CHAPTER 8: INEVITABLE

"You are my god today Annie."

I grab the coffee out of an amused Annie's hands and take a huge gulp, savoring the bitter liquid. I sit on the side of her desk and catch up with her before the clock hits nine. Our usual routine. I'm also trying to convince myself I'm not hung over.

"You look like you had a big night last night." She grins.

"You could say that." I say less enthusiastically.

"What happened?"

"Gale happened." I mutter. "Pretty much I got wasted, fought with Gale, Thresh took me home and I fucking fell asleep on Peeta in some weird friend slash couple kind of thing that I still don't know what to make of."

I'd woken this morning to a warm and cotton clad pillow which turned out to be Peeta's chest. We were entangled on the couch under the blanket and my half full cup of tea sat abandoned on the coffee table. Despite my headache I had carefully broken free of Peeta's grasp hoping he wouldn't mention the incident. I was confused what the hell had happened between us the previous night.

And just when I thought I was safe I had opened my phone to two texts. One from Johanna: Finally took my advice, huh? You're not socially inept after all! And good fucking choice. And Finn: You better know what you're doing Kit-Kat ;)

I spent the rest of the morning trying to apply concealer to hide the bags under my eyes.

I turn back to Annie to see her process what I just said about Peeta. Her face forms a frown. "Is that your new roommate you didn't like?"

Fuck.

"Yeah. He's not so bad anymore." I start to ramble trying to divert her attention. Hoping with all my heart she will not connect what I just said to our client's son. "Apparently he's into me or something but I don't know. We're just friends. I don't know how it happened last night but suddenly I wake up in his arms. How fucked up is that?"

"Do you like him?"

I think it over. "No."

It's obviously an unconvincing answer for Annie's standards. "Whatever Katniss. When you put the 'just' in front of 'friends' it means you like him. Come on, let's get started. This is so going to do your head in today."

She isn't looking at me strangely so I sit back relieved that she hadn't put the pieces together.

000

"Hey, where are you?" I speak into my phone.

I lean against the brick wall watching the shoppers come and go behind my sunglasses. A small boy and his mother pass holding hands. I remember when Prim was that young.

"Uh, just finished class. Why?"

"I'm at the coffee house, meet me there." I snap the phone shut and enter the café. It was one of my favorites. They knew me by name along with a whole slew of regular students. It was a brick renovation from on old building and the inside was rustic, reminding me of home in State 12.

I take a table by the window with two seats and wait. The problems we discussed today about the case invade my mind. Go away, I think.

Within two minutes I hear the high-pitched voice of Delly Cartwright. Blonde and bubbly as always. "Hey Katniss! How are you?"

I smile as genuinely as I can. "Good Dell, how are you?"

"I'm great! What could I get you?" She holds out her pen and paper. I swear she had the enthusiasm of a five year old.

"Uh, two cappuccinos." I was pretty sure that was what he liked.

"Oh, you're expecting company?"

"Yeah."

She nods her head repeatedly with a smirk and retreats back to the counter. The doorbell at the front goes off and I turn and see Peeta. He spots me easily.

"Hey." He grins.

"Hey." I say, the intimateness of this situation suddenly becoming clear to me. I really hoped he didn't take this coffee 'date' the wrong way. But how could he not after last night? "I ordered you a coffee I hope you don't mind."

He shakes his head. "That's fine. So why are we here?"

I look around the room. Luckily it wasn't particularly busy today; most of the college kids were still in class. However I only seem to realize now this wasn't the smartest place to start discussing a covert court case. Then again, little of my decisions were smart.

"You're father's got evidence against him for theft. You know that don't you?" I recall dimly Peeta on the phone last night before I drunkenly stumbled my way into the house. And then the tricky revelations Cinna had revealed to us this morning. We couldn't nail his mother without nailing his father to the wall too.

He sighs. "Yeah I do."

"Is it true?"

His eyes flash up to mine as muscle in his jaw twitches. "No."

"That's what I thought. Problem is we have little evidence of who took the money but a whole lot of it is missing. The fact that it is from your father's accounts looks bad considering your mother shouldn't have had access to those."

He sighs again. "I don't really know much about this Katniss." He tells me honestly, looking down at his hands. The topic was obviously an uncomfortable one.

Suddenly Delly appears with the coffees. She looks incredibly happy at the sight of me and Peeta.

"Hey Peeta."

He smiles good naturedly and far more enthusiastically then most people would bother. It was so Peeta. "Hey Delly, how are your classes going?"

"Oh, they're much better now, thanks." She nods. " Hey, good luck for tomorrow!" She smiles and walks away.

I was surprised they knew each other. But then again, with Peeta being Peeta, he was probably friends with the whole campus by now. "What's tomorrow?"

"Volleyball match."

As if I didn't know that, I think, a little miffed. "Oh. That means your training today." I realize.

"Yeah, in…twenty." He says checking his watch. I frown at him. "It's fine I can be late. Look I can't really help you with this part of the case. But I'm sure my dad will explain it all to Cinna."

I nod. "Yeah I just wanted to check." I lie. Truthfully I had sort of forgotten he didn't have all the answers. And it had also slipped my mind that this court case involved much more than just him and me.

"Did-" Peeta stops talking as my phone buzzes, making its way slowly across the table.

"Go on." I urge him to continue.

"You gonna answer that?"

I glance at the caller ID which shows a picture of Gale. "No." I say flatly.

"That bad last night?"

I grimace. "That bad. I told him we shouldn't…do what we do anymore."

His jaw tightens minutely. I remember the conversation he had had with Jo and Finnick which I unintentionally overheard. How he had cared enough to ask questions about me. And about Gale. "And I'm guessing he didn't take it well."

"No." I shake my head, running a hand through my hair. "I mean not that I expected him to…" My agitation was building and I struggle for words. "I knew he liked me, I knew he did. But I told him so many times that I wasn't out for a relationship. And you know what he always said to that? Fine. He'd say fine! And now all of a sudden it's like we're together and I broke up with him. I fucked up, I know I did with him, but it's not like I didn't tell him!" I sigh and rub my temples. "Sorry this isn't what I want to talk about."

His eyes are slightly sympathetic but he doesn't proceed down this winding path into my demise. I appreciate that. "Not too hung over are you?"

I glare at him but answer, "This is my third coffee of the day so I wouldn't say that."

"Yeah I figured after seeing you last night you'd be a little rocky." He laughs easily as if last night was a casual thing. As if it always happened. He checks his watch. "I have to head down now. Wanna walk?"

I deliberate for a moment. I really should head home but heading down to the beach sounded like a nice distraction. And honestly, talking to Peeta was too. "Yeah, okay."

We walk to where Delly stands but when I take out my wallet she simply waves me away. "On the house." She grins. We thank her wholeheartedly and exit the coffee house.

"You look nice today." Peeta lightly comments as we walk through the sun to the beach. I look down at one of the many dresses Johanna had forced into my closet along with the wedges that she got me not long ago. Ever since I've known her I haven't really been in charge of what I wear. I swear if she and Prim got together they would massacre me.

"Yeah well, I had to try a bit harder not to look hung over." I mutter.

"Well it worked."

I cast my gaze downward trying to keep the smile from my face. Get a grip, I tell myself. He's just being polite.

"Did you show Annie the interview we did?"

"Yeah…" I mutter sidetracked with my slip up this morning. But she'd accepted the interview. After all it had sounded professional enough even though it was planned. I had listened to hers with Peeta's other brothers but they didn't have quite as much to say.

"What?" He notices my distraction.

"Nothing. Yeah she was happy with it."

The shirtless guys and raucous laughter marks our arrival at the volleyball courts. I can already see Cato and all the other guys doing warm up shots. When they look over they all yell out, giving Peeta a hard time about being late. When they see me there eyebrows raise and then they begin to yell in approval. I shake my head at them as Peeta removes his shirt and jogs over.

I sit near the side lines watching the boys train. A few are giving me covert glances and Cato winks at me. I knew most of them from over the years at school as well as parties on the Strip. I must admit they were nice to watch.

I don't notice straight away, but after about ten minutes someone sits beside me. I look and find a sweaty, shirtless, puffing Finn. Every girl's dream. He, unlike Peeta, was not a regular on the volleyball team.

"Going for a jog?" I ask as he catches his breath rifling through Peeta's bag and grabbing a water bottle as if it was his own. I elbow him but he doesn't blink.

He nods his head. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to talk to Peeta and didn't realize he had training."

His smile grows and bumps his elbow into me. "So you finally listened to Jo?"

"I didn't finally listen to anyone." I snap. "You guys are being ridiculous."

"Then why were you two so cozy on the couch this morning?"

I sigh. "Look I came home, I was drunk and Peeta was there. And he was being so…Peeta. It was nice."

"Yeah Peeta's good with that. But you broke it off with Gale." He reminds me.

"Yeah, so?"

"You can keep lying to yourself Kat, but it's not going to change the fact that you chose to break it off with Gale after spending time with Peeta, who clearly likes you, and then you snuggle with him on the couch and proceed to come to his beach volleyball training the next day."

I glare and shove Finnick but it only makes him laugh harder. I try to deny what he just told me. "I better keep going." He says, kissing me on the forehead. "See you later!"

Countless heads turn as he continues his jog down the beach and I laugh. I watch carefully as he slows slightly seeing a female jogger. I roll my eyes as he changes his path and begins to run alongside her. He was relentless.

The boys soon come in for a break and Peeta jogs over to where I sit next to his bag. I hold out his half empty water.

"Hey thanks." He collapses onto the ground next to me, not noticing. "Bored yet?" He grins.

I shake my head. "Nah, I'm all good. How much longer?"

He twists his mouth. "45 minutes?"

"Sure." He stares at me for a moment, like he isn't sure about something, before he ruffles my hair and goes back to the court. Cato approaches him, says something and then they both shove each other, laughing until the captain yells at them to get into position.

They begin to play a real game, two guys on each side. The two that aren't playing coach as they dive. Peeta is on Cato's team and they seem to be smashing it. As I watch their bodies run and repeatedly dive into the sand I find my eyes constantly on Peeta. He was ripped just like Finn. Then I realized with a laugh that I was living with easily the two best looking guys on campus.

The time easily moves by and once the whistle blows they all break up quickly. Peeta jogs back over and grabs his bag extending a hand to me. I hesitate, then take it, letting him pull me up. We walk away to the whistles and taunts of the other guys.

"They are ridiculous." I mutter shaking my head.

He chuckles, throwing a glance behind him. I could swear he nodded his head at them but I wasn't sure. He distracts me anyway by asking, "What do you want for dinner?"

"Since when do I get to decide?"

"Since you sat through my training." He laughs.

"It was interesting." I protest.

He throws me an incredulous look. We take a quick detour through the supermarket and get enough food for a roast. Peeta gets a whole bunch of herbs that I have never even heard of before but he looks like he knows what he is doing. I decide to go with it. He teases me about my cooking skills and I retaliate by punching him.

I notice a hell of a lot of looks being thrown at Peeta in the store, considering he's still shirtless from training. Not that that was odd by any standard. You couldn't walk down the street without seeing a shirtless guy or a girl in a bikini. I squirm, slightly uncomfortable with some of the stares. Peeta, oblivious, leads me to the checkout and gets out our collaborative food money to pay.

We walk back home quickly, joking around, trying to beat the sun that's setting. When I step into the house though, I see Finnick and a girl together on the couch. She wears black shorts and a sports singlet so I assume this is the jogger he tried to pick up earlier. Successful, like usual. I sigh, no one should be allowed to look that good. It was far too easy for Finn.

"Seriously Finn?" I ask as Peeta and I walk down the hall. The amount of girls I'd seen go through this place…

His smirks at me already predicting my reaction. "Hey Kat, Peet. This is Annie."

I'm about to roll my eyes when she turns around. And I see Annie. Annie, Annie. My eyes go wide as we stare at each other. Finn didn't know any better because he's never met her. I however, have been caught red handed, marching into my own house with Peeta. I look at our attire and know there is no chance of passing this off as anything.

Her eyes are hard as she addresses me. "I knew there was something wrong when we were talking this morning. And then I ended up here, and I remembered this was the same address that Peeta Mellark lives at." She says through her teeth.

Finn suddenly pales. "I-you-what? Oh my fucking god you're Annie!" He shouts just realizing the mistake.

She ignores him as he struggles to process this new revelation and looks at me and Peeta, raising her eyebrows. "What is going on Katniss? We've been on the case for weeks, you were requested for this case, and you've been living with him this whole time?"

"Annie just hear me out, okay?" I plead with her. I go over what Finn and I had fought about a while ago and try to explain how this could help us with the case. She looks at me with disappointment.

"Katniss I can't not tell the firm. What if they figure it out? I'll be in trouble too!"

"Please Annie. If for some reason they do find out, I'll say you had nothing do with it. And you don't anyway! We'll just continue like normal."

She stares at me for a long time. And just when I think she's about to say no, she says, "You're really lucky I love you Katniss."

I actually shriek. "Thank you!" I run up and hug her. "It'll be okay, you watch." She looks unconvinced but nods minutely.

Peeta and I continue our way to the kitchen but I motion to Finn with my finger sharply.

"I swear I didn't know -" He begins once we close the door.

"It's okay Finn I know you didn't. But you can't do this with Annie." I warn him seriously. "No flings, no one night stands, no games. You will not hurt her. Clear?"

He looks amused for a moment but blanks his face when I glare at him. "Don't worry Katniss. I wouldn't dream of it with her. She's different."

Peeta and I share a glance once he leaves. "Am I witnessing the beginning of Finnick Odair's first serious relationship?" He asks.

I sigh as I wash the vegetables. "God, I hope so."

My previously bright mood darkens as we've made yet another mistake. Brought another person into the mess. First Finn, Thresh, then Johanna and now Annie. I sigh wondering whether this pattern would keep going and eventually I'd lose control completely.

But as I look at Peeta and help him make dinner I think, no, we could do this. We could make this work and win the court case.

When our hands brush as we prepare the meal electricity runs through my body. It's this connection that makes my decision. I needed to help and I knew exactly how I could do it.

A/N: Finally got this chapter up. Sorry I couldn't update any quicker.

So Finnick and Annie have finally met! I've been planning that for a while. I guess this chapter is more of a filler but I hope you liked the development in the characters. It gets even more interesting next chapter :)

Thanks for reading,

-Elli