiling up at their former mentor.
"Ha!" Haymitch laughed jarringly. "Bet you swam like a rock!"
"Actually, he did just fine," Katniss said, defending Peeta. Haymitch stared down at her, then to the coffee table. He scoffed at her as he grabbed up the bag of cookies and made himself comfortable in an arm chair.
Haymitch produced a flask from the inside of his coat pocket and began swilling it back until Greasy Sae called them to dinner. His stumbling was even more pronounced as they made their way to the kitchen table, Greasy Sae scowling at him. Peeta and Katniss sat down across from each other but Haymitch veered off suddenly. He began riffling through the kitchen cabinets, slamming them shut loudly when he apparently didn't find what he was looking for. All Peeta and Katniss could do was stare at the older man. Finally, at a bottom cabinet, Haymitch let out a triumphant whoop and stood up, bottle in hand. It was a bottle of wine that Katniss's mother had received as a gift over a year ago and had never opened.
"This," Haymitch said, rummaging through drawers for a corkscrew, "calls for a celebration."
"What does...?" Katniss asked, almost afraid of the answer.
"Why, sweetheart, the celebration is for loverboy here learning how to swim!" he yelled loudly and swung the bottle around.
Haymitch slipped though, and the bottle crashed to the floor, breaking on impact, the red liquid splashing the counters and making a puddle on the floor. Katniss was half out of her chair in an instant. Glass was everywhere and Haymitch let out a string of curses when he realized there was a piece of glass embedded in his left hand. He jerked the glass out and bright red blood oozed from the wound. Katniss felt dizzy as she saw Greasy Sae grab a dish towel and press it to the older man's hand to staunch the flow.
The creaking of wood near her brought her back to her senses though and she looked across the table to see Peeta clutching the sides of his chair, his face contorted as if in pain. A flashback, she registered. She didn't know if she should leave the room or not. Greasy Sae seemed to be ignoring the situation, busily mopping up the wine. The sharp scent of the wine hit Katniss as she moved around the table and toward Peeta.
She stood behind him where he sat gripping the chair, and placed her arms gently on his shoulders. She whispered in his ear, telling him that everything was alright, Haymitch had just slipped. She repeated the words over and over, one of her hands brushing the hair from his eyes. After a long moment, Peeta's whole body relaxed and he let out a sigh. He turned and without a word burried his head in Katniss's stomach, his arms circling her waist. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and surveyed the scene. Greasy Sae had nearly cleaned up the wine and was fishing in the kitchen closet for something to help her sweep up the shards of glass. Haymitch had a dish towel wrapped tightly around one hand and was using the other to shovel food into his mouth from where he had taken a seat at the head of the table. Katniss glared at him and he just shrugged.
"Sorry I wasted a good bottle of wine," he said more to himself than to anyone else.
"Sorry," Peeta said softly and she could feel his lips move against the fabric of her shirt.
He finally looked up at her and their eyes met, his arms still encircling her waist, hers resting on his shoulders. And so in full view of Greasy Sae and Haymitch, Katniss bent down and kissed Peeta softly on the mouth. Greasy Sae cleared her throat loudly and Katniss heard Haymitch drop his fork to his plate and begin choking, but she didn't care. She pulled away quickly, though, meaning the gesture as one of comfort, or at least that's what she told herself.
Katniss returned to her seat and they started the meal - or finished, in the case of Haymitch, who excused himself from dinner early, taking the blood-stained dish towel with him. Katniss and Peeta helped Greasy Sae clean up the kitchen afterward, though the older lady had already disposed of the glass shards.
Peeta looked worn from their day of swimming and his recent attack. Katniss could see it etched in his features. He hadn't yet finished drawing the mockingjay pin to add to Madge's page in the book, but Katniss knew that could wait. He even seemed relieved when she told him they didn't have to work on the book that night, that he should get some rest. Maybe the memories were too much after his flashback. She never asked him what they were about, and he never told her. He just looked so tired afterward.
Katniss walked him to the back door, willing herself not to say "stay" and then have to face the consequences. He cut a lonely figure as he made his way back to his house on that warm summer night.