Fuelling the Flames

Gale Hawthorne. 18. Volunteer. Don't you just love the Capitol?

[the-boy-without-the-bread-blog]

 

[oneofpreciousblood]

Dinner Games | Gale

[oneofpreciousblood]

Elena stopped for a moment. She was mad at Damon sure but she would never call him a monster. He was a vampire sure but he wasn’t all bad, or else he would have killed her when he’d ran into her the first time. But Gale still shivered with terror. What happened between the two of them?

“You can’t really mean that,” Elena murmured as dabbed at Gale’s cut. It was clean and had stopped bleeding but she needed to busy her hands with something while her  mind calculated the Damon she’d met and the one Gale was making him out to be.

[the-boy-without-the-bread-blog]

Gale reached for the table above him, trying to stand. He wasn't having much luck, so his response came out as a pant. "Yes," he said. "I do." He let Elena clean is wound after he'd got himself standing. Eventually. This was going to be a long night. 

"What time is it?"

[oneofpreciousblood]

Dinner Games | Gale

[oneofpreciousblood]

Elena let out a chuckle. “He’s… someone you have to get use to.” She passed Gale the glass and noticed a small cut on his hand when he sent himself flying backwards. It wasn’t much but it was still bleeding and Elena was feeling awkward again. She quickly ripped a strip of fabric from the table cloth and dabbed it with a bit of water before setting herself to cleaning up his wound. “So, what exactly did he do to you?”

[the-boy-without-the-bread-blog]

Gale snorted in disbelief. 

"Are you joking? Damon's a freak - a...a monster." Gale was shivering now, remembering the night he'd been attacked painfully clearly. "Can't you see that?"

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

Private Everthorne

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

Katniss nodded and grinned slightly up at him, feeling the exact same way, though she had no clue he was feeling that way, too. They’d be okay, right? As long as they stayed with each other? “Let’s go, then,” she breathed, before she carefully lead him in the direction she vaguely remembered to be the forest.

[the-boy-without-the-bread-blog]

A small smile settled on Gale's face as he followed the girl. His mind was running at a hundred miles an hour and nerves littered his body but he ignored them. Heart pumping, he let Katniss lead him onward. 

[oneofpreciousblood]

Dinner Games | Gale

[the-boy-without-the-bread-blog]

The look of horror on the boys face was clearly directed at Damon. Shit! Could he have known that Damon had indirectly threatened his life for touching her? Maybe, why else would he be cowering away like he was. But Damon seemed unaffected  was Gale giving himself away or not?

In any case getting Gale away from Damon was probably a better idea than most. She pulled the boy to his feet and swung his arm over her shoulders. “Come on, lets get you a glass of water.” For a moment she wondered if helping Gale might be giving her away but she was sure she’d have helped no matter what. She helped the stumbling boy to a table at the edge of the party that seemed free. The glasses were unused anyway and the pitchers of water were full. She moved to pour the glass while Gale spoke in a slurred and nearly understandable voice.

His breathing quickened and he almost sent his fist into the form that bent over him. But the figure was in a dress. So he allowed the strong hands to pull him up and take him away. Walking was effort and as soon as they reached their destination, Gale slumped on to the floor.

"I don't like him," he mumbled, pathetically.

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

Private Everthorne

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

The moment his fingers locked around her’s, Katniss felt her gaze drop down to their laced hands and couldn’t help how her smile widened only slightly. She may’ve still been upset over the things with Peeta, and she may’ve still been confused about her feelings for Gale, but at least she knew holding his hand didn’t hurt her, nor make her second-guess herself. Because while nothing would compare to District Twelve, he was the closest thing that felt like home in that damned arena.

So, soon she was lifting up her bow again and smiling up at him, stepping closer once more and giving his hand a light squeeze. “Well, ready to go, then?”

[the-boy-without-the-bread-blog]

Gale turned to look into the girl's dark grey eyes, that mirrored his own so perfectly. A small smile played at his lips and even the heat became unnoticeable. It was just the two of them together. That was all that mattered.

He returned the pressure, and whispered, "Yeah."

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

Private Everthorne

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

Feeling him pull away made only the slightest of frowns flash across her face, but soon enough Katniss was shaking her head and smiling that small smile of her’s again. She really didn’t care where they went, so long as things didn’t go south between them again. “Well.. I don’t know. I don’t really.. Want to be here in the desert anymore, not with him here. But.. Maybe we could go to the forest?” she asked, voice quiet. At least maybe they’d feel a bit more at home surrounded by all of the trees.

[the-boy-without-the-bread-blog]

Everything that happened in the arena seemed to revolve around the forest. It was always the place that Gale returned to. And he liked that. It was a home from home. Kind of. "Yeah," he said, quietly. "Yeah, that sounds good." His hand found hers and it felt like they were back to normal. Like in District 12, before all this.

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

Private Everthorne

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

A soft smile spread across her lips as she felt his body respond to her, and without saying anything else, Katniss was reaching behind him once more and tangling her fingers softly into his own hair, stroking his scalp lightly with the tips of them. They would be okay now, right? Of course they’d be okay. They’d be with each other, and.. That was all that mattered.

[the-boy-without-the-bread-blog]

Gale pulled his head back lightly. He smiled at the girl, still holding her close to him. He didn't want to let her go, but he had to. They couldn't stay here, out in the open.

Gale didn't let the anxiety show on his face when he asked the question. "So where do you want to go?" he asked, placing a strand of loose hair behind her ear. 

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

Private Everthorne

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

“Shh,” she whispered immediately, shaking her head quickly as one hand left the back of his neck and rested lightly on the side of his cheek, her breaths coming out slow and steady from her lips as she thought over what they’d just done. It was definitely a mess now, all of it, but she knew nothing could change it now. Not only in the Capitol’s point of view—because now they would surely use it against the two of them for their own viewers’ amusement—but because now she knew how Gale felt towards her.. And the fact that she kissed him back was proof enough that she felt the exact same way. But what would be safer, for the both of them? Surely splitting up now would be anything but a good idea. They’d both be worried sick over the other, and it would just give the Capitol more of a chance to mess with them. But staying together.. That made them very large targets for the other tributes’ own sick pleasure. God, she had no idea what to do.

So instead, she just whispered quietly under her breath. “Just don’t go anywhere. We’ll figure this out.” And then without saying anything else, her lips were on his again, hoping to silence him from replying with anything else. 

[the-boy-without-the-bread-blog]

He listened. When Katniss was finished, he opened his mouth to speak. "I -"

Their lips were together again and he lifted a hand to stroke her hair. He ran his fingers through those dark locks as they kissed. It was nice, to have something like this, after the previous week. This was real, true. The pollen had been some perverted Capitol game but this was theirs. They called the shots now.

[oneofpreciousblood]

Dinner Games | Gale

[oneofpreciousblood]

Elena rolled her eyes when Gale spoke. Maybe this would be easier than she thought. He seemed completely out of it. This was definitely not the Gale she met in the forest. She turned back to her food and relaxed a bit. Maybe Elena was wrong, Gale might be better off drunk than anything. It seemed the haze of his mind would keep him safe and naive. And Elena could pretend this was’t the same man. She let herself breathe and actually took a bite of her food.

[the-boy-without-the-bread-blog]

Leaning back in his chair, Gale tried to see who else was sat at the table. A girl and a boy. That much was clear. Or maybe it was a man and a woman. His vision wasn't steady enough to pick up those minor details. He placed a hand on the table, trying to stable himself.

Damon.

The boy shot back, sending the chair - and himself - toppling over. Sprawled out on the floor, he tried to crawl away. Away from the man who'd tore open his neck only a few weeks ago.

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

Private Everthorne

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

And Katniss knew it too, though maybe she didn’t want to admit it to herself. Didn’t want to admit that the feeling of her best friend’s lips on top of hers made her legs go wobbly and her heart thrum loudly against her chest. But she knew what the feeling was— And it absolutely terrified her. So after she carefully pulled her lips away from his, but kept her arms around him, the dark-haired girl pressed her forehead to his own and inhaled slowly, her eyes still shut. “Gale..”

[the-boy-without-the-bread-blog]

That one word sent a twang of guilt surging through his body. Why had he done that? Shit, that was really stupid. It wasn't that he was worried about it being awkward, he was worried for Katniss. What had that Career said? Don't give them a way to hurt you. And he'd just kissed his best friend on live television. Unless there was some major drama elsewhere, the majority of the cameras would be on them.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

[oneofpreciousblood]

Dinner Games | Gale

[oneofpreciousblood]

The slur of his speech caught her off guard. She turned slowly to see the recognizable signs of a very hammered Gale. She wanted to both laugh and leave all at the same time. Leaving would only make things worse so she settled on letting a small chuckle bubble out of her. The thought of being drunk only made the need to keep calm more imperative. If Damon decided to kill him Gale would have no chance, no way to defend himself. She was stunned that anyone was drinking for that reason. Was she the only one planning to take advantage of this opportunity? She pushed that thought aside and answered Gale’s question. “I wouldn’t say I’m enjoying my time but its not completely terrible.”

[the-boy-without-the-bread-blog]

Gale didn't listen to the answer, he just heard it. Swirling the drink in his glass, he breathed heavily. An unfamiliar sadness pulled at his insides. Maybe he should stop drinking, he thought as he finished his glass. Before he could stop himself, it was filled again. Gale looked up to see a pair of eyes boring into him expectantly. "Right," he murmured, reckoning a mutual answer would do.

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

Private Everthorne

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

And to say she was surprised was a bit of an understatement, as Katniss’ eyes went wide and her muscles went stiff. But she didn’t push him away, like she knew she so needed to. No, instead, after she realized what had just happened, Katniss was wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and pulling him closer to her, her lips moving softly and hesitantly against his own, even after her eyes had shut.

[the-boy-without-the-bread-blog]

The kiss was soft and slow. His hands stayed on her waist, a gentle grip. It was real. It wasn't for lust or desire, it was for love. They loved each other, but they couldn't do this. Gale knew that but he didn't have to say it aloud. Not yet, anyway. 

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

Private Everthorne

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

That had her quickly stiffening in the dark-haired man’s arms yet again. Not because she was planning on rejecting him— No, it was quite the opposite, really. But because she was just so surprised that he’d offered something like that. Hadn’t he wanted to be nowhere near her just days ago? “Well.. I,” she began, before she blinked a bit and glanced back up at him, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. It was a good idea, really.. She didn’t want to be alone, and she did want to make sure that he stayed okay.. “Yeah,” she finally whispered, before she smiled slightly up at him and dropped her hands back down to her bow. “Alright, Hawthorne, you’ve got yourself an ally.”

[the-boy-without-the-bread-blog]

The boy grinned. Stepping back, he admired his new - well, renewed - companion. She was smiling, like she did back in the woods at home. Her dark hair framed that face, that beautiful face. Resisting was too hard, so Gale relented. With a swift step forward, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her in to him. Their eyes met for a second before he pressed his lips to hers.

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

Private Everthorne

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

“I don’t know,” she whispered honestly, as she hugged him tighter to her slender frame, despite the moment that had just passed. God, she didn’t want him to go. She didn’t want their fights over the tablets to continue, and she didn’t want him to end up getting hurt without her there to care for her best friend.. “I’m not going back to him, though,” she mumbled into his shirt, as she sighed quietly and allowed  him to play with her hair. It was so odd to her, how easily she allowed him to do these things to her, compared to other people. It’d even annoyed her when Peeta tried to play with her hair. “I don’t.. I just can’t. I’ll probably just.. Go to the forest or something. Somewhere I can think. I know it’s not the same, but..”

[the-boy-without-the-bread-blog]

Gale listened, an idea forming in his mind. It wasn't a great one, admittedly, but it was the best he had. The right words didn't want to make an appearance, so he just let his thoughts roll off his tongue.

"Well, Catnip," he murmured, fearing rejection, "you could - uh...come with me. For a while. Think things through." He cleared his throat before continuing. "I mean you don't have to. But...but it might help." The last sentence almost seemed like a question, Gale's voice part hopeful yet part fearful.

[oneofpreciousblood]

Dinner Games | Gale

Elena sat down at the table with her name delicately written on a place card. She had finished everything she needed to do for now. Her only other goal would come after the cease fire. Until the she needed to keep quiet and level headed. No drinks, no champagne, nothing to decrease her focus. She would be taking down a vampire after all. She had to remain calm and collected, focus and determined, nothing could mess her up. And then he sat down. The tingle of his touch ran up and down her skin, the heat of his lips burned on her body and the memory brought back the familiar haze of her mind at the time. It was Gale, a boy who she had… Her breathing hitched as she focused in the plate before her. This was a joke, the game makers idea if a joke. To put Gale at the same table as her, and the same table as Damon. If he sat down and looked, just looked at her he’d know. And then he’d kill Gale cease fire or not. She had to stay calm, since she had decided not to tell him any names she needed to act like this was nothing. She knew that, but it didn’t stop the tight shoulders and ridged posture she held, nor the drop of her stomach and the cloud of shame that had blushes spreading in places she’d rather not. She tried to speak, to breath much less but it just didn’t work. She couldn’t get past the lump in her throat. What to do then? She could walk away and ignore him for the night but that would mean getting up and her legs felt so much like jelly she knew she’d fall right over if she tried. She ran through a few more options in her mind but they were all interrupted with the thought of Damon clueing in and creating chaos. Her mind ran wild until it went blank as a voice reached her. She turned her head slowly to Gale and stared blankly at him. She didn’t quite catch what he said, only that he’d spoken and his voice had poured a bucket of ice water over her.

[the-boy-without-the-bread-blog]

The glass never left Gale's hand. It was a good distraction, drinking. What with avoiding Bonnie and Spencer, he needed some kind of respite. He'd spent the first half of the night being persuaded to join the drinking by Johanna until even she reckoned he'd had too much and began with the dissuading. That was when he left her. And now he was positively wasted.

He was unstable as he started towards his table. There were already two sitting and he used the smaller to steady himself as he made his way to the nearest seat. Gale poured himself a refill and sighed. How long did Johanna say until the ceasefire ended? He couldn't remember. He'd just have to ask the people at this table, if he ever figured out who they were. Their forms were clouded by the alcohol that had set in the boy's mind. 

After a moment of attempted - and painful - thought, Gale mumbled, "Enjoying yourselves?"

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

Private Everthorne

[the-sun-is-my-radiance-blog]

“Whatever,” she mumbled bitterly, but soon found herself wrapping her arms around him again, sighing into his chest and pressing her forehead against it. Why had it upset her so much that he rejected her? It shouldn’t matter.  He was her best friend. That was it. There was nothing more between them and that was how it should be. Besides. He was still pining over Bonnie, and she.. Had her own problems to take care of.

[the-boy-without-the-bread-blog]

He did not respond. Instead he just held her tight once more. His thumb brushed her neck, feeling the girl's dark hair beneath his fingers. A reminder flashed in his mind. Gale must savour this moment. If this was their last together, he could not forget it. Not ever.

He took a deep breath and asked, "So what are you going to do?"