Work Text:
How would Peeta react to the reader: hanging out at his bakery all day because he can't get the day off?
- It's getting pretty close to Christmas, a holiday that is celebrated in 12, but many are too poor to afford many gifts.
- Usually some parents allow their children who help around the business a few days off during Christmastime.
- But despite the Mellarks being financially secure enough to afford this, his bitch-ass mother refuses to let him have free time.
- After all, the bakery always became slightly more busy during the holiday season.
- With families scrounging up some extra cash to buy a treat for their little ones. And the more wealthy ones, like the mayor's family, would purchase extravagant Christmas cakes.
- Since Peeta does the frosting, his mom requires him to stay in.
- You decide to stop by.
- You have a little additional pocket money, from doing chores around town.
- You were planning to buy a cookie for your family to share as a surprise.
- But seeing Peeta all by himself in the corner, working on cakes made you feel bad.
- So you buy one and split it with him instead.
- He is super grateful, and freaking out a little bit, since he was definitely aware of you.
- He has seen you at school and around town, maybe because he's started to watch you.
- He thought you were very pretty.
- He tells you that he'd being made to stay in all day.
- Which isn't the absolute worst fate, since the cold outside is deadly, but it's lonely all the same.
- Isn't Christmas a time for company with friends and family? you think.
- So you opt to stay in the store, telling the baker and his wife that you're perusing the cakes if they question your presence.
- Peeta's mother in particular treats you with disdain, not wanting street vermin to be roaming in her shop, despite how cleaned up you are for the Christmas season, dressed in unusually nice clothes.
- You just flash her the little bit of money you have left and claim to be a paying customer, so she eventually leaves you two alone.
- You spend the whole day there, and Peeta even lets you ice some of the small cakes.
- He teaches you, standing behind you with his arms around you, gently guiding your hands to make delicate patterns, and yes, the close proximity is making both of you a little crazy.
- After a long, warm day in the bakery, you finally bundle back up to head home. The sky is twilight and lavender, snow fluttering down when you prepare to leave.
- And Peeta gives you the clumsiest, sweetest peck on the lips before you leave.
- (Don't worry, you get a proper one on Christmas day. xx)