Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games, nor do I own its sequels. I have, however, fallen in love with the series and its characters.

I had never really thought about a Gale/Peeta pairing until this scene in Mockingjay (SPOILERS! IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT, DON'T READ)

This is what might have happened had Katniss fallen asleep during the conversation. It's not an AU, so it doesn't mess with the outcome of the book. But anyway, here's some Peeta and Gale love! It does get a bit graphic (therefore the M rating) so you've been warned. Enjoy!

Gale yawned. "We should get some sleep."

"Yeah." Peeta allowed himself to relax as much as he could under the circumstances. His arms were still shackled to the support, but there was enough leeway for him to somewhat lie down. "I wonder how she'll make up her mind," he mumbled, mostly to himself.

"Oh, that I do know," said Gale. "Katniss will pick whoever she thinks she can't survive without."

Peeta chuckled solemnly. "Well, she's pretty tough. It might end up she can survive just fine without either of us."

Gale grunted in accord. "I'd prefer not to think about that—both of us ending up sad and alone. Unless…"

He hesitated, unsure of the fresh thoughts in his mind. Would Peeta go for it? Even if he said no, he wasn't in much of a position to put up a fight. All this death and despair—Gale needed someone, anyone, to help him release. This might, after all, be his last night in the living.

"Unless what? Gale?" Peeta whispered. "Gale?"

Using his hunting skills, Gale unraveled himself from Tigris' furs without a sound, and crept silently over to Peeta. His mouth hovered just over the other boy's ear as he said, "Unless we make our own decision."

Peeta jumped in surprise, and his chains clanked softly against the support. "Gale, what are you—"

"I have a question, Peeta," Gale interrupted, sliding down to the ground in front of the other boy. "When those bastards—when they hijacked you, did they tamper with any memories of me?"

As he spoke, he moved his lips closer and closer to Peeta's, until their mouths were barely inches apart.

Peeta swallowed hard, getting nervous. "N-no, Gale. There weren't enough for them to…" Gale's rough hands had begun to stroke his arms.

"…to tamper with. They—they focused solely on K-katniss..."

"Shhh," Gale breathed, taking the other boy's face in his hands. "You talk too much."

And he enveloped Peeta's lips with his own.

Peeta grunted in shock and disgust. He tried to pull his head away, but Gale's grip was strong. He hadn't realized until then, but Gale was sitting on his legs. His arms were shackled above his head. Unless he thrashed around and woke the others—something he refused to do—he was utterly helpless.

He squirmed anyway, trying in vain to escape Gale's grasp. It was futile. After less than a minute, he stopped struggling. He remained stiff, though, and clamped his mouth firmly shut.

It was at this moment that Gale began to move his lips. He pressed firmly at first, to ensure Peeta's surrender. Then slowly, sensually, he slid his lips over Peeta's in varying motions.

Peeta had never experienced this before. He had kissed Katniss many, many times in the past, but her kisses had never been as fervid as this. Gale's lips were warm and moist, strong and passionate. Peeta had resolved to keep his mouth locked shut, but he soon found himself enjoying it. Sighing, he allowed his eyes to close and his jaw to relax.

Gale sensed his acquiescence. He pulled away slightly, and replaced his lips with his tongue. Peeta moaned softly at this new sensation. Gale let his tongue glide over Peeta's lower lip first, and then his upper. They parted readily now, making an open invitation for Gale to enter.

Gale quickly slipped his tongue into Peeta's mouth, earning a sharp intake of breath from the boy, and began to explore.

Peeta sank deeper into the kiss. This was how he had always envisioned it to be. He began to kiss back, engaging Gale's tongue with his own. His wrists strained against his shackles—not to escape, but to wrap themselves around Gale. He felt something else straining, too, against his pants. Peeta groaned in displeasure when Gale, after an eternity, broke away.

When Gale felt his growing erection, he had thought nothing of it. It was quite normal; he had experienced it before. But when Peeta's began to emerge, his gray eyes shot open, and he broke away to see what he thought he felt.

When he looked back up, he saw Peeta's bright blue eyes boring into him. The other boy was panting, and his brow was furrowed in confusion. "What," he grumbled, "Had enough of me?" It was clear he wanted more—but more of what?

Gale was utterly confused. He had just meant this as a bit of fun. But now…

He had to admit it to himself. He, too, had been lost in the passion. Kissing Peeta had been—the best thing he had ever done. But what now? Should he shrug it off as a passing fancy and leave them both unsatisfied? Should they simply make out until daybreak? Or…no. They couldn't possibly. They both fancied Katniss. Obviously they weren't really attracted to each other. There was no way they could…

Unless Katniss had been a ruse. Unless their rivalry over the girl had simply been to hide their mutual attraction to each other. He had to find out.

Gale, making up his mind, lunged at Peeta. He crushed his lips to the other boy's, and wound his fingers through his blond hair. Then, he began to grind his hips against Peeta's.

Gale's lips stifled Peeta's yelp. He was definitely not expecting that. Disgusting, he thought…but as Gale continued, the word completely disappeared from his mind. His body's needs consumed him. He bucked his hips to Gale's rhythm.

Gale broke away and began to leave a fiery trail of kisses down Peeta's neck. Unable to take off Peeta's shirt due to the shackles, he made due with lifting it. He sucked on Peeta's hard nipples, bit his neck, licked his way down to his waist…

Peeta was insane; the metal of his cuffs cut into his wrists as he threw all his weight against them in ecstasy. "Gaaaale…" he breathed, scarcely making a sound for fear of waking the others.

The young man's attuned ears heard him, though. He looked up and, even in the darkness, saw the blood beginning to soak through Peeta's wrist bandages. In a flash, he was up, rifling for the keys.

"No," Peeta gasped. "Don't…"

But the lock clicked in release. Peeta slumped to the floor, his wrists unbound.

Gale was next to him. "I trust you," he whispered, and enveloped Peeta in another kiss.

Peeta touched his newly freed hands to Gale's face and neck…his suddenly bare shoulders and chest…this man was beyond belief. His body was so strong and rugged. It was amazing. Peeta pulled Gale closer, unable to comprehend how, in just a single night, Gale had gone from rival to lover.

Loathe in breaking their lips, but eager to progress, Gale pulled off Peeta's shirt. He reveled in the sight of Peeta. He had seen Peeta's body before, of course, but never like this. The boy was beautiful. Even with what he had been through, he was still soft in all the right places.

Next, Gale relieved Peeta of his pants. Peeta was alarmed, but did not object. It felt good to be free of all his bindings. They continued to kiss furiously, tangling limbs to ensure that every part of their bodies touched.

Gale eventually continued his trail of kisses, now including Peeta's firm thighs and hips. Peeta involuntarily bucked when Gale's mouth hovered over his penis, still shrouded in the cloth of his loose underclothes.

Suddenly, Gale stood. He lifted Peeta from the cold floor and placed him on his bed of furs. Only then did he remove Peeta's undergarments.

"What are you doing?" Peeta groaned.

Gale replied by dropping his own remaining garments to the floor.

Peeta's blue eyes went wide. "No, Gale…no. We can't possibly…"

His protests were stifled as Gale stepped forward to press his hot erection between Peeta's lips. "Yes, we can," the young man curtly replied. Then, recognizing his seeming coldness, he switched to a soothing tone. "Peeta, it's not difficult. I'll guide you through it. Just keep your mouth open…I'll do the rest. Just make sure that…"

He cut himself off to keep from screaming in pleasure. His entire body spasmed as Peeta, gazing sensually at him, began to suck softly on the head of his erection. Seeing this, the boy gained confidence. He sucked harder, with more resolve, occasionally letting his tongue flicker along the slit.

Gale's legs began to shake. He rocked his hips forward, and Peeta took more of him into his mouth. "Oh," he breathed, barely able to stand it. Peeta used his tongue artfully: gliding it around the shaft, flicking it against the tip. He drew back a bit, and then allowed Gale to plunge in once more.

Gale became slightly aware that he was coming to his climax, and he still had Peeta to think of. With great reluctance, he tore himself away from Peeta's lips and collapsed on top of the younger boy.

"Where—did you…"

"Don't ask me," Peeta whispered, pushing back the memories of his captivity in the Capitol which he knew to be too real.

Gale was confused only for a moment. He gasped with realization. "They didn't…they couldn't have…"

"I told you not to ask," Peeta growled, squeezing his eyes shut.

Guilt flooded Gale's voice and expression. "Peeta, I—if I had known—I'm so sorry—we don't have to—I mean, I can't do that to you."

The boy sighed. "Gale, it's different. I'm…disgusted to say it, but I'm…enjoying this. I actually…want this." He brought his lips to Gale's once more.

The young man melted into the kiss. Peeta wanted him. A few hours ago, this would have been a revolting thought. Now…even with Peeta's past to consider…it was the most wonderful thing in the world.

They lay there, naked, pressed tightly against each other. Peeta nuzzled his head into the crook of Gale's neck. "I won't hurt you," Gale murmured. "I swear." The boy simply nodded his ascent.

Gale began to kiss his way down Peeta's body again. This time, however, he kissed along the entirety of Peeta's erection. The boy shuddered in pleasure. Gale took him slowly into his mouth, sucking ever so slightly.

Finally, it was time. Gale put both Peeta's legs above his shoulders and positioned his penis, still moist with Peeta's saliva, at the entrance. Peeta's blue eyes bore into him. He breathed deeply…and then slowly pushed his way in.

Peeta's face contorted with a mixture of pain and pleasure. Gale stopped, worried, until the boy nodded for him to keep going.

The young man adjusted himself so that he was fully inside. Once he got past his own initial spasms of pleasure, he pulled out slightly, and promptly thrust himself back in. Peeta gasped at the sudden motion. Gale stopped once again, genuinely concerned.

"Don't," Peeta groaned. "I'll tell you…if…"

Gale gave a half grin. "Sorry."

He moved again, and again, gaining speed with every thrust, until Peeta moaned, "Deeper…" Gale adjusted the boy's body in a position he hoped would make for better penetration. Peeta's soft whimpering confirmed that he had indeed found a pleasurable spot.

Propping himself up with his left hand, Gale spit on his right, and proceeded to fondle Peeta's heated erection. He looked up to gage the boy's reaction, and the look on his face was too much to bear. He climaxed inside of Peeta, and ensured Peeta's finish with a few more deft strokes of his hand.

They lay there, Gale resting his head on Peeta's soft chest and Peeta absentmindedly caressing Gale's face, both breathing deeply each other's scents. Sleep was threatening to overtake them, but they couldn't risk being found this way in the morning.

"That was all I ever hoped it would be," Peeta whispered, more to himself than to his lover.

Grunting softly, Gale raised himself up on an elbow and stared into Peeta's beautiful blue eyes. "I think you should know that I never intended to feel the way I do about you. I started this on a crazy whim, never imagining it would bring so much truth. For me…everything with Katniss has just been a ruse." He dropped his gaze along with his voice. "I think I love you, Peeta Mellark. I think I always have."

Peeta swallowed hard as tears sprung to his eyes. "Gale, I…"

The young man looked up again, with a look that could have pierced Peeta's soul. "I know you must be confused. You spent countless weeks in captivity, being tortured and tampered with. I'm sorry I was so insensitive earlier. No matter how wonderful that was—for me or you—and no matter if we both stay alive these next few days, I swear I won't force myself on you again. Just promise…if you choose Katniss…that you won't ever forget that I love you."

Peeta was speechless. All he could do was nod.

Gale sighed heavily and stood. "We should clean up and get to sleep." He found a few rags to wipe Peeta's essence from their bodies. He helped Peeta get back into his clothes and, resentfully, shackled him back to the support. "Good night," he murmured, and turned to leave.

"Wait," the boy choked out. Gale hesitated. "Kiss me again. One last time."

Gale knelt beside his love, took his head in his rough hands, and gently pressed their lips together. When he pulled away, he saw the wetness running down Peeta's cheeks. "Thank you," the boy said, "for understanding. For giving me the best night of my sorry life. For loving me." His lips sought Gale's once more. "I promise I'll never forget."

-End-