Chapter 12
The Plans
…
"Sweetheart-"
"No," I say automatically without letting him finish his sentence. This man just doesn't give up, I think. Propping myself up on my elbows to look at him over the couch I continue, "No, no, no."
"Com'on sweetheart." I shake my head.
What in god's name possessed this man to start a relationship with that woman? I mean no offense, but they didn't seem like two people that would be in a relationship, I'm sorry "friends" as Haymitch called it, together.
"Haymitch I am not letting that women pick out my wedding dress."
"Sweetheart," he said as he took the chicken out of the oven, "She wouldn't be picking out the dress, just helping you pick out the dress."
Standing up I make my way around the couch and to the counter. "No, Haymitch," I say sitting down, "I am not allowing her to have any part in this wedding expect to attend."
"Katniss-"
He begins but I cut him off. "Haymitch if I allow her to have any say she will take over and you know it. And I refuse to wear some white, frilly, bedazzled wedding dress." Then giving me the look he gives me when he wants another beer when he has reached his limit I shake my head. "I will only go so far for you and allowing Effie Trinket to even attend my wedding is the most I'll do."
He lets out a groan of frustration turning away from me to the counter behind him to grab the bowl of rice I had found him cooking when I first walked in.
Haymitch cooking was rare as me wearing a dress, but I had to confess it was nice to have him cooking for our weekly meals for a change 'cause: 1) He was kind of a better cook than me. 2) I didn't have to cook. 3) He couldn't complain about the food without me throwing it back in his face that he was the one that cooked it. Then watching him set the bowl on the counter beside the chicken, he handed me a plate with a pair of utensils.
"How about bridesmaid?"
Rolling my eyes I shook my head. "Don't make me take back what I said about allowing her to come to the wedding because I will Haymitch, don't tempt me." And knowing there was a chance I would, he shut it. Yes, I thought, victory. Smiling to myself, Haymitch shuffled around the kitchen collecting a plate and a set of utensils for himself. Then setting those on the counter he grabbed to beers from the refrigerator before taking his place across from me. And as I reached for a piece of chicken I heard him mutter under his breath.
"Careful, you don't know what I put in there."
I laughed. "I've survived my own cooking, I sure I'll triumph over yours."
Letting out a grunt he rolled his eyes. "Shut up and eat your food."
I laugh taking a bite of my chicken. It has been a little more than two week since Peeta and I announced that we were engaged. Since then we planned out the wedding. It was going to be simple. It was going to be a small, laid back wedding. Formal-causal wear and all. There was going to be a maximum of mostly fifty, sixty people about. We were going to have the wedding during the last week of the summer so Gale could attend as in the fall he would be returning to the marines to do another tour sometime in the early fall. We were going to have it at Haymitch's. Have a small ceremony on the dunes and then go back to the Haymitch's for the reception. Father Claudius had agreed to do the ceremony. Haymitch was going to walk me down the aisle. Marcus and Rye were going to Peeta's groomsmen. Annie and Johanna were going to be my bridesmaids. Eric was going to do all the catering, he was going to make several different dishes and have it as a buffet sort of style. Marvel was going to be in charge of music as he took care of the music at the bar on weekends during the summer months. It was going to be simple, perfect.
Looking up, I give Haymitch a smile. "I love you."
Haymitch looks up from his own meals and returns the smile. "I love you too sweetheart."
…
I take a few steps away from the stove and look across the table in an attempt to read the list Peeta is writing out on one the college lined paper pads I kept in the kitchen for writing short messages and reminders. "Peeta," I say turning back to the stove, afraid that our food could catch fire any moment. Mixing the eggs and flipping the pancakes I continue to talk, "What are you doing?"
"Writing out our plans for the wedding," he says pushing the pad of paper across the table towards me, "Take a look." So picking up the pad I begin to read Peeta's scribbles…
WEDDING
Date- August 31th
Place- Haymitch's
Dinner- Dad + help…
Cake- Me
Music- Marvel
Bar- Johanna? Collin?
Decorations- Annie & Effie?
Guest- 48? + - 1 or 2?
Wedding Party-
Annie, Johanna, Madge?
Finn & Brothers
Suites- College Grad Suit?
Dress- Effie? Cinna? City?
HONEYMOON?
LIVING AREA?
"Wow," I say setting the pad back down on the table, "This is everything."
He nodded his head as he stood up from his seat at the table. Walking over toward me he opened the cabinet beside the refrigerator, pulling out two mugs and the box of tea bags. Then taking the kettle from the stove he poured the steaming water into both cups followed by dropping a tea bag into each. Dunking the tea bags up and out into the water I turned my attention back to the stove, quickly turning off the burners I flipped the pancakes onto one plate and then scrapped the scrambled eggs out of the other pan into a bowl. Then transferring our food from the counter to the table we take our seats finally ready to eat breakfast.
As I take two spoonfuls of eggs from the bowl I had poured them into from the pan, Peeta takes four pancakes off the platter of pancakes. Then we reverse, Peeta taking a spoonful of eggs and I two pancakes still leaving us with enough food left over for seconds.
So sitting silence for a moment, I watch as Peeta adds two spoonfuls of sugar to his tea before asking, "So were done planning the wedding? Now we just follow through with it all?"
He shook his head, looking up to me. "Honeymoon? Living arrangement," he says, "You did read the last part to it, right?"
I nod my head. "I mean all wedding related topics have been taken care of."
"Honeymoon? Living arrangement," he repeats.
Yes, I think, I heard you the first time. Just nodding my head, I turn my attention to my platter. Falling back into a familiar silence, I can't help but think that once Peeta and I are married, we will be living together. We won't be switching from living at ones apartment four days a week and the others the rest of the week, but one place all the time. God, getting engaged involved a lot: talking, listening, marriage, living together, and getting the crap bugged out of you by everyone possible.
Swallowing the piece of pancake I was chewing, I nudge Peeta's kneecap with my foot under the table. I say the first that came into my mind.
"District 12."
He looked up from his eggs with a confused expression.
"Honeymoon? You said it was on the list, the ones that we need to figure out what we're going to do about. For the honeymoon we could go there," I explain, "We always talked about going hiking and camping. You said you always wanted to do it, that you haven't done it since you were a kid and I haven't done it in years. You always talk about taking some nature shots and doing some sketches, too. Plus we could use some fresh air, watch some sunsets, whatever. We could go to that part of that mountain range up north Marvel had gone to last summer. It was called District 12, right? You know, where he camped out for a week in a cabin he rented with those college friends of his. It looked nice. He showed us all those pictures of that waterfall and that meadow and those old mines."
Knowing what I was talking about his face grew into a broad smile. "That sounds perfect," he said, "I'll ask him for information on the place.
I smile to myself as I watch Peeta scribble something down onto the notepad. Turning back to my eggs and pancakes I think I got Peeta distracted enough to oversee the situation involving our future living arrangement, but it's only a matter of seconds after I hear him set down his pen that I feel his middle finger tapping the top of my hand. "Living arrangement?"
I look from my food to him to my tea and back. I shake my head. "Not now."
He watches me raising his eyebrows. "Do you not want to live with me?"
Did he just-
"Peeta," I say setting down my fork, giving him my full attention, "I want to just… Can we just not talk about this right now? I do, I want to Peeta. It's just- just this past week has been much... Back together… Engaged... Wedding plans… Can we just calm down, take a week off and just be us. I promise I want to live together, get married, it all. I love you Peeta, I just… Everything's just sinking in. Give me a week, after our trip to the city to do dress shopping, to let it all settle. Please."
He nodded his head saying, "Okay," before turning his attention back to his food.
Crap, I think, way to make him doubt you.
Gulping I rub my foot against his ankle. "If you really like my opinion though, I'm pro-your place."