After Mockingjay: Gale Hawthorne

Part 4

"We got you a date.", Katniss said abruptly at dinner one night.

" You what?"

"You heard her.", Peeta grinned.

" I mean thanks but im good-"

" You need to go out Gale, You'll find someone-"

" I did, it didn't really work out in my favor did it?"

Katniss looked flagbustered for a moment, Peeta choked on his food.

Gale grinned, "Calm down, i'm not gonna steal your wife."

Katniss cleared her throat, " I think you'll like her."

Gale sighed, " When is this date?"

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Gale was surprised at how much effort Katniss put into getting him ready. She had rubbed hair products on to his scalp, she had assigned Prim to comb his hair while she found decent clothing. it had grown out a bit, reached the nape of his neck. she was combing it to the side, getting frustrated whenever one stubborn strand stuck in the opposite direction.

After rummaging through his clothes, she decided on a white yarn sweater and jeans. She had reasoned that it was cold outside and that was the best sweater Gale owned.

Gale was about to shave when Peeta stopped him, " I think she'd like you better with a beard."

Gale looked at him confused, " You sure?"

"One hundred percent."

Gale being the time freak he was, showed up 15 minutes early. Just so he could get a feel for the place and think of what the hell he should say. He had gone on dates before, most were double dates because a colleague's love interest wanted their friend to come along too. He ended up having decent conversations with them and even having fun but when both of them would bid farewell he knew the only reason they both were there was their friends.

Everyone there had tried to push him into dating but it had never worked, first it was the struggle to get food on the table, before the revolution. During it, he was occupied in planning and missions and after he was dealing with sleepless nights and a hectic work schedule. He never really had the time. Plus he always ended up falling for the girls he'd never get.

First it was Katniss, he didn't feel the need to explore that chain of thought any more but then there was Madge, a ray of hope who was always kind and open to him, for a lot of his time with her, he was still facing heartbreak but then the few weeks of bliss had arrived. They would go in the woods together, he'd enthusiastically talk about snares and hunting, in return she'd talk about art and music. He remembered the butterflies in his stomach when she held his hand. How his heart accelerated almost every time he saw her. She had admitted that she loved him but he was afraid of this love. He had experienced it with Katniss and for the most part it was painful. She knew he felt the same way, she was smart in that sense. She had kissed him on the cheek and he would blush every time he saw her after that. He didn't like thinking about Katniss, thinking about Madge was easier, nicer. Katniss had left him because of her choice. Madge was gone because of a cruel twist of fate. He couldn't have done anything, he just wished that he had kissed her at least once.

He saw a figure walking towards his table and when she stood in front of him with a mischievous grin on her face, he couldn't help but look confused, " Johanna?"

She sat down, " Hawthorne, what's up?"

He felt odd that she wasn't even surprised, did she already know about this? He wondered, " Honestly? Not much."