Teaser: "Fire" by: greenlark

Title: "Fire"

Author: greenlark

Fanfiction: Hunger Games

Rated: NC-17

Summary:

Katniss meets a deadly, gorgeous cage fighter, in a tournament at the Arena. Everlark, Modern AU.

Teaser:

"Now comes the biggest game of this evening..." the announcer's voice filled the stadium, over the fanfares of trumpet music, "The one you've all been waiting for..."

Johanna perked up. "Ooh, the one that's coming up is really good," she informed Katniss.

"It's Marvellllll vs Mellllllark!" the announcer growled out the names with hearty rolls of his tongue."We are, of course, talking about the two heavyweight veterans, coming face-to-face in what will surely be a spectacular fight to come."

The crowd clapped, yelled and hooted. Katniss sipped on her beer, watching as the fighters approached the stage, where their crews were waiting to prepare them for the fight. Blue lights shined on them in circles, casting their hair and skin with an eerie glow.

"First up, we have..." the announcer paused for effect, before bellowing out, "Marvellllll! 2013 judo champion, 2014 heavyweight championship semi-finalist, gathering a record of 16-3 in his mixed martial arts career!"

Marvel stripped down to nothing but his wrestling shorts, before letting his team help him put on his mouth guard and oil his face. After he was determined to be ready, his coach slapped him on the back, before he pivoted around and swaggered onto the stage.

He turned to face the crowd. Pumping his fist into the air, he pulled his lips back into a snarl. The audience waved and roared with cheers, while he growled and pounded at his chest. When he roared, his mouth guard gave him the appearance of a monster on the big screen.

"And... here we have Peeta Mellark, just arriving. Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for Mellllllark! The Capitol's heavyweight champion for two years in a row, only losing his championship to Cato last year. He once won 15 fights in a row. Many fans are betting on him to win the championship again this year."

Katniss glanced at the said fighter with disinterest. She wondered what kind of grotesque expression he was going to show off to the audience.

However, when Peeta Mellark stepped onto the stage, he didn't pound at his chest or pretend to growl. Instead, he straightened himself fully, and faced the spectators with a look that bordered on brooding. His jaw line was as hard as the rest of him.

His eyes swept over the crowd, commanding everyone's attention without him having to utter a sound.

Katniss' eyes widened, almost imperceptibly.

The crowd cheered for him, almost like he was an old and familiar friend to them. He smiled, the expression lighting up his chiselled features like a ray of sunshine. The applause and shouts for him grew louder still, like an ocean wave that swelled in size.

"He's hot, eh?" Johanna said in Katniss' ear.

"I..." Katniss fumbled for words. "Yeah. Not terribly ugly."

She stared at Mellark, trying to assess what it was about him that caught her off guard.

His blond hair appeared white gold under the glaring stadium light. Even though his navy blue and orange shorts were loose, they couldn't hide the bulging muscles of his thighs. Her eyes drifted down his shoulders and back, roving over the dips and valleys of his muscles, which rippled with his every movement.

But it wasn't merely his physique that struck her. It was the quiet steadiness that he exuded, and the lethal shadows darkening his eyes.