Part II

(Glue)

"I could lie to you and say there's something out there that will cure you. Unfortunately you will revisit this your entire life. You have seen several people die and it is something you cannot escape." The woman that had been visiting my house every seven weeks for the 14 months told me, not for the first time. Her visits were never something I looked forward to and she made me uncomfortable. Hearing her tell me that whatever it is I had going on in my head was incurable over and over, didn't make me optimistic about the future."You're specific case of trauma is caused by bursting the 'life bubble'." She continued. I fidgeted in my seat. "We try to protect ourselves with this bubble." She explained as her eyes swept sideways at Finnick. Ever since I had asked him to join me at these sessions two months ago, she would always spend a good amount of the hour sending him looks she didn't think I'd noticed. "You have singlehandedly witnessed the fragility of life, so you will never be simple-minded or carefree as you were in the past. The traumatic feelings may have been passing, but the memories are yours."

A few minutes after she had gone, I stayed sitting in my living room, hands delicately positioned over my knees. I heard the front door shut and then Finnick was re-entering the room.

"I don't even know why she keeps coming here." He said, making a face. "She's not doing anything to help."

"Haven't you been listening?" I said in a low voice. "There's nothing to do to help. I'm incurable."

I didn't see his face, but I could almost feel the frustration rolling off him. "I don't think that's true."

"Just once." I started. "Just once admit that the glass isn't half full." The way he seemed so sure that the Dr. was lying irked me.

"And what good will that do, Annie?" he sighed. "Admit defeat and just accept that things aren't going to get better?"

"They aren't!" I said suddenly, the anger in my words surprising me. "That's the whole point!"

"You're getting better." He said firmly. "Sure, you space out sometimes –"

I laughed bitterly.

"What?" Now the patience was slowly sliding out of his voice, like ice cream melting off an ice cream cone. "It's true. I'm not going to lie to you, Annie. You do space out and sometimes you get into these weird moods and cover your ears like you want to tune yourself out of the world."

The truth in his words stirred me up a little. Finnick had never been so straightforward with me. Of course, I realized I did all of this. Not at the time that it was happening, but later, after reflecting on the day, I would remember and wonder why I couldn't stop it. Why it felt so normal at the time. My eyes shot up at him. "I told you: I'm hopeless."

"Let me finish."

My breath caught, taken off guard by his abruptness.

"There's no denying that you aren't the same Annie you were before the Games."

At this point, I felt the overwhelming urge to run away or coil up like a spring on the couch under me.

"But you have a family that loves you and is working through this with you." He told me, his tone softening. "And I love you, and I'm going to be with you through this too, even if it takes our entire lives."

"Finnick –"

My cheeks burned and my heart was racing. One inclination soon forgotten after a new one take over. Our eyes met, connecting us in a way that made me feel like we were meant to be like this, always. I had asked him – more times than I could count – why he wanted this; why he wanted to deal with me. his answer was always the same.

"Annie, we're stuck together…like glue."

I laughed, feeling a tear fall. "And what if the glue doesn't stick anymore?"

"That's not going to happen." He said confidently, holding out a hand and lifting me to my feet when I took it.

"But what if it does?" I insisted, smiling up at him: the shaggy bronze framing his face and the sun-kissed glow that we both shared.

"Well, this glue is different."

"Why?"

"It just is."

"It can't be different. It should be the same like every other glue."

Finnick sighed. "And since when have we been anything close to normal?"

My eyes flickered downwards. "We used to be."

His fingers came under my chin, and he tilted my face up. "Well, we're both pretty messed up then, huh?"

There was something so inspiring but glum about what he said, and the idea of being like this forever began to simmer. Would I always have these nightmares? Would I never be able to sit and talk about my experiences at the Games? Would I ever be able to see Lucas or Alec on television and not become consumed in sobs?

"You make me better." I admitted as his forehead fell against mine. "You make me feel normal." I felt his fingers travel across my jawline and mingle with my hair. "I feel the glue."

He laughed and I felt his hot breath on my face. "The glue will always be sticky. It's bound by cosmic forces we don't understand."

I smiled. "Cosmic forces? Were you really ever a heartthrob? I bet other girls never really got to know how weird you are."

He pulled me closer, his hands snaking around my waist. "It's because you're the one that brings out in me." he smirked. "And because I'm irresistible."

"Irresistible, huh?" I said, moving my mouth closer to his and drawing away just when he was going to take a try at my lips. I unwrapped his hands from around me and walked backwards, really making an effort at remaining sultry-like while keeping myself from laughing or tripping over something. Finnick's eyes widened in surprise at first, but then they darkened and he began walking towards me. I spun around and sprinted out the open back door, the one that led to the beach in our backyard. I heard Finnick calling me, but just burst out in giggles and continued running towards the ocean. My bare feet reached the water and I was surged with the icy temperature. My hesitation caused me my lead and before I knew it, Finnick had crashed into me and we both fell into the water, toppling over each other.

The saltiness felt familiar on my skin, having visited the great sea for longer than I could remember. We both laughed as we tried to stand. The late afternoon sun wasn't enough to keep us warm and I held onto my arms for warmth. I was about to suggest going back inside when I met Finnick's eyes. They were burning into mine with such intensity; I almost dared to look away. I knew what he wanted, and I knew what I wanted. We drifted closer and he kissed me, roughly grabbing my bottom and lifting me up onto him. I squealed in pleasure, never feeling so – so, hungry.

"Finnick –" I said between kisses, the intoxicating transfixion almost impossible to break. He gently lowered us into the water and whispered into my ear as his lips made his way to my neck. "I love you so much."

I felt a noise forming at the back of my throat. "Stronger than glue." I managed to say. "it's so much stronger than glue."

A/N: Oh my! Even I felt my cheeks go red at the end! ;) Anyhoo, hope you guys like it! This is the beginning of Part II, which will eventually progress to Mockingjay.