A/N: Gadge feels are raging lately. Enjoy this. Oneshot. Title by Olivia Newton-John.

"You came when I was happy in your sunshine

I grew to love you more each passing day

Before too long I built my world around you

And I prayed you'd love enough of me to stay"

Their footsteps have long since been absorbed into the ground under them. The air isn't necessarily cold yet, but the hostility has thickened it enough for it to feel like mid-winter. Katniss follows in Gale's angry footsteps that are deliberately leading to the clearing they've always settled in, hoping to have enough food for every hungry mouth.

"I just don't understand why you're so hostile towards her all of the time," Katniss says, whipping her bag off of her shoulder and placing it between them.

"Well it's not like you're any better than I am," Gale says, "You hate Thom just as much as I hate her, you know that."

"I actually have a reason though, Gale." Katniss sighs, "You're horrible to Madge for no reason other than the fact that she's from town. That's not fair. It isn't her fault."

"Nobody's fault," Gale groans, carefully dividing the luscious red berries into three equal containers. "Just the way it is."

Katniss reaches to the grass below her and peels the blades between her fingers, tossing them over her shoulder one by one. Of all the horrible things in Panem, Katniss hates the social divide more than anything. Ever since she was a little girl, her Mother had always been forced to scold her for the terrible things that would leave her lips about how horrendous the people in the Capitol must be, enjoying life so lavishly while people die of starvation around her so easily. The cold heartedness that came upon her during puberty has a good reason behind it, but not when it comes to people from her District's town.

"She's a nice girl," Katniss mumbles, "She sits with me at lunch. She pays us well. You should be nice."

"Whatever, it's not like she cares anyway."

Gale pushes himself up from the ground and quickly slings his bag over his shoulder. His now much lighter footsteps carry him to the fence with ease and when he gets close enough, he holds up the chain link for his best friend who slips under to the other side. They walk in silence until they reach the town square where they follow the worn out pavement to the back door of the mayor's house.

After three quiet knocks, the door opens slowly revealing a small blonde with a light smile. Her name is Madge Undersee.

"Hello, Katniss." Madge says with a smile, brushing her loose bangs behind her ear. She's never bothered to say hello to the other half of the duo, as he always rolls his eyes at her when she laughs or even speaks for that matter. Madge Undersee is not a doormat, and she would never let anybody walk all over her like she is one.

"Madge," Katniss breathes, trying to emulate the smile she'd received before reaching into her bag for the carton of red berries that have always been her favorite.

Madge graciously accepts the gatherings from her hands and in it's place she leaves six golden coins. Typically, Katniss and Gale make four on such a small carton, but Madge insists they leave with six every time as they are such a treat for someone of her stature. The Capitol must have locked them away on the other side of the fence for a reason, Madge assumes. It's funny how everything good and beautiful is always just out of her reach.

She let's her eyes flick to Gale for just a second, observing the way his seam grey eyes are locked on a crease in the pavement, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. She never understands why he acts the way he does to her, and she sure as hell wishes he didn't.

"Thank you," Madge says, forcing herself to pull her eyes away from the Seam boy and lock them with Katniss' instead. "My Father will love them."

"Hope so." Katniss says, noticing Madge's deep blue eyes laced with just a little bit of pain after looking at her friend. Before Katniss has the chance to completely distinguish why, she finds herself digging her hands into the pockets of her Father's oversized hunting jacket. "See you tomorrow."

"See you," Madge says, spinning on her heel and click shut the door.

Katniss turns her back to the door and follows silently behind Gale who's already started down the dirt trail that's familiar to the both of them; the one that leads to The Hob. For some reason, every time they deliver to the Mayor's house Gale finds himself left with thoughts of Madge. Especially today, after what Katniss said earlier. She was right, he thinks. He didn't really have much of a reason at all to be mean to her. But because he struggles to get just a little bit of food into each hungry stomach of his family while the Mayor's family eats enough on a daily basis to feed them for a week, he'd always found it easy to take it all out on Madge; even though it's never been her fault at all.

"How do you know?" Katniss says, surprising even herself by the break in silence.

"How do I know what?"

"Before you said that Madge doesn't care," Katniss says, kicking a pebble further ahead of them. "How do you know?"

Gale sighs in response, running a hand through his thick black hair and taking a minute to study the rocky pavement below his feet. Madge is the last person he'd ever imagined to feel anything other than hatred for him after the way he's tormented her.

"It's Undersee," Gale grunts, "She hates me. Always has. If I were her, I'd hate me too."

"Whatever you say," Katniss mumbles, being sure to keep the blatant desperation she noted in Madge's eyes to no one but herself.

...

Gale has always hated Saturdays. Katniss always left him early in the woods, as the weekend is the only time the Goat Man is willing to trade Prim's goat cheese for anything, and apparently, he's on a strict time schedule. He hated them even more because being alone meant facing the Undersee household by himself.

It's always very awkward for the two of them. Gale never hesitates to point out Madge's stammer to which she blushes and curses his name in a low enough voice for her to feel safe about it. Usually he hopes that her butler will answer the door, even though he'd get in trouble for that. Anything's better than Undersee, though.

Much to his demise, Gale treads up the perfectly paved walkway and nonchalantly knocks on the door. The windows are open, plushed white curtains flowing through the panes into the open air. Gale wonders how they haven't gotten coated with coal dust yet, as no one in the Seam knows what the color white is supposed to look like because of it.

Impatiently, Gale knocks on the door again. This time a little bit harder, and on the thinner part of the door that will probably ring an echo through the foyer. Just as he's about to raise his hand a third time, something stops him. Through the open window, Gale hears a tune carrying through the house. His mind makes the connection instantly: Piano.

Gale turns his back on the door and crosses his arms while leaning back against it. The sound of Madge's playing carries through the open air much clearer now that he's listening, and he now knows that it's even a song he recognizes. He smiles lightly, although he'll never admit it. He could stay here listening to her play forever.

Suddenly, the door behind Gale flies open and he lands right into the arms of the Mayor's daughter.

Madge grunts and throws the heavy Seam boy off of her before absentmindedly brushing her dress flat on her stomach.

"What're you doing here?"

"It's Saturday, Undersee." Gale groans, searching his game bag for the carton of strawberries.

"Oh, right." Madge says, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear.

Gale finally finds the carton and thrusts it toward the blonde haired girl. She accepts it graciously and sets it on the table beside the door before reaching into her pocket for the gold coins. As much as he swears he hates her, he does admire the way she brushes her hair behind her ear. The way she chews her lip when he insults her and she doesn't know how to respond. Hell, Undersee is cute. But nothing could ever come out of that.

"Was that you?" Gale spurts out.

"Excuse me?"

"Playing the piano."

Madge bites her lip and Gale cringes in retaliation.

"It sounded nice, Undersee. I'm not making fun."

"Oh," Madge blushes while placing the six coins carefully in Gale's hand. "Well, thank you."

"Yup," Gale says, turning on his heel toward the Seam while unknowingly leaving an anxious girl behind in town.

...

"Gale!" Madge giggles, "It's A not F! Play it again!"

Gale hits the piano keys carelessly and Madge erupts into an inferno of laughter. Ever since Katniss has gotten reaped, the two have leaned on each other for emotional stability. It started out innocent, Madge inviting him to come in and listen to her play, but their small get togethers have turned into daily occurrences that neither of the two is unhappy about. It's weird for Gale, sure, to have someone he's disliked so much be someone he cares about just as much now. But in some sense, it's easy. Convenient, even. The opposites compliment each other so perfectly that somehow, with Katniss off with the little girl from eleven, the two have managed to get their minds off of the games and onto something very different.

"I'm just not as good as you," Gale says, laughing. "You're just all around perfect."

Madge helplessly blushes and pushes her hair behind her ear again. Gale cringes.

"That's not true," Madge says, "I never really thought so anyway."

Gale's fingers dance up the keys until they rest over Madge's. The piano booms but it doesn't phase them as Gale rises from the bench and leans forward until their lips meet.

...

"Use these for your friend," Madge says, thrusting the soggy cardboard box toward Katniss.

Katniss stares back in complete bewilderment when she uncovers the lid to reveal sixteen viles of morphling. Madge doesn't expect Katniss to understand why she'd do such a thing. After all, they'd decided not to tell Katniss about what happened between them, or what's happening, Madge supposes.

But even if Katniss did know, Madge would've had no other choice but to help him when she saw him, beaten and bloody hanging in the square. She's never felt so defenseless and infuriated toward the Capitol, and she probably could've even done the same to the new peacekeeper without even feeling bad at all, but instead she ran home in a hysterical rage, skipping every other stair up to the room that her Mother lays in.

Mrs. Undersee has met Gale before, the tall boy with the pretty eyes that makes Madge's cheeks turn pink when he smiles at her, as she describes him. When she heard of what the Capitol's officials had done to him, she didn't need to think twice about surrendering a weeks worth of the drug she depends on. After all, she's never seen Madge's cheeks turn pink around anyone else. She's never seen anyone swoon over someone like that since her sister, Maysilee during The 50th Hunger Games. And this time, fate was in Mrs. Undersee's hands. This time, she wasn't going to let just one half of the duo survive.

"They're my mother's. She said I could take them. Use them, please." Madge cries to Katniss, and turns back into the storm before anyone can stop her.

It's a long walk back to town, especially since the snow has long since been seeping through her sneakers. Her feet are so cold they very well may snap off. Even if they did though, it'd still be worth it.

...

Madge has never seen anything as beautiful as the meadow in the spring. The way the flowers sprinkle across the plain. Madge loves it more than anything, but Gale decides there's something for him that makes the meadow a close second.

"I think you're the hero," Madge says as Gale draws little circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. "You and Katniss feed at least half of the district when you hunt. That's got to count for something."

Gale rolls over until he's on top of Madge and plants kisses down from her forehead to her collarbone. "You saved my life, Madge." he coos into her neck, "I love you for that."

...

"Gale, you need to get out," Madge breathes, latching her hands behind Gale's neck. She couldn't ever live with herself if she didn't tell him. That's why she snuck out, even when her Father specifically told her not to. That's why she ran to the Seam, even though she and Gale had gotten into a fight.

"I don't know what's going to happen, but it's something big, and it's going to happen tonight. You need to get everyone you can and go to the meadow. Can you do that for me?"

"What about you?" Gale says, snaking his left arm around Madge's waist and using his right to push back the same damned piece of hair that never stays behind her ear.

"I'll meet you there," Madge says hesitantly, "I promise."

"I'll only do it if you let me make sure you're safe first," Gale says, searching Madge's eyes for a deeper explanation.

"You've already saved me, Gale." Madge smiles while a silent tear falls down her cheek, "Go be a hero, now. I'll see you later." She leans forward and presses her most passionate kiss on Gale's lips. Gale reaches for the door handle for stability, but settles for resting his hands on Madge's hips instead. Kissing Madge was so natural now for Gale, he forgot the first few awkward kisses that he had to steal.

"Be careful, okay?" Gale says as he watches Madge run away in the direction of the town.

...

Gale holds up the fence for his youngest brother and scoots him under the fence. He can already see the smoke in the far edge of the district rising, and he knows exactly what the next target will be.

"Rory, take everyone to the meadow. I've got to get someone."

"Okay," Rory says hesitantly, latching onto a terrified Prim's hand who's trying her best not to cry. "Hurry back."

Gale jog breaks into a full sprint when he notices the dirt road turning into paved sidewalk. Shouldn't Madge have left already? Shouldn't they have run into each other by now?

He runs up to the door and bangs on it with both fists, but there's no answer. She must have already left for the meadow.

Gale turns away from his house and just when he gets five feet away, he notices the same sound he'd heard a few short months ago. A distinguishable sound now, maybe even one that was all too familiar; Piano.

Just as he is about to rush back toward the door, the explosion throws him backwards.

...

"I just can't live with myself knowing they have her there," Finnick says, wringing the rope in his hands, obsessively twisting and tying the same knots over and over. "I should've never left her. I should've gotten someone to look after her."

"I left a girl at home too," Gale says, downing another round of drinks that Finnick hasn't even touched yet. Seven to be exact. "My real home. District Twelve."

"I've never heard you talk about her," Finnick says, suddenly intrigued by the turn in conversation. "What was she like?"

"Don't make me talk about her," Gale pleads, "It's all my fault she's gone. I was supposed to save her."

"It helps to talk about it, Gale." Finnick says.

Gale chews his lip and allows a long pause in the conversation. He's never talked about Madge to anyone. He's never told anyone about how she was the one who told him. How she's the real hero.

"You loved her," Finnick adds, studying Gale's facial expression intently. "I can tell. I've seen that look on Mellark. Distressed. Regretful..."

"Fuck off, Odair."

Finnick shrugs his shoulders before going back to his rope.

"I actually thought she hated me," Gale says, laughing lightly as tears peak at the corner of his drunken eyes. "Do you believe that? But she didn't of course."

Interested again, Finnick sits up straighter in his seat. "Brunette, huh?"

"Blonde." Gale replies, "Shiny hair and blue eyes. Ain't got nothin' like that here. Even if we did it wouldn't compare to her."

Finnick nods as if he's picturing Madge in his own mind. Gale decides there's no way anyone Finnick could imagine would come close to her, though.

"She played piano," Gale says, "Damn good at it too. I'd sit outside her door and listen sometimes. She even caught me once."

"She saved my life," Gale continues to a nodding Finnick, "I've got the scars on my back to prove it. Woulda been gone off this earth if she didn't bring me that morphling."

"Morphling in District Twelve?" Finnick questions.

"She was the Mayor's daughter, Idiot." Gale says, "She hated that, though. I'm sure of it."

Finnick nods again, and trots his fingers on the countertop to fill the silence that comes with Gale's thinking.

"It hurts so damn bad," Gale chokes, the tears helplessly falling now. "It was my job to protect her and I didn't. I left her all alone when she needed me most. I should've..." Gale's voice trails off and his body is racked with sobs. Although it's partially an effect of the alcohol, he's never felt so vulnerable.

"It wasn't your fault. None of it was your fault." Finnick says, "You can let her go, Gale. She won't be mad at you."

"I doubt it," Gale whispers to himself, smiling at the thought of Madge yelling at him for letting things go. Finally, he takes a deep breath and lets his hand find the crook of his neck again.

"Goodbye, Madge." He stammers, his hand running through his hair. "I'll always love you."

And at that exact moment, Gale could've sworn that he heard just the faintest sound in the background noise:

Piano.