Request from SugarCakes123: gale says he loves Madge, but she's not sure if she feels the same way.

Gale reached out and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. Madge smiled shyly and looked up at the cloudless blue sky. "I was thinking..." he started and leaned away from her.

"Dangerous." She smirked and giggled lightly, "sorry- go on."

"I was thinking about us." He continued.

"What about us?" She asked, her eyebrows knitting together.

"I don't know." He sighed, "what is this, you know, between us?"

"We're getting to be friends aren't we?" She smiled.

"Uh, sure." He said. They listened to the cicadas around them.

"Have you started that assignment for Ms. Rose yet?" Madge asked and dove into her yellow backpack.

"No." He said and rubbed the back of his neck, "I wasn't planning on doing it." He grumbled.

"Why not?" Madge asked and opened her folder.

"I don't need to." He said and made a face.

"Too cool for school, Hawthorne?" She smiled.

"Madge, what does it matter?" He snapped, "school is a waste of time- I'm just going to end up in mines anyway."

"What's gotten it you?" She glared.

"Nothing." He said and reached forward to pluck the grass out of the ground.

"It's something." She sat and crossed her arms over her chest. "You've been acting weird lately. I can't figure it out."

"I love you." He blurted. Madge blinked.

"I'm sorry, what?" She squealed and held her folder up to her mouth.

"It's been eating me away." He admitted. She put the folder down slowly.

"I don't know what to say." She sighed.

"There is a pretty obvious answer." Gale groaned and stood, turning to leave. "If it doesn't come to you." He shrugged. Madge watched him disappear beyond the tree line. She leaned forward, unsure if could allow herself any more movement.

"I love you." She whispered. His words bounced around her brain, until she began to cry. She didn't know what she felt with Gale. They had grown closer since Katniss had left but Madge wouldn't go straight to love. She stuffed her things back in and zipped it closed.

She threw her backpack around her shoulders and stood. Suddenly the blooming meadow seemed lonely. She walked out of the tree line and out into the square. Her hands were shaking as she tried to think through the last few months with Gale.

Sure, her stomach flipped every time he laughed. And sure, she blushed every time he complimented her. But Madge just thought that was a silly crush. She could picture his smile and glower in the back of her mind. She stopped Gil Mellark in his tracks.

Her smiled. "How can I help you?" He asked and leaned against the bakery wall.

"Hold this, will you?" She handed him her backpack.

"Uh... too lazy to go home?" He asked, "or a reason to come back to see me?"

"Neither." She said and left him. She started with a fast walk and then full out sprinted through the seam. She glanced around, unsure of where she was actually going.

"Are you lost?" She jumped and looked over her shoulder at him.

"Yes actually." She looked over his shoulder, "I'm looking for Gale Hawthorne."

"I think he buried himself alive." Gale shrugged.

"That's too bad... I wanted to tell him that I love him too."

"Seriously too bad." Gale draped his arm around her shoulders. She smiled up at him.

Review!

Erin