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

One

They don't speak. He doesn't like the way his fingers ache from teaching snares all afternoon in the hot sun, that he and Peeta, Katniss and Haymitch are all sweating profusely while Madge looks like she's just walked off a Capitol train. Gale leaves before she pulls out her Capitol newspapers, thinking that browsing them won't end up helping anyone.

Two

She's earlier than last week. Her eyes are brighter than usual, the dark blue he used to associate with what must be an ocean (though he's never seen one, and maybe never will) is suddenly making him think of a clear blue sky. Gale doesn't remember ever having seen her smile but she is now, spreading out her Capitol papers across the oak table and taking a red pen to the parts she finds most important.

He doesn't stay but he does overhear a bit before he leaves. "There are only so many different types of arenas they can use," Madge is saying. The sincerity in her voice causes him to linger at the door.

Three

She catches him looking.

Madge walks in from the kitchen with a glass of water and her eyebrows high on her forehead as she finds Gale staring at what she's brought. It takes him a moment to tear his gaze from what he's been reading. Katniss and Peeta are among the favorites to go back. There are quotes saying they wish Peeta would volunteer if Haymitch was chosen — just so the two can compete together again. She doesn't say anything, she only smirks.

"Interesting read, isn't it?" she asks.

"It's a load of shit," Gale mutters. Madge walks over slowly before pulling out a pen and handing it to him. "What's this for?"

"Anything you find of importance." Gale looks down at the paper and frowns. He doesn't really think anything is important. But he circles something anyway.

Four

He stays through their session. Gale isn't sure what he's going to get out of it but before he left he noticed a lot of red on the papers, meaning Madge has been busy.

"They've printed every Victor's name," Madge says, "and I've circled those who are most likely to go back in based on volunteers, lack of other choices, and how they are in the public eye."

Gale clears his throat, "What's that got to do with anything?"

Madge turns to him, that smirk back on her face. She poses a question, "If Katniss wasn't the only female in District 12, do you really think anyone else would be chosen?" Gale mulls this over for a moment. Of course there are other people out there who've made mistakes when it comes to the government. Madge is saying that it must be rigged. "It's a losing game, Gale," she tells him.

Unfortunately, he agrees.

Five

It's storming today. The sky is as gray as his eyes and his mood but he hikes to the Everdeen's anyway. When he gets there he lets himself in, something he's only recently started doing after Katniss insisted it was okay, and hears a shriek that scares the shit out of him. Without taking off his boots or rain jacket he sprints into the house, finding Peeta tickling Madge relentlessly while Katniss and Prim sit on the couch snickering.

"Let me go!" Madge laughs, trying to squirm out of his difficult grip. There are tears of mirth in the corners of her eyes and Peeta's grinning so widely it looks like his face is going to split in half.

Gale watches silently for a moment, unsure of the way his stomach is clenching but also partly relieved that no one's hurt. Finally Madge wiggles from Peeta's arm, kicking her leg into the air as she scoots away. Somewhere in the back of his mind Gale thinks she'd never last in the Games. Somewhere else he realizes he likes her smile.

Six

"You should give it a try, Princess," Gale says as he extends the wire in Madge's direction. Her nose wrinkles, but he's not sure if it's at the nickname or the task. When her hand extends for the wire he tries his hardest to mask the surprise. Katniss and Peeta and Haymitch are all working on their hand to hand combat, rolling around to strengthen their skills, and Gale can't help but feel a little useless. So why not teach Madge Undersee a snare?

Her hands are soft and smooth and their fingers brush as she takes the wire. "You're really good at this," she tells him.

"I kind of have to be," Gale mutters.

"Not the snares. I mean, yes, the snares," Madge corrects as she bends the wire like he showed her. "But the teaching." Her eyes meet his and again they're brighter than he remembers. "More patient than I thought."

He feels his lips curling upwards without meaning them too. "I do have three younger siblings," he reminds her. "I have to be patient sometimes." He scoots slightly closer to her and grabs her hands. "Like this," he says, guiding her fingers in the right spot. "There. Now tighten it."

Madge looks frequently between her hands and Gale, he can feel it. "Like this?" she asks, holding it up to him.

"Perfect," he breathes.

Seven

Madge doesn't show up to Sunday training. He waits all day before bringing it up, and is careful to choose how he asks.

"No Undersee today, then?"

"Her mom's pretty sick," Prim answers. Gale catches Peeta looking at him with one of his eyebrows lifted. "She called us earlier to let us know." Gale doesn't respond, but he does see the smirk that fills Peeta's face.

Eight

He catches a whiff of her shampoo while looking over her shoulder at some charts she's spread out. Vanilla. He can still smell it when he goes home that night.

Nine

It's storming again, this one having come out of no where. "I'll walk you back," Gale tells her as they start for the door. They can't train outside and Madge hasn't found anything of importance in the papers, so today is more or less useless.

"You don't have to," she insists. It won't so much be walking anyway, but quick strides to get out of the rain and avoid the lightning. But Gale also insists, and that's how they end up on the Undersee's porch soaked to the bone. Her shirt is clinging to her skin and Gale jerks his head, shaking his hair from his face. "Gale," she stops him before he leaves, her hand circling around his wrist. He turns to look at her and their eyes meet. He wonders if she can feel the storm still, too. "Thank you," she exhales.

He reaches up, brushing wet strands of gold from her face. "See you next week," he murmurs.

She licks her lips. He pretends he doesn't notice.

Ten

It's their last weekend at the Everdeen's. The Quell—the Reaping is soon. No more training, no more Capitol papers. Peeta tries to keep everyone in light spirits as they train. Tree climbing, a final breeze through everything Madge has collected, and a big jug of iced tea to end the night.

Madge disappears from the crowd and Gale finds her on the back porch, her cup in her hands as she leans over the railing and looks into the backyard. She doesn't turn when he joins her. The hair on their arms brush. She leans into him just enough that it isn't obvious, but he notices anyway.

"I hate this," she tells him quietly. Her voice wavers, the beginning of a set of tears. "I hate this so much."

"Me too," he responds. She leans into him more, her head against his arm. Neither of them say anything else.

Eleven

There's no training today. Peeta and Katniss are already back in the Capitol, already training in the real training center for the Games they're going to be competing in. He ends up at the Everdeen's anyway.

Gale is more than surprised when he finds Madge Undersee on the front steps of their house, her head in her hands. He lowers himself beside her and she jerks up. Gale finds tears in her eyes.

"Hey," he murmurs.

She sniffles, wiping her eyes with the back of her palm. "Hi." He reaches over, grabbing her hands and holding them tightly in his. "Gale—"

"It's okay." She leans against him like she did last week and he drapes one of his arms over her shoulder, pulling him into her side. "It's okay," he says again. Both of them know it isn't, but neither of them say anything. Gale turns his head and presses a gentle kiss to her forehead, causing Madge to still. She looks up at him slowly and he looks down, their eyes meeting.

Madge doesn't say anything but she blinks a few times. Eventually she looks away, sinking further into his side. Neither of them speak but a calmness settles over them. They don't leave for a long time.