This takes place during and after the Hunger Games series in a slightly altered 'verse. Starts half way through Catching Fire. Strange romance and more slash as it progresses. I don't own any of these characters.
The announcement cut into him, piercing his chest and leaving him breathless. Gale reached out, steadying himself on the kitchen counter as the realisation hit him. Katniss was going back into the arena. He took a deep ragged breath, feeling his just healed scars tenderly expand on his back. He headed toward the door, shrugging his coat on in one swift motion. The walk to the Victor's Village seemed miles long, each footstep weighted with hundreds of thoughts. He couldn't lose her again, the first time was bad enough. Now she was headed to the Games and once again he was powerless to stop it. The fact that she came back alive was a miracle and as much as he hated to admit it, he owed the baker. Peeta Mellark, the blue-eyed boy who'd stolen Katniss from him had also brought her back alive. He loathed the stocky blonde but respected him solely for helping her, protecting her.
The ground was damp under foot and a cold wind bit any exposed skin. As Gale approach the Victor's Village he saw the blonde haired boy make his way toward the far house. Gale made his way to the door of Katniss's house, scuffing his boots on the steps before knocking. It was her mother who answered, her eyes puffy and breath shaky. She smiled weakly at Gale, tears welling once again as she stepped aside to let him in. He sat on their couch, not daring to make a sound, afraid of what it could do to Katniss's weeping family. After a while there was a loud knock on the door, breaking the gloom momentarily. Gale opened the door and Katniss fell into his arms. The stench of alcohol engulfed him and the bottle of liquor she was holding sloshed down his back. "I was wrong," Gale whispered, "We should have gone when you said".
"No," replied Katniss brusquely.
"It's not too late," he said, supporting her weight which was slumped against me.
"Yes it is," she slurred before the bottle slipped from her hands and smashed on the floor. Gale sighed, hoisting her into his arms and carrying her up to her bedroom. Prim was by his side and insisted on taking care of her. Gale watched from the doorway as Prim pulled off Katniss's sodden socks. She then turned to gale, poking out her tongue before shutting the door. Gales smiled faintly as he made his way down stairs and bid goodnight to Mrs Everdeen.
The dry evening wind had picked up, sapping the moisture from Gale's lips. He took a deep breath as he stood on Katniss's porch tasting the District 12 dirt and the crisp forest tang. He was just about to head home when he saw Peeta. The baker's boy was huddled on the stairs of the next house. Gale sighed, deciding to put aside hit hatred for the boy and go to him. He hesitantly walked over to him, standing above him, unsure of what to do. Peeta looked up at him, large blue eyes luminous in the moonlight. His eyelashes glistened with recent tears. "Oh, hi," said Peeta, standing hastily "I didn't really expect to see you here". He swiped the tears from his lashes with his sleeve and gave the best smile he could. It barely masked the sadness below.
"What are you doing out here?" said Gale, unsure of what else to say.
"I just needed some time alone"
"You could have picked a harder spot to find"
"I don't need to, no one comes looking for me". The blonde looked past Gale's, his eyes fixed on some point in the distance and his smile, however fake, was lost. They stood awkwardly for a moment before Gale sat on the steps, Peeta following soon after.
"How am I supposed to protect her again?" said Peeta vacantly
"Kiss her," replied Gale, more harshly than he intended "it worked for you before". Peeta shook his head slightly, staring at the ground. "Seems the love you two share can overcome anything".
"We don't share anything," said Peeta "She's yours, she always was"
"She's never looked at me the way she did you"
"It was all an act, I had no right to take her from you. Regardless of my heart I can't help feeling wretched". There was a moment of silence before Gale saw glistening tears splash onto Peeta's shoes. "I messed everything up. I know it sounds like a sob story but I've never been anything but dead weight. Katniss had to save me, take care of me and what did I do? Kissed her and accidentally killed the District 5 girl, all the while making it worse for you." The bitterness had been rising in his voice until he was practically spitting the words out. Gale sat, looking at the crying boy, unsure of what to say. "I'm so sorry," whispered Peeta looking into Gale's quicksilver eyes.
"Just bring her back in one piece," said Gale, giving Peeta a gentle nudge and a half-hearted smile.
"Yeah," replied Peeta, taking a deep breath "I'll see you 'round". He got up and walked off, slumped and slow. As he reached the steps to his house he took another deep breath, straightening his posture. He wiped away any remnants of tears and went into his house. Gale sat on the stairs, thinking about what had just happened. That was their first full conversation, their longest exchange and it left Gale with a strange emptiness. The boy with the bread had apologised to him, apologised for everything Gale resented him for. How was he meant to compete with that? He now understood that he would never be able to have Katniss. Because of the games, because of Peeta, because of the Capitol. Katniss was glued to Peeta's side by the audience's love of their 'love'.
The next time Gale saw Katniss was when she, Peeta and Haymitch ran by his house just before he headed off to the mines. He saw them everyday as he made his way to the coalmine. It wasn't long before Hazelle, Gale's mother, told him they were training for the arena. It made sense, why not act like careers and have a chance of coming back? Gale found himself questioning why Haymitch would be training since everyone know Peeta would volunteer, regardless.
Dew drops caught the first light of Sunday morning as Katniss approached Gales house, knocking tentatively. Gale opened the door almost immediately, pulling on his hunting jacket. "Are you going hunting?" said Katniss
"Yeah," replied Gale as he stepped outside, closing the door softly behind him. "As usual. Are you joining me?"
"Um, no, not exactly," said Katniss, seeing his shoulders drop slightly with disappointment. "Listen Gale. I need your help"
"Help? With what?"
"Teaching Peeta and Haymitch how to hunt," said Katniss. She noticed how Gale bristled at the mention of Peeta, less than she expected though. Gale looked at her, studying her face as he once again thought of his conversation with the baker. "Yeah, okay," he said, resigning himself to the fact that he had to spend time with Peeta.
It didn't take long before they had slipped through the chain link fence and were trudging through the woods. Peeta's loud footfalls made Gale cringe inwardly compared to Katniss's velvet tread. Peeta and Haymitch spent the rest of the day in Gale and Katniss's capable hands, learning about the native flora and fauna and how to harvest it. Katniss taught them to use a bow and Gale relinquished some of his skill with snares. He watched as Peeta struggled with a harness trap, his blue eyes narrowed in concentration. Gale walked up behind him, observing the knot before bending down and reaching over the shoulder of the blonde. "Try not to make it too tight," he said, "If you make it too tight, the harness can't ensnare the prey". Gale could feel the steady warmth that radiated from Peeta who's cheek was just inches away from his own.
"Oh right," said Peeta, his deft fingers working quickly to undo the knot. Gale reached out, gently prying the twine out of Peeta's hands and slowly redoing the knot so the baker could learn. "Thanks," Peeta blushed, his cheeks and the tips of his ears going slightly pink.
They agreed that every Sunday they would meet and practice survival skills in the woods. Every time Gale would see them they had become fitter, more adept, deadlier. Peeta and Haymitch had filled out, visibly gaining muscle with everyday. The Sunday before the reaping was just a recap of what Katniss and Gale had taught Haymitch and Peeta. It went well, both of them retaining a surprising amount. Night came quickly and they parted ways, Katniss walking Gale home. "It would be better if he was easier to hate," said Gale, kicking a pebble in front of him.
"Tell me about it," replied Katniss, "If I could've just hated him in the arena, we all wouldn't be in this mess now. He'd be dead, and I'd be a happy little victor all by myself". Gale caught himself drawing comparisons between his conversation with Peeta and the present. Both the victors blaming themselves for the mess, each in a different way, Katniss wishing she were more ruthless, Peeta wishing he wasn't a burden.
"And where would we be, Katniss?" he said. Katniss paused, her eyes down cast, thinking.
"Hunting," she replied "like every Sunday". Gale sighed, giving her a small smile before stepping onto the porch of his house. Where would they be? Hunting, as Katniss said, probably. Except maybe their kiss would've meant something to her. Gale couldn't help the guilt that crept through him. How could he wish someone so good-natured as Peeta Mellark dead?
District 12 sweated collectively as they waited in the town square for the reaping to begin. Katniss was roped off in a separate section by herself while Peeta and Haymitch stood in their own roped off section. Gale stood with him mother, looking over the heads of the crowd at those being called to the slaughter. Everything went smoothly. Effie Trinket totted and blabbed as she usually did, although with noticeably less gusto than usual. Katniss was called up, stone faced and determined. Peeta volunteered for Haymitch, joining Katniss on the stage.
Gale made his way out of the crowd and into the justice building where he could wait to see Katniss. Her mother, Prim and Madge arrived with masks of stone, determined not to show emotion. Gale looked at Peeta's door. No one stood waiting to see him. No one comes looking for me. Peeta's words resonated in Gale's mind. He was right, no one had come after him, even if it was the final goodbye. After a while a Peacekeeper came out of Katniss's room and unfolded a piece of paper. "Friends and family of tributes are to be advised that contact before the train ride is now forbidden," she said curtly "The Capitol is sorry for the inconvenience and wishes you a happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favour". The Peacekeeper then turned on her heels and stalked back through the door from whence she came.
The shocked silence that followed was only broken by the sound of Prims muffled sobs as she cried into her mother's dress. Gale stood there, shock slowly giving way to his boiling wrath. He tore out of the building and ran toward the station. They hadn't arrived yet but a crowd was gathering. A group of Peacekeepers marched through the mess of people, clearing a path to the train doors. Katniss and Peeta walked solemnly through the terminal. As they reached the doors they turned and waved goodbye. The Peacekeepers had dispersed and the crowd pressed forward. Gale seized the moment to reach out, desperate to reach Katniss. He grasped onto an arm and pulled hard. Peeta's eyes were wide with shock as his face stopped inches away from Gale's. They looked into each other's eyes before Peeta closed the minor gap, their lips meeting briefly before he slipped into the crowd and back onto the train. Gale watched as the train sped away baffled by what had transpired. His lips still tingled from where Peeta's had touched them. Why did that kiss feel so warm and natural? At that moment Gale hoped his death wish on Peeta wouldn't come true. The next time he saw Peeta, however, it might have been better if it had come true.