CHAPTER 5
ANGELO

SHE was on the train back home first thing in the morning, before even the birds started to sing at sunrise. Bex's mother used to say, "The early bird catches the first worm," and perhaps, her team had taken that into account as well. With only a few hours of sleep, Bex had lugged herself on the train, not planning on sleeping anymore. Dreaming was a fond memory at this point and she'd rather not wake up the conductor with her nightmarish screaming.

Phoenix had taken the liberty of riding the train home with Bex. While the Victor insisted that she was now twenty-three and clearly independent, Phoenix was a worry-wart. He always wanted to make sure she was alright, and in the back of her mind – way past the rough and blunt personality – Bex appreciated it. Iliana stayed back at her home in the Capitol, waiting for Phoenix's swift return.

The train was already zooming towards District Seven as the sun started to rise in the sky. Phoenix was already in his cabin in the back, getting a few more hours of sleep. Bex had promised him that she'd be doing the same thing, but it was a lie. She'd gotten good at that lately. Lying and forgetting was a Victor's second nature. Rubbing at the dark spots underneath her eyes, Bex laid back on the couch in the dining area.

She downed another cup of coffee, hoping it would make the eye bags vanish away. Maybe it was wishful thinking, maybe it was sleep depravity – Bex was doing whatever she could stay awake. She didn't want the nightmares, not when her conversation with Snow was still fresh in her brain, waiting on the brink to taunt her as soon as she closed her eyes. At the very least, the coffee was numbing, running through her veins like good ol' morphling.

Bex was practically buzzing – shaking even – as she reached for the remote to the TV. The television projection booted to life. The first show to come on was Hazel Frand's Gossip Hour, where Caesar Flickerman's right-hand dished all the recent drama in the Capitol. Her specialty was Victors; she loved spreading gossip about her favorites, especially the likes of Finnick and even Cashmere.

And just at the thought of his name, there he was, gracing the holographic projection. Bex groaned and bent her head back onto the couch. But she was curious – so embarrassingly curious – and lifted her head to watch as Hazel rambled on and on about the footage she was broadcasting. It looked like the videographer had taken it while hiding in a bush because there were scattered leaves on the side of the lens. The footage was of Finnick outside the Starmorning hotel, holding the hands of the pink-haired woman Bex saw him with days ago. He was practically shoving his tongue down her throat before she got in a car and blew him a kiss goodbye. The way he kissed her made it look like he was trying to devour her entire face.

Bex wondered if he knew the cameras were there. Was it all intentional? Finnick was known to play the game very well.

I'd hate for you to get caught in the crossfire with his adoring lovers.

Snow's voice echoing in her head sent a shiver throughout her entire body. Bex pursed her lips, watching the TV as Hazel played the video over and over again. How many lovers did Finnick even have? It was unusual to have reoccurring clients in their agreement with Snow, but maybe ... Finnick liked his clients. Maybe he was attached to them in some metaphorical way that still made him feel whole. Bex could understand that, but it didn't mean she wanted to see her clients more than once. The first encounter was already awkward enough.

But Atlas Pacuri seemed to want to make a comeback.

With a shake of her head, Bex flipped the channel to the Capitol News Network. Another gossip show, this one hosted by Caesar Flickerman himself. He was enthusiastically reporting Katniss and Peeta's love story from the beginning, detailing every moment of it, from the Reaping to now. All these Capitol people were so oblivious; it almost hurt to see. Bex scoffed at the projection and plucked a scone from the table in front of her. Biting into the breakfast treat, Bex took in an old interview with the District Twelve lovers, and how Katniss was so stiff, her empty eyes just about glazing over. Peeta did his best to make up for her horrible acting, tightening his grip on her hand, reminding her to smile more. Katniss tried to blush at his compliments, but it wasn't good enough. It was fine for the people of the Capitol, but for Snow ... Bex wondered if he said something to her after this interview.

I've been told people don't believe her love story, Finnick had purred in her ear, that she's been inspiring some riots. Would you join her?

Bex was shaking at that thought, and she hadn't realized that her scone was already gone as her teeth clamped down on her fingers. "Shit," she murmured before running over to the bottle of white wine sitting in a bucket of ice. Her fingers ached, but the pain dulled as Bex took out a few ice cubes and placed them on the mark.

Uprisings. Riots. Rebellion.

The words held so much power, so much hope, but Bex was terrified to even think about it. Something was shifting in the air ever since Katniss and Peeta won those Games, something so poignant that Bex was doing everything she could to ignore it. She felt her body temperature rise every second she saw Katniss' lifeless smile on the TV. As she sat back down on the couch, her finger wrapped in ice, Bex changed the channel to the weather station.

Rubbing at his eyes, Phoenix staggered from his quarters and into the main dining area. He was still dressed in a suit; probably slept in it. Phoenix poured himself a glass of the white wine – despite the time only just reaching eleven AM – and plopped himself right next to Bex on the couch. After waking himself up, he sighed, taking in the several coffee cups in front of her, and then the hand wrapped in ice.

"What the hell did you do?" He asked, dumbfounded.

"Don't ask," she sighed. "It's embarrassing."

Phoenix looked back at the coffee cups and rubbed at his temples. He stared at the television and muttered, "You didn't sleep, did you?"

Bex was too exhausted to lie. She decided to stay quiet, unwrapping the ice from her fingers once the pain stopped. Phoenix didn't push it. He chose to drink his wine in silence, swirling it in the glass, as the Capitol announcer looked like he had a gun to his head while he spoke about the weather for the week.

Would you join her?

Finnick's voice in her ears became too loud to ignore. She bit her lip, sighing at the familiar hum of his voice. That stupid, egotistical, arrogant son of a –

"Phoenix?" She almost didn't recognize her voice as she spoke. It was almost too quiet. Her escort looked over at her as she cleared her throat. "I know Iliana said not to talk about it –"

Phoenix shook his head and turned back to the TV. "Then we shouldn't."

Bex paused. She was treading dangerous waters, but she trusted Phoenix. She trusted him as much as her brother, and that was saying a lot. There was something so different about him and he knew her through and through. Bex never expected to feel comfortable around someone of his caliber, someone from the Capitol. But she knew him like the back of her hand, and he for her.

And that's why she opened her mouth to finally speak, "What if a real rebellion happens?" Her voice was still soft, but the harshness to it still remained, like a vulture circling the sky before it struck its prey. "It's happened before, who's to say it won't happen again? And what of my agreements with Snow? What would happen to me?"

Phoenix was quiet. Truthfully, Bex didn't expect him to say anything. It wasn't like he could say anything, but he understood. He heard the pain and the exhaustion in her voice; he heard the worry, but there was still nothing he could reply in his situation. Bex just needed to let it out.

Instead, Phoenix reached over and grabbed her hands. He squeezed them, still not turning in her direction, and Bex squeezed back.

He didn't need to speak. That alone told her everything she needed to know. He would stand with her through anything, even from the sidelines, and she sat back with relief.

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Bex had to quickly say goodbye to Phoenix as soon as the train arrived at District Seven. "I have important matters to attend to. Friends to see," he had explained before giving her a wide smile. Bex wrapped her arms around him and hugged him for a bit too long, but Phoenix was gone and heading back to the Capitol in under five minutes. She waved to him in the window as the train sped off, and she was graced with the tranquility of her home once again. Bex inhaled the smell and exhaled her anxieties.

It felt like her visit to the Capitol had never existed. She was free again.

Tugging at the strap of her bag, Bex made her way to the food market. She knew it didn't make up for it, but maybe bringing groceries home would make Keaton not as angry with her about the sudden trip. A brisk wind lifted her hair off her shoulders and the sun was still warm enough for all farmers out that day. As she walked through the stands, watching the people of Seven chat and giggle along with their neighbors, Bex smiled. She smiled because it felt like everything was worth it in the end. Winning, survival ... it was all worth the torture now that she could still walk through the farmers market and see the happiness on people's faces.

She could get all fresh ingredients to make Keaton a beef stew tonight. Maybe even two loaves of bread too. Atlas' payment was practically burning a hole in her pocket, and she wanted to use it on someone who deserved it. Her brother was going to be so excited.

Mrs. Yance at one of the many vegetable stands helped Bex pick out the best carrots, potatoes, and corn. Placing them all in a wicker basket, the woman sent her a delighted expression and took the money, pausing a moment as Bex walked away to notice the symbol on the paper. While most people were paying with coins at the market, Bex Nassar always paid in Capitol money. It was rare for Mrs. Yance to even be holding it, and she quietly slipped it into her pocket to show her family later.

Gathering stock and spices from other stands, Bex checked off that the last thing she needed was, of course, the beef. She wanted a big cut, so she could make a stew to last for days. At the end of the street, situated in the corner, was a new meat stand. It was owned by a family called the Clevvers. Bex spotted the large coolers around the stand, big enough to house a whole cow.

There was no one manning the stand as she approached. With an arched brow, Bex peered over the wooden counter and saw a mop of brown curls hammering the stand in place. "Um – hello –"

The person immediately shot up, like a flower in the spring-time. Caramel eyes met her own, and Bex found herself frozen as she took in the male's sharp cheekbones and pretty smile. She swallowed hard and the man laughed at her silence.

"You're Bex Nassar, right?" He asked, leaning against the stand, which was already shaking enough without his weight on it. "The darling of District Seven."

More like the axe-murderer of District Seven, she thought. Quite literally.

After a solid ten seconds, Bex cleared her throat and found her voice. She gestured to the drooping sign in front of the stand. "And you must be one of the Clevvers? Are you guys new?"

"New to the farmers market. My family owns a meat shop down by Merchant Lane and wanted to see if we could a profit selling here too." He licked at the corners of his mouth and held out his hand. "I'm Angelo, by the way."

Bex grabbed his hand and shook it. "Is my hand going to smell like meat now?"

He released her hand and smelled his own. "Fresh as a daisy."

She laughed, and it was almost ... flirtatious? Her Capitol giggle was definitely not coming out right now, not in front of a man she just met. Bex felt her mouth get dry when they stared at each other again. Angelo was naturally pretty, as if he was made for the Capitol.

"I saw on the TV that you were at our President's very special party," he said, hauling one cooler on top of another. "Why are you back enlightening us with your presence so soon?"

"I'm not really for the glitz and glamor of the Capitol," she sighed. "I'm actually bringing home an apology present for my brother. I need a large cut of beef for a stew."

Before the words could even leave her mouth, Angelo began pulling out a huge slice of red meat from the cooler. He laughed and turned to face her. "This one okay?"

"Shit," Bex blurted, and Angelo released that cheerful giggle once again. "Yeah, that's great. Thank you."

He placed the slab onto the counter and started to cut it into tinier slices, perfect for a stew. Angelo glanced up at her for a short moment, taking in her black stare, before replying, "My pleasure."

Bex could literally feel her cheeks heating up. It wasn't fake or her not being able to turn off her Capitol persona. No, this felt real and it was coming at her all at once. She had to look away to keep herself from staring at Angelo for far too long. How had they never met before? She would've been glued to an angelic face like that from a mile away.

But nothing could happen. Never, ever. Bex wasn't always the most affectionate and she was never good with showcasing her emotions. And after her parents ... she didn't want anyone else getting hurt. Loving someone, getting close to someone – there were consequences for that now, especially in her new life. Bex would be damned if she let the President use someone else against her. She didn't want to lose more people she cared about.

And yet, looking at Angelo right now ... the tug at her heart and blush on her cheeks made her consider breaking her own rules.

"Here you go," Angelo said, and she averted her attention back to him. He handed her all the beef slices in a plastic wrapping and Bex placed it in her basket.

"Thanks," she smiled softly before handing him a few bills.

Angelo waved his hand. "It's on the house."

"No, it's not," Bex argued, smacking the dollar bills on his counter. She turned on her heel to leave. "Have a nice rest of your day."

He ran a hand through his hair, cheeks becoming the same shade of red. Thankfully, she was already walking away, but Angelo couldn't look elsewhere. After a sigh escaped his lips, he whispered, "See you around, Bex Nassar."

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A/N: posting this chapter just for the sake of telling y'all to stream hayley williams' new album, PETALS FOR ARMOR, which the title for this fic was obvi based on. this album is SO good y'all. not only do a lot of the songs relate to this fic, but the album touches on feminine anger, fear of emotional intimacy, and women empowerment. it's also just really good music lol. if that doesn't convince you to listen.....well, I guess ur missing out............

also the gif is who I pictured as angelo 🥺