High School Reunion: Part 1
Thom had gotten him here under the illusion they could get drunk on free booze then bail. Following it up with 'come on Gale, it'll be fun! 5 years, don't you want to know who got fat, who got rich and who got hot?' Honestly he didn't really care, anyone from high school who needed to be in his life, still was.
He and Thom had started a partnership and taken over Abbernathy's Mechanics. Bristel did their accounting and once a week the three of them would meet Katniss, the Mellark's and their respective partners for drinks at Mason's where Darius and Johanna would serve until joining them on their breaks. Anyone who needed to be there was, there wasn't a single other person in high school he could imagine wanting to be around. For a while he wasn't even sure about the Mellark's as a whole but they were great drinking and fishing companions now.
He sat at an empty table near the middle of the room, his friends had all left their seats. Bannock, Peeta's oldest brother pulling his pretty wife Lavinia to the dance floor where they swayed awkwardly around her giant belly. Thom and Bristel had gone off to suck up to some of their classmates who either, had wealthy parents or had become well off themselves. Peeta and Katniss mingled, everyone gushing about how they'd stayed together. Rye was yet to leave the buffet table but made his way over to Gale eventually with a towering plate of food.
"I don't know how you're not obese" Gale said, noting that majority of the food Rye had collected were deserts
"Lots of vigorous sex" Rye replies easily, popping a miniature muffin in to his mouth
"It's going to catch up with you"
"Shut up dad, I've got a sweet tooth alright. Any talent?" Rye asks scoping the place
"Haven't noticed"
"Then why are you sitting here looking dumb? What's the point in people watching if you're not actually going to do it?"
"Fine, that weird emo kid that scared the shit out of everyone-"
"Flavius" Rye supplies
"Yeah, he got fat and ditched the black for pink by the looks of it" Gale says, nodding towards an extravagantly dressed man slow dancing with a bald bodybuilder type "and Finnick O'dair got rich"
"Yeah no shit, the guys an underwear model. Have you seen his wife? Hands down, hottest chick here" Gale spared a look towards the bronzed man grinning at everyone and nodded appreciatively at the small brunette on his arm. He'd seen her on TV with Finnick a few times and she was beautiful but not the hottest woman here.
That title went to the little blonde that he'd noticed talking to them earlier. She was that rare type, beautiful with a smile you fell in love with but also sexy in the tiniest things she did. It was usually women had one or the other and too much of it. Meaning you either come to see her as the friend you'd laugh with and ask to wing woman you or the one night stand you regretted immensely when she left dirty messages on your machine for days after.
It was exceedingly rare to find a woman who had the perfect balance of both and he could tell just by looking at this woman, that she did. She wore a royal blue cocktail dress, it was long sleeved but fell off the shoulder, which for some reason he found a huge turn on. It wasn't short, landing just below her knee but it was skin tight, hugging her curves. Gale's favourite part though, was that it was absolutely, completely and wonderfully backless. Showing an expanse of lightly tanned, flawless skin. Toned and sculpted in perfect curves.
He liked how she stood too. Her posture was impeccable, each step graceful, even in her frightening heels. She laughed and smiled genuinely, her eyes shining beneath lovely thick lashes. Gale didn't care for lipstick much but he found himself appreciating the way the pale plum accentuated her pouty lips. No Gale didn't care for lipstick but he'd make an exception.
Even from this distance he knew her eyes couldn't be anything but blue. They were big, the type you lost yourself in, that didn't need to be brought out by make-up. The dark lines on her top eyelids made them even more enticing though. He could imagine them peeking up at him from under those thick lashes as he spilled into her mouth.
And that's where he stopped, looking away from the blonde and back at Rye, who looked just a little bit worried
"You alright man? You zoned out a little there"
"Yeah fine, sorry. You want a drink?" Gale asked, stifling after his little daydream
"Nah, I'm good" Rye shook his head, holding up a cup of punch from beside his plate.
He couldn't help glancing around in search of the blonde hair he'd been watching for the best part of an hour. It was glossy and thick by the looks of it but had been styled to look un-styled, with strands falling from the intricate bun and around her face, her bangs coiffed but ruffled in to waves, then woven in to the bun. Her neck was elegant, her jaw and cheekbones refined and just so damn alluring. She was classy, not Gale's type specifically but somehow every man's type. She was just the type of girl you want, that you're proud to have on your arm. Honestly, the kind you show off but at the same time can't believe you landed. The type you introduce to your family and propose to because there's just no other viable option.
He didn't know her, she was obviously someone's wife or partner, date, whatever. Gale couldn't help but feel whichever of his classmate's was able to land a girl like that deserved a good slap on the back.
When he finally spotted who that lucky so and so was, he rolled his eyes. As if it was going to be anyone else. Cato Baxter had been the golden boy in school, just as friendly as Peeta, charming as Finnick and smart as Gale. He was everybody's favourite. Quarterback, student president, prom king. The most annoying part was Gale couldn't even be mad at him. He deserved all of it, the kid volunteered in his free time for Christ sake and coached little league!
Gale had always had beef with him. No one was that perfect and when he got Gale busted for bullying, that proved it. Gale wasn't a bully, he joked around with his friends, sometimes it involved other students but he was no bully. He hated that he'd been branded that by anyone.
It was all a misunderstanding anyway, they'd been tossing a basketball around when some girl with her head in her book had walked right in to the middle of them. They'd all called out a warning but it was too late, it hit her right in the face, or right in the book and her glasses had snapped and split her eyebrow open.
Cato had appeared and gotten the wrong end of the stick. You could swear he'd meant to lob a ball at the mayor's daughter the way they went on at him. She wasn't hurt, she said so herself but that didn't seem to matter. Gale supposed it didn't help they'd had trouble before. The girl always seemed to crop up at the worst times and got people in trouble. It was because she never watched where she was going, her nose always buried in a textbook or a novel so thick it could be used as a doorstop. He'd made a comment about her buying a pair of glasses that actually worked once and that seemed to make her angry enough to get Cato's attention. He'd become some overprotective big brother type after the basketball incident and nagged Gale every chance he got.
He was broken from his reverie by someone clearing their throat and Gale startled to find the gorgeous blonde next to him
"Sorry, could I just get some punch?" she smiled, indicating to the bowl he was blocking
"Yeah sure" he jumped away from the table, trying not to stare at her bare back as she used the ladle to fill her cup
"It's odd isn't it, seeing how everyone turned out?" Gale nods. She was probably just like Cato in school, wherever that was. Probably some private school, would explain her posture and manners
"Some more surprising than others" he agreed "I could've guessed Finnick's future easy enough" Gale jokes lightly. She laughs, it's almost a giggle and a wonderful sound at that "so you're Cato's wife?"
"Oh no, we're not married" probably wouldn't be long, if Cato was smart he'd have done it already "did you know some of the old faculty are here?" she asks, earning a slight frown. He didn't know that but none of the teachers liked him very much anyway
"I can't imagine they'd want to talk to me" he smiles
"You're not missing much. Mrs. Coin is still mind-numbingly boring" Gale does a double take "I used to hate her math lessons more than anything"
"Wait, what?!"
"Excuse me that was rude" the blonde covers her mouth, looking remorseful
"No, you- you went to school here?" the blonde frowns at him and her brow wrinkles adorably
"Gale" she knows his name! And she says it so nicely "we've been in the same schools since the first grade" there's no way …
"Who are you?" Gale backtracks "sorry, I mean uh- who are you?"
"God this is embarrassing" she laughs awkwardly and tucks a loose curl behind her ear "it's Madge, Madge Undersee" Gale took a step back in astonishment
"Hold up. Undersee, the mayor's daughter?" something flashes in her eyes and he finds himself worried for his genitals yet excited for them at the same time
"Yes" she grits "the mayor's daughter"
"Everything alright over here?" Cato walks up behind Madge and drops his palm flat on her lower back. Gale can't work out whether it's protective or possessive but he's jealous Cato's getting to touch the bare skin he had been so enraptured with all night
"Cato, I was just talking to Gale here. You remember Gale Hawthorne don't you?"
"Yeah, I remember" Cato says, reaching out his free hand to shake Gale's "good to see you" he adds carefully
"You too. Uh, how've you been?"
"I can't complain. Yourself? You own the garage in town now don't you?"
"Yeah, with Thom. Thom Meadows, he was in our year"
"Of course, you were good friends in school?"
"Still" Gale nods
"Listen Madge, I'm going to make a call. Will you be alright here?"
"I'll be fine" she smiles
"Good to see you again Gale"
"Yeah" Gale calls to his back before turning to Madge "listen I'm sorry I didn't recognise you. You're just so different, no one else has changed that much but you-"
"But I did, I know"
"Can we start over? Please? Pretty please?"
"Alright. Madge Undersee" she says holding out her hand
"Gale Hawthorne" he replies "it's great to see you again"
"Likewise" she grins "so you're a mechanic?"
"Yes, it's not much but I enjoy it. What do you do? Something impressive I bet" Madge cringes
"I'm a manager" she tells him cryrtically
"What do you manage?" she winces
"Hotels"
"Plural?"
"Yes" she says quietly "but I've worked at the Hetherton since I was in school and I worked my way up"
"So you're telling me you manage a chain of one of the most successful hotels in the country?" Gale asks disbelievingly, or maybe it's not so hard to believe. She was always smart, straight A's all through school, turned down a number of ivy league colleges and she did say she'd been there years "wow that is impressive"
"Are you being sarcastic?"
"No, why would you think that?"
"Sorry" she frowns a little "sore subject" Gale doesn't say anything, hoping she'll continue. She sighs "everyone always assumes everything is down to who my father is, that's all. No acheivment is ever my own"
If he was totally honest with himself he'd always had that sort of perception, attributed her high grades and acheivements to her father. When he thought about it he wanted to smack himself, he had known she was smart. He remembered overhearing her debating about some historical political event once, she'd well and truly torn to shreds with her arguments and Gale hadn't been able to get the sight out of his head for weeks. It was like one of those scenes in a movie that the director just nailed. It stuck with him.
"That must be immensly frustrating" he feels like a hypocrite
"Patronising old men are the usual culprits"
"You don't seem like the type of woman to be knocked by any man"
"Some things change Hawthorne, some things don't"
"So what else has changed?" he asks, he's trying not to flirt but he doesn't want to stop talking to her either
"Well you certainly haven't, that's for sure"
"No? You wouldn't say I look more mature? I have a beard now" he grins, tilting his jaw to show the dark stubble he trims but doesn't shave
"Please, the beard only makes your jaw sharper" she rolls her eyes and swallows like she can't believe she just said that outloud "it's hardly fair"
"You like it then?"
"Even more than I did in high school" she smiles, it's shy at first but grows in size and confidence when she sees his answering grin and the red of his cheeks
"You saying you had a crush on me?" Gale smirks
"Maybe" Madge smirks back "then you chucked a basketball at my head and scarred me for life. I've hated you ever since" she teases
"Christ, I can't tell you how sorry I am about that. It was an accident you know, I'd never intentionally do that to anyone"
"Oh I know" she laughs "besides I quite like the scar, the story always earns me a few laughs" Gale finds the slightly raised, pale line under her eyebrow. It's barely noticeable if you don't know it's there. You'd probably have to get pretty close to see it without it being pointed out. Which is how Gale realises he's leaned in close enough to smell her, she can probably feel him breathing on her
"Sorry" he mumbles, taking an exaggerated step back
"Gale Hawthorne, do I make you nervous?" she teases, her lips quirked up in a smug smile
"Among other things" he retorts, his voice lowering an octave. As he watches her swallow he can't help but feel triumphant
"What sort of things?" she asks, taking a sip of her punch
"That's not topic for polite conversation" he answers, his voice like gravel as she moves closer to him
"Good. Polite conversation gets boring" she whispers, their hip bones pressing together in a way that should be uncomfortable but couldn't feel further from it. Encouraged, Gale's hands skate up her sides and to the edges of her dress where his fingertips graze her bare back. From the waist down their bodies are touching and Gale has never been so turned on in his life. He knows she can feel it, there's no way she couldn't with them stood like this "you want to walk around? Maybe see if Mrs Coin's classroom is the way we remember it?"
"Wait" Gale hesitates sightly, damn his morals "you're with Cato, I'm not the type of guy- I mean I don't want to ... step on anyone's toes" he finishes awkwardly
"Are you finished?" she giggles "Cato is about to marry my college roommate Levy. They're my best friends. Now, did you want to take that walk?"
"Y-yeah" he stammers "sounds good" he's never wanted to see a classroom so much in his life.