Second Chance

by hankss

I haven't seen Gale Hawthone in almost three months. And now he's here, at Katniss' wedding. I shouldn't care but I do. Of course I do. He's my goddamn husband.

The reception to Peeta and Katniss' wedding is filled to the brim with people that I've never met before.

It is after all the girl on fire's special day.

The hotel which they've rented out for the occasion looks fantastic, and I can see Peeta's flair for the art everywhere.

Most people come up to me and smile and joke and ask me how I've been since everything happened.

I nod and pretend I care what they're saying because I'm the maid of honour and that's what I'm supposed to do, when in reality all I want to do is run as far away from here as possible.

Because I saw him. Before, in the church, sitting at the very back with Posy and Mrs Everdeen and Rory and Vick.

And I know he's here. I just know it.

My blood is sizzling and every vein in my body feels like it's filled to the brim with acid, but I can't do anything about it.

Somebody bumps my hip playfully and I look around into the smiling face of Delly Cartwright.

Finally. A familiar face.

"Delly." I sigh, "Am I glad to see you."

"It's been too long Madge!" She throws her arms around me in a warm embrace, "How've you been Madge?"

"Good. Really good."

Lie. Of course it's a lie. I've been terrible. I've spent every night for the past year thinking about him. Why the hell can't I stop thinking about him?

"What about you?"

"Good. I moved to District three about a month ago. I'm engaged now." She holds her slender hand towards me and I gasp at the beautiful sapphire ring sitting on her finger, "His name is Garth. He's amazing."

"To catch a girl like you Dell, I'm sure he is."

She blushes hotly and raises a brow, "What about you? Did you stay here when the war was over?"

I nod, "I work as a teacher in the elementary school they just opened up."

"I'm so happy for you Madge. That sounds like the perfect job for you." And then her lips curve up into a smile, "And what about Mr Hawthorne? I heard about you two eloping and getting married when everything settled down."

"Things didn't end well." My voice breaks the way it always does when I talk about him, "Well. He left me. For someone else."

"Oh." Delly's face falls, "I'm so sorry Madge."

"It's okay. It happened a long time ago."

But it still hurts.

Suddenly everything's awkward and I can tell Delly wants a reason any reason at all to get away from me. I don't blame her.

"Well I've got to go help them wheel the cake in." I tell her, more for her own sake than mine, "I'll see you around Dell. Congratulations, really. I'm happy for you."

She smiles appreciatively, "Thank you Madge."

I nod smiling weakly before making my way over to Katniss and pulling her to one side, "He's here."

She looks up at me, eyes slightly bleary from a touch too much champagne, "Who?"

"President Snow. Who do you think? Gale."

Katniss' eyes widen, "He actually came?"

I nod.

"How do you know?"

"I saw him before, at the back with the rest of his family."

"Oh." There is a pause, "I'm sorry Madge."

"Me too. Ugh. I need to go outside for some fresh air. Is that okay?"

"Sure, sure of course," Katniss face tightens with worry, "Are you alright? Do you need me to get you something?"

"I'm fine. Really. Just need to be alone for a while. I'll be right back Katniss. Don't worry about me."

She opens her mouth - to protest, no doubt - but I don't give her the chance, instead shoving her back towards Peeta and smiling at the guests surrounding them, "I'll be right back."

When I step outside the air is crisp and cool. The sun is just about setting and I breathe in deeply, taking in the heavy scent of leaves and freshly fallen snow.

I wrap my arms around myself in an effort to keep warm and am startled when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around, thinking it might be Katniss coming to comfort me, when my eyes lock onto a pair of sickeningly familiar grey eyes.

My mouth falls open.

"Madge." Gale Hawthorne is towering over me, looking and perfectly beautiful as I remember, "My god. Madge."

I can't say a single thing. I can't even think properly. I stare up at him, as though he's some kind of dream and he clears his throat.

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

And then its like my brain snaps back to reality. I shake my head and look down, my cheeks suddenly blushing hotly.

"What do you want Gale?" My voice shakes, but I try to keep it firm.

"I just - I saw you come outside and I wanted to talk to you. Away from everybody."

"Talk to me about what exactly?" The bitterness behind my words seems to cut through the wind harshly.

"Anything." He drops his head, "I'm sorry I don't know why I thought you'd want to talk to me." He turns to walk away, and suddenly it's like a dam inside me has burst open and there's no way of stopping it.

"Why?" I ask, my voice wobbling, "Why did you leave me all alone after everything Gale? Was I not good enough for you? Pretty enough for you? Was it my hair, my eyes, my body? What was it Gale? What?"

He whips himself around sharply and his eyes are soft and gentle, like molten lava.

"I'm not good enough for you Madge. I never was."

I laugh bitterly, "Is that what you told yourself to make yourself feel better about leaving me for someone else?"

"There was nobody else." He whispers, "There never has been. Only you Madge. Always you."

"Then why did you leave?" A sob catches in my throat, "I loved you so much Gale. I was willing to put everything on the line for you - "

"That's just it Madge! That right there. I didn't want you to give it all up for me. I didn't want you to have to spend the rest of your life wondering why you'd stayed with my sorry ass when you could've had anyone you wanted!"

"So you thought leaving me would be the solution?" I'm crying now, sobs wracking my body heavily, "I have spend countless nights crying over you Gale. Wishing and praying that you'd come back. But you never did. You never did."

"I thought it was better that way!"

I cross the distance between us and grab him by the collar of his thick jacket pulling him down so his nose is barely brushing against my own, "You don't get to make those decisions by yourself Gale. I don't give a shit about money or where I live or any other guy but you. For God's sake Gale I would've died for you. I just wanted to be with you. Why couldn't I just be with you?!"

He closes his eyes and when he opens them I swear to God its like they're cutting straight through me, "I love you so much Madge. So much."

"Then prove it to me." I inch closer towards him, "Prove how much you love me."

And then, his lips are against my own, gentle and soft and perfect the way they've always been. And he pulls me closer towards him, until my chest is pressed against his so tightly, I feel like I might never breathe on my own again. He tangles his hands in my hair, and my own fingers stroke his cheeks desperately, like I can't get enough of him.

And I know I should pull away from him roughly and tell him to leave me alone and maybe even slap him but I can't because I love him so much it hurts.

"Don't ever leave me again," I whisper between kisses, "Promise me. Promise you'll never leave again."

He nods feverishly, "I promise. Oh god Madge I missed you so much."

He backs me up against the wall and his fingers dance across the hem of my dress, cupping my breasts gently and setting my pulse racing.

"I need to be alone with you." He kisses down my collarbone, "In a goddamn bed."

I sigh deeply and push him away slightly, giggling at the way his hair is tufted up every which way and his lips are wet and swollen and so perfect.

"Come with me." I whisper, interlacing our fingers and leading him back inside the hotel.

We sneak past the hall where everybody is still laughing and dancing and enjoying themselves, and slide messily into the elevator riding up to tenth floor. Gale's hands are everywhere, my thigh, my chest, my neck, my hair.

My heart is beating so fast I'm afraid he might be able to hear it, but when we're inside the hotel room I've rented for the night, I don't even care anymore.

He pulls me into his arms and carries me towards the bed, laying me down gently and hovering over me, his face a vision of beauty. He smiles at me.

"So goddamn beautiful." His hands begin to pull out the pins that have been keeping my hair in place, until it cascades all over my pillow in golden curls and I blush, biting my bottom lip, "I love you so much Madge. God. I've never even looked at another woman. Nobody but you. I'm so sorry."

My shaking hands find the buckle of his trousers and with a little help from him, I pull them down, along with his shirt.

He smirks, "Now this isn't fair. You're not nearly as naked as I am." My breath is stolen from my throat at the sight of his toned chest, my eyes raking over their appearance appreciatively, "Enjoying the view?"

I blush a little harder and his hands tentatively touch the side of my dress where my zip is. He looks at me, for permission or assurance I'm not sure, but I nod anyway, a smile curving my lips.

He pulls the zip down and helps my shimmy out of my dress, throwing it to one side and kissing my stomach lovingly.

"Soft," He whispers against my skin, "So soft."

He leaves a trail of goosebumps from the very top of my stomach down to my bellybutton and when he reaches my panty line he looks up at me, his eyes dark and sexy but still pleading.

"Are you sure about this?" Gale asks, his thick fingers playing with the hem of the lace panties I opted to wear, "I don't want you to regret this - "

"For god's sake Gale. I am half naked, below you and turned on to the point of no return. I'm pretty sure I want this."

He laughs lightly and then smirks, "Good. I was afraid you'd might change your mind."

I shake my head and he heaves himself up, pressing a hot kiss against my mouth and leaving featherlight touches all over my neck and chest and the valley between my breasts.

He's being so gentle. Like the first time. Like its our wedding night all over again. I shiver and he kisses away the goosebumps that have appeared all over my skin.

"I forgot how many freckles you have." He whispers, smiling softly, "You're so beautiful, Madge."

"So are you."

He unhooks the clasp of my bra and finally it slides off my shoulders, ending up in a heap of colourful lace on the ground. Then he moves down to my panties, hooking his thumbs on either side of them and pulling them down gently. I am naked. Completely naked, below him. And even though this hasn't happened in three months, and even though I should feel desperate and insecure and a million other things I can't help but sigh in relief.

Because this is where I'm meant to be.

With Gale.

Like this.

I blush as he slips out of his boxers, pressing his body against mine hotly and dropping kisses all over my skin. My hands find his back and he freezes slightly as my fingertips trace the scars that have remained on his dark, olive skin to remind us all of what Panem used to be like.

"Don't look." He sighs heavily, "I know they're ugly." His face buries into the crook of my neck and I shake my head.

"What are you talking about Gale?" I whisper, "They're beautiful. Just like the rest of you."

Before he can say anything else I slide out from beneath him and burrow my way beneath the covers, finding the wide expanse of his study back. And then, I begin to press kisses all over the skin. Starting at the very base of his neck, and working down to the small of his back. At first he's stiff and unresponsive, but after a while he relaxes and I can hear him sigh in content at my touch.

"I love you." I whisper when I'm done, and he rolls back on top of me.

He kisses me gently, and with a gentle push he's inside me. He begins thrusting softly, at first, and then more desperate as we both near the edge. His hands are everywhere, my breasts, my hair, my shoulders. But he finishes by cupping my cheeks and pressing the sweetest of kisses against my pleading lips. I arch my back when I hit my own climax and we wait there a moment, both relishing the after effects.

"Madge." Gale's nose is buried into the hollow of my neck, "I'm sorry."

"Me too."

There's a beat of silence and then he shifts, rolling over so that he's facing me, tracing my cheekbones and the bridge of my nose with his fingers, "I love you." He smiles sweetly, "Can you please be my wife, again?"

I nod shakily, grabbing the gold necklace chain hanging around my neck, and slipping my wedding band back onto my finger…where it belongs.

"Don't ever take that off again." He whispers, nuzzling my cheek with his nose, "You promise?"

"I promise."

And with that, he slings a protective arm around my waist and pulls me closer towards him, burrowing us under the covers and whispering I love you into my ear over and over again.

…