Author's note: Thank you all for giving this story a shot. It's going to be a tough one, but hang in and things will get better. I failed to mention on the prologue that the title for this comes from the Veridia song At the End of the World. You should go check it out.

As with the case in an arranged marriage, feelings get confusing. There will be many moments when these couples get into physical situations that may not fit the norm (from touching to kissing to sex). Please use your own discretion when reading. As a future note, I will be posting two different versions of chapters that do contain sex scenes. Here, I will post cutaways so you may continue reading here if, for any reason at all, you aren't comfortable with that. The fill versions will be on AO3 (same penname over there).

Lastly, I want to thank my lovely beta LavenderVanilla, who has made many great suggestions along the way on this story. She is a great person and a fantastic writer. You should go check out her stuff (Blinds is going to be updated soon and I can promise some big things are coming, so go get caught up on that).

Happy reading!

Chapter One

Peeta finished putting the fish stew in bowls for himself and Annie. He sat them on the table and retrieved the rolls from the oven. He made a face at how dense they were. Some days it worked, but others it didn't. And he had so wished they'd come out well today.

He stepped out the back door and called, "Annie?"

She didn't answer, but a scan of the beach showed she was nearby. He could see her pile of clothes and, further out in the water, the sun glinted off her hair. It looked even redder in the sun's rays.

She stepped out of the water and Peeta quickly looked away. He called, "Annie, I got supper done." He went back inside and set about pouring them each a glass of water.

Annie stepped into the house a few minutes later, her hair still dripping. She carried a towel over one arm.

"Did you have a good swim?" Peeta asked, indicating a chair.

Annie grinned. "A very good swim. I wish you would let me teach you."

He shook his head. "I've never been good with water." He sat and began eating, watching his wife across the table do the same.

"It's our anniversary." Annie said softly after a while.

"Some anniversary." He said with a sideways grin. "I didn't even get you a present."

She took a bite of her bread and shrugged. "You don't need to get me anything." She dipped a chunk of bread in her bowl. She looked up slowly and said, "I want to sell off the last of the whiskey and open your bakery."

Peeta's jaw went slack with shock. "That's the last batch your father made."

She shrugged. "He always cared more about that than me. You've been talking about the bakery for months, before he even passed and he laughed at your dream." She put her hand on top of his. "You should do something for yourself. That's what I want for this anniversary."

He kissed her hand. "Thank you, Annie."

She squeezed his fingers and went back to her stew.

Peeta thought he saw a tear rolling down her cheek, but pretended for Annie's sake it was just water dripping from her hair. When he mentioned her tears, she sometimes went into a rage that scared him.

"Tell me what you'll do about the bakery." She requested. "I know we won't be able to buy a building right away."

Peeta happily talked about his plans for starting out while Annie listened. He'd start by baking in the house and peddling his wares at the fish market and around town until they could save enough money for a separate building with a storefront. They agreed it was the best idea, but for one thing.

"The stove is rusting through." Peeta complained. "It has trouble holding in the right heat."

Annie nodded. "Well, I suppose that's what the money from the whiskey can be for." She took one last bite of stew and started clearing the table. "You can leave some behind here and I can sell it."

"Are you a good saleswoman?" He asked with a grin as he slid up beside her to help with the washing up.

"Not the best. But the last thing I sold was the thing that took my father from me long before he even died." She held out a clean bowl to Peeta. "You bake the most delicious breads, Peeta."

"Cookies are my favorite. And cakes. I love to decorate them."

"I haven't had a cake in so long." Annie mused.

"I'll bake you one for your birthday." He promised.

She smiled. "I'd like that."

They finished cleaning the dishes in silence and then retired to the parlor where Peeta picked up his discarded sketch pad and a pencil. Annie picked up a book, but she spent the evening watching Peeta's hand as it moved. She was mesmerized by it. And at the end of the evening, he sat the paper on the arm of the sofa.

"Goodnight, Annie." He slipped into bed and listened to Annie close up the house.

With the sale of the last barrels of whiskey and the smooth negotiating skills Peeta possessed, they were able to trade the old stove for a better model with very little extra expense.

Peeta stayed awake deep into the night writing down and testing all the recipes he'd learned at his father's knee. Sometimes Annie sat up and watched him, listening to the stories about his childhood with each new pastry.

"Cheese buns were always my favorite." He said softly one night. "Soft and full of creamy goat cheese."

She smiled. "It sounds delicious."

"If I can get my hands on some cheese, I'll make you some." He promised.

She shook her head. "Cheese is too expensive."

He shrugged. "If I keep going like I am, maybe we can afford the actual bakery and I'll make cheese buns once a week. Just for you." He sat his latest creation in the oven and thought of Katniss. So many nights they would sit and share a few cheese buns while they looked at the stars and planned out the future they knew they could never really have.

He sighed and sat heavily.

"Are you thinking about Katniss again?" She asked softly.

He nodded. "Cheese buns are her favorite."

Annie put her hand on top of Peeta's. "Then maybe you shouldn't make them for me after all." She squeezed his knuckles gently and stood. "I'm going to bed." She kissed the top of his head, like her father used to do to her when she was small, and wandered off to the other end of the small house.

He worked for a few more hours and wondered what Katniss was up to. She should be awake in the Seam by now. The sun rose there first. Did she still help her mother? Or had they forced her elsewhere? The mines, perhaps?

Or if Annie's assumption was true, she probably took care of the home she shared with Finnick. Peeta smiled to himself at that thought. He and Katniss had always planned to have equal share in the housework because he swore he'd be the one to cook, so he'd take care of the kitchen. And she planned to continue helping her mother with her herbs.

"And I hate all the scrubbing." She had complained.

In his distraction, he dropped the pan of bread as he pulled it out of the oven. It clattered loudly and he looked toward the door, hoping Annie hadn't heard.

But she appeared there a moment later tying her wrap around her. "Is everything all right?" She looked down to the mess on the floor and hurried over to help. "This isn't the first pan you dropped today. When was the last time you slept?"

He sat the pan on the table and shrugged. "A few hours here and there."

She gently grabbed his hand. "Get some sleep, Peeta." She gave it a little squeeze. "Please?"

He shook his head. "When I sleep, I dream of Katniss and the look on her face when they arrested me." His last look at her face before being stuck in the dark for so long.

She loosened her fingers. "You couldn't have stopped it if you tried."

"And my dad... I haven't gotten a reply from any of my letters. It's been over a year, Annie." He sighed. "I suppose I didn't matter as much as I thought." He turned and packaged the bread. A little dust wouldn't matter to any of these people.

"What if it's your mother?" She asked softly, placing her hand on his arm once more. "The way you talk about her..."

Peeta shrugged.

Annie rubbed his arm. "Keep trying. But after you've slept." She wrapped her arm around his shoulders and guided him out of the kitchen. She walked into his room ahead of him and pulled the blanket aside. "If you need anything, you know where I am." She patted his arm as she walked by. "Goodnight, Peeta."

"Goodnight, Annie." After closing the door and changing into his nightshirt, Peeta spent several minutes staring at the shared wall between his room and Annie's before finally climbing into bed. He listened to the soft sound of her cries in the other room. It had been happening more and more since her father's death a few months ago. It hurt Peeta that he couldn't help her. But when he tried, she pushed him away. Sometimes he heard her call out for Finnick and that hurt him even worse.

And he wondered if Katniss was in the same distress. He didn't delude himself thinking that she'd cry for him. If she cried for anyone it would be her sister. She was always so protective of Prim. If she really had been forced to marry Finnick, they'd surely move her out of the house she grew up in and away from her baby sister.

He dreaded the feeling as sleep crept up on him. But he surrendered, there was no use fighting.

Peeta sat up quickly when he felt the shackles curl around his wrists. He looked down and breathed a sigh of relief. Just the dream again.

He looked out the window to see the lightening on the horizon. He rolled out of bed and got dressed. He could already hear Annie in the kitchen making breakfast.

Peeta stepped into the hot room and watched Annie put a pan of dough in the oven that he'd left to rise the rest of the night. She straightened up and smiled.

"Good morning, Annie." He stepped toward the stove and leaned over the frying pan. "God, I missed bacon."

She smiled and turned her head. She poked his side with the handle of her fork. "Keep selling this amazing bread of yours and we'll be eating eggs next, not just using them in your cookies."

"If we both sell out today, I'll get a dozen eggs just for you." He smiled and kissed her cheek. Then he froze.

Her green eyes were huge in shock and just inches from his. She kissed the top of his head often, but he never returned the gesture in any way.

"I'm sorry, I..." he began.

She shook her head. "A kiss on the cheek is innocent." She went back to the bacon and Peeta started sorting the breads and cookies he'd made the night before.

His hands shook. Why had he kissed her? There was no thought in it. It came to his mind and happened all in the same moment. He looked up and their eyes locked.

"Sit down and eat." She handed him a plate with a few slices of bacon and a bowl of oatmeal. "You can finish all that later."

Peeta ate the breakfast Annie gave him in a few quick bites and then stood to put the dishes in the sink. "Time to go."

"I'll get the bread." She offered.

He nodded and walked toward the front door. Annie followed him holding the box he had placed the day's products in. After he pulled on his coat, he grabbed the box and kissed her lips quickly.

He froze again. He could feel his cheeks heating up and hers were bright red.

"Have a good day." She choked out before she ran from the room. He was sure there were tears glistening in her eyes. He felt his own betrayal pressing in on his chest.

Annie pulled herself out of bed when someone knocked on the kitchen door. She wiped her eyes and tried to school her features as she walked to answer. No one would buy anything from her when she was crying.

Johanna Mason stood there with a grin. "Hey there, Annie." She said, leaning against the door frame. "I saw your husband in town and he sent me here. Said there may be cookies. He sold already out."

Annie waved her in. "Peeta makes delicious butter spice cookies. I've eaten half a dozen on my own." She indicated a box on the table, pulling away a cloth. "A dollar for a dozen."

"A dollar? Are you crazy?" Johanna laughed to herself. "Of course you are. It's your husband who's taking advantage. No one can afford a dollar for twelve cookies."

Annie sighed. "Five cents a cookie?"

"You're so easy." Johanna handed over a coin and reached in the box for two. "You should just give me one for having to look at your sad face." Her face softened. "Having a tough time?"

"What do you care?" Annie flicked the towel back over the box.

"Because Finnick was my friend and I miss him." Johanna shrugged. "I know he was more than that to you. Not to mention your no-good daddy went Yonder and now you live with a stranger."

Annie felt her face start to relax. The side of her mouth pulled up in a smile. Johanna could have been a little more colorful with her language, but she always toned it down for Annie.

Johanna stood and retrieved her second cookie. "Good luck, Baker's Wife. You're going to need it." She headed out the door.

"At least my house isn't as smelly as a fisherman's." Annie followed her to the door.

"Yeah, it does smell great in here. Especially with those beans you got boiling away over there." Johanna watched Annie a moment and then stepped out the door. "Keep your chin up, Annie. You'll be all right."

Annie nodded. "Thank you, Jo."

For the rest of the afternoon, Annie sold Peeta's baked goods out the kitchen door. When all the cookies were gone, she was able to sell off the rolls and small loaves of bread. The bigger loaves were too expensive for most people's pocketbooks, so Annie started cutting them in halves and thirds. A few people even bartered for slices, so she gave in.

Peeta came home just as she was selling the last of the lot. She smiled and opened up the box where she kept the money and grinned. "I sold everything today. You're going to have to make fresh for our supper."

"Good." He grinned and pulled a wrapped package out of his box. "I found goat cheese. What do you say to some cheese buns?"

She shook her head vigorously. "That was Katniss's. Don't make that for me."

His face fell. "Annie, I—"

She shook her head again. "Don't. Please, just don't."

"Okay, I won't." He sat a basket of eggs on the counter. "For breakfast."

She nodded, but she felt herself getting agitated. This wasn't right. None of it was. It was too comfortable, the way he was looking at her. And then the kiss—both of them—came back and she started backing away from him.

"What did I do wrong, Annie?" He pleaded.

"You kissed me, Peeta. You kissed me and I liked it and I hate myself for that." She stepped toward the door.

He hurried after her, placing his hand on her arm. "I feel so helpless when you go away like you're about to, but please let me say something first."

She swallowed and looked up at him slowly.

"Finnick and Katniss aren't here." Peeta said softly. "And the kiss didn't mean anything. But I care about you. And it clouded my judgment for a moment." He dropped his hand and stepped around her into his bedroom.

"Should I finish supper?" Annie asked.

He appeared at his door with a sketchpad and his charcoal. "I'm not hungry."

She sighed and watched him exit out into the late afternoon. She paced around the small kitchen, looking out the window every few minutes. She felt the fog creeping in. She needed Finnick. But she also needed to make sure Peeta wasn't angry with her.

She finally decided to start the evening meal just before Peeta came back in. He held out a piece of paper to her and took over stirring the pot of beans.

The drawing Peeta pressed into her hands contained the opening of a cave. The water splashed at the rocks all around it. She could almost feel the movement of the waves. She sighed and put the picture in the middle of the table. "That's better than your baking."

He smiled over his shoulder. "What do you say to a johnnycake?"

"There should be just enough cornmeal for it." She watched him. The fog still hung around the edges of her mind, but it had stopped moving in. For the moment.

"I'm glad you're still here." He said as he got the ingredients ready.

She snorted. "Well, for now. Give me ten minutes and it may change." She stepped to the stove and stirred the pot of beans.

Peeta poured oil into a pan to heat up and started mixing the batter. "I liked it, too. When I kissed you." He said softly.

Annie whipped her head around to look at him.

"My chest hurt all day from the guilt." He continued, stepping forward to test the heat of the oil. "I miss Katniss. I miss her every day." He paused, most likely to think about her. "And I miss my father, my brothers, and all my friends." He sighed. "But you make it a little more bearable."

She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came. The fog started moving again and she did her best to push it away. "We can't be like this, Peeta."

"Like what? Friends?"

She stepped back, the spoon falling from her hand and clattering to the floor. Her hand went up to her head and she shook it, talking to herself. "No, this isn't right." She said over and over.

"This isn't your fault, Annie." Peeta said softly, approaching her slowly.

She backed up until she ran into the table, her hands flying back to catch her. "Don't, Peeta, please stay away."

"Hey, it's okay." He said softly. "I won't hurt you. I won't let anyone hurt you."

"Finnick is the one who's supposed to be here, Peeta." She sobbed.

"I know." Peeta's hands gently curled around her elbows. "Lie down, Annie. I'll bring your meal to you."

Annie looked wildly around the room. Her eyes landed on Peeta. She whispered his name and then collapsed against his chest, sobbing heavily. She couldn't make her feet move until he dragged her along slowly.

"You're okay, Annie." Peeta said softly. "You just rest and I'll get you something to eat in a bit."

"You shouldn't have to do this." She whispered. "You should be happy with Katniss. This isn't right."

He helped her into bed and pulled off her shoes. Tucking the blanket around her he said, "I'm not Finnick, so I don't know if I'm doing this right. But I promise that I'm here if you need me." He leaned in and kissed her forehead.

She watched him leave and then curled into a tight ball, letting the blackness surround her.