In-between classes, I've been working on this. I'm hoping to post after I finished my first paper (due on the 18th)!
Summary:
There was nothing Peeta Mellark loved more than his crew and his car.
That is, until Katniss Everdeen.
Based on The Fast and the Furious movies
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The freeze frame of Catoās smug face shone brightly in the dim hallway and the four grimaced before Peeta reluctantly played the Instagram reel.
Cato leaned back against the hood of his red Honda Civic as the rest of his crew stood behind, their own cars parked neatly in line. Ā Peeta immediately recognized the graffitied white concrete that was the barrier between the parking lot and the sandāOcean Beach.
āYo, this is Cato of daKinetic crew! I just want to let yāall know that Peeta and the Tribute crew are a bunch of suckers who rely more on their leader than on their driving skills. Without Haymitch, they aināt nothing!ā
There was a raucous cheer from his crew as the camera closed in on Catoās gloating expression.
āPeeta, you mightāve thought you smoked me on the road but trust me foolāyouāre gonna get yours.ā He sneered through the screen before flashing a smile. āTo everyone else, follow me at Cato_Kinetic to see a list of my appearances. Peace out.ā
āWho is that asshat?ā Katniss asked. āAlso, āHawthorneHotnessā?ā She snorted before handing a flushed Gale the phone and turning to Peeta. āWhat happened between you two?ā
āAbout a month ago, we had a race up at Twin Peaks, and I won. He didnāt take it very well because he lost a bunch of sponsorships after someone posted the whole thing on Instagram.ā
āIt probably didnāt help that Johanna hooked up with his girl that night too,ā Thresh added with a snort. āNow we all know whatās under his hood.ā
āAnd whatās under his hood?ā Katniss asked with a grin.
Gale pinched his thumb and index finger. āNot much.ā
āThatās not good,ā she replied. āI think the way a person drives is pretty spot on to the way they have sex.ā
Peeta raised a brow. āReally?ā
āTrust me, Iāve done the research.ā
āNot sure if I like the way this is going.ā
Thresh peered at her in curiosity. āTell me more about this research.ā
āCan we just please get back to this whole Cato thing?ā Gale called out. āHow are we going to respond?ā
Katniss held out her hand.
āPeeta, give me your phone.ā He handed it over easily and she smirked. āSo trusting.ā She typed quickly; her greys fastened on the screen before giving his phone back to him. āFriday night on the Great Highway. Also, cute handle.ā
āYou think āSpeedaĀ_Mellarkā is a cute handle?ā Thresh teased. āYou are really into this boy.ā He ruffled Peetaās lock good-naturedly. Ā āAnd whatās happening on Friday?ā
āCato called Peeta out. I handled it,ā Katniss replied easily.
Quickly reading her response, Peeta tucked his phone into his pocket.
āCato wants a race so Iām giving him one.ā
āAnd itās going to cost him,ā Katniss added.
Gale turned to her. āHow?ā
āWeāre racing for pinks,ā Peeta informed them. āIāll have to look over the work done on Catoās ride, but you could get a good amount of cash for it.ā
Katniss nodded resolutely. āThat was the plan.ā
āAfter work, come by the shop and Iāll make sure your ride is good,ā Thresh told him. He yawned loudly, his arms stretching up. āIām hella tired!ā He kissed Katniss on the cheek. āNight mama.ā
Katniss smiled. āNight Thresh.ā She turned to Gale and Peeta. āYou both should get some rest.ā
Gale nodded. āHave a good night.ā
He turned and headed toward the stairs but not before giving the couple a quick glance.
Finally alone, Peeta pulled Katniss close and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.
āCan I take you on a date tomorrow?ā
Katnissā face lit up and she drew his mouth back to hers. Peeta fell easily into the kiss, his arms tightening around her waist. She pressed her chest to his, her nipples brushing along his pecs. The sensation shot through his body and he let out a groan.
Katniss smiled against his lips. āYes, Iād love that.ā
āSo trusting,ā he replied, nipping at her bottom lip.
Her eyes, full of tenderness, remained locked on him.
āIād go anywhere with you. Ride or die, right?ā
His hand reached to cup her cheek, throat tight at her words.
Summary: After a bad breakup, Katniss finds herself the lucky recipient of a daily rose delivery from a secret admirer.
Thank you to Hubbs for editing and to @keelareeā for the beautiful cover and always witty prereaders notes.
Hope you enjoy this early Valentineās Day goodie.
_________
Katniss looked as lonely as he felt.
Even if he didnāt stand a chance with her, she deserved a decent Valentineās Day.
Picking up his office phone, Peeta watched her sadly shuffle her papers at her cubicle, when the person on the other line picked up.
āHi, Iād like to place a delivery order. One rose for each day leading up to Valentineās Day.ā
āSure,ā the operator replied.Ā āAnd for Valentineās Day?ā
Peeta took a deep breath.Ā
āIāll make that delivery myself.ā
++++++
Day One
Katniss settled down at her desk, heaving a sigh as she read over the text from her sister.
Prim meant well but she didnāt want to spend the day with her sister and Cato, her brother-in-law. Also, as much as he loved her, Katniss was quite sure that Cato wouldnāt be too keen on keeping her from crying all over herself.
āYou and Cato should spend Valentineās Day alone. Itās going to be your last one as just you two. In six-ish months, youāll be parents!ā she typed in response. āReally, Iāll be fine at home. Iāll even watch Buttercup.ā
Primās response was quick: āThere is no way youāre becoming a cat woman. Also, I know you hate Buttercup.ā
āI do notāā
āThatās some furious texting youāre doing.ā
Katnissā eyes shot up to the man standing in front of her cubicle and her face flooded with heat.
Iāve been seeing a lot about Mamdaniās inauguration in New York at the city hall subway. I am pretty sure you set something there in one of your Everlark fics. Am I remembering correctly?
My first thought was "You Don't Know Me" but after checking it out, it was not the story. I do remember that there was a story mentioning the City Hall subway, though...
Every time I re-read Equinox by @jlalafics I want to rewatch Back to the Future.
Summary of the fic: Marley Everdeen just wanted to know her father. She didnāt think that sheād have to travel through time to do it. Based off the iconic movie, āBack to the Futureā.
Itās a one shot, under 10k words, so itās perfect for a quick Everlark plus toast and Odesta babies fix.
Normalize leaving unhinged comments on ao3 fics you like. I'm tired of being the only one brave enough to write "I am chewing on this fic" in the comment section. Be weird. Authors will love you for it
Given the reaction to Amandla Stenberg being cast as Rue back in the day (a casting that still upsets a not-insignificant portion of the HG fandom), Iām not surprised that Ben Wangās casting as Wyatt is evoking a similar response of, āThis just isnāt how I pictured him, and this is the first casting I felt like they didnāt get right.ā
Gee, it wouldnāt have anything to do with him not being white, would it?
Actors of AAPI descent are laughably underrepresented in media. Whenever an AAPI actor is cast in a mainstream filmālet alone a franchise as big as the Hunger Gamesāit feels like a damn miracle. Please just let us have this. Iām sure weāll get back to getting crumbs again after this.
Before anyone says something like "What about The Joy Luck Club (1993)? Or Crazy Rich Asians (2018)?" Think about the time span between these two defining Asian films with Asian leads.
Joy Ride (2023) is the first raunchy comedy featuring Asian American women, and it is actually the first of its kind.
Asian Americans are still so highly underrepresented at this point. So let us have one, alright?
I also want to point out that the fact that there were no Asians seen in present-day District 12 suggests that they were wiped out by the Capitol.
Just as it looks like they segregated certain races in different districts, it's not impossible for a genocide after Wyatt's death and Haymitch's defiance.
