I don't own THG and a big thanks to my lovely beta for-prim (she's wonderful)
Saturday morning, Finnick was preparing to celebrate Mags' 90th birthday. He wrapped his gift, dressed in the shirt she'd given him for his last birthday, grabbed the strawberry cake with vanilla buttercream icing that Peeta had made for her, and walked out the door. He couldn't wait. He was taking Mags to brunch at her favorite spot, and then they were seeing a matinee performance of a play. Mags had said she'd seen a performance of it ten years earlier and that it was one of her favorites. When Finnick saw that a local professional theatre was putting it on during her birthday, he thought it to be fate.
Mags was his favorite person in the world. She had cared for him and his older brother and sister as children while his parents worked long hours, and he had always felt a special connection to her. He knew he was her favorite child, even if she couldn't ever say it aloud. Although by the time they were all grown up, she could, and did with some frequency. Mags now lived in an assisted living home for the elderly, but it wasn't any old raisin ranch, it was the best that money could buy. Finnick's parents, as an act of appreciation for the woman who showed their children so much love and affection when they weren't around, set her up at the place. She also had a pretty hefty savings account after years of working. She had no biological children of her own, but that didn't matter because she had Finnick.
He threw his car into park and strolled into the building throwing a wink at the receptionist. She grinned back.
"Good to see you Finnick," she said in a flirty tone.
"Always a pleasure Cashmere," he tossed back before he began to walk the corridors and finally ended up at Mags's front door. He knocked and grinned as he heard her calling to hold on. When she opened the door, Finnick bent down and hugged her as best he could with his arms full.
"Mama Mags! Happy birthday!" he exclaimed while holding on to her, "How does it feel to be ninety?"
"The same as eighty-nine, my dear boy. How are you?" She returned with a laugh.
"Terrific, just terrific," Finnick said. Mags moved aside and motioned for him to enter. He sat the cake down on the table and lightly touched the lid before turning to Mags.
"This here is from Peeta. He wishes you a happy birthday as well." Finnick said with a smile on his face. Mags approached the cake and lifted the lid. She sighed when she saw the cake inside.
"Oh, it's beautiful. That boy is just too darling," Mags said before she turned to Finnick with a glint in her eye "Now are you sure you two aren't… you know?" Finnick couldn't help but throw his head back in laughter.
"Oh no. We're not gay, Mags. If we were I would have locked that down a long time ago." The two shared a laugh before Finnick continued, "And besides, Peeta actually has a hot date tonight with a girl that he's been crushing on recently."
"I hope she's good enough for him," Mags said, and Finnick nodded in agreement.
"I've met her. She seems pretty different from the girls he usually goes out with, which is probably a good thing," Finnick replied as he thought back to when he met the girl at the market.
"Probably so… so what's on the agenda for today?" Mags asked.
"Well, first we are having brunch." Finnick started.
"Yum," Mags cut in.
"And then we are going to the Undermain to see The Goat, Or Who is Sylvia." Finnick finished as he produced the tickets from his pocket, pleased with himself when he saw Mags's excitement.
"This is wonderful Finnick, butyou didn't have to do all this. You know I would have been fine with anything," Mags scolded, albeit with a smile gracing her features. Finnick decided this was the perfect time to give Mags her present. He took the box out from under his arm and handed it to her.
"Then this is definitely too much," he said as she slowly unwrapped the box. She placed it on the table and gingerly lifted the lid. When she did her hand flew to her mouth and she looked up at Finnick, her eyes glassy with tears. She took the hand from her mouth and cupped Finnick's cheek.
"You darling boy."
"It's a first edition," he said through his grin. Her eyes became wide. She hugged him as fiercely as her body allowed. Finnick happily reciprocated, not only grateful that his gift had gone over well, but thrilled that he could bring a smile to his nanny's face. She released him and he grabbed her hand.
"Come on, we don't want to miss our reservation." He said as he grabbed her cane to give to her and opened the door. Though Mags walked with a cane and moved slowly she was in truly remarkable health for someone her age.
Shortly after, they arrived at the restaurant and placed their orders and Finnick finally asked what the play was about. He hadn't actually bothered to find out when he purchased tickets; he just knew Mags loved it so he bought their tickets straightaway. Mags chuckled.
"What?" Finnick asked.
"Well, it explores love, and what that means and challenges the social norms for love." Mags explained.
"Okay, well that sounds interesting. How does it do that?" Finnick asked.
"The main character is in love with a goat." Mags replied. Finnick almost choked on his French toast.
"Seriously?"
"Yes, and it's beautiful. I mean, it's funny as well, but it's such a wonderful play. It makes you think. It's by Edward Albee you know." Mags continued.
"The Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf guy?" Finnick asked.
"One and the same." Mags said with a chuckle and began to work on her eggs benedict.
Finnick was having a wonderful day. Spending time with Mags was something he wished he could do more often. And, though he hated to admit it, spending time with Mags was serving as a good distraction from thinking about Annie. She had been taking up so much room in his thoughts lately. It was shocking to him- this had never happened before. Sure, he liked pretty girls, but he had never been so hung up on one before. He rationalized it as surprise that she was one of the few (if only) girls who didn't immediately succumb to his charm. He couldn't stop thinking about her flushed cheeks, her long hair, her soft voice, and what she had said about wanting to be forgettable. The thought made him laugh because she was on a constant replay in his mind. Forgettable was the last thing she was, at least to him. Mags snapped him out of this train of thought.
"Darling, what's going on inside that head of yours? You look like you did when you were learning long division."
"Oh, it's nothing Mama, just trying to remember if I need to valet the car at the theatre." Finnick said swiftly. She just scoffed at him. He wasn't quite ready to divulge all of his feelings to Mags, especially as he didn't quite know what to make of them himself.
The rest of the meal passed quickly, as Finnick and Mags spent the entire time laughing and recalling things of the past. She fussed at him when he insisted on payin, but allowed it. They then made their way to the theatre. It was a somewhat odd theatre in that they had to take an elevator to the basement. The theatre was almost cavernous; the stage was on the same level as the audience and it was completely cement. The usher showed them their seats and they settled in. They chatted quietly and flipped through their programs and then a petite woman with short, brown hair walked to centerstage and gave the "no cell phones in the theatre" speech. But she did so with so much attitude that Finnick truly believed she would throw someone out herself if he or she so much as checked the time. Then the show began.
About an hour and a forty-five minutes later Finnick sat stunned. It was amazing. He laughed, but he also felt so moved. Between this and The Awakening, his emotions had truly been through the ringer. Mags squeezed his hand. He looked down. He hadn't even realized that they had been holding hands throughout practically the whole show. He chuckled and met her eyes. She mouthed Thank you to him and he squeezed her hand back. As he drove them back to Mags's home, they talked about the play. When they got back to her home they each ate a slice of cake and then Finnick embraced her one last time before he left.
"Thank you for today, my darling boy. You made me so happy." Mags said, her voice thick with tears. Finnick knew if he stayed much longer he wouldn't be able to hold back his own, so he threw her a smile and exited.
When Finnick made it back to his apartment, he found Peeta was a mess. Peeta was standing in his room in his boxers, a button down shirt and black socks. His hair was standing on end as though he had dragged his hands through it a hundred times.
"Whoa, what's going on?" Finnick asked, standing in Peeta's doorway.
"I just… I don't know what I'm doing. What are we going to talk about? I could barely choke out enough words to get her to say yes to a date. How am I supposed to keep up a conversation? What am I gonna do? What am I supposed to wear? Why did I suggest dinner? I should have said a movie, then we wouldn't have to talk!" Peeta said in a rush, barely taking a breath.
"SLOW DOWN! Good lord, look she said yes didn't she?" Finnick said.
"Yes, but…" Peeta started.
"No buts, she said yes. Trust me she did not seem like the kind of girl to say yes to something she didn't want to do. And dinner was a great idea. You will get to know her, she will get to know you and it will be fantastic, okay? Now button up that shirt," Finnick moved to Peeta's closet and grabbed a pair of jeans, "put these on and your topsiders and try to run a brush through your hair. Okay?" Peeta looked at him warily but grabbed the pants and began to put them on.
"Are you picking her up?" Finnick asked as he sat on the bed. Peeta laughed, embarrassed.
"Actually, she's meeting me here. When I told her where I wanted to take her we realized that I live closer than she does and she thought it was ridiculous for me to waste gas to pick her up. So I told her to meet me here and then I'd drive us over," Peeta said, dragging his fingers forward through his hair.
"Good luck trying to pay for the meal tonight bro," Finnick said and slapped Peeta on the back. The doorbell sounded through the apartment, and Finnick turned to Peeta with a gleam in his eye.
"I do believe I'll be getting that," Finnick said. He pranced through the living room and flung open the door to reveal Katniss in a cream-colored sweater, brown skirt and boots. Her hair was down. She looked utterly shocked to see Finnick.
"Well, well, well, we meet again," Finnick teased. She looked utterly shocked and tried to look around Finnick as though she had the wrong place.
"Don't worry, you've got the right place. I'm just the roommate. Come on in, he's just putting on his finishing touches. He'll be out in a second." Finnick laughed.
She entered cautiously and stood in the entryway while Finnick moved further into the apartment. Peeta emerged and stopped at the sight of Katniss. Finnick had to control his urge to cackle. The boy had it bad. Finnick looked over at Katniss and seeing her olive skin, he couldn't stop his mind from flashing to Annie's fair skin, lightly brushed with freckles, and thought of her green eyes. He physically shook his head to get the image out. What was happening to him? Why was she always there? He was planning on going to the bookstore the following Tuesday to see her. She said she wanted to see him. She actually said the words out loud. There was no mistaking it. And he really wanted to see her again.
The rest of the night passed by uneventfully. He went out for a drink with his friend Thom, but came straight home. At eleven, Peeta still wasn't back. Hmmm. About half an hour later, Finnick heard the door open. He stepped out of his room to see what was up. Peeta stood with his back against the door. Finnick didn't miss his flushed cheeks or the way his lips were red from use. His eyes met Finnick's and a large grin spread across his features.
"I'm a goner."
Finnick smiled back at him. He knew the feeling.
On Tuesday as soon as his lunch break rolled around, Finnick jumped into his car and drove straight to the bookstore. She should be there. He kept repeating that to himself. This was the time that he had seen her the past two times at the bookstore, so naturally she should be there again. This thinking was rewarded when he stepped into the store and saw her checking a customer out at the front. Her eyes flew to his and stayed there, even as she answered the customer's question, and didn't drift back until she took his money. She handed the older man back his change and wished him a good day. Finnick moved to her when she was no longer occupied.
"Hey." Finnick said as he approached.
"Hey." She answered shyly. The silence was deafening. They simply stood in each other's powers for several moments, staring at one another. Finally, Finnick broke the spell and reached into his pocket.
"I brought you this." He said as he held out the tea bag, "I would have brought you a cup of tea, but I only get so much time for lunch and I didn't want to waste it standing in line."
"Oh, thank you." She seemed genuinely surprised as she took the packet from him. Their fingers brushed, and Finnick couldn't hold back his smile.
"Peppermint," she read off of the teabag.
"Yeah, it's what you had at the coffee shop the other day," Finnick replied sheepishly.
"Thank you, it's my favorite," she said. "Umm we have a microwave in the back. I mean tea sounds good. Would you want to…" She paused, clearly struggling with what she wanted to say.
"Would you like to go to the back with me so I can make tea?" she asked. He nodded and began to follow her until she stopped suddenly and turned around.
"Wait, did you say it's your lunch break?" she asked as worry clouded her features.
"Yes, I did, but that's no matter. Come on, let's get you some tea," Finnick insisted.
"But you need to eat," she said. She sounded worried, which made Finnick nervous. Was she trying to get rid of him? He wanted to smack himself. Since when did he get nervous?
"No, I'm good. I had a big breakfast, and I have a granola bar in my desk for later. Really, it's no problem," he reassured her.
"Okay…" She still looked unsure so he gave her his best smile. The one that usually got him whatever he wants. He was shocked when she just looked at him more intensely, as though he was a puzzle she wanted to figure out.
"Seriously though, my roommate owns a bakery so I am very well fed," he added to try and appease her. She smiled, and this time it reached her eyes. It was then that he noticed her hair was in a fishtail braid that was pulled forward over her right shoulder. There were a few pieces down around her face, and he thought they framed her features perfectly. She turned and they finally began their journey to the back again. They entered a small room with a table, a coffee maker, a mini-fridge, and a microwave. She pulled a mug from a tiny cabinet and then turned to him.
"Would you like some coffee or anything?" she asked.
"Oh, I'm good. Thanks though," he said. She quickly filled her cup with water from a water bottle from the fridge. She dropped the tea bag in and stuck the mug in the microwave. She sat down at the table and motioned for him to do the same.
"So, how was your weekend?" she asked. He couldn't contain his excitement at the memory of his day with Mags.
"It was great! On Saturday, it was my nanny's birthday. You know the one I bought The Awakening for? Oh, she loved the first edition by the way. So I took her to brunch and then to see a play. We had a great time. I- I love her," he said. Annie couldn't help but notice how his eyes lit up when he was talking about his nanny. The microwave beeped, interrupting them. Annie quickly took her now steaming tea cup out and returned to the table.
"Which play? Was it good?" she continued on.
"It was terrific. It was The Goat, or Who is Sylvia by Edward Albee. Such a great play. It's down at the Undermain." Finnick noticed a look of recognition cross over her face.
"Wait, the Undermain?" she asked
"Yep," Finnick confirmed. She began to laugh and Finnick furrowed his brow.
"What?" he asked. She just looked at him and laughed more. When she finally stopped, she took a deep breath.
"Did you take your nanny to the matinee show?" she asked, as a smile spread across her lips.
"Yes." Finnick replied confused. He didn't understand what she would possibly be laughing about.
"My friend Johanna is the house manager there and on Sunday night she came over and would not stop talking about how she had seen the most beautiful man at the Saturday matinee," she said. Finnick raised his eyebrows at her.
"She said she would have jumped his bones had he not been with his grandma. Although she did say that being with an old lady probably made him even more attractive," she continued and Finnick smirked at this.
"I have no doubt in my mind that she was talking about you." Annie said, leaning back in her chair and bringing the mug to her lips. He watched her blow across the tea before she took a sip and grinned at her
"Beautiful, huh?" he asked. She rolled her eyes.
"Her words, not mine," she said and he laughed. They spent the rest of his lunch break sitting and talking. They didn't talk about anything important, but still, they were talking and for Finnick that was good enough. He stayed until the absolute last second before he had to go back to work, but he made sure to ask when she was working next.
"Well, I open tomorrow, but I have the same hours as today on Thursday," she explained.
"Can I come see you again?" Finnick asked hesistantly. She smiled and it looked so genuine that Finnick could practically feel his heartbeat slow down waiting for her response.
"I'd like that."