Chapter Six: Love Fort.
When I wake up I don't move because I can tell Peeta's awake. He's using his fingertips to slowly run along my hand and arm. I'm still behind him he's facing away from me so I try to keep my breathing even. Peeta takes my hand in his and gently squeezes then clears his throat.
"You're still bad at pretending to be asleep." Peeta says and I smile. I try to take my hand away but as soon as I do he turns to face me, his head propped up on his bent arm. "Thank you for last night. It was really stupid of me." His right hand is stroking my face and I can't speak. "Do you even have a driver's license?" He asks and I grin, he smiles back but I can see worry in his eyes.
"I know how to drive." I assure him and he nods. We spend a long time just staring at each other before there's a knock on Peeta's door and the sound of the handle being pushed down. I panic but Peeta just rolls slightly, his right leg pressing between mine and he start to nuzzle my neck. I'm completely blocked from the door. "Busy." Peeta mumbles and there's a grunt.
"Dad wants us to go for a walk," Rye says in that boring voice. "Don't bring whatever slag you picked up." The door closes again but Peeta continues to nuzzle my neck.
"Peeta." I say breathily when his nips at my collarbone. He moans when I say his name and my hands run through his hair. "Oh god." I moan when Peeta push his knee up into my core.
"Mmmm." Peeta responds and kisses up my neck and along my jaw line to my lips where he stops and catches my eyes. I pull his mouth to mine by pulling the back of his head and we kiss quickly before I push him away.
"You taste like sick, Peeta." I giggle and he blushes and gets off the bed to stand up.
"Sorry." Peeta mutters and I stand up and stoop to get my shoes.
"I'm going to jump in the shower." I tell Peeta as I reach his door and look back at him. His hands are on the top of his chest of drawers and he's pushing his weight into it.
"Wait," he mumbles and strides over to me, putting his hand flat on the door so I can't open it. "If I hadn't, you know, tasted of vomit." Peeta says and looks down at me. "What would have happened?" His voice is vulnerable and raw and it made my heart pound. I don't know how to answer him so instead of speaking I reach up and kiss his jaw line and his eyes close. I gently pull his hand off the door and poke my head out before trotting into the bathroom.
I'm drying my hair when I hear my name so shut off the hair dryer and listen for a second.
"Katniss?" I hear Evan's voice so I tell him to come in. He opens the door and smiles shyly. "Can I come in?" He asks and I smile at him.
"I said come in, which means..." I use my hand to indicate for him to finish.
"For me to come in?" He says with a small smile and then hesitantly steps in. "I was just going to ask if you wanted pancakes or waffles for breakfast." He says quietly and I brush my hair.
"Oh, I don't eat breakfast." I tell him and see Peeta poke his head in my door, he's just got out the shower so he's only in a towel and his hair is slicked back with water.
"You do while you live here." Peeta informs me with a smile and then walks into his room.
"Dad doesn't let anyone leave the table until they've eaten something for breakfast." Evan explains and I groan. " Breakfast is the best meal in the day for a baker, fresh bread, pancakes, waffles, French toast. You name it, dad will make it." Evan says, admiration in his eyes.
"Do you bake?" I ask as I braid my hair and step out of my room with Evan on my right. Peeta steps out at the same time wearing dark jeans and a long sleeved white top with the lettering of 'Panem Cross Country' on the left side of his chest.
"Evan can't bake to save his life." Peeta grinned at his brother and Evan reached behind me and playfully punched Peeta.
"It's true. Rye and I are useless, Peeta's the golden boy." Evan explains and Peeta scoffs.
"Far from it big brother. I just know how to make a cake. Dad doesn't have favourites." Peeta assures Evan, and Evan goes down the stairs first.
"He wants to show you and Primrose the boat house." Evan directs at me but I'm distracted when Peeta's hand slips into mine and squeezes briefly before letting go and moving down the stairs quicker.
"It's Prim!" Prim yells as she runs past the bottom of the stairs with a basket of berries. I stifle a laugh because she looks so funny, carrying the basket. I'm walking down the stairs slowly so when I reach the bottom the others are already in the kitchen. I see Max trot slowly down the hallway to me and I crouch and call his name with a clap, he speeds up and bounds until he reaches me then collapses to the floor on his back so I rub his belly.
"He likes you." I turn my head and see Peeta walking out of the kitchen with a glass of orange juice. I smiles at him and turn back to Max and rub his belly harder. "Am I allowed to be jealous of a dog?" Peeta says quietly and I look up at him as he drinks.
"You want me to tickle your belly?" I ask mockingly and he smiles wildly while he drinks.
"I wouldn't turn it down." He says as I stand back up, I move over to him and slip my hand up his top, watching the kitchen door so no one comes out. I run my fingers in and out of the hard ridges of his stomach and love the way his muscles tense harder and shudder at my touch.
"Happy?" I ask as remove my hand and we wander into the kitchen with Max between us.
"Hmph." Peeta replies as he tosses a pancake onto his plate.
"Right, what do you want, Katniss? Waffles or pancakes? I can make you something else if you want, dear?" Ben asks instantly and glance at the food on the table.
"Um, I'll just have some fruit." I try to get away with but Ben shakes his head.
"Nope, you have to have something good and filling." Ben says and passes me a plate before turning back to Rye, Evan, Prim and Melissa who are sat at the kitchen table. Every one is engrossed in what Ben is doing or saying so don't notice when Peeta puts a half eaten pancake on my plate. To anyone else it would be weird and creepy, but to me it makes me beam because I don't have to eat so much in the morning and also Peeta thought about me.
I turn to Peeta and raise my eyebrows at his plate. He has three waffles and four pancakes and a mound of fruit, he sees me looking and shrugs.
"I'm a growing boy." He mutters and then rolls his eyes when I glass down between his legs. "That was very crude, Katniss." He mutters quietly as I stand next to him and spoon some berries ontop of my pancake.
"Yeah, well. I hope you've brushed your teeth before you gave me this half eaten pancake." I smile at him and he smiles back at me. In this moment I just want to kiss him wildly and not care about everyone else, but of course, I can't. So instead I just turn away and take a seat at the table. Peeta sits next to me.
"We're going to see the boat house and the barn today, Katniss!" Prim tells me across the table.
"Don't talk with your mouthfull." I reprimand Prim and she nods. "Sounds exciting, how long have they been on the property?" I ask Ben who grins and starts to explain their history. I'm not listening though because I'm too busy wrapping my legs around Peeta's under the table.
"...years ago." Ben concludes and I nod and chew through my breakfast, listening intently to the various conversations.
Rye is telling Melissa about how he intends on proposing to his long term girlfriend of six years but is worried about her answer because she has a three year old daughter - who isn't his...
Ben and Evan are discussing Evan's new book and Evan tells Ben how he has ordered copies for me to read which I nod enthusiastically to. Then turn to listen to Peeta and Prim.
"Well, you'll be in the same school, won't you?" Peeta asks and Prim nods.
"Yes but, what if he's met another girl who's prettier and smarter than me?" Prim asks and Peeta almost throws his fork down.
"Prim, that's impossible. Rory won't ever find someone prettier or smarter than you because he loves you. He told me. Love doesn't just go away." Peeta is talking quietly so no one else can hear. "I'll drive you to see him if you'd like? Or you can just ring him after our walk?" Prim nods eagerly and I squeeze Peeta's knee under the table in a thank you. He clasps my hand and we stay like this until Ben stands up abruptly.
"Right! Shoes on! Max's lead! Coats or jackets or jumpers and let's go!"
I had made the wrong decision of wearing only a t-shirt and jumper because now I was freezing and shaking. Prim had started to complain about numb feet so Evan had picked her up in a piggy back and carried her while they talked about art.
"Are you cold?" I turn abruptly to Rye and feel shocked he noticed.
"Uh, no I'm fine." I tell him but he's already shrugging his fleece off his body and passing it to me.
"Here, I'm not cold." He says in that ridiculous tone.
"Um, thank you." I politely pull the fleece on and am instantly warmer and I note that Rye's smell is entirely different to Peeta's. When I glance across at Peeta, his hands are stuffed in his jacket pockets and he's staring at Rye's fleece. He looks down at the snow and nods at something Ben has said.
"So, what subjects are you doing in school now?" Rye asks and I take a deep breath.
"English literature, english language, german, physics, chemistry, biology, physical education, photography, art and history. That's what it says on my time table." I say and Rye nods.
"Yes, very good. I did photography of course and the class was very educational." I zone out of what Rye is talking about because his voice is so ridiculously easy to ignore but I come back when Rye is looking at me expectantly.
"Oh, yes." I say awkwardly, no idea of what he said.
"Well you see, she cheated on me a few years ago and has a little girl called Sophie now. I think the most sensible thing to do is propose." Rye says and I look at him.
"Do you love her?" I ask and he laughs.
"Love is for people lacking in confidence who need to know they are good for something. I don't believe in love."
"Love isn't god. You can't not believe in it." I say roughly and my eyes flick to Peeta who is making a snowball.
"So you believe you've loved someone? Who?" I blush. "That Gale guy." My heart feels like it has just stabbed itself and I suddenly find it difficult to breath. "You never loved him. He was a low life idiot who was usuing you and your sister. He would start fights with anyone and everyone." Rye told me, amused and I clenched my fists.
"You didn't know him." I snarl and Rye laughs.
"I've read his file. How many broken noses has he had? And broken hands. He was an idiot. He wasn't doing anything good in this world and deserved to be killed." Rye said and I snapped and pushed him over.
"You didn't know him!" I screamed and everyone turned suddenly. Rye looked horrified, sunk in the snow and I just wanted to punch him so much. But my body was going crazy. One second I was screaming and angry the next I could barely speak and was sobbing. "You didn't know him." I sobbed and I saw someone move towards me but I was sent into flight mode and started running.
The snow made it hard to run but I knew that in snow you had to keep your knees higher than usual and that's what I did and soon I couldn't hear my name being called any more.
By the time I had run out of breath I was in a wood and I had no idea where I was. I went in one direction but the wood just kept going and I started to panic. I was so lost and exhausted that I just sunk down against a tree, huddled into a bowl and cried softly. Gale was gone. I still missed him and I still don't know if I really loved him. Rye didn't know Gale at all so how dare he talk about him like that.
I could feel sleep rising on me and I caved in, knowing the danger of falling asleep in the snow.
When I woke up, my eyes wouldn't open and I couldn't move. I was freezing cold but had a strange sense of heat on me and I felt like I was moving without moving.
"Jesus christ, Katniss." Peeta's voice made me whimper, I was coming to my senses now and I could feel his strong arms wrapped around me and I could hear his heart thudding in rhythm to his steady footsteps. "Oh god. You're so damn stubborn." I ripped my eyes open then had to close them almost instantly when large flakes of snow fell into my eyes and made them water.
"Peeta?" I croaked he stopped walking.
"I've got you. We're in a bloody blizzard Katniss, just close your eyes." I keep my eyes closed and he started walking again, I can feel the snow hitting me now and I reach and clutch Peeta's jacket weakly.
"Are nearly home?" I whimper and Peeta groans.
"No where near. We're going to the barn, it's closer. A lot bloody closer." At that I hear a doork creaking open and an earthy smell hits my nose. "Damn door." Peeta grumbles and the door swings closed. I feel Peeta collaps backwards and his arms loosen their grip on me but still hold me close.
When I pull my eyelids open, Peeta is laying back in straw, his eyes closed and his face red, there is snow all over him and I weakly brush it off.
"Sorry." I shiver the words out and Peeta looks down at me.
"I was so scared, Katniss. You were missing practically all of the day. Don't do that to me again, please." I nod gently and feel Peeta's face press into my neck before I fell asleep again.
"Peeta?" I ask instantly when I wake up in a pile of hay with no Peeta. There's a fire burning a few meters away in a pile of rocks, all the hay far away from it. "Peeta?" I call again and sit up. "Peeta!" I shout frantically and Peeta's blonde hair pops out from a small hole in a huge mound of hay bales.
"Did you call me?" He asks and crawls out.
"What were you doing?" I ask as he lies down and brushes hay off himself.
"I made a fort." He says with a smile. I run a finger down his cheek and he tucks some hair behind my ear.
"Can I come in?" I ask and he pouts.
"No girls allowed. Girls are icky." He says and I start laughing.
"Not even for a kiss?" I ask with a smile and Peeta shaked his head.
"Nope. Kisses are for babies." His voice actually sound like a nine year old boys and I'm trying so hard not to laugh.
"What if I show you how to make a chair?" Nine year old Peeta considers this then sits up.
"Fine, but you can't give me kooties." He says and I burst out laughing while he stamps the fire out in case it catches on some of the hay. I crawl into his fort behind him, loving the view of his backside and then look around amazed. "You like it?" Peeta asks, back to his normal self.
"I do. It's so warm." I say and Peeta agrees.
"You can take Rye's jacket off then." Peeta says and I do as he said and smile at him. "I was going to give you my jacket." He says quietly and I crawl over to where he is sat.
"I'd prefer yours." I assure him and he smiles and shrugs his leather jacket it off and passes it to me, I lay it down then rest my head in it when I lay down on my side. Peeta joins me and we look at each other for a long time. "You smell different to Rye." I tell Peeta as he slips one of his legs between mine and I hook my leg over his. "He smells like developer for photographs."
"How do I smell then?" Peeta asks, running his hand up and down my arm.
"Like cinnamon and spray." I say quietly and he leans his head to mine.
"You smell like flowers and woods." He tells me and I press my lips to his. We kiss briefly and pull away then kiss deeply, I slide my tongue along his bottom lip and he grants me access before our tongues start to dance against eachother.
I feel Peeta start to roll me back so he is straddling my right leg, keeping his body off mine by his elbows. I let my hands roam up his white long sleeve top and run my hands over his back. He sits up abruptly and pulls the back of his top so it comes off and he tosses it to the side. I sit up in front of him and run my hands over his chest and stomach, his head rolls back then pulls my jumper and t-shirt off together.
I fall backwards and Peeta studies my body for a while. Then he leans forward, his left hand next to my hand as his right hand moves over the ridges of my six pack.
"I don't know if I like this." He mutters and I look up at him. "I have to put myself through pain to get my abs so you must have to aswell. I don't want you to be in pain." His right hand travels up to my breast now and slips his hand in the bottom of the cup and gently caresses my breast, I let out a deep moan and Peeta bends to kiss my neck. "You're bigger." He whispers and I swallow. I arch my back as his hand moves around to unclasp my bra then he pulls it down my arms slowly. "You're so beautiful." Peeta murmurs, running his hand over the bruises on my breasts gently. I reach out and unbuckle his belt while Peeta bends over and kisses my bruises, my hands stop working when he takes one of my nipples in his mouth and starts to suck gently.
"Ah, Peeta." I moan he pushes his hips down between mine, his bulge hitting my core perfectly. "Ah!" I cry out and reach my hands down to undo his button and slowly drag his zipper down. Peeta moves to my other nipple and I fist his hair as he sucks, I bend my knees up and hook my feet into Peeta's waistband and push so his jeans bunch at his ankles.
"Oh god, I want you." Peeta murmurs before he crushes his lips to mine and unbuttons my jeans and then splits his mouth from mine to sit back on his ankles and pull down my jeans. He pulls his own jeans off his feet and tosses both our jeans to the side before lifting my right foot to his mouth, he kisses to my ankle then runs his tongue up to the inside of my knee where my torso starts to writhe in agony, Peeta uses his spare hand to keep me still.
"Peeta, I-I ju-just want you." I stutter out and Peeta continues to kiss down my thigh. I don't want any foreplay I just want him inside me. "Peeta, p-please, just make love to me." It's as if my words stop him, he keeps his eyes on mine as he lowers my leg and moves back up my body.
"Say it again." Peeta whispers and I lick my lips.
"Make love to me, Peeta." I whisper he watches my face intently as he presses the head of his erection to my opening.
"You're on the pill, right? It said in your file?" Peeta asks and I nod, he continues to watch me as he slowly slides his erection into me. My head rolls backwards and I cry out loudly. "Are you okay?" He asks quickly but, I can't respond. He's so much bigger. So much. "Katniss?" Peeta says urgently and I can only manage a nod. "I'll be gentle?" I nod again and he slowly pulls out then pushes back in slowly, it's as if every time his erection fills me, the air in my lungs is pushed out. "I'm afraid I'm going to be a minute man, Katniss." Peeta moans as he kisses my neck and fills me over and over. "Come with me." He reaches down and presses his thumb to my clit and I explode in an orgasmic thunder of fireworks. I force my eyes open to see Peeta's perfect face when his jaw falls slack and his eyes rolls so I can only see the fluttering of whites. I feel his ejaculation filling me and his laboured breathing filling my ears.
Peeta leans his head down and buries his face in my hair and falls asleep instantly, his erection still buried inside me. I stroke his hair and think about what we've just done.
Prim could pay for this. Prim could pay for how weak I am. But what if they never find out. Surely there's a reason I could barely last a matter of days before caving. There's not a millimeter of me that feels regret right now and I'm naked under Peeta's naked body in a fort of hay in a barn in the early hours of the morning.