This is set sometime during the Quarter Quell, before Mags' death.
What could have happened during a small midnight conversation between Finnick and Peeta? KatnissxPeeta.
Finnick sighed, staring into the trees. Mags was snoring gently beside him. Katniss appeared to be in the grip of a horrible nightmare, thrashing wildly in her sleep and muttering incoherently. Finnick felt for her, knowing exactly what she was going through. Everyone here did. They were Victors after all, and the one thing all Victors knew was nightmares.
He would have missed the parachute floating silently down towards him, if it weren't for the fact that it crashed into a tree nearby, creating a loud enough sound for Finnick to bring it to his attention. He crawled over to it, to find their "gift" was a note, scrawled in rather bad handwriting.
"Hi kids (and Mags). Figured you would need and time out from the pretending. Someone and his friends "accidently" stormed the control room and killed the controls in a "drunken rampage". The cameras should be out for an hour or so; depends on how long we can lock out the Peacekeepers. You can thank me later. Stay alive.-H."
Finnick grinned, and turned his head towards his companions. Peeta was standing up and moving as silently as he could (which wasn't very) towards Katniss. He sat down beside her and started stroking her hair gently. The effect was immediate. Katniss stopped thrashing, before sighing contently, and returning to a more peaceful sleep. Finnick smiled at the young couple. Katniss thought she was pretending, but Finnick knew that she really did love Peeta. He cleared his throat noisily enough for Peeta to hear.
"You heard her as well, huh?" he asked. Peeta didn't seem surprised at hearing Finnick's cough and continued stroking Katniss' hair.
"I hate seeing her in pain," he replied, pain etched into his own voice. Finnick nodded; it was like that with Annie. He hesitated slightly, before handing Peeta the note.
His brow furrowing in confusion, Peeta read the note. When he had finished, he looked up, a long awaited smile gracing his features. Finnick grinned back.
"Should we wake them then?" Finnick asked the younger man. Peeta looked down at the sleeping form of Katniss, and then shook his head.
"She needs her sleep," he whispered. Finnick nodded, and the two decided not to wake Mags either; the elderly lady would probably punch them in the face if they tried to wake her and Finnick knew that fact all too well…
The two sat in silence for a while. Finnick pondered whether to tell Peeta about the rebels plan to break them out, but decided against it. He didn't want to burden Peeta with more, especially when he saw the troubled look on the seventeen-year olds face.
"She loves you, you know," Finnick spoke up eventually, gesturing towards Katniss. Peeta's head snapped up, and he snorted.
"It's all an act!" he exclaimed. Finnick looked at the boy incredulously.
"You really don't see it, do you?" he asked rhetorically. Peeta answered anyway.
"That is because there is nothing to believe!"
Finnick sighed. "You didn't see the look on her face when your heart stopped. The poor girl looked like she had lost half of her! She loves you Peeta, she just doesn't see it, or maybe she doesn't want to. You know Katniss, she hates getting close to people because she thinks she will only get hurt." He finished his monologue, and leaned back, looking pretty pleased with himself. Peeta was gazing into the distance, deep in thought.
A number of images assaulted Peeta. That day on the roof, with Katniss wearing a contented smile, lying in his lap. That kiss in the snow, that felt so real, even though it was supposed to be fake. Night after night with her in his arms, comforting her, being the only person she went to with her nightmares, and the only person who could get rid of them. Maybe, just maybe, Katniss did love him. Just maybe.
Finnick grinned at the goofy smile that had made its way onto Peeta's face. He looked up at the stars, artificial, yet twinkling brightly.
Finnick knew that this young couple would find their way to one another, and one day, they would be happy. Together. And one day, they would know of their love, and perhaps get married, have a little family, free from the Capitol and the Hunger Games.
One day soon.
Thank you for reading!
I'm not sure whether to make this into a two-shot, or not, so let me know your thoughts!
J xx