AUTHOR'S NOTE: Apologies for the formatting issue, I have no idea how that happened. Thanks to those let me know :)

Again, I own none of the characters. But I do love feedback! So if you feel so inclined, throw me a review after you've read the chapter. Sorry for the lengthy wait time, life just keeps getting in the way of writing time.

By the time Thursday had rolled around, Katniss was filled with so much dread, she could have sworn there was a giant black cloud floating over her head like in a cartoon. She was pretty certain this project was going to be nothing but misery. How could it be anything but? It was Peeta Mellark after all.

Katniss was pacing near the front window of the bookshop when the clock chimed five.

"If you're not careful, you're going to light a fire on my wood floor with the amount of friction you're creating over there," Cinna said from behind the cash. As the owner of the tiny independent bookshop on the main street of their town, Cinna was also her boss. But to Katniss, he felt more like an older brother and she trusted him more than her own family.

"She's just nervous for her date," Prim sang from her large wingback chair in the corner.

"It is NOT a date," Katniss sputtered. "It's a project, that's it. Besides, he's such a-a…"

"Dreamboat?" Prim blinked her eyelashes furiously and grinned.

Katniss narrowed her eyes. "You, little duck, should be concentrating on finishing your homework and not on boys."

Prim stuck out her tongue at Katniss but returned to her books nonetheless.

Katniss leaned on the counter and lowered her voice, "You're sure it's okay that she stays here? I promise she won't be any trouble."

Cinna smiled warmly. "Katniss, for the last time, it's fine. Prim is never any trouble. It will be nice to have some company in here."

Joanna and Annie were usually Katniss' go-to babysitters when she was stuck and needed someone to watch Prim. Unfortunately, Annie had an important dinner at the Club with her parents that she couldn't skip and Joanna was working a shift at the local Glow-in-the-Dark Mini Putt. Her first thought had been to bail on Peeta, she was already dreading the whole thing. But then she thought about the bank account that was a little lean and the scholarship that she desperately needed, and changed her mind. In a moment of desperation, she had turned to Cinna.

"Just make sure you're back before I close at 9 or I'll be forced to sell her to the highest bidder," Cinna joked, eliciting a giggle from Prim.

The bright red jeep rolled into view and Katniss grabbed her leather bag off the landing of the staircase.

She turned back to Prim. "Be good." Prim rolled her eyes and smiled. After mouthing a quick 'thank you' to Cinna, she dashed out.

"I know, I know, I'm sort of late," Peeta said as he leaned out the open window of the jeep, adjusting his side mirror. His hair was wet and pieces of it rested on the frames of his ray ban style sunglasses.

"It's fine. But next time, I would appreciate if you tried a little harder to be on time. I have a life too you know."

"Noted," he chuckled softly. "Basketball practice went long. Finnick started mouthing off to Coach Crane, so then we all had to run sprints and do a hundred push ups."

Katniss nodded but didn't say anything.

"So…" Peeta continued. "Did you make your list?"

"Yeah." Katniss dug through her bag and retrieved a small notepad she always carried. Flipping through, she found the page with her list and tore it out, thrusting it towards Peeta.

Without warning, he leaned over and opened the glove box, reaching into the back. Katniss glued herself to the back of the seat as he leaned over her, but that didn't stop her from catching a waft of his deodorant and she hated to admit how good a freshly showered Peeta smelled. She mentally slapped herself and focused on what was going on outside of her window until he was once again sitting upright in his seat.

Peeta unfolded a piece of paper and handed it to her. Katniss glanced down the list.

"You've never been camping?" She hadn't meant it to sound so accusatory, but Peeta just laughed.

"If you met my mother you would know why. She's not exactly the…outdoorsy type. And what about you? Touch a snake?"

Katniss blushed and ducked her head. "I'm sort of afraid of them, so I thought that might be a good one."

Tossing the list on the dashboard, Peeta turned the car off and got out.

Grabbing her bag, Katniss scrambled out after him. "Where are you going?"

"I know which one we're going to do first. Come on girl," he grinned and started down the sidewalk.

"You aren't going to tell me which one?"

"Nope. This is more fun."

There was that shit eating grin again.

"Well why do we have to do one of mine first."

"Because I had the idea first," he laughed and continued walking. He stopped abruptly and she almost ran right into him. "It's going to be fine okay? We're here."

Katniss looked up and saw that they were at the local pet store. Before she could protest, Peeta had already gone inside and she had no choice but to follow him.

"Peeta Mellark! My goodness, is that you?"

A shorter gentleman with bright blue hair pulled back in a ponytail came out from behind the counter. His orange skin made him look like the victim of a spray tan gone awry and offset his bright white teeth.

Peeta stood up a little straighter and pushed his sunglasses up onto his head, holding his wet hair back.

"I know it's been a long time. How are you Caesar?"

"Just wonderful now that I've seen your sweet, grown up face," the man said and pulled Peeta into a hug. When he stepped away, he noticed Katniss standing back awkwardly.

"And who is this gorgeous flower?"

"This is Katniss, a…friend from school. Katniss, this is Caesar Flickerman. He's an old friend of my father."

"Friend I will accept, but I like to think I've retained my youthful glow," Caesar said and let out a boisterous laugh that echoed through the store. The phone behind the counter rang and he excused himself before scampering off to answer it.

"He's um…" Katniss started.

Peeta laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah I know. But he really is a great guy. I used to come here as a kid with my dad to visit Caesar. My Dad would bring him a box of bread and pastries from the bakery and they would have coffee."

"That was nice of your dad," Katniss said, pulling her camera out of her bag.

"Yeah. I always wanted a dog and my mom would never let me have one. She hated pets. But Caesar got a puppy and he let me play with it every Sunday morning when my dad and I would come to the shop. He says he bought the dog for him, but I sort of think he got it for me," Peeta smiled fondly at the man chattering animatedly on the phone.

Katniss tried to be discreet as she snapped a photo, but the sound of the shutter turned Peeta's head.

"Sorry, " she said sheepishly but Peeta just shrugged.

"You're the real photographer here."

"Now what can I do for you two crazy kids," Caesar said as he hung up the phone.

"We're in need of a snake," Peeta said.

Katniss' eyes went wide. "We are?"

Peeta outlined the project for Caesar and the snake on Katniss' list, and Caesar's eyes became bright and eager.

"I've got just the thing," he bubbled and motioned for them to follow him further into the store.

There were cages and tanks everywhere, full of every kind of small and medium sized fish or reptile Katniss could imagine. Caesar brought them to a halt in front of a large tank containing an equally large boa constrictor.

"Will this do?" Caesar asked. Both Katniss and Peeta's eyes were the size of dinner plates.

"Yeah it will," Peeta said excitedly.

Katniss cut in, "No way!"

"Oh come on Katniss," he laughed. "You said you had never touched a snake. Well this is the mother of all snakes!"

He took the camera out of her hands before she could protest.

"I promise you, it's perfectly safe," Caesar insisted as he unlocked the tank. Katniss had gone pale as he reached in and lifted the large snake out. "This one is actually a child, so she's not even fully grown!"

"Great," Katniss croaked and tried to swallow the large lump that had developed in her throat.

Caesar brought the snake over and Katniss was already starting to squirm. Peeta began snapping photos and she shot him a look.

"You were the one who wanted to do photos for the project," he reminded her and ducked back behind the viewfinder before she could see him smile.

"I officially hate you," she muttered to him.

Caesar stood right in front of her with the giant snake. "Now just hold out your arms," he said.

Katniss could see her hands shaking as she followed his instructions and before she knew it, the snake was draped over her arms. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried her best not to move.

"Katniss, open your eyes! This is amazing!" She heard Peeta call to her.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened her eyes.

"What do you think?" Caesar asked with a mischievous grin.

She felt the snake moving on her arms, it's skin running over hers.

"It, um, actually feels kind of cool," she confessed. She felt the snake's body tighten around her one arm and Katniss immediately tensed up again. "What's she doing?"

"Don't panic, this is what boa constrictors do, you're completely safe," Caesar assured her.

The snake wrapped itself around her left arm, slithering slowly as it went.

"How cool is this," Peeta mumbled as he moved in front of her to snap more photos.

"I guess not many people get to hold a boa constrictor," Katniss said. "It's kind of tickling me." She found her face relaxing as she stared down at the face of the snake in her arms and her lips unconsciously curled into a half smile.

The camera clicked again and Peeta stood back, looking at the photo on the small screen.

"That's the shot," he said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You've got this smile that only happens when you think no one is looking."

He said it so matter of factly, and Katniss felt her face heat up. She was used to being the one behind the camera and up until now, she was certain that no one had ever noticed her because of it.

Peeta put the camera down and ran his fingers lightly over the snake's skin. His eyes flitted upwards and met hers but only for a brief moment until she looked away, embarrassed. She knew that part of Abernathy's assignment was to get to each other's 'core'. But the truth was that Katniss didn't want Peeta Mellark to know her that way, and she certainly didn't want any connection with him.

"We should go," she said quietly.

As they walked down the street towards the bookstore and Peeta's waiting jeep, she did her best to avoid any eye contact with him.

"Well I would say that was pretty successful," Peeta said.

Katniss nodded silently in reply.

"How about we meet this weekend to cross off something else on the list," Peeta continued, stuffing his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

"Sure, that's fine," Katniss said and gave him a quick wave before continuing her walk.

"I'll call you then?" he called after her.

"Sounds good," she called over her shoulder, not daring to look back at him. Ducking into the bookstore, she let out a deep sigh. She was pretty sure she had been holding her breath since she left an hour before.

Looking up, she was met by Prim and Cinna staring at her with raised eyebrows.

"How was your date?" Prim asked from her perch on the counter.

"It was not a date!" Katniss insisted.

Cinna leaned out from behind the cash register and stared out the front window. "Then why has that boy been staring at this place since you walked in here?"