A/N: Here's the second part! Happy New Year Gadge fans, may 2017 be a year of so many more stories about these two wonderful characters.
Madge bustles backstage peeking into every corner and hiding place for the little girl. The concert is starting in only half an hour, and if she can't find this little choir member then Alma Coin might as well end her now.
She had heard from Ms. Flanagan, the English teacher who also runs the school choir club, that their lead singer for "Catch a Falling Star" is missing, and extremely nervous. Mags also let her know that the lead's name is Gwen, and Madge realized that she teaches Gwen and therefore decided to embark on a journey to find that fourth grader.
Finally when she looks into the last classroom of the hall, the music room, she sees her student sitting by herself on one of the chairs by herself, and she's holding onto a piece of ribbon.
"Gwen? Are you okay?" she asks, very well knowing the answer. Madge has known stage fright her whole life, she's kind of an expert on it. She pulls a chair up next to the girl and studies her closely. She's not crying, but she's clearly very nervous, chewing on her lips and looking a little embarrassed that she was found.
"Ms. Undersee, I don't think I can do it," Gwen admits, mangling her ribbon in her fingers. "I've been sick all week, I won't reach the notes everyone wants to hear."
"What are you talking about, of course you will." Madge insists, rubbing Gwen's back. She's wearing a fancy purple dress, it looks so cute on her and Madge knows she probably bought it for this occasion. "Do you want me to braid this ribbon into your hair?"
She nods, so Madge turns her around so that she can reach around to the light brown hair. "Listen, don't stress about this performance, okay? I've heard you humming along to the melody in class, you're well rehearsed. You know the notes, the words, all you have to do is go up there and sing like I know you've been practicing in your room. I always used to get nervous too, but I would just think about my parents and friends watching me in the audience, and I'd want to make them proud."
"But you're not performing," Gwen argues.
"Sure I am, I'm conducting the 8th Grade Orchestra."
"And are your parents in the audience, Ms. Undersee?"
"No, but other people are out there that I'm trying to make proud," Madge explains, satisfied that the girl is back to her usual, silly back-and-forth.
"Like Mr. Hawthorne," Gwen teases with a playful tooth-to-tooth grin. Madge feels heat go to her cheeks. The students have apparently picked up on their mutual attraction before she has, and she constantly gets teases and jibes about him in class.
"Sure," Madge shrugs. Whatever will keep this girl relaxed and happy, she'll bite. "Now do you think you can go out there and do your solo? I know it'll be beautiful, and I'll be right backstage listening." She finishes plaiting her hair and ties it off, spinning back around to become face to face. Gwen nods excitedly. "Good, now go back with the choir and Mrs. Flanagan, alright? I think they're doing a final run."
Gwen skips away and Madge sighs. Being a teacher is beyond rewarding, but it sure is exhausting. Just as she's about to get up too and return backstage, she feels her phone buzz. It's Mr. Hawthorne himself.
Gale: My seat is crap! In the back, probably won't spot me.
Madge: That's okay, it's what you get for showing up late.
Gale: Hey, it'll sound the same from every corner. Drinks afterwards?
She thinks about it, wondering if she'll be too exhausted to go to the bar after. On the other hand, organizing the Spring Concert has been stressful as hell, she deserves a night off. And a glass or two of wine.
Madge: Sure, your treat of course.
Gale: Of course, Undersee. Good luck tonight.
And his texts make her smile. She looks up from her phone and at her music classroom, and she can't help but think she has the best job ever.
"It was so good, I think there were actually tears in my eyes at some points," Gale jokes as they slide into the booth of their local bar. Madge laughs at that, uncomfortable with too much praise.
"Seriously, now I see why you've been so busy for the last few months."
"Thanks, I guess. I barely did anything though. I mostly did the backstage stuff, programs, tickets, that kind of thing."
"Still important," he reasons, shedding his coat. Gale probably went back home to change, because he's in a navy blue sweater and jeans that make her salivate. On the other hand she's in a formal black dress and uncomfortable heels for conducting tonight, and she feels kind of silly sitting in the dingy bar dressed like this.
"Well, I promised I'd be paying. What are we drinking tonight?"
"I don't know about you, but I'm drinking wine."
"Wow, really digging into my savings tonight aren't you, Undersee?" he jokes, but for a moment Madge is taken aback, not really sure what to say.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I can order something else or-"
"Madge," he urges, snapping her out of it. Honestly, she's just a nervous wreck. She's not sure why - they've gone out for drinks numerous times and this shouldn't be any different. "I was joking. Order whatever you want, you deserve it."
She laughs along at how silly she was being and Gale reassures her it's no problem. For some reason she can't stop looking at his eyes, they remind her of mirrors in a dimly lit room. The bartender comes and takes their drink orders, and Gale is drinking scotch. Just more evidence that he was completely joking about the wallet thing.
The drinks come and they order fries too. Deep fried potatoes pair surprisingly well with a glass of pinot grigio, and Madge treats herself to the bar snack. For moments they just talk about everything that's been going on. Gale is great company, and he always listens to what she has to say.
Nothing's really changed since a few months ago with them, except that he's been trying a little less hard to date her. Is it selfish to say she misses it? She supposes it's because he's been busy too, but she never bothered to ask.
"I've spend every weekend up to this one wallowing in nerves about this damn concert," she starts after they're both onto their second round of drinks. Gale switched to pop, he's driving home afterall. "I don't even know what to do with myself anymore, all my passion has been drained out of me."
"That's how I feel after every class," Gale jokes while taking a sip from his glass, and Madge frowns.
"You don't hate your job that much, do you?"
"I love teaching math, I really do. Just not to kids, I don't know. I want to get a job at the high school or something. You're so good with kids, you're practically a natural, but I feel like my tolerance for teaching shapes to ten year olds is extremely limited."
"You're good with kids too, you were good with Posy when she was little." Madge met some of his siblings when they came to visit him at work. Posy is the sweetest 16 year old she'd ever met, and Madge likes to think about Gale as a great older brother as well as a great friend.
"Yeah, well Pose was one kid. I just feel like I'd have more fun teaching algebra to older students. It's okay if you don't get it." He seems exhausted, maybe too tired for their usually back and forth. Maybe he's just out of it and that's okay - Madge likes his company nevertheless.
"I do get it, you'd be really great as a high school teacher," Madge says, backtracking a little bit. She pauses to pick her words carefully, knowing that it must be hard to talk about for him. Gale gives her a skeptical look, as if she's only saying the words to appease him. "Well obviously I'd rather have you stay with us, so I'm not a neutral stakeholder. I want you to stay, so we can do stuff like this."
With that, Gale gives her a grim smile. "Yeah, I know where you're coming from."
"But you're still seriously considering it, right?"
He shrugs and pops a fry in his mouth. "I've been looking at a couple job postings at high schools in the area. I'll probably apply."
"And you'll probably get the job." Gale raises an eyebrow, but Madge is insistent. "Really, you're a wonderful teacher, any school would be lucky to have you."
"Why is that?"
"Because you're an amazing guy. You're really dedicated to what you love, you really care."
He pauses and looks down at his drink, and Madge wonders if she's said something wrong. Gale looks like he's thinking hard, he's furrowing his brow and he opens his mouth as if he wants to say something but he doesn't.
"Madge," he finally manages to get out.
"Yeah?"
"You know I like you, right?" he asks simply, and Madge's heart stops. "I like you a lot, and I know you're not interested in me that way, or whatever, but it just doesn't help when we go out and you say nice things to me like that."
"I- I.." she tries to say something, but she's at a loss for words. She thinks she should apologize or something, but Gale shakes his head. He pulls out his wallet and puts a couple of bills on the table, grabbing his jacket.
"I knew this was a bad idea," he admits while rubbing his stubble in contemplation. "I don't know why I said all of that to you, I think I'm going to go."
"Wait, Gale, let me just-" she tries to interject but he's already shrugging his coat on, walking towards the door.
Madge bites her lip and rushes out after him, purse barely over her shoulder. She pushes the flimsy door open and Gale is trying to open the door to his car, parked right outside the bar. The damn thing always jams, and desperately needs to be fixed.
She turns him around, she's almost fuming that he would just leave her in there all alone.
"Madge please make this easy for me and-"
She gets on her toes and presses her lips against his, regretting everything: the way she's been leading him on, how she never tells him how she really feels. She's into him, she really is, but she's just been so concentrated on work she never took into account the toll it was all taking on him.
And she regrets not kissing him earlier as well because he feels so good; he kisses her like he couldn't breath and now she's fresh air. Madge wants him to just inhale her, but when she leans against him more Gale staggers back breaking the kiss.
"You can't just do that," he accuses, and his voice breaks a little bit. Madge is speechless yet again, her lips are cold from the wind blowing outside and something else. "I'm sorry, I really can't do this anymore. I'll see you around, Undersee."
He gets into his car and Madge just stands there like an idiot. It hurts like a sharp pain in her chest, and all that's playing in her mind is every interaction they've ever had, she's wondering where she went wrong. Probably the whole time, it was wrong of her to think she could pass off her feelings as friendship. Because now she doesn't even have that.
It's funny how a great night can go south so quickly. Madge tries to hold in her tears until she gets into her own car, and that's when she lets a couple fall, but she can't see them against her black dress.
Weeks pass and it becomes less of a stabbing pain and more like a dull throb in her heart. They pass each other in the halls and sometimes in the staff room, but Gale avoids her with all he has. It's exhausting to be at work without talking to him or reading his funny notes, and Madge wishes she was brave enough to change that.
Madge is afraid that Gale is taking her lack of reaching out as evidence that everything he said was true, but it's not. She does like him as more than a friend. She's pretty sure friends don't spend so much time together and flirt aimlessly for over a year. Where did she get the idea that he would be happy with just being friends? Gale has been explicit about his feelings for her from the start. And Madge thought that could be put aside.
She's hurting and Annie notices. Ms. Cresta, the social studies teacher, her only other friend at this school comes to her classroom when they both have no class to teach and confronts her.
"It's just really hard to handle when my two friends at work are ignoring each other," the redhead explains, trying not to be intrusive. "I know it's none of my business, but are you guys going to be okay, Madge?"
"I don't know, I screwed up Annie. I don't think he wants to know me anymore."
"Of course he wants to know you, he's head over heels for you!"
"Exactly," Madge points out, and Annie seems to understand the implications of that one word. Madge sighs, looking back down at the theory quizzes she's supposed to be grading. "I feel like I'm in a deadlock. Nothing's changed with Coin and what she expects from us, and Gale is just flat out pretending I don't exist."
"Okay, if this is about Coin then there really is no question. Who cares about what she thinks, she can't do anything. She can't fire us, it's all in the contracts."
"But she judges us."
"She loves you Madge. You just pulled off an entire concert, that's more than any of the senior staff would take on," Annie insists. She gives her friend a look that's a bit sad, but mostly just understanding. "I just want you guys to be happy. I think you make each other really happy."
It's true. Nothing these days makes her happy like Gale and his half-paged notes, his knowing smiles and his phone calls. Just thinking about it makes her chew her lip and furrow her brows.
Annie rubs her arm and sighs, getting up from the tiny classroom chair. "You guys will figure it out, you always do. I'm going out for a coffee run, do you want anything?"
Madge shakes her head and thanks her friend for the advice. They were mostly friends out of circumstance because they were the only younger staff in the school, but Annie is as good as any person gets. She decides to find Gale and talk to him when he can, when he wants too.
But turns out that moment doesn't come soon enough. Days pass and he's still turning his head in the halls, leaving for home right after school so he can avoid her. And Madge has to decide that enough is enough, he's being ridiculous at this point, and Madge just needs to know if he wants her at all.
She's teaching a last period class of eighth graders, talking them through an assignment in the last few minutes of class when she sees Gale through the tiny window slit in the classroom door. He's leaving, probably didn't have a class last period and he's headed towards the parking lot.
Madge acts fast. "Okay class, I think that's enough for today. I'm going to let you go a bit early, you all deserve a break. See you tomorrow!"
She nods briefly at students whooping and thanking her before making a run for it, out of the classroom and through the halls. He has made it to his car when she calls out at him.
"Gale!" she cries, but he doesn't respond, only fiddling with his keys with more vigor. He's probably cursing his damn car, wishing it was fixed so that he could get away from her faster. "Gale," she tries again, getting closer to him and touching his arm. He turns around and looks at her, and Madge tries not to get tongue tied again but she feels it coming on."
"Hey, Undersee," he grumbles casually - too casually.
"Hey? That's all?" she laughs sadly. "You haven't spoken to me in weeks."
"Well I wasn't planning on stopping now," he jokes bitterly, and it hurts her a little bit. "You're the one who ran over to me."
"I miss you."
"I have to get home."
"No please, just listen to me," she urges, and for the first time Gale doesn't look like he's trying to flee. Madge sighs, "I get why you're mad at me. We were friends and you made it clear you wanted more, and I pretended that you would be okay with just that. But I did that because I was caught up with work, okay? Not because I don't like you, otherwise I wouldn't've kissed you."
"I just wish people would stop kissing me because they fucking pity me," he spits. There's a story behind his words, there has to be, but Madge doesn't ask. She just steps closer to him and shakes her head.
"I didn't kiss you because I pity you."
"How do I believe that, Madge?"
She puts her hands in his and tries to hold back her tears. Madge misses the days when they could rely on each other and she wants it back. "You trust me, don't you?"
He pulls away. "That's not the point."
"What do you mean? That's the only point there is!" Madge laughs, and she gets even closer to him because she feels his walls coming down. She can smell his cologne and she doesn't even care that they're in the school parking lot. It's not important, not right now. "I'm so into you…" she whispers while leaning in and staring at his lips. "I'm sorry. Please, let me in."
Their lips graze and it feels like heaven. Neither of them push for more or deepen the kiss, but Madge holds onto his lapels and opens her eyes just for a second and smiles. After a couple of seconds she tries for more but Gale breaks away again, and Madge is scared she's done something wrong. It's a sad kind of déja vu, but he only chuckles this time.
"Let's not put on too much of a show for our good friend Alma."
They look at Coin's office, stationed with a window facing out into the parking lot and Madge bursts out in laughter. "Okay."
For a moment they just stare at each other, smiling like idiots. Madge turns her head. "Do you really have somewhere to be right now?"
"No," Gale grins, pulling her a bit closer to him and to the car. "Come over."
"I drove to work too, you know."
"Meet me there?" he asks hopefully. "We need to catch up, Ms. Undersee. It's been a long time."
Madge pretends to think about it for a while, biting her lip, but they both know she's already made up her mind. "Okay, Mr. Hawthorne, I'll meet you there."
A/N: Thanks for reading this little two-part fic I came up with! If you liked it, please let me know, your love and supportive words never fail to brighten my day.
On another note: do any of you guys like/have watched Gossip Girl? I have half of a Gadge/Gossip Girl AU one-shot written up, tell me if you like to read it and I'll make it happen. :)
