thecapitol | At long last someone comes... not quite home.

Who| Peeta Mellark and OPEN
What| Peeta's been held in questioning for a few months, and now he gets to be around people again.
Where| Around the training center/tribute tower
When| After his release
Warnings/Notes| Nothing from Peeta, but who knows who he'll run into!

Sunlight. It was such a beautiful thing, something you didn't think you would miss until it was gone. Peeta may be a baker's son, but he did enjoy being outdoors. Not as much as Katniss, of course, but no one wanted to sit in a room with the only entertainment being a deck of cards. Countless card houses, countless card castles had been made, and he thought about starting up a tally when someone came in and said he was free to go.

Whatever it was, he passed, and he didn't question it. Not right then. It was something to be questioned privately, and not in full view of everyone else. Things had changed around here. And Peeta, too. He'd changed. He was supposed to be a mentor now. It made him cringe a little to think that he had left all of these new District Twelve tributes with Haymitch and Katniss... Katniss. He missed her. Did she miss him as much as he had her? A silly little hope. Maybe the whole "star crossed lovers" thing had died down? It would be nice to not have to pretend so much.

That's what he was thinking when he walked into the training center. He could already tell people were recognizing him; they'd started to recognize him on the street as well. He'd given them all a wave and a smile, and continued on his way. He was expecting cameras and news crews and whatever else they did here, and hoping that they never showed up. He wanted time to walk around, perhaps see the new people here.

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It wasn't just random strangers looking at Peeta - there was also at least one face he might recognize right back... The last person to have surprised Katniss with her appearance, in fact. She'd been quite worried about him.

"Peeta?" she asked, skidding to a stop a little bit away from him. After Darius, she was a bit worried about seeing people from home - and she was studying his face with obvious worry.

If Peeta had to pick someone who would be the one person from home that he last expected to see in the Capitol, it would have had to be Prim. She was Katniss' sister, the one she volunteered for, but that didn't mean they would bring her here. They had to have someone to hold over Katniss' head, just like they held Peeta's friends and family over his.

"Prim?" He couldn't help but ask as he walked the rest of the way to her. "How long have you been here? Are you okay?"

Prim worried they just found it easier to keep an eye on her up in the capitol - and maybe it was a good reminder to Katniss, too....

She had no illusions that the capitol was safe for her, after all. Cut off from everyone who might support or protect her back home. Plus, Katniss was suddenly so busy watching out for her Prim was certain any other duties must be suffering...

"It's only been a a little while,' she promised Peeta, keeping her face calm.

"I'm fine."

"Good," Peeta's face broke into a smile of relief. He knew why she was here. Why they had brought her to the Capitol; it had to be obvious to anyone who knew what the games were really like. But she was here, and there was nothing they could do for it.

So, Peeta had one more person to look out for a little bit closer. "Have you seen Katniss?"

She nodded. "She's doing alright," Prim promised. The girl was pretty much living with her sister. The better for Katniss to keep an eye on her.

"Good," Peeta grinned. "I can't wait to see her." His grin diminished just a little bit as he said, honestly:

"I've missed her."

"I know." She looked toward the rooms.

"I hadn't seen her in a year..." It had been a long time since Prim and Peeta went ot the capitol.

Edited 2013-05-04 10:15 (UTC)

"I know," Peeta agreed. "But don't worry. Now that we're both here, and you're here with us, you can bet we're not letting you out of our sight any time soon. I promise."

He smiled. "So, want to show me around? I could use a tour from someone else's perspective."

She nodded, holding out her hand to him, eyes lightly downcast. She's thinking maybe this will give them some time to discuss things with Peeta, in a more private setting. She doesn't want anyone to read that in her eyes, though...

Or for them to see the slight tears of relief welling up inside of her. It's best if she doesn't speak a moment.

He took her hand, giving it a little squeeze. "Hey, it's okay," He said softly. "It's all going to be okay. You know that your sister... you know that we'll both do anything to keep you from harm. And you know, it's a good thing you're here. Getting to see someone from home is always better then a phone call, isn't it?"

He missed home. He missed his family, his friends, the smell of the bakery in the morning. His bed. The new house he had in the Victor's Village had been nice, but it was never really his, not like the home they had above the bakery. Peeta missed District Twelve.

"I guess so..." District Twelve without Katniss wasn't really home, anyway. It wasn't right. She worried about the people she'd left behind - how they would function without her - but to be honest... worrying had bee her life back in District Twelve, too. Every day everyone had tried to take care of her - and she not only had to let them, but reveal and hide just the right things in order to keep them all together.

Can't let Mother worry. Can't let Gale stew too long, or think he's failing. Can't let any of the peacekeepers see her too happy - or too upset. It was... exhausting. It also seemed like it was just training for what she had to put up in the Capitol.

"Have you been okay?"

He understood that. It was tiring, to pretend. And he could only imagine what all of this was doing for Katniss, since, and this thought was a little bitter, she had so much more pretending to do. Now wasn't the time to think about it.

So he smiled. "I've been okay. I spent a little bit of time... well, there was this one building I really liked, I stayed there for awhile, but it wasn't near by. But eventually I had to leave," He laughed. "They sort of kicked me out. But that was okay, I missed everyone by the end of it."

Prim frowned, sensing there was something she wasn't being told. Maybe something Peeta didn't think she needed to hear? ...She was going to let it go, though.

"I'm glad you're back," she declared, moving to hug him. He looked like he needed a good hug. From one of the Everdeen sisters, at least.

"Thank you--" He was a little surprised by the hug, but he knew he shouldn't be. It was like Prim to do that, and it was really nice to get a hug.

"Thank you, Prim," Peeta said softly, giving her a hug in return with a smile. "I'm really glad to see you. I wish it was back home, but..."

"Katniss is here, anyway," she pointed out. Katniss. Katniss needed them. She couldn't say anything beyond that.

"Where else would she be?" Peeta laughed. "Maybe she's in the rooms, now. Want to help me look for her?"

She nods, faintly, offering him her hand.

"She'll want to see you."

At long last someone comes... not quite home.

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