Author's note: This was my entry into the first round of The Everlark Games Tropes challenge. The trope for this round was alternate universe. So I chose an AU in which Peeta is a home health nurse for Prim who was paralyzed in a car accident that also took the lives of the Everdeen parents. The title comes from the Bastille song Weight of Living Part 1.

Much thanks to my bestie writingbutunpublished for looking this over for me. Go check out her work.

And much thanks to anyone out there who read this the first time around and voted to keep me going.

Happy reading!

Albatross

Katniss hurried through the door and dropped her bag. "I'm sorry I'm late. Class ran over and then I caught every red light."

Peeta waved from the stove. "I almost have supper done and then I'll be gone."

"Don't you have class?" She stepped into the kitchen and smiled at Prim sitting near the table with her headphones on. They exchanged a wave. Katniss was very glad that nearly two years later, she had enough strength and movement in her arms to complete the gesture.

"It was cancelled tonight." He slipped a piece of chicken on a plate and cut it up.

Katniss stepped beside him. "What would it take to hire you full time?"

"You're already paying out the nose for the agency." He argued, spooning mashed potatoes beside the chicken he'd just cut up.

"I know. I was hoping to pay the same for private care and you come in Monday through Friday. Rory's got weekends off now and he wants to spend more time helping again." She leaned close. "She tell you he's moving in?"

He chuckled and nodded. "She mentioned it a time or two."

Prim spoke from the table. "Did Peeta tell you about seeing Rory's bare ass this morning?"

Katniss laughed. "No. We didn't get that far." She looked back toward Peeta. "Were you impressed?"

Peeta shrugged. "You see one ass, you seen 'em all." He chuckled. "Rory was pretty embarrassed, though."

Katniss laughed again. "He's really shy. I accidentally walked into the bathroom after he got out of the shower and he nearly had a heartattack."

Peeta sat the plate in front of Prim and pushed her chair closer. "Can you reach it all?"

"Yep." Prim reached out and picked up her fork. "Water would be nice." She said with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah." Peeta said as he poured her a glass from the pitcher. "Anything else, your majesty?"

Katniss made a plate and handed it to Peeta. "If you don't have to go to class, you should stay and eat with us."

"I only made enough for two" He pushed the plate back toward her. "Thank you, though. I have to get home."

Katniss sat the plate down on the table and followed him toward the door. "You weren't offended by the offer, were you? Prim just really likes you." So do I.

"I'll think about it. I've got another client I see on the other two days a week and I need to make sure she's got someone in place." He slung his bag over his shoulder. "But it's a tentative yes."

She smiled. "Thank you!" She had to stop herself from reaching out to touch him.

He gave her an apologetic look. "It's only until I get my RN. After that, I plan on moving to a rehab facility." He placed his hand on the doorknob.

Her heart pounded. She'd done everything to hold him there and it was now time for him to go. "Yeah, but you still have another couple years to go."

He nodded and opened the door. "See you Monday." He stepped outside and then turned. It looked like he was struggling to make himself say something, but all that came out was, "Your food's getting cold." And then he hurried out to his car.

Katniss wandered back into the kitchen to find Prim once again had her headphones on, but she pulled them off when she saw her sister.

"So did he kiss you goodbye?" Prim teased, pausing her iPod.

Katniss felt her face heat up. "No kissing. But he is going to think about coming full time."

"So you can see him every Tuesday and Thursday morning?" Prim giggled as Katniss adamantly shook her head.

"You know that's not what I want. I can't help it that my classes Tuesday and Thursday don't start until nine-thirty." She took a bite of her mashed potatoes and made a face before popping the plate in the microwave. "But it won't hurt."

With another laugh, Prim put her headphones back on. "This latest book is so boring. Sometimes I don't know why I do this job."

"Because some of them are awesome. And then I get to listen to them. For free." Katniss pulled her plate out of the microwave and went back to eating. "He's such a good cook." She said with a moan.

Prim snorted. "You need to bone him already."

Katniss shook her head and continued eating in silence. It wasn't like she didn't fantasize about it at night. Peeta was attractive and smart and funny and strong.

Sometimes, when she was home while Peeta was there, she'd watch intently as he carried Prim from the bathroom back to her chair. Anywhere, really. He was very strong.

They'd spent a lot of time and energy getting the house altered enough for the chair and Prim's other needs, but the bathroom still needed some work. Thankfully, Peeta could carry her without having to awkwardly shove the chair through the door like Katniss and Rory tended to do when Peeta wasn't around.

Peeta walked into his side of the duplex and hung his bag on the hook by the door. He took out his computer and booted it up before he walked toward the kitchen at the back of the room to make his supper.

After throwing a frozen pizza into the oven, Peeta turned to his computer and pulled up the program the home health company used. He typed up a quick status report on Prim. And thought about Katniss the entire time.

She was attractive and completely devoted to her younger sister. It was always one of his weaknesses when it came to his crushes, adoration and attentiveness to others.

Finnick would tell him, "Just do it. Ask her out already."

Dating relatives of clients was a bit of a gray area. He knew some home health aides who cared for family members or family of friends. It wasn't something easily avoided in a small town.

Also, since they had talked about him working full time for private care, it would be a little weird. How would the conversations even start?

"Hey, thanks for paying me? How about I bring you to dinner now?"

No, thank you.

He ate his pizza while he worked on his homework for the next week.

Maybe one day Peeta would ask Katniss on a date, but it would have to wait until he moved on to another profession. Or at least another client. And he really liked Prim, she was fun to be around.

His phone rang just as he was settling in to watch TV for the night. He answered without looking at the screen. "I'm not going out tonight, Finnick." He said in greeting.

His friend groaned on the other end of the phone. "Come on, man! It's been a long week."

"Yeah, exactly why I don't want to go anywhere." Peeta argued.

Finnick sighed. "What if I bring a couple six packs to your place? Annie's doing a girls' night in and I don't think I can handle the romcom tonight."

Peeta thought a moment and then let out a long breath. "Okay. Fine. But you have to pick up some baking ingredients. If I have to take care of your drunk ass, I need hangover cheese buns ready for you in the morning."

"Text me a list, bro-tato chip." Finnick said before he hung up.

Peeta checked his kitchen and then typed out a quick list to Finnick. It wasn't long one since he usually had most of the staples on hand.

Then he picked up a little. Not that it mattered much. When Finnick had been his roommate before, their place usually got pretty trashed through the week. Peeta realized after Finnick moved out that he was part of the problem overall. Peeta pitied Annie.

Katniss and Prim's house was always spotless. Part of his job was to make sure the house was orderly, but that part was usually just helping Prim fold a load of clothes. She claimed it made her feel normal to do that bit of housework at least. Katniss must have been very meticulous about the cleaning otherwise.

Finnick's rhythmic knock startled Peeta out of his thoughts. He opened the door and waved the other man in.

"I got something to tell you." Finnick said as he followed Peeta into the kitchen.

"What is it?" Peeta unloaded the groceries and started pulling out a bowl to mix the dough for the cheese buns.

"I'm going to ask Annie to marry me." Finnick said proudly.

Peeta laughed and pulled his friend into a bear hug. "That's great!"

"Do you think she'll say yes?" Finnick's voice was nervous.

"I think she'll say that it's about time." Peeta laughed.

Finnick nodded and popped the cap off one of the bottles. "I know she will. She's been hinting at it for a while." He took a long drink and wiped at his lip. "She actually asked me last year, but it didn't feel like the time was right."

"Yeah." Peeta worked in silence while Finnick finished off his first beer and moved quickly to the second. "So Katniss asked me to work full time caring for her sister."

"Is that right?" Finnick chuckled. "You going to do it?"

"I don't know." Peeta draped a towel over the bowl and grabbed a bottle from the fridge. "It would mean going to the same place every day. And I really like it there. Prim is so bright and funny and we have a good time. It's not such a chore to go to work."

"But?" Finnick gave him a challenging look.

"But if I keep working for them, then…"

"You can't ask Katniss out." Finnick finished. He shrugged. "Well, you know me: jump into bed first, ask for a name later. I'm not the rules guy."

Peeta snorted and took a drink. Setting his bottle back on the table, he started picking at the label. "I have less than two years until I have RN. I can do something else then."

"You're nothing if not patient." Finnick leaned back in his chair. "How long did it take you to ask Delly out?"

Peeta shrugged. "She always had boyfriends."

"And she turned you down, if I remember." Finnick finished off his second beer and went for another.

Peeta shook his head. "Are going to drink everything in twenty minutes?"

"You have a bottle of vodka in your freezer." Finnick popped the top off the third bottle.

"Beer before liquor, never sicker." Peeta warned.

Finnick clapped him on the shoulder. "I have a medical professional here to hold my hair back." He studied Peeta. "So what are you going to do about her? Wait?"

"I don't know." Peeta stood and started pacing. "I'm about due for a girlfriend, right? Like, I'm not someone who's off limits for some reason? Because I'm a nurse?"

Finnick laughed. "Bro, you have nothing to worry about with the nurse part. Plenty of Annie's friends moon over you. And they think it's cool that you're a nurse."

"So why does no one show interest in me?" Peeta shook his head. "Nevermind."

Finnick stood and grabbed his arm. "Listen, Peet, why do you care about what other girls think? You need to think about this Katniss chick. If you like her, you should say something."

Peeta shook his head. "Not yet. She's basically my boss." He finished off his beer and then pulled the vodka out of the freezer. "Let's get smashed."

Finnick held up his hands. "You know that drunk baking isn't your thing. Maybe you should finish the cheese buns first."

Peeta pushed the liquor into Finnick's hand. "I know. You're only my friend for my food."

"Maybe." Finnick said, pouring some of the clear liquid into a glass.

Peeta wrapped a towel around Prim and carried her into her bedroom, sitting her in her chair. He remembered her being a little embarrassed at first, but resigned. Of course she'd had her sister and boyfriend doing most of this work in the time between returning home from her accident and Peeta starting as her aide. Both of them were familiar people in her life while Peeta was a virtual stranger.

Together, they decided what she would wear that day and Peeta moved forward to help her dress.

They'd mostly been silent so far other than the normal talk of their routine. Until Prim said, "So can I ask you a question?"

"Uh, sure." Her tone was a little over exaggerated, as though she was fishing for something.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" She tried again to sound casual, but it wasn't working to Peeta's ears. "Because you never talk about a girlfriend. You talk about Finnick a lot, but the way you check out my sister tells me you're straight. Or maybe bi. Is Finnick your boyfriend and you just like looking at Katniss?"

Peeta laughed and held out the openings for Prim to slip her arms through. "Finnick is my best friend. But his fiancee Annie likes to tease that we're boyfriends." He felt uncomfortable with the next part of her inquiry, but answered her anyway. "I'm straight and single. Anyway, what makes you think I check out your sister?" He slipped the shirt over her head and helped her start pulling it down.

She tugged at the hem of her shirt the rest of the way. "Because I have eyes." She turned the chair toward the living room. "So my latest book to review is a poetry book. It's super sappy, want to listen for a while?"

"Sure." He made his way toward the kitchen.. "I'll start on lunch." He opened the fridge and started taking out salad ingredients.

"So about my sister…" Prim said from the living room.

Peeta felt his face flush. "What about her?"

"You want to take her out? 'Cause you should totes take her out." The bluetooth speaker booted up and Prim started the audiobook. "Or you could fuck her. She's in need of a good lay."

"You're such a loving sister." He said, trying to avoid any commitment to the conversation.

"I know." She moved into the kitchen. "But she's been devoted to me for the last three years. She worked a split shift with Rory so that one of them would always be with me. Whenever she wasn't working or helping me, she was sleeping. Gale made her go out her last birthday, but it was the first time she was convinced to do that since the accident."

"So you want me to ask your sister out?" Peeta asked. "Even though she's basically my boss."

"I'm your boss. Katniss just helps me handle my finances." Prim poked him in the side. "So? You going to do it?"

"I'll think about it?" He sat a large salad bowl on the table. "I brought some fresh bread, by the way." Pulling a wrapped package from his bag, he continued. "I forgot about it at breakfast. Do you like buttered bread?"

"Sure. I didn't know you baked." Prim eyed the bread as he cut into it.

"Didn't I tell you my dad had a bakery?" He spread some butter on a slice of bread and handed it to Prim.

"You might have mentioned it." She took a tentative bite. "Oh my god, it's still warm!"

Peeta smiled and sat down with plates to dish out salad for both of them. "I wrapped it in the foil when it was cool enough to handle."

"I have an idea!" Prim said as she picked up her fork. "You should invite Katniss to your place and cook for her."

"I don't think that will work. Even though you're my client, Katniss is still part of the arrangement. It's a conflict of interest." Peeta paused and listened to the audiobook for a few minutes. The poem currently being read was something about the weight of your responsibilities. He could see the look on Prim's face turn to contrition.

She picked up her iPod and something else started. "I don't like that one. Makes me think about Katniss."

"Why, may I ask?" He asked.

"Because she survived with a little harm, our parents died, and I'm paralyzed. She feels responsible for all of it, even though Dad was the one driving. She had to take care of me. She had to quit her last year of school for me."

"None of that was her fault." He said. "It was a drunk driver, wasn't it?"

She nodded. "Yeah. But try telling her that." She turned off the book and moved away from the table. "I want to lay down for a while." She moved off toward her bedroom and he followed to help her move from her chair.

Peeta spent the rest of the afternoon tidying up. Prim stayed in bed all day. She listened to the book on her headphones and started typing out her review with speech software.

Katniss came in just as Peeta took out a pound of hamburger to start making tacos.

"Where's Prim?" She asked as she stepped into the kitchen.

"Having a bit of a lazy afternoon." He commented. He put the meat in a frying pan and broke it up with a wooden spoon. "So I've been thinking about your question all week and I want to say yes."

"That's great! Thank you! Have you told Prim?" She started gathering the other ingredients to help him cook.

He nodded. "We talked about it after you left. She said she feels comfortable with it."

She squeezed his bicep. "Thank you!"

He held up his hand. "Remember, it's only until I get my RN."

"I know." She slowly removed her hand from his arm and dropped it. "Are you ever going to stay and eat the fruit of your labors?"

He chuckled. "Not tonight." He stirred the meat in the pan and said, "But I would like to share a meal with you sometime." He looked up slowly. "My place? Saturday?"

She chewed her lip a moment and then nodded. "Sure. Give Rory and Prim the house to themselves for a bit."

"Yeah." Peeta went back to the meal. "What do you like? I can make anything?"

"Well, I like anything. Surprise me." With one more look over her shoulder, Katniss made her way to Prim's room.

"Does this shirt look okay?" Katniss asked, walking into the living room. "It feels a little tight."

"If it feels tight, you shouldn't wear it." Rory said from the couch.

Katniss walked around and struck a pose so Prim could see from her spot lying on Rory's lap. "Prim? Thoughts?"

"It looks good." Prim told her. "But Rory's right, if you aren't comfortable, you should find something else."

Katniss sighed. "Nothing feels right. Or looks right. All I wear are t-shirts." She looked down at the faded black shirt. "Maybe that green polo."

"Yes! That one!" Prim exclaimed. "That one looks really good on you."

"Okay." Katniss went back to her room and changed, returning to the living room to model the new shirt. "Better?"

"Yes." Rory and Prim said at the same time.

The doorbell rang.

"Probably the pizza." Rory said, gently pushing Prim off his lap.

"I'll get the door." Katniss offered.

"And I'll get plates." Rory helped Prim to sit up as Katniss opened the door to the pizza delivery person. "I paid online." He called. "Just sign the slip, Katniss."

She did as instructed and handed over the bit of cash Rory had left by the door for the tip. Once the young woman was gone, Katniss sat the pizza on the coffee table and helped Prim off the couch to sit in front of it. After kissing the top of Prim's head, Katniss bid her farewells to the others and left.

Finding Peeta's place was pretty easy, he actually lived just three blocks away. His house was one side of a duplex. Katniss spotted his car right away and pulled into the driveway behind him. She stared at his front door for several breaths before she got up enough courage to get out. If she trusted him enough to leave him with her sister all day, she could trust him to be alone in his own house for a couple hours.

Peeta answered right away, he must have heard her drive up.

"Hi." She said as she walked through the door. She looked around. It was a tiny space, the living room and kitchen were separated by a table that was set with two plates.

He helped her out of her coat. "I was just about to get the casserole out of the oven. Do you like chicken and rice?"

"I do. My mom used to make it all the time when we were kids." She followed him to the table. "Your place is cute." She observed as she watched him head into the kitchen.

Peeta laughed. "Cute is the perfect way to describe it. There's a bedroom and a bathroom down that tiny hall. And that's the grand tour."

Katniss giggled. "Well, you have it to yourself, so that's one thing."

He nodded. "True. My friend Finnick lived here for a while. He slept on the couch." He placed the pan of chicken and rice in the middle of the table and went back to the kitchen for a pan of corn and a plate of roles. "Do you have a salad dressing preference?"

"I'm fine with whatever you have." She looked over the food. "You sure know a way to a girl's heart."

He chuckled as he came back to the table with three bottles of dressing and a bowl of salad. "I just really like cooking for other people. And when I have the time, I go all out." He made a sweeping motion. "Help yourself."

"I would if there were serving spoons." She said with a grin.

"Oh! Right." He laughed nervously and pulled several serving spoons out of the drawer. "Those are cheese buns. They're stuffed with mozzarella." He stuck the spoons into each of the dishes and then asked, "Do you like sweet tea? Or would you prefer water?"

Piling some salad onto her plate, she smiled up at him, "I would love some sweet tea."

"Coming right up." He poured them each a glass and then sat down, finally filling his plate.

"So can I ask you something?" Katniss asked as she scooped some of the chicken and rice onto her fork.

"Ask away." Peeta said, pouring Italian dressing rather heavy-handedly over his salad.

"Well, first, do you like a little salad with your dressing?"

He laughed and shrugged. "Yeah, actually." He mixed the leaves up and took a bite, smiling as he chewed.

She laughed. "My actual question is what made you want to become a nurse?"

Peeta finished chewing and took a sip from his tea. "My dad got really sick when I was in high school. I spent a lot of time with him in the hospital when I wasn't in school." He pushed his corn around with his fork. "All the nurses were really helpful, but there was this one who thought that she was better because she was so educated and we were just there at her whim. When I experienced that, it made me mad and it made me want to be one of the good ones." He smiled. "Plus, I was strong from wrestling and I could help my dad move from the bed to his chair a lot easier than the nurses and one of them commented that I would make a great nurse."

Katniss smiled. "That's great."

He nodded. "You're going to school for what?"

"Originally, I went for business. But after the accident…" She chewed her lip a minute and said, "I decided I wanted to be a physical therapist, which added a couple years onto the other side since I needed all these science courses to qualify for the program. But the good news is, I get to be one of those smart cookies with a double degree. I only had three business classes left to finish up that one, so I went ahead and took them."

"Oh, awesome. So then you get to take the exam and find a PT course?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yep."

He smiled. "Masters or doctorate?"

"Masters. I never saw myself as Dr. Everdeen, that was my mom." She chuckled. But her face quickly fell. "Prim was going to follow in her shoes."

Peeta reached over and placed a hand on top of Katniss's. "She's told me… None of this has ever been your fault."

"I know. I do. I just feel the injustice. I'm fine. I had a couple minor broken bones, but Prim…" She never could form a coherent sentence when she thought about it.

He squeezed. "You couldn't have changed any of it. Your parents couldn't have. Prim couldn't have." He tried to move away, but she grabbed his hand back.

"I tried to tell her she could still have a medical career, but she doesn't want it. She said she's already a financial burden." She felt the pressure releasing in her chest. All this had been bottled up for so long. "I want her to lead the life she always dreamed of."

"She seems content." He squeezed her hand again. "And if she ever wants to go to school, she can. But dreams change. It happens all the time."

Katniss nodded and pulled her hand from Peeta's. She went back to the food. "You really are a good cook."

"Thank you." He watched her for several seconds, making her a little uncomfortable.

"Prim told me you were a little unsure about asking me to dinner because of the nature of your work with her."

He smirked. "Well, I see your sister naked quite a bit."

Katniss laughed. "That's not really what I was getting at, but it's true."

Peeta smiled. "She's my client. You're just the sister of my client."

"I'm the one that writes the checks." She pointed out.

"Well, you could give that duty to Prim or Rory. Clean your hands of that task. Then you and I could go on another date without it feeling weird."

She smiled. "I guess we could figure that out." She sat her fork down and grabbed his arm, pulling him toward her. "And I'm glad you called this a date because there's something I've been dying to do since the first day you walked through our door." She pressed her lips to his in a quick kiss.

Peeta smiled and grabbed her face to kiss Katniss more fully, standing as he did so. "You want to see my bedroom?" He asked against her lips.

"Yeah." She took his hand and he led her to his room.

He pulled her close and kissed her thoroughly, his hand slipping up under the hem of her shirt. She kicked off her shoes as she stepped back.

"When I told my sister I was going to have dinner with you, she said she hoped I did more than eat food." Katniss reached into her pocket and produced a condom. "And Rory slipped this into my hand."

Peeta laughed and pulled her close once more, wrapping his hand around the square package and her hand. "My friend Finnick has been trying to get me laid for months." He walked her backward toward the bed.

She tangled her fingers in his hair. "Well, I guess they knew something we didn't." She pulled him in for a kiss as he guided her down on the bed.

As he touched her, she felt her heart swell at the tenderness in it. His kiss was hungry, but tentative. He kept breaking it to look down at her. She nodded every time.

"You can tell me to stop." He whispered as he tugged at her shirt.

She sat up and held her arms up for him to pull the garment over her head. "Don't stop."

With a nod, he pressed her back down on the bed, trailing his lips over her bare skin. Everywhere his lips touch ignited a fire. She tangled her fingers in his hair once more. His fingers played at the band of her bra. A whine escaped her.

He looked up with an anxious grin. "Can I take this off?"

"Please." She felt her face head up at the way was begging for him. Her body was hot and there was a throbbing between her thighs. She pressed her hips up and wrapped her legs around his waist.

He chuckled. "Maybe the bra can wait." Peeta's lips found Katniss's as his fingers slid down between them to unbutton her jeans. He twisted her hips, pulling at her pants and underwear as he dropped to his knees beside the bed.

Katniss felt a little bit of panic as Peeta's lips pressed against her knee and slowly moved higher up her thigh. "Oh, you don't have to do that."

Pressing her knees apart, he nodded. "I want to. If you want me to."

"I've never…" She combed her fingers through his hair. "No one's ever actually wanted to."

"I do. Will you let me?" His eyes and smile were so gentle that she just couldn't say no, even if she wanted to. And she definitely didn't want to.

"Yes." She whispered. "Yes, please."

When his mouth made contact, she fell back on the bed. Her hands were still tangled in his hair as his mouth worked over her sensitive flesh. She felt the pressure building and she let out a low moan. She didn't want it to end because it felt so good, but she couldn't stop it.

When he pressed his fingers into her entrance, that was the end of it. She stepped over the brink and gasped out what she was sure was supposed to be his name. It was a little incoherent even to her ears.

Katniss collapsed back on the bed, panting. She registered somewhere in the back of her mind that Peeta moved away, but he rubbed her calf slowly.

"I think I'm back to normal." She mumbled after a moment.

He laughed and kissed her knee. "Good. Such a shame no one ever did that for you before. You're just so delicious."

She giggled, covering her face with her hands. After a few seconds, she pushed herself up on her elbows. "Okay, get up here and let me return the favor."

"And how would you like to do that?" He asked as he pulled his shirt over his head.

She grinned and picked up the condom from his bedside table. "This has your name written all over it."

He chuckled and stretched out over her. "I'm so glad I invited you over."

"And I'm so glad I came." She snorted. "And then came."

He laughed just before he kissed her. "My turn."

She nodded, their noses rubbing against each other. "Do whatever you want. Within reason."

"I just…" He kissed her softly. He whispered, "I want to remember this for the rest of my life."

"I'll make it a night you can't forget." She rolled him underneath her. "I promise." She trailed her hands down his chest. "Of course I could just get it over with this first time." She pressed her hips down against the bulge in his pants. "This can't be comfortable."

"I wouldn't mind that at all, actually." He fumbled with the buttons on his jeans, but she gently pushed his hands away.

"I got this." She moved down as she pulled down his pants, releasing his erection.

He sighed and stroked himself. "I can't wait much longer."

She laughed and rolled on the condom. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." He grabbed her hips and gave her a roguish smile. "Don't make me do this on my own."

"I don't want to do that since I'm right here." She lowered herself over him.

His hands roamed over her body and she relished the feel. They were soft and gentle and she felt treasured for once.

Peeta came with a primal growl, his fingers digging into Katniss's thighs.

She leaned down and kissed him softly. "You good?"

He nodded. "I think so."

"Good." She collapsed beside him. "I definitely can't be the one to sign the checks anymore."

He laughed and pulled her close. "Probably would be best."

She melted into his embrace and lay there quietly, sure he was asleep.

But he spoke, startling her. "By the way, I made dessert. If you're interested."

"I could be interested." She fought back a yawn.

"After a nap?" He suggested.

"I need to text Prim." But she already felt her eyes drooping.

"After a nap." Peeta repeated, his voice slow and soft.

It was the last thing Katniss heard before she gave into sleep.