Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Peeta Mellark is terrified.

He is holding on to his Pa’s leg with all the strength his five-year-old hands can. Everytime he opens his eyes and peers past the comfort of his Pa’s work pants, he catches a glimpse of black hair which only causes him to scrunch his eyes closed once more and tighten his grip.

Every time Peeta looked away the angry words of HER echoed in his small head. Those from the Seam are more mutt than human. They’d eat the meat right off your ribs if they could.

And there were so many of them! And Peeta was expected to spend his entire school day surrounded by them! Like a tribute trapped in a cave of bear mutts!

After several cycles of this his Pa gave a deep, deep sigh, then pulled Peeta away from his leg, turned him around and lifted him so he was resting on his hip. Peeta snuggled in temporarily forgetting to be afraid. It had been months and months since he had been held close and tight and he had missed it.

His Pa stated. “ Your mother is just wrong, Peet. Those from the Seam are just folks like you and me.”

Peeta pondered this statement. His father never ever spoke ill of HER, even when Peeta, or Rye, or Farell, appeared with new shiny red welts. It would be wonderful to think that for once that SHE was the one in the wrong. But could his father be lying? True, his Pa had never lied to him before . . . well his Pa didn’t really speak all that often. But SHE certainly could spin a yarn as easily as SHE could breathe.

His Pa looked around for a few minutes, then pointed to a black-haired girl with her hair in two braids and wearing a red plaid dress. His Pa exclaimed “ See that little Seam girl. I wanted to marry her mother, but she ran off with a coal miner and went to live in the Seam.”

Why would anyone choose a coal miner over his Pa. His Pa gave the best hugs and always smelled of cookies. Though of course if you tried to eat the cookies you got yelled at and slapped. But all in all this story smelled like the pig pen.

Peeta exclaimed, “YOU ARE making that up.” Only for his Pa to reply “ No, that’s a true story.”

Peeta retorted, “Why would she want to marry a coal miner if she could have had you” petulantly repeating the most unbelievable part of his Pa’s story. His Pa was acting just like HER, and Peeta wanted him to know that he was onto it.

His Pa replied, “ Because when he sings . . . even the birds stop to listen.”

Huh. Peeta thought. Birds would definitely trump the smell of cookies. Peeta loved birds, particularly the black and white ones. They were free and could fly away. A few months ago he had been sneaking some crumbs from the bakery to place under the apple tree to make the birds come closer to him . . . Well until SHE had caught him and gave him a whopping for wasting food. Being able to attract the birds without the bribery of baked goods would be amazing.

Peeta was so lost in thought that his Pa was able to get him registered and settled into the classroom before Peeta remembered that he was supposed to be afraid. Peeta decided that he didn’t have time to be afraid. He had to put Operation: Do The Birds Stop and Listen into motion. Peeta needed to know if his Pa was one more person in his life who would lie to him.

Peeta was overjoyed to see that the red-dressed girl was in the same class as himself. He stared at the girl trying to figure out how to determine if her Pa could command the birds with his voice. Luckily for the five-year-old whose ability to strategize was still being developed, by midafternoon the girl with two braids in her hair jumped up and sung the valley song.

It was so pretty, that three whole verses had gone by before Peeta remembered to check the windows outside. Yep, the birds had gone silent. His Pa wasn’t a liar and

Peeta Melark was in love.

Chapter Text

Greasy Sae was at the end of her rope.

She had been born into a war-torn country, to a people that lived with perpetually crushed hope, lost two husbands, buried three of her children, and had come out on the other side. But this day might be the one that broke her.

Her youngest hadn’t even been buried yet when that piece of work he toasted with tried to take Lily to the Home. Sae had gotten into a shouting match with her former daughter-in-law so loud they probably heard then in the Capital. And Sae took Lilly home with her.

That night Sae swore to Lily that she wouldn’t have to fear the Home as long as Sae was still breathing. She wasn’t even sure if Lily understood, but Sae had made the promise and that’s all that mattered. Except Sae was getting worried that this might be one promise she wouldn’t be able to keep. Hazelle had watched the girl for a bit but then had gone into labor and had her hands full with her own. The two weekends that Sae had stayed home with Lily had led to lean, lean days, and worse of all, some of the other sellers at the Hob had started to talk about selling their own hot food. If Sae continued to stay away she would lose her livelihood.

So in desperation, Sae had brought Lily to the Hob.

Every quarter of an hour or so, another seller at the Hob would stop by to ask Sae if the Hob was really the best place for a child, particularly a child such as Lily. Even Ripper, who always could be counted on to man Sae’s stand when Sae needed to relieve herself, had stopped by to express her concerns.

Sae was worrying something fierce when she heard boisterous singing marked that Everdeen and his oldest had entered the Hob. Everdeen made his way to Sae’s stand to trade some of the spoils that he had smuggled out of the woods. While Sae haggled with Everdeen, his girl went over to play with Lily. Everdeen’s girl, Sae thought her name was Kat something, and treated Lily like any other child.

When it was time to go, Kat even gave Lily a little stick dolly that had probably been meant for that blonde sister she doted on. That simple act of kindness took Sae’s breath away. And she wasn’t the only one that noticed. Maybe it was the blessing of Everdeen, whom everyone respected be it for his hunting, singing, or ability to snag a merchie. Or maybe it was the shame that a child showed more grace than they had, but one way or another the other sellers began to accept or at least tolerate Lily’s presence.

And Sae knew that everything was going to be okay.

Chapter Text

Madge Undersee feels like screaming.

She feels like screaming in the big house that she shares with a workaholic, a living ghost, and the memory of a dead sister. Madge feels like screaming when her father is so careful with what he says because the Capital is always listening. She feels like screaming when every reaping day everyone stares at her like she alone is responsible for the sins of Panem.

But mostly she feels like screaming because it’s dodgeball week. Most of the time, Madge focuses on what she has, not what she doesn’t. That she is lucky enough to have enough to eat. That she even has the luxury of a piano in her house and the time to focus on something so frivolous as music. That who is she to complain when all she had to complain about was being lonely.

But nothing brings the inner whiner out in Madge like the hell that is her classmate's chance to hit the mayor’s daughter with a ball to the face without consequences. So she is resigned to being picked last and then hit a whole bunch. So when Katniss Everdeen picks her first to be on her team, she is absolutely shocked. Everyone wants to be on Katniss’s team. That girl has incredible aim. In fact, she is picking first because she won the last round.

And so when it's time for lunch, Madge decides to be brave and sit at the same table as Katniss. Madge considers the brief nod of acknowledgment a victory. And later when they are working on some group project for school, Katniss starts to make some sarcastic comment about the Capital only to stop mid-sentence when she spots Prim which is when Madge realizes that she isn’t alone. That she isn’t the only one who has to keep quiet.

And because she has someone to share the quiet with, Madge Undersee feels like saying nothing at all.

Chapter Text

Delly Cartwright wanted to cry.

Normally, she could make it through the day with a smile on her face, even when she heard the whispers calling her chubby or fat. She just repeated to herself her mamma’s words that there was nothing wrong with eating her fill, especially since her family’s good fortune didn’t even come at the expense of her neighbors. Even the cheapskate Capital couldn’t deny the economic benefits of the miners having steel toe boots in good repair.

But today, Delly was exhausted. She had been up all night trying to repair a pair of shoes that were more air than leather because she knew the family that had brought them in couldn’t afford anything new. So when Delly dropped the notebook she had been carrying only to have two Seam boys pick it up and begin playing keep away, Delly was about ready to begin bawling right in the hallway where everyone could see her. Besides, it wasn’t even her notebook being tossed about. It was Peeta's. And now it looked like Delly would return his kindness with a ruined notebook.

This little tableau of high school bullying was interrupted by Katniss Everdeen passing through the hallway. On her way by, Katniss glared at the two boys. After a brief staring contest, in which Katniss absolutely dominated, the boys dropped the notebook and scurried away.

And because someone had stood up for her, Delly Cartwright was smiling.