I sit near the fire, carefully sharpening my sword. Peeta pokes at the meat cooking over our fire, turning it over on his rotisserie. Having been a lifesaver of a cook for me, he has developed his own tools in the blacksmith shop during his free time.

This has been become the comfortable new norm for me since the burning of 12. Since that night he asked about being moved to the barracks, the issue has never come up again. I like having hime close, within arms reach around a fire. And I think, well he really doesn't seem to mind my company much either. We train every morning and he is becoming more and more a powerful fighter. 

It's been two months and the beginnings of winter are just starting to affect us. The fruits are starting to wither and die and any vegetables that haven't been saved are rotting. The prey is mostly small things caught in traps, the herds moving to winter in a warmer place. 

"I saw snow today, outside the blacksmith tent," Peeta says and I look up at him, shrugging.

"The trees keep us sheltered for the most part," I say. "And the tents will bare a lot more snow than they would appear. Once a true snow falls, it will even help insulate and hold heat in here."

"Its a lot prettier out here," He says. "I always used to hate snow, it was so ugly and muddy and grey back home." I nod and set down my blade. 

"I remember," I say. "I had holes in my shoes and my socks were not dry until the spring clover bloomed." We both chuckle and he shakes his head.

"Do you remember the peppermint sticks that they used to send out?" He asks and I blink at him a moment. I feel my cheeks flush a little and I shake my head.

"Well, I don't remember getting any of my own," I say. "We really didn't get much of anything for the Capital handouts in my family." Peeta looks away and shakes his head.

"Wow, way for me to stick my foot in my mouth," He says and I look back at him, laughing a little. 

"Well, I do remember them though, because you would sneak some into my bag at school with a little doodle tied to them," I say and he turns red himself.

"That wasn't me," He says and I give him a look. 

"I'm pretty sure it was," I say. 

"Well I wouldn't know what you are talking about," Peeta says getting up and grabbing some salt to throw over the meat. The flap of the tent rustles and I look up as my General ducks in. He sends a glare at Peeta and then looks at me. 

The two have definitely shown their disdain for each other and do everything to avoid one another. I already knew that Gale wasn't fond of me allowing Peeta to stay here, but this is the first time he has needed to approach me in private since the inclusion of the new tentmate. Peeta is a little tense at the intrusion of this safe place for him. I have a feeling this is not going to end well no matter what the issue is.

"The hunting party just returned with two deer, Lady," Gale says and I nod, glancing at the food on our fire.

"Has anyone claimed it?" I ask and Gale looks at me.

"Everyone has meat on the fire, so surely it would go to the barracks to increase rations," He says and Peeta speaks up.

"Why would you need to eat it right away," He asks and Gale looks at him. 

"What? Do you expect us to hang them in the trees to draw in the starving predators?" He asks and I roll my eyes.

"I'm suggesting that you don't stuff your bellies just because when winter is still coming and food will only be scarcer," Peeta says and I can already feel a headache starting to pound in my temples.

"Like you have ever had to go hungry?" Gale snaps back and I look between the two of them. "Besides, what business is it of yours? You are the Queen's pet and nothing more. She only keeps you around because you are a form of entertainment for all of us in camp." Peeta just rolls his eyes and crosses his arms.

"I speak in the interest of all the people here, not for having an extra steak on my plate tonight," He snaps back, clearly getting a little irritated from the comment but doing well to keep his cool.

"I think to keep my army strong!" Gale says and I shake my head. Peeta starts to say something but I cut him off, standing up suddenly.

"Enough!" I say. "You are two grown men fighting like children."

"Lady, he is the one butting in where it does not belong," Gale says. "The snowflake should have no say when it comes to how we run things."

"Well I'm certainly not going to stand by while you make self serving decisions over the rest of the people who are not soldiers here," Peeta says and I look between the two of them.

"General, he is present," I say. "He is a person who also has interests in this war and how this camp will endure. I will not have you dismiss him so easily." I turn to Peeta, "What Gale says is correct. Carcasses saved in trees during winter, when all are starving, does draw danger from wolves and coyotes."

"Well, before he interrupted me, Lady," Peeta says respectfully. "I was going to suggest we make cold stores under and beside the chow tent." I straighten up and Gale too looks curiously at the outsider.

"Elaborate," I say. Peeta smiles and crosses his arms to try to take a more assertive posture.

"I say we dig hole now while the ground is not yet frozen," He says. "We will cut the meat into rations and wrap them in spare material. Salt it and leave it in the holes, cover it with branch bundles and moss. The snow will then come and ground will freeze. We can access the food, but it could be saved through winter iof needed and continuously rotated and rationed." I look over at Gale and he looks frustrated.

"Any objections to that?" I ask and he sighs, shaking his head. 

"I suppose it isn't the most ridiculous thing I've heard," he says and I nod to him. 

"Go do it then,"  I say and Gale looks at me. 

"Why can't the Snowflake do it?" he asks and Peeta sighs.

"I have a name," Peeta says and I glance at Gale. 

"Because the men will take orders from their General much easier than from a stranger, Gale," I say and he clenches his fists. 

"Very well," he says and I keep my eyes on him. "I will carry out the order, Lady." He turns to leave and I grab his arm.

"In the future, you will respect Peeta," I say. He looks at the two of us and shakes his head, I grip his arm harder and look him directly in the eyes. "You do not have to like him, but he respects you and you will show him respect back."

"As what? Your bedmate?" Gale asks and I feel my cheeks turn red in embarrassment.

"I have no interest in that," I say and he rolls his eyes. 

"Whatever," He says. "Just have the sense not to get pregnant. The soldiers are losing their faith in following a woman as it is." I let Gale go and Peeta tries to step after him but I press my hand to his chest. He looks at me and I shake my head. The tent rustles as he leaves and I sigh, stepping away from Peeta.

"Why do you let him talk like that?" He asks and I shrug, unclipping my garter and leaving my knife on top of my trunk.

"It is just words," I say. "He can be a real dick, but he is loyal." 

"He doesn't like me here," He says. "With you."

"He is jealous. He thought to take me for a wife," I say. "Of course he would blame you. It would have nothing to do with his whoring around." Peeta chuckles and looks at me as he starts pulling apart our dinner.

"Is that why you keep me so close?' He asks. "You intend to make me a husband and don't wish for me to go looking for another?" I feel my cheeks turning red and I shake my head.

"Oh, there is no attachment like that," I say. "You may seek out women. I just ask that you not bring them here." 

"I would not do that," Peeta says. "If I am to be loyal to you, distracting myself with frivolous, meaningless liaisons would take me from my task here, my debt to you."

"You have no debt," I say. "You owe me nothing and I owe you my life many times over." I look away from him as I grab up a piece of meat. "You told me you have lain with women before. I know a man has needs. Needs I will not bar from you, but you will not get with me."

"Katniss," He says, his voice soft and gentle. "You realize that just because I am a man and I know what it is like to lay with a woman does not mean that I would go out looking for it with anyone who would allow me, right?" I look over at him and he shakes his head. "In my opinion, that is a very crummy excuse for disrespect of someone you are meant to love." I blink at him and he gets up.

"What do you mean?" I ask and he shakes his head. 

"I mean that to me, being with someone like that, it isn't worth it if is not a person I care about," He says. "I have been with women I felt little to nothing for just because it is what a man is expected to do. I respect that you have maintained your chastity so you might never know what it is to have an experience with no feeling for or from the other party." He walks past me and I look down.

"Is it really so horrible?" I ask and he chuckles. I feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment to be talking about such a subject with him. "That it is not, enjoyable, with someone you don't care about." Peeta chuckles awkwardly. "Why would anyone seek out sex with someone that they don't love if that were the case.

"Well, I mean," Peeta starts and I can see his cheeks turning red as he looks over at me. "You really don't know much about this, it would seem."

"I've been here since I was 11," I say. "I would say I know close to nothing outside the basic mechanics."

"Are you sure you want these answers from me?" He asks, looking a little uncomfortable. I shrug and fiddle with my necklace, butterflies in my stomach.

"You have a man's perspective," I say. "I believe that you would tell me what you really think on the subject. You take my questions seriously, where as I doubt any other man would." He blinks at me and takes a deep breath.

"Well, then let me try to give you an honest answer," He says . "It is about what you feel around the moment. Sex can be very enjoyable if you don't care about the person, but if the personal connection with them isn't there, you just kind of feel lost and without any real purpose. At least that is how it felt for me. I would much prefer to be with someone I can look at and feel like it meant something between us after." I plink at him and nod, smiling.

"That makes a lot of sense," I say and he shrugs. 

"Well, I mean it is just how I feel," he says. "Your future husband may be completely different." I smile at him and go to sit on my bed. "Then again, he might be me." He winks at me and I roll my eyes as I sit down to eat with him.

"You wish," I say and he just smirks at me. 

"Hey we are halfway there," He says. "You sleep in my bed from time to time." I shake my head. "You bind your hair." 

"I've never let you paint me," I say and he shakes his head.

"Someday, wifey," He says and I chuckle. "I will get the chance to paint that beautiful canvas for our wedding night." I roll my eyes and shake my head.

"We'll see," I say, Looking down and finishing my dinner, not able to stop thinking about how he described lovemaking as meaningless for him in the past.

We are quiet after that. I can't help thinking in that silent how different he is from the others that might fight for my affection. He is patient and honest with me. He takes me seriously. Answers honestly. Gives care to me without trying to get some favor from me back. He makes me smile and laugh even when I have little joy. 

I believe his teasing may be right. One day, as Tigris predicted, I may come to trust Peeta to stand at my side.