A/N: So some of you are probably wondering why you have another update for this chapter in your inboxes. Well, it's simple. I forgot my major editing last night lol. It's pretty much the same but a few adjustments. I'm not a very good lemon writer unless I'm doing it in RP – pardon the pun. Going solo is a lot harder than I thought. Ok, someone stop me now. Once again, I appreciate all the support and reviews I've gotten for the story as a whole And, again, I dedicate this chapter to my girl, who inspires me every day.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or places. Just a PC and an overactive imagination.

Chapter 5 – Moonlight Moments

'Cause you are not alone

I am there with you

And we'll get lost together

'Til the light comes pouring through

'Cause when you feel like you're done

And the darkness has won

Babe, you're not lost

When the world's crashing down

And you cannot bare the cross

I said, baby, you're not lost

"Lost" Michael Buble

I tried not to notice Gale standing thirty feet from the bakery. I had heard yelling outside and went to see what the commotion was and saw him. Rory had looked furious when he turned away from his brother, but smiled happily when he spoke to me. This is where my dilemma lies. I never wanted to be Gale's replacement in Rory's life. I was his boss, but I was also his friend. I was there for the young man when Gale wasn't. I had unconsciously filled a void in his life that his brother left behind. I won't lie, it was nice to be needed like that. I was the youngest of three and I was always going to my brothers for help. Now they were gone and Rory came to me like I had my brothers. The guilt of enjoying that kind of attention ate away at me at times.

Once we were in the bakery, I set Rory to work. We were swamped with orders and I had to call him in for the help. It didn't help that I allowed my physical desires cloud my better judgment this morning. For a long time, Katniss has used her body to distract me as well as her. It's not that I didn't enjoy it, because I do. I've enjoyed every moment with her I've ever had since I was five years old. As long as she was happy, I was happy. I just didn't know that sex was a means of escape. My father had planted the idea that sex was an act of love and should only be engaged in if I was truly in love. My first time – as well as Katniss's – was indeed an act of love. There were just times after that the love I felt when I was with her wasn't mirrored and hurt me a little. Once Katniss found out, she didn't sleep with me for two weeks. It wasn't the best two weeks of my life.

Rory and I worked quickly to catch up with our orders. It was weird how much I trusted him in the kitchen. We were completely in sync as we moved about our work place; never getting in the other person's way or making it the other wait for something. Before I knew it, we were nearly caught up. I looked up at the clock and frowned. Katniss was supposed to be here hours ago with the kids for a family lunch date. I started to get worried. She would have called if she was going to be late. I could feel the panic rising in me. My mind started racing, thinking of a million things that could have happened. My hand was on the receiver of the phone when the bells above the door chimed and Katniss walked in.

"Katniss," I called, a bit shocked to see her walk in like she was early, "what happened to you? It's nearly four. You were supposed to be here at noon."

She smiles and rises on her tippy toes to kiss me. "Sorry, I was going to call, but I was…busy."

"Busy doing what?" I noticed then that she was alone. I peeked out the door to see if the kids were just playing outside again, but they were nowhere to be seen. "Where are the kids?"

She smirked at me that made me wonder what the hell was going on. "That's kinda why I was late."

"Oh, sweetheart, you didn't leave them in the woods did you? I thought we were joking when we said we would do that. They were starting to grow on me."

Rory had walked out of the kitchen when I had started to speak and he was looking and us like we were insane. "You guys are nuts," he said as he rolled his eyes and filled the pastry case.

"Seriously, where are they?" I asked, turning my attention back to Katniss.

"I had to convince Haymitch to take them. It took our good wine and some of the hard stuff you try to hide from me, but he took them."

"You gave away my rum? Why is the rum always the first to go?"

"You don't need it. You know I don't like you drinking that stuff," she said seriously.

I should explain this one. Remember how I talked about how I thought sex was an expression of love and Katniss wanted my body for other purposes? Well, around the first anniversary of the bombing of District 12 that took the lives of our friends and my entire family, Katniss took it hard. We had gone to the memorial site to pay our respects to my family and to Madge. Poor Madge had lost her life because she wouldn't leave her mother who was bed ridden. Thom told me that when they went through the rubble that was once the Undersee residence, they found the Mayor, his wife, and Madge in bed, holding each other. They had died in each other's arms. It was both a comforting and painful thought. That night, Katniss came to my door; which was great because I needed her that night. Just not in the way she needed me. I needed her to just be there with me. As stupid as it sounds, I needed her to hold my hand and tell me it would be ok and my family and Madge were all in a better place. But she didn't. She kissed me in a way that made her intentions quite clear.

Something in me snapped. I didn't have an episode, but I sure as hell had a tantrum. I yelled at her, telling her that she was being selfish. I wasn't her personal sex toy she could come for whenever she wasn't happy. I told her she needed to stop trying to hide and face the fact that life sucked. Our lives sucked. The Capitol had taken everything from us and she was trying to take the last bit of innocence from me. I told her that I wasn't going to – pardon my language – fuck her because she was being too much of a coward to face her fears. That was the first time she slapped me. I left before she did. I bought the darkest bottle of liquor I could find. I didn't even wait to get home to crack the first bottle open. I don't even remember making it back to my house. Apparently, someone found me curled up on the floor, coddling the bottle in the middle of a snow storm. They called Katniss and she somehow got me home. The next morning, I woke up with a fever and the worst hangover in the history of mankind. She made me promise never to do that again and left.

Rum became my scapegoat. I hid a bottle of the stuff in the house for those nights when the world seemed to rest on my shoulders. I would only have a glass or two, but even that was too much for Katniss's liking. She didn't stop me, but she didn't approve.

"Sorry," I mumbled feeling quite foolish that I was making a joke about my liquor being gone.

"It's ok," she said softly, suddenly finding the collar of my shirt very interesting.

"Are you going to tell me why you left our kids with Father Goose?"

She laughed and wrapped her arms around me. "Hey Rory?" she called. "Do you mind handling things for the rest of the day?"

"What?" I asked in shock. "Katniss, we have enough orders to last us the week. I can't leave for the day. In fact, I think I'll have to work later tonight."

"I got it," Rory interjected, giving Katniss a wink.

I looked between the both of them. There was something going on behind my back here. "What are you two up to?"

Katniss just rolled her eyes and grabbed my wrist as she pulled me toward the door. "Thanks Rory!" she called behind her as she dragged me out of my business.

"But Katniss…" I tried to protest.

"No arguing with me," she interrupted. "Let's just go!"

She was so excited I couldn't help but smile. My wife isn't exactly the "excited" type. She was always weary and suspicious of people and things she did not know or trust. And this was rightfully so. It was hard to see who we could really trust and who was trying to kill us when we weren't looking. There were times when Katniss was filled with an uncontainable energy. I think because it was a rare thing to see her so excited, it was infectious. It's how I felt now. The energy and eagerness in her made me eager and energized. Soon, I was running (the best I could at least) with her.

For a moment, I think we are headed for Greasy Sae's. We are in the Hob, weaving through the thick crowds of people trading goods with their neighbors and playful children. We're slowed when a group of Juliet's classmates run up to us asking if I have any candy or cookies. Thankfully, I always carry a stash of hardened sugar cubes on me. A treat inspired by a fallen friend. The kids love it; especially mine and Finn, Finnick and Annie's son. The short cubby children happily take the treats and run off.

When Katniss and I are on the move again, she surprises me as we cut through the Seam and into the woods – her sanctuary. I've been out here a handful of times. Each time holding a very special memory. I moved quicker now that I know where our destination will be. Many things were destroyed in the bombing of District 12, but not the lake. Somehow, this beautiful, peaceful place went untouched. The green near the lake was a luscious green, sprinkled with yellow, blue, purple, and white flowers. The lake itself was a clear blue, a perfect reflection of the sky on a clear day. It looked like a garden built in heaven, sent by God to remind us that there would always be hope to those who weren't afraid to find it.

There used to be a small concrete house, but again, the bombing had turned it to rubble. I spent two days straight out here building a cabin for Katniss for our first anniversary. If she every invited me into the woods, this is where she would take me. I made too much noise when she hunted, scaring the game and after her attempt, I wasn't keen on leaving her alone. She was insulted at the idea I thought she might do herself in, but she also understood my concerns. She didn't like to leave me on my own either. So the cabin seemed to be useful. Every so often, Hazelle would take the kids and Katniss and I would spend a weekend alone here. It so happened to be where we conceived Aden.

Katniss unlocked the door and pushed it open, pulling me in quickly. I was surprised to see what was on the other side. The room was filled with several different kinds of flowers, all of which were orange. It was like our own personal sunset. The smell of the flowers mingled delightfully with the smell of a cooling dinner. It was one of my favorites: roasted lamb seasoned and rubbed with the herbs we grew in our backyard. As I approached the table, I saw that my wife – my beautiful, loving, thoughtful, amazing wife – had made me a complete meal. I was right about the roasted lamb. She probably traded half her haul from hunting for it. Not many people in District 12 carried or feasted on lamb, yet Katniss had managed to get her hands on the delectable meat. A colorful variety of roasted vegetables accompanied the lamb: red potatoes, yellow squash, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, and sweet potatoes, among others. Two wine glasses sat at the two set places at the table, filled with the bittersweet red liquor. We didn't indulge much in alcohol unless it was a special occasion. Well, with the exception of my rum runs. Two candles were placed in the middle of the table to top it all off.

I looked back at Katniss, who had a shy smile playing the corners of her mouth. "You did all this?" I asked, honestly surprised.

"I did," she smiles at me. "Oh, wait. There's one more thing." She rushes past me to the oven and pulls something out. I know instantly what it is when the room fills with the aroma. I grew up around it and am surrounded by it on a daily basis. She does something at the stove and when she turns around, she presents me with a basket full of freshly made dinner rolls.

I laugh a little to myself as I reach out for the same ball of bread, breaking it in half and inhaling the smell. It warms my insides and oddly calms me. She watches me as I bring the bread up to my mouth and take a bite. I may have moaned a little. Ok, I did moan. I wasn't sure what to expect, but if Katniss opened a bakery selling these rolls, I'd be on a run for my money. "This is really good," I say before popping the rest of the bread in my mouth.

"You don't have to say that," she says a little deflated.

"Why? I'm telling the truth. Katniss, this bread is seriously good. Who taught you to make this?"

She smiles at me and laughs. "You." I raise a brow. "I've watched you enough times and I thought I'd give it a try. The first couple of batches…didn't turn out so well. I had Rory help me a little yesterday. I wasn't letting the yeast rise enough or something."

I chuckle. "Well, this one was perfect." I place a soft kiss on her lips. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Come on, Mr. Mellark, let's eat."

"Why certainly, Mrs. Mellark," I say with a wink.

I can see the pink taking over her olive tone in her cheeks. No matter how many times I say it or how many years pass, she will always blush when I call her Mrs. Mellark. It's cute really. If I thought the bread was good, the rest of the meal was spectacular. The lamb was cooked perfectly, better than the ones we had when we were in the Capitol. She had made mashed potatoes along with the roasted vegetables. The light, fluffy mash was creamy in my mouth and tasted of chives and butter. The red wine warmed me from the inside out. I tried not to drink too much or too fast. I wanted to be coherent enough to carry a conversation with Katniss.

We talked about our days. She admitted that she had asked a few of our neighbors to place orders so that I would be so busy trying to fill them I would lose track of time. She told me not to worry because Rory was in on it too. I'm not sure if it was supposed to make me feel better, but it still made me feel dumb because it was the middle of the week and there are never that many orders in the middle of the week. She told me about how Juliet came home more excited than Aden on a sugar high that her class was going to start music lessons next week. She was excited to share the songs her mommy sang the best with her class. She told me Aden had helped her knead the dough, but lost interest about two minutes in and raided the cookie jar instead. I smile like I do every time we talk about our kids. It took some convincing, but Katniss finally agreed to start a family with me. I couldn't imagine my life without them and I know Katniss can't either.

Our plates are nearly empty, glasses refilled several times and gone now. Our night has been more than great, but one question still lingers in my mind. My eyes are glued on the potatoes on my plate when I ask, "So did you talk to Gale?"

I look up at Katniss. Her fork is midway to her mouth, which hangs open in surprise. She puts her silverware back down and looks at me. "No," she lies.

I sigh and throw the napkin on my lap at my plate. "Damn it, Katniss," I growl. "Don't you lie to me. I know you saw him today."

She frowns. "Delly told you, didn't she?"

I laugh in spite of the situation. "Of course she did. I'm the one that told her to take you to Sae's. I called Sae and made sure they kept Gale by her stand until you and Delly got there."

She looks completely and utterly shocked. "You set it up?"

"Of course I did. I know you, Katniss. You wouldn't have gone to see him or even talked to him if someone didn't make you."

She looks furious now. "I can't believe you, Peeta! I would have talked to him when I was good and ready to! You can't just…you…ugh!" She quickly got out of her seat and started to pace around the kitchen. She keeps bringing her hands up and swinging them back down in frustration. It's nice to know how I feel sometimes.

"We both know you weren't," I say calmly.

"Don't tell me what I would have or wouldn't have done, Peeta Mellark!" she snaps. Ok, so the calm thing didn't work.

"Then you look at me and tell me that I'm wrong. You tell me that you wouldn't have let him leave District 12 without having talked to him first." I rise to my feet and walk over to my wife. I place my hands on her arms and hold her still. She hates this. She hates when people try to control what she does. I place a finger under her chin and tilt it up toward me. "Tell me, Katniss."

Her gray eyes meet my blue ones and I see the tears welling up. She's furious. Maybe with me. Maybe with Gale. Maybe with herself. She hates being controlled, used like a pawn in a chess match. I shouldn't have tricked her; I knew this when I called Delly this morning. I just couldn't let her live with the regret of not connecting with Gale again. I wouldn't be able to live with the regret knowing I hadn't done something about it.

I expected my wife to say something. Tell me I was right, maybe. But she doesn't. She pulls away from my grasp and turns the other way. I've wounded her. Such a fragile bird, this Mockingjay. She is gentle, beautiful, and possessed the voice of an angel. Katniss Everdeen Mellark truly was a mockingjay. I had no right to trick her like this; not even where Gale was concerned.

"So stubborn," I sigh. I close the small gap between us and place my hands on her arms from behind and kiss the back of her head softly. "I'm sorry." I give her arms a small squeeze and clear the table.

She stands at the window, staring out at the lake as I clean. The only sound in the cabin is the water running, which seems like it grows louder as the silence continues. Once I've finished, I look over at Katniss again. "I'm going to get ready for bed," I tell her. "The sun is going to set soon and I don't want us to walk home in the dark." She makes no move to let me know she's even heard me.

There's one bedroom in the cabin. I had constructed it before the kids were born; back when Katniss was too afraid the Hunger Games would begin again and refused to put any child of ours through that kind of horror. I strip down to my boxers and my plain white t-shirt under my work shirt. Soft orange streaks signaling sunset stream through the window, filling the room. I know that the flowers in the next room were arranged to give off this same effect. Katniss had thought of everything to make sure tonight had gone perfect. She just never expected me to fuck it all up.

I don't realize she is in the room until her arms snake around my waist. I can feel the heat from her cheek against my back. We stand there silently as the sun kisses the horizon. This had been her intent. She wanted to watch the sunset with me. Her arms tighten around me and I feel her tears soaking the back of my shirt. I turn in her arms and our eyes meet again. How could I make such a perfect creature cry? I can be a horrible person sometimes.

"I'm sorry," she cries softly.

"No, Katniss. You have nothing to be sorry about," I say, trying to soothe her. "I shouldn't have lied or tricked you."

She shakes her head, the tears falling freely. "You were right though, Peeta. I would have let Gale leave without a word to him. I wasn't ready to deal with the issues I had…I mean, I have with him." She hugs me, resting her head on my chest with her ear pressed over where my heart is. "It was nice to see him. For a while, it was like the old days. We were sitting there, laughing, talking about the kids, his life in District 2." She lets out a heavy breath. "Then I mentioned his family and he shut me out. He was angry and he made some stupid comment about me not wanting to make you wait. I don't think he meant it to be an insult, but it made me angry."

I look down at her. "Is that what tonight is about?"

She pulls back just slightly and shakes her head furiously. "No, no. Tonight has nothing to do with Gale. I just wanted to be with you, Peeta. I wanted tonight to be about us. I just…I love you so much sometimes I think I've gone mad."

I cup her face in my hands and lean down, pressing my lips against hers. I can taste the wine on her lips. It's addicting, but nowhere near as addicting as her. The sun is gone from the sky and the moon has dominated it once more. The soft glow of the moon fills the room, illuminating her features almost unnaturally. The moon shines off her sleek dark hair, her gray eyes almost disappearing in the gray glow from the moon. She is beautiful. She's always beautiful. My hands move to her hair, reaching back to release the braid. Her beautiful curls fall in a wave against her back. I can feel her hands on my face, holding me in her grasp and pulling me closer.

She is my drug. My addiction. I need her. I need her like I need air. I kiss her with more passion, more intensity. Her body is pressed firmly against mine and, yet, we still aren't close enough. I have a sudden realization that there is too much between us. Three layers separate me from my wife. My clothes and hers – bra and panties included. She comes to the same conclusion and releases me from her grasp. I am not so quick to let her go. The moment we pull apart, her hands are pulling at my shirt. She wants it off so bad, her hands are shaking.

I have to take a breath and hold her hands still to calm down before we can continue. We're both breathing heavily. I take her hands that are still trembling slightly and bring them to my lips, kissing them softly. Slowly, she pulls my shirt over my head, sliding her hands down to rest on my chest. They remain there as I unbutton her blouse. I know she can feel my heart racing like it does every time it does when she is around. I push the thin fabric off her shoulders and let it soundlessly fall to the floor. My hands find the button to her jeans. Now my hands are shaking. I curse under my breath as I fumble with the pesky button. She places her hands over mine and helps me to unfasten her jeans. She wiggles out of them easily.

I have to take a moment to bask in the glory that is my wife. I feel young again, like I had the first time we were together. We were only 17 then; neither of us knew what to do. We were inexperienced when it came to the opposite sex's anatomy. But I knew it now. Hers at least. And she knew mine. We knew where to touch, feel, kiss, and tease. We knew what the other wanted, when we wanted it, and how we wanted it. All that mattered right now was getting her out of her bra and panties.

She makes the first move, closing the small gap between us. She runs her hands over my shoulders, down my arms and chest, and journeying further down to my abdomen. The scars are barely noticeable now, but they are there. They will never fade completely. They are an everyday reminder of what we had been put through and the people we have lost. I touch the disturbed skin where she was burned from the bombs also. Even now, in this horrible way, we match. Just as we had when we went to the Games. She had been very reluctant to let me see her naked before. She didn't want me to see her scars, inside and out. There are times she still is hesitant. I feel her shudder under my touch. Even after fifteen years together, she is still I won't like that I see. As if she is damaged by the imperfects of her body.

"Beautiful," I whisper as I claim her lips with my own again. I am drunk from her kiss and touch. I need more of her. I move my hands to her back and fumble with the clasp of her bra. I'll be honest. I was never very suave when it came to undressing her. I could barely get my own clothes off. I've fallen over taking my shirt off before. But when she undresses either of us, it is seductive, exotic, sexual. There's something in the way she looks at me. Her eyes trained to stay on me as she strips of her clothes. She helps me to unclasp the pesky undergarment and tosses it aside.

I moan into her mouth when her breasts press against my bare chest. She never has difficultly exciting me. I feel her grin again my lips as I grow harder, pressing into her stomach. There was a time I was afraid that she would catch me excited because of her and turn me away. I learned quickly that she liked the fact that she could have that effect on me. Her hand slips into my boxers and I have to remind myself to breathe. I feel her small hand wrap around my hardness and slowly moves it up and down my length. My eyes are shut tightly as she strokes me in my boxers. My body feels like it's on fire and I'm doing all I can not to lose control.

Katniss's free hand clasps the back of my neck, playing with the small hairs back there the way I like. When she grasps me firmer and runs her finger over the head of my cock, I growl into her mouth. She wants me to be more aggressive and that is what she will get. I wrap my arms around her and carry her over to the bed. She giggles as we drop to the mattress. She shoves my boxers off and returns her strokes to a slow pace. She's going to be the death of me. I may have gotten a little too excited because in the following seconds, I rip the thin fabric she has left on her body and toss the ruined material aside.

She releases me and I stand at the foot of the bed. I always take a moment to take awe at her body. Everything about her, her hair, eyes, smile, and, yes, even her scars are gorgeous. She bites her bottom lip and pushes herself up on her elbows. I give a sloppy grin and crawl to hoover over her. My lips on hers again. I run my tongue along her bottom lip, letting her know I wish to gain access into her mouth. She is more than happy to oblige. Her mouth is warm and tastes like the wine we drank earlier. I ease my weight onto her as she wraps her arms around me. She has always felt the need to hold me close as if to keep me from leaving. Like I could.

I do not own her. She is my wife, but I belong to her. Every part of me, every beat of my heart. I am hers and hers alone. She holds my face and our eyes meet. In this moment, the only two people in the world are Katniss and me. I spread her legs and brush my fingers between her hot core. She is wet and ready for me. I let my fingers brush lightly against the small nub of flesh that makes her scream in pleasure. She moans my name into the night air as I continue to gently rub her. She's writhing beneath me, breathing out incoherent words. I take one of her nipples in my mouth and suck on it lightly at first, gradually building the pressure. Soon all she can to is whimper and moan.

Her breathing is heavy. Her body slick with sweat. She is clawing at my back, begging me to make love to her. I relish these moments when she relinquishes control to me. I hardly feel the need to feel like an alpha male, but I would be lying to say I didn't like it. She grabs my throbbing cock when I do not give her what she wants quick enough. Her hand is moving furiously up and down my length. I have to stop her movements. She still holds me in her hand as our eyes lock. I nudge her legs apart with my knee and position myself between her legs. She is ready for me. More than.

Katniss helps guide me into her body. We both let out a long, heavy moan as I fill her. She feels tight around me. When we come together we fit perfectly. We are complete, whole. In many ways, we complete each other. She lifts her hips toward me, letting me know she wants me to start moving. My strokes are slow at first. I let her feel every inch of me as I am taken over the feeling of being inside of her. My lips find her neck again, kissing, sucking, and biting at her salty skin.

She pants in my ear as her fingers claw at my back. I don't care that there will be marks in the morning. My body is hers to do with as she pleases. Her teeth graze my ear lobe as she moans a single word into my ear, "Faster."

I lean onto my forearms, pressing my forehead against hers as I quicken my pace. My thrusts are harder, pushing deeper into the depths of my wife's body. She whimpers when I hit her special spot. She just moans my name over and over again as if I've forgotten what it was. Her legs wrap around my waist as she moves with me now. I join her in the chorus of moans, her name a prayer on my lips. She makes that sounds she always does when she is about to cum. I hook one of her legs under my arm, pulling it up a little and my thrusts become frantic. Her moans grow louder. I reach down and pinch her clit and she screams out my name as an orgasm hits her. I thrust wildly into her until I can't take it anymore. I fill her with my cum and call out her name.

My arms are about to give out so I collapse gently on top of her body, my face buried in the crook of her neck. We're both breathing heavily. I grow soft inside of her and stay in her for a moment before rolling on my side. She is instantly in my arms again, holding onto me. We're silent for a long time. I listen to our hearts trying to find a normal rhythm again. Katniss looks up at me and I smile down at her lazily. Our lips meet, but the kiss is soft. Gentle.

"I love you, Peeta," she tells me.

"I love you," I say back to her. There are many word we have left unspoken. Things we need to clear up and talk about, but for now we both close our eyes and allow sleep to take over. The evening may not have been as perfect as she expected, but it was in that very moment.