Life after the Hunger Games

by revbev353

Follows Katniss and Peeta's life in District 12 after the Hunger Games. The ending of Catching Fire never happened- Peeta and Katniss were both allowed to live for fear of a rebellion starting. Katniss is beginning to realise the true extent of her feelings towards Peeta... but will they get their happily ever after with Gale so determined to win her heart?

4. Chapter 4

Sorry for the delay! First time I have ever written from Gale's POV so be nice!

Gale:

I look at Katniss. Did she just say- no that can't be right. I look at her and she gives a little nod.

"What?" I bellow. Now she looks frightened. I- Well- I love her. She can't marry Peeta. She's mine. I'm hers. "Catnip?" I say slowly and then I realize she's softly crying. Great, I'm a REALLY sensitive guy. "I'm sorry, but just listen."

"What Gale?" She blubbers and then buries her face in my shirt while tears continue to stream down her face.

I stroke her beautiful brown hair. "Katniss, I can see that over the years I have known you, you have always thought of me like... like a big brother." I barely get that sentence out but at least when I do, Katniss cautiously comes out of my shirt. Her grey eyes are shining and the tears clinging to her lashes only add to her immense beauty. "But I love you. I love you so much."

I hold her face like I had only once before, trying to keep my breathing even and I kiss her. This time she doesn't try to pull away. When she does it's just for air. She climbs onto my lap, straddling me and our lips come together again. Soon my back is up against a tree.

Kissing Katniss feels like nothing I have felt before. I am in pure ecstasy. But I can't help thinking if this is what she does with Peeta. This thought deters me from kissing her.

Katniss furrows her eyebrows and pins me against the tree, then starts talking, "I love you too Gale." When she says those words my heart rate increases. But of course there is always a 'but'. "But, I love him too Gale. And he loves me." I easily switch our places. Now Katniss is pinned against the tree.

"But I love you" I choke out, the tears threatening to spill over. I hug her. She hugs me back. We are trapped in an embrace for what seems like eternity until I realise Katniss has fallen asleep in my arms. I gently lay her on a soft patch of moss and grass. I trace my finger over soft eyebrows, then her nose, up to her jaw line and then to her lips. Once again I gently press my mouth to hers. But the fact of the matter is she loves Peeta, maybe more than me, and no matter how much I hate it, it's the truth...