Living Lies ✜ Hunger Games x Reader

Execution

You woke up with chills running down your back and a gasp caught in the back of your throat.

Something—someone, rather—stirs at your bedside. You force open your eyes and glance towards the direction of the sound, laughing to yourself bitterly about how you've become quite the expert on how to wake up from a drug induced, unconscious state.

Of course, it's Gale. No surprise there. Not to say that you're complaining. Very relieved, yes—but also more than slightly pissed at him for asking Katniss to kill him. And yes, you understand that it was his decision, and maybe if whatever happened hadn't, and the Capitol had won, that he would have been tortured—or worse. You didn't want to think of what worse could mean. The Capitol could easily dream up the most terrifying torturous concoctions that would break anyone, like a nightmare. You had been there before.

But still, a part of you wants to be selfish for once, for the first time in years; slap him for asking Katniss to kill him, with you present to watch, and keep him alive in the hopes that you would both live long enough to see a future. What that future looked like, you couldn't be sure. Gale is in it—that much was certain.

"Hey, (Y/n/n), relax," he says calmly, "you're okay. We're Snow's mansion."

"What happened?" you ask groggily.

"I'm not exactly sure. Coin said that you were going crazy after the bombings happened and they had to sedate you to get you away from it."

You sit up, reaching back to fluff a pillow, and lean backwards, mouth open in surprise. You know that you shouldn't be surprised at this point, with Coin's lies and all. She was never considered trustworthy, in your book. But that she blatantly told a lie, knowing you'd most likely hear it? Gutsy, and suspicious. Whether she didn't care, or had genuinely thought that you would die, you weren't sure. Neither are very flattering thoughts.

"I wasn't crazy, Katniss was on fire. I had just watched Prim—" you stop yourself from finishing that sentence, hoping you were wrong, but Gale doesn't correct you, only lowers his head. You look away, and wipe away the hot tear that escaped your eye. He knows, you had done the only reasonable thing that a human would do—so blinded by desperation to keep your best friend alive, you only wanted to help. Coin had prevented that. "Is Katniss okay? Please tell me she's alright, Gale."

"Katniss is fine," he assures. "A little banged up but her mother's been with her most of the time. She's around here somewhere.  Was asking what happened to you right after she woke up."

A smile pulls at the corner of your lips. No matter what, through Games and crushes and fake deaths, and kidnappings and brainwashing, and pods and lizard mutts and Capitol bombs, nothing could shake the loyalty between you and Katniss. You had been friends for too long. Each other is the first thing the two of you would think of when you're in trouble.

"That's great. Snow?"

"Locked up somewhere around here. Security is pretty heavy everywhere, so it's hard to tell."

"How are the others?" you question, "in our Squad?"

"They're relieved," Gale answered, a twinge of regret in his voice, "Peeta's been with Katniss for a little while when she was asleep. Cressida is doing a little less than okay—she's been with Raine a lot, who will be happy to see you. The other Victors were brought here, so Finnick and Annie are happy, as expected."

You nod slowly. Cressida and Raine had lost a lot in the past few days. When you get out of this oversized, fluffy posh bed, you'll have to go console them, now that the time is right.