This a very special birthday present to my bestfriend. This one's to you, Alyssa.
It started with a car crash.
The sound of scraping metal pierced the dreary, quiet night.
Her parents' screams echo in her mind and her sister's tear soak through her shirt.
There is blood in her dark braid, and it seeps into Prim's delicate white shirt.
They hold each other and cry for the rest of the night.
He has been the constant in her life, the pillar of strength.
As she becomes numb, he clutches onto her for dear life.
Katniss has become a statue, the strongest girl that Gale has ever seen.
He can't help but love her.
She's reserved. Her façade never cracks, the world never completely knowing how utterly broken she is inside.
She becomes the face of a company she doesn't care about. She floats through life and doesn't even care about any of it.
He holds her hand and she pulls away.
"Girls like me aren't suited for love."
It's the 5th anniversary of the crash. Katniss breaks down, a moment of weakness overtaking her.
Gale kisses her cheek. She pulls his lips to hers.
They don't stop kissing until Prim knocks on her bedroom door, asking if she can go out with her friends.
They kiss and do more than he ever thought she would let him.
He loves her, and will do everything for her.
It doesn't matter that she's broken.
She's whole when she's with him.
They hold hands, the world seeing how much she means to him.
The kisses are feverish and passionate, but they are also healing.
She can't help but love him.