AN: Hello Everyone! Here is Chapter 6, sorry this one took a little longer but it's here now and I hope you enjoy!
After they had eaten a dinner, consisting mainly of fruit and some fish, most of them, with the exception of Pumpernickel, finding the foods too rich and heavy to venture to try anything else for fear of being sick, decided to head to the rounded couch room and watch some old games. Finnick thought it would be a good idea to get a feel for the different arenas to try to figure out what kind of arena they might build this year. Ron, surprisingly agreed, the both of them lead the group into the room, the two of them strategizing what kind of program they could configure to help Darya and Gillian train.
"We should make sure we get them into an alliance," Ron said thoughtfully, as the screen showcased a dry rubbled arena, a career group hunting down some of the other tributes, "they're both strong, 1 and 2 will take them."
"Hmm, maybe but I don't know if 1 and 2 will be safe this year, they've been making it a habit of taking down 4's first," Finnick mused, pointing to the screen where the careers turned on the 4 male tribute, to emphasize his point, "they're starting to see us as a threat, maybe an alliance with another district."
"Ugh, you may have a point," Ron answered begrudgingly, as the tribute from 1 stabbed through the female tribute from 4, "but who should we talk to, Haymitch maybe?"
"Maybe, but the ones from twelve are usually always weak, I'll talk to Johanna, the boy from seven looked sturdy," Finnick answered.
Darya and Gillian, let them speak, neither of them contributing much to the conversation, they knew it was necessary but neither of them were ready just yet to input anything to the conversation. The current game finished and Gillian popped up to put in another, holding up two for Darya to choose from, she chose one at random. When it started to play they noticed it was a quarter quell, the tributes were doubled that year, she noticed a Haymitch Abernathy and she turned to Gillian.
"You think that's who they were talking about?" Darya assumed.
"Maybe, probably actually, twelve doesn't get very many winners." Gillian guessed.
They both continued to watch the game, the arena was ideal, in the sense that they weren't having to deal with extreme cold or heat, they both hoped deserts and snowy mountains weren't in their future, otherwise they would be at a disadvantage. Thankfully for them, the recent arenas at the games had used those environments, it was more likely they would get a foresty arena, maybe even a beach if they were lucky. Watching Haymitch and his district partner work together and then separate, only to lead to her death and eventually his painful win was interesting, the force field especially caught their eyes.
"Do you think there'll be forcefields in our arena," Gillian questioned, turning to face Darya from the black screen, "do you think we could learn to find them and maybe lure some of the others like that."
"No," Darya answered surely, "they wouldn't make a mistake like that again, the game makers always prefer the killings to be messy and up close, they don't like us to seem smarter than they are."
"What, but you saw that District three guy right, he zapped those careers, how is that different." Gillian argued.
"Because he did that with what the game makers provided," Ron said sternly as he entered the conversation, "not with what they had created."
"Besides, it's a far reach learning that stuff in time for the arena, and Beetee improvised that because he had water available to him, you two might not be so lucky," Finnick added, "we need to focus on making sure you're prepared for whatever you're not used to in the sense of survival, like which plants are edible or poisonous."
Gillian still seemed a little unconvinced but dropped the issue and instead popped in another video, this one showcasing a more recent game, it was the 68th games, it was Ron's games. Darya peeked at Ron from the corner of her eyes, she saw him visibly freeze before he set his uninterested mask in place, she thought it was a little inconsiderate of Gillian to play that video specifically. She liked Gillian fine but couldn't help but think he was a little thoughtless and just a bit immature, was he really so blind to people's emotions or possible reactions that he just didn't think or did he just not care.
The last thought made Darya feel mean, was she really starting to distrust her own district partner already, was she really so callous that she was suspicious, just because he hadn't taken Ron's feeling into consideration, Ron who wasn't exactly very friendly to begin with. She chided herself for her thoughts, of course he didn't mean to, it made sense logically for them to watch all of the District 4 Victor's games, to find a pattern and figure out what helped them win, Gillian wasn't thoughtless, he was just determined to find anything to help alleviate the stress and worry, anything that could help stave off the panic and fear.
Still she watched Ron from the corner of her eye to gauge his reaction, she watched him stoically watching the screen as he allied himself with the other tributes, killing when he had to but not actively being the one hunting. She saw him watch with dead eyes, when his alliance started deteriorating, she saw him imperceptibly flinch when his district partner was killed, and watched him look away, when he killed the girl from 12 and he won.
Darya reached for his hand on the couch and wrapped her fingers around his, squeezing tightly, she saw him snap his head up and turn to look at her, but she kept her eyes on the screen, she felt him briefly squeeze her hand back and then let go.
"It's late, you two should go to bed, it won't be long until we get to the Capitol," Finnick stated, addressing Darya and Gillian, but shifting his glance from Darya to Ron assessing.
Gillian who was just about to put on Finnick's game, looked put out but did as he was told and stood up to leave, Ron walking out with him, before Finnick called to him.
"Ron, can you meet me in my room, we need to talk." Finnick said his gaze serious.
Ron met Finnick's stare impassively before briefly looking at Darya, Ron smirked as if amused but nodded just the same before exiting the room.
Finnick turned back to face Darya, now it was just the two of them in the compartment.
Darya could feel Finnick's stare on her person and started to blush feeling like she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't and was annoyed with herself for it. Awkwardly, Darya stood up and made her way to exit, before Finnick stopped her short his hand on her arm stilling her motion.
"Darya, be careful, I know you're just being you, but you don't know how easy it is to fall in love with you," Finnick said quietly, "no one can help it, Gillian's been a goner since he saw you, but Ron is trying not to, please don't give him a reason to, not unless you feel the same way too."
Darya looked at Finnick in surprise, love, she was just being kind, she knew what it was like to feel loss too, more than most, Finnick knew that, so why was he so convinced that she felt something for Ron.
"Finnick, I am not in love with Ron, or anyone else for that matter, I just, he needs friends Fin, honestly I think if you two would talk more you'd get along, you're a lot alike you know," Darya explained patiently, "We can't help how others will feel about us, but love is a choice Fin, and we decide who we give it to, that boy is just as love-starved as you were the day we first met."
"What, I-I-," Finnick stuttered taken off guard by Darya's blunt insightfulness.
"That day in the Justice Building, I chose to love you that day, and I'm glad I did, you're my best friend Fin, and I'm happier for it." Darya admitted frankly.
"Dar," Finnick said her name softly, almost reverently, in awe of her wisdom, he forgot how insightful she could be sometimes, and even though he knew she meant she loved him as a friend, it didn't stop his heart from lurching in his chest.
"I know," Darya said teasingly, "I'm amazing."
Receiving a quick hug and a peck on the cheek, Finnick watched her leave, her graceful form disappearing from view on her gliding feet, she didn't look back.
Finnick wasn't sure how much love was a choice but he knew that in some sense it must be, because whatever or whoever he'd meet or face, he would always choose Darya over anything, which is exactly what he wanted to speak to Ron about.
AN: Oh Finnick, looks like somebody is starting to put a name to what he's feeling. Anyway hope you enjoyed, I know this one was a little shorter than the others but don't worry because Chapter 7 will be quite a bit longer and we will be at the Capitol by Chapter 8, I assure you. Again many thanks to all 400 of you, you are all amazing! Don't forget to please leave a review and see you all next time!
