Annie rests her cheek against the cool glass of the window pane, watching the still world of the Victor's Village. To the outsiders, it is perfect, with its pristinely maintained pastel mansions and gorgeous white sand beach. The world they see would fit perfectly in the snow globes the Capitol tourists buy to take homes. Beautiful.
Only the victors themselves know what lies beneath the mask the Capitol has painted onto their lives. The Victors Village is a snow globe for them as well, one that Snow shakes whenever he wants to see them dance. Nobody ever truly escapes. They are strangers to the rest of their district, and the Capitol offers no relief. They remain trapped in their perfect world. Annie never thought that living in paradise would be so miserable.
She sighs, and Finnick tightens his hold on her waist. He murmurs something comforting into her dark hair. Annie can't hear his exact words, but she understands their meaning.
"I used to be so free," she says to nobody in particular.
She feels Finnick nod in response. "I thought winning would give me the ultimate independence. No school, no job, plenty of money to do as I pleased with. Instead, I got this." He gestures towards the window.
Though she stays silent, Annie agrees. The Victors Village is too stifling for anyone to feel free. The homes may be spacious, but any room that holds a victor's guilt will feel claustrophobic. Annie supposes it's only right that the Capitol awards them mansions; the spirits of twenty-three children would never have fit in her childhood home.
She finally drags herself from the window and curls up in his arms. The cold of the glass is replaced by the warmth of his chest as she lays her head on his chest. He's strong, and he's steady, and he anchors her world when it feels like it might blow away. The love she feels for him allows her to push away her demons, if only for a short while. They still come crawling back when he's gone, but even when they are apart, she has him to hold onto. Annie's not sure what she'd do without that.
He'll have to leave her soon, go back to the Capitol to fuck them and help them kill even more children. When he leaves, she knows that his warmth will disappear with him, and she'll be left alone in the nightmare everyone else calls life. Annie pushes those thoughts away and snuggles even closer to Finnick. She won't allow them to spoil this moment. For now, she has him, and that's all she needs.
A/N: Thanks for reading! This chapter was written for the Shipping Week challenge on Caesar's Palace and using the prompt asylum.