Slide Away

e l e v e n

I smile and instead of going to gather berries, we make our way to our spot. She sets the rabbits down by a tree and then flops down onto the grass, looking out over the meadow. I sit down next to her, trying to remember the last time I had been here.

"We could do it you know." She says after a long moment. "Take off and live in the woods.

"We wouldn't make it five miles." I shake my head.

"Not if we brought our family's." She looks at me but I look out over the meadow.

"One day we'll do it." I look to her. "One day we'll run away and live in the woods."

She smiles, "Promise?"

"I promise." I smile back at her.

------------------------------ Katniss's POV ---------------------------- 

I sit on the living room floor looking at the picture book Prim had put together a few years ago. There were pictures of everyone in here. My father and Gale's father. My mother, Hazelle. Pictures of the kids, pictures of Gale and me. There were even pictures of the people we had lost. Rue, Finnick, Mags, Dad, Mr. Hawthone.  Gale drops down next to me, laying on the floor. I give him a look but he only shakes his head as if he was telling me not to ask.

"I'm hiding." He whispers.

"In the open?" I ask, dumbfounded. Gale Hawthorne was smarter than this. If he was going to hide he would hide where no one could find him. lot

"They'll never think to find me here, out in the open."

Are you sure about that?

"What are you even playing?"

"The kids are trying to keep me on the ground," Gale sighs. "They are failing horribly."

I bet you I could keep you on the ground. I think to myself. There is a sound of the laughter and voices of the kids. Gale looks at me, begging me not to say anything. I smirk and lean down pressing my lips against his. This lets his guard down and gave me enough time to move so I was straddling him. I grip his wrists, pinning his arms to the floor. Somehow not once did I break the kiss.

"That's not fair." He breathes.

I grin and wink as the laughter gets closer. He could easily flip us around but he doesn't. He lays there, letting me win. Our grey eyes locked. I could see he was thinking of something.

"You got him!" I hear Posy exclaim.

I look up at our siblings and nod my head. She smiles and claps her hands. Gale mutters something and I gasp as he does it. He flips the roles. My hands pinned next to my head, his body hovers over mine, knee between my legs, those stormy grey eyes meeting mine. A devilish grin plays across his lips.

"You let your guard down." He says.

His face was inches from mine, I wanted to crash my lips against his and pull him down onto me but the kids were standing in the doorway. There was no way we wouldn't get scolded by our mothers.

"Everthrone! Everthorne!! Everthorne!!" Prim and Rory exclaim.

Gale and I look at them. What the fuck was 'Evrethrone' and why were they saying it? 

"It's our ship name for you two." Prim giggles as if she could read my mind.

I look at Gale and he looks down at me. A ship name? Our siblings made a ship name for us?!  Where did this come from? Everthorne . .  Everthrone . . oh! I get it! Everthorne was Everdeen and Hawthrone put together. I have to admit that's pretty clever.

"If that your ship name for your selves?" Gale asks, grinning.

Prim and Rory are silent and I lose it. Their faces were priceless and I couldn't help but laugh. Hazelle and my mom walk into the room looking at me in Gale and then our siblings. I can't stop laughing. Everthorne isn't only Prim and Rory's ship name for Gale and me but now it's Gale and I's ship name for Prim and Rory.

"Breath Catnip, jeez." Gale chuckles, sitting on his knees now. His hands slip into mine, pulling me up.

"I am." I wheeze.

My boyfriend just shakes his head, smiling at me. He helps me stand up as I take deep breaths trying to calm myself down. Prim and Rory's faces were red.

"What is going on in here?"

"Nothing." The four of our chorse back, knowing they wouldn't care anyway if we told them anyway.

Later that day after we all calmed down Gale and I took everyone to the meadow. It was a nice day outside, there was no point in staying inside all day. The kids ran around, playing tag and our mothers sat in the grass talking and laughing about lord knows what. Gale and I sit where we usually do, on the fallen tree on the edge of the woods.

I drop my head against Gale's shoulder and sigh. One of his arms wraps around my shoulders as he brushes a kiss against my forehead.

"You okay?" He asks.

"I'm just . . . happy," I say.

"Yeah?"

I nod my head, "It's been a long time since I've felt this way."

"Mmmm."

I move my head from his shoulder and sit in his lap. His strong arms wrap around my lower, back pulling me closer as my arms wrap around his neck.

"It's over right?" I ask. "That part of our lives, where everything goes wrong?"

"It's hard to tell Catnip." Gale sighs, "We were like this before the quell . . ."

"I want to live Gale, I want to have a life with you but-" I start.

"-then live Katniss. Don't live your life because you're scared." He says.

"Easier said than done," I mutter.

Gale sighs, shaking his head slightly.  How could I just stop being scared?  How could not be scared of losing him again?  

"Your scared." He states.

I nod my head

"Why."

I drop my head against his shoulder. Gale's arms tighten around me and I shiver as a cool breeze hits the skin of my neck.

"Katniss-"

"-I'm scared of losing you again." I whisper.

I sit up looking at his confused face. Before he can anything about my answer I start to talk again.

"I've already lost you twice, I don't want to lose you again." 

"You're not gonna lose me." He caresses my face with a hand.

"How do I know that." Tears start to form in my eyes and I try to push them away from the best I could. You're not going to cry. I tell myself. Your not going to cry.

"Because I don't plan on leaving you any time soon," Gale whispers, pulling me closer to him. I close my eyes as  I can feel his warm breath against my lips.

"I want to believe you," I tell him.

Our lips are just barely touching, "Then believe me."

I knot my hands in his dark hair and connect our lips not letting him tease me any longer. I hear giggles from the kids that were somewhere near us but I don't care, neither did Gale. It was just us at this moment. Just Gale and Katniss, Katniss and Gale.