The One and Only Real (Everlark - After Mockingjay)

Chapter 46

Peeta's POV:

Okay. What just happened? I turn my head to my fiancée who is in full shock.

"You know you had to." I tell her, otherwise he would have shot one of us. Katniss sits up and just looks blankly at Gale's body. I sit next to her and stroke her back.

"C - can we take him to the river?" Katniss manages to choke out and take her gaze off Gale.

I kiss her on the nose before replying, "If that's what you want."

"That's what I want." she adds before signing. I stand up and face her. She grabs my hands and pulls herself up. She swallows me into a quick hug and squeezes my shirt fabric.

"It's okay." I murmur before she lets go and walks over to Gale's limp body. I follow her and stand beside her.

"Let's rest him on our shoulders." Katniss suggests and I nod. I bend over, placing Gale's left arm around my collar bone. Katniss copies what I do and we both stand up at the same time.

"The back." I say and we walk with Gale out the back of the house. We carefully climb down the stairs and move at a moderate pace. Katniss opens the gate and we try to casually head to the woods.

I'm surprised, he's not that heavy. Unless that's just me, carrying flour sacks for most of my life could be the reason why. Nearing closer to the woods I look over to Katniss. I see she is starting to struggle.

"Hey Kat. Once we reach the tree line I'll take him." I say and Katniss tries to protest but gives in.

"Okay. If you can." Katniss replies before looking at Gale and sighing. Her eyes soon turn back in front of us. I look up as well and see the tree line metres ahead. I decide to take the weight off Katniss' shoulders.

"I'll take him from here." I stop and place Gale on my right shoulder. Katniss sadly smiles. I gesture her in front and she moves onward into the woods.

Minutes go by and Katniss stops directing me through the trees and we come to a clearing which is bordered by the river. The water is moving at a fast enough speed to take Gale in its wake. I bend down and lean Gale's dead body on a rock.

"Go." I say and Katniss squats down next to Gale. She murmurs something to his lifeless body and kisses him on the cheek before standing up again. She nods at me, signalling to place him in the current.

I bend down and whisper to Gale "She's happy," before picking him up and walking towards the river side.

Before I let him go, Katniss stands by me with a hand on my shoulder. I slowly lower Gales body into the water and the current takes him.

I turn to my Katniss and she slams into my chest, quietly sobbing. I wrap my arms around her and stroke her for minutes.

Soon, I think it's time to go. I lift Katniss up, her legs wrapping around me. I hold her body securely and make my way away from the river and back home.