He thought she looked like a princess.

Her long black braid shined like the night sky against her purple dress. It spun through the air as she twirled and she didn't stop until she got so dizzy she had to collapse into the soft grass. Her laughter was like music and the gentle spring breeze carried it to his ears.

Every day he watched her and every day he desperately wanted to say hello. If nothing else hoping to make her pink lips lift and her eyes crinkle. She had a beautiful smile. It was shy and soft and winter white in her dark face.

Finally one day he couldn't watch anymore. She stood at the top of the playground high above the earth singing a lullaby he'd never heard. He waited listening and thought she belonged there in the sky because her voice was more enchanting than any bird.

Licking his dry lips he called up to her. "You look like a Princess!"

Looking down through the slats of the structure she looked him over.

After a few seconds she smiled. "Well you look like a Prince."

His face grew pink beneath his freckles and he kicked at the ground. "Do you wanna play?"

She didn't hesitate but bent and slid down the slide skidding to a stop at his feet. When she stood he could finally see the color of her eyes. He thought they looked like a storm cloud. The kind that shifts in the wind and you see lightning flash within it. She blinked and her lashes brushed her cheeks as delicate as butterfly wings.

"I'm Katniss."

Blushing again he grinned. "Peeta."

"Okay I'll be the princess. But you don't get to save me all the time. Sometimes I get to save you."

"Or we can save each other?"

She smiled and he couldn't help but think she was pretty. "Race you to the castle?"

He nodded certain he would do whatever she asked at that point. "Hey Katniss? Do you like cookies?"

If possible her smile grew and it made his chest warm and his belly feel funny. He liked it.

"Peeta I think I want you to be my best friend."

Grinning he took the hand she held out. "Me too."

Over the years it is always them together. They are on top of the world on top of their tower.

Some days it's a castle with turrets and royal flags blowing in the wind. On other's a mountain treacherous with snow. They climb a skyscraper together as superheroes saving the city from darkness and sinister shadows. They watch for hurricanes on stormy days because when the clouds roll across the sky it is their own personal lighthouse.

The one constant is that it's theirs, and that the games always end the same way.

Katniss looking down and Peeta looking up.

The sun makes a halo out of the small hairs that escape her braid and Peeta from his spot below yells, "Best friends?"

With a giggle she comes down the slide and once eye to eye says, "Always."

They grow older but still find themselves hiding there.

The day of her daddy's funeral Peeta takes off the jacket of his suit. It's dark and worn and the sleeves are too long. But he wraps it around her shoulder so she'll be warm. So they can hide a little longer since she's not ready to go home.

When they do it takes him the whole walk back into town to notice the collar is wet. It makes his stomach ache because he knows it's from her tears.

The first time Katniss let's a curse past her lips it's because they are hiding from Peeta's mother. She calls her a bitch like the word and the woman she's describing leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. He would have been shocked and maybe even laughed but thinking becomes impossible when she leans forward to brush a kiss soft as a whisper beneath his blackened eye.

His lashes flutter and all he can think is that she smells like the vanilla cupcake they shared. For just a second he looks to her lips and lets his twelve year old heart wonder if her mouth would taste like frosting.

The first year of high school they meet there when Katniss gets suspended. Peeta makes her laugh till tears stream down her face as he reenacts how Marvel Brady sounded reading aloud in history that afternoon. It seems when she broke his nose his voice also suffered.

Calling her a seam slut was not the best idea.

She has no idea that later that afternoon Peeta pinned him to the brick wall outside the old abandoned justice building. With his furious face only inches away he swore that if he even talked to Katniss again he'd crush his throat.

Marvel never spoke to her again.

They graduate next week.

The halls have been pulsing with excitement for summer.

There are pictures to take and yearbooks to sign, and Peeta has yet to pick up his hideous cap and gown. The entire graduating class will look like walking talking eggplants by this time next week.

It should be what he has on his mind. But like most other days of his young life his thoughts are on his stubborn, impulsive, and presently missing best friend.

The day had been like any other until the conversation took an unexpected direction at lunch.

Their small group always sits out on the quad when the weather is nice. They sprawl out beneath an old maple tree stretching out legs and limbs and spreading out food.

He'd packed Katniss a sandwich along with his own.

She gives him the same soft smile he's loved for years.

When she takes her first bite he tries desperately to not stare at the pale crumbs that cling to her lips, or where her small pink tongue darts out to wipe them away.

He hangs his head hoping she is as obtuse as ever. Also hoping that Madge who has her head on his shoulder doesn't notice.

As girlfriends go she's understanding. But staring lustfully at another girl's lips might be pushing it.

He's not sure how it happens but inevitably the conversation goes to the previous weekend. He tries to stop the words from leaving Finnick's lips but he's too late. Too late and the damage is done.

Though he's not even sure why he thinks it will matter to her.

Finnick rolls his eyes, "If Annie and I are so fucking disgusting, what were you and Madge doing in the sacred K and P meeting spot at all hours on Saturday?"

Peeta blushes and Madge hisses swatting Finnick's leg. Katniss stops chewing.

Pinching the bridge of his nose he tries to keep his cool and prays his friend will shut up.

No such luck. "Don't blush Mellark. Sources say you two were spotted at a certain park, on a certain playground in the wee hours before sunrise."

The question just kind of hangs there in the air paralyzing his ability to do anything but look to his left at her.

She's gone completely still and the sandwich in her hand is now resting on the ground forgotten. She stands. Her movements are sudden and jerky and her eyes look everywhere but at him.

"I've got to go."

The rest of the group continues to laugh as Katniss brushes the crumbs from her pants and goes to leave.

Gale smirks, "Come on Katniss calm down. What? Have you never kissed anyone else there?"

Peeta jerks his head around. Anyone else? Did she fucking kiss Gale at their spot?

She rolls her eyes. "We didn't kiss asshole! It was his cheek. His eye!"

His breathing stabilizes when he realizes she's talking about that night years ago but stops completely when he sees the pain in her eyes.

She whispers, "I've only ever been there with him."

A deep breath rattles from her lungs and her arms hang at her sides. For just a moment she stares at him and he can see something in her eyes. There is betrayal but longing too. Something he's always hoped for but never believed could be true. It's there and then it's gone.

She runs a hand down her long dark hair and as usual he wonders how soft it is. Then she gathers her things and makes an excuse to walk away.

Madge whispers a question into his ear but he doesn't pay attention. He can't. All he can think about is how her voice shook, and wonder why the look she gave him bothers him so much.

As he watches her back disappear around the corner he realizes it's because for just a moment she looked at him like she had never seen him before.

Madge pats his leg and offers to take everyone's trash inside. Once she's gone he turns to glare at his friend.

"Well that was awkward." Finnick sighs before taking a drink and chokes when Peeta hits him in the stomach.

"Why the fuck did you have to bring that up?"

Rubbing his hand along his shirt Finnick shrugs, "I'm sorry. Shit. Really. I had no idea how she felt about you I swear."

Peeta narrows his eyes. "What do you mean how she feels about me?"

Gale snorts but has the decency to look apologetic. "Dude. She's been in love with you since we were kids."

"What?"

His stomach pitches and he shakes his head because that's impossible. He never stops watching her. He's spent almost every free moment of the past thirteen years watching her. He would know if she was in love with him.

Finnick looks at him closely. Speaks softly, "Man I saw her face. Even Katniss couldn't hide it."

His palms start to sweat and his mind to race when Madge sticks her head out an open door and waves her hand beckoning him inside.

He stands and grabs his bag. "I'm gonna go."

Their responses are spoken to his back as he walks toward his girlfriend. The sun bounces off the pretty gold of her ponytail and her smile sparkles as he reaches her. But it falls softly when she sees his serious eyes.

He whispers, "We need to talk."

She won't answer his texts. He's sent a dozen of them asking her to call him. She's hiding from him.

So when Prim calls and says she hasn't come home he already knows exactly where she will be.

It's a warm night so he's comfortable on the short walk in his t-shirt and jeans. The moon is full and makes the streets shine blue and the trees shimmer each time the wind blows.

Asphalt gives way to dirt, and dirt to worn grass but still his steps are loud. By the time the structure looms above him she knows he's there.

He looks up and she glares down. "Is it true?"

"Will you come down please?"

Leaning forward she shakes her head. It makes her hair fall in her face like a wave of melted chocolate.

Tucking it back behind her ear her eyes flash. "First tell me if it's true. Did you fuck Madge Undersee at our spot?"

He runs his hands through his hair and let's an angry rush of air out of his nose. "Jesus Katniss! No! I'm always here when she calls and she wanted to see what was so special about it. That's all."

"So what you brought her up here and got your hands up her shirt to make it special? Traded stories about your childhood as an excuse to get her tits in your face?"

Peeta's jaw tenses. "All we did was talk."

"Did you kiss her?"

"Guys kiss their girlfriends all the time."

Her voice is so soft that if the night wasn't still it would get lost on the air. "Not here. You've never used our spot to get some girls hands down your pants."

He throws his hands up. "She didn't put her fucking hand down my pants! God since when are you so concerned about which bases I'm reaching anyway?"

Her voice rises, her words petulant and angry. "Well why not? I'm your best friend right? Aren't you supposed to tell me those things? Don't you want to know if someone's touched me? Who and how many?"

"Katniss fucking stop!"

Shaking her head she keeps going, "Don't you want to know when someone has had my breasts in their hands or in their mouth?"

The idea makes him ball his fists at his sides. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why did you bring her here? Why? Of all the fucking places…"

"Katniss…"

Holding her hand up she says, "No. Just go all right? I'm fine Peeta. Go home and call your girlfriend."

She turns so he can't see her face but can tell she's shaking.

Feeling helpless he paces in the shadow of the slide kicking up dust and the smell of freshly mown grass.

Turning back to her his sigh is heavy, "She's not my girlfriend."

Her head pops up and she goes completely still so he continues. "I broke up with her. Today."

She bites her lip. She worries it and looks torn between being curious and needing to comfort him.

She settles for the latter," I'm sorry Peeta."

He smiles softly. Of course while he's trying to get this out she stops to try and make him feel better. "Aren't you going to ask what happened?"

"She's a fucking moron?"

He snorts and she tries to bite back her smile.

She hesitates before asking. "What happened?"

He takes a deep breath and focuses, knowing this will change everything.

He looks up and meets her eyes before he whispers, "You."

"Me?"

He nods. "Do you love me?"

She frowns. Huffs and gestures like he's crazy, "Peeta we're best friends of course I love you."

He shakes his head. "We're more than that. We've always been so much more than that. No. I need to know if what I think I saw in your eyes today is real. Do you love me?"

She still doesn't move.

Steeling himself he keeps talking. At this point he feels like the words have been waiting years to spill out of his mouth anyway.

"Okay I'll go first. I love you."

She blinks at him and he leans into the slide bracing himself on both hands.

Looking up into her eyes he says, "I loved you in Kindergarten. I loved watching you laugh, and run. You moved like the fucking wind and I could never keep up. I loved your voice. Did you know I would hum that lullaby every night before I fell asleep for years?"

She's crawled across the tower and wrapped her fingers around the metal. Her eyes are wide through the spaces and she shakes her head.

"When we were twelve I realized I didn't just love you. I needed you. Nothing in my day was beautiful until you were there… Nothing."

The soft sounds of crickets can be heard in the surrounding trees, and wind chimes in the distance. Peeta scuffs his shoe into the ground watching her as she swallows and waits for him to keep going.

"I looked at your mouth a lot. I must have sketched your smile a million times."

Nervously he drags his hands through his hair. "I think since high school loving you has taken up most of my days. And wanting you? Katniss wanting you takes up my nights. I want you so much."

His voice breaks at the end.

She licks her lips before whispering, "Yeah?"

He nods. "Do you know how uncomfortable it is to have a boner through an entire Lord of the Rings movie?"

Her smile breaks through and she laughs into the quiet. "You said you liked playing with my hair."

He grins back. "I love your hair. But when it puts your face inches away from well you get the idea. I'm left with a pretty serious adjustment issue."

Shaking her head her mouth falls open.

"I cannot believe we are talking about this."

Nodding he says, "Don't even get me started on what happens when you wear that purple bikini. It's literally torture…"

He raises both arms out to the side and then drops them. "I've loved you all my life. Calling you a princess that day is the best thing I have ever done."

He shrugs, "You're all I've ever wanted. I've never let myself consider you could feel the same. "

"That's because you're kind of an idiot."

He smiles but nods in agreement. "The fucking biggest."

His nerves return and he worries his hands.

His whisper sounds so vulnerable like he knows her answer might break him. "So it was real? You love me?"

She hesitates and he would swear his heart stops. She tucks her hair behind her ears and her eyes meet his. They put the silver moon above them to shame.

She smiles at him as she says, "I do. Real Peeta."

A deep breathe leaves his nose and he begs softly, "Please come down. Please Katniss I've literally been waiting years to kiss you and I don't want to wait anymore."

She raises a brow at him and he rolls his eyes because of course he knows the rules to their game.

He calls out, "Best friends?"

He's already reaching for her hand as she slides down, and pulling her against his chest before she can whisper into his lips, "Always."