m a d e l e i n e

"Please do." she laughed, shaking her head. "I need all the more reason for people to use me as a conversation topic." she winked. Though, the only connection she had to the name was just that it had been her that had come up with it. "It's a good one, fits you well." she laughed, scrunching her nose a little as she looked at him. She was sure she could stare at him all day and never get bored. She hadn't really been thinking much about their night together, but, the night prior had been nothing short of amazing. She'd found herself thinking about it more than she'd ever thought about anything more; something had been different. As if everything they'd ever known about each other was lay out in the open, a shared moment between them. At his question she shook her head, looking back over at him. "I can't." she stated. Not a lie entirely. She could've if she really wanted to. "I have a few things I need to do early morning and you know as well as I do that if I stay over I won't get them done." she winked. Not that she was complaining; she just had all the more reason to make it believable. "I'll stay as late as I can though; you won't even miss me." @galexpeterson

END.

"Please do." she laughed, shaking her head. "I need all the more reason for people to use me as a conversation topic." she winked. Though, the only connection she had to the name was just that it had been her that had come up with it. "It's a good one, fits you well." she laughed, scrunching her nose a little as she looked at him. She was sure she could stare at him all day and never get bored. She hadn't really been thinking much about their night together, but, the night prior had been nothing short of amazing. She'd found herself thinking about it more than she'd ever thought about anything more; something had been different. As if everything they'd ever known about each other was lay out in the open, a shared moment between them. At his question she shook her head, looking back over at him. "I can't." she stated. Not a lie entirely. She could've if she really wanted to. "I have a few things I need to do early morning and you know as well as I do that if I stay over I won't get them done." she winked. Not that she was complaining; she just had all the more reason to make it believable. "I'll stay as late as I can though; you won't even miss me." @galexpeterson

She wasn't sure what had come over him, but the way he seemed to be nearly unable to form words after she asked him what was wrong made her heart sink. Sure, the changes had been obvious enough even she had noticed. Something most people couldn't say if she were being honest with herself. She had every urge to stop him before he even mentioned it, not wanting it to ruin anything between him, yet, she didn't. She let him speak. Hopeful she were just getting too far ahead of everything and he was going to say something else. She could only be hopeful. Yet as the words escaped his lips she felt the way her stomach tightened at the fact he'd noticed. Not something she'd wanted but definitely something she should've expected. "You're right." she nodded, eyes meeting his. Yet she looked away a moment later, eyes focusing on him again only when she was sure she could keep her composure. "I haven't been taking very good care of myself." she admitted. "Between this work project that my boss has been hounding me about and my seasonal depression hitting me harder this year, I'm lucky if I remember to eat sometimes." A lie, but, she'd sounded convincing enough at least to herself. "Not to mention all the exercise you and Klaus have me doing these days with the hikes and other things -" a pause as she winked at him. "The weight's practically falling off. It's not intentional and I appreciate that you're worried enough to ask." she nodded. She was now sitting back on the bed, inches away from him, hand pressed to his cheek. Something she did often; almost as if her way of keeping the peace. "I'll try to remember to remind myself to have a couple meals a day. Promise." @galexpeterson

While she'd admit that she'd felt worse the last few weeks than she had when they'd first talked, but it didn't go unnoticed that Gale had been diving in to help her feel better. If there was a day she was particularly quiet and closed off, she could almost guarantee like clock work that one of them would be on her doorstep inviting her over or out with them. And - as if she could ever tell them no anyways - she'd go, no hesitation whatsoever. And it had worked. At least hanging out with them she was guaranteed to have at least one meal a day, usually in Gale's presence so there were no questions asked. And it had worked so far; he hadn't asked anything else or even mentioned that conversation from that night and neither had she. There was no need; being in each other's presence was all she needed. The nickname that Gale had given her rang in her ears, causing her smile to widen, nose pressed against his as she let another kiss linger against their lips. "I'm not one for nicknames but that one I could get used to." she admitted, looking at him a second later, trying to muffle the way that her laughter only grew when his hands rested on her backside. "I know you don't." she admitted with a small smile. "Or whiskey sours for that matter. Plenty of times we've shared moments with no sort of reinforcement at all." @galexpeterson

Madeleine hadn't noticed the way that he seemed out of it at first. The way his eyes were fixated on her, or the way that e seemed to be staring a hole through her as if to question what he'd missed. It was only once he muttered a simple word that she noticed the tension between them, only turning to face him once the tank top she'd slid off so effortlessly moments prior was placed back on, fitting much more loosely these days. "What is it?" she asked, smirking towards him as she pulled on her jeans. "Enchanted by the spell still?" she questioned, though there was no denying the way his eyes were still focused on her. "What is it, Riff? You look like you've seen a ghost." @galexpeterson

She wasn't sure what had come over him, but the way he seemed to be nearly unable to form words after she asked him what was wrong made her heart sink. Sure, the changes had been obvious enough even she had noticed. Something most people couldn't say if she were being honest with herself. She had every urge to stop him before he even mentioned it, not wanting it to ruin anything between him, yet, she didn't. She let him speak. Hopeful she were just getting too far ahead of everything and he was going to say something else. She could only be hopeful. Yet as the words escaped his lips she felt the way her stomach tightened at the fact he'd noticed. Not something she'd wanted but definitely something she should've expected. "You're right." she nodded, eyes meeting his. Yet she looked away a moment later, eyes focusing on him again only when she was sure she could keep her composure. "I haven't been taking very good care of myself." she admitted. "Between this work project that my boss has been hounding me about and my seasonal depression hitting me harder this year, I'm lucky if I remember to eat sometimes." A lie, but, she'd sounded convincing enough at least to herself. "Not to mention all the exercise you and Klaus have me doing these days with the hikes and other things -" a pause as she winked at him. "The weight's practically falling off. It's not intentional and I appreciate that you're worried enough to ask." she nodded. She was now sitting back on the bed, inches away from him, hand pressed to his cheek. Something she did often; almost as if her way of keeping the peace. "I'll try to remember to remind myself to have a couple meals a day. Promise." @galexpeterson

"It's not." Madeleine shook her head. "I know first hand how fast life can change, but, I've also learned not to let that slow me down." she shrugged. She wasn't one that let life's changes or other people stop her from doing something she wanted to do. "Work and I are good." she stated with a nod. "I'm working as hard as I can to get my project done but I haven't had the motivation to really work on it recently." @donnymorgan

"That's smart." Madeleine nodded, though she wasn't sure if that was even the way she wanted to express it. It was a pumpkin patch, that felt like an obvious thing; someone planted them and left them for others to pick. What else would they do? "I won't deny a wagon if there's one free." he spoke, pausing. "I mean, I don't want to take it from someone that needs it. I'm fine to walk if need be but a tractor ride sounds fun." @hopexwagner

"I'm sure it's fine." She spoke, applying pressure to her hand with the towel he'd handed her though she was sure he was right. She was just stubborn enough to deny that she ever needed any sort of medical attention ever much less something as simple as stitches for a cut on her hand, but, in the last few months normal injuries seemed to cause a lot more issues for her. "I'm sure after a minute it'll stop bleeding." she stated, applying more pressure as if to prove a point. "I'm sorry about your glass." she stated. "I'll pay you for it. I'm having a really clumsy day apparently." @mateoxtorres

Mateo didn't argue with the brunette. It wasn't his place to do so. Unless, she planned on using her injury to her hand to bring bad news to his place. Then he'd have a problem. He hadn't got that read from her, but he knew that people were full of surprises and when one least expected them. "Not worried about the glass." Mateo told her, "I'll get you another rag for your hand." He glanced at it a moment longer, really wishing she'd go get stitches or something but he knew that he couldn't force her to. "Don't remove that one or else you'll mess up the clottin'." @madeleinefoster

Gale let out a chuckle at her choice of phrasing, making it sound like she was trying to burn him on her retina's for when she would be away from him. It did make the thought cross his mind that she wouldn't be here for much longer, but she would tell him if that were the case, have a proper goodbye. Or perhaps he'd be bold enough to ask if working it long distance would be an option. He wouldn't force her to stay after all. "Anything for you." He told her, making their way further home bound.

Madeleine would never get used to the feeling of waking up next to Gale. It was a comfort in itself; but being awoken by Gale to breakfast in bed was something she could get used to; maybe she'd pretend it was her birthday nearly every day for this. "Good morning." she whispered, shifting so that she was now pressed against him, the smell of the breakfast he and his son had made filling her nostrils. "I didn't even hear you leave." she admitted, opening her eyes a little more, rolling so she was flat on her back now to look at him a little more closely. "This smells wonderful." @galexpeterson

Madeleine hadn't noticed the way that he seemed out of it at first. The way his eyes were fixated on her, or the way that e seemed to be staring a hole through her as if to question what he'd missed. It was only once he muttered a simple word that she noticed the tension between them, only turning to face him once the tank top she'd slid off so effortlessly moments prior was placed back on, fitting much more loosely these days. "What is it?" she asked, smirking towards him as she pulled on her jeans. "Enchanted by the spell still?" she questioned, though there was no denying the way his eyes were still focused on her. "What is it, Riff? You look like you've seen a ghost." @galexpeterson