"I bet you could pull this off," Finnick smirked as he pulled a multi-coloured trench coat off the rack.

"Oh my god!" Taiya laughed as she looked at it. "Come on. Be serious. We're shopping for Tyler."

"I don't know why," Finnick sighed as he put the coat back. "He didn't get me anything for my birthday."

"He did!" Taiya smiled before laughing. "You just don't remember because you drank it all in one night." Finnick just waved a hand in the air dismissively, not wanting to admit to it. "Maybe he could get into scrapbooking," Taiya mused as she picked up a scrapbook.

"Yeah, I don't think that will happen," Finnick smirked as he took the scrapbook out of her hands and put it back. "Come on, if you want to shop for Tyler, let's go to a shop he'd actually like. This is just a store for you."

"You always spoil my fun," she sighed as she took his hand, quickly kissed him and then pulled him to leave the shop.

As they were about to exit, the door to the shop opened and in stepped her uncle and aunt, Shark's parents. She instantly tensed.

"Hi," she greeted quietly.

Her uncle merely stared at her with disdain. "Taiya," he greeted before quickly nodding at Finnick before pulling his wife away.

"Come on," Finnick muttered to her before leading her out of the store. "You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said harshly before scoffing. "I guess resentfulness is in the Kelpin blood. He and my mom are exactly the same."

"I don't think…"

"I mean seriously. What does it prove? Him being angry at us? We're not the ones he should be angry about. There's only one person he should be angry at and that's…."

She was cut off by Finnick, who quickly kissed her, holding her head in place so she couldn't move.

Slowly he pulled away and leant towards her ear. "Shh. There are ears everywhere," he warned.

How could she have been so stupid? She only had to dart her eyes to the side and she saw two Peacekeepers doing their rounds through the town. Taiya stiffened. That was foolish of her. She shouldn't have been talking so rebelliously out in public. It was one thing to discuss in the safety of their own home, but out in public like this? When she knew Peacekeepers marched through the village, that was reckless. They turned a blind eye to hers and Finnick's obvious relationship, but to rebellious talk like that? Not a chance"

Sorry. I didn't think," she apologised.

"It's ok," he smiled. "I've got you. I've always got you."

"Don't be flirty," she laughed as she bumped his side. "Alright, so seriously. What are we thinking? A new fishing rod? A cool fishing hat?"

"I'm thinking we get him a new punching bag," Finnick smirked as he grabbed her other hand and yanked her into the fitness store.

"What?" she asked panicked. "Finn, if we get him that, he'll make me use it with him for months!"

"Exactly," he nodded. "Get you out of my house for a while," he winked.

The phone ringing interrupted their movie night. Finnick immediately lunged to pause the movie as the couple stared at the phone.

The phone typically only rang when one person was calling. And it hadn't rung in a month. She'd tried numerous times to call, but would only get his assistant. It was worrying. Her one mission from Snow was to control Seneca Crane, and if he escaped her grasp she was sure it'd come with terrible consequences.

"I should get that," Taiya muttered.

Finnick nodded, as he placed a hand on the small of her back to help her up. Once she was standing, she sprinted over to the phone and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey," Seneca replied.

"Oh my god, Sen! Are you ok? I've been trying to reach you all month, I was getting so worried."

"Yeah. I'm fine," he answered dully.

She glanced over at Finnick who was watching her carefully before she walked into the next room. "Hey, is everything ok? It's just that I… well I've missed talking to you," she confessed truthfully.

"Really?" he asked, and she swears she could hear a bit of a smile in his voice.

"Well, yeah. I mean we talked like every second day, and then nothing. So are you ok?"

"I've been better," he confessed.

"Anything I can help with?" she asked and was met with silence. "Sen?"

"No, I don't think so. It's just been really busy. There's a lot of formalities to get through for being Head Gamemaker."

"Right," Taiya mutters. She just doesn't quite believe him.

"Look, that's why I'm calling actually. Can you make it to the Capitol this weekend? President Snow approved it. There's a party in my honour."

"Wow Sen that's amazing!" she gasped. "Of course, I'll be there!"

"Great. The President says to bring the other two," he says shortly. "Bye," he quickly before hanging up the phone, not giving her a chance to say anything else.

Taiya stood there for a minute dumbfounded. She couldn't quite tell what had happened between the two of them. She knew he'd helped her home after the last party, but then he hadn't shown up at the train station the next day to farewell her like he usually did. Maybe he was angry at her drinking from that night? She had to admit, from what she could remember of her behaviour from the past couple of parties they'd attended, she hadn't been great.

"What was that about?" Finnick asked as he came to stand in the doorway of the kitchen.

"I'm not sure," she sighed. "Something going on with him. I think I'm losing him. We have to go to the Capitol this weekend. Snow says you and Tyler have to come."

"What's it for?"

"A celebration for Seneca," she sighed. "We're going to have to be extra careful this weekend. Make sure you don't stand anywhere near me or even look at me. I've got to work out what's going on."

"Hey! There you are!" Taiya excitedly gasped as she found him at the party. She'd spend all day trying to track him down. He hadn't been at his apartment or at any of his usual spots in the city.

"Hey," he greeted, avoiding eye contact as he quickly kissed her on the cheek.

She went to hug him but he quickly moved away.

"I've got to go greet some people, I'll catch up with you later," he said as he walked around her.

She watched him leave with a frown on her face before she turned to Romulus. "Did I do something?"

Romulus just shrugged. "I have no idea, he won't tell me. He's been like this since you left last time. I'm not sure what's going on with him. I'm getting a little concerned actually. Look, do me a favour tonight ok? Don't drink," he requested. "Maybe that's what set him on edge. He was really worried about you at the last party."

Taiya nodded. "I wasn't planning on it."

"See if you can catch up to him," Romulus suggested. "If you annoy him enough he might tell you what's wrong."

Taiya nodded before she hurried after Seneca, who was quickly weaving his way through the crowd. She reached out and hooked her hand through his elbow, jerking him back slightly.

"Taiya," he stated uninterestedly.

Taiya looked him in the eyes with a frown before she pulled him to the side. "What is going on? Can you please tell me?"

He just looked down at her with stony eyes. "I'm not talking about this here," he said as he tried to walk away.

"Then when?" she pulled him back.

He sighed in annoyance. "After the party. We'll go to mine and talk."

"Ok," she nodded. "But I really want to support you tonight," she said as she placed a hand on her cheek. "Can you let me be there? The Capitol crowd loves me," she smiled softly. "I'll make them love you."

He studied her face carefully, strategically it probably made him more likeable if he had one of the Capitol's favourite celebrities on his arm. So he nodded, allowing her to hold onto the crook of his elbow as he made his way back out to the crowd.

"Oh dear, Mr Heavensbee!" Taiya laughed as she leaned into Seneca's side. "You cannot be serious. That is positively the most amusing thing I have heard all night!" she declared.

Seneca had been right. She could play the crowd exactly how she wanted, it did make him look good.

"Oh marvellous," Taiya gasped as a waiter walked past with a tray of shots. "A toast shall we?" she declared as she raised a glass.

Everyone in their little group nodded, not wanting to disagree with the girl and grabbed a glass each.

"To my marvellous partner! The simply wonderful Seneca Crane, I adore you," she declared. Everyone raised their glasses in agreement before drinking. Seneca observed her carefully. He'd been watching her all evening. Which meant he saw her toss the liquor over her shoulder whilst pretending she'd drunk it.

Seneca decided to call her out on it and whispered in her ear. "That's the sixth drink you've pretended to drink."

"Loosen their inhibitions, but keep my own," she whispered back. "That's how I know that man is gunning for your job," she winked as she gestured her head in Plutarch's direction. She turned back to Plutarch to see him smirking at her, he seemed to be observing her as closely as she was observing him. She merely sent a wink his way and he smiled before rejoining the group's conversation. "Oh, my sweetheart," she spoke up loudly to Seneca. "I just adore this song. Dance with me won't you?" she asked him, holding out her hand for him to take. Seneca only hesitated for a moment before he grasped her hand and allowed her to drag him to the dance floor. He loosened up slightly to her since the start of the night.

"You know how to play these people well," Seneca noted as they swayed on the dance floor. "Wonder how long you've been doing that."

At his last little remark, she looked up at him with a frown. "I feel like you're angry at me for something. I just don't know what."

"As I said, we'll talk later. Let's just get through tonight," he said firmly, making her go silent.

She was terrified. She couldn't afford this relationship to fail. She had so many loved ones left. After the game she'd started playing with Snow, if she put a foot out of line, he would not hesitate to strike back.

"Time to go," Seneca said to her as he approached her later in the night. She'd been socialising with some of the wives of the other Gamemakers, trying to ascertain their degree of belief in Seneca's abilities to run the game. Overall it seemed rather positive, but most had doubts about his younger age.

"Of course my darling," she purred as she straightened his collar. "Ladies, it's just been absolutely marvellous talking to you tonight but I am afraid we must be going," she smiled as she wrapped an arm around Seneca's waist. "I mean there is only so much time we get to spend with each other before I'm forced to return home," she giggled. She hadn't consumed a single drink tonight, but these ladies had been very forthcoming with the information she was after due to the fact she was acting inebriated. It wouldn't work for her to drop the act completely.

"Until the next party Taiya!" some women farewelled her, and she allowed Seneca to steer her out of the party. She could feel him watching her as they left, she had to work hard to prevent her eyes from straying to check on Finnick or Tyler. She couldn't tell either of them she was leaving. They'd all agreed on strictly no contact with her until she could confirm what was going on with Seneca.

As they left the party, they posed for some of the cameras stationed out front. That'd guarantee them prime-time coverage on Caesar Flickerman's show for the next week.

As soon as they were out of sight of the cameras, Seneca very quickly released his hold on her, causing her to stumble slightly.

"Sorry," he muttered apologetically, as he used a hand to steady her.

"Can you tell…"

"When we get up to my apartment," he cut her off as he turned to enter his building code,

"You're making me nervous," she confessed as she followed him into the lobby.

"What for?" he mumbled. "I promised I'd tell you the truth. It's not like I'm a liar," he said as he walked into the elevator. Taiya stared after him from the doorway to the building and he reached forward to hold the elevator doors open. "You coming or not?"

"I never said you were a liar?" she snapped irritably before she followed him into the elevator.

"No you didn't," he agreed as he stared ahead as they began ascending up to his high-rise apartment.

"Are you angry with me about something?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied.

She took a deep breath as the elevator doors opened and he stepped out, not even waiting for her as he opened the door to his apartment and walked in, leaving it open for her to follow.

She clenched her eyes closed momentarily before she gathered the courage to follow after him. She quietly shut the door behind her and hung her coat up in the entry closet. She walked through to the living room where he was pouring two whiskeys. He sat down and placed her glass on the opposite side of the table, sending a clear message she wasn't to sit next to him. She carefully lowered herself into her seat before taking a quick sip of the drink.

"I'm going to ask you something and I want you to be completely honest," he began almost immediately. As harsh as his voice sounded, his eyes were tearing and it perhaps made her even more nervous. "I'm not going to ask until you promise."

"I promise," Taiya croaked.

"Are you having an affair with Finnick Odair?" he asked her, before quickly dropping his eyes, unable to look at her.

She froze. She thought he'd been angry with her because she hadn't progressed their relationship, she hadn't gone home with him before tonight. They had been 'dating' for nearly 4 years at this point. Or that perhaps he'd spoken to Snow and realised their relationship would never get permission to go past where it was now.

"What makes you ask that?" she shakily asked.

"Because you told me about it," he scoffed as he drank the rest of his drink. "When I took you home last month. His clothes were on your floor, you told me they were his. I saw you at the last Games. Him holding you, comforting you. I tried to reason it," he laughed. "Tried to think of it as him just being a good friend. But the way he was holding you… I've never been able to hold you like that. It was so intimate. I watch you two at parties, and even though you're not with each other, I see you watching him, and him watching you," he said as he stood up and refilled his glass.

Taiya was frozen. Everything was coming undone. Snow would decimate everyone she knew. Unable to mask her emotions, she burst into wails and collapsed her head into her hands as she frantically shook her head. Seneca turned to look at her, despite his rage, he did love her, and he wanted to comfort her. He took a step towards her before shaking his head and turning back to his glass.

"Oh my god, oh my god," she hyperventilated as she pulled at her hair. Her one job. Failed. Because she'd been unable to attend the last party without drowning herself in alcohol and it had ended up being her undoing. "What have I done, what have I done."

"Cheats never prosper right," he said sullenly as he sat back down.

Her eyes flicked up to his. Before she even knew what she was doing, she was on her knees in front of him. "Please, please, Seneca, please. I'm begging you. You have to help me. Please, I can't lose anyone else! I won't make it. Please," she screeched, and he jerked in shock. He didn't know what reaction he was expecting from her, but it certainly wasn't this.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"He'll kill them all. Please!" she grabbed at his hands.

His eyes immediately widened and he leaned toward her. "What are you talking about? Who's going to kill who?" She gasped as she slapped her hand over her mouth. She couldn't say that. Her despair had caused her to slip. "Tell me," he pressed.

"No, no, I can't," she shook her head as she stood up and stumbled.

He immediately grabbed her by the wrists and gently pulled her onto the couch, holding onto her so she couldn't flee. "You said no lies."

"Please don't make me. Please," she cried.

"President Snow?" he asked quietly.

She immediately froze, confirming his guess. He'd heard rumours, rumours he'd dare not repeat to anyone. Rumours of people paying for nights with victors. Paying Snow for nights with victors. It was why during the 69th Hunger Games year he'd been so insistent on spending every night with Taiya in some form. Whether that be going to parties or having card nights with his brother. If there were any truth to the rumour, surely one of the most popular victors, his girlfriend, would be in high demand. When she happily accompanied him every night he'd written the rumours off as just that, nothing but rumours.

"I don't know what you mean," she stuttered, sensing a trap.

"Does he make you do things?" he asked her.

"What do you know?" she asked cautiously.

"I don't know anything!" he snapped. "You never tell me anything."

"You know something," she said quietly.

"I heard rumours. A couple of years ago. Just meaningless gossip." She continued staring at him, urging him to continue. "There was a rumour that the President was selling victors to the Capitol elite. Or at least their bodies. But I tested it and it wasn't true."

"It's not a meaningless rumour," she whispered, so quietly he almost couldn't hear. "How did you disprove it?"

"I was with you every night. It was very obvious no one was paying for your company," he answered, releasing his hold on her wrist as he turned to face forward.

"I don't have to do that," she replied, and he merely watched her out the corner of his eye. "Others do," she confessed. "Cashmere, Gloss, Tyler occasionally. Finnick."

"Why should I believe you?"

"No lies. I promised. Your friend, Lucius, it's not dates he has with Cashmere. It's paid appointments." She glanced up at him, he may not have been acknowledging her, but she had his attention. "Everyone who's popular has to do it. If they don't… there are consequences."

"You're one of the most popular, you don't do it."

"I have a different job," she confessed as she anxiously fiddled with her fingers.

"And what's that?"

"You," she admitted, and he turned back to look at her. "You're my job."

"What does that even mean?"

"You're a new generation. New ideas. It makes him nervous." She figured her only avenue now was the truth, it'd be the only way to win him back. So she took a shaky breath and continued. "He thought that if I could make you fall in love with me, I'd be able to feed his ideas to you and you'd be more willing to comply."

Seneca was gaping at her. He didn't know what he'd been expecting to hear. But it wasn't that. "So you felt ok with that? Morally you've got no problem manipulating my feelings for 4 years."

"I had no choice," she sobbed. "If you refuse he kills someone you love," she reached forward to grab his hand, but he yanked it away. "Finnick refused to work for Snow," she explained, ignoring the way he tensed at Finnick's name. "He refused, and in retaliation, Snow killed both of his parents and mine. He held me over Finnick's head, but he still couldn't do it, so Snow had me reaped, and then Finnick said yes and he's a pawn ever since."

"That's not true," Seneca denied. "You can't rig the Games, they have integrity."

"Seneca!" she gasped incredulously. "No, they don't. You tried to rig them last year to help me. Your father did it for years! There's no integrity!"

"What about my father?" he asked and she stiffened.

"Your father. He took bribes from the Capitol elite, to help them with their bets. He rigged the Games."

"He wouldn't do that. My father was a good man."

"He killed 23 kids a year!" she yelled angrily. "And he picked which ones would die, based on who would earn him the most money! That's not a good man Seneca!" She then reached forward and drank the rest of her drink as Seneca sat silently contemplating.

Her emotions were now a bit better under control. But she had to be cautious.

"If I refused him," she said quietly. "If I told him no, I wouldn't be in a relationship with you, he would kill my friends back home. Until I had no one left. Johanna refused to sell herself like the others, everyone she loves is dead," Taiya confessed as she blinked through the tears. "That's why she drinks so much," she sniffled. "She's got nothing. She doesn't let herself care about anyone. The only people she can be friends with are compliant victors because she knows Snow won't kill us. We're valuable to him. She goes home and she is so alone."

Seneca looked over at her. Processing what she was saying to him. He didn't know what to think, what to feel.

Taiya wiped underneath her eyes to clear the fallen tears. "I'm so sorry Seneca. I'm so, so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I care about you. I really do. But I have to protect those I love. No matter what."

"What about Finnick?" Seneca asked.

"He works for Snow," she answered quickly.

"Are you and him together?" Seneca asked. Taiya stiffened, she knew he'd come back to that.

"Yes," she answered quietly.

Seneca scoffed. "You two must make fun of me all the time," he muttered angrily. "Stupid Crane, in love with someone who will never be his."

"No," she shook his head. "No never. Sen. I was with Finnick before I was reaped. I always have been with him. But we can't be together publicly because it will cost Snow money and power."

Seneca studied her eyes. He saw the truth in them, but it did nothing to dull the betrayal he felt.

"What were your plans with me huh? Just continue on in this sham of a relationship?"

Taiya looked at him. If she was going to get him to help her she needed to tell him everything. "Snow wanted me to marry you," she confessed. "He told me I had to. I refused. He reaped Annie as punishment. Then my cousin volunteered to repay the Cresta family for Theo volunteering to help me. Reaping Annie worked more effectively than he could have planned," she hissed between gritted teeth. "I confronted him in those Games and I said I couldn't marry you, but he can't hurt people I love because I told him that I could manipulate you into rigging the Games in District 4's favour and then the whole concept of the Games would be questioned and it would reflect on Snow himself. He said ok. He said I don't have to marry you, and I got him to agree to let District 4 win those Games and I would stay loyal to him and the long game plan he has to influence the Games through you. He asked who I wanted to win, I said Shark. So he let him die and saved Annie. Just to show me who was in charge," she wiped her tears again.

Seneca was silent for a few minutes as he processed. "Would marrying me really have been that horrible?"

"No," she shook her head. "No. In a way, I do love you. I'm just not.."

"In love with me," he surmised, and she shook her head.

"No. I'm in love with Finnick. I have been for years. I could never marry anyone else. Marriages are sacred in 4, the only person I ever want to marry is him," she confessed.

"You want to marry him?"

"One day," she nodded. "Maybe when we're not Capitol slaves."'

They sat in silence for half an hour, as she allowed Seneca to process what she had told him.

Eventually, he spoke up. "People have been questioning the speed of our relationship. Asking me why we're not married, or at least engaged. It's not normal for a relationship in the Capitol. I keep telling them District 4 has a different timeline, and that's placated them for a while. It won't work much longer. We should get engaged," he announced, and she looked up at him in a panic. "We won't get married. You aren't in love with me, you've made that clear. But unfortunately, I am with you. So I'll help you. We'll keep up appearances. It'll make Snow happy, and it'll keep you safe. You'll need to stay in the Capitol more often, stay here more often, so people can see you coming and going from my apartment. You can make the guest room your own. I can just say we're in no rush to get married because I need to teach you all the ways of the Capitol."

"Sen.." she started.

"Let me finish. I won't interfere with you and Odair." He scoffed as he shook his head. "Despite how betrayed I feel, I do want you to be happy. And if that's with him, then so be it. I don't want you to lose people you love," he looked over at her and reached to take her hand comfortingly. "I'll keep you safe," he muttered. "But I also need you happy."

Taiya let out a sob of relief and flung herself at Seneca, pulling him in for a hug. She wasn't in love with the man, but after these years, she truly considered him one of her best friends.

"I really wish I was able to love you like that," she whispered. "You truly are one of my favourite people."

"I'll just never hold a candle to Odair," he muttered bitterly as he held her back.

A nice long chapter here! According to my timeline, the next chapter is the 74th Hunger Games, but I'm wondering whether I should include an extra chapter in between because I feel it's been a while since we've had some good Taiya/Finnick moments, let me know if you have any thoughts!