Chapter Text
The night had been endless, agonizingly painful, and full of remorse for Peeta.
He tossed and turned in bed, berating himself for everything he’d done wrong the previous evening… heck, he berated himself for every dubious life choices he’s ever made that landed him in his current situation.
When morning finally broke, he dragged himself from bed and meandered around his room, finding asinine projects like color coding the clothes in his closet, and switching his socks and underwear from one drawer of his dresser to another, effectively killing an hour of his morning before dropping on his carpeted floor and doing one hundred push-ups and one hundred sit-ups. Who cares if his arms, legs and stomach feel jittery and jello-like; it’s about time he exercise some anyway.
Of course, he took a shower immediately after the exercises, despite having already taken two thanks to his lack of sleep; one during the night to wash Clove off his body, and another one around 3:30 a.m. where he decided to see if maybe a release would help quiet his mind and finally shut down for the night, but that only made things worse for him, since he kept thinking of Katniss the whole time. But another shower to clean up the sweat from the workout was absolutely necessary. Maybe if he showered a few more times he’d wash away his bad luck, perhaps he could drown under the warm sprinkles. Anything would be better than the feeling of dread eating him alive.
Alas, he finally couldn’t put off facing his daughter, and after his draining call to Haymitch Abernathy the night before, he expected a knock on his front door any second. He couldn’t very well greet the Pixie handler in his ratty pajamas, still reeking of guilt and sadness. In the end, Peeta sloshed his way to his dresser and put on clothes with a heavy heart; it was time to own up to his shitty choices and try to clean up the mess.
In the kitchen, he saw Prim making cinnamon toast. Her demeanor quiet and maybe a little stoic. Peeta wasn’t sure what to do, so he proceeded to greet his daughter feebly, walking on eggshells; one wrong step and the delicate state of peacefulness in his house would shatter instantly.
The girl finally turned her blue eyes on her father, reflecting a cocktail of emotions that ranged from disgust and anger to confusion and fear.
Peeta repressed a grimace.
“Morning, Daddy.” Said Prim diplomatically, if a little distant.
Peeta forced a smile. “You’re making breakfast today?” He asked mildly surprised.
The prospect of facing Katniss terrified him more than he’d would’ve guessed, but the longer he stood in his kitchen without seeing the Pixie, the more worrisome her absence became.
Primrose shrugged. “Katniss is passed out in her hut. I think she’s used too much magic the past few days, and recharging her powers is taking a bit longer today.”
Peeta frowned. The news weren't exactly placating, if anything he felt more alarmed about the idea of Katniss having difficulty regenerating magic. He hoped Haymitch would come soon with the reinforcements he promised.
Prim turned back to buttering slices of bread, and sprinkling them with cinnamon sugar. “Would you like some toast, Daddy?” She asked politely.
“No, sugar. I’m okay.” Peeta answer sweetly, forcing down his anxiety. He took a deep breath, figuring the best strategy was to face the issue head long. He started with a soft, “Prim, about last night…”
The girl turned to face her father again, blue eyes expectan and inquisitive; Peeta cleared his throat.
”I want to apologize to you, sweetheart. I did something bad—“
”is having sex with your fiancée bad?” Prim asked confused and interested.
Peeta was only barely able to stop a groan and managed to keep his hands from covering his face with great difficulty.
the conversation was going to more agonizing, embarrassing and tough than he imagined.
”No...” He shook his head. “But what I did was inappropriate, and it could be considered child abuse. I could get in tons of trouble for putting you in danger by my careless actions, and I truly am regretful of ever doing anything so hurtful and damaging to you.” He stared into his daughter’s eyes. “I’m so sorry Prim. I was stupid, and selfish and should’ve known better.”
Prim studied her dad’s face for a moment, testing his sincerity maybe, he couldn’t tell.
“Do you think Clove will apologize too?” She asked cocking her head to the side.
Peeta’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know.” He said simply, “I’m doing it though.”
”You weren’t alone, Daddy.” She said hardening her normally soft features. “She was there too, and she’s her own person. She should apologize too.”
Peeta was momentarily stunned. “I... Um...” but before he could continue, the doorbell rang, cutting off his thought.
Peeta didn’t know if he was more aggravated or relieved for the interruption, but he told his daughter, “We will talk about this some more in little while, alright? Let me answer the door and I’ll be back.” He waited for Prim’s nod and left the room swiftly.
He opened the front door, fully expecting Haymitch to be on the other side, but instead, he found Madge, accompanied by a tall, handsome man he’d only seen in the newspaper’s announcement of his ex’s engagement.
Peeta’s emotions had gotten so flayed and raw in the last few days, his gut reaction to seeing Madge at his door, unannounced, with her fiancé on tow, was pure rage.
“What the fuck do you want?” He spat stepping outside and closing the door behind him.
Madge hopped backwards, startled by his reaction. Her fiancé frowned and stepped up to shield Madge behind his towering physique, but Peeta wasn’t easily intimidated on a good day, let alone fueled by rage.
“Hey, there’s no reason to be hostile, buddy,” said tall, dark and handsome, harshly.
“Get out of my face right now, buddy, I don’t know you.” His next words were directed at Madge. “I don’t know who you think you are, but you don’t show up to my house, unannounced, out of the blue after the nasty way you acted the last time we met, Madge.” Peeta countered, eyes steely and nostrils flaring. “I won’t hesitate to get the police involved for trespassing.”
The tall man hesitated for a moment, giving Madge a sideways glance. The woman pursed her mauve-glossed lips and spoke haughtily.
“I was invited by your fiancée, Clove, last night when I saw her in passing at Target. She said that you and her were in great need of some alone time, and that I could come collect Primrose today for a weekend visit at my parents’ lakeside lodge. I don’t understand why are you acting like this!” Madge’s pretty face was marred with an annoyed frown.
Peeta’s rage boiled to volcanic proportions. He was at the brink of exploding and possibly bodily drag his ex-girlfriend and her new lover back to their luxury car on his driveway, when time froze in front of his eyes.
A pair of luna moth wings flapped in his peripheral vision over his shoulder, and as he blinked the confusion away, an exhausted, blue-skinned, and rumpled Katniss materialized in front of him.
Her messy braid hanging limply to the side. She glared at him before turning her eyes to Madge and her companion.
Peeta disliked very much the way the Pixie blinked at the sight of the tall, dark and handsome man standing between him and Madge; the way Katniss’ eyes squinted studying the man’s features, while rising to the tip of her toes to get a better look, wings flapping gently to hold her semi-airborne.
“What are you doing?” He hissed yanking the Pixie back by her wrist.
Katniss scowled in aggravation. “Is the manhandling necessary, Peeta?” Her wings fluttered, lifting her a few inches off the ground, effectively breaking the grasp he had on her.
“I’m not manhandling you. You’re a pixie for fucks sake! I doubt Gale Hawthorne, or any of my neighbors for that matter, has ever seen one of you before. He’s an aspiring senator candidate! Can you imagine what can happen to you? What he could do to you?” Peeta was grasping at straws, and he knew it, but he wasn’t ready to admit his first instinct to pull her away was born out of jealousy.
“It matters not. The man can’t see me.”
“I can see you!” Peeta countered.
“Because I permit it so. Otherwise, you’d be as frozen in time as they are.” Katniss sniffed indignantly. “Now, time is of the essence. You should not respond to Primrose’s mother’s intrusion with hostility. I won’t pretend to understand how the laws of this world works in this case, but you cannot harm your relationship with Primrose’s mother any further.”
“What are you talking about? Madge came here unannounced, and according to her, supposedly invited over by Clove to take my daughter away for a weekend!” Peeta yelled. “My relationship with Madge is as broken as it can be, and she can’t show up here suddenly after ignoring Prim all this time!”
“I understand. But your ire has woken me from my sleep, and using all the logic I could muster under the circumstances, something is plainly obvious. Another screaming match between you and Madge will only affect Primrose negatively. My only concern here is Prim’s well-being while you adults lash out at one another bratily.”
“Tell Madge that. She was the one to show up out of the blue with this… Romeo on tow.” Said Peeta moodily, but visibly deflated. “Go on, do your voodoo. I’ll behave.”
“Not voodoo,” The pixie rolled her eyes, “pixie magic.” She corrected haughtily.
After Peeta grunted his acceptance, she turned to the visitors, throwing one last glare at Peeta before unfreezing time. It took all of two seconds for everything to flow normally: birds chirping nearby, a fragrant warm breeze sweeping around, Gale’s eyelids to blink away the remnants of the inactivity he’d been in, and Madge’s neatly combed long hair to swipe with a jerk of her head. Peeta took a deep breath and looked to the retreating tiny wings disappearing into the house, hoping she’d join him soon— looking human— probably feeling awful for cutting her rest short.
Looking back at the newcomers, Peeta sighed. “I want to make myself very clear, Madge.” He said firmly, but calmer. “Clove may be my fiancée, but she has no authority in my house yet, let alone over my daughter. You should have called me directly first if you wanted to see Prim, especially if you were bringing your fiancé over.
“Primrose is a person, not a toy you can pick up and play dress up with. You’ve never introduced this gentleman here to her before, and honestly, I’m not very inclined to let my kid go off to the lake for a whole weekend with a stranger. No offense… buddy. So, my answer to that is no, but you are welcome to come inside and spend some time with Prim right now.”
“You have no legal right to keep me from taking my daughter—”
“Madge,” Interrupted Gale Hawthorne frowning slightly, with dawning understanding on his handsome features. “I think mister Mellark has a point, we can’t barge in here expecting your daughter to come with us. She’s never met me before. I would never allow that with my little sister if I was in mister Mellark’s shoes. I think he’s offering a very reasonable compromise.”
“But, our mini vacation! We’ll be missing precious time,” Madge stressed.
“Getting to know your daughter, and giving her the chance to meet me is far more important right now, Sweetheart.” Said Gale with a small, sad smile. “Children need time to adapt to new situations. New people may frighten them. These things can't be rushed.”
Peeta only stood there watching the couple through narrowed eyes, wondering if Gale Hawthorne was for real? Was the man trying to con something out of the situation? He didn’t have a chance to make up his mind; Gale turned to him and extended his hand in a peace offering.
“Let’s start again, shall we? This time we will do it right. I’m Gale Hawthorne, attorney and proudly engaged to be married to the beautiful, intelligent and very ambitious Margaret Undersee. Is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Mellark. I’ve heard great things about you from Mr. and Mrs. Undersee.”
Peeta’s face remained impassive, but he took Gale’s hand, giving it a shake. “Peeta Mellark. No need to call me mister. Peeta will suffice.” For whatever reason, Peeta felt inclined to let his almost dormant southern accent flow proud and free before Madge’s Yankee boyfriend.
It was weird how something like that flared into life for no reason at all, other than to be contrary.
“Come on in and sit for a spell while I call Prim out to meet y’all. I reckon she outta take but a moment of convincin’.” He gave Madge a sweeping glare before standing back and opening the door wide for Madge and Gale to enter his home.
Madge met his glare. She knew Prim might be reluctant to come sit with her after the incident in New York, but she was too proud to admit it.
As Peeta expected, Katniss was already in the kitchen with a frowning Primrose, speaking softly and trying to cajole the girl into looking less aggravated by the prospect of entertainment her mother and future stepfather for the foreseeable few hours.
“It could be fun, dear.” Katniss enthused massaging Prim’s hands in hers. “Mr. Hawthorne sounds reasonably charming, and your mother seems eager to introduce you to one another.”
Prim rolled her eyes. “I don’t know… they’ve been going out for over a year, and she decides to ruin my weekend now?”
Katniss made to speak, but Peeta cleared his throat shifting the tween’s attention to himself.
“I see Katniss already told you about your mother and her fiancé’s visit.” Peeta knelt so he was lower than Prim. “Listen, kiddo, I know is unexpected and out of left field, I know I promised we would talk, but hey, they came to get to know you, and see if, maybe next time, you’d like to go out with them for a beat.”
“Ugh!” Prim rolled her eyes. “I don’t think so.”
“Prim,” Peeta breathed deeply, readying himself for a long winded speech, “Don’t do it for your mother if you don’t want to, do it for yourself. Do it because you deserve to spend time with your mom, even if it’s just a few hours. She’ll be gone again, and we can go back to veg out on the couch for the rest of our time here. What do you say? Also, think on how awkward it would be if they came for Christmas dinner at Grandma Undersee’s, and grandma and grandpa are stuck making introductions before giving out presents.” His voice was conspiratory then, and his blue eyes twinkled with mischief match by his daughter’s.
Prim shrugged finally. “Okay. If only to make it easier on grandpa.”
Katniss smiled watching father and daughter share twin, crooked smiles. Then Peeta winked and stood, taking his girl’s hand and walking out of the kitchen with sure steps.
“Mmm…” He stopped short and looked over his shoulder, “Don’t be afraid of sounding like a total redneck, Sugar. Your momma hates it when I sound like a hick.” He chuckled darkly, and Katniss didn't really understand the meaning of their exchange, but saw the excitement in Prim’s expression when she beamed at her father brightly.
“Ain’t nothin’ better than being a southern girl!” She winked.
The visit with Madge was awkward and stiff despite the pixie’s efforts to make Prim comfortable.
Peeta had to give it Hawthorne, the man knew how to speak to children, even trying to help Madge sort through her floundering, not really knowing how kiddy she needed to treat Prim now that she wasn’t a toddler anymore.
”My father died when I was fourteen,” said Hawthorne at one point, “I was the eldest child of four, and my sister was born only two months after father passed away, so I’m the only father figure she knows.” The man shrugged, but the short story gave Peeta some insight and a new found respect... if grudgingly.
Katniss invited everyone to the kitchen for cinnamon toast and some of her zealously guarded breakfast tea she brought from home.
Peeta was forced to agree with Madge to Prim’s first of many outings with her upon returning to New York. Prim wasn’t incredibly happy about it, but she couldn’t hide the slight slime curling her lips. Peeta knew it was the right thing for his daughter, especially given how precarious his relationship with Katniss was. If the Pixie was to return to Britain for her well-being, he wanted Prim to at least have a renewed relationship with her mother… just in case.
Clove called and texted during breakfast, but Peeta had willingly ignored his fiancée, still angry at her audacity. She had no right to take such liberties with his house, life and least of all Primrose.
On the other hand, Peeta found he disliked the way Madge kept glaring at Katniss, or her clipped tone when any conversation passed between the two. He could taste the animosity in his Ex’s voice, and it was grating at his barely controlled temper.
Everything came to a head when Madge suggested she took Prim to the nail salon for a makeover, and Katniss frowned.
“What will this makeover entailed?” Katniss asked wrinkling her nose. “A buffing of nails and maybe a hair trim is fine. But anything more involved, we will have to pass on.”
Madge’s eyes flashed in anger. “Excuse me?” She all but growled. “Are you telling me I can’t take my daughter to get her nails done?”
Katniss blinked momentarily confused. “As long as it’s age appropriate. Primrose is much too young to maintain fake nails. Plus, at her age is better to instill a more natural view of her body. We need to think what’s most positive for her self image, and personally I doubt the expense of acrylic nails is financially smart at her age.”
Madge’s cheeks flame red with anger. “Primrose is my child! I decide what’s appropriate and financially smart!”
“Madge,” Peeta warned, but Katniss’ eyes were positively thunderous; a small crackle of energy in the air made his hair stand on end, so he turned to the Pixie, “Don't.” He half begged and half warned.
Katniss scowled, “Let me remind you, Ms. Undersee, Primrose is my charge. I’m the one watching over her day and night and ultimately the one to make sure she’s cared for properly, while her father works to sustain her. You may be her mother, but I can assure you, my input is also valid as the person that knows Primrose best.”
“I don’t know what Mary Poppins complex you have, but I’m not asking for your permission—“
“Enough!” Prim stood up fisting her hands. “I’m standing right here! Nobody asked me what I think or what I want. But I’ll tell y’all anyway: right now all I want is to go to my room and sit there… alone! You guys ruin everything!”
Katniss gasped. She made to follow the girl, but Peeta shook his head at her, holding her in place.
Prim stalked back to her room leaving everyone flabbergasted by her reaction, but only for a second. Madge rounded on Peeta suddenly.
“I want this woman fired!” She yelled pointing at Katniss. “I want her gone, now!”
Gale came to press his hands on Madge’s shoulders, “Madge, I think is time—“
Madge wrested out of his grip, cutting him off. “I will not have the help undermine my authority in front of my child!”
Peeta sighed, “Get out.” He said flatly, standing up and gesturing to the door. In a tired, annoyed voice he continued, “You have no authority over Prim. You walked out on her, and you can’t tell me to fired anyone I choose to hire in my own home. Katniss was Prim’s choice anyway, and she will stay for as long as Prim wants her around.”
“Expect a call from my lawyer.” Madge spat.
Gale shook his head and started speaking, “Madge, I think that’s unnecessary, dear…”
“No! Its very necessary,’” Madge grounded out.
Gale tried again, something about emotions flying high and needing to calm down some, Peeta wasn’t listening; all his attention was centered on Katniss.
She seemed to be swaying on her feet unstably, and her face was stricken and grim. Her skin flickered blue for a second and panic claw at Peeta’s throat.
A knock on the door came distantly under the blood rushing in his ears, but the sound somehow helped Katniss shake from her stupor with a quick shudder. She leapt to the door, and threw it open without any other consideration, almost giddy.
Haymitch Abernathy was on the other side, and behind him, a man Peeta had never seen before.
The newcomer flashed a row of perfectly straight teeth. A dimple formed in his cheek and his sea-green eyes roved over Katniss’ face shamelessly. His perfectly shaped bronze-color eyebrow arched just as he greeted in a very thick British accent.
“Wotcha, love! Fancy giving your old cousin a hug?”