Chapter 7: Now We're Even
By the end of a few days, I have come to accept Peeta Mellark as a consistent presence in my household, if not exactly in my life yet. I am usually waking just in time to hear the door downstairs slam as he leaves for the bakery every morning, and when I emerge from my room, there is always a breakfast of fresh bread and eggs on the table for myself, Mother and Prim.
On one such day, I arrive to my breakfast to find a note at my place in Peeta's handwriting, asking me to meet him at the Center Market near the Justice Building.
I frown. Unlike the Hob, the Center Market is for only the Merchants in town. What will people say, to see a Seam girl in their midst there? But I figure that as long as I am with Peeta, I'll be all right.
Just before noon, I leave for the Center Market. No one notices me slip into the throng, and soon enough, I meet up with Peeta. He greets me with a hug, a gesture of affection I have recently come to allow.
"Come on. I think I found the perfect fabrics for the baby's room."
He leads me to a rack, and the colors he has in mind are indeed very beautiful. Some of them I could even see adorning Prim's room. We have to get two color sets, as we don't yet know the gender of the baby. Peeta pays for it all before I can protest, and I once again feel that gnawing guilt at his unconditional generosity.
As we are leaving, I spy Cray out of the corner of my eye. The Head Peacekeeper is the only member of the whole district who frequents both Merchant and Seam establishments.
And he seems to be staring right at me.
My heart races. I turn back to my friend. "Peeta…. look back casually and see if you can spy Cray." Peeta does, cool as can be, and quickly faces me again.
"I see him. Worse, he's tailing us. Follow me."
Taking me by the hand, he leads me deep into a cluster of people. I can still feel Cray's presence a few strides behind us, though. Peeta must, too - nothing seems to phase him.
"Throw an arm around my shoulder and laugh as if I've said something funny. On my count. Three, two, one."
I follow his command and burst out into hysterical laughter. Peeta slings an arm over my shoulder in kind and steers me past the last few stalls, out of the Center Market. Then, he ducks us down a side street.
"Shortcut," he says.
Weaving through a design of unfamiliar passageways, Peeta eventually leads us back to the alleyway beside the bakery, where I assaulted him. Discomfort at the memory swamps me, but I manage to tamp it down.
"Have we lost him?" I ask.
"Not yet we haven't. Seeing me with you, this is the first place he'll look, which is just what I want." Peeta positions me so that my back is facing the wall. To my right, there is a stack of boxes. He now eyes me.
"Do you know how to react while having sex?"
I blink. "Yes…."
"Let me eat you out."
"Excuse me?" I gasp, affronted.
"Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable."
"As well they should…." but Peeta has already dropped to his knees, in an ironic twist of fate.
"Start acting," he orders.
Of course, I should have known he wouldn't actually eat me out. Peeta is too much of a gentleman for that, which only makes me feel worse about my own actions. Only touching my hips, Peeta makes suckling motions with his face, good enough away from the apex of my thighs. I lean against the wall, one hand to my heart, the other limp at my side. I throw back my head and pant, in between those letting out the sexiest moans I can muster.
Moments later, Cray appears at the end of the alleyway. I glance at him out of my peripheral vision. He stops dead and stares, then his face hardens in what must be jealousy. There is a very potent bulge in his pants now, as well.
And for the first time, I understand what he's seeing: the boxes to my right completely conceal Peeta. Thus, Cray thinks this is all real, and can still reasonably deduce that it is Peeta doing this to me. At last, the Peacekeeper moves on.
"He's gone," I breathe.
Peeta immediately stands up. "Good."
"What was the purpose of that?"
"Simple: Cray now thinks you are unavailable, and with my status as a Merchant, he can't hurt me. He can think for himself."
"Let him think what he wants!"
"My point exactly."
"So, now we're even."
"No." I have forgotten that Peeta's hands are still on my hips, so it is effortless for him to pull me close and kiss me right on the lips.
I blink once, then again, stunned beyond words. "What was that?"
"A kiss."
"I know it was a kiss, Peeta….Mmmmm….." I am cut off as Peeta kisses me again, forcing me to silence. This one is slightly longer.
I have barely come up for air when Peeta assertively pushes me up against the bakery wall. I feel a flash of terror as I wonder his motives before he kisses me one last time - the most passionate, and still tender, yet. At last, he lets me go.
"Now we're even," he pants.
And remembering how I kissed him thrice while I sucked him off, I can't help but smile softly at the irony.