Chapter One

The beauty of dappled sunlight through the leaves was lost on Katniss as she focused on a deer not far from her. She raised her bow, silent and deliberate, aiming straight for its eye. In a moment she released her arrow and the deer fell heavy to the floor. She turned triumphant and grinning to Gale, they hadn't taken down a deer in months and she was pleased with her kill, however the smile fell from her lips when she saw the look on his face. It was the same look he always seemed to have around her since she returned from the Hunger Games, distant, as if he didn't want to be near her.

When he noticed her gaze he gave a faint smile, and said with a hint of sarcasm "Well done, guess my family will dine like victors tonight." Before stalking away from her to retrieve the deer.

Katniss felt her heart sink, she couldn't blame Gale for being so cold with her, in his eyes hunting was her hobby, whereas for him he had to, it meant the survival of his family. She had tried to justify herself by informing him she was trying to help him, share the load to keep his family fed, but he became even colder at this suggestion of charity.

This awkwardness had been going on for months now and she couldn't stand it any longer, the guilt she felt for being so rich and not being able to share it with Gale, in case it raised the Capitol's suspicions, was becoming unbearable. Not only that but his clear resentment of her for it. All she wanted was to go back to how it was before the games, to when they actually enjoyed each other's company.

She was startled from her thoughts by Gale roughly pushing past her to get his hunting bag. Deciding today she would have another go at trying to diffuse the tension between them she grabbed his arm, "Gale, please, can we just talk?"

He turned, but instead of looking her in the eyes, he focused on a spot just behind her shoulder, "Sure."

Katniss bitterly noted the lack of eye contact and couldn't stop the frustration edging into her voice as she tried to address the issue, "Look, I can't deal with this anymore, we need to either sort it out or just stop hunting together!"

"Deal with what?" he asked, still in the same uninterested voice, still without looking at her face.

"You resenting me for being rich! For not having to work to keep my family alive! For having it easy now! I'm fucking sorry I won the fucking games!" She resisted turning away from him after this emotional outburst, despite the tears of anger beginning to form in her eyes, and was rewarded as she soon saw Gale's icy demeanour falter slightly and he looked her in the eye for the first time in weeks.

"I don't resent you for winning the games Katniss," he said gently, "or being rich or any of that. I can't even imagine what you went through, you deserve that money."

"Then what is it? Why wont you even look at me?" The anger was still in her voice but she was grateful that he was finally connecting with her.

He sighed and looked away, "What does it matter anyway? I thought we were supposed to be best friends," his voice took on a bitter edge, "but I suppose Peeta took that role, I'm surprised you have any time for me now you've found your true love."

This took her off guard, she wasn't expecting that and she had no idea what he meant by it. It took a minute for her to try process what he had said, and during this time Gale turned angrily and began to walk away. "I don't understand!" She called finally, her confusion evident on her face, "I don't love Peeta, I already told you what's going on there."

Without turning Gale replied, "Well you could've fooled me."

"What, are you jealous? That I spend more time with him than you?" She began after him, still with no idea as to what he was referring to.

Gale turned swiftly, his face full of raw emotion, "No, I'm jealous because you're fucking him Katniss." His voice was sharp, full of jealously and resentment, causing her to recoil as if he'd slapped her.

Neither of them had expected him to say that, and the look on Gale's face clearly revealed he wish he hadn't. "But I'm not-" she began, before Gale cut her off,

"Seem to be spending an awful lot of time in his bed though don't you?" His voice was still bitter, but beginning to falter, he wasn't sure if he wanted to be having this conversation.

Her face went white, she often did sleep in Peeta's bed but that was because of her nightmares of the games, and to try to convince the Capitol that their love was real. She was about to tell him this when something else occurred to her, something that made no sense at all, "Even if I was, why would you care Gale?"

She watched emotions she couldn't name cross his face before he finally answered her in a low voice, "Because I love you."