4.

Katniss couldn't stop fidgeting.

The tension in the library after Effie's mother had disappeared in a puff of smoke had only increased with each passing minute. It had been three hours and she was ready to go kill something, anything. She was almost impatient for the stakeout at the Cornucopia scheduled for that night. She wasn't entirely confident she could take Enobaria but even a desperate fight would be better than this.

Effie was frustrated and angry at not being allowed to touch the mysterious spellbook, she also clearly disliked having the warlock around. The witch was pacing the length of the room and when she was not pacing, she was berating one of them for slouching or something. Haymitch was clearly craving a drink and Effie's antics weren't helping his mood. The two Watchers were staring at Cinna so hard, Katniss didn't know how he was making any progress at all. The book was written in strange runes that had made him groan and had made Haymitch rush to the shelves to find references.

All in all, Katniss deeply regretted not going with Peeta when he had announced he was going to drive Madge back to her house…

Although she wasn't sure being alone with Peeta right then was a good idea. Could she have stopped herself from reaching out? She hadn't known his hair was so soft before the previous night and right then… Well… It seemed like such a ridiculous thing to focus on right then but she really wanted to run her fingers through his hair again because it was so soft and… There was the kissing too. The kissing had been… If she had known kissing could be so…

Something bounced off her forehead and onto the table.

She stared at the ball of paper, confused.

"Impressive Slayer reflexes." Haymitch deadpanned. "The Careers are gonna shake in their boots."

She scowled in answer. "Fuck off."

"Language." Effie cut in, clucking her tongue in disapproval.

Katniss rolled her eyes.

"He started it." she grumbled, aware she sounded like a two year-old child but unable to stop herself.

Effie gave her a look. Even Cinna glanced at her with amusement.

Haymitch snorted. "Seems to me like the boy started it. Made you all dreamy like."

"Fuck off!" she repeated, blushing hard.

She was certain of one thing: she didn't want to discuss Peeta with Haymitch.

"Language." Effie snapped again, pursing her lips at Haymitch. "Do stop teasing the poor girl."

That somehow didn't make it better. She didn't want to talk about it with Effie either.

She dragged her chair back, not caring at all about the noise that made Effie wince, and bolted to her feet. "I'm going back to the basement to train."

Haymitch snorted but, before he could say anything, Prim stormed in the library with a rare scowl of her own on her face. It was so unusual to see her sister annoyed that they all stopped to stare. If Prim noticed, she didn't let on. She placed a paper and a pen on the table in front of Haymitch. "You forgot to sign my permission slip for tomorrow."

Haymitch looked just as puzzled as Katniss felt. "What's happening tomorrow?"

Katniss felt bad because she was pretty sure her sister had told them about needing a permission slip for something… Usually it was her job to fake their mother's signature on school papers but since they had moved in with Haymitch…

"Science field trip, of course!" Effie exclaimed with something manic. Probably because she wasn't entirely sure and, like her, she remembered Prim talking about it at length and felt bad about forgetting.

"Yeah." Prim answered flatly, irritation barely contained in her voice.

Haymitch was so taken aback by the sudden hostility, he signed without even reading. "You're okay, sweetheart?"

"Fine." she mumbled, snatching back her paper slip and leaving the room without another word.

Aside from Cinna who didn't know better and kept working, the rest of them looked at each other, puzzled.

"Is it teenage rebellion already?" Haymitch asked, sounding chagrined.

Effie tilted her head to the side, making a face. "We have been rather curt with her lately… We sent her to her room again and again…"

"To protect her!" Katniss protested.

"Yeah…" Haymitch sighed with sudden understanding. "But… when the fear demon was around… She's got abandonment issues, sweetheart, and Effie's got a point… We haven't really been…"

"Perhaps you should go talk to her…" Effie suggested. "Spend some quality time together. We do not need you here for now."

She knew the witch hadn't meant it in a bad way but the dismissal rankled anyway. If that was how Prim had felt every time Katniss had ordered her to leave – to protect her, yes, but…

"Call me if you find anything." she demanded and then left them to it, climbing up the stairs with some trepidation.

She didn't like the thought of being at odds with her sister. She couldn't remember the last time that had happened. Prim wasn't a confrontational person and Katniss… Katniss loved her so much she would have given her the world without any question asked. There had never really been reasons for them to be at odds.

Their bedroom door was closed and she had to refrain the stupid urge to knock. It was her room too after all, she wasn't knocking on her own door.

Prim was sitting at the small desk in the corner, bowed over what clearly looked like science homework.

"Hey." Katniss said with uncertainty.

"Hey." her sister replied without looking up.

Katniss pursed her lips, closed the door behind her and went to sit on the bed. "Everything's okay, little duck?"

Was it how fragile she sounded or the familiar nickname that did the trick? She wasn't sure but she was grateful that Prim didn't play the passive aggressive game. Her sister put her pen down with a sigh and turned the chair around to look at her. "I know I don't have superpowers but you don't have to keep shutting me out."

"Look, Prim…" Katniss winced. "I'm sorry, it's just… I thought it was too dangerous and I didn't want you to…"

"To get hurt." Prim finished for her, softening a little. "Yes, I know. But… I can be useful. And Haymitch and Effie would never let me get hurt anyway. I wasn't really in any danger."

Effie was the one who had sent her upstairs earlier, Katniss wanted to point out, not her.

"Prim…" she hesitated.

"I get it." Prim cut her off, turning back toward her homework. "It's fine. I'm just in a bad mood. You can go back downstairs and do your Slayer stuff now. It's fine. I'm fine."

It was clearly not fine but she didn't quite know what to say to make it better.

"I love you." she offered because it was the ultimate truth.

"I love you too." her sister muttered, softening even more. "But I have to focus now."

Dismissed, Katniss left the room, certain that she hadn't done the right thing.

Short one today but next time we will go hunt Enobaria... What could go wrong? WHat did you think? What's up with Prim? Is it teenage rebellion? Is it that she knows the end of the season is near and she fears for her fate? Does she have abandonment issues? Will Haymitch ever leave Katniss alone with the Peeta thing? All the questions. Tell me the answers ;)