I'm sorry. Things are going to be a little delayed for a while to come. I've started university, you see and now that's complicated my schedules for updating any story of mine. That's why I'm leaving my weekends hopefully free to update this by end of Fridays to Saturdays and my other stories by Sunday. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, another flashback is coming your way :). And another since you waited patiently!
"You know I did, Jo..." Katniss said softly, accepting another tight hug from the vixen.
The both of them despised hugs but sometimes, that was how they spoke to each other without the need for words. Knowing each other since the age of 6 would have helped with that.
"We have a lot to catch up on, But I know lover boy's been keeping you all to himself!" Johanna glared at Peeta who raised his hands up. "For a broken up couple, you sure do spend a lot of time together."
"We're working through things, Jo," said Katniss. "If... If I hadn't have broken up with Peeta, maybe-"
"You guys need to get out of the hole of the past," Johanna cut in. "You can't go and say 'what if's' in this life. Just move on. You're not the perfect couple everyone thought you were. I'm still surprised Annie and Finnick claimed that title - I mean, Finn's a fucking man whore, sorry Peeta."
Peeta let out a soft chuckle. "Don't apologise for something we all know but we also know that it's only ever going to be Annie. As far as I know, he hasn't cheated on her."
"But he does flirt," Johanna stated. "Successfully at that too!"
"He flirts with everyone with a heartbeat," Peeta agreed.
"He flirted with me a couple of times and you, Peeta," Katniss added. "But obviously, we're friends so it's fine."
She and Peeta shared a glance before looking away and clearing their throats.
"So, what are you guys doing?" Johanna asked, placing a hand on her hips. "I've got a client in two hours so I'm free to mingle if you are."
Again, the former couple shared a glance. "Actually, we were busy talking about things." Peeta bit his lip.
Johanna raised her eyebrow. "Ah, were we now?" She smirked. "Okay. But this weekend or the next, we have to catch up. Annie's baby shower's next Sunday and she has me organising it. I'll need your help next week, Kat. Oh, and Finn told me to ask you to bake a cake, Peeta. The usual shit." Johanna waved her hand. "Egg-free, nut free, gluten free... Finnick's a complete ass when he's on dad mode." She sighed. "Apparently, he doesn't know if the baby has a fucking allergy before it's even born so he doesn't want to take chances!"
Peeta burst out in laughter, nodding. "Of course. I'll give him a call later on and ask - hey, what are you doing next Friday?"
"Nothing. Why?" The redhead asked.
"Katniss and I have something to tell you amongst others."
Johanna frowned, turning to Katniss as her eyes cast down onto the brunette's abdomen. "You aren't already...?"
"Oh! No!" Katniss said. "No, Jo! Well, we'll tell you next week."
"Okay, I'll leave you guys for now. See you later, alligators!" She said, leaving.
"I still don't get how you two are friends. The crazy bitch and the quiet girl who scowls." Peeta chuckled.
Katniss shrugged. "I wonder myself," she admitted.
[Eight Years Ago]
"Are you sure Peeta can chauffeur us down and back?" Johanna asked again. "He doesn't even like Fall Out Boy or The 1975!"
Katniss rolled her eyes. "Of course he can. And he always says that he likes what I like," she said. "It's not like his brother doesn't have another birthday next year, right? Peeta even said that Rye's planning to spend it with his girlfriend."
"But isn't he planning Rye a surprise party?"
"Yeah but it's not what Rye wants so what's wrong if Peeta comes with us? Rye won't get the surprise party he doesn't want, it's a win-win situation!"
Johanna shrugged. "If you're sure. Why can't you drive or even me?"
"You drive like we're in the Fast & Furious movies, so no. And aren't we getting drunk today? We need a designated driver!" Katniss grinned. "Come on, I never took you to be so considerate!"
"I just don't think we should do that to Baker Boy. Isn't he going through family stuff now?" Johanna asked. "I'm calling Thresh, we'd get more luck with him."
"Go ahead, then. To be honest, I wanted to let him have one day of fun - no thinking about horrible family stuff or the bakery."
"By taking him to see bands he doesn't like?" Johanna scoffed.
Katniss smiled. "More like get him drunk so he can sing terribly and we'd tell him otherwise."
"Ah, that's my girl. Let me call Thresh, give Baker Boy his family time."
"We can always get Peeta to come on a less busy day."
A few days later, the group found themselves hanging out in the local park, listening to Blues music that Thresh had found in his attic.
"How's college life going you guys?" Thresh asked.
"Interesting..." Peeta mumbled. "My course is okay, nothing exciting about Business. Thinking of switching to Culinary though."
Thresh nodded. "Panem University's Business degree isn't so bad. I'm getting my own degree at PCU."
"You changed your decision?" Peeta asked.
"Yep. Business at PCU is amazing! I've seen the college league tables, PU's 41st and PCU is 7th."
"What about for Art or Culinary?"
Thresh checked his phone. "PAUG is the best for both but you already knew that."
"What place is PAUG for them?" Katniss asked, her interest peaking.
"Art is 1st and Culinary is 3rd. Peet, you could have gone to study at PAUG and be part of the statistics which say any postgraduate is 97% more likely to become very successful!"
Katniss glanced sideways at Peeta whose eyes were wide.
"But PU is good for his degree now. He's doing really well." She smiled. "And we're close to Prim so that's a bonus since I'm paying for her school fees. It just made sense for him to stay."
Thresh frowned. "For who? You or him?"
"Yeah because it seems to us, it made sense for you to go to PU for Prim," Johanna added.
"Hey, back off guys. I like PU..." Peeta called out. "You go there, Jo. Even Annie."
Annie looked up from her book. "Yeah for Biology though. PU for Biology on the league tables is at 5th. Law's 7th. I think 41 is a long way from top ten, Peeta." The redhead sighed.
"I'm happy. I'm close to my family too so I can still work at the bakery." Peeta smiled. "Now, let's talk about Jo's upcoming birthday, shall we?"
"Urgh, don't remind me. Just get me a few cans of beer and I'm all good."
Peeta knew that his friends would continue to pin pick every detail in his life when it came to Katniss but as long as she was happy, he was too.
[Present Day]
"Peeta!" Finnick beamed, his eyes sparkling. "Come on in, buddy! And..." He turned to Katniss, his smile almost fading. "Katniss." He finished.
Finnick let them both in, allowing his wife to bring her friend in for a tight hug as he did the same with Peeta.
"Did Jo give you my instructions?"
Peeta chuckled. "Message received loud and clear. I hope you don't mind that Katniss is here. After everything-"
"Peet, Annie told me. What the fuck, man?" Finnick said under his breath, leading Peeta out back. "Just getting the beers from the shed, babe." He called out to Annie.
"Okay! No more than two each!" Annie called back, slipping easily back into conversation with Katniss.
Outside in the shed, Finnick gripped the edge of the freezer tightly. "Five years, Peeta!"
"We've talked it out. I don't forgive how long it's been but I do forgive why."
"Why?!"
Peeta swallowed deeply. "There are some things you don't know about our relationship, Finn."
Finnick nodded. "I know. There are some that you don't know about mine and Annie's."
"Exactly. How could I tell you that my ex-girlfriend came back after all these years because her mother died but she wasn't alone and came with my daughter?" Peeta asked.
"You could have told me, mate. Annie and I argued about this - we're planting on fake smiles throughout the night because she lied to me too for all these years."
"I didn't lie to you and don't let my issues affect your marriage," said Peeta.
"You're right, the woman talking to my wife right now broke your heart and refused you your right to your daughter."
Peeta frowned. "We've been through all this." He rubbed his face. "Let's get the beers in and join them inside for dinner, shall we?"
At the dinner table, Finnick slowly sipped his beer as Katniss talked about her life away with her Aunt Effie and Willow.
The British man rolled his eyes receiving a nudge from his wife who frowned at him in disappointment.
"So, whilst you were living the time of your life with Willow, my best mate was here, his heart hurting as he slept with the most annoying girl we know only for her to cheat on him with his brother and end up engaged to him." Finnick raised his eyebrow.
"Finnick..." Katniss trailed off.
"No," Finnick said. "I get to talk now. You weren't here and that hurt him a lot. I saw him hurt himself in ways you wouldn't imagine-"
"Finnick!" Peeta cried out.
"He lost himself, Katniss. Did you tell her about that time, mate? The one time after Gale came back?"
Annie's eyes widened. "Finnick, please. Look, he worked through that-"
"Devoting himself to the shitty bakery business he never wanted to go in. He wanted to be an artist but you took that away from him, Katniss. Anyway, let me tell you about that time-"
"I swear to God, Finnick Odair. I'm going to let this go if you stop because you're drunk," Peeta said, setting his jaw.
Finnick nodded. "Okay." He smiled. He turned to Katniss and gazed right at her. "Peeta tried to kill himself."
[Four Years Ago]
Peeta stumbled, bringing the bottle of Vodka back to his lips as he walked through the dark streets.
He didn't know where he was going nor did he want a destination to go to. All he wanted to do was get away from home.
"Gale Fucking Hawthorne!" He yelled, smashing the bottle against a brick wall. "Gale Fucking Hawthorne..."
He walked towards his car and got in, struggling to put the key in the ignition. When he succeeded, he started up his car and drove off.
First, she left, then she's with the one guy he had doubts about.
Pathetic, he thought to himself. "I'm pathetic," he sighed. "He's so much more than I am - he can do things for her that I can't. Why would she want to stay with someone as toxic, as weak, as broken as me?"
Tears clouded his eyes and he kept driving until he reached the lake he used to go with Katniss and their friends.
Peeta dipped his finger into the lake, it was freezing cold.
Taking his shoes and coat off, he sighed and looked on as the moonlight reflected on to the lake surface.
"What if one was to end things now...?" He mumbled to himself.
His tears finally let fall down his cheeks and he refused to wipe them, feeling the cold air nip at his arms.
He didn't even care at this moment, he just wanted things to stop, to end.
He let himself go.
The water emerged him, drowning out every sound as rushing flew past his ears and his body was paralysed with frostbite.
He refused to struggle, to let his instincts of survival pass through.
He didn't notice the couple making their way to the lake, giggling as they tagged each other, trying to one-up the other.
"Shit!" Annie cursed when she tripped over a pair of shoes.
"I love it when you curse," said Finnick, smiling.
Annie blushed. "Shut up! Look, I tripped over these shoes."
"There's a coat beside it," Finnick stated, picking it up and checking the pockets.
His heart dropped when he pulled out an ID, the ID of his best friend.
"Peeta?!" He screamed out.
"Finnick!" Annie cried out, pointing to where ripples were forming on the river.
Finnick's heart sank even further and he quickly shook his shoes and coat off, jumping into the lake.
'I'm coming, Peeta,' he thought.
His hand gripped onto a shoulder and he used all his strength to pull them back to the surface with him.
Successfully, he pulled Peeta to the edge and Annie helped him pull Peeta onto the mud.
"Shit..." Finnick said, his teeth chattering. "You-You know CPR?"
Annie nodded, quickly getting to work. "Get me his jacket. He's freezing cold!"
"Please, baby. Save him!" Finnick sobbed. "I can't lose him..."
"We all can't," Annie said softly, continuing to perform CPR.
When Peeta finally woke up, spluttering out water, Annie backed off to let Finnick take over in making him warmer.
"I'm here, mate. I'll never leave you..."
[Present Day]
"You had no right!" Peeta breathed out.
Katniss' eyes were wide, looking between the other three at the table. "Peeta..."
"Katniss-"
"If it weren't for us, your daughter would be growing up without a father as you intended," Finnick smirked.
Katniss faltered. "Finnick-"
"We all knew you were cheating on him with Gale-"
"That's not true, she told me the truth!" Peeta interjected.
"Her version on the 'truth'. Everyone saw it, mate. What is that phrase you Townies call the girls from the Seam?" Finnick asked. "Oh, right. Seam slut-"
Finnick was met with a punch to the cheek and he toppled over his seat, his wife gasping and going to his side immediately.
"Don't you ever, and I mean ever talk to my wife like that!"
Finnick and Annie both turned to Peeta, shock written on their faces as the same look was mirrored on Katniss' own face laced with confusion.
"Wh-what do you mean by that?" Finnick asked, ignoring his bloody lip.
Peeta closed his eyes. "Katniss, do you remember the Valentine's before we broke up? When we went to Vegas?"
Katniss gasped.