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WARNING: I DON'T own the Hunger Games or it's characters or the idea of it. It's Suzanne Collins wonderful masterpiece I merely enjoy to create new stories using what she has very kindly shared with us.

My ideas may not always be original either but I promise I'm not trying to copy anyone else's work if it seems to similar and would like me to take my story down please leave the message in the review section and we can discuss it as well any other questions to concerns.

Also, if you would like one of my stories translated into another language I may figure that out for you just tell me in the comment section!

Rated T for some language, violence, and mentions of sexual situations but NOTHING explicit.

Summary: AU Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have been best friends since they were 11 years old and now Katniss is home in West Virginia while Peeta is serving in the military what will happen to them when they're across the ocean from each other will their relationship thrive or end?

KATNISS POV-

I lay on the bottom bunk in my dorm room thinking of how much has changed in the last few years. I'm now 19 and a Sophomore at West Virginia University or UWV and double majoring in Biology and Forestry. I miss home even though it's only an hour away and it's sometimes nice to be away from the small town of Panem it's easier to just disappear within the crowd here at the UWV which I like but I miss my little 15-year-old sister Primrose, my Mother even though we've haven't always been really close after my Father passed away and even Haymitch or Uncle Haymitch but I just call him Haymitch.

But most of all I miss my best friend Peeta Mellark who's across the ocean from me I don't know where exactly though. He joined the army when he turned eighteen after his guy best friend Mikey who was two years older than us joined the army he was very insistent on serving our country but sadly passed away in an explosion Peeta got the idea in his head that he wanted to honor his memory and continue to help serve our country even though Mikey couldn't anymore. His parent's practically disowned him angry that he's not taking over the bakery since his brothers chose different careers his oldest Bran chose to be an Accountant and has been for a few years and his second brother Rye chose to go to some fancy private college up North in Michigan or Minnesota or something for Computer Science. I begged him not to I'm afraid of losing him I already lost my Dad and I don't want to lose my best friend too but he didn't listen the stubborn little bastard.

Peeta Mellark has been there for me for so long he helped me when no one else did he's not only just my best friend he's my hope. He's tied with the most important people in my life with Prim at 1st. When I was eleven and my Dad died in a coal mining accident my Mother went into a state of deep depression and left my sister and I to fend for ourselves. So at eleven, I was head of the household so I had to make sure Prim and I were presentable and keep our Mother's state a secret and keep food on the table but soon Dad's Life insurance money ran out and we were slowly starving to death. I was afraid Prim and I would get put in the local foster home which wasn't a happy place the kids always looked sad and came into school with bruises on many of an occasion. I tried selling baby clothes of Prim and selling anything I could but never could get money for anything we were already poor and didn't have much but what we did have wasn't that nice. I couldn't get hired anywhere I was only eleven so I was at a loss of hope. But then one day I walked outside and saw a large Mellark Bakery bag with two fresh loaves of raisin nut bread so that night we feasted upon it. The next morning I was going to the bakery to thank the Baker Mr. Mellark a kind robust man who I was sure must've left it. When at the back window I saw the Mrs. Mellark the baker's wife with her youngest son who I knew was in my year at school I heard her screaming horrible words at him and she mentioned raisin nut bran being lost when she checked the inventory and asking where it went and soon when he doesn't even budge to tell her she takes a rolling pin and hits him hard in the face and he barely flinches and I wonder if this is a daily or weekly occurrence at his reaction he looks like he's hurt but not surprised in the least bit. Tears soon stream down my face for the selfless Mellark boy who would help me and my own family at his expense.

That day at lunch during school he came up to me and sat down at the table I sat alone at and handed me more than half his lunch a bologna sandwich on pumpernickel bread with a mix of mustard and mayonnaise, an apple, and a cheese bun the only thing he saved for himself was some raw carrots and the other cheese bun he even tried to give me the cheese bun after he saw my reaction to the cheese bun he gave me. It wasn't just surprising this boy I've never talked to was helping me he was also from the other side of town. I lived in the outer edge of town nicknamed the seam the poor section he was from the rich Merchant's Quarter where my Mother came from before she was disowned by her parents for marrying my Father a poor coal miner with a beautiful voice. People must've thought it was strange a well off Merchant boy with some seam brat girl. I then saved the apple and half the sandwich for Prim and my Mother we still had bread but that won't last. We didn't talk that day or for the next two weeks, Peeta did this. I hate charity but at the time I was desperate and I couldn't deny this sweet boy from helping me especially when it's also helping my sister.

Two weeks after Peeta began sitting with me and sharing his lunch my Uncle Haymitch my Father's brother who I barely knew showed up to my house and took over. He moved us to his home in Victor's Village were the nicest houses in Panem were which was between the Seam and Merchant's Quarter. He was so rich because he won the Olympics four years in a row for the archery competition and doing commercials and stuff for a few years but now he's an old drunkard but he's well-meaning and takes care of us and treats us as he would his own children if he had any. He got my Mom some therapy and in a little while she was able to go back to her old job as a Nurse at the local clinic. He made sure we were well fed and have all the necessities and anything we really wanted that he could give us money and we could go get ourselves. I made sure the house was clean and did the clothes and food shopping and anything else but Haymitch gave me the money. He also gives advice even when not wanted and a whole lot of sarcastic comments.

The next day after Haymitch took us in as our legal guardian I came to school with a bowl of chicken, vegetable noodle soup and, a peach, and a couple of bricks of cornbread. Peeta looked surprised and started to ask but then seemed to get too nervous and stopped talking but he still tried handing me a cheese bun even after seeing all my food which was even more than he brought that day. I scoffed at him at first but he has been so good to me I soften my words to him and say "Thank you thank you for everything but I'm fine now really." He nods but he then says "I see but um y-you seem to really like cheese buns and I don't mind." he gives me a shy smile. I sigh but I can't really be mad at him so I decide to trade him a brick of cornbread for a cheese bun which he refuses at first but then at my stern look he relents and tells me his name is Peeta well his name is Peter but he prefers to be called Peeta everyone calls him that because all his brothers and him have normal names Bran the oldest is named Brandy is called Bran like grain, his brother Ryan is called Rye with an added e like the bread and he himself Peter is nicknamed Peeta like the cracker-like bread. Mellark men have been nicknamed after bread since his father Wheaton called Wheat after the bread.

He doesn't stop sitting with me and we begin talking a little more every day and I eventually explain how everything happened and told him I saw what happened with his Mother. We begin talking outside of just lunch after a while sitting next to each other in classes and then hanging out on weekends. When he doesn't work at the bakery and I don't go hunting with my Uncle or hanging out with Prim.

He's been there for me for everything and me him. Through the awkwardness of puberty when I first got my period when I was twelve a little while after we started hanging out and this happened while I was hanging out with him at my house and cried when I noticed blood seeping through my leggings and getting all over the back of my favorite evergreen sweater. I freaked out and didn't know what to do and my Mother was still not well enough to ask. I changed into new clothes and not knowing what to do with the bloodied clothes I threw them away. I knew I needed a pad or something like the health teacher told us but how could I do that when I didn't have any money and was too embarrassed to ask Haymitch. I stuffed toil paper in my underwear hoping it would help and went back out to Peeta still sniffling and then broke down into tears again I was so embarrassed he hugged me then and I said to him worriedly "I don't know what to do!" He just furrowed his brow at me and said "You were sitting next to me when the teachers talked about um this stuff you need to um get one of those thingy's that look like mini odd shaped diapers right?" he blushes bright red and taps his fingers nervously against the kitchen table. "I don't have any money to buy them I already went grocery shopping yesterday and I don't know what kind or remember how to use them," I say embarrassed. "Emergency cookie jar money?" he questions looking at the jar on top of the fridge filled with money. I shake my head no I would have to explain that to Haymitch. His face brightens as he realizes something then pulls out a small wad of cash. "I got some money from my Dad for working double shifts at the bakery this weekend." He hands me a ten and tells me to go to the grocery store and stock up on what I need. I flush bright red. But he takes my hand and we walk together to make the purchase for me.

After that incident, he's always been my number #1 confident forever and always. I didn't make fun of him when his puberty symptoms hit since he was so nice to me about my period incident. I never made fun of him when he was still chubby when everyone else started to lose their baby chubb which he soon outgrew a little too after joining the wrestling team high school. It's the time now to be able to joke around about those old stories but he's not here to do it. We had many more awkward situations and also had many good times. We were always there for each other he was popular and everyone seemed to really like him unlike sullen quiet Katniss Everdeen but he still always called me his best friend and treated me with the most respect and love.

"Knock, Knock!" Finnick one of my college friends says right before he runs into my room and jumps partly onto my bed and myself breaking me out of my thoughts. I push him off and he dramatically makes a show of falling on my floor that makes me laugh a little and try to push away my longing. "Want to go out tonight there's a big frat party?" I shake my head I don't really like parties and I'm especially not in the mood for one tonight. He seems to understand and he nods but then grins at me and claps his hands "A sleepover then me you Johanna tonight." I pause a think over it a second I'm not sure but I don't really want to be alone so I nod. He smiles at me and kisses my cheek then leaves and says over his shoulder. "I'll be over at 9:00 Johanna said she would be back in a few."

"Stop throwing chips at me!" I scream at Johanna as she cackles at me and we have a mini food fight but soon stop because we'll have to clean it up soon. "Comedy or Chick flick?" Finnick asks and we decide on a Comedy which Finnick adds commentary on. Peeta use to do that to movies we seen several times never the first time we had to see it at least enough times to know some of the lines and only movies we secretly loved but could make fun of. Finnick's is different though he just talks about how hot some of the girls are and what date he would bring them on or tells us who he'd date, sleep with or none of the above. Johanna gets pissed at him for talking during movies she hates that.

We clean up the food and Finnick declares that we must have a pillow fight or he won't go asleep and shut up which ends up quite fun and I win the first few rounds but then my phone rings. I answer and hear Gale my boyfriend at the other end. We've been dating on and off for the past three years but it's been pretty steady for the last year he was a good friend and was my hunting partner a bit before I started dating him he's opinionated and too stubborn but he's also resilient and caring. He lives back in Panem as a Plumber apprentice which he hates but it helps pays his families bills his Dad too died in the same mining accident as mine and we have a lot in common are personalities are really similar. "Hey, Catnip so when are you going to be back in Panem?" he asks "This weekend," I reply and he lets out a relieved breath. I ask him "Why?" but he says he just needs to talk to me he'll tell me this weekend but I ask him why not now confused. "Because!" he shouts irritated. I glare through the phone so hard I'm sure he can feel it from back in Panem. "Gale why are you getting so pissy?!" I yell frustrated. "I slept with Madge!" he screams. It takes me a moment to comprehend what he's telling me then I realized Madge he cheated on me with Madge my old friend from high school she didn't even know we were going out and I'm sure Gale didn't tell her so I can't be too mad at her but I can't believe Gale did this. "You asshole!" I scream at Gale he huffs "Katniss I'm really really sorry but we barely talk or see each other anymore and you seem to try to ignore me whenever you're here for the weekend you seem to make an excuse to not hang out I haven't seen you in over month and you come home almost every weekend!" It's true I guess the reason we have been steady for so long this year is because we barely saw each other but I just try to spend all the time I can with Prim I don't want to grow apart. And honestly, Gale and I haven't been close since we were just friends dating hasn't brought us closer but even if we haven't been good cheating is still not right. "That's crap Gale you're still cheated on me and this wasn't the first time either was it?!" He gets more frustrated by the second and he shouts "Only when we actually broke up and I have feelings for Madge and don't act like you've always been loyal you've always been awful close to Mellark you never even looked at me like you look at him!" Peeta is my best friend Gale has always used him in arguments against me and I hate it. "His name is Peeta and I never cheated on you Peeta's my BEST FRIEND and he would never do anything like that!" I yell and ignore the last part of Gale's comment. "We're over," I say calmly as I can and hang up.

I still go home during the weekend but try to avoid Gale and/or Madge. Prim is growing like a weed she's already two inches taller than me but I guess that's not hard I'm only 5'1 and her doctor says she's still growing. She's even in all Honors and AP classes while being part of Student Council, French Club, Ocean Conservation Club, and Pep Squad in Panem High School. I'm so proud of her. Mother and I are not very close but we're getting along better ever since I started college last year and Haymitch even seems a little less drunk than usual but sarcastic as ever.

"Hey, Sweetheart," Haymitch calls as I'm sitting in the living room. I walk into the kitchen where he sits in the same chair he always had over a mug of coffee that's probably mixed with liquor. "What do you want?" I ask peeved at him continuing to call me that name. "You got a letter from your boy." I let out a squeal accidently and Haymitch smirks at me. I try to compose myself but unsuccessfully and I ask grabbing the letter "When did it come?" I ask than wonder how long he might have kept saying "You've better not have opened before me." H just shakes his head and says "Go on."

I open the sealed letter addressed to me in Peeta's perfect scrawl and out comes a long sheet of paper which he writes:

Dear Katniss, I miss you and I hope UWV is going well I want to hear everything that happened since your last letter. It feels like I've been away for 10 years even though it's only been two. Is my family alright do they ever ask about me? I understand if they don't so be honest even though you usually suck at lying to me even through paper ;) (And yes I just drew a winking emoji don't judge me.)

Everything is stressful but boring all at once you never know what's going to happen next but there are some days that go on for years. Pollux, Castor, Mitchell, and you know Darius and I play cards or any other games to pass the time and you know how eccentric Darius is which makes the long days a little more entertaining. By the way, he says and I quote "Dear Katniss you surround my every thought and emotion and I countdown the moment until I see you again."

I've been recently promoted from a Corporal to a Sergeant but sadly the promotion came after our old Sergeant Boggs died during a mission a few weeks ago. It's so hard losing friends people who have even become like family to me.

But on a happier note, I'm able to visit home in three weeks on April 23 probably a week or 2 by the time you get this letter. I don't know how my family feels about me visiting so I may stay at a hotel close by so I can visit you if that's alright?

I know I already said this but I really do miss you and listen to you talk about your hunting trips and plants for hours on end, ranting about anything and everything together, having quite comfortable moments when we're just together, I miss baking and cooking and eating junk food during your period while watching comedies and Romance movies that make you cry both in both despair and humor, I miss trying to make you laugh telling bad jokes and hilariously dramatic stories. I miss all the crazy sleepovers we had. I miss everything so much Katniss. You're probably getting sick of all this mushy stuff so I'll end it here.

Love, Peeta

The letter makes me laugh and cry a little. I haven't heard from him in so long we try to talk as much as we can but it's hard and I'm thrilled he can come I haven't seen him in two years he's never come home for a visit since the day he left for the army. I decided to write and send him a letter as soon as I can. I can't wait to see him two years have felt like a lifetime since I've seen his face, heard his laugh and felt his strong arms holding me.

Thank you for reading! This will be my next multi-chapter Fanfic if you guys like it and will have alternating points of view mostly between Katniss and Peeta.

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