Had Katniss known his reservations were in regards to him not wanting to take advantage of her or their predicament, she would have set him straight. She’d assure him that no one would or could ever take advantage of her or she’d break their arms in half. Katniss didn’t let her guard down for just anyone. Sometimes she didn’t even let it down for herself until everything built up and overflowed. It was when that happened, that she had Gale or Prim to turn to so she could let everything out and surcumb to the difficult feelings.

She nodded slightly in agreement, 12 was pretty boring and barely got by but still, it was home and she loved it. Her mother was waiting for her and Prim to come back but Katniss was sure it would just be Prim making the journey back to their dinky district. She’d be alive and that’s all Katniss needed to think about. Thankfully she had Haymitch to once again pull her back from the edge of a foggy future. He suggested she go to bed but she didn’t want to move and when she replayed his words in her head, she noticed he hadn’t necessarily told her which bed to go to sleep in.

“I’m not the sleeping in kind.” She told him though he surely knew that already. Her eyes glanced to their lips for a moment and she glanced off, not sure what she was suddenly so afraid of. It was that line perhaps. If she crossed it, it couldn’t be crossed back over. She couldn’t attempt to want something and then try and forget about it when he ultimately pushed her away. Katniss remembered what Cinna had told her, that she needed to take her feelings seriously and it would help Haymitch to the same. Katniss just had no idea what she was doing and she had to laugh at herself since she could use Haymitch’s advice on how to cross the line between them.

Still, she liked being close to the edge, since it was much cozy than being further away and maybe she’d find the courage to do something about it before one of them got killed. “I think I have...forgotten how to get to my room.” She lifted her head up from its comfortable position so she could look at him, her arm slowly uncoiling from his. “I might just have to stay here tonight.” She laughed a little, hoping it was a lame enough excuse for him to not kick her out. She got points for trying right? 

Prim hadn’t smacked him or pushed him away or gotten upset so in Gale’s world, he was well over the moon. His face was stuck in a permanent smile as he looked at her, their faces still rather close to one another. Prim said that was all she wanted and he decided this was the best day he had in probably the last decade, hell, his whole life. Her fingers moved against his and she moved closer to him. For a moment, an angry Katniss appeared in his mind and he knew he shouldn’t do too much more or she might have a sixth sense and barge into his room. 

Neither of them needed that sort of interruption so Gale gave a gentle reminder to be careful and not get too ahead of himself or weird either. She kissed him once more and he returned it with the same affection as the first time. He removed his left hand from her and moved it to cup the side of her face. Holding hands was fine but he just wanted to be a bit more close to her. His warm palm brushed against her cheek as he forgot about where they were and how late it was getting and that they were really prisoners, clinging to a plan constructed by a baker.

He deepened the kiss slightly, allowing his lips to briefly suck on her lower lip before he broke the kiss again. Keeping his hand where it was, he then pressed his lips to her forehead and then moved down to kiss her nose. As much as he wanted to tell her that he loved her, it didn’t feel right and he didn’t want to just dump all of his feelings on top of her and have them try to shuffle them all at the moment. He decided he’d try again but for now, they were at least on the same page. In an unspoken sort of way, they already knew the other loved them and would do anything for them.

The boy was still determined to make Prim know how special and wonderful he thought she saw. He kissed her lips again briefly before he got up from the bed and went over to the dresser where he had placed the remote for the room’s lighting. “Come on, we should get some sleep.” He said. He wasn’t tired but he could enjoy his time with her in a more comfortable position. Gale crossed back over and got in bed and patted the spot next to him. “Or at least get in bed.” He corrected himself and turned off the forest scenery and dimmed the lights, hoping he didn’t look like some creep in the process. When she did get in bed beside him, he put his arm back around her and moved into a half sitting, half laying down position as his hand toyed with the tips of her golden curls. "I sleep better with you, I've found." He admitted with a small smile. Maybe it was because his dreams couldn't hold up to the reality beside him.