AN: Sorry it has taken a while to update, I've been busy and had like no creativity. Not many people read this anyway, so I didn't think it would matter too much. I'll try update every week, but if not just stick with it and I will update eventually.
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I don't own anything, except the characters I created. Everything else belongs to Suzanne Collins.
Chapter Eleven
Finnick
"Annie I…" "Just say it Finnick. Just tell me why you have this. You have no right to have it." I had to tell her the truth; I couldn't lie to her again. "Annie I did it to protect you." "To protect me?" "When we came back from the Capitol you weren't stable. You still aren't. I wanted to protect you, I though giving you this would make you worse and I didn't want that for you. I was going to give it to you when I thought you would be able to deal with it." "I'm not stable? Why don't you just tell me I'm crazy, that I'm mad and helpless and that I shouldn't have won? Go ahead, say it." "I would never say that to you, that isn't how I feel." "Why not? That's what everyone else thinks." "What do you mean that's what everyone else thinks, you're the victor, they love you." "You have no idea. They loved you, they still love you. They call me names, in town; they started calling me Crazy Cresta. They hate me because I'm pathetic. I hate it Finnick."
They called her crazy, to her face? I never thought District Four could be so shallow. "I'm sorry Annie, about everything. I shouldn't have kept that letter from you, they shouldn't be hurtful. Forgive me?" My voice cracked, I wanted her forgiveness, and I wanted her to love me. "Please." She nodded. "I forgive you. I understand why you did it." I wrapped my arms around her ever shrinking form. "Have you been eating?" "Yes." She mumbled. I knew she had to be lying; nobody becomes skin and bone overnight. "How about we take a trip to the beach later, go fishing. Make it a date?" I didn't want her to be starving herself, so at least I could persuade her to eat something if I was around.
Annie
A date? Had he just asked me on a date? "I'd like that." "Well then Miss Cresta, I guess I'll pick you up a seven." He laughed, I wasn't sure if it was from nerves. "That sounds great Mr Odair." He turned to leave. "Don't go. Please." He stopped in his tracks. "But it would make tonight more special?" "I know. So just stay for a while. I've missed you so much." He smiled his beautiful smile and nodded, I wrapped my arms around him, embracing him so tightly. I didn't want to let him go. "You don't have to go back to the Capitol anytime soon do you?" "No, not anytime soon. Not until after the victory tour, which I get to prepare you for by the way." "Well good luck with that. But why do you have to keep going? Why are you needed so often?" "You really want to know don't you?" "I do. I have no secrets, but you have so many. You know everything about me, but I hardly know anything about you. "Maybe later." He kissed me and once again turned to leave. "See you tonight Annie."
Finnick
The day dragged slowly. I had visited Mags and helped her around the house, but I was a disaster. "What's wrong with you today? You're home, why aren't you happy?" "I am happy Mags, I'm just nervous. I taking Annie out later for an actual first date and I don't want to mess it up." "She loves you, you can't go wrong." Usually her words were comforting, but I still felt sick. I wasn't being honest to Annie and I wanted to be, but if I told her she would hate me, and I didn't want that. Saying I was confused right now was an understatement.
At 6.30, I headed down to the beach to set up, all I had to do was to light a fire. I wasn't sure how this could possibly take me but with my nerves it would probably take me longer than it usually would. I checked my watch, 6.50, just enough time to walk back to Victor's Village.
Why am I so nervous? I love her with all my heart and I know she feels the same way. It doesn't make sense for me to be so nervous. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "Just a minute." When she opened the door, my heart skipped a beat. She looked so beautiful, so different but still obviously Annie. "Wow. Annie you look breath taking." Her cheeks flushed red. "Thank you Finnick." I held out my hand to her, wanting to be a proper gentleman. "So what do you have planned?" she asked taking my hand and closing the door behind her. "You'll see." I walked her to the beach, and she gasped when she saw it. Before I had left, I had surrounded the fire with flowers. "You did all this? For me?" "All for you."
Annie
I was blown away, everything seemed so romantic. The beach was almost empty, just the two of us if we ignored the few remaining fishermen. I sat by the fire on the blanket he had set down and I felt relaxed, as if the games had never happened and I was living normally. I would let myself get carried away in this fantasy for tonight, it couldn't do any harm. "I'll catch us something to eat, you want to come with?" I shook my head. "No than you, I'll just stay here."
I watched him closely, a silhouette against the setting sun. Simple perfection. Watching him fish was like watch a master craftsman at work. I was so transfixed by him that the rest of the world seemed to disappear around me.
He returned to the beach and started to cook the fish he caught. "Are you hungry?" "Yes." I lied. I hadn't been hungry since the games ended. I had barely eaten while he was only, only when I was with Mags. When I was alone, I couldn't face eating. The thought of it made me feel sick. "Great."
I ate as much as I could, I didn't want him to think I was ungrateful. "I couldn't eat another thing." He laughed and shuffled closer to me. "Then let's just sit and watch the waves." I leaned against him and could feel his heart beating against my back. It wasn't calm, it was panicking. "Finn, are you alright?" "Yes. Why? And did you just call me Finn?" "I did I'm sorry. I'll just stick to calling you Finnick." "No, I like it. Nobody calls me Finn, but if you want to then of course you can." He smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Why did you ask if I was alright?" "Oh it's nothing." I wouldn't let this moment be ruined.
Finnick
We sat for a while, silent. The moment was perfect without words. But I felt something was eating me from the inside. It wasn't perfect because I was lying to her. "Annie I have to tell you something." She sat up and looked at me, she smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. She looked sad, and I was going to make that worse. "Tell me what?" "I can't lie to you anymore. You have to know what I do in the Capitol." She took hold of my hand, sensing that this was difficult for me. "When I leave, Snow forces me to…" I chocked, I couldn't tell her, I'd only regret it if I did. "It's alright Finn, I won't judge you." She would be understanding, I knew that but how could I break this to her gently? "He forces me to sleep with women, he sells my body. He abuses me Annie, but I have to do it. If I don't he will kill everyone I care for, and that's only you and Mags. I don't want anything to happen to you two. I hate what I do, I hate that he threatens people I love. I hate myself because of it." The look on her face didn't change, I feared this was it. That she would run as far away from me as possible so she wasn't in danger.
But she didn't. She wrapped her arms around me and told me everything would be alright and that she didn't hate me for it. "Oh Annie, I'm so sorry." "Why are you sorry? There's nothing you can do." "Not about that, about the fact that if I put one foot wrong on the tour he'll hurt you." "If you put a foot wrong?" "Annie, if anyone in Panem finds out we're together, he'll make you like me. You'll be forced to sleep with people, and I don't want that to happen to you." "I wouldn't do it. I don't want to have sex with anyone from the Capitol." "I know this sounds harsh, but refusing would make it worse. He would kill you." "Then I would rather be dead." "Don't talk like that Annie!" She pulled away, she hated it when I got mad, and if I raised my voice it scared her. "I'm sorry Annie; I didn't mean to shout at you. I just don't want you to say things like that, I need you Annie. I need you alive, not in a coffin, not just a memory." She paused for a moment before leaning closer to me and pressing her lips to mine.