Gale Hawthorne | The Hunger Games (soldierof12) wrote in welcomethreads, @ 2013-12-05 12:57:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | gale hawthorne, katniss everdeen |
WHO: Gale Hawthorne and Katniss Everdeen
WHAT: An awkward reunion
WHEN: Thursday afternoon
WHERE: Near the woods
WARNINGS: TBD, likely low, although talk of death
STATUS: Closed/Ongoing
Gale didn't know what to make of this place. He knew he didn't trust it, but as he didn't trust much of anything, that didn't mean much. Katniss had tried to tell him that it was normal, that it was safe, but really, those were two words that Gale didn't know exactly how to define. Normal for Gale Hawthorne had been living each day of his life on the verge of starvation, risking public flogging or execution hunting in the woods to bring food to his family. Normal had been knowing that his only future lay in the mines that had killed his father. Normal had been knowing that no matter how hard he worked, or how much he sacrificed, he'd never be able to break free of the Seam, and the poverty that smothered everyone who lived there. That was normal. This was something else entirely. And safe? That was even a more abstract concept. He'd never been safe, not for a minute in his life. Death had always been lurking around every corner, ready to pounce on him if he dared to get caught, hurt, or sick. Life in the Seam was anything but forgiving.
He'd sat for a while in the room assigned to him by this...place where he'd found himself, but wasn't used to such cramped quarters. Thirteen had nearly driven him mad; he was a man who liked to be outside, with the trees around him and the wind in his hair. So he'd closed the door behind him and made his way to the edge of the forest. He didn't have any weapons, so for the moment he didn't dare to enter, but simply stood there, feeling his heart stop racing just at the sight and smell of the woods, and the sounds of the leaves in the trees. The best parts of his childhood had been in the woods. The only parts worth remembering. And most of them had been with Katniss.
Katniss.
He'd given up on that months ago, and he wasn't angry exactly. She'd made her choice, and that was that. Mellark wasn't a bad guy, and Gale didn't wish him ill. Maybe she needed him, for whatever reason - he was certain she wouldn't have chosen him otherwise. But despite his rational thoughts, it still hurt. He'd loved her too, loved her before Mellark had, although he'd taken her for granted and hadn't actually expressed it until it looked like he was just jealous of what had happened in the Games. He wasn't, but he supposed it had been his own mistake that had doomed everything, and he couldn't blame anyone but himself.
His life was good now, relatively. He couldn't complain. He was actually changing things in 2, helping to create a new and better world than he'd grown up in. There were girls there who'd shown interest, and he'd been out with one or two of them (he might as well move on, right?), but nothing had ever clicked. He loved Katniss, even if he knew he couldn't have her. And, of course, the problem was more than Mellark. Even if Peeta hadn't been in the picture, he strongly doubted she would have chosen him after what had happened to Prim. He hadn't meant to hurt her, of course he hadn't. Prim had been almost family to him, he'd heard so much about her and done so much to keep her alive.
But...he couldn't say he regretted the attack that led to her death. Her death itself? It burned at him every day. But the attack was something that had to be done, and collateral damage, while regrettable, happened. But he knew she'd never look at him the same after that, and he supposed he couldn't blame her.
He turned from the woods, and started a bit when he saw Katniss on the street. He smiled uncomfortably - not necessarily a happy smile - and raised a hand in silent greeting. He couldn't, after all, avoid her forever.