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I want you, bless my soul
I ain’t gotta tell him, I think he knows.
-Taylor Swift
Peeta told me once that being on a football team was kind of like being in a sorority.
There was a constant state of togetherness...which led to bickering. And plenty of shit talk. But also a lot of laughs and a bond that was strong enough to withstand all of the negative crap.
I wasn’t sure if I completely agreed, but watching him out on the field, I understood what he meant.
It was only a practice, just spring training to get everyone in shape before summer when the real work began. But sitting next to Madge, you would’ve thought we had front row seats to the Rose Bowl.
“Let’s go, nineteen!” she shouted, following it up with a loud whoop. From downfield, Gale cast a look up in her direction, but it was impossible to discern his expression beneath his helmet.
“Sit down,” I chuckled, pulling on her sweatshirt. “Before you get us kicked out.”
“They love it,” she supplied, reluctantly falling back down into one of the stadium chairs beside me and looping our arms through each other. Her pensive gaze lingered on the field, lips puckered the way they did when she thought deeply about something. Her nose twitched, pushing her glasses up higher on her face before she let out a sigh.
“Do you think Gale’s been acting weird?”
“I always think Gale is acting weird.”
On the other side of me, Annie chuckled, turning a page over in her book.
“Weird...er, then?”
“Where is this coming from?” I asked as the play began and almost immediately stopped with the blow of a whistle. The coach made his way onto the field, arms waving over his head as he shouted out illegibly. He grabbed one of the O-men by the scruff of his practice jersey, getting right in his face. How he’d had enough time to screw up already was beyond me. I was just glad it wasn’t Peeta facing the wrath.
“I don’t know.” She picked at something invisible on her sweater. “He just seems distant. He’s canceled plans on me twice this week.”
That idiot was going to end up ruining the entire surprise with only days to go.
I told him it was risky business trying to surprise someone like Madge. She was far too perceptive, and could sniff out the slightest hint of change like that.
Madge’s birthday wasn’t for another two months, over the summer. By then, Peeta would be in Paris and Finnick and Annie will have graduated. Already Finnick had started packing up in preparation to head east for training camp with his new team, and Madge had mentioned going back to New York for a few weeks to visit her family.
So Gale decided we should all celebrate it now. Together. Before everyone dispersed. Bonus points that it would throw Madge off the trail, because who throws someone a birthday party two months early?
I could admit the effort he was going to for her was sweet. Even if he was actively fucking it all up by acting weird.
“Probably just finals stress,” I suggested, to which she hummed.
“I told him I could help him study.”
“We all know how that ends,” Annie mumbled slyly, making Madge giggle.
“It’s probably in your head.” Stupid Gale and his stupid surprise making me gaslight sweet Madge. “Don’t read too much into it.”
“Hmm, you’re probably right. Anyways, I’m free this afternoon if anyone wants to do lunch or anything.”
“Can’t,” I said, eyeing Peeta as he took his helmet off, running a hand over his mop of blonde curls. “I have plans to spend every possible moment with Peeta until he leaves for France.”
Preferably naked, but I digress.
“How much longer?” Annie asked and I sighed, pulling out my cell phone to flash the countdown app I’d installed at her.
Ten days, 17 hours, 11 minutes.
Walking down the quiet corridors leading to the heart of the stadium, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was going to get in trouble. I tried my best to move with purpose, keeping my head up and back erect. Like I belonged there.
It was primarily abandoned. Free from the crowds of fans who came out in droves and packed every open space within and around the arena. The concession stands were locked up and only necessary lighting illuminated my pathway down towards the locker rooms.
It would have been next to impossible to weave through the hallways without getting lost if Delly hadn’t helped. When I mentioned plans of my own little surprise, she was fully on board and practically drew me a color coded map that led right to the prize.
I inhaled deeply as I approached, running a hand through my hair before smoothing out my top.
The men's locker room was decorated with a larger than life photo of Thresh on one door and Brutus, who would replace Finnick as quarterback next semester, on the other. Their angry faces felt like they were coming straight for me, ready to attack...which was kind of amusing, once you actually knew the guys.
I pushed the doors open before I could chicken out and was brought into a vast hang-out room, decorated with television and video games and sports bar games like pool and darts. There was a full kitchen with ready made snacks at the players disposal and a fucking person preparing smoothies. Spoiled brats.
From beyond, I could hear the sound of loud music and male chatter.
It was just a practice, I reminded myself. Not like I was barging in in the middle of game day or something. Still, my heart rate picked up several beats as I continued towards the locker room, looking for Peeta.
The first alcove I passed was full of half naked men who paid little to no attention to me as I pressed on. Next, I wasn’t so lucky.
“Catnip?”
Gale leaned against one of the dark wood stained lockers, naked other than the towel hanging low on his hips. His face was a mixture of confusion and amusement, and I blinked, trying my best to keep my eyes from wandering down.
“Hi. Hey.”
“Do I need to explain to you why this is fucking weird?”
“I’m looking for Peeta…”
“Obviously. He’s a few down. I thought you were having lunch with Madge.”
“Seems we both ditched her,” I said with a disapproving frown. “She’s with Annie.”
I turned on my heels before he could reply, not keen on the idea of talking to a practically naked Gale Hawthorne when I had a mission to complete.
Peeta was still fully dressed in his uniform when I turned into his alcove. His broad back was turned to me as he chatted with Brutus. One arm outstretched on a closed locker door, showcasing the bulge of his muscles.
And his incredible ass.
Brutus noticed me first, eyebrows furrowing before Peeta twisted to look over his shoulder. His blonde brow furrowed as he did a double take, bewildered to see me standing in his locker room.
“Katniss? Wha-what are you doing here?”
“Do you have a minute? It’s important.”
Worry flashed in his expression, something I didn’t allow myself to feel bad about for too long. Soon his whole demeanor would change.
“Yeah, sure…” I headed back towards the main doors of the locker room, listening for his heavy footsteps close behind me. My cheeks burned at the cat calls and joking cheers that sounded as we passed his teammates. He would definitely be hearing about this from them later on.
Mentally, I retraced the steps Delly had mapped out for me, grabbing Peeta’s hand and winding down a long hallway which held the same eerie silence.
“Is everything alright…?” Peeta asked just as I spotted the dimly lit nook behind the eastern stairwell. One glance up confirmed what Delly had promised me--complete privacy.
I turned and pressed my hands flat against Peeta’s chest, giving him a push back against the wall before leaning up to kiss him. His soft lips parted in surprise and a quiet noise escaped him as he fought to gain understanding of what was happening.
I fisted the material of his jersey, rubbing the mesh fabric between my fingers as I tried to deepen the kiss. Peeta pulled back, head bent down to study me.
“Katniss…” Already his voice was hoarse. “We could get caught.”
“No one’s looking for us,” I assured him.
“There’s--” he inhaled sharply when my hand slipped down over the front of his spandex pants. I gave him an experimental rub, glad to see he had already discarded the pesky athletic cup. Instinctively his hand darted down to cover mine, but made no move to pull it away.
“There’s security cameras,” he finished and I leaned up on my tiptoes to press a kiss against one of his flushed cheeks.
“Blind spot, Peeta.” His hooded eyes looked up, surveying the bare walls before swallowing deeply. With nothing left to stop us, I slid down slowly onto my knees, and Peeta’s mouth fell open.
“Can I have my fun now?”
He closed his eyes when my fingers hooked through his pants, tugging them down past to pool around his ankles. Already he was beginning to harden. I watched him rise to full mass, running my nails along his thighs in a subtle tease. When my fingertips brushed over his balls, I felt them tighten at the attention. Peeta let out a choked sound above me, knees buckling a little before he straightened again.
“Katniss,” he whispered, out of breath already, and I hadn’t even begun.
I wanted him to tell me what he wanted. Not simply take what I offered, but beg for more. I wanted to hear how badly he needed what I was more than willing to give.
I took my pointer finger and glided it up the underside of his cock, tracing the vein there before flicking the ridge of his head.
“Oh fuck,” he gasped, biting on his lip, a look of near pain on his face.
I teased that spot, rubbing it in small circles until his thighs were shaking and his eyes were slightly crossed.
“It’s...you’re…” he struggled to form a sentence and I smiled to myself.
Leaning forward I blew a gentle breath against his sensitive skin.
“What do you want, Peeta?”
“I…” he trailed off, color high in his cheeks as he stared down at me with the same look of disbelief he had the first time I took him in my mouth.
I slid one hand up his hip and underneath his jersey, running my fingers through the fine hairs around his belly button smoothly.
“Tell me,” I said with promise in my voice. “And I just might do it.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he thought it over, but my lips so close to his dick must’ve messed with the part of his brain that usually hesitated, because when he spoke next, he spoke like he knew what he wanted.
“Kiss me.”
My lips puckered slightly and Peeta’s eyes fluttered.
“Where?”
His cock twitched and the corners of my lips turned up.
“Here?” I kissed the inside of his solid thigh. Heat radiated in my stomach at the feel of the hard muscles beneath soft skin. From the corner of my eye, I saw Peeta fist the air.
I looked back up at him and saw his jaw was clenched.
“Peeta?” I asked sweetly and he let out a groan before taking hold of his cock in his hand and pointing towards my lips.
“Here,” he breathed.
I gave his tip a chaste kiss, allowing my lips to linger there before my tongue darted out to lap at the slit. He gasped at the feeling, holding it as my tongue continued to tease around his head, circling it fully before popping its entirety in past my lips. My hand moved his out of the way, gripping the base firmly and slowly pumping it back and forth in time with my mouth.
“Please, suck it more.”
His wish was my command. I slid my mouth down further over his girth, moaning around him at the feeling. I knew it wasn’t going to last long--not the way his stomach muscles were already tightening and body was shaking. His eyes were screwed shut, one hand resting against the wall while the other sat gently on my head.
I switched between teasing licks up and down his entire length to deep suction and wasn’t surprised at all when Peeta warned me quietly that he was close.
I took him out of my mouth, pumping my hand up and down quickly as I looked up at him.
“Come for me, then.”
“Oh shit, Katniss,” he panted, looking so damn hot standing above me in his Nightlock’s uniform.
I was no jersey chaser, but I sure as hell could understand the appeal. He looked so strong and powerful, like he could lift me up and fling me over him without effort.
Which, I mean, he could.
When he came, I swallowed it entirely, leaving not a hint of what had happened left behind. He stood there, leaned against the wall completely breathless for a moment before helping me up and pulling me into his body.
“What did I do to deserve that?” he chuckled, still somewhat breathless. I straightened out his uniform and he swiped his thumb over my bottom lip before we attempted to casually walk back towards the locker room.
“Just couldn’t wait,” I admitted, and if possible he flushed even further.
We’d barely made it past the hallway when we ran straight into Gale. He looked surprised to find us there until his eyes roved over towards the door leading into the stairwell and he smirked.
“So, you found the blind spot, huh?"