Peeta straightened his tie in the rearview mirror of the decrepit Jeep he'd inherited from his brothers. He'd cleaned it thoroughly before this date, but nothing was going to change the fact that it was more body fill than steel and may have driven the equivalent of the circumference of the globe. Twice. Whatever, he thought. It got me here. He pointed at himself in the mirror. "Don't screw this up."
Scooping up the bouquet of flowers from the passenger's seat, purchased from the florist this time, he jumped out of the car and made his way up the walk to the mini home Katniss shared with her mother and sister.
He was met at the door by a blue-eyed, blonde-haired sprite, who was practically dancing with excitement.
"Are you Peeta?" she asked through the screen door. He nodded and she swung the door wide. "Katniss is almost ready. Oh, are those for her? Lucky! She's so nervous, it's adorable. She's never been to a dance before. On a da-"
"Prim!" Katniss's voice rang firmly across the kitchen where she stood in the doorway. Prim clammed up but looked completely unabashed.
Peeta chanced a glimpse at his date. She stood twisting her fingers into knots in her knee-length dress. It was hunter green, if he had to guess. Her raven locks flowed freely over her bare shoulders and a single pearl was nestled in the hollow of her throat, suspended from a fine gold chain.
"Doesn't she look pretty, Peeta?" prompted Prim.
He found his voice.
"Yeah," he croaked, not taking his eyes off the beauty before him. "You, uh, look amazing, Katniss. These are for you." He thrust the bouquet toward her.
She blushed as she accepted the flowers, her inky black lashes falling against her cheek as she peered into the wrapping.
Prim swept in between them, scooping the posies from her sister's arms. "Let me just put them in water. I'll leave them on the table for you, Katniss, so you can enjoy them when you come home."
"That would be nice, Prim. Thanks." She cleared her throat and gave him a slight smile. "All set?"
"Not yet, not yet," called Prim from the kitchen, distress in her voice. "Mom said I had to get a picture, remember?"
Katniss rolled her eyes and heaved an enormous sigh. "Fine. Get out here then." Peeta did his best to stifle a laugh. Katniss's silver eyes flicked to his defensively. "What?"
He shook his head with a grin. "I know who the boss is around here, and it's not you."
Katniss's lips were still twisted into a rueful smile when Prim hustled out of the kitchen, fussing with an old camera. "Okay, you two. Get cozy." Katniss stepped closer to Peeta and faced her sister. "I said cozy!" insisted Prim, and Peeta slipped his arm around Katniss's waist. It felt exactly right to hold her. "Perfect," said a satisfied Prim. "Now smile."