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

Gale watched through the thick glass of District 13's windows as Madge held Peeta's hand tightly, saying quiet things the microphones couldn't pick up. Peeta was red in the face, his bloodshot eyes were trained on the floor. Gale studied Madge's lips as they moved trying to figure out what she said, but her golden hair covered half of her face and he couldn't see much.

After a while, Peeta tipped his head forward. She pulled away and reached up with her freehand to tilt his chin toward her, and then he nodded again. She smiled at him, that radiant smile that always got Gale's stomach twisting, and Peeta smiled back. There were tears in Madge's eyes and Gale watched Peeta exhale as she slid her arms around him.

Before Gale could jump into Peeta's cell and pry them apart, terrified for Madge's life, Peeta's hands moved carefully around her too.

The doctors around Gale nodded and scribbled things onto their notepads. Gale felt every nerve in his body tense up as they squeezed each other closer, her head on his shoulder and his nose in her hair. Madge pulled away again, cupped Peeta's face, and the baker smiled again.

"What are they saying?" Gale asked.

"He can come out as long as she's with him at all times," a doctor told him. "And wears cuffs."

"Friendly," Gale murmured.

"Peeta agreed to the terms," the doctor continued. "They're going to let him out."

He's hijacked, Gale reminded himself. Peeta was holding Madge's arm as they maneuvered their way through the cafeteria, Delly a few feet behind them. He's hijacked. Madge is one of his only friends. Katniss elbowed Gale from where she sat beside him.

"Stop staring at them," she muttered. Gale turned in his seat to look at his tray rather than at the trio of blondes. Katniss peeked after she yelled at him. "He always looks so wary of everything," she said.

"He's got a right to be," Gale told her. She lets out a short breath. "What is it?" Even prompted, Katniss said nothing. He glared at his friend. "Katniss."

"He looks so wary of everything," Katniss repeated. "Except her."

No matter how hard he tried not to look Gale's head snapped around anyway, finding Peeta and Madge in the cafeteria line. And Katniss was right. His eyes, less bloodshot and more blue, were wide and focused on her. She said something to him that caused the corners of his lips to curl upward. He looked like Peeta Mellark, the old Peeta that was good natured and self-deprecating. Madge turned and her eyes met Peeta's, and then his smile widened.

He looked like he was home.

Gale turned his head away quickly and let out a short breath much like Katniss had.

He felt every tendon in his body tensing up. Peeta followed Madge everywhere. That was part of the deal of his freedom but Gale had a hard time remembering that. He was like a lost puppy, and his hands were all over Madge. Not in a sexual way, or an intimidating way, or any way that Gale should've been jealous of, but he was anyway. When something scared Peeta his hand would lift to the small of Madge's back, almost as if to protect her. When he got angry his hand reached for hers. When he was happy Peeta would touch her arm.

It didn't take long for Gale to forget that Peeta was a little messed up in the head.

It wasn't Peeta's fault. Gale knew that deep down inside that the Capitol was the one to blame for Peeta's hijacking and attachment to Madge. With Peeta's family gone and his brain convinced that Katniss was the enemy it was easy to understand Peeta's reluctance to stray from Madge.

But why did he have to touch her?

Gale wishes he could feel the warmth of Madge's skin beneath his hands, his lips, his body. He craved her in ways he couldn't admit, not even after she was relinquished the title of "the mayor's daughter" and became another District 12 survivor like the rest of them, but the way Peeta was around her was pushing him to the edge.

One day before Madge could make it to the treatment center to retrieve Peeta he joined her in her stride. She slowed a bit, looking at him curiously.

"Can I help you?"

"Off to get your lapdog?" he asked.

Madge frowned at him. "No, I'm off to get Peeta. I can see how you could confuse him for a lapdog, considering he's much more loving than most people. Like dogs. Unlike you." Madge went to speed up but he grabbed the hem of her gray shirt and pulled her backwards. "How could you be so rude?" she asked, spinning around to stare him. There was hurt in her eyes, disappointment on her face. "Peeta's been tortured, Gale."

"Let's be honest here, Undersee, I was never quite a fan of him before that was an issue."

Her frown deepened. "Right. He was hogging Katniss. Well she's all for the taking now, I'm surprised you haven't made your move." Gale growled and she took a step away from him. "If anything you're probablyhappy this happened to him."

Gale lunged forward and grabbed her arm, holding her tightly. He bared his teeth, "Take it back."

She pulled out of his grasp. "Prove me wrong," she hissed. "He's my best friend. And I'm late." Madge sprinted away from him without looking over her shoulder at him.

That was not how he wanted that conversation to go.

Gale sat with them at lunch. Peeta seemed shocked to see Gale sitting across from him but it was Madge who was turning a different shade of pale. Once Peeta realized who it was he tensed up, nodding tersely in his direction.

"Gale."

"Peeta," Gale responded. Madge lifted her cup of water and quickly took a sip, diverting her eyes from either boy. Gale's eyes dipped to Peeta's hands. "I see your cuffs are gone." Again Peeta nodded tersely. "Got off on good behavior then?"

"I've still got to stay with Madge," Peeta said, casting his eyes in the direction of the blonde beside him. It was just them today, God only knows where Delly was. "I don't quite trust myself yet." His words said more than Gale needed to hear. I don't trust myself, but I trust Madge. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

Madge reached up, initiating the contact between them this time, and grabbed Peeta's hand. "I trust you, Peeta." He jerked his head aside and her grip on his hand tightened. "Remember what we talked about," she said softly. His head slightly bobbed. Madge turned to look at Gale who was having trouble swallowing. He tried to cast his eyes away but instead they met Madge's. "I have to go to the bathroom," she said. "Can you…"

"Keep guard?" Gale asked.

Peeta growled under his breath and Madge squeezed his hand again. "Just sit with him," Madge sighed, pushing herself away from the table. "I'll be right back."

Seconds later, she was gone. Peeta went back to eating, keeping his eyes downcast. "You come for her?" he asked. Gale lifted an eyebrow. "To talk to Madge? I know you didn't come for me."

Gale scowled, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"We weren't friends, Gale." Peeta shoved a forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth and shrugged. After swallowing he added, "That much I know—we never got along." We could've, Gale thought. In a different time, a different place, Gale and Peeta could've been friends. Maybe in the future, maybe when all of this is over. "So you sat here for Madge."

Gale was going to argue it but all the repressed emotions he had felt regarding the situation between Peeta and Madge suddenly bubbled up. "I don't like how you touch her."

Peeta snorted, "How I touch her?" Gale felt his shoulders pulling taut. "What are you talking about?"

"You're handsy. Every chance you get you put your paws all over her like she's yours to claim." Peeta stared at him with a blank expression as he spoke. "Now that Katniss is out of your life you just move on to the next readily available girl? The next person to get you through your own personal arena?" Peeta gripped his fork. "For Christ's sake," Gale let out a huff of air. Relief did not fill his lungs after getting these feelings off his chest.

One breath. Two. Peeta swallowed before he began to respond.

"She talks about you," Peeta said. Gale felt the boy across from him staring. "Madge does. I don't know why, but she finds little ways to bring you up. Either about back in 12 or what you do here." Peeta tips his head to the side. "I remember. The way you looked at her when we were in 12. When we trained for the Games. You'd always come early when you knew she was bringing Capitol newspapers."

"What—"

"I hated how you looked at her," Peeta continued, his gaze not relenting. "I remember… I remember it. Like you were longing for her. I thought about… Katniss," Peeta forced out. Her name was strangled. "How she longed for you, and then you were looking at Madge the way Katniss looked at you." After saying her name again Peeta swallowed and cleared his throat. "Madge, she's all I've got." His fingers flexed as though he was deciding what to do or say next. "It's so hard to… to not freak out here. They strap me down, Gale. Run tests. People look at me like I'm the enemy. She doesn't." After another deep breath Peeta goes on, "She's one of the only people who doesn't look at me any different."

Gale's strangled voice, "She's good like that."

"Mm. I know." Peeta narrowed his eyes at Gale. "I can't think straight. Ever. But if you hurt her I'll see to it that you get what you deserve." An image of Peeta with his hands around Katniss's throat came to Gale's mind. He didn't actually witness the reunion but Katniss had bruises for days. Peeta wasn't making an idle threat.

The words bubbled up, "I wouldn't."

"Madge, she's been through enough herself. The fact that she goes out of her way for me?" Peeta shook his head. She had lost her family too, her entire life turned to ash in the bombing of 12. "She's my best friend. I don't have many to begin with." Gale felt waves of nausea crashing in his stomach, remembering the accusation in his voice moments ago. How could Gale ever say something so awful to him? " There's nothing romantic there. She balances me out, Gale."

"Who balances you out?" Madge's voice rang over Gale's shoulder. Peeta smirked knowingly as Gale tensed up. Madge drifted around the table and took the spot beside Peeta.

"You, of course," Peeta answered her.

Madge's eyebrows furrowed at him, and then she glanced at Gale. "You were talking about me?"

Peeta's hand found hers and there was a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Gale felt ice spider in his shoulders, Peeta always knew what move to play. It pissed him off enormously but knew that this was the old Peeta shining through the darkness. A little payback for being such a dick. "Nothing bad," the baker told her. "I swear."

"Peeta Mellark…" Madge sighed, but squeezed his fingers anyway. Gale watched the interaction with a heavy heart. He felt instantly guilty for what he said. He dragged one of his hands through his hair and looked away from the pair. "We've got to get you to your session," Madge told him. "If we're late again you'll be in a lot of trouble."

"Eugh," Peeta groaned. "You're right."

The two pushed themselves away from the table and Gale looked up. "Peeta," he forced out quickly. The boy stopped, and Madge soon after. "I didn't mean what I said," Gale told him. Peeta blinked a few times. "I…'m sorry."

Peeta smirked knowingly once more. "I know. Your intentions were… well, not good, but not awful either." Madge's eyes darted between the two of them, saying nothing, though her eyes were full of questions. "I guess we both have a lot of things to work on." Gale dipped his head in shame. Madge was right. Peeta had been tortured. He didn't deserve the anger Gale felt toward him. "See you around," Peeta said, reaching up to the small of Madge's back and guiding her away from the table.

Even when his thoughts were not his own, Peeta Mellark could still read people like they were books.

"Madge!" The blonde a few hundred feet in front of him froze, looking over her shoulders curiously. When her eyes met his they nearly bulged out of her head. He had used her first name. To her. Directly. "Wait a second," Gale called, sprinting to catch up to her. She blinked a few times and when he reached her they fell into the same stride. "Going to get Peeta?"

"Ah, wow, you learned his name." Her lips curled upwards. "What an improvement. I am truly impressed." Gale rolled his eyes and Madge's smile became more prominent. "What do you want, Gale?"

There was no hesitation to his admission, "To apologize. For the other day." She slowed, spinning to face him as her smile slipped away. "You were right. I was a dick." When their eyes met it was like the first time she was really seeing him. "He's still there. Underneath it all."

"I know," Madge nodded.

And though he doesn't like how often Peeta touches her… "I'm glad he's got you. Someone to believe in him."

Her smile slowly returned. "He could use a few more people like that in his life." Gale wrinkled his nose and a laugh crawled up her throat. "Not that I expect you to join the Peeta Mellark fan club anytime soon." Gale chuckled at that, shaking his head at her. It might be sooner than she thought.

They walked the rest of the way together.