I slide myself into my dancing dress, humming softly to myself as I do. I glance in the broken shard of a mirror as I sit down and draw on my eyes with a sooty, charcoal stick. I blink slowly and here Peeta hopping up the steps. I turn to look at him and he smiles. 

"Sorry, I feel like it takes forever to look decent sometimes," I turn back towards the mirror and run a line around my other eye. 

"You're fine," he says. "The Underground doesn't unlock until after final Arian rounds at 10:00." I dip my finger in a smashed berry paste like my mother used to make for herself when I was younger and carefully tint my lips. 

"We don't have to go, you know," I say softly and Peeta chuckles. "I know you still aren't ready for all the attention you'll probably get hauling that crutch around."

"I think it's time to bite the bullet for both our sakes," He says. "It's been almost a month since you went in to sing with any of your future clanmates." I shake my head and place my hands on the dresser as I stand up.

"I keep telling you, I don't know that I ever will be a true Musian," I reply and he shakes his head as I stand there in our bedroom, the red dress clinging to my frame in a flattering way. "You need to stop staring like that, doll." 

"I can't look?" He asks and I walk past him, running my fingers beneath his chin. 

"I think you look plenty," I say, "Don't think I've forgotten you watching me dress when I didn't know you were there." Peeta chuckles and I walk past him, grabbing my shoes from the bed. 

"Well, I just have a problem letting a good opportunity go to waste," He says and I start down the stairs. 

"Come on," I say, "We should start heading out. It's a longer journey than you think back to town and I don't want you to stupidly get hurt in the dark out here." 

"I'm not helpless, Katniss," He jokes as he limps his way down the stairs.

"You really think one leg and a branch are any match for a tree root?" I say and he rolls his eyes.

"Point taken," he says and I check on the eggs by the fire and cover them back up carefully so they won't be cold while we are gone and I let the fire out. "How are they doing?"

"Any day now, I think," I say as we walk out of the house. I hold out my hand, letting my embers light our way through the woods. I can hear the night creatures all around us and the crackle of the leaves beneath our feet. I clutch tightly to the heels of my shoes, stepping across the cool ground.

"It's kind of spooky out here when you aren't used to it," Peeta says and I glance at him. 

"I find it soothing," I say. "Just the night creatures saying hello to us." 

"You would think that, living out here your whole life," He says and I smile at him. 

"You just have to get used to this, Flower Boy," I say. "I'll tell you if we hear something that might be worth worrying about. Besides, most animals are naturally afraid of the glow of a fire." He walks close to me as we travel along the trails that move towards the back part of town. I feel the body heat passing between us and Peeta looks at me, his jacket pulled close around himself. 

"Aren't you cold?" He ask and I look up at him. 

"I'm a fire being, Peeta," I say. "I don't get cold unless it's around freezing, and even then, I don't really get bothered." 

"Lucky me," He says and I look at him. "I get something warm to snuggle up against." I move a little closer to him and we walk together the last little bit to the Tree Gallows gate. I roll my eyes at Cato and he looks at both of us. 

"It's been a while, Firecracker," He says and I roll my eyes. 

"Just let us through if you know that is good for you," I say and Peeta glances at me. 

"Oh, come on," Cato says. "Why don't I give you a run for your money and you ditch the pogostick?" Peeta rolls his eyes and I pat his arm. 

"Maybe, but then me and him would have to be charged with assault when he knocks your block off and I split you in two from the groin," I say and Cato chuckles, unlocking the door. 

"Missed yah, Sweetness," he says and I walk in with Peeta, slipping my heeled shoes on my feet and shooting him a smile. 

"Always a pleasure, Cato," I say and we walk together up the hill.

"He always give you a hard time?" Peeta asks and I shrug.

"It's fine," I say. "He's just horned up waiting for his girlfriend to sneak down there and screw him in the bushes." Peeta chuckles and shakes his head. 

"It's really that easy for you to be that dismissive of him?" He says and I nod.

"He's got someone else on his radar, I've got someone else on mine," I say. "He's just a pervy flirt. I usually have to unlock the door on my way back out because he's busy with Clove in the brush." Peeta and I walk up to see Glimmer and a couple of her friends as well as Johanna smoking with a guy I hadn't seen before. She looks at us and chuckles.

"Well, well, well Finnick," She says. "Would you look at that."

"My, my, look what the tide drug in," He says, a pair of Sidonian green eyes gleaming in his admittedly handsome face. "How you been Peeta. It's been quite a while since you used to run in these circles."

"Well, you know, losing a leg will do that," Peeta says and the man turns his attention on me. 

"And who might you be?" He asks and I cross my arms over my slightly exposed chest.

"Katniss," Peeta says. "This is my friend Finnick, he's a-"

"Sidonian with those green eyes and that stench of fish he's trying to cover up with the tobacco smoke," I say and Finnick chuckles.

"By the stars, you must have a good reason for having hidden a gem like this from my eyes," Finnick says reaching forward and taking my hand, kissing it.

"I'd like my hand back," I say and he lets go. "I'm this lovely gentleman's date, not yours."

"Katniss is my SoulMate," Peeta says and Finnick chuckles. 

"She's the one with the singing voice I was telling you about," Johanna saus and Finnick smiles. 

"Well, well, Peeta drew himself a good one then," He says. "A singing little woodland bird." I look at Peeta and he sighs.

"Well, I think we're gonna head in," He says. "Katniss is singing a set soon."

"Can't wait," Finnick says and I walk in the door Peeta follows and I duck into the now familiar club. I look around at the slowly growing crowd and glance at Peeta.

"Do you need to talk to the band?" He asks and I shake my head. 

"They still have my songs from before the incident," I say. "They are covers anyway, it isn't as though their kind didn't write the songs in the first place."  I smile at him and he adjusts his crutch.  "Let's find a table." He nods and I walk with him over to the usual spot we used to sit at. I sit down with him and he just smiles at me.

"I'm so proud of you," He says and I shake my head. "I know how shy you are."

"It's fun," I say. "Besides, I owe it all to you. You made me go the first time and now look where we are," I say and he smirks. 

"Well, it was only because I knew you would succeed," Peeta says and I see Johanna headed for the stage with Finnick. I carefully stand up and walk to his side. 

"Wish me luck," I say and he squeezes my hand.

"You don't need it," He replies and I carefully mount the steps to the stage. I smile at everyone here and walk up the microphone. I glance at the band members and see Finnick and a girl clearing the floor. I glance at Johanna and she whispers in my ear. 

"Annie is a dancing Musian," She says. "Her and Finnick are going to start off the dancing for the night by showing off their skills to one of your songs." 

"Okay?" I say, kind of unsure about this, seeing as I haven't sung for an audience who were actually still and had their eyes piercing into me before. "Let's uh, let's get going then." She nods. 

"After you, Miss Everdeen," the pianist says and I nod, gripping onto the stand.

https://youtu.be/kijpcUv-b8M

I feel the music moving around me as I sing out carefully letting out the range of notes and watching the dancers beneath me. as I sing the song. I feel myself swaying a little as I sing, letting myself feel free again and my worries go away for the minutes I spend on stage, singing my songs and letting the music flow through the room. I glance at Peeta and smile as I finish, bowing and accepting the tips from the jar that had been passed around. I walk over to Peeta and stand next to him. 

He smiles at me and I lean over and kiss his cheek. Finnick and the girl he had been dancing with come forward and I look at them, standing there with my jar of Laurel coins. Peeta waves him over and they join us at our table.

"That was amazing, Miss Everdeen," The woman says and I smile. "I never knew that there was a band of Musians in the Forest with the Hestians." I look at my hands and shake my head.

"Well, there isn't that I know of," I say and Peeta chuckles. 

"Well, you may as well be one," He says before looking at Finnick. "She's practically a songbird, out in those trees." I smile at him and pat his arm. 

"I think you give me a little more credit than is due, but thank you. It was fun," I say and he wraps his arm around my waist. "Might as well make money if people are willing to give it for something I enjoy doing so much. Like Peeta says, I sing a lot, especially when I work."

"Looks like you didn't have too bad a pull, huh?" Finnick says and I look at my little jar of  coins. 

"It's decent," I admit looking at Peeta. "Probably pay for the millwork on some boards for the water wheel."

"Really?" He asks and I shrug. 

"Why not?" I say. "We can save the trading money for the new shinny Athenian leg you want to get. Might as well work on the house too."

"You guys live in a mill?" Annie asks and I nod.

"On her land in the forest," Peeta says and a Dyonisan brings over a round of drinks for us. "It's a pretty nice place, made of stone." 

"You probably are happy that she can't burn it down huh?" Finnick says and I glare at him. 

"She has control of her powers, Finnick," Peeta says and he nods.

"Yes, of course," He says. "I'm only saying, it must be nice to not have that worry."

"It is," I say. The mood kind of soured.  Annie reaches for my hand and I look at her. 

"Next time you're around, I'd love to dance for your songs again," She says and I nod. I reach forward and down my drink. I glance at Peeta and sigh. We talk with the other couple a while, drink the strawberry wine and listen to the music around us. Peeta looks at me guiltily as Annie and Finnick go off to dance and I kick my shoes off, picking them up to carry home. 

"Walk me home?" I ask and he smiles.

"If you can call it that, yeah," Peeta jokes and he grabs his jacket. I walk beside him with my little jar of money and a dream as we stroll back down into the woods.