This chapter is rated T-M, probably closer to M. After everything they've been through to get to this point, I wanted Katniss and Peeta to have a (hopefully) nice wedding night. :)

A huge thank you to my betas NotAnIslander and HPFanonezillion for their help! Please be sure to check out their stories!

"Damn it!" I cry in frustration, yanking the tie from around my neck and tossing it blindly to the side. "I can never get these things on straight!"

"Whoa, calm down!" Finnick says as he tries to stifle his laughter, moving to retrieve the offensive neckwear. "My kid's just one room over, and he repeats everything he hears lately." He wraps the tie around my neck, tying it expertly in ten seconds flat. "At least it's not a bowtie like I had. Now those things, they're tough to figure out."

Grunting, I study my reflection in the mirror lining the wall. I'm standing in the Groom's Room, otherwise known as the Pre-K room of our Kid's Church. It's exactly 5:45pm, fifteen minutes prior to the start of the wedding.

"I checked out the auditorium on the way in here," Finnick says, handing me the cornflower blue suit jacket off its hanger. "Looks like most everyone's here already."

"Thanks," I whisper, sliding my arms into the sleeves and buttoning the buttons. "Annie with Katniss?"

"Yep. Delly must be in with her too, since I didn't see her in the auditorium. Rue's up on the stage, warming up with the other musicians." He tugs on the jacket sleeves, smoothing down the fabric.

"Okay." Satisfied with the fit of the jacket, I turn to Finnick. "How do I look?"

Finnick tilts his head, cocking an eyebrow. "Eh, you'll do."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence!"

"No problem," he chortles, smiling his cheeky grin. "Hey. Did ya hear that Thresh got a record deal?"

"Really? That's awesome!"

"Yep," Finnick says. "Apparently TobyMac's own producer was at that concert in Richmond, and after he heard Thresh sing he invited him to send in a tape of his original songs. And well, I guess the guy was impressed."

"I'm so happy for him," I say. "Thresh definitely deserves every success he gets."

"I agree." Finnick sits down on one of the low tables. "So. Ya nervous?"

I take a deep breath, turning and checking my reflection from all angles in the mirror. "Not too much. I think I was more nervous before the proposal."

"I don't mean about now," he says, shaking his head. "I mean about tonight. Later tonight. After the wedding."

My face flushes so hot my vision goes hazy. I reach down, retying the lace on my left shoe and praying that I don't sweat through my clothes. "Ah… yeah. A bit. I, um, don't want to hurt her." I stand back up, now studying my fingernails. "She's just so small… "

"Nah, she'll be fine," Finnick assures me. "And you'll be fine. Just make sure you give her plenty of warm-up, be extra gentle the first few times, and help her clean up afterwards. It'll be okay."

I gulp, scratching the back of my neck. "Okay. Thanks."

"Is he ready yet?" a voice calls from the doorway. It's Bannock, dressed in a navy blue suit with a tie the same color as my jacket. In his hand is my boutonniere made from a pale orange tulip.

"Just about," Finnick replies. "I'll let big brother handle the flowers with the sharp, pointy things, if you don't mind. I need to drop by my office before I head back in."

"Thanks Finnick," I mumble as he leaves the room.

"Alright, Peeta, let's get this thing on you," Ban says, carefully pinning the flower to my lapel. He stands back, eyeing me up and down. "Looking good, little brother! Are you ready?"

"Think so," I reply, running my finger carefully down the stem of the orange blossom. Having Bannock as my best man was the one concession I made for my mother. She just about blew a gasket when she discovered how much our wedding ceremony was veering from what she considered the norm.

"You absolutely need someone to hold onto the rings!" Mom had said. "You are at least having rings, aren't you? It'll simply look ridiculous if you just pull them out of your own pocket!"

In the end it was Katniss who suggested we cave in on that one detail, especially when Mom threatened to not even attend the wedding if we didn't give in. Since I never had much of an issue with Ban anyway, I relented, with Delly happily stepping into the matron of honor roll for Katniss.

Ban brushes some nonexistent lint off my shoulders before checking his watch. "It's five minutes to six. Let's go get you married off."

Taking one final look in the mirror, I run my hand through my hair, mussing it the way Katniss likes best before turning around. "Okay. Let's go."

We make our way down the Kid's hallway, painted with brightly colored sea creatures, hearing the sounds of children playing as we pass the childcare room. The staff of Mountainside Kid's offers childcare for the pastors on two Friday evenings per month, and since our wedding happened to fall on one of those Fridays, the childcare coordinator graciously offered to allow us to use it for the wedding guests.

"Did you guys put Graham in the baby room?" I ask Ban as we step out into the atrium. "Or did Mom refuse to give him up?"

"No, he's in there," Ban replies, his brow furrowed. "I made sure of it. The baby's three months old already and I've barely even gotten to hold him with how crazy Mom's been. I finally insisted just a couple weeks ago that it wasn't necessary for her to come to our house every single day anymore."

My eyebrows shoot up. First my father insisting on giving me my college fund over my mother's protests, and now Bannock. Ban was always the "good boy" in our house growing up. Never one to get in trouble, like Rye, or simply be in the wrong place at the wrong time, like me. He got decent grades in school, was on the track team, went to the right college and married the right girl. And until recently, I'd never seen or heard of him standing up to our mother.

Must be a new trend. Who would have thought.

A chorus of excited murmurs erupts among the wedding guests as Ban and I make our way up the side of the auditorium to stand at the end of the aisle. I tug nervously on the tight collar of my shirt, unsure of what to do with my hands at first. I finally cross them in front of me and glance up at the stage, where Rue gives me a playful wink from behind her keyboards. Rye is smirking from his front-row seat next to my father and Casey, and I can see Thom, Thresh, and Cassandra sitting in the front row opposite the aisle, where Katniss's family would be if they were alive. I don't bother looking around for Gale or his family. They're here somewhere, but I don't really want to see him glowering at me at the moment.

Katniss and I debated on who, if anyone, should escort her down the aisle. With her father deceased and no brother or other male relatives around, she could either choose someone else to escort her or walk down alone. This was one instance where Gale could've been useful, had he been a nice, normal friend to Katniss instead of a insensitive, possessive jerk. In the end, we decided that she would walk down alone.

Annie arrives in the auditorium, taking her seat in the front row next to Cassandra. Finnick escorts my mother to her seat, carrying his dog-eared Bible in his other hand. Delly steps in from the side to take her place opposite Ban. In the back, I see a door open and a series of flashes burst from the photographer's camera right as the music begins.

My heart nearly stops when I see my bride appear at the end of the aisle, waiting for all the guests to stand before beginning her walk towards me. "Oh, dear God," I whisper, praying with all my might that I'm able to keep myself upright long enough for her to get to me.

She looks absolutely ethereal in her simple white dress with a scoop neckline and cap sleeves. Her hair is elegantly braided with tiny white flowers woven throughout the mahogany strands. Her small hands are clutching the simple bouquet of yellow primroses, orange tulips, pink lilies, and white daisies tied with blue and orange ribbons. Her pearl hangs around her neck, catching flashes of the evening sun streaming in through the high windows of the church.

She's simply exquisite.

"Pick up your jaw, Peeta!" I hear from somewhere behind me, but I'm too enthralled to even register it before Katniss arrives, handing her bouquet to Delly and reaching for my trembling hands.

"You look-, you're so…" I don't even have the words to describe how stunning she looks. They just don't exist.

"Shh," she whispers, winking as she squeezes my hands. "You look pretty good too."

"Okay!" Finnick's cheerful voice carries throughout the auditorium. "If these two are ready to stop gaping at each other, I think we can get started."

Katniss laughs, and the sound is just enough to break me from my stupor. We both turn slightly to look at Finnick, maintaining our firm grip on each other's hands.

Finnick clears his throat. "Alrighty then. Family and friends, we are gathered here today in the sight of God and in the presence of this company to witness the marriage of Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen. Peeta and Katniss have chosen to be married in this house of the Lord as a testimony of their faith, and as a witness to all present that they wish to honor their Lord Jesus Christ in their lives and in their home."

He reads next from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

Katniss and I chose this reading over the more commonly used Love is patient, love is kind section in first Corinthians because we wanted to emphasize the fact that the two of us are a team, with God at the center of our relationship. Plus, I love how it mentions keeping each other warm.

"Well, I don't have to tell you two now to join hands, because you haven't let go of each other since we started," Finnick jokes, earning another ripple of laughter from the guests. "It's time for the vows. Peeta, you'll go first."

Turning to face her, I bring her hands up to my lips, kissing the back of one before clasping them even tighter.

"I, Peeta, take you, Katniss, to be my wife, before God and these witnesses. I promise to love you, keep you safe, keep you fed, and keep you warm, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others until death do us part."

Tears pool in Katniss's eyes as she swallows thickly. "I, Katniss," she starts, her voice shaky. "Take you, Peeta, to be my husband, before God and these witnesses. I promise to love you, to take care of you, and keep you safe, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others until death do us part."

I have to fight the tears threatening to escape from my own eyes as Finnick asks for the rings, holding out his open Bible. Bannock makes a big show of digging around for them in his pocket, nearly giving me a heart attack and earning a frightening scowl from Katniss before he finally places them on the Bible.

Katniss's silvery eyes are glistening as I slide the emerald and diamond band onto her ring finger, leaning over to kiss it once it's set. My ring, a simple white gold band, barely fits over my thick knuckle but she manages. "At least you won't lose it!" she whispers once it slides into place.

"Not a chance," I reply.

Finnick closes his Bible, tucking it under his arm. "Peeta and Katniss, having witnessed your vows and the exchanging of rings that bind you together in the eyes of God, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He pauses, turning to me as slowly as humanly possible. "Okay Peeta, you've been patient enough. Go ahead and kiss your bride."

My right hand reaches for Katniss's face before Finnick's even finished his sentence, bringing her lips to mine in a kiss that's so full of fire despite its sweetness that my knees nearly buckle. We break apart after a few seconds, pecking each other a couple more times before turning to face the applauding guests. Threading her hand through my arm, Katniss retrieves her flowers from Delly as the recessional music begins, with the photographer snapping pictures every few steps as we make our way down the aisle to the back of the church.

My arms wrap around Katniss as soon as we reach the back wall, pulling her in for another kiss. "Katniss," I whisper. "You're my wife!"

A smile like none I've ever seen before brightens her angelic face. "Yes I am!"

"Alright lovebirds, there'll be time enough for that later!" Finnick says from behind me, startling us apart. "Right now it's time to eat!"

"I'll second that!" Katniss exclaims. She tugs on my neck for one more kiss, then winks and takes my arm. "I haven't eaten all day."

"Well, you heard the lady," I say to Finnick. "Lead the way."

We exit out into the atrium, where buffet tables have been set up against one wall, with smaller, round tables set up in the middle for people to sit as they enjoy their food, with vases of tulips and primroses decorating the center of each table.

Rue and her friends get their instruments set up over in the corner while I sit Katniss down with Finnick and Annie so I can get her something to eat. The buffet is simple; fried chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans, and dinner rolls, but the simplicity of it doesn't seem to be stopping anyone from enjoying it.

"Here you go," I say, placing the plate laden with several of Katniss's favorites in front of her as I sit down next to her. "I don't want you swooning out of hunger at your own wedding."

Katniss smiles, grabbing a chicken leg and biting into it before holding it up for me to do the same. "Promising to keep me fed?" she whispers.

I plant a quick kiss on her nose. "Yep."

Once I've made sure Katniss has eaten her fill, I signal to Thresh to take his place with the musicians. I get to my feet, offering Katniss my hand. "Come and dance with me."

We hadn't planned on having a lot of dancing at our reception for a few reasons. One, we didn't want to be too taxing on Rue and her friends, seeing as how they were volunteering their time and talent. Two, my prosthetic leg makes dancing difficult at best, and three because I just didn't want to have to dance with my mother.

Regardless of that decision, I had asked Thresh the weekend after I proposed to sing a song for us, as a surprise for Katniss. I first heard the song Angel when I was still in the hospital after my accident. Finnick and Annie had brought the CD in for me to listen to, and this particular song had stuck with me for reasons I could never figure out. I never thought I had a chance of finding a girl who would even want to date me after I lost my leg, much less a girl exactly like the one described in the song.

"Dance?" Katniss asks as she grasps onto my hand. "But Peeta, your leg-"

"Just come with me," I say as I lead her over to the small dance floor. My hands come to rest on the small of her back as her arms encircle my neck. "I can do this kind of dancing."

The music begins, and almost instantly the tears well up as we begin to sway gently, being careful not to step on her toes.

God knew she was meant for me. Even back then, when I was at my lowest. He always knew.

Thresh's haunting voice starts to sing.

It was a day
Just like any other day
I was a boy
Just like every other boy

But when the girl
Unlike any I had seen
It's like she stepped out of a dream
And into my world

Could have been the summer wind
Playing with her hair
As the sun danced in her eyes
We were standing there

She smiled I forgot my name
'Cause all I was thinking

Maybe I'm crazy but I'm praying
That an angel will love me
An angel will love me

Maybe I'm a fool but I'm still falling
Asking heaven above me
For an angel to love me
The rest of my life

"Katniss," I whisper. A few strands of her hair have escaped her braid, tickling my neck. "Are you happy?"

You're the proof that the Father answers prayers
'Cause somehow someway
You and I are standing here

With the sacred promise
And a ring that says it all
I've just begun to fall
From the deepest part of me I say I do

"Mmmhmm," she murmurs, her lips brushing against my throat. "And this is beautiful."

She stands on her tiptoes to kiss me once the song is over, earning a chorus of cheers and wolf whistles from the guests. I take her hand, intending to lead her back to our table when the violinist strikes up a tune that can only be described as foot-tapping.

"What's this?" I ask as Katniss starts bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"This is the kind of music we play at weddings where I grew up," Katniss replies, grinning widely. "I asked Rue if she and her friends knew anything like this and one of them did, so she was able to teach the others."

She tugs on my hand as if to continue back to our table but I stop her, planting a quick kiss on her forehead. Several guests have already made their way onto the dance floor. "Go and dance. I want to watch you."

"Peeta," she protests. "I was only planning to watch and listen-"

Posy Hawthorne rushes up, grabbing for Katniss's other hand. "Katniss! Come dance with me!"

"Go!" I tell her. "Have fun!" She squeezes my hand one more time as Posy drags her away.

Katniss dances for a good half hour, returning to the table only when the musicians pause for a break. Once she's able to catch her breath it's time for the cake, which is a huge hit with nearly everyone.

Guests start to filter out once the cake and toasts are finished, stopping by to wish us well as they take their leave. Finnick manages to save two large slices of cake for Katniss and me to enjoy on our anniversary, and Thresh and Cassandra pack up the flowers and leftover food, planning to donate them to a battered women's shelter on their way home. By the time my family approaches us, there's only a few stragglers remaining.

"Congratulations, you two," my father says, gathering us both into a hug. "This was such a lovely wedding. And that cake, Peeta, wow. Definitely the best you've ever made." He pauses, shifting awkwardly on his feet. "You know, people still come into the bakery every now and then, asking for one of your cakes."

"Thanks Dad," I say. "I'm glad you guys enjoyed yourselves."

"Well, it definitely was… interesting," my mother says. She's holding my squirming, sleepy nephew in her arms almost like a shield as she nods in Katniss's direction. "You did well on such an obviously limited budget."

Katniss flinches almost imperceptibly, and I squeeze her hand in reassurance.

"Thank you, Mrs. Mellark," she says graciously.

"Great job, little brother," Rye says as he, Ban, and Casey take turns hugging us. "You definitely married up."

I smile widely, wrapping my arm around Katniss's waist. "Yes I did."

"Be sure to enjoy the honeymoon!" Rye adds as they walk away, chortling as my ears turn red.

I've barely managed to recover my countenance when Gale appears right in front of us. He's apparently been blessed with the same silent tread as Katniss because I didn't even hear him walk up. I automatically reach for Katniss's hand, turning so she's slightly behind me.

"Gale," I say evenly. "I'm glad you and your family are enjoying yourselves."

He stands there, staring, his piercing grey eyes narrowed and unblinking. "I'd like to speak to Catnip," he finally says. "Alone."

It's on the tip of my tongue to protest when Katniss speaks up. "No. That would be disrespectful to my husband." She steps forward, threading her hand through my arm. "Whatever you want to say to me, you can say in front of Peeta."

At first he looks like he means to argue, but then his shoulders sag as he exhales. "Fine." His eyes narrow further as he looks at me. "You'll take care of her."

It's a command, not a question. Like he thinks I need to hear it.

"Of course I will," I tell him. "No one needs to be concerned about that. Ever."

"Good," he retorts. "As long as we're clear."

My brow furrows as I square my shoulders, drawing strength from Katniss's fingers pressing into my arm. "I don't have anything to prove to you. The well-being of my wife is no one else's business except mine and hers."

He winces ever so slightly at the word 'wife', turning his attention to Katniss. "You always said you never wanted to get married. What happened to that?"

"I changed my mind," Katniss replies. Her fingers tighten around my arm. "About a lot of things."

Gale stares for a moment, his eyes flicking back and forth between the two of us. "I see," he chokes out. "Well, I guess there isn't anything else for me to say, is there."

"No," Katniss says, shaking her head. "There isn't."

If Gale actually had anything else to say, he's interrupted by Hazelle and the younger Hawthornes as they make their way over to us, offering hugs and well-wishes before taking their leave.

"Gale," I say once they're a few steps away. "Thank you for coming."

He raises his hand slightly, his lips quirking into the slightest of smiles, almost like it's painful. "Thanks."

That could've gone a lot worse. Thank you, Jesus.

Once everyone else has said their goodbyes and the last wedding gift is loaded into Thom and Delly's car for them to take to our apartment, I retrieve Katniss's bridal bouquet from our table, placing it in her hand.

"Are you ready to go?" I ask. I shrug out of my blue jacket, draping it across her shoulders.

She smiles shyly, her cheeks blushing a faint pink as she takes my arm. "Definitely."

We get out to the car to find that someone wrote JUST MARRIED on the back windshield in huge block letters. "I'll bet this was Finnick's doing," I say as I unlock the doors.

"Well, at least he didn't tie a bunch of pop cans to the bumper," Katniss says, laughing.

Katniss clings tightly to my hand for the length of the hour long drive, still uncomfortable with driving over the curvy mountain roads. She confessed to me only a few weeks ago that the day she drove me into town after my fall up the stairs had been the furthest she'd driven since the car accident that claimed her sister and father.

I honestly can't remember if I mentioned it being our wedding night when I made the hotel reservation, but judging by the looks we get from the front desk staff when we check in, either our clothes give us away or I must've said something to someone. The girl who checks us in calls practically the entire staff over to ooh and ahh at us, which does absolutely nothing to alleviate the state of semi-arousal I've been in ever since our wedding dance.

Only one soft light is on when I finally unlock the door, throwing shadows across the small but elegant fourth-floor room. The king-sized bed is turned down, and there's a bottle of champagne sitting in an ice bucket on the table next to a tray of scrumptious-looking strawberries dipped in chocolate.

I hold the door open as Katniss walks in, immediately kicking off her shoes. Looking around, she drapes my jacket over the chair in the corner and drops her bag to the floor next to the table. Feeling apprehensive, I sit down on the end of the bed to remove my own shoes, my hands clammy and shaking.

"Take off your socks too," Katniss says suddenly, her voice soft and gravelly. I look up to see her standing a few feet away, smiling and holding out her hand. "Then come here."

I gulp as I peel the socks from my feet, revealing both my real foot and the ugly, artificial flesh tone of my prosthetic one. The sight of it brings a lump to my throat that I immediately try to swallow down. Katniss has obviously seen my prosthesis before, and she's seen my stump before, but I've always been fully clothed otherwise. I can't help but worry about what she'll think when she sees me naked. Will she be disgusted? Will her grey eyes show pity for me instead of desire?

"Peeta," she repeats in that same breathy voice, breaking me from my morbid thoughts. She curls her fingers into her palm, indicating for me to take her hand. "Come here."

"O-okay." I move my shoes out of the way and stand back up, reaching out with my left hand. She takes it, gently tugging me over to where she's standing.

She looks up at me, her grey eyes swirling in the dim light filling the room. Without a word she closes the distance between us, bringing her delicate fingers up to the knot of my tie, loosening and sliding it off before tossing it in the general direction of the chair. Her teeth catch on her lower lip as she works the buttons of my white shirt, slowly sliding each plastic circle through its corresponding buttonhole. My breath hitches as she reaches my waist, untucking both the shirttails and the undershirt from my pants, her fingers trembling as they brush across the sensitive skin of my stomach.

"Katniss," I whisper, grasping her hands between my own. Even if she's trembling only out of nervousness and not fear, I need to make sure she knows she's not obligated to do anything she doesn't want to do. "We don't have to do anything tonight that you're not ready for."

Shaking her head, she works one small hand loose, pressing her palm against my chest, directly over my pounding heart. "I know that. I'm ready, Peeta. I want you."

I want you. I have to close my eyes against the torrent of emotions flooding through my body. She wants me. She wants me, like a woman wants a man, like a wife who desires her husband. Place me like a seal over your heart… for love is as strong as death… it burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame.

Emboldened by her tender words, I cover her hand with my own, holding it gently against my heart. "Katniss, I'll be careful-"

"Shh," she says, her fingers moving to cover my lips briefly before releasing the buttons on the two cuffs at my wrists. Slowly, she brings her hands up to my shoulders, peeling the shirt down my arms and back until it drops into a heap on the floor. I suck in a sharp breath when her fingers slide under the hem of the undershirt, gliding it up my abdomen and chest, halting abruptly when she realizes she can't quite reach far enough to easily pull it over my head. I smile at the look of consternation on her face, the slight scowl that disappears when I reach behind me to tug it over my shoulders and head, tossing it towards the chair to join the discarded tie.

"Peeta," she breathes. "You're… beautiful…" My upper body starts to shake as her fingers trail up my arms, leaving a smattering of goosebumps in their wake. They continue, like the strokes of a paintbrush across canvas, across my collarbones, down my pectorals, over my abs that contract at her touch, meeting at my navel. She pauses there, tracing a fingertip through the fine hair on my stomach that disappears into the waistband of my pants.

Leaning forward, she presses her lips to the hollow of my throat as her hands start to work on my belt buckle, her wedding ring tinkling against the metal, fumbling for a moment until she's able to get it unbuckled. Her fingers curl into the waistband of my pants, sliding the button through its hole, lowering the zipper. I hiss as her hand brushes against me over my underwear, reaching for her hips to keep myself upright. As the pants slide down to my ankles and I kick them off somewhere behind me, she drops down, planting a soft kiss to my left leg below the knee, right where my flesh meets the prosthesis. The gesture; so simple, and so her, leaves me as breathless as if I'd just had the wind knocked out of me.

She doesn't see me as a cripple, or handicapped, or damaged, or any less of a man. She only sees me as her husband.

Her fingertips trail up, over my overheated skin as her arms encircle my waist, hugging me close for a moment before releasing me so she can turn around. Her left hand reaches behind her, sliding the dark tail of her braid over her shoulder, revealing the graceful slope of her neck, and the zipper for her dress.

But instead of going directly to the zipper, my shaking hand reaches first for her braid, sliding down the length of it until I reach the fancy tie at the end. Releasing the tie, I comb my fingers through her silky hair, gathering up the tiny flowers and unraveling the strands until they fall around her shoulders and down her back in shining waves.

It's even more beautiful than I imagined.

With her hair now loose, I brush it aside, back over her shoulder. I lean down, trailing soft kisses along her neck, directly over the chain of her pearl. Her body shivers as my lips caress her skin, my arms sliding around her waist to press her back to my chest.

I hold her there for a bit, my eyes closed, breathing in her almost overwhelming scent. Her head drops back against my shoulder as her hands cover my own, her slender fingers lacing through my thicker ones and squeezing gently. "Peeta," she murmurs. "I love you."

"Oh, Katniss," I say huskily into her ear. "I love you so much." I squeeze her to me once more before releasing her fingers, allowing mine to trail up her arms to her shoulders, turning her back around to face me. A flicker of confusion passes over her face before I reach under her hair between her shoulder blades, lighting on the zipper of her dress. Being careful to not tug too hard, I slowly lower the zipper down to her waist, then slide the cap sleeves down her arms until the dress drops to the floor in a fluffy puddle. I grasp onto her waist so she can step out of it, then slip my hands underneath her simple camisole and tug it off over her head. My tongue pokes out to wet my dry lips as my eyes focus on her almost bare body for the first time.

She's so gorgeous! So unbelievably gorgeous!

I allow myself to drink in the sight of my wife, my wife, standing before me. As my eyes travel eagerly over her, she suddenly grows shy under my gaze, her arms crossing in front of her chest as if to shield herself from view.

"No, my love," I murmur, clasping her wrists. Raising her hands to my lips, I kiss each small palm before guiding them behind my neck, one hand moving to cup her cheek while the other encircles her waist to hold her against me. "You are so beautiful. Don't ever think you need to hide from me."

We're still for a moment, breathing each other's exhales as she searches my face, her grey eyes growing hungrier and hungrier as her fingers thread into my hair. "Peeta," she whispers. "Will you-, will you kiss me?"

"Oh God, yes!" Her fingers tighten in my hair just before I lean down, claiming her perfect, full lips with my own. Her lips part against mine, allowing my tongue to sweep into her mouth. I try to remember to go slow, to savor every touch, every taste, every tiny sound that she makes, even as the unrelenting hunger for her courses through my body, screaming at me to go faster.

We have all the time that we need. There's no need to rush. I promised I would be as gentle as possible.

I break my lips away from her mouth to trail kisses down her jaw to her neck, landing on the fluttering pulse point of her throat as my arm slides behind her knees, picking her up and walking over to the turned-down bed, laying her down on the lightly perfumed sheets. I crawl over her, propping myself up on my forearms, revelling in the sight of my wife, my wife, lying beneath me, her smoky eyes begging for me to touch her as her blunt, polished fingernails rake gently up my back.

"Peeta."

The simple sound of my name, said in her melodic, breathy voice is almost enough for me to come apart right there. "Oh," I murmur, brushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead. "Say that again."

She takes my face in her hands, drawing me down onto her, trailing her lips from my cheekbone over to my ear. "Peeta."

Shuddering, I start planting kisses along her collarbone, up her neck and back to her lips as my hand trails down to her waist and below, tracing the band of her underwear. I break the kiss to look into her eyes, silently asking permission.

At her nod of assent, I slide the fabric down her beautifully toned legs, tossing the panties in the general direction of the chair.

Oohh. I could just sit here and look at her for hours!

The feel of her slender fingers slipping underneath the waistband of my own underwear breaks me out of my reverie. I quickly dispense with them, breathing a sigh of relief before lowering my body down onto hers, pressing her into the mattress.

We moan in unison at the touch of our overheated skin, and suddenly it's as if I lose all coherent thought, allowing pure instinct to take over. Without thinking I know exactly how to touch her, how to elicit those sounds from her that make us both shudder and gasp. I roll off to her side as my hands take on a life of their own, caressing and fondling every valley and curve of her glorious body while my lips and tongue touch and taste and explore… until she crashes, writhing in pleasure, chanting my name over and over.

I watch in awe as she comes down from her high, peppering her face and neck with kisses as her eyes open and a huge, contented grin stretches across her flushed, radiant face. She has never looked more dazzling to me than she does right now, in this moment. I almost wish I could freeze it.

I get to spend the rest of my life making her look like that. How did I get so blessed?

I move back over her, setting myself in the cradle of her legs. "Are you ready, Katniss?"

She nods, her breaths still coming in gasps. "I'm ready."

Her leg hooks around my thigh as her hands splay across my back, encouraging me with feather-light caresses as I go as slowly as possible, watching her face for signs of discomfort. I stop when I feel resistance, reaching down to capture her lips with my own, trying to minimize the pain of her first time. As our kiss deepens, she surprises me by jerking upwards, grunting as her hips become flush with my own in one swift movement.

I tear my lips away from hers with a sort of strangled moan as her fingernails dig into my shoulder blades, the sensation so overwhelming there's no words to describe it. Nothing could've prepared me for this. Not any of the raunchy stories Rye used to tell about his high school conquests, not any of the advice Finnick gave me in the last couple days. Not even the fantasies I've had ever since I first met Katniss could possibly compare.

"Oh God, Katniss I love you!" I cry out. "I love you so much!"

My head drops onto her shoulder as I try desperately to hold on while she shifts, trying to adjust to me. After a few eternally long seconds her heel presses lightly against my leg. "I'm okay, Peeta," she whispers. "You can move now."

I'm too far gone to reply right away as I start to move, too lost in the feel of her all around me, the way we fit together as if we were truly made for each other. "Katniss," I finally whisper against her temple. "You're perfect." Through the rushing of blood past my ears I can hear her whimpers transforming into moans, hear her whispering to me. I feel her soft hands caressing the electrified skin on my back and neck and tugging gently on my hair.

"Oh my love, you're perfect!" And I so badly want this to be as perfect for her as she is to me.

But it's only a few seconds later when I feel like there's no way I can hold off for much longer. My skin flushes even hotter as my teeth catch on my bottom lip. My focus narrows entirely to the gorgeous woman lying beneath me who I was blessed enough to be able to marry.

Somehow, the sound of her voice is able to break through. "It's okay, Peeta. Let go."

Not yet, not yet, not yet!

She feels so good, so impossibly good I don't want this to end yet. But then she shifts slightly as she pushes against the mattress with her foot, her body arching up to meet mine, her arms tight around my back, the sound of her voice crying out my name… and I squeeze my eyes closed as I let go, lost in the waves of indescribable pleasure.

I drop down on top of her, our bodies shaking and slick with perspiration, feeling her lips warm against my shoulder and her hand brushing the sweat-soaked hair off my forehead. Tears drop from my eyes onto her neck before I carefully roll us to avoid crushing her, gathering her up into my arms as close as our skin and bones will allow. Her thumb reaches up, catching the tears on my cheeks as she tilts her head to kiss me.

"Katniss, I'm sorry if I-" I start, but again I'm silenced by her fingers brushing over my lips.

"Shh," she whispers. She brings my left hand to her lips, kissing it over the ring on my finger. "You're perfect too."

"For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."

Song Reference:

Angel by Casting Crowns

This song has been added to the YouTube playlist (search Practice Run playlist) so be sure to check it out! It's a beautiful song and I think it fits Everlark very well. :)

Biblical References:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Song of Songs 8:6

Matthew 19:5

I'd love to hear what you think of this chapter! Please don't hesitate to drop me a review! :)