A/N: If you reviewed and didn't get the special outtake from the Chapter, PLEASE send me a PM to receive it. Some did not have reply links or your PM feature was disabled. I will not be posting the outtake on the story. You need to review Chapter Chapter 9 to get it.

-Yes this is OCC. I just realized that it's not in my description but it is for YES and READY. Sorry!

I like Peeta being a manly man and sticking up for himself and his woman. I think in the books he's shown as sensitive yet strong. No sissy Peeta in my stories unless I can help it!

**I am starting my WWII AU story tonight. I'm chomping at the bit. I will not post it, no begging, until I have like 5 chapters written. You're all gonna go crazy over the story so I need to be ahead. I have outlines for SIX more AU stories. Better author alert if you haven't already. LOL.

Enjoy this chapter, we're coming to a close soon. Maybe a few more chapters left.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.

Chapter 10

It's been five weeks since the incident in the gym and we haven't had any incidents since.

Yes, we went back. We had to. We had to show a united front and not let them get to us. We had nothing to be ashamed of. We're survivors. We can handle a shitty bunch of asshole teenagers who don't know shit about the world or what we went through other than seeing a glorified version of it on their television screens.

Delly and Madge remained by our sides from the first day. Gale was already out of school and in the mines. He and Katniss still haven't spoken. He's so royally pissed off that she's spending all of her time with me. My two buddies, Jace and Zack eventually leave our old group and join our new one but nobody else has defected. It's fine. It's times like this when you find out who your true friends are.

School has been great for me this time around, with the exception of first coming back. I feel almost normal again. My relationship with Katniss is out in the open and I get to be with her all day long. She moans a bit about not being able to hunt but that's out of her control now anyway. The first snow has already fallen and most of the animals are in the hibernation process.

We have every class together, my locker is next to hers and we hold hands while walking to and from classes. At first I was worried that we would smother each other but the experience has done the exact opposite; it's made us closer. When we're in class, we pass notes or Katniss stares out the window and daydreams while I jot down important facts to study. Everyone just assumes that we're a package deal and leaves us be.

When we get home, we have our routine. We do our homework, chores, and then make dinner. I prepare whatever I need to make bread for the following morning and bake that before school. Then we drop off the loaves on our way. Katniss will sometimes visit her mother and Prim in between an activity while I seek out Haymitch or invite him to join us for dinner. The Victory Tour is coming up soon and eventually we will have to stop procrastinating and talk about what's expected of us.

Katniss and I haven't come to terms about marriage yet. I want to propose but I'm terrified of scaring her away. Right now, we're both on the same page about not making love. She doesn't want to because of her fears and I don't want to, or at least I'm telling her I don't want to, because I want her to commit to me. When you've loved someone as long as I've adored her, sex can be risky. I already want her forever. Sex will only inflate my desire for her. Still, when the time is right, I'm going to ask her. I'll just have to keep asking her until she says yes.

I can't wait for it to get dark out. This is my favorite time of the day. The time of day when I take her hand into mine and lead her to our bedroom. Katniss and I try something slightly different every night to elicit pleasure from one another. Last night I ate her out on the kitchen table. I couldn't stop blushing when I cleaned it this morning. Haymitch has made more than enough comments about what he thinks he's hearing coming from our house. I stopped cracking the window open because he was really getting obnoxious about it.

My thoughts are interrupted when Katniss puts her arms around my neck and pulls me in for a steamy kiss. I pick her leg up to move our bodies closer together and I instantly get hard. It's getting harder and harder for me to keep myself in check and not ravage her. When I'm all lost in her I sometimes forget that marriage is a commitment, what I ultimately seek. Sometimes I can hear myself thinking "It's just a piece of paper, no big deal. Don't you want her? She's here with you, she's committed already."

Katniss grinds herself into my hips and I feel all coherent thought leaving my mind once again. We start pulling at each other clothes. I carry her up the stairs while her silky legs are entwined around my waist. When I stumble over to the bed and topple on top of her, we both let out giggles. The only items of clothing on right now are her underpants, mine are off already. I roll us over so that Katniss is straddling me. One delicate piece of clothing separating me from what I want.

I grind into her and she pants furiously. I can feel the tip of my cock going slightly farther than it ever has before in this position. I sit up and take my cock into my hand, rubbing it on the outside of her underpants. A small amount of pre-cum leaks out and Katniss moans when she feels it on her panties. I already know she can't get pregnant. The Capitol gave her a shot. The only thing I like about the Capitol right now if that they did that for her.

I want her. I want to push myself into her and feel her tight pussy all around me once and for all. I can't think straight. I need to ask her. I have to. If she says yes, these panties are history. Our breathing is out of control. "Katniss" I whisper as I pant into her mouth. I take her face into my cupped, chapped hands and run my thumbs over her lips and cheek. Katniss is lost in the moment. "Katniss" I whisper again. She focuses her stormy gray eyes clouded with lust onto my equally lustful blue orbs. "Yes, Peeta" She pants while grazing her tongue over my lips. I almost lose my nerve.

It's now or never. "I want you. I want you for the rest of my life. Marry me?" I ask huskily. Katniss looks at me and I swear her eyes are searching mine for any doubt. I don't have any and I don't see any in hers either. "Marry you? That's a big step Peeta." She says. I smile. "You're already married to me Katniss. You live with me, you spend your entire day with me, we worship each others bodies. We're living that life. I want you to be my wife, not my girlfriend. I know we're too young for the marriage license, but I want a toasting. I want you to say you want me too." I explain.

Katniss listens to everything that I just said and then pulls me into what must be the most passionate kiss we have ever shared. Her hands rest on either side of my face and then the words escape her gorgeous angelic mouth.

"I can't Peeta."

Then she gets up, runs down the stairs, fumbles with her clothes and the front door opens and slams shut.

A/N: More angst! REVIEW for another outtake. It came to me while I wrote this up. Took me 35 minutes to write this. Go Jen!