| WATERCOLOUR EYES | F.ODAIR | COMPLETED

14 | MAD MEN MARRY MAD WOMEN

RHEA HAD HER eyes closed as she drew patterns on the back of Finnick's hand, he was fast asleep but the girl was struggling. The new environment had unsettled her, sleep wouldn't want to take hold of her until she knew she was safe. Although she knew some of her family, close friends and protectors were there, she still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling she had trying to sleep in the middle of the destroyed Capitol.

"We've been here before, you know." Peeta suddenly spoke, making Rhea open her eyes to see that Peeta was talking to the still awake Katniss.

Katniss answered back, confused. "What?"

"That look. I've seen that look." He slowly sat up. "You're trying to decide whether or not you should kill me."

"I never wanted to kill you." She replied, turning away from him. "And that's not what I'm doing."

He shook his head. "I saw it with my own eyes. In the first Games."

"In the first Games, I thought you were trying to help the Careers kill me. After that, I always saw you...as an Ally."

There was a pause. "Friend, lover...Victor...fiancé...enemy, target, mutt. And now Ally? Yeah, I'll add that to the list of words I use to try to figure you out."

A few others awoke from Peeta's raising voice, including Finnick and Theo. They all watched Peeta, who noticed and hung his head in shame. They all had a moment thinking that the boy was about to turn aggressive and attack Katniss, but as soon as he hung his head, they knew he was fighting against that urge.

"I'm sorry. I just can't tell what's real and what's made up anymore."

"Then ask." Theo spoke up before anyone else. "That's what Annie does."

Rhea looked at her brother, she didn't know he had met Annie. Then again, she was away from her family for a long time when she was trapped in the Capitol. Perhaps the pair had made a connection, it was something the girl would have to ask about later when they had time and didn't desperately need rest.

Peeta looked at him. "Ask who?"

Finnick gave the boy a small smile. "Us."

There was another pause as Peeta took Finnick's words in, he then faced Katniss. "Your favourite colour is green. Is that real?"

Katniss nodded. "Yeah. That's real. Yours is orange. Not bright orange. Soft, like the sunset."

"Thank you."

"You're a painter. You're a Baker. You always sleep with the windows open. You never take sugar in your tea. You always double-knot your shoelaces." Katniss sniffed, realising her mistake as she turned to Jackson who was now awake. "You were right. I can't do this."

Katniss stood up to leave, walking past everyone as she took a new spot beside Gale. Peeta held a hurt look, his love for Katniss was real and to know that she loved him too much that she couldn't kill him when it would be needed worried him. The next morning arrived quickly, everyone on their feet and waiting on Boggs to lead them to their next location. "Listen up. Mag's empty. It's only for the Propo."

He handed the unloaded weapon to Peeta, who held it loosely in his hand as if he didn't actually want any weapon in his hand, loaded or not. Rhea bit her lip in worry, Coin shouldn't have let the broken boy join them at all, whether it was to help in the promos or not, he was not mentally ready to be back in an environment that not only reminded him of the Games but is also the place where he was tortured.

"Let's move." Boggs then spoke. "We're headed five blocks north."

Rhea walked beside her brother now, as Finnick was helping Peeta learn some lines for the next promo. She could hear Finnick's voice as he spoke first and Peeta copied. It was rather cute and gave the image of him teaching their future child to speak and read. The smile went from one of a daydream to remembrance, as she figured that this could be a good time to ask her brother about a certain someone, a redhead from District 4.