So I've been noticing an influx in Peetato fics. Hell yeah guys! Which is what caused this chapter to be posted a little earlier than expected. Excitement for everyone! Why did I just picture Oprah... Anyway, Chaptah 7!
His laugh unnerved me. He wasn't laughing at me, or least I didn't think so. I felt the beggings of a smile. It was like a small fire was inside me when he was nearby, and I could feel it start to unthaw my frozen-in-fear limbs.
"I like the color more than the fruit, but what can I say. You wear the fruit pretty well." What kind of comment was that? Was that supposed to be funny? Anger started to rise, replacing the small fire with an inferno of rage. My hands clutched together and my eyes squeezed shut.
Something hit me in the back of the head and I turned quickly to see what it was, ready to attack. Clove was sitting alone a few tables down starring daggers at me. I heard her whisper something, but I couldn't make it out. Shrugging she sounded it out with her lips, allowing me to read them. 'He is flirting with you.'
That's right. I remember one of Clove's lessons, she was trying to explain flirting to me but I didn't get it. It didn't make any sense, why not just say whats on your mind instead of trying to fluff everything?
"Something wrong?" Peeta asked. Dammit, I forgot Peeta was still here. I looked at the floor finding what Clove had thrown at me.
"No, nothing." I said, reaching down to grab the thrown pastry. I glared back at Clove who gave me the thumbs up. Who throws a bagel? "I uh, just really wanted a bagel. That's all."
I barely caught the snicker that came from Clove. Was I really that pathetic at flirting?
"For wanting a bagel, you sure didn't seem prepared for it." Peeta laughed, "Most people would catch it, not try to knock themselves out."
He kept looking at Clove. They were scheming something, I could tell. Dammit Clove, whose side were you on? My eyes met his again and the warmth returned. It gave me the courage to try this 'flirting' out that I utterly failed at with Clove's lessons.
"Yeah, well you know me." I somehow got that much out but I was at a loss with how to continue. He smiled, even though what I said was completely false. We knew nothing about eachother except the others' name. And possibly that he might like me.
"I suppose I do." He started to walk, gesturing that I should join him. "You don't seem to be the most coordinated person. Which is kind of funny, what ARE you really doing here Mr. Volunteer? For someone willingly here I expected someone a little more… Aware."
I tried not to take it too seriously, after all a small part of flirting was taking small digs at eachother. He was still smiling though, so I figured I was safe. We had walked out of the dinning room into the training center. I shot Clove a glare saying 'Please follow us.'
"Tell me more about the, oh so mysterious, Cato."
"There's not much to say." I decided. I wasn't ready for that conversation quite yet. The 'Oh hey, by the way I used to be a killing machine. I recovered only 5 days ago, wanna date?' didn't seem appropriate. I deflected the question with one of my own. "Why don't you tell me more about yourself?"
He looked surprised and turned a little red. Did I say something wrong? I averted my gaze, feeling dumb when I noticed Clove hiding behind a rack full of swords. She looked like she was going to explode with excitement and waved her hands feircly at me and pointed at Peeta. She mouthed 'Pay attention you dumb fuck.' at me. I shot a glare at her before taking her advice and turning back to Peeta.
"Not much to say about me." He started looking hurt. There was something in his eyes that didn't give me the warmth I was slowly getting used to, and craved like a drug. I didn't want to continue it anymore, wanting the boy to return to himself. The Peeta I was getting to know.
"I grew up in District 12. My family owns a bakery, but we still lived much like everyone else in 12. We didn't know when our next meal would come, only getting to eat the old bread that no one bought that day." He paused. I never heard of someone struggling to find their next meal. It was wrong; I never had to worry about food and the concept seemed ridiculous. There was a new emotion that formed a longing to comfort the boy, tell him everything was going to be okay. It caught me by surprise. I had time to deal with the love that was building, but the empathy was something that somehow seemed harder to grasp. I wanted him to stop talking.
"My dad was always a nice guy, he tried to raise me up right. The rest of my family didn't even notice me. Well, my mom did. But she only noticed what I did wrong and beat me for it. I never wanted to go to school, but it was my only haven. I had a few friends, but none of them were ever that close to me."
There was silence after he finished. I wasn't prepared for this. I never learned how to deal with this from Clove and I wasn't sure what to say. So I did what I do best, and I kept my mouth shut.
Apparently, it wasn't the reaction Peeta wanted. He was watching me, waiting for me to say something. What do you want me to say? I could hear Clove talking in my mind, 'Just say anything, the silence is worse.'
"Sounds rough." I blurted out. For fucks sake. Thanks Clove, silence would have been better than that. I tried to catch his eyes, speaking better with my own than with my tongue, but his head was hung low. I decided to do the next best thing that wasn't speaking. I draped my arm around him and pulled him close. The heat that exploded through me as I held him was something on a whole different level.
It must have been the right thing to do, because he instantly looked up at me. The Peeta I wanted to know was back, his eyes bringing that familiar warm sensation. He had a few of his blonde strands hanging out of place and it took all my willpower not to brush them back in place. Instead smiling down at him, I broke the contact: hoping the heat would subside a little before I exploded and did something completely stupid. Something was starting to happen, and I didn't want to ruin it all by being an idiot.
"I don't get you." Breaking the silence. Peeta was watching me. "One minute you do everything right, and the next you're cold and distant."
There wasn't the subtle flirtatious hint to the statement, and I felt myself growing angry at it. Why did I have to take everything so personally? I forced the anger to disipate, trying to focus on something else, but it was only dulling it.
"I'm sorry," Peeta answered, "That was uncalled for." My anger was gone, and the guilt kicked in again. Guilt for getting upset over a simple statement. Especially one from Peeta.
"You got to hear about me." Peeta said, "Your turn."
I had a different topic in mind, "Why me?" I bluntly asked.
"What do you mean?" Peeta asked, looking confused.
"Why, of all people, do you want to get to know me?" It never really crossed my mind until just a moment ago. But what made me so damn special? I've got nothing to give, and Clove is more fun to talk to.
"I don't know." Peeta answered, "I guess you're the only one that I haven't gotten to know. You seem like this huge mystery."
"And that's all?" I was loosing my patience and all I wanted to do was scream at the boy. "Quit messing with me and give me a straight answer!"
Both of our attentions shot to the large crash, smacking of wood hitting the floor, metal on metal, and the paniced scream of Clove. I guessed she got a little too interested and leaned a little too far over the rack.
"Oh, don't mind me." She nervously said, "Clumsy old me." She started to pick up a few of the weapons she knocked over but decided it best to leave them. "I'll be going now." She shot me a 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?' glare before she awkwardly walked off.
I turned back to Peeta, who looked startled by the commotion. I starred at him, letting him know I was serious, and that I wasn't backing down.
"Maybe it's because I found the mystery intriguing." Peeta mumbled. He seemed sincere, but his answer was lacking for 'the boy with the perfect words.' he must have found out that I called his bluff. "And maybe I thought you were kinda hot."
The he was shouting. "Are you happy now?"
He turned to walk away, but I grabbed him by the wrist and spun him back to face me. "There, now was that so hard?"
I surprised myself with how I handled the situation. I acked on impulse instead of that stupid flirting thing Clove told me was so important. I knew it was useless.
Peeta was still trying to free himself from my grasp but I was steadfast. But his shout surprised me and I lost my hold of him. "Then answer me! Why me?" He shouted.
I didn't have an answer for it. I didn't know why it was him. All I knew is that it was him. And he was walking away from me and I had nothing to say. How did it all backfire on me so fast? I thought I was getting the hang of it all, but I guess the only thing I'll ever be good at is being alone.
A/N: Don't hate me...