****Dear Gale lovers, don't hate me.****
Peeta-
"Mellark." Gale is completely gone. Way past his limit, how is he even standing? I've had too much and he's well beyond me.
"Hawthorne. Why are you here?" Tonight is not the night; he will not ruin this for us.
"W- hiccup – well, I was here to see my favorite g-girl but it seems she's found someone else." He's seriously lost it. "You could have told me he knocked you up, Catnip. I would have killed him, but you still could have said something to me instead of getting engaged behind my back. I – hiccup – I wouldn't ever turn you away…you're a bit more filled out, but I like it." He put his hands low on her waist and starts to pull her to him, pressing his face into her neck, "Just tell him to fuck off and we can still be together, I don't care about the baby."
I reach my arm in between their chests and push him up against the back kitchen door. "That's my fucking wife, Hawthorne. She's not pregnant. Do not touch her, she's mine. If I see you near her again, ill break your god-damn arm." It's not a threat, it's a promise if he doesn't stay away from her.
Gale stares straight into my face, never even blinking. He pushes me off of him and I let go, he knows I'm serious. I pull Katniss into my arms, "are you okay? I'm so sorry, I didn't know he would be here. I'm going to tell Madge to have him leave." Her eyes are glossy; I'm not sure if it's because of the liquor, what just happened, or seeing Gale.
"No, just stay with me…the party is almost over and he'll be gone. I don't want to ruin Madge's party." She's so unknowingly beautiful, I love the way she clings to my arm for protection and how my body wraps around hers.
We make our way through the groups of people, talking with the friends that we didn't see before. The wedding, where we will live, if she will be finishing school, everyone wants to know about us. I can tell that she's overwhelmed, so I do most of the talking. I know this isn't her crowd of people anyway, I'm just so happy that she's here with me. In a few short weeks she would be mine, then a few months later; my wife.
People have started to leave, couples pairing off and probably heading either to their houses or the slagheap. We help Mage clean up cups and try to gather things that were left on accident. Katniss heads upstairs to go to the bathroom. I know she'll have a headache in the morning, hopefully she'll let me take her to the bakery for some fresh bread to help her stomach. A Seam boy that I've seen before, but I'm not sure of his name is still here. Stealing kisses from Madge and running his hands over her backside when she leans over to pick something up. I'm half worried about him with her and half relieved that she has someone to entertain while Katniss and I spend time together. I wonder where she is, hopefully she didn't pass out.
I bring a fresh glass of water upstairs when I hear his voice and her screaming my name.
Katniss-
Ugh, I don't feel well. I just need some cool water on my face and to get out of this dress. Maybe a sandwich before bed. I won't be drinking like that for a long while. Heading down the long hall way to Madge's private bathroom I feel a grip on my arm and I'm being pulled into a room. The strong hand tosses me against a desk and the door slams and locks. My head swirls and I just feel sick.
I hear his heavy feet with a slight drag on his left foot, after years of hunting with him only I would know that it's Gale. When I start to push off the table, he presses his body against mine and pushes me into the Madge's father's desk. His hot, intoxicated breath on my neck. His voice is deep and he doesn't sound like himself. "Kat, I shouldn't have let you near him. He doesn't deserve your pussy; he can't take care of you like I can." I can't help but gasp when he pulls up my skirt and starts thrusting his hips into my panty-covered ass.
"Gale! Get off me Gale! Don't do this! I know you wouldn't do this to me." He wouldn't hurt me. Right? He's been my best friend and until months ago, I hadn't thought any differently and I didn't know he thought differently about me. I try pressing up, just to push him off of me to give me a second to get out from underneath him. But he's so much heavier than I am and I'm too shaky to hold myself up.
"I know you want this Kat, why didn't you tell me all you wanted was someone to fuck? We could have done this years ago… I could have fucked you just like you wanted, why didn't you tell me?" He's growling into my ear and I can hear the zipper from his jeans and the plop of his pants onto the floor. His warm thighs are pressed behind mine and his unclothed dick is pushing harder into my panties. "I've thought about this for years, fucking your cunt up against a tree in the woods…. I should have just done it, I was trying to wait for you but I can't wait any longer."
"Gale, I don't want that! This isn't you, you're my best friend!" I sound so desperate and I really am, warm tears run down my face and I can taste them on my lips. His hand cups over my sex and rubs harshly, not like Peeta. Even when Peeta is forceful and demanding, it's not like this. He loves me and it feels good to do what he says. "Peeta!" Gale tries to cover my mouth and grabs a handful of my hair, yanking my head backwards. My teeth bite into his hand and I can taste his blood in my mouth.
He slams my face into the desk with his hand fisted into my hair. My eye is overtaken by red, hot sticky blood mixes with my tears. I'm not sure if it's mine or his.
"Peeeeeta!" I muster up one last scream before I have to give in to the inevitable. I feel Gale's whole body weight crushing me as he leans over the top of me, his painfully hard dick pressing up against my privates. My cotton panties are torn and wet from his sweat and pre-come. His fingers dig into my sides, crushing my ribs. I know his hand prints will show on my skin tomorrow. If there is a tomorrow. He wouldn't kill me, would he? Surely he just wants to prove his point.
He turns my head so I can see his face, and when he speaks it's a mixture of a growl and a whisper. I've never been terrified in my life, at least not of a person. Let alone my hunting partner, my best friend. "I don't believe for a second that he hasn't fucked you hard already, I'm sure this is how you like it. Is this how you like it?" he grips my hair again, pulls my head further back and he pushes his face in my neck. "I didn't know you were such a whore. You're such a fucking cunt for going to Pe-"
Just then, I feel so much lighter. He's off my body but his hand is still wrapped in my hair as I fall to the floor at his feet, holding my scalp where his hand is tangled into my hair.
"Let go of her now!" it's Peeta. One hand is gripped into Gale's hair and the other is twisting his arm behind his back. Slowly Gale releases his grip on my hair. Peeta lets go of Gale's head and put his hand down to me. I can't stand to look at his face, I feel like this is my fault.
"Peeta, I'm sorr-" I'm sobbing, bleeding and still holding his hand. He looks furious when he cuts me off.
"Katniss, go sit down." His voice steady and firm but I just stand there, looking into his sky blue eyes. But the blue is gone and they are black from rage. "Go! Now! And get something over your forehead!" I'm startled back to reality and quickly turn to go to the chair that he's pointing to.
Peeta hit Gale straight across the face. "How fucking dare you talk to her that way and touch her like that! She trusted you." He's leaning over Gale's body lying on the floor. I see Peeta steal a quick glance at me, his face is flush and his jaw is tight. He took his crisp button up shirt and walks it over to me.
When he reaches it down to press against the cut over my eye, I can't help but wince. I cover my hand over his and his eyes soften. His warm smile returns mine. "Katniss, I'm so sorry I let this happen to you."
"Oh no, Peeta. This is not your fault; I didn't know he was still here. I should have waited for you downstairs."
"Fuck both of you! She's a slut and you're stupid enough to fall for it, Mellark. She was mine to begin with. Just fucking give it up, Mellark and let me have her back. You aren't man enough for her, how could you protect her?"
Peeta's eyes fade back to black at just his words. His hands ball into fists, showing the whites of his knuckles. When he turns back to Gale, I can see his muscles tensing and rippling up his back. The black pants hang on his hips and I can't help but find him so incredibly attractive. "Gale, you worthless piece of shit. She isn't yours, she never was. She was your friend, that's it and you fucking ruined it. She is going to be my wife, and you will answer to me if you ever lay another hand on her."
Gale has six inches on Peeta, but Peeta is physically stronger than Gale. His shoulders are more broad and his arms thicker, but Gale is fast. Gales knuckles crack when he hits Peeta's jaw. But Peeta's head barely turns. He wipes a bit of blood off of the corner of his mouth. Is he smiling? He almost laughs when he hits Gale in the ribs over and over, then pulls his arm behind his back.
Gale lets out a throaty sound at the pain. Peeta pushes his arm up even further and says to Gale with gritted teeth, "I told you to leave her alone or I would break your arm, you fucking asshole." He gives him one last twist and I hear it snap from my seat. I let out a gasp at the same time that Gale screams.
Madge rushes into the room, looking from Peeta's busted lip, Gale holding his arm to my ripped dress and bloody face. "Madge, help Katniss while I throw him out." He grabs Gale by the back of his shirt and ushers him out the door and I hear them going down the stairs. Madge runs to me and tears start rolling through the dried blood on my face.
She pushes my hair back and tries to soothe me. She leads me by the hand into her room and helps me out of my dress and into a long t-shirt. We go into the bathroom and she helps me wash my hair and my face, wiping the rest of my body with a warm washcloth while I just stand there quietly.
"Kat, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I know that Peeta will take care of you. He's loved you for so long, he won't let anything else happen to you. I can say something to my father about this, if you want."
"Thank you so much for everything Madge, you're a great friend. You don't have to say anything to him, I don't think I'll see much of Gale… I, um, think that I will ask Peeta to request my rights when he turns 18. That way I'll be out of the Seam and away from Gale. Do you think he would still want to?" I don't know why I question it, but I hope Peeta doesn't think I'm too much trouble.
There is a soft knock on the door, Madge opens the door for Peeta. He takes my hand and she leads us down the hallway to one of the beautiful guest rooms upstairs. Peeta sits me on the bed and they head back into the hallway. I can hear their hushed voices and her thanking Peeta. When he comes back in, he doesn't say anything or even glance my way. I sit back on the soft canopy bed. The blankets are warm and silky; like nothing I've ever felt. I'm so exhausted from the past hour coupled with the drinking before, my eyes start to drift closed when I feel the other half of the bed sink down with Peeta's weight. I can smell his clean hair and freshly washed skin.
"Katniss?" he's almost whispering, "Sweetheart, we need to talk about tonight." Oh no. What if he hates me, what if this just proves that I'm too much trouble and he wants to give me up?
My eyes fly open and I can already feel my eyes starting to tingle with tears. "Peeta, please don't leave me! I, I'm so sorry. I don't care about Gale; I truly only want you." I love him and I wouldn't be able to take him leaving.
"What? Katniss, I'm not leaving you. Actually, I want to talk about you staying with me. I, um, I know I haven't mentioned it since we signed the contract, but when I turn 18 in a few weeks I'm going to take you into my name." his stern face starts to falter, "I mean, I would really like it if you would- ah – allow me to take you into my name, and you could come live with me."
I want to hide the smirk on my face, I want him to think that I'm thinking about what he said but it's already decided that it's exactly what I want. He is everything that I want. It was always going to be him.