Chapter XXV

…

"So I heard that Peeta Mellark took you on a date." Emil tells me as I step out of kitchen after helping Sae unpack the newest food shipment.

My jaw drops. How the hell- how the hell did he know that? I went on my third date with Peeta three-four days ago. My mind befuddled I close my mouth only to open it again in an attempt to form a sentence yet nothing comes out as I am cut off.

"He did!" Annie calls from the booth closest to the counter where she and Finn sit. "He took her of three dates! Three dates!"

I shoot a glare her way causing Finn to smile along with Annie who tries to cover it with her hand, but isn't fast enough. Then I turn back to Emil and ask, "Did they tell you that while I was in the back?"

He shakes his head.

"Peeta?"

He shakes his head again.

"Who?" I ask unable to think of anyone else.

He doesn't say anything, but gives me a look that I can't quite describe but for sure I know I don't like it.

"Who?" I ask him again, nearly pleading.

"Haymitch."

"Haymitch knows?"

Emil nods taking a bite of a French fries, "Yes. He told me the other day when he stopped by the presbytery on his way back to the bakery."

"Peeta told him?"

He shook his head.

"Mr. Mellark?"

He shook his head again.

"Who?"

He smiled, pointing over to where Finn and Annie sat.

"Finn," I practically shout, "What is wrong with you? Stop talking to Haymitch about my personal life. That, this stuff are the things that I am supposed to tell Haymitch. I am his guardie-or-whatever-the-hell-the-title-is. It's my responsibility to- ahhh. I swear to god, you two are like a couple of teenage girls."

Bewildered, he looks to me lost. His hands automatically shoot up in surrender as his head begins to shake no. "What- I didn't- Nooo?"

"Finn, come on. I mean it's one thing to tell him about how I eat pickles and peanut butter but… but why the hell did you have tell Haymitch about my date with Peeta," I ask him, "You know he won't leave me alone about it now, he'll probably find a way to hold it against me especially cause he had to find out from someone who wasn't me."

"I haven't seen Haymitch in weeks," he tells me in protest, still holding his hands up in surrender.

And then it hits me. "Annie!!"

"I didn't know. I swea- I promise I thought you would have told him about it, I thought it was okay," she says in defense, "I mean I had asked Mr. Mellark about what Peeta had told him about the date and he told me Peeta said it was fun and had a good time. And then Haymitch walked into the bakery and I supposed caught your name in the conversation so he asked me why we were talking about you and then it- I didn't know- you went on three dates- I assumed- he said-"

She trails on, rambling apologies ad indecisive sentences, and all I can do is shake my head.

"Okay, okay, Annie," I tell her, "It's okay."

She nods her head, falling silent. Shit, fuck, crap. Annie felt bad. God, fuck me. Internally groaning, Finn wraps his arm around her shoulder and I give her a thin smile doing my best to reassure her.

"Crappp." I mumble, running my hands over my face. Why me?

"Katniss, it's not that bad," Emil reassures me. "Haymitch, I'm sure, it's fine with it. He respects Peeta from hat I understand. You know that's true too, he made the kid captain of the football team, which has to mean something."

"But still Emil-"

"Oh shut it," I hear Sae call from the back, "You and that boy have been practically stuck like glue with one another for months now."

Emil nods his head, doing his best to hide a smile that I know it's fighting the corners of his lips, and in the corner of my eye I can see Finn smiling beside Annie who is now no longer silent but fighting back laughter.

"Shittt me."

Emil gives me a look, a warning that nonetheless probably concerned my languages.

Letting out a groan I shake my head, turning to the kitchen door. "Mess with my life, I don't care. Ahh. I'm going to do inventory."

…

Walking away from the front step of the Hawthorne resident back to where my motorcycle is parked in the drive when my phone goes off. And when I pull my phone from my back pocket, I see Peeta's name flashing across the screen and immediately I press the answer tab.

"Hi."

"Hey," he says rather quickly, "I'm sorry, really sorry. I swear, I didn't mean-"

He trails on making little to no sense at all. Apologizing and forming half sentences and speaking ten times too fast for me to understand.

"Peeta, Peeta," I cut him off as I plug my headphones into my phone and get onto my motorcycle. "Slow down."

I waited listening to him take a breath or two before continuing. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry," he sates, "I'm sorry for whatever I did to piss of Haymitch or Emil or whatever the heck I did. I didn't mean to cause issues. I didn't mean to get you upset or Haymitch mad. I didn't mean to – it just happened- I didn't know- or whatever-"

"Peeta," I say again cutting him off. "I still have no clue what you're talking about."

He remains silent for a few moments collecting his thoughts I assume probably running his hand along the hair on the back of his neck. And in that time of silence between us, I reeve the engine of the cycle to life and make my way down the street.

It's after a few blocks that Peeta speaks again. "I'm sorry that I basically somehow let Haymitch know I took you on a date before you could tell him."

"Oh," I say making a right down Main Street, "Peeta that wasn't even your fault; that was Annie being a big mouth like Finn taught her t-"

He cuts me off, "Did you just ride by the bakery?"

"Um," I drag out, "No?"

"Are you talking and driving?"

"Peeta."

"Katniss."

"Peet-"

"Katniss, that's dangerous. You could get yourself killed."

I cringe. "I know Peeta."

And then it hits him, what he had just said, what his words hinted at, what he just lectured me on. "Katniss I- oh god, I didn't-"

But this time it's me who cuts him off. "I know Peeta, I know. It's me. You don't have to apologize. That's just- it's something with- don't worry about it. You didn't mean it, I know- it's just me. I'm um- I'm on my way to Haymitch's. Movie tomorrow night?"

"Yeah."

"I'll cya."

"Bye Katniss."

…

Haymitch is sitting on the couch watching one of those popular sports channel when I make it into the house. "Finally made it over sweetheart, it only took you," he pauses counting his fingers, "eleven days."

"Mh hmm," I said sitting down pretzel style beside him, "Sorry, been busy."

"I've heard," he smiles. "So how was the date?"

"Good."

"Just good?" He asks raising his eyebrows at me.

"It was good," I pause, "It was really good. "

He snorts shaking his head, turning his attention away from the television and over to me. "You're either not that great of an actress or you're just stupid. Everyone knows that boy is crazy about you so I know better than to believe you that the date was "really good.""

"Haymitch," I plead.

"Oh come on sweetheart," he says, "Share."

"Ahhh," I groan, "Fine. But don't expect much."

He snorts, "I would never dare."

I shake my head, compressing a laugh. "On the first date he took me to Angelo's and then we went for a walk down Main Street."

"And when he dropped you off at home?"

"You know I could have driven there myself, he may not have taken me home?"

He snorts repeating, "And when he dropped you off at home?"

"Just a kiss goodnight."

He nodded, "Respectable… Second and third date."

"Second, he took me to the school play."

Haymitch raised his eyes at me knowing it didn't sound like me.

"He brought candy and cookies and we sat in the back row, making side comments the entire time." I smile, "It was surprisingly a really good time."

He shook his head smiling.

"And for the third we went bowling with Annie and Finn… which I assume was the date you heard about."

He smiled, "Well I'm happy for you sweetheart, Mellark's a good kid."

I nod my head.

"Ohhh," he groans, "What is it?"

"What is what?" I ask.

"Like I said before you're not that great of an actress and as I know your just as crazy about that boy as he is for you even though you won't admit it to yourself; when I approve of the kid and you don't even give me a smile and one worded "Thanks" I know something is up."

I look down at my hands that rest in my lap. "It's not even something really, it's just… He said something today about the chances of automobile accidents and how they're dangerous and how-"

I trail on till I feel Haymitch hand on my knee giving it a squeeze. "It's okay sweetheart, it's just something you deal with and the boy will get used to."

I shrug my shoulder. "Yeah, I guess."

"It is," he assures me, "and he will."

"Okay," I nod.

"Okay," Haymitch repeating nodding his head as well. "Football?"

"Food?"

"Chinese?"

"Sure."

And like that Haymitch and I from talking about my personal life and a shared darkness in our past to agreeing on watching football and ordering Chinese.