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“She crept up on me...”
Most victors don’t remember much of their mid year victory tour, but most of what Annie remembered was a lot of static. She remembered starting in District 12– which was very gray– and finishing up in the Capitol– which was very loud– before they were to head home to District 4. But through it all, Finnick, Mags, and Gill were there with her.
Gill’s sarcastic and abrasive personality were a cover for the deep pain he still felt at losing a twin to the games; Mags was perfectly understandable once you got to know her, and had a wealth of random knowledge; and Finnick has a sweet tooth to match his sweet demeanor. Annie liked being able to categorize these small things about her mentors, it helped to humanize them, considering she had the keep reminding herself that she was now a member of their club. Mags had actually bowed out of the Capitol celebration beforehand, claiming she was too “old and gray” to inflict herself on its poor citizens, but Annie suspected she just wanted a restful night to herself and was hiding on the train (suspicions that would later be confirmed when she’d mention this to Finnick).
Speaking of Finnick, he had been accosted by two heavily done up women pretty much as soon as the District 4 group had entered the party. So now it was just her and Gill at a table covered in various desserts, and Annie knew he wanted to be getting drunk as fast as possible instead of babysitting the guest of honor. But he wasn’t, at least not yet, and Annie appreciated that. However she noticed the older woman dressed like a shark heading in their direction about 3 seconds after she felt Gill grab her elbow and start dragging her over to the bar anyway.
"I don't think I'm old enough," she protests when Gill tries to shove a glass full of something gold and sparkly into her hands.
"Cresta, it's the Capitol," he replies between drinks of his own, "no one cares. Besides, you're a victor now. In their minds, you're an honorary adult."
"Not quite," Finnick interrupts, materializing between the two of them. "Age of majority is one of the few things the Capitol respects when it comes to their victors." There was something that Finnick wasn't actually saying there; something that Gill understood but Annie couldn't quite figure out as she looked back and forth between them. Whatever it was, it brought back that haunted look in their eyes that Annie recognized from the mirror.
Suddenly, both of them looked too tired for how early it was in the evening, but Annie's perception of time hadn’t really been the most accurate lately.
“I saved you some cake,” she says, trying to lighten the sour mood that had seemed to have descended upon them. She’d noticed that between all the various Capitol citizens vying for Finnick’s attention that night, that he hadn’t really gotten the chance to eat more than a few bites. And this cake had been decorated to look like the beach.
Finnick's answering smile filled her with warmth. “Annie, you are a goddess among us mortals,” he said without a trace of mockery, but it was enough to startle a laugh out of her.
He reached out, but instead of taking the cake from her, Finnick clasped Annie’s hands in his. Their eyes met, and Annie could see that whatever jokes he might make or frivolity he might play at, this small gesture had actually meant a lot to him. The thought made her heart flutter.
Maybe it was just cake. But maybe... maybe in the grand scheme of things, it was something more.
