Summary Note: Disney was a huge part of my childhood, and it's something I still love as an adult. So, I wanted to incorporate it in some way with my two favorite characters from The Hunger Games. I ended up writing a one-shot a few months ago that featured Peeta and Katniss on a blind date at Disneyland, along with an outtake of the night following said date. This work is a sequel to that fic and features them returning to the park where they fell in love at Christmas time ...fun things ensue, as you'd expect at "The Happiest Place on Earth." Everlark in Disneyland Take 2! ;) Enjoy, and please review!

"Fuck!" Katniss called out loudly as she hit her naked toe on a box of jewelry hidden beneath a veritable tower of clothing. She let out a snort of frustration and flopped down onto another pile of clothing strewn across her and Peeta's bed. With a harried grumble, Katniss grabbed one of her boyfriend's flannel shirts in her hands and inhaled deeply, allowing the lingering scent of cinnamon and dill that somehow always effused Peeta's skin and clothing to calm her down. Katniss looked around the room with a sigh.

Besides the clothing tower on the floor with its nefariously hidden jewelry box, and the one she was laying on over the bed, there was at least one more pile of clothing to sort through on the floor, not to mention a bunch of stuff still in the closet. A random assortment of objects including several old mascara tubes, men's shaving cream, a few arrows, and a pair of shiny, silver, Minnie Mouse ears lay scattered across the dresser, covering it so that the wood underneath was barely visible. Not for the first time that afternoon, Katniss acidly thought about how much she hated moving. They'd only moved in together 7 months ago, almost exactly on the one year anniversary of their first date, and now she would be leaving the comfortable little apartment for good in just a few short days. Katniss shrugged herself into Peeta's shirt and buried her head in his pillow, reflecting on how much her life had changed since she'd met him.

Ever since their first date at Disneyland, Katniss and Peeta had been altogether inseparable. She still blushed with a tiny bit of embarrassment and a whole lot of happiness, thinking about that day. It wasn't often It's a Small World and Peter Pan's Flight played a role in helping someone find the love of her life, but that's what had happened to Katniss.

The small humiliation she felt came from the fact that she'd already fallen so head over heels for Peeta that she'd slept with him after that first night. While it had been the most spectacular sex of her life, that had so not been a Katniss thing to do ...or at least it hadn't been...until she'd met Peeta. It was something Prim, Katniss' sister, still liked to laughingly tease her about before she smugly told Katniss to thank her for setting her and Peeta up in the first place. Katniss would usually grudgingly acquiesce, which generally earned a laugh from Peeta as well. He was altogether too aware of how much Katniss burned for him.

Even now, desire flared within her at the thought of Peeta between her legs, like he had been last night and this morning. She ran a hand over her breasts and squeezed them roughly, trying to relieve the familiar ache that had formed low in her belly, before shaking her head vigorously to clear it. It was still going to be several hours yet before Peeta returned home from the hospital, and Katniss would rather wait for him. She was hoping some great, if exhausting sex, might deter him from his plans for tomorrow.

Not only was Katniss trying to get ready for a move shortly after New Year's, but tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and several of their friends, not to mention Katniss' sister Prim, would be coming over on the 25th to spend one last Christmas altogether. That's not really true, Katniss, she reminded herself, but she let out another long sigh.

While Peeta was a native Californian, having grown up in one of the neighborhoods surrounding Panem General, where he was currently completing his pediatric residency, Katniss and her sister were not. They had instead grown up in Oregon. But Prim had wanted to attend Panem University's medical school, and Katniss had followed her here when she had been accepted to make sure Prim would have family support. It had been a long four years, and Katniss was more than happy when Prim announced she wanted to return to Oregon to complete her own pediatric residency program.

Though she'd tried to hide it to allow Peeta to make his own decisions about where he wanted to set up his practice, Katniss had never been a good liar, and her excitement at the prospect of following Prim home to her beloved Oregon woods had not been one she could conceal. To her shock, Peeta had been the one to bring up moving back there, once Prim had matched into her Oregon program of choice, telling her that he was sick of LA and its smog, that there wasn't much left in the state for him. Plus, his brothers had also relocated there from California in the past few years, and it would provide him the opportunity to strengthen his relationship with them.

Katniss wasn't quite sure what to think about that. To her eyes, Peeta's oldest brother Bannock seemed to be very caught up in his family and his bakery, hardly ever bothering to spare a moment for his littlest brother. It was actually because Bannock had canceled a visit to California on Peeta that had allowed Katniss to go on their original blind date. And then, of course, there was the middle Mellark brother, Rye. Katniss was still quite cold on him. What kind of person starts dating their younger brother's ex-girlfriend? she thought, reflecting on the things Peeta had revealed to her last year about his and Rye's fraught relationship.

Katniss punched at Peeta's pillow as anger flowed through her veins. Peeta had dated a woman named Cashmere for much of his four years of medical school, going so far as to ask her to marry him shortly after his graduation. But Cashmere had rejected him, shattering his heart to pieces, and the wound had only been cut deeper when Peeta found out Cashmere and Rye had started dating shortly after their break-up. Rye hadn't even bothered to tell his brother until he'd transferred to a job in Oregon. Coward. Katniss punched the pillow again. If there was one thing she hated more than anything else, it was people hurting the ones she loved the most.

Peeta wasn't much bothered by it now, Katniss knew. He'd made it through Rye and Cashmere's wedding a few months ago, at least, with Katniss on his arm. Katniss shivered as she remembered the night after the ceremony. Peeta had made love to her over and over, showering down kisses upon her body, telling her how thankful he was things had worked out the way they had. Seeing Cashmere up at the alter with Rye had only confirmed to him more that Katniss was the one he truly wanted, the one he'd been meant for. Katniss, too, was more than grateful, in a way, that Cashmere had broken up with Peeta, as she would have never found him otherwise.

But no matter how many times Peeta said he didn't care about all that anymore, not with Katniss in his life, she found she could not forgive quite so easily, and the pain Katniss had seen in Peeta's face when he'd originally explained to her what had happened between him, his brother, and his ex-girlfriend-turned-sister-in-law, was something she would never forget. It amazed her that Peeta and Rye were even still talking, but whenever Katniss commented to Peeta about it, he'd just smile before kissing her soundly, telling her, at this point, he wouldn't have it any other way. After that, more often than not, they'd wind up making love on whatever surface was within reach. It was in those moments that Katniss knew best that she couldn't imagine life without him, and that there hadn't ever been a question in either of their minds that they wouldn't be making the move back to Katniss' home state together.

It had taken Peeta no time at all to find a pediatric medical practice to join, where he'd be working four and a half clinic days a week, as well as covering some pediatric ER shift. But unfortunately, he still had to finish out his third year of residency, which went through June.

Still, with that news, Katniss had begun her own job search in preparation for the eventual move and had been surprised to find an open school guidance counselor's position only twenty minutes from where Peeta would be working, allowing her to finally put her degree in social work to good use. But she'd been shocked when the school had asked her to start in January, and Katniss had suddenly found herself looking at a much shorter time period to say goodbye to her friends to be followed by six relatively Peeta-less months. He simply didn't have the vacation to be able to fly from California to see her that often, and she would be very busy establishing herself in her new position at the school.

Katniss kept trying to remind herself that all of this would eventually be a good thing for both their careers, that Peeta would be there before she knew it, and that her friends could still easily visit. But the other part of her, the part that loved the girl's nights with Annie, Johanna, Delly, and Madge, the part that loved laughing at Peeta, Finnick, and Gale's antics when they did stupid boy things, the part that slept best with Peeta's arms wrapped tightly around her at night, that part, she knew, was going to have a tougher time with the separation than she cared to admit. Katniss' heart slid into her stomach as she stared at the chaotic mix of her and Peeta's clothes strewn across the bed. Six months felt like such a long time.

She gingerly picked up a few of her pajama pants and began to fold them. Too much to do, and too little time to do it, she thought. And why the hell was Peeta insisting they visit Disneyland one last time, and on December 24th of all days? The place was going to be a zoo, they had company coming in less than two days, and the apartment looked like it had been bombed several times over. Katniss' mouth formed a grim line in determination. No matter how sunny her boyfriend was when he came home, Peeta was not going to dissuade her from insisting they cancel their plans to go to the park tomorrow.

XXXXX

Katniss took a deep swig of coffee from her thermos and squinted her eyes against the bright, early-morning, California sunshine, cursing softly at herself for having lost her sunglasses to the jumbled mess in the apartment. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day, but that realization didn't give her much comfort.

"Uh...Katniss?" Peeta's tentative voice sounded beside her. She turned to him and narrowed her eyes, daring him to keep speaking. He gave her a sheepish look. "Happiest place on earth, remember?" Katniss only snorted in reply before swiveling back towards the front gates as they waited for Disneyland to open. She still couldn't believe he'd got her here…

"Katniss? Babe? You here?" Peeta's voice echoed through the apartment. She jerked awake with a start. One wild glance around the room told her all she needed to know, and she let out a loud groan of despair. She couldn't believe she'd fallen asleep. "Katniss?" Peeta called again.

"Ugh, I'm in here," she called back raggedly. Katniss watched as Peeta poked his head into the room, his ocean blue eyes going wide at the state of their bedroom. He ran a hand through his already tousled ash blond hair, making him look even more casually handsome than usual, as he looked around. "I thought I'd tackle this room before everyone comes on the 25th," Katniss mumbled in a hopeless sort of tone. Peeta's eyes sparkled with amusement, coming to sit on the bed beside her.

"It would appear your body had other ideas." He held up the sunset orange bra from the pile of them she'd clearly been using as a pillow, judging by its crumpled appearance, and let out a soft laugh. "You've been working way too hard." Katniss' temper flared.

"You try getting ready to move when you've been given barely any notice, while you're preparing for guests to come for Christmas, when your boyfriend isn't home to help you do it!" Katniss said, a lot louder than she meant to. The light in Peeta's eyes died instantly, and Katniss immediately felt guilty for her reaction. She ducked her head in shame.

Katniss knew she was being petty, but the months Peeta was on the inpatient hospital service had never been easy on her. Katniss still didn't understand how he could be so cheerful working 80 hours per week. She knew if she would've had to do it, pity the poor soul who would have disturbed her on her days off. Peeta, on the other hand, rarely complained. He even said it wasn't so bad as a senior resident because he got to mainly survey the interns and help them out when they started looking like chickens running around with their heads cut off. Tears pricked in Katniss' eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said, refusing to meet his eyes. "It's not your fault. I've just missed you...a lot...this month, and starting next month, we're going to be apart for so long. Glimmer is such a bitch for refusing to switch you for January so we could have more time together before I leave." Peeta's mouth twitched a little, as if he were trying to conceal a smile.

"Well…" he said slowly. "I can't say I was really surprised she said no. She's never exactly been one to do anything that didn't serve herself in some way. Plus…" He threw the orange bra at her playfully, eyes brightening. "I don't think she's ever forgiven me for rejecting her when we were interns. And especially after I found a much hotter girl to go out with." Katniss rolled her eyes and retaliated by throwing a pair of his boxers at him. Peeta chuckled. "You still have no idea, the effect you have, Miss Everdeen."

Katniss shook her head. "And you, Dr. Mellark, are a terrible flirt."

Peeta laughed loudly, the musical sound sending a frisson of warmth tingling down Katniss' spine. He grabbed her by the shoulders and rolled them down so that when all was said and done, Katniss found herself lying on her back, Peeta's toned, narrow hips between her legs. "Maybe," he whispered into her ear. She mewled softly as he then began to lay hot, wet kisses along her jaw and neck while she worked to loosen his tie. It wasn't until both their shirts (and Katniss' bra) had come off that she spoke again.

"Peeta," she gasped, arching into his hands as he plucked at her nipples. She moaned loudly as he began kneading her mounds.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I...I don't… Oh shit, like that," she panted, her thought completely broken as Peeta's lips descended upon one of her breasts, which had freed up his hand to slip into her panties. She moaned loudly while he stroked along her folds, her skin inflamed by his touch. Peeta grinned up at her.

"Don't what?" he asked cheekily.

"Don't… God." She ground her hips against his hand while she tugged at his curls in an attempt to urge his mouth back towards her breasts. "I-I don't think we s-should go to-o Disneyland tomorrow," she finally stuttered out. Peeta stopped his movements abruptly, looking completely unsurprised, seeming to have anticipated her protestations.

"Oh? Why not?" Peeta said with a wicked sort of smile. He slipped two fingers inside her and began to pump Katniss slowly, using his thumb to circle around, but not quite on her clit. Katniss groaned in quiet protest.

"We...have...too m-much...to do. Com-pany. Moving. T-hings," she said breathlessly, barely able to get her word out. Peeta slipped another finger inside her, smiling even more broadly.

"If I'm not mistaken, K, you just said how much you've missed me this month." Peeta increased the pace of his fingers, and Katniss head flopped back onto the bra pile as he began to attack her throat with his lips, punctuating each kiss with a word. "So. What's. Wrong. With. Spending. One. Last. Time. In. The. Place. Where. We. Fell. In. Love?" Katniss groaned as he finally began rubbing her on that most sensitive bundle of nerves, her hips bucking in time with the rhythm he was creating with his hand. She was already so close to her climax.

"Wecanalwayscomebacktovisit," she gasped. Peeta pressed up against her, letting her feel his own need against her thigh.

"It won't be the same, love."

"But…but…" Peeta pressed his thumb down onto her at the same time he pressed his lips to Katniss' own, pushing Katniss over the edge. "Peeta!" she yelled out as wave after dizzying wave of pleasure crashed through her body. When her shudders finally stopped, Katniss stared up at Peeta, chest still heaving. He didn't even have the decency to look ashamed of himself.

"So I take it we can go? Does Disney await?" he asked as he rose to take off his pants, his erection easily visible through the fabric. The smile he was giving her promised of much more to come. Katniss groaned. She'd been planning to seduce him out of going to Disneyland. He wasn't supposed to seduce her into it…

The music announcing the opening of the park began to sound, inducing a loud cheer from the crowd. It broke Katniss from her reverie but not before she squeezed her legs together against the faint pulse of heat she felt when she thought about the previous night. Needless to say, no more packing had been accomplished, and Katniss was pretty sure they'd left the clothing piles in even worse shape than when she'd started. She cast a secret glance at Peeta. He had a huge grin on his face, which only accentuated the strong line of his jaw. Finally, Katniss remembered what this place had brought the two of them, and she smiled.

"Yeah, Peeta. It's the Happiest Place on Earth."

XXXXX

"See, Katniss? Aren't you glad that we came today?" Peeta asked excitedly. "It looks great, don't you think?"

Katniss shook her head at him and laughed as Peeta swiveled his head from side to side to take in all the decorations that had been put out for Christmas on the Disneyland Mainstreet. A sixty foot tall Christmas tree covered in thousands of glowing lights and ornaments had been placed near the entrance to the walkway while lighted garlands covered with Mickey Mouse centerpieces were strewn overhead leading down to Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Balls of poinsettias hung from every lamppost while even more garlands and wreaths covered every store front. The effect, Katniss had to admit, was truly magical, but she wasn't about to let Peeta know that.

"Are you my boyfriend or a five year old boy?" Katniss teased, pretending to scowl. Peeta grinned at her.

"Well, I'd say I was both...but that'd be creepy. So I'll just say my inner child has a strong pull today. And speaking of an inner child..." He reached up and tweaked playfully at the silver Minnie Mouse ears that he'd given her on their first date. "I didn't think you'd wear these. Maybe I need to find a pair of gold ones. Silver and gold are Christmas colors, right?"

"Gold Mickey ears on your blonde hair? How much do you want to stand out, Peeta?" Katniss giggled, all pretense of a scowl dropping away. "And of course I'd wear these. They were the best first date gift I've ever gotten."

"What? The Minnie ears rank even above the awesome sex we had that night?" Peeta whispered, waggling his eyebrows suggestively, but underneath his teasing smile, Katniss could see how happy her admission made him. She touched the silver ears lightly and wrapped her arm around his waist. He, in turn, wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Well, we spent all day together, didn't we? So we called that night the equivalent of date number five, right?" she laughed. "I don't put out on first dates, Mellark. It's just my rule."

"Sure, Everdeen. Keep telling yourself that."

They continued walking down the street in comfortable silence until they finally came to stand in front of the castle. Even during the day, with the thousands of unlit icicle lights, it managed to look pretty. More garlands filled with large colorful Christmas ornaments festooned the turrets and ramparts, creating a lovely complement to the grey and pink facade. Silver ribbons hung down from almost every surface and glinted in the sunlight as they twisted in the light morning breeze, and fake snow coated the blue roofs. Katniss would have been hard-pressed to hide her delight, and therefore, she didn't even try. She opened her mouth to tell Peeta she actually was glad they were here when a movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.

Katniss watched, astonished, as a man in a full blown prince costume, complete with a plumed and feathered beret, walked over to a giggling blonde girl, who was jumping up and down so excitedly, it reminded Katniss of a jack-in-the box.

"Oh my sweet Princess!" the man declared as he dropped down on one knee. "Would you do me the honor of becoming my bride? To live and love with me for all eternity? Please be mine, my dearest one!"

Katniss practically retched as the girl squealed out her "yes", making sure absolutely everyone in the general vicinity knew that she'd gotten engaged. She turned to Peeta in disgust.

"Ugh. That was the drippiest, corniest thing I think I've ever seen. I didn't think people actually proposed at Disneyland, much less in front of the castle. Talk about cliché," she said, but Peeta did not respond as she would have expected him to. Katniss watched as his eyes grew slightly wider, his expression becoming guarded, and her stomach clenched with sudden anxiety. Finally, he shrugged.

"Well...that was pretty cheesy," he said in a careful voice. Then, he abruptly looked at the map of Disneyland they'd grabbed on the way in. "Where do you want to go? We should hit up one of the more crowded lands before this place gets to be a mad house," he rushed out, not quite meeting Katniss' eyes. She felt her heart drop to the ground.

"Oh, um, wherever you think is best. You know this place way better than I do." Peeta nodded his head.

"Ok. Let's go to Fantasyland. That's always the craziest place." He turned swiftly on his heels and walked towards the path that would take them there while Katniss trailed along after him. She stared at his back, wondering if she was just imagining the rigid tension in his shoulder muscles. Katniss wanted to kick herself.

She'd fallen for Peeta from day one; she knew that, as much as it had shocked her. Her longest relationship before that had been a two year one with Gale, before they'd realized they were much better off as friends, and not in all that time had Katniss once thought about marriage to him. But with Peeta, it had only taken a few weeks of dating him for Katniss to realize the he was likely the one she wanted for life. She had simply never been happier, and in the year and a half since then, it had seemed almost a given that Peeta would eventually propose...He'd hinted at it more than a few times, and they'd talked about it a time or two, but it was Katniss who wavered over that final step of commitment. She'd never quite confirmed to him what her answer would be.

Regardless of how wonderful their life together was, a small part of Katniss still feared the very real consequences of such all-consuming love. It had destroyed her mother, after all, but as Katniss stared at Peeta's back, her heart sunk, wondering what she'd done by dismissing the cheesy Disneyland proposal.

XXXXX

"Seriously, Peeta? You want to go on Dumbo?" Katniss stared at the ride and ridiculously long line skeptically.

"Well...yeah," Peeta said, starting to laugh. "We didn't go on it last year, and we won't have the opportunity to go again for a long while."

"You ride around in tiny elephant cars for like, 90 seconds. How is that worth standing in line for 30 minutes?"

"Could be worse. Did you see the line to meet the Frozen characters? That wait is like two and a half hours long." Katniss rolled her eyes at him.

"I did not ask what waits could be worse. I asked how is standing in line to sit in elephant cars designed to fit tiny children and a parent worth the 30 minute wait?"

"You can make them go up in the air, too, ya know." He grabbed her hand and kissed it before affecting a puppy dog face that Katniss knew he knew she could rarely resist. "Please?"

"You really are as terrible as the five year olds around here," she said, affecting a look of complete disdain. But she walked over to the line anyways, Peeta smiling along in her wake.

As they got closer, Katniss began staring up at the revolving elephant cars, wondering if she and Peeta would even be able to fit in one together, when she noticed a small boy around four or five about ten people ahead of them who looked oddly familiar. Her brow furrowed. The sandy colored hair, the spindly little legs, and the way he kept trying to slip away from his father reminded her of the little boy who'd interrupted Peeta every time he'd tried to kiss her on their date last year, until Peeta had been forced to take her on the steamboat just for a moment of privacy. She started to laugh and nudged Peeta. "Look," she giggled. "Is that our friend from last year?" Peeta followed her finger to wear she was pointing and a wide smile split his face.

"That definitely looks like Patrick. How that kid managed to interrupt us twice last year, I'll never know." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Guess I better get a start on things before he does it again," he teased, as he settled a hand on Katniss' hip, inducing a low flutter of desire in Katniss' core.

"Careful, Mellark. Disneyland isn't the place to get handsy," she whispered back warningly but still let out a soft moan when Peeta began rubbing her hip with small circular motions of his thumb. She felt her face flush in embarrassment. Katniss knew the movement was probably visible to no one but her, but then, she'd never been big on public displays of affection. Even a peck on the cheek was something hard for her to give, and occasionally, much to her chagrin, women had thought she and Peeta were only friends because she was so averse to it. It was never pleasant to see other, far more beautiful girls hit on what was yours. So, she didn't stop Peeta from continue his ministrations on her hip.

She did, however, let out a startled gasp when she felt Peeta's lips just ghost along the shell of her ear before he quietly said, "If I recall correctly, Katniss, you didn't seem to have that qualm when we went on the Haunted Mansion last year." He slipped a single finger under the hem of her shirt to begin caressing her skin with a terribly pleased smile on his face.

"That's because we were practically in complete darkness, in an isolated doom buggy," Katniss hissed. "No one could see us. Here, everyone would see if we even kissed one another." But then, she closed her eyes as Peeta laid a soft kiss against her neck.

"I don't think we'd get in trouble for exchanging a kiss, K. We're certainly not the only couple here." Katniss sighed against the feel of his lips and turned in his arms, forgetting for the moment that they were in the middle of a large crowd. She quirked her eyebrow at him.

"One kiss, huh?" Peeta just smiled, and Katniss stretched up on her toes to meet his lips…

"PATRICK! COME BACK HERE!"

The sudden shout made Katniss startle so much that she began to fall over and would have, if it wasn't for Peeta's steadying hand still on her hip. Her mouth fell open in shock as Patrick wiggled past them, his father struggling past shortly thereafter. She looked at Peeta, who had begun to laugh hysterically.

"That kid is the biggest cock-blocker on the planet," Peeta guffawed. "I feel so bad for his parents. They must never get any time to themselves."

"Guess he's the type of kid who makes the perfect argument for not having children at all," Katniss laughed with him, but Peeta abruptly stopped, a small frown forming on his face.

"Well… I can't say Patrick the Tiny Terror isn't an uncommon breed of kiddo that I see," Peeta said slowly. "But kids are great," he shrugged, turning back to look at the rotating elephants again, and Katniss knew the moment was lost. She heaved a huge sigh internally. The concept of children was perhaps the one other major area besides marriage where Katniss wavered. The irony in having come to Disneyland, of all places, for their last true date for a while, didn't escape Katniss' notice.

It wasn't that Katniss disliked children; she liked them immensely, as evidenced by her new job, but at the same time, Katniss had practically raised her sister all on her own, while still being a child herself. Katniss wasn't so sure she wanted to go through that experience again. There had been so many hard weeks spent hunting for meat to trade to the local butcher in their small Oregon town, nights spent wondering how she could possibly afford the new winter shoes Prim desperately needed, and long hours spent working, while still trying to find the time to study, just so she could give Prim some semblance of a normal life. That love and determination was actually one of the things that Peeta said had gotten him to fall for Katniss in the first place, but Katniss also knew it wasn't one of the things he'd expected to cause Katniss to hedge and stumble anytime the idea of future children with him arose.

On their best days, when Peeta had made her cheese buns just because he wanted to or taken her far out to the woods miles from LA or they'd spent the entire day in bed together, Katniss could sometimes see it. She could see five, ten, fifteen years into the future… They would live in a quaint old house with primrose bushes along its sides, surrounded by forest and the sweet trills of mockingbirds. Peeta would stop on his way back from his office at his brother's bakery, bringing pastries and warm bread home to Katniss and their children. The little girl would have brown hair like her mother but would inherit her father's blue eyes, while a little boy would look the exact opposite. He would have blond curls that spilled over his forehead and grey eyes, bright as the moon, which would flash in annoyance as he toddled along after his big sister, never quite able to keep up.

Yes, Katniss could see all that, but her life had never been quite that easy. Logically, she knew Peeta would never give up on her, that he would always be there. He'd made it more than clear, regardless of her stance on children, that Katniss was it for his life, and Katniss loved him for it. And a large part of her did want to give him everything he wanted, everything he deserved, but the struggles of her childhood still held sway over her. Peeta never pushed her to dismiss her worries, for which she was very grateful, but he had once asked her to at least remain open to the possibility of children down the line. It had been a promise Katniss had made readily enough. "Down the line" had no expiration date on it after all, but here, in Disneyland, with Peeta determinedly avoiding her gaze, that promise didn't seem so simple anymore. She was all too relieved when they reached the front of the line.

"So which color car do you want to see if we can squeeze into, Peeta?" she asked a little tentatively but was reassured when she saw the smile cross his face.

"Can you guess?"

"Orange!?" Katniss laughed. Peeta winked at her.

"Nah. I think green is going to be my color today," he said, sauntering off to grab the Dumbo with the pale green covering. He wedged himself in as best as his broad body would allow and patted the seat to beckon Katniss forward. Katniss shook her head, still laughing and climbed in after him.

As soon as the ride started, Peeta immediately took the joystick to direct the elephant as high as it could go and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Gotta start the best minute and a half of your life the right way? Correct?" he teased, as they both observed what they could of Fantasyland. Katniss' eyes drifted over the light covered castle, the pink and blue top of King Arthur's Carousel, and even the barely visible holiday overlay of It's a Small World. Finally, her eyes came to rest on Pinocchio's Daring Journey, and she thought of their conversation the year before, when he'd told her Happily Ever Afters might still exist, that dreams could come true.

Katniss glanced at Peeta's profile, feeling the way his strong arm held her closer to him than was truly necessary, even in the small ride car. She felt so safe with his solid warmth next to her, keeping her anchored to the world, and her fears and worries at bay. Yes, it was definitely on days like this that she could see it and more importantly, wanted it, as well.

XXXXX

"How is it December, and be this hot out?" Peeta asked as he swiped a slightly sweaty curl off his forehead. Katniss shrugged in amusement, and took another bite of the Dole Whip they'd just bought as they waited for the next Tiki Room show to start, savoring the cool taste of tangy pineapple soft-serve on her tongue.

"You'd better savor it while it lasts," she said. "Oregon is definitely wetter and colder, California boy." Peeta smirked at her and tugged the frozen dessert out of her hands. Katniss scowled as he took a large bite of the treat. No matter how much she loved Peeta, sharing food with anybody, even him, was something she found difficult to do. Peeta caught her expression and laughed.

"I'll get you another one if you want it," he grinned. "And I'm sure I'll do just fine in Oregon. Bannock and Rye have managed ok, at least." He looked at her. "And Prim and Rory," he added as an afterthought.

"You really don't mind leaving everyone here? I mean, not even just our friends, but I know you've built up a relationship with the hospital staff and specialists around here. I...know that must be hard to give up, especially when you're closer to the people here than your brothers," Katniss said hesitantly, surprised by her own words, and a little embarrassed that she had brought up Peeta's rocky relationship with his remaining family. What was it about this place that lowered her walls so much?

Peeta had shown no hesitation to move once it was clear Prim would relocate to Oregon, but sometimes, it had secretly worried her that he wasn't all that happy about it...that he was only doing it to make her happy. While Katniss appreciated the thought of that, there was still a small part of her that was convinced she didn't deserve Peeta, and that he'd someday wake up to that fact. It was that part of her that feared she was making him do something that he didn't want to, and that he might secretly resented her for it.

Peeta looked at her in surprise before opening his mouth to answer, but just then, a talking animatronic Tiki God announced that it was time to move into the theater. They walked in and took a seat in the front. She cast a cursory glance around, taking in the Polynesian decor, tiki totem poles with carved blinking eyes, and the few hundred animatronic plants and birds scattered throughout the room. Then, she turned back to Peeta, looking expectantly at him for his answer.

"Kat-" he started but was immediately interrupted by the awakening of José, the red, white, and green Mexican macaw to begin the show. By the time José and his other macaw friends, Michael, Pierre, and Fritz, had begun "The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room" song, Katniss was laughing so hard at Peeta's tone-deaf attempts to sing along, her question of whether he didn't mind leaving everyone was all but forgotten, and the Hawaiian War Chant finale completely drove it out of both of their heads.

XXXXX

"You actually want to meet Mickey Mouse?" Peeta asked with a slightly stunned expression on his face. "That's like...the most un-Katniss-like thing you've ever wanted to do, and that includes the time you gave Haymitch cookies. Prim is never going to believe it. In fact, I'm not even sure I believe it."

Not for the first time that day, Katniss rolled her eyes at him, especially at the mention of her drunken, smelly ex-neighbor. The cookies had been Peeta's idea of a farewell gift when she'd moved out to come live with him, and Katniss had only grudgingly given them to the older man, making it clear that she had not been the one to make them. She huffed at Peeta. "I know you want to. I saw you eyeing the sign when we walked in here. Plus, we didn't meet Mickey last year, and Prim has never let me forget it. Apparently, it's a grave offense in her book if 'you don't visit the Mouse in his own House,' or something like that," Katniss said a little sarcastically. She waved her hand over the cartoonish yellow house with a large, white, picket fence, and Mickey Mouse mailbox in front of it. Several fake green hills arose above it with the label "Toontown" centered within it. Minnie's house was to the right and Chip and Dale's treehouse was to the left. Even Katniss had to admit the spread was very cute, though she wasn't about to tell Peeta that. "Just be grateful I'm willing to do this," she finished. Peeta beamed at her so hard, Katniss wondered if rainbows were going to shoot out his ears.

"And that's how I know you really do love me," he said as he pulled Katniss eagerly towards the house.

Half an hour later, after having explored the house in its entirety, they found themselves watching clips from The Sorcerer's Apprentice as they waited in line to meet the most famous mouse in the world. "You know, I always thought the Sorcerer was sorta terrifying," Peeta said, studying the screen as the man dispelled all the water the conjured broomsticks had managed to bring into the castle while Mickey looked on sheepishly. "He's got crazy eyes, at least." Katniss stared at him.

"You were scared of things in Disney movies?" she said with mild disbelief.

"Oh come on, Katniss. Have you ever seen The Black Cauldron? The Horned King is terrifying! Not to mention that movie sucks beyond belief. And you can't tell me the evil Queen in Snow White didn't scare you a little? When she turns into that cackling hag? Or what about when Monstro swallows Pinocchio? That whale is scary as hell. And don't even get me started about Mufasa's death by stampede in The Lion King," he finished with a broad smile.

"Such extensive knowledge of the Disney canon, Mellark,"

"I work with 5 year olds all day, every day. At this point, I'm pretty sure I can sing all the words to "Let it Go"...and I've never actually even seen that movie." His eyes suddenly glinted wickedly. "Oh, and I forgot to add… How about those hunters who shot the mama deer in Bambi? It takes balls to make 'Man' the ultimate Disney villain."

Katniss practically growled at him. "What do you mean by that, Mellark? Some people had to make their living that way for a while, might I remind you." Peeta's grin only widened, clearly enjoying the way he was pushing Katniss' buttons.

"Well, wo-man might not be, but man…we are definitely all bad." Peeta looked her up and down in a way that made it immediately clear that his mind was no longer on hunting...or at least not that kind. Katniss felt like she was naked even with clothing on.

"Yeah, you're pretty terrible," she agreed.

"You still have no idea, the effect you can have."

"You've said that before, but that's where you're wrong." A small smile formed on Katniss' face as she pressed her body closer to Peeta's own, intent on getting a little revenge on her boyfriend for just making her feeling like he had x-ray vision. Peeta shifted back from her a little uncomfortably.

"Think we're going to have to do a repeat of the Haunted Mansion today," he muttered.

"Mmmm. I think so too," Katniss said. She ran a few well-chosen kisses on the underside of his jaw, assuming no one would notice the gesture, and reveling in the soft moan that fell from Peeta's lips.

"Ah-HEM. Manners!" a high trilling but wholly familiar voice interrupted them. Katniss jumped back from Peeta with a start, slightly mortified only to step directly on the speaker's feet. She gaped at the woman who'd chided them last year for laughing too much as they were about to enter It's a Small World. How many deja-vu moments was she in for today?

The woman looked almost entirely the same…elaborately curled, blonde hair, wearing far too much make-up for her age, and a similar look of annoyance on her face. The only thing that was different was that rather than the garish purple suit of last year, she'd chosen a dress entirely covered in gigantic butterflies. The shoes she wore to match looked like claws to Katniss, and she wondered how the woman was able to walk at all.

"S-sorry, ma-a'am," Peeta wheezed, almost laughing too hard to get the words out, clearly unable to flash his disarming grin the way he had last year to get them out of trouble, and the woman continued to look incredibly displeased. Katniss glared at him and decided to take things into her own hands.

"Uh, sorry-y," she stammered out, searching for the first excuse that came into her head. "We just got engaged, so we, um, just get a little carried away sometimes." Peeta stopped laughing abruptly at her words, his eyes wide with some emotion she didn't quite have the energy to try to understand, for the woman had immediately started twittering with excitement at Katniss' fake announcement.

"Oh my goodness. That's wonderful, my dear girl. You two make such a lovely couple. I thought so the second I saw you. I remember from last year! Yes, yes I do. You simply must let me help you plan the wedding." Katniss' mouth fell open in shock as the woman dug around in her purse and produced a small business card. On the front, small but bright pink lettering announced the woman as:

Effie Trinket

Wedding and Event Planner

"Everything you need for your big, big, big day"

714 - 781- 4636

effietrinket

Katniss cast a poorly disguised look of terror at Effie, shocked at the woman's boldness, before sneaking a glance at Peeta. His face was an oddly impassive mask that suggested to Katniss that she was on her own in this one. She muttered a thank you as Effie continued babbling and prayed Mickey wouldn't keep her waiting much longer.

XXXXX

"Twenty-five minutes, Peeta! You let her talk to me for twenty-five minutes! I don't think I ever want to hear about wedding colors or china plates or God knows what else she said ever again. That was way worse than being stuck on It's a Small World for 35 minutes last year! And you didn't say anything the entire time!" Katniss took several deep breathes, attempting to keep calm, as they made their way out from Toontown to Fantasyland.

She didn't want to ruin the day, but it had been 25 minutes of Effie's long list of things that needed to be done when a person was planning a wedding. Katniss wasn't sure she'd have been able to stomach it even if she were, in fact, engaged. Though that might have helped a little, a small voice in Katniss' head admitted grudgingly.

"Babe, I love you, but there is no way I was getting into that mess," Peeta laughed but quickly sobered when he caught the expression on Katniss' face. He let out a soft sigh. "Honestly, I just didn't know what to say. I mean, what do you say when a stranger you've just met announces to Mickey and the world that these 'two lovely young people' have just gotten engaged and would like Mickey's blessing?"

"You never don't know what to say."

"There's always a first time for everything."

Katniss sighed and tugged on her braid in a continuing effort to calm herself. The picture with Mickey had been fun…at first. Mickey had pointed at her silver Minnie ears and grabbed his face in a pretend blush. Katniss had even giggled when he'd pretended to kiss her hand, and Peeta had playfully stopped him, the Photopass photographer clicking away the whole time. But then Effie had interjected and mortified Katniss with her announcement. Katniss knew the woman meant well, but she still burned with embarrassment. And anger.

"Well...one thing is for sure, I think she's turned me off to getting married anytime soon," she said snidely but immediately regretted it when Peeta's face fell. She inhaled sharply. "Peeta, I, I didn't mean that. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

Peeta stared at her for a long moment. "It's fine, Kat. I...know it's not...it's fine."

"Want to go on It's a Small World?" he asked simply. "The holiday overlay looks good, and I think we both need some Christmas cheer." Katniss had to resist rolling her eyes, but she followed him off towards the turrets and towers of the ride, fully covered in glowing pink lights, the large face clock now capped with a Santa hat visible even from far away.

XXXXX

"So what do you want to do next?" Peeta asked with an expectant smile. Katniss returned it to him, her grumpy mood that had been created through her encounter with Effie having been washed away when she'd soundly beaten his score on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. She'd only just stopped teasing him that his score likened him to a "Space Scout" while she'd become a "Galactic Hero." Apparently, her years of bow training were useful even in shooting gallery dark rides.

After that, they'd gone on Space Mountain and Autotopia, Peeta gently bumping her race car (exactly how he wasn't supposed to) the whole time. The two of them had followed those adventures up with a nice early afternoon nap by taking two comfy, velvet seats in the back row of the theater that housed the show, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. They'd napped as well during a long, peaceful train ride around the park before meandering over to Critter Country to explore Tom Sawyer's Island and go on Winnie the Pooh. Katniss had only gotten Peeta to stop terribly singing "Heffalumps and Woozles" along with the ride by making a few whispered well-thought out promises in his ear, which was why Katniss now found herself standing in New Orleans Square, in front of Pirates of the Caribbean.

She stared up at the old, French-style, pale, pink mansion that housed the ride, admiring the blue molding that covered the building along the top. The intricate, wrought-iron guardrails were decorated with more Christmas garlands, covered, this time in the pale pinks, blues, greens, and yellows of the Cajun bayous rather than the typical reds and greens she'd seen used elsewhere in the park. There seemed to even be a Mardi Gras mask or two affixed on the round steeple lampposts.

"Come on, Peeta," Katniss said, smiling, and tugged his hand to lead him under the bridge that led to the ride's line. She smiled even more when the attendant assigned them the last row of a relatively un-full ride boat and gestured for Peeta to step in first. He gave her a questioning look as she stripped off her jacket and tossed it to him before sitting down next to him.

"It's not that hot in here, K. And remember, it gets a little chillier once we go down into the pirate caves," he said, settling it on his lap when she declined to take it back from him.

"I know. I'm just waiting for something," she replied.

"Uh...for what?" he asked.

But Katniss remained silent as the boat slipped from the dock and began to wend its way through the "swamp." Crickets and frog sounds filled the "night," and soft murmurs rose over the water from the people dining in the Blue Bayou Restaurant nestled against the opening of the ride. Somewhere, the tinny sound of a lone banjo struck up a mournful song. Katniss closed her eyes, wanting to pretend for a second that she was one of those famous dread pirates of the Spanish Main.

Suddenly, a pirate's voice called out to the group, warning of squalls ahead, which got Katniss to open her eyes. She saw a skull, aligned between two blood-red flags, mounted over a wall with a dark cavernous hole beneath. It mouthed the words, "Dead Men Tell No Tales," and abruptly, they plunged down a long dark slide, and a new song echoed in the cavern…

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We pillage plunder, we rifle and loot. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho. We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We extort and pilfer, we filch and sack. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho. Maraud and embezzle and even highjack. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

Katniss scooted close to Peeta and ran her hand under the jacket on Peeta's lap and up one of his thighs. She smiled when she felt Peeta go rigid at her touch. She leaned over and whispered in his ear, "I was waiting for that damn song to begin so that no one would hear this." Katniss ran her hand over Peeta's groin, smiling even wider when she felt his already semi-hard cock stiffen even more as she stroked him through his pants.

"Fuck!" Peeta muttered under his breath, already panting as she pressed her palm against him harder. "Kat. The...there are kids here," he gasped, clearly trying to withhold a moan, and began bucking against her slightly. Katniss grinned at him wickedly.

"There are two ninety year olds in the front seat completely enthralled with that piano playing skeleton over there. The teenagers behind them have their tongues shoved down each other's throats so far, I'm not sure how they can breathe. It's too dark for any of the cameras in here to really see anything, and plus, this jacket is covering whatever they could possibly see." Katniss increased her pace, finally ripping a moan from Peeta's chest. "Do you really want me to stop, Peeta?" She started to withdraw her hand, but Peeta gripped it and pulled her back to himself.

"No," he said through gritted teeth, a slightly guilty look on his face, but that quickly gave way to one of pleasure. She continued pumping him, past Davy Jones, past the pirate ship firing on the British' royal port, into the town the pirates had left burning. It wasn't until she saw the women of the town being auctioned off that she had to pause for a laugh. "Katniss!" Peeta groaned, almost lifting himself out of the seat in search of her hand. "You're going to be the death of me." Katniss snorted at his distress and decided to tease him a little by making him wait until they were off the ride for her to continue her ministrations.

He kept staring at her, chest heaving, pupils dilated so that Katniss could barely see the blue of his eyes, fingers shaking every once in a while, as though he wanted to caress her...or himself, Katniss mused. The bulge in his pants had not receded since she had pulled away. She winked at him, and his face visibly darkened even in the dim light.

By the time the three pirates attempting to bribe the dog with the keys with a bone, and Jack Sparrow was throwing up a toast to pirates everywhere, Katniss could almost see the tension radiating off Peeta's body.

When the boat came to a stop, he kept her jacket over his shorts, much to Katniss' amusement, and when they stumbled out into the bright sunlight, Peeta pulled her roughly, not back towards to main square area, but along a small "back street" area. Katniss noticed the entrance to another restaurant and a small alcove where it looked like characters might come out of to greet the crowds before Peeta pushed her gently through a door she would have expected to be locked. Before she was even able to fully realize it, Katniss found herself pressed up against a wall, gasping as Peeta ran kisses along her neck.

"Where...are we?" she rasped out when she finally found her breath, catching a door across the way marked with a bathroom sign.

"Backstage," Peeta said between kisses. "My brothers and I spent too many years here not to know where we could sneak behind the scenes. I just needed to kiss you the way I wanted to on that fucking ride." But Katniss could still feel his rock-hard member pressed against her thigh, and she knew Peeta wanted...needed so much more than that. Katniss decided she wanted to give it to him.

"So...we're already doing something bad? Right?" Katniss questioned, and Peeta nodded his agreement against her cheek. She pulled back to look at him deviously, saying, "Now I'm going to do something worse." She pulled Peeta through the bathroom door and pressed him up against it. Peeta's eyes went wide with shock as Katniss threw her jacket down on the floor and tugged his belt loop undone.

"Katniss, what are you-" He stopped speaking as Katniss pressed her lips to his, hard, using the opportunity to slide her fingers beneath the waistband of his shorts and boxers so she could slide them down. She sunk to her knees so that she was level with his cock, now bobbing against Peeta's thigh. She ran her thumb over the leaking tip, and Peeta's head fell back against the door from the sensation. "Katniss," he groaned.

Katniss took him in her hand and began to pump him slowly, like she had done in the ride boat and reveled in the way Peeta jerked into her hand at her slightest touch. She brought her mouth as close as she dared without actually taking him in, knowing by the way his legs were shaking that he could feel her warm breath on his hot skin. "Sorry for making you wait," Katniss teased. Then, she ran her tongue over the swollen head of his cock, and as Peeta moaned, she began to lick him from tip to base.

"Oh God, Kat. That feels so good. Please don't stop," Peeta cried, his hands coming up to grip her hair and loosening it until her dark brown curls cascaded down her back.

Katniss replied in kind by taking him in as far as she could and hallowed her cheeks in an effort to suck him off. She brought one hand up to twist around his base while she used the other to fondle his sac, loving the sound of the soft string of curses now falling from Peeta's mouth, knowing only she was capable of making him feel this good. It didn't take long before Peeta cried out in warning of his impending climax, but Katniss didn't care. Today, she wanted all of him.

"Katniss! Fuck!" Peeta shouted as he thrust involuntarily into her mouth, his release hitting the back of her throat in white, hot, pulsing jets. Katniss coughed a little as her gag reflex tried to take over, but she did not remove her mouth from him until she was sure Peeta had finished completely.

Peeta stared down at her for half a heartbeat, slumping against the door in an effort to catch his breath, before he hauled Katniss to her feet and kissed her roughly. "I fucking love you," he whispered, laying kisses on her eyes, her nose, her cheeks, her lips. "I love you so much." Katniss laughed quietly.

"Well, now you can say you got a real happy ending at the Happiest Place on Earth," she said.

Peeta groaned loudly, his head falling against her shoulder in convulsions of laughter as he told her, "Never become a comedian, Katniss. God, I thought my jokes were terrible." Katniss waited for him while he cleaned himself up. Finally, he turned back to her, pulling her in for a simple kiss. "Thank you for that..." he murmured. "And for continuing to make my dreams come true in more ways than I could have imagined."

"Is that cheesy line how you get all the girls?" she asked, blushing hard. Peeta kissed her again.

"I only want one girl. And as cheesy as that line truly is, I know she likes it… Even if she'll never admit it." Katniss gripped him to her more tightly and pulled his mouth back to hers.

XXXXX

"Wow. They really deck The Haunted Mansion out for Christmas, don't they?" Katniss said as they stared up at the plantation house with its long, white columns and ornate, pale, green, iron gates that protected much of the outer walls. Besides those things, it looked completely different than last year though, as it had been entirely themed to The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Katniss could see a pumpkin skeleton with a Santa hat just inside the outer gates, and several pumpkins aligned the walk way. Creepy black wreaths with skulls at their centers adorned the mansion's upper floor, while a counter announcing "Zero days til Christmas" stood guard on the overhang that led to the front doors. Striped black and white bows covered every other surface, and even the outer gates had been decorated, where the words "Haunted Mansion Holiday" had been written over the original black lettering. Jack, himself, the Pumpkin King sat upon a giant pumpkin on one corner column, welcoming guests in his Santa suit, ready to bring Christmas to the world. Katniss smiled at Peeta in her awe.

"They've been doing this for years," Peeta said. "Just wait until you see what they do with the ride."

It wasn't long before they found themselves in the stretching room that functioned as the welcoming center for the mansion's "guests." Katniss laughed as Peeta pulled her to him with a pretend look of fear on his face as the walls began to lengthen, showing, not three men slowly sinking into quicksand or a beautiful young lady balancing perilously on a tightrope over a crocodile pit, but creatures from the movie: a sinister candy cane snake, a malicious toy bat, and a monster wreath with its long green strands reaching out for its next victim.

"Scared?" Katniss whispered at him. Peeta winked at her.

"Nah. I've got you to protect me." He tweaked the sleeve of the jacket he'd bought her on his way back in from the car. "Plus, I think any ghost would be scared away by Katniss Everdeen in a very pink jacket." Katniss laughed again. Her new jacket was indeed, quite pink, and featured a small Minnie Mouse plastered in one corner with the words "Disneyland" written underneath. It'd been the only color Peeta had been able to find after he'd insisted on buying her a new one, since the one she'd brought to the park had lain on a dirty floor when they'd had their own...adventure...after riding Pirates.

"And you'll protect me, too?" she questioned, pressing into his side as they both watched an animated skeleton Jack break the ceiling and threaten them from above.

"That's what you and I do. We protect each other, always," Peeta replied.

They didn't speak again for a while after that, instead passing through the room full of transforming portraits that Zero, Jack's dog, occasionally floated and barked through in silence. Katniss decided her favorite was the one that went from a cheery looking snowman to a sinister pumpkin stack, the "head" part grinning evilly at them. Shortly thereafter, Katniss did chuckle at the large display wishing them Merry Christmas, complete with clowns that could take their faces off, set up against the wall where the ride cars slid past (or "Doom Buggies," as the Ghost Host continued to refer to them as over the loudspeaker.)

She and Peeta grinned at each other as they hopped on one of the black cars when they finally got to the front. Katniss flushed as she snuggled close to Peeta's side, briefly reflecting on what had happened the last time they had ridden The Haunted Mansion, when Katniss had practically jumped him once the darkness of the ride had hidden them from prying eyes. She smiled a little, remembering Peeta saying that there were most likely cameras everywhere, and her subsequent question about whether he cared about that or not.

"I said, no, I don't."

His answer rang in Katniss' ears as if it were yesterday, and she turned away from several angry looking wreaths singing "Kidnap Mr. Sandy Claws," only to find that Peeta was already watching her. He reached up and brushed one of her reddened cheeks gently. "Penny for your thoughts, girl on fire?" he asked.

"Just thinking about last year. Our...our first kiss on the steamboat, and then, um, the things we did in here," she muttered, a little embarrassed that she was that easy to read. She heard Peeta's soft laugh echo in the dark, and she turned from him, then, to stare resolutely as their car entered the Grand Hall where ghosts danced around a table featuring a giant gingerbread house. The doors swung open to reveal a zombie gingerbread man decorated in green glowing icing surrounded by spikes of the ironically sweet treat. A voice suddenly came on over the speaker in their car as it slowed to a halt-

Please remain seated in your black Christmas ferry; we will continue your holiday tour momentarily.

She looked over again at Peeta, only to find him grinning at her, his teeth faintly glowing in the dim light. "And you think I haven't been, K?" Katniss squeaked as she felt his hands skim her waist before pulling her even closer to him. "I've never gone on this ride without it stopping or slowing down at least once, and thankfully it didn't fail me today. I fully intend to make the most of it, especially after what you did to me on Pirates."

Katniss couldn't even get out a word before his mouth descended onto hers, using his tongue immediately to brook the seam of her mouth, and she gasped at the onslaught, his attack so relentless that, for a moment, all she could do was let him plunder her mouth. Over and over, Peeta stroked her tongue, entwining it with hers until Katniss wasn't sure where his stopped, and hers began. Her hands came up automatically to his chest, balling the material in her hands in an effort to keep her anchored in reality. Heat pooled low in her belly before settling quickly between her legs.

"Peeta!" she moaned. "We already...got...in trouble...once today." Peeta pulled back from her slightly, and Katniss could see his lips, now bruised and swollen from their kiss.

"That guy with the glasses totally bought that we just got confused looking for the restroom when we came out of Backstage. He let us go without any fight at all," Peeta said, referring to the confused looking teenager who'd seen them slip out of the alcove they'd found themselves in after riding Pirates. "And he certainly isn't here now in this nice dark, isolated ride car," Peeta murmured dangerously.

Peeta began running his hands up and down Katniss' sides, just skimming the underside of her breasts with each pass. He leaned in and began nibbling at the juncture where her shoulder met her neck, inducing another louder moan to fall from Katniss' mouth. She felt Peeta grin against her heated skin. "Quiet, love. Don't want to disturb the ghosts," he whispered, one hand finding its way underneath her jacket. She felt him quickly unbutton her shorts and slip his hand in to cup her sex.

"Peeta," Katniss tried to gasp in warning but by that time, Peeta pressed one thick finger against her clit, and the warning became another moan.

Are you ready to resume your visit? We will continue our holiday tour in no time at all.

The car started moving forward again abruptly with the Ghost Host's announcement, jerking Peeta's hand against Katniss harder. "Oh God," she panted quietly, rolling her hips against his hand. Peeta grinned even more and moved his hand inside her panties, dipping his fingers into the wetness between Katniss' thighs. He plunged two fingers into her, and Katniss had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. She thrust against him roughly and made sure his hand remained hidden beneath her jacket, in case of the cameras.

Through the room with the presents covered in spider, skull, and crossbones wrapping paper, past the possessed rubber duck, flying by the mini Oogie Boogie Man sitting in his box full of bugs while he crashed his mini cymbals together, Peeta continued to pump her, smiling ever more broadly whenever Katniss was unable to contain a groan of pleasure. But it wasn't until Katniss caught sight of the snow covered mountain dotted with pumpkins that he finally began circling the spot she wanted Peeta's touch the most.

He stroked her clit slowly, his other hand moving up under her shirt to discretely begin squeezing one of Katniss' breasts as the Doom Buggy made its way down a short hill to where Jack Skeleton wished them "Seasons Greetings." Katniss' head dropped against the seat back, allowing Peeta full access to her neck. "I think there's only one more room after this," she gasped out.

"Yep," Peeta whispered back. He sucked on her lower lip, drawing it into his mouth, as a determined expression crossed his face. With the sounds of "Grim Grinning Ghosts," "Jingle Bells," and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" sung by their ghostly friends in their ears, Peeta sped up his rhythm, rubbing her at an almost feverish pace, and Katniss could only be grateful the cacophony hid the sounds of her now repeated cries as Peeta drove her fast towards her climax. She fell over the edge just as they passed the barrier of the last room.

"Peeta!" She cried out his name once more, as wave after shuddering wave crashed over her.

"I love you, Katniss," Peeta said, continuing to touch her until her tremors stopped, but then quickly withdrew his hand as the exit came into view, taking care to button Katniss' pants back up while she lay bonelessly against the Buggy's side. She couldn't even muster the energy to laugh when Peeta arranged his expression into one of such innocence that it made him actually look guilty as hell, and when they got out, the same white-haired, severe-looking, older man who'd been working the attraction last year eyed them suspiciously. Peeta quickly helped Katniss out of the ride exit, her legs too wobbly in satiation to be able to walk on her own.

"Pretty sure I'm going to hell. Doing that at Disney," Peeta said when they had finally gotten back out in the sunlight. Katniss watched him, wide-eyed, as he sucked at his glistening fingers with a look of complete satisfaction on his face. She snorted.

"Then I'm right there with you, considering, uh, Pirates. Though something tells me others may have done, uh, similar things."

"And I thought we pushed the line last year," he said back, placing a gentle kiss so sweetly reminiscent of their first one that Katniss suddenly longed for a ride on the steamboat.

"Do you want to go on the 'Mark Twain'?" she asked. Peeta smiled at her. Almost shyly, she noted.

"Later."

XXXXX

Katniss stood in front of the rustic Bavarian style building with its large clock tower in nervous trepidation. A small painted sign with flying children and the words "Peter Pan's Flight" hung over the entrance. When Peeta had told her he wanted to spend one of their last days together in Disneyland, this had been the one ride she'd decided she absolutely had to go on; it had played such a role in creating the foundation of their relationship. She also knew Peeta would absolutely not want to go on it.

Last year, Peeta grew cold as ice towards her when she'd suggested they take a ride to Neverland, something that had sent Katniss into a panic at the time. But it hadn't been about her, not really, as he'd explained after they'd ridden Peter Pan.

It had to do with the 10 years of abuse he'd endured under his mother's "care," when he was but a little boy wishing to be whisked away to Neverland away from her. It had to do with his father, now many years gone, his life taken by the scourge of pancreatic cancer, who'd finally found the courage to leave his wife when he found out what she was doing to their youngest son, and the strong, loving relationship they'd shared. Katniss was so thankful to that man, even though she'd never gotten to meet him, for getting Peeta out in time so that he could grow into the kind man he was, rather than losing him to the bitter evil of abuse.

Peeta had shared all that with her and more, and it had caused Katniss, too, to open up in a way she would not have thought possible on a first date with a man who was barely more than a stranger at that time. Katniss smiled a little, remembering her own confessions...about her father's death in a car accident, her mother's abandonment of Katniss and Prim to her depression, and Katniss' own journey, her struggles and determination to care for her baby sister and make a life all her own.

Katniss could barely talk about those things with Prim, much less with a boyfriend. Not even during her two year relationship with Gale had she so much as mentioned her father's name, but with Peeta… Peeta's willingness to bare his pain, to share that with her, and still look for the good in life… It had given Katniss a greater hope that day than she'd ever experienced before, and it had been in that first deep conversation that she'd known how much she was already falling for him. Katniss had never looked back since, and now she wanted to give him some good memories to associate with Pan, Wendy, and Captain Hook.

Katniss turned to him and gave him a small pleading smile, trying not to let the hurt in his eyes get to her. "Please?" she asked.

"Why?" Peeta asked her sharply. Katniss scowled at his tone, not wanting to hint at what she wanted to say, what she realized he needed to hear, before getting on the ride.

"It was one of my favorites from last year," she lied. Peeta gave her a skeptical look, clearly not buying that statement. Katniss sighed. "Just do it for me, ok? I know it makes you think of your parents, and that's not something you necessarily want to do right this second, but I really need to go on it with you." Peeta's brow furrowed in confusion, but he reluctantly followed her into the queue with an even louder sigh, indicating his displeasure.

He didn't speak to her, much less even look at her until they'd boarded their pirate ship that acted as their ride car. And it wasn't until the first tinkling sounds of "The Second Star to the Right" began to play that Katniss opened her mouth to speak.

"You remember when we went on this last year?" she asked Peeta, as they peered over the ships edge to observe the giant diorama of London, the lights simulating tiny moving cars flickering in the darkness.

"Yeah," he replied curtly, not bothering to look at her.

Peeta's one-word reply caused a tiny spark of anger to flare within her, and Katniss irritatedly said, "Remember when you were a bit of a jackass and didn't admit why this ride bothered you so much?" Peeta, even as used to her bluntness as he was, still shot her a look of surprise.

"Y-yeah, I do. Sorry. I'm being like that again, aren't I?" he stuttered out, chagrined, his face stricken at the memory. Katniss took her hand in his. Ok, she could do this.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to bring that up because I wanted to talk about last year," she said, looking around nervously at the twinkling stars that announced they would be arriving in Neverland shortly. "I just wanted...I wanted…" She stopped. Dammit, why wasn't she good with words? She reached over and gripped his hand before forcing herself to look at him, to see his anxious expression, but his eyes were alight with a thousand pinpricks of light, beautiful even in the darkness of the ride.

She looked around and saw the model of Neverland coming into view. The mermaids were swimming in their lagoon, Tiger Lilly was sitting with her Indian Braves, and Captain Hook shouted something unintelligible on his tiny pirate ship. Somehow seeing it calmed Katniss down, reminding her of why she'd wanted to go on this ride with Peeta. She took a deep breath.

"I...Ok. I didn't like the one word answers and silent treatment you've given me since we got in the line for this, but I get it. I know why you hate this ride. I remember everything you said last year, about your mom, about your dad. But today, while we've been having fun… really the best day we've had in a long time, I realized I needed to tell you something that I haven't made clear before now, that I even sent mixed signals about today," Katniss said all in a rush. Peeta's eyebrows rose at her atypical use of speech.

"What do you mean, Katniss?" he asked quietly.

"What I mean to say is you're my Neverland, Peeta!" Katniss exclaimed, and then promptly buried her face in her hands, cursing whoever had invented the power of speech. She was an idiot. Where had that come from? Seriously…NEVERLAND?

"Um...What?" Peeta quirked his head to the side, his quizzical expression growing even more pronounced. "Like you think I'm like Peter Pan or something?" That prompted Katniss to quickly snap her head up.

"No!" she almost shouted, casting a wild look at Wendy and the Lost Boys, who'd been captured by the pirates. She glared icily down at the cool blue waters of Neverland's ocean in the scene below.

"No," she said a little more quietly. "You aren't like Peter Pan at all. You grew up; you are grown up. You actually had to grow up too fast, honestly, just like I did, but..." She met Peeta's eyes again. "What I said about how you're my Neverland… It's supposed to be like this magical place, right? Where you can have adventures all day, every day, and things never stop being fun or exciting. Even when the pirates seem to be winning, it's a place where you know good will always eventually get the upper hand. It's where you're bursting with happiness, and it always stays with you wherever you go. It's where joy and love are so thick in the air that it's almost physically visible. I mean, that's why you wanted to go there when you were little and wanted away from your mother, right?" Katniss asked a little desperately, feeling like she was fucking this confession up royally, but Peeta nodded at her, though, his expression encouraging her to go on. She took another breath, drawing courage from Peter Pan's joyful crows at his victory over Hook in the new scene below.

"Well...that's...that's how I feel about you, when I'm with you. That's how you're my Neverland, but unlike Wendy, I want to stay in it forever. And I know this is such a convoluted metaphor….I didn't even know I was going to use this metaphor, but I suck at words, and I'm sorry about that, but I...what I'm trying to say is...I know I've never exactly given you a clear answer… but today, what I realized my answer would be is…"

"If I asked you to marry me, you'd say yes," Peeta finished, his mouth finally splitting into the smile Katniss loved so much. She nodded her head while Peeta pulled Katniss close. He gave her the gentlest kiss she'd ever received. "What changed your mind?" Peeta whispered, and Katniss noticed the tears in his eyes. She returned the kiss.

"Nothing changed my mind. I just finally realized what I already felt." Katniss kissed him again and laughed. "What everyone else probably already knew," she added. Peeta smiled again and pulled her into another, deeper kiss as they moved past the golden pirate ship floating in the sky as it sailed over London's quiet street.

XXXXX

"So, what do you want to do next?" Katniss asked as they strolled back up Main Street towards the castle, looking around with little interest at all the shops.

After their adventures on Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion, Peeta had suggested they re-ride them both so that they could pay actual attention to the rides themselves. Katniss had laughingly agreed, and following that, they had wandered back to the main thoroughfare in search of something to eat. Somehow after that, Peeta had persuaded her to go into a few stores to get some gifts for his nephew, along with a Steamboat Mickey Snowglobe for Prim, and a few Christmas ornaments. Katniss' protests that she and Peeta didn't even have a tree this year had fallen on deaf ears. Now all those things were safely stored in a locker, and Katniss found herself standing in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle again.

Katniss looked up at it thoughtfully, admiring the twinkling lights just visible in the late afternoon sunshine. Her mind flitted back to the proposal she'd witnessed that morning, along with the conversation she'd had with Peeta on Peter Pan. Maybe it wouldn't be so awful to be proposed to at Disneyland, Katniss considered with a barely audible sigh. Too bad she had no idea when she and Peeta would be coming back to California, much less to this park. Katniss turned to Peeta to repeat her question, and her heart leapt into her throat.

He was down on one knee next to her.

Katniss let out a loud gasp of shock, her heart rate skyrocketing, her hands beginning to tremble. How...how had he known? And suddenly, even more acutely than when they'd ridden on Pan, Katniss realized how much she wanted to be completely his….forever.

"Peeta?" she asked, her voice shaking. "What are you doing? I...how did you… what…" Her voice trailed off as Peeta looked up at her with a confused, almost impassive, expression on his face, his hands on his shoe. Katniss' heart plummeted into the ground.

"I'm tying my shoe," he said, a quizzical look still on his face. He glanced back down to quickly tie up the laces that Katniss supposed must have come loose, and rose to his feet. "What did you think I was doing?"

"I...I…" Katniss didn't know what to say, wishing she could take back her stumbling words. Her whole body was aflame with her embarrassment. Peeta looked at the ground, and then back at her, and then back to the ground again. Katniss could see the dawning understanding on his face and blushed even harder.

"Babe….Did you think..." he said slowly, finally looking at her with wide alarmed blue eyes.

"It's nothing," Katniss replied brusquely before he could say anything more, trying to cut off the conversation before it could get started. She started off towards one of the Lands without paying any attention to where she was going.

"Katniss!" Peeta called. He caught up with her and grabbed her arm lightly, but Katniss wouldn't look at him. Finally, Peeta took her face in his hands so he could look in her eyes. "Kat, did you think...did you think I was proposing?" he asked delicately. Katniss felt like she wanted to die of shame. She dropped her eyes to Peeta's chest as she began to speak.

"I know I just, um, really confirmed how I feel about marrying you...like...two hours ago…" Katniss said haltingly, mumbling in the general direction of his shirt. "But you were on one knee, so um… Yeah, this may just be the most embarrassing moment of my life, and I'd like to walk the plank now, if you don't mind." She heard Peeta sigh, but there was also a hint of laughter in it.

"Katniss. Will you please look at me?" Peeta asked. Katniss looked up at him through narrowly slatted eyes. There was a faint tinge of pink around his neck, but he stared at her confidently. "As much as I'd love to ask you to marry me this second, I'm guessing asking you that in front of hundreds of people on the steps of Disneyland's castle isn't exactly something you'd like, right?" Katniss flushed again.

Peetawas correct. That isn't something she wanted...or thought she hadn't wanted. It was amazing how much things could change in the course of one day. Though that really shouldn't surprise her, Katniss concluded. After all, she'd gone to Disneyland with him last year believing no one could fall in love in a day, and she'd very much been proven wrong then.

"Uh, no, I guess not," Katniss replied reluctantly, unable to voice her true thoughts. Peeta smiled at her.

"But I do promise that when I do, it'll be in an awesomely kick-ass way," he said with a wink. Katniss responded with her patented scowl, and Peeta laughed, "Now that's the girl I love," before taking her hand in his. "Let's go find that steamboat. It's probably about to go on its last journey of the day."

XXXXX

"So… since you've been reminiscing today… do you remember what happened here last year?" Peeta asked her with a grin. Katniss stared up at him as they leaned over the front prow of the lower deck on the "Mark Twain" riverboat. If there was one thing she'd never forget about their first time at Disneyland, it was the place she and Peeta had shared their first kiss.

"Of course," she said. "We'd just finished confessing to each other about our crappy past relationships, and then you whipped out these." She touched the silver Minnie Mouse ears she'd been wearing all day. "Said you'd picked them out for their color because you thought they matched my eyes."

"That's very true… Do you remember what I told you next?" Peeta queried. It was Katniss' turn to smile.

"You said they looked beautiful. Not that I needed the help."

"And that is most definitely true. You are always beautiful to me." He touched the silver headband. "With or without the Minnie ears." The smile he was now giving Katniss, the love she could easily see in his eyes, made Katniss' heart feel like it was close to bursting, and she laughed at the overwhelming feeling of it all.

"Now I know why I demanded that you finally kiss me after you said that, Peeta," she said with a shake of her head. "I'm sure I could live a hundred lifetimes and still never deserve you."

"Oh, Katniss, I'm not sure you have that the correct way around," Peeta said. He gave her a small playful smirk. "And I think there was enough sexual tension building between us that day to set off a bomb. I was going to kiss you whether you told me to or not. I think we should recreate that moment," he suggested. Katniss laughed again.

"Well, for that, there'd need to be more than the two of us on this boat so we'd have to worry about Patrick the Running Wonder interrupting us. I can't believe no one in the park wanted to get on the last riverboat ride of the day."

"Eh, it's not really surprising," Peeta said with a shrug. "I think people really do tend forget this is here, but it's nice considering how crowded Disneyland is today." Then, he nudged her playfully. "Can we at least go to the stern? It feels wrong to be up here when we were back there last year."

Katniss nodded, adding an, "Okay. Lead the way," and they climbed the stairs to the third level of the steamboat. Katniss knew from her previous ride on it that the top deck allowed them to see the giant red wheel that propelled the boat around the river Disney had made for it. Peeta propelled himself over the last step and disappeared from her sight.

"Peeta!" she giggled. "What are you d-" Katniss stopped talking abruptly as she stepped onto the threshold, her mouth falling open in wonder as the lights came on.

The entire top deck of the riverboat was lined up with hundreds of golden bulbs that looked like they were a part of Disney's typical Christmas decorations, but most of the deck was also covered in tiny sparkling white lights, outlining a path that led to the stern. Red and green shining ribbons festooned the guardrails and from the poles on both sides of the deck. Poinsettias in their pots and other flowers in yellows, oranges, and reds lay scattered among the twinkling strands, their colors reflecting off the white light to set everything aglow. It reminded Katniss of a sunset.

At the end of the pathway, Peeta stood waiting for her, a nervous but happy smile on his face. Katniss walked towards him, knowing the shock was evident on her face. "Peeta, how did you..." she started, when she was near enough for him to hear her, but he cut her off.

"I called in a lot of favors. When you work in pediatrics, you start getting to know the people who can get you an audience with the Disney management who can allow you to do this." He waved his hand over the deck. "I have a way with words thankfully," he added with a laugh. But Katniss would not be deterred.

"But why?" she asked. Peeta looked at her for a long moment.

"Well...I told you I'd make sure it would be a kick-ass proposal, didn't I?

"Wh-what?" Katniss stuttered, her heart skipping a beat. Peeta took a deep breath and wrapped her hand in his.

"Katniss," he said, giving her a small smile. "You asked me this morning if I really didn't mind leaving everyone here. Leaving the staff at the hospital, the specialists I know, even our friends, to move to Oregon. I know you've worried that since it isn't where I grew up that I'm just moving for you, and that I'm going to resent you someday for it." Katniss opened her mouth, but then abruptly closed it again. It was too accurate for her to deny. Peeta's smile widened.

"It's true that I'm not that close with my brothers...Though hopefully that'll change. I want it to. Anyways... I know we'll both miss our friends, too, but Kat…" He took another slow breath. "I understand you wanting to be closer to your sister. She's part of your home, the same way you're part of mine."

"Peeta." Katniss gasped out his name as she watched him get down on one knee in front of her.

"I never said I thought you wouldn't want this at Disneyland. Just that I didn't think you would want it to be in front of hundreds of people." Tears began to slip from Katniss' eyes involuntarily, and she gripped the hand that was still in hers more tightly. "And when you said everyone else may have realized how you felt about this before you," Peeta continued. "Well, it took me a long while, Katniss Everdeen, but I finally figured that out too." He waved his hand over the deck. "And I couldn't think of a better place than the one where I first realized you were the girl I wanted to marry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you at the time."

Katniss trembled as Peeta pulled out a ring box and opened it, revealing a grey pearl surrounded by tiny diamonds. He took one last deep breath. "I know it's not traditional, but it's something that matches your eyes...that you can wear all the time." Katniss laughed through her tears, waiting for him to say the words. "Will you marry me?" he asked finally, simply, perfectly.

"Y-yes," Katniss choked out. She dropped down to Peeta's level, not wanting to wait another moment to kiss him. "Yes," she said again in a stronger voice. Peeta started laughing, tears forming in his own eyes.

"Real or not real?" he asked, smiling. "You just agreed to marry me?"

"Real, Peeta," Katniss said as she took his ring and slipped it on her finger. "Most definitely real."

XXXXX

Katniss wished she could say she remembered much of the rest of their time in Disneyland that day, but the only thing she could really remember was Peeta telling her their friends had volunteered to pack up the apartment as a Christmas present, that they were staying the night in the Grand Californian Hotel courtesy of Prim and Rory. Their Christmas celebration with everyone was actually going to take place on the 26th, when everyone would join them at the hotel.

Katniss also wished she could say what the Grand Californian actually looked like beyond the brief registration that it seemed to be modeled after a wilderness lodge and that there had been a giant Christmas tree in the lobby, even taller than the one in the actual park. She wasn't entirely sure either, what their Club Level "Theme Park View" Suite looked like, other than another Christmas tree had been set up in the corner, and there was a large basket of Mickey Mouse related products scattered about the room. She knew, in theory, that they could see the fireworks from their balcony, and in fact, Katniss could hear their occasional explosive booms right now.

But really, the only thing she'd been able to register since that afternoon was the pure joy on Peeta's face every time he looked at her. It was the way he was looking at her now.

"I love you, Katniss," he whispered, laying wet kisses against her shoulder as he reached around Katniss' back to unhook her bra. He tore the garment down her arms and tossed it to a far corner of the room.

"I love you, t- Ohhh," she groaned out, unable to complete her sentence under the sensations now rocking through her body as Peeta took one of her nipples into his mouth. He laved the soft bud into a hardened peak and pinched the other with his hand. Katniss clutched at his curls to keep him there. It felt so good.

Finally, she heard him murmur, "You're going to be my wife." There was a wonder in his tone that made Katniss laugh, and she tugged him upwards to her to make good work of his shirt. It ended up in the corner with her bra.

"You sound like you still can't believe it," she said to him, running her hands over the hard planes of his chest and abdomen. She ran kisses from his ear, down his jaw, and onto his neck, reveling in the moans Peeta made at her touch.

"This could be a dream, for all I know," he teased.

Katniss snorted and pushed him onto his back. She jumped up from the bed to shimmy out of her pants before attacking Peeta's buckle to begin the process of ridding him of his own. Once she'd gotten them off, Katniss tore down his boxers as well. Peeta's cock sprung free to slap against this stomach. She took him in her hand, still always so astonished by the way his skin could feel so soft when he was so hard. She leaned down to kiss his tip, sucking at him gently, and Peeta groaned from the contact. "It can't be a dream," Katniss said quietly.

"You need me that badly, huh?" Peeta tried to tease again, but it came out more like a gasp. Katniss smiled.

"I do. I need you," she said.

Katniss moved to hover over him and pulled her panties to the side, sheathing him inside herself. She rolled her hips to begin their movement, setting a steady rhythm that set them both moaning. "Katniss!" Peeta called out her name, his eyes darting between her face and breasts, down to where they were joined, and then to her hand with the shining pearl on her index finger that Katniss had braced on his chest. "I love you," he said again, as she began to ride him in earnest. She wasn't sure she'd ever felt so full, and Katniss leaned forward to kiss him, sucking his tongue into her mouth.

"Touch me," Katniss requested, when she finally had to come up for air. Peeta's face darkened, and he began to pump up against her, meeting her hips thrust for thrust. He brought one hand up to fondle her breasts, while his other hand found her clit. Katniss cried out as pulses of heat throbbed through her entire body, and she knew she was close. She clenched her walls around him to drive him to his end.

"Ohhh God," Peeta cried. "I'm so close, Katniss." He rubbed rough circles against her and grabbed her hips, directing Katniss into a pounding rhythm. All too soon, Katniss found herself crashing over the edge, paroxysms of pleasure undulating through her body. That was too much for Peeta, and with a few more erratic thrusts, Katniss felt him empty his own release, warm, low in her belly.

Katniss slumped forward against his chest as her body finally stopped shuddering, resting her forehead against Peeta's, while he lovingly brushed the sweaty hair that had come loose from her bread over her cheek. Katniss had never felt so close to him, had never been happier with him than in that moment. She knew Peeta felt it too.

"Think we can stay in bed all day, tomorrow?" she murmured as she slid to Peeta's side, not really caring to get cleaned up. She whipped her panties off entirely and tossed them to the side. All she wanted, at the moment, was her fiancé. Peeta laughed at her question and pulled her into him, her dark hair fanning across his chest as he worked out her braid.

"Whatever you want, K. I think Disneyland has seen enough of us for a while anyways." He fell silent for the next several minutes, and Katniss found herself being lulled to sleep by the steady beating of his heart beneath her ear. But just before she slipped under, Katniss heard him say, "Merry Christmas, sweetheart."

"Merry Christmas, Peeta."

Author's Note: Thank you to my awesome betas, titania522, solas violetta, and peetabreadgirl for tackling this behemoth. You make me better ladies. Please review!

At some point, I plan on returning to this universe… The question of whether these two have kids has been left deliberately ambiguous for a reason ;)

Disney Details:

*Disneyland is the Happiest Place on Earth while Magic Kingdom, which is part of Disney World, is the Most Magical Place on Earth. People often get the two phrases confused.

*The decorations for the Holidays are AMAZING at Christmas, particularly on Main Street. Just google to see what the castles look like! Random fact though… Christmas is just about the only time of year I haven't been to a Disney park.

*That proposal in front of the castle where the man dressed up as a prince is actually one I witnessed, and if you can believe it, the dialogue was even more cheesy than I wrote it

*Fantasyland is my favorite individual "lands" in Disneyland and World. In over half a dozen visits to Disney parks, I have been on the Dumbo ride exactly twice, precisely for the reasons Katniss' voiced. Also, yes, the waits to meet Anna and Elsa are really that insane… I never saw it below 2 hours when I was in Disneyland in June.

*Patrick the Tiny Terror is named after my youngest brother, and yes, he did that type of crap all the time when we were kids. My poor, poor parents. ;)

*The Tiki Room is one of the original Disneyland attractions, and if you really like seeing what animatronics can really do, go see them! It's a fun little show, and the song will get stuck in your head.

*Dole Whips are pineapple soft-serve. Or you can get pineapple ice cream floats! They are available, last I checked, only at Disneyland, Disney World, and on the Dole plantation in Hawaii.

*No Disney trip is complete for my family without a picture with Mickey, hence his inclusion in this story.

*Effie's telephone number is real, and you may call it. See where it takes you

*I love many Disney movies. I like most of the rest. I absolutely HATE The Black Cauldron. It was one of the last Disney made before the "Renaissance Era of Disney Animation" began with The Little Mermaid, and it shows. None of those details I typed were made up.

*I have really gotten Galactic Hero on Buzz Lightyear's…Basically, what it means is that you maxed out the score, and it reads 999,999. My brothers were both fairly upset when I beat them… Oh to be 10 years old again.

*Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is another one with an amazing animatronic. It was, along with Small World, the two attractions Mr. Disney brought to the World's Fair. It's fun to see once…and then it's fun to take a nap in forever thereafter.

*Winnie the Pooh was definitely part of my childhood. If you ever want a lovely book to read to your kids, buy the complete collection of Winnie the Pooh. They are wonderful stories. Also, my dad called me Laura-ore every time I was grumpy as a kid, so Eeyore has a special place in my heart.

*Pirates was/is the favorite ride of the real Patrick (my youngest brother). His first visit was at the age of 3, and it was one of the few he could go on. Our last night on Disney trips always ends with us in the Magic Kingdom, riding Pirates as many times as we can, while the fireworks are going on. Our record is 7. Also…yes, people make out on it often

*I have been "backstage" at Disney… Once by accident, and once because my brothers and I were feeling a little mischievous that day. ;)

*Haunted Mansion is my favorite ride, along with Splash Mountain, Peter Pan's Flight, and Mickey's Philharmagic (A ride in Magic Kingdom, not Disneyland), and The Tower of Terror (Located in Disney's Hollywood Studios and/or Disney's California Adventure).

*The Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay and the It's a Small World overlay are both really neat. I would suggest googling the ride-through of both. They truly transform the rides into a completely new experience.

*Haunted Mansion is the other place you could really get away with a make-out session. Most other rides are too light to not be caught. Hehe.

*The steamboat proposal is theoretically possible, but you would have to have a hella lot of money. I just gave Peeta some very nice friends ;)

*The Grand Californian is Disneyland's answer to Disney World's Grand Floridian, which is the nicest hotel on DW's property. The GC was built in the early 2000s and is really neat. It also offers direct access to Disney's California Adventure…which I hope I'll get to feature a little in the eventual follow-up to this, as my favorite nighttime Disney Show, "World of Color," shows there. Sadly, there was no place to put in in this one-shot.