WARNING WARNING WARNING
REALLLLLLY explicit sexual scene in first part of this chapter. Read at your own risk…
I wake up to Peeta softly running his hands through my hair. I don't mind a bit. It's one of my favorite ways to wake up, and he knows it. I look over at the windows and notice it's pitch black outside. I bring my watch up to my sight line and it reads 3:34 a.m. I quickly turn over and prop my chin right above his armpit.
"What are you doing up, Peeta?" I ask.
"Thinking," he shrugs slightly. "Sorry I woke you up, I couldn't help myself," he smiles, still playing with my hair.
"That's okay. I'd rather you did, actually. I don't like thinking of you lying here in the dark all alone with your thoughts."
"I'm not alone, I have you," he points out.
"Always," I tell him. "What were you thinking about?"
"Kat, I'm sorry," he says with sadness in his eyes.
I roll my eyes.
"What are you going to needlessly take the blame for now, Peeta?"
"I'm sorry we can't have sex," he explains sadly. "I know your hormones are….strong, and believe me, I love it as much if not more than you do. It's like a dream come true every time. I feel bad for you."
"Oh, Peeta," I sigh. "It's fine. I want you to get better. I'm not worried about it at all. Forget about it, okay?"
"Well, that's just it. I was thinking, and I realized….I still have my fingers."
As if to prove his point, he tickles the back of my neck, runs his fingertips down my back, quickly slides them under the waistband of my sweats and panties, and gently squeezes my butt playfully. I yelp a little and giggle, unable to stop the smile from spreading across my face.
"Peeta, it's really okay. You don't have to do that for me," I tell him, even though I'm secretly already getting warm and…moist.
"I know I don't have to, Kat. I want to," he says.
"Are you sure you're up for it?" I'm not referring to the actual act, which we've done many times. I love it each and every time, and it always gets better as Peeta's techniques improve. I'm asking if his health is up for it.
He nods with a saucy grin. I return it.
"Okay, I guess. Let me lock the door." I get up off the bed and engage the lock on the door. I turn back and face Peeta. Before I get back on the bed, I ask him a question.
"Do you want me to, um, get naked?"
"No, that's okay, Kat, you don't have to unless you want to," he tells me.
I've become much more comfortable around Peeta since we got married, and am no longer shy about my body. I decide that he's laid up, hurting, and it certainly can't hurt to see his wife naked. He hasn't seen me in the nude since we were on the train-ride home. So I smile at him and slowly strip down to my dark blue bra and panties.
"I want you to take them off," I answer his questioning gaze. He looks stunned.
I crawl on the bed and kneel in front of him. He reaches behind me and expertly undoes my bra clasp with two fingers, grabbing it and tossing it to the side of the bed. His eyes widen when my breasts come into view. The pregnancy is starting to make them bigger, and Peeta is loving every minute of it. He beckons me over with his gaze. I understand what he wants and lean over. He takes my nipple in his mouth and softly licks around it. It hardens instantly, and a moan escapes the back of my throat. He moves to my other breast and repeats. When he's finished he lays soft kisses all over both of my breasts. I'm on fire now.
I lean back and dart my eyes down to my panties, silently asking him to remove them. He nods with a grin. He slides his fingers, still only using his right hand, under them and slowly starts sliding them down my thighs. When they reach my knees, he can't go any further.
"Hold on," I say.
I flip over and nestle my head back into the crook of his neck, careful of his injuries. I slide my panties off quickly. I can feel the moistness in them. As I'm about to toss them to join my bra, Peeta grabs my wrist. He takes them from me. He brings them up to his nose and inhales deeply, sighing.
"Why do you always do that?" I ask, intrigued.
"It's your scent, Katniss. It drives me wild."
I blush deeply. He tosses my panties and we're finally ready. I grab his wrist and swiftly bring it down to between my legs.
"Ready, baby?" He asks.
I can't speak, so I nod.
He slips two fingers inside me and I'm instantly in heaven. He starts sliding them in and out, his thumb working the spot right outside. I grip the sheets with one hand, holding on for dear life. My other is still gripping his wrist, unwilling to let him even try to move his hand away.
"Another," I moan.
He gets my meaning and slips a third finger in me, and my pleasure increases ten fold.
"I love you," he whispers as he continues.
"I..love..you..too," I manage between breaths. "Deeper, Peeta," I groan. He complies. "Yeah, right there," I moan.
After a few minutes, I feel the familiar pressure building up in my abdomen. Peeta can tell from my breathing, and starts moving faster and faster. I release the sheets and slap my hand over my mouth. I'd be embarrassed if Haymitch, who's still here, or my mom or Prim, who might be here, heard us.
When I come, my whole body shudders. Peeta never removes his fingers, riding it out with me. It's one of the most explosive orgasms I can remember. Maybe it's because it's been a couple days since we've had sex, or maybe it's because of Peeta. I don't know, and right now, I don't care.
When I finally stop trembling, I slowly turn my head and look up at Peeta. He has a stupid grin on his face. He brings his hand that was inside me up to his nose and smells it, sniffing my scent I guess. The first time he did that I found it kind of gross, but now I understand why he does it.
"Thank you," I whisper as I lean up to kiss him, slipping my tongue in his mouth. Our two tongues dance and explore, our lips moving in synch. We're getting pretty good at kissing.
We lie for a few minutes, me in post-orgasm afterglow, and wait for my breathing to return to normal. I can't help but feel a little guilty. He's the one who's hurt, beat up, and bruised, and he just made me come – hard. I decide to return the favor.
Without a word, I reach over and softly kiss every bruise on his chest that's within the reach of my lips. I then shift my body so I'm kneeling on both knees in front of his crotch. I untie the drawstring on his sweatpants before he finally realizes what's happening.
"Kat, you don't have to," he pleads softly.
"I know I don't have to, I want to," I throw his words back at him. I glare at him, letting him know it's no longer up for discussion. He nods in resignation, but smiles in anticipation.
I use both hands to slide his sweatpants and his boxers halfway down his thighs. He's already rock hard, and I grin.
I lean over and take him in my mouth, using my tongue to wet it, sliding up and down slowly. He moans softly.
"Oh my god," he groans as I slide my mouth down his entire length, which is quite a feat. I look up and we lock gazes, the intensity of it almost overwhelming.
I slowly build my speed up faster and faster, and I can hear his breathing getting quicker and quicker as he inches closer to his release.
"Kat, I'm going to come," he tells me, "move away, baby."
I shake my head slightly and keep him in my mouth, still sliding my tongue up and down. I feel his body tense then release, and he comes, hitting the back of my throat and sliding down slowly. It's warm and a little salty, but I'm not totally opposed to the taste. It is the unique taste of Peeta, my husband. I can see now why he loves to smell my panties and his fingers and what not. I keep him in my mouth as I move up and down, making sure he gets everything out. When I can feel that he's finished, I clean his length with my tongue slowly as he shivers, then I kiss the very tip of it and smile up at him. He has a completely bewildered look on his face, like he is having trouble believing what just happened.
"How was that?" I ask with a smile.
"Ohhhh," he moans.
"That good, huh?"
He just nods.
"Happy to be of service," I tell him as I pull his pants and boxers up, then hop off the bed, making my way to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I want to kiss Peeta – bad – but I know I need to wash my mouth out first.
When I'm done I return to the bed, snapping my bra back on and sliding my panties up. I lie down, snuggling into Peeta and kissing him slowly.
When we part, I cuddle into his neck softly, making sure to not aggravate any of his injured areas. We're both sated and satisfied now, and we both have wide smiles plastered on our faces.
"Did you, um, swallow all that?" He sheepishly asks.
"Of course," I nod.
"You didn't have t-"
"Shh," I quiet him. "I wanted to, Peeta. I wanted to do that for you, and for me."
"Wow. You really are the best wife in the world," he says in awe.
I giggle, thinking about my shortcomings in the domesticity department of our marriage, but accept Peeta's praise.
"Thank you, honey," I say. "You know you're the best husband in the world too."
He smiles wide.
We fall back asleep shortly thereafter, the lock still engaged on the door, as I'm only in a bra and panties.
The next time we wake up it's already light out. I'm still relaxed from our nocturnal activities, and I hope it lasts for a good portion of the day.
I kiss Peeta good morning, both of us still smiling, and hop in the shower. I strip as I make my way to the bathroom, giving Peeta a little show as I wiggle my butt. I hear him groan behind me. I leave the door wide open as I shower, giving Peeta a good view of me. He watches me the entire time, and I find it comforting in an odd way.
I dress in a pair of jeans and a simple black t-shirt, and just put a pair of wool socks on, knowing I probably won't leave the house today. I braid my hair back and sit on the bed next to Peeta.
"What are you doing today?" He asks.
"Taking care of my convalescent husband," I say like it should be obvious.
"See? Best. Wife. Ever."
A couple minutes later there's a knock at the door.
"Sweetheart?" It's Haymitch. "There's someone at the door for you."
"Kay," I tell him. "I'll be back," I say to Peeta, giving him a kiss before I make my way to the door.
"Kat," Peeta calls out before I leave. I turn. "If my mom shows up at any point, don't let her in under any circumstances."
"Why?" I ask.
He sighs deeply.
"The last time I got hurt like this, in high school, she got so angry at me that she ended up adding to my injuries. She cracked a rib and broke my arm, and gave me a black eye on top of it."
I'm overcome with sadness for Peeta, and blinding rage for his mother. I want nothing more than to comfort him right now, but there's someone waiting for me at the door.
"Okay, Peeta. I'll be back soon. I love you."
"Love you too."
I walk down the stairs yawning. The door is wide open, and I literally can't believe the person standing there next to Haymitch.
It's that bitch Sarah.
She picked the wrong time to show up.
I walk right up to her, seething, and it shows. I see her eyes widen.
"What do you want?" I ask firmly.
"I heard about Peeta," she says evenly. "I wanted to come by and help him."
"Really? I think we've got it handled."
"Do you? This is all your fault, I heard. It was your ex-boyfriend who beat him up, wasn't it? How can he even look at you?" She sneers.
"First, Gale is not my ex-boyfriend. He was my friend, nothing more. Second, this is Gale's fault, not mine or Peeta's. You've got a lot of nerve showing up on my doorstep and talking to me like this. Who do you think you are anyways?"
"This is Peeta's house," she retorts. "And he can let in whoever he wants," she sticks her nose up.
I sigh and roll my eyes.
"This is my house too, Sarah. We're married, remember? I can go get the deed for you if you'd like. And as the co-owner of this home, I am refusing you entry."
"Well I guess we'll see what your 'husband' has to say about that after gets a taste of me," she snaps confidently. She puts air quotes around husband, implying something.
She tries to brush past me, but I'm ready for her. I've had enough. I grab her around the waist and shove her back out the doorway.
"Leave," I say, "or else." My right hand is twitching, wanting me to step to the right, reach into the coat closet, and get my bow. I went and got it last night after the sun went down. I've asked Haymitch to construct me a false wall in the closet to hide it behind, but he obviously hasn't had time to do it yet.
"Are you going to let her do this?" She asks Haymitch.
Haymitch just laughs, shrugging his shoulders.
"Sweetheart can do whatever she wants. I learned a long time ago to never mess with her."
Sarah huffs and takes a step forward to try and come in again. I'm done with this.
I reach back, and with all the strength I can possibly muster, punch her square in the face. She stumbles backwards and falls on her ass, blood gushing out of her nose.
"Get this trash off my porch, Haymitch," I tell him as I turn around and stomp back upstairs.
Peeta's eyes widen when I tell him who it was and what happened. He lightly scolds me for punching her, but relents when he understands that I'm emotional, and she kept pushing me. I did warn her.
A couple minutes later, the phone rings on our nightstand. I reach over and grab it.
"Mellark residence."
"Mrs. Mellark? Plutarch Heavensbee."
"Hi, Plutarch. What can I do for you?"
"Well, we heard about what happened to you and your husband. We here are very sorry, and want you to know if there's anything you two need, don't hesitate to ask."
"Thank you. We appreciate it."
"It's the least I can do. Last night, I overnighted a package to you. It contains a special balm that will get rid of any scars Peeta might have from the attack. It should arrive on this afternoon's train."
"Really? Um, thank you. That's great."
"Of course. And, Mrs. Mellark, we want you to know that your continued support of our cause is also most appreciated, and we will not forget about you two."
"Is it safe for us to talk about that?" I whisper, as if it would actually help if someone were listening.
He chuckles.
"Yes, I assure you it's safe, Mrs. Mellark. I would not have called otherwise. Anyways, the plans for the upcoming Quell are kicking into high gear, and I'm sure we will have some things to go over with you, your husband, and Haymitch soon. I'll speak to you in the near future."
"Thanks again, Plutarch. Have a good day."
"You as well, Mrs. Mellark. Give my best to Mr. Mellark."
"What did Plutarch want?" Peeta asks when I hang up the phone.
"He wanted to let us know he's thinking of you. He sent you a balm that will get rid of your scars. It should get here today. I'll get Prim to put it on you. He said he's going to have some stuff to talk to us about soon regarding the…um…rebellion."
"Oh," Peeta's eyes widen. "Okay." I nod.
Just then, Haymitch knocks on our door again.
"Yeah?" I call out.
"Katniss, there's someone at the door again."
I sigh and slap my hand on my forehead. It's been non-stop so far today.
I trudge down the stairs again, and, just like last time, the door is open. It's my in-laws. Rye, Nan, Peeta's dad, and I can see Peeta's mom standing in the back. I give the three men hugs and they whisper apologies, giving me soft reassuring kisses on the cheek.
"Can we go see him, sis?" Rye asks.
"Go on up, guys, he's in our bedroom. Just don't hurt him, okay?"
"Yes, Katniss," they say together. "Peeta has let us know in no uncertain terms to never piss you off."
I grin at that.
The three men walk past me and towards the stairs. His mom starts to walk in, but before she can, I reach my arm out and put my hand on the door, effectively blocking her path.
"No," I say simply.
"Excuse me?" She snaps.
"I said, no."
"This is my son's house, and I will go see him if I want to, brat," she snarls.
This again? I roll my eyes.
"It's my house too, you know. And Peeta already told me he doesn't want you here."
She actually looks a little hurt when I say that, and I scoff at her. She actually expects undying love from him after all she's done to him?
"Why not?" She folds her arms across her chest defiantly.
"He told me what you did last time he got hurt like this. Even if he hadn't, there's no chance in hell I'd let you near him. You know what I'll do to you if you even try to touch him."
She's even more mad now, if that's even possible.
"Listen to me, you piece of Seam shit. You don't deserve my son. You're no good for him. I don't care that you're pregnant, it's probably not even his baby. How you going to explain that one to him, huh?" Now she's just trying to bait me, and I see right through it. "You're going to mess up one of these days, and he's going to come to his senses and leave you, and then you'll have to crawl back to me and admit that I was right. Good luck."
I just bury my rage and smile at her.
"You can wait for your sons and husband on the porch. I'll tell Peeta you stopped by."
With that, I slam the door in her face.
"Make sure she stays out there until they leave, Haymitch." He's turning into our doorman today.
"You got it, sweetheart."
I go into the kitchen and eat a few cheese buns that were in the fridge, giving Peeta time with his family. About ten minutes later, I hear them come down the stairs.
"Bye, sis!" Rye and Nan call from the front.
"Bye, Katniss!" His dad calls.
"Bye, boys!" I call back.
I hear them open and close the door. I breathe a sigh of relief, she's gone.
I make my way back up to Peeta, who has a smile on his face from his visit, and lie down. I tell him about his mom, and he laughs at my reaction, telling me it was perfect. He thanks me for not letting her in. We settle in, cuddling, and I just wait for the inevitable next knock at the door.
Just as I predicted, it comes about an hour later.
"Sweetheart?" Haymitch quietly asks from outside.
"Yeah, I'm coming," I grumble as I kiss Peeta and roll off the bed in a huff.
I repeat my walk down the stairs, and gasp when I see who's at the door this time.
It's Gale's family. Hazelle, Rory, and Posy. I haven't talked to them in months. Not since before I married Peeta. Not since my relationship with Gale went downhill. Now I'm pressing charges against him. He tried to murder my family. I don't know how to react to his, not yet.
I glance to the right and notice Prim in the living room, apparently playing chess with Haymitch. I hear who I assume is my mom back in the kitchen.
"Um, hi," I quietly say when I reach the bottom of the stairs.
"Hi, Katniss," Hazelle says warily. "We heard about Peeta. We wanted to come pay our respects."
I nod.
"Thanks. We appreciate it. Rory, Posy, why don't you guys stay down here with Prim and Haymitch while I take your mom upstairs, okay?"
"Okay!" They happily yell, running into the living room.
"Come on," I say, turning back to Hazelle.
I lead her up the stairs. As we're walking down the hallway, she speaks so softly I almost can't hear her.
"I also wanted to talk to you and Peeta alone. About Gale, and everything that happened. If that's okay."
"Okay," I manage to say.
I lightly knock on the door and crack it open.
"Peeta? Hazelle is here to see you."
"Come on in!" He says happily. Sometimes I can forget how my husband always sees the best in people, no matter who they are or are related to.
Hazelle smiles softly and follows me into the room. I motion for her to take a seat in the chair on Peeta's left side as I hop back on the bed and resume my position on his right side.
"How are you feeling, Peeta?" She asks.
"Much better, thank you. Kat here has been helping me. I owe it all to her."
"Peeta," I blush.
"He's right, Katniss. I've heard you are doing a great job helping him," Hazelle adds.
I nod gratefully to both of them.
"Listen, I wanted to come here today for two reasons," she begins. "First, I wanted to see how you're doing. I'm actually a little overwhelmed at the extent of your injuries. The gossip around the District is only saying you were beaten, nobody is really talking about how badly. That kind of leads me into the second reason I'm here."
"Gale," Peeta surmises.
"Yes," Hazelle nods. "I've been to see him at the Justice Building. He tells a completely different story from what I've heard from other people, including the Peacekeepers and the Mayor. I want to believe my son, but I can't. If you don't mind, can you maybe quickly tell me what happened, from the beginning?"
Peeta and I look at each other, and slightly nod.
"Okay," I tell her. "Well it all started when Gale interrupted Peeta's and my first date. When I told him we were dating, he stormed off. Then he kept trying to corner me, but I always got away. One time in the woods I actually had to kick him in the crotch to get away from him. One day, a few weeks after that, he found me in the woods again and we talked for a while. I ended up having to tell him I was married to Peeta. Hazelle, he refused to believe that I wasn't in love with him, and repeatedly tried to get me to leave my husband. It got pretty heated, and I eventually aimed my bow at him and told him I didn't want him coming near Peeta or me again. He stayed away until after we got back from the Victory Tour. The night after the banquet, I was on the porch, and he showed up. We got into a yelling match, about my pregnancy and Peeta, and Peeta eventually came outside to see what was going on. When Gale saw him, he just snapped. He tackled Peeta and did this to him," I motion to Peeta's extensive injuries.
"Oh my god," Hazelle gasps. "I can't believe Gale would do all those things."
"Me either," I say. "He's changed, Hazelle, and I don't know who he is anymore. But that's not the end. He knocked Peeta unconscious, and had slapped me hard. I was on the floor trying to get stand back up. He – he – Hazelle, he was about to kick me in the stomach. He tried to kill our baby," I'm starting to sob. Peeta rubs my back soothingly. "Haymitch came out of nowhere and tackled Gale before he could kick me."
Hazelle is crying too now, her face in her hands, shaking her head slowly back and forth. Peeta ignores the pain in his left shoulder, reaching out his left hand, softly placing it on her arm in a comforting gesture. I'm reminded, yet again, of how good of a man he truly is.
"What did he tell you?" I croak out.
Hazelle composes herself a little before she speaks.
"He told me that you were in love with him, and refused to admit it. That Peeta attacked him, and he fought back in self-defense, and got thrown in jail because you two are Victors. He also apparently lied and said that you told him you'd leave Peeta for him once he gets out of jail."
"WHAT!?" I yell. "That is flat-out lie. All of those things are lies, obviously."
"I know," she nods sadly.
"Hazelle," I say quietly. She looks up at me. "When I went to see him yesterday….he threatened to rape me when he gets out."
Her jaw drops and her eyes widen.
"No…"
I nod somberly.
"It's true," I say, barely above a whisper.
I don't thinks she needs to know the horrible things Gale said about our baby, or the things he accused Peeta of. I'm sure they'll come out during the trial, but I can't find it in my heart to say it right now.
"Look, Hazelle," Peeta speaks up, gently. "We understand that Gale is your son. You will always love him, no matter what. We have our own child on the way, so we're beginning to understand that bond. We just can't risk having him around our family anymore, ever. He took it too far this time."
"I know," she admits. "And I understand. I'll do everything in my power to help keep you safe."
"Thank you," Peeta and I say at the same time.
"But I need you to know, when this goes to trial, I will be on his side of the courtroom. He's still my son, even if he tried to – to – to do those horrible things. I won't testify unless they ask me to, but I promise I will tell the truth if I do. Now that I know the full truth, I see everything much clearer. The way Gale has been acting these last few months, I should have seen this coming."
"You can't blame yourself," Peeta whispers. "Nobody could have known he'd do this."
"But I'm his mother!" She exclaims frantically. "I should know him better than anyone. Now I have no idea what he's thinking, or why he does the things he does. It's like he's not the man I raised. I just don't know anymore, I don't know."
I get up off the bed and walk around it, leaning over and wrapping my arms around Hazelle. She sobs into my chest.
"Shh, it's okay," I whisper. "Nobody blames you, we never will. This isn't your fault. It's nobody but Gale's. We're okay, Hazelle, we're going to be fine. You need to worry about Rory and Posy now. Make sure they grow up to be the great people I know you will mold them into."
"Thank you, Katniss," she croaks out. "I'm stunned that I can come in here, and given what Gale has done to the two of you, you have treated me with such respect and care. You truly are wonderful people, and you will make great parents."
"Thank you," Peeta sincerely says. She reaches over and takes his hand, squeezing it.
"I'm going to take her out," I tell Peeta quietly. He nods.
I wrap an arm around her waist and slowly lead her back down the hall. She's almost stopped sobbing now. I stop at the guest bathroom so she can clean herself up. She nods gratefully, and when she's ready, we go downstairs together.
We thank each other again, hug, and she leaves with Posy and Rory. I give Haymitch a quick recap of the visit, and he is also amazed at our reactions.
The rest of the day goes this way. People show up at the door, Haymitch answers, and if it's someone important enough, comes and gets me. Delly and Madge stop by and see Peeta. He's happy to see them both. Most people just want to pay their respects and some drop off food for us. It's starting to pile up on the kitchen table and the counters. I grab some cookies that his dad left us and bring them up to Peeta at one point. His dad told me they were his favorite. We also receive more phone calls. Effie calls, and I can tell she's crying, frantic about Peeta. I spend a half hour calming her down. Not my favorite thing in the world. The Mayor calls to check on us, and reassures us Gale is still under lock and key, and that the charges are pending.
At one point, Haymitch walks to the train station to get the package Plutarch sent us. I give it to Prim, and she tells me she'll apply it to Peeta's scars in a couple days after she takes his stitches out.
Finally the sun goes down and the stream of visitors trickles out. I'm exhausted from going up and down the stairs about a thousand times. I don't think I've ever received so many hugs.
I get ready for bed, making sure Peeta has everything he needs. I bring him his toothbrush so he can brush his teeth. I tell him I'm going to make him get up and walk tomorrow. He protests, but I'm adamant that he will at least try.
Eventually I curl up next to Peeta and drift into a dreamless, heavy sleep.
Today was one of the longest days of my entire life.
A/N: Phew! An emotional chapter. I had to have some of those conversations written, so I did them all in one chapter. The next chapter will skip forward in time a bit as we begin to move the plot along towards the Quell and the Rebellion.
Thanks for all the reviews! It motivated me to sit down and write today's second chapter. I'll try and write the next chapter in the morning tomorrow, and if I get enough reviews again, I'll write a second chapter in the afternoon/evening like today. I just HAVE to watch the Giants game against the Redskins in the afternoon….
Keep reading and enjoying! Ta ta for now.