Katniss and the Rebels
Chapter 30: Birthday Blowout (Part 2)
AN: There will only be a few more chapters left. Everything will come together in the next few chapters and I will probably do an epilogue at the end. Thanks for sticking with me so far. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Gale POV
How I ended up at one of Finnick Odair's house parties is beyond me.
It's for Peeta's birthday and Katniss made it clear that she expected us all to be there. I don't know why, we knew she'd spend most of the night with him anyway. Not that we mind but parties aren't exactly our scene.
Darius has spent the past hour trying to fend off a girl that won't stop flirting with him while Thom watches on in amusement.
I wind up having a conversation with Delly Cartwright about our future careers.
Yeah. Very interesting party topic.
But it surprises me when she tells me that she wants to go into business.
I can't quite imagine the bubbly, eccentric Delly Cartwright in board-meetings with clean-cut men and women in suits and ties but when she elaborates on what course she wants and why she wants it, I think she'd make a great businesswoman.
I'm telling her the story about how I started playing guitar when I feel someone come up behind me and tap me on the shoulder.
It's Madge.
"Gale? Can I talk to you for a minute?"
My immediate thought is definitely, of course, yes but then I think of Delly and I know it would be far too impolite to abandon her in the middle of our conversation.
However when I glance back at her, Delly has a massive grin on her face and is nodding encouragingly.
"Go, go." She pushes, before I can say anything "I've lost Thresh anyway. Talk to you later Gale, bye Madge."
I think I spot Delly sending Madge a wink as she heads down the hallway but I can't be sure.
I lean against the banister of the stairs and face Madge.
She's wearing baby blue high waisted jeans, a pale pink crop top and white converse shoes. I think she curled her hair because they fall in ringlets that frame her face more so than usual.
She looks amazing.
She wrings her hands and I smile at her.
"Is everything okay Madge?"
"Huh?" Her eyes flicker between each of mine "Yeah, yeah I just..."
She hesitates for a moment before stepping closer so we are only inches apart. I freeze.
Madge takes a deep breath and in a split second her long fingers have clutched the front of my shirt and she's pulling me down to her height.
I can't seem to breathe.
The air that smelt of beer and stale pizza a second ago now smells of expensive rose perfume and make up.
I can't breathe.
But that doesn't seem to matter because the last thing I see is Madge Undersee's crystal blue eyes before she shuts them, steps even closer and kisses me.
It takes me a minute to react.
I close my eyes and my mind shuts down.
I hear the whoops and hollers from the people around us, cheering us on as if this were any of their business. I can feel the cold beer can that's still in my hand and the strands of Madge's hair that brush against my cheek.
But I ignore all of that and I focus on Madge.
Madge who tastes like cheap beer, chapped lips and salted chips and that shouldn't be a good thing but it really, really is.
Something clicks inside my brain then and suddenly the can in my hand has fallen to the floor and my hands are clutching either side of her waist, pulling her towards me and I start kissing her back properly.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I hear the crash of the beer can as it meets the ground, can feel the alcohol pouring onto the floor and onto my shoes but I really, really couldn't care less.
Madge POV
I'm kissing Gale Hawthorne.
I kissed Gale.
He's kissing me back.
Fuck.
I should have regretted it the second I done it but everything about it just felt so right.
He didn't respond for a minute and dread was beginning to pool in my stomach until I felt his strong hands on my waist pulling me towards him and he finally kissed me back.
I know this probably isn't a good idea.
He mightn't even like me back, he could pull away any second now, throw me a disgusted stare and never speak to me again.
But right now I can't find it in me to care.
Gale POV
I don't know how long we stay like that, embraced in the tight hallway by the stairs but sooner or later we both accept that we need to come up for air.
I break the kiss, cursing myself for panting slightly while I lean my forehead against hers.
We open our eyes, worry and fear flicker prominently in hers so I try and reassure her with a smile.
When we finally catch our breath, Madge whispers
"I'm sorry..."
"It's alright."
It was more than alright but I felt it wasn't appropriate to tell her how I've been wanting to do that ever since senior year started in the middle of a hallway in Finnick Odair's house.
"No, I shouldn't have just kissed you like that, it wasn't-"
I cut her off by gently brushing my lips over hers.
It was supposed to be a simple chaste kiss but we didn't pull back until ten minutes later.
I laugh under my breath and smile down at her,
"There. Now we're even."
Katniss POV
After the incident in the kitchen, Peeta and I head to the garden.
It's dark and cool because of the early December night but the stars are out and fairy-lights dangle from the stone walls surrounding us.
There are a few people sitting on the grass or leaning against the wall but Peeta and I choose to sit in the fold out deck chairs that we laid out earlier.
We lie there for a while, staring at the pitch black sky illuminated with stars.
Every once in a while Peeta's thumb will brush over the back of my hand and I'll smile.
It still surprises me how we are here. How we are still together even after everything.
It shocks me how Peeta has stayed with me over the past few months.
Even as he begins to find out the things about me that I hate, the things that only Gale knows.
The trivial things like how I've to constantly watch out for my sister, the scarier things such as my mother and her mental illness and how some days it feels like she doesn't recognise me at all and the personal things like the nightmares of my father's death and my anxiety that always seems to constantly be there except when I'm singing or playing an instrument.
He listens.
Not like Gale listens because Gale will smile, pat my hand or hug me and then after making sure I'm okay he'll distract me with new music or a rant about something he feels passionate about.
Peeta...Peeta takes my hand and hugs me too. He makes sure I'm okay as well but he also asks me more about whatever the subject is.
He talks to me about it, he reassures me that I'm not stupid or over-dramatic or pathetic.
He helps.
He really helps.
I haven't told him everything.
He doesn't know how bad the nightmares are, how I used to get panic attacks all the time when I started high school by simply walking down the hall and listening to the Careers' taunts and he doesn't really know just how damaged my mother is, though I'm sure he suspects.
It works both ways too.
We talk about his mother. How he genuinely thinks his parents might get a divorce one of these days and how he secretly hopes they do.
He tells tales of his brother Rye and how he never fails to make Peeta's life a living hell.
Normal brotherly behaviour but sometimes Peeta is sick of being taken advantage of.
He tells me about Cato.
About the threats he's made, how he showed up at his house one day and talked about us.
He told her why they stopped being friends.
What the final straw was in their friendship and how Peeta knows Cato will never forgive him for leaving the Careers behind in favour of Finnick, Delly and Thresh.
Those moments are nice, the quiet moments where we reveal little bits of ourselves to one another for the first time.
It's strangely intimate and new because I never talk about my problems or my past.
I only talked to Gale because he was always there and he was so close to my family and I that he knew everything already.
I never expected this at all but I love it all the same.
"Peeta?" I say quietly and he turns his head to face me, his blue eyes shining in the moonlight.
"Yeah Kat?"
"Happy Birthday"
Peeta grins, "Thanks love"
"Do you want your present now?" I ask
Peeta sits up, "Well I don't know, is it appropriate for you to give me it here?"
He wiggles his eyebrows and I swat him, "Yes it is, you idiot, now wait here."
It takes me less than a minute to retrieve his present that Finnick let me hide in his room and bring it back downstairs.
On my way I spot a very cosy looking Madge and Gale and the surge of happiness I feel surprises me.
I walk past them and don't say a word, they don't notice me and I'm glad.
I'm happy once they're happy.
It's a shame it took me so long to fully accept that.
I grab my jacket on the way out and tug it on, I don't mind the cold but if I'm going to be staying out there for a while then I'd prefer to stay warm.
There are only two other couples left outside with us when I return and neither of them are paying any attention to us.
I slide into my deckchair and Peeta grins, his eyes wide in wonder and anticipation.
My heart flutters. He looks every bit of a young child on Christmas morning.
I hand him the bag, it's not one of those fancy birthday bags that you buy with glitter and decorations on it. It's plain and simple but it is orange which Peeta loves and why must a bag have to be fancy anyway? It's not like that's part of the present.
"Here you go...I hope you like it. My friends were pretty rubbish with the advice so I was kind of left to my own devices so sorry if you hate it."
Peeta rolls his eyes, "Kat, I'm sure I'll love it. Seriously you don't need to worry."
He carefully removes the present from the bag.
I wrapped the present pretty badly too but Peeta doesn't seem to care.
I'm not at all surprised that Peeta is one of those people who carefully removes the wrapping paper bit by bit until it's all gone and then he puts it into the bag. As if he's going to use it again.
I gulp as he looks down at what I got him.
I wish I could have gotten him something better.
I spent the past few weekends looking in the local art stores, trying to find him something worthy and something he will actually use until finally I found something last Saturday.
"Katniss..." Peeta looks up from his gift to my eyes, "Is this..."
I swallow and pray I got the right set, "I remembered you complaining about your pencils a while ago. I bought a few for you but then there was a special set especially for sketching. I knew you wanted to experiment more with that so I though they might help you out. I hope they're the right ones. There's normal ones and colouring pencils in it too. I kept the receipt anyway if they-"
Peeta cuts me off by surging forward and kissing me deeply.
A moan escapes me in my surprise but I instantly kiss him back.
My fingers tangle in his hair and I smile as I gently drag my fingers through it.
Finnick had the ridiculously stupid idea of putting gel in Peeta's hair tonight.
He still looks gorgeous of course but I personally prefer it natural when it's that tiny bit curly and falls in front of his eyes when he looks down.
So I appreciate this chance to ruffle it back to normal.
Peeta catches on to what I'm doing soon enough as he breaks the kiss and starts laughing,
"You don't like the gel huh?"
I smile shyly, "I do but I just...prefer your natural hair. It's more you."
Peeta shakes his head in supposed despair but nudges his nose playfully with mine.
"There eh...there's something else under the pencil set by the way." I murmur and Peeta pulls back, sitting back down again.
"Oh, you really didn't have to get me anything else-"
"Just...see what I got you first" I suggest and I try to hide my fidgeting by putting my hands in my jacket pockets.
Peeta sticks the pencils in the bag and he opens the box that contains his other present painfully slowly.
It's a wooden A4 photo frame and inside it there's a painting I found that a local artist did years ago of the meadow.
In the photo, the meadow looks beautiful and bright, it's a place of happiness and peace.
A place that Peeta and I have gone to more than once since we started dating, a place we both love.
There are two children dancing in the middle of the grass while a man and woman sit by the trees and watch them.
It caught my eye a week or two ago and I couldn't resist buying it for him.
"I know you could paint something much better but..."
Peeta traces his fingertips lightly over the glass that shields the picture,
"I love it."
His eyes meet mine and he smiles genuinely, "I really do, thanks so much Katniss."
I smile and settle back in the chair again, staring up at the night sky,
"Happy birthday Peeta."
I feel his hand grasp mine and I squeeze back
"Best birthday by far." he whispers
Peeta POV
When the clouds cover the stars and the bitter cold sweeps the air, Katniss and I decide to head inside.
Most of the guests seem to be making their way towards the door anyway.
Finnick and I stand at the door, thanking our peers for coming, helping the intoxicated ones with their coats and calling taxis for those who need them.
I spot Gale and Madge helping to clean up and I can't help but notice their entwined hands.
Katniss is watching them as well, when Gale catches her gaze he sends her a look that clearly reads,
'Is this okay?'
She simply grins and winks at him.
I suppose that's a good sign.
By 2 am most of the clean up is done so we crash in the sitting room.
Finnick and Annie sit on one end of the couch, resting against one another while Thom and Darius whisper to each other on the other side.
Thresh and Delly sit against the wall going through their phones.
Gale and Madge are entwined in one of the armchairs while Katniss and I sit in the other.
We sit there for about half an hour, all of us content with the peace and quiet after the past few house of booming noise.
Then the spell is broken,
"Hey Gale? Are you gonna play something for us then?"
All of our eyes turn to Delly.
Gale's eyes widen, "Emm I don't think so-"
"Aw why not?" Finnick asks smirking.
Gale throws him a dirty look.
"I thought we were enjoying the quiet?" Gale retorts
"You don't have to if you don't want to" Annie says sleepily "But if you want to then I think we'd like to hear you...and the others of course."
I feel Katniss straighten up a bit and I smile into her hair,
"Whatever you guys want love" I whisper into her ear and I bite back a grin at her shiver
Thom and Darius glance at each other before shrugging, "We don't mind."
Gale looks from them to Katniss before sighing, "I'll be back in a minute"
Sliding Madge off his lap gently, he goes to get his guitar for Finnick's room.
I think I hear him whisper a "Thank you" to Katniss when he passes us but I can't be sure.
We all waken up a bit and listen as the four of them softly sing a few of their songs.
Katniss sings quieter than the others but I can hear her clearly because of how close we are.
Her voice is softer when she sings. Lighter somehow.
I close my eyes and let myself listen to the strum of the guitar and the way their voices mix perfectly together as they sing the songs they know so well.
Ironically I give in to a blissful sleep during Gale's acoustic version of 'Happy Birthday'
Gale POV
If I weren't so exhausted I would laugh at the fact that half the people are asleep by the time I finish strumming to happy birthday, even Peeta.
Madge sits on the armrest now because of the guitar but even I can feel her breathing growing swallow against my neck.
Thom and I exchange looks and silently agree that it's time for us all to head home.
Gathering our things, waking each other up, placing my guitar ever so gently back into its case, we quietly bid goodbye to those still awake.
Katniss kisses Peeta's forehead lovingly before grabbing her bag from the ground and heading into the hallway too, leaving Peeta, Finnick, Annie, Delly and Thresh to it.
Katniss, Madge, Thom, Darius and I all grab our coats from the cloakroom and quietly head into the cool night air.
Madge and I should probably talk about what we are.
We didn't get much chance between the kissing, the cleaning and the singing to actually discuss what we were doing.
All I know is that whatever this is, I hope it's not a drunken one night thing.
We walk Madge home first and she bashfully kisses my cheek before heading inside.
I know if it wasn't so late the others would rightfully tease me the whole way back to the Seam but we are all so exhausted that they can't find the energy.
The orange glow of the streetlights are our only guide home as the clouds have blocked the stars and the moon from our eyes.
Thom and Darius lean against one another and mumble goodnights as they turn down the road to their houses.
Katniss and I continue our walk down our road and I remember that Prim is staying in our house tonight.
"Are you okay going home?" I ask "You can always stay at mine if you want."
Katniss shakes her head, "Thanks but I should check on mum anyway."
I nod in understanding, already I'm dreading waking up to the excruciating noise of Posy and Vick running around and playing in the morning so I don't blame Katniss for preferring to go home.
We reach Katniss's door and she lets herself in,
"You want to stay here or are you okay getting home?"
I smile, "I'll be fine."
Katniss nods and before I know what's happening she's stepped forward and her arms are wrapped around me in a familiar, warm hug.
"I'm happy for you" She whispers and as quickly as she moved towards me, she moves away.
"Night Gale"
"Night Captnip"
The door closes and I smile all the way home.
As I climb into bed twenty minutes later, I text Katniss that I got home safe otherwise she'd kill me.
As I drift off to sleep I hope that in the morning I still feel these stupid butterflies that are currently swirling around my stomach at the thought of Made Undersee and that first kiss.
AN: I hope you liked this chapter. And yes the painting that Katniss gave Peeta was a reference to the epilogue scene in the Mockingjay book and Mockingjay part 2 movie.
Thanks for reading!
- xTeam Mockingjayx