Warning: This chapter contains frank discussions of sex as well as actual sex. Reader discretion is advised. The sex scenes will be edited on Fanfiction dot net but Archive of Our Own will have the full and complete scenes. Choose your path wisely.

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Brand New Breeze
by FanficAllergy & RoseFyre

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Chapter Ten: As We Break This Bread

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Last Time in Brand New Breeze:

I open my mouth but the words still won't come out. I'm just too nervous. Scared. But if I can't tell them, there's still one way I can show them.

Pulling the ring Gale gave me over my neck, I slip it off of its cord. It sparkles in the sunlight across Peeta and Gale's faces. Both boys' eyes follow my movements intently. My hands are shaking a bit and I almost drop the ring, but I manage to place it on my left ring finger and slide it down until it's snug.

"Katniss…" Gale breathes, his voice full of hope.

I hold up my hand to stop him. I can't let him say anything. I'll lose my nerve. I take my father's ring out of my pocket and step over to Gale. Taking his left hand in mine, I place the ring on his finger. I take a deep breath and look up to meet Gale's eyes. I reach my other hand out to take Peeta's in mine.

Whatever thing preventing me from speaking snaps and I'm finally able to breathe out what I've been wanting to say for so long.

"Yes."

oOo

Gale wants to hold our toasting right away, I suspect he's concerned I might change my mind. I can't begrudge his concern, I did take almost a month to give them my answer, but now that my mind's made up, I'm not going to change it so he doesn't have to worry and we don't need to rush.

Peeta seems to feel the same way. "You know, her mother and sister and your brother might want to help us celebrate this."

"I suppose you're right," Gale sighs, running his fingers through his hair. "A celebration would be nice."

"And besides, it'll get Rory off my back." Peeta pauses, looking at our fiancé. "He hates me, you know."

"And you think telling him that we're all getting married is going to fix the problem?" Gale asks.

"He did throw it out there as an option, so hopefully he's at least open to the idea. If not," Peeta shrugs, "he'll just have to learn to live with it."

I smile. "If he gives you too much trouble, tell him I'll take his bow away until he has a better attitude."

"And tell him I'll kick his ass," Gale adds. "Big brother's prerogative. I asked both of you to marry me. I didn't fucking stutter."

"Aww, you guys are so sweet, offering to protect your little man bride like this." Peeta bats his eyes at the two of us, imitating many of Finnick Odair's co-stars. Gale slugs his fiancé's shoulder and they both laugh.

I shake my head at the two of them. "Are you guys really going with that?" I ask incredulously.

Peeta shrugs again. "Why not? It works."

"Just so long as I get to be the husband to both of you, I don't care what terms we use."

"So you're saying we can call you 'piss boy' and you'd be okay with it?" Peeta teases.

"Not that."

"What about 'puppy'?"

"I'm not a dog," Gale states flatly.

Peeta grins. "But you're so cute and I just want to pet your ears and neck and call you a good boy."

"Maybe later." There's a promise in his tone. "Right now I don't think introducing me to the world as Peeta Mellark's puppy is a good idea. I could go for lord and master, but I think Katniss would kick me in the balls if I tried that on her, so that's out. Look, I'll be your man bride if you'll be mine."

"Sounds fair." Peeta holds out his hand. "I'll be your man bride if you'll be mine. Deal?"

Gale clasps Peeta's hand. "Deal."

I'm not really sure what to say. Part of me finds it hilarious and I'm happy that Peeta seems to be okay with it. But another part of me just goes 'what the hell are they thinking?' On the other hand, I guess it does give me a term to use for him, but hell if I'm gonna introduce them as 'hi, this is Gale Hawthorne, my husband, and Peeta Mellark, my man bride.' They can both be my husband and the rest of the world can deal with it. Of course that's assuming we run into someone I actually need to introduce them to. "I guess we should probably go tell everybody," I say instead.

"You think they don't know?" Gale asks me.

"Please? I'd like this to be official."

Peeta and Gale share a look. "I think we can do that."

Telling my mother, Rory, and Prim goes about how I expected. My mother smiles at me indulgently, as if she already knew my answer. Prim squeals and starts nattering on about all of the plans for the toasting and asking us what kind of bread we're going to make and if we're going to have dancing and music. And Rory glares at me.

"Couldn't make up your mind, couldya?"

"Rory," Gale scolds.

"It's not fair!" he explodes at his brother. "She gets everything she wants! And you're just going to roll over and take it!"

"What makes you think I don't want them both?" Gale growls out. "That I was the one who couldn't make up my mind? I'll have you know, Rhod-"

"Don't you dare!" Rory clenches his hand into fists.

Gale mimics the action. "Don't you make me."

Rory glares at his brother for a little bit. "So this was your idea?"

"Yup. And if you don't like it, tough. I'm keeping them." He puts his arms around Peeta and me. "Both of them."

"Oh, that's so romantic!" Prim sighs. "Almost like out of a Capitol movie!"

"Don't you start too," Rory grouches.

My mother just laughs.

oOo

Our toasting takes place on August Fifteenth. Peeta makes a loaf of bread from three types of grain. He uses what's left of the hardtack as well as cattail pollen flour and some ground corn to make an herbed soda bread.

Everybody dresses in their best clothes, although Prim protested at my refusal to wear a skirt or a dress. She even tried to get me into that pink monstrosity Rory found, which everyone else, thankfully, vetoed.

When we're ready, my mother and Prim escort me out to where the boys are waiting. All three of us are wearing crowns made out of orange, blue, and white flowers. Since we don't have to go to the Justice Building and fill out paperwork, we get to make our own rules. The bread was a given. That's ours, from Twelve. The crowns were Gale's suggestion. I swear that man's a little obsessed with Peeta's and my hair, but I admit, it works for us. Peeta asked for each of us to write our own promises to each other for our marriage. And my demand was a little more practical: a honeymoon. I wanted time for us to be away, just the three of us, so that we could explore being married together.

We leave tomorrow.

But first, we have to get married.

Peeta and Gale each hold out a hand to me and I step forward, taking them. The boys then join hands. The three of us stand there in a triangle, as a group, stronger together than apart.

Naturally, Peeta starts. "I offer myself to you to be your husband. To love, honor and cherish you both through sickness and health, to keep and to comfort, to council and defend. For as long as we all live. Do you accept my heart?"

"We will," Gale and I chorus.

Now it's my turn. "I offer myself to be your wife. To protect and provide, to love and cherish, so long as we all shall live. Do you accept me?"

"We will," Gale and Peeta say.

And finally it's Gale's turn. "Do you take me to be your husband? To let me care for and keep you, to let me honor and cherish you, to let me protect and defend you, to provide and sacrifice for you, to love you and learn you for as long as we all shall live?"

"We will," Peeta and I answer.

The three of us kneel down. At our feet is a small building of sticks, the symbolic representation of the hearth we'll share together. While Peeta lights the fire, my mother steps forward and hands Gale the small loaf of bread Peeta made this morning.

When the fire's caught, Gale breaks the bread into three pieces, handing one each to Peeta and me. Together we toast our bread over the fire. Each of us has contributed something to this loaf. Gale's tesserae, my gathering, Peeta's skill. It's meant to be symbolic of our life together. I can't help but feel trepidation and excitement at the thought. I never thought I'd get married, let alone at sixteen. But here I am, about to embark on this journey.

My eyes meet both Gale's and Peeta's and we smile. I couldn't be happier.

oOo

After dinner, Peeta, Gale, and I climb the hill to our tree to watch the sunset. It's nothing much, more an excuse for us to be alone before our wedding night. We haven't really talked about logistics and even though I don't want to, I know we should.

None of us is in any hurry to start the conversation. The boys stand on either side of me with their arms draped over my shoulders, holding hands over my back. I like this feeling of closeness. I don't want it to end.

Eventually Gale clears his throat. "Catnip?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not mad at us, are you?"

I smile up at him. "Do I look like I'm mad at you?"

"No, but I just thought I'd be sure." He pauses, clearly nervous. "Peet and me, we have something of yours."

I hadn't noticed anything missing. I tilt my head in confusion.

"After you left with Rory," Peeta says, picking up the conversation, "after Gale and I had our conversation, we…" he trails off.

Gale looks at him over my head. "I thought you were supposed to be good with words, Mellark."

"I normally am! You're the one who asked me to explain this! If you're gonna give me critique, why don't you do it?"

"Fine, I will!"

I swivel my head between the two of them. "Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

"Look, Catnip, here." He thrusts something out in front of me.

It takes a moment to recognize the object silhouetted against the setting sun. It's the necklace Gale gave me for my birthday, but now Peeta's pearl is clutched in the mockingjay's talons.

They've combined their two gifts into something even more beautiful. Something with meaning. I reach out and take it, tying the leather cord around my neck. "Can you make sure the knot's tight? I don't want it to fall off."

"Sure," Peeta says. I can hear the pleasure in his voice. He fiddles with the knot, tying it and then double tying it before pulling it taut and testing it a bit. He drops a kiss on the back of my neck. "I think it's good."

"Thank you."

"Do you want to go back inside?" Gale asks.

I nod my head in the fading light.

When we get inside, we discover my mother's given us another gift. She's taken Prim and Rory into the kitchen and put up one of the screens to cover the entryway, leaving us the rest of the cave to ourselves.

In Twelve as well as here, privacy is a precious commodity and the fact that she's giving it to us for our wedding night is an extremely thoughtful gift. We don't waste it.

Finally, a few hours before dawn, we fall asleep entwined together.

oOo

We leave late the following morning and head west along the river. We walk slowly, only keeping half an eye out for any game. We're not in any hurry. This is a trip just for us with no ulterior motive. That doesn't mean if we spot something useful that we won't grab it, but we're not actively looking for anything.

About mid-afternoon we decide to call it an evening and set up camp. Peeta pitches the tent we scavenged from the raiders a few yards away from the river across from a couple of small islands. In the lee of the largest of the three islands, there is a quiet pool, almost perfect for swimming. Peeta must be thinking the same thing because he says, "So I don't know about you, but I could use a cool dip."

Gale exchanges a glance with him. "I suppose I could be talked into it."

"Why do I get the impression that you guys are having an entirely different conversation than the one I'm actually hearing?"

Gale comes up behind me and nuzzles his face in my hair. "That's because you're an incredibly intelligent, sexy woman." He plants a kiss on the side of my neck.

"What does sexy have to do with anything?"

Peeta chuckles. "A lot more than you'd think."

"You guys are impossible."

"But you love us anyway."

"Well, yeah. I married you."

"We're gonna make sure you never have cause to regret it."

We take off our clothes, not even bothering with underwear. There's no point. Both of them have seen me nude on many occasions. I don't have anything to hide, and they don't have anything to hide from me.

We paddle around, enjoying the cool water on the hot summer day. The sky overhead is bright blue without a cloud in sight. We shouldn't spend too much time out in the sun naked because of sunburn, but I can't bring myself to leave the water. This is as free and unencumbered as I've ever been.

I stand up and stretch, feeling my muscles protest slightly. The water comes to just underneath my breasts and only up to Gale's waist and I admire the view before me.

"I think getting away from Twelve was good for you," Peeta says, swimming up to me.

"What do you mean?" I ask, taking half a step forward.

He reaches up to caress the side of my breast. "These. You didn't have much of these before." He trails along the side of my ribs. "And these were much more pronounced." He tickles his fingers across my stomach. "You have the smallest little bit of a belly now." He kneels down, lifting me up out of the water, and kisses my belly almost reverently. "I find it sexy as hell."

I splash him. "How long have you been noticing the size of my breasts?"

"I'm a guy, Katniss," he says as if that explains everything.

"I thought you were different."

"I'm still a guy." He pulls me towards him and kisses the skin over my heart. "But I'm your guy," he adds, looking up at me.

I feel his hands caress my leg and I let out a little moan. When I open my eyes, I notice Gale is watching the two of us from a few feet away. I hold my hand out to him. "Join us?"

He comes over immediately and I position him behind me, pulling his hands up to touch my breasts. Gale responds to my request before reaching around to gently caress the sides of Peeta's face.

Peeta turns his head and kisses the palm of our husband's hand.

It's the most intimate we've been as a trio. And I don't want it to stop. "Can we do this together?" I ask. "Is that okay? I want you both. All three of us. Together."

Gale nuzzles the back of my neck, kissing his way down my spine. "Whatever you want, Catnip."

Peeta slides his hands around my body to cup my behind. "I'll do whatever you want, Katniss."

"You. I want you. I want both of you."

oOo

The following morning, we continue following the river. We pass another set of ruins and Gale asks to stop and explore. We don't find much, although Peeta has the best luck out of all of us, finding a thick plastic box containing pretty much everything you need for line fishing, even a small collapsible fishing pole made out of an odd plastic-looking material that really isn't. It's similar to the bow Rory gave Gale on his birthday.

"I don't know what Rory sees in this," Gale complains. "It's just digging around in the dirt, hoping to find something."

"I don't know," Peeta says while examining his prize. "I can kind of see the appeal."

"You would! You actually found something." Gale holds up a piece of something we can't quite identify. "All I've found is junk!"

"What'd you expect? This stuff is really old." Peeta picks up one of the plastic wrapped lures. "The only things that are gonna make it through are the things that are really well-made and well taken care of. Do you think that everybody would have packed up all of their belongings perfectly? No."

"Yeah, you're right. Still doesn't mean this is fun. Besides..." He leers at the two of us. "There's things I'd much rather be doing."

"Yeah, uh, speaking of that, we should probably stop doing that, having sex I mean, pretty soon. Likely in a day, two at most. I'm getting near what my mom says is the danger time, and…" I kind of trail off. I know how much Gale wants to have kids, and from Peeta's earlier expression, I suspect he does too. But I'm not sure if I'm ready and I have no idea if I ever will be. And until I am, I don't want to have the choice taken away from me.

"Then I think maybe it's time for us to have another talk," Peeta says, packing up his finds.

I'd expected this, even though I was hoping it wouldn't come. I'd like to put it off as long as I can.

Gale seems to feel the same as me. "Why don't we find a place to set up camp? Then we can talk. Maybe set that net we brought. I don't know about you, but I could go for some fresh meat tonight."

We find a place a little farther along the river and Peeta sets the net. I look around the large clearing. "I'm surprised there's no trees," I say.

Gale points to a few blackened and charred logs peeking up through the thick grass and scrub. "If I had to guess, I'd say there was a fire a few years ago."

"What do you think set it?"

"Lightning. Maybe those raiders. Still, whatever caused it, it's probably a good thing." Gale motions further up the hill. "I think those are some sheep or goats or something. Could be good hunting."

"We don't need more meat," I say.

Gale laughs. "Never thought I'd hear you say that."

I toss a stick in his direction. "Shut up."

Peeta rejoins us. There's no need to set a fire unless we actually have something to cook. It's just too warm and it's not dark enough to need protection from predators yet. So we sit down in a loose circle facing each other.

"So, what do we need to talk about now?" Gale asks the other man once we've gotten settled.

"I don't know if you've noticed it, but this relationship's changed."

"Well yeah, we got married."

"Yes, but… not just that," Peeta says, slowly. "Yesterday on the river, all three of us? That's new. And we need to talk about it."

"Why do we need to talk about it?" I ask, feeling nervous and not liking it one bit. "You liked it, I liked it, Gale liked it, what's there to talk about?"

"Yes I did like it, Katniss. I can't speak for Gale, but he seemed to be having a good time. But it adds a new dynamic to this relationship."

"What do you mean, 'dynamic?'" My tone is wary, hard.

"No, I think I get what Peet's saying," Gale says, looking over at me. "It's not about you, Catnip. It's about Peet and me. What we did with you comes a whole lot closer to that no penis touching rule."

Peeta nods his head. "Got it in one. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy what we did. I did. I really did. I'd do it again. But Gale and me? We need to figure out what's still forbidden and what's not."

"So how are we doing this?" Gale asks.

Peeta shrugs. "No clue. I thought you might have an idea."

I think about it for a second. "Why can't you guys just do what you did with me? Ask each other if you're okay with something."

"That's a good start," Peeta agrees, "but sometimes, in the heat of the moment, we might do things that we're not okay with later."

"Oh. So why don't you just list off a few things and see if you're okay with them?" I shrug, mirroring Peeta. "It seems kind of easy to me."

He smiles at me, then turns to Gale. "So, kisses?"

"I'm okay with it. Heck I've kissed you already and it weren't half bad. I'm not saying you'd be my first choice, but I'd be okay with it."

"That sound doable." Peeta shifts around nervously. "I'd also like not to have to ask permission. Sometimes you just want to kiss the person you love and not stop and ask 'is this okay.'"

"You sayin' you love me?"

"Yes." It's almost a challenge.

"Good. Me too. So no restrictions on kissing."

Peeta smiles. "That means I can do this." The blond man reaches up and runs his fingers down Gale's jaw. Then he leans in and tentatively presses his lips to Gale's. The kiss looks gentle, exploring. I don't know how Peeta and Gale feel about it, but I'm pleased. I realize that it's a bit of a relief to see that I'm not going to have to be the center for all physical interactions.

They pull back. Gale touches his lips. "Not bad, Mellark."

"So you'd be up for more?"

He smiles tenderly at the other man. "Maybe. What've you got in mind?"

"How about hugging?"

"Whatever." Gale waves his hand dismissively. "I don't think we need any restrictions on that."

Peeta smiles. "I don't think we do either. Touching?"

"Depends on where and when and how."

"So what's out?"

"I don't really feel like giving you a handjob, Mellark."

"Same. But anything else?" he presses.

"Innocent touches, comforting touches, normal everyday kind of touches, you don't need permission for those." Gale pauses for a moment. "Stuff like we did yesterday, I'd like to do more."

"More like what?"

"I don't need you touching my penis, but I wouldn't mind it if we were both working together to please Katniss and each other."

"I think that sounds fair. I'm guessing sex sex is still out?"

"How would you even do that?" I interject.

Peeta's voice takes on the sing-song quality of the Capitol. "Well, when a man loves another man…"

"Oh shut up!"

Gale laughs. "Don't traumatize the girl, Mellark. It's a no anyways."

"It's a no here too."

"So Katniss, how do you feel about things?" Peeta turns back to me.

"I don't know what you mean. I like sex. It's fun, it's good. I love both of you. So long as I don't wake up to find one of you shoving yourself into me, I'm pretty much okay with whatever so long as I'm able to give you consent. And if I tell you to stop, you stop."

"But how do you feel about maybe both of us at the same time?" Peeta asks.

"Both of you at the same time? Would you even fit? And wouldn't that involve your penises touching?"

"There are ways you can do it." He's blushing as he says it.

"How do you know this?" I can't stop myself from asking.

The blush gets worse. "Madge and Delly and I watched a lot of bad Capitol movies. That included some porn."

"Ew! I don't want to know… so how do you do this?"

"Well, there's three common ways. We did two of them yesterday, kind of. One of us in your mouth, one of us inside you."

I think back to how it felt good and how I liked it. "That's fine."

"Then there's one of us in your hands and one of us inside you."

"That's fine too."

"And then… one of us inside you and the other, um," his cheeks are practically flaming and he's almost stuttering to get the words out, "inside of another... part of you."

"Huh?" I have no idea what he's trying to insinuate.

Gale's eyes widen as realization dawns. "Oh! He means your ass, Catnip."

"Ew! Yuck, no!"

"And there we have another boundary," Peeta says, clearly grateful that Gale figured out what he was implying. "So, Katniss, if Gale and I decided that we wanted to have sex, which we don't yet, but if we did, how would you feel about it?"

"I suppose I'd be okay. I mean, it'd be really hypocritical of me to say you two can't have sex if I'm having sex with the both of you."

Peeta smiles. "That's why I love you, Katniss. You do what's right, not what's easy. That just brings us to one more thing."

"Haven't we covered everything? I mean, I suppose licking, but that kind of goes under kissing."

"No, Katniss, not licking." He fixes me with an intense look. "Kids."

I squirm a little. "What about them?"

"I want them. Do you?" Peeta looks at Gale and me.

Gale half-shrugs. "I want them too. I loved being a dad to Posy and I'd love us to have a kid together. Catnip?"

I make a face. I don't know what to say. They both want children. I mean, I suppose I'd always known that, but now it's been said out loud. It makes it so much more real. I decide to be honest. "I never wanted kids, not back in Twelve. Not with the Games. I couldn't bear it if I had a kid, raised them, loved them, provided for them for years, only to just lose them to the Capitol's whim. I don't know how the families that had it happen to them were able to bear the pain."

"And now?" Gale presses. "We're not in Twelve anymore."

"I don't know. Part of me still doesn't want kids, but the other part is just... confused. I don't want to bring a kid into this world unless all three of us want them. Besides, only one of you can be the father," I say, bringing to voice one of my lingering fears regarding this relationship. "And there's no guaranteeing that we'll even be able to have children! So why worry about something that might never happen?" I finish in a rush of words.

"I think you're being a little delusional, Katniss. You're young and healthy. The chances are pretty good that, if you want to have kids, you'll have them," Peeta tells me. "It's just a matter of you wanting them."

"I don't know if I want them. Is it okay that I don't know? Do I have to decide right now?" I'm pleading with them to understand. "I mean, you're right, I'm just sixteen. Do we have to make that decision right now? We have time, lots of time! I mean, my mom didn't have me until she was twenty four, that's years away!"

"You're right, Katniss, we do have time. I suppose we don't have to have this discussion right now," Peeta says with a sigh. He looks up at me, his heart in his eyes. "Just, if you ever do decide you want to have kids, you'll let us know? I'll do my best not to pressure you, but I really want to be a dad."

"I'm with Mellark. Besides, any kid of yours is a kid of mine," Gale says, addressing my fear. "It doesn't matter which of us technically fathered them. Posy was mine, I ain't got no problem loving another man's kid." He thumps at his chest. "It's about what's in the heart, you know?"

"I'm sure I'll love any child of ours, too," Peeta adds. "Genetics don't matter."

I want this conversation to come to a close, so I say, "I'll let you know when I've made a decision, but it's probably not gonna be for a while. A few years, at best. We've got to make it through the winter here first, right?"

"Right," Gale agrees.

"So, you up for an afternoon quickie while you still can?" Peeta asks.

"Um, sure. But Gale gets to be inside me."

Gale raises an eyebrow. "Not that I'm complaining, but why's that?"

"I don't want you guys getting jealous of each other, not again. If we keep it even, you won't have anything to worry about."

"I'm not really sure it works that way, but if it makes you feel better." Peeta smiles at me.

"It does."

"Then we'll do as my lady commands."

oOo

The next morning, we follow the river south. One side is all meadow and brush while the other is fully forested. It's kind of eerie.

We follow the path of the fire's destruction along the river until we reach something rather odd: a large pile of concrete, rock, and gravel. The river cuts through part of it and there's several ruins around the area.

"What do you think this was?" I ask, walking around.

"I don't know, but there's something concrete over there." Peeta points toward something.

"Looks like it could've been a dam," Gale suggests. "Kind of looks like that big one down in Five." He points towards what might've been a spillway. He looks at the wilderness beyond and motions with his hand to it. "And look, you can see, the forest here - you can see where the water line used to be. The forest in the valley isn't as dense or as mature as the stuff above the waterline."

"When do you think the dam broke?" I ask.

Gale shrugs. "I don't know. Makes me glad that we weren't living where we are when it did."

"Although that explains some of the damage we've seen along here."

"Yeah."

We walk around, looking at the dam.

"How much further do you want to explore?" Peeta asks. "I'm up for it, but I'd really rather spend time with the two of you."

"We don't have to go anywhere. That fire meadow's a good camping area and there's fish to eat and I'm sure there's game. We can stick around, do nothing."

"Can you do nothing?"

"I'm willing to try."

The boys laugh.

"Come on, I'll show you how to hunt," I say to Peeta.

"I'm gonna suck at it."

"You're gonna get better at some point," Gale says encouragingly.

"You'd like to think that," he says dubiously.

"Well, even if you're crap at the bow, I can at least show you how to make some snares. Those don't take much effort."

He smiles at me. "Yeah, I think I'd like that."

oOo

We spend the last few days of our honeymoon growing closer. None of the conversations are as difficult as the one when we first got to this campsite and most are light-hearted, teasing, and flirting.

By the end of it, I know more about the pranks that Peeta and his brothers used to play. I always thought he was such a good boy, and to hear about the pranks that they used to play on the teachers and other shopkeepers had Gale and me laughing for hours.

Gale also shared stories of his own. I'd always known he'd been a bit of a rebel, but I never knew that he did his best to try to woo the butcher's daughter, and that she'd shot him down in favor of Peeta's eldest brother.

"Is that why you hated me so much?" Peeta asks when Gale tells the story.

"I suppose maybe. I just heard the name Mellark and cringed. I had the biggest crush on Reenie when I was about Rory's age and finally worked up the guts to ask her out when I was about fifteen. By then she'd already hooked up with that older brother of yours and she shot me down hard."

"Was she at least nice about it?" Peeta asks.

Gale shakes his head. "I was fifteen, and even more of a hard-headed ass than I am now, if you can believe it."

Peeta opens his mouth to say something and Gale says "No!" before he can.

Peeta just smirks.

Gale continues his story, "But to fifteen year old me, Reenie Gibbs broke my heart. Luckily around that time I noticed what an amazing girl Catnip here was and transferred my affections."

"Really?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, not really. There were a few girls in between. You don't mind?"

I shrug my shoulders. "It's in the past now. It's not like anyone from Twelve is gonna show up here. Besides, you're the one who wanted to get married. If you even think of finding somebody else, after all the shit you've put Peeta and me through, I will hang you by your entrails and let the crows feed on your rotting corpse."

Peeta leans over to Gale and stage whispers, "I think that means that she'd be a little jealous."

"Ya think?"

"You're lucky she didn't threaten to castrate you first," Peeta continues. "I would. And I don't make idle threats."

"Good to know. Same thing's true for you, Mellark."

"You think after being in love with Katniss for eleven years that I'm going to start looking for some other girl? Or boy? Please."

"Well, you did fall in love with me," Gale points out.

"True. But only 'cause you're such a bastard."

"And you love it."

"What can I say?" Peeta kisses Gale lightly on the nose. "I guess you can say I have a thing for emotionally constipated people from the Seam."

"Hey! I'll have you know I am not emotionally constipated!" Gale exclaims.

"Really, Mr. I-only-realize-I-love-someone-when-they're-on-the-brink-of-death?" He follows up his kiss with a playful tap. "Don't think I didn't notice that! And I bet Katniss here noticed it too!"

Put on the spot, I nod. I hadn't noticed. But I'm not going to tell them that. I would never hear the end of it. "And I'm not emotionally constipated, whatever that means."

Both Peeta and Gale throw back their heads and laugh. "Oh, Katniss," Peeta gasps, trying to regain control. "I love you with every bit of my being, but you're a hard person to get to know."

Gale recovers and adds, "Worth the effort, though."

"Besides, you have no idea the effect you have on people," Peeta finishes.

"Huh?" I don't know whether I should be offended or flattered at their words.

"I'm with Peet here. Once I saw what was right before my eyes, I was gone."

"I'm nothing special," I tell them.

Gale shakes his head. "That's where you're wrong."

We head back home the next day. I want to go overland, to see more of the countryside, but Gale and Peeta veto that idea. We're expected home soon and we don't want my mother, Prim, or Rory to start worrying about us.

They've got a point. We can always explore the area later. We have time. If not now, maybe next month, or even next year.

We make it home late that day. The sun's almost set and I would've insisted we stop earlier, but I knew we were close. I sing out the chorus of the Valley Song as a recognition signal, so that they know it's us. The last thing we want is to get an arrow in the knee by Rory or Prim defending the cave.

As we get near, I hear my sister calling out. "They're back, they're back! Katniss and Peeta and Gale are home!"

I smile at the thought. She's right. I take Peeta and Gale's hands in mine.

I am home.

oOo

AN:|
Written: 3/26/15
Revised: 5/5/15
Revised 2: 5/22/15
Revised 3: 5/26/15

The title of this chapter comes from the wedding standard of the same name. We have no clue if anyone actually recorded this officially but this is one of the few times where we had to break out Google to find something. "As We Break This Bread" is a cake cutting song but we felt it would work for a toasting ceremony. The lyrics and music are intensely sappy and we don't recommend listening to it unless you enjoy seeing a dentist in your near future. We're really sorry if you do.

You might notice that we keep having Peeta leading what are essentially polyamory negotiations. That's because people change and situations change and communicating effectively is important in all relationships and Peeta is the only one who could even conceivably bring this up since Katniss and Gale are both somewhat emotionally constipated and reticent. All healthy relationships require communication and boundaries and this is even more critical in a threesome. In a way, they wouldn't work without Peeta. Katniss is currently the center that Gale and Peeta orbit around. Gale is the catalyst and the one who makes all of the important decisions (leaving, taking Peeta with them, kissing Katniss, proposing marriage) so without him most of this fic wouldn't have happened and Katniss and Peeta would still be dancing around each other. As for Peeta, he's the glue that holds them together. Gale gets them started, but Peeta keeps them going. In a weird way, Katniss contributes the least to the relationship but without her it wouldn't exist.

For the first time in a long time, nothing was randomized… Aren't you excited?

There's a Meta about the trio's relationship and their vows and how that reflects on their roles in the threesome on FanficAllergy's tumblr. It talks about the psychology and why the relationship between the three would actually work and it wasn't us just pulling it out of our ass.

Thanks again for reading!