Short and fast it is. I can manage this more, but every now and then I'll have some crazy long chapter... how 'bout that? :) Do any of you write or read fanfiction on Wattpad?

Disclaimer: I don't the idea, the characters, or the setting.

Four weeks until the Reaping.

Three weeks until Katniss' Birthday.

Two weeks until the tesserae arrived.

One week until the search party gave up.

Gale and Katniss sat stubbornly silent in the bushes down in the valley, Katniss was irritated at Gale's behavior, she couldn't wait until something came scampering along so she could kill it.

She needed to take her anger out on something. She couldn't contain the waves of annoyance radiating off of her onto Gale. He was literally two inches away from her… feeling the same emotions… just for a different reason.

You see, Gale had decided not to tell Katniss. He was holding a pointless grudge against Katniss for talking to the Baker's son just because she didn't tell him where she was going; but also because Peeta Mellark was sort of his competition… for some weird, unexplainable reason.

He didn't understand how Katniss talking to another man could make him so impulsive. Katniss was his, he was hers and if anybody else thought otherwise… well, they couldn't think otherwise, it was unthinkable. Katniss was his girlfriend. His property. He had every right to guard her and protect her from whatever he thought was dangerous.

But then he had to remember that he let Katniss talk to Thom, and his other friends, and Madge. Also on New Year's he practically pushed Katniss into Doughy's arms. He wanted to gag at that repulsive thought.

He glanced over at Katniss. Her eyes were cold, hard steel. They were dark, and guarded. He was so frustrated and ashamed at himself for letting this happened. But that's where his sympathy fell short. Katniss kept a secret from him, so he could too.

Katniss felt guilty after she went to the bakery that evening. The next morning she knew something was up with Gale. It wasn't a bad thing that she went to the bakery without Gale, right? And since she did nothing inappropriate she wasn't actually in the wrong, right? So why did that shameful feeling crawl up her neck and to her ears every time she looked into Gale's fierce eyes?

The both of them felt this unspoken tension. They both felt guilty and mad at the same time for the same reasons that the other felt. But the pair of them weren't good at voicing anything.

… So here they sat… completely silent.

An unlucky squirrel jumped from a branch to a tree strategically placed in front of Katniss. Her eyes turned bright and in a flash the bow was brought to her cheek, and an arrow was nocked. Whoosh. That was too fast for Katniss' liking. She needed something more powerful and slow to get rid of the pulsing heat in her hands that really, really, really wanted to slap Gale for acting so cocky and distant.

An unlucky rabbit hopped out of its burrow. Zip. There was no way that one saw it coming. Katniss felt restless. "I'm going for a walk Gale." She said stiffly, straightening out and stretching her back and knees out from their cramped position. Gale slightly turned his head to watch her. He didn't realize his face was so stoic. Katniss inhaled an annoyed breath with disbelieving eyes. She huffed as she scooped up her hunting bag, picked up the two dead animals and headed towards their rock.

She needed some space to calm down. To think about what could've happened that made the two absolutely despise each other.

They didn't despise each other. Katniss assured herself. They loved each other so much that when they fought it was for the best. They were just protecting what they had and preventing fall out later on.

But this? This thing that was happening? It was a total bullshit reason they were fighting. "You didn't tell me you were going to the bakery?" Gale's harsh voice resonated that next morning.

"I didn't know you knew." Katniss had replied impassively.

"Were you planning on telling me?"

"I didn't think I needed to." She answered flatly, not facing him. Gale had huffed and for a split second considered telling her that he too had a secret, but then he would ruin the purpose of having the secret.

They sat formally, and the rest of the day carried in a similar manner.

Katniss plopped down on the rock, shivering at the rush of cold that shot up through her spine. The spot was too empty without Gale by her side, she realized. She jutted out a lip and her eyes saddened. How could she make the relationship better?

Katniss' birthday was coming up soon, and if she didn't apologize to Gale– she didn't see why what she did was so bad but…– she figured he probably wouldn't treat it like a special birthday. Gale was like that. She concluded sadly.

Katniss, feeling useless, dug out her dull arrows from the bottom of her hunting bag and scrounged around her boulder to find a good rock. She found the perfect kind and began to sharpen her arrows.

Scrape, scrape, scrape. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. This was a muscle building activity. Scrape, scrape, scrape. She thought of Peeta. What was he up to?

Peeta was probably in the bakery getting the oven ready for the first few loaves of bread. Then he was going to probably head to school. Speaking of, Gale and Katniss probably had to hurry. Scrape, scrape, scrape, scrape, scrape, scrape. She quickly finished two more arrows and hastily put them back into her bag.

Why was she thinking of Peeta? She sort of cringed if she thought that she actually cared about the boy with the bread. Well I mean, yes, she did care, but not like that. He saved her life; of course it was courteous to make sure he was fine. But she had said 'thank you' several times to him by now. Maybe she wasn't 'in debt' anymore. She ran down the hill towards the fence, her braid loosening and flapping around her face like a whip. When she stopped to put her weapon away she felt the wind escape her face and the familiar dizzy feeling of adrenaline escape her body, leaving her tired and woozy. She was too preoccupied with the swaying feeling that she didn't notice Gale's missing bow and sheath of arrows. She bent over at the waist and flipped her open hair over her shoulders. She shook her hair out and was about to straighten back up and re-braid it when she felt hands grab her waist.

She squealed. "Damn you Gale." She cursed. He laughed, still heavy and stiff but overall normal.

"That was so hot Catnip." He told her, pulling her up to him and making her face him. She was looking up at him, chests pressed together. At times like this she wondered how and why they ever fought. Her heartbeat sped up again as he smiled lustfully at her. The way he said her name, the way it rolled off her tongue was just too delicious to even comprehend. "I got so hard." He whispered slowly. He dipped his head down, arms encircling her waist and kissed her. She closed her eyes and when her eyelashes swished by his cheek he felt a tickling flutter of anticipation rush through him. His mouth opened to the surging pleasure that rush of love gave him and he quietly let out a groan that was deep.

She smiled against his lips, anger and confusion forgotten and said: "I could tell Hun." He made a gargling noise of appreciation and pressed his groin up against hers. "Mmhhmh." She hummed definitely enjoying Gale's 'attention'.

Gale chuckled airily and pulled his lips away leaving his forehead resting against hers. "I caught a fox." He told her. She nodded and took his sheath of arrows from his back and put them into the hollow log. The bow followed suit and he hooked his arm around her neck as they walked to the fence and through the meadow.

"I don't want to go to school." Katniss whined.

Gale laughed. "You think I do?" He asked incredulously.

"Madge hasn't been at school for a few days, I'm getting lonely." Gale felt his heart fall to the bottom of his chest. He stayed silent. "Maybe she's sick or something."

Something was the answer.

"I could go over to the Mayor's house after school and visit her." Gale's eyes widened.

"I'm sure she'll be back in a few days. She's the Mayor's daughter, she has Capitol medicine… she'll be fine." Did Gale sound nervous? If he did, Katniss didn't react to it.

"Yeah," Katniss agreed halfheartedly. She pushed Gale's arm off of her shoulders and walked ahead. Turning slightly she faced him with a giddy smile on her face. "I'm sure she's fine."

Gale wasn't so sure.

Who on here has a March 1st Birthday? Leave a review... They make my day. :)