Victory Tour Train Kiss

The door hissed open as Victor Katniss Everdeen watched the trees slide away behind them on the train tracks.

"I'm really not in the mood for a lecture. I'll apologize to Effie later," she preemptively shot down.

No answer. She turned back to see her fellow Victor Peeta Mellark walking towards her. She glanced down, feeling slightly guilty. "Thought you were Haymitch."

"You don't have to apologize to anyone. Including me," Peeta said, heavily sitting down across from her. "But I can't just go on acting for the cameras and then just ignoring each other in real life. It wasn't fair of me to hold you to things you said in the Games. You saved us. I know that. So if you can stop looking at me like I'm wounded, and I can quit acting like it... then maybe... we've got a shot at being friends."

Katniss eyed him skeptically. "I've never been very good at making friends," she admitted.

"For starters, it does help when you know the person," Peeta said, taking on the role of a teacher. "I hardly know anything about you except you're stubborn and good with a bow."

"Well, that about sums me up," Katniss deadpanned back, even if the response was witty in its own little way.

"No, there's more than that, you just don't wanna tell me," Peeta laughed.

"It's like I said, I'm..."

"See, Katniss, the way the whole friendship thing works is you have to tell each other... the deep stuff."

"The deep stuff?" Katniss raised an eyebrow, amused. "Uh oh, like what?"

"Like... what's your favorite color?"

"Well, now you've stepped over the line," Katniss cracked.

Peeta laughed. "Seriously, though, what is it?"

It took her a moment to answer. "Green," she admitted simply. "What's yours?"

"Orange," Peeta replied with a hint of a smile.

Katniss gave him a funny look. "Like Effie's hair?"

"Nah, I don't mean that kind of orange. More like a... sunset kind of orange."

They were nearing their next destination, both of them could feel it. Without a word, Katniss got up to leave. Peeta followed and grabbed her hand, pulling her back to him. Katniss stared at him questioningly, before Peeta suddenly kissed her on the mouth. Katniss forgot herself for a moment, as she closed her eyes and deepened the kiss, allowing Peeta to sweep her into a dip. At last, he swung her back up and drew away.

"I thought you said we had a shot at being friends," Katniss smirked, amused by his boldness.

"Behind the scenes. But now, it's time to prep for the cameras," he told her.

Katniss laughed and headed out of the car. But even so, she touched a finger to her kissed lips and smiled.