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The Hunger Games belongs to Suzanne Collins.

What if Gale, overtaken by the grief of seeing his oldest friend about to be swept into the monstrosity that is the Hunger Games, volunteered for Peeta and took his place?

Gale Hawthorne x Katniss Everdeen

My fingers were gliding themselves so roughly through the velvet fabric of the couch that I wouldn't have been surprised if it bursted into flame from the friction. I choked out a shaky sigh through the tangled muscles in my throat before setting aside the box of cookies placed on my lap and burying my head in the velvet cushion, the dense fabric partly suffocating me as I desperately tried to gather comfort from it.

I felt so helpless, so useless, diluted to the point where all I could do was sit and wait. I kept unconsciously replaying the moment Prim's name echoed throughout the square in my mind, how she had to muster all of her strength just to pull her color-drained body towards the stage through the displeasured crowd. The look on Gale's face as he rushed towards me, how he had engulfed me in an embrace more powerful than all of our past ones combined, his single sob that could still be heard as clear as day in my eardrums. Vick's body, along with the rest, most of them innocent youths from my school with legs too short to get away in time. The genuine look of remorse on Peeta's face, Madge's unrelenting faith in my ability to come out as a victor, how my mother and Prim were still holding onto a foolish thread of hope when I had already decided on my fate—

A startling scream of frustration escaped my lips as I threw the pillow across the room, knocking down a cherrywood chair with a muffled thump on the plush carpet. My hands found their way over my mouth as I desperately tried to hold back my emotions that were now bursting at the seams, suddenly hyperventilating as all of my held back rage and sorrow tumbled out of me at once. My heart began pulsing at a frightening rate as all my reasoning slowly began to diminish. All I wanted was Gale. Despite everything, all I wanted was to have that same warm feeling in the woods this morning grasp my heart again, telling me that everything was going to be all right, and somehow making me believe it.

I felt tears stinging my eyes as I tried desperately to untangle the contracted muscles in my throat. "Gale!" My own shrieking startled me as it echoed throughout the vast space of the Justice Building. I saw white uniforms hastily flow in my direction outside of the doorframe, and knew instantly that Gale wasn't coming. I expected to be tranquilized, only to wake up on a train already on my way to the Capitol. I tightly shut my eyes, trying to calm my breathing, accepting my fate.

Only, the tranquilizers never came.

"Katniss?!" Gale's gruff voice called down the hallway, his footsteps uncharacteristically loud as he pushed past the Peacekeepers in front of him. He didn't stop until he was right in front of me, grabbing my shoulders and instinctively searching my now wide open eyes for an explanation. "Are you okay? What did they do?" His ashen eyes were flaring with urgency, the protective sense flickering behind his irises already making me begin to feel at ease.

Before I could think my actions through, I wrapped my arms around Gale's neck and roughly pulled him closer, my panicked fingers wildly in search of something warm and comforting.

It seemed as if not even a second passed by before the Peacekeepers were tugging at Gale's shoulders, trying to pull him away. "I guess this means you're done with your visitors, Hawthorne," one mumbled through barred teeth with acute agitation.

Gale thrashed against their demanding grips, his frenzied eyes still quizzically studying my expression. Without thinking, I reached toward him, and the sight of my outstretched hand must've caused him to viciously stand up and elbow the Peacekeepers away before fighting his way back to me. It was with exasperation that one of the Peacekeepers proclaimed, "Just let them go to the train station together."

The other Peacekeepers obeyed, dropping Gale without a second thought and coolly heading for the door.

"Follow us. Quickly." This Peacekeeper's voice stood out from the others'. Perhaps it was the pity evident in it—how he knew that the two tributes in front of him, both not able to be separated for long periods of time, were going to have to deal with the inevitable loss of the other in the near future.

I didn't let these thoughts bother me. I was caught in the moment with Gale, now releasing all of the cooped up emotions that had been boiling in my core for what felt like years. I tugged him close by his sleeve, resting my head against his chest as I allowed myself to greedily take in his warm, familiar scent of pine and wood. His arms wound around me for just a moment before he moved his hands to my sides, half-picking me up and landing me on my feet.

He looked down at me with an expression that was murky, a sad sort of amusement. "I know you can't keep your hands off me, Catnip, but we better get going."

His teasing tone immediately roused me, all the reason I had lost earlier now flooding back into my brain. I stepped away from him stiffly.

My silence made his half-playful expression fall as quickly as it appeared. "Why did you call me? Did they hurt you?" The sincerity in his tone only made me feel more guilty about disturbing his time with his visitors.

I shook my head, holding my breath and trembling at how close he was. "I really...I don't know what happened," I muttered, darting my eyes to the side. Gale's confused gaze felt as if it was boring into the side of my head, and I exasperatedly added, "We should go."

I turned on my heel and clumsily hurried out the door, feeling queasy and confused and, most of all, exhausted. The sound of Gale following me made an unwelcome feeling of guilt well up in my chest, causing me to want to hurry back and mend whatever damage I had possibly done. Instead, I kept my eyes glued in front of me, determined to keep a steady pace until we reached the Capitol car meant to take us to the train station.

My thoughts had never contained anything concerning Gale other than what we hunted that day, or if our spoils were as up-to-par as they usually were. Occasionally, I would allow myself to get caught up in his stupidly perfect features, but it never escalated to me not being able to control myself. The pure need that I felt for Gale in my visitor room frightened me. It only reminded me of the fact that most of the tributes who participate in the games lose themselves, forgetting about everything they learned about being sane, humane—about being themselves.

Would I lose myself in front of Gale? Would all the death and struggle around me drive me to the edge? I'm a naturally hostile and aloof person, so it's not like I would have a generous demeanor to hold me back.

We both silently piled into the Capitol car, the back seat uncomfortably cramped after our bodies had taken up what little space it offered.

A couple minutes passed before my eyes unconsciously found their way to Gale's face. He was staring out the window, his strikingly pure eyes watching District 12 fly away behind us. His lips were pushed together into a stern line, making his dimples prominent in his rigid cheeks. Every curve, every freckle, every scar, the shape of his entire figure became so familiar to me over the years that we had known each other. The fact that I could confidently say that I knew him the best out of all the girls he had wrapped around his finger was somehow comforting.

I watched as his eyes suddenly darted from the window to me, making me jump slightly in my seat. I immediately expected him to begin teasing me, like all the other times he had caught me staring at him, but his expression just grew more solemn.

"I need to say something," he muttered sternly, turning his head fully in my direction before resting it on his hand.

My eyebrows raised in his direction before I let out a strained sigh. "I'm really sorry about interrupting your time with your visitors—"

"No, no, no. Not that," he cut in, locking his silver eyes onto mine before continuing, "I really couldn't care less about that."

Those words were all it took to send my pulse into a frenzy again. "What, then?"

"I want you to know that no matter what happens in the arena," Gale started, his irises suddenly filled with the same unrelenting urgency that I had seen back in the Justice Building, "I will not let anyone lay a finger on you. You're coming home, Katniss."

"No," I blurted out without thinking, my eyes widening as I slowly took in his sudden assurance, "You can't possibly think that I'd let you."

He let out a light groan before chuckling. "Of course not. That's why I'm going to have to try extra hard," he whispered. He almost smiled before the reality of the situation visibly hit him. It was with slow, fluid motions that he unconsciously scooted closer to me, his arm moving to rest on my shoulders like a shield.

I opened my mouth to protest, only to be interrupted by the car suddenly stopping. The locks clicked open in the doors before they both flung open, instantly revealing Gale and I to the cameras. The flashes startled me, making my eyebrows fly up in surprise. I glanced at the screens around the train station only to see Gale and I looking extra flustered instead of ready to be broadcasted, and how close he was certainly didn't help.

My cheeks were burning, making me lose my focus. Gale ended up having to grab my hand and lead me out of the car and down the path to the train, blindly flashing undoubtedly breathtaking looks of confusion in random directions and making all the Capitol women swoon right where they were standing.

I silently fumed with humiliation as I followed him, my head down to hide my face.

We came to a stop at the doorway of the train, having to allow the cameras to gobble up our images. I let out a strangled breath as Gale dragged me to his side and wrapped his arm around my waist, looking uncharacteristically natural posing for the snapshots. We stood there for a few minutes, Gale looking positively dazzling while I stood awkwardly and pigeon-toed beside him.

Gratitude flooded into my chest when we were finally allowed inside, the door closing mercifully behind us and the train moving without hesitance. The speed startled me at first, but I quickly became accustomed to it.

I gave Gale a sideways glance only to see that he was now desperately trying to stifle down fits of laughter.

"What?" My voice came out squeakier than I had intended, making even more blood rush to my face. It felt as if I was positively scarlet.

His hands flew up to his mouth before he bursted with laughter, making a big show by keeling over and grabbing his stomach.

"What?" I felt more a pout—of all things—form on my face as I realized that my voice came out whinier than usual, causing Gale to begin loudly guffawing.

I stood there in silence until he exhaled loudly and wiped a tear from his eye. "You did wonderfully, Catnip. I can't wait to see the playbacks," he said with a playful grin.

I was almost relieved when I saw Effie Trinket turn the corner and make her way over to us, her heels clacking against the train floors. "Get ready for supper, you two! Go to your chambers and wash up!" She proceeded to push Gale and I in opposite directions before grabbing me by the shoulder and mumbling in my ear, "I'm sure your friend can find his way without any problems, let me lead you to yours. It can also be a great opportunity for girl talk!" The last part of her sentence came out obviously louder than she had meant, causing her to quicken our pace.

I glanced over my shoulder, and my look must have been pleading because Gale looked back at me confusedly.

Effie and I walked without exchanging any words for a while, the clicking of her heels becoming the only sound filling the expansive halls. She let out a prolonged sigh, perhaps thinking over her words, before looking me straight in the eye under her bubblegum pink wig.

"Katniss dear, you and Gale either have to stop what you're doing or go all out." Her words were rushed and simple, but it was all I needed to start fuming again.

"And what do you mean by that?" I wanted my tone to come out harsh, but it was more high-pitched and forced. I was thankful that Effie ignored it.

"Haymitch and I were talking. We both noticed that you two have this sort of...bond," she cleared her throat uncomfortably, directing her attention to smoothing out her button-down shirt, "This will either be very good at getting sponsors, or very bad. It just depends on how you two play things out."

I gave her a skeptical glance, finding it hard to believe that Haymitch could have that kind of conversation with anybody. "What are you saying?"

Her hand found her forehead before she dramatically groaned, as if I was asking too much of her. "You two either have to act as lovers, or pretend to not be concerned with each other's presence at all. The former will be very intriguing to the Capitol people, as it has never happened before, so I recommend it."

I pursed my lips in confusion. "Lovers?"

A hint of a smile played on her lips. "Yes, you two are doing fantastically so far. We would just have to step it up a notch by the time interviews with Caesar come around, which is still a fair amount of time away. I just wanted to prepare you."

I found myself getting annoyed. Who was she to tell me that Gale and I weren't even free to broadcast our honest relationship? "Would this be a group decision? Or is it between me and Gale?" I asked, almost mockingly.

Effie stopped me in my tracks before placing her hand on my shoulder, as if she expected it to offer me comfort. "It's all up to you, dearie. Haymitch and I are confident that Gale will play along magnificently with any decision you make. It seems that he can be quite a natural in front of cameras if he wants to be."

I conjured up the most convincing glare I could. "And how do you know that I won't tell him about this conversation the moment we're together again?"

She faked a smile, obviously beginning to get aggravated by my constant questions. "I really don't care! Haymitch and I are your mentors, and if you don't want to accept our help, so be it."

Effie pointed me in the direction of my chamber, confident that I wouldn't get lost, and stalked off without another word. I listened to the echo of her pointed shoes as I studied the doors surrounding me. I finally found one marked with a sheet of paper reading "Katniss Everdeen," and wandered into it.

The chamber contained a personal bathroom, bedroom, and dressing area. The drawers located in the dressing area were luxuriously filled to the brim with clothes, all to my disposal. It was all overwhelming, specifically the hot and cold running water in the private bathroom. We didn't have hot water in The Seam unless we boiled it.

I lazily kicked off my shoes before peeling off my mother's dress, carefully folding it before laying it on top of one of the dressers. I unhooked Madge's mockingjay pin from the soft fabric and carried it into the bathroom where I undid my mother's braid, now considerably ruined due to today's past events. The shower made me curious, so I carefully hopped into it and played with the controls, coming out smelling like a mixture of flowers. After drying myself thoroughly, I drifted over to the dressing room and picked out slim-fitting pants and a dark green top. My dangling hair bothered me slightly, so I carelessly tied it up before pinning the mockingjay back onto the side of my shirt. I silently hoped that Madge could see that I was wearing it back at home.

Effie Trinket came to collect me for supper, leading me throughout the narrow corridors until we reached a dining room with paneled walls. I felt my face brighten at the sight of Gale waiting for us at a table.

"Want to bet that the food here is nothing compared to my mom's roasted rabbit?" he asked, giving me a weak grin before patting the empty chair next to him.

"Nothing is better than Hazelle's roasted rabbit," I replied in a quiet tone, struggling to return his grin before making my way over to the chair and tentatively seating myself into it.

Effie sat across from us before daintily spreading her napkin onto her lap and darting her bright eyes around the room. "Have either of you seen Haymitch?"

"Yeah. It's almost impressive how drunk he is," Gale said with a light groan, "He said something about getting some rest before dinner. Ended up taking two steps before he settled on just sleeping out in the hallway."

Effie let only a slight look of disgust twist her features before she shrugged the thought away completely, seeming sincerely relieved at Haymitch's absence. I couldn't blame her.

Supper was served in courses—thick carrot soup, green salad, lamb chops, mashed potatoes, cheese and fruit, and a frosted chocolate cake. It was the best thing I had ever had the pleasure of tasting, and Gale seemed to almost guiltily devour it as if he agreed. The memory of insisting that Hazelle's food was better made his guilt spread to me, but I pushed it to the back of my mind as I attempted to stuff all that I could down my throat.

Effie indifferently picked at her food, constantly reminding us that there was more to come. Once the meal was over, my stomach felt as if it was bursting at the seams, and I had to struggle to keep all the food down. Gale was clasping his stomach and resting his head on the table, much to Effie's displeasure, so I was sure that he was having the same problem. Our stomachs weren't used to such rich fare.

After the table was cleared, we went to another compartment to watch the recaps of the Reapings across Panem. I found it difficult to watch as the names were called, how the tributes would hesitantly step forward or, more often, try to hide themselves in the masses.

The tributes from Districts 1, 2, and 4 seemed almost eager to take the stage. They contained what we called the Careers, the fortunate people from richer districts where they trained their children for the games. I studied their faces carefully, noting to stay away from them as much as possible, specifically the more cruel looking two from District 2. I silently hoped that they would kill each other off before Gale and I needed to get involved.

A girl with a pointed face that looked a lot like a fox's from District 5 seemed to almost slither up to the stage after she was called up. Even in the spotlight, she seemed wily enough to hide from the cinematographers. This immediately set me on edge.

And most hauntingly, a twelve-year-old from District 11. She acted much like Prim had, struggling to put on a tough face as she mounted the stage, except when they had asked for volunteers, everything fell silent. No one was willing.

When they got to District 12, I felt myself tense up in my seat. I watched as Prim was called, and held my breath when I saw how positively desperate I looked when I shoved her behind me and volunteered. I watched as Gale tentatively pulled her off me before Effie energetically yelled my name into the microphone. The crowd's refusal to applaud caused the commentators to fall into a confused silence. I swallowed hard as Peeta's name was drawn, and allowed myself to take a quick glance at Gale sitting across from me as his voice echoed throughout the square on the television screen. His eyebrows were furrowed above his pained gray eyes as he watched himself climb the steps, engulfing me as soon as he had mounted the stage.

I felt relief flood in my chest as I saw that it had cut off at that moment instead of lingering and showing the destruction that had taken place afterwards. It was probably because they didn't want the people of Panem knowing about the violence that the Peacekeepers were capable of, but even so, their ignorance seemed easier to handle at the moment than living through the experience again.

The Capitol seal flashed on the screen for a short moment before they cut to clips of all the tributes arriving at the train station. The Careers were celebrating, even going as far as to skip down the path to the train and boom with laughter. Most of the tributes settled with uncomfortable smiles as they walked past, much like Gale had when he dragged me alongside him. The commentators took a long while laughing over how I couldn't even look at the cameras, at how my face was painted red and how Gale himself looked a bit flustered as we hurried toward the train. They cut to the anthem before the screen went black and the program ended.

Effie pursed her lips before directing her attention towards me. "See how they're presenting you two? Remember what I told you, Katniss."

Gale gave me a confused look, and I ignored it by hastily darting my gaze to the floor.

I tried to change the mood a teensy little bit in this chapter. c:

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