Katniss-

"Madge, I would just feel so strange at your party…I don't really even know any of the other merchant kids." I definitely want to go, even just to spend time with Madge and be around Peeta without either of our parents there.

"Kat, you're going to have to get used to some of them. After you marry Peeta, you will technically be a merchant too. You'll have merchant babies, then you and Peeta will run the bakery…." Babies? Not that again. My arm is still sore from the contraceptive shot that my mom ordered from the capital. "Besides, don't worry about them. You can come over after school and we can get ready together, it'll be fun! Then you can just stay with me after the party, my parents already know that you are promised to him so they won't care if he stays there afterwards with us."

She knows that we don't spend much time together, other than at the bakery and walking to and from school. She also knows that we've never had sex and has been pushing for all the details that I'll give her. I've wanted to ask a few questions about it, but it's so awkward maybe we can talk about it then.

"Whoa! Slow down. Let's start with the party…then we'll get to the rest of my life later." I'm the first one in our 12th year of school to have a betrothal contract, except for Mitch Stanford and Tish Flore. But he got her pregnant at the slag heap and his mother forced them to be married. Mitch's parents were devastated and even tried to pay them off, but Tish's mother wanted her taken care of in the long run. Pretty typical for Seam girls. After that, they started making condoms more accessible in the weekly classes for the boys.

"And what are you lovely ladies talking about?" Peeta had started bringing me lunch with his every day. At first, I felt guilty and refused to eat but after a while I started to really appreciate the small things that he did for me every day.

"Well, Mellark, your bride-to-be has agreed to come to the Winter party next weekend!" She was almost giddy with excitement; I couldn't help but blush because so was he.

Peeta-

My father was closing the bakery for the merchant party tonight, all of the businesses in town would be closed early and I worked for days on a beautiful cake to take over with him. I overheard him asking Mrs. Everdeen if she would be willing to go. Even though she declined, she sounded really flattered that he had asked her. I know she was from a merchant family, but she had outgrown that life and I was a little jealous that she left the cycle. I wondered if that was why she was so worried about Katniss being with me, the crowd that comes with living in town.

My dad, being from town knows how these parties work and since my brothers and I were 15, supplied us with liquor and condoms that my mother didn't know about. He just asked that we be respectful and careful.

Katniss was given the day off to allow her to go with Madge to get everything taken care of. Madge was really excited and Katniss just seemed to have been sucked into it all. I couldn't help but laugh to myself as she just stared at Madge while she rambled on about all the plans without putting in any comments.

I had been to plenty of these merchant parties before, they are always the same. Everyone brings over a bottle of liquor, wine or some kind of spirits that they snuck from their parents' house. Most often than not, there are older Seam boys there that bring in white liquor from the Hob and spend their time with the blonde merchant girls in the extra bedrooms of the houses. I had seen Gale at the parties before, but I'm not sure if Katniss knows that so I don't bring it up.

This year would be different because I had Katniss, I know she is planning to stay with Madge after the party and I would be allowed with her since she was promised to me. It still feels strange to think of her that way. In my heart, she was my partner but on paper it seemed like I won her in a poker game. She knows that I want more than a housewife. Doesn't she? But, to the merchants it's best that I keep up that façade because to them I'm not Peeta, future husband to Katniss. I was simply Peeta, future bakery owner and part of the merchant district. It's so confusing and makes me anxious when I think too much about it. No wonder Mrs. Everdeen left this life.

After my shift, cleaning and prep work was finished. I had a few hours before I had to walk over to Madge's house. I was going to be there a little early to help the girls with anything else that was left to do. I laid on my bed thinking that tonight we would be alone with neither of our parents there. Of course, the other kids would be around but after when everyone had gone, we would be alone. Hopefully Madge would find someone to occupy her time with after the party to give us space. I know Katniss is so shy, but Madge tells me that they talk about the things we've done. She and I have known each other for, well…forever. She knows my true intentions with Katniss and doesn't judge.

Thinking about the possibility of being truly alone with her, made my dick flinch. Which is nothing new, every time I thought intimately about her I got hard. What if she wanted to have sex tonight? I had thought about it a billion times. Part of me wanted to press her up against the wall and take her every time I saw her, the other half of me wanted to wait until she was transferred into my name when I turned 18 next month. I always secretly thanked Mrs. Everdeen for putting the contraception shot into her contract, with it we didn't have to worry about the condoms or planning when the time comes. As much as I wanted her to have my babies, we definitely don't need to do it now.

I had only really seen her fully naked the night at her house. Things had been considerably less intense since that night and I craved her touch. I wanted to feel her, I needed to feel the inside of her. She's so small and tiny, I'm sure her perfect pussy was so tight. She was always so hot and wet for me and I have to know what she feels like. Without thinking, my hand had gripped my dick and was stroking softly. I did need to come before tonight, just in case. A little tip that I had learned from my brothers, always come before fucking someone new or it wouldn't last. Crass, but helpful.

I want our first time to be perfect. I want it to be perfect for her, gentle and sweet because I don't want to hurt her. She needs to know that I can take care of her in that moment and always. My mind quickly heads south when I think about the moans that leave her mouth and her teeth biting her lip when I pull her hair or roughly grip her with my hands. The way she sighs when I whisper vulgar and dirty things into her ear when I press her up against the back door of the bakery. I've only lost control of what I was saying a couple of time. She seemed shocked when I spoke about spanking her and making her mine but she had never come harder than those nights.

I liked having complete control over her, and the fact that she loved for me to be pleased only added to it. The thought of bending her over my lap and leaving red handprints on her ass was too much for me, my come pooled on my stomach and started to drip down my sides.

I washed up, scrubbing my skin until it tingled. Using a salve that my mother once got me for my curls, just to tame them down. I chose a pressed white shirt and some hand-me-down slacks that were one of my brother's old ones. Grabbing the bottle of white liquor that my dad got for me at the Hob, I headed over to Madge's house. I can't help but be excited, every time I know that I'll be around her a huge smile takes over my face. I haven't asked her about being signed into my name since we did the contract. I know how she feels about it, but I also know she trusts me to take care of our family and I will always do what I can to protect her.

A couple of bright yellow dandelions catch my eye, I pick them and put the stems into my pocket for Katniss.

Madge's house is much bigger than ours, she has house hands that live with her to take care of the house. Madge's mom is very sick, rarely does anyone see her out in town any more. On the handful of times that I've been to her house, the wing of the house that her mom stays in is always closed off. I don't imagine anything different tonight.

Once at the house, I go in the back door and talk with Ms. Linda, the head housekeeper and cook. We've traded baking secrets before in the past. She gave me the recipe to an herb bread made out of tesserae grains. I've never had to take out tesserae before, but I made it with white flour and it was just as good. She said that the girls were still upstairs and asked me to help move around some furniture since all the men were out. She's always been so kind to me, I don't mind helping her and I promise to keep an eye out at the party tonight. When everything is situated, I head upstairs to the wing where Madge's room is. I can hear them giggling and I can't help but smile. I've never heard Katniss giggle, and I can only imagine the 'girl talk' that's gone on while they were getting ready for tonight. It makes me happy that she can let go of the stresses of her life and enjoy tonight.

I give a quiet knock on the door and Madge opens up. She looks really pretty, with her pale skin and blonde curls. Her chest is much bigger than Katniss' and the top of her cleavage shows under her dark blue dress that goes with her milky skin. When she pushes the door open fully, Katniss is there. Wearing a pale orange, knee length sun dress. Her beautiful, olive skin and dark raven hair look stunning with her dress. She looks like a sunset, my favorite time of day. Her hair is out of its normal braid and pinned to the side. There is a shiny broach pinned to one of her sleeves. A small bird, in a circle of gold; a mockingjay. The way the silk of the dress falls over her breasts and is a little snug on her hips, makes me want to run my hands all over her body.

"Peeta, do I look alright? Your, ah, mouth is open." Somehow, I snap into reality and shake my head to bring me back to life.

"I'm sorry for staring, you just look amazing. I – I don't know what to say." A warm blush starts up her chest and rests on her cheeks. I've never seen anyone so beautiful.

"Well, well…that's a first. Peeta Mellark, with nothing to say!" Madge rolls her eyes playfully and goes to sit on her bed.

I run my hand through her hair and kiss her lightly on her cheek. "You look so beautiful, sweetheart. Mmmm, so incredibly sexy." I can feel her cheek blush underneath my lips. At this point, I'm ready for the party to be over so we can be alone and hopefully I can see her without the dress on.

Katniss-

Peeta looks so handsome, I love the way his tight curls fall into his eyes. The way he leads me down the stairs, with his hand on my lower back; I can't help but follow his command. Truthfully, I can't wait to be his wife. I can't really imagine how it would feel to not have to worry about the family and put that burden on someone else.

Madge insists that we all take a shot of the white liquor that Peeta brought over. She toasts to a great night, Peeta raises his glass to love and I give a quiet "to forever" and Peeta winks at me. This isn't my first drink. My mother makes a cough syrup with the liquor from the Hob when we have no herbs during the winter. But this is unaltered and strong, it burns going down and my breath feels like fire. Peeta and Madge seem fine, I wonder how many times they've done this.

It's 30 minutes or so and several drinks later that the guests start showing up. Everyone that I have avoided talking to and spending time with my whole life, in one room. Teenage boys with bottles of spirits and cigars, trying to look men and girls with bouffant hair and cleavage showing, trying to look like women. In that moment I feel so plain with my simple, silk orange dress and my hair up in a basic pin. But when I catch Peeta staring at me and looking over my body lustfully, it soothes all of my fears. It also fuels my bravery when I wrap my arms around his waist and run my tongue up the shell of his ear when I see Delly looking our way.

I'm sure that he knows my motives, but he still grips my sides and almost growls in my ear, "I'm going to show you that I'm yours tonight." I moan when he fists his hand into my hair at the nape of my neck.

Peeta leads me around the room by my hand, introducing me to the wrestling team and his other merchant friends. There are a few people there that I know from the Seam, mostly boys older than me and a couple of girls that I know frequent the slag heap. The fact that I keep a drink in my hand the whole night definitely helps me put up with crowd. When we go into kitchen to get another drink, they are going down much easier than that first fiery shot, we run into the person that I've been avoiding for weeks: Gale. And he's obviously been drinking long before he got here.