A/NL HOORAY, FLUFF. That is all. Cato's POV starts.
"Oh, what a gentleman," I laugh, sitting down in the chair. "It looks so good..." ~
"Dig in," I laugh, making my way to the other seat. "If you can manage one with just a knife, you really deserve some award. You guys do things weird here in Two." Just knives? Oh-kay. ~
"What?" Oh. "No, um...I can use my hands. I don't need a knife. It's alright." ~
"You sure?" I laugh, picking up a muffin. "I'm not one to judge." ~
"No! Um..." Cover. Cover your mistake, stupid. "I didn't know if you made something else, you know...like pancakes or something. Or waffles. I wasn't expecting finger food." I do as he did and pick up a muffin. It looks really good. ~
I stare at the muffin for a second. Something really was up with him. "I really don't want you to have to lie to me." ~
"What do you mean? I really wasn't expecting you to make me breakfast..." ~
"You seemed like you were having a totally different conversation with me than I thought before...and I can tell when you're lying. I...I don't know what it's about, but...Secrets aren't good. You're the only person I can completely trust, Cato. I don't want that lost." He's all I've got. ~
"I'm sorry...I don't mean to break your trust or anything, but..." He'll figure it out eventually. And I don't want to keep more secrets from him. "I was talking to myself when you came up. The conversation just...blended." ~
"Oh." I take a bite out of the apple muffin. Still warm. "Alright." I have to trust him. If I can't, then I'll never be sure of anything. But I've got to give him the shot. "Try." ~
"It's something that I did sometimes." All the time, almost. "To keep myself company. I didn't want to be alone then, and I thought you were gone, so...I tried calming down a little. But I'll be okay now." ~
"I'm here for good. You're kinda stuck with me. Like it or not." I give him a nod. "C'mon," I whine. "Try it!" ~
"I'd love to be stuck with you..." I prepare myself to take my first bite of the muffin, because if it's as good as he says, I might just get really excited. Then, I take the first bite. The first, glorious and wonderful bite. "Oh my god," I say muffledly, crumbs falling out of my mouth. ~
"Hm?" I take another bite, getting a piece of apple in it. I missed baking. ~
"It's not good..." I swallow, staring at the remnants of the muffin. Thank god for giving me a baker boyfriend. Seriously. ~
"No?" I sigh defeatedly, putting my muffin down. "I tried." I grin sheepishly. It was the thought, I guess. He had a chocolate one and I had an apple one. Did I do something wrong? Maybe all the time off messed up my memory. ~
"Nope," I smile. "It was extraordinary. Like it's been touched by the gods or something, and...why am I even talking still?" I take another large bite. "Yuuum," I say through the food. ~
"I'm glad," I say. I really am. I like people trying my food. I don't get to really tell people that I'm the one who bakes things, it's just under the roof of the bakery, but... ~
"I'm glad too!" I finish off the rest of the muffin as quickly as possible and take a moment to breathe. "Because now, I can have my favorite little baker bring me food all the time!" ~
"I just want to be able to bake again. It's been way too long." I sigh. "I can test out recipes and stuff on you, too." ~
"And...and you can teach me, too, and we can bake together. Right?" Damn, he's a better baker than the family that owns a bakery around here. They could learn a thing or two from him. ~
"We can make that cake today, like you wanted. You said you had things around, right?" We can start now, if he wants. ~
"Yeah, there's cake mix in the cabinet I think." There should be. We keep ourselves stocked up on that kinda stuff. "Around lunch, right? So then when it's done, I can eat it while it's all still hot. I like hot foods." ~
I don't even know what to say. My jaw drops and I just stare at him. What on earth is he thinking? ~
"...You don't like eating sweets for lunch, do you?" My mom is the same way. Ugh. I can never win in this place, can I? ~
"T...that's not it." Blasphemy in my house, that's what that is. ~
"Then...what? Oh, did you see the mix?" I ask, thinking about which flavors we have. "You don't like the flavors, do you? I can probably pick the good kind up at the convenience store if you promise to stay put in my room." ~
In complete silence, I stand, and walk over to the cabinet where I remember the mix being. Then, I pull all the boxes into my arms, step over to the trash can, and drop them in. Then, I just stare at him and point at the trash. "No." ~
Even though I'm confused at his actions, I start laughing. "No what?" ~
"Boxed cake mix. Rule number one of baking with Peeta...or any Mellark, for that matter...no boxed cake mix." We couldn't afford it anyway, but it's horrible compared to what we can make on our own. ~
"There's something besides the box?" What is he, magic? ~
"...You're joking, right?" He's got to be joking. ~
"Wait." If there's something besides boxed cake mix, then... "What about the just add water pancake mix in the cabinet next to that?" ~
"Oh god," I shake my head. "That's got to go, too." ~
"But I love pancakes! You can't throw it awaaaaaay," I whine, then whisper, "I love pancakes..." ~
"You don't need premade mix for anything." ~
For anything? "But...you just add water." ~
"But it tastes terrible." ~
"Does not!" I love pancakes. "Don't tell me you can also make eggs from scratch as opposed to buying them from the store. Because then, I just give up." ~
"No, no," I crack up at his egg comparison. "Just...boxed mixes and stuff are really nothing compared to some of the cakes you can really make." ~
"I didn't know..." I sigh. "But I guess they have to make the mix from something, right?" ~
"Exactly!" ~
"Oh..." But the mix is just going to waste... "Why can't we just like, keep the mix...but sell it on the street?" I laugh. "You can make some of the money back that you spent to get here!" ~
"It's not a huge deal," I sigh. "There's nothing else in this trashbin, so we'll see. But we won't be cooking any of this." ~
"Okay..." So maybe I'm a little against throwing away food. "Sorry." ~
"It's okay, I just...it's different, at home." ~
"No, I get it. Strict baker household." ~
"Mmhmm." I smile at him. "Maybe...someday, you can visit." ~
"I don't see how, but maybe. I'd like to, though. As long as you're with me." I take one of the apple muffins. "I like when you're with me." ~
A/N: Short chapter is short…but reviews are loved anyway. :D