Companion

AN:

After everything, we all need some Everlark fluff.

The understanding love of a mother. Young love. Let's visit Peeta's office!

Special thank you to my dear friend, GinnyGinervaWeasley, for betaing my story.

P.S. I love the Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins owns everything!

CHAPTER 10

Morning comes, and Peeta and Katniss spend the early hours in the woods. The sky is thick with clouds, and the smell of oncoming rain looms darkly. There's electricity building in the air.

Katniss hastens to reset the snares after a surprisingly good haul while Peeta secures the wild onions that he chanced upon on the forest floor in his bag. He has learned so much about the woods and from studying Katniss' plant book that Katniss no longer worries when she leaves him alone to gather. A bright lightning strikes near where he is, followed by a tremendous thunderclap. Soon, rain follows, and he is drenched from head to toe. Katniss comes back soaking wet but sporting an incredible smile on her face. She loves the woods in all its forms.

Rain bounces off the forest floor, and Katniss' pants are caked with mud splatters. The downpour is so loud that she can't hear Peeta even when he is shouting in front of her. They walk back to town together, and Katniss' game bag is filled with the hunt from the morning and water from the sky. They stop and cover their ears, curling in a hunched position whenever a loud thunderclap booms. They laugh at each other, enjoying what would normally scare others, but they are like children now, playing in the rain and feeling the strength of nature. The intensity of the sky makes Peeta braver, and he catches Katniss' forearms as she steps over water puddles. She smiles back at him, filled with the joy of playing in the rain. He slowly pulls her hand to place it around his back then cups her wet cheek with his other hand. He kisses her, light as a feather at first, and when she doesn't pull back, he deepens the kiss. They stay there, wrapped in each other's arms in the middle of the woods, savoring each other lazily while the sky roars and rain seeps through their mouths. The rain is sweet and cold, contrasted by the heat building between them.

The butcher pulls them into his shop as he sees them soaking wet from the rain. It's no use, as they have been out in the rain for too long. They give him their haul, drenched and made heavy by the water, and the butcher happily takes them all. Peeta saves the onions for Sae, and they walk back to the house to change.

It's still pouring, and the whole district is staying indoors. The town center is deserted, so Peeta and Katniss play tag in the wide-open space. Their carefree laughter resounds all over town, and happy onlookers smile at their playfulness. Veiled by the endless rain, they look like teenagers having a merry time with each other. Katniss runs very fast, and she's much too agile for Peeta to catch, but it doesn't matter as their joy is not in the winning but in the playing of the game. Katniss slows down after a while, letting Peeta catch her, and she exhales loudly as he spins her around, splashing water with his shoes. His strength is incredible, and her body is like clay molding pliably with his torso. Peeta's arms are like boas that circle her waist, pressing her body into his. Katniss revels in the feel of his muscle contracting and relaxing under her, so keenly aware of how strong and gentle Peeta could be. He is in full control of her body as they spin around in the open space. They should be cold and miserable from the storm, but they feel hot and exhilarated instead. The town bell sounds, signaling the hour, and Katniss frees herself to jog back to Victor's Village. She lets Peeta catch up, and they walk hand-in-hand, still smiling and tasting the rain like children.

Peeta's pants and shoes are covered heavily with mud, and Katniss' boots make a squishing sound with every step. They approach the front porch lazily, holding each other's hands and feeling the heavy clothes that cling to their bodies. The rain almost makes the fabric see-through in a way it reveals the contours of their flesh. They both steal glances at each other, exploring the other's body under the downpour. Their chests rising and falling with their breathing that seems to be getting faster and faster as they come closer to the house. Unexpectedly, Katniss pulls Peeta in for another kiss. It's not light like when Peeta first kissed her but is passionate and hungry. The playfulness and ease of the morning made her so relaxed, and she allows herself to just feel and be in the moment. Peeta takes in all of her, placing his shaking hands on the curve of her hips, bordering the line to her firm bottom. His big hands palm over her hunting pants as she pulls his head down for a deeper kiss. Lightning strikes and thunder booms around them, but they are deaf to the world. They hear only each other's moans and their own strong beating hearts.

Wanting more, Katniss lifts her right leg, and Peeta captures it with his strong arm, circling around it and settling his hand in her inner thigh. Having leverage, she straddles him, wrapping her legs around his waist and locking them on his back. Katniss' center brushes over his shaft, and she bites his lips at the feeling of his hardness pressing into her. Peeta gasps at the sudden contact and runs his hands all over her back, pulling her closer to his chest, feeling her hardened nipples through the fabric. They are not children now but are two adults exploring the delicious electricity running through their bodies. Katniss commands him from her higher position and lets him kiss her jaw and the curve of her neck. His kisses are intoxicating, and her pool of wetness grows apart from the rain.

The sky is torturously rumbling, and a loud strike of lightning brings them to their senses. Katniss untangles herself, and their pulsating centers brush again. There is no time to indulge as another bright flash of lightning sends them running for cover. It sounds like the sky is splitting with every release.

"It's really giving it's all, huh?" Peeta comments while leaning on the porch to watch the rain. He is so alive from the intensity of their contact that he feels like burning despite being soaked in the cold rain. He turns and finds Katniss stripping her wet and muddy clothes off by the front door. He quickly looks away to give her privacy, but the effect of seeing her bare back has him already hardening again.

"It will pass. It's like this sometimes. I'm going in!" Katniss replies hurriedly, and he hears the door open and close. He turns around and finds all her clothes on the floor except her bra and underwear. He picks the wet pile up and hangs them on the porch before stripping of his own clothes and running towards his room.

Once bathed and dried, they hungrily eat breakfast, giving Buttercup an extra helping of bacon. He's afraid of thunder, but the smell of bacon drew him out of his hiding.

They walk to the orphanage, wearing rain boots that Katniss found in the basement. The rain has finally stopped, and the sun is peaking out.

"Hi there, Peeta! Katniss!" Sarah greets them from the back.

"That's some rain, isn't it? We thought the house was going to get hit. The lightning strikes were just so close," James says eagerly.

"Katniss says it happens every now and again. I guess you got a taste of it this morning," Peeta answers and smiles at his friend. His morning has been a little more adventurous than just the rain shower and the thunderstorm.

"Momma! Momma!" Annie shouts, running towards them, and Katniss kneels down to hug her petite form. "Did you hear the loud thunder? Sophia and I hid under our beds! I think it hit a tree at the back! Come on!" Annie tugs Katniss heavily, and she waves to the rest. Katniss breaks into a run as she scoops Annie up in her arms.

"Why did she call her 'Momma'?" Sarah asks Peeta.

"Annie thinks that Katniss is her mother, or at least she really wants her to be," Peeta explains. "They're really close, and Katniss loves her to bits."

Sarah, in understanding, nods quietly and takes James' hand. They walk together to the orphanage while Peeta follows Katniss and Annie to the lightning tree.

"Take care, okay?" Delly repeats for the hundredth time. Elrick is going with Peeta to District Three to intern at Beetee Latier's company for a week. It is bring-your-kids-to-work week, and Elrick has been anxious about it for a month.

"Yes, I will, Delly," Elrick says after rolling his eyes. Delly is nervously fixing his collar, and Thom couldn't help but chuckle at her. "My collar is straight now, Delly. I think you could let go."

"Delly, let go. You're going to strangle him if you fuss anymore than what you're doing right now," Thom says, and he takes her hands and clasps Elrick's shoulders as his goodbye.

"We'll see you all on Saturday, okay?" Peeta says and gives everyone a hug. He whispers to Katniss' ear, "I miss you already."

Elrick is wide-eyed on the train. He hasn't traveled since he came to the orphanage. His jaw drops when he steps off the train car in Three, unbelieving how different District Three is to Twelve. The buildings, no, the skyscrapers, are high and shiny. Lights are playing along the facade of every building, water fountains shoot elaborate patterns, and cars go everywhere. Everything looks new and polished, and the people walk at a fast pace, talking on phones that fit inside their ears. People are riding on wheels while standing up, zipping through the sidewalk, beeping at people as they pass. This is what a city is, Elrick thought to himself. It's different and mercurial, and its energy buzzes through him.

"So, this is Elrick here, Peeta?" Beetee Latier greets the two at Peeta's office. The light orange walls of Peeta's office are slowly getting filled with children's drawings. Elrick grows nervous but manages to nod towards Panem's brightest mind. Beetee's hair is graying, and his glasses are thick, making his eyes look bigger. He is sitting in an electronic wheelchair that he designed himself.

"Beetee," Peeta greets and hugs his mentor. "This is Elrick, and he will be your assistant this week."

"Wonderful. Pleased to meet you, Elrick," Beetee replies, and they shake hands. "Macy here will give you a tour with all the other young interns, then we will meet at my office to discuss your work assignment." Elrick politely gives his thanks then follows Macy out of the office.

There are so many young people in the building, and Elrick's eyes wander over all of them. He is so used to his friends in the orphanage, and they are never this loud and diverse. One boy is wearing an old-fashioned yellow headset and is humming away to what he is listening to, another is wearing a tie but is sporting shorts as if going to the beach, many are wearing big eyeglasses, and Elrick wonders if it's a trend in the district, there are all sorts of hair colors from bright blue to bleach gray, others are wearing what he deems to be a school uniform, then there is one kid, looking nothing more than ten years old playing video games on his high tech phone. Everything catches Elrick's eyes, and he smiles as the familiar face of Macy takes his group on their tour. They go from floor to floor, and he grabs the railings in the elevator as they are whizzed to the top floor. The tour begins with a view of the city, and Elrick brings out the camera Delly had given him as a present.

Elrick stands in the middle of the group, not wanting to stand out as he is the only one from District 12. His clothes are plain but presentable. He quietly thanks Delly for buying him a new polo shirt. They turn to go to the biotechnology and medical laboratory where Peeta works, and he gives him a wave through the clear glass. Peeta looks at home in the laboratory, so different yet familiar in demeanor when he is in Twelve.

"This is one of the most cutting-edge laboratories in the building," Macy begins proudly. "They develop equipment for doctors, addressing rare diseases and helping patients with disabilities. They develop implants, scanning apparatus, artificial limbs, and more. Right now, they are working on a multi-purpose yet portable scanning device that could be brought into all the districts. This way, citizens don't have to travel far for different tests." Macy stops to allow the interns to look around. On display on a tall, metal shelf are other recent inventions.

"That there is the head of the department, Peeta Mellark," Macy says and gestures her right hand at Peeta. "In my opinion, he's one of the brightest, if not the second brightest, next only to Beetee Latier, in Panem. Why don't we all give the whole team a wave?" They all wave through the glass window, and the engineers stop to acknowledge them in return.

The robotic section always gets the best appreciation from all the departments. Macy is replaced by an AI robot during the tour. The teens ask all sorts of questions, and the robot answers in return, even incorporating a joke where they all laugh. They were given a few minutes to look around, and Elrick freely conversed with one designer. She explains the workings of a robotic hand and shows him a model. The hand mimics the small movements of Elrick's finger as well as generates heat for a more realistic feel. She lets him try the controls, and he beams with excitement to see it pick up a needle on a table.

Their last stop is Beetee's department, where programming and force fields are under development for aerial transportation. Everyone quiets down when Beetee rolls in his wheelchair, and Elrick's fingers run nervously over the camera that hangs on his neck. Beetee gives a brief but encouraging speech before Macy breaks the group into their respective assignments.

"Come, Elrick," Beetee calls, and the whole group suddenly looks at the young man with a camera around his neck. He glances from side-to-side then walks towards his new mentor. "Let's get you started in programming."

Peeta is in Beetee's office, and he relaxes a little from seeing his friend. Beetee introduces him to his head programmer.

"Elrick, meet Mattea Wynfield."

"Pleased to meet you, Ms. Wynfield."

"Please, call me Mattea."

"Mattea," Elrick repeats and gives her a nod.

"Andi!" Mattea suddenly calls to an adjacent room. It startles Elrick, finding it awkward that she shouted in her boss' office.

"Mom, I told you my name now is Dice." Her real name is Candice. But she felt it ill-fitting for her, so she changed her nickname to Dice. Only her family calls her Andi.

Mattea rolls her eyes. "Okay, Dice, meet Elrick. He's from District 12."

Elrick turns around to greet her, and he stops short of breath at the sight of the tall sixteen-year-old. Her hair is dark, thick, and wavy, with bands of purple and yellow. Her skin is kissed by the sun like in summer, her lips are full and pink, but she is not wearing any lipstick. She has a nose and eyebrow piercing which makes her look tough, but her natural, light brown eyes are soft and kind. She's fierce and captivating, easily one of the prettiest girls Elrick has ever seen. Elrick stares for a moment, a stinging feeling kindled inside him. It is not painful but rather dizzying in his enamored state. Peeta clears his throat to bring him back after a few seconds of silence.

"Pleased to meet you, Dice," Elrick finally says and stretches his hand to her. Her hands are much too soft for his calloused ones, but her grip is firm, matching his.

"Hey, Elrick," she says with an easygoing voice. "Twelve, huh? Have you tried programming before?"

"Only from books," he replies, a little downcast.

"Then we will blow your mind here in Programming," Dice says with a whoop, then gestures for them to go. Elrick follows her, forgetting to mind the adults in the room.

"Looks like somebody is a goner," Beetee says while eyeing the two leaving his office.

Peeta just chuckles.

"Elrick!" Delly chirps loudly over the phone. "How's your first day at work? Tell me everything!" Then the voice of Thom is in the background, telling her to tone it down as Elrick is already fourteen.

"It's good. I met Beetee Latier and his team in Programming. I also met Peeta's team in BioTechMed. They gave us a tour of the whole building before we started," Elrick reports as a quick update. "Delly, tell Katniss that Peeta's department is the best here. Well, second best, next to Beetee, and I'm assigned to Beetee's team. I worked with their head programmer, Mattea, and her daughter, Dice. They're really amazing, Delly!"

"More amazing than us?" Delly teases.

"They're different here, so I can't really compare," he says honestly. "Oh, and this lady from robotics had me test a robotic hand! It was so cool!"

"Sounds like you're having fun!"

"I am. Thanks for letting me come again, Delly."

Elrick is to Delly, as Annie is to Katniss. She met him in Thirteen after his parents died in a bombing during the war. They were peacekeepers from District 2 and were killed during a massive assault on the Capitol. Elrick was only seven years old when he became an orphan. He was brought to Thirteen after being found abandoned in an empty apartment. He rode in the supply trains along with other children from different districts. It was in Thirteen where Delly met him. She was working as a nurse in the children's ward, and she kept him company when he would wake up in cold sweats. Elrick's parents loved him dearly and wanted a better Panem for their son, but they didn't have a chance to change sides when they were called to a mission which led to their demise. As a young boy, Elrick carried the shame of his parents for being peacekeepers. He isolated himself from kids from other districts. Delly would bring him books from the meager supply in the library. When he finished all the children's books, Delly eventually started giving him one of the many science books on the shelves, and that's when his love for it began. Delly brought him to Twelve with her when she started the orphanage with Katniss. She worked hard to provide proper counseling and therapy for him. This is why despite all the fussing and over-protection of Delly, Elrick does what he can to indulge her. She has done so much for him. Deep in his heart, he loved Delly very much.

"Peeta and I will have dinner now." Elrick begins his goodbye. "I'll call again tomorrow, okay? Oh, tell Katniss that Peeta has a big dog named Haymitch!" he says with glee.

"Will do! Take care, Elrick. Remember, I love you."

"I love you too, Delly," Elrick replies in a quick whisper.

The days go by too swiftly, a little too fast, for Elrick's liking. He's just about gotten the rhythm in Beetee's office, but then Friday comes, and he has to say goodbye. Mattea invited them all for an informal dinner in their home. They ate casually in her backyard, sharing juicy burgers and sticky barbecue with a bottle of beer. Dice's father gave Elrick his first taste of beer, and Elrick couldn't understand why anyone would drink such a terribly bitter drink. He escapes when Dice drags him to show him her room and the projects that she is working on. He couldn't stop smiling and laughing as she narrated stories of her experiments that turned into disasters. She's experimented a lot and has tabulated everything.

Dice is showing him her collection of data when Elrick finds himself wanting to smell her hair as she sits in front of him. She is browsing through videos of her experiments. When she felt him quiet down, she turned to him and said, "I'm boring you with all my failed experiments. Let's go try my new design in the garage." They test Dice's mini-hovercraft until they are called back to rejoin dinner.

Elrick is now sitting beside a sleeping Peeta in a train car to Twelve. Dice walked with them to the train station, promising to babysit Haymitch while Peeta was away. Dice had given Elrick a hug and an unexpected kiss on his left cheek. His skin still feels hot where her lips were as he remembers the moment. The train is zipping through the tracks, and his mind wanders to a brown-eyed girl who he will only get to see after three months. It will be the longest three months of his young life.

This was a mix and match of stories from different characters. I hope you liked the short trip to Peeta's district!

The fluff at the beginning needs some backstory, I suppose. I think I might just write an outtake for that if there's interest. Let me know if this is a good idea!