stillplaying: ([others] the boy with fire)
Katniss Everdeen ([personal profile] stillplaying) wrote2014-09-25 10:21 pm

for [personal profile] setsthetrap

Rubble still remains, pockets of ash among the new buildings constructed. Not all of District 12 has been rebuilt and refurbished in the past year. Ground has been broken for a new pharmaceutical plant, fields plowed, business slowly coming back to life. It's not the same place it was a year ago when she had returned, broken and defeated. A shell of the girl she used to be. Nor is it the place she remembers growing up in. It's something different now. Something new that arose in the ashes.

And maybe it's much the same for her, too. Though she holds the pain of her sister's death close to her heart and the horrors of the Hunger Games visit her nightly in her dreams, she no longer lets them swallow her alive. Some days are better than others. Some nights, more capable of sleeping through. But since spring's arrival a couple of weeks ago, she's made certain to get out to the woods every morning. While Peeta bakes, she hunts. Their afternoons are sometimes spent together, sometimes spent alone as they do their own small parts to help with the District's rebuilding.

It's a routine. A fairly regular routine that's helped her get from day to day, week to week. Sometimes it's tedious. Sometimes she wants nothing more than the curl into a ball and die. Find that death she deserves, that should have claimed her instead of Prim. Other days, she's almost thankful to be still alive.

Today's oddly become one of the latter days. What started out as a disappointing hunt in drizzly April weather had since turned into a successful trip. She carries with her two ducks as she makes her way from the woods towards the Hawthorne residence. Even if it still hurts to think of him from time to time, she's made certain to help Mrs. Hawthorne out these past few months. Whenever she has a little extra meat from her hunt, or Peeta bakes more bread than he can sell, she makes certain to stop by.

But she never expects to see him. Because she always pictures him in District 2 with his fancy job, kissing another pair of lips. Forgetting her entirely. And maybe it's better that way. Maybe it's better for both of them to keep apart and heal alone.

It's not how she ever expected they'd end up.

Pushing stray thoughts aside, she knocks on the door before pushing it open. It's mid-afternoon and the children should be in school. But it's easier some days not to deal with their smiles and their questions. Like it is today.

"Mrs. Hawthorne?" She walks towards the kitchen, knowing the route by heart. "Are you home?"
setsthetrap: (boy.)

[personal profile] setsthetrap 2014-09-26 04:31 am (UTC)(link)
It's the sudden clang of a pot falling, slipping from his grip, that answers Katniss' call.

Gale hasn't heard that voice in a little over a year, never thought he would again - save for the recorded footage they have of her that plays on the television every now and then. Katniss Everdeen: the Mockingjay, their saviour, their hero. It's not a voice he can take easily, not without that stirring stab of guilt nestling itself deep in the pit of his stomach like a barb. But it's better now. It's faded into a dull ache with time.

He was only going to stay until his siblings got home; and even that took a fair amount of persuasion from his mother. Something about this place makes him feel like a coward now, almost scared, like the entire District might crumble over his shoulders and bury him and everyone else alive.

Maybe it's not about District 12 at all, but about the girl behind him, calling for his mother.

He turns to face her, his heart leaping into his throat. He swallows, shifts to lean against the counter by the sink, ignoring the sound of blood pounding in his ears.

"She left to run an errand," he says, his voice coming out calmer than he feels. "Hi, Catni - Katniss."
setsthetrap: (pensive.)

[personal profile] setsthetrap 2014-09-28 02:19 am (UTC)(link)
The look on Katniss' face versus the one a part of him had been desperately hoping for, should the two of them ever face each other in person again, are two completely different things.

But what did he expect? Gale left District 12 those many months ago, decided he'd start a new life in District 2 for this very reason. Because seeing that expression whenever he accidentally runs into her on the street, or in a shop, or some political assembly - it'll tear him apart eventually, break him more than he'd already been broken the moment he realized what he'd done.

He could leave now, disappear again for both their sakes. It'd be easier, maybe. Healthier. Still, he'd given his mother his word that he'd stick around for at least another hour or two, so he swallows his fear and his guilt and nods his head towards the bow in Katniss' hands.

"You still carry that around, huh?"
setsthetrap: (watch.)

[personal profile] setsthetrap 2014-10-01 01:21 am (UTC)(link)
Gale shoves his hands into the pockets of his trousers to hide the fact that he's got them clenched so hard they could hurt.

His gaze shifts from Katniss' face to the duck before he settles on watching her instead. Watching how she moves, remembering those small, seemingly insignificant motions that used to be something he took for granted because he'd see her every single day. (Well, every day until the Reaping and the Games.) The two of them hunting, sorting out their kills, leaving some for their families, selling the rest at the Markets. That feels like ages upon ages ago; so much has happened since.

It's a new Panem they live in now, and they're different people for it. (Aren't they?)

"Still get good game around here?" he asks conversationally.
setsthetrap: (boy.)

[personal profile] setsthetrap 2014-10-04 04:17 pm (UTC)(link)
"That's good," Gale says. Quieter, he repeats it. "That's good."

It means there's more for everyone. Sure, the Capitol isn't controlling the District's rations anymore, but they're still far from prosperous. Rebuilding takes time - a lot of time; Gale would know, being a part of that rebuilding process - and the beginning is always tough.

"And my family? They're ... okay?"

He hasn't seen his siblings yet.

His mother looked better, he can say that much.
setsthetrap: (intense.)

[personal profile] setsthetrap 2014-10-08 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
As per usual, Katniss' power of deduction is pretty accurate - even if it does make him feel a little like the most worthless son and brother, not really knowing the state of his family, or how much his siblings have grown since he'd left District 12.

Family is the most important thing to him, but keeping in constant communication with them had proven to be difficult. And the fact that Peeta ... Peeta has been taking better care of his family than him ...

Gale can't rid himself fully of the crushing guilt and mild irritation he has for Mellark - even now, even after everything. Even after seeing how much Peeta had suffered during the rebellion ...

"I never did it out of obligation," he manages to say, contrary to the thoughts that stew in his mind. "Taking care of your family, I mean. I love them.

"Loved them.





"But thank you for taking care of mine."
setsthetrap: (boy.)

[personal profile] setsthetrap 2014-10-26 09:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Gale nods, long fingers finding the side of the kitchen counter as though it might hold him up, an absent-minded gesture that he stops as soon as he's aware of it.

He crosses his arms instead, suddenly feeling a little awkward and out of place, like he's too big for this house, or maybe it - and everything else about District 12 - is trying to force him out.

He never thought he'd live to see the day when District 12 really, truly no longer feels like home. (But then ... does District 2 even feel like it?)

And his family ... well, his feelings for his family will never change, no matter what happens or where he ends up, and while he's aware he's been a pretty crappy son and brother, he maintains his eternal gratitude to Katniss for keeping them fed and safe.

It's more than he could ever, ever ask of her, so he's grateful he never had to.

"And you?" he asks, finally. He's been wanting to ask her this since he first saw her, but if he's going to be completely honest with himself, he's afraid of the answer. "Are ... are you okay?"
setsthetrap: (pensive.)

[personal profile] setsthetrap 2014-11-08 05:18 pm (UTC)(link)
It's a better answer than Gale could ever hope for, a better one than he suspects he deserves for all the guilt and blame he still carries over Prim's death and the eventual falling out between himself and the girl before him, the girl he knows he'll always love in some way, even if it might not be the same as it once was.

(Nothing will ever be the same as it once was.)

And he's glad that, even now, even after all of this time and distance, she doesn't lie. She's trying, she says, and that's better than 'I'm doing great'. Not because he wants her to be unhappy but because, with this small admission of truth, maybe not all hope is lost.

Gale nods.

"I'm trying, too."
setsthetrap: (stressed.)

[personal profile] setsthetrap 2014-11-26 01:42 am (UTC)(link)
It seems almost stupid how hard it is to just get the words out, the ones he actually wants to say, along with all the questions he wants to ask and the answers he wishes he'd get from her. But they're stuck in his throat and while he's a better liar than Katniss, he could never do that to her.

And he's not going to play niceties either, resorting to discussing the weather or something menial and insignificant, even if that might (his heart sinks at the thought) be the only thing left between them now.

It can't be, right?

It can't.

Gale lets out a breath that is half a laugh and half an exasperated sigh. And then he pushes a hand through his dark hair, which he's kept shorter than he had when he was still living here. It remains longer than most young men his age, but it's become quite the fashionable trend.

"Oh," he echoes. There's the slightest edge of frustration when he continues, "Is that all we have left to say to each other now?"
setsthetrap: (boy.)

[personal profile] setsthetrap 2014-12-06 05:30 pm (UTC)(link)
There's a small exhale - and with it, some of the frustration and tension in Gale's shoulders leaves him. He shakes his head now, strands of hair falling into his face as he averts his gaze to his feet for a moment, maybe to regain his composure.

When he looks back up at Katniss again, there's an echo of her smile reflected in the slight upturn of his lips.

"Yeah," he says. "You're right. You always were a girl of few words."

There's a pause and then a small huff of a laugh.

"I think you must have said maybe five words to me total, the first couple times we met up to hunt."
setsthetrap: (trespasser.)

[personal profile] setsthetrap 2015-01-11 07:42 pm (UTC)(link)
This is how some friendships are made. This is how friendships in District 12 seem to be made, anyway. Either way, Gale has no problem talking to people if he has to ... but making friends is another story.

People generally consider Gale Hawthorne to be something of an enigma. It's part of his allure. He keeps to himself, doesn't talk a whole lot, says only what he thinks is necessary, comes and goes as he pleases. He's respectful, he's punctual, and he does the work required of him at school or at home. He's loyal and he's genuine, but none of these things means he's got to be approachable and charismatic on top of all that.

He's the kind of guy you want to get to know but you're not even sure how to get started. He'd built walls up too; they're just not as obvious to people as Katniss' are. But maybe that's what attracted him to Katniss and vice versa. Just two people with very tall, very fortified walls, who found the one chink in it that allowed them to see what was on the other side.

Gale's laugh this time is louder, more solid.

"Hey, and that wasn't a whole lot either."
setsthetrap: (listening.)

[personal profile] setsthetrap 2015-01-17 05:43 pm (UTC)(link)
And how much has Gale missed that smile?

Not the fake one she throws around in the Games, or in public, or in her series of propos, but this one, the one that isn't perfect and pretty but true; reveals the little dimple in her cheek, the crinkles in her eyes. It used to be the kind of smile that could light up his whole world and make it come crashing down around him all at once.

Now it comes to him as a relief that he hadn't remembered it incorrectly, that maybe there's a part of Katniss that he'll always know, a piece of her that's just for him even if it's never going to be the way she is with Mellark.

That's all in the past anyway, but that doesn't mean it still doesn't hurt sometimes.

Gale's shrug is light, easy.

"I guess, for the first time in my life, I can honestly say I can't complain."

It's not perfect by any means, it's not even good, but it's a hell of a lot better than anything he's ever had here in all of his life.

Even if ...

"But I do miss it here sometimes. The familiarity."

He gestures to their surroundings.

"My family."

You.
setsthetrap: (pensive.)

[personal profile] setsthetrap 2015-02-01 04:47 am (UTC)(link)
For a fraction of a second, Gale's initial response is to detach Katniss from him, tell her that it's okay, he's okay, this isn't necessary, that he doesn't want it because the memory of this moment is only going to burn into his brain for the next however long he'll be gone - back to District 2, back to his new job, his new life.

But he doesn't.

He can't.

He's never been particularly strong-willed where Katniss is concerned, and her friendship right now means everything to him. It means more to him than that ache that still (still) lingers somewhere behind all of the months of healing, the ache that reminds him that Katniss is with Mellark now, and that's the way it's going to be.

So it is with slow yet deliberate movements that he shifts to wrap his arms around her too. Clings to her in a way that he wishes he could let her know that he's sorry, he'll always be sorry, he wishes this could have gone differently, but he misses her.

He misses her, and he'll do anything he can to get her friendship back.
setsthetrap: (pensive.)

[personal profile] setsthetrap 2015-02-08 03:56 am (UTC)(link)
Katniss' question is enough to ignite the small, nearly (now) nonexistent little candle he still holds for her, somewhere in the deepest, darkest part of him, the part he'd done well to bury because he didn't think a reconnection was possible after what happened following the 76th Hunger Games.

He lets out a breath, hitched and short, surprised.

And then he shakes his head, heart beating a little quicker as he makes a decision.

"No," he answers, voice quiet. "No, I don't. I made arrangements that allowed me a couple extra days to be with my family if I wanted."

He hadn't planned on using them, of course. And being the hardworker that he is, he'd planned on being on the first train back to District 2 by tomorrow morning at the latest.
setsthetrap: (listening.)

[personal profile] setsthetrap 2015-03-04 03:08 am (UTC)(link)
Gale isn't sure he's heard her correctly at first, that so quiet a request with those words could actually be uttered.

How many times had he imagined her saying something like that? Maybe not exactly those words, maybe not in this context, or in this way, but the feeling there ... the importance placed on him in her life ... it's been long enough now that the words mean a hell of a lot more than they ever used to.

It's with that tiniest flicker of hope he'd been denying himself that he nods.

'Okay,' he doesn't say.

Maybe he's afraid she'll change her mind and retreat into herself again if he allows himself to agree out loud. He knows Katniss; he might be one of two people who know her better than she knows herself sometimes (and he's vain enough to admit it).

But it's almost tragic how much doubt he has in what the two of them used to share ever since Prim died. Like he's walking along the thinnest line of wire over a cavernous pit and the faintest breath let out wrong could send him toppling to his end.

Still. This is something, the longest they've spent alone together in a room without resentment and anger and a burning need to see that other person off. He isn't going to waste this chance.
setsthetrap: (listening.)

[personal profile] setsthetrap 2015-04-12 04:15 am (UTC)(link)
It's so simple a suggestion, consisting of one word, one activity that encompasses something that has always meant so much to them. Maybe not to Katniss and Gale in particular, but Gale has always had fond memories of family dinners, of arriving at the Everdeens with game, or vice versa. Gale's mother would often ask the Everdeens to join them for a meal, Gale's brothers and sister playing with Prim while he and Katniss sat side by side talking very little but sharing so much.

Dinner, food, conversation, company, a feeling of closeness to break bread with someone you cared about.

He doesn't miss the importance of her invitation, so he nods again.

"Dinner." And then, "Maybe we should get something special."

His mother would like that, he knows.
setsthetrap: (boy.)

late as hell

[personal profile] setsthetrap 2015-08-04 03:53 pm (UTC)(link)
"The bakery," Gale repeats, voice quieting. It's still a hard thing to be reminded of, that District 12 has begun to heal again, and his family with it, maybe even moving on without him because of his own choices - but Gale and Katniss have had a fair amount of time now, months since the rebellion and the war, and for him to continue holding this grudge ...

He'd reminded himself time and again that he couldn't do that anymore. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. It was only going to slow the healing process between him and his best friend. He might not like Peeta Mellark, never had, but that isn't his fault. It's the residual burn of an old wound that he can't quite let go of, a boyish insecurity that became so wholly a part of him that it's hard to see where it began in the first place. Back when things were so simple.

He nods.

"All right." And then a breath. "Duck is good. It used to be Posy's favourite. Is it still?"