Disclaimer: I'm just playing with Suzanne Collins' characters and her world. They're hers. Not mine.

Heat, pt 2

Gale could feel the sweat dripping from the back of his too long hair, down his neck, soaking his shirt uncomfortably as he walked down the road.

He shouldn't even be out. His catch the day before, even without Katniss, had been plenty for a few more meals and he'd made enough off his sales to buy his brothers and sister some ice cream.

His mistake had been recounting his near arrest by the excitable new Peacekeepers to his mother. It had all gone well until he mentioned Undersee's near transparent shirt.

"She went red as those strawberries when I told her."

His mother had frowned at his laughter.

"Gale, honey, why would you embarrass the poor girl when she'd just helped you?"

At the time it had just been to see a look on her face that wasn't forced or annoyed, but now he wasn't so sure. He shrugged.

His mother's disappointment in him was so heavy that he'd gotten up early and headed out to the meadow, picked several dozen of the brightest flowers he could find, and wrapped them in twine. It's what his father had done when he was apologizing to his mother. If it worked with a full sized woman surely it would work on Undersee? Thirteen year old girls were closer to being grown women than children he supposed.

He was sopping wet with sweat and a little bit of anxiety, though he wasn't sure why, when he finally reached the back gate of the Mayor's house. Taking a breath, he jumped the fence and jogged up to the back door.

After he knocked he began praying the Mayor didn't answer the door, Gale would look a little stupid standing there with a bunch of flowers if he did.

To his great relief, an old woman, probably the housekeeper, opened the door. Gale didn't even get a word out, ask if Madge was home, when she eyed him up and down with great disgust.

"She would attract filth, wouldn't she?"

Before can say anything in his own defense, she turns and yells.

"Girl! Get down here! You have a boy at the door!"

She slams the door in his face, which he takes to mean 'wait here a minute', and stomps off. A few minutes later, the door cracks open and a pair of bleary pale blue eyes peak out at him. They widen in surprise, as though she'd thought the old woman was lying to her. She opens the door wider.

Undersee is in her nightgown, but she had the good sense to put on a robe to answer the door. Still, her arms cross over her chest protectively.

"Can I help you?"

She's all professional, just like she'd been with the Peacekeepers the day before. Her little jaw is set and her eyes are serious, focused. Some of her bravado is lost, though, when Gale looks at her magnificent bed head.

He starts to tell her 'nice hair', but catches himself, he's already looked at her boobs, however accidental, he doesn't need to add insulting her hair to his list of crimes.

Gale thrusts the flowers out to her. "Here."

She stares at them dumbly so he gives them a little shake.

Her lip puckers in a frown. "What's this?"

His eyebrows rise. "Flowers." Hasn't she ever seen a bouquet before?

Undersee huffs, "I can see that."

Well then why did you ask?

"Why are you giving me flowers?" She narrows her eyes in suspicion.

Gale run his hand over his face, through his soaking hair, letting it come to a rest on his neck, "'Cause you helped me out yesterday, with those Peacekeepers."

She had been pretty brilliant. He wouldn't even deny that. It wouldn't have occurred to him to say what she had.

"You're not too stupid, Undersee." He grits his teeth, "And I'm sorry I looks at your boobs."

Even though that really wasn't his fault, and, actually, she should thank him for warning her. There are a lot of creeps out there.

Her mouth twitches, she's fighting off a smile. Her hand reaches out and takes the flowers from him, her fingers are cool when they brush his.

She puts them to her face, he isn't sure why, they don't really have a scent, but she smiles as though they did.

He's about to take a step back, he's made his peace with her, when she bobs up, on her toes and leans into him. He feels something soft and warm on his cheek, pressing to it feather light for half a second, then vanishing as Undersee drops back to her heels, smiling softly at him.

"Thanks."

Gale nods, grunting a 'you're welcome' before backing away, tripping a little down the stairs, then hopping the fence again.

His shirt is still sticking to him unpleasantly, but he doesn't really care anymore.