Disclaimer: This fanfic is rated 'M' for language and sexual content. I do not own any of the characters of The Hunger Games.

Author's Note: To start off, this epilogue got away from me and turned into a full fledged chapter and it's dedicated to Scrivener50 and Shanna319 who blew me away with all their reviews when I thought no one else was reading this fic anymore and to Thundarrgirl who asked for a smutty ending, fingers crossed this is what you were hoping for! More notes to follow at the end, enjoy!

Chapter 27:

Eight months later…

It's just my luck that I hit every red light, which accounts for all of three on the quiet main street that runs through the downtown. I drum my fingers along the steering wheel and peer down the empty road to my left and then to my right as I strongly consider running the light.

I'm late, which irks me, but it's not like they can't start without me. I don't really need to be there for my part anyway, but still, I said I would be.

Tomorrow is the big day. Finnick and Annie's wedding. Weather wise, they couldn't have asked for a more beautiful weekend and last time I spoke with Annie, the final remaining details had been crossed off her to-do list. Or so she thought. Which is why the frantic call from Finnick last week during my study marathon was unexpected—when he confessed to me that Annie had put him in charge of the music. The DJ had been booked months ago, but Finnick kept putting off the task of selecting a song for their first dance. He wanted it to be unique and perfect, but after spending countless late nights scouring the Internet for "memorable first dance songs", he was left feeling unimpressed…and desperate.

This of course led to the late night call in which he decided to cash in on that favor. Knowing my love for standing up in front of a crowd—or lack thereof—he knew I'd take some convincing. A lot of convincing. After listening to him beg for over half an hour as I tried to reread through my class notes for the umpteenth time, the desperation in his voice finally broke my resolve and I caved. Besides, I owed him and he said we'd be even after this. He knows me too well.

Ten minutes and almost a twisted ankle later, after narrowly avoiding the curb at the front entrance, I sneak in through the church doors and beeline for the closest pew in the back, slinking down into the seat as quiet as a mouse.

Finnick stands at the front with Annie's hands in his, as the officiant talks them through tomorrow's proceedings. Madge (the one and only bridesmaid) stands behind Annie, beaming brightly as she holds onto the makeshift bouquet from the bridal/baby shower that Johanna and I hosted for Annie at Thanksgiving. We thought it was a stupid tradition, but Madge insisted, as she dutifully collected up all of the bows and ribbon from the gifts before we could trash them.

My eyes flit to Finnick's right, and there stands the one and only groomsman.

I draw in a deep breath as I study him. Fuck. He never ceases to get a reaction out of me. His gaze is directed at the carpet in front of him as he absentmindedly tugs at his bottom lip with his teeth. My stomach feels like it's housing a three-ring circus as I sink lower into the pew and my mind begins to reel with inappropriate thoughts of later tonight. I cross my legs to try and keep some composure, but my body reacts in an even more inappropriate manner despite the fact that I'm sitting in a house of God.

Words can't even express how much I've missed him. It's been five long agonizing weeks since my last visit. I somehow managed to escape back home for a weekend just before the start of the hectic weeks when all my year-end projects were due and I'd had to start studying for my finals. It's the longest we've been apart without seeing one another, which is why I left like a bat outta hell after my last exam this afternoon, not even bothering to stop by my house first to drop off my bags.

Just the sight of him causes a tingling sensation to course through my veins. Damn he looks good. His I-just-rolled-out-of-bed hair is just begging for me to run my fingers through it, and he knew exactly what he was doing when he paired those khakis with my favorite button-down shirt of his. And of course he just has to have the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows. He stands with his hands folded in front of him and glances up momentarily towards the couple, a small smile tugging at his lips as he watches one of his best friends prepare to commit his life to the woman he loves and the mother of his child.

Speaking of which, I scan the pews ahead of me in search of the little guy, but there's no sign of him. Then I realize it's already pushing 10 o'clock, way past any four-month old's bedtime. He came into the world kicking and screaming, all seven pounds, six ounces of him, and two and a half weeks early too. He couldn't have picked a better time, arriving right smack in the middle of the afternoon the day before Finnick and Annie had planned to get away for one last final weekend. I haven't met him yet, due to my crazy schedule never quite jiving with theirs, but the number of photos that Finnick sends me has not been lacking.

My eyes automatically drift back to Peeta as the officiant indicates that this is when he will ask for the rings. Peeta pats the fronts of his thighs before reaching into his back pocket and coming up empty-handed, muttering something that causes Finnick's laughter to fill the room, no doubt some clichéd joke about forgetting the rings and I can't help but chuckle along with them as I shake my head.

Once they've settled down, my eyes stay glued to Peeta. His shoulders are back, accentuating the breadth of his chest, and I'm certain my heart skips a beat when his tongue darts out to wet his lips. I squirm in my seat a little at the thought of where else I'd like his tongue to be and mentally urge the officiant to hurry things up. We've got a lot of making up to do for lost time.

It's then that Peeta's gaze finally crosses mine and his eyes narrow slightly as a sexy grin slowly takes hold of his face. My stomach flutters wildly when he mouths a silent greeting in my direction and all I can manage in return is a nod as I picture those lips of his blazing a trail down my neck and towards my—dammit. Can't this guy hurry the fuck up? I impatiently rock back and forth in my seat, unable to control my body as my foot taps furiously against the carpet.

My pleas are miraculously met when Finnick leans in and places a sweet kiss to Annie's lips, and they turn and link arms to face the pews. When they're down the steps, Peeta and Madge follow suit, as they trail a few steps behind the glowing couple. I can't help the rise of irrational jealousy as I watch Peeta and Madge approaching, arms joined and both smiling as they candidly chat amongst themselves. Sexual depravation apparently has an effect on my rationality, but I push back my ridiculous feelings and smile when Annie and Finnick finally notice my presence and quickly make their way towards me.

"You made it!" Annie says as her tiny arms wrap around my waist. "And I can't even being to thank you for helping us out so last minute." I catch her shoot a slight frown in Finnick's direction, but he's either too high from excitement for tomorrow or pretending to not notice.

"No need to thank me," I answer as I start to pull away, but Annie squeezes me even tighter and I gasp for breath at her unexpected strength. I catch Finnick's eye over Annie's shoulder and he just grins back at me and shrugs. "Don't worry about it, it's my pleasure really." At that, Annie finally releases me.

"You ready for tomorrow?" Finnick asks.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" I release a shaky laugh, trying to dismiss the thought of standing up in front of a hundred people. "You can always take back that favor, you know."

Finnick shakes his head before he reaches out and pulls me into a hug. "Nah, you're not getting out of this one," he says into my hair. As we pull apart, he grabs hold of my arm and squeezes it gently. "Thanks again." He releases me and wraps an arm around Annie once again. "We have to talk to the officiant one last time, but we'll see you tomorrow?"

"I wouldn't miss it."

When they turn to leave, I look past them in search of Peeta and Madge, but there's no sign of them. Frustration starts to build as I furrow my brow, searching the pews ahead.

I gasp out in surprise when a pair of hands ghost around my hips and snake down the front of my thighs before tugging me backwards. A warm breath against the outer shell of my ear causes my breath to hitch and a damp heat to pool deep in my abdomen.

"Looking for someone?"

My eyes flutter shut and I smile to myself. "Nope, I think I've found him."

"You mean I found you." He removes one of his hands and reaches up to brush my hair to one side, baring the sensitive skin of my neck to him. I lean towards him in frenzied anticipation of his lips on me, but all I feel is his breath against my skin.

I frown. "Where'd Madge go?"

"She left already." He finally lowers his lips and grazes them against the exposed side of my neck. "Said Gale was picking her up." His teeth find my earlobe and he playfully nips at it. I can't hold back the raspy moan that vibrates in the back of my throat and I can feel him grin into the skin just below my ear. "Come on, let's get out of here."

My eyelids flutter open and I crane my head around to face him, eager to finally capture those soft lips of his that I've gone to bed fantasizing about for way too long. I reach up to tangle my fingers into his hair and I tug his face towards mine. Our mouths meet in a tentative, leisurely kiss, one that suddenly turns desperate and begins to rekindle the embers that have been waiting to catch fire deep inside me.

A loud "ahem" echoes through the room and we break apart, chests heaving. Fuck. The officiant's stern face is reason enough for me to bury my face in the crook of Peeta's neck. I fist my hands into the front of his shirt, crinkling the fabric between my fingers as a smirk creeps across my face. "Let's take this somewhere else."

"Good idea," Peeta says quietly under his breath as he sneaks a hand down to readjust the front of his pants.

I let go and collect my purse from the back pew before taking hold of Peeta's outstretched hand. As we make our way into the parking lot, I go to release his hand, but he doesn't let me. Instead, I'm tugged in the opposite direction that my car is parked.

"What about my—?"

"Leave it here; we'll get it tomorrow." Peeta leads us towards his truck and looks back over his shoulder, a few unruly curls tumbling across his forehead, as the corner of his mouths lifts. "Or the day after."

"But what about my stuff?" I can probably make do without my things for tonight, but I'll definitely need to grab my dress and shoes for tomorrow.

"Fuck," he says under his breath and sighs impatiently before reluctantly dropping my hand. "Hurry."

He doesn't need to tell me twice. I sprint to my car, fumbling with the keys before popping open the trunk in search of my wedding attire. I almost forget to grab my shoes from the back seat, and after locking the doors, I turn to find Peeta's truck already idling behind me.

He leans over from behind the glass and the door swings open. "Care for a ride?" The rough edge to his voice sends me clambering into the passenger seat, but I take a moment to carefully drape my dress across the bench in the back to keep it from wrinkling. After spending an entire day in and out of countless boutiques to find it—and a small fortune to acquire it—I'll be damned if it gets dirty or creased before I can wear it anywhere besides a dressing room.

I buckle myself in before turning to Peeta, who releases a low whistle and raises an eyebrow at me.

"What?"

"Is that your dress for the wedding?"

"Uh, what else would it be?" I frown, looking back and forth between his curious blue eyes and the pale orange dress. "Is there a problem?"

"Nope." He looks away from me and I can tell he's holding something back as he shifts the truck into gear. "Not at all."

"Whatever," I mutter under my breath as I toss my shoes into the floor behind me, sneaking a quick glance back at my dress.

So maybe it isn't exactly the style I normally gravitate towards. Fine. It's nothing like the style I'd normally go for. If it weren't for the saleslady I probably never would have picked it off the rack. And it's strapless, I know I'm going to be regretting my decision tomorrow, when I'm constantly fidgeting and tugging it up my chest, but when I stepped out of the dressing room I barely recognized myself. It accentuated my slight curves and made my legs seem like they went on forever. I no longer looked like a disheveled student, but instead a put together and rather stunning woman. I knew I had to have it, if not for my own sake, but for Peeta's reaction when he sees me in it. That fact that it happens to be Peeta's favorite color doesn't hurt any either.

I release a sigh laced with frustration and a hint of regret for my bold choice. My eyes shift to look out the window, but Peeta reaches over and squeezes the top of my knee, startling me out of my seat.

"Peeta! What the hell!"

"Katniss, calm down, I know what you're thinking." My lips tighten into a thin line. "You're worried I don't like it and you really ought to know better. Your dress is perfect. I can already picture you in it and trust me, it's definitely doing things to me. But if I'm being honest, I'm a little…disappointed."

My eyebrows shoot up in shock as I gape at him. "Disappointed?" That was not the word I was expecting.

Peeta looks away and I spy the tinge of pink begin to creek up the back of his neck. "Again, it's not what you're thinking."

"Well then, perhaps you should elaborate." I cross my arms over my chest and flop back into my seat, closing myself up like clam.

"I'm disappointed because I wish it was you by my side tomorrow night, not Madge. I wish we could arrive together, with you on my arm…and of course I'll have to be at the head table all through dinner and you'll be at the same table with…" he trails off with a sigh.

He doesn't have to finish his sentence, I know exactly where he was going.

Annie had asked ahead of time while she was putting together the seating chart if it was alright that Gale and I be seated at the same table, and I said it wouldn't be a problem. It made sense since he was Madge's date. Besides, Johanna would be there to be a buffer if needed, although I don't think it'll be an issue. It didn't even faze me that Peeta would care, but I guess I was wrong. Although Gale and I have reconciled our differences and he's been with Madge since the summer, I guess I can't fault Peeta for harboring any residual feelings of jealousy towards Gale. Hell, the mention of Peeta's ex still sets the hair on the back of my neck on end, not that it happens often, but I can sympathize with the feeling.

"Hey, you have nothing to worry about," I say, my voice serious yet upbeat. "Plus once dinner is over and you're freed from your best man duties, I'm all yours."

"Yeah, I know, I just wish…" Peeta heaves out a heavy sigh. "Never mind, you're right." He smiles back at me, but the air between us seems off.

Well, if he's being honest about his feelings, I might as well come clean too.

"Would you think I was crazy for being a tiny bit jealous of seeing you walk up the aisle with Madge today?"

Peeta doesn't look over, but I can see the features of his face shift as he processes my words. "Yeah, I would."

"Peeta!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" I shake my head at his toothy grin, but it's infectious and before I know it I'm smiling right along with him. "Of course I don't think you're crazy. Am I crazy for confessing that hearing you say that is actually a bit of a relief?"

"Well, I guess that makes us a couple of nutcases." And just like that, things are back to how they should be.

If Peeta didn't live so close to the church, I'd consider making him pull over to continue what we had started earlier, but that doesn't stop my hand from inching over to eventually rest atop his thigh. His muscles tense beneath the fabric of his khakis and I squeeze him playfully before letting my pinky finger grazes his crotch.

"Hey now, driving here," he says in a breathy voice, stealing his eyes away from the road for a brief moment to pin me with a mock serious look.

He drops a hand from the steering wheel and takes hold of mine, intertwining our fingers as he starts to trace circles onto the back of my hand. It's soothing and takes away the slight edge that my raging hormones are inflicting upon me. I'm tempted to lean my head back and close my eyes, but when he lifts up my hand to his face and his lips graze against my skin, I melt into his touch and I'm reminded of the dampness that's steadily been collecting between my thighs.

"Will your dad be home?" I blurt out, feeling the heat already creeping up my cheeks from my apparent eagerness.

"Probably."

Fuck. Well that's gonna put a bit of a damper on my fantasy homecoming. I glance over in his direction again, waiting for him to continue with what our options are, but he doesn't say a word. I guess it doesn't really matter, I'll take him any way I can right now, whether be in the front seat of his truck—or the back; either way works for me.

I'm too busy trying to figure out the logistics of body placement in the somewhat tight confines of the truck cab that I blank out for a minute or two. The flash of a familiar storefront brings me back to the moment, and I narrow my eyes in confusion.

"Uh, where are we going?" I crane my head over my shoulder as we pass the main street that leads back to the other side of town, back to where Peeta lives. "Weren't you supposed to turn left back there…?" My voice trails off as we turn down an unfamiliar street, one that looks freshly paved in the bright light of the new lampposts that flank both sides of the road.

Peeta's silence causes the corners of my mouth to lower into a frown and I narrow my eyes in suspicion, but if he notices it doesn't show. His attention is trained ahead of him as we continue down the street towards a grouping of lights up ahead. We pass a low brick wall, and I catch a glimpse of the words "Victor's Village" scrawled across the front of it. Both sides of the street start to fill with houses.

"Did you guys move?" I'm met again with a silence that's starting to get on my nerves, but I swear there's a hint of a smile on his face.

Just then the truck slows and we pull into the driveway of a quaint looking bungalow with heather-grey bricks. There's a decorative stone above the garage with the number "12" etched into it and a spacious covered porch that spans the majority of the front of the house. When Peeta kills the engine, he tilts his head slightly to peer up at the house through the windshield. From the soft glow that emits from the dashboard, I can just make out the bob of his throat as he swallows.

"Well, not exactly." It's then he finally looks over to me with his bottom lip tucked between his teeth and an unsure glint in his eyes. The urge to lean over and rescue his captured lip is overwhelming, but I stay put in the passenger seat, unsure of what's going on and still waiting for more of an explanation.

"Who lives here?" I finally ask when he doesn't elaborate, and I flick my head towards the house.

Peeta's eyes drop to his lap as he releases a shaky laugh and runs a hand through his hair. "I do."

I stare at him and raise my eyebrows expectantly, as if waiting for the punch line of a joke. When it doesn't come, I blink slowly as I try to register his words. "What do you mean…you do?"

"I mean, it's mine. As in I bought it…" he trails off slowly as if all of his words were going over my head. "I own it."

"But Peeta, why? I mean...how?" I cringe when his face falls. That obviously wasn't the reaction he was hoping for, but shit, what did he expect? I knew nothing about this and I'm not sure if I should feel angry for being blindsided with something this big or upset at myself for causing the look of hurt that he's trying desperately to hide.

"Dad and I thought it was time I got a place of my own. A real place. Somewhere I could put down some roots and start my own life. That house was too big, even with the both of us living there, and this might sound weird but…" He pauses and flashes me an unexpected sad smile. "It never really felt like 'home.' It was my mother's house and she never missed a chance to remind us of how grateful we should be for allowing us to live under her roof. Like we owed her something in return for being born. But anyway, like I said, it always felt too big and so we both decided it was time to downsize."

My eyes shift back to the bungalow. Downsize? He's got to be kidding. The place doesn't look small at all; it could easily house a family of four just fine. It looks to be the same size as my parents' house—or maybe even bigger.

"So…you wanna come in?" He grins at me shyly, his eyes hesitant, as though he's awaiting my approval.

"Of course," I reply with a little more pep to my voice. I unbuckle myself and bend over to retrieve my purse off the floor, startling when I sit back up to find Peeta's face on the other side of my passenger side window. Good god, when did he get so quiet? I didn't even hear him get out of the truck.

He opens the door and offers me his free hand with that sexy lopsided grin of his plastered across his face. "Thanks," I mutter as I reach for him and step down onto the driveway, still somewhat in shock by the fact that Peeta owns a house. It sounds so…so grownup.

I still can't believe he didn't tell me about this. In the realm of life milestones, this is a big deal. A pretty fucking big deal. What I would give to have my own space, free to do whatever I wanted and not have anyone else to answer to about where I'm going or when I'll be back or…then it hits me. This is Peeta's house. His own house. All to himself. All to ourselves.

Goosebumps explode across my skin at the thought of the possibilities and my grip on his hand tightens as I quicken my pace. Peeta almost trips over the stones of the walkway as I drag him towards the front door and when we reach the porch, there's no doubt the lust in my eyes is burning the shirt off his back. Sensing my urgency, his keychain clatters to the ground as he struggles with the lock. With a loud huff he leans over to retrieve the keys. I can't help it when my hand is suddenly tracing the curve of his ass, which causes him to stumble forward and knock the door before shooting up to his feet.

I slip my hand into his back pocket and lean forward on my tiptoes, my lips barely an inch away from his ear. "Hurry it up."

The door finally flings open and I don't waste time pushing us into the dimly lit hall, slamming the door shut with a swift kick of my heel. Peeta looks a little stunned when he finds himself pinned against the wall, my arms flanking his, as I inch my way closer and closer towards his face. His eyelids start to close and he sucks in a quick breath just before my lips can make contact with his, but a strangled moan echoes through the air when I duck my head beneath his chin, swiping my tongue across his pulse point to taste his skin.

"D-don't you want the grand tour of—?"

I lift a finger to his lips to silence him. "Later. Right now you're all I want." My voice is barely a whisper as I map out the side of his face with my finger, followed by the silhouette of his shoulder and arm. The line I trace causes his body to shiver when I reach his hip and work a finger into the waistband of his pants and between the layers of fabric, until the back of it rests again Peeta's heated skin. I drag it forward until I reach the fine hair that travels down his navel.

"Katniss," he says, his heavy exhale hot against my ear.

Peeta's eyes are dark with desire and catch mine when I finally look up, just moments before I crash my lips to his and thrust my tongue into his mouth before he can react. As in control of the situation that I am, it's me who yelps out in surprise when his hands cup my ass, lifting me up and stepping forward as I wind my legs around his hips.

I'm too busy working my lips against every inch of his face that I barely register the twists and turns we make through the house, and god only knows how I lose my shirt and flats along the way, but the cool air causes my skin to prickle in the most incredible way.

"I've missed you so much," he confesses as one of my hands finds its way into his hair and my lips find the outer shell of his ear. "Especially that pretty mouth of yours." I nip at his earlobe, which earns me an impatient grunt. That, of course, only fuels the inferno pumping through my veins. The space between us quickly closes as Peeta's hands knead into my backside, coaxing my hips to jut forward to quell the now throbbing need at my center.

We enter a darkened room and my lips pull away as Peeta lowers me onto my back. My body sinks into the plush layer beneath me but I force myself up onto my elbows and watch with rapt fascination as Peeta slowly begins to work open the line of buttons that runs down his chest. Damn him. He knows exactly what he's doing to me.

Although I'm tempted to just lurch forward and tear his shirt open, buttons be damned, I decide to speed things up my own way. Without looking away from his moonlit face, I reach back and undo the clasp digging into my back. I make quick work of my jeans as well, peeling them off and tossing them to the floor along with my bra, leaving me in only my visibly soaked panties, which I make for damn certain he can see as my legs fall open.

"See?" I say, as Peeta's movements still and his eyes lock onto my hand as it disappears below the waistband of my underwear. "See what you do to me?"

Before my fingers can even graze the wet heat between my folds, Peeta spares no remorse for his shirt as he tears it open the rest of the way and shrugs it off. The garment has barely fluttered to the floor before his pants and boxers pool at his feet and he steps forward, kicking them out of sight.

"And to think you'd let me take this slow," he muses as the corner of his mouth lifts.

If I hadn't been so fixated on the way his erection sprung forward or how the tip of it glistened in the dim light when he gave it a swift tug with his hand, I might have been able to respond with something witty. All I can manage is a quiet curse under my breath as he takes a step towards me.

He takes hold of one of my ankles and brings my leg up to his face, trailing his lips up my sensitive skin as he drops to his knees and places a rough kiss to the inside of my calf. I suck in a greedy breath as my head start to lull backward and my arms start to shake from holding up my body.

Peeta's face is between my legs before my head hits the mattress and I'm so tightly wound, so ready to feel his tongue right where I want it that just the anticipation has me arching my body off the bed. He takes the opportunity to rid me of my panties and a pathetic whimper escapes me at the feel of his slightly calloused palms. He snakes them between the sheets to take hold of my hips and lifts my lower half back up off the bed, closer to his eager mouth.

God I've waited too long for this, way too long. Imagining his warm breath against me and the slick gliding of his tongue through my folds is nothing compared to the real thing: The sound of his labored breaths against my skin as he laps at my center. The way my entire body sparks to life when his eyes lock with mine as he circles his tongue around and my clit.

Yet again I'm too deep in my own head that I almost don't register the dip in the mattress or the tightened grip around my knees.

"What the—oh fuuuck!" I grunt, as Peeta pushes into me, every inch of his cock stretching my walls in the most amazing way possible. I don't even have a moment to savor the satisfaction of feeling full before he pulls out and thrusts into me again, the force of his hips causing my breasts to shift with his movements.

"You didn't want to go slow," he says as he leans forward, nipping at my quivering bottom lip. "But don't worry, I'll more than make up for it later."

The urge to sink my teeth into the flesh of his collarbone is overwhelming so to ease my desire I bite down on my lower lip, the stinging pain grounding me from the lightheadedness threatening to take me over. When he realizes that I'm holding onto the back of my knees, allowing him to go even deeper with each thrust of his hips, he hooks an arm under my right leg until it comes to rest in the crook of his elbow. He leans in and his lips find the underside of my neck, his teeth just barely grazing the sensitive skin but this time when he slams into me, my body is screaming in pleasure from the new angle. It causes him to reach parts of me I could never even dream to reach when pleasuring myself.

With his body so close to mine, and the pace of his hips increasing in both speed and fervor, I grasp at the bed, desperately searching for something to hold on to. I fist the sheets and the pillow top of his mattress between my fingers, holding on for dear life as he continues to pound into me, the sound of his panting filling my ear before he takes my earlobe between his teeth to tease me.

"Oh…fuck," I pant after he releases his assault on my earlobe to direct his gaze to my face. My mouth falls open and my eyelids fall shut as I struggle to keep my throaty moans to myself, but everything just feels so damn good.

"Don't you dare hold back," he says as he pulls out and stills his movements. My eyes shoot open. The intensity of his stare bores into me, and even through the whirlwind of euphoria spinning through my mind he has my full attention. "I wanna hear you, every moan and every noise. I wanna hear my name echo through every room of this house when I make you come, and trust me…you won't want to hold back."

I'm surprised I don't explode just from his plea or from the desire and adoration that drips from his words. He glances down as he repositions his cock at my entrance and pushes into me achingly slow, inch by inch, until he can't go any further. He leans in and captures my lips in a chaste yet bruising kiss.

Just as he asks, I don't hold back when he resumes the steady rhythm of his thrusts, the sound of my moans mingling with his as they bounce off every surface of the room. He leans in again, his face close to my ear, and I'm waiting in heated anticipation to feel the warmth of his lips when he whispers reverently, "I love you."

That's it, I can't take it anymore. My head once again clouds over and my senses are so overwhelmed, my teeth sink into his shoulder. He releases a muffled cry into the pillow next to my head, but it still manages to fill the air. Whether it's from pain or excitement, I'm not sure, maybe a little of both, and for a moment I'm worried I've gone too far—that I've overstepped an invisible boundary between us and ruined the moment. But he doesn't stop; if anything, it seems to have spurred him on his mission to make me scream his name.

"You better have left a mark," he says, his voice low and husky as he grabs hold of my leg and raises it to rest over the area of his skin that I've just demarked. The corner of his mouth twists into that sexy lopsided grin of his as his fingers wrap tight around my ankle to hold my leg in place. My eyes screw shut as every muscle in my body suddenly tenses, desperately waiting for that last nudge to send me spiraling blissfully over the edge. And he doesn't disappoint.

"Oh my god, Peeta!" I shout as his hold on me tightens and each upward thrust of his hips causes my insides to coil before finally…finally, I let go as both my mind and body go spiraling into wave after wave of bliss. I'm too far gone to hold onto him any longer, but it doesn't matter. It's only a matter of seconds before Peeta pumps into me one last time and comes with a groan that makes my toes curl. The warmth of him filling me as he shudders against my body is both a welcome sight and feeling.

We just lay there, our sweaty bodies still heaving as we struggle to catch our breath. Peeta rolls off to my side but the heat of his body doesn't leave me as his head makes a home on my chest and he drapes an arm across my stomach. It's a struggle to keep my eyes open, so I give in as I run my fingers through his damp hair and it isn't long before I'm absentmindedly humming myself to sleep.

I awake to the feel of something tickling my shoulder. As my mind slowly surfaces from my sleep-induced haze, the scratchy feeling slowly moves down over the curve of my shoulder to trail down my arm. I shudder when it stops at the underside of my elbow, and a lazy smile stretches across my face when the warmth of two soft lips placing a gentle, lingering kiss to my sensitive skin replaces it.

The room is washed in the soft glow of the bedside lamp, which causes me to squint just a little until they adjust to the light. "How long was I out for?"

"Not long. I just got out of the shower."

I sit up and rub my eyes as I try to regain my bearings. Oh right, Peeta's bedroom. In Peeta's new house. When my eyelids finally agree to open, I take in the rest of the room, but my attention is immediately drawn to the unmistakable floor to ceiling mural that covers the wall in front of me.

"Is that…?"

Peeta finishes toweling off his hair before peeling back the covers and tucking himself in behind me, his arms wrapping around my naked form as the ever-present heat of his body soaks into my skin.

"Yep, that's our sunset.''

I sit there in silence as I try to take in every detail of his masterpiece, but my eyes can't seem to focus on one spot for more than a few seconds.

Peeta clears his throat before resting his chin on my shoulder. "I didn't want that day to end. I could have sat there forever, admiring two of Mother Nature's most beautiful creations."

"Two?" My eyes narrow as I search the wall for what he's talking about. It's exactly how I remembered it, that day before I left for school. He's depicted the view from the lake perfectly, right down to the tall shadows the surrounding trees had cast over the rocky ground. But then that's when I spot it: a small figure perched on the edge of one of the rocks. I extricate myself from his arms and crawl my way to the edge of the bed to get a better look.

"You looked so beautiful that day. It's how I wanted to remember you while you were away. On the nights we're apart I fall asleep with that image of you in my head, hoping you'll visit me in my dreams. And each morning when I wake up, it's like you're right here with me, watching the sun rise."

It's moments like these, the unbelievably sweet ones, which make me question whether or not Peeta is really from this world.

I'm at a loss for words as I sit back on my heels, still taking in each brushstroke he used to create my face.

"Katniss, let's get some sleep." I turn back to find Peeta waiting for me with open arms. "I don't have to meet up with Finnick until ten, but I need to get into the bakery early to put the finishing touches on the cake."

Right. There's still life outside this little bubble we've created. I shift over into his arms and settle my head on his chest, tossing a leg up over his body as his hand comes up to hold it in place. We lay there in a silence, but it's not at all awkward and neither of us feels the need to fill it. It's peaceful really, laying here in Peeta's arms, the occasional sound of a cricket stealing through the open window as a welcoming breeze brushes by to cool my still heated skin.

"Katniss?" Peeta whispers as his thumb brushes back and forth lazily against my leg.

"Mmmhmm…"

"I just want you to know something." He takes a deep breath that rattles against my ear. "You're always welcome here. You don't have to ask whenever you want to come over or…or you know, stay the night. I—uh—I left the top drawer of my dresser empty…just in case you wanted to—uh—keep a few things here. I don't mind at all, and I even made a spare key just in case…but only if you wanted it of course..."

My chest tightens as I take in a slow and controlled breath, holding it in as I let his words swirl inside my head. The way Peeta's heart thrums wildly in his chest and all the muscles in his body stiffen, causing him to pull me closer to his body, it's a dead giveaway that he's nervous…worried even. Worried that his offer will scare me off. Worried that it's too much too soon. Worried that I could get up and leave at any moment.

But what he doesn't realize is that the tightness in my chest is not what he thinks. Not at all. The complete opposite really. I finally release the air from my lungs as warmth blooms from the center of my body, diffusing out to my extremities to wrap me in a blanket of comfort and security that I've only ever really felt with Peeta. Whether it's now, or next year, or ten years from now, deep down I've always known that this is the path we were headed. And the truth is, it doesn't scare me…not one bit.

I nuzzle my face into the hard plain of his chest, my lips ghosting over the spot where I can feel his heart beating steadily. Steady and strong and real. This is what I want. This is where I belong.

"Well, sounds like a plan to me." I seal my words into his skin with a kiss as his arms connect around my back.

"You're…sure?" The hesitation in Peeta's voice is enough to make my heart ache.

"Quite sure." The corner of my mouth twists into a playful smile before a chuckle escapes me. "But be careful what you hope for, after an invitation like that I might never leave."

Peeta curves a finger under my chin and tilts my face gently towards his until we're so close that there's nothing else in this world but him and me.

"That's exactly what I was hoping for."

Author's Note: So that's a wrap folks, I hope the wait for the epilogue wasn't too much of a disappointment. It feels great to finally check my first multi-chapter fic off as "complete". Thank you to everyone, to all my readers and reviewers, who joined me on this crazy ride and of course to Court being my voice of reason and motivating me to finally bring this fic to a proper end :)