Many thanks people. I really appreciate all the support.
Disclaimer: I own nothing; simply working with the idea.
"Come on, Katniss...one time!" Her roommate begs her. Katniss had met a couple of her floor mates already and she lucked out. While most of them seemed like the partying type, rambunctious and messy, people that would keep her up all night, her roommate Prim was an angel. The only thing Katniss had to worry about seemed to be Prim's incessant nature of trying to get Katniss out of the dorm.
"Look Prim, I get what you're trying to do but I'm really not ready for it."
"Come on! You're new to the city, you barely know anyone. This is a great way for you to meet people. Who knows, maybe you'll meet someone." Prim says with a raised eyebrow.
"Yea..." Katniss only manages a small sad smile.
It's been five months since she's last seen or spoken to Peeta. She tried not to think about him but it was hard not to think about her first love, or whatever Peeta had been to her. Since him, she's slowed down her promiscuous ways to a complete stop. Katniss knew she'd never feel what she felt with him with anyone else, at least not for some time. So she definitely wasn't interested in replacing him yet.
"Hey." Prim takes a seat next to Katniss when she sees the grim look on her face. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No, Prim. I'm just not ready to meet someone new." Katniss sighs softly as Prim eyes her curiously for an explanation. "I kind of just got out of a relationship...or something..." She mumbles.
"I'm sorry but you know the best way to get over someone is to get back on that horse...meet someone new."
"Prim-"
"Okay, not someone new but some new people maybe. Come on!" Prim eggs on.
"Next time." Prim throws her hands up in defeat before she stands. She reaches into the small closet they shared for a sweater.
"Then I'm going to go. If you change your mind, just call and I'll be right here." Prim offers. She opens the door to their dorm coming face to face with a handsome blonde. "Hi?"
"Oh, hey. I was looking for Katniss Everdeen. Is this her dorm?" Prim steps aside revealing a wide-eyed Katniss. "Hey."
"Peeta?! What are you doing here?" Prim looks between the couple for a while.
"Are you going to be okay, Katniss?" She asks.
"Y-yea. I'll be fine. Go do your thing." Katniss ushers Prim out before she takes her spot in the doorway. "What are you doing here?" She asks again.
"My father said you were going to school here..."
"So you come all this way to see me?" Her heart flutters at the chance that maybe he'd come to see her.
"Actually, I live a few minutes from here." And that momentarily squashes her heart's hope. "I got the dorm info from your mother and decided to stop by." He looks into her dorm, hinting at an invitation but Katniss steps outside, closing the door behind her. Her dorm was small and there really was nowhere for him to sit or for them to have a conversation. Unless they chose to sit next to one another on her small bed and that was definitely not a good idea. "I won't come in then." He says with a smile as he backs away from her.
"So you just came to say hello?"
"And ask if maybe you want to talk. Seeing as I can't go in, do you want to go for a walk?" Katniss doesn't know what to make of his proposal. She's tried so hard to forget what they had, not that she'd done a great job at it. But even the smallest of progress on her part would surely be squandered by this minimal interaction.
But the part of her that hasn't forgotten what a kiss or just his touch could do to her, wouldn't allow her to say no. Everything she felt hit her full force the moment she saw him.
"Okay."
They walk in silence for the first part. It's awkward and Katniss rather engage in conversation then have this tension between them.
"I didn't know you lived around here." Katniss starts.
"Oh come on, Katniss. You act like you never heard my father say anything about it..." She hadn't. Peeta left early in the summer. It hurt so much that any mention of him would make her politely excuse herself from the conversation. So she had no idea where he had gone and she didn't want to care either.
"Actually, no. If anything, you probably overheard my mom or your father mention that I was attending NYU." He shakes his head.
"Are you implying that I followed you here?"
"You are the one who tracked me down and came to see me..."
"Tracked you down? I just have to take a stroll up the street and I'm at your dorm. I thought the proper thing was to say hello."
"Still-"
"Hey! I'm pretty sure my landlord is in if you want to ask him my exact move in date; proof that I was here first."
"Whatever." They stop in front of a building Katniss has actually walked past several times throughout her stay in NY. "This is where you live?"
"Yea...why?"
"I've been here before-or walked past, rather."
"And you never came to see me..."
"I didn't-" Peeta cuts her off with a wave of his hand.
"You want to come in? Check out the place?" She knew this was definitely a bad idea. Being together in a place by themselves never lead to good things in the past. Well, they were great, amazing, but not proper.
"I shouldn't." She think she sees disappointment in Peeta's face but he quickly shakes his head, clearing it of any emotion. "I should go."
"Can I come see you?" He tries.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why not?"
"Peeta, what are you doing?"
"What-"
"The last time we spoke, you made it very clear that you weren't interested-"
"That's not true."
"You moved to the other side of the country to get away from me!"
"Also not true. I told you why I was leaving!"
"What's the difference between not being interested and not wanting to pursue anything with me?"
"Damn it Katniss! You know damn well why I left!" He takes a second to lower his voice because he was suddenly shouting. "I thought that what we were doing was wrong. Our parents are married, we're technically family, what did you expect me to do?!"
"Whatever." She turns to walk away but Peeta catches her hand, keeping her in front of him.
"No! You don't just get to say whatever and walk away this time. You're going to hear me out!"
"No!" She tries to pull away but Peeta pulls her flush against him.
"I don't know what it is that I feel for you or if whatever I feel for you is okay but time away from you isn't going to work. These last five months have been hell. So when I spoke to my father this morning, I couldn't help but ask about you. I was doing so well, pretending that what we had was in the past but who was I kidding. He told me you were at NYU and I was at your doorstep not twenty minutes later."
"Peeta-"
"I'm putting myself on the line right now. I'm allowing you to break my heart if that's what it takes. I want to be with you-or at least try something with you but if you say no, then I'll back off." He leans in slowly, giving her a chance to back away if that's what she wants. When she doesn't, their lips meet in a soft, sweet kiss. When she doesn't push him away, the kisses get more passionate and more intense, at least until she shoves him away.
"Peeta, it's not fair for you to come here and make me feel this way for you again! What's my reassurance that you won't spaz and have another we shouldn't because we're 'technically' related attack of reality?" He gently caresses her cheek.
"You have no idea what this time without you has been like. I can't stop thinking about you, Katniss. I don't care that our parents are married. I want you. I'll take the risks because I don't ever want to lose you again."
"Even though I'm only eighteen and you're an old man?" He chuckles softly as he leans into her again.
"Am I really that old?"
"No, it's just something I remember you saying to me after our first time."
"You think we can start over? Let's pretend that I've never said anything about our parents or our age gap. Let's pretend that I'm just this twenty something year old who's asking this fresh-out-of-high-school girl on a date. What do you say?"
"Yes." He smiles brightly at her before he kisses her softly.
"So...did you want to come upstairs?"
"Peeta!" Katniss says with a laugh. "I thought we were starting over!"
"We are! Nothing has to happen. You can check out the place and then I can take you out on a real date." He reaches a hand out to her which she happily takes. They climb the stairs to his place all the while her hand remains in his and Katniss can't believe they're actually together again. She also can't believe how badly she wants him again. "So, it's not much but this is it."
"I think my dorm is great simply because it's freedom away from my mom so this is-there are no words!" She says as she walks around the living room. She peaks into his bedroom then in the spare bedroom before making her way back to him. "You're completely alone, free to do whatever you want."
"I've been miserable here." He admits softly to her.
"You don't like New York?"
"No. New York is fine."
"Your job? How is that by the way?"
"Job's good, so is the money."
"Then-"
"Ever since I left you, I've been a wreck." He tells her. "I'm sorry I broke your heart but I did something worse to mine. I miss you and I can't wait for us to get back to where we were."
"No hope that we'll get past the just sex phase?" Peeta smiles at her. He takes a step towards her but thinks better of it. They were starting over so she didn't need him to jump her.
"I want to kiss you so badly but-" It's Katniss who decides to take matters into her own hands and shut him up with her lips. Their kissing quickly turns frantic, only pulling away from one another to pull at each other's clothing. But Peeta thinks better of it and gently pries her hands away. "We shouldn't." Katniss pulls away and nods her head in agreement.
"You're right. That won't help our relationship."
"Not now, at least. I'm hungry. Can I cook something up for us?"
"You can cook?!" The only thing she's ever seen him make is toast so it's definitely a surprise.
"Of course I can! Don't you know my dad's a baker?"
"Yea, I know your father owns a bakery and that he can cook but you-"
"Hey! Just because your mother and my father wanted to cook for me while I stayed with them, doesn't mean I can't fend for myself." Katniss laughs.
"By all means...show me then."
"Let me get something on the stove and then I'll give you the final tour."
Nothing does happen that afternoon at his place. Peeta is a perfect gentleman the entire time he's showing off his two room studio. One side of Katniss wants to jump him while the other half is excited to really be with Peeta. Back home, they were both so afraid of their parents finding out, they spent little time together hoping it wouldn't arouse any suspicion. Here it was different. No one knew them so they could do whatever they pleased.