Spark to Flame: A Finniss Story

Pt IV: Gust to Whirlwind

"Hey, Brainless! You coming, or what?"

Katniss snaps out of her daze, clutching her food tray and following after Johanna Mason through the busy cafeteria for a place to sit. "Um...yeah, right behind you."

Ever since being told that she wouldn't be on the roster of those going to the Capitol to take down Snow, she and Johanna had been spending a lot more time together. Coin had made it quite clear that neither of them were 'qualified' to be tagging along on such a 'delicate' mission, and after a good half-hour of arguing and butting heads, the District 13 President relented and told them that if they could complete a three week training course and successfully pass the graduation exams, she would let them go.

They had begun with big heads and even bigger egos, but after being totally and utterly shown up by a group of fourteen and fifteen-year-olds (they were in the beginner's class) they quickly realized that they truly were in no shape for the battlefield. They were now two weeks into their three week course, and though they were admittedly doing much better than they were before, there was never a moment when the doubt that either of them would make it all the way through was not present. Still, their minds were made up, and neither she nor Johanna were willing to compromise all they had worked for thus far. The day President Coin told them they couldn't do something would be the day Hell froze over.

"Come on, over here!"

Katniss puts a pause on her stubborn thoughts and picks up her pace to catch up with Johanna, who has already found a place to eat amidst the crowded cafeteria. The bald woman is already sitting down by the time she reaches her, and upon further inspection she sees that the table isn't empty; Finnick and Annie are seated right across from her, quietly eating their corn and mashed potatoes.

She takes a moment to steel herself before sitting down, putting her game face on and making sure not to catch Finnick's gaze as she places her tray on the table and seats herself next to Johanna.

She and Finnick had been engaging in a kind of 'secret affair' as of late, sneaking off when the opportunity arose and meeting wherever was most suitable for the time being. Their relationship was still stressed and rather fragile, but not nearly as much as it had been before their fight following her return from District 2. She hadn't been seeing much of him lately because of her training, but they still took time out of their schedules whenever possible to meet up, often in secret or - if that wasn't possible - in public places that were populated enough to the point of no one suspecting them of anything unseemly.

Katniss takes a calming breath as she picks up her fork and digs into her peas, sparing a glance at Finnick as she does so. He's much better at keeping up appearances than she is - he doesn't even look like he wants to look at her, let alone kiss her in a dark corner - and upon the realization that she's beginning to stare too long at he and Annie's clasped hands resting on the table, she turns her head away and looks at the empty space on the bench seat across from her, the sounds of Johanna's loud chewing grating on her ears as she tries to quietly keep her cool.

"Mm...so how come you two never got hitched?" Johanna asks brazenly, pausing to swallow down the unbelievably large chunk of food in her mouth as she addresses Annie and Finnick. "I thought Plutarch wanted you guys to get married so he could show Snow and the Capitol that you were still 'going strong' or whatever."

Katniss looks up from her tray and gapes at Johanna, both embarrassed and ashamed that she's been unfortunate enough to have to endure such an awkward moment between not only she and Finnick, but she and Annie as well. She couldn't say that she hadn't been expecting her to say something so blunt and straightforward (this was Johanna, after all) but of all the subjects to pounce on, the failed marriage propo was the last one she expected to come carelessly tumbling from the District 7 woman's mouth. She should have chosen another place to sit.