Thom pulls Madge to a stop in the middle of the hallway, resting his hands on her shoulders and narrowing his gaze. "What in the actual hell is wrong with you?" he asks. "You've been quiet all morning and I know it's got nothing to do with Katniss because she's awake and fine."
"I don't want to talk about it," Madge whispers. There are way too many people here at school and anyone could be listening. She doesn't even want to risk being overheard. "We can talk later."
"We can talk now," Thom says. Madge wrinkles her nose and glances over her shoulder. Thom drops his hold but reaches forward to grab her chin, forcing him to look at her. "Who the hell are you looking for? And will you quit being so suspicious?"
She yanks her chin from his grasp and looks at the ground. "I kissed Gale," she admits. Thom freezes immediately, his eyebrows springing to his forehead "Or, well, he kissed me. I don't know!" Thom's mouth curls into a smile that eventually morphs into a grin. Madge peeks up at him expecting him to look surprised, but he doesn't. "Don't look at me like that! It was a mistake. I don't… I can't even think straight and I'm too nervous he'll show up out of nowhere and then what happens?"
"I don't know," Thom laughs. "And then what? What's next?" Madge pushes his shoulder angrily and he chuckles again, shrugging. "I called you two hooking up ages ago, Blondie."
Her jaw drops slightly. "What are you talking about?"
"Chemistry, Madge. It's all about chemistry." Thom shrugs playfully. "It was that whole I-hate-you-for-no-real-reason-but-you're-always-around thing. It always turns into something, and I saw how you looked at him." Madge continues to stare at him incredulously. "Listen, I can explain it all to you if you really want, but he's right there," Thom says quietly, his eyes drifting behind Madge's shoulder. Her body tenses up and her eyes widen. "If you leave now you can make it."
She rests her hand on his arm. "Thank you," Madge whispers, and then she's gone.
Madge distracts herself from the Games by remembering the feel of Gale's lips on hers. More than once she finds her fingers tracing over her mouth before she realizes what she's doing and stops immediately, scolding herself for being so stupid. When Prim asks her why she's acting so strange Madge can't even form a proper answer.
She successfully avoids Gale in school and doesn't make any trips into town, sticking to the Hob to make her trades. She watches Katniss and Peeta kissing in the cave and telling the cutest stories back and forth. It's so sickly sweet she feels her stomach turning. She watches the Games with Prim and watches Peeta nearly die after eating those poisonous berries and Katniss and Peeta just getting closer and closer to the end of the Games.
She doesn't want her feelings for Gale to be because she was (and still is) feeling lonely. She liked kissing him. It felt right. There was something about it that made her insides turn into a puddle and her skin tingle. Sure, Madge has kissed plenty of boys, but none of them had her feeling like that. What was it that he said, though? I probably shouldn't have done that. The words echo in her dreams and leave her sleepless, tossing and turning on the couch until she gives up and stares at the ceiling until the sun rises.
She's so angry at herself that she can't focus on the Games when they're most important, now down to the final three. Madge directs all of her energy toward Prim and Mrs. Everdeen and her mother and Thom and the Games and the Games and the Games because these are the important things right now, not how she feels for some boy.
Madge is with Prim when Cato is shot through the head and her entire body is shaking and she can't see through her tears and she's with Prim when the announcement of one winner comes and no one can breathe and Madge's fingers go numb. Prim cries and Mrs. Everdeen walks out of the room and Madge sits there, staring at the TV screen and on the edge of vomiting.
"No," Peeta's voice is rough as Katniss holds out the berries, inciting her plan. Madge understands. Prim is smart enough to understand. The entire District, the entire country, everyone understands what is about to happen. There will be no Victor if they can't both win. "I won't let you!"
"Trust me," Katniss whispers. They stare at each other for a very long time before she gives him some berries as well. Prim is sobbing and Madge is unfeeling. "On the count of three?"
Peeta kisses her sweetly. There's no regret in his eyes or Katniss' eyes. Do they honestly love each other so much? That they're willing to die for one another, unable to come home on their own? They must.
"On the count of three," Peeta says. They move, pressing their back together and lacing hands together. "Hold them out," Peeta tells her. "I want everyone to see."
He and Katniss spread out their fingers and the berries glisten in the sun. Nightlock, the berries that will kill them painlessly and instantly. This is the ultimate sacrifice. This is where the Games end. This is where Madge says goodbye to her best friend.
"One," Katniss says. Prim isn't even watching anymore. A single tear rolls down Madge's cheek. The floorboards creak behind her and she knows Mrs. Everdeen is back. "Two." This is the end, this is the end. No one's coming home. There're no winners. There's no hope. "Three!"
And then the berries are in their mouths and the trumpets are blaring and Madge jumps in surprise at the desperation in Claudius Templesmith's voice. "Stop! Stop! Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present the victors of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark!" Prim is still crying. Madge is frozen. "I give you – the tributes of District Twelve!"
They're both coming home. Gale sits in his bedroom with his head in his hands, caught between straining to hear the yelling through the walls as well and desperately trying to shut it out. His father's office is just down the hall and the tone of Mayor Hawthorne's voice is not good.
He should be happy. Gale should be filled with elation at the fact that both of his friends are coming home. He hasn't had to lose anyone. This is great!
But it's not. Every once in a while Gale will catch a piece of his father's conversation. Seneca Crane, dead. There weren't supposed to be two winners. District 11, District 6, District 8. Katniss Everdeen's fault. Handful of berries. He tries to piece it all together but his thoughts only make him nauseous. There will be repercussions of the stunt with the berries, he knows it.
Mostly he's trying to drown it all out.
"What's got you so upset?" Gale looks up and finds Rory in the doorway, leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. "Your friends are coming back."
"I know," Gale says. He sits up, lifting his head and straightening his shoulders. "I'm not upset. It's just… a lot to take in." Rory eases into the room and sits himself on the edge of the bed next to his brother. Gale can't tell him the truth about the situation; he's too young to understand. "I never thought it would happen, you know? I had been mentally preparing myself for one of them to die."
"Yeah, but both of them are coming home." Rory smiles and slinks back onto his palms. "Have you talked to Madge yet?" Gale's stomach tingles as he tilts his head to the side. "What? Why not? I figured you'd jump right on that."
"It's complicated, Rory," he murmurs. Gale hasn't told his little brother about the kiss (kisses?) he shared with Madge, it would be an awkward conversation and complicate so many things. "You talk to Prim?"
Rory grins, nodding slightly, "Yeah. I saw her in the square." He hesitates a bit. "She kissed me." Gale cocks an eyebrow. Quickly Rory adds, "On the cheek! She kissed me on the cheek." But now Gale is suddenly feeling guilty for not telling him about Madge. He reaches over and rests his hand on his brother's shoulder, squeezing once. Rory's grin eases into a smirk before falling completely. "What's going on, Gale? You've been out of it all week."
"Nothing."
"It's not about Madge, is it? I shouldn't have mentioned her. I just—"
"It's nothing," Gale cuts him off gently. It's Madge and the fact that Katniss and Peeta have caused some sort of trouble he doesn't entirely understand yet but also the feelings of happiness that come with victory and self-hatred that come with rejection. A messy mix. "Don't worry about me, okay?"
"Sure," Rory murmurs. There's a bit of hesitation. "Well tomorrow's Sunday," he says, "which means she should be bringing strawberries…"
"Alright," Gale laughs, shaking his head. "I don't need you being my matchmaker." And then Rory laughs too, and Gale is tricked into thinking that everything is okay, just for a little bit.
Madge goes through her motions in a trance. She and Thom talk about the fact that Katniss and Peeta are coming home and she can't stop laughing, her smile is so wide it makes her eyes water (at least, that's what she tells Thom). Madge and her mother embrace for a very long time, her mother rubbing gentle circles on her back as they cry together in victory. Prim is ecstatic and practically bouncing with joy. A lot of preparations are being made for Katniss' new home and Prim and Mrs. Everdeen are packing up everything they own to move it over.
The whole district is different. Sweeter. Cleaner. Happier. Her best friend is coming home.
Madge always believed Katniss would come home, but now that it's actually happening it feels surreal. Sometimes she'll realize she's smiling when there's really no reason to be.
Sunday rolls around eventually, and even though Katniss is going to be swimming in riches when she returns Madge knows that she still has to provide for her own family. It'll be a lot easier now, she thinks, but it won't be the same. Katniss will offer Madge money that Madge is too kind to refuse, but she's worked hard to make a name for herself in the Seam and wants to continue being self-reliant in that aspect.
So that means Sunday trades at the mayor's house. Madge's heart twists. Why do the Hawthorne's have to be the ones that pay the most for berries?
Upon seeing the house Madge makes the decision to pretend like the kiss she shared with Gale (or dozens of kisses in rapid succession, depending on how it's looked at) didn't happen. She swallows back any and all emotion and makes her way to the backdoor. Three knocks. She waits.
The door swings open. "Straw—" Gale steps outside and clicks the door shut behind him, standing so close to Madge she has no choice but to step back. "—berries," she eventually finishes. Perhaps Madge has decided to breeze over the topic but it's clear that Gale hasn't. There's something in his eyes that hurts her and she finds it difficult to meet his gaze.
"You've been avoiding me," he says. Madge clears her throat and fidgets uncomfortably. "Why?"
"Gale—"
"I just want to know why," Gale murmurs. His shoulders are straight but there's a sort of slump in his stance anyway.
Unsure how to answer Madge fidgets again, lifting her shoulders halfheartedly and pulling the container of berries from her bag to give to him. "If you don't want the berries then—"
"I'll take them," Gale says. He flashes three coins. No more extra money for Katniss, she realizes, and is strangely okay with it. "Just answer my question. Why are you avoiding me?" Her vocal cords are all tangled together and her thoughts are no longer a straight line but rather a jumble of incomprehensible madness. Madge opens her mouth to speak but cannot find any words that will make sense. Gale sighs and reaches forward to grab her hand, forcing the coins into her palm and easing the container of strawberries from her grasp.
"Gale," she tries again.
"Save it," he snaps. Something inside of her is pulling taut and Madge does not like the feeling that yanks at her heart as he turns to leave. His hand pauses on the doorknob. "Tonight. Eight o'clock. I'll be in the meadow." He glances over his shoulder at her, his eyes stormy and dark. "If you feel anything for me, anything at all, you'll be there. And we can talk. That's all I'm asking for."
Without giving her a chance to respond Gale slips inside and closes the door.
Needing to get out of his house as soon as possible Gale leaves at seven thirty, giving Madge ample amount of time to show up. He just can't be there, not now, not with boatloads of reporters and cameramen swarming and cleaning crews in every room including his own and his father with his office door shut and still on the phone with important people. Everything in that house feels trapped and suffocating.
In the meadow he can breathe. In the meadow he can think about the taste of Madge Undersee's lips without feeling guilty. He looks up at the stars popping out in the purples of the sunset and just relaxes.
He checks his pocket watch frequently. At eight o'clock Madge is not there, nor is she there at 8:05. By the time 8:15 rolls around he gets those uncomfortable cramps in his chest and glances over his shoulder, preparing himself to stand, when he sees her. She's standing a few yards away from him, her hair down and her hands lamely by her sides in hesitation.
"I had started to think you weren't going to show up," he murmurs, looking away at once. Gale can't help but wonder if her hair is down because she's got another trail of hickeys. "Are you coming to sit or not?" he asks. The only reason he can hear her moving forward is because he listens very carefully. Madge's footsteps are very quiet, hence why he must not have heard her arrive in the first place. He wonders how long she'd been standing there before he realized it. "You're here," he says.
"I'm here," she responds quietly. Gale tilts his head toward her and watches the warm breeze blow her hair back, exposing her neck. No hickeys. He looks away in relief. "Gale," she starts. But then she stops, shaking her head.
"Say it," he nearly growls. Gale turns back to look at her and finds Madge fumbling with her hands. "Whatever you keep opening your mouth to say, just say it, dammit!"
"I didn't want to confuse my feelings for you with the fact that I was lonely," she blurts. Her eyebrows knit and she shakes her head, unable to look at him. "Katniss, she's my best friend, and having her in the Games was the absolute worst. My mom, she's there but not really. I was so… lonely I felt so alone. And then Katniss was on screen and even in the Hunger Games she found someone to love her, and I… I just…" she swallows her words. "I felt selfish for kissing you because I didn't know what it meant."
Now he's the one at a loss for words. "Madge—"
"And after you first kissed me you said that you probably shouldn't have done it and I just kept thinking that you regretted it and I—"
"That's not what I meant when I said it," Gale cuts her off. Madge lets out a deep breath and squeezes her eyes shut. "Goddammit," he sighs, "I meant that… I meant that you had so much going on, that I should've saved it for some other time when we both didn't feel the world on our shoulders." Her eyes ease open but she still doesn't look at him and her eyebrows are still forced together. "I don't regret it," he tells her, "unless I've completely ruined any chance I have with you. Only then would I regret the kiss." She looks at him now. Her eyes are as wide as the oceans. Her lips part slightly. "I like you," he says as his heart hammers against his ribcage. Gale Hawthorne is not a coward but it takes a hell of a lot of bravery to admit this.
When her voice cracks he feels himself crumble. Madge asks, "Why?"
"Why?" he echoes. Gale scoots closer to her and only reaches for her hand when she doesn't scoot away. "Are you kidding?" He laces his fingers with hers and she studies the motion, just like every other time he's done it. "You're beautiful, Madge," he whispers. "Stubborn. Determined. You don't hesitate to call me out on my shit." Her mouth curves slightly but not enough. "You're the only person that has ever challenged me. I've grown up not allowed to speak out but you give me the opportunity to debate, to think." His thumb breezes over hers. "You've got this fire inside of you that I can't find in anyone else."
They're quiet for a while but he doesn't mind it. Her eyes study the way their hands are laced for a very long time before she speaks.
"I don't want to rush into anything," Madge breathes. Her hold on his hand does not falter. "I feel like we skipped over a lot of steps."
"Okay," he reassures her. "I agree. We skipped a lot. There's no hurry, I don't expect anything out of this. I just… I had to know if you felt something too."
Madge nods and says, "I did."
They spend the night in the meadow. Gale doesn't check his pocket watch and he most definitely does not let go of Madge's hand. They talk, that's it. They talk about their favorite colors and their earliest memories. They talk about how things are going to change when Katniss and Peeta come home. Gale tells her all about Rory's crush on Prim, and Madge tells him about Prim's crush on Rory. They laugh. They watch the stars. There is no commitment in this, just a friendship.
He tells her about the people in his home that are preparing for the return of District 12's newest Victors. He tells her about his favorite time of year, how he loves the brisk chill of winter over all other seasons. He tells her about his studies.
She tells him about her favorite classes. She tells him of her love for spring, how not only is the forest coming back to life but how she too feels rejuvenated. She tells him how her home has never really felt like a home.
Much too soon Gale decides that it's getting too late.
"I doubt they'll know I've left," he says, "considering everything is so hectic right now, but just in case… I should probably get back."
"Of course," Madge nods. Their fingers fumble as they release their hold on one another so they can push themselves to stand. "My mom's probably wondering where I've been anyway," she says. Once they're both standing they walk a little bit toward the road rather than just splitting up in the meadow. Gale turns to face her and she lifts her shoulders in a tiny shrug. "Goodnight," she whispers.
"Goodnight," he responds.
They stare at each other for a moment, wondering if this is how the night will end, when she suddenly steps forward. Madge grabs his shirt and pulls him down to her, Gale leaning without hesitation, their lips colliding at once. She groans as his hands grip her hips fiercely. Madge tugs his shirt toward her in fistfuls as they kiss. She forces herself on her tiptoes to move herself closer and Gale sighs into her mouth when she slides one of her hands into his hair.
When they part they're breathless, though they keep close. Gale rests his forehead on hers and Madge keeps her hands on his cheeks. So much for taking things slow.
"It really is probably past my curfew," he pants.
"Yeah. Of course," Madge nods as he leans down again. Their lips graze lightly. "You should probably go."
"Probably," he murmurs. Again they're kissing and she's savoring the sweet taste of chocolate his mouth reminds her of. "Shit. Okay." She laughs as he tilts his head away from her. "I'll be back," he tells her. Gale's gray eyes are spectacularly silver in the moonlight and Madge's heart speeds up as he brushes her bangs from her face. "Tomorrow. Same time."
"Same place?" she asks. He answers her with another kiss, his lips gentle over hers. "Curfew," she reminds him breathlessly. He groans and nods, finally releasing his hold on her. His lips are swollen and she bets hers are too. Her entire body is in flames. He steps away and nods his head, the sweetest smile on his face. "Goodnight," she whispers.
"Goodnight," he responds.
A/N: Happy New Year! Bring it in with some gadge! How'd you like the chapter? Lend me your ears! Or well, thoughts, not ears. I guess both? I love you all and hope your year is filled with happiness and love!