I woke up when I heard voices talking outside. I strained my ears to hear whose voices they were and then I realized it was Haymitch and Gale. Haymitch was saying, "She's become something like family to me…" I smiled and in a sense he had. He was a bit of a father figure in a way. I couldn't hear anything else they were saying.
It was a short conversation, and when it was over, Gale turned towards me and I stared at him curiously. He walked towards me and my hands tightened into balls. I didn't want him near me, but like my mother said, at some point or other we needed to talk.
He entered the room and I suddenly felt so small. I'd forgotten how tall he was. Maybe that was why I used to feel safe around him. I don't know the reason but he was no longer the person I used to be best friends with. He walked in and seemed too big to be in this small space.
I sat up slowly and he walked closer to me, eventually sitting down in the chair next to me where Peeta had been sitting earlier. He sighed and shook his head as he asked, "How did we come this far apart?" I frowned. That was a strange opening line to begin with. I rolled my eyes, "Gale, you know very well how we came this far. I don't want to talk about it." He stared at me and shook his head, "There must be some way we can…move on." I laughed, "You made damn well sure there wasn't." He's face grew sad and I remembered the last time we'd tried speaking. I'd asked him to come to Snows' mansion and I'd asked if it was his idea to form a human shield around the place. He'd admitted that it was and I felt a shiver go down my spine. I'd seen tears in his eyes then.
I frowned, "You regret it, I know. You should. You should regret suggesting that to Coin for the rest of your life. It doesn't change things. It doesn't bring my sister back. So unless you find out how to change death…" I shrugged my shoulders and Gale shook his head, "I hardly think that's fear, Katniss. Look at all the other death's that happened because of Snow, especially Finnick and Cinna. I know how much they meant to you too. Are you blaming those deaths on me? No. But I feel like you're angrier with me for an idea than you were about Snow for those deaths. Why?"
I stared at him and whispered, "Because it made you level with Snow. It made you just as bad as him. You may be able to kill without thinking, Gale, but that's not me." He stared at me just as harshly and sighed, "There's really nothing I can do?" I shrugged, "Only bringing my sister back. And even then I would never trust you again. I asked you to protect my family. It wasn't a lot to ask. And you failed miserably."
Gale stood up then, obviously unable to take any more personal criticism. As he walked out the door he turned to me and said, "There's one more thing I want to say. I get that Prim's death has hurt you, but you can't let it control the rest of your life for you and the decisions you make because of it. Like for example, marrying Peeta over me." I glared at him and yelled, "I think you'll find, Gale, that I LOVE Peeta FAR MORE than I ever loved you! If you so much as tell me how to live my life again, I might just pull that gun on you!"
Gale looked shocked and then was about to turn out of the house when he ran into Peeta. Peeta was staring at him with such intense dislike on his face which I'd never seen before. He whispered quietly, "I think you should leave, now." I hadn't even realized I'd stood up in the middle of my anger and now my head was throbbing. I heard the door close as I got back onto the bed. Peeta sighed as he sat down next to me. Without saying a word, he bundled me up close to him and let me cry into his shirt. I cried for a while, and eventually I fell back asleep.
Peeta's P.O.V:
I climbed on the bed and the clicked a button on the bedside table which automatically closed the curtains for us. I couldn't believe the audacity Gale had to come in here and talk to her even after Haymitch had warned him not to. He'd obviously said something that had set Katniss off. I understood that Gale maybe found it difficult not to still have feelings for her, even though he knew he had no shot at being with her. I knew that might be hurtful. But I still didn't like it.
I would respect him if I were in his shoes. If our roles were reversed and I'd been the one who'd decided to form a human shield at the cost of ending the war. I would bow out willingly if I knew that I had no shot with Katniss-I thought this way for a very long time. Sometimes I still did think this way, even with an engagement ring on her finger. I just didn't understand why Gale wouldn't respect me and Katniss. Did he think I wasn't good enough for her? It was always my worst fear. Maybe I needed to man up and be stronger than her? Maybe I needed to change. She was obviously very fragile right now, emotionally at least. One of us had to be the stronger one.
I glanced down at her, sleeping peacefully. I could watch her sleep forever. She was so much more relaxed asleep than when she was awake. She was almost…smiling. I smiled and shook my head, deciding there and then that I needed to change, that I needed to man up, so that I could protect her better than she's protected me over the years.
A sudden painful memory washed over me. It was of the first time I had ever interacted with her-when I had tossed the bread to her in the mud. A voice inside my head said, 'You should have just given it to the pig. Saved yourself the trouble. Saved yourself the heartbreak. She's not worth it.' I shook my head furiously to diminish the voice. It scared me when that happened. The voice was Ceaser Flickerman's. They'd often used him to come and torture me with fake memories. I supposed President Snow had been too busy trying to kill Katniss at the time.
I sighed and lay down on the bed beside her. I whispered to her softly, even though she wouldn't hear me, "I promise to protect you for the rest of my life, Katniss Everdeen." She smiled and I almost wondered if she had heard me. Then she snuggled closer and I circled my arms around her waist. I was going to learn how to fight, and fight properly so that I could keep this promise. I'd hated that feeling of not being able to do anything and just watch that man hold a gun to her. I lay my head down on the pillow and kissed her cheek softly. Her eyelids fluttered open and I instantly felt guilty for waking her up.
She smiled, "Hey," she whispered. I smiled back, "Sorry for waking you." Katniss shrugged, "I was only semi asleep anyway." I nodded, "I just…" I didn't even know why I had woken her up, to be honest. I shook my head, "Never mind. Go back to sleep." Katniss frowned and then snaked her arms around my neck and pushed her fingers into my hair. She whispered, "I love you." I smiled and she pressed her lips firmly against mine. I sighed and she whispered, "We haven't had a good make out session in a while." I chuckled, "It's been a day. Maybe a day and a half since we got off the train." Katniss blushed, "Yes. It feels like a while though." I shook my head, "I never thought you'd be the one to take the lead in this area." She began unbuttoning my shirt. For some reason, she'd taken a new interest in seeing me with my shirt off ever since I had gotten out of the shower on our last day in District 12. It was certainly something that made me feel a little more confident.
A/N: Hi All! Thanks so much for such positive feedback! It really means a lot to me! Here's another chapter for you! Hope you enjoy!
