Weeks have passed since Katniss and Peeta arrived back as heroes in Distrct 12. I haven't spoken to Madge or even seen her. The bandage is off my hand and Katniss and I relish in our time together in the woods because we both know I'll be busy in the mines in only a few more weeks. And she'll be off on her victory tour soon after.

She doesn't talk about the Games and I don't make her. We don't even talk about Peeta until one day I bring it up. I've let my mind stray to Madge and how she, like everyone else, has assumed that Katniss and I will be together one day. Sooner in her mind than later.

"Katniss," I say one day as we lay in the meadow, waiting for the fence to turn off. "You think he really loves you?"

She nods.

"Do you love him?"

She doesn't answer immediately, but the look in her eyes makes me think she's considering it, considering if she could love him. Like so many times before, we don't need words to communicate. So I leave it.

We hunt and after a heated moment, something happens and I'm kissing her. It's a good kiss. A needed kiss. But when we pull away, we're awkward and I can tell it was nothing special to either of us. And I know we've finally concluded for ourselves that we will always love each other, but we aren't in love. Despite an entire district that thinks otherwise, and a Capital who was so scared of our potential involvement that they made me her cousin- we're not in love. And I'm thankful for this knowledge.

But it doesn't matter really, because everyone else still thinks we've been mad for each other for years. Even Madge.

The first time I see Madge is when our entire district is rounded up to send Peeta and Katniss off. She's on the steps of the Justice Building with her father. Her hair is blowing from her face; guided by the light, coal dusted air. She's wearing a pink dress, and Posy who is holding onto my hand in the crowd, is whining about how badly she wants a dress like that.

Madge's expression is unreadable. I know her and Katniss have been hanging out but I don't know if I've even been mentioned. They're both secretive and placid about things, so I sort of doubt it.

I've thought about the fight Madge and I had that ended whatever we were doing often About how I had originally came to tell her that night that I didn't want to only ever kiss or talk when we drank and how my anger didn't let me say it. How my temper didn't let me correct her when she wrongly assumed I was trying to stop us from continuing to see each other.

I'm only pulled from these thoughts as I stand in front of the old building when I realize Madge's gaze has met my own and I've been staring at her for a long time. She looks away first though, hugging a well-dressed Katniss and Peeta before they're gone and in the train bound for wherever.

I think of stopping Madge and talking to her but Posy drags me back toward home and the blonde on the steps has hidden herself within the large crowd.

It's a day later and I'm changing into clothes to go hunting when I reach in my pocket and am amazed the find the little folded slip of paper with all the music notes written on it. I trace my fingers over the edges of it for a moment, debate taking it out, but I instead leave it safe in my pocket and head out for the woods

I've tried to convince Rory to start hunting with me but he's more interested in girls and raising havoc in the Seam. So I go alone.

I almost step on her as I walk through the meadow to the opening in the fence but when I look down, she's barely opened her eyes to gaze up at me. It's colder in the mornings now, so she's wrapped in a grey sweater, which keeps grass on it when she finally sits up.

"Hey," Madge says.

"Hey," I reply back and I'm not sure if this is going to turn into a conversation so I remain standing.

"I'm sorry… about that. You know. That night," she says and I'm genuinely surprised. Mostly because she shouldn't be the one sorry but also because she's so different than stubborn Katniss who never attempts to reconcile things first.

"No, I'm sorry," I say and decide to sit down, dropping my game bag down next to me. "You didn't say anything wrong."

"Oh that's not why I'm sorry," Madge begins and I'm looking at her puzzled I guess because she's amused and grinning slightly at me. "I'm so sorry my shed is such a bully. Picking a fight with your fist like that."

Her words are all it takes to smooth away any hard feelings that have been harbored the last few weeks. I let out a deep laugh, reaching to push all of her hair into her face so she struggles to see me.

A minute later, I lay back in the grass and she joins me, our heads near each other. I'm wondering what she's thinking because unlike Katniss' grey eyes that are so easy to read, Madge's blue ones are impossible to breach. I would be lying if I said I hadn't been aching to see her, to be near her, to speak to her.

"You know I didn't mean what I said, right?" I ask and turn to look over at her, and though her eyes have closed again, she manages a nod. "You were more than a distraction. You helped me get through it. Through the Games, I mean."

"I know," she says while releasing a sigh. She's turned towards me now though, eyes opening when she speaks again. "I just didn't want you to be confused when she got back. I didn't want you to be pulled in two directions."

"We're not like that," I say. "Katniss and me. We don't… love each other like that. We never kissed until the other day, her and I, and when we did… nothing. There was nothing."

And it's weird because I'm saying so much. I rarely speak in full sentences, especially to people who aren't Katniss or a sibling. I'm explaining myself and I never explain myself because I usually feel like no one should understand me because it's not their job to. But I'm talking to Madge and I'm sober and I'm being rational. For once.

Madge nods again like she understands and she doesn't even look bothered by the fact that I kissed Katniss, which I appreciate. She doesn't press the issue any further; like that statement was all that was needed to make my point.

"I miss her again already," she says, her eyes now looking up in to the morning sky.

"Me too," I say because it's true.

But it's not even a minute later that I'm sitting up and leaning over Madge. Her eyes shift from the sky to my face and she gives me a soft smile. That's invitation enough for me so lower myself enough to kiss her once. It's light, and not very long because I'm not sure if she'll push me away. But when I've straightened up enough to see her reaction, she blinks her eyes slowly, her smile still present. She sits up as well now and I reach forward to wrap one of my arms around her waist to get her closer to me. Her head falls to rest on my shoulder and we're silent for a very long time. But she's the one who breaks it.

"I like you," she says, raising her head from my shoulder and it's almost funny because it's such a simple phrase that sums up everything perfectly.

"Mm." I mumble in reply and tilt my own head enough to kiss at her temple. "You only like me for money."

This causes her to laugh and the noise is so pleasant to me, I'm grinning and holding onto her tighter so she can't get away.

"Your face, your hands, your kisses," she says "And most importantly your money."

I realize this is why kissing Katniss meant nothing. Because even drunk, I feel... feelings when I kiss Madge. But I have a hard track record when it comes to conveying emotions with words, so the best I can do is kiss the blonde more and murmur a "mine" against her lips. Because she is.