Disclaimer: All stories are individuals of themselves and are unrelated to each other.

Gale wants, more than anything, for Madge Undersee to leave his home immediately. He's just returned from the Everdeen's household and has been ordered to bed rest, but with the blonde over he can't make himself stay in his room. He has to watch her. He has to make sure she doesn't ruin anything. He has to make sure she leaves.

"Madge," Posy's little voice rings out. Gale keeps his spot on the couch and watches his little sister practically worshiping the blonde. "Will you read me a story?"

"Of course," Madge nods. Apparently the mayor's daughter has been at the Hawthorne's for days, watching over Gale's siblings as he and his mother stayed at the Everdeen's. "What would you like?"

"Rapunzel!" Gale grunts, crossing his arms over his chest. Posy notices and giggles a bit. "Will you sit with us too, Gale?" she asks.

"Posy," he warns. For a four year old, she's very observant. She knows what she wants and she knows how to get it. The tiny chestnut haired girl marches over to him and tugs on his hand. "My back hurts," he tells her quietly so Madge won't hear.

"Then we'll sit with you!" Posy looks back toward Madge. "Did you get it?" Madge nods and cautiously makes her way over to where Posy stands by Gale. "We're going to sit with Gale."

"Okay," Madge agrees quietly.

Reluctantly, Gale scoots down the couch and gives Madge a place to sit. She gives him a look, a quiet apology, but he only shrugs. He hasn't seen Posy in a few days, and he's wrapped around his little sister's finger as it is. He'll endure one story.

Posy nestles herself between Gale and Madge and then turns to the blonde, waiting for her to read. Madge weighs the book in her hands and goes to open it, but Posy protests immediately.

"Something is wrong!" she shouts. Her voice is so loud that Madge jumps a bit. "Madge needs to be in the middle! She has the book!"

"Oh, Posy," Madge frowns, but all at once the little girl gets up and leaps onto the other side of Madge.

"Scoot closer!" she orders. Apparently also wrapped around Posy's finger, Madge immediately slides over closer to Gale. Posy squeezes even closer, forcing Madge to practically be tucked against Gale's side. "That's better."

"Posy," Gale warns again. He knows how his sister thinks. "I should go lay down. Mrs. Everdeen said—"

"Story first!" she shouts. Gale grunts. The only way he can sit comfortably is if his arm is up on the couch behind Madge's back and he's in enough pain as it is. When he shifts his body to rest his arm, she falls more against his chest. Posy giggles and squeezes closer as well, trapping Madge against Gale. "Okay Madge," she giggles again. "Now you can read."

With her cheeks scarlet, obviously she's a bit embarrassed to be in this situation as well, Madge opens the book and begins to read. She's only about ten pages into Rapunzel's story when Posy dozes off, curling herself against Madge and letting her body go slack.

"She's asleep," Madge tells him.

"Well then move her," Gale growls.

"My arms are stuck," the blonde says back. Gale grunts again, trying to wiggle out of his pinned position to the side of the couch. He's stuck too. "What do we do?"

Gale lets his eyes drift shut and tries to think. Posy waking up in the middle of a nap is never a good thing, not at all. And if what his mother said was true, then she's been sick recently and needs all the sleep she can get.

"Wait for her to wake up," he finally mutters. Madge closes the book in her lap and keeps her gaze downcast. "Or wait for my mom to come home and move her." Eventually, Madge agrees too. The pair of them are silent for a moment and Gale can feel every bit of her that's pressed against him. The curve of her hip, the side of her arm. "Why're you here, Undersee?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," he grunts, "why are you the one that took watch over my siblings?"

She's silent again. "Your mom asked me to." The only noise in the room is Posy's heavy breathing. "She told me that Posy was sick and because I had the measles before I didn't have the risk of catching them."

Gale locks his jaw. "Why'd she ask you?"

Again Madge is quiet. "I, um." She shifts the book in her lap and chews down on her bottom lip. "I was there. So I guess she just thought…"

"You were there?" Gale asks. He doesn't try to hide the anger in his voice. "Why the hell were you there?"

Madge decides not to answer this time, and instead reaches over and plays with Posy's bangs. Suddenly there's a very quiet little voice that says, "Medicine." Madge freezes entirely at the word, and Gale shifts so much he almost becomes unstuck. "She brought the medicine."

"Posy," Gale growls, "are you awake?" The little girl returns to silence, her chest rising and falling as though she's sleeping. "What'd she mean?" Gale asks. "That you brought the medicine."

"I don't know," Madge answers immediately. Though he can't get a clear view of her face he can tell that she's blushing again. "Just talking in her sleep."

And suddenly, it clicks. "The morphling," Gale says. Madge's body falls slack. "You brought the morphling, didn't you? That's what Posy said."

"No, I—"

"You did!" Posy squeaks. She suddenly sits up, pushing Madge even further against Gale. "Madge, you told me you brought him the big fancy medicine!"

"Posy," Madge's voice is in a panic. "I… I never, I said that—"

"You said you brought him the medicine," Posy continues, "because you like him! Tell him, Madge!" The blonde is frozen, stuck between Posy and Gale, with her mouth clamped shut. Gale can feel her shaking. "You told me so," little Posy continues. "You did. You told me."

"Madge," Gale's voice is stern. It must shock her because it causes her to look back at him. Instead of the original pink to her cheek she's now pale. Very, very pale. "Is that true?"

"Which part?" she croaks.

He hesitates. "All of it."

"Yes," she whispers weakly. Posy giggles instantly but Madge still looks pale. The tiny girl who had been pretending to sleep leaps from her spot on the couch and rushes to her room, letting the door click shut and leaving Gale and Madge alone. "I just didn't want you to die," Madge tells him quietly. Even with Posy gone and the couch now free, she's yet to move away from him, and he's yet to lift his arm. "I had to save you."

Gale watches her for a very long time trying to memorize the shade of blue her eyes hold. He used to be so good at reading people but Madge Undersee is impossible to understand.

"I'm supposed to be on bed rest," Gale says gruffly. Madge finally shifts out of his grasp and nods. "Will you…" he hesitates. What is he doing? "Will you help me?"

Gale thinks that he prefers the pink to Madge's cheeks rather than the pale, so when she blushes and nods again he can't help but smile just a bit. She stands and then offers her hand, helping him stand too. Madge leads Gale to his bedroom and as they pass Posy hear a boatload of giggles. Gale glances over his shoulder just in time to watch her close her bedroom door.

In Gale's room Madge starts turning down his sheets, but he doesn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her waist. At the contact she freezes and stands taller. Gale takes the opportunity to pull her more into his grasp.

"So you like me," he murmurs, "huh?"

"I—"

Gale spins her in his arms so she's facing him. Before she can even get another word in, Gale presses his lips carefully against hers. Madge squeaks and her fingers find his shirt, curling around the fabric and holding him close. Gale slides his hand up her cheek and lets the other rest on her hip. She's careful not to touch his back and for that he can't help but deepen the kiss.

When they pull away her eyes are glassed over. Confusion? Amazement? Gale doesn't want to find out because he just wants to kiss her again. Everything had been so cold and dark before that medicine, and she was the reason he found the light again.

Before his mouth can find hers they both hear a little giggle from the door. "Posy," Gale scolds his sister. The little girl peeks over the door. "What did I tell you about being nosy?"

"I'm not!" the girl fakes offense. "I just wanted to make sure it worked!" And with that, her footsteps trail down the hallway and back out into the living room.