A/N - I am so endlessly sorry for the massive delay on this. I have no excuses whatsoever, other than RL being incredibly hectic, and a total lack of inspiration for the story.

I was planning on updating this next week on my birthday - because I always make cakes for my work colleagues on my birthday, and I can't make them for you guys - but I can provide you with Everlark smut instead. But I got excited and decided to do it now instead. Because, y'know...reasons.

Anyway, thank you all so much for your patience. Please do leave a review, as they may well help the next chapter appear a little faster this time, and please come and say hi on tumblr - my username is alatarielgildaen.

Thanks again, everyone!

Katniss' birthday was fast approaching, and following the near disaster at the vivisection lab, Peeta was determined to make everything as perfect as possible. His focus had been mostly on re-homing the beagle puppies, but he remembered that she had once mentioned in passing how it might be fun to have a fancy dress party at some point, and so Peeta wanted to pull out all of the stops to give her a birthday party to remember.

After the final beagle had been adopted, and Finnick and Annie had been enlisted to help clear up the spare room where the beagles had been housed, Peeta confirmed the idea with Katniss.

"We'll have it here at my place," Peeta said. "There's more space, and if the weather holds out, we can maybe have a barbecue as well?"

"No question of that," said Finnick, entering the room and handing bottles of beer to everyone before he sank into the armchair and put his feet up on the coffee table. "I'm more than happy to offer my services and man that one."

"I don't mind doing it," said Peeta.

"No, you'll be on my arm all evening," said Katniss.

"Dressed as what, though?"

A thoughtful look crossed her face, replaced a moment later with a wide grin. "Heroes and villains," she said. "We can come up with a really good couples costume, I reckon."

Finnick sat up a little straighter. "Shotgun Han and Leia!"

"That's not fair!" protested Peeta.

"Too late, I've called it," grinned Finnick, settling back in the armchair and raising the beer bottle to his lips. "You'll have to be quicker than that to beat me."

"Yeah, but as hosts, we should really get first dibs—"

"It's ok," said Katniss. "We'll think of something good. And anyway…I've never actually seen Star Wars all the way through."

Peeta ignored Finnick's scandalised noise, but still shook his own head in mock despair. He wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to get over how few classic films Katniss had watched.

"Fine," he said at last, taking a hefty swig from his bottle. As Katniss sat down next to him, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer towards him. "And you owe me another film night," he grinned.

"Ugh, fine," she conceded. "You'll never be happy until you've made me sit through everything ever released in the 70s and 80s."

"They're called classics for a reason!"

"Sure thing, buster. Whatever makes you happy."

She curled up into him on the sofa, and at that moment, he felt more at peace than he had in a long time. The puppies were re-homed, he was in contact with his family once more, he was finally facing up to his own personal demons and insecurities, and it was all thanks to the woman he loved. He'd make this party perfect for her.

The day arrived, and just as Peeta had hoped, the sky was an endless, unbroken blue.

Katniss was still fast asleep, and so he slipped out of bed and pulled his prosthetic on as quickly and quietly as he could, so as not to disturb her. He quickly measured ingredients into a bowl—flour, vanilla, soy milk— and whisked them together, frying the batter into perfect crepes. A smile lifted the corners of his mouth as he slipped the crepes on to a plate, loading them with strawberries and chocolate ganache. He had made her this exact breakfast the morning after they had made love for the first time.

After putting the plate on a tray, Peeta opened his fridge and pulled out a bottle of Buck's Fizz. He popped the cork, and poured a flute, placing it next to the plate. Finally, he placed a handmade card, and a wrapped gift on the tray, and carried the whole lot back upstairs to Katniss.

She was just about stirring as he brought the tray to her. "Morning, beautiful," he said, as she yawned, stretched, and slowly sat up. "I thought you might like a decent wake-up call."

Her eyes widened as he set the tray on the bed in front of her. "This is all for me?" she asked.

"Mmm-hmm." he nodded. "Although I might put in a formal request for a bite or two." He perched on the edge of the bed and grinned as Katniss cut a huge piece and offered it to him. He opened his mouth and leaned in towards her, but at the last moment she snatched the fork away from him. And from the noises she made as she ate the morsel, she clearly enjoyed it.

"Open this," he added, picking up the gift and handing it towards her.

She quickly ate another forkful of the crepes, and took the present from Peeta, enthusiastically tearing the paper away. A warm smile crossed her face as she turned the book over in her hands. "It's beautiful," she breathed. She ran her hands over the faux-leather cover, pausing at the dandelion set into resin that was mounted in the middle.

"It's handmade," Peeta explained. "There's a guy who has a stall at the market in town every Saturday and he takes custom orders. The paper is recycled cotton, and doesn't easily tear, and the dandelion is from the bottom of the garden. I thought it'd be good, if you were out and about and had an idea for a story, you could write it down in this, instead of having to carry a laptop everywhere you go."

"It's perfect," she said, shaking her head a little in disbelief. "Perfect. Thank you so much."

"So… have I earned a bite of the pancakes?" he asked.

"Undoubtedly." She cut a slice of the crepe, and picked it up with her fingers, coating them in a thick layer of chocolate ganache, and held it up to Peeta's lips. He drew her fingers slowly into his mouth, sucking the sweet, rich sauce from them, and kissed each one of her digits as she withdrew them.

"Peeta," she whispered, and he understood in a heartbeat. He took the tray from her and placed it on the bedside cabinet. There would be time to eat later. For now, she had a very different type of hunger to be satiated.

Peeta crawled on the bed and hovered over her, pinning her wrists to the bed. He nuzzled into the crook of her neck, dragging his lips along her collarbone then up and over her jawline. Finally, he ran his tongue across the seam of her mouth before softly pressing his lips into hers. He held himself up over her, drinking in the sight of her dark hair fanning out across the pillow, her pupils dilated almost entirely to black, and her lower lip as she dragged her teeth over it.

"I'm all yours," he said, shifting his weight so that she would be able to feel his erection pressed into her through the duvet. "So, where do you want me, birthday girl?"

"Pretty much right where you are," she answered as a sly smile crossed her lips.

He returned her smile, and quickly pulled the duvet away from underneath him, settling himself down between her legs. He continued to pin her arms to the bed, and resumed placing kiss after kiss along the slender lines of her neck. She rolled her hips up, grinding her core against him, and with each undulating movement, he groaned into her skin, sucking and laving her with his tongue.

Pausing for a moment, he pushed up the cotton camisole she wore, exposing her breasts. Very slowly, he began to trail a series of kisses down her body, drawing one nipple into his mouth then the other.

It took him entirely by surprise when Katniss pushed him off of her, rolling him on to his back, straddling him moments later.

"You want to be in control?" he breathed, to which she nodded. "You'll get no complaints from me," he grinned as he ran his hands over her thighs. "I love it when you're in charge."

His eyes drifted to her panties, and he slowly dragged his thumbs closer towards her centre, pulling the thin piece of cotton to one side. A keening sound escaped his throat at the sight of her, and he repeatedly ran the pad of his thumb over the slick flesh, causing a pleasurable shudder to run through her body.

"More," she whined, and she raised herself off of him, quickly divesting herself of all clothes. Peeta grinned and followed suit, and Katniss climbed back on top of him, smiling wickedly before she lowered herself over his face. He reached up, wrapping his arms around her thighs and pulled her down.

She tasted sweet and musky, and they moaned in unison as her hips rocked over him in a steady rhythm. He ran his tongue over every part of her flesh, alternatively circling her clit and licking along the length of her slit.

As her breathing grew heavier, and the rocking of hips grew faster, he explored her body further, moving his hands from her thighs and up to the curve of her waist. Then he dropped them lower, squeezing her ass. Experimentally, he ran a finger between her cheeks, and he couldn't help but chuckle as she yelped when he made contact with her tight, puckered hole.

"Don't even think about it," she gasped as she grabbed him around the wrists and moved his hands around to the front, placing them over her supple breasts. She then wound one fist tightly into his hair, holding him in place, while she undulated her hips faster than ever. It only took a few more moments of him teasing her before she froze above him, her thighs clenching tightly on either side of his face. He slowed his strokes down, allowing her to ride through her orgasm, until she rolled off of him and collapsed on the bed beside him, breathless and glowing.

He rolled over, leaning up on arm to watch her. "You ok?" he asked her.

She grinned languidly and nodded.

"You ready for more?" he asked, running his fingertips down the length of her body, pausing just below her belly button.

"More?" she chuckled. "What about you?" She deftly wrapped her hand around his erection, slowly pumping him a few times.

His eyes fell closed at her first touch, but he soon pushed her hand away. "I can wait," he said. "It's your birthday, Katniss. I'll do whatever you want."

She smiled and pushed him back onto his back. "I want you," she answered, straddling him once more, and as she lowered herself onto him, he could find absolutely no reason at all to protest. It was her birthday, after all.

Everything was ready for the guests to arrive; all that remained for Katniss and Peeta to do was to get into costume. He helped her get into her costume first. They had spent a good hour with him painting delicate flame accents over her arms and across the top of her chest, and finally he zipped up the back of her dress and stood back to admire her. The orange, red, yellow and gold shimmered with every movement, and as the sun streamed in through his bedroom window, catching the dress, she genuinely looked for a moment as if she were made of living flame.

"You're incredible," he breathed. "My girl on fire. I can't begin to tell you how much I fancy you."

She smiled demurely. "The feeling is mutual," she said. "You ready to get into yours, my brave adventurer?"

His smile froze on his face as he looked at the t-shirt and shorts laid out on his bed. The idea of going as Finn and his Flame Princess, and putting a yellow cape on Belle so that she could be Jake had seemed so great at the time. Snuggled up together on the sofa, watching Adventure Time, it had felt like the most perfect costume idea in the world.

But now… he felt sick. He hadn't worn shorts in years. Gale would be there today. Peeta thought back to the last time he had spent any time with Katniss' oldest friend. He recalled so clearly the sickening comments that Gale had made regarding the Paralympics, and how he, Peeta, had merely smiled and nodded, completely unable to stand up for himself. Of course, when they had first discussed the possibility of the costumes, Peeta had panicked, but as always, Katniss had been ready to assuage his initial worries and had convinced him that it would work wonders for his confidence.

He wasn't so sure now.

With a feather-light touch, she stroked the side of his cheek. "You can do this," she said.

He nodded and dressed almost automatically, trying hard not to think about how exposed he felt. When he finally pulled the hat down over his ears, Katniss placed her hands on either side of his face and gently kissed his lips. "You look adorable," she said.

"Adorable?" he repeated with a nervous laugh. "You look hot. I'm not sure adorable is quite the look I wanted to go for."

"Well, you look it. Come on. I think I'm ready for a glass of wine." She picked up a plastic sword and handed it to Peeta. "Perfect," she grinned, giving him one last swift kiss, before turning on her heel and practically skipping downstairs.

He took one more deep breath, letting it out slowly, before he grabbed the yellow cape that was still on the bed and whistled for Belle. She came bounding in moments later, jumping up and licking Peeta's face as he bent down to put the cape around her.

"Come on, girl," he said as he roughly scratched her behind the ears and stood up. He caught their reflection in the mirror and tried not to pay any attention to the prosthetic that was on display. Ignoring the nagging worry, he went down to the kitchen to join Katniss.

She was perched on the edge of the kitchen table, clutching a bottle of Bucks Fizz. "Open this," she grinned, holding it out towards him.

"Yes, my lady," he answered, taking the bottle from her, easing the cork out until it made a satisfying pop. He picked up a champagne flute from the table and poured her a glass, and as he handed it to her, she hitched her skirt up and wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer towards her.

"Katniss," he breathed. "You're gonna get me all worked up again."

"Maybe that's my intention," she answered, taking a slow, seductive sip from the fluted glass.

"Dammit, woman," he growled, running his hands over the gentle curve of her waist. He leaned in towards her, but at that moment a loud knock at the front door made them both jump. His nerves returned ten-fold, and he swallowed heavily, glancing over his shoulder towards the door. Belle had already bounded down the hallway and was barking excitedly at the guest. "You want me to go?" asked Katniss.

For a moment he considered taking her up on the offer. But he couldn't hide forever; he may as well get it over with. He shook his head, and placed a kiss upon her forehead, lingering there just a fraction longer than he usually would. "Can you open me a beer?" he said as he finally let go of her. "I think I'm gonna need it."

She smiled as she jumped down from the table and walked to the fridge. He left the kitchen and walked down the hallway, pausing once more before he opened the front door. He smiled in relief as he saw who it was. Annie was waiting on the doorstep, a beautifully wrapped parcel in her hands. "Hey, Peet," she grinned, leaning towards him and placing a kiss on his cheek. "Where's the birthday girl?"

"In the kitchen," he answered, looking her up and down in confusion. She was wearing tight black pants and boots, a white shirt and a black waistcoat. A toy gun was strapped to her hip. "You're Han," he said in a deadpan voice.

She smiled and nodded almost apologetically.

"He hasn't, has he?" asked Peeta, as he realised who Finnick must have come dressed as.

"I'm afraid so. He insisted. He's just getting the beers."

Peeta stepped out on to the porch and he didn't know whether to laugh or despair. Finnick was leaning into the boot of his car, and barely an inch of Finnick's bronzed flesh wasn't exposed. When Finnick had suggested that he and Annie go as Han and Leia, Peeta hadn't ever considered the possibility that his best mate would turn up to the party wearing nothing but a gold bikini and a dog leash.

Trying to maintain a straight face, he slipped his fingers into his mouth and wolf-whistled loudly. Finnick looked up, a crate of beer in his arms, and slammed the car boot shut before strutting over towards Peeta, a feminine swagger to his hips. "I'm flattered," he said as he walked straight past Peeta. "But I'm spoken for."

Peeta chuckled as he followed Finnick back into the kitchen. Finnick's ridiculous outfit would at least take attention away from himself, and as the two men began to set up the barbecue, Peeta felt himself relax at last.

It didn't take long for the house to be full of people; some that Peeta knew and recognised, some that he had never seen before. He panicked a little when Gale arrived, dressed as Maverick from Top Gun. Peeta couldn't help but notice how the other man's eyes immediately drifted to his prosthetic and widened in surprise. He did his best to ignore the stares, and instead turned to Prim and Rue who were dressed as two characters he didn't recognize. When asked about their costumes, Rue immediately launched into a highly enthusiastic speech about a cartoon called The Legend of Korra, and how for so long it had been obvious that these two characters were perfect for each other, and how, even better, they were now canon, and how amazing it was to have a proper representation of actual gay characters on children's TV. She barely had time to pause for breath, and by the time she had finished, Gale had disappeared, much to Peeta's relief.

Jo caused as much of a stir with her costume—or rather, her lack thereof—as Finnick. She had arrived at the same time as Gale, but had immediately vanished upstairs into the bathroom. She emerged a half hour later, covered head to toe in blue body paint, wearing nothing but a skimpy blue thong and a pair of blue pasties covering her nipples. Her slicked back hair had been dyed bright red for the occasion.

Unsure of where to look, Peeta desperately tried to maintain eye contact with her and not let his own eyes wander as she sidled up to him.

"Did I miss a spot at all?" she asked, turning her back on him.

He quickly ran his eyes over her. There was indeed a small patch of flesh-coloured skin in the very centre of her back. "Erm... just a small one, right in the middle."

"Would you mind?" she asked as she handed him a makeup sponge and a pot of blue face paint.

He nodded and took the paint from her, trying to cover the spot as quickly as possible.

"Who's the golden body outside?" she asked, nodding towards where Finnick was stood in front of the barbecue.

"Finnick," he answered, "and before you get too excited, he's very much taken."

"Just because he's on a diet, doesn't mean he can't look at the menu," she grinned, grabbing a beer and knocking half of it back in a single glug. "Thanks, by the way."

As she walked away, the temptation to stare at her half-naked ass proved too strong. "Jesus..." he whispered to himself, downing the remainder of his drink.

"Are you checking her out?"

Katniss, stealthy as ever, was stood right by his side, and he spluttered on the dregs of his beer, and quickly wiped his blue-stained fingers on his shorts.

"No! I mean...I... you know I have eyes only for you, right?"

"I can't believe her."

"Are you angry?" Peeta asked.

She seemed to deflate a moment later. "No," she answered. "Not angry. Just... I dunno. I'm being silly."

"Because she's stealing your thunder?"

"No. It's not even that. Or maybe it is just a little."

"Do you want me to ask her to cover up?"

Katniss shook her head, looking a little glum.

"Do you want a cuddle?"

She nodded and put her arms around his neck, and he pulled her in close. "I'm sorry," she mumbled into his neck. "I don't know why I'm feeling so annoyed."

"You don't have to apologise," he said, planting several kisses on the top of her head. "It's because you're sweet, and pure, and perfect."

"Hardly pure," she said, half laughing. "Not when I think about what we did earlier."

"For me you are," he said, holding her even tighter.

A knock at the door caught their attention, and Katniss pulled away from him. "I'll get it," she said.

Of all the guests that had arrived so far, none of them seemed to cause Katniss as much happiness as the older man who had just turned up wearing everyday clothes. As soon as she opened the door to him, she threw her arms around his neck and said, "I didn't think you'd come!"

He pushed her away gruffly, and Katniss led him into the kitchen. His eyes lit up appreciatively as he eyed the selection of drinks left out on the side. He grabbed a bottle of whisky and a tumbler, and poured himself a generous measure.

"Peeta, this is Haymitch," grinned Katniss.

Peeta held his hand out towards the older man, a wide smile on his face. "I've heard so much about you," he said, shaking his hand firmly. This was the man Katniss looked up to more than anyone. After her father's death, Haymitch, a family friend, had become a surrogate father figure to Katniss. He had encouraged her talents, had stepped in to look after her when her mother's mind began to shut down, and had supported her decision to become a writer. In a strange, roundabout way, therefore, he was responsible for Peeta meeting her in the first place.

"You too," he answered, rooting around in Peeta's freezer for some ice. He made a satisfied sound as he found what he was after, dropping a couple of cubes into his glass. "I hope you're looking after her."

"I do my best, sir," he grinned. "But she's just as good at looking after me."

He seemed happy with the answer, a slight smirk crossing his face, and Katniss' own smile widened further. "What have you come as, Haymitch? I've been trying to work it out."

He looked at their own costumes, and glanced around at some of the others. "What's the theme again?" he asked.

"Heroes and villains," answered Katniss.

"Then I'm a serial killer. They look like normal people right?"

"Haymitch!" Katniss gasped, half-laughing.

"Fine. An off-duty fireman, then. Take your pick."

She threw her arms around his neck once again. "It's good to see you again, Haymitch."

"You too, kiddo. How old are you now? Thirty?"

"I'm twenty-nine, thank you."

"Same difference."

"I'll leave you two to catch up," said Peeta. He swept his arm around her waist and kissed her forehead, and inclined his head briefly towards Haymitch before making his way outside.

The smells of the cooking food hit him straight away, and his stomach rumbled appreciatively and he headed towards the gathering crowds. Jo was flirting unashamedly with Finnick, who was giving as good as he was getting.

"You ok, Annie?" asked Peeta. Annie was watching the flirtatious display with a resigned look on her face.

"I'm fine," she said, although Peeta couldn't help but notice the uncharacteristic bite in Annie's tone. "It's a good thing I trust him implicitly, right?"

He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Once everything's cooked up and you can finally drag him away from the fire, he'll be all yours."

A shy smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Thanks, Peeta," she said as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You're right. It's just… I don't know how anyone can be so brazen."

"Really?" countered Peeta, laughing as his eyebrows shot up his forehead. He nodded towards Finnick and added, "Are you sure you don't?"

She burst out laughing. "You're right," she repeated, glancing back towards Finnick. "Thanks again."

Just as Peeta predicted, the moment Finnick called out, "Food's ready!" and plated everything up for people to help themselves, he sought out Annie, and the two became utterly inseparable.

The majority of guests began to gravitate towards the incredible spread, and Peeta's hunger was increasing by the second when he heard a voice that almost immediately made him lose his appetite.

"Is there any real food here?" asked Gale.

"Real food?" said Finnick, looking around at the vast spread that was laid out. "Nope. We only have imaginary food. We definitely don't eat real food around here."

"Ha ha," Gale deadpanned. Peeta couldn't help but notice the other man's nose wrinkle slightly as he looked over the various burgers and kebabs, stuffed peppers, corn on the cob, and different types of salads laid out. He had to bite his tongue and was grateful when Katniss arrived by his side, a wide smile on her face.

"This is perfect, thank you, angel," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist, and planting a kiss on his cheek. She stumbled very slightly, leaning most of her weight into him.

"Are you drunk, Katniss?" he asked her, chuckling very slightly.

"No!" she protested, stumbling once again. "Maybe," she amended with a giggle. "Blame Haymitch. He made me do it."

"But you're having a good time, yeah?"

"The best," she grinned, kissing him once more. "I couldn't hope for anything more."

Peeta swept her into his arms and pressed a long, lingering kiss onto her soft lips. As he swept his tongue over hers, he caught the tang of the whisky she had been supplied by Haymitch, mixed with the rich, heady sweetness of dark chocolate. She had clearly been nibbling at one of the triple chocolate cupcakes he had created at her request, in lieu of a larger birthday cake.

He quickly glanced around. With everyone's attention firmly on the food, surely no one would notice if the two of them disappeared for a while? Katniss was obviously thinking along the same lines as him, as she caused his stomach to do a backflip when she whispered in his ear, "Fancy a quickie?"

He didn't need asking twice. Taking her by the hand, he marched her straight inside and upstairs. No sooner had they closed the bedroom door, then Katniss grabbed the front of Peeta's t-shirt and pushed him firmly against the wall, kissing every uncovered inch of his skin. In one deft movement, Peeta turned them around so that Katniss was pinned against the wall. He pulled her skirt to her hips, and slid his fingers into her panties. She was already wet, and as his fingers grazed along her clit, she moaned and bucked into him, her eyes falling closed as he circled the engorged nub of flesh.

"Now, Peeta," she whispered urgently as she pushed his hands away from her and nimbly stepped out of her underwear, while she fumbled clumsily with his shorts, pushing both them and his underwear down to free his erection.

She raised one leg up and wrapped it around his waist, pulling him closer towards her centre, and they groaned in unison as he entered her, and lifted her off the ground, holding her steady as she wrapped both legs around him. Her fingers raked across his shoulders and with each thrust she gasped his name into his ear.

"Yes, Peeta," she whispered, and as she slid her fingers underneath his hat, and pulled gently on his curly locks, he felt a surge of pleasure in the pit of his stomach.

A sudden creaking of the staircase caused both of them to freeze, as someone went to the bathroom. Peeta looked deep into Katniss' flame-lined grey eyes, and they sparkled mischievously as she slowly began to grind her hips into him.

"Katniss, we'll get caught," he whispered to her, although he could not help but massage her thighs as she undulated into him, encouraging every movement.

"Fuck me, Peeta," she whispered back, pulling harder on his hair, and pressing desperate kisses along his jaw and into the crook of his neck.

"Shit, Katniss," he breathed, as he began to thrust into her once more with an agonising slowness. He kept the gentle, steady pace until the creaking staircase told them that they were once again alone upstairs, and Katniss begged him to fuck her hard and fast.

He came just moments before her, and she muffled his heady groans with her own frantic kisses. "I love you. I love you so much," he repeated over and over as he kissed her lips, her neck, her collarbone… every inch of flesh he could reach.

He would have given anything to be able to curl up beside her, hold her body next to his as the two of them dozed off in each other's arms, but such a fantasy was entirely out of the question. Katniss was already putting her panties back on and smoothing out the creases in her dress.

"Whenever you're ready," she winked at him.

He was still breathless as he redressed and followed her back downstairs. They headed straight for the kitchen and Peeta grabbed a bottle of beer for himself, and poured a glass of wine for Katniss.

"In my day," said a gruff voice from over his shoulder, "we'd roll in haystacks. And we definitely wouldn't dream of sneaking off in the middle of a party."

Even as he turned around, he felt his face food with colour. He watched as Haymitch swirled the dregs of a whisky around the bottom of a tumbler and knocked it back. "I'm…err…I'm really sorry, sir…" he began, stumbling and stammering over every syllable.

But Haymitch didn't appear angry. On the contrary, the older man's eyes were sparkling and there was a definite smirk on his face. "You can get me a top up any time you want," he said, handing Peeta the empty glass.

It was with a great deal of relief that he wasn't going to be facing any more awkward questioning that Peeta generously refilled Haymitch's glass and pressed it into the other man's hand with a sheepish grin.

His and Katniss' not-so-secret tryst had earned him quite an appetite, and he went back outside, the smell of the barbecue making him salivate. He piled his plate high before he caught sight of Gale hanging around near the pig enclosure. He couldn't quite explain why, but the sight made him feel rather uneasy. With a deep breath, he picked his way through the crowds of people until he was stood beside Gale.

"You having a good time?" Peeta asked.

"Uh-huh," Gale replied. He knocked back half of his bottle of beer in a single swig, then nodded towards Peeta's prosthetic. "You kept that under wraps."

"Yeah, well, it's not really anyone's business but mine."

Gale chuckled to himself and took another large swig from his bottle. "This is quite a place you've got here," he said as he looked towards the woods at the end of Peeta's property.

"Thank you," said Peeta, taking a cautious sip of beer.

"I'm curious as to why you decided to turn it into a zoo, though."

The biting tone in Gale's voice was clear, and Peeta had to take a deep, calming breath before answering. "It's not a zoo," he said. "Zoos are places that take free animals and put them into captivity so that the public can pay and gawk at them. I took captive animals that would otherwise have been brutally killed, and have given them the chance to live their entire lives in peace. Bit of a difference."

"If you say so," said Gale. Peeta couldn't help but notice how the other man's eyes kept drifting down to his prosthetic, and he shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"Well, if you're ok, I should probably get back to Katniss," he said after a while, to break the awkward silence. He had hardy touched the food on his plate, but his appetite had greatly dissipated, and he left his plate to one side as he sought out his girlfriend. Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw that Gale had remained next to the pigs, and the uneasy feeling in his stomach increased.

He shook the feeling away and joined Katniss, who was getting more and more unsteady on her feet. But she was clearly having a great deal of fun, and Peeta was more than happy to keep supplying her with wine, until a shrill voice caught his attention.

"Gale, stop!" Prim's voice rang out over the garden. He looked around for her and found her over by the pigs' enclosure. Setting his beer down on the patio, he jogged over towards her.

"You ok, Prim?"

"Peeta, I tried to make him stop—"

She looked distressed and upset. A stark contrast to the amused smirk on Gale's face. "What did you do?" he demanded.

"Lighten up, man, nothing bad. They loved it."

"What did you do?" he repeated, kneeling down in the hay beside Kage, the smaller of the two pigs. He was chewing on something. On the ground below him was a half-eaten sandwich. The card sandwich packet was still in Gale's hand, and Peeta felt a ripple of horror run through him as he read 'B.L.T.' on the packaging. He turned back towards Kage. A sliver of pink flesh was hanging from the pig's mouth, and he retched violently. "Why would you do this?" he asked, barely able to form the words.

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad. I bought the sarnie on the train, because I just wanted to make sure I had something decent to eat today, and they seemed jealous, so I thought I'd share the love."

What little food Peeta had eaten tried yet again to make a reappearance, and it took all of his focus to quell the rising nausea. Never had he expected that Gale could do something so low. "Why would you do this?" he repeated, much more forcefully this time, quickly wiping his eyes on the back of his hand.

"Seriously, man, no harm done. They're alright."

"No harm done?" Peeta replied, getting angrier by the second. "No harm? You telling me no harm was done to the pig that ended up in that sandwich? Are you telling me that there's no harm in turning my pigs to cannibalism? What planet do you live on?"

His outburst caught several guests' attention, including Katniss. She, along with a handful of other people soon joined Peeta by his side.

"What happened?" she asked, slurring her words very slightly.

Peeta pointed to the sandwich box. "Gale fed that to my pigs."

She looked between the empty packaging, the softly grunting pigs, and Gale, who was still smirking, and she appeared to sober up instantly. "Get out," she said, her tone dangerously low.

"Aww, come on Catnip—"

"Don't call me that."

"It was a joke!"

"A piss-poor excuse for one."

"You know I didn't mean anything by it!"

"To be honest, Gale, I don't know what you mean by anything these days," she said, and she grabbed her mobile phone from out of her bag, quickly tapping a number onto the screen. A few seconds later she said, "Hello, yes, I'd like to book a taxi, please," and stormed away from the group. Peeta watched her walk away, wanting to follow her but still rooted to the spot with horror.

"Can't you go and calm her down?" Gale said, looking towards Peeta.

The image of that pink strip of flesh being eaten up by Kage ran through Peeta's mind and he shuddered. "Fuck you," he said quietly.

"You what?"

"You heard me. Fuck you. I've tried so fucking hard to like you. I've tried to find the good in you. I thought that if Katniss could see it, it had to be there somewhere, but no. I was right about you from the moment I met you. I called you a cunt then, and I'm saying it again now. What you just did was un-fucking-forgiveable."

Peeta bent down and scratched Kage behind his ears. The pig rolled over onto his side, making contented snuffling noises, and Peeta fought hard against the rising nausea, together with the urge to punch Gale's smug face. At that moment, Katniss reappeared. "Right," she said. "I've booked you a taxi to take you to the station. It'll be here in twenty minutes. I think you can wait out the front for it."

"Catnip—"

"I said you can wait out the front. I don't think I can be any clearer. Goodbye, Gale."

Peeta looked over his shoulder towards Katniss. Her mouth was set in a defiant, straight line, her arms crossed over her chest. Gale opened his mouth once or twice, closed it again and then walked away, up the garden and towards the house.

"Right," she said, as soon as Gale was out of earshot. "Let's get this party on the go again. Who's up for shots?"

"Tequila!" shouted Finnick, clapping his hands together.

"Anything but tequila," Katniss called after his retreating form.

She knelt down beside Peeta and gave Kage a belly rub, and seconds later Jables laid down beside his brother, clearly jealous of all the attention. "You ok?" she asked.

Peeta nodded. "You?"

She let out a long breath. "Surprisingly, yes."

"I didn't want this to happen on your birthday," he said.

Katniss shrugged. "It's been a long time coming. Gale and I have grown apart. It happens. I should have said something to him ages ago. If he ever feels like apologising, maybe I'll talk to him. But until then… he can stay clear."

"I'm sorry," said Peeta.

"For what?"

Peeta shrugged slightly. "I never wanted to be the reason for anyone to end a friendship."

"And I never wanted a friend of mine to become such a hurtful person. Forget him, Peeta. You did nothing wrong."

Peeta smiled, and entwined his fingers with hers. He pressed his lips to each of her fingers in turn. "I promise you, Katniss Everdeen, that this minor blip will not ruin your day. In fact, I promise that the rest of your day will be nothing short of perfection." He leaned in towards her, and drew her lower lip into his mouth, savouring the little whine that she gave as he gently grazed his teeth over her.

"Oi, get over here, lovebirds!" Finnick's shout interrupted them. "I have tequila, and I'm not taking no for an answer!"

Katniss grinned widely. "What were you saying about the rest of the day being perfect?"

"After this, it will be," he replied, helping her to her feet. With one final scratch to Kage's belly, the two lovers re-joined the festivities.