Katniss ran to where she knew he would be from the chain link fence. She had been out hunting all morning and she just realized what the time was, time that Gale would be heading to work, she had to talk to him, she just had to, she couldn't avoid him any longer, well it wasn't that she was avoiding him, he was avoiding her.

She saw the top of the entry to the mine up ahead, she looked down and saw him and picked up her pace. He heard someone running after him and he swiftly turned around.

"Katniss? What are you doing here? I'm going to work"

"I need to talk to you, and don't say that you're late, because I know for a fact that you're early. You can't avoid me any longer Gale"

Gale sighed, hitched his work bag higher on his shoulder and looked down at her, finally making eye contact with her, he hadn't done that since the kiss.

"But not here, somewhere private" she hushed her voice and looked around, they both knew the Capitol and President Snow would be watching.

"In here" Gale told her, and opened the door to the elevator that led down to the dark, claustrophobic mine shaft that Katniss hated.

"I… I can't Gale, you know that"

"No, we're not going down" he told her, pulling her into the elevator and shutting the cage.

"As long as I don't press anything we won't go anywhere. So you wanted to talk? Talk"

"Gale…" she began, she didn't want to do this but she had to, she had to tell him.

"The Capitol wants me to marry Peeta"

"What? That's outrageous"

"I know, and what's worse, is that if I don't, they'll hurt everyone I love, including you"

"You love me?"

"Yes, I do"

"But what about what you said in the arena, to Peeta?"

"It was all a game, none of it was real, it still is, but this…" she moved closer to him, "this is real"

Gale closed the space in one stride and his mouth was suddenly on hers, hot and heavy.

"Gale wait"

"What, screw the Capitol, they can't make you marry someone you don't love"

"But I have to" the tears flowed now, "They'll kill you"

"Let them try" he said, and kissed her again, this time Katniss didn't protest, she kissed him back with everything she had, and then there was a rattle on the cage outside and it opens, Katniss and Gale's lips leave each others but not their bodies, and to their horror they aren't alone, standing outside the cage, are all of Gale's work mates, the miners.