"You're dead!" Taiya yelled.
"You're a crazy person!" Kenna yelled back.
"I'm going to kill you!"
"It wasn't my fault," Kenna snapped back.
"No? Well, who else did I put in charge of the balloons!"
"You are a psycho," Kenna mocked. "He's had 23 birthdays before, I doubt he cares about the number of balloons at his 24th," she rolled her eyes.
"But I was so specific Kenna. I wanted one for each year and you only brought 10, not 24 like I asked."
"You have control issues, you know that right?"
"I don't have control issues," Taiya denied. "Because I delegated this to you. I passed control over." Kenna then smirked. "What?"
"You do have control issues. And I know that because Tyler and I were talking, and I know you don't trust me and asked him to bring balloons as well."
Taiya turned to glare at her friend. "Are you serious? Tyler's bringing the rest?" Taiya asked and Kenna nodded. "So you only brought these to mess with me?"
"Yep," Kenna nodded. "I'm bringing 10 and triggering this weird little freakout for my own amusement and he's bringing the other 14."
"Tyler agreed to go along with this?"
Kenna just shrugged. "I have to be entertained somehow, I think he just prefers I annoy you and Finnick," she said as she leaned forward to take a strawberry off the plate, only for her hand to be smacked away. "Ouch."
"You don't get any."
"Well, that's unfair. I did organise the balloons."
"You want to play jokes, you get punished," Taiya winked.
"You're a tyrant," Kenna mumbled.
"And a despot," Tyler added as he walked in. "How's the cake going?"
"Mags cooked it," Taiya admitted as she pulled it out to show him. "Didn't trust me not to burn it."
"Well you've never been able to cook cakes," he smirked as he grabbed a strawberry and handed it to Kenna.
"Did you see him?" Taiya asked
"I think he worked out that there's no such thing as wine-specific coasters in town. Buck said he was heading back so he should be about 5 minutes. Calm down, Tay. He's going to love anything you do."
"Finnick always plans the best things. Every time. Whatever he thinks of is perfect. I want to do the same for him. So you two, get out," Taiya shooed them. "Go, go, go!"
"So I asked at the shop," Finnick said as he entered the house. "And they said there's no such thing. Coasters are coasters. Maybe it's only in the Capitol you can get ones only for wine, but the guys in the shop were pretty confused."
"Hey!" Taiya greeted with a wide smile as she ran out of the kitchen and into the foyer.
"Hey," he frowned as he saw her wide smile. "What's going on?"
"Come, come, come," she waved him forward.
"Ok," he hesitated nervously.
"Come on, it's fine," she laughed as she grabbed his hand and pulled him forward. "Ta-da!" she announced as he walked into the kitchen and saw her decorations.
"Tay," he smiled.
"Happy birthday."
"It's tomorrow."
"I know," she laughed as she grabbed his hands and spun him towards her. "But tomorrow we're doing a group thing. This is just for you," she whispered against his lips.
"I'm all ears," he smirked as he kissed her. He pulled away and held her left hand in front of him, looking down at her engagement ring. He smiled at her before he leaned down and kissed her ring. "Can I confess something?" he asked and she nodded. "I've fantasised about this since the day we met."
"Your 24th birthday?" she taunted.
"No," he rolled his eyes as he held her face. "You. You and me. Engaged, married, with a brood of children," he said and Taiya's smile faltered. "You've always been my dream. I never thought it'd actually happen. Everything I could want, I have."
"Not everything," she whispered. They didn't have freedom.
"One day. One day we will. And as long as I'm with you, that's all that matters to me. Did you get me 24 balloons?" he asked loudly as he looked around.
"Yes!" Taiya jumped in the air excitedly. "24 exactly! Kenna and Tyler brought them."
"And you made a cake?"
"Well… Mags made the cake," Taiya admitted.
"So what did you do?"
"I um… I put on the cute apron?" Taiya muttered. "I made the fruit platter."
"I love it," he smiled as he bent down to kiss her. "Delegation is sexy."
"Right!" she giggled as he kissed under her jaw. "I do have a present for you though."
"Gimme gimme!" his eyes widened in excitement.
"Ok, you know how I've been disappearing lately?"
"Yeah, I never really believed you when you said you were spearfishing. You never came back with any fish Tay."
"Shut up," she laughed. "I was learning to knit."
"Knitting?" he sniggered.
"Don't laugh. I knitted you a jumper. Mags taught me."
"You made me a jumper?" he asked with a smile.
"Yep. It's like a sexy cardigan," she said as she ran behind the counter to lift it up. "You see, it's open, but then you use these little clasps to do it up," she demonstrated. "Easy access for me as well," she winked.
"Holy crap. You made this?" Finnick asked in shock as he took ahold of it.
"Yes," she nodded excitedly. "All me!"
"Wow, Tay. This is incredible! How long did it take?"
"Totally not relevant," she laughed. "A while though. But I wanted to make you something."
"You're amazing," he smiled as he placed it on the counter and pulled her in for a hug. He pulled away and looked down at her. "I was talking to Tyler."
"No now Finn, please," Taiya stuttered nervously. "Please Finn. Just let today be about you."
"I want this though. People are rising up Tay. But I'm not doing anything without you."
"Finn, I just…" she pulled away. "Can we talk about it another time please?" she asked as she got teary. "Please, I don't want to talk about it now."
"Look ok, ok," he agreed as he took her hands in an attempt to calm her down. "Tyler, Buck and I are talking tomorrow. Please come. I know you're scared of what these protests mean, but please. Join the future with me, Tay."
Taiya bit her lip as she looked up at him and tried to lower her racing heart. "Ok," she nodded. "I'll come, but I'm not promising anything. I don't want trouble with the Capitol. We have people to think about. Mags, Annie, Kenna. They're defenceless against the Capitol. I can't let them get hurt because of us. You know he'll do it."
"I know. I know," he hugged her again. "But if we don't do anything nothing will change. He has a hold over us. He has for 10 years now. We can't do nothing or we'll never be free."
Taiya sipped her coffee as she watched Finnick, Tyler and Buck discuss uprisings in their district.
"The fisherman still won't send any fish to the Capitol. They're passing it off as bad weather to the citizens but the Peacekeepers are getting more violent," Bucks told them. He had friends on the docks who were keeping him fully informed of all the protests.
"Taiya, you know Capitol people the best," Tyler said, trying to involve her in the conversation. "Do you think they'll realise something else is going on?"
Taiya shook her head as she played with her ring. "They'll accept what they're told. They have no reason to question it."
"Let me ask you something Tay," Buck leaned forwards. "The fisherman refusing to send fish. Are you in favour?"
"I don't know Buck," Taiya sighed in frustration. "That's my honest answer. I don't know. All I know is that I am terrified. If word gets back to Snow that we're all here discussing this, someone's dead. None of us really have friends anymore. We love all the same people. He can destroy all of us with one hit. Kenna. Mags. Annie. Innocent people."
"If not now. When? If not us. Who?" Tyler asked.
"I don't know," Taiya whispered.
"You have to be brave Tay. Answer me honestly. Are you against this out of principle or fear?"
"Fear," she answered immediately. "I think the idea itself is amazing. But the repercussions are too great. Seneca paid the price for that."
"Seneca didn't do it right," Finnick interjected.
"Seneca didn't even know what he was doing!" Taiya gasped. "He didn't even have rebellious intentions and he got killed. What do you imagine Snow would do to us? Us who do want a rebellion? He'd destroy everything. Everyone, but he'd leave us to suffer."
"Don't give in to your fear Taiya. Snow rules by fear," Bucks explained. "If he has your fear, he has your submission. If you have a goal. A purpose. A will. We can stand up, we can take back what we're owed."
"Buck…"
"Just think it through. Fear gives him dominion over you. You're young. You have a life to lead. A future to build. Make it your own. Not his."
Alrighty! Bit of a filler. I want to make clear Taiya's fear of rebellion before Catching Fire starts heating up!