*Tiny amount of Smut at the end of the chapter! Be warned!*
~Few Weeks Later; Christmas 23 Day's Away~
Peeta's P.O.V.
THE DIARY OF PEETA MELLARK
Dear Diary,
Also I went Christmas shopping with Finnick yesterday. He's crushing on Annie which I think is a little bit creepy, considering the huge age gap, but love knows no bounds, right? Idk what I'm going to get Katniss though. Perhaps a new car...?
Katniss wants to make out now bye ttyl
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"Peeta!" Prim called. "Can you help us?"
I winked at Katniss, who I was cuddling, got up off the couch and walked into the kitchen. "Oh, wow," I said, eyes widening. Prim was vigorously mixing a bowl of what appeared to be green cookie dough, while Annie was standing on the counter, digging through the cabinet. Flour and sugar were sprinkled across the room like snow, and someone had spilled the vanilla extract, which was slowly dripping down the side of the counter.
"What happened here?" I asked, bewildered and shocked by the mess.
"Prim and I decided to make Christmas cupcakes," Annie informed me. "So we found a regular cupcake recipe, then we added some food dye and sprinkles. We're gonna make the frosting red. That way, it's green and red! For Christmas."
"Ohhh," I said. A smile tugged on my lips. This was quite possibly the cutest thing I'd seen all day. "You guys are adorable. What do you need help with?"
"Everything!" Prim cried. "Annie read the instructions all wrong. Now we're all mixed up. Plus, we put in one third of a cup too much sugar. And I don't know what confectioner's sugar is."
"It's gonna be okay," I said, laughing. "We'll work this out. Oh, and confectioner's sugar is basically powdered sugar. It's just another term for it.."
"Okay," Prim said. "Can you help us with the frosting?"
And so, after much spilling, stirring, whisking, tasting, and nearly burning, the cupcakes were out of the oven and ready to go. Annie had a knack for creating intricate designs with the piping bag, while Prim poured way too many sprinkles on the frosted tops. And although they were a bit too sugary, they tasted fine.
"Hey, it smells good in there!" Katniss called. "Can I have one while I'm studying?"
"Sure," Prim said, then ran across the house to deliver the best cupcake to her older sister.
"Very sweet," commented Katniss. "But very good." Prim smiled and ran back into the kitchen.
"How are things going?" I asked, rubbing her back.
"Oh, it's going great. I love learning about microbiology," she said sarcastically. "And on top of that, my stomach has been achy all day and everything is sore."
I smiled and said, "Positivity trumps negativity all the time. You got this! Do you need anything? Medicine and all that?"
"I'm good... for now," she said. "But could you maybe get me some water? Maybe it'll help my headache."
"Of course. And I'm sure I could get Annie and Prim to bring you out another cupcake if you wanted," I said, grinning.
Katniss smiled and said, "Ah. That would be perfect."
I came back five minutes later with a tall glass of icy water and another sugary cupcake. Katniss thanked me and returned to her school.
The rest of the afternoon passed with more Monopoly, cleaning up the kitchen, relaxing, and watching the holiday episodes of Nailed It. Finnick and Annie decided to go outside for a walk, but when they were gone for nearly two hours, I suspected something different was going on. I was teaching Prim how to draw a portrait, and it wasn't until after six o'clock when I suddenly remembered Katniss.
"I'm going to go check on Katniss," I told Prim. "Keep up the good work! Remember to shade the bottom of the eyes."
Prim was too focused on her work to reply, so I smiled and left the room.
"Katniss!" I called. "Are you all right?"
I poked my head in her (our?) room, but it was empty. Frowning, I conducted a more thorough search, but it proved to be in vain when I could not find her anywhere. Then, I noticed that the bathroom door was closed and there was a light on inside.
"Katniss?" I asked, knocking gently on the door. "Hey, are you okay in there?"
My question was answered with silence, but there was no mistaking the shadow of a person sitting right against the door. I tried opening the door, but it was locked.
"Katniss..." I said. "Please will you let me in?"
There was a sound of someone standing up and a little clink as she unlocked the bolt lock. I recognized this as permission to enter, and when I did, I was met with a rather pathetic sight. Katniss was huddled up on the ground next to the cabinet, clutching what looked like a thermometer in her right hand. Her face was buried under her arms, and from what I could tell, she was trembling.
"Katniss!" I said, concerned. "What happened?"
She muttered something indistinct and flinched when I laid a hand on her shoulder. At this point I became increasingly worried and sat down next to her. "Katniss," I said gently. "Will you please tell me what happened? Or if you don't want to, do you wanna just talk?"
"I'm scared you'll leave if I tell you," she said in a strangled voice.
My heart started racing as my mind flooded with awful ideas. Was it something I did?
"I... won't leave," I said finally. "I promise that whatever happens, I won't leave."
She finally pulled her head out, and my heart nearly broke at the sight of it. Her face was red and blotchy, while tears leaked out of her eyes. She looked as though she'd been crying for quite a while now.
"Katniss!" I exclaimed softly. I pulled her into my arms and held her tight, rocking back and forth while stroking her hair.
"Peeta, I'm pregnant," she said bluntly.
I froze.
"I-I'm so sorry," she said, starting to cry again. "I remembered just now that m-my depression m-meds can sometimes c-cancel out the effect. I d-didn't think about it..."
Depression meds?
I stood up abruptly, and whispered, "I have to go."
I didn't even bother to check her reaction, and instead ran out of the bathroom and into the living room, where I threw on a pair of shoes and told Prim that I had to go get something. I ran, ran as fast as I could, as far as I could from Katniss's house and tried not to think about her reaction and what would follow. Eventually, I grew tired and realized that I didn't have a destination in mind. Where could I go and be safe?
Then it hit me.
I ran, ran as fast as I could towards Effie and Haymitch's home, where I didn't even bother to knock and instead threw the unlocked door open. Effie and Haymitch were sitting on the couch, watching Jaws and eating popcorn. They both froze and stared at me while Quint was howling and being eaten.
"Peeta?" Effie asked incredulously. For a minute, Quint's screams were the only sound. Then I said gruffly, "Can we talk?"
"Of course, dear!" Effie said, while Haymitch paused the movie.
Haymitch took one look at me and said, "Lemme guess what happened."
"Go ahead," I said sarcastically.
"You knocked her up, didn't you? And now you have a little one and you don't know what to do. And also she likes pineapple on pizza and you can't live with that."
I stared at him for a while before answering. "How... did you know?"
Haymitch chuckled and said, "The way you came running in here, alone, says it all."
"Peeta, darling," Effie said, in a rare, serious tone. "Why don't you tell us everything?"
So I did. While Quint was frozen halfway in the sharks mouth and Haymitch crunched on popcorn, I told them everything.I started at the beginning, when Katniss told her parents to fuck off, and how she ran away to her room and I went in to comfort her. And then how things escalated and she said she was in birth control, and I believed her. And then a few weeks later, she was pregnant. And there was nothing I could do.
"How do you feel about this?" asked Effie.
I sighed, and said, "I don't know. I feel so many different things. Of course I'm beyond happy just thinking about being together if Katniss'S child. Bit at the same time,having an entire family was totally unplanned. And it's such a long term commitment too. I... just don't know how I'm going to balance the baby and Katniss with the band. I don't want either of them to be swarmed and hurt by anyone because I know it would be because of Me. I also don't know how I would blab ace work and tours with the family."
"That's a lot," Haymitch said, scratching his chin. "A lot of things. And I'm sorry that it's stressful for you, kid. But... lemme ask you one thing."
"Yeah?"
"Could you imagine life without her?" he asked slowly.
I sat back in my seat and let his words sink in. Life without Katniss.
And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't. I couldn't imagine life without Katniss. I had only known her for a few short months, but she was my everything. And nobody I've ever met has ever had that effect on me.
"I... can't."
Effie smiled. "I think, darling, all you need to do is talk it out with her. You love and trust her, so there would be no reason why you wouldn't be able to just talk."
"I know it seems intimidating. Pregnancy is a big deal. But I have faith that you and Katniss can work it out," Haymitch concluded.
"And know that we're here for you and Katniss, no matter what," Effie added.
"Thank you," I said softly.
"Of course!" Effie said, beaming. "Oh, the thought of having godchildren..."
I spent the next hour and a half at their house, talking and laughing. At last, I decided that it was time to go back. I hugged Effie and Haymitch and stepped out into the bitter winter air. Snow was falling lightly onto the ground, coating it in a layer of what looked like powdered sugar. I decided to get two hot chocolates, one for me and one for Katniss, because things are easier when you have hot cocoa. I took a deep breath before knocking on the door.
"Well, nice of YOU to stop by," Johanna Mason said, scowling at me. She snatched one of the hot cocoas and took a long drink. "Ahhh," she said, smacking her lips. "Perfect."
"Um... hello," I said.
"We need to talk," she said, ignoring my greeting. And with that, she pulled me into the kitchen.
"So, I heard you and Katniss done the nasty," she said, slurping my hot cocoa.
"Uh."
"Yeah, yeah," she said, rolling her eyes. "Then somethin went wrong and now there's a bit of you inside her."
"Uh."
"And then, when Kat said she told you, you ran the Fuck away," Johanna said, glaring at me.
"..."
"Mm hmm. And now you're coming back, acting like nothing even went down in the first place."
"No, I-"
"Sure," Johanna said. "But anyway. it sounded like you were gonna say something to defend yourself?"
"I came back to apologize," I said loudly. "The only reason I left in the first place was because I was just so surprised and unprepared. It was out of shock, okay? I would never leave Katniss."
Johanna glared at me and took another long sip of my hot cocoa. "She loves you so much," she said abruptly. "I've never seen her this devoted to anyone except for her sisters. Which is why she was so upset when she found out. She couldn't bear the thought of you leaving....sooner that you already are," she added.
I was overwhelmed by a wave of inexplicable feelings. Guilt, fear, sadness, gratitude, and most of all, love. So much that I didn't know what to do with it. Katniss had told me that she loved me and I of course believed her, but it was different hearing someone else tell me. It was so reassuring, in a way. But that only increased my feelings of guilt and shame. Why was I so stupid?
"I... know," I said in a cracked voice. "And I wish I never left. Will you please let me talk to her?"
Johanna chugged the rest of my hot cocoa, then said, "Go ahead."
I took a deep breath and walked down the hallway until I arrived in Katniss's room. I knocked gently and said, "Hello? It's um... Peeta."
"Come in," a quiet voice said.
I pulled open the door and, to my shock, it was not Katniss who lay on the bed, but Prim. I stepped back and said, "Prim?! What are you doing here? And what happened to Katniss?"
"She's in the cabin," Prim said quietly. Her tone of voice told me that she knew everything.
"Cabin?" I repeated stupidly.
"The one in the woods," she said. "All you have to do is follow the trail and then go left at the fork."
"Oh she's in the woods?!"
"Yes, that's what I just said," Prim answered dully.
"O-okay," I said, startled by her sassy response. "I guess I'll head out then, yeah?"
"Up to you," Prim said. "I'd go if I were you though, sometimes she doesn't come back for days."
"Okay. Bye, then," I said, unsure.
"See ya," said Prim, rolling over on the bed to face the opposite wall.
And with that, I pulled on a winter jacket and headed out into the blizzard. The wind and snow whipped around my face and nearly froze my nose off, so I hoped that the cabin would have a fire inside. I clutched the hot cocoa with trembling fingers as I made my way through the woods. I almost tripped several times, but made it to the fork, where I turned left. Sure enough, I spotted a little cabin a little ways away. Smoke was puffing out of the chimney and the windows were glowing with a warm, yellow light. It looked so cozy, as the snow came down harder and harder. As I approached the cabin, I realized that I hadn't brought any food or anything to sleep in. I very nearly turned around, but realized I could just walk back home once I was done. So I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
Sure enough, the door creaked open, and there stood Katniss, utmost shock written all over her face. "Peeta?!" she said incredulously. "What?!"
"Hey," I said weakly. "Um. I wanted to talk to you and Prim told me that I could find you... in the cabin in the woods?"
"Oh! Yeah. Um. Well, you can come on in then."
I stepped inside and was met with a cozy sight. It was rather small, but bright and merry. There was a large fireplace in the corner, and a water basin, and several dried meat pieces hanging from the ceiling. Candles decorated the walls, and there was one large bed across the room. There was also a large, wooden table with several oak chairs.
"I brought you a hot chocolate," I said, to break the silence. She accepted it but didn't drink it.
"So why are you here?" she asked at last, in a cold voice, sitting down in one of the oak chairs. I sank down into the large, soft chair.
"I... um wanted to talk," I said feebly.
"You know I thought that you weren't gonna come back, right?" she said, staring out the window. "Yeah. I thought you were gonna ditch me and the baby and our whole family."
"Katniss, I-"
"I'm glad you didn't, though," she said, interrupting me. "Cause finding you would be a whole lot harder that way."
"I would... never leave you," I promised.
Katniss laughed coldly. "You hesitated. Anyway, I'm all for getting an abortion. I don't want this baby any more than you do. I already have two sisters that act like babies, a dog, a freaking hedgehog, two roommates, a class that I have to finish, a job, and bills to pay. I can't handle any more."
I was speechless. Katniss took advantage of my silence and continued to talk. "You know, I'm surprised you stayed with me in the first place. You're probably only doing this out of guilt, anyway."
"No," I said, starting to get irritated. "Katniss, will you please listen to me?!"
"Yeah, sure, sorry for interrupting your apology speech."
"Katniss!" I exclaimed. "Look, please hear me out."
She sighed and said, "well, I guess I have no other alternative."
"First of all, I just wanted to say that I am not mad at you at all and am only concerned for your health and happiness. Secondly, I'm never leaving. I know I messed up, but I'll do anything to fix it. And lastly, we both know you're lying."
She seemed stunned by my last remark.
"Excuse me?" She hesitantly took a sip of her hot chocolate, all the while staring me down.
"I know you too well. You'd never be able to bring yourself to get an abortion." She looked at me guiltily, then tried to stand me up.
"You don't know that about me. I'm not a selfless specimen like you. If I had to, I would abort without a thought."
"If you had to. Do you have to?" She looked at me, opened her mouth, then closed it, clearly surprised by her lack of rebuttal. Finally, I said, "Katniss. This is real. I'm not leaving. We will figure something out whether you like it or not."
Katniss was frozen in place. She seemed to shake, shivering, even though she was sipping cocoa and wrapped in warmth.
I could tell she had nothing to say, that she believed me. That I had never been more honest about anything in my life before. I said it earlier- I wouldn't be able to live without her.
She set down her hot cocoa and rubbed her hands together, circulating the warmth she couldn't seem to find. With that, I accepted the gentle kiss as she leaned toward me. With every tug on my lip, I could feel the forgiveness- in every breath, every droplet of her that slid down my throat.
"I know it's cold, but can I show you something outside?" I simply nodded. I wasn't about to mess things up again with a random string of words that might decide to pop out of my mouth.
I tucked my coat tighter around me, and she slipped on her boots. When she opened the door, a cold breeze created goosebumps that trickled over my skin and a shiver that bolted down my spine.
She had been shivering inside, but as the breeze swept over her, she embraced it and removed her top layer.
We left the house and dove deeper into the woods, where a half circle of trees prevented us from walking any farther without thought. Towards the closest tree lay a lone stump, coated in snow, and Katniss made her way towards it without hesitation.
The bow and arrows she pulled from the crevice in the stump was a shimmering, unexpected delight. It looked brand new, but also like it had been torn apart and rebuilt a thousand times. She slung the arrows around her back, and headed towards the circle of trees.
She followed the circle and wiped off the snow in the center one by one, revealing carefully placed targets, plastered with holes. She stepped back towards me, and before I could comment, she blindly fired her arrow and landed a bullseye in the center tree.
"Remind me never to cross you again," I said, stunned.
"Lesson learned for both of us." She said with a slight smile. She cocked a second arrow, and let loose, firing a third, fourth, and probably a fifth with perfect shots before she stopped and turned around.
Facing me, the smile had grown. Her family wasn't kidding when they said she was happier in the woods. I had never seen her smile this big. She pulled back once again, but was unable to continue when she was cut off.
"Nice shooting sweetheart." Her smile seemed to grow as she dropped the bow down and turned in my direction towards the source of the snarky comment.
"I've gotta say; I didn't expect you this time." Haymitch came a bit closer.
"You're definitely improving."
"Improving?!" I asked. "She's incredible."
"You should have seen her before you got here," he replied. Katniss blushed. "She could barely hold up the bow." I couldn't help but laugh a little.
I turned to Katniss. "He's been teaching you archery?"
"Yeah. I needed to keep my mind on something, but then you came and it became more of a past time."
"This is devotion right here." Haymitch pointed a shaky finger at Katniss. "Man, you're ankle deep in snow!" At the mention, I shivered.
Katniss set down her bow and went back to the stump. "This ones for you. I can teach you sometime." I smiled.
"That would be nice."
"Alright, star crossed lovers. Get your tushes over here. Ronin and Berina are hungry." I decided not to ask any questions, and Katniss placed the weapons back in her stump.
If Katniss's little cabin and shooting range wasn't already far enough in the woods, their little horse pen was. She clearly like the deep recesses of confinement, because there was no sign of life nearby except for our crunching footsteps, the ever lingering smoke of the fire back at her cabin, and the slight neigh of the cold horses.
"What the-"
Two beautiful, shiny horses stood ten feet away from me. One was a dark, inky black, and the other was sandy brown and had dark auburn mane and tail. They were both strong and healthy looking, and one of the prettiest animals I'd seen in a long time.
"Wow," I breathed, breath curling into cloud-like puffs of air. "Katniss! This is incredible."
She grinned and approached the beautiful animals slowly. Carefully, she placed a hand on the black one's head and whispered, "Hey, Ronin."
Ronin the horse whinnied with joy at her presence and nuzzled her hand with his mouth.
"Ronin was my father's horse," Katniss told me. "He can get a little bit rough sometimes, but he's one of the sweetest and loyal horses I know. And the other one is Berina. She's my horse."
"He's beautiful," I said admiringly.
"Do you want to pet him?" she asked.
"Are you sure?" I asked doubtfully. "I thought he could be a little rough..."
"I think you'll be fine. Just approach him carefully and cautiously. You should be fine," she told me.
"Okay..." I said, still a little unsure. I took a step forward and looked into Ronin's dark eyes. He looked right back at me, but stayed where he was and didn't move. I slowly reached a hand up to gently stroke his head. His coat was soft, smooth, and clearly well cared for.
"Wow," Katniss said quietly. "He's never been this calm for anyone before."
For a minute, there was only silence. I continued to caress Ronin's head and mane while Katniss dug through her bag and pulled out a large carrot, which she snapped in half.
"Here, Berina," she said, and held out the treat. The horse gobbled up the carrot in one bite and let out a neigh that clearly said, "Thank you!"
Once they were fed, Katniss refilled their manger with fresh hay and water. We locked the stables up again and went back inside, where the mouthwatering scent of soup hung in the air, making my stomach rumble.
Katniss checked the pot occasionally, while I chopped up the celery to stir in the soup. At last, it was done and WE shared an incredible dinner of freshly baked bread and homemade soup. By the time that the pot was empty, both of us were feeling too woozy, sleepy, and full to really do much work, so I challenged her to a game of cards. And by the end, things were very nearly back to normal.
Katniss's P.O.V.
The night goes on and things feel almost like things never happened. A part of me still feels the anger at him, but its mostly replaced by the love. The tension is brought on with the silence. Neither one of us really know what to say. So we just sit in silence.
"Um, I'm going to go change." I say and stand up. "I'll bring you something as well. Some of my old clothes of my dad."
"Okay, sure. Thank you." He says.
"Mhm."
I go the the dresser next to the bed. I pull out a night gown for myself. I bring Peeta some old clothes.
"Thanks," he says.
"I'll be back," I say.
I cross the cabin and go to the bathroom. I pull the curtain to cover the area. I strip off my clothes. I stop when i see my reflection. It isn't a girl I recognize anymore. I see someone more, better. I look down at myself and notice the curve. Its noticeable a bit now. My breasts look about a half size bigger. My hips are getting wider. My waist is getting there. I may soon outgrow my clothes already. Its only been maybe a few weeks at most. But still i am getting noticeable. Which I already dread. That's another thing I'll have to worry about and take care of. I shake the thought away and change into my night clothes. I remove the curtain and go back to Peeta. We sit in more silence in the living area. The fire crackles and jumps in the fire place. I notice Peeta out of the corner of my eyes. The fires glow makes his appearance look more bright. Something I cant really put into words. Only feelings. It starts deep within me. And is only growing more. The desire. The love. The lust. The need.
"You know," i say. "I still, miss you. And uh, well you know.."
"I know, I miss you too," he says. "And I'm sorry if it seemed like i was going somewhere. I never would dream about it. Not in a million years. Plus, now i have even more reason to stay, besides you."
I smile softly and sigh. "Yeah, I guess," I say. "Hold me?"
He laughs a little and opens his arms for me. I hold onto him tightly. I don't want him to leave. I don't want to let go. I don't want anything without him. And that feeling is growing more hungrier and hungrier.
"You know, sometimes when women are pregnant they still have needs," I say.
"Oh? Like cravings?" He asks stupidly, not catching onto what I mean.
"Yeah. But not just food and such. Other things too. Things that made this happen in the first place." I say.
"Oh,"
I laugh a little and shake my head. I sit up and look at him. He finally gets it now.
His eyes spark and I feel him clench the nightgown in his hands. He raises an eyebrow, still trying to be nonchalant. "Are you, now?" he asks, and I nod, biting my bottom lip. His gaze drops, watching my mouth, and I've barely licked my lips before his meet mine in a staggering kiss. In one blow he has stoked the fire in me to a blaze, evidence of the month or so of experience between us. He is strong but gentle, dipping his tongue into my mouth but also massaging the small of my back, his fingers rubbing and prodding until the cramps start to ease and I am putty in his hands.
I whimper against his mouth and then move my lips to his neck, kissing beneath his curls like I wanted to, nipping at his skin. I am rewarded with a deep sigh as his head falls to the side. His hands move, re-exploring terrain that he has mapped and memorized only a handful of times but has now changed. My hips are wider, my breasts larger. My waist is starting to disappear, running me out of normal clothes and into ones that will fit over an expanding abdomen. I am rounder, fuller, though not quite done with my transformation. I can tell from his touch that I am different to him. He is always gentle, always reverent when he touches me, but now I am something entirely new for him to worship.
His lips find my shoulder, move to my collarbone, my sternum. Slowly his fingers move to the buttons of my nightgown, and he leaves kisses where each one comes undone until he is kneeling before me, laying a soft trail down across my belly. He urges me back against the couch with his kisses, and I shrug off my nightgown and lean against the soft plush. His mouth moves lower, his hands gripping my hips until he uses one to hook my leg over his shoulder. I sigh when I feel him press his lips there, my whole body relaxing. I had no idea how badly I'd needed this, needed him. He lavishes kisses on my center, and I twine my fingers into his hair and my head falls back, eyes shut.
"Peeta..."
I can feel him smirk, and I look down at him, brushing the waves of his hair from his forehead. His eyes open and meet mine, and he pulls away and takes my hands and gently pulls me to his level. A smile flits across my lips. We haven't made love on the floor before.
He lowers me to the hardwood with lingering kisses, and somewhere along the way he loses his underwear and my hand finds him and he sucks in a deep breath. For all his talent with words, Peeta is generally incapable of speech by this point, and I grin as he groans against my lips while I touch him.
I feel wild and calm at the same time, desperate for him and patiently waiting. It's bizarre, almost out-of-body, and then he settles between my legs. My body hums in anticipation, but he is frozen. I open my eyes to find him staring at me.
"What is it?"
He's almost sheepish as he asks, "This, uh... it's not gonna hurt the baby, is it?"
That gives me pause. I hadn't thought about it before.
I tell him. "I don't think so..."
"Good," he says, and leans in to kiss me. "Because I don't want to stop."
I laugh and he smirks against the hollow of my neck and then he is inside of me, hard and urgent. I gasp at the invasion, shifting to take him deeper. I am surprised at how close I feel already, and I distantly wonder if it's the hormones. But for all of his talk of not wanting to stop, Peeta is gentle, and I think he's honestly concerned that he'll somehow hurt the baby. It's sweet, but it isn't doing much for me. My blood is racing and I want more.
"Peeta," I sigh as he moves in me, "Please, I need..." And as I say the word he seems to have already read my mind, and he moves within me the way I want him to.
In a distant part of my mind that isn't wholly occupied with Peeta, I marvel at this moment: how we can still love each other like this after hardly two months of being with each-other, how he can still stoke the fire within me to a roaring blaze. That we can come to each other despite everything and make love like there's nothing outside of us, that there is only we two, clinging and desperate for something that only the other can give.
And then without realizing it, he brings me to the edge and over before following himself. My pulse deafens me, and I am dimly aware of Peeta lazily peppering kisses on my face and neck and breasts, and when he reaches my lips I am giddy from sensation. The world is hazy, like a dream.
"Did that just happen? Was it a dream? Is this real" I murmur, unaware that I've done so. I feel Peeta nuzzle my cheek and he rolls to the side, reaching out to pull me to him. I wrap my limbs around him, doing what I can to keep this feeling close. Peeta smooths my hair back and kisses my forehead.
"It'd be one hell of a dream I can tell you that," he says. "But real."
I smile and unwind myself from him. "Good. I'm so exhausted, it was hard to tell."
He chuckles and we pull each other to our feet, stretching and working out the kinks that the floor has given us. He picks our night clothes up off the floor. "Let's go clean up and go back to bed. You're not the only one who's exhausted."
I roll my eyes but don't bother to take my nightgown from him. Let him stare as I walk before him, with my ass in his face and the evidence of our love-making running down between my legs. I feel wild, unrestrained. Like moonlight. Fleeting and free from what was holding me down. I laugh, padding away on silent feet, beckoning with my body. I hear Peeta follow after a moment, and I bask in the power the moon has given me.