I didn't worry about paragraphs this chapter but will the ones after. I ran out of time! Thank you for the reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Warning: I do NOT own the Hunger Games or the characters. I own oonly my own.
A week passed since I arrived and I slowly started to settle into this new life. I still hadn't fully accepted it. It would take time. It was Saturday and I didn't have to work and Gale had the day off. I woke up by the sound of Gale changing into his hunting clothes. I sat up quickly confused. Gale stopped what he was doing and stared at me. I sighed relieved. " It's just you." I said falling back onto the bed, rubbing my eyes. I felt the weight shift on the bed. I rolled onto my side facing where Gale was sitting on the edge of the bed. He was tying his hunting boots and zipping his hunting jacket up. He finished and groaned stretching his back. I could tell that sleeping on the couch was catching up to him. " I can sleep on the couch this week." I said rubbing my eyes still sleepy. He shook his head yawning. " I won't let you do that." He said. " But this bed is sooo comfortable." I said trying to rub it in a little. I buried myself deeper into the covers. He glared at me and suddenly fell back onto the bed beside me. I was so tired I didn't even care. He flipped over onto his stomach and sighed. I laughed at him. " This is pretty comfortable." He said sighing. " I told you..." I said drifting back to sleep.
I woke up once again to the sun shining in my face but this time it felt good. I felt warm air ruffle my hair every few seconds. I opened my eyes and waited for them to adjust. I saw a soft blue material. The sheets were white not blue I thought. I then realized the sheets were still white, I was just not snuggled into the sheets but rather Gale's side. He lay on his side with one of his arms rested above my head. I didn't want to wake him up by moving so I stayed frozen. I tilted my head up slowly to look at his face. It was only an inch or so from mine and his warm breath hit my face giving me chills. I studied his face wanting so bad to touch his smooth olive skin but didn't have the courage. His long dark lashes swept across his cheeks and just as I was about to trail down to his lips his eyes opened. My breath caught in my throat. He just stared at me. There was a knock at the door that made us both jump. Gale swore and flew out the door. I heard a girl's voice and assumed it was Katniss, then the door closed. I didn't hear anything after that. I got out of bed and walked to the kitchen. Gale's hunting things were gone. Part of me was hurt that he left without saying a word and the way he looked at me seconds before leaving with Katniss. I know he told me that what was between them was of the past but nothing in me felt it was true. I could never be Katniss. I didn't want to be.
Gale was gone until noon. He carried in some more squirrels and some berries this time. " Sorry about running off this morning. Katniss got worried." He said lining the squirrels on the counter. " Don't worry about it." I said washing the berries. There was an awkward silence that followed. " I-" Gale started to say something but stopped. I put the berries in the refrigerator after I finished washing them.
" I'm going for a walk." I said slipping my shoes on at the door. " I'll come with you." He said wiping his hands. " Can't I just go?" I asked almost begging. " It just isn't safe with those guys out there. I told you they go looking for trouble wherever they can find it and I don't want you in the middle of it. Twelve isn't like eleven. The people here do what they want with no consequences." He said opening the front door. " What makes you think I couldn't handle myself against them? I did jut fine in eleven on my own." I said walking out the door and stopping, not really knowing which direction to go in. " Because there are 8 of them and you're not exactly strong." He said bluntly. " I am too strong." I said shoving him. He wobbled a little but that was it. He laughed and took a right going deeper into the Seam. " I need some friends. I'm getting tired of you." I mumbled mad at him. " Well Mrs. Hawthorne you're stuck with me." He teased but I didn't find it funny. " Don't remind me." I said. He stopped walking. " What's wrong with you? And don't say nothing because I'm not buying it" He asked. I struggled for words. So I just kept walking. " Is this still because you're jealous of Katniss?" He asked rather loudly. There was a couple walking past us as he said that. It made my blood boil. I whipped around. " Jealous? Of what!" I asked. " Of who she was in my life Hope. Don't play dumb." He said harshly. " I wouldn't call it playing dumb Hawthorne I would call it minding my own business. " I said." Would you stop with this whole my business, your business thing!" He said throwing his arms up. " What else should I call it then?" I said crossing my arms. He closed the space between us. " Call it was it is. A friendship. You don't know the half of what we have been through together. Things you could only dream of. What we have is a friendship based on survival. We hunt to provide for our families and like I said before you are part of my family now." He said frustrated. " You left this morning without so much as a word to me to leave with Katniss! What I am suppose to think? You care more about her than me and that's just the plain truth Gale. We aren't family. We are strangers living together and I hate it! There I said it! I hate living with someone who doesn't love me! " I yelled. " I said I was sorry about this morning! I was caught off guard okay? Of course I care for Katniss more. We just met a week ago Hope! You can't honestly expect me to say I love you more than her? But that doesn't mean I won't grow to. You think I don't hate it just as much as you do? Having to sleep on the couch and walk around my house living with a stranger who barely says two words to me?" He said. That dug deep. Hot tears rolled down my cheeks. " All I ever wanted was for you to admit you loved her. " I said calmly. He let out a frustrated laugh. " You are about as stubborn as a mule. I Gale Henry Hawthorne do not love Katniss Everdeen the way you think I do. I swear to you and before either of us can grow to love each other you have to get that through your thick skull. " He said wiping the tears off my cheek with his calloused thumbs. " You are just as stubborn." I said pushing his hands away only for him to bring them back to my face. "Can I tell you a secret?" He whispered leaning into me. My heart picked up. " Katniss likes a town boy but you can't tell anyone." He said smirking. I stared wide eyed at him. " Does he like her back?" I asked. He shook his head. " He loves her more than she does him for now." He said. I nodded. I guess that made me feel better. Actually a lot better. " Can you please stop nodding and talk. I'd like to know what's going in that pretty little head of yours." He said poking my temple. I tried not to smile. I nodded just to agitate him. He sighed and shook his head as we continued our walk.
We stopped by Gale's old house to pick Rory up on the way home. He was staying over at our house so that he could go hunting with Gale for the first time in the morning. Poor Posey cried and cried when her mom told her she had to stay home tonight. I promise Posey that she could stay with us next weekend which made her feel a little better. When we got home I started dinner while Gale told Rory some things about hunting. I still didn't like the idea of him risking his life out there in the woods but there was nothing I could say that would make him change his mind.
" Boys dinner is ready!" I said. "What'd you make Hope?" Rory said eagerly. " Roasted squirrel and baby carrots." I said. He made a face and Gale smacked him in the back of the head. " Be nice." Gale said to him. " Sounds yummy." He said nicely. I laughed. As soon as Rory tried it his eyes went wide. " This really is yummy!" He said and devoured it. Gale nodded. " This is amazing." He said with his mouth full. I had to admit it was the best things I've ever made. " How's school going Rory?" I said washing the dishes. " Aw it's going alright. Kinda boring." He said lounging back in the chair. Gale brought there plates to think sink to help me wash and dry them. " Any girls you like?" I said wiggling my eyebrows at him. His cheeks turned red. " Rory Hawthorne!" Gale exclaimed with a huge grin on his face. " Shutup." Rory growled. I smiled. " Who's the lucky girl?" I said turning towards him drying the plate in my hand. " I know who." Gale said from behind me. " Don't you dare Gale!" Rory yelled sitting up. Primrose Everdeen. " Gale whispered in my ear which made me jump. " Awww Rory she seems so sweet!" I said genuinely. His cheeks turned and an even deeper shade of red if that was possible. " She is." He grumbled. I heard Gale chuckle behind me. I turned around to him and splashed some water at him. " Don't be mean Gale Hawthorne." I said. He looked at me shocked but that didn't last long because he flicked water back at me. I gasped. " This means war." I said in a low voice. I took my rag and soaked it in water to squeeze on him but I was too slow. He poured a cup of cold water on my head. I heard Rory laughing. Gale jut covered his mouth with his hand trying not to loose it. I grabbed a big bowl from the counter, quickly putting water into the bowl and threw the water on him. The whole front of his blue shirt and face were soaked. His shirt stuck to him so that I could see just how toned he really was. I was not expecting that and I felt my cheeks immediately turned red. I turned away quickly grabbing some tags hoping he didn't see my face. " Okay okay you two have to get up early in the morning so lets get this cleaned up." I said trying not to let my voice waver.
After we finished drying up the water we made bed arrangements. Gale looked at me to suggest what we should do. Rory didn't know that Gale usually slept on the couch. "I'll make the couch up for you to sleep on." I said to Rory. He nodded and went to the bathroom to change. " Are you sure?" Gale asked me looking concerned. " We are married and Rory would think it was weed if we didn't sleep in the same bed. Plus I know your back has been hurting since you started sleeping on the couch. " I said gathering blankets to make Rory comfortable and to distract my nerves. I made up the couch for Rory and be got settled in. I pulled the covers up to his chin and he rolled his eyes. " Hope I'm 14 not 5." He said. I kissed his forehead. " Age is just a number darling." I said. He chuckled. " Night Ror." Gale said ruffling his hair. " Night Galey." He said in a baby voice to which Gale rolled his eyes. Gale and I took turns getting ready for bed in the bathroom. I climbed under the covers waiting for him to come in. When he did he closed the door and the only light in the room came from a candle on the bed next to me. He sat down on top of the covers. " Look if you aren't comfortable with this I can sleep on the floor..." He started but I stopped him. " Gale just lay down. " I said. So he did. " under the covers. " I added. So he did. After he did he sighed. He lay on his back, looking up at the ceiling with his eyebrows knit together. " What's wrong?" I asked sitting up. He looked over at me. " I just wish Rory didn't have to learn to hunt. I wish I could just provide for him and his future family own my own but I can't guarantee I can." He said and I could tell his heart was breaking. " You can't always be that person Gale. Rory wants to be like you are when he is older and he wants to be able to provide for his family like you do. You can't keep that from him." I said. " I know, I know. I'm proud of him for stepping up I just wish he didn't have to carry this burden. Ever since our father died I promised myself none of my siblings or mom would have to feel that." He said running his hands over his face. It was the first time I'd heard those words about his father. I assumed he had passed but was to scared to ask. " What happened?" I
asked. He looked at me again. " To your father." I added. He sat up next to me. " He and Katniss's dad were killed in the same mining accident. " He said. " All I have left of him is that picture." He said pointing to the nightstand. I looked at him confused. " But I don't see him in this picture." I said. " Hold on." He said and got up and walked around the bed, pulling something out from the drawer. He climbed back in bed and handed it to me. I smiled. Posey was just a baby then and Gale had to be around Rory's age. " You look just like him. " I said. He chuckled. " Everyone tells me I act like him too." He said. I handed him the photo and he stared at it. " I lost my father too." I said looking down at my hands clasped in my lap. " How?" Gale asked. " He got sick supposedly from some bacteria in the field but I believe it was the capital." I said angry. " What makes you think that? " He asked curious." I'll explain another day. I'm really tired right now." I said laying down. " I hate the capital." Gale growled. " I couldn't agree more." I said. We lay in silence for a few minutes when a thought hits me. I roll over to my side facing Gale who is on his back. " What if the same things happens to us Gale?" I said worried. He knew I mean't the mining explosion. Guilt washed over him. " No no no don't you dare feel guilty for having to work in the mines. " I said quickly. " I wish I could promise you something like that wouldn't happen but I can't. " He said. " You don't have to. I shouldn't have even said anything." I said rolling over. " Look at me Hope." Gale said. I slowly rolled over. He cupped my cheek. " Don't ever apologize for saying how you feel but leave the worrying to me. I don't ever want you to feel unsafe and I'll do everything I can to make sure of it. " He said and I knew he meant it. " Okay Gale but don't you ever think you have to carry a burden alone. That's why you have me. To help you through this life no matter what comes our way. Got it?" I said. He smiled. " Yes mam Mrs. Hawthorne." He said.