12.
The sun is forcing its way in to my room, so I decide it must be time for me to get up.
In a week many things can change. Like me and Madge. It took some time, some pushing, and a lot of begging and apologizing.. But she finally forgave me, and now, things are how they're supposed to be. Or.. how it is possible right now to be.
I step in the shower and turn the water on. Sighing I close my eyes, enjoying the welcome warmth on my skin.
When I'm dressed in some simple clothes, I go down stairs where Primrose is waiting for me.
''Hey Katniss,'' she greets me smiling. I kiss the top of her head and sit down beside her. ''How are you, Prim?'' I ask, realizing how little time I have spent with my little sister since I got back. She shrugs. ''I'm good, much better now you're back. How are things with Madge going?'' she asks cautiously. I look down at my hands and smile a little. ''It's going better each day,'' I say.
Prim looks at me with a strange expression. ''What?'' I ask. She fumbles with her shirt. ''Katniss.. Do you.. Do you know how Madge was doing during your Games? Truly?'' she asks softly. I shrug and look at my hands too. ''Yeah, she was hurt, I knew that, she got really mad at me,'' I answer.
Prim looks up at me, capturing my eyes. ''She wasn't just hurt Katniss, you should've seen her. I never saw someone keeping it together like she did. But she broke. Twice, I believe. It was awful,'' she says shrugging her head.
I'm taken back by this new information.
''But.. What about me Prim? I didn't ask for any of this! I saw children die, I still have nightmares…'' Prim takes my hand and looks at me with a sad expression. ''Then be there for each other,'' she says. I nod and stand up, giving Prim her hand back. ''I'll start right now,'' I say, walking quickly to the door. ''It's only 8 am!'' Prim exclaims. I smile and shrug before leaving the house.
I knock on the door, and a drowsy Mayor opens the door, still in his robes. ''Oh, Katniss,'' he says surprised. ''I'm sorry dear, I had a day off.. Come in! Madge is still asleep. Can I offer you something to drink?'' he asks me politely with kind eyes. I shake my head and dismiss his offer. ''No thank you Mayor Undersee. I'll just go check on Madge, maybe wake her up,'' I say. He nods and I'm off.
The stairs creek beneath my feet, even though I'm walking ever so lightly. I don't bother knocking, and immediately go inside, softly closing the door behind me.
Madge is still sound asleep, laying with her back to the wall, her blonde hair framing her fresh face.
She looks very at peace, even more beautiful. More.. Angelic. I sit down on her bed, trying my hardest not to wake her, and I stroke a strain of hair out of her face, feeling het soft skin beneath my fingertips.
She lays so still and she is breathing ever so softly, I can't help but bend over and kiss her tender face. I sit back up again when her eyes flutter open like the wings of a butterfly. Her pretty blue ones find mine, and.. I can't help but think of all the tears she has probably shed over me with those eyes.
The edges of her mouth curl up when she sees me. She takes my hand in hers, bringing the back of it to her mouth, giving it a gentle squeeze and kiss. We stay quiet for a while, when she scoots over, patting her bed, as a sign for me to lay down beside her.
I pull the blankets up and crawl under it, immediately hit with the heat of her body, pressed close to mine. We're still holding hands, and I turn my head to look at her, only to discover she is already looking at me.
I settle my forehead against hers, closing my eyes for a brief moment. ''I'm sorry,'' I breath soft and silently. I can feel her nod against my head. ''Me too,'' she replies. Silence falls again, but it is a pleasant one, like always.
After a while Madge rolls on her side and curls up next to me, burying her face in the crease of my neck. I sigh as pull her shirt up and start tracing patterns on her back. Her bare legs entwine with mine, and her arm sneaks around my waist.
The weather outside suddenly changes, and it start raining. Soft at first, but all of the sudden it seems like a storm.
She looks up to me, but we both remain quiet as our eyes meet. I try to find a hint of distance, hurt, signs of a wall, but all I seem to find is love and tenderness. And all I can hope is that my eyes tell her the same. She strokes my cheek and smiles, before kissing my cheek ever so lightly.
The spot where she kissed me is tingling and I'm left with a wonderful and beautiful sensation. An amazing feeling, only Madge can give me with a single, simple, soft kiss. And in return, I kiss the tip of her nose, cupping one cheek with my hand.
It is.. simply strange, how one person can change your life. And I'm not talking about Peeta. Or President Snow. Or Cinna. Sure, they changed it. Some for the good, some for the worse. But not like Madge, who can make me fall in love all over again with one look, who will make me go through fire if I had to, all for her.
She has touched me in a way I thought was unthinkable. Gale will be there for me, always, I'm sure. We have created a strong bond and connection since we met. But still.. He is like fire. You don't know what to expect, and ready to fight at any time. Madge is more what I need. She has made me feel more safe and comforted than I have ever felt since my father died. She somehow managed to fill a small part of the void he left, together with the void my mom left when she started ignoring me an Prim.
I breath in and blow out softly, making the blonde hairs on top of Madge her head move a bit. ''I love you,'' I whisper. Because this is all I can say. All I can give her. But it is the full and honest truth, and that is all that matters. She looks at me quite startled, before she kisses my lips, softly pulling me towards her. ''And I love you too,'' she whispers back.
And so we lay there for the rest of the day, not bothering to leave the bed. I only stood up quickly to switch from my trousers in to comfortable shorts. The rain ticking on the windows kind of completes the scenery. We snuggle close to each other, stealing glances and kisses. With Madge it feels safe. I feels relaxed. It feels like home.