Warning: This chapter contains adult situations and concepts, including sexual discussion and sex as a plot point. The chapter will be slightly edited on FFnet but will be featured in its entirety on Ao3. Choose your path wisely.

Lovers in a Dangerous Time
by FanficAllergy & RoseFyre

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Chapter Three: Truly Madly Deeply

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Last Time in Lovers in a Dangerous Time:

Peeta opens his mouth to say something, but he's cut off by a familiar strident voice. "Where are they?"

Peeta's eyes widen and he stares down at Katniss in growing horror. "You don't mean…"

Our wife refuses to meet his gaze.

A middle aged woman with faded blond hair appears out of the throng. "There you are!" She crosses her arms over her flat chest and narrows her dark blue eyes. "Come on, boy, aren't you going to say hello to your mother?"

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The scowl on the bitch's face deepens at Peeta's silence. "Well, boy? I know I raised you better than that. Don't stand there with your mouth hanging open like a fish. Greet your mother properly!"

"I'm sorry." Peeta lumbers forward, pressing an awkward kiss to his mother's cheek. "Hello, Mother. I'm… happy to see you?" He's stammering, a sure sign of his nervousness and discomfort.

"And aren't you going to introduce me to your little friends?" Her eyes flick to me then to Katniss, all the while glittering dangerously. The bitch is enjoying her son's discomfort, and doing what she can to keep him that way.

Peeta startles. He's off-balance. "This is my husband, Gale Hawthorne, and my wife, Katniss Everdeen."

"Hm." She snorts. "Seam trash. I should have known a rotten boy like you would end up with Seam trash."

I see red. That's it. I'm done. I am not going to stand here and let my husband and wife be insulted. I don't care if she is family, you don't treat family like this. "Better Seam trash than a harridan like you. What kind of mother must you be if all your children can't wait to escape from you?"

"I wasn't talking to you. You should really learn some manners, boy." She glares down her nose at me.

I glare right back. There's no way I'm going to let her intimidate me. "I could say the same thing about you." My fingers twitch. I want to shove her words back down her throat.

"I'm glad you survived the flu, Mother," Peeta interrupts our growing fight, casting a pleading glance in my direction. I know what he's trying to tell me. Let it go. This is a fight we aren't going to win. She isn't going to change and violence isn't the answer.

He's probably right. Smacking Mrs. Mellark isn't going to help.

Even though I want to.

She sniffs. "No thanks to you. You weren't around to help, running off with this… rubbish."

He's ours. Not hers. I'm not letting her treat him like that, which means there's two choices: get into a fight or get away from her. I take option two. "You'll pardon me, ma'am, but I feel the pressing need to make love to my husband right now. I got a bad taste of something in my mouth. Gotta wash it out."

With that, I hoist Peeta over my shoulder and push through what's left of the crowd.

Behind me, I hear Katniss deliver a parting remark. "Leave us alone. Leave Peeta alone. We don't need you." She pauses and I can visualize the hardness, the threat, in her gray eyes. "I wish I'd left you behind in Twelve."

I couldn't agree more.

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"Gale, you can put me down now."

I grunt.

"Gale, we should wait for Katniss," Peeta reasons.

I grunt again. The words really don't have any meaning for me.

"Seriously, Gale, people are starting to look at us weird."

"I don't care." I'm furious. We reach the end of the corridor, and I punch the button summoning the elevator angrily. The sooner we get back to our quarters, the sooner things will start to go back to normal.

Peeta changes tacks. "Not that I don't like you being all hot sexy caveman, but… my stitches are starting to pull."

That penetrates. Instantly contrite, I set him down, looking him over for any sign of blood. "I'm sorry. I didn't think. Are you okay? Do you need to go to Medical?"

"I'm fine." He slaps my hands away.

I ignore him and continue my examination. My husband is horrible at taking care of himself. He'd insist he was fine while bleeding to death. Narrowing my eyes, I look for any discolorations on his clothes. It's hard to tell because we're both wearing dark colors. "You should have told me sooner," I mutter half to myself, half to him.

Peeta cups my face. "Hey. I told you I liked it. It was kind of… sweet."

"Hm." I grunt again.

"You really are all caveman right now." He grins. It's lopsided and real. And I want to kiss him so badly right now.

Katniss catches up to us before I can. "So what'd I miss?"

Peeta slings an arm around her. "Nothing much. Just our husband grunting like he's Tarzan and I'm Jane."

She shakes her head. "Another movie reference?"

"Yeah, it is." He sighs. "It'd be hilarious if you knew it. Remind me to tell Madge. She'll get the reference."

"How much to do want to bet the movie had Finnick Odair in it?" Katniss teases.

I'm in no mood for this. I grunt, my lip curling up at the thought of the handsome Victor. I don't know why Peeta's so obsessed with the man. It's not like he's that good looking.

I reach out and grab my spouses' hands, pulling them toward our quarters. I meant what I said. I fully intend on making love to the two of them right now, and I don't want to waste time in pointless conversation. Especially pointless conversation that includes Finnick Fucking Odair.

"We get it, Gale," Peeta grins. "No need to be too impatient."

"Then why aren't you moving?" I tug at their hands again.

They laugh but start walking. Finally. I'd hate to have to try to carry both of them at the same time. I'm damned sure Katniss would skewer my balls if I did. And I have plans for that part of my body. Detailed and elaborate plans.

Our quarters are quiet. Rain must be down in the nursery. Good. What I plan on doing to and with my spouses shouldn't be witnessed by the eyes of children, even if they won't remember it.

Scanning the room again, I note the changes: a blanket thrown over the edge of the couch, a crate of toys under the crib, a file on the bedside table. I take a deep breath. The room smells of Katniss with an underlying hint of antiseptic, a smell which pervades Thirteen. I miss the scent of the earth, trees, and wind. Every so often, I catch a hint of wilderness when I'm on the upper levels, but we've been in Thirteen so long that I've become accustomed to the unnatural scent. Even the time we spent in Six isn't enough to break the habit.

I shake my head. Why am I thinking about such inconsequential things when my spouses are standing right in front of me? Time to fix this. Grabbing the nearest one, who happens to be my husband, I crush my lips to his. He stiffens slightly before returning my kiss. He tastes familiar, normal. Even his slightly roughened and winter chapped lips are comforting beneath my own.

I pull him tighter against me, careful not to injure him further. He's my Peeta, my boy. I need him to understand that. I don't want any other man but him. I chose him. He's mine. I love him.

His hands slip around my waist, sliding up my spine. His fingers play with the hairs at the base of my scalp. He knows what I like. I lick against his lips, asking for, not demanding, entrance. I may be acting all caveman right now, but I'm not going to take more than what Peeta's willing to give.

A jolt of desire zings through me when Peeta's mouth opens under mine. I don't need to ask twice. I dive in, my tongue wrestling with his. The kiss is rapidly becoming wet and sloppy, just the way I like 'em. I stroke my hands up Peeta's shoulders to cup his face.

With a little shake of his head, he pulls away, the pupils of his dark blue eyes blown. "We need to talk." His voice is breathy, like he's been running.

"We can talk later." I bend my head to kiss him again, but he reaches a hand up to stop me.

"As much as I really like kissing you, and I really like kissing you, I think it's time we had another one of those conversations." He turns his head toward Katniss, looking to her to back him up.

I follow suit, silently pleading with her to take my side, or at least stay out of it.

But to my complete lack of surprise, Katniss sides with Peeta. "I think he's right, Gale. I would much rather watch you two make out, but if Peeta feels we need to talk, then we need to talk."

I drop my hands and back away, trying to calm my raging boner. "Okay. We need to talk. Let's talk." I struggle not to glare at the two of them. I'm pretty sure I don't succeed. "Although I'd much rather be having sex with the two of you."

Peeta gestures at me. "See, that's what we need to talk about."

"Huh?" Is he motioning at my erection? What am I supposed to do? I'm turned on. It happens.

"Did you mean what you said?"

"About wanting sex?" I roll my eyes. "Well, yeah."

"No. I mean what you said to my mother. You said you wanted to make love to me. Did you mean that?" His voice is intent, his eyes vulnerable. This is important to him. This question matters.

Which means my answer does too.

It's now or never. What I say, right now, in this moment, is going to set the tone for my marriage for the rest of my life. I gotta get this right. I can't afford to lose Peeta. And I know if I lose him, I'll lose Katniss too. Not because she doesn't love me, but because we need Peeta to work. I'm not an idiot. At least not about this.

"Peeta, I meant what I said." As much as I love my wife, I keep my attention completely focused on my husband. She knows I love her. He doesn't. "I want to make love to you. Never thought I'd say that about a guy, but you're you. Peeta. My husband. You managed to worm your way into my heart. You're my best friend. My right hand. I love you. So yeah. I meant it."

I wait for his response. Unlike Katniss, Peeta's always been hard to read when he wants to hide what he's feeling. It hurts to see that he's put his mask up for me, but I know I deserve it.

"What exactly do you mean by 'make love'?" Katniss's voice comes from the couch.

My gaze never leaves my husband's. "Whatever Peeta's okay with." I don't want to lose him. My squeamishness and uncertainty got us into this. Time to man up and take the plunge. Who knows, I might even like it.

Peeta shakes his head. "That's… that's not a good answer. You're putting the burden of everything on me. We have to both be comfortable with an act, otherwise…" He trails off.

"Otherwise it's bad," our wife fills in. That's a very Katniss answer. But I understand what both she and Peeta are trying to say. He's right, I am sort of laying it on him. The problem is that I'm willing to do anything to keep Peeta.

"So what are you okay with?" I ask, turning the question back on him.

"What are you?"

Damn it.

I decide to be honest. "I want to make love to you. Whatever way you want. I want to be with you in every way possible." I run my fingers through my hair. "I'm sick of seeing the hurt on your face."

His carefully neutral expression blanks for an instant.

"Yeah. That look. I'm sick of you thinking you're not good enough. That you're second best, that you're not important to me. You're one of the most important people in my life. Half of myself. You're the only husband I'll ever have. You're the only man I'll ever love. I can't imagine you not being in my life. And I'm so scared something I'm doing is going to make you leave. You can't leave me, Peeta. I can't do this without you. Either of you," I add, making sure Katniss doesn't feel left out.

She waves it off. "I think you two need to reevaluate what your boundaries are."

"Hey, isn't that my line?" Peeta puts in.

"I can learn. I've had good teachers." She smiles at the two of us.

"But to answer your question," I turn back to Peeta, "what am I okay with? I'm okay with you."

He shakes his head. "Still not very helpful."

"Okay," Katniss takes over. "Let me ask questions while you both answer. We'll start small. Are you okay with kissing?"

I can't stop the laugh that escapes. "I would think with what we were doing earlier that yes, I'm completely okay with kissing."

"I know, Gale. Peeta, are you okay with kissing?"

"Yes." He smiles at me. I smile back. "And in fact I'd like more of it."

I take that for the hint it is and drop my head to give my husband a long lingering kiss on the mouth.

"Damn that's hot," Katniss mutters, rubbing her legs together. "Okay, before we get distracted, let's continue. Are you okay with touching?"

"Touching how?" Peeta asks.

"Hands on chests?" Katniss suggests.

Both Peeta and I nod.

"Chests on chests?"

I roll my eyes but, again, both of us nod.

"Hands on penises?"

I nod.

Peeta's eyes widen. "Really?"

"Really. I wouldn't mind having your hand on my penis, and I wouldn't mind putting my hands on yours."

"Then that's progress. What about penises on penises?" Katniss pauses. "Is that even possible? Wouldn't that be like hitting two sticks together? Wouldn't it hurt?"

"Yes, it's possible. I think the Capitol has a special name for it, but it's definitely possible." Peeta smiles first at Katniss, then at me. "And yes, I'm okay with it. Gale?"

"I'm okay with it too."

"Good. So what about mouths on penises?"

I have to think about it. I like having Katniss's mouth on me and putting my mouth on her. How do I feel about Peeta's mouth on me? A scene of him kneeling before me, his skillful tongue licking the underside of my shaft, drifts through my brain. My cock twitches a little in anticipation.

"What are you thinking about, Gale?" Peeta asks. He's watching me carefully.

"Your mouth wrapped around my dick."

"And?"

I motion to my boner. "He likes it. He really really likes it."

"I wouldn't mind going down on you. It's been one of my fantasies for a while." His eyes meet mine. "You know what another one of my fantasies is?"

I shake my head.

"You going down on me."

The scene flips. I'm the one kneeling down, Peeta's cock in my mouth, his strained moans urging me on as I lave my tongue around the head. Just as before, my dick twitches. "I… I think I'll be okay with it." My voice sounds eager, even to my own ears.

"You're imagining it, aren't you?"

"Uh huh."

"Like what you see?"

I nod quickly. "Oh yeah."

Katniss lets out a little laugh. "I know I wouldn't mind seeing it." She rubs her legs together again.

"Maybe later," Peeta agrees, his face tilted toward me. "That really only leaves one more thing."

I nod again. "Yeah. I know."

"And how do you feel about that?"

"Honestly?" I shrug. "I don't know. I have a hard time wrapping my mind around why anyone would find sex there enjoyable."

"Are you guys talking about putting it in your bottom?" Katniss holds up a hand. "Because that's still a no for me. If you two want to, fine, but… not me, thanks."

"And it's good you clarified that." Peeta glances at her, then back at me. "It's a… I'd like to try. I mean, there's enough porn out there that features it."

Katniss shudders.

"But I'm not sure how to do it," he admits. "It looks more complicated."

"It sounds painful," Katniss interjects.

"The actors seemed to like it. But they could be, you know, acting. So what are your thoughts on it, Gale?"

I try to picture it, but I fail. All I can think of is the sensation of going to the bathroom and that doesn't sound appealing at all. "Like I said, I have a hard time wrapping my mind around it. I'd be willing to try, but I'm not sure if it's a yes right now."

"That's fair. I wonder if there's any way we could find out how to do it right. Some book, you know, like that book Violet showed us."

I wonder, inanely, where that book is. It isn't in our quarters. I wonder if Violet took it with her or if it's back at the cave. "They probably don't have anything like that in Thirteen," I point out.

And if they did," Peeta adds, "it'd be really dry and clinical."

"Probably," Katniss agrees.

"But if we can find out how," Peeta continues, "I'd like to try. But until then, I think it's off the menu for all of us."

"That sounds fair," Katniss says, her hands fidgeting with the fabric of her coverall. "We don't need to recap, do we? You boys know the boundaries now, right?"

Both of us nod.

"Good, that means you can get back to the kissing."

"You really like watching us, don't you?" I tease.

"It's like it turns you on." Peeta can't resist.

Katniss shrugs. "It does. I'm not ashamed to admit it."

Peeta and I give her identical looks of disbelief.

"I'm not the same girl I was two years ago, okay!" She crosses her arms over her belly, glaring at us. "I've grown up a lot since then."

"We all have." Peeta's eyes turn introspective. "Sorry I made you be the mediator."

"You didn't make me do anything."

"Yeah, but this was a really Gale and me centric conversation."

"So?"

"We kind of ignored you."

"And you think I'm upset by this? If I need any proof that you two want and desire me, all I need to do is look down." She motions to her stomach. "Pretty sure I didn't end up pregnant on my own."

I get where Peet's going. We've been so focused on the two of us and our hang ups, my hang ups if I'm honest with myself, that we've been neglecting Katniss. It doesn't help that we've been gone for almost a month, leaving her alone in Thirteen of all places. "I think what our boy's trying to ask is if there's anything you want from us?"

"Other than for you two to get on with it?"

"Yeah, other than that."

She thinks about it for a moment. "I've just missed you. Both of you. I've missed sleeping with you. Talking with you. Everything about you." She pauses. "Especially the sleeping part… I haven't been sleeping very well."

"We've missed sleeping with you too."

She looks at me, then Peeta, licking her lips nervously. "You know, if it makes you uncomfortable, either of you, I don't need to be here for your first time."

The offer's unexpected. Sudden. Both Peeta and I stare at our wife. For a moment, I see the shy, vulnerable Katniss from when we first started dating. It surprises me.

"What?" She squirms under the weight of our combined gaze. "You each got a private first time with me. It's only fair!"

Peeta sits next to her, enfolding Katniss in his arms. "We weren't all together then. Not like we are now."

"It's more equal now. Like a triangle," I agree.

"Do you want to be here?" Peeta asks, his voice intent.

Katniss blushes. "Well, yeah."

Peeta kisses her gently on the lips. "I'd like for you to be here too."

Both of my spouses' eyes turn to me. I step foward to run my fingers down their cheeks, marvelling at the differences. Bending down, I brush my lips first across Katniss's then across Peeta's. I've always been able to make my point better with actions. Less chance of someone getting the wrong idea.

I pull back. "Come on, Peet. Let me make love to you." I hold my hand out to him, waiting for him to take it. Just like when I proposed marriage, he needs to be the one to accept. Unlike then, I'm not a raging ball of nerves waiting for the answer.

With a smile I haven't seen in a very long time, he places his hand in mine.

I tug him to me until our chests are only inches apart. Slowly, gently, I reach up to run my fingers along his hairline. I miss his ashy blond curls. But even without them, he's still Peeta. The man I love. I place a kiss on his forehead. I follow up the kiss with another to the tip of his nose and then his mouth. I'm taking my time. Making sure Peeta knows this is all about him. Making sure he understands how much I love him. How much I desire him. How much I need him.

As we kiss, Peeta's fingers ghost along my waist. I can barely feel them through the bulky layers of clothing. Never in my life have I hated Thirteen's uniforms as much as I do right now. I could order my husband to strip, but I want to do this right.

"Can I undress you?" I ask, pulling away.

My boy blinks before humming an affirmative.

A primal part of myself relishes that I'm able to reduce my normally eloquent husband to wordless grunts and moans.

Carefully, painstakingly, I start to undress him. Peeta's still injured. I don't want to hurt him by disrobing him too fast. First to go is the heavy charcoal gray jacket. I thank my lucky stars that neither of us is wearing the bulky body armor we did out in the field. There's enough to remove as it is.

I slide first one suspender, then the other, down Peeta's arms. The muscles in his biceps and forearms tense as my fingers brush along his arms. He's so strong, my boy. It's always a surprise, because Peeta's greatest strength isn't in his muscles, but in his heart, a heart he's willingly gifted to me.

"Lift your arms," I murmur.

Peeta complies.

Crouching down, I slide the black long-sleeved shirt up my husband's torso inch by inch. I press a kiss to each newly revealed patch of flesh. Peeta's breath hitches. We've never been this intimate before. Sure, we've touched, we've kissed, but it's never been about just the two of us. We've never taken time to explore each other's bodies. I'm remedying that now.

Tugging the shirt over his head, I bend down to capture Peeta's lips again. My cock throbs with need. I do my best to ignore it. As much as I'd like to grind against him, this is about Peeta. This is about me showing how much I love him, the best way I know how.

I pull my lips from Peeta's and kiss his neck, then down my husband's broad chest. I kneel and tilt my head to look up at him. His lips are parted. His eyes are closed. There's a flush of red creeping up his cheeks.

He's beautiful.

It's time to take the plunge.

I unbutton his pants, letting them puddle around his boots. He's not wearing anything underneath. Unlike here in Thirteen, out in the field soldiers don't bother wearing underwear. They call it 'going commando.' It's supposed to make it easier to relieve yourself in hostile territory. I wasn't sure I agreed with their sentiment, but I'm grateful for it now, because instead of having to struggle with yet another piece of Thirteen-issued clothing, I get to view Peeta in all his glory.

And he is glorious.

oOo

After we finish, I pull back whispering, "I love you."

He tugs my head up to capture my lips with his. His tongue teases mine, like he's chasing after every last taste of himself. He draws back, his fingers playing with the hair at the base of my neck. "I love you too, you stubborn fool of a man." Peeta shakes his head, his eyes taking in the scene, and he lets out a little chuckle. "I find it hilarious that the only one of us who's managed to actually lose their clothes is our wife."

I turn to see Katniss. The purple gray maternity dress she was wearing is flung over the arm of the couch, her legs splayed with her hand between them, her fingers working wildly. She stops her ministrations to give us both a lazy smile. "What? I can't help if I have my priorities in order. Now strip. Both of you. The show better not be over yet."

Peeta and I share a glance and smile.

"You heard what the lady said." He reaches out to grasp my still-covered cock. "I wonder if you taste as good as I do."

I pull my shirt over my head and grin at my husband. "There's only one way to find out."

oOo

Water, blessedly hot water, pounds against my face and down my body. I haven't had a hot shower in what feels like forever. Frigid sponge baths and sanitary wipes can't even come close to comparing with a hot steamy shower.

Other than my family, this is the thing I've missed most about Thirteen.

Strong, slippery arms wrap themselves around me. "Hey," Peeta nips gently at my ear. "Mind sharing with the rest of us?"

I step maybe an inch to the side to share more of the stream. This shower is mine, dammit, even though it was my idea to share it with my husband.

I wish Katniss were in here with us, but there's no way in hell we'd all fit. I miss the days where the three of us could bathe in the river, soaking up sunshine and each other like a sponge. I'd give up this wondrous stream of hot water to have that again.

Peeta's fingers trace a pattern across my abdomen. "So… between you and me. Was it good?"

I can't stop myself. I stare down at him. The water's caused his absurdly long eyelashes to spike, framing his deep blue eyes. "How can you ask that?"

Peeta shifts and looks away. "Sorry."

Oh hell no. There's no way I'm letting my husband think I don't adore him.

With two fingers I tilt his chin up, forcing him to look at me. Then, slowly, deliberately, I bend down and kiss him. The water masks most of his taste, but I'm still able to get a hint of the essence of Peeta.

I pull back, staring down into his eyes. "I'm gonna only tell you this once. Well, maybe twice. Or as often as you need to hear it. But that was fan-fucking-tastic. Blew my mind. Don't know why I was so scared, but being with you was as good as being with Katniss. Only thing that'd make it better is if I could have both of you once." I pause, flashing him a grin. "Oh wait. I can."

"You're sure?" he asks, his voice still uncertain and vulnerable. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"

I struggle not to roll my eyes. I'm the one who's caused Peeta's insecurity, it's up to me to fix it. Eschewing words, I take his hand and place it against my rapidly hardening cock. "Does this answer your question?"

He wraps his hand around it, squeezing. "I think it does."

And then there are no more words.

oOo

Written: 8/14/16
Revised: 10/9/16
Revised 2: 11/14/16

The title of this chapter comes from the song by Savage Garden.

So yes, Peeta and Gale finally had sex. Oral sex, manual sex, but it's still sex.

As a random WTF thing, go to Wikipedia and look up "Frot" - the two men pictured there could be Peeta and Gale. JSYK, the page is VERY not safe for work. But then again, neither is this fic. LOL

Nothing was randomized in this chapter.

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