A/N: This was written was for the Write-Me-A-Story HG Challenge on tumblr. The picture prompt I chose was #183. I could not for the life of me think up a good title so I just stuck with what was on the picture and it fits perfectly. I want to send a big thank you to Stefanino on tumblr for pushing me to write the story, sat me at my computer and told me not to do anything but write while we were working. Also huge thanks to jlawandthehutch for providing support and beta-ing the story for me. You ladies are awesome!
Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games, they belong to the lovely Suzanne Collins.
The incessant ringing of Johanna's phone was grating on her last nerve. Apparently somebody wasn't getting the hint. After the 15th ring, she can't take it anymore. "What," she all but yells into the phone.
"I need you to get your ass down here and pick up Sweetheart before you have to peel her off the floor," a gruff voice says into the receiver foregoing any pleasantries.
"Well hello to you too, Haymitch," she says while lighting up a cigarette. "I'm doing well other than answering a phone call I didn't want to answer."
"I don't have time for your mouth, Mason. I need you to get this blubbering idiot out of my bar before she gets to the point of yacking all over the place," he growls out.
"What the fuck is Brainless doing there before Happy Hour and why the fuck are you calling me? She has a husband you know." Johanna rolls her eyes and takes a long drag.
"Sweetheart specifically said not to call the boy. I don't know. I can barely understand anything coming out of her mouth. Her eyes are leaking all over my counter. Would you just get down here already?"
"Alright, alright. I still don't understand why you can't call Peeta," she mumbles around her cigarette.
Hearing a scuffle and some gruffs and growls, Katniss comes on the line. "Johanna," she says trying to hide her sniffles before clearing her throat. "Don't you dare call that motherfucking piece of shit asshole."
Since when did she start referring to her 'perfect' husband with such vulgarity? "What the fuck is going on Katniss?"
"I'll tell you when you get here." Without waiting for a response, Katniss hangs up the phone. Johanna stares at the phone in shock. "Bitch hung up on me."
Fifteen minutes later, Johanna sits on a stool next to Katniss as she tells her story. When she got there, she found Katniss face down on the counter cradling a midori sour on the rocks. "For God's sake Katniss," Johanna pushes the drink away in disgust. "If you're going to drown your sorrows, you're not gonna do it with this shit. You didn't even get it blended."
"But it tastes good," Katniss lifts up her tear streaked, puffy eyed face to look at her friend.
"Ugh," Johanna shakes her head at her pathetic looking friend. "You look like someone ran over your puppy. What's going on?"
Katniss takes a deep, shaky breath and starts telling Johanna what she discovered a few hours ago.
Katniss walked into the house after having her weekly breakfast with Madge and kicked off her shoes. Walking further into the house, she heard music coming from the second floor. That's strange, she thought. I don't remember seeing Peeta's car outside. There was a car parked in front of the house but she figured it was someone visiting a neighbor.
"Peeta," she yelled up the staircase. But the music must have been drowning out her voice so she went upstairs to investigate.
The sounds seemed to be coming from her bedroom. Since when did Peeta listen to music so loud? "Peeta what the hell are you-," she stopped when she saw a fiery red head bouncing up and down her husband's cock.
She froze when the woman let out a strangled moan and Peeta pressed his blond head into her shoulder and released a moan of his own. She couldn't watch anymore and ran down the stairs and out the door.
"That piece of shit," Johanna growls out after Katniss retells her story. Katniss nods her head as tears stream down her face. "Haymitch, get me a double."
"Double what?" he grunts lazily.
"I don't care. Just give me something strong," she demands with a hard glare. Haymitch starts mumbling aggressively under his breath.
"What am I going to do, Jo?" Katniss says wiping hear tears with her sleeve.
"I'll tell you what you're going to fucking do," she points at Katniss. "You're going to march on over to your house and kick his ass is what you're going to do."
"What if he's not there? He's probably back at work. He probably got done with that..slut and then went back to work when he was done." Katniss gestures wildly and takes a drink from her retrieved midori sour.
"Then you're going to the bakery to kick his ass. And I'm helping." Johanna burst out and downs the double shot Haymitch just set down in front of her and immediately starts choking. "What the fuck, Haymitch."
"You said something strong," he shrugs his shoulders and drops himself back on his stool.
"Yeah, something strong. Not something that'll choke me to death," she wheezes, trying to catch her breath.
"I don't know about kicking his ass Johanna," Katniss says, oblivious to Johanna's coughing fit. "That seems a bit harsh."
"Who the hell are you and what have you done to my friend," at Katniss' confused look, she rolls her eyes and continues. "The Katniss I know would want to chop off his balls and shove them down his throat. The Katniss I know would take her bow and arrow and shoot that arrow through his damn head."
"I don't know," Katniss says skeptically.
"Do me a favor, will you," Johanna reasons and waits for Katniss to nod her head. "Close your eyes. Now, tell me what you see when you walk into your bedroom."
Katniss' expression hardens immediately. "I see him, with that bitch."
Johanna smiles. "And what is she doing to him."
"Enough with the visuals," Katniss holds up her hand. "I get it.
Johanna whoops triumphantly and does a happy dance to which Katniss rolls her eyes.
"I just need to make a quick stop before we head over there," Katniss stands up and heads toward the exit.
"What the fuck are you going to do with that, paint him to death?" Johanna asks looking at the cans in Katniss' hands.
"Since I'm not fond of going to prison for castration or murder, I've decided to tone it down a bit. You know that shiny new beamer he got himself a few months ago," she smiled evilly. "It's getting itself a new paint job."
"I like the way you think, Everdeen," she said nodding her head. "But, you're still going to kick his ass after right?"
"Of course, Jo," Katniss says climbing into Johanna's car. "That's a promise. I'm not above bodily harm."
As they head in the direction of Peeta's place of employment, Katniss contemplates what she was about to do. "You don't think I'm acting irrationally do you?"
"Fuck no," Johanna insists, making a right down Main Street.
Katniss' nerves are beginning to overwhelm her as they near the bakery. "Ok, when you pull in to the parking lot, park away from the front of the store."
Johanna nods in acknowledgment just as the bakery comes into view. The parking lot is half empty when she pulls into the parking spot furthest away from the building. After surveying their surroundings, she turns to Katniss. "Okay, it looks almost dead. Very few customers to interrupt. What the- His car is parked right in front."
"Yeah, so?" she says not seeing the problem.
"So, chances are he's going to see and stop you before you finish," she huffed.
"I don't care. Let him," Katniss says defiantly. Anger surpassing her nerves. "I want him to see me defile his car. Serves that fucker right. Now are we going to do this or not?"
With an astonished look, Johanna wraps her arms around Katniss in a big hug. "I'm so proud of you. Now go out there and make Mama proud."
Peeta wiped his brow as he walked up to the front. "Well, that was a nice rush. I don't think we've been that busy in months," he says wiping down the counter top. "Nice to finally have a break."
"Um, Peeta," Delly says as she looks out the window and looks to him with a look of concern when he approaches her. "You might want to check out your car."
"Why? What's-Oh my God, Katniss," Peeta runs out of the bakery just as she finishes with the last letter on his car. "What the hell are you doing?"
His face is red with a mixed look of anger and disbelief. It quickly turns to pain when the can she was holding is thrown at him and hits him in the ribs. "Ow," he gasps in pain. "Whoa," he throws his hands over his head as Katniss throws herself at him and starts to pummel him while yelling obscenities.
"Katniss, stop," he tries to break free. For a petite girl, she can really pack a punch. He's finally able to grab a hold of her hands. "Katniss, please. Johanna, can you help me?"
"Fuck that bread boy, you're on your own," she says casually leaning against his car clearly enjoying the show.
Then someone comes to his aid and pulls Katniss from him.
"Let me go, I need to beat this cheating sack of shit." She spits out, struggling against the arms that hold her.
"Cheating?" Peeta's flabbergasted. He finally looks over at his car and reads the words she sprayed. HOPE SHE WAS WORTH IT. "What the hell are you talking about? I didn't cheat. What brought this on?"
"Oh don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. I saw you, you worthless bastard. I caught you red handed. So don't act all high and mighty like it didn't happen," she accuses him as the tears start coming again.
"Katniss, I don't know what you think you saw, but it obviously wasn't me. I would never do that to you," Peeta pleads walking toward her, his arm reaching out.
"Don't you fucking touch me, you bastard," she protests trying to step away but is stopped by those arms again. "I saw you, I saw you this morning. In our bed. Our bed Peeta. How could you?"
"This morning? Katniss, I've been at work all day. I didn't even get a break or lunch, we've been really busy. Ask Delly, I swear. She's been here the whole time," he pleads with her to believe him.
"She's probably just covering for you. So, where'd you find her? I swear if I ever see that red headed bitch, I'll-," she starts to accuse him again.
The arms that hold her stiffen. "Um..Katniss," the man interrupts and turns her in his arms.
"What?" she asks annoyed at being interrupted. "Rye? What are you doing here?"
"Didn't Peeta tell you? I came for a visit."
"I…uh…I think he mentioned something," Katniss mutters. She shares a confused look with Johanna who's starting to look annoyed.
"Yeah, about this morning…" he explains.
"What, were you supposed to be standing guard or something in case I came home," she sneers in Peeta's direction. "Well, you didn't do a good job did you?"
"Katniss," he yells forcing her to look back at him. "That wasn't Peeta you saw this morning."
"What?" she pushes him off her, trying to wrap her head around everything.
"Babe, is everything ok," a voice calls out from the open door of the shop.
"Yeah, everything's fine," Rye answers back. "Just a little mix up."
Katniss looks over and sees a woman with the same fiery red hair on top of her husband this morning. "Don't," Rye grabs her arms before she charges at her. "Calm down Katniss."
"I will not calm down," she struggles against him again.
"Katniss," he roars. She stops struggling just long enough to hear him say, "I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Jackie. Jackie, this is Katniss. Peeta's wife."
"My fist is going to love meeting your-wait, what?" she asks looking back and forth between the two.
"It wasn't Peeta you saw with her this morning," he explained slowly and patiently. "It was me."
"No," she shook her head. "No, it was Peeta. It was. I saw blond hair. I saw…his face. I think. I mean, I did. Didn't I?"
"No, babe," Peeta assures her finally jumping in. "I wasn't home. Earlier this morning, Rye stopped by to get the keys to the house. They got here earlier than expected. I was going to text you to warn you but we got busy and I didn't get a chance to."
Katniss' body deflates at the pleading look on Peeta's face. Of course he'd never cheat on her. How could she have been so stupid to even think it? He would never do anything to hurt her. Never. "I feel like such an idiot," she says softly. She feels so ashamed and slowly walks toward Peeta. "I'm so sorry."
"Come on, Foxface," Rye says pulling Jackie toward the entrance of the bakery. "Let's go inside and give them some privacy."
"Katniss, you have nothing to be sorry about," Peeta reassures, rubbing his hands up and down her arms. "I'm just sorry you had such a horrible day."
"But your car," she cries gesturing to the damage.
Peeta sighs. "It's fine," he shrugs his shoulders giving a small smile. "It needed a new paint job anyway."
"Peeta, that car is only 5 months old," Katniss argued.
"Hey," he said grabbing her face in between his hands. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that we're ok. Right?"
"No," she shakes her head. At Peeta's confused look, she swallows hard. "It's not ok. I should have trusted you. I should have known you would never do that to me. I should have had more faith in you. I'm so sorry. I'm a horrible wife."
"Katniss," Peeta chuckles pulling her in for a hug. "We all make mistakes. As long as we can forgive and forget and know that we love each other. That's all that matters, ok."
Katniss tries to argue again but the look Peeta gives has her nodding her head. "Okay."
Peeta smiles happily and she returns it looking quite sheepish.
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
The two turn to look at Johanna who has an angry expression on her face. "What?" Katniss asks a little confused by her friend's outburst.
"I came here to watch some ass whooping and a brawl. Not some mushy, fluffy make up shit," she huffs and rolls her eyes. "Next time, you better think twice before wasting my time, Brainless."
Peeta and Katniss watch her storm angrily to her car; slam the door after climbing in and driving off leaving a cloud of dust in her wake. "She'll calm down," Katniss says, more to herself than Peeta. "I'll just give her a day or two…weeks."
"I really am sorry," she says looking up at him, eyes filled with regret. Peeta pulled Katniss' face to his and their lips met in a soft kiss. The kiss turns heated fairly quickly. Katniss pulls away first, looking up at Peeta through hooded eyes, "If you can manage to leave early, I can show you just how sorry I am."
Peeta smirks devilishly licking his lips. He's about to respond when a thought crosses his mind. "Wait a minute. When you were yelling at me earlier, did you say you saw them…in our bed?"
A look of realization and disgust crosses Katniss' face when she processes what he's just said. "Rye," Peeta turns to the bakery and storms inside.
Katniss watches him go and thinks, Too bad Johanna didn't stick around. She's going to miss that brawl.
AN: For those of you that might have caught it, I took the twist of who the couple having sex were from the movie Nothing to Lose and if you haven't seen that movie, I'm sorry for ruining it for you, lol. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Leave me a review if you feel like it. :) I am aquarpisc on tumblr if you want to follow me. Thanks for reading!