Peeta flinched, hissing softly as he rubbed his fingers over the burnt knuckles on his left hand.
A red, angry line was already forming where Peeta had let his hand get too close to the stove. There were countless little burns like it that ran across his arms, his hands and his fingers – proof that he was no doubt the son of a baker.
Shaking his hand at his side, Peeta willed the stinging, nagging pain to leave him; he had no time for it, not today.
The Mellark bakery was up to its brim in orders. More so than it had been in years, perhaps even greater than during the victory tours or even the second Quarter Quell when District 12's own Haymitch Abernathy brought home the victor's crown.
Peeta searched his mind while he continued removing countless loaves of bread from the oven; he couldn't quite remember what the occasion was.
Perhaps it had something to do with Mayor Undersee; yes, that must be it. Peeta remembered Madge mentioning at school the other day that her parent's Anniversary was coming up. That's what the cake was for, Peeta was sure of it.
Glancing across the room, Peeta grinned to himself as he watched as his father began mixing the cake batter, adding in his own touches now and then. His father looked up and caught Peeta watching him, grinning, his father shook his head.
"Don't worry son, I promise to let you help with the icing."
Peeta's grin grew wider at the prospect of icing – it wasn't often they got an order for a cake. Few could afford one, even the more well off Town people, and Peeta had always loved making patterns with the frosting, testing textures and mixing colors – it was one of the few things he looked forward to.
Placing the last of the bread on the cooling rack, Peeta headed back to the kneading table where Flax was hard at work kneading nuts and raisins into the next batch of bread.
Peeta grabbed a handful of flour, dousing the wooden table top and rubbing what remained on his palms. Flax handed Peeta a large slab of dough before dusting off his hands on his apron and heading to the sink.
"Where are you going?" Peeta said slyly, grinning in his brother's direction.
Flax was five years older than Peeta at sixteen, and he wasn't particularly fond of his younger brother questioning his comings and goings.
"Why do you want to know – I've done my share of the work here for today."
Peeta heard his father sigh and saw him shake his head at his sons. Peeta turned back to his brother and watched as he shrugged into his brown overcoat, pausing as he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window and pushed his thick brown hair back from his face.
Peeta tried not to laugh at him, but accidently let a small chuckle slip through his lips unguarded as Rye burst in through the front door dripping wet.
"Don't get water on the floor Rye." Mr. Mellark reminded quickly, not even looking up from his batter.
Rye rolled his eyes slightly, taking off his heavy rubber rain boots and slipping out of his wet jacket before heading towards the stove's heat.
"It's freezing out there – what an awful day for deliveries."
Holding his hands up to the fire, Rye glanced towards his older brother, noting the way Flax was slicking back his hair with his hands.
"Where are you going?" His tone riddled with amusement.
Flax stopped his primping as Peeta piped up.
"He's going to see Sasha Mirel!"
"Am not!" Said Flax indignantly."I never said that!"
Both Peeta and Rye laughed, exchanging glances; back at his work table, even Mr. Mellark was chuckling under his breath.
"You didn't have to tell us," Rye stated, still laughing."We could tell by the way you were priming yourself."
Flax threw his hands up in the air, shaking his head as he headed for the door.
"Just wait you two, you'll get no sympathy one day when it's you pining after a girl."
As much as he pretended to sound annoyed, Peeta could hear the fondness in Flax's voice.
"I'll be back before dark!" Flax called over to Mr. Mellark, giving both his brothers a light cuff on the head before he headed out into the rain through the back door.
He'd only been gone a moment when Mara Mellark came bustling through the door that led from the front show room.
All three of the Mellark men stiffened as she approached. She didn't look at a single one of them, but they could tell by the way her lips were pursed tightly together that she was in a foul mood. She strode over to the inventory chart, where they kept track of all the orders and scowled.
"You realize don't you that we're over four orders behind for today." Her tone was sharp and accusing.
"We're never going to meet the deadlines if you plodding boys don't get moving!"
She stopped then, looking across the room, searching for Flax. When she didn't find him, she cursed, throwing her hands up in the air.
"Where is that lazy boy, always gone when we need him most!"
Mr. Mellark stepped forward, holding his hands up as if trying to calm her down.
"Don't get all upset Mara, I let him off early, he's been working hard all week and I thought he deserved a break."
Mrs. Mellark rolled her eyes, huffing in annoyance as she continued bustling around the kitchen, yelling at her husband, almost as if she was looking for things to complain about.
Peeta stole a glance at Rye, who'd settled to work beside him, filling Flax's place. Rye's face was blank, and he'd tuned out the world as he did whenever mother got upset. This only made Peeta angrier, both his brother's where afraid of his mother, Peeta even suspected his father was; but Peeta had stopped fearing her long ago. She'd done her worst to him in the past, and he'd survived. She couldn't go on beating him forever.
Peeta was torn from his thoughts as he heard his mother screeching at someone out front.
"Get out of there you little Seam brat! Out!"
Peeta's head jerked up at the mention of the Seam. Making his way towards the stove to put in another loaf of bread, Peeta glanced out the window as he passed it.
There, crumpled and hunched over in the mud outside the fence was Katniss Everdeen.
Peeta's throat tightened at the sight of her and felt his heart clench, he watched as she hugged her arms to her chest, as if she was trying to keep the warmth of life inside of her.
"What are you standing there for Peeta; put the bread in the stove!"
His mother's shrill screech startles him into action as he stumbled over to the stove. Placing the perfectly formed loaf over the coals, Peeta grabbed two fresh loaves out with mitted hands.
The sight of the perfect loaves in his hands gave Peeta and idea and before he could stop himself, he threw both loaves back into the flames.
"Peeta!" His mother bellowed.
"Look what you've done you stupid creature!"
Frantically, she grabbed both loaves from the flames, flinging them to the ground in her rage. Seething, she took the rolling pin in her hands and brought it viciously down over her son's head, striking his cheek with a crack.
Peeta reeled back in pain, his vision clouded with white as he staggered back against the counter, striking his head on the way down.
When the world stops spinning Peeta opens his eyes as his mother kicks the scorched bread at his feet, and notices the stunned silence of both his father and brother. They stare at him, his father's face full of pain and his brother, wide eyed with shock.
"Feed it to the pigs – no one decent will buy burned bread!"
She stormed back to the stove then, bustling about trying to fix what Peeta had done.
Peeta got to his feet slowly and the world spun again as he picked up the blackened loaves and walked out the door.
The icy rain brought him fully to his senses and he shivered immediately.
He looked back over his shoulder to see if his mother was watching as he tore off a chunk of bread, then another. She wasn't.
Quickly, making sure no one saw him, Peeta glances in Katniss' direction – she was looking at him – her eyes were wide and hollow.
Peeta glances back over his shoulder again, and then chucked the first loaf over the fence, where it landed at Katniss' feet. The next loaf quickly followed and Peeta didn't even glance over to see if it reached her, but hurried back into the bakery.
His mother was gone by then, and Peeta felt a wave of relief wash over him as a puddle of water began to pool at his feet. This time, his father didn't remind him not to track water.
Instead, he guided Peeta to the stove with trembling hands, removing Peeta's shirt and throwing a woven blanket over his shoulders. Peeta turned as Rye came down the stairs from their living quarters, a clean, dry shirt in his hands. None of them said anything, but slowly, gently, both of the older Mellarks helped Peeta into dry clothes.
When they'd finished and gone back to work, Peeta stole one last glance at the front fence, but Katniss was already gone.
How'd you all like this chapter? Two more to go, hope you enjoy them! Let me know what you all think! :)
*Also, Mara (Mrs. Mellark's name) means bitter, I thought it was only fitting. ;)