Chapter 6

I'm considering another trip back into the woods. Yesterday's voyage marked the first time I had felt normal in I can't remember how long. But I need to get my strength back up. I think about the exercises Peeta, Haymitch and I did before the Quell. They seem like a life time ago.

Still, might not be bad to consider if I don't want to be catnip again. I get dressed and head down to the room when I hear it. A knock at the door. I look at Greasy Sae and her niece. With only four people in town and three of them in this room there is only one person it can be.

"Peeta," I open the door to find him standing there, shifting his weight awkwardly with a dish in his hands.

"I made you a cake," he blurts out in a rush.

"You made me a cake?" I ask unable to believe that he's actually talking to me. I thought he was refusing to speak to me because of our fight.

"Yeah, umm" he looks down at the cake and not at me "whenever we had strawberries... my dad used to-"

He cuts off and we stand there quietly.

"You made cake," I say giving him a small smile.

"I made cake," he confirms returning my smile shyly.

We stand there for a moment, smiling at each other.

"Won't you come in, Peeta?" Sae asks.

"I couldn't-" Peeta starts.

"Nonsense!" she cries and he looks nervous. Sae must be desperate to talk to someone. I guess I'm not much of a conversation partner.

"Sure," Peeta agrees "what else am I doing?"

He ducks inside. I move to take his coat but he quickly removes it himself and hangs it on the nearby rack. There's still a palpable awkwardness between us but I try to keep things light.

"So... this cake... Can we eat it?" I ask, attempting a playful tone.

"Oh? Yeah," he hands me the dish and I look at the cake. It's a golden brown and it smells amazing.

"It's strawberry short cake," he tells me "I thought it would go well with the strawberries..."

He looks me in the eye.

"...that you gave me. Thanks for those by the way."

"Sure," I say, tearing my gaze away from his and focusing on my hunting boots.

"Why don't we slice it up?" Sae asks, ending another awkward silence. Why is it so difficult for me to talk to him?

We both nod and make noises of agreement so she starts slicing up the cake and dumping strawberries on top.

"I've never had this before," I admit to Peeta.

"I guess that makes sense," Peeta says "it's kind of a middle of the road desert. Not fancy enough for the Capitol, too fancy for twelve most of the time. We used to make it for the Mayor Undersee because he loved strawberries..."

I nod, trying not to think about Madge and her family and how they, like almost everyone I have ever known, are dead because of me.

Sae guides us to the table. We sit down and I take a bite. It's amazing. Excluding Peeta's dinner, I haven't really paid attention to anything I've eaten in months. And this is a great time to start. The cake is perfectly sweet and spongy and the strawberries are amazingly tart and fresh. I gobble up my first slice before Peeta and Sae are halfway done and I find myself scurrying to get myself seconds.

I'm halfway through my second slice when I realize Peeta is staring at me, smiling.

"It's really good cake," I tell him, smiling.

"Thanks, it seems like you like it," he says as he watches me shovel cake into my mouth.

"I do," I reply turning my attention back to the perfect desert in front of me, not able to meet his gaze for too long.

"So, Peeta, keeping yourself busy?" Sae asks, unable to keep quiet when she finally has someone who will absolutely respond.

Peeta takes a minute to swallow. I watch him and it seems like he's trying very hard to come up with a good response. Like he doesn't want to let Sae down.

"Trying to," he wipes his mouth "I don't have a whole lot to do. I draw, write letters to a few people in the Capitol..."

He avoids my eyes again and I know he means my mother. I refuse to get angry again. While I can't say I'm happy that they talk behind my back this is no time to have another temper tantrum. Not when Peeta and I are finally being civil to each other. Not when I owe him so much.

"Well that sounds nice," Sae responds eagerly, positively giddy from his company.

But before Sae can get another word out the phone rings.

This is a pretty unusual occurrence so we all freeze for a moment. I can't remember the phone ringing in... well, ages I suppose.

"I'll get that," Sae hops up and dashes for the phone in the other room. Leaving Peeta and me alone.

I decide to break the silence before it can set in and become dense and uncomfortable.

"She's over the moon to have you here," I tell him "I think she needs to get out more."

Peeta laughs at my terrible attempt at humor.

"I suppose there's not many social calls for her to pay out here," he gives me a small smile "maybe we can get her a pen pal."

I laugh quietly.

"Well thank you for talking to her," I say "she doesn't really get to... converse much."

"Really?" Peeta asks in mock surprise "But she has you, the master of conversation!"

My jaw drops. Peeta has made a real joke! And at my expense!

"I happen to be a great person to talk to," I start and then I stop, not even I can keep this joke alive. We both know I can be unfriendly and laconic.

"Okay, fair enough I'm terrible to talk with." I concede and Peeta grins at me.

"I could always talk to you," Peeta says.

I look at him and I can't find any trace of a joke on his face.

"Really?" I ask.

"Really." Peeta tells me and I know it's genuine.

We smile at each other for a moment. It's perfectly quiet and neither of us feels the need to break it with awkward chit chat. We can just be. It's so nice. It's the most comfortable I've felt since I've been back. Better than the forrest. Better than those few dreamless naps I've been able to sneak in. Better than anything.

"Sorry about that, kids!" booms Sae as she returns to the kitchen.

Peeta and I both jump. We forgot we weren't alone. We give each other sheepish smiles and return to our cake.

I find myself feeling glad I dropped those strawberries off at his door.