Blackberries
They were in the woods, hunting. It was one of the last summer days, the scent of moss filled the air around them and the sunlight covered the bark of the trees with a golden coat.
They weren't really putting much effort in the task of finding a new target, since they'd already collected plenty of games, but there was still a lot of time before they had to head back. And, most of all, even if none of them ever said it out loud, they enjoyed being in the woods together. It was their place, their refuge. It was peaceful and reassuring.
«Blackberries!» Katniss cried, capturing Gale's attention.
«Look!» She was pointing at a bush that seemed more like a tangle of dense arching stems. A smile spread across her face, one of the rare ones he only saw in that place, surrounded by trees, dark soil, and foliage. He forced himself to avert his eyes from her face and took another look at the small black fruits sprouting from the thorny branches.
He dropped his bag on the ground and plucked a handful of them. When he couldn't take more in his fist without letting the fruits fall, he snatched a large and soft leaf from a near plant and put the blackberries in it.
«A little snack, milady?» He asked her with a silly accent, holding the leaf like a tray, with an arm bent behind his back as one of those posh Capitol waiters.
«Shut up and sit down, before I shove those berries up your nose.» She replied, laughing and taking a seat on a flat stone wide enough for both of them.
«Such kind words. How can I refuse?» Gale chuckled, joining her.
They silently began to eat, letting the sweet flavour of the fruits slowly coat their tongues. They couldn't afford many moments like this, just resting and eating. They were so rare, and thus so precious. It was like time had stopped, just for the two of them, giving them a small glimpse of something that was the closest to happiness they ever felt.
«I wish this could never end.» Katniss said, suddenly. Her gaze fixed on an indefinite point ahead of her.
Gale wondered if she meant just the berries, or them. Was there actually a them? Would it ever have been?
«Me too, Catnip.»
Except they both knew it couldn't last forever. Nothing lasted forever in the world they lived in. Not faith, not happiness, not love. There wasn't place for that in District 12, or any other District for all they knew. And yet, Gale couldn't stop hoping that maybe there could be little exceptions, tiny shreds of hope to cling to, sparks of emotions they couldn't steal from them. Maybe there was place for love in the woods.
«I…» he paused. The words stuck in his throat like the thornes of the blackberry plant.
«What, Gale?» She encouraged him, cluelessly staring at him with her slightly stained lips semi parted.
But the thought had just slipped out of his mind, vanished like a half-asleep dream when you open your eyes. And that's what it was. Just a dream he knew he couldn't rely on, he couldn't let himself believe in.
«I swear I've never seen anything funnier than your blue lips. Pink shoes, a fancy yellow dress and you'd be a perfect example of Capitol fashion.» He mocked her.
She threw him one of the last blackberries but he managed to catch it with his mouth open. They both burst laughing and they got up still giggling.
Back to reality, then. Gale thought with a last melancholy glance at the blackberry bush.
They returned to the coal grey life of District 12, leaving the woods behind. And in it another precious memory, the colour of blackberries.