So sorry for the delay between chapters! Things have been crazy for me! And for about 2 days this Peeta and Katniss were not cooperating with me! Hope you find it was worth the wait. As usual, all mistakes are my own! All reviews are greatly appreciated as I am still very uneasy about sharing my writing! Much love!
-Melinda
Chapter 2
"We're going to be late…"
He shot his friend a look as he tucked his hands into the back pockets of his jeans and continued to pace back and forth. It was 8:30pm and he was still standing in the same hallway she'd agreed to meet him in…with just his band mate. When he'd told Finnick of his encounter with the "mysterious" Katniss Everdeen, and of their plans to meet so she could attend one of their gigs, he'd pretty much insisted that he be present when she arrived. It wasn't at all how he wanted his meeting with the talented girl to go, but he couldn't really say no. They were going to be heading in the same direction, after all, and Finnick did do all the singing so she'd meet him at some point anyway. He just hoped his friend wouldn't do anything to scare her off, or doing anything that could be categorized as annoying or rude. Thus far, he was failing, so it was a good thing that she hadn't arrived yet.
"She'll be here."
"Peet, we're going to be late for our own gig if we don't…"
"She'll be here!" he repeated, his tone a bit more adamant than even he'd expected, before catching Finnick's gaze. "I'm sorry…she just said she'd be here…"
"I think you need to try to calm the hell down," Finnick laughed as he held up his hands in mock surrender. "If you get wound up so tightly over a first date…"
"It's not a date," he muttered.
"Maybe not to her."
"Not at all," Peeta argued with a shake of his head. "I don't…date."
"Correction: you don't date well," Finnick stated. "You get all caught up in it, lose focus on anything but trying to satisfy the girl in question, smoother her…"
"And then they dump me," Peeta added with a sigh. "I'm well aware of my many inadequacies when it comes to dating…which is why this isn't a date."
"I wouldn't call them inadequacies," Finnick argued with a shake of his head. "More like, unresolved Mommy issues…"
"Finnick, please!" Peeta pleaded as he clasped his hands together in front of him. "I know it is really hard for you not to take every opportunity to put me on blast but I'm begging you to try to act somewhat normal."
"Hey, I am trying," Finnick insisted. "And besides she's not even here…"
"Try harder," Peeta suggested with a sigh. "And she'll be here."
"Normal is overrated, you know?" Finnick commented as he eased himself down onto the floor. "In fact, Annie says she loves me because I'm not normal."
"Yeah, well, Annie is crazy," Peeta muttered as he glanced down the hallway for what felt like the thousandth time. "Sorry," he breathed.
"Peeta," Finnick couldn't suppress his smile as he chuckled once again. "What is wrong with you, right now?"
"Nothing," Peeta replied quickly as he turned on his heel and continued pacing the floor.
"You're full of crap," Finnick accused as his eyes followed every nervous step his best friend took. In the five and a half years he'd known Peeta Mellark, he'd never seem him this way. Completely frazzled and unable to control his nerves was not something Peeta usually had an issue with. In fact, in the face of most nerve inducing situations, Peeta was typically eerily calm. So calm that it often made those who were nervous a little uncomfortable around him. This 'non-date' seemed to be setting him on edge, though, rendering him completely incapable of handling his emotions. What was it about this Katniss girl? "Peeta, no girl is worth this…"
"She is," his friend interjected with another sigh before shaking his head. "I don't want to talk about it."
"She can't be that good."
"She's…amazing," Peeta declared simply. "I know you don't get it. You don't feel it, Finnick, that's fine…but I do. Something in her voice, it does something to me."
"She's just a girl who can sing," Finnick reminded.
"That's just it, she's not just a girl who can sing," Peeta argued. He didn't know how he would even begin to explain to his friend what he was feeling but he knew he had to try. Since the first time he'd heard her sing, the first time he'd spoken to her, the first time he'd heard her laugh, the way she'd looked at him the night before…it felt special.
"I feel like she might be the only person in this world who will understand me," he confessed gently shaking his head at the skeptical glance his friend shot his way. "I don't know how I know that but I feel it. I don't need to date her, I don't need that, I just need to know that she understands me."
As Finnick opened his mouth to reply an unfamiliar voice broke in. His friend's head whipped around instantly, making it clear that he knew who the voice belonged to.
"I'm here, I'm here!" the voice called out as its owner rounded a corner and appeared. Dark hair swept up into a messy ponytail, wearing a simple pair of dark denim jeans and a black t-shirt, purse hanging loosely from her shoulder, as she ran toward them. She was a sight; Finnick would give Peeta that much, out of breath and gray eyes drowning in regret.
"I am so sorry," she quickly swept a loose piece of her hair to the side and tucked it behind her ear. "My co-worker was late and traffic was horrible. And my sister would not stop calling me while I ran here…"
"It's fine…" Peeta cut in with a nod as he turned his eyes to his friend, gesturing for him to echo the sentiment.
"Well, it's not like they can start without us," Finnick added with a shrug.
"What he meant to say is: it's okay," Peeta declared with a nervous laugh.
"I'm so so sorry," she repeated with a sigh as her purse slid from her shoulder and landed on the floor. "I am going to make you beyond late…"
"But you came," Peeta interjected with a smile as he bent down and gathered her purse in his hands.
"I told you I would," she answered lifting her hands to adjust her hair. As he righted himself he caught a glimpse of the dark ink that marked the skin of her right hip, her shirt having lifted to reveal the tattoo. It was musical notes, he knew that much, and he couldn't help but wonder what song she loved enough to wear on her body forever.
"We…should go," Finnick cut in as he stepped forward, lifting his eyebrows when his friend's eyes finally lifted away from the girl's hip and focused on him. He knew that look, had seen Peeta with it several times in the years he'd known him…and what he knew was that all of that 'I don't want to date her' stuff was complete bullshit. His friend was already head over heels.
"Yeah," Peeta agreed quickly. "Katniss, this is Finnick. He's the lead singer in our band."
"Nice to meet you," Katniss held her hand out, though her eyes remained locked on Peeta. "You don't sing?"
"I…can't," he replied with a shake of his head as he turned away from her to reach for his case.
"What he meant to say is he won't," Finnick argued as he took her hand. "Finnick Odair."
"Finnick…" Peeta warned as he flashed an uneasy smile in Katniss' direction.
"You won't sing?" she questioned as she bit back on her lip.
"I just prefer…"
"That nobody looks at him," Finnick cut in.
"I prefer writing," Peeta amended sharply. "But…I could sing."
"Really?" Finnick questioned sarcastically. Peeta hated singing. It was like pulling teeth to get him to do it. Annie had been forced to coerce him into performing at the Spring Concert. He had been known to compare performing to water torture, having all of those eyes on him made him nervous…which is why he hung back, wrote everything down and set it to music, before handing it over to someone who relished in the attention. Someone like Finnick. Their friendship was mutually beneficial.
"You could?" Katniss inquired as she draped her purse over her shoulder once again. "Will you?"
"Uh…sure," Peeta answered with a shrug. "I don't think there is anything in the set tonight where I'm singing lead…"
"Is there ever?" Finnick wondered aloud.
"…but I could play for you after," he suggested. She smiled as she gave a quick nod. He would sing for her every minute if it made her smile like that. Something in his chest tightened as she took a step to the side and motioned down the hall.
"I'll follow you," she announced her eyes catching his, holding his gaze as she fidgeted with the strap of her purse.
"Finally," Finnick let out an exasperated breath as he began walking down the hall. He knew this was going to end badly, for everyone involved. Peeta would lose his mind over this girl, who apparently sang like a goddess, and be rendered incapable of writing any decent material when she broke his heart. Perfect timing, right before their move to LA, which he knew meant the world to his friend.
He hated seeing him hurt, hated seeing him unable to do what it was that he had always done best. He may not be so graceful about it but he really cared for the person who had become his best friend. He and Annie had helped him feel from many a broken heart over the years. He'd be damned if he let some girl with a little bit of talent pull Peeta's attention away from all that he'd ever wanted for himself. Finnick would not stand by and watch his best friend's soul get stomped on again, not when it had happened so many times before at the hands of every woman that had come into his life…his Mother included.
"Don't mind him," Peeta muttered his apology for his friend as a quick 'sorry' passed through Katniss' lips. "He gets jumpy before a show."
"Liar," Finnick breathed with a roll of his eyes. He never got nervous.
"It's okay," she replied with a sigh, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Thanks for waiting for me tonight, Peeta."
"Not a problem," Peeta stated. "So…you have a sister?"
"Yeah," she answered as her smile widened as she looked to the ground. "Prim's seventeen…going on thirty-seven. Do you have siblings?"
"I have two brothers," he commented.
"Are you close?" Katniss questioned.
"More so now," Peeta answered. "We hated each other when we were younger. What about you and Prim?"
"Very," Katniss declared as she lifted her eyes and focused on his face once more. There was something in his eyes that made her feel like she could tell him anything. Like she should tell him everything, and that it would be okay if he knew. She couldn't put her finger on it, and wouldn't have been able to define the feeling for anyone (she had failed at trying when Prim had badgered her for details about the mysterious guitar playing stranger she'd agreed to meet), but it was there. She knew so little about him but somehow she could feel that he was different from anyone else she'd ever met. Deep inside her, in her bones, in her chest…she knew Peeta Mellark would understand her. "It's just been the two of us since I was eighteen."
"Your parents…" he started but caught himself before continuing. "I'm sorry, that's none of my business…"
"No, it's okay, Peeta," she insisted with a gentle and reassuring smile. "Our Dad passed away when I was sixteen. Our Mother hung around until I was old enough to legally be Prim's guardian before taking off."
"I'm sorry…about your Dad," forgetting all about the sulking Finnick who continued to walk in front of them, Peeta sighed as his breath caught in his chest. He'd been right they were kindred. She'd lost her Father and he'd lost his. That's what he heard in her voice, the quality he hadn't been able to describe before. Each time she sang…she was singing out to her Dad. Just like each time he played his guitar, the notes were meant for his Dad to hear. She was seeing him for who he was without even knowing, without even trying.
"It was nearly six years ago," she commented with a shrug.
"Doesn't mean it's easy," he argued, letting out another heavy breath when understanding flashed in her eyes. "My Dad died ten years ago."
"Then you know six years can feel just like yesterday," she responded as she slipped her hands into the back pockets of her jeans.
"Just the same as ten years can," he agreed with a simple and quick nod. They were both quiet for a moment, reeling in the memories of their lost loved ones, before he found his voice. "Katniss?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm really happy you made it," he confessed. She smiled once more, her eyes softening, as she reached out and wrapped her left arm around his right. As her hand came to rest just above his elbow he felt the electricity he'd felt the night before shoot through him once again. Her touch was unlocking places inside of him that he hadn't known existed, freeing him to feel every emotion he'd held at arm's length for so long because he knew he wouldn't have to experience them alone.
Her eyes focused on where her hand had come to rest for a moment before they moved to his face once again. It all felt so easy, like they'd known each other for years. She couldn't imagine that the night could get any better but she knew it would once she heard his music. She knew it would be incredible and amazing and have the ability to define every emotion she'd ever felt. She knew he would reveal her for who she really was with his words…and he hadn't even had to try. He'd been seeing her since before they'd even met, if that was possible.
"Me too."
