#also we finally get Katniss’ dad’s name

[littler3d]

Eight pages into Sunrise and I already need us to slow down omg cause too much has been revealed already

[nebulablakemurphy]

Moves & Countermoves (Part 22)

Summary: No one ever wins the games, even fourteen years later, Y/N is still playing.

Part 21

The hovercraft is only half full. Peeta, Cashmere and Y/N. Finnick, Cressida, Pollux and the others left the day before, they’ll be catching up with them once they reach the outskirts of the Capitol.

Y/N says goodbye to her children before school. Though Haymitch will be there in her absence, leaving never gets easier.

Peeta is skittish, from sitting under the harsh lights.

“You ok?” Y/N lays a hand over his.

He nods, still trembling. “My name is Peeta Mellark. I was born in district twelve…”

This is a new grounding technique he’s been practicing with Dr. Aurelius. It seems to calm him as they take off.

Y/N rests her head against the seat. Recounting the way she ran back down the loading ramp before take off, just to be held by Haymitch one last time. Even though he couldn’t go and she couldn’t stay. Just breathe.

————————————————————————

The truck that brings them in to meet the rest of their squad is welcomed with weapons trained on them, hot and ready.

Cashmere jumps out first. “Come on, Peeta. We got ya.”

“Y/N?” Katniss lowers her weapon.

“Hey.” Y/N smiles, one hand behind her holding Peeta’s. Protect Katniss from him. Protect him from Katniss.

“That’s close enough.” Gale says as they approach.

“Hey, stop.” Finnick steps out to greet them, pushing Gale’s gun to the side.

“What’s going on here?” Boggs demands.

“Coin sent us.” Cashmere explains, “guess she thought you could use a few extra hands.”

“How thoughtful.” Katniss snarks. Whatever game Coin is playing, they’re not meant to win.

“Tell me about it.”

————————————————————————

As it turns out, Daisy is not a fan of the formula provided by district thirteen. She is also very aware of the fact that Haymitch is not her mother and she isn’t thrilled by that either.

“Shhh,” Haymitch rocks her against his chest. “Daddy’s here.”

“It’s like she only wants Y/N,” Madge offers.

“You and me both, kid.” Haymitch stares down at his daughter, shifting between feet.

“It’s hard on everybody when she goes,” Madge admits, “but for what it’s worth, I think you’re a great dad, Haymitch. I know Y/N does too.”

Haymitch nods.

“I can take her for a while. A change of scenery might help.”

“I gotta figure this out on my own.” Haymitch mutters, under his breath.

————————————————————————-

The Star Squad sets out to film their first propo. With the assistance of the hollow, they’re able to clear the courtyard full of pods before entering.

Two large machine guns slide out from the pillars, raining bullets between the group; split in two to take cover.

Katniss on one side with Cashmere. Peeta, Y/N and Finnick on the other. There’s not a word Katniss can think of to describe the way it feels, watching Y/N place her hands over Peeta’s ears. Trying to muffle the gunfire.

Peeta lays his own hands over hers, his lips moving; quickly. “I’m a painter and a baker…I always sleep with the window open.”

He is trying, Katniss knows this. Even now, Peeta remembers everything she tells him, in great detail.

Y/N catches her staring, somehow she always does. Finding Katniss’ eyes and offering a tiny smile.

Katniss considers glaring at her, because she shouldn’t be here. She should be in thirteen, safe; the way Katniss left her. The other half of Katniss wants to make a run for it, to fall into her arms and say thank you. Thank you for always taking care of me, even when I ask you not to.

————————————————————————

Y/N calls Haymitch, using the hollow as soon as they’re hole up somewhere safe after the pods, after Snow’s broadcast announcing they were all dead.

It had just been the Leeg sisters…and Boggs.

“Ah,” Haymitch finally answers, his image displayed across the grainy screen in her hands, “she lives.”

“Oh good, you’re still up,” Y/N smiles. “I didn’t want to wake the kids, I almost waited until morning but-”

“Do me a favor, anytime you’ve narrowly escaped death and had it broadcasted to all of Panem, do not wait until morning to call me.”

“Deal,” Y/N agrees.

“How are you holding up, angel?” Haymitch sighs.

“I’m alright.”

“What’s wrong?” He can see it in her face.

“I miss you,” she shrugs, blinking back traitorous tears. “That’s all.”

Haymitch purses his lips, “when this is over, we’ll never have to miss each other again. We’ve got some fight left in us, we can ride this out.”

Y/N nods, “no, I know.”

“Hey,” Haymitch calls her attention back to the screen. “I love you, be safe.”

“I love you too.” She ends the call, they have to keep things short, on the off chance communication is being intercepted by the Capitol.

Cashmere waltzes over, plopping down beside her friend. “You should’ve let him come.” She teases. “Now he’s there and you’re here, and you’re both miserable.”

“He wouldn’t have been able to focus. And god forbid something happened to me, you really think he’d just keep going?”

“Like you could?” Cashmere calls her bluff.

Y/N bites back a grin. “I die, he dies. He dies, I die. That’s why he’s there and I’m here. So we don’t kill ourselves trying to save each other.”

Cashmere gets it, “you’ve gotten smarter about it, I’ll give you that.”

“I had to. Sometimes the only way to win the game is to bend the rules.”

“So when this is over and there’s no more…” Cashmere searches for the words. “Moves and countermoves, what are you gonna do? What’s your happy ending?”

“Me, Haymitch, the kids, Madge. We go back home to twelve, rebuild. Make a real life for each other, no more cameras, no one watching; we earn our happy ending. What about you, Cash?”

“I don’t know.” Cashmere shrugs, “I guess I have to figure that out.”

“You could come stay with us, there’s plenty of room.”

“Maybe for a while,” she agrees.

“I’d like that.” Y/N bumps Cashmere’s shoulder.

Part 23

Series Taglist: @praline357 @flowercrowns-goodvibes @justheretoparty420 @avocadotoastwithegg @treehouse-mouse @emo-markie @spilled-mi1k @magical-spit @greaser9902 @jessicamellarky @yourebuckingkiddingme @smuha2004 @sendhelplease @ninimackbrews @wittiestrain184 @r1dd1kulus @erenluvr69 @helpimhyperfixating @jackierose902109 @jellybear455 @dreammgc @dadbodfanatic-x @ftdtcmlovr @inky-sun @ms-brek-ker @undercover55655 @mischiefmanaged21 @avoxrising @koiphisch @drwho-ess @daisydaisybilly @misfits1a @nj01 @eruannaaa-blog @thatkindofgurl

[war-in-time]

A list of the very few and far in between things that I will accept as canon from Sunrise on the Reaping:

1) Names of characters.

- It’s actually kind for nice to have names for Katniss’ parents, Peeta’s dad, and the other tributes that were reaped with Haymitch. It’s kind of jarring in the og that Haymitch does actually talk with Asterid a few times but never uses her name because she didn’t have one at that point. It fleshes them all out a bit.

2) The capital replacing a tribute that died before the games with a different hijacked kid.

- It’s plausible and the capital (mostly Snow) does not view the tributes as people so replacing one that died wouldn’t even be a concern. I did think they would actually just go back to district 12 and draw another name for a girl, but this keeps in line with the capitals sadistic practices.

3) Wiress’ arena/how she won the games.

- I do wish we could have gotten unique and new characters to play the roles of district 12’s mentors instead of badly recycling characters from the og, but the explanation of Wiress’ arena and how she won is one of the few pieces of lore that actually adds world building. Katniss mentioned different arenas a fair few times in the og and it was interesting to see what the game makers designed to keep the games feeling new; Haymitch doesn’t and the only new addition is Wiress.

4) ~Haymitch’s birthday being on the reaping.

- This one is a sort of acceptable, but it also causes some problems, mainly because it’s a continuity error. The reaping happens on July 4th, but we know from reading the first Hunger Games book that it happens during the school year since Katniss mentions Prim watching her game during school lunch breaks; and references school being let off for the finally. July is standardly summer time so: unless kids in the district don’t get a summer break, their break happens at another time during the year, or the date of the reaping changes in the future (unlikely), the reaping would not take place in July. I do like the idea of Haymitch never being able to celebrate his own birthday, fearing being reaped every year on a day that’s supposed to be happy, or getting a new set of tributes as a present every year, but the actual date itself is the problem. (July 4th is technically a continuity error from tbosas. Regardless it still doesn’t make sense outside of wanting the reaping to be on Independence day while ignoring already established lore.)

That’s it. I can’t think of a single other thing in this book that didn’t fill me with either frustration, disgust, or contempt.

[lonelyroommp3]

This is partially cope, but I think the copious easter eggs do a great job of showing how intertwined the years of champions are. Like shows the links through the years in an effective way and I found myself intrigued by just how long a revolution has really been brewing

i think a thing can be two things at once. like i think haymitch's mentors being mags & wiress is, as you've said, a good additional glimpse at how intertwined the years of victors are, as we already got to see from katniss's outsider pov in catching fire (and i did really like sotr's explanation of wiress's mental state by the time we meet her in catching fire). and i agree that there's a lot of really fascinating questions raised by sotr's attempt at the arena breaking rebellion that we later see achieved to completion in catching fire (question 1 being how many other tributes were roped into this between the two quarter quells, and question 2 being how the hell did plutarch get away with this shit for so long because my guy is NOT subtle lol). i even think a lot of the district 12 details make sense, like it's a small district with a small rural community vibe and as much as you want to be like "oh of COURSE we have to meet katniss's parents and peeta's dad" it does kind of make sense that everybody knows everybody and this goes back for generations, as would be the case in any small appalachian mining town in the united states right now.

ON THE OTHER HAND - it does get slightly tiring, and disrupts the flow of the story a little, when you are constantly faced with name drops and easter eggs clearly presented in a way where the aim is to make you do that one meme, no matter their level of genuine plot relevance & thematic significance. i also think it's preferable sometimes to let some questions go unanswered - like, i want some things from katniss's story to be able to stand on their own two feet without constantly being neatly tied back to an earlier instalment. i think it sort of weakens the original trilogy the more the threads come together to make her into some sort of cosmically predestined chosen one with inextricable connections to everything that has gone before. in general the whole "everything has been connected since day one" vibe from prequels just isn't something i enjoy because unless you approach it with extreme moderation it just gets to a point where it feels a) unrealistic and b) like fanservice at the extent of plot, and i don't think sotr quite gets that balance right.

and although i think it's a better paced novel than tbosas by miles (especially in their final third) i still prefer how tbosas functions as a prequel largely because it situates the reader in an almost entirely different world to the original trilogy both setting wise and temporally, which means it a) gets to show us entirely new and fresh sides of the hunger games universe (i would literally watch an entire trashy gossip girl-esque teen drama about everyday life at the academy prior to the events of that book) and b) doesn't feel as constricted by the encroaching weight of the main series in the near future. funnily - and i'm not just saying this because i'm a tbosas girlie - for the most part i actually enjoyed the callbacks to tbosas far more than the foreshaowing of the main trilogy for, i think, these exact reasons. because it feels more like drawing threads between two disparate worlds, but the ability to invoke cause and effect instead of reverse engineering foreshadowing into place means those threads are drawn in a way that reads less like authorial desperation to prove that It's All Connected And Always Has Been

[cryingpariah]

So last night (amidst some mild stomach pain which I did in fact survive) I watch the original Hunger Games for the first time with my older sister who hasn’t seen the movies since they first came out and I want to yap about it.

(Obvs spoilers if you haven’t seen it which is totally real and valid and don’t let anyone tell you different babes!! We all move at our own pace!!)

“How have you not seen them before?” I was like 9 or 10 when the first movie came out and my parents did NAWT play about movie ratings

“Why are you watching them now?” Two words: Rachel Zegler

To start off with, I did very much enjoy the movie. If I were to rate it I’d say 4.2/5 or 8.6/10. I like that you can feel the 2012 of it all once you turn it on. I like the old CG and will defend old CG with my life. I do have some (incredibly limited) knowledge about the films but no real clue what it means. (For example I knew Peeta was a character in the movie and part of the love triangle but had no clue he was played by Josh Hutcherson). I had not clue about the televised aspect on the games and HOO BOY IS IT INSANE (Squid Games's Mother 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️). The amount of times I said the propa is gandaing, that something was interesting, or tried to call Panem Panema Beach is downright silly.

As for my character thoughts!!

Katniss - Kind of the quintessential teen YA novel girl protagonist but I do like her. I always assumed the “I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE” scene had more buildup but sis went straight to it and I respect that. Almost all her scene post Reaping but pre HG she’s like an animal first realizing they’ve been put in a zoo. She’s very impulsive and one track minded which is ever so mildly frustrating by more in a Girl, come on now way. 9.8/10 love her and her fuckass braid.

Prim - Change her name immediately. She is not Prim as in Primrose, she is Prem as in Premonition CAUSE SHE SAW THAT SHIT COMING A MILE AWAY MY GOD. Little miss playing her was acting her ass off, every one of her screams made me jump. 9.8/10 has currently done nothing wrong.

(Idgaf about her mom currently. Sorry Katniss/Prim's mom stans.)

Gale: All the way I do not give a fuck about this man. He lowkey pisses me off. “But he didn’t do anything” EXACTLY MY PROBLEM BABY!! Nothing wrong with being an idealistic dreamer but babe you sitting out in a field while your bestie/crush is actively fighting for her life has no real impact. Still baffled by the idea his name was put in 42 times and he didn’t get picked. If he was really bout it, he would have volunteered right alongside Katniss. 4.5/10 do better.

Peeta: NOW THIS IS MY BESTIE‼️ If Katniss came there to win the fight, Peeta came here to play the game. He’s very charming and sweet and saurrr childhood-friends-to-lovers-boy-next-door. He’s also an idealist like G*le but unlike him, Peeta actively puts in the work to make something happen. I am not immune to my fav's flaws though and will point out while he always had Katniss's best interests at heart and tried very hard to get her some sponsors, he kinda just does things without telling her ie holding her hand during the parade and announcing his crush during that interview. Still 9.8/10 the only real option in the love triangle currently.

(Mother of Peeta you are so loathed. How are you gonna tell your presumably one and only son that there’s finally gonna be a winner from your district and it’s absolutely not him??? Girl WTF! -15/10 choke fr.)

Haymitch: Mentor I'd Like to FUCK! Tortured alcoholic surrogate father figures you will always be loved 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️! I’m 95% sure the next movie is about his Hunger Games so that’s very exciting. The way he rides so hard for Katniss is adorable, girl dad!! His wig is so wiggy (affectionate). 9.9/10 what is your story king??

Effie: Alice in Wonderland called babe, they want their set back. I really don’t understand why she was on the District 12 team?? Is she also from District 12?? Also you cannot convince me she didn’t pick Prim on purpose she was so picky for the girl side and barely even looked picking the boys. 7.5/10 girl so confusing

Cinna: NOW THIS IS MY BESTIE REMIX‼️‼️ Cinna you are so loved and kind. He said itd drip or drop on the capital and imma make y’all DROWN THE COMPETITION!! Created looks so fierce no one was the same again. Another bug Katniss sweetheart, I love the moment just before the game they share. 10/10 that’s MY GOAT!

Rue: Ok so going into this I knew two things about Rue: 1. She’s a little black girl. 2. People were mad she was a little black girl (emphasis on black). So imagine my surprise when miss girl was barely in the movie and then died. Y’all (you know who you are) just loud and racist my lord. Anger at the fandom aside MY SHAYLAAAAAAAAAA 😭😭😭😭! Was amazing and perfect and I wished she lived just to spite y’all. 10/10 rest in peace queen.

Caesar Flickerman: Bro is the result of a fusion dance between James Corden and Foop. His wig is so wiggy (derogatory). 3.2/10 I want him jumped.

The other guy: I don’t remember his name but he was like the game master or smth?? I called him Mephisto Diablo in my head the whole film. Don’t like his ass either. His facial hair was ridiculous and not in a fun way. Wore red and black everything and then white pants which pissed me off. 3.1/10 stick to a colour scheme.

President Snow: First and foremost, incredible casting. He looks so horrible to exist around as he should. The scene of him crowing Katniss and their brief conversation was SOOO GOOD! One of the best scenes in the entire film (TO ME) is his speech about hope and fear as he’s trimming that flower. Can’t wait to see him in the sequels but especially Ballad. 7.8/10 I love a good villain.

[books-covers-andanalysis]

Sunrise on the Reaping Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Yes, a perfect 5 stars. This is the best Hunger Games book

Characters

This has reminded me why Haymitch has always been my favorite character. He is so much more complex than some people gave him credit before this book. He was never just a “drunken asshole” who had a soft side, he is a deeply traumatized person who closed himself off due to all his loved ones being killed. Seeing Haymitch before his trauma was devastating, especially because he has such a big heart (which I’ve been saying but some people didn’t listen!). He loves his ma, brother, and girlfriend so much. He grows to love his fellow tributes so much. He even decides the bunnies are his allies! Then the last 40ish pages destroyed me because we saw him break in real time and turn to alcohol to deal with his grief. His PTSD is so bad, it’s genuinely some of the worst PTSD I’ve ever encountered in a book before. Haymitch is the best Hunger Games character

The side characters were also outstanding. The ones that stood out the most to me were Maysilee, Lou Lou, Wellie, and Ampert, and all of their deaths hit me. It was like Haymitch had multiple Rue’s. Maysilee had so much unexpected depth; helping the tributes with their tokens, despite being the most stuck up girl in town, wanting to make the Capitol pay for what they’ve done. She was an outstanding character. Lou Lou is a tragic character. We don’t even know her real name or personality, that’s how deeply horrible her story is. Wellie stuck with me because of how much and deeply she bonded to Haymitch. The scene of her and Haymitch in the tree with chocolates is one of the most memorable parts of the book for me. Ampert is another one whose story is just so tragic. He was punished for his dad’s defiance

Of the returning characters, I was most moved by Mags. Even though her role in the story was small, she left such a lasting impact on Haymitch. Even in the arena, he thought it’s okay to cry to her. Wiress was also a lovely surprise, as was Beetee. Plutarch finally became a character I care about and remember. The seeds of the rebellion being planted was fascinating, and I appreciated the acknowledgement the rebellion didn’t start and end with Katniss; people had been trying for years, she was just the spark

Plot

On the surface level, this book is about Haymitch’s games and how he doomed his family and girlfriend during it by trying to break the arena. Now, in Catching Fire it is shown that Haymitch finds a force field at the end of the arena, and then we he fights the other last tribute, he accidentally uses it to fling her weapon back at her. But it’s implied there’s more to the story. Why did this get his whole family killed? Katniss’ stunt with the berries didn’t get her whole family killed, and that was intentional! It’s been implied forever there was more to Haymitch’s games year, and now we finally get it. It wasn’t just the force field, Haymitch had defied the Capitol every step of the way as soon as he landed in there. And he suffers the worst consequences one can think of for it. While the whole book was great, the moments that stick out the most to me are:

Haymitch being threatened by Snow. Every part of this scene, from Haymitch drinking the milk to try and stop Snow from being saved, to Snow projecting onto Haymitch, to saying Haymitch should be thanking him for giving him the option to choose how he dies, to the horrifying Lou Lou reveal. Every part of this scene was written in a way that is so horrifying it sticks with you the rest of the book

The last 40ish pages, or as soon as Haymitch wakes up in the hovercraft to the end of the book. This sequence felt like it was out of a horror movie. Haymitch waking up chained and watching a snake eat a bunny, to being isolated with nothing but milk and rolls. He was shown disturbing footage of old Games, handcuffed and taken to his Victor Party where he sees the other Victors who helped with this plot have been tortured. Snow threatening him again, and him being locked in a cage at the party and treated like an animal. Haymitch had to ride home knowing Maysilee, Louella, and Wyatt’s bodied were right next to him. He got home to his family being burned. Then gave Lenore Dove the poisoned gumdrop. Haymitch’s PTSD during all of this is so genuinely devastating, he is having nightmares, and shutting down, and terrified. This is the best written part of the book, and the best written part of the whole series

Themes

On a deeper level, this book is about implicit submission, propaganda, why do we let the few control the many? It’s about abuse of power, corrupt governments, and all the usual Hunger Games themes like how American capitalism is evil, classism is evil, we are desensitized to violence. This book explores these themes in both subtle ways and big grand ways. These are obviously very worthwhile themes to explore, and this book does so with care. Haymitch wondering who is he, to take down the Capitol. But little does he know how much trouble he is causing it. Plutarch asking why didn’t you just have a rebellion in the training room? Why don’t the districts rebel?

My issues with the past Hunger Games books have always been that something was missing. For the first one, it was that all the careers felt like caricatures for the villains in the arenas. For the second, it was that it felt distant. For the series as a whole, it was that while it’s good, it seems afraid of the horror of its own setup, and most of the tributes are meaningless deaths, despite the books own themes. This book fixed all my issues with the other books. All the named tributes felt human and got moments where you empathized with them. Every character death was devastating and written with the emotion it deserved. It was in the scene with Haymitch the whole time. Suzanne Clark has improved her writing tremendously. This is the best book in the series and the only one I’ve given 5 stars too. Well done! One of the best books I’ve ever read

[bonesandthebees]

crimeboys are finally crimeboys-ing. it took trauma but i guess thats just how they work lol. but willll- your dad loves you. 'wanted to believe that' bro do you not think that just being your dad's kid will make him worry about you. that tommy has to have something to do with it as well. willllll.

niki!!! yeah that other ask i read (forgot whose) was right about how things just aren't the same after an event like that, for better and for worse. they may be close friends but everything has changed and will keep changing beneath the surface. there's no guarantee they'll ever be the same as they were before but at least there's hope for something new. reminds me of that one part of the hunger games where peeta loses his memory and things are really tense between him and katniss for a while

bro keeps waiting for tommy but everyone else decided to hog him lmaooooo

the break from the constant rivalry thingy, one of his closest childhood friends, yeah he and quackity needed this moment of quiet. no pressure to keep up the standard like with niki. nighttime helps. plus a touch of that quackity + tommy energy that we typically get, maybe a new bonding moment??? ah i just like this scene

phil pov! phil pov! my guy!!!! still can't get over the elation of having this.

now all the evidence seems to be pointing to schlatt now, with a hefty amount of it clearing niki and quackity's names, but i wonder why schlatt didn't get rid of it. it might be planted. we'll stick to this guy for suspect no.1 but this feels iffy. either way, time for some protective murder ✨✨

walking cane gift 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

also yeah i worked out how to use emojis on a windows laptop. still gonna stick to being - :D

"it took trauma but I guess thats just how they work" lmao yeah that's pretty much it. and wilbur has so many daddy issues oops

I'll just say that nothing is really going to be the same between niki and wilbur again. wilbur's mindset has shifted in some very important ways and this near death experience really changed something inside of him.

for all their banter I really wanted that scene to remind people that quackity and wilbur are close childhood friends beneath it all. sure they won't exactly say that, but they hold so much respect for each other and quackity is just really relieved that wilbur's okay.

phil pov is SO fun to write in rose oh my god though it's going to be interesting to balance now that he and wilbur are both back in the same place

love the theorizing so far. keep in mind how I've characterized schlatt in this fic. does it seem likely he'd pull something like that? maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't. maybe he wants people to underestimate him. or maybe he thinks differently than the others playing the game around him. we'll have to wait and see.

congrats on figuring out the emojis but I'm glad you're sticking with :D it suits you

[periwinckles]

Please tell me you have a middle name chapter 15

“Good afternoon , can I help you?” 

Mrs Everdeen’s voice startles me, as I climb the three steps to their small front porch. I postponed my visit here for the afternoon. First, because I had work to do in the morning and second, because I reasoned Katniss would be back from the woods by now. Deep down, I also hoped her mother would be out on house calls, but I guess no such luck. 

Her hands are dirty and I notice the small patch of land with rosemary, mint and several other herbs I don’t recognise from up here. I must have missed her, kneeling on the ground. 

“Hello Mrs Everdeen.” I finally manage to say. “I’m a friend of Katniss and Prim. My name’s Peeta.” 

I extend a hand to her even though hers are covered in dirt. “Peeta Mellark?” She asks, rubbing her hand in her apron and taking mine in a brief handshake. 

“Yes!” I confirm, still suspicious that she would recognize me. I wonder if she kept track of my father’s sons the same way he kept track of her daughters. 

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Peeta Mellark.” 

She gives me a heartwarming smile and suddenly I’m blushing to the root of my hair. So it’s not because of my dad that she knows of me. I know for a fact that he hasn't spoken to her in years.

“I take it you’re here to see Katniss?” She says circling around the house and gesturing for me to follow. “They’re in the backyard, tending to our goat.” 

The box with the slice of cake is as heavy as a sack of flour in my hand, and don’t get me started on the two letters in my back pocket. How exactly am I supposed to handle this? Sorry, Mrs Everdeen, your teenage daughter has a suitor, but he’s making his case to you oldest daughter because pretty much everyone considers her the responsible adult and effective guardian of this household.

We reach the backyard and I can’t stop myself from smiling. Prim is brushing the goats hair, and Katniss is laying down, stretching her arms like a cat, basking in the sunlight, her shirt riding up letting me catch a glimpse of her midriff. She’s wearing pants, but has them rolled up to her knees to enjoy the sunlight in her skin. There it is. Black. Unmistakable. Unequivocal. The most glorious handwritten P I have ever seen. 

“Peeta, what are you doing here?”  Prim asks, delighted, when she sees me. Katniss instantly sits up, and rolls her pants leg down.

“Hello Prim.” I greet them with my free arm. “Katniss.” 

We haven’t spoken since last Tuesday. I don’t even try to hide my staring at her leg, as if I could see through the fabric covering it. Her gaze drifts to mine as well, but I’m wearing pants today. Her eyebrows lift in question. Missing the shorts, are we? 

“To what do we owe this visit?” Prim asks reluctantly, as if she’s afraid to interrupt something and we both avert our eyes from each other. 

“Oh, I have something for you, actually!” I tell her, extending the small white box. 

“Peeta…” Katniss starts, clearly upset. “You need to stop giving away merchandise, it’s not…”

“It’s not mine!” I tell them both and she’s taken aback by this. 

"Who is it from?” Prim asks, taking the box from my hand. “IS THiS BIRTHDAY CAKE?” Suddenly the almost fifteen year old is jumping up and down as if she’s ten again. “Look mom, it’s cake, with frosting and everything!!” 

(you know the drill. Read the rest on AO3 be a doll and leave me a comment!)

[stuckinpermafrost]

35, 39, and 96!

Thanks for the ask yippeeeee

35. Have you ever tried archery?

YES and I’m terrible at it because my eyesight sucks. However, when I was in middle school PE, we had a short archery unit and I somehow ended up being the girl with the most points in my class in a sort of Final Archery Competition. The prize (they called it the Katniss award… I think the best boy was the Robin Hood award lol) was supposed to be candy and I never got it, still disappointed about it 12 or so years later

39. Do you have any scars?

Big one on the bottom of my foot from stepping on glass in a river when I was like 5, a kind of lumpy scar on one elbow from when my dog suddenly ran after a squirrel and pulled me down into the pavement when I was around 12, and one on a finger from slicing myself while attempting to carve a pumpkin when I was maybe 13

Oh also I have a very faint scar on one thumb now, about a year ago my hand slipped while I was using a cheese grater and I grated my thumb. But it’s already super faint and I bet it’ll probably fade completely with some more time

96. How did you get your name?

I think my parents just went through Irish names and found one they liked, apparently my mom liked the name Tara (not really an actual authentic Irish name! fun fact) but it was the name of one of my dad’s exes so they scratched it lol

As annoying as it is that no one in the US pronounces my name right, I do love having an actual Irish name and not an anglicized one 😊

[alwaysspeakshermind]

When do you think Katniss and Peeta developing real romantic feeling toward each other?

Thank you 😊

@everlarkshipper

Well!

(gif originally saved from tenor, not mine)

In my personal opinion, I think Peeta begins falling for Katniss pretty much exactly when he says he does in the cave (aka, the first day of school when she sang, aka, "from that moment on, I was a goner"). He's not afraid of feelings/doesn't think of them as a weakness the way Katniss is/does, and while they don't officially meet until the day of the Reaping, they're not quite total strangers, either. It's sort of a running joke about small towns that "everybody knows everybody," so even when you aren't close to someone, you still kind of know things about them because you simply can't avoid crossing paths throughout your life.

[For instance: when I was in college, there was this one semester where I'd pass this same guy on my way to class every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for three+ months. To this day, I don't know his name, I don't know his major, I don't know whether he was coming from a dorm or a class or the library, but I know he had to catch the 11:55 bus, that he liked vanilla protein drinks more than chocolate protein drinks, that he would rather trip over someone than elbow his way past them, that he really liked wearing gray, and that he could jump a bike rack if he wanted to, because I observed all those pieces of information just casually walking past him for that short amount of time even though I had no interest in him. Peeta, by comparison, was interested in Katniss from the get-go and saw her at least five days a week for about a decade, so I think it's safe to assume a lot of the knowledge he surprises her by airing during their discussion with Haymitch (the hunting skills, the good aim, etc.) are things he's picked up on because he's (as he says) "paying attention." ]

Because his dad points Katniss out and tells a story about her mother (and her father, and the baker, which in and of itself is kind of interesting as it can sort of be taken as foreshadowing since it involves two kids from one side of town who grow up together but don't end up together because one of the kids falls in love with a person from the opposite side of town which, ya know, sounds a little G/K/P but I digress), Peeta notices her. But that first notice isn't The Moment™ for him; instead, it's her volunteering (!!!) to get up in front of the class and sing the Valley song that does him in.

And to be honest, while I do understand where people who discount that first day of school thing because "they were just kids" are coming from, I personally think it has to be counted because, as Peeta himself points out, he "noticed just about every girl," but the only one who makes "a lasting impression" is Katniss meaning, in essence, that he sort of tested/examined his feelings for Katniss and realized way before the Games that they were, in fact, strong enough to make him want to try and keep her alive at his own expense in the arena. For him, the romantic feelings are already in place by the time we the readers meet him, and finally getting to know her only strengthens how he feels because a lot of the things he most admires about her (her strength, her bravery, her skill, her stubbornness, her love for her sister, etc.) are all on full display. (Also: he thinks she's funny even if no one else does, and like he tells her in Catching Fire when she's mad at him for laughing after the Johanna-Elevator incident, he basically loves the fact that she's intimidating on the outside and awkward as anything [aka, "pure"] on the inside.)

To me, it's kind of significant that for Peeta, it's emphasized at the end of THG how he's "already there" when it comes to being in love, and that he "[wants] it to be real" in CF when they're parading their fake but-maybe-not-so-fake relationship around, and I firmly believe that the main reason his MJ storyline hurts so much beyond the usual watching-a-favorite-character-be-damaged-by-the-narrative is because his inability to tell the difference between what's real and what isn't is such a perversion of his previously rock-solid love for Katniss. Up until that moment in the series, we the readers and Katniss, and basically all the rest of Panem know that Peeta's feelings for her are real; after what the Capitol does to him, his biggest point of confusion centers on what he feels for Katniss, but even when he doubts what he's seeing/hearing/thinking/feeling, reason still tells him that you don't start off risking a beating for burning bread and go back into a government-sponsored death match for someone you don't love a whole lot.

In Katniss' case I think it's more difficult to pinpoint one exact moment of origin, because she doesn't like to deal with feelings to begin with and is also too practical to take time to sit down and sort out how she feels when there are so many other things to do (and also, a lot of what causes her to fall for Peeta are the smaller, everyday parts of his personality rather than any single grand gesture or one particular moment they share together).

That being said, Katniss is one of the closest approximations to myself that I've ever come across in fiction in terms of how we think/operate, so I personally see a lot of giveaways regarding how/what she thinks of Peeta and how that shifts over time. And to me, the closest thing to an official Romantic Feels Are Sparking moment is the moment in the cave when she starts to wonder if he's a really, really, really good actor, or if what he's telling her is maybe based in truth.

One of the things I've noticed over time during HG discussions is that a lot of people seem to either not fully understand or to gloss over Katniss' practicality, which is a huge part of who she is and how she makes her decisions (including romantic ones). Like she says herself several times throughout the series, Katniss is focused predominantly on survival for most of her life. That's it. She doesn't go for things like music, ribbons, pets, etc., because they're not useful, and to her, romantic relationships also fall in that category because they carry an inherent risk with them in a world where children born outside the wealthy Capitol are in danger of starving to death or getting sent to the Games, and loving and losing someone has the potential to make you fall apart. Due to everything she's gone through in life (losing her father, being essentially forced to take his place, etc.) , she's become self-sufficient and distrustful, and also extremely good at compartmentalizing her feelings (with the sometimes exception of anger). From the second she volunteers for Prim, her focus is on how to maximize her chances of survival; while she knows her odds aren't good, she's too much of a fighter to go down without swinging, and when she sees ways in which she can improve her chances, she goes after them to the best of her ability.

Enter: Peeta, the boy she feels indebted to but has never interacted with even once, who she is now competing with for survival.

Also enter: complicated feelings Katniss very much does not want to deal with because they are a distraction from her current goal of survival.

While it's definitely tempting to make headcanons about how Katniss also maybe had feelings for Peeta prior to the Games because she "[keeps] track of the boy with the bread," I think the important takeaway is: no romantic feelings exist on Katniss' side, but the potential for feelings might...it's just complicated by the Games, because Katniss is so focused on staying alive that she's constantly on guard and keeps misinterpreting his actions as some sneaky, crafty plan when he's actually just being kind. So, even when he catches her off guard and makes her laugh/she finds herself not totally hating hanging out with him, she has to immediately nip all that in the bud because she knows that her survival will ultimately come at the cost of his death, and it's an ugly reality that's much easier to face if she doesn't like him, or at least doesn't know him, than it will be if they become friends and she has to kill him/watch him die/mourn his loss (basically, the whole insidiousness principle of the Games: it forces you into dehumanizing your competitors to save yourself, which will ultimately take a horrible toll on you no matter what).

Although Katniss is inclined to like him, she is also massively confused by him because he keeps behaving in ways that are contradictory to all sense and reason ("He's very hard to predict, which might be interesting under different circumstances, but at the moment only provides another obstacle"), so she's constantly sifting through information until basically, only three explanations for what he's doing remain:

He's trying to survive and jumping at anything that will heighten his chance of that no matter how ruthless (aka pretending to be nice so he can eliminate her later, joining the careers, etc.)

He's genuinely kind but also genuinely trying to survive and is just acting for sponsors

He's telling the truth and really does like her

The trouble is, if you run all those reasons through the logic filter, the answer that seems the most likely is #2, because in Katniss' mind, it doesn't make sense that he'd help her as much as he does if he were just trying to kill her, but it also doesn't make sense that he'd do everything he does because he loves her since she doesn't even understand why anyone outside of her mother and sister would like her. So in essence, every time Peeta sort of tips his hand about how he really feels, Katniss notices it, but is able to find a logical explanation for it/dismiss it as strategy until that one moment in the cave when she realizes he's telling her some things that have a basis in reality, which would imply that everything he's been saying about liking her but her not knowing he was alive is true. And that time when they kiss, she feels something that A) gets the blood pumping in her cut enough to make Peeta stop it all, and B) sticks in her mind enough that she mentions it again in connection with the beach kiss(es) in CF.

Anyways. This is super-duper wordy, so for purposes of succinctness, I have also provided a quick photo summary of my arguments regarding when Katniss first began having real romantic feelings toward Peeta:

Everything is then (of course) further complicated by Snow and the Capitol, plus Peeta learning that Katniss was under the impression that the Star-Crossed Lovers story was a survival strategy, but the important thing to remember in my opinion is that Katniss explicitly states at both the end of THG and the beginning of CF that she is not sure how much of what she does in the 74th Games is an act, because those little moments in the cave feel real (coughcough), while most of the rest can be written off as planned pageantry.

Thanks for the ask, and sorry for the longwinded response! 😘

[jbreenr]

⚠ HAWKEYE 101 & 102 SPOILERS ⚠

Alright…

I personally think it was great having another 2012 flashback. Getting to see the realistic part of it, like Adrian Toomes being practically fired, now Kate losing her dad.

And knowing that Clint saved her from a Chitauri and that being the reason she admires him makes just so much sense.

Now, that ✨ intro ✨. I loved it. I love the colors.

Hailee looks gorgeous. We all know this already, but it's always good to remind that.

Okay but, I wanna see the Rogers musical. I know for a fact that I'd be cackling like an idiot the whole time. SMASH! XD

But, yeah, you saw Clint's face when Nat--? I--. I'm sorry, I knew this series would talk about her repeatedly but I was not prepared.):

“Thanos was right.” written in the bathroom. Man…

The fact that Ronin is still unknown (or kinda was) until then was something I was not expecting.

EVER SINCE I SAW JACK'S MUSTACHE I KNEW I COULDN'T TRUST HIM. I. KNEW. IT.

Ive got a question. How in hell did these these people got the sword and suit from the Avengers HQs? Like, yeah, it was destroyed but still!

And well, now we know how Kate got the suit.

Also, it is obvious that Lucky is the real hero here.

Kazi. Who's Kazi? I'm half asleep and I don't remember anyone named Kazi.

Armand was killed? WTF?! Not that I'll miss him because he threatened Kate's mom but uhhh?!

We start the next episode with Kate shocked and fangirling and I love that. I would totally be awkward too, hon.

Now, and see me exhaling dramatically, Kate keeps the mask on like a pro. Her words, not mine. Not like sOMEONE CALLED PETER PARKER WHO SEEMINGLY DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF IT!

Not that it matters now, since Quentin told everyone he's Spider-Man but it has nothing to do with this series.

Or maybe it has since No Way Home is apparently set on Christmas too.

Anyway, I find it interesting how Katniss Everdeen is more canon in the MCU than Mephisto atm.

Clint going to that event and fighting all those people was really funny. And him going “And I fought Thanos.” before accepting faking his death. I did laugh.

Kate sending him texts like Peted did with Happy. I'm sorry, she's a baby and I love her.

Talking about love, I LOVE how comprehensive Laura is. Like she knows Clint has things to do and supports him.

Also, Kate is so badass. All that fencing thing with Jack and her mom not believing her. Aaaaagh, I know that's the point but I'm already frustrated and it's only been two episodes.

We didn't have much jokes here, which I like. But the two bad ones were from the Tracksuits. I hope that doesn't stick, I don't want it to get annoying.

That ending is aaksñdfñ. At first I didn't know who they were taking about when they said “She wants him alive.” but my slow brain put two and two together and aañdñdlsñ.

And finally, we did not have post-credit scenes but those credits were real cool.

Oh, I missed posting this kinda stuff.

[dumbledoresphoenix]

Buckle up lads, it’s TBOSAS theory time.

First main theory is that 12 is the reason why Snow’s lungs are damaged, because he always refers to the thick air and choking on the air quality and finding it difficult to breathe. I mean, my mans died choking on the blood in his lungs, and why were his lungs so damaged? Because the air quality in 12 is so poor because of the mines, and he’s already got potential lung damage because of the bombings in the Capitol as a child on top of the bombing at the arena. He has the lung quality that you’t typically see in miners because he’s had to live and work there even though it wasn’t for very long, but his lungs are already susceptible to being ruined by the coal mining district and it likely started showing up later in life when age and the stress from the Mockingjay exacerbated his symptoms. Snow would have died ANYWAY because of his stay in 12 and it makes it perfect that Katniss, the 12 rebel that reminds him SO much of Lucy Gray was the final cause of his lung failure.

I loved just how much we learned about Snow’s character because it explains SO MUCH about why he hates Peeta and Katniss with a burning passion. Like can you imagine going 64 years sorting out the games to then have this girl from the Seam in 12, wearing a blue-GRAY dress, cause a huge scene to volunteer for her sister and makes the Capitol fall in love with her in seconds, which is already making your games look bad, and then you find out her name is Katniss? The name of the flower that your ‘love’ went to find before she left you alone in the woods of 12? Katniss Everdeen never stood a CHANCE with Snow and that’s before she’s ever even The Mockingjay.

And THEN, Peeta and Katniss start running with this “Star-crossed lovers” story and Snow is immediately so jealous because these people are getting the publicity and the hearts of the Capitol that he felt he deserved. Which leads on to the next theory that Snow never loved Lucy Gray, he just loved the idea of her because she was bright and shiny and new and the Capitol LOVES her. He is so jealous of that love and affection that she gets and he thinks that he deserves that love because of his name; he constantly refers to her as an object and feels he has a right to her.

Snow sees one Mockingjay and declares that he “hates them already”, like honey you’ve got a big storm coming. 

The fact that Snow KNOWS 12 so well too?? He is so aware of the poverty and the lives of the people living there that haven’t changed in the 64 years between him being a Peacekeeper and him being President of Panem. He knows the Mellark’s Bakery, he knows about the underground gambling and illegal trading and that girls sell themselves for money; but he’s so BITTER that he won’t do anything to make lives better for anyone except himself. 

Also the similarities between Sejanus and Peeta are astounding; both of them were thrown into the Capitol against their will and only Snow knows that Peeta wont conform unless they force him to, because he’s seen it with Sejanus, so instead he hijacks Peeta with Trackerjacker venon to make him do his bidding. 

The fact that Snow then takes the Plinths money and fuels it into the Hunger Games is so distasteful and disrespectful to Sejanus’ memory because he knew damn well that that wouldn’t be what Sejanus’ would have wanted. He’s so manipulative and uses his ‘charm’ to wrap the Plinths around his little finger and most likely ran with the “I tried to contact you about his death but I had no time!” while also being actively responsible for Sejanus’ death.

Also Katniss’ Dad was 100% Maude Ivory’s son, because Katniss knew the Hanging Tree song DECADES after Snow had banned it, she also knew the Meadow and the Meadow Song and she learnt to swim in the lake - which was how she was safe in the Quarter Quell games. How else would she have learnt all this if she wasn’t descended from the Covey people? Maude Ivory was able to recall a song after hearing it once and Katniss’ Dad used to sing to her; Katniss is Covey.

There’s more but I think this post is long enough lol, give me your thoughts!

[katnissmellarkkk]

“Why are you wearing my sweater?” “Because it smells like you.”

Hi! So thank you for sending a prompt! I hope this is good enough? I’m so bad at writing fluff that isn’t kind of angsty, so I tried. In my defense, the angst isn’t at all between Everlark. But anyways, I enjoyed writing this so thanks for sending!!! 

Oh, also it’s important to know ahead of time before reading that a). this is set post-mockingjay and b). in my version of post-canon, Panem took on some semblance of our modern day winter holidays. So they have a celebration that’s kind of a variation of Christmas.

My feet trudge down the stairs, still somewhat unwillingly, although no one is forcing me. I could stay upstairs in my room all day if I so wished, I could hide under the blankets and just pretend. I could just pretend today was an ordinary, boring day and that most of the people I know won’t be convening in my house for the vast majority of the afternoon and evening.

But I don’t. Because that wouldn’t be fair to do to Peeta.

Peeta, who loves the celebrating and the family gatherings and the newfound holidays this country has adapted since the end of the war, since the end of Snow and Coin and the hunger games.

And it’s not that I don’t want to see my family. It’s not that I necessarily want to be a hermit in my own home, like Haymitch.

I just really don’t like this new holiday. For whatever reason, it has made my skin crawl every year, for the last six years that it’s been slowly making it’s way across the districts. Every year, people in every district alike put out decorations, purchase candy and trees, cook meat and pastries and, though every district calls the holiday a differing variety of names, everyone all celebrates alike. With their family, traveling to see loved ones, thankful for the safety not one of us can take for granted now since the war.

Maybe it’s that seeing the whole country uniformly celebrating anything still makes my skin crawl, as I still see loud, boisterous crowds in my dreams at night, and though the people celebrating this holiday are probably nothing like the faces I see in my sleep, I still can’t shake the connection.

Or maybe it’s that not all my family survived the war. Maybe it’s the fact that I don’t want to celebrate anything if I can’t celebrate with everyone I love.

Either way I still make my way down the stairs and through the living room, just the same. I walk past Haymitch, drunk and passed out on the floor and the embers burning in the hearth next to him. I walk into the kitchen and meet the eyes of my husband, currently stirring batter of some kind in the bowl I did my best to handcraft for his birthday two years ago.

“Hi,” Peeta greets, his eyes visibly surprised to see me. “What’re you doing up?”

I give him a look as I slide into a tall chair by the counter. “It’s nine-thirty,” I deadpan. “I’m usually up at six.”

“I just figured,” he starts before hesitating, measuring me carefully before second-guessing his words. “I know you don’t like the new holiday traditions,” he finally amends.

I shrug my shoulders, non-committal. “It’s not like I can hide away while everyone’s here,” I state, as if I wasn’t contemplating doing that exact thing on the way down the stairs.

Peeta though touches my hand and gives it a squeeze, sympathetically. “I could tell them you’re sick?” He offers softly.

A part of me wishes to take him up on that offer but I shake my head plainly. “It wouldn’t be right.”

“I can tell everyone to head over to Delly’s and Kanon’s. Delly doesn’t mind changing her plans and hosting. We can just spend the day you and me.”

“And Haymitch makes three?” I tease, but give a half smile as I turn down this idea too. “I’m fine, Peeta. Really. I can even help you finish up...” I look at the bowl of mixed ingredients, attempting to decipher what he’s concocting. I’ve been married to him long enough to put together the smell of vanilla, cinnamon and chocolate, but still manage to come up empty to what his final product will be.

He just laughs at my confusion. “No, actually, I was planning on taking a break anyway,” he says, putting the bowl and spoon down, but I easily know he’s lying. He never stops halfway through making anything for a break, no matter how sore his arm can get from stirring.

“Really?” I raise one thick eyebrow at him, knowingly, as he walks around the counter and pulls at my hand to follow him.

As I stand, Peeta evidently takes in my attire for the first time since I came downstairs.

“Why are you wearing my sweater?” He asks, his own blonde brows furrowing now.

“Because it smells like you,” I say defensively, hugging it to me like I’m afraid he’s going to steal it away.

But his eyes soften almost imperceptibly and he gives me a look that is so loving and so sweet, it would disgust me if it were from anyone else.

“Come here,” he directs evenly, tugging me by hand. I let him guide me to the living room, taking a seat on the coffee table while he finds residence across from me, on the couch. We both, probably unwisely, ignore the drunk sleeping off his stupor by the flames.

Peeta takes my hands in his and leans down to press his mouth to my knuckles. “Talk to me, Katniss.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” I insist, but my voice is too quiet and he’s been married to me for over six years and he knows me too well at this point. He knew me too well at sixteen, let alone now, after all these years.

Proving just that, he shakes his head. “Something’s bothering you. And I don’t like it when you’re not happy.”

I shrug then, because I have no defense to really give. “I just... dislike Yuleday,” I admit simply, using the most common term for the holiday.

I feel his large hand cover my cheek tenderly. “Is this because your mom is bringing Rod this year?”

My jaw clenches at the mention of my mother’s new husband. I open my mouth to deny it but then I look into Peeta’s kind, understanding blue eyes, that have never judged me, that have sought so hard for so long to never let his demons cast shadows over them again, and I just can’t. His baby blue eyes stop me in my tracks, stop me from telling him a blatant lie. “It’s a part of it,” I admit begrudgingly.

I feel his hand move to rub one of my shoulders. “I know. I know it’s hard,” he validates. I lean over and kiss his fingers as they try to massage the tension away. “But it has been almost fourteen years since your dad died, Katniss. Your mom... it’s okay for her to move on. I think it’s a good thing, that she was able to open her heart again to someone new.”

I nod mechanically, knowing all this is true, logically. “Yeah,” I try to agree, but it comes out unevenly and I can’t quite make myself look at him now.

“It’s easier to accept from an outside position,” he notes kindly.

But I shake my head. “It’s not just that, Peeta. It’s... it’s not just that she remarried or that she didn’t tell me about him until they were engaged. It’s... it’s everything that came with her getting remarried.”

Already knowing what I meant without asking me to verbalize, he adds, “It’s the step-children that make it more difficult to swallow.” His words are a clear statement, not a question.

I shrug at that, knowing it’s true. “It just feels odd that she has this whole other family now,” I explain, feeling immature and ridiculous and petty.

Practically reading my mind again, Peeta tries to comfort me. “That’s natural, Katniss. For you to feel that way, I mean. I would.” He lifts my chin so I have to look at him now. “I would feel the exact same way. Especially...” he cuts himself off now, once again second-guessing what he wants to say.

“Especially what?” I prompt.

“Especially if I lost my sister like you did. I would be sensitive about my mother gaining step-kids too. Younger step-kids, at that.” He gives me a long measuring look in which makes me feel naked. And not in a good way, like usual. “That’s what really bothering you, after all.”

My eyes widen, startled by his call out. “What?”

“That’s why you’re really upset. About the holiday, about everyone coming over, about your mom’s new family. Because it just reminds you that Prim is missing.”

I stare straight ahead blankly, unable to respond. Nothing hurts more than that simple truth, that glaring fact, that cuts me right down to the bone. That the real reason I hate this new celebration is because my sister would absolutely love it and she’s not here to experience it. She’s not here to see it and I don’t know how to enjoy it properly, even for Peeta’s sake, without her here too.

“Come here,” Peeta says now, and he tugs me by hand from the coffee table and into his lap. His fingers sift through my hair tenderly and his lips find resistance against my forehead. After a long beat, he whispers against my temple, “She would want you to make new memories. Prim would love Yuleday. And she would want you to love it.”

“I know she would love it,” I say and we both pretend not to hear the way my voice cracks. “But she isn’t here to love it and... I feel wrong celebrating without her. I know it’s been eight years-“

“Katniss, there’s no time limit on grief. Trust me, I know.” Of course he did. He lost his entire family in one fell swoop and I’m over here whining about my loss. I feel his hand slip up my sweater—well, technically his sweater—and rub my back. “Do you remember what I said at our toasting?”

I crane my neck back from it’s place against his throat, giving him a puzzled look. “Off topic but yes. I remember everything from that day.” And I do. I remember how perfect his outfit was, how it wasn’t too casual or too formal, just the right simplicity. I remember what he said and how the warmth of the fire reflected the warmth inside my heart. I remember the bread he made and how it was the exact the bread he tossed to me in the rain all those years ago, the exact bread that had saved my life. I remember the look in his eyes as he stared at me, the tears he shed of utter happiness, because we were finally able to love each other safely and wholly and without pressure or reservations.

“Do you remember what I said about Prim?” He inquiries softly.

And then I understand why he brought up our toasting. “Yes,” I affirm, my voice quiet again.

“She’s always here, for all the big events and the small ones. She lives inside you, Katniss. Your sister is a part of you, no matter what.”

I blink back the moisture in my eyes, trying my hardest not to let any of it fall. “I know.”

“Prim would want you to be happy,” he says again, kissing my hair, his fingers dancing over my braids. I put my hair in two today, knowing he liked it when I did. “Happy with and for your mother.”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “I do hope she’s happy,” I murmur finally, my grey eyes boring into his. “I hope Rod makes her as happy as you make me.”

I feel his lips before I realize he’s leaning in, our mouths connecting instantaneously. His lips are softer than ever, but still firm, still able to create an electric spark inside of me. I thought the kiss on the beach was good when I was seventeen, but in reality, it was nothing compared to how he makes me feel eight years later. It was nothing compared to the fireworks he erupts now, without even so much as trying.

But he can’t go without teasing me for long and as soon as we pull apart, as I trail my lips downwards to begin hungrily kissing his throat, he doesn’t even miss a beat, saying, “I hope Rod makes your mom as happy as my sweaters make you.”

I immediately pull my mouth away, my eyes narrowing. “I’m leaving.”

“No,” he pleads, grabbing me by the waist as I try to stand and tugging me back into his arms again. His lips find where my neck meets my shoulder and he sucks, putting a vast amount of pressure there, knowing it’s my utter weakness. “Don’t leave me. I love you,” he mumbles gently against my skin.

I can’t help my smile then as I reach my hand up and touch his cheek, making sure not to interfere with him continuing his task. “I love you too, Peeta.”

But another voice joins us, effectively ending the moment. “Can you two get a room?” Haymitch barks, his eyes bleary as he leans his head up off the floor now, still waking up.

“Actually, we got a whole house, Haymitch,” Peeta assures smoothly. “But thanks for making yourself at home in it.”

Haymitch only offers a thumbs up in response before flopping back on the hardwood, groaning in response to the dying fire’s last sizzling flames.

“If only we could use our house to our... liking. In peace.” I don’t even bother keeping my voice down or hiding my meaning from Haymitch.

“Girl, if you want to talk like that, save it for after company leaves.”

“You’re not company, Haymitch,” I shoot back.

“I’m talking about everyone else coming today, sweetheart.”

Oh. It had momentarily slipped my mind that we were expecting people any moment now. “We’re really grateful you could grace us with your presence early,” Peeta says to the hungover man, who’s now reaching his hand closer to the fire, attempting to absorb any heat he can.

“Shut it, boy. It’s Yuleday. Have some kindness for an old man who saved your life.”

“By kindness he means alcohol,” I murmur, eliciting Peeta’s chuckle.

“She’s not wrong,” Haymitch adds under his breath.

“Let me up,” Peeta pats my butt, signaling for me to get off his lap. “I have to go finish the chocolate cinnamon rolls before our family gets here.”

But as he starts to make his way back towards the kitchen, I follow behind him, grabbing his hand to catch up. “What’re you doing?” He asks, his voice confused.

“I’m going to help you finish baking.”

His brow push together. “What suddenly got you in the spirit?”

I shrug, making my way ahead of him and grabbing the bowl he was using before to stir the batter around. “Like Haymitch said. It’s Yuleday.”

Peeta’s eyes relax and then soften as he looks at me, no doubt taking in the image of me in his sweater, mixing batter around in the bowl I handmade him. Just as I finish stirring all the ingredients together, he wraps his arms around my waist and starts planting kisses on my neck greedily.

And I decide in that moment, as I twist around to capture my husband’s lips again with my own, to do everything I can to be happy for my mom.

To be as happy for her as I know somewhere Prim is for me.

[everlarkbirthdaygifts]

Happy Birthday, mellarkablegirl!

Happy Birthday, @mellarkablegirl​! We hope you’ve had a wonderful day so far, and that there is some epic cake forthcoming in your future! To keep your party going, the lovely @endlessnightlock​ has written a story just for you!

I hope you enjoy this best friends to lovers Everlark! Rated M for content of a sexual nature.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I toss another rock into the air, and, just like the first one I threw, it pings off the window of Peeta’s bedroom. I wait anxiously, worried it could be his mom or dad I’m going to wake up, since there’s no sign of movement inside his house at all, and certainly nothing from his room. 

Yes, it’s one a.m., but he ought to know to look for me by now. We wake each other up like this all the time. I know things will be awkward after everything that happened the other night, but still- that doesn’t mean he’s going to ignore me now, does it?

I cross my arms over my chest and huff. What in the heck is Peeta doing up there? 

“Peeta!” I loud-whisper his name harshly, irritated. I should probably just let things go for tonight and let him sleep, but I won’t have any peace until I talk to him- I’ve been going crazy since the other night, and I know we can’t keep ignoring each other, can we?

Besides, he’s used to me waking him up by now anyway. 

We've been best friends and next-door neighbors since we were six- Peeta brought me over a picture and a chocolate cupcake the day my family moved into the house next to his. After that, we played in my back yard for hours, digging up bugs and playing made-up pretend games, laughing together the rest of the afternoon.

Fortunately, I’m not left debating whether or not to go home for long, because his window opens and a head full of tousled blond curls appears. I’d recognize Peeta anywhere with that hair- the color is so light the moon reflects off it. It doesn't matter that I can’t see his face. 

“What are you doing out there?” he says, his voice thick like I woke him out of a dead sleep. 

”I wanted to talk to you, ” I say, shrugging.

“Why didn’t you just send me a text or something?” he clears his throat and leans further out the window. 

I frown up at him- and with the way I'm standing underneath the security light, I know he can see my face. What does Peeta think he’s going to do- have a whispered conversation with me from up there- doesn’t he want to talk to me? It makes me wonder if he’s been avoiding me, too, as I suspected. 

“Can you come down here, please? I wanted to talk to you.”

He glances behind him, hesitating. Anxiety rears its head and starts gnawing away at me. Did I ruin things between us?

“Yeah, just give me a few minutes,” Peeta says, sounding resigned. He quickly disappears inside his room and shuts the window behind him. 

While I wait for him to come downstairs, I climb up his back porch steps and sit on the wooden swing. Leaning back further, I pull my hands inside the sleeves of the sweatshirt I’m wearing to keep them warm- it's one of Peeta’s from freshman wrestling, and I swiped it from his room three years ago. It’s warm and comfortable, and it smelled like him at the time. 

While the scent is gone, his sweatshirt is my go-to comfort item, paired with shorts or sweats. It's not like Peeta would have worn it much longer anyway- he had his big growth spurt that summer, and he got so much taller and broader than me I would drown in his clothes now. 

It was around the time I started feeling differently about him, I realize now. We’d always been close- Peeta’s my best friend, and I love him as much as I do my sister or my mom and dad. But until that year, I’d never fixated on the way he smelled or how his eyelashes would light up in the sun or how his shirt sleeves grew tight around his biceps and forearms. 

I’d certainly never given any thought to the way the edge of his underwear and that strip of skin between the waistline of his pants and the bottom of his shirt would peek out if he lifted his arms above his head. That left me so hot and itchy every time it happened; I couldn’t look him in the face after.

“Hey,” Peeta greets me quietly, stepping out on the porch and closing the door gently behind him. I scoot over on the porch swing to give him room, making sure to provide him with a wide berth. He won't look at me; shame makes my face burn.

I was planning on being the one to bring it up, but suddenly it's as if my mouth is frozen shut. Darn it- there are so many things I need to say. 

I open my mouth, glance over at him staring down at his hands like he doesn’t know what to say either, and rapidly shut it again. 

You're the one who began this, I tell myself, you need to start this conversation.

”Peeta, hmm, listen.” He turns his head to look at me, and I force myself to speak again, staring into those blue eyes I know so well. ”I’m sorry-”

Peeta’s face drops, and he interrupts me. ”Please don’t say you're sorry, I can take anything but that right now, ” he says, “just don’t say that.”

I look down at my hands. ”But I ruined everything.”

He groans, and I peek over at him again. ”What do you think you ruined?” he whispers, a bit frantic-sounding. ”Katniss-”

It was about the same time- late enough so that Mr. and Mrs. Mellark were both in bed. Neither sets of our parents used to let us stay out so late, but since we’ve both turned eighteen and it’s our senior year, I guess they figure we’ll be out from under them soon anyway, so why bother with a curfew. Either we’re going to get into trouble, or we’re not.

We’d been sitting, talking about the dumb shit going on at school, namely some drama involving Josh Marvel and his on again off again girlfriend Clove Adkins. 

Peeta groaned- ”Dude just won’t shut up about her in the locker room. Katniss-” 

We were laughing together, and god, how happy his laughter made me. It warmed my body that night like sunshine on a freakin spring day, and while I know how sappy that sounds, it's the truth. That feeling- it made me feel reckless. 

”He won't stop talking about how she's the hottest girl in our class-”

”You don’t think she’s the hottest?” 

Peeta looked at me like I had lobsters crawling around on top of my head. “Are you kidding me? Hell no. No, not at all. You know I'm not an ogler.”

I laughed. ”Don’t act like you don't.”

He was growing uncomfortable, I could tell, but that didn’t stop me.

“Who do you think is, then?” I prodded him.

Why was I doing this to myself? I knew I wouldn’t like whatever answer he gave me. 

I guess I had a perverse wish for some honesty from him because, at that moment, it seemed better to know what he thought, even if it meant I would be found wanting in comparison to the Cashmeres or the Lavinias of the world. 

”I don’t think I want to answer that,” he said, his voice tight.

“Why?” I asked, turning in my seat. I was going to hate myself for it later, I knew it- but as an idiot in love with her best friend, I wasn’t already pathetic enough. This display tonight would definitely push me over the edge. “It’s not like I’m going to go hunt her down for you or anything.”

He turned away from me then, staring straight ahead. My stomach plummeted the moment I realized I was going to get my answer. 

“What exactly do you mean by the hottest?” He finally asked.

“I think the term hottest is pretty self-explanatory.”

Peeta shifted on the swing. “No, because there are all kinds of attractiveness. I mean, I’m not attracted to guys, but Finnick and Gale are both pretty hot-“

“You’re avoiding the subject,” I said flatly. Bringing up other guys was a rookie move- “come on.”

“Who do you think is the hottest then?” He asked, turning to face me.

You, I wanted to tell him- and you're not just the most attractive, you’re the kindest, and the warmest, and I’d probably give my life for yours. “I’m not the one who’s supposed to answer!” I said, instead.

“It’s only fair,” Peeta said. “You know, you’re so- I wonder if you’ve ever been attracted to anyone, Katniss, even a little bit.” 

I scowled at him, covering the hurt with a frown. Where was he getting at with this, turning the tables on me? And how dare he say that- he had no idea how I felt or how attracted to someone I was. He didn’t get to do that.

“Not that there’s anything wrong if you aren’t,” he continued, the words spoken too easily considering the way he’d broken my heart with his carelessness. “I like you the way you are- you’re just so pure. You don’t even notice what’s right in front of your face half the time.” He looked over at me then, with a weird half-smile. “Come on, Katniss- tell me I’m wrong.” 

I stared at him, hating myself for beginning this conversation almost as much as I hated him for saying those things to me.

Peeta’s eyes held a challenge, sitting on the porch swing in the dark the way we’d sat for years and years leading up to that night . Endless nights during which we’d grown up together. I’d say I fell in love with him here. 

And now, my heart was aching. I bit down on my lip to keep it from trembling.

I can’t say precisely why I did it: maybe it was the way he was looking at me, perhaps it was the frustration I felt with my inability to just say the words to him. 

Whatever caused it, at that moment, I think I lost my mind. 

While Peeta’s gaze remanded steady and unwavering, I moved closer to him. My heart was racing a million miles a minute, but still, I got my knees beneath me on the swing and leaned in, resting my hands on his shoulders for support, balancing in that precarious position. 

And then, before I had time to talk myself out of it, I kissed him. His breath rushed out against my face right as I pressed my lips to his. 

I’d never kissed anyone before. I was terrified, hoping I wouldn’t screw it up. 

But there was also exhilaration and feeling completely overwhelmed by Peeta’s soft, warm lips under my own. 

It was perfect. 

He was perfect. 

The breath caught in my lungs when he stiffened under my hands and mouth, and for half of a second, I panicked. Before I had time to think about it, he relaxed as if he’d only needed a moment to get used to the idea that I was kissing him.

I pulled back a little, closing my eyes and resting my forehead against Peeta’s. His skin was so warm against mine. I wished it wasn’t so dark, and I could see him better, those minute details of his face I’d never been close enough to take in before.

“Did you just…” Peeta began, but his words trailed off. 

Instead of saying anything else, his hands came to my face, framing it for a moment before tilting it and kissing me back; I guess it wasn’t the time for words. I knew he’d kissed a few girls before, so I wasn’t surprised when he took over what we were doing, but not aggressively. He moved his lips against mine, and I responded. It felt like gentle, tingly caresses. 

Peeta’s arm went around my waist, and he pulled me closer. I wasn’t sure where to go, so I just leaned into his body. 

God, it was amazing- all my senses were in overdrive, his body felt so good against mine, and the way he smelled? I just kind of wanted to bury my face in the side of his neck and never leave. 

He shifted a little, and I wobbled, still unbalanced. I was positioned awkwardly next to him, but I wasn’t sure how to rectify it. If I moved, he might stop kissing me, and I never wanted him to stop. It felt like we were in some alternate reality, in a bubble that would burst if one of us had a misstep.

Peeta must have sensed my trepidation; I don’t think he wanted to stop either. “Sit on my lap,” he murmured between kisses, “it’ll be easier that way.”

My pulse was pounding as I swung my leg over his thighs. As I settled on him, I swallowed roughly- I couldn’t believe we were doing this. His body felt so sturdy and warm and hard under me, and I was shocked to realize just how much straddling him affected me. My lips weren’t the only thing tingling- my whole body was a live wire.

“Katniss,” he murmured my name, his voice lower than I ever heard it sound before. His hand went behind my neck again, and he moved into me. This time, his lips parted, and mine opened automatically, my tongue darting out to meet his without a thought. Everything we were doing seemed as natural as breathing, each move requiring no thought. Instinctual.

I moaned into his mouth as his tongue caressed mine. I had no idea this would feel so good, all of this. We were both breathing hard, and I ran my fingers up the sleeves of his t-shirt to touch those strong arms I’d been admiring for years.

He sighed.

Peeta used the arm around my waist to pull me closer to him, and I had no choice but to lay against him, my breasts pressing into his chest as my bottom landed on the hard lump of his erection between my thighs.

Oh my god- it was like all my fantasies were coming true.

And then Peeta said those words that put a screeching halt to everything we were doing. “It’s you,” he pulled away from my lips just long enough to tell me, “only you.”

“Only me what?” I asked, ready to kiss him again. 

My brain must’ve taken leave of my body. I couldn’t remember what we’d talked about while sitting on Peeta like this. The only thing I could think about was how good it felt with him beneath me.

“The hottest- the most beautiful. Whatever you want to call it, it’s you.”

His words froze me in my tracks. 

Why couldn’t he have kept quiet? “You don’t have to say that,” I said, sitting back to look at him. His lips had swollen, and his eyes looked heavy-lidded as he stared up at me.

I didn’t want to talk about this- I didn’t want to consider that my best friend would flatter me that way just because we were fooling around. I mean, he’s a guy. Of course, he was going to enjoy doing this. 

Couldn’t I just have this night? I was under no delusions that things would go further than this. “I’m not-”

“You don’t believe me,” he said incredulously, his eyes darting back and forth between mine. “Why don’t you believe me?” 

I shuttered my eyes, finding it was impossible to look at him. “There’s no way you think that about me. How could you?”

Beneath me, Peeta’s whole body went rigid. He was silent for so long, the air between us grew tense. It was strange having him suddenly so distant while we were in such an intimate position. 

“Are you saying I’m lying?” he finally asked.

I shrugged- yes, I did think that. What was there to say?

I guess my gesture spoke volumes because, just like that, every one of those good feelings between us dissipated. 

Without looking at him, I climbed off of his lap and stood next to the swing. I don’t know exactly how I managed it, but everything seemed screwed up now. “Peeta, I’m-”

He wouldn’t even look at me, staring down at his hands. “I don’t know what you want me to say-” he interrupted.

“I don’t know what you want me to say!” I countered, “I just, I don’t want you to lie to me. Just because we did, just because we did that,” I waved my arm at the swing before quickly tucking it back around myself in a protective move, “doesn’t mean you have to tell me that. God, I just- I expected better from you.”

“Better from me? Katniss-”

I couldn’t do it. I just- “I’m just going to go, okay?” I stopped him. I felt like I was going to be sick. 

Peeta heaved out a loud sigh. “Of course you are,” he sounded tired. 

He stood abruptly, going inside the house with a slam of his door, leaving me second-guessing everything we’d done. 

“Why did you assume I was lying to you that night?” Peeta asks, warily.

“Why did you sat that to me?” I counter.

“Because I meant it, every word of it,” he says, shifting restlessly in the porch swing, his fingers trailing the loops of a chain suspending us from the porch ceiling. “I’m not a liar, Katniss.”  

No, he’s right. I’ve never known Peeta to lie, let alone lie to me. Sometimes he can be brutally honest when he’s frustrated. I think I figured out that he was telling the truth already. I just didn’t know what to do with that information.

He turns to face me again. “Why did you kiss me? You weren’t just trying to prove a point, were you? I don’t want you to kiss me to get me off your back or something.”

I let out a breath. “That wasn’t it. Well, it was a little at first, but you were an ass.” “Katniss, the only reason I want you to kiss me is that you want to kiss me.”

“I did want to kiss you,” I say. “I did,” I add at his look of skepticism. “I liked it,” I admit shyly.

“Why, just to see what it was like- did I seem like someone safe to fool around with?”

I frown at him. He makes me want to smack him- is he that obtuse, or does he think I’m shallow enough to kiss him, my best friend, because I wanted to kiss someone, anyone? 

But the more I study his face, the more I realize he’s anxious, and his anxiety soothes mine. He seems to be hanging on by a thin thread, waiting for my answer. 

Does this mean he wants me too?

And just like that, I know I’m the one holding the cards, as crazy as that seems. 

Lucky for Peeta, he’s the only prize I want to win.

“Because I like you,” I say the words confidently as I sit close to him, hip to hip, laying my head on his shoulder and turning my face into his t-shirt. “I want you to be more than my friend. I have for a while.”

“How long is a while?” Peeta asks, and I can’t help but hear the happiness in his voice as he threads our fingers together and rests them on my leg.

“How long has it been for you?” I ask, instead, feeling shy. He needs to fill in some details- I’m not comfortable being the only one laying my feelings out. 

“Since I met you.”

“That can’t be true,” I say.

“It’s completely true. Ask Dad- that night after you moved in- when we stayed out until the lightning bugs came out? That night I went home and told my dad I was going to marry you.” Peeta lifts my hand to his; he plants a kiss to my knuckles and rests his head against mine.

I stare at our joined hands, my mind racing. 

“So I thought you were just fooling around with me, and you thought I was a liar,” he continues. “And neither one of us was right.”

I think I’m in shock over the way this evening has changed everything between us- it’s like I don’t quite know what to do with myself. “I mean, if you want to say yours was a lie of omission, then that was true. And I liked kissing you,” I admit, teasing Peeta.

“Yeah?” he asks, scooting forward on the seat and turning to face me. He drops my hand to push those loose hairs that escaped from my braid out of the way, tucking them in behind my ear. His fingers linger under my chin, the flat of his thumb caresses my cheek. 

I shiver, my reaction giving me away. 

“Me too,” Peeta says, smiling widely, “does that mean you want to do it again, now?”

And then we’re kissing- and on the Mellark’s porch swing at least, all is right with the world.

[jacespunkdad]

so i’m rereading hunger games as i’ve mentioned before and here’s a compiled list of little details that i think should be included if they remake it into a series or something

honestly the movies were really great and naturally there’s stuff that needs to be cut for it to fit in a 2 hour window but...if there was more time...here’s what i want 

- first of all it needs to be rated higher (r or ma). the punch of these books have did not hit as hard in the movies because the violence had to be toned down. and to be fair i wouldn’t have been allowed to see them if they were rated r in 2012 HOWEVER. i think it’s necessary

- casting should actually fit the ages of the characters i know there’s laws for working with actors underage but having the leads be in their 20s literally defeated the whole point lmao

- also katniss and gale aren’t white and neither is haymitch i don’t think actually so can we fix that. love the original actors to death they did a great job but i think actors with olive skin and gray eyes will do just as good a job

- we need madge. she is an icon and deserves respect

- we need avoxes!! they technically were in the movies but they were mentioned once and then they were always just vibing in the background. we need to have the redheaded avox and there should be a flashback scene where you see katniss and gale witnessing her get caught in the woods (i forget her name atm)

- katniss’s mom’s battle with depression, let’s talk about it! barely mentioned in the movies

- also katniss’s dad! they literally showed a picture of him once in the first movie and never talked about him ever again which is not fair because he seemed like a very lovely man. i want to see clips of him singing and teaching young katniss how to hunt! justice for mr everdeen rip king

- katniss thinks about her and gale’s adventures in the woods (TM) during the games and i wanna see some of them on screen. mainly the one where they buy lady i love that one

- on the subject of parents more of peeta’s dad! idgaf about his abusive mom i know she’s technically more important to the immediate story but if she gets a scene he deserves one too. peeta definitely gets all his good genes from him

- cinna is clearly a gay icon and he needs to have a boyfriend. give him a bf

- portia has the EXACT SAME ENERGY. give her a gf. also can portia have lines please in the movies she was just. there

- more of katniss’s prep team!!! would honestly die for them. they should’ve had more than 3 scenes they provide perfect comedy relief

- katniss and peeta constantly having matching outfits during the prep for the first games another great comedic moment

- peeta’s prosthetic leg! representation matters

- also district 4 tributes should’ve been hanging out with cato and co. everyone forgets district 4 is a career district (and that finnick was a career) all the time and it makes me upset

- and prim was just? at school. while her sister is fighting to death. i want a scene where they flash to her sitting in a god damn cafeteria watching the games like WHAT 

- gale’s family!! 

- the movie did a good job showing the ptsd but they can do more showing peeta and haymitch’s struggles with it besides just katniss

- district 8 was always starting shit and i think that needs to be addressed HAHA

- bonnie and twill! i genuinely thought i made them up or that they were from a different series until i finally got to their part

- also we just need more district 12 stuff all the district 12 action in catching fire was cut out basically

- for instance the detail that the head peacekeeper would take advantage of starving girls by essentially whoring them out to him for money or food? let’s talk about that because holy shit

- there’s so many scenes of katniss and peeta doing domestic things together without even realizing it and it makes me so happy i love them. the cheese buns! peeta drawing pictures for katniss’s family book! taking walks around town! his art! 

- and i specifically want the scene where katniss comes home to the peacekeepers waiting for her and haymitch and peeta are just casually sitting in the den playing chess and effortlessly roasting her in their efforts to cover for her and also stealing her candy. love that scene so much 

- also right before that katniss legit jumped out of a 25 FOOT TREE???? HELLO???? idk how they’d film that honestly but i wanna see it 

- district 12 gets so ugly and bad after thread shows up and they didn’t really show it at all i wish they had it’s so horrific to read about

- darius!! he should’ve been in the movies. the scene where he shows up as an avox fucked me up SO BAD when i was a kid

- the whole plot line about the capitol using a green screen every time they report on district 13 was so interesting and such a twist and i remember going :O when i read the first time i wish it had been included

- haymitch’s games!!! genuinely one of my favorite backstories i’ve ever read in any series ever. they need to show it especially considering that he was against 47 competitors instead of the normal 23 like that’s nuts

- katniss, peeta, and haymitch “training” for the quarter quell. i want a montage

- just cinna’s line “portia and i spent a lot of hours looking at fires.” there’s so many moments of subtle humor in the books that got taken away and i think they help balance out the story so well

i’m about halfway through catching fire so i will update with more thoughts. thank u for coming to my ted talk

[jlalafics]

Modern Au dabble where Everlark connect on the roof of one of their houses and then cute kiss leading into ya know? Thanks! You and your books are amazing! -Zeffie ♥️♥️

Hey love! Thanks for this amazing prompt. I hope you wanted this ficlet with a good amount of spice...

Enjoy @hungergamesfangirl02 (Zeffie)!

_____

The moment she steps onto the roof, Peeta spots her.

She is circling the space with her roommates; the sharp-tongued woman with blunt bangs and crimson lowlights and the blue-eyed blonde wearing a crown of flowers. His roommate, Gale, had a one-night thing with the blonde. Peeta can still remember the muttered moaning of her name through the thin walls of their apartment: Madge…Madge…Madge…

Peeta drinks from his red cup, trying to quietly observe the girl in the middle. She’s wearing a cropped jean jacket and a shift burgundy dress with embroidered straps. The ankle boots lengthen her rich-colored legs and he wonders, albeit briefly, what he would see if a sudden gust of wind were to sweep through.

However, it’s summer in the city.

Balmy and warm, the sun just going down and it’s practically another day.

“Peeta!” He turns, spotting Finnick, his other roommate, and Annie, Finnick’s girlfriend. It’s his friend’s birthday and a possible engagement party. Annie doesn’t know, but Peeta and Finnick just picked up the ring from the jeweler this afternoon. “Why are you hiding in the corner?”

“You know that I’m not the party type,” he tells them with a smile. Peeta eyes his friend. “So…anything interesting going on?”

“Not quite,” Finnick responds, throwing an arm around Annie’s shoulders. “Maybe a little later.”

Peeta nods, trying to suppress his smile. It’s not often that his friend is uncertain; he’s known Finnick since they were in diapers and his bronze-haired friend has always moved forward, unafraid of what was ahead of him.

However, when it comes to Annie, the man is total mush.

“You need to circulate,” Annie tells him, her green eyes full of kind concern. “It’s been a year since Delly.”

“Who’s Delly?” comes a brash voice.

They all turn to find the woman with red hair standing before them.

And, right next to her is—

“Katniss!” Annie is rushing towards the pretty girl to give her a hug. Then she goes to Miss Blunt Bangs, embracing her as well. “Johanna!”

They all pull apart and Annie introduces them to Finnick and Peeta.

“I’ve seen you before on campus,” Finnick says to Katniss—Peeta is already in love just hearing her name. “You’re a voice major, right?”

Katniss nods. “Yup, but more song writing and composition than singing.”

“Well, you should talk to Peeta here.” Finnick waves at hand at him, clover eyes sparkling. He knows Peeta well enough to identify when he’s interested in something…or someone. “He’s exceptionally talented when it comes to playing. I don’t think there’s an instrument that he hasn’t experimented with.”

Katniss turns, grey almond-eyes on him. “I’ve seen you around before.”

“I don’t go to Juilliard,” Peeta stammers out.

“No!” She grins and he finds himself smiling back at the way her face completely blooms with loveliness. “I’ve seen you sitting on this roof. You play out here sometimes.”

“Yeah, Katniss has been mini-spying on you,” Johanna informs him.

“Really?” He eyes her and Katniss’ cheeks color—geez, now she’s even more gorgeous. “I’m flattered.”

“I actually live over there—” Katniss points to the adjacent building. It’s at few floors higher, but just enough for someone to look over and see clearly onto their roof. “—sometimes I go up to write or to look at the stars.”

“Don’t lie to the man,” her friend retorts, earning a glare. “At least tell him that you’re a little hot for him holding a guitar.”

“Johanna—” Annie thankfully interrupts. “Thresh has been looking for you.”

“I gave him a blowjob last month and he’s been hitting me up ever since,” she replies. Looking over at Katniss, Johanna winks. “Have fun with your mystery man.”

The two girls walk off, leaving Finnick, Peeta, and Katniss standing together.

“Oh!” Finnick looks around. “I think I better make sure that we still have enough ice and prepare for my birthday speech.” He pats Peeta on the back. “Have fun.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen a more obvious setup,” Katniss tells him when they’re finally alone.

“They mean well,” Peeta replies. “At least, Annie and Finnick do. Johanna is a bit of a mystery.” He looks over to the bar. “Did you want a drink?”

“Sure.” They head to the bar; Peeta tries to keep cool as Katniss joins his side. Their hands are a muscle movement away from touching and he stiffens his hand. “I’d love a Corona and lime.”

“Very summer of you,” he replies before requesting it from the bartender. “How do you know Annie?”

The bartender places the tall neck bottle, placing the lime wedge at the opening, before handing it to Katniss.

They find their way to a spot at the far corner of the party and settle down together on a lone bench. Finnick is talking to the DJ and he sees Annie talking to Madge, whose arm is around Gale’s waist. Johanna has found Thresh and they are dancing, both decently tearing up the floor.

It’s the perfect summer night.

“She works with Johanna,” Katniss explains. “I think they’re EAs for the two CEOs, so they’re always working together. I’ve known Johanna my whole life. When I found out I got into Juilliard, I didn’t hesitate to ask her to come with me. She didn’t hesitate to say yes. Her home life was less than ideal.”

“That sucks.” Real smooth, idiot. His tongue is so tied around her, but Peeta takes a breath and searches for another topic. “How about you? What’s your family life like?”

“I have one sister. Sweetest girl you’ll ever know.” Her smile goes soft and sad, lost in thought. “My Dad passed away when I was five.”

“I’m sorry.”

His hand goes unconsciously to hers resting between them. Peeta motions to pull away, but her fingers entwine with his.

Their eyes meet, silently agreeing that it feels right.

“It’s fine. He was sick for a long time,” Katniss explains. “When I was 12, my mom met Haymitch and we all kind of loved him from the start. They got married when I was 13 and have been thoroughly happy ever since.” She moves closer. “And you? Tell me about your family.”

“My Dad’s a businessman,” he starts. “Have you heard of Mellark Bakery?”

“Yeah, they have that huge factory across the bridge,” Katniss replies. “Your Dad work there?”

Peeta holds out his free hand, wondering if he should have open this can of worms. However, if this is going anywhere (is it too early to propose?), he should probably tell her about his family.

“Nice to meet you. Peeta Mellark.”

Katniss let out a laugh, putting down her Corona to shake his hand.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know I was meeting with a son of industry!”

“My Dad is actually pretty cool,” he tells her. “He’s always been very encouraging and supportive of me and my older brothers, Emmett and Noel. Emmett is an artist and Noel is a chef.”

“And your mother?”

“Pretty opposite.” Katniss squeezes his hand, listening intently. “She’s a society woman. Very beautiful, but very cold.���

“Oh, she is going to hate me,” Katniss replies.

Peeta grins at her words. “Already planning to meet the parents?”

“Of course. We’ve connected, you know?” she proclaims. “Now that I’ve seen you up close, there’s no going back.”

“And your family?” he counters. “Would they like me?”

“They’re going to love you,” she says, her grey eyes on him. “You seem so easy to care for.”

Peeta looks at his feet, overcome by her words. “How do you know?”

“Last month, I was coming home from school and you were walking out of your building. There was a little old woman coming out of her taxi and she seemed to be struggling to even open the door. So, you opened the door for her, and you helped her set up her walker on the sidewalk. Then, you paid for her cab and helped her inside your building. Nobody does shit like that anymore. Everyone always seems to be looking out for themselves, nowadays.”

“Mags has lived here the longest, so she’s kind of building royalty,” Peeta explains. “Also, her husband died a while back and she has no kids. The people in this building are her family and we take care of one another.”

“I like that,” Katniss tells him.

“I like you,” he blurts out. “I mean, if it hasn’t been obvious enough.”

Katniss doesn’t respond, but she shifts a little bit closer to him as she stares into his eyes.

“Do you want to get out of here?”

Peeta is intrigued by her abruptness. “What did you have in mind?”

She pulls him by his hand to stand up. He rises and their chests brush against one another. It is brief, but it is enough to light a fire in his belly at the feel of peaked nipples against his thin flannel button-down.

“We’re going stargazing.”

++++++

“For some reason, Johanna has a deal with the maintenance crew in the building,” Katniss recounts as they step onto the roof of her apartment complex. “No one else but myself, Johanna, and Madge are allowed up here.” She leads him over to a set of lounge chairs. “I don’t really know what kind of deal she cut, and I’ve never bothered to ask.”

“That’s probably for the best,” he tells her. “Are you allowed to bring people up here?”

“I’m pretty sure that Johanna and Madge have brought guys up here before.” Katniss turns to him, her eyes glowing under the light of the moon. “You are the only person that I’ve ever brought here…the only person I want to bring here.”

Peeta isn’t sure if it is the moon…or the Corona…or the heat of the night…but something dances inside his chest, telling him to go to her. Her eyes are on him, hunger so intense in them that there is nothing he could do but go to her. Katniss follows suit, marching towards him with determination.

A groan escapes her lips at the feel of him hard against her pelvis. “Peeta, please…”

They meet in the middle of the roof, breaths heavy and Katniss reaches to cup his cheek. His arm rounds her slender waist, pulling her close to let her feel what she does to him.

“What would you like?” he asks, voice roughened with need. His free hand moves along the lines of her body and she whines, pressing closer to him. “Tell me what you want, Katniss.”

“I want you to kiss me.” Katniss’ mouth grazes against him and he nearly crumbles at the feel of heat between her legs. “Then, I want you to fuck me until we both see stars.”

His mouth is on hers, slotting them together. He sucks harshly at her upper lip as her hands reach for him, holding his face in place as she bites at his lower lip. They both moan into one another, tasting lime and alcohol and the fire between them.

Katniss moves them towards one of the chairs, her hands traveling down and reaching to the buttons of his shirt as her tongue sweeps into his mouth. His own hands move to yank at her jean jacket until she shrugs it off.

“Touch me, Peeta,” she says into his mouth. His shirt has been tossed to the ground and her hands roam unabashedly against his heated skin.

Peeta reaches for the hem of her dress and Katniss complies, lifting her arms up so he could pull the dress over her head. Once it is off, he steps back and looks at the beautiful woman under the summer moon.

Every inch of her skin is caramel and Peeta licks his lips ravenously as his eyes rove over lush breasts with rosy nipples…the graceful dip of her waist…full hips…and nude mesh panties that cover a thatch of dark hair.

“You are beautiful,” he rasps.

Katniss slowly sits down on the lounger, resting back. Her chest heaves, nipples pointed in the warm air, as she waits expectantly for him.

Peeta kneels before her. Carefully, he takes her boots and places them next to the lounger. Then, he is at her center, mouthing her through the mesh and sampling the honey pleasure of her core. Her hands go to his hair, fingers running through his hair and nails scratching at his scalp as he sucks and tongues her through the scrap of nothing.

“Fuck! Peeta!” Her wails are like gold and he moans, vibrating against her cunt. “More, please!” He moves the scrap of cloth away from her quim and plunges his tongue inside her. “Oh my God!”

Part of him is thankful for the party next door, the vibration of music sheathing her cries in the air. Peeta loves the sound of her, unabashed in showing him how good she feels. Katniss pushes herself against his tongue, legs wrapping around his head as she humps his face.

He is drenched in her; his new favorite drink for a summer’s night.

Peeta’s hands move to his jeans, unbuttoning and unzipping them quickly.

Pulling away, Katniss whines at the motion until she sees his pants undone. Her eyes, already smoky, have gone obsidian at the sight and he pushes his briefs down, his erection jutting out.

She sits up, one hand pressed to the seat as the other reaches to his length, wrapping her fingers around him. Her thumb moves to the mushroomed head, spreading the precum and he almost seizes at the sensation.

“You’ve given me what I want,” she tells him, her hand stroking him slowly. “What do you want?”

“I want to show you the stars,” Peeta replies, his hand reaching to her panties and she lifts her hips, letting him slide them off until it joins their pile of discarded clothing. He stands before her, reaching for the waist of his jeans and boxers before pulling them off in one motion. His shoes and socks followed, joining her boots.

He stands before her, naked and obviously wanting.

Katniss lays back, pushing herself up onto her elbows, admiring the sight before her.

“I did watch you from here,” she says, her voice strained. “You’d fiddle with your guitar and I’d fiddle myself.”

The image of Katniss, hands on herself…fingers dipping into that dripping cunt is just too much.

Peeta falls to his knees, yanking her down until ass is at the edge of the chair, the backs of her legs pressing along his front.

Then, in one motion, he thrusts roughly into her sodden quim.

The moment Peeta slides into her, her whole body growls.

He can feel her contracting around him and he begins to move, savoring the feeling of being surrounded by her slick. Peeta leans down and their lips meet, her body practically folding in half so he can taste her.

Katniss moans into their kiss, tasting her essence against his tongue as they move against one another. The chair creaks under the pressure of their fucking and he can’t imagine that it feels very comfortable.

He attempts to lift her in-between thrusts, but Katniss frantically shakes her head.

“No, just like this,” she gasps into his sweaty skin. Her legs spread away to wrap around his waist. “Won’t be long now…”

She feels too good, silk and sopping around his cock. Her grip on him is the perfect pressure and as he thrusts, Katniss arches up, bottoming out.

“Holy fuck, you’re amazing,” he groans. “There is no way in hell that I’m letting you go now.”

Hell, Peeta is already convinced that this woman with the dark waves and smoky eyes is the woman that he’s going to marry. In his mind’s eye, he already imagines her in a white dress…carrying her over the threshold of her dream home…of fucking her against every wall of the house…of filling her to the brim until she’s swollen with his child.

“Don’t let me go,” Katniss cries out, her insides beginning to flutter around him, and he juts his cock shallowly knowing that he’s going to spill inside her at any moment. “I wanted you since the moment I saw you…fuck….oh…” Her muscles pulsate around him and her pelvis rises to meet his thrusts.

Her cries are swallowed into the starry sky above them and Peeta watches her in the beauty of her climax. Her hair flows behind her, her skin glistening, and she’s smiles up, her eyes full of love.

She’s watching him, jaw clenched, as the sky above is suddenly illuminated by fireworks, creating a halo around him.

Peeta comes undone, filling her, his pelvis pressing to hers until he is spent.

After, he lays, pillowed against her chest, her hand smoothing down his mussed hair.

“I see stars…” she whispers against him.

“Annie must have said yes,” he explains. “I picked up the ring with Finnick today.”

Katniss snorts. “When Finnick does something, he goes hard.”

“So do I,” he tells her.

She kisses the top of his head. “What do you mean by that?”

“You’ll see.”

They are married three months later.

 FIN.