A little bit before Keelaree's birthday, she sent me a link about a girl who got engaged to her former teen idol crush and we both thought that it would be really cool if it were Everlark'd.
Well, here it is.
The characters of The Hunger Game Trilogy do not belong to me.
You Are Mine
"Welcome back to Total Request Live! I'm Carson Daly and we're about to bring out the latest sensation—The Tributes!"
Katniss Everdeen sat on the floor of her bedroom, her eyes planted on the television screen. In front of her sat Prim, her younger sister by four years, who was currently waiting for Katniss to finish plaiting her golden hair. However, the brush in Katniss' hand remained still as the 12-year-old watched the MTV host talk about the boy band getting ready to walk onto the set.
"Do you think that P-Beatz will get his solo?" Prim asked, her blue eyes also on the television. "But, I really like Finn's voice, too!"
"So let's bring The Tributes out to the stage!" The host continued to the elation of the girls on the set. "First, let's welcome the leader of the pack—Finn!"
The tall, bronzed-haired figure of Finn sauntered onto the set, but not before giving some of the audience members kisses on their cheeks or signing parts of their clothing. Carson continued on with Hawthorne—the shy one of the group—who quickly joined Carson's side and didn't bother to wave to anyone in the audience. C-Rokk or Cato—his real name was in the papers because of his latest arrest—pumped up the crowd as he walked over to his two other allies. Phresh—the big brother of the band—gave everyone a kind smile and a lot of the older women of the group sighed at the graceful nature of the dark-eyed, dark-skinned man.
Carson looked towards the camera as the audience reached a frenzied pitch of screams, "And, last but definitely not least—the youngest member of The Tributes—give it up for P-Beatz!"
Katniss felt her heart jump as the blond-haired, blue-eyed 14-year-old walked out and waved at the audience. It wasn't a big secret to her family or her friends that she was a big fan of P-Beatz. Every Bop and Tiger Beat that had his picture was plastered on her avocado-colored walls and she owned all two of their CD's.
When the group banded together, the audience applauded as the cameras rounded them before stopping on The Tributes.
"So how is the tour going?" Carson asked.
"Doing well," Phresh said, his voice warm and smile handsome. "Our next stop will be the Capitol and then up the East Coast."
"We're excited," Finn added. "We'll be debuting some of our new music so I hope everyone will come out to see us!"
"I also heard that your opening act will be Annie Cresta," the host said and the group nodded in affirmation.
Finn surprisingly blushed before talking into his mic.
"She's an old friend of mine and so we're all real happy to have her on the tour."
"I heard that Annie is his newest girlfriend," Prim told her sister. "One of the fourth-graders at my school had a Seventeen magazine and read an article on her."
"I'm not surprised," Katniss replied. "She's really pretty."
There was a door slam and through the wall, Katniss and Prim could hear the heated argument between their parents. It seemed lately that they did nothing but fight. Katniss saw Prim's eyes filling with tears at the rising shrillness of their mother's voice.
Quickly and for Prim's sake, Katniss took the remote and turned up the volume to cover up the yelling.
"This is going to be your first solo song," Carson said to P-Beatz, who smiled shyly at the man.
Gangly but confident, P-Beatz nodded before speaking into his mic, "The guys were nice enough to help me write this song." Katniss could see pain in the idol's blue eyes. "My parents recently separated and working on this song has helped me deal with the pain."
The group each gave P-Beatz a solid pat on the shoulder and Phresh put an arm around him.
"But, P's got us!" C-Rokk declared. "We're brothers and we take of each other."
The Tributes all nodded in agreement.
"So what is the song called?" Carson asked.
"It's called, 'You Are Mine'," P-Beatz said quietly.
A piano was next to the window overlooking Times Square and Hawthorne went over to it as the rest of the group sat on the stools lined up in front of the Steinway.
Katniss waited in anticipation, her hands clasping together as they went to her lap. She was nervous for him; Finn or Phresh were usually the leads, C-Rokk always did the rap, and Hawthorne did the bridge. P-Beatz was usually on back-up vocals so she was eager to hear him upfront.
The audience quickly silenced as the slow, melancholic melody began and Katniss' heart ached just in those few notes. It sounded like a break-up, disjointed and destructive—full of regret and longing for better days.
Her breath caught when his mussed blond hair and wide oceanic eyes looked to the screen—as if he were looking at her.
"The suitcases are packed, the papers are signed
We're a house divided, no longer a 'You and I'
And, in the end, you might feel freedom—but what about the rest?
The three of us together, afraid to leave our beds…
Mama says, 'We're still a family'
Daddy says, 'He'll still be there'
But somehow, we still can feel it
The malcontent between the lines
Because in the end, you both are saying:
'You belong to me, you are mine'…"
There was a knock on Katniss' doorway and she looked up to find her father, his dark eyes rimmed with red. Outside her bedroom door, she could hear Prim sobbing in her own bedroom.
"You should say bye to your mother," her Dad said as he walked inside.
Katniss took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders before looking to him. "What if I don't want to?"
"The divorce was both of our decisions," her father replied with a labored sigh.
"Then why is she leaving so quickly?" she argued, "Two weeks ago, you were arguing and now she is heading to another state! We have to move to an apartment to pay for your divorce! Everything is topsy-turvy and you want me to say goodbye to her? No, thank you!"
Her mother was heading to a new job in Connecticut; she had been looking for somewhere else to go long before anyone had realized.
Her Dad looked to her helplessly. "Please, Katniss—"
"No." Katniss reached to wipe her eyes. "Please don't make me feel like it's going to be the same…like we don't have to choose sides." She sat on her bed, her hands going to her sides to grip her comforter. "She's leaving! I choose you, Dad."
"That's not how it's supposed to go—but I respect your decision and I'll let your mother know." Her father went to kiss the top of her head. "I'm going to check on Prim."
Katniss didn't respond, waiting until her Dad closed the door behind him. Outside, she could hear her mother's footsteps on the porch heading to the car that she had rented for her drive to her new place.
Feeling the tears begin to rise, Katniss went to her boombox and pressed play.
"The suitcases are packed, the papers are signed
We're a house divided, no longer a 'You and I'…'
Had it only been two weeks since she and Prim sat on this very floor listening to her idol sing this very song? His words hit hard, though part of her felt better knowing that she wasn't alone.
P-Beatz had gone through the same thing and he was okay.
At least he had hope.
With a sigh, Katniss went to the wall where his pictures were hung and with a heavy heart, she began to pull them down.
'You belong to me, you are mine'…"
12 Years Later…
"Katniss," the burgundy highlighted head of Johanna Mason appeared at the office doorway. "I'm locking the doors."
"Please do," she replied before going back to work on the second cash till. "After I finish closing this register, I'll grab the last one then help you and Marvel out. Also, can you make sure that Prim is okay in the back? I left her with a lot of inventory."
"Of course," her co-worker and roommate said with a grin. "We're all heading out to a club later. Wanna come?" Katniss met Johanna's laughing stare with exasperation. "I didn't think so. One day, you're going to want someone to plow through that your garden, if you know what I mean. You're never going to find a 'gardener' if you spent your nights at home!"
Katniss reached over to her desk and tossed her apron at the woman with a laugh.
"Back to work! And, anyway—whoever wants to get to this garden has to bring pruning shears and fertilizer."
"I don't even want to know about the fertilizer part…" Johanna shook her head with a grin. "I'll see you downstairs, boss."
Nodding, Katniss went back to counting. It was the same routine every Saturday night: assign shifts, work the floor, help any customers, authorize refunds, begin the break rounds, start on go-backs, and finally collect two of the three cash tills to begin closing.
All in the life of a grocery store manager.
It was good money. Her dad had opened the organic grocery store a little after her parents split up and she had grown up with the business. Eventually the place gained momentum and her dad had to hire an assistant manager to help with hiring, ordering, and such. One of the cashiers, Lena Paylor, had been promoted, and Katniss started her first job at 15 being the go-backs girl.
At 18, she became assistant manager when Lena got pregnant—thanks dad—and Lena and her dad got married. Lena was suffering from some bad morning sickness and Katniss gladly took on the job to help her stepmother, whom she loved, and her dad who was having to deal with his first kid in about 14 years.
By her second year as assistant manager, her parents had welcomed her little brother Ryan who she adored. He was 6 now and precocious as hell. Ryan or Rye—she and Prim called him that—had everyone wrapped around their finger; it wasn't hard since he inherited Lena's round eyes and their father's handsomely olive features.
Katniss majored in Business at her local college and decided to take over the business just a year ago. It felt good to run the store; it felt like home and her staff were all close friends and family. Johanna, who she met in college had been her roommate since they were housed in a dorm together. Marvel was Prim's boyfriend, and after his recent promotion to counter manager, would hopefully become her fiancé. He and Katniss, along with her parents, had gone to help him pick out engagement rings.
Getting up, Katniss took the cash drawers and placed them in the safe under her desk. Heading downstairs, she went to the store front to empty out the remaining register.
The store was about ten aisles with a large fruit and vegetable section, bakery, and deli. They mostly catered in hard-to-find brands, gluten-free ingredients, and organic or locally-sourced products. The neighborhood of District 12 was growing into a much hipper sector of town with new families and young college students invading the neighborhood, so business was good and they had a deal with Katniss' alma mater that gave any student with a college ID a 10% discount.
Her eyes went to a side aisle where she spied Prim with Marvel, her sister's arms around his neck and his own arms wrapped around her tiny waist. They had fallen in love at first sight; her sister and Marvel were both in the same marketing classes in college. Marvel couldn't help but be enchanted with her Prim's golden looks and sweet nature.
She was happy for them.
But, they reminded her of her own lack of a love life.
Katniss had dated occasionally; she wasn't a virgin anymore thanks to too much Jose Cuervo during a Cancun vacation with Johanna and a boy whose name she couldn't remember. However, any serious boyfriends had been lacking—she was too busy with the store and her family.
She was lonely.
With a sigh, Katniss headed to the last register to finish out closing duties for the night.
"Hold the door!"
Katniss quickly swiped her arm in front of the elevator door after hearing the rush of footsteps. A man entered, giving her a bright smile before tiredly running his hands through his golden hair.
"Thanks," he told her breathlessly before looking to the floor buttons. "What floor?"
"Oh—" She shook herself from her revering, having been caught up in the familiarity of his deep blues. "—third floor, please!"
"No way, me too!" The man replied with a smile and held out his hand. "Peeta Mellark."
Katniss shook his hand, letting the frissons of his warm touch seep into her skin. "Katniss Everdeen."
Peeta smiled bashfully at her. "So how long have you been living in the building?"
The door opened and he held it so she could walk out first. Her gaze went to the boxes stacked against the wall across her own apartment door.
Holy crap—this cute guy was living across from her.
"About two years," she replied. "My roommate and I pretty much congregated from the dorm to this apartment after we graduated." Her eyes went to the boxes. "So you're just moving in? It's a little late, isn't it?"
"A good friend of mine and his wife just moved into their own house nearby so I was helping them out first," he explained. "They sort of nagged me into coming to District 12. You see, I was living with them until they decided to come here. I didn't want to make myself a permanent house guest since they're also having their first baby."
"Well, that's cool." Katniss went to unlock her door. "If you ever need anything, I'm right across the hall."
"Actually, I was wondering if you know of any jobs that are available," Peeta asked abruptly.
Closing her door, Katniss raised a brow at him. "What exactly can you do?"
"Oh my God, Katniss," Johanna said as she sat across from her friend's desk, a boxed salad on her lap. "If there was any instance of someone using their managerial clout, it's you! You're trying to get some ass and using your powers to do it!"
"All the powers I have are managerial ones," she simply responded. "And, Peeta really needed to find work. He's new to District 12—"
"And, he's really cute?" Johanna finished. Katniss' silence was enough. "He better be a good lay, especially if I'm giving him to you—"
There was a knock at the doorway and Peeta stuck his head inside. He gave them both a smile.
"Your sister just told me to head on back," he told Katniss shyly. "Are you busy?"
"Fuck!" Johanna stood up, her box of salad in her hands, before turning to her friend. "I can't believe that I went to the club with Prim and Marvel instead of seeing this!" She gestured at Peeta before walking over to him. "Let me guess—you have a six-pack, don't you?" Peeta blushed, enough of a confirmation to Johanna who looked to Katniss once more. "You better hire him then fuck him or I will!"
With one last glance at Peeta, Johanna stomped out of the room.
"Sorry about that," Katniss managed to choke out. "That's Johanna—my roommate—so you'll see her a lot. Most likely naked since she has a penchant for coming to the front door sans clothes whenever we have a food delivery or any sort of package…" She gestured to the seat in front of her awkwardly. "Have a seat."
Peeta rushed over to the empty chair, folding his hands in his lap. He was wearing a button-down and slacks today and he looked adorable. Katniss breathed out slowly to calm the rush of nervousness in her stomach; now would not be the time to throw up.
"So do you have a resume?" she asked and Peeta handed her a single sheet. Perusing it quickly, Katniss could see that he had been in school until recently. He had also been privately tutored until he was 16. "What were you studying in Paris?"
"Baking and pastry making," he replied. "I lived with another friend of mine. He's like an older brother and owns a music production studio there."
"Wow, that sounds cool," Katniss said. "I've never been to Paris…never been anywhere, really."
"I traveled a lot as a kid," Peeta told her. "It can get tiring and you miss a lot of your family life."
There was a flash of sadness in his eyes—and it struck a nerve in her.
It was as if she had seen that look before.
"But life goes on," he continued. "Thresh and I didn't really know how to cook and so I enrolled in some cooking classes while I was there. Turned out that I really enjoyed baking in particular. I decided to officially go to culinary school after that."
"You could get a job at any bakery or restaurant here," Katniss reasoned. "Why would you want to work at a grocery store?"
"More freedom to learn. You have a lot of gluten-free products that I'd like to try when I bake—and I'd like something a little quieter." Katniss wasn't sure what that meant, but she didn't want to pry into what seemed to be a sore subject. "And, then there's you."
Her eyes widened and she sat back. "What about me?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Peeta smiled gently. "I like you. There's something about you that seems familiar…and safe." He laughed to himself before meeting her eyes. "And the flip in my stomach that you give me isn't unpleasant."
God help her—she was in trouble.
Katniss returned his smile, her cheeks heating as he beamed at her.
"The job pays minimum wage, but if you want it, it's yours."
"Congratulations on the boy-ski," Lena said as she walked around the store with Katniss. Her stepmother had come by to confirm the orders for the store before going home to make them. After Lena and her Dad had gotten married, they all moved into a house about fifteen minutes away from Everdeen Grocery. "I've never seen the bakery so popular."
"Peeta is not my boy. I just did some good hiring—" Katniss replied, turning to avoid Lena Paylor-Everdeen's penetrating stare. Her stepmom could always tell when she was lying. "—not to mention, sales have been up at the bakery because he makes delicious muffins."
"Oh—so you like his muffins?" Lena looked to her before putting an affectionate arm around Katniss' shoulder. "I'm just teasing, hon! Don't be so serious, you're 24 and you haven't had a crush in a long time. And, if he asks you out—why should you say no?"
"Well…" They stopped at the bakery area, hidden enough so that they could watch Peeta take orders for the bakery. Just watching him made her stomach jump and long-ago feelings rose up in her, she felt young again—not tired and jaded by everything. Peeta glanced up and caught her eyes, waving them over before finishing up with a customer. "…he did ask me out…more than once."
"He's been here for two weeks," Lena remarked as they walked over to him. "So he's asked you out—"
"Once—every other day," Peeta cut in as he stepped out from behind the bakery counter and held out his hand to Lena. "Peeta Mellark."
"Lena Paylor-Everdeen." Her stepmother shook his hand, clearly charmed by the man before her. "Katniss tells me that you've studied in Paris."
"And once again, I have no idea why he would want to work in a grocery store," Katniss told her.
Peeta went to her, boldly taking her hand, and giving it a squeeze.
"Isn't it my day to be turned down again?"
"Maybe you can try asking again for my sake," Lena urged, giving Katniss a quick wink. "Poor girl hasn't been out in a while. I'm not really sure what's going on with her…muffin."
"Lena!" Katniss twirled around just in time to see Peeta covering his mouth so she wouldn't see him laugh. "You are on thin ice, Peeta! Don't you dare take her side."
"I wouldn't know much about your muffin…" Peeta's eyes drifted downward toward her jeans. "…unless you'll let me take both of you out for dinner."
Katniss looked between Peeta and Lena before finally nodding.
"Alright, you wore me down. Meet me in the office after closing."
Impulsively, Peeta leaned over to kiss Katniss' cheek, grinning from ear to ear. "The best words anyone could hear: 'You wore me down.'" He went to Lena and gave her a hug. "You are my lucky charm."
With that, Peeta rushed back to the counter to finish up with the orders.
Lena led a blushing Katniss away. "Oh boy—you and your muffin owe me big time!"
Peeta held her hand the whole way home after dinner.
It was nice to get out and actually try one of the many restaurants that she walked past every night on her way home. They ate at a small Italian place that was a block away from the grocery and she had her first taste of non-gluten-free pasta in a long while.
Katniss had never talked so much in her life. She told him about her ordinary childhood; her parents splitting when she was 12, her Dad opening the grocery, and marrying Lena. She talked about Prim and Rye; how Prim treated her like a second mother and that Rye loved everything Pokemon.
Peeta told her a little bit of his life though he was reticent to talk a lot about it. His parents had a nasty divorce and he lived with his Dad like she had. He had two brothers who lived on opposite sides of the country so he flew in-between on holidays.
"Any boyfriends that I should know about?" Peeta asked as they walked into the courtyard of their building.
One of the great things about their apartment building was the courtyard; it was a wall of flowers and in the center stood a gorgeous fountain that was lit softly at night. They sat down on one of the benches in front of it, listening to the soft tinkling of the water.
"Not anyone worth noting," Katniss responded as she curled her legs on the bench. Peeta moved closer to her and she found her head resting on his shoulder. He turned to her, smiling, before reaching to take her hand. "Everything happened in an orderly fashion. My first kiss was at 13, my first boyfriend at 16…my first time at 21…" She blushed at her last sentence. "How about you?"
"First kiss at 12, first girlfriend…at 18…first time at 16." Katniss lifted her head, her brows raised in shock and Peeta chuckled. "I know—I was a bit backwards." He lifted her chin to meet her eyes. "How old were you when your first fell in love?"
"I haven't," she revealed slowly. "Not yet anyway. How about you?"
"26."
She started and looked to him. "You are 26."
Peeta leaned towards Katniss, his mouth brushing against hers. "I know."
He cradled her face in his warm hands and Katniss reached for his wrists to keep him in place, never wanting him to let go. Leaning in, she captured his mouth in another kiss—all-encompassing and all her. Her tongue caressed his, tasting red wine from dinner, and that strange fluidity that she had with Peeta since they first met.
She wanted more.
It had been a long time since she had ever ached or hungered for anything. Now, it had come rising up in one kiss from a man who had come into her life with a bright smile and charming eyes.
Pulling away, Katniss gasped against his breathless lips.
"Johanna is going out tonight." Her hand went to his chin boldly and he trembled—oh God, seeing him under her control did something to her—in just that bit of her caress. "Do you want to come up—"
"Yes."
She let out a laugh. "I mean for sex."
Peeta stood up, pulling her to her feet.
"I know." Bringing her close, he drew her into another kiss. "We don't seem like the kind of people who play games."
"I agree."
She yanked him towards the building entrance.
"Do I look okay?"
Peeta kissed her, his hand going to the nape of her neck to deepen their joining. She pressed against him, her arms winding around his neck, feeling him harden against her pelvis.
They pulled apart and Peeta sighed in that achingly tortured way that made her throb. "Fuck it. Let's go back home." He kissed her forehead. "It's been two weeks. We're new—they'll understand."
"Fuck no, we won't understand!" They turned at the musical voice, light and breathy but full of amusement. Katniss turned to see a dark-haired woman, a small baby bump under her green dress, and bronze-haired man standing in the open doorway before them. The man winked at her good-naturedly and his wife wrapped an arm around his waist. "You've been keeping your girlfriend from us and we intend to tell her embarrassing stories about you!"
Peeta slapped his hand to his forehead. "We should've just kept on driving." He put an arm around Katniss proudly. "Beautiful Katniss, this is the lovely Annie Odair and her tolerable husband, Finnick."
The couple looked familiar, but Katniss couldn't put her finger on how.
She held her hand out to them. "Katniss Everdeen. It's nice to meet you."
Finnick walked over to her and pulled her into a hug. "We don't shake hands. We tell embarrassing stories." She could already tell Peeta was giving him the finger based on Finnick's booming laugh. "Let me tell you about the time that Peeta had diarrhea during a camping trip—"
"No, she's already slept with him. Bathroom issues aren't a big deal," Annie said as they led Katniss into their house. There were still a lot of unopened boxes from their move but the large entryway was enough for her to know that it might take some time for them to get their home decorated. "How about when he got bit by that spider and we had to take him to the hospital with an ice pack on his ass?"
"I don't know if that's going to deter me," Katniss told the couple. "He's unbelievably cute." Peeta took her hand, pulling her to his side. "Also, he knows how to butter my muffin."
Finnick snorted, shaking his head at the two. "You two are perfect for one another."
Peeta smiled to himself as he heard Katniss laughing at Annie's recollection of Finnick's proposal.
Even from where he stood in the kitchen, Katniss' laugh stirred something inside of him. It had been so long since he felt this alive…this happy—as if he had found exactly what he had been looking for in this dark-haired woman who, just by the way she twirled the tip of her braid, brought him to his knees.
"I like her." He turned to find Finnick approaching him. "Have you told her about…us?"
"Why would it come up?" Peeta responded. "Anyway, it's not a big deal."
"It was a big part of our lives," his friend replied. Finnick went to an open box, beckoning Peeta over to look inside at the framed platinum record. "We were a multi-platinum recording group." Smirking at Peeta, he looked in the direction of the dining room where Annie and Katniss sat. "Chances are that she actually had one of our albums. It's nothing to be ashamed of."
"I love her, Finnick," Peeta said softly. "I want her to love me as Peeta Mellark…not as P-Beatz. That's not who I am anymore."
"You're always going to have a little bit of P-Beatz in you." Finnick elbowed him and he chuckled. "You have to tell her the truth—but, I understand why you want to wait until she learned to love you as you." He shook his head. "There were a lot of girls…and they all say they love you."
"In the end, I just need her love," he told her. "That's hard enough in normal circumstances."
"I don't know," Finnick replied. "By the way, she's looking at you—she's already there."
The music changed the instant the doors were locked.
Peeta undid his apron, placing it on the hook next to the bakery's back door and walked in front of the counter as the beginning percussion of the song began.
"On the corner of main street
Just tryin' to keep it in line
You say you wanna move on and
You say I'm falling behind…"
He walked down the front aisle past Johanna who winked at him from her register and pointed towards the back. Nodding, Peeta walked up the first aisle and down towards the produce area in search of his girlfriend.
"I never really gave up on
Breakin' out of this two-star town…"
Spotting Marvel, the man waved at him before mouthing, 'Next aisle.'
Peeta found her, dancing with the dry mop as her partner and microphone, shoes tossed to the side and hair loose. Her eyes were closed as she sang along to The Killers, oblivious of being watched from behind the cans of chicken broth.
She was beautiful, she was perfect—and Peeta knew that she was it for him.
"The teenage queen, the loaded gun;
The drop dead dream, the Chosen One
A southern drawl, a world unseen;
A city wall and a trampoline…"
Katniss turned to him, beckoning with her delicate index finger, as she lip-synced, "Oh well I don't mind, if you don't mind…'cause I don't shine if you don't shine…"
He crossed over her shoes to wrap an arm around her waist to draw her close and take her hand. They danced, foreheads pressed, and his mouth found hers quickly to taste the love from her eager lips.
"Do you want to get out of here?" she asked, her grey eyes glinting hungrily.
"Lead the way," he told her. "I'm always game."
Quickly, Katniss put her shoes on and pulled him from the aisle. They past Johanna with a cart of go-backs and she gave them a saucy wave before they walked up the stairs towards Katniss' office.
"Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?"
Her mouth was suddenly his and Peeta was pressed against the wall of the hallway, her hands wandering towards the zipper of his pants and he growled when her soft hand found his cock. Katniss pumped, her encircled fingers moving along his sensitive ridges of skin and he grit his teeth to keep from coming all over her.
Peeta pulled away, moving her urgently up the stairs and into her office.
With a slam of her door, he pushed her back against the hardwood of the door and lifted her easily, his hands moving up her bare thighs and finding her without a pair of panties.
"Where the hell are your panties?" Peeta asked as she easily sunk unto his length.
He groaned and she tightened around him as they began to move in harsh eagerness, the door being used as solid foundation for a hard fuck.
"In my pocket," she replied breathlessly, her eyes rolling back as he thrusted harshly, hitting her cervix just enough. "That way if you're too loud, I can just stuff them into your mouth."
Katniss said it so primly—as if she was showing him how to mark his inventory again.
"You fucking tease!" Peeta grinned as she rolled her pretty eyes. "Wrap your legs around me, sweetheart." She complied and he walked them to her desk overlooking the whole store. "You're a dirty one, aren't you?"
"Only when it comes to you, Peeta," Katniss told him boldly. "Now are you going to punish me for making you work overtime?" He reached, his hand bringing her right calf over his shoulder and driving into her, making her hiss into his ear while she palmed into her own tits. "God, I love you…"
"Are you sure it's not because I'm doing you over this desk? Where you can look over the store knowing that no one can see you being thoroughly fucked?" He laughed against her neck. "I think there's a bit of fire in being caught, don't you think?"
"Yes…" Her eyes met his. "…but I don't love you just for the sex." She grinned, pressing a quick kiss to his open mouth. "Great as it is—I love you for just being you."
He felt himself falling apart, his balls drawing and tightening as his thrusts sped up towards a teeth-clenching climax.
"Fuck—I'm coming!"
Downstairs, Marvel and Johanna looked up at the dark-tinted windows of the office.
"Yes, Peeta! Fuck! I'm coming!"
Prim joined them, emerging from the back employee entrance as her eyes went up to the office windows as well.
"Do they know that the overhead speaker is on?" she asked, trying to keep her laughter in.
A loud moan punctured the air—Peeta.
Johanna shook her head. "Nope." She took off her apron. "I'm clocking out early."
Sitting in the office chair, Katniss sat on his bare lap, his mouth pressing kisses to her skin. She sighed, sated in their joining, her arms in his shirt sleeves which covered them in the cool office.
"I'm guessing that everyone left for the night," she told him with a grin. "You want to walk me home?"
"Sure." Peeta nipped at her ear and she sighed. "Can I tuck you in?"
"Of course…yes." Katniss looked to him. "Stay over…stay with me."
Peeta's gaze met hers, a solemnity in those deep blues. "Always." She was breathless at the intensity of that one word. "Katniss, did you mean it? Do you love me?"
Her hands reached to cradle his face tenderly.
"Yes." Even if she tried to deny, to lie, to keep any ounce of dignity, Katniss knew he would see right through her. "I'm in love with you, Peeta Mellark—and I hope you love me, too."
He turned, pressing a kiss to her palm before meeting her eyes. "You are mine."
Katniss turned, straddling his waist, to make love to him once more.
"You look tense." Katniss reached, her hand going to Peeta's forehead. "We can just drop off our present and head back home. Annie and Finnick would understand."
Peeta shook his head and gave her a weak smile. "I'm just excited to see the rest of the guys."
"I'm excited to meet them," she said eagerly. "I hope they like me."
He could hear the tremor in his words and put an arm around her shoulders.
"They're going to love you," he whispered into her ear, moving his mouth along her neck. "Just like I love you."
Katniss turned to him, a snort escaping her. "Hopefully not exactly like you love me." She pressed a gentle kiss and he sighed against her mouth. "I love you, too."
"You two are adorable!"
They turned to find a handsome, dark-skinned man grinning at them, a wrapped box in his hand. He wore a dark turtleneck and jeans under a leather blazer and as he approached, Katniss looked at the leather loafers he wore knowing that they were designer, not to mention expensive.
He approached, smiling warmly, before giving Peeta a hug. "Long time no see, Peeta!"
"It's been a long time since Paris, Thresh." Peeta put a hand to the small of her back before moving her forward. "Thresh, this is Katniss Everdeen. Katniss, this is Thresh Garnet."
"Nice to meet you, sweetie." Thresh leaned down and gave her a kiss on one cheek and then the other. "You're gorgeous."
The door opened and Finnick walked onto the porch, beaming at them. "You know the party is inside, right?"
Gale was the next of Peeta's friends that Katniss met; he was tall with a similar olive skin coloring to her. He was also very soft-spoken but, from what she could hear when he greeted her, his voice was a deep, grounded timbre.
There were a few more folks like Annie's friends, Madge and Delly, who spent a lot of time cozying up to Thresh. Peeta spent most of the time talking to Gale, his hand always entwined with hers. From what she could gather, Gale was involved with someone named Darius, who was a teacher in Brooklyn where they shared an apartment together.
"Where the hell is Cato?" Annie said as she placed another set of hors d'oeuvres on the newly set-up coffee table. Peeta and Finnick had finished it the night before, arguing the whole time while she and Annie watched and ate the cheesecake that she had brought from the grocery. "He is always late—"
"Oh, I know you're not bitching about me, little mother!"
They all turned as the tall blond bounded into the room. Katniss looked to Peeta, who was on the verge of laughter. She had heard a few stories about the newest houseguest from Gale—and even from Thresh.
This man could only be Cato.
Annie threw her arms around the newest guest. "You will be a horrible godfather for our daughter!"
"How about I take her out for drinks when she turns 21?" Cato countered.
"That little girl will not be anywhere near you when she's 21!" Finnick bellowed before pulling Cato into an embrace.
Everyone followed suit, hugging the last member of their group, until finally Katniss and Peeta stood in front of the man in his tank top and jeans under a moto jacket.
"Little Peeta, you sure have grown up," Cato said warmly before the two embraced. Pulling away, Cato looked to Katniss. "And, you got yourself a girl!"
"Not just any girl. I found myself the girl," he told his friend. "Katniss, this is Cato."
She stuck her hand out. "It's nice to meet you, Cato."
Cato took her hand before yanking her into a full-on hug.
"You're not just Peeta's girl now. You're my sister!"
His words suddenly jarred an old memory and her brow furrowed.
"I feel like I've seen you before…" Katniss tilted her head, examining Cato for a moment. "Were you an actor or something?"
Cato looked to Peeta. "Didn't you ever mention—"
"Not yet," her boyfriend said before looking to her. "We'll talk about it after the party."
She nodded in acceptance. Perhaps Cato was someone famous and didn't really want to talk about it.
"I brought my guitar!" Cato called out. "I expect full participation!"
"I think I'll sit this one out," Peeta said uneasily. "Don't want to scare Katniss off with my voice—"
"Don't be a spoilsport, Peeta!" Thresh called out as he dragged Gale over to where Cato stood. "That girl loves you to the moon and back." He winked at Katniss. "Right, boo?"
Katniss pressed a kiss to Peeta's lips. "He's right. You've peaked my interest."
Reluctantly he joined the group, sitting on one of the seats that Finnick placed in front of the fireplace. Annie took Katniss' hand and led her to the couch while Delly and Madge sat in the loveseat.
The image of the five guys suddenly caused another memory to flash and her stomach twisted in innocent expectation. Her hands clasped in her lap as Gale tuned the guitar and Cato instructed the guys on the beat.
The five nodded and Cato began the countdown, "One…two…three…"
Gale began to play and Katniss leaned forward when Peeta suddenly started to sing:
"So she said what's the problem baby
What's the problem I don't know
Well maybe I'm in love…"
Peeta could sing…and not even that—he was good. He met her eyes and grinned, continuing as the rest of the group harmonized and sang back-up. Cato was even using the seat of his chair as percussion. They worked seamlessly together.
As if they had done this a million times before.
"Come on, come on
The world will follow after
Come on, come on
Cause everybody's after love…"
"It's like they've never been apart," Annie said, almost to herself.
"What do you mean?" Katniss asked.
"Oh come on, Katniss," Delly said with a sigh. "I was always a fan of theirs…"
She looked once more at Peeta, who met her eyes and crooned.
"Well baby I surrender
To the strawberry ice cream
Never ever end of all this love
Well I didn't mean to do it
But there's no escaping your love…"
A full, solid image of a sweet boy with blue eyes singing flashed in front of her eyes—shit.
Her boyfriend was P-Beatz.
Katniss was watching The Tributes perform right in front of her—the grown-up version of them, anyway.
She turned, listening to Annie sing along, and remembered Finn…Finnick's blush as he told Carson Daly about their opening act, Annie Cresta.
Her head was suddenly light and the room began to spin.
"Katniss?" Madge called out. "You look grey."
She was out cold before she could reply.
"Give her some air!"
Katniss blinked and found herself encircled by everyone. Her head hurt and she groaned, her hand going to her head.
Peeta reached to cup her cheek. "Are you okay?"
"Why didn't you tell me you were…" She couldn't form words rationally. "…who you were?"
"Sweetheart, we were all in the group," Cato said with an amused smile. "You don't need to hide it from us."
"God, I'm a Class-A moron! I mean, how obvious was it?" Slowly, Katniss sat up from her seat and looked around. "I mean Thresh…Phresh—that's not even hard and Gale Hawthorne—that was a fucking definite. And, Finnick…Finn? I really am a moron!" She looked at Annie. "I remember watching TRL and seeing Finnick blush just saying your name!"
Annie looked to her husband. "You did? That's so sweet!" She gave him a quick kiss.
"Can we get a moment alone?" Peeta suddenly bellowed.
Everyone stood and Annie gave Katniss a glass of water before the group emptied the room, leaving her alone with an anxious Peeta. He sat on the coffee table, his hands clasped, and she waited for him to speak, unsure what her own reaction would be.
"I know I kept that part of my life from you," Peeta began. "Being in The Tributes was a great part of my life and the guys are like my brothers. I'm closer to them then my actual siblings. But…it was just one part and I grew up. I stopped wanting to be P-Beatz and I wanted to become Peeta Mellark."
Peeta reached for her hand, taking it between his own.
She didn't pull away nor did she feel the need to.
"I hope that in the end, you'll love me just as I am," he told her. "Because I love you so much. From the moment you looked at me in that elevator, I loved you. I'm so sorry that I kept this from you."
Katniss blinked, surprised when she felt the trail of wetness on her cheeks.
She didn't know where they would go but she felt that he had to know something, too.
"Will you grab my phone for me?" she asked him.
Peeta reached into her tote and took out her iPhone before handing it to her.
"If we really want to start again—to do this right—then you should know me, too," Katniss told him. "I posted this picture on my Instagram about two months ago as a throwback." She handed the phone back to him. "I never ever thought you would see me like this."
Katniss watched as he examined the photo of her—12, in braces, and wearing a t-shirt with The Tributes' neon green logo on it. Behind her was a wall of P-Beatz posters that she had pinned and coveted with the careful care and longing of a young girl having her first crush.
Peeta's finger traced over her adolescent face gently and she watched a smile grow on his handsome face.
He met her eyes. "You're adorable."
"I had headgear too, you know," she told him with a grin.
Peeta sat next to her, his arm going around her shoulders and pulling her close. "Oh yeah?"
"And, I didn't get boobs until I was 16," Katniss continued.
"I couldn't grow facial hair," Peeta said. "I used to watch Cato shave when we were touring and I'd just be so jealous."
Katniss brushed her thumb along his chin. "I like you better without facial hair."
"The braces and headgear made your smile even prettier," he told her quietly.
Her head went to his shoulder and she let out a small breath.
"When I was 12, my parents were getting divorced, just like yours," she said, her eyes closing and remembering that painful part of her past. "You sang that song, 'You Are Mine' on TRL. It made me feel like I wasn't the only one going through something like that. I think I fell in love with you right then. You made me like someone like you could feel pain and regret, just like an ordinary person—like me."
"Katniss, you were never ordinary," Peeta whispered into her ear.
She took his hand, bringing her mouth to his knuckles, and her eyes closed at the sensation of his skin.
"Neither are you."
"Can we start again?" he asked.
Katniss turned to him, seeing that same tenuous hope that she knew was in her gaze, before nodding.
"Yes."
One Year Later…
They held hands the whole way home though Peeta's free arm held a bag of groceries.
"Annie is wondering if we can watch Maddie next Friday," Katniss told her boyfriend. "What do you think?"
"I'd say no, but that girl is so damn cute," he told her. "And, I'm pretty sure that you already said yes."
She chucked. "Yes, I did." Peeta shook his head at her. "I couldn't help it! Annie gave me that pout and told me that she and Finnick hadn't been…together…in months."
"Far be it for me to deny my friends a chance to get intimate," he told her. "I can't say no to you, either."
They made a turn leading into their apartment building and the sound of music wafted through the air where the courtyard was.
"I guess someone's having a party." Katniss sighed. "I hope it's not too noisy. I'm exhausted from doing inventory and we still have cleanup before your Dad gets here. We're trying to convince him that it was a good idea for us to move in together, remember?"
"Of course, I remember." Peeta stopped, turning to her. "Why don't we check out this party? I'm sure they won't notice us."
She looked to him suspiciously. "That's kind of weird, isn't it?"
"Just a quick peek…" Peeta pouted at her. "…please?"
Katniss smiled at him. "You have Maddie's pout."
Rounding the corner, they walked towards the courtyard and Katniss let out a yelp seeing what was in front of her.
Her father was there with Lena and Rye, who waved at them joyfully. Beside them were Peeta's father and his brothers, Aidan and Grant. Then there was Prim along with Marvel—they were supposed to be on their honeymoon. At the end of the group were Finnick, Annie, and seven-month-old Maddie.
Johanna was, not surprisingly, sitting on Cato's lap. They had met when Katniss moved into Peeta's apartment and spent two days in Johanna's apartment, 'purging' her presence.
That's what Johanna called it when she called in sick, anyway.
Katniss turned to Peeta. "What is this?"
"A reunion concert of sorts." He led her further towards the courtyard and she saw that Gale and Thresh had also come. "Come sit here."
She nodded in disbelief as everyone gathered around.
"Do you remember what happened here?" Peeta asked her.
"Of course. This is where we first kissed," she responded with a roll of her eyes.
"It's also when I first realized that you were it for me," he told her. "I want to ask you something—but first, I thought I'd sing the song that made you fall in love with me."
Katniss beamed. "Really?"
Peeta stood up and the rest of the group gathered behind him. Cato clapped his shoulder as Gale began to strum the guitar to begin the first chords of 'You Are Mine'.
"Yes, I'm going to sing to you," Peeta told her. "But after, you have to say yes."
Katniss nodded eagerly. "I promise."
Peeta reached into his pocket and placed a velvet box in her open palm. "Hold this."
He winked before stepping back to begin his song.
FIN.
Songs:
"Read My Mind"-The Killers
"Accidentally in Love"-Counting Crows (The version of the song I'm using can be found on YouTube)
"You Are Mine" is an original song written by me