Hello.
Any readers of my other stories will know I have been using a hunger games two shot as an excuse for not updating for a while now. Well to prove it does exist, here is the first part.
I don't claim credit for the arena story line that is from the story For Those Below which the author has kindly given me permission to use(check out the story it is amazing).
If you want a full story about Finnick and Annie whirl wind of a romance this story won't be very satisfying. It is only the story of how the got to their first kiss from Finnick point of view when as he reflects on it when the two are reunited in mockingjay. I hope you like it. Annie's point of view will be up soon!
Indivisible
FPOV
"Finnick!" I recognized her voice immediately as it echoed around the room. How could I ever mistake it though? It was the voice of a girl who I had been hopelessly in love with ever since I saw her frightened face at her reaping, a day forever imprinted in my memory. I could still remember her terrified expression as her name was called and she shakily made her way to the stage. I hated the capitol more than ever at that point. How could they even thing of making someone that innocent and sweet fight to the death in an arena? I felt physically sick. I help may straight face as I sat on that stage next the other victors, trying to block any of the non fake capitol me from my face.
I sat there praying that she wouldn't be sent into the games, that one of the war obsessed careers would volunteer and save her so she could continue with her life. Though my prayers weren't answered as a silence fell over the district as she stood shaking on the podium.
I felt my heart break into one million pieces as this poor girl's death was sealed in stone, she couldn't win, not against those massive careers from district one and two, and I was going to practically send her to her death.
My mind jumped forward to the day of the interviews, Annie, that was her name as I had later learned, and Owen's, her district partner, training had gone smoothly with no massive blunders though Annie refused to go near any form of weapon, like she was scared to face the fact she would have to fight, while Owen eagerly practised his fighting skill, only ramming more nails into the wooden box that held her fate. I could remember thinking at that moment that I would have done anything to save the girl from my district but I knew that was just a hopeless pipe dream that I wouldn't be able to keep, ever. I tried so hard not to let my lack of hope show through but I could tell by Annie's disheartened expression that she knew how I felt about her chances.
By the time our private training session for the interview came around I felt like I had completely failed her by giving up hope. I was a bad mentor. I hadn't been able to help either of my two tributes.
"Do you have any ideas of how to play this?" I asked, hoping she would have some better ones than I had come up with. She shock her head sadly and turned away from me before mumbling,
"It's no use I'm going to die any way" she mumbled, her voice sounding upset.
"No, you can win" I said sternly hoping to spark any confidence in her, and myself.
"Don't" she simply replied, stopping my current train of speech.
"Don't what?" I asked, urging her to explain further into what was going on.
"Don't try and pretend like you haven't given up hope in me already, I know you have it's obvious" she told me, turning to look me in the eyes for the first time since her name had been called out. I hated myself more than anything at that moment, I hated myself for not having faith in her. But I hated myself more for not realising earlier that she wasn't girl from my district who was being sent to needlessly die for sport.
I opened my mouth to shot a retort, but I wash stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the tears that had started to creep into her eyes. The failure I felt seemed to grow more inside me but was overshadowed by a sudden care for this girl, a will to keep her safe and a regret that I couldn't.
"Your wrong" I replied finally after a tense silence had hung between us for some time now.
"Excuse me?" she asked turning to face me, her face contorted with confusion, though the tears still hung in her eyes.
"You don't have to be a cold blooded killer to survive these games Annie, if you can just win sponsors in this interview you are easily in with a chance of winning, your five in training won't matter as much if you can just win the sponsors" I explained, it didn't matter if I had now hope in her as long as she thought I did she might start being more positive about herself and actually win this thing. As I said those words I was expecting a lot of different reactions from her but the one I got was definitely not one I had anticipated.
"What like you did? You want me to go out there and act like a good little slut so I can live a long life doing anything to get into people's pant, well I would rather die than live hating myself" she shouted at me, her sharp words breaking one of the last strands of self control I had left. I slowly took in her appearance before I spoke again, her hands were clamped in front of her mouth like she was trying to stop anything else escaping, like she regretted those words.
Before I could respond though she ran out of the room after quickly saying,
"Sorry, I wasn't thinking"
I didn't speak to Annie again before the interviews. I didn't speak to her after watching her stumble over her words in her interview. I didn't speak to her when I heard her gently sobbing in her room that night. I knew I should, it didn't matter if her words still stung. I was her mentor and I should be helping her but I still couldn't get her harsh words out of my head. She was right, it didn't matter what Mags said, I was just some nineteen year old killer who had lost everything and now spent their life sleeping with people all over the capitol. So I still kept walking when I heard her soft sobs the night before the last day I thought I would ever see her.
It was when Mags and I took her and Owen down to the hover crafts that I finally spoke to her again.
"Run for it at the cornucopia, don't try and grab anything, just run" I told her bluntly while Mags gave her last advice to Owen. She nodded, her eyes fixed on the cold floor beneath her, refusing to make any eye contact with me.
"Finnick, about what I said, I didn't mean it" she tried to explain her eyes still fixed on the ground beneath her. I didn't care whether she meant it or not, she was right, that was exactly what I was.
"Don't worry about it, you were right" I told her simply, refusing to let my voice portray any emotion.
"No, no I wasn't you are so much more than that and I couldn't have hoped for a better mentor" she blurted out like she couldn't get the words out of her mouth fast enough. At that moment I hated the games more than I already did. This was one of the most amazing people in the world, a girl who was able to forgive me for giving up on her and practically sealing her fate, and now she was being sent to her death.
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather had Mags?" I asked, a small trace of humour in my voice.
She shock her head lifting her head and smiling back at me before wrapping her arms around me in a awkward but comforting hug which I quickly returned.
"Thank you" she mumbled into the hug, refusing to remove her head from my shirt, not that it was something I minded. I don't know how long we stood there wrapped in each others embrace but I remember finally realising that it was time to say goodbye for what I hoped wasn't forever, even though I knew my hopes where pointless.
"Annie, please try to win" I told her as I finally pulled away from the hug.
"I promise" she replied, leaning up and planting a quick kiss on my check before walking off to the hover craft. At that moment I hated the world more than anything as I realised at probably the worst moment that how ever much I tried to deny it what I felt for the girl walking away from me was way more than I had ever felt for any other tribute or any other person as how ever much I tried to deny it I was I love with the girl I had just sent to her death.
As I sat down in the control room the following day I could not have possibly been more depressed. Owen had been killed in the first hour by the girl from district one who beheaded him right in front of Annie, causing her to run away and hide. When I left I felt sure that she would be toast if one of the careers found her, she had no weapons and could definitely not beat them in a physical confrontation, she was to small and perfect to kill.
"What happened?" I asked Mags gravely, fearing the worst.
"She's fine, she's still alive hiding in that hole, safe. Traumatised from Owen's death but safe" Mags told me causing relief to wash over me. Annie was safe.
"Send her something" I told Mags simply taking my seat next to her.
"We don't have enough money to send any weapons Finnick" Mags told me sadly, obviously wishing there was more we could do to help our tribute.
"Just send her stew then anything that will let her now we haven't given up" I explained, desperate to show Annie that she was wrong and I had never given up on her.
"Okay" Mags replied getting up to go and send the gift to her while I stayed, my eyes never leaving the screen where Annie sat her hands clamped over her ears as if she was trying to block out an imaginary noise.
This was it. The final two. Annie could win. It was just her and the girl from one left. Sure the girl from one may be a better fighter but Annie was a better swimmer and the entire arena was submerged in water. I watched, my heart in my throat, as they struggled against each other in the dark water that covered the arena, which was suddenly filled with bright red blood. My heart stopped as I waited to see whose blood it was that was seeping into the murky water. Please not Annie, I thought as I prayed that it was her who would survive this.
For once my prayers were answers as the girl from one fell back lifelessly as the final canon sounded.
"I present to you the victor of the 70th hunger games, Annie Cresta" Claudius Temple smiths voice boomed out, his words making me fall back in my chair in relief.
"Let me see her" he demanded trying to push my way past the nurse who wouldn't budge from outside Annie hospital ward. I needed to see her, I had been so sure that the time I saw her in the bunker before the games would be the last time I saw her I hadn't been prepared for the idea I could see her again and now, after all she had been through, this nurse was trying to stop me.
"I sorry it's not allowed" she replied, standing her post firmly, unwilling to budge from her spot.
"I don't care" I told her as I finally shoved her out the way and opened the door. I was immediately taken aback by the sight of her. Her long brown hair was tangled and messy and was completely covered her face from sight. She had curled up into a foetal position, her body gently shaking with sobs.
"Annie" I said gently as I approached her trembling form. Her head shot up in response, her green eyes glistening with tears, causing my heart to break into million pieces from just seeing her current state. "Annie" I sighed quickly covering the remaining distance between us and rushing to her side.
"Come here" I cooed as I made an attempt to pull her sobbing body into an embrace but she pulled away shaking her head, fear plastered across her face. "Annie, it's me, Finnick, you trust me, I'm never going to hurt you, ever" I told her, tears brimming in my own eyes. I hated everything. How could it be fair that the time I find someone I love, well I think I love her I haven't really felt love before so have nothing to compare it to, she is broken by the capitol and their pointless games.
She seemed to relax slightly at my words and came back towards me, allowing me to pull her into a hug which she quickly returned, burying her face into my shirt, staining it with salt water. I didn't care though, against all the odds, I had the girl I loved back in my arms.
Annie slowly seemed to get better after she was released from the hospital, though her sleep was still riddled with nightmare, like all victor's were, they had got so bad I could constantly hear her screaming. I couldn't let here just face them alone, so every night I found myself in her house, in her room, gently comforting her till she fell back into sleep. It was on one of these that everything changed.
"You have to stop this" she told me one night.
"Stop what?" I asked, my arms still wrapped around her, gently rocking her back and fourth.
"Coddling me, I am never gonna to get better if keep helping me" she explained, turning away like she was scared to face me.
"Maybe I like coddling you" I replied, cupping her checks and turning her head so she was facing me. "Maybe I can't live without coddling you" I added, my forehead now pressed to hers, our breaths mingling. My eyes drifted to her soft lips, and every fibre of my being wanted to press my own lips to them but a bigger more powerful part of me told me to think better of it. Annie's eyelids had fluttered close in anticipation of kiss she thought was coming before I pushed her away and stood up from the bed. Her eyes snapped open and a look of hurt filled her face, breaking my heart in two.
"Annie, I'm sorry-" I began but her shaking voice cut me off.
"No, it's ok, I understand, you're Finnick Odiar, the amazing person who can have any lover he wants, so why would her want me?" her voice was breaking a tears were falling down her checks as she spoke.
"Annie, I don't love any of those women like I love you, in fact I don't love anyone like I love you" I told her, realising only too late what I had just confessed. I shouldn't have told her I love her but the words just felt so right to say.
"You love me?" she asked in her small timid voice, her green eyes shinning as they looked up into my own.
"Yes" I told her, meaning that one simple words completely, no doubt in my mind about it.
"Then why won't you kiss me?" she said, her question taking me completely off guard. I knew I shouldn't tell her, but I needed to tell someone after years of keeping it to myself. Years of extravagant women. Years of fear that someone else would die in a freak 'accident' like my sister had. Years of hate for myself for my parents hatred and blame for my sisters death, neither willing to forgive me for something I had caused by saying no.
"Because of what Snow makes me do. He sells victors" I told her, my voice hard to keep the sadness from my voice.
"Oh" Annie replied simply, shocked by my revelation.
"I do love you Annie" I told her, finally allowing a trace of sadness to creep into my voice.
"I don't care what Snow makes you do, I love you Finnick" she replied, a shy smile spreading across her face. A similar smile spread across my own as I covered the distance between us in a few quick strides and captured her lips with mine, finally kissing someone who I really loved and who loved me back
I could still remember the exact feeling of her lips on mine as I heard her voice echo through the district 13 corridor. Then I saw her, her brown her was tangled and scrappy and she was dressed in nothing but a sheet, but she was still perfect.
"Finnick!" she cried again when she saw me, her green eyes lighting up with mine doing the same at the sight of the woman I thought I had lost to Snow forever.
I quickly rushed forward to meet her like there was no one else in this broken world than us two. I pulled her into a tight hug, embracing the one woman I could ever love and pulled her tightly to me, never wishing to let her go again.
As she wrapped her arms around me, we lost our footing and slammed into the wall next to us, where we stayed, clinging to each .
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