After a long, exhausting day, the trio make their way inside their new home. Just as they enter the two story house, Gale slips on the rug in front of the door and falls, his butt smacking the ground and elbow banging against the door with a loud thud. "Ow!" he hisses.
Finnick immediately runs to his side, offering his hand to help him up. Myka, however, bursts out in laughter.
"Asshole," Gale mutters, unamused.
"What?" Myka asks between laughter. "You should have seen yourself! You just… fell on your ass! Ha!"
"Baby," Finnick pouts, "be nice to Gale."
"Hear that?" Myka teases the irritated brunette. "He thinks I should be nice to you. Oh, if only he knew…"
Gale rolls his eyes, trying to suppress a grin. "You are such a fucker."
"Fuckee," Finnick corrects him with a wink.
Gale and Myka both give him the most ridiculous look of shock, an awkwardness quickly filling the room. Guess he said too much. A little embarrassed, Finnick quickly shrugs off the tension and makes his way towards the kitchen. Gale and Myka follow suit.
"So, um… should we unpack Gale's things first?" Myka asks. Gale was the only one who had brought any of his things. Myka still needed to grab his own stuff from Beck and Max's place.
Finnick shrugs his shoulders, looking to Gale for the answer, who shrugs in turn. "I guess," Gale says. "I can unpack my own stuff though. How about you show me where I'll be staying and you guys can go pick up your own things?"
"You don't need any help?" Myka asks.
Gale shakes his head. "No, I've got it. But you can help me carry the amp, if you want to."
"Okay," Myka agrees. "I'll meet you outside by the car."
Gale nods, then looks back at Finnick. "So… which room am I staying in?"
"It's a four bedroom house," Finnick points out with a smile. "The room downstairs will be mine and Myka's. You can have any room you want upstairs."
"Cool," Gale nods. "Then I'm taking the biggest one."
"Fine by me," Finnick chuckles. "It's the last one to the right."
Offering a tight smile, Gale walks outside the house and follows Myka to the car. Finnick can't help but quietly peak through the blinds in the office room, watching to make sure they aren't up to anything. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, but not knowing the extent of their friendship was beginning to drive him mad. Myka just didn't seem the type to sleep around. He was too mellow, too shy. Gale though… well, Finnick can't put a finger on him quite yet. He's always been a bit of a wild card. It disturbed him, however, that Myka seemed to not only understand him, but saw him as a best friend.
Outside, Gale and Myka rummage through Gale's belongings, neatly stacking the packed boxes next to the jeep. Gale gives Myka a strange look, and when he notices, they both stop their work.
"What?" Myka asks.
"Are you sure about this?" Gale asks. "I mean, I get it. It's a nice house, Finnick's your boyfriend, but… we're already moving in with him and it's all moving a bit fast, don't you think?"
Myka shrugs his shoulders, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. Truth be told, he wasn't entirely comfortable with their situation either, but he was quickly running out of options. This just seemed more sensible than struggling in a small, broken down apartment. "I know."
"I don't like him," Gale suddenly blurts out.
The news shocks Myka a bit. "Why's that?"
"He's fake," Gale answers simply. "And I think he's up to something."
"What could he be up to?" Myka asks with a smirk. "Do you think he's trying to get me in bed?"
"Shut up," Gale laughs.
Myka chuckles in victory, smug with his own response. After a moment has passed, he's serious again. "Finnick's never given me a reason not to trust him. Just give it time. You might grow to like him later."
"Yeah, right," Gale scoffs, continuing with his unpacking. He lifts a couple of boxes and begins to carry them back to the house.
Noticing their return, Finnick quickly steps away from the blinds and races to his new bedroom, acting as if he hadn't been spying on them. He'd always had a feeling that Gale didn't like him, but he never took it personally because Gale just didn't seem to like anyone. What did take him by surprise, however, was how Myka had felt; He still wasn't comfortable. It saddened him that his boyfriend still did not trust him. And the worse part is, if he didn't trust him, he could easily seek attention from somebody else; something he was determined to never let happen.
"Hey, Fin?" Myka calls from the living room.
Finnick looks towards the door and shouts, "I'm in here, baby. Come in!"
A moment later Myka appears at the door. He runs his hand through his black hair, messing it up, as per usual. "Gale's heading back to collect the rest of his things. Do you need help with anything?"
Finnick gives him a playful smirk. "Actually, I do need help with something kinda large. Will you help me with this over here?"
Not realizing his little game, Myka gullibly makes his way to Finnick. "Sure, what is it?"
Catching Myka by the waist, Finnick pulls him in and tickles their noses back and forth. "Well, I seem to have a package that needs assistance in being handled."
"Finnick!" Myka moans incredulously. "You are such a moron. Seriously; do you need help with anything or not?"
"But this is serious," Finnick pouts.
Rolling his eyes, Myka walks away and back towards the door. "I need to get back to work. I promised Tommy that I'd cover for him so he could go to his appointment. Do you want to hang out for a bit? Maybe have a drink and keep me company for a little while?"
"Oh, baby, I wish I could, but I need to meet up with Thresh tonight. Student council stuff," Finnick explains. "I'll drop you off and pick you up though. How long will you be?"
"I don't know," Myka admits. "I don't think he needs me there long. Maybe an hour or two?"
"That's it?" Finnick asks. "How does anyone work for only an hour or two? If he's got an appointment, he'll probably be longer than that or ask you to stay for the night shift."
Myka shrugs. "I guess you're right. I'll call Gale and have him pick me up when I'm ready."
Uneasy with this suggestion, Finnick tries to change his mind. "No, it's fine. I'll pick you up. Just call me when you're done. We don't need to bother Gale any."
"Bother me with what?" Gale asks, popping up behind Myka by the doorway. Looking at the two of them side by side, you'd swear they were terror twins. Though they looked nothing alike, something about them just screamed best friends with a gift for trouble.
Myka looks over at Gale. "I need a ride home from work in a couple hours. Finnick's having a meeting or something. Can you drive me back?"
"Yeah, of course," Gale says. He begins to walk away when something catches his eye. "Myka? Did you get a whole fucking sleeve of the ocean?"
"Oh!" Myka suddenly remember his brand new tattoos. "Yeah! They're symbols. The octopus is Finnick, the turtle is for Peeta, Thresh is the jellyfish, the lion fish is for Domi, and you're the leopard shark!"
"I'm the shark? That's fucking awesome!" Gale says. "I want to get a tattoo. Want to get another one with me?"
"Fuck yes! What do you want to get?" Myka asks.
"I was thinking about getting wolves," Gale answers.
Myka isn't sure he likes the idea. He'd always identified with the Gray Wolf; it was his own symbol. "Why wolves?"
"It'd be like a badass symbol for the both of us. I want to get the same kind of wolf you have on your thigh to represent you, and an arctic wolf for me," Gale explains.
"You'd get my totem tattooed as a symbol for our friendship?" Myka asks in excitement. "That's just awesome. I love you, man."
"Love you, too," Gale says with a smile.
If Finnick wasn't crazy with curiosity before, he certainly is now. And worse; he's livid. Gale was going to have another symbol on Myka's body? What made him so special? How can they agree to something like that so quickly? What's this thing with them and wolves? Jealousy doesn't even begin to describe how Finnick is feeling. It just wasn't fair! Myka is his boyfriend.
Perhaps that man at the restaurant, Wes, was telling him the truth. Maybe there was much more to Myka and Gale's relationship than they led on. But if that were the case, why would Myka even agree to be Finnick's boyfriend? It's all so confusing, so Finnick shrugs the thought from his head, making a mental note to get more information out of his supposedly faithful boyfriend when Gale isn't around.
Making his discomfort obvious, Finnick shifts from foot to foot, clearing his throat and letting an awkward tension fill the air. Until he understood perfectly what was going on, he wasn't going to let Gale think that he'd just hand over Myka so easily.
Understanding his discomfort, Myka gives him a small smile and tries to ease the tension. "I'm ready to go when you are, Fin."
"I'll be upstairs, unpacking," Gale says before excusing himself. He didn't understand what Finnick's deal was. He suspects it might be slight jealousy.
'Good,' Finnick thinks. He wanted to be as far from Gale as possible right now.
"Call me when you're ready, Myka," Gale says as he walks up the stairs.
Trying to mask the bitterness in his voice as much as he can, Finnick quickly calls up, "Oh, don't worry about it, Gale. I'll pick him up. You just worry about unpacking and making yourself comfortable. I'll make you a copy of the house keys on my way back."
When Myka doesn't say anything, Gale ponders whether he should argue with Finnick. He looks down the stairs to read Myka's reaction, but his head is facing the ground, trying to avoid any confrontation. "Okay…"
"Great! We'll be back later," Finnick says with dismissal, lightly tugging on Myka's wrist, leading him away from the stairs and towards the door. When they're walking side-by-side, he still doesn't let go, opting to lace his fingers with his lover's instead. Myka doesn't say anything, growing more and more apprehensive about his decision to move in with him. This is exactly how it started with his past relationships, and whether or not Finnick realized it, he was becoming possessive.
Once Finnick has started the car, Myka looks over at him with concerned eyes. "Fin? Is everything alright?"
A little surprised by the sudden question, Finnick looks over at Myka with raised eyebrows then back towards the road as he drives towards the bar. "What do you mean? Am I acting weird?"
"A little," Myka admits. "I guess you're just being a little different. Did I do something wrong?" It was a habit, assuming that he was at fault. He was always blamed for every little thing in his past. It's all he's known.
Finnick stares at Myka, mouth slightly agape. He isn't sure how to answer that. He looks as if he's about to saying something, but quickly snaps his mouth tight. Asking would be inappropriate. He decides he needs to mellow down if he were going to find out what's happening. Myka is a timid thing, and lashing out would just make him flee. He looks out in front of him, letting his frustration out with a sigh, looks back at Myka, who is still watching him with sad, concerned eyes. He reaches his hand out and gently squeezes Myka's knee. "Lets get a dog."
"What?" Myka asks, completely confused.
"Lets get a dog," Finnick repeats. "No, wait! Lets get a puppy! Would you like that?"
Myka furrows his brows in concern. Granted, this behavior was typical for Finnick, but Myka knows something else is going on. "What's this really about, Fin? You can tell me."
"What do you mean?" Finnick asks. "Don't you like puppies?"
"Fin," Myka stresses with a puff. "I haven't even moved my things in to your place-"
"Our place," Finnick corrects him.
Myka lets out a stressed sigh. "Okay; our place. And that's the thing… this is a huge change for me. I need some time to get used to it before we go ahead making big decisions like this. You're… just- you're moving way too fast for me, Fin."
Before Finnick can catch himself, he mumbles, "Was it too fast with Gale?"
"What?" Myka demands in a yelp. "You think… you think Gale and I are sleeping with each other behind your back? Is that what this is all about?"
"I didn't say that," Finnick says with a frown. He may have been thinking it though.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Myka says with disgust. He couldn't believe it. The second Finnick is close enough to the bar, Myka unbuckles his seat belt to get out.
"Where are you going?" Finnick asks. When Myka doesn't answer him, he reaches out and holds the brunette's wrist, who jerks his hand away in an instant.
"Don't touch me," Myka growls, and he exits the car.
"Baby," Finnick starts. "Baby! Don't be like that! We'll talk soon, okay?"
But Myka doesn't answer him, continuing to walk towards the bar until he's no longer in sight. Finnick lets out a frustrated scream, slamming his fists into his steering wheel. The horn blares, scaring a couple walking down the sidewalk.
What was with him anyway? Finnick had every right to be upset, didn't he? Myka and Gale have been living together for what seems like forever, and they're instantly on the fence to take one another's side. Their behavior was suspicious, if nothing else. They could have been sleeping together before Finnick and Myka had even started dating!
Memories trace back to the night of Myka's birthday, when Finnick had driven Peeta home and had played with him. If it were that easy to sleep with Peeta, how much simpler could it have been for Myka and Gale, who have been living together?!
Whatever. He'd talk to Myka later and get this all straightened out.
It's not like Myka and Peeta are anything alike.
Or are they? Fuck, Finnick is so confused.
"Earth to Peeta!" Cato chuckles, waving his hand about Peeta's face.
"Um- what?" Peeta asks stupidly.
"I swear, I'm the one with the stitched head and you're the one that's got head problems," Cato laughs. "What do you want to do?" Secretly, Cato was beginning to regret his decision in asking Peeta to come over. He wants his company, sure, but what's bothering him is the constant urge to shove him into a wall and explore his body. It doesn't help that he's unsure what to do for entertainment. He may feel better than most in his position, but he still doesn't have the energy to do anything strenuous.
Pity.
"Uh… I don't know. Whatever you want to do is fine by me," Peeta answers. How else is he supposed to answer?
Cato stares off at the wall in front of him, eyes squinting in thought. "Hmm… lets watch a movie. Does that sound too boring?"
"No, I-" but before Peeta can finish his sentence, a couple of figures race over to Cato, hugging and punching him.
"You asshole!" Clove shouts. "You just fucking left us!"
She looks furious. Luckily, Marvel and Gloss don't seem to be too upset. They look more excited to be seeing their friend in good health.
"Who the fuck let you in, Clover?" Cato asks in all good fun. The words exchanged between them may seem hostile, but this is just their way of communicating with one another. Peeta, however, doesn't really understand it.
"Asshole," Clove repeats. "It looks like you're all better. You didn't have to ditch us at the hospital, fucker."
"Sorry," Cato says with a dismissive wave of his hand. "How'd you guys know I was here?"
Marvel rolls his eyes. "Where else would you be? Your parents are pissed that you left them at the hospital and didn't say anything."
Cato just shrugs his shoulders in response, uninterested.
"How's your head, man?" An awkward Gloss asks.
"Oh," this threw Cato off guard. It was weird seeing Gloss here, asking if he was okay. He seems genuinely concerned. "It's okay. Still getting these weird headaches and I'm tired a lot, but I feel better than I have in a long time."
"That's good," Gloss offers with a small smile.
Clove had left the room in the middle of their conversation. Where she went, no one really knows. Realizing that he still owes Gloss an apology for the other day, Cato becomes incredibly awkward himself. "Gloss, um… I just want-"
But Gloss shakes his head. "Don't worry about it, man. Your doctor explained everything to us. It wasn't in your control. I'm glad you're doing better now."
"Thanks, man," Cato says with a smile. They embrace in a quick, friendly hug, acknowledging the bigger man in each of them for having apologized and accepting the apology given.
"So… how are you doing, Peeta?" Marvel suddenly asks.
Shocked that anyone even realized he was still in the room, Peeta's head snaps up in the direction of Marvel and he suddenly becomes very shy. "Oh… hi."
"Hey, aren't you the new kid that Cato introduced us to?" Gloss asks. He had sort of forgotten about the shy blonde.
Blushing a deep scarlet, Peeta nods his head in response. "Yeah… um, I should go… let you guys catch up..."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Cato asks. "We're going to watch a movie. You guys staying to watch, too?"
At that very moment, Clove comes back into the room with two bowls of popcorn. "Damn straight we're staying for movies. Which room are we going in?"
"The party room, obviously," Cato smirks. His uncle had set up a huge bedroom-turned-party-room for Cato and his friends years ago. Needless to say, it had definitely been put to use over the years.
"Awesome," Clove grins. "Marvel, go get us drinks. No beer though. Big bad Cato can't have it."
Cato cocks an eyebrow at her. "Is it that I can't have it, or you can't, little Clover?"
Smirking in all good fun, Clove lightly smacks him in the chest, then makes her way to the other room with Gloss, Marvel, Peeta, and Cato in tow. "What are we watching?"
"Evil Dead," Cato answers simply, making himself comfortable on the soft carpet in front of the oversized couch in front of the screen, gesturing for Peeta to make himself comfortable wherever he see fit. "My Uncle has access to all the new movies in theaters."
The mention of the horror movie fills Clove with excitement. She'd heard the movie was a bit of a slasher, something that peaked her interests. Marvel and Gloss don't seem bothered either way. Neither were very interested in gore, but they were excited to see the film anyway.
Making his way over to the couch, Peeta decides that he doesn't want to sit on the floor like Cato, so he takes a seat relatively close to the large man. Cato just gives him a look before grasping his legs and tugging, pulling his body so that he is still sitting on he couch, but directly behind him. Clove sits on the ground next to Cato, offering a bowl of popcorn to Peeta before staring at the screen, ready for the movie. Gloss takes a seat on the far end of the couch; he'd always been more comfortable in the corners. Marvel doesn't take a seat right away, and Peeta becomes terrified that he's over-stepped some sort of boundary. He knew Marvel had feelings for Cato; the tension was always thick in their presence. He receives the shock of his life when Marvel takes a seat next to him on the couch. Marvel had decided some time ago that he wanted Cato to be happy, and if Peeta was that for him, he'd learn to respect the kid.
All in all, it was an incredibly peaceful moment for everyone.
Cato had never been happier in his life; he had his best friends, here by his side, and a certain crush within arm's reach. Taking advantage of his position, he leans his head back, resting in Peeta's lap, who absent-mindedly begins to stroke his hair. Cato's blonde locks are surprisingly soft. It may, however, be his only gentle feature. Everything else about him screamed strength and endurance.
Nobody really takes notice in what Cato and Peeta are doing. Their eyes are positively glued to the screen before them. The main character, who is possessed at this point in the movie, frightens Peeta to the point where he turns away and decides to take a peak at how the others are responding to the film. To his left on the ground, Clove looks completely focused. She doesn't move her head away once, not even to eat the popcorn in her lap. To his immediate left, Marvel has his arm sprawled on the couch behind him, his face a bit on the blank side. Next to Marvel, Gloss has his elbow propped on the couch corner, seemingly bored, but still watching the movie with complete focus. In front of him, Cato is falling asleep between his legs, face resting on his knee. Peeta's face turns a slight pink when he realizes he's the only one frightened by the film.
A blood curling scream makes Peeta, Clove, and Marvel jump in surprise. Gloss looks over and smirks at their childish behavior. He notices Cato hasn't budged from his place in Peeta's lap, his blue eyes are closed now. He doesn't appear to be feeling anything but exhaustion. Gloss ponders for a moment whether or not he should ask Cato is he's alright, but when he observes Peeta begin to lightly stroke his hair, he thinks better of it and turns his attention back to the screen. Cato wasn't feeling ill, he was just enjoying the attention he was getting from Peeta.
Completely ignoring the movie, Cato's thoughts drift back to the gutters, remembering his dream about doing it with Peeta. He's so shy, so innocent. And the way those fingers are stroking his hair, massaging the scalp? He doesn't even care if his friends are in the room, he's getting hopelessly excited again.
Giving in to those desires, Cato grabs Peeta's wrists, pulls him forward, and smacks their lips together, meshing in a tangled mess of a rough kiss. He wants Peeta so badly right now. Nothing else matters; not the people in the room, nor the inappropriateness of it. He grabs onto the younger blonde's locks, deepening the kiss, while his other hand explores every inch of exposed skin on his body. Peeta eagerly kisses back, pulls his knees up in front of him to keep Cato from getting what he wants, despite that he wants it just as badly. Cato places his hands on Peeta's knees and forces his legs open, pulls his ankles so that Peeta is straddling Cato on the couch. It feels so amazing- it feels…
Cato suddenly lets out a small groan, his eyes fluttering back open. Damn it. Another dream! Peeta, Marvel, and Gloss look over at him, wondering what caused the sudden noise. Gloss is the one to ask, "You okay, bro?"
Shit. Better think of something to say. Cato stares at the screen in front of him. "Yeah, head just hurts is all. I think I'm just tired."
It's a good, reasonable lie.
But Marvel catches what's really going on from the way Cato is keeping a certain part of his body concealed.
It isn't any of his business. He's already decided; he'd rather have Cato as part of his life by any means necessary. If that meant they could not be lovers, only friends, he'd deal with his heartache. Losing his best friend would be the means of the end of the world for Marvel. He cannot lose him. Ever.
So he looks away and watches the end of the film.
"That," Gloss finally says when the end credits roll, "was the most stupid movie I've ever seen in my entire fucking life."
"Tell me about it," Marvel mumbles under his breath. He was expecting much better than that.
Clove doesn't agree. "Shut up, guys. It's a gore film. Nobody cares about the plot. All that mattered was the special effects, and it was fucking awesome! You agree with me, right, Cato?"
Everyone's attention goes to Cato, who has become comfortable in Peeta's lap again. "Hmmm? Oh. I wasn't really paying attention. It looked stupid."
"Fucking whatever, asshole," Clove huffs. She looks over at Peeta instead. "You agree with me, right?"
Peeta's cheeks flush a slight pink. He never thought Clove would seek his opinion. It was nice though, to be recognized and accepted as part of the group. "I thought it was scary," he admits.
"Well at least somebody here appreciates a good slasher. Thank you," she says with a winning grin.
Having her approval, Peeta instantly feels like a million bucks. It was so cool.
"Yeah, whatever, Clover. Peeta's afraid of his own shadow," Cato says with a mischievous smirk. He looks right at Peeta as if daring him to disagree. It embarrasses him and makes him look away, shy and offended. Cato chuckles. "I'm joking, Peeta."
"Oh…" is all Peeta manages to say. He was beginning to feel incredibly awkward again. He looks away from Cato, trying to find anything to distract him and make him feel less weird.
Cato frowns when he realizes Peeta has stopped playing with his hair. Reality hits him and he notices Peeta is hurt by his little teasing. Unable to comprehend why, Cato wants to make him feel better. He stands up, addresses his friends in the room. "As much as I love you guys and appreciate you swinging by, I need to get some sleep. You bitches gotta go."
"Bitches?" Gloss snickers. "That's the best you've got, bro? You really must be feeling bad."
Actually, yes, he was feeling bad; bad that he had hurt Peeta's feelings. He looks over at his guest, notices his attention is on his cell phone. He was texting someone.
Ignoring everyone in the room, Peeta clicks the send button on his phone and awaits for a reply.