"Careful, don't hit my feet!" I curl my feet up to avoid the doorframe. Peeta laughs and angles himself away from it.
"What, after all this time you still don't trust me?" He jokes.
"I trust you... most of the time." We share another kiss and he sets me on the plush sofa in the main area of our suite.
"I didn't ever think this would happen." He confesses, as he turns his back to me to grab our bags and close the door. "I never saw myself married, especially not to a gold medalist!" I laugh, opening my arms for him to join me.
"I can't say I saw myself being a gold medalist in the first place, but I didn't think I would marry either. How age has changed us..." I trail off in mock-wistfulness. It's been six years since I first set eyes on a very quiet Peeta Mellark, and since then we've had our ins and outs, offs and ons, but for the most part, I can't say I regret anything that's happened. He laughs lightly in agreement.
"I can't believe how different everything is. I used to hate change, but in retrospect, it's been really good for both of us." I nod, leaning close to capture his lips again. I vividly remember the look in his eyes when I came out of the bride's room after the reception in my new burnt orange travel dress that Effie picked out for me. Despite her off-beat, avant garde style, she has incredible taste, especially on me. And of course, Peeta's favorite color is orange so he loved it all that much more. I was just glad that it was more comfortable than my wedding dress, which wasn't awful, but I was happy to take it off.
"You looked so radiant today." He reminds me, punctuating his words with tiny kisses on my jawline and throat. I peel off his hoodie so I can access his neck as well, tangling my hands in his still long hair. He knows how much I like it long, so now just brushes his shoulder blades in the back.
"You looked like you were about to burst." I giggle into the crook of his neck, and I can feel more than see his broad smile.
"I was about to burst, I'm surprised I lasted through the ceremony. But now I can do all the bursting I want." With that he tackles me down on the sofa and pins my arms above my head, both of us laughing like kids.
Of course, more beautiful things happened after that, but I think I'll keep all those luscious details to myself. ;)
Prince Charming and his Ice Princess lived happily ever after.
I'm so grateful for the response to this story, which has now come to an end. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as me (I get such a big kick out of re-reading stories I've written over a long period of time!) Please drop a review on your way out and tell me your thoughts on it! Check out my other Everlark AUs as well, I have a bunch more coming up soon too!