#Peeta would do all the interior decorating

[atelierlili]

Peeta Mellark would play the shit out of Animal Crossing and Cooking Mama.

[promptseverlark]

Redwood Scandal

By @mega-aulover

Author's Note:  This is based on the TV show Scandal, a political drama about a President that was in love with his crisis manager. This ficlet, however, takes place in the 1940s instead of the current date, the views on PTSD were much different then and it fits that Katniss would defend someone who was helpless and spiraling.

Special thanks to my beta and best friend @norbertsmom for taking time out of her busy schedule to help edit. 

Rated T

Katniss sat listening to the latest crises involving Ryan Mellark, President Mellark’s brother. She tapped her pencil on her notebook. She should have been concentrating, but her mind was on the man sitting just across from her. Her skin prickled and her heart rate increased when his intelligent blue eyes trained on her. 

Rye was out with a Hollywood starlet and crashed his car in the redwood forest. As a result, Peeta was meeting with three cabinet heads. Plutarch, the head of National Security was quietly listening and avoiding her gaze. Haymitch, the Secretary of State, and Effie, the Secretary of the Interior were bickering. 

"Mr. President," Haymitch groused from the other side of the table. "I'm afraid your brother's antics are..."

"Intolerable," Effie Trinket harumphed with her nose in the air. 

"Haymitch, what are you driving at?" Plutarch asked.

Haymitch took the newspapers and laid them on the table. Rye had become front-line news. The Post labeled him Wrecked-Mellark a play on getting drunk. "And that's a sample of what the Americans feel," Haymitch said. "It's picked up on the radio. They like a war hero, they just don't like a drunk one." 

Katniss wanted to roll her eyes. Rye Mellark was a decorated war hero who liked to drink and it was worrying. She'd seen it coming and warned the other Mellark brother Graham, but Graham didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t want Katniss anywhere near Peeta. He coldly told her to stick her nose out of family affairs. 

Now the situation that could have been averted, had become worse. It didn’t matter what Peeta’s family wanted. She was a crisis manager. She spun bad news like this into rainbows and unicorns. 

"He did irreparable damage to one of the beloved National Parks. And then he...defecated..." Effie sputtered.

"He took a piss, Effie," Haymitch said.

"In front of the reporter!" Effie ground out with clenched teeth.

Katniss looked into those blue eyes of Peeta's. He smiled sadly at her. He was one of the greatest Presidents ever elected, but because of his brother, every great piece of legislation passed was overshadowed by the antics of his older brother Ryan. But to Peeta, his Presidency didn't matter, it was his brother that needed help. Peeta's compassion was one of the reasons she'd fallen hard for him. 

Everything Katniss wanted had been an upscale battle. She fought to be educated. Fought for her voice to be heard. She achieved so much in her young life. Peeta was the one thing she couldn't have. So she sacrificed for him. Gave him everything that she could, her time, her mind, her everything.

Madge, his wife, was terribly jealous of her and thus why Plutarch was presently ignoring her presence. 

"Enough," Peeta commanded, and the cabinet members quieted. 

"Mr. President," Plutarch said, straightening his purple tie as he stood. "I can have your brother reinstated in the military and shipped off to some far-flung island. This way he's away for six months to a year. And in that time the public will forget about him.” 

"Miss Everdeen..." Peeta said, turning to face her. 

"Mr. President, we don't need Miss Everdeen or her council." Plutarch stood in such a way that he commanded the attention of the room.  "We are your cabinet and we advise on all matters of the state. What I've proposed can be enacted quickly." Plutarch finally looked into her eyes and smirked at her knowing Peeta would do anything for his brother, including sending him away. "Mr. President, this is the only way to take care of the problem." 

Katniss sat back and raised an eyebrow. She didn't like the way Plutarch referred to Rye as 'the problem.' Rye was a human being and had Graham listened to her a few months ago, they wouldn't be here.  "I don't think that's the right course of action." 

"I agree with Plutarch, he is a menace..." Effie began. "He has no regard for morality."

Haymitch's lips thinned. "He made a mistake...there are a lot of men like Rye who are messed up because of the war..."

"You're a bleeding heart," Plutarch accused Haymitch.

"Yeah well, I've been through two wars, so maybe there's a reason," Haymitch spat back. He then turned to Katniss, "What do you have in mind, Sweetheart?"

"I think your brother needs treatment," Katniss said, squaring her shoulders. "He might be suffering from shell shock."

"What would you know about the war?" Plutarch sniggered.

She took the Post and said, "I was put on the front lines helping soldiers, nursing them back to health," Katniss said. "I was wounded by shrapnel and Peeta was the person who got me out. I know better than anyone what war was like Plutarch." 

"You don't have to remind us how you two met," Plutarch grumbled.

"Then why are you acting like a blithering idiot?" Katniss questioned.

Peeta coughed, hiding his smile. 

It was while convalescing that she and Peeta got close. 

"Rye needs help," Peeta cleared his throat. "I want to know what you have in mind?"

"There is a clinic run by a man by the name of Dr. Aurelius. He helps people like your brother who experienced great trauma."

"Your brother doesn't need a quack, he needs to grow up," Plutarch said.

Katniss hated the erroneous sentimentality about mental health society held. "With all due respect, Mr. Secretary, Dr. Aurelius is highly recommended."

Plutarch snorted.

Effie was too busy sending nasty looks to Haymitch to speak.  

"There are thousands of broken men who returned from the war. And I'm not talking about men who are missing a leg or an arm. I mean the men who are hurting on the inside. Rye can show them there is nothing wrong with getting help."

"How long?" Peeta asked

"Dr. Aurelius can help him become sober in as little as three months." Katniss watched Peeta's hands as they flattened on the table as if they were reaching out to her as she spoke.  "After three months Rye can make an appearance by planting trees at one of the National Parks. Show some goodwill. We can even get that starlet he was with and several other Hollywood notables to help."

"What if he goes back to drinking?" Effie asked.

"Dr. Aurelius will give him an evaluation. He can recommend Rye to do an outpatient clinic or if he needs to stay, then more time at the Clinic."

"The public loves a comeback story," Haymitch said. "And if it will help the nation, we can make legislation to help the veterans." 

Effie frowned. "We do have a rather important opening of Fort Vancouver coming up...I could use the press."

"Mr. President," Plutarch said. "You can't be considering this?"

"Mr. President, I spoke to Dr. Aurelius, they have a spot open for him," Katniss said. 

"Fine, make it happen, Miss. Everdeen," Peeta said.

Plutarch turned as purple as his tie and rushed out of the room. 

Haymitch cleared his throat, "Effie, do you want to go to lunch?"

"Only if you're buying," Effie flirted as she left with Haymitch. 

Katniss sat in the room with Peeta. 

"Thank you," Peeta said. 

"Your welcome," Katniss breathed. "He…the doctor, helped my mother, you know, after my dad...."

Peeta nodded. Katniss put her hand on the table and Peeta covered them with his. "Katniss."

Katniss closed her eyes, loving the feel of his warmer hand covering hers. Her heart melted and cried for more contact. She looked down at their hands and she spied his wedding band, the moment was broken.  "Peeta...Madge...she's got people watching us."

Peeta squeezed Katniss’s hands. "Screw Madge, I don't love her - never did." Madge was the woman his parents wanted him to marry. The marriage was phonier than a six-dollar bill. "I've only ever loved you, Katniss."

"Peeta we can't," Katniss pulled away. Standing, she began to collect her things. She heard Peeta's chair scrape backward and within seconds he was behind her. His hands gripped her shoulders. She felt his warm breath on her neck. It was the most exquisite torture. She wanted him with every fiber of her being.

"If I could, I'd leave her, leave all of this behind for you."

"No," she whispered, slipping away from his loose grasp. His face was a cacophony of emotions as he battled for control. Peeta loved her but he couldn't show it. "I can't be selfish. People need you, Peeta. The whole country needs you. Remember what we talked about when we met. How we would change the world."

"I wanted to be President and you made it happen."

"Well, the Undersee's money helped," she joked, as she wiped an errant tear that rolled down her cheek.

Peeta laughed mirthlessly. 

When they met, a deep bond formed between them. They spent those long hours recuperating and planning for a future they would never have, even if Peeta was trapped in a loveless marriage. 

Katniss respected that union. She wouldn't-couldn't cross that line. She knew she was all wrong for him. Katniss was from the wrong side of the tracks. She grew up dirt poor and to those few who knew her secret, she was the wrong race. Her father was half black, but passed as a white man. Her mother was a white woman. Katniss looked a lot like her father. 

Peeta didn't care. 

Peeta prized Katniss's ability to think on her feet. He relied on her, and as long as he needed her, she would be there for him. She would devote her life to him.

Peeta lifted her hand and pressed his palm to hers. She stepped back before her resolve broke and she did something foolish, like kissing him. 

"When this is over, Katniss, I'm getting a divorce and then I'm marrying you," Peeta said.  

Katniss smiled. She believed him. Peeta always kept his promises.

[everlarkficexchange]

Prim's Plan - Part 2

Written by: @mega-aulover

Prompt 107: Everlark fic based off of the song “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran. [submitted by Anonymous]

Rated: T for everlark Smooching ;)   Part 1

A/N: Thank you for submitting this prompt I hope you enjoy it. Thank you @everlarkficexchange for the opportunity to exchange ideas and grow our fandom. Aslo to @norbertsmom for your extraordinary beta skills I need to get you some flowers.

Katniss plopped on her bed in pure shock.

Three dates.

Her sweet stubborn sister wouldn’t take the application letters Peeta wrote until they agreed to go on three dates.

She stared up at the ceiling willing for an apocalyptic catastrophe to suddenly happen. The odds were not in her favor.

She couldn’t believe she’d agreed to go out with Peeta. Peeta Mellark, who she drunkenly confessed her feelings for to Gale. It was the reason they weren’t speaking.

“Damn you, Ed Sheeran!”

Four years ago, Peeta was waiting for her in his car. It was one of those frigid winter days. He had just bought his used car. He was the first one to get a car at sixteen. They had just gone through the drive-through when the song came on.

Katniss still wasn’t sure how it happened. Maybe it was the food, or the twinkling Christmas lights, or the fact that they got stuck in his clunker overnight and she slept nestled on top of Peeta until the tow truck came.

But that song, Thinking Out Loud, came on and Katniss recalled looking at him and really seeing Peeta for the first time, not the eleven-year-old boy she played tag with as a way to comfort her after her father died, or the 14-year-old boy who had to have his leg amputated, because a drunk driver mowed him down on his bicycle. She saw Peeta and her heart wobbled and danced in her chest as she listened to the song.

It wasn’t the first line about his legs not working that did it for her. It was the line about finding love right where they were. Katniss found her love sitting right next to her. He’d always been there, and she was irrevocably in love with him.

Her only problem, it was one-sided.

Peeta only saw her as a friend.

At the time she’d kept her mouth shut because he’d been dating that witch Clove who dumped him a week before Prom night for Thresh.

She’d tried to tell him, many, many times, but she didn’t have the courage. All of Peeta’s girlfriends were superior to her. Katniss didn’t have the boobs Johanna had. She wasn’t an older woman like Clove, and she didn’t look like Glimmer who was currently in Hollywood making movies.

She wasn’t that pretty or impressive.

Silently, Katniss carried her love for him in secret until last may when she turned 21.

“You’re not getting out of this Katniss,” Prim said from the door.

Katniss raised her head and narrowed her eyes at her baby sister. She’d forgotten to close her door.

“Prim, it’s Peeta? What if this doesn’t work? I don’t want to lose him.”

Primrose smiled sweetly like one of those baby angels with wings. “Don’t worry, sis. You’d never lose Peeta?”

“Glad you have more faith than I do.”

“Stop it, I will not have you back out of going on these dates. You’ve never been a quitter besides, do you really want me to have a bonfire with those letters Peeta wrote?”

Katniss grimaced her eyes, “No.”

“Now that we are clear, get some shuteye you need your beauty rest for tomorrow.”

“Whats tomorrow?” Katniss swallowed.

“Your first date is for tomorrow night,” Prim smirked. “Before you ask, it’s easy, a movie. I called in a favor and got tickets. Peeta will get them tomorrow afternoon. He’s coming tomorrow precisely at 6:45 pm.”

Prim closed her door and Katniss groaned, letting her head drop to the mattress and silently hoped for lightning to strike her.

The lightning never came, and the next night Katniss learned how much of a dictator her sister Primrose was. Prim nixed all of her comfy, cargo pants, pajama looking pants, sweats, and loose jeans she purchased at the thrift store to hunt in. Besides, her hunting pants had stains Prim didn’t want to even try to identify.

Her sister attacked her collection of misshapen sweaters, and shirts as well. She had a few that had special meaning for her. The baseball t-shirt had Peeta’s number on it from when he played. The state fair shirt he purchased for her two years ago. Almost all of her t-shirts had a history. The only ones she could do without were her waitressing shirts.

Primrose forced her to wear a pair of tight, uncomfortable skinny jeans, a form-fitting orange sweater, and uncomfortable flat shoes with floppy bows. Katniss wondered why designers would put such childish decorations on adult shoes. Her sister was so determined, she lent her a coat as well. Katniss doubted the wool coat would be warm enough. Her big puffy coat kept her nice and toasty. Prim was firm, no sneakers, and under no circumstances would she wear her hunting boots.

“Okay,” Prim said, circling her.

“Good, you look decent. Do you have a handbag?”

“A what?”

“A purse, Katniss.”

“Prim, I have dad’s old game bag and my old knapsack from school.”

“Katniss, you need a purse,” Prim said, running out of the room.

Katniss shook her head and turned to finish putting her rejected clothing neatly back in her dresser. When she came home she didn’t want to have to clean up. By the time Prim came back, Katniss had made sure her room was spotless.

“Here.” Prim thrust a soft leather bag toward Katniss.

“Why do I need one again? Aren’t pockets-,” Her argument died on her lips. The darned pants pockets were narrow.

Prim began putting the things she would need to carry inside of the bag. “You need a place to put your phone, your ID, antibacterial gel, debit card, cash, maxi pad, and a condom.”

“Condom,” Katniss said horrified.

“A lady always needs to be prepared,” Prim said holding out the bag.

“Who, what, where, when and how the hell did you get condoms? Are you using condoms?” Katniss stood hands akimbo in total shock to think that her sister was having sex. “Why are you using condoms?”

Prim rolled her eyes. “Katniss, I’m not a virgin and I need to protect myself. I don’t want to have kids.”

“Does mom know?”

“Yeah, she took me to get my birth control pills as well when I was 15, not that I was sexually active at that age.”

“Mom never did any of that with me,” Katniss said, sitting down on her bed.

“That’s because you’re pure, Katniss.”

“I am not pure.” Katniss blushed as she said the word.

“Oh yeah…” Primrose raised an eyebrow, “…then why do you say condoms like we’re talking about a deadly disease.”

Katniss couldn’t disagree. She did sound like she was a character in the 80’s cult classic movie, St. Elmo’s Fire.

“Okay, enough with the mourning of my no longer existing virginity.” As Prim spoke the doorbell rang.

“It’s him,” Katniss whispered. She wanted to run and hide.

Prim pushed her out of her room. Katniss thought of a thousand different things she would rather be doing, but when Prim opened the front door all of them went out of the windows.

She’d never seen Peeta dressed for a date before. He looked handsome in a button-down shirt, jacket, and dark denim jeans. His blond waves were combed back. She thought he looked like one of those male models in those Ralph Lauren advertisements.

“Here, these are for you.” Peeta held out yellow gerbera daisies. Katniss couldn’t help but grin. “You look pretty.”

“Thank you.” Her voice sounded soft and gushy, as she recalled she was wearing his favorite color.

“You ready to go?”

Katniss nodded. Together they walked out into the frigid air and Katniss wanted to kill Prim for making her wear the flimsy excuse for a coat. Thankfully Peeta’s car was warm. When he turned it on, Ed Sheeran’s song, Thinking out Loud, began to play on his radio.

Katniss’s heart thundered in her chest as the notes filled the interior of his car. Katniss glanced at Peeta as he hummed the song. She wished Peeta would take her into his loving arms, and kiss her. She wished she could wake up every morning listening to the beat of his heart.

She wanted to remember his smile. She wanted to touch his hand, have him fall in love with her. She wished so hard for him to fall for her the way she had fallen for him. The sentiments were too much for Katniss. She turned her head away to watch the twinkling lights of the small stores as they drove to the only movie theater in town.

It was ironic. They had come to the movies all of their lives and this was the first time they were going on an official date. Peeta parked the car, and together they walked toward the booth.

“Come on. Primrose got us tickets to see La Boda de Valentina,” Peeta said with his high school Spanish. Peeta was great at languages. He could pick them up easily. Katniss was lucky she knew how to speak English properly.

It’s why she avoided foreign flicks. Primrose knew this, knew how much Katniss loathed subtitles. Prim couldn’t have picked something great like Tomb Raider or Black Panther. Nope, her sister decided to choose the worst kind of torture.

Much to Katniss relief, the movie was half in Spanish, half in English, but she got frustrated with all of the subtitles she had to follow when the movie jumped from New York to Mexico.

It dawned on her as she watched the movie that the main character Valentina had to choose between two guys, and they represented her needs and wants and the expectations of her family. It was reminiscent of her own life.

For a long time people always just assumed she would end up with Gale. They had a lot of things in common, especially their fiery personalities. Gale had a worse temper than she did. Truth be told, she always saw Gale like an older brother. Hell, she and Gale even looked alike. That’s why she could never see herself with him, no matter what their mothers thought. She glanced at Peeta, who was totally engrossed in the film.

By the end of the film, Katniss understood it, but she didn’t like the movie. They were walking out of the theater.

“So, are you hungry?” Katniss glanced at Peeta. He was quiet.

“Yeah, but I have to take you someplace nice. Prim said no Sae’s.”

Katniss chuckled. “The little tyrant is going to pay for this one day.”

Peeta laughed. “I have an idea, if you’re up for an adventure.”

“Sure.” Katniss grinned.

They got in the car and drove to the bakery. He raised an eyebrow at her. “I won’t tell if you won’t?”

Peeta wasn’t a rebel, but when he put his mind to it he could be devious and at this moment she loved him for it. “If there are a pair of your comfy, fluffy socks on the other end, I’m in.”

They snuck into the back of the bakery. Peeta ordered a pizza and snuck upstairs for a pair of his socks. He sat her on the counter and much to her chagrin, he insisted on slipping them on her feet.

Her mouth went dry as he stood up. He braced his hands on the counter on either side of her and looked like he was going to step away. Katniss desperately wanted to keep him close. She said the first thing that popped into her head. “What did you think of the movie?”

He shrugged. “It was good.”

She was very curious as to his take on the movie. “But?”

“The ending was expected. She was going to pick the guy that was most familiar to her, the guy who reminded her of her home. The guy she had most in common with.”

Katniss found his statement interesting. “I didn’t like it.”

“Really, why? He knew her from before she moved to New York. It’s like you and Gale. You guys are meant to be together, because you both have so much in common.”

“Having a lot of stuff in common is not always a good thing.” Katniss couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It was revolting to think she and Gale could be a thing. “It can be disastrous.” Katniss watched him. She was looking to see if he had any feelings for her other than friendship.

“But in order for a relationship to work, you need to have things in common.”

“Shared experiences, are one thing Peeta, but being too alike can almost be like dating a sibling or a first cousin. Both are gross.”

He looked down, took her hand in his, his voice shy. “Is that why you and Gale broke up?”

“Gale and I,” Katniss was disgusted by thinking of Gale and herself in a romantic relationship, “never dated.”

“But you guys were inseparable in high school. Besides, Johanna said she saw you both at the Slag Heap motel one time.” He looked up, searching her eyes. “I mean you guys hunted and used to hang out all of the time?”

Katniss wanted to hurt Johanna and her big mouth. Why Peeta dated her, Katniss never understood. “Ugh no, Peeta. Gale and I were working there, cleaning rooms before I had to go to school. Besides, we are neighbors, Peeta, and yes, when our fathers died in that mining accident, we bonded over it. We did what was necessary to provide for our families.” Katniss twined her fingers with his. “Bottom line, he’s not you, and I think he’s a little jealous of what we have.”

“Really?” Peeta smiled.

Katniss nodded. Her hands moved up his forearms. “You’re why we fought.”

“I was?” Peeta got closer.

Katniss nodded.

“You haven’t spoken to him since Christmas Eve. I noticed he gave me a death glare.”

His face was so close to hers. “Gale and I fought. I told him I…I-” She didn’t get to finish her sentence because Peeta kissed her. She panicked momentarily because this was her first kiss.

Peeta pulled away. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t help myself,” he whispered. His hot breath fanned her lips.

Katniss grabbed his shirt and pulled him into another kiss. This time her body tingled. She wanted more, and pressed herself to him, causing their faces to angle and the kiss to deepen. His hands gripped her knees right before they ghosted up her legs and around to her back, pressing her closer to him. A small groan escaped her lips.

His warm lips were soft, and better than anything she ever imagined. He tasted sweet and minty. She felt cherished in his arms. Katniss was glad she waited to have her first kiss. It was even better than the cheese-buns he made her.

Neither one heard the insistent knocking at the door. They blushed when they realized their food was there. Katniss wanted to melt into him.

“Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back,” Peeta said.

Katniss grinned, and her smile didn’t go away all night. As they ate, Katniss was glad there wasn’t any awkwardness between them. They were themselves. They laughed, joked around, and talked about silly things and serious things.

“You didn’t?” Peeta asked incredulously as he laughed.

Katniss was so relaxed and she couldn’t believe she confessed to stealing Haymitch’s prized knife.“Yeah, well you were away at camp and I was super bored.”

“In my defense, if I would have stayed here, I would have been a felon.”

Katniss swiped at his arm.

It was a perfect evening. As they left the bakery, he took her by the hand and pulled her close. They kissed once more. She felt those butterflies girls talked about in high school. She was still smiling when he took her home. She placed a chaste kiss on his lips, but it caused the butterflies to flutter in her stomach. When Peeta left, she floated to her room.

“So, how did it go?”

Katniss didn’t know how to describe how she felt or the craving she developed for Peeta’s kisses. Her face was her sisters favorite color.

“Good.” Prim nodded. “Then tomorrow night’s date is going to be a breeze. I put the dress in your closet.”

It was only after the door closed did Katniss realized Prim was making her wear her least favorite item of clothing in the middle of winter. As she went to sleep her phone went off and there was a text from Gale:

Gale: We need to talk.

Katniss gasped as below the text there was a grainy picture of her and Peeta kissing outside of the bakery.