Hey y'all! How's everyone doing? Look! It's the first chapter in the present canon timeline! Long time no see buddy...it's been what, 8 years since the movie and 12 years since the book first came out? Man, it's been a long time since the YA dystopia genre really took off. And then it all just kind of faded away with Mortal Engines' box office failure signaling its death and Maze Runner: Death Cure signaling its funeral.
I feel like Suzanne Collins' new book, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, came out at a really weird time and feels somewhat unnecessary and kind of unwanted? I just feel like the first Rebellion that started this whole Hunger Games thing is a better story to tell than about a teenage Snow and that District 12 chick he really wanted to bang. But then again, I never read nor do I plan on reading it cause I don't care enough to so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Like always, I enjoy any comments, except for those that are just full of negativity and not constructive at all. Just give me something to work with instead of just "It's bad." I also appreciate any positive constructive criticism since I'm always looking to improve my writing and storytelling capabilities.
Thanks for continuing to read this story! Virtual hugs and cuddles to y'all.
Disclaimer: I still do not own anything except any OC's that may come up, any worldbuilding that has not yet been officially stated by the books or the movies, and any plot points/structures that have not been used in the books or movies.
Warning: No beta, we die like Rue.
In which various relationships are attempted, explored, and attempting to be explored.
Chapter 5: Of Relationships and the Lack Thereof
The atmosphere is still in the rickety residence of the Everdeen family. It's residents still asleep as the sun slowly creeps through the cloth-covered windows. If one were to squint through the window coverings, one could see the sky slowly turning from dark purple to a mix of red, orange, and yellow.
A creak sounds through the air.
Val jolts awake.
He lifts his head to see a timid Prim crawling onto the bed to lie beside him. She's a newly turned 12 year old with her bright blonde hair hanging loosely around her shoulders and thankfully in more healthy shape compared to four years ago.
He lifts his arm and she quickly slots herself under them in order to snuggle into his body. Her head rests on his chest as he puts his arm back down to hold her close.
"What're you doing up so early?" Val asks, his voice rough from having just woken up.
Prim's silence is enough of a response for Val to have an idea of what's going through her head, especially on a day like this.
"Do you think you can go back to sleep?"
Prim buries her face into his chest and shakes her head.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Prim hesitates before she slowly nods her head. Val scoots himself up the bed so he's leaning against the headboard which gives a dangerous creak. He pauses to survey the other two remaining occupants, making sure they're still asleep before moving again with Prim following so she can maintain her cuddling.
Once the two have settled into a comfortable position, Prim shifts so that her face is no longer glued to his side and is now out in the open. She looks up at him with subtle fear in her eyes.
"I'm scared," she whispers out hesitantly, as if the mere fact that the words being spoken would cause some cosmic force to come hurling down and break the peace of the morning.
Val nods in understanding because what child wouldn't be afraid during their first Reaping.
"It's alright to be scared you know," Val says in what he hopes is a calm, soothing voice, "Katniss and I were both scared during our first year and the fear never really went away even as the years passed and we had more slips added to the bowl each time. But I've got 24 slips, it's my last year, and I'm fine. Katniss has 4 slips, 2 years left, and she's fine. You've only got 1 slip, 6 years to ride this anxiety train, and then you'll be home free"
"But Dina Trelian had only one slip too and she still got chosen," Prim starts, anxiety growing.
Val's having none of that, "Hey, hey, hey. Nothing's going to happen."
"How do you know?"
"Because Katniss and I will make sure nothing does happen to you. We're your older brother and sister and it's our duty to keep you safe," Val responds with a conviction that makes the fear in Prim's eyes grow in intensity.
"That's what I'm scared of!" Prim shouts before quickly shutting her mouth and looking around frantically in hopes that no one wakes up. Mom's bed stays still and silent like always whereas Katniss gives a small snort before shuffling deeper into the sheets. Prim breathes a sigh of relief before turning to meet Val's pensive expression.
"What do you mean by that Prim?" he asks gently but with much confusion.
Prim gives a shaky sigh before answering, "I'm scared about the Reaping...but I'm less scared because it's my first one and more because of what could happen to you guys."
"Nothing will happen-" Val protests but is cut off by how serious Prim becomes.
"But it could!" she whisper shouts, "I know you two will do anything to protect me because you know I can't stomach the thought of taking any form of living, breathing life. And while I will always be grateful for that, it doesn't help the fact that if or when push comes to shove, you two will find a way to protect me. Even if it means sacrificing yourselves and I don't know if I could bear to live without either one of you."
She's now in tears and even after all these years, Val still doesn't know how to react around crying girls. So he flails about a little as he tries to calm her down.
"Hey now, I accept that those are definitely valid fears cause we all know how much trouble we, Katniss especially, have gotten in over trying to keep you safe. But that's not going to be the case here, because push or shove, it won't come to that," Val says reassuringly.
"You promise?" Prim sniffles out as her tears calm.
"I promise. Cross my heart and hope to get bit by Buttercup or kicked by Lady," Val says with such seriousness that Prim giggles at his little dig at her animal rescues not knowing of the silent vow he makes in his mind.
'I hope it doesn't come to it Prim,' Val thinks as she continues to giggle, 'But if it does, I will do anything and everything I can to protect both of you. Protecting your lives and your happiness is the only way I can repay the debt I owe you all for taking me in when I needed it the most.'
The two settle down and watch as the light continues to filter more into the house the further the sun rose into the morning sky. Val squints through the window coverings and sees that the sky has started the transition from warm colors to light blue. It's time to get off the bed and get ready for the day, he decides.
"Hey Prim," he nudges her gently.
"Hmmm?" Prim responds sleepily having slowly fallen back asleep after their talk.
"I gotta get up and head out to the woods this morning," he says, pausing to weigh whether he should tack on the reason why or not before deciding why not, "Need to meet up with Gale before we do our usual bakery trade."
Clearly Val should've chosen not because Prim immediately perks up with a devious smile growing on her face.
"Oh! Are you finally going to have the talk with him?" Prim asks eagerly.
"Talk? What talk?"
Prim frowns, "You know, the talk where you tell him how you feel about him and he does the same and you both stop being stupid buttheads and finally get together."
Val gasps, scandalized at Prim's language. She's supposed to be the pure and innocent one among the three of them but clearly she wasn't and he knew of only one culprit to blame.
"Primrose Everdeen, you watch your language. Don't make me break out the soap."
"Not the soap," Prim quietly cries out dramatically, much to Val's amusement and exasperation.
"And please for the love of all that is sacred, stop listening to Katniss. She's clearly a terrible influence and role model."
Prim simply sticks her tongue out at him. He shoves her lightly in the direction of her and Katniss' shared bed.
"Go back to sleep with Katniss, little duck."
"A little late for that."
The two turn to see Katniss sit up with a rather unflattering yawn. She blinks blearily back at them.
"What're you two doing up so early?" Katniss asks.
Val goes to respond truthfully but is beaten by Prim who grins mischievously, "He's going out to the woods to meet up with Gale."
Katniss perks up just like Prim did at the information.
Val, refusing to be on the receiving end of anymore teasing, groans, "Alright. That's enough out of both of you."
"But I haven't even said anything," Katniss says as she smiles widely, much more awake then she was a few moments ago.
"You didn't have to," he deadpans.
Val gets up off the bed and picks Prim up. He carries her over to the girls' shared bed and deposits her gently on it. The two immediately curl up around each other like koalas.
"Go back to sleep you two and no more talk about Gale, got it?" Val orders.
"Only if Katniss sings the meadow song to me!" Prim requests.
"Of course little duck, you know I'll always sing for you," Katniss responds.
The two settle further into the bed as Val goes through his usual routine of preparing for the day. When he enters the bathroom off to the side, Katniss begins to sing.
Deep in the meadow, under the willow
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes
And when again they open, the sun will rise.
Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.
He exits the bathroom after freshening up and starts changing. He glances at Katniss and Prim and his heart swells at the sight of them holding each other like the world isn't a terrible place and nothing can tear them apart. Val leaves the bedroom and goes to lace up a pair of his dad's hunting boots.
Deep in the meadow, hidden far away
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away.
He stands up and swipes a worn leather hunting jacket off a hook next to Katniss' jacket which was their father's favorite to wear. He opens the door and steps outside but decides to listen to the end of the song before leaving.
Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.
The final notes ring through the air and seem to hang there for a few moments before fading away. Val continues to stand silently, ears straining to hear if his sisters were asleep or not. Quiet and steady breathing floats through the open doorway leading to the bedroom. Val smiles to himself before closing the door as quietly as he can. He walks away from the house, his face exudes happiness but his heart is weighed down by feelings of sadness and anxiety.
Val treks through the Seam, smiling and waving his good mornings at the few Seamers who've decided that now was a good time to get up and start their day. They smile back as their demeanor seems to lighten despite the general mood of the day. It gives Val a sense of warmth and satisfaction that he's at least able to brighten peoples' moods by just being a decent human being. He continues his trek down streets that are empty of Peacekeepers as they always are on these days. The buildings, if one can even call them that, are rundown with wooden skeletons barely covered by scraps of cloth and uneven lengths of wood. But Val doesn't pay much attention to his surroundings beyond his daily routine of greeting the folks.
It's not long before Val reaches the electric fence. He pauses to listen for the tell tale crackle of electricity but of course, like always, there never is any. He quickly ducks through the large hole in the fence that no one has still bothered to repair and begins his walk through the forest.
Val comes upon the hollow log in which he and Katniss have stored their hunting equipment in. He unwraps his bow and quiver from its weather-proof wrap and begins his hunt. His steps are light through years of practice in trekking through the woods as the silent predator he learned to be in order to prevent even the slightest sound from alerting his prey and maximizing his chances of encountering said prey. He treads quickly and lightly, making sure to avoid leaving deep prints in the soft soil as he ducks around low hanging branches and circles around the brush that spreads like a blanket across the ground. All to lessen the chance of leaving any evidence of human presence for any potential Capitol trackers no matter how far apart the patrols have become. Better to be safe than sorry after all.
As he continues his light-footed trek to the meadow, Val pauses every now and then to shoot the occasional bird or squirrel that had decided to enter his line of sight. Once he spotted potential prey, he would pause, draw his bow, aim, and patiently track the movements or lack thereof of his prey before releasing and enjoying the spoils of his patience. By the time he reaches the clearing before the meadow, Val gathered a string of 3 birds and 3 squirrels. Guess even the animals could feel the tense atmosphere despite being so far from civilization.
A crack from a twig rings throughout the clearing, drawing Val's attention as he immediately whirls around to the source of the sound. His bow is drawn and ready to strike a rather sheepish looking Gale. Val frowns and lowers his bow, relaxing his hold on the arrow and string.
"We really have to stop meeting like this," Gale says with a hint of what sounds like flirting but is probably just a product of Val's wishful thinking.
Val rolls his eyes and slings his bow over his shoulder, "Really? I almost shot you and that's all you've got to say?"
"I mean, I could've laughed and made fun of your face, if that's what you prefer? Your expressions are always priceless and the highlight of my day," Gale responds with a cheeky grin.
Val scowls, "Oh yeah? Let's see if anyone would want to see your face when I'm done with you."
Gale raises his hand to his head and leans back before dramatically saying, "Oh no! Please have mercy on me and my rugged good looks! It's one of my redeeming qualities."
"It's your only redeeming quality," Val fires back.
"Awww...you think so? Guess it has to be true since it won you over," Gale shoots back with a shit-eating grin.
Val blushes making Gale laugh. And he continues to laugh as they gather up the few rabbits Gale managed to catch in his traps. They make quick work of them before continuing on their way to the meadow.
By the time they reach the meadow, Gale stops laughing as Val manages to control his blushing. The two are silent as they take in the sight of the rolling hill with flowers blooming across and dotting the green landscape with spots of vibrant colors. The sun shines down from above in a light blue sky with few clouds drifting with the soft breeze that gently rustles the tall grass. A lake sits in the distance with a calm surface that not even its aquatic residents can disturb. The sight is a complete contrast to the drab and bare bones appearance of the Seam.
The two settle down on the ground. Gale lies down with his hands behind his head, soaking in the sun with eyes closed. Val sits with his arms across his knees. He pulls out his mother's pin and begins toying with it, holding its surfaces, which have smoothed from the years of nervous rubbing that was indicative of his nervous tick. He holds it up to the sun and admires its bright gold glint.
"Isn't it so beautiful and peaceful out here?" Gale says suddenly, breaking the silence.
Val spares him a glance, "Yeah. It's a real contrast to the rest of the District."
"Wouldn't life be great if it was as peaceful as this meadow? I can feel all my troubles melt away whenever I come here. Like I'll never have to worry about anything. The games, the capitol, the fear. It all just seems to disappear," Gale says, turning his head to look at Val who's contemplating his words, pin clenched tightly in his hand.
Gale continues to speak, "We could probably make it if we ran away and just lived off the land. Like you did when you first got here. Chances for success would be much higher with the two of us. And it'd be pretty great being with you more often."
Val blushes, flattered, but logic prevails over any fantasy his mind conjures at Gale's words.
"I'm flattered, really I am...but it's not possible. We both have responsibilities to our families and we love them too much just to leave them."
"Then we can take them with us. Nothing will change except where we're living."
"Yeah, that'd be great. Until the Capitol does their annual patrol and catches us where we're not supposed to be and then our families have to deal with the consequences of our actions. And I refuse to put my family in harm's way, especially after all they've done for me," Val responds, clearly dejected at the reality of life but still determined to keep his loved ones safe.
"Yeah, I get what you're saying," Gale agrees, "But it's still nice to just dream."
Silence settles over them again.
It's broken again when Gale sits up and turns to Val.
"Val," Gale says with the utmost seriousness in both his voice and expression.
Val straightens up in response, realizing that what Gale does or says next could change things between them.
"It's finally our last year of qualifications for the Reaping," Gale says, "And then we begin the next chapter of our lives free of the games but stuck in the mines and constantly worrying for our siblings until they age out."
Val nods, an unexplained feeling bubbling in his chest as he hopes the direction Gale is going is the one he's been wishing for forever since he first met him.
"So I just wanted to say that..." Gale says before biting his lip, hesitating at the end, clearly losing his nerve even as Val nods encouragingly at him.
Gale opens his mouth to speak only to get interrupted by a loud shout.
"Hey there guys! Guess what I got."
The two turn away from each, violently blushing, and see the source of the shout is Katniss holding up a bag of what's probably a bunch of berries she picked on the way here. Her expression changes as she takes the sight of them in. Clearly she's interrupted something but since neither of the guys seem intent on chasing her away, she opens her mouth to speak. Only to decide not in case she read the entire situation incorrectly though if that were the case…Then all the residents of District 12 were all wrong about the direction the relationship between the brother and friend was heading and there's not way that many people were wrong about the same thing.
"Language Katniss. You're only 16!" Val scolds her, his blush immediately dying once the first part of her shouting registers.
Katniss rolls her eyes, "Well if I'm old enough to reaped, then I'm old enough to swear."
"She's got a point there, Val."
"Don't you dare start agreeing with her Gale. Now she's gonna run her mouth for the rest of the day," Val groans out.
"Then don't dish it out if you can't take it," Katniss fired back much to Gale's amusement and Val's annoyance.
Katniss wanders over to plop down next to Val who glares hard enough at her to lean forward and quietly ask, "Why are you trying to burn holes into my head?"
"Why do you think?" Val hisses through clenched teeth.
Gale glances over at that to which Val smiles reassuringly. Gale shrugs and returns his attention to the sky while Val returns to glaring at Katniss. She has an eyebrow raised in confusion until Val glares long enough that it all clicks in her head. Her eyes widen in realization as her gaze darts between Val and Gale before her expression turns apologetic. Then it turns annoyed.
"Well how the hell was I supposed to know he was going to make the first move? If you'd just gotten off your ass and done something instead of waiting for him then you wouldn't be in this mess," Katniss hisses back.
Val starts to protest, "But-"
"Uh-uh. No. Denied. Rejected. Get over yourself and do something before I stage an intervention with Prim, Rory, and damn it, even Hazel, cause we are all tired of the pining shit going on between you two," Katniss fires back, refusing to take any of the shit Val's trying to dish.
Val's only response is a blush, he's been doing that a lot lately and he really needs to stop, and sputtering that catches Gale's attention.
"Everything good?" he asks.
Katniss turns a megawatt, nothing suspicious here, smiles at him, "Oh yeah. I was just making a bet with Val here that he couldn't catch a berry even if I was standing right in front of him."
Gale laughs, "Well how about I get in on that bet and wager you a rabbit for your squirrel saying I can catch if from this distance?"
"Deal!" Katniss happily replies, quickly glaring at Val as if to say 'Stop being an idiot, idiot.' Val frowns at her but if anyone but him were to be asked, it was more of a pout. Katniss mockingly pats his cheek.
She pulls out a handful of berries from the bag she carried over.
"May the odds be ever in your favor, good sir," Katniss says in a surprisingly decent attempt to mimic the accent of their ever so friendly Capitol escort, Effie Trinket. They all laugh as she tosses the berry and Gale catches it in his mouth.
He stands up and gives an overly dramatic bow as if he were drunk, clearly imitating District 12's only living victor, Haymitch Abernathy, who was always drunk no matter the time, occasion, or location.
"Why thank you kind lady. You look like a rather remarkable cream puff today," Gale slurs as he drunkenly stumbles over to where the Everdeen duo is sitting. Katniss and Val laugh harder, clutching their stomachs as Gale seemingly trips on thin air and makes a controlled face plant onto the ground next to them.
The heavy atmosphere that had been hanging around the meadow, despite its peacefulness, seems to lighten. The humor was much needed even though the trio all knew why Effie and Haymitch act the way they do.
It was years ago during one of their hunting excursions after a Reaping when Gale, during a fit of rage, began to rant about how gleeful Effie always was and how useless Haymitch continues to be in keeping anyone alive. Val decided to elaborate more on the lesson his dad taught him before he died.
He explained how Effie only acted so cheerful during the Reapings because she was never taught any better. That in the Capitol, all residents were raised on the beliefs that they were doing the Districts a service and that being a participant of the games was an honor that allowed the Victor's to join their inner Capitol circle.
How Haymitch drank for what seemed to be every hour of the day, every day, because despite being a Victor, no one ever wins because they lost an important piece of themselves when they come out of that arena. That he probably decided it was better to cut his losses and never get attached rather than fight and hope one of the kids under his wing finally made it through only to suffer the same as he did.
The only person who can be blamed for that is not the Capitol, but its President, Coriolanus Snow, who continued to perpetuate such evils so that the cycle of misunderstandings and fear could never end.
It had been a rather sobering experience for Katniss and Gale who never thought too deeply into the reasoning behind their hate for the Capitol beyond their living circumstances and the fear of the Games.
Val's taken out of his musing when Katniss stands.
"Time to go?" he asks.
Katniss nods, "Yeah. It's about time we head over to the bakery. We need to do our trade before we have to get ready for registration."
Val nods as he smiles teasingly at her, "Are you sure it's not just cause you want to see a certain Baker's son? If you keep visiting so often, I might need to join just so I can make sure nothing hanky panky is happening."
Katniss blushes as she shoves him, "That's none of your business. And hanky panky? What are you, 8?"
"Well I'm not the one who seriously thought a 12 year old would take a beating just to give me bread out of pity. You looked like you wanted to punch the poor kid even though he was looking at you like you hung the moon and stars all cause you sing real pretty," Val shot back.
"When are you ever going to let that go?" Katniss grumbles out.
"Never," Val laughs out as he helps Gale up, their hands lingering in the hold longer than is necessary before quickly letting go like nothing happened.
Katniss groans in exasperation, either from a constant reminder of her jaded, yet dumb child self, his continual lack of agency over his situation with Gale, or most likely both. Val ignores her and the trio treks out of the forest and back into the Seam.
The transition into the Town is obvious with the buildings suddenly having a solid structure without holes or scraps of cloth to substitute for walls. The rough dirt road flattens out and the presence of better dressed and fuller cheeked people becomes known now that it's the time of day where everyone is now out and about in preparation for the Reaping.
The trio quickly walks through the Town, ignoring all the glances in their direction and the glares at their rough clothing and somewhat dirty appearances. Though the glares do soften as they often do with Val's well-timed waves and polite greetings and small talk to even the most rude of Townies. They reach their destination in record time and stand before a bakery with faded, pale green walls and large windows that display the various frosted treats and fresh goodies it had to offer. Val's stomach subtly growls as the smell of bread and cookies drift through the air as Katniss opens the door. They all eagerly enter as if chasing the smell will help feed them somehow.
Thankfully for the trio, the people who greet them are Peeta and his father, Mr. Mellark. Peeta, while having grown taller, also grew stockier with his muscles becoming more defined due to the pounds of flour he had to carry around every day. His hair is shorter and a bit paler compared to the longer strands of bright blonde of his youth. Mr. Mellark is a splitting image of his son, though taller and a bit broader at the shoulders. Both of their attitudes were kind and jovial, always ready to give a helping hand in anyway they can.
It always made Val wonder how these two managed to stay the way they did when Mrs. Mellark was a she-demon from the deepest pits of hell without a single nice bone in her body and a passion for inflicting as much violent rage and control as she physically could in her surprisingly short frame. Though the bony-ness of her limbs could be attributed to her foul attitude considering the damage those elbows inflict when smacking people "on accident."
Katniss takes a running leap at Peeta who swiftly places a tray of fresh cheese buns on the counter before catching her and twirling her around with such practiced ease that even an outsider could tell this very scenario probably occurred one too many times. Val and Gale both fake gag at the sight while Mr. Mellark gives a full belly laugh as he takes the tray away.
The two lovebirds lean closely until the tips of their noses touch and start whispering greetings and sweet nothings to each other. Val almost wants to actually gag at the sight but his sister's happiness is worth it, even though he still wants to rip Peeta's hands away from her hips.
Eventually, the romance between the two grows tiring to look at.
"Alright you two. That's enough. Kindly separate yourselves before I do something I most certainly won't regret," Val calmly states as he steps toward the counter.
"Maybe you should start charging people instead if they insist on giving everyone a free show every time they meet up," Gale says as he nudges Val with a shit-eating grin.
The two break apart with a blush that has Val smiling. 'Oh how the tables have turned,' he thought as Katniss glares and Peeta looks at anywhere but him.
"Why do I still even associate with you two?" Katniss hisses.
"I ask myself that question every day," Val says with utmost seriousness in his voice but the smile on his face says otherwise.
Katniss rolls her eyes and drags Peeta away so that they can talk with each other without interference from Gale or divine brotherly retribution from Val. Val merely shrugs and lays out the line of squirrels on the counter. Gale follows suit with one of the two lines of rabbits he has hanging over his shoulder. Mr. Mellark whistles, impressed.
"Always appreciate the way you boys keep your catches clean, especially you Valerian. Always through the eye, just like your old man," Mr. Mellark.
Val shrugs, "Eh. Katniss is still a better shot than me but I appreciate the compliments, sir."
"Ha ha! Of course. Your sister's the sharpest knife there is. Peeta's always going on about how lucky he is just being able to stand next to her everyday like that."
Val turns to look at the two who hold each other, elbow length apart, as if there was nothing else in the world except for them. He smiles softly at the sight with such happiness and contentment that he doesn't realize that Gale is looking at him like he's the most beautiful person in the world.
Mr. Mellark smirks at Gale's love-struck gaze and Val's continued obliviousness. He really hopes those boys get their shit together soon. Life's too short to be living with 'what if's' and 'if only's.'
Val returns his attention to Mr. Mellark who's pulled out a bunch of bread and pastries for the two. He separates the baked goods into two piles - one pile has four loaves of bread and a bag of chocolate chip cookies for Gale, the other pile has two loaves of bread, 3 cheese buns, and a bag of frosted cookies for Val.
The two gape at the sight of such a generous trade.
"We can't take all this," Val tries to protest.
"And we certainly don't need your charity," Gale glares suspiciously at the baker.
Mr Mellark shrugs, unperturbed by Gale's attitude, "Just think of this as a thank you or even a tip for the medicine little Primrose made during flu season last week. And today's also a special occasion. Lord knows we need all the positivity and good fortune we can get."
The two try to protest again but Mr. Mellark crosses his arms with a stern expression on his face, "If you two try to give those loaves and cookies back, I will either toss them to Katniss or straight into the garbage. Your choice."
That has the both of them blanching at the dual threat of wasted free food and a pissed off Katniss who's pissed off at their attempt to reject said free food.
"Alright. Fine. You win," Gale throws his arms up in exasperated surrender. Val nods frantically in agreement. Mr. Mellark smiles and starts packaging everything up, leaving the boys feeling as if they've just been conned.
Mr. Mellark hands the packages to them, "Always a pleasure doing business with you boys. See you both tomorrow."
The two give their goodbyes and make their way towards the exit.
"I'll meet you back at the house, Katniss," Val calls out to her. She makes a sound that lets him know she heard before returning her full attention to Peeta. Val shakes his head in fond exasperation.
As the two teens pass them, Val overhears what they are saying.
"I've always been fond of autumn. The colors really make you stand out."
"Yeah. Spring's more Prim's style and summer's the only time I've seen Val so free and open. I'd also love to get married in the fall. All those colorful leaves and the cool crisp air..."
"Well, if we ever get married-"
"What do you mean if? It's when, when we get married Peeta."
A chuckle, "Okay then, when we get married, would you ever want kids?"
A hum, "Maybe when the day comes where we no longer have to live with the fear that we'll have to send our kids to die."
"So never?"
"I don't know. I feel like things are changing. Like they've always been changing ever since Val was adopted. Apparently, Gale feels the same."
"Speaking of Val and Gale...have they?"
"Ha! No, but I wish they'd just stop dancing around each other. Gale tried to make a move today before I accidentally interrupted them. And instead of just shooing me away, they dropped the whole thing entirely."
"Do we need to stage an intervention? Cause it's starting to get a bit sad."
Katniss laughs, bright and loud, just as Val and Gale step outside the bakery and the she-demon, Mrs. Mellark makes her appearance.
"And what on earth is going on here!" Mrs. Mellark's rough, screechy voice barks throughout the bakery.
Val and Gale quickly backtrack into the bakery and see how Mrs. Mellark standing behind the counter like an executioner preparing to chop the heads off death row inmates. Katniss and Peeta quickly separate themselves as Mrs. Mellark advances upon them. Mr. Mellark tries to intervene but a quick smack to the face with a bony elbow deters him. Val seethes at the blatant abuse.
"I thought I told you to stop interacting with the Seam riff-raff, Peeta," Mrs. Mellark spat out, "But I guess that's because you're still the no good useless son who decided to shack up with a Seam slut instead of listening to your hard working mother for once."
Katniss goes red with indignation while Val actually sees red before launching himself at Mrs. Mellark. Or he would be if it weren't for Gale who holds him back from doing something stupid that he knows he'll regret.
"She's not worth it Val," Gale calmly states.
Val huffs and pushes Gale's arms away. He walks over and grabs Katniss' hand.
"Let's go home, Katniss," he grounds out.
Katniss silently follows, glancing back apologetically at Peeta, as Val marches them out of the bakery. Gale follows while glaring daggers and pitchforks at Mrs. Mellark who crosses her arms in vicious triumph over a self-perceived battle that anyone else would say was just straight up harassment. Mr. Mellark and Peeta can only stand there, helpless to do anything but wave goodbye.
"I'll see you at the plaza," Peeta calls out to Katniss who smiles and nods.
This unfortunately sets off Mrs. Mellark who starts screaming abuse at Peeta as the bakery door shuts behind the trio. Even with the door closed, Mrs. Mellark's grating voice can be heard as clearly as if she were speaking into a microphone right next to them.
The trio split when they arrive back at the Seam. Gale waves goodbye, leaving the two with a promise to meet up later after registration. Katniss and Val, who has let go of her hand by now, travel in silence the rest of the way back.
As Katniss boils silently over Mrs. Mellark and fantasizes of vicious ways to murder her and free Peeta, Val silently renews his vows to keep his sister safe and to ensure her happiness will never be taken away.
Katniss and Peeta deserve the fantasy life that they were dreamily speaking of, even though he's confused by what Katniss meant by how his presence has caused some sort of change that could potentially affect the Capitol's control. He shakes the thought away. It's no use to be thinking of such things. He only needs to focus on making sure his sisters are safe and well and, most importantly, happy.
After all, he still owes them a debt he has yet to repay in full.
Hooray! I finally finished this chapter! I hope you don't mind the tangents and attempts at humor. Also, hope the relationships and build up (or lack thereof) are believable and make sense. I never really tried writing romance and pairings in depth before and the only exposure to them that I've had are books, movies, TV shows, and friends where I look away for a second and bam, they're in a relationship that's lasting throughout and even after college.
And to be honest, you never know how a relationship is actually supposed to progress or how it's supposed to look because the media always tries to showcase a narrative like this is what a relationship is supposed to look like - loving, passionate, and full of way too much misunderstandings and drama. Then when you actually enter a relationship, it doesn't really turn out to be everything the media portrays and is actually a lot of work, like a shit ton of work. I'm more interested in pursuing my goals than any relationships at the moment so I hope you don't mind if the relationships I write about aren't accurate or seem unnatural to you.
Thank you all for reading and I hope to see everyone at the next chapter!