Sorry it's taken so long to update :)

Madge shifted in her chair and rubbed the crick developing in her neck under the collar of her shirt. She has always enjoyed short naps in her favorite chair but after having spent the whole night in an awkward sitting position with her legs draped over the arm rest this nap was just about as much as her body could tolerate. She was going to have to drag some couch cushions in from the music room and sleep on the floor tonight. It wasn't lost on her that she wasn't entertaining the idea of sleeping in a guest room so she smiled at her thoughts.

She sat up straight and raised her arms over her head to stretch the kinks out of her back. Looking in Gale's direction she was started to see gray eyes piercing her intently and a smirk on his lips. She quickly lowered her arms knowing that her shirt had just ridden up and exposed her stomach to his watching eyes.

She couldn't help the blush that crept up her neck and over her cheeks.

"What?" she asked when he continued to watch her.

He shrugged his shoulders and his smile exposed his teeth. "Did you know that you drool when you sleep?"

"I do not!" she protested.

He didn't argue with her but his stare unnerved her as much as arguing would have.

"Stop. Stop staring at me."

Still in a sitting position she bent at the waist to pick up her blanket that had fallen to the floor while she had slept and realized her shirt had risen up her back this time. She stood and pulled the offending material down hard as if that would keep it in place. "Ahhhh." She eyed him and pointed a finger in his direction. "Don't you dare laugh at me."

"Wouldn't dream of it." When he turned his face away from her she would have bet anything she had that was exactly what he was doing.

She stomped over to her closet and swung the door open hard but caught it before it hit the wall. She had learned years ago to not slam doors for fear of being responsible for bringing on one of her mother's headaches and the hours of silence she would have to endure as a result.

She pulled out a pair of blue pants, a white blouse and a fuzzy blue sweater and then went to dress in the bathroom. Now that he was awake getting dressed in her closet seemed improper. Of course wearing her pajamas in front of a boy and for half the day were also unforgivable offenses in the Undersee household.

She came out feeling much more put together, her hair tied back in a blue ribbon and no chances for embarrassing clothing mishaps.

"Are you hungry?" she asked as she folded her pajamas and put them in her closet.

"A little, what's on the menu," he asked as he blatantly studied her attire from head to feet.

She wasn't sure how he was able to make her blush with one look but once again he was doing just that.

She was preparing to list off what she remembered seeing when she'd made breakfast but was piqued enough by how easily he effected her that instead she said, "This isn't a restaurant Gale." And stalked out of the room.

Once downstairs she immediately regretted her harsh tone knowing it wasn't his fault her cheeks glowed red every time he looked at her. Well, technically it was but she still felt bad about lashing out.

She scoured the kitchen for leftovers that Thalia had prepared and left her for the week and found roasted venison, potatoes and grilled vegetables labeled and ready for her to heat up.

She divided everything into 3 dishes and took her mother's portion to her room. Her mother was awake but unwilling to get out of bed so Madge set the tray on her lap and again offered to stay with her. Her mother's mood had not improved over the coarse of the day and she again sent her daughter away.

Madge couldn't really feel bad that her mother wanted to eat alone, it gave her more time to spend with Gale. The realization that she was becoming desperate to spend every minute in his company made her heart skip a beat but also made her anxious. What would happen when he was better and Katniss came to get her hunting partner? Would he walk out of her house and her life and never look back? Would they stay friends? The questions and the worry about the uncertainty of the answers made her head hurt.

She climbed the stairs burdened by her thoughts. Gale appeared to have fallen back to sleep in her absence so she sat in her chair with her plate on her lap and nibbled at the food too consumed with her concerns to taste it.

She kept an eye on him and sure enough his eyes opened and he watched her with the intensity that was becoming familiar and not as unsettling as it had been only hours before.

"Can we start over?" he said with a concerned smile.

She smiled back and stood. Holding her hands out to him, he took them and let her pull him to a sitting position. He groaned less than he had that morning so it seemed he was in a little less pain or perhaps she was just getting better and helping him maneuver.

"I'm sorry," she told him as she set the tray on his lap.

"Madgy May you have nothing to be sorry for, I was an ass and after all you have done for me I shouldn't have been so flippant..." his words faded as he tasted the food and though it was now cold, by his reaction she could tell that it might just be one of the best things he'd ever eaten. "This is... good... really good."

They ate in silence and even though she was happy that he was enjoying the dinner, the mood seemed to have changed between them and she wasn't sure why. She needed to stop thinking about the day he would leave her and just enjoy the minutes they had together.

"Are you feeling better?"

He held his fork in midair and answered her. "I think so. There is still quite a bit of pain but I think I'll survive."

What she was really asking was how much longer he was going to be in her house and in her bed but she couldn't bring herself to utter the words out loud.

"Do you want more morphling?"

"Nah, let's see how I do without it. It knocks me out and I'd rather not sleep just yet." Then he looked at her and added, "Thank you Madge." He scraped the last of the potatoes onto his fork and she heard a sound of contentment from deep in his throat.

She handed her plate to him when he was finished with his. He looked at her questioningly but smiled as he took it and cleaned it off in no time.

She stopped at her mother's room to pick up her dishes and help her change into a clean dressing gown promising to return with a cup of tea.

After delivering her mother's tea, Madge collected a basket from the library and brought it up to her room determined to get herself out of her morose mood,

"Are you up for a card game?" she asked as Gale was maneuvering himself out of the bed.

He pointed to the bathroom and shook his head.

She pulled the desk chair next to the bed and was standing behind it waiting to help him back into bed.

She sat on the chair and pulled out the cards getting ready to shuffle the deck. "Come sit here." He gestured to the side of the bed.

"Oh I'm fine here."

"Nonsense. I can't stand to see you sitting in chairs while I comfortably lounge in your bed."

"But you're injured."

"And your neck and back don't hurt from sleeping in that damn chair?"

She said nothing as she continued to shuffle.

"There is plenty of room. This bed is big enough for me and all my siblings, surely there is room for the two of us."

"It wouldn't be appropriate," she said as she distracted herself with the cards in her hands.

"I'm in your bed, don't you think we left inappropriate behind a long time ago?"

And once again his words were making her blush.

"I swear to never tell a soul Madgy May." His blinding smile was no match for her propriety so she walked around the bed and sat on top of the covers making sure she wasn't actually touching him. He was right, there was room for both of them. She patted the blanket to make a flat spot for the cards and then realizing that her hand was on his lap she drew it away as if she'd been burned. She expected a sly comment but Gale remained surprisingly silent.

"Queen's Wild?" she suggested.

He agreed and she dealt out the cards. It turned out he was a very good card player and every time she thought she'd take a point he would steal it from her with a better card.

"Are you cheating?" she finally asked trying not to let her frustration get the best of her. "That's the forth time you've beaten me."

"Oooh, I didn't know you were so competitive." He reached for her discarded hand and shuffled. "Let me show you how to win."

He then explained his strategy and with a little more practice, Madge won three games in a row. "Are you just letting me win now?" she accused.

"Absolutely not. That's all you. You're a natural card shark you just needed some tips. Next thing you know you'll be at the Hob taking the Peacekeepers for all they're worth."

She beamed at the praise and the idea of beating veteran card players at their own game.

"You have such a beautiful smile," he said absently. His words taking her completely by surprise.

She said the first thing that came to her mind, "So do you." Then her blush warmed her skin when she realized what she had said.

They both stared at each other. She was transfixed by his gray eyes, watching them grow darker as they drifted to her mouth and back to her own eyes.

She was the first to look away. She gathered up the cards and without looking in his direction said, "You need sleep."

She grabbed her pajamas trying not to be obvious that she was running to the safety of the bathroom. Leaning against the closed door, she attempted to understand the effect he had on her and why it was so maddening. No one had ever made her feel so out of control of her reactions before but then she had never had a boy in her bed before either so there was a first time for everything.

After gathering her composure she returned to her room and made herself busy by moving the desk chair back to the other side of the room and then helped Gale lay back down. As she turned she felt his hand on her wrist.

'I'm not going to let you spend another uncomfortable night in that chair."

She stared at him trying to figure out his meaning. When his eyes darted to the bed her eyes grew wide.

"I can't," she protested.

He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly. "You know it's much more comfortable. Come on Undersee, break a rule for once."

She laughed uncomfortably. "I think I've already broken quite a few just having you here."

"And it feels damn good doesn't it? Defying authority? And yet you aren't hurting anyone." He was using his smirk to its full effect. "I won't touch you, I promise. I'll keep my hands completely to myself. Haven't I been a perfect gentleman since I've been here?"

She wanted to agree that he had but she also had proof that he wasn't so good at keeping his hands completely to himself. She looked at her hand in his and raised her eyebrows but he didn't let her go.

"Present situation not withstanding," he amended.

She reached for her blanket that she had folded and placed on her chair and when he let her hand go she turned out the lights and acquiesced without saying anything by simply walked around the bed and laying down next to him.

She rolled to her side and could just make out the outline of his features by the illumination of the nightlight. His high forehead covered by wisps of long hair, the strong line of his nose, his full lips and his chiseled chin that was now dotted with a day's growth. Her fingers itched to touch his skin so she folded them under her cheek and closed her eyes.

"Good night Madgy May."

"Good night Gale."

tbc