Hello, evreryone! This is unbeta'd, so sorry if there are some mistakes, but I wanted to get this up for you guys. Merry Christmas, to all who celebrate it!
One Of His Dress Shirts.
All things considered, working at the Hawthorne Estate is not the worst job she could have. Sure, she's scrubbing the floors and doing laundry, but gets paid $25 per hour, paid holidays, and weekends off. Since her work is off the books, every cent is deposited into her bank account at the end of the week. There are worse things Madge Undersee could be doing.
But there are so many better things, too.
After graduating fourth in her class (much to her relief; she hated giving speeches) from Columbia University, she had plans to intern at the New York Times and had high hopes of climbing up the ladder to attain the coveted position of Editor-In-Chief. However, the suicide of her mother sent her back home to Panem, Virginia to both console her aging father and mourn the loss of a woman who had been too depressed to function in the last five years. To top it all off, two weeks after her mother's funeral, her father was shot during one of his mayoral speeches by a psychotic citizen simply because the man did not like the color tie Mayor Undersee was wearing.
In the span of one month, Madge Undersee had plummeted from the top of the world to rock bottom.
That is, until she ran into Hazelle Hawthorne at the gas station.
The woman, who used to own the laundry mat that Madge's mother used to take her to every Sunday, was pumping gas into a shiny new Mercedes. At first, Madge didn't recognize the woman. The last time she had seen her, she had been corralling her three of her four children back up the stairs into her small, dingy apartment and away from the customers in the Laundromat. Now she looked as if she slept on a bed of cash and ate off of solid gold plates.
"Oh, Madge," the woman had said once she spotted her, "I am so sorry about your parents. It's such a shame, dear."
Madge had blinked back the tears that threatened to escape and nodded. Mrs. Hawthorne enveloped her in a hug.
"Are you back here for good now, dear? I heard that you were doing so well in New York."
"My internship fell through when I didn't return immediately," Madge mumbled, "and my dad was too behind on bills for me to just leave. I'm planning to get a job around here stay at home until I can sell the house."
"Let me know if there is anything I can do to help," Hazelle said, grasping her hands. "Your parents always came to the 'mat, even when they could have bought a washing machine themselves. They always gave us their business, and I truly appreciated it."
"Sure, Hazelle. Thank you."
"Why don't we exchange numbers, dear? I'll give you a call if I hear of any positions open for you."
Madge and Hazelle swapped phones and typed in their numbers. "Take care now, Madge."
"You too," Madge said, letting Mrs. Hawthorne hug her again. "Thank you."
Later that night, after her head was throbbing and the bottle of wine she had purchased earlier was halfway gone, Madge shoved the pile of bills away from her and collapsed in front of the television. She turned on the news, cocooned herself in one of her mother's old blankets, and closed her eyes. She was just beginning to doze off when she heard his name.
"Now let's talk about our local rags to riches story. How did Gale Hawthorne go from helping his struggling single mother raise his family to owning one of the most successful companies in the western hemisphere?"
Madge sat straight up and grabbed the remote. She turned the volume all the way up as the news anchor started profiling Gale Hawthorne's rise to fame.
"Gale Hawthorne, born and raised here in Panem, Virginia, was fourteen years old when his father, beloved firefighter Jonathan Hawthorne, passed away on the job. For years after, his family struggled to make ends meet. When Gale was eighteen, he enlisted in the Army and was stationed in Fort Myer. There, it seemed, is where the magic happened."
The screen now cut to Gale himself. Madge inhaled sharply. He looked no different than he had when they were in high school, only now his thick, dark hair was trimmed sharply, and instead of ratty hoodies and old flannels he was wearing one of the most expensive looking suits Madge had ever seen.
"All I did was mention some of my ideas to my Commanding Officer Boggs," Gale explained modestly to someone off-camera. His eyes were brighter, somehow. The once dull gray now a sparkling sterling, perhaps enlightened by success. "He introduced me to Beetee Latier, and the rest is history."
His scowl still remained.
And it made something spark in Madge's stomach, just as it did in high school.
"Gale Hawthorne is now CEO of Twelfth District Weaponry, the leading military weapons design company in America, and soon to be the world. The name of his company is a reference to right here in Panem, the twelfth Congressional District in Virginia."
"That's just so sweet of him to think of us back home, right, John?" the anchor said with a fake smile.
"Sure is, Pam. And now to Kevin for the weather."
Madge turned the television off and sank back down onto the couch. No wonder Hazelle was driving a Mercedes.
Gale had always been preaching to Katniss Everdeen, their mutual best friend and the only reason they ever interacted, that he was going to get out of this town and make something for himself, and it looks as if he had.
"I'm going to make enough money so my mom never has to set foot in that shithole laundry mat again" he had vowed."My brothers will go to any school they want and my sister can have all the little dresses her heart desires. We'll never have to worry about having enough to eat, either."
Madge had tried a grand total of one time to bridge the gap between herself and Gale Hawthorne. They ate lunch together, both on either side of Katniss, and he never hesitated to make her feel like a pile of dog crap simply because her father had money. It stung every time, but she still wanted to do something to show that she wasn't spoiled and that she wanted to be his friend. So, after a full week of him not bringing any lunch, she packed herself an extra turkey sandwich and an apple to give to him.
"Here," she had said, sliding it over to him before Katniss arrived. He eyed it like there were maggots crawling out of the bread and then eyed her the same way.
"I don't need your fucking handouts, Undersee," he snapped, shoving the sandwich away. "I can take care of myself."
He had given her one last glare before stomping out of the cafeteria. When Katniss came, she didn't ask Madge why there were tears in her eyes or where Gale had gone. Instead, she broke the extra sandwich in half and started nibbling on it while finishing a worksheet for math.
"He doesn't hate you," Katniss had said after a few minutes. "He just doesn't know it yet."
Madge sighed, feeling the familiar pain of rejection in her chest as she remembered that day, over five years ago. She also felt a bit pathetic; Gale was living the life of luxury and she was now bogged down by the bills of two dead parents and had no job to help keep her afloat.
Until she got a call from Hazelle the next morning, explaining that Gale wanted a housekeeper for his recently constructed estate across town.
Laundry. Dusting. Bathrooms are cleaned once a week, and the floors are scrubbed on a bi-weekly basis. The carpets have to be vacuumed every day, and Madge always made sure that the dishes were done, even though Hazelle said she didn't need to do those. She wanted the kids to do some chores, she claimed. Madge normally would respect Hazelle's wishes, but she quickly learned that the kids absolutely hated the dishes, so she took to taking care of them whenever she saw them in the sink.
She had been working for the Hawthornes for three months, and it had been a somewhat pleasant experience so far. Gale was rarely home, of course. He spent most of his time in meetings and brainstorming sessions in one of the big corporate buildings across town. He didn't interview her for the job; Hazelle sat her down awkwardly at Sae's diner in town and discussed her job detail over tea.
"It's mostly just me and the kids home," she had explained. "Rory is attending community college, so he'll be home in between classes sometimes. Vick and Rory are still in school, so you won't be seeing much of them given that your hours will be from eight to three."
Madge didn't mind that Gale was never there. The handful of times he had been home had been awkward, to say the least. He had barely spoken to her, barely even looked at her, and things were never anything but tense between them.
But then he came home one day. It was a holiday, so all three kids were home with Hazelle, and Madge was trying to stay out of their hair as she completed her work. However, the youngest one, Posy, was intent on involving everyone in her game of Just Dance in the living room.
"Madge, play with me!" the eleven-year-old called to her as she carried the basket of laundry through the living room. Madge had tried to decline, but Posy grabbed her arm and steered her in front of the television. Madge dropped the basket and reluctantly took the controller.
"What song?" Posy asked.
"You pick," Madge had said, already blushing furiously.
"Do the one about the men!" Hazelle called as she walked in from the kitchen. "I love your dance for that one. It's so cute!"
"Mom," Posy groaned, rolling her eyes. Vick and Rory came barreling down the hall, each one trying to lock the other in some kind of headlock.
"Do It's Raining Men!" they said in unison. Rory shoved Vick off of him and winked at Madge. "I twerk to that one."
"Fine, fine!" Posy grabbed the Wii controller and scrolled until she found the song. Madge quickly scooped her long, blonde hair into a bun and rolled up her sleeves.
"Posy," she said as the screen counted down from 5. "Prepare to get your butt kicked."
Humidity's rising, barometer's gettin' low
According to all sources the street's the place to go
Madge and Posy started in sync, raising their hands and bouncing on the balls of their feet.
Tonight for the first time just about half past ten
For the first time in history it's gonna start raining men
All inhibitions gone now, Madge was getting into it. She heard a door open, but thought nothing of it as she prepared for the chorus.
It's raining men! Hallelujah, it's raining men! Amen!
I'm gonna go out, I'm gonna let myself get absolutely soaking wet
Madge dropped her hips and swung them from side to side and she slowly sunk to the floor. When they started the next verse, she let herself sing along.
It's raining men! Hallelujah, it's raining men! Every specimen
Tall, blonde, dark, and lean. Rough and tough and strong and mean
"Gale!" Posy screeched suddenly. She dropped her controller and sprinted past a frozen Madge, who was mid-shake, and into her brother's arms. "You're home!"
"Looks like it," Gale says, and Madge is shocked to see a small smile creep across his face. She straightens up immediately, feeling her face burn. Whatever happened at his meeting must have been spectacular, because his eyes were bright and when they met hers, he didn't even look away. In fact, he smiled wider. "And it looks like someone's been practicing their dance moves."
"I was just, uh, I-" Madge stuttered. Rory thankfully took this time to interject.
"Check this out!" he yelled. The music was still playing, and so he moved in front of the TV and jokingly shoved Madge out of the way so he could twerk. He, like his brother, was all long limbs, and they flailed obnoxiously as he tried to shake his butt in time to the music. "I give Miley Cyrus a run for her money, don't I?
Gale threw his head back and laughed. The sound wrapped around Madge like a warm caress, making her curl her toes and bite the inside of her lip to keep from smiling. He looked so free in that moment. So free and so happy. Madge figured that being around the people you loved could do that.
The more she studied him, the more she realized how gorgeous he was. Tall, dark, and handsome didn't even begin to describe him. She wondered how his lips would taste, how they would feel pressed against hers, or against her neck, or even her...
Shit, she thought suddenly. This is not good.
Three Weeks Later
It was rare that the estate was ever really, truly empty. Hazelle was normally home while the kids were at school, either entertaining friends or talking on the phone. Rory was always lounging around in between classes, and there was always the odd chance that Gale would actually be found at his place of residence. But on that day, it was only Madge roaming the halls.
She moved from room to room leisurely, humming to herself a little louder than usual. While she was cleaning one of the bathrooms, she noticed a shirt hanging behind the door. It was a crisp white dress shirt white shining buttons, and when she picked it up she could smell the intoxicating cologne that still lingered on the fabric. Gale's cologne. Madge left the bathroom and headed down the hall for his room. She didn't think he'd mind too much if she went into his room this one time. After all, she was just returning his shirt.
Gale's room was nothing like she had imagined it. She had envisioned something pale, clinical, almost unlived in. She had pictured cold, stiff, sheets and bare walls. Instead, the room was painted a dark, rich blue and his king sized bed was covered with a fluffy down comforter that looked like a cloud. Pictures adorned the walls, ones of him with his family, his friends, him shaking hands with some gruff looking man in an expensive suit. Madge saw one on his dresser that looked familiar. As she got closer, she realized it was the one that had been taken of her, Katniss, and Gale, the one that had made it into the yearbook without them noticing for an entire year. Katniss was taking a bite of her sandwich, Gale was bug-eyed and waving his hands in the air, probably complaining about gas prices or something else he couldn't control, and Madge was staring at him with a small smile on her face.
She had forgotten about that picture. Gale obviously hadn't.
No, she told herself. He probably only kept it because of Katniss. He would have cut me out if it wouldn't have ruined the picture.
She brought her hands up to rub her temples, forgetting that she was still clutching his shirt. Madge caught a whiff of his cologne again and let out a soft moan. The last few weeks had been torture. Ever since he caught her dancing, whenever she saw Gale she couldn't help but check him out. She admired the muscles in his arms as he picked up Posy and twirled her around. She gawked at the roundness of his behind when he bent over to grab something from the cabinet beneath the sink. She almost passed out when she saw him come through the door after a run, shirtless and sweaty.
Madge had to sit on the edge of the bed. Reliving those memories were causing a certain something to start to throb between her legs. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling; she had driven home way above the speed limit these past few weeks in order to take care of said throbbing with the help of the detachable showerhead at home.
She sniffed the shirt again, and the throbbing grew to be too much. Madge suddenly found her hand slipping under the waistband of her yoga pants. Her fingers danced over the fabric of her underwear to rub her clit, lightly at first, then in slow, steady circles. Soft moans started to escape from her parted lips, and she was beginning to circle her hips in time with her fingers.
And then the door opened, and Gale Hawthorne's stormy grey eyes were staring right at her.
He said nothing as he strode forward. Madge was frozen, not even able to squeak out an apology. When he reached her, he cupped her chin and forced her to look up at him.
"Gale," she squeaked. "I'm-"
"Shush." That was the only word he spoke. His thumb ran across her lower lip, once, twice, three times before slipping between her lips and probing the inside of her mouth. Madge gasped as his finger ran over her tongue. She couldn't help but hollow out her cheeks, sucking lightly. Gale grunted and pulled his finger back.
Is this seriously happening right now?
His hand moved down her throat, over her chest, and into the waistband of her pants. Gale's steely grey eyes did not leave hers as his fingers cupped her sex over her underwear. She hissed as he began to slowly circle her clit.
This is happening. This is really happening.
The hand that wasn't in her pants grabbed the hem of her tee and tugged. Madge complied immediately, allowing him to tug the shirt over her head. His eyes roamed appreciatively over her chest. It wasn't all that impressive- she wasn't small but she wasn't falling out of anything either- but the way Gale was staring made her feel like the sexiest woman on earth.
Slowly, without looking away from him, she reached behind her and unhooked her bra. The straps fell down her shoulders, and her hands came up to hold the cups in place. Gale stopped rubbing her clit and his eyes narrowed. When Madge finally let the bra fall, he started rubbing her harder.
"Oh my God," she moaned as he lowered his lips to her neck and kissed down her chest. He played with her hardened nipples, rolling them between his lips and even giving them the softest nips with his teeth. He kissed and licked down her bare stomach until he reached her pants. He looked up at her s if to ask permission, and Mage lifted her hips so he could yank both the pants and her underwear off in one shot.
She wasn't the only one in the nude for long. After taking a second to admire her, Gale straightened up and whipped off his shirt. Madge bit her lip as she studied his broad shoulders and the rippling muscles of his arms. His toned abdomen had a fine trail of hair leading into the waistband of the pants he was currently unbuttoning. He slipped the fabric down his legs and stepped out of it, revealing that he had gone commando.
And he was huge.
Fucking huge.
Madge gulped as she eyed the monster of a cock before her. It shouldn't have been a surprise, really, given the fact that he's a giant. But she still felt a bit intimidated as she wet her lips and gave the head of his hard cock a tentative lick. Gale's hitched breath is all the encouragement she needed, and she soon finds herself taking his whole length- or as much as she could fit- in her mouth. She bobbed her head up and down at her own pace until Gale threaded his fingers into her hair and started fucking her mouth. His ragged breaths and whispered curses were sending shocks straight to her core.
After a few minutes, he gently pushed her backwards onto the bed and climbed on top of her. He went to reach for his nightstand, but Madge grabbed his hand.
"You don't need to," she said. "I-I'm on the pill. I swear."
She needed to feel him inside of her.
Gale studied her for a moment before nodding sharply. He took his cock in his hand and rubbed the tip over Madge's slit. She moaned and arched into him, spreading her legs even wider.
"Please," she whimpered.
Gale let out a groan and slowly sheathed himself inside of her. Madge's eyes rolled back as he filled her completely. She had never felt so full before. Gale stilled, giving her time to adjust.
And then he fucked her.
He fucked her while she was on the bottom, pinning her hips to the bed and pounding into her hard enough to make her see stars. Just as she felt her orgasm approaching, he flipped them over so that she was straddling his chest. His strong hands found her waist and helped her as she rode him to her own completion.
After she came, he laid her down across the bed and devoured her pussy with his tongue and fingers until she was a quivering mess. When he looked up from between her legs, his lips and chin glistening with her arousal, she had never seen anything more gorgeous. He gave her a smirk, the only form of emotion she had seen since he entered the room, and then made her fall apart all over again.
She wasn't even sure how he managed to get her on her hands and knees. Her limbs were like Jell-O as he fucked her savagely from behind. This position allowed him to hit her special spot, and combined with the fact that she had already came three times, had her spiraling into screaming, earth-shattering bliss in a matter of minutes. Gale didn't slow down until her arms gave out and she collapsed face-first onto the sheets.
Suddenly, he pulled out of her with a strangled moan and started stroking himself. Madge slid off the edge of the bed and tilted her head back. Gale's free hand wound itself into her hair again, and when he gave it a gentle tug she opened her mouth. It took just a few seconds for him to spill into her mouth. She waited until he was totally spent to swallow, and she made sure that he saw it.
The moment she closed her mouth it was like someone had flipped a switch. The glazed over, lusty look in Gale's eyes had been replaced by shock and- disgust?
He reached down the picked up his shirt, the shirt she had been clutching when he walked in on her, and tossed it to her. She stared at it, her limbs still limp from her many orgasms. Did he want her to put it on? Keep it? Instead of explaining, he hastily slipped on his pants and stormed out the door without giving her a second look.
The next morning, she received a curt email from Gale's perky office assistant, Delly Cartwright, saying that her services at the Hawthorne Estate were no longer needed.
Six Months Later
The rain was just starting to really come down when her car shuddered beneath her. Madge watched the dashboard lights fade as she quickly pulled to the side of the road, cursing as she went. She knew something had been off with her car, but since all of her paychecks from The Panem Herald had been going straight to the landlord of her apartment a few towns over, she hadn't had the time or money to get it looked at.
"Damn it!" she swore. She turned off the ignition, counted to thirty, and then tried restarting it. Her engine whined and coughed for a few seconds before giving up. "No, no, no!"
It was a little after eight o'clock. She had stayed late at the office to finish up a piece she was writing on the new bakery that had opened across town.
Maybe, she huffed to herself as she dug through her purse for her phone, if you had left at your normal time, there would have been someone else on the road to help you.
Just as her fingers are closing around the rectangular device, headlights shine in her rearview. A Range Rover drives down the road and pulls off to the side in front of her. Madge breathes a sigh of relief, but quickly takes in back in when she gasps at the realization that whoever was in that car could be a complete and total psycho.
When the man gets out of the car and jogs up to her door, she realizes that she's right.
She opens the door just as he reaches her, and it knocks him backwards. Madge jumps out into the pouring rain, rage overcoming her.
"You!" she yells, pointing at him. "You absolute bastard!"
Gale gapes at her through the rain. "Madge?"
"Yeah, remember me?" she spat. "The maid you fucked and fired in the same day? Does that ring a bell?"
"Madge, I-"
"No! I don't want to hear it, Gale. Who do you think you are? You barely look at me for weeks and then you bang me and shove me away? And yes, I know that I was in the wrong for being in your room and doing...what I was doing but couldn't you just have fired me then? You had to make me feel something and then rip my heart out?
"And yes, I did feel something for you Gale, but this is bigger than that. If you weren't into me you could've just said so. You fired me via your fucking assistant's email and left me with nothing! All of my paychecks from you had been going towards my parents' debt. I had nothing, and I had to start all over again for the second time. You fucked me over, Gale Hawthorne, and you didn't even have the decency to do it in person."
Gale had been silent for her entire rant. His suit was now completely drenched, and Madge's blonde curls were now plastered to her face and neck.
"I couldn't handle it," he finally croaked. "You drove me insane in high school, you know that? You made me so mad but I loved it, Madge. I loved you. You were way too good for me, and it made me sick. I treated you like shit for the longest time and you still put up with me. I thought about you for years afterwards. I thought that maybe if I was successful, I could finally be good enough for you. I could sweep you off your feet.
When my mother told me that you needed a job, it terrified me. I wanted to help you, but I was scared that I still wasn't good enough. Or that you'd hate me for being such a dick in high school. I was too cowardly to face you, so I gave you the cold shoulder. Again."
Gale sighed and ran his hand over his face. Madge was shaking, and she wasn't sure if it was because of the rain or her rage.
"What I did was wrong on every level imaginable. What we did...I just felt so awful about it. I felt like I had used you. Especially after being so awful towards you, it made me sick to think that I'd just use you like some whore or something. You're so much better than that, Madge. You didn't deserve what I did. I let you go because I thought you'd hate me and I just couldn't bear the thought of seeing the look in your eyes if you did."
"Oh, yeah?" Madge seethed. "What do my eyes look like now, huh?"
"Madge, I'm sorry," Gale said, his voice cracking. "I'm so, so, so sorry. I don't deserve a second chance but I'm going to ask for one anyway. I love you, Madge Undersee, and I'm begging you to let me prove it to you, even though you deserve so much better than me."
Madge narrowed her eyes at him. "You're only saying that because I'm here, Gale. You would never have sought me out on your own to tell me that."
"I would! I know I would. This would have eaten me alive." Gale collapsed onto his knees. "Please, Madge. Please. I swear to you that I will be different. Please give me another chance."
Madge studied him for a few moments, on his knees in the rain. He looked positively pathetic. She smirked.
"Okay," she said, shrugging."I'll consider it. After you drive me into town, of course." She turned on her heel and marched to Gale's car, opening the passenger side door and hopping in. Gale was frozen in place, staring at where she just was. When he hears the door slam, he is released from his trance, and he jumps to his feet.
As he walked to the car, he couldn't help the shit-eating grin that spread across his face.
"Thank you," he whispered into the air when he reached the car. Then, he took s a deep breath and got in.
Their relationship wasn't perfect after that, of course. It wasn't even a relationship until months later. Madge put her foot down and demanded he prove himself to her as a person before even considering giving him so much as a peck on the cheek. He took it all in stride, more than happy to show her just how serious he is about them.
Their first date was five months later. Gale took her out to a field about an hour's drive north of their town. He brought along a blanket, a picnic basket, and a bottle of champagne. They sat together on the blanket for hours, noshing on the sandwiches and snacks Gale had prepared and exchanging stories. Madge told Gale about her parents, and he told her about his time in the military. Before the day was over, the stumbled upon some wild strawberries and stuff themselves until their lips, hands, and clothes were stained red.
Then he told her that he loved her for the first time.
Five Years Later
Gale was hunched over his computer, furiously typing. The digital clock on his desk showed that it was nearly four in the morning, but he hadn't looked at it since two.
"Gale?"
He looked up to see is extraordinarily beautiful wife peak her head into his office.
"Sorry, Madge, I was just finishing up this report."
She opened the door all the way and stepped inside. She was completely naked save for one of Gale's dress shirts that she had slipped on. It fell down to about an inch above her knees, and the sleeves went way past her hands, and she hadn't even bothered to button it, giving her husband a lovely view of her toned body.
"It would've been done earlier if I hadn't been fooling around with someone all night," he said with a smirk, giving her a pointed look. She feigned horror.
"You were just as willing as I was, Mr. Hawthorne."
Gale shut his laptop and pulled her onto his lap. "Of course I was, Mrs. Hawthorne."
She laid her cheek against his shoulder and gazed up at him with her big blue eyes that had him practically melting in his chair. "You know, I'm really glad you started working from home."
"Me too," he agreed. "It's so much easier, and it allows me to see you more often. Plus, I actually have free time now."
Madge grinned. "Well, you might not have as much free time anymore. We have a lot of preparations to do."
Gale's brow furrowed. "Preparations? For what?"
Madge took one of her husband's large hands and placed it gently over the skin of her belly.
"For our baby."
Fin.