Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Katniss practically runs across the edge of the exquisitely decorated banquet hall, Peeta hot on her heels wearing a pinched expression on his face that screams business; Katniss is barely holding the scowling façade, praying she gets to the ladies' room and hide behind it's closed doors before she does something stupid... Like cry. She's so close to safety, but as she plows through the space, a voice rings out smooth, light hearted and full of merriment, stoping in her tracks.

"A toast! To Katniss and Peeta!"

Peeta freezes right before his hand can wrap around Katniss' slim, soft skinned arm. His deep blue eyes flit towards the front of the room, where his college best friend is standing in front of a microphone, champagne flute held aloft on his newly ringed left hand- the shiny gold glint mocking Peeta from afar- the other arm circling around his smiling bride's tiny waist. 

The toast continues, "If Annie and I, had found either of them remotely attractive,"

"Or even a smidge interesting," supplies the bride leaning her face to the mic with a smirk.

"We wouldn't be here today!" The copper haired man finish his original thought, flashing his signature charming smile, a dimple Katniss mocks relentlessly, forming in his cheek as he raises his glass higher, "To Katniss and Peeta!"

The rest of the reception cheers to the newly wedded couple's friends, laughing joyfully, oblivious to what only Peeta caught hidden under Katniss' indulgent soft grin. The pained expression she's desperately trying to mask, pretending the words hadn't cut deep into her already damaged self esteem. When Katniss finally makes another mad dash for the exit, he doesn't follow.

The understanding washing over him stings, he knows he can't blame her for reacting like a hunted animal, he just wishes he had seen the real problem sooner, nonetheless, all he can do for now is stare at the retrieving form of the woman he's certain he loves, while the memories of their long sought friendship flashes through his mind...

~*~

~*~*~*~

~*~

When Peeta met Katniss

The first time they met, was a simple enough mess:

"Hi! You must be Katniss?" He asked from behind the steering wheel of his beat up '74 Camaro- the number 74 painted black against the washed up orange paint job of the car's body, with matching racing stripes on the hood- Katniss' nose twitched, the blond teenager gave her a friendly smile, when she nodded.

"Great!" The boy beamed, practically jumping out of the car, jogging around his orange monstrosity until he was shoving a hand into her's, shaking vigurously. "I'm Peeta, Peeta Mellark! So very nice to meet you!" He said smiling widely at her. 

Reluctantly, she gave him a half hearted smile in return and responded with a noncommittal, "Katniss. Everdeen. I can see why Delly spoke so highly of you," In reality, what she meant was to groan a: 'Oh great, you are as cheery as Delly.' But she figured that, was hardly the way to start a fifteen hour road trip, with the person taking her to New York City for free. 

"That's great! Delly's great! But if you're her friend, you already know that!" 

Katniss' cheek muscles hurt, when she tried to stretch them into a smile. She was working way too hard to be friendly with that boy; she only hoped she didn't end up wanting to strangle him before they even crossed the Twelth District county line.

Peeta gathered her suitcase, the long bundle where her bow and quiver laid and the pillow she had placed on top of her belongings, and asked her if that was all she had with her. She only gave him a hard stare, before nodding, and pointing at the box sitting next to her, where a small potted plant with yellow flowers sat snuggly among some books and a couple of smaller parcels wrapped up in newspaper, Peeta surmised were picture frames. 

"That's it," she responded with a shrug, "all of my earthly possessions," 

Peeta was already popping the trunk open, placing her stuff in nice little piles next his own things. It was strange to see a girl with less luggage than hi, especially considering every camping trip he ever shared with Delly and her family growing up. The fact that the girl with dark braid was relocating for good to another place, and she only carried so few stuff, should have tipped him of her harsh conditions, instead, he thought of how he had to ship his furnishings and other necessities ahead with some moving company, he wondered if she did the same. 

He brought the bow and quiver to the back seat of the car, since it was never going to fit in the trunk. She helped him accommodate her beloved bundle delicately, after all, it was her most treasured possession. 

"So... Delly said you tried for the olympics," Peeta said good naturely, nodding in the direction of the bow. 

"Uh. Yeah. I did." Her voice came out scratchy and rough without meeting his eyes. She offered nothing more. 

He nodded, and never asked about the olympics again in years. He figured, her kind of competitive athlete, was usually very touchy about their failures when they couldn't make qualifications for the olympics. It wasn't that he blamed her for being closed off about it. The olympics was a really big deal, Olympians worked very hard to go on competitions. He understood, he was a Wrestling Champion himself! not that he'd boast about it like his brothers used to do when they held the titles themselves, but he knew the discipline it took to be top athlete.  

"Alright. We're all packed up," Peeta smiled gesturing to the car, "Let's hit the road!" 

Thirty minutes in, Peeta felt like having a conversation with the girl, was like trying to pull teeth. She only responded in short, closed sentences. She never initiated one question, she never offered any conversation, she seemed to be content with staring out the windshield and onto the road ahead, and he was growing frustrated. 

"So, tell me about yourself," he said as jovially as he could, after spending a good twenty five minutes talking about his family's bakery back home.

"There isn't a whole lot to say, my life story wouldn't even chase us out of the city limits," she mumbled, flitting her deep grey eyes between his and the road.

"Humor me?" He pleaded with a few glances her way.

She sighed resigned, and started reciting as if it chore: "My name is Katniss Everdeen, I'm eighteen years old, I've lived in Panem my whole life, and graduated Valedictorian from Seam High," she shrugged again, and returned to watch the interstate traffic. "I'm going to New York on a full ride, to study journalism." 

"Oh wow! Delly didn't said that besides being an amazing shot, you were both smart and beautiful!" Peeta chuckled happily. 

Katniss' head snapped toward him, her whole body stiffened, and he saw her eyes fill with flames as she narrowed them on him. 

"Are you hitting on me?" She demanded angrily, "because if you think for a second, that I will allow you to pursue something with me, just because you're giving me a ride to New York, then you have another thing coming!" She all but hissed at him.

His reaction wasn't too much different than hers, with his temper being poked so suddenly. He looked between her face and the road ahead a couple of times, before responding in a offended tone, "What?! Why would I be hitting on you? I just met you two hours ago!"

"You just told me I was beautiful." She spat as if that explained everything.

He turned his confused eyes back to her, his anger subsiding, replaced by puzzlement, "Well... Yeah, you are beautiful, and I'm assuming you're also very smart, to graduate top of your class and then get a full scholarship to college. That's not hitting on you, in any way, shape or form! it's just stating a fact!" He explained as calmly as he could. 

"Oh please," she snorted derisively, "I'm no beauty. That's a lie guys only say when they think they have a chance to woo me," 

"Well, I hate being lied to, so I never speak falsely when it's not a life or death situation. I truly do think you're very pretty, beautiful even, and I'm not trying to do anything other than befriending you, since we'll be stuck in this car together until tomorrow..."

"Boys and girls can never be friends," she retorted crossing her arms over her chest petulantly. 

"What? They can too!" He almost cried out childishly.

"Nah-uh," she answer shrugging a shoulder.

"Yes-uh!"

"Nah-uh!"

"And why ever not?" He finally snapped half exasperated. 

"Boys are only interested in one thing." She said like a know-it-all little brat. 

Peeta straightened into his seat, his forehead wrinkling in the middle, his blue eyes narrowed when he gave his companion a once over before fixing his gaze back on the darkening road ahead. 

"I'm friends with loads of girls, and I haven't had sex with any of them!" He protested. 

"Ha!" She snorted, crossing her legs, tightening the knot in which her arms already sat in. "Come on Peeta, handsome man like you, you probably get your pick of the day, everyday."

"I'll have you know, I don't believe in promiscuity!" He snapped. 

"So you haven't have sex?" She asked pointedly at him.

"Of course I have! I just don't go around spreading my seed like some kind of... lothario... I'm a one girl kind of man, who believes in the sanctity of marriage, family and faithfulness!" He said looking at her every other sentence. 

"Oh gosh! You're one of those?" She said rolling her eyes.

"One of those what?" He asked harsher than he intended.

"One of them people who thinks marriage, children and a picket fence is the ultimate goal!" She said in a boring tone.

"Yes! I am, I'm very proud supporter of the American Dream!" He bristled,

She snorted again, "I think the so call American Dream is overated, not to mention outdated! So much has changed, it's silly to view marriage as the coveted prize," she flicked some nonexistent dirty of her nails not looking at him.

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "Are you some kind of YOLO enthusiast, who only believes in the here and now?"

"I believe in loving oneself. Marriage is an illusion. Sharing your body with a person is one thing, and it should be enough, but to answer your insinuated question, no, I'm not a one night stand kind of girl. In fact I don't ever have sex. Personal policy," she shrugged. 

"Well, although I commend you for your personal values, I believe that love is love, and family is the cornerstone of society. I believe in monogamy, and in sharing mind, soul, and body with another person is a thing of beauty. I can't wait to find a nice girl to settle down and have babies with!"

"Alright, mister romantic gentleman, tell me... Have you ever looked at one of your many lady friends, and thought: wow, this chick's a looker?"

"Maybe I have, maybe I haven't. I don't usually make a habit of lusting after my friends. That would be a gross abuse of trust." He said indignantly.

"Delly's pretty. She's got the biggest natural boobs I've ever seen in a girl..."

"Never noticed!" Peeta spat cutting her remark short, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"So you've never thought of the possibility of knocking boots with sweet, well endowed, Delly?"

"God! No! Gross! Delly's like my sister! Ugh, no!" He visibly shuddered, bringing a hand to rub the nape of his neck, before shuddering again. 

"Fine!" Conceded Katniss, "Not Delly then, but there has to be a girl or two, you're friends with, that you've picture doing the ugly with, am I wrong?" 

She waited for him, tapping her fingers against her arm, and watched as his face contorted into a pucker. She knew she had him, the moment his jaw clenched and his lower lip poked out in an angry pout. 

Triumphantly, she shifted in her seat, so she was facing the road once more, and said with a cavalier air, "As I said: boys and girls can never be friends. The sex part will always make it impossible,"

"That's too bad." He said in tone matching her's, "I was hoping you and I'd be friends. You'd be the only person I'd know in New York."

She blinked at him for a moment. And then turned her face back ahead. A few minutes later, he went into a gas station, and told her that after filling up the tank, it'd be her turn to drive.

It was close to midnight, when the embarrassingly loud growling of her stomach filled up the whole car, breaking the heavy silence that had fell on them. 

He looked at her from his seat, where slouched, playing with a battered rubrics cube. He tossed the toy to back seat, and straightened up, his eyes never wavered away from her face, where her cheeks burned furiously with mortification over her hungry noises.

"We should take the next exit we see. We need to put some more gas in, stretch out legs a little. We can even try to find some food. Plus I think it's my turn to drive for a couple of hours." He said evenly.

She was embarrassed, but she was more hungry yet; stoping for a good break sounded like heaven, plus she was starting to feel fatigued. She didn't argue, she drove into the exit without word.

Odds were in their favor, as the very first gas station was connected to a 24 hour diner, brimming with people, food and coffee. Katniss was relieved when Peeta waved off her offer to take care of the gas, and sent her inside to claim a table. She was told the waiting time for a table was about five minutes, and she took the chance to slink into the ladies room before settling down for a very late meal. 

She came out of the restroom relieved she had gone; she hadn't realized how much she needed that trip to the toilet, until she was there. She looked up, and was surprised to see Peeta already sitting on a table, smiling to the waitress cheerfully, it was so bizarre to her, how friendly he was with strangers, she'd be worried about his wellbeing, if he was a bit younger.

He suddenly lift up his gaze, and his impossibly blue eyes found her immediately, his smile grew- if that was even possible- as he waved her over.

"Hey," she breathed out plopping into her chair across from his.

"Hey! Is this okay?" He asked gesturing at the table, "They told me the could get us a booth, but it would've taken another fifteen minutes, and I figured it's better to sit now," he smiled, "I'm starving! I didn't really wanted to wait." He said easily. 

She had the sinking feeling he was lying. He probably had gotten the first available table because she was the one starving. She didn't say anything though, merely smiled, nodding.

"This is fine. I'm not picky," 

"Good! I'm not either!" 

They opened up their menus, perusing through their choices. 

"Here you go, honey! No sugar as you ordered," Said the middle age server, with the tag name of Cecelia, right after placing a steaming mug in front of Peeta, "and Hot chocolate for the lady," she sing-sang lowering another mug on the table, this time in front of Katniss.

"Oh... Mmm, thanks," she muttered surprised, her wide eyes flying between Cecilia and the mug of rich, creamy goodness in front of her. 

"No problem, dear. Are you ready to order?" The waitress fished a booklet out of apron waiting for them with a soft, motherly smile.

Katniss ventured a glanced at Peeta, who's face was literally buried between the two flaps that constituted the menu. She could clearly see his ears flaming red, behind the bound set pages.

"Uh... I need a minute," Peeta said hurriedly, his fingers flaring nervously on his menu.

"Alrighty then. Be back in a jiffy!" Cecilia walked away, placing her notebook and pen back in her front pocket. 

"Thank you," Katniss said humbled by Peeta's gesture. 

He couldn't look at her for a second, until he smiled back at her wanly. "Uh, sure. I wasn't sure what you drank, but I figure everyone loves hot chocolate... Unless... You're not lactose intolerant or anything?" His blue eyes widened comically. 

She pressed her lips together, fighting the smile that threatened to take over her face, until she allowed a small curl of her upper lip.

"I love hot chocolate..." She looked at him with narrowed eyes, "And here I was thinking I was special! Now it turns out everybody loves hot chocolate?"

He laughed loudly, realizing she was actually joking. "Everybody! It seems you're only one more person in the world!"

"I guess so," she said smirking, before taking a generous sip from her mug. 

Cecilia returned to get their orders; Katniss asked for a breakfast platter: eggs, bacon, country potatoes, and small stack of fluffy pancakes. Then it was Peeta's turn to order.

"The Monte Cristo would be great, thank you." He said with a smile.

"A Monte Cristo. Coming right up..."

"Yes, just a couple more things," he said, interrupting the waitress jutting down his choice.

She looked up and smiled, "Yes, dear?"

"Well, I would like that bread to be battered and grilled separately,"

"Alright!" Cecilia sang brightly taking note of his request, but he wasn't done.

"Also," Cecilia looked expectantly up from her notepad, "What kind of cheese do you use? Because if you don't have Gruyere is fine, but I really don't want American cheese, it just won't taste right," 

Katniss arched an eyebrow at the boy with the demanding taste. Cecilia merely scribbled something, then looked at him, and said they only carry provolone, swiss, mozzarella, cheddar and American cheeses. He mulled over his choice before settling on Swiss. He then asked for warm syrup, as opposed to room temperature, and to have his sandwich cut vertically instead of diagonally. 

By the time Cecilia walked away, she was no longer smiling. Peeta was as chipper as ever, looking through his cell phone, plotting the route he wanted to take next. 

"You're a pain in the ass, you know?" Murmured Katniss under her breath, watching the scene unfold before her.

"Huh?" He looked up at her distractedly, "Oh! About my order?" He said nonchalantly returning to his gps app, "I know. I'm aware of my quirks. I try to tip them as generously as I can,"

Katniss rolled her eyes, "You're weird!" She puffed out, slouching and sipping from her warm chocolate.

They arrived to New York City as scheduled; they went their separate ways, never to speak again for the next five years.

The second time they met, wasn't any better. In fact, it was worse:

"Excuse me ma'am, that's me," he smiled down at the woman with hair dark as night, that would be his neighbor for the duration of the flight, while pointing a hand to the seat next her's. He was caught off guard when the most intense grey eyes met him from below dark, long lashes.

The woman rose gracefully out of her chair, standing to the side of the aisle as he climbed somewhat clumsily into the window seat. 

After he had situated himself, she slid back into her own chair, sparing him another flitting look, before returning to her tablet. 

His eyes however, returned to her more often than he would've liked.

For the first half of their two hour long flight, Peeta kept throwing furtive looks her way, that she pretended not to noticed. He wasn't trying to check her out in any way, he was just trying to make absolutely sure this was the same girl that rode with him to New York all those years back; she looked the same, but different. Still beautiful, but grown up. 

Finally, she shut down the tablet and shoved it into the pocket of the seat in front of her. With an impatient sigh, she turned towards him and extended her hand in his direction.

"Katniss Everdeen," She said before he even took her hand for a shake.

"I-I know." He mumbled sheepishly, giving her a shy smile. "Peeta Mellark?" He said both hopeful and unsure. 

"I know," she half mocked him. 

"Oh, good... So, um, you... remember me," He said weakly. 

"How could I forget?" She said rolling her eyes, then she pointed at his left hand "I see you haven't make good on you threat of monogamy," her voice sounded amused.

He smirked at her, and nodded at her hand in response, "I see you changed your mind about marriage!" 

She laughed shaking her head, no. "Why? Because of this old trinket?" She said lifting her hand, wiggling her fingers, where her two carat engagement ring glinted gaudily. 

"I never took you for a flashy girl," he said smiling easily at her. 

"I'm not, but my fiancée, Gale, is," she told him with a sideways smile.

"Gail, is? A... Uh, flashy g-girl?" He asked dumbfounded. She laughed again, throwing her head back in merriment.

"Wow. You know, smiling and laughing really suits you! Your looks improve so much more when you're not scowling,"

"Wow," now she was fully on mocking him, "and you're still a terrible flirt!" 

"I'm still not trying to hit on you, Everdeen," 

"Oh? Are you still trying to be my friend then? I was going to be disappointed in you, throwing out all those pretty sentiments of exclusivity, while hitting on a girl already spoken for!" 

"Mmm... Not at all. Plus, technically you're not actually spoken for until 'Rockefeller' there is accompany by a wedding ring!" He said pointing at her humongous diamond, "But, although I'm not married, I am in a very serious romantic relationship, with a beautiful woman named Clove," his face took a dreamy quality. 

"Good for you lover boy!" She said nodding approvingly.

"Come to think of it," he paused holding his chin between his thumb and forefinger, looking at Katniss critically, "You actually remind me of Clove a bit. Same shade hair color, except yours is longer and braided, the eyes are different of course, but your skin coloring is very close. Clove is just a few inches taller than you, but I think you'd pass for relatives of some kind," he smiled, while Katniss simply shook her head ruefully at him.

"It's a good thing you're not trying to hit on me," she laughed, "by the way, I'm straight," she said still snickering to a bemused Peeta. "Gale, spelled G-A-L-E, it's a boy. A boy from back home in Panem, who used to be my best friend growing up," she said making quotation signs with her fingers around the 'best friend' phrase. 

"I see," he said, smile softening on his lips. "Well, congratulations either way. I guess now I have a better notion of where you get the idea that boys and girls can't be friends... If you're marrying your best guy friend, then there's nothing to prove you wrong, which it's still too bad. I still would've loved to be your friend," he said softly.

She frowned for a bit. 

"We probably could be friends right now," she offered unsure, gesturing her hand between the two of them. "We both have people waiting on us back home," she looked up at him, and smiled, "I guess a man and a woman can be friends, when they have the safety of significant others expecting their return, it takes the pressure of sex away from the friendship, you know,"

Peeta smiled broadly at her, then. "I agree with you almost entirely! That'll be amazing to call you my friend, actually!" He smirked at her, "I still believe boys and girls can have successful platonic relationships together,"

She rolled her eyes, but smiled brightly, effectively showing she was being playful.

They talked non-stop for the rest of the flight, talking about their accomplishments in the five years since their initicial meeting; she told him about her upcoming wedding scarcely six weeks out, how Gale had wore her down with his persistence, she spoke of her life in the city and college experience, and her shiny new job as a columnist on a low budget magazine, and how it helped pay the bills and beef up her resume, so she could try for a better job; she never mentioned anything about Panem or her family back home, except to reference Gale or his family. Peeta, on the other hand couldn't shut up about his bakery/art gallery he ran in SoHo, with his brothers and recently widowed father. They all moved out to New York a few weeks after Peeta's mother died of lung cancer from smocking like a chimney in flames. 

It was clear, Peeta was very into families, he talked at length about his brother's children and wife, more so than his own success as an artist; he talked with minute detail of how his brothers came up with idea of selling artisan bread in the gallery, and how it became an instant boom. 

Katniss nodded and smiled, genuinely interested on everything he had to say, somehow she missed the lack of Clove talk, which should have been a telling sign of his shaky relationship with the girl he presumably wanted to settled down and share that picket fence with. 

They talked all through the landing, taxiing on the busy jungle that was JFK international airport, and they kept on bantering animatedly from deplaning to the baggage claim carrousel. His bag came up first, and he waited with her for her's. Once she had retrieved her garment bag and small roll-on suitcase, they walked to the long line for taxi service. 

"Mmm, we could share one, if that's alright with you," Peeta offered innocently.

Her stormy gray eyes turned to him sharply, and he felt his soft smile fall of his face slowly.

"I don't think that'll be a good idea Peeta. We're back in New York, to real life, and I don't think it's appropriate to share a cab,"

Peeta's brows knitted together on his forehead. "Okay. Why not? We're friends, aren't we? Friends share cabs," 

Katniss shifted uncomfortably. "I guess I should amend my initial stand on boy-girl friendships,"

"Go ahead then," Peeta said incredulously.

"Boys and girls- that is, men and women- can't be friends." She gesture a hand between them both, as if he needed clarification she was talking specifically about them both. "Specially with old acquaintances," She said in her haughty, know-it-all tone.

Peeta rubbed his face with an open hand, and looked her in the eye, trying to keep the mounting frustration to overtake him. He suddenly remembered how easily this girl... woman, was able to push every single one of his buttons, without even trying.

"Okay," he said slowly, "Why, can't old acquaintances be friends, if they're from the opposite gender?" He asked measuredly.

"Just think about it Peeta!" She exclaimed rising both arms above her head in a vague wave. "A guy comes home to his girlfriend, or wife, or whatever she is to him, and he tells her: hey honey, guess who I just ran into? You remember that girl I told you about? The one from five years ago? Well her! I met her! She gave me her phone number, and we're going out for tea, to catch up." She stared at him for a moment, "Do you think, by any chance, that conversation would lead to anything remotely fine?

"It won't!" She snapped, "Because now, even if your girlfriend smiles, accepting this new development, she'd be ruminating about this stranger that suddenly has you all excited! Even if she's fine outwardly, the nagging would take root at the back of her mind, wondering if you secretly want to get thoroughly reacquainted with this new woman, in the biblical sense... Could you blame her?" Her eyes were wide and her mouth was parted, she was breathing fast, as she had been running. 

"Woah! You don't know Clove!" He snapped. "And how did you built up all that crazy scenario, from 'hey, let's share a cab to save time and money'? I'm starting to believe there's something strange going on in your head." 

She simply narrowed her eyes at him, "So, are you going to tell me, that you would never think about wetting your dick inside of me, if we became friends?" She asked the question loud enough to get other people turn to look at them. She noticed, and her face turned beet red with humiliation. 

Peeta noticed as well, and pulled her closer to him, just a step away from the line, far enough to keep the conversation between them alone, but not too far that it would look as if they abandoned their spot, and some other shmock still their place in line. 

"What the hell was that? Geez, Katniss! Why does your mi d always have to fly there?" He hissed.

"Well..." She floundered for a moment, until she found her words, and her stance turned haughty again, "You said I was pretty. Again! Men won't call me pretty, unless they had a hidden agenda. So, I figured you were attracted to me that way, and it would be okay to be friends, in a place not conducive to sex, like an airplane," 

He growled, balled up his hands into fists then brought both hands to pull on his hair in frustration, growling again, "What. Are. You. Talking. About?" He spat out forcefully, his hands clamping on the strap of the small duffle bag hanging from his shoulder, to give it something to do. "People have sex in airplanes all, the fucking, time! Have you ever heard of the mile high club? That's what's referring about! For someone with such set thoughts on sex, you are kind of pure, you know.

"Now, I personally do think, you are a very pretty woman. That said, I have to clarify, I'm not attracted to you that way!" He told her rapidly under his breath, so nobody else was privy to his words. "I'm not attracted to you, period!" He hissed lastly. 

His overgrown eyes roamed over her face, and he saw it. The small, tiny, little crack of hurt and doubt. Micro expression, he had heard them be called. Only seen by the trained eye, or in his case, through the eye of the biggest lying phony there was.

Hell, was he attracted to her, and hell, if he hadn't thought about her in that way through the years. It was embarrassing, being called out like that on his own bullcrap, but he hated how she made it sound like he was about to bend her over the trash can next to them and have his way with her; they both were with other people, it was a stupid assumption of hers anyway, and he knew nothing of the sort would ever happen between them, but he felt like a jerk for being so harsh.

"I'm sorry Katniss, that came out wrong. I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have said it that way..."

Her face was back to her usual uncaring mask when she stopped his rambling apology. 

"No. It's fine. It's good really. Honesty, I-I respect and value honesty, even if we're not friends..."

The line of people behind them pressed on, and a paunchy middle aged man, with greasy looking hair plastered to his pink-with-liquor face yelled at her, since they hadn't noticed they were at the front of the line, "Hey, Sweetheart, are ya goin' or wha?"

She threw the man a half apologetic, half annoyed look, before turning around and stomping to the next cab waiting.

"Wait," Peeta stepped up and held her by the elbow, feeling the warm wool of her trench coat sleeve, "Please, don't leave like that..."

She gave him a nervous, pained smile, and wiggled her arm from his grasp.

"It was nice seeing you, Peeta. Good luck proposing to Clove," she practically threw her stuff inside cabin of the taxi, and rush inside herself.

"Katniss!" He yelled above the noises, trying to get as closed to the car window as he could without being ran over by the crazy New York City cab drivers, "If you're ever in SoHo..."

"Sure! Bye, Peeta!" She said as the cab sped away, leaving him with his hand raised in a goodbye he never got to say.

"Mmm... Young love. Yadah, yadah. What bunch of crap. I'll share a taxi with ya, Boy. Just don't get any ideas, capisce?" Said the same paunchy man, strutting along, opening the door to the taxi that just pulled up in front of Peeta. 

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Peeta opened the front door of the car and slipped in, ready to share a ride with a drunk stranger.

The third time they met was better, but not quite ideal:

"Peeta?"

He turn around so fast, he almost gave himself whiplash. 

"Katniss! Hey!" He winced at how high pitched his voice sounded, how quick he had called her name out, how un-surprised he was to see her in this chance encounter in the produce isle of a grocery store in the suburbs.

The truth was, that he had seen her first, pretty much as soon as she wander into the store, wholly absorbed in her task of fishing something out of her purse. Like a lowly stalker, he had followed her around at a no so respectable distance, trying to gather the courage to say hello, but every time he tried, he chickened out last minute. He wasn't usually that shy, and it wasn't like there was a reason to be shy around her, he just couldn't understand what the problem was, and honestly, it was a shock it had taken her that long to noticed him. 

"Hey! What are you doing out here? This is quite a drive from your neighborhood in Soho," she smiled.

"Uh... Oh, yes. No. I mean, my brother. I'm supposed to be picking up some stuff for barbecue at his place. It's my dad's birthday." He said as explanation, his ears reddening as he noticed he only had one measly item in his shopping cart... An embarrassing one at that, too. 

"Birthday gift?" She said suppressing her laughter, at seeing the bottle of K-Y jelly sitting in his basket. 

"Fuck..." He whispered, reaching out for a head of romain lettuce, dropping it on top of the jelly bottle. "Actually, that's none of your business. But, it should suffice you to know its not for me. It's a prank gift." He said uncomfortable but not wavering his eyes from her's.

She was full on laughing at his unease. "For a full grown guy, you're very squirmy,"

"You would be too, if I was scrutinizing the contents of your shopping cart!" He said throwing her an annoyed glare. 

"Fine," she threw her hands up in surrender, still chuckling. "I'm sorry, I'm not sorry! You brought it upon yourself, talking about shopping for family affairs while the single thing in your cart is for express personal use. But, I am sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable," 

"You ain't as funny as you think you are missy!" He returned, with a half smile. 

"Beg to differ," 

"Whatever," 

They locked gazes for a moment, before he had to break the silence dragging in. 

"So, how come you are so far from the city?"

"I live here! Well... Not here," she gestured to the store, "but five minutes away."

"Oh. Cool. That's great. Suburbs are great for family building." He said awkwardly. 

"Yeah... I guess so." She mused absentmindedly, averting her eyes for a moment. "I wouldn't know about that," she said returning her eyes to his, with an unspoken implication.

Peeta only held her gaze, searching her eyes, willing himself to not look down her hand, where he remembered a rock the size of Texas, adorning her ring finger the last time he saw her. 

Regardless his stubborn efforts, she lifted her left hand to his eye level and wiggled her naked fingers a few times, before smiling placidly, speaking brightly, "Happily divorced for thirteen months now!" 

"Thirteen months? That's gotta be some kind of milestone or something." He said trying to sound light.

"Pretty sure it is," She smile widely. 

He opened his mouth to say something, anything, it didn't matter his mind was completely blank, but before words could form in his tongue, his cellphone rang obnoxiously in his pocket. 

"Damnit!" He breathed out, flouncing with the slippery phone, "I'm sorry... I'm... I'll be just a sec," he almost pleaded with her, for a second.

She nodded. 

Quickly, he pressed the swiped button, and was greeted with childish laughter on the other side of the line, "Uncle Peet, uncle Peet... Mommy said that if I'm good you can bring me freezer pops!" 

"Oh... Hi jelly bean! Sure thing. Are you being good for your mom and dad?" 

Katniss could hear the giggling from where she stood, and smiled softly at him. He had this content, removed expression on his face, a whole different universe locked away inside his brain. Her eyes slid down his muscular arm unbiden, ending on his hand, and then it was her turn to wonder what happened, when she found no wedding band circling his finger. 

"Alright, sweet pea, see you in a few minutes with your freezer pops!" He chuckled and then hanged up. Looking up at her, her smiled and apologized, "Sorry about that. My niece. She's three. I'm afraid I've spoiled her rotten,"

"Yeah, I know what that's like," she chuckled with him, "But it's natural, specially when you have no kids of your own." Her clear gray eyes told him she understood him better than he thought. 

"True," he conceded. Then looked down at his hand, and copied her motion, wiggling his fingers for her to see. "Still single,"

"Mmm. What happened with Clove? If you don't mind my asking," 

He smiled softly at her, "She wasn't into marriages as much as I was," he shrugged, "Said a wedding wouldn't prove her commitment to me. At the end, I think it only proved her commitment to her job. I think she's better off just focus on her work." He tried to not sound bitter.

"Mmm... Career girl. Well, it's her loss," Katniss said blushing, "I think you're a catch." 

A soft smile spread on his face slowly, "Could I get that on writing please?" 

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Come on ya, goofball. Let's get those freezer pops your niece wants."

They walked around the store together, picking up stuff here and there, until they had collected everything in the shopping lists. They came to the cash registers, together, and left for the parking lot side by side. They stopped at the entrance of the store, looking at each other, sharing soft smiles, then she sighed. 

"I'm parked that way," she pointed to the left. 

His face fell a little, "I'm this way," he pointed to the right. 

"You have... Popsicles to deliver," she said heaving a strained breath, "And I've got milk, and meat, and frozen pizza..."

"There's a deli in town square. The broccoli cheese soup is decent, and I'm ninety nine percent sure they serve hot chocolate, even in summer!" He rushed out, combing his fingers roughly through his blond wavy hair. 

She smiled, "Is that so?" 

"Oh yeah, not to brag about it, but they serve the best Rueben on artisan rye I've ever had!" He said smiling broadly.

"Huh. No kidding?" She smirked.

"Nope. I'm totally serious." He said matter of factly.

She chuckled, "You won't be referring to that new place, Mellark's?" Her eyes sparkled. 

"How did you figured?" He asked in mock surprise. 

"I've heard the owner's brother has some kind of gallery back in the city." 

"Wow, never pegged you for the gossipy kind, but yes! The deli is more or less an expansion of the business back in the city," he peered at her with a question dancing in his eyes.

"Give it here," she said extending her open hand towards him with an amused crinkle in her eyes. 

"Don't mind if I do," he said placing his phone in her hand swiftly. 

It only took her a few seconds to program her name and phone number into his cellphone. Once she handed the device back to him, he texted her a goofy message, closing the ritual of  number exchange. 

He grinned and stared at his phone like an idiot for a moment, then noticed the bright yellow weed sprouting from between the cracks of the cement sidewalk they stood on. Without thinking, he bent over and ripped it from the ground. 

"For you," he said softly, trusting the small bloom into her hand, resting on the handle of her cart. 

He saw them again, the micro expressions forming fleetingly in her face: shock, surprise, confusion, uncertainty; he didnt know what to make of it, not that it mattered, she shook her head and swiped the dandelion from his hand with lighting speed, then clutched the fragile stem for dear life, and looked at him smiling sweetly. Micro expressions gone. 

"Thank you," she said softly. "Um, you better run, if you don't want to present a soggy box of colorful goo to your niece," 

He frowned for a split second before nodding, "Well... At least I know how to reach you now," he smiled waving his phone in the air. 

"Exactly," she laughed, "Talk to you soon, Peeta. It was nice to bump into you."

"Samewise," he said watching her walk away.

He stood there, watching her go. When she was at least ten yards away, he called out her name loudly, "Katniss!"

She turned around at once, frown clearly visible from where he stood, a question in her facial expression. 

"Are we friends now?" He asked smiling hopefully, and saw her face smooth out, then she threw her head back in laughter.

"Maybe. Depends on how good that hot chocolate is!" She called out back, and turned back to her car. 

He smiled the whole drive back to his brother's house. 

The fourth time they met, they became inseparable friends:

"Gram, this cup of chocolate better rock! A lot depends on it!" He pressed, leaning over the counter as close to his brother as he could, "None of that cheap instant hot cocoa from the store! I want rich, thick hot chocolate, steamy, and swirling with spices and cream. The best cup you've ever made, or I'm gonna have to kick your ass in front of your wife," his eyes flicked towards his sister-in-law, who sat on a stool at the register covering her smile under her dainty hand. 

"Fine! Alright... I get it, I get it. You like this chick a whole lot!" His brother said exasperated, leaning away from his brother's threatening stare. 

Peeta leaned back too, away from the counter and exhaled a breath in relief. 

Graham's blue eyes twinkled, "So, how hot is she, scale to ten?" 

Peeta glared at his brother, "That's not of your business. It's not like that between us... Fine! She's... She's very, very hot, a hard eleven out of ten, but she's my friend!" 

"Sure. Just a friend."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Peeta asked aggravated.

"Nothing!" His brother responded wiping down the counter, "nothing at all. Just, that you've been very tense, insulting my hot chocolate, demanding perfection, for a simple visit with a friend,"

"Leave him alone Gram!" Chided his wife from her perch, right when the bell above the door tingled cheerily. "Ooh... Is that her?" Asked the woman pretending to be straightening things around her register.

"Hubba, hubba, baby brother! That's an absolute twelve! No wonder you're being such a jerk... Go on, go say hi!" His brother practically shoved him away from the counter as soon as he turned to see that indeed, Katniss had just walked into the front door, looking like a top twelve.

He didn't remember ever seeing her wearing a dress, or so much of her legs for that matter. The first time he ever saw her, she was wearing corduroys so old they were faded with so many washes, paired up with a man's leather jacket at least three sizes bigger than her tiny frame. The second time, she looked pulled together, with a long, tan trench coat over a white blouse and brown slacks. The third time, she wore jeans and a loose t-shirt. Every single time her long, black hair had been in a braid, this time it was loose, cascading in soft jet black waves, so shiny, it looked unreal. She had lip gloss on, and a bit of rouge on her cheeks, which was very different than the time they met in the plane, when she wore red lipstick and heavy eye shadow.

He liked this soft version of her better. 

"Mmm... Hi!" His voice cracked pitifully like a pubescent boy. He coughed, cleared his throat, and smiled at her, when she grinned at him. "You find the place alright?" He winced at his own dumb question, the deli stood smack in the middle of Main Street, across the town courthouse. Nobody could miss it.

"Actually, I got a bit turned around. Took a wrong turn, had to circle the square twice, before the picturesque awning pull my attention to it," 

He stared at her for a moment, trying to decide if she was being honest; her face was completely serious as she spoke, until she flashed him a smile full of perfectly white teeth in a row. 

He rolled his eyes at her, and nudged her forward, with a hand lightly pressing between her shoulder blades. "Come on, you worthless thing," he said smiling down at her, "let me introduce you to my family."

He guided her to the counter where his brother and sister in law tried to look busy.

"So, this is my eldest brother Graham," Graham smiled pleasantly and extended his hand for her to shake, "and this lovely lady, is his wife, Lavinia," Lavinia practically threw herself out of the stool to greet Katniss, while Peeta continued to tell her about the couple, "They gave me two out of my three rambunctious nephews, and the one and only niece." 

Peeta beamed at his brother and sister, while Katniss let out a hurriedly enthusiastic, "I've heard so much about you! It's nice to put faces to the names!" 

"You have?" Asked Lavinia a bit taken aback, looking at her brother in law in surprise.

"Of course. Peeta always has something nice to say about his family," she looked up at Peeta, with a small flash of adoration in her gaze, that quickly morphed into her usual relax stare. 

"Well! If that's the case, I won't over charge him when he starts pestering my server with his ridiculous demands," Graham said giving Peeta a pointed look, that only garnered him a murdorous glare in return. "Please, take a seat," Graham offered with hand motion signaling the small tables at the other side of the room. "Glimmer will be with you in a minute."  

"I'm glad you came before 'rush hour'. This place gets incredibly packed at lunch and diner time," he said as they maneuvered around the mostly empty deli.

They took a sit at the further most corner, and started talking immediately.

"So, how long has it been since we last saw each other?" She asked placing her purse in the empty chair next to her. 

"Six days, seven hours, thirty two minutes, but who's counting?" Peeta said promptly, making her laugh heartily. 

"You're a nut!" 

"I hope I'm a good nut, you know what happened to Veruka in that remake of Willy Wonka,"

She looked at him quizzically, "Huh?" She asked confused.

"Willy Wonka? Chocolate factory? Originally played by Gene Wilder, then Johnny Depp? Books by Roald Dahl?" 

She stared at him blankly.

"Uh... Golden ticket? Seriously? Nothing? Doesn't ring any bells?" His pitch increased with every question he asked, his eyes widened as he went, until she bursted out laughing.

"Oh dear! You're so easy, Mellark!" She guffawed some more. 

He narrowed his eyes at her, and shook his head. "You're impossible, woman!" 

She kept on laughing, until she saw the waitress approach their table. Katniss noticed how the young woman's face seemed to sour as she saw who the people and table were. She could have sworn she saw the blond with the golden rack peeking out of her fitted white top, mouthed a "fuck no" as her green eyes zeroed in on Peeta in defeat. 

The girl finally stood next to them, and up close, she looked younger than the garish makeup made her seemed for afar. She gave them a strained smile, before greeting them, with a very heavy Jersey accent. "Afternoon! Should we start with drinks?" 

"Hi, I was promised the best cup of hot chocolate in the state, plus a delicious bowl of broccoli cheese soup, but you can hold of on the soup for a bit," Katniss smiled at the waitress, who returned her smile readily.

The the girl, probably in her early twenties, turned her green eyes to Peeta, "Peeta... Your usual?" 

"Hi, Glim! That would be great, thank you!" He smiled broadly at her, and the poor girl only gave him a smile boardering on grimace. 

With a nod, Glimmer was gone. 

"Okay, now. Seriously, how long has it been since we actually caught up with each other?" She said checking her menu, between glances at him. 

"Mmm... I think it's been three and a half years since JFK?" He said lips twisting in thought as his eyes screwed shut trying to pull the exact date from his memory. 

"Really? It feels like no time has passed," she mused.

"I know! Crazy, right?" 

"Right!" She chuckled weakly. 

Glimmer came back with a tray; two white cups in matching saucers bearing the logo of the deli, found their way in front of them. One full of the best smelling chocolate, and the other of amber, steaming liquid. 

"Thank you," they said at the same time, causing them to stare at each other for a second before chuckling together. 

Even Glimmer smiled. 

"Have you had a chance to look at the menu?" Glimmer asked hopefully. 

"Uh, yes!" Affirmed Katniss, then her head shot up to see Peeta, with a questioning arched eyebrow. 

Peeta nodded, for her to continue. 

"So, I think I've changed my mind about the soup. Scratch that. I want the Caesar Chicken Salad, and half a turkey and cheese sandwich," 

Glimmer's lips flattened into a thin line, then she asked, without looking up from her pad, pencil poised to write, "Any special directions?" She asked cautiously. 

"Uh... No. Not really. I'll like it however its made," she said simply, smiling up at Glimmer, who only rose a perfectly manicured brow, still staring down at her notepad. 

The girl visibly sucked a mouthful of air, before turning her attention to Peeta, "Peeta?" She asked cordially with a forced smile plastered on her lips.

"Let's try the same thing as my lunch mate! Caesar Salad, with half a sandwich!" He said brightly. 

Glimmer's round green eyes shoot right up, to stare at him incredulously, a smile was starting to form in her lips, when he said:

"Just, make sure they use the wheat bread instead of the sourdough? Also, bring the cold cuts, lettuce, tomatoe, and whatever else you put in it, on a separate plate. Condiments on the side as well, Marvel's very heavy handed with the spicy mustard. And the chicken in my salad... Only salt and a bit of pepper for spices..." He said finally looking up at the waitress, who's face had turned sombered.

"Anything else?" She asked under her breath still scribbling his order. 

"Why, yes!" He said brightly, "Two cups of water, please!" 

Katniss rolled her eyes as the waitress turned towards the kitchen.

"God!" She moaned in disbelief, "Now I understand the poor kid's faces! She hates taking your order!" Her grey eyes widened as she looked at him, while he sheepishly scratch at the table cloth, "At first I thought you and her had some sort of sordid romantic entanglement! Im not sure if I'm relieved or sorry for the poor gal!" Katniss cried out lifting her arms mid shrug.

Peeta had the sense to look chastised, puppy dog eyes downcast in shame.

"You're like the Sandwich Nazi!" 

"Hey! Watch it!" His head sprung up suddenly, his blue eyes hard as he stared at her with lips parted in a sneer. "My mother was part Polish!"

Katniss' eyes grew to dinner plate size, her mouth fell open, and her face turned a bright shade of red, she started stuttering a litany of apologies, that made little to no sense, when a man's deep voice growled, bear-like from the direction of the kitchen. 

"Don't you go believing my son's tall tales! His momma was German! All my boys get their table manners from her... Sadly!"

KATNISS'  gray eyes jumped disconcerted to the man limping his way to their table, he was like what she thought Peeta would look like at 60, down to the crooked smile on his face, if she'd care to bring the image to mind. She quickly returned her eyes to Peeta, who was fighting between scowling at the man that clearly was his father, and bursting out laughing at her discomfort. 

"It's not funny, Peeta!" She yelled slapping his surprisingly solid shoulder, repeatedly. 

He finally lost the battle and cried out in laughter, shaking his head, as he wailed, "You ruined it dad! It was pay time, and you ruined it!" 

The older man glared at his son, but turned his gaze to Katniss, soft blue eyes, as clear and deep as Peeta peering down at her. 

"Nice to meet you, dear. You must be Katniss."

"Y-yes! Katniss Everdeen," she scampered up to her feet, grabbing the old man's thick, burly hand, into both of her's, shaking vigurously, "So nice to meet you, mister Mellark. Peeta has always talked such nice things about you, sir!" 

"None of that now, girl! Wheaton will suffice," he pulled her up to him, into a tight hug, that enveloped her completely, and she sighed, laughing nervously when he let her go.

She fell helplessly back into her chair, perplexed by the show of affection to her, a perfect stranger, from this bear-man. 

"Daaaad..." Peeta gritted out of clenched teeth, "Leave her alone! You're gonna scare her away!" 

Mrs. Mellark only smiled at her, a look of satisfaction on his face, "I'm leaving, not to worry, Peet. I just wanted to come see if for once, you weren't exaggerating," 

Katniss' still dazed head, turned to look at the old man with quizzical eyes, and the man-bear laughed, crinkling his eyes merrily. She groaned internally, knowing then and there, she already loved the Mellark patriarch. She threw Peeta an accusatory dirty look for it, but he really didn't catch it as he was too busy covering his flushed face with both of his gigantic hands.

She'd never noticed how thick and big his hands were until then, not as big as his dad's, but substantially bigger than most manly hands she'd ever encountered. 

She turned her face back to Mr. Mellark and asked in as steady a voice as she could pull, "What was he exaggerating about, this time?" 

"Your beauty," he said simply, then, when her eyes widened in shock and they ran to look at Peeta unbiddended, the old man took her hand in both of his and squeezed, "I'm pleased to say, this time he didn't embellished his description at all." He patted her tiny hand carefully. "Thanks for coming to visit us. You're always welcome here, Katniss." 

"Thank you... Wheaton," she mumbled quietly. 

The silver haired man nodded, then patted his son on the cheek affectionately and left the same way he came from.

She kept staring at the place where the man had just vacated, while Peeta stared at her. 

"Wow. He's really something else, isn't he?" She said almost in awe.

Peeta choked out a quick apology, "I'm sorry if the old man made you uncomfortable, I mean, old age and all. Old people say the darnest things, right?" He asked breathless. Pleading.

She didn't move her face at all, but her eyes slid to meet his, across the table. 

Out of nowhere, Glimmer appeared with a tray laddened with their food, two plates for Katniss, and about five smaller ones for Peeta, she filled up two glasses with ice and water and sat them in the middle of the table, then nervously asked, "Is there anything else I can do for you?" 

Katniss looked at her, and with a soft smile told her, "You can get yourself a slice of pie and put it on Peeta's tab!"

The girl looked unsure, between two friends, before laughing nervously once more, then Katniss reached a hand to pat Glimmer's forearm, "Seriously, my treat!" 

Glimmer, smiled weakly, and nodded her thanks, rushing away from the strange people table. 

"Great, now you've scared my brother's best waitress away," said Peeta trying to sound annoyed, but being betrayed by his emerging smile. 

"Hey, I'm not the one with the German parent!"

"What is that have to do with anything?" He asked quirking a brow.

"Just saying!" She slyly, before taking a generous sip of her hot chocolate. The moan, followed by the hum that left her throat had Peeta with goosebumps breaking everywhere down his body. "Oh my god, Peeta!" She exclaimed setting down her cup, smacking her lips appreciatively.

They way his name sounded in her tongue after that moan didn't help matters for him. He readjusted himself in his chair, that suddenly felt stif and uncomfortable under him.

He took a gulp of his very hot tea, just for something to do, but burned the roof of mouth, effectively releasing him of his predicament in one instant swoop. 

Coughing, he finally ventured to look up at her, draining his glass of water, one eye closed while the other one watered in pain, she giggled and sipped on her chocolate happily, even raising her pinky finger in the air as she tipped back her cup.

"Good?" He rasped after recuperating from his accident.

"Mmmm..." She moaned again. 

He smiled brightly at her, "Just wait until I've paired it with one of my cheese buns!" 

-------------------------

Peeta and Katniss fell into an easy friendship. They talked on the phone regularly, and met for lunch every time she had a few hours to kill during a long lunch break from the magazine she worked for, in the city. She became very familiar with his bakery and gallery, and declared herself his biggest fan, calling him a "two mediums artist": one with fondant and dough, and the other with paint and brush. She even went as far as buying one of his pieces to hang in her home.  

Their conversations were usually light and funny, teasing each other about their views on romance, current events, and life in general, but always respected the others ideals and values.

Although she was very private about her past, Peeta did learned a few things about Katniss' life back home, such as: she had a younger sister, Primrose, who was a Veterinarian back in Panem, she married her Contractor husband, Thom, the same year Katniss divorced, and now Thom and Prim had a seventeen month old son, Asher.

Katniss finally met Peeta's middle brother Brandon, who everyone called Bran, and his little boy Ryan. Bran never married Ryan's mom, but they had stay friends for the little boy's sake. 

Life was uncomplicated for them, and the two friends enjoyed their camaraderie, more than either of them expected.

One night, Peeta accidentally butt-dialed Katniss' land-line, which marked another friendship milestone for the two of them:

The bakery's phone rang obnoxiously loud downstairs; Peeta couldn't take the noise any longer and flew down the stairs, two at a time, fully intent on cussing out whoever was calling out of business hours, only to feel extremely confused for a few seconds, once he had picked up the phone and heard the exasperation of the caller.

"Peeta! Hang up, will ya?" Katniss' voice spat from the other side of the line. 

"What are you talking about?" He asked taking the receiver away from his ear to look at it uncomprehendingly. 

"Your cellphone, you dummy! You called my house phone for some reason, and I can't hang up on you!" She snapped annoyedly. "All I get from your side is static, and white noises I can't even start to guess what's going on! I thought you've been attacked or something,"

"Shit," he ground out, fishing his cellular from his back pocket, where the screen flashed her 'not impressed' face back at him. "I'm sorry Katniss, I didn't realized," he finally pressed the End button and the call dropped. 

"Okay. Thank you... Just, make sure you don't scare me like that again." She mumbled, still on the bakery phone. After a moment of silence, she spoke again, "Mmm... What cha doing?" She asked sheepishly. 

"Uh... Nothing much really... I'm watching 'Chopped', on the Food Network. You?" 

She whooped loudly on the other side of the line. "Is it still on?" She asked breathlessly, he could hear the sound of shifting stuff around her, as if she was hurrying somewhere. 

"Yeah. It's like one of those marathons, I think," He said furrowing his brow wondering what was she doing.

"Yay! I love Chopped! Wait a sec, I'm trying to get to the channel," after a moment, she cried, "There!" In triumph. 

He chuckled. 

"So, who's your favorite? Which round are they in?" She asked enthusiastically.

"Uh... I'm rooting for the only girl in the group, she seems to have her shit together. Last I saw they were about to start the second round, but I have no clue what else has happened," 

"Wha d'ya mean?" She asked around a mouth full of something crunchy, chips of some kind.

"Well, I don't have a TV down here in the bakery!" He said laughing. 

"Oh... Sorry!" 

Then the line went dead abruptly. Peeta pulled the receiver away from his ear again and stared at it, more confused than ever, he was on the process of hanging it into the slot, when the ringing of his cellphone made him jump out of his own skin. 

Her not-impressed face popped up on the screen again, and he answer in aggravation,  "What the hell was that?" 

"So-wee," she choked on whatever she was chewing on. She coughed and after clearing her throat loudly, she said more clearly, "Sorry. I just got excited to hear you were watching Chopped. Nobody else I know seems to watch it, so I can never talk about my favorite televised competition with anyone. 

"When you said you were watching it, well... I figured we could... You know,"

"What it together?" He asked both excited and cautious. 

"Yeah," she responded softly. 

"Okay," he said thoughtfully, staring at the bakery phone before him. "I think it's the least I can do for butt-dialing you," he said with a smile slipping into his face.

"That's right, bub!" She mumbled like a bratty kid, and then a loud crunch filled the line. 

He laughed, finally making his way up to his apartment, "What are you eating?" He asked as he lazily took his stairs, one step at the time.

"Doritos... The ones that give you god awful bad breath!" She said merrily.

"Lovely," he deadpanned, prompting her chirping response.

"Why, thank you!"

"Yeah, whatever. At least I'm not there, to have to smell it."

"Oh, definitely! Watching tv with a friend, while he's not even in the same town is such a great activity! I get to be in my ratty yoga pants and even rattyer old swimming team t-shirt from college, whit my hair looking like a bird's nest!" She laughed breathlessly, "I think it's the best thing that's ever happened to me! Who needs phone sex, can you can have phone Chopped!" She exclaimed loudly, giddy, followed by the crunch of more Doritos being crushed in her mouth.

Peeta made an involuntary little noise at the back of his throat, it was a hybrid gasp-moan-grunt that he prayed had gone unheard by her, the idea of having any kind of sex with her, even the phone variety one, was going to be hard to shake for a long time. Before the impulse to shove his free hand inside his bottoms to greet his expanding member took root, he scratch desperately for something else to talk about.

"Swimming team?" He asked after a weak, awkward cough. "I knew you were a proficient archer, but I wasn't aware you also swam,"

"Oh, I didn't actually swim competitively. I mean, I've been swimming since I was a little kid, but it wasn't a sport I practice. My swimming has always been for leisure."

"Okay, I'm confused. How did you get a swimming team t-shirt then... Unless it belonged to an old boyfriend, maybe?" He asked not really wanting to hear about her college liaisons.

She laughed out loud, "Me? Dating one of those swimming douches? Hell no! Those guys where too narcissistic and full of themselves to look at any girls around them. Plus, I like my man with a little more mass..." She sighed, "Tall and lean, is something I'm not doing again." She made a disgusted sound that made him laugh, "No, I actually swiped the shirt from my friend Annie, who was my roommate all through college. She's the swimmer. Not me,"

"Well, I guess is good you at least know how to swim. I'm not very good at it. I was scared of bodies of water bigger than my bathtub at home, so I really never learned,"

Katniss gasped, and then started speaking loudly, animatedly and a mile a second, "Peeta! I should take you to this lake I know back in Panem! I'll teach how to swim! It'll be so cool! I won't let you drown or sink like a boulder. It'll be so fun! You, me, the lake and a million and ten mosquito species!!! We have to do it!"

"Woah, there tiger." He interjected quickly, "Let's take it easy first. We've just started having phone-TV sessions, I'm not sure I'm ready for you to see the ghostly, almost transparent skin of my bare chest!"

"Ugh! Who said we're getting naked?" She wheezed out.

"Not naked, just in my swimming trunks, you pervert. Although, I really, truly don't care if you see me au naturale, from the waist down. But my chest... Well, that's crossing the line!"

She was both crying and doubling over at waist in laughter, she was having a hard time breathing, but she managed to scream his name in amusement. "Peeta! You shameless tease!"

"What? It's the truth!" He was laughing too, and then in a more serious tone, he shushed her, "Now be quiet you! The winner it's about to be announced, and so help me, if you make me miss any more of Chopped, you're dead to me!"