By the time I reach the bakery, I feel beads of sweat on my forehead. The brief break I felt from the heat while swimming was completely gone. Instead I now could feel my skin burning in the sun.
Before I can knock at the back door, it swings open. Peeta Mellark, the baker's son is standing in the doorway.
"Oh sorry." He says, his face bright red. Despite how hot it is outside, the bakery still manages to hit me with a wave of heat.
"Is your father home." I ask curtly, tucking my wet hair behind my ear. I hadn't gotten around to braiding it. I actually didn't expect to hunt at all today, but on my way home the squirrels seemed to be tempting me.
"He will be, if you want to wait." He says and I nod. Prim was out with a friend, and Gale was helping his mom today. I have nowhere to be.
I turn away from him and sit down on the stairs. Instead of Peeta going back inside to the bakery he sits down next to me. I look over at him. His face is still red, and he looks at me.
"Just wanting to get some air, with the ovens on it's.. hot." He says, and I notice his white shirt is sticking to him.
"I bet." I say in return, suddenly very interested in the ends of my hair. Peeta continues sitting and I wish he would just go inside. It's not that he's bad company, but everytime I'm around him, I feel this weight on my chest. To thank him, or at least give him something in return for saving my life. But it's been too long.
"Is it this hot in the forest?" He asks me, and I turn to look at him again. He seems to be very interested in the old apple tree.
"There's more shade and streams to swim in." I say back.
"Did you swim today?" He asks, and I run my hands through my wet hair. It was getting too long, almost at my lower back.
"Yes, there's a lot of food in the water." I say. "And I enjoy swimming." I add and Peeta's smiling and I feel stupid. I hate small talk, Prim was amazing with it but I was better at haggling.
"Katniss Everdeen, shouldn't you be causing trouble in the hob not bugging the merchants?" A voice yells and I turn towards it. Darius is walking towards us, and I shake my head.
"Don't you have a job to do?" I ask him, smiling as he approaches us. Darius' face is bright, and his smile large.
"You're our most wanted, don't you know Miss. Everdeen?" He says, reaching us. He stands at the bottom of the stairs, looking between me and Peeta.
"If she's bothering you, I can escort her." He says, kicking my shoe and I shake my head smiling.
"No not at all." Peeta says steadily and I kick Darius. "Leave him alone." I say, looking at Peeta and smiling.
"I'll see you later?" Darius asks, and I shrug. I had no intention of going to the hob. "Maybe." I respond and we say goodbye.
"Is he your uh.. do you see each other?" Peeta asks me once Darius is out of sight.
"Me and Darius?" I ask. "No he's just a friend." I say.
"He seems to favour you." Peeta says, his face is red again.
"No he's just a joker." I argue, and shake my head. Peeta just shrugs.
When my eyes meet him he averts his eyes.
"Do you work everyday?" I ask him because the silence is unsettling. Peeta seems to be very chatty with everyone at school, so I wonder now why he doesn't just talk and I can nod my head. Maybe it's the heat.
"Not while I'm in school, but during the summer, usually yes. Unless I ask for a certain day off to do something." He says, and continues. "Not that I have much to do or someone to do it with." He adds.
I nod, not really understanding the last part.
"The hob is horrible in this weather, we usually sell Prim's cheese there, but with the heat and the people we deliver when we can." I say, looking down at my hands then Peeta's.
His hands are large, with various scarring on them. I can only assume it's from years using the ovens. He catches me staring and clears his throat. Now my cheeks are red.
"Her goat cheese is something." Peeta says, and I nod smiling, thinking about Prim and her love for Lady.
"Katniss, I'm thinking about asking for Thursday off." I make eye contact with Peeta before looking away. It seems like we are playing tag with our eye contact.
"Katniss." Mr. Mellark says walking towards us. I stand up abruptly, feeling like I was caught with his son.
"Hi, I have some squirrels." I say, and Peeta gets up nodding to me.
Mr. Millark and I make a deal for my three squirms, but before he can leave I hear a loud bang of dishes and what I can only say sounds like something hitting a wall.
"Excuse me Katniss." Mr. Millark says but I follow him inside. Peeta wasn't joking when he said the back of the bakery was hot. Sweat begins beading on the nap of my neck.
"Sorry, just hot." Peeta says, looking between me and Mr. Mellark. And his father nods.
When his father leaves to get my loaves of bread I help Peeta pick up the dishes that have fallen. When we are done and Mr. Mellark hands me my loaves I turn to Peeta. Before I can say anything he talks.
"You can do much better than a Peacekeeper Katniss, okay?" He says and I can only nod while I leave, wondering why he thinks this. Wondering who he thinks would be better than a Peacekeeper.
…
I just wanted to show some ways that Peeta knew many guys liked Katniss & I like thinking about Peeta and Katniss speaking before the games but somewhat in canon.