Katniss-

The next Monday, when Prim and I are walking to school Peeta is there waiting for us at the street. He looks so handsome and happy; he's wearing his gorgeous smile. Prim runs ahead to meet him, she's so happy that Peeta will be part of the family. Once I came to bed on Saturday night she bombarded me with questions, it turns out that she had listened to the whole thing. I was going to scold her on her eavesdropping habits but she then told me that mother and Mr. Mellark stayed at the table while Peeta and I were outside, they were holding hands and smiling.

I saw him hand her a small paper sack and she squealed with delight. When I stopped where they were standing she showed me a beautifully iced cookie, with pale blue cursive writing. "He made you one too, with your name on it!"

"Peeta, you don't have to do these things! Now that I know how much those cookies actually cost, It's too much…"

"Now, Ms. Everdeen, if you would kindly stop telling me what I can and cannot do for my girls. I'll have you know, I made sure to put into our contract that I could give you gifts of any form at any time." He looks so smug and happy with himself.

Finally, I break and give him a small smile and a fake curtsey, "Yes sir, as you wish." He pulls me close and kisses me firmly on the cheek. I temporarily forgot that we are in the middle of town and kids, both merchant and Seam, are all around. "Peeta! We are in public, everyone will see you do that!"

He runs his hand though his freshly washed curls and snakes his arm around my waist, "I know. My father and your mom are filing our proposal paperwork at the town hall today, so technically I am allowed to show everyone that you're mine." Prim is smiling from ear to ear.

We split off at school and he tells me that he brought us lunch. Ever since he has started sharing with me, I've packed Prim's lunch heavier than mine to make sure she gets enough. In my first class, Madge meets me with an excited scream. Of course she already knows what's going on, Peeta and Mr. Mellark paid the mayor a visit to see what paperwork is in order. She said Peeta was so happy and smiled the whole time he was there telling her about it. But when Delly Cartwright came into class with a group of her friends, she sneered at me. Then I heard her telling them that Peeta was "old news" and she was glad to be rid of him years ago, and he wasn't ever any good in bed anyways. Madge and I meet eyes and my blood starts to boil.

I somehow make it to lunch, trying to avoid all the nasty comments from the girls and the questions from the guys on why Peeta would marry a Seam slut unless she was pregnant.

Peeta finds me at our normal table at lunch, gives me a quick kiss on my head and plops down beside me. Something seems wrong with him. "Madge told me what people have been saying to you. I'm sorry. I thought the guys would give me a hard time, the girls would be jealous of you getting married before them and they'd be done with it. They all used to be my friends, I – um – can say something to them?"

"No, I was just surprised by everyone. I knew there would be the whole Seam versus merchant thing, but I wasn't expecting to hear about Delly 'being done with you years ago' for being bad in bed." His eyes widen, his face turns crimson and he runs his hands through his hair.

"Katniss, I'm sorry. Yes, Delly was my first…it truly was years ago. We had sex a couple of times and to be honest, it was completely lame." He pauses like he really doesn't want to continue. "the only other person was Missy." Ugh, he had told me that they dated but I didn't know they were fucking back then. Am I the only one that hasn't done it? I'm not sure if I'm angry for not knowing, disappointed that we weren't each other's first or upset that two other sluts have seen his dick. Really, I should have known he had done it all before because he was so good at it with me.

"it's alright, I wish I could have been prepared for all of this. I just wasn't expecting to find all of this out on the first day of our betrothal."

"it's my fault, I should have told you a long time ago. I didn't want you to be upset and stop talking to me before you knew how I really felt about you." His eyebrows are turned upwards and I can tell he is being truthful. I just give his hand a light squeeze to let him know that it's fine.

"Don't worry, you have plenty of time to make it up to me. What did you bring for lunch and what about this cookie I heard about this morning?"

He leans into my ear so no one around us can hear him, "I want to make you come on my face to apologize and ill only give you this cookie if you promise to be a good girl for me." His voice is so deep and his whispered breath sends chills down my spine that settle into my thighs, only then do I realize that his hand had inched closer to the spot between my legs making my breath catch.

"Yes Sir."

Peeta-

I love that she is so strong willed and breaks every district rule possible, yet she follows the commands that I give her. I am by no means a misogynist, I want her for an equal partner in life, but I am so turned on by being able to dominate this free spirit. Like a wild animal that only yields to me. I would never treat her that way in public or in front of anyone.

I had heard Seam boys talk about her standing up to grown men in the Hob that try and flirt with her and touch her. It makes me cringe thinking of someone else touching her.

I walk back with her and Prim to the bakery after school, our parents are there with Haymitch Abernathy. He's the town drunk and also the district's only capital liaison. If you ask me, they made a terrible choice. Rye takes Prim upstairs to the living room to show her a card game. Only I notice when they sneak a bag of pastries up there with them. Katniss and I sit on opposite sides of the table facing each other and our parents at our side. Haymitch is at the head of the table and smells like white liquor and smoke.

This is a customary meeting, but it doesn't make it less awkward when he reads down the list of agreements.

The youngest of the Mellark family wishes to enter into marriage with the eldest Everdeen daughter. Both families have agreed on this union. Both parents must sign since they are under 18 at this time.

Dowry for Katniss Everdeen will be three months' tesserae for Katniss, to be provided each month after marriage.

They will be able to wed after both parties are 18 years old, unless the woman becomes pregnant and only then can the couple marry with a signature from each parent before their 18th birthday.

When the male turns 18, he can issue the requirement to have the female signed over in his name until her 18th birthday when they can legally wed. If he chooses to take her under his name prior to her 18th birthday she will be spared from the final 18year reaping. This will also take one entry from another member of the household since they are losing a member.

The female will be the sole custody of the male after being wed and she will obey him, must take the district and family trade of his choosing.

"And it looks like your folks have submitted a couple other requests here…" Clearly he's already drunk by the way he is slurring.

The youngest Everdeen daughter will be commissioned to work for pay in the Mellark family bakery until she is 18 years old.

Katniss Everdeen will be on medication preventing conception from this day until the couple's one-year anniversary. This medication will be paid for by the male's family and will be administered via shot by the female's mother.

The male's family will be able to provide gifts at any time and of any sort to the female's family.

"Alright boy, you sign just there. Sweetheart, put your name just below his. The first five are required by the district and the last 3 must be agreed upon by both sides." She scowls at him when he calls her sweetheart. There's my girl.

We both sign, although I saw her lip curl when he read off that she would be my property. I kind of like that one. It was required that she get the shot in her arm at the time of signing, that must have been her mom's doing. I am personally most proud of the last one. I saw her lips twitch when that one was read, I guess she didn't believe me when I told her that earlier.

Katniss and I go upstairs for the remaining rules about tesserae and payments.

My mind is already spinning; I hadn't even given the reaping a second thought until they mentioned her being able to bypass it. "My birthday is mid-January, just after winter break. I'll have you transferred into my name, you can move in with me and you'll be safe for your last reaping. I th-"

"You better slow down Peeta Mellark!" her eyes have fire behind them. "You will do no such thing. I need to be at home to provide for my family, and you don't tell me what to do! I am not a puppy that you can scream orders at." She's so fucking hot when she's angry, I need to let her get to this point more often. "I am a grown woman and I will do as I please! Maybe I should have re-thought this proposal if you think that, I'm going downstairs to still see if that old drunk bastard is still here!" She's screaming and I've let her go on long enough, I grab her by the wrist and pull her back to me. She's feisty, but I'm stronger. I take both of her wrists in one hand and she looks me straight in the eye with her brow furrowed and her eyes ablaze. At least she's learning to look at me when I talk to her.

"Lower your voice, Katniss." She twists her arms and huffs. "I would not have you do that if it wasn't the best thing for your family. You would be spared and they would take an entry away from Prim. Also with the extra food, she won't have to take out any tesserae for the rest of this year and all of next year. That's taking 5 entries off her name for the next drawing alone." She stops fighting me at this point and loses her scowl, she knows that I'm right. Her eyes soften.

"I'm sorry, I was just angry and I truly didn't know I would be considered as property. That contract seemed like you were buying me. I want to be with you as your wife, not something you own."

"No, I'm sorry. I know that's how it sounded, but I don't think of you that way. You are going to be my family and I will always do what's best for us, please know that." I let go of her wrists and cup her face. "You, are my family now."

She presses her lips to mine; running her nails up my chest, around my neck and up through my hair. Oh god, she is going to be the death of me. "I suppose I could let you be in charge of me sometimes."

"Oh, my dear… you shouldn't say that, you don't understand what you'd be getting into." It's so hard for me not to pick her up and hold her against the wall. She's absolutely gorgeous when she fights and then submits to me. I can tell by her smile and blackened pupils that she loves it too.

I give her a quick kiss on her lips and smooth her hair down when I hear my father's heavy steps on the stairs.

"Katniss? Your mom needs you down stairs to – uh – finish up."

She leaves my grasp and heads down to the bakery.

"Thank you dad, for everything. I just want her to be happy. She deserves it." He gives me a big hug, messing up my hair like I'm still his little boy. "Dad, after my birthday I think I'll have her move in, it's the only way to keep her safe."

"I know son, let's wait to talk to Eva. She's having a hard time with this, but it's completely your call and she knows that. So, we can work on the arrangements. After Dan moves out with Bella, Rye can take the other room. It's not ideal, but we can look for something else after the toasting. But now that you have someone else to worry about, we need to make sure that you're ready for the future." He lets out a long sigh. "it's a lot to take on, but you know that I'm here for you."

There are no words that I could express to this man, I know that he's doing this to make up for everything that he's lost over the years. I understand that. He wants me to have everything that he didn't. I owe everything to him. My mother was an evil woman that never deserved this kind-hearted man.

I'm going to make him proud. I am going to do and have everything he didn't; a wife that I adore and that loves me completely.