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Katniss slips into bed beside Peeta and leans into him to give him a goodnight kiss. His lips are soft and his new beard scratches against her face. Katniss reaches out a tentative hand to do something that she hasn't done yet — stroke Peeta's beard. It's rough and scratchy, but the sensation is not unpleasant.
"What's the verdict?" Peeta asks, looking at her carefully. "On the beard, I mean?"
"Hm," Katniss says. "It scratches a little when I kiss you, but I think I'm starting to like that."
"How does it look?" Peeta asks. "Rugged and manly?"
"Yeah," Katniss says, half-hearted. "Is — er — is that what you were going for?"
She knows that Peeta feels a bit self-conscious about being supposedly "soft." But if Katniss is being honest, Peeta's soft side is one of her favorite things about him. Peeta is gentle. Kind. A lover of beauty. Caring to those around him.
"You're still a terrible liar," Peeta teases.
Katniss laughs. She wouldn't exactly describe Peeta's beard as rugged. He keeps it carefully trimmed and treats it with beard wax.
"I like the beard," she says, after a few moments of consideration. "It suits your face."
She kisses him on the cheek just to demonstrate how much she likes it. Peeta laughs and pulls her closer.