Disclaimer: I do not own Gale or Madge or any of the Hunger Games Characters.

So this is my new Gale and Madge story. This is set in the present, so no war, multipov. Tell me what you think, please read and review.

The Beginning

Collins High School was a school Divided. You were either a townie or you were part of the Seam. It was stupid really, Madge knew this but as she looked down the hall at Peeta kissing a Seam girl she couldn't help but cringe a little.

Her best friend had not only switched sides but had done so without telling her. She wanted to go to him, demand answers, and steal her friend back. She didn't though, Madge wasn't the demanding type.

As she watched on though a boy, also from the Seam by the looks of him, walked straight up to the kissing teenagers and pulled them apart. He looked angryly at Peeta before pulling the girl away.

Peeta started after them and that's when Madge decided to interfere. Racing toward Peeta she grabbed his arm. Turning his head he looked like he was going to yell but stopped when he saw who it was.

"I can explain." Was all he said before pulling her into an empty room.

"Okay." She said calmly. Why not hear him out?

"Her name is Katniss and I am in love with her. Have been for a while and I can't believe she loves me back but she does."

"Love? Really Peeta? Do you know what they will do to you? You aren't one of them. She is probably just playing you. A cruel bet to be won."

"You're wrong." Peeta said with a shake of his head. "If it was a bet than it would have ended by now. I've been seeing her for months now. Also, Gale wouldn't have been so mad."

"Months?" She tried to hide her hurt.

"I'm sorry, Madge. We aren't keeping it a secret anymore though. I love her and even if she didn't love me back I wouldn't give her up now."

With that he left Madge standing alone.

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Gale was trying not to lose his cool. Not only did he not approve of Katniss' secret relationship, a fact he had been saying for weeks now, he couldn't beleive they would make a public display of it in the middle of the hall. In front of people who would never approve.

His best friend must have lost her mind. The bread boy had caused her to lose all her sense. She was suppose to be the rational one in their friendship.

"What. The. Crap. Was that?" He asked pulling her down the hall.

She yanked out of his grip, always the fighter, she wasn't going to let Gale Hawthorne bully her.

"You know what it was, I'm tired of pretending. So stop doing it yourself. Peeta and I are together and nothing is going to change that."

As she turned to walk away he reached for her. All of his anger disappearing, he didn't want her to be disappointed in him.

"I'm sorry, Catnip. I just don't want you to get hurt. I don't like Townies but if you trust him I can try to give him a chance. No promises though."

A smile formed on her face and she hugged him before going off to find Peeta.

Gale starts to head back the way he came when the girl from earlier walked past him. She had been the one that stopped Peeta from following them. She looked familiar but he couldn't place why he thought that.

She glanced at him but didn't say anything as she walked past. He decided to speak though.

"He better not hurt her." Was all he said.

She scoffed but turned back to face him.

"If anyone is going to get hurt it would be Peeta."

"No, Katniss doesn't do PDA. She likes him a lot."

"Well he claims it's love so..."

Love? Gale tries not to laugh. Peeta thinks he loves Katniss. They were both crazy.

"And you believe him, Townie?"

"Madge. Yes I believe him. He wouldn't use that word if he didn't. Or at least think he did."

That's why she looks familier, she was Mayor Undersee' Daughter.

"Well, for his sake, let's hope he is right"

Gale walked away from Madge.

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Her parents divorce was getting ugly. The yelling had kept Madge up all night. To add insult to injury she had been brought into the middle of it this morning.

Since her father was the mayor he couldn't leave town but her mother could. They wanted to know who she was going to chose. The coast with mom or the place she grew up in with dad. She didn't want to stay with either of them, she didn't like them very much right now.

She had escaped as quickly as possible. Driving herself to school she tried not to cry. Why did they have to be like this? Couldn't they just get along for her sake?

She had kept the tears in until she saw Peeta in the hall with Katniss, again. It had been a week since the PDA but Peeta and Madge hadn't said much to eachother. Seeing him with Katniss made Madge feel like her world was falling apart.

Peeta glanced up and saw Madge. He must have been able to tell she was upset. The smile disappeared from his face and he started toward her. Not beeing able to deal with that right now she ran into the girls' bathroom.

Once inside the tears started. Locked in a stall she willed them to stop but they just wouldn't. Fifteen minutes later, with the tears somewhat controlled, Madge walked out of the stall.

Looking up she saw Katniss standing with her back against the sink. She looked slightly annoyed and Madge didn't know what to make of that.

Katniss pulled a pack of tissues out of her pocket. Reaching out she handed them to Madge. Madge tryed to take them but Katniss kept a grip on them.

"I'm sorry that you don't like me. I wish you did because he loves you and I love him. Which means that no matter how many tears you cry I am not going anywhere. So get use to having me around."

She let go of the tissues and heads for the door. Katniss had just threatened Madge in a round about way and it made her laugh.

"Wow, I can see why he likes you. My parents are getting a divorce. To spite each other they have brought me into the middle. Am I a little upset that I feel like I can't talk to my best friend because he won't keep his hands off of you? Maybe, but don't flatter yourself into thinking my tears were because of you. You are not the center of my world, Katniss Everdean."

Katniss walked back over to Madge with a sigh.

"Sorry. He looked so hurt when you ran in here and I was just trying to protect him."

"Don't you think we should be on the same side then? Instead of against each other."

Katniss smiled and stuck out her hand.

"Friends?"

Madge took her hand and smiled back.

"Friends."

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"You and the Mayor's daughter? Friends?"

Gale couldn't believe what he was hearing. They had been having the same conversation on and off for the past three months. Madge had even shown up with Peeta a few times to hangout but Gale still couldn't believe Katniss and Madge were friends.

"I'm not having this conversation with you again, Gale, and you know her name."

"Why are they even coming tonight? It's my birthday. I don't want them here."

Katniss glared at him.

"That is why I invited them. You are being stubborn and it needs to stop. We are a package deal, Me and Peeta and Madge."

Gale rolled his eyes. Peeta was okay he guessed but Madge was unbearable. Well at least in the brief moments he had spent with her. He sighed maybe his bestfriend was right.

"Fine." He answered and she smiled.

An hour later Madge walked into his house. Her hair is pulled away from her face. Her make-up is natural looking and the green dress she is wearing reminds him of the forests on the outskirts of their Virginian town.

She is trying too hard, He thinks.

"Pretty dress." Everyone can hear the mocking tone in his voice. He thinks he has her baited by the gleam in her eye but she just hands over an envelope.

"Happy Birthday, Gale."

Now he looks like a butthole and his mood is turning sour again.

Not for long though. Madge finds him a little later in the kitchen.

"So you like my dress?"

"No. It's like you planned your look out too much. No one cares what you look like, Undersee."

"I only care what you think, Gale, I wore it for you." Her tone is condescending and he turns to look at her.

He might actually be able to tolerate this version of Madge. The one who fights back.

"Sorry to disappoint, sweetheart, it does nothing for me."

"Not yet." She mocks.

A few minutes after she leaves the room he is still frozen on the spot. He laughs, she thought she could win this, whatever this was, and the thought made him laugh again.

They would just have to see about that.

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She didn't know what game they were playing but she liked it, she needed an escape from her home life. She liked the idea of Gale being that escape. Her parents would never approve.

That wasn't the appeal though. Gale looked like he knew how to be a distraction and she was already looking forward to the next round.

A couple hours later the anticipation of their next conversation ended when Madge's phone started ringing. It was her mom.

Excusing herself she found a private place to take the call.

"Madge, where are you? I'm coming to get you."

"What? Why?"

"I can't be here any longer. Not in this house with that man. We are leaving."

Madge heart lurched.

"No I'm not moving. I am staying here, with my friends, at my school, living in that house with that man."

"Madge..."

"You are both being selfish. I am the child and you are the adults. Just leave me alone while you realize that."

She hung up and sighed. She couldn't believe she had done that but it felt good.

Hearing the party she almost rejoined it but then decided not to, she sat down on the bed in the room instead.

She sent Katniss a text telling her she had went home. Looking around the room she realized she was in Gale's room.

The walls were a blue color and bed spread matched. He had a bookshelf beside the window and one of the shelves had trophies on it, for wrestling and hunting.

She bearly registered the goodbyes being made in the livingroom or the front door being shut, she got off the bed to look at the pictures on his nightstand. One of Gale and Katniss, another of a man and women, probably his parents, a couple with mini Gale look-a-likes, and a few other ones. She liked the version of Gale that was in the pictures. She wanted to know this Gale.

She stood there a few more minutes but the door opening startled her. She spun around to find a shocked Gale in the doorway.

"Madge?"

"Sorry! I came in here to take a phone call and then got distracted. I will get out of your hair."

She walked toward him to leave the room but he didn't move. She gave him a look of confusion but he stayed where he was.

"You don't have to leave right away. My family is out of town for the night. Besides Katniss says we should be friends."

He gave her a lopsided grin and closed the bedroom door. So she guessed she was staying.

"Are these your siblings?" She was trying not to let things get awkward.

"Yeah," He replied, "Rory, Vick, and Posy."

"I wish I had siblings." She picked up a picture of the four of them and smiled.

Gale laughed, "You say that because you don't know what it's like."

"Having someone to lean on would be nice though. Especially now that my parents only care about themselves."

"I heard about that, I'm sorry."

Of course he had heard. The whole town probably knew. She went to turn away but his hand on her back stopped her. He look sad.

Before she knew what was happening he was leaning toward her. Their lips met and Madge felt like she had put her finger in an electrical socket. She jumped away from him and her back met wall.

While her face was shocked, Gale looked curious and she could see something resembling desire in his eyes.

"I lied. Your dress is driving me crazy."

She stared at him for a moment. They could do this, she had wanted a distraction and even though she had playful banter in mind this physical act of kissing could work just as well. Maybe even more than the talking. Besides all they were going to do was kiss.

"Okay but..." Gale was slowly closing the distance "...only this once.

He reached her and put a hand on her waist and the other on her cheek. He started leaning in, so she quickly add to her conditions.

"And no one can know."

A breathe away he said, "obviously."

He's lips met her's again and Madge felt like she just might be on fire.

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Gale wasn't sure what had made him kiss her the first time. She was a freaking townie and he didn't like her, despite what had happened in the kitchen. But she had looked so sad and she had been hiding in his room. That didn't quite explain it though, Katniss had been sad before and he had never kissed her, and yes the dress was driving him crazy but still.

He might not know why he kissed her the first time but he did know why he kissed her the second time. She had looked so vulnerable and innocent leaning against his wall and she was agreeing to this thing that was happening between them. Something that hadn't happened in a long time. Plus it was his birthday and the house was empty.

They stayed against the wall for a second but then he started backing up, trying to get to the bed. Sitting down he got Madge to straddle his lap. This is when the kissing intensified.

She tasted like mints and Strawberries. Her hair was soft as he tangled his fingers in the blonde strands. The noise she made when he did that only made him want to get closer. He turned them, Madge laying on the bed and Gale above her. A look of desire was in her eyes and he almost jumped away from her. When she reached up and started kiss him again the thought left him.

That is until her finger tips touched his skin. She was tugging at his hem. With his knees still on either side of her he sat up. She looked confused and she reached for him again.

"Are you sure about this?" He needed her to be sure.

"Please, Gale, kiss me."

"I need you to say you are sure, Madge."

The look of desire only seemed to grow in her eyes.

"I am sure. I want this. Kiss me."

So he did and the next time she reached for the hem of his shirt he didn't stop her.