"Do you remember it?" Peeta asks me as I braid my hair in front of the bathroom mirror.

"Peeta, we've had shared so many memories. You need to be more specific." I chide, and show him a smile in the reflection of the mirror.

"Our wedding night?" Peeta specifies, and my hands fall to my sides as they finish tying up my braid.

"Yes I do. I remember it like it happened yesterday." I smile wider and the whole event becomes a moving image in my mind.

I gaze at the red and yellows illuminate the darkish room. How the cracking of wood breaks the silence. I sigh as I listen to this cracking and snapping of the blaze.

I turn to Peeta, who sits across from me. Our fingers are locked together and I let myself bear the faintest of smiles, I'd be surprised if he saw it.

"Katniss?" Peeta says and extends his free arm slightly to give me a small bread roll that he made himself.

I gingerly accept the small roll of bread.

”Thank you." I say in the quietest voice possible, the ambient ceremony that we shared today was enough to render me nervous. But the truth is, it's this moment - that will occur very soon. This is the moment that I've been the most nervous about.

Peeta grabs another small roll for himself and passes me a rod. I do as Peeta does, and pierce the roll right through the middle. Everything is happening so fast. What will happen after the toasting is over? Will we feel normal, or closer? Peeta leans his head against mine as we reach our arms out to begin toasting our bread over the raging fire. We're nearly done. We're nearly properly married.

I bring the bread roll out of the blaze to examine it, and its done. I take the toasted roll off the rod and I rest it in the basket to cool, for long enough so I can handle it with my hands, the rod, I place by the fireplace. Peeta toasts his a few seconds longer than I did, before placing it beside mine in the basket.

"Katniss.." He starts and I turn my head towards him, both our foreheads and noses touching.

"Yes, Peeta?" I respond, in an even quieter voice than before. My free hand covers our entwined ones.

"You know, whatever happens I'll be there. Wherever life leads you, I'll go with you. I'm going to love and spoil you until my death. There is nothing that will separate us again. Because our bond is so strong, no one would even dare to touch it." He states, I close my eyes at his speech, adoration filling me up.

"I could never thank you enough, Peeta. For bringing me to life again when I thought there was nothing left." I say slowly, "I know your way with words surpasses mine by far, but I had to say something at least.”

"Whatever you say still gives me butterflies." Peeta says and rubs the back of my hand. He turns to the basket and grabs both our rolls, passing my one to me. He breaks a small chunk off of his and I do as well.

I hold the chunk of bread in my hand and look up to him, I exhale heavily out of nervousness. I look deeply into his eyes, they're far too captivating and I lose focus towards the matter at hand.

"Katniss." Peeta suddenly says, snapping me out of my trance. "Open up." He prompts, I open my mouth for Peeta to place the chunk of bread in. "I love you so much."

I chew the bread thoroughly as if it were tough deer meat. After I finally swallow, I shakily hold the piece of toasted bread to his lips, when he opens. I pop the small piece into his mouth. "I love you too." I voice back to him.

He chews the bread, and as he swallows, he brings his lips to mine. He breaks away and we cuddle close, taking in the fires warmth and each others comforting embrace.

My head rests on his shoulder, I try huddling closer to him, and it fails- as there is no possibly way I could ever be closer. I'm his wife, and he is my husband. Though I used to think that marriage was unnecessary. In a way I feel even closer to him, perhaps my in an intimate way, because I'm still pure. But closer, a bond made stronger. I bury my nose into his neck, pressing a kiss right below his jaw.

As I pull away, Peeta turns his head to kiss my cheek. He then rests his chin on my head and I decide to play with his fingers. "I'm going to stay with you, always.”

His choice of words hit me, and they tug at my heart. I pull away slowly to look at his eyes briefly, before capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. He wraps his arm tighter around me and cradles the back of my head, just like you would for a newborn. The hunger starts to build inside of me as we share this kiss, the same thing that happened during the Quarter Quell. But I need to forget that, I have a new life. One with us married and happier. I don't need to be afraid anymore, I'm free. We have brought the freedom to each other, and it shall forever enclose around us.

…

The End