We hold hands as we practically run to the bakery. The temperature has dropped and we pull our coats tighter around ourselves. When we reach the bakery, the lights are still on and there are a few customers up front. Peeta nods and smiles to each of them as we make our way to the back. Rory is frosting some cupcakes and Dane greets me warmly.
"Didn't think you'd be back," Rory says, his brow raised.
"I told you I would," Peeta says as he pulls on his apron. He tosses one to me and I glare at him.
"He's putting me to work," I tell them and they laugh.
"She volunteered to come keep me company," Peeta says as he winks at me. I roll my eyes and turn to the massive amount of dishes in the sink. Rory sets the frosting aside and brushes his hands off on his apron.
"These are all ready but since we're about to close, you want to stick them into the fridge?"
"Sure, you can do that. I'll make more in the morning. Dane, where is Cora?"
"I sent her home," he says gruffly. "She's been really emotional lately. Don't know what she was so upset about but she wouldn't tell me." I see Peeta bite his lip nervously and I watch him suspiciously. He clears his throat.
"Why don't you go on home to her? We will finish up." He looks at me and I nod reassuringly.
"Ok, thanks Peeta. Mrs. Mellark, always a pleasure."
"Good night, Dane. Give my best to Cora." He nods and heads out the backdoor. Rory looks up at the clock and Peeta smiles.
"You can go too, Rory. I'll finish with the last few customers."
"Thanks Peeta," he looks relieved. "There's three orders on the register. None of them are too big." Peeta nods and Rory waves to me as he follows Dane out.
"I'll go see if anyone else needs anything?" Peeta nods gratefully and I push the door open to see two customers at the register.
I take care of them quickly and wave them off. After they're gone, I switch the sign around to closed and lock the door. I join Peeta in the kitchen and see he is already starting the first order. Luckily, it's just a batch of cookies and cupcakes. Not something extravagant like a wedding cake, although he does get those orders quite often. Everyone in Panem knows how perfect Peeta's decorating is now. If they didn't already get that from our first Games, when he camouflaged himself to hide from the Careers, the special about the bakery that aired definitely confirmed it. I set to washing the dishes and we're quiet as I let Peeta work. I start to hum to myself, which turns into singing. I don't even realize how loud I get and I am singing in full voice. I turn around to find Peeta staring at me.
"What," I say defensively. He shakes his head and sets the spoon down, and walks over to me. His hands rest on my shoulders and he gives me a loving smile.
"Every time I hear you sing, I think I fall in love with you a little bit more. And I didn't think that was possible." I try to push him away playfully but he captures my hands and brings them to his lips.
"That first time I heard you sing in class. I was a goner."
"You've told me that before," I remind him. "Tell me something I don't already know."
"Your voice brought me back when I was first hijacked," he tells me and my eyes widen.
"They'd been trying more and more doses of the venom. At first I didn't know what they were doing but when they would play hours of videos of you, I started to put two and two together. So I tried to fight it for as long as I could. Eventually, they increased the dosages and it became too hard to distinguish what was real. That last propo you saw me in, the hijacking was…well, let's just say they were succeeding. Snow tested me several times that day, to make sure I wouldn't say anything I wasn't supposed to. And I remember Johanna sneaking over to me and trying to talk to me about you and I got mad and slapped her. In that propo, I was supposed to talk about a cease fire and try to reason with you. I was so angry with you, so frustrated, and I'm sure you could see it on my face. But then I heard you singing…and it just brought me back. It reminded me that I had always tried to save you, and I couldn't stop now. That's why I warned you about the bombing. Because I heard your voice and remembered who I was. That little boy in love with that little girl with two braids." I feel tears spill over my eyes as he talks so casually about his torture and I squeeze his hands. He smiles weakly and reaches up to stroke my cheek. I close my eyes and turn my face into his palm.
"Keep singing to me," he whispers against my cheek before I feel his lips on me again. I sing my favorite songs that my dad had taught me when I was young. His lips are soft and gentle, covering my face and neck in those sweet kisses. When he reaches the edge of my shirt and can go no lower, he kneels in front of me and proves me wrong. His hand reaches around and unties the apron, so it falls to my feet. He pulls me to him and edges my shirt up, so my bellybutton is exposed. My breath hitches and my voice shakes when I feel his lips on my stomach. My shirt inches up a little at a time and he kisses the exposed skin there. When he reaches my bra, he stands and pulls the cup down so he can get to the sensitive skin there. My teeth come down on my lip as I feel his lips close around my nipple and I whimper softly. He switches to my other breast and tugs my nipple gently. His kisses continue up my chest until he finds my lips and I tug on his hair, pulling him closer. His hands rest on my waist and I am breathless from our kiss.
"Keep singing, Katniss," he breathes as he kisses my jaw line and my throat and sucks at a tender spot on my neck. I vaguely register his fingers working the button of my pants and he is pushing them down over my hips. My voice falters but a sharp look from him and I keep searching for the notes. I gasp and tremble as he lowers to his knees again and hooks his fingers under the band of my underwear. I'm embarrassed by how wet I am and he smirks up at me, letting me know he's noticed. He's silent, however, as he leans forward to plant kisses around my bellybutton again. He trails his lips downward as his hands inch my panties down around my ankles. I step out of them and he flings them aside. He kisses me all over, down my hips, my thighs, down my legs, until he lifts one of my feet and he kisses my ankle. I don't have very good balance and squeeze his shoulders to keep myself up. He lowers my leg and lifts the other one, following the same trail he just made. He travels upwards this time, his kisses covering my skin. He parts my legs slightly and kisses my inner thigh. My knees shake as he gets closer and closer and I reach behind me to grip the sink. He looks up at me and his eyes meet mine as his tongue slides between my folds. I let out a little yelp as he parts me with his fingers and kisses me, just teasing and driving me mad. I reach down and grab a fistful of his curls, hoping he'll know what I want. He parts my legs even wider and pushes a finger inside me. My song is forgotten.
Oh god, the way the man works me with his hands and mouth should be illegal. I feel the smirk against my skin but when his eyes meet mine again, I see only love. He keeps his eyes on mine as he lets out a little 'hmmm' against my skin. My knees buckle and I grip the sink tighter. He moves away and lies on his back, pulling me down on top of him. His hands grip my hips as I straddle his face and I feel his mouth devouring me again. I lean backwards, arching my back, so I can reach back into jeans. The damn apron is in the way and I scrabble around so I can reach underneath it. Finally I feel the button and zipper and frantically try to pull. Doing this one-handed is hard enough but doing it backwards is damn near impossible. It's even more difficult to concentrate with the way his tongue is working at me. My hand slides into his jeans and I feel his silky-smooth skin underneath my fingers. I try to push his jeans down so I can gain better access to him but he's not helping me at all. His fingers are digging into my thighs as I grind against his face; he knows I'm close and I toss my head back and cry out his name. This only fuels him on, and I when I feel his teeth on my clit, I feel waves rushing over me. I fall backwards and he smiles as he peers up at me from between my legs. When I regain my senses, I glare up at him.
"Wipe that smirk off your face."
"Oh I would but you screaming my name like that makes me pretty damn proud of myself," he says with a smug grin. "I love that I can make my mockingjay sing."
I grab his hair and yank him down to me, wrapping my legs around him and thrusting up. The apron is still in the way but I feel him hard and pressing against me. The rough feel of his jeans on my clit drives me crazy and I can't stand it anymore. As he kisses me, I yank the apron off him and reach into his jeans to free his cock from his underwear. He pulls me up so he can lay something on the floor when I lay back, I feel his apron underneath me.
"Such a gentleman," I say as I wink up at him. He groans as soon as I touch him and finally, he's working with me. He shoves his jeans and boxers down his hips and then he's inside me. We both moan deeply, feeling complete again. It's hard and fast because we don't have time for much else. We're already looking at spending several more hours here and I don't really want to spend the night at the bakery, even though he has to be back here in several hours. I reach up and rake my nails down his chest and I see his eyes slam shut.
"God Katniss!" I love the way my name falls from his lips. I grind upwards and meet his thrusts.
"Say it again," I coo. He opens his eyes and looks back down at me.
"Katniss." It comes out as a moan but full of desire and longing. I lean up and the change in angle makes both of us gasp.
"Peeta," I gasp and his hand closes around a bunch of my hair as his lips slam onto mine. He freezes for just a moment and then he is moving again, hitting that spot just perfectly. I can't hold on any longer and cry out into his mouth as I find that glorious release. He is right behind me, his face buried in my neck as he pants through his release. I hold onto him as my legs lower to the floor and we lay there holding each other and trying to catch our breath. When he pulls out of me, I feel empty and immediately miss his warmth. I shiver and he hands me my clothes. He kisses me as he helps me into my underwear and jeans and then he re-clasps my bra. He reaches for his jeans but I shake my head and toss him the apron. He catches it, looking confused, then looks at me with a questioning look in his eye.
"That's my compromise. You want me to stay here with you, you give me something nice to look at." His eyes are wide and he is trying not to smile.
"Mrs. Mellark, you are downright fiendish."
"Your choice, Mr. Mellark. Clothes or me." He tosses his jeans aside and ties the apron round his neck. He gives me a haughty smile as he washes his hands and face, before he goes around the counter to continue working on the cupcakes.
My eyes dance as I take him all in. The apron only covers his front, I discover, as he turns to put the cupcakes into the oven. The string ties around his neck, leaving his magnificent backside exposed. I shift side to side, feeling uncomfortable between my thighs again. Peeta looks up at me, as if he knows exactly what I'm thinking, and winks at me. I finish the dishes, watching him as he frosts the cupcakes and I stare unashamedly whenever he turns away from me. He hurriedly shoves the cookies into the oven and then he comes back with a cake to frost and decorate. I'm captivated by the look of intense concentration that crosses his face. His tongue sticks out of the corner of his mouth, his eyes are narrowed on his task. His hand does not shake once as he makes beautiful patterns with the icing. He turns and finishes the cupcakes he was working on. I'm amazed that he can perfect so many tasks at once.
"Katniss can you put these into the walk-in fridge for me?" I nod and take the tray from him and he steals a quick kiss before I can walk away. He comes around the corner and sets up the cake he just decorated.
"Ok, nearly finished," he says softly at my side. I nod and reposition the cake and he disappears.
When I close the door and make sure the door is closed tightly, I go back to the sink to finish the last of the dishes. I don't see Peeta so I guess that he is cleaning up out front. I wipe down the counters and put away the pots and pans. The kitchen looks pretty clean, I have to say, and I smile to myself. It's not even ten pm and we are nearly finished. My panties grow damp as I think about going home to bed with my husband.
"Katniss." His voice is soft and far away. I whirl around and I suspect my jaw has dropped to the floor. He's standing by the counter, spinning a bottle of whipped cream between his fingers. The apron lies on the floor and there's a generous amount of whipped cream covering his bottom half. He watches me, his eyes clouded with lust as I make my way over to him slowly.
"What do you think, Katniss?"
"You look good enough to eat," I tell him honestly. He raises his chin a little and hands go to his hips.
"Then make good on your promise." Good thing I like whipped cream.
As Spring comes to 12, the bakery gets busier and busier. Sometimes I'm grumpy about how little I see my husband these days but then I remember that this has been his dream, to re-open his family's bakery. I go help him when I can but as the weather is getting nicer, I can't stay away from the woods. It's almost time for us to leave for our honeymoon and I cannot be more excited. I never thought I would be sitting here in the middle of the afternoon, planning my honeymoon! But Annie has given us some great ideas and it will be wonderful to get away with Peeta and just be able to relax, without the bakery or the orphanage or the threat of depression hanging over us. It's a mark of how well Peeta knows me-and how amazing he is- that he chose the dates of our departure. Reaping Day and Prim's birthday. He suggests we celebrate Prim's birthday in 4, when we get to the beach. She always wanted to see the ocean. I promised to take her one day.
I impatiently wipe away the tears that are filling my eyes as I focus on the list in front of me. Peeta's right; she wouldn't have wanted me to dwell on her memory in a negative way. My little duck was always so full of positivity and light and love, and Peeta is so much like her. I wonder if it's the blonde hair or the blue merchant eyes but it astounds me that somehow, both of these sweet souls who suffered so much in their short lives, always maintained that amazingly sweet disposition. When I, a girl from the Seam, jerk between emotions so much that I'm sure Peeta has whiplash, being married to me.
I feel warm arms wrap around me and I smile and unconsciously lean back into his chest. The smell of bread and cinnamon invades my nostrils and I lean my head back so I can look up at him. He smiles down at me and kisses my nose.
"Hi." I smile, reaching up to stroke his face.
"Hey there. You're home early."
"Yeah, Rory and Riley are training the two new bakers from 11, and had everything under control so I thought I'd come home and surprise you. What are you working on?"
"Looking over Annie's list," I hold it up and he kneels beside me. Since he got a new prosthetic, I have to say he is able to get up and down so much easier than he once did. He has no limp whatsoever and he even seems stronger when we walk to town together. He wraps his arms around me and his cheek rests against my arm.
"You all packed?"
"Nearly. I was planning to finish tonight. What time does our train leave?"
"Seven am. So I hope you are planning on finishing tonight," he jokes. I nod and push the list aside.
"I'll head on up to do that now. How many suitcases are you taking?"
"It's only five days, Katniss. I don't need more than one."
"Hey, I don't know what we'll be doing. Like, I might need more shoes," I try to imitate a Capitolite's stuffy voice and he chuckles as he kisses my forehead.
"That is not the girl I married and I'm glad of that. You have never been concerned with fashion or any of that hoity-toity nonsense." I shrug as I rise to my feet.
"Never really had any cause for it. Even in the Capitol, I hated all the fancy things. I wasn't used to it and I don't think I'll ever be used to it." Peeta's hand is warm in mine as he leads me upstairs and we enter our bedroom. I have two suitcases lying open on the bed, clothes strewn all over the place but nothing actually packed. He stops and raises a brow at me.
"And how is this nearly packed, my dear?"
"Be quiet. Here, you can fold." I toss a pair of pajamas at him and he wrinkles his nose.
"Why are you taking pajamas with you?" I frown at him.
"Um, because we will be going to sleep at some point on this trip." He holds the pajamas on one hand and gives me a mock disapproving look.
"Yeah and if all goes well, I'll have you in bed with no clothes on most of the time," I blush at his statement and mutter something unintelligible. He grins and throws my pajamas aside. I immediately remember how long it has been since we have been intimate. With us being so busy with the bakery and the district assistance, we haven't had a lot of time to ourselves.
We are both really looking forward to getting away for a few days.
"Peeta-" I start but then his lips are on mine and he is leaning me back against the pillows. His lips drift across my neck and he starts sucking at my throat.
"Peeta," I fight for control of my voice. "We…ah! We can't…we…we should…I need to pack!"
"Mmmhmm," is all he says as he pushes my shirt up to my chin and his palms rest on the cup of my bra. At the same time, I feel his hand push my legs apart and he starts teasing me through the cloth.
"Ugh. Peeta." He chuckles lightly as he sucks at a spot just under my collarbone. My back arches off the bed at the feel of his teeth and I bite my lip hard to keep in my moans.
"Is this all we're going to be doing in 4," I ask breathlessly. He chuckles again.
"We can do whatever you want to do. I won't object to this at all but we can spend the day doing some of the things Annie suggested." I nod and feel his hand slip past the waistband of my pants.
"As long as I'm with you," he breathes against my neck before biting gently. "I don't care what I'm doing. Every moment spent with you is perfection."
After he makes me come undone with just his fingers, he moves off of me and pulls the suitcases closer. He folds my pajamas neatly and we have the first suitcase full.
"Do you really need two of these," he gasps as he pushes down on it to close it.
"I haven't even packed what I'll be wearing during the day. That was just my bras and underwear and stuff to sleep in."
"How much underwear do you need, woman," he asks in exasperation. I shrug and try to hide my smile. I have already packed the rest of Cinna's lingerie collection in a small bag I also plan to take. I was blushing when I pulled out the rest of the pieces and studied them. The thought of Cinna imagining me in some of these make me turn ten shades of red but then again, I have to remind myself, he would have been making me much worse if Peeta and I had been sold to the Capitol. I shudder and watch my husband pulling out my dresses from the closet. Anger rises deep within me as I conjure the image of someone else lying underneath him, or riding him fiercely, while he squeezes back tears. He would have been gentle with every one of them but who knows if they would be gentle back. I suppose many Captolite women would have paid a pretty penny to be wooed and adored by Peeta Mellark. I can just imagine him charming a beautiful leggy blonde before taking her to her bed and obeying her every wish.
I blink and shiver again. I realize that Peeta is watching me, a worried look crossing over his face.
"Hey," he says softly as he comes to sit next to me on the bed. "You alright?"
"I'm fine," I say dismissively but he takes my face in both of his hands and kisses me softly. I don't open my eyes again until he has pulled away and I can still feel his stare.
"Um…I'd better…keep packing." He frowns as I bolt off the bed and into the closet but he doesn't say anything else. He follows me in and leans against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest.
"You think we'll be going out to fancy places?"
"A couple of the restaurants that Annie suggested are pretty classy. But we don't have to do anything you don't want to do."
"This is your honeymoon too," I remind him. "I want you to enjoy yourself too."
"Katniss, I'll be with you. That's more than I could ever hope for." I glance at him and turn my gaze to the floor. He does this quite often. He talks about how long he has loved me, how being with me is a dream come true. I feel terrible because I can't say that back. I love him, yes, but he has loved me far longer than I have loved him. I don't think it matters and he says it doesn't but when he starts talking about him falling in love as a child, I feel guilt gnaw at me.
"Ok. Which one is your favorite?" I hold up three dresses that I rarely wear. Dresses aren't practical and I am more than comfortable in my pants and hunting jacket but I want to look nice for him and started adding to my wardrobe. I have worn pretty summer dresses on several occasions and I love how his eyes light up when he sees me. He knows when I wear a dress, he has easy access to push my underwear aside and take me hard and fast. He studies them and looks up at me.
"Pack them all. We'll decide when we get there." I shake my head and toss the dresses at him.
"You're impossible."
"But you love me anyway," he fires back as he turns to pack the dresses. I smile and cock my head.
"Yeah. I do."
I fall asleep the moment the train leaves the station. Peeta allows me to rest against his chest and my eyes are closed within minutes.
When I open my eyes, I know I'm still dreaming. One reason is that I am wearing one of Cinna's more scantily-clad creations as well as a blonde wig. I wrinkle my nose and lift a ringlet in front of my face. Who the hell wanted me to go blonde?
The door opens and I gasp when I see him. Peeta is wearing a fluffy blue robe, his blonde curls are a complete mess, and he has scratches all over his bruised face and hands.
"Peeta!"
"Hey," he says with a soft smile that lights up his beautiful eyes. I run to him and fling my arms around his neck and feel him stiffen a little.
"I'm ok," he mumbles as he pulls away. "For some reason, I just keep getting the rough clients. Which is better than you getting them," he adds quickly. I frown.
"Those women hit you?" He shrugs.
"They like control. They're controlled by their husbands so this is their chance to dominate someone else." My eyes fill with tears as I take his hands into my own and kiss his knuckles. My beautiful broken boy. What has the Capitol done to you?
"Katniss…you don't have any more assignments tonight, do you?" I shrug. How the hell should I know? More importantly, why should I care?
"Can I stay with you tonight?" His voice is so gentle and so weak. I don't hesitate. I grab his hand and lead him back to my room (it's a dream so of course I know my way around!)
When we get inside, I slip the robe off and finds that he wears nothing underneath. I find myself missing the scars and marks from his struggles and triumphs. They're what make him who he is today.
But as this is a dream, he is unmarked and flawless. The Capitol even keeps his skin polished and his prosthetic looks real, like his current one does.
He doesn't break eye contact as he unties the ribbons of my bustier and he flings it across the room. He gently finds the pins of my wig and throws that aside as well.
"There's my Katniss," he whispers.
Naked, we climb into bed together and settle into the sheets. I feel his tears on my shoulder and I hold him close as we both cry silent tears.
No matter how broken I think we are now, in the real world, this dream world is so much worse. I have to tell myself that once I wake up.
I feel gentle shaking and I blink up at a pair of hazy blue eyes. He grins down at me and kisses my nose.
"Come on sleeping beauty, we're here." I jump up and he stares at me in concern. But I grab his shirt with both of my hands and my lips come crashing down on his. When we break apart, he is panting and wide-eyed.
"Katniss?"
"You're mine, Peeta. I'm yours and you're mine. It has always been that way. It was always going to be you." His face softens and he strokes my cheek. I know he knows I've had a nightmare. He can probably even guess what it's about.
"I'm yours," he says quietly, pressing our foreheads together. "My heart has never belonged to another. And it will never belong to anyone but you." He kisses me one more time before he pulls me to my feet and we collect our things from the porter. We look around the station uncertainly, not really sure of how we are supposed to get to our hotel.
But a tall man in a black suit walks forward and I feel Peeta tense up next to me. He grabs my hand and pulls me into his side. The man's dark hair hangs low in his dark glasses and he stops in front of us.
"Good afternoon, Katniss. Peeta." Peeta and I exchange confused looks before the man removes his shades.
"Gale," I can only breathe. Peeta tenses even more.
"What are you doing here?"
"President Paylor asked me to keep an eye on you both this week." I can't help but notice how smug he sounds right now.
"You're the chaperone," Peeta doesn't even try to hide his discomfort at this.
"One of them. President Paylor asks me to remind you that you are both national symbols and you need to be protected. My team and I will be close but we will give you plenty of privacy. You'll need this," he hands us a communicator and Peeta takes it, looking confused. "So you can contact me any time you need something. If you'd both like to step into the car, I'll get your bags for you." I notice a long black car pulling up in front of us but Peeta grips my bag tightly.
"I can get our bags, just fine, thanks. Katniss, you go ahead and get in."
"Mr. Mellark, please remember you are a Victor and should be treated as such." I suck in a breath at Gale's tone of voice. The air is thick with tension.
"Mr. Hawthorne. Please remember I am a Victor and I survived two Hunger Games. As did my brave wife. I promise you, we are equipped to handle more than you think. And please do not forget, you once knew us as your fellow soldiers. Not Victors." Gale is about to open his mouth to argue and I can see the anger in his face. I lay a hand on Peeta's arm and gently tug him toward the car.
"Come sit with me," I say softly. Peeta shoots a look at Gale and looks back at me.
"Alright," he finally concedes and Gale takes my bag from his hands. Peeta opens the door for me and I scoot in, gasping at the luxury around me. I've never seen such a nice (and big) automobile before but I think, this would have been nice on the Victory Tour, instead of the train. I mentally hit myself and shake my head. Why am I thinking of the Games at a time like this?
Peeta's arm drapes around my shoulder and I snuggle up to him. My shoes drop off and I tuck my feet up under me and scoot closer to him. I can't help but think of how this seat reminds me of the couch at Ceasar Flickerman's studio, right after we won the Games. When Peeta sat on the couch and I sat next to him, with my feet pulled up underneath me.
Stop it Katniss! Stop thinking about the Games!
I feel Peeta playfully tugging on my ear and I glance sideways at him.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
"I'm just thinking how excited I am to finally be on our honeymoon," I lie. His face relaxes and he smiles.
"Me too, Katniss. Me too."