If possible, seeing the younger Hawthorne hurts as much as seeing Gale.
The boy, if Peeta remembers correctly, is in Prim's year, and is nearly identical to his brother with the typical Seam look. Rory's hair is curlier, though, longer too, whereas Gale's hair is cut in short waves.
Katniss says something to Rory, shrugging off the taller boy's arm as Prim bounds from the bakery across the street. A large smile lights the younger girl's face as she animatedly speaks of something he can't quite catch, and she points to the window of his family's bakery shop.
Rory laughs, throwing his arm around both of their shoulders, and Peeta can imagine Katniss rolling her eyes as she throws her hands into the air. Prim giggles, her blue eyes shining as she gazes at the two darker teens, a delighted smile on her face.
Peeta doesn't make to follow them, his need to speak to Katniss gone.
He feels sick as he watches them stroll down the street, because for the first time he's realized he doesn't really belong in her life. He doesn't have a real place with her, no real definition to what lies between them.
But Gale fits.
Gale and the rest of the Hawthornes have been there all her life, offering help and smiles as they struggled to survive. Gale's her best friend, familiar, and being with him could be so easy for her. So unlike the matted knots of hesitation, uncertainty, and fear surrounding the bond between Peeta and her. The sudden urge to throw the ring in his pocket at the ground, just simply far, far away, as he watches them approach the corner nearly overwhelms him, and he almost does, his fingers closing around the band.
But a voice stops him.
"Peeta?"
A/N: In response to LavenderBrownFan and anyone else concerned about the short chapters: The short chapters make it easier for me to stay motivated and update, 'cause I figured shorter and faster updates were better than long-ass chapters every five weeks, or longer, and they're easier for me to do. And it helps me improve my writing by making good edits to say more using less words. :)
I do have plans for another fanfic unrelated to Like Crazy, and I think it will include longer chapters. Just need to finish this up first, because I don't want abandon my first fanfiction! Haha(: