Sugar Cubes and Arrows
Chapter 1
*Katniss's POV*
I sat in the training room, sipping my water and watching the other tributes train. Gloss and Cashmere were chatting with the tributes from District 5. To their left, Enobaria and Brutus were standing a short distance away, sending threatening smirks in Mags's direction. The old woman ignored them, standing at a table covered in what looked like feathers and twine. I stood, setting my water bottle down, and made my way towards her, all instincts telling me to not be seen with her, though I ignored them. Mags had volunteered in place of Annie Cresta despite the fact that she was so elderly she need a cane to walk. I thought briefly about having her as an ally, but would confer with Peeta and Haymitch after training.
"What's that?" I asked her, looking at the jumble of feathers in front of her. She smiled at me and pulled some of the shimmering, purple feathers back, revealing a sharp, steel fishhook. I open my mouth to ask Mags how she made it, but stopped as I felt someone's breath on the back of my neck. I didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. Only one person would get that close, completely discarding the idea of personal space.
"Finnick," I said evenly. I could practically hear the smirk in his voice when he responded just as coolly.
"Katniss." Upon speaking, his hot breath washed over the back of my neck, making me shiver. I looked at Mags, who had her head turned to Finnick. She shook her head slightly, a small smile on her cracked lips as she raised a hand and patted his arm before turning back to her fishhooks.
"How did you make that?" I ask her quietly, desperately hoping that Finnick takes the hint and leaves. Of course he doesn't and instead sets his elbows on the table and leans forward, his sea-green eyes watching Mags carefully. I tried to ignore how close his body was as I watched the old woman make three more fishhooks. She looked up at me and smiled, tying off the twine of the last one.
"They're beautiful." I told her, looking at the different colors and materials she had used. She picked one up, twirling the blue-green feathers between her fingers. She extended her arm, holding it out, waiting for me to take it.
"Thank you," she patted my hand as I curled my fingers around it, the feathers soft on the palm of my hand. Mags nodded at me, turning away to make more hooks. I had no idea what she would do with them all once they were made, but smiled as I spun the feathers around my finger. I decided in that moment, no matter what Peeta's or Haymitch's reactions would be, I wanted Mags as an ally. Of course, I realized the downside to this all too soon. That downside was Finnick Odair.
I started to turn away from Mags, trying to silently communicate to Finnick to leave. He grabbed my wrists, flashing me his Capitol-famous smile.
"Hey, Fire Girl." I snorted, jerking my wrists out of his grasp and walking away, headed in Peeta's direction. He followed, brushing up against my shoulder as though we had been friends for years.
"Leave me alone, Finnick." I said coldly, leaning against the table Peeta was at.
"Hi," Peeta said casually,his blonde hair falling in his face, not looking up from his arm, which he was currently painting on. I saw him smile softly before looking up at me. His eyes widened slightly, assumably because Finnick Odair stood behind me, but didn't say anything. Finnick, apparently, didn't like the silence.
"Hey, Fire Girl," He whispered, his lips just barely brushing my ear. "Instead of watching your fake boyfriend paint his arms, let's do something more….interesting." I shivered as his hot breath washed over the back of my neck. I turned to face him, leaning towards his ear just like he did to me.
"Screw off," I whispered just as quietly before turning back to Peeta. I heard Finnick chuckle and santure off, making no effort to minimize the noise he was making. If Peeta had heard our "conversation" he didn't say anything, his lips turned down in concentration.
"So are you guys friends now?" I stared at him blankly before raising an eyebrow and smirking at him. He grinned at me before looking back down at his arm.
"I guess not." I could feel my lips tilting down in a frown.
"Not...with someone like him." My words came out more venomous than I intended. Peeta raised his eyebrows in surprise, but still didn't look up.
"He's not that bad," He said, rolling his shoulders back in a shrug. "I personally would hang out with him in my free time…" I looked at his face and saw the small smile on his mouth before we both laughed.
"Hey, who knows, he might have a thing for you." This caused Peeta to let out a bark-like laugh.
"Yeah, whatever, Katniss." He said, rolling his eyes and quickly swiping a line of paint across my forearm. "Oops. My bad," I scoffed at him, sticking my thumb in another bowl and wiping the paint off on his cheek. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Finnick standing by Mags again, glaring towards me and Peeta. I quickly looked away, trying to force down the weird feeling in my stomach and focus on Peeta. I felt Finnick's eyes burning holes in my back for the rest of the afternoon.