When I get into my room I pull my boots off and throw them at the wardrobe. God, I'm so fucking stupid. I pick up a pillow and scream into it. Anger and frustration taking over. Why did I kiss him, how can I even look at him again after tonight. And he didn't even want me anyway, I had the completely wrong idea. Which Jo had reinforced by saying things like eye fucking. Now I'm mad at her too.

I check the time on my phone. 11:15pm, she will still be awake so I call her.

"You did what?! And he pushed you away? What the fucking fuck." She cursed down the phone.

"It's my fault, we caught up, everything was going well and it was great to see him again. I just...I had the wrong impression I guess."

"No, he fucking gave you the wrong impression. He was eye fucking you, then he asked about you then took you out."

"That doesn't mean anything, he's a nice guy maybe he really did just want to catch up. We haven't seen each other in years."

"Wait, did you talk about Gale?"

"No...yes. But only to say we broke up."

"Oh. So you didn't tell him the rest?"

"Why the fuck would I bring that up. I can't even say it out loud to myself."

"Fuck it Kat, forget him. Friend zone him and we'll find some new prospects at that party. Threesome with Finn perhaps?"

I laugh, "In your dreams Jo."

"I will dream about that, tonight." I can hear her smirk down the phone.

"I'm going to sleep, I'll see you later." We hang up and I dress for bed. I can't sleep. I toss and turn then stare at the ceiling replaying tonight's events in my head. 'I look forward to finding out more of your secrets', was that even something you say to a friend? Maybe he was interested then lost it during our catch up. I'm not worth it, I wasn't for Gale so why would Peeta care. I let out a sigh, fuck I hate over thinking this. I resume tossing and turning and at some point fall asleep.

When I wake in the morning my hair looks like I dragged myself through several hedges and the covers are twisted around me. I feel like shit. I head for the shower and as I look at my reflection I recall last nights events and groan.

After I shower I check my phone and remember that Peeta entered his number in my phonebook. I search through the names til his shows and I contemplate texting him. I think about it again as I eat breakfast and what I will say. I type out several messages before deleting them. Eventually I settle on one and before I can lose the nerve I hit send.

Katniss: Hey, I'm sorry again for last night. I enjoyed catching up, it was good seeing you. Katniss

I'm halfway to work when the phone signals a text.

Peeta: Hey, I'm surprised you text me. Don't worry about it, consider it forgotten. Had fun too, we should do it again.

We should catch up again or hang out? I wasn't really sure, but I guess that's what friends do. I text back before my shift started anyway.

Katniss: Sure. Gotta work, see you.

X

It's the night of the party, I'm back to deciding what to wear. I don't care enough about impressing anyone so I decide on black jeans and a white top which can pass as as dressed up. I pull on my shoe boots and braid my hair. Johanna is sitting in the living room dressed similarly only showing plenty of cleavage.

"Well it's better than I expected." She says eyeing my outfit.

"What? Did you think I was going to wear, a habit?"

"Possibly, I wouldn't put it past you," I throw a cushion at her, "So 3 simple rules for tonight. No talking about your ex, no crying and you must at least flirt with one guy there." She continues.

"Just one? Do these rules even apply to you?"

"Of course not, I just want to make sure you have fun."

I roll my eyes, "Let's go."

When we arrive the party is in full swing. I hate parties, I accept I'm just not one of those people who are comfortable in a crowd. I try and embrace it because I know its not good to be alone so much and especially of late since...well since I can no longer rely on the people I called best friends.

Johanna finds Finn and introduces us, I find out Finn is actually Finnick.

"Katniss, you are tantalizing," he says, he gives me a look that makes me feel exposed.

"Knock if off Finn," Peeta arrives and shoves Finnick playfully away, "Glad you guys made it, ignore Finn he's just trying to drive his girlfriend crazy, they have some weird jealous-sex thing going on."

"Thanks for inviting us." I say, I feel awkward as I recall last night. Johanna looks disappointed at the news of Finn's girlfriend but she wastes no time integrating into the party anyway. She's on the makeshift dance floor with a bottle of tequila dancing with pretty much every one.

"Can I get you a drink?" Peeta asks, "Gin and Tonic is in the kitchen, I also bought blackberry juice just in case."

"You actually went out of your way to get me my own drink?" That's incredibly sweet and thoughtful.

"We like our guests to feel welcome." He gives me a smile, I look at his blue eyes and for the briefest moment he looks away almost shyly.

"Well thanks," I say, interrupting the moment. I follow him to the kitchen where I see Delly chatting to another girl, she gaves Peeta the briefest wave and turns back to her conversation. I have a mild feeling that Delly doesn't have much time for me.

Peeta pours us both a drink and we get talking about his job interview, which was a disaster. He got sent to the wrong place making him late, confused the name of the interviewer with the scribe and hadn't realised there was baby puke on his tie. I laugh at him. It's still surprising how easy he is to talk to. Last night seems forgotten, on his part at least.

"Needless to say I haven't heard back from them yet."

"I'm sure they can overlook your nerves, though I still have a hard time believing you couldn't smooth talk your way through an interview," I tease.

"Believe it or not, when there's something I really want I seem to lose my cool."

"Then you should treat everything as though you don't really want it."

"If only it were that easy." he grins.

A guy calls on Peeta and beckons him over.

"I should go see what they want, I'll catch you later Katniss. Try and have fun." He leaves me and heads off in the direction of his friends but I admit I am slightly disappointed. Its not like he said he would hang out with me at the party, he just said he would see me there. And why does everyone assume I can't have fun anyway. I decide to find Johanna.

I'm pushing my way through people who are either sitting around drinking and talking, the music is loud and there are people dancing in the living room where the furniture has been pushed back. Johanna is sitting on some guy's knee when I enter.

"Kat! Come dance with me!" she yells. I'm not nearly drunk enough to embarrass myself on the dance floor. I grab her tequila and take a shot. Then another. May as well gain some liquid courage.

"That's my girl!" Johanna pulls me onto the floor and we dance. After the fourth song I am really ready to sit down, the heat is starting to get to me. Johanna and her new friend have started dancing together so I head off with her bottle of tequila and find myself a chair.

I spot Peeta across the room, talking to a brunette. He's leaning against the wall and she has her hand against his chest. She's flanked by 2 other girls also visibly drooling over Peeta. The brunette starts playing with the button of his shirt and then stands on her tiptoes to whisper into his ear. They spend the next half hour talking to each other. I don't see what's so interesting about her, in fact it's almost disgusting how much she s practically all over him. And he's not exactly walking away. I feel pissed off at the display and decide I can't watch anymore. I get up and head back to the kitchen for another drink. The kitchen is fairly empty, the rest of the party goers are in the lounge dancing or watching the drinking games. I plant myself at the table next to a couple who are whispering at one another, they start making out. Fucking hell, is every one in heat.

Thankfully they leave and then a pretty brunette woman takes their place, she massages her temples and closes her eyes.

"Are you okay?" I enquire.

"Oh, yeah I just have a headache. I get them every so often." She smiles shyly.

"I'm Katniss." I offer, trying to be friendly.

"Annie." She answers with a smile, "You know Peeta?"

Why would she know that? "Yeah, we went to high school together."

"Ah he mentioned you, I'm Finnick's girlfriend."

"Really?"

"You seem surprised." She laughs lightly. I like her, from first impression shes not at all what I expected from someone Finnick would date.

"I guess I just expected him to be dating someone a bit more..."

"Trashy?" She supplies, but there is humor in her eyes.

"Something like that," I laugh. We chat for a while and I find out Annie loves the outdoors too, she loves to swim and she used to spend summers camping and fishing with her grandparents. I'm enjoying talking with her dont realise how much time has passed, when Annie interrupts spotting Finnick with Peeta in the other room.

"It was lovely talking to you Katniss, we should hang out some time." We swap numbers promising to arrange something soon. Usually I shy away from making new friends but lately with their numbers dwindling, I could do with making more.

After Annie leaves I am alone except for those getting drinks. I consider telling Johanna that I'm leaving but I know she will just tell me to suck it up and insist that I dance with her. I don't want to ruin her night. I'm busy stirring my drink with a straw when a guy sits down next to me.

"Hi," he says, offering me a cigarette.

"No thanks, I don't smoke. I'd prefer if you didn't either."

"Fuck, you're not one of those pure air freaks are you."

"No I just value my lungs." He smells of booze and stale cigarettes.

"I could help you value some of your other body parts." he suggests. I look over at him, he looks near 28, lean yet muscular with fair hair. He makes my skin crawl as he looks at me with alcohol fueled lust.

"I'll pass thanks."

"You don't know what you're missing."

"Well I doubt its much, you reek of booze."

"I don't have a problem getting it up."

"You'll have a problem using it again if you don't fuck off." I was pissed off now. Who did this guy think he was.

He rose to his feet and staggered a little towards me. I stood up getting ready to leave, he reached out to grab me and I jerked my arm away.

"Fucking frigid bitch." He hisses.

"Asshole!" I spit back.

"Hey! Katniss, I've been looking for you." Peeta suddenly enters the room with Finn and another guy. "We should dance." He leads me away and I see Peeta's friends lead the guy out of the party.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine...I could have handled myself you know."

He laughs as he guides me to the area designated as the dance floor. "I know, but no one really wants the night to end up with the cops or paramedics. Has no one ever told you its pointless arguing with a drunk?"

"How did you know to interrupt?" I ask, suddenly curious.

"I saw you from the other room and it's not the first time we've had to kick that asshole out of a party after too many drinks. Without a drink he's just about bearable. He's only here because his cousin is friends with Finn."

"Oh." Was he watching me and I didn't notice?

"Will you dance with me Katniss?" Its a fucking slow song and I don't want to dance with him. My hearts still racing from the encounter with the drunken asshole though and Peeta's hand is on the small of my back as he leads me to a vacant spot.

"Do I have a choice? You led me here," He grins and pulls me to him as we begin to slow dance.

"You can relax Katniss. Are you always this tense?"

"Only when I'm pissed off."

"Pissed off at that guy? Marv? He's a dick yeah, but not worth getting upset over."

I sigh, its not even that simple. I'm pissed off at you Peeta for coming back into my life and confusing me. I try to relax, I can't stop thinking about his hands on my waist though. I put my arms around his neck and look into his ocean blue eyes again. His blonde hair is growing out and falls in waves over his face as he looks down at me. I want to put my hands through it but that would be inappropriate...as a friend. My eyes linger on his strong jaw and eventually his lips. I'm being ridiculous, I think to myself.

"You have a scar above your left eye." I state, trying to break my concentration from the heat I feel building inside me. Its a faint scar but I can just about make it out in the light.

"Yeah, my brother hit me with a toy car when I was five."

"I hope you made him pay."

"Yeah I made sure plenty of his future girlfriends saw his embarrassing cross dressing phase, when he was eight he would wear my mom's heels and a feather boa. There was photographic evidence." he explains.

I giggle, betraying my earlier irritation.

"You should smile more, it suits you."

"I reserve my smiles for those I deem worthwhile."

"So I'm worthy of a Katniss Everdeen smile?"

"I never said you specifically."

"What does it take to get you to admit that I make you smile. I seem to remember plenty of them back in high school when we drove around in Glimmer."

There it is again, the past. I don't know how to talk about those times without feeling I should apologise.

"Maybe I wasn't laughing with you, it was at you."

He rolls his eyes, "One day Katniss, you will be completely honest."

That could mean several things. I decide to keep the moment light.

"Well my stubborn, scowling self didn't stop you joining us for lunch."

"I had committed to making you cheese buns by then. I didn't want you to go without, pretty sure you enjoyed them more than my company."

"You're not wrong," I joke.

The song ends and Peeta releases me.

"I should go check if Finn and Thresh got rid of Marvel."

"Sure...I should find Johanna, thanks Peeta."

"Do you want to have lunch sometime?" He suddenly asks.

"Sure, text me." I smile at him and he grins back then heads off.

I find Johanna heckling people at the shot table. She's pouring Jäger Bombs and encouraging people to drink as fast as they can. I help her pour the shots to avoid her demands to drink up. After a while the party winds down and Johanna is ready to leave, she can barely stand and her arm is around me putting all her weight on my shoulder. I call a cab and we head to the door. I consider finding Peeta to say goodbye but then I see him talking to the brunette girl again. They are sitting on the sofa and she has her hand on his leg. I am so out of here.

x

I'm lying in bed whilst Johanna is collapsed on the couch asleep. I check my phone for the time, 3am. I feel exhausted but sleep won't come. I've only been home an hour and I've been mentally running through work related tasks in my head to avoid thinking about Peeta. My phone suddenly buzzes, a text from Prim saying she hopes I enjoyed the party. I text back to ask why she's up so late when another text arrives too soon to be her reply.

Peeta: Hey, did you get home okay?

Katniss: I'm fine. Thanks.

Peeta: Okay, I looked for you guys but I guess you left already.

Katniss: Yeah Jo could barely stand, I thought it was about time to go. I saw you but you looked kinda busy.

Peeta: you should have come said bye anyway, night Katniss

Katniss: goodnight

If he's texting me then surely he didn't leave with the brunette? I fall asleep shortly after that. Possibly due to hopeful relief.

When I wake in the morning I think of last night and groan. I didn't finish the tequila but my head feels fuzzy. I think about Peeta and my over reactions. This has to stop, I'm being pathetic. I put it down to loneliness, some dredged up feelings from the past and okay a little bit of lust. But right now I should focus on making friends, rebuilding my identity. Katniss without Gale Hawthorne. Which I have been doing, slowly. Johanna is right, I should friend zone Peeta and move on. Maybe I am actually ready to try dating. I'll consider it next time the opportunity arises. I get out of bed determined to act mature and stop thinking of Peeta.

Johanna is face down on the sofa, I poke her awake and she yells obscenities at me.

"Christ Kat, can't you just leave me to sleep."

"I was going to make us breakfast, maybe we could run along the beach to clear our heads?" Johanna gives me a look which clearly means back off. "Fine. You go back to sleep and I'll make breakfast."

I head into the kitchen and make us some eggs, when I return to the living room Johanna has disappeared. More than likely escaped to my bed. I sit and eat breakfast alone and contemplate going for a run by myself. I realise I actually lack motivation to go so I decide to shower and check my emails. I reply to Prim and comment on her various social media accounts where she posts far too many pictures of cute animals.

When Johanna finally emerged from my bedroom she flops down on the sofa and puts her arm over her eyes to block out the light.

"God I feel like shit," she complains.

"You say this every time."

"I never said I was of the intention to never do it again."

I roll my eyes at her.

"What happened with hot blonde?" She enquires.

"Oh he seems pretty busy with some tall brunette."

"At least you know your his type." She smirks.

"Whatever, It's been nice to catch up but I'm moving on. Im tired of being miserable and he's not interested. I won't waste my time."

Johanna grins, I know she has been waiting for this moment.

"So you're ready to get out there?"

"I don't know what 'out there' entails." I answer cautiously, knowing Johanna it involves frequenting bars and clubs, letting sleazy guys leer at us.

"We can go out and party and meet people, it will be fun."

"Jo, nothing good ever comes of meeting guys in a bar. Especially when alcohol is involved."

"Your just saying that because you can't handle your liquor."

"No I'm just saying that because I can count on one hand the amount of guys you've met who didn't just want a drunken fumble."

"Maybe that's what I wanted." She says defensively, "I happen to enjoy sex, it's a natural act. Not everyone is a prude Kat."

I've pissed her off now, I don't believe for a minute she enjoys all the random hooking up. I think she's just as lonely as I am. Just the thought of random strangers touching me intimately makes my skin crawl.

"I'm sorry Jo, I don't mean to offend you. I just don't think I personally could do the one night stand thing." I need to trust someone, I neglect to add.

Her features soften and she removes her arm from her eyes. She's so pretty and vulnerable that guys just use her and she lets them. I wish she realised she's worth more and would let someone in. Jo grew up in foster care and her only living grandparent died a few years ago. She literally has no one, well except me now. I'm her family.

"Did you make breakfast?" She asks, changing the subject.

"Eggs, hours ago but you disappeared, they went cold and I threw them out."

"Let's go get something greasy." We dress and leave the apartment.

I don't think about Peeta much as the week goes by, he doesn't call or text and I am busy with work picking up extra shifts to help Prim with her tuition. I get home In the evenings and after I check my messages I'm so tired I fall asleep.

X

It's Saturday night and Jo has to work. I text Annie to say hi during the week, we have been texting back and forth. She had plans this weekend but we planned to meet up soon for lunch. I've never actually planned lunch with someone before, usually I just hang out and sometimes food may be involved. It feels nice to have a friend I can plan things with, unlike Johanna who just shows up and eats the contents of my fridge and prefers partying.

I've spent my entire day procrastinating, putting off unpacking the boxes which lie in every room of my apartment. I'm lounging on the sofa in my pyjamas when my phone starts ringing.

Incoming Call...Peeta Mellark.

"Hi." I answer, I'm surprised he's calling even though it's only been a week.

"Hey Katniss. How are you?"

"I'm fine. You?"

"I'm good, had a real busy week. Started working in my dads bakery since I didn't get that job."

"That sucks, I'm sorry."

"Sorry I have to work in the bakery or sorry I didn't get the job?" There's humour in his voice.

"The bakery, I mean being around all that food all day must be torturous."

"Yeah it's hell." He jokes back, "What are you up to anyway?"

"Nothing really," I consider lying to make myself sound interesting but in the end I add, "I'm just hanging around at home."

"It's Saturday night, shouldn't you be out?

"Shouldn't you?"

He laughs, "Fair point, so we are both boring and home alone at the weekend."

"Yes we are." I can't help grinning, I'm pleased he called. I can't help but notice how his voice sounds as he jokes or teases. We talk a while longer about his week.

"So you are still lacking sleep over at your brothers?"

"Well I have to be up at 5 for the bakery and when I get home I crash out before dinner. When it's late though and those two start. I have to put the TV or music on to distract me and I can't sleep with those on."

"You could sleep here." The words are out before I can think of the implications.

"Katniss, do you often ask random men to sleep with you?" He's laughing and I feel embarrassed.

"Fuck off, I meant sleep. I have a couch and you are not random. But don't worry the offer is retracted." I answer defensively.

"Hey I'm sorry it was a joke." He responds, all humour removed.

"Enjoy your all night sex show."

"So I can't stay at yours tonight?"

His question catches me off guard. I didn't actually think he would accept. I hadn't thought it through, once again I lack self control around Peeta Mellark.

"Katniss?" He asks, I must have been quiet for too long.

"After insulting me, I'm not sure."

"Oh come on. It's has to be better than spending Saturday night alone? I'll bring food."

Stubbornly, I don't answer straight away. I'm contemplating on whether this is a good idea or not when he adds, "Please? I need to get some sleep this weekend otherwise by next week I'm going to be a zombie."

At this I relent, "Fine come over whenever."

I can hear his smile clearly over the phone,"See you soon," he says before ending the call.

After we hang up I dash into my room to change. He doesn't have to know I spent my entire day in pyjamas.

When Peeta arrives I'm braiding my hair. I decided on wearing jeans and a black tank top, definitely something you wear when you have been around the house all day. I let him in and hes balancing pizza boxes and beer. I grab the beer and hold the door open.

"Beer and pizza, I met just let you stay again."

"You haven't heard me snore yet." he jokes.

"I don't remember you snoring way back when." I blush after I make this comment and turn my back hoping he doesn't notice.

"Maybe I wasn't asleep." he suggests. I make my way into the kitchen to grab us some plates.

"Make yourself at home." I call.

"Did you just move in here?" he calls back.

"No, I've been here for months. Excuse the boxes." I join him in the living room and hand him a plate, he opens the boxes on the coffee table.

"And you didn't think you should unpack?" He grabs two slices of pepperoni and places them on his plate.

"Of course...I just didn't feel like it then and I still don't now."

"What are you avoiding?"

"Nothing, I just...I'll get round to it." I grab a slice of pizza and eat the pepperoni off the top. I think Peeta senses that I don't want to talk about the boxes. He hands me a beer and starts telling me about the bakery. His dad has him decorating cakes which he enjoys, though some customers can be pretty demanding on the details. Especially brides he complains. I drink my beer slowly, in actual fact I hate beer. I just don't want to offend him since he paid for dinner. As he talks I take in his gestures as he describes the perfect way to ice a cake, the way his eyes light up when he smiles, he runs his hand through his hair sometimes when he looks away almost nervously. I chastise myself inwardly for this behavior. What happened to just being friends. For a moment I hate myself but then it occurs to me, I can look at him. I can appreciate an attractive guy, I don't have to feel guilt and it doesn't have to mean anything. It's been months since Gale and I have felt no attraction to any guys I have met since or known whom have shown an interest in me. I just want to relax and enjoy myself. It doesn't have to necessarily have to involve sex. Though the longer I sit there watching him, looking at his muscles in his arms. I start wondering what his kisses are like now and how I would like to nuzzle his neck. I clench my thighs and grab another slice of pizza.

"So we should unpack your boxes," his sudden change of topic takes me by surprise and interrupts my thoughts, which is probably for the best.

"What, now?"

"Well if you have lived here for months and you are still avoiding it, you clearly need some help. Come on."

He gets up off the sofa and leans over and grabs my beer. I catch the scent of chocolate and honey and feel like I could be back in high school.

"Why do you always smell like honey and chocolate?" I ask, curious.

"You noticed that?" He laughs, "It's shower gel. I've always used the same one, I just liked the smell. My mom would never let us get hot chocolate for drinking so I used to make her buy that. It was childish but it sort of stuck."

"I remember it, from back in high school."

"I remember you loved chocolate."

"I still do, had to cut back though. I find I can live on that stuff and no proper meals."

He grins, "That's not hard to imagine." Peeta grabs two of the boxes in my hallway and hands me one. "You start on this one. When we have one box emptied for stuff you want to keep we can then use that box for things you want to discard."

"I can't believe you want to spend your Saturday night emptying my crap."

He raises his eyebrows, "I can think of better things to be doing but helping you comes a close second."

I look down at my box with a grin, hoping he doesn't notice. I think he was flirting again but I'm useless at telling. I start to unpack things such as linen and bed sheets. That's useful, I can make up the couch for Peeta later. We work in silence, with Peeta asking every now and again where I would like to store certain things. When Peeta moves on to the next box he's suddenly still, taking his time to look through the things contained within.

"Katniss, what happened to you and Gale? I don't mean to pry but, it's just here you look so happy." There's a sadness in his voice.

"I don't want to bore you." I reply, I'm still unsure I want to tell him this story.

"You won't bore me. I promise to let it drop if you want me to."

I sigh, "We were having problems."

"Problems?" He wants me to elaborate.

"We both had different ideas for how we wanted to live our lives and neither of us were prepared to sacrifice or compromise for the other."

"And that was it?"

"No...he was seeing someone else."

"Oh." There's a flash of what I think is anger in his eyes, I'm not sure what I expected him to say. Something more than 'Oh' for sure. I continue in order to break the silence.

"It wasn't just anyone, It was Madge."

"Shit Katniss," He runs his hand through his hair again, "Are you okay?"

"I am, I mean I wasn't, but now I am. Okay, I think."

"So this was six months ago?"

"Well that's when I found out. It's almost 7 months now." I slide down to the floor, leaning against the wall and pull my knees up to my chin. "Madge was pregnant."

He sits down in the hallway beside me. "That must have been a blow."

"The lying was the worst part, or the fact I thought she had gotten pregnant to someone else. A guy she was supposedly seeing from work. There's also the fact this sounds like a bad reality TV show." I throw that last part in with humor, but really its not funny. His arm snakes around my shoulder and he pulls me to him. Without hesitation I rest my head on his shoulder.

"What was he thinking? Is he fucking crazy?"

"I think he had just had enough of us. He wanted to get married and have children and be a white picket fence family. I'm not that person, not now, maybe not ever."

"Did you not consider ending things before it got too far?"

"Yes and no. I didn't want to ruin a long friendship, I couldn't let go. We would argue then make up and things would be okay for a while til it would all get dragged back up again."

"And Madge?"

"I didn't know." Tears sting my eyes now. I really had no idea, not even suspicions. "I found out she was pregnant after she was throwing up in the mornings. She was acting strange but I put it down to the shock. She said it was a guy from work and they had a one night stand. I helped her with doctor appointments and things and looked out for her for a few months before finding out."

"And was it? A one time thing?" I assume he means with Gale.

"No...I'm not even sure how long it had gone on. I didn't want to know, though I'm told it was long before she was pregnant. When I left I packed all my things and went to stay with Jo. I haven't spoken to either of them since. She must have had the baby by now."

He's quiet a while, I'm consciously aware of his hand resting on my arm.

"Katniss, I never knew Madge well outside school but you guys were really good friends. I can't imagine why she would do that and Gale...well he was the luckiest guy in the world and he fucked up big time."

It's nice of him to say that, for months I've let myself think that I deserved this.

"Prim said our relationship was unhealthy anyway and ending things was inevitable. But not like that. I lost both my best friends and I can't stand to look at them ever again."

"I can't blame you, they betrayed you. You know none of this is your fault, people can say you had an unhealthy relationship or you should have ended things sooner but that's no reason to have sex with someone else. And then when that other person is your best friend, he couldn't have picked anyone else?"

"I think she was in love with him. Is in love with." I answer.

"That's still inexcusable. If he loved her he would have ended things with you and done this the right way when you both had moved on, you might have been accepting of any future relationship they had."

"Maybe...It would never not have been weird."

"Probably but you can get used to weird." He smiles before adding, "I always thought you could do a thousand times better than Gale Hawthorne anyway."

"Like who, you?" I ask boldly.

"In high school yeah, I like to think I was a step up." he jokes.

"Well you did bring me cheese buns and chocolate, I was a fool."

"You sure were." He pulls away and gets up to continue unpacking the boxes.

"So how did you meet Johanna?"

"We met in college, she roomed with us for a bit."

"Shes certainly...interesting."

"Crazy."

"Yeah that," he laughs. We unpack most of the boxes and I make the couch into a make shift bed. I'm not ready to go to bed and I would like to spend more time with him but he looks tired.

"You should get some sleep, bathrooms down the hall on the right and help yourself to whatever is in the kitchen."

"Thanks Katniss," he yawns, his hair is falling into his eyes and I want to reach out and brush it away.

"No problem, thanks for helping me with the boxes."

"Hey do you remember back in high school that night when I slept over at your house?"

"Yes I do..."

"You let me sleep in your bed then." He grins cheekily.

"Yeah no chance of that happening tonight. I look forward to pancakes in the morning. Night Peeta." I call as I walk down the hallway, I'm grinning like a lunatic though. I hear him call goodnight as I close my door.