#foreversillythings

[hawtsee]

I just wanted to wish you good luck with the referendum. I really hope the yes side wins!

Thank you so much. I voted first thing this morning and I was so emotional. It really felt like a momentous moment to mark my X in the Tá box and thinking of all the 170,000 women who have had to travel for their healthcare in the last 35 years, and especially the women who are today making the journey across the Irish Sea.

[damndonnergirls]

An Ocean Between Us by Forever in Your Heart @foreversillythings

if this is the ship of dreams, then you, my darling, are my dream come true. Gadge. Titanic AU

Read on Fanfiction.net or AO3.

[hawtsee]

My fav fic of yours: In Hope and Agony! I love historical aus and I love Gadge, so this was everything I could want and more! Even though I've never read Persuasion, I never felt like I was missing something, because it was really well thought out and enjoyable from start to finish. I especially liked how they'd already had a relationship pre-story and had to find their way back, because you don't see that in a lot of fic. I'm running out of room, but it's super great and I loved it!

Thank you so much, that means a lot to me. I’m very proud of that fic.

[deinde-prandium]

Secret Santa reveal

I have been a terrible secret Santa, running off for days at a time and not being as good at the messaging as I would have liked....but it has been fun getting to know @foreversillythings over the past month! So here is my little present to you. I know it's a day late - it's my first attempt at Gadge, so yeah - but I hope you will enjoy it all the same. Merry Christmas!

---

Gale paused at the threshold of the Undersee home, his one hand ready to knock on the door while his other held a tin of piroulines behind his back. The sounds of “Silent Night” being played on the piano filtered through the front door. Well, at least he knew she was home.

“This isn’t going to work,” he muttered to himself. Not that it mattered. If he went home and Katniss found out he hadn't at least tried to apologize, she'd probably skin him alive.

But seeing as Katniss hadn't stipulated that said apology had to be made in person, he was not above leaving the peace offering on the doorstep and running off. Still, he wondered if doing that would make things better or worse.

The door flew open, depriving him of the chance to dash away. Gale instinctively lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the bright light cast on the front stoop from the entryway.

“Gale? What are you doing here?”

Taking a breath, Gale slowly lowered his arm. Time to face the music. “Hi Madge,” he greeted gruffly. “I, um, I came to say sorry.”

Madge crossed her arms across her chest, narrowing her eyes at him. “Sorry for what?” she demanded.

“You know what.”

“I have an idea,” she countered, “but seeing as you jumping to conclusions seems to be the reason we are having this conversation in the first place, I think it would be much better if you spelled it out for me.”

Gale sighed. He knew this wasn't going to be easy, but it didn't mean he relished the opportunity to elaborate on all the ways he had screwed up in the past week. “I'm sorry that I more or less accused Peeta of cheating on Katniss with you. I'm sorry that when I saw you two in that jewelry store together, I assumed he was buying something for you instead of picking out a ring for her. I'm sorry I punched him- actually, I'm not really all that sorry about that, the guy’s been a pain in my ass for years- but it wasn't fair of me to bring you into this, because you’re actually pretty awesome and you've been a good friend to Katniss, and to basically accuse you of betraying her, too, was a dick move and totally uncalled for, and I'm sorry.”

“It was a dick move,” Madge agreed, her arms still crossed.

Gale chuckled in spite of himself. Of course that's the part she’d latch on to. “In my defense,” he argued, “I didn't realize it was you. I only saw him with some blonde-”

“-Some blonde?”

“Yeah. At first I thought it might be you, but you had some winter hat on, and it wasn't the blue one with the puff-thingy on top that you usually wear. And the coat, it was different. And I couldn't see your face.”

Madge shook her head, unconvinced. “But when Peeta told you he was with me, you didn't back down. In fact, it's like you got madder. You want to explain that part?”

Caught, Gale looked down at his boots. Truth was, he still couldn't explain how his rage had taken on a layer of hurt at the thought that she was somehow involved in whatever paranoid anger dream he had whipped up in the middle of Panem Mills Mall on the busiest shopping day of the year.

He blamed the stress of the holiday season, but mostly he blamed himself.

“I don't really have a good explanation,” he admitted. “I just saw red, and I didn't think. But I really am sorry I hurt you.” He pulled out the tin of cookies from behind his back and presented it to her. “Here. I know it's not much, but I hope you’ll accept them. You know...token of my apology.”

She took the box from him, and he tried to ignore the little spark he felt when her fingers grazed his hand. “Piroulines,” she said softly. “These are my favorite.”

“Yeah. I know.”

Madge looked up in surprise. A beat of silence passed, but the conversation seemed to continue in the brief staring contest that took place between them.

The most important words were left unsaid, but it would do for now.

When she finally spoke, there was a hint of a smile in her rebuke. “You know you almost ruined Christmas.”

“I know.”

“And you totally fucked up Peeta’s proposal plans.”

“Well, seeing as they're now engaged, I don't exactly see the problem,” he deadpanned.

She laughed lightly, the sound warmed him to the tips of his toes. He allowed himself the luxury of noting how beautiful she was, down to the reindeer socks she was wearing.

A voice called out, breaking the moment. “Madge? I feel a draft. Is there a door open?”

Madge looked guiltily back into her house. “Sorry, Mom,” she called. “That's me. I’ll take care of it.”

Gale started to back away. He knew he had stayed too long. Of course she’d want to get back to her family. “I guess I'll be-”

“Would you like to come in?” she interjected.

Now it was Gale’s turn to look surprised. “Really?”

Madge smirked. “Well, yeah. I mean, you must be freezing. You've been standing out in the cold for a while now. And anyway, I need someone to help me with these,” she added, shaking the tin of cookies in the air.

He hesitated. “Does that mean that you…”

“Forgive you? Not quite,” she replied truthfully. “But I think maybe, if you and I could sit down and talk a bit more, I could get there. And maybe…” Madge left her last statement unfinished, but Gale was smart enough to fill in the blanks. At least, he hoped he was. God, he hoped he was.

Madge stepped backwards, motioning for him to cross the threshold.

Gale took a step inside, his eyes never leaving hers.

“I think I'd I like that.”

[hawtsee]

2 and 10 for the fanfic asks please :)

2. What’s next on your ‘to-read’ list? (Fan fiction or otherwise)

It’s Hawthorne Whisperer’s new book, A Royal Mistake. I haven’t been able to get time to read it yet, but I’m definitely getting to it This Week.

10. Mutual pining or enemies to friends to lovers? 

Enemies to friends to lovers, without a doubt.

[hawtsee]

#31and #41 for the writing asks! :)

31. Hardest character to write. 

Katniss. Without a doubt. It’s why she’s usually a peripheral character in my fics.

41. How many stories do you work on at one time? 

One, there’s probably a few neglected drafts floating around all the time, but I wouldn’t class them as being worked on.

Questions for Writers.

[hawtsee]

foreversillythings replied to your post: My fav fic of yours: In Hope and Agony! I love...

I’m just sorry I didn’t review this sooner! I totally thought I had when I first saw it on ao3 but apparently not, oops

It’s always so nice to get feedback, no matter when. Thank you.

[hawtsee]

Happy birthday!! :D

Thanks a million.