With a curse Katniss flings the sheets from her legs and swings her feet to the icy floor. Blowing bangs from her eyes she glares at the clock on her nightstand. Three in the fucking morning and it's on again, on repeat, and pulsing through her bedroom wall… the same fucking song over and over and she has had it.
All week this has happened and at work every morning she's felt and looked like she could be an extra on The Walking Dead. She needs sleep and her new neighbor is going to feel her wrath and he is going to feel it now.
She wraps a thin robe around her shoulders and wrenches the door open. Within seconds she pounds with an angry fist on 12B.
Heavy footsteps sound a moment later and all the fatigue and frustration ignite in her chest and begin to burn up her throat. But as he swings the door open the angry words freeze on her tongue.
Her gray eyes meet his. They are desperate and a startling blue in his young face and already apologetic. He's broad shouldered with mussed blonde waves and has a screaming infant cradled to his chest.
"Oh my god I am so sorry." He shifts as the tiny bundle of flailing limbs lets out another wail. The little face is red with petulant rage and tiny pink lips quiver as fat tears stream down smooth round cheeks.
"She's getting her first tooth and I wasn't prepared for it and god I don't know what I'm doing I know she's loud." He brings the little head full of brown curls up to his shoulder and his wide palm cradles it as he starts to bounce and sway. It's the dance of most parents with a screaming infant though in this case it seems to be doing no good.
She looks to be at least six months old if Katniss calculates it right. It's been a long time since Prim was that little but stepping in as Mom when you're only in middle school kind of brands overwhelming memories in one's mind.
There's a rasp to the cries like the tiny voice is going hoarse and the sound combined with the wince of worry it brings to her neighbor's eyes makes Katniss soften.
Leaning tiredly against the doorframe she tightens her robe around her waist and pushes her hair off her face. "It's fine. It's actually…it's the song. I think we share a wall or something and it just plays over and over and I can't sleep through it."
Those big blue eyes widen. They'd be truly striking framed by lashes long and gold if not for the bags beneath them and the dark circles that bruise their beauty. Flustered he spins in a circle and it looks like for one exhausted moment he's already forgotten what he was going to do.
He stops and Katniss can't help but smile softly at his lost expression. His hair curls slightly and is sticking up in ten different directions. He looks tired and confused as he stumbles over toys on the living room floor headed towards the IPod dock in the corner.
He hits his shin on a baby swing and curses colorfully hopping on one foot. This just makes him look down in horror before shutting the music off making the room eerily quiet between the wails and whimpers.
Looking at Katniss he whispers with a wince, "Do you think she knows what I said?"
God he's actually adorable.
Finding herself smiling Katniss has to shake her head because seriously what is she thinking? The mom is probably around here somewhere or at work or something. "I'm pretty sure you're good."
With a grateful smile he begins bouncing the baby again and looks at her, "I'm sorry again. I'm still pretty new at this and the first night she woke up screaming that song seemed to help. Or it calmed her down long enough anyway for me to call the pediatrician convinced she was dying of some terrible trauma or something. I guess I haven't gotten to the chapter about teeth and how I may never sleep again…"
His voice is nice. Kind of soft and scratchy she's sure from fatigue but she likes the sound of it. He rambles not really seeming to realize that it is three in the morning and they don't even know each other as he makes his way back in front of her at the door.
Nodding but straightening up Katniss smiles in what she hopes is understanding. "I remember my sister cutting teeth it's fine. I hope she feels better. Your daughter is beautiful."
At her smile he seems kind of frozen, staring at her lips just long enough to be almost uncomfortable. For some reason she notices the freckles on his cheeks the longer he stands there and then he shakes his head. "Oh she's not my daughter. Well she is, but, god it is just a really long story. She's my niece but I adopted her. This is only our second week here though and well it has been an adjustment."
He shrugs sheepishly shushing and swaying. "Obviously…being a single guy and everything…I mean I hardly know how to take care of myself."
He blinks at her and his smile this time is a little shy and for some reason makes Katniss blush and fidget as she tucks some hair behind her ear. "Oh. Well wow okay. Welcome to the building I guess. I mean I'm a shitty neighbor for not saying so sooner...fuck...oh god sorry." She covers her mouth and rolls her eyes. Get it together Everdeen.
He shakes his head. "Hey. We agreed she's oblivious thank god." He's begun rubbing small soothing circles on the baby's back which has seemed to make her relax as her soft little head rests on his shoulder. Her big blue eyes not unlike her uncle's don't close though, they just watch like taking in the world at this hour is normal.
Rocking from side to side he kisses her forehead and laughs softly. "God you must be exhausted. We've kept you up all week and I haven't even introduced myself." Bracing his niece with one noticeably sturdy arm he reaches his hand forward and she takes it. His skin is warm and his grip firm.
Smiling again and staring into her eyes just a little too long he says, "I'm Peeta…and this is Adelyn."
Conscious of their hands still clasped but no longer moving she answers, "Katniss."
"It's very nice to meet you Katniss."
He still holds her hand and heat begins to climb her neck but for some reason she can't look away. Not from those eyes or the way he holds the baby to his chest, or the way his lashes tangle when he blinks. She just stares back. Licks her lips. Kind of forgets how to breathe when his eyes fall upon them and never leave.
She has no idea what is happening between her and this stranger at this god awful hour. But she's certain she doesn't want it to stop and that for some reason it feels like it would have happened anyway.
This is why she physically jumps when little Adelyn lets out a blood curdling scream between them.
Two Months Later
Rubbing sleep from her eyes she looks around her room trying to orient herself and that is when she hears the soft knocking.
Blinking at the clock the sighs and as has become routine she grabs her robe and is knotting her hair on top of her head as she goes to her door.
She already knows that it is Peeta behind it. If it isn't it is a serial murderer and at this point she is so tired death might be preferable to existence so she swings the door open without even looking through the peephole.
"We're here to finish you off sweetheart?" He says it with a soft lift of his eyebrow and a questioning apology in his voice but she just moves out of the doorway and lets him and the screaming tiny Addy through before shutting it behind them.
See for the past few months she and Peeta had developed an unexpected friendship. They'd mutually chosen to pretend that one awkward moment that first night had never happened and somehow eased quickly into neighbors that share dinner and Netflix dates several nights a week. It probably had something to do with their shared fatigue due to a shared wall and a little girl with unhappy gums.
In the end it is what lead to their current unorthodox arrangement.
A few nights after that first one Katniss quickly realized that Adelyn was not going to be sleeping silently through the night anytime soon. She found herself knocking again on Peeta's door.
He had looked so miserable she hadn't even hesitated walking into his home and he full on gaped at her when she lifted the flailing angry child from his arms and began to shush and bounce her around the room.
When he'd left to make a bottle Katniss had started to rock her and then sing softly the words to her favored lullaby. It took her several minutes to notice Peeta watching in awe from the doorway as her voice rang through the room, Addy sound asleep on Katniss's chest.
From then on they alternated showing up at the other's door when the cries started every night.
Like some convoluted tag team parenting they took turns rocking and soothing and even though it was totally unconventional they found they were both getting enough sleep to feel human so it continued.
Which is really all either of them could ask for at this point.
Trudging barefoot to her couch Peeta drops the diaper bag on the cushions and Katniss settles on the ancient recliner she's had since college and holds out her arms.
He can't help but grin apologetically and as is always the case he somehow charms a smile right back from her. Even in the middle of the night. The adorable asshole and his freckles and teeth and dimple have some kind of dark magic as far as she's concerned.
Addy nuzzles against the worn cotton of Katniss's tank top and blinks at her with blue eyes far too wise and a satisfied smile on her mouth. She knows what she's doing as she whimpers just enough to be convincing. When softly Katniss begins to sing she sighs.
And Katniss sighs back. Because to be honest she's fallen pretty hard for the little cherub in her arms. With the softness of her dark curls and the way she waves her arms when Katniss walks into a room. How her skin smells when she's asleep and the spastic little bounce she does on her knees because she could start crawling any day. She's an irresistibly happy little girl as long as it isn't the middle of the night and without even meaning too she's fallen a little bit more every day.
Focusing on how she feels for the eight month old is a wonderful distraction from how she feels for her adoptive father.
Peeta lays his head back on the couch and watches them rock, and her sing. He looks tired but handsome. He always looks so handsome. It would be truly great if who he was, wasn't just as beautiful. But it wouldn't be true because he's one of the best people she's ever met.
He's twenty-four and had been thriving downtown as a graphics designer when he heard the news about his older brother and his girlfriend. They'd taken off and abandoned their infant and not a week later had passed in a car accident. He doesn't talk about it much but there seems to be a long painful backstory full of addiction and his niece was just the final innocent to be hurt by his sibling.
Peeta never hesitated. He gave up his job and moved home, went back to work for his father and became one to his niece.
Watching him with her is pretty incredible. He flounders a lot and panics even more and the way he looks wearing these enormous black rimmed reading glasses as he obsesses over new chapters in What to Expect Their First Year is grossly precious.
He always thinks Addy's sick and bought out Babies R Us to childproof his apartment. Then he had to watch a YouTube video to figure out how to lift his own toilet seat when he was done. Because ya know…she could fall in.
When he's not unsure though it is like she belongs in his arms. The way he watches her take in the world is mesmerizing. Katniss becomes fixated on his expressions, on the awe that takes over his face when Addy learns something new. Katniss can tell she feels safe with him and his face is never as content as when she rests on his chest. Her dark little head so small beneath his hands. You would never know she wasn't his.
Which is wrong Katniss guesses because she is. That is how love really works and it is extraordinarily beautiful.
Once the soft sound of even breathing are the only noises leaving tiny lips Katniss rises and walks over and lays her in the little portable pack and play Peeta leaves at her place. Stretching her back slightly she flops backwards onto the couch next to Peeta and lays her head back to look at him.
There faces are only inches apart.
His lids are shut so she thinks he must be asleep until his lips lift. Without ever opening his eyes he whispers. "I can't blame her ya know."
"Hmmm?" Turning she meets the one blue eye he squints at her.
"Your voice. I heard it the day I moved in. You must have come from a walk or something and you were singing along with your IPod and I literally had to stop and listen until you went around the corner."
She blushes and even though he can't see her in the darkened room he grins because he knows compliments aren't her thing.
Laughing softly he closes his eyes again. "We never stood a chance." He says it on a sigh and kind of rubs his hand over his heart leaving it there like just hearing her sing branded her beneath his ribs.
Watching them rise and fall as he breathes and how his shirt tightens over his chest captivates her as much as his gentle breathing and she feels her eyes begin to close.
She decides it is time to go back to bed so she goes to stand. But as she does she feels Peeta softly grab her wrist and pull her back.
He blinks at her a moment and then whispers, "Stay."
Laying back he scoots over enough for her to lie down as well.
She should go to bed. She should but there is something about being here with him tired and with heavy limbs, something about feeling the warmth of his body and listening to him breathe that makes her nod her head instead. "Okay. I'll stay."
She wakes up warm pressed to something solid that smells like spice. Stretching she opens her eyes and remembers where she is and who she's with. Sometime in the last few hours they've moved so Peeta's face is now inches from her own, her back is pressed against the couch and she's caged in from the heat of him. It feels nice, safe even with his fingers at her hip just beneath her shirt and his ankle between her feet.
The moonlight from the window lights the room enough to study his face so close. How his lips purse softly in sleep and how the hair on his neck and jaw haven't been shaved in a few days.
He looks peaceful which makes her smile softly.
She's not sure why but Katniss lifts her hand to trace from his cheek to his mouth. His exhales feel warm and wet against her fingertips.
Her heart begins to pound. It's amazing he can't feel it beating from her ribs against his. Because she realizes how much she wants to kiss him, how all she'd have to do is lean.
She wants to know what he tastes like, the feel of his hands, and she needs to know the sounds he'd make if she touched him as well.
Want and need. They burn so intensely within her for this man it steals the breath from her lungs and she knows she needs to move before she does something to really fuck this whole friendship up.
Gently untangling her legs she listens to make sure he's still sleeping. Then she braces her weight with her arms and slowly swings one leg over his waist trying to reach the floor. But before her toes touch carpet Peeta shifts onto his back the hand on her hip tightening enough that she's pulled against him, over him, and he's hard.
Oh my god he's big and so hard between her legs and she can't breathe.
She waits another ten seconds watching his face in the moonlight before again trying to move. But now, with her weight settled over his groin her movement stimulates him in his sleep just enough that he suddenly drives his hips up making her eyes want to roll back up in her head and a long low moan escape her mouth.
The sound is soft but in the quiet room it might as well have been an alarm. Because when she looks down Peeta is awake and looking up. His eyes are wide and dark as he looks from her face to her breasts inches from his face, and to where she is essentially straddling his very big, very erect dick. Shit.
His fingers that are still on her hip flex but they don't leave, in fact they tighten.
He blinks, licks his lips, and his chest begins to rise with rapid hot breaths that she can feel wet against the skin of her collarbone. Then he looks up at her and slowly rolls his hips between her thighs.
This time she gasps.
It makes his pupils fat and his mouth fall open. Then he does it again. And again and after a few thrusts Katniss grinds back down making him groan.
They don't kiss. It's like they are scared to change anything. Like if one of them lean forward the spell will be broken.
So she just braces her hands on his chest as his own drag her against him over and over.
It might go on for minutes, maybe hours she's not sure but soon they're panting and biting backs soft sighs and moans. Sweat begins to beads at Peeta's hairline and Katniss knows she's close and hates her body for ever wanting this to end.
When she does come it is sudden and hard. Her fingers clench into the cotton of his shirt and her thrusts become frantic and fast before her body goes still and tight. Her mouth falls open and oh god she twitches beneath his palms and has to bite her lip to keep from screaming.
The sound of his voice is what makes her open her eyes. He curses. Just one long, "Fuuuuuuuck" whispered into the room.
His face is awestruck and his nostrils flare and Katniss panics because the moment is over and he's still hard and what the hell are they doing?
She almost falls on her ass. This would be mortifying if she weren't just trying to move as quickly as possible as she stumbles on her feet and darts out of the room. When she gets to the kitchen she just spins in a circle pushing her hair out of her eyes.
There's nowhere to run. Shit and running is Katniss's thing and why the hell are they at her apartment? It would be so much more convenient to sprint away from his place.
With the breathing of the panicked and sexually satisfied she looks around the room and winces when she hears him hissing her name from the hall. There's a bottle in the sink. A pacifier and sticky bib on the counter and Katniss knows if she were to open the cupboard she'd see baby spoons and cereal and jars of the ridiculously expensive organic baby food Peeta insists on buying.
Addy hates carrots.
Both their faces smiles back at her from the front of the refrigerator. When did this happen? How? What will she do if she has fucked this up and they are no longer in her life?
She won't survive it because with a gasp she realizes she's in love with them.
Both of them.
"Katniss!"
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
Grabbing a cup she fills it with water to have something to do. When he stumbles into the room blinking at the bright light she proceeds to chug it. She's pretty sure she can just drink water until he gets tired and goes away. I mean she'll die of water poisoning but that doesn't sound so bad.
"Katniss."
She closes her eyes. When she opens them he's moved across the room close enough that he can meet her eyes over the glass. Then his fingers cover hers and pull it away.
"Are you not going to talk to me?" He raises an eyebrow and waits.
His patience is absolutely irritating.
"I'm not good at saying something."
Still he waits. Asshole. Hot as hell asshole that she dry humped into the best orgasm of her life. Asshole who she's in love with. This is such a mistake. She's just going to have to out wait him. Then she can make an excuse to go to bed and pray they pretend this never happened.
When stubbornly Katniss lifts her chin it makes him smile. His lips twitch and lift on one side and he shakes his head. "You win. You always will."
What does he mean always?
That smile grows into a grin when he steps closer and she steps away. A soft laugh escapes his mouth when after a couple more steps she's backed into the fridge he's effectively got her trapped.
"It's a good thing I happen to be great at saying something."
She flexes hers toes against the tile beneath them and plays with the drawstring on her pajama pants and basically tries to keep breathing with him so close. She looks everywhere but at him.
Leaning into her he lifts her chin so their eyes meet. They are so blue. "You know…I wanted you the first time I saw you? Grumpy and tired as hell knocking on my door…I wanted you so much. I was going on ten minutes of sleep and had a screaming baby in my arms and not a fucking clue what I was doing and I wanted to just cross the room and kiss that damn scowl off your mouth without even knowing your name."
This of course makes her scowl now and confused she tries to quell the surge of hope in her chest.
Looking at her lips he continues. "It didn't take but one episode of Orphan Black to know I liked you. Listening to you laugh and watching you eat half a pizza was the best time I'd had in years and it scared me because you kept coming back and I liked you even more."
He runs his nose along her hair and reaches drawing a long line from her shoulder down to her wrist. There he makes small circles over her pulse.
Her legs begin to tremble as his voice gets quiet.
She can feel the heat of his words against her cheek. "I fell in love with you watching you sing to her. Just like that. I was a goner…and just a seriously terrified idiot because I knew it was forever for me and couldn't tell you."
He pauses, "Because you had to fall in love first. You had to fall in love with her."
His voice shakes a little. "See she and I are a package deal. She's it for me. Everything. It wouldn't have mattered if you loved me back…if you didn't just worship her. That's a big job to just volunteer for. But you did. And you love her. I see it. You love her so much Katniss."
Closing his eyes he rests his forehead against hers and both there heartbeats pound between them. "So. That meant it was time to tell you. So even though I'm pretty much scared shitless you are going to pull your bow out of your closet or look at me like I'm crazy before sprinting from your own home I need to say it out loud…at least once."
Pulling back so there eyes meet he whispers. "I love you."
The words lay quiet in the air between them before he goes on, "You love me too?"
She looks at his face, between his eyes. She thinks of his smiles and how he hugs her goodbye and how his skin smells like laundry and autumn. Of his voice when he talks to his daughter and how her heart pounds when she sees both of them and aches when they aren't around. She wants them around. Always.
So with a shaky breath she puts her hand on his cheek and says, "Yes."
Leaning into her palm he smiles and then literally sighs so loud it makes her laugh.
"Oh my god I thought I was going to freak you out."
"Well you still kind of did but I'm not going anywhere."
Grinning he nods and places his hands on her hips. "Katniss Everdeen. I am going to kiss you now."
Smiling back she says, "I'll allow it."
She keeps her eyes open until the last moment. Long enough to see his long lashes drift to his cheeks. Then it is just a soft brush of his lips and nudge of his nose. His breath warm into her mouth. He takes her top lip between his own and then his tongue smooth and wet traces just alongside hers and she sinks into it. His hair is silky between her fingers when she pulls him against her and they both laugh when the fridge rattles.
Then he's kissing her harder. He's biting into her mouth and pulling her against him by handfuls of her ass and cursing into her neck as he grows hard against her stomach.
She's dizzy with touching him. With the words he said and the way he tastes. With the way his hands are climbing beneath her tank top and just palming her breasts when…
"Dadadaddddddddddaaaaa! Katnaaaaaaa!"
Their mouths spring apart so fast and hard Katniss hits her head on the refrigerator and Peeta backs into the counter banging the back of his heel and cursing with abandon. They look at each other frozen for just a second like they don't know what to do. Peeta's hair stands on end and his lips are swollen. His pants are obviously tented and the whole thing is so ridiculous they both just start to laugh.
Pointing at his pants his eyes widen. "You have to go get her!"
Covering her mouth she shakes her head. She actually giggles and feels like she could just collapse on the ground but he keeps gesturing for her to leave. "Okay okay! I'll go."
She prepares a bottle and smirks when she turns to see Peeta wincing trying to tuck himself into the band of his sweats and he's so hard it isn't working.
Brushing a kiss to his mouth she says, "You made me come before you even kissed me."
He groans and gives up as she goes to leave the room.
Right before she does Peeta gets her attention, "Katniss?"
She turns around in the doorway. "Yeah?"
He looks at her like she's his whole world. "You love us. Real or not real?"
Katniss smiles and runs across the room to kiss his grinning mouth. The bottle sloshes between them when she says against his lips. "Real."
When she is met with Adelyn's chubby reaching arms and a tiny smile and another pair of blue eyes in the living room she thinks it again. And again when she's in her arms. And again when her little fingers reach out to touch Katniss's cheek.
So real.