"Mom! Dad! Wake up!" the shouts of two very different voices echo through my house. Groaning, I open one eye hoping that they are not in front of me. They are not. Sighing, I close my eyes and pray that it was part of my dream.
"Moooom...Dadd! Wake up!" I hear again. This time, the bed shifts and I can hear him groan and pull my body close to him. His warmth envelopes me, our naked bodies so tight to each other I can feel the contours of his body. I have to suppress a moan or we'll be back where we were last night.
"What time is it?" he mumbles. His breath is hot on the back of my neck and I feel goosebumps spread down my arms. Reaching over, just slightly, I take a peek at the clock. It's 5AM. Shifting back under the covers, I snuggle up to him. His arms immediately wrap around my body and I feel the hardness of his body, the roughness of his hands that caress me and suddenly I need him.
"Katniss…" he whispered my name with reverence.
Feeling his lips dance along my shoulder my back arched into him. His grunt of satisfaction had me pushing into him further. As he rolled me over, his blue eyes met my grey ones. The love pouring from them always made my heart stutter and my breath quicken. Dragging his head down to mine, I kissed him deeply. Before he could enter me, the door burst open.
Breaking away as two children jump on the bed, I didn't miss Peeta's dissatisfied growl. Looking at my two children; my daughter with her dark hair and blue eyes, her younger brother with blonde hair and my grey eyes. They were exact replicas of their parents. Just without the scars.
We watched for a minute as they continued bouncing on the bed. What had them so excited this morning, I wondered.
"Get up!" my son Rye exclaimed while his sister Willow tried tugging the covers.
"What has the both of you so excited?" Peeta asks, smiling at them.
"SNOW!" they exclaim at the same time.
Peering over my husband, I look out the window and see that it has snowed overnight. From what I can tell it has snowed several feet. Trapping us inside the house for the day...maybe two. But looking back at my children, I know that we'll be outside all day. The thought of being outdoors appealed to me.
"Let us get up and ready then we'll make a day out of it, OK?" my ever so calm husband said. The kids nodded enthusiastically and thundered out of the room. Turning to me, he gave me a grin that made me love him more.
"I really don't want to get out of bed, but they'll be back bugging us if we don't." I said, nuzzling close to him. His arms wrapped around me, closing me in warmth. Sighing, I closed my eyes and savored the moment.
Letting me go a few minutes, he reached over and attached his prosthetic. Seeing it still brought sadness. Wrapping around me until it suffocated me. Just like when Prim died. I remember those days and it takes everything that I have to never repeat. Throwing the covers off me, I quickly dress to keep myself warm.
My ever so husband would normally be at the bakery at this time, but he wanted to spend the night and day with us today in case there was snow. Looks like he got his wish. Following the sounds of the kids we found them in the kitchen waiting on us to make breakfast. Well, they waited on their dad to make breakfast.
Once breakfast was consumed and kitchen cleaned, they rushed upstairs to bundle up against the cold. Peeta had the good idea to pack a lunch and thermos' full of hot chocolate. When they returned, we all left.
Taking them to the woods, where the citizens of District 12 were allowed to be now, they joyfully played in the snow while chasing each other. Taking my hand, Peeta and I shared a kiss and followed them. I wanted to take them to the lake but I knew it wouldn't be frozen over. Maybe another time.
When the first snowball hit me, I laughed at my sheepish son and gathered the snow in my hands and tossed it gently at him. He was only three and he stood there as snow dripped down his jacket. His sister and Peeta were in a snowball war that my daughter was winning.
We spent the day playing outside. Making snow angels, the ever-recurring snowball fights and the biggest snowman that we could build. I didn't realize but Peeta had brought a hat and a scarf to wrap around the snowman. To me, it looked suspiciously like Plutarch-just not as short.
When daylight begin to disappear, we called to our kids that it was time to head back toward home. With a few groans and pleading from the kids, we finally got them moving. Only after Peeta promised hot chocolate and cake after dinner. Taking my hand in his, he leaned over and kissed me gently. Following our children home, in the winter wonderland of a free Panem, we were finally safe, happy and loved.