Chapter 1: Forced Marriage

Wedding days were supposed to be happy. There was supposed to be flowers and decorations and smiles and laughter everywhere – amongst the guests and especially between the bride and groom.

Today was not going to be like that. At all. Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen both knew it.

After winning the 74th Hunger Games by pretending to be lovers, the Capitol was now forcing the two to get married. Peeta should have been ecstatic that he was marrying the love of his life…. except that he knew Katniss had only pretended to love him. But what could they do? They had to keep up the star-crossed lovers act, and somewhere along the line, President Snow would probably expect them to have children. And those children would likely be sent into a future arena. None of which Katniss wanted.

Given how much their very lives were now tied, it was amazing that the pair and their mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, had managed to convince the Capitol to let them have a private, intimate ceremony. A small guest list from within District 12, along with a single camera to tape the event before broadcasting it live at a later date, had been arranged.

So, here they were now, at the altar – Katniss looking so beautiful in her dress, and Peeta dashing in his suit with Haymitch by his side. The holy man blessed them, and Peeta wondered if they were doing the right thing. He brushed it from his mind. Right or wrong, they had no choice at this point, and it was too late to turn back. We'll make it work….somehow. Then, he bent and kissed Katniss. Just for a moment, he forgot everything and had no more doubts. The feeling of Katniss kissing him back (he did not want to ponder how much of it was contrived) was enough to make him entertain happiness for a brief period. That moment ended, however, as he spotted the first face he saw in the crowd when they broke apart: Gale Hawthorne, looking tormented. Refusing to look the young man in the eye, Katniss and Peeta left the Justice Building and headed for his house in the Victor's Village. A small toasting was held, as was tradition, before everyone left. Haymitch was last of all out the door, giving his protégés a sympathetic look before pulling the bolt to behind him.

Peeta and Katniss now awkwardly went up to Peeta's – no, their room – and began to prepare for the night. Peeta leaned against the wall and watched as Katniss began to unbraid her hair. He averted his eyes as she undressed and pulled a nightdress over herself. Finally, he dared to speak up.

"Katniss?" She shot him a blank look. Well, at least it wasn't a hostile one. Peeta cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. For all of this. I…. know it's not what you wanted."

Katniss turned away, mumbling "It's not your fault."

Another awkward pause. Katniss had finished her routine and was just staring at herself in the mirror. Peeta cleared his throat.

"Do you….want to get in bed?" Katniss looked at the bed and Peeta's heart broke to see tears welling up in her eyes. He felt like such an idiot - no, a louse, that was a better word – forcing the girl he loved into a one-way, and therefore loveless marriage. "We don't have to do…. anything tonight. It doesn't even have to be soon. Just…. whenever you're ready." Then, to lighten the mood, he cracked, "It's not like the Capitol has bugged this place to check up on our sex life."

The tiniest of smiles curved along Katniss's mouth. Turning back to Peeta, she approached him. Before the boy could react, she had reached up and kissed his lips gently; he barely had time to react before she pulled away.

"Thank you," she whispered, full of gratitude that Peeta was respecting what little wishes she had left. He nodded, before the pair got into bed and promptly lay on opposite edges, their backs awkwardly to each other.

So much for a blissful wedding night.