Chapter Text
“I really hate putting either of you on the spot, you know that. But this is the only option we have,” Haymitch says, after swallowing a mouthful of cheap beer and shooting them the brightest smile he can muster. Katniss scoffs at that, knowing Haymitch must be truly desperate if he’s willing to play nice just to get them to take the case. She knows plenty of special agents who could’ve done what Haymitch has asked her and Peeta Mellark to do. Haymitch rolls his eyes at her, before taking another swig of his beer. His hair is greasy and hanging limp on either side of his face and his shirt has a multitude of stains on them. He’s had better days, Katniss thinks. Peeta on the other hand looks pristine. His hair is neatly combed and his shirt is crisp, as if he wore it straight from the dry cleaners (which it probably is). His face is straight, his mouth set in a line and his eyes looking straight at the blond man in front of him. Katniss can’t tell how he feels about the whole thing and that frustrates her. And if he isn’t going to protest, then she sure as hell is.
“Why do you need him and I to do this? There are plenty of other agents who get along better than us, I’m sure they’d be up for it,” she says, her voice coming out loud and firm. Haymitch takes a rather large mouth of beer, his face contorting at the probably sour taste before replying.
“Listen here sweetheart; you and Mellark are the only ones who are equipped to carry out the job properly. I know you two aren’t the best of friends, but you’re our finest agents so you’re gonna have to stop acting like I asked you to jump off a bridge for me and you’re just gonna have to buckle up and do it, okay?”
Now this was the Haymitch she knows and is friends with, although neither of them ever acknowledge this friendship. They spend most of their time cursing at each other although Haymitch is probably her closest friend at work, other than Madge who is a short, blonde that works in the IT department at the firm. She had known Madge since she was twelve; they went to the same middle school and high school along with Gale, who also works for Mockingjay Corp; an undercover spy firm that parades as a computer hardware franchise all over Panem.
“You’re saying there isn’t anyone else who’d be up for the job?” Peeta asks and it’s the first words he’s spoken since they’ve been called into Haymitch’s office. His voice drips with scepticism and his left eyebrow is arched up.
“You’re not listening to me, blondie. There are plenty of people who’d be up for the job. But you two are the only agents available at this time that’d be capable of it. And like I said, you guys don’t hate each other which makes it easier for all of us,” Haymitch says, looking at Peeta.
Haymitch has a point. Gale is off on a mission in district five; he has to catch a drug lord who’s been distributing some sort of deathly narcotic to teenagers in the area. Johanna Mason, Katniss’ sort of friend, is in district eight along with Finnick Odair (another friend of Katniss’ who’s probably the best looking person she’s ever met and has a heart to match) on some top secret mission that they apparently cannot speak about unless it’s a success. Haymitch is also right about Katniss and Peeta not hating each other. They don’t really talk to each other all that much, but they do share mutual friends and they definitely don’t dislike each other which is obviously a plus. But it’s not ideal either. Her and Peeta’s conversations have been limited to awkward hellos and uncomfortable silences. They just don’t have much in common.
“That doesn’t mean we can pull of pretending to be married,” Katniss says hotly, tugging at her braid. Haymitch lets out a gurgled chuckle.
“You’ll be pretending to be engaged,” he corrects. “And it’s not like its forever. It’ll only be for as long as the mission takes and since you two are so brilliant at what you do, it can’t be that long.”
Katniss can hear the amusement in his voice. She wants to punch that smirk off his face, but she refrains from doing so. Peeta clears his throat taking a long drink of water.
“What exactly does this mission consist of?” he asks once he’s swallowed the clear liquid. Katniss is impressed with how composed he is; she’s always envied that about him.
“You two are gonna have to agree to do it before I can tell you that. Top secret stuff,” Haymitch says, pouring himself a glass of scotch. Katniss doesn’t understand how one man can stomach this much alcohol but she’s never questioned it. She doubts she would get a straight answer out of Haymitch if she did, so she’s never tried. Peeta looks to her, raising an eyebrow as if asking ‘so are you okay with pretending to be my fiancée for however long necessary?’
Katniss resists the urge to groan and simply nods. Peeta repeats the action and Haymitch grins like a Cheshire cat, finishing up his scotch.
“Brilliant. I knew I could trust you two to not let me down.”
“Just get on with it, Haymitch,” Katniss grumbles.
“If you insist, sweetheart. I’m sure you two have heard about the two officials who died at the Capitol in the last two months.” He pauses here and the two of them nod in confirmation. The first official, Seneca Crane, a thirty something year old government official who the country adored mysteriously died after visiting President Coriolanus Snow. The second had been a woman Katniss had met only once at a boring gala she was forced to attend. Her name was Alma Coin and if Crane was adored by the Capitol, she was worshipped. There were talks about how she was a shoe in to be the next president but during her visit to Snow three weeks ago, she mysteriously died.
“Well we think that there’s something fishy about the entire thing. Two people mysteriously dying within the span of two months at the same place? There’s gotta be something up. And so we want you two, our best available agents to investigate,” Haymitch says. His eyes are glinting and he’s got a smirk on his face. Katniss rolls her eyes.
“Flattery’s gonna get you nowhere,” Katniss says sharply. Haymitch snorts.
“It’s gotten me this far, sweetheart. Back to the plan. You two,” he says gesturing to Katniss and Peeta before continuing, “will pretend to be an engaged couple, in love and all that jazz. You’ll be staying at the president’s house, pretending to be journalists who are there to survey the Capitol and how the president works to write a piece on our great President Coriolanus Snow.”
His words drip with sarcasm and his face is pinched. It’s no secret that Snow is a vile man; mostly corrupt from all the money and power he has. Katniss has only ever seen him once, that too from a distance at a Capitol dinner she once attended with Finnick during a drug bust.
“Why do we have to pretend to be engaged though?” Peeta asks.
“The President is a smart man, but power has gotten to him. If you two pretend to be so in love that you’re blinded by it, we’re hoping he’ll slip up and you’ll catch him in the act.”
“He’s not going to try kill us though. According to him we’re just journalists,” Katniss adds in.
“We’ve timed your visit so that you’ll arrive there a day before Plutarch Heavensbee arrives. He’s mayor of district four and he’s wanted to move onto bigger things. Perhaps he wants to be president. And I doubt Snow would like that. So you keep an eye on everything, and try catch him in the act. Then we can arrest him.”
“You make it sound easy. What happens after we arrest the President? The country can’t just run without one,” Peeta says.
“Heavensbee isn’t that bad of a candidate actually. And there’s Commander Paylor from eight. She’s brilliant too. Panem will survive without Snow, blondie. Don’t you worry,” Haymitch responds. Peeta nods, seemingly satisfied with Haymitch’s reply.
“Have I satisfied your queries?” Haymitch asks, tone as sharp as citrus. The both of them nod, Katniss a bit more reluctant than Peeta. She’s still unsure about the entire plan. Snow isn’t an idiot and Haymitch is making it sound like it’s going to be far more easy than she anticipates.
“Good. You’ll be flying out tomorrow. Pack your smiles and all your love,” Haymitch grins. Katniss snorts and Peeta looks red.
As they get up to leave Haymitch says, “There are information packets in each of your bedrooms. Information about who you guys are. You’re going by your real names to avoid complications. Don’t worry; even if they background check you they’re only gonna come across everything we’ve put into the system. Nothing about the real you. That’s all for now.”
They take that as their cue to leave and Peeta opens the door waiting for Katniss to go out first.
Katniss thanks Peeta once they're both outside Haymitch’s office. Peeta just smiles at her and they both stand there, not knowing what to say. Peeta is the first one to break their silence.
"So I'll see you tomorrow then? I think our flight is in the morning so we'll have to be at the airport pretty early," he says, shifting on his feet.
"Yeah, yeah I'll see you then."
"Y'know Katniss, we're gonna have to be less awkward if we're gonna pull off being engaged," Peeta says, grinning at her. Katniss wants to protest. She has nothing against Peeta; she just prefers working on her own. She's good at what she does, and she's sure Peeta is too, but she doesn't like having to worry about other people when she's on the job. Gale had once told her that that was both her strength and her weakness.
"We'll work on it," she replies, trying to return his smile. But she's not very good at smiling, not the way Peeta and Finnick and Madge are. They're naturals; their smiles are reassuring, as if they're telling you with their gleaming teeth and crinkled eyes that everything is going to be okay. Her sister Prim is also very good at that. She on the other hand smiles like she's just found out she's being sent to spend the rest of her life in outer space, alone and away from everyone she cares for.
Peeta seems to like her answer because he smiles even brighter and nods at her enthusiastically. "We should go pack now. And read those information packets Haymitch left us."
Katniss hums in agreement, and Peeta sends her another smile. She's tired of smiling, her cheeks hurt and it feels unnatural, but she reciprocates hoping that she seems as enthused as he looks. He lifts his hand in a short wave before turning away, walking towards the elevators. Katniss waits for him to leave before following suit. She breathes out a sigh of relief as she waits for the elevator to come back up, happy that she's finally alone. She likes Peeta, sure, but she needs time to think about the mission on her own. Snow is a smart man, cruel in many ways but as sharp as the sting of a wasp. The two of them have to be very careful if they want to attempt this plan, let alone get away with it.
Her thoughts are cut short when the elevator dings, the metal doors sliding open to reveal a bright haired lady. Her hair is green this time, but not the type of green Katniss likes. This green is loud, cheery in a fake kind of way, and it matches the lady's eyeshadow. The lady itself however, Effie Trinket, is anything but fake. Upon first glance Katniss had thought she was terrible, loud and shallow, only caring about whether her hair colour matched her custom made outfits. But she had worked with Effie on multiple cases, and had realised she was the kindest person Katniss had ever come across in all her twenty-two years of existence (the only exceptions being her sister and Finnick).
Effie was at first a Capitol designer, working directly for President Snow himself. But upon realisation of how truly vile he was, she had jumped ship and joined Mockingjay Corp, and currently works as a mole. Whatever comes out of Snow's mouth is directly sent to the firm. She's probably got the most dangerous job out of everyone at the firm. Snow isn't known to take betrayal lightly. But Effie is also brave and stubborn, making her a force to be reckoned.
"Katniss, darling! How have you been?" Effie exclaims, her orange lips stretching into a large smile. Katniss grins back.
"I've been good, Effie. How are you?" Katniss asks.
Effie's smile falters and her nose crinkles. "I've been awfully busy. I'm here for your and Peeta's mission actually. I'm going to be the one showing you around the President's house tomorrow. Although you'll have to act like you don't know me then."
Katniss is relieved that she'll at least have one more familiar face at the house. She's not scared, no. But Capitol people are so incredibly fake, Katniss always finds them tedious to deal with. She even felt that way about Effie when she first met her.
"I didn't know you'd be there," Katniss says because she's not too sure how to respond to a disgruntled Effie. Effie lets out a huff of air, clicking her bright blue heels against the linoleum floor.
"As if Haymitch has any other Capitol confidants that he can count on," she replies. Katniss nods. Effie has a point. There are only a handful of people who work undercover in the Capitol and none of them have Haymitch’s trust the way Effie does. They're interrupted by someone clearing their throat and Katniss turns around to find Haymitch standing at his office door, a smirk on his face and a dark flask in his left hand.
Effie wrinkles her nose at the strong smell of alcohol wafting through the hallway but nonetheless moves towards the man, swooping him into a hug which Haymitch surprisingly returns. Katniss clears her throat, saying a quick goodbye before entering the elevator. Upon reaching her room she finds a dark green folder at the end of her bed, the words 'For Katniss Everdeen; Confidential' on the front of the file in a big, blocky font.
The file has everything she needs to about her persona. As Haymitch had said, her name is the same. She apparently met Peeta at a journalist convention in district three and they've been together since. He proposed just a week prior to their visit to the Capitol; the details of their engagement make Katniss crinkle her nose in distaste. Everything about the other Katniss and Peeta is cheesy and romantic, two things Katniss isn't incredibly fond of. After going over the file a few more times, memorising every detail until she can recite it off the top of her head, she begrudgingly makes her way towards the large, wooden closet to pack. To say she is dreading tomorrow is an understatement.
The next day, Katniss is awoken by the obnoxiously loud sound of her alarm. She rolls out of bed, quite literally, trudging to the bathroom and standing under the shower for a few minutes to wake herself up. The water is cool against her skin, a pleasant change then her too warm bed. She turns off the steady stream of water, before grabbing a bar of soap and scrubbing it all over her body. Her skin becomes red. Whenever she visits home Prim always tells her off for scrubbing at her skin too hard, leaving it raw and rouge. She rinses the soap off, watching it swirl near the drain before grabbing a towel and drying herself. Looking in the mirror she finds a gaunt version of herself, tired from endless nights spent working. Her skin is pale making the dark circles under her eyes even more prominent. If Effie saw her like this she would have a fit.
She combs through her tangled hair, pulling it into a neat braid. Changing into the clothes Flavius had set on an armchair the night before; she grabs her bags and makes her way towards Haymitch’s office. Peeta is already there, dressed in dark jeans and a plaid shirt although it's unbuttoned, revealing a white undershirt. His hair isn't combed like it usually is; it's messy but in a purposeful way. It suits him, Katniss thinks. He greets her with a smile and a quiet 'hello' before Haymitch bounds into the room. He's better groomed this time, his hair is no longer greasy and he smells like fresh pine trees. He's wearing a clean shirt too; Effie probably made him do this.
"How are the two lovebirds this fine morning?" he asks.
"When's our flight?" Katniss asks. Peeta looks at Haymitch expectantly.
"Noon. You should be at the airport soon, actually. A cab is waiting for you downstairs."
"What happens when we get there?" Peeta questions.
"Effie will be there to pick you up and give you a tour of the mansion. Remember you don’t know her. So act like it. Once you're at the mansion you'll probably have time to settle in and then there's a dinner tonight, where you'll be formally introduced to Snow. Be cordial and friendly, he already knows about the article you're writing so ask him a few questions. Not too many though. And remember, you're engaged so at least try act like it, alright?"
Katniss nods. She does that a lot, she thinks. Peeta nods too, mouth set in a straight line. He looks serious, like there are a thousand and one things running through his mind.
"You two should leave now. Your flight is in an hour," Haymitch reminds them.
Grabbing his bags, Peeta leaves the room. Katniss turns to take her bags when she realises she's left them outside. Haymitch gives her a wave as she moves out of the room and Peeta is waiting for her outside. He's carrying her bags too and she has no idea how he does it. She's about to offer to carry her own but he shakes his head, smiling slightly and gestures to the elevator. She quickly walks towards it and presses the red button watching it illuminate. The elevator doors slide open soundlessly and Katniss gestures for the blonde boy to enter first since he is the one carrying all the luggage. She follows him into the metal box, watching her reflection appear as the metal doors slide closed almost soundlessly. The silence isn't awkward or uncomfortable but she feels like she should make an effort to end it.
"Did you go over those information packets they left us?" Katniss asks and he turns to her. It's difficult to tell that his eyes are blue; in the dim light of the elevator they look dark.
"I did. We're a very cheesy couple," he jokes and she nods in agreement. Peeta smiles again and Katniss wants to ask him how he smiles so much.
"Katniss, I don't want to offend you but," and he pauses here looking at her carefully. She raises an eyebrow at him although her mind is working at a mile minute.
What could he possibly say that could offend her? Peeta Mellark is one of the most well-mannered people she has ever met, with his polite smiles and friendly greetings.
"Haymitch thinks I should do most of the talking. He didn't want to tell you back there because he didn't want to upset you. It's not that he thinks your bad at it or anything, he just thinks I'm easier to talk to?" The end of his sentence sounds like a question, as if he doesn't know how charming he can be. Or maybe he doesn't. Peeta doesn't seem like a pretentious person.
"That's fine, Peeta. Haymitch has a point," she says and she's not offended. She knows she's not very good at talking to people, charming them with nice words and warm grins. Peeta is though, and she's grateful that he's with her on this case. If it were Gale in his place instead, or god forbid, Johanna, then this would probably be the grimmest mission she would ever be on. She likes the both of them, but they're far too similar to her; similar in different ways but similar nonetheless. She wonders whether Haymitch had considered this when he had assigned them to the mission. He probably did, she concludes knowing that Haymitch is a very intelligent man.
Peeta lets out a relieved sigh, his shoulders relaxing. The elevator dings and the doors slide open. Peeta exits the elevator first, Katniss following him and the two of them quickly walk towards the entrance of the building. The cold air slaps her in the face and she feels like she's drowning in ice for a millisecond. Then, she takes a deep breath and spots the dark green cab waiting for them at the end of the road. Peeta seems to spot it too and they both move towards the van, Peeta still lugging all their bags. Once they're in the car, Peeta turns to her and gives her a small red box. When Katniss opens it she's greeted to a large shiny ring, a shimmering stone sitting on the silver band.
"That's the engagement ring," Peeta says a bit awkwardly, rubbing at the back of his neck. Katniss slips it onto her ring finger. She can't help but think it looks a bit odd sitting there, an extraordinary ring on an extra ordinary hand.
"This is weird," she says before she can stop herself. She doesn't know what she's referring to if she's being frank. Pretending to be engaged to Peeta is weird and so is trying to take down the President for murder and so is wearing an engagement ring the size of district four. Everything is weird. Peeta hums in agreement and Katniss is relieved that she doesn't need to elaborate what she means.
"Everything is kinda weird," he replies and Katniss doesn't know how to respond to that so she changes the topic.
"We need to work on how we're going to carry this out," she says in a whisper to make sure their driver doesn't hear them. Peeta nods in agreement.
"We're meeting him today. We'll be cordial, nice even, get him to like us. I doubt he'll trust us but if he thinks we're two foolish reporters who are too in love to pay attention to what he's actually doing, then I doubt he'll pay that much attention to us," Peeta says, voice low.
"Right, that's good. We have to be careful around his people too. They're always on the lookout."
Peeta nods in agreement. They arrive at the airport a few minutes later, boarding their plane and taking their seats within the hour. The flight attendant, a brunette with bright pink eyeshadow comments on how lovely Katniss' engagement ring is. Katniss is momentarily confused but Peeta swoops in, thanking her with a small smile and bright eyes.
"I need to remember that we're engaged," Katniss says but really she means I’m sorry I’m terrible at this, I’m just better at working alone.
Peeta, as if he understands this says, "That’s okay Katniss. You'll be fine by the time we get to the Capitol." And he smiles at her, a genuine smile with crinkled eyes and Katniss is grateful that he's not pretentious or egoistical like some agents at the firm. She returns the smile.
They both quickly realise that Peeta is wrong. When they land at the Capitol, a lady at one of the counters comments on how cute a couple the two of them are. Katniss is about to correct her but Peeta quickly cuts in, smiling at her and pushing the trolley that has their luggage. The cab driver compliments Katniss' ring and she forgets, again, and Peeta is there, again, to make up for it.
"Katniss, you can't keep forgetting," Peeta says but he sounds more nervous than he does annoyed. They're sitting in the cab and the driver is playing an upbeat song, humming along rather loudly.
"I know," Katniss snaps. And she does. She's just not used to working with someone let alone pretending to be engaged to them and she doesn't even know how long they'll have to do this. Peeta's about to say something but once he hears the tone of her voice, he closes his mouth and clenches his jaw, looking away. She feels bad for snapping at him, if anything he's been the one saving them from awkward situations but the flight was long and she's tired so she decides to not apologise and they both stay deadly quiet throughout the ride to the mansion.
Katniss pays the cab driver, Peeta still not talking to her. She figures she should apologise since he wasn't wrong but before she can, she hears a familiar high pitched voice with a strong Capital accent.
"Hello you two! You must be Katniss and Peeta," Effie says as she walks towards them. She's grinning and she winks at the two of them before sticking her hand out. Katniss shakes her hand and Peeta follows, both of them smiling at her. Before either of them can reply, Effie is grabbing their arms and leading them up through the large, black gates and into the mansion. It's beautiful, Katniss must admit. But there's something eerie about the place, with its large stone statues and pale walls. Peeta looks around too, rubbing his hands on his jeans. He seems slightly nervous.
"You two must be the reporters," a voice says and Katniss turns around and suddenly, she's face to face with the President of Panem. He reminds her of a snake, his eyes are a dull grey and his skin is pale. His hair is white and he wears a crisp suit. He smiles at the two of them and Katniss does her best to return it. She assumes Peeta is doing the same.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," she says and Peeta looks startled before he rearranges his face into a more amicable expression.
"I'm very flattered that you two want to do a piece about me," Snow replies but he doesn't sound it. He sounds like a rehearsed robot. "And congratulations on your engagement." He looks at the ring that still sits uncomfortably on Katniss' finger.
"Thank you," Katniss says, smiling as brightly as she can. "We're very happy."
Peeta's eyes widen and it looks comical but almost immediately, he schools his expression into a cheerful face. His lips pull into a grin and he adds, "it happened really recently. I was so nervous."
Snow nods and smiles but again, Katniss thinks he looks more like a snake; like he's hissing at them. "You two should make yourselves at home. Effie will show you to your room and you'll have dinner with me and a few other people tonight," he says. His voice makes Katniss uneasy, but she nods again. She doesn't know how Haymitch managed to get them into the mansion, even if their story is convincing. She asks Peeta this after Snow excuses himself, leaving behind the strong scent of flowers.
"I suppose it's because we're reputed journalists. He seems like the type to love positive press and he probably thinks we're going to give him that. Haymitch is good at what he does," Peeta whispers. Katniss agrees; Haymitch is almost always drunk and smells like a brewery but he's brilliant at getting the job done, which is why he's head of the firm.
Effie comes sweeping in a few minutes later and she's grinning at them and grabbing their arms, leading them through a brilliant corridor and to large, oak doors. When they enter the room, Katniss is greeted with the smell of flowers, the same scent that was on Snow.
She wonders if he has an obsession with white roses. Their bedroom is big and expensive looking. All the furniture looks like it would cost more than her apartment AND her car combined and that's saying something since the firm pays all their agents fairly well, especially the high ranking ones. Light falls through a stained glass window, and creates a hue of colours on the bed. It's only then that she realises that there's only one bed. She'll have to share with Peeta. Obviously, she thinks. Everyone here thinks they're engaged.
"Isn't it lovely?" Effie wonders although she sounds slightly sarcastic. Katniss snorts and Peeta grins at the both of them, rubbing his jaw.
"You two will be staying here. Dinner's at seven but I'll send someone to escort the both of you," she says and winks before she gets a call from a secretary downstairs telling her that Heavensbee has arrived. Before she leaves she hands them a bright pink folder- very Effie like- and says, "This is everything you need to know about Heavensbee. I've added some notes about the mansion too, and some of the staff. If you need me just call the number I've written down on the back of the folder."
And with that she scurries out of the room, her pink skirt swishing behind her. Katniss clears her throat and Peeta looks a bit uncomfortable too.
"I think I'll shower," he says after a pregnant pause. He reaches into his bag and grabs what Katniss presumes is clean clothes before he goes into the bathroom. A few seconds later she hears the shower turning on and Katniss lets out a sigh of relief. She needs a break from Peeta and Effie and everyone that keeps ogling her engagement ring and congratulating her.
She begins unpacking, taking two shelves for herself and leaving two for Peeta. She wonders how they're going to pull off this mission. To outsmart someone like Snow is a difficult feat, and not one anyone has managed to do yet and even though Peeta and her are probably two of the most seasoned agents available for the task at hand, something heavy settles in her stomach, like a weight pulling her down. She folds a pair of pants and places it on a shelf before giving up entirely and reaching for the case file hidden at the bottom of her bag. It's crinkled at the corners and there's a brown stain on the front from when Haymitch dropped his coffee on his desk but other than that, it's undamaged.
The case file is pretty basic; it lists various information about Snow and the case. He was born in the Capitol, raised by a wealthy family and ran for president when he was twenty eight. He got married a year later, had two kids, five grandkids but that's as far as his family goes. He's got cameras everywhere, in every single room in the entire building except for bathrooms and bedrooms although those are checked on a daily and nightly basis whenever the cleaners come in. The weight in Katniss' stomach feels heavier, suddenly.
The causes of death of Alma Coin and Seneca Crane are both listed as heart failure. The catch is that neither of them were known to have any sort of heart related illness although that was kept private from the media as well as the friends and family of the diseased. Katniss snorts; the least Snow could've done was come up with reasonable causes of death. She continues flipping through the pages of the file, reading over things she had already looked at, at least three times. Peeta comes out a few minutes later, his hair is wet and curls at the ends, sticking to his forehead and he's wearing a suit and Katniss is terribly confused until she remembers that they have dinner with the President and a bunch of government people. She groans out loud and Peeta looks at her oddly.
"The bathroom's all yours," he says as he picks out a tie. It's dark blue and Katniss thinks it matches his eyes but she can't be sure.
"Right. Thanks," Katniss replies and moves towards the closet. She grabs a dress, it's dark blue and it's glossy and she can't stand how it feels against her skin because it itches and it sticks to her in places she'd much rather it not. It matches Peeta's tie though, and they are meant to be engaged so she supposes it's all very fitting.
When she enters the bathroom she heads straight for the shower after stripping off her clothes. The water is warm and it's so refreshing that Katniss doesn't want to leave but Peeta knocks on the door a few minutes later, telling her that they've only got a half hour until they're expected for dinner. Katniss grunts in response and reluctantly turns off the shower, grabbing a towel and moving towards the mirror. Her hair sticks to her skin and her eyes have dark circles around them. She grabs a comb, running it through her hair until it's no longer knotted. She towels off and slips into the dress, before she reluctantly puts on some make up. She's always disliked the feeling of it; it sticks to her face uncomfortably and she feels like she looks ten years older with it on. She pulls her hair into a braid before exiting the bathroom.
Peeta is sitting at the desk; glasses perched on his nose as he busily scribbles something on a piece of paper. She clears her throat and he turns around, almost dropping his pen in the process. He looks like a child that's been caught stealing chocolate. When he sees that it's Katniss, the guilty look on his face disappears almost instantly and he grips his pen tighter.
"I thought it was a Capitol person," he says sounding relieved. Katniss snorts.
"Don't be so scared. They're supposed to knock, it's proper manners," she says imitating Effie's accent. Peeta laughs. There's a knock on the door before he can reply and Katniss moves towards it. When she opens it, she's greeted to a man in a dark blue suit with his dark hair gelled up looking at her expectantly.
"Ms. Everdeen, I'm here to escort you and Mr. Mellark to dinner," he says and his voice is deep and slightly intimidating and he's got a smirk on his face that leaves Katniss feeling bothered.
"Who's that at the door, Katniss?" Peeta questions and then he's standing there right next to her, peering outside. He's still wearing his glasses.
"I'm Caesar, I'm here to escort you two to dinner. I'm one of the managers at the Mansion," the dark haired man says and he smiles at them although it looks more like he's baring his teeth at them.
"It's nice to meet you," Peeta says, sticking out his hand and Caesar grabs it and shakes it. Katniss figures she should do the same thing but instead of shaking it, Caesar lifts her hand to his mouth, kissing the space just below her knuckles before letting it go. He's smirking again. Katniss wants to punch him in the face. Peeta looks uncomfortable, like he's not sure how exactly to respond to a man possibly flirting with his fake fiancée.
"We should leave," Caesar says after an awkward pause and Katniss clears her throat and nods, Peeta nodding with her. The walk to wherever it is they're having dinner is long and quiet but it gives Katniss enough time to survey the mansion. The case file wasn't wrong, there are cameras everywhere. But they're hidden intelligently; behind potted plants whose creepers go all the way up to the ceiling and in bookshelves that are lined up along the wide corridor. Peeta seems observant too although he maintains a steady conversation with Caesar. When they reach what Katniss assumes is the dining hall, Caesar excuses himself (‘I have to bring in a few other guests but please do enjoy yourselves,') and leaves Peeta and Katniss to enter the room on their own.
The dining room is unsurprisingly just as grand as the rest of the mansion. There's a large round table, and on it is the most food Katniss has ever seen. There are plates upon plates of dishes that look like they're straight out of those fancy cook books Prim reads when she has the time. Snow isn't there yet, but a woman with bright green hair and orange lipstick and a man with tattoos all over his arms are, although they seem to be trying to figure out how far they can stick their tongues down each other’s' throats. Peeta clears his throat and Katniss can feel her face going red. The man and woman quickly move apart, their faces becoming bright red. The woman adjusts her blouse and the man attempts to be discreet about adjusting his pants and Katniss feels so awkward at this point that she decides to turn to Peeta. He’s looking right back at her, although there’s a tiny smirk on his face and he seems far more comfortable.
“I am so sorry you had to see that!” the woman exclaims and Katniss feels sorry for herself too. The woman however, does seem genuinely apologetic as she runs a nervous hand through her neon hair. The man besides her seems sheepish too, and he sticks out his hand.
“I’m Everan, and this is Rexa,” he says as he grips Peeta’s hand. He looks a lot like someone from the Seam, Katniss notes. He’s got the olive skin and grey eyes, just like Katniss except his skin is marked in intricate tattoos that twist over his arms and shoulders like creepers hanging to a wall and his beard is dyed a dark maroon, so Katniss really can’t be sure that he’s from District Twelve.
"I'm Peeta. And this is my fiancée, Katniss," Peeta replies. Rexa perks up immediately, her eyes widening and her smile stretching even further.
"You two!" she exclaims. "You're the journalists, the one's writing a piece on Snow, right? Oh, congratulations on your engagement!"
She's almost as enthusiastic as Effie. Almost.
"That's us," Katniss says in a voice that sounds so cheery that she has to try not to cringe. But she can't keep getting Peeta to do all the work and they do have to come off as madly in love so she also grins and grabs Peeta's arm, tangling their fingers together. Peeta squeezes her hand. Before anyone can respond to her, the door opens again and more people come piling in. They all look like something straight out of a circus, with their multi colored hair and their bizarre outfits. Amongst them is Plutarch Heavensbee; Katniss recognizes him from the posters that are plastered all over the districts. She hasn't seen any in the Capitol though. He's got white hair and a broad face and he's smiling, and he reminds Katniss of a walrus. Snow comes in right behind him, his lips stretched in a smile too and he's wearing a powder blue suit and a dark blue tie and Katniss thinks that whoever dresses him up is probably a huge fan of the Caesar Flickerman show since Snow's outfit looks like an expensive version of something Flickerman would wear.
Suddenly everyone in the room is shuffling around, looking for their seats and she forgets that she's still holding Peeta's hand until he starts moving towards the left side of the table. She follows him and they happen to be sitting next to Rexa and her boyfriend and the green haired woman looks ecstatic when she spots the two of them sitting down next to her. She's reapplied the orange lipstick, it's shiny on her lips and sticks to them like a second skin and Katniss wonders if it feels as uncomfortable as it looks but she returns the smile and nods at Everan.
"You never told us the story of how you got engaged," Everan says after sipping a pink drink embellished with a frilly, small umbrella. He's tapping a finger against the table, watching the two of them. Katniss clears her throat.
"He actually just proposed last week," Katniss says and she tries making her voice sound warm. "It was during dinner actually, at my favourite restaurant. Mid way through dessert, he just drops on one knee and pops out the ring. There was a speech too but I won't bore you."
Rexa literally coos. Katniss has never been this uncomfortable before. She doesn't sound like herself, nor does she look like herself with the layer of makeup sticking to her face and the uncomfortable dress she's wearing and she's saying things that would never come out of her mouth. As if Peeta can sense her discomfort, he begins talking so that all eyes are suddenly on him.
"I was so nervous," he says. "I didn't know if she'd say yes and when she did, I was the happiest man in the world."
Katniss resists the urge to snort when Rexa coos even louder than before, grabbing Everan's arm. "Isn't that just adorable, honey?" she asks and Everan smiles although it seems a little strained, his jaw tensing.
"It's lovely," is his short reply and Peeta shifts in his seat, his fingers twitching slightly. His jaw locks too, and he's curled his right hand around a glass of water and Katniss nudges his foot with hers’ hoping that it conveys what she's trying to say. Relax. The message seems to get across because he slumps against his chair and readjusts his glasses. Rexa continues babbling for the rest of the night, although she stops talking when Snow makes a toast to ‘everyone in the room, especially the brilliant Mr. Heavensbee’ and Plutarch Heavensbee smiles at that, eyes crinkling up. Snow keeps quiet for the rest of the dinner but he bids each and every person present goodbye and he tells Katniss and Peeta again, ‘how lovely it is that you are writing this piece about me’ and Katniss just smiles and Peeta responds with something brilliantly charming. Everan stays quiet for the rest of the dinner although he smiles throughout most of it. His jaw is still tense.
Peeta sighs when Katniss and him return back to their room. He loosens his tie and turns around, facing the window.
"I think there's something wrong with Everan," he says and his voice sounds tired. Dull, even. "He's onto us."
"You don't know that for sure," Katniss responds as she walks to the four poster bed. She sits on the soft mattress and stretches out her legs. The shoes she wore pinched her toes, almost stopping the blood from flowing from her feet to her legs.
"He seems suspicious," Peeta counters as he removes his cuff links. His eyebrows are furrowed and he looks irritated. Katniss isn't sure if his annoyance is directed at her.
"I know," she replies. Then adds, "I'm not blind."
"Well you don't seem concerned either." His tone is short and he removes his glasses, leaving them on a table near a stained glass window.
"We'll just play up the romance thing some more."
"We're not very good at that either."
"You are," Katniss says because Peeta seems nervous so she hopes that attempting to reassure him will help brighten his mood. "I'll work on it."
Peeta cracks a grin at that. Katniss smiles back. "You're not bad at all," he reassures.
"I've forgotten that we're supposed to be engaged over three times today, Peeta."
"Fair point. But you're still not as terrible as you think you are," says Peeta. Then, "do you think Snow is onto us?"
Katniss shrugs. "We barely spoke to him today. I can't tell. But he's a smart man."
Peeta nods and then sighs, slumping into a chair. "We should sleep. I'll take the floor."
Katniss stiffens because she's not too keen on sharing a bed with him but she doesn't want to have him sleep on the floor either. "It's fine, I'll take the floor."
“I’m not letting you take the floor, Katniss,” Peeta argues as he unties his shoe laces.
“I wasn’t asking for your permission,” she says and he looks up at her and sighs, before going back to tying his shoelaces. They both are visibly irritated and Peeta’s ears have gone red. Katniss deflates, not feeling up to arguing with him. “We could share the bed.”
Peeta looks at her sharply, and his mouth hangs slightly open. Katniss feels a bit idiotic then.
“Or not. I’m just saying it’s better than either of us sleeping on a wooden floor,” she defends, and she feels a flush crawling up her neck.
“Yeah, uh, yeah. That’s fine. We can do that,” Peeta replies and he sounds like he’s trying to convince himself. Katniss regrets suggesting the idea.
“I’m going to change,” she says abruptly before gathering her nightwear and heading to the bathroom.
*****
When Katniss comes back from the washroom, having had her third shower in the last twelve hours which isn’t a rare occurrence for her since she feels most relaxed with the water falling on her, Peeta is already in bed. There’s a dim lamp that lights up the room, giving it a dull yellow glow. She maneuvers her way to the empty side of the bed, before quickly turning off the lamp and slipping in. Peeta’s back faces her and it’s not entirely awkward but there is a palpable tension that makes her skin feel itchy. Suddenly he moves, lying on his back, almost mirroring Katniss’ position. He looks tired, although she can’t see much of his face. His hair sticks up wildly, and he lies stiffly, as if he’s afraid to move. Katniss feels similarly.
“Do you think we can do this?” he asks and she’s glad he doesn’t say something like ‘I’m sorry this is weird’ or ‘is this awkward?’ because she wouldn’t be able to respond to that without making it fairly uncomfortable.
“I don’t know, actually,” she replies because she suddenly has the overwhelming urge to be honest. She’s spent the whole day trying to reassure herself and Peeta that they’ll be okay and she’s so tired of pretending that she’s not frightened to death.
“If we mess up, it’s going to be awful,” he says and there’s a slight shake to his voice. “Snow, he’s ruthless. He’ll probably have us hanged for treason if he finds out.”
“Probably,” Katniss agrees and she can feel a knot in her stomach. Her palms feel sweaty and she feels odd since she’s never felt this intimidated by a mission before. You’re good at what you do, she reminds herself.
Peeta, as if he can read her mind says the same thing. “We’re good at what we do though. We’ll be fine.” He still sounds a bit unsure but his shoulders are relaxed and his voice is calmer. They stay silent for a few minutes, both staring at the ceiling and not saying a word. Katniss feels her eyes getting heavier, and she shifts slightly, making herself more comfortable. Peeta doesn’t jostle at her movement.
“We should sleep,” she murmurs. “We have a lot to figure out tomorrow.”
Peeta hums in agreement and that’s the last thing she remembers before she feels herself drifting into slumber.