"Good morning son" my dad calls to me as I enter the bakery to begin my morning chores. "Morning dad" I call back to him and put on my white apron to protect my clothes from the flour and then walk out to the back porch to grab a couple of the 50 pound bags to bring in for our day of bread loafs.

I didn't pay attention to anything else, normally no one is up at this hour other than shop keepers and they don't travel around the back yard. So when I glance out to the pigs and my eyes scan the apple tree, I feel my heart suddenly race and I suck in all the air my lungs can hold.

Under the apple tree stood Katniss Everdeen, her hair pulled back into her signature side braid her eyes are focused on her hunting boots which her light brown pants are tucked into and my eyes followed up to the loose dark green button up shirt with a plain white tee underneath. She looked so casual yet ready to bolt at any second.

I set the bags down and head her way, as soon as my right foot hit the ground her head flew up and those grey eyes that I dream about met mine and it felt like the world stopped as I held her gaze. Those eyes are the only way I could ever know what she was feeling or thinking and at the moment she looked as if she may flee so I stopped a few feet away from her.

"Katniss," I say softly not knowing how to start the second conversation of my life with her. I try to smile to put her at ease. When she still hasn't said anything and hasn't broken eye contact I begin to worry, I step closer to her.

"Katniss, is everything okay? What's wrong?"

She sucks in some air and then closes the space between us and makes sure that I keep eye contact with her, "Thank you Peeta." She whispers, and I cock my head to the side like a lost puppy. "For wh-" I start and she cuts me off.

"You know what for; I never got the chance to thank you for helping me and my family all those years ago." She paused and I know this was hard for her, "and I'm sorry that it took me this long to finally acknowledge your kindness." She then leaned in closer to me and kissed me on the cheek softly.

I felt the heat rush to my face and a jolt of electricity shoot through me, Katniss Everdeen just kissed me… is this real or am I dreaming? Then as quickly as the act registered in my mind she had taken off in a full sprint towards the seam.

My joy from the moment was quickly replaced with anger at myself for losing all ability to speak. I should have approached her first; I should have been the one with the courage.

"Peeta!" I hear my mother yell from inside. I sigh and head back to quickly take care of my chores before school, which was sure to be an exciting day.

*Katniss*

Oh my god

Oh my god

Oh

My

God

What have I done? I think to myself as I run quickly from Peeta.

I had only meant to say thank you and then leave, why the hell would I kiss him! He had looked so worried and lost and even kept his distance as if he knew I planned on fleeing. He made me feel so guilty for having him worry about me that I wanted to prove to him….. Something.

"Gah!" I yell into the woods and kick a tree. I wasn't supposed to have these feelings, not about anyone, my sole goal in life was to make sure that Prim lived a long happy one.

Ever since that night four years ago I have kept tabs on that boy against my will, it was like my body knew he was around and desperately wanted me around him. I make a sound of disgust and kick the tree again before sinking down and resting my back against it.

Well school today will certainly be interesting.

I walk to school in silence, Rory and Prim in front of me and Gale and then Vick in front of them. I feel the weight of Gales hand on my shoulder, "Catnip" I hear him sing-song to me.

I look at him from the corner of my eye, "yes?" I respond quietly. "Is everything okay? You're being abnormally quiet today."

I nod my head yes, "I'm fine just thinking about what I could get Madge for her birthday." I lie. Gale has no idea of what Peeta has done for me and I have no intention of ever telling him either.

He frowns at me and glares slightly at the ground, "I have no intention of going to her birthday party or even bothering with getting her a gift. She is the mayor's daughter she gets everything she wants."

Gale is a little hostile when it comes to seam vs town. He is always civil towards Madge but he by no means has any intentions of getting to know her outside of me.

"She's not snooty like the rest of them." I hear myself say, "Some of them could actually be good people Gale." I snap at him and he briskly drops the attack on my only friend other than himself.

I put in my locker combination and open the metal door throwing my anatomy book in and then shutting the door, only to see Madge heading my way, I pause to wait for her.

"So I heard from my father last night, he is coming back today with Haymitch Abernathy." She says as soon as she's by my side. "Really.." I respond wondering why.

When the Capitol started rebuilding and revamping everything they set up for each district to send a representative on behalf of the district to report everything and to hopefully get funding to begin restoration for the district. Had the Capitol finally decided to begin helping?

"Yup," she responds softly and I know that her train of thought was exactly in line with mine. "Do you think maybe things will change for the better" It wasn't a question, and I thought it over and decided that it wasn't worth my time to think about the maybes and what ifs. "I don't know and let's be honest I don't care enough to think about it." She didn't push the topic further and we had reached gym class.

Gym was probably my favorite class, only because the teacher set up different zones for us to go to and as long as we chose to actually take part he left us alone. I usually preferred to do archery or run laps. Sometimes I would join Madge with badminton or tennis pending on how I felt or if Gale was feeling friendly.

I sat below one of the giant willow trees that were in the courtyard next to Gale who was resting his back up against the tree lazily eating his sandwich. I pulled my tiny lunch out of my bag and set the sandwich down on the bag and begin peeling the orange that my mother had snuck into the bag.

"So I hear that our dear district representative shall be making a visit." Gale mumbles in between bites. I glance up at him and look into his grey eyes, curious how he found out. "I heard that as well, I wonder if they will have a mandatory meeting in the square."

"Probably," he says and he stiffens looking at something behind me. I turn around and bite my bottom lip; a nervous habit that I've had for years now. Peeta Mellark has approached us, "Hi Katniss, Gale. Mind if I sit down and join you"

He didn't bother to wait for our answer and took a seat across from me on the grass; he has a ham and cheese sandwich in his right hand taking a large bite from it. I glance over to Gale who is glaring at Peeta. "So…." Peeta starts looking around nervously then his eyes land on Gale who is still glaring at him so his blue eyes move to my grey ones and I feel my breathing increase slightly along with the rhythm of my heart.

"Is there something we can do for you Mellark?" Gale inquires breaking the spell of my eye contact with the blonde boy.

"Just coming over to say hello to Katniss and make small talk." He cocks his head to the left slightly and I feel the tension going between these two men. When did this turn into a pissing contest?

"Peeta, would you like a slice of orange" I didn't wait for a response instead I practically throw a slice at him and quickly shove another into my mouth.

Gale huffs and quickly stands and walks away from the tree towards the building. Both Peeta and I follow him with our gazes until he disappears through the metal doors. "Well he is a beaming ray of sunshine."

I smile, embarrassed, and take a bite of my sandwich, "Gale is….. Gale." I say unable to think of anything else to say in defense of the ass he just made of himself.

Peeta smirks slightly and shrugged his shoulders, "Oh well, this gives us time to talk." He says softly our eyes meeting once again and I feel that spark and my breathing speeds up and my heart increases.

"About what" I whisper, my breath caught in my throat. He doesn't reply right away he just keeps his eyes trained to mine and I tear my eyes from his and follow the lines of his face down to his neck where I train my eyes and see his pulse, its moving rapidly. Perhaps I make him nervous as well.

"About anything I suppose" he sighs. "Katniss, I'm sorry I was unable to reply to you this morning when you stopped by to thank me, I was so shocked that you actually were speaking to me, let alone thanking me for what I did all those years ago. I'm surprised you remembered."

He ran his hand through his hair and I followed the movement, like how I followed everything about him for the past four years. "How could I ever forget something like that" I murmur so quietly I wonder if I spoke it or thought it.

"What made you do it?" I hear myself ask him.

He frowned and ran his hand through his hair again eyes looking down at the grass, "I don't know, you were in need and it seemed like the right thing to do." Then his eyes meet mine again.

"The right thing to do." I repeat back and listen to how it sounds; I take another bite of my sandwich and chew slowly to process everything. This conversation was getting too deep and emotional for my liking. Luckily for me the bell rang signaling that lunch was over and it was time to head to history class.

"Well this was a lovely chat," I begin gathering up all of my trash and Gales that he had left when I felt his hand cover mine and a jolt of electricity shot up my arm and a blush crept over my face neck and chest. "Katniss," he interrupts and pulls my hand so our palms are touching, it was such an innocent act but it seemed so intimate as well.

"I have to go" I reply hastily and retreat through the doors that Gale had went through earlier. There was no way in hell I was going to deal with this, not today and hopefully not ever.