I hope you and yours are safe and well. Sending love out in these volatile times. Ever so many thanks to The RPGenius, editor extraordinaire.

Disclosure & Disclaimer: I changed a tiny (Gale-centric) detail in Chapter 10 to better support a future event. Katniss did not find a little spool of wire left by Gale at their meeting rock. I still have no clue if folks get updated when edits are made, hence this mention. Also, I don't own The Hunger Games series. I do love it though. So much.

This is dedicated to everyone who waited and wondered if this tale would be continued. I am still committed to completing this story, even if it takes ages between updates. But it is especially dedicated to sunsetsrmydreams on tumblr for all her kindness, her sweet support, and her mad paper-quilling skills!

Chapter 11: Embrasure

Time flew past like the migratory flocks overhead, clamoring as it went, chased by all and caught by none. In a blur of preparation and activity, the day of the Harvest Festival had somehow arrived. Large numbers of people would be walking past in not too long, heading to Town for the annual festivities. Autumn-olive-studded cookies littered every surface of the kitchen, and trays with still more cookies were carefully stacked in other rooms. Slews of dried berries for future breads filled every makeshift container available.

Peeta had painted "Future Bakery - Berry Cookies Free to Ages 1 - 17" on some scrap wood and angled it out from the entrance. With the door thrown wide on the other side of the frame, It formed a sort of embrasure out of the entryway, ideal for welcoming curious folks in. The only thing left to do was prop open the kitchen window for the cookie hand-out station. Katniss had thought limiting free cookies to ages 14 and under was more than generous, but Peeta insisted that anyone who was reaping age deserved at least a free treat. And how could she argue with that?

Peeta was doing some last minute tidying, counting the change he'd saved for any adults who wanted to buy cookies. Peeta would be stationed at the kitchen table, which had been pushed to the side to make way for potential customers. As he exchanged money with adults, he would be detailing their bakery's upcoming opening and explaining there would be bread for sale and, more notably, barter. They were hoping that would garner attention. Bartering was a necessity in the Seam, the trade method frequently relied upon when funds were short, as they always were. Outside of Katniss' own arrangement with the Mellarks, bartering wasn't an accepted method of payment at Mellark Bakery, and the man that occasionally sold bread at the Hob was notoriously picky about what items he'd trade for.

Katniss had window duty - anytime a child walked by, she would ask them if they wanted a free cookie. She'd then hand one of the treats over, explaining that all they had to do in exchange was tell their parents there was going to be a Seam bakery, with bread for sale or barter. They'd agreed that she would be more approachable as a familiar face, instead of a merchant trying to hail their attention. Though Katniss looked forward to seeing the excitement that resulted from free cookies easily earned, she was a little nervous about dealing with hordes of children - Katniss thought Peeta's playfulness and sunny, open disposition better suited to the task. But she was determined to excel at her assignment.

Strains of excited shouts and chatter filtered over from the Seam. People were starting to head their way. Katniss turned to glance back at Peeta; their eyes met, mirroring anticipation and disbelief that the time had come. It was showtime. They were ready. The corners of her mouth turned up and Peeta answered with a beaming grin. "Go on," he whispered. And louder, "These cookies aren't going to eat themselves."

Katniss turned and threw open the window, the brisk Autumn air barely chilling the excited flush on her skin. Let the harvest festivities of the first Seam bakery begin.

oOo - - oOo - - oOo

It had been hours. The festival was in full swing, and Katniss hadn't stopped to take a breath since well before it began. She ought to be utterly exhausted, but she couldn't detect a bit of fatigue at the moment. All Katniss felt was exhilaration at how well it was going, and joy at the interest level she and Peeta were generating. She'd long remember the incredulous joy she saw when these children were handed a free cookie, something about as rare in the Seam as a Victor from Twelve.

And throughout, she'd been listening to Peeta sell their concept to everyone who strolled curiously in, talking up the bakery and answering questions. Winning people over, as he was so miraculously able to do. Peeta's easy affability managed to put the majority of visitors at ease. With the rest, he was respectful of their wariness or dismissiveness and didn't push too hard for approval.

She'd originally been overwhelmed at the sheer number of cookies Peeta had insisted on baking, never truly realizing the quantity of children and adults were in the Seam. And they were only interacting with the swarms of people that took this particular route to Town. There were bunches of cookies left, but there was also a good stretch of the festival to go, and people were drifting back and forth between Town and Seam throughout. For the adults, Peeta had priced the cookies low enough to be quite a bargain, and they were making a handy sum to put toward the first week of their regular operation.

Ripper was currently in the kitchen-cum-bakery taking a break from her own dealings in the Hob, discussing supply chain woes with Peeta in subdued tones. He offered her some complimentary cookies for her assistance with the malt, and she was raving over the sweetness of the berries. Katniss watched Peeta's pride with pleasure, until he stopped talking mid-sentence, a perplexed look on his face. Following his gaze to the window behind her, Katniss turned in time to witness two grubby, seemingly disembodied hands reach up and rapidly scoop handfuls of cookies off a tray on the sill. After a brief disappearance they were back, reaching up for more to snatch.

Too shocked to consider the advisability of stealth, Katniss leaned out the window to identify the culprits. Twin pairs of Seam-gray eyes stared back up at her, bright in faces darkened by coal dust and grime. Katniss' stomach flipped with the realization that she was looking at the little beggars. The girl's face was frozen in a rictus of surprise, and the boy's reflected a comical level of guilt, his cheeks bulging with the evidence of multiple cookies. Many more were collected in the girl's skirt, which was gathered in her hands to create a sling for contraband confections. All parties gaped at each other for a moment.

Though Katniss was too stunned to react with any alacrity, this was not true of the thieves. Both bolted at the elder's blunt directive: "Run!"

After a few seconds' hesitation, Katniss darted outside and took off after them. "Wait!"

Katniss was fit, light on her feet, and well-fed for a Seam resident, but the two imps had taken off like hares and had a significant lead on her. They undoubtedly survived on the ability to make themselves scarce after a heist.

She didn't entirely know why she was giving chase. Certainly not to bring them to account, if anything Katniss wanted to drag the pair back to the bakery and upend another plateful of cookies into the already sizable heap in the little girl's skirt.

It was her self-appointed duty to stop their thievery from Haymitch, but first she wanted to make sure they were okay. Of course, there was no way they'd know her intentions weren't hostile. The girl and boy wouldn't know that she'd distracted Mrs. Mellark so they could make their getaway after they'd sung for bread, and they wouldn't know to associate her with Peeta, their favorite bread source back when he was at Mellark's.

The last thing she wanted was to frighten them. Katniss knew she was probably going about this the wrong way. "I just want to talk!" she called out to their retreating forms. But Katniss knew all too well that their existence was ephemeral, and their likelihood of survival was precarious at best. Winter was right around the corner, and there was no guarantee she would see them again before it was too late.

Already, Katniss noticed that the girl's skirt was worn and thin, her legs wrapped with rags and scraps of fabric that were held in place by wound strips of rawhide. She was all bouncing, snarled braids, and the little boy's clothes were littered with holes and crudely sewn patches. His shoe soles flapped off the fabric of his shoes, punctuating every step of their retreat with the sound of paucity.

But they certainly didn't sound frightened. As both zigged and zagged between people walking toward Town, the little boy was whooping with glee, and the girl was giggling madly. Probably because she was nowhere near reaching them, Katniss realized sourly. They were the picture of unfettered, lawless freedom.

By the time they made it within sight of the Square, Katniss knew there was no hope. They had melted into the packed crowds of people, and the entire area was overrun with rambunctious children running and gallivanting about.

Katniss bent at the waist and braced her hands above her knees. Chest heaving from the chase, she found herself breathlessly chuckling. In all their feints and evasive maneuvers, they hadn't lost a single cookie.

She heard the pounding of heavy footsteps rapidly approach and straightened to see Peeta lumber up. It wasn't that he was a bad runner, but speed was just not a factor in the equation. If he had given chase, he may have caught them - surely the little urchins would have doubled over with laughter at his attempt, and been rolling on the ground long enough for capture.

"Was it them?"

"Yes," Katniss answered, and his eyes lit up. "But I may have done the wrong thing, giving chase," she admitted ruefully. "I had to try, though." Peeta nodded his agreement.

"You shouldn't have followed me, what about the bakery?" Katniss fretted, as she quickly turned and started back with him.

"Ripper is watching things. This seemed more important." Peeta looked sideways at her, hesitant. "Ripper said she never thought she'd see the day when you went tearing off after some little ones."

She rolled her eyes in annoyance. Ripper was a frequent trading partner of hers and Gale's, and Katniss wondered if the eldest Hawthorne made her own refusal to settle down and start a family known, back when he'd been hoping for a toasting with her.

"Even if the understanding isn't there, the wish to be supportive is," Peeta supplied gently, of Ripper. Katniss reached down to squeeze his hand.

"Let's get back and feign oblivion to our surroundings. Maybe our thieves will return to the scene of the crime for seconds."

Peeta laughed. "You didn't see how many they took. I think you mean thirty-seconds. And we can only hope!" And though they were undoubtedly leagues away now, cloistered in some cubbyhole, covered in cookie crumbs, Peeta turned and called back in the direction of the square, "There are more where those came from!"

She tugged on his hand with a smile. Maybe they'd make it, despite the odds. Rarer things had happened. And she had, with a little help from the man beside her. Today they'd gotten proof that their soot larks were alive. Now she just had to redirect their thievery away from Haymitch's cupboards and to their chicken eggs.

oOo - - oOo - - oOo

Katniss waited as her mother put the finishing touches on the elaborate braids woven round the crown of her head. It was tradition, at this point, that her mother would fix her daughters' hair into intricate arrangements for any special occasion. Katniss wore the blue dress that had once belonged to her mother, back when she'd lived in the merchant quarter. It was now considered Katniss', as she had worn it for her final two reapings and Gale's toasting.

She wanted to look extra special tonight. Tonight she and Peeta would present a united front to her family, both as a couple, since she was bringing him as her date, and as business partners, pending their announcement. The bakery's soft opening had been a success, and she couldn't help but feel a thrill when she imagined Peeta getting ready in the cottage she'd left merely hours ago, trying to look his best for her family. She knew he was looking forward to this dinner more than he'd let on.

The meal was to be served at the Hawthorne house, though both families' kitchens had been put to work cooking a formidable meal. As the Everdeen women put on their coats, Katniss' fingers closed around the small vial of liquid in the pocket of her hunting jacket. She'd kept it there ever since her mother's admonishment the morning following Katniss' night at the lake, and she tended to touch it when donning her jacket, to reassure herself it was still there and unbroken.

They gathered their prepared dishes to bring over, and Katniss envisioned Peeta setting out as well. She would have liked to arrive together, but help was needed to carry food from their house to the Hawthornes', and Peeta was bringing cheese buns fresh from his own oven. She'd taken him up on his earlier, idle suggestion to bring them. Peeta had convinced Ander to part with enough ingredients for a single batch in exchange for a final, pre-dawn shift decorating festival cakes at his Mellark bakery that very morning. As far as she knew, the Hawthornes had never been lucky enough to try Mellark-made cheese buns. If there was a more convincing way to win someone over, Katniss didn't know what it was.

She looked over at her sister with a happy smile. Prim was practically glowing in a dress she had made herself. They'd bought printed fabric specially so Prim could have something new to wear for the festival and on the night of her not-so-mysterious announcement. Out of character, Prim had waited until the last moment to cut and sew, fretting constantly over the fit, but she had completed it in time. Katniss was proud and pleased for her. Prim returned her smile with one both happy and nervous.

Katniss laughed. "Why the jitters, Little Duck? Surely he's said yes," she teased. "Mom told me all about you both dancing the final set at the festival today." Prim glanced at their mother, who bundled them out the door before they were late.

When they arrived, they were given warm hugs and greetings by Hazelle, before heading to the table to arrange their offerings as everyone bustled to get everything in place. A spray of Hawthorn berries had been arranged as a centerpiece, the bright red setting off the subdued colors of the food. Her mother carried a big bowl of curly dock over. Prim set down the crabapple pie they'd worked on and some goat cheese to pair with it. Katnis had a basket of chestnuts and hickory nuts, a rare treat, as well. She'd managed to gather quite a few edible nuts while scouring the forest floor for Peeta's acorns. Otherwise, she wouldn't have had time to forage anything other than the curly dock and crabapples, she thought with exasperation.

Katniss squared her shoulders and approached the eldest Hawthorne son. "Gale." She reached out and clasped his hand in a way she hoped came across as unperturbed and pleasant. His expression was the epitome of his namesake. Leevy, quite pregnant, turned from Prim before Gale returned her greeting, and Katniss leaned in to gently embrace her. "Congratulations, of course. You look so healthy." She hoped her unease didn't show. Katniss usually made herself scarce when Leevy checked in with her mother, to avoid this sort of awkward run-in. "When are you due?"

She studiously ignored the mocking twist of Gale's lips as she focused on looking enthusiastic and not grim when Leevy answered late March. Apparently the tatters of her and Gale's friendship were not ready for person-to-person interaction.

A knock sounded at the door, and Katniss' heart leapt. There was only one person missing. Gale, positioned closest to the door, pulled it open to reveal Peeta standing on the threshold with a plate of steaming cheese buns.

Instead of standing aside for his entry, Gale brought a hand up to rest on the frame of the door, blocking the entrance to the warmly lit atmosphere inside. Peeta's friendly greeting went unanswered. This did not bode well at all, and Katniss felt resentment bubbling up within her at Gale's petty attempt to temporarily bar Peeta's entrance.

Determined to avoid further straining relations, Katniss dashed forward with an over-bright smile plastered to her face and reached past Gale to tug Peeta inside, "Gale's just joking around," she declared with exaggerated cheer. "Come in Peeta!"

Peeta looked back at Gale, but got no confirmation from his closed-off expression. Undeterred by the aloof reception, Peeta shifted the plate of cheese buns he held to one hand, and reached the other out to Gale. "Thank you so much for letting me join you. I'm sorry If I'm late; I wanted these to be as fresh as possible." Gale looked derisively down at the offending rolls and didn't respond. As his proffered hand hung unaccepted too long, Katniss felt her smoldering irritation flare into ire.

"You're not late at all," she assured, clasping her hands around the one he held outstretched, to pull him further into the room. "Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone." As they moved away, Peeta's attention returned to her with admiration. "Katniss, you look phenomenal." She bit her lip and tamped down on a smile at the appreciative light in his eyes.

Once she went around the room and made introductions, and Hazelle welcomed Peeta to her home, Katniss took the plate he held and set it on the table. Though he'd undoubtedly made thousands of cheese buns before, Katniss knew how meticulously he'd worked on this batch, hopeful of making a good impression. She felt a rush of warmth at the sweet gesture. Katniss was eager to witness all the Hawthornes' first tastes; she just knew they would love them.

While she busied herself rearranging the spread of food on the table, Prim rushed over to hug Peeta and lament that she was still awaiting a final installment with a happily-ever-after for Swinton and Lady, to everyone else's puzzlement.

Katniss watched with trepidation as Peeta and her mother interacted. Her mother was reserved but polite, citing her childhood familiarity with his father, and asking after his brothers. Peeta was charming and respectful, complimenting her on raising such wonderful daughters.

"And how long have you been close with my daughter?"

Katniss spied the appraising look in her mother's eyes. She was clearly getting all the answers she sought regarding Katniss' disappearance into the forest overnight a couple of weeks ago. Peeta smiled warmly, then looked at Katniss. "Well, our friendship started about two years ago, and has only grown since. But I've admired Katniss since our first day of school."

If her cheeks weren't incandescent after her mother's leading question and Peeta's answer - a masterful mix of tact, ambiguity on the state of their relationship, and what seemed to be embarrassing honesty - the snort of mocking disbelief she heard from Gale put her in danger of immolation on the spot.

Katniss didn't know if it was his dislike of merchants in general coloring Gale's behavior, a baseless grudge against Peeta, or if it was seeing her with him in a capacity she'd sworn she would never allow. But clearly he was spoiling to stir things up. She wondered momentarily if bringing Peeta had been a bad idea. In the next instant, Katniss railed against herself. Was she supposed to wait until the day of Prim and Rory's toasting to see if Gale would play nice? This was a joint family event, Everdeens and Hawthornes. She had every right to bring Peeta as her guest. Prim was making a special announcement, and both she and Katniss wanted him here. How dare Gale make her guest feel unwelcome?

She decided then that it would be best to make the bakery announcement before dinner, so it wouldn't encroach on Prim's news. It was high time to solidify Peeta's place at her side, and if there was any forthcoming hostility from Gale's quarter, best to deal with it now before it could infringe on Prim's happy moment.

Katniss didn't have a term that exactly quantified how she and Peeta were defining their relationship, but she at least wanted to emphasize the seriousness of their business partnership. They could assume whatever else they liked. When the conversation lulled between Peeta and her mother, Katniss stepped to his side and cleared her throat for everyone's attention.

She glanced at Peeta, who smiled back encouragingly. It was infectious and Katniss felt herself grinning as she looked at her friends and family. Until her eyes landed on Gale. The squall was still brewing, apparently. Dark storm clouds gathering over his head would have completed the look nicely. Katniss squeezed Peeta's hand for support.

"Several of you may have already seen when you were heading to the festival, but Peeta and I have been passing out free cookies today." As she spoke, Katniss realized she hadn't seen any of them there. "With Peeta's baking talent and my familiarity with forest resources, we've decided to open a bakery in the Seam. We want to establish a livelihood, but we're also hoping that if we can make bread more affordable than in town, fewer tesserae rations will be taken in the Seam. Our plans are to officially open one week from today. So...come to our bakery!" Katniss finished her speech with a proud smile and a pleased shrug.

Prim clapped excitedly at the news, gushing that she was sure it would be a success, as no one was as talented at baking as Peeta, and no one was as determined and capable as Katniss. Her mother looked surprised but interested, and Hazelle looked impressed. The other various Hawthornes looked at Gale.

"There goes the neighborhood," he snarked.

Eyes volleyed from Gale to Katniss as Hazelle chastened, "Gale!"

Katniss was about to retort heatedly that she didn't see how refurbishing a ramshackle eyesore could damage the neighborhood, and that the Seam was lucky to have Peeta, but he squeezed her hand. It's okay. Not worth it. And he was right. But only just.

Katniss rolled her eyes instead and set her chin as everyone was ushered to their seats. On one side of the table were Rory, Prim, she and Peeta. Gale, Leevy, Vick and Posy sat opposite, with both family matrons positioned at each end.

"The cider's on the stovetop and should be just finishing," Hazelle explained. "Tansy, will you help me with serving, and I'll bring out the turkey? Gale caught us a gorgeous fat tom at the crack of dawn this morning, you'll all be very impressed," she said proudly.

Katniss smiled in appreciation, never one to let a grudge get in the way of acknowledging hunting prowess. The rest of the table also expressed their anticipation. Gale's preening was cut short by Hazelle's next sentence. "Why doesn't everyone start on those tantalizing cheese buns before they get cold! Peeta, you do the honors."

Both Hazelle and her mother turned toward the kitchen to dole out cider as Peeta picked up the platter of gooey cheese buns. "These are my family's specialty," he said, offering them to Katniss at his right side.

She directed Peeta to place one on her mother's plate, then took a cheese bun and passed the plate to Prim.

Prim smiled regretfully and declined. "Oh, I wish I could, they look marvelous. But cheese isn't agreeing with me lately, so I'll have to pass." She brushed a hand over her midsection. "I hope I can convince you to make me some when-" she bit her lips. "When it doesn't bother me anymore."

Peeta assured her he would, and Katniss looked at Prim with concern. "You okay, Little Duck?"

Prim nodded rapidly. "Just fine!" She turned to Rory. "Here, have one. They look divine."

Rory dragged his eyes from Gale, who was sitting opposite, to look down at the plate. "No thanks, none for me," he said, polite but stiff. Prim raised her eyebrows in surprise and Rory made a study of the wood grain on the tabletop. Katniss frowned as she felt Peeta shift at her side.

Gale reached over Hazelle's table setting at the head of the table and took the plate brusquely from Rory's hands. Without even looking at it, he curled his lip and passed it disdainfully to Leevy, never breaking defiant eye contact with Peeta.

"What about Hazelle?" Prim asked weakly, seeing that Gale had left her plate empty.

"She won't want any," was his flippant response. Katniss grit her teeth as everyone's eyes moved along the line to the next diner.

It panned out like a bad play. Leevy held the plate as if it had been rigged with explosives like an arena platform. "None for me," she mumbled, and passed the plate quickly along. Katniss pinned her with a glare that would intimidate a Career and Leevy took a sudden interest in the utensils at her setting.

Dread settled heavily in her stomach. Katniss darted a look to Peeta. There was just no way every person at the table wasn't salivating over the plate of buns. Bias or no, they were by far the best tasting thing on offer for the night. So was this planned? Or were they just taking cues from Gale in the moment?

Katniss knew Prim couldn't be in on it, she loved Peeta and would never do something like this to anyone. But the others...there was no question in Katniss' mind that Gale was the author of this little scene and was taking advantage of Hazelle's temporary absence. She couldn't see the pragmatic Hawthorne matriarch standing for something like this.

So, not planned. But an opportunity seized. An opportunity to ostracize and reject someone when they were vulnerable, to make someone feel unwelcome and unworthy at a time when they'd already been cast off from their own family. There was no way Gale hadn't heard the rampant rumors about Peeta's departure from Town when trading game. In that moment, Katniss could have cheerfully eviscerated Gale with her butter knife.

Peeta had visibly wilted with each refusal. It was clear he felt the full brunt of Gale's intended message. And while Peeta undoubtedly would have shaken off the slight if it was just Gale, who'd made no secret of his dislike, the complicity of the whole family, children and adults alike who were ostensibly welcoming him into their home, was too much. Katniss could only guess at what memories it unearthed, of family moments and special gatherings where his imagined 'unworthiness' was broadcast to all and sundry by his callous mother. Seeing Gale pressure his clan into uniting against Peeta smacked of the way Mrs. Mellark dominated her own family's collective behavior. It was beyond bearing. She'd been too kind earlier; now Katniss wanted to flay Gale alive.

Vick eagerly grabbed a bun, and Katniss' heart soared, before Gale sharply cleared his throat. The younger boy paused and put it reluctantly back, muttering nonsense about wanting to save room for pickled ramps, which most of the table knew he despised.

Reluctantly, Vick handed the plate back to Peeta, the assumption clear that Posy would fall in line with the rest.

Peeta hesitated before putting the plate down, and Katniss closed her eyes in apprehension. It would be rude of him not to ask Posy. Peeta was nothing if not attentive and courteous, not to mention the most hopeful person she knew. She willed him not to ask, knowing full well all the while that he would.

He offered them softly. "Do you...would you like a cheese bun, Posy?" The muted words made her heart hurt, because Katniss could hear the faltering confidence and battered pride in his throat. Katniss felt some shred of hope in her pin itself on Posy's response.

The little girl gazed at them longingly, all oozing, melty cheese and oily bread, a merchant luxury out of her reach on any other day. She looked questioningly over at Gale, then shook her head no with sad resignation. Peeta's understanding smile too closely resembled a self-deprecating grimace. He slowly took a bun for himself and lowered the platter as quietly as possible, the soft thunk of china on the tablecloth deafening in the charged atmosphere. Peeta swallowed heavily, a strained, awkward twist to his lips as he stared at the bun on his plate. His very posture manifested defeat.

The table was deathly silent, as it had been throughout the little tableau. Aside from Prim and herself, and Gale's challenging stare, all eyes were averted from Peeta. And then Katniss realized. Aside from Hazelle's friendliness and her own preliminary introductions, not one of the Hawthornes had spoken to Peeta all night.

The sound of happy chatter issued from the kitchen, as her mother and the Hawthorne matriarch searched for something to serve as a tray for the drinks. They would be out soon, and would likely ease the tension, but the damage was done.

She was livid on Peeta's behalf, practically trembling with it. She felt apt to combust. Katniss hadn't thrown open the doors to both her worlds so that one side could disparage the other. She hadn't opened a window on her affection for Peeta, something private and tender to be fiercely guarded, like a hatchling cupped in powerful hands, to have it callously batted to the ground in a posturing demonstration of superiority.

It was a slap in the face from people who purportedly loved her as family, and if they were rejecting Peeta, they were rejecting her. She couldn't put into words what the two of them were yet, but it was seamless and indivisible, and powerful despite its newness. Katniss found she didn't care, in that moment, if this meant an irreparable rift with some of the Hawthornes.

She reached out boldly and snatched another cheese bun, taking an overly large bite. Chewing voraciously, her movements drew everyone's eyes. Katniss swallowed and tore off a bite from the original bun on her plate, meeting each gaze with defiance. Then she grabbed another cheese bun, then another, sinking her teeth into each one and ignoring the rest of the food on the table.

With narrowed eyes, she devoured a bite of each roll until the dish was empty and her own plate was overflowing, interspersing ecstatic yums and mmm's between each mouthful. Once every cheese bun had a sizable bite missing, she threw down her napkin and rocketed to her feet.

"Best meal I've ever had! Let's go, Peeta."

She took his hand and tugged him to his feet, marching to the door just as Hazelle and her mother returned with a tray of cider mugs and the expertly roasted turkey. Both women watched in bewilderment.

"Katniss!" Prim cried in distress. "What about the announcement?"

Katniss halted, torn by her outrage and her instinct to nurture Prim. Prim looked miserable, but she was surrounded by friends, her mother, and her soon-to-be fiance. The fiance who'd had no compunction excluding Peeta. Their announcement signified two families uniting, but the majority of the people before her just closed ranks to reject a person who was irreplaceable to her.

She wasn't going to play nice while Gale devised further ways to embarrass Peeta, and she definitely wasn't going to ask Peeta to sit and endure the insult. Katniss was proud of him, proud that he was hers.

"I'm sorry Prim. We'll talk later." And with that, she charged out into the late autumn night, Peeta close behind.

oOo - - oOo - - oOo

Snowflakes were beginning to fall when they stepped outside. Incensed, Katniss stalked forward into the chill night air as Peeta followed.

"Katniss, I'm sor-"

"Don't you dare apologize, Peeta Mellark! I won't have it," she bit out, fuming. "As if you were to blame."

"It's just, the last thing I want to do is come between you and your family. You didn't need to leave on my account, and Prim was anxious you stay," he countered. "Maybe you should go back inside, and I'll catch up with you later."

Katniss turned to him abruptly and kissed him full on the lips, deeply, gratefully, with meaning. She needed him by her side. "No. Stay."

She took his hands in hers. "Peeta, tonight I meant to prove that you're part of my family, too. You're my partner, my companion." She looked up at him, willing him to understand, but Peeta only looked troubled by the earlier events. "And I don't mean in business. Or not only that." Katniss paused to gather her thoughts. "Everyone in that room is part of my family by virtue of birth or necessity. You are the only person I've ever chosen to be there. There's not a way to codify what you are to me into simple terms, Peeta. But it's you. For me. Just you."

His eyes were rapt as they sparked with recognition.

"And now you're saying you want to ditch me and send me back to that mob," she grumbled, eager to temper the gravity of her admission by lightening the mood.

Peeta cupped her face in his palms and sighed as he drew closer. "Never, Katniss." His kiss was soft and reverent, a secret between them and the silently drifting snow. "It's only ever been you for me," he vowed as he drew away. "It only ever will be."

She fought the shy, proud smile that threatened. "Good," she whispered. "Now it's getting late. Maybe we can catch Sae before she packs up for the night." They headed towards the Hob, hands clasped against the cold.

"I'm sorry about tonight. Oh behalf of them all. I'd never have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself," she said with remorse in her voice, shaking her head several minutes later. "I didn't think it would be smooth sailing. I certainly knew Gale wouldn't welcome us with open arms. But that he would compel Leevy and all his siblings to be so inhospitable? And that they would all fall in line with his wishes? I never would have guessed that."

Was Gale still this resentful after so long, she mused in dismay, or worse, were his actions entirely due to prejudice? Katniss honestly couldn't say, which was its own source of sorrow.

Peeta's lips twitched and he looked down. "I don't think it was both of us he wanted to ostracize," he pointed out drily.

"But that was the result. Gale knew it would be, too. Doing wrong by you is doing wrong by both of us." She squeezed their interlaced fingers. "Prim's caught up in the middle because she loves Rory. She adores you, truly. I could kill Rory for going along with it, though. It was a terrible thing to do, and a terrible position to put Prim in."

"I doubt he's pleased with the position Gale put him in," Peeta pointed out. "Fraternal solidarity or supporting your soon-to-be fiancé's family."

Katniss paused as they reached the Hob. "Well, Rory chose incorrectly. Compromised position or not, I have no sympathy. Posy and Vick are still young, though that doesn't absolve them, but Rory doesn't even have that paltry excuse," she grumbled.

When they entered the Hob, most of the vendors had either gone home for the night or never opened for the day, but Sae was still holding court over a massive stewpot, meting out her signature dish of dubious provenance. Quite a few people had gathered to eat; there were always folk in the Seam who had no family to share a harvest meal with, and still other unfortunate souls who had lost theirs.

Katniss and Peeta approached her stall, and when Sae raised her head, empty bowl in hand, her eyes crinkled in welcome.

"Well, if it isn't the talk of the Seam! Haven't I just been hearing all-tell about free cookies and a bakery today, from a lot of rambunctious youngsters," she exclaimed.

They confirmed she'd heard correctly, and Peeta lamented that he didn't have any cookies leftover to bring Sae. Katniss bit back a retort, they'd both been delighted when the last cookie was given away, considering it a promising indicator of potential future success.

"Those are some exciting plans you're cooking up, though it sounds quite the undertaking. May the odds be in your favor, I say. Stew for you both?"

Katniss nodded gratefully, sliding money over the table. She wasn't terribly hungry after commandeering all the cheese buns, but Peeta hadn't eaten. After the events of the evening, she found it a little difficult to muster the appropriate enthusiasm for their bakery. Luckily, Peeta launched into a quick description of their plans, displaying his typical affability.

"Well, I'll have to stop by and try some bread when you open," she promised kindly. "Katniss girl, I thought you'd be with family tonight."

Katniss pursed her lips and grumbled, "I'm finding that family is a relative concept."

Sae chuckled as she ladled. "Oh dear. Well, if one family's giving you trouble, don't forget there are others. You've got your Hob family, too."

Sae elaborated for Peeta, "We all look out for each other here. In the Seam somewhat, but even more, a lot of us 'unofficial' traders keep an eye out for one another." Sae gestured to the stalls and tables around them, mostly empty, and Katniss noticed the man who sporadically sold tesserae-grain bread, Esker Reed, grimacing at them. He must have heard the news.

Peeta nodded to Sae. "Katniss was kind enough to introduce me to Ripper a while back. She was a wonderful help, and got me a contact for malt."

"That's it! Just what I'm talking about. And from an old vendor to a new one, I'm a little worried about you conducting business off premises. Folks tend to turn a blind eye to what happens in this warehouse, but that's not the case outside." She handed their bowls over. "You ought to think about setting up a spot in here."

"I hadn't really considered it," Peeta admitted.

"Well, you think it over some. And come see me if you need any help. Who knows, maybe we can work out a deal to offer bread with my stew for a little profit. Soup and bread go together like...well, like huntresses and bakers, I suppose," she winked, a gleam in her eyes.

Blushing, Katniss had no problem finding a genuine smile now, which perfectly contrasted the dour distaste behind Esker's distant glower. Peeta promised to think it over.

As they sat at a nearby bench, Katniss mused that Sae had never partnered with Esker. He wasn't considered a 'regular' vendor at the Hob, his appearances were infrequent and suspected to occur between bouts of dissipation when he needed to generate a little coin.

Whatever his timing depended upon, it was known that Reed had no aversion to dealing in families' misfortunes, not merely trading for children's tesserae rations to supply his work, but exploiting the desperation of the supplier. It was held that his dealings were penurious and he relished any chance to make a killing.

"If there are leftovers from whatever morning rush we can generate, an arrangement with Sae would be perfect," Peeta said, his thoughts miles from hers. "We could sell off any extra in the evening before it gets stale. Better yet, we wouldn't need to be present for each sale - we could just drop the portioned bread off with Sae, and make a cut of whatever she sells with the stew."

"Careful Peeta, you may want to actually open the bakery before you start franchising," she teased.

He grinned sheepishly and tucked into his soup.

oOo - - oOo - - oOo

Katniss shivered as they stepped out of the Hob. "Well it wasn't the Harvest meal I was expecting, but that stew did the trick."

The company was unparalleled," he quipped, and got a warm smile in response.

Who could dislike Peeta? Katniss wondered to herself, unable to keep her mind from their earlier disastrous dinner. Even if it was possible to do so initially, he won everyone over in the end. And if somehow the Hawthornes authentically didn't like him, they still should have been courteous as a favor to her. It rankled to know he'd been shown similar unkindness in the Seam that he'd seen at home, especially since Katniss still felt guilty over the rift with his family.

"I still wish everything hadn't gone so wrong. I wanted you to get a taste of the familial warmth that's so well-known to me. That's something you deserve to experience."

"Katniss," he breathed with reverence. "You take such good care of everyone. Thank you for trying, and for hoping for that. But I'm at your side, and that's what I want the most. Everything else is in the periphery, and it may come, in time."

He reached over to knot their fingers together as they ambled through the Seam. When Peeta headed in the direction of her home, she tugged his hand, directing him back toward his abode.

"If things get worse with your family, I certainly understand if you need to step back from the bakery or keep indications of our relationship subdued." Katniss opened her mouth to protest, but Peeta rushed on. "I just couldn't bear becoming a burden. You won't let me hold you back, right?"

"You're no burden," she scoffed, "and anyone who's made you think different is deluded. You've been undervalued far too much in your life, and I won't countenance anyone treating you that way, including you disparaging yourself."

They stopped in front of his door. "Together?" Katniss demanded resolutely.

"Together," Peeta affirmed.

Her answering smile was beatific. Katniss bit her lip and gathered her courage, before she said a bit shyly, "Well then Peeta, take me inside."

She stared up into his eyes, willing him to glean the full significance of her words, and the implication therein. Peeta, wordsmith of the highest caliber, merely smiled and turned toward the door, but her hand caught at his cuff, halting him.

"Take me," she repeated, voice soft but unyielding, brokering no objections. She let the pause between her words hang in the night air, heavy with intent, before she moved her gray eyes to his front door. "Inside."

Peeta's eyes widened comically. Katniss could tell he was trying to decide if this moment was really happening, or if he could somehow be misunderstanding her clarification. She grinned impishly, loving the war between uncertainty and elation being waged in front of her.

It took three nervous heartbeats for hope to win out. Then Peeta was gathering her into his arms in an ecstatic hug, before dropping her back to her feet and tangling their fingers together again. They tripped into the house like giddy children, all haste and unexpected anticipation.

He seemed unable to coordinate the movement of his feet with his need to rain delighted kisses over her face, to the point that Katniss was giggling so much at his clumsiness she didn't even notice them stumbling over the threshold and inside.

All she knew was that one moment they were in the chill night air, and in the next he was turning to stoke the banked fire in the oven, dragging his lips reluctantly from the spot behind her ear that sent tingles careening everywhere.

Luckily, Peeta was a whiz with fires and he was barely gone from her. "It will take time to warm up in here," he cautioned.

"I don't think we need it," she laughed breathlessly, pulling him back to her lips by his coat lapels. She flicked her tongue needfully against his top lip, then the bottom one. Katniss had never been so grateful for the vial of wild carrot seed extract in her pocket.

They made their way back to his room, bumping into edges and door frames that obligingly supported their weight while showing the way. They stumbled around the baking supplies stashed throughout, scarcely drawing air between kisses. Katniss was intent on tugging open the buttons to their coats, while Peeta unraveled her elaborate braids with shaking fingers. She'd known they were a good team.

As always, once she'd started kissing Peeta, Katniss could hardly stop. His lips begged to be pressed to her own, his temple and chin cried for additional little adoring pecks. Each freckle deserved tribute, and it was impossible to keep her mouth from the soft curve of his ear or the flaxen curls that encircled it. Her lips ran along the line of his jaw, ending their perusal with a sharp little nip. And when Katniss shifted up to spread nibbling little kisses over the swell of his lower lip, Peeta's despairing groan made her chuckle.

He pulled back with a moan, eyes alight as they roamed over her. "Are you absolutely sure, Katniss? You know I'm more than happy with what we have now." He turned to put a match to the lantern next to his bedside, then traced the lines of her neck with the calloused pads of his thumbs as he waited for her answer.

She hummed her approval as her eyelids dipped and closed. The motion of his fingers was heavenly. Her mouth opened on a shuddering breath. "Yes. I'm sure."

"And, you're protected?" he asked.

She nodded. "I have something to take afterward. But Peeta, is this what you want, too?"

He exhaled on a shaky laugh. "Completely," his voice was a deep rasp of need.

"Well then..." She snaked her hand down to his midsection to tug on a belt loop. Peeta's hips canted closer and she unfastened the top few buttons of his pants. He buried his fingers in her hair and drew her back to his heated mouth.

Peeta seemed intent on relearning every inch of her with lips, teeth and tongue, but his patience only wore on Katniss when several minutes later, they'd merely stripped off their coats and parted a few buttons' worth of fabric over her sternum.

"Peeta," she whined as he stooped to press a kiss on the scant inch of exposed skin between her breasts. She wove her fingers through the waves of his hair and gave a petulant tug. "Hurry up."

Her entreaty was met with a quiet chuckle, so Katniss took matters into her own hands. Reaching down to the tuck of his shirt and yanking it up and over his back, she abruptly halted the meandering path of his lips. When the cuffs caught on his wrists, she practically tore it from his arms, throwing it to an unseen corner of his room. Peeta cocked a brow and shook his head in mock disapproval at her impatience, nudging her to sit on his bed behind them.

He dropped to his feet and calmly removed her shoes, still failing to appreciate her need for haste. Katniss wriggled her dress off in the meantime, and as soon as she had one foot free, she hooked it in the waistline of his pants, dragging them down from where they rested at his hip.

Peeta straightened and rose, and Katniss' eyes were torn between the expanse of his chest, with fine blond hairs golden in the muted light, or the entrancing motions of his fingers as he finished unfastening the closure on his trousers.

She slipped her undergarments off and he followed suit, removing the last remaining barrier between them. They watched each other for a moment, her frenzy forgotten, and Katniss shifted to turn down the bed, lifting the comforter gifted by Madge and the coarse sheet beneath. She was so eager to span this divide between them, but she was nervous too. Katniss breathed the reassuring scent of flour, cinnamon, and dill that permeated Peeta's world as she scooted to the center of the bed. The pallet dipped as he kneeled beside her.

He spread out, his body looming over hers, and Katniss was hard-pressed to look away. The sight of them together, their play of warm and pale skin tones, made her want to mold herself to the planes of his body and nestle into him.

He was too far away, Katniss noted crossly, she needed him closer. Lifting her head, she kissed the solid muscle over his heart. Peeta's breathing was just as laboured as her own, which was a comfort. Her lips trailed over the dip of his collar bone, and she licked the salt from his skin as her fingers closed around him.

He hissed at the touch, and finally lowered to her. They folded into one, the bends and contours of limbs and muscles fitting together as if their shapes were intended to match. His hollows met her curves, his swells settled against her valleys.

Peeta's head dipped to kiss her sweetly. His fingers swept through the wetness at the juncture of her legs, swirling over and circling places that made her squirm. For her part, Katniss tried to keep the provocative nibbles to a minimum. When they parted, Peeta moved his hand and pressed his hips even tighter to her. He bent to brush his nose to hers. "I never thought we'd be here," he breathed, a whispered confession.

"No?" she asked breathily. He was pressing against her so intimately, right there. All he had to do was shift a few inches, and he'd enter her. Katniss took a steadying breath and opened her eyes, striving for the focus to commit every facet of his tender happiness and need to memory.

Peeta moved to swirl his tongue over the tightly furled tips of her breasts. "I just didn't let myself hope for more than what we had at any given moment," he admitted, interspersing his words with nips along her ribs. His fingers complemented his mouth, dragging up over her torso, thumbs catching on her whetted nipples.

If she hadn't been so intent on his movements and where he'd go next, Katniss would have marveled that the person who continually renewed her hope had held back his own, hesitant to want too much or ask for more than she could give.

Retrospectively, Katniss felt as though it had always been leading to this, as unavoidable as a spark in tinder building to a conflagration, as inescapable as an arrow with unerring trajectory hitting its target. But throughout, Peeta had never allowed himself to feel any certainty. She knew he'd worried that his every move was a potential misstep, that every moment with her was one of a limited number.

And even now, Katniss couldn't say for sure that Peeta had been wrong in thinking that. She had changed. So had their circumstances. There was no other for her like Peeta, of that she was certain. Katniss would always want what they had now, and would fight to keep it. But she was a cautious and wary creature by nature, one that anticipated misfortune at every turn. What guarantee was there that she could continue to win that fight?

Especially when there was still so much Katniss could never give. She wouldn't toast him, or live with him. She would never have children. But she was committed to Peeta, in her way. Katniss would see him through any hardship, endure any strife for his benefit.

And here in this moment, there was much she ached to give him. More that she ought to say. All she managed, as she hooked her hands under Peeta's arms and pulled him up to her, spreading kisses over his skin, was, "We made it, we're here. You're mine, and I'm yours."

Their eyes met and held, and the time for any hesitance was past. Katniss tucked a calf over his hip, cradling him with her thighs, as Peeta reached down to ensure she was ready. His earlier attention and her hunger for this, and him, had left her more than prepared. She watched avidly as he positioned himself. This was really happening, Katniss thought. Everything but Peeta fled her mind.

"Still sure?" he asked, pausing. A glare quickly overtook her appetent expression, which was more than answer enough. Maintaining her gaze, Peeta pushed slowly inside, moaning at the feel of her. Warm wafts of his breath washed over Katniss as he rapidly exhaled, and she gasped in answer, caught up in the sensations assailing her. She'd heard talk about a pinch and pressure. Pain and a clenching burn. And yes, there was discomfort. There was tightness, and a stretch that wavered indecisively between unpleasant and odd. But those were the barest details, and there was no justice to that description.

Because no one had sufficiently explained the delicious slide of him within her, the rightness and fullness when he was all the way inside. The way his breaths were hers, his pulse and heartbeat shared and echoed. The way his chest heaved and his limbs trembled as he fought to hold still.

For an instant, she knew what it was to wholly possess Peeta, and she felt humbled. He hovered directly over her, bracketing her in, but the sensation he wrought filled her from the inside out. All Peeta. Only Peeta. He stared back, and she couldn't ignore the plea and question in his eyes.

Katniss rocked against him minutely, communicating her readiness. She couldn't gather words to speak yet. He started moving, gently, and it was almost too much to feel. She raised her forehead to his, brushing his sweaty locks with her own, and it grounded her. As his motions built in intensity, Katniss heard herself whimper with every thrust. She'd planned to be so much more composed than this.

Once Peeta found a rhythm, he was driven. He labored above her continuously, steady as he was in all endeavors. Katniss let the sounds of their coupling wash over her as she took him in. He was perspiring and breathing heavily. The expression on his face was poised arrestingly between agony and delectation. She wanted to soothe it, to tip his features firmly over bliss. But as he continued his unflagging pace, she could only curl her fingers in the bedclothes, clawing fervor and frenzy into the fabric beneath her.

"Peeta," she cried plaintively.

It was all getting away from her - thought, words, her breath, the runaway pleasure. She squeezed her thighs, trying to hold him within her, and Peeta groaned her name helplessly. But she couldn't stop the inexorable motion, it merely transformed as he rocked, then ground, against her instead. Katniss reached up and trailed her arms over the straining muscles of his shoulders, back and waist, and pressed the pads of her fingers to the supple skin of his buttocks. Her eyes closed blissfully, and she lowered her head back down. It was so good, and that was the only thought she could manage. Peeta's pace picked up again, and his movements soon grew disjointed.

Katniss felt fingers brushing at the wispy hair that haloed her face. She raised her eyelids, languid, to meet Peeta's gaze. The contrast of soft, fluttering touch at her temples and the unrelenting push and retreat deep inside her stole her breath.

"I'm close," he panted. "Are you?"

She could feel the first flickers of release, but she wasn't yet engulfed. Katniss shook her head, prepared to tell him not to wait, not to worry, she would take care of it. But his hand left her brow to intercept hers, pressing surely against the crucial spot at the juncture of her legs. He deftly stoked the fevered flesh until her need was raging like an inferno.

She wanted to shout and shiver and laugh at the magnificence of it. But the heat between them had burned away all the oxygen and she couldn't find her breath. All Katniss could do was hold his stare, eyes electric as they reached for the very best kept secret, and see her own joy and hunger reflected back at her.

Sensation banked and flared as his fingers expertly swept where they were joined, coaxing pleasure from her. She was racing toward the flash point, driven to reach it with him. Then Peeta was surging over her, pouring deliberation and heat into their coupling, and she hurtled over after him.

And oh, she'd thought they were sparks before, but knew nothing, nothing of fire. His heat seared and scraped along her nerves like flint, crackling as it caught and licked at her skin.

Katniss went up in flames. Her pulse roared in her ears and the blood in her veins pounded. Consumed and wrung out, the seconds elongated and snapped as she tried to grab them and collect them to her, to mark Peeta's peak and pleasure and keep this moment for herself. But she was insensate to all but the quaking aftershocks echoing through her.

When Katniss could again attend to sight and sound, she found Peeta hunched over her, still trembling. Her fingers trailed through the sweat cooling on his body, and she smiled at the heft of him, enjoying his breadth and weight on her, the ruddiness of his flushed skin. Reveling in the very animal nature of what they'd done.

He shakily withdrew from her, and Katniss felt an ache which hadn't mattered before, but taken with the stickiness between her legs, she preferred not to dwell on. She itched to get her hands on the vial of wild carrot seed tincture in her coat pocket.

Peeta rose and moved over her, padding out to the kitchen. She called out, requesting he bring her jacket when he came back to bed. He returned momentarily with a dampened rag as well. "Here," he said gently.

Cheeks warming, she gingerly pressed it between her thighs to clean up. When she was done, Peeta took it from her without hesitation and set it aside. She reached for her coat, removing the vial and anxiously gulping down its contents. Peeta crawled back under the covers and gathered her up, refusing to allow distance between them.

"You alright?" he asked, trailing his fingers through her unbound hair. "I tried to hold on, but nothing could ever feel so good as you did, Katniss, and I couldn't-"

She dropped a lazy kiss on his nose. "It was perfect," she whispered. "Are you happy?"

He trailed his lips up her chin and to her mouth, where he left a sweet, lingering kiss behind. "More than I can say."

Her lips curved, pleased and proud as she settled into his side. "Well. Seeing as you're normally so good with words, I'll take that as an indisputable victory."

Peeta's eyelids drooped as he hummed his agreement and slid an arm around her. "The only word I have at this exact moment is 'sleep,'" he mumbled. Katniss bit her lip on a laugh as she tucked her head down and watched as he started drifting off, the picture of contentment. His breathing had already evened when he stirred and cracked an eye open. "You too. Sleep."

"Okay," she murmured, and reached over to extinguish the bedside lantern before nesting in his arms.

oOo - - oOo - - oOo

When she next woke, bluish-gray light was seeping in Peeta's window. The air was hushed and weighted. Dawn draped everything in a stillness that seemed rent from time. Katniss fleetingly thought of her mother and Prim, and the fact that she'd never returned home last night. But she pushed those thoughts away, in favor of a more immediate one, whose legs tangled warmly with hers, and whose soft breaths stirred the hair that spilled over her shoulders.

Katniss was a little worried that she'd opened herself up to a whole new form of hunger. Not that she hadn't craved Peeta fervently before. But as new as she was to this, it was hard not to be impatient about when she and Peeta could do it again. The closeness and the connection between them had been indescribable. But the tincture wasn't limitless in supply, so they would have to be selective about reaching the point that it was necessary. She'd have to get used to wanting Peeta this way, always.

He stirred, blinking groggily before meeting her watchful gaze. His smile was slow and elated. "That was real then? Last night?"

"Very real," Katniss affirmed with sly satisfaction. Her fingers traced the edge of the sheet where it rested against Peeta's skin.

"I half thought I'd dreamt it," he rasped.

"Mmm, I'm afraid I have the sore muscles to prove it," she answered ruefully. "Otherwise…" Katniss stretched to capture his lips in a voracious kiss. She licked at his mouth until he granted her access, and she poured her arousal and appreciation into the embrace.

When they parted, Peeta hooked a finger around the blanket just over her breasts and leisurely drew the fabric away. Katniss felt goosebumps prickle as the cool fabric trailed over her skin.

He savored the sight of her supine form. "How are you feeling? Are you very sore?"

Katniss shook her head. "Nothing life-threatening, Peeta," she teased.

"And...you don't regret it?" His voice was raw with vulnerability.

"Only insofar as it prevents me from repeating those activities with you now."

"I just meant-"

I know what you meant," Katniss cooed, pressing her palm over his heart. She peppered little kisses beneath his jaw. Her fingertips traced down the center of his chest and over the pleasing hint of ridges and dips on his abdomen, tracking through the sparse hair that deviated from his navel and continued toward her ultimate destination. Katniss held him in her hands, feeling the weight and heat of him. "And I don't."

Katniss closed her fingers in a firm grasp and Peeta groaned. "Now if only there was an enjoyable way to pass the time while I'm still tender," she mused wickedly punctuating her words with a firm tug. Peeta rocked his hips sinuously, before nudging her hand away and pivoting over her. "You first. Let me soothe you."

And then he was moving lower until his breath bathed the curls between her thighs. "You're so beautiful," Peeta murmured. He draped her leg over his shoulder and bent to the task. She was ready for him, and Peeta hummed his appreciation at her response. "My very own confection," he mumbled into her flesh, to which she snorted her disbelief. Her rejoindered "Utter drivel," lost its bite when she followed it with a moan of pure pleasure.

Her arms moved of their own volition, hands wrapping about his head to hold him in place. If she'd had any wherewithal, Katniss might have regretted her vice-like grip on the waves of his hair, but as it was she clenched her fingers around the strands and guided his motions into a rhythm she particularly liked.

It didn't take long before bliss rolled slowly over her again, a quaking certainty that pounded through her muscles. The ache was sweet, twisting into sharp pangs that pulsed in time to her convulsions. She felt it so deeply it was elemental.

Once her tired body had strained and weathered its joy, Katniss nudged Peeta away. He swiped his tongue along his lips and grinned, panting. Then he slipped his fingers one more time through her folds, gathering up her wetness and gripping himself with his slickened hand.

Peeta couldn't wait for her to catch her breath. Katniss watched ravenously as he helped himself.. Even so thoroughly tended to, she wanted more of him. All of it.

She was jealous of even his hand upon himself. She had to touch him, and partake in his pleasure. Sitting up, Katniss reached over and slid her hand up his thigh. Her fingers spread to surround his as they moved in tandem, embellishing on his rhythm with each pass of their entwined hands. She listened for the stutter of his breath when her thumb grazed his tip on every upstroke.

Katniss slipped her other hand down to cradle him, heavy, between his legs. Peeta's head hung forward and he bit his lip, enraptured. Even with the mesmerizing sight before her - their rapid movements, the marvelous expanse of his skin on display, and the tangle of their limbs in the sheets - Katniss found herself seeking Peeta's gaze.

There were worlds locked away in him, she knew. And in this moment, as his breath quickened and caught, every one was laid bare for her perusal. He stared into her, open, a challenge to witness him in entirety. Katniss looked her fill as his release flooded him, and long after it had receded. She cried out with him when he came, and worked him through it, easing the lines of distressed pleasure from around his face. The room was more light than dark when she finally closed her eyes and met his lips, soothing the spots where he'd dug his teeth with a swipe of her tongue.

Peeta's hand gripped her hair, holding her to him for several minutes. When they broke, Katniss settled back down by his side. Sated and content, her eyelids drooped as she gradually loosened her grasp on consciousness.

oOo - - oOo - - oOo

The sun was bright in the sky when Katniss next awoke. She ought not feel so satisfied with herself, she mused with a decadent stretch. It had to be at least midday and she'd missed the window to make a trip to the forest worthwhile. Katniss really couldn't make a habit of this, though she was eagerly anticipating the next time. She heard Peeta puttering in the kitchen, probably fixing them something to eat. It was a comfortable, domestic sound, and Katniss liked being around to hear it.

The sound of a knock at the kitchen door halted her indulgent thoughts in their tracks. Perhaps Faren was dropping something off, or there was a future customer who hadn't heard they were opening in a week. It could even be a group of children looking for more free cookies. Either way, Katniss did not want to be found undressed in Peeta's bed. She darted out from under the blankets and pushed the bedroom door closed before Peeta could answer the summons. Better to get dressed and wait quietly here for them to leave. The front door opened and greetings were exchanged as Katniss was rapidly gathering her clothes. Once she recognized the voice, she began frantically weighing whether she'd be able to duck out the window unnoticed.

A quiet knock on the bedroom door froze her heart in her chest. After an extended silence filled with many longing glances directed at the window, Katniss watched as the door cracked open and Peeta stuck his head inside.

"Katniss?" he said softly, his eyes beginning at the bed and roaming over the room to where she stood. "Prim wants to see you." His look was deeply apologetic.

"You just volunteered that I was here?" she hissed, a mortified blush climbing to her ears.

Peeta shook his head and quickly slipped into the room. "I didn't. But I doubt it was a huge leap for Prim to assume you'd be here," he said gently. "She came with the express purpose to see you, not me."

Katniss deflated. This was going to be beyond awkward. After last night's fiasco with their soon-to-be in-laws, she wasn't eager to hash it out with Prim, who was in an unenviable position herself.

She also knew there would be smug, knowing grins and endless teasing from Prim, who'd always taken an inordinate interest in Katniss' dealings with Peeta. She hadn't planned on being ambushed the morning after they'd finally slept together. "I'm coming out. Did she at least apologize for last night?"

Peeta nodded. "She did. On behalf of all the Hawthornes and for herself, though she didn't really do anything. I told her it wasn't necessary, but she was insistent."

Katniss snorted. It was a start. Though if the Hawthorne offspring wanted back in her good graces, they'd have to make it up to Peeta themselves.

She finished plaiting her hair and looked up at him peevishly. This isn't how she'd pictured their morning together. "Why can't she go away? It was just supposed to be us," Katniss muttered, sullen.

Peeta laughed and helped her up. "May I remind you, Prim is your favorite person in the whole world. She probably just wants to make things right with you after yesterday."

Katniss nodded and squared her shoulders, girding herself. "Hey." He cupped her face in his palms and teased a bevy of small kisses from her lips." I'll be here after you two talk. It'll be just us again soon."

They exited to the kitchen, where Peeta had set Prim up at the battered wooden table with a mug of tea.

If Katniss looked nervous, Prim resembled a rabbit staring down a wild dog. There was no knowing look or teasing sparkle in her eyes.

"Shouldn't you be in school, Prim?" Katniss asked as she sat opposite. Prim looked down at her tea and half shrugged.

"I decided to stop by during lunch. I- I'm probably not going back for the rest of the day."

Katniss' brow furrowed. It was highly unlike Prim to skip school; she couldn't recall a single instance in the past. Despite the curriculum's skewed focus toward propaganda, Prim's academic achievement was a source of pride for her and the family.

"I just- I have to talk to you Katniss," Prim said, sounding a little desperate. "I wanted you to hear this when everyone else did last night, when it was the whole family, and Rory and I could tell you together."

Peeta shifted against the frame of the bedroom doorway, where he'd been hovering since they'd reentered the room. "Prim, should I leave?"

Looking at Peeta, Prim shook her head. "You might as well stay, you would have heard it too, Peeta."

She looked back down at the table and bit her lip, directing her words back to Katniss. "The last thing I wanted was to tell you this when you're already upset with me. Or with Rory. But now both families know, and I can't wait any longer."

Prim raised pleading eyes to Katniss. The elder Everdeen reached out and gripped her fingers. "Prim, I know you and Rory were going to officially announce your engagement. It's not exactly a shock; you told me ages ago that you were hoping to toast right after graduation. It's okay. I'm very angry with Rory and the Hawthornes right now, but I'm still happy for you, Little Duck. Why are you so upset?"

"Because," Prim croaked, despair in her voice. "Because that's not what we were going to announce and you're going to hate me!" She sounded like she had as a little girl after one of her nightmares, on the verge of tears and inconsolable. "Katniss," she sobbed, "I'm pregnant."

Author's Note: I suspect it was a surprise to NO ONE that Prim is pregnant. You savvy readers picked that out a mile away chapters ago, but it was either lay some (obvious) groundwork for it, or spring it completely out of nowhere.

Thank you SO much for reading! To everyone that has given kudos, favorited, followed, commented, reviewed, etc over the past 2 years, I got an email about it, I saw, and it meant so much to me. Each one reminded me that I had to get back to this story before I got back to anything else in the THG fandom. Thank you. I wish this chapter could be worth the wait.

That leads me to a shameless plea for more: Please review/comment(even if it is constructively negative)! It is truly the oxygen writers breathe.

And now for some random ramblings:

An embrasure can describe either a window or a door that is built to narrow inward on the sides toward the interior (think those narrow, slanted stone windows on castle towers). I especially wanted to use it for the title because of its resemblance to "embrace," since Peeta and Katniss finally consummate their relationship. Kudos to you if you winced as I inelegantly forced it into the text. Got it in by the skin of my teeth! ;)

"Mudlarks" was a term in the Victorian era for the beggar children that rooted around in the muck on the banks of the Thames, scavenging anything salvageable/saleable (including coal) that washed up from the river. The word then came to be synonymous with street urchins in general. I think "soot larks" is a fitting District 12 equivalent.

I hope I don't really need to say this: the use of wild carrot seed in this fic is in no way a endorsement of it as a birth control method. From what I have been able to find online, its efficacy is anecdotal and NOT universal, as in, some folks confidently claim it works great for them, and others say it's not reliable.

That said, SPOILER ALERT: as the prophylactic vehicle for this story, the carrot seed extract WILL work for the characters that take it correctly. Katniss will not be having an unexpected pregnancy, I'm not going to put her through the wringer like that. One unplanned pregnancy by proxy via Prim is more than distressing enough for poor Katniss.

I am ghtlovesthg on tumblr, if you like Hunger Games content. Or ghtlikesotherstufftoo for all the rest. I haven't been active for ages, but now I'm back! See you there, perhaps!