All ownership of THG-related stuff disclaimed. I'm back with something very unplanned, blame Hannah. And check out the promptingeverthorne blog on tumblr, there's still plenty of time to join. This will be my (slightly revised) collection of all 7 submissions, loosely interconnected into a story.

I.

The Best Haul

Sometimes hunting doesn't go as planned, but the best thing to sustain you might be right under your nose.

What hunting partners we are.

We usually come back to our families with decent spoils, but today's only haul is going to be… me.

Not like I'd admit it, but I'm extra grateful I wasn't out here alone this time, and didn't have to hobble all the way back to the district. That would probably do my knee in for good.

Climbing that tree had been a bad idea, with its bark wet and my shoes muddy after a few miles of walking through the forest drenched in spring rain. On the upside, the ground I ended up falling onto after I'd lost my footing was soft enough, and might have saved me from a worse injury.

My best friend looked almost ready to laugh as he rushed to help me up from the mud. His smile died very quickly, though. I pushed his hands away and tried to stand up by myself, only to flop back down as my left knee buckled uncontrollably under my weight.

By now my pride might be hurting more than the injured knee - and that's saying something -, but I settle for gritting my teeth without a word. We've argued enough already, before I let Gale sling both our hunting bags across his shoulders, and then pick me up in his arms. I was half expecting him to just throw me over his shoulder too, like the sack of stubbornness I am. He didn't do that, and I'm having hard time deciding if this is better or worse.

It's certainly more comfortable, with my knees elevated and propped securely against his forearm. His other arm is supporting my back, fingers curled firmly around my shoulder. My own arms are clasped behind Gale's neck, holding on with all my strength to make carrying me a bit easier. At least I hope it helps.

It's also kind of overwhelming. Leaning against him, I can feel every breath and heartbeat, every movement of his muscles against my side. My hipbone must be jabbing painfully into his ribs, but Gale doesn't seem to care. I try counting his steps to distract myself from thinking too much of how warm and… nice I'm feeling in his arms, but lose count every time Gale asks me if I'm okay. Then I look up, forcing my eyes not to linger on his tense neck and parted lips, and sulkily grunt back that I'll live.

Home is too far and the journey is taking too long, but I'm not exactly looking forward to the moment when Gale drops me off at home for my mother to take care of me, and I'll have to live this whole episode down. Or to the moment when the pressure of his body against mine disappears and I'll have to tell myself I don't want to feel it again, and that shouldn't be thinking anything like that around my friend.

I shake my head a little to clear it. Gale feels my movement and looks down at once. "Katniss?"

With a bit of quick thinking, I look around. We are reaching a good place, a clearing close to the edge of the forest, with a brisk stream running through. "Let's take a break here, ok?" I say

"No, we need to get you to your mom." His voice is slightly labored, but he does his best to keep it steady. Of course Gale wouldn't admit he's getting tired, but since I've already admitted I need him to carry me, it's not like he had any dignity to lose.

I roll my eyes. "C'mon, I'm not bleeding to death."

"I know, and lucky you aren't, but-"

"If you won't take a break, I'll just have you let me down and walk the rest of the way myself," I say and smack his chest lightly. We both know it's a very empty threat, but I'm counting on him not to hold me against my will.

Gale chuckles quietly, I can feel it more than hear it. "Sure, Catnip, whatever you say."

He does slow down, though, and carefully sets me down on a flat rock by the stream, its surface already dry and sunwarmed. Then he lays both our hunting bags near my feet and stretches, his back popping loudly.

I watch him until he lifts his arms above his head, and his shirt shrunken by countless washing slips from under his belt and rides up, exposing a sliver of tan skin. My head snaps back to the gurgling cold water, too quickly but not quickly enough.

"I think mom uses ice for sprains and such," I say, stumbling over my words a bit. That's a safe thought, and something I do know for sure. For injuries like that, I can handle hanging around. It's the blood that sends me running. And my blood need a bit of cooling now. "Maybe this would be icy enough."

"Let's try," says Gale and fishes a rag that serves as a makeshift handkerchief from his bag.

"Ewww," I drawl, even though it's obviously clean.

Gale keeps a stony face and loudly pretends to blow his nose. "Only the very best for my Catnip."

I smack his leg with a laugh, and Gale jumps out of reach, grinning.

While he rinses the cloth in the cold stream, I carefully roll the leg of my trousers up, wincing as I drag the folds over my swelled knee. The skin is bruised and reddened, but I'm relieved the fabric's not torn. The old pants are patched up badly enough already, and my body will heal more cheaply. Or I hope so.

Carefully, I try to massage and stretch my leg. Gale's back before I decide to try and get up unassisted, and shakes his head at me as if he were reading my mind.

I bite my lip to stifle a gasp when he touches the cold cloth to my skin and ties it around my knee, tightly enough to compress it, but not dangerously tight. "Better?" he asks, absently running cold fingers down to my ankle.

I shiver at the touch, and at the pain-numbing relief. "Yeah. Thanks," I say with a smile. I'm almost surprised I don't have to force it out at all.

Gale smiles back, his eyes twinkling silver in the sunlight. "Ready to go again?"

''In a few," I say and lean back, turning my face towards the sun. The sky cleared nicely after the rain stopped, and I'm glad for it. Hauling me home would be much more miserable if it kept raining. "You deserve a breather, you know."

"Okay."

Gale gets up from crouching before me to splash some water on his face and the back of his neck. I watch him for a moment as he runs his fingers through his messy black hair, pushing wet bangs away from his face, and then close my eyes.

I open them a few moments later, startled by something soft that flutters against my lips and nose.

"Hey!" I sneeze, and try to bat it away.

"Something sweet for the pain," says Gale with a big grin, and tickles my face with the cluster of honeysuckle flowers again. They are blooming early this year.

I laugh and roll my eyes. "You didn't have to bother."

He shrugs. "They were right here. You know, when you have something good right under your nose, you don't let it pass."

Taking the advice with a shrug, I pluck a flower to suck out the nectar. It's tasty indeed, and we don't get sweet things often enough. I hand the flowers back to Gale to share, and his fingers brush mine as he takes one for himself.

.

The sweetness lingers in my mouth when I let him pick me up again, and allow myself to rest my head against his chest.

.

I ask Gale to let me down at the fence, and finish the journey home leaning heavily on his arm, trying my best not to limp too obviously. I'm still ashamed for returning injured and empty handed, and by the time we get home, my thoughts are dark with calculations about how much hunting time am I going to lose and how are we going to pull though. But Gale keeps assuring me not to worry, and mother and Prim seem more relieved that my injury is not too bad than disappointed by my failure.

Gale turns to leave as soon as he sets me up on the kitchen table for them to take care of me. "I'll go back to check the snares. Get a good rest, Catnip."

Without thinking, I reach after him, but I'm not too sure what to say or do. "Gale…"

He reaches back at once and squeezes my hand. "It's gonna be fine, partner," he says with a smile. "Trust me."

I smile back, because that's what I do.