Chapter three

Returning favors

"What really is your relationship with the lovely Glimmer Byington? We've heard a lot of gossip now and again for the past few years that you two are officially dating but no one has ever gotten a confirmation from either of you. So, I ask now, is it true?"

"Well, I-"

"It's true, Peeta and I have been dating for some time now. And we both hope all of you w-"

The image on the screen disappeared and turned black before Glimmer got her final words out, making Gale turn to Katniss.

"Hey, what's up? The news wasn't finished. And it's quite interesting knowing a ruckus is going on not far from here," he said thoughtfully.

Katniss looked back at him guiltily before replacing the controller to the TV on the shelf beside it.

"I'm sorry Gale, too much TV is bad for the kids. I try to limit the time they spend watching TV as much as possible," she responded truthfully, glancing over at Willow.

With a doubtful brow raised at her, Katniss merely smiled an innocent smile at the man.

"If you say so," he said, letting it go… for now.

XOXO

Outside, just by the kitchen doorway, two little boys were arguing, which wasn't often.

"You tell her," Rye said.

"No, you," Luke replied.

Both twins looked at the other, trying to make the other lose.

"What about…"

"… we tell her together?"

the two grinned at the other before clasping the other's hand and taking a deep breath simultaneously before stepping through the doorway.

"Mother."

Katniss turned to her boys who were looking back at her with identical serious faces.

"Yes?"

"We have business with you…"

"… about this Saturday."

Gesturing towards the two unoccupied seats of the dining table, Katniss nodded for them to take it.

"And what sort of 'business' is this?"

"Rye and I have plans…"

"… and we are here to ask for your consent on the matter."

Gale watched the scene with his face resting against his palm, an elbow on the table, his features holding one of great interest.

"What sort of plans did you two make?" Katniss asked, brows raised in pure curiosity. This was the first time the boys ever brought up such a thing up that seemed so serious to them and it intrigued her at what the 5 year olds could possibly have in mind.

"We want to go to the limits of the city…"

"… we heard there's a new theme park opening."

"Ah!" said Gale, a smile spreading across his face. "I heard of that. Mockingjay Theme Park is having its grand opening this weekend."

"Mockingjay?" the two boys repeated, never heard of the word before.

"Is that the name of the theme park?" Luke asked.

Gale nodded. "It's the name of the theme park. People say that the owner named the park after the some birds his daughter really love"

"Great, so mom can we go?" Luke asked, grinning as much as his brother was after hearing the place wasn't that far to go to.

"No," Katniss said dismissingly, making the boys frown as well as surprising Gale. She was never one to say no to her boys unless the request was particularly unreasonable, but this really wasn't.

"W- why not?," they both asked, not believing their mother had just said the word so easily.

"I have to take Willow for a routine check-up every Saturday, and that begins this Saturday," she replied casually and nodding towards Gale.

The pair turned to the observing man.

Gale's brows raised as the boys turned on him with pleading looks on their faces. "How did I get involved in this?"

"You're her doctor!" Katniss called from the sink.

"Can't you move the check-up…"

"… to another day? Like Sunday?"

Not at all immune to the looks on the boys' faces, he turned to Katniss instead.

"O- Oy Katniss!" he called, sounding helpless as he looked down at the pair of pleading, glassy and round blue eyes.

Sighing, Katniss went back to the table and looked at the twin boys pointedly in silence.

Both merely grinned back at her, but their eyes were still begging.

She wasn't immune to it either.

"Fine," she muttered regrettably, getting loud cheers from the boys. "But," the boys fell silent at this, of course there was a 'but', there was always a 'but'. "If Sae agrees to take you. I still have to take Willow for the check- up, we'll go there as soon as we can."

The boys started cheering yet again after hearing this.

"Sae didn't even agree yet," Katniss reminded them but that didn't stop them from cheering.

"If you say it's okay…"

"… then we're sure she'll say it's okay too."

Apparently, the old nanny wasn't immune to their puppy- dog eyes either.

XOXO

"Boys! Boys!" Sae called out, trying to keep an eye on the two very restless 5 year olds.

It was Saturday and Luke, Rye along with their nanny Sae were already in the theme park. They had only just arrived outside and the boys were immediately running around as they got out of their seats from the taxi.

They ran back towards their nanny with identical grins on their faces.

"Okay, I convinced your mother that we will only be doing two rides until she gets here. So after the two rides, you have to agree with me and stay put until she arrives with Willow, then maybe you can go on to more."

Nodding, the two took hold of their nanny, a hand each as they entered the park after paying the fee.

"What ride do you want to go on first?"

"That!" they immediately said, pointing up at the largest attraction in the park.

Sae turned to the Ferris Wheel situated at the middle area of the large park. It was a safe enough ride for their age.

XOXO

Taking a deep breath, Glimmer opened the door that led to the make- up room.

"Hiiii!" she greeted, smiling at the three people inside.

The make-up artist and hair stylist both smiled and nodded her way. The man they were currently prepping, however, had a frown on his face as he saw his agent walking in towards them.

Glimmer has been avoiding him ever since that little declaration with the press the night of the movie's premier, and quite frankly he's annoyed by it. How can he possibly work well enough if his own agent is avoiding him?

"Ladies, can you please step out for a moment? I have a few questions I'd want to ask Glimmer privately," he said, which sounded more like an order rather than a request.

"No, no, please, continue your job," Glimmer told them as they started to leave. "The press conference will start soon and the autograph signing right after, we can't waste any more time."

"The sooner you answer my questions, the sooner we get out of here then," Peeta said flatly, looking at her as if daring her to say any more.

Sighing, Glimmer nodded at the two women. "I'll call you back in a few minutes," she said before the door swung to a close behind them.

"Glimmer," Peeta started, making the blonde haired girl turn to him with a look of guilt. "Why have you been avoiding me?" he asked point blank.

"I haven't. I've just been really busy, that's all. Organizing this whole thing and setting up the stage with the stage crew of the part, and then there's the p-"

"Yeah, you're so busy that for the past few days you couldn't even spare a single second to just talk to me?" he said sarcastically with a scowl on his face. "You didn't even ride in the limo I took in coming here."

Glimmer scratched her head and looked down at her feet. It was true, she was avoiding him. And he finally caught up with her. "Look Peeta, about that night," she started, still looking down. "I'm sorry I told that reporter that we're dating."

"Yeah, it was ridiculous. You know well enough that I don't date or even like women, I-" he stopped as Glimmer's hurt filled eyes looked up at him.

"That's exactly it!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. "Do you even know how I feel?"

Peeta looked back at her, seriously slightly confused now.

"I like you, okay?" she burst out. "I really like you… and not as how an agent's supposed to like her clients. I really like you, as more than just my client, even more than just a friend."

As she said this, Peeta merely stared at her.

"And do you know how it feels for me? For me, to work by your side day after day, day in and day out, and only as your agent for the past 5 years, 4 months, 1 week and 6 days?" Peeta was completely silent at this point. "It hurts Peeta," she answered, more calmly now. "It hurts that I can only be close to you as your agent, as a friend. I know I'm being selfish, since I'm the one who spends the most time with you as compared to anyone else in the whole world but… it's not enough."

Tears started sliding down her flushed cheeks as she said all these and Peeta was at a total loss. He never even knew she felt that way about him, and this strongly too. She's been there taking care of everything to make sure he was a success. And he has reached success with her help.

"I'm sorry," she said, bringing him back from his thoughts. "I- I… that was uncalled for," she said, wiping away her tears and raising her gaze towards the ceiling to stop more form coming down.

"I'm sorry," Peeta said, making her look back at him. "I never even considered you feelings at all for all this time."

"It's fine. I was j-"

"No, it's not," he interrupted, sounding sincere with the gentle words coming from his lips, which rarely happens. "I've thought about acquiring my own success to prove to… myself, that I don't need anyone else to get to where I am today. But in fact, you've been there to help me all the way. Thank you."

Glimmer smiled at him, albeit it was a weary smile.

"How can I make it up to you? You can't avoid me forever, and I surely can't go no as I am now with a bad relationship with my own agent when we're supposed to be stuck together like second skin through every new project we take," he reasoned, looking at her for a solution. At this point, he was willing to do anything to keep doing what they've been doing for the past 5 years, 4 months, 1 week and 6 days… according to Glimmer.

And Glimmer knew that.

Taking the opportunity, she boldly stepped in, closed their distance and rested her palm on his cheek.

"Give us a chance," she said in a whisper, looking at him with a hopeful look in her eyes.

That startled Peeta, but he didn't show it, nor did he move away from her touch.

"I don't want to keep doing this behind a shell Peeta. And now that you know my feelings for you, I want to give it a shot. I want to give us a shot. I've always wanted to, and this is the only thing I want from you."

Peeta had to give it his all to stop the urge to scratch his head roughly with confusion and agitation. She didn't ask for anything else, not his money, his properties, or anything of the material kind. She wanted feelings, his feelings. How hard can it be? He's lived with her in almost every city in the world when he did on- location filming, he's lived the past few years well enough through different weather condition, and even emotional conditions. She's the person who knew him the best and the person he completely trusts with everything.

"Okay," he heard himself say, as he rested his hands on her shoulders. "We'll give 'us', as you put it, a shot."

XOXO

"Hey Sae…"

"… what's going on down there?"

Sae looked towards the twins who were standing on the seats inside the enclosed carriage of the Ferris Wheel they shared with a man and his 9 year old daughter.

Everyone inside looked over to where the twins were pointing.

A stage not far from them had a crowd surrounding it, and they could all see little dots moving towards the massive audience already formed around it.

"Ah… that must be the promotional event everyone's talking about," the man said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "They say a popular, international celebrity is here to promote his latest movie that had just come out a few days ago. He's even doing an autograph signing."

"Oh, dad, can we go?" his daughter said, tugging on his sleeve.

"Sae, we want to go too!" the twins told their nanny, even though they didn't understand what a 'promotional event' was.

The two grownups looked at each other before turning to the little ones.

"Sweetie, the crow around that stage is already too large. I bet we can't even catch a glimpse of the actor even if we went," he explained to his daughter who now held a downcast face.

"Luke, Rye, we can't go there. You might get lost in that huge crowd. You might end up worrying your mother, Willow and I if you got lost within the many people there."

XOXO

"So, how was your stay in Paris through the filming of the movie Mr. Mellark?" asked the reporter before sitting back down.

"It was great," Peeta said truthfully. "The environment's good and the people were nice too. It was jus hard to communicate with them though. My French isn't exactly something I'm proud of," he confessed, earning a few laughs from the crowd.

"Okay everyone, that ends the press conference," the woman, who Peeta guessed was one of the theme park's manager, said into the microphone form the podium at the end of the stage. "Again we would like to thank you all for coming for the grand opening of Mockingjay Theme Park, and of course for Mr. Peeta Mellark for coming all the way here to promote his movie and the park as well!" she said, clapping her hands as did everyone in the audience.

Peeta bowed his head at them and gave a short wave.

"If all the media would please set your video cameras to the side, we would like to start with the autograph signing as soon as possible," she added, before large men in jackets with the label Security came into the scene. Some of theme started gathering around the stage, leading the media out from the front of the stage and taking the chairs, while some of them led the eager crowd to form a line towards the side of the stage where the short steps were placed.

"Be nice," Glimmer said in a low voice with a smile on her face as a large table filled with stacks of his photographs and posters from the film were set beside him.

Peeta smirked at her for the joke. He was always nice to his fans, in such occasions. Of course his 'bad boy' image would be shown from time to time but that usually happened when it involved the paparazzi. And although he has the usual scowl or glare on his face, he was never one to be rude to his fans.

"Show me that smile you've been having lately ever since we got here," she added before leaving the stage as the first person from the audience was sent up towards him to the center of the stage.

As she said that, it was only then that Peeta remembered the twins. He looked towards the crowd of people closest to him, hoping he might see the two identical faces that were similar to his.

"Mr. Mellark?"

His gaze snapped back at the rather calm woman who now stood in front of him with her hand held towards him.

"Nice to meet you," he said with a smile and shaking her hand before signing the poster with a large marker and handing it to her.

XOXO

I want to apologize to everyone for not being able to update last week. It's been two crazy weeks at work and I haven't even had time to sleep... I think I've slept three days in these two weeks.

Anyway, here's chapter three. I hope you enjoy it and stay still 'cause next chapter will be great, I swear.

Thanks for your reviews, follows and alerts. See ya!

Disclaimer. I own nothing. All rights of every character goes to Suzanne Collins and the idea of the story goes to The Dreamer.