A Warm Welcome

It's night when Katniss and Haymitch land on the green of the Victors' Village. Half of the houses have lights in the windows, including Haymitch's and hers... and Peeta's.

Katniss stops in front of Peeta's house to watch the warm light spilling from the windows and bleeding out on to the snow.

She's still trying to figure out whether she's surprised by his presence or not when she remembers that she doesn't want to care. She doesn't have the energy or the strength to think about Peeta, or Gale, or her mother, or... anyone else. But that doesn't stop her lips from turning into a ghost of a smile as she walks on.

An empty house greets her.

The windows are closed and the floors are clean. There's a fire crackling in the kitchen. She sits in the rocker before it, clutching her mother's letter to her chest.

"Well, see you tomorrow," says Haymitch.

"I doubt it," Katniss whispers as the clinking of his bag of liquor bottles fades away.

She wraps an old shawl over her body and watches the flames dancing in the hearth.

She must fall asleep at some point because the sound of approaching footsteps jolts her awake a while later.

She turns towards the noise and finds Peeta standing next to her.

She looks up, slowly taking him in. She hasn't seen him in weeks -or maybe months, she doesn't really know- and she's surprised by how good he looks.

He's still too thin. His hair is too short, and he's all covered in scars –just like her—but his eyes are bright and clear; the fogginess that clouded them before is gone.

The small smile on his lips touches her heart. The loaf of freshly baked bread tucked under his arm brings tears to her eyes.

Turning away from him, Katniss covers her face with her hands and cries.

Bitter tears drench her clothes and stain her cheeks as her pain, her sorrow, her despair break free from her chest.

A broken wail that starts somewhere deep inside of her rings in her ears. She tries to stop it, to force it back down, but it turns into a round of uncontrollable sobs that escape her parted lips choking her and making her cough.

Her chest burns, so she uncovers her face and gasps for air as if she's drowning.

That's when it happens.

Without a word, Peeta kneels next to her and with firm, steady movements begins to rub her back. It's a small gesture, but it's intimate, soothing, and Katniss quickly loses herself in the comfort it brings.

She closes her eyes and, for a moment, she's back in the cave of their first Game.

She's hungry and scared, but she's not alone. Peeta is with her; guiding her, protecting her, helping her fight the terrifying memories that come to life in the dark.

As she looks back into his teary eyes, a flicker of hope lights within her.

The life she knew and the world she loved are gone. She's just the ghost of the person she once was, but she's still alive and maybe -just maybe- she'll be alright.

DAY 1

She stays downstairs.

She's weak and tired and there's nothing for her on the second floor. So, she sits by the fire and lets the day go by.

She doesn't shower or change her clothes. But she greets Sae when she comes in to fix her breakfast and eats her meals sitting next to Peeta on the kitchen table.

He doesn't say much. Other than telling her he was sorry when he comforted her the previous night he's barely said anything at all.

A part of her wonders if that's the way he is now –quiet and reserved- or if he's just giving her space. Again, she reminds herself that she's decided not to care.

The rabbit stew Sae makes smells good, but she's not really hungry. So, she pushes her food around and reaches out for a second slice of bread.

Peeta doesn't push her to eat or to do anything else. But the small smile he gives her when she almost empties her bowl makes her feel worthy of a prize.

When night falls, she moves into the sitting room and sleeps on the couch.

DAY 5

Katniss walks Peeta to the front door after dinner. It's the first time she's left the back of the house since she arrived.

As they walk past the study, a box with her name scrawled on it catches her eye. Intrigued, she walks into the room. Peeta follows.

"Could you?" she asks pointing to the box on the floor.

Peeta lifts the box onto the desk and, together, they go through its contents.

Her father's jacket is the first thing to come out. She immediately puts it on.

Carefully, Peeta lifts the arrows and hands them to her. Katniss wraps her arms around them, hugging them like they're an old friend.

"What else is there?" she asks.

Peeta reaches in and begins moving things around. There's a small smile on his lips as he enumerates what he finds, "A wedding photo, your family's plant book, a spile, and-,"

The smile's gone.

Katniss's eyebrows knit together. "What is it?"

"This," he says pulling out the golden locket he gave her during the Quarter Quell.

She reaches for it, wrapping her hand around it as if to hide it from view. She wishes it were something else, like the pearl, maybe. Something that reminded her of Peeta's kindness and warmth -of the way he used to smile whenever he saw her- not of his resolve to die for her.

She can't bring herself to look at it, to open it and find Prim, Gale, and her mother smiling back at her. She's not ready yet, perhaps she'll never be. So, she walks over to the table and slips the locket back into the box.

"Would you mind taking all this stuff up to my room before you go?" she asks.

Peeta nods. The smile is back on his lips.

He carries the box up the stairs while Katniss follows close behind.

When they reach her room, Peeta moves to the side to let her through first.

It's the first time either of them has set foot in the room since they got back and they're both struck by how cold and impersonal it is.

They've just made it through the door when they see it. President Snow's rose.

Peeta freezes. His shoulders tense and his knuckles turn white as he tightens his hold on the box.

Katniss immediately snaps into action. After propping her arrows against the closest wall, she grabs the vase with the flowers and leaves the room. "Come with me," she instructs as she walks down the stairs.

A moment later, she hears the dull thud of the box hitting the floor and the sound of Peeta's loud footsteps trailing after her.

Katniss rushes to the fireplace and waits until Peeta has reached her side. She pulls the flowers out of the vase and tosses them into the fire.

They watch, mesmerized, as President's Snow perfect rose is swallowed by flames.

DAY 10

It's the middle of the afternoon when Peeta walks in to find her siting on the living room couch.

He knows she's been more active since they found the box with her things, but she hasn't showered since she got back. Her braid is a greasy mess.

Crossing his arms over his chest to show he means business, he says, "I think it's time you showered."

She scowls. "I don't think so."

"You want to keep on wearing those Capitol clothes?"

Her eyes widen, and he knows he's hit a nerve, but she still won't budge. Feigning indifference, she says, "Maybe I do."

Yes, Katniss Everdeen can be as stubborn as a mule, but he can be stubborn too.

Setting his jaw, Peeta removes the blanket she's covered herself with and lifts her, dropping her over his shoulder.

"Hey!" she cries out, wiggling as she tries to resist.

But it's no use, Peeta's stronger than she is and, as soon as he tightens his hold on her hips, she knows she's doomed.

He carries her up the stairs, feeling his heart sink with every step. She weighs next to nothing in his arms.

He reaches her room, walks into the bathroom and sets her inside her shower.

Katniss stands in the middle of the stall, glowering at him.

He stands at the stall's door blocking her escape. "Wanna hand me those clothes?" he asks.

"No!"

"Fine." Reaching behind her, he turns the water on.

"Hey!" she screams as cold water falls over her. She moves to step forward, but he mirrors her movement.

He's practically inside the shower now. Her eyes darken. She knows she's trapped.

With an annoyed huff, Katniss wraps her arms around herself and waits for the water to warm up.

They've been standing there for a couple of minutes and the overall she wears is soaked. Peeta motions for her to hand it over. Once again, she refuses.

Peeta shakes his head. He doesn't want to do this, but he knows she needs it –he knows she'll feel better once she's wearing her own clothes- so, keeping his eyes trained on her face, he unbuttons the overall and pushes it down her shoulders. The wet fabric hits the shower floor.

Pursing her lips together, Katniss looks into his eyes. They're blue, worried, determined.

She's beginning to wonder how far this boy is willing to go to keep her safe and to bring her back to life when she starts to feel the warm droplets dancing over her skin. Without her overall, they run freely down her arms and legs, caressing her, soothing her in an almost magical way.

As she begins to relax, she starts to feel her camisole and underwear sticking to her body.

She knows that if Peeta were to look down he would be able to see every dip, bump, and scar on her skin. But he doesn't -his eyes never leave her face- and she's surprised by the fact that she wouldn't mind it if he did.

Keeping her eyes on his she says, "I don't mind if you see me."

He smiles at her with a shyness she hasn't seen in him in a long time. "I do. I'm not here to sneak a peek, Katniss."

"Why are you here, then?"

"I'm here to make sure you do something different today." Covering his eyes, he leans down, grabs her wet overall from the floor, and leaves closing the shower door behind him.

It takes her a while to wash up but, when she's done, she actually feels better.

After, she sits in front of her mirror and begins untangling her hair. She's tired, her locks are uneven and brittle. It annoys her.

For the first time in months, she takes a long look at her reflection. She's thinner than she used to be, and her scars are still very noticeable. But she's surprised to discover that she's not a complete wreck. There are still signs of life in her; there's the color in her cheeks –which are slightly flushed from her hot shower—and the light in her eyes –which aren't completely dull.

"Peeta!" she calls out. "Could you come here a second?"

"Sure, I'll be right up!"

A moment later, he steps into the room and takes her in. His eyes light up when he realizes she's wearing her old hunting clothes.

"Would you cut my hair?" she asks.

"Your… why?"

"Cause it's a mess," she says with a scowl. "It's all burned and uneven." She runs her fingers through the brittle strands to prove her point. "I can't even braid it properly."

Peeta nods. He's never done something like that before, but how hard can it be, right? "Ok. Where are your scissors?"

She looks at him as he works, carefully separating locks of wet hair and evening them out. He's so focused that he looks like he's not even there.

In the comfortable silence, her mind flies to another time, another life really, when she saw him like that.

"I've been thinking about my family's plant book," she says.

He looks up from his work. His eyes find hers in the mirror. "Yeah?"

"Mm-hmm, there are a few entries that I'd like to add. Do you think you could help me someday?"

Peeta smiles, it's sweet and pure and it warms her entire being. "Sure," he says, "whenever you want."

Day 12

She's already sitting for breakfast when Peeta shows up at her place one morning.

He doesn't remove his coat. Instead, he opens the visitors' closet and pulls out Katniss's winter jacket and shoes.

"Let's go for a walk," he says, handing Katniss her clothes.

She wants to refuse, to tell him that the world is cold and that she's not ready to leave the comfort of her warm fire, but she doesn't. She recognizes the determination in his eyes and knows there's nothing she can do to stop him.

With a loud huff, she sits on the chair in the foyer and puts on her shoes. He's holding her jacket open for her when she stands back up.

Grumbling under her breath, she slips her arms into the sleeves and wraps the flaps over her body, quickly fastening the buttons before dropping her arms to her sides.

She turns back to look at him and catches him trying not to smile. She rolls her eyes. "Fine, let's go."

As they step out of the house Peeta holds his hand out for her. Although she's still weak and a bit clumsy, she's already strong enough to take a short walk without help, but she doesn't refuse him. Quietly, she slips her hand into his.

The warm, fuzzy feeling that spreads through her chest when Peeta entwines their fingers together makes her smile.

DAY 15

"Hold still," Katniss whispers as she finishes cleaning Buttercup's wounds.

When Peeta shows up a while later, Prim's cat is taking a nap on the kitchen counter.

"How you doing, buddy?" he asks as he scratches the mangy cat's chin.

The surly fur ball purrs making Katniss's heart melt a little. There's something about the moment that makes her feel like she's part of a family once more.

Later, Peeta takes her out for a walk.

Spring is in the air. The sky is brighter and there are dandelions everywhere. She's thinking about collecting some and making a salad when they reach the edge of the forest.

"I found these the other day," Peeta says, pointing to a group of scraggly bushes. "I thought maybe we could plant them by the side of the house, you know? For her."

Katniss's eyes fill with tears at the sight of the primroses. She looks up and nods, overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness, his kindness, his devotion.

"Thank you," she says.

"For what?"

"For coming back." She reaches up to cup his cheek. "For being here with me, through this, through everything. Always."

Peeta leans into her touch and closes his eyes. When he speaks his voice is as sweet and soothing as warm honey. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be, Katniss. No one else I'd rather be with."

It's like being touched by the sun after a cold, long winter. The warmth that spreads through her being makes her feel alive again; makes her feel whole. She's terrified of it, this feeling that lifts her up, just as she always was, but she's not strong or foolish enough to fight it anymore.

"You know, Peeta, you have no competition, here or anywhere. You never did," she says standing on the tips of her toes and pressing her forehead to his.

He looks up, his eyes are filled with wonder, relief, hope. Trapped in his gaze, Katniss leans in and kisses him softly on the lips.

Pulling back, she says, "I think it's time I called my mother."

Peeta's eyebrows shoot up. It's a drastic change of topic, but he sees it as a good sign. "Why don't you do that now? I can take care of this and go to your house later."

She nods, her small hand wraps around the fabric of his jacket in a tight fist. "And, will you give me Dr. Aurelius' phone number? I think I should call him too."

He covers her hand with his and feels her relax under his touch. "Sure, I'll do that as soon as I get home. Maybe you can even call him tonight. If you want."

"I want," she tells him because it's true. After all the months of darkness and despair, she suddenly wants. She wants to breathe, she wants to smile, she wants to live; and she knows that she can't do it alone. She has Peeta, he has already helped her through her darkest days, but she also needs to take care of him. She needs to do more.

She's still terrified, of love and loss, of pain and want, but the thought of wilting away in a corner scares her even more.

As she hurries back home she knows she's ready to start facing her future. She's ready to hope.

AN: Kudos and comments are as precious as early spring dandelions. You always make my day when you share them with me. Thanks!

You can also find me on Tumblr. I'm javistg over there, come and say hi!

The Hunger Games Trilogy is the property of Suzanne Collins. No money was made off of the creation of this fanwork.