A/N: I have been thinking about the possible things that could have occurred between Gale and Madge during the first book. How damaged they would both be from losing Katniss. I hope this measures up to a decent depiction of the possibilities. Happy reading.

I feel like I might vomit when Katniss volunteers as tribute. I sense that familiar tense feeling in my stomach and chest, but I choke the bile down with all my might. Gale is helping her on stage before I get a grip on myself. He hauls Prim away from her with ease. The look on his face is devastating. I am bitter about the way he treated me earlier. Yet, I wish we had thought of this actually happening. My heart is wrenching for him, for Prim, for Katniss. It feels like it wants to rip in every direction. Moments later Peeta Mellark's name is read and another piece of my heart wants to rip toward him. He's so gentle. No one will volunteer for him and I choke back a sob. For once I know not one, but two tributes.

Both people that I have considered friends at one time or another. My mind races with images. Six year old Peeta drawing chalk animals with Delly Cartwright in the square. Katniss sitting with me in the lunch room, commenting on the weather. Peeta hugging me and telling me that we can be siblings, bake bread all day, and play stick ball with Delly…all that before he made popular friends and lost track of me. Katniss coming to my back door with strawberries and Gale, smiling at me warmly and scolding him for his rudeness. Ten year old Peeta playing checkers with me on my porch. The images shimmer and turn rapidly in my mind. It all taunts me into oblivion.

After my father has read the Treaty of Treason I find my shaky legs forcing me toward the Justice building. I have to see them. I just have to.

The two rooms that tributes are given to conduct their farewells, are located in the left hallway on the first floor. When I arrive the Everdeens and Mellarks are already entering their children's rooms. I set my eyes downcast to avoid the heart wrenching site, petrified of the look on Primrose Everdeen's face. I'm caught off guard when I see Mr. Mellark enter Katniss' room shortly after leaving Peeta.

Behind me I hear some of Peeta's friends approaching. I don't speak to them. Instead, I finger the mockingjay pin on my chest. It strikes me with an idea. Perhaps if Haymitch sees the pin he will think of my aunt, the district partner that he couldn't save. Maybe he will be inclined to help Katniss and Peeta.

I wait my turn and go to Katniss first; she looks confused yet relieved to see me. My heart has never felt so full and tight in my chest. She doesn't know how much her quiet companionship has meant to me. She was the only person that understood me. I silently scold myself for thinking of her in the past tense already. She's a fighter, she can make it. I steal my nerves, trying to be brave for her. I press my shaking legs forward, unpinning the golden bird as I come to rest in front of her.

"They let you wear one thing from your district in the arena. One thing to remind you of home. Will you wear this?" I say as I stretch my palm out, offering the gift to her.

"Your pin?" she asks hesitantly.

I feel myself nod as I offer to pin it on her dress. My fingers shake slightly. I don't let her refuse the gift; I try to stress how important it is that she wears it as her token. I ask her to promise me.

After a beat of silence she firmly answers, "Yes" to my requested promise. With that I kiss her quickly on the cheek and silently depart.

A tall Peacekeeper closes the door behind me. I lean against the wall in the hallway and try to catch my breath for several moments. Gale Hawthorne glares at me with tears in his eyes, just before he heads into Katniss' room. I can't stand to be under the fire of his venomous gaze so I go bid farewell to Peeta to escape him.

The next Peacekeeper opens the door for me as I approach. I've been in these chambers before. Father showed me once when I came to visit him at work. Peeta is sitting on the velvet couch. His face is puffy and flushed from tears. I haven't seen him cry since he broke his arm when he was eight.

"Madge?" The question in his tone eats at my heart.

I feel myself wringing my hands as I approach him. He is strong and smart; two things that will help him survive in the arena. He is Peeta though, the boy who can cheer you up any day and make you laugh until your sides hurt. He doesn't deserve this, neither does Katniss. They are both too good and pure for this.

"Do you remember when we used to play with Delly all day in the summers?" My voice is rushed and shaky. He just nods and his shoulders droop a little. I tentatively sit next to him on the couch. It is soft and lumpy.

"You're still the same person Peeta. Don't ever let that change. No matter where you are," my hand travels into his lap and our fingers lace together. His blue eyes are glassy still. I squeeze his hand and try to express how important it is to be him. An image speeds across my vision of him staring at Katniss in the lunch room. I smile softly.

"Tell Katniss how you feel about her. While you have the chance," I say it firmly and grip his hand tighter. For a moment he looks confused, but he nods. His hand is warm and soft in mine. He still smells like the bakery. I feel like I might burst into tears.

"Stay strong. You can survive this. District 12 can have a winner this year. Both of you are capable."

I want desperately for one of them to return. My heart can't decide who is more important, but he needs to know that I have confidence in both of them. I can't believe how much talking I am doing. Peeta suddenly releases my hand and hugs me to his chest tightly. Now the tears are dripping down my cheeks.

"You're still my imaginary sister Madge," he says roughly into my hair. I pull myself away from him before I become an even bigger wreck. He watches me back away slowly. He is crying again. I want to hold him, but I can't stay here. He waves halfheartedly at me as the Peacekeeper beckons me from the room, my time is up.

In the hallway Gale is fighting with a Peacekeeper about how he didn't have enough time with Katniss. I stand at a distance and watch his tirade with sadness. After a few moments a few more men and women come forward and pull him away. I follow silently. They throw him out the front entrance and one Peacekeeper deals a swift kick to his abdomen. He winces in pain, but doesn't shout. He grips his stomach as he sits on the steps.

"Are you alright?" I ask timidly. I'm not sure what has possessed me. His deep grey eyes glare at me once more before he places his face in his palms. For a moment I hesitate, unsure if I should join him on the step or walk home. His voice bursts loudly through his palms before I can decide.

"I never even got to tell her I love her," his voice is vulnerable with pain.

I sink down beside him. It's my weakness. People in pain, I yearn to help them. It probably stems from my mother's sickness. I've always cared for her and helped her. I let my hand rest gently on Gale's shoulder. His muscles are tense below my fingers. The cool marble of the Justice Building steps seeps through my thin dress.

"You can tell her when she comes home," I say softly. He shakes his head in his hands before he looks up at me. My hand is still resting on his blue reaping shirt.

"What if she doesn't!" He is lashing out at me again, but he is in pain I tell myself. I shake my head softly and give his shoulder a squeeze.

"She will. If she doesn't, then you should know that…she cares very deeply for you, I can tell." My voice is smooth like I am shushing a crying child. People are filing out of the main entrance to our left. I let my eyes follow my father as he exits with his attendant. His shoulders are rolled forward slightly, his features tightly set in place. I wonder briefly what he thinks of the 'strawberry girl' being reaped.

"Oh yeah? What makes you think you know her?" Gale says furiously. The accusation draws my eyes back to his face.

"She's my friend. I know that she looks at you the way she looks at Prim. And we both know that she loves Prim more than anything," I say firmly. I won't yell at him. That's not what he needs. Not when our mutual 'best friend' is being sent to the slaughter.

Something in Gale's face shifts and I remove my hand from his shoulder. It has probably overstayed its welcome anyway. His jaw tenses as he looks through the crowd in the square. There are lines of grateful people, waiting to purchase food to celebrate their children making it through another year. It makes me uneasy, but I understand.

"Thanks," Gale mutters as he rises from the steps and glances back at me. I just nod and watch him retreat toward the Seam.

He has two families to protect and provide for now. Many people who need him. Who will tend his needs?

I lay in the grass staring at the clouds in the sky. Katniss and Peeta looked more than amazing last night during the opening ceremony. They were like fiery demi-gods in a chariot pulled by charcoal black horses. My heart had skipped merrily at the sight and I could barely contain the urge to jump around in excitement. The thing that drew my attention the most was their clasped hands. I pondered over it in bed last night. Had Peeta told Katniss how he felt? I doubted it, but they were portraying themselves unified. A risky move. The commentators had made a point to discuss it for several minutes. Sponsors are probably seriously considering the District 12 tributes for once.

A particularly fluffy cloud shaped somewhat like a bear is floating quickly across the wide blue expanse above me. I watch it collide with a neighboring mass of clouds. Someone clears their throat. When I look up I see Gale perched at the fence that runs along my side yard.

"What did you think?" He says simply. I know what he means. What did I think about Peeta holding Katniss' hand and the way that she blew kisses at the crowd? I prop myself up on my elbows and stare at him for a moment while I ponder it again. A soft smile works its way onto my lips.

"Sponsors galore for sure," I say as I let my back fall to the earth once more. This time I fold my right arm below my head. I search the clouds again. Gale stands over me, his face blocking my view considerably. He has an impish look in his eyes that confuses me. His normal expressions towards me are boredom, anger, and annoyance.

"I bet you thought Mellark was a regular old Adonis," Gale waggles his eyebrows at me. I snort and roll my eyes at him. He drops a large leather game bag next to my head before he sits cross-legged beside me.

"I prefer tall, dark, and handsome," I say casually, but I can't prevent the smirk that appears on my face, "Peeta is none of those things, well maybe handsome…but he's practically like a brother to me." I laugh and can't believe I am being so cavalier with Gale Hawthorne. When I look back at his face I see the mirth in his eyes.

"Tall, dark, and handsome huh? Aren't you supposed to marry a merchant?" Gale says and his tone is a little bitter during the last part. I knit my eyebrows together and chew my thumb nail for a moment. My eyes focus on the sky above as I speak.

"I've never cared much what other people think. Just because the Capitol has endorsed class restrictions here, doesn't mean I intend to adhere by them," I sigh heavily and steal a glance at him again, "every Capitol and merchant man my father parades through the parlor thinks that I'm the type to idly sit by, obedient and silent. They think I am a ditzy blonde who will sleep with them at the drop of a hat. I don't want to be a prize because my father has wealth and authority. I want to be cherished. Last week one of those Capitol cameramen tried to force his way into my bedroom!"

I don't know what has come over me, but I just can't seem to stop talking these last few days. Being here with Gale is no different. Since when do I ever tell anyone about my misadventures in the Undersee household? Even if Gale hates my slimy guts, he at least has the audacity to look disgusted by my story.

"Men from the Seam are hard workers and they know how to love someone. Really love them, because there is nothing else. I don't care if I starve to death as long as my husband actually loves me for me," Gale is eyeing me cautiously as I confess my hope.

I feel like I am getting a little preachy so I add in another snarky remark, "Besides tall, dark, and handsome is more mysterious. And all the merchant girls say Seam men are well endowed and I'm told that size does matter." I waggle my eyebrows suggestively and nearly burst into laughter at the look on his face. This might be the only time in my life that I get the better of Gale, because he doesn't have a retort for my ridiculous comment. I honestly don't feel like Madge Undersee right now. I've always kept my inner thoughts to myself, I've never even joked around much with Katniss. Having your friends sent to the slaughter makes you do strange things I guess.

Gale gains control of his voice again and now it seems he is going to play along, "I've heard some things about merchant girls too," he says as he leans back and scans the sky with his eyes.

I laugh softly and smile at him. This is the first time I have noticed how long his eyelashes are, thick and dark. He smiles back at me and I think that if I were standing I probably would have just fallen over. I have never seen him smile. His repertoire of facial expressions has really been expanding with me today. He has nice teeth, I muse.

"What kinds of things?" I ask playfully. His smile grows wider and I think my heart just dropped low into my stomach. Perhaps I've bitten off more than I can chew, by playing with Gale. He's made of fire and I am simply fanning the flames.

"They like to scream," he says suggestively. I raise my right eyebrow at him and roll to my side to prop my head on my arm. I face him and look at him critically. A wicked part of my inner self urges onward without much thought.

"Is that so? I heard they like to bite." I don't know where this stuff is coming from, the dark deep recesses of my brain somewhere. Gale mirrors my stance as he rolls on his side to face me. He skims his eyes up and down my body sizing me up.

"Oh, that must have been you at the slag heap last week with Dax Kline. He said he brought a feisty blond there who bit him," he says this so casually that I almost believe he is being serious. I laugh and appraise him. My eyes travel the length of his body like he did to me moments before. Lain beside me in this way I see how much longer his legs are than mine.

"Impossible, I've never been to the slag heap. Dax Kline doesn't meet two of my standards anyway." I wave my hand airily as if I am too superior for the boy in question. Gale laughs and I decide that I am really starting to like the sound. It is strong and raspy.

"I'm sure you've taken plenty of girls to the slag heap, surely one of them was the biting type." Gale's eyes flash at my words and in my mind I wonder how many girls he really has taken there. I've heard some stories, but I never saw the draw in the place. Must be a Seam thing.

"Taken a few there, no biters though. Are you a biter Madge?" His question is innocent and playful, but I find myself blushing profusely. My flirting abilities have been stretched to capacity and I don't think I can hold up this ruse any longer. Gale leans closer when he notices my blush and seems positively delighted. I get the feeling he is about to say something about my kissing adventures, but I cut over him.

"I wouldn't know. Haven't had the opportunity," I roll onto my back again, "What did you think of Katniss' appearance last night? I've never seen her look so beautiful," I say softly. The grass beneath me prickles my sensitive arms. The pale skin rises in gooseflesh. Gale sighs and allows himself to lower completely into the grass. He stares at the sky for a few moments. The soft breeze ruffles his hair and blows my own long curls.

"She was gorgeous, but she wasn't my Catnip." I chew on his words for a moment, fleshing them out in my mind. It is easy to see what he means. Katniss wasn't acting like herself in the slightest. If anything, that's what it was, an act. I don't blame her for selling short though, you have to do everything within your power to save yourself in the Games. Gale picks absentmindedly at the blades of grass between us. For a long while we lay there in silence, letting our eyes skim the sky and our hands dance languidly through the tall grass.

"Did you bring something to trade?" I ask as I suddenly remember that his intention for coming here probably had something to do with items he had foraged in the forest.

Gale sighs and throws a handful of grass to the side before he sits up, staring at his game bag. From my angle I can see the stretch of his back muscles as he leans toward the bag to retrieve it. He expertly unties the knot keeping the leather bag closed. His hands delve into it, producing a worn tin container. I sit up as well, intrigued. Usually he brings bags or buckets of strawberries, but this tin seems too small for that.

"The strawberries that are left aren't quite ripe yet. I thought maybe I could interest your dad in some fresh mint leaves. Better quality than any bought at the apothecary. They probably wait for their mint to come by train, days old by the time it gets on the shelf here," Gale informs me as he lifts the lid on the tin to reveal an array of vegetation. The mint leaves are tucked on the left side of the tin. The aroma from the container is heavenly and I find myself leaning closer to him to smell it more easily. Gale notices and raises it toward my nose for better access.

"I'll buy the mint leaves. It's my favorite tea," I say contentedly as he lowers the tin. I briefly remember Katniss talking about her fondness for the drink as well. A small smirk spreads across his lips.

"What will you trade me for them?" His question seems weighted with something other than interest in bartering.

I feel my cheeks flushing with heat again. In an attempt to keep them from view, I rise and gingerly wipe the grass from my dress. Gale is on his feet quickly, with a catlike movement. He leans close to me and raises his hand to my hair, pulling blades of stray grass and leaves from the depths of golden curls. I fight valiantly against another blush due to his proximity. I feel extremely foolish. I've fallen right into the Gale Hawthorne trap, just like nearly every girl that wanders into his crosshairs.

"I have some coins in the house," I force the words from my lips and start walking toward my back porch. Gale follows silently behind me, his steps soft and quick. His long strides let him overcome me in a few paces. When I reach the bottom step he grabs for my wrist and swivels me toward him, ensnaring me with his grey gaze.

"What's the problem Undersee, not interested in playing anymore?" His voice is more forceful now. I register the thought that he probably is under the impression that I find his advances disgusting. Doesn't he remember the tall, dark, and handsome qualifications? He surely has all three, and the mysterious factor too.

"You love Katniss, what are you playing at?" I burst out venomously. He releases his grip on my wrist as if I have burned him intensely. A moment of hurt flashes through his eyes.

"Sorry, you're right," he says simply. I immediately step into the kitchen and pull some coins from the drawer by the door. A few deep breaths ensue, before I return to him.

"You're just upset Gale, we both are. Don't lose yourself watching her this way." My words are purposeful and directed straight at his heart. The coins clank softly as they fall into his open palm. He nods, seemingly seeing through me. After a moment, he fills my hand with the mint leaves and steps back.

"Thanks again Madge," he says as he backs away.

Two things confuse me about his words. First, he actually used my name and second I don't see what I did this time that was worth thanking. I suppose, taking his mind off the Games and Katniss was probably my good deed. I smile softly and wave my free palm as he hops the fence.

When I urged Peeta to tell Katniss how he feels for her I didn't quite expect him to do it in front of the entire country, with Ceasar Flickerman prompting him. As soon as the words leave his mouth I find myself standing in shock with my hand pressed tightly against my chest. A collective gasp reverberates through the square behind me. The interviews are mandatory viewing and nearly everyone is here tonight. Most people prefer to watch the actual Games from the comfort of their living rooms, but pre-game events are usually publicly viewed. The crowd in the Capitol is obviously in an uproar.

I have to blink myself back into reality several times before I turn to the citizens behind me. Gale is sitting with his family a few rows back. His jaw it set tight, his eyes hardened. His mother is gripping his arm. She knows how he feels about Katniss. Katniss, who is blushing, her face enlarged on every screen around us. I know her well enough to see that her eyes hold a hint of shock. She didn't know Peeta was intending to do this. She will be angry, maybe even physical with him. She bows her head to try and hide the red that is seeping through her olive cheeks.

Peeta for the most part looks mildly shocked at himself, but recovers quickly. I notice that the Mellarks are uneasy. The crowd behind me is buzzing as people whisper loudly to each other. I see a few Peacekeepers exchanging confused looks. This is definitely a first for our district; actually it is probably a first for any district. No tribute has ever declared this kind of interest in their fellow contenders. This could change everything.

Suddenly I realize that Peeta has done Katniss a great service by revealing his feelings in front of the audience. Now she will be desirable. He painted the picture that she has men falling at her feet and women bickering with jealousy. He has given her the gift of sponsors. My heart clenches tightly. As the interview ends I watch Katniss shift uncomfortably. She probably hasn't realized how fortunate she has become. Cinna has designed her into a beautiful young woman and Peeta has made her enviable. I just hope that they haven't painted a large target on her back for the career tributes to aim at, figuratively.

As soon as he is able, Gale bolts in the direction of the mines. I hurry after him, my feet pounding on the cobblestone street. The road quickly turns to dust as I exit the merchant quarter. Gale has a significant advantage on me and his long strides are increasing the gap by the minute. I push my legs onward as he rounds a corner, heading toward the slag heap. The light is fading as it becomes dusk. The large mound of excess materials from the mine looms ahead. The pile is larger than some of the neighboring treetops. My breath is coming out in short gasps when I finally reach him. I bend over, clapping my hands onto my knees to catch my breath. Gale hears my panting and looks up at me. His facial expression is beyond frustrated. His grey eyes teeming with unshed anger scan me with annoyance.

"What the fuck Undersee?" He growls at me. I take in a few more deep breaths and try to subdue my intense heart rate. I haven't run in quite a while. I ignore the venomous way he is looking at me and focus on his pain. He needs me, even if he doesn't see it.

"Are you alright?" I ask timidly. I step forward several times, slowly closing the gap between us. Gale exhales a long groaning sigh. He picks up a rock and hurls it over the heap. I watch it sail through the air and barely hear the resounding thunk when it hits the ground on the other side. Gale kicks his foot in the dirt roughly. I look down and see that being this close to the mines has already covered my dress, shins, and shoes in a film of black coal dust. The air here feels thicker somehow.

"Gale, he did her a favor," my voice is quiet and coaxing. My answer cuts him even deeper though. He releases a strangled cry of anger.

"A favor? Now she'll feel guilty killing him." Gale forcefully leans against a nearby pine tree. The branches shiver under his weight.

"Yes a favor, he made her desirable. He painted a picture of her that will get her sponsors. Besides, you know she couldn't have killed him…she would never have been able to return here with that weighing on her shoulders." As the words leave my mouth I know they are nothing but the truth. There is no way that Katniss will be able to live with herself if she causes his death. This can only end badly now though. If they team up and fend off the careers, they'll only have each other to deal with, hoping in vain that someone else kills them first.

"He really does like her. He has for years. He'll protect her." The words slip from my lips as a means of reassurance, but Gale crumples at the sound. I step close to his side, ready to cradle his large body in my arms. My hand is reaching for his arm tentatively when he interrupts my movements.

He lets out another strangled sound and closes the remaining gap between us. His hands roughly grab my face, turning my chin up. The assault of his lips is frantic, desperate. His lips taste like beef stew, but something inside me doesn't mind. Part of my mind is intrigued by his actions, while the other more logical side is screaming pull away. The soft pillows of his lips grind against mine roughly. I feel his hands snaking around my body, one gripping the back of my head, and the other pulling my waist tightly against him. His actions are nearly suffocating. My hands and arms finally find the ability to work. I use them to shove at his chest with all my might. I step back several times and stand grasping my arms tight around my middle.

"Gale, what were you thinking?" I gasp out the question as I tentatively raise a hand to my bruised lips. Tears are threatening to burst through my barriers at any moment.

"I'm just…frustrated." He waves his hands widely before pressing the heels of them into his eyes. He shakes his head roughly.

"You can't…you can't just do that! You didn't have a right to take that from me." My voice breaks on the last syllable. Before I can stop them the tears are spilling from the corners of my eyes. Gale steps forward, raising his arms toward me. I shake my head furiously and release a small sob. I wipe at the tears and choke on another cry.

"Take what Madge?" His voice is less grating, gentler with a hint of worry. Apparently wounded people are his weakness too. I shake my head through the blinding tears. I lick my bottom lip and taste the metallic blood that is leaking from a crevice.

"My first kiss, you didn't deserve it. And it wasn't lovely and wonderful, it was forceful." He looks guilty now and I smile bitterly at him.

"And you bit me! It hurts." I run my tongue over the sensitive area and feel a lump forming, the beginnings of a fat lip. I sigh dejectedly. I had wanted my first kiss to really mean something, as silly as the idea seemed. Now it's too late for that.

Gale steps forward, gripping my arms in his large hands. I close my eyes and try to will away the tears that are still billowing out of me. He runs his fingers softly over my skin. Somehow I end up folded in his arms. My face presses firmly against his chest, near his heart. The furious beating sounds like a drum rhythm. I sigh deeply as he begins coasting his palms in gentle circles on my back. My emotions feel tampered with. One minute he's yelling at me, the next minute he's attacking me with his lips, then after that he's trying to sooth me. I feel massively confused.

"I'm sorry Madge. I was overwhelmed. I needed to feel something, anything other than anger." His mouth brushes against my hair as he talks softly. His hot breath tickles across me. Everything feels alarming. I want to speak, but the words remain notted in my throat, like someone is gripping tightly to my vocal folds.

"You just – I –," It's clear that he doesn't know what to say. I don't know what to say either, so that makes us even at least. I shiver against his touch as the coolness of the air suddenly registers in my brain.

"Can I try that again? For you this time, because you deserve a better first than that…" If it was any other boy, I might think they were trying to attempt another go at me. I feel something different as Gale says it. I know he means what he says. He is a straight talker, an honest person. He and I are both struggling with lost loved ones, who may never make it home alive. I nod softly against his chest and peer into his face. His grey eyes have a determined glow now.

He cups my face in his hands so gently that his fingers feel like a whisper of wind. His thumb softly runs across my bottom lip, feeling the bulge where his teeth drove into my skin. He leans low and close, his eyes focusing deeply on my own. I can't look away as he draws in close enough to press his lips softly against mine. One of his hands slips down the curve of my neck, over my shoulder and slides into the small of my back. It's a strangely soothing caress. I let my eyes flutter shut as he gently maneuvers our lips in an unfamiliar dance. It's slow and relaxing, the kiss that I could only imagine before. I muse that my imagination wasn't creative enough. I feel a wetness as Gale gently glides his tongue over my injured lip. Somehow he coaxes my mouth slightly apart and the kiss takes on a deeper quality. My mind is filling with an intrigued excitement. The illogical side of me is saying; let this be…ignore the fact that he isn't yours. I am starting to feel slightly faint, so I grip the front of his shirt tightly in my fists. After a few more moments my left hand slides around his side to rest on the muscles of his strong back.

Something about my action stirs Gale back to reality. He pulls from my grasp, leaving me dazed. He gently tucks my hair behind my ear. His eyes are questioning me, was that better? Did I fix this…whatever we have? I nod my head as best I can. Everything in my body feels heightened. The air around me seems different even.

"Go home Madge, I need to think." His voice is lower than normal, almost hoarse. I don't want to protest, but my feet seem rooted to the spot. My hand involuntarily touches my mouth again. This time my lips are tingling with a different sensation. I clear my throat lightly. I find myself backing away, still staring at him. For some reason my body won't turn and just walk away. He watches me with those grey eyes that seem to pierce me straight through the chest.

"I'll see ya around Undersee," he says in that rougher voice. I just nod meekly before I turn on my heel and run home.

This time I don't give him a second glance.

He doesn't come by to trade with me, talk to me, or sit with me. He doesn't stop by to even say a brief hello. I don't understand why my heart suddenly expects even that much from him. I know where we stand, where we are supposed to be divided. I engross myself in watching the Hunger Games, following Peeta and Katniss' every move. When the announcement is made that they can pair up with district partners I scream so loud that I wake my mother up from her morphling induced sleep. Once Katniss has found the nearly dying Peeta, covered in mud, I sigh with relief. The banter between them brings a smile to my lips, but Peeta's vital signs scare me considerably. As soon as Katniss draws her thin face in and settles her mouth on his I feel a rush of emotions. Happiness for Peeta, sadness for Gale, a strange sense of jealousy and excitement that they may make it back together.

I'm not entirely surprised when the back door receives several angry knocks a half-hour later. I open it gingerly and stare into Gale's hurt face. His dark hair is tangled, obviously from his frantic fingers. His jaw is tight, his eyes glassy. I kneel to untie his shoes before I beckon him inside. He allows me to do this. His silence is deafening. I take him gently by the hand and lead him toward my bedroom, away from the staff's prying eyes. Our feet pad softly up the stairs. We stand side by side at the entrance to my room and Gale shoots me a questioning gaze. He enters after a moment, running his palm along the faint blue of my wall. I close the door softly and lean against it. The hard wood is cool against my back.

"I knew it would happen eventually. I think she realizes that's her way out." His voice is low and steady. It surprises me. I nod my agreement, folding my arms behind me as I adjust my support against the door.

"I feel empty," he says it so softly I almost think that I imagine it. His words pull me from my perch. I immediately grab onto his shirt and pull him into my arms. My head shakes furiously against his chest as I murmur soft assurances. I peer up into his face, trying to smile reassuringly. He smirks slightly and closes his eyes while he shakes his head. He feels bitter.

"Come here." I pull his hand toward my bed.

He seems apprehensive, but I don't let him falter. I pull him onto the soft mattress and tuck my back tightly against his chest. He sighs softly as he rests his face against my neck. My fingers grasp his left hand and pull his arm over my body, so that he is nearly enveloping me. We fit together like spoons inside a silverware drawer.

"Stay with me. You can forget, just for a little while." My whisper fills the silent air.

Gale squeezes our clasped fingers together. His heady forest scent is filling my nostrils. I smile softly and find a patch of wall to focus on. The soft texture of his lips sends a chill down my spine when he speaks against the skin on my neck.

"Just for a little while," he affirms.

A/N: I don't really know if this will be a one time deal, or whether my mind will decide to continue this. For now, I hope that you enjoyed the brief angsty glance at their strange attachment to each other. I always mused that Madge probably never kissed a boy before she met Gale. And I always thought he probably took advantage of her during a moment of frustration. The idea of them comforting each other is intriguing and the strange way they were connected in the book always had my mind buzzing. Let me know if you have any pointers on how to make this story better. I hope you enjoyed reading. Thanks!