"Well," he said and pulled her against him. "You're a proper leader now- how would like to celebrate?" Madge grinned up at him.
"Sleep," she told him honestly.
"Oh, really?" He said, pouting dramatically. "You would be interested in this then?" He pulled a large bottle from behind his back.
"Where did you get that?" She hissed and pulled it into her lap away from possible wandering eyes but the bushes seemed to do their job.
"Snagged it from Peeta's, I think he was probably hiding it from Haymitch," he shrugged, "doesn't matter now though- it's ours for the sharing. How about it?" Madge nodded enthusiastically.
"I need it for sure," she told him. Together they shared the bottle, increasing the personal level of stories.
"You said I didn't know you," Thom said, "that's been nagging at me," he said slumping against the boulder behind him, "go on tell me about yourself, you know other than the fact you can wield a knife."
She sighed and then rolled her eye, "everyone calls me a Princess," she started glancing up at the stars, "but I never felt like one," she glanced back at him. "Sure I had the clothes and the food... "She murmured, "but the royalty? The family pride?" She scoffed, "my father was barely home to support me let alone ask questions." She looked down at her hands, "mother was so sick she was bedridden and could hardly get a sentence out on a good day." She shrugged, "I was alone in a giant house with no friends and a confusing future." She smiled slightly, "my only connection to reality was through Katniss- she taught me a lot about the district. Gale too, I suppose, though he just confirmed what people thought of me." She took a long drink.
"What did people think of you?" He asked. She cocked an eyebrow. "Snob," he answered for her, "right, my bad." Thom was silent for a few minutes before clearing his throat, "You know… I hadn't thought it would be anything like that." She shrugged.
"I wouldn't expect anyone to think of me at all," She said, "I was invisible behind all the wealth and supposed power." She handed the bottle back to him. They drank in silence for a while.
"You sure have power now,' he reminded her, "Princess is one hundred percent your title."
"Princess?" She scoffed, "yeah, right. Try- King." She broke her serious look by giggling, making Thom's deep laughter join hers. They beamed at each other, huffing out the rest of their laughter. Then collapsed together, tangling with each other momentarily.
"You're beautiful," Thom whispered finally, making Madge look up at him.
"What made you say that?" She murmured, feeling her cheeks heat up.
"I don't know..." he shrugged, "your hair is all tousled and your eyes are bright even in the dark." He glanced down at the bottle, "The alcohol isn't helping either," he laid back and nestled an arm behind his head, "and I've noticed everything." He added, giving her a wicked fleeting look.
"Everything?" She whispered. He turned onto his side, using his elbow to support him.
"Yeah, like how your blouse has come undone slightly and with every long breath you can see the lace of your bra," he gestured and Madge quickly moved to cover up. "Or when you're listening to me your mouth pops open and your teeth naw on your bottom lip," he smiled, "you're doing it right now." Madge let go of her lip and brushed her hair back, nervously, "And don't even get me started on your legs..."
"My legs?" Madge squealed,
Thom winked, "they're so long, smooth and your skin glows in the moonlight."
Madge studied him quietly before returning her teeth to her lip. "Thom…"
He cut her off, "you know... when I realized you were planning on giving yourself over to the peacekeepers I had planned on coming back and dragging you to the closet with me." She laughed and shook her head.
"Why didn't you?" She asked, beaming.
"Well I figured you could handle yourself," he shrugged and laughed, "Anyway I guessed you wouldn't have come without a fight, you and that knife of yours." Madge grinned and shook her head.
"No, I wouldn't have- you're right," she stole the bottle out of his hand and took a swig. He took it back just as quickly and gulped down a few mouthfuls. He put the bottle off to the side and moved closer to Madge, pushing her hair behind her ear.
"I'm going to kiss you now," he whispered and cupped her face pulling her closer.
"Don't" she whispered back.
"Why not?" He searched her eyes, confused.
"I just don't think it's a good idea," she confessed. He gave her an incredulous look. "Look we're out in the middle of the woods, in a camp, with people who are looking to us," she explained, "I just don't want to set a bad example, we're not just going to quit while we're ahead."
"I'm pretty sure the saying is quit while you're ahead…" Thom murmured.
"So quit with me while you're ahead," she told him quietly.
"This is about someone else," he murmured, "isn't it?"
"No," she shook her head.
"Oh, come on," he groaned, "It is."
"It doesn't matter anymore," she shrugged, "I just haven't really been with anyone since."
"That sounds like it still matters," he argued, "It's not Gale… is it?"
"No…" she whispered, "well… yes and no."
"If we found Gale tomorrow- would it ruin whatever I started?" He asked.
"It's not really about Gale," she groaned, "and I have no idea!" She took a deep breath before jokingly snarling, "What have you started?"
"Well I was hoping some kind of feelings for me but if it wasn't obvious…"
"It's complicated." She told him, "I do have feelings for you but"
"But…" Thom sighed, "There's always a but," Madge pushed him and smiled, annoyed.
Thom smiled back, "but I don't think I'm ready for any commitment."
"That wasn't exactly a no," he reminded her, "I can deal with no commitment." He winked and Madge rolled her eyes.
"Men," she muttered under her breath, "I just don't know, I'm attracted to you but I don't know how true my feelings are yet. I mean were in the woods, fighting for survival- it doesn't feel like the right place to form attachments."
"See I would argue that this is the only time for attachment. We need each other."
"Need each other," she echoed.
"It's just a kiss," he murmured, pulling her closer.
"Just a kiss," she echoed again, and glanced at his lips. He raised an eyebrow in challenge, "it can't hurt…" she murmured.
He smiled and eased against her taking her bottom lip between his before kissing her softly, brushing his fingers over her cheek and jaw line. Madge hummed into his mouth, her eyes fluttering shut. His teeth pulled against her fat bottom lip and she allowed his tongue to challenge hers. He leaned her further back against the blankets; his leg nestled between hers and his hand roaming down her side to her hip.
Her hands found his chest, taking in the fabric of his shirt in her grasp. "Just a kiss," she whispered, reminding herself more than Thom, as his hands wandered her skin. Madge kissed him this time, feeling the scrape of his stubble against her face.
Thom pulled away and rolled next to her, "so I've been thinking…" he started. Madge sighed, "Who ruined you for all other men?" He asked, "He must be pretty important."
"Thom," she groaned, "one minute you're getting your wish, the next you're shoving jealousy down my throat."
"This isn't jealousy," he scoffed, "it's mere curiosity." She gave him an doubtful look.
"It shouldn't matter," she told him.
"It does, I need to know what I'm up against."
"So this is jealousy."
"I can compete with someone who isn't Gale Hawthorne," he winked.
"What if it was Gale?" she asked.
"You said it wasn't!" Thom laughed.
"I never said it wasn't him," Madge said, suppressing a smile, "why can't you compete against Gale?"
"I mean, I know the guy, and I would feel weird to get between him and you," Madge rolled her eyes.
"Well it isn't Gale and we don't have anything to get between," She told him.
"So who is this guy, is he a Townie?" Thom asked, rubbing his hands together, "blonde hair, blue eyes just like you," he grinned, "or…"
"He's dead," Madge interrupted. Thom's smile fell.
"Did he die in the bombing?" Thom asked, taking her hand.
"No," she pulled her hand away, sitting up, "before then."
"Oh," Thom sighed.
"He was killed," she continued.
"What?" Thom practically yelled, "Like murdered? Here in 12?"
"He was a Peacekeeper who over stepped his boundaries," Madge murmured, her hands starting to shake with the memory, "and it was all my fault."
"How?" He asked, and sat up with her, pulling her to him.
"It's such a long story," she sighed.
"I've got time," he told her. Madge bit her lip, craning her neck to look up at him.
"I guess to begin- we had been on again off again when Katniss went into the games. I was messing around with other guys and really not myself. Yet, he was still there, still willing to fix all my mistakes, still willing to be with me." She sat back, away from him, and sighed.
"What happened?" He asked.
"I pushed him too far." Madge whispered, "One night after watching the games I was really distraught. It was late and I started in on my father's stash of alcohol. D called me from base and he could tell I was belligerent. Yet, he wasn't the only one who knew I was. Gale was there that night and he was trying to console me but he was also upset… one thing led to another… and Darius ended up walking in on us making out."
"You were with Darius?" Thom asked, surprised, "He went to the Hob often."
"Yeah, he was also friends with Katniss and Gale," Madge reminded him.
"Oh… oh, and you were with… oh." Thom rubbed the back of his head, "that's a case of bad luck."
"You mean bad decisions and taste," Madge said and shook her head.
"How does this fit into his death?" Thom asked, "If I may be so blunt."
"Cue fast forward but I eventually asked him to intervene in Gale's whipping."
"What?" Thom whispered.
"After the night that Gale and I got caught together it was over between Darius and I. We still talked but the romance was gone, and we constantly fought. Gale tried to make an effort in my life and for a while it was good. Then Katniss came home. I thought everything was fine but Gale acted like I didn't even exist."
"That's terrible."
"Yeah… well… he was in love with her. I was a mere distraction. Anyway, Darius noticed and wanted to say something but I didn't let him intervene. When Thread came into power both my Father and Darius complained and were sincerely worried for the district. I didn't fully understand until Gale's whipping."
"That's when you asked him to stop it, right?" Thom asked, trying to understand.
"Sort of, Darius and I had decided to get back together the night before and had spent the night together, talking and making up. Then in the morning we decided to walk through the district together. I heard the shouting and he beat me to the scene. He tried to keep me from it, pushing me back and shielding me from it."
"You were persistent of course."
"When I got to the front of the crowd and I could practically feel the devastation in my veins and I'm sure it was all over my face. Darius came up behind me and started moving me to the back of the crowd but I was crying out and making a scene. He set me down and then…" Madge looked down at her hands, "that was the last I saw of him."
