This is for the lovely Amy, as part of the Caesar's Palace Valentine's Day Fic Exchange! I apologize in advance for any SpAG errors - this hasn't been beta'd. I hope you enjoy it, lovely! Happy V-Day!
"Primrose Everdeen."
"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"
Gale wants to shout a no, but Katniss forces her way up to the stage and takes Prim's place, and he takes Prim away. He knows that seeing her little sister die would be worse than death for Katniss Everdeen, however much he wants - he needs her to stay.
They are blazing, majestic, and beautiful. He stares, captivated, at the fiery display of the chariots of District Twelve. He usually despises the frivolous chariots, but this year's stylist was certainly inspired. Katniss looks beautiful, radiant, glowing.
(Well, more than she usually does, anyway.)
Damn him. Damn the doting, foolish, sappy lover boy. Damn his 'love' for Katniss. If it came down to the both of them at the end, Peeta would probably kill her on the spot. Although he was so weak Katniss would end up victorious if it came down to them. Gale smirked at the thought. He knew Katniss would win.
She had to.
Gale watches, horrified yet captivated as the blood spilled. He usually watched it relatively calmly, but this time, knowing it was his Katniss in the fray, he was biting his lip hard every time blood or bodies fly across the screen. He saw her nearly get hit by the girl from 2, but grab the knife and run away. But then hit him.
She didn't have the bow.
Fuck.
-x-
Gale hugged Posy closer as he watched Katniss take what looked like her final steps - well, more like crawls. He wanted to scream, to shout, and to sob. But he could not show weakness in front of his family. They were the ones relying on him to keep the family afloat, and if they saw him devastated they would be lost. But then - wait - was it actually - mud. He had never liked the slimy stuff, but now he was utterly thankful for it, because, of course, where there was mud there was water. He watched as she took the iodine from her pack and mixed it in with the water. Gale admired her patience. That must have been torture. After flashing to the careers' camp for a few minutes - was that Katniss' district partner with them? - The camera went back to her as she poured the water down her throat. Gale let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding in.
"Oh, thank god," Hazelle breathed, tears in her eyes.
"I know," Gale replied, rubbing his temples. Now, she just had to get the bow. That was her only hope.
Katniss sawed and sawed, gritting her teeth against the tracker jackers' bites. She was taking a huge risk, but if it worked – Bam! The nest exploded on the ground below her tree and the Hawthornes cheered as the Careers were decimated. Two died, that night, and Gale was grinning all throughout the evening. Even though the most deadly, the pair from two was still alive, the Careers were very weak. She would gain sponsors from this, and be considered a strong tribute.
"Katniss is doing well, right, Gale?" Posy looked up at him, that sweet smile still on her face.
"Mmhm. Now go to bed, sweetheart, okay?"
"Okay!"
He wished that he still had Posy's innocence.
-x-
Finally, the games were over. He had winced through all of the scenes featuring Katniss and Peeta's star-crossedliness, wishing that he had told her or hinted or something. He knew there would be something in their friendship… missing, when she came home.
And there she was, on the train, holding hands with that moronic lover boy. He shouldn't have survived – he wasn't worthy, he wasn't interesting, he wasn't strong. Katniss could have killed him right then and there, as they were standing with those stupid berries.
"Aren't you happy Katniss got back?" His mother asked him.
"Yes," he replied truthfully, although leaving out the bit where he wanted to murder her district partner. "Very glad. I don't know what I would have done without her." Even though Lover Boy holds her down, Gale knew she could rise out of the ashes.
-x-
Reaped. Again she'll be reaped, again she'll be sent back to that hellhole and this time, however much he wants to deny it, he'll have less of a chance to survive. Because this time, it's victor against victor, and they're the best of the best. Even the weakest ones are menacing, and the Careers – well, they're terrifying.
(They haunt his dreams after the Quarter Quell announcement.)
Giving love but never getting anything back, that's him, he thinks bitterly. He thought she was – well, she might love him. But that was never the way it worked for him. As soon as she got back into the games, they were playing at their star-crossed act. And Katniss was pregnant. Gale didn't know what to believe. Was it more smoke and mirrors from the Capitol, or was Peeta telling the truth.
He groaned. He knew, after these games, nothing would be normal.
-x-
Boom…
The explosion rocked the wooden floor, and Hazelle looked at Gale, panicking.
He wanted to run and hide like a child, but he had to stay calm. "Run, Mom. I'll take the kids. Be quick and silent – go through the alleys, not the main streets. I'll keep them safe. Go, now! I'll meet you where I leave my bow!" Hazelle, with tears in her eyes, nodded, and ran out the back door.
"Okay, okay," he tried to calm himself down. "We're going to have to go through the nasty alley, but it'll be okay, I promise." He comforted them, who had tears in their eyes.
Gale took Posy on his back and ran as fast as he could. Rory was already as fast as Gale, but Rory had to drag Vick along so they would keep up. "We have to be very quiet," whispered Gale.
After what seemed like a lifetime, they made it to the fence and ducked through. Hazelle was there, and whispered, "Get down, Gale!" He ducked, and good timing too, as a horde of Peacekeepers trotted by. They didn't care to look in the forest. Dumbasses, he thought. After the final squadron of Peacekeeprs came through, Gale poked his head out.
"Will we be okay?" Asked Vick.
"We'll be fine, Vick. Just fine."
He was convincing himself as much as any of his siblings.
-x-
"The bombs were successful, Soldier Hawthorne." The stern-looking, lanky man reported, leaving the room immediately after delivering his message. Gale put his head in his hands. If the bombs had worked… he didn't want to think about it. He was sort of wishing that he had cancelled the project, because—
Don't think about Prim. Don't.
"Sir?" The soldier was back.
"Yes?" Gale snapped.
"Uh… well, one of the casualties was the Mockingjay's little sister… and she's your close friend, right? I was told to inform you."
"Go away."
"Ah, sir—"
"Go away."
He left.
Gale knew couldn't face her.