Part 2





She only takes her hand out of his for the five minutes she’s wrapped up in Prims unbreakable hold, her mother patting her back in a breathless attempt to find out if she’s actually real, alive, here.

After they’ve been escorted back to the Everdeens home in the Seam, guards block the crowds outside of the tiny run down shack keeping out the adoring crowds desperate for another look at their Victor. Katniss is squeezed beside Peeta, her arm tangled somewhere with his as they melt into the couch and listen to Prim ramble on about everything Katniss has missed. The orange and yellow tabby cat prim rescued from the mines meowing incessantly and the rumble of the crowds making the eldest Everdeens anxiety clear as day.

“And I planted lilacs in the back yard over by the fenced in part!” Prim beams, Katniss’s mother steps out of the kitchen and drops two steady hands to her youngests shoulders.

“How about you let Peeta show Katniss the lilacs and you go and get her that blanket you’vebeen working on stitching.” Her soft and slightly weak voice urges gently and knowingly. Shes giving them a moment to breathe, to be alone outside where the crowds can’t get in.

“Oh!” Prim nods “the blanket!” In a second she’s nothing but blonde braids and blue cotton as she races to her bedroom. Katniss’s mother guides them both off the couch and into the backyard, smiling warmly before closing the door and leaving them to the flowers.

There is so much he wants to say, to tell her, to promise her.. but the words don’t come out, they’re stuck in his throat just like they’ve been since he was five years old and saw her standing on a chair and singing. He has to say something, he opens his mouth to speak

“I..”

“I want you to move in to the Victors village with me.”

She interrupts quickly, her grey eyes staring fearlessly into his own. Her hand still clutched in his squeezes firmly.

Peeta all but forgets how to breathe in that instance. She can’t actually mean that.. she can’t actually want him..

“My parents are moving to a house in the Merchant area by the school, Prim wants to be close so she can carry on with her nursing teaching. I’ve got more money than I know what to do with and they just keep sending it. I know that it’s all tied to how I act at the Capitol and if I’m the good little victor they need me to be but…” her eyes burn with unshed tears as she grips peetas other hand and he can almost hear his heart break at the desperate plea in her voice “I can’t do it on my own…all of it, it’s.. I just need you there with me. I need you.”

There wasn’t a second in his mind where he had considered turning her down, if it were possible to become glued to her side he would do it in a heartbeat and now she wants him beside her, to live with her and make a home with her.

“Of course I’ll live with you. I would do anything for you Katniss you have to know that. I always would and i always will.”

It had started two years ago, a shuddering knock on the bakery door long after closing, rain beating the roof and thunder cracking the air. Peeta had been cleaning up shop, it was Wednesday night and that had been his night to close since before he could remember but he had never been interrupted so late before never so close to District curfew atleast. He found himself slightly scared as he made his way to the door, a heavy rolling pin clutched in his flexing palms. If someone wanted to kill him they were gonna get one hell of a floury beating.

The last person he had ever expected to see soaked and shivering at his front door was Katniss Everdeen clutching a string of dead squirrels and thrusting them into his open arms as soon as the door opened.

“Sorry it’s so late. They’re fresh though. Thanks again. Goodnight.” She rushed out before turning her back and making to speed walk off. It too all of five seconds for Peeta to register what had just happened

“Katniss, come back please!” He called out, stepping out under the awning, cold rain instantly smacking him in the face “I can’t chase after you.. my leg… the mud.” He shouted, that alone stopped the brunette hunter in her tracks.

Peeta had lost his leg over two years ago, they’d told the doctors he’d been attacked by a mutt but Peeta knew better, his father knew better and his violent abusive mother definitely knew better.

Katniss turned slowly and trudged back up the steps of the bakery, her arms crossed and her eyes looking anywhere but at Peeta.

“I’m paying you back. I know it’s not the same sentimentality of you saving my life all those years ago but monetary value is there and doubled. So thanks again.” She moved To walk away again but Peeta was already tugging her into the bakery.

“For the thousandth time you’ve never owed me anything but for sake of sentimentality you can stay here until the rain stops so I don’t have to worry about you all night. Then we’ll be “even”.” Peeta mimicked, pulling her to the table and bringing out a deck of cards.

Katniss was silent for a moment her feet glued to the ground and her always inquisitive eyes narrowed slightly.

“I don’t like games.” She whispered, the double meaning wasn’t lost on him.

Peeta tossed the deck of cards behind him and grinned

“Me either but I like you so I guess you’re stuck with me.”

Katniss scoffed and dropped down into the metal chair with a heavy thud.

“You don’t know me, you wouldn’t like me if you got to know me.” She laughed bitterly, Fingers toying with the cookie crumbs on the table. Peetas hand reached out to cover her own

“Let me try.” He ducked down to reach her eyes and gave one of his most heartbreakingly beautiful smiles.

From that day forward they were each others everything. They kept their friendship private and away from his mother or the kids in town but they shared everything, late night talks in the meadow, cookies in Peetas pockets and Prim dancing through the weeds, Katniss provided most of the meat for the merchants so it was never strange to see her passing through town discussing trade with the bakers son. They figured it out, it worked, they worked.

He was going to finally ask her to be his, it had been years of friendship and gaining her trust. But he knew that there were feelings on both sides, she couldn’t fake that kind of connection. They just had to get through the reaping, it would be there last year and he would finally be able to take a wife, he didn’t want anyone If he couldn’t have her. They wouldn’t get picked, it was their last year and Katniss hadn’t been entering her name anymore than necessary, they wouldn’t be picked.

He hadn’t counted on Prim Rose being called to arms.

He was too late, he screamed her name in the crowd when she volunteered but no one heard, not over Prims screams , Katniss’s mothers sobs and The gentle roar of the crowd as she took her place next to the 16 year old boy shaking in his boots.

He hadn’t even been able to say goodbye, his mother had rushed him back to the bakery for the after reaping celebratory rush. He threw up in front of the bakery and his mother beat him so hard that night he almost forgot the love of his life was marching off to her death.

Almost.

But not really.

And now.. now she was in his arms asking him to move in with him in her shiny mansion, all alone in a village, just the two of them.

“You can say no. I know you think you have too but you don’t. I’ll understand. I wanted to get you away from your mother too but If you have to stay I understand. This is your family it was foolish of me to ask.” She whispered, pulling her hands away and tucking her arms against her body, sadness washing over every feature.

Peeta reached for her again pulling her maybe a little too agreesively into his chest, his hand burying on her hair

“I can’t imagine a place I’d rather be than right next to you everyday of my life.”