Author's notes: I know my story is dark and heavy with drama, lacking major fluff, therefore it's not everybody's favourite, so I try to insert some comic relief here and there, and sorry if it's not generous enough. I would love to hear what you think of the story so far, any comments or questions.. Pretty please with Peeta's cheesebuns on top.
As she weaves her way through the floor she is greeted by faces after faces, but she doesn't trust that these people are genuinely happy to see her. Instead, she is growing more interested in the wild variety of foods on the serving tables, some of them she has never seen or tasted before.
Passing by the bar, she finds herself speaking louder to be excused, to nobody in particular, because she cannot pass through. She notices a group of men in black, gray, and gold suits, and a couple of women who are laughing raucously, huddled together in a corner. As they turn around to catch a glimpse of Katniss, they give her space as she struggles to squeeze through. As the crowd parts with her every step, time drags and the place is suddenly moving slowly in her eyes. She is granted the sight of Peeta leaning by the bar, one hand holding a wine glass and the other in his pocket, looking gorgeous.
Everything on him was black, except his gold bowtie and and classy cufflinks. He smiles in delight when he sees her appear from the depths of the crowd, looking a bit lost, maybe hurt, and holding her stomach. He steps into the middle of the circle to invade her personal space.
"How long have you been here?" he asks, glancing at his cell phone swiftly to check if he received any missed calls from her.
"Approximately an hour. Effie felt she had to fish me out of the crowd," Katniss pauses to observe the wine glass. "How long have you been drinking?"
"Not long enough that I don't know where I'm going. You seem somewhat distracted."
"I'm fine Peeta. I'm just not good in parties like you."
At this point he ushers her out of the circle of guests, placing his hand at her lower waist as they walk. He leans in to pepper her with kisses and her face sours playfully in pretense of disliking it. He smells of strong liquor and strawberries.
Before she realizes it, she is leaning into him and returning the kisses in the middle of the dance floor. Lights dim lower and she sighs into his shoulder as he snakes an arm up to tighten around her protectively, the air tinted with the melodramatic music of Serre.
Reminders pop on and off in Katniss' head, pushing her to ask Peeta the questions which may make or break the relationship furthermore. She isn't sure if it's the romantic music, or the shower of soft yellow lights hanging from the chandelier, but her insides are warm, fuzzy, and dangerously vulnerable. She wants to ask him to go back to the district with her. She could almost hear Haymitch pestering her, breathing down her neck. "Do it already!"
Instead, she giggles, and the mere act surprises even herself.
"I missed you," she says above whisper. Glancing over Peeta's shoulder in a good distance she spots a photographer squatting on the floor, camera pointed straight at them. One of her hands fly up to partially cover her face, and then chooses to nuzzle her head in between the crook of Peeta's neck.
"I,…I missed you too Katniss," Peeta answers.
The slow dance is over and Serre leaves the stage to take a break.
Katniss starts to pull him off the dance floor and suggests to Peeta that they search and join Effie and Haymitch whom she neglected from earlier.
As the night progressed they are joined by different victors visiting their table, each offering shots with Haymitch, much to Effie's horror. Finnick Odair comes barreling through a wall of colorful guests and plops onto a seat next to Effie. He ignores everybody else on the table, also Peeta's possessive, outstretched arm behind Katniss' back. Finnick's whole attention is on Katniss across the round table, who was busily shoving succulent filet mignon in red wine reduction into her mouth.
"Hi, you're back, forever?" Finnick greets her.
Katniss has a straight face when she answers, "Hello Finnick," in between chews.
"There's something different about you. I can't quite nail it. You're almost glowing. I like it," he says.
Peeta and Haymitch shoot each other a quizzical look across the table. Perhaps the whole Capitol knows about Katniss' pregnancy except Finnick.
"I'm currently on a good diet," Katniss says.
"Diet! There's a word that does not exist in Twelve!," Finnick guffaws at his own joke while the rest of the table is deadpan. "Keep it up Katniss, you look beautiful," he winks at her, then nods knowingly at Peeta.
"Doesn't she?," asks Peeta, glancing proudly at Katniss whom he squeezes into his shoulder. "Squirrels are excellent for skin. That's where she gets the olive glow." Katniss is passive, and has now moved on to her watermelon gazpacho soup.
Effie snickers behind her pink handkerchief and then scowls at Peeta.
"Hey Finnick. Where's your horde of fan base, and why are you not basking in it," Haymitch asks, passing him a shot glass.
"I'm telling you, being good looking is hard work, 24/7. I am just lucky I'm getting a break right now, hiding in here with you guys."
"You should get a body double, darling, to distract girls away from you. Nowadays they can be easily hired and trained to act exactly like you," Effie suggests, sipping champagne.
"But where are they going to find someone who looks exactly like me?," He flashes everyone on the table a smile. "I'm one of a kind," he finishes another shot of whiskey with Haymitch, followed by more hints of protest from Effie, and dives back into the crowd that seemed to engulf him as soon as he was recognized.
A couple of songs later Effie stands up and drags Haymitch to the dance floor, waving and kissing her friends. She is as energetic and as lovestruck as a teenager, dancing on four-inch heels and possibly on alcohol. Haymitch sneaks a kiss on the neck, and Effie whips her head back, laughing.
Peeta and Katniss remain seated on the table, too absorbed watching all the drunken yet happy dance sequences happening on the floor. Peeta acknowledges his alcohol tolerance limit and refuses the incoming drinks, a pile of empty shot glasses have gathered on his side. He pulls Katniss closer to him as the light dims again for the next music performance.
"How do you like the party?" he asks, pushing his nose forward in to hers that their tips are almost touching.
"Too grandiose, but it's not that bad I guess," her eyes twinkle in the faint yellow light, and at the unapologetic closeness that is Peeta, wrapping her around him.
"Want to get out of here? We can hang out by the lake shore. There's a new breed of migrant fish there, and there's only five of them so far. All you do is stick both your feet in the water and they will approach you and clean them!" Peeta recommends. "And they glow in orange!"
"That's an interesting way to end the night," Katniss smiles as an agreement, "Not sure if my feet are dirty enough though!"
"They will tickle, by the way. Hope you're not squeamish."
"Peeta, I used to eat tree lizards for dinner."
She excuses herself to the bathroom after they bid the party goodnight, and he tells her to meet at the exit to the back of the mansion where his hover car is parked.
Katniss is elated at seeing Peeta elated. She gauges his mood, concluding that the night is perfect to ask him to come away with him, get him back home, and is hoping against all odds that he agrees despite the emotional and mental disquietude she has put him through.
She sees more familiar faces by the vanity area in the bathroom, which is as frivolous as the main hall. She receives invites after invites to after-parties by the Capitol elites, politely refusing them all. The rest of her style group which she did not see during the party catch her right outside the bathroom door, and distracts her into another conversation that lasted longer than she would have allowed.
She finally pulls away from her overjoyed style group and checks the massive wall clock on the north side of the mansion wall. It's half hour past eleven. She reaches the exit door and peeks out, noting the still fully occupied parking lot and no presence of Peeta waiting for her. It appears everyone is still enjoying the gala. She ducks back into the mansion and walks by the bar only to spot Finnick busily attending to his girlfriends.
She wanders around in loops and curses inwardly that she should have stayed outside in the parking lot to wait for him. Now her energy is totally spent and she almost jumps out of her skin as Cinna approaches her from a shadow, looking worried and confused.
"Katniss, there you are," he grabs her hand, "You need to go to the west wing of the lobby."
"Wait, Cinna, what's going on?" she is almost yanking her hand back out. "I am tired and ready to pass out! Have you seen Peeta?"
"He is exactly our concern here."
Katniss can't help but feel alarmed as they barge through people who are now too inebriated to acknowledge Katniss anymore. They swerve around a corner and Katniss watches on as a bleached blonde girl in a dress that should be deemed inappropriate for such a prestigious event, curl herself around Peeta. Suddenly Cinna doesn't exist by her side anymore.
Tinsel Kay looks fierce and intimidating in her short, tight white dress embedded with golden studs, hair tousled and wild, lips as red as cherry. She spots Katniss gawking at them from her side vision, and as if on cue, wraps her arms around Peeta's neck. She side glances one more time at Katniss with a sheepish grin on her face before she pulls Peeta's head down for a kiss.
Their lips almost come into contact when Katniss calls out his name, in a tone she does not recognize herself. Peeta jerks back and de-tangles Tinsel from his body, as if revolted by the sight of her. Katniss scoffs at them, heart beating triple the rate, furious and ready to pounce, maybe on Tinsel, perhaps on Peeta, but instead, sharply turns around on her heels.
"Neutralize the fire. Neutralize the fire," Katniss reminds herself in a chant. She knows she is capable of blowing up in fury, and getting caught up in it, so she is trying to maintain a tranquil, levelled head for the sake of her baby.
"Katniss wait!" Peeta takes two steps forward in hopes of grabbing her hand. He doesn't get that far.
"Look what the cat dragged back in. The infamous Katniss Everdeen, knocked up version," Tinsel starts. Katniss stops on her tracks and turns back to face both of them, fists still curled up in anger. Peeta looks like a nervous wreck and finds himself trapped in the middle of the two women, suddenly struck with the urgency to take flight.
