Hunger Games – New Beginnings
Chapter 3: The Bakery
Peetas POV
I awoke the next morning after a long night spent tossing and turning. Her words were still ringing in his mind. She was happy I came to her room… but what about the kiss? No we are not going there. I need to leave before she gets up… need to work today on the bakery anyways. That is what I will say if she wants to talk.
I walk down the stairs quietly and get to the door. I turn around and see there is no movement. Good I can get through the day.
As I walk through the front gates of the victor village I hear someone yelling at me "Peeta". I turn to see Haymitch walking to me… How is he awake right now? "Yes, Haymitch. What is going on?" I reply. "Katniss, how is she doing?" "Fine" I reply. "Still working on getting through everything that has happened. The hunting yesterday was a good sign" I reply. "Good" he replies "She hasn't really seen me since coming home and I know Aurelius is freaking out. She really needs to call him. He called this morning 6am… apparently she forgot to call last night". "I will remind her, anything else" I reply. "Is there anything going on with you? We used to talk but I haven't talked to you in a while" he asks. "I am fine, just different being back in a different home, and living with Katniss" I reply. "How is that going?" he asks. "Fine, Haymitch I really need to go. I have some people helping me get set up at the Bakery today". "Do you need help?" He asks. "No, we have it under control but I will come get you maybe once we have it more together" I reply. "Okay, just know I am here if you need me" he replies. "I know, soon" and I walk off heading toward the Bakery.
I really do want to include Haymitch with what is going on. He really is one of the few friends I have and it hurts to not be honest. On the other hand he wasn't honest with me which can be tough. We will get through this rough patch, I just need some time alone to gather my thoughts.
When I get to the Bakery Greasy Sae and her Grandson are there. We begin by wheeling the now freed display case out of the shop. It will take some work to build the shop back up but I welcome the distraction. I am completely engrossed until I hear "So this is what is left". Katniss is standing in the shop doorway. "Do you need help? I can help today" she asks.
I think about it for a moment but really since she is here I am not going to turn her away. "Yes, thank you" She begins to lift rubble and finds one of my old cake trays. "You know I remember walking by here with Prim and just looking at your beautiful cakes. I didn't realize at the time you decorated them" she says with a smile but she then looks dazed. I know she just remembered Prim, why did I do this to her. "Katniss, if you would like I can take care of this you really don't need to stay". "I am fine, it hurts sometimes to remember but I also don't want to forget the good times. You know your cakes brought joy to Prim. We loved stopping by your shop on the way home to look at your cakes every day. How did you learn to decorate like that?" she asks.
She thought about my cakes? She might not have thought of me as much at the time for feelings but my cakes brought her joy. "I used to draw in my free time and mom decided instead of me spending my timing drawing nothings she wanted me to start decorating and help my family a living. It took me a while to get used to it but in time I really loved it" I replied.
"I enjoyed looking at your cakes too" she replied. "Well hopefully we can get this bakery up and running soon" replied Patrick, Greasy Sae's grandson. I turn around to see he has cleared a spot on the floor and is now sweeping his cleared area. "We better get back to clearing, we have a ways to go" I reply.
We work for a few hours until I can tell it is lunch time. "Want some bread?" I ask. "Sure" she replies. We sit quietly for a few minutes and watch as a family passes by on the way to the town's new center. "So, Peeta tell me more about you. What was it like growing up?" She asks. "Well, you know my mother. She wasn't the nicest but she was still mom, and dad well I told you a bit about him. Really I lived a pretty normal childhood" I reply. "By normal you mean living as normally as you can in a society that tries to send you to an arena for a fight to the death?" She asks sarcastically. "Yes" I laugh as I reply "I went to school, hung out with friends, but was always interested in learning more I remember about that girl with the braid" I know I have caught her attention as she smiles at me and looks away. Gosh I wish I could read her mind.
"What happened that day you threw the bread at me?" she asks. "Well, I remember I was working in the kitchen and heard my mother yelling at someone outside while it was raining. I looked around her as she was in the doorway and saw you standing there with it looked like baby clothes soaked in the rain… I ran back to the oven where I had just been working on bread and grabbed a few loafs, I knew she wouldn't be happy that I was giving you good bread for free so I burned two loaves. She back in and saw the burned loaves and hit me square across the face. Told me to take that bread to the pigs because no one would pay for that. I saw you by the tree and I had to check to see if she was looking after she saw me tear that one piece for the pigs… she wasn't so I ran to you to bring you the bread" I replied
"That bread saved me, and my family" she replied. "We were able to get by with your kindness and stay together. I can never repay you for what you did"
"The next day I remember looking for you when I found you in front of school and you were looking down at something. The next day you began hunting. What did you see?" I asked. "A Dandelion" she replied. "A Dandelion, what did that mean?" I asked. "My father taught me when I was young how to hunt and search for food in the woods. I remember one time we talked about Dandelions being a source of food, and when I saw that dandelion even though I had nothing… it gave me hope. Your bread gave me hope" she replied.
When it was time to go back to work we walked back quietly. We both had just opened up about things that we hadn't talked about in years and I didn't want to ruin things. We spent the afternoon clearing the front shop. We found that luckily the damage was really visible in the house attached with fallen beams, but the shop aside from some fallen wood remained a shell that we could easily work with despite the fire bombings.
As we walked back to the Victors Village, I reminded Katniss to call Aurelius as he would leave Haymitch alone. "I know, I keep forgetting" she replied.
We slowly walk up to the front door when Katniss turns around to face me. "Peeta, do you need help again tomorrow? I can help tomorrow" she asks. "That would be nice" I reply. "I probably should call Dr. Aurelius, I will go do that now" she replies and walks toward the office.
I walk to the kitchen and begin to work on dinner. I open the fridge to find the wild turkey from yesterday. This should be good for dinner, turkey and bread. I turn to see Katniss in the doorway.
"He says I need to make sure I call him more" she states, "He wasn't too happy with the lapse". I can understand that he was mad at me when I didn't call him near the same time when we talked. "When do you need to call him next?" I ask. "In a few days, Wednesday to be more specific" she replies. "Well what shall we do in the meantime?" I ask. "I could use some help with dinner, and I might be able to make dessert" I reply.
She helps cook the turkey while I begin to work on some pastries I have set aside. Dinner was quiet but when it came time to clean the table I grabbed for her plate and a volt of energy went through me and we looked at each other. I looked into her eyes and smiled and took the plate to the sink to clean. She began to clean off the table. When finished we both walked into the living room and sat on the empty couch.
We sat quietly watching the flames flicker in the fire and just sat on the couch in each other's company. When the clock struck twelve we realized at some point we had fallen asleep in each other's arms. She looked up at me and I felt something build in my stomach. A tightening then slowly I inched toward her face. The kiss started slowly and light kisses with her hand brushing through my hair. She urged my head closer and I took in the sweet taste in her mouth left from the blueberries in the pastries.
The kiss grew fiercer, by this point she started to remove her jacket she had been wearing. My hands started to touch her neck, her hips, slow ripples went through my body. She was stirring something in me that had never fully come except from the other night. I began to kiss her neck, slowly moving my kisses down her visible chest that was not hidden by her tank top.
"Katniss" I whispered. "Katniss…" ripples now curving my words… If we don't stop now I am not sure how hard it will be to stop. "Peeta" she whispered in my ear before she kissed my neck. She took my body fully on top of her now and continued kissing me hands grabbing for my back. She began to pull up my t-shirt all the while kissing me until the shirt was finally off. She grabbed my neck pulling me in to pull in the scent of her lavender and lemon grass. She smelled of meadow and I was taking every bit of it in.
"Katniss" I whispered, realizing this is becoming harder to stop. "Katniss, do you want me to stop?" She paused for a brief second and took in everything that was happening. "No, I don't want you to stop" she replied. She pulled me in for another kiss and I slowly began to lift her shift so that she was left in a bra and her pants. She kissed me fiercely and began to undo my pants and I reached down to undo her pants and pull them down.
We were now in front of each other in front of the fire. The crackle of the fire sent waves like goose flesh throughout my body. She turned around and I walked up and help with her bra. It fell to the floor like a puddle. She looked at me over her right shoulder and slowly turned around. I looked at her bare breasts and stayed there in awe. She was so beautiful. She had some scars from the games but it gave character to her glowing skin. I walked up to her and took her face in my hands and kissed her for a minute. I felt my underwear loosen and realized that she had grabbed the top of my underwear and was slowly pulling it down. When it reached near floor I kicked it off.
She looked at me for a minute and she smiled looking at the length of me. She slowly lowered what she had left her underwear and we stood there for a second taking it all in. I am unsure how fast it happened but we came together and began kissing fiercely as we did before. I led her back to the couch and kissed her chest, her nipples that now peaked, and slowly kissed her stomach trailing kisses. She arched her back allowing me to take in all parts of her to the fullest.
"Katniss, are you sure?" I asked knowing this was the point of no return. "Yes... oh yes" she replied as a moan left her lips. I slowly reached to the area between her legs and found that she was ready, I knew this had to be her first time. I very slowly leveled myself on top of her legs trembling and very slowly eased myself into her. I watched her face to make sure I knew exactly what was going through her mind.
Her face showed some pain for a second and when I knew I have felt a barrier I slowly hit into the barrier and pulled back out. I then slowly edged myself back in to make small thrusts. I felt my release coming but I made sure to come out when I was close. I didn't want to even make a possible child at this moment. That was the last thing we needed right now. Katniss panted on the couch as I went to the bathroom to finish myself off. When I came back to the couch she had passed out. I grabbed a blanket and cuddled next to her caressing her hair with my hands and planting a kiss on her head before I fall asleep myself.
Katniss POV
The sun is shining, I feel warmth and my face is bathed in the sunlight coming in from the living room window. I look around the room and find everything the same aside from the arm that overlaps my stomach. Memories from last night flood my mind as I pull the blanket up higher on my chest as they were not covered before. I cuddle in more and I feel Peeta begin to kiss my neck. His arm strengthens around me. I turn my head to face him and he meets me with a kiss.
"Good morning" says Peeta. "Good Morning" I reply with a smile on my face. "I tell you what, you stay here and I will make some toast" he says. "Only toast? I am sorry Mr Mellark but you have spoiled me thus far with the pastries" I say with a smile on my face. "Toast sounds great" I reply.
Peeta leaves the couch and I see that he reaches for something on the couch and goes to the kitchen. I sit for a few minutes in awe of what has happened. I look between my legs and find blood. I think that is normal. "Peeta, I am going to take a shower" I yell. "Okay, toast will be ready when you are done"
In the shower I clean myself and stand under the shower. How do I feel? I feel great, alive… and my skin is still humming from his touches. So how do I act now? I know how the capital had me act but that is not me.
I dry myself out of the shower and dry my hair. I walk to my room and grab some clothes for the day. When I walk downstairs to the kitchen I find Peeta topless with just what appears to be Pajama pants. He is eating a piece of toast and when he looks up he smiles at me as I walk in the door.
"So Toast" I say. "Yes, Toast and blueberry jam" he replies. I walk to the kitchen island where he has put the toast and grab a piece but don't stand next to him. He looks and me for a second, his smile fading and turns around to look out the window.
"I better start getting dressed and get ready for working at the Bakery" he says. "Oh just give me a few minutes and I will come with you" I say. "Don't worry about it today, I can take care of things" he says as he walks to his room.
I look out the window where he just was and look out…What was he looking at? A few minutes later I see Peeta walking down the stairs and walking out of the front door before I get a chance to tell him goodbye.
Did I say something wrong? I shake my head after going through all the actions in my mind. I grab my father's jacket and decide to get a good day of thinking in with hunting. That always seemed to help. We will talk about things when we get home. All will be well with some space… right?