Disclaimer: All stories are individuals of themselves and are unrelated to each other.
Sure, he had heard her playing the piano. Sometimes he'd be early on Sunday and would hear the simple tinkering of the keys through the thin walls of her mansion. He'd wait for the song to end before knocking.
And he had seen the piano. When the door was opened wide enough he could see the grand piano carelessly placed in the sitting room of the Undersee household, waiting to be played. It was never dusty, never dirty, always perfectly attended.
But Gale had never seen her playing the piano, creating songs from the tips of her fingers, witnessed the event firsthand. That was going to change today, however, or so it seemed.
After his usual rounds on the other side of the fence he returned to the Hob to make his trades. Things seemed off, but when the atmosphere was slightly dingy it meant someone was wrong and it was best to never question it.
"Could get us all arrested," Gale heard someone mutter.
Another person scoffed. "She was invited here."
Curiosity got the best of him and Gale strode over to the two, asking them what on earth they were possibly talking about.
"Got a townie in our midst," the elder answered. He gestured with his balding head toward the center of the Hob where the crowd had been forming. "Mayor's daughter herself is gracing us with her presence today."
The thought of Madge Undersee in his safe haven caused an uncontrollable rage to build up in the pit of his stomach. What the hell was going on in her mind that she thought she had the right to be here?
Gale elbowed his way through the eager women and brainwashed men, bent on telling her out and forcing her out of the Hob. Anger clawed at his throat as he reached the center of the room, and just as he opened his mouth to scold her for her actions, he froze.
He had seen the rickety old piano once or twice in the hob, shoved in the back of the room or used as a counter of a booth for trades. But Gale had never, once in his life, seen it cleaned like this, stationed in the middle of the building so someone could play it.
The piano was still broken, mostly. Covered in a layer of coal dust and missing a few keys. But it was playable. And Madge Undersee was playing it. And God, if that wasn't the most enticing thing.
She didn't seem to be out of her element because of where she was. In fact, she looked exactly like the belonged. Golden hair tumbling down her shoulders as she studied the notes in front of her. Jean shorts and a flannel shirt that could've been Rory's. Laughing along with everyone else when the key she hit made a funny noise because the piano wasn't exactly in tune.
Gale was frozen until the end of the song. And then she played another, and he remained frozen. Merely shifting in his spot to get a better view. And then it was over, gone and done with as if she hadn't even begun.
The crowd dispersed eventually yet Madge stayed where she was, collecting her sheet music and scraping one of the keys with her nail to get up a bit of coal dust. Eventually she lifted her gaze and met his; Madge nearly stumbled backwards in surprise.
"Gale," she said quickly, defensively. He didn't speak, he watched her cheeks run hot as she averted her eyes. "Before you explode on me about how I shouldn't be here I just—"
He shakes his head once and she immediately stops speaking. Slowly he let slip from him, "You don't need an invitation to play, Undersee." They watched each other a few moments until he lifted his eyebrows once and added, "You were good."
"Thank… Thank you," stammered Madge. "You watched?" Gale licked his lips and nodded. He smiled to himself as her cheeks went pink again, and then he tipped his head in her direction once before leaving.
a/n: this was a request. you can always request things!