Author's Note: I know this story was supposed to be a one-off, but this idea to complement it came to me and wouldn't leave me till I wrote it. Hope you won't mind reading a little more about these guys in this AU...

Two years… he can hardly believe it's been two years. Life had not always been good to him. He didn't mean to sound tragic or anything. He's got an excellent dad; the guy has constantly stood by him no matter what. His mom, however, had done everything in her power to make him feel small and worthless, and for a long while there he'd actually believed there was nothing worthy in him.

All of that was old history, though. He'd been a good athlete in high school, good enough to get a scholarship for college. Getting into and actually going to college had made all the difference for him. He got away from his mother and he started thriving. The only downside to that was dealing with his father's guilt about letting his mom abuse him for so long. They had eventually dealt with that because Peeta never really blamed his dad; the old man had just never known how bad it got.

Life got better and better. He had a good run as an athlete and could've made it professionally if he'd wanted to, but he chose to pursue his other passions: he majored in art and minored in managing. Plus, whenever he had free time, he continued to enjoy baking; he'd grown up doing it and he'd always found solace in it. Yeah, life had gotten better, but the best took its time and it'd gotten to him two years ago in the form of a beautiful brunette with a temper of steel and a heart of gold who'd played hard to get longer than anyone he'd known, but God, had the chase been worth it!

He wouldn't change a single minute of their story, not even the fights or disagreements; those had taught them more about each other and they'd gotten stronger as a couple after every hard encounter. She has fire inside her and he loves that about her.

Who is he kidding? He loves everything about her. Her life hadn't been a rose garden, either and her fire had carried her through all the nasty stuff. She was not only beautiful, but also strong and her fire also has enjoyable ways to come out; their sex life being one of them.

He remembers the first time he saw her; she'd been so stressed and pissed that she was taking her anger out on a pair of pajamas and she had looked beautiful doing it. He'd approached her with care because something in him told him he wanted to get to know her better and instinct advised him that the wrong move or the wrong line would end his chances in a flash.

He hadn't thought about it at the moment, but he had been nervous; it was as if his unconscious knew how much he was gambling by approaching her and trying to get a conversation going. So, he'd taken a deep breath and settled for a joke about the absurd rationale behind pajama sets; he'd even used something he and Delly –one of his closest friends- had discussed at some point.

To his delight, she'd smiled and said she totally agreed. Then, after some discussion, she'd said it was probably a plot to bring people together over the need of sharing the other 'damned half' of the set. The moment the comment had left her mouth, she'd looked so embarrassed –like she'd said more then she'd intended to- and it had been endearing. He had smiled as reassuringly as he'd been able to and said, "You might be right. I know I'd love the opportunity to get to know you."

It had been a bold move and he knew he had to give her a chance to believe she was still in control because she really was. So, he reached into his pocket for his wallet, he took out one of his business cards and offered it to her saying, "In case you are ever interested in a cup of coffee."

She didn't take the card immediately and he feared she wouldn't at all when she looked into his eyes and asked, "Is a 'cup of coffee' code for anything I should be aware of?"

Even then he'd wanted to say, "It's code for 'I want to get to know you as well and profoundly as you'll allow', but he knew that was the wrong answer so, instead, he decided to reply. "It's code for 'I'd love to see you again' so, you can make it coffee, tea, a smoothie… your choice."

She looked at the card again and he realized he'd been holding his breath the moment she took the card and he could breathe normally again. "I'll think about it." That was her whole reply before turning around and leaving the department store.

Seeing her go and not going after her had been one of the hardest things he'd ever done. He didn't even know her name for God's sake! She'd at least taken his card and he had to trust that meant he'd hear from her again. Nobody could say he hadn't try, though. He just had to wait and hope for the best.

He'd always considered himself a patient man, but it turned out waiting for something when you're not even sure it'll happen is a very different thing and challenging as hell. His co-workers had started noticing something was not okay with him and he had started thinking he'd never know from her when he got a text. The number was not saved into his phone and it had been the best text he'd ever gotten: "I just realized you invited me 'a cup of coffee' and you don't even know my name. Just so you know, I'm Katniss."

Two weeks. It had taken her two weeks to get in touch with him and he knew he still had to thread really carefully. He texted her back saying, "Well, nice to meet you, Katniss. I'd introduce myself, but you already know my name. I have to confess, for a moment there I thought you'd missed my card." He probably sounded desperate and needy, but he really wanted to see her again.

"I haven't made up my mind about coffee, but I believe you can get to know people through reading what they have to say. So, if you're interested, I'd like to try that." Her reply was honest and direct; he liked that.

"I'm game!" Short, direct. He was dying to see her again, but she wanted them to get to know each other in a different way and he'd take whatever he got because he had the feeling that being patient with her would pay off and the wait would be worthy.

Three months. It took her three months to finally agree to meet him for a cup of coffee. They'd continued texting and he was starting to fear he'd been stuffed into the 'friend zone' and he might never get to see her again –he only knew her name and had her phone number.

To be honest, he hadn't come up with the 'friend zone' idea; their texts had been constant and they joked with each other, he even felt like she sometimes flirted with him. He made the stupid mistake of telling Finnick about Katniss and the texting. As the weeks went by and the texts didn't evolve into a date, it was Finnick who mentioned Peeta was probably now permanently in the 'friend zone' and he could forget about seeing her ever again. Every time Finnick joked with him, he reminded himself he had at least tried; and every time his annoying friend tried to talk him into moving on and going with him to a night club, he convinced himself that he just had to be patient a little while longer.

The longer Finnick joked about the 'friend zone', the more Peeta started accepting it might be true and the less he reminded Katniss that the offer for that cup of coffee was still standing. He never stopped texting her and letting their friendship grow, but he did stop actively pursuing her.

One Friday night he was having dinner with Delly and she asked how things were going with Katniss –he'd told Delly about Katniss while confessing he'd found another person who shared their theory about pajamas. He took a deep breath and said he was starting to accept that nothing more than friendship and texting would happen between them. Delly looked pissed and said he needed to stop listening to Finnick. "Has she actually said no? Or is she still thinking about it? When was the last time you asked?" Delly was filled with questions.

"She's never said no. She's just said she'll keep it in mind. And now that you ask, I haven't asked in the last three weeks." He hadn't realized it'd been that long…

"Three weeks? Are you serious? She's probably thinking you've lost interest." Delly was seriously angry now.

"I guess I just don't want her to feel pressured into saying yes, Dell. What if she says yes to get me off her back? That would really suck. What I'm saying is that I'd prefer not to see her again to see her because she feels she didn't have a choice."

"Don't be ridiculous, Peeta. She's always had a choice. She's the one who texted you with her name. She's the one who sometimes texts you just to say 'Good night.' The girl said she wanted to get to know you. Don't be a dick and keep on asking until she says yes."

He didn't reply after that, but he took what Delly had said to heart. He finished his dinner and gave Delly a ride home. Once he was home, he took out his cellphone and texted Katniss, "So? What do you say to coffee tomorrow?"

"Hey you! I was starting to think you'd never ask again." It was her reply.

He couldn't help it, he smiled to himself and wrote, "Is changing the topic your new tactic to say no?"

Just then, the unthinkable happened: his cellphone started ringing and the name on the screen was Katniss. His hands were shaking when he answered the call. "Hey!" He could listen to the trembling in his voice in that single word.

"I'm not saying no anymore." He listened to her, but he had no idea what to say. "So? What are your plans for tomorrow? What do you say about coffee with breakfast?" That's when he realized her voice was trembling too; she was just as nervous as he was.

"Coffee with breakfast sounds perfect. Any suggestions?" He still wanted her to feel in control. It'd taken them three months to get here and he wanted her to feel comfortable. Familiar territory always made people feel comfortable.

"Well… there's this dinner I like where they make delicious pancakes." She stopped for a second and then added, "Or maybe you'd like to go somewhere more capitalistic like a Starbucks…"

That offer touched him more than an 'I want you' would surprise him at the moment. In one of their many 'textversations' she'd mentioned how much she hated that a franchise like Starbucks was causing so many small-family-owned-and-delicious coffee places and diners to go out of business. He'd said he saw her point, but also accepted that he loved a vanilla latte and a cheese panini once in a while. "You'd do that for me?" He joked into the phone.

"Well, you've talked so highly of that cheese panini… it wouldn't be that much of a sacrifice, to tell you the truth."

That made him smile a lot more. "In that case, I'll love to treat you to that panini some other time. However, for our first date, I think I'll go with the diner. Pancakes sound good."

She didn't reply immediately and for a nanosecond he worried he'd made a mistake by using the word 'date.' "Very well then." Was her answer and he knew in that moment that the two of them knew this was a date; they'd been dancing around the issue for three long months. "I'll text you the address and see you there around 8? Or is that too early for you?"

He laughed at that. "Come on, Katniss! You know I'm a morning guy."

"Okay, morning guy, see you tomorrow. Prepare yourself for some awesome pancakes!" Peeta was about to say he was sure his pancakes would probably surprise her, but that's when she said, "Peeta? I'm really looking forward to see you." And just like that, she hung up.

'I'm really, really looking forward to see you too.' That's what he would have replied had he had the chance, but he'd have to wait till the next day. She probably knew, though. I mean, it had to be obvious he wanted to see her, right?

It turned out Katniss had been right: texting and getting to know each other that way had been the best idea. Their breakfast didn't feel like an awkward first date; it felt like two friends spending time together, two friends who had the hots for each other, but it wasn't awkward, there was just a lot of sexual tension there. Peeta could feel it and he could see she felt it too.

She was thanking him for breakfast and they were making arrangements to go running the next morning when he saw her eyes move to his lips and he decided to just go for what he'd been wanting all through their breakfast. He just leaned in and kissed her.

He worried that he'd gone too far, but she didn't resist, not even a little bit. She just kissed him back and parted her lips, inviting him in. God, she'd been longing for that kiss just as much as he had! And it had been perfect, the most perfect kiss, ever. He knew right then that he didn't want to kiss anybody else, ever again. He wanted to spend his life kissing Katniss Everdeen.

When they finally parted, he rested his forehead against hers and said, "I should apologize, but I'm not sorry I kissed you." They had been honest with each other from the first moment they started texting, he didn't want that to ever change.

"There's nothing to apologize for." She reassured him. "In case you didn't notice, I was very into the kiss." She was looking straight into his eyes and smiled at him.

"Katniss, I've been dreaming about kissing you since the moment I met you." He knew he was saying too much. Hell! He would ask her to move in with him in that moment if he didn't know for sure that'd freak her out.

Her smile widened, but turned coy at the same time. "I've been dreaming about more than kissing you for about the same amount of time." Damn! She surprised him once again. He learned very fast that Katniss was that open with him because she trusted him without a doubt.

Yeah, getting to know each other through texting had been the best idea for them. It made everything else between them progress really fast. People told them they were crazy when they moved in together three months after that first breakfast together. Everybody said they were rushing things, but they knew what they wanted and made their own choice.

Prim was the only person in Katniss' life who was supportive all along. She once told him, "If you guys told me tomorrow that you were getting married, it wouldn't freak me out in the least. My sister loves you. I don't know if she's said it, but God she does. She's so different since she met you. She's so open and happy now and I know it's because of you."

Katniss had told him she loved him and he'd said it too. Prim's comment still surprised him, though. He could see the things Prim said, but he hadn't known any other Katniss but the one she was with him and it made him happy to know that the closest person to her could see the changes and thought they were because of him.

Those first months getting to know each other had been hard for him. He wasn't sure about anything, but now he knows they were an excellent investment since everything else has happened so fast. They are getting ready to celebrate their second Christmas together and they are as strong as ever. He can't wait to give her his first Christmas present. This is the one he wants to give her alone, before they get together with family and exchange gifts with everyone else.

"Peeta?" He listens to her entering their apartment. "Cheese buns!" She exclaims immediately. "You have no idea how hungry I am. I was so busy today that I skipped lunch." She gets into the kitchen and kisses his neck since he's busy at the stove serving their dinner.

"I made your favorite stew too." He announces. He turns around with one of the plates in his hand. "Do you wanna change out of your work clothes before dinner or should we get to the food now?"

She thinks for a moment. "Tough choice! I wanna relax now, though. So, I'm changing into sweats and we'll have dinner, yes?" She kisses his cheek quickly.

"Okay. Hurry up! I'll meet you in front of the fireplace."

She surprises him with a kiss to his lips. "God, I love coming home to you!"

He smiles while he sees her sprint to their room. He loves meeting her at home every evening. He loves everything they share. He loves having the absolute certainty that this is where he is supposed to be and that his life can only get better -will only get better because she's sharing it with him.

"Hey, what do you say to quitting your job and staying home to cook and bake? I think I make enough to support the two of us." Katniss proposes after swallowing the last bit of cheese bun soaked in stew.

He laughs because she offers the same every time he makes this specific dish. "I don't think you could afford me." He replies. "Plus, my schedule generally lets me be here to cook dinner."

She places her plate on the coffee table and leans into him, nuzzling his neck. "That's true. I guess I just want a reason to get you away from that art gallery." She nips at his earlobe.

"Why's that?" He asks while tilting his head to give her better access to his neck.

"It's not really the art gallery… I just want to get you far away from those two super models you work with. Every time they look at you it's so obvious they wanna get into your pants." She moves to straddle his hips.

He feels himself start to get hard and he pushes up. He listens to her moan and he knows she can feel him. "But this is only yours."

"I know." There's conviction there. She doesn't doubt him. "I just don't like them lusting after it." She looks into his eyes. "You are mine." She bites his bottom lip and he groans.

He is thankful for her sweatpants the moment his hand can easily sneak into them. He finds out she's going commando and runs his middle finger between her folds, groaning a little more at the wetness he encounters there and wasting no time in reaching for her clit and drawing tight circles around it. "And you are mine, but that doesn't stop several of your co-workers from fantasizing about you." He slips his finger shallowly into her and she moans loudly. "We just have to deal, babe. As long as they don't make a move, we just have to deal with the fact that we are attractive and get unwanted attention."

She reaches for the button of his jeans. "In me, now…" She demands.

He stops her. "Wait. I want you to open your present first."

She groans frustratingly. "Seriously, Peeta? That can wait. I can't…" She whines.

He kisses her softly, suckling on her bottom lip. "Yes, you can. How long will it take you to open one little present?" He insists, taking his hand out of her pants and reaching for the wrapped parcel he'd left close to them.

She looks at him and fakes annoyance. "You are such a weirdo sometimes." She takes the gift and weights it. "If you are delaying my pleasure to give me a new pair of pajamas, I swear to God I'll make you pay for it."

He grins at her. "But you love our pajama sharing tradition." He argues.

She rips the wrapping paper and opens the box to find the pajama set she showed him in a catalog a month or so ago. She's about to put the box aside when something shiny catches her eye and when she looks closely, a gasp escapes her lips.

There's something sewn right above the breast pocket of the pajama shirt: 'Marry me?' and next to it, the most exquisitely simple diamond ring is pinned. She raises her eyes to look at him and a single tear runs down her cheek. He raises an eyebrow in question and she snaps out of her trance, "Yes! Yes! I will!."

He reaches into the box and unpins the ring. He slides it into her finger and kisses each of her knuckles. "Was this a good enough reason to delay your pleasure?" He asks.

She snorts and stands up, taking her pants off in a flash. "It was." She reaches for his jeans button again and frees him faster than he can blink. She straddles him again and takes him in her hand. "However, I still need you in me now." That's all she says before impaling herself on him and moaning in satisfaction.

There's definitely no other place he'd rather be. Filling her and having her clench around him is home. She is his home. Their meeting and relationship might not be the most romantic one for those around them, but he wouldn't change anything. He met her in a mall. They bonded over pajamas and are now building a life together.

As he sees her building toward her climax and leaning back in ecstasy, he knows he doesn't care about what anybody else thinks. He only cares about being the man who takes her there, the man who shares paradise with her.