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thesweetnessofspring · 1 year

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Kiss Cam

In honor of Katniss's birthday, here's an Everlark fic I've had bouncing around my head for a few weeks. Modern AU; fluff; rated G

“I don’t know if I want to go anymore,” Katniss says from the passenger seat of Peeta’s car. But they’re already a half mile from the stadium, stuck in the traffic with everyone else going to the game. She fiddles with the vent to blow the cool air directly into her face, something to calm her.

“Come on, these seats are right behind home base!” Peeta says.

“I know, but I can’t stand baseball anymore.”

“You shouldn’t let him take something you love from you.” Peeta waves a car through to merge into the narrowing lanes.

“It’s just a game.”

“Not just a game. The game,” Peeta says. “Consider this a bit of exposure therapy.”

“You promise to get me as many nachos as I want?” Katniss asks.

“And peanuts and cracker jacks.”

The Mockingjay’s stadium came into full view then, no longer blocked by surrounding buildings. Katniss hates that Gale has soured baseball for her, the game her father had introduced to her, the memories she has of catching a fly ball and getting it signed by Haymitch Abernathy, of summer nights spent in the yard perfecting her throw and her swing. And the only way she could cope after her father’s death was by giving her all on the field with her teammates.

That’s where she’d met Gale, on the varsity baseball team at Lakeside High School. She had been the only freshman to make the varsity team that year and he was one of two sophomores. Together, they became an unstoppable pitcher/catcher duo. Katniss knew Gale’s every move, could read his decisions like they were her own thoughts.

She thought it would always be like that.

“I talked them into putting on extra jalapenos.” Peeta hands Katniss her first round of nachos as she sits down following the national anthem.

Katniss takes the food from Peeta and dives in. There was nothing better in her mind than this–salty, creamy, spicy, with some crunch to top it off. She hums with approval at her first bite and smacks her lips to lick up the gooey cheese. When Katniss looks up to offer some to Peeta, she notices his eyes on her mouth–just briefly, but it sends a warm rush down her body.

She startles at the feeling and focuses instead on the players taking the field, getting a sense for the lineup. But Peeta reaches over to take a chip teetering with orange cheese and that flustering feeling comes back at the proximity, his shoulder bumping into hers.

Of course when he looked at her mouth, he was probably just noting how she was eating–he’d often teased her before about how ravenously she ate. That certainly made more sense than what had flitted across Katniss’s mind. Peeta was, after all…Peeta.

He moved into town their sophomore year of high school and immediately became popular. He played football, wrestling, and of course, baseball. This is where Katniss got to know him, an outfielder far away from where she was at home plate. Still, his arm was reliable in throwing the ball far, all the way to where she would catch the ball and get the out. She and Gale had already been dating for a year, but they’d never been that couple that excluded others. While Peeta socialized with anyone, he always prioritized the group Katniss had acquired (Gale, Darius, and Madge), and usually brought along the girl he was seeing at the time. None of them ever lasted too long.

Katniss had never been able to figure out why exactly Peeta had never been able to date anyone longer than two months. Sure, in high school that felt like forever, but when they moved onto college, it got stranger that of all the girls interested in Peeta, none of them seemed to stick around for longer than a couple months. So strange when Peeta had been the most loyal friend Katniss had ever had–or maybe she felt that way because while everyone else went away from their hometown for school, Peeta had stuck around just like Katniss, attending community college and then the local university.

That was the first big fight Katniss and Gale had gotten into. Gale received a scholarship to play baseball in a city four hours away. He wanted Katniss to come with him the next year, but she couldn’t leave her family. Her mom had to work overnights at the hospital and sleep during the day. She wasn’t going to leave Prim. Gale pointed out how he was leaving his family, too, and that they had to look at the future. The school he got the scholarship for was better than the small state school that didn’t boast any major sports teams. Better opportunities, better future. Katniss had stuck to her decision, though. She couldn’t leave Prim.

Long-distance had sucked, but Gale had seen her through some of the hardest years of her life and Katniss was never one to abandon someone she loved.

She should have just broken up with him then.

The Mockingjays versus the Mutts, their rival team. Katniss had to keep it together not to hiss when the first batter went up to the plate.

She wouldn't admit it to Peeta, but it was nice to get back into baseball again and she feels glad he pulled her out to the game today. Just watching it on TV hadn't been enough to remind her of how much she loved it. She needs the sun, the spring air, the cheers of the crowd and the kick of the nachos to bring back to life she'd once been so passionate about.

Then the first inning ends, and the jumbotron focuses in on a man and woman with a heart around them and in bold letters the instructions: GIVE YOUR SWEETHEART A KISS!

"Ugh," Katniss says when she sees it. "I hate kiss cams."

Peeta grins. "All right. Let's hear it."

"It's totally rude," Katniss says. "It puts people on the spot. Some people hate PDA. Some people are just friends, or they're siblings. And it's totally heteronormative! It pressures the kiss out of the people they feature and comes out of the blue so they're unprepared."

"Those are good points," he says. "After all, we're here together. And we're not dating."

"Exactly," Katniss says, though she wonders why her heart is squeezing in her chest so much hearing him say it.

"Though...we are both single," he says. The way he's talking, so measured and considering, makes her focus in on his words, connecting her gray eyes to his blue. "So if the kiss cam lands on us, you can kiss me if you feel like it."

She feels the blood rush to her cheeks and she doesn't know how to respond except to giggle, the thought of kissing him sending a strange flutter through her body.

"What?" Peeta asks. "That bad?"

"No," Katniss says. "No, I...I guess I'll allow it. On the cheek, of course."

"Of course," he says.

The next inning gets started and Katniss adjusts her hat to cover her face a bit more while her heart pounds in her chest. Why was the idea of kissing Peeta having such an effect on her? They were friends, had been friends for years. He'd been her best friend since the break-up eight months ago for sure. She shouldn't be having these feelings for him.

But as they talk and cheer for the Mockingjays, Katniss can't help but feel curious. She'd always thought Peeta was cute, even if she would never have admitted it out of loyalty to Gale. Plus there had been talk...she'd just been so confused about how Peeta, ever the kind, funny, warm, loyal man never kept a girlfriend for very long. Katniss had brought it up to her friend Johanna, wondering if maybe Peeta was actually gay.

"I guess I can't rule out bi," Johanna said. "But he's definitely into women."

"How are you so sure?" Katniss asked.

"Dude, we hooked up freshman year," Johanna said. "All I'm saying is, no gay guy is as into kissing a girl as Peeta Mellark."

"Was he...good?" Katniss asked. Being into and being good at were two separate things, after all.

"Really good," Johanna confirmed. "If he wasn't so goody-goody it would have been perfect."

Maybe that's all it is, Katniss thinks. Loneliness mixed with friendship and the burden of knowing that friend is apparently a really good kisser.

Between the fifth and sixth inning, Katniss gets up to go pee, hoping for the line to be short, but of course it's not. She takes her place and checks her phone, where a text from Prim comes in.

Having fun at the game?

Katniss types out a response: Yeah, only I think I might be into Peeta now?

The message is sent off with a swoop noise. That's when a woman coming from washing her hands stops and plants herself in front of Katniss.

"Hey, Katniss Everdeen!" she says. It's Clove Sanchez, someone Katniss had gone to school with, and was one of the girls Peeta had briefly dated.

"Oh, hi Clove," Katniss says. "How have you been?"

"Great!" Clove gives a smug smile. "My Instagram has hit a hundred thousand followers, and District Knives is sponsoring my content. Plus, I'm dating Cato Larsen."

Cato Larsen, the Mockingjay's starting shortstop. He looked like a caveman to Katniss, but Clove had always been the type of person to go for the best, which is why she'd sunk her claws into Peeta for a few weeks in high school.

"How about you?" Clove asks, and by the glint in her eye Katniss can tell she's trying to goad her.

"Good," Katniss replies briefly. "Yeah, things are good."

"I heard about you and Gale online." Clove pouts with fake sympathy. "So sorry about that."

"Well, it was for the best." Usually Katniss hates that kind of cliché phrasing, but dealing with people's comments about the end of her seven-year relationship warranted them. The only people she'd really shared her thoughts with about the situation had been Prim and Peeta. Other people like Madge and Darius warranted more details than others, since they were also friends with Gale, but it wasn't anyone else's business.

Finally a stall opens up and Katniss says, "Good catching up. I'm just going to–"

She points toward the toilet and escapes Clove. In the stall she takes a few deep breaths. Damn Gale.

They'd survived long-distance through college and Gale was getting scouted by the major leagues. The Mockingjays had made an offer, and Katniss had been ecstatic he could come back home. Then the offer from The Trappers came along, and they were a better team. The Mockingjays, admittedly, hadn't been good for the past fifteen years, so it was the better career move.

They were going to do one more year long-distance while Katniss finished up her bachelors degree. But something shifted then. Gale was the hot new rookie, pulling The Trappers from a middle-ranking team to battling for a spot in the championships. And college was very different from the pros.

Katniss, who had never been into social media much and kept everything private, had hundreds of requests to follow her from random people she didn't know. But they had figured out she was Gale's long-term girlfriend from his own posts and were curious. Worst were the comments on his pictures. Most were kind, but others seemed determined to drag her down. Criticizing how she looked, how they perceived her personality, claiming she wasn't hot enough for him, or only with him for the money. Katniss asked Gale to not post pictures of her anymore, which upset him.

"I'm trying to build my image," Gale said. "I'll get better brand deals if I have an angle to it, and part of that is you. You're my girlfriend. I want to be a solid example of a good family man, and you're part of that."

"Family man?" Katniss asked. They'd talked about kids in the far future, but they didn't have any plans soon. They hadn't even discussed marriage outside of a future, undetermined time.

"Yeah," Gale said, "After my dad left us, I had to look to other men to figure out who to be. I want to be that for other boys who might be like me."

"I hate the attention I'm getting, though," Katniss said. "I don't want to live a public life!"

"This is my career," Gale said. "It's part of the job."

They had never really been able to settle the argument. Gale didn't post pictures anymore without Katniss's permission, and occasionally she'd allow a story, but nothing permanent. Toward the end of Gale's first season, Katniss had flown out to see a game, but in his hotel room they ended with an argument about the same issue regarding social media and Gale's career. Then Gale proposed a compromise: they get married and have a baby.

"What?" Katniss asked. "How is that a compromise?"

"I'll be able to play up the dad angle and you can stay private," Gale said.

Katniss's mouth flew open. "I can't believe you want to have a baby to market yourself."

"We're going to have one anyway eventually!" Gale said.

"I don't want my kids all over Instagram where any creep can see them!"

They never recovered from that. Katniss went back home a single woman for the first time in seven years. Several pity parties with Prim and Peeta, a new job, and some time later, she felt steady enough.

Her phone pings with Prim's response: Well it's about time you realized how you felt about him.

Katniss types quickly: What do you mean by that????

It's not until Katniss is back in the stands with Peeta, who has gotten a fresh batch of nachos that Prim's response comes in.

Look, you've always had a soft spot for him. You've always said he was the greatest person to ever exist. Then when you and Gale broke up, it was like you didn't have to censor yourself. That "platonic cuddling" you were doing during winter when our heater didn't work sure didn't seem so platonic. You could have gone to his house where there was heat, after all. You give him really long hugs good-bye, you smile when his name is mentioned, you're constantly wondering why he hasn't dated anyone longer than a couple months. It's in your eyes most of all, when you think he isn't looking. Maybe I'm wrong and you're just really, really good friends, but it doesn't seem that way to me.

"Everything okay?" Peeta asks. Everyone else is on their feet and clapping at Phillip Gloss hitting a home run, while Katniss's eyes are fixed on Prim's text, trying to absorb it.

"Prim's having some boy trouble." She rolls her eyes. "Sent me a huge text about it."

"Well, good thing she has you to protect her." Peeta gives her one of his sweet smiles, with just a touch of shyness, that she's now realizing is only for her. She's never seen it on his face when greeting Prim or joking with Madge, or with any of the over dozen girls he's been with since she's known him.

Katniss puts her phone away and tries to focus on the game, but she can't with Peeta so near. Everything he does seems to draw attention to his mouth. Cupping his hands to his face so his shouts of encouragement can be heard, leaning in close to her ear to compete against the noise around them, sucking cheese off his thumb from the last of the nachos (okay, the last of his nachos–Katniss polishes those off).

Then during the seventh inning stretch, the person beside Katniss pushes against her shoulder and points to the jumbotron. There her own face stares up in confusion with Peeta's in a giant heart and those words GIVE YOUR SWEETHEART A KISS! above their heads.

Peeta shrugs with a lift of the corner of his mouth. He's prepared for a peck on the cheek, the main way to assuage the kiss cam operators to not continually embarrass those who try to refuse the attention. But some impulse comes over Katniss and she seals her lips over his. He jumps a little in surprise, but is quick to return the gesture, cradling her face with his hand and parting his lips to her. He tastes spicy and salty from the nachos, but underneath that, like an incredible delicacy. Katniss becomes so warm in her belly she's sure she swallowed a star and it's burning up in her body.

When they pull away, they're no longer on the jumbotron and a group of guys behind them whistle. Katniss shifts back into her seat, unable to look at Peeta. Oh, god. She just kissed her best friend.

Trying not to have to deal with the aftermath of this quite yet, Katniss takes out her phone and texts Prim:

Katniss: I kissed Peeta.

Prim: !!!!!

Katniss: It was for the kiss cam.

Katniss: But I liked it. A lot.

Katniss: What am I gonna do? He's my best friend. I can't lose him!

Gale had been her friend, before. Then he'd kissed her and she felt like she had to go along with it so she wouldn't lose him. And she had loved him before, had told herself that the love she had for him was good. It wouldn't be like when her mom lost her dad. Safe. That's what Gale had been.

Prim: I don't think you could ever lose him.

Then a different notification comes up on Katniss's phone. She'd been tagged in a story on Instagram. Curious, she opens the notification and saw that Clove had posted a video of the kiss cam footage to her story with the comment:

Guess @Katniss2008 is over @PitcherGale

Katniss watches in the story with horror, clicking back several times to watch the way she moves in so insistently, the way Peeta takes her up on this chance, and the eagerness both of them display kissing each other. Gale might not see this, he got tagged in so much now. But Clove, a player's girlfriend with over hundred thousand followers, had certainly assured that the whole baseball community would be talking about the kiss. This is exactly the kind of thing she'd wanted to get away from!

"Oh no," Peeta says. Katniss looks over and sees that he has the same story pulled up on his phone. He looks up at her, apology all over his face. "Should we go?"

Katniss nods her head and they gather up their things and trash to get out of that stadium. They walk briskly, mostly because Katniss has to get away from the crowds, to feel like she might have some kind of privacy in this stupid social media world.

The sky has turned orange and red with the sunset as they reach Peeta's car. Once inside, Peeta won't take the silence anymore.

"Katniss?" Peeta asks. "How are you?"

She chokes out an incredulous laugh. "I don't know! Angry, upset, embarrassed. I want to use one of those sponsored knives and cut her!"

"I'm sure you could explain to Gale," Peeta says. "If you're worried about him. About him thinking we..."

And he stops, blinking and turning away. And Katniss caught the a glimpse of the rarest emotion to cross Peeta's face–pain. He was always the first to help, the first to offer a smile or a kind word. Katniss wonders if what she's thinking is true, if Peeta has feelings for her, what it must have been like. Her and Gale together for so long, then her rants against ever dating again after what happened.

"I don't care what Gale thinks," Katniss says and meaning it. "I just hate that Clove put our personal business up for everyone to see."

"We did kiss in front of thousands of people," Peeta says. "But I get what you mean."

They sit in spent anger and simmering disappointment until Peeta says, "So, did this totally ruin any chance between us?"

"No," Katniss says. "Not for me, at least."

Peeta exhales a chuckle in relief. "Good. Because I've liked you forever."

"Forever?" Katniss asks, surprised. She'd thought it must have snuck up on him like it had for her.

"Since the first day I saw you," Peeta says. "Mrs. Trinket's history class. You looked really cool, with your leather jacket and long braid, and then Dylan Marvel threw an apple toward Rue Jackson and you reached out your hand and just caught it and threw it back at him, right on his head."

Her mouth hangs open. She vividly remembers this happening, but her memory hadn't clocked Peeta being there.

"That was the first day of sophomore year," Katniss says. "You've liked me all this time?"

"Yeah." That shy, sheepish look is back. "But you were always with Gale and it seemed pretty set. I tried to date other girls, but it didn't feel fair to date them when I still had feelings for you, so none of them really stuck."

I'm the reason he's dated so many girls, Katniss realizes. Not commitment issues or because he was closeted. Because of how he felt about her.

"But these past eight months?" Katniss asks. "Ever since Gale and I broke up?"

"You needed time, and you needed a friend," Peeta says, brushing hair out of her face. "I figured, if it was going to happen, it would happen when you were ready."

He's perfect, Katniss thinks. And then she's leaning over the car console and he's following and they're kissing, finally, finally just for themselves. And she knows it's only the second kiss of many, many more to come.

#everlark #everlark fanfiction #thg fanfiction #modern au #fluff

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vqmpyrecult · 12 days

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POV: Lucy Gray and Coriolanus Snow made it out of the woods and went to Europe 🤍

#the hunger games the ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosas #thg #lucy gray baird #coriolanus snow #alternate universe #they are thriving #rachel zegler #tom blyth #modern au #Lucy Gray makes Coriolanus listen to Taylor Swift and he secretly loves her #they made it out (barely)

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endlessnightlock · 3 months

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150 writing prompts: 89 “YOU SENT ME PICTURES OF YOU NAKED WHILE I WAS IN A WORK MEETING!”

So all I could think of was a continuation of the THG/New Girl fusion that exists in my head. Katniss and Peeta are Nick and Jess. I guess Joanna is Winston? but the piece de resistance (sorry french-speaking friends, that is probably misspelled as fuck) is Finnick as Schmitt. Finnick (flirty, silly, self-absorbed, but it works for him somehow) is 1000% Schmitt and what keeps this universe alive inside my head.

warning: mild sexual content/innuendo

Peeta had the apartment to himself. None of his roommates were due home for a while, and since the sweet rolls he'd promised to bring in tomorrow were in dough form and still had to rise, and the dirty dishes were loaded into the dishwasher, he flopped down on the couch and grabbed the remote. He intended to relax for a few minutes but must've dozed off in the middle of The Joy of Painting (because when didn't that happen?).

The apartment door flew open, rattling the No, Finnick jar so hard it startled him awake. He leaped off the couch like someone caught him taking Spanky for a walk. Awkward and guilty, like he'd done something wrong. He didn't think he'd done anything to justify this sort of entrance, but the unwarranted shame hung over him like a storm cloud.

In the apartment doorway stood Katniss, anger radiating from every pore. She scanned the living room before slamming the door shut behind her. "Where is he?" she demanded.

Peeta sighed, able to breathe again. Not his screwup. It must've been a big one, though. He'd rarely seen Katniss this angry, although she could get pretty hot from time to time. "Fin?" he ventured.

Katniss frowned. "Who else would send me naked pictures while I was in a meeting?"

Peeta scratched his head. "Uh, Johanna would totally do that, too," he said. He wanted to laugh, but now was not the time.

She dropped onto the couch and covered her face in disgust. "Well, it definitely wasn't Johanna today."

"Did you get a wrong-number dick pick?"

Katniss laughed. "No. Just his ass."

Peeta let himself laugh too.

"He asked me if his mole looked any bigger. Said he was worried it might be melanoma."

Peeta sat down beside her. "He knows you're not a doctor, right?"

"Apparently not."

They fell quiet, and Katniss reached for his hand. "You know, you could always send me some nudes. Just warn me ahead of time."

As she crawled into his lap, Peeta thanked his lucky stars they were together now. He was so fucking lucky to have her. "How about if I show you some nudes now?" he murmured.

"That's exactly what I was thinking."

Finnick got an eyeful of his own when he unlocked the apartment door ten minutes later but, fortunately, had the discretion to ease the door shut behind him before Katniss and Peeta noticed he was there. Katniss and Peeta were idiots, but they were his idiots. He'd get their opinion on that mole later.

#endlessnightlock writes #everlark fanfiction #modern au #new girl/thg fusion #nick! Katniss #jess! Peeta #Schmitt! Finnick #I love these guys

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littlemarianah · 1 month

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Modern AU

My headcannon is obviously that Katniss is scared to death of roller coasters but don't know until she go to one.

So she and Peeta go to an amusement park after school. It's Katniss's first time in one. They're not even dating yet.

They walk around, without the courage to hold hands yet. Share a hotdog.

And then they go on the ferris wheel and share a shy kiss. The two are a little embarrassed about it.

To break the ice, Peeta suggests going on a roller coaster and Katniss accepts.

At first she even thinks it's fun, but then it gets too fast, and come the loops, and hard drops. She starts to feel terrified and grabs Peeta's arm and puts her head on his shoulder as he laughs.

She gets angry thinking he was making fun of her. And hides behind the carousel where no one is around. Peeta goes after her and apologizes.

They are alone and so close. Katniss's lips tremble, she still mad but Peeta looks so adorable. She pulls him and he kisses her against the wall. Hearts racing and intense kisses.

They stop after a while. Peeta wipes his mouth and Katniss fixes her hair.

"You know Katniss... we could go in the bumper cars"

She accepts.

#the hunger games #katniss everdeen #thg #everlark #peeta mellark #fanfic #modern au #amusement park #headcanon

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ellanainthetardis · 2 years

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Fixing A House

Haymitch had been sitting in his car for a long time, staring at the monstrosity of glass and steel he hadn’t known could exist only a few miles away from his classic house in his classic town. It must have been built during one of his most serious alcoholic binge periods because… Well, he was pretty sure even he who took pride in not getting involved in anything concerning the town or its people would have noticed something like that being built.

It was awful.

A modern heap of steel cubes with bay windows that afforded no privacy at all. It was his nightmare idea of a home. A literal glass house. Well… house. The word seemed too small to describe the… thing in front of him. Its only saving grace, Haymitch figured, was the absence of neighbors for miles around. Although if a crazy serial killer took a liking to stalking a single woman living in a glass house, that might not be the blessing she banked on.

For the fifth time, he glanced down at the bottle of wine on the passenger seat and wondered exactly in what trap he was about to head into.

The wine was cheap. The woman clearly was not.

READ MORE on ff or HERE on AO3

#hayffie #effie trinket #haymitch abernathy #prompt #thg modern au #teapot #hbic effie #not established #funny one

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dorkofclanlavellan · 4 months

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Modern Girl in Panem Series Intro

Notes: This is a fem!Reader insert series. Not only is it Modern Girl in Panem but there are a few other au details listed below. This is one of the few times I'll be using y/n instead of a nickname. Also, it's set in book canon.

AUs & Changes

Volunteering is introduced this year as the start of changes to try and regain the interest of Capitol citizens.

Being Marcus' mentor is not "bought" for Sejanus, instead (I haven't figured out the details for this part yet) he ends up as Jessup's mentor.

Sejanus will not die at the end of this fic.

(That's all for now but there will probably be more later)

Synopsis

Y/N didn't remember much before she awoke to a dark-haired girl standing over her and shaking her shoulder. She didn't even know the girl's name until she saw the dress, then the name Lucy Gray Baird popped into her mind. How did she know that? Where was she? Who was she?

"Y/N? Are you ok? I know you're usually a bit disoriented after the visions but you're the only psychic in all of 12." Lucy Gray spoke with a voice full of concern.

Y/N. That was her name. She remembered that much. And 12? District 12. The answers were coming to her mind but the memories didn't feel..right. She didn't feel like a person who was born and raised in District 12 of Panem and yet she knew the words, the names of the people before her. And the other information...a psychic?

Surely that couldn't be right. But she tried to peer into her memories and there was almost nothing to find other than what had resurfaced in the last few minutes.

One thing was certain to Y/N, something was very wrong.

#the hunger games fanfiction #the hunger games #thg #thg series #sejanus plinth #sejanus plinth x reader #sejanus plinth x fem!reader #modern girl in panem #au

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lemonluvgirl · 9 months

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Ok, so this idea just would not leave me alone. I told my husband about this idea for a three-chapter Everlark modern high school AU and he really liked it and told me I should write it. So, here is the first part.

August

Junior year

Panem HS

Another year, another seat in the back of the class next to the window. Another bland teacher introduction followed by the passing out of the class syllabus. Then come the dreaded icebreakers.

Never mind that we live in a town of less than 3,000, or that our graduating class will have less than 200 members if every one of us manages to make it through the next two years of high school. And forget the fact that we’ve all been in the same grade together since kindergarten. Every single year our teachers insist on forcing us to ‘get to know each other’.

If I don’t already know the favorite season and holiday of the person sitting next to me by now I probably never will. (It’s Delly Cartwright, and hers are summer and Christmas respectively)

But everything about this class, about this day, hell, probably about this entire year will be completely predictable. The brains, like BT Latier will work their asses off to get top grades, and the sportos like Cato Anderson will try to copy their homework and cheat off them during tests. Girls like Galinda ‘Glimmer’ Franklin and Clove Moretti will ignore the no cell phones rule and regularly update their Twitter and Instagram during the lecture and will only get called out about 40% of the time.

The rest of us will just muddle through, hopefully paying enough attention to pass the exams and avoid remedial tutoring in the library with Ms. Trinket who, contrary to first impressions, is not a vapid airhead who wears too much makeup and hairspray but in reality, is a total hard ass and does everything in her power to make sure the kids she tutors pass their classes. My life is all about reducing stress and hassle, so I’ll be avoiding her at all costs this year. Besides it’s much easier to just pass the first time around than have to deal with the fallout from failing.

So I inwardly roll my eyes at the whole charade of introductions and do my best to try and look only mildly bored.

When it gets to my turn I don’t bother standing up.

“My name is Katniss Everdeen. I’m 17. I’m stubborn and good with a bow and that’s pretty much it.” I say dryly, and it gets a few chuckles.

After that, the spotlight of my peer’s attention moves on and no one spares me a second glance. Which is exactly how I prefer it. Everyone here already knows I’m not very interesting. I hate the whole school spirit scene, and I’m not in any clubs or on any committees. The last time I was voluntarily a part of something, was five years ago. I quit track in middle school so I could spend more time hunting in the woods to supplement the money from my father’s income that we lost after his death. I’ve gotten so good at it that Mr. Abernathy, the owner of the local sporting goods store, took me on as a seasonal hire last summer. I parlayed that summer gig into a year-round job that helps keep food on my family’s table, and shoes on my little sister’s feet.

My life is a series of responsibilities and expectations that my classmates could never relate to. And their lives are a carefree existence of parties, dances, and soap-opera drama that I have no interest in.

They live in their little bubbles and I live in the real world and we will go on co-existing in this way until graduation breaks the cycle.

I zone out of the rest of the class. We won’t do much work today if at all, so I allow myself the small indulgence of looking out the window and planning for this year’s hunting season which is set to open up for archery on the first of October.

That leaves me only a few weeks to finish getting the permits and stock up on the needed supplies.

This year will be harder than the years before since I’ll be hunting alone. My best friend and hunting partner, Gale Hawthorne, graduated and left for Maryland this past summer. He’ll be in Annapolis, training to become an officer and a marine while I’ll be up to my elbows in wild turkey and white-tail deer.

Even though I’m happy for him, I can’t help but feel saddened by his absence. Now there will be no one to watch my back in the woods. No one to help me carry a hundred or more pound buck back if I manage to bring one down like I did two years ago.

The only thing I can think of is maybe asking my boss, Haymitch if I can borrow his truck and if I can rig up a travois then—

The bell rings and I’m snapped out of my thoughts by the shuffle of feet and the whoops of excitement and laughter that my classmates let out at the sound of the last period ending.

I pick up my old hunter-green JanSport, that’s due for another patch of duck tape soon, sling it over one shoulder and make my way to the door.

My exit is delayed by the clump of jocks jostling each other playfully around the doorframe. I breathe out an annoyed huff as I wait for them to pass.

One of them, one of the kinder ones, turns around and shoots me an apologetic look, bright, clear blue eyes shine back at me for a moment before his friends call his attention and pull him roughly behind them. A piece of folded-up paper falls out of the side pocket of his backpack in the midst of this and lands at my feet.

I swoop down to pick it up and my mouth opens to call out his name but the words died on my lips before they can slip off my tongue.

I catch sight of something completely unexpected when I automatically glance down at the paper in my hand. It's the letters K.E. inscribed neatly on the corner that spark my curiosity and prompt my hand to open up the folded paper to see what’s inside.

I lose my ability to speak, to even think for a moment because it’s me.

I’m staring down at a picture of my own face, straight dark hair pulled back into an unseen braid that hangs down my back, while a few stray pieces fall around my eyes, framing an oval-shaped face, dark brows perch surreptitiously over slanted grey eyes and a straight nose above a generous mouth that’s for once not tilted down into a frown, but is instead caught in a relaxed position, not quite smiling but something like the ghost of it, is settled on my lips. And my head is tilted to the side, curiously.

I have no idea when he caught me making this expression. Maybe when I was looking out the window? When did he draw this? Why did he draw this? Is this some sort of practice for art class? I think he takes Ms. Portia’s intermediate art class at the same time I take shop. I’ve seen him going into that wing of the school because it’s right across from the shop building. Maybe he’s just practicing his life study skills. Maybe he’s taking turns drawing everyone in our history class.

I move forward and stick my head out the door, calling out, “Peeta,” but the hallway is empty.

I look back down at the drawing in my hand and fold it back up carefully, before slipping it into the most secure pocket of my backpack, thinking I’ll give it back to him tomorrow.

#thg #everlark #fanfiction #lemonluvwrites #peeta mellark #katniss everdeen #the hunger games #high school au #modern au #Paper Hearts

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chrissymunsons · 28 days

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newly divorced coriolanus snow has his hands full with his little girl. he and livia are sharing custody of her and he has found himself a bit clueless when it comes to entertaining his daughter. after reading up on the benefits of starting a child’s interest in music early, he decides he’ll sign her up for some music classes. He meets up with the teacher on the first day and offends her when he asks if there are any other teachers around considering she seems a little too young for the job, but apologizes after Lucy Gray asks him to leave, saying that he’s desperate to find an activity his little girl can participate in. The first few weeks are a bit tense during the drop off and pick up times, but after staying in some lessons and careful conversations Coriolanus realizes he’s in the same boat as his daughter: smitten with Ms. Lucy Gray 🎹

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lavendertom · 5 months

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You Belong With Me Part 1

katniss everdeen x peeta mellark

modern!AU

wc: 3k

warnings: mentions of death of a parent

tags: some fluff, some moments of angst, modern AU set in high school, childhood best friends, probably a few slightly ooc characters

summary: “from childhood best friends, to school friends, or acquaintances for lack of better words, and now whatever this is.” after being partnered together for a year long senior project, senior year for katniss and peeta is going to be a lot different than either expected.

A/N: winter break is here and i’m bored sooo 🤗 happy to be back for one more story! inspo taken from a few personal experiences, and a city near and dear to me. 🥹 *search up what was filmed in it when you see it ;)* stick around for a second A/N at the end :)

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“katniss, you’re doing it again.” my best friend madge says in a quiet voice from beside me, startling me out of my (what i thought wasn’t so obvious) gaze.

“no, i wasn’t.” i spit back at her in a whisper, looking back down at the paper in front of me. i tap my pencil ever so lightly on the table as i felt my eyes go right back to where they were just a few second earlier.

really, it isn’t that big of a deal. at least that’s what i’ve been telling myself.

it’s the first week of senior year. finally, just under 200 days, and it’ll all be over. most of us will be off to college studying whatever our hearts desire, some will be home with a job already secured, a few probably married within a year of graduating. it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what everyone will be doing. what i do know is that i am beyond thrilled to move on. or i thought i was.

besides my mom, my sister, and the very few friends i have in this town, there was one thing that kept me from even thinking of applying to some ivy league schools i could definitely get into. one thing that kept me from wanting something more than this itty bitty town called hildebran, located near the mountains of north carolina. one small thing that kept me in the place where everyone knows everyone’s everything. his name was peeta mellark.

i could go on, and on, and on about him. from childhood best friends, to school friends, or acquaintances for lack of better words, and now whatever this is, i’ve known peeta for what feels like my entire life. as much as i want to go and follow my own dreams, something in the back of my mind won’t allow that to happen. all because of him.

“katniss!” i hear madge say again in an even more annoyed tone than before, interrupting my thoughts, “get your head out of your ass. you’re partners with bread boy.”

“what?”

my mind takes a moment to register exactly what she’s said as i look back down at my paper, back up to the board with a list of names projected on the screen. i squint my eyes to find that i am, in fact, partnered with none other than the bread boy himself.

i try not to let out a loud sigh, both out of frustration and relief. i mean, i did say “anyone but delly cartwright” in my head before class had begun. before peeta walked in, completely consuming my every thought.

then the realization truly hits. shit, i’m partners with peeta. before i can think about it any longer, everyone is standing up to move seats and sit by their partners. i look over at the table where peeta sits and i see delly’s stupidly long and beautiful blonde hair get up from the seat next to him. i try not to roll my eyes at it, but i want to so badly. i have no other choice but to gather my own things and move myself to the seat next to peeta.

my legs feel like they’re moving at a snail pace, not necessarily wanting to make the wrong impression again. i’m careful with my actions as i place the bag down next to the table quietly, pulling the chair out slowly, and sitting down without a word. out of all people and all times, it just had to be him and now. i can almost feel his eyes on me as i sit there, silent.

the teacher begins giving extra instructions on the assignment, which is a lengthy project to be completed by the end of the school year with said partner. finally, he ends his spiel of directions, giving us the rest of class to begin our research. this should be a blast, i think to myself, absolutely unamused at this situation.

“so…” i hear a voice mutter next to me, peeta is looking down at the paper in front of him before looking over at me.

“i’ll research topics, you can put together the paper portion, i’ll put together the presentation, you take half the presentation in class, i’ll take the other half, have it all done by spring break?” i say quickly, not meeting his eyes once as i check off all the requirements on my sheet.

“really, katniss.�� i hear him say through a sigh.

“what? do you want a good grade or not?” i reply back with a straight face, still avoiding his eyes.

those blue eyes, as if looking into the ocean, they literally captivate you. that’s the only way to describe it. and that’s not the only captivating thing about him, because basically everything about him is.

“fine.” he says with an annoyed tone.

i continue beginning my work, a good distraction from the real distraction next to me. before i know it, the bell is ringing and everyone is packing their things to go to the next class period. i notice out of the corner of my eye delly making her way back over here and i begin packing my things quicker.

“if you need anything – any help – just text me. you still have my number.” i hear peeta say as he puts his things away.

“thank-“ i begin saying as i finally look up in an attempt to meet his eyes, but i’m just met with the view of his back, walking out of the classroom door, delly’s little frame next to his.

nice one, katniss.

***

“we’re going to learn how to give CPR this year!” prim shouts to mom as we walk into the house, the 3rd day of school officially done. one little freshman and one not-so-little anymore senior.

“that’s great, prim.” mom gives a half attempted smile to the girl, pulling her into a quick embrace.

i give mom as best a smile i can give when i cross paths with her, looking around for anything to eat. mom’s in her nursing gear ready for her 12 hour shift tonight.

“there’s rolls on the dinner table.” she says in an almost nervous voice.

“mhm.” is all i can mutter out before i see the bag on the table, the words ‘mellark bakery’ plastered on the front. i look at them briefly, insanely tempted to eat one. do i give in or hold my ground? i shake my head just slightly before running upstairs to my room.

i throw my backpack down next to my desk with a louder than intended thud. i almost throw myself onto my desk chair and let out a sigh. i hear the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. a quiet knock graces my door as i prepare to open it.

“what?” i say in an almost annoyed tone, not on purpose.

“you and prim behave, okay?” mom says, but i see right through this ploy.

“what do you want?” i say unconvinced of her previous comment, as i turn my body to face her.

“you do know who dropped off those rolls, right?”

“y-yeah. rian, probably.” i say, stuttering as she’s bringing up all of this.

“no, peeta did.” she says in her most serious tone, as if she’s angry at me.

“okay.” i say softly before turning around in my chair to pick at the stickers stuck on my desk since i was a kid.

“katniss, just apologize already.” mom says softly.

“no.” i say, probably a little too loud for my moms liking. but she doesn’t yell.

“okay,” she says in her same soft tone as if she’s given up yet again, “i’ll see you tomorrow, i love you catnip.”

“love you too.” i mumble as i put my head down on my desk.

i hear the door quietly shut and i lift my head up. my eyes, against my will, go up to the collection of photos which are plastered on the wall in front of me. all of my best memories since middle school till now, all on display. as much as i scan the photos, hoping to see a different face, they’re almost all of him. him and i, when things were normal. before i screwed it all up. one specific photo grabs my attention, it’s from thanksgiving of freshman year.

the loud sounds of voices chatting, the young ones screaming as they play fortnite on the tv, and the smell of the best food you’ll ever eat fills the rooms of our house. we usually never host thanksgiving, but my mother had enough of it and basically forced everyone over our house. i was beyond excited because peeta, my best friend, was gonna be over.

our family has been friends with the mellarks since i was very young. the name is very well known in our little town. their family owned the bakery in town which has been a staple in every home since way back when. they’ve always been there for anyone and everyone who needs help. our family was no exception.

when my father died i was only 5, which is when everyone began stepping in. our family was already struggling before he passed away. his death was the final straw. the one family who made more of a difference than anyone else was peeta’s. his father knew my mother when they were kids, but grew apart when my mother married my father and peeta’s father married his mother. they were always at our house, or us at theirs, during the most difficult times after his death. holidays, birthdays, and everything were spent together. peeta became my best friend and i was always with him and his brothers, especially since prim was just a baby.

as i got up off the couch to escape the noisy kids from their game of fortnite, i tried to find peeta, who was nowhere to be found. i walked towards the back porch, the sliding door slightly cracked open to cool down the insanely warm house. i sauinted my eyes to make out that peeta had gone outside, sitting on the porch.

i slowly opened the door as quiet as i could in an attempt to run behind him and scare him. but he was 2 steps ahead of me because as soon as my foot touched the creaky wooden boards of the porch, he turned around, giving me one of his small smiles.

“what’re you doing out here?” i ask softly as i take a seat next to him. “it’s cold out here.”

“just needed a break from all of that.” he said as his head pointed to the door behind us.

“screaming at fortnite with the little ones isn’t calling your name?” i say with a small laugh.

“absolutely not.” he says chuckling.

there is just a slight breeze in the air, blowing the little strands of hair around my face into a mess, my braid still neatly in place. i turn my head just enough to look at him. the wind also just slightly blowing his blonde hair which he had grown out to an unruly length over the summer and had yet to cut it.

“how’s school been?” i ask softly. it’s no secret that we haven’t seen each other as much as we’ve used to. different classes, extracurriculars, now he’s working at the bakery more than ever before, it’s kind of hard to hang out anymore. plus, even though we’ve been friends since we were children, now we’re at that age where people find it crazy that a girl and boy can be ‘just friends’.

“pretty good.” he says with a satisfied smile, which brings my lips into a small smile too. “actually, i forgot to tell you, i made the wrestling team.”

“no way!” i say as my eyes go wide, the smile on my face growing bigger. “congratulations, that’s really great.”

“thanks.” he says with a sheepish smile, i could see the slight hint of red on his face.

“just in time to take over rian’s reign, huh?”

“yeah, but i’m sure that’s the only reason i actually got on the team.” he says looking down at his shoes. “they knew him leaving for college next fall was gonna leave an empty space. the name probably holds more meaning to them than anything else.”

“i highly doubt that.” i roll my eyes. “you’re one of the strongest people i know, and you’re just a freshman. not very many freshman look like you, peeta.”

i wasn’t wrong, if you put the freshman class in a room, you could pick him out immediately because of how he looked and how he towered over everyone else. he could easily pass as a junior, significantly bigger than basically all of the freshman.

“katniss, stop.” he said chuckling, his shoulder playfully bumping into mine.

and it was these little moments that started making me feel awkward around him. you’d think after basically 10 years of friendship that we’d be comfortable with each other, but things were changing. at least for me.

i hated that it had to be me that started feeling this way. i used to look at peeta and think about how lucky i was to have a best friend who’s perfect in every way possible. now i look at him thinking that and more. i started to see him in a “more than a friend” way. i was falling faster than i wanted, and i never knew if i’d be able to tell him. i didn’t want to ruin an amazing friendship over the slight chance it could be something more.

i was brought back to reality at the sound of the door sliding open behind us. we both look behind us, my eyes meeting my mother’s.

“what are you guys doing out here?” she asks, just a hint of suspicion in her voice.

“i just needed to take a break from everything going on inside.” peeta says almost immediately (as if he were stopping me from making up some dumb excuse), putting on that one charming smile he does around adults.

“oh boy, sorry about that.” my mom says with a concerned look on her face. it was no secret she treated peeta as one of her own, if not more nicely than one of her own. she knew how his mother was, sometimes she had to be the motherly figure he never truly had. “take all the time you need.”

“thank you.” he says, that stupid smile on his face still. why do i love that smile so much?

“actually, do you two mind if i grab a photo of you guys?” my mom asks quickly, holding a camera while giving an awkward smile, knowing i’ll object.

“really mom, come on-“ i say throwing my head back, extremely embarrassed.

“that’s more than fine, come on katniss.” peeta says happily.

before i object again, i feel peeta’s hand on my waist as he turns his body to completely face my mom, turning me too in the process as he pulled me in by his side. my relatively small body compared to his makes it easy for him to turn me around like i’m nothing. it’s really hard to ignore the feeling of his hand holding me like this.

i give as best of a genuine smile that i can, my mom snapping the photo.

“very cute guys.” she says, a huge smile on her face as she walks back inside. i feel my face start getting warm realizing i cannot hide this reaction to whatever just happened.

“let’s go back inside now.” peeta says as he stands up, holding out a hand to help me stand up. of course, my mind overthinks about the whole gesture, but as quickly as the thought enters my mind it leaves. it’s just how he is. in a world of boys, he’s a gentleman.

i take his hand and stand up, brushing off the chipped paint from the wood beneath me from the uncomfortable skirt that mom made me wear.

he looks at me for a moment, a curious look on his face.

“when are you gonna stop wearing those stupid braids?” he says with a smirk.

“shut up.” i elbow him right in his side with a laugh.

“it doesn’t look bad!” he says laughing in an attempt to save himself from another elbow jab. “it’s just… your hair looks nice when it’s down, too.”

for a brief moment, it looks almost as if he’s going to reach out and touch the very end of the braid. until he looks over to his right, like he remembers the house full of people that could be watching us out here.

“we should probably go inside now.” i say in almost a whisper, not acknowledging his previous comment, but my heart is almost beating out of my chest.

“yeah.” he says with a smile, both walking back to the door.

i hold the photo in my hands, remembering the whole situation with such detail. the whole situation before everything went south. i aggressively pin it back up on the wall wishing so desperately i hadn’t ruined everything.

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A/N: first order of business, tag list! if you would like to be added to the jules jewels tag list for this fic comment down below letting me know :) second order of business, i don’t actually live in NC, so if things aren’t exactly true to NC fashion i apologize!

and if you still want to know, hildebran NC is where the scenes in district 12 were filmed! i wont bore you all with that info today tho, but maybe every future part i’ll add a few other things about this part of NC relating to THG :)

#thg fic #thg series #the hunger games #the hunger games fanfiction #fanfic #everlark #everlark fanfiction #katniss x peeta fic #katniss x peeta #katniss everdeen #peeta mellark #jennifer lawrence #josh hutcherson #modern au thg #modern au #katniss everdeen x peeta mellark

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sleepy-gee · 24 days

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bestie you ask and I deliver again.

Also inspired by another fic I'm writing (sorry lol). Imagine modern au, Sejanus and Peeta being besties!! And Peeta is super into you but also too shy to make the first move, and Sej encourages him to and gives him advices and stuff?

(sorry I have no thoughts about his other characters </3)

please that'd be so cute :((

sej would suggest that peeta make you a cute pastry of some sort, maybe a heart shaped brownie or bread of some kind. and peeta would, of course. he loves to bake, that's not the hard part. he'd wrap it up in pink tissue paper with red ribbon and everything. the hard part is actually giving it to you.

so he totally chickens out at first and just leaves it on your desk at school/work. no note or name, just a pastry. which is suspicious, but it's valentines season, so y’know.. can't be that bad.

he does this for around a month until one day, sejanus decides to intervene and slips a little note into it, a simple one that just says "from peeta". finally, an answer to your mystery!

so you make him something of your own and go to confess that you feel the same and he's all shy and embarrassed and kinda wants to murder sejanus for that but at the same time he's really glad it's going welllll and you give him a really quick and sweet kiss before having to return to class/work

he goes to bed thinking about it and can't stop giggling and smiling

#thg #the hunger games #tbosas #tbosbas #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #peeta mellark #peeta mellark x you #peeta mellark x reader #peeta x reader #peeta x you #modern au #sejanus plinth

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thesweetnessofspring · 11 months

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@sanjarka @distractionsfromthefood requested an Everlark fic based on this post. Hope you guys like it! Rated T.

With the semester over, Peeta had nine paintings that were nearly identical: a pair of feet against various surfaces, from the angle of the feet's owner. Grass, asphalt, sand, carpet, wood, tile, dirt, in a puddle, and under water. It was funny hearing his classmates talk about it: what the symbolism of the feet meant (being steady, being young, going on a journey) and what the various textures underneath it invoked (discomfort, calm, home). Several people joked Peeta had a foot fetish. That joke got old really fast.

The truth was, since he lost his left leg when he was sixteen in a skiing accident, he'd been obsessed with painting his feet how they had been, before the phantom pains and and doctors appointments and expensive prosthetics and awkward responses from people when they found out about it. As if painting them would bring them back.

But now, getting ready to move out of the dorm for the summer, Peeta couldn't stomach looking at them anymore. He couldn't paint a new leg into existence. It had been pointless spending an entire semester on this one angle, this one subject.

He tossed the paintings in the dumpster by his dorm, other unwanted furniture and decor items abandoned there. Relieved, he went on to his summer vacation.

When he returned in fall, his childhood friend Delly made the transfer from community college to the university and invited Peeta over to her place to hang out. When Delly opened the door, over her head hung one of Peeta's feet paintings, the one with the grass. To break up the green he'd added some dandelions, bright spots of yellow around the feet.

"What are you doing with my painting?" Peeta asked before saying hi. Delly hadn't even been in the area at the time he'd thrown them out.

Delly turned around. "That? That belongs to my new roommate, Katniss. It's one of yours?"

Peeta nodded, wary of this. It felt too personal to be hanging up in his friend's living room. Why had her roommate picked this up? It was a picture of feet for god's sake. He'd gotten enough shit just in his class, he couldn't imagine taking someone home only for them to see that and get ideas.

"Let me get her to ask," Delly said. "Come on in!"

Peeta followed Delly inside and closed the door while his friend retreated to the bedroom, knocking on a door and then going inside to talk to her roommate.

A petite girl with dark hair in a braid and wearing an oversized hoodie and shorts came out, gray eyes wary as she took Peeta in.

"I was explaining to Katniss how you painted this," Delly said, way more enthused than either of them in the room. "Oh, by the way, Peeta, this is my roommate, Katniss; Katniss, this is my oldest friend Peeta."

"How did you get it?" Peeta asked, annoyed. He had thrown them in the dumpster. The dumpster! Who the hell took something out of a dumpster and hung it on their wall?

"I found it," she said, arms folded across her chest.

"Where?"

"Outside."

"In the dumpster?" Peeta scoffed. "You had to go to the trash to find some decoration? Couldn't just buy a poster like a normal person?"

"Not everyone has money for that kind of thing!" Katniss spat back. "And it's your art that was in the trash. Guess everyone thought it sucked, huh?"

"Everyone except you."

"Fuck you, I just wanted something to put on my wall. You're the one being weird about it."

She turned and marched back to her room. Delly frowned at Peeta. His behavior was very different than his normal friendly self, even if she could connect the dots between the painting and Peeta's amputated leg.

"You were a jerk, Peeta," she said after Katniss slammed her door, her voice getting squeaky like it did when she was upset. "You have to go apologize."

Peeta glowered at her for a moment, but knew it was true. He had been a jerk. He just hadn't expected to have to see that art again, that art he hated from his head to the stump he'd been left with.

"Fine," Peeta said. He walked over to the door Delly had knocked on earlier and gave it three raps.

"I'm not interested in watching the movie with you and Van Gogh over there," Katniss called behind the door.

"Van Gogh would like to apologize," Peeta said. He waited, listening for a shuffle of feet and Katniss inched the door open, just enough to make out the width of an eye.

"Go ahead."

"I'm sorry for snapping at you and being rude," Peeta said. "And insulting your methods of furnishing your place. And for implying you're not normal. I'd like to start over, if you don't mind. Delly's my closest friend and you're her roommate, so we're bound to be interacting more."

She opened the door wider, then sighed and rolled her eyes. "Whatever, it's fine. I've had my share of lashing out."

"Yeah, it wasn't about you," Peeta said. "I didn't expect to see that painting again."

Katniss wrinkled her nose. "You did paint a lot of feet."

Peeta laughed. "It's not a fetish, I promise."

"What was it, then?"

"The artist is dead," Peeta said. "What did you see when you picked it out?"

"Oh, god, are you one of those unbearable, pretentious artsy people?" Katniss asked, her expression of disgust growing deeper.

"Only sometimes." Peeta grinned. "But really...I didn't think anyone would like it. Why'd you pick that one out of the trash?"

She narrows her eyes, considering him. Finally, she says, "The dandelions. My dad refused to kill them in the yard. Drove our neighbors nuts. But he loved them."

Peeta liked talking to Katniss about this. She didn't judge it based on technique or color theory or some connection to some other artwork by someone he hadn't heard of. Funny how talking to normal people about it the answer was so simple. It reminded her of her dad.

"Why'd you throw it out?" Katniss asked.

In response, Peeta lifted up his left pant leg to show the prosthetic to her. When her gaze followed the motion, her mouth hung slack in shock.

"Oh. That sucks." Katniss said, then winced. "Shit, was that like, ableist? My sister's trying to tell me to be better about stuff like that-"

"It's fine," Peeta said. "I lost it four years ago. It does suck."

"I lost my dad four years ago," Katniss said. "Your painting reminded me of something I lost and can't get back, too."

They wouldn't act on it for three more months, but that moment struck a spark between them, ever so hesitant and fragile. But Peeta brought the kindling and Katniss the oxygen, and on the couch underneath that painting they had their first kiss. They hung it in their first apartment together, and again in the first house they bought after saving money from having a small, private marriage ceremony. That painting, a reminder of what they had lost, but also what they had gained.

#everlark fanfiction #thg fanfiction #prompt #modern au

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