18+ SMUT

chapter five peeta mellark (fluff)

written by PlusSizeReader on a03

Each of the tributes had to be ready for their close up at any time. That meant that each one of them had an entire team of dedicated stylists and designers in their camp, constantly at the ready to make sure they looked their best.

You, being a relatively fresh face in the capital, had been given the very tedious job of making sure Peeta Mellark, of district twelve, looked like a million bucks wherever he went.

It was your job to make sure there wasn't a single hair out of place when those cameras turned on.

That being said, you never really got to know your clients all that well. It was about getting the job done and other than that, small talk really wasn't in the description. However, as soon as Peeta sat down in your chair, you knew that he was going to be different.

He was nervous, having never done anything like this before and having only been in the capital for a few hours. He wasn't sure how anything was done or what he was supposed to say but it didn't matter. You found his anxious energy kind of charming, it was new for you.

Usually, tributes came in here already arrogant and sure that they would win. It was sort of refreshing to see someone really acting human for once.

...He was scared, and you couldn't blame him.

Mostly you two just talked while you slicked back his hair and brushed glitter on his cheekbones. Something was different today though, from the second he was in front of you, you could tell that something was really on his mind.

Peeta was never this quiet.

"What's up today? You're usually much more chatty" you hummed, running your hands through his hair a few times while you looked at him in the mirror. He was going to be meeting Caesar Flickerman today, and that was always a big deal.

All of the capital would see him today, which meant that sponsors and fans alike would be tuned in. If anything was out of place when he walked out on that stage, it would not only be bad for you, but it would also spell bad news for Peeta.

He may need their support out in the arena and you would hate to be the reason he could lose possible aid.

...You didn't want anything bad to happen to him.

The more you got to know Peeta, the more you hated everything that was happening. It had never really affected you before, but you had never been close to tribute like you were with Peeta. Before him, the bodies in your chair were just that, bodies.

It had never mattered what happened to them.

Peeta answered you with a heavy sigh, doing his best to figure out how he wanted to tell you what he'd recently realized. He wasn't sure if he should ever tell you, but now wasn't the time to rethink the way he was feeling.

He could be dead in a couple of days anyway.

"I really like you and I wanted to know if you'd want to come up to the penthouse for dinner tonight?" he tried, spitting out all the words at once in a great big jumble. He had been shot down plenty of times in his life but with you it was different.

You made Peeta feel okay, like the world wasn't about to cave in around him.

It was a welcome distraction, all things considered.

However, you weren't sure what to say. You made it a general rule not to ever get involved with any of your clients because it made things too complicated.

Not to mention how difficult it could be to fall for someone who was going into the games. How were you supposed to fall in love knowing that in another few days, he could be dead?