(A.N.) I recognize this plot is excessively done, but don't hate yet. The lengths of chapters depend on my agenda. But seeing as I have a broken foot, it's rainy and I can't use crutches because I'm clumsy as it is without them, if I go to school I'll end up with another broken bone... bleh... so it looks as if I have some time to kill. If there are any spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, or anything to that effect, please notify me either by P.M. or review. Reviews will make my damaged foot heal faster! And without further ado I present... Another Time.
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As soon as she realizes that none of their names were called, she relaxes. All 28 of her slips had escaped the perfect manicured nails of Effie Trinket forever. Prim and Rory's measly 3 each had escaped their third reaping; and as for Vick, his one slip escaped her nails as well. The crowd soon breaks up and the square is filled with the hustle and bustle of peacekeepers trying to clean up. The Everdeen and Hawthorne families meet behind the Hob. Gale embraces Katniss in a bear hug.
"I told you that you'd be okay. See Catnip, you will never go through the Games, not when I'm around," He whispers into her ear.
"I should've listened to you, you never lie," She whispers back.
"Prim and Rory, will you go pick up the cookies from Mr. Mellark?" Mrs. Everdeen asks the two 14 year olds.
"Okay!" They exclaim in unison. Gale and Katniss break from their embrace and face their families. Katniss has an elusive feeling that she has never felt when Gale doesn't release her hand. She looks up to him and sees that he seems to be having a silent, eye-to-eye, conversation with Hazel, his mother. Katniss notices that Hazel nods and Gale smiles.
Gale leans down and whispers into her ear, "I need to take you somewhere."
Before she can object, he whisks her away towards the direction of the meadow. A bundle of thoughts go through her mind at the time. One is why he is being so secretive, two where is he taking her, and three, why does his touch feel so good. To her it feels like sparks that would start a fire, and some kind of odd serenity. They arrive at the meadow under a large tree, a willow, she thinks. Gale releases her hand and starts pacing. She watches him go back and forth, back and forth.
She finally sorting out her confusing thoughts and speaks, "Gale, what is this all about?"
"Uhhh... I need to know something, if you were forced to marry someone, anyone in the whole district, including Cray, Darius, one of the Mellark brothers, or anyone, who would it be?"
Katniss was shocked, Gale knew that she never wanted that. He knew that she would sooner go into the Hunger Games, but he hoped for an answer that would make him float away in happiness. "Gale! What is wrong with you? You know me better than anyone and you ask a stupid question like that!" She exclaims. Gale virtually can feel his heart breaking. "But if I had to choose someone I guess it would be you," She says the last word barely audible, but his trained ears pick it up. Katniss's heart seems to grow to fill a gaping hole in it left by the death of her father and Gale's heart seems to heal all the parts that have once been broken and scared. She cracks a slight grin, while he has a full blown out smile.
"Really?" He asks her with that smile he saves only for her.
"Yes. I feel so, well, I don't really know."
"I love you." He blurts out, causing all traces of smiles to leave.
"Gale, I... damn, I never wanted this to happen. You make things complicated!"
"Oh, I'm the one who makes things complicated! I blurt right out that I love you, and I'm the complicated one! God Damn Katniss, I've loved you since the first time you laughed! I love every bit of you, the anger, the stubbornness, and all the heartache that you bring with you! But if I can get through that, I get the loving, caring, strong, girl, no women, you really are!"
"The complicated part is that I love you too, idiot!" She exclaims. She then wraps her arms around his neck and smashes her lips into his. He instinctively wraps his arms around her waist and kisses back. They move as one, like they do in the woods. He pulls back for air and sighs.
"I really am an idiot," he says.
"I know," she says, resting her head on his chest, and laughs ever quietly.
