Prompt: Rich!Katniss Poor!Peeta, love confession and balcony sex

Rated Mature for Character Death and Sexual Situation

He enters the house making his way through the crowd of mourners that have congregated by the door. Most are huddled together speaking softly but even with their voices at a whisper the high vaulted ceilings cause every sound to become amplified. Peeta ambles around the foyer which is decorated in the rich gold and reds he associates with the Everdeen home. The sea of muted and black clothing is a stark contrast to the deep colored décor and it only causes his mood to sour more. Peeta bumps into more than one person as they try to converse while eating off the white china.

He's not surprised by the turn out, since James Everdeen was beloved by most of the town. Peeta can hear sobbing echo through the manor and when he stops at the door leading into the main room he sees Mrs. Everdeen leaning over in hushed conversation with visitors. She's as controlled as she ever was but Peeta can see her pause after a few words to take in a deep breath. He looks over to the older woman's left to see little Prim, who isn't that little anymore at twenty six and it feels like a lifetime ago when she was twelve and asking him to play dolls with her. Peeta doesn't bother to look for her, because she won't be down here where others can watch her grieve.

He knows where she'll be.

Where she always went when she had to escape. He works his hands through his thick blond curls that he had smoothed back with product to look more presentable. Peeta takes one look around the room of people and sees his older brother Rye hitting on one of the caterers. He rolls his eyes at his brother's behavior before turning around to walk back into the foyer and up the winding staircase. His hand grips the banister and as he walks up the stairs he tries not to get lost in the flood of memories that this place holds.

He had been sixteen when he had first met her.

The Everdeens who owned the mines that the town was known for were wealthy from generations of prosperity. The stories told about them around town were like those of folk or storybook heroes. Peeta never took much stock in the stories and when it was rumored that the oldest Everdeen girl was coming home from being at boarding school, he hardly cared enough to listen. He did however care that the family was willing to hire out a few servers for the party that was being thrown in the girl's honor. Peeta had some food industry experience from working in his family's failing bakery and he could use the extra money that would come from the job.

The night had turned out predictable enough at first, but as he served the overly pretentious horderves he caught sight of dark wavy hair as it flowed down her back. His eyes followed her as she walked through the crowd and he felt as though he had seen an angel. He bit back a smile when he saw her scowl at everyone that approached her and when he gathered the courage to speak to her, it wasn't but hours later that they were pressed up against each other in a dark corner. The feeling of her warm breath against his flush skin.

This would happen through the years as they fell back into each other and each time they had to part would slowly chip away at Peeta.

It wasn't until they were twenty and Katniss was half way through with college that things came to a head. He had found her sitting on the balcony where she went to think and when he had asked her to marry him, she had said no. Peeta had slowly become distant toward Katniss until finally the moments they shared and the feel of her skin against his became a memory.

He's nearly to the top of the stairs as the noise from downstairs has all but disappear. Peeta hasn't been in her house in ten years but he still knows where to go. When he reaches the second floor he walks down the hall until he comes to the door. He tests the doorknob and when it turns easily he sighs in relief. Peeta tries not to get caught up in the memories as he enters her room.

Everything looks exactly as it did when he was sixteen.

He doesn't slow down his pace as he heads for where the dark green curtains drape over the sliding glass doors. When he reaches the glass he takes in one last breath before opening the glass door and stepping onto the balcony.

Peeta sees her sitting in the corner with her knees pressed up into her chest as she hugs her legs tightly. Her black heels have already been thrown off as they lay haphazardly close to the edge of the porch. He takes her in as her dark hair hangs around her face like a curtain and he wants to tangle his fingers in the strands. He watches her for a while until she turns toward him and his heart breaks by how hollow her gray eyes appear. It takes a moment for the recognition to show on her face but a small smile forms at her lips.

Peeta matches her expression as he approaches her. "Hey Dandelion." She closes her eyes and sighs. He sits down beside her, tucking his legs underneath him. The smile fading from his lips as he sees her tear streaked cheeks.

Katniss opens her eyes and looks at him with tears in her eyes. "Peeta." She wipes harshly at her face as she rests her chin at her shoulder. "You came." Her mouth relaxes, losing the smile.

He reaches out and brushes her hair to her back. "Why wouldn't I?" Peeta can see her eyes close at his touch and when his fingers brush against the bare skin of her shoulder she shivers.

She nods and turns to stare out into the back yard. "You remembered where I'd be."

Peeta snorts and nudges her playfully, which earns a soft giggle from her. "Of course. I knew you'd be out on this balcony. You always came here when you were upset."

She's quiet for the longest time as she hugs her body tightly. He watches her closely and he's struck by how beautiful she is. The girl he sees in his dreams every night isn't much different than the woman who sits beside him.

Peeta begins to take off his suit jacket when she turns to him. Her eyes red rimmed and serious. "Do you resent my father?"

He shakes his head. "No. Why do you ask?"

Katniss searches his face for the longest time before speaking. "He didn't want us to get married." Peeta's face falls as she swallows hard. "I didn't want to get married."

Peeta sighs and reaches out to take her hand that rests at her knee. "You were twenty years old and I couldn't give you everything you needed." He turns toward her fully as his knee presses into her hip. "Katniss you grew out of this place and I wasn't going to be the guy who held you here."

She nods as she curls her fingers over his and squeezes tightly. "I hated you for a long time for pushing me away."

Peeta smiles sadly as he lifts his hand up and begins to brush through her hair. "And I wanted to hate you for letting me." He can see her begin to cry again. "But you were always, my dandelion." When he leans forward to brush his lips against her cheek, he can feel her smile. "My hope that things would be better someday."

Katniss leans into his touch and when she shifts her head, their lips brush against each others. "Why can't someday be now?"

He pulls away from her and drops his hand from her hair but his hand travels down her back. His fingers barely touch the fabric of her dress. "Katniss, I'm still as poor as I ever was."

She leans back into his hand as it settles at the small of her back. "I never cared about any of that."

Peeta scoffs as he plays with the fabric of her dress. "It's because you've had money your whole life." Katniss turns toward him until they're facing each other causing his hand to move around her side and rest at her waist. "I'm always going to be a blue collar guy. Be it at the bakery or in the mines and I never wanted you to know what it was like to struggle."

She squeezes his hand and places their joined hands at her bare leg. "You don't think I've struggled all these years? I may not have been hungry or exhausted from physical labor, but all I've known is pain since we've been separated."

Peeta closes his eyes as he bites back the tears that threaten to fill his eyes. "Katniss." When he opens his eyes she's settling on her knees before releasing his hand to frame his face.

He sighs from the warmth of her touch as her silver eyes bore into his blue ones with an intensity he hadn't seen in a long time. "I wasn't ready to get married then, Peeta. But it's been ten years and I'm ready to stop running from the one person who made me feel safe." She leans forward and presses her lips to his in a chaste kiss. She parts only an inch. "I love you, you idiot." Her breath tickles his lips.

A breathy laugh escapes his lips before he kisses her again. His lips brush hers when he speaks. "I really have missed your pet names for me." She laughs along as she releases his face. Peeta is thinking about her confession when he sees her hike the skirt of her dress up her thighs. His eyes are wide when she reaches underneath her dress and pulls her black lace panties down her legs. Katniss tosses them aside beside her discarded shoes. Peeta swallows hard as he watches her with a shocked expression. "What are you doing?"

Katniss gives him a coy smile as she rests her hands at his shoulders and straddles him. "Something I've missed for so long." His chest tightens when he feels her open the fly of his pants.

She's working the zipper of his suit pants as he forces his voice to work. "Katniss, what if someone sees us?" Peeta looks behind her to where the back yard is. The gardens span most of the property on this side and thankfully most of the mourners have kept to the front. He looks back to her as she loosens his pants and reaches into the waistband of his boxers. When she grasps him, almost territorial, he jumps.

Katniss bites her bottom lip, in that way that always drove him crazy, as she frees his erection. "We can just tell them that you seduced me with all your wrong side of the tracks talk and I was helpless against it." He wants to laugh but the lust he feels, no love, is all encompassing and all he can do is lean forward and kiss her as she settles above him.

When she lowers herself onto him and he fills her, he can feel every sensation in his body firing off. They set an even rhythm almost immediately as instinct takes over and they begin to relearn the feel of each other. Peeta kisses her as she moves above him and he swallows every moan that escapes her lips.

She pulls back from him as she grinds down onto him. Her nails baring down into the material of his dress shirt. "We just keep falling back into each other, don't we?" Her voice is breathless.

Peeta nods as he places his hands at her waist. "We do."

Katniss leans forward to kiss him again. "Do you think it'll last this time."

Peeta moves his hands up from her waist to her hair. The strands sticking to her face from the sweat as their bodies move in sync. "I hope, dandelion. I really hope so."