This takes place right after Annie becomes victor of her Hunger Games, while she is on her way to celebrating in each of the districts.
Screams awoke him from his nightmares. Once he established that they weren't coming from him. He tried to slow his breathing. Memories of the end of the most recent games came flooding back. Hard not to when these were the same screams that echoed throughout the games. Annie's screams.
He thought about all the powerful people aboard the train. He thought about all the pain that powerful people caused him because they thought he might make a fuss. Finnick flipped his blankets off his body and dashed out of the room. He could still hear her screams and he walked down a few doors to her room. He didn't bother to knock just grabbed the door knob and closed it behind him as quickly as he had opened it.
She was sitting down on the floor. Rocking back and forth on her knees, sheets tangled around her feet. Her window wasn't closed and the moonlight shined on her dark hair, partly covered by her hands over her ears. Annie's eyes were closed so tightly Finnick was slightly worried she could sprain them.
He dropped down on his knees in front of her and began to whisper as calmly to could. "Annie, you need to be quiet. Annie. Annie please calm down."
Her state didn't improve. He was sure if he didn't do something soon someone else would and what they would do wouldn't be kind at all.
"Please." He finally covered her mouth with his hand. This caught her attention. She stopped her screaming and flinched back violently. She looked at him, her big green eyes staring. "It's all going to be okay. But you need to be quiet, please."
Her eyes filled like the sea, the same color and everything. It almost made him want to smile.
She swallowed, "I can't go back there ever again. I can't."
Her nails were digging into her legs. Finnick tried to not let his hands shake as he reached out to put his hands over her small, fragile, worn ones. He slowly worked his way to unclench her hands. Never once did he break eye contact, mostly because he couldn't make himself look away. Once he got her hands away from her, he grasped them tightly in his own.
"You never will. I'll make sure of it," Determination radiating out of his smooth voice.
Tears began to stream down her face. Finnick pulled her to him. She buried her head into his broad shoulders and the sobs came again. At least now the sound was buffed by his body. He whispered into her hair, "I'll keep you safe."
The night he held her till a muted orange started to show through the window. Finnick had dozed off and on all through the night. But somehow his own nightmares of the games had faded since he tried to soothe hers.
"Finnick," She whispered timidly. He awoke with a start. She backed up slowly from him. They may have been something between them before the games, while he was her mentor, but never this intimate. "Sorry."
"Don't be," He said equally quietly. He hesitated but continued, "Listen Annie, as a victor you'll need to watch out. There are people who could do… bad things to you. That does mean trying to keep your head down."
"What else could they possibly do to me?" She said savagely.
Finnick didn't meet her gaze. He knew he couldn't tell her of his perils that had begun. Snow's threats of what could happen if he didn't keep his head down.
"I got you out of those games Annie and I'll get you through the Capitol's celebrations. That's my job," His throat caught a bit on the last word, mentor was his job. But protecting Annie, innocent Annie felt like a duty somehow. Like this is what he's has to do and he doesn't mind one bit. "We're in this together."
She nods, biting her lip, watching her hands.
They had gone to school together. Grown up in the same districts, seen the same sights and gone through the same traditions, including the hunger games.
He reaches over and squeezes her hand. Then he rises, grabs the door knob but before he turns it he said quietly. "If you ever need me I'm three doors down."
Then he slipped into the hallway. He took two steps and Mags stepped into the hallway. He suddenly realized his hand was still on the doorknob and that he was half naked. While this rarely bothered him he didn't want Mags to get any ideas.
When they were face to face he breathed out, "It's not what you think."
"I don't think anything dear." Her tone and face were serious. Damn, that meant she heard the screaming too. "We both want to bring her home as sane as we can."
Finnick's jaw clenched and Mags patted his shoulder then continued on. He went back to his room. He wanted to hit something.
He found a shirt to put on, knowing no one would care even if he bothered not to put one on. He was just some sex object to them.
He went down to breakfast ready to sulk about the hunger games claiming another victory, or victim it was all the same.
The prep teams were all their as well as their host, Sobia. Annie was there too, a faraway look in her eyes and her hands in her lap.
As soon as the Capitol members spotted him they all tripped over themselves to wish him a good morning. He gave them a half hearted nod. Then he took a spot next to Annie while Mags was on her other side.
"Morning," He said softly. She even glanced over; giving him as much of a smile as he could have hoped for. Out of the corner of his eye Mags smiles a bit as well.
Sobia as always was eager to gossip about anything that came his way. "Did anyone hear those awful noises last night? Like rabid birds. "
"The only rabid birds I hear are you." Finnick quipped with a charming look to Sobia. Everyone laughed loudly, as they always did whenever he said anything. Sobia glared, but Finnick wasn't about to let anyone talk about Annie's screams. Mostly out of the fear that they might start again.
One of the stylists makes a remark on a tattoo Finnick should get, which was meant with rebuttal from the other beauticians. None were interested in what Finnick had to say, so he was free to discreetly take Annie's hand under the table and squeeze. She seemed to take a deep breath like she could breathe. She even ate a bit at that breakfast. Ever since then that squeeze had meant the same thing. The he was going to keep her safe.
Weeks later, the tour was almost over and by this point Finnick didn't even bother trying to sleep in his room. They were on their way back from the Capitol and everyone was exhausted.
He had thought she was asleep already, so he sat on the floor and leaned against the bed.
But as soon as he closed his eyes he heard her melodious voice, "What's going to happen now?"
He picked up his head to look over at her fair complexion, "We'll be home tomorrow afternoon. It's over now, Annie."
She laid her head back down and kept her eyes on his. "But it won't be. Every time I close my eyes I'm back there and I see his face… his eyes wh-when it happened." He could see her fold into herself, slowly exiting reality.
Finnick practically leaps up next to her taking her in his arms. "No, no. It gets better. I-I'll-,"
"You said it yourself we're home tomorrow then you won't be here anymore." She murmured quietly into his chest.
"That's not true." He grasped her shoulders in both hands, pulling her far enough back so he could look into her eyes. "Annie… I'm not about to just leave you. Ever. We'll get through this together." Things had changed between them in these weeks. He helped her in the nights; at least he thought he was helping her. But it seemed more and more that she was fixing him too. Finnick smiled and laughed more, all from spending the days trying to cheer her up. They were better together.
She looked like she was about to cry again, but the tears were different. Tears of happiness though opposed to fear or sadness, "Promise?"
"A hundred times over," He muttered.
Then slowly but surely they moved toward each other, till their lips collided together. It was hardly their first kiss, but it was the first kiss that sealed a promise.
Finnick broke apart and spoke, "Come on go to sleep. There's only a few more hours."
She smiled back and lay back down. He began to move to slide back to his position on the floor.
"No, come be with me." She sighed, and he obliged. That night they fought away each other's nightmares.
It got quite fluffy at the end. I tried to show the development in their relationship from the beginning of the tour till the end. I hope you enjoyed it and reviews are appreciated.