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

Gale never imagined that he would get over Katniss. Ever since he was a young teenager she had been the end goal. He had watched her age, watch her grow, watched her soar. But then the war happened and he also watched her fall, he watched her burn. And when Katniss burned, so did Prim, and Gale knew there was no chance.

He packed his bags and moved to District 2, not only giving Katniss the space she needed to heal but also giving himself room to breathe. The war had changed him just as it had changed everyone. He rarely slept, he hardly felt like he could breathe. Gale would fall asleep dreaming of a girl with a long braid only to wake up heaving for air from nightmares.

It took him years to return back to District 12, and when he had he was surprised to find that Madge Undersee had integrated herself into his family's life. She seemed to have done it with ease and that frustrated Gale, because he struggled to even be in the same room as his younger siblings. But soon enough he retaught himself how to be a brother, how to care for his family.

Gale had expected with his return that Madge Undersee would disappear, but she didn't. She came over every evening for dinner, some days she was there for afternoon tea, other times she brought books and had Posy read to her. She seemed to know, however, that Gale and his family were still separate in a way. Just because she was close with them, doesn't mean she was close with him. They didn't talk much.

It wasn't until one dreary day in which it suddenly started pouring did things change. One moment Gale was sitting at the table staring down at a wedding invitation, and the next there was a loud banging on the door.

He leaped out of his seat, his nerves still going into overdrive at loud noises, and yanked the door open. Madge bristled past him, soaking wet, and shook herself off. She left a giant puddle in the middle of the hallway.

"I knew it was gray," Madge was saying, "but I didn't expect it to just start storming like that." Thunder rumbled outside as she huffed, trying to get all of the rain from her hair. She turned to look at Gale and smiled brightly at him. "Afternoon."

"They're not home," was his response. Madge's smile dimmed slightly. "They went into town. I imagine they'll be stuck there until the storm's eased a bit. So."

Her smile slowly slipped into a frown. "So," she echoed. "Is that your way of telling me to get lost?" Gale didn't respond. He just stood by the door awkwardly. "Yeah, no." She looked out the window. "If you don't expect your family to travel in that, you shouldn't expect me to either."

Still frowning Madge marched away from him and into the kitchen, and with a deep sigh he hesitantly followed. The rain was heavy and thick and Gale hoped it would pass soon, because he wasn't sure how long he could spend with Madge Undersee before blowing up in her face.

"I'll make tea," Gale muttered. He dug through the cabinets for a kettle.

Madge was still damp but she lowered herself to one of the chairs at the kitchen table. "How long are you staying?" she asked. Gale looked over his shoulder at her from where he was standing by the sink. "You've been here for a few months," Madge carried on, leaning backwards in the chair. "You have work in 2, don't you?"

"My family's here."

"So indefinitely, then?"

Gale turned off the sink when the kettle was full. "Is that a problem?" Madge shook her head in response and Gale grunted, starting the kettle on the stove.

"Just wondering." He didn't turn to look at her once the stove was started. "Posy worries you might up and leave, is all." Gale tensed at the name of his baby sister in her mouth. "You should just make it more clear to them, I guess. That you're staying."

"Is that why you're sticking around?" he snapped, finally turning to look at her. "Hoping I'll pack up and leave? Be here for them when I'm gone?"

Madge's eyebrows came together as though she was confused. "No?" Gale stayed where he was against the counter. "I love your family, Gale," she said. "I don't have anyone else," she added. "They took me in." The tension in Gale's shoulders eased ever so slightly. For her to say it so simply was a surprise. I love your family. The confusion on her face seemed to seep into sadness as she looked down at the table and away from him. "I didn't realize I'd overstepped with you."

Gale let out a short breath. "Sorry," he muttered. "You didn't."

Madge looked up at him again. "I know you love them," Madge told him. "I'd never get in the way of that." He watched her silently for a moment, wondering if Madge Undersee had actually integrated herself into his life without him noticing.

They were more friendly after that.

Not like, friendly, but more friendly.

He didn't outwardly ignore her. In fact, sometimes he'd ask her opinion on little things. Gale liked the sound of her voice, he realized one afternoon. It came as a shock to him. Because before the war the only time he ever heard Madge Undersee speak was during a trade, or when she was being snappy with him. But now they were having discussions, talking about the state of the nation, about the political changes that were happening in District 12.

She normally had very sound opinions.

Gale was surprised one evening when they were out on the back porch of the Hawthorne's home when she turned to him, asking him a question.

"How do you feel about the wedding?"

His chest felt tight at once. "I don't know," he admitted.

Madge was sitting on the steps beside him as they watched the kids racing through the backyard, trying to collect fireflies. She turned to him now though, her blue eyes light and bright.

"You don't have to go, you know," she said.

Gale and Katniss, their new relationship was special. Delicate. Terrifying. He knew he didn't love her anymore, not like he had, but he still cared for her deeply. They'd been through so much together and Katniss allowing him back into her life was a blessing. He loved her friendship, respected her as a person and as a leader but also as a girl who needed her space to heal.

She chose Peeta. And that was fine. Gale had come to terms with it.

But going to the wedding… he wasn't sure about. Peeta and him weren't exactly friendly and Katniss and Gale hadn't talked about it at all. But it was happening. The wedding was soon. Katniss and Peeta were getting married. It was happening and Gale had to decide if he wanted to go.

"I don't know," Gale said another time. He looked back into the field where his siblings were running around without a care in the world. "I'm happy for her, I guess."

"You guess?"

"She's been through a lot. She deserves to be happy." Gale hesitated. "Peeta too," he added. "Are you going?"

"Mm-hm." Madge looked out at the field too. "I think it'd be nice if you went." Gale didn't respond. "It won't be long. But Katniss… doesn't have a lot of people. You know? And this is hard for her. She's scared."

"Yeah," Gale sighed. "I know."

Katniss wasn't the marriage type. But if it was the choice that she made, to marry him, Gale supposed he should be there to support her. The evening air was sticky and heavy and Gale leaned backwards on his palms. Him coming back to District 12 meant he had to be involved. With his friends, with his family. He could do this for Katniss.

Gale would tease Posy, tell her that she was the most beautiful girl in the district, if not the entire country. And she was beautiful. She was all fire and laughter and wild, messy hair.

But looking at Madge Undersee, only slightly dressed up for their friend's wedding, was a different sort of beautiful. The kind that sucked the air from his lungs with one breath. The kind that made his heart feel smaller. Madge was the kind of beautiful that didn't even have to try.

They were all in the new Justice Hall, a building not nearly as large as the one before that had been destroyed by bombs, in one of the back rooms where the weddings were officiated. Katniss was in her nice white dress, her hair woven with white flowers (maybe by Madge's hands?) and a nervous, but sincere smile was on her face. Peeta looked nervous too but more like himself than Gale could remember. Clear eyes and a bright smile that shone brighter every time he looked at Katniss.

Like Madge said, it was a quick ceremony. After the official document was signed and there was a quick kiss, everyone was set to return to Peeta's home (now shared with Katniss) for celebration and drinks.

They stood and cleared from the room, following the newly wed as they started toward their house. Madge caught up with Gale as they exited the building. "Going for drinks?" she asked.

Gale tipped his head to the side. "I don't think so." Seeing Katniss married, being there for her then, that was what he could do. Anything else felt intrusive. He didn't want to watch Katniss and Peeta's Toasting. He didn't want to cheer for them with a false smile.

"How about a walk?" Madge offered.

Gale arched an eyebrow at her. "You're not going to the Toasting?" Madge wrinkled her nose before shaking her head. His other eyebrow crept up his forehead as well. "Because of me?" he wondered.

"Don't flatter yourself."

Gale couldn't help but laugh then, and together they veered off from the Justice Hall and away from the wedding party.

They spent most of the walk in silence, which was nice. Gale couldn't help but think how years ago he would've felt awkward by Madge's side, walking through the district. First because of the stigma that went with Town and Seam colliding, but secondly because it was Madge. They wound their way through the district before ending up at the meadow.

They settled on a patch of soft grass, Madge's dress poofing out around her, and Gale tried not to smile. It was like she didn't even know how simply beautiful she was.

They spoke back and forth about the weather for a little bit, about the dinner Hazelle had made the night before, about the new radio station.

But finally Madge asked, "What was District 2 like?"

Gale wasn't sure about what feeling flooded his veins when he heard the question. Fear, maybe? Confusion? It was in his past now, even though it was only a few months ago.

"Cold," he said. Madge smiled at him and that made him feel warmer. "I had an apartment near the mountains," he said. "A really nice view. Sometimes I thought about moving out to a cabin and never leaving."

"And the people?" she asked.

"Same as anywhere," Gale said with a shrug.

"Same as here?"

Gale thought about that for a moment. "No, I guess not," he answered. People from District 12, those who were left, they'd been through a lot more than people from other Districts. They were bombed, wiped out, left broken. That meant the survivors had a sense of kindness others couldn't grasp. A sense of hope. Because they'd survived and they could keep on surviving. "Why?"

Madge was gnawing on her bottom lip. "I'm thinking of traveling," she told him. Gale looked at her feeling something inside of him that he couldn't identify. A block of sorts. "Don't look at me like that," she said before looking away.

"Like what?"

"Like it's a stupid idea."

"I'm not."

"You are," Madge said. "And I know. It's-it's a luxury sort of thing. To be able to travel. But I... I've spent all my life in District 12, or 13, and I just..." Madge trailed off, shaking her head slightly. "I want to see the ocean," she whispered.

Her eyes hesitantly crawled back up this and they held each other's gaze for a few moments. "Then go see the ocean," Gale whispered back.

Madge blinked a few times. "What if I don't come back?" she asked. Their voices were quiet, like they were sharing secrets. The light breeze of the afternoon danced softly through the trees, almost as though reminding the two of them that they were alone out here. That they didn't have to talk so softly.

But still, Gale's voice was gentle. "Then you don't come back," he murmured.

"You came back," she challenged.

"I had a reason." Gale licked his lips and watched Madge's eyes follow the motion. "Do you?"

Gale found himself distracted whenever Madge was over.

He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Catching her smile made him smile himself. Hearing her laugh made his stomach do something unfamiliar. Seeing her with his siblings, his mom, the people he loved more than anyone in the world, made his heart swell.

Posy was braiding her hair now, or trying to. It was turning out to be a knotted mess but Madge never complained. Whenever Posy tugged too hard or made it worse she would tilt her head in a way to relieve some tension, constantly encouraging her that she could do it.

"I'll never be as good as you are at it," Posy finally huffed angrily, throwing her hands down. The work she'd done in Madge's hair came undone (except for the knots that Posy'd inadvertently made). Madge turned in her seat to face his sister and Posy was frowning. "I suck."

"No you don't," Madge said gently. "You're learning." Posy didn't act as though this was any better. "It takes time to get used to new things. Practice. But soon you realize that your fingers are moving on their own, that you don't even have to think about it. That it comes naturally to you."

Gale's breath caught in his throat.

"It's hard," Posy muttered.

"It gets easier," Madge responded. Her eyes lifted then, across the room to look at Gale. Her stare was so powerful he had to look away.

He took her to the woods.

She'd been there before, years ago when there was still a fence, but not since the night of the bombing. Madge didn't have to say it, how the woods were hard for her. She'd lost both of her parents in a matter of seconds and was mostly alone that night. But he wanted to show her that they could be beautiful. That the woods were beautiful.

She was hesitant and clearly nervous, constantly looking up at the trees rather than taking it in. But finally Gale found the strawberry bush he used to collect from all that time ago and they sat down, picking them off one by one.

"Gale," she said gently. He looked over at her, at the pink juice dribbling down her chin. "Thank you," she whispered.

Gale wasn't sure how long they'd been doing it before he realized it, but once he did it was everywhere.

They touched. A lot. Fingers brushing fingers, knees knocking knees. One evening Madge was over and everyone else had gone to bed. They were sitting in the living room watching the fire and she fell asleep, nestled against his side. His fingers were toying the ends of her hair before he realized what was happening, how incredible close they were.

Gale took the time to study the freckles on her cheeks. They were pale but plentiful, sprinkled across her nose like the stars dotted the sky. Her eyelashes were short and golden. Her nose was small and round, her lips were full and pink.

Gale licked his lips while staring at hers.

He wasn't sure how long they'd been doing it. How long he'd been doing it. He wasn't sure when the nerves and anxiety that were so strongly wrapped around his heart had eased away. But with her tucked against him Gale didn't dream about being anywhere else.

Gale got in the habit of walking Madge home.

She lived in town and the Hawthornes new home wasn't all that far away from it, but he liked walking her home anyway. She seemed to like it too.

But tonight was different.

Gale wasn't sure why. It started out like every other. Only this time Madge was walking a little closer to him than normal, enough that he could feel the heat from her body. When they stopped outside of her apartment building he turned to say goodnight, but she grabbed the hem of his jacket and pulled him back.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I think I'm going to do it," she said. He frowned at her, needing more information than that. "See the ocean."

Gale eased a step away from. "That's... great."

The smile on her face eased. "You don't think so," she realized with a start. Madge took the step toward him that he'd stepped away. "Gale I just-I feel like there isn't anything here for me."

Again he stepped away. This time it felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. "You feel like there isn't anything here for you?" he snapped. Her eyes searched his but he was angry. Why couldn't she see it? "What about your family?"

"My-Gale, I don't..."

He looked away from her. "You know what I mean," he muttered.

"Do you mean your family?" she asked, with genuine sincerity in her voice. He didn't answer right away. "Or do you mean you?" His eyes found hers again easily, and they stayed like that for a moment. Locked in a gaze neither could shake. Madge looked smaller, then. Scared, maybe. "Do you want me to stay?" she asked. Gale stared at her still, unable to answer. "Because if you want me to stay, Gale, just ask me to stay." He felt like he couldn't breathe. "And I will."

Again he took a step away from her. She gave him an answer. She wanted him to want her to stay. But if she really thought there was nothing here for her, could he stop her? Could he ask her to give up an adventure for... what? Him?

"Go see the ocean," he murmured. Madge's face crumbled. "Go find that something." And then he turned on his heel, marching away from her without a goodnight.

Madge didn't come around the next day. Or the next day.

And then it had been a week and he hadn't even seen her. But, God, he thought about her. He never stopped.

It wasn't until Hazelle joined him in the kitchen one day did he talk about her, though.

"What happened?" Hazelle asked gently. "With Madge? Because I know something happened, Sweetheart."

"Nothing happened." Hazelle made a face at him and Gale shrugged. He focused on the mug in his hands that he was drinking out of. "She wants to see the ocean," Gale muttered. "So she's going to see the ocean." Hazelle made another face at him. And Gale could lie, but she always knew. "She said if I wanted her to stay then all I had to do was ask."

Hazelle leaned backwards in her seat. "And you didn't?"

"That isn't what she wants," Gale nearly snapped. "She said there's nothing here for her. I can't ask her to stay if that isn't what she wants."

Hazelle sighed, reaching out and resting her hand over his. "Oh, Sweetheart..."

Gale isn't sure if he runs to Madge's apartment in town or not. But by the time he gets there he's out of breath and his face is sweaty. He knocks on her door once, twice, and finally she answers.

"Gale," she says, surprised. He's surprised too. "What are you-" he pushes into her apartment, "-doing here?"

She turns to him after shutting the door. He doesn't think he's ever been inside her apartment before but it smells nice and everything is clean. There's a suitcase nearby that he can see and he feels those nerves, that anxiety from what feels like forever ago, creeping back into him.

"Don't go," he forces out before turning back to face her. "Or if you-if you do, come back." Madge's eyes darted to the floor and he stepped toward her. Slowly. Nervously. What if his mother was wrong? What if he was wrong? But the words came anyway. "Because I love you." Madge's eyes darted back up to his at once. "I hate the way I love you," Gale added quietly. "It's all consuming. And it terrifies me. But I do love you. And I don't want you to go."

Her voice was unsure. As though she hadn't heard him right. "Gale?" But she had. And saying it out loud confirmed it for him. It sounded right in his mouth. Natural. Like it belonged there.

"I'm asking you to stay," Gale carried on, stepping toward her. "Here. With me." Finally he was in front of her and he reached out, taking her hands in his. He tugged her toward him feeling desperate. "Or come back to me," he added gently. "Something, Madge."

"Come with me," she whispered.

It wasn't what he was expecting from her.

"What?"

"Not-not forever," Madge added quickly. "But just-just to see the ocean. A weekend, or a week. And then we can come back. Together."

Next thing he knew he was kissing her, nodding, pushing her backwards against her door so he could bring himself closer. Their lips moved together slowly, perfectly, like they'd done it a million times together. Naturally. Madge's hands clung to his shirt and he slipped one of his hands around her waist, the other cupping the back of her head. Gale could do this forever.

"Don't disappear on me," he pleaded when they broke apart, their lips still so close that she could taste his words.

"I won't," she breathed back. "I love you, too."

Gale's grin could have split his face in two.

A few weeks later, with the ocean lapping at their ankles and Madge's hand in his, Gale couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

He turned, pulling her in his direction and letting go of her hand to swing his arm over her shoulder. When she was by his side he kissed her forehead.

Madge smiled before wrapping her arm around his middle.

No, he certainly couldn't imagine being anywhere else.