Peeta Mellark didn't think he'd ever been this drunk, but whatever Dr. Tzemos was serving behind the bar in his palatial home had the lethal combination of tasting great and being way too potent. He took another sip as he stumbled across the Chief Executive Officer of the Mockingjay Medical Center's house to the French doors leading to the outdoor patio, hoping the fresh air would sober him up. This was supposed to be a holiday party for hospital employees receiving the prestigious Splendid! Awards, he didn't need to make a complete ass out of himself.
"Hey Peet, you okay?" A familiar voice came from behind him.
"Hey Finnick…yeah, just…I think whatever Tzemos is pouring out there is really fucking me up," he giggled.
He felt a heavy hand on his back walking him back into the house, "You're giggling dude. I think we're past that point," he chuckled.
Peeta leaned on the tall bronze-haired man and gave a drunken grin, "Probably."
"Maybe we should throw you under the mistletoe, I saw Tzemo's cute blonde Admin. Assistant checking you out."
Peeta felt a presence to his right clamp down on his shoulder, "I called dibs on that one, she's a fine piece of ass," the arrogant voice of MMC's resident hot shot cardiothoracic surgeon, Cato Stone. "You could bounce a quarter off her ass."
"Charming as always, Cato," Finnick replied dully, rolling his eyes.
A flash of raven black hair caught Peeta's eye as the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, "Whoa," he intoned softly.
"What?" Finnick asked following Peeta's line of sight, "Oh," a grin crossed his face, "See something you like?"
"Her," Peeta pointed across the room, "I see her everywhere. Who is that?" Peeta sputtered louder than he'd anticipated.
"Don't even bother, that's Katniss and her panties are locked up tighter than a fucking bank vault." Cato snarled.
"She turned you down? I like her even more," Finnick laughed.
"She was in my residency rotation, total bitch."
"Maybe because you're kind of dick, Cato," Peeta mumbled into his scotch.
Finnick thumped him on the shoulder and laughed heartily.
Peeta's blue eyes watched as she shyly interacted with a petite nurse he had worked with before on a clinical study named Rue. She was slow to smile as she scowled at the room, but with Rue even her small smile could light up the entire room. She nervously fiddled with her neatly plaited braid and took a sip of her wine. Her eyes briefly flashed up from her conversation and caught his, and he knew he was a goner.
"I'm gonna marry that girl," Peeta sighed drunkenly.
"You might have to talk to her first," Finnick said patting him on the shoulder, "I see Annie, if you need a ride home come get us buddy."
Peeta nodded as he continued to not so surreptitiously stare at the girl with the braid. "How am I going to talk to her?" He murmured mostly to himself.
"Big gesture. They all like big gestures. Even ice princesses like Katniss," Cato replied sipping his beer and handing Peeta another scotch from the bar next to them.
"Like what?"
"Well, I might have an idea," Cato replied with a hint of devious mischief in his eye.
"Fuck," Peeta groaned as he woke up from a fitful sleep. "What the hell?" He questioned feeling a literal pain in his ass. He reached his hand back and felt something foreign on the right cheek of his ass. He shot up out of his bed, ignoring the pain in his head and ass and stood in front of the mirror stark naked and turned around.
He peeled back a bandage that was on his ass and cursed loudly, "FUCK!" He growled as he looked in the reflection and saw the cursive flowing letters of Katniss on his ass.
Reeling, he reached for his cellphone and dialed, "Hello?" a sleep soaked voice came on the line.
"Finnick, man do you know what the fuck happened to me last night?"
"What? Peet is that you?"
"Yes, asshole. What the fuck happened last night?"
"What's going on?"
"I have the name Katniss tattooed on my ass, asshole."
A loud booming laugh came over the line and continued on for the next 5 minutes, "Shit man, fucking Cato."
"What?"
"You and Cato left the party at Dr. Tzemos' house last night you were on about big loving gestures…shit man, you really got her name tattooed on your ass? Maybe you will marry her."
"Not fucking funny asshole, why would you let Cato take me anywhere?"
"You're fucking 29 man, I'm not your babysitter, but shit maybe I should be."
"What the fuck am I going to do?" Peeta moaned, tenderly sitting down, pulling at his blonde curls.
"Listen, calm down man. I know a dermatologist who does tattoo removal, I'll give 'em a call and see if I can get you in."
Peeta sighed, looking into the mirror, "Thanks man."
Peeta sighed as he walked up to the medical office building, embarrassed at the nature of the visit. He walked up to the lone receptionist that was working on a Saturday morning and cleared his throat, "Ahem, uh… Peeta Mellark for Dr. Everdeen."
The short haired receptionist with a name tag reading Johanna gave him a once over and then handed him the clipboard, "Just fill out this new patient intake form, sign the HIPAA authorization and Dr. Everdeen will be with your shortly.
Peeta gingerly sat down on the waiting room chair, still sore, and filled out the paperwork. When he got to the question regarding the nature of his visit let out a huff of embarrassment, Can I put I'm a fucking idiot with dickhead friends? He scribbled down tattoo removal and walked back up to Johanna and handed her the clipboard. She gave it a once over and then signaled for him to follow her back.
Johanna shoved a gown towards him, "Change into this, and the doctor will be in," she had a suspicious grin on her face as she walked out of the room. Adding insult to injury, Peeta changed into the embarrassing blue hospital gown and angled to sit on the uninjured butt cheek, the hospital gown barely large enough to cover his fit form.
Ten minutes later he heard a knock on the exam room door and his heart stopped.
It was her.
Fucking Finnick.
He could feel his palms begin to sweat and his face flush as he looked over the girl from last night, the girl he swore he was going to marry, and the girl whose name was tattooed on his ass. Her hair was in another intricate braid and her white lab coat covered her form but he would never forget that face. He'd noticed her so many times. He had wanted to talk to her so many times but had never gathered the courage. Now here she was, about to play witness to one of the most embarrassing moments of his life.
She looked up from the chart and made eye contact with him, "Hello Peeta, I'm Dr. Everdeen," she said cooly.
"Uh…um…hi," he sputtered.
"So what can we help you with today?"
She was going to make him say it? He let out a hesitant breath, "I uh…well I made an unfortunate mistake, uh – I was a little intoxicated last night and got this tattoo and well I think I need it removed."
He saw her lips quirk up briefly, as if she was enjoying his uncomfortableness, "And where is the tattoo located?"
Peeta threaded his fingers together, "It's uh, well it's on my butt," he said softly his blue eyes looking up from underneath his curly blonde hair.
He saw her bite her lip, and god how he wanted to be the one to do it. Just not in this fucking hospital gown. Fucking Cato. He saw her close the chart and walk closer to him. "Well we can take care of that. Depending on the size it could take about 6-10 sessions, it could be rather painful. I'll need to take a look and then we can schedule your sessions."
Peeta sighed, this was not how he planned for her first glance at his naked body to be. All he had wanted to do was talk to her, not embarrass himself out of the running entirely.
"So, just lay on the table and we'll take a look," Katniss prompted.
Peeta nodded and then stopped, "Listen, Dr. Everdeen, I should probably tell you…"
"Yes?"
"I know we don't know each other but you were at that Splendid! Recognition party last night and long story short I now have your name tattooed on my ass."
Her mouth was agape as she stared at him.
It was going to be an interesting 6-10 sessions.
