"Winning the fucking war? Easy. Getting the girl? That should've been easier, right?" he said, lying on the couch glaring frustrated at the ceiling.

"If you think that way Hawthorne, no wonder she dumped you," she told him dangling a can of soda at his face. He looked at the offering and grimaced.

"Soda? Really? " he said sat up, took the can, and looked at his friend, "I know being around Haymitch can put you off drinking forever. But I didn't think -"

"And that's why your girlfriend left you, right there," she interrupted, "Your incapacity to think." She knocked on his head lightly and said, "You sure there's a brain in there?"

"Hey! Can't I drown my sorrows in soda without being insulted?" Gale leaned away from the offending female while shoving her equally offending hands away from him.

"You asked for it my friend!"

"I didn't!"

"You came here, disturbed my peace, and expected to not be insulted?"

She's got a point. Gale Hawthorne crashed at her place after a night of drinking, literally crashed in. The door at Johanna Mason's place was now split in half. He still can't remember how that happened. All he knew was that his girlfriend told him they were over and he didn't have any idea why. He went out and got himself really drunk but got enough sense not to go home, he was sure his mother was waiting. So, he decided to stay over at the victor's couch. A very angry victor. He woke up after she splashed water on him and saw Johanna standing in front of him, axe in hand.

Luckily, when he managed to tell her about his problem she tossed him a towel and let him sleep.

"Okay, I did ask for it" he sighed, opening the can and taking a huge gulp.

"So, why did she leave you again?" she asked, sitting at the ottoman in front of him.

"I don't know, she gave me that bullshit line about being 'it's her' and stuff," he said, "I mean, I thought we have no problem, everything's going great. We even talk about moving in together. Then she hit me with this and, damn it, I just want to understand!"

"Did she tell you she doesn't love you anymore?"

"No, I don't think so, if she did I would've remembered it, I would've at least understand,"

"Do you still want her back?"

"Of course!"

"Then go get her back," she said and even though she didn't say it, he knew that 'and get out of here' was implied.

"How?" Gale was so helpless that he's not going to budge until she, at least, give him an advice.

"Well, hmm.." she said scratching her chin then shrugging she finally said, "I got nothing but feel free to stay and think of a strategy, Hawthorne, and do it fast!"

She got up and yawned, "Tomorrow, Hawthorne," and started making her way to her bedroom.

And then, the door slammed.

"At least she didn't kick me out," he muttered.

He wanted to get her back. But how? He doesn't even have a clue why they were over. He just didn't understand women sometimes.

Okay, most of the times they boggle his mind.

Alright! All the time!

It doesn't matter though.

If he wanted to get her back, he needed her attention first. Right. But how would a guy get someone's attention if that someone was avoiding that guy? After days of trying to see her and to talk to her, he didn't think it'll be that easy to get her attention. She's very good at avoiding him.

It had to be big. And romantic, of course. So, again, how? How can a guy do something big and romantic to get the attention of someone who is avoiding the guy?

Big. Romantic. Get Attention.

Gale tipped back his head as he drank the content of the soda then crushed the can.

"Damn it, I need to make that call!?."

When she opened the door to answer a knock, there's no one there. She was about to close the door when she noticed a crumpled paper on her doormat. She bent to pick it up and she saw another one. She straightened and now noticed crumpled papers leading to the back of her house. She went back in to get a trash bag and angrily started picking up the paper trash. She was thinking what kind of lunatic vandals would do such thing when she saw the lunatic standing in the middle of her backyard grinning at her.

"What are you doing here?" she snapped.

"Standing?"

She then noticed the basket in his left hand and an empty trash bag on the other, "You lured me with crumpled papers?" she said, incredulous, "What are you playing at, Gale?"

"Nothing, here," he said, holding out the basket for her, "I want you back."

"I told you we're over," she looked at the basket, determined to not look at him.

"No, we're not," he put the basket down and walked towards her, "We're not over until you tell me why."

"Gale don't do this," she said looking everywhere but him.

"Do what? Fight for us?" he said, stopping in front of her, "Tell me, what I did wrong? Did I say something that offended you? Or Is it me? You don't find me attractive anymore? Or is it my rude personality? Tell me!"

But she didn't say anything, she just shook her head and looked down at her feet.

"Tell me so I can fix this," he grabbed her shoulders, "Is there someone else?"

"No!"

"Then what? Why are you doing this to us?"

"Because I love you!"

"I don't see why that would be a problem!"

"That's just so you when it comes to us," she said, "You don't see every problem with us while you see all the problems around you," she pushed his hands off her and continued, "You always thought everything's fine with us that when it isn't."

"Then tell me what's wrong!"

"I'm tired being an afterthought to you!"

"Afterthought?" he said, confused, "What is it really about?" She shook her head, "Katniss?"

"No, it's everyone and everything else!" she told him, "And you want to move in together? Like that'll change everything! The only thing that will change is the address for one of us or both but your presence will just be the same."

"Then I'll change, I promise!" he reached for her hands but she shoved him lightly, "Don't do this, please!"

"You still don't get it! It not just you!"

"Oh, come on! Don't start with that again!"

"It's the truth! It's me, and how you view me is the problem, Gale!"

"How I view you?"

"Remember when you asked me that we should move in together?" he nodded, "You basically told me that you needed someone to share expenses and chores! A roommate with benefits!"

"What!? You're my girlfriend!"

"But the way you suggested it is like asking a friend to move in with you! The only difference is you expected kissing and stuff!"

"I love kissing you!" he told her he didn't really think it was a problem he knew they both like kissing each other, "And the 'stuff', I didn't do anything that you don't like, right?" he was genuinely worried he might have hurt her or forced her or something.

"Gale! That's not the point!" she blushed and groaned.

"Then what is? You can't expect me not to care, we're in a relationship, if something's not working for you, tell me, let's talk about it!" he said, "Not like what you did last week! You blindsided me! I thought we're both happy!"

"You thought both of us we're satisfied with our relationship because you always expected that I'm always going to be where you wish as if what I want doesn't matter!"

"Of course it matter, it matters a great deal to me!"

"Well, you have a lousy way of showing it, Hawthorne!" she told him, "Remember how you asked me to move in together?"

"Yes," he said, cautious because he's got an idea where this line of questioning was leading to. See, he's not that dense.

"You didn't actually ask me, Gale, you told me and expected me to follow through!"

Of course he did, he thought they were on the same page.

"Then why didn't you tell me?" he asked, "You know, I'm getting better at compromising."

"I know you are," she told him, "But as I told you before, the problem is me. I always agree on everything you said. When it comes to you, I'll do just whatever and it's not what I am. I don't want to someday regret things I agreed on because of you. I'm scared I'll be a doormat."

"So, you don't want me around because you felt weak? Is that it? It's not necessarily a bad thing! It just mean we became more vulnerable because we let each other in, our guards are down, it all comes with being in love you know," he looked at her, his face serious as he added, "As I said, I can compromise. If ever I did something wrong, tell me, I'm a guy I don't notice this things sometime."

"Sometime?" she choked out, she was already crying.

"Okay, most of the time," he amended, "I'm sorry for making you think what you want doesn't matter. I'm sorry, I just can't be without you. I want you back, more than anything. Give me, us, another chance."

"I'm scared, Gale," she said, wiping her tears.

"Of living with me? You should be, I'm a slob," that earned him a chuckle, "But I'll try my best to be less of a slob than what I am now, promise."

"Don't make me laugh!" she said, shoving him lightly, he caught her hands and kiss them.

"Don't give up on us," he said, "Because I won't, not until I know there's nothing for us to hold on to. I love you too much to just let go."

"I love you, too" she smiled, "But.."

"It's not really because you think you're going to be a dormat, is it?" Gale said, looking in her teary eyes searching for the truth, "No, it's not that, I know you'll never be a dormat like you say. So what is it, really?"

She took a deep breath then look at him in the eye and said, "I don't want you to settle for me, we only got together because I was there and I'm half in love with you already and you wanted to move on!"

Gale released her, stepped back and looked away, his hands running over his face and hair in frustration. He did want to move on back then, but he didn't choose her because she's convinient! He faced her again, trying his best not to shout his frustrations.

"I'm not settling for you! If I ever had setting feelings before it was with Katniss!" Gale told her as calmly as possible.

"I don't believe you! You were so in love with her!"

"I was. Because it was convenient to be in love with her! She's my best friend, we knew each other well, and she's beautiful," he explained, "Back then I can only marry someone from the Seam, I wouldn't dare dreaming of marrying you. That's a shot to the moon. Why do you think I was too hard on you? I was constantly reminding myself that we're not suited and what I supposed to hate about you, remember 'pretty dress'?"

"What do you mean? All those time you were picking on me because I'm the Mayor's daughter, you actually like me?"

"Yes, see, I'm not settling for you," he took her hands again, "You're my dream, Madge Undersee, I love you and I want to marry you!"

"You never said anything about marriage before," she said, tears streaming down her face again. Gale smiled, sheepishly, "I thought I had a plan, you know, I suggested moving in to gauge how you feel about marrying me, and if you still there in a week I'll propose. Sound like a good plan at the time."

"You're not really settling for me?"

"It hurts that you asked in the first place and didn't tell me that you feel that way in the second," he released her hands and cupped her face, "I love you, I know you deserved better but I'm selfish so I'm not going to let you go."

He leaned and kissed her. Madge suddenly felt petty and stupid. Not because she was kissing Gale, never because of that. I was because her reasons seemed foolish now and she was, too, for not even talking about it with him. And she missed him so much, didn't realized till now. Is it only just a week since she last saw him?

Gale ended the kiss, smiling at her.

"I missed you!" they both said at the same time, they both chuckled and he took her into his arms, kissing her hair.

"Gale?"

"Yeah?"

"It just occur to me," she said, pulling away slightly looking at him, her arms still around his waist, "Did you just lure me here with trash?"

"It wasn't trash, love, at least technically," he said chuckling, "They were love letters, I tried writing them and after about a ream of paper I finally realized that I'm not good at writing love letters, I'm more of a face-to-face improvise kind of guy.

"I thought of petals or strawberries but that's a dead giveaway and there's a probability that you'll ignore it. See, all those years setting snares really paid off."

Madge laughed, "What am I going to do with you, Gale Hawthorne?"

He suddenly, remembered the basket and went to get it. He took a piece of roll and went back to her, "Marry me?" he placed the bread on her hands

"This is bread."

He gave her a look and took the bread from her and broke it in half. The bread revealed a ring, he took it, put the bread in his shirt pocket, and presented it to Madge.

"Will you marry me?"

"You lured me with crumpled letters, now you're asking me to marry you with a ring from bread?" She was closed to tears.

"Yes, I did and I am, did I do something wrong?" Gale asked frowning.

"No," she said.

"No? I thought you said you love me? And we established that no one's settling."

"No, you didn't do anything wrong, Gale, its perfect!" she told him, "Of course I love you, and of course I'll marry you!"

Gale slid the ring on her finger and kissed her again. It was brief.

"You don't know how happy I am," he told his new fiancé, "But I really have a deadline to make," he looked at his watch, "I only have an hour left."

"Work again?" his new fiancé was not happy.

"No, not work," he reassure her, "I just don't want you to be a widow before we actually get married."

"Huh?"

"Last night, I crashed in at Johanna's place," he started, "I was really drunk and hers was the nearest available couch and she's really furious."

"I thought Johanna's your friend?"

"She is but I crashed at her place, Madge, literally," Gale looked at her, his face serious, "She doesn't have a door anymore."

The End