Sae gave Finnick two days to drink himself stupid before he met the business end of her wooden spoon. "I've spent the last year trying to peel these two hooligans from the bottom of the damn bottle. I don't have near enough patience to do it a third time. Now go shower that stink off you, you've been generous enough to volunteer your services for some errands I need run."
Knowing the battle was lost before it began, not that he would object in the first place, he made his way to the shower, carefully stepping over the loose stair on his way up. Probably the same one that was responsible for the bruise that he had seen on Katniss the night of his arrival. He spared a brief moment to miss her presence during the newly forming morning routine happening downstairs before shaking the thought aside. It wouldn't do him any good to dwell on his regrets, he was cautiously hopeful they could work it out. Until then he would give her the space she asked for.
Katniss wasn't the only reason he wanted to stay though, he had known Haymitch almost as long as he had known Mags, it was somewhat of a comfort being around someone so familiar. He had also quickly grown quite fond of Sae and Daisy, he knew that Mags would have adored them both. The little girl sometimes reminded him of Annie, but he tried not to think about that.
Finnick joined the group in the kitchen twenty minutes later feeling almost human. He slid into his usual spot at the table, letting out a small chuckle as he watched Daisy jump up from her dolls and excitedly push her step stool over the counter where Sae had just set a tray of biscuits. She waited patiently for Sae to hand her a spatula and got an adorable look of concentration on her face as she carefully moved the biscuits to the cooling rack. Sae watched out of the corner of her eye and went back to stirring the gravy that was thickening on the stove.
"You're sure there's nothing I can do to help Sae? I hate to impose and I've been told these hands are magic." He brought his hands up and wiggled his fingers with a wide grin.
Haymitch snickered across from him, though it quickly turned into a yelp and he sloshed whiskey laced tea onto the table when Finnick's foot connected with his shin. "Hey, that's perfectly good liquor you're wasting there!"
"Well now I'd hate to cause a shortage." Finnick snickered, knowing full well that one of the items he would be bringing back from town was a fresh case of the clear liquor the old man favored.
Sae and Daisy both turned and gave them matching disapproving expressions, Finnick was a little impressed at how stern the little girl looked.
"I'd like to see you try and take that spatula from Little Miss there. She'd think you were trying to take her job." Sae continued on, ignoring them.
"My job!" Daisy exclaimed, hugging the utensil to her chest. Sae gave her a pat on the head and set a stack of plates in front of Daisy.
Finnick put his hands up in mock surrender, "I would never dream of such a thing Daisygirl. It's all yours." Daisy smiled at him before turning back to her biscuits.
"Don't you worry that pretty blonde head of yours, I've been taking care of myself for a long while now, not fixin' to do anything I don't feel like. Besides you'll pay your dues when you bring the haul from town. More than this old geezer does." Sae gestured at the man, who was pouring the remains of his flask into his coffee.
Haymitch let out a laugh, "that's why I pay you so well. I've got better things to do, this liquor won't drink itself."
"Perish the thought." Finnick nodded solemnly.
Any retort from Haymitch was lost as Daisy carefully placed a plate with three biscuits in front of him. "Why thank you little Darlin', this is why you're my favorite." Daisy gave him a smile and a small giggle before going to bring another plate to the table. Once everyone had a plate Daisy settled in next to Haymitch and Sae sat at the head of the table after placing a pan of steaming gravy in the center.
"Now enough jabberjawing, get to eatin' before it's cold."
Finnick tried to ignore the empty seat at the table where Katniss usually sat. He didn't want to be the one to ask. Instead he concentrated on the quite frankly delicious breakfast that washed away the last remnants of his hangover.
Thankfully he didn't have to wait long for Haymitch to bring up the girl in question. "Our little party seems to be missing a guest. What is Sweetheart up to these days?"
"I've hardly seen her, she gets up first thing and doesn't come home 'till after sundown. Thom says she's been goin' up and helpin' cut down the fence." Sae said. "She's been eating what I leave and I make sure to leave her a packed lunch. It's good for her to be gettin' out. Fresh air and a little hard work will do her good, keeps the mind busy. Sometimes we just have to let these things work themselves out. She'll come 'round when she's ready."
Finnick was relieved to hear that she wasn't falling back into bad habits, not that he was in any place to judge, he just hoped that she would be back around soon. He was also thankful that Sae didn't feel the need to mention the fight that had caused her absence in the first place. He was sure Haymitch would have a commentary on the subject.
That seemed to be the end of the conversation and Sae spent the rest of breakfast updating them on the going ons in town, Haymitch had once told him that he didn't need the news programs because Sae had eyes and ears all over District 12 and Finnick was starting to think it was probably all of Panem.
Several families had moved from other Districts, it seemed that District 12 was becoming a sort of haven for people looking to start over and a new restaurant had opened. She told him to stop for lunch there since she wouldn't be needing anything he was picking up until dinnertime.
She waved off his offer to help with the dishes and told him to get on his way. Daisy rushed over for a hug just before he walked out the door.
He almost stumbled on the landing as he caught sight of the freshly planted primroses under Katniss's window. That was definitely a good sign, even if he wasn't too sure what it meant, but he let his smile carry him all the way to town.
He could admit privately to himself that Katniss had a point, he hadn't meant to use her as a crutch but helping her avoid her troubles helped him ignore his and he relished in it. He had spent the last several years always looking for a distraction, someone or something else to keep his mind busy. No one had ever been so quick to call him out on it before.
Coming to 12 to help Katniss had been an easy decision. He not only owed her his life he liked to think that they were friends, antagonistic ones sure, but friends all the same. She had honestly been the only thing holding him together in 13.
However he couldn't deny that he was also running from the monotony that his life had become in District 4. Simply existing day in and day out, cooking meals for one, hiding from reporters, dodging people's pitying looks, perhaps he should take his own advice and try to start living a little.
His thoughts carried him to the square and he was surprised, although he shouldn't have been, to see that it was already bustling with life.
Only a few of the stores were housed in actual buildings, most of the structures had been reduced to rubble, groups of people worked together to clear and load the debris into large trucks to be hauled away.
The center of the square was taken up by a large tent with tables spaced among each other acting as temporary shops.
He took his time wandering around, stopping to look at each table, there were a variety of wares like clothing, handmade decorations, and freshly harvested herbs. He pretended not to notice the surprised looks and whispers that followed him. But for the most part everyone carried on as they always had, Finnick found it a nice change of pace from his own District where the scrutiny was often too much.
He tried to buy at least a little something from each trader silencing their objections when he overpaid. He may have stopped trading in money ages ago but he still had more than he could ever spend in several lifetimes, so he was more than happy to spread it around. Several of them also had the things Sae had asked for ready and waiting for him.
While browsing through a selection of books he picked up a beginners guide to carpentry and thought of the broken stair at Haymitch's. After flipping through it for a few minutes he decided to add it to his purchases.
By the time he had gathered everything on Sae's list, making arrangements to pick up the things that wouldn't keep on his way back, the sun was high overhead and breakfast was a distant memory. He easily found the restaurant Sae had mentioned, it was a small but cozy space housed in one of the few buildings still standing. with several tables arranged around the room and several more just outside.
The hostess, a dark haired girl around his age, greeted him. He saw the moment she recognized him and braced himself for a barrage of questions. Instead she only asked if he had found everything he needed and what he wanted to eat. After ordering a sandwich and soup he found a seat outside and watched the people as they moved about.
He was pleased to find that the food was delicious and he ordered a milkshake at the hostess's suggestion.
He learned her name was Hannah and she and her brother were from 12, they had been lucky enough to live close to Gale and had heard him pulling people out before the bombing. They had been in 13 but returned a few months ago because rubble or not District 12 was home.
After being reassured that no one would be needing the table he settled in and spent a few more hours just sitting, flipping through a few of the books he had bought.
Once the sun began to set he bid farewell to Hannah, making sure to leave a nice tip and promising to be back soon. He picked up the last of Sae's purchases and made his way back to Haymitch's house for dinner. He was grateful Sae had sent him out, it definitely did him good to get some fresh air.
Over the next several days he continued going to town after breakfast. He'd browse the shops and occasionally help with stocking products or anything else that needed doing.
His third morning someone had put a shovel in his hand, there was always help needed clearing the remnants of destruction. He threw himself into it, the work felt good on his under used muscles and the repetitive work gave him time to think.
Afterwards he would take lunch at the restaurant where Hannah had deemed him her official taste tester for new recipes her brother was trying out. Occasionally people would stop to talk to him but they weren't prying questions. Most inquired about his health or expressed gratitude, content to keep to just regular small talk before they went on their way.
No one presumed to know him here, they didn't know his family or Annie or Mags and they didn't feel an ownership to him. They were just as eager as he was to move on from the past so they were content to ignore it entirely.
Evenings were spent helping Sae with dinner, when she would finally relent and task him with chopping potatoes or grinding herbs. He also spent a good amount of time entertaining Daisy, her shrieks of laughter as he chased her through the house a nice change from the screams that usually haunted his nightmares.
After Sae bid them goodnight Haymitch would drink and watch tv and Finnick would sit in Katniss's abandoned chair and read through the carpentry book. He wanted to finish it before he started any projects, Ethan at the lumber store had already told him he would set him up with everything he would need when he was ready.
He didn't realize how quickly he'd become accustomed to his routine, for its five days of existence, until something came along to disrupt it. Sae hadn't been able to make it for breakfast, something about being needed elsewhere. So he decided to just grab something at the restaurant before spending another day clearing what he learned used to be the bakery.
However all of his plans came to an abrupt halt when he made it to town. The square had been transformed, all the tables had been pushed to the outer edges of the tent forming a large circle in the center. There were people flitting about adding decorations and the beginnings of a massive feast had replaced the goods that usually littered the tables.
What really caught his eye were the reporters milling around, they were in stark contrast to the plainly dressed residents of 12 with their outlandish clothing and brightly colored hair. He turned and made his way to the diner before they caught sight of him.
"Good morning Finn," Hannah greeted as he slipped in the doorway, double checking that no one had seen him.
"Good morning Gorgeous," he said as he made his way up to the hostess stand. "It's a little bit of a circus out there today. Something big happening?"
He didn't miss the way Hannah chewed on her lip as if she was worried about what she was about to say. "You don't know?"
"I've had my fill of news and reporters so I try to avoid them whenever possible, know what?"
Hannah chewed her lip so hard he was worried she was going to bite through it. "It's the anniversary of the Fall of the Capitol."
Finnick felt like he had been punched as all the air rushed out of his lungs. How could he have missed it? He was sure someone must have mentioned that the day was coming up. Some indication about the party he had missed. Letting any talk about it slide right past him, Sae must have said something. Had he been that checked out?
He realized that yes, yes he had. One year since the Capitol had been defeated and he had been totally oblivious.
He was grateful when Hannah didn't seem to expect any response from him, she just gave him a gentle smile. "If you wait I'll have Luke put you some food together, I know you won't want to be in town today."
Finnick just nodded, already lost to the swirling thoughts in his head. It was easy to let it slip by when they spent most of their time trying to forget. They had no obligations, nowhere to be, there was no reason to keep track of the days.
Hannah came back over while she waited for Luke to get his order ready. "It's nothing elaborate of course, just a big potluck dinner and dancing. Maybe a speech or two. President Paylor is going to say a few words from the Capitol, but other than that we're okay keeping it simple. We aren't too big on ceremony here ya know?" She didn't seem to expect an answer, she just gave him a soft smile and turned to straighten the menus.
Finnick let out a breath of relief at the news, the idea of a gaudy celebration made bile rise up the back of his throat. He obviously had no say, he had turned down any offers of returning to the Capitol, but after all the sacrifice, blood, and pain there was nothing to prove by trying to pretend that everything was perfect simply because the day of the Capitol's fall has reached its anniversary.
All of the districts were heavy into rebuilding and stability was still trying to take hold. This year was just an acknowledgement that they were alive, that there was still something to build. Next year would be the real celebrations he knew, the Districts would be ready to show they had recovered.
There was a sense of excitement in the air, he heard bits of excited conversation as people walked passed, but Finnick just felt numb. He had been so wrapped up that he had missed the anniversary of Annie's death, just another day blurring into all the rest. Had he been with Katniss? Was he with Haymitch? What had he been doing? He had ignored it as studiously as he had most things but this celebration brought it all screaming to the forefront of his mind and he knew he wasn't imagining the tight band constricting his chest.
Hannah warned him that they were expecting even more reporters and that she had overheard several of them talking about trying to get a glimpse of the Mad Mockingjay.
When a few reporters got too close she shuffled him back behind the hostess stand and made a few hand waving motions to several of the regular customers. They immediately swarmed around the reporters, discreetly pushing them away from Finnick. He gave them grateful smiles and returned the squeeze of Hannah's hand in his.
He didn't have to wait long for Luke to bring out a stack of containers, "Hey Finn I've got some new stuff for you to try out. I'd stay and chat but I am, as usual, seconds away from disaster." He practically threw the food at Hannah before rushing back to the kitchen, presumably to save whatever he was burning. Even Finnick couldn't resist a chuckle at the expletives that slipped through before the door swung shut.
"That boy," Hannah shook her head fondly as she looked back at the kitchen, "he's a wonderful chef but he'd burn the place down if it wasn't for me."
"Here you go sweetie, there should be enough to last at least a day or two. No telling when these vultures will give up and go back to the Capitol. I'll swing by tonight after the dinner and drop some more off. There's bound to be leftovers from the dinner. Oh and Sampson left you a package here just in case you stopped by, I put it in the bag."
"You are too good to me Hannah, keep this up and I'm bound to get spoiled."
"Pssh you're already spoiled, but you're cute so I'll let it slide." She gave him a wink and handed him the canvas bag of food. "Now get out of here and don't say I've never done anything for you."
She made her way over to where three more reporters had just come in and steered them to a table out of the line of sight of the door. Finnick gave her a grateful smile as he managed to slip out unseen.
He made his way back to Haymitch's house in a daze, barely feeling the weight of the bags he carried. He felt the tightness in his chest lessen as he successfully made it back to the Victor's Village without being stopped.
Any relief he felt was stripped away when he saw Katniss standing on the opposite side of the Village closest to the forest. There were several reporters surrounding her, she was totally frozen except when the flash of the camera would make her flinch.
Of course they would already be here, crazy or not she was a story, especially today. He surveyed the small square and saw a few more reporters on her porch waiting for her to make a break for it and some hovering by Haymitch's porch hoping for a shot.
He didn't hesitate, closing the distance between them quickly, as he drew closer he could hear them relentlessly firing questions at her.
Her breathing was getting more rapid, chest heaving, and her face devoid of color, he knew she was on the verge of a panic attack. He none too gently elbowed his way past a woman wearing a bright pink outfit and hair to match, pushing her into a man dressed in sparkling silver. He didn't hear anything they were saying to him, all their voices blurring together as he turned all his attention to Katniss.
He cupped her face in his hands, feeling her pulse thundering under his fingers. "Katniss, Katniss look at me. It's Finnick, you're okay I'm right here." She dragged her eyes up to meet his but they were unfocused and shining with tears.
It only took the reporters moments to recognize him and they pushed in tighter, mercilessly throwing questions at him too. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to calm her down where they were, he had to get them out of here.
He took only a second to consider the options and grabbed her hand. He shoved several more of them out of his way as he pulled Katniss to the one place he was confident they wouldn't be so quick to follow, the forest.
Finnick led them forward, Katniss allowing herself to be pulled around stray branches and protruding roots until he could no longer hear the voices following them. He walked another hundred yards, stopping once they broke through to a tiny clearing before he turned back to Katniss.
Her breathing was still erratic but there was recognition on her face as she took him in. He placed one of her hands right over his heart, holding it there, his other hand coming up to grasp the back of her neck.
"Breath with me Katniss. You can do it, deep breaths in and out, we're okay now. We're safe." When she began mirroring his breaths he relaxed minutely. He kept his eyes on her watching as her lips silently moved in what he knew was her grounding phrase. It took several minutes, him murmuring assurances the whole time, but gradually her breathing steadied and the color returned to her face.
Katniss looked at him, unshed tears made her eyes shine. "I didn't...I didn't realize what day it was until I got to the fence and no one was there. How did I forget Finnick? How could I...how could I do that? She's gone, they're both gone, and it's been a year and I almost missed it. If...if I had still been sitting in that chair… I wouldn't have even realized..."
Finnick didn't state the obvious, reminding her that she had been drunk for the better part of a year trying to do exactly that. Now was not the time to throw things in her face, he came to 12 to be her friend and he hadn't realized how much he had missed her until she was standing right in front of him.
He saw the question in her eyes as she realized what day had also passed. A day she had no way of knowing if he acknowledged or not and she couldn't ask without putting into words the divide between them, he answered it anyways."I missed it too, I don't know how but it passed right by me, it was just another day."
Finnick was unprepared when she flung herself into his arms, sending him a few steps backwards but ultimately keeping them upright. His arms came up instinctively to wrap around her. They were silent for a long moment before he felt more than heard a soft thank you whispered into his neck.
"I've always got you Kitten, gonna take more than one little fight to run me off for good." He said softly.
She laughed wetly into his throat and tightened her grip. He smiled and continued rubbing small circles along her back.
He wasn't sure how long they stood there just holding each other, but after a while her sobs quieted until she was just quietly snuffling into his neck. He noticed that at some point he had started crying as well. They were tears for her, for Annie, for him, for everything they'd lost.
When they finally pulled apart Katniss gave him a watery smile and brushed her hair out of her face.
The forest was full of life around them, Finnick could hear the rustling of the leaves from the wind, calls from the birds, and then abruptly the loud growling coming from his stomach. The noise startled a real laugh from Katniss and he grinned back at her.
"Join me for breakfast Miss Everdeen?" He raised an eyebrow and lifted the bag of food that had survived the impromptu trek into the forest.
An answering growl made him laugh again and he sat down on the leaf covered ground. He began pulling containers out, opening them and arranging them in front of him. Finnick was pleased to see that Luke had loaded the containers with double helpings. He motioned for Katniss to sit and handed her a fork.
They were both quiet as they traded food back and forth. Despite his earlier intervention and his proclamation that he was sticking around there was still tension in the air. He wasn't quite sure what to say to ease it, choosing instead to let Katniss make the first move. He busied himself with digging for the drinks that Hannah had slipped into the bag. He handed Katniss the apple juice and took a water for himself.
Katniss broke the silence when they were halfway through their meal. "Why is this so hard Finnick? It's supposed to be easy with you isn't it?"
"I'm not sure you know the meaning of the word easy kitten." Finnick hid his chuckle behind his water bottle.
"I never claimed to have a personality or to be pleasant company."
"And yet here I sit."
"And why is that? Why are you here Finnick? Still?"
"Did you think it would be that easy to be rid of me?"
She ignored him and continued, "Anyone else would have left by now. I seem to be exceptional at running off people who say they care about me or getting them killed. There's nothing keeping you here. Why aren't you with Johanna? Or still in 4 or I'm sure they would love to have you in the Capitol."
"I've spent enough time in the Capitol to last a lifetime thanks. There's nothing keeping me in 4 either, except too many people who still expect too many things from me. I like it here, everyone here is looking for a fresh start. I think I could use a fresh start. A place to be myself, to find out who I am. Even before I became a Victor things were expected of me, now no one is expecting me to do anything. I can be who I am, go where I want. I'm not quite sure who I am anymore, but I like being here. With Haymitch, with Daisy and Sae. With you." He looked up and met her eyes. "It's peaceful."
"When we were in 13 and Annie and Peeta and Johanna were gone I had nothing. I thought it was truly over and sleeping was worse than being awake and I was just so lost but there you were. Just being there. You didn't want anything from me and you had nothing to give but you still stayed. And even when my hands were bleeding and I couldn't feel anything I knew you were there and I felt a kind of peace. The kind that I felt when I was with Annie, when we would float together in the ocean. And just for a little while we were free and things were quiet. You kept me from slipping, from floating away for good. Then you saved my life again. I know how things could have ended in that sewer."
"You saved me too." She said quietly.
"So maybe that's what we do," he said, "we just keep saving each other. I've put too much effort into keeping you alive to let you give up on me now."
Katniss didn't seem to have a response to that and silence fell again as they finished eating.
Finnick put the leftovers in the bag and looked around. "The real question is, what now?"
"What do you think the chances are that the reporters gave up and aren't waiting to ambush us as soon as we set foot outside of the trees."
"Slim to none," he replied shaking his head. "Capitol reporters can be a bit...intense."
She snorted at that, "you don't say."
"Well this is your territory isn't it? Katniss Everdeen, Queen of the Forest?" He asked, gesturing to their surroundings. "My natural habitat is a little more...flat and wet."
She frowned and shook her head, "not lately. This is the first time I've been out here since the announcement for the last games. It hurts too much."
"Sorry kitten, if I would have known…" he started.
She waved his apology aside, "it's okay, really. I had forgotten how peaceful it was. I loved coming out here," she closed her eyes and breathed in the forest, "there are so many memories for me in this place. My father taught me to hunt as soon as I could hold a bow and then later on Gale and I would come out here together. I would bring Prim out and we would harvest the plants. Sometimes I would come and just sit for hours not even moving, this was the only place I ever felt I could really breath. It feels like I spent more than half of my life out here."
He nodded in understanding and ran a comforting hand down her arm, "I used to go out to the beach with Annie when I was home and we would just float out as far as we could go. It was like nothing could touch us there. I'm never more at peace than when I'm in the water. It's about the only thing I miss from 4."
"I've been avoiding it, anything that might remind me of them. But I can't escape, my house, the village, the forest, everywhere I turn there's something that makes me think of everyone I've lost. I know I'm supposed to be grateful that I'm not rotting in a Capitol prison but at this point I'm not sure if this is any better. I get to be trapped here in the ruins of something that I destroyed and be reminded of it everyday. I told myself once that if they wanted to see me broken then I would just have to be whole. But I can't be whole, maybe I never was. I hate myself Finnick, for so many things, but mostly for still being here. For even existing at all." She wiped angrily at the tears that had started escaping again.
"You didn't destroy anything Katniss, Snow did this. If you believe nothing else believe that. People don't blame you for this because they know who is responsible. Have you made mistakes? Sure, but haven't we all? Regret is just another part of living, it's what makes us human. But it's time to stop shouldering the blame for other people's actions."
Finnick leaned forward and tucked a lock of Katniss's hair back behind her ear. "Besides, I've been down in the village and it may be a little broken but 12 isn't in ruins, it's thriving. People are making new lives for themselves, I see it every day. They're letting themselves have a future, one they might not have had if you didn't exist."
"I never thought of having one for myself," she blurted out after not saying anything for a few minutes. "A future I mean. Of course I thought about it in a far and distant way. I would keep hunting, Prim would work with my mom, maybe I would have married Gale. Maybe not. But taking care of Prim, making sure she got a chance to grow up and have a life was the only thing that mattered. Everyday the goal was just to survive. Why bother planning for a future you never intended to live long enough to see?"
She picked up a twig that had fallen and started stripping the bark. "Then I volunteered to save Prim and my only thought was staying alive long enough to get Peeta out. I never thought too hard about AFTER because I didn't expect there to be one for me. And now they're both dead and I'm still here."
"Well I haven't figured out my future either, but we've got all the time in the world now. We can go slow." He lifted her chin to look in her eyes. "Better together?"
"As loathe as I am to admit it I'm better with you here. Even when I'm kicking and screaming you keep dragging me back to the land of the living."
"The bruises on my ribs will attest to that," Finnick laughed.
"You startled me," she jabbed back. "But I'm glad you came."
"I'm always here for you Kitten, whatever you need. In that instance you desperately needed a bath," he joked.
"Remind me why I've missed you again," she groaned, but the corner of her mouth twitched.
"I've been told I'm irresistibly charming, incredibly handsome, and…." He flashed her his best Capitol smile.
She scoffed and shoved his shoulder, "ugh I can't believe people buy that look."
"Works like a charm, they fall all over themselves for it."
"You look like a smarmy peacock,"
His smile softened and he didn't bother to stop the snort that escaped at her deadpan look.
She leaned forward and poked his cheek with a smile, "there that one, that smile suits you much better."
They let the silence fall again and Finnick used his coat to make a makeshift pillow before laying on the ground and looking up at the trees. Katniss laid down beside him a minute later.
In less time than he would have liked he felt Katniss tense along his side and was shook from his quiet reverie. Instantly he was on alert following her into a crouch, eyes and ears searching for what had set her on edge.
Seconds later he heard it, there were people headed straight for them. It was obvious they were reporters, not used to trekking through the woods. Finnick didn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed as they crashed loudly towards them, either incapabable or uncaring of the amount of noise they were making. Though he was sure that they never could have succeeded at sneaking up on them with Katniss. Even if she had been away for a while this was her forest. The voices were still a ways away but at their current pace they had about 3 minutes before their unwelcome guests stumbled right into the clearing.
It had basically been a straight line from where they came in, Finnick had just been trying to get them in as far as he could as quickly as possible.
He swore under his breath. "And to think we were having such a nice time. I should have known there would be a few reporters desperate enough to get their shoes dirty for a chance to ambush you.
"Don't sell yourself short. Two Victors for the price of one, think of the headlines." She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I'm just surprised it's taken them this long."
"Well Kitten, what do you think? Take our chances with these ones or make a run for it?" The voices were getting closer, they had maybe two minutes before they were discovered.
Katniss gave him a considering look before speaking, "Do you trust me?"
"All evidence points to yes."
"I want to show you something, but it's a bit of a walk."
"Well we've got nothing but time and I like to think that I am the paragon of peak physical perfection."
"I think if your ego gets any bigger you might end up a little top heavy." She didn't bother to hide her grin as they gathered up their things and slid their coats back on.
"Lead the way your majesty." Finnick gave her a mock bow and stretched his arm out.
She gave him a gentle shove as she walked past not bothering to check if he was following her.
They walked quietly and Finnick couldn't help but admire the way she moved through the trees. She walked taller here like she belonged, as if she was part of the forest itself, easily avoiding branches and roots and rocks. Finding paths he would have stumbled right past. He would almost swear that the forest was louder now, like it was welcoming her home.
Finnick may have only been slightly joking about being in excellent shape but he could admit he was grateful when they stopped for a small break. They settled on a large boulder and shared a few drinks of the water. The sun had risen high overhead and he figured they had been walking for at least two hours, thankfully it had been almost as long since they had heard their pursuers.
"You weren't kidding about it being a trek, but I think we lost them," He panted not missing the smug look that she directed at him.
"Giving up already?"
"Not likely, just taking a moment to admire the view. There's nothing like this in 4 you know. It's pretty flat, our beaches can't be beat but this is nice too. It's different."
"Different is good right," she asked, almost tentatively.
"Yes, definitely good and exactly what I need." He smiled at her and was glad when she returned it with a full smile this time.
They lapsed into silence again, but as always Finnick was relieved to find it a comfortable silence.
Katniss gave them a few more minutes before she stood and held out her hand to help him up.
This time when they resumed walking Katniss started pointing out plants and herbs to him. She gave names to all the animals that could be heard, from the jabberjays to the deer that he hadn't even noticed in front of them. When she saw it Katniss brought them to a stop and shushed him. They stood quietly and watched the deer as she ate the grass and several moments later a baby calf joined her. It was a newborn, still stumbling around on unsteady legs.
It made Finnick feel warm, not only had new life started in town, here it was in the forest. Life was continuing on despite all of the horrors that had played out. Here in the forest, none of that mattered, the deer had no cares about the humans. Perhaps it had been scared of the bombs that had burned the town but now it was safe, unbothered by the two humans standing less than 100 yards from it.
They watched the deer until a bird flew overhead and startled the baby sending it running right towards them. They stepped out of the way and Finnick found himself holding his breath as they passed close enough for him to touch them.
He stuck his tongue out at Katniss when she laughed at how quickly he moved to get out of the way.
The sound was really nice and he found he wouldn't mind hearing it again. He had been absolutely sure today would only be full of sadness and instead he found he was actually enjoying himself. He ignored the guilt that threatened to ride up at the thought, he knew with his whole heart that's what Annie would have wanted for him. Annie never let him dwell on things he couldn't change, so for now he would enjoy the present.