Twelve
Haymitch stepped outside onto the porch in his house in Victor's Village. He looked down at the bottles of white liquid that Ripper had dropped off. They were tied with green and red ribbons. "Oh. It's Christmas." He said before opening a bottle and taking a swig. He ambled out of his house and walked into town. "IT'S CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!" He yelled before turning around and going back to his house.
Peeta woke up to his mother yelling downstairs. He sighed and pattered downstairs. "PEETA! GET DRESSED AND HELP YOUR GOOD FOR NOTHING FATHER! HE BURNT THE APPLE PIES AGAIN!" He sighed and narrowly missed being smacked with a wooden spoon as he darted into the kitchen of the Mellark Bakery. His brothers were already in their chefs' uniforms rolling and mixing dough. As he worked on a new pie crust, he wondered what Katniss Everdeen was doing this Christmas morning.
Katniss woke up to Prim jumping on her blankets. "KATNISS! GET UP GET UP! IT'S CHRISTMAS!" She squealed.
"Prim -" Katniss groaned. She opened her eyes to see a mass of yellow mottled fur in her face. "PRIM! GET THAT HAIRBALL OUT OF MY FACE!"
"Katniss!" Prim yelped. "You didn't even notice his ribbon!" Katniss sighed and looked at the dark green ribbon tied around Buttercup's neck.
"Looks lovely, Prim." Katniss said rolling her eyes.
"Are we going over to the Hawthornes?" Prim asked excitedly.
"Yeah, yeah. We'll see Rory soon." Katniss said with teasing glint in her eye watching Prim blush. She braided her hair and pulled on her nicest hunting clothes. "Come here, your shirt is hanging out, little duck." She tucked in Prim's shirt. "Ma, we'll be at the Hawthornes!" Katniss said to their mother who was laying on her bed looking at a worn picture of their father. She grabbed her hunting bag now filled with presents before walking with Prim to the Hawthornes' house.
"Ma! They're here!" Gale called looking out the window.
"Ok, lemme get this here breakfast!" Hazelle called from the stove.
"RORY, GET YOUR SHIRT ON!" Gale yelled at his brother who was walking around in his boxers. Prim opened the door and blushed seeing Rory glance at her before running into his, Vic's, and Gale's bedroom to throw on a shirt.
"Hi, Gale!" Katniss said smiling and wrapping her arms around her hunting partner. Gale kissed her on the forehead.
"Hey Catnip." Gale said smiling as they nuzzled their noses together. Katniss rested her cheek against Gale's warm shoulder and neck muscles and breathed in his scent as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas!"
"Katniss! Look!" Posy squealed running out and holding a small rag doll.
"Oh wow." Katniss said smiling.
"Ma got me her!" She squealed. "She ain't dirty like my other doll!"
"Good." Katniss replied. She saw Prim and Rory at the table talking. Vic was helping set the table. Soon they were enjoying a hot breakfast of hot grain, raisins, and elk that Gale had caught two days ago. After that, they exchanged presents.
"Oh -" Prim gasped as she opened her present from Rory. It was a worn book that read: Medicinal uses of Plants and Herbs. "Rory -" She gasped before kissing him on the cheek causing both of them to blush madly. She gave him some hand-knit socks. Vic also got socks, and Posy got a ribbon to put on her new doll.
"Here, Catnip." Gale said handing her some new arrows he had made.
"Gale -" Katniss said in awe. "Thank you." She handed Gale a new shirt she had traded some meat for at The Hob. He pulled his worn t-shirt off and Katniss stared at his perfectly chiseled muscles before he pulled on his new shirt.
"It fits." He grunted. Katniss smiled at him. Hazelle gave Katniss and Prim two extra pencils for school in exchange for a large lump of cheese. After they exchanged presents, they walked into town to buy a fresh loaf of bread for their Christmas lunch.
"PEETA! Your GIRLFRIEND IS COMING!" One of Peeta's brothers called. Peeta was at the counter from the back of the kitchen in a second before the Hawthornes, Prim, and Katniss walked in.
"Hi, Katniss." He said smiling.
"Hi, Peeta." She replied. Peeta gazed at Katniss, snowflakes resting delicately in her side-braid and wearing her hunting jacket and boots over a shirt and jeans.
"Hi, Mrs. Hawthorne." Peeta said smiling. "What can I get for you today?"
"How about one loaf of bread." Hazelle said putting a few coins on the counter. Peeta pulled out the longest French bread loaf he had. He put it in a bag and then pulled out a baking sheet from a shelf.
"I made these too." He said. He cracked opened the door to the kitchen. His mother was too busy screaming at his dad to pay attention to the customers at the front of the store. Cookies decorated with pine trees, a primrose, a katniss plant, an arrow, and a heart were on the sheet. "One for each of you."
"Is the heart mine?" Posy asked.
"It sure is." Peeta laughed. Vic and Rory each got a pine tree cookie.
"This is mine." Katniss said laughing picking up her katniss plant cookie. Gale picked up the arrow cookie. They bit into them. "Mm. Peeta, these are really good. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Gale, you have some frosting -" Katniss pointed to Gale's lips.
"Huh?" Gale asked.
"Here -" Katniss leaned forward and kissed Gale on the lips before licking the frosting off.
"Mmm - Catnip - and frosting!" Gale sighed before feeling Katniss' hands travel under his shirt on top of his abs. The giggles from Vic, Rory, Posy, and Prim brought them back to reality.
"Ahem -" Peeta cleared his throat. "Um - anything else for you all?"
"No, thank you so much, young man. You have a merry Christmas!" Hazelle said smiling.
"Peeta, thank you for being the boy with my Catnip's bread." Gale said smiling as Katniss put an arm around him.
"Merry Christmas to you too, Gale." Peeta replied.
"Thanks, Peeta." Katniss said. Peeta blushed.
"You're welcome, Katniss. Merry Christmas." He said before watching them leave the store. He sighed. Even though Katniss locked lips with the boy with her meat, he had gotten his Christmas wish: he now had a permanent role as the boy with her bread. All in all, it was a merry Christmas indeed!