A Dandelion in the Sun - 3
Title: A Dandelion in the Sun
Author: exquisite_ugly
Fandom: The Hunger Games
Rating: T
Characters: Katniss/Peeta
Genre: Romance/Angst
Warnings: Some sexual situations, though not overly descriptive.
Summary:
Some of Katniss and Peeta's moments together after Mockingjay that lead to discovery, understanding and healing for both of them. Multi-chapter, romance
*~*~*
*~*~*
Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without. ~James C. Dobson
*~*~*
I paced around the spare bedroom waiting for my mother to bring the wedding dress in. We had discovered from my old prep team that Cinna had created a dress for me - one I had never known about - for my wedding day. It would have seemed presumptuous, but he had known me pretty well. I had felt the flicker of pain that came with the happiness over wearing something he had made for me.
She came in carrying a garment bag over her arm. I paused, swallowed hard, and my mother smiled gently. "There was a note with it."
I stared down at the folded square of paper.
I carefully unzipped the garment bag, keeping my eyes closed until it was fully exposed. When I opened them, I couldn't help the little gasp. It was a simple white strapless gown, but the dress had criss-crossing lines of green in the shape of a willow tree. Upon closer inspection, they were reflective little jewels and flashed a beautiful forest-green in the light. There was a small button sewn into the inside of the dress and when I pushed it the dress emitted a soft green glow.
It was stunning. Cinna knew how much I loved being in my forest at home and created a wedding dress that showed that. I opened the letter and read:
Katniss,
Maybe it's a bit presumptuous of me, but I had this idea for a wedding dress that would suit you and I had to create it. I don't know what choices you will make in the future, but my bet is still with the girl on fire; to live and to live the best way you know how. I hope this comes in handy for you one day. Remember… chin up.
Your friend,
Cinna
I stared down at the letter, a lump in my throat, thinking of my Capitol friend who supported me through everything. Cinna was remarkably talented, and I was excited to wear his creation today in memory of him.
My mother helped me into the dress, and then she stood behind me and did my hair the way she had done for the Reaping.
"You look beautiful," she said quietly.
I smiled. My mother and I had a rough relationship in the beginning, but it had eased and softened recently, especially after the loss we had suffered. She lived in another district, but it had helped us grow closer in some ways.
"Thank you," I said accepting her hug.
When she left, my mind wandered, and I couldn't stop thinking of Prim. I felt the misery welling up, and I tried to dispel it. She should have been here with me. When Haymitch came in, he took one look at my face and said, "I'll get Peeta."
I didn't want Peeta to see me like this on our wedding day, but he was the only one who could calm me down. When he came in, I went right into his arms. His hands rubbed my back, his lips pressed against my temple, as I tried to rein in the grief.
"She should be here," I said angrily as tears slid down my cheeks. "She should be here for my wedding day. I miss her so much, Peeta."
He kissed me and brushed my tears away. "She should be," he agreed.
He let me cry against his shoulder, and I glanced up at him after a few moments. I could see the loss and sadness on his face and felt guilty.
"You miss your family, too, don't you? I'm sorry, Peeta."
He gave me a small smile. "I do. I miss my father especially. I wish he was here."
We hugged each other, awash in our shared grief, until Peeta pulled back. "Let's get married, Katniss," he said firmly. "Let's get married and have a good time for them."
I smiled, agreeing with him, and knew that Prim would have wanted that. So would the other friends we had lost. I carefully washed my face and put a little gold eyeliner on in honor of Cinna. My old prep team would have been proud especially since I escaped stabbing myself in the eye with the pencil.
Peeta held out a thin, green ribbon. "Your mother gave me this. She said you might want to wear it."
I felt that pang again as I stared down at one of Prim's hair ribbons. I held out my wrist and Peeta carefully tied it on. I pressed my wrist over my heart, closed my eyes, and then we walked downstairs.
"I'm scared," I whispered to him.
His bright blue eyes met mine. "So am I," he confessed.
It was enough for me to know that this was meant to be. We were both scared, but we wanted to be scared together.
"You look beautiful," he murmured in my ear as we went into the newly built Justice Building to sign the papers. It didn't take long to cover that aspect of it, and we were standing in the open field near our home with all our friends and family looking on.
Haymitch came over to us and placed a hand over our joined ones, and we stood in a little huddle - my own little family - and our eyes met.
"May the odds be ever in your favor," Haymitch said which set me off. Peeta's grin made me laugh a little more.
I couldn't help chuckling at Effie's words coming out of Haymitch's mouth. After our moment of merriment, he shook Peeta's hand and kissed my forehead.
We walked into our home - the one given to me because he knew my memories of Prim were there - to toast our bit of bread to share. We sat by the fire built by my mother and toasted the bread and took turns feeding each other a bite. He kissed me gently afterward - my new husband - and smiled.
Food was brought out and there were some familiar faces. "Hey, brainless," a voice said from behind me when there was a lull in the greetings.
A grin lit up my face as I turned and took in Johanna Mason. Her brown hair was still cut short, but was at least partially tidy. She looked healthier and somehow smoother. Time really did seem to help her.
She was smiling, but trying not to. "Congratulations on the marriage," she added. Neither of us was very demonstrative, so we had an awkward hand-shake slash one-armed hug.
"It's good to see you again," I said honestly. "I'm surprised you came. I suppose I'm glad, though." I gave her a smirk.
She chuckled. "Sure you are. I'm not the only one either. Look," she said and pointed out Annie Odair.
Annie turned and saw me, a beautiful baby boy in her arms, and hurried over to hug me. She handed me her young son without question, and my heart squeezed at how much he looked like Finnick. He was already the spitting image of his father. I missed Finnick's easy laugh, his blue eyes, his strength, and the way he understood me.
I wasn't really one to hold children comfortably, but I couldn't help hugging Finnick's child. It eased the hurt to hold his baby and see that he would be carried on in his son.
Annie whispered, "He would have loved this. Congratulations, Katniss."
I smiled, trying not to cry, and thanked her. She moved on to Peeta and we ate, talked to everyone, and danced the evening away. It was a bittersweet night in some ways, but I was happy. When everyone left, Peeta and I went upstairs to our bedroom.
After we undressed and slid into bed, Peeta hovered over me. "I love you, Mrs. Mellark," he whispered, leaning down to kiss me and nuzzle my neck. I was sure there would be no nightmares tonight.
A slow smile began to creep over my face. "And I love you, Mr. Mellark," and pulled him down to me to start our first night as husband and wife.
*~*~*
Not long after the wedding, I had received a letter in the mail. When I opened it, I swallowed with some difficulty. The memories swamped me, and I felt a mix of nervousness and relief. It was from Gale.
Catnip,
We both know things have been different, and I think we have both come to terms with that. So, I wanted to tell you that I'm happy for you. I'm glad you can find some happiness - and hopefully some peace - with your marriage to Peeta. I hope that one day we can talk again. I miss the way we used to be.
Gale
I pressed my lips together to keep them from quivering at his old nickname for me. I held that little scrap of paper close to my heart. It gave me hope, knowing he was okay and that he still cared. It had been a relief to stop hurting Gale. It gave me time for the ache to ease that it could have been his bomb that killed my sister. It also gave me time to grow together again with Peeta. I had told myself that I would not hold Gale responsible for anything. I knew - and had always known - that he would have done whatever it took to save my family.
When and if it came to seeing each other again, I would make sure Peeta was okay with it, and I would get to see Gale again.
A few days went by and the weather was terrible. It was a hot and muggy evening, and I was restless. I had gone hunting in the morning which soothed me, spent some time trading with the citizens of District 12, but the weather had ended up pushing me back home as the humidity became oppressive even after the sun had went down. I saw that Peeta had eaten already, so I did the same. I turned the television on, watched for a few moments, and flicked it off.
The book of portraits Peeta had painted, and the actual photographs we had of all the people we had cared for, lay open on the side table. My fingers automatically flipped through it, and I stared down at the pictures with the prick of grief that was ever-present. I closed it and decided to go see what Peeta was doing.
He was in the room that had become his studio, and I leaned against the doorjamb, watching him concentrate on his brush strokes. I stayed quiet so I wouldn't disturb him, and when he pulled his hand away, I said softly, "That's beautiful."
I saw a picture of the two of us, fingers curled together, and standing by our fireplace with the bit of bread we had toasted on our wedding day.
He turned, his mouth curving into a smile. He reached out an arm to me, and I leaned against his side. "You ready to go to bed?" I asked, feeling the now familiar hunger spread through me. I was eager for Peeta's way of distracting me from my thoughts and the nightmares that still came.
Peeta could sense how I felt, and his grin flashed in the darkening room. "I'd like to paint one more thing, but I need your help. It shouldn't take too long."
Curious now, I asked him, "What's that?"
"You," he said calmly.
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Me? You want to paint me?"
He nodded, shifting his paints closer to him and setting up a new easel. I shrugged, willing to play along. "Um... okay. Where do you want me?" I asked.
"How about on the couch?" He followed me over as I sat down. His hands urged me to stretch out on my side, my head propped up on my hand, the other draped along my hip.
"Now..." he murmured. He began calmly unbuttoning my jeans.
"Peeta!" I laughed. "What are you doing?"
"Nude portrait," he answered simply, and I could see the teasing gleam in his eye.
"Are you joking?" I already felt a little strange posing, but posing nude?
"No, Katniss. But if you're too scared to do so..."
I glared at him half-heartedly. He was harassing me, telling me I didn't have the nerve to do it. Well, I'd show him.
I pushed his hands away, unbuttoned and slid my pants and underwear down my legs. I kicked them off and at him. He laughed, watching me as he caught them. I pulled my t-shirt over my head.
"Let me," he whispered, his mouth close to my ear.
His fingers moved to my back, slowly but deftly unhooking my bra. His eyes were trained on me as my small breasts were bared before him. I stretched back out into position, smiling inwardly at his look. Then it was his turn to smile as he undid my braid and smoothed it so it lay over one breast, leaving the other exposed. He slid one hand between my thighs, gently bending the one on top back in a casual pose. I swallowed and did my best to act unaffected.
"Perfect," he murmured. "You'll be much cooler this way, too," he said with a light laugh.
It was a strange feeling being so exposed, but I liked watching Peeta while he watched me and the easel. He got that look of intense concentration he usually got when immersed in painting or drawing. It was relaxing laying in this pose, watching his hands move over the easel, feeling the fan blowing over my bare skin, and hearing absolutely nothing but the soft sounds of the paintbrush swishing over the easel.
Just as my body was beginning to cramp being in this position for so long, he sat back. "I got the outline; I just need to fill in a little color later. Do you want to see it?"
I sat up, eager to see, as he turned it to face me. It was beautiful. I never really thought of myself as beautiful, but under his hands - metaphorically and physically - I came alive and looked stunning.
I stood up, moving over toward him, examining the picture as I felt his eyes examine me. "I don't know… my one breast looks a little lopsided…" I teased.
I squirmed away from his grasp with a grin as he advanced on me. A soft chuckle escaped his lips, just before he caught hold of my hips. We ended up back on the sofa, his warm hands exploring my body as his lips explored my breasts, my neck, and up to my lips.
My body was on fire, and I embraced the heat as he entered me and drove me to the brink. Afterward, I realized it still felt so rare for me to have something so beautiful in my life, as I held on to him. It was him and what we shared. I pressed my lips to his, truly knowing just how lucky I was to have him.
*~*~*
Author: exquisite_ugly
Fandom: The Hunger Games
Rating: T
Characters: Katniss/Peeta
Genre: Romance/Angst
Warnings: Some sexual situations, though not overly descriptive.
Summary:
Some of Katniss and Peeta's moments together after Mockingjay that lead to discovery, understanding and healing for both of them. Multi-chapter, romance
*~*~*
*~*~*
Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without. ~James C. Dobson
*~*~*
I paced around the spare bedroom waiting for my mother to bring the wedding dress in. We had discovered from my old prep team that Cinna had created a dress for me - one I had never known about - for my wedding day. It would have seemed presumptuous, but he had known me pretty well. I had felt the flicker of pain that came with the happiness over wearing something he had made for me.
She came in carrying a garment bag over her arm. I paused, swallowed hard, and my mother smiled gently. "There was a note with it."
I stared down at the folded square of paper.
I carefully unzipped the garment bag, keeping my eyes closed until it was fully exposed. When I opened them, I couldn't help the little gasp. It was a simple white strapless gown, but the dress had criss-crossing lines of green in the shape of a willow tree. Upon closer inspection, they were reflective little jewels and flashed a beautiful forest-green in the light. There was a small button sewn into the inside of the dress and when I pushed it the dress emitted a soft green glow.
It was stunning. Cinna knew how much I loved being in my forest at home and created a wedding dress that showed that. I opened the letter and read:
Katniss,
Maybe it's a bit presumptuous of me, but I had this idea for a wedding dress that would suit you and I had to create it. I don't know what choices you will make in the future, but my bet is still with the girl on fire; to live and to live the best way you know how. I hope this comes in handy for you one day. Remember… chin up.
Your friend,
Cinna
I stared down at the letter, a lump in my throat, thinking of my Capitol friend who supported me through everything. Cinna was remarkably talented, and I was excited to wear his creation today in memory of him.
My mother helped me into the dress, and then she stood behind me and did my hair the way she had done for the Reaping.
"You look beautiful," she said quietly.
I smiled. My mother and I had a rough relationship in the beginning, but it had eased and softened recently, especially after the loss we had suffered. She lived in another district, but it had helped us grow closer in some ways.
"Thank you," I said accepting her hug.
When she left, my mind wandered, and I couldn't stop thinking of Prim. I felt the misery welling up, and I tried to dispel it. She should have been here with me. When Haymitch came in, he took one look at my face and said, "I'll get Peeta."
I didn't want Peeta to see me like this on our wedding day, but he was the only one who could calm me down. When he came in, I went right into his arms. His hands rubbed my back, his lips pressed against my temple, as I tried to rein in the grief.
"She should be here," I said angrily as tears slid down my cheeks. "She should be here for my wedding day. I miss her so much, Peeta."
He kissed me and brushed my tears away. "She should be," he agreed.
He let me cry against his shoulder, and I glanced up at him after a few moments. I could see the loss and sadness on his face and felt guilty.
"You miss your family, too, don't you? I'm sorry, Peeta."
He gave me a small smile. "I do. I miss my father especially. I wish he was here."
We hugged each other, awash in our shared grief, until Peeta pulled back. "Let's get married, Katniss," he said firmly. "Let's get married and have a good time for them."
I smiled, agreeing with him, and knew that Prim would have wanted that. So would the other friends we had lost. I carefully washed my face and put a little gold eyeliner on in honor of Cinna. My old prep team would have been proud especially since I escaped stabbing myself in the eye with the pencil.
Peeta held out a thin, green ribbon. "Your mother gave me this. She said you might want to wear it."
I felt that pang again as I stared down at one of Prim's hair ribbons. I held out my wrist and Peeta carefully tied it on. I pressed my wrist over my heart, closed my eyes, and then we walked downstairs.
"I'm scared," I whispered to him.
His bright blue eyes met mine. "So am I," he confessed.
It was enough for me to know that this was meant to be. We were both scared, but we wanted to be scared together.
"You look beautiful," he murmured in my ear as we went into the newly built Justice Building to sign the papers. It didn't take long to cover that aspect of it, and we were standing in the open field near our home with all our friends and family looking on.
Haymitch came over to us and placed a hand over our joined ones, and we stood in a little huddle - my own little family - and our eyes met.
"May the odds be ever in your favor," Haymitch said which set me off. Peeta's grin made me laugh a little more.
I couldn't help chuckling at Effie's words coming out of Haymitch's mouth. After our moment of merriment, he shook Peeta's hand and kissed my forehead.
We walked into our home - the one given to me because he knew my memories of Prim were there - to toast our bit of bread to share. We sat by the fire built by my mother and toasted the bread and took turns feeding each other a bite. He kissed me gently afterward - my new husband - and smiled.
Food was brought out and there were some familiar faces. "Hey, brainless," a voice said from behind me when there was a lull in the greetings.
A grin lit up my face as I turned and took in Johanna Mason. Her brown hair was still cut short, but was at least partially tidy. She looked healthier and somehow smoother. Time really did seem to help her.
She was smiling, but trying not to. "Congratulations on the marriage," she added. Neither of us was very demonstrative, so we had an awkward hand-shake slash one-armed hug.
"It's good to see you again," I said honestly. "I'm surprised you came. I suppose I'm glad, though." I gave her a smirk.
She chuckled. "Sure you are. I'm not the only one either. Look," she said and pointed out Annie Odair.
Annie turned and saw me, a beautiful baby boy in her arms, and hurried over to hug me. She handed me her young son without question, and my heart squeezed at how much he looked like Finnick. He was already the spitting image of his father. I missed Finnick's easy laugh, his blue eyes, his strength, and the way he understood me.
I wasn't really one to hold children comfortably, but I couldn't help hugging Finnick's child. It eased the hurt to hold his baby and see that he would be carried on in his son.
Annie whispered, "He would have loved this. Congratulations, Katniss."
I smiled, trying not to cry, and thanked her. She moved on to Peeta and we ate, talked to everyone, and danced the evening away. It was a bittersweet night in some ways, but I was happy. When everyone left, Peeta and I went upstairs to our bedroom.
After we undressed and slid into bed, Peeta hovered over me. "I love you, Mrs. Mellark," he whispered, leaning down to kiss me and nuzzle my neck. I was sure there would be no nightmares tonight.
A slow smile began to creep over my face. "And I love you, Mr. Mellark," and pulled him down to me to start our first night as husband and wife.
*~*~*
Not long after the wedding, I had received a letter in the mail. When I opened it, I swallowed with some difficulty. The memories swamped me, and I felt a mix of nervousness and relief. It was from Gale.
Catnip,
We both know things have been different, and I think we have both come to terms with that. So, I wanted to tell you that I'm happy for you. I'm glad you can find some happiness - and hopefully some peace - with your marriage to Peeta. I hope that one day we can talk again. I miss the way we used to be.
Gale
I pressed my lips together to keep them from quivering at his old nickname for me. I held that little scrap of paper close to my heart. It gave me hope, knowing he was okay and that he still cared. It had been a relief to stop hurting Gale. It gave me time for the ache to ease that it could have been his bomb that killed my sister. It also gave me time to grow together again with Peeta. I had told myself that I would not hold Gale responsible for anything. I knew - and had always known - that he would have done whatever it took to save my family.
When and if it came to seeing each other again, I would make sure Peeta was okay with it, and I would get to see Gale again.
A few days went by and the weather was terrible. It was a hot and muggy evening, and I was restless. I had gone hunting in the morning which soothed me, spent some time trading with the citizens of District 12, but the weather had ended up pushing me back home as the humidity became oppressive even after the sun had went down. I saw that Peeta had eaten already, so I did the same. I turned the television on, watched for a few moments, and flicked it off.
The book of portraits Peeta had painted, and the actual photographs we had of all the people we had cared for, lay open on the side table. My fingers automatically flipped through it, and I stared down at the pictures with the prick of grief that was ever-present. I closed it and decided to go see what Peeta was doing.
He was in the room that had become his studio, and I leaned against the doorjamb, watching him concentrate on his brush strokes. I stayed quiet so I wouldn't disturb him, and when he pulled his hand away, I said softly, "That's beautiful."
I saw a picture of the two of us, fingers curled together, and standing by our fireplace with the bit of bread we had toasted on our wedding day.
He turned, his mouth curving into a smile. He reached out an arm to me, and I leaned against his side. "You ready to go to bed?" I asked, feeling the now familiar hunger spread through me. I was eager for Peeta's way of distracting me from my thoughts and the nightmares that still came.
Peeta could sense how I felt, and his grin flashed in the darkening room. "I'd like to paint one more thing, but I need your help. It shouldn't take too long."
Curious now, I asked him, "What's that?"
"You," he said calmly.
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Me? You want to paint me?"
He nodded, shifting his paints closer to him and setting up a new easel. I shrugged, willing to play along. "Um... okay. Where do you want me?" I asked.
"How about on the couch?" He followed me over as I sat down. His hands urged me to stretch out on my side, my head propped up on my hand, the other draped along my hip.
"Now..." he murmured. He began calmly unbuttoning my jeans.
"Peeta!" I laughed. "What are you doing?"
"Nude portrait," he answered simply, and I could see the teasing gleam in his eye.
"Are you joking?" I already felt a little strange posing, but posing nude?
"No, Katniss. But if you're too scared to do so..."
I glared at him half-heartedly. He was harassing me, telling me I didn't have the nerve to do it. Well, I'd show him.
I pushed his hands away, unbuttoned and slid my pants and underwear down my legs. I kicked them off and at him. He laughed, watching me as he caught them. I pulled my t-shirt over my head.
"Let me," he whispered, his mouth close to my ear.
His fingers moved to my back, slowly but deftly unhooking my bra. His eyes were trained on me as my small breasts were bared before him. I stretched back out into position, smiling inwardly at his look. Then it was his turn to smile as he undid my braid and smoothed it so it lay over one breast, leaving the other exposed. He slid one hand between my thighs, gently bending the one on top back in a casual pose. I swallowed and did my best to act unaffected.
"Perfect," he murmured. "You'll be much cooler this way, too," he said with a light laugh.
It was a strange feeling being so exposed, but I liked watching Peeta while he watched me and the easel. He got that look of intense concentration he usually got when immersed in painting or drawing. It was relaxing laying in this pose, watching his hands move over the easel, feeling the fan blowing over my bare skin, and hearing absolutely nothing but the soft sounds of the paintbrush swishing over the easel.
Just as my body was beginning to cramp being in this position for so long, he sat back. "I got the outline; I just need to fill in a little color later. Do you want to see it?"
I sat up, eager to see, as he turned it to face me. It was beautiful. I never really thought of myself as beautiful, but under his hands - metaphorically and physically - I came alive and looked stunning.
I stood up, moving over toward him, examining the picture as I felt his eyes examine me. "I don't know… my one breast looks a little lopsided…" I teased.
I squirmed away from his grasp with a grin as he advanced on me. A soft chuckle escaped his lips, just before he caught hold of my hips. We ended up back on the sofa, his warm hands exploring my body as his lips explored my breasts, my neck, and up to my lips.
My body was on fire, and I embraced the heat as he entered me and drove me to the brink. Afterward, I realized it still felt so rare for me to have something so beautiful in my life, as I held on to him. It was him and what we shared. I pressed my lips to his, truly knowing just how lucky I was to have him.
*~*~*