This started as a series of prompts 6 years ago, I decided to get back to it and maybe hopefully finish – and rewrite the existing chapters to 3rd person since that might work better if I am to continue. Anyway, enjoy. I don't own anything THG-related etc..

I.

The Best Haul

Sometimes hunting doesn't go as planned, but the best thing to sustain you might be right under your nose.

What hunting partners we are, she thinks, almost amused at this point.

They usually come back to their families with decent spoils, but today's only haul is going to be… Katniss herself.

Not like she'd admit it aloud, but she's extra grateful she hadn't been out here alone and didn't have to hobble all the way back to the district. That would probably do her knee in for good.

Climbing that tree had been a bad idea, its bark wet and her shoes muddy after some miles across the forest drenched in spring rain. On the upside, the ground she ended up falling onto was soft enough and might have saved her from a worse injury.

Her best friend looked almost ready to laugh as he rushed to help her up from the mud. His smile died very quickly, though. She pushed his hands away and tried to stand up by herself, only to flop back down as her left knee buckled uncontrollably under her slight weight.

By now her pride might be hurting more than the injured knee - and that would be saying something - but she settle for gritting her teeth without a word. They argued enough already, before she let Gale sling both of their hunting bags across his shoulders, and then pick her up in his arms. She was half expecting him to just throw her over his shoulder too, like a stubborn sack of duck potatoes. He hadn't done that, though, and she's having a hard time deciding if this is better or worse.

It's certainly more comfortable, with her knees elevated and propped securely against his forearm. His other arm is supporting her back, fingers curled firmly around her shoulder. Her own arms are clasped behind Gale's neck, holding on with all her strength to make carrying her a bit easier. At least she hopes it helps.

It's also kind of overwhelming. Leaning against him, she can feel every breath and heartbeat, every movement of his muscles against her side. Her hipbone must be jabbing painfully into his ribs, but Gale doesn't seem to care. Katniss tries counting his steps to distract herself from thinking too much of how warm and… nice she's feeling in his arms, but loses count every time Gale asks if she's okay. Then she looks up, forcing her eyes not to linger on his tense neck and parted lips, and sulkily grunts back that she'll live.

Home is too far and the journey is taking too long, but she's not exactly looking forward to the moment when Gale drops her off at home for her mother and sister to fuss over. Or to the moment when the pressure of his body against hers disappears and she'll have to tell herself she doesn't want to feel it again, and that she shouldn't be thinking anything like that around her friend.

She shakes her head a little to clear it. Gale feels her movement and looks down at once. "Katniss?"

Thinking quickly, she looks around. They are reaching a convenient place, a clearing close to the edge of the forest, with a brisk stream running through. "Let's take a break here, ok?" she suggests.

"No, we need to get you to your mom." His voice is slightly labored, but he does his best to keep it steady. Of course Gale wouldn't admit he's getting tired, but since Katniss has already admitted she needed him to carry her, it's not like he had any dignity to lose.

She rolls her eyes. "C'mon, I'm not bleeding to death."

"I know, and I'm very glad you aren't, but-"

"If you won't take a break, I'll just have you let me down and walk the rest of the way myself," she says and smacks his chest lightly. They both know it's a very empty threat, but she's counting on him not to hold her against her will.

Gale chuckles quietly, she can feel it more than hear it. "Sure, Catnip, whatever you say."

He does slow down, though, and carefully sets her down on a flat rock by the stream, its surface already dry and sunwarmed. Then he lays both hunting bags near her feet and stretches, his back popping loudly.

She watches him until he lifts his arms above his head, and his shirt, shrunken by countless washings, slips from under his belt and rides up, exposing a sliver of tan skin. Her head snaps back to the gurgling cold water, too quickly but not quickly enough.

"I think mom uses ice for sprains and such," she says, stumbling over her words a bit. That's a safe thought, and something she knows for sure. For injuries like that, Katniss can handle hanging around. It's the blood that sends her running. And her own blood needs to cool down a bit right now. "Maybe this would be icy enough."

"Let's try," says Gale and fishes a rag that serves as a makeshift handkerchief from his bag.

"Ewww," she drawls, even though it's obviously clean.

Gale keeps a stony face and loudly pretends to blow his nose. "Only the very best for my Catnip."

She smacks his leg with a laugh, and Gale jumps out of reach, grinning.

While he rinses the cloth in the cold stream, she carefully rolls the leg of her trousers up, wincing as she drags the folds over her swelled knee. The skin is bruised and reddened, but she's relieved the fabric's not torn. The old pants are patched up badly enough already, and her body will heal more cheaply. Or so she hopes.

Carefully, she tries to massage and stretch her leg. Gale's back before she decides to try and get up unassisted, and he shakes his head at her as if he were reading her mind.

Katniss bites her lip to stifle a gasp when he touches the cold cloth to her skin and ties it around the knee, tightly enough to compress it, but not tight enough to cut off circulation. "Better?" he asks, absently running cold fingers down to her ankle.

She shivers at the touch, and at the pain-numbing relief. "Yeah. Thanks," she says with a smile. She's almost surprised she doesn't have to force it out at all.

Gale smiles back, his eyes twinkling silver in the sunlight. "Ready to go again?"

''In a few," she says and leans back, turning her face towards the sun. The sky has cleared nicely since the rain stopped, and she's glad for it. The whole process of hauling her home would be much more miserable if it kept raining all the way. "You deserve a breather, you know."

"Okay."

Gale gets up from crouching before her to splash some water on his face and the back of his neck. She watches him for a moment as he runs his fingers through his messy black hair, pushing wet bangs away from his face, and then closes her eyes.

She opens them a few moments later, startled by something soft that flutters against her lips and nose.

"Hey!" she sneezes and tries to bat it away.

"Something sweet for the pain," says Gale with a big grin, and tickles her face with the cluster of honeysuckle flowers again. They are blooming early this year.

She laughs and rolls her eyes. "You didn't have to bother."

He shrugs. "They were right here. You know, when you have something good right under your nose, you don't let it pass."

Taking the advice with a shrug, she plucks a flower to suck out the nectar. It's tasty indeed, and they don't get sweet things often enough. She hands the flowers back to Gale to share, and his fingers brush hers as he takes one for himself.

The sweetness lingers in her mouth when she lets him pick me up again, and allows herself to rest her head against his chest.

She asks Gale to let her down by the fence and finishes the journey home leaning heavily on his arm, trying her best not to limp too obviously. She's still ashamed for returning injured and empty handed, and by the time they get home, her thoughts are dark with calculations about how much hunting time she's going to lose and how are their families going to pull though. But Gale keeps assuring her not to worry, and mother and Prim seem more relieved that her injury is not too bad than disappointed by what she perceives as a failure.

Gale turns to leave as soon as he sets her up on the kitchen table for them to take care of her. "I'll go back to check the snares. Get a good rest, Catnip."

Without thinking, she reaches after him, but she's not too sure what to say or do. "Gale…"

He reaches back at once and squeezes her hand. "It's gonna be fine, partner," he says with a smile. "Trust me."

She smiles back. Trust him, she does.