Thank Carmelle for this update. She's the ONLY Reviewer to actually point out grammatical errors LOL.

-thamockingjayandpeeta

Even though sometime during that night we had curled into each other, because when I woke up the next morning, with a splitting headache, our bodies were wrapped around each other, that first argument became one of many we had in regards to children over the years.

Katniss and I didn't argue, argue. How could you stay mad at a person for long when they slipped off the face of the earth for days at time? Or when they had a flashback so bad they had to play 'Real, not real' for a few hours, the first time in years?

But there were a few slammed doors, a few harsh words, and a few hours of ignoring each other.

Yet you couldn't constantly argue about children when 11 had their memorial only a year after ours, and we had to be there for Haymitch as he mourned the loss of Chaff all over again. It was a good thing Katniss had gotten her closure about Rue during our anniversary.

In fact children were all but forgotten for a while, until Delly had another child a few years after Katniss and I had gotten married, and I fell absolutely in love with the little girl.

I mean head over heels in love.

After Delly's daughter was born I started asking Katniss again. Not pressuring her, just asking. She'd get defensive, and I'd usually back down and apologize before it could turn into an argument.

We'd been married for four years when I finally felt like I had somewhat of a victory. Not a huge victory. It wasn't a yes.

But she gave me hope.

It happened at the beginning of the year. Coincidentally earlier that morning I had been going through a few things and I found a picture I had drawn of Finn. It was an exact replica of the one Annie had sent us for the book. I stared at it for several moments, thinking about how much he'd grown since then. He had just made varsity for his football team at school, a game I personally thought was too violent to be reinstated, but compared to the Games, I guess I couldn't really complain.

I suspected that Katniss caught me looking at it, though when I looked up she was nowhere to be found. I took the picture to my bakery, framing it, and put it on my desk.

Katniss and I were lying in bed later that same night, our breathing hard, as we drifted off to sleep. I was almost there when Katniss said,

"Aren't you going to ask me?"

"Ask you what?" I said sleepily.

She had paused for a moment. "Aren't you going to say, 'Maybe this is the year we'll have children?' You always say it after we make love on New Years."

I sighed. "I don't feel like fighting with you tonight, Katniss," I had told her honestly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" There was that defensiveness in her voice.

It took me several moments to answer, and I had tried to choose my words carefully. "I just don't… I don't know how to ask you so that you'll want to say yes." All that thinking, and that's what came out. Great.

"You mean you don't know how to trick me into saying yes." I could tell she instantly regretted saying that because there were tears in her voice when she said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

"I just…." I struggled to find the words, and this feeling of not knowing what to say was completely foreign to me. "You said you'd been thinking about it, and that was a few years ago. So I guess I'm just wondering if you're still at least thinking about it?" I hated the plea in my voice, the desperation.

"Would you have still married me if I said I didn't want children?"

"What?" Now I sat up. "Of course I would have." I felt this sinking in the pit of my stomach. "Did… did you only say that so that I would marry you?"

I could tell I had said something wrong when she stared at me with blazing eyes. "I've done a lot of wrong things to you in the past," she said coldly, "so I'm gonna let that slide. But I haven't lied to you since that day on the beach, Peeta."

"I'm sorry," I said quickly, and I felt my energy of the whole conversation deflate. Sighing I pull her into me, snuggling into her. "I'm sorry," I repeated, kissing her neck. "I didn't mean it. And we don't have to talk about it anymore, okay?"

She doesn't want children.

I knew that.

I could live with that.

I felt her relax against me after a few moments, a soft sigh escaping out of her mouth. I felt myself drifting off when she said,

"I do still think about it, Peeta. Okay? Your wishes aren't falling on deaf ears." She had turned to me, and I stared at her, and I wondered if she could hear my heartbeat speeding up in the silence. "I'm just so scared," she said, and her eyes filled with tears. "And on the days I do think about it, I wonder…" she gulped and several tears spilled down her cheeks. "I wonder what if I can't give them to you? What if… what if after everything the Games did to me, I can't have children?"

I pulled her into me, stroking her hair. "It's okay, Katniss. Don't cry. Just forget it about it for now, okay? We'll cross that bridge if we get there."

She hiccupped into me. "I do think about it," she repeated. "She'll look like you," she added softly, and I almost jerk, because the fact that Katniss says 'she' means she has thought about it.

"She'll be beautiful regardless," I murmured, and I could feel Katniss nodding against my cheek.

So when we drift off to sleep, I considered that a mild victory.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That was a few months ago. Now spring was here, the April sunshine a welcomed relief after the harsh winter. 12 saw it's first blizzard in years this past winter, so we were happy that the sun was shining, the birds chirping, the flowers growing.

I was at the other bakery when Katniss came in, the bell dinging as the door opened. She always took my breath away, but it was something about seeing her in a long pleated green plaid skirt with yellow and white squares. She wore a yellow V-neck shirt with it.

"Hey," I said, handing back my customer's change.

"Hey yourself," responded Katniss.

"What brings you here?"

"Cookies," she said, smiling.

"You have a particular flavor in mind?"

"Surprise me."

"I just made some lemon shortbread. They're still warm."

"Perfect."

"Don't you get enough of his cookies at home?" asked my customer.

Katniss shook her head. "We have bread for dinner every night. And sometimes we'll have waffles or pancakes or cinnamon rolls for breakfast. But normally he saves things like cookies and cake for the bakery."

"That way she doesn't get spoiled," I said with a smile. I handed Katniss a plate full of cookies. "See you later," I told the guest.

"Bye, Peeta. Mrs. Mellark."

Katniss waved goodbye and took a bite, moaning.

"Oh my God," said Katniss. "These are amazing."

I locked the door before turning to her. When she heard the click she looked up. I didn't say a word, though, and instead, I just started heading to the back office. When I'm almost out of sight I beckon her to follow me with my index finger, my back still facing her.

The plate of cookies was forgotten.

I swiped off all the contents on top of my desk and motioned for Katniss to get on top of it.

She does.

"You know you're welcome here anytime you want," I explained to her, calmly. "But you know how… distracted I get when you show up."

"Peeta." I try not to shiver, but I can feel the goose bumps on my arms as the way she says my name hit my eardrums.

She wants it just as badly as I do.

We don't undress. There will be plenty of time for that later on when I get home. She seemed to understand this as she unbuckled my pants, skipping my shirt, and pulled both my pants and boxers down at the same time. I pushed her back so that she was lying on the desk, lifted her skirt, and found out very quickly she wasn't wearing any underwear.

"Did you come here to seduce me?" I asked, amazed.

"No," smirked Katniss. "I really wanted a cookie. If you so happened to get turned on while I was here, though…" she spread her legs, wide. "So be it."

I entered all of myself into her, reveling in the way her back arched off of the desk as I did so. I stayed still for several moments, getting my bearings, because no matter how many times we made love each time was brand new and just as exhilarating as the last.

When we were finished Katniss attempted to straighten up her clothes.

"I look like I've been doing exactly what I've been doing," she scowled. She wasn't lying. Her hair was a mess, her lips red, and the only place her shirt was wrinkled was where I had gripped her breasts while pounding into her.

I snickered and pulled her to me, attempting to fix her hair, and finally deciding to braid it like she always does. She stayed still as I did, and then turned to me with surprised eyes.

"I didn't know you knew how to do that," she told me.

"I've certainly watched you do it enough times," I responded.

At the door, she kissed me. "See you at sunset."

"Always."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

One day in June I was at the bakery. My manager and his wife had just had a baby so he was on what I liked to call paternity leave. I was running the bakery like I used to, back in the old days, and my body certainly knew that I was no longer young. Still, I was fit, not just for my age, but in general.

Today was unbearably hot, and even though I knew I was supposed to be helping the delivery guy with the flour, when the bell chimed, signaling a customer, I immediately ditched the delivery boy and made my way inside, wiping my sweaty brow with a towel. I knew John, my associate, could probably handle it, but he was still relatively new and I wanted to check on him.

So I told myself.

"Hey, Peeta."

"Oh. Hey, Mrs. Mayer." I tried to keep my voice neutral as I spoke to her. I didn't really care too much for her, but her husband was one of my best customers.

Today, however, I smiled when I saw her.

"Well who do we have here?" I asked, staring at the baby in her arms. I knew the boy wasn't hers. For one, the Mayer's children were much older. Two, the Mayers were from the Seam.

This baby certainly was not, with its blond hair and bright blue eyes.

"This is Henry," she said with a smile. "He's visiting all the way from District 1. That's where my sister lives now."

"Would Henry like a cookie?" I asked.

Apparently he would, because he grinned. I handed him one of my softest chocolate chip cookies and he started nibbling.

"You're always so sweet with children, Peeta. When is that wife of yours going to give you a child?"

I bit my jaw to keep from scowling. It was always the way she said 'wife of yours' that irritated me. "When Katniss and I have children is our business," I reminded Mrs. Mayer for the millionth time. I turned to get her usual order, handing it to her.

I tickled little Henry on the chin and he broke into a fit of giggles.

"May I hold him?"

"Absolutely. He's very friendly." And he was. The minute I had him he was bouncing and making noise.

The bell chimed at the same time that Mrs. Mayer put her hand on my chest. "You're really good with children, Peeta."

I was staring at her hand, shocked that she'd been so bold, when a voice made my blood freeze.

"Get the hell away from my husband."

The room grew incredibly silent, not that it was loud before. Aside from Mrs. Mayer, Little Henry, John and I, there were a couple of customers who were sitting down and eating cake. Other than that, the bakery was empty.

"Katniss, dear," said Mrs. Mayer as if nothing was wrong. "We were just talking about you."

Dear Jesus I wish she'd shut up. The look in Katniss' eyes was scaring me. Not to mention she had her bow in her hand, her father's hunting jacket on, and boots. She looked positively terrifying.

"Get out," was Katniss' only reply. Mrs. Mayer's smile started to turn into a grimace.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I didn't stutter. Nor do I repeat myself." Katniss stepped aside and held open the door. "And if I even see you looking in the direction of my husband, ever again, I'll treat you like the game in the bag on my back."

"But—"

"You are not to step foot in this bakery again." As Mrs. Mayer started to sputter I stepped in.

"I'd listen to her," I told her. "You've seen her in the Games. She doesn't miss."

"But Peeta… Katniss… I mean we went to school together."

"You're no friend of mine. And I don't like how friendly you're trying to become with my husband. You have your own. Flirt with him. You've overstayed your welcome."

"So you expect my family and I to starve?"

Katniss looked like she didn't give a good got damn what happened to their family, but when she spoke, she said, "Your husband can pick up the bread, and trade with me."

"Absolutely not." Katniss arched an eyebrow. "Peeta and Mr. Mayer may trade together. But you are not allowed anywhere near him. He looks too much like Gale."

Oh shit. This poor woman.

Katniss marched forward and in three long strides was in front of Mrs. Mayer. Katniss withdrew her hand back and clocked Mrs. Mayer in the center of her nose.

She fell straight back, hitting the floor with a loud thud.

Again, the room was deathly quiet.

"John?" rang out Katniss' voice, unusually calm.

"Ma'am?" responded my associate.

"Take out the trash. It seems to be crowding the customers."

"Will do, Mrs. Mellark." I could hear the smirk in his voice as he said it.

With that Katniss turned around and left, and I just stood there, watching her.

"So that's how she won the Revolution," one of the customers who were eating cake said. I nodded. "Pretty scary. Awesome. But scary."

I went back out to help the delivery guy while John took out the trash, Henry in his arm.

Later that night, when I got home, Katniss was in the living room, drinking fresh squeezed lemonade. I came in, closing the door, and walked up to her to give her a kiss.

How it turned into sex I'll never know, but I don't care.

When her hips were grinding into mine, our flesh slapping, our bodies flush, Katniss pulled my hair, bringing my face to hers. After a searing kiss that nearly made me combust she sunk her teeth in my neck.

The sensation was nearly too much to handle, and I nearly lost it, especially when she dug her fingers into my back, raking up and down. Then she placed her palms on my hips, pushing me even harder into her.

"Katniss," I gasped out, and finally she removed her lips and teeth from my neck.

"That's right," moaned out Katniss. "Say my name."

"Katniss," I said again. I was close, so close.

"You're mine, okay Peeta?" I glanced at her, her lips puffy, her eyes dark. "Mine. Mine."

"Jesus, Katniss. Always," I groaned out. "Always."

"Fill me, Peeta," she whispered. "Fill me."

I pumped into her and then exploded, and she wrapped her legs around me as if to take in every drop. When my heart flew back into my chest and I remembered the wonderful language of English, I slid off of Katniss, onto the floor, giving her the couch. "What was that?" I asked.

Katniss shrugged, but smiled smugly, slipping on my shirt. She bent down, kissing the top of my head.

"Mine," she said, brushing her hand across my face as she walked upstairs, and I got it then. She always got like that when some woman came on to me.

I laid down on the floor, still too weak to move. All I could do was shake my head at Katniss with a smile on my face.

Hers.

Always.