Peeta:
Waking up, I peel my eyes open to the morning sunlight as it beams through my bedroom window. There's a light cool breeze that gently hits me in the face as I stare at the ceiling. Days like this make me appreciate being alive, regardless of how bad life can get. I feel myself smile as she slips into my mind, the same way she always does. That night replays over and over in my mind, the strobe lights, and the way she looked. My hand drifts down the sheet that's covering my body, travelling down to my thigh, ghosting over my boxer shorts and finding that wound. It's healed a considerable lot, but the scar is still there, a whitish grey mark, the result of a cigarette burn from over six months ago. A token from one of the most memorable nights of my life. It's still delicate to the touch, as if currents of electricity ripple through me, recalling her touch as she fixed me up. The way she smelt irresistible. Those glints in her eye that make me lose control. The way she tasted of nicotine and something else…something more exotic and alien to me. These past few months have been perfect, and I feel that thing again …that thing that I felt at the ending of the gig at Halloween when I held her in my arms. Katniss Everdeen, the girl who set me on fire…literally. But that's what brought us together, so I can't complain, especially when I'm on such a high at the moment. She'll be here any minute, and I don't bother getting out of bed. There's no need, as Katniss prefers clambering up the lemon tree that's rooted outside my room, the branches protruding towards my window, creating a private escape route for the pair of us. Doors are far too overrated anyway. I hear a rustling sound and my eyes divert from the ceiling to the window. A hand grabs the window ledge and she pulls herself up in one swift, fluid movement. Swinging her legs into my room, she ducks her head and brushes the curtains away. In previous meetings, I offered to help her, but Katniss likes a challenge and I don't argue with her. I close my eyes and pretend to be asleep as I hear her panting, treading over to my bedside. I can smell the lemons off her, combined with her own aroma that is addictive. I feel her breath nuzzle my forehead as she props herself beside me on the bed. I let out a groan in my pretence as she runs her hand through my messed up hair. The motion is soothing, so soothing that the next groan I let out is one of pleasure. She laughs quietly, and positions herself so that I feel her head alongside mine on the pillow. And then I lose it as I feel her lips against my ear, the warm air circulating from my lobe to the rim, and my eyes fly open at the touch of her lips against mine.
"Good morning Baker Boy" she purrs in my ear, trailing her lips from mine to my neck.
"I'm really very sorry for waking you….I'll let you go back to sleep" her voice is dripped in sarcasm as she teases me with more kisses, before pulling away from me and rolling off the bed.
I feel the longing grow in the pit of my stomach, and perhaps a few inches lower too, and in one blindingly swift movement, I sit upright and grab Katniss by the arms gently before staring into her eyes and pulling her against my bare skin, letting the sheet fall around my waist as I fall back onto the soft mattress. Her hair is knotted in my hands and I press my lips to her eyelids to show her that it's not just these kinds of moments that I want with her. I smile at her, my other hand locks with hers on the cool white cotton sheets.
"That was the best wakeup call ever Miss Everdeen" I chuckle as she smiles sweetly at me, her hair falling into my face as I stroke her cheek.
And then all I can smell is the lemons and tobacco, the unique combination that is Katniss, as the sunlight bounces around the room and I feel like the luckiest guy in the world being woken like this. In future, I'll pretend to be asleep more often…..
Katniss:
I smile at Peeta's dreadful attempts at acting. He's pretending to be asleep, his eyelashes fluttering a little as I stand over him. Could he make his intentions any clearer? Oh Peeta… he hasn't changed since I first met him at Halloween. I thanked Annie for leaving me after the gig, she didn't understand at first, but she was later informed by her merman friend Finnick, who is also the hilarious best friend of Peeta of what had happened. Peeta turns in his sleep; his body rustles the sheets that are wrapped around him. His back is on show to me as he presses his face into the pillow. A moan omits from his mouth, muffled by the down of the pillow as I rub my hand through his hair, feeling the softness of his curls against my own skin. If he wants to pretend to be asleep, I'm going to tease him so badly that he'll wish he was awake. Nothing devious…but after climbing up a tree and nearly killing myself to get in the window, a hello would not be the most extravagant thing that I could ask from him. Oh Baker Boy…when will you learn? We'll see how well you take this; I smile at myself, as Peeta makes another loud noise before turning again in his alleged 'sleep', so that his face now faces mine. I'll drag it out, a caress here, a kiss there, my breath tickling his ear. And then I feel him twitching at my touch, his breath catching in his throat. One more kiss on the lip should really wake him up; maybe adding something sexy in his ear might trigger a satisfactory response.
"Good morning Baker Boy" I whisper, feeling his skin melt as I breathe into his ear. He smells like clean cotton and that warmth that reflects off of a sleeping person. I can't describe it, but it's comforting and trusting and I know that it is Peeta encapsulated in scent.
No reaction? At all? You're asking for it Baker Boy, , I'm going to have to bring out the big guns to get his attention, as a predator does with its prey, I lean in for the jugular and feel him jolt at the touch.
"I'm really very sorry for waking you….I'll let you go back to sleep" I say coyly as I slowly rise, turning from him.
Oh Peeta, you're far too easy to predict, as his arms encircle me and we both hurdle towards the mattress, eyes and arms locked around each other. It's only then that I realize how close I am to him physically. And his shirt is off, revealing the broad planes of his chest, hard exercise and from work, skilfully shaping him, sculpting him even and ….I need to stop doing this. I need to stop drifting away from reality into my own scenarios where it's only me, Peeta and a locked room. It's too early to think like that, regardless of the progress we've made in our relationship since we first met. But one thing still remains unclear. Why am I here in his room? What exactly am I to Peeta? What is he to me? A lover and a best friend wrapped into one? I don't know. Maybe we're not supposed to be conventional like the gooey eyed couples of our school, who relentlessly walk hand in hand and suck each other's faces off in between classes. I'm overthinking as per usual, but I don't know what to make of our predicament. If I'm dwelling so much over this now, does that mean that I want Peeta in….that way? Does he? I do feel it sometimes, the hunger for him, for something more than his arms gripping against him and his mouth welded against mine. For something more, whatever that 'more' may be. Right now, I've succeeded and the victory is sweet as our fingers interweave and contrast against the white cotton sheets. Peeta is grinning like the idiot he is, but I have to hand it to him for pulling me down on top of him like that. It feels natural, primal even. The only thing that I am jealous of is that I can't just say what's on my mind to him…that and maybe I wish I was a little less clothed and a little more naked, but a girl can't have everything at half ten in the morning. He's just looking at me as if he'd be content to stare for the rest of his life, which curls a smile from me, as I feel his hand trace my cheek.
"That was the best wakeup call ever Miss Everdeen" he says, his eyes glistening into mine.
Oh, what a charmer is Baker Boy, a name that I and I alone call him. He secretly loves it though, he tries to hide it, but he lights up inside when I say it. I roll away from his grip, and cover him with the sheet in the process.
"What's the big idea Sweetheart? You've seen me scantily clad before!" he grins, flinging a pillow lightly against my head.
And my eyes turn to globes when he flings the sheet off, exposing him in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts. Oh. Dear. God. I can't muster up a scowl quick enough and end up hopping off the bed and darting for the window. I really don't need this; the last thing I want is for someone to walk in on us. And I really don't think that Mrs. Mellark takes kindly to that type of thing in her house, not that she knows exactly….But that's another issue that I would prefer to face when her son is not parading around his bedroom in his underwear and attempting to stop me from escaping. Damn it! I need a diversion, but more importantly, I need a cigarette, all these frolics and semi- nudieness have left me gasping for nicotine, and the classic withdrawal symptoms are beginning to show. If only Peeta would let me focus rather than coaxing me back to bed, I wouldn't be on the edge so much. I grab a lemon from the branch closest to his window and fling it at his head, thinking of a new nickname for him….
Peeta:
"Lemon Head? Really Katniss, that's the best you can come up with? Lemon Head?" I chortle as I chase her around the room, avoiding being hit by murderous lemons of mass destruction.
I finally catch her and hold her close; the light breeze from the window tousles her hair as she continues to squirm in my arms. When she relaxes, I release her and she scowls at me, her eyes burning back into mine, and a slight fear takes over me. I had no idea that being close enough to naked had any effect on her, much less an uncomfortable one, and I was going to pay dearly.
"For Fuck's sake Lemon Head! Will you stop prancing around! Your mother will kill me if she finds me here!" she yelps, her fists making contact with my chest as I laugh aloud.
"I'M FUCKING SERIOUS PEETA!" she shouts, even more anger floods her eyes, and I have to intervene or else she'll literally kill me with the nearest object.
"Katniss, sweetie, relax yourself. There's nobody else here but you and me" I smile, and her face softens, suiting her much better than a scowl. Her hands fall into mine and she collides tenderly against my chest, as I press a kiss into her hair, before whispering in her ear.
"Besides… If you had any ... intentions on joining me, you're more than welcome" I add, jumping away from her and bolting out the door, picking up the lemon in the process. It only hits me when I'm down the stairs, making my way to the kitchen, that the lemon is still clutched in my hand. That and I'm still topless and padding around in my bare feet with a vengeful woman in my room who wants to kill me for my antics. Unless she was so pissed off that she left and climbed down the tree again. But if she hasn't..? An idea pops into my head and my smile is uncontrollably wicked as I look down at the lemon in my hand. I'll make it up to you Katniss, I promise I smirk to myself…
Katniss:
I calm myself down in his room, breathing steadily and rolling a cigarette before popping it into my mouth and sparking up. Peeta is like a nicotine demon that taunts my brain at times, yet similarly to nicotine satisfying my cravings, he too is annoying until satiated. But I usually enjoy teasing him most of the time. The smoke hits the back of my throat and I feel like I can breathe properly again as I half dangle –half fall out of Peeta's window. His parents don't know that either of us smokes, so such precautions are necessary as to avoid detection. My mood clears away and I reflect on the odd situation that I'm in, and the fact that Peeta is cowering down stairs, hiding from me and my anger at his….exhibitionism. Fair enough if he's comfortable wandering around like that, but my eyes always drift tothat area of him. I can't help it! It's not as if I want to look at him like that, but damn… the boy looks good enough to eat, his arms toned and vascular from working out with Finnick and his tousled blonde hair that combs into his face and curls to his neck, shorter than when I first met him, but still hot. No! Cut it out Katniss! I hope I wasn't too much of a monster to him. Perhaps he doesn't want me here, but I can't leave him without first apologising and making amends with Baker Boy. Stubbing out the cigarette, I take one last breath, forming the apology in my head, hoping that the words don't sound too rehearsed, yet sincere at the same time. I duck my head back inside and gather my thoughts together. Stepping out of his bedroom is a daunting task for me as I've never seen the rest of Peeta's house, I've never had the need to, and the door is not my portal of choice for entering. And now, the soft magnolia coloured walls and large, airy open rooms are causing me to proceed cautiously. I'm like Alice in Wonderland, chasing the magical, sexy blonde rabbit that is Peeta down through the madness that is his home. The house is truly beautifully furnished, I spy large, soft velvet curtains in a master bedroom, a mahogany grandfather clock stands proudly on the landing on the staircase, the pendulum swaying to and fro relentlessly never missing a beat. There's a divine smell that smacks me straight in the nostrils, presumably wafting from the kitchen, homely and secure. My stomach churns and groans as I breathe it in more, and my feet pull me without any conscious control from my brain as I take the stairs two at a time, getting closer to the smell. I bound into what I presume is Peeta's kitchen, my stomach painfully groaning with hunger, when I see him taking something out of the oven.
Peeta:
She startles me as I step away from the oven, her footsteps are so stealthy, she could murder me and I wouldn't know it. Her eyes hang apologetic and dark at mine; her hands are crossed over her stomach, as she bites her lip in what looks like pain, or possible hunger. She's trying to tell me something I reckon, but words aren't her strong point, so I decide to break the ice.
"I made cake. Lemon drizzle. Fancy a piece?" my voice is chirpy, but I'm trying to calm myself for her sake.
I'm glad she didn't go; I needed to make it up to her, and knew that words wouldn't be enough, although maybe I could've put on some clothes, but I valued my life, and my balls for that matter. She stares at me, not in anger, but in something else…remorse perhaps? I can't stand to see her look so forlorn, so…alone, like I did the night we first met. Something as striking as her should be appreciated, admired, glorified even, she is a bit more ruffled around the edges than other girls. But that's what drew me to her; what continues to attract me to her. The wait kills me and I have to hold her, to stop her from hurting or whatever bad thoughts are going through her mind.
"Come here K, I'm not mad at you, in fact I made this for you" I usher the warm cake towards her, the lemon peel coating on the top. I'll never get used to how fast she is, or how her lips crash against mine in a way that tells me that she's feeling sorry for being moody at my naked intentions. I can't get enough of her, the tobacco on her mouth, the feel of her skin as it brushes against the stubble of my jaw, the way she feels in my arms; complete, safe, secure, shielded.
"Peeta I'm sorry. It's your house, I'm sorry, I just… I..." she spluttering, tears streaming down her face as she interrupts the kiss, and her eyes are wide, glistening with moisture. I cup her cheek, and press her forehead to my lips. I feel her hand drift down my side, tracing down my thigh until she finds the scar on my leg, her eyes drifting down as mine stay focused on her. She runs her hand lightly on the mark; a mark that Katniss left on me forever.
"I think that I can't be around you without screwing up Peeta" she whispers.
"It just seems as if I'm constantly overthinking and making a huge deal over everything that isn't normal to me, it's the anxiety of discovering new things and the fear that accompanies it and I just can't help it if sometimes I …." She trails off, as I silence her with a light kiss on the mouth, her eyelashes fluttering against mine and she tries to pull away, I pull her flush against me, pouring myself into the moment.
To show her how much I want to relieve her of her anxieties from the prison of her own mind. She reacts by shoving me against the wall, pressing herself against me and then I'm encapsulated by a different kind of feeling. My hands ghost against her skin as I tug on her lip, before throwing her against the wall, as instinct tells me to, my breathing becoming more and more erratic at the touch of her hands pulling my hair as my hands toy with her jacket, before flinging it off in one swift motion. I'm melting at her touch, her nails clawing my back, hurting slightly, but I shrug it off. That desire to comfort her has resulted in my own pants becoming increasingly tight from what they were two minutes previously. Shit.
Katniss:
"Oooohhh… Peeettta… argh…" my mouth swoons before I can realize that I'm saying it out loud.
"Jesus… Katni… haagh…" Peeta clearly is in the same predicament as his nose brushes against my collarbone; my teeth graze his skin, nibbling it playfully.
And then I feel it, feel him, against me. My eyes widen as I feel how very… 'awake' he is down there, and feel a smile spread on my face. Haha Baker Boy, I told you that I'd be bringing out the big guns for revenge. Peeta pulls away abruptly and I already miss the feel of his mouth against mine, but I can see the embarrassment and his cheeks flush scarlet. I want to laugh, but it's not appropriate, and he had tried so hard to make it up to me with the lemon cake that I had yet to taste. He looks down at the floor, still… prominent as I reach out and touch his elbow, making him look me in the eyes, showing him in opening myself a little more up to him, as he has done to me.
"Peeta…Peeta please, look at me….Thank you" I smile, my eyes beaming into his sapphire eyes, still looking guilty as hell.
"I'm sorry…this is awkward… I shouldn't have… Katniss, I really can't say how..." I press a finger lightly to his lip, silencing him.
"Go get dressed, then we can cut this" my head tilts towards the cake sitting atop the counter.
He smiles at me, and jogs on through the house to his room. Returning a few minutes later, he slides past me fluidly and fishes two plates out of the cupboard, dishing me a slice. It's so sweet, but tangy at the same time, almost as if it were… it was made with the lemon I threw at him earlier this morning. I glance at him as we eat, smiling at him sweetly before saying
"That's the exact reason why you don't pretend to be asleep when I'm around Baker Boy. You never know what might happen" winking coyly at him. Peeta's mouth hangs open as if it were dislocated and I swear I see the cake fall out of his mouth as he stares in awe at me. Oh Bread Boy, I hope you never learn, I really do, because right now, I've something devious planned. Taking the plate in my hand, I walk out of the kitchen, before turning back to Peeta, who is still in shock and gesture towards the stairs.
"Well Peeta..? Are you coming...?" I say, trying to make my voice sound teasingly before ascending the stairs, feeling his eyes transfixed on my back. Reaching the top of the landing and padding to his room, I count down. Five, four, three, two, one….