The fall breeze leaves swirls of leaves around Katniss's boots as she steps out of the bakery. She spots the blonde immediately. Leaving the Justice building in a grey dress the same shade as its stone steps. A throng of citizens brush past her shoulders as they shuffle in and out of the businesses in the square, but in that moment - all Katniss sees is Madge. Like she's the only girl on earth for her. Gold hair crown-braided. Listlessness in her eyes. Shoulders stooped beneath a bulky-looking bag.
The hairs on her skin rise and Katniss stuffs the loaf of rye bread further into her satchel. Stepping away from the bakery as though it contained rats. Not wanting to explain-
-too late. The girl sees her and trots over with a beaming grin. One she keeps telling herself she doesn't deserve. Her heart stills when Madge catches up and touches her elbow.
"Hey, you're-"
"Buying bread, yes," Katniss swallows the knot in her throat, "there's only, um, one bakery in town."
"Look, you don't-," Madge answers, before she shakes her head, "you don't have to explain anything to me-"
"Alright," Katniss whispers, tilting her head at the square, "what were you up to at the Justice building?"
"I was at work."
"Work? You have a job?"
"At least I think I do, my Dad just calls it sitting around all day," Madge sighs, hefting a bag full of ledgers over her shoulder, "Mrs. Wilson's getting on in years and she's a little slow, and almost blind. So I've been filling in for her."
A line forms upon Katniss's forehead, before she quizzes her further, "Filling in…how?"
"A glorified secretary, pretty much. Reporting census and coal production numbers to the Capitol. Sitting in on my Father's meetings and recording minutes. There's an ancient typewriter connected to a computer and we use it to write everything. Mrs. Wilson taught me how to type when I was little."
Katniss's chest vibrates with an unseen energy. Potent like the same buzz she felt getting chased by trackerjackers.
"A-and you get to hear about what happens in other districts," Katniss's voice drops to a whisper, "in these, um, meetings."
Madge looks over her shoulder. Bites her lip. Nods.
"It's a lovely day!" Madge trills, the sudden lift in her voice fills the space between them, "Would you mind walking me home? It's on the way to the village."
Clouds saturate the grey sky. She can feel a cold snap coming ahead of schedule. Thunder rumbles in the distance, but Madge's voice brightens the dead darkness in her chest so much it's difficult to resist the girl tucking an arm in her elbow.
Her voice lowers the instant they start walking away, "You were asking?"
Katniss catches onto her intentions, "If you've heard anything about unrest in other districts."
"Look, Katniss. I've hung around my dad for years," Madge whispers, "there's no way of telling if the information we hear is real or not. He doesn't even tell the Capitol the whole truth sometimes. And I'm damned sure they're not telling us everything. It's just the way it is."
The sudden deluge of forbidden knowledge from a close friend she'd always pegged as naive and innocent drops like a stone weight in her stomach. She's dangerous. But all Katniss can think about the danger she poses to Madge. How much she wants to protect this girl from their world of half-truths and veiled threats. Just as the burden of another soul she desperately needs to keep safe lands on Katniss's head, she looks up and realises they've strayed from their intended path. Approaching the Meadow on the other side of the Seam. Still, the utter proximity of Madge's body next to hers and that scent of lavender soap on her skin makes diverting her impossible.
"Y'know," Katniss suggests, "there's a chance you'll be Mayor one day."
"I doubt it-" Madge starts, before she huffs a lock of blonde hair from her fringe, "it's not exactly something I want, but if it happens - I don't have a choice."
"You might have to end up telling the same lies to the Capitol-"
"I know," Madge looks back at Katniss, "I'll do anything as long as we keep as many people alive as we can…"
Lost in their thoughts, the absentminded route leads them directly into the path of an imposing apple tree that blots out the clouds.
"...as long as I can keep you alive." Madge turns to face her. Teeth pinching a lip. Eyes locked, ensuring the Victor soaks every single one of her words.
Warmth blooms through Katniss's face. She smiles.
"You already have," Katniss chimes, looking up the tree, "whether you knew it or not."
"I don't think one little Mockingjay pin did anything-"
"I'm talking about this tree," Katniss rests a palm on its rough bark, "remember how we used to sell apples on Summer afternoons?"
Madge shuts her eyes for a second, before she answers, "Of course."
"I wouldn't have learned to climb trees if you never bought them from me," Katniss says, "and that's probably what saved me at the start of the games."
"Really?" Madge's face feigns surprise, "C'mon now-"
"The ripest ones are usually at the top, so I had to climb super, wait - what are you doing?" Katniss screeches.
Without warning, Madge had dropped her satchel and dug her shoes into the bark. Slim fingers cling to the trunk and haul her past the first fork before Katniss registers she's nearly six feet overhead. The hem of her grey dress flutters in time to the whisper of the leaves. Her feet freeze. Before a sudden rush of fear wrenches at Katniss's chest and she starts to climb. Eyes watering like that moment she spotted Rue from afar. Wanting to protect someone lest their death destroys her soul yet again.
"Stop, Madge, please just stop," Katniss shrieks, before the breeze steals her words.
"Why?" Madge hollers back, skilled feet making short work of the swaying branches, "You did it. So can I. Besides, there're still ripe ones up there."
"Please!" Katniss shouts. Her voice shakes. Startling some roosting Mockingjays. Mimicking the shrill tone of her voice as they flutter away.
"Don't tell me you're afraid-" Madge teases.
A branch scrapes Katniss's forehead. She brushes away a fringe in time to see an apple sailing past her head. Spotting another momentary flash of red in time to snatch the apple midair.
"I'm scared you'll fall and I'll have a lot of explaining to do to your father."
"Really now?" Madge giggles. She pauses. Allowing Katniss time to catch up and perch her shaking butt onto an adjacent fork. Her face flushed. Lungs heave hard. But one glance at the beaming wide smile on Madge's reddened face breaks her into a wave of chortles.
"What're you laughing at?"
"I-I had no idea you could climb trees," Katniss answers between fits of laughter.
"Maybe being the Mayor's secretary dosen't work out and I'll end up selling apples to rich victors," Madge reaches over her crown of hair, gleaming in the last of the day's sunlight, and plucks a ripened apple just on the verge of dropping. Katniss stands upright, putting herself level with the girl. She accepts the apple from her outstretched hands. Their fingers brush.
"You're assuming I'm rich," Katniss sniggers, "maybe we'll have to work something out-"
"A kiss for every apple," Madge sneers, "seems fair payment enough!"
Katniss's breath hitches, before her lips curl into a smirk, "I'll buy every apple you have, then."
The girl leans a rosy cheek nearer to Katniss. She clings onto an overhead branch and indulges Madge with a soft press of her lips. Brushing her fingers over the wet spot she's left behind. The rapid, blossoming colour sets her heart ablaze.
"Kisses for apples," Madge touches her cheeks. Her gaze dips to Katniss's lips, smoky gray eyes appear to want more. "Sounds an awful lot like prostitution to me."
That word worms its way into Katniss's chest and poisons every little feel-good feeling she hadn't even soaked in for a minute. Prostitution. The fact that Madge even knows that word arches her eyebrows in surprise.
"Prostitution," Katniss pronounces each syllable slowly, "you mean like what Cray does with those girls?"
There's a visible swallow in Madge's throat, "Yes."
"And you know it's been going on."
"The head peacekeeper's house is off the street from my bedroom window," Madge's lips purse into a line, "I can see them enter and leave the driveway at night."
"You're fine with this," Katniss glares at her, "And your father, he knows about this and he's fine with this?"
"Look," Madge's voice deepens, "it's unfortunate, but the way I see it - they're going to feed their families one way or another."
"Right."
"It's not that much different from you sneaking into the woods with Gale to hunt," Madge stamps her foot on a beetle crawling towards her, "we just gotta do what we have to do to survive."
"Easy for you to say," Katniss counters, "when you're living in a warm house with all the money you need."
Katniss immediately regrets the arrow she's shot at Madge. It hurts her as much. Wishing she could find a way to pull it back out and watch those crestfallen features disappear. Her next words carry a sour note.
"I'd do it if I had to."
They can't make out the ground from their spot in the trees. But Madge still looks over her shoulders as she contemplates her next words.
"Besides, Cray's going to be gone by next week," Madge whispers, "he's getting replaced by someone else from the Capitol."
"What? How do you-"
"I processed the train manifest. High ranking Peacekeeper. Probably going to make some changes here."
"Oh god," Katniss starts, but another fear spears her chest, "y-you'll be safe, won't you? You and your family?"
"If Snow wanted us gone, we'd already be dead," Madge muses, "but those girls I see trotting up Cray's driveway? You might have some competition if they turn to the forest for food."
That is the least of your worries.
"Speaking of which," Madge's voice lightens again, "would you take me to the woods one day? I've been dying to see what's on the other side of that fence."
Katniss's eyes perk up. With Gale gone, the hours spent in the woods away from that hollow shell of a home present a welcome solitary escape. A place she so desperately wanted Madge's company in - but never fathomed she could ever fulfill. Mayor's daughter and illegal hunting in the woods just couldn't co-exist in any world. Panem or not. Until now. Regardless, Katniss resists letting the excitement show on her face.
"Sure, but for now - I think we better get off this tree before we get struck by lightning."
Katniss climbs down first, eyes fixed on Madge gingerly lowering each foot. She dangles from the lowest branch, before dropping to the grass with an oomph. Her brain frays with panic when she notices Madge venturing towards a tree branch darkened dry with age. Half-rotten.
"No, Madge, watch out!"
The girl's weight lands on the branch a split-second too late, snapping it and dropping her from twelve feet up. Shrieking as she breaks another branch on the way down. Katniss's arms flare wide open and Madge slams into her like a cannonball. Rolling over and over on the slope until Madge ends up perched on top of her. Her blonde braid unravelled, dangling over her flushed cheeks. Eyes burn with blistering fear. Right before they melt into puddles of affection with the realisation of how close they are.
"You caught me," the slightest whisper brushes against her cheek. Katniss struggles. She winces. She looks up at charcoal grays and shudders at Clove's knife drawn across her throat. Want to blow loverboy one last kiss? Katniss's breath strangles in a terse sob. Before the knot melts away when Madge strokes a finger against her reddened cheeks. You're safe. You're with her. It takes nearly a minute before Katniss relaxes beneath the softness of her cotton dress. The firm warmth of Madge's waist tucked within her arms.
"I-I did," Katniss whispers back, her tongue ties itself when the slightest inhale fills her lungs with Madge. The scent of soap. Lavender. All heady desire and longing which clenches at her heart in an inexplicable manner. Of all the stupid filming and cameras and fake sincerity she's portrayed for Panem, Katniss only cares about this closeness right now. She wishes she could take a picture of this moment. Of the sunset peeking through strands of her gold hair. Keep it safe. Store it in the recesses of her memory so she could dream of Madge's gray eyes and feel them calm the raging waves of her soul.
"Y-you really should get off me, shouldn't you?" Katniss's voice trembles with want, "but I-"
"-don't think I really want to."
