All seam men had a thing about blondes. Gale was no exception. He knew he'd marry a dark haired, tan skinned Seam girl. He only ever dated Seam girls and he took Seam girls and Seam girls only to the slag heap. But, on the rare occasion he had a moment alone, to be a hot blooded male, it was a blonde with pink lips and alabaster skin he envisaged.
He thought it was something about them being off limits that did it. A townie was something different, something dangerous if their brother or father caught you. But it was one townie in particular that Gale kept his dirty little secret and was always the star of his even dirtier fantasies.
He knew he wasn't the only one who thought about the Mayor's daughter when he had his hand in his pants. She was a hot townie, that made her enticing enough but being the Mayor's daughter, she was totally beyond reach, off limits, a daydream.
That's why he was so short with her, she frustrated him in every way possible. And when he'd snap at her, say something harsh, she'd coyly drop her gaze and peek up through her lashes at him. And on the odd occasion she retorted fiercely her eyes would blaze and she'd step to him and square her shoulders ready for what ever he threw at her. And sometimes he walked the long way to the hob through town, just so he could follow her, or rather her ass home. Creep that he was.
And sometimes just sometimes, for a second, he'd get the feeling she thought about him too. And then he's thinking about Undersee touching herself and he has to avert eye contact and focus on de-tenting his pants.
"You'll have to go to the Mayor's place on your own today. I have to be home to watch Prim because my mom is helping Nancy Fray deliver her baby" Katniss interrupts their quiet walking
"We'll just skip today" Gale tells her flatly, knowing they can't afford to
"Really idiot? I need the money for Prim's birthday and you have to get Vick shoes. We can't afford to skip Madge's ... Or the Mellark's"
"Well I'll go to the bakery"
"You know Mr. Mellark doesn't like you going there after he almost got you caught. He thinks peacekeepers are watching for you. Besides Rye will be working now and I'd rather just go there and trade our catch than break up a fist fight" he rolls his eyes but she's probably right "you'll go trade with Madge and you'll be nice" he answers by silently taking the pail of strawberries from her and tucking them into his coat "see you tomorrow ... And remember to be nice".
He goes to the back porch just like every other time. Raps against the screen door with his knuckle and steps back, waiting for her to answer.
When she does, she's flustered and the screen door slaps the side of the house, her hair is falling from its plait and she's ruddy cheeked. Her lips are plump and pinker than usual and none of that really matters because her attire gives her away. She's wearing one sock, a large sweater and if Gale's not mistaken, a pair of men's boxer shorts.
"Gale!" She nearly falls over herself "I uh, I didn't think you'd be coming by this week. It's later than usual"
"Interrupted something have I Undersee?" He bites and she reverts back to a flustered mess
"No, no, not at all. Let me just grab some money" she disappears out of sight and lets the door fall shut knowing he won't move from where he is to hold it open. When she returns, her hair is tamer and her clothes somehow seem straighter. She'd obviously tried to make herself more presentable whilst inside
"Usual pay?" She asks and Gale can't help quirking an eyebrow
"Why? What are you offering?" He smirks and Madge seems to freeze on the spot
"The pale is full, I should give you extra"
"Usual's fine, you should get back to ... Whatever it is you were doing" the door's almost closed between them and Madge looks ready to die of embarrassment but he can't help himself "or should I say whoever?" He laughs but he sounds pissed, jealous even but probably not and he knows it wasn't well concealed
"Excuse me?!" She exclaims "what exactly is that supposed to mean?"
"Does Daddy know what you're up to?" He pushes and Madge physically recoils at the idea
"You" she growls "you're so fucking rude. What I do is no business of yours or my fathers. How dare you stand on my own porch and throw accusations and judgment at me"
"Hells teeth Undersee, unknot your panties. Or has lover boy upstairs got them on?" At that she sighs, laughs almost, then glares at him
"Gale Hawthorne, I can honestly say without a shadow of a doubt in my mind that you are the most infuriating human being to walk this earth and while it remains none of your business what or indeed who I do, I take great pleasure - literally - in telling you that what has me so hot under the collar is no man but my own two fingers and the same frustration I'm sure your slag heap dates still have after an evening with you. Now if you'll excuse me, I was busy" with that the door slams in his face.
He stands there bewildered for an immeasurable time. It's only the sound of the mine bells letting out that reminds him to move and even then it's sluggish. Had that actually just happened? Had he actually just caught Undersee in the middle of ... Whatever it was he couldn't bare think about and had she really told him? Had she had the cheek to slander him and his adequacy at the slag heap.
Gale expects her to hide from him in the school halls but she doesn't. When he passes her with the same dumbstruck look on his face he'd had two nights before she only narrows her eyes, daring him to say something but she knows he won't.
That night is the first time he's been alone in what feels like a lifetime and his mind runs away on him. All it takes is a running loop of what Undersee said about her own two fingers, a tiny bit of imagination and he's done for, even though the house is freezing and his family is due home.
Even so he can't stop thinking about it. He thought about sex as much as the next guy but lately it was all he could think about. He caught himself staring at Undersee's hands and getting aroused when she played the piano in school. What the hell?
After a week he'd had enough. He could barely shoot straight for all his distraction and he was pissed! Of their own accord his strides got faster.
"Where are you going?!" Katniss yelled after him
"Undersee's" he returned, breaking in to a power walk.
The screen door scraped his knuckles he knocked so hard but that wasn't important. When Madge answers the door she is stony faced and one hundred percent put together
"I thought you couldn't gather berries two weeks in a row?"
"Huh? Oh we don't" he shakes his head, I haven't got any" he holds up his hands as evidence
"Then what do you want?"
"I want an apology" he grits, his anger resurfacing
"What the hell for?!" Madge almost screeches
"For last week, what were you playing at, telling me that?"
"All the shitty things you say to me and you want an apology because I doubted your finesse with the ladies?"
"No! Actually yes, that's not true. But the other thing, where do you get off telling me that?!" At his choice of words the atmosphere changes and they both stifle a laugh. Madge slapping a hand over her mouth to stop it
"That's why you're here? It upsets you to know what I get up to in that ivory tower of mine?" Madge giggles, but Gale is certain 'upsets' isn't the right word
"Yes, I didn't need to know that"
"But you needed to know if I had a guy upstairs wearing my panties?" Gale shivers at the way she says panties, he's losing his grip on himself "while this is highly amusing, it's also ridiculous. What I do in my bedroom is my business and if I want to tell you in order to shut you up I'll do that too. You think only guys are allowed to pleasure themselves or that girls have to go to the slag heap with jerks like you to feel good? Get over yourself Hawthorne"
She squeaks as he grabs her. The noise muted by his mouth on hers as he lifts her feet off the floor and holds her thighs at his waist. She complies immediately.
"Is anyone home?" He asks between kisses though he doesn't care and she shakes her head
"No one will be home for hours" he pauses, his hands itching to keep pushing her dress up her thighs but he's mastered control around her
"Will you let me show you?" he asks
"Show me what?" she replies breathlessly
"My finesse" he grins against her neck
"Shut up Hawthorne, we've got a lot of frustration to work through".