So sorry for the wait! I know I have always updated daily but my weekends are slightly hectic :( I will try to continue updating as soon as possible. Enjoy!

Chapter 5

The Night Of...

My breath comes out loudly. I am not sure what to do next. I've done this and more for the cameras but never out of my own instincts. What has Peeta thought of it? He just holds me in the embrace as if nothing had happened. In reality, I just kissed his cheek. Yeah, I've never done it before but it's not necessarily a romantic gesture. And suddenly, I realize I don't care either way.

My past reserves were in honor of some sort of remorse for Gale, some part of me felt like I owed him something, like I was stabbing him in the back every time I kissed Peeta. But I don't owe Gale anything, not anymore. He made it very clear tonight.

And any reserves for the sake a possible future with Gale are without base anymore, as well. That is out of the question, too. There will never be a future for me and Gale. The only people left to consider is Peeta and myself. And I know Peeta would never mind it. And so I let myself go and hug him tighter. I want to hug him tighter. I want him to know I am grateful for his unconditional love, the one that would never keep him from doing anything good for me, no matter what he gets in return.

I don't deserve him.

I tell myself I will do what I can to make him happy beside me as he strives to do with me.

I give his body one final squeeze and let go.

"We should get some sleep" he suggests. "It's been a long day".

I can do nothing but agree. Even with the nap I took in the car I am exhausted.

I go to my bags and find one that has a little tag attached to it saying 'sleepwear'.

I drag it with me to the bathroom. Married or not, I am not about to change in front of Peeta.

I undress and take my makeup off. I let my hair fall out of its complicated hairdo and the muscles in my head relax after being so pulled at for so many hours. It feels so good to let my hair down that I don't even put it in a braid. My scalp needs a break.

As I start desperately looking the clothes I assume Effie packed for me I realize there is nothing here but... lingerie!

I start freaking out as I go deeper and deeper in the bag and, in fact, nothing here is meant to cover an inch of my body. I desperately take out, strings and lace and tulle as I finally take everything out and give up. There really is nothing I can wear in here.

I am going to kill Effie when I get back.

I search my mind for answers. Maybe she packed those separately. I slowly open the door just a bit and peek out.

Peeta is layed out on the bed, shirt untucked and opened, and seemingly asleep already. I think I might be able to sneak over and grab the other bags but I decide not risk it.

"Peeta!" I call out to him, uncomfortable. "Peeta!".

He lazily opens his eyes and sees me poking my head out of the bathroom. His face becomes very confused.

"Yes?" he asks, dragging out every sound.

I look down in embarrassment. "I grabbed the wrong bag. Can you look and see if you can find my pajamas?" I ask.

He is still confused. "Just put on whatever you got in there and come out and get them" he says as if it is the most simple thing in the world. I wonder why Peeta won't help me. He never minds doing anyone a favor. Then I remember I am naked and he can probably tell by the way I am hiding my body behind the door. I look around and see nothing I can put on. No robes, no towels big enough, nothing.

"There's nothing I can put on here" I say trying to tell him what's going on without having to say the words. He still has that puzzled look on his face. I take a deep breath and add. "All there is in this bag is.. not appropriate" is all I can bring myself to say.

"Oh!" Peeta exclaims as he jumps to his feet, catching the full meaning of what I said. His cheeks turn bright red and I imagine mine look the same by the heat I feel radiating off of them.

He looks though the bags earnestly, but he can't help to hide a little smile. I have to force myself not to ask him why he is smiling. I think his answer might just make me more uncomfortable.

"There's nothing here. Just jeans and blouses and things for the outdoors, some dresses. Nothing comfortable to sleep in" he confesses, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, is there anything I can borrow from your things?" I ask him.

We try a tank top and some shorts, but the tank top hangs too low and the shorts fall off my hips. Every other object of clothing I try on has a similar result. And as embarrassed as I am, I cannot fathom what Peeta keeps smiling about.

I can't help myself any longer. His little smile is annoying me.

"What is so amusing?" I snap.

"Nothing" he simply says.

"What are you smiling about, then?"

He chuckles quietly.

"It's just... it's a little amusing how uncomfortable you are to be naked behind a door when the only other person in the room is your husband" he insinuates.

My mouth falls open and my eyes open wide. I close and open my mouth a couple more times before I can compose myself and answer him.

"Well, not a lot of us are so comfortable being nude in front of other people like you are" I retaliate, angry.

"Me?" he asks. "I was dying, Katniss. The last thing on my mind was how much clothing I had on" he says, catching my reference of the Hunger Games, when I had to wash his muddy clothes to save him from the infection.

I think of saying something in return but I don't like the turn this conversation is taking, because he does have a point.

"Just keep looking" I order.

He says nothing for a minute then as he searches through the clothes he says "Don't worry, Katniss. I was only kidding. Husband or not, I would never assume this title makes it ok for there to be any added liberties. I would never take advantage of you like that" without meeting my eyes.

And I know he never would. Regardless of his feelings for me Peeta would never expect anything to change and let alone force it. He is too decent for that. And now I feel embarrassed, not because I am naked, but because for a second I doubted his integrity. Even though, to most of the country, we are the most passionate, in-love couple there is and now there is a paper authorizing Peeta to do with my body as he pleases, I know he wouldn't dream of it. He would never look at me, touch me like that.

He keeps searching through his things when something green pops out at me.

"What is that? The green thing" I point to it. He pulls it out and examines it.

"It's a sweatshirt" he tells me and brings it over for me to try. I shut the door and throw it over my head. It falls loosely on my shoulders and my hands barely come out of it but the neck is high enough to cover my breasts and it's long enough to fall just mid thigh. I sigh. I guess this is the best I'll find.

I come out and don't wait for Peeta's response as I flop on the bed.

He gives me his opinion anyway.

"It suits you" he tells me but I'm too tired to answer anything more than muffled groan.

I am barely conscious of him changing in the bathroom and coming to join me on the bed. As I feel his weight hit the mattress, I blindly move in his direction. I feel his chest with my hands until I rest my head on his rising and falling chest. One of my hands falls on his shoulder on the other on his arm. I sigh, pleased. If one thing I am going to love about this is never sleeping alone again, always with each other, fighting our nightmares together. I smile and that's the last thought I remember before I fall unto unconsciousness.

Morning comes around and I wake to the sound of birds chirping and it almost feels like I'm home. But then I feel someone's warm breath on my neck and open my eyes to find my head resting on a man's chest.

That's right. I slept with Peeta last night. And we're in the mountain resort, that's why I hear birds right? But wait, we're way higher than the trees. I lift my head and look for where the sound is coming from and it sounds to be coming from some speakers on the ceiling. They must be added to make the illusion of being in the forest more real.

No, I'm not home. Reality hits me and I remember all the events of the past twenty four hours.

A loud groan escapes my lips before I consider that I may wake Peeta up. I cover my mouth instinctively but it's too late. I watch his blond eyelashes flutter open and in a few seconds his eyes land on my face and he smiles lazily.

"I'm sorry I woke you up" I apologize.

"Nah, it's ok. How did you sleep? No nightmares, right?" he asks me.

My eyes look up as I try to remember and nothing comes to mind.

"None, you?" I ask back.

He shrugs. "Not really".

We stay like this for a few minutes and I remember how back in the Training Center we used to meet sometimes in the rooftop and I wonder if this room has access to this building's. After all, we are on the top floor. I ask Peeta and he replies with asking me if I wouldn't rather explore the forest and I remember that we are surrounded by miles of beautiful green.

"Yes" I answer with a smile. Suddenly I can imagine myself in the trees again and I can't wait another second. I jump out of bed and rush to my bags that still haven't been unpacked and find the one with the outdoor clothing.

Peeta sits up on his elbows and asks me about breakfast. I'd almost forgotten!

"Do you wanna have it brought to our room or do you want to go down and eat at the cafe?" he asks me.

I think about it for a second and decide for the latter. The idea of going outside has me so entranced that, even if it is to the cafeteria, I want to go. I just want to get moving.

Peeta senses my eagerness and rushes to get dressed, too. He is about to strip in front of me when he remembers how I feel about nakedness and goes in the bathroom to change as I braid my hair. I only have to wait for him a couple minutes extra as I have noticed it takes Peeta less time to groom than me, and that's saying a lot, being that it's me and I don't really care too much for it.

We almost run to the elevators as I pull Peeta in tow, both of us laughing.

We arrive to the cafe and find it almost empty. It doesn't surprise me. This place doesn't strike me as the hot spot for vacation. I am surprised it even exists, to be honest.

We order our breakfast and as I wait impatiently for it to arrive I notice out of the corner of my eye what has already caught Peeta's attention and has him furrowing his eyebrows- ...a camera.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please, pretty please, tell me what you think! :) I love you guys!