Whether it was his baker hours or early morning training, Peeta still woke up before the sun did. He glanced sideways and smiled when he saw Katniss sleeping peacefully. Gently disentangling himself from her arms, he started to lean down to kiss her forehead before he stopped himself. This is a contract, Peeta. She'll never really be yours. Distance yourself and harden your heart. Don't let yourself get hurt.

Sighing, he pulled away and quickly dressed to go running. The training centers in 2 had a gymnasium and lots of machines to help the men stay in shape. 12 had nothing of the sort but Peeta wouldn't let that stop him. He quickly finished making breakfast and decided to leave it for her on the counter. He scrawled a hasty note, grabbed his bottle of water, and ran out the door.


When he entered his house, he sighed and tugged at his shirt. It was drenched from sweat and he reached up to wipe his face. He had run through the meadow to the fence and back, and then had done a hundred pushups in his yard before coming back inside.

He froze when he saw her small frame sitting at the counter, munching on the breakfast he had made. Her eyes widened when she saw him and she dropped the cheesebun to the counter, standing up immediately. She didn't wear a dress, as most women in 12 did, but brown pants and a cream- colored tank top.

"I'm…I'm sorry…your note…I thought they were for me…I mean, that I could have one…I'm sorry if I ate your breakfast. Please let me bake you some more." She almost scoffed at herself; she definitely couldn't bake. But she was afraid of upsetting a Peacekeeper. I mean, what's the punishment for stealing their breakfast, she thought.

He shook his head and crossed to the sink. Katniss watched in wonder as he refilled his water bottle without having to bring in water from another source. Just like Cray's house, there were many luxuries she wasn't used to.

"Katniss don't be ridiculous. I did make them for you. I thought you would like them and I'm glad to see you enjoying them."

"You…made these for me?" He took a long gulp of water and her eyes followed the drop of sweat that dripped down his neck past the collar of his transparent shirt. She mentally chastised herself and her eyes snapped back up to his face.

"When we were fourteen, I tried to make cheesebuns by myself and I was so proud that they were a success. I snuck a few into your locker at school and wanted to dance when I saw how you nearly devoured them all. Of course you saved one for Prim but I knew when I saw you eat the others that they were your favorite." Katniss started to choke on the cheesebun and Peeta passed her a glass of water. After a few gulps, she shook her head.

"What do you mean, you snuck them into my locker?" He said nothing but his gaze held hers and her eyes widened.

"It was you. All those years…it was you! Why didn't I realize that?"

''I didn't really think it would take you too long to figure it out," he said with a slight smirk. "I was the only baker in your class after all." She dropped the cheesebun and wiped her hands clean.

"You could have gotten into such trouble." He merely shrugged and took another swig from his bottle.

"I thought we could go to the Market later to get you some new clothes. I also thought you would like to design your bedroom. I can get things from the Capitol too, if you prefer."

"My own…bedroom?"

"I told you last night that I don't expect you to sleep in my bed. You entered this contract to save your sister and that's exactly what you'll do. You needn't do anything for me save for one thing." She watched him warily and he set the bottle down.

"I would like it very much if we could be friends. The extra bedroom is large and should be comfortable enough for you. We can eat our meals together and you can tell me what you like. I'll try to make life for you here as pleasant as possible."

"Peeta-" she started but he didn't let her continue.

"Five years is the standard marriage contract for a peaceekeeper but we have the option of keeping it open-ended so that you can decide if you want to extend it at the end of five years. Nothing more is required and I'll keep you supplied with a steady allowance but you just tell me if you ever need anything else. I'd be happy to give you an allowance for Prim and your mother as well. I have money that I don't need."

"But Peeta, I-"

"I have to go over to Cray to get your contract and then I'll need to go to the Justice Building to have the name corrected. You're welcome to plan the toasting yourself, I mean, the wedding, I really don't mind."

"Peeta I don't want-"

"Or we could just stick with a standard contract with no marriage," he said quickly, sensing her alarm. "As I said, I'd like us to be friends. Nothing more. You don't have to marry me. And of course nothing else is required. You wouldn't need to-"

"Peeta will you shut up for one second!" His mouth clamped shut and he stared at her in awe and surprise. She looked angry but at her own outburst, she clapped a hand to her mouth and shook her head. Speaking like that to a Peacekeeper could get her into trouble. She chewed on her bottom lip.

"I'm…I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to disrespect you. You just…everything you're saying is making my head spin. I just need a moment." He nodded slowly.

"You're right. I'm sorry. This is a lot to take in. I need to wash up and then go over to Commander Cray's house. Why don't you rest and I'll be back in a little while?"

"Sir…Peeta…we really need to talk." He cupped her chin gently and she stifled her natural reaction to tear away.

"And we will. I'll be back later and we can eat lunch. I'll answer whatever questions you have. In the meantime, you can get rid of 'sir' too. I dislike it almost as much as 'Officer'."

He started to lean in and she found herself leaning toward him. She wanted him to kiss her, she realized. If even on the forehead. She had seen her father do it to her mother countless times and it always looked so sweet. She didn't know why she was craving such meaningless gestures. This was just a business contract, after all. And Peeta would never see her as anything more than a friend. He had said so himself. So she leaned back in her chair and nodded while he passed by her to go to his bathroom. She picked up another cheesebun and savored the rich flavors. She didn't know how to feel, to know that he had snuck her food in the past. She hadn't even thanked him for the bread yet. Now she owed him for more? Sighing, she chewed her food quietly before washing it down with the water. When she finished, she washed the dishes in the sink (marveling that she didn't have to wash them in a pot) and she looked around the kitchen. It was neat and tidy, unlike Cray's. There wasn't a lot of cleaning for her to do. She would have to ask Peeta when he got out of the shower what he expected from her. If there was any housework to be done, or if she needed to knit or sew. Not that she knew how to do either of those things but she was sure Prim could teach her.

She gasped; Prim! Would the medicine make it to 12 today?

The door opened and Peeta walked out, toweling his damp hair. He was dressed in crisp black pants and a blue shirt. She was relieved he wasn't wearing his peacekeeper uniform. She agreed with Madge; they looked like robots and she couldn't imagine Peeta like that.

"Peeta, could I maybe go see my sister today?" He threw the towel in the corner and frowned.

"You don't need my permission to do what you want, Katniss. You can go see your family whenever you want. I would never stop you from visiting them."

"Ryen said the medicine should be here today. I could go wait for it?"

"I'll accompany you to the train station later. Since a Mellark made the order, a Mellark should pick it up. And it won't be in until this afternoon." She nodded and glanced at her worn pants and bit her lip.

"I thought I could go with you…I mean, if you don't mind. Is this alright to wear to the Justice Building?"

"We're just filling out some paperwork. There's no call to impress. Are you ready then?" She nodded and he tucked a few papers into his back pocket.

"Wait!" She ran back into the bedroom for something, then returned quickly, stuffing something into her back pocket. When he opened the door, he offered her his arm, just as Ryen had. She took it with no hesitation and ignored the stares that met them as they walked through town. Did Mr. and Mrs. Mellark know their sons were back? Katniss became frightened of the gossip that would be circulating later. Peeta looked straight ahead as they walked and Katniss found herself missing the smile that made his lips curve upward and his whole face light up.

They stopped in front of Cray's house and Peeta took Katniss's hand.

"I think it would be better for you to wait for me out here." She squeezed his hand gratefully. She had no desire to ever set foot inside that house again. She walked around the side of the house and leaned against it as Peeta knocked on the door.

"Well, Officer Mellark. What can I do for you?"

"Sir, I have a certain order of business that needs attending to regarding a transaction between you and my brother."

"Ah, I assume you're referring to that sweet piece of ass I let walk out of my home yesterday?"

"Commander, Ryen made the purchase for me and I just need the copy of Miss Everdeen's contract so I can make the proper corrections."

"Ah so you're the lucky recipient. Wait right here, let me find the damned paper." Katniss peered around the corner to see Peeta waiting in the doorway, his face flushed red. She heard Cray's heavy footsteps and slipped back out of view.

"Stupid wench didn't understand what she was signing, it seems. You can see you have all legal rights. Unfortunately I didn't exercise my rights because as she kept reminding me, I wasn't her legal husband yet. So I guess you're lucky. She claims she's untouched but you know her type, boy, I'm sure she's been to the slag heap a time or two." Katniss's jaw dropped and her face reddened. Would Peeta believe him that she wasn't a virgin? Then she heard something that made her heart drop.

"Seam sluts are all the same, aren't they sir?" Cray chuckled and clapped Peeta's shoulder.

"You've got that right. But she's hardworking and has a strong build. She's got a pretty mouth on her too, so mind you put that to use." Cray shot him a wink and Peeta felt his hands ball into fists.

"Of course, sir," he replied. "I certainly intend to."

"I've already taught her a few things that I'm sure you'll enjoy," Katniss's face burned. "I look forward to attending the wedding."

"We'll be glad to have you there."

"Don't forget to report to the barracks for a meeting at seventeen hundred hours tonight."

"Yes sir, of course."

"I'm sure it will be hard to tear yourself away from your new fuck toy but don't be late, Mellark." Both men nodded and the door slammed shut.

"Son of a bitch," Peeta spat under his breath. He glanced down at the paper in his hand and gripped it tightly in his fist. Sighing, he turned away and made his way down the stairs. He frowned when he did not see Katniss waiting for him.

"Katniss?" He took a few steps and his head swiveled around.

"Katniss!" He turned on the spot and lifted his hand to his hair. Could something have happened to her? Could someone have taken her while he was distracted? Could she have run away, wanting to be as far away from him as possible?

He released a little groan and looked around. His eyes narrowed as he saw a slender figure in the distance, leaning against a large apple tree. He sucked in a breath as he realized it was the bakery, his childhood home. As he approached, he saw Katniss sitting against the tree, her knees tucked into her chest. She looked much the same as she had that horrible day. He cast the bakery a quick look before he knelt in front of her.

"Katniss?" His voice was gentle and kind but she didn't want to look up.

"Katniss, what's wrong?" She shrugged off his touch but still didn't look up.

"Talk to me. Please," he said urgently. Her head shot up and he was startled to see tears streaming down her cheeks. But her eyes flashed and she looked furious. She struggled to her feet and shook him off when he tried to help her.

"Well?"

"Um…well," he said, taken aback by her bizarre behavior.

"The slag heap is just over that hill, Peeta, if you want to take me there."

"What?" His eyes widened and he took a step backwards.

"Stupid me, you're a peacekeeper now. Why would you frequent the slag heap when you have a warm bed all to yourself? So take me to your home then. Take the Seam slut home." Horror etched in his face as he started to understand why she was acting this way.

"Katniss-"

"My word is obviously not good enough so take me home and make me yours! It'll prove to you that I'm a virgin!" He reached out for her but she stamped her foot and jumped back.

"Or no you don't want that, do you? You said you wouldn't use me that way. You'll just use my mouth to make you feel good? You want me to get down on my knees for you right here? You don't want to "use" me but you'll teach me things, like Cray did-"

"Stop it," he hissed, gripping her arms tightly. She gasped at his rough touch and his face was inches from hers.

"If Cray heard you talking like this to a peacekeeper, he'd have you whipped. So watch. Your. Tongue." She fell silent but kept her chin lifted defiantly. He glanced down to where he was gripping her arms and immediately released her. She gingerly rubbed at her arm and he sighed.

"I can't believe you would actually think…me, of all people…" he trailed off and she glanced up to see his head dropped down on his chest.

"I can't believe you would think so little of me," he muttered under his breath.

"I heard what you said," she said, somewhat defensively. His eyes slammed shut and he turned away.

"Did it ever cross your mind that I was playing a part? To keep us both safe? Did it ever occur to you that being back in 12 is strange for me? That this isn't how I imagined us meeting again? Did it even occur to you that maybe I don't want a wife? No one really asked me if I wanted to marry you!" She inhaled quickly, wrapping her arms around herself to lessen the sting.

But her heart hurt. She stared at the boy she once knew, the boy she might have loved, and realized that she could do so much worse. He had been the one who kept her alive and now he was doing it again. He said himself he didn't expect anything from her, so why couldn't she keep her mouth shut?

Her hands dropped to her sides and she chewed on her lip.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Peeta," when he didn't react or turn back to her, she sighed. "I know you didn't ask for this. So just tear up my contract and I'll go back home. I'll pay you and Ryen back when I can."

"Ryen paid twice as much as Cray's original purchase for you. How do you think you'll pay him back?" She stiffened and stood up straight.

"I'll find a way. I don't let debts go unpaid." Except one. She hadn't even thanked him, she reminded herself angrily. " I'll see myself home. Officer." She winced as she turned and started to walk away.

"Katniss," he called and she immediately stopped in her tracks. "I remember about the bread." She turned slowly to find him standing beside the tree. His hand was pressed against the bark and his face was lifted, though his eyes were closed.

"I was…supposed to make sure the bread didn't burn," he stammered. "And I was watching my father decorate a cake. I always loved to watch him decorate. Mom was out front with my brothers and it was just Dad and I…I loved those moments. Whenever Mom was around, she'd constantly remind me how useless I was. How I was good for nothing. More often than not, her harsh words were accompanied by a sharp slap." Katniss's eyes widened as she stared at him; he seemed lost in his memories.

"I heard her yelling and then I ran to the window. And I saw you. You were crying against this tree and you looked so…god, you were so close to death. I'd seen you at school. You always tried to hide it but you didn't eat at lunch and your clothes were always too big. You gave whatever you had to your sister. You put on a brave face and pretended to be fine but I knew you weren't. And when I saw you in our yard…I knew I had to do something. So I knocked the bread into the fire and Mom saw. She hit me with her rolling pin and told me to feed it to the pigs. I didn't though. I threw it to you and watched you run home with it," he paused to swallow a few times and Katniss blinked back tears, the memories flooding through her.

"The next day at school, I…I wanted to talk to you but couldn't. Mom had hit me a few more times the night before and there were bruises on my face…I just watched you. I watched you pick a dandelion and then you ran off to get your sister. I watched you after that and was glad when things got better. You started to trade with my dad and I watched you walking to the fence. You got better and I was...I was so happy." His head jerked up when he noticed she was standing right in front of him.

"And then you painted this?" She reached into her back pocket and withdrew the painting of the dandelion. His eyes widened as he took it from her and he looked back up at her.

"Where…how did you get this?"

"Your dad gave it to me on my birthday. He said…you would have wanted me to have it. My name is on the front," she pointed out needlessly. He nodded, his eyes traveling over the piece of art.

"I made this for you that day I saw you pluck the dandelion. I wanted to put it in your locker but I was too scared." She placed her hand over his and he swallowed.

"I should have gone to you. I should have gone out into the rain and handed you that bread. I should have done more."

"You couldn't have," she tried to soothe him. "Your mother hit you for burning bread. What would she have done if she had seen you talking to me? Helping me?"

"I don't care," he growled. "I should have done everything I could to keep you alive. Instead I threw you a couple of measly loaves of bread."

"Those measly loaves of bread saved our lives," she said, taking his hand in hers. "I ran home and took it to Prim and we ate for the first time in days. At school, I wanted to talk to you…I wanted to thank you but I saw the bruises and knew it was my fault. So I was too much of a coward. But I saw the dandelions and remembered my father telling me about edible plants. So I ran to get Prim and we collected all the dandelions we could. We ate better than we had in months. Mom came back to us and cooked for us. I hunted and traded with your father and things did get better. Thanks to you."

"I didn't do anything, Katniss," he said in a pained voice.

"You saved my life," she whispered, leaning up to kiss his cheek. He gasped at the feel of her lips on his skin and she drew back, her eyes searching his. She leaned back in and kissed his other cheek, his jaw line, his nose, and his eyelids. Every spot that had been marred by his mother. Her soft 'thank you's painted his skin and Peeta let out a tiny moan. He tilted his head, so Katniss rested her palm on his cheek.

"Why did you disappear," she said softly. "What happened to you?" Peeta opened his mouth to speak but shut it and looked around.

"Not here," he shook his head. "Let's go home and we can talk."

"Weren't we supposed to go to the Justice Building first?"

"I think answering your questions is more important right now." He held out his hand and she stared at it for a moment; his look of hurt vanished as soon as she slid her hand into his and he lead her back home.