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everlarkficexchange · 3 years

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A Simple Choice

Written by: @justajjfan

Beta’d by: @sunsetsrmydreams

Prompt 83: Katniss is whipped instead of Gale in Catching Fire, Peeta’s the one who’s there to take care of her after. [submitted by anonymous].

Prompt 116: Peeta braids Katniss’ hair to soothe her. [submitted by anonymous]

Rating: Mature

Warning: Mention of whipping

A/N: My thanks to @everlarkficexchange ; @javistg and @xerxia31 for allowing me to go way over the deadline. It was a real struggle but I’m so excited I finally have something post-worthy. My apologies to the 2 anons who have been so patiently waiting for their prompts to be turned into stories. I hope you like what I’ve written. A special thank you to @sunsetsrmydreams. This story would be nothing without you.

~~~

Chapter 1

“Trust me.”

I did. I trusted Katniss with my life, and so it seemed at the time…with my impending death.

After everything we both went through to survive, enduring the pain and horrors only The Hunger Games could bring, it wasn’t enough.

It would never be enough.

The Capitolites craved this abhorrent form of entertainment and under the watchful and devious eye of President Coriolanus Snow, thrilled at the sight of children kill and be killed.

As it was in previous games, once the first wave of bloodshed was spilled, tributes from Districts 1 and 2 formed packs like wolves and hunted down the weak and vulnerable one by one before turning on themselves until only one was left standing.

The Victor.

All this savagery was broadcasted live each year across Panem in all its goriest detail and deemed mandatory viewing for every citizen.

Through it all, Katniss and I beat the odds and fought our way out of the gruesome web the Gamemakers spun to be the last two remaining tributes from the same district. But I should have known better…should have never allowed myself to be duped into believing the odds would at last be in our favour.

All our valiant efforts to stay alive was thrown in our weary and battle-scared faces.

President Snow had no intention of honouring the change in rules by allowing both of us to live and for the first time in The Hunger Games infamous history, have two tributes jointly crowned as Victors. So when the words bellowed in the air announcing the revocation of those rules, it came as little surprise to me.

The promise of a peaceful life and all the wealth any citizen could ever want held no sway over me. Already knowing the odds would never be in my favour, I accepted my fate.

For as long as I could remember, it had always been a fanciful dream of mine to live a life with Katniss, if she would allow it. Dreaming of our toasting and the vows I would say to her as I broke a piece of bread I baked myself and brought it to her sweet mouth. The feel of her soft body as we made love for the first time, even as far as raising a family of our own someday was a stupid pipedream, and I foolishly clung onto it all. Any hope of it becoming a reality was ripped from my grasp and shattered into a million pieces.

The choice was a simple one. When we were reaped, I vowed to do everything I could to protect Katniss even if it meant sacrificing my own life so she could live. I had no chance of winning and besides…no one needed me back home. But it became apparent Katniss had other ideas.

“Together?”

The sound of her voice echoing my question came as a soft whisper and in that moment we understood each other. If we couldn’t leave the arena together, then we would die…together.

In the face of death itself, that one singular word gave me a strange sense of calm and peace.

“One.”

Starting off the count knowing how little time I had left in this cruel and merciless world, the chance to tell Katniss what I’ve always felt in my heart was before me…and quickly ticking by.

“Two.”

I inhaled a deep breath sure the words would flow but instead my voice fell silent. Time was clearly against me but how many words would I need to express what Katniss meant to me?

In the precious dying second, my hand as if possessed with a will of its own, reached for her braid. This was something I had always longed to do and if I couldn’t say those words to Katniss, then I hoped she would feel them through this one innocent touch.

I would have given anything to sketch those steel grey eyes staring back at me. A chance to kiss her deeply and unravel her braid as I gently combed my fingers through the silky dark tresses the way I hoped she would like. Just one last chance to watch over her as she slept soundly in my arms and whisper the words she should have heard me say years ago.

But this was the cruel reality I was faced with and the closest thing I would ever get to realising any part of my dream. And I made sure not to let that final moment between us slip by.

“Three.”

I focused on the only image I would take with me into the darkness…her eyes.

Slowly, we brought the handful of poison berries to our lips, ready to end this before the Gamemakers took the choice away from us when the deafening sound of Claudius Templesmith’s desperate shout rang out from the hidden audio speakers, freezing us both from any further movement.

“STOP! STOP! STOP”

…and so we did.

***

All that seems like a lifetime ago instead of weeks. The Hunger Games, The Victory Tour and everything in between changed after the cameras finally stopped rolling and we boarded the train for home. And as we sped closer to District 12, Katniss began to withdraw from me and eventually shut me out completely and it confused me.

What did I do to make her feel so indifferent towards me?

Those lonely nights on the train were the hardest to deal with. Sleeping without Katniss beside me was a new torture all on its own but it was what she wanted. I guess in the end, conscience got the better of her and I was finally put out of my misery with the hurtful truth.

It was an act…a show that Katniss and our mentor Haymitch Abernathy devised to fool the Capitol into believing we were star-crossed lovers desperate to be together even in death, only it was me who was completely fooled.

But their plan worked, and it kept us both alive. The cave…the embraces…the whispered words…all those kisses were just part of the act and she wanted to forget them all…but I didn’t.

When we finally arrived home, the citizens of Twelve were all at the train station to welcome us home. To my astonishment, they were cheering us both as heroes. Perhaps they too, were acting in front of the cameras. But as soon as the scripted speeches were done and the crowd slowly dispersed taking Katniss and her family along with it, the finality of it all hit home.

I was alone.

***

Living in the Victor’s Village was a new start. But even in our proximity, Katniss avoided having any sort of contact with me. I tried my best not to let it affect me, but the hurt I felt inside festered like an open wound.

I missed her so much.

At first, I blamed myself for Katniss distancing herself from me. She said she wanted to forget and maybe I reminded her too much of the arena and the nightmares those memories brought her.

But I had nightmares too.

Hearing her screams in the dead of night will haunt me forever and even now, it takes all my willpower to stop myself from crashing through her front door and rushing to her side.

She doesn’t need me.

At first, I thought time alone would help her figure things out in her head and I of all people, understood. But time wasn’t what she needed. I finally came to terms with what was real.

Gale Hawthorne had been her choice all along.

***

As one lonely day slowly creeps into the next, working in my family’s bakery has been my saving grace, helping me cope with my new life a little more each day. With both Bran and Rye learning new trades from the Merchant businesses they successfully married into, it left my father with no resources to help run the bakery, making me his only viable option.

The strain showed on his face and although dad would never admit to it, especially in front of my mother, I knew he needed my help desperately. So, when I suggested I could work in the bakery for a few hours each day, he accepted my offer in a heartbeat. In an odd kind of way, it felt good to be needed even if I was being used to keep our family business afloat.

It wasn’t like I had anything better to do.

Understandably, my older brothers were quick to register their new living and working arrangements at the Justice Building, automatically forsaking any claims of inheritance or ownership of the bakery. But it was a small price to pay as far as they were concerned, if it meant being free from under our mother’s thumb.

So, technically speaking I am now part-owner of the Mellark Bakery with all rights and privileges bestowed to any Merchant business holder, making mother my employee.

An ironic twist in fate.

***

Safely hidden in the darkness of my own room, my racing heart begins to calm after waking from my usual nightmare. As it is on most nights, my first compelling impulse is to rush towards the opened bedroom window and look in the direction of her room and breathe out a sigh of relief when I see her.

“It’s okay…just another bad dream…she’s safe,” I whisper to myself as I stare at the shadowy figure pacing the floor from across the way. Even in the darkness of her room, I would recognise her silhouette anywhere and she’s becoming alarmingly thinner by the day.

Katniss always leaves her lamp on during the night because she fears being left in the dark. Her phobia started soon after her father’s tragic death in the mines and the thought of him being buried alive in the explosion has left her emotionally scarred. At least that’s what she told me once before she drifted off to sleep in my arms.

Now, each night I watch on helplessly as Katniss paces her room. When I leave my house in the early hours of the morning for the bakery I try so hard not to look, but it only takes two steps outside my front door before my eyes dart towards her dimly-lit bedroom. She’s always there. Standing at her window, sleepless, anxiously twirling her messy braid around her fingers. When she spots me, she’s quick to move from sight.

I tell myself I must be imagining it, but I swear I can feel her eyes boring into the back of my head as I walk along the pathway, towards the gate. But I won’t allow myself to turn around and see if I’m right. She’s probably glad to see me leave while she waits for Gale Hawthorne to arrive.

It’s no secret Gale and Katniss are together now. My mother takes great pleasure in reminding me of this fact.

“Stop pinning over that Seam trash! She used you! It’s a known fact what she does with that Hawthorne boy in those woods. She’s probably carrying his brat inside of her. Time to get on with your own life and find a wife to help you in the bakery…a nice Merchant girl…someone pure like Delly Cartwright. She’s smart, pretty, comes from a respectable family. Those qualities are a rarity. Delly’s the perfect choice for you.”

Choice. Why do I always cringe when I hear that word?

I can’t continue to ignore the facts before me. Katniss hates me. She spends every Sunday with Gale sneaking off to the woods for hours. When they return, he stays at her house until late and the curtains in her bedroom which are usually left open even during the night, are drawn until he leaves.

I’m surprised Mrs Everdeen who was brought up with Merchant values would allow such a thing, but I guess after watching us in the cave during The Games and The Victory Tour, she’s not troubled by it now and happily overlooks her daughter’s lack of propriety because it’s with Gale Hawthorne after all.

I’m sure to hear the announcement of their toasting soon.

I need to keep reminding myself what Katniss does with her life is none of my business. What made me think it ever was? She’s clearly moved on with her life and maybe it’s time I thought about doing the same with mine.

For once my mother may have a point.

tbc…

#Springtime Edition 2020 #submission #justajjfan #prompt 116

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thegirlfromoverthepond · 4 years

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Fire Is Catching

Once upon a time, I decided to join the list of contributors for @fandomforoz. The ever generous @justajjfan made me the honor to “buy” a story from me.

At her request, here is Everlark in Paris, with a bit of museum, and a bit of fire.

This fic would be nothing without the help I got from @xerxia31 for her awesome beta skills as well as for her help with the image :) Thank you my friend for making everything better.

Katniss was late.

Katniss was never late.

It had become their weekly Monday routine, to meet in the Grande Galerie. Peeta would show her a painting, or a piece of art he particularly liked, or she would take him to the hidden places of the Louvre only a few people knew. She had the keys to all the rooms, knew all the secret stairs, her nightly routine taking her throughout the whole museum.

She was one of the firefighters whose place of work was the most beautiful museum in the world, yet she had almost no knowledge of art.

She had laughed at the Joconde, wondering aloud why people would line up to take a picture with her.

“Look at her,” she had told him. “She isn’t even beautiful. Why do people make such a fuss about her ?”

Peeta had moved towards the painting. It was such a privilege to be able to approach such a masterpiece so closely, without anyone around.

“For today’s tastes, she’s not special. But for Italian Renaissance she was everything. The thing is, it’s all in the eyes and the smile. If you look at her while moving, it’s like she follows you. Try it, Katniss.”

He had smiled when he had seen Katniss cautiously walking around the painting, staring at Mona Lisa, while he could see the astonishment in her features.

“And if you look at her, you’ll see her mouth will fall and turn from a smiling face to a sad one.”

To this day, Peeta still remembered how Katniss’s face had shifted from disbelief to admiration, from curiosity to understanding.

The memory brought him back to reality. Katniss was late. He hoped everything was okay, that the strange sensation he was currently feeling in his stomach was nothing to be worried about.

Yet…

The sound of the sirens brought him to the large, beautiful windows. On the street, dozens of fire trucks were speeding towards the Pont-Neuf with their lights flashing. A few seconds later, another convoy of trucks passed by, again at full speed, heading in the same direction.

Something was going on. Something bad.

He tried not to think of the last time he had seen so many fire trucks, but he took his phone out anyways. He needed to know.

The news had already made the headlines.

Notre Dame is on fire.

Five little words that took the wind out of him.

Peeta had to reread the short sentence several times to be certain he understood it.

Notre Dame, the masterpiece of all cathedrals, the most elegant building of all of the city of light was on fire.

He felt his knees starting to buckle under him, had to lean onto the wall to support himself.

Notre Dame was on fire.

A treasure born in the 12th century, proof of the genius of the men who built it, a splendid building with treasures inside, with unparalleled elegance and grace.

Notre Dame was on fire.

Peeta read that firefighters from all over Paris and the suburbs had been called to join the fight, to try to save the building, the treasures, the stained glass.

The stained glass he wanted to show Katniss one day.

Katniss … As her name entered his mind, he realized what had happened.

With trembling hands, he dialled the internal number nobody ever wanted to use. The one that would reach the team of firefighters of the Louvre.

“Thresh.”

“Hey Thresh, it’s Peeta, Peeta Mellark, from the -”

“The guys from the paintings, I know you. Sorry but Katniss isn’t here tonight.”

“How do - “ Peeta started before realizing with the amount of cameras in the museum, their private visits maybe weren’t that private.

“She’s at the fire. She volunteered.” Thresh answered the question Peeta hadn’t dared ask.

Peeta closed his eyes.

Of course she had volunteered to go. He hung up, not caring anymore what Thresh had to say. Surely something like ‘it would be too dangerous to go’, or that she wouldn’t be able to see or answer him anyway.

The words were lost in a haze.

Peeta ran through the corridors of the museum, for once never stopping to look at the paintings lining the majestic walls, not even taking the time to stop by his office to grab his jacket.

He had walked the Rue de Rivoli so many times, looking at the lovely shape of the windows, the imposing stature of the former kings’ palace, or taking a detour through the Place Vendome, savouring the pleasure of the architecture. This day, though, he ran the whole length of the so long street, ignoring the other pedestrians, running until he reached the Place de la Concorde.

That’s where he spotted the column of smoke for the first time.

From behind the two towers of the building, elegant against the blue sky as always, a dark cloud of smoke was rising, threatening the wooden spire.

Peeta stopped, his breath taken away by the sad sight in front of him.

Something deeper, though, made him start running again. A litany, in his head. Katniss is there, she’s at the fire. Katniss is there, she’s at the fire playing in loop, over and over, with the rhythm of his feet on the pavement.

He couldn’t tell how he managed to get so close to the building, despite the amount of people who rallied towards the cathedral, so close he could almost touch the fire trucks. Yet, instead of looking at the cathedral, he could only focus on the men and women working with their heavy PPE, focusing on the small ones, so he could try to spot who he was looking for. Katniss.

As the day melted into the night, as the spire of the cathedral fell, as people on the perimeter sang, Peeta grew worried.

There were just too many things.

Too many flames licking the heavy stones of the cathedral.

Too many columns of smoke escaping through the stained glass or the open arches of the building.

Too many litres of water that seemed to do nothing to extinguish the fire.

Too many people rushing around, carrying the heavy material, doing their best to save the cultural heritage of the building.

Peeta never thought that one day he would see stone burning. Never thought it would be possible.

He never stopped looking for Katniss whenever he caught sight of a slender frame.

There were just so many firefighters, so many of them running around, connecting fire hoses to the trucks, or to the boats that were pumping water directly from the Seine.

He finally caught sight of her, when she took her helmet off, her braid falling down on her fire jacket, black against red.

He could see the exhaustion radiating off of her when she sat down on the pavement, her head hanging between her hands, shoulders slumped.

“Katniss!” he shouted, hoping his voice would carry over the wind, over the noise of the sirens, over the crowd chanting hallelujahs and ave marias. He thought he saw her turn her head towards him, before she turned back to the tall and lanky man in front of her. It was only a matter of seconds before she was back on her feet, hauling her equipment on her back, as if she were getting ready to dive back into the fire.

She was walking towards the entrance of the cathedral.

“NOOOOOO”

He couldn’t let her go there, couldn’t let her enter a building on fire - yet he wasn’t able to cross the barriers and the policemen blocking the access.

There was nothing he could do.

Nothing.

He felt what heartbreak meant that instant. His soul was torn, his body ached to be close to her.

He had no idea his feelings for her were so strong. So pure. So deep.

He had no idea he even had feelings for her, prior to seeing her entering this burning cathedral of stone.

Now it felt like his heart was breaking into pieces.

After what felt like an eternity, he spotted firemen coming out of the building, heavily loaded with what seemed to be paintings and small statues, stopping only to drink some water before diving back into the furnace.

It was a never ending cycle, in and out of the fire to the hymns of the people who had spontaneously gathered around the cathedral, needing to see what was happening with their own eyes.

To Peeta it was endlessly terrifying when he spotted the familiar silhouette coming in and out, again and again.

The cries of the crowd turned his attention towards the building, towards the flames that could be seen above the two towers, so high in the sky.

The forest was burning.

The 1300 oak trees from the 13th century that made the framing of the cathedral were burning to ashes.

Loud cracks could be heard, even from a distance.

Not loud enough to mask the sounds of the ambulances coming near the building.

It took hours and hours of relentless battle, thousands of tons of water, hundreds of firefighters who fought until the very last minutes of the night to extinguish the fire.

As dawn started to rise, as the sun made its lazy ascent, the fire was out.

The cathedral was still standing.

Burnt, injured, but still standing.

Torn, empty, dirty, but still standing.

Peeta couldn’t believe his eyes as the cathedral remained firmly in place, beaten but not broken.

He saw the Paris firefighters taking off their PPE. Exhaustion was written on their faces, along with something else … pride.

He heard the crowd cheering, the bells of the other Parisian churches ringing, yet he couldn’t join them for now. His eyes were scanning the faces of the men and women who had spent their night fighting against the fire.

Until he saw her.

“Katniss!!!” He shouted in the hopes of being heard, over the shouts and prayers, over the sirens and the water still being thrown on the cathedral.

He thought she couldn’t hear him, until he saw her move her head, as if searching for someone. He felt her eyes pass over him, then saw the perfect moment when she realized he was there.

He hoped the smile that graced her face was for him. He really hoped.

Then she was running towards him, leaving her PPE behind, the loud stomping of her boot clad feet echoing on the pavement. In no time, she was at the barrier, jumping over it just in front of Peeta, ignoring the shouts of the policemen around.

She was in his arms the next second.

April 15th 2020.

He checked the time on his watch, smiling.

Katniss was never late, he knew that. That day, though he was a bit more nervous than usual, was a bit unsure of how the day would go.

He finally saw her, looking even more beautiful with every day he had the chance to spend with her.

“Sorry! I was with Prim, she’s the one who insisted on the beret!” She pointed to the little hat she had on her head, that she was wearing a bit on the side like most Parisian women did. In his opinion, it was a game of equilibrium on how they never fell. He was just happy she had left her hair down, as he had every intention of having his hands tanngle in her locks later that day.

“She was right. You are cute.” Peeta grabbed her hand as they started strolling along the quays of the Seine, one of their favorite walks. For once, they were both off work on the same day of the week, something quite rare with their schedules. The Louvre was open every day but Tuesday, yet there was still so much to do in the museum besides ensuring it didn’t catch fire for Katniss.

She had to go through training on how to save the masterpieces displayed, to prioritize which ones to save in case of a fire (which led to a lot of disagreements from Peeta who clearly didn’t agree with the choices of the firefighters), or simply memorizing the museum’s rooms.

Even the small alcove they both had started to visit, trying to find a bit of intimacy out of the eyes of the security cameras. They still both blushed when they remembered the comment from Thresh, about the arrow tattoo Katniss had on her left hip.

They had kept their private sessions to just making out from then on.

(Even though they never walked through the Egyptian Department without thinking of that time Peeta made her cum next to the statue of Amon).

He was brought back to reality when she slapped his arm at his comment.

“I do not look cute!” She scowled, but he could see the spark in her eyes. He knew better, knew she liked his compliments.

“If you say so, Love, if you say so. You ready for a session with Monet?”

“Monet, Monet, Monet, must be funny, in a rich man’s world….”

“Katniss ….” he sighed, trying to prevent the smirk he could feel forming on his lips.

“What? You can’t go wrong with ABBA!” She laughed, making his heart grow even bigger.

Before their first kiss on a sad April morning, a kiss of tears and ashes, Peeta had never thought he could be able to love so much, so fiercely, so deeply, and yet feel so free.

“Where are we going? Orsay is the other way?” Katniss asked, looking around them. “We’re not going to see your painter friends?”

“Surprise, Love, surprise.”

“You know I hate surprises.”

“Yup.”

“Yet you keep on planning them.”

“Yup.”

“You’re irritating.”

“And you love me for that.”

“No, I don’t love you for that.”

When Katniss spoke those words, Peeta felt his heart break a little.

Sure, she had never told him she loved him in such terms, rather shown him in so many different ways …

“Sit down with me…” he hadn’t realized that she was now sitting on the quay, her hand held out for him to take it. He hoped he was able to conceal how much he was hurting at the moment.

“There’s something I need to tell you, Peeta. That I have wanted to tell you for some time now..”

He could feel the cool pavement under the fabric of his jeans. It felt like cold was spreading inside of him. Katniss wasn’t even looking at him, her head turned towards the other bank of the Seine, facing away.

He saw her take a deep breath before she turned to him, before her hand went to his head, cradling it in her warm palm.

He was sure the killing blow, the coup de grâce was coming.

“Peeta, look at me…” Her voice was soft as the wind, light as a feather. He mustered all the strength he had in him before raising his eyes, before blue met grey. She had the most fascinating eyes he had ever seen. That would never change.

“Peeta, you keep calling me ‘Love’…” He closed his eyes, willing the tears to fade away, wishing for the heartbreak to stop. “Nobody’s called me ‘Love’ before. I’ve been… damn, this is hard!”

This was hard? He couldn’t believe his ears.

He was opening his mouth to tell her to go for the kill directly when she put her hand on his lips.

“Don’t, Peeta. This is something I have to do. For me, for you… for us.” He could feel her fingers shaking as she took a deep breath.

”You took me by surprise, Peeta. I never thought I would… feel so much. At first I blamed it on the fire, on the pain that it brought us, you, that it brought me. It was so awful being inside the cathedral, seeing all this stone being eaten by the fire. I thought something inside me had broken… and then I saw you… you’d been waiting for me all night. All night. And I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t know what was happening inside me then. Didn’t know the effect you’d have on me, Peeta.”

She turned to look at the water, letting her hand fall from his face before she continued.

“I never thought I had so much joy in me, how the little things could become so important. How a single person could have such an impact on me. How three words could make my heart grow so big I thought it would explode.”

Peeta listened, as she went on. It felt like he was living a dream.

“You call me courageous and strong, Peeta. You rave about how you’re impressed when I run into a fire, on how strong I am. Yet, I am not strong enough to say these three words, even though I want to. I’ve wanted to tell you them since the day you told me… Why is it so hard?”

She turned to him, her eyes shining.

He felt something blossoming inside of him. He knew it was love, spreading its wings. Peeta moved closer to Katniss, taking her hand in his.

“It’s hard, because once you say it, it becomes real. The question is… Do you want it to be real?”

She nodded. He went on.

“You don’t have to shout them. You can whisper them in my ear if you want…”

She smiled, and her smile was brighter than the sun. She seemed to hesitate for a second, before leaning into him. He felt her breath on his neck, on his jaw as well as the kisses she left there., Her hair tickled him. It was not enough, yet it was too much at the same time. He wanted to take her lips with his, wanted to ravish her mouth, wanted to take her to his place where they would make love until the early hours of the morning, wanted her.

He knew though that it would have to wait a few seconds. Because Katniss was about to give him the gift he hadn’t dared wish for.

He felt her take a small breath, before the words were spoken softly, for his ears only.

“I love you.”

Something exploded inside of him. It felt like he could achieve anything.

The only thing he wanted to do in that moment though was to kiss her until they ran out of breath.

So he did it.

When the bells of Notre-Dame rang for the first time in a year, they were still kissing.

#fandomforoz #Everlark #katniss everdeen #peeta mellark #justajjfan #things I write #hunger games #the hunger games #AU #Hunger games fanfiction

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betweenribbonsandrainbows · 4 years

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Praise to the mods and writers of @everlarkbirthdaygifts

@que-sera-sera88 even though she has moved on, thank you!

@ally147writes

@justajjfan

@booksrockmyface

@historywriter2007

@mega-aulover

If I missed anyone I truly apologize but know that I appreciate everyone’s efforts to provide Everlark birthday treats for all! We are so lucky to have a group committed to spoiling the fandom.

Ribbons and Rainbows

#everlarkbirthdaygifts #que-sera-sera88 #ally147writes #justajjfan #booksrockmyface #historywriter2007 #mega-aulover #anon #love note #submission

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jlalafics · 4 years

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*hugs you real tight* Would you please send this to the first 10 people in your dash? Make sure someone gets a hug today and stay safe!

#justajjfan #reply

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lovely-tothe-bone · 5 years

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@sunsetsrmydreams I'm addicted! I finally know what they are! Thank you @justajjfan 🧡🧡🧡

#justajjfan #juststella #sunsetsrmydreams #jaffas #australian candy

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dianaflynn22 · 5 years

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Fanfic Ask Game: G (Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?)

I try to write start to finish but I’m constantly popping into the future and writing out how I want to see something play out. It makes getting to that scene much more fun. :)

#fanfiction #everlark #justajjfan

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booksrockmyface · 5 years

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Fanfic Ask Game: B (Any of your stories inspired by personal experience?)

I have to reach back to one of my first ever fanfics that I published online (I've been writing fanfic since long before I realized what fanfic was). It was a Harry Potter fic I had to write to help me process finding out the boy I liked was gay. It featured Ginny and Harry in the same situation. I even put in the dialogue something I said to the guy. It was awkward. It's still on fanfic.net, but it's kind of embarrassing. Most of the other stuff I write comes from my imagination, but there are moments that I am sure are inspired by real life unintentionally. I also sneak in references to whatever I'm into at the moment, but I don't know how much of that is irl inspiration and how much is usually that I need a name for someone and use whatever comes first.

Thanks for the ask!

#ask #answered #justajjfan

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sohypothetically · 5 years

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So you feel like a little holiday gift exchange?

If so, we’ve got the cure!

@shesasurvivor and I decided on an old-school holiday exchange. You tell the universe what you want to read and what you are willing to write/offer in return.

You get matched with someone who wants to read or write that thing.

Fics are submitted, then revealed anonymously at Christmas and on New Year’s, names are dropped and you find out who wrote your gift.

Easy-peasy?

Yup.

But we need you... and your friends. It’s only fun if we have a bunch of particpants!

The link for sign ups is listed below. We also have a new tumblr site for this: thgseasonofhope.tumblr.com.

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/The_Hunger_Games_2018_Holiday_Gift_Exchange/signups/new

Dates:

Write-write-write until midnight December 15th.

Works revealed midnight, December 25th.

Other details:

Hunger Games Fandom only, please.

At least 1500 words.

Don’t reveal your identity once you have you pairing!

#shesasurvivor #creamytinydays #alys07 #alliswell21 #historywriter2007 #justajjfan #awkwardeverlark #sunsetsrmydreams

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katnissdoesnotfollowback · 4 years

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Fickle Games by katnissdoesnotfollowback

Summary: There are a lot of things that Katniss regrets. Taking a job she shouldn't have --she's really not built for kidnapping. Somehow breaking half a dozen laws in one night. Letting down her dying sister. But somehow, she doesn't regret grabbing the shoes.

Written for Fandom Trumps Hate 2019. Based on the music of Amber Run. The lovely @justajjfan won the auction with a sum that still astonishes me, even now. Not only was she extremely generous in her bidding, but she then gifted her prompt to her dear friend @sunsetsrmydreams. While I've been slowly chipping away at this for the better part of a year, the pace has been nothing short of glacial. I cannot thank you two enough for trusting me with this task, nor can I apologize enough for how slow I've been writing and how late this is. Right at the wire. I wish I had more done for this one, so unfortunately, I have no idea when the next chapter will be up. It's a bit of a tricky subject and I'd like to do it justice. Thank you all for your patience, kindness, and generosity.

Warnings: RATED M (for now) for violence, language, kidnapping, disturbing themes, discussions of abuse, Lima Syndrome, and some mind games.

Chapter 1 can be read HERE.

#fandom trumps hate #fth 2019 #fandom trumps hate 2019 #fth #everlark fanfic #justajjfan #sunsetsrmydreams

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geekymoviemom · 4 months

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I was tagged by @thelettersfromnoone thank you so much! 💖 💖

Shuffle your ON REPEAT playlist and list the first ten songs.

From my geeky’s favourites playlist 😉:

1. On Top of the World - Imagine Dragons

2. Duel of the Fates - Samuel Kim arrangement

3. This is the Time - Billy Joel

4. Fireflies - Owl City

5. Battle Belongs - Phil Wickham

6. my tears ricochet - Taylor Swift

7. Under Pressure - Queen and David Bowie

8. Hall of Fame - The Script

9. Big Gun - AC/DC

10. What’s Left of Me - Nick Lachey

List your top 15 tv shows because it reflects your personality.

1. Star Trek: The Next Generation

2. Fringe

3. House MD

4. CSI (Las Vegas and NY 😉)

5. Dark

6. Babylon 5

7. Stargate (SG1 and Atlantis)

8. The Big Bang Theory

9. Star Wars: The Clone Wars

10. Star Wars: Rebels

11. Agents of SHIELD

12. 24

13. The Expanse

14. Star Wars: Andor

15. Daredevil

There seems to be a pattern here 😜🤣

Tagging: @distractionsfromthefood @sherlollyandspoilers @justajjfan @mega-aulover @herogers @capsicle13 @90spopstargirl @gaiagalit @aintinacage and anyone else who would like to play 🧡

Thank you so much for the tag, this was fun!

#geeky gets personal #favourite songs #favourite shows #geeky’s favourites #tag game #thank you!

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ohiwishicared · 6 years

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justajjfan replied to your post “Can’t believe I’ve been on this hellsite long enough to reach 20,000...”

Congratulations? 😀

#justajjfan #lol

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everlarkficexchange · 3 years

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A Simple Choice

Written by: @justajjfan

Beta’d by: @sunsetsrmydreams

Prompt 83: Katniss is whipped instead of Gale in Catching Fire, Peeta’s the one who’s there to take care of her after. [submitted by anonymous].

Prompt 116: Peeta braids Katniss’ hair to soothe her. [submitted by anonymous]

Rating: Mature

Warning: Mention of whipping. Use of coarse language.

A/N: This is it…the very last chapter! Thank you to @everlarkficexchange - @javistg and @xerxia31 ; the 2 anons ; @sunsetsrmydreams and to all you lovely readers! 😘

~~~

Chapter 7 + Epilogue

Taking it as a reassuring sign we’ve reached our destination, my ears prick up to the sound of engines humming and people shouting at Gale to hurry. I’m further reassured when the terrain changes from dirt and tall grasses to black steel.

This must be our ride.

Gale runs onto the steel ramp just as it begins to close and sets me down onto a cold steel seat a little further into the belly of the craft.

“Peeta!”

I look around frantically to the sound of Katniss’ voice calling out my name and see her on the opposite side trying to free herself from the restraints of her own seat as two armed soldiers on either side try to convince her to stay seated.

“Katniss!” I shout back, awkwardly pulling myself up on my good leg only to feel Gale’s heavy hand on my shoulder pushing me back down.

“Strap yourself in. We’re about to take off,” Gale informs me.

Ooompff. I don’t have time to protest as Katniss pushes Gale out of her way and launches herself at me. I grab her tightly in my arms breathing in her scent as she peppers kisses over every inch of my face.

“My stupid leg…it wouldn’t work—” I try to explain but she continues to kiss me and I can feel the wetness from her tears on my cheeks.

“I thought I lost you,” she chokes between each word.

“Shshsh, I’m here now,” I say in a hushed tone, holding her tightly in my arms, “if Gale hadn’t shown up when he did, I would have missed our ride,” I tell her. “He saved me Katniss,” I say, lifting her chin to look at me. “Gale brought me back to you.”

Katniss lets out a shaky laugh and I flick my eyes to the side to where Gale now sits buckled to his seat, his head lowered. She kisses my lips sweetly before slowly turning to Gale, “Thank you,” she says in an almost whisper but Gale hears it and lifts his head to look at her and nods, a brief smile appearing on his face.

“The star-crossed lovers reunion can wait until we get to District 13,” Haymitch announces and I hadn’t even noticed he was sitting across from me.

“Thirteen?”

“You heard me. Welcome to the revolution lovebirds. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of questions and I’ll explain everything but for now buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.” We do as he says and Katniss takes the empty seat next to me holding onto my hand tightly.

As the hovercraft begins its assent, I take a moment to look around my surroundings and see most of the seats are filled with people from our district…survivors just like us.

At first estimate, I count in my head at least 200 hundred people. Amongst the small crowd, I’m surprised to see peacekeeper Darius who sits next to his look-a-like, both obviously happy to see the other and the resemblance is unquestionable. Brothers.

Haymitch begins his story by telling us about how he first joined the rebel underground after President Snow killed his family, his contact with District 13 after rebel spies discovered a plot to reap the surviving Victors for the quarter quell and how this planned attack was about freeing Panem from President Snow’s sadistic rule once and for all.

I scan my eyes further along the craft after Haymitch was done talking, hoping to find my own brothers. My breath hitches when I lock onto a small group of people unmistakably Merchant. Madge Undersee is the first person I recognise followed by a shell-shocked Delly Cartwright who has her arm wrapped protectively around her younger brother seated beside her.

But they’re not there.

“They could’ve made it out somehow,” Katniss says hopefully, noticing my gaze.

“Yeah…maybe,” I answer, kissing the top of her head softly. But deep down I know the probability is next to zero.

***

We gawk in amazement as our hovercraft lands safely in District 13. An impenetrable fortress made of concrete and steel strategically built deep underground.

Once the steel ramp of the hovercraft lowers and locks securely, a flurry of uniformed officials welcome us not as refugees but as new soldiers of District 13…a title I’m not sure I like.

We are quickly ushered towards a ‘clearance team’ waiting to check everyone, giving those who need medical attention priority. Hardly considering myself a medical priority, I’m nonetheless placed on a steel gurney and wheeled into a curtained partition of their hospital emergency room and assessed.

Katniss refuses to leave my side the whole time and holds onto my hand tightly insisting she can be checked just fine next to me, a fierce look in her eyes silently warning no one try and challenge her.

To my relief…no one does.

Temporary repairs are made on my prosthetic leg by a robotics technician and even though my gait is somewhat compromised, I’m grateful I can at least walk unaided. I’m to report to someone called Beetee tomorrow morning for further evaluation on my leg with the view of a more advanced replacement and think to myself maybe life here in Thirteen won’t be so bad.

Medically cleared, we are moved on to another team who measure us from head to toe before handing out a parcel each containing a set of clean clothes, shoes according to our size and a package labelled ‘personal hygiene’.

With parcels in hand, compartment allocation is next and my heart starts to sink knowing I’ll have to spend my nights in this place without Katniss.

“There she is!”

We both turn around to see Mrs Everdeen rushing towards us with Katniss’ sister in tow wearing the brightest of smiles. Katniss immediately locks Primrose in a loving embrace, ignoring her mother altogether.

“Gale told us you were here,” her mother says, brushing off her daughter’s cold welcome. “I was so worried Katniss. You shouldn’t have runaway like that,” she adds.

Katniss steps away and reaches her hand out for me to hold, “you gave me sleep syrup to stop me from going back for Peeta.”

“You almost scratched poor Gale’s eye out. It was the only way to calm you,” Mrs Everdeen says in her defence. Katniss doesn’t respond but I can see how much she resented being drugged. A feeling I know only too well.

“I’m glad to see you are safe Peeta,” Mrs Everdeen turns to me and says genuinely, breaking a moment of uncomfortable silence.

Katniss huffs but I smile and thank Mrs Everdeen just as an officer orders us to line up and register our details for allotted compartments.

“There’s no need for my daughter to register, she’s been assigned to the Everdeen family compartment; Katniss Everdeen; Level 32; Room 234a,” Mrs Everdeen informs the District 13 officer.

“No, I’m going to register with Peeta.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Mrs Everdeen responds. “Peeta will need to reg—”

Katniss doesn’t wait for her mother to finish her sentence and leads me to the registry desk in the middle of the processing room.

“Name…age…occupation…marital status?” the registry officer asks robotically, not bothering to look up and stares at the small screen on his device waiting to key in my answer.

“Peeta Mellark…17…baker…s—”

“Married.” Katniss answers the last question for me and squeezes my hand. I turn my head, mouth gaped open in surprise but I don’t say anything and play along with the ruse.

The officer raises his head from his device and looks at Katniss, “and you would be..?”

“Katniss Mellark…17…hunter…wife of Peeta Mellark. We’re married…to each other,” she gestures, pointing her finger between the two of us. The officer darts his eyes suspiciously from me to Katniss.

Holding in an anxious breath, I feel Katniss’ grip on my hand tighten but the officer eventually lowers his gaze and types in the information, allowing us to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

I hear a shocked gasp behind us which could only have come from Mrs Everdeen but I don’t dare turn my head to look. Primrose on the other hand, rushes over to hug me first then Katniss and whispers something in her ear causing Katniss to blush.

“That’s not true! She’s too young to be married,” Mrs Everdeen informs the officer who raises his head and huffs in frustration.

“I usually keep my noise out of people’s business but I’ll make an exception in this case,” Haymitch says, appearing out of nowhere accompanied by an older soldier and by the looks of his uniform, he’s someone of high-ranking importance.

“Sweetheart and the boy technically became of age the moment they became Victors.”

Shock covers Mrs Everdeen’s face, “but she’s only been gone for 2 days and Twelve’s traditions state—”

“There is no District 12!” Haymitch exclaims. “What matters is the here and now and if they say they toasted then it’s good enough for me, he announces. “Young love, Lily…have you’ve forgotten what that’s like?”

Mrs Everdeen swallows hard and looks across to Katniss and me as her eyes begin to glisten, “no…I haven’t forgotten.” she replies softly.

“We don’t know what the future holds for any us and these two have been through a lot. They deserve a little happiness…don’t you think?” Haymitch questions. Mrs Everdeen ponders his words before eventually nodding in agreement. “Now what do you say we leave the newlyweds to themselves while we enjoy a hot cup of tea in the dining room,” he suggests.

Mrs Everdeen agrees and before she leaves, insists Katniss accompany her to the medical clinic in the morning and another blush appears on Katniss’ face but she relents.

“Congratulations Mr and Mrs Mellark. Enjoy your honeymoon,” Haymitch says, giving us a sly wink before he and his friend, who introduces himself as General Maximus Jackson, escort Mrs Everdeen and Prim to the dining room.

The sound of someone clearing their throat startles us both, “so…you two married or what?” the frustrated officer asks with a raised eyebrow.

“Married!” Katniss replies without pause.

The officer then looks to me for confirmation, “married,” I tell him swallowing hard and hoping the blush on my own face doesn’t give anything away.

***

Stepping into our compartment, we take a look around and see it adequately furnished with a large bunk bed, a chest of draws; a small closet and an equally small bathroom but it’s nothing to complain about.

We haven’t said a word to each other since we were given our compartment passcode. But the burning question I want to ask Katniss must wait, both of us agreeing to shower before settling in.

Although brief, the warm spray of water felt good on my skin and I quickly changed into the clothes marked ‘bed clothing’ from my parcel. When I slide the bathroom door open, Katniss is sitting on the bunk bed dressed in her District Thirteen issued pyjamas, her hair slightly damp from her shower.

Katniss raises her head to see me looking at her and I’m mesmerised by the beautiful sight before me. “Will you braid my hair Peeta?” she asks softly, offering her hairbrush to me.

My breath hitches as she leans her head back and sighs in contentment when my hands whisper over her neck and sweep the dark mane to trail down her back. I begin to brush her hair, carefully working through the knots and snags caused by our harrowing race for safety. Katniss hums as I continue until the brush moves through smoothly.

I reverently run my fingers through the long locks before dividing them into sections then gently braiding them together. I’m struck by the intimacy of the moment, bringing my question bubbling to the surface.

“Why did you lie to your mother about us being married?”

Katniss straightens her back and turns around looking deep into my eyes, “I didn’t. You baked the bread and I asked you and you agreed…remember?”

With my forehead creased in deep thought it takes only a few seconds to understand what Katniss is saying and there’s no hiding the huge smile forming on my lips, “yes.”

“I know I’m not good with words but it was the same bread you gave me all those years ago and it was perfect,” Katniss says. “You’re not taking it back are you Peeta? You do want me as your wife…don’t you?”

My hands instinctively cup her cheeks, “Katniss Everdeen, a life with you has been my fantasy for as long as I can remember. I’ve dreamt of asking you to toast with me,” I start to explain. “I’ve wanted to say so many things to you, solemnly vow to honour and keep you safe for the rest of my life, then take you in my arms and show you how much I love you,” I say, feeling heat slowly creeping up my neck as the warmth rushes to my groin.

She steps away and I immediately begin to worry I’ve said too much. Katniss searches through the pocket of her father’s hunting jacket hanging over a chair and brings the napkin she grabbed earlier today and unfolds it onto the bunk.

There in front of my eyes is the untouched triangle-shaped piece of toast and I have to wonder how it wasn’t confiscated when we were being checked over.

Katniss smiles, the same blush appearing on her face, “it’s Katniss Mellark now but you can ask me to toast with you again if you want and the answer will be the same,” she tells me. “You can say all those words you’ve dreamt telling me…then when you’re done husband, you can show me how much you love me.”

…and so I do.

~~~

Epilogue

Katniss

My eyes are closed but there’s a sense of comfort and mellowness blossoming inside of me as I take in a deep breath to enjoy the familiar scent I’ve come to love.

In my relaxed state, it takes some effort to force my eyelids to open and when I do, my eyes focus on the edge of the bank as a paddle of ducks swim lazily across my father’s lake.

Gone are the electrified fences. The curfews. The peacekeepers. The fear.

This was the first place I took Peeta to see after the war had ended. So many lives were lost during our fight for freedom but for now, there is peace. So, we rebuilt our towns and our families and we vowed to honour the dead by living well.

As I take in the peaceful surroundings, the smell of freshly baked bread invades my senses and all thoughts of death and destruction is forgotten when I feel a pair of warm, muscled arms wrap around my rather large and protruding stomach.

Bringing a child into this world was something I told myself I would never experience and the idea of new life growing inside of me should seem utterly terrifying. Yet as my hand rests on top of his, waiting for our little one to let us know she’s awake, what I’m feeling right now has nothing to do with fear.

I lean back into his loving embrace and instinctively tilt my head to the side allowing him full access. The moment his lips start to trail kisses down my neck, an enticing shiver courses through my body and I hum my approval with great fervour.

“We don’t have to be afraid anymore,” he whispers softly.

“No, we don’t have to be afraid,” I whisper back, as we stop to watch his favourite colour slowly disappear below the horizon.

The End

#Springtime Edition 2020 #justajjfan #prompt 83 #prompt 116 #submission

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loveinpanem-blog · 7 years

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The Right One

Well this is something I thought I would never do, write my own fic but here it is. Trust me, it’s a lot harder than you think and without the help of 3 special people, I don’t think I could have done it alone.

Firstly, I need to thank @thegirlfromoverthepond for her understanding and friendship. You are truly one lovely human being.

Secondly, my story would be nothing without my mentor and beta @finnicko-loves-anniec. Thank you for your patience and brilliant beta-skills. I really hit the jackpot with you as my mentor.

And thirdly (and by no means lastly), @drivebyanon. Thank you for your never-ending support and encouragement throughout this whole journey, even when I wanted to give up. You were my very own cheer squad when I needed it the most so I’m dedicating this story to you.

Sorry, there’s no smut here. I’m still in the ‘pre-school’ stage but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

SUMMARY

‘we don’t meet people by accident, they are meant to cross our path for a reason,’ Rubyanne

Peeta didn’t know her name or even if she was real. All he knew is that he had to paint her image and hope that destiny would allow them to one day cross paths.

THE RIGHT ONE

“Well, thank you for applying. I do have a few other applicants to see, and I’ll be in touch if I need more information about your application,” Peeta said to yet another hopeful single young lady wanting to work at his bakery. It was becoming a joke between many of the other store keepers. They all knew why these girls were so interested in working at the bakery with Peeta. Ever since his father passed away almost one year ago, Peeta had been working around the clock to keep the bakery going and adding a few of his new ideas to make the bakery even more profitable than it already was. As a wealthy young bachelor, Peeta was finding it hard to find the ‘right one’. Obviously in another vain attempt to seduce Peeta, the young girl shamelessly fluttered her eyelashes and giggled whilst stepping closer, proudly showing off the low neckline of her dress that left nothing to the imagination.

“Thank you Peeta, it was nice to see you again after all this time. I’ll wait for your call. Don’t be a stranger, okay.” No, Peeta would not be calling her.

As Peeta turned towards the front counter of the bakery, he thought about how all this came about. After his father died from a mysterious illness, his mother wasted no time in running off to District 2 to be with the man she had been having an affair with for the past five years, unbeknown to his father. Peeta, on the other hand had an inkling that something was not quite right. “Good riddance” he thought, but getting full ownership of his father’s beloved bakery cost Peeta an ‘arm and a leg’ in terms of monies that his mother said was owed to her for ‘pain and suffering’. For the years she had to endure working alongside her ‘good-for-nothing, spineless’ husband and his ‘wretched’ bakery, as she so coldly put it. Her parting words made Peeta even more determine to keep his mother out of his life for good. He agreed to pay her $50,000 which she happily accepted.

Yeah, good riddance indeed! Even at the ripe old age of twenty-four, Peeta was no fool and made sure that a legal contract was drawn so his mother (how he loathed calling her that) would not come back asking for more compensation. She would never get her hands on HIS bakery now.

“That’s the third girl this week, Pete,” Thom said as he locked the front door to the bakery turning over the sign on the door to ‘closed’. “What was wrong with this one? Clove right, was that her name?”

Thom helped Peeta out in the front of the bakery making sure the bread, cakes and pastries were always re-stocked and when the baked goods were sold, he helped clean up and counted the day’s takings. Thom was one of the few people Peeta trusted. But this was a temporary arrangement as Thom had a job at the local council as Head Building Inspector.

Peeta sighed. “All these girls want is to worm their way into this bakery thinking they can charm themselves for more than a paid salary. I’m not interested in any of them, and I’m certainly not interested in any sort of relationship. I just need to keep looking until I find the right one–I mean—applicant–I mean–I need someone who’s willing to work hard and help me with the daily running of my bakery–nothing more,” Peeta quickly added, his face burning hot with embarrassment.

As Thom looked at Peeta’s expression, he felt sorry for this young man that he had come to think of as his good friend. “You’ll find her, Peet. I bet you the right one is just around the corner.”

Peeta simply nodded head lowered and walked into the back kitchen.

The weather turned dismal the next day. Rain fell heavily and the wind became bitterly cold. Winter had arrived. The morning routine of firing up the ovens, kneading the dough, filling the cake orders was busily underway and the usual afternoon rush came and went. Thom and Peeta were glad they could finally start to shut up shop for the day.

While Thom wiped down the display cabinets and countertops, Peeta made sure everything in the kitchen was clean and tidy, ready for tomorrow morning’s baking. He turned off the ovens and decided to sit in front of them with a cheese bun he’d made only hours ago. “Okay, I’m going to sit down for a bit and maybe make a hot chocolate, do you want one?” Peeta shouted from the kitchen.

“Nah, I’ll take a raincheck though,” Thom said happily because Peeta’s hot chocolate was the best he’d ever tasted. “I’m going to lock up now Peeta, Madge is expecting me home early today,” Thom shouted back. He knew that Peeta enjoyed a bit of quiet time in the kitchen at the end of a busy day, just staring at that painting on the wall. The little girl with two braids. Who was she? He often wondered until one day he just came out and asked Peeta. He said he wasn’t sure, that maybe she was someone he met a long time ago, that he had to paint her before he forgot what she looked like.

Peeta often stared at the picture he painted a long time ago of a young girl with black hair that she wore in two braids. He hung the painting of her proudly in the kitchen because he was sure he could feel her presence. Maybe she was someone from his past, perhaps when Peeta was a young boy but the urge to paint her image was so strong that it took over him until he was satisfied that he had captured her very essence on canvas. Most of all, he needed to make sure he’d captured the right shade of grey in her eyes. They seemed to speak to him each day, greet him good morning and wish him goodnight at the end of the day. The feeling of calm and warmth coursed through his veins each time he looked upon her image.

The bell at the top of the shop door chimed announcing a customer had entered, only this time a very wet and cold young lady came in shivering with her arms crossed over her chest. She had dark hair that was braided to one side. Her skin was an olive complexion and her eyes were silvery-grey. She was obviously nervous. She looked across the store waiting for the old gentleman who was buying his usual loaf of bread leave. She kindly stepped aside and opened the front door for him. He briskly walked outside in the rain with his baked goods tucked snuggly under his raincoat.

“Can I help you miss?” Thom asked.

She looked almost frightened but she slowly walked up to the counter and hesitantly started to speak. “Good morning Mr. Mellark, I believe you have a position for a helper available,” she said with teeth chattering.

“Oh yes, we do, but I’m not Mr. Mellark. He’s out the back taking a break but let me get him for you,” Thom said with a puzzled look on his face. You look familiar, where have I seen your face before? Thom quickly came to his senses.

“No, no don’t bother him, it’s okay. I don’t want to stop him from his break,” the girl stuttered out.

Just as Thom was about to call Peeta, he came rushing from the kitchen. Peeta felt a sudden urge to go out to the front of the shop. His feet were walking, almost running before he had time to think and when he stopped at the doorway, he thought he had seen a ghost, no, not a ghost, a vision he wasn’t sure. Whatever he saw, he couldn’t speak—move or breathe for that matter.

“Peeta, this young lady is enquiring about the job-“ but before Thom could even finish his sentence, Peeta came out of his frozen stoop and quickly walked over to this mysterious woman. He couldn’t stop staring at her and it made the young girl feel very self-conscious.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi,” she replied. Peeta could not stop staring at her eyes. Those beautiful grey eyes.

I’ve seen those eyes staring back at me a thousand times and now…. now you’re here, he thought.

“I..I..I’m Peeta Mellark miss and you are?” His hand instantly stretched out to her offering a gentle handshake which she accepted instantly.

“Katniss. My name is Katniss Everdeen, pleased to meet you,” she replied. “I’m new in town and I’m staying at my uncles for a while and he said you were looking for someone to help you in the bakery.”

“Yes, yes I am Miss Everdeen, Katniss? That’s a beautiful name.” Peeta whispered to himself. “Oh my goodness, how rude of me, you’re soaked to the bone. Please, come around the back the ovens are still warm. I’ll get you a clean towel to dry off,”

“Oh no, please Mr Mellark, I don’t want to impose. Like I said, I understand you have a job offering, but if this is an inconvenient time I can come back tomorrow.” Katniss was about to start walking out towards the front door when Peeta gently grabbed her arm.

“No, please, don’t go. It’s raining and you’re cold, please, stay.”

Katniss could not understand the warmth she felt at Peeta’s touch even though she was soaked to the bone. “Okay, but I can’t stay long. My uncle will be worried if I’m not home soon.”

“Okay, sure, no problem. I can walk you home if you like–and it’s Peeta, please call me Peeta.”

Katniss quickly nodded then spoke in reply, “Katniss, you can call me Katniss, if you like.”

“Yes, I’d like that Katniss, I’d like that a lot, thank you”.

As Peeta and Katniss walked to the back of the shop where the kitchen’s ovens were still warm, Thom could hear Peeta ask Katniss if she could start working tomorrow. “Yes, tomorrow, that would be great,” Katniss said enthusiastically. “I don’t have much experience with working in a shop and I really don’t know anything about baking. But I love bread and cakes and buns.”

“Buns, oh then you’ll have to try these,” Peeta said. “It’s a new recipe of mine and I think they’re good but I haven’t put them out to sell yet.” Peeta quickly grabbed two cheese buns that he had made earlier onto a plate and handed them to Katniss.

“Hmm, they smell wonderful,” Katniss said.

“They taste great with hot chocolate too. It will only take a minute.”

“No, please don’t go to any trouble Peeta, I feel like I’m imposing.”

“No imposition at all Katniss, I was just about to have a cheese bun and hot chocolate myself so to share with you would be… nice.” Katniss nodded and smiled with blushed cheeks. Peeta handed her a clean towel from under the bench to dry off and as she reached out to take it their hands gently brushed against each other. That warm spark was undeniable, both felt it. Peeta quickly turned to the stove and started on the hot chocolate. The beam that shone from both their faces was hard to miss.

As Thom watched Peeta and Katniss together in the kitchen, he smiled and quietly walked over to the front door, turned over the sign and locked the door. Hmmm, am I imagining it, her eyes are strangely like the ones in Pete’s painting, the one in the kitchen? I’m sure of it, he thought.

Yes, tomorrow was going to be a new day. Thom would be teaching Katniss how to work in the bakery and he knew in his heart that this was the start of Peeta and Katniss’ story.

Yeah, Peeta just found the ‘right one’.

#love in Panem #New Auhor's Month #justajjfan #may 2017 #LIP drabbles #LIP featured works #LIP fanart #submission

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