A/N: Alright so here is the last of my old oneshots from way back when. My writing has changed a lot since then, and from now on, any stories after this will be new material. However, I hope you enjoy this, as it's my second favorite after "Love of Children." Hopefully I will be getting back in to writing fanfics soon.

Katniss pressed her hand to her aching stomach as she shuffled down the back alley between the Merchant's properties. Of course, she had resorted again to digging through their trash for any food, as the damaging snow was too thick in the woods to find anything of sustenance.

Shuddering against the cold, she peered into yet another nearly empty dumpster. She considered taking the worn shoes, but they were too rotted for even her family to get use out of.

After continuing down the dirt road, which had turned to disgusting sludge, Katniss slid down against a dumpster she had yet to check, her body sopping wet, and so weak and tired her legs felt like jelly. Sighing, she leaned her head back against the rusting black metal, her empty stomach cramping even as the delectable scent of fresh bread wafted from the bakery to her nose. They too were preparing for the day, up earlier than any other merchants.

Shaking her head, despite the lightheaded feeling she had, she shakily stood, turning to open the bin.

Suddenly, voices echoed out into the narrow ally, and Katniss shuffled around to the side of the bin away from the door, her dark braid swinging behind her. She crouched, listening intently, though the conversation didn't make that much sense to her. An angry sounding female voice loudly proclaimed,

"You go out there right now! We don't waste anything! You search until you find them!"

"Yes, mother." A subdued, young male voice answered her calmly.

"Don't come back in until you have them!" With a thump that, to Katniss, sounded like wood on flesh, the door slammed, and she heard harsh breathing and shuffling in the melting snow. The footsteps sounded like they were coming closer, and Katniss glanced around wildly, not wanting to be caught. The last time a merchant had caught her rifling through their garbage, they had walloped her rather hard, leaving a nasty bruise on her cheek bone. Not wanting to experience that again, Katniss quickly opened the right flap on the lid of the dumpster and leapt in silently. She didn't have the strength to run, and besides, there was nowhere else to go. Holding her breath, she stilled, hoping the person would pass by.

Instead, the other flap of the dumpster opened, pouring light into the frigid, smelly metal container. Someone loomed over the opening, and jumped in, landing with a soft thump on the old bread bits and other garbage.

Katniss bit back a scream and closed her eyes, anticipating a blow. Instead, she heard a sharp gasp and scrambling, then an "ow!"

Katniss opened her eyes curiously, and saw a boy her age pressed against the other side of the bin, eyes wide in surprise. He was wearing the white apron of a baker over his old looking jeans and flannel, and his blonde curly hair was dusted with what looked like flour. The Seam girl noted the dark bruise blossoming on his cheek. Despite herself, she asked,

"Are you alright?" The 14 year old wasn't sure if she was asking about his bruise, or the fact he was rubbing his head from where he had undoubtably hit the side while scrambling away from her.

"What are doing in here?" He blurted, not answering her question. Katniss now recognized the boy as Peeta, remembering him from her arithmetic class in school. Not sure how to answer, it was pretty obvious in her opinion, she snapped,

"What do you think?" Peeta stared at her, obviously lost.

"I don't kn...oh." He noticed the ratty bag at her side, half full of partially rotten food and bits of trash. His eyes softened, and his expression turned downwards. "Oh...oh Katniss, I'm so sorry. I- is it really that bad?"

"How do you know my name?" She asked harshly.

"You're in my arithmetic class, remember?" She nodded, turning away from his now understanding eyes.

"I don't want your pity." She swallowed, leaning her head back against the slimy wall. Why did her head feel so light? But she knew why- it was hunger, she just wasn't willing to admit it.

"I don't pity you, Katniss." Her head snapped up at that. She grew dizzy, but hid it from Peeta by resting her chin on her drawn up legs. Peeta shifted away from the wall. "I understand."

Katniss glared at him. He could never understand, and she told him as much. He was just a pampered merchant boy, and while she knew that obviously wasn't entirely true, at least he looked strong enough to live through the winter. Katniss wasn't feeling too good about her own chances at the moment. But Peeta answered her with a shake of his head,

"No, I know it's not as bad as in the Seam...honestly I didn't know it was this bad." He gestured to her garbage filled bag, then shook his head again, getting back on track. "But I know hunger, and trouble... also sickness." His voice changed to a knowing tone. Katniss' eyes, which had slipped shut while he talked, sprang open.

"What do you mean?"

"You are sick." Peeta answered, matter of fact. Katniss shook her head slightly, but couldn't stifle a moan as the world spun. She swayed, even where she was sitting. Peeta hesitantly put a arm out to steady her, but she flinched away from his touch.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He said, voice low and eyes sad. The stubborn girl ignored him, instead asking him a completely unrelated question.

"Why are you even in your dumpster?" She watched as Peeta's eyes darkened.

"Mother thinks she lost her wedding ring in the trash." Katniss' gray eyes widened. "But she didn't." Peeta sighed. "She put it away so she wouldn't loose it. But she doesn't believe me and refuses to look for it in her dresser until I look out here." He looked up at Katniss, stretching out his legs and leaning against the side. "So that is why I'm out here. I thought I would just have to sit out here in the quiet for a while, but it worked out nicely with you being here." He smiled kindly at her, but she didn't smile back. He seemed sad, though she didn't know why. Noticing Peeta rubbing his cheek with a large hand, her attention was drawn back to the ugly bruise splashed across his face.

"Did your mom do that?" She whispered, eyeing the large bruise. Peeta nodded, saying nothing more. They sat for a few moments in silence, and while Katniss found it awkward, Peeta seemed content.

Suddenly, she seemed to notice the stench of the things she was sitting in, and her head swam. Feeling her empty stomach lurch and tighten, Katniss stood up shakily and said,

"Well I have go. Bye."

"Wait, Katniss!" But she pulled herself up into the frigid gray morning, and landed with a nearly unintelligible thud on the soggy ground.

Usually she could stick the landing, but with how she was feeling, she fell to her hands and knees.

Peeta scrambled out behind her, but she hardly noticed him, distracted by the feeling of someone hammering nails into her head, her empty stomach twisting in protest. She started wrenching, dry heaving and gasping as her abdomen cramped.

"Katniss!" Peeta cried, alarmed. He fell to his knees next to her, catching her around the waist as her arms gave out. She felt embarrassed, but there was nothing she could do as she kept heaving.

Peeta was aware that she should be vomiting, and he wondered when the girl had last eaten. He made random comforting noises and said a few words, but really the teen was at a loss for what to do. The girl he loved was finally talking to him, but during their first meeting he was holding her as she dry heaved.

Finally, relief came as her body finally gave up on attempting to expel her stomach from itself. Katniss fell back into his chest with a barely audible moan, too weak to move.

Peeta stilled in shock when she fell, and she glared at him, even as her eyes slipped shut and a tear slipped out, more from exhaustion and embarrassment than any feeling of pain . She tensed as a gentle finger wiped it away. She felt warm breath near her ear. Peeta's sweet voice echoed in her ear.

"It's okay to cry every once in a while. You aren't invincible." This stupid, sweet boy was being so kind to her, and she didn't understand it. What had she ever done for him? Despite herself, Katniss slowly rolled over, basically curled in his lap. Her small frame shook with repressed sobs as tears leaked from her eyes, her face pressed into the white apron he wore.

She felt him rubbing her back, and Katniss cried a little harder. She couldn't remember the last time someone had comforted her like this, couldn't think of how kind this virtual stranger was being. She softly cried for her losses, for her struggles, for the stress of providing for an absent mother and sweet Prim, for everything that had tumbled down in her life until the only three things left were Prim, hunting, and hunger. Everything swirled together in a pot of emotions and memories until she could hardly remember where she was, just that she was crying in someone's arms. She felt this person would protect her, wouldn't mind the tears, so she cried until she had no more tears or strength left.

When she had finally run out of tears, she shakily sat up, and then froze, remembering where she was and who she was with.

Quickly, she rubbed at her eyes and face, mortified. Peeta caught her hands in his big, warm ones, and she stopped, almost afraid to look at him.

"I'm so sorry, I don-"

"No, Katniss, it's alright. I told you it's okay to cry." She looked up at him, and saw concern and warmth shining in his bright blue eyes. She noted the wet apron.

"I'm sorry." She said again, averting her eyes.

"Stop apologizing, it's not your fault." Peeta answered as he stood. "I have to get back." He sighed, helping her stand. She braced her hand on the wall of the building next to them.

"I wish you didn't have to go back in there." Katniss mustered up more of her courage. "It isn't right, what she does to you." She gestured to the bakery. Peeta just shook his head, eyes sad.

"Could I help you home?" He suddenly asked. She rapidly shook her head, not wanting anyone to see her struggling home, leaning on someone for help.

"I can get there myself." Peeta rose an eyebrow disbelievingly.

"Fine, take a step." Katniss rose her chin stubbornly, but she knew she wouldn't get far. She took her hand away from the wall, and took a step, but her leg gave out.

Peeta caught her around the shoulders, and he draped her arm across his own broad shoulders.

"Let me help you." She huffed, but said nothing more as they started forward. They wound through the streets of town quietly, making their way to the Seam. She guided them through street after street, until they arrived at a squat little house, gray and full of holes, but there were dried flowers in the window, and Katniss sighed in relief as they made it to the door. She took a deep breath, and turned to Peeta, looking him dead in the eye.

"Thank you, so much. You have been very kind. Is there any way I can repay you?" Peeta shook his head adamantly.

"No way. Bye, Katniss, feel better." He glanced around the street, then darted forward and kissed her on the cheek, before spinning and running. Katniss stood there for a moment, swaying in shock as the blonde baker ran around a corner and disappeared. She touched her cheek, then smiled slightly and turned to go in. She hoped she would see him again, under better circumstances.

—

The next day, Katniss shuffled tiredly out the door, and stopped dead at the sight of a steaming, slightly burnt loaf of bread at her door. She gasped in shock, picking it up reverently and swinging her head around wildly, trying to see who left it, but no one was there.

Smiling, she took it in, and when the same thing happened the next day, Katniss set out one of her mother's precious healing ointments and a note for their "mysterious" donor. She hoped it would help with his bruises.

In the morning, bread and a note was left for her, and the ointment was gone. Katniss beamed, happy she had repaid him somehow.

That was how they went through the winter, and when the first day of school came around, a tall, blonde baker boy, and a small, wiry hunter girl met up in the street, walking happily together.