"When I was a child, my grandparents lived on a horse farm," Peeta began, giving Katniss some background on the story of how he injured his left leg.
"They raised thoroughbred race horses and sent them to Kentucky every September for the sales. They did quite well, I guess, because it was my mother's money, from her parents, that enabled my father to keep the bakery going. Or at least that's what she always said.
"Anyway," Peeta went on, "my brothers and I spent a lot of time on the farm, and we all learned to ride. Not the thoroughbreds, of course," he said this as if it were a common fact she would know. "But there were saddle horses on hand and we would take them out all the time on long rides. Sometimes we'd be gone for hours."
"That sounds like fun," Katniss told him, giving him a smile of reassurance.
Peeta took a deep breath and continued. "So one day, I wanted to go riding but neither of my brothers wanted to go along. I wasn't really supposed to go riding alone, but I had done it before so I felt pretty confident. I rode too far that day, especially because I was all alone, and...and then something spooked my horse and I was thrown."
Katniss' eyes widened in surprise. Up until now his story had been so lovely she almost forgot that the end result would be his injured leg. "You broke your leg?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
Peeta nodded slowly in the affirmative. "Not only that, but I hadn't told anyone I was taking the horse, so it was hours before anyone thought to look for me. When it got dark, it was even harder for them to find me. I spent the night alone in a field with a compound fracture, wondering if the wild dogs I could hear in the distance would finish me off."
He laughed lightly, "Of course I had the imagination of a ten year old boy to help scare me." He smiled a tight smile, but Katniss could tell the memories of that night still haunted him. She remembered his paintings-the dark and frightening images of wild animals that looked as if they might attack at any moment.
"So your leg...it still bothers you?" Katniss asked.
"Actually, not at all," Peeta said, lifting his pant leg by way of explanation. "By the time they found me and got me to the hospital, infection had set in. I lost the leg from the knee down." Katniss viewed the metal rod of his prosthetic with interest, but it did not bother her in the least.
"I can walk fine," Peeta went on to explain, "but running, and uh, hiking I guess, are completely out." His face was apologetic and slightly flushed.
"That makes sense," Katniss said, understanding. "But I wish you would have just told me."
"Me too, Katniss. Me too," he said.
"I still can't go to the art walk," Katniss began, watching as Peeta's face fell, "but I'd like to have lunch one day next week, if the offer still stands?"
Peeta's bright smile was back, "Sure! I'd love that!"
...
The relief of having finally talked to Peeta and getting everything smoothed over between them had Katniss in an unusually good mood. That's probably why it was so easy for Gale to convince her to go along with he and Madge to watch his brother Rory's band play at The Hob, a bar near campus. Although Katniss didn't usually favor the bar scene, if she had to hang out in one The Hob was her first choice.
Katniss ducked under Gale's arm as he held he door for she and Madge and entered the familiar space, sucking in the stale air. She could see Rory's band setting up in the back, on the rickety wooden platform that served as a stage. Gale slapped hands with a few of the workers, most of whom were his good friends, and set about ordering their first round of beers, while Madge and Katniss made their way back to find a table near the music.
Sliding across the vinyl seat, Katniss glanced above her at the array of odd items that hung from the ceiling of the bar. With it's dusty tile floors, beaten up seating and weathered concrete walls, The Hob was short on charm. The exception was the owner's penchant for hanging bicycles, rowboats and other assorted items from the ceiling. The Hob was known for this oddity, with patrons automatically scanning above their heads at each visit to see what new item had joined the collection. That night it was a half rusted wrought iron birdcage, hanging precariously above the entrance to the men's restroom.
Gale arrived at the table just as Rory's band began their warm up, and Katniss sat back and took a long slow drink, the amber beer and the company of her friends in this familiar space helping her relax. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed Rory's band, too, and was looking forward to their first set.
Several rounds later Katniss was feeling more than a little relaxed; she was one hundred percent buzzed. Her eyes were shining and she was talking way more than usual, both signs she was on her way to being flat out drunk. "Good to see you let loose a little Catnip," Gale teased her, tipping the last of his beer down his throat.
"Whatever," Katniss rolled her eyes and laughed at him. "Move over Madge, I'm getting us another round." Madge wouldn't budge so Katniss began to scoot over her in the booth, causing them both to roar with laughter when Katniss ended up on Madge's lap, getting them both wedged in between the table and the seat. When Katniss finally managed to pull herself out of the booth on the other side she could hardly breathe from the effort and the laughter combined. Gale just shook his head in mock annoyance. "Just how the hell am I supposed to get you two idiots home? I'm going to have to cut you off," he joked.
Still bright eyed and giggling, Katniss headed to the bar to order three more beers. She was so preoccupied with trying to maneuver around the rather crowded floor filled with metal tables and patrons left to standing room only, that she did not notice Peeta standing with a group of friends near the front of the bar.
Peeta had seen her, though, and he made his way over, putting his hand on her shoulder to get her attention where she stood at the bar waiting to place her order. She turned, her trademark scowl marking her face at first, ready to tell Madge for the final time that she was buying, but seeing a very different blue eyed-blond, her expression immediately became one of shock and then joy.
"Peeeeeeta!" she exclaimed, more excited than he had ever witnessed her beforehand. Wrapping her arms around his neck she pulled him in for a quick hug, which he gladly reciprocated. She had forgotten how wonderful his hugs felt. Why was she not hugging him all the time? she thought. She should really hug him all the time. They broke away after only a moment, Peeta's warm smile lighting up his slightly flushed face. His eyes danced with light and a few errant golden curls had fallen across his forehead. Without thinking, Katniss reached up and brushed them back, smiling up at his surprise.
"It's so good to see you here," Peeta told her enthusiastically, a look of amusement barely hidden on his face. "Having a good time?"
Katniss nodded vigorously. "I'm here with Gale and Madge. We're listening to Rory's band!" she spoke faster and louder than he had ever heard before. It was clear she had been enjoying herself and a few drinks for a while at this point. "Just a second," she told Peeta, and then worried he might walk away she grabbed his wrist, "Stay right here," she instructed him.
Peeta laughed. He had never seen her so animated. "I'm not going anywhere," he told her with a chuckle. Katniss turned to the bartender, one she recognized to be the surly owner of the bar itself. "Three local amber ales, please," she quipped, tossing down the cash.
"You sure you're old enough to drink sweetheart," the old man growled back.
"Oh, whatever Haymitch," Katniss tossed right back at him. "Are you sure you're not too old to drink?"
The older man snorted and turned to fill the glasses with amber ale. Setting them back down on the counter in front of Katniss, he turned his attention to Peeta, who was still ensnared by the wrist, but not looking like he minded one bit. "Better watch out boy," Haymitch said, "This one's a pistol."
"Let me help you with those," Peeta said, grabbing the third beer that Katniss clearly could not balance in her state. "Thanks!" Katniss replied, turning to walk ahead of him back to where Gale and Madge waited at the table. "I wanted you to walk over and meet my friends anyway. I've been telling them all about you."
Peeta's eyebrows raised, a pleased expression on his face. This was certainly a whole new side of Katniss. "Sure," he replied. "I'd love to meet them."
Madge's face cracked into a full on grin by the time Katniss reached the table, Peeta right behind her. Katniss set the drinks down carefully, turning to take her own from Peeta's hand. "Madge, Gale-this is Peeta. He makes the best chai tea latte in the universe."
Madge, equally as tipsy as Katniss at this point, smiled knowingly up at Peeta as he shook hands with Gale. "So you're the one Katniss won't shut up about. You're right, Katniss, he's cute. I say go for it," she blabbered. Peeta's eyes widened, but a small smirk played on his lips.
Katniss glared at Madge, but her head was too clouded to form a clear argument. Instead she blurted out, "I didn't say cute, I said he was adorable!" Suddenly remembering Peeta was standing right beside her, Katniss began to turn a deep shade of red. She chanced a glance at him, but he was not laughing at her as she expected. Instead he was grinning from ear to ear and shaking his head a little in disbelief.
"Katniss tends to be a little more vocal when she's had a few," Gale pointed out and Madge covered her face, shaking with laughter.
The three of them talked for a few more minutes and Katniss waited silently while Peeta told Madge and Gale it was nice to meet them and turned with him as he headed back to join his group of friends at the front of the bar. Katniss knew she needed to clear the air.
"Peeta," she said, grabbing his arm before he got too far away. "I was just teasing. About you being adorable. I mean, it's true. You are. But I was just teasing," she babbled, and it felt like she was only digging herself an even deeper hole of embarrassment.
She's not sure how she expected him to react to her word vomit, but she was certainly unprepared for the way her stomach plummeted to the ground and heat bloomed under every inch of her skin with his response.
His voice was low and deeper and sexier than she'd ever heard it. "Just teasing?" he said, his eyebrows raised and his face full of a knowing look that set her on fire.