Here's another little gem I hope you enjoy I do not own the Hunger Games. Beta'd by my bestie norbertsmom
The reaping stopped the year Katniss turned 15. The president keeled over and died during the Victory Tour for the previous Games. It was odd when Reaping day came and none of the kids had to appear in front of the Justice Building. Her sister Primrose stopped having nightmares about the Games and her name being called. All Katniss Everdeen had to do was concentrate on survival. That and somehow paying off the debt she owed to Peeta, the youngest son of the town's baker.
For two and a half years she looked for ways to repay him for saving her life. Katniss looked for ways to speak to Peeta, but the opportunity never presented itself simply because Gale Hawthorne always seemed to be around her. Gale was always underfoot trying to impress upon everyone they were a couple, which they weren't.
Her last two years of high school were basically her following him around trying to find a way to repay him for his kindness. His burnt loaves of bread not only fed them for a long time but the next time she'd seen him at school she'd seen the red welt on his face. A clear sign his mother, the witch had found out about the bread. From that moment Peeta became her boy with the bread. That afternoon, Katniss looked away and that's when she saw the dandelion on the ground. The bright little yellow flower was the first sign of Spring, and it caused her to search for her father's plant book. She used it to scavenge for plants around the district until she went under the fence and foraged for food. Eventually finding her father's bows hidden in the forest.
With the bow, Katniss was able to hunt for animals. It was there she met Gale. He looked old, like a grown-up when she met him. They didn't trust each other and for the first two years, things weren't easy between them. It wasn't until Gale saw how easily and effectively; she used a bow did he come around to forming a partnership that evolved into a quasi-friendship.
When the Games were canceled Gale turned his attention onto her like the searchlight of a hovercraft. He insinuated they should have more than what they had at first, then when she turned seventeen, he wanted to, "court her." Katniss found the idea ridiculous.
He argued the Games were gone and there was no need for her to continue with her childhood distaste for marriage and children. She often wondered why she even spoke to Gale, he frustrated and annoyed her. Maybe it was because they were great hunters.
There were a lot of girls that wanted to be with him because he was good-looking, but to Katniss, he was just so bulky and everywhere. There were times she hated his musky sweaty scent and she often found herself scrubbing her clothing and her body to eradicate the smell. Now that she was eighteen and graduated from school Gale was even more persistent. Today he was especially even more irritating, with the whole 'they belong together' shtick.
Katniss couldn't wait to get rid of him.
"There aren't any more Games. I don't understand why you don't want to get married or have children," Gale said trailing after her.
"It's my decision, Gale. What I do with my life, is my decision," Katniss enunciated each word hoping he would take the hint.
"Come on Catnip, we make sense," Gale pouted.
"Gale, you're like family." Katniss refused to make eye contact with him as she moved past him in the Hob. She sat down at Greasy Sae's stall.
"Katniss, what you got for me?" Sae poured Katniss one of her infamous bowls.
"I've got a badger for you, and a few fish." Katniss took out her catches.
"Very nice," Greasy Sae said, putting coins on the table.
Katniss was going to take a spoonful when Darius sat next to her.
"Hey hot stuff," Darius said. He took off his helmet and settled it next to him.
"What's going on Darius," Katniss blew on her spoon before she shoved it in her mouth.
"Did you hear about the baker's youngest son?" Darius grabbed the bowl from Greasy.
The mention of Peeta Mellark, her boy with the bread, caught her attention. She continued to eat, trying not to show her concern, but she wanted to know what was going on.
"That poor kid," Greasy Sae said.
Katniss paused lifting the spoon momentarily lifting an eyebrow at Greasy Sae. She scowled at Darius before bringing the flavorful soup to her mouth.
"You don't know. His father declared Peeta is going to inherit the bakery, but his mother is refusing on the grounds that Peeta has never had a girl and has no interest in marrying."
Hearing the news Katniss frowned and stopped eating. She hadn't heard any of this. Peeta was the only one who could run the bakery. By taste, Katniss knew who had baked the bread. His older brother Colton always made dry bread. River's bread was always brittle. Their dad's bread always thin. Peeta's bread was fluffy, flavorful, and hearty. His cookies always tasted better as well.
"No one knows why he doesn't want to marry?" Greasy leaned over the counter, answering the question Katniss hadn't dared to ask.
"Nope but who else can handle the bakery?" Darius sat back. "His older brother Colton moved in with his bride, and the other kid, River, is a drunk. I have to haul his butt from Rippers every other night."
Katniss stood from the booth and headed out. There was always gossip being spoken at Greasy Sae's stall. Normally Katniss never paid attention. This time it was about the one person in the entire district that she had a vested interest in. Katniss walked to the bakery and slipped into the backyard. She stood there with her hands in her pockets carefully picking apart the conversation Greasy Sae and Darius had.
As she stood there it occurred to her, she had an opportunity to repay Peeta and to help him out with his bakery. She walked up to the back door. She knocked hoping he would answer. A lot of the time it was his father who opened the door.
Katniss took a deep breath in when she saw Peeta open the door. Her eyes scanned his form. There were a lot of things she noticed about him, the way his forearms were almost always covered with flour, how muscular his arms were, how wide his chest was, the way his mouth crinkled when he smiled, and the way his long silvery lashes never tangled. She also noted his scent, he smelled like bread, cinnamon, and dill. It took her a long time to identify the dill scent, she didn't know what it was until her mother showed it to her in her father's plant book. It was used for all sorts of curative purposes.
Katniss located the plant deep in the forest by rocks, the scent was unmistakable when she came upon them in the forest. Gale found her sitting on the forest floor smelling them with the biggest grin on her face ever. He was confused as to why she was so happy, but Katniss never confessed it was because she was reminded of her boy with the bread. A boy who over the summer had grown taller and his stocky frame had become manly and as appetizing as soft fresh bread.
"Hi," Peeta greeted.
"Hi," Katniss blurted.
They stood there staring at each other. Katniss wasn't good with words, she was often lost for words, unless she had verbal diarrhea and that only happened when she was mad or really tired.
"So, do you want to trade with me?"
"NO!" Katniss shouted. At his confused face, she blurted, "I have a business proposition."
"Oh?" He arched an eyebrow and walked out onto the back stoop. "About trading?"
"No, not exactly," Katniss began to sweat.
Peeta came closer and she could smell him, and she struggled with the need to sniff the air around her.
"What then?"
"I heard about your dilemma."
"You heard about my mother, have you?" Peeta asked.
"I heard you don't want to marry, but you need to get hitched in order to keep the business." The words rushed out of her.
He blinked several times, then rubbed the back of his neck. "What are you proposing?"
"We could get married. It wouldn't be real since we wouldn't be doing a toasting. It would be a marriage of convenience." Katniss felt her knees shake.
"So, I would keep the bakery," Peeta said slowly, "but what's in it for you?"
"I get Gale off of my back?"
"Come again?" Peeta's jaw was slightly ajar as if he couldn't believe what she said.
"Gale wants me to have a toasting with him, but I don't want to marry him." She grimaced at the thought of Gale. It was akin to drinking one of her mother's bitter medicinal teas without a hint of sweeteners like sugar or honey.
"I thought you two were," Peeta said as he shrugged, "together."
"NO" Katniss shook her head as she spoke. "Gale and I have never been and will never be a thing. Blech!" Katniss was so disgusted by the thought of being with Gale she became physically ill with nausea.
"Okay," Peeta laughed, "I get it, you're not into Gale."
"So, what do you say?" For some reason she became nervous. She jammed her hands in her pockets, and it struck her she looked like a hot mess. She had blood stains on her pants and her boots were muddy. She didn't want to think about what sticks or leaves were sticking out of her hair.
Peeta smiled, he stuck his hand out. "Deal."
Katniss shook it. "Deal!"
"What's going on?" Gale said from behind them.
"I'm getting married to Peeta," Katniss said softly not removing her eyes from Peeta's face. She liked the way his face filled with color. He looked cute.
"What?" Gale sputtered.
"Tomorrow, I'll meet you at the Justice Building."
"Tomorrow it is," Katniss agreed. Tomorrow she was getting married to her boy with the bread.
I wrote this one as part of a Birthday Fick the prompt was:
I'd love if you could write an in-Panem AU where the reaping doesn't exist (Everlark, of course😉)