I'm on a writing role, which you benefit from. This is just a one shot, I'm so not good at the M stuff. :P Enjoy!

"Fingers out of the whip cream."

Peeta scolded us without turning around, deeply focused on the cake in front of him. It was for an upcoming wedding in the town.

I tickled the ribs of the girl sitting on my lap, giggling with her.

"I told you he would know," in an exaggerated whisper. She giggled again, but remained still, willing to take her turn to steal some whip cream. Just as she started to reach out her hand to the ever so tempting bowl of whipping cream, Peeta turned around abruptly, hand on his hip, the other holding a spoon high.

"Aha!" he cried in victory. "I've caught the culprit!" Immediately she squealed, scrambling out of my lap in an attempt to escape her father's false fury. He chased her around the island a few times before scooping her up with a roar. She shrieked between laughs, begging her daddy to put her down. Finally, when her face was as red as a tomato, Peeta resided, placing her upright and tousling her hair.

"Now you've got to brush your teeth again after eating all that sugar." She groaned in response, but Peeta just talked over her. "Go now and we'll be up to read you a story."

We watched as she dragged herself up the stairs.

"Don't wake up your brother!" he assed needlessly. If he hadn't wakened yet, then her brushing her teeth wouldn't be too much of a problem. When she was out of sight, he turned to me, the mischievous gleam still bright in his eyes. I smiled at the sight of it, turning to face him. I smiled at the sight of it, turning to face him, my back pressed against the edge of the island.

"I've also seemed to have caught her partner in crime." He murmured playfully, bracing his flour covered arms on either side of me.

I feigned innocence.

"She was the master mind. I was just a helpless bystander."

"I'm sure." He chuckled, leaning into a press a kiss to my lips. I reached up to grasp his face, keeping him there a minute longer. When we broke apart we grinned breathlessly.

"Helpless bystander, my ass."

"Daddy! I'm ready for bed now!"

"We'll be there in a minute!" Peeta replied, not breaking his eyes from mine. He grinned before pressing a kiss to my lips once more, but pulled away before we could really get into it. Leaning out of my space, he grabbed my hand instead, swinging it between us lightly as we meandered up the stairs, not willing to give up our moment completely.

"Why does she only like you?" I asked quietly as we continued en route to the girl's room down the hall.

"She loves you," he defended quickly. "You're her partner in crime."

"But she never says 'Mommy' with the same love she has for 'Daddy'."

"You're making this up," he half-heartedly countered. We both knew she had him wrapped around her finger.

"Mm-hm," was all I responded with, earning me a wink before we walked into our daughter's room.

"What's the book choice for tonight?" Peeta asked, collapsing on the bed, nearly missing our daughter. She just laughed at him, and with an exasperated "Daddy!" gave us her answer.

"Three Sleepy Kittens!"

"Again?" he mock-whined, lifting his head from the mattress long enough to frown at her comically.

"Yes, Daddy." She whined back. The show that these two put on every night could sell out a theatre. I just shook my head, but helped her roll an uncooperative Peeta over to the side of the bed closer to the wall, and I settled in on her other side.

"You can get Mommy to read you a different story when you go to bed."

"I'll be sure to," he laughed while grinning cheekily at me. I rolled my eyes at him, but smiled anyway.

"And who reads Mommy a story?" Peeta asked our daughter.

She was quiet for a minute, the possibility that I could need a story before bed entirely foreign. She responded with confidence though, with a touch of pride for her quick wit.

"Buttercup!"

We both burst out laughing, not able to contain it. She laughed along uncertainly, for her response was completely reasonable. When we didn't stop, she frowned, hating to be left out of the joke and impatient for her story. I kissed the top of her head, calming myself down. Peeta followed suit, wiping a tear from his eye before we settled into our usual Three Sleepy Kitten story time position.

Peeta held the book open after retrieving it from the shelf above our heads, too high for either of us girl's arms to reach. I controlled the puppets with my right hand. His one arm went along the headboard to my shoulder where he would play with the end of my braid while he read. His other hand helped hold the book open while our daughter was in control of turning the pages and brushing the kittens when the time came.

Peeta started the story, his voice soothing us immediately. The rhythmic lines of the poem had my eyes closing in bliss while our daughter's eye lids drooped steadily. Snapping her eyes wide open, she leaned against him to hear the rumble in his chest, much how I enjoyed hearing him speak. Peeta smiled as he was reading, kissing her head as the page was turned slowly.

When the story ended, Peeta tapped my shoulder gently. I opened my eyes to look at him, and he motioned to the sleeping girl between us. He put a finger to his lips, and we slowly moved ourselves out of the bed, kissing her goodnight and pulling her covers up.

The door clicked softly behind us. We sighed. We were finally alone.

Peeta realized this at the same time as me, reaching for one another as soon as our eyes met. One hand went to my hip, bringing the half of our bodies together as he gripped it tightly. My arms wrapped around his shoulders and neck, relishing in the familiarity of the taught muscles underneath his shirt. The other hand was at my waist, tightening his grip when his eyes closed and he nuzzled my neck. My own eyes fluttered closed when I felt his lips touch the skin there, gentle as a butterfly. He kissed the joint where my neck met shoulder. I sighed contently but gently pulled his head away. Complying he moved until our eyes met once again.

The adoration that was so prominently there had me gasp. I felt so undeserving of his affection for me, not only because of the scars that the skin grafts left, but because I was not the one to own his broken but pure heart. And yet, here we were, embracing in front of our firstborn's bedroom. It was a wonder really, how we managed after everything we had been put through, our connection, our love, tested time and time again. I believed he was the one that fought for us the hardest, the one that fought for the possibility of a future together where our kids would be safe and we could grow old. I would forever in a debt to him that couldn't be repaid, but he convinced me to just accept that and move on, allowing me my sanity and my happiness. I loved this man so much, because of his strength and compassion, and I tried to communicate at least that much to him. Based on the heart lifting grin he gave me, I assumed the message came across loud and clear.

"I love you," he murmured, bringing our foreheads together as our noses brushed. I tilted my eyes to meet his. This reminded me how he carried many of the same doubts of his worthiness for me, but I knew that he had it entirely backwards, that I was unworthy of him. But we agreed to disagree long ago, and I wasn't about to bring it up now.

"I love you too." I whispered back before finally pressing my lips to his.

The kiss was so sweet, just like the whip cream from earlier in the evening. The tastes of sugar on his tongue lead me to believe that he had a few of his own taste tests during his time in the kitchen. The kiss lasted a long time, both of us enjoying ourselves too much to break away. When Peeta nipped at my bottom lip, I broke away in surprise.

He smirked at me, the intent clear in his eyes. I grinned back, more than willing.

"You're going to take me to the bedroom now, real or not real?" I asked playfully, pressing myself ever closer to him.

"That's my game!" He scolded, a false frown on his brow. He ducked his head down, his lips brushing against the bow of my ear. "But real. Oh so very real." He spoke into my ear. I shivered but followed him down the hall, my hand tightly grasped in his.

Just as we where to reach the door, we stopped as we heard a wail starting up. Our son, the most well behaved kid, was also the most experienced cock blocker.

Peeta hung his head and sighed deeply, knowing our plans were out of the question, at least for the night.

"I'll go warm up the formula." I said quietly, placing a hand on his back, trying to communicate I was just as disappointed as him. I didn't move my hand until I saw him nod and start for the room where our son was held.

When I went downstairs, I quickly prepared a bottle. I was waiting for it to heat up when I was looking around the kitchen. I breathed a laugh at the mess, but knew that Peeta would wake up early in the morning and make sure it was spotless for me. But until then...

I crept to the counter, looking to the kitchen doorway to make sure I was alone before dipping my finger into the forbidden substance. It tasted miraculous and I instantly wanted another taste. An idea formed in my head and I quickly executed it before the bottle was ready. When the ding sounded I put the final taste in my mouth, sucking it clean before grabbing the bottle. I wished I could be there when Peeta saw it in the morning.

I headed upstairs to help him out, skipping stairs to get there faster. We got him to sleep two hours later after much walking and singing and rocking. After that, it was all we could do to make it to the bed before collapsing.

I woke just as the sky was starting to lighten up, seeing the vision of my beautiful wife as soon as I opened my eyes. I smiled, kissing her gently before getting up quietly out of bed. I got ready for the day in the en suite bathroom and was out before she could stir and realise I was gone.

Heading down the hall, I checked on our son first, making sure that he was alright before moving on to peek into our daughters room. She was asleep as well, snoring softly with her stuffed animal gripped tightly in her hands. I smiled before closing the door and descending the stairs quietly, ready to clean up the kitchen, finish the cake and start breakfast for my family.

It took a bit longer to finish the cake; the icing wasn't blending into the icing from the previous day properly. But I finished and went to clean up the rest of the kitchen. It wasn't often when I brought my work home with me, but I knew my little princess enjoyed watching me make the cakes, and since I was behind on that particular order, I didn't think it would be a big deal. With my thoughts preoccupied, I had already wrapped the whipping cream and was just about to store it in the fridge before I noticed the finger swipe through the top of it. I rolled my eyes before examining it further, trying to figure out which of my girls managed to get by my detection. I soon found that the swipe was actually half of a heart, the other half not as deep, but there, as well as a 'P+K' scrawled in the middle. A wide smile broke out on my face.

I heard Katniss' feet hit the floor above me, and my smile turned sinister. We could use the whip cream tonight, to make up for the lost opportunity last night.

Helpless bystander, my ass.

So? Please review, I enjoy every one of them, even the flames. It means it evoksd enough feeling in you that you have to tell me, right? :) Just let me know. I'm going to go write some Hush, Hush fiction now... TTFN.

Love, Ella