Archive of Our Own

"There's a rumor going around about you and Everdeen," Finnick said casually, leaning back on the barstool and tipping his longneck bottle up to catch the dregs from the bottom. When the waitress caught his eye, he nodded in the affirmative, holding two fingers up.  A few beers might loosen his friend's lips.

One thing was sure; he wasn't letting Peeta off the hook tonight. Finnick had finally gotten him alone, and his plan was currently falling into his place- priming him with a few drinks in a comfortable setting before starting the interrogation. Finnick had every intention of prying some more information out of him. 

And really- what was the point of being so charming if you couldn't use it to your advantage sometimes? Besides, this conversation was for Peeta's good.

"Huh," Peeta replied. He glanced Finnick's way once before looking forward again. He fidgeted, his fingertip painting an endless circle on the worn surface of the bartop. It was a compulsive habit and one he wasn't even conscious of engaging in. 

It was also his tell. "Me and Katniss?" he continued.

Finnick turned on his barstool to face him. He studied Peeta thoughtfully, watching him squirm under his scrutiny. "Yep."

"People ought to learn to mind their own damn business," Peeta mumbled under his breath, in an unusually gloomy tone.

Finnick's mouth turned up in a knowing smile. "Aren't you going to humor me and ask what the rumors are about?"

"Not too hard to guess in this shithole town now, is it?" Peeta shook his head. "It's like two people of the opposite sex can't be seen together without everyone sticking their noses in your goddamn business."

Finnick laughed incredulously. Now he was getting somewhere! "Wow, calm down, big guy. I didn't mean anything by it."

Peeta took a deep swallow from the beer in his hand before sullenly answering him. "Whatever. Sorry, I don't mean to be so touchy," he added, letting out his breath and shrugging before drinking again. 

Finnick studied him in thoughtful silence. He could only watch his friend squirm for so long. "You know you'd be good for her, right?" he said in a tone of voice that you rarely heard crossing the lips of Finnick Odair.

Peeta shook his head, refusing to answer.

Dude's got it bad for Katniss, Finnick realized, which meant it was time to bypass the formalities. "Hey, you know what? You should tell her," he said bluntly. "Do it quick, like ripping off a bandaid or something."

"It's that simple, huh?" Peeta huffed, looking incredulously at his friend.

"No, because it's Katniss and you're in love with her," Peeta raised his eyebrows at that statement, but Finnick waved him off and kept talking- he didn't have time to explain that shit. Everybody knew about it. "So no, it's not simple. But don't you think it's worth taking the risk?"

Peeta shook his head. "I don't know, man. She's so hard to read; I don't know if she's into me or not, you know? What if I told her how I felt, and then she wouldn't talk to me afterward? I couldn't take it if she just ghosted me or something."

Finnick sighed. Peeta needed a confidence boost. "Kat wouldn't do that. Whether or not she's into you, she's your friend. It's obvious she cares about you."

More silence.

"Just think about it, okay?" 

"Sure, I'll think about it." Peeta looked down at his hands. "Fin?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell anyone what I said, alright? I don't want to feed the rumor mill."

Finnick slapped him on the back. "Your secret's safe with me, buddy."

Peeta's hand tightened on the gear lever as he shifted the truck into park, revving the gas several times and forcing the motor to downshift before taking his foot off the pedal. If he didn't, there was a good chance the pile of shit would stall out on him. It'd happened plenty of times before.

Katniss glanced his way, laughter dancing in her eyes. 

Peeta shrugged good-naturedly. "She's alright, just a little temperamental," he explained, turning the key towards himself to shut the truck off. It rattled and shook, jarring every joint in his body before eventually giving up the ghost. "Sorry about that."

"Nah, it's alright," she told him, raking a hand through the loose waves that hung down her back. She always took her hair down from her work bun as soon as Peeta pulled out of the parking lot of Clancy's Diner. He liked seeing her this way, looking carefree with her hair blowing in the wind.

"I'm used to old Gertie by now," she added. Gertrude was the name Peeta's nephew had bestowed on the rusted out, early-90's F150 his grandfather bequeathed him after graduation. "I'm just glad you gave me a ride home."

Peeta glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, trying not to make the way he was staring too obvious. She was so beautiful that it made him feel like dying inside, just from being next to her. It didn't make a bit of difference to him that she was in her dirty, grease-scented work uniform. 

Finnick was right- he was in love with her. Madly, stupidly in love with her. Not that Peeta had plans to do anything about it. It'd been a few weeks since Katniss had stopped talking to the latest guy she'd been involved with- "ghosting" was kind of what she was known for doing. 

One night over beers at Haymitch's Place, she'd confessed to Peeta that if she never actually admitted to dating anyone, then she didn't need to break up with them. Sound logic, right? She simply erased the unfortunate guy's number as if the digits were an unused app on her phone, never giving them a second thought like chaff blowing away in the Kansas wind, which was why Peeta chose to keep his feelings to himself.

The whole situation sucked, but he supposed it was better than not having her in his life at all. He couldn't even think about that possibility.

He's been giving her rides to and from work because the transmission in her old car blew. It seemed as though it was taking her cousin Gale forever to get the repairs done. Peeta'd been at her beck and call ever since (he was so stupid, he'd do anything for her). 

While this wasn't the first time he'd stepped in as her taxi service, this time around, it had people talking.

"I had three separate people ask me if we were dating today," Katniss told him abruptly, in that crazy way she had of coming directly to the point with no pretext of subtlety.

Peeta laughed, hoping it didn't sound too strained. This conversation was beginning to hit much too close to home. "You too? I got the third degree from Mrs. Miller when she picked up her order today."

"Crazy, huh?" Katniss said, shrugging her shoulders.

Not really, maybe they just see what you can't, he thought.

"Are you going to Haymitch's tonight?" she asked, pulling on the door handle to get out and head inside her house. Her eyes wandered over to him, landing on the spot where his fingertip was currently rubbing a circle into the dashboard of the truck.

"Yeah. Need a ride?" Peeta asked, trying not to sound too eager.

She shook her head in the negative. "Nah, Jo's gonna swing by and pick me up."

Peeta's hands dropped. "Alright, then. I'll see you later?"

Katniss hopped out of the truck, slamming the door shut behind her. 

Peeta laughed to himself and moved to start the truck up again- she couldn't even be counted on to finish a conversation. I need to forget this girl, he told himself, all the while fully aware that not thinking about Katniss would be like forgetting how to breathe. Impossible.

"Peeta?" she asked suddenly, startling him with her appearance on the driver's side of the truck. He thought she'd be back in the house by now.

"Hey, forget something?" He asked her easily because everything about the situation was easy. He was a moron who would do anything for her. 

Katniss shocked the hell out of him when she stood on her tiptoes and leaned into the cab of the truck, kissing him on the cheek. The contact was brief, but Peeta closed his eyes against the emotions that surged through him at the touch of her lips.

"Thank you," she said hesitantly, jumping back as if his skin had burned her. She turned on her heel and ran towards the house, but not before calling over her shoulder. "See you later!"

"Peeta?" Katniss stood next to the booth, holding out her hand in supplication. "Come dance with me, please?"

"What about Jo?" He asked, setting his bottle down on the table. Katniss and Jo had spent the last few songs dancing with girls their age near the small stage in the back corner of the bar.

Friday nights at Haymitch's featured a DJ playing top 40 country music, while Saturday's were the designated night for Karaoke with Effie.

"She's talking to some guy she knows from work. And besides," Katniss added like it should've been evident to him, "I wanna dance with you."

Finnick stared him down from the other side of the booth; his sea-green eyes narrowed speculatively. "What are you waiting for?" He asked, lifting the bottle to his lips. He hesitated before taking a drink, taking a moment to chastise Peeta first. "Don't make her beg; it's ungentlemanly." 

Peeta let out his breath in a rush of air. "Sure, I'll dance with you," he said, sliding out of the booth and onto his feet. It wasn't an unusual request from Katniss by any means- he found himself filling in as her dance partner often enough when she was between guys like she was right now. 

It's just that the familiarity of the situation didn't make it hurt any less. Peeta didn't like feeling like a placeholder- he was tired of pretending that she was his for a little while. He was tired of only getting to hold her on the dance floor in a sad mimicry of the way he wanted to have her if the two of them ever found themselves alone in the dark. 

Katniss took his hand in her much smaller one, hers soft and slightly sweaty from the exertion of dancing and the heat from the packed bodies pressing around them. She pulled him along through the crowd of people, weaving their way onto the tightly packed dance floor. They found a spot together just as the current song was ending. 

Peeta put his hands on her waist while she wrapped her arms around his neck. Damn, it felt so good to hold her this way. He sensed her relaxing into his touch and realized that he would give anything to know what she was thinking.

Just as Katniss laid her forehead in the space between his neck and shoulder, the opening chords began. Peeta let out a low groan as soon as he recognized the song. 

"Rumor... rumor..."

Peeta could feel her body tremble with laughter, pressed all around him like she was. He felt the words against his skin as much as he heard them come from her lips. "Some coincidence, huh?" Katniss asked, her breath tickling the sensitive skin of his neck.

Peeta swallowed hard. He closed his eyes, deciding to give in to the fantasy again. He was weak, and he wanted her so badly. Whatever part of her she'd give, he would gladly take because he was ravenous for her. They swayed to the music, and Peeta found himself singing along to the lyrics, even though he didn't have a musical bone in his body. 

" My boys are laughing and tap me on the shoulder

Making a motion like, "Could y'all get any closer?"

Katniss sighed, pressing closer to him as he sang along to the lyrics. Oh, it was going to be hard to come back from this moment. It was too perfect. It felt too real.

"So tell me why we even trying to deny this feeling

I feel it, don't you feel it too?"

Her fingers migrated up into the curls on the back of his head. Peeta could feel the slight sheen of sweat that was forming there. He couldn't be sure, but he'd swear that when she pressed her nose into the hollow of his neck, she smelled him- he'd felt the rush of air away from his skin. His hold at her waist tightened, and he pulled her close against him to feel every inch of her small, soft body pressed against his. 

If he was going to do this, hell, he might as well do it all the way.

Katniss had to feel the way he was responding to her nearness right now, as close as they were- their bodies flush against each other. He couldn't hide a bit of his desire for her. For once in his life, he wasn't going to try. 

If Peeta was going to fuck things up between them, well then, he was going to fuck them up thoroughly. He was tired of pretending, damn the consequences.

"Well I can shut 'em down, tell 'em all they're crazy

I can do whatever you want me to do, baby"

If she only knew- goddammit, what he wanted to do to her. Katniss shuddered in his arms, and Peeta pulled back a little to look down at her. His glance went from her wide grey eyes (luminous), to where her little pink tongue darted out to lick a line across her lips. He studied her mouth intently, hungrily. 

She swallowed then, her throat clenching and unclenching visibly. Katniss seemed to consider him for a moment, trapped in a place with only the two of them and an incredible wanting, before coming to a decision. She stood on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his.

Peeta broke open at that moment, at that first tentative touch of her lips. 

Fuck, fuck, fuck, he was drowning, panicking, but he couldn't stop kissing her. Her mouth parted under the pressure of his mouth, and she eagerly caressed her tongue against his, not seeming to care that they were on a crowded dance floor in their hometown where everyone knew every damn thing about the two of them.

After a moment where time stood still- he had no idea how long they'd stood there wrapped up in each other, she pulled back. "Peeta?" she asked tentatively, her voice shaking, "take me somewhere, please?"

"Yeah, yeah. Of course. Whatever you want," P breathed out, his hand trailing up her neck and pushing a loose tendril of hair behind her ear. She could have anything she wanted, anything at all.

"Okay, let's go then," Katniss said, taking his hand and threading their fingers together.  She answered his unspoken question with her next words. "I want to be alone with you."

Katniss and Peeta went back to their table to grab her stuff, not even bothering to make an excuse as to why they were leaving. 

Hell, everyone within a five-mile radius knew why they were leaving.

Finnick didn't make a big deal out of the situation, just grinned and told the pair, "Don't do anything that I wouldn't do."

Peeta wasn't exactly sure what it was that Fin wouldn't do, but the two of them only managed to make it about ten feet outside of the bar before Katniss was all over him again.  

Thank goodness Haymitch never got around to replacing that security light, Peeta thought as she shoved him into a dark alcove behind the building. She ran her hands beneath the soft cotton of his t-shirt, scraping her fingernails down his torso. "Kiss me," she begged him.

Katniss was a walking, talking contradiction.

She'd always been an impatient girl- and now I get to see this side of it, Peeta thought deliriously.

It was torturous how badly he wanted her- they hadn't even gotten started yet, and he was already light-headed from the lack of blood to his brain. When her hands wandered around to his lower back, and she dug her fingernails into his flesh there, he jerked against her instinctively- it felt as if a bolt of lightning had gone straight to his pelvis and her body was the only place to ground himself.

Peeta leaned into her then, pulling her tightly against him with a sound that he could only describe as a growl. It was fitting because now that he had her here, he wanted to eat her alive. He kissed her with renewed force.

Their hands were everywhere all at once. Katniss raked her fingers up and across the muscles of his back, where she grasped his shoulders before then trailing her fingers back down his spine. After a moment, she took her hands out to glide the palms of her hands up his arms. She squeezed his biceps and moaned loudly, and if Peeta weren't already so turned on, he would have laughed at her response. 

It was good to know the attraction was mutual, that she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. The realization made him feel bolder than he ever had in his life. Without a second thought, Peeta slid one hand down the back of her low-cut jeans and cupped the firm, smooth curve of her ass. He grunted at the feel of her soft skin, and when he gave her ass cheek a firm squeeze, it earned him a gasp from the back of her throat. 

Katniss Everdeen felt better than anything he'd ever touched in his entire fucking life.

In the meantime, his other hand ventured beneath her shirt and stroked the side of her breast. When his thumb made contact with her hard little nipple, she seemed to forget how to move her lips. Katniss stood there, panting heavily into the warm depths of his mouth while he teased her. 

He could feel the backs of her thighs clenching against the hand that Peeta held firm on her ass. With a mind of their own, his fingers began to drift lower as Katniss continued making those little noises that drove him crazy, and he was just a whisper away from touching her where he wanted to most of all when he stopped himself, pulling his hand out of the back of her pants abruptly. He needed to get her somewhere they wouldn't have a chance of being interrupted, and now, before he lost his mind and fucked her against the side of the bar. 

"Ummm... Peeta," Katniss moaned as he nuzzled behind her ear with the tip of his nose, kissing the smooth column of her neck. 

He slipped one hand inside the confines of her bra, and his cock gave a hard twitch when his fingers made contact with the impossibly smooth skin of her breast. The soft weight felt perfect in the palm of his hand like her body was made just for him. His other arm was across the back of the seat, his hand buried in her hair, keeping her face pressed closely against his lips. 

They were in the back corner of the parking lot of Haymitch's, still upright but just barely. 

Katniss's hands were on the button of her jeans, trying to unfasten them, but she acted as if she couldn't get her hands to work.

Peeta was glad she hadn't managed it yet because he felt so turned on at that point, he was sure he'd go off like a rocket if she got anywhere near his cock. He was trying to slow down the pace- he wanted to touch her first and get her good and ready for him because he'd rather die than disappoint Katniss. This night might be my only chance, he thought, grimly but with confidence in his abilities- he was sure he could get her there first, just as long as she slowed down soon.

I've got to make this good.

Only a moment later, she gave a triumphant "hah!" sitting up just far enough to shuck off her pants. She kept her underwear on, for now, just a basic pair of black bikinis but damn, Peeta had never seen anything like it because it was Katniss in her underwear with him.

How'd I get so fucking lucky? He asked himself.

Quickly, she got up on her knees and crawled onto his lap, settling over his still covered lap. When she lowered herself down and ground roughly against his erection, stars danced behind his eyes. He moaned as loudly as she did. The feel of her there was incredible; even through the layers of their clothes, she was hot and damp. His hands went to the backs of her thighs, and Peeta stroked her ass, slipping his fingers beneath the layer of cotton as she rubbed herself against him relentlessly.

Katniss buried her face in the side of his neck, panting against his skin as she kept going and going, not giving him even a second to collect himself. She must have found a rhythm that was doing something for her because she started shouting- "Oh, fuck, oh god," as she ground down on him even harder.

Holy shit, Katniss was loud. He'd love to hear her scream in the safety of his apartment or bed, but not here in this very public parking lot where someone could easily walk by any minute. 

Although he was nervous about being caught, Peeta still had to grit his teeth and try to stave off the tightening in his balls, the tingling feeling at the base of his spine. The friction was too much- he had to get her to stop if he didn't- "Katniss," he grunted out, "slow down, please."

And then, oh god no, it was too late. Peeta's orgasm hit him then, hard like a knockout punch. His pelvis crashed into hers as he gripped her hips, grinding himself desperately against the damp heat of her panties while his cock pulsed in release inside his pants. 

Distantly he heard her go quiet and then felt her legs lock around him like a vise. Like she was still- he didn't know what had happened to her but-

Fuck, fuck, fuck- that could not have just happened to him!

He panicked. Peeta didn't want to open his eyes, didn't want to see the disappointment painted there.

A second later, he had to look when Katniss scrambled off of his lap. To his horror, she didn't say a word, just grabbed her wadded up jeans from the floor of his truck and shook them out, all the while not looking at him even once.

Peeta swore, his heart sank below the ground's surface as he watched her. "What are you-" he began.

"I've got to go," she said abruptly, tilting her hips to slide the jeans back up around her hips, before buttoning and zipping them back up. "I'm sorry, I...I have to go." She slipped a sandal on one foot and then the other.

"Go?" he said softly, his voice defeated. "Look, Katniss, I'm sorry I just-"

"No, no. Peeta don't; it's just, it's not. I have to go. I'm sure Jo's still inside, I'll have her take me home. I'm sorry." And with that, she slid across his seat, opened his passenger side door, and took off into the night, leaving him alone with his cum soaked pants and no way to go after her.

Peeta sat and watched her, making sure that when the door to the bar opened again, he could see the outline of her walking back inside. Once the door shut behind her, Peeta started the truck back up. No matter what had just happened between them, no matter what she thought of him, he would always make sure that she was safe. 

"Son of a fucking bitch," he swore, turning on his headlights. He'd never hated himself more than that exact moment in time. He'd fucking ruined everything.

Peeta plopped on the couch, stretching his sweatpant-clad legs out to prop his feet on the end of the coffee table. His phone was in one hand, the other compulsively running through his shower-damp hair. He just needed to get this conversation over with, and then he could head to bed and try to forget this epic shit-show of an evening had ever happened.

Peeta couldn't stop thinking about the fact that he'd been so close to having everything he wanted, just to have his body betray him that way. 

But then again, was he ever really close? He didn't have a clue as to what was going on in Katniss's head, and tonight had made that fact more glaringly apparent than ever.

Stupid Finnick and his stupid fucking advice. "She didn't say anything to me when she came in- just asked Jo to take her home." There was a pause in the conversation. "Are you sure you don't want to tell me what happened? I'm a good listener," Finnick added. "Maybe we can figure out your next move."

Peeta's laugh was pure acid. "There's no next move, Fin. I'll be lucky if she speaks to me again." 

"Okay, I don't mean to sound like an asshole here or anything, but you didn't try to force-"

Peeta quickly interrupted him, his voice angry. "No, no. It wasn't like that. Seriously Fin?" 

He heard Finnick let out a breath. "Okay, look, I didn't think that's what happened. She looked like she was into it while you guys were dancing."

You could say that Peeta thought wryly.  Katniss had been every bit as aggressive as he'd been with her, maybe even more so. That was the most confusing part.  Yeah, it was understandable that she would've been disappointed, but to just run off like that? He didn't get it. And besides, it's not like that had to be the end. She could have given him a little more credit than that.

"I wouldn't do that," he reiterated, mildly insulted that his friend would ask that question while the rational part of his mind understood where Finnick was coming from with that particular question.

"No, I know. I didn't think so, I just had to make sure," Finnick said, quickly, as if he'd just needed to get the words out.

"Okay." More silence over the line.

"Hey, come on- all hope can't be lost!" Finnick said, trying again. "I'm telling you, that girl-"

Peeta interrupted the pep talk when he heard a knock at his front door. "Hold that thought, Fin, someone's here," he said, hopping off the couch and heading for the door; when he reached it, he closed one eye and looked through the peephole. He figured it was probably just his neighbor's pizza delivery guy; they'd come to his place several times in the past. 

But no, it wasn't pizza. It was Katniss. "Fin, I gotta let you go. Talk to you later?" Peeta said, not giving anything away as he unlocked the door. Finnick didn't need to know she was here. If it had been anyone but Katniss, he probably would have hesitated or acted like he wasn't home after this awful night, but it was late, and he knew she still didn't have a car. God only knew how she got here. 

"Sure, I'll-" Finnick began. 

Peeta hung up. He may have taken a little bit of satisfaction in the gesture. Quickly, he opened the door, coming face to face with Katniss. 

"Hi," she said, looking small and nervous. 

He watched as she bit her lip. "What are you doing here?' Peeta asked, more brusquely than he meant to. Knock it off, Mellark.  He knew he didn't have a right to be angry with her. She had every right to change her mind about having sex with him; she didn't owe him anything. Peeta checked himself before speaking again, making sure that this time his voice was softer. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

She nodded curtly, looking down at her feet. 

"Do you want to come in?" he asked when she didn't offer anything else.

She stepped quickly over the threshold like she was afraid he'd change his mind, while Peeta stood back and made room for her, careful not to touch her. 

He didn't know what she expected from him now.

"Thanks for letting me in," Katniss told him as he shut the door.

Peeta shrugged, one hand still on the knob. "You're always welcome here," he said simply. And it was true, no matter what had gone down between them tonight. At least she was still talking to him. "Do you want a beer?" he asked, going to his fridge. 

"Sure," she said, walking into the living room and sitting down on his couch. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her slipping off her sandals. She tucked her feet beneath her legs.

Katniss had changed out of the jeans she'd been wearing at the bar earlier that night- (Or was it last night? He snuck a quick look at his microwave clock- 12:08. Yeah, last night.) into a pair of shorts and, I shouldn't be staring at her, but god, her legs were on full display. His fingers twitched at the memory of her in those little black panties and the way she looked with her legs spread around him. He thought about the way it'd felt to have his hands on her ass, her breasts. And then-

Shit. Peeta's hands weren't the only thing twitching.

He popped the cap off his beer and took a long drink.

Calm down.

Peeta grabbed a beer for Katniss, shutting the refrigerator door with his elbow, and walking into the living room. He handed her the extra bottle before sitting down on the far end of the couch. 

"Thanks," she said.

They sat in silence for a moment. The tension was thick around the pair, but Peeta waited for her to speak. To be honest, he was entirely out of his element. He didn't have a clue where this visit was leading.

Katniss sat her beer down on the coffee table with a sigh. She twisted in her seat, facing him fully. 

Peeta looked steadfastly ahead. He didn't trust himself not to try and look up the bottom of her shorts.

She let out a breath. "I'm sorry, Peeta," she said softly. "I just-"

"You don't need to apologize to me, Katniss. You don't owe me anything," he interrupted her because he had to. Peeta didn't think he could take hearing how disappointed she'd been or how she'd changed her mind about being with him tonight. All of it would hurt too badly. "Let's just put it behind us. We can act like it never happened."

"Is that what you want?" she asked.

He'd swear she sounded disappointed. "I want whatever you want," Peeta told her.

She bit her lip. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I just want you to be happy. And," he hesitated before deciding just to be a man and apologize. "I'm sorry it ended that way. I couldn't help it, you were just so sexy, and I tried to get you to slow down-"

"What are you talking about?" She interrupted him. "I'm the one who...you know ...and then I freaked out and left you high and dry!"

"Umm, what?"

Katniss scowled at him. "I left you all wound up after I," her voice dropped to a whisper, "pretty much just used you to get myself off. You must hate me."

Was she serious?

"Umm, I'm sorry for giving you blue balls," Katniss told him sheepishly. "I was just so embarrassed because I acted like that with you. I like you, Peeta."

He burst out laughing then. "You didn't leave me with blue balls," he said, trying to keep a straight face.

Her face turned bright red. "Come on; I know you were excited."

"Katniss?" he began, once his laughter was under control. "Look at me, please."

She met his eye then, her cheeks flushed a beautiful shade of pink. 

"Trust me, you didn't leave me, uh… frustrated," Peeta reiterated, "the only reason I didn't go after you was because I couldn't."

"You couldn't? You- Oh," she said, the realization hitting her all at once. Katniss bit her lip, trying to contain the snort that threatened to escape from her lips.

He grinned at her, his smile so wide his face hurt. 

"And that's why you stayed in the truck?" she whispered.

"Yep," he said.

Katniss exhaled heavily. "Peeta- oh my god," she said, moving closer to him on the couch, "I instantly regretted taking off." She shook her head at the memory of her earlier actions. "I hoped you'd come after me, and then when you didn't, I figured you were pissed off."

"No, confused maybe, but not pissed. Not at you, at least," Peeta admitted. "With myself? A little."

"I'm such an idiot," she told him, her gaze focusing more intently on his face. 

Peeta couldn't help but notice the way she stared at his mouth, her gaze sending a wave of heat directly to his groin. He suddenly found it very hard to breathe.

"I've spent the last couple of hours psyching myself up to come over and apologize," Katniss admitted; he watched, transfixed, as she sat up on her knees until her face was level with his. She leaned in to get closer. "Could we try again?" She whispered.

Peeta swallowed roughly. "Is that what you want?" he asked.

She nodded. Peeta groaned, lifting his hand to stroke her face with the tips of his fingers, using a gentle caress against her soft skin.

Katniss leaned in, connecting her lips with his.

"Oh, Peeta..." Katniss moaned as he sank inside the wet softness of her body. 

Peeta felt her walls flutter around him then, and it tore a groan from his throat. He lowered his mouth to her perfect bare breast, licking a slow circle around her nipple before sucking the hard bud into his mouth. "Oh, OH!" she cried as he tugged at it, grinding his hips against her simultaneously. 

He grinned against her skin- Katniss was so fucking loud, It was amazing!

"I'm not, oh god, sorry about shooting my load in the truck earlier now, oh dammit," Peeta swore as he felt her walls clutch around him. He realized what was happening when the pressure wouldn't let up. "Already?" he panted, lifting his head to look at her beautifully tortured face.

Was she coming again? Already? 

That had to be, what, the third time? He'd just spent the best half-hour (give or take) of his life going down on Katniss, and he knew he'd wrung at least two out of her then. 

"Yes, OH !" she shouted, arching up into him. Peeta grit his teeth, fighting through the intense pressure in his groin as he pumped into her, drawing out her pleasure.

Eventually, he felt it when her walls relaxed around him, and he pulled out for a moment, staring down at her lying flushed and sweaty and gorgeous underneath him, the fulfillment of every fantasy he'd ever had.

"Roll over baby," Peeta told her, his hand on her hip as he eased her over onto her stomach. "We're just getting started."

He was never letting her out of this bed.

"So, what does this mean?" Katniss asked him after. They lay together in his damp sheets, their arms and legs tangled up, staring into each other's eyes. 

Peeta smiled at her tentative question, leaning over and kissing her softly. "It means the rumors are true, I suppose. Is that alright?" he asked.

Katniss smiled against his lips. "Perfectly," she said. "Besides, there's always some truth to those pesky things, isn't there?"

"There's a hell of a lot of truth to this one," he quipped, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close.