A/N - Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favourited/followed. It means so much to get those little ffn notifications, so thanks all.
But biggest thanks of all goes to Court81981 for being the greatest Beta in the world, and for inspiration and encouragement (and putting up with my drunken ramblings.) Thank you so much, Court!
Hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think :)
September
Getting Peeta out of the house was a rare occurrence. After his mishap with allowing a volunteer into his home to help run the sanctuary, he had become even more wary of trying again, which meant their days out together could only be timed in accordance with when Finnick was free and willing to lend a hand.
Just such an opportunity came up in the last week of September. After a wet and washed-out August, England had been promised an Indian summer and Katniss was overjoyed to see the sunshine return. Peeta had long wanted to take Katniss for a day out in the countryside and so when they woke on the morning of their planned excursion to see the sun shining down on them he practically skipped around his kitchen as he prepared them a picnic for the day. His infectious enthusiasm quickly spread to her despite the early start, and she pottered around the kitchen, getting in the way as she tried to 'help' by slicing bread to make sandwiches. Mostly, however, she ended up getting under his feet until he sat her down at the kitchen table with a mug of hazelnut coffee to keep her occupied.
As Peeta finished packing more food than the two of them would comfortably manage into a wicker basket, Finnick could be heard heading downstairs towards the kitchen, whistling a jaunty tune. "Morning," he said, bursting in to the kitchen. "So, where are you heading?" he asked as he opened the basket to examine the contents, picking a few grapes from a bunch resting on top.
"I thought we'd go up to Southwold. Not been up that way for ages, so…"
"Nice," he responded, popping the purloined grapes into his mouth. "You know," he said, swallowing the fruit, "if you actually tried again, got someone in to help you out instead of relying on me each time, you'd be able to do things like this more often."
"And we both know what happened last time," Peeta answered, dismissing the suggestion immediately.
"Then you'll remember that last time I told you to try again that I also told you not to be a dickhead and actually check them out before you leave them alone in your home."
"Finn, I'd rather just do it all myself. It's not worth the hassle and worry."
"For you, maybe. And you don't do it all yourself, which is why we're having this conversation. I'd quite like my days off to be days off sometimes. You know I can't keep this up forever."
"I'll help," Katniss piped up, causing the two men to look over at her. "I mean, I'll help you find someone. I've got a pretty good judge of character. Better than you, at least, no offence. But either way Finn's right, Peeta. We can't keep relying on him, it isn't fair."
"You'll help me find someone?" he repeated.
"Absolutely."
She could see him contemplating the idea as he made Finnick a tea. "Ok," he said at last as he stirred the sugar in to the brew. "Fine. I'll put another ad out. And I'll make sure you're here when I meet them. Ok?"
"Ok," she replied. "But don't worry about it for now, at least today we've got Finn as our personal slave. I get the impression that deep down he actually likes being bossed around."
"Maybe by you, Katniss," said Finnick as he dipped his finger in to a little spilt sugar on the kitchen work surface. He leant over towards her and suggestively sucked the sugar off the end of his finger. "You can boss me around any time and any way you want."
"Finnick!" she gasped, scandalised. "What would Annie say if she heard you talking like that?"
"She'd roll her eyes and tell him to behave," interjected Peeta. "I'm gonna tell him to behave or he'll get a swift kick to the nads."
"And what's your missus going to get? She started it."
He answered, not with words, by crossing over to where she was sat and lowering his lips to hers. In response she reached up and buried her fingers in his hair, massaging the back of his scalp as she opened her mouth to him. Katniss was only half aware of Finnick's words drifting through to them. "I think I prefer her treatment."
Both she and Peeta did a good job of ignoring his comment; as Peeta reached out to gently cup, the side of her face she continued to hold him steady, greedily devouring each one of his kisses.
When he finally pulled away from her, he turned to Finnick and said, "What were you saying?"
"Just wondering where my good morning kisses are."
"Annie couldn't make it today, then?" Katniss asked.
"Nah, she's working. I get to experience a day in the life of the sad and lonely existence of Peeta Mellark in all its glory."
"Fuck you," Peeta retorted.
Katniss was pretty sure that Finnick was the only person who could get away with saying something like that. It was a sore point with him, she'd found, that he spent so many of his days alone. It pained her to think of him pottering around the cottage without seeing anyone, the sole human contact and highlight of his day being speaking with her over Skype.
"Anyway, you nearly ready to go?" asked Finnick.
"I think so," replied Peeta. "Belle's coming with us, by the way. If that's ok with you?" he said, turning to Katniss.
"Sure," Katniss replied, although if she was entirely honest she had hoped to have Peeta all to herself, and not have to worry about looking after any animals for a day.
"Well, if that's the case, shall we?" he asked, holding his hand out towards her. She took it and allowed him to help her to her feet.
"When can I expect you back?" Finnick asked, helping himself to extra sugar in his tea.
"Dunno. Early evening? I'll keep you updated."
"What I'm trying to say, Peet, is are you cooking me dinner tonight or am I going to have to fend for myself?"
He shook his head a little in disbelief. "How I let you get away with talking to me this way I'll never know."
"Because you love me and want me. So, are you cooking me dinner?"
"Fine."
"Atta boy," Finnick said with a grin, ruffling Peeta's hair.
Shrugging away the attention, Peeta said, "See you later, ok? Call me if you need anything."
"Get the hell out of here, and quit worrying. Have a good day, the pair of you," he grinned.
Peeta picked up the wicker basket containing their picnic and Katniss followed him towards the front door. Before heading outside Peeta whistled loudly and Belle came bounding towards them. "You wanna go for a drive, girl?" he said with enthusiasm, scratching her behind the ears and increasing his dog's excitement tenfold.
"So, where exactly are we going?" Katniss asked as he opened the hatchback on his Peugeot, allowing Belle to jump inside. Once she was lying down he leant over the back seat and placed the wicker picnic basket inside, then closed the hatchback door.
"I thought we could head up to the coast. It's been far too long since I've seen the sea."
"Oh?" she asked, trying to remember the last time she'd been to the coast herself.
"Yeah, I grew up in Battle, and obviously spent a lot of time in Hastings. Whenever I see the sea it reminds me of home." Katniss took in the wistful look on his face and entwined his fingers with her own.
"Do you ever go back there?"
"No," he replied, his eyes firmly set on the ground. "I've got no reason to. There's nothing there for me now."
She felt a twinge of pity for him. He had mentioned his estranged mother and brothers in passing but always seemed to change the subject very quickly. His father, it seemed, he could talk about for hours, regaling her with amusing anecdotes until his eyes would darken at some painful untold memory and she would have to change the subject herself to bring him back. It was apparent to her that he was remembering whatever he had lost from his past life. She felt a momentary pang of guilt as she thought of her own family home. It was so rare that she got to see her mother. But then, on those rare occasions that she did venture back to Gloucestershire her mother was so barely aware of her presence anyway that she almost couldn't see the point. After her husband's death, Maria Everdeen had withdrawn so far in to herself that she had become unrecognisable even to her own daughters. Katniss' anger at her for effectively abandoning her two daughters dissipated over time but not before Maria was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. Back when she still had her full cognitive faculties, she would have loved Peeta, but now Katniss wondered if the two of them would ever meet. Prim made the occasional visit over to her nursing home in Gloucestershire whenever she got the chance, but Katniss hated visiting her. The smell of death hung in the air, the reminder of her own mortality, and she despised it.
Shaking away the negative thoughts, she raised Peeta's fingers to her mouth and kissed the tips. He returned the favour, pressing her fingers to his lips and holding them there before flashing her a winning smile. "Shall we?" he asked, opening the passenger side door for her. The chivalrous display was typical of him, and while it would normally annoy her feminist side to be treated in such a way, she found it impossible to supress her grin as she got into his car. He waited patiently by the door until she was seated and comfortable before closing it for her.
After settling himself in the driver's seat and starting up the engine Katniss asked, "So how long 'til we get there?"
"Maybe an hour and a half. An hour, if the roads are clear."
"An hour? I didn't think we were that far from the coast!"
"We're not, if you want to go to a beach that's full of arcade machines and covered in turds and used condoms. If that takes your fancy I can get us there in about fifteen minutes. If you want to go to a Blue Flag award-winning beach it'll take a bit longer. But it's your choice."
"Hmmm, tough decision," she said. "Maybe we'll save the turds for another day."
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure," she said with a grin.
"Ok. Turdless paradise it is, then."
He turned on the car stereo before pulling out of his driveway, trying to sing along with the Fratellis track currently playing. Katniss supressed a wince at his absolute lack of musical ability; instead she was touched that he felt comfortable enough around her to sing even though he knew that he had no discernible talent.
The roads were all pretty clear, and Peeta got them to their destination in a little over an hour. Driving in to Southwold was like stepping back in time. As they drove through the town, Katniss didn't spot a single chain shop. Every shop was independent, with quaint little cafes interspersed between, and hanging baskets filled with colourful pansies, petunias and geraniums were visible on every single wall.
Peeta parked the car near a looming white lighthouse and Katniss felt a little rush of excitement at seeing the sea. A few fluffy white clouds were rolling in from the grey North Sea and despite how cold and uninviting the water looked, Katniss could still spot several swimmers and surfers braving the waters. She watched as one wetsuit-clad surfer took a tumble into the sea while Peeta opened the hatchback, attaching a lead to Belle's collar. He seemed to be hesitating over the picnic. "What's up?" she asked him.
"Do you want to eat now or later? I don't want to have to haul this around all day…"
"Leave it there. We'll come back for it later."
Their hands interlinked, they strolled towards the beach, Belle trotting along by Peeta's side. The beach's promenade was like something out of a fairy tale; as far as the eye could see, brightly coloured little beach huts lined the walk. "This is the solution," Katniss said, eyeing the beach huts. "We get one of these. We could leave the picnic there instead of having to go back to the car."
"Perfect," replied Peeta. "If you've got a spare seventy grand to spend."
"Seventy grand?" she cried, utterly incredulous.
"Yup. They're mostly owned by London highflyers or rich American tourists. And as a London-based journalist, I think that puts you firmly in the first category. So go on, this could be our first property we own together. I reckon I can just about scrape a spare five hundred to put towards it if you don't mind contributing the rest. We just need to pick one."
"I think I'm getting the raw end of this deal, Peeta."
"Not at all. As majority shareholder you'd get to pick the colour. And that's a big responsibility."
"Oh, well in that case, fine. I'm sold. You can help me pick one, but I get the final say, ok?"
"Sounds fair. What about this one?" he asked pointing to the nearest, which had been painted a pastel yellow colour.
"Oh, god, no. Sky blue neighbours? I don't think so."
"Racist."
"Well, on your head be it when the neighbourhood goes downhill."
"What if I intend on bringing it down myself?"
She couldn't keep up the pretence of it being a serious conversation for long and was soon falling in to him with a fit of giggles. His strong arm snaked its way around her waist, holding her close to him and she soaked up his steady warmth as a cool breeze came off the sea, ruffling their hair in the wind. Katniss looked over at the lapping waves, overcome with the desire to be closer to them. "Can we head down on to the beach?" she asked.
"Sure," he replied, leading the way. "Belle's probably itching to go for a proper run too." As he let Belle off the lead, she watched his profile. He took so much joy in watching his dog run up and down the beach, splashing into the sea and back again and as Katniss saw the love in his eyes she felt a huge rush of affection for him. They slowly ambled along the half-sandy, half-pebbled beach in silence, holding one another's hand when Peeta suddenly broke away from her. He bent down and picked up a small orange pebble and examined it closely before dropping it again and making a small huff of disappointment.
"You ok?"
"Yup," he said, not elaborating further on his odd behaviour.
"Are you going to tell me what that was all about?"
"Nope. Not yet, anyway. Maybe later." He turned to face her and his eyes roamed over every inch of her face. Katniss could feel herself growing red under his intense gaze. "You look so beautiful right now," he told her.
"Stop it, Peeta," she said, flushing even further.
"Why? I'm not allowed to tell my girlfriend she's beautiful?"
His openness and honesty about his feelings towards her still had the power to make her feel uncomfortable. 'Beautiful' was never a word she would have used to describe herself, and she had never been good at accepting compliments, always feeling suspicious of one who paid them to her. Hearing that word come from Peeta, knowing there was no ulterior motive to it, still felt strange and foreign to her. "I'm not," she said simply.
"You are," he said, pulling her into his embrace. "And you better get used to hearing it." The fresh sea breeze whipped around them as Peeta buried his face in her hair. She could feel him planting soft kisses on the top of her head and melted further into him. After a moment his kisses became firmer and faster and he groaned slightly into her. "Getting hungry," he said between kisses. "I might have to eat you."
"Doesn't that go against the fundamental tenets of veganism?" she asked with a chuckle.
"Don't care," he responded, tilting her chin back slightly and capturing her lips in a desperate kiss.
"You want to head back to the car and get the picnic?" she asked, pulling away from him for a moment.
"I want you," he replied, leaning back in towards her. "Do you remember you telling me you wanted to have sex on a beach?" he whispered in her ear.
"Peeta!" she gasped as his hand slipped lower over her the curve of her backside and squeezed. A rush of heat between her legs betrayed her feelings. She wanted him, dammit, she wanted him so much it hurt, but they were in public in the middle of the day. There was no way he could be serious… "Peeta, we can't…."
"I know," he replied. "Just wanted to give you a little something to think about."
"Don't," she laughed. "I'll be going crazy all day."
"Welcome to my world."
"Come on," she said, trying to disentangle herself from his embrace but failing miserably. "You want that picnic you're going to have to let me go."
"Just….can you give me a minute?" he asked her. In explanation he pushed his hips forward and she could feel his cock, thick and hard, pressing through their clothes into her.
"You maybe want to sit down for a minute?"
"Probably wise. There are a lot of old women around here. I don't want to upset them."
They sank down on to a patch of sand that was surrounded by more pebbles and Peeta reached towards them, taking a handful. He went through them one at a time, dismissing some instantly, looking at others more closely before also dropping them.
"Are you going to tell me what you're doing?"
With a shy smile he shook his head, looking up at her momentarily before picking up another handful. Once again, some of them he dropped straight away, some he examined a little longer before dropping them with a look of disappointment. He continued the strange behaviour with two more handfuls of pebbles before Katniss began to grow impatient.
"So, is it safe for us to move yet?"
"It is," he said, wiping his hands on the front of his jeans before standing up and helping Katniss to her feet. "You want that picnic yet?"
"Sure."
Peeta gave a clear, loud whistle and Belle came bounding back. She jumped up at him, her paws soaking wet, leaving slightly muddy prints over his shirt. "You having fun, girl?" She gave a loud, excited bark in response, rolled over on to her back and looked up expectantly, refusing to move at all until both Peeta and Katniss had given her several belly rubs. After reattaching her lead, the three of them wandered back to the car and retrieved the wicker picnic basket. Within another fifteen minutes, they had returned to the beach and spread a soft blanket over the sand while Peeta unpacked the food.
"I swear that you're trying to make me fat, Peeta," Katniss said as she looked at everything he had made: three varieties of sandwiches, some with cashew cheese and onion chutney, some with avocado and salsa, some with homemade chickpea burgers and salad, a Waldorf salad made with homemade egg-free mayonnaise, fragrant Moroccan couscous, wild rice with roasted garlic and aubergine… And of course his usual beautifully decorated cupcakes. Today he had made maple and pecan with salted caramel frosting. To drink he had brought a bottle of sparkling elderflower juice, and he poured them both a glass, handing one to Katniss before clinking his own glass against hers. They ate until they were fit to burst and shared most of what was left with Belle, who ate just as ravenously and enthusiastically as her master.
She couldn't possibly feel more content. The sun was warm but not blazing, and the surfeit of food was making her slightly sleepy. She leant back on her elbows, facing towards the sea and allowed herself to deeply breathe in the clean air. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Peeta looking through more pebbles, and she tried to quell the annoyance that he wouldn't tell her what he was doing.
With most of the food gone, and with Peeta lost in his own world, Katniss started to get restless again. Although she tried to keep her impatience hidden, Peeta soon picked up on it. "Did you want to go?" he asked her.
"Whenever you're ready," she replied.
He looked through the last of the pebbles in his hand, and dropping them all back on the beach with a heartfelt sigh, he said, "Let's go, then." It was only the work of a few moments to place the empty plates and blanket back inside the wicker basket, and after signalling to Belle that it was time for them to leave, they slowly began to make their way off the beach.
Suddenly he stopped in his tracks and bent down yet again, picking up another small, orange pebble by his feet. As he turned it slowly over in his hand a smile crept across his face. He polished it on the sleeve of his shirt and held it up to the light before holding it out to Katniss. "Here," he said. "I've been hoping to find some all day. It's amber."
Katniss took the tiny stone from him. Not much bigger than a pearl, the amber was roughly cuboid in shape with weather-smoothed edges that made it almost spherical. Her breath was taken away by the gesture. "You've been looking for amber all day?" she said quietly.
"Uh-huh. I wasn't sure I'd find any, but—"
A small chuckle escaped his lips. "This beach is pretty renowned for having amber wash up on shore. We'll go for a walk in town in a bit if you like and you'll see all the shops are full of it. Amber jewellery, amber statuettes and ornaments…. but I wanted to find you a piece that was pure. Unadulterated."
The pricking feeling at the back of her eyes gave her just a moment's warning before her vision was obscured by tears. How she had been annoyed at him for trying to find her something so perfect she didn't know. "Peeta, this might be the sweetest gift anyone has ever given me." She was captivated by the smooth amber in her hand, by the gentle warmth it seemed to exude, how it seemed to create its own luminescence….
"You're welcome," he grinned.
"Seriously, this is just wonderful." The words sounded almost hollow but she meant them deeply. "Honestly Peeta, I don't think I could ever repay you for something so thoughtful."
A sly grin spread across his face as he put his arm across her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "Leave it with me. I'm sure I'll think of a way."