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Katniss was dreaming of a mouse of an unusual size licking her face. It was admittedly one of the odder dreams she'd had, but she didn't feel perturbed or frightened. Just annoyed.
The rough pad of its tongue left a trail of moisture that evaporated as quickly as it was slathered on. It squeaked enthusiastically as it showered her with its brand of affection, the sound seeming to echo in her ears in a loop. She tried to swat it away, but it kept returning to lavish her face with unwanted attention.
When Katniss grew tired of nudging away the giant mouse, she opened her eyes and sat up. The blur of a large ball of fur catapulted from her bed, accompanied by something she understood to be an indignant cat grunt. She squinted over the edge of the bed in time to see the haughty swish of Buttercup's tail disappear through the crack of her bedroom door. Katniss blinked herself into full wakefulness, and though the culprit of the face-licking had been discovered, she realized that the incessant squeaking had not stopped.
She looked at the open window, the early rays of a new morning beginning to stream in, and noticed that Peeta's side of the bed was empty and cold. She carried herself to the window and peered below. She saw the familiar mop of blond hair gliding down the side of the house, along the beds of primroses. And a mechanical squeaking.
Katniss frowned, but got dressed and gathered her hair into a braid, and went downstairs. She opened the front door, stood on the front porch of the house, and waited for Peeta.
She heard him before she saw him, the metallic squeaking and crunching gravel announcing the turn he made around the corner of the house. When he appeared, Katniss found Peeta riding atop a contraption she had never seen before, his arms stretched in front of him gripping tightly and his legs pumping in a circular motion. His cheeks were ruddy and a light sheen of perspiration dotted his face from the effort.
"Hi," he panted, when he suddenly noticed she was watching him from where she stood. He slowed to a stop at the bottom of the porch steps.
Despite being woken up unceremoniously, she wore a curious and amused smile on her face as she greeted him.
"What is that?" Now that he had stopped moving, Katniss noted that the vehicle had two wheels the diameter of half of Peeta's height, which were attached to a metal frame running the length of it. The paint was chipped off, but she could tell it used to be red. She also supposed that the connecting gears and pedals under Peeta's feet were the ones making all the noise.
"It's called a bicycle," he informed. He held the handlebars with his chest out, sitting a little straighter. "I've been practicing," he added, as if it weren't already obvious.
She crossed her arms in examination. "Is it safe?"
"Yeah. Sae found it in a shed or something. Apparently these were pretty popular in the old days. And listen!" He moved his hand and positioned his thumb over a round brass object. It created a trilling sound that nearly made Katniss jump. "It's a bell," he announced happily.
Katniss couldn't even feign to disapprove anymore. She descended the steps to inspect the bicycle more closely.
"Hop on."
She looked at Peeta incredulously. "Where will I sit?"
Peeta patted the handlebar stern.
Katniss favored him with a dubious look. But she climbed on, her bare feet resting on the hub of the wheel. She shrieked in surprise as Peeta propelled the both of them around the square of Victor's Village a few times. Involuntarily, her palms landed on top of Peeta's which were firmly gripping the handlebars. Katniss thought he saw Haymitch's head stick out of his bedroom window.
"Is your leg okay?" Katniss asked over her shoulder.
"It's fine." He deftly planted a kiss on her cheek.
Satisfied, Katniss allowed herself to loosen her grasp on Peeta's hands. She let herself enjoy the sensation of the cool air through the tendrils of hair loosening from her braid, while the glow of the early sun began to warm her face.
Peeta guided them toward the newly rebuild town.
They rode under the young leaves of a grafted apple tree, from which Peeta plucked a ripe fruit and handed it to Katniss. She smiled in gratitude, and swung an arm over his shoulders. She took a bite from the apple before offering its flesh to Peeta, who also took a generous bite from it.
The pair rode through the town, eliciting waves from the people who've returned––some old faces, some new. The road was a little bumpy but Peeta's steer was firm and steady.
When they neared the edge of town, Peeta slowed down their pace, unsure of what Katniss might think as they approached the Seam––or rather where the Seam used to be, where too many memories dwelt and perished.
"Stop, stop, stop!" Katniss cried suddenly.
Peeta tightened his knuckles and slowed his pedaling, worried that something was wrong. He planted his feet on the ground and they came to a gradual stop. Katniss propelled herself off the handlebars and ran to the edge of the road.
Now it was Peeta's turn to watch her curiously. He hopped off his seat and walked the bicycle over to her. She was fiddling with something he couldn't see.
When she was done, she presented him with a string of small dandelions she had knotted together. She wound it around one of the handlebars, and pronounced, "That's better."
Peeta smiled, and also saw something when he glanced at a tuft of grass on the ground. Letting go of the bicycle, he reached past Katniss and bent down. He plucked a bright yellow dandelion flower that was hidden from view, and tucked it behind Katniss' ear. "That's better."
She moved closer and wrapped her arms around him, resting them on his shoulders, as he hands moved to her waist. She pulled him in for a deep kiss. He tasted like the apple they shared.
When she broke the kiss, her eyes twinkled. "How about swimming lessons at the lake in exchange for bicycle lessons?"
Peeta smiled as he leaned in for another kiss. "Deal."
The bicycle lay forgotten on the ground for quite some time.
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