Who: Madge Undersee and Gale Hawthorne What: Gale looks like Bellamy Blake Where: Their place When: Wednesday Warnings: Something's not right, but no actual warnings Status: Closed
Bellamy had a bit more muscle than Gale, but that wasn’t what made Gale feel awkward. He knew the dome did strange things, sometimes unwelcome things, to the people within Madison Valley. He had been through a few unpleasant experiences, but this had to be the worst yet. His mind wasn’t altered at all, but he was inexplicably in someone else’s body. Someone he didn’t know, at that.
Was it worse for Bellamy, stuck in his body, the morning after he’d been with Katniss? That was definitely not pleasant for Katniss. But Gale couldn’t worry about that. Katniss made it clear she didn’t want him worrying after her, and though he always would anyway, Madge was his priority.
He didn’t have his keys, and the door was locked, as it should be. He knocked and called through. “Madge? Madge honey, it’s Gale.” He worried how she was going to react to seeing his current face. But she was expecting him to look different so maybe she’d be all right.
***
Madge knew what to expect, but it was still very shocking when she opened the door and saw him. She started, wrapped her arms around herself, and for a long moment just stared at Gale blankly. She knew it was him. She did. She realized what had happened and she’d been here long enough to know that Madison Valley was strange. She just...never imagined something like this could happen here, to her.
She felt sick.
“Hi.”
***
“Hey.” He stepped inside, very aware that his presence was causing her distress. He hated that, and wished there was something he could do. Short of putting a bag over his head, there really wasn’t anything to be done. He knew the dome and it’s whims well enough to know he wouldn’t get his own body back until the dome decided to reverse whatever trickery put him in the wrong one.
“We still have the other place, if you want me to stay there until this wears off, I will.” He would hate to be away from her, but if his current appearance was going to make her anxious, he would leave. He would do whatever she wanted, whatever made her most comfortable.
***
She almost whimpered at that. Not having him there was the last thing she wanted...but having him here like this was hard too. She knew it was Gale inside. She knew it. But on the outside, he was somebody else and it was really hard to look past that.
“I - maybe if you could just sleep on the couch. Or you could.”
Even as strange as he was right now, she’d still feel better if he were close.
***
He breathed out a sigh of relief. The next week, or however long this lasted, was going to be difficult, but they’d get through it. They’d get through this awkwardness because they were together. He might look different but he was still Gale. He would still put her needs before his own.
“I’ll sleep on the couch.” Though if she decided she wanted him to leave after all, he would go. Sleeping on the couch was a good compromise, because he really didn’t want to leave her. She didn’t need to be alone.
“I’m sorry this is happening, that you have to deal with this.” Focusing on her made him forget about himself.
***
“It’s happening to you,” she said. Yeah, it was really weird for her, but she wasn’t the one who had to deal with being in someone else’s body. She wanted to ask him how long this would last, but she knew that he didn’t know. She knew that it would pretty much last as long as Madison Valley decided that it wanted it too.
She just desperately hoped he was back to normal by the time the baby got here.
“We’ll get through it. As long as that’s you in there, and you still love me.”
***
“I love you more than words could ever say,” he told her. Having her in his life had been the greatest blessing he’d ever known. She was an amazing person, she was his heart, and the light that lit his soul.
“We’ll get through it.” He nodded. The would be okay, because they were together. Gale might have a different face, but he had his own heart and soul, his own mind. That was what made him Gale, not his face.
***
She loved his face, of course she did. To her he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen. But it was his soul that had truly won her heart, and that was still here. Right where it was supposed to be.
“We’ll make it. We’ll make it.”
She was fidgeting a bit with her hands, uncomfortably.
“Would you...like some tea? Or something to eat? Do you like the same foods?”
***
“I’m still me, so I assume I’ll like the same foods.” He realised taste could be affected by the body he was in, but he hoped not. He was just going to eat normally, and adjust if he needed to.
He let his tongue skate across his lips. He very much wanted to kiss her, but resisted. He didn’t want to make her any more uncomfortable than she already felt.
“Tea would be nice. Maybe some toast and eggs? I can make the food, though. You make the tea.”
***
She could do both, really she could, but it was sweet of him to be helpful. She figured he was probably freaking out too so yeah, they could do this together and maybe get both of their minds off of things.
“Okay...that sounds good.”
This was so weird, but somehow, they’d get through it.