Chapter 22
As promised, Katniss had texted him the details of her birthday get together and Peeta had been anxiously awaiting Saturday night since his phone had first chimed with her invite.
He'd agonized over how to respond like a prepubescent girl, finally sending her a pitiful "Sounds good!" before he could put another thought into it. And just because he'd officially lost over fifty pounds didn't mean selecting an outfit was easy, either. Instead, he found himself anxiously checking and re-checking his body's weak places (his stomach, his sides, and his thighs) in only slightly smaller clothing. As he stood in front of the full length mirror hanging on the back of his hallway door scrutinizing himself, he again realized that his losing weight wasn't what would make him ultimately happy in life.
Peeta stared at himself in the mirror until his eyesight got blurry. I want to be a normal size and have someone to share it with.
He placed the empty shot glass back on the bar and quietly slid it back towards the bartender, hoping he'd been discrete. The brown liquid slid down his throat, warming and burning at the same time as he stood, waiting on their second round of beers for the night. Shots weren't normally his game, but he figured a quick dose of liquid courage could always help. Glancing over his shoulder, he eyed the table where Katniss' birthday group had settled. Gale had brought Jo, the scary trainer from the gym, while Finnick had shown up and quickly sat himself next to Annie, leaving the chair next to Katniss conspicuously empty and making him overthink and analyze whether or not the evening was set up to look like a double date of sorts. Of course, he could be overthinking that.
The trendy dive bar was one he liked, and he was pleased she'd picked a place with a good selection of beer and the type of crowd that frowned on dancing. He didn't think he would have been able to handle the anxiety of some trendy club with techno music, nervous as he was.
He jumped as Gale sidled up to the bar next to him, slamming down two empty glasses.
"Need help carrying?"
Peeta turned to face him with a start. "Uh, sure."
Gale leaned on the bar next to him, watching as the bartender filled the glass mugs with foamy lagers. Gale eyed with him a conspiring smirk.
"So…."
"Soooo…what?" Peeta asked.
"Oh come on, Peeta, not even you can be this dense. She invited you for a reason."
Peeta gulped. The shot of Jameson wasn't settling well in his stomach. "I…maybe picked up on that."
Katniss had greeted him with a jubilant hug at the start of the evening. He hadn't been able to fully process the way she'd pressed her entire body to the front of his, making their embrace rather…intimate. It was a moment he would surely be replaying when he went to bed that night.
Gale guffawed, shaking his head. "Oh Mellark, you're funny."
"Gale…"
"What?"
"What do I even do?"
Gale glanced over his shoulder and shrugged. "The night's young. But I wouldn't let it get away from you without at least making some sort of move. I get that you're shy and still working through some of your stuff, but…at least throw the girl a bone."
Peeta turned to gape at him. "A move? A move? Gale, you know me enough to know that I don't have any freaking moves!"
Gale snickered again and thumped him on the back as the bartender began pushing beers towards them to take back to the table.
"And that…is why I like you, Mellark. You don't have any moves. That's why I know you're perfect for my poor, obtuse Catnip!"
Peeta rolled his eyes. "Glad I amuse you," he replied, shifting as he uncomfortably tugged at his polo shirt. He'd settled on a pair of dark jeans and a blue polo shirt that he thought hid his midsection well enough while showing off his arms, which was one part of his body he was confident about.
"I'm just giving you a hard time, okay? Do whatever you want to do. But I'm telling you as her best friend that it wasn't easy for her to muster up the courage to ask you here tonight. Just think on that, okay?" Gale thumped him one last time before hooking his long fingers into the beer mug handles and carrying half away. Peeta paused to process his words before grabbing the other half and following him back to the table, where Jo and Finnick were arguing over what drinking game the group should play.
He placed Katniss' beer in front of her and offered her a smile.
"For the birthday girl."
"Thanks."
She gave him a small smile, tucking her hair behind her ears. It was down and loose that night, parted down the middle and hanging on either side of her face in long, loose waves. If he really thought about it he could still smell the fragrant smell of her shampoo as she'd hugged him when he arrived. Her black tank top was simple and classy, showing just enough cleavage to make him have to look anywhere but at her chest. It wasn't without challenge – the flowy shirt was gathered around her bosom, highlighting her tan skin and toned upper body. He was surely already being enough of a blushing, bumbling idiot without checking her out, as much as he wanted to.
"Are you having a nice birthday?" He asked. There. An innocent enough question.
"I am," she replied, leaning closer to him to be heard over the noise in the bar. "Prim made me pancakes, and Effie came down and we all had mimosas this morning."
"Sounds like a perfect breakfast."
"It was," she smiled, placing her hand on his arm. "Prim said anytime you need a taste tester, she's available," she laughed, leaning close enough for him to feel her breath on his face. He felt a warmth seep up his collar to his ears, much to his dismay. He hated that he blushed so easily.
"Oh, uhm….that's….great," he struggled, his brain short circuiting from the flirty touch.
His eyes fleetingly glanced at her hand on his skin and the way it rose up in goosebumps. Her eyes followed his and she pulled her hand back awkwardly, looking away from him.
Fuck, why am I so effing awkward….
Katniss sipped her beer and watched as her friends argued loudly over the rules of another drinking game, laughing when Gale had to physically hold Jo from lunging across the rickety table at Finnick. As weird and wild as Johanna was, Katniss had to admit that she and Gale seemed to just…fit. Finnick was working hard to impress Annie, as this was the first time they'd been out together after their first date earlier in the week. Annie had sworn him to secrecy after agreeing to finally let him take her out, arguing that if things went south with their romance she still wanted to remain friends and coworkers. It made sense – working together after dating couldn't be easy, and Annie's request was a bit of a trust exercise with the normally boisterously braggy Finnick.
She wrinkled her nose at her private thoughts as she took another swig of her lager. While she tolerated her job, she loathed running into Cato on an almost daily basis. Her dalliance with him had been after a night of drunken loneliness and she'd give anything to take it back, as the mere thought of him now made her shudder in regret.
But as low as she felt about the 'Cato Incident', it didn't stop her from giving Peeta flirty, longing looks. It had been less than a week since her the incident she had dubbed the 'steamy, dreamy, gym-Peeta' sequence that had left her panting and tangled in her sheets. It had left her squirming and wet in the panties more than once that week, and she couldn't afford to think about that now – not with Peeta sitting so close to her in a dimly lit bar, two drinks in on a hot summer night.
Glancing sideways, she watched the way he drank, his jaw moving as he sipped and swallowed his beer. He was even close enough that she could smell the scent of his aftershave – woodsy, warm, with a hint of spice. Normally he smelled of flour and cinnamon after coming straight from work, so this was…new. She licked her lips and looked away, catching Gale's eyes from across the table. He simply smirked and shook his head, his chest shaking with silent giggles. Maybe she wasn't being as discrete as she thought?
But where had discretion gotten her? Sure, Peeta was out with them tonight, but he was being his shy, polite self, blushing and seeming to ignore every flirty look she shot his way. Did he only attend that night to be polite?
Katniss bit her lip and wished she was sipping something stronger than beer.
Johanna slamming her hand down on the table made her jump.
"We've been arguing about what to drink for so long I'm fucking thirsty!" she practically shrieked, motioning like she was ripping out her hair. She was on Gale's lap at this point, but only so she could be closer to Finnick as they rattled off games to play and the rules around them.
"Here's a thought – why don't you just drink until you're drunk then? That's a fun game," Gale playfully poked her side, making her yelp. Katniss felt Peeta stiffen as Johanna turned to Gale with a seething look.
"You know I hate being tickled," she said through clenched teeth.
"You tickle me all the time!"
"In bed, and I usually have you tied up so tight you can't do anything but cry like a little girl about it," she smirked, taking a sip of her beer.
"Gross!" Finnick shouted, the entire table bursting into laughter. Katniss glanced at Peeta, relieved to see him chuckling wholeheartedly with the rest of them. She took the opportunity to shift in her chair and let her leg rest against his, watching from the corner of her eye how he would react. Time seemed to slow as she waited, watching him closely. Peeta's laughter waned, but only to the careful eye. He carefully regarded her out of the corner of his eye, as if to silently ask, did you do that on purpose?
Mustering her courage, she held her leg against his under the table and waited to see if he would move or react negatively.
His leg stayed put as he took a noticeably longer sip of his beer.
Satisfaction burned through her for the next hour as their jean-clad legs stayed touching under the table. It felt silly, but she couldn't help but feel like it was strangely intimate. A connection that no one around them was aware of. Only they could feel the current of electricity that seemed to be zipping through them. Or, at least her. That was the scary part of all this: did Peeta return her feelings? Part of her wanted to run and hide, while the other warred with her to just throw herself at him and demand to feel what she felt in that sizzling dream from the other night.
After another round of drinks, Annie was feeling tired and Finnick offered to drive her home, and Gale and Jo looked antsy to be alone with each other. The friends all said goodnight, hugged her happy birthday, and she found herself alone with Peeta in a semi-crowded bar. It didn't strike her as a coincidence – Gale openly winked at her as he left, much to her annoyance.
She sighed and looked at Peeta, who was sipping a water at that point.
"Promise to go easy on me on Tuesday?" he asked, motioning to the empty glasses on the table. His eyes were bleary but bright, his smile a little more eager than usual.
"No," she snorted, shaking her head. "If I went easy on you, you wouldn't look at good as you do."
The words tumbled out of her mouth, aided by the alcohol flowing pleasantly through her bloodstream.
The ruddy blush she had grown to love bloomed through his cheeks, making him look away and grin. He opened his mouth to speak, meeting her eyes again. He paused a moment, then shook his head as if to silently talk himself out of what he wanted to say.
"What?" she prodded.
"Are you drunk?"
She giggled. "Maybe. But that doesn't change it."
"Change what?" he asked, leaning closer.
"How good you look," she replied, her eyes holding his. They were inches apart now, breathing the same air. She stared at him, silently willing him to come closer. The noise of the bar faded away as they watched each other, time standing still.
Peeta licked his lips and blinked, pulling away suddenly. "I uh…tonight was really fun, um…thank you for inviting me out."
Katniss leaned back in her chair, exhaling as the moment between them was broken. She felt…denied, somehow.
"Is it….okay that I did?" she asked. Maybe she had read the signs all wrong. Maybe he was just her friend, and her client…nothing more.
Peeta shifted in his chair, his leg still touching hers. "Of course it is," he replied, his voice low. When his eyes met hers this time, the emotion behind them was different. Sad, almost, like he was almost beseeching her to understand what that meant.
They were quiet for a few moments, neither one of them sure what to say. Katniss played with the edges of her bar tab that the waitress had just dropped off. This felt like a chance, and she'd be amiss not to take it.
Katniss cleared her throat, breaking the silence.
"Well, I'm glad you came."
He nodded. "Did you walk here?"
"Gale drove me," she shook her head. "But I only live about six blocks away. I'm going to walk."
Peeta glanced outside, bobbing his head. "It's a nice night. I'll join you, how 'bout that?"
She wasn't sure if it was the beer or the nerves, but she snickered into her hand. "Such a gentleman."
She wobbled slightly as she stood to follow him to the bar to leave. It was getting busier as the night wore on, more and more people out to enjoy the summer night. They wove through the crowd to the bar to settle up, Peeta grinning at her as he snatched her tab from her fingers and combined it with his own.
"Peeta…"
He snorted. "You're not paying for your own drinks on your birthday, Katniss."
She watched as he paid, left a hefty tip, and nodded towards the door. As they wove through the crowded bar, she felt his hand fleetingly touch hers, but he backed off before she could snatch it. The muggy night air hit them as they made their way to the sidewalk, and she watched as Peeta took a deep breath and paused again.
She stopped, faced him, and tried not to wobble too much. "Somethin' on your mind?"
He exhaled sharply, jamming his hands into his pockets. The dingy brick exterior made his blonde hair and bright eyes stand out even more in the dim light, she realized. He glanced everywhere but at her, and she boldly inched forward to place herself directly in front of him. There. I'm hard to ignore here, aren't I? she thought with a smirk.
"I…."
She inched closer. The thrill of this hunt far outweighed the disappointment that he was timid and refused to make his move. Any of the second guesses she had fell to the wayside as she inched closer and closer to him, encroaching on his space and her skin dancing with electricity the way it had when their knees had touched under the table. It was something so small, but she craved to feel it again.
Peeta's eyes locked with hers, his mouth opening to speak and then closing again.
"I….Katniss-"
A loud, booming laugh broke through their spell, shattering the moment.
"Well, well!"
Katniss growled to herself, snapping her head to the sound of the familiar taunt.
Crap.
Cato had been on his way into the bar, but sidetracked and sauntered over to where they stood, waving his group of friends inside.
"What do we have here?" he sneered, bouncing on the balls of his feet, arms swinging like he was celebrating.
He looks like a monkey, Peeta thought to himself, rolling his eyes. He steeled himself, backing away from Katniss as she turned to address her blond, hulking coworker.
"Get lost," she practically growled. "It's enough I have to see you at work."
Cato feigned hurt, clicking his tongue at her harsh words.
"Always such a hellcat," he smirked, eying her up and down. "Out and about this evening? What company you keep outside of work, Katniss."
Peeta watched her profile as her jaw clenched and unclenched. "Why don't you just go inside, Cato, get nice and drunk, and maybe fall in a well somewhere?" she asked in a bored, icy tone.
"Well, I had to come over and greet you and fat boy here," he chuckled at his own joke, motioning to Peeta.
Katniss leaned forward, and Peeta groaned inwardly. It was one thing to get teased for being overweight, but it was doubly embarrassing for the girl he liked to be a witness to it again.
"What did you say?" Katniss growled, lunging towards him. Cato let out a surprised laugh as he playfully pushed her away.
"I said, Katniss, I had to come say hello to fat boy."
The beer in Peeta's stomach turned, making him start to sweat. The music from the bar faded as his ears grew hot and started to ring. Why did this always have to happen? Why did people like Cato feel the need to point out every little insecurity and then roast him publicly for it? All of the work he'd done fell away, leaving him feeling naked and like he was nothing. His face grew hotter as Katniss lunged at him again, shoving him roughly.
Oh, this was not going to end well.
"Katniss, it's fine, just…let's go," Peeta pleaded, reaching for her hand.
Cato's eyes lit up as he seemed to zero in on their joined hands.
"Oh! And she's taking him home, folks! Get ready Peeta, she's a fun one but you'll regret it in the morning!" he taunted, his laughter echoing in the muggy night air.
"You son of a bitch-" Katniss yanked her hand out of Peeta's grasp and he had to physically circle her in his arms to keep her from lunging into Cato as he snickered at them.
Peeta glared at him, giving his best murderous look as he fought to keep Katniss from taking on the man almost twice her size.
"Katniss, no! He's not worth the energy. Let's just go…."
"Tubby knows a sure thing when he sees it!" Cato prodded, "But the question is, will he know what do to with it?"
Peeta had had enough. Letting his arms drop from Katniss, he turned and squared his shoulders and looked up at Cato, his ears ringing with rage. He could call Peeta 'fat boy' all he wanted, but he was not going to get away with running his mouth about Katniss. If he had to get his ass kicked, this was a good a time as any.
"I know how to treat a lady, if that's what you're asking. Maybe ease off all the steroids and give your brain cells a chance, you might surprise yourself."
The crack of Cato's fist in Peeta's jaw came faster than he thought it would.
I thought that would do it, he thought as the pain bloomed through his cheek. It hurt, but growing up with two older brothers taught him to be quick. He barely recoiled, instead using Cato's gleeful, rage-filled face to drive him to react by answering with his own blow. His fist crunched as it made contact with Cato's nose, causing blood to almost instantly spurt out. He watched as the blond fell to the pavement, holding his face. A few people filing into the bar turned to look, a few yelling out in surprise.
"Holy shit, Peeta!" Katniss yelped, grabbing his arm. "I think you broke his nose!"
Panic swelled in his chest as the adrenaline surged through him. More people were starting to notice them as Cato cradled his blood face and groaned.
"You dick, you broke my nose!"
"You broke his nose!" Katniss gasped, gripping his arm harder.
"I…I…"
"We need to leave! NOW!" she grabbed his hand and they were off, jogging down the alley and away from the bar. Once around the corner, she stopped him and panted, her silver eyes wild. Peeta glanced backwards to see if anyone was coming after them, gasping with a horrible mixture of shock and disgust at his own actions. The sour feeling in his stomach returned as the adrenaline wore off. He'd actually hit someone.
"Holy shit, I….I broke his nose."
Katniss nodded in the dim light, exhaling shakily.
"You really did. And for me."
Peeta didn't have time to react before she shoved him up against the brick wall of the building behind him and kissed him. Hard.
Well, there you go - they kissed for reals this time! The line has been crossed.
Guys, I am sorry for the long wait. To say 2020 wasn't the best year is an understatement. I'm not trying to complain too hard - it wasn't great for anyone and I am fine, but did anyone escape the gloom that was last year? Finding the energy to write was daunting and I am sorry to keep you all waiting. Your kind messages and reviews pulled me out of it and I feel like I am starting to have better days.
Thank you all for sticking around! I will always come back :)
