Chapter 11

AN: And here you all probably thought I forgot about you ;). I apologize for the delay...hopefully this makes up for it a little bit. I know I promised fluff and this chapter HAS fluff, but also some drama-llamas. Nothing too extreme, but enough to hopefully keep the story from getting boring.

Shout out to all you guys who have stuck by me for 11 chapters and for those of you finding me for the first time.

And a HUGE thank you to Alece who is lovely as always.

Katniss woke up and turned to where he had been sleeping. She ran her hand along the sheets; they were still warm so Peeta couldn't have left too long ago. She huffed, 'at least he had the decency to stay longer before he just deserted you this time.'

"Why can't you stay?" She sat up, not bothering to wrap the sheets around her naked body.

"You know why."

"A few more hours won't kill you." She reached for his wrist and pulled him to the edge of the bed.

"If I stay for a few more hours I won't leave."

Katniss ran her fingers over his still exposed midsection down to the waistband of his briefs met his skin. She looked up at him with a wicked smile. "So?"

He glared at her and pulled away. "I'm having dinner with her sister and brother-in-law. I've bailed on them twice now and I don't need that witch filling her head with anymore talk of divorce."

Her face hardened. "No, we couldn't have that could we?" she rolled her eyes, laying back down and turning away from him. "Send my best to the little woman, won't you?"

Gale sighed. "You're being incredibly selfish right now, Catnip. You act like I really have a choice in this whole thing."

"You're right, you don't really have a choice. Just fucking leave, Gale!"

"Why do you always do this?" He let out a frustrated groan as he pulled his shirt over his head.

"Maybe if you didn't treat me like your whore then I wouldn't act like one," she spat back. When Gale didn't he didn't respond, she turned over. He was standing still, holding a shoe in a hand. "You got what you wanted so unless you're planning on screwing me again, get out." She felt her body shake with anger so when he slipped his shoe on and slammed the door shut behind him, she screamed and threw the only solid item she could find after him. As the lamp shattered against the wall, she collapsed into the pillow and sobbed as she realized her words held more truth than she wanted to admit.

"Katniss?"

She sat up suddenly. "Peeta?"

He walked into her room wearing only his boxers. "You're finally up. Hungry?" he asked with a smile. She hadn't seen the plate in his hand until he held it out to her. On it were bite-sized pastries that smelled like apples and cinnamon. She snatched one off the plate and stuffed it into her mouth in one movement. His eyes bugged out. "Be careful, that's -"

"Really fucking hot!" She cried, her hands shaking violently in front of her mouth.

"Sorry," he grinned sheepishly, "I heard you rustling so I pulled some out of the oven for you. I should have warned you sooner."

"Oven?" She asked, still attempting to cool her mouth but grabbing another off the plate. "You made these?"

He nodded. "I'm kind of an early riser and I didn't want to just…leave…again," he answered, his cheeks flushing slightly with embarrassment. "How are they, now that you can actually taste them?"

She stuck her tongue out at him but popped the pastry into her mouth. "Ohhh."

"I'll take that as you like them?"

She nodded enthusiastically and took the entire plate from him. "These are for me?"

"I also bagged some and put them in the freezer with instructions on how to reheat them," he answered, trying to stifle a laugh at the visual of Katniss huddled on her bed, surrounded by a sheet, clutching the plate of food so close to her body like a squirrel protecting its acorns. When he told her that, she glared at him, her mouth stuffed with food, and he laughed harder.

"So you're leaving?" she asked, absentmindedly licking the glaze from the pastries off her fingers.

"Not if you keep doing that," he answered in a low voice.

She smiled and suggestively continued, moaning softly in the process, though she was having trouble keeping a straight face. "What ever could you mean, Mister Mellark?" She asked in the most innocent voice she could muster.

He leaned over, his lips right next to her ear. "You'll be the death of me, woman." And without warning, took one of her fingers in his mouth, devouring the glaze himself, his tongue playing along the length of her digit. Her cheeks were slightly flushed and her eyes dark. "Tease," he said with a wink as he released her finger with a pop. Her laughter stopped when he sat on the edge of the bed and slipped his shoes on.

"You're leaving? Why?"

"I didn't really plan for a sleep over when I decided to follow you last night," he answered with a hint of a blush on his cheeks.

"So?"

"So unless you think it's proper for me to wear the same clothes I was in all day yesterday, I'll need to go home at some point." He reached for the now empty plate.

She felt her stomach tighten. "We can get you new clothes."

"Katniss, don't be ridiculous," he said with a smile still on his lips.

"I'm not ridiculous!"

"Katniss."

She frowned. "Fine. If you want to leave then leave." The playful flirt had been instantly replaced by a temperamental woman.

He set his jaw and stared her down, searching for any sign of her to waver slightly. But she had plenty of practice at keeping her face solid for as long as it took. Peeta sighed and walked the plate out to the kitchen.

Katniss fell back into bed and covered her head with the sheet. She just couldn't get away from these guys. Maybe it'd be easier this way. She could keep up her end of the deal without letting him fluster her if he was always this quick to scare off. Part of her was glad that one burden had been lifted but she couldn't ignore the dull ache in her chest at the thought.

"You're a real pain in the ass sometimes, you know that?" She felt the bed sink slightly and the sheet shift. He traced the planes of her back with his fingertips, watching the goosebumps form. "Why don't you want me to leave?"

How was she supposed to tell him that while she was accustomed to waking up alone, it still felt like a knife to her chest. That it was just one more person abandoning her; her father dying, her mother pouring herself into work, Gale, they all left her in one way or another.

His fingers were replaced by soft, gentle lips. "Katniss. Why don't you want me to go home?" he repeated.

She remained silent but pushed her body into his, grabbing his hand with hers and pulling it close to her body. He let out a frustrated sigh but held her tightly until they both fell back asleep, comforted by their warm bodies and steady breaths.

When he eventually felt her stir against him, his eyes flashed open. "Katniss?"

She let out a content sigh. "Peeta? You're still here." It wasn't a question so much as a statement of disbelief.

"I'm still here." He kissed her temple. She had frustrated him with how hot and cold she was but he didn't have the resolve to leave her when she was obviously upset.

"Do you have to go home?" Her voice was quiet, not defiant like earlier in the morning.

"I do. But I'll come back whenever you ask me to."

Peeta didn't come back that night or the next, but on the third day he showed up at her hotel with two large bags of food.

"Nice shirt," he laughed, when she opened the door in only an oversized t-shirt and hair that suggested she had just gotten out up. He set the food down on a counter.

Closing the door behind him, she shrugged one shoulder. "Thanks. Think Cinna would let me wear this for my photo shoot?"

"I doubt it highly. Something tells me Cinna doesn't want to be associate with a starlet who can't keep her pants on in public," he answered, lifting up the hem of the shirt. "Though I don't think I'd complain."

She flushed and smacked his hand away. "You perv."

"You're the one prancing around in clothing that barely covers your sensitivities, Miss Everdeen."

"It's my suite, Mister Mellark," she smirked. "And if you don't like it then you can go back home."

He licked his lips as his hands returned to the hem and lifted it higher. "Believe me; I'm not planning on leaving anytime soon."

She laughed loudly as he scooped her up and carried her to her bed. She pulled her t-shirt over her head and his lips immediately began working their way down her skin. Katniss attempted to pull his clothes off with little success.

"Peeta," Katniss whined. He paused long enough to allow her to remove his shirt before continuing back down her body, pulling her panties off in the process. She let out a squeak when his tongue swiped at her center. She lifted her hips against him and when his nose brushed against her the squeak became a cry. He slipped a finger into her, the rhythm of his hand matching the pace of his tongue along her. She bucked her hips intently, wanting to keep up with him. "Peeta, please."

Without stopping, he looked up at her. Seeing his blond hair and blue eyes peaking up from between her legs made her lose control. Her head flew back onto her pillow and she clenched her thighs as her orgasm rippled through her. She reached down and gave a slight tug on his curls.

He rolled off to the side and pulled her next to him, kissing her neck and shoulder. "I think you planned that, Miss Everdeen," he said, doing his best Caesar Flickerman impression

"Whatever are you talking about?" She asked in her own mimicking voice. She kissed his nose quickly and settled into his chest. "I'm glad you came today."

"As if I had a choice."

"You act like I have a choice in this."

"When Katniss Everdeen tells me she ran out of food, I knew I'd have to rectify that. What kind of a monster would I be if I left a poor girl alone in her room to starve?"

She looked at him, the way his eyes sparkled when he smiled at her, how sincere his words were, despite mocking her '911 out of pastries' text. She honestly didn't know if she believed him when he said he'd come back whenever she asked him to. But when he showed up outside her room, she realized how glad she really was when he kept his promise.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked. He ran this thumb over her cheek. "You ok?"

She nodded, turning his wrist over and kissing it. "More than."

The next few weeks passed in a blur to Katniss. A few updates from Haymitch told her that her single had made it through the first round of approval and it was only a matter of time before Snow made his final decision. "First one is the hardest, Sweetheart," he reminded her. She found ways to keep herself busy when Peeta wasn't around; he told her he was too accustomed to working set hours so he would hole himself up in his apartment for the majority of the day writing.

Every few days she could guilt him into taking the afternoon off and they'd go for hikes on secluded trails or just sit and talk on one of the covered hills in the park. He seemed to know the best way to get places without being caught; sneaking out the back entrance of the hotel, having her driver take detours that no one would think to take.

"I wish we could have a real dinner. Like, not in one of our apartments or on a tour bus."

"Don't be stupid, Catnip. You know we can't do that. Not alone. Just be glad we get this."

When Katniss questioned Peeta's secrecy, he shrugged. "You deserve to have some semblance of normalcy." Then he would smile and the guilt she felt about having just texted Cato her whereabouts reared its ugly head.

"Want to have dinner at my place tomorrow night?," he casually asked as they lay on the grassy hill in the park that had unofficially become 'their place.'

Katniss had been running her fingers through his curls, smiling every time he'd sigh softly. "Are we going to order from that one place? Because that was probably the best I've ever had."

He laughed. "That one place?"

"Yea, you know, the stuff we had last week with the sauce that I liked?" His laughter grew and she pulled slightly on a strand of his hair. "What? You know the place I'm talking about, right?"

He strained his neck to look up at her with a wide grin. "Yea, the place with the sauce."

She pulled again.

"I thought maybe I'd cook for you instead. Something special."

"Cooking something special? Sounds like a date."

He shrugged. "It could be. If that's what you wanted."

Katniss paused, thinking it over. They had crossed the 'friend' line that night a few weeks ago and it was of the utmost importance that they appear like a couple together for the press, but what were they actually? Katniss had feelings for Peeta, but she could hardly make any sense of them, let alone explain them to him to figure anything out. Plus, there was always Gale to consider. Still. Gale, the married man who seemed to put her second shouldn't, rationally, figure into this equation. But what about love was rational? And he was her first love. Gale, who promised her that when the timing was right would forever leave Leevy and be with the woman he truly wanted to be with.

"Not yet, Catnip," he said under the cover of darkness somewhere between Japan and Australia, wrapping his strong arms around her. "But someday soon, it's just going to be you and me. When I can divorce her without dragging you into it, I will. You're mine, baby, and I'm yours." He repeated this every night.

The memories of Gale didn't belong with her thoughts of Peeta but she couldn't stop them from mixing up, only confusing her further. If Gale was telling the truth about eventually divorcing Leevy, would he be able to forgive her for being with someone else in the mean time? Surely he would, as she forgave him every time he went back to his wife. And Peeta would have to understand her choice, if it came down to it. He'd want her to be with someone she loved, she knew he would. And these feelings she had for Peeta, they were just what she normally felt toward Gale being projected onto someone new. That had to be the case because when she was with Peeta, she felt things she hadn't since she was first with Gale.

"Is that what we're doing?" Peeta repeated, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"I...I haven't done that very much," she admitted slowly. "I'm not sure if I'd know what I'd have to do."

"You don't have to do anything, Katniss. We'll take things slow. Slower," he corrected with a bashful smile. "We'll go at whatever pace you need."

"Ok. Then, yes, it's a...date."

He turned onto his knees and kissed her with such excitement that it made her giggle and fall back onto the grass. He followed her down and the two began making out like school children. She loved the way his body felt against hers, how he would follow her lead with what kind of kisses she wanted before reclaiming his dominance of her mouth. She let out a whimper when he finally moved away and sat her up. "We should probably head back, it's getting late and I don't think we want to be in a public LA park after dark."

He helped her to her feet and they began their trek back. At one point she stopped him and pointed up into the tree where a small bird was perched, whistling a peppy tune. "My father used to say that nature was the truest test of talent. He would tell my sister and I stories about being out in the woods to sing. They'd fall silent and as soon as he was done, would repeat them back to him if they liked the sound." She paused. "I wonder…" She took a step toward the tree and watched the bird. When it paused, she started to sing a song she remembered hearing her father sing to her mother.

"She's got eyes of the bluest skies as if they thought of rain

I hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain."

Her voice carried through the trees, soft and sweet and innocent. The bird hopped down to the next branch and watched her. She knew it was silly to get her hopes up about the story, it was almost too fantastical to believe when she was a child, let along as an adult. Still, there was a hope in her that she couldn't describe. Shrugging, she turned away. "Must have just been a story. Ready?"

He watched her, mesmerized by her simplicity in this moment, how beautiful she was when she sang so freely. He reached for her outstretched hand and pulled her tightly against him.

"Peeta?"

"Katniss, I just want to, I just need to tell you that I l-"

The bird's whistling caught both of their attention. Rather than its original tune, however, it now mimicked the piece of the song Katniss had just sung. She let out a gasp and looked up at the bird, chirping proudly. Then another joined in, one neither of them had seen from the next tree, and the two began a duet of the simple melody that swelled and filled the air. They stood still until the birds finished and flew off. "Wow," she smiled, looking back at him. "You were saying something, before. What was it?"

"Yea, I just, um, wanted to tell you that I..."

"You what?"

"I, uh, I care about you. A lot. And, and I'll do whatever I can to make you happy. I promise." He knew that telling her how he really felt about her, how he had fallen completely head over heels for her, after only a month, would scare her off. Hell, it scared him at first. Despite how frustrated he got at her defensiveness and guarded nature, whenever he was around her, he knew eventually his lips would betray him and slip out those three words he could never take back, even if he wanted to.

Katniss nearly canceled her dinner plans with Peeta three times as she tore through her newly expanded wardrobe. Thankfully Cinna was available when she became hysterical. He calmly walked her through what to wear and how to style her hair.

"You'll do fine, girl on fire."

"Girl on fire?"

"Turns out Caesar's description of you has stuck. Congratulations on your new nickname."

"Better than 'Ice Queen' I guess," she mumbled. "Thank you, Cinna. Really, I don't know what I would do without you."

She stood outside his apartment door, nervously pulling her her dress. Cinna's idea of 'mid-thigh' was nowhere near hers. She was certain the dress was barely suitable for public, but she had to admit the length, plus the shoes, gave her legs a certain definition she never knew she had. Thankfully it had a modest neckline to balance it out. Taking a deep breath, she knocked sharply on his door.

"Katniss," he greeted her with a smile. "You look..." his voice trailed off as he eyed her. "You look stunning. If I had known you were going to get all dolled up, I would have put on something less casual," he added, gesturing to his dark blue jeans and white button-down that was rolled up to his elbows, and loose tie around his neck. She couldn't help but image that tie in other places, binding his wrists, around her eyes, both of which sent an immediate shock through her body. "I'd invite you in but in order to get to our dinner, we have to go up to the roof."

She stared at him. "The roof?"

"Don't worry, the elevator goes all the way up." He led her back to the large elevator and pressed the 'R' button. "Here we are."

Katniss let out a soft gasp. In the middle of the roof was a small, candle-lit table set for the two of them. Tiny white Christmas lights were strung around, giving the appearance of dancing stars in the quickly fading evening sky. "You did all this?" she asked, incredibly.

"Too much?"

She shook her head. "It's beautiful. Oh!" She let out a giggle when she walked over to the table. "You made mac and cheese?"

Peeta did his best impression of her scowl. "Homemade macaroni and cheese, thank you very much. And freshly bake bread. But if my food isn't good enough for you then by all means-"

She interrupted him with a kiss. "It looks delicious. I haven't had macaroni and cheese in years."

After pushing her chair in, Peeta started his mp3 player and and a soft jazz song filled the air.

"Do you always go all out on dates?" She asked, playfully.

He laughed. "According to Delly I'm a romantic sap when it comes to relationships. Not that she really knows though, I've only really dated a handful of girls. And they were almost exclusively in college."

"How is that possible? I mean, have you seen you? Have you been around you? Any girl would be lucky to date you."

"Just been waiting for the right one, I suppose," he shrugged. "What about you? How have you not done the whole 'dating scene'?"

"Comes with the job description. Traveling constantly makes it difficult to maintain a relationship, let alone form one. It's just always been easier to avoid it all together."

He shook his head. "I don't know how Gale's been able to do it for two years."

She had chosen the wrong time to take a sip of her wine. "Do what?"

"Leave his wife behind when you guys tour. I can't imagine what it must feel like to not be able to hold the woman you love every night."

"Oh. Right." There was that guilt again, though now she wasn't sure if she felt guilty about Gale or Peeta. "Well, everyone learns to cope differently."

Peeta took a drink of his wine. "I guess. I mean, more power to her for trusting him. I'd be a nervous wreck for most of the time."

Katniss really wanted this conversation to end, she didn't want to talk about Gale and his wife because the longer Peeta brought it up, the more likely she'd be to tell him the truth. She was sure the 'romantic sap' wouldn't appreciate being with a woman like her. She focused her attention on the food in front of her, quickly shoving as much of it into her mouth as possible. Thankfully, he seemed to be doing the same but she didn't know if she preferred the uncomfortable silence or uncomfortable conversation prior.

"What's your favorite color?" He finally asked.

"What?"

He smiled. "I was just thinking, we work together, we've basically seen each other every day, we've slept together and yet, I don't know the simplest things about you, like your favorite color."

"Green," she answered. "Like pine trees at their finest. It was always the one constant; no matter what was going on, my dad was always home for Christmas and he would always decorate the house with garland and wreaths and this massive fur tree. He said it was something his parents did when he was growing up and he wanted to make sure we always had as real of a Christmas as possible living on the west coast. It was the one time a year when we all knew we'd be together as a family and unconditionally happy. Guess it's always just stuck with me." She swirled her wine glass around before downing the rest of it in one big gulp. "How about you?"

"My favorite color is orange."

She cocked an eyebrow and refilled her glass. "Orange?" When she thought of orange, the first thing that came to mind were the traffic cones that were a staple in L.A. traffic and she found it hard to believe Peeta would be interested in such a garish color.

"Yea, soft orange, like..." his voice trailed off as he turned his head away. "Like the sunset," he finished quietly. She followed his gaze over the edge of the roof. "This is my favorite view of the city."

The skyline seemed to be bathed in a glowing orange hue. "Like your apartment," she realized.

"By the time I was finished getting everything in, the sun was just starting to set. Delly told me I had to unpack one box that night and she happened to grab the one with my art supplies; she said it was a sign. It took forever to get the right mix but once it was done, it felt like home."

"Sunsets remind you of home?" She noticed he had finished his wine so she refilled his glass as well.

"Kind of."

His voice had changed again, like when she asked about the painting. "Why sunsets, though? Orange is in sunrises too."

He took a sip of his drink. "Sunsets were always a sign that we had survived another day, you know? It was like, if you could just get through to the sunset, it didn't matter what had happened because it was over now. Sunrises mean it's all about to start again, sunsets mean it's done." His voice was distant, like he was talking to some unseen presence. "Nighttime was a welcomed haven in our house."

She snorted. "I hated the night, I was always alone"

"Exactly."

"You liked being alone?"

He finally turned back to her, his red-rimmed eyes the only indication of any emotion. "Constant attention as a child isn't all it's cracked up to be. Night was when we could escape, even if it was only for a few hours."

"Escape to where?" As soon as she asked, she knew she didn't really want to know the answer. She wasn't the most intuitive person in the world but his eyes gave away that he was trying to hide some deep-seated pain. "Dance with me?"

"Huh?"

She made her way over to his mp3 player and began flipping through his music. "I haven't been on any real dates to speak of but I've suffered through enough chick flicks to know that it usually goes dinner, drinks, then dancing."

As the guitar riff began, came up behind her and ghosted his fingertips up her arms. Her body tensed but relaxed almost instantly into him. He turned her around slowly and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her heels put her at the perfect height to rest her forehead against his neck as they swayed effortlessly to the music.

What'll you do when you get lonely.
And no one waiting by your side?
You've been running and hiding much too long.
You know it's just your foolish pride.
Layla, you've got me on my knees.
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.
Tried to give you consolation.
When your old man had let you down.

"Like a fool, I fell in love with you, turned my whole world upside down.

Layla, you've got me on my knees. Layla, I'm begging, darling please.

Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind."

Katniss peaked up and his eyes were closed, lips barely moving, whispering the words. She smiled and softly sang the last verse with him.

"Let's make the best of the situation, before I finally go insane.

Please don't say we'll never find a way and tell me my love's in vane."

"You know that's Haymitch, right?" She felt his voice rumble through his chest.

"My Haymitch?"

He chuckled. "Yep. Well, it's him on guitar, anyway. When my dad first played this song, I told him I was going to learn to play guitar just as well as Haymitch. My mother pounced on me right away, reminding me that musical talent was something you were either born with or weren't and judging by my horrific singing skills, it was obvious which side of that spectrum I fell on. But my dad shushed her, saying that sometimes talent just had to be nurtured."

"So you nurtured your guitar skills?" She asked, jokingly.

"That Christmas he got me an old beat-up acoustic guitar from a second-hand shop and a few beginner's books. I locked myself in my room every day after school and practiced for hours and hours and never got any better. I barely managed a few chords that didn't sound like I was skinning a cat before giving up completely. My dad said he was happy to have his son back to normal. I think he was really just glad my mother stopped complaining about it," he laughed. "It was better than when Graham wanted to play the drums. She actually moved out of the house for a month during that phase."

"She moved out?" Katniss couldn't imagine a parent choosing to leave their family, especially over something like music.

"Noise wasn't really her thing. Whenever we got too rambunctious she'd make it perfectly clear that her house was not a playground and we were not to treat it as such. Needless to say, constant, off-beat banging was her last straw. To be honest, I think that's why Graham continued for as long as he did. I know that's why he passed them down to Chip, who would have passed them down to me if he hadn't beat the shit out of them. I think she got more joy out of watching us haul the to the dumpster than anything else in her life."

"She sounds like a bitch."

He didn't respond, opting to wrap his arms tighter and pull her flush against his body.

"It's getting chilly," she mentioned, though she felt perfectly content right where she was.

"You want to go back inside?"

She snuggled closer to him. "Not yet."

"Hey, Peeta?" She called to him from the living room.

He stuck his head out from the kitchen where he was packing up the leftovers. "Yea?"

"I, uh, I didn't bring anything with me to, you know, sleep in."

"Sleep in? So you just assume you're sleeping here?" He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing the back of her neck that her up-do exposed.

"Oh, I, guess I didn't really, I mean, I didn't mean to assume..."

Peeta chuckled against her skin. "It's ok, you can stay. I want you to stay."

"You do?" He pressed himself against her, sucking on the sensitive skin behind her ear. She shuddered and rolled her head back to kiss him. She attempted to turn around but his hold on her prevented her from moving. His one hand stayed wrapped around her waist while the other snake it's way up her dress, brushing slightly against her core. She groaned and arched back into him, grinding against him.

He teased her through her panties. "I love hearing you," he whispered into her ear. Her knees buckled slightly. "I love watching you, Katniss," he continued, giving her ear lobe a slight nip.

"Peeta," she whined in a breathy voice.

He let out a quiet moan against her. "I love when you beg." He thrust his fingers into her and she started to cry out. He covered her mouth with his as he brought her closer to the edge.

She grabbed his tie from over her shoulder and pulled him closer against her. "Peeta, I want you. Right here."

Groaning, he quickly released his jeans with his free hand. He pressed her up against the wall and lifted her skirt over her hips. "Katniss, I love-oh you have GOT to be kidding me!" He yelled at whoever decided to knock on his door.

"Ignore it, Peeta," Katniss said, giving his tie another tug. "They'll go away." She started grinding against him again, exposing her neck to him.

The knocking continued until Katniss finally gave in. "Holy shit. Whoever that is better be dying."

Peeta sighed and rested his forehead against her shoulder. "We'll finish this later. I should have some shorts in my dresser you can wear. He kissed her temple and lightly slapped her ass as she walked into his room, leaving a trail of clothes along the way. She looked over her shoulder and threw him a wink. He let out a frustrated groan as he flung the door open.

"Hey, Peeta," the blond girl lowered her hand but seemed to pay no attention to his disheveled appearance. "We need to talk."

If looks could kill Delly Cartwright would have keeled over at his door. "It's late."

"I just got off work. I've been trying to call you," she replied in an accusatory tone.

His face softened and he ran his hand through his hair. "I haven't been avoiding you. I've just been busy."

She snorted. "That's why I'm here. I read something that I had to check with you about." Her voice trailed off as she scanned his apartment. Two wine glasses in the sink, a pair of red heels at the entrance to his bedroom. "Oh my God, Peeta, do you have someone here?" Delly slapped his arm. "Peeta Mellark! Who is it?" She smiled conspiratorially.

"It's no one," he said with a strained face. "I'll call you tomorrow. We'll talk then."

They both turned to his bedroom door which had just opened, revealing Katniss in a pair of Peeta's boxers and t-shirt.

"Holy fuck!" Delly cried with an enormous smile. "Peeta! That's, that's..."

He rolled his eyes. "Katniss, this is Delly. Delly, Katniss."

Katniss walked over and wrapped her arms around Peeta's midsection, extending one hand out to the blond girl in the doorway. "You're Delly? Peeta's told me so much about you."

The subtle act of marking her territory wasn't lost on Delly who cocked an eyebrow but smiled. "He's been surprisingly quiet about you. Even to his best friend." She turned her attention to Peeta. "I'm sorry I interrupted you two. Peeta, can I just have a word with you, real quick, then I'll let you two get back to whatever it was you were doing when I got here."

Peeta leaned down and gave Katniss a quick kiss and released himself from her grasp. "I'll be right back." He followed Delly into the hallway, partially closing the door behind him. "What's up?"

"So you two are dating now or just having slumber parties?"

He sighed. "Don't do this, Del."

"Don't do what? I'm your best friend, I shouldn't find out you're dating Katniss Everdeen by catching her in your underwear. Or by reading about it at work. There was a story submitted this morning about you two, complete with some pretty intimate pictures. That's why I came by, I wanted to talk to you about it before I approved it. And to warn you."

"Warn me?"

"I know how much you hate that department, but I really wish you had at least read something that came from the tabloid section before you started this. I know you like her and I trust your judgment, but she's not as...innocent as I think you think she is."

"She's fine, Delly," his voice raised slightly, obviously upset at her implications.

"I don't think she's told you everything or you wouldn't be so quick to defend her. Her last 'relationship' or whatever it was wasn't exactly on the up and up."

"So why didn't you tell me any of this the last time we talked?"

"Because I didn't believe it then."

"But in the last month something has changed?" He challenged her. Delly was his best friend but she had a habit of constantly questioning the other women in his life. It didn't normally bother him because it was just who she was and it came with the territory, but her dislike of Katniss set him on edge. Katniss had a public persona that was nothing like the woman he had gotten to know and Delly was too blinded by what others reported about Katniss rather than who she actually was.

She glared at him. "It's not that, Peeta. You know how the truth has a way of trickling out. I don't completely believe it but I didn't really believe you were actually in a relationship with her until I saw the pictures. There's too much out there to just turn a blind eye to it." She reached out for his hand, pleading with him. "If you don't want to listen to me, then fine. It's not my place to tell you anything, but at least be prepared for the shit storm when it comes. I love you. You're the only family I have anymore and you know that I'll always be there for you. Just talk to her. And if I have to kick her ass at some point, then I will, even if she is Katniss Everdeen."

He laughed and pulled Delly in for a hug. "What would I do without you?"

"You'd be stuck in some dead end job in Ohio as unhappy as your father, rather than sleeping with a rock star. You're welcome, by the way." She smiled at him. "I miss you, Peeta. I miss us."

"I'll call, I swear." He kissed her cheek and waited until she was on the elevator before heading back into the apartment. He was a little confused after their conversation. Delly had been uncharacteristically cryptic about Katniss. He trusted Delly, she really did always have his best interest at heart and seemed to have a sixth sense about relationships he could never understand but the idea that anyone would badmouth Katniss made his head hurt. If she wanted to tell him something about her past, he'd wait for her to tell him; he wouldn't push her into disclosing anything she wasn't ready to.

"Katniss?" He called, closing the door being him.

"In here," she answered from the bedroom. He smiled and followed her voice, pouncing on her as soon as he could.

"Now where were we?" He kissed her deeply, letting his hand roam under the t-shirt she was wearing. She moaned into his mouth and pulled him closer. "I don't know what I like better; you in that sexy dress or you in my clothes."

"What did she want?" Katniss asked quietly. "It's a little late to just drop by, isn't it?"

"She just had a question about something." He pulled her shirt over her head and began leaving a trail of kisses down her torso.

"This late? And without calling first?" Her body instinctively arched as he took one of her breasts into his mouth. "Ah, Peeta," she moaned. "No. Peeta!" She pulled his head up. "Don't you think that's a little weird?"

He sighed and rested on his elbows. "That's how she is, Katniss. It's how we are, I guess, how we've always been. I can't tell you how many times I just showed up at her place unannounced. We're each others people. And she had been trying to call me for a while."

"Must have been pretty important if she couldn't wait until the morning." Katniss felt the familiar twinge of jealousy and anger in her stomach. They were each others' people, as he put it, and she shouldn't feel challenged by the blond. Especially because it was clear that they were friends. But wasn't that what Gale always used to tell Leevy about her?

"She asked about us. She's been hearing some rumors at work and was upset that I didn't tell her first."

"That's it?"

He wrestled with the question. Technically, that was all she asked him in the hall, but he didn't want to lie to Katniss. But as he looked down at her, her grey eyes exposing her vulnerability at the moment, he couldn't hurt her. He'd ask later, about what Delly implied. "That's it. Now, if it's alright with you, I would really like to not think about the girl who might as well be my sister when I'm in bed with someone so sexy."

She giggled as his fingers began roaming the contours of her body, sighing contently when he lips followed suit. She easily get used to having those lips on her all the time. She reached down and quickly unbuttoned his jeans.

He paused long enough to allow her to push them down and begin stroking his length. Peeta let out a low moan against her skin as her tempo increased. His hips jerked in rhythm with her hand until he felt like he couldn't take it any longer. He ripped his shorts off of her and repositioned himself at her center. In one quick motion, he pushed into her. "I love that noise," he whispered when she cried out. "I love feeling you around me." She was sure he kept talking but she was too caught up in the feeling of him moving inside her to register what he was saying. "Katniss, I lo-"

A loud buzz filled the room. "Damn it!" she cried out, her orgasm have just been within reach.

He rolled off of her onto his back, just as unsatisfied. "This just wasn't meant to be tonight, was it?"

"What?" She growled into the phone.

"Katniss?" Haymitch's voice came from the other side, followed by a high-pitched shriek so loud she had to pull her phone away from her ear.

"Haymitch you better have a damn good reason for calling right now."

"Is that her? I swear to God, Haymitch, I"m going to murder that little bastard. Who does he think he is, pulling a stunt like this? Those two have NO idea who they're messing with. If they think we're just going to roll over then they've got another thing coming!"

"Is that Effie?" Katniss asked, referring to the woman yelling in the background.

"Yeah," Haymitch answered, drawing out the word. A loud shatter came through the speaker and Katniss flinched. "Something has come up. We need to meet ASAP."

"I swear to GOD, Haymitch!"

"Effie! Shut the hell up!" He yelled back at her. "Listen, Sweetheart, I know it's late, but you need to come to the studio."

Katniss heard the bang of something hitting a concrete wall. "What is going on?"

"It seems Hawthorne and his people are making a power play. Just get the wonder-boy and meet us down here." Another loud crash came across the phone. "And fast. Effie's damn near run out of things to throw."

AN2:

I know I already said but I'm sorry for the delay with this chapter! The last two weeks have been utter hell. Thanks for being patient and sticking with me. We'll find out what's going on with Gale in the next chapter...dun dun duuuuuun.

Um, song credits:

Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns & Roses, written by Axel Rose, Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Steven Adler, and Duff McKagan.

Layla by Eric Clapton, written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon

Check out my blog for updates on this story and potential sneaky peaks. passionately-curious1 (dotty)

Check my profile for my blog for updates about the story and potential sneak picks.