My deepest thanks to jazzfic for her beta skills on this story.
This was written for the mores2sl collection on tumblr.
Please tell me whether you liked it or not :)
i'm thegirlfromoverthepond on tumblr :)
Why is it so hard to find motivation? Katniss wondered, struggling with the goddam bike. Maybe level 12 was a bit too high, maybe her lungs and thighs weren't about to give up, begging for a reprieve or a slower pace.
But she really, really didn't want to slow down. It wasn't a question of stubbornness (well, just a bit), or pride, it had everything to do with the man on the treadmill next to her. The man running on the treadmill in his shorts, his tee-shirt wet with sweat, his blonde hair a total mess, and his earphones the same color of his eyes. Because, yes, she noticed his eyes when he had hopped onto his machine and nodded at her.
Katniss had never agreed more with the poster saying "Sweat is sexy" than she did when she looked at this stranger running next to her. She usually wasn't into the American poster boy type, but this one had something appealing about him. She risked another glance at him (not that she was counting), noticing the drops of sweat running along his neck. Yeah, sweat definitely could be sexy.
"Hey Katniss!"
Speaking of sexy, making her grand entrance, she saw Glimmer Reynolds coming to sit on the bike next to hers. Katniss knew the woman's name was something like Stephanie or Tiffany and that her nickname had nothing to do with wearing sparkling clothes - even though it fitted Glimmer perfectly. Everyone in the gym knew her, the blonde locks staying perfectly in place as she attended whatever course was on, from the attack lessons to Yoga. Always near, always shining, that was Glimmer.
Katniss had absolutely no idea why she was here the bike next to hers, as she always backed away from the cardio zone, the smell of sweat bothering her fragile little (remade) nose.
But right now all Katniss was focused on was reaching that milestone her trainer had set for her, blaming her competitiveness on the fact that she had turned into a mess of sweat and disheveled hair, proof that she was here to workout and not socialize.
"I should come do cardio more often," Glimmer said, almost making Katniss lose a cycle of her bike. There must be something wrong with the universe if the Queen Bee herself thought spending time with the less-than-nothing was something she should do more.
"What?" Out of breath, the word was the only thing Katniss could mutter right now, as the miles went on defiling on the screen of her bike. Two more, and she would break her record, and finally drink that beer David had promised.
"Well, the surroundings are way more … interesting here." Glimmer didn't even hide the look she gave to the man next to Katniss, taking him all in, without the slightest embarrassment, from his legs, solidly running in rhythm on the treadmill, to his upper body, clad in that tee-shirt.
No, no embarrassment from Glimmer at all, looking him over with predatory eyes, despite the very present set of rings on the fourth finger of her left hand. She was still leaning on the bike, not even pretending to cycle it, trying to get the man's attention by showing her cleavage over her pink sparkling top. It seemed useless, as the guy continued to keep his eyes firmly on his phone, never acknowledging the women beside him.
Eventually, Glimmer got tired of being ignored by both Katniss and the young man.
"I will definitely be around. There are interesting things to see here..." She got off the bike, moving towards the lockers room with an exaggerated sway of her hips.
Katniss looked back at the screen of her bike, trying to see if she would meet the challenge her coach had given her - wasted effort. She was far off her usual marks, thanks to Glimmer's interruption, but still had another two minutes to go before this machine of all evils stopped.
"I hope that's not her way of being subtle." A voice interrupted her thoughts, making her lose another cycle. She turned to where the blonde man had been running, to see he was now smiling at her.
Katniss knew there was no one on the bike besides her, but nonetheless turned her head from left to right, just to check, because there was no way this man was talking to her.
Yet, he was.
"Believe it or not," she answered, trying to catch her breath as the machine eased into the cooling time of her cycle, "this is exactly her way of being subtle."
"Wow. Did she not realize I could hear and see her?"
"Oh, she did, and I think she expected you to be more … responsive about her."
"Responsive? You mean, answer her? No, thank you. I have enough of that with the parents already."
"Parents?"
"I teach art in Panem High…. let me just say some mothers there are exactly like this woman. Glitter?"
Katniss couldn't help but laugh at the nickname the man had found.
"Almost. Glimmer. Though I think her real name is Stephanie or Tiffany or whatever."
"I'm Peeta, by the way." The man had extended his hand over the bar of the treadmill for Katniss to shake. She automatically took it, remembering too late how sweaty she was and how slippery her hand would be. But this Peeta guy didn't seem to mind at all.
"Oh, I'm Katniss." She almost hesitated over her own name, distracted as she was by the feeling of his hand in hers. Strange. Must be all that energy from the machines, right? Right.
"Nice to meet you Katniss. So, you have something to settle with that bike? He hurt you in another life ?"
Katniss looked at him, surprised.
"What? Oh, no, that's because of David. He always sets unreachable objectives." She suddenly looked at him, suspicious. "Don't tell me he didn't do that for you?"
Peeta laughed, swiping the sweat out of his face.
"Oh he did. He's really bad."
"I can hear you both!" came the voice of the gym's manager from his front desk. "I do it for your own good, guys, and you know that."
"Yeah, yeah, so you say…" Katniss muttered under her breath, getting off the bike, grabbing wipes to clean the bike.
"He's evil." She nearly jumped at Peeta's voice in her ear - he had come down his treadmill too, and was just behind her, waiting in line to take the cleaning paper.
Katniss nodded before going back to her bike, cleaning it thoroughly all the while thinking about what she was doing next. Biceps and triceps, a bit of back muscles too, to keep herself in shape for the next season of archery meetings.
She moved swiftly to the more hardcore part of the gym, grabbing dumbbells in the process, before going straight to "her" bench, the one she usually sat on when working on her arms.
Only Peeta was already straddling said bench, preparing a bar with heavy weights on it.
She sighed, moving to the the other bench - narrower, less comfortable, and, well, not hers - put her weights down and sipped on her water bottle.
The door to the locker rooms opened as Katniss just finished a sip, water falling down her chin because of course she forgot her sports bottle at home, and Glimmer stepped out, followed by her clique of Barbie-like friends, her eyes roaming the gym until they landed on her prey.
Her prey, who was lifting an enormous number of weights, lying on the bench, pushing the heavy bar up.
Katniss saw the predatory glint in Glimmer's eyes, as she dropped her bag down, walking like she was on a runaway towards Peeta, not caring a single second about Katniss being around. The young man had finished his reps, repositioning the bar on its support, his breath labored by the effort he had needed to finish this part of his workout.
"My, my, this is some muscle" Glimmer said, her hand reaching out to trace Peeta's biceps. "I bet you can lift me …" her voice was literally purring, her seductive techniques all out for his benefit, almost laughable if it wasn't pitiful. Katniss shook her head, as she grabbed her weight and started her reps, working on her triceps first, when she heard Peeta answer.
"And what would be the purpose of that, Ms...?" He replied, very calmly, letting her fill in the blank of her name. Glimmer's face fell, as she tried to hide her disappointment at being called out, but Peeta wasn't done with her. "Moreover, I very much doubt my girlfriend would approve."
Somehow, this gave Glimmer some incentive to do more - showing more cleavage, being more vulgar and straightforward.
"What she doesn't know won't hurt her, right? You're young, I'm young, let's enjoy life."
"Well, you pretty much ruined that, haven't you. My girlfriend is just there." At Peeta's calm and deep voice, Katniss looked around, searching for the woman he was talking around. Surely she must be somewhere, fuming over Glimmer's behavior - she knew she would be.
But there wasn't anyone around. She was the only one besides Glimmer and her gang, the only one close enough to listen to - wait? What was he implying? She suddenly turned to him, and saw his eyes begging her to play along as he walked around his (well, her) bench towards her, his eyes still pleading as he put his arm around her shoulders, as if he did that every day.
Two emotions threatened to explode in Katniss's brain at the same time - the anger at being used as a rebuffal from Glimmer and the surprise at being able to rebuff Glimmer.
So she played it off. It was only for a few minutes, right?
Right.
So she put her arm on his waist, letting it fall down protectively on his upper hip.
"And I'm not so sure about you being young, Tiffany…" Katniss said, moving even closer to Peeta, feeling the heat radiating from his body, not even bothered by his sweat, after all, that's why they are at the gym for, right? Sweating.
"You? With him?" Glimmer stared at the both of them in disbelief, pointing at Katniss with her manicured finger. "Let me laugh, you're as much a couple as I'm a real blonde."
This phrase did it. Glimmer had drawn the final straw in Katniss's mind. Her attitude, her behavior towards her and Peeta and everybody around except her clique was more than Katniss could handle right now.
So she turned to Peeta, her eyes meeting his begging him to go along with her charade as she leaned into him, getting on her tiptoes before placing her lips to his.
She had no clue what Peeta would think about it, hell she had no clue what she should think about it.
But all she could care about was the warmth of his lips on hers. How he went from completely still to taking over the kiss in a matter of a second. How his arms moved to let his hands come to her face, his thumbs caressing her cheeks, sending wave of heat after another into her body. She pulled back slightly, but was drawn to him, her whole body feeling his absence.
So she kissed him again, letting her tongue discover the crevices of his lips, letting her hand roam on the small hairs at the nape of his neck, letting her body discover his.
Even if this was just for one kiss.
Or two.
Or maybe more. She just wanted - needed - to get lost in his kisses right here, right now.
A slight cough interrupted them.
Katniss pulled back from Peeta's embrace, pretty sure her cheeks and lips were of matching color, and it definitely wasn't due to exhaustion or too much effort. Her weights were still on the bench, abandoned.
She turned around, looking for Glimmer, only to find David right in front of them, smiling.
"She's gone, I thought you might want to know. Pretty pissed, too. Good job!" he said, before turning to go back to his desk in the front. "It deserves a beer, I've never seen Glimmer so pissed off!"
So they drank a beer, the three of them, after Katniss had hurriedly put her weights back in their place to take her shower, hoping that the heat she felt on her cheeks was only due to the exercise.
They talked about Glimmer a lot - whose real name was actually Charlotte - about the gym a little, but not a word was spoken about their kiss.
Nothing.
Katniss decided the best policy was the head in the sand one. If they didn't talk about it, it meant it didn't happen.
Right?
Right.
She went on with her life, the next three days full of too much work to head to the gym, the next three nights full of too many dreams of kisses and big hands on her naked skin to get a real rest.
She finally was able to go back to the gym, timing her arrival when Glimmer would already be piloxing or zumbaing, or whatever she was doing these days, and hoping Peeta wouldn't be there.
She still hadn't figured how she was supposed to talk to him now.
She sighed as she relaxed, not spotting him anywhere, and hurried to change in the locker room. Today was cardio day, with a bit of luck she could do her 45 minutes with her headphones on, and nobody would notice her. Like, ever again.
Katniss was out of the lockers and on her favorite bike in an instant, music pouring into her ears as she set the level to 10 and started cycling.
Her peace of mind didn't last long.
She was cooling down when she heard Glimmer's shrieking voice, despite Muse's cover of Feeling Good, and her desire to ignore everything.
A pat on her shoulder forced her to acknowledge the other woman, clad today in tiny shorts and a tank top that clinged to her generous curves.
"So, single again? I knew Hot Buns would let you down quickly," Glimmer said, a clear snark in her voice.
"What do you care, Tiffany?" Katniss answered.
"It was only a matter of time before he realized he could have this-" Glimmer moved her hand up and down her body, clearly showing off her slim form, "instead of … you."
"I do think that Katniss's body has advantages yours clearly lack, Tiffany," Peeta's deep voice chimed in.
Katniss turned to see him standing just behind Glimmer, his blue towel over his shoulder, and a glint in his eyes that she thought was anger.
"Moreover, I would very much like you to stop harassing me. I'm not interested in you, Stephanie, you are everything I don't look for in a woman. Vain, false, and mean. So go play in your sandbox with your friends, and leave me alone," Peeta said, moving past Glimmer who had blanched at his words and straight to Katniss. He put his hands on her face and pecked her lightly on the lips, before adding,
"Sorry i'm late. I was delayed at work."
"You're forgiven." Katniss answered before leaning in, completely aware they were now playing a very dangerous game. But damn if she didn't want a last kiss from Peeta before they had to stop this little show of theirs.
Or maybe two.
Or three.
Or maybe they had to talk.
She knew she had over exercised herself. She could feel it deep in her muscles. But Katniss didn't want to enter the locker room while Glimmer was still there not wanting to face the group of vixen on her own.
So she had waited, doing her usual routines and some more until the women finally left the gym.
She had noticed Peeta coming closer to her as the hyenas passed, as if to protect her and his wink as he went back to his machines when they had left.
Now, she was finally, finally alone in the shower. The hot water was pouring down on her head, her shoulders, one drop after another, leaving rivulets of warmth down her arms until they fell on the tiled floor… She couldn't find it in herself to grab her shampoo and shower gel, not right now, the effort to bend down was too difficult.
She was proud to be able to still be standing, even if she had to concede the wall of the shower was a huge help in the process. She let her soaked head fall down against the tiles, letting the spray of the water fall on her chest, on her stomach, taking the sweat away, the warmth a relaxation after so much effort.
That's when she started hearing something she didn't expect.
A moan.
A low, guttural moan, the one she had only heard in the confines of her bedroom, while doing a totally different kind of activity.
She quickly walked out of the shower, a towel around herself, peeking around to see who was in the locker room with her.
But she was on her own.
She sighed in relief - nobody was doing the dirty while she was there, which would have been all kinds of awkward - and went back to her shower, taking her towel off and deciding to enjoy it before heading home.
Only once she was in, she could hear the moaning again.
Without the shower running, it was a lot louder.
She hoped the guy was alone in the locker room, too.
She smiled, deciding to take the opportunity to grab her shower gel, when she heard it.
A moan, or something like it.
A word, more articulated.
A name.
Her name.
"Katniss…"
She couldn't explain why she could hear the man on the other side of the wall, didn't know if Mario the plumber had decided to connect both locker' rooms, but she heard it plain and clear.
And she had recognized the voice behind the moan.
Peeta.
Her hands went to her mouth immediately, as she realized what was happening.
Peeta, aka her savior from Glimmer, aka the best kisser she had ever met, aka the hot guy on the treadmill, aka her fake boyfriend (emphasis on fake) was in the shower, taking care of his business, thinking of her.
Her.
Katniss.
"Oh God..."
So startled was she by the sound, so masculine, so full of desire, so erotic that it lit up something in her belly, sending a wave of warmth within her body, something she hadn't felt in a while now.
The sounds, even muffled by the walls, were clear enough, making Katniss want to do more than listen, making her want to act out on the warmth that was spreading throughout her whole body.
Her needs took over her brain, acting on pure instinct - it had been a long time, too long maybe, she missed the feelings that came with the act of making love.
Even if she was on her own, and he wouldn't hear her.
He wouldn't know she let her hand go down to play with the nipples of her breast, tracing lazy circles on them, as his tongue could do, slowly, teasing her. She kept fondling her breasts, alternating between the two of them, building a tension in her body that she refused to start acting on.
Yet.
She could imagine him joining her in the privacy of the shower, running his hands along her rib cage, discovering the spots where she was the most sensitive, taking his time to lavish her breasts with his mouth and tongue, always looking at her with the blue of his eyes.
She could almost believe the hand teasing the apex of her thighs was his, as her hand had wandered south, on the edge of the trimmed hair she kept, despite the fashion, not daring to wander further. Until she heard him moaning, again, this time louder.
"Katniss, fuck…"
This was her undoing. Her hand ceased its teasing to go straight to the sensitive folds, opening them delicately, her breath hitching as her thumb passed on her clit.
She used the wall for back up, her legs already shaking under her, whether from the excitation or exhaustion, she couldn't tell, couldn't care less.
She almost could hear him jacking off, could picture Peeta's hand running up and down his member, his eyes closed in ecstasy as he released her name in a final whimper, urging her to touch herself more.
The fingers on her other hand came into play, alternating between teasing her clit and pumping inside of her. She felt the once familiar burn spreading into her belly, her toes curling, her legs shaking, the vision of Peeta pumping inside of her so clear behind her closed eyelids.
Her release came quickly, spreading inside her whole body, leaving her breathless, and sweating, again.
She could barely stand on her still shaking legs, her skin still sensible to her touch, eliciting moans she hoped were quiet enough.
She quickly showered, startled by the contrast between the heat of her body and the cold of her lotion, the water welcomed to erase the evidence of her arousal, of her pleasure.
Katniss heard the door opening, and the chatter of women coming in, surely for the next sets of lessons, some Sh'bam thingies she'd seen on the program. She hurried to get out of the shower, and get dressed, wanting nothing more than to leave the lockers' room as quickly as possible.
She nodded to the group of women in passing, before taking a peek outside. She didn't want to meet a certain blond man who had been the star of her fantasy a few minutes ago.
Once she was sure the coast was clear, and nobody was in sight, she ventured out of the room, walking as quickly as possible, aiming for the fresh air of the parking outside, to calm her inner turmoil.
"See you tomorrow, Katniss?" David's voice made her jump, even though he had said goodbye to her the same way every day since she had registered.
"Bye," she managed to mutter as she reached the door, her current Holy Grail.
Outside, she could breathe, forget what had happened, pretend it had never happened.
And she had to make sure to change her schedule to not be at the gym at the same time he was.
"Katniss?"
She froze at the voice, his voice. Would she dare turn? She could feel the blush creeping on her cheeks at the thoughts of his voice in the shower.
She took a deep breath before turning.
He was standing next to the door, his blue eyes shining, a hand roaming through his curls, a shy smile on his lips.
"I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me?"
"What?" She hadn't expected that question at all, and was pretty sure shock was etched all over her face.
"Never mind-" he backed off, his eyes drifting to the ground, as he started grabbing his bag.
"No, I mean, why would you ask me ?" She started, moving forward towards him.
"You have no idea, the effect you have?" he said, setting his bag down. "Maybe because I want to do this over and over again?" He leaned in, brushing her lips against hers once, as his hands went to her face. They he pulled away slightly, until just a breath of air was between them.
Katniss understood it was her call, her decision.
She leaned in, chasing his lips with hers, tracing them, searching for crevices, until she felt his tongue peek and she opened her mouth to him, losing herself in the warmth of his mouth, losing herself to the feeling invading her body, shutting off her mind.
"Okay. I'll allow it" she whispered when the kiss ended, was it seconds of minutes after, she couldn't care less.
It took Peeta nearly eighteen months to confess her moaning in the shower that day had made him ask her out.
She never regretted it.
They shared a lot of showers together after that.