A/N: This is especially dedicated to mrs. becca, who I was exchanging messages with when I finished this. Song: Gonna Get Over You (Sara Bareilles). Enjoy!
So Someday
I'll be alright
Just not tonight
But someday
"OW!"
Johanna stops herself from giving a curse when her fist lands on someone's chest instead of the supposed door but the next moment she finds herself thinking of the worst word in existence. Gale is standing in the doorway, clutching his chest and looking like he is already in throes of death. Then he sees her — first the look of surprise upon seeing her, then confusion as to why she is here, then back to the hard mask that had once entertained her some months ago. In a few seconds, this man has turned into an amazing spectrum of emotions.
"What the hell was that for?" Gale stares at her.
Johanna casually folds her arms on her chest and leans against the doorframe. "I didn't know you'd pass for a door, gorgeous," she says plastering the most innocent smile she can muster.
"Oh, is that a knock? And how exactly do you knock, Johanna?" Gale frowns, sarcasm oozing in his voice. She retorts by raising her brows as if to say that the answer is obvious.
Gale's lips form into something like what‒the‒hell but he purses them quickly. If he has any idea as to why she barges into his office at this time of the day, he is good at hiding it. The perfect soldier — all stony and hard, Johanna muses. She wonders if there is more to Gale than what meets the eye. Hers in particular, because she is damn good at scraping people's exteriors just by talking. And right now Gale isn't excellently falling for that.
The sound of someone clearing his throat interrupts them. A man is standing at the back with a look of amusement on his face, his eyes flitting from her to Gale. Gale still has his eyebrows furrowed when he introduces her to the man. "Johanna, this is Rick. Rick, Johanna from Seven," he says, eyes still firmly staring at her.
And Gale earns her respect a bit more when he does not mention anything about Victor or rebel. But then, who doesn't know her?
The smile Rick gives is accompanied by that same, old recognition. Johanna really has to deal with the fame until the day of her death. She smiles back. The guy's a looker enough to not be ashamed to stand beside Gale. He quickly gathers the stack of papers on the table before walking to the door. She moves aside so he can pass but before he leaves, he nods his head in Gale's direction. In a mockingly serious way he says, "Take care. I don't trust this man, really." Then he laughs when Gale shoots him a dirty look. Johanna decides to like the man.
"So."
Johanna reels to see Gale giving her the same dirty look. "To what do I owe your presence?" he says.
"Nothing important. I know no one here and I'm sick for months going to Four and back. I keep trying to convince Annie that she needs a new environment but she is stubborn as a dog. What's in Four, anyway?" she says.
It is not true that she is sick of visiting Annie. It's quite the opposite, in fact. The most recent pictures of them together have been livened up by the arrival of Nico, Finnick's kid. Her visits became more purposeful, knowing very well that she'd be seeing the son Finnick will never get to meet.
She looks back at Gale. "So you decided to pester me instead?" he asks, probably trying hard not to smile at her loquaciousness.
Johanna feels like Annie's eyes are boring into her right now. Knowing, yet soft and indulgent. Coolly aware of the woman's instability, Johanna decided to express herself to Finnick's wife without so much of a thought. Typically Annie only smiles, her deep green eyes gazing tenderly on Johanna's brown ones.
She told her about Gale — the infuriation she felt then, even her proposed schemes of destroying him although she did not phrase it like that. If she did, Annie would cover her ears and Johanna would lose her only accomplice.
So she swore to Annie she would make Gale fall for her, to which Annie responded by giggling, recounting how she herself promised to do that to Finnick. They laughed on the front porch of the house, two people with different levels of insanity. It's hilarious, thinking about it now.
Johanna snaps back to the present and sees Gale cocking his eyebrow, clearly waiting for her answer. Her thoughts are suddenly about him and Katniss. Thanks to Peeta, a bitter man stands in front of her, doubtlessly still holding on to that little braided girl. At least Johanna knows about Katniss and Peeta's love story, how the guy crept up on the girl. Like what Annie did. Like what she is about to do.
"That's my plan," Johanna nods. "Besides it's Sunday. What are you, a machine? Why are you even here? If you think you can forget her by working your ass off, then you're hopeless. That doesn't help a bit." Johanna shrugs, but Gale's face turns hard the moment she talks about her. He must think that she has no right to mention Katniss like she is nothing but a trivial topic in their mundane lives. She truly can ruin someone's day without exerting much effort.
"What's it to you?" Gale's voice is quiet, a promise of danger in the shadows.
Johanna's right — Gale is still affected. It does not actually surprise her. She had gone through the same thing. Had felt the same pain. Once, long ago. At least for her, the guy's dead. She really had no choice but to move forward. While Gale here… She pretends not to notice.
"I'm a very lonely woman. Humor me," she sighs dramatically.
Gale looks like he is merely patronizing a little girl, which is silly because she is older by what, a few months to less than a year. From what she's heard about his age. Really, it is starting to piss her off. The scope of her maturity is not limited to deciding who the better kisser was, for which Katniss spent half her time. She tilts her head.
Gale finally relents. "All right," he says. "It's almost lunch. My head's a torture so you decide. Where to?"
She smiles triumphantly and walks out without a word.
