Just something that's been brewing in my head.

The characters of The Hunger Games do not belong to me.

Thank you to Chelzie, my wonderful beta, for catching my mistakes!

"Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation." -Khalil Gibran

Eyes are for the Stars

By JLaLa

"You have to come," Delly, her friend and roommate urged. "We're graduating in two weeks and you've spent most of your collegiate life in this room!" Rushing towards their tiny closet, Delly began to rifle through it. "I'll even pick out your outfit. Now get your lazy arse up and get ready!"

"Arse? So you're British already?" Katniss grinned at her friend from her seat. Closing the textbook, she turned to Delly who gave her a pout.

Delly would be leaving for London in two months to work at Google's London Headquarters in their Communications Department. Her natural confidence made her the perfect PR girl.

"So you're coming?" Katniss nodded. Delly clapped her hands then returned to pulling pieces of clothing out.

After a moment, she presented Katniss with her outfit, a beige knee-length dress and burgundy sweater tights.

She raised her eyebrows. "I'll freeze out there!" New York is still frosty in February, though they get regular sun around the NYU Campus.

"I'm lending you my cropped leather jacket, sweetheart," Delly replied and tossed it into the pile. "Wear my brown boots, too—and wear your hair down."

"Any reason in particular that you want me to come?" Standing up, she grabbed the dress from the pile. Going to the mirror, she placed it over her body. It wasn't bad looking. "After all, you're dating the hottest guy in the band, right?"

Katniss had introduced Thom to Delly. He had gone to her high school and had been her math tutor when she was a sophomore. Despite him being a senior, Thom and Katniss had become fast friends. He was the one who had convinced her to come to NYU for her Journalism degree. She loved to write and now she hoped that she could get a job doing it.

She had sent out her writing portfolio to the New York Times, as well as other major newspapers like the Chicago Tribune and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Now came the waiting part.

"Thom's band isn't playing tonight," Delly informed her. "One of my childhood friends is performing tonight before he goes on tour and Thom is helping him out."

"This isn't a set-up, is it?" Katniss groaned as she removed her sweats to pull on the tights. "I'm no good with strangers."

"Why would I try to set you up with someone who is going on tour in the morning?" Delly walked over to tug off the hooded sweater that she wore. "Get moving, girlie!"

"Okay…okay." Katniss pulled the dress over her hips; they were about the only feminine thing about her. Pulling on the boots, she put on the leather jacket and then headed over to the mirror. "You should've been a stylist, Delly. I would've gotten laid sooner."

"Losing your virginity at twenty is perfectly acceptable," Delly assured her. "Here." She handed Katniss a purple knit beret. "It will look great with your hair."

"Well, you're getting laid like every other day, so everything is perfectly acceptable to you."

"True," Delly said and put an arm around her. "Let's go and see my man."

"I wish I had never introduced you," Katniss joked as Delly kissed her on the cheek.

Student housing had assisted her in finding an off-campus apartment when she first arrived. She was wary of having a roommate, but Delly was sassy and smart. They had clicked instantly and bonded their first night by watching British period dramas.

She had introduced her roommate to Thom when he had come to visit a week later, bringing a bag from the Shake Shack. It had been something out of a rom-com when they first saw each other. Delly had just come back from ballet class and nearly fell as she rushed into the house. Thom had caught her.

They've been together ever since.

Hailing a cab, Delly wrestled Katniss as she tried to put some lipstick on her full lips. The driver smirked as he looked through his rearview mirror. The girls reminded him of his daughters.

"You're going to make me look like a fucking clown!" Katniss pushed her friend's hand away.

"I will if you don't hold still," Delly argued. Relenting, Katniss settled into her seat.

By the time they got to the club, Katniss sported bright red lips and curled lashes. Paying the driver, they walked down into the crowded club and found a column to lean against with a decent view of the stage.

Thom easily found them and threw his head back in greeting. The two girls waved back at the tall, gangly boy.

Katniss finally turned her eyes to the singer. He had blond, wavy hair and was a little shorter than Thom. He looked up at the crowd and smiled.

She decided that she liked his smile.

"I just wanted to thank everyone for coming out tonight," he said into the mic. "I'm going to slow it down for all of you. This is one of my favorite songs and will be my last song of the night. Sadly, I have no one to dedicate it to." A chorus of 'awwww's' rippled through the crowd. "I'm Peeta Mellark and it has been an honor performing for you tonight."

"Where are they going first?" Katniss found herself asking her friend.

"His band is heading to England," Delly replied. "They're opening for another band."

As the first notes of the piano intro began, she leaned her head against the pillar and looked up to find him staring at her.

Her lips curved into a grin as his own found the mic and he began to sing.

"Highway run…into the midnight sun…"

Peeta could hardly get through the song. It wasn't nerves.

It was her.

When they first locked eyes, he felt a chill rise from his feet to his face. He managed to get through the song, singing in a strong and steady, but he was trembling on the inside. No one ever had this effect on Peeta Mellark, except for the pretty, grey-eyed girl.

After the applause had died and the crowd had dissipated, he looked over at Thom. "Who is the girl next to Delly?"

"That's Katniss," Thom informed him. "Didn't I mention her once or twice?"

"Yeah, but you described her as kind of tomboyish," he replied. "She is no tomboy."

His friend looked over the two girls, who were now sitting at a table and cocked his head. "I guess not. Delly must have dressed her." Thom looked over at him. "Do you want me to introduce you?"

"I'll just go over and say hi to Delly."

"Yeah, right," Thom teased. "Go say hi to Delly."

"Fuck you, man," he retorted but his mouth was turned up.

"Love you, too, dude."

Running a hand through his hair, Peeta moved through the crowd before reaching their table. Delly caught sight of him and walked over to him.

"Great job, Peeta!" Delly threw her arms around him and then led him over to their table. "Peeta, this is Katniss."

He got his first real look at the girl who had almost caused him to fall over onstage. Dark wavy hair, large grey eyes and pretty olive skin; he decided right then that he had never seen anyone so beautiful.

Katniss held his gaze as her hand stretched forward for him to shake. Slowly, his hand met hers and Peeta felt a warmth spread through his skin. She seemed to be feeling the same because her mouth melted into another smile.

"You have a great voice," she remarked. Her own voice was low and teasing.

"So do you! I mean I haven't heard it before, but as far as voices go—I'm effing this up," he stammered as his face turned crimson.

"Sit and have a drink with me." Katniss patted the seat next to her and he obliged. She took a sip from her glass and then handed it to him. Peeta drank carefully, avoiding the area where her red lipstick marked the glass. He wanted to keep the imprint of her lips on the glass as positive proof that she was actually there.

He had been patient all his life and it was deliciously ironic that the night before he left was the night that he found what he had been waiting for.

"So you're Delly's roommate?"

"Yup, until she goes to England or I find a job," she said.

"Baby!" Delly rushed over to Thom. Lifting her easily, Thom wrapped his arms around her waist as Delly's legs wrapped around him. Their lips met and they watched in embarrassment as the couple fell back against a nearby pillar.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Peeta asked quickly.

Katniss looked over at the couple and then nodded enthusiastically at him. "Let's go."

Two hours had passed and they had now settled themselves on the roof of his apartment building. They had spent most of it learning about each other. She wanted to write and he had been singing since he was four.

"So you're going to be a famous writer, then?" Peeta asked as he placed a blanket over her shoulders. She smiled gratefully and laid back on the lawn chair.

"I hope so," she said as she looked up at the sky. Because of the city lights, it was difficult to see the stars.

Katniss always kept on looking for them. It made her think of home. She was from a small beach town, the kind of place that closed down by seven.

"Right now, I'm just trying to find my way," Katniss continued as she looked up. "I guess that's what your twenties are for."

Peeta sat back on his chair and looked up. "What are you looking for?"

"Any semblance of a star. I always try to find them here, even when I know it's not possible."

"Come here," he beckoned and she walked over to his chair. Scooting over, Peeta made room so that she could sit next to him. It was a tight fit and she sat slightly on his lap which didn't seem to bother either of them. "I think I see one."

"Where?" She looked up and he caught a whiff of her shampoo scent—pears.

"Right there," he said quietly and pointed.

Squinting, Katniss sighed when she found it—a tiny cluster of stars in the distance. "I'll have to tell my little sister, Prim. I feel a little less lost now." She turned to him, her eyes glowing. "Thank you for showing me."

He closed his eyes and laid his head back next to hers. Her scent surrounded him and it made his heart quicken in the best way.

"Don't you want to see the stars?" she whispered and he felt her lay her head against his shoulder.

"No, I don't need to. I've seen them."

They were in her eyes.

When she opened her eyes, Katniss found herself lying against his chest. The sun was just beginning to rise and she was wrapped in Peeta's strong arms. It wasn't a bad way to wake up. She never realized how lonely she was until that moment.

She had spent her time studying in school and had very few friends other than Thom and Delly. However, with Peeta, she felt like she had found that last piece of the puzzle. She traced her finger against the soft skin of his arm and then looked at his sleeping face. He looked much younger than twenty-three when he was asleep.

He had a small freckle on his bottom lip. She reached over to touch it and his eyes blinked open to reveal the cornflower blue that she was beginning to enjoy. They were even brighter in the sunlight.

"Morning," he greeted her quietly. "Is it weird that I find waking up to you completely comfortable?"

"No." She reached over and touched his cheek. "I was thinking the same thing."

They stared at one another for a moment. They knew that it couldn't go any further than this.

If it did, it might just break both of their hearts.

"What time is it?" Peeta stood up to stretch.

"Five. When do you have to leave?"

"Our bus heads out to the airport at six."

Katniss nodded and pulled at his hand. "Sit down. Let's just have this last sunrise."

So he sat and squeezing her hand, they watched the sunrise together. Peeta took a breath.

"Scared to leave?" she asked him.

"Scared to go."

They walked to the bus depot, their hands clasped tightly together.

Waving to Thom and Delly who were also saying their goodbyes, the two walked towards them.

"You didn't come home last night," Delly teased. "I was getting worried."

"You didn't call me," Katniss said as she held up her phone. "So I don't think you were too worried. Plus, it was your chance to get some alone time." She turned to Thom. "You're welcome."

Thom turned to Peeta. "You're opening for 'The Tributes!' Aren't you excited?"

He nodded, though it looked less than enthusiastic. "Suddenly, not so much." He turned to Katniss. "Can you guys give us a minute?"

"Yeah, we'll be over at the entrance whenever you're ready, Katniss," Delly told her roommate. "Break a leg, Peeta."

"Thanks."

When they were a good distance away, he turned to Katniss. "I just wanted you to know that yesterday was the most amazing time of my life. I've been waiting for someone to sing for and I finally found her."

"Stop, Peeta." Her voice was hoarse and he could see tears in her eyes. "Let's just leave it at that." Katniss pulled him close and her arms wrapped around his waist. "I feel alive—I haven't felt that way in a while and it's all because of you."

His lips brushed against her ear and a shiver ran through her body. "Remember this, remember us right now."

Their lips met in a gentle kiss and Katniss clung to him. He tried his hardest to hold onto the taste of her and the thought of how easily her body fit against his.

"I'm yours," she whispered, her voice so quiet that he almost didn't hear it. Pulling away, she wiped her eyes and grinned. "Give 'em hell."

"Write to me?" he asked and took a pen from his pocket. Moving the sleeve of her dress up, he turned to expose her forearm to write down his e-mail address.

"Can't we just call or text each other?"

"This is much more romantic," Peeta informed her with a bashful grin. "You're a writer, aren't you? You can tell me all about those stars that you're always looking for. It will remind us that no matter where we are, we're always looking at the same sky."

"Peeta! Get a move on!" Cato, his lead guitarist, yelled before getting onto the bus.

Cradling her face in his hands, Peeta kissed her once more before rushing to the bus door. Before he stepped on, he called out to her.

"I'm expecting my first e-mail tonight!"

Katniss nodded. She couldn't get out the words that seemed to be stuck in her chest. What she felt wasn't possible. She was much more logical than this. It would never work and telling him would make it worse for the both of them.

Ahh, to hell with it.

"PEETA!" He stepped down from the bus and looked at her expectantly. "I think—gah—I love you."

He beamed at her before stepping on the bus.

Katniss wrapped her arms around herself. She felt the tears fall from her eyes and made no effort to wipe them. Inside, she was both exhilarated and devastated. The breeze danced with her hair as she watched the rest of the band members and crew get on the bus.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the rapid sound of knocking as the bus departed. It was Peeta in the back window. He held up a large notebook so she could read his message.

He loved her, too.

The title comes from the Gilbert Parker quote: "Love knows not distance; it hath no continent; its eyes are for the stars."

Some Thelly for my lovely bigbigbigday! Thank you for letting me borrow your ship!

The song that Peeta sings is "Faithfully" by Journey, which sort of inspired this one-shot.

This has the potential to become my next story after Again but we'll see.

Thank you if you've read this because I enjoyed writing it.

-JLaLa