Yes the title is based off of Maroon 5's song Come Away To The Water. This was originally going to be a Cato/Female Peeta story but it turned into a Gale/Female Peeta. Peeta is a girl in this story and Katniss is a male just so you know. I also made some other changes like Posy (Gale's little sister) is twelve and not a baby.
Notes: I don't own the Hunger Games. Also, it starts during the reapings and is in Peeta's POV. In addition, some part won't make much sense but they'll all be explained. Some names are changed like Katniss is Kevin and there may be more but I'll let you know when they come.
Enjoy.
1
"Posy Hawthorne," the woman states with a smile that could blind someone. The woman keeps smiling. Doesn't she know what see just did? Posy. Posy, the sweet twelve year old girl that's become a sister to me. I look to my left and see her shaking as she walks up. I can't let her go. I push past the other girls and run to Posy. The Peacekeepers push against me but I get through. I pick her up and hold her against me.
"I volunteer. I volunteer as tribute." I yell holding Posy closer to me. The woman, Effie Trinket, look shocked. No one in District 12 has ever volunteered; it means certain death in the arena.
"Let her up," Effie states and holds out a hand to me. I give Posy a squeeze and try to put her down but she's wrapped herself around me.
"Posy, let go," I whisper trying to pull her off.
"No," she sobs into my shoulder. Then, I see Gale pushing past the boys but most moved to let him through. He comes up to me and takes Posy, giving me a sad look. Why? I can read it in his eyes. I look back him and nods taking Posy to his mother while I move onto the stage.
"What's your name, dear?"
"Peeta Mellark," I answer holding back all my emotions and just staring out at the crowd but I keep noticing Posy looking up at me.
"Why, that girl's not even your family. Why did you volunteer?"
"Posy means a lot to me. I couldn't let her go."
"Alright then. Well, we still need a male tribute," she walks over to the bowl with the boy's names and I find Gale's eyes. Don't you dare volunteer. Say with my eyes. I don't want him in to go in the games.
"Kevin Everdeen." Great. Now I'm going against Kevin.
I stand with Kevin and wait until the mayor's speech is over then I shake his hand and we walk into the Justice Building. We're separated and I'm lead into a room with velvet couches. I sit down and wait for someone to come in. The door swinging open and Posy is in my lap sobbing into my shoulder.
"Why?" She squeaks and I wrap my arms around her in a tight hug.
"Because you're too important to me," I whisper into her black hair.
"But what about Gale?" She asks looking up at me.
"Don't worry I'll see him in a bit," I give her a smile.
"Peeta," I look to my left and see Mrs. Hawthorne and Gale's baby brother sitting next to me. She opens her arms and I go into them. I smile; this is the mother I always wanted. "Be safe, Peeta. I don't want to lose you."
"I'll try."
"Promise?" Posy asks.
"I promise to come back."
"Time's up!" Yells the Peacekeeper on the other side of the door.
"Bye," I give Posy a squeeze and get a kiss on the cheek from other of the Hawthorne women.
"Good luck," Mrs. Hawthorne whispers.
Next to come through the door were my parents and brothers. They all had different expressions. My mother, indifference. My father, sorrow and heartbroken. Warren, sadness and he looked close to tears. Rye, tears streaming down his face and he looked crushed. Warren and rye are the first to surround me in a bear hug, Rye sobbing into my shoulder like Posy and Warren broke and started crying too.
After they let go my father hugs me. I stand with my arms around him for a minute and then look at my mother. She stands there with her arms crossed and not even looking in my direction. I squeeze my father tighter and then let go.
"You can do this Peeta," both my brothers and my father tell me. My mother scoffs and continued to look away. "Come back home Peeta," Warren tells me.
"Peeta couldn't save herself from a spider let alone twenty three tributes," my mother tells me.
"Mother, Peeta can come home," Rye argued. "Gale's taught her how to hunt."
"Gale? Gale Hawthorne? The boy who couldn't even survive without our bread? The boy who's completely useless?" She snaps.
"Gale is not useless. You're useless," I yell at her. She looks hurt for a moment.
"I don't know who you are because you're not my daughter. I hope you don't come back from the games," she turned and walked out of the room.
"Don't listen to her," Warren presses.
"I know."
"Time's up!"
"Bye," I whisper as I hug them all again. As the door closes I sit down on the coach and I feel an overwhelming need to cry. As I was contemplating crying the door opened again and the man I needed at that second was there.
"Peeta," he whispered before wrapping his arms around me and giving me a long sweet kiss. Every time we kissed it felt similar to the first. I can still remember that day.
(AN: This means flashback just so you know)
"Peeta," Gale's deep voice called for me. I turn back and look at him my bangs falling in my eyes. Before I can brush them back his hand comes up and does it for me. I look into his deep grey eyes. I knew I had been falling for my childhood friend but I never noticed how deep of a grey his eyes were. I find myself getting lost in his eyes but I can't look away.
Gale had always been handsome. His tanned muscled body with his broad shoulders could make any girl fall but I was the only girl that every got close to him. he pushed people away after his father's death but I got through.
I feel his thumb drawing circles on my cheek and I blush lightly. "Do you even know how beautiful you are when you blush?" His question makes me blush darker and I look at the ground gently pulling away from his hand. His right hand comes and rest on my hip and his left goes under my chin turning me to him.
Again I find myself lost in his eyes. I didn't even notice that he pulled me against him and was leaning down. Also, I didn't notice I was leaning up until our lips brushed against each other.
I gasp at the feeling of his warm lips against mine. His hand slips around me so it's his entire arm and he pulls me tighter against him. He presses his lips against mine and this time neither one of us pulls away. I move my lips against his as my hands rest on his chest gripping his shirt. His left hand tangles into my hair and he pulls me even closer.
His hand that was against my back slides higher and I feel his tongue against my bottom lip. I don't open them at first so he slides it against my lips again. But, like the first I don't open mouth so he took the rougher route. He growled against my lips and his hand grabs my chest. I gasp again allowing my mouth to be wide open and he took it to his advantage.
His tongue slide along all the parts in my mouth and I moan because of it. We continue to kiss like this until the need for air is too much. He chuckles looking at my flushed face. "I have to tell you something," he whispers.
"Yes?" I whisper back.
"I love you," he whispers nuzzling my nose with his.
"Well, I love you too, Gale."
I feel his arms wrap around me and his lips break from mine. He leans his forehead against mine. I stare into his seam grey eyes that counter my blue blues. "I love you," he whispers.
"I love you too," I whisper back.
"You have to come back to me," I can hear the desperate tone in his voice and I nod slightly closing my eyes.
"I will. I'll come back home to you Gale," I promise. I know I don't have that good of a chance but I think anything will help him.
"You can win Peeta. I taught you everything I know."
"But they're people not animals," I whisper letting the terror inside me come out. "I don't want to be a monster."
"People are no different than animals."
"Time's up!"
"No. Don't go," I whisper and grip his shirt tighter not wanting my comfort to leave.
"Here," he whispers sliding a ring on my left ring finger. "So you don't forget me," he smiles slightly. I feel the tears threatening to spill.
"I love you. And yes."
He kisses my nose quickly. "Love you too, and thank you." Then the door slams and I'm left alone again.
I know I have another story going but this story and another one has been flying around my head not letting me write for Finding Yourself so I'm hoping that by writing the first chapter of this story it will allow me to work on Finding Yourself.
Feedback on this story would be great. And yes it will be multiple chapters. So tell me what you think. Hope you liked it.
Sorry, Peeta's mom is a real bitch and she'll probably get worst. I think I like cute Gale who's only goal is to keep his girlfriend alive. And yes also Gale did propose to Peeta but didn't really say it.