Fate, or Something Like It
This is a major AU taking place in the current time. Katniss is in her 3rd year of college when she meets Peeta and goes on a journey to find true love. Everlark
DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Hunger Games, no copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 9: Truth Be Told
Peeta's POV:
"I'm sorry Glimmer, but I can't do this anymore."
She looked at me with pure venom in her eyes. "It's that bitch Katniss, isn't it?"
What could I say? She was partially correct. "Look, I want to fall in love, and I just can't seem to fall in love with you, we are too different."
Glimmer was seething with anger. "So that's it?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry."
"You should be! You will never find anyone else like me!"
Well, that was kind of the point. "I'm sorry," I repeated.
Glimmer slapped my cheek, hard. "Fuck you Peeta!" And then she left.
I did feel kind of bad for breaking up with Glimmer. However, she just wasn't the girl for me, Katniss was. Now, I just had to convince her of that.
I rushed over to Katniss' apartment while I still had the guts to talk to her about my true feelings.
Madge was literally at the door when I came up to the apartment.
"Hey Madge, is Katniss around?"
Madge smiled and kept the door open for me. "Yeah, she's in her room listening to some music. Go right ahead."
"Thanks!"
I walked inside and went down the hall towards the sound of some rock music blaring.
As I got closer, I began to hear some strange sounds muffled by the music. In fact, I swear I heard Katniss moan.
"Peeta!"
I thought that maybe she was hurt and had heard me talking to Madge. Without knocking, I swung open the door.
Katniss was lying in bed with the covers pulled up to her chin. Her face was flushed and she was panting. I realized at that moment that I had walked in on her touching herself.
"Oh shit! I'm so sorry!"
Katniss looked mortified. "Don't just stand there! Get out!"
But, I still wanted to tell her how I felt for her, so I stood there like an idiot. "I...uh, need to talk to you."
She sighed. "Uh...give me a minute and meet me in the living room."
I nodded and left her room.
I couldn't believe that I had walked in on that! I swear that I heard her moan my name, but I could have been mistaken. She probably hated me now.
A few minutes later, Katniss joined me in the living room, looking quite embarrassed. "Well, this is awkward, what did you hear?"
I decided not to mention that I heard her say my name. "Umm...Madge let me in and I heard moaning and though you might have been hurt."
"Oh, I'm...I'm so embarrassed!"
I tried to calm her down. "It's okay, I mean...everyone does it."
She huffed. "Everyone doesn't get caught though..."
I shrugged. "I won't tell anyone."
Katniss gave me a shy smile. "Thanks, now you said that you wanted to talk to me about something?"
Oh yeah, I had almost forgotten the real reason that I was there. "I broke up with Glimmer."
She lifted one dark brow at me. "Oh?"
"Yeah, she just wasn't the one for me."
"Then who is?"
I stepped forward and brought Katniss into my arms. "You," I said before leaning down and kissing her.
I had barely gotten a taste of her when she pushed me forcefully off of her.
"Peeta! What the fuck?"
Shit! Why couldn't she ever just let me kiss her? Oh, right...she was probably still with Cato. "Katniss, I have feelings for you and I can't...I can't get over them."
She gave me a harsh look. "Well, you are going to have to, because I'm taken...and you, you know that!"
Fuck, it was Cato. "Come on now, Cato is an asshole, are you seriously still with him?"
Anger flashed over her beautiful face. "Yes, I am. He hasn't treated me badly."
Why did she have to be so blind when it came to him? It was only a matter of time before he hurt her. "Not yet he hasn't, but just wait, his true colors will show through."
"And if they don't? If you're wrong?"
"Damn it Katniss! I'm not wrong! Cato is a man whore who wants nothing more than to get into your pants!"
She slapped me, on the same cheek that Glimmer had just an hour or so earlier. "Get out!"
I tried to apologize. I didn't want to make her mad. "I'm sorry, I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"I said get out Peeta!"
Fine, if she wanted to be like that, then I would leave. I shook my head at her and slammed the door to her apartment shut on my way out.
Katniss' POV:
I stood there staring at the door for a good ten minutes after Peeta left. I half expected him to come back again, but he didn't.
I was angry with him. Just because he broke up with Glimmer didn't mean that I was going to leave Cato for him. I didn't think that I should just leave someone because somebody better happened to suddenly become single.
Then, it hit me. I thought Peeta was better than Cato. I had feelings for Peeta, feelings that I couldn't seem to develop for Cato, feelings that I had never really had before.
I wasn't just going to leave Cato, maybe I just needed to spend more time with him for those feelings to deepen. Plus, now that Peeta had walked in on me masturbating, thinking of him, I didn't think I could ever really face him again.
I heard my cell phone ring and looked to see that Cato was calling me. Perfect timing.
"Hey babe, what are you doing tonight?"
I smiled to myself. "Nothing...why?"
"I'm having a party at my place at eight. You'll be there right? I wanna show you off to my friends."
I could think of no better way to spend my evening. "I'll see you then."
When I was getting ready for Cato's party, I couldn't help but to think of Peeta's warning about him. Was he really that bad of a guy? Or was Peeta just jealous of him? I had no real reason to assume the worst of Cato, but I didn't think that Peeta would lie like that either.
I tried to push those thoughts aside as I fixed my hair. I decided to actually wear it down that night. I pulled on a red tank top and jean shorts, put on a bit of makeup, and made my way over to Cato's apartment.
The music was blaring and the booze was already flowing when I arrived. There were so many people at the party that I felt like the crowd was going to swallow me up.
I searched for Cato for about five minutes until I finally found him chugging beers with a few other guys.
"Katniss! Over here!"
I smiled at him. "Hey."
He slung his arm around me and introduced me to a few of his friends.
I stayed by him for the entire party, and even though I usually don't drink, I felt like forgetting some of my problems so I drank all of the beer Cato gave to me.
It wasn't long before I was drunk, very drunk. No wait, I was plastered. I was hanging all over Cato and giggling. Giggling! I, Katniss Everdeen, did not giggle.
"Hey baby, you want to go back to my room and cuddle?" Cato whispered into my ear.
I nodded. Cuddling sounded like fun, but of course, everything sounded like fun to me at that moment.
Cato took my hand and led me back to his room. I settled down with him on his bed and he began kissing me.
I kissed him back, trying to enjoy the feeling, but all that I could think about was Peeta. My mind decided to imagine that Peeta was the one kissing me. Peeta was the one laying me back across the bed. Peeta was the one taking off his shirt and reaching for mine.
But, it wasn't Peeta...it was Cato. And suddenly, I felt how wrong it was. How wrong it was that Cato was now trying to take off my shirt and how wrong it was for me to just go along with it.
"Stop."
Cato groaned and thrust himself against me. I felt the hard press of his erection against my thigh and I knew what he meant to do with me.
"Come on Katniss...let me in baby."
I struggled through my alcohol induced haze to shove him off of me, but he was too strong. "Get off."
He smirked. "I'm trying to baby."
His humor was lost on me, I just wanted to get away from him. "I'm not having sex with you!"
He was angry. "Why the hell not? Come on baby, I'll make you feel good."
But I didn't want him to make me feel good, I wanted Peeta to make me feel good. "No!"
I continued to struggle against him, but my efforts were wasted. I was beginning to panic, I couldn't seem to get my mind and body to act as one and I couldn't get Cato to stop.
Just when I was about to give up hope, the door flung open.
"What the hell?" Cato yelled at the blurry figure in the door.
"I believe the lady said 'no'." It was Peeta.
Cato growled and pushed me aside. "Get outta here Mellark!"
Peeta barged in the room and the next thing I knew, his fist collided with Cato's face.
That was the last thing I saw before blacking out.
Cliffhanger again! The next chapter will be the last unless enough people would like to see an epilogue afterward. Let me know what you thought of the chapter! :)
