Smiley. That's what she started calling him in her head. He wasn't there every time she went to the coffee shop, but he was there most of the times. Each time he was grinning ear to ear, laughing and talking to every customer as if they were old friends. Katniss found it hard to look him in the eye-he was just so damn happy it made her squirm. Still, she found herself looking for him as soon as she pulled open the coffee shop door and was disappointed on the days she found he wasn't there. She wasn't sure why it should matter.

It was a Thursday evening a few weeks after Smiley started working at the shop, that Katniss learned his real name and discovered that she wasn't a coffee a drinker after all.

It wasn't very busy in the shop and as she approached the counter and his trademark grin, Katniss found herself inadvertently smiling back. Quickly she schooled her face back to neutral, biting her lip in embarrassment.

"Hi Katniss," he said, "What are you in the mood for tonight? Chocolate or vanilla? Or maybe something with a caramel drizzle?" His face dropped slightly at her obvious frown. To be honest, she just wasn't in the mood for any of the multitude of latte flavors offered, and she didn't know why. He seemed to sense this and before she could settle for one or the other, he piped up again, "Hey have you ever had a chai tea latte? It's my favorite and I have a feeling you might like it, too. It's spicy, not too sweet, but smooth."

At her slight nod, he continued on, chuckling lightly, "Okay, so that's a yes? Here, let me make it for you. If you don't like it I can make you anything else you want, no charge." He was beaming at her like a kid in a candy shop, so she merely nodded again, struck mute in his presence as usual.

There was no one in line behind her, so he moved over to the machinery and began to push and pull the levers to make her this chai tea latte he suggested. "So," he continued, "you come in here every tuesday and thursday, huh? Are you taking classes at the University?" Katniss felt her face flush with heat. He noticed which days she came to the coffee shop? Did he do this with all the customers? He did seem overly interested in everyone who came through the line. Still, it seemed strange that he would have this level of interest in her schedule.

She realized he was waiting for her answer and she shook herself out of her stupor, physically shaking her head a bit to clear her thoughts. "Um, yeah. I have some time to kill before class, so..." she trailed off, tugging on the end of her braid that hung over her left shoulder and keeping her eyes trained on the floor.

"Well, it's always nice to see you in here," he said, finishing her drink and adding a sleeve over the cup to protect her hands from the hot drink. "See how you like that," he said as he handed her the cup, and when she looked up to take it from him she saw that his blue eyes sparkled just like the ocean in the sun on a bright day.

"Thanks-" she cut off because she realized at that moment that she couldn't exactly call him Smiley to his face.

"It's Peeta," he supplied, smiling brightly at her. "Peeta Mellark."

"Thanks Peeta," she repeated. Then she nodded and took the cup to the opposite side of the coffee shop to sit in her favorite little two seat table in the window. She could see him watching her as she sat her laptop and backpack down, but when she glanced back at him he quickly busied himself with wiping the countertop.

Tentatively she brought the cup to her lips, taking her first sip, and was immediately overwhelmed with the most delicious combination of flavors. It was completely different than the coffee lattes she had been drinking for the past months; the tea was spicy, but subtly sweet and completely smooth as Peeta had promised.

She looked up to him after her first satisfying sip and saw that he was looking at her again, too. He gave her a tentative thumbs up, almost like a question and she responded in kind, raising her own thumb and giving him a small smile. His response was an even bigger smile than his usual patent grin, and then he turned and went back to working on refilling the large coffee makers on the back of the bar.

There was a noticeable sense of loss when she neared the bottom her cup; it was that good. He came by her table just as she was packing up to head out, stopping to push in the chairs at the next table over and pick up some trash that had been left behind. "So what did you think?" he asked, and it was the first time she had ever thought he sounded almost shy.

"It was really, really great," she admitted. "Tea, huh? Who knew."

He laughed at that, the sound ringing out like bells in the small shop. "I'm glad you liked it," he said. "You looked like a tea girl to me." She quirked one eyebrow up at that. What did that even mean, she wondered.

He lingered for a moment more in the awkward silence and then finally he said, "Well, I guess I'll see you soon, Katniss."

"Yeah," she said softly. "See you soon."

The warmth of the chai tea stayed with her long after she had walked across campus and she couldn't help but wonder if had something to do with the smiling barista who made it.