A/N: Hi everybody! The M rating is for mentions of forced prostitution and smut. I wanted to write Annie as a Career because even though Four is a Career district, there don't seem to be many fan fictions with Annie as a career. I do want this to be canon compliant, so please point out any continuity errors as well as any spelling or grammar mistakes I may have missed.

Update 8/23/2014: I'm currently rewriting portions of this story, but will not take down the original chapters until the new ones are complete. The main body of this work is now finished, but there is an epilogue coming.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own the Hunger Games. Sadly for me, Finnick Odair is both fictional and the joint property of Suzanne Collins and Annie Cresta.

"I don't care what you have to say, Finnick, I'm going to volunteer tomorrow. Shut up so I can enjoy my last night in Four." Annie pointedly did not look at him as she spoke, instead watching the waves as they swept onto the shore.

Finnick paled at the thought of Annie not coming back. He couldn't live without his friend. Annie and Mags were all he had left.

She noticed his distress, then added in a softer, gentler tone, "I meant until I come back a victor, Finnick, not the last night ever. I'm going to win this thing."

Finnick smiled, reassured. He quickly adopted his Capitol persona, the smooth, overtly sexual Finnick that was so unlike his actual self that it always made Annie laugh. "The sooner you agree with me, the sooner we can get on with the best part of this evening." Finnick arched his eyebrows suggestively and winked. He earned a giggle from Annie, but she didn't give in.

"Or we could spar, which would be far more fun. Even though I could probably beat you in about three seconds, it would probably last longer too," joked Annie.

The only appropriate response to that affront was righteous indignation. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but sex on the beach with the Finnick Odair happens to be the ultimate fantasy of every woman in Panem." He closed the remaining distance between them to whisper in her ear "and all your dreams could come true."

At that, Annie looked uncomfortable. Finnick immediately felt terrible. They joked about sex all the time, but he had just crossed a line, acting too much like the Finnick the Capitol knew.

He was sure that Annie knew about his work in the Capitol. Everyone knew that no person was too old, ugly, or unpleasant for Finnick Odair. As long as they were rich beyond imagination, the Most Beautiful Man in Panem, a title that made Finnick extremely uncomfortable, could be theirs, at least for a short time. Everything about his prostitution in the Capitol was terrible, but he thought the worst was the silent judgment from the people in Four. In this district, victors were viewed with a certain amount of respect, so everyone kept up a polite mask, but Finnick had been pretending for so long that he could see through their thin veil of politeness. They were all disgusted by him. District Four saw him as a traitor to the Capitol lifestyle. Finnick could not blame them. Sometimes, he disgusted himself as well.

Annie was different. She was worried by the life that he lived in the Capitol, but not repulsed. Deep down, Finnick thought that Annie was scared that someday her friend would be completely devoured by Capitol Finnick. One day, she would go to the train station expecting Finnick, only to find Finnick Odair, the Capitol's preening plaything. She kept quiet about her fears. Only once had she confronted him about his lifestyle in the Capitol. Shortly after his sixteenth birthday, she had asked him to walk down the beach with her, where she had asked him angrily how he could sleep with the same people that had forced him to murder children for their entertainment. He had pushed her away, blowing off her worries by saying that it was just for fun, an easy way to get off and have fun at the Capitolites' lavish parties. Annie had been angry at him, but she had never brought up the subject again.

He still hadn't told her why he accepted clients. Finnick felt guilty about it, but he didn't know how to bring up that sensitive subject, especially with his best friend. Or maybe she was more than his best friend. He wasn't really sure what Annie was to him anymore. They had always been friends, but in the last few months, Finnick had felt a stronger connection growing. He didn't know yet whether they would stay close friends or something more. With Annie going in to the Arena, he didn't know if he would ever have a chance to find out.

Annie was still standing next to him, both of them quiet after his misstep. He broke the awkward moment of silence with a more serious plea. "Please Annie, don't volunteer. Victors' lives may seem fantastic, but it's not worth what you have to go through."

Annie looked at him, shocked. "You really think that's why I'm volunteering? For the money? Finnick, I am better trained and better prepared than any other girl in Four. If I don't volunteer, some other girl will have to go into the arena. Guess what? She'll probably die in there. I don't think I could live knowing that I could have saved another child's life. Is that really all you think of me – that I want to win so I can live in a fancy house and have more money than I can count?" She paused for a moment, awaiting a reply. None came. "I'm going home now. I'll see you tomorrow." She turned away from him and half-ran across the beach towards the wharf, where most of the fishermen and their families lived.

He ran after her for a few steps and gently grabbed her wrist. "I'm sorry," he said. "But please Annie, don't volunteer. I don't want you to be like me and …" he trailed off. Even as he started to reveal his secret, he lost the courage to tell Annie exactly what being an attractive victor entailed.

She waited for him to finish his sentence, but when she saw that no more words were forthcoming, she gave his hand a squeeze. "See you tomorrow, okay?" Annie leaned up to place a gentle kiss on his lips before she walked away.

Finnick could only stand there with what he was sure was a stupid grin on his face and watch the gentle sway of her hips as she walked away. Annie Cresta had truly managed to surprise him today.

A/N: Thanks for reading my first attempt at fan fiction! I really hope you enjoyed it. Any feedback is much appreciated.