Chapter Text
The smell of Twelve was as familiar to Katniss as the aching back from a crap bed. She added bed to a mental checklist as she hiked her backpack off the floor, over her shoulder with one arm looping through, onto her back with the other arm looping through in one swift move. She had to blink several times to acclimate her eyes to the harsh glare of the snow. For once she was glad of the sunglasses pinching her nose and behind her ears.
"Hurry up, I'm freezing and can't afford to risk turning the engine off in the truck." It startles Katniss briefly before she locates him bundled up in a thick lumberjack style coat and a woolly hat pulled over his head.
"What the hell is on your head?" Katniss asks Gale who huffs in response. She walks towards him but he turns and strides away before she even gets there.
"It's a gift. Yh yh I know, but sod ya. It's actually been a God send." They make it to where his truck is spluttering angrily, he pulls open one of the back cabin doors before rounding it to his side. Katniss strategically backs into the open space and props her bag on the seat before slipping her arms out, she turns and shoves the bag until it lands on the bench then closes the door and climbs through the now open door in front.
"Remind me to take a photo for everyone back home." She laughs as she buckles and she hears Gale clear his throat.
"Home huh? So you're going back again?" He says it in a way that he thinks he has honed over the years, a way to sound like he isn't needling for information even though Katniss knows almost without doubt that he's had at least Madge and Prim prodding him about getting an answer from her.
"The answer is still the same, Hawthorne. Anyway you'll be pleased to know that Ripper gifted us a couple of bottles for our party." She rubs her hands together, missing Gale's uncomfortable shuffle on the bench as he stops at a stop sign.
"Probably best to save it for another time." This makes her round to look at him, his eyes are steadfastly focused on the single motorbike trundling across in front of him.
"Did I just hear you right? I swear Gale, if this is another 'dry for me, dry for all' thing because you knocked Madge up again then get over yourself I'm still drinking." It causes a slight chuckle from Gale before he glances at her.
"Madge isn't pregnant, but we aren't drinking today." Katniss's mouth gapes open and Gale clears his throat. "Look, as much as I love picking you up and seeing you all dressed up and reminding myself of the good old days, there's another reason I'm here and not Madge to pick you up." She waits, his truck bumps up the curb onto the drive outside his house but he doesn't stop the engine yet. "If you've got booze then you gotta leave it in the truck for now, I'll drop it off tomorrow."
Katniss stares at him, one hand pushes her sunglasses up her face to now squeeze the top of her head. Gale turns and settles his own gaze on her and he meets her narrowed eyes.
"It's a long story and honestly not worth it right now. We'll drink together soon, promise." He shrugs at her and shuts off the engine.
"I don't even get a reason?" He holds his hands out to her and Katniss scoffs. "I swear, if I go into that house and am surrounded by cheer and tears without booze then you owe me big time."
"Noted." They climb out of the truck and Katniss grumbles while rummaging through her backpack and pulling out various bottles and tossing them on the back seat. "Here put them under the rug." Gale lifts a corner of it off the bench and Katniss gapes at him.
"Seriously? Are you going to pat me down?" The look he gives her makes Katniss swear and pull the hip flask from within her uniform, she unscrews the cap and takes two large gulps before closing it and shoving it amongst the others.
"Everyone's thrilled you're home for the holidays." They start up the short path, lined neatly with flowers. "Here, have a mint."
"A fucking mint?!" She snatches it from his grasp and crunches it angrily in her mouth. "You better spill soon, Gale. This is madness. Has someone banned booze or something." They get to the porch and both automatically stamp their boots to knock any ice off. "Is it Annie?" Katniss's voice softens a little and Gale glances at her with his hand on the door.
"No, she's doing well. Just leave it now okay?" There's an element of pleading in his voice that Katniss is very unfamiliar to, it makes her nod her assent.
With that the door is whipped open and Katniss' senses are assaulted with music, laughter, squeals, flashing bright lights, colours, spices, sweets, candles, and a rush of heat. She's pulled through the door by a flash of blonde and immediately Katniss reacts by wrapping her arms around it.
"Alright, duck?" She murmurs, stopping to breathe Prim in. Always clean and fresh with a new smell of spice. Prim half releases her with a huge beam, but only half releases.
It becomes a bit of a struggle when her shins are attacked by small hands, arms, and paws and eventually Prim lets her go entirely so Katniss can drop to the floor and be bundled by the bodies.
After a few minutes the kids get bored and Rufus has already run off to find someone who will give him more attention.
"What's in the bag Katniss?" The voice comes from Percy, his hands already patting the backpack that was dropped at the door when she stepped in.
"Same old, Perc. Dirty washing, couple of flares, some old ration packs." She grins at the sparkle in his green eyes.
"Liar." Whispers Forrest. His hands are on his hips and he sticks his tongue out at Katniss, this earns him a sharp tap on the side of his head from his dad.
"Don't encourage that tongue Kat, he's been in trouble at school for it." Gale tells her, he greets Madge with a kiss on the cheek before shedding his winter layers.
"We told you not to bombard your auntie Katniss for presents, didn't we?" Madge has pulled out the authorative mum voice and all children, not only her own, hang their heads in shame. "Why don't we remember that Katniss has been on a very long journey to get back to us and would probably be thrilled to have a drink." Katniss' eyes light up at this.
"I knew it!" She glares at Gales and drags herself to her feet.
"Of tea." Madge adds quickly.
Katniss stares at her, looking for some crack in the pale skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair facade but sees none.
"Tea?" She mimics and her eyes travel to the mug in Annie's hands. Piping hot with a faded pink liquid in it. "Since when did we drink tea?" Katniss questions.
There's a brief moment of discomfort. Eyes avoiding eachother before a throat is cleared by the arch to the kitchen and Finnick appears, a tiny baby held to his chest.
"Since we were introduced to it. We even make our own flavours now." He crosses through the room and greets Katniss with a whopping smooch on the cheek. She's distracted briefly by the mop of orange peeking out from the blanket against his chest but it doesn't last long.
"And which lunatic do I have to thank for bringing tea into our lives." She can't resist the hand that reaches out to peel back the blanket to reveal Doris. Her face scrunched to perfection at only a few weeks old.
"Well," The new voice startles Katniss who spins her head back to the kitchen archway. Filled again with a man, but this time much broader, a little shorter, and a head of blonde. "I suppose I'm the lunatic." He smiles at her in an almost sheepish way. Katniss is aware of the others arguing his lunacy. "It really is pretty decent when you pay attention to the temperature for flavours." He makes a half shrug.
"Uncle Peeta makes his own tea, he even uses Mammy's herbs for special tea." Katniss' eyes are now pulled back across the room to where Toby is sat huddled in his Father's lap. Rory runs an affectionate hand through his hair.
"Uncle Peeta." The words slips from her mouth unbidden and it creates an eery silence. Even the children fall quiet.
Since when was Peeta Mellark, the bakers son, who they barely knew and spoke to, and hardly even bumped into at parties at school... Uncle Peeta.
"Can't we do tea after the bag... Of washing.." Percy grumbles, carefully eyeing his father's reprimanding look. Katniss gives herself a little shake and nods rapidly.
"Definitely." She can feel herself unsettled and hates that feeling. She drops to her knees to drag her bag over as everyone finds a seat, Peeta himself leaning on the archway with Rufus's head leaning into his thighs. Those thighs.
Katniss has to pull out the majority of the contents in the bag to get every gift out. Most of it is just tat from stalls she's passed by over the months, the kids go mad for these. Some trinkets of jewellery for Madge and Prim. A handful of shells for Annie. A couple of jars of sand for Finnick and Gale. Even a hand made rope toy for Rufus.
As she digs through for each present she can feel herself getting more and more flustered.
Her eyes flitting to the socked feet of Peeta Mellark every few seconds, odd socks of course.
Everntually she can't hide in the repacking of her bag anymore and stands abruptly, pinning her eyes to the mug of tea in his hands.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here so I didn't bring you anything." it comes in a rush of breath and it takes a second for people's brains to catch up on her words. Peeta jumps to action, shaking his head, one hand out with open fingers patting the air.
"Oh god don't be crazy, I'm just a tag along here. I was just enjoying watching! I didn't expect anything." She meets his eyes and finds those crinkled edges.
"I mean I've got some bottles of white liquor, you can have one." Katniss hears the sharp intake of breath but doesn't connect it to her words. She sees Peeta's smile falter but doesn't consider it. "It doesn't taste as bad as it sounds I swear." she forces a smile, begrudgingly. Peeta Mellark with one of her traded bottles.
"No." It sounds tense from his voice and she can't stop the scowl.
"Good. Wouldn't waste hard earned liquor on your snobby arse anyway." The words fly from her mouth and she hears Forrest's squeal of delight.
"I'm sorry." Peeta is turning to put his mug down in the kitchen. Finnick is on his feet moving towards him and speedily whispering. When Katniss looks at Gale for help all she sees is a man deftly avoiding her eyes. "Thank you for the offer. I really appreciate it but no thank you." He shrugs Finnick's hand off his arm and heads to the back door where he gathers a pair of trainers. By now all of the adults are telling him to stay and not go.
"Well how did you think the secrecy would go down?" Katniss hears Gale hiss and turns to see him glaring at his younger brother.
Peeta sharply avoids all of the bodies as he heads towards Katniss, who steps back several times until he back is against the wall. Peeta pulls his coat off the stairs and tugs it on along with a woolly hat.
"Honestly Katniss, thank you. I just don't drink so would be silly to accept a gift that I couldn't use." He makes a sharp exit at that and Katniss finds herself staring round the room at everyone's disappointed faces.
"What in the hell is going on?" She demands. In the end she storms back to her mother's old house through the snow due to the total lack of responses. There was lots of sighing and texts being thrown around before she left in a huff.
Now she sits at the old kitchen table with a bottle of beer. Thanking Prim for stocking her kitchen before she got home. She's had a shower and swapped her sand filled uniform for joggers and an old top.
The buzz of her phone on the counter behind her makes her turn sharply and picks it up.
Hey I wasn't sure if you still used this number. Or if you ever did. But if you do then wanted to apologise for earlier, again. Glad you're home safely. Peeta.
Katniss stares at it while glugging more from her bottle. She saved him under a question mark that night, she debates changing it but settles on the fact she still has no idea about him.
Same number. No worries. More for myself. Katniss.
She puts her phone down while getting a new bottle from the fridge. It buzzes almost immediately but she waits until she's halfway down the bottle to pick it back up.
Enjoy. You don't need to end it with your name. I only sent mine in case you hadn't saved my number.
Why wouldn't I have saved your number?
Her hackles are up a little, why wouldn't she... Possibly the same answer as to why she saved him as a symbol.
You were never really a fan of mine, let's be honest.
She reads it with a frown, takes a long pull from her bottle then nearly chokes.
Other than that night. I don't meant to boast but you were a fan of mine that night.
He even has the audacity to send an emoji wearing sunglasses.
I don't recall.
There's a little steam leaving her ears as she types it. They were drunk for god sakes, of course she was more enthused than she normally would have been.
The way you could barely look me in the eye earlier tells me other wise.
She freezes, fuck. Was it that obvious her brain had immediately centred in on those shoulders and thighs.
Get over yourself Mellark.
She types with fury.
Alternatively, you could.
I could what?
Get over me. Or on me. However you'd like to phrase it.
Her whole body freezes. Is he really propositioning her? Now, after she'd sworn at him less than two hours ago.
Neither. I do recall you being a decent baker. That bread kneading and shit, does it apply to massages?
I've been told so. What's your ache?
Did you see the bag I carry daily, everything aches.
I can but try to help then. You know, to thank our soldiers and all.
Piss off.
Piss off or come over immediately?
She waits a beat, glancing around the room. She hasn't unpacked and the kitchen table has three empty bottles on it.
The latter.
Shes mad, she knows she's mad. But she's also been hard up for months, normally there's someone around that can scratch an itch for her but this tour was littered with missions and operations so she barely had time to talk let alone fuck.
She supposes she should change, but she was dressed similarly all those years ago and it didn't seem to deter him. She finishes her beer and opens another, hopping onto the kitchen counter to give herself a perfect view to the front door where the glass panel shows clearly when his blonde hair appears. He knocks gently. She calls him in.
His eyes take a second to glance around then they settle on her with a beer to her lips.
"Sitting on a counter probably isn't the best for a bad back." His voice rumbles through to her, he's shrugging off his peacoat and hangs it on the old coat rack then toes off his trainers before crossing through to her. His steps heavy. She watches his eyes drop to the beer bottles.
"I said I ache all over. Not necessarily a bad back." He takes the bottle from her hand and puts it in the sink.
"All over includes back. Are you drunk?" The sentences run together and she smirks.
"You're not taking advantage of me. I can hold my drink." She reaches for the bottle in the sink beside her but his hand catches hers.
He doesn't necessarily squeeze her hand but there's a definite pressure. He steps away and pulls her hand gently until she slips off the counter.
As Katniss turns to lead him through the house he stops to grab the empty bottles to drop them in the sink, knocking over the half full one and letting it glug down the plug hole.
The stairs creak under both their weight and it isn't helped by how heavy Peeta's feet are. She glances back to see him looking squarely at her backside.
"So, are you actually wanting me to give you a massage or..." His voice rumbles gently as Katniss pushed at the door to her childhood bedroom, the same as when she was a teenager only now it has an old double bed pushed into a corner.
"I won't turn it down." She does have to admit that spending several nights laying out on a hilltop has given her a few back twinges.
She turns round when they're in her room and watches as he clicks her door closed, leaning back against it to run his eyes over her room. Katniss takes the opportunity to run her own eyes over him.
He's pulled a hideous Christmas jumper over his top from earlier, his jeans hug his thighs tightly, before she can look down to his feet he is stepping forward.
His hands land on her hips and her breath catches, but he uses her hips to turn her round and guide her to her bed.
With a glance over her shoulder she can see him pull that jumper over his head and chuck it to the side. His hands return to her body to push her gently so she goes to all fours on the bed, he scoffs a little when she looks back at him again.
"Stop that." His voice is light and Katniss can't help the grin that spreads across her face. "Lay down." Peeta tells her. She does as she's told and lies flat on her front, bending her arms up to cross them under her head. "I don't suppose you have any oils or something?" There's a lilt in his voice and Katniss looks back at him with narrowed eyes.
Katniss has to turn her head away when he unashamedly kneels onto the bed straddling her legs. He pushes gently at her top so it goes up and just over where her sports bra band lies. He tucks it into the band gently.
There's a part of Katniss in that moment that is mortified to find herself under Peeta Mellark, the beer settling in her stomach to make her face warm. But that same part goes away very quickly when his hands settle on her skin. It takes a few pressured strokes before she feels his arse settle down on the back of her thighs.
"Now I don't believe you haven't done this before." She sighs as his thumbs seem to press into her lower back and she feels her feet twitch at the sudden relaxation.
"Did I say that?" Peeta asks. She feels his weight shift slightly and then his hands are pushing further up her back. "Can I?" His hands are back on her t-shirt and Katniss nods. He pushes it up and over her head, only getting caught slightly that she has to shuffle to fix. The movement forces her arms to unfold but he doesn't push the top far enough to pass her own hands, instead leaving it wrapped around her wrists. An act that makes Katniss' eyebrows twitch.
"I almost forgot about that dark side, Mellark." She murmurs as his hands press into her shoulders, squeezing and rolling.
"Peeta. You barely saw anything that night." His voice is deeper again and, with the beer encouraging her, Katniss rolls her arse slightly between her thighs.
"Oh there were enough hints." Katniss feels her breath catch as his hands slip down and his fingers slide under her bra strap. They move around from her spine and to her sides.
"I thought I was being restrained." She laughs at this as his fingertips brush down further and pass over the sides of her breasts.
"Oh yeah totally, the whole hands pinned back, cum when you say so, throat thing definitely screams restrained." She hears his sharp breath and can't help the blush that covers her cheeks as she remembers her own surprising reaction to it, and him.
"I was pretty drunk. Though I don't recall you having a problem with it." As his sentences progresses she feels his breath inch closer to her until Peeta's lips are brushing right at the top of her spine. "In fact," his lips move to the left so they're pressing behind her ear. She feels his legs move between hers, his knees and thighs pressing her own legs up into a bend. "I distinctly recall your legs going weak and some rather strong cussing leaving your mouth."
Katniss is trying to think of a response but all she can focus on are Peeta's hands around her waist, his hips pressing into her arse, and his mouth moving down behind her ear.
He's gone all at once and Katniss barely has time to look over her shoulder before his hands are pulling at the fabric by her ankles and in a swift move her sweatpants are gone.
"Turn over." That husk is back from that night and Katniss swears under her breath before doing as he said. She rolls over in time to see him cross his hands at his waist and pulling his t-shirt over his head.
"Shit." This time the word slips out and he grins at her. His hands drop his shirt and then move to his jeans to pop open the four buttons. He pushes his jeans down his legs and Katniss sighs deeply seeing those thighs. He bends down to hook his socks off then crawls back onto the bed, this time straddling her front.
Peeta reaches past her head to twist the fabric around her wrists to make it a little tighter. She takes the opportunity to breathe him in deeply. God he smells the same, just less alcohol infused in his scent.
When he shuffles back down to her, his groin presses hotly between her legs and she almost swears before her mouth is stopped by his lips. The kiss is quick and solid before he pulls away.
"You taste like beer." He murmurs with a groan and Katniss laughs.
"Sorry." He kisses her hotly again, his hips rocking.