A Simple Plan
Mini-Golf
"I'm exhausted," Katniss grumbled as they walked out of the baggage claim. Walking out onto the sidewalk, she looked around for the shared ride area. "Where can we grab an Uber?"
They knew that their flight would be landing well past midnight and knowing that it would be hard for his parents to stay up and Delly needed to rest because she was growing his brother's giant baby, they insisted on just catching an Uber into the city.
"Actually, I was offered an alternate solution," he informed her.
Peeta looked to where his dad's SUV was double-parked and nodded over at it.
Katniss turned to him in confusion as he led her to the car.
"I thought you didn't want your parents to be bothered—" She stopped as soon as Gale stepped out of the driver's side waving them over. "—was that what the texts on our flight were?"
"Gale offered but his car wouldn't fit our luggage, so my Dad gave him the keys to the SUV," he replied simply before turning to her with an affectionate smile. "Brings back memories, doesn't it?"
She smirked as they walked towards the man.
"Of you finger-fucking me in the driver's seat?" She waved at Gale before turning to Peeta, guilt on her face. "Oh God—it's so weird that he's been sitting in that seat."
"Welcome home!" Gale greeted, a gentle smile on his angular face.
"Hey Gale," Katniss said and reached over to give him a quick hug. "Thanks for doing this."
"Of course," he replied after shaking hands with Peeta. "Let me get your bags."
"Why don't you take the backseat, love?" Peeta suggested. "I'll sit in the front. I know you're tired."
"Thanks babe." He opened the back door for her, and Katniss stepped up wearily. "You're my favorite boyfriend."
"I'm your only boyfriend," Peeta retorted. "Unless you're counting that barista at Starbucks that always gives you a free espresso shot and completely forgets my order."
"Well, I do get free size upgrades from him," she retorted with a laugh, followed by a loud yawn. "Just kidding. You're my one and only."
Shutting the door gently, Peeta went to the passenger's side just as Gale stepped into the driver's seat. He followed suit, getting into the car and buckling up. Katniss' eyes were already closed, her head resting against the seatbelt strapped against her.
"How have you been?" Peeta asked as Gale pulled out into the exit lane.
"Fine," the man answered, eyes on the road. "Working as always. These studios, they always need someone to make sure that they have enough money to develop a new animation program, right?"
Peeta grinned. "It is Pixar."
Gale smiled and nodded. "True." He turned to Peeta. "How are the both of you?"
"It's been a busy year for us," Peeta offered. "With moving into our new place and transferring to a different department at Panem Projects, we're just trying to figure everything out."
It was strange to be speaking to Gale in person after a year of texting.
It had been that invisible barrier that made things less strange, especially with everything they had gone through. However, he could appreciate that Gale was trying to get back a semblance of what their friendship used to be.
Peeta didn't know if they would get that back, but he was more than willing to try.
"How is the new place?"
"Definitely bigger," he replied. "There's a lot more room to entertain and her parents approved when they came to visit, so I think that's a big milestone for us."
"Meeting the parents and moving in." Gale smiled. "Definitely sounds like you're getting there."
"And you? Has there been anyone since…?"
The question hung in the air for a moment; Gale's jaw firming as did his grip on the wheel.
"No," he finally said softly. "It's been hard enough to not go on a date without worrying that she may have an ulterior motive, you know." A small sigh escaped his mouth. "And, sometimes Madge calls—" Peeta looked to him in surprise and Gale shook his head. "We're not getting back together, but when she does get me on the phone, she just reminds me of why I don't think I'm ready to date."
"You're not the bad guy in this story," Peeta found himself saying.
"Aren't I?" Gale retorted. "Let's face it; I tell a girl about this last relationship and she'll go running for the hills."
"Not if she's the right girl," Peeta assured him. "If she's the right girl, she'll sit down with you and buy you shots and let you rant about your heartbreak. And when she's crying over her ex and their anniversary, you'll make her macaroni and cheese and let her cry in a breakroom while eating it."
Peeta turned to look at Katniss, her mouth hanging open as she slept against the window, and he felt that swooping sensation seeing her peaceful face.
"And one day, you'll just realize that she was right in front of you and you can't imagine how you ever lived without her—" Katniss let out a roaring snore and Gale laughed. "—and her shockingly loud snoring."
Gale's expression was wistful, his eyes somber as he stared ahead.
"Not all of us will find a Katniss. I've learned to live with it."
"Gale," he started. "We've been through a rough patch and for a while, I didn't know if I could even speak to you again. But here we are. We made it somehow. It's not the same friendship, but over time I think we could get some of that back. And, if I think that we can, then you can believe that you'll meet someone who makes you feel like love and trust is possible. You don't deserve to be alone." Peeta snorted. "If anyone deserves that, it's Madge."
The car went silent with the exception of Katniss, snoring softly, her hand on their little bit.
He still couldn't conceive that this beautiful snoring woman (she denies that she does it) was the mother of his child.
"Peeta, do you think Katniss is the one?" Gale asked suddenly.
"Actually…" Peeta reached into his pocket and presented the velvet box to Gale, opening to show him the ring. "…besides the baby shower, there's another reason we're here."
Gale looked into the rearview mirror, checking to make sure Katniss was asleep, before quickly darting his eyes to the ring.
"Whoa!" He tried to keep his excitement at bay, but the grin on his face made Peeta chuckle. "Do your parents know?"
"I'm planning on discussing it with them along with Rye and Delly," he explained. "And, now you're in on it."
Gale sobered for a moment, his dark eyes shining as he looked out.
"Thanks for sharing this with me. I know that you didn't have to, but you did—and if you need help with anything, I'm here for you."
"I appreciate it."
They morphed back into silence and Peeta had to wonder what this meant for them.
"And I promise I'll actually show up to this wedding," Gale told him with a smirk.
"At least bring a less volatile date," Peeta retorted, a smile growing on his lips.
They both fell into an easy laughter.
Maybe they weren't what they used to be.
Maybe they could be better.
"WAKE UP!"
Startled from his sleep, Peeta attempted to sit up but a large mass sat solidly on his chest.
Specifically, his big brother.
"Rye! Get it off me!" He flailed his arms, trying to push the man off. "No one needs to wake to your balls in their face!"
"Hey!" A voice called out and Peeta turned his head to find Delly scooting in next to a groggy Katniss. "I happen to sometimes enjoy a good teabagging."
"Peeta, is this another weird thing that your family does?" Katniss cried out.
"No, this is something that we do!" Rye ruffled his brother's hair. "The teabagging only happens on special occasions."
Katniss sat up gingerly, moving closer to the middle to make room for Delly and her belly.
"Can anyone tell me what teabagging is?" Peeta asked as he got onto his elbows.
"It's when the guy lowers his balls into your mouth…" Delly lifted her chin towards the ceiling. Her fingers curled, her index finger touching her thumb to create a circle and she moved it towards her mouth. "Then he kind of dips them in and out of your mouth. You know, like a teabag."
"Now you really need to get off me," Peeta told his brother.
Rye grinned. "You have a boner?"
"It's morning," Peeta growled. "It happens."
"Stop teasing your brother, sweetheart," Delly said. Her husband acquiesced and moved off Peeta, who scooted towards Katniss. "Now we're a comfy Mellark sandwich." She smiled at the couple. "How was the trip?"
"As smooth as it can be after working an eight-hour day then taking a five-hour plane ride," Katniss told them. "We kept ourselves occupied." She pressed a kiss to Peeta's shoulder. "Good morning, by the way."
Peeta leaned in and kissed her gently. "Morning." His eyes went to her abdomen briefly. "You okay?"
"Other than being curled up next to a very pregnant Delly who could go into labor at any moment, I'm good."
Delly rubbed her belly. "I'm starting to get hungry." She looked to Rye. "You have to help me up."
Rye leaped out and rounded the bed to his wife. With his hand to her lower back, he eased her off the mattress.
"We were actually supposed to just call you down for breakfast," Delly told them. "Your parents probably think you're up here doing it, so I'd get down there soon."
"I'll just tell them that you're almost done," Rye added with a grin.
"RYE!" Katniss reached for a pillow and threw it at his brother.
Rye smirked. "Wrong name to scream out, love."
He closed the door behind them.
The reunion with his parents was much calmer.
"Katniss! You look lovely!"
Peeta's mother pulled Katniss into her arms and it warmed him to see them getting along so well. He never realized how polarizing being in relationship with Madge was until he saw the relationship that Katniss and his mom developed over the last year.
Madge had never attempted to have a relationship with anyone in his family—except Rye.
That was a whole other can of worms.
"Thanks Janice! You're looking pretty fabulous yourself." Katniss turned to his father, giving him a smile. "Hope you're thanking your lucky stars for this lady."
"You bet your ass I am," his Dad replied before holding his arms for her. "Get over here!"
She chuckled before embracing the man.
His mother went to him and Peeta pulled her into his arm. "Hey Mom."
"My baby," she cooed. "We've missed you." Her hands went to his cheeks, looking him over. "You look very happy."
"I feel happy."
Peeta looked to where Katniss was chatting with his dad, both sitting at the dining table and filling their plates. Rye and Delly sat across from the two, looking over paint samples for the nursery, though the two yellows they were debating over were practically the same shade.
Peeta looked over to his mother. "May we speak alone for a minute?"
She looked worried. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes, I just need to talk to someone."
"Guys, go ahead," his mother called out. "I want to show Peeta the mini-golf layout."
He had to ask as they walked out, "Why mini-golf?"
"It's what they were doing when Delly told your brother about the baby," his mother explained.
Peeta was led to his father's study where his mother quickly closed and locked the door.
She pounced immediately. "What's going on?"
Reaching into his pocket, he presented his mother with the velvet box that had been burning a hole in his pocket.
"Is this…" Taking the box, his mother lifted it opened and then gasped. "You're proposing to Katniss?"
"Yes. After the baby shower, of course. Rye and Delly deserve a great celebration," Peeta told her. "But I need your help—the whole family's help, actually—to keep her from finding out."
His mother was practically bouncing on her toes. "Then, what's your plan after that?"
"I…ask her," he answered lamely.
"Or are you taking her to dinner? Will there be music?"
He felt his face burn.
Shit, he hadn't gotten that far into how he would ask her.
"I just wanted to have the family around," Peeta told her.
"Well, did you invite her family?" his mother asked incredulously.
He felt the blood rush down his face. "Um…no."
"Peeta, you're too old for me to smack you upside the head—" She raised her hand and damn if he didn't flinch. "—so, leave it to me. I will get her family here. You have their contact information, right?" He nodded and his mother lowered her hand. "Text it to me. I'll tell your father. Your next thing on the list is to tell the soon-to-be parents."
"Of course."
His mother looked at the ring once more before closing the box and handing it back to him.
"It's a beautiful ring," she said, her voice wavering. "You're going to have a good life with her."
"Let's just get her to say yes," Peeta replied, taking the box and putting it back in his pocket. "Thanks for letting me vent to you. I guess I needed more help than I realize."
"Of course, sweetheart." His mother pulled him into her arms, and he breathed in the scent of jasmine, that familiar scent of her. "I'm happy for you. For a long time, I worried that you would just live in the memory of Madge. Thank goodness, you took that job and you met Katniss. Fate worked in your favor the day you were seated next to each other."
Peeta smiled. "Don't I know it."
"Now let's get back there before there's nothing left," his mother told him. "Between Rye and Delly, you can't really tell whose eating for two!"
"My baby brother is getting married!"
Peeta knew that Rye and Delly would be happy.
What he wasn't expecting was that sloppy kiss to his forehead—from Rye.
"Oh Peeta!" Delly pulled him against her chest—abundant as it was—and hugged him tightly. "Katniss is going to be my sister!"
His parents, bless their hearts, had taken Katniss to get golf wear. That morning, Janice had told everyone that they needed to be properly attired for mini-golf before dragging Katniss along with her to pick outfit for herself and Peeta.
"I hope I get the words out right," he told them and looked to Rye on the adjacent loveseat. "I mean, we don't exactly share a love for Hogwarts like you two, so I can't exactly go that big."
"Well, that wasn't exactly the first proposal," Rye told him, his face going crimson.
"Come again?"
"That was the planned one by my dear husband," Delly told him. "However, he proposed a week before."
"It wasn't planned," Rye hastened to add.
Peeta peered at his brother. "Explain."
"I was kind of in the heat of the moment…and might've blurted it out during—" Rye scrubbed at his face. "This is not the story I want my children to know about."
"Okay…a little risqué…but you got affirmation from Delly that she would except the actual one," he reasoned.
"I would've said yes, of course," Delly told him. "Except my mouth was full."
Peeta held his hand up. "Stop."
Rye took the ring box, opening it. "This is a real beauty." He closed it and handed it to Peeta. "I'm real happy for you, Peeta."
"Thanks." They all stood and Peeta went to his brother, embracing him. "You're the best brother any guy could ask for."
"Oh. My. God." Delly was openly weeping, tears streaking her cheeks. "That was so beautiful. Not as hot as me and Katniss hugging…but it was still great."
The two men laughed gathering a hormonal Delly into their hug.
"Hole in one, bitch!"
"I forget how competitive you are," Peeta said as Katniss danced around the hole. "Keep dancing though. Every time you do, your skirt dances with you." He joined her on the green. "How did you my mom to buy you a skirt that short?"
He had been surprisingly enticed when Katniss had come out of their bathroom in a seafoam green patterned skirt, a matching sleeveless vest with white polo shirt underneath; white Mary-janes and thigh-high white socks completed the ensemble. Her dark hair had been clipped back on each side, leaving the rest loose down her back.
"I think she was so excited to be able to dress a girl that she just didn't care," his girlfriend replied as they went to the next hole. "I tried it on for her and everything. She was the one who suggested the thigh highs."
"Thank you, Mom," Peeta replied under his breath.
His mother and Mrs. Cartwright had once again gone all out, renting out the same mini-golf course that Delly had announced her pregnancy for the first event of the Baby Shower Extravaganza—Peeta still couldn't believe they called it that.
There were 18 courses, each one about the history of San Francisco or displaying a popular spot in the city. In another section, there were food trucks next to array of dining tables. His mother had hired a soft jazz band to play, close to where guests could pick up their putters.
A whistle sounded through the air. "Get a move on, lovebirds!"
They turned to find Cato and Clove walking towards them, a little dark-haired girl grasping Clove's hand. Strapped to Cato's front chest was a golden-haired baby, chewing at his fist.
After getting permission from Katniss, Delly had given the couple her cell phone number. They only texted sporadically to ask how she was doing or for their new address so they could send Katniss a birthday card. Then, during Christmas, their season's greetings card with a picture of them with Penny and a newborn Gregory.
The relationship between the three was unsurprisingly still a little weird.
Sometimes Katniss would go quiet around him, especially when she saw the Christmas card. It was those times that Peeta would give her space to process her feelings; she would always come to him after and talk about it. He knew that it took a tremendous effort for her to let those feelings of hurt not take over and he was proud of her for trying.
However, she found other ways to make an effort when it came to building a friendship with the couple.
After Gregory was born, he came home to find Katniss arranging a small present of board books for the little one and some books for Penny to send to the family.
His heart almost combusted seeing such a sweet gesture though she waved it off as her being polite.
Cato and Clove were right.
Katniss loved with her whole heart, often quietly, but he never felt more protected and cared for.
Peeta waved them over, going to Cato and shaking his hand.
Clove went to Katniss, giving her a hug, and beaming at being able to even talk to his girlfriend.
"You both look like you're doing well," Cato remarked with a relieved smile. "Especially Katniss. She's glowing."
The way the man said that made Peeta do a double take. "Glowing?"
Katniss did have a certain sparkle, but to him, she always had.
"She just seems happier…content," Cato remarked. "Not like our last meeting, but who could blame her?"
"We're all moving forward." Peeta looked to the baby, beaming at the little one. "And, this must be Gregory."
Cato lifted him out of the harness before holding him out to Peeta.
"Greggie, this is Uncle Peeta."
Peeta backed away. "I don't know how to hold a baby."
"You have to practice, right?"
Did Cato know?!
"You're going to be an Uncle soon." Cato helped place Gregory in his arms, showing him how support his head in the crook of his arm and how support the little one's bottom. "You're a natural."
"Doesn't feel natural," Peeta replied as he bounced the little boy.
"It just takes time," the man replied easily. "By the time you get around to having your own kids, you'll be an expert!"
"You two look cozy," Katniss approached, Penny holding her hand while Clove followed behind. She smiled at Cato and he hugged her quickly. "You're going to have boys fighting over this one."
Cato groaned. "Don't tell me that!"
Clove laughed, wrapping an arm around her husband's waist. "He might actually cry."
"Who's that?" Penny pointed to Peeta. "He looks kinda like Daddy."
Katniss grinned at the little girl leading her over to him.
"This is my boyfriend, Peeta," Katniss told her. "Peeta, this is Penny."
He crouched in front of her, Gregory in one arm, and held out his free hand to her.
"Nice to meet you, Penny."
Penny had Clove's dark hair; it was plaited in two braids and Peeta had to wonder if she resembled Katniss as a child. Her eyes were a deep blue like her father's, but almond-shaped like Clove's. She was also pretty tall for her age, her head already at Clove's waist.
Like the rest of them, she was in golf attire, wearing a skirt and vest set, similar to Katniss' though it was a bright pink.
Penny looked at his hand, gaze scrutinizing, before taking it. "Hello."
"Would you like to play a round of mini-golf with us?" he asked.
The little girl lit up at the suggestion.
Penny bounced excitedly. "Yes!"
Peeta stood up, balancing the baby, smiling down at the girl.
"Well, alright then! Go on and get your putter, then meet us back here!"
Grabbing her parents' hands, she pulled them towards the front entrance to get her putter.
"We'll be right here!" Katniss called out before turning back to him. She looked at Gregory in his arms; the boy met her eyes and smiled gummily. "He really looks like both of them." Her eyes went to Peeta. "You think you're ready for one of these?"
He put his free arm around her. "With you—definitely."
Katniss' head resting on his shoulder, Peeta looked around the mini-golf course.
After being brutally beaten by their four-year-old, Clove and Cato took their children to get tacos and donuts at the food trucks. His family was scattered about, Rye and Delly were playing a round with a few of their friends. His parents were by the food trucks, having drinks with the Delly's parents.
Gale had come with a co-worker, Thresh, and his girlfriend, Finch. He could see them by the last hole, Finch's red hair standing out amid blonds and brunettes.
"It was a good day," Katniss hummed against him. She lifted her head to smile at him. "Did I tell you how adorable you were with Penny?"
"Was I?"
"She told me that she wants to marry you," his girlfriend replied. "I guess I'm going to fight her for your hand."
"Penny is adorable, but I'm afraid I've already chosen you," he told her. "And you—am I your chosen one?"
Katniss snorted. "Who are you? Harry Potter?"
"Just plain ol' Peeta Mellark," he replied. Her gaze told him that he was more than enough. "Can I ask you something?"
She straightened next to him. "Yes?"
"Have you thought about us taking the next step in our relationship?"
Katniss beamed at him. "I mean, we're having a baby. Isn't that a pretty big step?"
"YOU'RE PREGNANT?"
They turned to find Prim along with Katniss' parents standing before them.
This was a relatively tame chapter, but they had to keep it in their pants this time around.
I'm really glad to be back with the Mellarks; they are fun to write, especially Delly.
Also, I'm actually happy to see Gale back; there is a possible someone for him, but we'll see how it goes.
Sorry to tell you but Madge will not be making an appearance—I'm done with her—as is everyone else.
Cato and Clove are actually pretty adorable to write, and I foresee the future parents getting advice from the couple.
There is an actual mini-golf course here in San Francisco that I've based the one they go to on. It's called Stagecoach Greens and it's very close to the ballpark here. I went to school with a couple who has a foodtruck station there.
Next: The Baby Fair
Until then, JLaLa