Simply Everlark (After Mockingjay)

Chapter 17

Forks clatter together, creating multiple scratches of silverware to echo off the walls. The silent atmosphere helps mask the sound no possible way. We are all quiet.

Having Gale agree to the dinner proposal was a shock to Peeta and I. I hadn't expected his compony due to the terms he and Peeta were on -let alone I- so we all scrambled to get something edible prepared. A few flips of a pan and moments in the oven later, our chicken was laying on the set table -thanks to the guest himself.

Peeta licks his lips quickly before raising his glass and bringing the top of it to his mouth, tilting it slightly to let the water run down his throat. I take my eyes off of him before stripping a piece of chicken off of the bone and placing it into my mouth.

"Can you pass me the gravy, Katniss." Gale manages to say through a full mouth, mispronouncing his words slightly.

I glance around my section of space and locate the vat of gravy fit in a metal spout. My fingers wrap around the heated ware and I reach across the table to place it in Gale's hands.

He swallows hard so his Adam's apple bobs, "Thanks."

"No problem."

A sudden weight on the top on my thigh causes me to jerk slightly. Glancing down I notice Peeta's palm is resting on the top of my leg, his fingers tracing up and down slightly and I become flustered at the sudden contact. He looks unharmed, carelessly touching as he continues to eat with one less hand. Glancing over to Gale, I can tell he is oblivious.

"So Peeta," he begins, wiping the corners of his mouth with the cloth resting on the table, "Interesting paintings you have here."

"Yeah," Peeta clears his throat and rests his unoccupied hand at the base of his neck, "They were painted awhile ago, just not finished."

Gale nods his head, "I see."

It's awkward slightly, being placed in the middle of two males that loath each other while a civil conversation is passing. I attempt to be unaffected but the heat of Peeta's steady grazing is bound to leave my face a pink color.

"I think I better get going." Gale says glancing at the clock as I let out a sigh of relief, "Family's probably wondering where I went."

His chair skids outward as he rises. I follow his movements causing Peeta's grip to loosen and eventually slip away. He decides to stay and gather up the remaining food to package it for later. I walk Gale to the door.

His strides come to a stop as stands rather unsure at the door frame, moving his eyes from it to mine. He scratches at the scruff growing in patches out of his skin before speaking, "Thanks."

"For what?" I ask, partially knowing the answer but wanting to hear it.

"Dinner, walking me to the door, not hating me." He speaks and sighs at the same time.

"No problem," I say glancing upwards and letting a -barely noticeable- smile cross my features, "Stay safe this week."

"Do you want to go hunting?" He blurts before covering it up slightly, "Not right now but maybe sometime this week, before the storm may hit?"

"I don't know." I state truthfully, "I just got back from the hospital, Gale."

His expression fades, dropping slightly, "Right -completely forgot."

"I'll be better soon, just," I pause, "Not now."

"So that's a maybe -you know, as in later?"

"Sure." I say lightly, wanting to lighten him a bit.

"Okay." He smiles down at me, "Well, I guess I will see you later -probably before everything happens weather wise."

"Okay, see you later." I watch as his hand twinges the bronze handle before propping it open. Just as Gale is about to exit the house, he stops, looking almost uncomfortable as he turns towards me once more.

"Can I give you a hug?"

I'm taken back by his request. The way his eyes drop and look almost desperate for such physical contact makes my heart shatter. The memories of Gale and I before everything changed seem to flood my mind, captivating it more and more by the second. Before I can register my own actions, he is in my arms.

My arms snake around his large torso and grip around it tightly, embracing the lost feeling of Gale's body comforting mine. He is -from what I conclude- shocked by my sudden gesture as he stands completely motionless before registering what is happening and snaking his large limbs to hold me tight. Its comforting and I had no idea how much I needed his embrace until it was truly happening.

I pull back after awhile of cradling fearing that Peeta has caught on to Gale's presence still in the house. His eyes are recognizably brighter with specks of light blue glowing a bit lighter than previously. Gale's cheeks have a rosy tint to them, pink showing at the base of his cheekbones and stretching to the creases of his eyes. He looks happy, relieved almost.

"Tell your family I said hi, okay?" I speak pulling my hands in my sleeves and twisting my fingers around the material.

"Sure thing. I'll talk to you later." he finally starts to state his goodbyes while probing the door open once more, causing a gust of cool air to swarm inside the house. The clatters of his boots hit the stairs as he maneuvers a leg outside the door frame, and eventually pulls the rest of his body.

"Bye." I breathe, earning a wave and full smile from his moving figure just before I close the door.

I quickly patter across the wood flooring with bare feet. The throbbing in my head has greatly gone down, allowing simple movements such as pacing or turning to be at ease. Sounds from the kitchen erupt as I near the dining area with a symphony of clatters and shoe taps. It wasn't until I heard a loud bang along with a string of curse words that I picked up my pace and rushed into the room.

"Peeta are you -" I start to say but become too overwhelmed by the scene that the kitchen holds. Splattered across the floor are heaps of white powder along with a half empty flour bag laying face down. The room almost resembles a winter atmosphere with white covering anything and everything -including the dense fog and air particles.

My eyes travel upward, allowing the guilty suspect to come into view. Peeta has -if not, more- flour covering every inch of his figure, prominent on his black shirt. The flour even manages to cover the blonde strains on his head, turning them the white color. He stands watching me with wide eyes, both of us unable to speak due to the shocking scene and abundant source of white covering the space.

"Um, Peeta," I say pursing my lips in attempt to contain my laughter, "What happened?"

His eyes still remain bulging out of their sockets, chaining his neck around the room unable to come up with an explanation, "I don't know, I just -I was trying to bake a cake for dessert and I guess the flour slipped -"

I manage to step on the flour in attempt to get over to his flustered state. The white powder seeps through my toes and sticks to the bottom ridges of my foot, creating a tickling sensation. He watches me, stopping his train of thought as I swipe my hands over his battered shirt, causing puffs of white clouds to form.

I can't help but laugh, "Looks like I will be taking care of you now, huh?"

He smiles down at me and shrugs his shoulders, erasing any sort of guilt as he notices my playful expression. His cheeks resemble a pink color under the layer of flour, "I guess so."

He looks happy, flour battered happy and I can't help but reach up and place a gentle kiss on his popping cheekbone, he and I shocked once again of my bust of bravery. I take is rough hand in mine, "Lets get 'ya cleaned up."

___________________________
•I wrote that last line like the scene in catching fire when she was rinsing the blood out of wiress's hair.
•BUT IMAGINE IF INSTED OF FLOUR IT WAS COCAINE. jk really.
•So if you guys have any fan art or banners or covers that you made for this story, you can email them to me at abigaillmiller1@gmail.com and I will post it on the following chapter!
•guys I met Bradley cooper in New York and he worked with JENNIFER LAWRENCE SO ITS KINDA LIKE I MET HER?

But the real topic is MOCKINGJAY IM SO FREAKING EXCITED FOR THE MOVIE OMG okay bye.