So sorry for the long wait. Thanks for being patient. Also thnaks to for-prim for being an awesome beta and an even better friend.

"You need to calm down."

Marvel's voice echoed around Annie's apartment but he sounded underwater to her. Nothing was right. Had her carpet always been this dingy looking? Her kitchen seemed even smaller than usual, and her furniture was dusty now that it wasn't covered in papers, magazines, and books. Everything looked wrong. Show was she supposed invite people over? Finnick over? Theentire day had been grueling. Annie learned she had a difficult time parting with items that were strewn across her apartment. Much more difficult than she had anticipated. It came to a head when Marvel began throwing out old magazines.

"But I read an article in that one that I really liked," she said as Marvel deposited each magazine in the recycling bin outside her apartment complex. Marvel sighed angrily. Annie looked up at him. He looked pissed.

"I'm sorry!" Annie exclaimed. She hated when people were mad at her.

"Do you want my help or not?" Marvel asked. He shook his head as he shoved the rest into the dumpster.

"I do."

"Then you have to listen to me. We've made great progress. We just need to organize your closet and vacuum and then we should be done. Then you can invite Finnick over so you can ravish him the way he deserves."

"Marvel!" Annie swatted at him, but he ducked out of the way and started walking back to her apartment.

"You can tell me as many stories as you like but I know why you're doing this. I have to commend you on your self-control because I would have hit that in a second," Marvel said as they walked back into her apartment. They walked the short distance to her bedroom and he opened her closet doors and immediately started hanging up all the clothes on the floor and putting up the shoes that they had collected from the living room.

"Trust me, I tried," Annie said as she reclined on her bed watching Marvel work. He stopped and turned around.

"What?! Details!" Marvel dropped the pair of flats he was working into the shoe holder and hopped on Annie's bed. Annie sighed and sat up. They faced each other and sat Indian style. This was a familiar situation. She remembered sitting like this on the bed in Marvel's dorm room when he told her he was gay. She cried that night.

"I was over at his place and he was being so sweet and so perfect"

"And so hot," Marvel cut in. Annie stuck her tongue out at him while he laughed.

"Yes, and he was so hot. I don't even understand his level of hotness at times. It's like, how does someone like him exist? How does he not have a girlfriend?"

"I think he does," Marvel teased. He nudged Annie's big toe with his own. Annie ducked her head and tried to fight back a smile.

"I mean, we've never talked about it," Annie mumbled. The front pieces of her hair that had long slid out of her ponytail fell forwards, covering parts of her face.

"Annie," Marvel's voice was serious. Annie looked up into his eyes. They were a rich brown with yellow flecks, and they were smiling while he said his next words.

"He is crazy about you." Annie rolled her eyes at him while fighting a smile. "Really. Seeing y'all all smiley together the other night was almost sickening. But then I got to see him wearing my swim trunks and I got over it," Marvel continued, ignoring the face Annie made.

"But you're the one who's gotten to see him shirtless countless times. Tell me, is it magical?" Marvel leaned his elbows on his knees and propped his head up on his hands.

"Yes," Annie breathed out before they both fell into a fit of laughter.

After Marvel made her describe Finnick's shirtless figure, even going so far as to pull up photos of Zac Efron and Mario Lopez as reference on his phone, Annie kicked him out.

"But we're not totally done with your room yet. And I know if you try it yourself you're just gonna end up sobbing on the floor clutching one of your purses." Marvel said, his brow wrinkling.

"That was one time," Annie countered.

"Two times, but okay. Where are you heading?" Marvel asked. Annie smiled coyly before replying.

"Finnick and I are having a sleepover."

It truly was a sleepover in the most innocent sense of the word. Annie packed up one of her Vera Bradley duffels with her nightgown, clothes for work the next day and a set of toiletries before driving over to Finnick and Peeta's place. She didn't know if Peeta was going to be there or not. This question was quickly answered when she knocked on the door and it opened at once, an amazing smell flooding her nostrils. It almost distracted her from the hug that Finnick had enveloped her in. But she soon wrapped her arms around his neck and clung tightly to him for a few seconds before pulling back so Finnick could lean down and kiss her. Annie gripped his shirt with one hand. She didn't want him to pull away. He just felt so good and warm. Eventually they had to separate.

"Peeta's cooking?" Annie asked.

"Is it that obvious?" Finnick responded sheepishly.

"The aroma has a certain home-cooked quality to it," she answered laughing. Peeta stuck his head through the kitchen doorway. Finnick quickly deposited Annie's bag in his bedroom

"Hey Annie. Dinner's almost ready. It's pasta with shrimp and vegetables, but I added a lot of Cajun seasoning to it. Is that all right?"

"Sounds delicious," Annie replied. She stepped forward to quickly hug Peeta.

"Oh, I brought you home a loaf of that bread you like," Peeta said. Annie put her hand over her heart. She was touched.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me, thank your boyfriend. He's the one who…" Peeta's face dropped and Annie could tell he was looking at something behind her. Annie quickly turned around to see Finnick making a face and shaking his head. He saw her and quickly dropped the act.

"Peeta, why don't you just finish up dinner," Finnick said in one breath. Annie narrowed her eyes at Finnick but his smile just widened. However, she could see that his eyes were telling a different story. They were flitting all around the room. Finnick led her to the couch while Peeta returned to the kitchen.

"Um, what's with the mini freak-out?" Annie asked once they had settled.

"What are you talking about?" Finnick said, playing dumb.

"I'm talking about that weird little moment we all had back there," Annie said. She grabbed Finnick's hand and laced it with hers. He looked down at it and then back at her. He ducked his head down to kiss her quickly. Annie looked at him in confusion.

"That is a very good way to distract me but its not gonna work this time!" Annie said, determination present in her voice. Finnick sighed and scrubbed the hand that wasn't in hers across his face.

"I didn't know Peeta was going to call me your boyfriend," Finnick said, his eyes downcast.

"Okay…"Annie trailed off, hoping Finnick would continue.

"And we haven't, you know, established anything so I didn't want you to think I was telling him that I was your boyfriend or that you were my girlfriend…"

"Am I your girlfriend?" Annie asked quickly, hoping that her brave face would last longer than the question.

"I want you to be," Finnick breathed out. He looked back at her. "And I know we kind of had that talk the other night but it wasn't decided or anything. So, Annie," Finnick grabbed her other hand and turned his body completely towards hers and she did the same. "Will you be my girlfriend?" he asked, his eyes never leaving hers. Annie whispered yes before kissing him. She forced herself atop of him and they lay stretched out on the couch kissing before they heard the clearing of a throat.

"Dinner's ready," Peeta announced to the pair of embarrassed lovebirds. Annie stood up first and straightened her clothes. She shot Finnick a look that was only met with his laughter.

Dinner was delicious, as she expected. It was spicy and full of flavor, the bread buttery and soft, and the white wine was cool on their tongues. Peeta was all smiles, and through him she got to know more about Finnick. She learned about Finnick's family, his older siblings who were twins and ten years older than him, and what high school he went to.

"Finnick went to a super elite private school," Peeta said.

"Like HP isn't the snootiest public school around," countered Finnick. Having lived in the city for four years Annie knew exactly what school they were talking about and laughed along with them. Eventually they turned their questions on her.

"I'm an only child," Annie informed them. Finnick wasn't surprised. Annie appeared to be someone who had spent many moments alone, a girl who knew how to live inside her own head. He could also see it in the people she spent time around. Boisterous and loud yet tender, Marvel and Johanna were both people who coddled Annie and cared for her as parents or much older siblings, such as his own would. She could be independent, but with them she wouldn't always have to be.

"So are you a princess?" Finnick teased.

"Yes, I am. Daddy AND Mommy's little princess. I think I broke their hearts when I moved away," Annie said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"My parents were so glad I chose to not move back in with them when I came back after school."

"They were just worried since they knew Mags couldn't take care of you anymore! So they pawned you off on me," Peeta laughed.

"I miss Mags," Finnick mused. He lifted his wine glass and took a sip, his face thoughtful.

"That's your nanny right?"

"Yes," Finnick replied, a large smile decorating his face.

"When did she stop being your nanny?" Annie inquired, leaning forward and finishing the remains of her glass of wine.

"She's never really stopped. She stopped coming around every day when I hit high school, but she went to every school event and she visited a lot. Even now I still see her every couple of weeks. Usually we just have a snack and talk but on her birthday I took her out you know. One day I'll take you, Annie," Finnick said, directing his smile at her. Annie almost choked on her pasta. Was he talking about meeting his nanny? Who she could probably successfully argue was the most important person in his life. Was she ready for that kind of responsibility? Oh God, if Mags didn't like her, she was done for. No way could Finnick ever be with someone his nanny didn't like.

"Okay," was Annie's only answer. They finished their dinner off with ice cream sandwiches that Peeta made using his bakery's cookies and homemade ice cream. It was one of the best meals Annie had ever eaten. Peeta took off shortly after, saying that he was spending the night at Katniss's.

"He stays here maybe once a week. I tell him it's okay if she stays here but he says it works out better because she doesn't have a roommate," Finnick said, winking at her.

Oh

Annie could feel the blush coming on. She wanted to tell Finnick that it would happen soon. That she wanted it so badly. She thought about it at the most inopportune times. At work when it's slow she'll remember his lips on her chest and his hands roaming her back and reaching down to cup her ass and then she starts to imagine what it would be like if they went further than just wandering hands. But then she thinks that Finnick's hands haven't wandered enough, nor have hers. But she knew they would.

They sat close together on the couch and watched the remains of some television show that they aren't really paying attention to because they're too busy paying attention to each other. Eventually Annie began to ready herself for bed. She took a fast shower only using a bit of soap and face wash, and then she slid her nightgown over her head. It was soft cotton and a pale pink. She combed her hair before she brushed her teeth, ridding her mouth of the spicy taste that lingered from dinner. When she walked out of the bathroom barefoot she felt Finnick's eyes on her. When she walked over to the couch and before she could sit, he pulled her down on his lap and immediately put his lips to her neck.

"You smell so good," Finnick murmured against her skin.

"I used your soap," Annie giggled, his breath tickling her. When his hand slid higher on her thigh, she welcomed it. She placed her hand over his and guided it to where she really wanted it. She sought his lips with hers. She melded into him and with Finnick's hands on her she eventually became boneless, completely supported by him. He kissed her lips, her forehead, her cheeks before he forced himself out of their embrace.

"Well I definitely need a shower now," Finnick joked. Annie was sad to leave his warmth but she figured they would be close again when they were in his bed.

Annie soon learned that Finnick's warmth wasn't always a good thing. When she woke up covered in sweat at three in the morning, she rolled onto her side and could feel the heat emanating from Finnick's body. She turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling for a minute, or rather, the ceiling fan. She crept out of bed and searched for the switch on the wall. She came up empty in her search however. When she ran a hand through her hair and felt the sweaty locks she knew she had no choice but to wake Finnick up. She couldn't sleep like this anymore. She crept over the Finnick's side and slid her hand over his bicep that was lightly coated with sweat and lightly squeezed.

"Finnick," she whispered. No response. She squeezed his arm a little tighter.

"Finnick," she whispered urgently. Finnick jolted awake. He looked at her with confused eyes.

"Annie, what's going on?"

"Finnick, you're a thousand degrees," Annie said.

"I mean, if you wanted to say I'm hot you could have done it in the morning. Not that I mind it necessarily," Finnick said as cheekily as he could muster for three AM. Annie shook her head, trying to not giggle at the silly man lying there.

"I mean, the room is like a thousand degrees, and I'm sorry but you seem to be the source." Finnick frowned.

"What do you mean?" Finnick asked before his muscles betrayed him with a yawn.

"I mean heat is coming off of you in waves and I can't find the switch for the fan so I needed your help." Finnick got out of his bed and only stumbled slightly as he took a few steps until he was directly under the fan. He reached up and gently tugged the pull-string on the fan twice. It slowly came to life and Annie breathed a sigh of relief. They climbed back in bed and Annie lay by Finnick's side with the sheets pushed down by her feet and let the air whipping around the room cool her body.

"Feel better?" Annie felt Finnick's whisper hit her hear. She nodded and turned her head to face him.

"Much."

"Sorry I'm so hot," Finnick said. Annie pushed him off the bed.

The next morning, Finnick's alarm went off, his hand silencing it almost immediately. He opened his eyes to see Annie lying in his bed with his sheet wrapped around her. Finnick felt his heart leap out of his chest at the sight. She looked so pretty and delicate. So fragile. But he knew that she held enough power to break him if she wanted. Annie blinked herself awake and seeing Finnick, she echoed his smile back at him. They got up and Finnick put on a pot of coffee, while Annie dressed for the day. When she walked into the kitchen in a shift dress and a cardigan, her hair woven into a fishtail braid Finnick handed her a cup and kissed her on the cheek. She leaned against the counter and after a sip of coffee, she asked him a question so casually it was as if it were any other question.

"Would you like to stay over at my place one night this weekend?"

Thanks for reading! Reviews are always appreciated :)