Catch Your Breath

Part IV-Sneak Peek

A/N: I can only apologise for how long it is taking me to write this chapter. A mixture of college; illness; emergencies and technological issues has held me back greatly from my writing. I really, really hope that I can get this chapter finished for next Wednesday, but I hope this sneak peek is enough for now.

Thank you for understanding (:

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or By the Time you Read this I'll be Dead.

Part IV-Sneak Peek

"We have a state of the art blender," Ariel explained, talking like one of those salesmen on infomercials. "Courtesy of Peeta's folks, of course. On really hot days I'd crack out the ice cream and a few chocolate bars and make some milkshakes." The red headed woman glanced out the window. "It's actually quite nice today, I might run down to the shops later and make you guys some."

Katniss sat stiffly at the kitchen islet, feeling like an alien on a foreign planet. Everything the house looked so clean cut and expensive, she worried about touching anything in case dirt came off her hands like a natural oil of some sort. She never felt comfortable in strange environments, and she never felt more out of place than she did in Peeta's kitchen.

"The chocolate bits might be too big for Katniss to swallow," Peeta reminded his carer. He was sitting in the seat directly beside Katniss, his feet propped up on the third one. He nudged Katniss with his elbow and grinned. "I mean, you can try if you want but it might be a bit of a challenge."

Katniss sealed her lips shut and shook her head. Ariel was throwing a couple of sandwiches into the blender, and Katniss could already predict the yucky slop colour that the snacks would create when blended. She'd eat it to be polite, it was just going to hurt like a bitch when she purged it later on at home.

"I had to have my food blended for a while," Peeta said conversationally as they watched Ariel blend the sandwiches. The blare of the machine was deafening, and Peeta had to raise his voice a little to be heard over the grinding gears. "Chemo can sometimes give you these awful sores around your mouth. When I was first diagnosed I was very prone to 'em. Were a bitch to be rid of, I'll tell you that."

"Language, Peeta," Ariel scolded. She released the button for a moment, the silence like a choir of angels to Katniss' ears. She hated the grinding of blenders, they drove her insane. "I'm sure Katniss doesn't want to hear about your bleeding mouth."

"I'm only sharing my stories," Peeta said, placing a hand on his heart and acting offended. "It's what I'm good at."

"What you're good at is running your mouth," Ariel chuckled. She poured the food mixture into a green soup mug that said 'Talk to me on a day that doesn't end in 'Y''. Katniss could only manage a weak smile as the mug was passed over to her. "Do you think you'd be able to drink a milkshake, Katniss?"

Katniss stared at her mug for a moment before eventually nodding. Anything to keep Ariel occupied. She didn't want to have to start answering questions about herself; it was hard enough to deal with when it was only Peeta.

"I'll get on that, then," Ariel beamed, her expression warm and comforting. "I'll just pop out to the shops then." The carer rounded the islet, ruffling Peeta's hair as she passed and making the blond boy groan with frustration as the style was messed up. "Look after Peeta for me while I'm gone, make sure he doesn't hurt himself with a spoon."

"Excuse me, I am offended," Peeta said indignantly, hitting the countertop with a closed fist.

Ariel rolled her eyes and smiled at Katniss. "There's duct tape in the drawer if you wanna"-She mimed taping Peeta's mouth shut, the boy in question shooting daggers out of the corner of his eyes but grinning like a maniac at the same time.

Katniss was actually smiling, but instantly stopped as soon as she caught herself doing it.

"I'll see you kids in a bit," Ariel called as she left, grabbing her bag from where it lay on the floor upon exit.

Now it was just Katniss and Peeta. Alone again.