For Prim- An Everlark Fanfiction

Chapter 4- Work Time

Katniss POV: I wake, looking up at Peeta. He's still sleeping. He's so beautiful. His soft blonde curls shine in the morning light, the strong lines of his jaw casting shadows along his face. I only have a short time to admire him before he himself wakes. "Good morning." He says, his arm that still remains around me squeezes my shoulder.

"Hi." I said, blushing. He looks at me like I'm the sun, his source of light. Even though last night I admitted my feelings, this still made me feel weird. I sure wasn't in love with him yet. "What's the plan for today?"

"Well, today we are going to the bakery to start learning more about the business."

"Peeta, you should know, I can't bake." I grim sheepishly. I cannot bake anything more than disgusting grain bread.

"That's okay, when the time comes for you to work you can just manage the costs of our supplies and take inventory of our baking ingredients. In fact, that's probably what you will learn how to do today. I'll probably be learning how to organize recipes, make mass orders, and operate the ginormous ice box we have."

"Alright." I say, rubbing my head.

"I think I need to go get dressed, Katniss." He says, and he leaves the room. But not before planting a kiss on my forehead. It sears my skin. I get up and change into a pair of loose trousers and a forest green cotton shirt, my favorite color. We eat breakfast quickly, silence taking over the room as we eat. I feel something in my stomach. Butterflies. I'm nervous. What if his dad doesn't like me? What if his mom freaks out at me like she did when I was eleven? What if they kick me out and I can never see Peeta again? If there's one thing for sure, I cannot lose him. My thoughts are stopped when I hear Prim asking if I wanted some milk to drink, so I broke out of my daze and replied "Yes".

After we finished eating, Peeta grabbed my hand and lead us out of the house. The walk to the bakery was short, but it was filled with laughter. Peeta's jokes were hilarious and the stories from his childhood warmed my heart. And, our hands stayed together the entire walk. When we arrived Mr. Mellark's warm smile made me feel cozy and at home. The smell of fresh bread filled my nose and I sighed with content. We walked over behind the front counter and started conversing about the bakery. I was growing excited before I heard Peeta's mother's voice.

"Wow, never thought I would see the day my son would finally be holding that Seam trashes hand."

I feel Peeta's hand tense inside mine. He flinches almost immediately after he hears his mother's voice. My heart hurts. Peeta's too nice and gentle, this witch of a woman shouldn't hurt him like this.

"Mom, this is Katniss, my fiancé." Peeta spoke calmly. He sounded like he was thinking through every word he said, as if there would be a horrible consequence for saying the wrong thing.

"Oh yeah, I know her. She's been your infatuation for as long as I remember. Didn't think you would ever have the balls to talk to her though." Peeta's body tensed at his mother's words. I hate her. She made Peeta seem weak and undesirable, which he was the complete opposite of. "Please, Peeta. Why her? There wasn't anything wrong with Delly! She was so kind and a sweetheart, not to mention she was beautiful and came from a respectable family!" His mother scolded.

"Mom, I told you. Delly and I had been friends for so long anything more would be too weird. I never loved her." Peeta sighed.

"OF COURSE YOU NEVER LOVED HER! You were too busy ogling this dirt!" She points to me, and suddenly she's attacking everything about me. My clothes, my hair, my unkempt nails, and even... my mother. I flinch as she recalls my mother's sad last few years of life. Everything she said was too painful and brought horrible memories.

"Calliope. Enough. You will treat Katniss with respect or you will stay away from her and Peeta." Peeta's father finally added, after the remarks about my mother. Watching the woman you love slowly kill herself must have broken him inside.

"Fine," she huffed, "as long as- Katniss- stays, keep these two away from me." She finished, walking away. Peeta relaxed his body falling from its tense stance it was in before.

"Peeta. You're amazing. Nothing your mother could say would ever change my mind. You're too great to hate." I sighed, pulling him into a hug. He hugged back as his father watched with a hurt expression on his face.

He cleared his throat. "Alright, you two. Time to get to work." 

(Weeks Later)

I'm sitting in an office above the bakery. I run the numbers through my head again. Finally I get the answer, and write it down on the sheet of paper I have been taking inventory on. I hear Peeta and Mr. Mellark's muffled voices from downstairs. They sound like they are working out a new recipe. I'll probably have to taste test it sometime. But I'm not complaining. This is how it's been for the last few weeks. I've been working on anything math related- I scored at the top of my class in high school- and Peeta works downstairs. Mrs. Mellark stays out of our way and mostly works at the counter. At the end of the day Peeta and I go home and eat with Prim, who is packing our things. We're going to move into the apartment on top of the bakery which hasn't been used in years. 

These last few weeks I haven't spoken to Gale. I don't go hunting on Sundays anymore, so I have not seen him. I can't talk to him yet.

"Katniss? It's time to head home." Peeta calls from downstairs. My heart flutters as I hear him call my house "home". Peeta and I haven't done anything more than hug. Peeta knows that I am not in love with him. He won't try to kiss me. I wish he would, though. I do have strong feelings for him.  I run downstairs and grab Peeta's hand. We bid his father goodbye then head home. As we walk I say,

"I think we should introduce my friend Johanna to Finnick. I have a feeling they would hit it off." Peeta questions me about Johanna, and after learning about her personality he agrees.  I trip on a small rock, almost falling over. I stumble into Peeta's chest and his arms wrap around me instantly. I look up into his eyes and they have the same dark look they had what feels like so long ago. I stare deeply into his eyes and before I know it he's leaning forward. My eyes close as I feel his soft lips on mine. A heat fills my body. I can't believe I lived without this boy.  He pulls away a second later and wraps his arm around me. His face is so full of happiness. I know mine is the same.

That night I hold him closer than before, dreading the moment the morning will come and I will have to get up.