This chapter contains a bunch of Everlark smut! just read at your own risk ;)


The baker was the only one behind the counter and there was one customer in the bakery. Peeta waved to his father when they entered and grabbed a chair for Katniss to sit.

"Are you hungry?" She shook her head but her stomach emitted a loud growl. Peeta's brow raised and he let himself behind the counter, patting his father's shoulder as he passed. He grabbed a napkin and plated a couple of pastries and a croissant, which he carried back to his wife.

"Can't lie to me," he said as he placed a quick kiss on her hair.

"Well hello, Lieutenant," his father said cheerfully, once the customer had gone.

"Dad, please. No uniform, no titles."

"No Head Peacekeeper at your side," he said quietly. "Hello again, Katniss, dear." Katniss smiled, her mouth full of buttery croissant.

"I'm sorry about earlier, Dad-"

"Peeta, I know how things are now. Heck I knew how they would be when they came and took you away in the night. It's not your fault." Peeta gave him a sad smile and pressed his palms to the counter.

"Where's Mom?"

"She just finished the books and went upstairs to nap." Peeta sighed.

"I wish you had more help around here, Pop. You're getting too old to do all of this alone."

"What's this old business? I'm fit as a fiddle, Peet." He held up his arms, showing Peeta his muscles and he winked. Peeta chuckled as he sat beside Katniss and

picked at the danish.

"Maybe I can have a grandson come help me in the bakery one day," the baker said with a wink. "Or a granddaughter. That would make your mother happy." Peeta nearly choked on his pastry and his eyes watered.

"Dad please," he gasped. The baker laughed heartily as he cleaned the cases. Peeta shot Katniss an apologetic look but she was studying the croissant intently. He allowed himself, just for a moment, to imagine a little girl sitting beside them, with blonde curls and Katniss's stormy eyes. As quickly as the image had appeared, it vanished and the danish suddenly tasted like cardboard.

"So are Madge and Rye having a tasting, or do they just want to pick something," he twisted around in his seat to address his father.

"I think they just want to pick something small. Madge mentioned earlier that she doesn't really want another cake but she doesn't want to disappoint her mother."

"Her mother is making some rather extravagant requests," Katniss mumbled. Bran nodded delicately.

"Her only daughter is getting married. It's not surprising."

"It's still a District 12 wedding," Peeta shook his head. "I mean, they should know, above all, how poor the district is."

"I'll provide a cake for your brother's wedding, son," Bran said patiently. "I made Bing's, I made yours, and I'll make his."

"One cake is enough, Dad." Bran sighed but didn't say anything else.

"Well they should be here soon enough. You two want to stay for dinner?"

"Thanks Pop but Madge invited us to have dinner with her family. I need to speak to her father anyway so it works out." Questions appeared in Bran's eyes but he said nothing.

"Can I get you anything else, Katniss?"

"Oh no sir, Mr. Mellark but thank you."

"Please Katniss, it's Bran. You're family now, you know." She was grateful he hadn't asked her to call him dad.

"Ok Bran."

"Well I need to finish decorating a wedding cake before it gets too late. Unless you want to finish it for me, Peet?" Peeta's brow quirked.

"Sure Pop, I can finish it for you."

"Attaboy. It's a fairly simple design. Ten buttercream roses and I already did two of them."

"You got it," Peeta was already pulling on an apron and pushing the kitchen door open.

"Hey son, maybe Katniss would like to watch you work." Peeta paused, his hand on the door.

"Oh, um...sure. You're welcome to come back here with me." She glanced sideways at the baker, who was smiling, before she nodded and stood up.

"If you're sure it's ok." Bran held the counter up for her to follow Peeta into the kitchen and her eyes widened at the size of the ovens in the corner. Peeta went straight to the cake on the counter, inspecting it closely.

"Easy enough," he muttered to himself. He pulled a chair up to the counter and studied the supplies his father had left out. Katniss tentatively picked up a chair and brought it close to the counter but not so close that she would be a distraction. She watched him pick up a bag of frosting. His hand was steady, his eyes were determined, and his tongue poked out the corner of his mouth as he worked. She watched with wide eyes as his nimble hands created the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen. He set the flowers around the tiers and did not speak while he worked. She had come closer, her look of wonder finally drawing his concentration away from the cake.

"You look so awe-struck," he chuckled softly.

"I am," she shook her head. "I've never seen…I mean, you are very talented."

"Well thank you. Dad used to let me decorate the cakes. Ours was the first one I have worked on since I was taken to 2."

"Do you miss it?"

"A bit, yeah. It's tedious work sometimes but I still enjoy it. Here." He handed her a small pink flower and her brow furrowed.

"Why are you handing this to me?"

"I made too many," he said dismissively but she knew better. She uncertainly licked at one of the petals and her eyes closed as the sugar assaulted her tongue.

"Good?" He was watching her out of the corner of his eye, his lips curved upward.

"This should have been in my wedding bouquet." Peeta laughed and she found that she loved the sound.

"That sounds like something the Capitol would do. Sugar flower bouquets." He fell silent as he outlined the tiers in colored icing, his hand sure and steady. Katniss

savored her sugar flower for as long as she could. She heard voices on the other side of the door but couldn't look away from Peeta's work. When the door opened, Peeta didn't even look up.

"Baby bro has still got it," someone whistled.

"What did I say about that baby bro stuff," Peeta shook his head.

"He's going to hit you one of these times and I won't do a thing to stop him," Madge tossed her hair and Bran laughed.

"Looks great, Peet. You almost finished?"

"Yep. I just finished the scalloped edges. Want me to set it in the fridge?"

"That'd be great. She's coming to pick it up in the morning."

"So many toastings this weekend," Katniss laughed from her seat.

"Yeah but the Mayor's daughter's toasting is the highlight of the season," Peeta said when he came back.

"Lucky us," Rye said, wrinkling his nose. Bran chuckled and started to turn.

"Well let me get my sketch book and you can tell me what you want for your second cake."

"No fancy designs, Dad," Rye shook his head. "Madge and I both agreed, just a plain white cake with white frosting. Maybe some of Peeta's sugar roses on it. That's all we need."

"Are you sure, son?"

"This wedding is already way more extravagant than I ever wanted," Madge shrugged. "All that matters to me is that I get to marry the boy I've had a crush on forever."

"Thought that was Gale Hawthorne," Rye teased and received an elbow in the ribs for his cheek. "Ouch!"

"Serves you right," Katniss smirked. Ryen rubbed the spot gingerly and huffed.

"You were the one who told me you had a crush on him!"

"Years ago! Don't make me regret marrying you." Ryen smirked but Peeta's mind swam. So he had been right; Madge had had a thing for Gale at one point. From the way that Katniss was smirking, she already knew about it.

"It's not like we are in the Capitol, so I don't know why people are making such a fuss over a wedding," Madge went on to say.

"Well, maybe it's more than the festivities," Katniss said in a soft voice. "Maybe it's that we are all so starved for something good to happen that everyone wants to be part of it." Everyone stared at her and her cheeks reddened. Peeta wanted to sweep her into his arms and kiss her breathless.

"Smart AND pretty," Ryen finally said with a smile and a wink toward Peeta. "You lucked out, Peet."

"Don't I know it," he said softly, slipping his hand into hers and squeezing.

"Would you mind making some blue roses for our cake, Peeta? Just a few."

"I'd be happy to, Madge. If you're sure that's all you want."

"Our other cake is fancy enough," she assured him. "We don't need more than that."

"Well, glad that didn't take long. Shall we head to your house? My stomach is growling."

"You're not going to change first?" Peeta quirked a brow at his brother, who frowned and looked down.

"Oh...yeah, I guess I should."

"We will wait." Ryen nodded and grabbed his bag from the corner of the room.


They said goodbye to the baker and both men offered their arms to Madge and Katniss. Peeta and Ryen looked straight ahead as they walked through the district but both girls gaped as they passed the square. Huge scaffolds had been erected as well as several other devices they had no idea about.

"Don't look," Peeta said out of the corner of his mouth. Katniss bit her lip but tried to look ahead as the boys were doing. A few peacekeepers called out to Peeta and he ackowledged them with a nod. Katniss gripped his arm tightly, grateful that he wasn't dressed in his uniform but still feeling tension roll off her in waves. Peeta did not release her until they were standing on Madge's front porch and she sighed as she pushed the door open.

"Mama? Daddy, we're here!" The Mayor came to greet them, shaking hands with the men.

"Dinner will be ready shortly. Madge, I've gotten a few questions about the music at your ceremony. I thought you could write down a few songs you would like."

"Oh Daddy, it's fine if they just play. I don't need particular songs. This can be a party, something to make the district people forget their problems for an hour or two."

"Well, alright, if that's what-"

"I do have one request," she cut him off and turned to Katniss. "Would you sing?"

"What?" Katniss's eyes widened.

"Please Katniss. I have heard you have the most beautiful voice in the district."

"Who told you that," she shot a look toward Peeta, who shook his head.

"People talk. They said your dad was the best singer in 12 and that his daughter takes after him. Just one song is all I ask."

"I...um…"

"Think about it," she said gently. "I'd be so grateful though. I have heard you before, you know."

"Wait, what? When?"

"You were walking with Prim and singing to yourself. It was lovely." Katniss looked panic-stricken and bit her lip. Madge's eager smile fell slightly.

"You don't have to, of course. I wouldn't want you to feel embarassed. I just think it would be lovely."

"I'll...I'll think about it." Madge nodded in thanks and Peeta turned to her father.

"Mayor Undersee, I was hoping I could have a word with you before dinner?"

"Of course, Lieutenant Mellark. Let's step into my study." Peeta made to follow the mayor upstairs.

"Rye, you should come too." Ryen nodded and followed the men up the stairs. Madge huffed.

"Let's let the boys talk. Come on, Katniss, we can probably sneak a dessert before dinner is served." She tugged Katniss into the kitchen, dodging the cook.


Peeta was quiet as they walked back home, his arm trembling slightly as she held on. She wanted to ask him what he and Ryen talked to the mayor about but he seemed anxious to get them home quickly. The sun had set and Peeta's eyes kept darting around. No one had given them any trouble yet but he did not stop to chat to anyone and Katniss struggled to keep up with his brisk pace.

When they were inside their house, he leaned against the door and sighed deeply.

"Did you think we would have some trouble?"

"I didn't know what we would face. We will have to be careful about this curfew. We can't give Thread any reasons to retalliate. I'm going to call Rye to make sure he made it home ok." Katniss wandered into the bedroom while she listened to him talking to his brother. It had been a day of emotions and she felt tired and alert

at the same time. She heard Peeta enter the bedroom, sighing with relief.

"He's ok?"

"He's fine. I was afraid he wouldn't take the rules seriously but he seems to understand Thread being here isn't the best news. I mean he should understand, after everything…" he glanced up at her and cleared his throat, seemingly aware of what he was saying.

"Anyway. Do you want to get ready for bed?"

"I was actually thinking of taking a shower, if that's alright." He nodded and pulled his shirt off.

"Go right ahead. I think I'll take one too. Um, after you, I mean." She chewed on her lip and turned toward the shower for a moment, before turning back to him. He watched her with a bemused expression.

"You could join me," she finally said. His eyes widened and his lips parted in surprise.

"Are you...are you sure?" She looked back at the bathroom and nodded.

"Yes. Yes." He nodded and took her outstretched hand. She leaned over and turned the water on, jumping back when the stream cascaded down. His touch was gentle, almost hesitant, as he pulled her shirt over her head. He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned in to kiss her neck.

"You're sure, Katniss," he questioned softly. She nodded, though she didn't turn to face him. She felt her face heat up as his hand slid under her bra and she held her arms up so he could pull it off. He didn't try to turn her around; his hands slid across her back and his lips left soft kisses on her shoulder as he moved his hands down to the button of her pants. She tilted her head back and his lips moved down the smooth skin of her neck. He walked around in front of he knelt before her, like he was ready to wordship her. His eyes never left hers as he pulled her pants down her legs and her teeth dug into her lip as she watched him, her hands gripping his shoulders. He hooked his fingers in the side of her panties and with another questioning glance, they joined the rest of her clothes on the floor. The hot water was starting to make the room unbearably muggy and he stood in front of her, his hands curving around her hips.

"So beautiful," he whispered and she wondered if he had meant to say it aloud. She pushed his undershirt over his head then removed the rest of his clothing as tenderly as he had done for her. When they were both naked, he pulled her hand to his lips. She moved the cloth aside and pulled him backward, wrapping her arms around his strong frame once they were both inside. She shivered as the hot water beat down on her back, although it was probably more from the way his tongue prodded hers. His hands moved up to cup her breasts, his fingers tweaking her nipples. He was gentle at first, but his caresses became more eager. Her nails scratched his back and shoulders as she met his passionate kisses. He broke their kiss and she was confused for a moment until she saw his sly smile. He dropped to his knees, his hands running up and down her thighs.

"Peeta-" he looked up at her as her voice shook and he rested his chin on her belly.

"Will you allow it?" She smiled weakly, feeling her arousal growing at the dark intensity that was swirling in his bright eyes.

"I'll allow it." He kissed his way down her belly, his tongue swiping up her slit as he draped one of her legs over his shoulder. She cried out, one hand pressed against the wall and the other frantically holding onto him. Her nails dug into his flesh but he didn't let up; his eyes remained locked on hers as his talented tongue brought her to a screeching halt. She leaned against the wall, whimpering when she became too sensitive. He sat on his knees for a moment, wrapping his arms around her legs and resting his cheek against her stomach. She reached down to finger his curls and he closed his eyes; his long lashes tickled her skin and she smiled.

"Can I do anything for you?"

"No. I wanted to do that for you. You don't need to do anything." She pouted, still hating that he gave so much and asked for so little in return.

"Can I wash your hair?" He glanced up at her and nodded. She reached for his shampoo and lathered it in her hands, moving aside a little so the water could reach him. He closed his eyes as she stood over him, her nails scraping his scalp in a delicious way. He sat still, despite the growing discomfort in his knee, and let her tend to him.

"Go ahead and stand up." He rose to his feet and kissed her as she pushed him under the water. He shook his head as the soap streamed down his face and she moved aside so he could splash the water in his eyes. She leaned into his back, leaving gentle kisses over his spine. He shivered as her hand reached around and rested on his pelvis. His breathing grew heavier as she stroked him slowly, the water making him sleek and smooth. His hand came up to rest on hers, stopping her and he turned to kiss her.

"I don't want this to be over with already." She didn't altogether understand but he pulled her hand to his lips and released it. She reached past him for the shampoo bottle and he cupped her chin.

"Can I?" She smiled as she handed it over and he poured a generous amount into his hand.

"You'll have to unbraid it first." She fingered the end of her braid for a moment before she quickly unbraided it and let it fall down her back. Peeta moved his hands through her hair and she nearly released a moan at how good it felt.

"Ok, let's rinse it out." She leaned her head back and let him scrub the suds out, her wet hair slapping her back. She turned to face the water and lifted her face, relishing how the heat felt on her skin. Peeta stood behind her, his chest pressed to her back and his arms wrapped around her. He shuffled around, attempting to lean his lower half away from her but she reached behind to knead his ass. He moaned, thrusting his hips forward and she felt his erection prodding her. She reached behind her, gripping him tightly and he leaned forward to shut the water off.

"Let me get you a towel." He returned quickly, wrapping her in the rough cloth and he kissed her forehead. She watched him while he grabbed another towel and unashamedly stood in the middle of the bathroom, toweling his hair. Her eyes were drawn to that thing of curiosity that rested between his legs, which was pointing almost straight up. He noticed her staring and hurriedly wrapped the towel around his waist. It almost looked painful; was that why he was hiding it? She wrapped the towel around her frame and padded into the bedroom to find some clean clothes. Peeta followed and she glanced behind her; she couldn't stop looking down

at the bulge underneath the towel. Her father had always told her curiosity would kill the kitten but she couldn't help herself.

"Peeta?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I...kiss you?" His brow quirked and he stroked her cheek with his knuckles.

"You know you don't have to ask, Katniss. I told you that I'm yours." She leaned up to kiss him and he cupped her face with both hands. She pulled the towel away from his waist and he gasped against her lips. She wasted no time in dropping to her knees in front of him and his eyes widened. She looked directly into his eyes as she licked a trail from the base to the tip and she leaned back to see how he would react. When he didn't stop her, she opened her mouth wide and hollowed out her cheeks, remembering to cover her teeth so she wouldn't hurt him.

"Oh my god, Katniss," he said through gritted teeth, throwing his head back. Her knees were getting sore but she wanted to do this for him. She actually loved the flush in his cheeks, the wild look in his eyes, and the way his teeth dug into his bottom lip. She couldn't say that she loved the act itself but it was worth it, to see Peeta this way.

"C'mere. More comfortable." He tugged her toward the bed and fell backwards, pulling her down with him. Her towel came open and he flung it to the floor. She had to admit the soft bed was better for her knees and she hummed her appreciation as she took him into her mouth again.

"Oh! Fffffuck!" His hips jerked upwards and she wrapped her hand around him, twisting in the motion he had showed her. She glanced up to see if he was still watching her but his head was thrown back onto the pillow, his hands clenched the sheets with white knuckles, and droplets of sweat dripped down his throat.

Katniss doubled her efforts, experimenting with her tongue and lips to see what made him writhe the most. She had always been an eager learner; whenever her father showed her something, she was determined to perfect it. When Gale started to show her traps and snares, she paid close attention so that she could do it without any help.

She remembered what he had told her last time and put his teachings to good use.

"Katniss- I can't...I'm going to...oh damn." He reached for her, and she jumped as his hand landed on her ass. His fingers slid through her folds and he pushed one inside. She tried to concentrate on her pace but her head was getting foggy as his thumb made frantic circles. He seemed determined to make her finish first, as he pushed a second finger inside her. She moved her hand down to cup his sac and that was his undoing.

"Katniss!" She nearly gagged as he exploded but this was what she wanted, she told herself. She didn't want him to pull away again. She wanted to taste him completely. It wasn't pleasant, she admitted, but his heaving chest and his blissful expression made her proud of herself. He collapsed backwards, his arm thrown over his face, his other hand gripping his own hair.

"I'm dreaming," he grunted. "This has got to be a dream."

"How many dreams like this have you had?" He peeked at her from underneath his arm and looked sheepish.

"An embarassing amount, actually." She went pink but he leaned up to kiss her, holding her face in his hands.

"Now lie down and let me take care of you."

"You've already made me...you know."

"Oh Katniss. We have all night. I don't have to go into work until tomorrow afternoon." He smirked as his hand slid down between her legs. They snapped closed around his hand and she swallowed.

"Can you...I mean, will you be able to...uh, finish, again?"

"It will take me a little while to recover but I can make you cum again."

"Cum?"

"Um, yeah. That's what Ryen and Bing call it. Another word for orgasm. What we've both done tonight."

"I don't know anything about... all of this," she huffed. He grinned as he cupped her chin.

"I like that you're innocent. And for the record, I really don't know that much about it either. Only what my brothers have taught me."

"But you've done things," she protested. "More than I have, anyway."

"We can learn together," he said patiently. "And we will only do what you are comfortable with. The moment you tell me to stop, I will." He had told her this many times before and she knew he meant it.

"There's more we can do? Without going all the way, I mean?" He nodded as he leaned in to kiss her neck.

"Plenty. And apparently women can have multiple orgasms, so I look forward to learning all the different ways I can make you cum." Her breathing hitched as he took her breast into his mouth, kneading it in a way only a baker could.

"Are you upset that we haven't...gone all the way yet?" He froze and leaned back to study her.

"No, Katniss, of course not. I told you only what you are comfortable with and I meant it. I told you before, sex shouldn't be taken lightly. I'm ecstatic enough to kiss you. The rest, well...I just count my lucky stars every night."

"But you want... sex."

"I'm not going to lie and say I don't fantasize of being with you in that way," he said gently. "But you can't even say the word without shaking. You're not ready and that's ok. Being with you is a miracle, however you'll let me. We will figure it out as we go." She was overcome with the fear of rejection, that he didn't actually want that with her but another voice in her head told her she was being stupid. He's just being a good man. He won't push you and you should be happy with that.

"I'm getting a little hungry. What do you say I whip up something for us to eat?"

"Ok. As long as…" she trailed off and his brow raised.

"As long as what?"

"As long as we can come back to this later." Both of his eyebrows shot high into his hair and his lips curved upward.

"Well then both of us need to keep up our strength."


All it really took was Katniss moaning his name and tugging at his pajama pants to make him harden again. Once they were back in the bedroom, his lips latched onto her throat as he pushed her shirt off and threw it aside.

"Katniss. Do you mind if I try something?" She glanced down and saw him watching her intently. He gave her a shy smile before leaning forward to wrap his tongue around her nipple.

"Ah! O- Ok," she stammered.

"Do you trust me?"

"You know I do. Oh!" He grinned as he moved his tongue under her breast, to the valley of her chest, before continuing his sweet torture on the other side.

"Tell me immediately if something is uncomfortable for you. I need you to trust me. This...this isn't what it looks like." She frowned and tried to sit up.

"What do you mean?"

"You asked me if there was more we could do. There's something I have been wanting to try but only if you're ok with it."

"How do I know I'm ok with it if I don't know what it is?" He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Logic didn't belong in the bedroom. Especially when they were both behaving worse than horny teenagers.

"Just tell me if you want me to stop."

"But-" he kissed her and her protests flew out of her head. She'd never kissed anyone before Peeta, it was true (she refused to think about her actual first kiss...she would not let herself think about it) but she couldn't imagine it would feel this incredible with anyone else. He was never forceful but still passionate and left her wanting more. He spread her legs and wrapped them around his waist, so her heels were pressing into his lower back. She jumped as he moved closer, his cock pressing insistently against her center. He wrapped his hand around his shaft and stroked a few times, tapping his head gently against her folds. She sucked in a breath as he thrust forward, sliding along her slit. He watched her closely as he held himself in his hand, thrusting his hips so he was sliding back and forth.

"Ohhh," she breathed out, shuddering at how good it felt.

"You feel amazing," he moaned. "You are so incredible, Katniss. How does this feel?"

"It feels...it's really good." He pushed a finger inside her and curved, making her dig her nails into his thigh.

"Peeta!"

"Stay with me, Katniss," he grunted. He spread her wet folds and his eyes fluttered as he grinded against her clit. If this was already so amazing...what would it be like when he was finally inside her?

Don't go there, Peeta, he told himself firmly. He lost his rhythm for a moment and bit his lip.

"Do you want to be on top?" She leaned up on her elbows and her brow furrowed.

"I don't really know-"

"I'll help you," he held out his hand and switched places so he was lying on his back. She straddled his legs and his hands rested on her hips.

"Move up just a little," he pulled her forward and they both gasped when their centers were aligned again.

"Just...move until it feels good." She moved her hips, sliding back and forth just as he had done. His fingers squeezed her hips and as she became more confident in her movements, she pressed her palms to his chest. He moved his hands up to her breasts, his eyes locked on hers. She faltered for a moment before she increased her pace, throwing her head back completely. Peeta groaned and leaned up to wrap his arms around her, trailing his tongue down her throat.

"Peeta! I'm...I think…"

"Me too," he growled. "Katniss, I want us to cum together. Are you close?"

"I...I think so!" Peeta moved his thumb from her breast to her clit and her hand flew backwards to grip his leg. He had never seen something as beautiful as an impassioned Katniss. He was covered in her desire and he absolutely loved it. She nearly collapsed backwards but he held her in his arms as they rode out their climaxes together. He hid his face in her chest and her hand rested on his head.

"Wow," she said weakly.

"When I can move again, I'll bring you a towel to clean up with."

"Hmmm, it's ok." He pulled her down to the bed and she snuggled up beneath his chin.

"I sort of like experimenting with you." He laughed softly, his hand stroking her back.

"I like experimenting with you too. I never thought, in a million years, I would be lying here with you like this."

"I wish you had talked to me in school," she said tiredly. "I mean, I wish you had said something when we were younger...before you disappeared."

"I do too. But as we have already established, you were intimidating. And I was a fool. There's nothing we can do about it now."

"So are you going to tell me what you had to talk to Madge's father about?" His lips on her forehead made her even more sleepy.

"We can talk in the morning. You get some rest."

"Mm. Ok. Good night, Peeta."

"Sleep well, my love." She fell asleep before he got it out and snored softly in his arms. He wished he could join her in her dreams but he had work to do. He carefully disentangled himself from her arms and pulled on a pair of shorts, before crossing over to the corner and finding a box full of papers and documents. He glanced at Katniss to make sure he hadn't woken her before digging into the box. Finding the folder he needed, he held it to his chest and tiptoed to the kitchen.

He set the folder on the table and opened it up. A serious expression covered his face as he rifled through the papers imapatiently, finally finding what he was looking for. His eyes darted across the page until he jumped to his feet and ran to the phone in the corner. He glanced at the number on his hand before dialing.

"Hello?"

"This is Peeta Mellark."

"Ah. Glad you finally called, kid. We have some work to do."