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Chapter Text

“Stay out of this, Mellark.”

Peeta clenched his jaw. He wasn’t afraid of Jacob Finnigan—even if the other boy was a year ahead of him in school and had at least three inches on him. Jacob was skinny and lanky, and Peeta had no doubt he could take him on if it came right down to it. Sure, he was smaller, but even at eight, he was stockier than the other boys. Solid on his feet. Besides, his middle brother was still in grade school with him, and Zak wouldn’t hesitate to jump in if Peeta were struggling.

Zak wasn’t one to turn down a chance at fighting.

“No. You’ve had your fun—now move on.” Peeta took a step toward Jacob just to add emphasis to his words.

Jacob didn’t seem the least bit intimidated. He looked Peeta up and down and grinned. Clearly, he didn’t see Peeta as much of a threat.

“I’m supposed to move on from telling this piece of Seam trash that he doesn’t belong here?” Jacob taunted, jerking his thumb at the small boy who was cowering at the base of the slide. He couldn’t be older than six, Peeta guessed. But then again, Seam kids tended to be small for their age, so he could well be in his grade.

“He’s not trash!”

“Says you.”

Delly tugged on Peeta’s shirt. She looked close to tears and was biting her lip so hard, Peeta wouldn’t be surprised if she drew blood soon.

“Come on, Peeta,” she pleaded. “We can go tell a teacher. Just don’t—”

“Yeah, why don’t you listen to your little girlfriend?”

“Leave her out of it!” Peeta spat back. Delly’s hand was on his arm now, closing on his wrist.

“Or what, Mellark?”

Jacob seemed more amused than anything, which only made Peeta more infuriated. Peeta lunged at him, but Jacob deftly moved aside at the last second. Peeta fell to his knees, gravel biting into his hands when he planted them on the ground to keep from losing his balance. Delly screamed as Jacob laughed. Behind him, the Seam boy started to cry.

“I’m fine,” Peeta assured Delly as she helped him up.

“No, you’re not!” Her eyes were as big as saucers and quickly filling with tears.

“Yes, I am.”

“You’re bleeding!” She pointed down. His pants had ripped at the knees, exposing the skin that had been scraped raw and was now oozing blood.

Maybe it was the excitement of it all, but he didn’t feel any pain. He just wanted to have another go at Jacob. But Delly was having none of it. She yanked hard on his arm.

“Let’s go,” she said. “I’m taking you to the nurse.”

“I told you, I’m—”

But his protests were in vain. Delly dragged him all the way to the nurse, even as Jacob’s laughter rang out on the schoolyard.

*~*

“Make sure you change the bandages every day, and use the ointment I’m going to give you before you put on a new bandage.”

Peeta was only half-listening to the nurse. He didn’t even want to go here in the first place, but Delly had insisted. His eyes fell on the rips in his pants. His mother was going to kill him for ruining a perfectly good pair of pants.

It wasn’t even a hand-me-down.

“Young man, did you hear me?”

Peeta’s head sprang up. “Yes, ma’am.”

The nurse pressed her lips together in a taut line, satisfied she had his attention now.

“I’ll go get the ointment. Wait here, please.”

Peeta nodded and waited until she shut the door behind her to let out a breath of relief. He looked out the window. Recess was still going on, but there was a commotion by the swings. He leaned into the window to get a better look and shook his head.

Jacob was at the center of it all. Of course.

The Seam boy he’d been taunting earlier was at the swings now, but it seemed Jacob hadn’t been through with him. Peeta seethed as he watched Jacob lead a gang of other nine-year-olds in mocking the boy. Not only was he a jerk, but he was encouraging more kids to be jerks, too.

Suddenly, Jacob’s smile disappeared. The crowd parted as a girl pushed her way through. Curious, Peeta craned his neck to see who it was. Then his breath hitched as he caught sight of the familiar braid down the girl’s back.

He knew exactly who she was.

Katniss.

Her face was set with determination as she marched toward Jacob. What a sight it was: Jacob towering over Katniss, who barely came up to his shoulder. Katniss didn’t seem to notice or care—she was clearly shouting something at Jacob and gesturing wildly. Even the Seam boy was staring at her in disbelief.

Peeta couldn’t help but look at her in admiration. If he hadn’t hurt his knees and been dragged away by Delly, he would be by her side putting Jacob in his place. But instead he was here, stuck in the nurse’s office and relegated to watching through the window.

“Here you go, young man,” the nurse suddenly said as she came back into the room.

Peeta nearly jumped at the sound of her voice. She handed him a small jar with the label, wound ointment.

“Thank you.”

“You’d better get back to class now,” the nurse said. “Recess is wrapping up.”

He nodded and turned behind him to take one last look out the window. All the kids were lined up now, having been corralled by the teachers. He scanned the faces to find Katniss. She was scowling. Her face was flushed—no doubt with fresh anger—and some of her hair had come out of her braid.

He wondered whether she’d gotten into a tussle with Jacob. She certainly looked as though she was ready to challenge him. Maybe he’d ask her later when the school bell rang. It’d be a good excuse to talk to her. He was always racking his brain to come up with a reason to do that.

Delly was waiting for him outside the nurse’s office, looking relieved when she saw him.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I’ll live.”

“You really shouldn’t be messing with the older boys, Peeta,” she admonished him. “He could have really hurt you.”

“But he didn’t. Not too bad, anyway.”

Delly frowned at him and shook her head. “Come on. We’ll be late for class.”

He followed her down the hallway toward the classrooms, thinking about what he’d say to Katniss once school ended.

He hoped he wouldn’t lose his nerve this time.

Chapter Text

“Come on—she can’t be that bad.”

Katniss ignored Gale’s laugh. She knew he meant well, but still. Something about his dismissive tone bothered her, and she kept her eyes straight ahead as they trudged through the road that led into the town.

“No. She’s worse.”

Gale huffed. Fine. He’d find out for himself.

She’d had enough dealings with the baker’s wife to know that if she happened to be working the front at the Mellark Bakery today, Katniss was going to come up empty-handed despite her full game bag. Gale had mostly dealt with Darius and Greasy Sae up until now. They were far easier to negotiate with, especially when they were bargaining with a fatherless boy who just wanted to provide for his family. Mrs. Mellark, though? Katniss doubted if that woman was capable of sympathy. Except maybe for the pigs.

She and Gale had only been hunting partners for a few weeks, and there were some things she still had far more knowledge about. The baker’s wife was one of them.

“She can’t possibly deny you the chance to make your little sister happy on her birthday,” Gale said.

She wanted to tell him that he was giving the baker’s wife far too much credit, but instead she just nodded absently, willing her stomach to unclench. It didn’t matter how much of a witch Mrs. Mellark was today. Katniss was determined to grit her teeth and barter with her because Prim deserved to have a nice birthday for once.

Cake was a luxury few people in District 12 could afford. But Prim loved nothing more than to linger in front of the bakery window, admiring the beautifully decorated cakes that lined the shelves. Katniss didn’t dare dream of getting a cake from her haul today, but surely the baker’s wife could spare a cupcake? Maybe one with soft buttercream piped onto the top in the shape of a delicate flower. Prim would love that. And Katniss wanted badly to give it to her.

They’d reached the front of the bakery, but Katniss couldn’t really get a good look at who was manning the counter. She turned to Gale, who nodded at her.

“Go on,” he urged. “I’ll be with you. I can talk up the squirrels if she’s stonewalling.”

Katniss took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The bell rang, announcing her and Gale’s arrival, but there was no sign of Mrs. Mellark. In fact, there wasn’t anyone at the front at all. Katniss didn’t know whether to be relieved or annoyed until the kitchen door swung open and a boy walked through, his eyes locking with hers.

It was him. Peeta. The baker’s youngest boy.

The one who had thrown her the bread last spring.

She’d seen him around at school since then. Even caught him looking her way, only to tear his eyes away at the last minute when she met his gaze. She really should have thanked him before now, but this seemed like the wrong moment to do it. So they stared at each other, neither uttering a word until Gale finally prodded her in the ribs.

“Oh,” she said, coming back to herself. “Are…you working the front today?”

Peeta nodded. She couldn’t help but notice that his cheeks had suddenly turned bright red.

“Can I help you?”

“I was hoping to—”

“You!!”

Suddenly, a harsh voice made both of them jump. Peeta’s face seemed to register panic at the sight of his mother.

“Mom, I was just—”

“You’re that Seam brat I caught rifling through our trash a few months ago!” Mrs. Mellark spat out.  

From the corner of her eye, Katniss saw Gale take a step forward, but she gave him a sharp shake of her head to back off. She could fight her own battles.

“I’m really sorry about before,” she said. “I came here as a customer today.”

“I was about to help her,” Peeta said. His voice had a pleading tone to it, but his mother didn’t seem to notice—or care.

“We don’t serve customers who steal from us.”

“Please—I came here to see if I could maybe trade for a cupcake…” Katniss held up her game bag to appease the woman, but there was no appeasing her. She practically had steam coming out of her ears.

“Let’s see what she’s got,” Peeta said.

His mother rounded in on him. “I told you to stay in the kitchen!” she barked. “Your father needs help loading supplies.”

“But—”

“Go! Now!”

Peeta sighed and nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

Katniss could tell he was avoiding her eyes now. Was he embarrassed? She certainly would be if her mother were this horrible. She wanted to call after him—to thank him for trying to act as a buffer—but he disappeared behind the door before she got the chance. Beside her, she could hear Gale swearing under his breath.

“I think we’d better go,” she whispered to him. Mrs. Mellark watched her with narrowed eyes as though Katniss were plotting to steal something from the case. Only when they stepped outside the door did Katniss finally release a breath.

“Okay, I guess you weren’t exaggerating about her,” Gale said.

Katniss let out a laugh in spite of herself. “Yeah, she was a peach today.”

They started the walk toward the Seam when a voice called out to them. Katniss turned and was surprised to see the baker heading toward them.

“Mr. Mellark! I’m really sorry… I didn’t mean to cause any trouble in there…”

The baker waved off her words and shook his head. “Don’t apologize.” He held out a paper bag toward her. “Here.”

Katniss looked down at it, confused. “Sir?”

“I overheard you. About wanting a cupcake.”

“It’s…my sister’s birthday,” she said. She felt like she needed to explain herself, though she didn’t know why.

“Take it,” Mr. Mellark said. He held out the bag again. “It’s a day old, but it should still taste as good. My son does a good job with them. Makes them extra moist, so they keep for a few days.”

Katniss slipped her game bag from her shoulder. “Oh sir, that’s so kind of you. Here, I’ve got two squirrels I can give you for it. I have a young rabbit, too—”

Mr. Mellark held up his hand. “Keep them,” he said. “If I walk back in there with your squirrels, my wife will know where they came from.”

“Oh.” Katniss exchanged a knowing look with Gale.

“Just…tell the little girl happy birthday from me,” Mr. Mellark said.

“Thank you,” Katniss said, not really sure what else she could say. This was a gesture generous beyond measure, and she was almost tempted to refuse it until she thought of Prim. Her sister deserved this. And when else would she get an opportunity like this one? She had to accept this. For Prim.

The baker nodded and turned without another word. She watched him head back to the bakery, noticing only then that Peeta had been standing at the door. He quickly looked away and slipped back inside. This seemed to be their routine: avoiding each other’s eyes.

“Well, come on!” Gale said, breaking her reverie. “We’d better head back. Prim’s going to be excited to see what you’ve brought home to her.”

“Yeah,” Katniss said softly, a smile forming on her lips at the thought of Prim lighting up at the cupcake.

She followed Gale along the path, her steps feeling lighter than they had been in the last few hours. Right before they turned the corner, she couldn’t help but steal one last glance at the bakery, surprised by the disappointment that came over her when she saw that Peeta wasn’t standing by the door. Had she really expected to see him there again? It was a silly thought. Surely, his mother had bullied him into getting back into the kitchen and might have even given him an extra talking to about helping that “Seam brat.”

She looked down at the bag that held the cupcake, wondering which of his sons Mr. Mellark had been referring to when he talked about the cupcakes being especially good. She found herself smiling at the thought that it might have been Peeta who’d made the cupcake.

She’d have to remember to thank him for it.

Chapter Text

Peeta tugged hopelessly at the ends of his untied tie. He was never going to get this.

He couldn’t remember the last time he wore a suit–had he ever? Maybe when he was little and someone in his family had had a big toasting. Even then, he doubted it. District 12 folks didn’t tend to be too formal, especially when so few of them could afford more than one fancy outfit. His was courtesy of his eldest brother, Ty, who’d agreed to let him borrow it in exchange for Peeta covering his morning shifts this weekend. The suit jacket was too broad in the shoulders, which was saying something, considering his were plenty broad. The button-down shirt fit well enough, though. Or at least, he could hide the extra fabric at the shoulders with the jacket.

It was the tie that confounded him. He hadn’t had much practice tying one, and it showed in his numerous unsuccessful attempts tonight.

“You’re still not dressed?” Zak groaned in exasperation. He was standing at the doorway of their bedroom, shaking his head incredulously. Peeta had made the mistake of leaving the door open while getting ready, and now he was going to suffer the consequences..

His middle brother was not known for his patience, and he had even less of it tonight. Somehow, he’d roped Peeta into agreeing to go on a double-date to the school’s Harvest Festival dance, but Peeta knew perfectly well Zak had ulterior motives: he was hoping tonight would be the night his girlfriend, Emily Jameson, would agree to go to the slag heap with him.

Zak had nudged Peeta to do the same with his date, but he wasn’t keen on going with a perfect stranger. Well, okay, Norah Jameson wasn’t a perfect stranger –she was Emily’s little sister, and Peeta had met her once before in passing at the town square. Zak had greeted Emily with a kiss and whisked her away to the flower shop, leaving Peeta and Norah awkwardly exchanging hellos after their brief introduction.

“We have to leave in fifteen minutes,” Zak said. He wasn’t quite whining, but he might as well have been.

“I’m aware of that,” Peeta said. He grabbed hold of the ends of the tie and began fumbling with it again. 

Zak huffed and batted his hands away, tugging at the ends himself.

“Easy!” Peeta cried out. “Try not to strangle me, all right?”

“Don’t tempt me,” Zak muttered. But in a matter of seconds, he managed to tie Peeta’s tie. “Now put on your jacket, and let’s get out of here.”

Peeta grinned. “I hope you’re easier to deal with once you’ve gotten lucky.”

He made sure to duck after Zak reached for a balled-up pair of socks and chucked it at him.

* * *

Emily and Norah were waiting for them at the entrance of the school. Both were dressed in frilly light blue dresses–Peeta was sure these were the dresses they’d worn to the last Reaping–and their hair curled and tied up in silk ribbons.

Zak wasted no time rushing forward to meet Emily halfway. She threw her arms around him and let him pick her up from the ground, immediately launching into a fervent kiss. Peeta glanced at Norah, hoping she didn’t feel as out-of-place as he did.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi,” she replied, giving him a shy wave.

“You look really nice.”

Even in the moonlight, he could tell she was blushing. 

He couldn’t help but wonder whether Emily had had to do much convincing to get Norah to agree to a double date with him. He’d noticed Norah sneaking glances at him in their math class, and he remembered Delly telling him a few weeks ago that Norah had asked what day he’d be working at the bakery. He thought he’d heard her ordering a cookie a few days later, but he’d been in the kitchen and couldn’t be sure.

He should probably be flattered. She was definitely pretty–something Zak made sure to emphasize when urging him to “do his big brother this one favor.” With her strawberry-blond hair and blue-green eyes, she stood out among the blond, blue-eyed Town kids. Peeta could certainly do a lot worse, and he couldn’t say he hadn’t taken notice of her before.

Still. Even as he took her hand and led her into the school gym, he found himself wishing it was someone else’s hand he was holding.

He shook the thought out of his head. 

Stupid. He was being stupid. As if Katniss Everdeen would ever agree to go to a dance with him. He wasn’t even sure she’d ever go to a dance, much less let him be her date. She didn’t seem the type to mingle with the other kids, although people liked her well enough. But she was quiet, and she mainly hung out with Madge Undersee, the mayor’s daughter. Madge wasn’t much of a social butterfly herself.

Zak nudged him in the arm. “Look alive, would you?” he hissed in a whisper. 

Peeta resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Go worry about your own date,” he said. Then he turned to Norah. “Would you like some punch?”

“Sure. That sounds nice,” she said.

“I’ll get us some glasses.”

She smiled at him and reluctantly released his hand. He was pretty sure she’d felt how sweaty his palms were, but to her credit, she didn’t say anything about them. He wove his way through the growing crowd. An upbeat song was playing: one of those with a fast fiddle and a rhythm you couldn’t help but tap your toe to. Peeta found himself nodding along to the bass line as he approached the refreshment table, until he saw something that made him stop cold. Or rather, someone .

She was here.

She was standing at the gym entrance, arms folded as she looked around uncertainly. Her hair was plaited in an elaborate braid, and she wore a simple forest-green dress that came down past her knees. 

She looked cold, or maybe she was nervous. Her hands were clasped around her arms, and she was rocking back and forth slightly on her heels. He wanted to go up to her and say hi. He almost did–until the reality of the moment hit him, and he felt his face grow hot. He’d talked to her maybe once or twice–if even that–since that fateful moment at the bakery when he’d tossed her the bread. He doubted she even knew who he was except that he was the baker’s son and happened to be at the counter sometimes when she came in to trade with his father.

What could she possibly have to say to him–at a school dance, of all places?

Besides, there was that Hawthorne boy. The one who came in a few times a month with some rabbit he’d caught in a trap. He’d seen Katniss hang around him a lot. He’d spotted them at the bakery together. Sometimes, Gale would wait for her when the school bell rang so he’d walk home with her to the Seam. 

He was a good-looking guy. Far more than Peeta was. Gale was tall and brooding, with a gleam in his eye that hinted at mischief simmering underneath. Lots of girls liked him, even some of the Town girls, though they’d never admit to being willing to go out with a Seam boy. 

His stomach twisted inside at the thought of Gale being the one Katniss was waiting for tonight. He scooped punch into one glass and then another, and then he set his face, determined to wipe off any trace of longing and sadness before he made his way back to Norah.

Just before he turned his head, he caught Madge walking toward the doors to the gym, and Katniss breaking into a smile. Relief flooded through him. So it wasn’t Gale she was with here tonight after all.

He walked back to Norah with a grin.

Chapter Text

Katniss was relieved to see Madge waiting by the entrance to the gym.

She wasn’t sure if the other girl was going to be there—after all, it’s not like they’d ever had an explicit agreement to sit together during these things. Of course, it’d be hard to have an explicit agreement about anything when neither of them did much talking. But they did seem to turn up at the same time often enough that they’d each picked up on the same unspoken assumption: it’d be okay to sit with the other if they weren’t otherwise meeting someone else.

School assemblies were always a boring affair for Katniss. If it wasn’t some mandatory Capitol presentation about the importance of “proper young person behavior” (their half-hearted attempt at discouraging the older kids from sneaking off to the slag heap), it was an overly peppy celebration over one of the sports teams. The Capitol may have driven out many of the districts’ time-honored customs and traditions, but they must have thought that sports were a harmless enough outlet for the people that the Capitol hadn’t bothered outlawing them. 

No danger of anyone turning into a rebel from joining the soccer team.

Katniss made her way toward Madge, who finally noticed her. She held up her hand in a shy wave and smiled. “Hi, Katniss.”

“Hi, Madge.”

The principal opened the doors to the gym, and the students poured in, like water spilling forth from a burst dam. Katniss and Madge gave each other a knowing look and without another word, walked side-by-side into the noisy, boisterous space. The gym doubled as an auditorium during these assemblies. It wasn’t large enough to hold all students at once, but it could fit all of the secondary grade classes. They usually held separate assemblies for kids Prim’s age or younger, though they didn’t bother when it came to sports assemblies. That seemed to hold more appeal to the older kids.

Unfortunately, Katniss wasn’t one of them.

She wasn’t exactly an athlete, although she was probably the fastest runner among all the girls her age–and maybe even some of the boys. But like a lot of things that kids her age seemed to hold a lot of interest in, sports seemed something…frivolous. Something people would participate in only if they had the luxury of leisure time, which she certainly did not. 

Leaflets were being passed around. Madge took one and handed the stack to Katniss. It was the program for today’s school assembly. Katniss had already forgotten what it was they were celebrating today. She looked down and read the headline. It was an award ceremony for the wrestling team.

She placed the leaflet on her lap and passed the stack to the person sitting next to her. The anthem began playing a few minutes later, and they all rose dutifully, eyes trained on the flag that was hanging high from the rafters. Katniss was absently mouthing the words when she noticed the wrestling team being led into the gym to stand on the stage that had been erected at the center of the gym. Her heart gave a jolt when she recognized one of the wrestlers who’d just taken his place in the front row.

Peeta Mellark.

The anthem ended, and the principal signaled for them to be seated. Katniss was still processing her surprise when she felt a soft tug at the hem of her shirt. Madge was already sitting–as was everyone else–and Katniss was still standing. Heat spread through her cheeks at once as she plopped down, hoping against hope that no one had noticed. Her eyes flitted downwards to the stage, and she could have sworn she’d just seen Peeta’s gaze resting on hers before quickly pulling away to meet his brother’s. His brother had just nudged him in the arm. There was a trace of annoyance on Peeta’s face, but it disappeared so quickly that Katniss wondered whether she’d only imagined it. Soon enough, he was staring at the principal, who was droning on about the many accomplishments of the team throughout the school year.

She didn’t even know that Peeta was on the team. This must have been his first year; she didn’t remember him being on the stage at last year’s assembly for the wrestling team, though his brother had been one of the ones recognized for his third-place finish at last year’s tournament. 

“Is that Peeta Mellark?” Madge whispered.

“Must be, yeah.”

“He’s filled out since last year.”

Katniss didn’t know why, but Madge’s remark hit a nerve. She’d never really heard Madge talk about Peeta much. Peeta had a lot of friends, but Madge was not one of them—at least, Katniss hadn’t thought so. They didn’t seem to know each other all that well at all, although they both were Town kids, so she supposed they did run in the same social circles.

For some reason, the idea of it bothered her, but she said nothing.

“And now, it’s time to introduce the top three finishers of this year’s wrestling tournament,” the principal said.

Katniss glanced at the clock, wondering when this would all be over. Then to her surprise, Peeta was one of the ones who had risen. His brother was another, along with a third boy Katniss didn’t know. The principal led them to the front of the stage, where a makeshift podium had been set up. The boy that Katniss didn’t know was directed to the lowest tier of the podium.

“Our third-place finisher, Charlie Kinley.”

The students clapped as the principal placed the medal around Charlie’s neck. 

“Our second-place finisher, Peeta Mellark.”

The applause was louder for Peeta. Katniss wasn’t surprised—he was quite popular. He always seemed to be surrounded by a bunch of people anytime she passed him in the halls. She watched him take his place on the second tier, lowering his head for the principal to place his medal on him. He shook the principal’s hand, then smiled as the crowd roared again in approval. He raised a hand in acknowledgment, which seemed to set them off even more. After a minute or so, the principal must have guessed that the audience wasn’t going to be quieting down on their own, so he gestured for them to settle down so he could award the final medal.

“And for our top finisher, Zak Mellark!”

Peeta beamed as his brother took the final tier, shaking his hand as Zak straightened from getting his medal. Zak raised both of their hands to the delight of the crowd, which burst into another thunderous display of adulation. The stands shook beneath Katniss’s feet, the sounds of everyone’s voices reverberating in her chest. To her surprise, she found herself caught up in the exhilaration of the moment, her face muscles sore all of a sudden.

She’d been smiling this entire time. 

The principal wrapped up the ceremony a few minutes later, telling everyone they were dismissed for the day. Everyone rose to their feet and streamed down the stands in an orderly fashion. Katniss and Madge followed the other students, hitching their packs onto their shoulders. The wrestling team was being led off the stage, with Charlie, Peeta, and his brother trailing the rest of the team. Just before he exited the gym, Peeta turned his head. It was the exact moment that Katniss happened to glance in the direction of the doors, and their eyes locked for that fraction of a second. It happened so quickly that Katniss wasn’t even sure if she’d managed to give him a smile before he disappeared through the doors. She didn’t have time to dissect the moment, though. Next thing she knew, Madge was saying something to her. 

“The assembly wasn’t so bad today, was it?” Madge observed.

Katniss could still feel the soreness in her cheeks. “No,” she said. “Not bad at all.”