The Girl with the Braids in her Hair

Sophomore Year: Autumn Pt 1

Katniss leaned over, tucking the corners of the flat sheet under the mattress. They were white flannel with small red snowflakes. She smiled, the edge of her braid falling momentarily in front of her face as she reached down to pick up the quilt.

"I still don't understand why Peeta and I can't share a room," she muttered to her mother who was standing in the doorway. They were in Prim's bedroom; her sister's bed had been stripped of the old sheets as well as the stuffed animals and books that littered the floor.

"Not in my house." Mrs. Everdeen smiled and helped her adjust the quilt. "Now, if Peeta was going to stay at a hotel or someplace, that's your business, but you said that Peeta wanted to stay here with us for Thanksgiving."

"Well, yeah...I mean, of course. I just...I don't understand the difference between me going to stay at a hotel with Peeta as opposed us staying in the same room here."

Mrs. Everdeen narrowed her eyes, giving her daughter a small smile. "This is my house, Katniss," she said softly.

"I know, I just-"

"Peeta's here! He just pulled up!" Prim announced from the bottom of the stairs.

Katniss grinned, flushing red as she finished setting up the thick quilt over the sheets. She hightailed it out, her braid whipping angrily against her back.

Peeta glanced up from the back seat of his car once he heard the front door slam. Katniss shivered momentarily before clambering down the steps to meet him. He turned, the pies steady in his hands as Katniss wrapped her arms around him, bringing him in close for a kiss.

"Careful," he chuckled, his voice husky, "you don't want to have broken pies for Thanksgiving, do you?"

Her eyes widened upon seeing the apple and pumpkin pies stacked in his arms. "You didn't have to do that. I mean, we were planning to make some tonight, I think."

"Ah, no." Peeta gently touched the end of her braid. "My dad and I spent last night baking them. I mean, we had a bunch of orders, but...we wanted to make sure y'all got something good."

"Oh, well..." Katniss' heart raced as their eyes met. "I'll take them in for you."

"Oh, yeah...yeah that'll be great." He carefully handed them over to her before opening his car door again to get his overnight bag and cane.

"You're staying in Prim's room," she blurted out.

"Yeah...I...I figured it would be something like that," he murmured following her up the porch steps.

"Yeah." Katniss held the pies up. "Mom! Peeta brought two pies from his family's bakery for us!"

"Oh!" Mrs. Everdeen flushed as she walked through the kitchen to take them from Katniss. "Thank you, Peeta. You and your family didn't have to do that."

"It was no problem, Mrs. Everdeen. Dad took extra care with them."

"Oh." Mrs. Everdeen gently placed them onto the kitchen counter. "Mellark," she whispered, tracing the bakery name that was inscribed on the box. "I knew a baker name Mellark when I was younger," she said softly.

"What?" Katniss furrowed her brow. "Mom, what..."

"What?" Her mother shook her head, and stuttered, "Nothing. Nothing. Oh, Peeta, oh I'm so sorry that we haven't gotten that much cleaned today. I was at work and-"

"Oh, no." Peeta smiled, and eyed Katniss. "I'm glad to be here. Thank you for having me."

"Oh, you're welcome." Mrs. Everdeen smiled. "You'll be staying in Prim's room as I'm sure Katniss has told you."

"All the girly stuff has been taken out," Prim announced, "but...don't go through my drawers."

"Ah, no," Peeta chuckled. "No, no worries there."

Katniss rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Peeta. I'll show you the room so you can put your bag away." Peeta nodded and smiled at Mrs. Everdeen and Prim before following Katniss up the stairs.

Prim's room was next to Katniss' and across the hall from her mother's and the one bathroom. Katniss waited till Peeta walked in before shutting the door behind them. She strode over, knocking Peeta down to the bed and kissed him.

He moaned, dropping his bag and cane without thought as he quickly opened his mouth, sighing out as their tongues merged. "I missed you," he hissed, running his hands over her back. "I've missed you for weeks with midterms, and then break..."

"I know," Katniss muttered, tangling her fingers in his hair. "I need you."

"I need you too." Peeta opened his eyes, and he groaned. "I'm going to hate being one room away from you. You have no idea how much I've missed sleeping with you at night. I just want to be in bed with you for hours and touch you all over."

"Yeah, and I'm going to be sleeping with Prim who isn't exactly the best sleeper. My bed is going to be squished." She smiled. "I am a bit surprised that you're spending Thanksgiving here. I mean, don't you want to be with your own family?"

He shook his head. "Not really. I mean, except for my dad, I don't really like having family get togethers. My mom...she's hard to be with."

"What do you mean?"

Peeta shrugged. "She's unhappy. She's..." he licked his lips, "I don't know. My brothers don't exactly love spending time with her either, and my dad puts up a good front because he wants his family to be together. I just...I want to be somewhere with someone I actually want to spent time with."

"Oh." Katniss bit her lower lip. "Have you seen Gale around the campus?"

"Once or twice. I mean, Tech is a pretty damn big campus. We don't talk though."

"You do know that he's going to be here tomorrow. I mean, our families have always spent Thanksgiving together, Christmas together."

Peeta hesitated. "Are the two of you...okay?"

Katniss shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, I've spent some time with him, but I don't think anything will ever be the way it used to before...you know."

"Do your parents know that the two of you..." he trailed off.

"I don't think so. I mean, I think we hid it pretty well, and besides we were in school when most of it happened so..."

"Mmm." Peeta reached over and drew her closer, eagerly kissing her again. "You taste so good," he growled. "I don't want to stop."

"Me neither," she panted.

He chuckled. "We have to. What's the plan for tomorrow?"

"Oh, um, cooking the turkey, getting everything ready really, oh! I forgot to tell you! Haymitch will be coming too, and he has this new girlfriend Effie that he's bringing!" Katniss laughed. "We're all in shock!"

"What's she like?"

"I don't know. I mean, from what Haymitch has told us she's all fancy, proper and stuff. We'll probably scare her a bit."

"And tonight?" Peeta stroked her cheek. "What are we doing tonight?"

"I'm going to try to sneak in here," she whispered.

"Then I won't be able to sleep, because I'll just be waiting for you," he replied. "Not that I sleep well without you anyways. You've spoiled me."

"Oh, have I?" Katniss gently kissed him. "I don't sleep well without you either." She slid over till she was on top of him, smiling to herself as she felt his obvious erection press against her thigh.

Peeta gasped, letting out a moan as she began to slowly grind her hips on him.

"Katniss!" Prim shouted from the door.

They both blushed, and Katniss groaned. "What are you doing here?"

"I...I thought y'all would like to know that we're going to head out to the movies now," Prim faltered. "I mean...god! That's my bed!"

"Ugh." Katniss waited till she heard Prim's footsteps on the stairs. "Guess we need to be all proper now."

"Ohhhh, I'd rather not," Peeta mumbled.

Katniss turned to her side, her eyes boring holes into her cell phone which rest on the bedside table. Prim muttered something in her sleep, and yanked the covers further over her shoulders.

Katniss grabbed the phone, carefully turning the screen on.

Are you awake?

It was a quick second before he texted back, Yes.

She smiled, placing the phone back on the table. She gave one last glimpse towards Prim and slowly tiptoed out, careful not to step on any of the creaky sections of the floorboards. She shut the door behind her and looked up at her mother's room. The door was closed and there were no lights on.

Katniss winced as the door creaked behind her and she ran over, jumping next to Peeta in the bed. "I'm cold," she whispered.

"It's November," he pointed out, lifting the covers up.

Her eyes widened and she giggled once she noticed that he was naked. His prosthetic had been removed and was resting against the dresser. "Why are you naked?" she asked.

"Um...well, I...I was hoping that you would come in here."

She shook her head, and grinned, snuggling up next to him. "I was thinking about something." Katniss traced her fingers on his chest. "I was wondering about Delly."

"Delly?" Peeta glanced at her. "Why would you be thinking about her? Where did that come from?"

Katniss shrugged. "I don't know. I mean...she was your first, right?"

"Well, yeah, back in high school."

"Were you nervous? I mean, that first time with her?" she asked.

"Not as nervous as my first time with you," he quickly replied.

Katniss rest her head on his chest. "Do you still speak to her?"

"Um, well I mean, online a couple of times. A text here and there, and I've seen her in Richmond once or twice and had dinner-"

"Oh." Katniss' eyes gazed downwards.

"Kat...it's like you and Gale, you know? I've literally known Delly my whole life-"

"Oh."

He sighed. "I wish you could spend the whole night in here." Peeta chuckled weakly. "You've only been in here for a few minutes and I'm all..." he gestured down towards his groin.

She smiled. "I like that." Katniss maneuvered downwards , kissing her way down his stomach till her mouth stopped over the tip of his erection. "And I like this."

Peeta's breath hitched. "What are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing? It has been a while." She sighed and licked along the length.

"Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck, Katniss."

Keeping one hand on his shaft, she began to pump as she took him in her mouth, hollowing her cheeks out to make room.

"Oh, fuck." Peeta stared at her for a minute, his eyes darkening as he watched her head bob up and down, her tongue slowly running over every available inch. He let out a whimper, quickly clamping one of his hands over his mouth , and used the other one to fist her hair.

His hips bucked up as she reached one hand down to cup at his balls, gently squeezing them between her fingers. Katniss sighed, releasing him from her mouth before she started to lick and suck greedily at the tip. She was about to take him in again when they heard footsteps in the hall.

Peeta's eyes widened and he grunted as she let him fall out.

"Shit," she muttered. "Shit, I should probably..."

He sighed. "I need you." Peeta sat up, sliding his hand down her sleep bottoms until they reached her cotton panties. Katniss whimpered softly as he slid a finger in, and watched as he removed it, bringing it up to his mouth.

Peeta almost growled as he sucked it, reveling in the taste. "Guess that'll have to do for now."

A/N: I meant to get this whole thing done tonight but I'm exhausted, but still wanted to give you guys a little something. More coming soon! Hope you enjoy this little bit and let me know what you think!