"I...I need your help." Gale said, taking a long pull from his beer.
Peeta snorted, "With what?" he asked. He knew that Gale hated asking for help and he loved to make him squirm.
Gale glared and took another drink before continuing. "I want to do something nice for Primrose for Valentine's Day." he mumbled.
"And you need my help because…?" Peeta tried not to grin, he really did.
"Because I suck at this…" he paused to gesture vaguely with his beer bottle. "Romantic stuff." he finished lamely.
Peeta's smile softened. When Gale and Prim had started dating, Katniss had freaked out but Peeta hadn't been worried. Now 4 months later, Gale wanted so badly to do something romantic for Prim that he was asking for advice. And from Peeta of all people.
"Are you going to help me or not?" Gale said irritably.
Peeta grinned. "We're going to need Katniss's help. And maybe Wiress."
Gale, Peeta, Katniss, and Wiress spent the day of Valentine's Day turning Gale's back yard into a fairytale land. Or at least that's what Lily said when they tested everything to make sure it worked.
"If Prim doesn't like this, I'm going to put an arrow in your ass, Mellark." Gale said as they admired, their work.
"She'll love it, Gale." Katniss piped up. "Trust me as a woman and her sister, she will love it."
"She's right." Peeta said, standing and clapping Gale on the shoulder. "We had better get going, Kat. I have my own Valentine's Day plans to deal with."
Katniss grinned and leaned toward her husband. "If you do as well as you did for Prim, I might.." she whispered something in Peeta's ear that Gale didn't hear and didn't want to.
Peeta smirked, probably full of confidence that whatever he had planned would be more than enough to earn whatever Katniss had promised him, and patted her lightly on the ass as they walked away. Katniss let out a shriek of laughter and chased Peeta through the house. He could still hear them laughing as they got in their car out front.
"I should go as well." Wiress said, smiling and shaking his head. "Beetee and I have reservations to make."
When Gale was alone he stared out at his backyard for a few more minutes before he went to get ready himself.
Prim knocked on Gale's door at 7:30 that night and noticed her hand was shaking a little, although from nerves or excitement, she couldn't say which. When Gale answered the door with a smile and kissed her cheek, she noticed he looked a little flush. He pulled her inside without a word.
"You okay?" she asked, narrowing her eyes as she took in his sweaty brow and tight smile.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just…" he paused and pressed the palm of his hand into the small of her back. "Surprise is out back." he said and guided her toward the french doors which had curtains drawn over them.
Gale stepped in front of the doors and held the handles behind his back. "You um, you have to close your eyes." he said.
"Okay." Prim said, reluctantly doing as he asked.
"No peeking." he said.
Prim giggled. "Yes, sir." she said.
She heard the doors open, and felt Gale take her hand and guide her outside. They took several steps and Gale took her by the shoulders to get her in just the right spot.
"Okay." he said. "Open your eyes."
When she did as instructed she let out a soft gasp. A set of garden lights lined a walkway that lead to the big willow in Gale's backyard that she had once heard him say was part of the reason he had bought the place.
Hanging from the tree were what must have been about a thousand lanterns and fairy lights. Underneath, someone had constructed a frame, from which a white sheet had been stretched. A huge round cushion lay on the ground in front of the sheet. Next to it sat a basket full of food and a bottle of wine in a bucket of ice. It wasn't until she tore her eyes away from all of this that she noticed the projector that had been set up, aimed at the sheet.
"One more thing." she heard Gale mumble behind her. She turned to look as he took a small remote out of his pocket and pointed it at the projector. After a few seconds, the opening strains of what Prim immediately recognized as the score to her favorite movie began to play. And the picture flickered to life on the sheet which she now realized was meant to be a screen.
"My Fair Lady?" she said, a huge grin was starting to make her cheeks ache.
"Do you like it?" he asked.
Prim stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek. "I love it." she said and headed over to the cushion. "You coming?" she called over her shoulder.
Gale followed her thinking that maybe he would send Peeta a case of that artisan beer he liked tomorow.
Prim gushed about the food, the wine, the atmosphere, and the movie for almost an hour before settling against Gale to finish watching under the stars. When the credits began to roll she turned to her boyfriend smiling.
"Gale, this was...it was perfect." she said.
Gale felt a blush creep up his neck. "It was Peeta's idea, actually. I asked him to help me-" his explanation was cut short when Prim pressed her lips to his in a passionate kiss. "Thank you." she said against his lips.
Gale reached out and cupped her face with one hand, shifting on top of her as he used the other hand to squeeze her hip. Prim tangled her legs with his and drug her nails over his scalp, causing him to groan. He released her hip long enough to find the hem of her dress and slid a hand up her thigh.
Prim gasped his name and clung to him as his lips found her neck and his hand when higher still. She was distractedly thinking she was glad she had worn matching underwear when Gale stopped and sat up.
"What's wrong?" she asked breathlessly.
"Primrose, I-" he began but stopped. "Do you want to spend the night?" he asked.
Something told Prim that was not what he was going to say but she just smiled and nodded.
"Good." he said. "Now where was I?"