Thank you so much to everyone who gave me feedback on the last chapter. It really means a lot to me and keeps me inspired, so keep it coming! =]
Sunlight filtered in through the window beside Gale's bed, stirring him awake. He groaned unhappily, pulling a pillow over his head. Saturday was a day of leisure that he held very precious, and he didn't appreciate nature interrupting that.
He heard the door to his bedroom creak open, and peeked out under his pillow to see Posy's head poking through the doorway. "Gale?" she whispered, unsure if he was awake or not. "Gale, are you up?"
"Yeah," he mumbled into his sheets. "What do you need?" Hopefully nothing that involved any effort on his part.
"I need to go to the store, but Mama's busy. Can you take me, please?" Her voice drifted through the room softly, so that Gale couldn't possibly be annoyed. Which annoyed him.
He sat up in bed, running a hand through his dark hair. "What do you need to go to the store for?"
Posy stepped fully into the room, confident that her brother wasn't bothered by her. "I outgrew my shoes again."
"Alright," he sighed swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Might as well be grateful that nowadays people could buy things as needed instead of complaining that he couldn't sleep for another couple hours. "Just let me find my pants."
The younger girl laughed and covered her eyes as her older brother climbed out of bed in his underwear. "They're hung over the chair!" She darted out of the room, leaving squeals of laughter ringing in her wake.
Gale lazily pulled on yesterday's clothes. It was his day off; people could deal with his crumpled attire. And his dark stubble, messy hair, and slightly sweaty musk. Whatever, whoever was awake before noon on Saturday was obviously insane, and not worth Gale's effort anyway.
"Okay Pos, let's go," Gale lumbered through his house. He walked over to his sister who was patiently waiting by the front door and tickled her side good-naturedly.
Later the two of them stood in a relatively quiet shop, surveying a plethora of shoes that lined the shelves. Machine-made or hand-crafted. Chic or comfortable. Horrible fashion statements certainly stilled lived on. At least extreme augmentation was still a fad contained in the Capitol.
A shadow falls over a row of shelves and Gale feels a presence beside him. Before she even speaks he's sure he knows who it is, just by the faint, fresh smell of sunflowers. Her pale hand reaches out to caress a particular pair of shoes, and when Gale looks over at Nox her eyes are sad and wistful.
"This pair of shoes was made in District 8," she tells him barely above a whisper, fingers still finding wonder in the soft leather before her. "You can tell by the stitching. Very few people made it out of there- it's always so wonderful to find something of theirs."
"You came from there," Gale states rather than asking. The haunted look in her eyes makes it obvious. His mind automatically flashes back to the day the hospital was bombed. It physically hurts to think of her in the midst of all of that.
Nox nods grimly. "I remember being so thrilled when my people started to rebel, and being so scared when the Capitol fought back. All I ever worried about was Stella. I didn't know if it would be better for her to die in the bombings during the rebellion or in the Hunger Games if it failed. But I knew that I wasn't going to let either happen. I was going to hide her away and protect her by any means necessary."
She turns slightly and gives a watery smile to Posy. "She was about your age, then. I loved her more than anything. And I thought about all the children who were looking through curtains of smoke as their parents got murdered in front of them, like little lambs waiting to be slaughtered next. So I gathered as many of the kids as I could, and one night I carried them away deep into the woods." She trails off staring straight through Posy, lost in her own memories.
"Go on," Gale urges, and her glossy eyes slide up to meet his.
"There was an old house that I used to play in as a girl. I think it was hundreds of years old. It was just ruins, really- maybe from time, or maybe from the first rebellion. There was a staircase leading down into a cellar. I waited above ground while the children were tucked safely away below. I barely ever slept in case the Peacekeepers ever came."
Gale watches her tremble in front of him. She has to grasp a shelf to keep upright. Her lids flutter down over her eyes and a single tear tracks its way down her cheek. "Did they come?"
"Yes." It's said so softly that Gale only understands her by the movement of her lips. "And I did what I had to."
"Then your sister's right," he tells her firmly. "You are brave."
Nox laughs self-deprecatingly and thumbs away her tears. "You must think I'm ridiculous."
"Of course not," Gale vehemently disagreed.
"After all that you've been through? After all that everyone's been through? I'm just a silly girl crying in the middle of a store."
It surprises them both when Gale gently tugs her forward to envelope her in his arms. He's never been a fan of people, let alone near strangers. But he's always hated to see people cry. Especially girls like Nox, whose cheeks get flushed and lips tremble as the pain etched across their faces somehow make them more beautiful.
Her head rested comfortably against his chest. He bent his neck a bit to lay his cheek against the soft bed of her hair. Warmth rolled off her body and seeped into him. There are parts of Gale that have been cold and numb for a very long time. They've only just begun to thaw.
"People are staring," Nox murmured with amusement in her voice. "You better let me go before people start to think you associate with the psychopathic girl who has mental breakdowns in shops."
Gale relinquished his hold, however reluctantly. "I find that the psychopaths are usually the most fun to be around." He glanced over her shoulder and, as she said, found several people looking on. A few were actually pointing and whispering, like the interaction between the two was some sort of show. "And I'm used to being gawked at by people with nothing better to do. They just like to stick their noses in the lives of anyone who's ever been on television."
"I can't imagine how that must feel," she drawled. A smirk tweaked devilishly at her lips, like she was telling a joke that only she knew the punch line to. She left Gale to contemplate her words as she turned to Posy, who had proved to be infinitely more patient than Stella in the time that she spent quietly waiting for the previous exchange to finish. "What's your name?"
"Posy," she answered softly, her large doe-eyes alight with interest.
Nox smiled and crouched down so she was at her level. "What a lovely name- just as lovely as you. Your mother must feel incredibly lucky to have such a well-behaved and beautiful daughter. And a kind, wonderful son, too."
Posy glanced up at her older brother briefly and gave a small shrug. "Gale's alright," she answered without putting much thought into the matter.
Laughter bubbled throughout Nox's body as she rose back to her full height. "Oh, I like her. I like her very much."
"Of course you do," Gale replied sardonically. "I'm barely a blip on her little radar. It seems like the only person who's fazed by me anymore is Stella."
"And she truly is. She met you once nearly a week ago and it seems you're all she ever talks about. And you've witnessed how much she likes to talk."
Gale leaned in conspiratorially. "Good. All this pressure to be amazing all the time makes me feel a little insecure. I need the occasional adoring fan, or I'd be confined to my bed all day in a fit of depression."
"Oh, come on now," her voice lowered an octave, but still maintained its light as a feather playful lilt. "I'm sure you have girls lined up to stroke your ego."
"You know, come to think of it you're right." Gale pretended to think on it for a second. "And yet I still never seem to leave my bed."
Nox bit the inside of her cheek to keep her laughter in check. "Imagine that. I'm sure you and your- what did you call them? Adoring fans? I'm sure the lot of you spend all your time moaning. In utter angst, of course."
"More like howling. Our inner turmoil rattles the windows."
"I'm confused," Posy interjected, crossing her arms and darting her eyes between the two of them.
A blush erupted across Nox's cheeks as she very suddenly remembered that there were other people in the world. "I should go," she mumbled hurriedly. "I shouldn't have walked over and interrupted with my issues and held you guys up. I'm sorry."
As she turned to leave Gale quickly caught her by the wrist. "I'm glad you did. I told you I'd see you around. Maybe this time a little sooner, okay?"
"Yeah, sure." She smiled softly, tucking a wild strand of hair behind her ear. "I'd like that."