A/N & Disclaimer: Okay, so I haven't written fanfiction in forever and a half. Here goes.
Clearly anything you may recognize from The Hunger Games series belongs to Suzanne Collins.

INTRO

Three days. That was all the time it took for me to fall for her. Three days for her to steal my heart when I didn't even realize it was still mine to hold onto. I still remember every hour we spent together those first three days. I don't think I could ever forget. And those memories are the most important ones I've got now. Three days changed my life. And the promise I made at the end of them is the only thing forcing me to keep living.

DAY ONE

Madge Undersee was never my biggest fan. At least, not that I knew of. Since everything's gone to hell, I've found out about a lot of secrets she kept from me. She had no problem sharing those secrets with my little brother. Rory stayed after school sometimes for tutoring with her. Turns out they were more like heart-to-heart sessions than tutoring after the first couple of weeks, but I can't really be annoyed about that now. District 12's school system lacked a lot in the way of useful knowledge. And since I never intended on letting Rory grow up to be a miner anyway, he could pull average grades in his classes all about the subject. Nothing he learned in 12 mattered much in the end; now that the world has been turned upside down, we've all got a lot to learn.

Apparently that little puke knew how to scheme, though. He invited her over to watch the Games with us two days after they'd started. He'd been telling her—to my absolute horror—that watching Katniss in a fight for her life every day and night kind of shook me up. Go figure. And Rory insisted that since we were both friends with Katniss, maybe we'd feel better if we could, I dunno, share our feelings or something. It didn't go exactly as he'd planned. I may or may not have made a comment about the coal dust on the doormat ruining her crisp, clean dress. And then I might have sneered at her attempts to compliment our home. There was also that comment I made about her being allergic to the working class… apparently the proper response to a sneeze is actually, "Bless you." What the hell did I know?

To her credit, the girl ignored my shithead comments and ridiculous attitude. She settled into my spot on the couch between Posy and Rory. Of course that left only the floor for me, but the further from Madge, the better. Posy was immediately enamored. Of course. I love my little sister, but I could practically feel the bile rising in my throat as she raved about Madge's pretty golden hair, and her beauuuutiful blue dress, and the shiny silver buckles on her shoes. Who knew shoe buckles could impress a four-year-old so much? I knew how I'd have dealt with Vick or Rory. A swift smack to the back of their heads would've put an end to that crap. Since it was Posy, though… well, let's just say Posy's inaugural Madge Undersee fan club meeting nearly ended with vomit on my mother's freshly cleaned living room rug. But something shut her up just in time. Something that made me wish I could listen to her baby voice cooing over a merchant girl for days rather than watch the television for another minute. The live feed of the Games had begun again.

Hazelle didn't let the kids stay up late. She hated making them watch the Games at all, but she wanted them to have something to talk about in case it came up in school. The last thing the Hawthornes needed was shit from the higher ups over not watching the mandatory broadcast. She followed them to bed after ordering me to make sure Madge got home okay. Yes, mother, I'll make sure the merchant girl doesn't get assaulted in the big, scary, dangerous Seam. Don't worry.Ugh. As if Madge's invasion of my home wasn't bad enough, now I had to walk her back into town in the middle of the night? Rory didn't tell me I'd be babysitting.

"I can't believe that's really her," Madge sighed. Since my super mature greetings earlier, she'd basically ignored me. But everyone else had gone to bed. Time to make conversation, Gale. Now, if only I could come up with something to say. I glanced back at the TV to see Katniss setting up her bed once again, too exhausted to keep running even when it was the safest option. Her usual braid contained most of her long, thick hair, but a few strands had broken away and clung to the sweat on her face. Her steely eyes looked frenzied rather than focused with each snap of a twig or shifting wind. And she'd developed this nervous habit of gnawing on her bottom lip. All small changes. Most people probably wouldn't even notice. But it didn't look like the Katniss I knew. She looked terrified. Not that I could blame her. It just pissed me off… that the Capitol could do this to her or anyone else. It was wrong. Especially because it was my Catnip.

"Me neither," I admitted. There. A genuine response not laced with sarcasm or scorn. Eh… it was a start.

Madge pushed her fingers through her blonde curls and frowned at the television. "It's not fair. This whole thing… it's always been cruel, but… Katniss and Peeta. How are they going to live with themselves after this?"

"What the hell do you know about fair?" I snapped before I could censor myself.

Madge looked wounded. I mean genuinely hurt. She'd looked ruffled before, even annoyed with my snarky remarks or biting comments. But the real pain in her eyes now seriously made me regret opening my stupid mouth. "This was a mistake," she mumbled, pushing herself off the shoddy, sunken cushions and heading for the door.

"Wait… shit, no, I… just wait," I said, grabbing her arm as she reached for the doorknob. Why am I stopping her? I've wanted her to leave for hours… well, Hazelle did say I had to walk her home.

"What?" she asked, her eyes fixed on the floor. Huh. Probably trying to figure out if those black smudges were coal dust or some intentional decorating choice.

"Hazelle told me to walk you home. Remember? Just let me get my boots on," I covered for my weird behavior. Well… it wasn't weird. That was the truth, right? I just didn't wanna catch hell from my mother. So I'd followed her to the door. Right.

She rolled her eyes and twisted the doorknob. "I'll be fine. If I see Hazelle, I won't tell on you," she said in that same clipped tone she'd used just days before. "Well, if I end up going to the Capitol, I want to look nice, don't I?" How I managed to keep my cool, I'll never be certain. My blood boiled. As though the mayor's daughter ever really had to worry about suffering through the Hunger Games. Undersee probably snuck her name out of the bowl every year. Nothing would surprise me in this place. All the same, she did come over here in some feeble attempt to be nice tonight, and I sort of owed her at least a walk home… since I didn't exactly play gracious host.

"It's no big deal. Let's go," I finally replied, shrugging my coat onto my shoulders and following her out into the cool night air.

We spent most of the walk in silence, listening to our footsteps clopping along the pavement. Fine by me. I never knew how to talk to Madge. She confused me. And maybe that was why I usually avoided talking to her when we went to sell her strawberries. Katniss thought it was because I had nothing nice to say. But truthfully, I didn't know how to deal with someone like her who could keep up with someone like me. Katniss and I could banter. But Madge could dish my underhanded cruelty right back with a smile playing on her lips, and her pale blue eyes never dropping my gaze. It unnerved me. So I usually just stayed quiet.

When her house loomed in the distance, melting away the darkness as we drew closer, she finally spoke. Her breath puffed out in swirling clouds with each word. "I miss Katniss. Don't you?"

She knew I did. So why ask? "Of course," I answered… because I was too taken aback to be a dick about it. This time.

"So… wouldn't it be easier if we could… be close to someone else who cares about her? I just mean… don't you think it'd hurt a little less if maybe you had someone to lean on?" she asked.

No. "I dunno. I'm not much of a leaner," I replied with a shrug of my shoulders. I buried my hands deeper into the pockets of my jacket when she sighed in clear annoyance beside me.

"Gale Hawthorne, you are the most frustrating person I've ever known," she griped at me. Her eyes were burning a hole in the side of my face, but no way was I gonna look at her now. I've never had a way with words, and this conversation had just taken a turn for the way-too-honest.

Thankfully, we'd reached her doorstep. "G'night," I mumbled, turning to head back before she'd even left my side. Her long fingers gripping my arm held me back, though.

"Please, Gale… Rory told me that you always try to take on everything yourself. For once, for the sake of your family, don't try to get through this alone. I miss her, too. And honestly, I don't think anyone around here could understand that like you do. Will you let me watch the Games with you? It's the least we can do for each other now," she said, those big, pale blue eyes of hers finally capturing mine. Shit. How the fuck do I say no to that?

"Fine. Night Madge," I answered. Again, I'm not exactly a wordsmith. But she looked… well, not pleased, but something like it. I'd take that. If it'd get her to stop making embarrassing personal appeals like that, then she could sit on my tattered old couch and listen to my siblings blather about her wonderful Madge-ness forever. What did I care? It wasn't like I had to cry on her shoulder or anything. Christ, if only I'd known what I'd just agreed to.

A/N: Reviews & criticism are always welcome. Hopefully chapter 2 will be up soon. Thanks for reading!
And for the Gale/Madge shippers on LJ, you should totally check out the Gale/Madge community PrettyxDress on LiveJournal! [/shamelessplug]