They met behind the school every few days, a brief glance from one to the other in the schoolyard, a meeting of blue eyes to gray. A faint touching of hands as they passed in the hallway. That was all that was needed for Gale to understand that they would converge at their secret, special place. Blonde hair blowing in the breeze, the scent of coal wafting into his nostrils, Peeta sauntered over to his boyfriend, and they briefly kissed. Gale felt instantly warmed, the meeting of their lips bringing the sensation of heat to his body.

"I missed you, and seeing you throughout the day didn't help."

Peeta blushed, he always got so flustered when Gale complimented. Damn him and his dapper charm.

"I'm really worried about you Gale. How many times is your name going to be in the reaping this year?"

"Too many. Way too many."

"You won't get picked. You're only sixteen."

Gale just stood in silence, pulling his jacket around his chest as he realized how cold it was getting.

"Let's go back to my place. My folks are at the train station, collecting up some supplies they ordered."

Gale nodded, and they walked side by side. Peeta reached out to grab Gale's hand, but stopped himself, blushing fiercely. Homosexuality was frowned on in the poorer districts, and peacekeepers often beat those displaying such tendencies.

"I wish we didn't have to keep this secret,"

Peeta said to his boyfriend as they passed through the Hob. "Because all I want to do, every time I see you, is..."

He leaned in and whispered in Gale's ear. Gale's eyes went as wide as saucers, his face paled considerably, and he stammered through his next statement.

"Y-you want t-to do that to me?"

Peeta began jumping to conclusions, and following the other as he tried to figure out what was the matter.

"Oh no, i said something wrong! You don't really like me, do you? Is this a prank? Oh no you like girls don't you. You were just experimenting and I've proved your suspicions that you're into girls, not guys."

Peeta's rambling, paranoid train of thought was interrupted by Gale's mouth pressing into his in a sweet, chaste kiss. Gale pulled the other boy into the bakery, and pressed him up against the wall with passion and lust.

"No, I just always thought you were..."

Gale paused, trying to think of the right word. He heard a word with the same meaning at the hob once, from a man with a rather whorish quality, but he couldn't recall it.

"I'll remember sooner ofr later."

Peeta kissed him once again, and dragged him to the bed, where Peeta pulled off his shirt, exposing his defined, lightly hairy chest. Peeta took off his shirt, then began working at his pants, and realization dawned on Gale.

"I remember!"

"Remember what?"

Peeta looked down questioningly.

"The word! I always thought of you as a bottom!"

Peeta giggled, then spoke softly into his soon-to-be lover's ear.

"I guess you've got a lot to rethink."