"There you are! This is a great spot in line! How did you pull this off?" Katniss practically shouted as she found Finnick toward the very front of the line at the local BestMart, two hours before open on Thanksgiving Day.
A few people surrounding them started to grumble as she took her place beside him. Finnick flashed his pearly whites and proclaimed, "Hey, she's my wife. Everyone chill out."
Katniss reached up and gave Finnick a hug and made as if she was going to kiss his cheek as she whispered, "How the hell did you end up being fourth in line? I swear I had to park half a mile away."
Finnick nuzzled her neck, whispering, "I faked the flu this morning. As soon as Annie left for her parents, I grabbed my copy of A Dance of Dragons and my handy seat cushion before coming down here to cop a squat. It turns out there are only three people crazier than me, but Annie needs that camera."
Backing away, she said, "You have no idea how grateful I am for you doing this. It took me forever to leave the Mellarks. I finally had to tell Peeta that I wasn't really feeling well and was exhausted while rubbing the belly. I'm not sure he believed me, but he said he'd hitch a ride home with Haymitch and he'd come up with some excuse to tell his family."
Katniss and Peeta had yet to share their happy news with anyone outside of Finnick, Annie, and Haymitch, who all saw her too often to be fooled for long. She'd be safely in the second trimester by Christmas, when they planned on giving a framed sonogram to Peeta's parents.
"By the way, I haven't thanked you for getting me out of going to the in-laws. However, Ciaran was in rare form this morning as Annie was trying to get him ready to go."
"Did you help her at all?"
"No. I was faking being too sick to go to her folks'. I had to stay in bed with the exception of rushing off to the bathroom twice to fake dry heaves."
Katniss turned green and did her best to settle her stomach. "Damn it, Finnick! Don't talk about vomiting right now." She inhaled deeply through her nose, exhaling through her mouth as she calmed her current wave of nausea. She shouldn't have devoured that port wine cheese log earlier or the salmon spread or the dozen gougeres.
"Sorry!"
Soon enough it was a quarter to six in the evening, when the big box store would open.
"Okay, so we know the game plan, right?" Katniss asked.
Finnick nodded. "Yes. We are going into the store. We will cut through the children's clothing and make a beeline to lingerie. From there, we turn left and go through house goods before arriving at electronics where we get in line for the much desired console."
"Yes. And once the ticket is acquired, you'll go pick it up while I get Annie's camera for you."
"We can get this done and be out in 15 minutes. This plan is perfect. Nothing can go wrong."
"Finnick, did you really just say that? Do we not watch the same movies and TV shows?"
"Oh, fuck."
"It will be okay. Just stick to the plan. We are fourth in line."
Despite the added security officers and store personnel, they could already feel pressure building from the crowd behind them. There were 5 minutes to go. It seemed like the line was getting tighter and tighter. She looked down and was happy to see that her Chucks still maintained their double knots, a habit she picked up from Peeta. She checked Finnick's shoes as well. They looked good. The last thing she wanted was to explain to his wife that her husband was ripped apart by this crowd. There were only 50 game consoles per store and there were easily three hundred people in this line.
The crowds counted down the last 30 seconds until opening as Katniss and Finnick prepared to run to avoid being trampled. Finally, the doors swooshed open. Katniss and Finnick took off. A couple of high school track stars quickly overtook them, but due to their place in line, they had a good lead.
They followed their plan and cut through the children's section. Unfortunately, a few others, kids really, decided this would be a good idea as well and actually knocked clothing displays over as they made their way toward electronics.
Luckily, Finnick saw it coming and warned her to jump in time.
They made it to lingerie and she saw Finnick's head turn.
"It's not real, Finnick; it's just some Agent Provocateur knock-off. Look away and keep our target in sight."
"You're right!" he said as they entered home goods. "It would probably rip while she was putting it on and it shouldn't rip unless it's me taking it off."
"Finnick, TMI!"
They were in the home stretch. They made it to electronics and only ten people beat them.
"Wow, we are getting old."
"Katniss, you know I'm a swimmer, not a runner. This body is built for endurance, not sprinting! And believe me; Annie wants it to stay that way."
She socked him in the side of the arm.
They made it to the front of the line and grabbed their ticket. Finnick went off to Women's Maternity where the clerk said they were storing the game console bundles.
Katniss moved over to the camera case where only a few people were milling around. Once it was her turn to be helped, she handed a sticky note that Finnick had given her with the make and model of the camera that Annie wanted.
"Well, you're in luck. We've only got two and you just got the last one."
Katniss beamed and said, "Thank you."
Despite having sworn off shopping on Thanksgiving and Black Friday years ago, today's trip was worth it. Finnick found her a few minutes later and they went to get in line.
It was already wrapped around the store.
"Finnick, this is going to take hours. How are we going to beat Peeta and Annie home?"
He paused and looked around the store. She could tell the wheels were turning as he tried to figure their way out of the horrendous line.
A sly grin spread across his face as he said, "Follow me."
They swam against the tide toward the front of the store. As they came close to the checkout clerks, Finnick whispered, "Rub the belly and try to look like you probably did when you woke up this morning."
Finnick approached a store associate and plastered his best smile before asking, "How are you doing today?" in that genuine way that allowed him to get even the most silent of journalistic sources to open up and tell their stories.
Katniss only half paid attention to what the woman was saying as she did her best to look ill, but Finnick remained thoroughly engaged as he flirted with the associate. The rascal. Not that he'd ever stray on Annie, but he knew how to warm people up.
Once the clerk was fairly glowing at his attention, he went for it. "This is pretty crazy, right? Normally we wouldn't be here especially with my wife in her condition." Oh yeah, I need to rub my belly, Katniss remembered. "But we needed only two things this year and we have them. Unfortunately, I think it's been too much for her and she is doing her best not to be ill right now."
The store associate side-eyed Katniss and she tried to do a better to job of looking ill. Finnick started going on and on about how morning sickness is really morning, noon, and night sickness, when she felt a burble in her belly. Uh, oh. She really should not have eaten the spinach dip. She'd just been so hungry after spending the morning in the bathroom that she couldn't resist.
Katniss tried deep breaths, but her stomach just churned. A look of horror crossed the store associate's and Finnick's face at the same time and before she could stop herself, she was suddenly sick all over Finn's shoes.
Tears started streaming down her face as she cried, "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Finn. I can't believe that just happened!"
Suddenly, the store clerk became much nicer. "Now darlin', these things happen. Why don't you both follow me and I'll let you into the employee line. I was just the same way when I had my little Robbie two years ago. Just follow me."
The store associate unlocked the belted partition and allowed them through, helping them to a line before walking off to call for cleanup in the front of the store. Five minutes later, they were heading out to their cars.
"Now Katniss, you only had to pretend to be sick."
"Now Finnick, you kept going on and on about how much I vomit. You know how I am about bodily fluids."
Finnick snorted. Katniss laughed.
"You know we're going to hell, right?" Katniss said.
"So do you think we're being sent to the fourth or ninth circle?"
"You were the treacherous one, using your charms to flirt up that associate and lying about me being sick. However, I think that my actually getting sick—all over you—is saving you from the pit of the ninth circle."
"So, fourth circle it is, along with all the others out tonight!"
They bid each other goodnight and Katniss headed home with Annie's gift and Finnick with Peeta's. It was the only way to ensure they both would be surprised at Christmas. The trip to the hell that was BestMart turned out to be worth it.
Unfortunately, Katniss did not beat Peeta home.
He was sitting on the couch, waiting for her. Firefly was playing in the background and he held a beer in his hand. He paused the episode and stood up.
"I'm so glad that you're feeling better," he said as he stalked toward her, a glint in his eye.
"Okay, so I wasn't sick, but it was worth it."
"So what did you get me? That bag is awfully small."
"Peeta Mellark, you have to wait until Christmas and this isn't yours. It's Finnick's gift to Annie. And don't try to talk to him—if he ruins your surprise, then hers is also done. We have a pact this year."
"Well, let's put this down then." He took the bag, placed it down on a nearby table, and moved to take Katniss in his arms.
She sidestepped him and said, "Stop. I stink. Because of you, I just puked all over Finn's shoes." She turned and started walking back toward the bedroom in their apartment.
Peeta grimaced and followed her, watching as she shed her coat. Her t-shirt and her bra followed, landing on top of Biscuit, who was snoozing on the bed.
He followed the trail of clothes.
"I need to take a shower, but you're welcome to join me if you'd like. I want to try something new. Researc h for my fic," she tossed over her shoulder as she stepped into their bathroom.
Peeta pulled his shirt over his head and dropped his sweat pants. He didn't have to be asked twice.
If you enjoyed this or even if you think something can be improved please take a moment to review. This was written for Prompts in Panem Holiday Edition. I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for Chelzie for inspiring the story and doing a last minute beta job.
The characters belong to the amazing Suzanne Collins.
If you would like to say hello I'm over at tumblr (dispatchesfromdistrict7).