Back again! Thanks to everyone who read/reviewed the story. It probably doesn't need to be reiterated but this fic is rated M for a reason.

Disclaimer: I don't own THG.

The next week Peeta focuses all of his time on work. Now that he didn't have to worry about calculus anymore, he was free to spend all of his free time throwing himself into his work at the bakery.

The money was still slow but steady. So far his share was at least two hundred dollars. Much better than last week or the week before.

Next Wednesday, Peeta eyes the clock in the bakery until he leaves for Gale's. Wednesday was the only day of the week that Gale didn't have any of extracurricular activities and when the bakery could spare one less person manning the station.

Something told him that Wednesday was going to be his favorite day.

When Peeta knocks on the door, Gale is there, a smile playing on his handsome face. "Hello, Gale," Peeta says politely. "May I come in?" He was hoping he could instill some manners into Gale before things become… less than polite to say the least.

"Come in." Gale opens the door for him and helps him take off his coat. "I also made you some tea. And it's green tea like last time."

Peeta smiles, pleased at how far they came already. "And," Gale continues, "I got you the answers for the homework and for the quiz tomorrow. Our class is ahead of yours so I thought it could come in handy."

The smile on Peeta's face falters at the papers Gale holds out for him. "We just agreed on exam answers, Gale, you don't have to do this also."

"Your entire grade isn't composed of just tests Peeta. Come on, just let me do this for you."

Peeta was taken aback. He didn't want Gale to think that he had to do anymore for him than what they agreed on. It wouldn't be right, taking advantage of him like this. But he couldn't say no to the pleading look on Gale's face. And besides, he was the one who said that he liked to be pampered. So now he was obligated to give Gale the best damn orgasm of his life.

He gingerly takes the papers from his hands and sets them down on the coffee table. "Thank you. But you don't need to feel obligated to do anything other than what we agreed on before. Okay?"

"And what if I want to do more?" Gale asks.

What was with him? Why was he being so nice? It just must be the sweet purity of a virgin. Well, he was planning on ruining some of that purity today.

"Come on," Peeta says, intertwining his hand with Gale's. "Can I see your room?"

Gale leads him up the bent staircase for what feels like forever. When they finally reach the third floor, Peeta feels like he just sprinted across a field. God, maybe this was his wake up call. Just because he had abs and a muscular frame didn't mean that he was clinically fit.

Peeta half expected Gale's room to be similar to that of a king. He mentally prepared himself to be thrust into a room with a king-sized bed and sheathed with curtains and angels carved in the wood of the bedpost.

But what he didn't expect was for his room to actually be simple. Just a deep green with white accent pieces and a normal bed. It was simple. It was modest. It was perfect.

"I like your room." His fingers glided over the green bedspread and he smiled softly to himself. "Is green your favorite color?"

Gale nodded. "It reminds me of the woods. Before my father became CEO he used to take me out to the woods and teach me how to hunt. That's actually how I became friends with Katniss."

Peeta looked at him incredulously. "You hunt?" The small details of him and Katniss' relationship were slowly starting to make sense. How she managed to keep this a secret for so long was beyond him.

"Not much anymore. With school and all. But I still know how to make a good snare."

Why did school always have to get in the way?

"Well, I could have really used you back at home. Too many snakes lived around my house." He pulls Gale towards him and kisses the faint bruise on his neck. He leans forward and drops his voice to a low growl. "Maybe one day, I'll fuck you in the woods."

He feels Gale stiffen at his words. "That is if you're not shy about the possibility of a squirrel seeing you writhing under my touch and moaning my name." His hand snakes downward until it brushes against Gale's crotch.

"No," Gale moans his hips leaning into Peeta's hand. "I'm not shy."

"Are you shy about me seeing you then?" He looks up at Gale with wide eyes. The hardest part is always getting them naked for the first time. He would know. With Cashmere, he could barely stop himself from covering up every time she saw him nude.

Gale stiffens again, but not in the way he hoped. "I- I um…"

Peeta rubs his thumb over Gale's bottom lip soothingly. "It's okay if you don't want to. I'll always respect your boundaries, you know that right?"

And he meant it too. He had his fair share of unwanted advances before. There where even a few that didn't stop when he said no too. He didn't want that for Gale. If they were going to do this they needed to have clear and open communication about what was okay and what wasn't.

"I do, I promise."

Peeta pursed his lips. "Don't just say that Gale, I need you to mean it."

He surprises him when Gale takes his face into his hands and kisses him softly on the lips. "I mean it." And Peeta could see in his eyes that he did.

"Good. If anything I do makes you uncomfortable, just tell me to stop and I'll stop, no questions asked."

Gale nods and Peeta starts with his neck first. He wanted to add a twin to Gale's throat before he began, marking him just enough so that he wouldn't forget who gave him these bruises. He lets his hand work his way underneath his shirt and up the soft skin of his chest. He could feel every defined muscle now that there was no clothing separating his hand from Gale's skin. He was in way better shape than he previously thought. Peeta envisioned what he looked like underneath all of his clothes and his mouth watered in anticipated.

He could feel Gale growing harder with each suck and caress. He was almost ready for his favorite part, one of the few sexual acts Peeta prided himself in doing. If Gale wasn't a goner now, he would be by the time Peeta was done with him.

Slowly Peeta lets himself sink to his knees in front of Gale, his face eye level with his straining groin. He looks up and sees Gale staring down at him with wide eyes. He almost looked frightened about what was about to happen. "Do you trust me?" Gale nodded wordlessly but that wasn't enough for him. "I need you to say it, Gale. I won't do anything without clear and verbal consent. So if you want this, you'll have to tell me."

"I want you to," Gale says breathlessly.

Of course, it wouldn't be any fun if Peeta couldn't tease him a little bit also. "You want me to do what Gale?" Peeta tilts his head innocently to the side and traces the outline of his erection with his finger. "You want me to suck your dick so good you won't be able to think straight?"

Gale nods again and he's panting harder than before at Peeta's words. "Yeah, that."

"You have to say it, Gale." Peeta teases in a sing-song voice.

Gale groans and leans his head back into the wall behind him. "I want you to… suck my dick until I can't think straight."

"Well. If you insist." Peeta eases Gale's jeans off his hips and traces the deep 'V' on his abdomen with his tongue. He lets his fingers dance teasingly around the waistband of his underwear, allowing him enough time for him to back out if he needed. When he doesn't, Peeta hooks his fingers on the band of his underwear and exposes him to his eyes.

Well shit. Fully erect and swollen at the tip, Peeta can't help but lick his lips. He should have known better than to underestimate him. Forget Gale, this deal was going to be more pleasurable for him in the end.

Peeta takes a tentative taste of the tip of his cock. He never liked cum in his mouth but he just may bend his own rules for Gale. At least just this one time. He deserved to get a mindblowing blowjob for his first time. Gale mewls in pleasure at the sensation of Peeta's tongue him. Peeta wraps one hand around the base of his manhood before taking him fully in his mouth.

He looks up at Gale to him staring down at the sight below him, his chest heaving at the feeling of Peeta's ministrations. Peeta uses his free hand to guide one of Gale's to the back of his head. Unlike some people, Peeta didn't mind when guys grabbed his hair as he pleasured them. If anything it only made him work harder.

He lets his tongue glide over the smooth skin, taking his time tasting him and feeling the weight of him in his mouth. Gale finally lets go of his unsureness and lets the primal instinct Peeta had been waiting for to take over. He begins to buck into his mouth and grabs fistfuls of Peeta's long curly blond hair as he thrusts into him.

Just as he feels Gale about to burst at the seams, Peeta helps take him completely over the edge.

He begins to sing.

The vibrations from Peeta's throat and Gale's bucking come together perfectly, and Gale barely has time to let out a warning before climaxing in the back of his throat. Peeta tries not to shudder and continues his actions until he's completely flaccid. When he's done he pulls Gale's underwear and pants back on for him before standing up.

"So?"

"Wha- what was that…that thing that you did right before I…"

"Right before you came into my mouth?" Peeta teases. "Which by the way you should know that I usually don't like cum in my mouth. I won't hold it against you and since it was you're the first blowjob I wanted to make it better for you. But next time, be a dear and just cum on my face like regular people do."

Gale flushes and he cringes. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize, like I said I did it for you. And to answer your question I was singing. Sometimes the vibrations are what puts people over the edge."

Gale pauses thoughtfully and hums in understanding. "I thought so. It sounded very melodic. Can you sing?"

Peeta furrows his eyebrows. "I've been told I can carry a tune. But don't expect me to sing for you. I only do it for-"

He almost chokes on her name. Peeta only ever sang for Prim, whenever she had nightmares. It was worst in the foster home. He remembers staying up late, singing until his voice was raw because her nightmares were so bad. He wondered if she had anyone now that could sing for her when her nightmares plagued her sleep. Tears sprang in the back of his eyes and he blinked them away rapidly before they fell down his face and he burst out in tears like a fool in Gale Hawthorne's fancy mansion.

"Nothing, just forget it. Same time next week?" He makes a move to the door but Gale grabs him by the arm just before he leaves.

"I'm sorry if I made you upset Peeta. I won't ask you to sing for me, I promise." Peeta nodded dully. What he wouldn't give for him to be back home. "And I wanted to walk you home since I'm not soaked in my own cum this time."

"Oh Gale, you don't have to." Peeta's heart breaks just a little at his kindness. Every time he thought about Prim he became more emotional than usual. Typically he would just hole himself up somewhere and wait for it to pass, but with Gale here he couldn't very well do that.

"Come on, just let me do this for you. Especially after that. And wasn't it you who said that it was the polite thing to do to take your sexual partners home afterward." Gale's voice lifts in a teasing tone and Peeta gives him a small smile for his memorization.

"You're a fast learner."

"But you're a better teacher. Come on, let's go."

Gale leads him back towards the bakery. It was only a ten-minute walk and it was refreshing to be outdoors again. "I hope you don't mind that I'm taking back to the bakery instead of your house. I'm not too keen about being surrounded by snakes."

Peeta looks at him in confusion. "Snakes? What are you talking about?"

This time Gale looks confused. "I thought you said that your house was surrounded by them a while ago."

"Oh!" Peeta laughs softly. At least he knew Gale was listening to him. That was more than the other people he's had sex with have done. "No, that was my old home. I um… I'm not actually from here." He hoped that wouldn't lead to too many questions. Talking about his old life was always a sore subject. He couldn't risk having more people know the personal details of his life. Especially people with rich and powerful fathers who are buddies with the Mayor of Panem.

"I thought so, you have an accent." Peeta groans at this. He never did like his accent and hoped that it was undetectable by others. "Aren't you from Tennessee or Tallahassee? I think that's what Katniss had told me once."

He can't help but laugh again. Tallahassee? What in the world did Katniss tell him? As unusually observant as Gale has been, this was one critical detail he had missed. "I'll tell you this, it sure ain't Tallahassee. But if you must know I'm from Texas." Gale's eyes widen slightly in surprise.

"Really? I never pinned you as a Texan. You don't fit the stereotype." Peeta shoves him to the side and laughs.

"Not all of us Texans are made the same trust me. And back home, because we basically lived in the country, there were rattlesnakes that always wandered into our yard. It would definitely have helped to have a few good snares lying around. Then maybe my dog would still be alive." He still remembers the shock of coming home from school and seeing his prized German Shepherd dead from a rattlesnake bite. If there was one thing he didn't miss about Texas it was those damn snakes.

"I'm sorry."

"For my dog or for me?" He joked. It was water under the bridge now.

"Mainly for the dog. But I guess a little bit for you as well.'' Peeta rolls his eyes and smiles. Who knew that he could find a friend in all of this?

A friend. Gale was a friend and nothing else. A friend who he gave mind-blowing orgasms and blowjobs to. People had those, right?

He couldn't let this get too far. Now that he realized that Gale was a genuinely nice guy, he didn't want to see him get hurt. And to be honest, Peeta didn't want to be hurt either. This was a business deal, not a friendship. And like any good business partner, he had to draw the lines before someone got hurt.

Just as they reached the steps of the bakery, Peeta leaned up and kissed him on the mouth. He needed Gale's full attention for this.

"Gale. I need you to promise me something."

Gale's eyes close halfway and he begins to lean in for another kiss before Peeta cups his chin and forces him to look him in the eyes. "I'm serious Gale."

This time he knows he has his attention. His grey orbs are sharp and focused at the commanding tone of Peeta's voice. "Anything."

"I need you to never ask me again about my life in Texas. No questions or information that I don't willingly give to you. Can you promise me that?"

He feels Gale pull back and he stops him from moving too far by curling his hand in his hair. "Gale, can you promise me?"

He waits a moment. He knew it was an odd question to ask but it was a necessary one. He couldn't have Gale knowing anything about how he got to Connecticut, why he was leaving, and how he was planning on leaving.

"I promise I won't ask you about your life in Texas." Peeta breathes out a sigh of relief. He leans upward to peck him on the lips for his obedience before Gale pulls his lips away from his by the curls of his hair. "That is if you don't ask me about my father."

And there it was. Gale knew how to play the game too. It was easy to forget in the throes of passion that Peeta made him feel that he was benefitting from this ordeal as well. They both had terms that needed to be agreed on, but he just didn't think that Gale would start negotiating so soon.

Well, good for him. If there was anything Peeta wanted him to learn in their time together was to know how to communicate his boundaries. That way he could avoid being in the situations Peeta found himself in previously.

"Agreed. I won't ask about your father." Peeta licks his lips, a question that he had had since last week burning at the tip of his tongue. "Gale, can I ask you something?" Gale gives him a suspicious look before his head nods slightly in agreement. "It's not about your father I promise."

"Then what is it?"

His teeth worry his bottom lip before he works up the nerve to ask. "It's just… last week with the kiss and all…I never asked you if it was okay. If you know what I mean."

The suspicion in his flinty grey eyes dulls in confusion at this. "You mean when you had first came over?"

Peeta nods, feeling the tips of his ears burn. "And then the next day on the couch. And even today with, that." He mentally curses himself for the explosion of color that graces his cheeks at the implication. He was used to talking about sex and it had been him who had found it amusing how pure Gale was. "Besides today when I had forced you to respond, you never told me if it was okay. And I never asked."

A flash of amusement reflects in Gale's eyes. "You don't have to ask." Peeta opens his mouth to protest but it quickly interrupted but Gale's soft, deep laughter. "And I didn't mind, not at any point. Quite the opposite actually. I loved it."

"But you'll let me know if you don't, right? Or if I ever make you uncomfortable?"

Gale smiles again, the humor drained out of his expression and replaced with a confident, handsome smile that sends jolts of desire south of his body.

"If that's what you want then, of course, I will Peeta. If you want me to describe in detail about the effect that you have on me then that's what I'll do. Just like I won't ask you questions that you don't want to answer. I promise." Peeta sighs and the vice-like grip in his chest relieves the pressure on his heart.

He smiles devilishly. "Now can I have that kiss I've been waiting for?"

Gale lets go of his hair and captures his lips in his mouth. It felt good to have secrets. And it felt good to openly let someone know that he had those secrets. Being with Gale was slowly starting to feel good.

And out of everything, that was beginning to become Peeta's biggest secret of all.

A 95. Take that Coin. A smug smirk creeps onto his face at the grade. He made sure to miss two questions to throw off any suspicion but it didn't matter. He'll take a 95 any day over a 67.

Even though it was just a quiz and not a test grade, Gale was proving himself to be worthy of keeping up his end of the bargain. He didn't ask any questions about Peeta's life in Texas and he gave him the correct answers in calculus class.

To top it all off, business was taking off. It was homecoming this week and all the rich kids across town were pouring into the bakery to buy freshly baked edibles. At this rate, he'll be reaching his goal just before his birthday.

Unfortunately, he still had to convince his adopted parents to not give him anything for his 18th birthday. As much as he resented their decision to leave Prim behind all those years ago, he didn't want them to waste any money on him just to be gone by sunrise. It wasn't fair to them. But he couldn't very well tell them that by the time he will have turned 18, all the money he's made from his secret drug business was enough to buy him a plane ticket to Texas and to become the legal guardian of his baby sister.

Maybe he could ask them to just use the money on themselves instead. Convinced them to take a few days for them to go on a romantic getaway trip out of town and to let him have the house to himself for the weekend. That'll give him enough time to get everything together. For once, he's glad that his birthday fell on Valentine's Day.

Prim always gushed about how romantic it was that Peeta was born on the 14th of February. She used to comment about how lucky he was for his unusual birthday date. He personally never saw the allure of the date or the holiday itself. Valentine's Day never was celebrated in his home before he was adopted. With his father being away all the time, it usually was the one day of the year where his mother was more of a pain in the ass to him than usual. While everyone else's wives were spoiled and pampered, his mother scrubbed the floors of houses and waiting tables to couples all day.

He just hoped that he wouldn't be as bitter as she was one day.

And maybe he wasn't so bitter. At least not on Wednesday's.

Being with Gale was fun. It was enjoyable teasing and taunting him, drawing out pleasurable moans or breathy pants. Seeing his cock spring to life in his pants without even touching him. Watching his handsome face twist and contort with each wave of desire that only Peeta can give to him.

It was fun, but Peeta wanted it to be more than fun. He wanted it to be spontaneous. He wanted Gale to think of him when he least expected it. He wouldn't go as far as screwing him in the bathroom stalls at school. That was too dangerous and frankly, too disgusting for his tastes. But that didn't mean they had to stick to the confines of the Hawthorne mansion either.

Ever since he dated Rue last year, spontaneity was just as important as sex itself. Delly always urged him to loosen up an have fun, and the truth was that he did with her. She was the only person Peeta had ever actually dated. For six months, she was the one person who made him truly happy. She was fun and adventurous and there was never a dull moment with her.

Until he had to end things because she became too curious about what he was doing outside of school.

That was one of the many things Peeta regretted since he had moved to Connecticut. Having to have secrets with genuinely good people. Only Katniss, Delly, and recently Johanna knew everything. They were the only people Peeta could trust with his life. They were the only ones he wanted knowing him inside and outside.

But that was starting to change. All because of Gale Hawthorne.

A few weeks ago, Peeta would have laughed in the face of anyone who said that he would one day enjoy being in the company of Gale. Now it was almost uncanny how comfortable Peeta felt around him. The mere presence of Gale excited him. The smell of pine in his hair, his hands, rough and calloused from years of making snares, his steel grey eyes that looked almost black right before he was about to climax.

It was all he could do it stop him from thinking out Gale's dark lust filled eyes every waking moment of the day.

"A 95?" Katniss says, peering over at the graded quiz on Peeta's desk. She tsks and shakes her head. "You are a shameless soul Peeta Mellark."

Peeta snickers and stuffs the quiz inside his bookbag. Maybe he should slip it under the door to his parent's room tonight. "A little harsh, Kat. You can get dibs too if you want. I don't mind." He follows Katniss out of the school and to the parking lot. It was Wednesday and he wanted to switch things up a bit for Gale. It was finally time to take him on a joy ride.

"No thanks. I'll just fail like an honorable person. But tell me, is it really that good?" Katniss grins conspiratorially at him, her eyes bright with curiosity.

"I wouldn't know. We haven't had sex yet."

Her jaw drops and she looks at him as if he's just grown two heads. "You mean to tell me you two haven't had sex yet but you already have him doing your homework and giving you test answers?"

Peeta grins cheekily. "You should never doubt the powers of the Mellark charm." He doesn't tell her the things they have done already. Like the several blowjobs, handjobs, and grind sessions Peeta has given him."I can be very convincing when I want to be."

Katniss snorts. "Yeah, I bet. Look are you riding home with me or are you going out with your boy toy this afternoon?"

"Don't wait up for me. My business partner and I will be heading out for an afternoon stroll." She laughs and rolls her eyes at his antics.

She leans up and wraps her arms around his neck. "Be safe and don't wear him out too quickly."

Peeta doubts he can keep that promise.

He waits by the car that he's seen parked in front of the Hawthorne's mansion before. It's a sleek black luxury car that Peeta couldn't name the brand of if his life depended on it. Far more expensive than his car at home. In less than five minutes Gale appears his keys in his hands and a surprised expression on his face.

"Peeta, are you okay?" He was hoping Gale wouldn't be too busy before their usual time together. Today's session was going to be slightly longer than the others.

"Oh, I'm fine. I was just wondering if you were busy at the moment. I know this is a little earlier than when we usually meet for our study session but I can wait if you want." Please say no. Please say no.

Gale shakes his head, slightly pleased at the offer. "No, it's fine."

"Good. I was actually wanting to grab something to eat." Gale unlocks the car and opens the door for him. Peeta makes a mental note to reward him for remembering his manners. Once Gale is seated beside him he asks, "Have you ever had southern food?"

"You mean like barbecue? I think so. But I'm guessing it's nowhere as good up here as it is… you know back home." Gale makes sure to steer clear of any mention of what 'home' was and Peeta appreciated it. But talking about food shouldn't be any cause for alarm.

"Barbecue is one of them. And you're right, back home we used to eat Louisiana Creole food, catfish, Tex-Mex-"

"Tex-Mex?"

Peeta stops, shocked that he's hasn't had it before remembering that the cuisine probably wasn't very popular outside of Texas. "It's like, Texan and Mexican food combined. The Tejanos—people from Texas with Mexican descent— created it. Trust me once you had it you'll be hooked. But there aren't any restaurants up here that sell it, and I can't cook it worth a damn. But thankfully there's one restaurant that sells pretty authentic southern food. And that's where I'm taking us."

"I didn't even know there were southern style restaurants in Panem." Peeta looks at him incredulously before he explains. "My family doesn't eat out much but when we do it's always somewhere near the Mayor's house."

Ugh, of course. The only restaurants near there were overly extravagant and high end. Peeta wonders briefly if this was purposely done by his father and Mayor Undersee but he doesn't ask. Gale had respected his boundaries and he had to do the same.

"Well, today you'll get your first taste of real southern style food. Sae's isn't too far from here and it's arguably the best food in Panem." He sneaks his hand over Gale's crotch once they hit a red light. "And then, maybe later we can start studying."

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