I used to get up before dawn to help in the bakery. Every day I'd be downstairs with Dad long before Rye woke to help get the cases stocked. I was up for hours before school working, and it really only tired me out during the fall, when wrestling and track kept me after school and Mom still expected me to put in a few hours afterward as well. Getting out of bed seemed to get harder and harder as time went on. Morning classes felt like the worst sort of torture, and I couldn't help but wonder how I managed it to begin with.
I dressed carefully before sitting on the edge of my bed and waiting for my dizziness to pass. Buddy stepped onto my lap, pawing at my hand and mewling quietly as I scratched his neck. He'd spent the night curled up on the small of my back, his purring lulling me to sleep. It felt much better than dragging myself out of bed for school.
As the dizziness passed, I lifted buddy from my lap and set him aside. I made my way downstairs, glancing through to the storefront where Dad was waiting on customers. Rye was at the ovens, unloading a batch of the day's bread onto the worktable. The work I used to do.
"Hey," he paused, nodding toward the counter against the wall. There was a nearly-demolished loaf of cinnamon bread that he and Dad had clearly spent most of their morning picking at. Rye turned back to the ovens as I crossed the room, pulled up a stool, and sat down.
"So," Dad moved into the kitchen as the bell over the door rang; signaling the exit of the person he'd been waiting on. "Still going to try going without the chair today?" I nodded, picking apart the slice of bread I'd cut for myself. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes," I said.
"Don't just do this to impress anyone," Dad crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the worktable. "If you're not ready, you're not ready."
"I have t-to get rid of it eventually," I said.
"You don't have to," he said. I gave him a look and he chuckled, rubbing his hand through his hair. "You know what I mean. I want you to if you're ready, but don't push it if you're not there yet."
"I want to t-try," I said. Dad smiled and nodded, watching me for a moment before the bell out front rang again. "Don't be late." He pointed toward the clock before going back out front. It was getting close to when we'd have to leave. I finished my breakfast and helped Rye with what little I could so we could get out the door faster.
I still needed the chair to get to and from school. Dad had dug a cane from some forgotten corner of the basement and cut a few inches from the bottom to be sure it fit. I'd have that to keep myself steady in the halls, but the exhaustion of trying to balance on the path out of town would leave me useless by the time we got there.
"See you in a couple of hours," Rye said, holding open the door for me.
"Thanks." I pushed myself through the door and slowed by the administrative office, staring down at the cane tucked beside my wheelchair and weighing the decision. My morning classes were close together, and I didn't have to deal with the cafeteria. If I was going to try, it was a good day to do it. The office door stood open, and I pushed my chair through.
"Good morning, Peeta," the administrator looked up from her desk and smiled.
"Hi," I said, glancing toward the couple of teachers conversing at the other end of the office. I felt self-conscious enough without more people around than I'd expected. I turned back to her, tapping my palm against the armrest of my chair. "C-could, um—I leave th-this here?"
"Of course," she said. "Giving it a try today? Good for you."
"Th-thanks," I said, pushing myself to stand and glancing around for somewhere to park it.
"I'll take care of it," she said. "Go on to class." I nodded, tucking my books under one arm and taking my cane in the other hand before leaving the office. I hoped it would call a little less attention to me. I was wrong. There were just as many stares as I made my way to my first class as there had been before. More, really. People had gotten used to the chair. I should have known the change would draw their eyes.
Katniss was already in class when I walked into the room, gripping the handle of my cane tightly. She beamed at me, glancing down at the cane for a moment. Just that look made me feel better about the decision. I made my way down the aisle toward my desk at the back of the room. Merx's foot shot out from under his desk, kicking the cane out from under me. I faltered, catching myself on the back of his chair.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, smirking at me.
"Fuck you," I muttered, refusing to even look at him, and continued to the back of the room. Other than a few stares, the day passed without any more fuss about the cane. Merx was apparently satisfied with his sole effort to trip me up, and I hoped that trend continued.
After my last class for the day Katniss hung back, waiting for me as I gathered my books. She walked with me toward the front of the school, making vague and amusing threats toward Merx if he kept pushing things. I had no doubt she'd follow through on any of them.
"So, are you still going to come over today?" she asked, turning to face me before we reached the offices.
"Y-yeah," I said.
"My mom wants you there for dinner," she said with a brief grimace. "We can just stay at your house if you'd rather, though. I'll tell Prim we won't be there."
"N-no, it's fine," I chuckled. "I'll see you after sc-school?"
"Yeah," she pecked a kiss against my cheek, reaching out to squeeze my hand before turning around to head to her next class. I smiled to myself and watched her go, waiting until she'd turned the corner before going into the administrative office for my chair. Rye would be waiting out front, and I wanted to get home before the effort I'd put forward that morning caught up with me. Dad had lunch waiting when we got back, thwarting my plan to curl up in bed until Katniss turned up when school let out.
"You're still going over to the Everdeens this afternoon, aren't you?" Dad asked, setting a plate with a sandwich on it onto the table in front of me before sitting down with his own.
"Yeah," I said, looking down at the plate. I wasn't hungry, but I also wasn't in the mood to deal with anything my father would have to say about not eating. "K-Katniss is coming here—after school's out to g-get me."
"It's about damn time," he said.
"What?" I frowned at him, picking at the contents of my sandwich.
"All the time you two spend together is here," he smirked. "Don't you think that's a little one-sided?"
"Sh-she's here anyway," I protested. "And it's n-not exactly—easy for me t-to get around."
"You're better at it than you used to be," he pointed out. "And the only reason your trips to the Seam stopped was the snow. Which is gone. For the year. You're going to start going back for appointments, too. The social visits should go without saying. She's your girlfriend, don't be a jerk."
"I'm not a j-jerk," I muttered.
"No, you're not," Dad said, smiling to himself. "Which is why you're going to behave yourself. Don't just sneak off somewhere and make out the entire time."
"Wh-what?"
"I know what goes on up there," he said, nodding toward the second floor. "I'm not stupid, Peet."
"Haha, busted," Rye grinned, dropping down onto the stool next to me and reaching for my plate, tugging it toward himself and taking half of the sandwich.
"Watch it; I also know you had Delly in the basement last night," Dad said. The smile dropped off of Rye's face. I chuckled, folding my arms against the edge of the table. He turned back to me, pointing at Rye. "Behave yourself better than this asshole does, please."
"Excuse me, I am a gentleman," Rye said around a mouthful of food. "And Dewey and Loretta love me."
"They love you because they're basically family, and they don't know any better," Dad said to him. "Peet has to do this the normal way."
"Yeah, good luck with Lavender," Rye snorted.
"Mrs. Everdeen," Dad corrected, giving him a look. "Be respectful."
"Whatever, she's a hardass," Rye rolled his eyes, frowning at the sandwich and dropping it back down onto the plate. "And she already basically knows everything about you, so good luck tricking her into thinking anything."
"Rye," Dad scolded, though he didn't bother correcting him.
"I d-don't want to—trick her," I muttered, pushing my hat off my head and running my hand through my hair.
"Just be as painfully over the top nice as possible," Rye said. "Kiss her hand, call her Mama Everdeen, shit like that. Loretta loves it when I do that."
"No she doesn't," Dad laughed. "She just likes watching you make an ass out of yourself."
"What?" Rye frowned, staring at Dad. The look on his face made us both laugh.
"Besides, Lavender isn't going to fall for any of that," Dad waved his hand. "Believe me."
Rye and I looked at each other, trying not to laugh. He was speaking from experience, and the idea of him making an absolute fool out of himself with some over the top romantic nonsense was too good to let slide. Rye broke into a grin before turning to say something.
"Don't start," Dad cut him off before turning back to me. "She likes you, Peeta. But you're still dating her daughter. You don't get blanket approval for everything that goes along with that."
"He means she's not going to like you getting Katniss to touch your wiener," Rye said, leaning toward me. He cackled as I shoved him away, nearly knocking him off of the stool.
"Where the hell did I go wrong with you?" Dad stared at Rye. The bell over the door out front rang and he hooked his thumb toward the sound. "Go handle that, please."
"Fine, fine," Rye heaved a sigh, rolling his eyes as he slid off of his stool and trudged toward the front. Dad shook his head and heaved a sigh.
"You're having dinner with them, right?" Dad asked. I nodded. "You can take one of those pies when they come out of the oven."
"No," I said. Dad looked up at me and raised an eyebrow. "I mean—Katniss, um, she likes th-those cookies. The s-snickerdoodles."
"So make her some," he smiled. Rye called to him from the storefront. "Get started." He got up from his stool and disappeared out front. I stared after him, dumbstruck by the simple suggestion to just bake. And even more dumbstruck but the fact that it had truly become so foreign to me. I sat for a moment, dredging the recipe up out of my memory. Most of the ingredients were out; shoved aside on the counter to make space for us to have lunch at the worktable. I got up from the table, turning toward the cabinets to get out the rest of what I'd need.
I had to track down the recipe from our books before I could start. It felt strange to need it; to know I could make them from memory even when I was a kid. The motions still felt vaguely familiar, but it was like I was recalling someone else's memory. A story that I'd been told or something I'd read in a book. I pushed myself through it, following the recipe to the letter.
I could feel Dad watching me and glanced toward him as I rolled the dough between my palms, laying the cookies out one by one on the sheet in front of me. He pushed himself away from the door frame and walked over to the table, a small smile on his face. I looked up as he hooked his finger into the bowl and pulled it toward him, scooping out some of the cookie dough to taste.
"Pretty damn good," he said.
"Thanks," I said, more than a little relieved. The last time I'd done any baking Rye had been on top of things, correcting me, and this time I was on my own. I'd fully expected to completely screw it up.
"Now go get her some flowers," he said, pushing the bowl back towards me.
"Wh-what?" I looked up at him, pulling the bowl closer and scooping out the last of the dough.
"Go buy Katniss flowers," Dad repeated. "I'll take care of the rest."
"S-seriously?" I asked.
"Rye's going with you," he said, turning to check the ovens.
"I am?" Rye asked from where he stood in the doorway.
"Yes," Dad shot him a look over his shoulder. "You're driving me crazy out there; get the hell out of my hair for a while."
"Fine. We need money," Rye said.
"Get it out of the till," Dad said. Rye disappeared into the storefront before he even finished the sentence. "And bring me back my fucking change!" He sighed and turned back to me. "Try to keep him on track, please."
"Why are you m-making me g-get her flowers?" I asked, watching Dad turn back toward the table.
"Because you're going to be a good boyfriend," he said, smirking at me. "Whether you like it or not."
"He did it to me, too," Rye said, walking through the kitchen toward the mudroom. "He'll give up once he realizes Katniss is in it for the long haul."
"Wh—um, you—um," I stared after Rye before turning back to Dad.
"Go," he said, chuckling to himself.
"Th-thanks," I said, turning to follow Rye. He led the way around the bakery to the square. The florist was near the opposite end and doubled as a green grocer during the growing seasons. He paused in front of the bakery, waiting for me to catch up.
"He's cheesy, but it works," Rye said.
"What d-does?" I asked, still hooked on what Rye had said before we even walked out the door. He'd implied he knew something Dad didn't. And that I didn't.
"This romantic shit," he waved his hand through the air before shoving it into his pocket. "It works. The first time I brought Dell flowers she went down on me. So you might have a fun afternoon ahead of you. Y'know, if you haven't gotten there yet."
"Y—wh—Rye, d-dammit," I chuckled, shaking my head and looking away from him as we walked across the square.
"She's not very quiet," he smirked, glancing toward me. "Might be in your best interest to keep your hands to yourself today. And doesn't she share a bed with her sister? That'd be weird."
"I'm not-" I cut myself off, letting out an exasperated laugh. "What did you, um, mean? B-before we left."
"What?"
"You s-said 'once he c-catches on'," I said. "What d-did you mean by—'the long haul'?"
"I mean she's not going anywhere, Peet," he said, laughing as if it were completely obvious. "I think Dad's just playing it safe, but he's got to see it, too."
"S-see what?"
"She's all doe-eyed over you," he said. I gave him a look. "Katniss. Katniss Everdeen. The one who's been trading with Dad for years and literally did not once stand in that kitchen and smile until after she started spending time with you." I frowned, watching the ground ahead of us. "You know that's a big deal. You remember what she was like. All business. Boring."
"She wasn't b-boring," I frowned, snapping my head towards him.
"Yeah, I was kind of surprised that you were right about her having a personality," Rye snorted. I just rolled my eyes. "Didn't see that one coming."
"D-don't be an ass," I said.
"Seriously, though," he said, his smirk shifting to a genuine smile. "You don't have to win her over. You already have. Her mom might be another story. Maybe you should buy the flowers for her."
"Should I?" I asked, pausing outside of the flower shop.
"I'm joking," Rye shot me a look as he pulled open the door, holding it for me after stepping inside himself.
"Are you g-getting something for Delly?" I asked, following him into the shop.
"Of course," he said, smirking at me over his shoulder as he moved down a row of potted plants. "It's easier to talk her into stuff when I do."
I shook my head, chuckling and pressing the heel of my palm to my forehead for a moment, trying to ward off the headache I felt creeping in. The florist and his wife stood behind the counter, looking over a pile of paperwork. She looked up, raising her hand to wave and flashing a warm smile. I nodded to her, trying desperately to remember their names. All I could recall was that they had a daughter, a sweet little girl who used to spend most of her visits to the bakery blushing and hiding behind her parents whenever I tried to talk to her.
I followed behind Rye as he moved into the shop, falling behind after a moment. A wave of dizziness hit me, bringing the full force of a headache along with it. I paused and took a breath, my vision narrowing and blurring for a moment. I could smell smoke mixed with the heavy perfume of the row of flowers to my right.
"Peeta," Rye had his hands on both of my shoulders, his face inches from mine. He looked terrified. "Peeta, please fucking answer me."
I took a breath, trying to force myself to answer him, though I couldn't quite get my mouth or my brain to cooperate. I stammered for a moment. Rye took a relieved breath, glancing behind me and waving someone off. My head was throbbing; my vision still swimming. Something had happened, and the look on Rye's face was more than enough to tell me that it wasn't good.
"You're okay," he said, though it sounded more like a question.
"Wh-wh—what—happened?" I asked. The words felt heavy and slow.
"What do you mean what happened?" Rye snapped, leaning to one side and glaring past me. I turned to look behind me and saw the florist's wife—Fremus, that was her name—turning to walk away before losing my balance and nearly collapsing against Rye. He steadied me, turning me to look at him. "You just completely stopped responding. For at least a minute. You were just standing there swaying and clenching your jaw. What the fuck, Peet?"
"I don't—I d-don't know-" I cut myself off, suddenly short of breath. The smell of the flowers was overwhelming, the lamps overhead felt too bright, and the edge of panic that had crept into Rye's voice pushed me over the edge. Before I could stop it I'd started to cry, and I covered my face with both hands in a vain attempt to hide it.
"Shit. Shit. Okay," Rye blew out a breath, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me against him. He pressed my face down against his shoulder, his other arm locked tight around my back. "You're okay. You're fine. Okay? You're still breathing, you're still standing; we'll get you home and get you help, okay?"
"No," I hissed. "D-don't tell D-Dad. Please."
"Peeta, we have to tell Dad," Rye pulled back and put his hands on my shoulders again. "You can't just let this go."
"Please," I forced out, my lip trembling. Rye looked past me again, the fear in his face falling to annoyance.
"Seriously, can you please just fuck off?" he snapped. "We're fine."
"S-st-stop yelling," I pressed my hands over my eyes again. Every breath felt like an effort and I couldn't stop shaking.
"Fuck," Rye said quietly. He carefully pried my hands away from my face. I did my best to avoid eye contact with him, and he did his best to get it from me. "This isn't the first time this has happened, is it?"
"I—um," I closed my eyes, shaking my head. "It's—not. B-but you c-can't tell. P-please, Rye."
"Tell me what it was," he said. The panic was gone from his voice, replaced with the steady, even tone he always took when Mom got me worked up.
"I d—I d-don't know," I said, my breath coming in gasps. "I've, um. I—fuck. I've-"
"Peeta, breathe," Rye put his hand on my cheek. "You're okay." I nodded, pressing my eyes closed and forcing myself to take a few slow, deep breaths. "How often does that happen?"
"I'm not—sure," I said carefully. "I th-think I d-don't always know. Um. I've b-been noticing it—more lately. I think—I think K-Katniss has seen it."
"She saw that and didn't tell anyone?" Rye snapped.
"I d-don't know wh-what she saw," I said, shrinking back at how harsh his tone was. "I d-don't—I don't know what it l-looks like—from the outs-side. M-maybe it's d-different—I don't kn-know, Rye."
"Okay," he rubbed his hands over my upper arms. "I'm sorry, that's okay. Look, I won't say anything but you have to promise me something."
"Wh-what?" I glanced up at him, but I couldn't hold his gaze for more than a moment.
"You tell someone."
"No," I shook my head, covering my eyes again.
"Peeta, I'm serious," he pulled my hand away from my face. "You don't have to tell them today, but soon. Whatever that was, it was scary, and scary shit tends to be big shit. Don't let something big slide until it's too late. Please."
"F-fine," I tugged my hands away from him and dropped them to my sides. "C-can we j-just go? I th-think I need to—lay down."
"Yeah, just, um," Rye glanced around for a moment before waving me toward the door. "Wait out front for me, okay?"
"Okay," I sighed, turning around and making my way back out front. I leaned against the building, waiting for him to come out and grateful for the shade of the canopy I was standing beneath. The sun was too bright, and my eyes didn't seem to want to adjust to it. The day hadn't been nearly so sunny until that point, and I just hoped that the clouds would return before I had to make the trip all the way to Katniss' house. If not, I'd have a migraine before we even made it halfway.
"Alright, come on," Rye came out a moment later, two bouquets of flowers clutched in his hand. I glanced down at them and smirked. "What, you think I'm going to let you go home empty handed after that? Please." He rolled his eyes and turned away. I moved to follow him and the direct light from the sun felt like a slap in the face.
"Sh-shit, Rye," I stopped short, covering my eyes with one hand. Even trying to shield them wasn't quite cutting it.
"What?"
"I c-can't see," I said quietly. I heard him swear under his breath. "The—s-sun."
"You're fine," he said, and I felt him beside me, his hand on my shoulder. "We'll just go in the front. Shorter trip that way."
"Th-thanks." I frowned, letting him lead me back to the bakery.
I made my way straight upstairs, stopping in the kitchen to splash water on my face. I leaned over the sink, forcing my breathing to steady and casting a glance toward the row of medicines on the counter beside it. This new symptom would add something to them, I knew. And I didn't want it. I hoped Rye would uphold his promise to keep his mouth shut, though I had no doubt he wouldn't let me forget my end of the bargain.
I grabbed a clean dish towel from the counter and soaked it in cool water, wringing it out over the sink before going into my bedroom and pulling the door closed behind me. Buddy was perched in the window. He meowed at me, stepping onto the dresser as I crossed the room to pull the shade closed. He hopped from the dresser to the bed as I sat down, watching me expectantly as I tossed my hat on top of the dresser. As soon as I stretched out on my back he stepped up onto my chest, curling into a ball as I laid the cloth over my eyes. The darkness of the room and the sound of his purring relaxed me enough to sleep for a couple of hours.
"Peeta?" Dad lightly knocked on my door before opening it. "You awake?"
"Yeah," I propped myself up on one elbow.
"Good," he nodded. "Put on a nicer shirt and come downstairs. Katniss is here."
I frowned, looking down at the shirt I had on and plucking at it. I sighed, swinging my legs off of the bed and tugging open one of the drawers of my dresser. I rooted around for a moment and pulled out a plaid button down, checking it for holes before pulling off my worn t-shirt and putting on the clean one. Before leaving the room, I snatched my hat from the top of the dresser, pulling it on as I walked down the hall. Buddy chased me to the top of the stairs, stopping short and meowing pitifully when I continued on without him.
"Hi," Katniss smiled at me when I reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Hey," I smiled. She raised her eyebrows, glancing behind her at the bouquet of flowers sitting on the table before turning back to me. "Yeah, th-those are for you." I reached behind her and picked them up, holding them out and leaning forward to kiss her. She slapped my arm, her cheeks flushing as she accepted them.
"Thank you," she said quietly, dropping her eyes and shaking her head.
"I m-made you cookies, too," I said.
"Of course you did," she chuckled, rolling her eyes and looking everywhere in the kitchen but at me. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," I smiled and kissed her again.
"Nice shirt," she smirked, flicking at the buttons on the front.
"Thanks," I laughed and swatted her hand away.
"Break it up," Dad said, making both of us jump. We turned to see him standing in the doorway to the storefront, and I couldn't help but wonder how long he'd been standing there. I sighed, giving Katniss an apologetic look. "Have fun, and don't forget what we talked about, please. Behave yourselves."
"Dad," I groaned.
"Go," he waved us off, turning away to help a customer. Katniss picked up her flowers from the table and I picked up the paper bag of cookies that was sitting behind it before following her outside. I walked beside her, pushing the chair myself until we left the square.
"How was going without the chair at school?" Katniss asked.
"It was f-fine," I said. "I w-want to just b-be rid of it c-completely." I frowned, looking at the houses we passed and trying to remember how far we had to go. It felt strange to be going to her house in this context; without any awful questioning or therapy from her mother waiting for me when we arrived. Just getting to spend time with her there.
"I bet you will be," she said. I turned to look at her, and she leaned down to kiss my cheek. She held her hand down over my shoulder, palm up, and wiggled her fingers. "I want another cookie." I chuckled, turning my head and kissing her wrist before opening the bag again and taking one out to press into her palm.
I followed Katniss through the front door of her house, hanging my sweater beside hers on the hooks by the door. Buttercup bounded across the room, his tail high. He pulled up short as he reached me, sniffing tentatively at the leg of my pants. Immediately, he jerked his head back and hissed before turning tail and running away. Katniss laughed, backhanding my arm lightly.
"I think you lost your friend," she said.
"He m-must smell B-Buddy," I chuckled. Mrs. Everdeen stood up from the couch, smoothing down the front of her dress as she stepped into the kitchen. "Hello, Mrs. Everdeen."
"Hello, Peeta," she smiled, raising her eyebrows as she caught sight of the flowers in Katniss' hand. "Flowers? They're beautiful. Let's get those in some water before they wilt." She held her hand out, taking the bouquet from Katniss and walking over to the sink. Katniss sighed and rolled her eyes. "Don't be rude, show your guest to a seat."
"Oh my god," Katniss muttered, rolling her eyes. She nodded toward the living room. "Come on." I followed her to sit on the couch, glancing back toward Mrs. Everdeen as we sat down.
"Are you going to ask your guest if he'd like anything?" Mrs. Everdeen gave Katniss a pointed look over her shoulder. Katniss just covered her eyes.
"I'm f-fine," I said, biting down on my lip to stop myself from laughing.
"I think my guest and I are going to go outside," Katniss said, and I could tell by the look on her face it was more of a plea than a suggestion.
"Okay," I smirked.
"Don't go far," Mrs. Everdeen said, straightening up in her seat as Katniss led the way toward the back door. "Dinner won't take long."
"Yeah, okay, Mom," Katniss said, sighing and holding the door open for me as she stepped outside. We sat side by side on the steps, looking out over their backyard. It seemed enormous; sheltered from the houses behind it by a few pine trees, a massive, aging oak in the middle, the goat's pen closer to the house. The Hawthorne's home next-door was the closest house to them, and even that was far off compared to how close everyone lived in town. There was barely enough space between the bakery and the buildings to either side of it to walk between them.
"How was, um, how was the rest of sc-school?" I asked, shifting a little closer to her and taking her hand.
"Fine. Dumb. The usual," she shrugged. I chuckled, watching our hands as she wove our fingers together. "How was your afternoon?"
"It was, um-" I hesitated, weighing telling her what had happened. Rye didn't actually specify who I had to tell, though I knew good and well burdening Katniss with that wasn't at all fair. "It was okay."
"You seem a little more, I don't know, reserved than you usually do," she said, leaning against me. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm, uh, p-petrified of your m-mother," I smirked, glancing back toward the house. That wasn't at all a lie. Katniss laughed.
"Please don't be, she's just being a pain in the ass. It's annoying," she huffed. I laughed, leaning closer to kiss her cheek. Katniss turned her mouth to mine, setting her hand on my cheek and kissing me softly. I shifted closer, letting my arm settle around her waist, my fingers working beneath the back of shirt as she leaned into me. I knew it was a bad idea, kissing her like that on her back porch with her mother hovering a few feet away with just a closed door between us. I still met her tongue with mine, flattening my hand against the small of her back.
"Hey, break it up over there," Gale called. I looked up to see him standing on his back porch, leaning over the railing with a smug grin on his face.
"Dammit, Gale," Katniss snapped, turning to look over his shoulder at him.
"Hey, buddy," he said. I raised my hand and waved. "Been a while."
"Don't come over here," Katniss muttered under her breath, repeating the phrase as she turned back toward me, her eyes pressed closed. I craned to see around her; Gale was already down his steps and halfway across the yard.
"Um-"
"He's coming over here, isn't he?" Katniss cut me off.
"Yes," I said. She rolled her eyes, turning toward Gale as he walked up to the back steps.
"Hey guys," he said, leaning against the railing. "Heard you were working on ditching the chair. Good for you, buddy."
"Thanks, buddy," I said, dropping my chin to hide my smirk. I hadn't actually seen Gale since I named the kitten, and I could barely contain my laughter at the nickname. Katniss seemed to catch on and nudged me gently with her elbow.
"Is that little Miller shit behaving himself now that Katniss broke his face?" Gale asked, oblivious to the exchange.
"S-sort of."
"He kicked Peeta's cane out from under him today," Katniss said with an annoyed huff. "He's such a jerk."
"Next time he tries that you should shove it up his ass," Gale said.
"G-good idea," I chuckled. I glanced over at Katniss. "Verne's k-kept his mouth shut, though."
"Good," she deadpanned.
"You know, once you've got that distance issue under control you should come out to the woods," he said. "It's nice out there. A shitty day in the woods is still better than a good day in the District."
"I'd, um, I'd like t-to," I said, squeezing Katniss' hand and looking over at her. If I ever got 'that distance issue' under control. Being strong enough to sneak through the fence with her seemed like an impossible goal.
"Really?" she asked, a surprised smile on her face. I nodded, and her smile grew a bit wider.
"You two are adorable," Gale chuckled.
"Can you go home, please?" Katniss rolled her eyes.
"Why? Is this a date? Am I intruding? You're the third wheel with me and Madge all the time; it's only fair that I return the favor," Gale smirked. I looked over at Katniss, smiling at the exasperation in her expression.
"You guys like me being your third wheel," she said, shifting a little closer to me. "We don't want one."
"Fine," Gale held his hands up. "Hint taken, I'll leave you two to it. See you, buddy."
"B-bye," I chuckled.
"I'm sorry," Katniss sighed, shaking her head as Gale walked away. "This place is worse than the bakery. Maybe we can just stick to hanging out there from now on."
"I was t-told that's—rude," I said, slipping my arm around her waist again as she leaned against me.
"Did your dad say that?" she asked. I nodded. "Well, he's wrong." I laughed to myself, pressing a kiss against her hair as she laid her head on my shoulder. "And no tutoring today."
"G-good," I smiled to myself. I didn't have the mental energy left to focus on any of that after the events of the afternoon. We sat and talked until Mrs. Everdeen called us in to dinner. I sat beside Katniss, watching her fill both of our plates, slice the meat on hers, and then swap them without a word. I nudged her with my knee under the table, flashing a grateful smile. She nudged back, laughing quietly as she looked down at her plate.
"Stop playing footsie. You guys are gross," Prim snapped, watching us from across the table.
"Ignore her," Katniss said, smirking at Prim. "She's just mad because Rory asked one of the Morgan twins out."
"I am not," Prim snapped, picking up her fork and stabbing it into her sliced carrots. "And he barely even knows her. It's not fair."
"Ladies, can we not?" Mrs. Everdeen said, sitting down at the table. "And you're far too young to be dating anyway, Primrose, we've already had this discussion."
"Lettie Morgan is two months younger than me, and it isn't stopping her," Prim snapped.
"Well, she takes after her mother," Mrs. Everdeen muttered, looking down at her plate. Prim just rolled her eyes. I glanced at Katniss, the two of us fighting off laughter before we started to eat.
"You know, Rye told me I could visit whenever I wanted and he would teach me how to bake," Prim said as soon as she was finished eating, shoving her plate away and folding her hands on the table. "He already showed me how to make cupcakes, and taught me how to frost them, and he said I'm better than Katniss and she's been working there for months."
"Prim," Katniss sighed, looking up toward the ceiling.
"I used to maybe hope you would someday, you know," Prim said, lifting her chin. Katniss snorted, covering her mouth and laughing. "Don't laugh at me. You're the one who ruined him. And I saw what you were doing on the back porch; you guys are gross."
"Prim!" Katniss snapped, cutting off her laughter. I glanced toward Mrs. Everdeen; she was looking at Katniss and me with one eyebrow raised.
"Kissing him," Prim leaned forward, pursing her lips and wagging her head. Mrs. Everdeen visibly relaxed.
"Okay, that's enough," Mrs. Everdeen sighed, reaching for the empty plates in front of Katniss and me. "Why don't you two go for a walk. Get out a bit of fresh air. Primrose, I believe you still have homework to finish?"
"Katniss hasn't even started hers," Prim frowned.
"And Katniss has a guest," Mrs. Everdeen said, leveling her gaze at Prim. "Now go do your homework, Primrose."
"Fine," Prim huffed, spilling out of her chair and dragging herself to the living room. Mrs. Everdeen shook her head, sighing as she watched her daughter.
"W-would you like some help with the d-dishes?" I offered. Rye and I had been expected to perform that chore.
"Thank you, Peeta, but I can manage," she smiled, picking up the small stack of dishes she'd created as she stood from the table. "You two go on."
"Thanks, Mom," Katniss stood up from the table and retrieved her sweater from where it hung by the front door. I got up to follow her, pulling on my own sweater as she led the way out the front door. She hooked her arm through mine as we made our way down the steps, taking her time so I wouldn't lose my footing. I'd forgotten how steep their stairs were. "I'm sorry. I don't know what the hell has gotten into Prim lately."
"It's f-fine," I chuckled. "I'm p-pretty sure sisters are sup-posed to be like that."
"True," Katniss conceded with a smile.
"We n-need to, um, put a stop to th-that unholy alliance with Rye, th-though," I shoved my hands into the pockets of my sweater, glancing down at where Katniss' hand rested in the crook of my elbow.
"Yes. We do," she said. The complete seriousness in her voice made me laugh, and she joined in a moment later. As we walked, I alternated keeping my eyes on the ground ahead of us and taking in everything around us. The houses seemed so small, and they all seemed nearly identical; variations on the same one or two plans. They looked as tired and weathered as the miners that stopped in to the bakery after their shifts let out.
"You know, um, until D-Dad brought me out here," I said, looking up at the slopes of the foothills in the distance. "I'd n-never even seen the Seam."
"Really?" Katniss looked at me, confusion on her face as she considered the idea. "Well. That makes sense, I guess. It's not like you had any reason to."
"It's, um, d-different than I expected," I said. "M-mom made it sound like a d-dump."
"I'm sorry, have you even been looking around you?" Katniss scoffed.
"It's not that d-different than t-town," I shrugged. "P-pack everyone closer together—replace the grass with st-stone—g-give the buildings a fresh c-coat of paint."
"I've never really thought about it like that," Katniss said quietly. "You just seem to have things so much easier there."
"Maybe," I said. "In s-some ways."
"Not all, though," she said. "I'm learning that." She stopped, pulling me to face her and kissing me softly. I smiled against her lips, hooking my arm around her waist and deepening the kiss.
"Hey!"
I looked up to see someone break away from the boys he'd been walking with and jog toward us from between a row of houses. It took me a moment to place who it was. I knew that I knew him and struggled to place it as he got closer to us. Katniss looked over her shoulder and groaned.
"Great," she muttered.
"You in the business of stealin' our women?" he drawled. Asa. That's who it was. Asa Maynard. "How you been, Dough Boy?"
"What the fuck did he just call you?" Katniss snapped.
"It's, um, a st-stupid nickname—from wrestling," I chuckled. "Rye's is w-worse."
"No need to get your panties all in a twist, Kitty-Kat. This little fucker's been givin' me hell 'bout my Aunt Mama and Uncle Pappy for years," Asa nudged Katniss as she stepped back from me. I chuckled, more than a little embarrassed by it. The Maynard's sprawling, communal family seemed fair game for mockery from anyone, and they all took it in stride. Asa was usually the first to toss out a jab. I didn't want her thinking badly of me, though. She folded her arms across her chest and scoffed, looking away from him. Asa just laughed before turning back to me. "What the fuck're we gonna do next season? Yeast Nuts is gone. I hear you ain't comin' back. Who the hell's s'posed to be my competition now?"
"Th-there's always M-Merx," I smirked. Asa threw his head back and laughed.
"That little shitdick? Even Kitty can bust him up," Asa shoved Katniss' shoulder playfully and she cringed, a pained look crossing her face. "You'd best at least show up to watch next season, Mellark."
"I w-will," I said. Asa glanced over his shoulder as the boys he'd been with yelled to him.
"Good. I'll see you," he punched me in the shoulder before turning around and taking off to catch up with his friends. I chuckled, rubbing my shoulder where he'd hit it; playful but still too hard. It felt good to know that someone didn't feel the need to treat me any differently than they always had.
"I didn't know you knew Asa," Katniss said, raising an eyebrow and glancing in the direction he'd left before turning back to me.
"K-kind of," I shrugged. "You d-didn't know he was on the team?"
"I guess I, um, forgot," she trailed off, looking away as her cheeks flushed. She hooked her arm through mine and turned us around. "Let's go back." I stopped her, pulling her back to me and kissing her. She let out a surprised little whimper, setting her hand on my cheek and opening her mouth to mine. I wrapped both my arms around her waist, pressing her tight against me as I slid my tongue into her mouth. After a moment she pulled back, gasping quietly and resting her forehead against mine.
"N-now let's go back," I said. She laughed softly and pecked a kiss to my cheek.
"Okay."
Back on track with posting now, guys. Thank you so much for all the support and kindness you've shown my husband and I. Feel free to stop by and visit us on tumblr, he's yourpeetaisshowing, I'm alonglineofbread. Also, special shoutout to famousfremus, who left our 1000th review and got herself written into District 12 (forever). Thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed, favorited, and followed the story. We're seriously in awe of the response and can't thank you all enough.