Hunger Games 1. One

Welcome, welcome to my very first fanfiction! Thanks so much to the absolutely lovely _**misshoneywell**_ and _**nmoreblack**_ for their indispensible help in betaing/prereading this story for me.

This story is rated M for language, innuendo, and (eventual) sexual situations.

Disclaimer: The Hunger Games is the intellectual property of Suzanne Collins and Lionsgate Entertainment. I don't own anything.

* * *

><p>"Please don't tell Coach Brutus, Ms. Everdeen! I can't be failing, I'm going to be kicked off the team!" the hulking boy in front of her wailed.<p>

Katniss had never seen the boy in such a state; he was a troublemaker who swaggered around the school as though he owned it. To see him cowering near tears was more than disconcerting to her.

She sighed, feeling a headache coming on.

"Listen, Cato, I'm sorry, but you know the rules about late assignments. I assigned this project three weeks ago, too. You had more than enough time to complete it."

"I know and I'm really sorry, but please let me turn it in late! The coaches from the high school are coming at the beginning of next week and I have to be at practice! They could put me on varsity! Do you know how big of a deal it is to be on varsity as a _freshman_?! I promise I'll bring the project first thing tomorrow morning, plus I'll do a bibliography and everything. Pleeeeease, Ms. Everdeen!" he begged.

He was openly weeping at that point, and as irritated as Katniss was, she wasn't totally cold-hearted. She could tell that the possibility of making varsity was incredibly important to him, probably the one thing he had been working toward the entirety of his middle school career. She pondered his suggestion for a moment, and then made her decision.

"Okay, Cato—" she was cut off by his sobs growing louder. "Cato—" she tried again. "CATO!"

His wails ceased immediately, and he regarded her with watery blue eyes. "Y-yes, Ms. Everdeen?"

"Listen to me, and listen to me carefully, okay? I'll let you turn the project in tomorrow—" she was cut off by him again, this time by his loud whoop of joy.

"Yessss, thank you, thank you, thank you, Ms. Everdeen!" he shouted, coming around her desk to give her a big hug of gratitude, lifting her up in the process.

She struggled in his arms, cheeks flushed.

"Cato, put me down immediately!" she said, sternly.

He acquiesced, placing her back in her seat. His bright blue eyes looked at her with childish hope, and she realized that she had done the right thing.

_He's only a kid_, she thought. _I don't want to ruin his life just yet._

"Okay, like I said, I'll let you turn in the heritage project tomorrow, but you can only get up to 70% on it. It wouldn't be fair to the students who turned it in on time if you're allowed to get full points after turning it in late. If you do a full bibliography, I'll add the points from that to your participation grade. I realize that making varsity is important to you, but I want you to understand that this is the last time I'll allow you to turn something in late, all right? You must learn to be responsible for your schoolwork. The teachers in high school are going to be a lot less lenient than here in eighth grade. Got it?"

He nodded rapidly, a huge smile threatening to break his face in half.

"Thank you _so_ much, Ms. Everdeen! You won't regret it!"

She couldn't help but return his smile.

"Okay, Cato. I want the project first thing tomorrow morning. Don't forget, all right? Have a good afternoon."

He beamed at her, cheeks dry and eyes bright.

"Thanks again, Ms. Everdeen. You don't know how much this means to me. I'll see you tomorrow morning!"

She smiled at his back as he exited the classroom, ready to go home.

"God, what a long day," she muttered.

She laid her head down on her desk for just a moment, running through all the things she had to do tonight.

_Laundry, grocery shopping...I probably have to get more food for that damn cat while I'm at it. Plus, I need to start grading these projects too, ugh! _

She let out a loud groan, wanting nothing more than to just jump in her bed with takeout and trashy reality TV.

She got up with a sigh and was collecting her things to go home when she heard a sharp knock on the classroom door.

"Ugh, what now?" she mumbled, turning around exasperatedly.

"Rough day, huh?" Madge asked sympathetically. "Was Cato Anderson just in here? I saw him doing a jig down the hallway. What did you do to make him so happy?"

"I told him I'd accept his heritage project late," she replied tiredly. "He was crying his eyes out, begging me not to tell his coach. Apparently, the coaches from the high school are coming next week and making the varsity team is, like, the most important thing to him. I felt bad, I don't want to ruin his life just yet."

"Aww, you're so soft, Katniss!" Madge teased. "Katniss Everdeen, champion for slacker student athletes everywhere!"

"Shut up, Madge," Katniss replied with a smirk. "How were your afternoon classes?"

"Pretty uneventful, the kids had a test today so I didn't have to do much. I mostly just replayed lunch with Gale in my head. He certainly made a meal out of me," she said wistfully, a dreamy look on her face.

"Okay, enough. You guys are the worst with over sharing. I don't need to hear about your sex life 24/7," Katniss replied with mock annoyance.

In reality, she was glad that her two best friends were so happy with each other. Ever since they were kids, Madge had had a thing for Gale, and Katniss was only too happy that Gale had finally wised up and asked her out four years prior. They were happily married now, having celebrated their sixth month wedding anniversary over the Christmas holidays.

"You love it," Madge said with a snort. "Hey, do you wanna come over for dinner? Gale's grilling."

"Not today," Katniss sighed. "I'd love to, but I've got so much shit to do tonight it isn't even funny. Hey, do you mind helping me carry these projects to my car?" She pointed to the small pile in the corner of the classroom.

Madge nodded. "Damn, these kids really go all out, don't they?"

"They love this project. It's a lot more fun than writing an essay, I guess."

"Yeah, for sure. You have everything? Ready to go?"

Katniss glanced over the classroom one last time, confirming that she had everything she needed for the night. "Yeah, let's go."

They departed the classroom together, and Katniss locked the door behind them. Madge prattled on happily during their walk to the parking lot, with Katniss offering a cursory grunt in response every now and then. She felt bad for ignoring her friend, but she could only think about how utterly _exhausted_ she was. Work had been hitting her even harder than usual post-Christmas. Her students had been more distracted than normal. And it had been so damn _cold_; the draconian superintendents had refused to cancel classes on several subzero days, much to the misery of students and teachers alike. All she wanted to do was _sleep_.

_Maybe I should take the day off tomorrow_, she thought. _A three-day weekend might be nice. _

Once she and Madge reached their cars, she fumbled in her purse to pull out her keys, precariously balancing the pile of projects in her other hand. Once the door was open, she shoved the projects into the backseat and all but fell into the driver's seat.

"Hey Katniss, are you okay?" Madge questioned worriedly. "You look so exhausted…maybe you should take the day off tomorrow and call a sub. I can bring you Cato's project tomorrow afternoon and get the stuff from your mailbox. I don't mind."

Katniss smiled at her friend tiredly. "Thanks, Madge. I was actually thinking about it. I probably should take a breather tomorrow. I had a movie scheduled for the kids on Monday anyway, I can probably just move it up."

"No problem, girl. I hope you feel better! I'll see how you're doing tomorrow afternoon. Maybe we should make some plans this weekend, just you and me. To defuse," Madge said with a grin.

"Sounds great. Thanks again, Madge. I'll see you tomorrow."

Katniss pulled out of the parking lot with a wave, thankful that Madge understood where she was coming from. If she were being truthful with herself, she _had_ been in a funk ever since Christmas break ended. Prim had left to do her fieldwork at the beginning of January and would be abroad until May, so their apartment felt empty and quiet all the time. Madge and Gale were still in the honeymoon stage of their marriage, totally enamored with each other, and she didn't want to pester them with her loneliness during their happy time. Johanna, her roommate from graduate school and her closest friend after Gale and Madge, lived across the state so Katniss didn't see her on a regular basis.

As she drove home, she began to think more. _Ugh, this is pathetic_, she lamented to herself. She was just so _lonely_. She missed her sister, she missed having a life outside work, she missed being with a _man. _

_Wait, what the fuck?_ She slammed on the brake, shocked that the stray thought had entered her mind. _Well, you do. Don't beat around the bush._

She sighed, turning the corner into her apartment complex. She parked her car in her designated spot, and rested her head on the steering wheel in exhaustion. She _did_ miss being with a man. She missed being in a relationship.

She hadn't seriously dated anyone since her disastrous break-up with Darius two and a half years earlier. She met the jovial, handsome redhead in a graduate seminar during the first year of her master's program. He was sweet, gentle, and absolutely adored her. She enjoyed his companionship and loved how he was in bed, but wasn't actually _in_ _love _him. Unfortunately, much to her dismay, he was head over heels for her, and asked her to marry him two months before her 26th birthday and their graduation. She was completely blindsided by his proposal; she never thought he felt so seriously about her. Turning him down was hard, because she really did care about him. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she also didn't want to sacrifice her own principles by giving into his proposal.

Darius took the rejection hard, but thankfully remained cordial until graduation, after which he took a job across the country at some hoity-toity boarding school. Katniss had dated a couple guys here and there, but didn't really care for any of them in particular. Once she began teaching at Panem Middle School the year before, though, she had been swamped with work, effectively putting her social and dating life on the backburner. She loved teaching social studies to her eighth grade pupils, but sometimes they were a lot. She forgot what it was like to just _relax._

_Pull yourself together, Everdeen, _she chastised herself. _You can mope around after you go grocery shopping. _

She pulled herself out of the car, gathering the small mountain of projects into her arms, and pulled out the key to her apartment. She trudged up the steps of her apartment building, and opened the front door. Upon entering, a flash of orange fur collided into her shins, almost making her lose her balance.

"Damn cat! I'm not Prim! She won't be back for four months, you really need to stop doing this to me."

Her sister's mangy cat glared at her with beady yellow eyes, the disdain evident in his look. She pulled a face at him.

"I hate you too, okay? The only reason I haven't given you away yet is because Prim would literally skin me alive. I really don't know why she loves you so much…" Katniss trailed off, kicking her shoes into the coat closet.

Buttercup hissed at her, then trotted away to his water bowl.

"Why couldn't one of Prim's friends have taken you, ugh…there's no way in hell they're all allergic…"

She carefully threw the pile of projects onto the kitchen table, and poured herself a glass of water. Gulping it down, Katniss looked into the fridge, making a quick inventory of everything she needed to get at the store. With a sigh, she made her way to her bedroom, stripped herself of her uncomfortable work clothes, braided her hair, and threw on a pair of yoga pants and an old sweatshirt from college.

She moved the projects into her bedroom and placed them on her desk, so Buttercup couldn't destroy them in a fit of rage.

_Wouldn't put it past him,_ she thought to herself.

Slamming her bedroom door, she grabbed her car keys, locked the front door, and jogged down the steps to her car. She settled herself into the driver's seat, started the car, and backed out of the complex. She fiddled with the radio on the short drive to the supermarket, landing on NPR and unwound to the sound of Ira Glass debating the Secretary of Education on the pros and cons of the charter school system.

She quickly reached the supermarket, thankful that it didn't seem to be too packed. The last thing she wanted to do was hear screaming children begging their frazzled mothers for sweets. She parked, hopped out of the car, and grabbed a shopping cart. She made her way to the produce section and loaded up on all the vegetables she would need for her salads for the upcoming week, throwing a couple mangos and plums into her cart too, since they were on sale. She hit the dairy and cereal aisles as well, and was picking up her required coffee creamer and beloved Honey Bunches of Oats when she felt her phone buzz in her pocket.

_Madge: do u remember Cashmere Carlson from high school? She's pregnant with her FIFTH KID WTF. _

Katniss' jaw dropped. Cashmere was in the same grade as Madge and Katniss growing up, and though she was a nice enough girl, they weren't friends. Katniss knew that Cashmere had gotten married right after graduation, and remembered her having twins around the time Katniss came home for summer vacation after her freshman year of college. She couldn't _believe_ Cashmere was going to have five kids by the time she was thirty.

_Katniss: sounds like hell. is she still married to Seneca Crane? mb someone should give them a box of condoms at the baby shower. _

Katniss walked into the ice cream aisle; if she was going to take the day off tomorrow, she wanted to enjoy it with a tub of green tea ice cream.

_Maybe a bottle of wine, too. Might as well go all out, _she mused.

She was pushing her cart along to the wine racks when she felt her phone go off again.

_Madge: yeah that or a gift certificate for a vasectomy_

Katniss snorted, letting out a giggle at Madge's wittiness. She tried to maneuver her cart and text Madge back at the same when she felt her cart crash into someone else's.

She jumped, mortified that she might have broken something in the other person's cart. The cart's owner, a blond man with his back turned to her, didn't seem to be too concerned, as he continued to peruse the cabernet sauvignons.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going, I didn't mean to hit you. I hope nothing's broken," she fretted.

"Hey, don't worry," the man said, his back still turned to her. He picked up a bottle of wine off the rack and turned around to face her. "I'm sure nothing's broken. Accidents happen," he said with a grin.

When she locked eyes with him, she felt herself flush immediately. A wide and friendly grin stretched across his face, and he had the deepest blue eyes she had ever seen, twinkling with his smile. He looked a little bit younger than she was.

_Maybe he's a recent college grad, _she contemplated.

His t-shirt stretched over his muscular chest, his biceps straining against the thin sleeves. His blond hair was curly and fell in waves over his forehead; he was easily one of the most attractive men she had seen in quite some time.

_I wonder what that curly hair would feel like under my hands_, she thought distractedly, and then froze in horror. _Are you fantasizing over this stranger in the grocery store? I know you're lonely and needing to get laid, but get limits, _she scolded herself.

The grin gradually fell from the man's face and his mouth twisted into a frown.

_Oh no,_ she lamented. _He knows that I want to jump him, he can tell, he can smell it on me, oh God, I'm a perv—_

"Do I know you?" he asked. "You look familiar."

"Uh, I don't think so?" she replied, her face contorted in concentration. She looked him up and down again.

_He does look a little bit familiar, I guess… did I know him in college? But there's no way he went to school at the same time I did, he looks too young. Maybe I was a TA for him? _

She ransacked her brain trying to figure out where she knew him from when when he interrupted her thoughts with a loud "holy shit!"

She looked at him curiously. The realization lit up his face, and he wore a smile so wide it looked as though his face was about to break in half.

"Holy fucking shit! Oh my fucking God!" he cried. He looked so happy, practically bouncing on his toes in excitement.

"Who are you?" she asked impatiently. "How do you know me?"

"Katniss, don't you remember me?" he babbled, eyes shining with delight. "It's me, Peeta! Peeta Mellark!"

She paused, regarding him with questioning eyes. As soon as he said his name, though, everything clicked into place. Her eyes widened almost comically and her jaw dropped wide open.

"_Peeta?!_" she gasped. "Oh my God! I haven't seen you in—"

"Like twelve years, right? Goddamn, this is crazy! I can't believe I ran into my old babysitter at the grocery store!"

_Babysitter_, she thought, head spinning. _I used to babysit for this boy—no, _man_. I used to babysit him when he was eleven and I was seventeen. I used to babysit for him and I was just lusting after him, fantasizing about doing dirty things to him less than five minutes ago._

"Oh, _fuck."_

* * *

><p>;)<p>

I hope this was enjoyable! This story should be around five or six chapters in total.

I'm _**flythruflames**_ on tumblr, come say hi.


	2. Two

Katniss was reeling. She couldn't _believe_ the exceptionally gorgeous man in front of her was the same sweet, round-cheeked boy she used to watch after school way back when.

_Is this a joke? Is someone playing a trick on me? Holy fucking shit, this can't be real life_.

Peeta frowned, looking at her with worried eyes.

"Hey Katniss, is everything okay? You're looking a little green. Do you need to sit down or something?"

Katniss blinked rapidly and cleared her throat.

"No, Peeta, I'm fine…just totally shocked. Wow, I can't believe it's you! How old are you now? I haven't seen you since you were so little."

Peeta grinned, his blue eyes twinkling with delight.

"I wasn't _that_ little, I was almost twelve," he laughed.

Katniss smirked. "Please, last time I saw you, you were like five feet tall and your hair was so long I could barely look you in the eyes. I almost didn't recognize you just now, you look so different."

He let out a deep rumble of laughter at this, and Katniss felt her knees go weak.

_Oh my God, his laugh is so sexy. I can't believe this is the same kid. This is so wrong,. Look at that jaw, and those eyes and that smile, just stop stop st—_

"I'm 23 now," he said, beaming. "And yeah, I guess I did change a lot, huh? I shot up, like, seven inches the year after you left for college, and another five inches the next year. Plus I started wrestling in the eighth grade instead of sitting around eating cookies all day," he replied with a wink.

Katniss felt faint.

"So! Katniss, have you lived here long? I still can't believe I ran into you here!"

Katniss gathered her wits and tried to maintain calm.

"Not long, actually. I've been here about a year and a half now. I teach social studies to eighth graders at one of the middle schools. What about you? What brings you here? Did you just graduate?"

"Yep," he replied, rocking on the balls of his feet. "I graduated last spring, got my bachelor's in art history from Capitol University. I'm actually starting a Ph.D. program this semester."

"Oh!" Katniss gasped. "A doctorate program! Over at Mockingjay State? That's incredible!"

He smiled softly, his cheeks flushing with color.

"Yep. Thanks," he replied. "I deferred enrollment for the fall so I could help my dad out at home. My brother and his wife had to wait 'til their lease was up before moving back home to take over the bakery for Dad."

"Your family still has the bakery? Wow, that's great!"

"Yeah, dad's been saying he's getting too old to wake up so early; he transferred ownership to Bannock so he could retire. I know he's only half serious, though. Old man can't stay away from those ovens for too long," he said.

"I'm glad to hear it's still running," Katniss replied sincerely.

Before she could say any more, they heard an exasperated "Excuse me!" coupled with the sound of someone clearing their throat. They both turned around to see a harried looking older woman, eyeglasses askew, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Could you please have this conversation somewhere else? Some of us need to get to the Moscatos!" the woman trilled, indignation on her face.

Katniss opened her mouth to fire back at the rude woman, but Peeta beat her to the punch.

"I'm really sorry, ma'am," he said, eyes wide with sincerity. "I was just catching up with an old friend. We didn't mean to inconvenience you."

The woman blushed, gazing into his eyes, transfixed.

"Oh, I'm sorry young man! I didn't mean to rush you, I'm just in quite a bit of a hurry."

"Not a problem, ma'am. We'll get out of your way. Have a lovely evening," he replied with a bright smile.

The woman darted past them to get her wine, tossed it into her cart, and locked eyes with Peeta again.

"Thank you, dear," she breathed.

Katniss stared at the departing figure of the woman disparagingly.

"You had her wrapped around your finger," she deadpanned.

"What can I say? Older women love me," he joked.

Katniss felt her heart drop into her stomach at his words.

_HE KNOWS, he knows that I think he's hot, he knows he knows, oh fuck fuck fuck fu—_

Her train of thought was derailed by Peeta's phone ringing. He checked the caller ID, then apologized to her, saying he had to take the call.

_It's probably his girlfriend, he probably has a girlfriend, look at how sexy he is, of course he has a girl—_

"Hello? Oh, hey Finn," Peeta said into the receiver.

_Finn? Finn is a man's name. Is Finn his boyfriend? Does he have a boyfriend? He has a boyfriend, and I used to babysit him and now I'm lusting after him. I'm a sick fr—_

"Oh, fuck, I didn't realize it was so late. Shit, sorry man. I'll be back as soon as I can. all I need to do is check out."

_I'm keeping him from his boyfriend, his boyfriend is gonna break up with him, oh my god, I'm ruining his li—_

"Yeah, man, I'll be back in like, 20 minutes. I'll see you and Annie soon, yeah? Okay, cool, see ya in a few."

He pressed 'end call' on his phone screen and shoved it back into his pocket.

"Hey, Katniss, I'm really sorry to run out on you. That was my buddy from school; he and his girlfriend were helping me move in today and yesterday. We have dinner reservations at 7:30 and I totally lost track of time so I gotta run. They're leaving tomorrow morning."

"That's fine," Katniss squeaked. "It was really good seeing you, Peeta, have a gre—"

"Can I get your number?" he asked.

"W-what?" she breathed.

"Yeah, I really loved seeing you and I wanna catch up with you more. It wasn't enough just chatting for like, fifteen minutes. I missed you a lot after you moved away for college, ya know? Plus, I just moved here and don't really know anyone yet since my classes don't start for another week. It'd be nice to have a friend around," he said genuinely.

Her world was spinning. He wanted to see her again, he wanted to be friends with her, he _missed_ her.

"Y-yeah," she stuttered. "Give me your phone, I'll put my number in for you."

He handed his phone to her so she could program her number in. Once she did so, she handed it back and he shot off a quick text.

"I texted you saying it was me, so you have my number now, too," he beamed. "Do you wanna get together to hang out and catch up sometime? I know you said you're a teacher so your hours are probably really tight."

_Should I tell him I'm taking tomorrow off? Would that be too eager?_

"I actually have tomorrow off," she replied. "I've been pretty swamped at work so I decided to take a personal day. We can get coffee or go to lunch or something, if you want."

His responding smile was the widest she'd ever seen, the joy evident in his dazzling blue eyes.

"That sounds perfect! I'll text you tomorrow around noon to solidify our plans," he said, excitement coloring his voice. "I'm really sorry, but I've gotta run now. It was so great seeing you, Katniss."

Before she could reply, he swept her up into his arms and gave her a huge hug. She stiffened at first, but quickly melted into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him back.

_His arms are so big and strong and his chest is so solid, and he smells so fucking good, holy shit holy shit, what would he feel like on top of me, arms wrapped around me as he pounds in—_

He pulled away from her, a smile on his face, and she lamented the loss of the sensation of him wrapped around her. He maneuvered his cart towards the registers so he could check out, and smiled at her one last time.

"I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, Katniss. Have a great night!"

She waved weakly in return and watched him retreat to the registers. Her face was flushed and she felt too warm.

_If that's what hugging him feels like, what would kissing him be like? Lying with him in bed? Fucking hi—_

She jerked upright, gripping the handlebar of her shopping cart.

_Okay, enough. Stop being a pervert, he just wants to be friends because he doesn't know anyone here. _

_Well_, she thought. _I could always use another friend. And I am curious about what he's been up to these past twelve years._

Gathering her wits, she ran to grab eggs and food for Buttercup before making her way to the checkout line. She tossed a pack of gum into the cart, and flipped through a tabloid as the cashier rang up her purchases. Once she swiped her debit card and loaded the cart with all of the bags, she made her way out of the supermarket and into the parking lot. She placed all of the groceries into the backseat of her Civic, pushed the shopping cart back to its designated space, and all but collapsed into the driver's seat.

_I can't believe that happened, _she thought. Peeta Mellark! She hadn't seen him in _years._

* * *

><p>"<em>Babysitting? Mom, are you serious?" <em>

_Mrs. Everdeen pinched the bridge of her nose, totally exasperated. _

"_Look, sweetheart, I know you don't particularly like being around childr—"_

"_Mom, I hate being around little kids, you know that! What if the kid isn't potty trained? No way am I changing gross diapers all day for a year, ugh." _

_The mere thought of it made Katniss shudder._

"_The boy you would be watching isn't actually a baby. He's starting sixth grade."_

"_Oh, a bratty middle schooler? What is he, like twelve? Isn't he old enough to watch himself?"_

"_His father just doesn't want him alone all day. Both of the boy's brothers are much older and out of the house. His father owns the bakery and can't get home before eight. You would just need to watch him from four until his dad gets home."_

"_His dad owns the bakery? Is it Mr. Mellark's kid?" _

_Katniss really liked the jovial baker; he would always slip extra cookies to Prim and her whenever their mom took them to the bakery as children._

"_Yes, it's his youngest son, Peeta. Rye left for college and Bannock's at school too, so Mr. Mellark needs help from someone else, and Peeta's mother isn't around to help since their divorce was finalized."_

_Katniss grimaced at the thought of the baker's bitch of an ex-wife. Mrs. Mellark was the meanest person she'd ever met. She was so glad Mr. Mellark had finally wised up and divorced her._

"_How much would he pay me?"_

"_Eleven dollars an hour."_

_Katniss' eyes bugged out of her head when she heard the figure. That was way more than she would be making working a shitty retail job or bagging groceries at the supermarket, and she needed to save up a lot of money before she graduated high school in the spring. College was expensive._

"_Eleven dollars an hour, four hours a day, five days a week? That's not bad…is there a catch? Are you sure this kid isn't trouble?"_

"_Peeta's a dear, sweetheart," her mother replied. "Ask your friend Madge, she lives right next door to them. Mrs. Undersee said Madge used to watch him when he was ten or so."_

_Katniss hadn't heard Madge mention Peeta before. If Madge said he wasn't too bad, then Katniss would gladly take the job._

"_Okay, mom. I'll ask Madge what she knows about him. Thanks for letting me know about this. Tell Mr. Mellark I'll think about it"_

"_No problem, sweetheart."_

_Katniss: hey what do u know about peeta mellark? His dad needs a babysitter for the school year, I was thinking about doing it. my mom said ur mom told her u used to watch him._

_Madge: OMG PEETAAA. he's the sweetest kid ever, I loved watching him. U don't really need to supervise him at all, he does his own thing but isn't like quiet or antisocial or anything. his dad mostly just doesn't want him in front of the tv all day. I'd totally be up to sitting for him again if I didn't have these dumb SAT classes evry afternoon ugh _

_Katniss: are u being for real or lying to me? If I start watching this kid and he's nuts im gonna kill u_

_Madge: NO IM BEING SERIOUS! he's a sweetheart, ur gonna love watching him. ok my break is over, back to studying. ugh I wish I was a genius like u and got a crazy high score on my first try_

_Katniss: sry ur not as lucky as me. lol just kidding, good luck & thanks._

_Katniss exited out of her IM client and leaned back in her desk chair, pensive. She trusted Madge's judgment on the matter, and honestly, Mr. Mellark's job offer was the best one she had come across. She had done so well on her SATs and ACTs junior year, she didn't need to worry about taking those again and was all but guaranteed a full ride to study history at Capitol University next fall. All of her friends were too busy with college applications and test scores to hang out, and Prim, a freshman at Katniss' high school, was engrossed in her cheerleading squad. Gale was across the state at Coin College, and only came home during major breaks or long weekends. Maybe she really needed to spend her time babysitting, so she didn't feel as lonely anymore._

* * *

><p><em>The following Monday afternoon, Katniss found herself on the Mellarks' front step. She rang the doorbell, rocking on her feet, waiting for someone to answer the door.<em>

_The door swung open and she looked straight ahead, but didn't see anyone. She looked around the foyer, to the left into the living room, up the staircase, and to the right to the sitting area but couldn't place the voice anywhere._

"_I'm right here."_

_Katniss flushed, and looked down. "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't see you down there." _

_The little boy who answered the door had a shock of blond curls atop his head, drooping down into his bright blue eyes. His cheeks were rosy, and he had a small smile on his face._

"_It's okay," he said. "You're Katniss, right?"_

"_That's me," she replied. "And you must be Peeta."_

"_Yep," he said cheerfully. "Come in. I was just making some cookies."_

_Katniss eyes widened. "Cookies? Are you allowed to be using the oven? Will your dad get mad about this?"_

_Peeta let out a peal of laughter. _

"_I'm eleven, not six. And my dad is a baker, I've known how to make cookies since I was, like, nine. They're almost done, do you want one?"_

"_Uh, yeah, sure. Have you done your homework?"_

"_I did it at school. Hey, you get that you don't actually need to tell me what to do right? My dad just doesn't want me to home alone all day. I can take care of myself."_

_Katniss flushed. "I'm sorry, kid. I've never really babysat before, I don't know what it entails, exactly."_

"_N-tails? What are you talking about? What's that?" He looked at her curiously._

"_Oh…it means…like—" he cut her off with raucous laughter._

"_I'm just joking, Katniss. I know what it means! I'm just messing with you. Look, the cookies are done! Lemme get you one."_

_He bounded to the kitchen, pulled the cookie sheet from the oven, and placed it on the counter. He went around to the pantry in order to grab a step stool, and climbed up onto the counter to retrieve the cookie jar from the top most shelf._

"_I made chocolate chip, I hope you like them," he said. _

_Katniss helped herself to a treat, took a bite, and almost moaned._

"_Oh my God. These are so good!"_

_Peeta's chubby cheeks flushed, the pride evident in his eyes. _

"_Thank you," he replied. "My dad taught me."_

_Katniss helped herself to another cookie, munching as Peeta took one for himself._

Maybe this babysitting gig won't be too bad_, she thought._

* * *

><p><em>Katniss' senior year flew by. She wasn't being challenged at school, so she went through her classes with relative ease. She officially received her acceptance letter and scholarship to CU, so she didn't feel worried about anything academic. Madge received her early decision admission to CU as well, and they decided to room together on campus. Katniss was thrilled she was going to college with at least one friend from home.<em>

_As much as Katniss didn't want to admit it at first, she adored babysitting Peeta. He was such a sunny kid, never angry or moody . She really looked forward to spending time with him each day. He taught her how to bake cookies and showed her his paintings, and she taught him how to shoot a bow and arrow. It was like having another little sibling, and she loved it. Peeta's father was an absolute pleasure as well, often sending her home with a bag of treats to share with her family._

_As the school year began to wind down, Katniss was more than ready to be done with high school. She had been accepted to a prestigious summer program, and would leave to do research under the History department head soon after her graduation. She was beyond excited, but still felt pangs of sadness in her heart when she realized that she was really leaving home. She was going miss her mother, she was going to miss Prim, she was going to miss her friends, she was going to miss Mr. Mellark, and she was going to miss Peeta._

_She had really gotten close to him during their time together, and considered him to be a friend, even if she was six and a half years older than he was. On her 18__th__ birthday in May, two weeks from graduation, Peeta presented her with a cupcake he'd made with his dad, gorgeously decorated like the forest behind their town. She gave him a big hug and lamented that their time together was coming to an end. _

_On her last day of babysitting, the day before she was leaving for her summer program, Peeta wept. He cried and cried, saying he would miss her so much, and that he she was his best friend in the whole wide world. Her heart broke at his tears, and she quickly reassured him that she would always be his friend, and that she would see him when she came back home for breaks._

_Unfortunately, that was the last time they saw each other. Katniss' mother was offered a much better job at the hospital in the state capital, five hours from their hometown of District 12, and the Everdeen house was packed up and put up for sale. Katniss wasn't too upset by the move- her family's new house was closer to Gale's school so she could see him more often, plus it was only about an hour from her school. _

_Her life went on, and she enjoyed college with Madge and her new friends, and continued the next chapter of her life away from District 12._

* * *

><p>"I'm an asshole," Katniss muttered. She was so awful to poor Peeta. She knew how much he cared about her, but never made any effort to contact him, or his father, after her family moved away. How did he not resent her for what she did to him? If she were in his place, she would've been livid.<p>

She sighed, and put the car into reverse, backing out of the parking lot and making her way back to her apartment.

She would be lying to herself if she said she hadn't thought about him from time to time, but she was so nervous about contacting him years later. What if he thought she was crazy? Or a pedophile or something? Maybe he had totally forgotten about her.

She was proud to see how well he was doing, though. A doctorate program was impressive, and she was exceptionally happy that he was so successful.

Katniss pulled into her parking spot and trudged up the steps to her apartment, groceries in hand. Unlocking the door, she set all the bags on the kitchen counter, kicked off her shoes, and began unloading the groceries. When she was done, she filled Buttercup's food bowl, poured herself a glass of wine, and flopped onto the couch.

As soon as she hit the couch, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Pulling it out, she opened her text app to read the message on the screen.

_Peeta: Hey! I'm so happy I saw you today, can't wait to see you tomorrow!_

Her lips broke into a huge smile and her heart fluttered in her chest. She couldn't_ believe_ how hot he was; it was almost unreal. She felt weird thinking about how attractive he was, though; she knew him when he was little, plus he had made it clear he only wanted to be her friend.

_Still_, she thought. _It doesn't hurt looking. He's just so sexy, with those arms, and that jaw, my God that jaw, wonder what it would feel like between my thi—_

"SNAP OUT OF IT!" she shouted suddenly. Buttercup yowled in shock at the sudden noise. "You can't lust after him," she said to herself. "He's only 23, you're almost 30. You were his babysitter, you knew him as a kid, it's _wrong_."

She couldn't afford to think like that. She couldn't afford to get close to someone she knew was off-limits and unattainable. It would break her down even more.

She sat up quickly, and texted him back.

_Katniss: same! Let me know what you want to do tomorrow afternoon. Looking forward to seeing you then._

Once the text had gone through, she settled back into the couch cushions, taking a long pull from her wine glass. Her grey eyes lit up in amusement, and she retrieved her phone from her pocket to send a message to Madge.

_Katniss: you won't believe who I ran into at the supermarket just now…_

* * *

><p><strong>As always, thanks to the phenomenal <em>misshoneywell<em> and _nmoreblack_ for pre-reading/betaing so marvelously.**

**Thank you for the lovely response to the first chapter; I can honestly say I'm floored by all the sweet notes and reviews you've all left. I'm so glad you're enjoying this xxxx**

**Come play with me on Tumblr-flythruflames. **


	3. Three

The blaring of her phone jerked Katniss awake, pulling her out of the most peaceful sleep she had had in weeks. She sighed, blearily cracking an eye open to see who could be calling her at such an hour. Madge's bright smile looked back at her from the screen, and she groaned in exasperation. _I should've never told her last night_, she fumed internally, before answering the call.

"It's 6:30, Madge," she grumbled, voice rough with sleep. "It's supposed to be my day off. Why are you waking me up so early?"

"Katniss!" Madge squealed, sounding entirely too perky so early in the morning. "Aren't you supposed to be meeting up with him soon? Start getting ready!"

"Are you insane?" Katniss hissed, irritation clouding her voice. "It's not even seven am. I told you, I'm supposed to meet up with him around lunchtime."

"I'm sorry," Madge sighed dramatically. "I'm just excited for you. When was the last time you were out on a date? And with Peeta Mellark, no less! I'm not surprised he turned out as hot as you say he is- his brothers were always so fucking gorgeous, and his dad was pretty handsome too…"

Katniss dropped the phone from her ear as Madge rambled endlessly about how blessed the Mellark men were physically. She just _knew_ telling her friend about Peeta was a bad idea. Madge had responded to her text the night before an hour after the initial message was sent, well after Katniss had indulged in a few glasses of wine, leaving her to spill details she wouldn't have if she were sober.

She lifted the phone back up to her ear. Madge was still prattling along, oblivious to the fact that Katniss wasn't listening.

"Madge," she interrupted, but Madge just continued on.

"Madge," she said again, more forcefully, causing her friend to stop mid-sentence.

"Yes?" she simpered.

"I'm not going on a date with him," Katniss deadpanned. "I barely know him."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Madge admonished. "You've known him for years! And he obviously is excited to see you again! He wouldn't have asked you out if he wasn't."

"I haven't seen him since he was a little kid, come on," Katniss muttered, burrowing herself further into her pillows. "He's just being polite," she said, stifling a yawn. "I probably won't see him again after today."

"Katniss," Madge whined, drawing her name out. "Why are you being so difficult? A nice, hot guy asked you to hang out and you're acting like you'd rather swallow a knife or something! What's the problem?"

How could Madge _not _see the problem?

"Madge, I'm tired," she said, unwilling to have this conversation while she was half-asleep. "Can we talk about this later? Please."

"Fine," her friend said with a huff. "But don't you think for a second I'm letting this go! You better tell me everything tonight when I bring you your stuff from school."

"I promise," Katniss yawned. "I'll talk to you later."

"I mean it, Katniss!" Madge hollered. "If you don't tell me tonight I'll kick your ass."

Katniss laughed quietly, knowing very well that Madge was being serious. "Okay, okay," she said. "Let me sleep now."

"Okay, I'll leave you alone for now," Madge replied reluctantly. "I love you, you idiot."

"Love you, too," Katniss responded before hanging up. She tossed her phone to her side and collapsed face first into her pillows. She couldn't understand how Madge seemed to find no problems with the situation.

Exhaustion clouded her consciousness and sleep pulled forcefully on her eyelids and she knew that she couldn't wage an internal war with herself without drifting back to sleep. She threw her arm out, fishing for her phone underneath the mountain of pillows, and set an alarm. The last thing she wanted to do was sleep through her meeting with Peeta.

When the alarm was set and the phone back on its charger, she flopped back into her pillows and shut her eyes. Two beats and she was asleep, her thoughts filled with blue eyes and deep laughs.

* * *

><p>Katniss rose with her alarm, several hours after Madge had rudely awoken her, feeling better rested than she had in weeks. She allowed herself to lounge in bed a little longer before she needed to start her day.<p>

The ping of an incoming text message jerked her from her reverie, and she scrambled for it, pulling it to her face. Her eyes, hazy with sleep, focused as she read the message.

_Peeta: Hey! Still on to hang out later?_

As much as her nerves were shot, she really was looking forward to seeing him again. Lascivious thoughts aside, Katniss wanted to hear how he was doing, and hear how the last twelve-odd years had treated him.

_Katniss: Yes, of course. what time were you thinking?_

His response was almost instantaneous.

_Peeta: Do you want to come over around 1? I was thinking of making us lunch. I bought enough groceries yesterday to last me a lifetime :P_

Katniss' heart sped up, disbelief flooding her being. He wanted to _make_ her lunch? _Cook_ for her? She had expected that they would meet up at Starbucks or something, or maybe go to lunch at a café in town. To cook for her seemed oddly…_intimate_. Her phone trilled with another message before she could start an argument with herself.

_Peeta: if you'd rather meet somewhere else that's ok too! I just figured I'd ask. I make a pretty good lasagna, if I do say so myself ;)_

_Winky-face. _He sent a _winky-face_. He couldn't be flirting, she surmised. He was simply being polite…right?

_Katniss: That sounds great. Where do you live?_

He quickly replied.

_Peeta: awesome! I live at the victor village apt complex, apt #1105. It's a couple blocks off MSU's main campus. Do you need the address?_

Madge had lived in the same complex before she had married Gale, so Katniss was already quite familiar with the area.

_Katniss: No it's okay, I know where that is. I'll see you in a little bit._

_Peeta: :) see you soon!_

His enthusiasm really was contagious. She felt warm inside; it was like he really was excited to see her, rather than simply hanging out with her out of obligation, or just to be nice.

_Madge is right, _she mused. _There's no point acting like I'm being dragged to the guillotine. I do want to catch up with him. It wouldn't hurt having another friend._

She stretched her arms up and out before jumping out of her bed. She still had a few hours to kill before she was due at Peeta's, but she knew if she didn't begin getting ready soon she would have to rush.

She showered leisurely, savoring the pounding heat against her shoulders, rather than rushing through it like she did most mornings. It relaxed her-since she started teaching at the school, she rarely had time to do anything for herself. She was wound tighter than she had been in _years- _since graduate school, really. A break from the quotidian madness of her life would do her-and her sanity-some good.

Katniss shut off the shower, toweling her body as she padded back to her room. She slipped into her bra and underwear and was rubbing lotion onto her legs when her phone trilled with the email alert tone.

_From: __peverdeen88_

_To: katnisseverdeen_

_Katniss!_

_How're things at home?! How's Buttercup? I hope you guys are having fun together ;) I miss you sooo much. Things are going well here-so many babies were born this past week! It's been hectic, but all the moms and babies are doing well :) OMG though, the hottest doc came down this week-he's going to be here for the next six weeks and has the most incredible eyes and HIS ACCENT...I'll have to send you a pic later! Let's Skype this week, okay? Hopefully things are going okay at work and the kids aren't driving you too crazy ;) Love you loads._

_xxxx_

_Prim_

A smile spread across her face-she was so happy to hear from Prim. Prim was doing a semester long residency at a rural women's hospital abroad through her medical school. The program combined Prim's two greatest passions- helping people and babies- and Katniss was overjoyed that her sister was having such a fulfilling experience, even though she did miss her like crazy.

Katniss stared at the screen, intent to craft a response to Prim, when she noticed the time. Peeta would be expecting her so soon, and she still had to get dressed and drive over. She made a mental note to call Prim back when she got home, and scrambled off the bed to make her way to the closet.

She opened the door and shuffled through the various articles of clothes hanging. Should she wear something nice? A dress? What did one wear to hang out with someone they hadn't seen in over a decade?

She settled on a nice pair of jeans, a flowy green top, and the ankle boots Prim got her for her birthday-casual, but still put together. Something she would wear to work on a Friday. She dabbed some concealer under her eyes to cover up the evidence of her busy, sleepless week, and swiped the tiniest bit of mascara onto her lashes.

Her hair was relatively dry from her shower, so she quickly tied it into a braid on the side of her head, leaving a little bit out at the front to frame her face. She shut her closet door to look at herself in the full length mirror.

She didn't look totally offensive, she decided. He wouldn't run away screaming, at least.

_It doesn't matter what he thinks,_ she chastised herself. It wasn't a _date._

She sighed, pulling her boots on as she shut the closet door. She threw a handful of food into Buttercup's dish and filled up his water dish as he glared at her with beady eyes.

"I should just let you starve," she muttered as she set the dish down. He hissed in return.

Rolling her eyes, she picked up her keys from its designated dish and her purse from the couch.

The drive to Peeta's was all too brief-his apartment was only 20 minutes from hers-and she soon found herself at his front door. Her stomach was in knots, and she raised a shaky fist to knock on his door.

_Don't be nervous, _she internally chanted. _This is just a nice lunch get together with an old friend, you're just catching up, it's not a date. _

She quickly knocked twice, and a muffled "Be right there!" emanated from somewhere inside.

She tapped her foot, more out of nervousness than anything, and was fiddling with her purse strap when the door was thrown open and she was dragged inside, gathered up against a strong, broad chest.

"Katniss!" Peeta exclaimed. "I'm so glad you came."

She flushed and shakily brought her arms to snake around his back. He pulled away, his own cheeks touched with pink.

"I didn't mean to attack you," he chuckled embarrassedly. "I'm just really glad to see you again."

"I said I would come, didn't I?" she joked weakly. Peeta smiled slightly in return and his eyes swept over her frame, his look lingering.

"Um, is there something on my face?" she asked, squirming under his gaze. He blinked and his eyes focused, as if he just realized he was staring. He took a step back, running his hand through his thick hair, and she could see the sinews of his forearms muscles flex.

"Ah, no," he replied, taking a step back "You just look really good," he replied sweetly. "Sorry I look a mess, all my nice clothes are still packed away and I haven't had time to organize them."

A mess? Was he insane? The grey henley he wore clung to his broad shoulders and thick arms, its sleeves pushed up to expose his muscled forearms. His thighs and legs were dressed in a dark pair of well-worn jeans, fitted to him perfectly.

"You look great," she blurted loudly. "Very…different. I keep forgetting that you aren't 11 anymore," she said, laughing weakly. Her heart was racing. He probably thought she was crazy or something, but he only smirked in return.

"I kind of thought I imagined it all," he said with a crooked smile. "I mean, I haven't seen you in forever, and to randomly run into you at the store? I'm glad I did though," he said genuinely.

Katniss offered a small smile in return, the awkwardness of the situation setting in.

"It smells incredible," she said, mustering up as much cheeriness as she could, in an attempt to divert his attention from her.

"I kind of made a lot of food, so I hope you're hungry."

"I'm starving," she replied good-naturedly, but seriously. She was hungry- she hadn't eaten anything since last night.

"Well, come in! I don't want to leave you hanging out in the doorway," he said. He gestured for her to follow him inside. She hesitated a moment, wondering if she should take her shoes off, when she noticed that he himself was wearing a pair of Adidas. She decided to leave them on for now, and followed him inside.

His apartment was _not_ what she expected from a 23-year-old man. The walls of his small but welcoming living room were painted a soft grey, the room accented with various pieces of black furniture. The walls were adorned with paintings of various sizes, ranging from simple still lifes to large, abstract pieces. The TV rested opposite from the inviting leather couch, with a small kitchen off to the side.

"Nice place," she told him, flashing him a small grin.

"Ah, thanks," he replied bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck. His shirt rode up a bit as he stretched his arm back, exposing a sliver of his stomach. She could see a hint of dark blond hair trailing downwards. Her cheeks reddened, and she swallowed roughly.

"It was a total wreck yesterday morning, thank God I had Finn and Annie to help me out. My room is still a mess too, I haven't unpacked everything yet...hey, are you warm or something? You're a little flushed. Need me to turn on the fan?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"No, no, I'm fine," she answered a bit too quickly. _Please, please don't let him have noticed me ogling._

"Okay," he said. "Do you mind if we eat in the living room? I haven't had a chance to pick up a dinner table and stuff yet."

"Yeah, yeah, that's fine. Do you need any help with anything?"

He shook his head as he walked to the kitchen.

"No, it's all done. Thanks, though. Just take a seat on the couch, I'll bring everything to the coffee table."

She gingerly sat on the couch, setting her purse at her feet. "Good, I'm kind of a disaster in the kitchen," she joked. "Prim takes care of all the cooking, I just do the dishes."

"Prim!" he exclaimed. "She lives here, too? How's she doing?"

She nodded. "Yeah, we live together. She's in her second year of med school, but she's doing this field program abroad right now. She'll be back in June."

"Wow! At MSU?" he asked from the kitchen.

"Yeah. She did her undergrad there, too. She did this accelerated program, got her bachelor's in three years and got automatic acceptance to their med school since she kept her GPA above a certain threshold."

Peeta emerged from the kitchen, carrying a large tray laden with two full plates on it, before setting it down on the coffee table in front of her.

"Do you want anything to drink in particular? I've got some lemonade and water...wine and beer too, if you'd rather."

"Um, water's fine," she replied. "Thank you."

He beamed, before scurrying off to the kitchen to grab her a glass. She looked at the plate he had placed in front of her and her eyes widened. He had prepared a vegetable lasagna, piled high with several layers, a crisp garden salad, and brought out a loaf of fresh, still warm French bread. It all looked delectable.

"Is it okay?" he asked anxiously, noticing her staring. "I know it's kind of basic, I woke up a little late and didn't have time to make anything fancier," he said apologetically.

"No!" she exclaimed a little too loudly. "It's perfect, really. This looks amazing, Peeta. You didn't have to do all this for me," she said, touching his arm gently in gratitude.

He smiled broadly in return, settling himself on the couch next to her. He pulled his plate to his own lap and began to dig in, and she did the same. The food was amazing, the lasagna honestly some of the best she had ever tasted.

"So," he said, breaking the companionable silence as they ate. "Prim went to MSU. You went to Capitol, right?"

She nodded, taking a sip from her water glass. "Yeah. I majored in history. God, that was so long ago," she quipped lightly.

He laughed. "_So_ long ago," he teased. "So what did you do after college?"

"Um, I did archival work for two years under my thesis advisor...he was in the process of archiving correspondence from soldiers in the Civil War to their families to write a book about it."

"That's so cool," he breathed in between swallows of his own food.

"Yeah, it was interesting. Kind of boring though, and I realized I didn't want to do it for a living. I was in this club in college where we would teach health to kids at a local high school, and I really ended up enjoying it, so I decided to go to grad school for education. I finished that about two years ago, and I've been teaching at the middle school ever since," she ended.

His bright blue eyes were round with admiration and...pride?

"That's amazing, Katniss. I'm sure you're a fantastic teacher. Remember how you patient you were when you taught me to shoot?"

* * *

><p>"<em>Katniss, I suck," he whined. They had been in the Mellark's backyard for nearly two hours, and Peeta had yet to shoot the arrow at the makeshift target they chalked onto the large oak tree. His enthusiasm at the beginning of the afternoon had waned until he was in a horrible mood, upset and embarrassed that he had been unsuccessful.<em>

"_You don't suck," she admonished. "You just need more practice. It took me a long time to learn how to do it, too. Let's try again, okay? Just a couple more tries and if you really want to stop, we can go inside."_

"_Fine," he huffed, drawing an arrow from the quiver on his back._

"_Okay, get into the stance like I showed you. Legs shoulder width apart, and nock it where I put on the bow."_

_He obeyed, nocking the arrow into the bow. He stretched his arm backward and took a deep breath._

"_You can do it, Peeta," she encouraged. "Just let it fly."_

_He took another deep breath, stretching the bow taut, before letting the arrow go. Two beats and it flew straight into the middle of the target. His jaw dropped in disbelief before a brilliant grin broke out on his face._

"_I did it! I did it, Katniss!" he exclaimed, jumping up and down in excitement before running straight into her arms. _

"_I told you," she teased, ruffling his hair. "I knew you could do it."_

* * *

><p>The joy of the memory was quickly replaced with a deep shame.<p>

"Peeta, I'm sorry," she lamented. He looked at her curiously, confusedly.

"Sorry for what?"

"I'm sorry I didn't keep in touch after I left home," she mumbled apologetically, ducking her head in shame. "I really feel awful about it."

"Hey, hey," he said, touching her thigh gently. "It's really okay. It was a long time ago, and besides, we found each other again, right? We'll just pick up our friendship now." His face held no trace of residual anger, and his voice was sincere.

"Yeah," she replied, feeling herself relax. He grinned at her and she couldn't help but return it.

"Enough about me," she replied. "What have you been up to?"

He removed his hand from her leg to run it through his hair, and she immediately regretted the loss of its warmth.

"Ah, nothing much, really," he said, leaning back and crossing his ankles. "I finished middle school, went on to high school, then college. I went to Capitol, too. I double majored in art history and finance, and graduated last year. I was lucky enough to get into the doctorate program at MSU, my advisor and my dad really were gunning for me to apply, even though they rarely accept people right out of undergrad."

"Peeta, that's amazing!" she gasped.

"Thanks," he replied modestly, a big smile on his face. "I kinda want to go into academia with it. I deferred for a semester though, to help out with the bakery...I told you that yesterday, right?"

She nodded. "How's your dad doing?"

He laughed heartily. "The old man's good...he's enjoying retirement with his new wife. He got remarried last year to this lovely woman who was a regular at the bakery. She's really great."

"That's good to hear," she replied sincerely, and he smiled in return. "So your friends were here yesterday?"

"Yup, Finnick and Annie. Finn's been my roommate since freshman year and we've been best friends ever since. Annie was in my Contemporary Art class and they met while she and I were studying for an exam. They finally started dating junior year, but we're still all really close."

"They sound great," she said, settling into the couch further.

"They are," he replied, mimicking her action on the opposite end of the couch. "What about you?" he asked good-naturedly, his eyes piercing hers. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

She blanched. Boyfriend? Why was he asking about a _boyfriend_?

_Don't freak out, it's normal. He hasn't seen you in forever; it's a perfectly valid question._

"Uh, no," Katniss chuckled weakly. "I haven't dated anyone since grad school, the last guy I was with was nice but wanted more than what I could give, then I started teaching and haven't had time- there's so much grading and lesson plans and stuff..." _Fuck fuck, why are you going on and on? He'll think you're crazy._

If she was rambling, he didn't seem to notice. He nodded in understanding, and she was desperate to divert his attention. "What about you?" she asked suddenly. "Girlfriend?"

He laced his fingers behind his head and shook it. "Nope," he replied. "I dated a few girls in college, but nothing serious."

She nodded, and a slightly uncomfortable silence broke out between them.

"Come on," he said suddenly, rising to his feet. "I'll get my laptop, let me show you some pictures. You know, since the last time you saw me I was shorter than you," he said cheekily. He offered his hand out to her to pull her up, and she accepted it with a smile, enveloping her small, sweaty hand into his large dry one.

* * *

><p>The afternoon was a blur of laughter and joy. Peeta had shown her Facebook photos from his high school and college years, and had even cajoled her into showing him her own photos from years past. He regaled her with wild tales of his college roommates and his past accomplishments, and Katniss told him about her disastrous first student teaching experience, making him laugh until tears streamed down his cheeks.<p>

Before they knew it, it was already six PM. Katniss gasped when she took note of the time, and retrieved her phone from her purse. She had two missed calls and four texts , all of which were from Madge.

_Madge: Hey, are you free?_

_Madge: Are you still with him?_

_Madge: Hello?_

_Madge: ARE YOU BANGING HIM?_

She flushed, quickly locking her phone and hiding the offending texts.

"Holy shit, I didn't realize it was so late," Peeta said from his place on the floor. "I didn't mean to keep you this long."

"No, it's fine. I really should get going though," she replied, offering him her hand to help him up.

"I, um, had a really good time today, Peeta," she said shyly. He beamed in return.

"I'm so glad you came over," he said genuinely. "I don't start classes 'til the beginning of the month, so hopefully we can hang out more soon?" he asked, almost unsure.

"Absolutely," she responded. He flashed her another bright smile.

"Here, let me walk you out," he said, guiding her to the door with his hand on the small of her back.

She turned to face him once they reached the front door, and he enveloped her in a warm hug, which she returned wholeheartedly.

"I'll see you later, okay? I'll, um, text you when I'm free?" she said.

"Definitely do," he said, breaking away. "Have a good night, yeah? I'll see you soon."

"Thanks, Peeta," she replied, and walked out the door. He watched her until she got into her car, and waved at her before shutting the front door.

She groaned. She really enjoyed her time with him, and honestly couldn't wait to see him again. She rested her head against the steering wheel for a moment, before pulling her phone out to reply to Madge.

_Katniss: I'm coming over. HELP._

* * *

><p><em>It's been a while, I know, and I'm incredibly sorry. I had no intention of taking nearly three months to get this chapter done-I've had a couple things happen to me in real life (nothing terrible, thankfully) that took longer than expected to deal with, and I'm sorry. I guarantee it won't be this long for the next chapter, though. As always, thanks to misshoneywell and nonemoreblack for their advice and help.<em>

_I hope you all enjoyed the chapter :)_

_I'm peetadelrey on Tumblr._


End file.

Hunger Games, Romance