Everthorne

Coming Home

Gale's POV
Yesterday I found out that Katniss won. I should be able to sleep again, but I can't. I can't. Not until I can see her again. Hold her in my arms again and take in the wonderful smell of her hair.
    I surrender to the fact that I won't be sleeping tonight and get out of bed. I put on my hunting jacket and slip on my boots before heading into the woods. I climb over the fence and slowly make my way to our spot. The spot where we always met when we went hunting or just wanted to spend time together.
     I just sit. I just sit and think of her and that soon I'll get to see her. Oh god I miss my catnip so much. Watching her go into the games for Prim was unbearable. I wanted to volunteer, to go too and try to protect her but I know she'd never forgive me if I had. The last words she said to me before I was drug out of the room by peacekeepers were "whatever you do don't let them starve." I've done my best but it hasn't been easy. During the games, the number of peacekeepers in the district is higher, so getting into the woods without being seen was a challenge. I hate thinking about that day so I try to forget it. There were so many things I wanted to tell her in those three minutes that I wasn't able to. I wanted to tell her that I loved her, that I'd loved her since I was fifteen, but I couldn't burden her with that before she went into the games. The only thing I wanted her to worry about was making it home, not conflicted over her feelings about me.
    The sun began to rise and it was beautiful. It was one of those things that you don't get to appreciate when you're worried or caught up in the struggle of providing for your family when you're only fourteen. Today was the first time in months- years maybe- that I felt okay. Like there was nothing weighing me down. Katniss was coming home today and that was all that mattered. I got up and decided to do a little hunting before heading home.

Katniss POV
My name is Katniss Everdeen.
I am sixteen.
I won the 74th Hunger Games.
I am on the way home to district twelve.
I am okay.

I have to keep repeating this to myself the whole train ride to keep from panicking. No one ever bothers to tell you about the flashbacks you get from the games or how many times you'll have to relive all of the deaths.  I don't know how I'll manage this at home. I can't let my mother and Prim see how damaged I am. Prim. I'm going to see her today! I get to tell her that it's all okay and that she'll never have to worry about food again. That she'll always have a warm place to stay and that she's safe with me.

That's when someone else pops into my head.
Gale
Oh Gale! I've missed him so much. He's the only one I could be myself around. Around him, I didn't have to always put on a happy face or pretend that everything was okay all of the time because he knew it wasn't okay. He knew that things weren't okay and that the country we live in has a corrupt, sick leader who makes kids fight to the death every year for fun. He knew me. Even if I tried to fake it around him, he'd see right through it.
    All I want is to be pulled into one of his bear hugs and smell the pine tree scent that lingers on his clothes. I love him. I've loved him since I met him when I was twelve but I've always been to shy to tell him. He only thinks of me as a little sister anyway. Oh but I wanted to tell him so bad the day he came to see me off before the games. I wanted to give him a kiss to remember me by. But I couldn't. I couldn't tell him I loved him only to go die. It would've hurt him, and that's the last thing I wanted to do.
      I pull myself up and walk over to the window. WE'RE HERE! WE'RE IN TWELVE! I calm myself before hurrying off to fix myself before getting off and seeing my family....and Gale.

Ok so I hope that made up for the short crappy one from earlier. Please comment and give suggestions if you have any!