A/N: So, I definitely liked the ending to the original book series and my inspiration for this whole story was the wonder at how, if at all, anything would have changed had Katniss drawn a firm line to allow herself to truly explore her feelings for Peeta. Somehow I think that the feelings she had at the end of the story were present, just buried deep during the period before the tour.

Update 3/12/13: Reformatted the text, inserted more line breaks for easier reading

Honesty

As Snow departed my house and I came up with a reassuring story to quell my mother's worried look, I retreated to my room to prepare for the tour.

Just like the day of the reaping, I was once again hard-pressed for time. Time to prepare to leave for the tour, and time to be honest about my heart. With this realization that I was falling for the boy with the bread, I also knew that I had to keep good with my internal promise to be honest with Gale.

It wasn't so much that I felt I had to reveal my choice, as there never was really a moment where I was sizing them up next to each other. But I needed to be sure the boundaries were established between us.

I was scared.

Scared of how he would react as I had gathered from the kiss in the meadow that first day we were alone after I returned to the district, was more than a reaction to seeing someone he thought for sure would never return.

I was scared of how this conversation may erase the years we had spend being there for one another when we were sure no one else cared. Well, maybe he knew there were others, but in my simple mindset, there was my family, there was Gale, and there was each day that was meant for survival.

The sun was just eclipsing the mountain tops on that crisp Sunday morning as I slipped out the backdoor of my home and set off toward the seam.

Tomorrow, I would board the train for the tour. Though there was no games to fear, my conversation with Snow had left me with the uneasy feeling that I may never return, the victim of an accident of some sort.

Today was the only chance I would have to do this.

The snow had begun to fall late yesterday afternoon so I listened as each stealth step crushed through the snow blanket. When I reached the fence, I had a momentary thought of turning around and running back to the village.

I was sick to my stomach and my skin had become clammy, even in the cool winter air that was quickly chilling me to the core. Just as I had decided that it wasn't a good idea after all, he was there. His eyes were the same simple shade of gray as mine.

The short time he had already spent in the mines had left his face looking rough and worn.

It took another few moments for me to bring my mind back to focus on the task at hand. We crawled through the fence and made our way toward the woods. Neither of us spoke for a few minutes.

He was a little shocked to see me here, knowing that the tour was tomorrow, he hadn't expected me.

I finally stopped in the middle of the path and turned to face him.

"Gale, I needed to come here and tell you something. Something that is really hard for me to say because I don't really know what's going on…between us." I managed to choke out.

The tears were welling up in my eyes, and I willed them not to fall.

I continued, "I was on a mission during the games, to win at all costs, to make it home to take care of Prim and my mother. There was nothing else that mattered. But in that process, the costs of winning included acting out something that I had never thought about".

Gale moved, shifting his weight so that he was leaning against a tree now. A hard look pressed on his face as he intently stared at me and listened.

"I have been confused for a while. Something has been nagging me and no matter what I do, it's always there. It's…well…I have feelings for…" He raised his hand to stop me, and like so many times before he finished my thought, "for him?" he said.

The well broke and a tear spilled from my eye. I told him of how I had felt tiny stirrings in my heart during the games and had played them off as being in the moment, but the train ride home, the conversation with Peeta about it all being an act had brought the confusion to the forefront of my mind and no matter how hard I tried to forget it was still there.

I told him of how I had felt guilty about all the kisses and affection he must have seen because for the first time I had considered that maybe his feelings for me ran deeper than just friends.

After what seemed like hours of me rambling and softly crying, Gale turned and picked up a stick and started aimlessly poking at the snow-covered ground. After a long period of silence, he finally spoke.

"I won't lie to you, this isn't easy. I know that I had more than enough opportunities to make my feelings known, and I guess I am mad at myself for not doing it. I always thought there would be time. I never really thought of you in any romantic way until the day of the reaping and by then it was too late. But I knew that first day back in the meadow that something was off. I silently hoped that we could spend enough time together and I could figure out a way to tap into that place in your heart where you affection flows deep. I guess that's just my lot in life to be close but never really there." He said.

His words were filled with a pain that cut me, deep in my soul.

I knew there was a chance he felt strongly about me, but this was much more than I had imagined. Then he switched his tone, "what makes him so special to you? How is it that he won your heart in a few weeks time? I mean I realize he's town…but" and before he could finish that sentence, his meaning behind the word town sank into my mind.

I was immediately on the defensive, straightening my back and glaring at Gale. How could he insinuate that I was drawn to Peeta only for his place in the district? As if anyone in this part of the country was well off, he blind-sided me with that remark.

Sure, I had never told him how Peeta had saved me since I was 11, but it hurt me to think that the one I thought knew me the best would believe that I would let someone in just to improve my lot in life.

"Gale, believe me when I tell you that I value our friendship and what we have built over these years. You have made me a better person and given me the resolve to fight for my family's sake, but you have missed the mark if you think that I arrived at this point in my life because I was so shallow that I would just use someone's status to make my life easier." I sternly said. "Peeta was always there. I didn't realize what it meant to me, but he has always been there. He is unlike me in that he is completely selfless. Where I am resolved to do what I have to do to survive, he is resolved to give everything he has to the point of death to make sure those he cares about are able to carry on. It's his unwavering belief in a life of hope that draws me to him."

I let those last words settle on my mind and became aware of the embarrassment I felt over having felt the need to justify why I was falling for that boy.

I felt a little foolish because I didn't fully understand it myself, but in that heated moment, my heart must have done the talking. I moved back toward the edge of the woods ready to excuse myself and at the last-minute turned and looked into Gale's eyes.

Without a word, I crossed the space between us and wrapped my arms around his waist and held him for a second. I then looked up and softly placed a chaste kiss on his cheek and simply said, "thank you."

I wasn't even sure what I had thanked him for, but it felt like the right thing to do. Maybe it was all the years spent traipsing through the woods, or maybe it was for his understanding, even if he hadn't fully realized it.

I turned and steadily walked toward the fence and replayed my conversation over and over and over in my mind. I felt another wave of guilt wash over me as I thought of how contradicting I must have seemed to become angry at the thought of using someone for my personal gain when in fact that is exactly what it must have appeared to look like when I returned.

But the world couldn't see how Peeta had grown on me since I was just a young girl.

There were so many secrets that only he and I shared and I just had to accept that there would be questions that I didn't have a clear answer to for anyone on the outside.