Disclaimer: The Hunger Games do not belong to me, I simply borrow the characters.
Contains: smut and use of language
Gale Hawthorne doesn't have a nickel to his name. He has a house in the Seam, a family to take care of, and a shitload of scars on his back. But he's alive for one reason and one reason only.
Madge Undersee brought him morphling.
Gale Hawthorne doesn't have a nickel to his name, but he's going to pay her back anyhow.
It's still cold out; the remnants of the blizzard aren't all entirely gone. Thick patches of ice on the ground here and there and the occasional burst of wind that gets his toes to freeze. He's allowed to walk around freely now, no longer strictly on bed rest like he has been for the past week. He knows that he should immediately go to the Hob, look for something to trade somehow, to make some money or to feed his family.
But he ends up at the Undersee household anyway.
He heard her when she dropped the vials off at the Everdeen's when he was still out of it. He wasn't hallucinating, he couldn't have been. Everything was too real then, too sharp and focused. Her voice, in a world of daggers and whips, was soft and serene. Use these for your friend.
They had been dancing around their attraction to each other for weeks, months even. But he felt it and he knew she did too.
His knuckles wrap on the backdoor once, twice, three times. He considers leaving. Just as Gale goes to step down the stairs, maybe come back on a day that isn't as dreary, the door is being pulled open.
Madge stands with her hands by her sides. Her hair is up in some sort of messy bun, loose strands of sunshine framing her face that were too short to stay up in the pony. Her face is pale when she spots him.
"Gale," she breathes out. He must look ridiculous. No berries in his hands, no scowl on his face. "You're off bed rest."
"Clearly," he mutters. Gale takes a step forward but Madge doesn't move back in the least. "Can I come in?" Again, he must look ridiculous. Madge blinks upwards at him, her face riddled with confusion. "Or are you worried I'll track in some coal?"
"No," Madge blurts instantly. She steps backwards and makes room. "Sure. Yes. Come in." Gale marches into the Undersee household and tries not to seem too amazed at the grandeur of it. Spectacular. He's never been inside before. "Is something wrong? I don't remember the last time you—"
"Save it, Undersee," Gale murmurs. He spins around to face her as she clicks the door shut. "You brought me morphling." It isn't a question, it's a statement of fact. He already knows it's true. Checked with Prim to make sure. Was verified by Haymitch Abernathy himself. "I want to know why."
Still, she blinks confusedly. Madge looks like a doe that just happened to get caught in a trap. Wide eyed, lips slightly parted. He forces his gaze to stay upwards and not on her sweet lips, slightly wet and perfectly pink. Dancing, dancing, dancing around the way his cock twitches in his pants whenever he sees her.
"You were dying," she croaks out quickly. The rough sound of her voice sends a shiver down his spine. "And I didn't want you to."
"Why not?" Gale's not in the mood to beat around the bush. "You hate me, Undersee."
"No I don't," she snaps, crossing her arms over her chest. Yes, this is what he wants. The fire in her eyes. "You're unbelievable, you know that? After running through the blizzard to take you the medicine you still think I hate you."
"Well if you don't hate me that means you must like me," he concludes. Gale trails his eyes over her outfit. It's fucking wintertime and she's still wearing her dammed dresses. Not that he minds because fuck her legs. "Right?" The question throws her off balance, sending her stepping backwards as though he's a predator approaching.
"No," she whispers harshly. "It doesn't mean that." But the way her cheeks run red definitely says something other than that. "Gale," Madge sighs tiredly, "why are you here?"
"Because we've got something, Undersee," he says. Gale takes a step closer, smirking as she runs into her counter and can't back up anymore. Another step forward. "Passion."
"P-passion?" Gale nods, watching her eyes widen. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," Gale murmurs, "that I like watching you get riled up. I like when we debate, I like when you prove me wrong." Of course, he loves being right as well, but the smirk she always wears when she's won makes him frustrated. "And I don't want to pretend like I don't, anymore." Still she stares at him. The black of her eyes is so much more intoxicating than the blue. "I want you. And you want me too. Admit it."
"I—" Gale takes another step forward and the words die in her throat.
He's right. Madge wants him, and it unnerves her to no end that he knows this. Everyone in the entire dammed District is in love with Gale Hawthorne for his looks alone, but the fire that he keeps pent up drives her up the wall.
For as long as she can remember she's been the mayor's daughter. That's it. Nothing more. But he saw past that. He would rant to her about the injustice of this world, he would snap at her about inequality. He would argue with her, and no one's ever done that before.
He licks his lips, his eyes meet hers. "I want you," she whispers. His smile is wicked as he leans down over her, carefully wrapping one of his arms around her waist and using the other to release her hair from the knot she's tied it into. Gale pulls her closer but doesn't touch his lips to hers. He needs her to say it. He needs permission. "Christ, Hawthorne," she breathes. The air dances across his lips. "Kiss me, already."
Oh, but he wants much more than that.
He drops his mouth down to hers immediately, groaning as her lips move against his. In seconds she's lifted to the counter top and her legs are around his waist. His dick aches in his jeans and he wants nothing more than to let it breathe but Gale's too lost in her mouth and her taste and her feel to even think about it for more than a second.
Before he knows what's happening Madge's fingers are working away on the buttons of his shirt.
"Shit, Undersee," he pulls away. Her hands freeze. She's confused. So is he. "Isn't your family home or something? I mean we're in your kitchen." Her cheeks run pink and it's so fucking cute he can't help but kiss her again. "Bedroom," he rasps. She nods at once, hopping from the counter when he steps away and starting toward the staircase.
"Dad's at work," she says over her shoulder, "and it's Sunday so all of our workers have off."
"And your mom?" Gale wonders.
"Sleeping." He cocks an eyebrow but doesn't question anymore, following her into her too-white room and letting the door click shut behind him. Again she's on him in seconds, popping the buttons from their place with a curious look on her face. "Is this okay?" she whispers nervously.
Gale drops his mouth down to hers as he nods. "Yes," he murmurs. "God, yes."
"I—I just don't," fuck she's cute when she stutters, "I don't want this not mean anything." Her hands fall slack and drag a little. Gale tilts her chin up. "Because I—"
"Undersee," he grunts. Her eyes turn sharp and Gale smiles slightly. "Madge," he corrects softly. When her cheeks turn scarlet he has to resist every single urge that tells him to kiss her again. "I want you. I want to be with you. I want to repay you."
Her face is questioning. "For what?"
"Saving my life." Before she can respond he runs his lips over hers. "Payment first," he tells her. "Then I'm all yours."
"Gale, you don't have to—" he hikes her against him and she squeaks, instantly wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. "Not everything demands payment," she breathes. He carries her to her bed and lays her gently on the mattress. "Sometimes people do things just because they want to."
"Then I'm doing this because I want to," he whispers. Gale kisses down her throat. "Let me do this." He nibbles on her collarbone and grins as she gasps. "Or tell me to stop." When he reaches the strap of her dress he hikes it over her shoulder, and she shimmies to help him.
Gale takes this as permission.
By the time he reaches her other shoulder she's already shrunk out of it, nearly shoving the dress down her chest and over her hips. Gale gulps at the sight of her as she wiggles the dress over her thighs and deposits it on the floor next to the bed. Nothing but a light blue bra and matching panties. Perfectly pale. Beautifully glowing.
He kisses down her chest and thumbs at her breasts over the fabric.
"You're too clothed," Madge nearly groans. Gale undoes the rest of the buttons on his shirt and slinks it off. "Undershirt," Madge grunts.
"My back," he reminds her. "Next time."
And before she can tell him not to worry and that she doesn't care, his mouth is on her skin again and all of her thoughts dissolve into bliss. His hands, though rough on the outside with calluses, are gentle on her hips. He kisses over her chest, traces circles on her body. When he reaches her stomach he pauses but she arches into him.
"Don't stop now," she nearly pleads.
Instead he kisses his way back up to her mouth. When they kiss Gale reaches behind her, quickly undoing the hook of her bra and sliding it from her shoulders. At the sight of her bare breasts Gale's dick is throbbing again. He groans.
"Fuck," he mutters. Gale doesn't give Madge a chance to be bashful, his hands slide over her nipples gently and they harden instantly at his touch. "You're so fucking beautiful."
His hands are all over her as they kiss; Madge's body is entirely on fire. She pants at the pressure on her breasts and whines impatiently when his hands slide to the insides of her thighs. She doesn't want to beg but she will if she has to, desperately needing his touch that she can't even get out proper words. Gale smirks deviously at the sounds she makes and reminds himself that this is all about her.
He kisses down her chest, burning a trail to her breasts before capturing her nipple and suckling lightly. Madge whimpers as his tongue slides against her delicate skin and she arches into him again, her breast entirely exposed to his mouth now. Gale caresses the nipple he's not sucking with his free hand, the other holding her closely, and Madge's body starts to shake.
Knowing that she's close Gale switches his mouth to her other breast and Madge groans beneath him, the sensation of hot and cold sending coils of heat to her cunt. His hand slides further behind her back and along her spine, bringing her forward so he can more easily suckle. He bites down slightly on her nipple and Madge gasps in pleasure, throwing her head backward against the pillow and reaching her peak immediately.
Madge cries out his name and clutches the sheets fiercely.
As her body trembles beneath him Gale kisses down her chest. Her tits are great but he wants more, and she deserves more. He starts stroking her pussy through her panties waiting for her to come down from her high, and when she does Madge twitches again. She's soaking through the thin fabric and he can't stop himself from kissing her quickly.
"Oh, God," she breathes. "Gale."
"Madge," he answers. She smells like sex and heaven. Tastes even better.
"I—let me do something for you—"
"Today's about you," he tells her. With that he loops his fingers through the sides of her underwear and the damp item from her body, depositing it on the floor next to her dress.
Though his dick is pulsating he's not done with her payment. Maybe afterwards he can relieve himself.
First Gale kisses down her slit, darting his tongue out every few seconds to taste her. Madge moans softly and the noise is music to his ears. Gale reaches up and traces his fingers along her clit before parting her easily. Madge's hips roll against his face and Gale groans, eagerly dropping his mouth back down to her.
As he slides his fingers in rhythmic circles he starts to suck, flicking his tongue inside her and reveling in her cries. Heat builds in her lower stomach and spirals through her body in breathtaking waves.
"I—I'm," she pants and quivers, clutching her sheets even tighter. Gale slips a finger inside of her and Madge drops her head back against her mattress, screaming his name as she comes. His fingers press inside again in a steady motion as Madge rocks into another orgasm, letting her entire body shake at his mercy. "Oh, God!"
"Actually I'm Gale," he murmurs playfully.
Madge's smile is lazy and spent as she sprawls out across her messy sheets. Her hair sticks to her forehead as she comes back down, and Gale pulls his fingers from her cunt and brings them up to his mouth, giving himself another taste of the goddess before him. When she notices him do this Madge sits up at once, crawling across her bed to where he is at the foot of it.
At once her fingers are sliding his pants down his legs, and his erection springs out of his boxers before he can even get his jeans from over his knees.
Madge grabs the elastic of his boxers and thrusts them down too, and Gale moves back so he can remove it all before continuing. He doesn't want to do this with shoes on. She crawls from the bed and makes him sit on the edge, his dick straight up in the open air.
"My turn," Madge hums. Her fingers slide around the underside of his cock and she tugs it slightly. Gale groans and grips the sheets, much like she had earlier. "Not so fast," she breathes. Her warmth coils around his dick and he squeezes his eyes shut.
Madge leans forward and kisses the head of his cock before licking down the long shaft.
"Where the hell you'd learn to do that?" Gale chokes. Madge only smiles up at him, her golden hair around her like a halo, and fondles his balls gently. Gale clenches his jaw. Too soon. He won't come yet.
She loves teasing him, running her tongue along his length and tracing it across his veins. Madge guides his dick to her mouth and Gale nearly loses it then, the warm sensation of her surrounding him so pleasantly. She can't take it all but she tries her best to please him, bobbing back and forth across his cock.
Madge skims her teeth over his gentle skin and Gale shudders. "Fuck," he groans. "Madge, I'm close," he warns. But she just keeps rocking back and forth, taking as much of his dick into her mouth as she can and sliding her tongue along the sides. Her hands reach up and grip his ass under the sheets, forcing herself to slide closer and take even more. "Shit," he breathes.
She moans against his cock and Gale loses himself, his dick expanding as he groans. His orgasm is hot and he twitches in ecstasy and Madge makes sure to swallow it all.
Once he's done she licks the underside of his cock as she pulls out, watching Gale's sweat covered body resting against the mattress. He's dropped to his elbows and is breathing deeply.
Madge practically crawls up him, resting on his lap and circling her legs around his hips. She kisses up his neck carefully as his arms link around her. Though he still has his undershirt on Madge can see the outlines of his muscles. Her fingers carefully trace each.
"How was it?" she asks.
"Fuck." She laughs slightly and rests her head on his chest. Gale kisses her forehead and slides backwards on the bed so they're not teetering on the edge. "Another go?" he asks. All at once he rolls the pair of them, pinning Madge down on the mattress. Her body is warm again as he plants his lips to her chest. "I owe you for that."
"No more repayment," she scolds him, jamming her finger against his stomach as menacingly as she can. It doesn't work very well, because when he kisses her she dissolves into pieces.
Gale grins. "Yes. Lots of repayment."