A/N
So I know you all hate me right now considering how long its been since I've updated. And this chapter doesn't have anything all that special which is why it was hard to make because I really had nothing planned. But at the end I thought of a conversation that could happen between Katniss and Gale in the place where they're at that's kind of deep but cute at the same time. However, the chapter was already beginning to get pretty long so I wanted to wait until the next one so I could make their conversation really detailed instead of really limited. Anyways, hope you enjoy :)
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I flinch, releasing a whimper that I tried so hard to restrain. Gale removes the tweezers from my hand and examines the splinter the tool holds. It's the longest yet, two inches at least. He frowns and places it carefully in a glass bowl where the other ones lye. He cups my face in his large, rough hands and kisses me shortly. When he pulls away he tells me that I'm doing good and moves to work on the other hand.

"Well, I've been through worse pain," I reassure both him and myself. This is very much true. Other pains both him and I have suffered would not compare.

He doesn't reply, just continues to concentrate on removing an obstinate piece of wood. When he pulls it out right where it was buried deeply down the side of my fingernail, a flow of blood follows. Gale, not having anything to wipe it with since the blood from most splinters is mild, uses his shirt to wipe it without a second thought.

"Thank you," I say. He nods, progressing to the next finger.

I sigh, he'd been brushing me off with a nod like this ever since we woke up from our nap after arriving home from the woods. The most I've had from him is that short kiss that didn't even feel that great. It must be fatigue and concentration, I tell myself.

I shift my head toward the lamp hovering over my hand and then back down to Gale's tedious work on my fingers. The splinters, however, are not what I'm staring at. The ring on my finger is what I grin at foolishly instead as I try to forget his seemingly short temper. Here he is, taking good care of me just like he'd promised he would the day we were married. I lean my head on his shoulder, hoping this will ease him up a little.

"I'm sorry about everything that's happened lately," I whisper. "You don't deserve it. You deserve a family," I say, hoping that if this is why he seems so upset and exasperated it'll help. He waits until he's pulled the rest of my splinters out before replying.

"You know, Katniss . . . I don't really wanna talk about it, but thanks," he snaps with a grievous face. I frown at his harsh reply, backing my chair out from underneath the table, standing up, and falling onto our bed.

"Well, sorry then. I didn't intend on upsetting you," I explain, rolling my eyes although he can't see. He's silent. I hear a faint whisper coming from where he sits that sounds like numbers.

"Katniss?" he addresses me and I tilt my head so that he's in sight. "I want to know, how in the world did you manage to get fifteen splinters in your hands?"

I shift my eyes downward as I remember clawing the tree branch, releasing my anger onto the bark. I bite my lip until it bleeds the slightest bit. I stand up, looking him straight in the eye as I say,

"You know, Gale . . . I don't really wanna talk about it."

I hear him huff as I walk away, letting me know he understands that I'm mocking him. I don't know why he's making his remarks so cutthroat and how he was only nodding at me each time I said something. I thought it was only concentration, but thinking back at how his jaw tightened, it must be something more. How could he be so cruel to me after the great day we had? It's as if his mood shifted with the arrival of nighttime.

I walk to the bathroom and can hear Gale's footsteps trailing behind me. He's walking to where I stand in the bathroom, but I shut the door and lock it in his face. I grab a washcloth and carefully dab the places where Gale removed the splinters and where a deep red line replaces it. I hear the knocking of Gale's fist on the wooden door. However, I disregard the sound as if it's not even there.

"C'mon Catnip," he says, using my nickname that had sort of faded after war. I was usually excited when he used it, but now I'm displeased. He's using it only to bribe me. Tears make my eyes swell at this realization, but I wipe them quickly with the back of my hands.

"Catnip? I know I-"

"My name is Katniss!" I snap in a harsh tone. "K-A-T-N-I-S-S! You don't bother to ever use the nickname anymore so why should I let you?" He hesitates, releasing a deep sigh.

"Okay, I guess that's fair. Look, I know I was being a real . . ." his voice trails off in search of the right word.

"Bastard." I fill in, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning against the door as I continue to dab the blood.

"Yeah, that. But, please let me explain." I hop up onto the bathroom counter and lean against the wall it is merged with, my knees tucked to my chest.

"Okay, go ahead."

"Well, can I come in?" he asks. I think this over and finally decide to unlock the door. I reach my arm out to grab the lock between finger and thumb and twist it. I then sit myself upright again.

"Okay," I say. I hear the door knob turn and Gale enters the bathroom. His eyes lock with mine as he leans against the wall opposite of me to face me.

"This sounds ridiculous, but I had a nightmare."

I fold my arms over my chest and let out a laugh of disbelief.

"And you think that's an excuse? Gale, I have nightmares all the time and I don't take it out on you!"

"I know, I know! I'm sorry! I don't know . . . it was just a bad one and then you wanted me to take out those splinters, but I still couldn't stop thinking about that nightmare."

He walks over to me and lifts my hands to his lips. He kisses every spot that was injured by those malevolent pieces of wood. I close my eyes smiling because this, this is the Gale I love.

"Can I still call you Catnip?" he asks innocently with big, pleading eyes staring up at me.

"Yeah, I want you to say it more often actually," I laugh. He grins and then continues to heal my small cuts with his perfect lips.

"You know, we had a great day. I really want to have a great night too," I say. He concurs with a moan. When he's done with my fingers, I'm still sitting on the sink as he takes my wrists and pulls my arms around his neck. He then burrows his head into my neck, placing one gentle kiss there and then just resting as he lightly sways us both side to side.

"We'll be up all night," he whispers.

"I know," I reply. We always are when we take a nap. I like it though. It means a night of peace. No nightmares.

"You wanna take a walk?" I don't hesitate to say yes.

~

The air outside is light and breezy which is reasonable considering it's April and spring has just begun. I hold onto Gale's arm with my two petite hands letting my head sink into the muscular shape of his arm. I feel his head rest gently over top of mine. I tilt my head to where my face is burrowed into the crook of his neck as I lightly breathe on his olive skin, purring into the warmth of his body. I can't see ahead of me anymore, but I just continue to grip onto Gale, his steps guiding me in the direction needed to go.

We don't speak verbally at all, but the way we're holding onto each other is all the talking we need. The arm that hangs on the other side of Gale swings around to hug my body only delivering more contact between the two of us and I'm gratified by this action. My body feels as if at any moment we could trip over each other's feet and tumble onto the pavement due to how tangled into each other we are, but my mind knows that Gale isn't going to let that happen.

I have no idea how long or how far we have walked, but as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter. Where Gale is walking to with me is a mystery, but I don't care. I like the comfort of being this close to him especially after the events that have taken place recently. Then I feel rain begin to fall lightly on my face. It's warm though, and soothing, like a shower. And the fact that it falls on my face only is odd because my face is being covered in his neck.

"Katniss?" Gale whispers calmly his voice only touched slightly with concern. It's then I realize what I thought was rain is my tears and I've shed them onto Gale's neck, giving myself away.

I sniffle and pull myself out of his grasp in one gentle jerk of my body. I begin to dry my tears with the back of my hands, but Gale diligently grabs my wrists and pulls my hands away from my face. He continues to hold my hands, staring at me in the light of the streetlights and the moon. I feel my hair move with the breeze swaying into my face much to my dismay, but I don't have the energy to move it.

"Will you?" I ask, handing him the hair tie on my wrist.

"Of course," he replies. By watching me over the years, Gale has learned to braid, so he often does it for me when my fingers don't feel like doing the work.

I feel his fingers brush my neck every now and then. He can complete the action of braiding almost as quickly and swiftly as me now. It reminds me of when I would watch him set snares, though I haven't caught on to that as good as he's caught on to braiding. I remember vividly those old days when I would watch carefully as he set snares. And yet today I still struggle at making them. When he's done, we continue to walk further and further and the direction we're heading starts to become familiar.

Before I know it, we're laying in the tall grass of the meadow and Gale's arms are wrapped around me protectively from behind. His soft lips lightly trail up my neck causing me to moan in satisfaction. He traces them further and further upwards, swiftly pushing my hair aside as he does. Then finally, I can't hold back the urge. I need so much more than that. My mind is drifting off in the direction of our past and all that's happened. Gale is the only one who can drag me away from those thoughts right now and the tender kisses he's putting on my neck aren't cutting it. So, I twist my body just enough for our lips to collide in a fiery kiss. My hands clutch the collar of his shirt, my chewed nails unintentionally scraping his chest.

A noise escapes the back of Gale's throat that sounds like a moan with the hint of a wince. I'm not sure if it's ecstasy or displeasure so I pull away in case. But as soon as I do, he dives right back in, mimicking my aggression which I return without hesitation. And there we are, laying in the meadow, my body half slung over Gale's as we experience the most outrageous kiss I'd ever received or offered. And it's perfect. Because this is where the grave of all our good memories lay. And, even if for barely a moment, we can relive them in each other's presence.

That's when every memory of before that day I was sent off into the games floods my mind. It's perfect. All of it. Even the times I was here after the games were good because back then it meant it was Sunday, the only day of the week I got to see Gale. If it wasn't, I was hunting alone for Gale's family since they refused to accept any money from me. Even if it were in that case though, back then, that was the closest I could get to being me. And in those days, since it seemed the only thing I'd be accustomed to for the longest time was sadness, it was more than enough happiness to live in for a moment.

And that's kind of like now. Lately, I've again been accustomed to a bit of sadness and stress. It's not even close to the amount I've been put through before, but that still doesn't make it easy. So, being able to live in happiness, even if it's only for just one night before the descent of things dawns on me again, is enough to get me through a little longer.