Chapter Text
Peeta looked through his closet in frustration, thoroughly undecided on what to wear that evening for his first date with Katniss. He hadn’t been on a date in over a year and half and felt like a nervous teenager as he fretted over how their night would go.
He liked Katniss, his former student, a lot, and he was determined to woo her properly and make her his girlfriend. Peeta had pined after her for too long to mess things up with her and was dead set on making sure that their evening was perfect in every way. His outfit had to be just the right mix of effortless and suave, without making it look like he was trying too hard. He was well known for the three piece suits he wore each day to teach Art History at Yale University, where he had met Katniss four months prior, but there was no way he was going to dress that formally on their date. He wanted her to see him as someone other than her former professor, and instead as someone she would consider being in a committed relationship with.
And somebody she would hopefully, eventually, sleep with. But not tonight! No sex on the first date! I don’t want her to think I’m only interested in her for her body. She needs to know that I’m serious about her, and that I’m in this for the long haul. First things first though, I need to get dressed and out the door.
Peeta had no idea what the right answer to the dreaded first date “what do I wear?” question was, but as he perused the various button-up shirts he had in his closet, decided that a date of such importance required additional effort. He made a snap decision to call in reinforcements, and dialed his brother Rye’s cell phone number, crossing his fingers that he would answer.
Fortunately for Peeta, it seemed that Rye and his husband Cinna were home that evening, and not out with friends like they usually were on Saturdays. Rye answered on the first ring, relaxing Peeta’s nerves instantly. Maybe he would be able to make this work, after all.
“Peeta!” his brother answered jovially. “How’s it going? Shouldn’t you be getting ready for your date?”
“That’s exactly why I’m calling, Rye. I just got out of the shower and have no clue what to wear. Normally I don’t worry that much over what I look like, but I’m so insanely nervous about tonight that I can’t make up my mind. I was hoping you and Cinna could help.”
They switched their call to FaceTime so that Peeta could see his sibling and brother-in-law properly, and after fifteen minutes of deliberation, they settled on a crisp white button up shirt and a pair of dark wash slim fit jeans he hadn’t worn before.
“Your ass will look amazing in those jeans, Peeta. There’s a reason we gifted them to you on your birthday. I knew they’d fit you like a glove,” Cinna assured him, as Rye shook his head in amusement.
“You always have appreciated a good set of Mellark buns,” Rye teased his husband.
“Damn straight! The men in your family are thicc, and I’m one hundred percent here for it! There’s a reason I married into your family, babe. The fact that there are three Mellark brothers who look like that, not to mention your silver fox of a father, was a huge bonus when I accepted your proposal. Makes the holidays much more enjoyable when there’s such scrumptious eye candy to savor,” Cinna replied with a grin.
“I’m going to ignore the fact that you just objectified my 60-year-old father, Cinna, and get back to getting ready for tonight. Thank you both very much for your help,” Peeta replied.
He hung up the phone and got dressed, then headed to the bathroom. He took off his glasses and put in his contact lenses before starting on his hair, pleased that he was having a good hair day for once. His usually unruly ashy blonde curls had thankfully decided to cooperate that day, letting him smooth them back with a light pomade before he combed them. He spritzed on his favorite cologne, swirled some mouthwash around, and then stepped back to look at himself in his bathroom mirror.
Not bad, Mellark. You clean up pretty well. Go get ‘em tiger!
__
Twenty minutes later, Peeta stood frozen in place at the florist near Katniss’ apartment. He couldn’t decide between a bouquet of assorted wintery-looking wildflowers, or a holiday-themed arrangement complete with greenery and pinecones. With Christmas only a week away, nearly everything in the shop was red and green, and Peeta didn’t want the bouquet he gave Katniss to be kitschy. After staring at his choices for far too long, he eventually settled on the wildflowers, hoping Katniss would like the white arrangement. He paid for them quickly, dangerously close to being late due to the amount of time he had agonized over the flowers, and hopped in his car.
As he drove to Katniss’ home, Peeta reminisced about the first time he had seen her. It was during his first semester after starting the faculty tenure evaluation process, and he had been insanely busy and stressed.
Yale’s criteria for being promoted to Associate Professor and achieving tenure was rigorous and time-consuming. As a result of all the time he had spent on his application, Peeta had started the fall semester already exhausted. Nearly his entire summer had been spent working on assembling his tenure dossier, the basis on which the decision regarding his promotion would be made, and it had almost completely zapped him of all energy.
On the first day of the semester, Peeta had been running on little sleep and nearly spilled his coffee all over his suit as he stumbled into his classroom. Upon opening the door, he had been completely mesmerized and caught off-guard by a gorgeous brunette in a red plaid shirt. Almost directly in front of his desk, in the front row, sat an olive-skinned, chestnut-haired goddess, and Peeta had to actively force himself to look away from her beauty. He was fifteen minutes early, as was she, and as the only two people in the room, they had been forced to acknowledge each other.
“Umm, uh, hi there, uh, I’m uh, I’m Pppp-professor Mmmm-Mellark. Your pppp-professor. For the class. Art history?” he had stuttered out, allowing himself to glance at her only once more before focusing intently on setting his coffee cup on his desk.
The woman had smiled warmly at him before introducing herself as Katniss Everdeen, a senior in her last semester. She volunteered the fact that she was twenty-six, and that she was likely the oldest student in his class. He made an absolute fool of himself in return, telling her that he couldn’t tell she was older because she looked “super young”.
Embarrassed, Peeta abruptly turned his back to Katniss and walked out of the room, heading to the restroom to splash cold water on his face. He purposefully avoided his classroom until right before class was scheduled, finally returning and starting the lecture with not a minute to spare. He made sure to look at any student but Katniss for the duration of class, terrified that she would see the effect she had on him if he looked her in the eye.
The rest of the semester had gone much the same, with Peeta devoting far too much energy to averting his gaze anytime he saw Katniss look at him. He both dreaded and avidly looked forward to his twice weekly Italian Art History classes, desperately wanting to see his favorite student but also scared of what would happen if he allowed himself to speak to her again.
Peeta knew that he had made an idiot of himself the first day they met, and he was sure she could tell how attracted he was to her. He was worried that she would report him to the Dean for ogling her, positive that it would ruin his chances of earning tenure if she did. He had worked too hard during his career to let a crush on a student ruin things for him, and he was determined to find a way to forget about her.
Unfortunately, he never did manage to get over his feelings for her. It seemed that with every passing lecture, his attraction to Katniss grew, and he had no idea how he would get through the semester. It was torture being so close to her but having to pretend he wasn’t interested in her. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he was absolutely smitten.
Peeta was ashamed of the fact that he spent several hours a week cyber stalking Katniss’ Instagram account, which was somehow, miraculously, set to public viewing settings. He couldn’t help himself from looking at her pictures, always smiling widely whenever he saw that she had posted something new. It was pathetic how much he wanted her, and as the semester went on, his interest in her grew from a crush into a full-fledged infatuation.
Peeta had never felt the level of attraction he felt for Katniss with any other woman he had met in his thirty-one years. No one had ever come close to affecting him the way she did. All she had to do was look at him for a few fleeting seconds for him to melt into a puddle of desire. He felt like a creep for lusting after someone who was not only five years younger than him, but who he was also supposed to guide and teach. He knew the smartest thing for him to do was avoid Katniss like the plague until the end of the semester. After that, she would graduate, and he could move on. He could join one of the dating apps Cinna had encouraged him to look into, and hopefully find a connection with someone more age appropriate.
Everything had been going fine, and Peeta had been successful in avoiding another humiliating situation with Katniss, until the night before the Modigliani paper was due. He embarrassed himself by sending her an email stating she had “attachment issues”, instead of making it clear what he really meant to say. Almost as soon as he had hit the “send” button on the email, Peeta went into a complete and total tailspin. He stressed over what she would think about his email, and whether she would report him to the university administration for it.
What had he been thinking, wording his email like that? Not only had the message he typed been far too vague about the fact that she had forgotten to attach her assignment to the email, but he had also made it sound like something it most definitely wasn’t.
Peeta knew that there was no way in hell Katniss Everdeen was emotionally attached to him. She was always so cool, calm, and collected around him in class, seemingly unaffected by everything around her. She never really glanced his way, and when she did happen to look up from her notebook, always averted her eyes when she saw that he was looking at her. It seemed that she was completely uninterested in having anything to do with him. And why should she? Katniss was young and beautiful, and Peeta was just her older, creepy professor. They had no business being together, and besides that, Katniss didn’t want him anyway, so it was a moot point.
Peeta knew the chances of Katniss having interest in him were slim to none, and so, after he had written a follow-up email clarifying the situation and requesting that she re-send her essay, he resigned himself to the fact that he would never be with her in the way he wanted. He begrudgingly accepted that a relationship between them was off-limits and since he believed wholeheartedly that she was out of his league, did his best to force thoughts of her out of his mind.
Until later that night, when he unexpectedly ran into her at Oceania, the night club his best friend Finnick owned.
Finnick and his fiancé Annie had invited him out to celebrate their recent engagement, along with a group of their mutual friends. Peeta had originally planned on spending his evening reading through the first of the Modigliani papers that had been submitted, but Finnick had been adamant that he join them. So, despite not having any interest in going out that evening, Peeta went to the impromptu engagement party at Oceania.
He had been the only single person in their group that night, a fact that made him uncomfortable all evening, as it seemed his friends thought it would be fun to point out different women for him to approach. Annoyed with their meddling ways, Peeta drank beer after beer, hoping to feel more relaxed once he had a solid buzz. He kept watching the clock, counting down the minutes until he had been there long enough to head home without upsetting his friends. That all changed when Finnick pointed at two women sitting near the bar, however.
“What about that brunette? She’s beautiful, and she doesn’t appear to be here with another guy. You should go talk to her.”
Peeta looked in the direction Finnick indicated and almost dropped his beer when he saw a woman who looked just like Katniss at the bar, sitting next to a petite blonde. He had been thinking about his crush only moments before, noting that every woman in the club paled in comparison to her. He had ignored every suggestion his friends gave him, not wanting to talk to any of the women they pointed out to him since they were nowhere as stunning as Katniss. And somehow, it seemed the object of his affections had materialized in front of him as if he had wished her there. Was he that drunk, or was it really Katniss?
Peeta did a double take, still wondering if his alcohol-addled brain had merely conjured up a vision of her, before realizing that it really was Katniss at the bar. She looked insanely gorgeous dressed up like she was, in skintight jeans and a low-cut halter top. His eyes bugged out of his head as he took in her appearance. Katniss had always been beautiful, but tonight she looked hot.
He couldn’t believe she was there, at the same club as him, on the very same day he had made a fool of himself to her via email. Peeta felt as if he had been handed a golden opportunity to spend time with Katniss and decided to take advantage of it. He didn’t feel like explaining who she was to Finnick, however, so he simply nodded and replied, “You know what? I think I’ll do that.”
What proceeded had been simultaneously one of the best and most uncomfortable conversations he had ever experienced. Katniss had seemed happy to see him, though obviously surprised to run into one of her professors at a night club. Peeta met her sister, Prim, and enjoyed talking to the Everdeen women for several minutes before Prim excused herself, leaving him blessedly alone with Katniss. He decided to make the most of the chance he had just been given, but not before ensuring things between them weren’t uncomfortable due to his mistake from that morning.
After Peeta apologized to her for the awkward email, thrilled that she wasn’t bothered by it, he had very lightly flirted with her. He made sure not to push things to the point of impropriety but felt bold enough to test the limits of their professor/student relationship. The liquid courage in his veins had made him feel brave, and he capitalized on the confidence he felt by trying to get to know Katniss better. She seemed to welcome his behavior, and he started to wonder if maybe he did have a chance with her after all.
Peeta had been pleased by her reaction to his friendliness, especially when she inquired as to whether he had a girlfriend. He wondered if that meant she was genuinely interested in knowing if he was single. He made sure to mention his bachelor status to her so that she would know with certainty that he was available. Unfortunately, he had done so in an insanely awkward manner, insinuating far too blatantly that he had a romantic interest in her.
Katniss had looked shocked at his words, and Peeta panicked. Mortified by his behavior, he apologized and hastily bid her goodnight before joining his friends for the remainder of the evening. He chided himself for hours after that, hoping his drunken forwardness with Katniss wouldn’t push her to report him to the Dean. Though he suspected she might have some sort of attraction to him, he couldn’t let his interest in her negatively affect his career. He was set to find out if he made tenure within the next several months and was terrified that all his hard work would be ruined by his pathetic, boozy behavior at the club.
Since he couldn’t afford another slip-up before finding out about his promotion, Peeta had proceeded to avoid Katniss the rest of the semester, keeping their interactions to email only. To distract himself from how much he missed her, he focused all his spare time on work and spending time with his family. His brother Bannock and his wife had recently welcomed a new baby, and Peeta volunteered to watch his nephew on the weekends to keep his mind off how much he wished he could see Katniss outside of the classroom again.
The following weeks passed slowly, the small glimpses Peeta saw of Katniss on Tuesdays and Thursdays during lectures feeling torturous. Having her so close by yet knowing he couldn’t interact with her made his heart ache, and he hated every second of it. Forcing himself to stay away from her felt wrong and went against every single one of his instincts. He was drawn to Katniss in ways he had never expected, feeling as if they were tethered to one another somehow, yet unable to follow the pull he felt due to his position as her professor. Peeta spent weeks living in agony, wishing there was something he could do to soothe the ache he felt constantly in his chest.
Finally, the semester neared a close, and Peeta relaxed once the last class of the term had taken place. He congratulated himself for surviving the semester, but despite his relief in not having ruined his career over his crush on Katniss, still felt that something, or more likely someone, was missing in his life. He had been in a handful of romantic relationships over the years but had never wanted to marry any of his ex-girlfriends, not being able to picture himself with them long term. Somehow the few brief interactions he had with Katniss had made him feel more alive than he had while spending significant time with any of his exes.
Peeta knew then that unless he explored things further with her, he would never be satisfied with how things between them had ended, and that he would always feel as if she was the one who had gotten away. Determined not to miss his chance with Katniss while he knew she was single, Peeta formed a plan to approach her in the coming months and ask her out.
He decided to wait until he received news of his tenure decision before making a move, to be certain that he was safe in pursuing her. Peeta knew from his conversation at the club with Katniss and her sister that she was going to be working at the experimental research lab starting in January. He decided he might have the best chance with her if he somehow orchestrated an on campus run-in between them. If he waited until he knew he had been granted tenure, there was no risk of him dating her. She would be a Yale employee like he was, and since he was no longer her professor, hopefully no one would put two and two together about how they met. Even if they did, nothing inappropriate had ever happened between them, and Peeta had no legitimate reason to feel guilty. He hoped that by springtime he could talk to Katniss again.
The night before the winter commencement ceremony changed Peeta’s plans, however. He had been out at a restaurant eating dinner with Rye and Cinna when he saw a text message from his boss, Dr. Chaff, come through. The message stated that Peeta’s tenure position had been confirmed, and as he read the news he had nearly shouted with joy. He hadn’t been expecting to hear about his promotion until the spring and could hardly believe his luck. Not only had he finally achieved what he had been working towards for years, but he also now had the chance to go after the woman he so desperately wanted to be with.
After they all celebrated by purchasing a pricy bottle of Moët & Chandon champagne, Rye and Cinna drove a tipsy, exuberant Peeta home. He stumbled into his house and took a warm shower, trying to decide what his next move with Katniss should be. Now that he knew his promotion was in the bag, he decided there was no reason to wait. He was more than ready to be with Katniss, and to see if she wanted him as well. Before he went to bed that night, Peeta decided he would approach Katniss after her graduation service the following day. He went to bed dreaming of chestnut-colored hair and smoky grey eyes, hoping he could convince her to go out with him.
The next afternoon, after the ceremony had concluded, Peeta spent half an hour tracking Katniss down near the university’s historic Old Campus, the location of all Yale commencements. He finally spotted her as she made her way to the parking lot and was thrilled to see that she was alone. He chased after her, sprinting through campus, until he was able to get her attention. His boldness paid off after he confessed his interest in dating her, as she had kissed him soundly and passionately in response to his request to see her again. Their first kiss had been explosive, far exceeding Peeta’s expectations. He knew then that Katniss was the one for him, and that he would do anything in his power to keep her in his life.
After exchanging phone numbers, they made plans to meet that weekend, which brought Peeta to where he currently was; driving to Katniss’ to pick her up for their first date.
As he parked his Toyota 4Runner in the parking lot of the complex and walked towards Katniss’ apartment, Peeta attempted to slow his breathing and relax. He rang the doorbell and anxiously waited for her to answer the door, his heart beating out of his chest despite his efforts to calm down. He was extremely nervous, almost as much as he had been the day he submitted his tenure dossier to the faculty administration. Peeta knew there was a lot riding on their date, and that he had to be on top of his game if he wanted to start a real relationship with Katniss.
Let’s hope tonight goes well. There’s no one else I want to be with; she’s it for me. I’ll be heartbroken if things don’t work out between us.
He nearly lost his breath when he saw Katniss. She was wearing a sparkly ivory-colored wrap top, black skinny jeans, and sky-high heels. She looked absolutely stunning, and Peeta was speechless for several moments as he admired her.
Katniss smiled at him as she opened the door further before leaning in to give him a peck on the lips.
“Hi, Peeta. Are those for me?” she asked, gesturing towards the bouquet in his hands.
Oh, that’s right, I got her flowers. And I should probably say something now. She likely thinks I’m crazy for just standing here leering at her.
“Katniss! Hey! You look gorgeous! And yes, these are for you,” he replied.
She thanked Peeta for the flowers and invited him in while she put the bouquet in a vase. She then put on her coat so they could make their way to the restaurant, taking his hand as they walked to the parking lot.
Peeta basked in the attention Katniss was giving him, thoroughly enjoying the fact that she had initiated two separate types of physical affection with him, including a kiss at the front door. He felt himself relax the longer they held hands, loving the way her small, delicate hand felt in his.
Maybe this means she’s as into me as I am into her. This is good. Perhaps there’s hope for a future with Katniss after all.
On the drive to the restaurant, Peeta’s nerves calmed further once he learned how excited Katniss was about the place he had chosen. Cinna had recommended a new high-end Mexican eatery called Cilantro, where it was impossible to get reservations unless you were part of the New Haven elite. Luckily, Cinna was a well-connected fashion designer and business owner who knew just about everyone and had managed to score reservations for Peeta at the last minute.
My brother-in-law is the shit! I need to get him a super nice Christmas gift after hooking me up like this.
The dinner went flawlessly, and Katniss and Peeta both greatly enjoyed their meals. They had decided to share two entrees and made comfortable conversation as they ate, getting to know one another by taking turns asking each other questions.
As they talked, Peeta found out that Katniss had a snarky, self-deprecating sense of humor, and that she was even more intelligent than he thought. He knew based on the flawless essays she had submitted and the fact that she had graduated from Yale with high honors that she was articulate and clever, but now he considered her brilliant. She spoke about her passion for research in a way that was inspiring to Peeta, and he admired her greatly for how much she loved her chosen field.
Beauty, brains, and a sense of humor? She really is the perfect woman!
After they left the restaurant, they took advantage of the warmer than usual December weather and went on a walk in downtown New Haven, stopping to enjoy the city lights. As they admired the view, Peeta stood behind Katniss, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her temple.
“Tonight has been incredible. I’m so glad you said yes when I asked you out.”
“Did you think I’d turn you down?” she replied.
“I was definitely worried you would. I wasn’t sure if I had read your signs right at the club, and if you were into me or not. I decided to take a chance after you were no longer my student, though, since I couldn’t get you out of my mind no matter how much I tried. I was going crazy wondering how you felt, and if I had a chance with you.”
Katniss turned around in Peeta’s arms, standing on her tiptoes to give him a gentle kiss.
“I’ve been wild about you from the very first day of class, Peeta. I thought you were the most attractive man I’d ever seen. I still do, if I’m being honest. It was so hard to pay attention in your lectures each week since all I wanted to do was stare at that juicy butt of yours. Trust me when I tell you that you definitely read my signs right. I’m super into you.”
Juicy butt? I guess Cinna isn’t the only one who has a thing for thicc Mellark backsides.
“I’m glad to hear that you like what you see, and that the initial attraction I felt was mutual. I almost spilled my coffee all over my suit the first time I saw you, that’s how much you took my breath away. You made me feel like that tonight, too, when you first opened the door. You’re so beautiful, and I’ve never felt like this before, Katniss, not even close. It’s not just physical attraction, either. What I feel for you is so much deeper than that. I want to be with you, like, really be with you. I’m thirty-one, and I’m not getting any younger, so I don’t want to hide my intentions from you. I’d like to settle down in the next few years, and I hope that doesn’t scare you away, but I need you to know where I stand. I’d really like to spend more time with you if you’ll allow it. I’d like to see where things can go between us. I feel like we could have something special.”
Katniss smiled at him, replying, “I’m not scared by what you just told me, not even a little bit. I feel it, too, the connection between us. I think we could have something real together. I’m willing to give it a shot, anyway.”
Peeta felt like he was on top of the world after hearing Katniss’ reply. He leaned down to kiss her, wrapping his arms around her slim hips as he pressed himself against her. She kissed him back with gusto, draping her arms around his neck as she slipped her tongue in his mouth. He felt his body react to her immediately, his cock hardening almost the instant her tongue made contact with his. She tasted faintly of the the margarita she drank with dinner- salty and sweet, and oh so delicious. He was addicted to her taste, molding his body to hers as she started devouring him in earnest, her tongue tangling with his as if she wanted to eat him alive.
Hot damn, she can kiss! This is amazing! I want more. So much more.
As they continued to kiss passionately, Peeta felt as if he would explode with want for Katniss and had to remind himself of his earlier decision not to have sex on their first date, no matter how much he wanted her. He was determined to show her how much he had meant it when he said he wanted a serious relationship with her, and so, as much as it pained him to do so, he forced himself to end their kiss before driving her home.
Katniss had seemed reluctant to end their kiss, but Peeta was resolute in his decision. No sex on the first date, not with her. They could wait to undress one another until they knew each other better. There was no rush, and Peeta needed to get things right with Katniss. There was no way he was ruining things with his dream woman by letting his dick make the decisions for him.
At her front door, Katniss gave Peeta a sweet goodnight kiss before thanking him for a wonderful evening.
“When can we see each other again?” she asked.
“I would love to see you again as soon as possible. Are you doing anything tomorrow?”
“Nope, no plans. Prim is out of town visiting our cousins, so it’s just me. I have the apartment all to myself until Monday afternoon.”
Fuck me, it’s going to be insanely difficult to walk away from her knowing she’s all alone the next two days.
“I could pick you up around nine, and we could go out for breakfast tomorrow if you want,” Peeta suggested.
Katniss gave him a coy look and replied, “We could do that, sure. Or you could come inside, stay the night, and we could enjoy breakfast in bed together.”
Dear God, she’s trying to kill me! How am I supposed to resist an offer like that? What do I do?
Peeta stood stock still as he debated his options. Katniss was giving him a come hither look and eye fucking him, he was sure of it. He knew what it looked like when a woman wanted sex, and Katniss clearly had only one thing on her mind. He was tempted by her offer, and though he wanted to stay strong, caved into the pressure. Katniss looked beautiful in the moonlight, and he couldn’t resist her.
“Okay,” he replied. “Breakfast in bed, it is.”
He followed Katniss inside her apartment and was surprised when instead of leading him to the living room, she took him straight to her bedroom.
Katniss shut the door even though they were the only people in her apartment and unceremoniously pushed Peeta on the bed before straddling him. She immediately started kissing his neck, suckling the skin near his pulse point as she started unbuttoning his shirt.
Holy crap, I guess we’re doing this! It’s happening! It’s finally fucking happening! I’m going to have sex with my student! Damn, that’s hot!
Though Peeta knew he was no longer Katniss’ professor, just the thought that only two days prior he had been off limits to her made his already hard erection swell almost to the point of pain. There was something insanely erotic about the forbidden nature of a teacher/student relationship that drove Peeta wild, and he gladly gave himself over to Katniss’ lust for him. He moaned as she started kissing further down his body, pushing his button up off his shoulders until he was shirtless.
Katniss sat back and looked at Peeta, taking in his naked torso for the first time. He hoped she would like his build once he was completely undressed, noting contentedly that she seemed to be eyeing him with appreciation. She started slowly running her hands over his abdomen, trailing her fingers through his happy trail before finally speaking.
“You are a fine, fine specimen, Professor Mellark,” she told him, as she leaned down and started licking his nipples, flicking each one with her perfect pink tongue. Peeta was surprised at how forward Katniss was being and was turned on beyond measure by her choice of words.
Oh fuck, does she want to role play? Because I’m so down for that!
“I’m glad you think so, Miss Everdeen,” he replied, not wanting to push her too far in case she wasn’t into teacher/student kink like he suspected.
“I confess I’ve been eyeing you all semester, staring at you every time you lean forward to write on the white board. You give me a perfect view of your ass whenever you do that. It’s a wonder I’m not failing your class with how distracted you make me. Tuesdays and Thursdays are my favorite days of the week by far.”
So maybe she really does want to play!
“Well, I regret to inform you that I’m extremely disappointed after grading your last paper. You’re now very close to failing Art History, I’m afraid.”
Katniss feigned a shocked look and replied, “Close to failing? But how? I worked so hard on that paper! Is there any way I can save my grade, Professor?”
Oh yes, this is what I’m talking about!
“There is one way, yes, but it will entail spending significant time with me, one on one.”
“Okay, I’m listening. What exactly do you need me to do? Because I’m willing to do anything! My scholarship depends on me getting an A in your class!”
Katniss stood up then, kicking off her heels before undoing the tie of her wrap top and sliding the blouse off her shoulders. She then shimmied out of her jeans, leaving her only in a barely-there lingerie set in a pale blue color.
Oh, my stars, she’s sexy! How did I get so lucky?
“If I take my bra off for you, would that entice you into raising my grade?”
Peeta nearly choked as Katniss undid the clasp of her lacy brassiere, swiftly removing it until her perfect, perky breasts were on full display. He stared at her unabashedly as he noted how lush and round they were. He was nearly panting as he watched her.
“Yes, yes, I think that would entice me into raising your grade a bit, Miss Everdeen. It’s a good start, anyway. That earns you at least a C.”
“What if I took off my panties? What kind of grade could I earn then?”
She slid the scrap of fabric that barely covered her most intimate place down her tan, lithe legs, stepping closer to Peeta as he ogled her naked body.
“A wise move. I’m certainly feeling more inclined to raise your grade a bit more now. I’m thinking you’ve earned a B.”
Katniss knelt before Peeta and undid the button on his jeans, unzipping them and sliding them off his legs. She then quickly removed his boxers before grasping his throbbing cock in her hands.
“Oh, Professor! Now I understand why they call you ‘Peeta Mellark, PhD.’ You’ve got a Pretty Huge Dick, sir!” she exclaimed, eyeing his erection hungrily.
Fuck, I’m going to go off like a geyser if she does what I think she’s about to do!
“What do I need to do to earn an A? Would this be enough?” she asked, before descending on his penis and engulfing it in her hot, wet mouth.
Peeta’s eyes rolled into the back of his head as Katniss began to work him, using her hands and tongue simultaneously to try to get him off. She bobbed her head up and down with enthusiasm, moaning around his cock as she continued to go down on him. He had never enjoyed getting head so much in his life. Katniss was clearly into what she was doing to him, and that made it all the more pleasurable for Peeta. He debated holding back but was so turned on by their role playing that he knew he needed to orgasm before attempting to have sex with her. If he didn’t come first, he would surely embarrass himself once he was inside her.
Peeta managed to keep his climax at bay a bit longer, before reaching a point where he couldn’t stop it even if he wanted to. He managed to stutter out, “I’m close, Katniss,” to which she merely moaned louder and increased her movements. No longer able to hold off, Peeta threw his head back and came, hard, down Katniss’ throat, crying her name out as he emptied himself inside her mouth.
After she had swallowed everything he gave her, Katniss wiped her mouth and sat back with a grin.
“Well, how did I do, Professor? Did I earn that A?”
Peeta reached for Katniss’ hands and pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her before giving her a gentle kiss.
“Katniss, that was amazing! I wasn’t expecting anything sexual to happen between us tonight. I would have been happy if our evening had ended earlier, so to have that happen was a wonderful and unexpected surprise. The teacher/student thing was hot as hell, too. I want you to know, though, that before you, I never looked at a student sexually. You’re the only one who ever came even close to getting my attention in that way. I don’t want you to think I’m into you because of the kink factor. Was it sexy as fuck that we just role played? Absolutely! Would I be down for that anytime you wanted it? Yes. But I won’t be the one to initiate that sexual dynamic between us, okay? I’ll gladly play anytime you want, but I need you to be the one to ask for it. I don’t ever want you to question why I want to be with you. It’s you I’m into, not my former student. I hope what I just said makes sense. I just feel like it’s important you know how I feel.”
Katniss snuggled into Peeta’s chest and replied, “I get it, Peeta. I never thought I’d be into one of my professors, either, until you. Though I thought what we just did was hot, too, and I’ll probably ask for it again someday, I want you to know that I’m not with you for kinky reasons, either. I would have been attracted to you if I had first seen you at the gym, or the grocery store, or the night club. It’s you I want, not my former professor.”
Katniss leaned forward and kissed Peeta tenderly, wrapping her legs around his waist. He felt his softened length start to harden again as her core made contact with him, greatly turned on by her amorous embrace.
“Peeta,” she told him. “I want you.”
“I want you, too.”
“Make love to me. Please.”
Peeta gently laid Katniss on the bed, kissing her thoroughly before watching her reach into the nightstand’s top drawer to retrieve a condom. She handed him the foil packet, and he pumped himself twice before opening it. He sheathed himself with the prophylactic, pinching the tip when it was securely on his shaft, then climbed on top of Katniss.
They kissed leisurely while he situated himself between her legs, before Katniss reached down and gripped his cock, sliding the tip inside her vagina. Peeta pushed forward slowly, groaning in pleasure as he felt her velvety walls envelop him. He hadn’t been with anyone in a year and a half, since before he had ended things with his ex Delly, and knew he wouldn’t be able to last long, despite his earlier orgasm.
Once he was all the way inside her, Peeta rested his forehead against Katniss’ and took a deep breath before telling her, “I haven’t done this in a while. I’ve been focused on work for the past year and a half, neglecting my personal life in the meantime. I apologize if this is quick. I promise I’ll take care of you after.”
Katniss kissed the tip of Peeta’s nose before smiling sweetly and replying, “It’s been even longer than that for me. I haven’t been with anyone in two years. I’m not worried about how things are going to go, or how long you last. You feel amazing, and I’m happy just being with you like this.”
Feeling more confident after hearing her words, Peeta started moving. He slid in and out of Katniss’ heat, bliss coursing through his body at the feel of her. She was deliciously tight, warm, and perfect. He was in heaven as they coupled, immensely glad he had taken the chance to ask her out. Everything they were doing felt amazing, and though he tried to fight it off, Peeta knew it wouldn’t be much longer before he came. Determined to make their sex good for her, he bent down and started licking her turgid nipples as she clenched her eyes shut and shouted, "Yes!"
He began pounding into her in earnest then, her moans of pleasure spurring him on, and she proceeded to meet him thrust for thrust as he continued suckling her breasts. He felt his second orgasm near just as Katniss grabbed his shoulders, squeezing his cock with her snug walls as she cried out, “Oh my God, Peeta, yes! Harder!”
Knowing he only had a few seconds before he climaxed due to the way she was tightly clenching around him, Peeta sped up his movements and used one of his fingers to rub Katniss’ clit. He was able to enjoy being inside her wet heat a bit longer before he felt himself empty inside the condom, his semen coming out in several extraordinarily euphoric spurts.
“Katniss!” Peeta moaned, as he came, feeling her start to flutter around him as she also reached her release.
As the feeling of ecstasy washed through his body, Peeta was certain he had never come so hard in his life. Both orgasms he had experienced with Katniss were mind blowing, and he knew he would never get enough of being with her. They clutched each other tightly as they rode out the end of their orgasms, both collapsing on the bed afterwards.
Peeta smiled at Katniss as he worked to catch his breath, caressing her hair as he told her, “That was perfect. You’re perfect.”
“It was pretty great, huh? I’m going to sleep like a rock tonight after that orgasm.”
Laughing, Peeta spooned with Katniss as they started to doze off, until his phone chimed with an incoming text.
“Do you need to get that?” she asked.
“No, they can wait. It’s just a text. I’m sure whatever it is can wait till the morning.”
Unfortunately for Peeta, his phone continued to ding with more incoming text messages. He tried to ignore it, but Katniss finally turned around in his arms and urged him to answer the phone.
“What if it’s an emergency?” she asked.
Peeta reluctantly untangled himself from the comfort of Katniss’ embrace to climb out of her bed and dig his phone out of his pants pocket. He saw that he had fifteen text messages, all from his parents.
His heart lurched in his chest, and his face must have betrayed his fear as he unlocked his phone, because he felt two small arms wrap around him in support.
Peeta’s fears were quieted when he saw that the messages were congratulatory. In his excitement over getting the chance to pursue Katniss without impediment, Peeta had forgotten to tell his parents about his promotion. He cringed as he realized he would have to find a way to make it up to them, since they had found out the news second hand from Rye.
Damn it, Mom is going to kill me!
“What is it, Peeta? Is everything okay?” Katniss asked, clearly worried.
“Well, it seems that in my haste to ask you out, I forgot to tell my parents about my recent promotion. They’re not very happy that they had to hear it from my brother instead of me.”
“Promotion? You didn’t mention a promotion! That’s amazing, Peeta! Congratulations!” she said, kissing him excitedly.
“Thank you! I was granted tenure at the university, along with the new title of Associate Professor. It’s a pretty big deal, and something I’ve been working towards for a long time. It’s the reason I haven’t dated in so long. I’ve been focusing all my efforts on reaching that goal.”
“We have to celebrate!” she said, as she ran, still naked, to her kitchen. Peeta followed, smiling as he saw Katniss reach for a martini glass and a champagne flute in her cupboard.
“I’m sorry they aren’t both the right type of glasses for champagne. It’s a wonder I even have bubbly at all, but Prim recently developed a taste for Sunday mimosas, so we tend to have at least one bottle around most of the time. It’s the cheap stuff, but it’s all we could afford on our student budgets,” she told him as she uncorked a bottle of Andre.
“It’s perfect, babe. Thank you. As long as I’m celebrating with you, it doesn’t matter what the champagne cost. Having you around is all I really need.”
They took their glasses to Katniss’ bed, sitting against the headboard together and laughing as they toasted to Peeta’s news and Katniss’ graduation.
Afterwards, as they were getting ready for bed, Peeta turned to Katniss and asked, “So, I know things between us are still very new, but how would you feel about meeting my parents tomorrow for brunch? My mom isn’t very happy with me at the moment, and I need to do some serious damage control. She’s been trying to set me up for the past year with one of her friend’s daughters, constantly telling me that I need to settle down, so bringing my sexy, smart, perfect girlfriend along would likely go a long way towards getting back into her good graces.”
Katniss smirked at him and replied, “Girlfriend, huh? Is that what I am?”
“Only if you want to be. It’s what I want to be able to call you, anyway.”
“Just to appease your mom?” she asked, wrapping her arms around him.
“No, definitely not just to appease my mom. I want you to be my girlfriend because I’ve been an absolute goner for you from the start, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. You meeting my parents and having them less angry at me as a result would just be the icing on the cake. I want to be with you for about a thousand reasons. It’s all I’ve wanted since September.”
“In that case, Professor, you have yourself both a girlfriend and a brunch date.”
THE END