Gale's POV
Gale sat in the woods, thinking about Katniss. Today, she was marrying Peeta. By her own choice, not forced by the Capitol. But Gale still loved her. He always would.
This time, this place
Misused, mistakes
Too long, too late
Who was I to make you wait
If only he'd gotten to finish what he wanted to tell Katniss before she was taken to her first games. He'd been completely ready to tell her that he loved her.
Just one chance
Just one breath
Just in case there's just one left
He would have proposed to her on the day of the reaping, if she had agreed to run away with him. Now, he missed his chance.
'Cause you know
That I love you
I have loved you all along
Ever since the first time he'd seen her in the woods, looking at his snare, he'd felt something for her. He admired her, a girl even younger than him willing to risk her life to help her family. They shared a purpose in life. Nobody understood him nearly as well as Katniss did.
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
and you'll never go
Those awful times when Katniss was in the arena. How lonely he had been. There was nothing he wouldn't give to have Katniss back with him. He regretted all throughout her first games that he hadn't volunteered to take Peeta's place.
Stop breathing if
I don't see you anymore
He didn't know what he would have done if she died in the games. He never wanted to think about that awful possibility.
On my knees, I'll ask
Last chance for one last dance
'Cause with you, I'd withstand
All of hell to hold your hand
I'd give it all
I'd give for us
Give anything but I won't give up
He had to kiss her. At least once. President Snow had taken away such a big part of his life, and this was the very least he needed.
So far away
Been far away for far too long
But you know I wanted
I wanted you to stay
She had come to District 2 to personally invite him to her wedding. He wasn't sure how to respond to her invitation, but he had wanted to get every last second he could with her.
'Cause I needed
I need to hear you say
That I love you
He didn't know if he would ever be happy again. Out of all the girls that he dated, none of them even remotely compared to Katniss. He'd wanted to speak to her for so many years, but he didn't dare to. Katniss had a right to be angry at him for designing the bomb that killed her sister. He feared that contacting her would just make things worse between them.
Katniss POV
"I, Peeta Mellark, take you, Katniss Everdeen, to be my lawfully wedded wife. I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live."
"I", Katniss began. What was she doing here, marrying Peeta? She remembered seeing Gale in District 2 just a few days ago, and how she'd felt the faint remnant of the girl and the boy in the woods. If Effie hadn't pulled Prim's name from the reaping bowl, who would she be marrying right now?
"I'm sorry. I can't do this." And she took off, running to the woods.
I have loved you all along
And I forgive you
For being away for far too long
So keep breathing
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore
Believe it
Hold on to me and, never let me go
She hadn't expected to find Gale in the woods. But there he sat, in their old meeting place.
"Gale," she whispered, trying not to startle him.
He turned slowly to face her. "Aren't you supposed to be at your wedding?" he asked.
"I left. I couldn't marry Peeta. It's not your fault that Coin used your bomb design to kill Prim, so I forgive you."
Gale was speechless. Did he, after all that had happened, have another chance?
While she was looking at Gale, she finally realized that she had always loved him. That's why she couldn't marry Peeta. Since the beginning, when they started hunting together, they had a special connection. Two fires could burn brighter when combined into one big fire. And that was the way she was with Gale. Without him, she was a dying fire. And she knew who she couldn't survive without.
She reached towards Gale and put her hands over his. "I have always loved you," she whispered through her sudden tears of joy. She felt like floating, because of the sweet relief she had found while realizing this simple fact.
Gale was too overcome with emotion to speak. He reached out to cradle her face, and kissed her gently. I will not do anything that would hurt her ever again, he promised himself.
"And I have always loved you," he told Katniss right before he pulled her in for a long embrace.
Believe it, hold on to me and never let me go
Together, their lives would be complete.
Please review! Comments would be greatly appreciated.
I may write an epilogue for this if there is a lot of interest.