[ November 1950]
(Historical facts. The Great Appalachian Storm of 1950 in November. The Applalachain mountains run through Georgia. In 1950 Thanksgiving week a huge snow storm hit the states surrounding the mountain. For example or scale Ohio valley was blanketed in 62 inches of snow. )
After the dinner with his family, Mrs. Mellark called Peeta at work to complain about Katniss and express her disapproval. Peeta has practically disowned her with the rest of his family following his lead.
It was Thanksgiving week and her family had given her permission to spend the week at the Mellark's to help with prep and get to know his family. Peeta had made a joke about a ring by spring and her family wanted her to learn his habits at home to transition into a housewife. Them inviting her to spend the week was a good enough excuse to let her learn his at home habits.
She sat by the fire with Peeta. She was at his house often after meeting his family. His place had privacy. Her's had eyes on their every move. Peeta's dad was kind about making himself scarce when she came over.
They were snuggled by the fire on the couch. Peeta held her close knowing it was her last night with him before going back home. She had taken over Wheaton's clean room for the week. It was across from Peeta's room and his dad was relaxed about PDA but had a rule of them being in each other's rooms. Mr. Mellark would give them all the privacy anywhere else but the bedrooms.
She let him hold her against his body. They shared kisses and nuzzled the other lovingly. The news played in front of them. The anchor discussing the government was interrupted by breaking news. The interruption catching their attention.
"A large amount of snow is expected to accumulate over night. Over a foot of snow is expected to be on the ground by 7am. It is only gonna get worse folks. Police and authorities urge y'all to stay indoors. We are reaching records of snowfall for our area." The news anchor informed the viewers quickly.
"Dad!" Peeta called out.
"What's going on Peet?" asks his son as he walks into the parlor. Katniss had gotten used to 's nickname for his youngest son.
"The snow is only getting worse. A foot by morning the news said."
"Damn. Ummmm. Kat you should call your parents and tell them it may be a few days before we can safely get you home."
"Yes, sir." Katniss gets up to walk to the phone, to call her parents letting them know of the bad weather and that she won't be home.
sends Peeta down to check their food supply and emergency cans in the basement. goes upstairs to tell Rye about the storm.
Katniss dials her family's number. Her father answers. "Hi Daddy, it's Katniss."
"Hi baby girl. How has your week been?"
"It's been really fun, but dad there is a huge snow storm coming in by morning and it's already icy out. It's gonna be a few days before we can get me home safely."
"That's not the best thing to hear sweetheart. Well the most important thing is your safety. Don't worry about rushing home then. I love you KittyKat, be good." says.
"I will, love you Daddy. Bye."
"Bye"
Katniss hangs up the phone when she hears screams. She runs to the star is leading to the second floor when Peeta comes running back up the stairs. They look each other over in a panic.
"RYE!" Mr. Mellark barks angrily. Peeta and Katniss look at each other confused. They rush up the stairs. They find Rye naked in bed with a blonde that Katniss doesn't recognize. By the look on Peeta's face, he obviously does. "What the hell, boy!"
"Dad! Get out!" Rye yells. slams the door Angrily and runs his hands through his hair just like Peeta does.
"Was that Delly?!" Peeta asks shocked with a bit of anger.
"I think so, son. Ugh! He snuck a girl in! He knows the rules. I raised my boys to be gentlemen."
The door soon opens with a disheveled Rye and blonde haired Delly. Mr. Mellark hastily shoved them down to the parlor to talk to them with Katniss and Peeta trailing behind.
Mr. Mellark lectures them for a while. He sends Katniss and Peeta away so he can have a private conversation with Rye and Delly.
The "Conversation" was more like screaming that they could hear everything from the top of the staircase where they sat.
It went on for a long time and Peeta tells Katniss to change for bed. Katniss always hated the women's night shirts that her mother always made her wear. Staying with Peeta and him making a comment on how the sleep shirts she wore didn't seem like her. She expressed how much that she did not like her own sleep shirts he gave her his T-shirts to wear. Katniss liked them because they were soft and smelled like him.
She went and changed. Soon she hears a soft knock at the door. She opens it to Peeta in his own pajamas. He leaves the door open and crawls into bed, spooning her close to his warm body.
A while later the screams got quiet and then Mr. Mellark was at the bedroom door. He stared at them for a second before he speaks.
"I hope my youngest son is at least being a gentleman." Mr. Mellark says.
Peeta folds the blankets off of them to reveal his arm under her head and his other arm above her waistline but not too high to be inappropriate.
"I promise, dad, I'm not Rye."
"Too soon."
"What's going on with them?" Peeta asked.
Mr. Mellark heaved a big sigh. "Well the idiots didn't have protection. Guess we'll wait and see what happens. Because of the storm I can't send her home or anything. I think if I can trust you both together I'm gonna put you both in your room, Peet, and I'll put Delly in here."
Peeta nods and gets up with Katniss standing up and helping him straighten up the bed.
They walk across the hall to Peeta's room and get in bed as they had in the other room. After talking for a bit they fall asleep.
—
Waking up in Peeta's arms is the most comfortable that Katniss can remember being. She nuzzled deeper into him to try and fall back to sleep. His arms tighten around her nuzzling his nose into her neck.
"Morning Beautiful" Peeta mumbles into her neck.
Katniss lets out a tired moan and mumbles a morning greeting. Mr. Mellark had a condition to letting them sleep together in Peeta's bed was to have the door open.
She heard Mr. Mellark waking Rye up and she turned to face Peeta. He smiled and kissed her forehead. A soft knock is heard against the door as Peeta's dad walks into the room to stand at the foot of the bed.
"Was my youngest more of a gentlemen then his brother?"
Katniss giggles softly against Peeta's shoulder. "Yes he was. No hands below the waist and not to high like you asked."
"Now that's my boy!" Mr. Mellark smiles.
"What does that make me?" Rye asks walking in behind him.
"That makes you my trouble maker. And Wheaton is the rule follower. Peeta is my gentleman that was the way I tried to raise all of my boys but he's the only one that seemed to have learned from me."
Peeta hugs Katniss close to him, kissing her shoulder, laughing. "Thanks Dad"
"What did Wheaton do?" Katniss asks curiously.
"Wheaton got his girlfriend, now wife pregnant in high school." Mr. Mellark explains.
"But he's like 25. Veronica just had Bannie." Katniss says confused.
"They suffered a miscarriage. We don't really talk about now. It's been years. Took them awhile to get through it and grieve. Only 11 months ago they decided it was time they start trying and like a true Mellark men got her pregnant first try. That's why I was so pissed at Rye and his stupidity."
"Mellark men are highly fertile." Rye boasts.
This causes Mr. Mellark to laugh and Peeta to blush.
"Your dad is right. You are such a gentleman." Peeta responds with a deep chuckle into her shoulder. "Peeta, it's true. Don't even try to argue."
Mr. Mellark and Rye leave after Mr. Mellark tells them to come down for breakfast soon. They obeyed, happy and blissful from a night of innocent cuddles. Sleeping close to her felt perfect to Peeta, like she was meant to be in his arms.
He left her to go change in the bathroom, taking his clothes, leaving Katniss his room to use. She changes quickly and sits at his desk, using a mirror she brought to apply a small amount of makeup. After a soft knock on the door she calls permission for Peeta to come in the room.
They go down and join Rye and Delly at the table, sets a plate of bacon down for them. Eating in an almost awkward silence. Peeta soon broke it.
"So Delly, how did you and Rye get together?"
"Oh umm we ran into each other at the sock hop a few months back. He bought me a pop and we talked for a long time." Delly says quietly.
"She wasn't the little girl I remember you playing house with, Peet." Rye says.
"So you and Delly used to play together?" Katniss questioned.
sits down with the last plate of food containing mini pancakes. "They were best friends. Delly's father and I went to college together. We had kids around the same time and we just hung out all the time that we didn't want to deprive our kids of a potential friendship."
They spent the day sharing childhood stories. Katniss talked about her parents and some of her sister. Katniss got to get to know Delly better and they even kinda became friends.
She learned more about Peeta and his family. She liked having a calm day to talk to everyone. The snow was a few inches but still falling heavily falling and piling high outside. After dinner they all sat around the parlor watching the news. Rye had his back against the couch, sitting on the floor with Delly curled up in her pj's between his legs. Everyone was in their sleep clothes. Mr. Mellark was on one side of the couch with Peeta and Katniss on the other. Katniss was basically in Peeta's lap, wearing one of his shirts and pj bottoms.
The news talked more about the storm, further trapping Katniss and Delly in the Mellark home.
Soon everyone headed to bed. Katniss was again in Peeta's bed with him holding her. He kept a fan going while he slept. As she was drifting off in her boyfriend's arms everything went silent. The hum of the fan was gone. Peeta sat up in bed, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, keeping her on her side. Mr. Mellark peaks his head into the open door.
"Power went out."
She found the house growing colder and Peeta decided to add a bigger blanket on top of the blankets that they already had on the bed. He pulls her tighter against him. Katniss cuddles into him for warmth and was like her personal fireplace.
The next day it was so cold in the house that Mr. Mellark allowed Rye to be close with Delly, to keep her warm. Peeta and her stayed mostly in bed talking about their future together.
Within the next few days the weather calmed down enough for Peeta to drive her home. He walked her into her house, bringing the suitcase she used over the holiday.
Her father thanked him for keeping her safe and everything. Peeta headed home leaving Katniss safely with her family.