I don't own the Hunger Games, nor the song featured in this fic (Top of the World, by the Carpenters).

(Katniss POV)

"Are you okay?"

I look up at Peeta, who's watching me. We're aboveground today. I think Coin took pity on us, after what happened to Lira. So, Peeta and I stole some sandwiches, a basket, and a picnic blanket, and headed up. It's a nice day out, and it feels rather unfair. As if the Capitol still commands everything, like the weather, and they're using the sun to laugh at us. Maybe they do still command everything. I look up at Peeta, with his backdrop of the forest, and I smile a little.

"I'm okay as I can get," I answer. I lean back, pulling grass out of the ground. "But the outdoors reminds me of Gale, and Gale reminds me of Lira..."

Peeta nods.

We slept in our old room last night, with Rue. Well, that's not true, actually. We tried to sleep in our old room last night. Rue did not stop screaming the entire night and didn't stop until about five o'clock in the morning, and by then, Peeta and I were wide awake.

"She'll never be okay," I whisper.

Peeta crawls over to me and holds me. I sigh, leaning against him, happy to have him there. Because no matter how upset I am or he is or both of us are, he's still going to be there for me. "Of course she'll be okay," he says.

"Which one?" I ask.

"Both of them. Rue... Rue, one day, Katniss, will be a famous musician. She'll have composed the sweetest tunes and lullabies... people will worship the ground she walks on. And... and she'll get married, of course, to a man who loves her, and they'll have beautiful singing babies."

I laugh. "Don't get my hopes up."

"But it's true," says Peeta solemnly.

I lean my head on his shoulder, looking up at him with a small smile. "What about Lira?"

"Oh. She'll get married to Gale and they'll have babies, too. They won't be singing. They'll be mischievous children, always with grass stains on their clothes, scrapes on their knees."

I'm smiling because it's true. "And what about..." I pause. "No. I don't want to talk about our future. Not right now."

"Why not?" he asks. "We can name our oldest son—we'd have about six or seven sons—Finnick, or Tom, or... I know, Haymitch. Can you imagine it? Haymitch Mellark? Sounds nice, doesn't it?"

I laugh. "No. Stop it." I take a deep breath, inhaling the smell of the outdoors. "Tell me a story about your past."

"What do you want to hear?" Peeta says. "I haven't really had a very interesting past."

"Tell me..." I frown thoughtfully, tracing a pattern on the back of his hand, which sits on my knee. "Tell me about your first kiss."

"My first kiss!" he repeats. "Why?"

I grin. "Just because."

Peeta smirks back at me. "Will you get jealous?"

I roll my eyes. "No. Just tell me the story."

"Fine, fine..."

…

My first kiss was with a girl named Caytee. I don't think you knew her, since she was extremely smart and was put a year ahead of us—funny how that works, since nobody can end up anywhere but in the mining business in Twelve, right? Anyway, I thought she was so beautiful. We were thirteen, by the way. She lived in the same neighborhood as I did, and all her sisters had the prettiest hair and the fairest faces... Tom and Eddy loved teasing me about her.

So one day, she came into the shop. By herself. Caytee never did. She was always at home with the books—I guess I always had a thing for quiet girls; apparently I still do—and when she comes out to the bakery she's always with her sisters or her parents. I wasn't working that day; I was in the back doing homework. Tom was baking, Eddy was working the counter. Then, just to irritate me, they called me in to do the work instead. They told me they'd just be a second, and they had to pick up supplies from the train that just came in—which was a complete lie, but they were saying those things to me in front of Caytee.

I couldn't just insist that they work, because it would seem like I was avoiding Caytee and it would seem very rude, right? So I just played along!

"Is there something wrong?" she asked me when I stepped up to the counter. I probably looked like a bee stung my butt at that point.

"Oh, no," I said.

She had this humongous order. More than District Twelve people usually ever buy. She was getting all different kinds of breads for a week's-worth of meals, and a small cupcake for her oldest sister's birthday.

So the two of us are just standing there together, going through the orders.

"Three croissants."

"A loaf of bread."

"Blah blah blah."

And I'm just nodding and "mhm"-ing, and I just have no idea what to say to this girl, because this is this pretty girl who lives down the block, I mean she's not Katniss Everdeen, but—

…

"Oh, stop being annoying," I tell him.

Peeta grins. "Come now, Kat, you don't believe I thought that?"

"Why would you?"

Peeta rolls his eyes.

…

Like I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, I was busy being Mr. Ladies Man at twelve years old with Caytee Orter, and then finally she asks, "You're being very quiet today, aren't you, Peeta?"

Then I drop the cupcake I was holding for her, and then I swear quickly. "Oh, I'm sorry—I didn't—such a klutz."

I look up, and she's smiling at me. "It's okay."

"You can have another one if you like, or I can bake another for you, exactly the same, I mean—"

"Peeta," she says, all amused, "it's fine."

"Sorry," I say, embarrassed. Then I notice the book under her arm and try to make conversation, you know? "Good book?"

And she answers, "It's excellent."

So then she started talking about this book, and she tells me all about it, and she's just not that quiet girl I knew from down the block, she's just so enthusiastic about everything, and then even though she's holding her order already, she's not leaving... so when the conversation dies, I say, "Well... that'll be all, then?"

"Yeah, I guess," she says, all awkward-like.

"It was nice talking to you," I try to say.

"Yeah. Same with you."

Then she's not leaving, and I ask, "Not to be rude, but aren't you... going to... uh, leave?"

"Yeah," she says.

But she doesn't. And then she puts her book and her order on the counter and then says really quickly to me, "I really like you, Peeta", and then she kisses me quickly and then she grabs her things and leaves, and I'm just standing there all shocked and not sure what to think.

…

I smile. "Was she your first girlfriend?"

"No," Peeta admits. "She kind of just was really embarrassed to talk to me afterward and even though I liked her back, she didn't act like she liked me anymore. I guess that kiss kind of ruined our relationship."

"Quiet girls do things like that," I say.

Peeta grins. "You didn't. Well, you did, but, you didn't."

I smile, kissing him. "You learned from your mistakes, then."

"Good thing, too," he says, kissing my cheek. "Your turn to tell me a story?"

"Why?" I ask. "You know what the majority of my life has been like. It's all just hunting."

He shakes his head. "That's not true... there's more to your life than hunting."

I laugh. "Sure. Now, there is..."

"No, no, no," says Peeta. "Before hunting. Tell me a story about your dad."

"My dad?" I repeat, surprised.

"If you're okay with it."

I watch him carefully.

…

Well, it was a nice day out. Like today. Sun was shining, mockingjays were singing... and my dad was there, which had a lot to do with it, I guess. He'd taught me how to hunt just a few weeks earlier, and we were back in the woods again. My bow was small, but he made it himself, and I knew how to use it fine. Then, when we weren't too far into the woods, we stopped for a bit and he said to me, "Listen to this, Katniss."

And then he looked up at the canopy and began to sing. The mockingjays were so—

…

"Wait!" Peeta said suddenly. "Sing the song!"

I look up at him exasperatedly. "But that's not even what the story's about!"

"Just sing it, please?" he asks.

I roll my eyes.

Such a feeling's coming over me,
There is wonder in most everything I see
Not a cloud in the sky, got the sun in my eyes,
And I won't be surprised if it's a dream

Everything I want the world to be...
Is now coming true, especially for me!
And the reason is clear, it's because you are here
You're the nearest thing to heaven that I've seen...

…

It's a happy song, isn't it? A bit weird, in District Twelve, but at the time, maybe he was at the top of the world. I was, too. It wasn't an easy life, but I was happy. In the woods, with my father, singing... it's where I felt like I belonged, you know?

I'm on the top of the world, looking
down on creation and the only explanation I can find
Is the love that I've found, ever since you've been around,
Your love's put me at the top of the world

Something in the wind has learned my name
and it's telling me that things are not the same
In the leaves on the trees, in the touch of the breeze,
There's a pleasin' sense of happiness for me

So, anyway, we were hunting, and I hadn't shot anything yet, but Father had spied a rabbit for me. The two of us crouched behind a bush, watching as a rabbit stayed still a few feet in front and to the right. He whispered tips to me as I pulled back the string. I closed my eye, pulled my right hand to my ear, and aimed. "Shoot," my dad said in a quiet voice. The rabbit looked around at the sound of the arrow whizzing toward it, but it was too late. I jumped up, so excited, to see it dead.

Already a hunter back then. Cold and calculating—and don't even try to say anything, Peeta. It's all right. But I don't know. It made me happy. My father made it seem like I'd brought down a bear instead of just a rabbit. It was the first time I'd shot something. We brought it home to Mother and Prim and they just weren't as excited, but they still celebrated. I'm pretty sure it might be in the top ten of the best days of my life.

There is only one wish on my mind
When this day is through, I hope that I will find
That tomorrow will be, just the same for you and me
All I need will be mine if you are here

I'm on the top of the world, looking
down on creation and the only explanation I can find...
Is the love that I've found, ever since you've been around,
Your love's put at me the top of the world.

I'm on the top of the world, looking
down on creation and the only explanation I can find...
Is the love that I've found, ever since you've been around,
Your love's put me at the top of the world.

…

I smile up at Peeta.

Peeta asks, "What's the best one?"

"That day I came home with the bread you gave me," I answer. Then he watches me carefully. "And it's just special now because it's the first time I noticed you, but for more than that... Prim was so happy. And... we were on the way back from the dead."

He smiles. "Just going to say, I'm very glad you're alive."

"That makes two of us," I say.

"I have an idea, though," Peeta adds. I look up at him. "Can we keep it that way?"

I laugh. "I'll try."

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