Chapter 21

(Gale POV)

She peeked. I saw her, trying to be sneaky and glance from the corner of her eye but she wasn't nearly as sneaky as she thought she was. So I call her on it.

"I saw that!" I tease and smile as I watch her head snap back around to the wall though even from here, I can see her face is turning red. She's embarrassed to be caught looking. Personally, I like that I caught her looking. Like that she wanted to look.

Still shirtless, I come up behind her and loop my arms around her waist, press my mouth against her ear and whisper how pretty she looks when she's blushing before I leave a trail of hot kisses along her neck and shoulder. Her hand comes up and grasps at my hair, her breathing getting heavier. I press my palm against her stomach, pulling her body against my own. I can never get close enough to her in moments like this. She gasps in pleasure and it drives me insane. My hand moves up from her stomach and lightly over her chest as I move my lips over her skin. I turn her around to kiss her, my mouth crashing against hers. She returns my kiss with equal desire, her palm like fire against the still bare skin of my stomach. My hand on her back, against her dress, I have the urge to pull the zipper down but I don't. We've never talked about it, but I assume she hasn't done much more than kissing and I don't know what her boundaries are and I don't want to push anything to fast for her. So I'll wait and let her lead us to where she wants this to go, when she's ready for it to go there. For now though, I'll kiss her with a a fury of want and need and savor whatever she offers in return.

"We're never going to make it to that bonfire if we keep this up." She warns breathlessly between kisses.

"You're probably right. I should get dressed so we can go." I tell her as I pull back, taking it as her cue to slow down. "One last look before I put my shirt back on?" I ask teasingly as I grab my old shirt.

She blushes again and shoots me a look. "You aren't as funny as you think you are Gale Hawthorne."

"But apparently I'm nice to look at." I joke, getting one more stab at teasing her. I lean forward and place a quick, chaste kiss on her forehead."Come on let's get going." I add as I grab the boxes from the desk.

We drop the boxes off at my house and then head towards where the bonfire parties usually are. I feel her hand stiffen in mine as the bonfire comes into view and she sees how many people are here. I stop walking and turn to face her. "You okay?"

"Yes, just a little nervous. What if your friends don't want me here?"

"Don't be silly. Tom is the one who told me about the party and said I should bring you. They'll love you." I assure her. I hadn't really thought about it but I guess this was really the first time we'd be hanging out with my friends. With school being on hold because of the viewings, we hadn't had much opportunity for this yet.

She nods and takes a deep breathe in. I throw my arm around her shoulder and we continue towards the fire. I spot Thom and head over towards him. A couple other guys are here and a few of their girlfriends.

"Well look who's finally making an appearance!" A guy named Al hollers out, giving me crap for being missing in action lately.

"Hey guys. You know Madge. Madge, this is everybody." I say gesturing from Madge to the small group gathered by the fire. Madge smiles but it's her fake smile, not her real one. She's still nervous. A few of my friends mumble a hello. The girls don't say anything, they just stare at her in an almost rude manner but I don't think too much into it. I take a seat on a stump and pull Madge into my lap. I'm hoping she'll relax after a few minutes. I really think they'd all like her if they saw her being herself and not the image she portrays as daughter of the mayor.

"Where ya been man?" One of the guys asks as he tosses me a bottle of white liquor. I catch it and uncork it, taking a swig and then toss it back to him.

"Been around. Did I miss anything exciting?"

One of the guys laughs. "Like anything exciting ever happens around here."

"We could make our own excitement you know." One of the girls offers up in suggestion. Her name's Sara and she isn't one of my favorite people. She's really pretty and all but she's got a lame personality and has my friend Al on such a tight leash that he can't hardly breathe without her permission. Meanwhile, she can do whatever she wants and usually does. I've never figured out why he puts up with her.

"And how do we do that?" Tom asks her and I wish he wouldn't.

Sara and her friend glance at one another, sharing a mischievous grin. "How about a game of I never?"

I never is a drinking game where you say something you've never done and if anyone else has done it, they have to take a shot of liquor. I've played it plenty of times and it isn't terrible. Kind of fun actually but I'm not sure if Madge will want to play. Heck, I don't even know if she drinks. I mean, I've seen her have wine with dinner at her house but this is homemade, white liquor and it'll make your hair grow it's so strong. I lean to her ear and whisper. "It's a drinking game. You don't have to play."

"It's okay, I can play." She whispers back. She gives me a smile and I know she's trying hard to fit in, for my sake.

"Alright, let's go. Who's starting this thing?" One of the guys asks, eager to have a few drinks and laughs.

"I will." I say. "I've never made out with Al." I start as I stare at Sara, knowing she'll be the only one taking a shot this round.

Everyone laughs as Sara takes her shot, annoyance on her face that she's already losing and it was her idea to play. Thomas up next since you pass to the left. He follows my lead and goes for Sara again, though he takes me out at the same time. "I've never been caught cheating." is what he says. Now had he added "on Al" to the end of that it would've only gotten Sara but instead, it leaves it open for me to have to drink too. No biggie though, I take my shot in stride as well as my history of being a bit of a player.

I survive a few more rounds and Madge has yet to have to drink. Just when I think she may make it through the game without ever having to do a shot, Sara gets her. "I've never made out with Gale." I feel bad because it's just a spin off of what I'd said about making out with Al but Madge doesn't look phased. She holds the bottle to her mouth and takes a drink. Her eyes shut tightly as she feels it burn going down. I lean in and kiss her. If she has to drink for kissing me, she may as well get as many kisses out of it as I can give her.

Sara's friend goes next and she goes after Madge too. "I've never worn a party dress to a bonfire."

"Like you could pull off wearing one even if you wanted too." Tom laughs at her, evoking a chorus of laughter from everyone except her, who shoots him a look of disgust.

Madge is passed the bottle again and takes her second shot. In the glow of the fire I can see that her eyes are watering. Hope it's from the liquor being strong and not tears welling up. "You okay?" I whisper to her.

She nods and gives my hand a squeeze. One of the other girls, one not specifically attached to Sara, goes next. "I've never been outside the fence."

All eyes turn to me as everyone here in the Seam is aware of my hunting habits. I reach for the bottle and take a shot. Then Madge reaches for the bottle and pulls it to her mouth, swallowing down another hefty swig. It surprises me, because she didn't have to do that seeing as how I'm the only one who knows she's been outside the fence.

"Oh please, like she's ever been outside the fence." Sara's friend scoffs and Sara laughs so hard she snorts.

I'm about to say something to her when Madge speaks up. "Actually, I've left the district plenty of times." I'm about to whisper for her not to tell them I took her out there and then I get it. She's been outside the fence, just on the Capitol train is all. She's travelled with her father and so therefore technically, she would have to drink. She isn't revealing our secret trips to the woods.

"When?"

"More times than I could possibly count. About two months ago, most recently, on a trip with my father to the Capitol."

"She means she left with permission. How brave of her." Sara chides, rolling her eyes.

"Who's turn is it?" One of the guys asks, wanting to keep the game going or possibly doing it as a favor to me so I don't get pissed at Sara.

"Madge, you're up." One of the guys points out.

She thinks for a minute, her finger tapping her lips. The entire group is silent as we wait to see what she'll come up with. "I've never been bitchy for no reason."

A roar of laughter erupts from everyone, myself included, Sara and her friend excluded. Madge seems to have hit the level of liquid courage that comes with all this drinking because she really just busted out Sara and her little attitude. I kiss her again and she laughs, leaning back against me.

"Go on now Sara, it's your game, gotta drink up now." Tom tells her, pointing out that she hasn't taken her shot yet.

"This is stupid. Come on Al, let's go." She fusses, standing up and yanking on his arm to follow her. Her sidekick of a friend running after them. Al shoots all of us an "I'm sorry." look and goes with her, shoulders sagging in defeat because he knows she'll never let him stay and hang out without her here too.

After they've gone, the game continues for another few rounds before it fizzles but in those few rounds, Madge ends up taking a couple more drinks. None of them were shots aimed at her, just luck of the draw. By the time the game dies down, it's late and I'm ready to go and Madge is leaning against me in my lap, her head on my shoulder. I kiss her temple and whisper. "You ready to go Beautiful?"

"Mmhmm." She mumbles back and I wonder if maybe she's had a little too much to drink.

I go to stand and as I pull us to our feet she sways a little. She's definitely had too much. Crap. I can't take her home like this. Gonna have to sober her up a little first. I pick her up, carrying her as she lays her head on my shoulder again. "I'll see you guys later, gotta get her home." I tell the guys as I leave, Madge in my arms.

It's late so thankfully there aren't a lot of people out, especially in town. I'd hate having anyone of importance see her like this. I carry her to the meadow and then sit down, placing her in my lap, still holding her in my arms.

"You still awake?" I ask her. She hadn't said anything the whole walk here and I wasn't sure if she'd nodded off or if she was just too woozy to talk.

"I'm awake." She mumbles against my chest.

"You feeling sick or anything?" I ask, praying that she's not. I've puked white liquor before and it burns twice as much coming back up as it does going down.

"No. I'm okay. Just a little spinny is all."

I smile. "Sorry I got you so drunk."

"I'm not drunk." She argues in a slurred voice.

"Of course you aren't." I say humoring her. Girls never really think they're drunk when they really are.

"Was it true? You got caught cheating?" She asks, her eyes closed.

"Yes and no. It was more a misunderstanding of whether or not we were exclusive. I thought we weren't, she thought we were."

"Are we in misunderstanding?" She asks, not making sense of her words but I know what she's asking.

"No. With us, there's no misunderstanding. Just me and you beautiful. I promise." I kiss her temple, tighten my arms around her a little.

"I don't want you to break my heart." She mumbles softly. She's quiet for a few moments and then she says in a voice so low it's almost a whisper "Because I think I could really love you."

My heart skips a beat and my breath catches. I stare down at her. Her eyes are closed and her breathing is rhythmic and I know she's finally passed out. I know I heard her correctly, that I wasn't mistaken. But did she mean that or was it the liquor talking? Did she really care enough about me to think that she might even love me one day? Was she thinking that far ahead?

A/N: So I know this chapter was all fluff and no plot and for those of you waiting to find out more about the mysterious sponsor, I apologize and plot-filled chapters will follow soon. I was just in a fluff kind of mood today.