CHAPTER 40
ANNIE CRESTA

HER schedule requested she visit the hospital level as soon as she woke. Bex's anxiety flared for a mere moment, wondering if she was required to work in that dreaded place again, but she was scheduled in the kitchens for the rest of the day.

Bex looked down at her hand splint with a smile. She had to be getting it off today. Finally, she'd be able to crack her knuckles in peace.

After dressing in the same old jumpsuit, same old thermal underwear underneath, Bex headed downstairs to the hospital. She was asked to sit on a cot in the middle of a busy hallway. She waited patiently for ten minutes, continuously glancing at the clock. A nurse eventually came over and explained all the precautions Bex needed to take as she unwrapped the splint. Bex nodded, but hardly regarded her words. She was just glad to have her dominant hand free again. Her smile towards the nurse was radiant and she exited the hospital with a huge pep in her step.

Despite the nurse advising not to, the first thing Bex did once she was riding up the elevator was crack her knuckles. Nothing was more satisfying than freedom. Hopefully, she could get more than just a taste of it soon.

She slept for a few more hours before venturing to the kitchens. If there was one thing Bex liked about serving the dinner crowd, it was that she could sleep later. She hadn't been exaggerating when she told Finnick she could hardly sleep well until the sun rose. She found herself staying up, eyes wide awake at midnight, and then tossed and turned until the clock struck five AM. Bex was too scared to dream, and yet, she didn't mind being plagued by nightmares just to sleep. It was so tiring, but she'd gotten used to shrugging it off.

As she entered the kitchen, Bex found herself almost bodychecking another staff member with a tray of dough, heading for the stove in front of them. "Gods," Bex exclaimed, meeting the girl's ocean blue eyes. She took a step back and settled her hands on the sides of the tray. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to –"

"It's – um –" She adjusted her grip again and opened the oven, placing the tray inside. "It's okay. I'm really not supposed to be in here anyway. I serve breakfast, but I wanted to put these rolls in the oven to save you dinner folk from some extra work."

Bex raised a brow, studying the girl as she dusted flour off her apron. In just a few seconds, she could already tell this girl was one of the most selfless people in Thirteen. Her kind smile and meek voice said it all. Her hair was a fiery red, unlike her gentle personality. Bex thought her eye color was similar to Finnick's, although his were more seafoam green.

The girl threw her apron off and handed it over to Bex, who took it after a moment of hesitation. "I'm Annie Cresta. It's nice to meet you. You're Bex Nassar?"

Bex shook her hand and quipped, "Just Bex."

Annie smiled shyly and strode over to the sink. She began to clean some of the leftover dishes as the rest of the breakfast staff left. Something about her seemed so on edge. Her whole body shook slightly, even just being across the room from Bex.

Annie Cresta. This had to be Finnick's Annie. The one he could never love. It dawned on her then: this was the same girl Mags volunteered for at the Reaping. She had died for Annie, and that was something the young girl now had to live with, as well as intense anxiety that clung to her back every day. The Games destroyed her. Bex could relate to that feeling all too well.

She should be at meetings with the other Victors, but Bex could tell from the obvious fear in her eyes that maybe keeping her in the dark was the best decision. Anything could set off her distress, and she definitely had a lot of it. More than Bex, even Katniss.

Bex slowly approached her from behind, careful to make sure Annie heard her coming. She stood on one side of the sink with her hand bracing the edge. "You're from District Four, right?" She asked inquisitively. Bex hoped her voice sounded as soft as she aimed it to be.

Annie looked up and turned to Bex, who had one brow arched. She paused before nodding her head, "Mm-hmm."

"I've always wanted to go," Bex said. She'd never been good at small-talk. "And you know Finnick, yeah? He mentored you?"

Annie hesitated, almost dropping the slippery dish in her hands, but she recovered and placed it out to dry. She, again, nodded her head at Bex's question, hardly saying a word.

"Finnick's told me a lot about you." At that, Annie glanced at her with wide eyes. Bex held her hands up in surrender. "All good things. I'm glad they were able to get you out of Four in time."

Annie's lips pulled at the corners and revealed her dimples. "Me too," she murmured, finally opening up. "Who else would cook blueberry pancakes every day? I have a special recipe from back home."

Bex laughed and nudged her softly. "Maybe you can give me some cooking tips sometime? I'm not the best –"

"I know," Annie interrupted while drying off her hands. She smiled and placed a few fingers in front of her mouth, ashamed. "Sorry."

"None taken," Bex chuckled again.

Setting the hand towel on the side of the sink, Annie silently debated her offer. A moment later, she replied, "Cooking tips sounds like a fun idea, though. How about sometime this week after my morning shift?"

"That requires me to get up earlier, but ..." Bex grinned. "I'd like that."

As she turned her head, Bex spotted a man tip-toeing into the kitchen and approaching Annie from behind. Her brow knitted together as he put a finger to his lips. Suddenly, he reached for Annie's waist and tugged her to his chest, pressing a kiss to her cheek. Annie jumped, as if she'd seen a ghost, and turned to the man with wide, blue eyes. For a mere moment, she had never looked so scared, and Bex was ready to jump in between them. But then, Annie's stare softened and she smiled at the man with such warmth that Bex wondered if she were made of pure sunshine.

"Oh," Annie sighed, "it's just you."

The man was at least a foot taller than Annie's frame. His skin was the color of dusky sepia, while his eyes reminded Bex of chestnut wood. He had perfectly straight, white teeth, and he looked at Annie with the kind of tenderness you only saw once in a while.

He squeezed Annie's shoulders. "Are you off your shift?"

"Yes, I was just chatting," Annie replied, looking over to Bex. The man followed her stare and blinked, studying the other Victor carefully.

"You're Bex Nassar, right?" He held out his large hand. "I'm Kai Seaton."

"My fiancé," Annie clarified.

Bex shook his hand and nodded. She attempted to hide the surprise from her face, but it was hard. She didn't expect someone as shaken as Annie to fall in love. Bex understood the struggle of opening your heart. But she was happy to hear it. Escaping to Thirteen must felt a little better with someone you love by your side.

Kai sent Bex another wide, bright grin before placing his hand on Annie's waist and leading her out of the kitchen. Annie made sure to wave goodbye to Bex as they left, but the other Victor was still left with a hollow feeling in her chest. Jealousy swirled in her gut, and she silently wished she could allow herself to have what they had.

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Bex stabbed her fork into the casserole on her plate. The head chef had seasoned it some herbs grown directly from Seven, imported before the bombings. It reminded her of home, of her mother's cooking. Whatever meat was inside her slice, though, wasn't doing it any favors. Bex suspected it was pork, but you could never be too sure around here. They had to make do with the scraps they had in Thirteen.

The rest of the staff had finished cleaning up early. They quickly took their plates of casserole and sat together in the mess hall once it was empty. Bex didn't talk with them very much, so she preferred to eat her dinner alone, in the kitchen, welcoming the silence. The cafeteria got so noisy while they were serving, even more so when the Capitol News came on the TV. The citizens of Thirteen could be exceptionally rowdy when they wanted to be.

She inspected another slice of casserole on her fork before placing it on the tip of her tongue and chewing. There was definitely chive in here. It spiced up the mashed potatoes mixed in with the meat. Bex remembered how much her mom loved chive-spiced potatoes.

A figure appeared at the doorway of the kitchen. Instead of mulling over her vanished-parents, Bex sat up and wiped at her mouth. But upon recognizing Finnick's smirk as he leaned against the doorframe, she relaxed and continued to bend over the table, fork in hand. "You should probably just ask to have your assignment shifted to the kitchen if you're gonna keep visiting," she teased.

"I happen to like my chores in the hospital," he said, walking forward with his hands behind his back.

"Can't really say the same," Bex muttered. "I didn't see you eat dinner with everyone else tonight. Where were you?"

Finnick brought his hands out, revealing the tray of lukewarm casserole. "I wanted to eat with you," he said easily. "It's a bit cold now, though. I didn't really think this one through."

Bex slowly took the fork out of her mouth, confusion written over her face. She could tell Finnick was trying not to notice, attempting to keep the mood casual, but his devotion was anything but that. He sat down next to her with a huff. The legs scraped against the floor, but neither of them flinched. Bex kept her head down and tried to hide her smile.

They ate together in silence. But it wasn't exactly awkward. Just a week ago, she could hardly look him in the eye, and now, she was at peace with the presence of someone else being so close. Maybe it was because of her talk with him a few days prior. Who knew a flour fight could bring two stubborn souls together?

Cutting a slice off her square of casserole, Bex lifted her head at the same time he did. Once their eyes met, she knew she had to say something. She would look stupid otherwise.

"I met Annie today," she blurted. "She works the breakfast shift. I never even noticed her in the back kitchen while people served us. She agreed to give me cooking tips. Maybe now I can up my game."

Bex chuckled to relieve the tension, but Finnick had already gone stiff. He froze for a mere moment, fork plunged into the casserole, before he attempted to resume his normal behavior like nothing was wrong. Bex cursed herself for not thinking before talking. She was usually so good about that, but since the Quell ... she had felt so off.

She cracked her knuckles against better judgment.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned that –"

"Why should you be sorry?" He blinked twice. "Nothing's wrong."

Bex narrowed her eyes, studying him. Words came tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"Are you nervous to talk about her because of your history?"

Finnick ate a forkful of casserole, chewed quickly, and then flickered his gaze to her. "It's all in the past."

She raised a brow. "Then why are you nervous?"

He continued to stab his utensil into his meal. Bex swallowed hard when she thought how similar this looked to how he used his trident in the arena.

"Because opening up your heart is a tough thing to do, Bex. And it's a hard thing to forget." He paused. She noticed his grip go tight. "I'm sure you know how hard that is too."

Bex's mouth formed into a thin line. She didn't like that he was projecting himself onto her, but she decided that was an argument for another day. Instead, she placed her hand on top of his left. "I think you should talk to her," she advised. "You're both past Victors and you're from the same District. You need to let go of whatever is keeping you up at night."

"What about you?" He asked, lifting his head, yet still refusing to meet her dark stare. "Are you going to let go of what's keeping you up at night?"

She frowned. "This isn't about me."

"But are you?"

"Keaton's survival is what's keeping me up at night." Her brow pulled together in opposition. "So no, I can't let go of that until he's rescued."

Finnick didn't respond. He cut through his casserole with the tip of his fork, eyeing the chunky texture before giving up entirely. He wasn't sure if he could stomach it any longer, or maybe it was his nerves telling him that she was right.

Bex decided then that it was time to be honest. Her expression relaxed.

"And sometimes you," she breathed. Finnick instantly turned to her, a glint of hope in his oceanic irises. "Sometimes I think and dream of you. Even when I shouldn't."

His fingers laced with her hand and squeezed gently.

"We're on the brink of a full-fledged war, though," she whispered, looking away. "I fear the thought of ... falling completely in love with you, because I know how easy it would be. I don't want them to take you too."

"I get it –"

"Yes, but this is still different." She sobbed and wiped away her tears immediately, refusing to let them grace her cheeks. "I've been hurt so much, Finnick. For a Victor that was supposed to be one of Snow's favorites, he hurt me in every way he could. The Capitol took my parents when I didn't agree with the President's agreement. They cut out the tongue of the boy I liked because I wouldn't side with the Capitol in a rebellion. They captured my brother when I was rescued. They just keep taking and taking –"

Finnick pushed his chair out from underneath him and stood, wrapping his arms around her without delay. Bex didn't freeze at his touch. In fact, she didn't hesitate to hold him back, pressing her face into his shirt. She was reminded of the way he held her in Seven again, but this embrace was more desperate, full of anguish. Their fragile hearts were wretchedly clinging to each other, never wanting to be apart. Bex's tears stained his shirt as he placed his chin on top of her hair.

"When this is all over," he whispered, "when the Games are over, I'm going to take you to Four and I'm going to hold you on the beach, just like this. I want you to be as at peace with me as I am with you. Because when I'm near you, I forget about all my fears. I forget about Snow and what he could do to us. And I want you to be as comfortable with loving me as I am with you."

Bex sniffled, nodding against his shirt. She eventually leaned back to look up at him, to see the torment and agony in his pretty eyes. She rubbed at her own and nodded again, smoothing out the wrinkles she made in her shirt.

Finnick closed the distance between them, but not in a way she expected. Sensing her apprehension, he placed a chaste kiss to her forehead, one that Bex reveled in and had her hands fisted into his t-shirt once again. She hummed dreamily.

When he moved back and smiled down at her, Bex couldn't help how warm she felt inside. She brushed the pads of her fingers underneath her eyes and released an awkward chuckle, "I know you meant what you said, but we really diverted from the topic at hand."

He exhaled dramatically. "I was hoping you'd forget."

"Well, you were wrong." She released her grip and pressed her palms to his chest. "Just promise me you'll talk to Annie sometime. It'll be good for you. And if it's not, you can say, 'I told you so.' Deal?"

Bex had put out her hand for him to shake, but his own halted in the air, refusing to close the gap. "As long as you promise me that you'll let me take you to Four someday." He bobbed his head back and forth, thinking. "And if you're being kept up at night, you can visit my quarters. Room 325."

They had sealed the deal with a firm handshake, but the last thing Bex expected was to show up at his living quarters in the early hours of the morning, shaking from the nightmare she woke from. Finnick had sprinted to the door as soon as she knocked, holding it open for her. They had fallen asleep together in his bed, arms wrapped around each other like they needed the other for air. No nightmares disturbed them throughout the night, not even insomnia kept Bex awake. She dozed off to the sound of his heartbeat once again.

If only things could always be this simple.

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A/N: I feel like this chapter was so boring ahdjhdfjhfjk but we finally got to annie's inclusion in the story! she won't exactly be a central character, but she adds an interesting aspect to the story now that she's engaged to kai, who is an oc I made up from district 4. they're going to be vvvv soft and cute!