Sorry that it took a little long, and that I haven't responded to any feedback. Life has been incredibly hectic lately. But I hope you like this one, and as always feedback is greatly appreciated. It keeps me going! Thank you =]

There had been a heightened sense of vibrancy in the Districts since the end of the rebellion. People from any and all walks of life gathered for nearly any reason to celebrate. They really went all out, too. Feasts would last all day, and music would echo and leak out into the edge of the next District over. There was dancing and laughing and a general overcompensation for the horrors of the past. Though, that's just how Gale felt- and he was generally known to be antisocial- it wasn't his place to judge how people got themselves through the day.

The present occasion that had people stumbling drunkenly through the streets was a wedding. It was something that was significantly more joyous considering the thought of having children didn't send a pang through people's hearts anymore. Gale still didn't buy into the fuss, however. It reeked too much of having something to prove to everyone, and he felt that if love was truly there, the only person you had to convince was the one you cared for.

A pair of small pale hands came from behind to cover his eyes. They were warm and smooth and gentle. "Guess who?" Lips moved against his ear as the words quivered with laughter.

"Someone who's entirely too giddy to be completely sober." Gale grabbed her wrists and tugged them forward, so that her arms were wrapped around his shoulders and her chest was pressed up against his back.

Nox laughed and rested her face in the crook of Gale's neck. "I am one hundred percent sober, Soldier, I just know how to have a good time. You're moping around like you're at a funeral. Lighten up."

"I've been to plenty of funerals that were more interesting than this," Gale mumbled, twisting in Nox's arms to face her.

"Ah, yes, sorry. I forgot you were chronically surly." She dropped her arms and took a step back. "And to think I was going to ask you to dance with me."

Gale scoffed and crossed his arms. "I don't dance."

"I didn't ask, remember?" She glanced smugly around the room. "I'll just dance with one of the many other men who have propositioned me."

"Propositioned you how?" Gale failed at projecting indifference.

Nox laughed and slunk backwards with a smirk. "Ooh, look who's interested now. Jealous?" She paused, and cocked her head, narrowing her eyes mockingly. "Wait, no, of course not. Soldier Hawthorne can't be bothered to be jealous."

"I'm not jealous, I'm…" He struggled for words, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I'm concerned for you."

"Well thank you, kind sir, for your consideration," Nox bowed theatrically. "Would you be so generous as to take a walk with me then? So I don't get taken advantage of by these other males you're clearly not threatened by, or die of boredom and loneliness?"

Gale looked over at her skeptically. "A walk?"

"Yeah, you know, that thing where you move your feet until you reach a destination. Used for various things like exercise, or entertainment, or-"

"Okay, okay." Gale grabbed her by the elbow and began leading her along. "Do you always have to be like that?"

Nox smiled in self-satisfaction. "Yes. And it's your fault for being so difficult. You think your attitude is going to make me give up and stomp away in exasperation, but I deal with children all day. You're a piece of cake."

"Are you saying I'm childish?" He asked with an amused quirk of his brow.

"Childish? No. Children are far more honest with themselves than you are. You're just belligerent." She considered something for a moment, and then met Gale's eyes. "You pull it off, though. You're very charming when you're not sulking."

"I don't sulk," he denied haughtily.

She snorted and slipped her hand into his, tugging him off of the road and further away from the celebration in the square. "Clearly."

"Where are we going?" The sounds of laughter and music began to grow faint, while the sky grew darker and a summer breeze rippled across a lush field of grass.

"Wherever I want to go," she replied simply. "Why? Scared?"

Gale rolled his eyes, but still followed obediently. "Maybe. I'm sure you're tougher than you look- protecting children from Peacekeepers and all. You could mug me. Or take advantage of me like those men who had their eyes on you."

"I never said I got rid of the Peacekeepers with brute force. I'm incredibly clever, you know." Nox glanced over at Gale slyly. "And there's nothing of yours I want. Be it your money or your body."

"Says the girl who's been holding my hand all this time."

Nox was silent for a while, and Gale couldn't see her face past her curls blowing in the wind. Usually he was good at judging reactions based on body language, but he wasn't getting any clear signals. He'd known a lot of girls- quite a few of them intimately- and he knew that most of them would probably flush in embarrassment. Katniss would get angry. But Nox wasn't like any of them.

Her fingers tightened slightly around his hand, and softly she spoke up. "Yeah, well. I wouldn't want you to get lost."

She stopped suddenly and turned to face him. Gale was slightly startled to look around and find that they'd gone farther than he'd thought. Nox stared expectantly. "Sit."

"Sit?"

"Yes. Down. Sit." She pointed to the ground this time, as if Gale were waiting for a chair to magically appear.

Gale huffed, but complied nonetheless. "I'm not a dog."

"That's not what I've heard." She pushed on his shoulder until he was lying down, and then made herself comfortable by resting her head against his chest. She picked up his arm and draped it over her waist, nuzzling in close to his side. The breeze was all but forgotten.

"Hmm. You been asking around about me?" Gale's hands fidgeted restlessly, running over the fabric of Nox's dress. Lace.

He felt her grin against his chest. "Haven't had to ask. All I have to do is open my ears and someone in the room is bound to be talking about you. You're quite the subject of gossip, you know."

"Am I?"

Nox tilted her face up to smirk at him. Gale held back a shiver as her cheek brushed his chin. Her skin was so soft and warm. "Yes, but you wouldn't know because even when you do find it in yourself to talk to people, you rarely listen."

"And how would you know that?" Somehow Gale's hand had wandered into her hair. He twirled a curl around one of his fingers idly.

"It's an educated guess," she laughed, shaking against his side. "But I like it. I need somebody in my life like that. Someone anti-social and completely oblivious. All anybody else ever talks about is the Mockingjay, or-"

Gale swooped down and silenced her by catching her lips on his. Nox made a sound of surprise in the back of her throat, but her eyelids slowly slid closed as her body melted into his. It was gentle at first, Gale's strong hands framing her face. Nox's heart beat fast in her chest, and the dark thoughts that were always lurking in the back of her mind were banished in an instant.

In one swift movement Gale's hands were on her hips and he flipped them so that Nox was pinned to the ground as he hovered over her. His kisses escalated in aggression, tongue seeking entrance. Nox moaned into his mouth and brought her hands around to clutch at Gale's back. Their pelvises crashed together, shooting lightning up their spines.

Gale tore his mouth away only to move it down to her neck. He nipped at her sensitive skin, causing her to tremble and arch her back. A small growl escaped Gale's throat. His hands wandered upward from her waist as his knee moved to spread her legs.

Nox knotted her fingers in his hair and roughly tugged his face from its place in the crook of her neck. They both froze as she looked into his eyes. Glazed and wild, cloudy with confusion, but mostly a million miles away. "You're an idiot," she whispered.

She rolled Gale off of her and stood up gracefully. Acting as though the last couple of minutes hadn't happened, she casually brushed blades of grass off of her dress before briskly taking a few small steps forward. Gale stopped her with a hand around her wrist.

He looked up at her in confusion. "What's going on?"

"What's going on is that I'm not stupid. But you are." She jerked out of his grasp and continued her curt retreat- back straight and head held high. Gale scrambled to his feet to hurry after her. "And you're rude, and cold, and I don't think I like you so much anymore."

Gale might have had no clue what she was talking about, but he had sense enough to know that she was pissed. And he knew women; her voice was calm, which was potentially dangerous. It was always better when they yelled. "Just like that your opinion of me of me has taken a 180?"

"Yes!" She turned and Gale had to stop short to avoid running into her. And ah, there was the yelling. "Because when you're with me you don't see me! At first I thought maybe you had that look in your eyes because of all that tragic bullshit you went through. And that'd be fine, because we've all been there. We've all had our share of nightmares. But that's not it, is it?"

Gale remained silent, emotions warring in his chest. Part shame, part annoyed. Nox barreled on. "No. When you're with me you're thinking about another girl. And the Capitol might have been a bunch of brainless fools, but give the Districts a little more credit. We knew that Katniss wasn't your cousin. We knew that Peeta wasn't the only one who was drooling after her."

"Don't bring her into this," Gale snapped. "And stop acting like a kicked puppy. I don't owe you anything."

Nox laughed humorlessly. "And even now as you realize you've been caught being a total jackass, you don't have the decency to deny it. To pretend it's not true. So tell me, is it your pride or your feelings for her that are making you act like a bastard right now?"

"Like you're one to lecture me on pride."

"Oh, trust me, if I had any pride at all I'd have acted like you hadn't hurt me at all. Unfortunately my feelings got in the way. For some bizarre, undeterminable reason I really like you." She looked away, trying to hide the tears that collected in her eyes. "Maybe if you could get her out of your mind for half a second you'd find that you actually like me too."

Gale's temper cooled down long enough for him to admit, "I do like you."

Which was apparently the wrong thing to say.

"Oh fuck off, Gale. The more you open your mouth the more I want to claw your face off. Just leave me alone." She crossed her arms and regarded him with a watery glare. "I don't want to see you anymore."

"I thought you needed someone like me in your life," Gale reminded her softly.

She smiled sadly. "Someone like you, maybe, but that doesn't mean you. I don't need anyone who doesn't need me."