Katniss crawled in bed and inhaled deeply. The bed smelled like him. It felt very intimate; her sleeping between his sheets and her full knowledge of his scent. It should bother her but it didn't. She was exhausted but she was also clean, well fed and probably the safest she had been since the war started. She was asleep in a matter of minutes.
It took a lot longer for Peeta to find his rest. The events of the day kept replaying in his mind as he stretched out in the hay of the loft. She was here. She had finally arrived and he wouldn't be alone anymore. She would come to appreciate him. He would see that she did. It wouldn't even be that difficult of a job. She was a fair woman and one that valued honesty and respect. He would show her both and she would admire him. He would keep her well fed and provided for and she would want for nothing. He hoped that she would eventually come to love him but if she didn't he could settle for her companionship and physical affection.
Marital relations would be immensely pleasurable for both of them and they would lead to love one way or another when she bore his children. He couldn't wait to see if they would be dark like her or fair and blond like him. He pictured a little boy with his broad shoulders and Katniss's deep brunette hair. He was going to have a family again and he would give them all he was and all he had in the world. There were two more days until Sunday and then they could get started.
He knew that she wouldn't be as eager for the mating as he was but he was hoping that she would not dread it either. He wished to lay with her even after she conceived. It was a perfectly natural way for a husband and wife to bond together and he had thought of little else since seeing her flashing and defiant eyes on the open prairie today. He tossed and turned a couple more hours due to the knowledge that she was laying in his bed until he finally broke down and relieved himself. The memories of Madge and of Rye's girlfriend faded from his mind and were replaced by a dark braid and olive toned legs peeking out beneath his shirt. He felt a little guilty taking his pleasure from thoughts of her but he supposed it would be even worse to focus on a woman who wasn't to become his wife in a matter of days.
Sun was streaming through the windows when she awoke the next morning and Peeta was wandering about the kitchen fixing breakfast. She could see dirt on his boots and sweat stains on his shirt. He had already been up and around for a while working on the farm. She groaned and pushed herself up to a sitting position and he smiled at her. Damn, why was he always smiling and when did she start thinking of his as Peeta and not Mr. Mellark?
"Good Morning" he said dishing up some eggs and giving the flapjacks one last flip. She looked for her dress on the floor and saw that it was gone. Her eyes went wide. "I took your dress out and washed it earlier" he explained. "It's hanging on the line." She nodded. She was surprised he would demean himself by doing women's chores, especially for someone whom he had paid to bring here to do exactly such things. "My apologies" she said wrapping the blanket around her and plodding to the table. "For what?" he asked sitting down and taking a big bite. "For the laundry" she said. "That is my work and I should be doing it."
He waved his hand dismissively. "It was nothing. I had a few things that needed to be put out too. I won't ever mind helping with the wash or anything else around the house. I'm used to doing anything that needs done." She smiled, more to herself than to him. Not because she didn't intend to take over the domestic chores because she did but because he didn't consider her work beneath him. "I want you to rest today" he continued. "I have a lot to do but I'll be back tonight and tomorrow I will take you out on a ride to look at the place. Haymitch tells me that you are pretty competent on a horse." She nodded.
"I am but I won't be needing a tour Peeta" she said confidently. "I'll see it when I'm out there working with you. There is plenty to keep me busy around the house today but come sun up I fully intend to do my half of the chores." He sputtered trying to form a suitable response before she cut him off. "I know what it cost you to waste half the day yesterday looking for me and you won't get anything done on Sunday because we will have to go to see the preacher."
He leveled a steady gaze at her. "I'm a farmer" she told him. "I haven't gotten a chance to work my own land yet but I know what's involved in keeping a place running. I know the sweat and the endless hours. That's why I am here, to take some of that burden off of you." He reached over and laid a hand on hers. "I appreciate that Katniss but I didn't send Haymitch to fetch you so that you could be my field hand. You're my woman. I want you to have comfort and some leisure at times too."
She considered this. "Ok" she agreed. "But only if you do too." He looked confused. "I'll work alongside you and we will share this house and everything in it. When the chores are done we can come back and relax. Eventually, we will get caught up on the work and then we should be able to take services on Sundays as well. When we have down time in the winter, we can visit and work on the household crafts."
It was not what he originally had in mind but what she was describing had appeal. The more he thought about it throughout the day the more he smiled. She didn't want to tend to the cabin and he to the farm. She wanted to do things together. She wanted a true partnership. He laughed to himself. If she was willing to extend that to every arena of their relationship he was certainly game.
As the day drug on his smile began to fade. He was getting further and further behind and it was nearly dark before he agreed to call it quits. He wasn't even sure she would still be awake. The night had grown chilly and when she came to the door he felt a flood of warmth as he stepped in. He looked around the house. Everything had been scrubbed clean. There was a fire blazing in the hearth and the smell of meat wafted through the air.
She pulled out a chair for him. "Why don't you take off your boots" she said and he realized that he was tracking in on her newly cleaned floor. "Sorry" he said remorsefully. "Bad habits I guess." She didn't seem angry or annoyed as he removed them and put them by the door. He watched her as she placed the remaining biscuits on plates and served up the soup that was cooking on the stove. Once he got a good look at it he determined that it was more like a stew. He took a few bites and moaned in approval which he noticed caused her to blush. "This is great. The meat tastes very fresh."
She continued to stir hers and blew on it a couple of times before taking her first sip. "Yes" she said. "I found a few of traps in your barn today and it didn't take but a couple of hours to catch it." He raised his eyebrows. He almost could not believe she was true. "There was never enough money for meat once the Yankees came" she explained. "For a while we went hungry before I found Papa's and started to make good use of them. I had to be more careful once I left home. Most folks don't approve of others setting traps on their land."
He studied her for a moment. He was starting to see what had convinced Haymitch to bring her. She was a survivor and she had the potential not just to make it out here in the west but to really thrive. She had donned her dress again even though it was stained beyond repair and tattered at the bottom. It was a shame that she would have to be married in it but he saw no other alternative given their limited timeline. He caught himself appraising her profile as she ate. Her face was much prettier than he had originally thought now that she was clean but he couldn't stop himself from wishing that her bosom was larger. He gave himself a mental kick. She was a good person (at least from what he had seen so far) and her chest size shouldn't matter.
"You did a great job cleaning the house up today" he said and she laughed. "What?" he asked. "What is so funny?" She rolled her eyes. "You, complimenting me on doing my housework. Don't you think it would be strange if I said good job working on the farm today Peeta?" Her face was still amused. "No" he said with a grin. "I think I would like to get compliments from you. It's normal for a man to thank is wife for trying her best to care of him. Hasn't anymore ever told you good job before?" His intention was to continue the playful mood but he saw his mistake as her face formed a frown and her brow knit in concern and contemplation. "No" she answered honestly. "At least not since my father died."
"Well" he said getting up to clear his dishes. "I'm going to and I hope on occasion that you will return the favor." They talked for a few more minutes about the work he needed to complete the next day before he nodded and wished her goodnight and returned to the barn. She needed rest but instead found herself pacing the cabin. Peeta wasn't at all what she was expecting or what she had been led to believe during their first encounter. She knew he wasn't dying of love for her but he was kind and he was doing his utmost to see the best in her and to find her attractive. She had been prepared to come here and marry a man, put up with his attentions, and work herself to exhaustion every day on a farm. She wasn't prepared to…like him. She had to put a stop to this foolishness. She wasn't ready to open up her heart to someone, especially someone who might very well crush it.
Peeta was up with the dawn the next day and he intended to go straight to the fields but quickly discovered that he needed several of the tools that he had left at the house. He didn't want to wake her this early but he could probably sneak in and out without rousing her and if he caught a little glimpse of her while she was sleeping that would be alright too. He lifted the latch slowly and pushed the door ever so slightly and was immediately hit by the scent of fresh brewing coffee.
"Good morning Peeta" she said as she finished tying one of his bandanas under her chin. It covered her hair and he lifted his hand to hide his smile. She looked like a little girl when she wore a kerchief on her head that way. He stepped in and returned her greeting. Two bowls sat on the table and he could see that she had oatmeal waiting. "I usually only eat one or two big meals a day" he commented as he shoveled his into his mouth. "I assumed that" she said. "But now you have two people working the place so you can afford to slow down and take proper meals." He nodded but still eyed her doubtfully.
In a few minutes he had finished and rose to take his bowl to the sink. She stood as well and took it and he thanked her before gathering the tools he needed from a box hidden under the bed and heading back out to the barn. He worked for nearly a half hour but he still hadn't made much progress on fixing the machine he was working on and the animals were starting to get restless. He should have fed them first but he was too anxious about the break that had occurred the day before. If he didn't get this fixed soon he would be hopelessly behind.
Frustration was starting to get the better of him when he heard the barn door swing open. He saw her enter and quickly dispatch the feeding and tending of the animals only occasionally asking him the location of things she needed. She was gentle with the cow as she milked her and he noticed that she spoke softly to the horses as well. She was no stranger to this type of farm work. He wasn't sure if he were impressed or mortified when she went about the task of raking out the stalls completely barefoot.
"You should probably wear shoes when you do that" he called to her. "It could make you sick." She shrugged her shoulders. "It never has before" she said casually. He looked her over from her dirty toes to her jutting cheek bones. That was when it really hit him how impoverished she was. He went back to his work with a gut full of waring emotions. On one hand, he felt fiercely protective. He wanted to keep her here, shelter her and give her a better life. On the other, he knew how desperate her situation was. Being here was an absolute necessity and there was no way of knowing if a life with him was something she even remotely wanted.
He was lost in thoughts of her when she nudged him on the shoulder. "You need my help" she said. "No, I've got it" he told her. She put her hands on her hips. "That's why you have been working all morning and haven't made any progress" she assessed. "You lift it and I'll move that piece into place." He thought about it for a moment. He was pretty sure he could lift it if he could concentrate all his strength on the task but he didn't want to drop it on her and cause injury. He eyed her cautiously. "I'm not a child Peeta" she said coming around and crouching in position to assist him.
"Ok" he agreed. "On the count of three." As he counted down he noticed how her brow furrowed in concentration. He liked it. When the moment came he lifted with all his might and she quickly moved the missing piece back into place. Once it was replaced and he tightened all of the bolts he had the machinery back into shape in a matter of minutes. "See" she said with a sunny smile. "I am pretty handy after all."
He stepped forward and placed a hand lightly on her arm. Her gaze rose to his and he could see that damn fear return to her eyes. "I'm sure you will be handy with all kinds of things around here" he said. His tone was deep and his intentions obviously flirtatious. A blush colored her cheeks and she dropped her gaze. She was clearly new at interacting with men this way and for some reason he found that pleasing. "What is this thing anyway?" she asked to change the subject.
He smiled. "It's called a reaper. It's what I use for the harvest." She nodded. "I've heard of one before" she said. She was surprised. First by Peeta's behavior toward her. But also that he had such a fine piece of equipment. The things in the house were of high quality too. Nicer than what a yeoman farmer should have when he was just starting out. "I'm going to take her out in a few minutes" he said. "I've got the wheat cut but I need to harvest the straw too. If I wait too much longer it will be useless."
He made a move to walk away but she shocked them both by reaching out and grabbing his arm. "I'm coming with you" she said. "No Katniss" he said shaking his head. "Not today, you just got here." Her expression hardened. "I just got here and I intend to earn my keep. I came to help you run the farm and it sounds like this reaper is an important part of it. Besides, I am kind of curious. I'd like to see how it works." She sounded genuinely interested and Peeta gave in.
He spent the better part of the day showing her how to operate it so that she could run the machine and he could bale. They got a good piece cut and then they loaded up the wagon and stacked the bales in the barn. It was hard work and by the time they got back to the house it was getting dark and he was starving. She told him to sit but he refused and instead helped her in getting things around for a quick meal.
He told her about some of the improvements he would like to make and they discussed the yields he had already brought in for the year. He noticed that she was considerably more relaxed when the topic of conversation was business rather than personal. Any time he mentioned something about himself or asked about her past she became much more distant and withdrawn.
"We will need to get up before sunrise tomorrow" he said. "It's a ways to the church and I want to get there early so I can talk to the preacher about performing the ceremony right after the regular service." He could see her swallow. There was no question as to her apprehension. He should have told her that she didn't have to, given her some other options, but he didn't want to. He wanted her to stay and help him. He wanted to talk to her about the farm. He wanted her to welcome him when he comes to their bed tomorrow night.
"Ok" she answered weakly. She got up from her seat and without realizing it began to pace. She couldn't control all her nervous energy, all her anxiety. Peeta had been very nice to her today but she still didn't want to pledge the rest of her life to him. She didn't even know him. She didn't want him to be in her bed tomorrow. She didn't want him to touch her…there. She looked around the cabin again. She had too though. She needed to take this chance. It was the best she was ever likely to get and she needed to be thankful and just grit her teeth and go through with it.
"Katniss" he said coming over and lifting his hand to her face. She closed her eyes and stiffened on instinct. "Katniss" he said, this time much more softly and she could feel the pads of his thumbs on her cheeks as he took her face in his hands. She trembled slightly. He was strong. He could really hurt her if he wanted to. He said her name again and waited for her eyes to open. His touch was steady but gentle. No one had ever treated her this way before and it was causing a riot of emotions within.
When she knew she could hide from him no more she took a deep breath and let her eyes flutter open. His face was close, his expression serious and concerned. "It's going to be ok" he reassured. "I know you're scared but I promise I'll be good to you. I'll be careful. I won't hurt you." She nodded despite her continuing doubts and he leaned forward and left a small kiss on the top of her head.
She slept in her dress that night, blankets tucked all around her as if the extra layers could protect her from what laid ahead. She wasn't concerned with the farm work, as a matter of fact she welcomed it. Hard labor would help her to repay some of the debt she was quickly accumulating with him. She was impressed with the reaper and his provisions. It would not be a difficult life. But she couldn't accept his earlier declaration. He would hurt her, she knew it. Come tomorrow night her body would belong to him and he would want to share this bed. She closed her eyes shut. It might be pleasurable for him but she knew the pain it would bring.