Kudos to you if you are still reading this, I read a few of the other chapters and cannot believe how many typos I made! So I apologies in advance for anymore I do make! Once again I don't own anything it all belongs to Suzanne Collins. Warnings: Adult Language yeah I think that's it! Enjoy!
Monday morning, I awake feeling with a feeling of peace I don't think I've ever felt before, its nice so I lay in bed savoring for a few minutes more. When I do decide to get out of bed and go for my jog the smell of coffee greets me, which is odd since I'm usually the first one awake.
I find Finnick in the kitchen wearing a very sleek looking Armani suit that probably costs more than his mortgage, I raise an eyebrow at him, silently asking 'what the fuck?'
"My parents are in town, we're doing brunch. I was thinking about asking Annie if she wanted to join me."
"Don't you think its a little early for a meet the parents?"
He takes a deep breath and shrugs "I've been trying to get her attention for 2 years, I've tried everything, I just thought maybe a different approach or.." He trails off, "I just thought maybe if she saw me in a more professional setting she might think I was worth her time." For the first time ever I see longing and dejection in Finnicks eyes. Its a look I'm quite familiar with so it surprises that I've never seen it before, he must be at champ at hiding his emotions.
"Well, ask her then, the worst thing she can do is say no, which isn't even a loss since she'll get to check you out in that spiffy suit. I only worked with her 2 days so its not like I'm an expert or anything, but I do know she's timid and nice. And I doubt very seriously she'd say no if you asked her as a favor. She doesn't seem like the type of friend that would turn her back on you." This seems to perk him up a bit.
"Yeah, yeah I can ask her as a favors and then offer to take her to dinner as payback. Fuck Peet, your a damn genius!" Then the sky from I recognise so well takes over face before he says, "So you really think the suits spiffy huh? Its cool Peet, I won't tell anyone you we're checking me out." I punch him in the shoulder before I head toward the front, his cackles following me till I shut the door.
Katniss is already outside, so I figure I'll stop and chat before I get all sweaty. Surprisingly Annie is with her on the porch this morning, "Good morning ladies, no work today Annie?"
"No, I get 1 day a week off, Pollux's wife Lavinia is starting her own wedding planner business and covers for me once a week."
As soon as Annie finishes her explanation Katniss starts talking excitedly like she's been biting her tongue for ages "You never did tell me about your date, other than the shitty good."
"The date Effie set you up on?" Annie asks with as much enthusiasm as Katniss, it almost makes me think they like the drama.
I groan "It was just plain awful, I actually know more about her ex than I do her, they honestly sound perfect for each other now that I think about it. Her name was Glimmer and apparently she is going to be a Hollywood starlet. Honestly though if she keeps on downing the red wine like water and refusing to walk more than the 2 feet from a door to her drivers car she will most likely end up on some horrible reality show. But hey at least I know all about her spoiled crook of an ex right! I'm sure Cato is.."
"Cato?" Annie interrupts, her face losing all colors "I-I need to go in, I think Emma might be awake." She stammers as she hurries into the house leaving me dumbfounded.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know she knew him." I tell Katniss, pissed off at myself for bringing Annie down yet again.
She shakes her head sadly before telling me quietly "Cato is the piece of shit that killed her parents."
"What? Are you sure its the same Cato? I mean, Glimmer said he was only doing 2 months on a breaking and entering. Not that I would put much stock in what she says or anything.." I say trailing off, Katniss gives me a small nod.
"She was telling the truth, even with Annies' eyewitness testimony, his family still managed to get the murder charges dropped, in exchange for a guilty plea for breaking and entering. His family has connections in every part of the government throughout the state."
"That's fucked up." I know its a lame response, but really what else is there to say about something so, well, fucked up.
She snorts, "That's poor mans' justice Peeta. Well I better go in and talk to her, she tends to get lost in her own head when the subject comes up."
I nod and apologies again, before setting off on my jog, hoping it will ease some of my guilt over Annie and anger at the justice system.
Its later than usual when I reach the park and there are a few young kids playing. I sit on the bench and enjoy the carefree happiness that radiates here. I always wanted kids, maybe because I just needed that unconditional love or maybe because I just felt the need to do better than my parents did. I decide to leave before I start looking like some sort of creeper, Katniss isn't on her porch when I go by so I just go straight home and take a shower.
I've been in my room working on my sketches for and hour or two when Finnick comes bounding in, "She said yes man, I can't fucking believe it but she said yes!"
"That's great Finn, surprising, but great!"
"Why is it surprising?" At his question I explain what happened this morning, "Well, if it's any consolation I don't think she held it against you, I mean it's not like you were defending the douche bag or anything. She seemed to be in pretty good spirits while I was there so maybe she just needed some time to herself. Don't beat yourself up about it Peeta, you couldn't have known. I've gotta get outta here though or we're going to be late. Later Peet!"
Shortly after he leaves, I text Katniss and ask what she's doing this week, she responds with 'not much, working Tuesday and Thursday through Sunday'. I think for few minutes before texting her back, I can't very well take her to dinner and the movies, she's not like other women. I search for outdoor activities on my iphone and come with a plan pretty quickly. I ask if she'd be interested in going on that date with me Wednesday, she asks what time and I respond with all day. When she doesn't text back for 5 minutes I start to get worried that maybe I pissed her off earlier when I upset Annie, but another 5 minutes later she texts back and says 'sounds great, what should I wear?' I tell her to dress for the weather and comfortable walking shoes. I get a reply from her consisting of 3 question marks, but decide to leave it at that, after all it won't be the worlds best date if it's not a surprise right?
When I head to the kitchen to fix myself some lunch I find Johanna severely burning a grilled cheese and cursing like a sailor. When she notices me she says "Thank god! I thought I was actually going to have to eat this crap, please tell me you're going to make food." I laugh at her and nod, she promptly dumps the grilled cheese into the garbage. I make us chicken salad sandwiches from some of the left over bbq. When she bites into the sandwich she moans and asks "Are you're brothers good cooks too?" I nod "Are they single?" I freeze with my sandwich halfway to my mouth, which makes her cackle like the wicked witch of the west. "Um, yes they are, or were last time I asked." I reply uncomfortably
"Oh don't look so surprised, a man that cooks and does his own damn laundry is hot. Don't think I haven't noticed the way you get all googly eyed and stupid when brainless is around. I'm not about to win you over, might as well try out your brothers." At my bewildered expression she cracks up again. From around a mouth full of chicken sandwich she mumbles "Oh man, if you could see your face right now, it's priceless! Really though, you think I would be that bad of a sister in law?"
"No! It was just such an off the wall thing to bring up, I never thought you would be in to the whole domesticated sort. I always figured you for a 'rebel guy' kind of girl."
She snickers and says "No, I've had my fair share of rebels, not a single one was ever worth a damn, figured I'd try something new."
"Well I'll see them sometime soon, maybe I can cook here for Thanksgiving and I could invite them, it's been years since we were together for a holiday."
"That would be awesome, Finn and I just go to Cinnas Steakhouse for the holidays."
"What about your family? Think they'd want to come?"
Her eyes turn to stone before she tells me "They're dead." Great, I'm just doing fucking awesome sticking my foot in my mouth today, I apologies but she waves it off.
"It was years ago, and honestly they were a bunch of assholes anyway, I'm sure you understand." Of course I do, if it weren't for my brothers anyway, I'm thankful I at least have them.
We spend the rest of the afternoon chatting about safe topics, I tell her my idea for the date, she calls me a mush. She tells me being a dancer wasn't really her job of choice but she has to pay off he criminal justice degree somehow. Shortly after 8 Finnick shows up looking like he just got down from walking on the clouds.
"I'm going to marry Annie one day, mark my words."
"So I take it the brunch went well?"
"It was perfect, my parents doted over her like the daughter they never had, and she actually enjoyed it."
"That's great man!"
"Yeah, now I have to figure out how to trick her into a date with just me."
Johanna decides this is a good time to hit him in the face with a throw pillow and tell him quite sternly "Quit thinking about how to trick her and just be a man Finnick!"
"Okay, okay! I won't trick her, I already owe her a nice night out anyway." He tells her with a wink.
"Ugh Finnick Odair you are such a bastard! Quit trying to dupe the poor girl already." She tells him.
"Alright, chill out Jo! Here, want a sugar cube?"