Katniss&Peeta-Forever&Always

A Mellark Christmas

Authors note//

To begin, if you're under the age of 10, please don't read this chapter. I don't know why you'd be reading this fanfiction if you are younger than 10 but I thought I'd warn you anyway as I don't want to ruin Christmas for you! I didn't really know where to go from the last chapter so I hope you don't mind that I skipped a few months to December for this chapter. I figured, it's Christmas, I'll do a Christmas chapter! This chapter is just pure fluff because it's Christmas and who doesn't want everlark fluff for Christmas?

KATNISS POV

December 24th

"Rye! No, no no! You can't eat raw eggs!" I shout as I carry Rye away from the bowl of raw eggs that he was trying to scoop into his mouth.

It's Christmas Eve and Peeta thought it would be a good idea to make Christmas cookies with the triplets. I was initially onboard with the idea until we lost the chocolate sprinkles, and found them in Rye's pants ten minutes later. However it is extremely difficult to be mad at him as he runs around the kitchen in a Christmas jumper and antlers.

I set Rye back in his high chair next to Willow and Aster, and Peeta gives them a cookie each to decorate.

"The chocolate sprinkles go on the cookies this time okay, Rye?" Peeta says as he ruffles Rye's mop of blond curls.

"Why did you agree to this?" Peeta asks me, running a hand through his hair that's covered in flour.

"It was your idea." I laugh, passing him a mug of hot chocolate but before he can take a sip there is a knock at the door.

I leave Peeta in the kitchen with the triplets and when I open the front door there is no controlling my laughter. Haymitch, in a full Santa Claus suit followed by a very cheerful looking Effie.

"Oh my god. I never thought I'd see the day!" I laugh.

I hear Peeta walk up behind me muttering "What the?"

"It was Effie's idea, okay." Haymitch says.

"Oh don't act like I forced you into this!" Effie says, hitting him across the arm. "Well, aren't you going to let us in? Santa here is on a busy schedule."

I move from the doorway and they both walk into the kitchen. When the triplets lay eyes on Haymitch, their faces are a picture. Willow bursts into tears straight away, disturbed by this oddly dressed man in her house and stretches her arms out towards me and I take her into my arms to calm her down. Aster looks at Haymitch for a few seconds before getting back to his cookie decorating and Rye reaches his arms out towards Haymitch and screams 'Hay' like he usually does when Haymitch is around, completely unnerved by his costume.

"Oh well, I better go take this thing off if it's scaring the little ones." Haymitch says, ignoring Effie telling him to keep it on.

"Don't worry, Effie. You exceeded all of my expectations of Haymitch in a Santa Claus suit." Peeta says, smiling.

"Mummy, look!" I hear Aster cry from behind me. When I turn around, he is holding a one legged gingerbread man in the air and seems to be munching on the missing leg. "I made daddy!"

My laughter falls from my mouth before I can stop it and Effie is in fits of laughter beside me. Peeta picks up Aster from his highchair and lifts him up onto his shoulders, Aster is squealing from laughter as Peeta begins to tickle him.

"That's it! No presents for you tomorrow, mummy and I are having them all!" Peeta says, jokingly as Aster continues laughing.

As the day dies down, we all settle down in front of the burning log fire and watch a Christmas film. The triplets soon fall asleep in our laps so Peeta and I put them to bed while Haymitch and Effie go back to their house to retrieve all of the triplets' Christmas presents. After last year when Peeta and I found Rye in our bedroom ripping the wrapping paper from the presents he'd found under the bed a week before Christmas, we decided to keep them at Haymitch and Effie's house this year to avoid him finding them again.