Work Text:
"Please, Katniss! I might die without it!"
"Primrose Everdeen," Katniss says, her voice full of exasperation. "You will not die if you don't get an account on some silly app where you can share pictures with people you already see every single day."
Prim pouts, crossing her arms and looking much older than thirteen years old. Sounding much older than thirteen, too. Katniss never worried about those things when she was her little sister's age. She still doesn't. Maybe because their father died when Katniss was only eleven, and she had to grow up so quickly, she skipped the whole teenager phase.
Well, she is still a teenager — seventeen, that is. So there's time yet.
"Everyone has it," says Prim. "I'm probably the only one in District 12 who doesn't have it. Besides you."
It's a particularly sore subject because, when Prim first asked if she could get an account, their mother said no — she didn't think Prim should be on the app if Katniss wasn't. Since then, Prim's been bugging Katniss about it, trying to get her to make an account so their mother will change her mind. She's convinced she'll eventually wear Katniss down if she asks enough.
Prim's right. Katniss doesn't know how much more she can take.
She raises her eyebrows as Prim collapses into one of the chairs at their kitchen table. "Is it such a bad thing to be like me?"
"Of course not," she replies. "I just hate that everyone is talking about it and I don't get to join in. I feel so left out."
That's new. Normally Prim tries to reason with her or make promises about keeping her screentime low. It's a little disconcerting, looking into those forlorn blue eyes. She hates to see her so sad.
"I just don't like the idea of you being on your phone all the time." Katniss sits down beside her. "Does it really mean that much to you?"
"It really does," says Prim, her voice tinged with desperation. "I know it's silly, but my friends make jokes about it all the time and I can't relate. They'll talk about this post or that post and I have to sit there all quiet while they bond over it."
Katniss chews on her lip. Her best friend, Gale, has an account. She assumed he'd be above all that, but apparently he's not. And Madge, the girl she sits with at lunch, has an account. She even showed Katniss once, though it didn't seem very interesting. Just a bunch of artsy photos of flowers and the mountains, things Katniss sees every day out in the woods with her own eyeballs. Even if she's not interested in it, people definitely are, and she never wants to be the reason Prim feels left out.
And, really, she doesn't have to use it. She can just make it and leave it alone.
"Okay," says Katniss. "We'll get it figured out tonight."
Prim squeals and yanks her up out of her chair with surprising strength, throwing her arms around Katniss's waist. It's a good thing their mother walks into the room and distracts her, because she's squeezing tight enough to break a few ribs.
"What's wrong?"
Katniss rubs her sides, silent until she realizes Prim expects her to respond. "Oh. Um, I think I'd like to get an account on that picture app."
Their mother glances between them and sighs. "Fine. But I have rules on how much you can be on this app. And no talking to people you don't know on there. I'm looking at you, Primrose."
That's how Katniss ends up on the silly app with a blank profile picture and exactly one follower — Primrose Everdeen. Initially, she doesn't do anything with it. Her mother asks her to keep an eye on her little sister even though Prim's account has parental controls, but other than that, she doesn't use it much.
Eventually Madge shows her a picture she posted of a particularly pretty sunset and Katniss decides to share the news. "I'm on that app now."
"Really?" Madge perks up. "Follow me!"
She has the same conversation with Gale a few days later.
"I'm on that app now," she says.
"Really? Why?" Gale wrinkles his nose. He's perched on their usual rock, the place where they always meet on hunting days.
"Prim wanted an account. Our mother wouldn't let her have one if I didn't."
"Oh, man," Gale snorts. "I bet you haven't even taken a second look at that app since you downloaded it."
Katniss shrugs and scuffs at the dirt with the toe of her boot. He's not completely wrong, but she does keep an eye on Prim like her mother requested. Every few weeks or so.
"I guess I'll follow you then," says Gale.
Growing her followers to a grand total of three doesn't change her interest level. When Gale and Madge request to follow her, she accepts them and follows back, but quickly logs out without looking at their profiles or her feed. Why bother? She's way too busy. She spends her time hunting with Gale, trading with local vendors, working on her homework, and occasionally attending after-school events. Like wrestling tournaments.
It's not mandatory to attend the wrestling tournaments, but Madge always goes, so Katniss accompanies her. She bites the edge of her nail as she watches the wrestlers file in. She knows one of them — well, not knows him like a friend. Not even an acquaintance. But he made an impression on her six years ago, something she's certain he's forgotten, and she's kept an eye on him ever since.
Peeta Mellark, the boy who gave her bread after her father died.
She was so sad, so scared. Her mother had fallen into a deep depression and Katniss was worried about taking care of Prim on her own. One day, she sat outside during lunch, shivering with a hollow belly because she'd given what little food they had to Prim. He came up behind her and tapped her shoulder. She'd seen him before since they were in the same class, but they'd never talked. He had wild blond curls and wide blue eyes and ruddy cheeks, looking like an angel in a book she'd once read.
He pressed a package into Katniss's hand and took off before she could protest. When she unwrapped it, she realized it was two big, hearty slices of bread from his parents' bakery, filled with dried fruit and nuts. She wanted to give it back but she didn't have the strength. She saved as much as she could for Prim and their mother, allowing herself just enough to get through the rest of her classes.
The next day, she tried to think of how to thank him but couldn't find the words. After school was out, she felt his eyes on her and met his gaze briefly across the yard. When he looked away, Katniss dropped her eyes to the ground and noticed a dandelion. Suddenly, she knew they would be okay.
Things got better after Katniss saw that dandelion and started to remember everything her father taught her about the woods. Her mother slowly came back to life. Everyone moved forward. But Katniss never forgot about that moment with Peeta Mellark. The moment she felt hope, real hope, for the first time in a long time.
So Katniss cheers him on at every wrestling tournament. In her head, of course. And sometimes she catches him looking at her. And sometimes he catches her looking at him. She just keeps tabs on him, that's all.
Peeta wins the tournament and the crowd roars for him, girls and boys alike shrieking as he smiles an endearingly lopsided grin that makes Katniss's head feel fuzzy. She claps politely, as restrained as she can be given the infectious celebration. She always forgets how popular Peeta is until events like this. He's tackled by a group of his friends and disappears from her sight.
A few weeks later, Prim bursts into Katniss's room like the house is on fire. "Why haven't you liked my post?"
Katniss looks up from her math homework and furrows her brow. "What?"
"My post," says Prim. "I need you to like it. You know, to get it to go from usernames to numbers."
It sounds like complete gibberish to Katniss, but she grabs her phone and opens the silly photo app. Prim's post is at the very top of her feed. It's a cute picture of her goat, Lady, nuzzling her cheek. Katniss clicks on the heart and watches it turn red before aiming her screen in Prim's direction.
"I did it," she says. "Now can I finish my homework in peace, please?"
Prim practically skips out of her room. "Thank you!"
Katniss shakes her head and glances back down at her phone. Since she's already on the app, she might as well check it out before she logs out for another month. There's a red dot in the corner that tells her she has new notifications, probably some more random follow requests. That's something Katniss will never understand. Why do you want to follow someone you don't know? And they can clearly see she has no posts. What's the point?
She winces when she sees one request is from Delly Cartwright. Delly is the nicest girl in her class, and though she isn't friends with her, that's never stopped her from giving Katniss a bright smile or compliment in the hall. She feels bad denying someone so kind.
With a sigh, Katniss accepts her follow request and goes to Delly's profile to follow her back. Her account is public, which tracks with her personality. All of her posts are as colorful and bubbly as she is. Katniss is about to close the app and finish her homework when one of the pictures at the top of Delly's profile stops her.
Peeta Mellark.
Peeta Mellark with his arm around Delly's shoulder, beaming at the camera.
Katniss chews on her bottom lip and stares at the post. Peeta is wearing a gray sweatshirt that says "D12 Wrestling" in big block letters, his hair falling in waves over his forehead. Delly, who is much shorter than him, has her arm around his waist.
Are they dating? Katniss hasn't heard of any relationship between the two of them, but she's not certain. Maybe she missed something.
It occurs to her that Peeta might have his own account, so she clicks around until she finds what she's looking for. There he is, all of his posts public, as though waiting for her to peruse them.
She might as well.
His profile picture is a photo of him in oversized, glittery sunglasses. He's grinning with his hands thrown up in peace signs. Katniss doesn't know much about him, but somehow it seems fitting. He only has a handful of posts, and they mostly feature him and his brothers or his friends. There's one where he's biting a gold medal, clad in his wrestling uniform and low-slung sweatpants. She spends a bit of time looking at that one. Not for any particular reason.
And there's one of him, Delly, and his brothers, plus a little blond boy Katniss thinks must be Delly's little brother. In the comments, Delly's said, "Aw! Me and my two favorite brothers in the world. <3 Plus some other guys." One of Peeta's brothers commented, "@DellyCartwright you can have Peeta but I'm warning you, he uses all the hot water and eats like a hog," to which Delly replied, "Maybe I only need the one brother after all. Love you @cartwright2203!"
They do look a bit like siblings if Katniss squints. Even though Delly's hair is more yellow than Peeta's ashy curls, she can vaguely see it. It's obviously a joke, but that confirms what she initially thought. He's not dating Delly.
For some reason, she feels a little relieved. There's no other person who isn't a family member or friend on his profile, so it appears he's single. It's not any of her business, of course. She's just curious about him, and whether or not he's dating anyone is part of who he is. That's all.
The very last post, or rather, the first one he ever made, takes Katniss's breath away. It's a cake from his family bakery, and he's icing it with a concentrated look on his face. What's more, he's decorating the cake like the meadow, one of Katniss's favorite places in District 12 — and it's full of dandelions.
A coincidence. It must be. He couldn't know what a dandelion would mean to her or have any reason to associate her with a dandelion.
Right?
She considers this at school the next day, glancing his way a little more than usual during their history class. He hasn't caught her yet, but it's bound to happen. And when it does, she'll quickly look away from him, and they won't ever speak of it. This strange connection between the two of them. And she knows it isn't one-sided, because sometime she catches him staring at her before she even realizes he's there.
If Katniss were bolder, she'd march right up to him and ask what his deal is. If he's waiting for the "thank you" she never gave him all those years ago. She fantasizes about how it would play out. She'd catch him off guard at his locker and he'd spin around and she'd point her finger at him and poke his chest — which is incredibly broad and strong — and he'd give her that smile and grab her hand and pull her closer to him until she's pressed against his entire body and…
Her pencil clatters to the floor, bring her back to reality. The girl next to her grabs it and hands it back to Katniss, and she gives her a faint, "Thank you."
What was that?
Katniss has daydreamed before, but never like that. Never about him. Never so intimate.
She feels warm all over and she's certain her cheeks are flaming red. Her heart is pounding like she's just run across the schoolyard. She's fighting the urge to flick her eyes over to Peeta, to see if he's looking at her. What if he can read her mind? If anyone can read her mind, she'll have to disappear into the woods and never return. But class goes by normally, and she manages not to look at him at all.
The daydreams don't stop there. If anything, they get worse. Any time she's in class, she thinks of him. When she's bored in bed, she thinks of him. She thinks and thinks and thinks of him.
And one day, Katniss does something so terrible, she seriously considers running off into the woods forever.
She smiles at him.
Whether it's a reflex from all her visions of him or she's gone temporarily insane, she can't say. All she knows is he glances at her like he always does in the hallway, and instead of looking away, she smiles at him.
It's only a split second, just long enough to see his blue eyes widen, but the damage is done. She berates herself for the rest of the day, constantly on the verge of throwing up her lunch. Why did she do that? What must he think of this odd girl who smiled at him like they were old friends? Why does she care so much what he thinks?
When the final bell rings, she heads to her locker in despair. She doesn't even have Prim to take her mind off of her social faux pas — her little sister is tutoring after school and plans to walk home by herself. Katniss considers asking Madge if they can walk together, but that wouldn't really do anything to distract her. They mostly hang out in silence. Nope, it's just her.
She sighs heavily and shuts her locker, and that's when she notices Peeta Mellark is standing right beside her.
Katniss looks up at him, equal parts surprised that he managed to sneak up on her and baffled that he's there beside her in the first place. Her heart leaps and all she can think about is how pretty he is, with his perfect blond curls and unusually long eyelashes. They stare at one another for a moment before he speaks.
"Hi," he says.
"Hi," says Katniss.
There's a pause, and then he says, "I'm Peeta."
"I know." Now she's confused. Does he, Mr. Popular, think she doesn't know who he is? Aside from the fact that everyone knows him, he saved her life.
"Oh. I wasn't sure if you knew who I am."
For some reason, he looks delighted that she knows his name. He smiles shyly, a sweet, earnest look that makes Katniss blush. She hopes he can't tell.
"I'm Katniss," she responds.
His smile grows even wider. "I know." He clears his throat and runs one of his hands through his curls, making the dark green sweatshirt he's wearing ride up and expose a sliver of his pale stomach. She swears she can see at least one freckle there before he puts his hand back down. "I was wondering if I can walk you home?"
Katniss blinks at him. "You want to walk me home?"
"Yes!" he says enthusiastically. "If you don't mind, that is."
She fiddles with the end of her braid and thinks for a moment. It could be a bad idea. It probably is, in fact. But he's standing there in front of her, looking so hopeful that she doesn't have the heart to turn him down.
"Okay," she says. "Sure."
He looks like she just gave him the moon, the sun, and the stars. It makes the corners of her lips tilt up, just slightly.
They head out of school and make their way toward the path that leads to Katniss's neighborhood, the Seam. At first they're quiet, but then Peeta asks her a question about Prim and she can't help but brag about her little sister. Peeta tells her a story about his brothers and a bean jar that leaves her giggling, a noise she didn't know she could make. The conversation is light and easy, and she's really enjoying herself, but she makes sure to stop him about a block before they reach her house.
"I can walk you to your door, if you like," says Peeta.
Katniss shakes her head. "That's alright."
She doesn't want to deal with all the questions she's sure to get if she brings Peeta back to her house, whether from her mother or their nosy neighbors. He doesn't push, just nods and rubs the back of his neck.
"Do you think we could do this again?"
And there's that look. Katniss realizes she has a weakness. She can't seem to say no to Peeta Mellark.
That night, when Katniss goes to check the silly photo app — for no particular reason — she has a new follow request. Seeing Peeta's name in her notifications gives her a little thrill unlike anything she's felt before. When she looks at his profile this time, it's to follow him back.
Her usual routine begins to change after that day. Whenever Prim is busy after school, Peeta walks her almost all the way home. Word gets around quickly, just like any good piece of gossip in their town, and Katniss grows weary of telling everyone the same thing over and over again.
"We're just friends," she insists after Prim badgers her for details for nearly ten minutes straight. Prim doesn't believe her anyway.
"We're just friends," she mumbles to her mother when she asks about the new boy the neighbors saw with Katniss. Since everyone seems to know, there's no reason Peeta can't walk her to her door. He's pleased to get an extra three minutes with her. She feels the same way, though she'd never admit it.
"We're just friends," she tells Madge when Peeta waves to her from across the lunchroom. Madge raises an eyebrow but doesn't say a word.
Katniss is as surprised as anyone at this recent development. She always knew there was something about Peeta, something about them, a connection she couldn't shake, but she never thought they'd become friends. Good friends, at that. She likes spending time with him. As the weeks go by, everyone gets used to it and soon enough, people leave them alone.
The only one who continues to bother Katniss about it is Gale. He doesn't understand why they're friends, and he keeps bringing Peeta up even though Katniss makes sure not to talk about him in front of Gale.
"I could walk you back from school," he says one afternoon in the middle of their hunt.
Katniss pauses, holding a dead rabbit in her hand. "What? Why would you do that?"
Gale shrugs. "Or come have lunch with you. I have a lunch hour."
"And you'd want to waste it walking all the way to the school and back? That doesn't make any sense."
"But would you want me to?"
She's sure she's missing something, because when she says, "No, you shouldn't do that," Gale's shoulders slump and he doesn't speak to her again for the rest of the day except to say goodbye.
Peeta starts asking Katniss to hang out with him outside of their walks after school. Sometimes they stroll around the town square. Sometimes they venture out into the woods. Sometimes they grab a blanket and hang out in the meadow, just like Katniss once daydreamed.
Well, she still daydreams sometimes. But she tries to ignore that fact.
Their friendship is as natural as breathing. She grows fonder of Peeta than she thought possible. He makes her laugh and has a quick instinct for knowing when she needs comfort.
"I used to come out here with Gale," Katniss tells him on their third trip to the woods.
"Used to? What happened?"
She wraps her arms around her stomach tightly, fighting the cool breeze and her warring emotions. "I just haven't seen him in a while, is all."
It's more than that. Gale rarely ever speaks to her these days and she doesn't understand why. She tried to ask him about it at first, why he was skipping out on their usual hunting plans, but he shrugged her off every time.
She got the hint. She's not going to beg him to stick around if he doesn't want to.
Peeta leans one arm against a tree and gives her a sympathetic look. "That's not how a boyfriend should act."
"A boyfriend?" Katniss blinks at him in confusion. "He's not my boyfriend. He's never been my boyfriend."
"Oh," says Peeta. His cheeks grow red and he scratches the back of his neck. "So he's your…"
"My nothing, really. But he used to be my friend."
"I'm sorry. For the record, that's not how a friend should act, either. Especially toward you," he says, his words soft and soothing.
Katniss looks up in surprise. No one has ever said anything like that to her. Especially toward you, as though she's something precious. "Thank you."
Peeta hesitates for a moment, then he opens up her arms to her. They've never been so close, haven't even really touched before, but she steps into his embrace anyway. She tucks her cheek against his chest as his chin rests on her head, and his arms wrap around her with a warm, comforting strength. He smells so good, like the cinnamon rolls he'd been making at the bakery earlier.
She never wants to let go.
After that, Peeta's more liberal with his touches. He likes to play with the end of her braid and wrap his arm around her shoulder when she's cold. She grows bolder too, finding excuses to fix an errant curl or brush invisible lint off his sweaters. Neither one of them minds. It's all innocent. Until it isn't.
"Just reach up and grab it! It's so easy," Peeta says, grinning mischievously underneath the apple tree in his backyard. They don't always get to spend time there. His mother isn't a huge fan of Katniss, but then again, she's not much of a fan of Peeta either.
It makes Katniss so mad, she's certain any words that come out of her mouth about that witch would be accompanied by sparks of fire. How could anyone, let alone his mother, be so terrible to Peeta? Her daydreams didn't do him justice before she became his friend. He's better than she ever imagined. Better than anyone she knows. Even when he annoys her, like now.
Katniss stands on her very tiptoes, stretching her arm out as far as humanly possible, but she still can't reach the apple. Peeta had bet her that she couldn't get it on her own, grabbing the one beside it and chomping into it with ease. Of course, she never backs down from a challenge.
Peeta laughs at the expression on her face as she begins to hop up toward the apple. "Admit defeat and I'll help you."
She puffs out a breath, her bangs flying up out of her eyes. "No."
"Come on," he says in a long drawl. "Just admit it. You can't reach it."
"How would you even help me?" She scowls at him. "By grabbing it and handing it to me? That's not help, that's just doing it for me."
"Fine," he replies, tossing the core of his apple aside. "How about this?"
He puts his hands around her waist to lift her up, electrifying her entire body even through the fabric of her shirt. This feels different than their usual touches. This feels like he's setting her ablaze — not only melting away her ire, but stirring something deep inside her she doesn't recognize.
Peeta doesn't seem to notice since he's so concentrated on the task at hand. He holds her so she can easily grab the apple, but she takes a little longer than is necessary to pluck it. His arms don't shake in the slightest.
Once the apple is in her hand, he lowers her to the ground gently, like she weighs nothing at all. Her tongue is tied and she can't manage to say a thing, but he leaves his hands on her waist, and they're so warm and strong and steady. She thinks she's never felt anything as wonderful as his hold on her.
It terrifies her.
Katniss made the decision years ago to never get married. She remembers how her mother fell apart when her father died. How she wanted to stop living alongside him. How it nearly killed Katniss and Prim. She will never be able to afford love. She has to take care of her family.
But, as she watches Prim grow up and her mother try to take on the role she'd once abandoned, she wonders if maybe that isn't her job anymore. And what comes next? Will she just live with her mother until the end of her days? She supposes so, but that's not what Prim will do. She'll move up and move out and move on, just like Katniss wants her to. Meanwhile, Katniss will be stuck in the same place, like she's frozen in time.
Is it better to experience everything and lose it, or experience nothing at all?
She worries she's like her mother. If she lets someone in, she'll lose them, and she'll never recover. Her imagination is one thing — in her mind, the world is perfect and nothing bad could ever happen to anyone she loves. But that's not how it really works.
Despite her fears, she continues to see Peeta. They don't have to date. He never hints at anything more than friendship. And no matter what, he's always there for her. His presence in her life is the most steady, comforting thing she's ever known. She thinks he might feel the same way about her.
"I've never shown anyone my art," says Peeta. "So if it's bad, go easy on me."
Katniss is breathless, poring over the sketches he brought. Dilapidated buildings in the district, people milling about the town square, birds and trees and mountains. He's done it all. She feels like she can reach out and pluck the flowers straight from the sketch of the meadow, the very place they sit. "Peeta, this is amazing. How did you do all this?"
He tries to play it cool, but Katniss can tell he's pleased at her praise. "A lot of practice, I guess."
She comes across a sketch of herself, fiercely aiming her bow and arrow. This must be from when she tried to teach him how to hunt. He wasn't too bad, actually. He missed most of the marks she made for him, but he did manage to sink one arrow into the trunk of a tree before the day was out.
"Wow," she whispers, running her fingers gently along the perfectly-rendered jacket she wears in the drawing. Her father's jacket. Something clicks in her head and before she can think twice, the words are out of her mouth.
"My family has this book that's been passed down for ages, way before the Internet. My mother's side started it by logging medicinal plants and the ways they can be used, but she shared it with my dad, and he added any edible plants he knew. I've always wanted to add to it, but I'm not much of an artist," Katniss says quietly, thumbing the edge of his sketchbook. "Could you maybe help me with it?"
Peeta's expression is equal parts surprised and dubious. "You want my help? Are you sure?"
She might not have meant to say it initially, but now that she has, she's certain.
"Yes," she says firmly.
They spend long afternoons together when they can, usually working on the plant book. Katniss takes to watching Peeta as he fills in his drawings with paint they found at the Hob. He gets this intense look on his face that suggests worlds locked away inside him, and she wants to uncover them all.
Her mother is surprised when Katniss tells her about their work, but as she flips through the pages they created, she begins to smile. "Your father would love this."
Katniss's heart aches at the thought, wishing more than anything that he could be here. She watches her mother flip back to the front of the book. She stops at a particularly worn page and runs her finger over it delicately. Burdock root. Of course.
Then she glances up from the page and says, "I think he'd really like Peeta, too."
Katniss sucks in a breath and turns her head away, unable to stand the look in her mother's eyes. But the ache begins to subside, and she's left with a glowing warmth radiating in her chest.
One evening, after Katniss and Peeta finish working on the plant book, her mother invites Peeta to stay for dinner. Insists, really. And he fits right in at their kitchen table, making Prim and her mother laugh all throughout the meal. It reminds Katniss of when her father was alive, how much joy and light there was in their home, and the warmth in her chest returns.
After Peeta's gone, Katniss and Prim sit in front of the fire as their mother putters around in her bedroom. Prim leans her head on Katniss's shoulder and sighs.
"I like Peeta," she says.
Katniss's lips twitch. "Most people do."
"I think you two go really nice together."
"Wait," Katniss nearly chokes out. "What?"
"You and Peeta," says Prim. "You know. Together."
"We're not together."
"Yet."
"Primrose," their mother interrupts, standing in the doorway. "Go take your bath. It's almost time for bed."
There's no time for Katniss to respond. Prim is out the door in two seconds flat, leaving her utterly bewildered.
Together. The word rings out in her head over and over again as she tosses and turns in her bed that night. They can't be together. Katniss set her stance on marriage a long time ago.
A long, long time ago.
It's a little unsettling to realize how different she feels from the girl she once was. Could she have changed so much over the years? Even over the past few months? She decided they didn't need to date. It would be okay if they didn't. But she knows she feels something strong for Peeta. She's been kidding herself, pretending she thinks of him as a friend and only a friend.
Does he feel the same? Or does he think of someone else that way? The thought makes her heart sink. She tries to imagine some other girl with Peeta, holding his hand and laughing with him and kissing him, but she can't. It's always her. It's always them together.
Together.
So she decides if he wants more, she'll say yes.
She doesn't have to wait long to find out how he feels. Just a few days later, Peeta shows up on her doorstep with his hair slicked back and a posy of wildflowers in one hand. He's endearingly nervous, but he gets the words out all the same.
"Katniss, would you like to accompany me on a date?"
She can hear Prim squealing behind her, so she shuts the door for some privacy. When she looks up at Peeta, he's got that lopsided grin on his face, and somehow, she knows. They might've danced around the inevitable, but no matter what, this was always going to happen.
"I'd like that very much," she responds, and the look on his face is worth every second it took to get there.
Their date takes place on a Saturday afternoon when the sun is shining and the flowers are blooming. He brings a picnic basket and leads her to the meadow where they spend hours together. They toss apples back and forth, stuff their faces full of food, and pick bunches of dandelions. Katniss ends up with her head in Peeta's lap as he plays with her hair. She weaves the dandelions into a crown and places it on top of Peeta's curls when it's finished. He looks so beautiful, so angelic and otherwordly, and she's so peaceful and drowsy and happy that the words roll off her tongue like honey.
"Dandelions always remind me of you," she says.
Peeta raises his eyebrows, brushing a few pieces of hair from her forehead. "Oh? Why?"
Her eyes widen when she realizes what's come out of her mouth. She's never said anything to him about that day, not even once they became friends. She chews on her lip, debating if she should lie. But no, she couldn't. Not to Peeta. "The bread."
"The bread? What bread?" He studies her face, and she can see the exact moment it dawns on him. He hasn't forgotten. "I didn't think you remembered that. I mean, it was practically nothing."
"It wasn't!" Katniss sits up and scrambles onto her knees. "It was everything to me. To my family."
"It was just a couple slices of bread. I should've given you more."
"No," she says, shaking her head. "It was more than enough. You helped me when no one else did. The day after you gave me the bread, I wanted to thank you."
Peeta's eyes are locked on hers. "I remember that day. I tried to catch your eye, and then you looked away, and you knelt down to the ground and—"
"And I picked a dandelion," Katniss finishes softly. "It reminded me of the plant book and all the things I could do to help take care of my family. It saved us. I'll never be able to repay you for that."
"You don't have to," says Peeta.
"I want to."
"Katniss, please. It's not—" He cuts himself off and looks at her with a horrified expression. "Hang on. You didn't say yes to this date to try and repay me, did you?"
"No! No. Really. I said yes because…because…"
Her words fail her. They usually do when it comes to Peeta Mellark, but Katniss has always been better with actions, anyway. So she leans forward and presses her lips to his. When she rocks back, embarrassed at her impulsiveness, he doesn't let her go far. He wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her close, kissing her until her entire body is buzzing and her head is spinning. He tastes like berries and springtime, and his lips are so soft against hers, and it's the perfect first kiss. It's a kiss that makes her want five, ten, fifteen more.
When they have to take a break to breathe, Peeta places his forehead against hers and lets out an incredulous laugh. "I can't believe it. I've thought about this — about you — for forever."
She rolls her eyes, unable to keep from grinning. "Oh, sure. And when did forever start? Ten minutes ago?"
He pulls back and gives her a bashful smile. "More like since I was five."
"No way," she says dismissively.
"I'm serious!" says Peeta. "On the first day of school, the teacher asked if anyone knew the valley song. You raised your hand and went up in front of the class and sang like an angel, so beautiful that the birds stopped to listen. And from that moment I knew—"
Her heart is pounding. "Knew what?"
"That I was a goner."
His words make her ridiculously, foolishly happy, and nothing matters but this moment because he's here, holding her steady in his strong arms. He's Peeta, her Peeta, and she knows that whatever is to come, she can handle it if he's by her side.
She kisses him until the sun sets, and he holds her hand on the walk home, and anything she could've ever daydreamed doesn't measure up to this. This is perfect. This is real.
She's never felt so alive in her life, but when they make it to her front door, he takes her face in his hands and kisses her once more. It's gentler and sweeter than anything she's ever felt, and she swears she could drop dead right there.
"So," he says, pecking her nose and wrapping his arms around her. "You and me?"
Katniss hums. "You and me. Together."
Peeta beams, as radiant as the sun, and leaves her with one parting kiss before murmuring against her lips.
"Always."