*Me posting another chapter when I haven't posted in my other stories on Wattpad for like a month*
I made a really awesome meme but it won't let me post it :( sad.
This one is a small dude, not quite 2000 words, but I wanted it out, so it's out now!
Thanks to miaoca304 for reviewing! I'm sure i'd have one or two more reviewers if I gave them the chance, but I'm on a roll
Guys, Flames to Embers officially has 46 followers and 37 favorites. For reference, the fanfic this was based off, You're Still an Innocent, currently has 40 followers and 55 favorites. Innocent was my fanfic with the biggest following to date. While I was posting chapter 12/18, I had 21 followers and 15 favorites, SO FLAMES TO EMBERS IS ON TRACK TO BE MY BIGGEST FANFIC YET
yay
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I watched Katniss and Peeta, standing on the stage. Caspian remained next to me, in a marked off section of the audience for victors, but I smuggled Caspian in by bribing one of the peacekeepers. Katniss gave her portion of the speech, a master at putting on her mask now, and I began to feel a bit of remorse for telling her off the way I did at the train station. She was hurting, too. Writing that song was her way of coping, and how would she know that it would affect me, and affect her?
When her speech was over, she was escorted, along with her brother, back into the Justice Building. Caspian followed me, yet again, as I joined the crowed of victors back to the mayor's house for a small banquet to celebrate the newest victors. I met up with Katniss half way.
"What the hell did you mean by that?" She asked me harshly, keeping her voice down and a smile plastered on her face.
"What did I mean by what?" I asked, not bothering to smile back. I knew no one here would care whether or not my mask was in place.
"When you said you weren't just in the Capitol for yourself?"
We stepped into the house, wiping our feet on the door mat in unison. "Think really hard about it, Katniss. You're an incredibly desirable victor. Why do you think you've had the off season to yourself?"
Katniss stopped where she was, and Caspian, Peeta and I followed suit. She opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again. Before she could actually say something, however, a peacekeeper touched her arm. She turned around quickly, prepared to stab him to death with the candle sticks on the mantelpiece.
"Miss Everdeen, if you would follow me."
Katniss smiled reassuringly at Peeta, who looked ready to fight for her, and wordlessly followed the soldier. I did too, even though I knew I wasn't invited.
"Please wait here, Mr. Odair," the peacekeeper commanded me when we reached the door to the mayor's office.
"No thanks," I responded.
"Let him tag along, Seamus," I heard a voice from within the office, and felt myself shiver. Katniss stared up at me, fear in her eyes. She recognized the voice just as well as I did. Against my better judgement, I slipped my hand into hers and squeezed. Her hand was familiar, Warm and a bit clammy, but the calluses were still there in all the same places. There was a new scar that I could feel, right under her pinky finger. She squeezed back.
The door was opened just enough for us to be shoved in, without anyone else seeing who was sitting in the mayor's chair. President Snow.
He smiled at us, the gums around his teeth a vibrant red, brighter than how I remembered. "Have a seat," he said, his tone pleasant, or as pleasant as possible for someone so despicable. I pulled out a chair for Katniss, since Dell had taught me manors, and then one for myself. The chairs were close enough on the other side of the desk that my hand could stay intertwined with Katniss's under the table, out of Snow's view. I knew my hand was getting sweatier and sweatier, and part of me felt incredibly self conscious about it, even though hers was just as wet.
"I was hoping you would join our conversation, Mr. Odair," Snow said, sipping water from a wine glass.
I didn't say anything, but just continued staring at him, wondering if blood would stain the clear liquid, like that one client told me years ago.
"I haven't been happy with your performance record of the past few weeks, since Katniss Everdeen released her new song. Especially if you were trying to make me enough money for two people."
"What do you mean by that, sir?" Katniss asked.
"He never told you, did he?" President Snow mused, staring between the two of us. "Interesting."
"We haven't spoken much since I struck up the deal with you," I explained.
"My dear Miss Everdeen," Snow said, smiling at her. "You are incredibly desirable. More so than most of the other victors. Do you know why you haven't had to spend additional time in the Capitol?"
She shook her head slowly.
"It's because your dear, should I say, colleague, has agreed to take double, sometimes even triple the clients in order to keep you safe and warm in your District 12 home, with all of your family safely intact."
Katniss turned her head to stare up at me and I looked back at her, even though it seemed to hurt me physically. Her brow was furrowed, as if she was still trying to process what he said, and what exactly it meant. "You… you took my clients," she stated. "You took… male clients? For me?"
I opened my mouth to speak, but no sound came out. I cleared my throat and was able to utter a small "yes."
"Not only that, Miss Everdeen, but he was due to stay up until yesterday, but was sent home early due to your masterpiece of a song." Snow interjected. "I don't like it, but the people of the Capitol seem to enjoy it enough."
She focused back on the president, her face still a little bit scrunched up.
"So now I want to know, how exactly do you plan to replenish all of that money you stole from me?"
Katniss glanced at me quickly, then back at him. "What money?"
"Why, the money Mr. Odair was making for the both of you. He returned home on January 3. That was close to a month ago. I lost a month's worth of profits that you stole from me. How do you plan on paying them back?"
Katniss's grip tightened on my hand. "I could go to the Capitol. No one's angry at me like they are Finnick."
"No," I said louder than intended.
Snow stared at me, his smile still on his face. "It's amusing to me that you think your opinion matters in this."
I didn't respond. Snow took another sip of his water, and this time, blood floated into it, dying part of the drink red. Katniss saw it too, and stared at the glass, horrified. He dabbed his lips calmly with a napkin.
"Now here's what I propose. The two of you make up and go out in public. I've scheduled an interview with Caesar Flickerman in the Capitol, where Katniss will explain the process behind her song and what she meant every time she insulted you. And you, Mr. Odair, will explain to the public that you've made up with Katniss and are now back to being the best of friends."
"Go out, like on dates?" Katniss asked. Her tone kind of hurt. "You want us to be a couple?"
"If you so choose," Snow replied. "If you remain friends, I can continue using Mr. Odair for my profit. If you make your relationship public, I'll sell you as a pair. I don't care how you go about your relationship in the future. Either way, it will benefit me."
President Snow stood up and exited the house through the back door of the office, leading out onto a back road, where a peacekeeper escort was waiting for him. "Good day. I'll see you both in four days." He closed the door behind him.
I stood up at the same time as Katniss, pushing my chair back as I did.
"I'm so sorry," She said, and for the first time I noticed the tears in her eyes. The meeting with Snow really shook her up. "If I had known what you were doing-"
"But you didn't," I replied. I took her other hand in mine, so I was holding them both in between our bodies.
"How could you?" She asked. "How could you do that to yourself?"
"I'd rather me than you, love," I said. She stared up at me, her grey eyes meeting my green ones.
"I wouldn't," Katniss slowly let go of my hands and put her arms around my neck, pressing her forehead to my chest. The motion was as unsure as our relationship, but I put my arms around her waist holding her to me. "What are we doing now?"
"About what?"
"About us."
"We could always pick up where we were. You like me. I love you-"
"Stop it, Finnick." She let go and looked back at my face.
"But it's true," I protested. "I'm not sure what it takes for me to prove it to you."
"We were only together for a month, at most."
"We could get back together if we wanted, and not tell Panem."
"You left me. How many times do I have to say it? You left me and if you really loved me, you wouldn't have done that."
"I don't know why you won't accept it. I'm telling you how I truly feel. I don't expect anything back. I don't need you to say it back if you're not ready. I don't need some elaborate gift or something. My love is free."
Katniss sighed. "Okay. I'll try to believe you. But where are we now?"
"We're friends to the Capitol," I said firmly.
"Why?"
"Snow said if we're in a relationship, he'll sell us together. I won't let him sell you."
"You can't stop him, either," Katniss said grimly.
"I already did," I argued. You're safe until the next games, at least."
"Why would you do that?" She complained.
"Because I love you," I replied.