Author's note: I want to thank each and every one of you who have opened up about your therapy experiences. I have used that information as inspiration for these next few chapters. Please let me know what you think. This one is pretty light. They won't all be.

Happy reading!

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Peeta felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He was arguing with the new baker about a misplaced ingredient.

"I've been making this recipe since before I could talk. I know what goes in it." Peeta said.

"It's not on the recipe card." The young man argued.

Peeta picked up the recipe book and flipped to the appropriate page. "I need you to read that again, redo the dough, and please pay attention next time." He walked away and pulled his phone out. He had a missed call from Katniss.

She had left a message. "Hey, just got out. And I feel invigorated! Call me back."

He pressed her number and walked outside. "So you feel good?"

"Yeah, I feel really good. The therapist is really nice and seems understanding. I think I'm really going to like him."

"That's good."

"So you want to do lunch? I need to call Gale and let him know I'll be in after all."

Peeta chuckled. "Sure. When can you be over? I'll make something."

"Nothing big, Mr. Gourmet Chef." Katniss chided.

"Definitely not, Girl on Fire. So when should I expect you?"

"Five minutes?"

"I'll be waiting." He hung up and went back in to check on the new baker. "How's it going?"

"I fixed it. I must have read the recipe wrong."

"Mistakes happen." Peeta said. "Just keep your head down and you'll make it." He clapped the young man on the shoulder. He made his rounds and then stepped into the front. The lobby was filled with customers. He greeted a few and then asked Madge how the day was going.

"Busy, like always." Madge said with a smile.

"Good. Have you heard anything from Delly?"

She shook her head. "You really did a number on her."

"I was always truthful." Peeta said. The bell rang when the door opened. He looked up to see Katniss walk in. "Keep up the good work, Madge." He walked around the counter and slipped his arm around Katniss's waist. "Hi."

"Hi." She kissed his cheek and let him lead her to the back of the building. "Hi, Madge." She said as she passed.

"Hi, Katniss." Madge said back.

Peeta slipped his hand into Katniss's as he motioned for her to go through the door before him.

"So it was good?" Peeta asked. He unlocked the house.

"It was very good." Katniss followed him inside. "I really like my therapist and I think it's going to be successful."

He took a pizza out of the freezer. "This work?"

She laughed. "You mean you have frozen food? Frozen pre-made food? Not made by you?"

He laughed and opened the freezer and invited her to look. "Crazy, right?"

She looked. "Wow, look at that."

"Hey, can I have a kiss?" He asked as he watched her.

She closed the door and nodded. "Yes."

He brushed a kiss over her lips. "So do you want to talk about it or…?" He set the oven and got a pan out for the pizza.

"We mostly just talked about what I wanted to accomplish. I filled out a lot of paperwork." She chuckled. She sat at the kitchen table and watched as he assembled a salad. "He, um, said that it's going to get harder."

"Yeah?" He paused and watched her. "I'm here if you ever need anything. You know that, right?"

She nodded and gave him a grateful smile. "I'll be cashing that in soon, I'm sure."

"Just let me know." He sat a glass of water on the table. "We should have another sleepover soon."

"Yeah?" She took a sip of her water. "I have nightmares every night. I didn't when you stayed with me. I wonder why that is."

He leaned close. "My heart whispering to yours."

She chuckled. "You're such a romantic."

"I am." He pressed his lips against her again.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to admit his tongue. They kissed sweetly until Peeta finally pulled away.

"I love you." He whispered.

She shook her head.

"So you want to do a sleepover this weekend? I'll host this time."

"Okay. I'll make arrangements with Caleb."

"And I'll see if Cal's grandparents want the weekend. They asked for one soon."

"Oh, wait." She held up her fingers and started counting.

"What?"

"It may not be more than sleeping."

"Going to have your period?"

"Yeah."

"I'm cool with that."

She gave him a questioning look.

He shrugged. "You don't suddenly lose your desire, right? We can figure some stuff out. I mean, if you want. I'm not trying to pressure you. If you don't want to, we won't. But I'm not averse."

"We can think about me at a later date. I could focus on you. I'd like to focus on you. You're far too accommodating."

He shrugged. "I know what sex was like for you before."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't by choice. So I want to do something for you. I want to. You're not forcing me or coercing me. This will be my choice."

"Only whatever you're comfortable with." He cupped her cheek and brushed a kiss over her lips. He took the pizza out of the oven.

"So when it comes to periods, are you going to be the one talking to Callie?" Katniss asked as she went to the cabinet for plates.

"I don't know yet. I guess it depends on where it happens and when. And if we're comfortable about it."

"And if not you?"

"Probably Annie. She's the one that's been doing most of the 'girl stuff.'" He did the air quotes. "Unless you're still around. Then you can do it." He smiled and winked.

She chuckled. "I will, if you want me to."

"I'd appreciate it." He made a face. "That's soon-ish."

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll make you a deal. You have the talk with my kid and I'll have it with yours."

She held out her hand. "Deal."

He shook it and then kissed her knuckles.

"I trust you to make sure he treats any girl with as much care as you treat me."

He cupped her cheeks. "Better. And you let my girl know that it's okay to say no."

"Promise."

He kissed her again and leaned her against the counter. He kissed her slowly and deliberately. He eventually pulled away with a smile. "Let's eat. I have to get back to work."

"Ew! Work! You should just tell them you can't and come get naked with me."

He laughed. "I can't."

"Sure you can." She grinned.

"'I'm so sorry, Madge. I can't come back for the afternoon. Katniss is letting me touch her boobs.'"

She laughed. "'Gale, you can handle everyone, Peeta needs my help with a little something.'"

"Not little!" He shoved a plate into her hands.

Katniss took the plate. "He doesn't need to know what little thing I'm helping with."

"Not little." Peeta said again.

"Don't worry, I don't need anything bigger or smaller."

"Good to know."

They sat together and ate in silence for a while.

"So can I ask you some questions about today?"

"Depends."

"I mostly just want to know if you think it's going to work. Like really work. Make you better."

She shrugged and swallowed a bite. "I don't know. I want to stop feeling so…useless. Especially when I'm with you. You're patient, but I know that won't last forever. I want to be comfortable in my own skin so that we can get past some things. So that we can do more things in the bedroom. But also…" She looked down at her plate. "So that I don't feel guilty."

He put his hand on her knee. "You take your time figuring it out. Bedroom business can stop or slow down while you're working on yourself. And I don't mind."

She put her hand on top of his. "We make a great team."

"We do."

She looked at him like she'd suddenly come to a realization.

"What?"

"Nothing." She went back to her lunch. "Maybe I'll tell you later."

"Maybe." He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "You're so pretty."

"Stop." Her lips curled in a smile.

"Okay."

She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him in for a soft kiss. "You're ridiculously adorable. Do you know that?"

"No one's ever called me adorable."

"Well, you are."

"Thanks. And you're really pretty."

"Thank you." She said softly and let go of his shirt.

They ate in silence. Peeta rubbed Katniss's knee. They shared a smile.

"I need to help you clean up so I can get to work. And you can get back to work."

He made a face. "Work is for squares."

"Squares who have to take care of their kids." She rubbed his hand. "I want to kiss you for a little bit first."

"Then come over here and do it."

She smiled and moved over to his lap. She cupped his cheeks and rained kisses over his face. She slipped her fingers into his hair and covered his mouth with hers. He pulled her close and slipped his hands under her shirt. He trailed his fingers along the back of her bra and swallowed her soft moan.

There was a knock on the door and Katniss broke the kiss with a sigh. "That may be something important."

"It may." Peeta lifted her up and kissed her again before he sat her on her feet. He opened the door to find Madge standing there. "Hey, is something wrong?"

"Delly's here. She wants to talk to you. I said I'd come get you."

"I'll be right over."

"Okay. Good to see you again, Katniss." Madge waved.

"You, too, Madge." Katniss called as Peeta closed the door. "Going to go set up a date with your girlfriend?" She teased as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He smiled and slipped his arms round her waist. "Yes. And I'm going to bring her back over here and screw her brains out."

"You would not."

"No, I wouldn't." He brushed a kiss over her lips. "You gonna stick around?"

She shook her head. "I have to go set up the range. So you go talk to Delly and I'll clean up your kitchen and take off."

"Before you do, I want you to have something." He stepped over to the door and lifted a set of keys off the hook. "These were my dad's keys." He flipped through until he found the one he wanted. "This goes to this front door here." He took it off the ring. "The back door has a different key. And so does the shop. I don't even know what the rest of these are for." He hung the rest of the ring up and handed her the key. "Welcome to my home, Katniss."

She took the key and brushed a kiss over his lips. "Thank you."

He put his hand on the door knob. "I'll call you about this weekend."

"You do that."

She went to the kitchen to get it cleaned up and noticed she could watch Peeta cross the little street to the bakery. She watched until he was inside and then quickly cleaned up the kitchen. She locked the front door with her key and walked through the bakery. Peeta sat at the table in the corner with Delly. They were both smiling and she nodded a lot.

Katniss walked over and dropped her hand on Peeta's shoulder. "I'll see you later."

He looked up and smiled. "Bye."

She squeezed his shoulder and walked away. As she sat in her car outside she decided to write a text. "I'm going to be thinking about your kisses for the rest of the day." She hit send and drove on.

Gale waved when she came through the door. "Hey, how did it go?"

"Great." She walked over. "He wants to meet with you and Prim. He said something about a support system. We can talk about it later all together. But I want to make sure you're okay with it."

"I'm totally okay with it." He draped an arm over her shoulders. "I'm always going to be here for you, Catnip. You have to believe that."

"I do. But you aren't obligated to."

He held out his hand and counted on his fingers. "Friend, brother-in-law, business partner, you were a housemate for a while. I'm not obligated to be there for you?"

She shrugged. "I never…" She chuckled. "That's one of the things we're going to work on. Letting other people in. I do, but selectively."

"Yeah. I was surprised when you told me the other day that Caleb was staying with Peeta."

"Peeta has a way of letting people know where they stand and letting them know how trustworthy he is. And Caleb really trusts him."

Gale watched her a few moments. "So that thing you mumbled the other day? About 'friends with benefits…'"

Katniss looked steadily at him. "What about it?"

"Are you?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"So what does that mean?"

"Do I really need to explain that concept to you?" She chuckled and moved toward the targets.

"As it affects Caleb and Callie." He said. He joined her with the targets.

"We flirt and kiss and hold hands around the kids. But we let them know that it's nothing serious. Because right now it isn't. Not until I heal a little more in therapy."

"And then what? You marry him?"

She shrugged. "I guess we'll see."

"Just be careful."

She nodded. "I am." She looked down. "I feel special with him." She looked up again. "And cared for and comfortable and…loved."

"You know how many people love you, Katniss."

"I know. But I also know that the last guy I was with made me feel like everything I did was wrong. I was a walking apology for the better part of a decade. And now I'm all gratitude."

He chuckled. "Poetic, Catnip."

"I know, right? I guess that's what happens when you get good attention from someone." She smiled and hurried to greet their first clients of the day.