I hope you all enjoy this last chapter! Thanks a TON to my berls (beta girls) hehe - that was a typo but I decided to roll with it! ct522 and bubblegum1425. I updated part 1 with a few more of their edits, so hopefully this won't be confusing. More A/N afterwards...

Part 2

"Stop! Stop it!" Katniss screamed as blow after angry blow was delivered between Gale and Peeta. The two boys rolled around the floor exchanging heated punches for what seemed like hours to Katniss, though it was merely minutes before Finnick and Marvel strenuously pulled them from each other, the boys fighting against their insistence the entire time, lunging to get back at one another.

Gale was stronger than Marvel and was able to break away, but Finnick pushed Peeta behind him, stepping in front of Gale. "I think it's time for you to go, Gale. No hard feelings or anything, but one of you has to leave, and I'm not asking Peeta," he said.

"I'm not leaving without Katniss," Gale objected. He glanced over to Katniss, her face covered in bewilderment.

"Gale-" Katniss started, but shrunk back at Gale's harsh tone.

"I'm not going without you," Gale threatened, enunciating each word with promise and clarity.

Katniss knew then that she had a decision to make, and in front of everyone no less. If she chose to go with Gale, Peeta would surely be crushed. Would he, though? she wondered. They hadn't known each other long enough for that, but there would be no way she could overcome the bump in this budding relationship that leaving with another man would surely cause.

But if she stayed with Peeta and asked Gale to go, she would severely embarrass him and most likely put an end to their lifelong friendship. Plus, there was the chance he would make another scene and not leave unless forced to do so.

Her eyes flashed from Peeta to Gale and back several times, her hands twisting in frustration and indecision in front of her. Either decision had it's regrets and suddenly she felt enraged at being made to pick one of them. Peeta spoke before she could and Katniss was stunned at his words.

"It's alright, Katniss, go with Gale," Peeta said as he stepped around Finnick. She could see the concession in his eyes as he quickly glanced down, hands pushed down reluctantly in his pockets, trying to avoid her gaze. "Peeta," she barked, catching his attention again. She gave him an incredulous look and could only imagine that everyone could see the fury in her eyes turning to distress. Was he giving her to Gale? He has no right! It's my decision, she fumed inside.

"I don't need to make any decision. I'm leaving on my own without either of you! How's that?" She spat out before turning promptly on her heel and grabbing Jo hastily by the arm. "You're taking me home," she commanded to her friend, eyes blazing with indignation.

"She's my ride!" Gale shouted after them.

"Find another one!" Katniss yelled over her shoulder. It must have been enough to keep Gale in his place because Katniss noticed they had not been followed to Jo's car. While she was relieved that Gale had stayed inside, she felt a knot in her belly at the thought that Peeta had not come after her.

The two girls rode most of the way to Katniss' home in silence, until Jo finally spoke up trying to make peace. "Katniss, look, I'm sorry!" Jo cried out, as if the admission had been a ticking time bomb that finally exploded. Jo never apologized, and Katniss could tell her friend was really sorry from the repentant expression on her face. "Geez, I didn't know Gale would do something like that. I mean, I knew he'd liked you for a while-"

"If you knew something like that why didn't you tell me!" Katniss' voice rose as her question turned into accusation.

"I thought you knew and just didn't want to acknowledge it! Gah, Katniss sometimes you can be so dense! You really never knew?" Jo countered, leveling serious eyes towards her passenger.

"No! He's been like a brother to me! Why would we ruin that?"

"Why would you assume it would be ruined? Some people think that's a great way to start a relationship, Brainless. Gale must be one of 'em." Jo let out a deep, fretful sigh. "I guess we at least know I've got no chance with him."

Katniss turned on her friend, wanting to release more frustration. She wasn't letting Jo get away with this so easily. "You know, you're the pot calling the kettle black, Brainless," Katniss snapped as she echoed the sentiment Jo had favored earlier. "Why didn't you tell me you had a thing for Gale?"

"I didn't want to say anything and mess up our friendship until I was sure you didn't have feelings for him. I just assumed you hooking up with Peeta meant you didn't."

"Well," Katniss crossed her arms over her chest in defense. "I don't. And I haven't 'hooked up' with Peeta." She rolled her eyes at her friend's assumption.

"You should," Jo said. "He is one fine piece."

"Well, thanks to you, we probably won't be speaking again," Katniss barked out.

"Why not?" Jo demanded.

"For starters, he practically gave me to Gale, suggesting I leave with him. He didn't even fight for me to stay!" Jo began to laugh hysterically at Katniss. "What?" Katniss glowered at her friend, but Jo didn't seem to care or be able to stop.

"So help me God, Jo, if you don't stop laughing…" Katniss finished with a growl in Jo's direction and then turned to face out the window.

"You'll what?" Jo challenged.

"I don't know, but it won't be good."

"Look, Kat,"

"DON'T call me that. Pet name privileges have been revoked, Johanna," Katniss said emphasizing her point with Jo's full name.

"Come on, Kat, don't be like that." Jo pleaded. Katniss couldn't stay mad at Jo for too long, but she didn't want to give up the fresh anger just yet. As the car pulled up to Katniss' home, Katniss started to open the door but paused as she felt Jo's hand on her arm.

"Anyone with half an eye can see that you've got two serious admirers, Kat. Peeta did fight for you. And in the end he obviously was trying to make it easier on you by taking himself out of the equation. Chivalrous… not at all the right thing to do with Katniss Everdeen, but he'll learn." Jo looked up at her with earnest eyes. "In all seriousness, pick one. They're good guys, and you would be a fool if you just walked away from them both."

Katniss laid in bed that night, mesmerized by Jo's heavy words. She heard her phone ping a few times with new text messages, but she was too agitated to deal with what was surely Gale or Peeta, or both. The thought of managing them at the same time confused and exhausted her, although her body would not cooperate and the numbed sleep she craved evaded her. It was a good thing she didn't have to work the next day.

This thought brought on another wave of anxiety, since she was due to begin her new job at the front desk of Gale's mechanic's shop in one week. One thing was for sure, she was going to have to talk to Gale eventually. Peeta, she could avoid, although if she was honest with herself, she knew she really didn't want to. She didn't want to lose either of them, but she didn't see any way to fix this without hurting someone, including herself.

The sun rose the next morning and with it so did Katniss, groggy and irritable from the altercation with Peeta and Gale, along with constant thoughts of what could be done about her predicament.

Coffee proved to be only slightly helpful and so Katniss decided, with a huff of stale, morning breath, to face this situation head on with Gale. He had already left four texts and tried calling once. Sadly, there were no messages of any kind from Peeta. Her heart sank at that. She opened her phone to check the content of Gale's messages before returning his call.

Gale - I'm sorry I caused a scene. I know now it wasn't the best idea. Forgive me?

Ummmm, no, Katniss thought.

Gale - Are you there? Don't be mad at me, Catnip. I hate when you're mad at me…

Invoking the nickname isn't helping your cause, she seethed to herself, reliving the events of the night.

Gale - Please talk to me. Don't leave me hanging after I did what I did tonight. I just couldn't stand to watch you with that guy. You shouldn't be with him.

Now she was thoroughly pissed. Who did Gale think he was, telling her not to be with Peeta? Did he not know her at all after so many years of friendship? The last message from him was much later in the night.

Gale - Fine don't talk to me. It's obvious you're going to punish me for acting on how I feel about you. See you at work.

Katniss' resolve to smooth things over with Gale withered, and as she put away her phone she found her thoughts drifting to Peeta. The dread she felt in the pit of her stomach every time she thought about him gnawed at her again, giving her the faintest hint of nausea. She couldn't call him, could she? Katniss didn't really know what the proper protocol was in a situation like this.

She decided it was best to wait and see if he called or texted first. But after five days of silence on Peeta's end, Katniss began to think the worst. Maybe Peeta realized she wasn't worth the effort and had moved on with life, while she wantonly continued to study the images of him in her mind - his wavy, golden hair, the warm, inviting smile, and those arousing blue eyes.

There was one image, however, that haunted her when it came to mind. Go with Gale, he had said. In the moment, Katniss hadn't been aware of anything but her own anguish over the events of the night, but looking back she recalled a fleeting hope in Peeta's features. Had he hoped she would stay?

The hope that Katniss had been holding onto, that had been extinguished a little every day over the last week, actively sprung back to life. Katniss knew she had to make contact with Peeta, as it was quite obvious he wasn't going to call first. She just didn't know how. Would a text be too impersonal? Would going down the bakery be too much? A phone call seemed to be the best compromise between the two options, as it would allow them to speak but not see one another. Katniss didn't have a clue what she would say, but she was ready to feel something other than pining and regret.

Katniss's first day at her new job arrived, and she was anxious about seeing Gale. She hadn't spoken to him since New Year's Eve, and she was dreading an icy reception from him. That would certainly make this day the worst first day ever.

Katniss knew she should have, at the very least, messaged him back but the arrogance of his actions and texts kept her from doing so. Then there were the all-consuming thoughts of Peeta that helped put a damper on any desire for reconciliation with Gale, as well.

She finally found the nerve to call Peeta but was disappointed when the call went straight to voicemail. Katniss wondered if he had purposely turned his phone off to avoid speaking with her, though it did not escape her that she was probably being a little self-indulgent. She left a message asking him to please call, that it was important, and she hoped she would talk to him later. That had been two days ago, and she had heard nothing. Nothing.

After a week of separation from the outside world, Katniss was beginning to think she would be alone forever. Jo hadn't even called to check up on her. She could have died in her living room, and she wouldn't have been found until her decayed body had become an unidentifiable spot on the shaggy carpet.

Katniss was happy to be amongst other living, breathing human beings because of those thoughts, even though it meant the confrontation she desperately dreaded was imminent. She knew she would have to see Gale eventually. Why not go ahead and rip off the bandaid?

After a very short training period with the owner of the shop, a man who smelled like he had bathed in a tub full of firewater, Katniss began her work, wondering when Gale would appear, but as the morning passed on without a sighting from him, it suggested to Katniss that he was intentionally staying away from the office. The other mechanics, however, had wandered in and out, one in particular called Cato, stopping to chat with her every time. He was nice enough, but something about the way he leered at her v-neck sweater caused an uneasiness to settle in her gut.

At five after twelve Katniss switched the phones to voicemail like she had been shown, grabbed her small purse and headed to her beat-up hatchback to go for lunch. Approaching the car she spied a tall, dark, and disheveled figure leaning against it. Gale had decided to make his move.

"Hey, Catnip," he called to her with a tight smile. Katniss moved to stand in front of him, silently forcing him to continue. "Can we talk about what happened last week?" he asked.

"Sure," Katniss responded, trying to seem casual despite the incessant drumming of her heart.

"I…, you know I've always like you, right?" He asked it as though it was the most normal question in the world. Katniss stared at him, taken aback.

"Actually, no, Gale. I had no idea," she said bluntly. A small amount of agitation escaped Katniss's carefully constructed demeanor, and her stance changed to one of defense. "I would have appreciated a heads up, especially since I was starting to see someone," she accused him. "I really liked him..." Katniss rattled on, unaffected by his stare, "...and now he won't even speak to me. And I have no idea what I did, other than be your friend. So tell me, friend, do you make a habit of dousing other peoples' personal lives or is it just mine?" Katniss could tell by the look of hurt that flashed through Gale's eyes that she had gone too far.

"Okay, that was unfair. I'm sorry, Gale," Katniss remorsefully relayed.

"It's alright, Catnip. I guess I was only thinking of myself. I, uh…," he paused as he considered his actions, a chuckle rising from the back of his throat, "...guess I could have chosen a different way to tell you."

"You think?" Katniss replied sarcastically, humor mixing with her inflection.

"You... should patch things up with him," Gale said reluctantly.

"I should patch things up with him?" Katniss echoed.

"Yeah. Part of the reason I acted so crazy that night was because I saw the way you looked at him. The way I always wanted you to look at me." Gale considered his next words. "I love you, Catnip, but…" He paused and took a breath, looking pained, as though he was steeling himself to say something that he didn't really want to voice. "...I don't want to lose you. I'd rather have you as a friend and wonder what could have been, than to not have you at all. This last week without you almost killed me."

Gale's confession was enough to soften Katniss's heart to a place of forgiveness, and she stepped closer so she could wrap him in as tight a hug as her small arms could manage. "Thank you, Gale. You've always been like family to me and I don't want to lose you, either."

"Just do me a favor, Katniss..." Hearing her full name instead of her nickname told Katniss her friend was serious in whatever this request would be.

"Anything," she assured him.

"Don't bring him around me for a while, okay? I think I'll need some time to move on before I could see you with anyone else." Gale tried accompanying his words with a reassuring smile, but Katniss could see the pain he was trying to mask.

"Well, I'm not sure I'll get that chance," she reasoned aloud.

"You may just have to make one." Gale gave Katniss a friendly wink and reached out to squeeze her upper arms. As they parted ways, Katniss allowed her mind to ponder the possibility of everything turning out alright. It would be the first time in her life, but that didn't mean it was impossible.

Before she knew it, the day was over and she was back home placing another call to Peeta. She hoped he would answer this time, but the hope was dashed in only a few seconds as the call again went straight to voicemail. Well, if she couldn't reach him by phone, then there was only one option left - face to face. Katniss didn't know where Peeta lived, but she knew where he worked. It was too late to do anything about it today, but come early morning this would all be over one way or another.

Katniss set her alarm for 4:30 a.m., wanting to catch Peeta alone so she could talk to him privately, but it made no difference because she woke every hour, on the hour, from the time she drifted off to sleep until it was time to get ready.

Katniss showered and made sure she dressed well, wanting to look as pretty as she had the night Peeta had picked her up for their New Year's date. She skipped the dress in favor of gray leggings and a chunky, winter-white sweater that hit just above her hips but applied the same makeup and styled her hair in the same manner as she had a week ago. There was no way she could go into this without putting her best foot forward. She just hoped it was enough.

Katniss parked her car across the street from the bakery. While the lights were off in the storefront, she could see fluorescent rays coming from the kitchen. She tried pulling on the door but found it locked. She whipped out her phone to call Peeta one more time, anxiety growing with every tap of her finger across the screen. Ugh! Voicemail again! Did she really hurt him that bad?

Out of sheer desperation to apologize and make things right, Katniss began to beat on the glass door, hoping she would be heard, but then she slowed the procession of knocks for fear she might break through it and cut her hands all to pieces. At least I'd have a way in, she thought.

After a few more harsh cracks of her fists against the 'Mellark's' script, Katniss gave up and turned to lean her back against the door, exhausted from the hour, lack of sleep, and the tension her body was holding onto. Tipping her head back to rest on the glass, she closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, exhaling a warm puff of air that mingled with the frosty chill, creating a white cloud that ascended briefly before it disappeared altogether.

Before she could move she heard the clink of a lock and felt the door behind her give way, causing her to crash into a solid, warm body.

"Oh!" she cried as she scrambled to get to her feet.

"Katniss?" She heard Peeta's question before she was able to turn around. "What are you doing here?"

"I, um, had to…" Katniss's voice trailed off when she looked into the very eyes she had been fantasizing about for over a week. How could they be any bluer? "Well, uh, you… you didn't answer your phone. Right. So I came to see if you were okay," she rattled off quickly, wincing inwardly as she realized how lame she sounded.

"Katniss, It's 4 a.m. There wasn't a more normal time for you to check on me?" Peeta's words weren't harsh, but they lacked the warmth she had been hoping for.

"You won't answer your phone or return my messages," Katniss pleaded, continuing to gush, impatient to get it all out and nervous she would leave something unsaid. "I'm sorry for everything. Do you not want to talk to me anymore? Can we at least be friends?"

Peeta exhaled a deep breath and scrubbed his face with his hands in frustration. "Come with me, we can talk in the back," he said as he turned and walked toward the kitchen. Katniss followed, now more than ever, unsure of her ability to salvage anything with Peeta.

Upon entering the kitchen, Peeta began grabbing various ingredients for the pastries he would be making that day. Katniss was thankful he was first to speak. "First, I haven't been avoiding you, Katniss. After you left I kind of…" Peeta glanced sheepishly her way, "...threw my phone at Finnick's parent's china hutch. It shattered the glass doors and my screen. It took me a couple of days to take it to be fixed, and it's not ready yet, so I haven't been able to check any messages.

"Second, of course I want to talk to you. I want to talk to you more than I want to talk to Finnick or any of my other friends. And third, no, I don't think we can be friends." At this news, Katniss's heart plummeted and she sent a silent plea up into the atmosphere. Peeta stopped gathering ingredients and looked straight into her eyes, blue latched onto grey. "I don't think I can be friends with a girl that I can't get out of my head. I would be a terrible friend to you, Katniss. Always jealous of other guys and wanting to hold your hand or kiss you when you're around. When I saw Gale kiss you I lost it. I don't want to do that to myself again."

"But Gale and I are just friends!" Katniss tried to encourage Peeta's thoughts in the opposite direction. He had just admitted everything she wanted to hear, but he seemed completely resigned that there could be anything between them. She felt her panic rising.

Peeta looked at her incredulously. "Katniss, you are blind. He definitely wants something more than friendship from you. I knew it the moment I saw you two sitting outside the department store before Christmas."

"You saw us together? Wait, were you spying on me?"

"Of course not!" Peeta denied her casual accusation. "I came to the store to try talking to you again, or more likely to get shot down, and before I could reach the edge of the sidewalk I could see what he felt for you. It's not hard when you're paying attention."

"So I've heard," Katniss expressed solemnly. "Look, I'm learning that I'm not the most observant person, but would it have killed either of you to come out and say exactly what you want?" Katniss perceived Peeta's eyes boring into hers, seemingly contemplating her words. The silence was too much, so she continued her gripe. "It would really help me out. A lot. It would help me out a-"

Before she could finish her rant, Peeta turned to the island workspace and in one, exaggerated movement, cleared the counter of every item he had just assembled. Katniss watched in shock as a large cloud of flour rose from the half-used bag and blanketed the floor around them with the fine powder. The smaller item; the salt, baking powder and cinnamon, met their untimely end against the walls from the force Peeta used to launch them into the air, causing their jars to explode on impact.

Katniss's jaw hit the floor, and she surveyed the scene briefly before she felt Peeta's strong arms lift her up by her waist, settling her on the workspace. A giddy feeling surged through her at the thought of her being the focus of his very capable hands.

"Okay, Katniss. I have no problem being direct." At Peeta's words, Katniss's body temperature rose, and when he stepped between her slightly parted knees, making room for his tapered waist, she felt heat creep up her neck and settle into her cheeks. His hands came to rest on her upper thighs, and she jerked involuntarily at the contact. Peeta never swayed his eyes from hers, nor she from his. The intensity of his watchful gaze made her feel as though he would hungrily devour her at any moment, and she didn't want to miss one minute of it.

"I... want... my New Year's... kiss," Peeta stated bluntly, punctuating each word. The heat that was trapped in Katniss's cheeks sought a way out, burning her skin so that she had to reach up and touch her cool hands to the flesh there just to get some relief. He had rendered her speechless, and his nearness kept her from forming any coherent words, so she just nodded dumbly.

Peeta's hands glided over the tops of her thighs and around her waist to the middle of her back. The intimate contact instantly ignited a flame inside her that was, easily, one hundred times as hot as the blaze on her cheeks. Katniss's breath felt as though it was tethered to her lungs, fighting for a way out, but gaining no ground.

Peeta pulled her forward at an agonizingly slow pace, their eyes unblinking, unwilling to be disconnected, each of them completely caught up in the heat of the moment. Katniss felt as though she might burst from the anticipation, but finally exhaled the breath her body had been robbing her of when Peeta's smooth, silky lips brushed hers.

Katniss stayed still, allowing Peeta to take complete control of the kiss. He brought his lips back to hers a second time with an achingly, sweet pressure that was meant to let her know she would not get away so easily. She was heavily inexperienced in this area, but already she could tell a difference in the bumpy, sloppy way Gale had pressed his lips to hers, and the passionate way Peeta was barely kissing her now. Good God, what would it be like when it was full on? The thought sent a chill through Katniss, and she shuddered. Peeta broke his hands free from her back, dragging them lightly up over her arms and shoulders, finally bringing them to cup her cheeks. He pulled her even closer, his tongue reaching to slide along her lower lip. A small squeak of delighted surprise allowed her lips to part just enough that Peeta was able to breach the borders of her mouth.

His tongue began to stroke hers slowly, taking his time, causing her to emit several moans of pleasure, before exploring the roof of her mouth. Katniss tried to imitate his movements but found herself unable to focus, just wanting to enjoy what he was doing. Peeta withdrew his tongue, much to Katniss's disapproval, and pulled her lower lip into his mouth, sucking lightly on it. He let it go with a soft pop and Katniss let out a pouty whimper and stuck out the bottom lip Peeta had just skillfully played with. He reached up and pinched it lightly between his fingers, then dropped his hand to her chin, holding her gaze.

"I could do that again," his voice sounded deeper and lust-filled. It made Katniss's insides do flips and she was unaware of the spark her next words would bring. "That was sooooo much better than Gale." Katniss regretted the words immediately, noting the fire in Peeta's eyes.

She gasped as his hand moved from her chin to tangle in her hair, the other one joining it as he pulled her forward roughly until they were touching, nose to nose. "Please don't ever say his name while I'm kissing you," he whispered hoarsely. But there was a demanding quality to his tone that caused something in Katniss' belly to snap, and she reached out to wind her her arms around his neck. She sought out his mouth first this time, and they pulled at each other frantically, tongues exploring and licking, and teeth nipping at any flesh they came across. Not feeling like she was close enough, Katniss wrapped her legs around Peeta's waist. He let out a carnal groan and drew her hips flush against his. Katniss expelled a muffled gasp at the feel of something hard pushing against her core. It felt...good.

Just as things began escalating to a place Katniss didn't want to come back from, Peeta pulled away, panting heavily. Katniss's eyes widened in question with her words. "What are you doing? Didn't you like that?" Speaking the thoughts out loud seemed to confirm them, and Katniss jumped down off the counter, preparing to run out of mortification.

Peeta caught her arm and pulled her back close to him. "Of course I liked it. And, no matter what you may think, you are very good at… that." Katniss grinned, ducking her head bashfully. "You're so good at it that I almost had to spontaneously develop superhuman strength to pull away, and even then I'm not so sure it would be possible." Peeta's eyes were lit up with awe, and Katniss thought she saw in them what she felt for Peeta. Maybe she wouldn't end up so brainless after all.

"Oh. Well, that's good to know… for next time." Her grin turned playful and Peeta smiled a devilish smile.

"Can I see you after work then?" he asked.

"I would be highly disappointed if this is all we saw of each other today. I don't get off work until five, though. Can you stay out that late with your baker's hours and all?" Katniss teased him. Peeta poked at her ribs, earning a loud screech and a playful slap of her hand against his.

Katniss spent the next hour at the bakery helping Peeta clean up the mess he had made. When it was all said and done, he gave her a sound, lingering kiss on her lips. Any touch from him made her want to crawl into his arms and stay there. Stupid jobs. She broke away reluctantly, and they both went back to work, Katniss only imagining that Peeta could be as happy as she was that day.

Peeta

Another New Year's Eve was about to draw to a close, the third such occasion for Katniss and Peeta.

"Yeah, she was a hard one to catch, that's for sure." Peeta's account to all of their friends at the dinner table of how he and Katniss met and the events that had led them to today, the day they had become engaged, had them all laughing hysterically. "But I knew once I had her I wouldn't be able to let go." The sentiment that left Peeta's lips garnered many "awes" from the girls around the table and a few coughs from his male cohorts. Except for Finnick, all the others were on dates with girls they were not currently serious about.

Finnick reached across the table for a quick fist bump and a "you're awesome, dude".

"I like to fondly refer to those first days as the twelve days of Katniss." Katniss gave Peeta a ridiculous look.

"What does that even mean? I've never heard you say that."

Peeta turned in his chair, his whole body facing towards her, removing his arm from the back of her chair and draping it across her shoulders. He pulled her close enough so that only she could hear what he had to say.

"It means, love of my life," Katniss outwardly scowled but inwardly soared at his pet name for her, "that it took the entire twelve days before Christmas to get you to acknowledge my existence, but every day some little wall of yours came crumbling down. So in a way, it was like I was unknowingly received a gift from you each day, twelve in all, without which I would not have you in my life. It's my twelve days of Katniss, and now I get to have every day with a woman I will love unconditionally for the rest of our lives." Peeta noticed a tear that escaped the corner of her eye, slowly making a path down her cheek and he leaned the short distance to gently kiss it away.

"I hate that song, you know," Katniss said, trying to lighten the mood, and Peeta laughed as he remembered how much she had detested it's play on the radio during the two Christmas seasons they had spent together.

"Well maybe you won't hate it so much now that you know what it means to me," Peeta whispered in her ear, and he felt Katniss shiver from his closeness.

"Get a room you two!" Marvel jested from the end of the table. "Nobody wants to watch that stuff."

"Whatever, dude, you watch it plenty on the Spice channel," Finnick remarked humorously, gaining an aggravated look from Marvel.

Peeta rose from his seat and grabbed both his and Katniss's coats. "Where you going, man? I didn't mean nothing by it!" Marvel pleaded, thinking he had offended his friend.

"I'm just doing as I was told," Peeta said obediently, never tearing his eyes from his Katniss as he helped her put on her coat. Their fingers tangled together haphazardly, and they walked shoulder to shoulder toward the exit, Peeta calling back to them before leaving the restaurant, "Happy New Year, guys!"

So, it's officially over! What did y'all think? Did I redeem myself from the disappointment of the last chapter's cliffhanger? Would love to hear your thoughts, as the make-out scene in the bakery was my most heated writing yet. Was it descriptive enough and did you feel any sexual tension in it?

Thank you for the reviews, follows, and faves! Now I'm onto an update for Mile High and starting my next two stories. Later, Taters! Pbg