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Prompts in Panem - Farewell Tour 2015
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Published:
2015-10-19
Updated:
2020-02-12
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2/?
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Just the Beginning

Summary:

28 tesserae later, Katniss is free. Only now she has to make a decision about her future. Maybe all she needs is to do someone a favor. (First chapter written for Prompts in Panem, Round 8, Day 1.)

Chapter 1

Notes:

Many thanks to FanFicAllergy and RoseFyre for the prereading help. It was awesome to have other eyes look at this and I am thankful for their invaluable advice. (By the way, if you've never read any of their fics…you need to. They're awesome. Also, I forgot to format my original PiP submission with the italics I had from the start. They're here now, though.)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

As she went to find Prim and head home, Katniss felt the tension inside her dissipate.

She was free.

She felt bad for the two families who’d lost someone today, but now Katniss only had Prim to worry about.  In addition, she needed to figure out what she was going to do with the rest of her life now that she would never again have to worry about being thrust into the Hunger Games with only a slim chance of survival.

Of course, even the slimmest of chances could be enough. Gale had proven it last year. The Hawthorne family now lived in Victor’s Village after the Third Quarter Quell had given District 12 its third ever victor.

The Seventy-Fifth Games had spared Katniss. The Quell’s cruel twist forced those who were supposed to be celebrating their first year free of the bowl to chance one more shot at being reaped.  And, even worse, the bowl included all slips previously accumulated from taking tesserae. She had watched her closest friend go into the Games to fight for his life. Although he’d returned, she still lost him anyway–to keep his family safe, he could no longer hunt in the woods outside the district. Thankfully, Katniss could handle herself just fine on the other side of the fence.

She found Prim talking to one of her friends from school next to the corner of the town bakery. The girl was the florist’s youngest daughter and must have given Prim a few buds since her sister clutched some tightly in her hand.

“Katniss, there you are! Poppy was keeping me company until you found me,” Prim said breathlessly. “Look at these flowers—aren’t they just the most beautiful things?”

“They are lovely. That was kind of you, Poppy.” Katniss couldn’t help but smile at how excited the tiny flowers made Prim.

“Oh, it was no bother at all. By the way, Katniss, Prim was telling me about this being your last year. Congratulations on making it through.”

“Thank you, Poppy. Prim, we’d best be heading home now.”

“Okay.” The two younger girls quickly made plans to meet up before school the next morning.

School…

Katniss would only attend it for a few more weeks. The teachers would conduct a sort of transition period to help prepare her year for their roles as adults in their district. Katniss saw this mostly as a waste.  Still she grudgingly admitted some of it might be helpful.  She had no idea what she could possibly do for a job, aside from the dreaded mines.  However, that would cut her potential hunting days down to just one a week, and she wasn’t willing to give up the one thing which gave her even the slightest feeling of peace. She also feared being blown up in a mine explosion as her father had been years ago.

As she prepared for bed later that evening, Katniss could not have known fate would have a hand in saving her from her darkest nightmare.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day, Prim ran off to join her friend with only a “Have a good day, Katniss!” floating on the air behind her.

Katniss shook her head ruefully, happy to see her sister so carefree. She made her way up the steps that led into the school building.  She wasn’t looking forward to today.  She’d shot a deer that morning, so she distracted herself with thoughts of what she could turn it into. Deer jerky, deer stew, deer steak seasoned over a salad of dandelion greens–

She was so preoccupied with her list that she neglected to pay attention to her surroundings, a fact which would become very obvious when she collided with someone. And not just any someone, but the town baker’s youngest son, Peeta Mellark. He’d also just survived his last Reaping, and she owed him a debt she’d never be able to repay.

“Sorry about that.”

“Excuse me.”

They both spoke at the same time.  Amused blue eyes met startled grey ones before his flitted away as they usually did.

Katniss readjusted her bag strap on her shoulder before continuing toward her first class.

She’d barely taken three steps before his voice stopped her. “Katniss?”

She turned to look at him, schooling her face into an expression of wary curiosity.  Out of habit, she folded her arms across her chest, waiting for him to continue.

He appeared unsurprised at her silence. “I think our year is supposed to meet in the cafeteria first thing. There was a note on the board when I went to the classroom.”

That explained why he’d been heading the other way. “Oh, okay. Um, thank you. For telling me.” She wanted to cringe at how curt she sounded, even to her own ears.

Peeta was one of the nicest people in the district.  He didn’t have to tell her about the note. He could have just let her continue on her way and discover the note for herself, which would have annoyed her. Instead, he’d saved her the annoyance of making it all the way to the classroom before having to turn around.

A slight cough alerted her to his continued presence. Surely he had better things to do than stand here looking at her in the middle of the school hallway, she thought.

She looked up, noticing he looked amused—was he laughing at her?

“Is something funny?”

He had the good sense to look slightly abashed at having been caught laughing at her.  "Sorry, I—I just—you looked like you were arguing with yourself about something.  You were really animated doing it and I’ve just never seen someone do that before and I just— I’m babbling—can I make it up to you?“

What? He wanted to make it up to her? He thought he owed her?

“You don’t have to—”

“Please? At least—” He seemed to wrestle with what he was about to say, as if speaking took every ounce of bravery he possessed. “At least let me walk with you to the cafeteria?”

Oh.

Katniss felt warm all of a sudden. It shouldn’t have been that much of a shock given it was the warmest time of the year right now. Still, this was a different kind of warmth that didn’t come from the sun. It came from inside of her. Threatening to spread through her, if she’d only let it. She was completely unfamiliar with this kind of feeling.  Couldn’t begin to give it a name.  It sort of reminded her of the satiated feeling she felt after a particularly hearty meal of game stew with bread dipped in it.

“I—okay. I’ll allow it, I guess.” How could she deny him this when she already owed him so much? She wasn’t sure if he remembered that day in the rain, with the bread, but she knew she would never forget.

As they walked, he kept up a steady stream of conversation, seeming to understand that her lack of response in no way indicated boredom. She was actually rather interested in what he had to say.

“So, my dad has been increasing my responsibilities at the bakery lately,” Peeta said. “With Barley at the florist’s now and Leaven transitioning to the Cartwrights’ shoe shop, I’m the only one left to inherit, you know?”

Katniss tilted her head, acknowledging his words.

“Actually, Barley’s wife Ivy told me that he’s got a bit of a green thumb, so… Hey, don’t I see her little sister hanging out with yours sometimes?”

She nodded. “I thought I recognized her,” he mused before carrying on. “Anyway…the only reason Leaven and Delly haven’t married yet is because they’re waiting on her to finish school. That’s only a couple of weeks away, assuming the Games don’t last longer than usual.”

He paused for a moment and Katniss motioned for him to continue. “I guess you could say I’m sort of responsible for them being together,” he said with a wry smile. “Delly and I used to pretend we were brother and sister and now we actually will be. She asked for me to be the one to make their toasting cake and bread.”

The obvious excitement in his voice caused a slight smile to appear on her face. However, his description of what his brothers were up to made Katniss thing about that bakery, and she couldn’t help but ask him a question.  "So with Barley and Leaven no longer at home, you’ll be short-handed, won’t you?“

He looked surprised, but no less pleased at her question.  "Yes, I suppose I may have to see about hiring one or two people to help out. My mother has already started dropping hints about inviting people to dinner, but thankfully Dad has been very supportive of giving me time.”

“Time?” she asked, before it dawned on her. “Oh, you mean time to find—”

“To find a wife, yes. My mother, of course, couldn’t care less how much I actually like whomever I end up marrying  But my dad—well, he understands my position, I think.”

“Your position?” Surely he wouldn’t have any trouble finding a girl to marry him.  Granted, she’d never exactly seen him with any girls, aside from Delly Cartwright, but that didn’t mean he’d never dated. He was definitely attractive with his blond curls and blue eyes which looked like they held the key to the world’s secrets. Katniss reckoned any girl who’d turn him down had to be insane.

“—and my dad, well, my mother wasn’t exactly who he had in mind when he fantasized about marriage. He never really had a chance with his first choice, so that’s how he and my mother wound up together.”

She’d been so lost in her thoughts she’d missed part of what he’d said about the position he now found himself in. And yet, the fact that he was in a position didn’t seem to faze him.

“I’ve never really seen myself marrying,” she found herself saying. “Anything that leads to having kids, I just—I don’t know that I could put myself through that.”

She was sure she’d imagined it, but his face seemed to fall ever-so-slightly before perking back up again.

“I can understand that, I guess.”  He paused, gathering his thoughts.  “Um…can I ask you something? It could be a—well, a favor, I guess.”

“Sure,” she said. Something about him relaxed her in a way that she hadn’t felt since her father died. Even the woods…

“Would you be interested in helping me at the bakery?” The words spilled out in a rush. He took a deep breath before continuing. “I, uh, don’t know if you have any plans for after we’re done with school, but on the off-chance that you don’t yet, I thought I’d ask. I hate the idea of you—anyone really, but anyway—being forced into the mines because you have no other options. And you do. Have options, I mean.”

She studied his face, unsure at first of the seriousness of his offer. But the earnest look on his face combined with the hope she felt just from his words led her to stick out her hand.

“Yes.”

“Yes? You’ll do it?” His hand grasped hers, not yet shaking it to make it official, as if he were afraid to let go in case it would be the last time he’d ever feel her hand in his.

“I will.”

As they shook on it, neither of them could know this was just the beginning of both of their lives.

Notes:

After some deliberation on my part and encouragement from multiple sources, I've decided that as part of NaNoWriMo 2015, I'm going to make an honest attempt at expanding this story into a multi-chapter work. That does mean, however, that it may not be until January before I post a new chapter, since I work in retail and the holidays are the busiest time of year. I don't rule out posting anything sooner, I'm just being realistic about it. It's my goal to have a schedule for updates once I get started with that, anyway. Thanks for your support and understanding!

Chapter 2

Notes:

There’s been a lot happen IRL in the time since I’ve posted anything for this. I still have an idea of where I want it to go. Still, it hasn’t always been easy to find the motivation or the energy to work on it. I decided to post what I’m posting tonight without anyone else having looked at it, as a bit of a good faith showing, and maybe to motivate myself a bit? I have a lot of love for this fandom, and those in it. Y’all know you can find me on tumblr, too, also @infinitegraces.

Chapter Text

The rest of their walk to the cafeteria was a silent one. It unnerved Katniss a little, just how comfortable it was. He seemed more relaxed now than he had when they'd started towards their destination.

 

She shot a look in his direction as they reached the doorway, wondering if she should say anything more. He must have been thinking the same thing—his blue eyes met hers as he began to speak.

 

"Well, I guess we should go in and get seated before all the non-broken seats are taken," he said. He had a point. Like many things in their district, their school had a sort-of rundown look to it, and the cafeteria chairs were no exception. Many of them sat lopsided or had cracks in them, which didn't help their comfort level any. It was sheer luck if you happened to snag one of the chairs that were still in one piece.

 

"Yeah," she said. Stepping into the cafeteria, she glanced around to see who was already there. After a moment, her eyes fell on her friend Madge Undersee, the mayor's daughter, who she usually shared a table with during lunchtime. She was sitting across from Delly Cartwright. Delly appeared to be talking to Madge about something, although Katniss couldn't tell what. The rest of their classmates were carrying on various conversations that made it impossible to discern actual topics, although each of them was obviously relieved to have escaped the reaping ball forever.

 

Katniss noticed that there seemed to be an empty chair next to Madge, so she headed in that direction. It didn't escape her that Peeta trailed behind her. He was probably planning to see if there was a seat by Delly, she thought absently.

 

When she reached the table, she saw Madge's bag in the chair beside her. Not wanting to just move it, she greeted the two girls, who had hit a lull in their chat.

 

"Hey, Madge. Hi, Delly. Is this seat taken?"

 

"Hi, Katniss!" Delly was always so energetic.

 

"Oh, hey, Katniss. Actually, I was saving it for you. Here, let me move my bag." Madge moved her bag from the chair, fitting the strap over the back of her own so she wouldn't have to keep it on the floor. Katniss sat down, choosing to lay her own bag on the table.

 

"Thanks," Katniss said, gifting Madge with a small smile. She noticed then that Delly was motioning for someone to come take the chair beside her. Katniss was unsurprised to then see Peeta drop into the seat. He positioned his bag on his lap, folding his arms together on the table.

 

"Thanks for saving me a seat, Dels," he said warmly. "Hi, Madge."

 

"Hi, Peeta. How has your morning been so far?" Madge asked politely. Katniss couldn't help but look down, picking at a stray thread on her bag.

 

"It's gone surprisingly well, actually," Peeta replied. "Better than I thought it would, especially after my mother's ranting. Delly, are you sure you want to marry Leaven?"

Delly laughed. "Yes, of course. I can handle your mother, Peeta. Besides, it's not like she can bother us all of the time with us being at the shoe shop."

 

"Good point. By the way, I need to know what you want on your cake. You still haven't told me, and I need to be able to draw it out first." 

 

"You draw?" Katniss had looked up after Peeta had asked Delly about her being sure about marrying his brother, but she had been content to just listen. Until now, anyway. He looked surprised, his mouth round and his cheeks ruddy.

 

"Yeah, it uh, it helps when I'm decorating to be able to have a picture of what it's supposed to look like before I start," he said, scratching his neck.

 

"Oh, of course. Sorry, that was a silly question," she said, blushing. Luckily, at that moment, one of the teachers for their year clapped her hands together to get their attention. The conversations ceased, everyone curious to hear what the meeting was about. Some of them had an idea thanks to having older siblings, but others, like Katniss, Madge, and Delly, were either the eldest of their family or were only children and had little to no idea of what to expect.

 

"Okay, everybody, listen up! Now that yesterday is over, you've got your futures to think about. Some of you probably don't even know yet what that future is. That's okay. We're here to help you start figuring it out. Others of you have always known, whether you're taking larger roles in your family's business or heading down to the mines. That's great, too. But the education you've had so far has only prepared you so much.

 

"That's what the next few weeks will be about. For those of you going to the mines, you'll be getting hands-on experience with the tools you'll be using on the job. You've gotten the theoretical knowledge already, but it's our experience that you'll be better prepared to actually start down there if you're already comfortable with your equipment. So that's what you'll be up to. We have videos and other aids to help you along the way, as well as some safety information that's not a part of your compulsory curriculum."

 

Katniss was really relieved, as she listened to the teacher prattle on, that she wasn't going to have to go through that particular segment. She wondered if Peeta knew he'd saved her yet again. If he even remembered the bread from before their first Reaping. She'd find a way to thank him, she thought, if it took her the rest of her life to do so.

 

"For the rest of you that have lined something up already, we're not as well-equipped to provide your practical training. But, we can teach you a few things that should help. We'll be teaching you how to keep track of your finances, as well as how most of the businesses keep track of their sales in their ledgers. A few of them may differ, but it won't be by very much. Some of you have watched your parents do this, so you can help those that haven't had that benefit.

 

Now, for those that haven't lined up anything yet, we usually have a few businesses who need some extra help. We'll have that information by the end of the week, and will help you decide what might fit. After that's determined, we'll help you through the application and interview process, in order to get you something as a start. Aside from the businesses, Mayor Undersee also might have a couple of opportunities available in his office."

 

In order for us to make sure you're in the proper group, we'll need proof from your family or the job you've acquired, so don't forget to bring that. Those are due by the end of the week. We'll have classes as usual until then. Everyone's free to go to your normal period."

 

Katniss shook her head as she stood, trying to gather her bearings after the deluge of information she'd just been given. Then it hit her. She'd have to have proof of the job Peeta had offered her, but he didn't actually run the bakery yet. How was she supposed to—

 

"Katniss?" He was right there beside her. How had he done that? Usually she could tell when someone was approaching, but then she had been distracted by her thoughts. "Could I walk you back to class?"

 

"O-okay," she stammered. "I was just thinking, sorry."

 

"No need to apologize. That was a lot of information to digest," he said, good-natured as always. "I was actually going to see if you wanted to come by the bakery after school is done. My mother won't be around, she's usually with some of the other ladies playing cards and gossiping. So it'd be the perfect time to meet with my dad, since he's still technically in charge."

 

"You're sure about this? That me helping there won't be an issue?"

 

"Yeah, absolutely. My dad thinks highly of you, so there's no chance of him having any issues with it. Honestly, my mother doesn't even help out as much since they're preparing to move to a house. She's busy making sure everything is fine with that and spending time with her friends."

 

"Oh, well, then yeah, I can come by after school. That was actually what I was thinking about, trying to figure out how I was going to get my letter of proof. I should've known…" Katniss gave a nervous laugh, fidgeting with the strap of her bag where it hung on her shoulder.

 

"Should've known what?" Peeta asked. She sighed, hesitant to answer, but knowing she would because it's him.

 

"I should've known that I didn't need to worry about it, because it was your idea. And you'd have known about needing the proof because of your brothers." She fought the urge to glance at him, afraid that if she looked at him now she wouldn't be able to look away. There was just something so magnetic about him. She wasn't sure what it was. She just knew it was there, and it scared her.

 

When they arrived in their classroom, there were only a few seats still available. None of them were together, which actually disappointed and relieved Katniss at the same time. She wouldn't have minded having to sit near him, but the choice wasn't theirs. He'd never ask anyone to switch with him, and neither would she. They had different reasons for that being the case, though. His was because he was so nice. Hers was because she had no desire to speak to people if she didn't have to.

 

Thankfully, one of the empty seats was beside Madge, who hadn't waited on her despite them sharing most of their classes. Katniss hadn't expected her to wait, though, especially since she'd been as distracted as she had been. Not to mention, Madge wasn't the type of person to waste her time. She was one of the most organized and efficient people Katniss knew, never late to anything. It likely had to do with being the daughter of the Mayor.

 

Madge shot Katniss a quick smile before handing her a folded piece of paper. A note. They didn't pass notes often, but it had been known to happen. Katniss unfolded the paper, eyes widening as she read it. She glanced over at Madge, who had been watching Katniss read the note with a little smirk on her face.

 

You and Peeta Mellark seem awful chummy today. Walking into the cafeteria and now class together…care to share?

 

Katniss felt her face flush, sure the olive tone of her skin would do nothing to hide the redness. Sighing, she grudgingly grabbed her pencil and scribbled her reply below Madge's delicate script.

 

I bumped into him in the hallway before the meeting. I hadn't even made it in here yet for class, but he told me about the meeting and offered to walk me. It would've been rude of me to decline. He talked most of the way and then somehow I wound up with an offer of a job at the bakery out of it. After the meeting, he offered to walk me back here and asked if I wanted to come by the bakery after school to meet with his dad and get my job proof.

 

Folding the paper back up, Katniss slipped it back to Madge just before the bell rang and their teacher began class.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Madge unfold the paper. After a moment, Madge's eyebrows shot up, and she shot a look in Katniss's direction that clearly said they'd be discussing this later.

 

~~~~~~~

 

"So he offers to walk with you and then asks you to help him at the bakery?"

 

"Yes, Madge. I told you that already," Katniss said, exasperated. "He said I'd be doing him a favor, and, well—" Katniss stopped abruptly, not wanting to delve into the shared history between her and Peeta. She'd never told anyone about that night when she was eleven. Not even Prim knew about it.

 

But Madge was scarily perceptive and wasn't willing to let it drop. "There's something more you're not telling me, Katniss."

 

Katniss ducked her head, covering her face with her hands. She trusted her friend, she really did. She knew Madge wouldn't judge her. Madge was judged enough for both of them just for being the Mayor's daughter.

 

"Hey, if you really don't want to tell me, you don't have to. He didn't force you, did he?"

 

"No! I don't think—Madge, you know him better than that. Everyone knows he's the kindest person in our year, maybe even the entire district. That's not it at all."

 

"Well? I won't tell anyone, you know I won't."

 

"I know," Katniss sighed. "It's just, I owe him so much and I've never—nobody but me and him, and I guess his mother to an extent, knows about this. I've never even told Prim or my mother." Katniss glances up at Madge, who silently encourages her to continue.

 

"Okay, so you know when my dad died, things were rough at home, right?" Madge nods, remembering her dad giving the families their medals of valor and how stoic Katniss had been then. Katniss took a deep breath before continuing. "Well, after the money ran out and my mom wasn't doing any better, I had to do something. I tried trading some of Prim's old baby clothes, but nobody wanted them.

 

"So, I found myself digging through the trash behind the shops, including the bakery. Mrs. Mellark caught me and tried to run me off, but I only made it as far as their apple tree before I collapsed. We hadn't eaten in days, and I was ready to give up. When she was running me off, I couldn't help but notice him hiding behind her. They went back inside, and I was left shivering in the rain under the tree.

 

"A few—" she paused, catching her breath for a moment, "a few minutes later, the door slammed open, and she shoved him outside, yelling at him. He'd burned a couple loaves of that fruit and nut bread they have, and she'd hit him. She told him to feed it to the pigs, but she had to go back in for a customer before he could do it. After she went back in, he looked to make sure she was gone and then—then he threw the loaves of bread my way."

 

Madge's eyes were wide in amazement. "He saved your life."

 

Katniss nodded. "My life, my mother's, and Prim's. Those loaves of bread fed us for a few days." Her face became distressed suddenly. "The next day, I wanted to thank him for what he'd done, but I—when I saw his face, I couldn't do it."

 

"His mom beat him for it," Madge said. She didn't have to ask to know it was true. The Mellark matriarch would never win any awards for mother of the year.

 

Katniss tilted her head in acknowledgment. "She did. He had a big bruise on his face and I lost my nerve." She sounded almost wistful as she continued. "When our eyes met across the schoolyard, he looked away. And I looked down to see the first dandelion of spring, and that was when I knew how I was going to feed my family.”

 

“Oh, Katniss. That’s—I don’t even know what to say about that. I mean, most kids in our district would never have done that, particularly if they knew they’d get in trouble for it. And given his mother, he had to have known he’d get in trouble even before he did it.”

 

“Yeah. I still haven’t thanked him for it properly. That’s why when he asked if I’d like to help out there, I couldn’t say no.” Not that you wanted to, she thought. She’d never admit that to Madge, though.

 

Madge seemed to realize that Katniss really didn't want to discuss this any further, so they spent the rest of their lunch period in their normal amicable silence.