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Katniss didn’t realise just how close she had gotten with the mayor’s daughter until she realised she just gave up a Sunday for her.
Since Gale was in the mines all week, Madge was the only friend Katniss could (or wanted to) spend time with. She started going out to the forest with her, or going to her house and listening to her play songs on the piano that existed even before Panem did.
She knew, consciously, that she was spending much more time with Madge than she was Gale, but it hadn’t registered to her that maybe Madge was her best friend now. Not until today.
Katniss headed outside with a game bag slung over her shoulder, ready to tell a Peacekeeper that it was an accessory for a new dress she was designing if they asked. She wasn’t really supposed to go hunting anymore, but the people who traded with her never said anything.
She was heading to the mayor’s house when she was interrupted by a body stepping in front of her way.
“Hey, Catnip. Where are you headed?” Gale asked, tone already accusing.
“Oh, I was heading to Madge’s.” Katniss said, holding up her game bag in explanation.
Gale chuckled, almost condescendingly. “It’s a Sunday.”
“Yeah.” Katniss nodded. “We were supposed to go out yesterday but something came up, so we’re doing today instead.”
Gale laughed again, and Katniss caught the twinge of anger in his face. “We’re supposed to hang out together on Sundays.”
Katniss shrugged. “I know, but I promised Madge that we could spend time together today.”
Gale scoffed. “You get all week with her, you only get Sunday with me!”
Katniss didn’t really know what to say to him. He was making a good point, but she realised that she didn’t actually care about hanging out with him today. She could easily wait another week before getting to hunt with him again. However, she didn’t really want to postpone hanging out with Madge again. It was weird, she was so used to looking forward to every Sunday, counting down every second until she could see Gale. Now, she was waiting for him to move out of the way so she could see Madge. She was probably wondering what was holding Katniss up.
She met Gale’s eyes and realised that he wasn’t her best friend anymore.
“Sorry, Gale. We can go hunting together next weekend.” Katniss offered, sincere.
Gale huffed, pushing past Katniss brusquely. “I’ll be sure to stay out of your way while hunting to feed my family today, then.” He called over his shoulder.
Katniss felt a pang in her chest. She had forgotten that Gale actually needed to hunt, and Katniss only really wanted to. But he had already left her sight. Katniss didn’t know what she would’ve done if Gale was still there, waiting for her to reconsider. Now she didn’t have to think about it.
Despite her feeling bad, she continued her way to Madge’s house. She didn’t want to let Gale ruin her day. What was supposed to be her and Madge’s day.
Katniss knocked on the backdoor when she arrived. The front door was reserved for business meetings only.
Katniss wasn’t kept waiting for long. Madge emerged from the backdoor only a few seconds after Katniss knocked, and Katniss wondered if maybe she had been waiting by the door for her.
“Katniss!” Madge greeted, flinging herself down the steps and her arms around Katniss. Katniss, despite not being very accustomed to physical affection when it was given by someone other than Prim, embraced her back.
Madge pulled away, hands resting on Katniss’s elbows. “You were a bit late today, I was starting to worry that you wouldn’t come.”
Katniss shook her head. “Just got held up a bit. Have you had breakfast yet?”
Madge nodded. “Yeah, a bit. I woke up early today so we could head out as soon as possible.”
Katniss smiled at Madge’s enthusiasm. “Come on, then. I brought my old bow so you could have a try shooting with me.”
Madge chuckled in a much brighter way than Gale did earlier. “Assuming I don’t scare all the prey away.”
“You won’t.” Katniss assured her, leading the way to her favoured hole in the fence.
They were quiet as they walked, which suited both of them just fine. Katniss sometimes preferred being quiet with Madge then talking with her. It was a comfortable kind of silence, the kind that didn’t allow her thoughts to stray to the events of five, almost six, months ago.
Katniss, after pausing and waiting for the electric humming, held up the wire fence for Madge to crawl through, before following herself.
It didn’t take Katniss long before she arrived at the small, oval clearing she designated as the shooting range. There were two thick trees next to each other in the back centre of the clearing, which would serve as their targets. They had discoloured trunks, which acted as a sort of bullseye.
Katniss had already shown Madge how to shoot before, but she wanted to try proper hunting today.
“Here.” Katniss handed Madge the smaller bow and an arrow to nock. “Before we start hunting, show me your stance.”
Madge obliged, stepping into position and drawing back the bowstring, her hand resting underneath her jaw.
Katniss nodded her praise. “That’s pretty good, but can I suggest one thing?”
Madge nodded, not moving from her position. “Of course, you’re the expert after all.”
Katniss moved forward, positioning herself behind Madge, but stopped when her hands hovered just above Madge’s hips. “Uh— Can I?”
Madge glanced down at Katniss’s hands and cleared her throat. “Y-yeah, sure.”
Katniss let her hands fall on Madge’s hips, turning them slightly to adjust her position. “Here, you don’t want to be exactly perpendicular to your target, you want to turn slightly on an angle— put this foot back a little, yeah, and then this one forward.”
Each direction was encouraged by Katniss’s hand, and her body bracketing Madge’s to encourage the proper stance.
Katniss placed her hand on Madge’s stomach, pressing lightly. “You wanna stand up straight, almost puffing out your chest, but keep your body balanced. That’s how you shoot straight, the arrow follows the curve of your body.”
Madge nodded, following along with Katniss’s instructions. Madge was shaking slightly, Katniss moved her hands back to Madge’s hips to steady her.
“Don’t worry, you’re doing great.” Katniss said, stepping away.
Madge let out a nervous kind of laugh. “Thanks. Where would I be without you?”
“We’ll see after I actually see you shoot.” Katniss said, grinning.
Madge’s nerves were still showing, but she kept her form steeled, and when she loosed the arrow, it flew into the tree trunk with an impressive thunk.
Madge squealed. “Hey, that was first try! I’ve never been able to get it on the first try before.”
Katniss clapped, sincerely. “That’s impressive. And you’re not that far from the bullseye either. Good job.”
Madge gave a small curtsy. “Why, thank you. I had a good teacher.”
They kept practicing for a while, or rather, Madge practiced while Katniss sat down and watched her. She hit a couple bullseyes, and Katniss had to stand up and give her a hug. Soon enough, Katniss decided it was time to move onto real animals.
Madge’s confidence that had grown while she practiced seemingly shrunk when Katniss slung her arm around her to lead her to where she knew there was a squirrel population.
“You don’t have to worry, you’ll be great. You’re a much better hunting partner than Peeta, anyway.” Katniss reassured her.
Madge nodded, but her ears were still red.
Madge missed the first squirrel, but her arrow caught the rear of the second one.
“Oh no,” Madge whispered, “It’s still struggling.”
“It’s okay, you got it in the leg so it can’t run away.” Katniss said, pulling her knife out from its sheath at her side. “I’ll go kill it.”
Madge caught her elbow before she started to move. “Can I do it with you?”
Katniss nodded. She held the squirrel’s body while Madge handled the knife.
“Just in the heart here. You’re doing it a favour, it won’t be in pain after this.” Katniss pointed to a patch of white fur on the squirrel’s chest.
“I still feel bad.” Madge winced.
“I know.” Katniss sighed. “I felt like such a horrible person when I first started hunting. Couldn’t help but think those animals don’t deserve to die.”
Madge furrowed her brow. “What changed?”
Katniss shrugged. “I stopped starving.”
“Oh.” Madge exhaled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think about that—”
Katniss waved a hand. “It’s okay. Just remember, this squirrel is going to feed someone back home. I can still kill it if you want.”
Madge shook her head. “I want to.”
—
They roasted two squirrels on the coals of the old fireplace by the Meadow. They were sitting next to each other, knees touching. Katniss tried to show Madge how to skin the squirrels, but even with Katniss guiding her hand with the knife, she was too squeamish to do it.
Soon enough, they were eating one cooked squirrel each. Katniss’s was a little undercooked, but she was too hungry to wait any longer.
“You said this squirrel was going to feed someone.” Madge said between bites.
Katniss nodded as she swallowed. “Yeah, it’s feeding you, isn’t it?”
“Well, yeah, but I always have food on the table at dinnertime, I feel like someone else should be eating this. Someone who actually needs it.” She said this while holding a half-eaten skewered squirrel, which kind of took away from her point.
“Well, we can still hunt some more when we’ve finished eating. And it’s your first kill, anyway. That’s the one meal you can’t feel guilty about, in my opinion.” Katniss knocked Madge’s shoulder with her own.
“Thank you, Katniss.” Madge smiled shyly. “You’re really kind, you know. Much kinder than you think.”
Katniss scoffed. “I’m not kind, Madge. I’m just decent.”
“Exactly. You’re much kinder than you think. Than you know.” Madge bumped into Katniss’s shoulder and kept it there. Katniss didn’t say anything.
Eventually: “Is that why you gave me the pin that day?”
Madge shrugged, and Katniss felt it in her own shoulder too. “Well. Sort of. I gave the pin to you that day so you’d know that we were friends.”
Katniss blinked. “Oh. So we were friends before that.”
“Yeah.” Madge laughed. “But I knew you wouldn’t let yourself believe that. You really don’t know—”
Katniss groaned. “Don’t say that I ‘don’t know the effect I have’.”
“Who told you that?”
“Peeta.” She thought for a second. “And sort of Haymitch.”
“Well they were right. People like you, Katniss. I like you.”
Katniss turned to face Madge and was almost burnt by the warmth in her smile.
Katniss cleared her throat, facing forwards again. “...How long, in your mind, have we been friends?”
“Since… the second time I sat with you during lunch.” Madge said, nodding in conviction at her own words.
Katniss smiled. “Okay. What happened the first time you sat with me at lunch?”
“I think… you told me to back off. And to eat lunch with the townie kids.”
“Did you?”
“No.” Madge’s voice was coy.
“And why not?”
Katniss felt Madge looking at her, so she turned again to meet her gaze. HWarm.
“I didn’t like the town kids, I liked you.”
When Madge leaned closer, Katniss was expecting another kiss on the cheek. She didn't know what to think when instead of her cheek, Madge’s lips found her own. All she could even recognise in this moment was the fact that she was acutely aware of the temperature in her face skyrocketing. She was warm all over now. Her eyes fluttered closed.
Madge pulled away, and the warmth disappeared. Katniss decided that was a much better gift than a kiss on the cheek.
“I’m— shit—” Katniss has never heard Madge swear, “I should’ve asked. I’m sorry.”
Katniss shook her head. “Don’t be. I… I didn’t mind.”
“You didn’t kiss me back.”
“I was just shocked.”
Madge ducked her head for a second. “If I kiss you again, will you kiss me back this time?”
“Mhm. Yes. Definitely.” Katniss nodded, and Madge snickered. “What? What’s funny?”
“No, it’s nothing, you just… seem so eager.”
Katniss squinted, shaking her head. “What? That’s— no. I’m… normal. I’m feeling normal. As normal as everyone does when their best friend kisses them. I assume.”
Madge smothered her laugh this time. “If I kiss you… will you stop talking?”
“Yep. Sure.”
Madge’s lips met hers again, and Katniss was able to think marginally straighter this time. She closed her eyes and let herself kiss her best friend back. She brought her palm up to cup Madge’s jaw, twisting her body so that she was properly facing Madge. Her lips tasted like strawberries. That must be what she had for breakfast earlier today.
Madge pulled back, ducking her head again. She did that when she was nervous. “I, uh, wanted to do that on your… Reaping Day, but I figured we should become proper friends first.”
“I think,” Katniss began evenly, “If you did that on my Reaping Day, I wouldn't have convinced anybody that I was in love with Peeta.”
Madge giggled. “I’m glad I waited then.”
“I’m glad you did too.”
—
They ended up bringing back less game than Katniss would’ve brought back if she had gone hunting with Gale, or even if she had just gone hunting by herself. But she didn’t mind, and neither did she regret today.
The only thing she regretted was her mother somehow finding out about the new development in her and Madge’s relationship. She didn’t know how she knew, or what exactly she did know, but now she forced them to keep the door open whenever Madge was in Katniss’s room.
Katniss suspected Buttercup was at fault for this.