The entrance to the park loomed just ahead. Her annual sticker affixed to the windshield got her waved through immediately. Katniss gave the attendant manning the gate an appreciative nod and drove through the barricade. There was a brief stopover at the Ranger Station to collect the key for Cabin Twelve and another one at the lodge restaurant to get the basket she had ordered before leaving home. The stage was set. All she could do now was wait. Wait and hope.
She unpacked the food and then busied herself with straightening the cushions on the couch and wiping down the already spotless table. Keeping her hands occupied didn't do the same favor for her mind. All she could think about was him and whether or not he would come here so that she could mend what she had broken. She didn't realize how much she wanted the relationship that had blossomed from out of nowhere with this man until she no longer had it. His steady presence, his shy smile, and the way he had of looking at her out of the corner of his eye with a little smirk turning up the edges of his mouth. She missed the little things like the way he double-knotted his shoelaces, how he talked with his hands, how he always smelled of cinnamon and flour. She just missed him. The brief glimpse she'd had at Cinna's gallery wasn't enough.
A few more trips to the car had yielded up another couple of bags. Dropping them onto the table, Katniss eyed the contents dubiously. She had no idea what she was doing. This felt contrived. She was trying too hard and it showed. No wonder Johanna had laughed when Katniss explained what she was doing.
"Give me a better idea then," Katniss demanded. "If this won't work, tell me what will."
Johanna gave her a thin-lipped smirk that still managed to reach her eyes. "You're an idiot. You really are. There's never a happy medium with you." She caught the girl's hand in her own. "Listen, Kat, just tell the man how you feel. You don't need to make it complicated. That's all he wants."
Katniss shook her head. "I'm not good at just saying something. It's not me. Hell, Johanna, I'm not good at any of this." She shot to her feet and began pacing around the small room. "It's a stupid plan but it's the only one I've got."
Johanna scrubbed fingers roughly through her short, spiky hair and let a smile curve her mouth. "All of this could be cleared up by three little words. Just say them, Katniss. Write it on a piece of paper and hold it up. Use hand signals. Whisper it. Shout it. Whatever. Just tell the man what he wants to hear."
"Are you going to help me or make me feel worse than I already do?" Katniss questioned.
"I'll help you," Johanna answered. "You know I'll help you. For the record, you need professional help. You should ask Delly about that therapist she raves about. What's his name? Aurora? Austin? Aurelius? Yeah, that's it. Aurelius. Delly swears by him and she should know. She's an expert on the whole self-help thing."
Katniss laughed softly. "You're horrible. I don't know why Delly still speaks to you. I'm glad that I don't know what you say about me when I'm not around."
"I never say anything that I wouldn't say to the person's face. I just called you an idiot. Do you really think I'm any different with Delly? The distinction between you and our resident blonde is that she doesn't take me seriously. She gives me the benefit of the doubt." Johanna actually gave a genuine smile. "I'm a stone cold, hard-hearted bitch but even I wouldn't hurt Delly on purpose. She's too good. You, on the other hand, are a thick-headed, stubborn mule who pretends to have the emotional depth of a teaspoon. It takes something drastic to break you out of your shell. Something like a purse snatching or being ambushed by three of your closest friends. You're an extreme case, brainless. Dealing with you is exhausting. Luckily for you, I like a challenge."
"Yeah," Katniss muttered. "Lucky me." The girl began to gather up a number of items and then shove them into a reusable bag. Johanna watched her silently for a moment then went to the kitchen and returned with an unopened bottle that she wrapped carefully before dropping it into the bag. Katniss grabbed her hand and gave her fingers a tentative squeeze. "Thank you," she whispered.
"Don't mention it," Johanna returned softly. "I just hope that you know what you're doing."
"I don't have a clue," Katniss replied. Johanna was surprised to see her friend wearing a broad, beaming smile. "Not a freaking clue. I'm still going through with it. I have to."
"Well then," Johanna stated. "Let's get this show on the road. Can't keep Lover Boy waiting."
Now that she was here, Katniss was beginning to wonder if this was such a brilliant idea after all. The lights were off in the cabin except for a couple of lamps. She had arranged the food on a couple of plates and then put them in the oven to keep them warm. She had put candles on every flat surface and filled the room with flowers. There was something so damned staged about the whole thing. She looked helplessly around and felt her cheeks flush with unintended warmth. "Now I just need to slip into something slinky and drape over a chair when he comes in. That will put the final touch on this damned farce. Johanna's right. I've lost my damned mind." Katniss said softly.
Lights flashed outside the window temporarily throwing a series of illuminated squares onto the pale wall. She leaped to her feet and bounded to the window, twitching the curtain aside. A familiar car parked behind hers and the motor shut off. The driver's side door opened and out he climbed. He slammed the door and leaned against it as he slid a hand wearily through his tousled curls. Her heart ached at the brief flash of pain that crossed his features. He seemed to brace himself before straightening and making his way to the porch. A moment later, his diffident knock resonated through the cabin. Her heart leaped into her throat. She exhaled faintly and opened the door. For the first time in a month, they stood face to face. She stood aside and motioned for him to enter. He gave her a glance in passing as he stepped inside. Katniss closed her eyes and bent her head before she turned to face him.
"Thanks for coming," she said quietly. "I wasn't sure that you would."
Peeta's face was impassive as his cold blue eyes studied her. "I almost didn't. You made it pretty clear where you stood when you left the bakery. I thought that was the end of it."
"If you thought that, then why come all the way out here?"
"I've never been able to tell you no, Katniss." He bit out unwillingly. "You finally decided to talk. The least I could do is hear you out." He waved his hand to take in the whole room. "But from the looks of this place, talking isn't what you had in mind."
Her face tightened, a pink flush setting her cheeks on fire. "That's not why I asked you here, Peeta. That's the furthest thing from my mind."
He stepped closer, a hand rising to toy playfully with her braid. Her swift intake of breath at his closeness pulled a smile from him before he blanked his expression. "Really, it's the furthest thing from your mind. I find that a little hard to believe. I think you have thought about it. I think you're thinking about it right now." He sidled closer and watched as her eyes widened but she didn't give ground. She stayed right where she was. "You asked me here for a reason, Katniss. Let's hear it. What do you want?" Her mouth moved but no words came forth. He leaned in until his breath stirred the tiny hairs curling over her temple. "Is this some kind of game to you? You push me away then change your mind and expect me to come running. I won't do that. I'm not just a toy you can pick up whenever you feel like it."
Katniss recoiled as if from a blow. His words cut her deeply. She tried to keep it from showing but the candle flames caught a wet gleam that turned her eyes to quicksilver. She blinked rapidly to keep them from giving her away and her voice was steady as she replied, "It's not a game, Peeta. It wasn't like that for me. You know me better than that."
"Then how was it, Katniss?" He asked quietly. "Come on, talk to me. Tell me what you want me to do. Should I walk away and pretend like we didn't mean anything to each other? Should I beg you to take me back? What do you want?" She continued to stare at him in dumbfounded silence. His lips thinned in annoyance and his tone hardened. "I'm only going to ask this once more. What do you want?"
The words came suddenly and without warning. "You," she blurted out. "I want you."
Peeta let out the breath he had been holding and backed away. That wasn't the reaction she wanted or hoped for. He dropped boneless into a chair and rubbed his eyes. "Okay then. That's a start." He gestured toward the empty chair and smiled slightly as she sat down, curling her legs beneath her. "But it still doesn't answer my question. What do you want from me? Am I supposed to be your friend, your ally, your lover? All of the above? Or none?" He rested his chin on his fist as he watched her. "I have to know where I stand with you, Katniss. What's it going to be?"
She fidgeted under his steady regard, her stomach a whirling mass of confusion and dread. Of all the scenarios that had run through her mind, this one hadn't even occurred to her. He had come to hear her out but was fully prepared to walk away if he had to. The thought of him leaving petrified her. She couldn't depend on words. They always let her down. Actions had always been her forte. Not this time it seemed. One moment of doubt on her part had cost her everything. Failure to act now would burn that bridge forever. She felt the old familiar tightness as dread and fear coalesced into a knot that choked her. To act would require that which had always failed her time and time again. Words were what he wanted so that's what she would have to give.
She straightened in her chair and met him look for look. Her hands curled into fists in her lap. That was the only outward sign that she gave of her inner turmoil. "I was wrong. I know that now. Cinna told me about Madge. I've seen the paintings. I owe you an apology, Peeta. I'm sorry that I misjudged you so badly."
His mouth compressed into a thin line but he answered evenly, "You don't owe me anything. That's done. "
Katniss looked at him in shock but quickly gathered herself. She gave an unconscious shake of her head. Surely he couldn't mean that. "No," she breathed. "It's not done. Not by a long shot. Not even close. I need to say this." Her hands knotted together painfully, the knuckles tense and white. "I've been afraid for a long time. I watched my mother fall apart after my dad died. She was still there physically but part of her died with him. She was never the same. All I could think was that to love like that is a weakness. I had to make sure that what happened to my mother never happened to me. I'm all that Prim has left. I managed pretty well until you came along." A slight smile flickered on his face before he caught himself. "Johanna said you had me chasing my tail from day one. As much as I hate to admit that she's right about anything, she called this one. You got in without even trying, Peeta."
He covered his mouth with a shaking hand, his eyes never straying from her face. "What does that mean, Katniss?" He asked hoarsely. "What do you want?"
She pulled out a familiar black box and held it out. He took it, flipped back the lid and ran a finger over the smooth iridescent surface of the pearl nestled within. "I want you to take this back. Keep it for now." She bit her bottom lip and rubbed her eyes tiredly, surreptitiously wiping away tale-tale dampness. "Don't think that I don't want it because I do. But not like this. You had your reasons for giving it to me. I have mine for giving it back. We both know what happens when love is twisted and turned into something ugly. We've both been hurt in the fallout. I won't have whatever is between us ruined by old fears and regrets. So you take this. You give it back to me when you're sure that I'm what you want." Her voice softened and dropped almost to a whisper. "I love you, Peeta. I love you but I want to do this right. I don't want to mess up again."
She climbed to her feet and turned toward the kitchen to retrieve the warmed over food. His voice stopped her cold and pulled her around to face him. "So what happens now?"
She blinked in confusion but answered immediately, "I guess we eat dinner. After that, it's pretty much up in the air. There's a telescope set up on the back porch if you like that sort of thing. It's a clear night with a thin moon. You should be able to see quite a bit. I've brought a couple of movies with me. There are some board games and a deck of cards in the drawer. Or you can go if you want. You don't have to stay, Peeta."
He crossed the room and came to a halt before her. "Would it be alright with you if I said I want to stay?" She gave a little nod and slight smile. He stepped closer and bent his head until their lips were only a breath apart. "And if I want this? Is this okay?" She wet her lips unconsciously as her eyes dropped to his mouth. One eyebrow edged upward but he gave no other reaction. His fingers caught the end of her braid and swiftly undid the tie. "And this? Can I do this?" He whispered his breath warm on her face. He unwound the twined strands and gently combed through them until they flowed freely over her shoulders and down her back. "Will you allow me that?"
Katniss closed her eyes at the feel of those gentle hands weaving their way through her unbound hair. A shiver seemed to work its way up from her toes. He couldn't help but notice the effect he had. He felt an answering tremor rush through him. Suddenly, the tentative coy touches weren't enough. Not nearly enough. Still he waited.
It was her that closed the final distance between them. Her hands that twisted into the rumpled waves that curled over his collar and pulled his head down to hers. Her lips that found his first. The kiss was light and tentative as both were wary of moving too fast, too soon. His hands cupped her face, thumbs tracing along her cheekbones and along the line of her jaw. A tiny whimper escaped her at those feather soft touches. "Peeta please," she whispered.
His mouth left hers only to settle in the curve where neck and shoulder met. Her breathing hitched as he nibbled along her collarbone and dropped a kiss into the notch at the base of her throat. His tongue flicked out just grazing the soft skin that he found there. Her head listed to the side as her hands buried themselves in his hair. "Please what, sweetheart. Talk to me, Katniss," he murmured. "Tell me what you want me to do."
"I want you," she sighed and tilted her head again as he worked his way up to the vulnerable spot just behind her ear and lingered there.
"You have me, Katniss." He muttered as his lips sketched a lazy circle from her ear to shoulder and back again. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Just tell me what you want."
"I'm not...I can't…just stay with me. Don't go away again." She lifted his mouth to hers, lips sliding softly together. Her arms coiled around his neck to keep him close as she nestled into his warmth. She felt him tremble as her hands skimmed over his shoulders and then back into the downy softness of his hair. "I need to be close to you, Peeta. I need to feel you."
He wound his arms around her waist as their bodies aligned. "All you had to do was say the words, Katniss." He bent and picked her up; one arm supporting her back, the other hooked under her knees. His lips grazed her temple as he crossed the room and nudged the door open with his foot. He hit the switch with his elbow, turning on a low light. Taking a few steps toward the bed, he let go of her legs. She let him support her weight until her feet rested firmly on the braided rug. A smile quirked his mouth up as his hands covered her lower back and held her tightly against him. Her neck arched back as she lifted her eyes to his. "Is this what you want, Katniss?"
Her answer was given not in words but in the way her hands moved unerringly from his shoulders to the front of his shirt. She darted a glance up and let a smile briefly touch her lips. Then she focused on undoing the buttons one by one. The last let go and she slid the garment free then let it fall to the floor. He stood before her still clad a close fitting t-shirt and low slung jeans. She bumped his foot with hers. A low laugh rumbled in his chest as he toed off his shoes and kicked them aside. She let her fingers wander along the hem of his shirt, pushing it up slightly to graze the taut skin of his stomach. Suddenly impatient, she pushed the soft material up and dragged it over his head. "I need to feel you," she repeated. He nodded his permission and caught her wrists in a gentle grip. He raised her hand to his mouth, pressing his lips to her palm before bringing it to rest against his heart. The thump-thud beat steadily beneath her fingers, his breath quiet and even in her ear. She closed her eyes and sidled closer, letting her head rest comfortably on his shoulder.
They stayed that way for several minutes before she reluctantly pulled away and stepped back. Gray eyes wide and somber, she crossed her arms, grasped the bottom of her shirt and quickly removed it. Her camisole swiftly followed. Peeta watched her carefully, looking for the slightest hint of doubt or hesitation. Finding none, he opened his arms and pulled her in close as she walked willingly into his embrace. "You broke us," he breathed. "You almost threw everything we had away."
"I know," she returned just as quietly. "I leaped before I looked. But you let me go. You let us go."
He swallowed noisily and tightened his arms around her. "I won't make that mistake again. I can't." His hands ran soothingly up and down her back. "If you have any doubts, Katniss, tell me now because this time is for keeps. I won't go through this again."
"I want to be with you," her voice was low but strong and unwavering. Her eyes met his once more.
He bent his head and kissed her. Their lips moved as one, lips and tongues meeting and meshing. Hands wandered over exposed flesh finding those areas that caused breath to shorten and shudder. Moans and mumbled promises filled the room. He walked her back toward the bed until her knees bumped the mattress. She sat down, sliding back into the nest of pillows propped against the headboard.
"You're a little overdressed, Mellark. You really should do something about that." Katniss laughed at the shocked expression on his face. It was a Johanna thing to say. She was almost grateful to her irrepressible friend for the mountain of advice she had imparted. Obviously, some of it had sunk in. She let her laughter taper off to residual chuckles and waved a hand airily in his direction. To up the ante, she hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her pants and pushed them down. She pulled her now bare legs up and rested her arms on her upraised knees. "Don't keep me waiting, Peeta."
"I wouldn't dream of it," he murmured and unfastened his jeans. He slid them down and kicked them free. He then climbed in beside her, grabbed a pillow and stuffed it beneath his head. He turned to face her and asked teasingly, "Now what, Miss Everdeen?" Her momentary courage deserted her at the rapt look on his face. She blushed furiously and hugged her knees to her chest. His hand closed around her wrist and pulled her down until she was pressed against his side. "I think I should take it from here, don't you?" He questioned lightly. She nodded and turned her face into his neck. "So brave one moment then petrified the next," he whispered. "I don't think I'll ever figure you out."
He kissed her softly, hesitantly. It only took a few moments for her lips to move in tandem with his. His hands found her face, cupping her chin to hold her steady. His tongue traced her bottom lip and darted inside as they parted to allow him access. Katniss sighed and tilted her head as his mouth pressed more firmly against her own. Their legs intertwined, fingers meeting and interlacing. He kept one elbow bent slightly which left a small space between them. A space that she found exceedingly more frustrating as their kisses became harder and more intent. What little patience she had was quickly stretched thin. As a last resort, she draped a leg over his hip and wound her arms around his back. She tightened both and was rewarded by his startled exhalation and the feel of his weight pushing her deeper into the bed.
He broke off their kiss and grinned down at her. Rather than the blush that he was expecting, she raised a brow in polite inquiry. "I wanted you there," she stated. Her legs tightened around his hips as her back arched to settle them even more closely together. His eyes closed as he buried his face in the tangled skeins of her hair. The muffled groan that escaped him paired with the warmth that radiated out from the spot where his lips just touched her neck was her undoing. Once again, his name fell from her lips unbidden.
He dropped a kiss into her hair before inching downward ever so slowly. She loosened her hold once she realized his intent, dropping her hands loosely to her sides. Her legs unraveled and fell slightly open to give him room to move. She caught a flash of blue as he flicked a glance at her face even as he slid lower. His hands found her first, tracing lazy circles that spiraled inward toward a pink tipped peak. He let his thumb graze the tip then pinched it gently. Her breath caught in her throat at the unexpected pleasure imbued in that tentative touch. He nodded to himself and smiled as her brow furrowed questioningly. Ignoring the unspoken query, he lowered his head and kissed her tenderly over her rapidly beating heart then took the taut nipple into his mouth. He sucked softly, licking and stroking the pale bud until it pebbled against his tongue. She let out a moan and arched into his touch. His hand found her other nipple and worried it between teasing fingers. He moved languidly from one to the other never for a second losing contact with her skin.
His hand trailed down her stomach and curved into the fabric of her plain black boy shorts. Her fingers met his as together they tugged the garment off her hips and down her wobbly legs. His own quickly followed. He dropped them to the floor and gave her a smile as he grasped her foot and placed a string of kisses along the arch, then the inside of her ankle, behind her knee. She bit her lip until blood beaded on the lower as he pushed her legs apart and let his fingers skate along the line of her inner thigh. She stiffened beneath him, eyes watching the movement of his fingers along her leg. "Relax," he murmured. "We won't do anything that you're not comfortable with."
He never took his eyes from her face as he replaced his hand with his lips. He grazed the sensitive skin with tiny nibbling kisses. Where marks were left, he soothed them with his tongue. She shivered and sighed under his hands and mouth as she writhed against him. "Peeta, please." She groaned as he continued to move up her body completely bypassing for now the part of her that was slick and wet with want.
He rediscovered the delicate whirls of her ear, pushing back errant strands of hair to bare it for his delectation. A frisson of fire set her nerves alight as he bit the lobe delicately and then kissed the thin skin just behind. He placed a splay fingered hand on her belly to hold her still and whispered, "Wait for me. We've got all the time in the world." The hand on her stomach began to move in soothing circles in complete opposition to the wicked things his lips and tongue were doing to her neck and ear. "All the time in the world," he breathed against her lips as his mouth found hers once more.
Their mouths tangled together furiously. He could feel her rising impatience with the glacially slow pace that he had set. Her hips bucked against him and her lips became increasingly more demanding. She leaned into the kiss pouring every ounce of want and yearning that she was capable of into the melding of their mouth. "Okay," he bit out. "Okay." He rolled onto his side and pulled her with him. He draped her leg over his hip then slid a finger into her waiting warmth. She arched into his touch, letting out a throaty laugh as his thumb tapped purposefully on her clit. "There?" he questioned. She nodded let her eyes fall partially closed as she gave herself up to his touch. He worked her in a steady rhythm, his thumb ceaseless on small bundle at the apex of her slit. Her hips rocked with movement of his hands. He found himself grinding against her leg, matching her beat for beat. His hand grew damp and sticky as she deliberately shifted back and forth to hit the spots that gave her the greatest friction. He inserted another and heard her breathless "Yes, right there." He couldn't hold out any longer.
"Katniss, I…uh..," he gulped. She looked at him through passion-glazed eyes barely registering his words as her hips revolved against his hand. "Katniss, I need to feel you," he echoed her earlier words. She stilled slowly though her walls clinched around the fingers still buried in her depths. He groaned and dropped his head into the pillow. She rolled onto her back and gently removed his hand but didn't let go. She parted her knees and tugged him down until there was no space between them anymore: nose to nose, chest to chest, hips cradled together, legs intertwined. Only then did she relinquish her grip on his wrist. Her hand moved between them to find the thick length of his arousal. She stroked him lovingly, fingers moving briskly from base to tip and back again. She lined him up with her entrance and slid the tip inside. Her legs winding around his waist drew him to the hilt. "God," he mumbled as he felt her encase him fully. "So damned good. So so good."
They rocked together in a slow easy manner as their lips found each other's once more. He withdrew ever so slightly and then forward again. Her hands found their way to the small of his back as her legs opened wider to accommodate his easy pace. "Like that," she breathed as she maneuvered him into a rhythm that she liked. Her movements mirrored his as the ebb and flow caught them up and pushed them forward. Faster. Harder. Deeper. Skin slapping against skin. Inarticulate promises breathed against sweaty flesh. Lips coming together in short-lived moments as breathing became a secondary priority. Pleasure mounted. Words becoming more difficult as limbs became fluid and blood turned to golden, liquid fire.
A delicious tension coiled tighter and tighter as bodies thrashed and strained. It couldn't last, this thing between them that curved back upon itself until it was the only thing that existed in the world. She seemed to be hurling toward a cliff that was rising up to meet her. The wave crested, broke, and pulled her over. She heard him groan as he followed her, a warm wet rush filling her up to the brim. Her inner walls clinched as she took everything he had to give. It was a few moments before they were able to move. Her fingers tingled and stung as she unraveled them from the dripping curls at the back of his head. He gasped against her shoulder, still out of breath and winded.
Peeta closed his eyes and turned his face into the curve of her neck. She let out a faint sound of regret as he slipped free. Her fingers flexed as she open and closed them a few times. They then found their way around his back as she wrapped her arms around him once more. The quiet as it was the last time they had been together was perfect. She seemed content to let it be. Her fingers traced haphazard patterns on his back and every so often she would kiss a random spot within reach. His temple, his forehead, his shoulder. She hugged him at odd moments, her body curved around his as if to keep the outside at bay for just a little longer.
It couldn't last for long. And it didn't. These rare instances were made to be broken. Nothing so perfect could continue unless an even greater perfection arose to take its place. Peeta raised his head and looked down into content, quicksilver eyes. Her lips turned up ever so slightly and widened to a smile as he bent to kiss the corner of her mouth. He pushed tangled strands of hair away from her face and tucked them behind her ears. He then sat up and folded his legs beneath him as he stared at her intently. She flushed uncomfortably as he continued to look at her with a solemn expression on his face. "What is it? Is something wrong?" She asked hesitantly as she reached for the sheet to cover herself. She couldn't handle the feeling that he saw right through her. As much as she wanted to be completely open, some habits were too deeply engrained to be set aside all at once.
He shook his head as he took the sheet from her shaky fingers and tucked it around her. He took special care to make sure that she was completely swathed in the sheet's voluminous folds. Her grateful look earned a rueful grin and teasing tug on the edge of the sheet. He watched her in mystified silence for a few moments more and then seemed to steel himself. "Katniss," he murmured. "I forgot to tell you something earlier. You really should hear this before we go any further." She raised her eyes to his, hope and confusion battling for dominance in the silvery depths.
"What is it?" She asked. Her fear was evident but she didn't flinch nor back away.
The look that blossomed on his face was one that she would remember until her dying day. His smile had the sun in it, warm and bright and real. The words when they came were the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. "I love you too," he said shyly. "I always have. I always will." His arms opened up and she didn't hesitate before leaping into them and holding on for dear life. "We'll start over. No elaborate charades, no fancy set ups. Just you and me," He pulled her into his lap and rested his chin on the top of her head. "We're going to do this the right way. We'll take as much time as it takes." He pulled back and met her smile with one of his own. "And when we're ready, you're going to take back that ring not to mention the one that goes with it. And we're going to be happy. Happier than we ever thought we could be. What do you say, Miss Everdeen? Are you interested? "
She laughed at his bantering tone and chose to answer the same way even though she meant it with everything she had. "I'm definitely interested," she announced. "I just have one request before I accept your proposal."
His brow furrowed in confusion but he shrugged and replied, "Yeah. Sure. Whatever you want."
Katniss bit back her smile and schooled her face into a blank mask. "I'll only take the ring back if you ask me again at the police station where we first met," she announced. A tale-tale twitch of his lip gave away his opinion of that request but he held his serious expression steady. He nodded once in agreement and motioned for her to continue. She made no effort to stifle her wide grin as she gave voice to her second proviso. "And you have to wear the jeans that you had on that day. That's what caught my eye. You want me to say yes, you wear the jeans or there's no deal. Fair enough?"
He laughed delightedly and pulled her in for a massive hug. "Fair enough," he agreed. "You want me to steal your purse again while I'm at it."
She shook her head but a mischievous voice prompted her to go one step further. "No but having Finnick arrested again would be a bonus. Think you can arrange that?"
His mouth hovered a breath away from hers as he considered this latest development. The unholy light that set his blue eyes aflame answered her before he replied, "Consider it done."
And with that, the kiss that followed said more than any words could ever say.