But I see Gale.

I open my mouth to say something but he cuts me off by enveloping me in a hug, kissing my head. My arms self-consciously wrap around him too. He finally pulls away and looks at me with sad eyes.

"Catnip."

"What do you want Gale?" I say in a sharper voice than I had been meaning to. My mind has been wondering whether to forgive Gale or not for a few weeks. To forgive would mean putting what he had done behind me and forget, to not forgive would be hating him for what he did for the rest of my life. It wouldn't be fair on him because he didn't know that it was his bomb that killed Prim.

"To talk." He replied simply knowing I was impatient and wanted a short answer getting to the point. Sighing, I step aside and let him in, all thoughts of visiting Peeta vanishing. Gale rests on a couch and I slip into the one opposite him. We sit there silently before he starts.

"How are you?" He scratches is head and looks at me.

"Fine." I reply distinctly and cross my arms. "Gale…"

"Alright! I'll get on with it."

"Good."

"I still love you." He blurts out. "I've never stopped loving you. I thought about you every second in District 2. I love you Katniss."

His words shock me and I don't know how to handle it. It was too much to take in.

"You killed her." I manage a whisper, quiet but angry.

"That's why I left. To give you some space. But now we can have what we wanted." He walks over and slides an arm around my waist. "We can be together." This frustrates me and I slap his arm away.

"Gale. No."

He retreats back to the other couch and stares at me.

"I didn't know." He says seriously. "I didn't know that would ever harm her, Katniss, you have to forgive me." I told myself I would. I just told myself at the door that I would forgive him at the door a few minutes ago. My mind is at war and my eyes it swirling with venom as I stare at him. Finally, I give up.

"I forgive you." I barely breathe out. I've put everything behind me now, it's over. No more hating Gale. It was going to be hard sometimes, but I had to do it. He couldn't be an obstacle my whole life.

"Really?" He wraps his arm around me and tries to kiss me but I manage to stop his face with my hand.

"That doesn't mean we're…together. I'm with…" I trail off.

"Peeta?" He finishes. Was I with Peeta? "Is this what it is? You love him?" I nod and his fists clench.

"You can't hurt him." I state. "If you hurt him, you'll regret it forever." If he hurt Peeta, I would hurt him. Even though I had just forgiven him and he was my best friend. If he laid one finger on my boy with the bread, I would make him pay.

"I understand." He raises his arms up in defeat. "You're taken. Came back just a little too late." Shaking his head, he sighs before reaching for the door.

"Where are you staying?" I don't know why I asked that. He was probably going back to District 2 since I rejected him. Gale could get anyone he wanted in Two. But he probably doesn't want anyone…other than me.

"My old house." His words take me by surprise. He obviously means the new house built on the same place as his old house. "Might take some squirrels down too." A smirk greets me before Gale leaves.

I'm just about to go upstairs before I realised that I have my coat on. My feet freeze and I just ponder for a while. Then it hits me. I was supposed to be visiting Peeta. Silently cursing, I run to the door, fumble with the knob for a while before slipping my shoes on and stepping onto the doorstep. Taking a few deep breaths, I steadily move over to Peeta's door. My hand is an inch away from his door when it opens.

"Didn't think you'd come." He greets me with a fake smile, hurt evident in his voice.

"I had other things…" I mumble, not wanting to say that Gale turned up on my doorstep and I forgot about visiting him.

"Mmm…" He nods slowly and lets me in.

"It's…uh…looking better around here." I say awkwardly, not knowing how to start the conversation. He forces a smile and nods.

"Yeah…I've worked hard to try and restore this place. It was a mess and I first came back." He laughs slowly.

"Probably from the…bombing." My voice lowers and I mentally slap myself for saying that because I could have just set off another memory. Peeta's family did die from the bombing. He grips the couch tightly with his eyes closed and I'm prepared to escape before he opens them and relaxes.

"Sorry." He apologises. "I just can't…you know…"

"Don't worry." Then there is an uncomfortable silence. We sit there for a few minutes just staring at our hands before he coughs.

"I…wanted to ask you…something." His eyes dart all around the room and I raise my eyebrows.

"…sure…" I reply. He runs to the drawers and comes back with a little box.

"Well…in the time that I was here alone, I was thinking…" He kneels to the ground and opens the box, revealing a gold ring with a small diamond on it. On the back, it has the word 'always' engraved on it.

I gasp, "Peeta…"

"Miss Katniss Everdeen, will you marry me?"


A/N CLIFFY! This took me over a month to write. (Sorry) It was really hard. I hope I'll be updating more often now. But I can't promise. Writer's block is really annoying me. I am really busy as well. Above all that, I'm sick. [sigh]

I really hoped you enjoyed that chapter because I worked REALLY hard on it. It would make my day if you reviewed.

Best Wishes,
~KatnissxSwift