The stars shine down upon the water, illuminating the waves as they crash to the shore. Annie gazes up at them, lost for a long moment in their beauty. She longed as a child to be in this exact spot, but now she'd give anything to be far away.
She is here because she's mad. He came because Mags doesn't trust her to be alone. Her former mentor believes she'll jump off the dock and not come up for air. Maybe she's right. Even with Finnick here, the possibility is tempting.
But there will be none of that tonight. The water this evening is too crisp and clean to sully with a corpse. Instead, Annie swings her legs off the dock and tries to spot dolphins in the distance. Finnick sits beside her, rigid and unmoving. He's tall enough that his feet dip into the water, but only the occasional wave splashes Annie's feet and ankles. She giggles every time the salty spray tickles her skin, and at first, he looks over, concerned, with each laugh. Eventually, though, Finnick realizes that nothing is any more wrong than usual and turns back to the sea.
"Are you ready for the Tour?" Those are the first words he's spoken to her all evening, and they startle her.
She grasps for a response, but all she can find are the monsters in her mind, clawing to get out. Annie hears Seannan's final scream cut off in mid-howl again and watches as blood pours from where his head should be. Her breathing quickens, and she covers her ears and eyes, trapping those thoughts inside so they cannot poison anyone else.
"Annie? Annie, are you there?" She can hear Finnick's voice, feel him shaking her, but she can't respond. She would have to open her mouth, and that would let the creatures out so they can hurt someone else. "Annie!" Strong hands lift her from the dock and cradle her body as though it is as fragile as her mind. She thrashes against those arms as they carry her away, and she hears an oof as a bony elbow hits tender flesh. Annie opens her eyes at the sound, not caring now about what might escape, and she finds herself looking into a pair of gentle green eyes. "You all right?" asks Finnick.
She flushes and buries her face in her hands again. She's hurt him, and yet he's the one who's worried about her. Annie begins to tremble. Finnick presses her closer to his chest and carries her towards Mags's house while she fists his shirt in her hands, desperate not to be alone.
This isn't what victory is supposed to be. Annie knew winning the Hunger Games would bring fame and riches, and she'd thought that she would finally be the strong, confident woman she'd always dreamt of. Instead, she's cradled like an infant in the arms of a man she barely knows, crying because she's tired of being so damn useless. Annie wonders if she should have jumped off the dock while Finnick wasn't looking. Maybe things would be better if she was gone. They couldn't be worse.
Still, the stars shine down, blind to her suffering.
.
A/N: Written using the prompt starlight from Caesar's Palace. Thanks to swiftingfandoms and Estoma for reviewing.