A/N: edited 09/01/15
Long chapter of really alternating POVs. More bad smut at the end!
Chapter 31: Union
Katniss
I'm watching Peeta try to balance a spoon on his nose when the doorbell rings.
"You carry on... doing whatever you're, uh, doing," I say, patting him on the shoulder and heading for the front door. I pull it open to find Fenton and Rye standing there on the door step with stupid grins on their lips. "Hey! What are you guys doing here so early?"
"We need to borrow your fiancé," Fenton says, pushing past me and disappearing into the house.
"Your Mom and Prim are going to be here shortly," Rye informs me with a smirk, before following his older brother. Confused, I close the door and walk into the kitchen, only to find Fen and Rye grabbing Peeta by the arms and pulling him out of his seat. He still has the damn spoon in his hand.
"What the fuck are you guys doing?!" he exclaims, bewildered as he's dragged along. "Katniss?" he looks at me with wide eyes.
"Don't be an asshole, Peeta," Rye says, pulling Peeta along.
"You're dragging me out of my house and I'm the asshole?" I follow the three brothers down the hallway and into the street.
"Can you please tell me what's going on?" I ask, tugging on Fenton's arm. "Where are you taking him?"
The eldest Mellark simply grins. "Just trust us, okay?"
"That's pretty hard to do." I sigh, and he rolls his eyes.
"Your folks will be here soon, and then everything will make sense."
"You can't just drag Peeta out of here and expect me to be alright with it!"
"I'm not okay with this!" Peeta says, attempting to yank his limbs free as his brothers cart him through the snow. I stumble after him, wincing at the freezing slush beneath my feet before rushing back into the house and wiping my feet on the doormat.
"We'll see you tonight!" Rye calls, leaving me staring after my fiancé as he's dragged down the street, kicking and fighting.
Twenty minutes later, there's another knock on the door.
"For goodness sake," I mutter, getting up from my chair and moving toward the front door. Maybe Peeta has escaped. Instead, I open the door to find Mom and Prim standing there, wrapped up in coats and scarves, both of them carrying big boxes.
"Katniss!" Prim squeals, her eyes bright. "Madge is coming in a few minutes!"
"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" my sister ignores me and enters the house, scampering along, her braids thwacking me in the face as she passes in a blur of excitement.
"I trust that Fenton and Rye have removed Peeta from the household?" Mom asks calmly, moving into the house, shutting the door and steering me to the kitchen with a gentle hand.
"They dragged him from his seat."
Mom shakes her head and sighs. "I told them to take him back to the bakery with grace." She puts her box down next to Prim's on the kitchen table.
I fold my arms over my chest. "What's going on?"
"Madge will be here shortly. All you need to do today is relax, Katniss."
"Let us do the work," Prim adds, rocking back on her heels with excitement. I narrow my eyes. They're all plotting something, and I don't think they plan on telling me any time soon.
"I can't trust anyone until someone tells me what's going on. I opened the front door this morning and Fenton and Rye barged past me and snatched Peeta from his seat, and then just dragged him down the street!" I twist my braid in my hand. Mom just shakes her head and begins to make a cup of tea.
"Would you like some tea, Katniss?" she asks, calm and content. I nod my head, scowling at my little sister. I hate being on the outside of a secret. I need to be aware of what is going on around me.
"What was in the box you were carrying?" I ask Prim. She bites her lip and shakes her head.
"I'm not allowed to tell you," she says. I stand to open the box and find out myself. "No! Katniss, don't look. It's going to spoil the surprise. We've been planning this for ages!" She pushes my hands away before I can pull the box flaps open. Frustrated, I flop back down into my seat and sip my tea in silence as we wait for Madge to arrive. When the doorbell finally rings for the third time in half an hour, Prim almost hits the ceiling. She's halfway down the hallway before I can even get out of my seat, wrenching open the door and ushering Madge into the house.
"Katniss! Hey!" she greets me. I stand to give her a hug. We haven't seen each other properly since school broke up before Christmas. I had assumed that I wasn't going to see her until school starts in a few days. School is something I'm not looking forward to at all.
"Hi Madge," I greet her. My mouth is open, ready to ask her how she's been, but she gasps before I can continue, staring down at my stomach in awe, her eyes wide.
"God, Katniss. When did this happen?" she asks. "You're, like, really pregnant."
"Over Christmas," I say, looking down at my belly. I can remember when I had a flat- almost concaving- stomach. This is going from one extreme to the other.
Madge exhales, staring at me like I'm an alien. "Can I touch it?"
"If you want," I shrug my shoulders. Mom comes over and presses her hands over my stomach, feeling for something, and then takes Madge's hand and pushes it against my skin. Her fingers are freezing, and I hiss when she touches them to my warm tummy.
"Feel that?" Mom asks, smiling softly.
"Ugh, yeah. Gross," Madge wrinkles her nose.
Mom looks at me. "I think that could be a shoulder."
"Really?" I press my hand gently against my stomach in awe. My baby has a shoulder. When and if Peeta ever returns I'll have to show him. He'll be ecstatic, I'm sure.
For the next hour, we catch up with each other, gossiping and chatting like old Merchant women. I rest my feet on the chair opposite until Prim sits down, but my sister pulls my legs back up and places them on her lap, smiling at me from across the table. Madge has brought some strawberry tart along with her and we eat it with the tea.
"I bet you're glad that you're with Peeta," Madge says, eyeing me as I eat strawberry pastry contently, rubbing my stomach. "He can give you lots of chocolate, at least."
"That doesn't mean he's happy to do it." I say. Madge laughs.
"How is Peeta?"
"He's good. Ever so tired for some reason, but he's a good fiancé," I nod my head. "How about you and Mitch?" Madge blushes and hides her face in her cup of tea.
"I didn't know that you were with Mitch," Mom says, leaning forward in her seat. "Have you told your parents?"
"They definitely know about it, but so far they haven't said anything on the subject," Madge says softly. "But hopefully they'll be alright with it. I mean, I know he isn't a high-up Capitol official or anything, but he makes me happy." Prim sighs longingly from across the table, resting her face in her palm, ever the romantic.
"Peeta said that he had an argument with Mitch," I speak up. "Do you know anything about it? I'm in the dark here, and I know they're best friends."
"I'm just as clueless as you are. Mitch won't tell me anything about it."
"Fenton and Rye said that they'd be best friends again by the end of today." Prim pipes up. Madge grins. I narrow my eyes.
"I hope so. Mitch said that it was stupid shi- stuff," Madge backtracks, flustered as she glances at Prim and my mother, who pretends not to notice. "Stupid stuff. That's what they were arguing about."
Mom finishes her tea and stands up to collect everyone else's. "Primrose, can you clear away the plates and wipe down the table. Madge, we can take the boxes upstairs."
"Where upstairs?"
"Your bedroom. I assume Peeta put a table of some sort in there?" I nod, rushing ahead to straighten the blankets and smooth down the sheets and hide a rogue pair of Peeta's boxers under the bed. Madge and Mom put the boxes they're carrying on the top of my chest of drawers and Prim arrives a minute later, rolling her sleeves up. I glance frantically about the room, searching for a stray piece of clothing or leftover cup of tea that has been left behind.
"Okay, now that you've invaded my bedroom, can you tell me what's going on?" I ask, sitting down on the end of the bed once I deem the room tidy enough for my mother's approval. Madge grins from the doorway. Prim claps her hands and looks up at Mom.
"Do you want to tell- ?" Mom starts. Prim squeals loudly and I grimace at the sound.
"You're getting married today!" My sister gushes, her lips stretched into a smile so big that I can almost see her molars.
"What?!" Married? Is this what this whole thing is about?
"We've been planning it for a few weeks. Peeta has been taken back to the bakery to be prepped by his Dad and brothers, and you're here with us to get ready!" Madge explains further, watching as Prim bounces up and down.
I stare at the floor, my mind going a hundred miles a minute. "I'm getting married?"
"That's usually what happens after an engagement, silly!" Prim cries. I groan and flop back down onto the bed, watching the ceiling as I process this information. The bed tilts and squeaks when Mom sits beside me, rubbing my arm soothingly.
"Is this too sudden?" she asks gently. "If you don't want to go through with it, we'll call it off."
"It's definitely a surprise," I start. "I didn't expect that this would happen today. Peeta said that he'd get a slot for us at the Justice Building once I turned seventeen."
"Do you want to call it off?" Prim asks. I can see that she's heartbroken at the thought of the event not happening, though she tries to hide it as best she can.
I squeeze my eyes shut. I won't pull it off. Maybe this is exactly what I need. Some spontaneity in my life. I think back to when I was first paired with Peeta and Gale called him boring. Peeta has been anything but boring since the very day we stood next to each other on that stage.
"I just need some time to process everything."
Peeta
"Get the fuck into the bakery." Fen says, pointing at the back door as if I were a stubborn dog. I shake my head. Okay, I suppose I am acting like a stubborn dog, but that's beside the point.
"Why should I?" I ask, shuffling about in the snow-turned-slush that is covering the district.
"Because we fucking told you to, idiot," Rye says. I turn and glare at him. "And if you don't you're going to have a bridezilla left standing in front of a Capitol official all alone because you refused to get your ass into the damn bakery."
"A bridezilla? What the hell are you talking about, Rye? That isn't even a word."
"Yeah it is."
"No it isn't," I say. "And why are you even talking about... a... bridezilla anyway? Who's getting married?" I trail off, my eyes wide as I read between the lines. "Oh, fuck."
"Yes, congrats. You're getting married today. Now get in the building," Fen says, pulling the door open. Dumbfounded, I follow him into the building. Dad is waiting, sitting at the table with a cup of tea and a big grin on his face. I sigh.
"Seriously? You guys dragged me from my house to for me to get married?"
"Peet, listen," Dad begins, pushing out a chair with his foot and inviting me to sit down. "You start school in three days. You're having a baby in April. You have to study for the exam at the end of the Games-"
"You took the Mellark curse way to seriously, by the way." Rye interjects. I scowl at him, something I've picked up from Katniss.
"So we thought it would be best to have you married before all this. Heaven knows you two would've forgotten about it unless we helped you along."
"Why didn't you just tell me?"
"Because it would've given the game away."
"Does Katniss know?"
"I assume she does now. Her mother, sister, and Madge Undersee are round your place right now, getting her ready."
"And I'm round here because...?"
"Because we're making you look all pretty for your bride," Fen coos, ruffling my hair. Rye laughs. I drop my head down onto the table and groan.
What have I got myself into?
Katniss
Mom has bought some lavender soap around, and I'm currently standing in the shower letting the water run over my body, and lathering myself up with fragrant bubbles. Mom, Prim and Madge are sorting out something while I wash, but all I want to do is go to sleep. The lavender is calming, and the hot water added to the mix has unknotted the muscles in my back, leaving me feeling calm and sleepy and serene.
I suspect this was Mom's aim.
I lean against the cold tiled wall and sigh. What is Peeta doing right now? I hope that his brothers managed to drag him to the bakery in one piece, though I can't be sure. Does he know that he's going to be married to me by the end of the day? I squeeze my eyes shut. In a few hours I'm going to officially become Mrs Katniss Mellark. It sounds foreign on my tongue, but it feels nice. The Capitol documents will be legal proof of our marriage, but it's the toasting that will represent it in a way that will feel personal to me.
I'm getting married today.
Taking a deep breath, I shut off the water and wrap a towel around my body, stepping out onto the bathroom mat. I move over to the mirror and slip on my engagement ring, staring at myself and thinking. I know that this is right. This is the right thing to do. I love Peeta, he loves me, and it would be silly to not do this. For our child's sake, at least, I have to be brave and do this.
Honestly, I don't know why I'm panicking. Everything feels like it's falling into place the way it should, but lurking at the back of my mind are the thoughts of 'what if it doesn't work out?' and 'can I allow myself to be attached to someone like this?' I'm already attached to Peeta, that's pretty obvious, but the doubt is still lingering.
I think of Gale. All these years and I told him that I never wanted to get married, and definitely didn't want children. And look at me now, going back on those words and doing everything I said I wouldn't. "Are the Hawthornes coming?" I ask, the second I step into the bedroom.
"We sent them an invitation, but there hasn't been a reply so far," Prim says. I slump against the doorframe, tears falling down my cheeks. Everything is so perfect. I'm marrying Peeta, who's the only person I can imagine myself with anymore. I have a loving family who protect me, and amazing friends. But without Gale and his family, who have been a part of my life since before I can remember, it will feel out of place. I can only hope that he will push all the differences that have sprouted up between us aside and join my family and Peeta's family and Madge and Mitch and whoever else is coming.
"Don't cry," Mom says, coming over and giving me a hug. "Why are you crying? This is the happiest day of your life."
"I know!" I sob. "But I'm j-just scared. I want Gale and Hazelle and P-Posy and Rory and Vick to be there. G-Gale's my best friend. I want him to be there. And what if P-Peeta backs out? What if he decides that he a-actually doesn't want to marry the Seam s-slut?" I know that I'm babbling absolute nonsense now, but I can't stop myself. "I can't raise a b-baby by myself!"
"Katniss!" Mom exclaims, stopping me in my tracks. "It's okay! You've just got pre-wedding jitters. Stop panicking, sit down, and think about what you've just said." I sit down on the bed, holding my head in my hands, my wet hair plastered around my face.
"Peeta isn't going to leave you, he loves you too much," Madge says softly, crouching down beside me.
"He'd marry you if you had nine eyes and smelled like cabbage," Prim adds. "Why would he back out?"
"Peeta loves you. You love him. Today you're going to get married."
"Okay, sorry. I'm just... overthinking," I apologise, wiping my tears away and taking deep, steadying breaths. Madge rubs my back consolingly. Mom dries my hair. Prim pulls stuff out the boxes. I try to picture Peeta waiting for me at the Justice Building, all blonde hair and blue eyes and wide smiles.
Everything is going to be okay. I just need to breathe.
Peeta
Katniss is definitely getting better treatment than me. She's probably gliding about the house, dressed in her hunting jacket and boots and ripped pants, eating chocolate while Mrs Everdeen, Prim and Madge paint her nails and fix her hair.
Meanwhile, I've been shoved out to the front of the shop, wearing the apron I was given so tactfully for my birthday. Of course, Dad just stood by and laughed. "This is your last day as a free man, Peeta. And you're going to spend a good portion of it working for me!" he had said as I was pushed to the counter.
And that's where I am now, serving customers who all give me odd looks at first glance, but once they get closer and read the apron, they fire so many questions and comments at me I struggle to keep up.
"Oh, yes. The Everdeen girl."
"What does your mother think of this?"
"I heard about that! Wasn't sure if I quite believed it until I saw it with my own eyes!"
I smile and laugh all the way through it, pretending that I don't want to strangle half the people who ask me about my family. The wave of customers and questions in relentless, and by the time lunch swings around I practically run to the door to turn the 'open' sign to 'close'.
"I hate every single one of you," I announce, pointing at my Dad and brothers one by one as I walk into the kitchen and yank my apron off.
"I knew people would like your apron," says Rye. "Shame you don't wear it more often." I roll my eyes and sit at the table. Dad plates up some sandwiches and slides them across the table to each of his sons.
"You need to be ready to go to the Justice Building at 4 o'clock," he says as I take a bite of the sandwich.
"4 o'clock?" I ask. "Are you guys coming back to ours afterwards for cake or something?" I drop the sandwich and scrub my face with my hands, overwhelmed. This morning I woke up and was simply expecting to work at the bakery all day, sleep for a few hours after a meal with Katniss, and then disappear into the night to work at the mines. I've become accustomed to the choking blackness that swallows you up as you descend into the belly of the earth, and have found myself beginning to be more comfortable around the Seam miners, even though they still glare at me. I didn't wake up this morning and think that I would be dragged to the bakery and told I was getting married.
"I'm sorry if this seems too sudden, or if you would've preferred to have done this your way, but this is something that both Dahlia and I think is a good thing for you," Dad turns the sandwich in his fingers. "After the ceremony, we have been invited to the Undersee's. They offered to hold a small dinner to celebrate. It was Madge's idea."
"But it's just us. Katniss and I- we're nothing worthy of the Mayor's house."
"They offered, Peeta. It was their own decision."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Does Katniss know about all this? Is she okay with it?"
"Her mother said that she would come and find us if anything was wrong," he motions to my lunch with a smile. "Eat up. You've got about an hour to get ready, and then we've got to go."
"My little brother; getting married at seventeen," Fen says, shaking his head.
"It's never too late to back out," Rye says, nudging my shoulder. "Delly isn't the only one who would gladly play tonsil tennis if-"
"That's enough, Rye." Dad cuts him off.
"I'm serious, Peet." My brother winks. He knows as well I do that Delly is like a sister to me. I shove him so hard that he almost topples off his stool. Once I've finished eating, I climb the stairs, heading for the bathroom. Dad said that I could wear the old suit he had at his wedding, so many years ago. It feels strange to be back in my home. Whether the good strange is stronger than the bad or not, I'm yet to decide. I can still point out all the points in the corridor where Mom beat me. Although I know that it has long been washed away, I can still see the blood that covered the tiles in the bathroom. I can still see the crumbling part of the wall where Rye kicked the wall in a fit of rage. I can see the notches in the doorway that marked the height of Fen, Rye and I as we grew. Mom never liked it when Dad measured and recorded our heights, but he ignored her.
Waiting on a hook in the bathroom is the suit as promised. It's worn, but in good condition. Someone has stitched up the elbows many times. Most people in the district wear any items of clothes that don't have coal dust on them or are simply in good condition. Women will rent a dress that has been worn hundreds of times before. I wonder what Katniss will be wearing. Whatever it is, I'm sure she'll look amazing. She could arrive at the Justice Building in her hunting gear, covered in animal guts and smelling of the forest and I wouldn't mind.
Along with the suit is a pair of pressed black pants, my boots (polished and shined), and the shirt I wore to the dinner that was held after the Reaping for the Baby Games. I pull on an off-white wife beater under my shirt, the pants, my boots and, finally, the suit jacket. It's a little big around the arms, but a perfect fit over my shoulders. The tie finishes the look. I check my reflection and exit the bathroom.
Turning into the room that used to be mine, I trail my fingers over the wall to my left. Boxes line the walls. A single, dark green armchair with a high backrest sits in the middle of the room, facing the window. I walk forward. It smells musty in here- like it hasn't been used for years, not just a month or two. It's kind of nostalgic being back.
"I knew you'd come in here," Mom's voice breaks the silence and I jump.
"I didn't know you were here-"
"Oh stop with your excuses," she cuts me off, her words sharp and precise and straight to the point. "I'm not here to hear you babble incessantly."
"What do you want?" I ask, moving around the chair so that I can see my mother properly. She looks tiny and frail sitting in the throne of a chair, her legs curled beneath her, one elbow resting on the armrest as she stares vacantly out through the window. This is when she's at her scariest. When she is calm, vacant, nothing like the person she turns into at the drop of a hat. The calm before the storm. It usually means that she's up to something.
"Dahlia Everdeen invited me to attend your fiancé's... bridal party."
"You didn't go." I say, the pitch of my voice lowering, making it a statement rather than a question.
"Obviously," Mom muses. "I will not be caught with the likes of those people."
"Madge Undersee is there. She's the Mayor's daughter." I input. My mother scowls.
"She shouldn't be there either," she closes her eyes, sighing deeply before standing, though she isn't much taller at her full height. "I am, however, coming to your wedding. Your father insisted."
"When have you ever listened to him?" I ask, and she doesn't even react. No lip twitching or eye narrowing. Nothing at all, as if I'm not even really there.
"I'm coming out of choice. And I want to give you something." She reaches into the pocket of her dress and pulls out a small box. I'm almost hesitant to open it.
"Another Mellark tradition?" I ask, chuckling at the previous mentions of any Mellark traditions. Mom purses her lips and I can see that she's fighting off a small smile.
"Yes, in a sense," she replies, squaring her shoulders. "Your father has a pair. And with each son that was born to myself and him, another was made," She hands me the box and I open it to find a set of perfectly round, shiny silver cufflinks. Etched into the metal is a simple 'M'. "It's customary for the mother of the son to be married to give it to him. So, here you are." She clasps her hands together, holding her head up proudly, as if it doesn't really matter. As if she is above the situation at hand.
I smile down at the box. "Thank you, Mom. Really."
"Don't get all sentimental on me," she snaps, reaching a hand forward. I flinch on instinct, anticipating a beating, and she pauses, curling her fingers into a fist before stretching them out again. She carefully straightens the collar of my shirt and pats my shoulder. "I don't want your emotions to ruin-"
I take a chance and put my arms around her. She stiffens, inhaling sharply at such an unexpected movement. I know she's not good with feelings or physical contact, but I push on ahead. "I know you wanted a daughter. I know how badly you wanted a little girl and I'm sorry that you got me instead. But thank you for coming," I say, resting my chin on her bony shoulder. "And for the cufflinks."
"Yes, uh... well," Mom mumbles. She pats my sides awkwardly, obviously wanting the hug to end. "You- you're welcome." I pull away and smile. She doesn't meet my gaze and shuffles away, disappearing without another word into her room. I slip the cufflinks on and go downstairs. Dad is muttering under his breath at Rye, desperately trying the brush the flour from his middle son's jacket. Fen looks bored. Mom looks flustered when she finally comes downstairs.
"Ready to go Peet?" Dad asks.
"I think so."
We make our way through town and to the Justice Building in relative silence. We climb the steps of the building, pass through the heavy wooden door held open by a Peacekeeper and into a dark corridor. Deep red carpet covers the floor. The walls are painted a rich cream colour. All the furniture is smooth mahogany. We're directed in the right direction and told to wait outside the office while our parents finalise papers and legal stuff. My brothers and I sit on the under-stuffed chairs that line the hallway and all I can think about it what I'm hiding.
I need to tell someone. Before I marry Katniss. Before this becomes official and so much more scary. I can't tell Dad- not yet. Mom will find out somehow. I look up at my brothers, my leg bouncing nervously. Fen is picking at a loose thread on the bottom of his dress shirt, frowning as the fibre gets longer and longer the more he pulls on it. Rye looks bored, drumming his fingers on the arms of the chair and staring around the hallway. They can be assholes (they are assholes) but they're my brothers. Even if they haven't necessarily said it, I know that they care. I care about them. I take a deep breath to steady myself.
"You alright Peet?" Fen asks, yanking the thread until it snaps, causing the hem of his shirt to scrunch up. I lean forward, my elbows on my knees.
"I need to tell you guys something, but you have to promise that you won't tell Dad or Mom or Katniss or anyone. I'm telling them... and her... in due course." I reply, standing up and pacing up and down the short corridor.
Rye doesn't look like he's taking me seriously. "What's this all about-?"
"Promise me. You have to promise not to tell anyone." I cut him off.
"Fine. We promise." He says, his brow knitting together.
"I've been working at the mines," I blurt out. It takes a few painfully long seconds for my brothers to react. They stare at me, blue eyes wide and don't say a word until -
"What the actual fuck, Peeta?" Fen hisses, angry and shocked. "What are you thinking?"
"I don't know. I just panicked. With a baby on the way and having to provide for Katniss as well was too much to take in and I just... panicked. We need the money," I gasp out.
"No you don't," Rye shakes his head. "You work at the bakery. Katniss kills stuff. You have enough!"
"Haven't you realised that she's pregnant? She's not going out hunting until after the baby is born," I snap. Rye slumps back in his seat with a heavy sigh, steepling his fingers.
"How long have you been working there?"
"A few months..."
"A few months… How did none of us pick up on it?" Fen glances at Rye in exasperation.
"I did the graveyard shifts." I mutter.
"How can Katniss not know?"
"I don't know. I clean off all the dust and I'm really careful about everything."
"Except your safety, you complete ass," Rye snaps. "What if you were killed? You would've left Katniss to raise your kid all by herself. Did you not think about that?"
"Peeta, come on. You could've asked for a pay rise at the bakery or something. You could've got a job anywhere but there. What if there was an accident?! We wouldn't even know that you were there!"
"I know! I know it was stupid," I hiss, trying to keep my voice down. "But I'm still here."
"Bullshit!" Rye exclaims. Fen glares at him. "But it is!" Rye continues, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Tell us you're not gonna go back there. Promise us." I blink. He's throwing my words right back at me.
"I-"
"Promise us." Fen says stonily. I squeeze my eyes shut.
"I have to work one more night to get paid. And- and I've asked if I could leave and they said no. If I don't work the money is handed back to the Capitol. All the other works with me won't get paid. I can't do that to them," I explain.
"You're not even old enough to work there! You have to be eighteen!"
"I told them to keep it quiet."
"So they let you work in that hell hole even though it was illegal? Do they not even care?"
"Is anything legal in that place? Do you really think the Capitol cares about the laws?!"
"Don't go back there." Rye instructs sternly. I roll my eyes.
"Fine." I snap.
"I'm serious, Peeta. Don't go back or I swear to God we'll tell everyone."
"When are you going to tell Katniss?"
"I don't have to tell her now. I'm not working there anymore." I retort. I know that I'm being stubborn and selfish, but I'm scared and don't know how to handle it.
"Peet..."
"Look, we're getting married today. Let me tell her after today. I don't want her day to be ruined," I reason, begging my brothers. "I'm going to tell her. I'm definitely going to tell her."
"You really love that girl don't you?" Fen says softly. I nod.
"So don't go endangering yourself, please. If not for us and Mom and Dad, but for Katniss and your son or daughter."
"We all know what it's like to lose a parent," Rye adds. We're all thinking of Mom and Mr Everdeen.
"I wouldn't want my kid to grow up without a father." I bite my lip, my stomach lurching at the thought.
"Is this why you've been so tired?"
"Do I look tired?" I ask, rubbing at my skin. Rye barks out a laugh.
"You look like you've been through hell and back, Peeta. Even Katniss was worried, as oblivious as she is."
I open my mouth to say something else when a door opens and my bride appears with Madge, Prim and Mrs Everdeen. I lock eyes with her and my heart melts. She chews her bottom lip timidly. She's never looked so beautiful.
And I have to tell her I've been sneaking around behind her back, working where he father perished.
Katniss
Mom and Prim are fussing with my hair, patting down the unruly strands. I swat their hands away as we're directed through the Justice Building, only to do it myself. I adjust my dress. Madge shipped in the material from District 4, Mom cut it up and made it into a beautiful dress, and Prim sewed on the lace detailing that arches down over my chest and down my back. You can see the tanned skin of my back through the lace, and it's done up with pearly buttons that follow my spine. It's simple, but stunningly beautiful. My Mockingjay pin is above my heart. My hair is in loose waves, but is braided slightly at the sides with soft strands framing my face. Mom says I look beautiful. Prim wishes she had a camera. Madge thinks I'm the loveliest bride in all of Panem. I think I'm about to throw up.
And then I open another heavy wooden door and see Peeta.
Simply his presence relaxes me. I feel a smile working its way onto my lips and bite my lip. I can't pull my eyes away from his, and just stare into the endless blue pools. I'm aware of people talking and moving about around me, but all I can see is Peeta.
"Is you father through there?" Mom asks, pointing to a closed door.
"Mom too," Fenton nods. Mom raises her eyebrows at the mention of Mrs Mellark but says nothing, folding her coat over her arm and disappearing through the door she motioned to. I look away eventually and admire Peeta as a whole. He's dressed smartly, complete with shined shoes, sharp jacket and tie. I step forward, closer to him and he takes my hand, pulling me in for a hug. I inhale his scent deeply, closing my eyes momentarily. It's been several hours since I've seen him and I missed him more than I want to admit. Over the past few months I've become accustomed to having him around all the time, to have him by my side, night and day.
"You're beautiful," he whispers into my ear, and the feeling of his lips brushing against the shell of my ear makes me weak at the knees.
I smile, looking up at him. "You cleaned up well."
"Why do you act so surprised?" he asks, a smirk playing at his lips. I bat his arm and grin, leaning into him.
"Ready to become a Mellark?" Rye asks, ruining the moment completely by butting in.
"Definitely not," I snort. "That means I'm legally related to you."
"You'll probably be able to get used to it."
"Let's hope," I say dryly. Peeta chuckles. I'm completely relaxed until Mr Mellark opens the door leading to an office and beckons us inside. I release a shaking breath I didn't even realise I was holding and Peeta takes my hand, squeezing it tightly. He follows his brothers into the tiny office and I walk close behind him.
The office is just like the rest of the building; plush red carpet covers the floor, with cream walls and smooth mahogany furniture. The official who sits behind the massive desk is pale –almost translucent- with grey hair that is pulled over his scalp in an attempt to make it look like he isn't in the last stages before losing all the hair on his head.
"You sure you wanna do this?" Peeta asks. I pause to clear my head, thinking thousands of thoughts all at once. In less than half an hour I'm going to no longer be an Everdeen. I will be a Mellark. Officially stripped of the name that has defined me for all these years, that serves as a constant reminder of my father, of my family, of my past. It makes me sad to think about leaving it all behind, but I have to remind myself that I'm simply moving on. The memories will not be forgotten, just stored away. Peeta will help me move on. It's a good thing.
"I'm definitely sure." I nod. Peeta smiles brightly, his eyes soft, and I bump my shoulder against his side. We're both given several sheets of paper filled with information. I scan through it quickly, barely reading the Capitol-approved rules and regulations and terms and conditions of my marriage. The official glowers at my stomach, up at my face, across to Peeta, and then back at my stomach. I can feel him judging Peeta and I.
"Sign here and here and here," he says, pointing a gnarled finger against the paper at several spots. I look up, hand out stretched until he gets the message that I need something to write with. With an exaggerated sigh he fishes a heavy cartridge pen from the inside pocket of his jacket and hands it to me.
"Thank you," I say, trying to keep the sarcasm from my voice. When I bring the tip of the pen down to the paper I pause, unsure of what I should write. Never in my life have I had to write my name down on a legal document of this kind. I scratch my name down hastily in all the places the magistrate points to.
By the time I've finished signing in all the appropriate places, Peeta has only just finished reading the fourth page. Once he's finished reading everything, he signs his name in an elegant script and hands the papers back to the official. He continues to ask us a seemingly endless amount of amount of questions. We nod and say yes many times, relieved when he finally stamps the box at the bottom of each sheet with a Capitol seal, before looking back up at Peeta and I, clasping his hands over his rotund belly, peering doubtfully over his half-moon spectacles. He's definitely judging us. Me in particular. I wonder what it is exactly that he is thinking. Poor guy, getting saddled with her? It's not gonna last. They'll be back within the year asking for a divorce. Why are his parents allowing this?
I look across the room at Peeta' parents. Mr Mellark is standing in between my Mom and his wife, a small smile on his face. Mom says something to the man beside her and he chuckles softly. Mrs Mellark scowls. Fenton and Rye are whispering to Madge who gives them withering looks, and Prim is rocking back and forth on her heels, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"One last document," the official mutters, sliding what looks like paper but is in fact a screen, across the table. He hands Peeta special pen and points to the line that says 'Husband' beneath it. Peeta signs his name once more, confirming his marriage to me. I take the pen and stare at the line.
"Katniss?" Peeta asks softly. "What's wrong?" The text on the page merges together the longer I gaze at it. It's so quiet in here, so tense, that I could hear a pin drop. I sign my name down.
And just like that, it's official. My name is Katniss Mellark. I am the wife of Peeta Mellark.
Fenton and Rye cheer from their spot by the wall and my Mom claps her hands, smiling warmly at me. Madge and Prim squeal. Peeta turns to me and grins, the action making the dimples in his cheeks stand out even more. I blush and he leans in to kiss me, starting a new chapter in our lives. Our parents thank the official and I leave the room as a wife.
Peeta
I can't believe that Katniss is actually my wife. She hasn't let go of my hand since we left the magistrate's office. As we walk along she leans into my side, resting her head on my shoulder.
"So, what next?" I ask.
"We go to Madge's house," she grins, knowing full well that that's not what I'm asking.
"I know, dummy," I chuckle. She laughs and I pull her closer to my side, wrapping my arm around her. We reach the Undersee mansion in about twenty minutes, and the sheer size of the place is mindboggling. Gravel crunches underfoot as we walk up the sweeping driveway and the stone steps that lead up to the front door are nothing like anything I've seen before in this district. Madge guides us further into the house and we gather in a room filled with plush chairs and thick rugs and a huge television on the wall above a roaring fireplace. Katniss stares in wonder at the massive room, arching her neck to look up at the high ceiling. I press a kiss to her neck and she squirms, batting me away playfully.
"Not right here, Peeta!" she insists, her cheeks darkening.
"Not now?" I ask. "So I can do that later?" I waggle my eyebrows and she shakes her head, laughing at me.
"Maybe, if you're lucky," she says, kissing me slowly- tauntingly- before pulling away. I lean back into the couch and sigh. We chat easily for a while, talking about anything from the latest Capitol fashions shown on the television to whether summer was better than winter or not. About half an hour later, there's a knock on the door. Madge excuses herself to answer it, flashing me an apologetic smile that makes me frown. It takes her a few minutes to make her way through the mansion to answer the door, but when she returns she isn't alone. Mitch is standing beside her, his eyes flickering around the room until he sees me. I lock my jaw. He waves his hand slightly in a weak greeting. I don't return it.
A person dressed in red, a servant, perhaps, comes into the room, interrupting the tension that has begun to build between Mitch and I, and bows her head to Madge. "Thank you, Lavinia," she says, seeming to understand despite the person never saying a single word. "Dinner will be served in the west dining room." She says, leading the way down the marble pillared, marble-floored hallway. The west dining room? How many dining rooms has she got? The room is light airy, with high ceilings like the rest of the house, simple artwork on the walls, with a large ebony table flanked by countless chairs. We sit down and the silent servants serve the meal.
"Madge, no, this is too much," Katniss whispers, staring around at the full plates in front of everyone. It makes our Christmas dinner look pitiful.
"I want to do this. My father doesn't mind. It's your wedding, Katniss, and you deserve this."
"Madge, you're too kind." Mrs Everdeen smiles. Madge grins, Katniss bites her lip anxiously, and my brothers dig in to their food.
Once the meal is finished, we migrate into the large expanse of land that Madge calls her backyard. But this isn't just a backyard, it's a masterpiece. The grass is thick and green, the shrubs and flowerbeds are perfectly sculpted, and an ornate water fountain takes centre stage. Madge leads us to a small sheltered terrace area where a small band of musicians sit, and when they begin to play a slow, joyful song, fingers dancing over strings, over buttons, over keys, Katniss groans and buries her face into my side. Madge grins and takes Mitch's hand.
"It's your first dance," she shrugs with a small smile. I take Katniss' hand in mine and tug her towards the centre of the tiled area, pulling her other hand from her face as she attempts to hide, blushing profusely.
"Come on, it's a tradition." I say and she looks up at me, embarrassed.
"I can't dance."
"I know you can," I say, placing my hands on her waist and pulling her in close, she wraps her arms around my neck, resting her head on my chest as we begin to move in a small circle. "Remember? At the dinner, after the reaping. You're a great dancer."
"Ugh, don't. That was awful," she grumbles against my chest. I chuckle, pressing a kiss against her head.
"I can't believe that you're my wife." I say after a few moments.
"I can't believe I'm your wife either," she replies. "It's just so surreal. This was the last thing on my mind. Marrying a Merchant? Marrying the baker's son?" She pauses. "Getting pregnant by him?"
"This guy sounds like a bit of an asshole." I tease.
"He is an asshole."
"But you love him."
"Yes, I do love him," she says. I bring my head down, resting my chin on her shoulder. "And I know that he loves me. I know that he didn't mean to get the Seam slut pregnant, but he's kind of glad that he did."
"And I know that the 'Seam slut' that I just married is kind of glad too."
"Shut up. I am not," she protests. I laugh, inhaling her scent. She smells of the forest, of clean air and dirt and leaves. The underlying scent of lavender comes from the soap she's begun using since moving into the Merchant Quarters. She bought it after her mother advised her on it as a calming agent that would help her sleep.
I always wondered what she smelt like. Whether her hair would be soft and shiny in between my fingers when it was unravelled from her braid. If the skin beneath her clothes was as tanned as her arms and legs. If her eyes had specks of gold or green or maybe even blue among the grey so common in the Seam. I wondered so many things, and always wished to know all the answers. And now I'm married to the girl of my dreams. I'm married to the only person I can't live without.
And I'm hiding the fact that I'm endangering my life most nights, instead of staying with her to ward off any nightmares she may have. My secret can only be held in for so long, before it finds its own way out, its own path to freedom.
Katniss
I'm a horrible person.
Madge is my friend, one of my only friends, and she's done all this for me. My mother and sister have helped to make this day more special than it would've been with a few signatures on some paper at the Justice Building and some cake back home. Mr Mellark has helped to make this all better, Fen and Rye have been reliable if not sarcastic, and, despite the fact that she hasn't accepted what has happened or what will happen, Mrs Mellark has a least attended her son's wedding. It's more than anyone expected. I'm surprised that she hasn't snapped at me yet.
Finally there's Peeta. Sweet, kind, amazing Peeta. He's my rock. He's been with me through of all of this and has never said anything to intentionally hurt me. And I've been selfish this entire time.
"Come and dance," I address the rest of our wedding party, feeling embarrassed under everyone's gaze. The band starts up with a livelier tune, and I break away from Peeta to go and dance with Prim.
"I'm so happy, Katniss."
"Me too, Little Duck." I smile down at her. "Have you had a good time?"
Prim nods her head, her golden curls bobbing. "I'm so glad you and Peeta are finally married. It's so romantic. Are you going to have a toasting?" I blink, my sister's question surprising me. I hadn't even thought about a toasting.
"I suppose so, yes," I say, smiling brightly. "Have you spoken to Hazelle or Rory lately?"
"Uh… not really," my sister shrugs.
"I wish they were here," I mumble, and Prim hugs me tight.
"Madge had planned for them to come but Gale refused and Hazelle is busy with Posy and the laundry business, and Vick and Rory are 'too irresponsible to go by themselves'," she explains sadly as we twirl around the terrace.
"Oh."
"I know that you wanted him to be there," she says. "Gale is just being stubborn. He'll come around."
"I hope so." I say quietly, though the voice inside my head tells me that I've lost my best friend for good.
Peeta
It's dark by the time we all head home. Mom and Dad have dragged a slightly tipsy Fen and definitely drunk Rye from the Mayor's mansion in horror as Madge hurried after them, apologising profusely for having any alcohol available to them. Katniss presses a kiss to my cheek and moves over to her mother and sister, pointing to something out in the dark shadows of the garden, and then looking up at the star-studded sky.
Someone clears their throat behind me. I turn to find Mitch standing a few feet away, his hands in his pockets. "Why are you here?" I ask, turning my back to him.
"Madge invited me... said that I should come. That you'd want me to come," he explains. I stiffen. As much as I want to turn around and tell him that I couldn't care less if he was here on not, I know that I can't. Because he's my best friend, and best friends stick up for each other instead of fighting like four-year-olds.
"You should've been my best man," I mutter, though the title is pretty much useless in this district.
"I know," he says, hesitating before stepping forward to stand beside me, his shoulders hunched against the chill. "And I'm sorry for yelling and being a jerk-"
"Out of the two of us, I'm the biggest jerk."
"I know," he says, kicking at the ground. "But I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I know you love Katniss and all… but what you're doing is insane."
I rub the back of my neck, feeling the tension building there. "I know, Mitch. Trust me when I say that."
"You knock up Katniss Everdeen of all people, and now you're getting married to her. It's crazy. We're not even adults yet," he says, shaking his head. "It feels like just yesterday when we were little kids playing kickball."
"I think it's easier to be a little crazy," I say wryly and he chuckles lightly and looks around before speaking, checking to see if there's anyone with hearing distance.
"Are you still... working there?" he asks, his joking tone vanishing in an instant. I bite my lip. What's one more lie after months of them?
"No."
"Good."
"Fen and Rye know."
"They do?"
"Yeah. I told them at the Justice Building. Before Katniss arrived."
"What did they say?"
"They were pissed off, that's for sure," I sigh. "They got angry. They told me that I've been stupid. That I can't work there anymore. They reminded me of what Katniss would be left with if I died." I lean against the stone walling surrounding the patio and watch my fiancé- my wife- with her mother and sister, her dress glowing in the light of the moon.
"She'd be left with a baby to raise, and a coffin to visit."
"If they could find my body." I grumble.
"Please don't go back there," he says, seemingly straight through my lie. "I do care, you know? I mean, come on, man, I've known you since I was four when you pushed me in the mud for saying that you were a sissy for liking to paint," I chuckle at the memory. "Katniss wouldn't be the only one left with just photographs and memories of you. I'd miss you, your Dad and brothers would miss you. Your Mom would miss you, I'm sure," I scoff. Mitch rolls his eyes and nudges my side. "And that kid would grow up without a Dad."
"I wouldn't want that."
"You definitely wouldn't," he murmurs, and I know that he's thinking of his own father who died when he was two from fever. Mitch doesn't remember him but has always hated not having a father-son relationship. "Are we cool, man?" he queries after a few minutes of silence.
"Yeah, we're cool," I say, smiling at him. He puts his hand on my shoulder and smirks.
"You do realise that everyone here knows that you're getting laid tonight, don't you?"
"I'm sure that you're the embodiment of celibacy as well." Mitch snorts, looking up as Madge reappears. She waves cheerily; unaware of what her boyfriend is actually talking about just across the courtyard.
"You and Mitch looked chummy," Katniss states as she loops her arm through mine as we walk through the streetlamp-lit roads of town. After Mitch and Madge left, along with my family, Mrs Everdeen and Prim congratulated us on our marriage and we walked them to the cut between the Merchant side and Seam side of Twelve. Katniss was visibly tired; the strain of carrying a baby and being on her feet all day taking its toll, so I thanked Madge, bid our farewell to Mitch, and left.
I feel so much better now that I'm friends with Mitch again. It's like another load off my back. But I'm not free- not yet. Looking down at Katniss, I smile. I've still got to tell her and I'm afraid that when I do she'll never trust me again. That all the thoughts of her father's sudden death would come rushing back to her. I don't want her to have to go through all that. Her heart is already too fragile to be able to bear the weight of anymore heartbreak.
"Yeah, we sorted everything out," I tell her.
"I'm glad," she replies, squeezing my hand as we turn the corner. The street is quiet aside from the sound of our footsteps and then Katniss gasps. "Is... Is that Gale?" She asks, squinting out into the dark street. I follow the direction of her gaze and, staggering down the street, is none other than an intoxicated Gale Hawthorne. I eye the front door of our home several houses away, the oil lamp on the wall glowing like a beacon.
I frown, and Gale gets closer and spots us, waving exaggeratedly. "Hey! What are you doing out so late?" he asks, ignoring me completely and addressing Katniss.
"I'd ask you the same question."
"What? Can't a man go and have a good time?"
She narrows her eyes, her grip on my arm tightening. "I never said that."
His bloodshot eyes shift to me. "Baker Boy treating you right?"
"Peeta is the perfect husband," Katniss says, and the thrill that runs through me at her words, at the fact that I am hers and she is mine. Whether it's the alcohol that's caused the electricity that tingles under my skin to amplify, or just the idea of being Katniss' husband, I'm unsure.
"Husband?" Gale snorts at the idea. "I guess it's too late now. You're gone, Catnip. And you said that you never wanted to get married or have kids!"
"I only said that to you because I didn't want you!" she bursts out. Gale looks stunned. "I didn't want you as a husband. You can't throw your weight around just because your ego is a little bruised." She pauses, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Gale, all I wanted was for you to be my friend. Why can't you accept that?"
"I can, Catnip. I can," he slurs, his tone softening a little. "But... you promised, okay? You promised me that you would do any of that shit. I thought that you were just saying that to change the subject- that in a few years, maybe after we were done with school, I would be able to convince you to marry me."
Katniss is silent for a long time, chewing her lip anxiously. "I would've said no."
"Maybe the first few times, but I think that you would've seen everyone else moving on, and you would've said yes in the end, even if we were old and grey by the time you finally accepted." Gale says. I'm sure that if his eyes were clear, if his speech wasn't slightly slurred, he would've made more of an impact.
"In another life, maybe… you're my friend. Peeta is my husband now and you have to except that. Hazelle and your brothers and Posy shouldn't have had to miss out."
"I know."
"I'm glad you know."
"Sorry," Gale mumbles, his head bowed. Katniss touches his shoulder in a comforting gesture as we pass. We don't turn around to see if he's walked away or not, simple entering our home and locking the outside world out.
"That was..." I trail off.
"Tense?" Katniss offers. I nod. She raises her eyebrows. "He needed to get his head out of his ass before it got stuck. You don't think I was too harsh, do you?"
"Not at all. You were only telling the truth. And I know that you'll always come back to me."
"A little cocky, are we?" she asks with a smile, stepping forward and kissing me gently. She begins to pull away but don't let her leave, slanting my mouth over hers, sliding my tongue over the seam of her lips until she deepens the kiss. "We still haven't had a toasting," she says against my mouth, her eyes dark, her nose brushing against my cheek.
My eyes widen. The toasting.
Katniss
Peeta sweeps me up into his arms barely four seconds after the word toasting has left my lips. I giggle, holding his face in my hands and kissing him as he carries me into the living room, before depositing me on two feet by the fireplace.
"I'll go and get some bread," he says, gathering me in for another heated kiss that makes me feel like I'm on fire, heat pooling low in my stomach. I nod, biting my bottom lip, and place some wood into the fireplace, before striking a match and lighting it, kneeling down on the floor to let the logs catch light. I let the fire build before adding a few more logs, settling back on my heels, rubbing my stomach as the flames grow, filling the room with warmth. My feet ache, my back aches, and I'm tired, but right now, I couldn't be happier. Peeta reappears carrying a single plate with some bread rolls on it, the outsides crisp and golden-brown, and the insides white and fluffy. He removes his jacket and shoes, draping the jacket over the couch and lining his shoes up by the door as per usual.
"Do you want to start?" I offer when he sits down opposite me, smiling shyly, the fire making his golden hair glow. I can even see his eyelashes, which are usually invisible. His eyes are blazing, staring at me with an intensity that I've never seen before. He nods, tearing off a piece of the roll and holding it out into the flame, speaking while the bread toasts.
"Katniss Everdeen. I've loved you since I was five years old, when I heard you singing The Valley Song on our first day of school. I love everything about you, the way you fight for those you love, the effect you have on everyone you meet," he pauses, turning the bread in his fingers but never taking his eyes off me. "You're so strong in every way. You protect and care for people with a ferocity that could bring down Panem. You captivate people in an instant, even if you're scowling at them-" I laugh at this, hiding my face. "–and I'm so glad that you've married me. I'm so glad that I've been able to be a part of your life like this. I love you, Katniss. Always." He reaches forward, perfectly toasted bread in his fingers, and puts it in my mouth. I chew it and swallow, exhaling shakily in an effort to calm my nerves.
"You've always had a way with words," I begin with a quiet laugh. "You've always been kind and loving in every way. You stand up for those who may not deserve it, you protect everyone you love, and you've been kinder to me than anyone ever has. I don't deserve you."
"Katniss..." he starts, giving me a look. I cut him off, moving my hand away from the flames crackling beside me, though the bread is already burnt.
"And I could live a thousand lifetimes and not deserve you. But as long as could live those thousand lives with you, I'd be happy. Words can't describe how much I love you. I'll always love you. I'm sorry for not realising that sooner," I feed him the bread and he swallows, taking my hand in his and rubbing his thumb over it in gentle circles. I don't have the same silver tongue he does, but I hope that suffices in comparison to his speech.
I'm about to speak, ready to ask him of what we should do next when he moves the plate out of the way, pushing it aside so he can lean forward and kiss me. I push him to the ground, never removing my lips from his. His hands move down to rest on my waist, and I comb my fingers through his hair, tugging on his curls. He groans and the sound sends shockwaves through me.
"I think we should go upstairs," he whispers. I nod and he holds up his hand to help me up from the thick woven rug beside the fire. We climb the stairs, move into our bedroom, and Peeta pulls me to the bed. He gathers my hair over one shoulder and unfastens the buttons running down my spine. The feel of his fingers tracing over my bare back makes goosebumps erupt over my entire body. The dress falls away, landing at my feet in a puddle of white material and lace. I turn, pulling his tie from his neck and unbuttoning his dress shirt. I yank the shirt from his body, running my hands over his sculpted chest, arching my back when he palms my breasts through the material of my bra. I reach back and remove it, tossing it aside impatiently. Peeta kisses me again, slowly, softly, moving me backwards and pushing me down onto the bed. His lips move down my body, brushing over my neck and down onto my chest.
I moan once his lips come in contact with my nipple, and push him back again to sit above him as he sucks the tender flesh, before I begin to map my hands over his torso, scratching my nails lightly over his skin. I reach down between our bodies and unbutton his pants. He lifts his hips from the mattress to help me slide them down and kicks them off his feet. His hands are gentle as they unravel my hair from its braids, fanning the locks about my bare shoulders.
"I love you," he breathes.
"I love you too," I sigh, thrusting my chest forward into his palm. His thumbs brush over the sensitive peaks, teasing me. His hands then move downwards, towards my panties, and when he presses his fingers against me through the material. I whimper, searching for more friction against my clit. He rolls us over again, pulling my underwear down and shifting down the bed in one smooth move.
His lips are as hot as coals as they trail down my thighs. And then his mouth is there and his fingers are inside of me, sending pleasure spiralling through my body. I cry out at the feeling of his tongue on my clit and he groans at the sound. In under a minute I'm coming, thrusting my hips upwards, searching for more until I come back down to earth.
Even in the darkness of the room I can see the redness in Peeta's cheeks, the way his pupils dilate when I tug what little clothing remains on his body off and onto the floor. His mouth covers mine as he slowly, gently, slides into me until his body is flush against mine. I gasp at the feeling of him stretching me. I feel so full and complete, my walls clenching around his cock, making him breath in shallow pants into my ear.
He grunts my name and I roll my hips against his to encourage him to move. He pulls out almost all of the way and I feel empty, and when he pushes back in, I wind my legs around his waist to secure him to me, our bodies rocking and moving with each other. But it isn't enough. I want him to be deeper inside of me, and in this position, with my stomach getting in the way, I don't think my needs will be accomplished. Peeta's expression is strained when I push him away and onto his back, but his eyes widen to the size of dinner plates when I reach down between his legs to guide his cock into me.
"Yes…" I moan, sinking down onto him, placing my hands on his stomach to balance myself. This is it. This is exactly what I need. Under my palms Peeta's muscles begin to shift and tighten as I start moving again, rotating my hips and finding out what feels best. His hands are tight on my thighs and his head falls back onto the pillow once I find my rhythm, grinding against him as he thrusts up into me.
I whimper as pleasure continues building, higher and higher the more I move. Peeta stares at me, his nostrils flaring and his breathing becoming more erratic. He's close. I push myself down hard onto him, trying to stimulate my clit, and then my orgasm hits me like a coal train. I cry out and my hands clench into fists as I continue moving, and Peeta groans, his mouth falling open as he comes just a few seconds after.
"Oh my God," I gasp, my body turning to jelly. I slump forward onto Peeta's chest, reeling from the most intense orgasm I think I've ever had. My husband helps me climb off him and moves to the bathroom for a washcloth, cleaning me off with a gentle touch before collapsing into bed beside me. The wintery breeze floating in through the cracked window is heaven on my sweaty skin and I reach for Peeta's hand. "Oh my God," I repeat again, and he laughs, nodding in agreement.
"We're definitely doing that again," he says, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes. I roll over and face him, feeling exhausted.
"I love you," I murmur, and he pulls a light blanket over our bodies.
"Always, Katniss," he says against my skin. "Always."