We Didn't Start The Fire
by FanficAllergy & RoseFyre
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Chapter Sixteen: I Can Love You Better
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Last Time in We Didn't Start The Fire:
"I guess we can give it a shot. I mean, it's not like we have a lot to lose," Katniss points out.
"That's the spirit, sweetheart," Haymitch says with a little salute. "The odds aren't in our favor, but yours truly here's already beaten the odds. With luck and a little polishing, you'll beat the odds too."
"Sounds good. But don't call me sweetheart."
oOo
The following morning Katniss and I are lazing around in bed while Gale's in the shower. Normally Gale and I shower at night, but on days we're filming or not in military training, our showers are scheduled for the morning. We don't have any place we need to be right now, in fact Katniss has to report to the nursery to feed Rain before Gale or I have to be anywhere.
So we're just a little surprised when there's a knock on our apartment door.
Katniss gives me a look before sliding out of bed. She's the only one of us actually wearing clothing, since my Thirteen issue underwear has managed to disappear to who knows where in the covers. We still haven't resumed full on sexual relations, but that doesn't mean we aren't fooling around a little bit. Katniss isn't ready for vaginal sex. Breastfeeding takes a lot out of her and, frankly, Gale and I are often so wiped at the end of the day that we're not up for much either.
Literally.
The door opens and Cressida steps inside quickly. "Sorry to disturb you guys so early. I-" She pauses, taking in Katniss's thin cotton nightgown and my bare chest. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
"No," I say, waving her in, motioning to the couch. "Take a seat."
"You sure?" Cressida doesn't look convinced.
"Yeah, we weren't doing anything."
"Uh, okay then. Um, where's Gale?"
"In the shower," Katniss answers.
"I can come back when he's out," she offers.
"Nah, he's almost done." As if that's enough to summon him, I hear the water turn off. "He'll be out in a minute."
Katniss comes back over to the bed and sits down on it, pulling the covers up over her legs to give her some additional privacy. She glances over at me, mouthing, 'Do you want me to get you a shirt?'
I shake my head. There's no point. So long as I stay in bed, Cressida's not going to see anything. Besides, I've never been as body-shy as Katniss is.
The bathroom door opens and Gale steps out, using a towel to dry his hair. He's not wearing anything because the small bathroom steams up. Thirteen's standard issue coveralls are already uncomfortable enough dry and they're even worse wet.
Cressida's jaw drops open, staring at the chiseled lines of our husband's body, taking in every glorious inch of him. It fills me with pride that my husband could give Finnick Odair a run for his money.
And that's not me being biased.
I see Gale's eyes flick over to Cressida and he raises an eyebrow at me. I can see the amusement and accusation in his eyes. Why didn't you tell me there was somebody out here? he asks silently.
I grin. I have to admit, I like seeing people's reactions to my husband and wife, knowing that, at the end of the day, I get to curl up with them. It's not the nicest of thoughts, but I never claimed to be the nicest person either.
Cressida just stares open-mouthed, her eyes never leaving my husband's form, as he walks over to the dresser and pulls out a set of underwear and a coverall and gets dressed. I'm chuckling internally the whole time.
Katniss smacks my arm and leans over. "Stop smirking," she hisses.
"I can't," I whisper back.
"Try. It's not funny."
I wrap my arm around her, pulling her close. "Yeah it is."
My wife glares at me in response.
I kiss her nose. "You're so cute when you're glaring daggers at me."
Gale finishes getting dressed and leans against the dresser. "So how can we help you, Cressida?"
"Um…" she says, visions of naked Gale still clearly dancing before her eyes.
"You got a little drool right here," I say, pointing to the corner of my mouth.
"Peeta!" Katniss exclaims.
"What? She does."
The former Capitol woman scrubs at her mouth, a blush climbing up her neck, all trace of the hyper competent woman gone.
"Ignore Peet," Gale says, rolling his eyes. "The guy's got a perverted sense of humor. What can we do for you?"
Cressida visibly pulls herself together, taking several steadying breaths and shaking her head to clear her thoughts. "You guys are in trouble," she says without too much preamble.
"Again?" Katniss asks. "I thought we'd worked that out."
"What do you mean again?"
I wave off Cressida's question. It's not important. "So how are we in trouble?"
"There's a pretty credible rumor going around that Commander Boggs has offered a reward to anyone who can break you three up."
It seems out of character for the stoic second-in-command. As much as he dislikes Gale, Katniss, and me, he doesn't strike me as the sort to engage in that kind of backstabbing. It feels weird. Off. Out of character.
"Where'd you hear that?" Gale asks. He's just as confused as I am.
"I didn't," Cressida corrects. "Pollux did. A couple of his bunkmates were discussing it. One of the guys is planning on making a play for you." She nods her head at Gale.
I can't help it. I start laughing.
Gale and I love each other, deeply, but it's a romantic, emotional, and mental love. We haven't quite gotten to the sex part, and I'm honestly not sure we ever will. Katniss is trying not to smile while Gale doesn't even bother. The thought that a stranger would be able to lure our husband away is laughable. Especially a male stranger.
"What's so funny?" she asks, confused. "It makes sense. It's obvious you both like guys and Gale here's the least attached in their minds."
That sobers me up quickly. It's always been my biggest fear, since we found out Rain was biologically mine, that this would tear us apart. The fact that people in Thirteen are considering just that worries me.
"Why would they think that?" Gale asks, clearly confused.
I shake my head internally. Both Gale and Katniss have always made it clear that they want this, that nothing will tear us apart. I'm the one who needs convincing. But I'm also the one who's seen how easily a family can be torn apart.
Surprisingly, it's Katniss who answers. "Because they don't know us," she says. "They think because of Rain, you're less attached to us, you're the weak link." She snorts. "They're idiots. What I don't get," she continues, "is why now? Why is this suddenly becoming an issue again?"
"I know the answer to that," Cressida pipes up. "They think it's a waste. Two fertile guys with one woman? That's not good asset management. If you'd agreed to give them your… essence…"
"You mean our sperm," Gale quickly interjects.
Cressida blushes again. "Yeah. Um. If you'd done that, they probably wouldn't have turned to this."
"I still stand by what Peet said," Gale says, crossing his arms over his chest. "I want to be a part of any of my kids' lives, and Rain's as much my kid as any biologic child. Any kid of Peet's is also a kid of mine. And while I want to be a father and while I hope to have a big family," he smiles at Katniss, "I want them to be from my wife, not some random stranger. I want them to be our children, not someone else's."
"I understand," Cressida says. "I don't want kids period. I took care of that years ago. You should've heard Thirteen cry out in protest when they found that out."
I make a face at that bit of knowledge. "I can imagine."
oOo
"Turn your eyes to the Capitol. They're but one district out of fourteen districts. If we rise up and fight together, we can destroy this parasite and earn our freedom!"
"Cut!" Effie says, breaking in. "Bravo! Bravo!"
"Oh please. You're bein' too kind, Eff. The girl's useless. He's useless," Haymitch declares, pointing towards Gale. "The blond... him, I can work with."
"Well excuse us for not meeting your exacting standards," Gale snaps, glaring in Haymitch's direction.
"You should be excused," the older man snarks. "Why they wanna make you the Mockingjay…" He shakes his head. "Beyond me. They should just throw you two out and go with him." Haymitch gestures towards me.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I say, "You go with all of us."
"I know. Doesn't mean I'm happy about it."
"Oh don't listen to Haymitch," Effie says, fluttering around. "You three are lovely. And with a little bit of polish, we'll make you shine even more brightly. After all, if you put enough pressure on coal, it does turn into diamonds!"
"You work on 'em, Effs," Haymitch says, leaning back in his chair, shoving his shaking hands underneath his thighs. "I need some time to think."
Over the last two days, I've noticed that the man's been more irritable and his hands have started shaking uncontrollably. He's been kept in Thirteen's Infirmary, ostensibly for observation. Every so often I spot Effie shooting a concerned glance in his direction.
Effie works with us for a few hours, mostly correcting our posture and stances. Katniss is too masculine in her opinion, while I apparently have a tendency to drift to the background when my two spouses are onscreen. As for Gale, he's handsome enough, but Effie keeps telling him to keep his hands out of his hair and to avoid crossing his arms. "It sends the wrong message," she chirps.
"And what message is that?"
"That you're defensive. Unapproachable. Angry."
Gale crosses his arms. "You've got that right."
Effie points to his arms, but Gale just glares at her.
She sighs. "I understand that you're angry, but you want to direct your anger. Be angry for a purpose, not just perpetually pissed off."
"Right," Haymitch says, rejoining the conversation. "So find me some charm under that dour demeanor. You have to have something other than your dashing good looks. I can't see sweetheart here falling for you just 'cause you look pretty."
I notice he doesn't say anything about me and I feel a momentary stab of hurt. I admit it. Gale's handsome. But that's not the reason I fell in love with him. It's because he put me first, and how he always puts his family first, even over his own well being. It's just that simple.
Our training gets cut short a few minutes later when Haymitch vomits bile.
The following morning, only Effie is waiting for us. "Haymitch won't be joining us today or for the next few days. He's feeling a bit under the weather." She sounds worried underneath her outwardly bright exterior.
"I guess going cold turkey really did a number on him," Katniss says.
"You'd be correct, dear."
"Right," Gale says. "So what are we going to fail at today?"
Effie puts her hands on her hips. "With that attitude, Mr. Hawthorne, I can see why you haven't been successful!" she snaps, before smoothing her standard issue Thirteen coverall in what looks like an attempt to calm herself. "Attitude, more than aptitude, is what will make you successful. Why, I bet you could recite the Treaty of Treason and if you did it in the right way, it'd be a stirring call to action. After all, as a great man once said, seventy percent is how you look, twenty percent is how you sound, and only ten percent is what you say."
"That explains Caesar," Katniss mutters.
"You're quite right, Ms. Everdeen." Effie nods approvingly. "Caesar Flickerman understands the importance of carrying a good countenance. Why do you think they never have Claudius perform the interviews? He's a passable speaker, but his demeanor leaves much to be desired."
"Right. So how do we improve our appearance?" I ask.
She purses her lips, regarding us for a moment. "Well, those clothes need to go. And I've seen what passes for military uniforms here in Thirteen. They're only slightly better, but they do nothing to make you stand out from the crowd. And, as the Mockingjays, you must stand out."
"Well, it's not like we've got a stylist on call," Gale protests.
"No, but I do have some small skill with a needle, and I certainly have a better sense of fashion than these people do," Effie gestures grandly, indicating the whole of Thirteen. "But more than what you look like, it's what story you're telling."
"What story are we telling?" Katniss asks.
"And there's the problem. You don't know, and that's woefully apparent," she says with a sigh. "Why, if we were in the Capitol and these were the Games, I'd be focusing on the love story. Who doesn't love a love story? It's got universal appeal. And the three of you are unique. Your love story couldn't happen under Capitol rule, so you fled so you could have a future and a family together. But not before you cried out against the injustice of it all, leaving your mark on your district to let them know that you would not stand for such inequity!"
"Sounds like you should be doing the speaking," Katniss tells her.
"Oh," Effie says. "No, I don't have the appeal you three have. My story wouldn't resonate with the districts." She makes a little moue with her mouth. "My story wouldn't even resonate with the Capitol. After all, why would I give up a life of luxury and prestige? To them, nothing is worse than losing the status I've worked so hard to gain."
"You left because of Haymitch, right?" I hazard a guess.
She looks at me, fixing me with her light blue eyes. "No," she says. "I care deeply for that man. But I left because I could no longer support an institution and government which would do what it did to that sweet little girl. If I could have volunteered for her, I would have." She turns away.
The three of us share a look of shock. Hearing that the Games are what made Effie leave the Capitol is a shock.
"We're sorry," Gale tells her for all of us. "We misjudged you."
She smiles back up at us, tears visible in her eyes. "It's alright. It happens all the time." Effie swipes at her eyes, putting on her escort mask again. "Now, where were we?"
oOo
Our military training also continues over the following couple of weeks. Gale and I have graduated to the next class of cadets, which, unlike the lower levels, has some training sessions with other cohorts.
This is especially true in our hand-to-hand training sessions. I'm guessing there's only so many competent instructors and, unlike obstacle course and situational training, not everybody's at the same skill level. I think they also want to see how we fight with and against people we haven't fought before who are at varying skill levels.
I'm pleased to see that Gale's improving his hand-to-hand skills. Honestly, it was a little embarrassing how easily I took him down in our fight over Katniss. I allowed him to get one solid hit before dropping him to the ground. It's not my fault that, in his struggle to get free, his face hit the toe of my boot, giving himself a split lip. But it got my point across. I could have hurt him a lot worse, and if I really had wanted to escape when they first encountered me in the Meadow, I would have. I just wasn't willing to risk hurting Katniss, and I knew that if I hurt Gale, Katniss would never forgive me.
It's interesting how that one choice has affected the rest of my life.
I'm currently working with another transient, a guy named Dalton from District Ten. He's older than most of the rest of us, but he's not a bad hand-to-hand fighter.
When I tell him so, he says, "Got a lot of practice snippin' the balls from bulls."
I don't need to ask any more. I'd fight damned hard if someone tried to do that to me.
I notice Gale's paired up with my brother's roommate, Charming, and he doesn't seem very happy about it.
It takes me a second to realize why.
Every time they get close, her hand lingers a bit too long on Gale's backside or she unnecessarily rubs her leg against his. Gale's growing more and more annoyed and, if I know my husband, it's not going to be long before he snaps.
Sure enough, less than five minutes later, Gale takes a step back and bellows, "Just what in the fuck do you think you're doing? I'm married, I'm not interested in whatever kind of hanky panky you've got planned."
"But you're not married!" Charming counters.
"Bullshit! Tell that to my husband!"
"Whatever. He's just your roommate. It's not like you're having sex," she says, raising her voice on the last word. "He's with that girl you came with! Why, I bet you're really her cousin and this is all just some scheme for you to get special treatment."
Pierce interjects. "Explain yourself, Soldier."
Charming takes a step back. "I've been watching them ever since they arrived. Mellark's definitely got it bad for the girl, but these two," she waves vaguely at Gale and me, "if they're lovers, I'm Snow's granddaughter. Besides, none of them are married. They haven't signed any of the forms, either here or in their own district. There's no record."
"We couldn't get married back home," I say, remembering Effie's advice to play up the love story. "It's one of the reasons we left in the first place."
"That doesn't explain why you haven't filled out the forms here. I mean, you and the girl? I'm not arguing that, you two are sappy as hell. Him and the girl? Maybe. But you two?" She shakes her head. "No fucking way."
Gale glares at the woman, then storms over to me. Pulling me taut against him, his head swoops down to capture my mouth. All of our other kisses have been tender, almost platonic.
This is nothing like them.
Gale's tongue demands entry and I give it. I feel myself becoming aroused and I moan against his lips, wrapping my arms around his neck. I've waited so long for this, that I surrender to the sensation of his lips on mine.
Dimly, I hear several gasps followed by applause, before Commander Pierce steps in, laughter in his tone. "Alright you two. Knock it off. That's what your rack is for. I don't think the rest of the unit needs to watch you go at it like bunnies."
Regretfully, I move to pull away, but Gale stops me. Resting his forehead on mine, he stares into my eyes. "Hey."
There's an ocean of meaning in that one word. With that single 'Hey,' Gale's confirming that we're still good, that the three of us are still good, and that, as much as this kiss was to prove a point, it was still real.
"Can we do that again?" I ask, a light smile on my face.
Gale answers my questions with another kiss.
oOo
AN:
Written: 8/16/15
Revised: 10/17/15
Revised 2: 10/19/15
The title of this chapter comes from the song "I Can Love You Better" by the Dixie Chicks.
Effie's quote about presentation is taken from the routine "Dress to Kill" by Eddie Izzard. Do not let it be said that we do not cite our sources.
We didn't randomize anything this chapter.
Please remember to leave a review letting us know what you think.
Thanks for reading!