My hands, entwined intricately into Gale's, are gently shaking. The fire illuminates the entire house, and Gale's face is a soft shade of orange. Our breathing is on the cusp of returning back to normal, so we sit in the surrounding silence, holding each other in a woven blanket. Gale stands up to start the stew he packed, but I won't let go of his hand. His dejected face turns instinctively over towards me before he replaces himself on the small couch.

"You're crazy, you know that Gale? What are you thinking? Running off into the woods?"

"Well, I-"

"I like crazy though. I love craziness. Because it motivates me to be just as crazy." Gale smirks as his dimples gather at his cheeks. A smile tugs at my lips and I give in and just start giggling right along side with him. His left arms extends from behind my back, and he reaches up to my hair, and brushes it oh-so-softly off my face and behind my ear.

"What about my mother, Gale? It's a marvelous, wonderful idea. But we would be running away from everything we've ever known." Gale scoots himself away from me abruptly, then stands up to look at me, mortified.

"All I have ever known is darkness, Katniss. All I have ever known is that you are the one person in this world I can say that I love." I'm on the brink of retorting something foul right back at him, but he continues.

"But Katniss, this isn't going to end like last time we were in this house. I'm not waiting another year for you. So I'm staying right by your side, wherever you go. I will follow you to the ends of this Earth." Tears well up in my eyes, and my jaw unclenches itself. I'd rather die than be angry at Gale. He stares into my eyes, as if he finally sees me more than the girl who chose the wrong guy. He leans down to sit next to me, but I push his chest away from mine, and I stand up instead. I hold his shoulders and lean my tired, heavy head on his lapel. I can't help but smile. Because when I was reaped for the first time, I would have never though that I would be falling in love with someone as pleasant as Gale.

As the fire dies down to just merely ember coals, Gale and I finish the rest of the stew he made.

"Not bad, Catnip, is it?" I stroke my chin as I ponder if I should even answer that.

"Wonderful. Thanks, Gale." The house, now utterly dark, starts to drop in temperature.

"Katniss, I can hear your bones shivering. Come, lets light some candles and get you warmed up on the couch." I blush, realizing that Gale is probably the only guy willing to light lilac scented candles for a girl.

My face pressed against his chest, we lie on the couch, fully embracing each other's movements. Their breath. Their heartbeat. My eyes flutter when I feel his warm breath moving along the top of my head.

"So, guess you're falling in love with me,'eh?" Startled by his question, I decide to downplay it by ten levels.

"Slowly… but indefinitely." He turns his head away from the window, and looks down at me.

"Really?"

His eyes light up as if he were a child on Christmas, and bite my lip softly. Taking that as a yes, he closes his eyes gracefully, and rests his forehead on mine. His lips brush my hot cheeks, and then they move down to my lips. Kissing in the candlelight for only the moon to see, we fall deeper and deeper into each other's grasp, until I am so deep, that I never want to spend another second of my life away from Gale.

"What's your favorite animal?" I gasp and choke as he pulls away from the kiss so suddenly, and I can't help but cackling like an idiot on the couch.

"Gale! What the heck? Haha, alrighty then. My favorite animal is obviously a mockingjay, but I like deer too."

"Yes, deer are very tasty. My favorite animal is the mutt that tried to kill Peeta." He winks as I laugh through a worried expression. I give him that 'mom' look, and he holds his hands up, surrendering from my glare. We both grin through corny, suspicious squinted eyes, before we start laughing again. His face is a hushed pink, and I smile even at his slightest hint of embarrassment. I don't' even question his sudden interest in my personal life , because I don't want it to end. Now it's my turn to be open.

"Gale why didn't you volunteer for Peeta during the first time I was reaped?" Not even taking a moment to form his answer, he says in a collected tone,

" I knew you would win. I knew that if I volunteered, there would be absolutely no possible way for us to be together. So I had to take a risk on you. And I was right."

"About what?"

"You're the strongest girl I know. I wanted to run away from my family. But you kept me grounded. And that's why I have you to thank for my life."

"Your life? Come on Gale, I may have kept you out of the woods, but your life, it's all you, Gale."

" No. You're wrong. When I saw you…. When I…. When I saw you kissing Peeta I knew that you loved him. I knew at that moment, that I had nothing left. You were the last thing I loved, and that you belonged to someone else. I considered ending all the pain. But before my breath was cut off I remembered that you're the strongest girl I know, and that one day, you'd be strong enough to walk away. And you did." My cheeks shake as the tears stream down in irregular paths. I feel like I can see his face, but only under water, for my vision has gone haywire. I purse my lips into a crooked smile, as I see him before me. I'm hurting, hurting, to picture a world without Gale.

"Thank you, Gale. Because I had to start somewhere, didn't I?" He laughs and pulls me in for a hug. His fingers encase my shoulder blades, and mine are gently wrapped around the back of his head. Holding Gale in my arms makes me feel like the luckiest girl in Panem. Because just months ago, I would have though I had a better chance withstanding another hunger games than having a relationship with Gale.

I kiss him giddily right in the middle of his forehead, and then I get up under the dark green blanket, and help him up as he grunts.

"Age hasn't been kind on me, pretty little lady."

"Oh stop it, you.. And keep talking, this will be the last time I help you up." I punch him forcefully but it seems to have no effect on him. I don't even think he knew that I punched him.

"Where are you going tonight, Katniss?" He asks this with a genuine interest, not being ignorant in the least.

"I'd love to stay with you Gale, I really would. But I think I need to be with my mom. She deserves to know what happened between Peeta and I. How about I meet you for breakfast though?"

"I'll be kept up all night with excitement." I shake my head as my laugh draws on, and I look at him, a sarcastic mockery tone in my voice.

"Don't dream about me too much, dear. I know that I'm humorous and elegant, but make sure you get some sleep." I wink at him as I reach for the door knob. As I take my first step on the frigid ground, I trip over what seems to be a shingle that's fallen off the roof. Looking down, I realize it's a box, intricately wrapped in gold ribbon and saffron stars. Locking up the house with the wooden barricade, Gale doesn't notice me at all. After untying seven different knots, I finally pry the lid open to the palm-sized box. Inside, I find my engagement ring, and a singular cream-colored scroll that reads:

Come back home Katniss. Come back home to me. Where you belong.