A/N: Well I'm back with a new fic - really didn't see this coming, but when you have a beta and friend as amazing as Court81981 who is always your biggest source of support it's easier to get motivated and want to write :) Thank you dear! Enjoy and let me know what u think! I'm on tumblr ~ thegirlonpeetamellark

The first time she met Peeta Mellark she was in her underwear.

It was her first night in her new apartment. After a mix-up in the housing office she had suddenly found herself without a place to live two days before school started. Desperate, she had done something she probably shouldn't have.

She had reached out to the only person she knew who lived off campus and who she was semi-friends with.

"You want to live here?" Rye Mellark's eyes had widened with delight, unable to keep the grin off his face.

"I kind of don't have a choice," she had shrugged, already getting a bad feeling about it.

"Well, you're in luck, Everdeen. We were actually looking for a third roommate since our other roommate just bailed on us."

"We?"

"Yeah, my older brother Peeta lives here." He had eyed her up and down, scanning the length of her body in a way that made her uncomfortable.

"How much a month for rent?" she had asked, trying to keep him focused.

"I'm sure we can come to an arrangement," he had smirked and she couldn't help but to roll her eyes.

"Rye, we need to get something clear if I'm going to live here," she had begun, steeling her resolve. "You're my friend. That's it. I'm sorry, but I just don't like you like that."

His face had sobered immediately and she had instantly felt bad. She had never quite been so direct and brutally honest about it. Having had some classes together as freshmen, they had become decent friends over the years.

But Rye never tried to hide the fact that he had a thing for her. And it wasn't just harmless flirting. She saw the way he got when she talked to other guys and the way he would really look at her when he thought she wasn't looking. She never led him on, but a part of her still felt bad for not being able to return his feelings.

He had exhaled, looking at her with resigned acceptance.

"Fine, I'm not going to keep pining after something that isn't there." He had tried to come across unaffected, but she could see the hurt in his eyes. "You're lucky I like you, Everdeen," he had added, smiling again. "And that I'm not one of those guys who bitches about being friend-zoned. I just don't do it for you. A bit hard to swallow with my pride and all..."

"Yeah, and your ego," she had laughed, pushing him on the shoulder.

"But that doesn't mean I'm completely no longer interested in your company. And if we become roommates we'll be seeing a whole lot of each other," he had said with a grin.

"Shut up and help me with my shit," she had countered.

And then she was living with him. And his older brother, though she had yet to meet this older brother by the time they had moved all her things into her new room, ordered pizza for dinner, and then retired for the night.

So it wasn't until well past midnight when she finally put down her Kindle and decided she would brush her teeth that she ran into Peeta Mellark. Literally ran into him. Wearing only her underwear and a loose t-shirt.

"Oh my god," she gasped, bouncing off a solid chest in the dark hallway outside her room that led to the bathroom. "I'm so sorry."

It was dark, so she couldn't really see him that well, but she could definitely feel him. His hand automatically went to her hip to steady her, and his touch against the thin t-shirt she was wearing got her heart beating at a frantic pace. She realized then that she was only wearing a bright pink pair of boyshorts with her thin cotton t-shirt, and nothing else. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, hoping to preserve some modesty.

The person who she had run into took a step toward the bathroom they had both been walking towards and flipped on the switch, allowing them to see one another.

Her breath caught. Rye's older brother, Peeta, was fair skinned and broad shouldered and just a bit taller than her. She could see the resemblance with Rye, but all she could focus on were the things that made them different. Peeta's jaw was more defined, his hair was wavy and medium length instead of short and straight, and his shoulders and arms were stronger and definitely bigger.

She swallowed back her nerves and mumbled a quiet 'hello.'

He looked her up and down once, no emotion playing across his face. "Rye has a bathroom in his room," he said flatly, "you should probably use that one."

Her eyebrows pinched in confusion as he continued, "And he probably wouldn't be thrilled about me seeing you in your underwear, so let's keep this between us."

Her face flushed in embarrassment before realization washed over her: He thought she was some random hookup of Rye's.

"Oh, um, no," she cleared her throat, summoning some confidence to talk to him, in her underwear, like it was no big deal. "I actually moved in today. I was desperate for a place and he said you guys had a spare third room."

He folded his arms in front of his chest, emphasizing the size of his muscles that were being hugged by his white tank top. She realized he was also in his underwear—black briefs—and she had to look away before she started staring.

"So you live here now?"

"Yup," she offered him a tight smile, not sure if he was thrilled with the idea.

"What's your name?"

"Katniss Everdeen."

He made a scoffing sound in the back of his throat, leaning back against the wall, like he didn't believe her.

"You mean the girl my brother has had a thing for since freshman year?"

She tried not to roll her eyes. "We're friends. We've always only been friends. I made that clear to him before I decided to move in," she explained, for some reason feeling like it was important that he understood she didn't return his brother's feelings.

"Yeah, and I'm sure he's over you just like that," he replied sarcastically. "That's going to make these living arrangements just perfect."

She bristled, feeling annoyed that he was annoyed. "Look, I'm sorry but I really needed a place to stay. I studied abroad last semester and I was planning on living on campus for the rest of the year, but there was a mix-up. Do you not want me to be here?"

He softened a bit; she could see how his features relaxed in the harsh light coming from the bathroom, but his words were still curt. "It doesn't matter if I want you here. You already moved in and I'm not about to kick you out."

"Gee thanks," she grumbled.

"I just hope you know what you're doing," he added. When he saw the confusion on her face, he continued. "You know, living with a dude who has had a crush on you for years. Maybe he gets that you just want to be friends, but that doesn't mean it's not going to hurt him to be around you all the time. Or if you start bringing your dates home."

She blushed, flustered and caught off guard by what his words, which she had to admit had some truth to them. She didn't know how to respond so the first stupid thing she could think of popped out of her mouth. "I don't date."

He laughed a little, the sound causing something warm and curious to stir in her chest. She looked up at him with questioning eyes.

"Alright. You don't date," he conceded. And then his eyes traveled up and down the length of her body, scanning her from head to toe and making her feel totally and completely exposed. "But walking around in your underwear probably won't do the guy any favors, so maybe investing in some actual pajamas wouldn't hurt."

She felt the heat crawl up her neck and she looked away, trying not to let him see how he affected her.

"I'll do that," she mumbled, trying to will her blush away.

"So we, um...share this bathroom?" she asked when she had composed herself. "I forgot to ask."

"Yup," he nodded, pointing to the door across the hall that was right next to hers. "That's my room, and I guess this is our bathroom from now on."

"Oh okay, well I was just going to brush my teeth..." she trailed off when he started to strip his tank top off, leaving his chest bare for her eyes.

She knew she was gawking at him and she knew she should look away, but she just...couldn't. Her mouth actually went dry at the sight of his naked torso before her.

"No problem, I was just going to hop in the shower," he said casually, like he had no idea what he was doing to her. "I'll brush my teeth too while the water warms up." He moved into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

She followed him dumbly and started to brush her teeth on autopilot, staring down at the counter. She saw him out of the corner of her eye start to brush his teeth alongside her, glancing over at her every once and a while.

When she finished she spit and rinsed her mouth out before looking over at him awkwardly. "Um, okay, uh night..."

His hands went to the waistband of his briefs, ready to tug them to the floor. "Night," he replied simply.

Her eyes widened, and she turned and fled the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

When she was finally back in the safety of her room she realized her heart was pounding in her chest.

It took her a long time to recognize what she was feeling, and when she finally did she groaned and rolled over on her side, burying her face in her hands.

She had never felt it before to this degree: the way her heart beat sped up and a flush came over her, how her chest tightened and something tugged low and deep in her stomach. She closed her eyes and saw his perfectly chiseled face and then imagined those boxers of his falling to the floor before he got in the shower.

The last thing she needed was to be attracted to Rye Mellark's older brother.

But she had a feeling it was already too late.

She didn't see him in the morning, but when she got home from class that evening he was sitting next to Rye on the couch in the living room, watching the game.

"Well hello, roomie," Rye greeted her as she put her things down.

"Hey," she returned, her eyes briefly flicking to Peeta, who watched her as he took a sip of his beer.

"Peeta tells me you two already became acquainted last night."

She tried not to show any emotion on her face as the thought of him sharing their encounter in their underwear crossed her mind. Luckily she was spared from having to respond when Peeta spoke up.

"Would have been nice to have had some heads up before we practically ran into each other in the hallway."

"I knew you'd be home late," Rye protests. "I wanted to make the introductions myself in the morning."

"It's fine," she interrupted them, "I want to order Chinese for dinner. Do you guys want some?"

After ordering the food and going back to her room to change and put her things away, she was walking down the narrow hallway back towards the living room when the sounds of her roommates' hushed voices stopped her.

"I'm not fucking calling her back, Rye, forget it." Peeta's words were clipped and angry.

"Why not? Just see what she wants. It's been fucking years. Maybe we should hear her out, see what she has to say."

"Whatever she has to say I'm not interested in hearing it."

There was a pause in the conversation, and she figured it was as good a time as any to re-enter the living room and ease the tension she could feel between the brothers.

"Has the food come yet?" she asked, taking the oversized chair next to the couch.

Peeta looked over at her and took his time taking her in. She suddenly felt very self-conscious about the running shorts and long-sleeved t-shirt she was wearing. He had told her to invest in some pajamas, so what was wrong with this?

"Nice pajamas, Everdeen," Rye quipped with a smug grin.

She rolled her eyes and leaned over to steal the remote from him.

She channel-surfed for a while before there was a knock on the door and she jumped up to go get the food.

She wasn't even gone five minutes but as she returned to the living room she heard their voices start to rise.

"I don't want anything to do with her!" Peeta shouted.

"She's our fucking mother!" Rye yelled back.

She stopped a few feet away, frozen and afraid to intrude on their argument, although it was already pretty clear she had heard everything. Peeta's eyes darted past Rye's shoulder and saw her. His face tensed. He stood up immediately, walking down the hall towards his room and slamming the door behind him.

Rye glanced over at Katniss looking sheepish. "Sorry about that. Dumb family shit."

"No worries, you want some mu shu pork?"

They split the food and didn't mention the argument again.

Peeta didn't come out of his room for the rest of the night.

Jo dragged her to a bar the first Friday of the new semester to celebrate her being back from her time studying abroad. Madge and Annie were meeting them there.

She had already taken four shots by the time she saw him. He was wearing jeans, a white t-shirt, and a leather jacket, and he was standing with a guy who she immediately thought was just too good-looking.

"Peeta!" she called over to him before she could think better of it.

He turned his head and caught sight of her, pushing through the crowd to reach her.

"You're 21?" he asked skeptically when she was within earshot.

"I turn 22 the day after graduation," she explained as they got jostled by the bodies moving past them, pushing them closer together.

"How old are you?" she asked sipping on her fruity cocktail through a straw.

"I'll be 26 in a couple months," he responded, catching a blonde waitress' eye and ordering a Jack and Coke.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Annie throw her arms around Peeta's GQ model friend. "Your friend knows Annie?"

"Your friend is Finnick's new girlfriend?"

"Guess so," she mumbled, realizing this was probably the guy Annie had started to see while Katniss was studying abroad.

They watched the pair start making out in the middle of the bar like nobody was watching. She cringed and looked away.

When the blonde waitress returned with his drink she smiled at him a lot and asked if he needed anything else. She trailed her hand down his forearm and Peeta stared back at her like he was bored until she got the hint.

When the waitress left he tossed back almost half his drink with two large gulps. Katniss stood there awkwardly, looking for something to say, when she got elbowed from behind, causing her to bump into Peeta's chest. His hand went to her hip to steady her and those same feelings from the other night came back full force. She took a deep breath to try and compose herself.

Glancing around, she realized she had lost Jo and Madge. And Annie was clearly preoccupied with Finnick's tongue down her throat.

"You want to play pool?" he asked, finishing the rest of his drink in one long swallow.

"Sure," she shrugged, following him across the way to the table.

He ordered another drink, so she did too.

By the time they had played two games she had lost count of how many drinks she had had. Peeta had matched her and then some. She was a little impressed and a little concerned at how much he was drinking, but she was right there with him so she couldn't really talk.

"Fuck, I really suck at this game," she slurred when she completely missed the ball she had been trying to hit.

"You don't suck, you're just drunk," Peeta said, that hand of his going to her hip again as she leaned down over the table. She sucked in her breath at the feel of him behind her, almost pressing her up against the table.

"You're right I should probably go get some water," she said, standing up and brushing past him, needing to get away before she got any more overheated from his proximity.

She got a glass of water at the bar and then went to the bathroom, splashing some water on her face when she got out of the stall. She inspected her appearance in the mirror and swayed a little on her feet, realizing she was still really drunk.

When she stepped out into the narrow hallway outside the bathroom, she ran straight into a solid chest...again.

"We've got to stop meeting like this," Peeta laughed in her ear, his hands automatically finding her hips like always.

She looked up at him, and other than his hooded eyes and relaxed demeanor, there was nothing to indicate that he was as drunk as she was. But she knew he had to be because he had had almost two drinks to each of hers, and she had had quite a few herself.

"I'm really drunk," she admitted, placing her hands flat on his chest.

"Me too," he laughed, but it was a pained laugh and she could tell he didn't really find it all that funny.

She looked him over again and in a moment of brief sober clarity she could see the sadness in his eyes and the way the alcohol numbed him from everything else. She worried a bit that he had as high of a tolerance as he did, but glad at least that he could control himself so well after so many drinks.

A group of girls pushed past them in the cramped hallway on the way to the restroom, forcing her back up against the wall. Peeta was practically pressed up against her with his hand resting on the wall beside her head and the other still attached to her hip. His hand seemed to be glued to her hip. She was getting used to having it there.

His head hung in the space next to her cheek so he was breathing on the curve of her neck. His breaths were deep and steady, and she could feel her heart start to thump louder and faster with every passing moment that they just stood there like that.

She was afraid to move. She was afraid to touch him. She was afraid to do anything that would break this moment.

"We should go home," he finally whispered, shattering the silence.

He pulled away before she could respond, grabbing her hand and leading her out the back door. The cool night air felt good for a moment against her flushed skin and then it didn't. Her stomach gurgled in protest and the next thing she knew she was bent over vomiting on the sidewalk.

She was vaguely aware of Peeta holding her hair back and rubbing her back, but she couldn't focus on anything other than how shitty she felt. He must have called a cab at some point, because then she was being shuttled into the backseat of a car, leaning her head against the cool window.

The time between that and when she finally ended up in her bed was a blur. She only came to briefly when she realized someone was pulling the covers over her and setting a glass of water on her nightstand.

She reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it and pulling it towards her.

"Peeta," she whispered.

The person whose hand she was grabbing tensed and then pulled away after a moment.

"It's Rye."

She was already fading at this point, not realizing what was happening.

"Go to bed, Katniss."

She was passed out before he could close the door behind him.