The energy was high in the room. The sleepover excitement was immense. It was like a carnival inside of compartment O.

Taiya was standing on the top bunk, hands in the air proudly as if commanding an imaginary kingdom consisting of just Johanna.

"Bow down, peasants!" Taiya proclaimed with an exaggerated enthusiasm that would give any Capitol citizen a run for their money.

"Get down you nutcase," Johanna put her hands on her hips, shaking her head with a smirk as she tried to contain her laughter. She was still moving a little slower than she used to, so she wasn't feeling up to joining her friend on the top bunk. "If Fishstick 2 comes in and sees you up there, I'm going to get the blame."

"Why would you get the blame? I'm the cool kid up here," Taiya retorted, grinning at her subject below.

"Because in Fishstick's eyes, you can do no wrong," Johanna replied with an eye roll.

"That's because I am innocent," Taiya protested.

Johanna couldn't stop the cackle that escaped her lips. There was not a chance Taiya was innocent, mischief was her speciality.

"Anyway, last time I got hurt, I got in trouble, not you. So your theory doesn't hold up," she shrugged.

"That's because it was your fault!" Johanna gasped, unable to believe Taiya was still going to try to pin her backflip disaster on her.

The door to their compartment started to open, signalling Finnick's arrival. In a panic, Taiya swiftly dropped down from her 'throne' atop the bunk bed, landing on her knees with a theatrical flair.

Finnick froze as he walked in. He could see Taiya bouncing from how quickly she'd dropped down, and Johanna was staring guiltily at Finnick.

"What did you two do?" he asked suspiciously, eyeing them both with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you think he means us?" Johanna asked Taiya.

"I think he does. Do you mean us?" Taiya asked.

"Yes, I do," Finnick nodded.

"Nothing," Taiya shot her head.

"Nothing at all," Johanna quickly echoed her sentiment.

"Why would you think we did anything?"

"We've never done anything wrong in our lives," Johanna shook her head.

Finnick eyed them sceptically. In the past, when they'd spoken in rapid-fire like they just did, it was because they were guilty of something.

"Never done anything wrong in your lives, huh?" he remarked dryly. "Oh whatever," he rolled his eyes, moving to sit down on his and Taiya's bed. "So what's the plan for tonight? You know the party's tomorrow so you guys can't go too crazy. We don't want any broken bones."

Taiya's eyes sparked at that suggestion and she shot Johanna a wink as she lay down on the top bunk.

"Oh geez," Johanna instantly groaned. It was a good thing Finnick couldn't see what she was about to do.

Taiya rolled herself off the top bunk, falling the short distance to the larger bed below, landing with a thud next to Finnick.

This scared him and he leapt up, not having expected anyone to come falling next to him.

"Tay!" he gasped. "I just said no broken bones!"

"That was actually so fun," Taiya stared back up at the bunk above. "Let's do that again!"

"No," Finnick shook his head, catching her around the waist and spinning her off the bed.

"The plan seems to be to annoy you," Johanna smirked at her friends.

"When is it not?" Finnick groaned.

"Hey, that's not fair," Taiya protested. "Remember that one time we decided to annoy Tyler instead? That was fun."

"You say that like he didn't try to throttle us after we spent the night playing ding-dong ditch on his door," Finnick rolled his eyes as he released his hold on her.

"It was funny though," Taiya smiled widely at the memory.

"Yeah, it was," Finnick admitted. "How's rooming with Katniss going?" Finnick asked Johanna.

"I haven't moved in yet," she sheepishly shrugged. "I'd prefer to stay in the hospital."

"I thought you said that was a secret?" Taiya complained.

She hated keeping secrets from Finnick, but Johanna had sworn this secret on girl code, and you couldn't break girl code.

"I can change my mind Tayden," Johanna snarked.

"Whatever Joseph," Taiya fell back onto the bed dramatically.

"So, Fishstick 2," Johanna smirked at Finnick. "How does it feel to be the third wheel inside your own compartment?"

"I'm resigned to my fate," he admitted. "There's just no competing with true love," he mocked.

"Damn straight!" Taiya sat up in agreement. "But he's lying, he's not resigned to it. He complained all day about being kicked out of his bed and having to sleep on the bunk."

"I mean… fair," Johanna admitted. It was a valid complaint.

"Exactly!" Finnick threw his hands up, glad someone agreed with him. "See Tay, I told you Jo would be happy with the top bunk."

"Woah, hang on. I said it was a valid complaint, but that doesn't mean I'm not sharing a bed with Fishstick 1," Johanna shook her head.

"Sisters before misters!" Taiya stood up and pulled Johanna in for a hug.

"On second thoughts," Johanna shoved her off. "You can take her."

"I'm thinking natural makeup," Effie flourished her hand through the hair. "No lipstick, of course, you and Finnick have already been proven you can't be trusted not to mess it up," she sighed dramatically.

"I trust your vision, Effie," Taiya grumbled, wanting the conversation to be over.

"It's just so exciting isn't it!"

"Hey!" she yelled when she caught sight of Gloss and Tyler whispering to each other in the hallway. Her instincts immediately flared up and she swiftly stormed towards them. Tyler would never go out of his way to talk to Gloss unless Gloss was leading him astray and recruiting him in a prank.

Without hesitation, Taiya reached them and grabbed each of them by their collar, pulling them closer.

"Oi, watch it Ambersnow," Gloss immediately protested until he caught the glare on her face.

Her eyes bore into theirs and the message was clear. "I swear to God, if either one of you does anything to disrupt this party, I will rain hellfire down upon you both," she hissed, her tone laced with intensity.

Gloss attempted to pull away, but Taiya's grip remained unyielding.

"I thought you didn't want this party?" he asked.

Taiya shook her head. "Oh, I don't. I think it's stupid, but Finnick wants it, and he's excited. I'm not letting either of you two bozos mess this up for him. That means no pranks. Am I understood?"

Tyler and Gloss just grumbled in response, their reluctance apparent, but neither verbally acknowledged her demands.

Taiya's patience wore thin. "I said, am I understood!"

"Yes, yes," Gloss agreed. "Now get off," Gloss shoved her arm and she released her grip on them.

Taiya shot them a final warning look before turning on her heel and striding back to Effie.

"Well I never…" the woman gasped, not having expected to see a confrontation today.

"It'll be fine Effie, just making sure they don't act up," Taiya reassured. "Come on," she waved the woman along, getting her to start walking again. There was one hour until the party began.

"Oh," Effie clapped her hands excitedly. "Look at you. A vision!"

"Thanks, Effie," Taiya smiled before she stepped in front of the mirror. It was exactly how she wanted to look for this.

Her long hair flowed down her back in loose curls. She swished the skirt of the dress around, watching how it moved in the mirror.

"Nice dress," Buck spoke up from the doorway.

Taiya turned to look at him with a smile. "Thanks."

"Here," he placed something in her hands. "Katniss picked the flowers this morning and Prim put them together."

It was a flower crown.

"Nice!" smiled widely, handing it to Effie to put on her head. It was stunning.

"You ready?" he asked, studying her closely.

"Yeah," she nodded, turning to her friend and noticing his scrutinising gaze. "What?" she asked, suddenly self-conscious. "Is something wrong with my makeup?"

Buck leaned in, inspecting her face intently, trying to mask his observation with a playful tease and he raised his finger to point at her face. "What's this?" he remarked with a faint smile. "Is that a smile I see?"

"Shut up," Taiya retorted, playfully shoving his finger away. She had been determined to hate today, but truth be told, she was excited. Finnick's excitement was contagious, and now that she was ready, she could feel the excitement bubbling inside her. Finnick had gone to bed early to get a good night's sleep so he'd be fresh and ready for the day.

Johanna hadn't been too happy about that and Taiya had to convince her to stop bullying him for it, which was difficult because she really wanted to join in the teasing too.

"Finnick's waiting for you with Tyler," Buck said, opening the door ready for them to go.

"Thanks, Effie," Taiya acknowledged the woman who had been meticulously helping her with her makeup and hair.

"Don't ruin my masterpiece," Effie teased with a smile, before leaving to join the party.

"Hello boys," Taiya greeted as they approached Finnick and Tyler.

Tyler and Finnick turned to look at her and Tyler smiled.

"You look lovely," Tyler instantly complimented.

"Thank you very much," Taiya flipped her hair over her shoulder smugly. She then turned to look at Finnick. He hadn't given her much of a reaction.

However, before she could say something to him, a bright grin illuminated his face, his eyes lighting up with pure joy. Without warning, he raced towards her, lifting her into the air, and causing her to let out a surprised squeal, followed by infectious laughter.

Finnick spun her around playfully, her initial uncertainty about his reaction evaporated, replaced by sheer delight.

"You look beautiful," Finnick said with a warm smile as he gently set her back down, his eyes swimming with admiration.

Taiya blushed. "Thank you very much," she replied. Any scepticism she had about this evening was gone. The joy he had zapped it all away.

"All right," Tyler clapped his hands. "We'll go let Plutarch know you're both ready. Then they'll open those doors for you, you guys walk in, be all happy, they'll be filming you. Then I guess just enjoy the party. Buck," he jerked his head, signally the man to follow.

"I still can't believe there's no booze at this party," the man grumbled.

"There was never going to be any alcohol, Buck. Alcohol is banned in 13, I don't know how you got it in your head there'd be alcohol."

As soon as Buck and Tyler were out of sight, Finnick was on her. She hadn't even had a chance to utter a word. Finnick drew her closer, his lips immediately meeting hers in a soft embrace.

"You look so beautiful," he whispered in a hushed tone. "This is nice," he glanced up and gently poked the flower arrangement on her head.

"Katniss and Prim's present," Taiya smiled proudly.

But she was interrupted by another kiss.

"That dress looks amazing on you, but I have to admit, I can't wait to get it off you later," he whispered in her ear before pulling her into another kiss.

Lost in the sweetness of the moment, they didn't hear the countdown before the doors were swung open, revealing them to the entirety of the party. The room immediately erupted into cheers of applause.

Taiya slowly lowered her arms from around Finnick's neck as her face heated up in a blush. She caught Tyler and Buck's eyes, as they were standing by the door, and she couldn't hear it, but she could've sworn she saw Buck complain 'oh good lord'.

She saw Effie standing with Haymitch, her hands on her face shaking her head. There was a reason they didn't use lipstick tonight, but the lady was still stressed about her carefully crafted makeup.

Finnick lowered his hands from her waist and moved to hold her hands, intertwining their fingers together.

"Are you okay?" Finnick whispered with a glance at her.

Taiya looked back at him, nothing but pure love in her eyes. "With you, always," she smiled. Their bond was a sanctuary, a source of unwavering support that would never be broken so long as they stayed by each other's sides.

They smiled at each other before they redirected their gaze to the party and raised their joined hands, drawing a louder cheer from the guests.

Taiya held onto the inside of Finnick's elbow, a genuine smile adorning her face as they made their way into the party. She didn't even have to fake it, her joy was real now, and she didn't need to feign happiness.

As they navigated their way into the party, their first encounter was with Katniss. It'd been set up that way for the propo, capture the Mockingjay being the first one to greet the engaged couple.

"Hey," Katniss greeted awkwardly.

"Thanks for the flower crown Katniss," Taiya immediately thanked the younger girl. "I love it."

"It was nothing, but you're welcome," Katniss waved her hand. She looked around the party uncertainly. After being so private with their relationship for so many years, she could understand why Taiya was not so keen on this party, everyone had their eyes on them. She'd heard Taiya muttering and complaining about it to Tyler when they'd gone on their trip to 12. "Do you guys like this?"

"Well," Finnick smiled down at Taiya. "I can't speak for Tay, but…"

Taiya cut him off before he could finish. "We both love it," she looked up at Finnick with a smile.

His eyes widened as he studied her. She was telling the truth. He hadn't expected her to ever get on board with this given the amount she complained.

"You're amazing," Finnick flung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to his side.

"I'm excited for the cake," Taiya bounced on her feet.

"You're always excited for cake," Finnick laughed.

"That's because cake is always awesome."

Cressida, the one in charge of filming these propos, approached Taiya and Finnick with a warm smile. "Hi guys," she greeted them cheerfully. "Are we able to get a message from you all to send to Snow?"

"A message for Snow?" Taiya asked, and Cressida nodded.

Taiya smirked at the request. And she then proceeded to flip off the camera.

Finnick was momentarily caught off guard by Taiya's move and stared at her finger for a moment before jerking into action and gently grasping her hand and lowering it.

He turned to Cressida and chuckled nervously. "Sorry about that," he apologised on her behalf.

"I'm not," Taiya shook her head, a wide grin on her face.

Katniss was looking down at the floor, trying to hide her smirk.

"How about any words you'd like for us to share with President Snow?" Cressida clarified.

Taiya jumped in with an answer before either of the other two could. "I hate you and you smell like bad potpourri."

Katniss couldn't hide the giggle that escaped her mouth this time.

"I mean that's… I'm not sure if Plutarch will approve that for the broadcast," Cressida glanced back at Pollux. Now she understood why Plutarch wished them luck before they came over.

Finnick gave Taiya's shoulder a small squeeze in warning, but his smile never wavered.

"Ok, how about this:

Oh - my twitchy witchy president,
Your meanness is plain to see
A man of poison, his enemies beware,
Snow won't land on top…. that's my…. DARE!"

She clicked her fingers when she found an ending rhyme. "Hey that wasn't bad," she turned to Finnick for approval who nodded his head. "I'm a poet and I know it!" she winked at the camera. "Rot in hell Snowball," Taiya scowled before grabbing Finnick's hand and pulling him away from the bustling centre of the party and towards Johanna, who was lurking on the edge.

"This party is stupid," Johanna grumbled, unimpressed.

"I love it," Taiya beamed. "I just got to flip Snow off on camera."

Johanna's eyes lit up at the proposition. "Where can I sign up for that?"

"Cressida is over there," Taiya pointed out, nodding toward Cressida amidst the filming crew. "They're collating messages for Snow, just tell her you have one."

"This party just got more interesting," Johanna took off to cause trouble with Cressida's plans for the night.

"I reckon you could get all of the victors to join in," Finnick encouraged her joke.

Taiya's eyes lit up. "You think?" and he responded with a confident nod. "Best night ever!" Taiya exclaimed.

Finnick gave her an offended look, knowing full well she was exaggerating.

"Oh, shut up," she playfully shoved him, a grin on her face. "Let's go tell Gloss," she grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the District 1 victor.

"Lip Gloss!"

"Stop calling me that," Gloss whined.

"Feel like causing trouble?"

"I thought you said there was a pranking ban on tonight?" Gloss tilted his head in confusion.

"There is," she nodded seriously. "But this is a joke. It's different. Cressida is asking if we have a message for President Snow and…"

"Who's Cressida?"

"The woman with the camera. Focus! But she's asking if we have a message for President Snow…"

"I don't really want to get involved in the propos though."

"Gloss," she snapped. "Shut up. she's asking if we have a message for President Snow, and I flipped off the camera. We just sent Johanna to join in."

"Flipping off Snow on camera?" Gloss smiled, rubbing his hands together eagerly. "My time has come," he said with a gleam in his eyes as he searched the crowd for the camera woman and her crew.

Taiya followed his eyesight and watched him go past Cressida multiple times. She wasn't hard to miss, she had a giant crew and lights around her.

"Gloss…" Taiya grabbed his chin and moved it so he was looking in the right direction.

"Oh right!" he nodded when he spotted her. "I'm off."

"Do you need glasses?" Taiya asked before he could leave. "You know they have an optometrist here."

"Shut up," he scowled before stalking off towards Cressida and the crew.

Haymitch thought his eardrums were bleeding.

It sounded like screeching to him.

To Taiya and Jo, it sounded beautiful though.

"JO AND TAIYA! TAIYA AND JO! AND HAYMITCH IS HERE TOO
LOOK OVER THERE, THERE'S BUCK.
BUT WHO'S THE COOLEST? WE ARE!"

The two girls spun around so they were standing back to back, their signature move.

They had to do some editing because Chaff was… well… no longer over there. So they chose Buck after the man explicitly said he didn't want to be involved.

"I like the Taiya and Jo version better," Haymitch tried to humour them.

"See! I told you," Taiya stood up straighter and faced Johanna. "The coolest one should always go first."

"First the worst, second the best," Johanna teased.

"Well in this version you want your name is first, so HA!" Taiya pointed out with a cheer.

"Shit," Johanna grumbled. "Why'd you have to go and ruin a good time Haymitch?"

"What did I do?" Haymitch complained immediately.

"Tyler!" Taiya grabbed Johanna's hand and pulled him towards her mentor, who was currently speaking with Finnick. "Showtime!" she smiled at him.

"Oh god no," Finnick moaned, he'd already had to listen to it last night.

"Show time?" Tyler frowned in confusion, looking between the two girls. Then his eyes widened as it dawned on him what show he was about to get. He was traumatised from their days in the Capitol when he had to listen to them drunkenly singing.

"JO AND TAIYA! TAIYA AND JO! AND HAYMITCH IS HERE TOO
LOOK OVER THERE, THERE'S BUCK
BUT WHO'S THE COOLEST? WE ARE!"

"Neither of you are cool," Tyler shook his head.

"You're just jealous Buck got included and you didn't," Taiya shrugged. "You liked it right?" she asked Finnick.

"Loved it."

"Coward," Tyler muttered.

"Cake!" Taiya gasped, spotting the cake being wheeled in by four people.

She immediately grabbed ahold of Finnick's hand and ran them toward the dessert she was desperate to try.

"Oh my god," Taiya squeaked as she took in the decoration. "This looks flipping awesome!"

It was dazzling. The cake had blue-green, white-tipped icing waves swimming with fish and sailboats, seals and sea flowers.

A Peeta Mellark speciality.

"Yeah, well, I'm sure it tastes good too," Buck grumbled, not happy that Peeta had gotten all her praise.

"Yeah, I'm sure it will Mrs. Bake-a-lot," Taiya taunted. "Coolest cake ever!"

"Oh Tay, check it out," Finnick grabbed her and pulled her down a little bit.

"Eek," she squealed, grabbing onto his arm in excitement. "A pirate hat! Jo! Come check it out," she stood up, calling the woman over.

"Neat," Johanna nodded her approval as she assessed it.

"Can we get a round of applause for the cake?" Plutarch called out to the crowd as he approached the couple.

"Oh no," Taiya sighed. Here comes Plutarch to ruin a good time.

"And can I get a bigger cheer for our happy, newly engaged couple."

The crowd erupted into cheers.

They were not, however, newly engaged. It'd been a year.

"Do you think he'll talk for long?" Taiya whispered to Finnick as Plutarch continued his spiel.

"I'm on it," Finnick sighed reluctantly. "Let's cut the cake!" he yelled excitedly over Plutarch, cutting off the man's speech.

"Whoop!" Taiya cheered, kissing him on the cheek to thank him for containing Plutarch.

"Here, hold it with me," he took her hand and pulled her closer so they could both hold the knife.

"Get the camera angle, get the camera angle," they could hear Plutarch directing in the back.

But they were tuning him out. They were together. They were happy. They were together and happy.