#adw chpt 11

[everlarkingjoshifer]

A Different Way CHPT 11

I’m BAAAAACK! This is chapter is actually on time and I’m so happy.

First I want to thank every single one of you who were kind enough to leave a get well sentiment to me. I do feel much better and now here I am posting a chapter actually on time. I would like to thank my amazing husband who is always so supportive. To @mega-aulover and @jobanana7 for being such amazing cheerleaders. To my wonderful betas @titaniasfics and @javistg with whom this story would've never come to fruition. To @susnsetsrmydreams for her beautiful banner and finally to @peetaisbae for whom this story is written for. As always, please don’t forget to read, review, and reblog :D

If you’d like to catch the previous chapters, you can do so on  AO3

I hope you all like this chapter!

Gale called Katniss the very next morning. He was as always, full of flimsy excuses to justify his absence.

Katniss sighed wearily, “I can’t believe you’re calling. Willow waited for you for three hours.”

“Pass the phone to Willow,” Gale insisted for the second time that morning.

“Why, so you can lie to her like you always lie to me? And don’t even think I haven’t caught on,”  she felt her mouth purse distastefully.

Gale began to lose his patience as he growled on the other end. “Just give her the phone, for fuck’s sake.”

Katniss groaned and called Willow who ran towards her. Passing the phone to her child who answered cautiously, Katniss tried not to listen as Willow quickly nodded at whatever barrage of falsehoods Gale told her.

“Okay, Daddy, it’s fine, I’ll see you next week,” Willow quickly said as she passed the phone over to Katniss who argued for another couple minutes about his lack of presence in their daughter’s life.

Slamming the phone on the counter, Katniss went to wash the dishes in hopes of feeling calmer once she was done. Alas, after drying her hands with a hand towel she found that she was even angrier than when she started. Looking at her newly washed dishes she tisked distastefully and threw herself on the sofa to drown her thoughts on reality television.

Weeks passed and the Christmas Party was finally upon them. Both Katniss and Peeta arrived about two hours earlier to make sure that everything was running smoothly.

The children’s presentation of Christmas songs in the auditorium went without a hitch and, for once, Katniss felt immense relief.  

Once the audience had walked over to the gym, everything was in order, with Katniss serving punch and Peeta taking pictures with his camera. The small photobooth served to remind the parents there was still more money to spend.

Peeta took picture after picture for a good hour or so, all the while directing the guests as to their best angles. Every time he finished one group he would quickly jot down something as Katniss passed cup after cup of punch, a smile plastered on her face. Normally the smile would’ve been a Herculean effort on her part, however, she found that tonight it wasn’t so. Having Peeta look back at her made her smiles come that much easier, if not effortless. She was never one to blush, but it had been the third time that Peeta had glanced back giving her a playful wink when she felt her face heat up.  

Katniss shook her head to rid herself of the heat and giggled as she concentrated her efforts on her and Peeta’s children. Scanning the room she noticed Willow and Rye were busy playing with the balloons in the room and looking at the decorations of hanging homemade snowflakes. After everyone was settled with enough punch and cookies to make them burst, Katniss finally joined Peeta over at the photo booth.

“Wanna commemorate our success? Or was it Finch’s success?” he asked eyebrow raised and smirk sneaking its way onto his lips.

Katniss licked her lips and laughed nervously, but shrugged as she turned her back against the decorated background with Peeta standing next to her. A smile on his face as he turned the camera to face them and pressed the button. Bright spots distorted her vision while Peeta looked back at the digital picture and smiled, satisfied with the result.

Madge ran over to them, eyes wide and with a bit of a slur. “Oh my god guys, thank you so much for taking over. I don’t know why I volunteered for the stupid PTA. Guess I was just too bored by myself at home. I gotta find a different hobby,” she muttered walking away. Katniss looked back at Peeta who pointed at a flask hidden under Finch’s arms and snorted. Peeta shook his head while trying to cover his hearty laugh with unsuccessful bouts coughing.

Katniss bit her lip, “Stop laughing,” she muttered as she shoved Peeta playfully with her shoulder.

Finch was currently walking around the room introducing herself to the parents and declaring that everything was her idea. From the decorations to the choice of music blaring out of the large speakers.

Katniss sighed rolling her eyes as she nudged Peeta in Finch’s direction. The woman even had the audacity to fill the crowd with her annoying bell-like laughter as she took all the credit for herself.

Peeta shrugged digging his hands into his pant’s pockets, “Let her have it. It must be really important for her to have the spotlight. Who knows what she’s like outside these doors.”

“Probably still a pain in the ass,” muttered Katniss. She shifted her weight onto her other hip and blinked slowly, “but I guess you have a point. At least we know what we did and we don’t really need the credit.”

Peeta nodded once and turned back to survey the room. Katniss began to tap her foot to the tune feeling more relaxed than she had in several years when Peeta put his hand out to ask her for a dance. Katniss looked at him, hesitating but at the look of nervous earnest she placed her hand in his and let him guide her to the dancefloor just as  ‘A Different Way’ by DJ Snake started playing.

“I’m not really sure how you’re supposed to dance to this song, but whatever,” Peeta said shrugging.

Katniss smiled. “To be honest, neither do I.”

“We could probably just change the song,” Peeta suggested.

“Let the song finish first. I hated it when the radio people would cut the song midway through. It’s a pet peeve of mine,” Katniss said.

“Got it,” Peeta whispered. Katniss could smell his cologne as she drew closer to him. She wasn’t sure if it was the heat in the room or the fact that she was trembling as they danced in pleasant silence for what seemed like seconds but she took in a shuddering breath before he looked at her and smiled, “by the way, you look beautiful tonight.”

Katniss’ eyes widened as she felt her face grow warm for the fourth time that evening as she all but whispered a small ‘thank you’.

Raising his eyebrows Peeta tightened his grip on her waist and searched her face for any sign of having pleased her. On the other hand, Katniss did everything to avoid his vivid blue eyes. It unsettled her and she didn’t know if it would’ve been appropriate for her to kiss him in a room full of strangers. She didn’t know if it was appropriate to kiss him at all, no matter how much she wanted to.

With the song over, Peeta sighed and let her hand gently drop to her side as he walked over to his old iPod and sifted through the songs. He put the jack back into it and adjusted the volume in the old stereo he’d borrowed from Madge. Meanwhile, a pleasant buzz of conversation rang throughout the Gym. Katniss found her daughter and Rye both of whom were standing far too suspiciously in a dark corner. Frowning she walked towards them, “What are you two doing?”

“Nothing,” the children quickly yelled in unison as they stood startled.

Katniss frowned and looked dubiously from the small brunette to the wide-eyed little Peeta that stood next to her own daughter. Willow nudged Rye on the ribs and he looked at her an annoyed glance marring his features. It startled Katniss to see how much Rye looked like his father. Especially when he was annoyed or angry. It was as if someone had cloned the man. Not that she was complaining, Peeta was extremely handsome and she knew Rye would be no different.  

Suddenly, Daft Punk blasted through the speakers. Katniss looked back as Willow, threw herself squealing happily onto Katniss who after having realized Willow was in her arms picked her daughter up to twirled her around. Setting Willow down Katniss took Rye’s arms and danced with him. Or rather she grabbed his hands and swung them listlessly from side to side as he stood ramrod straight looking at her as though she were crazy.

Peeta danced his way towards them as the throng of people joined in on the fun. He pulled Willow who’d been dancing on her own and twirled her about like a princess. Rye, upon his father’s insistence, shrugged and began to finally move. His awkward little limbs moving about with abandon.

The last group of people left with smiles on their faces and cheerful wishes, Katniss sighed when Finch and Madge volunteered to clean up. Peeta gathered his old iPod and camera as he walked out with Katniss, Willow, and Rye.

“Katniss!” She heard Gale call. She turned to look at him as he walked towards them with a mystified look on his face and dressed for a party.

“What are you doing here?” Katniss asked.

Willow piped up, “I called him before we left the house, momma.”

Katniss sighed. “Five hours ago, and you show up just now? What the hell did you think this was, a club? That it was gonna last all night?”

“Well, if Willow hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have found out,” Gale protested.

Katniss shook her head and grabbed Willow’s hand, fully preparing to leave him to swallow his words. “Gale not now. Don’t start.”

“Hey man, you can talk about this later. There are kids here,” Peeta added.

“Mind your own business, baker boy,” Gale spat.

Katniss frowned. “Gale, we’re tired and I want to go home.”

“Did you really think you could play the happy little family with that idiot instead of me?” Gale threw out. He switched his glare from Katniss to Peeta. “Let me remind you that she’s my wife.”

“Your ex-wife, you unbelievable jerk,” Katniss corrected.

“Whatever. It was me who left you. Maybe if you hadn’t been such a drag in my life I would still be married to you,” Gale added.

Katniss scoffed, nose flaring, “Oh, I was the drag? Let me remind you that it was you who didn’t want to take responsibility of being a husband and father. It was always me who had to ‘drag’ you to do your duty.”

“Well it’s not like you did anything to help the situation, I mean, come on, you weren’t even able to give me a son,” Gale said pointing to Willow who looked as though her life shattered in that very second.

Peeta passed the camera he’d been taking pictures with to Katniss and shoved his iPod into his jacket pocket telling Rye to hold onto her. He stalked over to Gale, who was taller than him and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. “Alright, we’re done here. You need to get the hell out.” He dragged a livid Gale who threatened to kick his ass. Peeta chuckled darkly. “You can try all you want, bud, but trust me, you won’t get very far.”

Katniss looked down at Willow crouching down to hug her crying child as Rye walked over to them and joined in.

“It’s ok, Willow. Look, even I don’t have a mom,” Rye said wiping Willow’s tears with his hands.

Katniss’ heart broke in two when she realized that Rye was right. Gale had never really been a father. Not ever. When Willow was a baby, he barely made any effort to do anything for her, despite Katniss being depressed and tired. She had to always either yell at him or beg him to do something, anything, and even then, he couldn’t do it without complaining. Now it was no better, as he slowly became more and more absent from their lives no matter how hard she tried and came to the conclusion that she didn’t act the single mother. She was a single mother.

Katniss gulped attempting to keep her tears at bay.

“Are you okay?” Asked Peeta once he came back.

Katniss nodded.

“Let me take you to my house,” Peeta offered.

Katniss shook her head. “You don’t need to do that, Peeta.”

“Come on, I was able to kick him out of here, but I’m not entirely convinced I could do the same at your house without being arrested. Plus I’m not exactly sure I would feel comfortable letting you drive under these conditions,” Peeta offered.  

“And what, stay over? We don’t have the proper clothes,” Katniss said.

Peeta extended his hand out. “You can both borrow our stuff. Rye even has a sleeping bag and we have extra toothbrushes.”  

“Momma, please. I don’t want to see Daddy,” Willow wailed while Rye hugged her and nodded his head.

[mega-aulover]

Omg poor Willow!

I’m BAAAAACK! This is chapter is actually on time and I’m so happy.

First I want to thank every single one of you who were kind enough to leave a get well sentiment to me. I do feel much better and now here I am posting a chapter actually on time. I would like to thank my amazing husband who is always so supportive. To @mega-aulover and @jobanana7 for being such amazing cheerleaders. To my wonderful betas @titaniasfics and @javistg with whom this story would’ve never come to fruition. To @susnsetsrmydreams for her beautiful banner and finally to @peetaisbae for whom this story is written for. As always, please don’t forget to read, review, and reblog :D

If you’d like to catch the previous chapters, you can do so on  AO3

I hope you all like this chapter!

Keep reading