Thank you for the continuing support. It's always appreciated.

I own nothing, just working with the idea.

Katniss was trying her best to avoid him, but it was a stupid idea the moment it popped into her head; she was attempting to allude the man who was protecting her.

The only place she could hide was her bedroom, but there was nothing to do there. So, she'd go downstairs, sit on the couch, and watch TV. Of course, Peeta would sit next to her and try to start up conversation in an attempt to get to know her better. Katniss would default to reading a book, but Peeta would end up saying nonsense to her. She would try her best to not laugh, but it wasn't easy. They'd end up sitting on the couch just laughing at the stupidest thing that could have come out of Peeta's mouth. When she realized she was enjoying his company, Katniss would quickly shake her head in the realization that she couldn't let this happen; her last resort was to go outside.

"Don't go far!" Peeta would shout, as if she was a child. Katniss would scowl and trudge her way out into the woods.

He was so damn likeable. He was funny, smart, attractive, and Katniss couldn't spend another minute in there with him. What she going to do? Since their dinner with Finn and Annie, Katniss was questioning her every move. Peeta was trying to be nice; friendly even. He said he wanted her life to be as normal as possible, which he was doing a decent job with. Katniss was the only one who was scaring herself. Everything he did was sexy to her and she had to groan out in frustration on several accounts. She'd have to remind herself that, that's not what he wants and go somewhere and sulk about her feelings.

As if she didn't already know how Peeta felt, he liked to remind her. Apparently, men from New Jersey found Katniss very attractive. How did she know? Well, every time her and Peeta went out for the "necessities," as Peeta put it, men would flock to her. Flirting and smiling and touching. She loathed going out already and the unwanted attention only made it worse.

Not to mention that Peeta seemed to enjoy her distress. He would purposely walk away from her in the store and watch from afar as some random stranger engaged in playful banter with her. She remembers watching Peeta over the stranger's shoulder, dying in laughter. She would scowl at him and he would compose himself some and make his way over. Once out of sight, Katniss would punch Peeta and, as angry as she was, she couldn't help but laugh along with him at her very own distress.

Once they got home, it was a different story. Katniss would yell at him, claiming that every man who flirted with her in the store could be a potential agent of Snow. Peeta could only nod along at her ranting. He knew that she could be right, but it was too much fun to see her uncomfortable.

Today was another one of those days. They were headed to the grocery store for the second time that week. Peeta ate like a prepubescent teenager and it was driving Katniss crazy. Every time she went to get something to eat, Peeta had already gotten to it. So, Peeta promised to buy more of everything so it wouldn't happen again.

"You want to push the cart?" Peeta asks. Katniss only shrugs. "Alright then." Peeta says as he makes his way into the store. Katniss follows him in and instantly latches onto his arm. "What's up?" Peeta asks with concern.

"Oh, don't think I don't know what you're doing!" Peeta looks at her bewilderingly. "You're going to feed me to wolves! Well, I'm not letting you! I'm going to be right here!" She tells him as she grips his arm tighter. Katniss hadn't completely lied; the other part of the truth was that she secretly enjoyed his proximity. Damn it!

Peeta laughs. "Katniss, that is not my prerogative." Katniss gives him a look. "Today."

They make their way through the aisles slowly and Katniss leans impatiently against Peeta. Where Katniss would just grab things off the shelf and throw them into the cart, Peeta would take the time to analyze everything he was buying, which included reading the package and figuring out what was the better buy.

Katniss suddenly became overly concerned when she looked in the cart. It was full of all the stuff she wanted while Peeta had only chosen a handful of things. Katniss clutched the carton of Mallomars against her chest.

"Peeta?"

"Yep?" He looks up from the box he was reading.

"Can I get these?" Katniss asks. Peeta looks between her and the box and laughs.

"Since when do you ask me for permission?"

"Well, I'm kind of getting all the stuff," She tells him as she gestures to the cart.

"Katniss, it doesn't matter." Peeta leans down to her and whispers, "We're not paying for it anyway." He says with a laugh.

"Okay." Katniss says before she throws the box into the cart.

"Oh!" Peeta suddenly says.

"What?" Katniss asks.

"Did we already pass the soups?"

"Um, I think they're in the next aisle." They both look up towards the signs and notice that she's right.

"Okay, I want some soup." Peeta says as he turns to head that way.

"But I want some of those granola bars!" Katniss tells him as she points towards the opposite end of the aisle they were in.

"Okay. So, go get some and I'll meet you on the other side." Katniss starts to walk away then quickly turns back to Peeta.

"Wait, Peeta! This isn't one of your tricks?" Peeta turns back to her.

"I promise, sweetie. No tricks." He tells her with a smile. Katniss quickly turns away with a blush. Every time Katniss tried one of the nicknames, it just sounded off, but when Peeta said anything, he made it sound so genuine and Katniss liked to hear it. She swore under her breath. Why did it have to be so confusing?

Katniss quickly looked through the granola bars for a kind she liked. She was trying her best to hurry it up. The longer she spent alone, the greater the chance that somebody was going to get to her and start flirting with her. She quickly grabs something, but then the pop tarts distract her. "Damn it!' Katniss mumbles.

Meanwhile, Peeta's on the other side trying to decide what flavor of ramen to get when a woman runs right into him.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry!" The woman exclaims.

"It's alright!" Peeta says as he moves over a bit and continues reading the container in his hand.

"So, you like ramen?" She asks and Peeta nods. "Shrimp's my favorite." She lets him know. Peeta gives her a polite nod and smile and goes back to what he was doing. "Excuse me? Do you mind reaching that for me?" Peeta looks at the woman, then to where her finger points. He quickly reaches up and hands her a can.

"You have beautiful hands!" The woman tells him as their hands collide and she gently runs her hand on top of his.

"Thank you?" Peeta turns back.

"They're very masculine." He wasn't sure how he could be anymore obvious that he wasn't interested. Peeta stretches his fingers out and notices the wedding band on his hand.

"I think it's adorned beautifully by my WEDDING ring!" Geez, take the hint lady!

"Oh, is your wife here?" She asks.

"Yes! She's around here somewhere." Peeta looks around, but Katniss wasn't back yet. Damn it!

"But not here right now." The woman states as she steps into Peeta. Peeta turns his head at the woman curiously.

"I'm married, miss. Happily." Peeta tries to take a step back, but he's trapped by the cart.

"Me too." The woman states as she raises her left hand to show him. "Happy as can be, but you're really good looking." The woman runs a hand down his chest making Peeta stiffen uncomfortably. "She must be very beautiful to keep you around."

"She is." Peeta nods. "And she'd kick your ass if she saw what you were doing…"

"I think I can handle her."

Peeta scoffs, "You would think so…"

Katniss doubled back through the aisle to make sure she didn't forget anything. She stops abruptly when she sees Peeta and a woman together. She stands back for a while listening to their conversation. Katniss laughs quietly when she notices that she's doing what Peeta usually let happen to her. Her laughing ceases when the woman touches Peeta's hand. That's my hand! Katniss feels the anger rushing through her. She scrunched her face in the confusion. What is that? Jealousy? Can't be. We're not together! It get's worse when Peeta's clearly letting her know he's married. What kind of MARRIED woman hits on a married man? Her blood begins to boil when the woman steps closer to him and starts touching his chest. Katniss is Peeta's wife and she's not even allowed to do that. She shuddered in disgust and irritation as she finally makes her way to them.

"Peeta!" Katniss walks over to them, dumps all her stuff in the cart, and crashes her lips onto Peeta's. She wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him down so she can give him a deeper kiss. "Baby! I got everything on the list!"

"Katniss." Peeta looks at her with relief, then quickly pulls her into him. "Thank goodness you're here!" He whispers before he gives her a sensual kiss.

"Mmm," She moans in their kiss. Katniss goes to pull away, but Peeta won't let her.

"She won't leave me alone! Don't leave me!" Peeta teases her with his tongue and Katniss couldn't help but want his tongue in her mouth. So, she opens it for him and they begin tongue wrestling frantically. Only the cold, metal handle bar to the cart, which touches Katniss' exposed back, makes them part. Breathlessly, Katniss puts a hand to Peeta's mouth to keep him back as she looks over his shoulder at the woman, who was still standing there.

"I'm sorry, but don't you have somebody else's husband to try and steal?" Katniss tells her with a death glare. The woman angrily turns her cart and heads the opposite way. "Yea, that's right! My husband!" Katniss triumphantly whispers against Peeta.

Katniss feels a pair of strong arms wrap around her. "Thank you." Peeta whispers as he rests his head against hers.

"Am I good at this wife stuff or what?!" Katniss tells him as she grins from ear to ear.

"Proud of yourself?" He asks with a smile.

"Hey, it's better then what you do for me!"

"What?! I'm always right there!"

"Yea, laughing in the background!" Peeta laughs.

"I promise, next time, I got you!" He says as he makes his way towards the cashiers. "You got everything you wanted, right?"

"Yep!" Katniss happily lets him know. As they stand there in line, Katniss sees the woman who was flirting with Peeta earlier, get in the line next to theirs. She's a little further back, but her presence still irks Katniss. "Damn!"

"What?" Peeta asks as he leans against the handle of the cart.

"Danger!" Katniss tells him. Peeta instantly perks up, standing up straight.

"Where?" As he looks around, Katniss ducks under his arm so that she's trapped between him and the cart. "Katniss-"

"Shh!" She tells him as she wraps her arms around his neck and kisses down it. Peeta looks down at her and she gives him a seductive smile. "Your admirer is back."

"Where?" He whispers.

"To the left." Peeta goes to turn his head, but Katniss keeps him facing her. "Don't look."

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"Because I like kissing you so much…" Katniss tells him. She tried to make it sound like it was the furthest thing from the truth, but it didn't really come out like that.

"Maybe you do," Peeta says with a smirk.

"I would slap you right now, if I didn't hate that slut more." She leans into him and giggles against his ear as she start to swoon over him. "Oh, Peeta!" This woman was going to know just who Peeta belonged to.

"You're good at this." He whispers to her. Katniss chuckles as she plays with the bottom of his shirt. She runs her hands under it and caresses his abs. "Katniss-" Peeta whispers. Katniss discretely looks over to the woman. She didn't like her for flirting with a married man, worse that she knew that and continued; that and it was Peeta. Her Peeta. What the hell?!, she wanted to scream. She quickly shook her head. Katniss had a perfectly logical explanation for her behavior. This wasn't for any reason other than the fact that she hated that woman and this was Katniss' chance to get back at Peeta for all those times he let her be uncomfortable in public. Yes! That's it!

"I'm so happy you're buying all this stuff for me." Katniss continues louder than before. "And for the baby." Peeta freezes.

"What?! Katniss?!" She gives him a particularly deep kiss effectively shutting him up.

"Just go with it!" She whispers against his lips.

"I didn't know this was an Adam Sandler movie!"

"Yes, and you're the star, now…" Katniss continues to rub his abs. "Yes! Our beautiful baby that's on the way!" Katniss takes one of his hands and places it on her stomach. "Because you're such a man and when you took me hard with that big-" She's cut off by Peeta giving her a deep kiss of his own.

"Shut up, will you?" Katniss pushes him away playfully before kissing him again. They don't part until the man behind them clears his throat, letting them know the line had moved. "Sorry! My wife's apparently pregnant! You know how they can get!"