Chapter Text
“Hold me up in the palm of your hand
Lying to you is a river of sin
Your metaphors, your silent calls
Your feelings are too real…”
-Live
Hold Me Up
Part One
Katniss closed her eyes as the rush of hot water hit her face. It had been a hell of a day.
Her boss cut her hours at the record store due to the lack of sales. She had done everything short of offering to blow the man—wouldn’t have worked, he was gay—to get as many hours as possible. However, everyone was suffering due to Panem’s economic disaster and Heavensbee’s hands were tied.
All she wanted to do tonight was eat the leftover Chinese in the fridge, binge watch Bridgerton for the hundredth time and use her vibrator until she climaxed to the image of Simon Basset eating her out—
“Katniss!” There was a quick knock before the door opened. “Sorry, but I have to piss like a racehorse—”
She pulled back the shower curtain to the sight of her roommate and friend, Peeta, unzipping his jeans.
“Seriously, couldn’t you do that somewhere else? Like, maybe get a plastic cup or do it in the sink?”
“Last time I did, Gale totally flipped out on me,” her friend replied. “It’s not like you haven’t seen my dick before. You’ve seen it plenty of times, most of the time it was erect.”
The peril of living with two boys was that you always seemed surrounded by morning wood…any kind of wood really.
“Fine.” Katniss closed the curtain. “Try not to be loud about it though.”
“How am I loud while I pee?”
“‘Oooh fuck, finally…I’ve been holding that in all day!’ Katniss mimicked mockingly. “You’d think that you were doing something else instead of emptying your bladder.”
“Honestly, sometimes a good pee is better than sex,” Peeta retorted. “I don’t think that I’ll be able to stop it once it starts so just sing something really loud or you’ll be hearing me hitting the porcelain pretty hard.”
Katniss walked under the shower to rinse her hair and belted out the first song that came to her.
“I got a new life
You would hardly recognize me
I'm so glad
How could a person like me care for you?
Why, why do I bother
When you're not the one for me
Is enough enough?”
“I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes…” Peeta sang along and Katniss giggled hearing his melodic baritone. “I saw the sign…life is demanding without understanding—”
“We should start a group,” she offered as she turned the nozzle and the water stopped. “Especially since I’ll likely be laid off soon.”
“Oh shit! I’m sorry, Katniss.” A hand peeked through the curtain, holding a towel and she took it, quickly wrapping it around herself. “We’re all taking it up the butt, aren’t we?”
She pulled back the curtain and stepped out. “What do you mean?”
“Haymitch and Effie will probably have to close down with everything happening,” he informed her. “The rent for the bakery space is just too much for them. I mean, we still have our regulars, but they’re not making enough to pay me to make a dozen danishes and scones.”
“That sucks.” Peeta was still wearing his apron around his waist, a red bandana covering his blond locks, along with his usual baking uniform of a fitted white tee and jeans. “I know how much you love that job. Not to mention, Haymitch and Effie are pretty kickass.”
“Well, at least we have Gale,” her friend replied as he opened the door, letting her step out first before putting a companionable arm around her waist. “Old reliable Gale—”
There was a cough and they found Gale sitting on their couch lighting up their emergency joint.
This was bad.
++++++
“My whole department was pretty much eliminated,” Gale explained once he stepped out of his daze. “They led us in, one by one, into that small office and gave us the whole spiel about making cutbacks before handing us our severance checks. This will hold me for about six months of my piece of the rent—”
“This is probably the worst time to tell you,” Katniss started. “But Heavensbee reduced my hours at the store and I’ll probably be getting the boot soon.”
“Effie and Haymitch can’t afford to keep me at the bakery,” Peeta told him. “They’re also likely to lose the business, too.”
Gale nodded, elbows on his knees and hands clasped together. “Well, we’re fucked.”
“Now there’s that positive attitude that we know and love,” a sharp feminine voice said.
The three looked up to find the rest of their friends stepping into the apartment led by Johanna, who lived across the hall from them. Madge, her roommate, followed in with a pizza box and the group was finished out with Finnick, who lived downstairs and was—until today—Gale’s teammate.
“Well, we’re fucked!” Gale repeated, his voice hitching up at the end. He looked to Johanna. “Good enough?”
“We’re all getting it,” Madge said, sitting next to him calmly. “The Forever 21 I’m working at is closing. So, I’m screwed, and I won’t even have severance like you and Finnick.”
“I have thousands of dollars in debt over the camera equipment I just bought,” Finnick told her. “I’m supposed to be working on my documentary.” Their friend was a budding director. “Now, I’ll be using the rest of my severance to pay it off.”
Johanna plopped down in their lone seat, putting her feet on the table.
“Not that I don’t love you guys, but I’ve been out of a job for months, so your sob stories mean nothing to me,” she said. Grabbing the joint, their friend took a long inhale and breathe out in relief. “The job market is non-existent at this point.”
“God, maybe I should’ve pushed on blowing Heavensbee,” Katniss muttered.
Finnick snorted. “What?”
“He’s gay, but probably not getting any,” she replied, next to Peeta. “If you close your eyes, it feels the same.”
“You might have something there,” Johanna suddenly said, her oak eyes contemplative.
Peeta glared at her. “Not funny. You really want Katniss turning tricks for rent?”
“Hardly,” their friend replied. “No offense—” Johanna looked to Katniss. “—you alone have no sex appeal, and this is coming from a full-fledged lesbian.” She turned to Madge. “She would—with the pouty lips and the big titties. Not to mention those golden locks. Put a little red hood on her and you’ll have those Fairy Tale freaks begging to see what’s underneath.”
Katniss crossed her arms. “Well, thank you for telling me that I’m undesirable.”
“I didn’t say that.” Johanna looked between Katniss and Peeta. “I said you alone would have no sex appeal but put you with him—” She nodded at Peeta. “—or her.” A hand waved over at Madge. “People will pay big money to see that. A nice little ying and yang.”
“What the hell are you suggesting?” Gale asked.
“I thought it was obvious,” the woman next to him said. “I’m suggesting we make a porno.”
++++++
Several beers in, the idea started to make sense.
“Babe, if this thing took off, we could pay off the camera equipment,” Annie, Finnick’s fiancée, said. She had joined them a little after the major freak out over Johanna’s idea. “Also, you could get some experience in handling the equipment and I could get experience with the boom mic.”
“That is true,” Finnick mused.
“Guys, do you know how many different types of porn there is out there? How would we make one that people would be interested in?” Gale asked. His voice had taken on a rough slur, five bottles in, as he leaned against a drunken Madge.
“Simple,” Johanna smirked. “We do our research. This neighborhood is full of not-so-reputable places; it’s why rent used to be freakishly low. We can ask what men and women would like to see. Also, we’re all decent looking.”
“What about the fact that you’re talking about us having sex with each other?” Peeta asked, eyes bloodshot. Katniss laid on his lap, singing along to the music on her phone. “No offense, but I don’t want to have sex with you. You scare me a little.”
“Well, who would you want to have sex with?” Madge asked with a buzzed grin.
“Easy.” Peeta looked at the giggling woman on his lap. “Katniss.”
“Really now?” Finnick leaned forward in interest. “Why her?”
“I’m comfortable with her,” he explained. “We were each other’s first kiss, granted we were only five—but also, she’s seen my dick plenty of times.”
Katniss drunkenly waved her finger at him. “I’m not scared of it…”
“Dude, why aren’t you together?” Annie asked.
Peeta shrugged. “Seemed better to stay friends.”
“Those two are such chickens,” Gale called out. “They just tiptoe…and tiptoe…and it’s all like ‘I think Katniss is beautiful’...or ‘I want to have Peeta’s babies’…and I’m just like why don’t you just fuck already?”
“Fine.” Katniss slid onto the floor and held her hand out, palm down. “We’ll do this. I get to fuck Peeta because everyone is so invested…but we all have to be in this.” She looked at the rest of the group, her eyes landing on Peeta. “Do we agree?”
Johanna placed her hand over Katniss’. “I’m in.”
Madge followed immediately. “Me, too.”
“Fine,” Gale muttered before his hand landed on the pile.
“We’re down,” Finnick said, adding his hand.
“But only as the filmmakers,” Annie added before placing her hand on top of her fiancé’s.
Katniss looked to Peeta; nervousness laced in her grey eyes. “And you?”
He examined her, almost losing himself in her gaze before placing his hand down to seal the pact.
“Let’s do this.”
++++++
“Do you like oral?” Katniss asked the scantily-clad waitress. “Giving? Getting?”
“Yes, to both,” the pretty blonde answered.
Johanna and Gale had gotten to work quickly, both making up the questionnaire that they were using for research. While that was happening, Annie and Finnick put up an ad looking for available actors and actresses to add to their production.
Two days ago, their questionnaire had revealed that threesomes, double penetration, and girl-on-girl were high on the list. Unfortunately, they didn’t know who would be doing what except for Katniss and Peeta.
“And anal?” Katniss continued as Peeta joined her at the table.
“Sure,” the woman answered. “I’m pretty open. Me and my ex used to film ourselves all the time.” She looked at the two. “You two looking for tips?”
“Maybe,” Katniss replied. She turned to Peeta. “Did you want anything?”
“Coke, please,” he told the woman. “I’m still recovering from the past few days.”
“Coke for him and a Lagavulin for me,” Katniss told the waitress.
“You like the good stuff.” She gave Katniss a saucy wink. “I’ll be right back with your drinks. I’m Delly, by the way.”
“Katniss.” Katniss gestured over at Peeta, who gave Delly a light wave. “Peeta.”
She nodded. “Nice meeting you.”
As soon as Delly walked away, Katniss turned to her friend. “What do you think?”
“Decent rack, sweet face, and she has experience apparently,” Peeta replied. “Thoughts on having her on the team?”
“Well, she seems friendly,” Katniss replied. She eyed him. “Would you do her?”
“If I had to…sure,” her friend replied. “How about you?”
“Me and Delly?” Katniss looked to the woman at the bar, awaiting their drinks. She was pretty with wavy, shoulder-length hair and wide eyes. Not to mention, her body was banging—the bejeweled bustier made her breasts look incredible—and her personality was easy. “Sure. Why not? I mean it will make me more…desirable.”
“Are you still pissed off that?” Peeta asked. “Johanna loves to rile you up.”
“I hate that she can.” Katniss sighed. “Are we really going to do this?”
“Haven’t you ever been curious?” Peeta’s gaze fell warmly on her. “How it might feel like between me and you?”
“Sometimes,” she admitted. “We kissed that one time, but nothing came of it. I thought maybe you didn’t like it…or me.”
“I do like you. I love you.” Peeta reached for her, pulling her onto his lap. “I guess we were just both too scared to explore what kind of love we could’ve had.”
Her arms wove around his neck as Katniss pressed her forehead to his. “I love you and I like you, too.”
“Your drinks, lovebirds.” Delly approached them, a bright smile on her face. “Anything else I can get you?”
“Actually.” Katniss stood up, pulling out the business card with Johanna’s number on it. “I have a proposition for you.”
++++++
“What are your special skills?” Johanna asked as she looked over Delly’s resume.
Delly gave the group a bright smile, her eyes landing on Katniss with a wink.
The group gathered the following day for auditions for the two additional actors at Finnick and Annie’s place.
Currently, Annie and Peeta were reviewing resumes and headshots in the hallway while the rest of them assessed the auditions.
The group had agreed to hold them at Finnick and Annie’s since it looked the most professional. The couple’s apartment was stylishly decorated thanks to Annie’s chic but budget-friendly taste—most of their furnishings from Target and IKEA.
“Can you look into the camera?” Finnick asked from where he stood in the center of the living room.
“Sure.” Delly looked straight into the camera, smiling into it. “Well…I can do a handstand and suck dick at the same time.”
“Can we see?” Madge asked from where she stood next to Finnick.
“The sucking dick part or the handstand?”
“How about we just see how it looks?” Finnick suggested. “Have Annie bring the next male audition in.”
Gale stood from his seat. “I’m on it.” He quickly came back, followed by a tall, dark-skinned man who flashed them all a handsome smile. “Everyone, this is Thresh. Thresh, why don’t you join Delly in front of the camera?”
“Sure,” he said easily and walked over to Delly, holding out his hand. “I’m Thresh.”
Delly shook it, her mouth widening in a grin. “Delly.”
“Okay, whenever you’re ready,” Johanna told the two.
Nodding, Delly bent over, pressing her palms to the floor. Then as she steadied, the woman easily lifted her hips…then her legs…before straightening them, her toes pointing in the air.
“Amazing,” Madge whispered.
Next to her, Gale nodded in agreement.
Katniss stood from her seat, going to Finnick, and looked at the camera’s viewfinder.
Delly and Thresh made a strikingly good couple on camera. They were at ease, chatting as if Delly wasn’t in front of the man’s crotch and at a perfect angle to go at his junk.
“Thresh, any special skills?” Gale asked, handing Johanna the man’s resume.
“I can get an erection on command,” Thresh told them.
“Okay, we all need to see this,” Johanna said. “Someone get Peeta and Annie in here.”
“Delly, you can get off your hands now,” Katniss said.
“Let me help—” Thresh held her hips as Delly eased down. As she did, the crotch of her leggings met his groin, and she wrapped her legs around his to steady herself.
“The perfect standing wheelbarrow,” Finnick remarked from behind the camera. “Bravo!”
Peeta and Annie stepped inside as Thresh helped Delly onto her feet. She smiled gratefully, kissing his cheek before dashing over to where the rest of the group was gathered.
“Even if you don’t hire me, I need to see this,” she told them.
Peeta joined Katniss’ side. “What are we looking at?”
Finnick signaled Thresh. “Whenever you’re ready.”
The man simply undid the top button of his jeans, unzipped, and holding the sides of his jeans lowered them down.
Taking a deep breath, the man closed his eyes, as the group watched his cock—a rather thick one—go from half-mast to full in less than a minute.
“Well, that deserves some applause,” Peeta told everyone and began to clap.
The group quickly joined in, but not before hiring both Delly and Thresh.
++++++
“Okay, two things,” Gale announced, going to the easel and whiteboard that he had set up in their living room. He wrote out ‘Location’ and ‘Plot’. “First, location. Any thoughts?”
“We can’t just do it in one of our apartments?” Finnick asked.
“Would you want to sit on your living room couch thinking that Johanna ate Delly out on it?” Gale asked him. “Or Katniss and Peeta on your kitchen counter—”
“True,” Annie said. “Let’s not shit where we eat.”
“Maybe we can rent out space for very cheap,” Thresh said. “I might know some club places where I work security that might be in our price range.”
They learned that Thresh was a part-time security guard and a returning student at the local community college. He was trying to get his Business degree and planned to open a gym after he graduated.
“Great idea,” Gale wrote down, ‘Thresh-club spaces’. Anyone else?”
“That bar I work at might be willing,” Delly told them. “I might have to give the owner a boost—”
“No way,” Peeta interrupted. “We don’t want you doing those kinds of favors just to get us a workspace.”
“Definitely,” Katniss agreed, smiling at the girl. “We’ll figure it out together.”
“Okay, what about a plot?” Johanna went to the board. “Every porn needs one to entice an audience. Why don’t we do a round robin and everyone says one thing that turns them on? I’ll start.” She turned around and wrote on the board—‘A clean bush’.
“Doesn’t everyone like it to be clean down there?” Finnick remarked before looking to Annie. “I mean you keep it pristine—”
“No need to tell everyone about my cat, love,” his fiancée retorted.
“I mean, I don’t mind it being wild down there,’ Gale told the group. He took the marker from Johanna and scribbled, ‘Bossiness’. “I like a dominating woman.”
“Definitely a good BDSM storyline,” Madge remarked as she walked up to the board, writing ‘Rough play’. “I like manhandling and being manhandled. I worked with this guy and we use to hook up all over the office. Once after everyone left, we were going at it and he takes me and lifted me—” She mimicked her lover with her hands. “—onto the copy machine before pounding the living daylight out of me.”
Everyone stared in shock at the seemingly sweet blonde twirling a tendril of her hair.
“Come Monday, everyone was trying to figure why there were a hundred copies of someone’s bare pussy on the copy machine tray,” she said in a daze.
“Damn—” Gale swallowed harshly. “—thank you for your contribution.” His gaze went to the person sitting next to Madge. “Katniss?”
“I…I…” Katniss bowed her head. She wasn’t thrilled with everyone knowing just what got her going. However, at some point, they were all going to be seeing her being thoroughly fucked by Peeta. “I like…dirty talk.” She shifted in her seat, aware that next to her sat her soon-to-be co-star. “I don’t have any experience, but when I’m…masturbating, the voice in my head is usually whispering very depraved things in my ear.”
“Care to expand, sweetheart?” Thresh asked from where he sat across.
“Well—” Katniss folded her hands in her lap. “The voice will tell me how much he loves feeling his fingers being squeezed by my cunt, how drenched I am around his dick, how he wants to fuck me until I can’t feel my legs…sometimes he talks about fucking me in both holes…his dick in my pussy and his thumb in my asshole—”
Peeta suddenly jumped from his spot. “I’m going to grab some water from the fridge. Anyone?”
He quickly disappeared into the next room before anyone could even answer.
“You just gave Peeta a boner,” Delly cackled from her seat on the carpet. “Why aren’t you dating?”
“Because—” Katniss searched for a reason, finding herself unable to answer. “—let me check on him.”
She found him bent in front of the fridge.
He pulled back sans water and turned just as she stepped in.
“We ran out of water.” Peeta met her eyes fully, watching as she approached. “I didn’t mean to run off—”
“Peeta, what turns you on?” she found herself asking.
Katniss stopped in front of him and her gaze took her friend in—swept-back blond waves, a firm jaw, and blue eyes…hazed with arousal. They never really talked about the fact that they had admitted to their friends that they were curious about fucking one another.
To be entirely truthful, the voice in her ear, the one that spoke such deliciously sinful things—was Peeta’s voice.
She didn’t know when the mystery man had morphed into her best friend, but sometimes the image of him—in his usual uniform of a pair of jeans, a tee, and an apron—would cause a heat that threatened to burn her to the very core.
However, this precipice between friendship and whatever it was, scared her.
So, Katniss held back.
Peeta shook his head. “It’s kind of stupid.”
“I just told everyone that a mystery voice gets me wet with talk of double penetration.”
He laughed roughly. “That is true.”
Meeting her eyes, Peeta leaned back against the door of the fridge.
“I like sex in different places…the element of danger…of being caught.” His golden complexion tinged with pink. “It’s a major turn-on.”
She nodded, toeing in closer to him. “Have you ever—"
“No, just fantasies,” Peeta said. “Compared to the rest of our friends, I’m pretty daisy fresh.”
“Tell me the last place that you’ve fantasized having sex in,” Katniss said. “I won’t tell anyone.”
“I know you wouldn’t,” he replied, his hand reaching to cup her cheek.
His thumb grazed the corner of her mouth and she resisted the urge to take it into her mouth to taste.
“The bakery.” His gaze fell to her lips. “Specifically, against one of the ovens as it’s warming up and y—whoever and I just get so caught up in the smell of sugar…of rye…and one another that we don’t know where the heat is rising from—”
Katniss suddenly straightened. “Ohmigod…the bakery.”
“What?”
“The bakery,” she repeated.
His eyes widened in realization. “The bakery.”
END OF PART ONE