Disclaimer: The 'M' rating for this fic has finally come into effect for language and sexual content. I do not own any of the characters of The Hunger Games (although I wish I did).
After Katniss had left him on the curb for a second time in twenty-four hours, he eventually managed to drag his feet back into the house where he dropped to the couch and sat staring at the blank television screen until darkness filled the living room. Time froze as he replayed the events in his head, each time causing his lifeless body to sink further into the couch cushions until the initial shock finally wore off and loneliness—his faithful companion—started to settle in around him. But soon frustration followed and he was up on his feet, tugging at his hair and tracing an invisible line as he paced back and forth across the room.
Fucking idiot! Why did he let her go so easily?
But what did he expect? This wasn't part of the plan. He was home to tie up the loose ends of what remained of his life here, not start something new. After this weekend there wouldn't be anything—or anyone—to keep him here. The thought was depressing, especially after the way Katniss had left him following that kiss: alone and confused.
He could still taste her on his lips but even that couldn't shake the nagging feeling at the back of his mind—it wasn't going to work. There was a spark between them; there was no denying it, one that he knew for certain was worth pursuing but only if she'd allow it. But his chance had passed and he'd blown it. He'd just have to get over it and move on. He barked out a pathetic laugh that echoed through the room. Yeah right, easier said than done.
He tried to keep himself and his mind occupied by cleaning every square inch of the house again, but once he was finished and he surveyed the stack of moving boxes piled neatly in the corner, he realized there was nothing left to do. So he settled back onto the couch and pulled out his laptop. There had to be a response by now from one of his potential buyers—or at least one of the art galleries he'd been trying to get into for the past year. He needed some good news after tonight.
As he waited for the machine to fire up, he noticed the battery light flashing at him from the corner of the keyboard. He leaned over to retrieve the charger from his laptop bag, but came up empty-handed. Fuck. It must have fallen out in the back seat of his car as he was gathering his things the night before. Just his luck.
Peeta sat there with his head against the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling as he debated whether or not it was a good idea to show up unaccounted at the auto shop and get it. Katniss would most likely still be there, but as much as he wanted to see her again and get an explanation on whether she harbored any feelings for him whatsoever, he wasn't so sure she'd want to see him.
Screw it, he thought as he pushed himself up off the seat cushions. He was leaving tomorrow, maybe forever for all he knew, and he was going to tell her how he felt whether she wanted to hear it or not. How could he ever move on from this place if he didn't? He had to do it for himself, for his own sanity.
He quickly changed into a pair of jeans and threw on his favorite plaid shirt, the softness of the fabric a small comfort he needed to go through with this. The cab he called for was there in less than five minutes and his body was on edge the entire drive there. When they pulled up to the front of the shop, he practically threw a twenty-dollar bill at the driver before hurrying to the back of the building. There he found Katniss's now clean Jeep sitting in the parking lot, the back door of the garage propped open, and an orange glow shining through the adjacent window.
He approached the window quietly and peered through the smudged glass. He released shaky sigh when he spotted a small body bent over the front of his car and a work lamp attached to the inside of the hood, casting shadows across the floor as it dangled overhead. His face inched closer to the glass when she grabbed for something off the workbench, but once her body was no longer obstructed by the hood of his car, he cursed under his breath.
She wasn't wearing any pants. Or much of a shirt for that matter. She was in nothing but a pair of black boy shorts and a tight black tank top, the hem riding up her waist to reveal her midriff. Her hair hung down around her shoulders in wet waves and her skin appeared slick as though she'd just stepped out of the shower.
He could feel himself rapidly harden, straining against the front of his jeans not even a minute later, and when she turned around and stared down at the car, providing him a full on view of her body, he couldn't hold in his approving groan.
Fucking perfect. Her body was fucking perfect.
Forcing himself to turn away from the window took more willpower than he expected, and he shook his head as he closed his eyes. It was wrong to hide out here, staring at her while she was unaware of his presence. He took a deep breath, reminding himself about why he was there in the first place. To talk to her. To tell her how he felt—how he's always felt about her. And if all else failed to get his laptop charger.
With a heavy sigh, he opened his eyes and took one last look at her through the window, lingering a moment too long at her chest as she flipped her hair off her shoulders, revealing her long slender neck. She already wasn't making it easy on him.
He pushed himself off the wall, collected his thoughts, and knocked on the back door, waiting a few moments to allow her to cover herself before pulling it open and stepping through the doorway.
"Katniss? It's me…uh, Peeta. Can I come in?"
The music that he hadn't even realized was playing lowered, but he still waited for her permission first before turning back around. There was some shuffling behind him and then the slam of metal on metal.
"You can turn around now," she called out, her voice unexpectedly breathy.
"Katniss, I—" The words died in his throat when he turned and found her leaning up against the hood of his car, still clad in only her underwear and tank top which he swore had shifted even higher up her middle. His eyes drifted down her body and he released a shaky breath when he realized that she was also barefoot, something about it making her seem even sexier as she circled her toe back and forth along the cement floor. He blinked rapidly as he relocated his voice and averted his eyes back to her face. "Sorry to drop in on you like this, but, I, uh, forgot something in my car. My laptop charger. I kind of, uh, need it."
Her mouth twitched in amusement, no doubt from his fumbling words and flustered appearance. "Oh really, is that all?" She crossed her arms over her chest, obviously not but buying his excuse.
"No, honestly, it's true, but, uh…"
Fuck! Why was this so hard?
He took another deep breath. It didn't help that his cock twitched painfully at the sight of her breasts pushed up between her arms. Focus. He just needed to get started; after that, he was certain the words would just start to tumble out of his mouth. "Katniss listen, what happened between us today—"
"Peeta—" she started, but he held up a hand to cut her off.
"No, please listen. I need to get this off my chest. I never thought I'd get the chance, but after tonight I'm not sure if I'll ever get it again." He watched her arms drop to her sides as she hoisted herself up onto the hood, gripping the front of the car, her face turning serious as if bracing herself for the unexpected.
With a slow exhale he closed his eyes, only daring to open them once he was sure his voice wouldn't shake. "Katniss, I like you. I mean, really like you…and I have for as long as I can remember. When we kissed, I don't think you understand what that did to me. You see, I've been waiting for over half my life for the chance to kiss you and now that it's happened…" he paused and swallowed down the ball of uncertainty that had collected at the back of his throat. "Now that it's happened, I want…more. So much more."
The features of her face softened, the furrow between her brows disappearing as she sucked in her bottom lip and began to toy with it between her teeth. "More?" she asked hesitantly.
Then it dawned on him that perhaps she'd taken his words the wrong way. "I don't mean more as in, oh God, not like that…" She arched an eyebrow at him and frowned. "Shit, I mean, of course I want you in that way. You don't know how many times I've dreamt about you and fantasized about all the ways I want to touch you and—" He stopped once he realized that he was rambling, before he could make an even bigger fool of himself and recollected his thoughts. "Shit, forget I just said that…what I meant to say was, I want to know if there's even the slightest possibility that maybe…you and I, uh…that you'd be interested in seeing where this could go."
Over the years he'd learned that Katniss Everdeen was a woman of few words, but at that moment he wasn't sure if she was silent because she was considering his proposal…or because it was her answer. Her face was impossible to read and her intense stare was too much for him to take, causing him to drop his gaze to the oil stained floor.
"Peeta." He looked up slowly, preparing himself for either a gentle letdown or to have a wrench thrown at his face. But when their eyes met, she shook her head slowly.
The tightness he felt as the walls of his chest seemed to cave in hurt more than he could have predicted. He shoved his hands into his pockets and attempted to hide his injured pride behind a forced smile, casting his eyes back down to the floor and hunching his shoulders forward, as if to make himself appear smaller. Regret was starting to seep in as he stood there awkwardly, unsure if he should just turn and leave now to lick his wounds, or bow out gracefully with a polite farewell.
"Peeta, look at me." Her voice was quiet yet firm and he complied willingly—there was nothing left for him to lose. Her lips curved up into a breathtaking smile and his heart stopped. "I want more too."
"Y-you do? But, I thought…" He trailed off as she sat up and beckoned him over with a curl of her finger.
"You think too much, that's your problem."
He was in front of her in three strides, stepping between her legs and cupping her face in his hands. "You won't regret this, I swear." He leaned forward and pressed a hard kiss to her lips, holding her in place as her hands trailed up to rest along his forearms. When she pulled back slightly, resting her forehead against his, they both released a contented sigh.
"I better not," she said as she traced the seam of his lips with her thumb and then tugged it down gently. "Now, touch me like you've been wanting to all day." His eyes widened, caught off guard by her words and the depth of desire he found staring back at him, her pupils dilated with only a sliver of her grey irises showing. She removed his hands from her face and lowered them to rest atop her bare thighs.
He was hesitant at first and gave her a questioning look, unsure of how much she expected him to read into her open invitation to touch her. When she answered his silent plea with a seductive swipe of her lower lip with her tongue, he fanned out his fingers, smoothing them across her slick skin to the outside of her thighs. She widened her legs as she leaned forward and circled her arms around his neck, pulling him in to close the gap between them.
"So, is this what you always wear when working alone?" he asked playfully before glancing down to the tops of her breasts.
Katniss chuckled softly. "Let's just say I was hoping you'd show up, and in case you did I wanted to give you a reason to stay." She grinned before tilting her face to nip at his upper lip.
Peeta sucked in a quick breath, preparing himself for what was next. And then her lips made contact with his, light and timid for all but a second before her fingers wove through the hairs at the nape of his neck and she fisted the loose strands tight in her hands.
That was all it took for his body to take control and shove his conscience into the backseat. When she traced the seam of his lips with her tongue, his fingers dug into her legs, pressing them closed against his waist to trap himself between them. The feel of her center against his navel caused his cock to twitch painfully, the scant fabric of her cotton panties the only thing still standing in the way of her being completely exposed to him.
The warmth that radiated off her in waves was intoxicating, accentuating the scent of coconut that seemed to cover her skin. His curious hands began to explore the curve of her backside, kneading the taut muscles with firm, fluid strokes, which earned him breathy gasps that he eagerly swallowed as he tilted his head to deepen their kiss. When her hips began to move, her pelvis grinding against his erection, he cupped her ass to help guide her movements.
She suddenly pressed her breasts against this chest, their lips pulling apart as she dropped her head back. His eager lips explored the column of her neck, grazing his tongue along her skin to catch a salty bead of sweat before it had a chance to disappear into the valley between her breasts.
A rush of adrenaline shot through him from having her so close, her legs wrapped around his body as he slowly mapped out every inch of her chin and jaw and neck with his lips and teasing flicks of his tongue. She pulled back on his head, her hands tugging at his hair when his lips reached her chest, and he looked up at her with concern, worried he'd allowed himself to get too carried away. "Do you want me…to stop?" he whispered between labored breaths.
Katniss shook her head, a wicked grin playing at her lips. "Were you serious when you said you fantasize about me?"
The question took him off guard, although he should have expected it by now, and he pursed his lips, unsure of how to respond without embarrassing himself beyond belief. Well, honesty had got him this far, what harm could it really do now?
"Yes," he answered timidly, wondering where she was going with this. His head filled with the numerous ways he'd pictured kissing her…touching her…making her scream out his name as he pushed her over the edge.
Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip as she pinned him with a blazing stare, the intensity of her silver-grey eyes causing his desire for her to build and build. He froze in place when she released a hand from his neck and trailed it painstakingly slow down his chest until she reached the front of his jeans, rubbing her open palm firmly along the bulge straining against the fabric. He couldn't contain his strangled gasp as his head lolled and his eyes threatened to retreat to the back of his head. Her fingers closed in as she stroked him over his jeans, and he bucked his hips forward, desperate for more friction. With her other hand that was still wound around his neck, she pushed his head forward, forcing him to focus his attention back on her flushed face.
"This is one of your fantasies, isn't it?"
The only one that came close to this exact situation involved them in a similar compromising position, but in the back seat of his car, not on the hood. It was a minor detail that he wasn't about to contest, but who was he kidding—this was hotter. Way hotter. The corners of his mouth lifted into a roguish grin and he chuckled. "What gave it away?"
She leaned in until the tip of her nose brushed against his, and when her lips were just a hairsbreadth away from his, her breath hot against his skin, she tightened her grip on his cock and he groaned.
"This," she said, her voice low and raspy. She released her hold on him and leaned back onto her elbows, spreading her legs to him in invitation yet again. "I want to feel your hands on me."
Peeta licked his lips, his heart pounding wildly in his chest as his hungry eyes roamed over every inch of her body, trying to determine where best to start. They zeroed in on her chest which rose and fell with each heavy breath, her erect nipples straining against her tank top.
Hmmm…that'll have to go, he thought to himself.
As if reading his mind, Katniss crossed her arms over her body and grabbed hold of the hem of her top, pulling it up over her head in one quick motion. An appreciative moan escaped him as her breasts bounced gently back into place. Fuck, her tits were perfect. He reached up and cupped each soft mound, testing their weight in his palms before squeezing them experimentally and dragging his thumbs over the stiffened peaks. Her impatient whine and the slight wiggle of her hips caused his attention to lower to the black scrap of fabric that was still present.
Yep, that's where she wanted him.
He trailed his fingertips down along her sides (taking note of a ticklish spot he was certain he'd found) and when he reached her hips, he wasted no time looping his thumbs into the waistband of her underwear and tugging them down, not once looking away from her face as Katniss raised her hips to help. Instead of tossing her panties to the wayside, he grinned and shoved them into the back pocket of his jeans.
He dropped to the floor to kneel between her legs and when he finally lowered his eyes, he was surprised to find a bare patch of skin where he expected to see the thatch of dark brown curls she always had in each of his fantasies. He could feel her intense gaze on him as he eagerly reached up to run his fingers across her smooth skin, but he looked up for permission once more to make sure that this was what she really wanted. It was almost too good to be real.
"Peeta, please," she mewed as she lifted her hips off the hood of the car just enough for his thumb to brush up against her folds. Her moan sent a spark of electricity straight to his groin. "Again," she begged.
He didn't need to be told twice.
He quickly ran his tongue over his fingertips and dragged them up her folds, stopping once he reached the hood of her cleft to spread her open. From the dim lighting he could see her skin was already glistening with her arousal and with the pad of his thumb, he drew her wetness up and around her clit. The temptation to taste her was overwhelming, and his original plan to take his time teasing her first with his fingers was forgotten as the heady scent of her washed over him.
The low, deep-throated moan that escaped her when his lips enclosed around her clit would forever be branded into his memory. Spurred on by the squirm of her hips, he circled the sensitive nub, taking a slow taste and savoring the tartness of her on his tongue. Her strained whimpers filled his ears as he began his search for just the right amount of pressure that would make her legs tremble and the pattern of quick flicks and long slow licks that would have her begging for more.
It didn't take long to figure out what she liked, and after hearing his name tumble from her lips in the midst of her labored breaths, he teased her entrance before sinking two fingers deep inside her, causing her hips to buck against his face as he curled them forward. He didn't dare stop, not even when he began to feel the muscles of his jaw start to tense and his tongue grew slack. When her walls began to tighten around his fingers, a second wave of determination washed over him and he greedily sucked in her clit, tracing tight circles around it over and over as her thighs clamped shut around his ears and her hand came to rest atop his head, her fingernails digging into his scalp.
He moaned when she fisted her fingers in his hair and the hum of his mouth was enough to send her tumbling over the edge, her back arching off the hood of the car as each wave of her orgasm ripped through her. He reached up to hold her flat in place, curious as to what she looked like when she was at the height of complete bliss. He couldn't take his eyes off her face as her eyes screwed shut and her mouth hung open, her breasts bouncing slightly as she gulped in air.
When he slowed his ministrations, her legs fell to the side and she released her hold on his head to drape her arm across her eyes. As he retracted his fingers, he took his time lapping up her arousal with slow, languid strokes of his tongue. She shivered when the occasional aftershock ran through her and when he finally pulled away, content and in awe of what he'd just accomplished and witnessed, she lifted her arm and peered down at him.
"That was what you fantasize about?" she asked, her voice breathy in disbelief.
"Yeah well, that and other things." He forced a cough and cleared his throat in hopes that she didn't pick up on the eagerness in his voice. The ache in his pants was way past the point of ignoring it, and he tried to discreetly shift his erection off to the side.
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Show me," she challenged as she pushed herself up off her elbows and onto the palms of her hands.
His eyes narrowed, unsure if they were on the same page as to where he thought they were headed. His doubts faded when she sat up and reached for the front of his jeans, making quick work of the button and tugging down the zipper with enough force to send them tumbling to the ground to pool around his ankles. Peeta's head was spinning when she reached for the waistband of his boxers, her bottom lip curled over her teeth as she inched them down his legs. Her eyes lowered when his cock sprung free and his boxers joined his pants at his feet. He quickly stepped out of them and kicked them to the side as he reached down to tug off his shirt, tossing it into the growing pile of discarded clothes.
He'd pictured her hand wrapped around him an embarrassingly high number of times before, but he knew nothing his wild imagination could conjure up would come close to the real thing.
Peeta tried to hold back a moan and his entire body shuddered when her hand wrapped deftly around his cock and she ran her palm and fingers teasingly up his entire length. His eyes screwed shut, and he knew he had to focus if he didn't want this to end before it even began.
With the inhale of a deep steady breath, he pried his eyes open one at a time to find Katniss watching his face intently. When she released him and brought her hand up to her mouth to lick her palm, he stifled a groan and closed his eyes again, the anticipation of her slick hand wrapped around him causing his head to go dizzy with lust. What he wasn't expecting was the wet heat of her lips as she sucked his cock into her mouth, flicking her tongue along the underside of the tip teasingly. His eyes shot open to find her bent over at the waist, her hair tickling the front of his thighs as her head bobbed up and down, taking all of him into her mouth with each pass.
His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, eager to run his fingers through her hair but worried she'd take it the wrong way if he touched her that way. But he almost lost it when she reached over and took his hand, coaxing him to reach under and cup her breast. An erect nipple grazed the tip of his middle finger and he rolled it against his thumb.
She peered up, releasing him with a "pop" as her hand took over and she worked him slowly while staring up at him with hooded eyes.
"Katniss, I'm not going to last if you keep that up," he warned as he pulled back just a bit. "I-I want…not like this…" He knew he wasn't making any sense but she seemed to understand when she sat back up.
"Well, what are you waiting for then?"
The irony of her word choice caused him to balk, the same words she'd used just before finding out that he was clueless on how to drive stick. It caused his nostrils to flare and his jaw to set in a hard line.
This he knew how to do—and do well—and he was dead set on proving it to her.
He batted her hand away and grabbed hold of the back of her knees and tugged firmly, drawing her closer to him as he took his cock in his hand and circled the tip around her clit before lining himself up at her entrance. But then he stopped.
"Shit," he groaned as he scrubbed his face with his hands. "I don't have any protection." Why would he? It's not like he planned on any of this happening, and he wasn't in the habit of keeping any in his wallet.
"Front pocket of my bag," she said, as she gestured with her head to the workbench behind him.
He released her legs as he turned and fumbled with the zipper of her bag, pulling out a foil packet and tearing it open with his teeth as she scooted her body further up the hood of his car. As he positioned the condom over the tip, she reached over and swatted his hand away. "Let me."
He sucked in a breath and held it as she unrolled the prophylactic down his erection, a flash of pink from her tongue peeking out from the corner of her mouth as she worked. When she was done, he stepped forward, his cock flush with her center as it grazed her folds. He lifted her chin to make her look at him.
"You don't know how many times I've dreamt about this." His honesty caused her cheeks to flush and she smiled shyly. "Does that make me a pervert or something?"
"No, not when I've dreamt the same thing too." The shock and awe from her confession was like a vice around his heart, not to mention a huge boost to his ego. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, their kiss slow and sweet as her hand came up to caress his face. She pulled away all too soon and grinned. "Now fuck me, Peeta."
She grabbed hold of his cock and positioned it at her entrance, sliding the head up and down her slit, spreading the arousal that had started to leak out from her again. He gripped her hips and looked down as he thrust forward, burying himself to the hilt as her walls stretched to accommodate him. Fuck she was tight. He stayed there unmoving, his heart beating loud between his ears, until he felt her clench around him, urging him to move. He slid out almost all the way before slowly inching back into her, reveling in the tight, wet warmth that encased him. He wanted this to last but at the same time all he wanted to do was pound into her.
When her arms wrapped around his neck and she dug her nails into his skin, he lost all his resolve and picked up his pace, rocking in and out of her, the two of them falling into a choreographed rhythm that was accompanied by the sound of their labored breaths and the slapping of skin on skin. She leaned back, and when she raised her legs up slightly he hooked his arms behind her knees, bending forward to hover over her and relish in the new angle, hitting her deeper with each thrust.
"Fuck," he cried out as her nails dug into his back and then scraped down his sides. He hoped to God she left marks on him—he'd need them as proof the next day that this night had been real. The telltale tingling in his balls signaled that he needed to slow down if he wanted this to last, but she wouldn't let him and lifted her hips to meet his thrusts eagerly.
"Don't…stop," she managed between pants as she dropped a hand down between them and her fingers began to rub furious circles around her clit. Fuck. The way her eyes fluttered shut and her brow furrowed as her mouth fell open, it was sexy as hell. She was almost there; he could tell by the tremble of her thighs, so he just had to hold out a little longer.
Fortunately for him their timing was right and her walls began to flutter around him and she sucked in a shaky breath, her head falling back onto the hood of his car with a soft "thud."
"Katniss," he grunted just moments before he slammed into her one last time, burying himself deep as he spilled into the condom. His hips jerked forward erratically as he rode out the rest of his orgasm, and he couldn't stop himself from falling onto her body, covering it completely with his as he came down from his high. Realizing that he might be crushing her, he pushed up slightly, but her arms tightened around his back and he dropped his head between her breasts, the rapid beating of her heart apparent against his cheek as he inhaled the intoxicating scent of sweat and coconut and…sex.
Holy shit.
He'd just had sex with Katniss Everdeen. On the hood of his car. And he was still inside of her, his cock slowly softening as she traced patterns onto his back and murmured his name against his shoulder. He wasn't sure how long they laid there naked, with her legs still wrapped around him as though she wanted to keep him there forever. When his breathing finally returned to normal, he felt a drop of sweat trail down the bridge of his nose and he nudged his face against her breast to wipe it away. Her chest rumbled slightly as she laughed quietly to herself.
"Did that honestly just happen?" she asked as she stared up at the garage's ceiling fan spinning lazy revolutions above their bodies.
"Yeah," he croaked as he tried again to escape her hold. He needed to ditch the spent condom but the feel of her embrace was so warm and comforting, he never wanted her to let go. She finally relented, allowing him to discard the condom in the trash bin behind him. When he bent down and reached into the pile of discarded clothes, she whimpered in protest. He chuckled to himself as he tossed something to her and gestured to the spot between her legs with his head as she caught his shirt against her chest.
She sat up and watched him with her quicksilver eyes that still caused his heart to skip a beat as she cleaned herself. Although he felt a little awkward standing in front of her still naked, she didn't make any attempt to redress, which was totally fine with him. He had no problem taking the time to commit ever inch and curve of her body to memory; he'd seen enough of her to keep him busy with his sketches and paintings for at least a year.
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, finally reaching down to retrieve his boxers.
"What do you think you're doing?" She quirked an eyebrow at him as she slid off the hood of the car, planting her hands on her hips in a way that accentuated the curves of her silhouette. He dropped his boxers and stared back at her, searching her face for what more she expected from him. She turned on her heel and his eyes dropped to her backside as her hips swayed enticingly from side to side with each step. The back door of his car swung open and she peered over her shoulder, crooking a finger at him to follow. "It's only fair to make one of my fantasies come true now, don't you think?"
He shook his head and chuckled. There was no way in hell he was getting rid of his car now.
Something tickled his nose as Peeta slowly drifted towards consciousness. The warmth of the pillow he held close to his chest was coaxing him back to sleep, but when it shifted and sighed quietly, his eyes shot open. He blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, and looked down to find Katniss—still naked—tucked in tight against his body. He squeezed his arms around her back slightly to make sure he wasn't dreaming, and when she shifted again, all his doubts flew out the window.
Last night had been real.
He closed his eyes and pulled her even closer as he inhaled deeply, committing the moment to memory. Waking up with Katniss Everdeen in his arms had been another fantasy of his for too many years and now that it was a reality, he was going to live in the moment for as long as he could.
He listened to each of her breaths, trying to match his with hers as he held her close, watching her face as she slept peacefully in his arms. The rays of the sun were starting to filter through the dusty window when she eventually stirred, lifting her lazy head as she awoke to find him smiling down at her. The timid curve of her lips that she gave him in return made his heart ache, and when she leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, he sighed. He'd never been happier in his life.
"Morning," she whispered as she returned her head to rest on his arm.
"Morning," he replied before brushing his lips across her forehead. Not wanting the reality of their situation to interrupt his perfect morning, he lifted a few hairs off her face before gently adjusting her head under his chin, her face resting against his chest. The feel of her steady breaths against his skin caused his body to break out in goose bumps, and he grinned to himself when she lifted one of her legs to wrap it around his thigh. There was a dull throbbing in his back from spending the night in the back seat of his car, but the discomfort was totally worth it.
He spied a clock on the back wall and cursed to himself.
"So, I should probably go," he said with a heavy heart, not wanting his perfect morning to end. "The real estate agent is supposed to stop by this morning to collect the key to the house." When he moved to sit up, her grip around his waist tightened and he looked down at her hesitantly.
As he thought back to the night before, he realized that they hadn't discussed the details of what "seeing where this could go" meant, and now that he thought about it, how was this going to work?
"Peeta…" she trailed off, her voice unsure as she searched his eyes. He sucked in a breath and held it. Shit. The realization had most likely just hit her too. This wasn't going to work for her, he could already tell. He fisted his hands against her back and waited for the awkwardness to follow as she changed her mind and she let him down nicely, and then they'd go their separate ways as if nothing had happened, never to cross paths again.
But then again, the way she was staring at him, still searching his face as though she was hoping to find something. If only she knew how one word could change his life forever.
"Stay," she breathed against his skin before pressing her lips over his heart.
Whether she meant here in the backseat of his car, wrapped around each other in their own world where real life ceased to exist…or here as in District 12, he wasn't quite sure. But in a sudden moment of clarity, he realized that this was where he belonged and that he was never going to leave her. Of that he was certain. Now that he'd had a taste of her, she was forever a part of him.
"Stay here with me," she said again, her voice still quiet but firm. "Please?"
"For real? Are you sure that's what you really want?" he asked, needing to hear reassurance that he wasn't dreaming but more importantly, that she was serious.
He was serious; there was no doubt about that. He'd leave his life in the city and move back here if that's what she wanted. He'd call the real estate agent that very moment to cancel his request the sell the house. Hell, he'd reopen the bakery himself if it meant staying here to share in a life with her.
She nodded slowly, "I want you." He felt his heart swell but doubt still lingered in his head, even when she traced his cheek with the back of her fingers, stopping at his chin to brush the pad of her thumb against his lips.
"But, why?" he whispered, a part of him still not able to believe that she was serious.
"Because, you and I have both had to learn the hard way that life is too short to wait around for happiness to find you. I promised myself awhile back that I wouldn't let opportunities to be happy pass me by." She looked away and released a heavy sigh before meeting his gaze once again, her eyes hard set with determination. "And I'd be a fool to let you pass me by a second time."
His mouth twitched as he desperately tried to contain the grin that threatened to split his face. It was almost too much to handle, how his weekend had taken off in a totally different direction than he'd expected, but didn't the best things happen when you least expected them to?
He leaned in and captured her lips in a chaste kiss. "Ok, I'll stay."
"For real?" she asked in disbelief, echoing his exact words from before. "You'd stay for me?"
He pulled her tight to his chest and whispered into her hair, "Always."
And just like that, his future had shifted gears.
Author's Note: So for those of you who read this originally as part of S2SL, that's where it ended, but lucky for you, I extended it to one more chapter! Hope you enjoyed this one, I'd love to hear your thoughts and thanks for reading!
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