He glances up at her, from outside the window looking into her room. His eyes are so level, so steady. And she can see what he wants. It sends warmth through her blood, tinting her cheeks.

He isn't nervous. This is what unnerves her the most. He just seems to know, what to do, and to start slow and gentle and work up from there. Katniss hadn't observed much, but occasional couple locked in a semi-public embrace she stumbled upon, to her own shame, had been aggressive and groping. Capitol people had been liberal about public displays of attraction. It made her fast twist in distaste. She didn't want the frantic, slobbery embrace for herself. She glances at her hand, connected to Peeta's, and she helps him through the window. Maybe she does.

He looks at her, considering her, as she over thinks everything said on the roof. She clamps her eyes back down on their hands, taking in the scar across her knuckles. One of many scars laced around her body. She doesn't even want to think about the utter mess her skin is. She bites her lip.

"Can we…turn off the lights?" her voice is small. She hides behind her eyes and nose and mouth, sinking behind the mask of her facial skin. Something crosses his eyes in the neighborhood of protesting, but he smiles and crosses to the lamp. Her spine un-tenses slightly at the click, glad to be surrounded by darkness.

He finds her in the dark, like he's always managed to do. His hands slide across her lower back; making her take a few small light steps towards him. They press together, her cheek presses his shoulder and he simply holds her there. She feels the steadiness of his chest, the shape of him. She wants to have it memorized, to know it. Maybe to know it's hers.

"We don't have to do anything you don't want to." He murmurs softly. His voice is so good, like honey dripping slow and sweet.

"I want to." The words come out more convinced than she thought she was. He chuckles.

"Care to be more specific?' that voice, carrying on his breath sends a chill from her ear down.

She shakes her head, losing her spine. He squeezes her a little tighter. She grabs his hand, and leads him to their bed. She takes a deep breath, shedding her shirt and shorts. She bids him to follow her, turning away like his nudity deserved modesty at a time like this. He pulls off his shirt, and she looks at the way his chest and shoulders shift as he raises his arms over his head. He looks down at her, raising an eyebrow cockily. He caught her staring. He hasn't taken his eyes off her face. He can sense her posture, how rigid she is, and knows she's a bit scared.

His fingers run up her ribs, tickling her, but not in a way that makes her giggle. She sucks in a breath, trembling. He kneels on the floor in front of her, leaning up to kiss her. She accepts this, and relaxes against the warmth of his tongue teasing her mouth. His fingers continue to trace designs along her skin. She can barely breathe. He still hasn't looked at her. She feels the tips of his fingers swirl along her spine, her legs, her hips, her belly. It's tickling and teasing and she wants to smile and moan and squirm away.

She grabs a hand, nearing the side of her breast curiously. He looks up at her apologetically. But not too upset about what he was caught doing.

"We can stop. We have time." he assures her, but she places the hand on her breast, fully covering it. She shivers, closing her eyes.

"Look at me." She begs quietly. "Really touch me."

She tangles her fingers in his hair, accepting the kiss he plants on her cheek before dragging his teeth along her neck. She squeaks in surprise as he squeezes her, gently, his other hand teasing the straps of her bra down her shoulders.

"I will." He assures her, from somewhere under her ear. "Will you let me look at you?"

She nods frantically. That's all she wants, is for him to affirm that's she's really there, because he wants to see her.

She keeps shivering, and when his fingers find the clasp keeping her away from him, she nods, eyes closed. She feels the material relax and slip from her body, and the cold air making her nipples perk. She takes a deep breath, unable to look at him. Her eyes remain closed.

She wasn't expecting the warm mouth pressed to her bosom. She gasps deeply, arching her back, as his lips part and tongue slowly traces over her nipple.

"Peeta." She whispers quietly, unsure what to ask for.

He eases her onto her back, head on the pillows, and climbs over her. His mouth re-attaches to her body, this time the other breast. She writhes under him, accepting his weight and running her hands along his chest.

"I want to see you too." She murmurs as his lips slow down.

He lifts his head, and his eyes are so blue and his lips glistening and wet. She pulls him up to kiss her, and she rolls them over, straddling his stomach. He looks up at her, her wild hair and freed breasts, and groans appreciatively. She smiles down at him. She lifts her hips off him and crawls back, urging him to sit up. He obliges, pulling her into a few stolen kisses that she left out unguarded anyway. She more than wanted to give them to him.

Her hands cup his face, then his jaw, trace down his neck and hold fast to his shoulders. She runs her hands along his chest and makes explorations down every dip and line. She shudders, looking at him. She knew what that chest felt like, against her back and maybe in a hug, but not like this. She can picture it hovering over her, pressing against hers, maybe running her hands along him as she straddled him and…

She closes her eyes. She is too overwhelmed for this now. She loved every second of what they just did, but that sort of thing, tonight, seemed too far away. He sees the sleep trying to claim her body. So he lays her back down, arms sliding around her in a hold she can't seem to sleep without, and, presses kiss to her brow and forehead and hair.

"Thank you, for giving this to me." He groans out quietly.

"I'm sorry I'm tired, I know you wanted to…"

He shakes his head, lips finding hers, reassuring, and filling her very blood with his affection. "We have time again. We have all the time we need. When you're ready, and not about to pass out." He smiles at her. All is well.

She falls asleep, nearly naked.

No nightmares.