Katniss got up at about three, which was a relief. According to Haymitch, it was normal for her to stay in her room all day, and not make an appearance until the next day.
I met up with her at the interviews. She looked beautiful, sitting in the last row reserved for mentors. She laughed at something Peeta told her, but not for real. Just that fake laugh she used when something was amusing, but not funny enough for her to actually laugh.
I made my way back to her. She caught my eye, whispered something to Peeta, then stood up and walked away.
"Is she avoiding me?" I said, as a joke to Peeta as I took my seat next to Katniss's.
"Ha. No, no she's not," Peeta said, his laugh faker than Katniss's.
"What did I do?" I asked, my smile slipping away.
"I don't know," He answered, staring off in the direction that Katniss had taken her leave.
I sighed. "Great. Just what I need." I followed his gaze.
"Should one of us follow her?" he asked.
"You should," I responded. "If she's mad at me, she won't want to see me."
Peeta nodded in agreement before getting up to find her.
"Don't dwell on it too much," Mags told me, catching the pain on my face. "I don't think she's mad at you. You've been nothing but good to her all week."
Britt leaned forward so she could see me around Mags. "Did you say anything to her that could've been perceived wrong?"
I stared down at my hands, trying to remember back to the last time I saw her. Then it hit me. She told me she loved me. While I had been floating above Cloud 9 all day, it occured to me that she might not know how to deal with this confession. Katniss was generally a very closed off person, and that was a pretty big confession.
"No," I said instead. Which was the truth. I didn't say anything to upset her.
Just as the first interview started, Katniss and Peeta sat back down.
I very slowly grabbed her hand, which laid in her lap, and gave it a light squeeze. Katniss stared up at me. 'Okay?' I mouthed. She nodded slowly, but removed her hand from mine.
"We need to talk later," I whispered, my mouth close to her ear. She nodded again, and I turned my focus back on the tributes.
Around the time that my female tribute took the stage, I stood up and made my way to the backstage area, where we were supposed to wait for our tributes. Adonia and her co-stylist were already there, as was our escort.
As we waited, I allowed my mind to drift back to Katniss, where it had been almost all day. She loved me. She actually did love me. I knew I shouldn't push her about it. She wasn't in her right mind when she told me, but still. If she broke out of her vegitative state just to tell me that, it must be true, right?
When the interviews ended, I cornered her by the elevators before she had a chance to meet with her tributes.
"Katniss, you can't keep avoiding me for no good reason," I told her.
"I'm not," she argued. "Why would I be avoiding you?"
I sighed, frustrated with her attitude. "I have no idea. That's what I'm asking you."
"Well I'm not, so..." Katniss tried to push past me, but I put a hand on her shoulder gently, and turned her back around to face me.
"Why are you hiding all of the sudden?" I asked her quietly. She didn't answer, but just stared at me. "You can tell me anything. You know that, and you've always trusted me before. So what's changed?"
"Nothing's changed," she argued. "I seriously have no idea where you're coming from with this."
"I think you do," I whispered, but I let my hand let go of her shoulder. It traveled lightly down her arm and gave her hand a light squeeze, before I turned and walked back to my tributes.
...
That night, after my tributes went to bed, I made my way up to the twelfth floor. Katniss was sitting with Peeta on the couch, where they were speaking in hushed tones. Peeta's sketchbook was open on his lap, with a half-finished drawing of a girl. Prim, I realized.
"Hey Finnick," Peeta said, making eye-contact with me that lasted a second longer than normal. I raised my eyebrows. His gaze flicked over to Katniss, communicating a message.
"Hello Peeta. Katniss."
"Hi Finnick," she said quietly.
"Whatcha doing?" I asked, collapsing into the couch, right up against Katniss. I casually threw my arm across her shoulder.
"Working on music."
"Can I see?"
"No."
I snorted and craned my neck so I could watch Peeta draw. Suddenly he stood up. "I'm going to bed." he announced, and walked rather quickly out of the room.
"Me too," Katniss said, abruptly closing her journal and standing up.
"Please sit down, Katniss." I said, exasperated.
"No thank you."
"Katniss-"
"I'm tired, Finnick."
"You laid in bed all day. It's not even nine o'clock yet. You're not tired."
"So?"
"Please just talk to me." I pleaded.
"I have nothing to say."
"Katniss, please!" I yelled a little louder than I meant to. Katniss turned around and stared at me. "I'm sorry," I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I didn't mean to shout. But we really need to talk."
"Okay," she said finally, sitting back down, but putting an appropriate distance between us.
"You said something this morning," I said. "And I don't know if you remember, or if you even said it for real. Am... am I fooling myself? Have I finally lost it? I don't know if six months of stress have finally caught up to me but it sounded like you whispered something to me this morning and all I want is to know if it was true."
"What do you think I said?" Katniss asked, a light blush painting her cheeks
"I love you," I said, my voice coming out as a croak. I was sure my blush was even darker. I cleared my throat. "I think you said 'I love you.'"
"Oh," She said, looking down.
"Did you?" I asked her, irritated by her response. She stood up suddenly, and spun around to face me again.
"I- I don't know!" she whisper-shouted. "I have no clue what I said. I was only half awake."
"So then tell me now," I leaned forward in my seat, and lightly grabbed her hand. "Are you in love with me?"
She stared at me for a long while, and swallowed.
"You can be honest. You've shared with me all of your fears. All of your emotions. Why do you feel the need to hide from me now?"
She stared at the floor.
"Katniss. I'm in love with you. You know that. I know that. But are you in love with me?"
We sat in silence for just a second.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't press you about it." I said, looking down.
I waited for her to walk away, but she never did. I looked back up at her, and after a minute, she finally nodded. "Yes," she whispered, so softly I could hardly hear her. I fought the grin on my face, and tugged her into my lap. Her arms went around my neck, and I hugged her tightly around the waist.
"I love you, Finnick Odair." she whispered in my ear.
I felt my heart pounding in my chest. It was much different this time then the last time she said it. She was aware, for one.
"Katniss I..." I tightened my grip around her, pulling her even closer as if that was possible. Before I could finish my sentence, her lips were on mine.
I kissed her back frantically, and I felt her hands playing with the soft baby hairs on my neck.
"Do you guys really have to do that in my living room?" I heard Haymitch grumble.
I groaned into the kiss, annoyed by his interruption. Why did he have to ruin a perfect moment?
Without another word, Katniss stood up, grabbed my hand and led me to her room, shoving Haymitch as she passed him.
I kicked the door closed behind us and sat down on the bed. Katniss resumed her position, sitting sideways in my lap.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just..." she began. I cut her off.
"It doesn't matter. Just shut up and let me hold you." I said softly. Katniss smiled and leaned against my chest. I could hear her laughing quietly. "What's so funny?"
She sat up so she could look at me. "Would you believe me if I said I didn't know?"
"You're giddy, aren't you?" I asked her. My smile had grown larger, and I could tell she was fighting more giggles.
She fell backwards off my lap and onto the bed in an attempt to contain her laughter, since we both knew it was a bit of a serious moment, but it didn't work. Soon enough, we were both rolling on the bed, shaking from laughter. We laid there, side by side for a minute. My eyes met here, grey against green, and I rolled over so I could be closer to her. My heart was beating fast as the moment turned serious again. Before I could contain myself, my lips were on hers again. I meant for it to just be a simple peck, but I couldn't pull myself away.
When Katniss finally broke off, I rolled onto my back and she snuggled closer, so that she was tucked safely under my arm.
...
I don't remember falling asleep, but when I woke up the next morning, Katniss was already gone. She left a note on the table telling me she went to breakfast with her tributes and decided to let me sleep.
I stood up and made my way out of her room, hoping to make it to my floor unnoticed, but there was no such luck.
"Finnick Odair?" I heard a tiny voice ask. I turned around and saw the smallest tribute I have seen in my entire life.
"Yes," I affirmed.
"What are you doing here? I thought you and Katniss broke up?" she asked.
"We did," I said. "But we're still friends."
"Oh..." she said, looking over her shoulder at the table. Katniss entered the room at that moment.
"Good morning, Finnick. What are you doing here?" She asked me, blushing. My mask slid into place automatically. It always helped me lie.
"I just needed to grab something out of your room. But I'm leaving now, so don't mind me."
The girl glanced between me and Katniss, and her eyes widened. "Are you guys hooking up or something?"
"No!" Katniss protested. "Maris, we're just friends. You can't honestly expect me to get back with a guy I wrote a song about."
"Honestly, Maris. You heard the nasty things she said about me in that song. You can't expect me to take her back." I agreed.
"Honestly, Maris." I heard Haymitch mutter.
"Oh, right. Because you're a pedophile." The little girl reasoned.
"I wouldn't say that," I hedged. "I'm only twenty. I've never dated anyone more than three years younger than me."
"Including me," Katniss supported. "So no, not a pedophile."
Maris rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
We watched as she walked away and sat next to Effie at the table.
"Sorry about that," Katniss whispered.
"She's got quite an attitude for, what? A twelve year old?" I whispered back, glancing her way.
"She's sixteen," Katniss said. I stared at her, shocked.
"Sixteen?"
"It's been a while since you've been to District 12, huh? That's typically how Seam kids look."
I raised my eyebrows. "You never looked that small."
"My father was a hunter. He made sure we all got at least two meals a day. Maris has it worse than most, anyway. Her father and brothers were all killed in the same mine accident that killed mine, when I was eleven. She's been living in the Children's Home since, and those conditions are about as bad as they get."
"Oh," I said. Katniss smiled at me, trying to reassure me, But I couldn't help but glance over at Maris one last time before kissing Katniss on the forehead and leaving the room. As the elevator door closed behind me, I heard Maris's voice one last time.
"Just friends," She snorted in disbelief.
Hey guys so this chapter has been up for several weeks now on Wattpad, but I just realized that I forgot to post it here... sorry about that!