Star-crossed Lovers

Summary: True love is not Capitol-made. Gale and Katniss are the tributes of District 12 for the Games. These two will shed a new light for the "star-crossed lovers" strategy in the arena because they don't need to pretend to be madly in love with each other. They're already there.

Disclaimer: The Hunger Games trilogy and its characters solely belong to Suzanne Collins.

Warnings: Well this is the Hunger Games, there will be violence and some sexual themes.

Pairings: Gale x Katniss only for the time being ^_^

Chapter Six:

If I never got reaped for the Games maybe I will never think of seeing Gale under this kind of light. I cannot tell if that is a good or a bad thing but as I watch the bright Capitol lights make shadows play over his olive colored skin I can't help it but to feel my breath catching in my throat. Was I really that blind before that I only saw Gale as a very capable hunting partner? Only as a best friend? I know about how the people in the Seam talk about Gale and me and our future. Back then I thought it was funny because I thought that Gale will never see me as someone more than a close friend. And besides a lot of girls are throwing themselves at him. I didn't want to add myself to that list.

Gale hovers on top of me and the heat radiating from him seems to be capable of melting the rest of my clothes away. I take a deep breath when he wraps his strong arms around my small waist and pulls me to straddle his lap. I feel how the hard muscles on his body coil under his skin. It makes my heart flutter with each passing second I spend here in his arms. His lips find mine again and I melt into him. My arms wrap around his neck as I pull myself closer to him. My fingers thread into his dark hair and I relish into the feeling of how silky his hair feels against my fingertips. All I can feel right now is Gale. I never knew that it is really possible to exist in a world that only Gale and I matters. I can hardly care what will happen next at this moment. My senses seem to block out the rest of our terrifying world and only register Gale and his breathtaking touch and kiss.

I let my palms glide over the hard planes of his body and I hear Gale make a small soft sound in his throat that makes the ball of rope in my stomach coil tighter. I gasp when his hand slip into the tee I am wearing for the night. His hands are leaving hot trails in their wake and my cheeks burn because of the unintelligible noises escaping my mouth. I vaguely register his hand skimming over the clasp of my bra and then the next thing I know, I feel this piece of undergarment loosen. My breath hitches and I pull away from Gale a little as his hands roam the expanse of my naked back.

"Katniss…" I can't remember a moment in my life when I heard Gale sound so needy and out of breath. His hot mouth latches onto the exposed column of my neck and my eyes flutter shut in response. The sensations he is giving me are overwhelming. It is really hard to describe. I'm feeling some kind of hunger I never experienced before and I know that Gale is my only salvation. I wrap my legs around his waist and he anchors me against him tighter.

His hands hikes up the tee I'm wearing. His skilled fingers makes me squirm under his light touch. But he suddenly stops midway. He pulls away and suddenly the world seems like it is crushing down on me. I don't bother to open my eyes. I reach out for him and crash my lips on his in a fiery kiss. He groans against my mouth but his hands hold onto my arms firmly then I feel myself being pried away from him. My eyes snap open and I look at him with confused and dazed eyes. "Not here, Katniss…" I find myself drowning into the depths of his silvery gray eyes. He averts his gaze from me for a moment before cupping my face in his large and warm hands; his eyes boring into mine again. He presses his forehead against mine and I lean in to kiss him but he holds me still. "Not now…" He whispers so softly I might as well think that he didn't say anything at all. He closes his eyes and I can see how the muscles in his jaw tighten as he swallows.

I want to tell him that it's alright. That I want this as well. That I am ready and that I was stupid for letting go of the chance we had when we were in the train on our way here to the Capitol. But I can see how much he is trying to contain himself. He wants to be with me. There is no question to that. But I think he deems that this is an inappropriate place and time. The horrors of the Game seem to catch up on me in an instant. I bite down on my lower lip. I want to tell Gale that there will be no more chances after this. The Games is approaching. Our time is running out…

He shifts under me and before I can completely register it, he has already stood up. He reaches for his shirt and then puts it back on. He extends a hand towards me and I half-mindedly take it. He gives me a heartwarming smile before he pulls me into a chaste but sweet kiss.

"I love you…"

I'm supposed to feel ecstatic because of how much I can sense the truthfulness in his words but instead a crushing feeling settles in my heart. And it takes a lot of my willpower to stop the tears from coming because his "I love you" feels so painfully like "goodbye".

"What's with the long face? Are you nervous?" My stylist, Cinna, says. He walks into the room with a gentle smile on his face. I feel my lips return that smile of his.

"I am… I… I wasn't able to build up any character that I can show the audience for the interview," I say. It's amazing for me that I can confide my feelings to Cinna so easily and to think that I haven't really known him for a long time.

"I say that you will have more confidence in yourself once I get you in the dress you'll be wearing tonight," I see how Cinna's eyes sparkle in delight. My chest warms up and somehow I know that his creation will help me make a good impression for the audience.

Talking to Cinna helps me take my mind off of the upcoming interview for a good minute or two but then that nervous buzz will be back to haunt me mercilessly and make my knees shake. My head conjures up a number of different humiliating scenarios that might happen to me in front of all the cameras later. I can't help it but to cringe at the thought of each one of them. At some point right after Flavius, Octavia, and Venia readied me for my dress, I vaguely register Cinna's voice asking me to close my eyes. I simply follow him then I feel the smooth texture of the inside of my dress slide onto my glittering powdered skin.

A new kind of buzz fills me… This time I know it is excitement. My eyes move anxiously under my closed eyelids as I itch to open them to finally gaze at my dress. I feel my prep team adjusting and fumbling things around me and then a hand is placed on my bare right shoulder. "You can open your eyes now, girl on fire." I waste not a second more and I open my eyes to look at the person being reflected by the full length mirror before me.

Seconds… Minutes might have gone by but all I can do is open and close my mouth unsurely. Words are stuck helplessly in my throat and my gray eyes were twinkling at the sight before me. The dress… It… It is simply breathtaking. Precious gems in the color of red, yellow, white, and blue adorned it. They are patterned in a way that will make them look like fire engulfing me so beautifully. I manage to take my eyes off of myself and catch Cinna's gaze on the mirror. A smile blooms over my lips as gratefulness swells in my chest. "Thank you so much, Cinna." I say with all honesty. He just gives me a genuine smile.

"You are perfect to go my dear," he says and effectively brings my uneasiness back into my system. He quickly notices the change in my mood. "Katniss, what is the problem? You can tell me. I can be of some help I'm sure…" I look at Cinna for a whole long minute.

"Haymitch told me to answer Caesar's questions humbly… I… I'm sure they will ask private questions that I will never want them to know… And I will never want to tell them." I gaze down at my fire-patterned painted toenails.

"Will you tell them to a friend?" Cinna asks and my head snaps at him. "Why don't you imagine that you are simply telling these information to a friend you have back home?" He suggests and I stop myself from chewing on my lower lip in order to avoid ruining my make-up. A friend… My friend… But that person was Gale… is still Gale. And he's here with me. I don't think it's really a good idea to imagine myself telling them to Gale. He already knows them. He even probably knows things about me that I do not.

"But that person is Gale…" I confess to Cinna without any further thought. I have no idea what he will think after I supplied him with that fact. But after a second or two, he grins at me.

"Can't you consider me as your friend? I'll be at the audience later. You can look at me while you answer the questions."

Cinna's smile is so reassuring and it is infectious enough so I smile back.

The moment I place my gaze on Gale's handsome face, memories of our encounter last night fills my mind. My whole body tingles at the thought of his burning kisses. I involuntarily shiver at the thought of his hands running along the length of my bare sweat-covered skin...

"Not here, Katniss… Not now…"

But is it even possible to have a next chance, Gale?

My chest tightens as I think of the possibilities again and I quickly try to dismiss the horrible thought of it. I cannot spill any tears right now. But still my mind wanders to that thought that there will be no next time…

The interviews start soon enough. Each interview only last for three minutes. I watch each tribute pass by like they are some kind of fantasy dream that I wish that will never end. But soon enough, Thresh, the huge boy tribute of District 11, is on the stage. A huge wave of nervousness floods in my veins. I can barely focus on Thresh's interview. But I guess I have a right not to focus at all when I'm fully aware of the fact that I'm next. And I might trip or slip or fall off the stage or stutter like an idiot or…

I see Thresh walking off of the stage now. I wonder why my ears didn't even register the buzzer going off. I see Gale looking at me with his eyes full of concern. At that moment, I realize that I should be walking already towards the stage. So that is what I do. My legs feel like jelly. They even feel like they're just a fog of smoke in the form of legs. I can't feel them but I still manage to take my seat before blue-haired Caesar Flickerman and the audience. I swallow before giving him a shaky smile. He grins at me. His teeth very straight and white that I stare at them for maybe a little bit longer than I probably should. He extends his hand to me and I mentally cringe at the knowledge of how sweaty my hand is at the moment. I shake his hand and stare at his retreating one waiting for that moment when he will wipe it off of his suit… But it never came.

Caesar's first question is about how I find the Capitol and what impressed me the most since my arrival here. At first my ears refuse to register any sound besides my loud beating heart. And I desperately seek Cinna out of the audience with my eyes. I see him and he mouths the question at me. I answer honestly with the thought that it is Cinna I am talking to and not Caesar nor any of the Capitol people. Then he asked me of what I think of my costume in the opening ceremonies. I smile thinking about how I admire Cinna so much because of that costume. I give praises and thankful words to Cinna and I watch him thank everyone humbly on the big screen when the camera focused on him.

"Cinna is truly amazing. I can't fully express myself about how I feel about my costume and I guess I won't be able to fully express myself regarding this dress as well. See? Just look at it!" I showcase my fiery looking dress to Caesar and the audience by holding the skirt and spreading them. The bright lights hit the gems on my dress and I know I am sparkling like I am a precious gem as well. The audience shamelessly expresses their admiration for my outfit and I catch Cinna making a small circular motion with his index finger. I quickly catch on. I stand up and twirl for him. The audience gasps and claps. I even hear Caesar laugh next to me as he claps.

When I finally need to stop, Caesar urges me to twirl more for them and I giggle. "I can't anymore!" He takes my hand and pats it affectionately.

"We shall not let you follow in to the steps of your mentor now, shall we?" Caesar says and I laugh as Haymitch is found by the camera. Of course he is now better known for his stage dive during the Reaping than him being the Victor of the 50th Hunger Games. Once the laughter dies down, Caesar focuses his attention back to me.

"We are really enchanted by your spirit, Katniss. During the Reaping when you volunteered for your sister, it was really admirable. Can you tell us about her?" I take a deep breath as I can feel anger creeping into my mind. I don't want to tell them about Prim. I see Cinna giving me a small nod and I close my eyes for a second to compose myself. I can tell him… I can tell Cinna.

"Her name is Prim. Primrose. I love her very much. I love her more than my own life," the silence that enveloped the whole place feels so unfamiliar to me. It is almost amazing that these people in the Capitol can quiet down like this…

"What did she say to you before you left?" My gray eyes scan over the audience and I desperately look at Cinna.

"She… She asked me to…" I trail off as my mind wander back to that moment in the Justice Building after the Reaping.

"T-Try to win okay? Promise me you will win and c-come back. You… Y-You and Gale must come back home!"

All I could feel that moment was the overwhelming grief of needing to leave and head towards most likely my own death. But I also felt the pure desperation to go back… to return to my precious younger sister… That I failed to realize that if I return home… Gale dies…

"She asked me to win…" The words just spill out of my mouth without my full consciousness of the situation.

"And then? What did you say to her?"

My breathing starts to become heavy and even looking at Cinna does not help me in any way. My eyes look frantically among the crowd. Haymitch looks displeased that I'm already losing it. I feel tongue-tied. I don't want to think about what I promised to Prim. I don't want to tell them about that thoughtless promise. Not after all that happened… Not after I realized how everything that was happening is real and that Gale is really entering the arena with me… I can't. I can't win… I can't win if it means that he dies and I lose him forever…

I look down and lock the fabric of my dress in a death grip.

"I… I told her I'll try…"

My voice sounds so dead and lifeless. And at that moment, I know Haymitch was right. I am as charming as a dead slug.

"Of course you would," Caesar says and even he seems to be unsatisfied with the delivery of my answer. My buzzer goes off and I hurry back to my seat. Blood is pounding in my ears that I can't even focus on what Gale is saying during the most of his interview. Caesar and the audience seem pleased with him though. I try to compose myself and look at the strong figure of Gale on the stage.

He is smiling so charmingly that I think it seems enough… He can just smile there for the whole duration of three minutes and I guess no one will mind. He is that pleasing.

"Such a handsome young man you are! Is there, by any chance, a lucky girl waiting for you back home?" Caesar asks as he leans closely to Gale as if he will tell him such a big secret. Gale rubs his hands on his pants as he chuckles.

"Sadly… She's not waiting back home," the audience gasps. I can tell they are jumping to horrible conclusions like whomever this girl Gale is talking about dumped him before he left for the Games. Just then, a sudden coldness envelops my hands. Who is this girl Gale is talking about? An unfamiliar feeling swells in my chest as my brows furrow together.

"That is really sad to hear. How can she leave a young man like you right?" Caesar asks the audience and I hear a few females shout that they can replace that girl and make him happier.

"You know what my man? I guess all you have to do is win. You win, you go back home… And maybe if she's still the one you want she will come back to you," Caesar says and a few guys wolf-whistled among the audience. The playful look on Gale's face vanishes and he unmasks the real Gale before Panem. His face looks dead serious and he holds that kind of cold beauty that somehow makes him more mesmerizing than before.

"Winning… will not help my case. Honestly…" Gale clasps his hands together and his slivery gray eyes look like precious stones under the blinding bright lights. "Honestly I don't even have any plans to win." My eyes grow so wide and my heart makes such a hard pound that I feel like it is about to jump out of my chest. What is Gale saying?

Hushed whispers fill the place and even Caesar looks taken aback by Gale's words. "Why say such a thing? You look very capable for me. And no offense to our other wonderful tributes but I must say that you have the look of a Victor." The audience applauds. They seem to agree with Caesar's words so much.

"You see…" I hold my breath as Gale's gaze fall upon me for a very brief moment. "My girl is not waiting for me to return home… She came here with me."

My girl

My girl

My girl

She came here

Gale is talking about me…

I see the lost look on my face being focused on the big screen. I want to cover my face with my hands but I resist the strong pull. The color of my cheeks put my dress in shame and I actually feel like I'm burning.

"I will do my best in the arena for her," Gale says with a very sweet… but sad smile and I can feel everyone's heart ache at the sight of it. So beautiful and so real. I hear the audience sigh in awe. They seem to be thrilled with the idea of true and tragic love. The buzzer goes off but no one seems to be moving on from Gale's declaration of love for me. I watch him walk towards me. Everything seems to be in slow motion. Caesar is already talking to the audience… Perhaps he is giving a summary of the tributes' interviews. But I cannot care to listen. My eyes are glued on Gale and my body ache. I want him close to me now! Why is he walking so slowly?

He looks sorry when he finally steps right in front of me. Maybe he thinks that I'm angry of what he just did. It's true. I'm angry. I… I don't really know why he had to confess all of those things and let the whole Panem know about our love.

Our love

"Katniss… I…" I feel my legs move as I rest my weight on my feet. They feel shaky but I don't really need them to stand for long since Gale is here. I reach out for him. The noise starts to drown behind my mind as my palms run over the silky texture of his suit. A second later, he envelops my hands into his and his touch sends electrifying signals into my body. I step closer to him… Then I press myself onto him. He seems to be confused for his eyes looks like they are searching for my motive in mine. He opens his mouth to say something but I capture whatever words he has to say with my lips.

It is such a soft and gentle kiss that I feel like it's too fragile that I can't help it but to cry for its fragility. I fail to notice the tears that are running down my cheeks. I just become aware of them when Gale brushes his fingers across my cheekbones. He pulls away and smiles at me. And the sound of the anthem fills my ears. He holds my hand tightly as we stand in respect for the anthem.

I see the screens focusing on Gale and me. I find myself not caring even if the whole world is seeing me with smudged make-up and with tears still flowing steadily down my cheeks. I watch the people's faces as the camera sweep over them. Their eyes are trained on us. Not on the tributes. But only on Gale and me.

The tragic star-crossed lovers of the 74th Hunger Games

I must apologize for taking so long on updating this. But I'm not in any way abandoning this story. I love this so much for me to do that. It's just school has been really tough for me these days. Also there are the other series that I write about… They distract me from time to time.

Anyway I'm really glad that a lot of people like this story of mine. Please do continue reading and of course leave your reviews. More reviews motivate me to update faster. I guess we all are motivated by that. I really thank you guys for the support and sorry for any grammatical errors.

I promise I will try to update faster from now on… But I guess I can only do a chapter or two for this one for every month.

Thanks for reading and do review! ^_^