Reducing Ursa down to "scared little victim who had no control of her choices or actions she could take" ignores the complexity of a female character.
When I point out her disagreeable qualities, I am not shaming a victim because a victim doesn't have to be perfect to still be a victim.
Like come on, you think when she grabs Azula (rather roughly in my opinion) and says "it's time for a talk", she looks afraid? Scared? She is not scared of Azula (even Azula came to realise this by the end of the cartoon). The one scared is Azula.
She had power, she made a positive effect on Zuko and could've done the same for Azula. They were both corrupted by that man and the FN but Zuko had two positive influences that could pull him out of it. Azula had no one.
Zuko had one abusive parent. Azula had two.
Ursa fucked up, she was a victim (maybe in the cartoon too we dunno really) but also a perpetrator (she's also very pro FN to make her treason very strong). She has layers.
Edit: Also if being abused makes you unaccountable for your actions then Azula did nothing wrong.
How about when YOU ignored her except when she did something bad, openly played favorites with her and Zuko and left her at the hands of Ozai?.
Oh I love how that b_tch and her jerk a$$ son Zuko just dismiss her as a bad memory instead of a sister and daughter who they ignored all their lives and desperately needs help. Jerks.
Maybe the reason Azula is often a jerk to Zuko isn't just because Ozai trying to divide the Fire Siblings. Maybe it's also because Zuko is often a jerk to her and never does anything kind for her.
Other Parts: Part One, Part Two, Part Three (short version) and Part Three (long version).
You were awoken by Feather rushing down the stairs holding a glowing rectangle that you realised was a screen. "President Snow is inviting everyone to his palace! He's demanded it! Everyone will be on the street in minutes". Finnick nodded "it's a ploy to get us all out into the open, we can't go". "Well the rest of us have to" Feather said "but you two can stay here, maybe you can escape while everyone else is heading towards the mansion. Finnick didn't like those odds but nodded "yeah thanks Feather, we'll get ready and work out our next step". Feather nodded and tilted Finnick's face upwards as if inspecting him. You stiffened but it seemed to be an oddly sentimental act. "Good luck, I hope I never have to see you again" and he disappeared back up the stairs.
Finnick was right, there was no way you were moving on that leg today. Even swinging your leg hurt and your ankle couldn't have any weight on it. It was a good job you'd slept in warm trousers because there was no way you'd have been able to get any trouser leg over that ankle. "It's okay" Finnick told you "we'll work something out". He carried all your gear upstairs and then came back to carry you. He lifted you effortlessly and as always you were amazed how strong he was. "My ankle has its own heartbeat but you're really taking my mind off that" you said patting his chest and Finnick laughed "how?". "Duh with your beautiful body!" you said and Finnick put you down and then smiled at you "well it's all yours and if we survive today and get back home you can do whatever you want with it". You liked the sound of that but given whose home you were in that wording didn't feel quite right so you shook your head. "Whatever you want me to do with it, it's beautiful but it's yours Finnick and nobody ever gets to buy it again". Finnick blinked at your sudden seriousness and then smiled bashfully "thanks Y/n". You patted his cheek "no problem, now piggyback time!". Finnick turned so you could climb on when suddenly all the screens in the house lit up to tell you the rebels had won. President Snow had been de-throned.
You and Finnick wandered the streets like the other capitol residents in utter shock and not quite believing it was true...then you saw the rebel planes overhead and you grinned. "Finnick it's true! It's real! We won!". Finnick laughed and cheered loudly. You climbed off his back and settled onto one leg so you could hug him.
You carried on moving through the streets until eventually, you found an airship. Finnick knocked on the door and after your whole day of bad luck yesterday, you were due some good luck. "Finnick? Y/n?" a voice rang out and you saw Cressida appear from the side of the ship. "You're alive?" she asked and you grinned "hell yeah! You really thought you could abandon us and get away with it" and she rushed to hug you. Pollux appeared and gave you both a bright smile before joining in with the hugging. You were so happy you were saved you didn't even mind. Hugs for everyone!
Once they got on you the ship they began assessing your injuries. "Y/n's really damaged her knees, she's sprained her ankle or worse and her hip is really banged up too. Oh and she got electrocuted yesterday and her hands should probably be checked over too". "Finnick got electrocuted too! He has a dozen cuts all over his arms and body, his foot looks odd and he dislocated his shoulder and thought I didn't notice as he popped it back in" you said and Finnick looked at you. You stared back "what if you're going to tell on me I'll snitch back". Finnick just grinned shaking his head "we survived and we're going to live, that's all I care about" and he rested his head against yours. You didn't let go of your joint hands the whole way home...or you wouldn't have if you hadn't fainted minutes before you got into District 13.
When you woke up you noticed how heavy your head felt, you tried to move your hands to see if there was something attached to it weighing it down but your hands felt heavy too. Then your ears seemed to kick in and you realised people were shouting.
"I'm her sister! Blood matters more!". "No it doesn't! I'm her boyfriend, that's more than enough!".
You quickly realised it was Johanna and Finnick.
"Ow what so you matter more because romantic relationships are superior to everything else?" your sister yelled. "No of course not but I love her and we nearly died for each other!" Finnick responded. "Well I love her too and would've done the same for her!" Johanna said and you groaned. "God can the two of you fight over who loves me the most more quietly" and they both rushed over to you.
You quickly realised what they'd been arguing about as their shoulders knocked as they both tried to take the closest place next to you. "How are you feeling? Johanna asked and you frowned "strange, what happened?" and you looked to Finnick. He sighed "it was my fault, your injuries were worse than expected and there was a bite on your arm that needed stitches. The doctors think the blood loss mixed with everything you went through has thoroughly drained you so you might feel a little lifeless for a few days". "I'm sure I'll be fine after a good meal" you shrugged and tried to sit up before going pale at the effort. "Y/n hold on!" Finnick said and he helped you sit up, he moved you easily as if you were a doll and you felt as limp as one. It scared you a little and Finnick noticed. He took your hand and gave you a reassuring smile "hey don't worry, you're fine okay? Johanna and I are going to be here every day until you get better". Johanna took your other hand "we're not going anywhere, nurse Johanna is at the ready". That made you laugh and the two called a temporary truce seeing the sight they'd been hoping for.
"How are you?" you asked Finnick. You lifted your hand to his face with a frown as he had a lot of bruising there and around his neck. "Oh don't worry about me I'm fine" he smiled and you looked to Johanna for the truth. "He was in pretty bad shape too and has only been properly back on his feet since yesterday". Johanna went to say more but Finnick cut her off "I'll tell you it all later but for now...I just want to hear you speak" he smiled brushing some hair away from your face. You smiled "well all I want is to kiss you" and Finnick happily obliged (as Johanna rushed away, cursing you both). "We made it" you whispered happily and Finnick kissed your forehead "we sure did baby".
You spent all day with either Finnick or Johanna by your side and honestly, you couldn't be happier. They filled you in on what the world outside was doing but you didn't really care. Finnick talked about the plans he'd made to take you back to his district and to the beach house you'd discussed. "I know we didn't really properly sit down and think about it so I totally get if you don't actually want to live on the beach with me, we can work something else out" he said but you threw a tissue at him to get his attention. "I want the beach house with you Finnick. I want to come to your district with you" and his smile was like a warm sunrise on a summer's day.
It was lucky you had such nice memories because recovery was hard. Practically every part of your body ached and it was like you were having to learn how to do everything again for the first time. You couldn't sit up by yourself until the 3rd day and couldn't walk at all until a week later and even then you relied heavily on holding onto Finnick. The doctors steadily increased your food as they didn't want to suddenly rush your body with energy and fats so the progress was slow but steady. At times you felt so useless, like when you had to get Finnick to take you to the toilet or Johanna to help dress you. Neither of them minded of course but you struggled. When you were finally well enough to take a bath Finnick wanted to accompany you but that was just too much.
Finnick had gotten you into the tub but when you heard him coming to help you out, you practically threw yourself out and then couldn't get up again. When Finnick found you on the floor he was terrified. "Y/n are you okay? Why didn't you wait for me?". You pushed his kindness away just trying desperately to cover all of yourself with your towel. "Here let me help you" Finnick said but you pushed his hands away "no let me do it". "But I want to help you" Finnick said and you shook your head "I don't want you to". "Why?" he asked and you sighed tears forming "because I don't look good okay! My body is a wreck! I've lost so much weight, all my muscle is depleted and I look like a skeleton. There are ugly bruises all over me, scarring too and I look misshapen and swollen from being in a bed all the time. You can't see me naked until I've had a chance to work out and get back into shape". "Y/n you don't have to do anything to get your body ready for me to see it" Finnick said "I love you no matter how you look". "No you don't, you're just saying that to be nice" you said annoyed but Finnick didn't back down.
"I'm not being nice. I thought we were going to die so many times and then just when I thought we were safe you collapsed in my arms and I thought I'd lost you. The moment the doctor told me you were alive and breathing was the happiest moment of my life. It beat winning my own Hunger Games, the ending of the war, even falling in love with you so I don't care what you look like so long as you're here and healthy I will love every inch of you". "You're so soppy, you know that?" you asked him wiping away a tear and Finnick smiled. He picked you up and carried you back to your room in his arms. "I love you too" he told you and you chuckled, pleased he could translate angry moody Mason into plain English. He really was perfect for you.
After that, you didn't feel shy around Finnick anymore but you realised he was hiding things from you and that he wasn't as recovered as he said he was.
While you were sleeping one night he started shaking violently. You figured he was having a bad dream but he woke up with a yell and was panting as his hands shook and his fingers bent inwards at awkward angles, seemingly of their own volition. When it stopped, he collapsed against the bed, his forehead gleaming and you grabbed his arm "Finnick are you okay? I'm getting a doctor" and you rushed to do so but he grabbed you. "Y/n don't, they already know and I'm fine it's just one of the after-effects of the electric shock we got. My hands keep spasming and I struggle to grip things a little but Beetee thinks it should fade with time and if not I can do some physiotherapy to help". You frowned "is it painful?". From the grimace on his face you could tell the answer but he didn't want you to worry. "It's fine" he shrugged "just a little annoying at times, I just really hope it isn't permanent". You nodded feeling that deeply, if your hands were ruined you wouldn't be able to fight with an axe or defend yourself anymore. You'd feel so vulnerable and scared so you beckonned Finnick closer and hugged him. "Don't worry, your hands will get better and until then I'll cover for you. You can be my legs and I'll be your hands". Finnick chuckled "the perfect tag-team huh? Thanks Y/n" and wrapped in your arms, he didn't have any more spasms that night.
9 days after the end of the war you got a visitor and she wasted no time apologising for what she thought she'd done wrong. "I'm sorry we left you" Katniss said "down in the tunnels...you were just so far away I didn't think we could do anything for you" she told Finnick before turning to you "and I thought you went to go die with him" Katniss admitted. You nodded "well part of me did, we had a deal you see...but there's no hard feelings. Finnick and I did take off pretty quickly when those things first appeared". You shivered even just thinking about them and Finnick squeezed your hand. "We all just got to instinct at those moments and that's all you did" you said giving Katniss a small smile. She returned it but you could tell she wasn't feeling it. "I'm really sorry Katniss" you said and she didn't have to ask about what. "You don't have to say anything back" you told her "just know, we're here if you need anything" you said gesturing to Finnick and he nodded "any time".
You and Finnick were invited to President Snow's execution but neither of you wanted to go. You were now well enough to start making moves to District 4 so you and Finnick declined and planned your move. When President Coin heard your plans she called a meeting of all the victors in District 13 and told you her plans. You and Finncik were outraged at the idea of another Hungers Game and voted no immediately along with Peeta, Annie and Beetee. You managed to outnumber Johanna Katniss, Haymitch and Enobaria who voted yes. Coin relented there would be no hunger games but that Katniss could execute Snow. You and Finnick still had no interest in that and left 2 days later. You arrived in District 5 on the day of the execution and were preparing for the last part of your journey when you learned Katniss had killed Coin instead and everything was in chaos. The train was stopped and the captain asked what you wanted to do, go on to District 4 or head to the Capitol instead. Finnick did not take the news well.
"Why do I feel like we're never going to escape?" Finnick asked you, spiraling as his panic took over. "Every time we try to leave it's going to pull us back? There's no escape! Even now, even after it's all over they still find a way to drag us back. It never ends!". You shook your head and cupped his face "then screw it all! We don't play their game, we carry on as planned and let them work it out for themselves. We nearly sacrificed our lives for this and have done our time, we're finished and now it's our time". "We can do that?" Finnick asked and then he saw the look on your face. Finnick blinked and smiled. "Captain" he called "onto District 4 people, we're going home".
Later
You took to the beach life surprisingly well for a forest girl from District 7 and thank god you didn't burn in the sun because that would've been awkward.
When you and Finnick first got to District 4 you only had a shack on the beach but you actually didn't mind. Finnick had bought a plot of land away from the town so it could be just the two of you as promised and it was heaven. You had no idea what was going on in the world and neither of you cared. You spent each day wrapped up in one another and felt like you got to fall in love with him all over again.
After 2 months of bliss, you decided to start making a proper home, so you built a house! You had some knowledge of this being from a lumber district but Finnick really was popular and it felt like the entire population of District 4 came to help.
A year later you had your house on the beach. It was nothing grand like your Victor houses but you loved it and you loved Finnick. You'd worried after the excitement of war, when you settled into normalcy things between you would fizzle out but they didn't. It was Finnick Odair to be fair, things were never boring with him around and he always kept you occupied.
When he learned you weren't a super strong swimmer he made it his mission to teach you. Then he moved on to surfing and sailing and basically anything water-related. He was literally in his element in the water and you loved how happy he looked. His hands still sometimes bothered him and your hip had never quite fully recovered. Not to mention both of you still woke up with nightmares but you'd escaped and most importantly, you'd escaped together, Your life was the closest thing to heaven that existed as far as you were concerned.
About 2 years into your new life President Paylour contacted you and Finnick. They were prosecuting the members of the capitol who had abused the victors when they left the games and of course, the main Vicor they wanted to speak to was Finnick. You told him he didn't have to do anything, if he didn't want to re-live those memories and just wanted to move on then that was okay but he chose to see them put to justice. The second Finnick said that, you were all in recalling your promise to get justice for him.
You went to the capitol first, alone, to see what was required of Finnick and what the process would be. First, they needed an interview, where Finnick described key people and what they had done to him. You were of course there for his interview, holding his hand the entire time and telling them it was over when it was clear Finnick was done. He couldn't remember all the names but Feather had submitted his "little black book" voluntarily when he was arrested. All Finnick had to do was confirm the names. There were over 100 names in that book and Finnick said yes to most of them. It made you feel sick all over again but you sat up straight and kept your focus on Finnick. You held him extra closely that night and comforted him as he cried himself to sleep.
Months later there was a trial and they wanted Finnick to testify live. You objected to that strongly and vetoed it immediately. You'd seen the effect just the interview had on Finnick and weren't going to give the Capitol one last show. Instead, Finnick recorded some responses in the comfort of your own home and they projected them live.
You attended the trial as a witness to what the experience had done to Finnick as did some of the other Victors. It wasn't too hard preparing for the trial as you thought it might be. Sure it was tiresome and taxing but all you had to do was look at the people who had hurt Finnick and your motivation sprang back up. You gave your testimony with a perfect balance of emotion and composure. You looked those criminals in the eye when you told the judge you thought the highest punishment possible would be the only justice and cheered the loudest when it was passed. You were there when the sentences were carried out and then returned home to confirm for Finnick it was done. "Are they...is it done?" he asked. You nodded "the people who hurt you are gone, they can't do anything to anyone anymore" and you saw the weight melt off his shoulders. It took a few weeks for it to sink in permanently but finally, it clicked and Finnick was finally freed. You bought a puppy the week after, figuring Finnick needed an adorable distraction.
3 years later you and Finnick were still finding new things to do and were still as attracted to one another as ever. You were currently on the beach in the middle of the night because of Finnick. It didn't rain here often but it had tonight that made Finnick really excited! He demanded you both go out for a swim in the rain and you were going to protest that you'd get wet but realised that was the point. It was actually really nice to swim in the rain and you loved how only Finnick could get you to do these stupid things.
As you laid on the sand afterwards, you admired Finnick in the moonlight. You still thought he was the most beautiful man in the whole world and had quickly realised Finnick also suited the wet look very well. You had a sneaking suspicion that's why Finnick enjoyed getting you in the water with him so much but you didn't care. Shirtless or with a wet top plastered against his chest, he looked amazing every time and most of your swimming trips ended with the two of you pressed up against the sand together.
Tonight was exactly the same. Finnick saw the way you were looking at him and needed no more encouragement. He smelled and tasted like sea salt and
it had become your favourite taste over the years because of Finnick. Once the two of you had thoroughly tired yourselves out, you lay against the golden sand and just babbled in a happy exhausted manner.
"You know I think water boy suits you better than pitchfork boy or maybe seaweed boy?" you asked thinking about that time he went diving and came with tons of seaweed when you'd been expecting pearls. Finnick smirked "seaweed boy? I think I hate that more than pitch-fork boy". You smiled "wow that's extreme but yeah it doesn't quite suit you. Plus I think it's already taken". You couldn't remember who by but could've sworn you'd ready an old myth about a seaweed boy or was it a seaweed brain?
"So are you excited for tomorrow?" Finnick asked leaning over to you and you blinked "tomorrow?". After what Finnick had been doing you couldn't even remember what day today was. Finnick laughed "yeah tomorrow or I guess it's later today now, when your sister and all the other tributes are coming to visit?" he asked "and Katniss and Peeta are bringing little Prim for the first time...remember?". You smiled "it's ringing a bell, it'll be nice to see them. We haven't all been together like this since..." and you trailed off remembering. "When Coin asked us to go another Hunger Games" Finnick nodded "well this time, let's hope the topic won't be so depressing".
A lot had happened to the victors in the 5 years since President Snow had fallen but the districts all appointed new leaders and things were relatively stable. Annie had become mayor of District 4 which was mainly an honorary position for being a victor rather than an acting role but she loved her district and the people loved her too. Weirdly she'd become a friend to you and Finnick, you now smiled when you saw her and called out greetings to her in town.
Your sister Johanna was still in District 7, she'd been offered the honorary position too but declined of course. She never wanted the show and dance and instead got an ordinary position, helping organise and process trade operations. She didn't leave District 7 tons but had been spending more and more time with District 2's Ebobaria. She said they didn't want to label anything but you knew she was happy.
Seeing as all the tributes were pairing up, Haymitch claimed there must be something to it and said he should try his luck with Beetee but even as a joke, Beetee gave the man a sharp electric shock as a detterance. Luckily he just confessed his feelings to Effie instead. They were due to be married in the next Autumn and everyone was invited, hideous outfits a must of course.
Beetee was instrumental in coordinating all the districts and was now president of technological communications, aka he ran everything. It was what he deserved and he seemed happy so you all were too.
Katniss and Peeta were of course loved up, they married 2 years ago and their daughter whom they named Prim followed a year later. All of the victors had pretty much stepped away from the capitol and the new Panem to live out their lives quietly and so far nobody had tried to reap you for another games. So far, the new Panem was peaceful...well not too peaceful because it still had your sister Johanna in it.
"Oh yeah she never visits me anymore!" Johanna said "Finnick stole her away and never gave her back". Finnick shrugged "hey I don't have any restraints on her, she didn't want to be given back because she loved me and District 4 so much more than you!". Which led Johanna to argue you'd always be District 7 and the two bickered while you all watched happily. Your two favourite people were also the stupidest people ever and you loved that.
The argument eventually got physical and when you were coming back with a drink Johanna decided to stake her claim. "Mine!" Johanna cried jumping on your back and Finnick immediately jumped up. "Joahnna be careful...the baby!" Finnick called and everyone froze. Johanna shot away from like you were on fire and all the victors stared waiting for more. In response, you and Finnick looked at one another and then just burst out laughing.
"That was good babe" you called to Finnick and sank beside him. "I know" he smiled wrapping an arm around you and when you'd both stopped laughing you explained. "I'm not pregnant but you should see all your faces!". The group all groaned and Johanna hit you for lying. "Are you considering it though?" Peeta asked "starting a family?". You and Finnick looked at each other and shrugged "I'm not sure, babies were never something that appealed to me but then again I never thought I'd see the Mockingjay being a doting mother" you said nodding to Katniss who had little Prim in her arms. Katniss smiled "yeah me either, anything can change". Finnick nodded "exactly which is why we're not saying no definitely not but it's not on the top of our to-do list". You nodded leaning into his arm "I'm happy as we are right now, the dog and the beach are all I need....ow and Finnick of course" you said and they all laughed at your slip-up. "Afterthought huh? The man you love?" Finnick asked and you smiled because it felt nice to say you loved Finnick and really mean it. "The man I love" you repeated and you said it so sweetly Finnick couldn't even pretend to be mad at you.
"Do you want to be a father?" you asked Finnick as you lay in bed that night and he blinked thinking. "I don't know, I do quite like kids but I think after all we've been through I'd be terrified they were going to be reaped. That the Capitol would come back and punish us again". You nodded patting his arm "I think you'd be an amazing dad". Finnick looked at you in surprise "really?". You nodded "of course! Everyone loves you, you're kind, funny, beautiful...". "Stop it!" Finnick said pushing you and pretending to gush. "I can actually imagine you with a baby" you continued and Finnick paused. "I can see you sat with a little bundle on our porch, teaching them how to take their first steps on the sand, holding them in your arms in the ocean, reading them stories at night..." you said "I can picture it all". Finnick smiled and leaned over to you so he was hovering on top of you "well you know I can very easily make that a reality for you and I can make you enjoy every second of it". That of course sent shivers down your spine and you looked up at those beautiful blue eyes and wanted to just melt but you were a Mason, you were mischeaveous. "I think I might need some proof of that first, a taster if you will" you said and Finnick nodded "that is totally understandable, let me get to work".
Everyone left the next morning, after complaining about some weird noises echoing around the house in the middle of the night. You and Finnick made no apologies and saw everyone off with big smiles. As you watched hem go, all smiling, rested and happy you realised this would've been unthinkable just 6 years ago. If you went back in time and even tried to explain to your younger self just how good her future was going to be she would've laughed in your face and you wouldn't blame her! Your life with Finnick almost made everything you'd been through worth it and every day you were thankful you'd fought so hard to stay alive, just so you could be here. And the best news?
Your future with Finnick was only just getting started.
I only realised after I wrote this that Finnick and Y/n tried to ditch the group and then were the ones that got left behind lol.
Also, I'm a huge Percy Jackson fan and anytime Finnick used a trident or spear it made me imagine him as a son of Poseidon and I love that. Maybe I should headcanon the main characters as demigods or something...not long until the new TV show now and I AM SO EXCITED!
But back to Finnick. He's amazing and deserved so much better. So let's all just pretend he got to live on a beach with the love of his life yeah?
Other Parts: Part One, Part Two, Part Three (short version).and Part Four.
Luckily the first few days after the visitors got back were manic so you didn't have to think about how your life had changed. You shut yourself away with Johanna and monitored everything about her condition. You slept at the foot of her bed, fetched her meals, helped her walk to the bathroom and just basically let your life revolve around her in a similar way as you had with Finnick. You supposed you had a pattern of throwing everything into fixing someone's life when you felt your own was falling apart.
Your sister was smart though and knew something was up. She'd asked you how you'd been but you only gave vague answers. When she mentioned you to other people they looked away and she was beginning to think you'd done something horrendous based on the reactions. She was so proud but getting a little tired of all the secrecy. She'd finally managed to convince you to take her on some walks so she could leave her room and her hope was she'd see someone who would actually be honest with her about what was happening. So she was ecstatic when you bumped into Finnick, you not so much.
"There he is!" Johanna said "the real-life merman, where have you been I've hardly seen you!" Johanna said as Finnick walked into the infirmary. He jumped at her voice and you seemed just as nervous. "Johanna we should go get you sat back down" you said but she pushed your comments away and looked to Finnick, expecting a reply. "I've just been busy" he said awkwardly and Johanna smiled "oh yeah with Annie? I bet you're having fun being back together?". You felt your cheeks go bright red and Finnick wrung his arms out of the sheer awkwardness. He shrugged at Johanna and looked right past her to you.
"Y/n" he said softly "please can we talk?". "Sorry we've got to go, Johanna's late for an appointment". "No I'm not, what's going on?" your sister asked but you just looked at her and in your best big sister voice said "Johanna, come on!". She could see the fear in your eyes so she nodded to Finnick and followed you out.
"So" Joanna said after you'd gotten her back into her room and finally stopped chattering on about random stuff in a failed effort to distract her from what she witnessed "are you going to tell me what that weirdness with you and Finnick was or am I going to have to break out of here and ask him?". You shook your head, you'd managed a few days pretending it hadn't happened and she'd hear it sooner or later so better it came from you. "The two of us had a thing" you shrugged and Johanna grinned. "Alright Y/n! He's a total upgrade from that last girl you were into! So how did it happen? Did you go for it first or him? Is he as good in bed as we all think". You blinked "I'm not sure I want to answer any of those questions" and Johanna could see your expression and knew you were upset. "What happened?" she repeated "you said you had a thing, how much of a thing". "We were dating" you admitted "publically, everyone here knows or I guess knew". Johanna's brows furrowed and then it clicked "until Annie came back". You nodded "Finnick thought she was dead, that's the only reason he was with me". Johanna shook her head "not the only reason, he's not like that". You shrugged "well what does it matter? She's back and I'm dumped". "Did he actually say that?" Johanna asked and you shook your head "no, he's been trying to talk to me since she got back but I've been avoiding him. I already know what he's going to say so what's the point?". Johanna hit you with surprising force and you moved your arm away from her. "Ow!" you cried "bitch". "Well bitch is better than coward! Go speak to him! You don't know, he might still want you". You shook your head "he won't she's the love of his life. I know his decision, it's pretty obvious and I just don't want to hear him say it to me". "You won't be able to face him until you do" Johanna argued. "Who says I want to face him?" you asked "honestly, I just want to forget that Finnick Odair ever existed".
You meant that 100% but your sister also meant what she said and she knew you'd regret not talking this out with Finnick, or so she thought. So she came up with a plan to make you face him. Basically, she told Finnick she desperately needed to talk to him about you. Then when he arrived she popped out to nip to the toilet, waited for you to come for her "check-up" appointment, watched you go into her room and locked the door. "You're not coming out until you talk to him Y/n!" she yelled.
You really hated your sister sometimes. It was just like her to ignore what you'd said and do what she thought was best. She was so stubborn too and you knew there was no way she was letting you out until she did what you said. "Johanna!" you grumbled under your breath before turning back to Finnick "okay fine, you want to talk so talk but I have some rules. No apologising, no telling me how great I am or asking if we can stay friends. Okay?". Finnick blinked just as surprised by this situation. He'd wanted to speak to you for days but now you were in front of him, he was a little nervous. He nodded, taking in you and your rules and the words came easy to him because he'd been thinking over them for the past few days nonstop. He still felt so much emotion when he looked at you though so he needed a few breaths to compose himself. "Well I just wanted to say I never meant for this to happen and that I'm...you got me through everything this past year and I wanted to thank you for that. You meant a lot to me Y/n and nothing will change that, I will always care about you and every moment we spent together was real for me okay?". You nodded "got it, we done?". Finnick couldn't think of anything else he could say to make this right so he nodded "okay". "Great, see you around!" you said and banged on the door "Johanna he says we're done" and Finnick yelled for her to let you out. "That was like 20 seconds!" she complained and you nodded "I told you, here's nothing left for him to tell me" and you stormed off to sulk.
You refused to speak to Johanna after that and you suspected she sent Katniss after you. The Mockingjay appeared at your door and asked if you wanted to talk a walk outside. You walked through the rubble aimlessly before stopping by some trees. Once you sat down it began.
"I'm sorry" Katniss said and wanted to choke her but considering Peeta just did that you thought it might be a bit harsh. "It must be difficult" she said, unaware of your inner monologue "to have someone appear and take everything away from you". You knew she was speaking more through her own situation so managed not to get annoyed. "How are you coping?" you asked her "have you seen him since...?". Katniss nodded "a few times, it's still the same". "Well if someone did that to him it can be undone. It's just like computer programming, they'll work out a way". Katniss didn't look convinced and you weren't really good at comforting sad people. So you did what just felt natural. You rested your head on her shoulder. Katniss stiffened and you wondered if you'd overstepped but then she leaned back on you. "Thanks Y/n" she whispered and you nodded "no problem" and just sat in silence.
You first saw Annie a few weeks later. You were eating in the dining hall and went to put your plate away as she walked in...with Finnick. You of course stopped like a deer in headlights and stared at them. Annie noticed you after Finnick and her gaze turned icy which made sense. Everyone here knew about you and Finnick, it couldn't be a nice welcome to receive. Everyone at District 13 was used to you and Finnick so even though Annie was with him first, it was like she was the new one in their eyes which anyone would hate. The whole room went silent as she walked in and stared at the three of you which didn't exactly help. You had no idea what they thought was going to happen. You and Annie weren't going to start fighting or having a slanging match in the middle of lunch. There was nothing to fight about, she had him and you didn't. End of story. The situation was so tragic it was like a soap opera and you didn't do tragic. So you raised your head, pretended neither of them was there and walked right past them.
You felt quite proud of how you'd handled yourself but not everyone did. Finnick followed you out and when you wouldn't respond to his calls he ran after you. He quickly caught up with you and you couldn't pretend you didn't hear him anymore. "Y/n come on it doesn't have to be like this!" he said and you rolled your eyes "like what? Were nothing Finnick". "I know and that's the problem! I don't want to pretend you don't exist" Finnick said and you sighed "well we can't exactly go back to how it was before so this is our only opinion" you replied. "But why is it?" Finnick asked "is there really no hope of us being friends or at least acquaintances who say hello to each other". You raised your eyebrow at him. With as much malice as you could muster you spat "grow up Finnick" and walked away.
He didn't follow.
After that Finnick didn't try and talk to you again. He and Annie avoided you, if you passed them on the corridor, they'd look away. He started training in a different space and moved his room away from yours. You told Johanna you were over it but that was a lie. It hurt every time you got a reminder of them and you had no idea why the pain wasn't going away. Nearly two months had passed and you still felt as shitty as the first day you realised you lost him. You weren't sure how much more you could take and then one day you found Finnick waiting outside your room. "I need to tell you something" he said and you didn't even have the strength to fight it. You figured the sooner he started the sooner he could leave and regretted your actions almost immediately.
"Annie asked me to marry her" Finnick started and a reaction literally burst out of you without any control. "Jesus christ Finnick!" you yelled "why are you telling me this? Why did you think I should hear this personally? This is exactly what I want to hear right now, this is just what I want. Did you really think I'd prefer it over Johanna telling me what day to stay in my room and avoid the ceremony? I know you think you're helping but you're really not!". "No see that's the thing!" Finnick said "we're not getting married! I told her no!".
You had another long rant ready but that threw you off guard "no? Okay...so why tell me?". "Because it made me realise how different my mind and Annie's are. It made me realise I don't feel for her like I used to...I'm not in love with her anymore. I'm in love with you".
You blinked your eyes several times but Finnick didn't go away so you just asked "I'm sorry?" and Finnick smiled. "Y/n I'm so sorry for all of this and that it took me this long to say it but I want you! I miss you so much and I'm at my happiest with you. I don't want to marry Annie, I want you. So will you please take me back?". "Take you back?" you asked "but Annie...she's you're soulmate, you're the Katniss and Peeta of District 4. You saved her!". "She helped save me too but she's not my soulmate, that doesn't exist and I don't love her that way anymore. My feelings for you are stronger than my feelings for her and I can't hug or kiss her without wishing it was you. I tried to press on at first but it's not fair to anyone. I know I've hurt you a lot but can you consider it" Finnick asked "I need you Y/n".
In retrospect, considering all Finnick knew about you he should've expected you to throw a punch at him. However, he didn't and you caught him on the jaw.
"You need me?" you yelled throwing a punch and Finnick groaned in pain. "You need me? Are you joking! What do you think this has been like for me?".
"You needed me? I needed you Finnick" you said choking up and he nodded also tearing up. "I know I'm sorry, Y/n I'm so sorry" he said and hugged you. You melted into his touch and cried as he held you tightly against him.
Even after you'd calmed down, Finnick kept his arms around you and you didn't mind. You'd missed him so much you didn't want him to ever let go. "I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight" you told him and he looked at you with a frown "why?". "Because I'll wake up and this will go away, it will have been a dream". Finnick shook his head "this is real Y/n, I'm not going anywhere...again" and for good measure he pinched you. When you jumped he smiled "see, not dreaming". You were going to push him when you saw the red mark on his face.
"Shit I did that didn't I?" you asked and Finnick worked out what you meant "yes you did". "Does it hurt?" you asked and got your answer when Finnick jumped as you touched it. "I'm so sorry, let me get an icepack," you said and ran from the room before Finnick could respond.
You returned quickly after and Finnick let you lay him down and apply the pack. "I'm sorry for hitting you but that really came from nowhere". Finnick frowned "well it wouldn't have if you'd have let me talk to you". "You didn't want to talk to me at the start, you still thought you wanted Annie". "Did I though?" Finnick asked "you never gave me a chance to tell you otherwise. The second Annie got back you ran away from me and wouldn't speak to me". "True" you agreed "but what was I meant to think? That you'd choose Annie over me? If I'd have come to you and told you I didn't want to lose you that night she got back, would you really have considered me over Annie?". "Yes" Finnick said without hesitation "100% and I think part of me was desperate for you to" he admitted "I wanted you to tell me you wanted me so I could say it back".
Your jaw dropped to the floor. "I had no idea I had that option" you admitted "I thought I couldn't hold a flame to her". Finnick shook his head "Y/n, you're the person who saved me after I was rescued. You were the reason I got out of bed each morning and the reason I'm still alive. I think the day I left the capitol the old me died and here I became a new one thanks to you. I was happy with you and so when Annie appeared it was surreal. When you retreated I tried to carry on as before but I couldn't because I was different. The truth is I'd accepted her death and I'd moved on. I will always care and love Annie but it's so different with you. With Annie, it came from our shared experience and trauma...which was important, I needed that but I didn't realise there could be more in a relationship. I got that from you. We had shared trauma but it wasn't dependent or dishabilitating, being with you made me strong" Finnick smiled "you made me feel so powerful and valuable as well as feeling so loved and supported. I wasn't a victor, a District 4 golden boy or a mentor, it was almost like I was the pre-games Finnick. You made me feel human again and helped me forget. You're...pretty special" he finished and you smiled. "Finnick I..." and you paused. You'd never told anyone you loved them before. Even Johanna and you didn't say it often so you were scared to say it to Finnick. You thought you were in love with him but didn't want to make yourself so vulnerable. Finnick seemed to sense this and he took your hands "it's okay Y/n, you don't have to say anything" and he hugged you. You settled against his chest and closed your eyes.
Finnick said you held a candle to the love of his life! Maybe one day, you could be his new one. Maybe you were already on your way there?
"So do you guys have to make an announcement retracting your breakup or something?" Johanna asked the next day "or do you just announce you're together again?" she asked. "I think neither" Finnick said and you nodded your head "they've had enough fun with our private life". "Yeah but how will they all know you're not with Annie anymore?" Johanna asked. "Well considering I moved out of her place, settled back into Y/n's and we've been seen pretty much everywhere together I think they'll get the message". You nodded "they have, I've had quite a few girls smiling at me today". Finnick laughed "maybe they were just being friendly?" and you and Johanna both shot him a look. "No, it wasn't a casual smile it was like a well-done smile. A you got the prize smile". "You got the prize?" Finnick asked "do you need me to wear a little bow or something from you?". "Maybe if that's the only thing you're wearing" you agreed and Finnick grinned "evening plans". "Eugh, I didn't realise how gross this was going to be, can you two stop undressing each other with your eyes while I'm sat right here?". "No" you and Finnick responded at the same time and Johanna stormed away. "You're way too sweet and cute you know?" she called and you smiled "we know".
"Were you and Finnick like this from the start?" Johanna asked later when Finnick had left and it was safe to be in the room again. You smiled "like what?" and she rolled her eyes "all gross and all over each other. So happy and horny". You went to argue before realising you didn't have a leg to stand on and nodded "yeah actually that's a pretty accurate description". Johanna shook her head "I just had no idea the two of you would work so well together, I mean I knew you were attracted to one another but this is something else". "Wait go back, you knew we were attracted to one another?". Johanna nodded "duh! The first time you saw Finnick you couldn't take your eyes off him and yes he was half-naked but it was different. You were looking at him how you used to look at Sophia Grey back home". You smiled at the memory of her and shrugged "that's probably accurate, I still think Finnick's the hottest man to ever exist but you said you could tell he was attracted to me too?". Johanna nodded "yeah he liked your charisma and charm. People usually got tongue-tied around him but you were the belle of the ball and he was attracted to that. Not to mention you were a pretty young female who had just won her games, I didn't think Finnick would do anything because he had Annie but I still wanted to separate you so others didn't get any ideas". You nodded "Finnick mentioned that, I never realised how much you did for me, how you've been protecting me even since I got out of the games". "And now you've got Finnick to take my place" Johanna said not hiding her bitterness and you smiled "I'll always need my big sister. Plus we're Masons, from the womb to the tomb!". You could tell you took Johanna by surprise with that one and she burst out laughing "what the fuck is that? Where did you hear it?". "It's good right?" you asked and she shook her head "it's fucking terrible!".
"Now back onto the topic of you and Finnick because I still have questions" Johanna said "how did that even happen? Especially if he thought Annie was dead". You explained how you cared for him and became friends that way. "There was always an attraction there and then one day he saw me naked. He stared and was pretty obvious so I came to his bedroom at night and asked if he wanted to have sex". Johanna laughed "you just went up and asked?" and you nodded. "I'm impressed" she smiled "and I bet Finnick was too". You nodded "he seemed it. From there we spent more time together, bonded, emotions got involved, Annie came back from the dead, Finnick came back to me and boom. Present day". Joahnna nodded "and he makes you happy right?". You smiled without even thinking and nodded. "Good" Johanna said "and if he ever hurts you again I'll kill him".
The war really started speeding up after that and before you knew it Katniss was spotted in the capital. When you heard, Finnick sat up straight in his seat and you could tell what he wanted to do from the look in his eye. So the two of you were on the next ship out to join Katniss. Johanna couldn't come because of her injuries and you refused to help smuggle her out. She claimed she was never going to speak to you again but hugged you tightly before you left. "Come back" she told you forcefully and you nodded "I will, we both will" but felt like you'd cursed yourselves the second you'd said that. You got a horrible sinking feeling and realised you'd rather not come back at all than come back without Finnick.
Things weren't too bad at first when you got to the capitol, you used Bogg's tracker thing to safely navigate your way through the capitol but then everything went wrong. Bogg was hurt and died in seconds. Then one of the soldiers triggered a trap trying to get to her sister. A black tar-like substance began to pour down and you were one of the first to react. You grabbed Finnick, pushed him in one direction and headed for the girl who couldn't walk. You and her sister were carrying her to a house when you heard Finnick shout and go back. "Finnick!" you yelled and wanted to go after him but you couldn't abandon this girl. "I'm okay. We're here!" you heard him yell a few seconds later and you breathed out in relief. You broke your way into a building and carried the girl upstairs. The substance was getting closer and you realised there was nowhere else to go. You put the girl down and began to assess the area. You kicked open one of the doors and began moving her through there. The others followed you and that was when you noticed Finnick had Peeta in a tight grip. "What happened?" you asked and then you saw the body hanging outside. "A bit of trouble" Finnick told you before smiling "but we're fine, especially now that stuff has stopped". He was right, the tar was retreating and draining away as if it had never been chasing you.
You moved to a new building where you found out you were all dead! Finnick laughed at the death announcements until yours appeared. That sobered him up but you just smiled "wow they remembered my name? I'm famous!". Katniss rolled her eyes at you and Finnick, who still didn't like you talking this way, passed you some food and sat next to you. You all ate and rested before working out the next steps. You realised after that the streets were a no-go and decided the sewer was a better bet because nothing bad ever happens in the sewers!
You navigated your way down the tunnels and then stopped to sleep in an alcove that seemed safe. You and Finnick woke at Lieutenant Jackson's shout at the same time. You grabbed each other's stuff and were out of that tunnel first. It was antagonising, walking through those tunnels while hearing animalistic noises and having no idea if they were getting closer or further away. Gale led in front with his gun and you were behind him, helping pass on Pollux's directions. You could tell something bad was going to happen, you could almost feel it in the air and so did Finnick. When the two of you climbed through the tunnel, he subtly grabbed your arm and pulled you away from the group. He was already backing away when the first swarm appeared and killed Lieutenant Jackson before she could even scream. Gale opened fire and you worried Finnick might try and go back to grab Peeta but luckily he didn't. He had a hand on Pollux and was practically dragging him with you as he ran. Pollux pointed and Finnick would yell the direction to you urging you to go faster. You could hear the others behind you and were glad they were still alive. You felt a little bad for not checking they were okay before you ran but survival skills are a bitch and the only thing you wanted from this was for Finnick and hopefully, yourself to survive.
You reached a ladder and pushed Pollux to the front, the others appeared closely followed by those things. You finally got a good look at them and you were horrified. So much so you were frozen to the spot until one charged at you. You threw an axe at what you assumed was its face and then threw two more as others took its place. It was chaos, you saw Cressida go up the ladder and were looking for Finnick to tell him to go next when you were tackled by one. Its jaws were horrible and it was trying more than anything to bite you. You just had an axe ready when its neck was slit was a trident. "Come on you're next up!" Finnick cried yanking you onto your feet and pushing you to the ladder. "Not without you!" you said and he shook his head "I'm right behind you" so you started to climb. You made it up and realised Holmes was up here too. You could hear more of those things down there and tried to see what was going on but it was a mess. A figure appeared and you got hopeful until you realised it was Peeta. You yanked him up and then climbed back down the ladder. "FINNICK!" you yelled and it took you a few seconds to spot him. He was further away than Katniss and Gale who were right below the ladder. He was alone and the obvious one to be left behind unless something happened now!
"Finnick!" you cried again and Katniss looked up at you but Gale just pushed her towards the ladder and she started to climb. Gale called to Finnick but didn't make any moves to get him. He was going to die. Katniss had nearly reached you and was yelling a you to climb but you couldn't. There was no way you were going up that ladder without Finnick, so you let go.
Katniss tried to grab you as you fell but luckily she missed. You managed to grab one of the bars near the bottom to slow your fall but still hit your knee on the way down. Pain exploded in your leg but you didn't care. It could've been broken and you would've forced yourself to stand. The creatures were trying to swarm Finnick and you threw yourself, literally, into them. You knocked two down before decapitating another two with a spear Finnick had dropped. You kicked one into the water and buried your axe in another three. "Y/n what are you doing? You were up and out!" Finnick cried as you fought your way towards him. When you were near he grabbed your arm and pulled you beside him. "Yeah but you weren't!" you replied "we both get out or neither of us!". In the middle of all of that, Finnick smiled at you "Katniss and Peeta who?" and you couldn't help but smile back.
You worked together fighting side by side and were doing well but they just wouldn't stop coming. "We need a way to stop them or slow them down" Finnick panted and you nodded "but how?" when something came to you. "Finnick throw the trident!" you cried and he locked eyes with you and got it. "Duck!" he said and threw it into the larger tunnel, pressing the button that would make the whole thing explode. It was similar technology to Katniss' arrows but as Finnick's trident was bigger than her arrow, the explosion was also larger. The whole tunnel collapsed, killing all of those creatures down there. One down, one more to go you through as more came from the other side.
The blast had destroyed the concrete leading to the ladder so there was no way you were escaping that way and you stopped trying. You and Finnick were both injured, covered in water and these things blood but neither of you stopped and finally got to a lul as Finnick killed the last one. "Come on, we've got to push forward" Finnick said taking your hand and running through the tunnels. It was fine for the first few seconds and then you heard sounds of more. "There's too many of them for us to kill one-on-one we need to get somewhere high!" you told Finnick "Somewhere out of the water and I can deal with them". Finnick looked at you and got it "I think I saw somewhere on the map" and you nodded trusting him.
You ran for what felt like forever and you spotted the ladder at the same time you heard the creatures. "Come on let's go!" Finnick yelled and you both started sprinting. When you reached the ladder Finnick literally picked you up and tossed you halfway up it before scrambling up after you. You could actually hear the creatures' footsteps now and their claws reached the ladder just as you got up. You immediately turned around and yanked Finnick up. He fell on top of you and you pushed him onto the floor. "Finnick stay down!" you yelled and activated your own weapon, lobbing it down the hole, right past the creatures on their way to you. However, instead of staying down, Finnick leapt up and rugby tackled you away from the hole and used his body to cover you as the electrified axe exploded. You both cried out as the electricity hit you too but Finnick had shared the charge with you and after a few seconds you could breathe again.
You heard screams of agony as the creatures were basically fried alive, as well as everything close in the tunnel. The sparks lit up the whole space and the stench was awful. You could taste metal in your mouth and you both kept spasaming as some extra electricity escaped you but you were alive. Finnick had saved your life and to thank him you leaned over and kissed him. Finnick jumped at the contact but soon relaxed at the sensation and when you broke away opened his eyes. "Thank you" you told him and he shot you his beautiful smile "you said it Y/n, both of us or neither of us" and he took your hand and ventured out of the tunnels.
You and Finnick climbed higher and ran through some more of the underground tracks. You came across a few peacekeepers but managed to take them out easily. After the monsters you'd just dealt with humans were easy. You got one of their guns which solved your weapons running out problem but you couldn't hold the whole capitol off indefinitely. "We need to find the others" you said and Finnick shook his head "no we need somewhere to hide". You didn't ask where because there would be no point in that, so you just nodded and kept going. You didn't want to spend any more time underground and even though it was a risk, you and Finnick followed a tunnel above ground. You began gathering rocks to throw to test for any traps but stopped when Finnick began to laugh. When you asked what was going on, he picked you up and swirled you around in a hug. "We're going to make it" he smiled "come on, I know where we are". You didn't have any follow-up questions and followed Finnick as he carefully led you to a house.
Finnick knocked on the door heavily and on the second time it opened. Finnick wasted no time forcing his way inside and dragging you inside. You slammed the door shut behind you and blinked to see an older man staring at you. He was in a bright pink dressing gown with feathers on the collar. "Finnick?" he asked and Finnick smiled "don't tell me you forgot your most profitable worker?".
"You worked for him?" you hissed when you and Finnick were alone "as in he let people do those things to you and actually encouraged it?". Finnick nodded "yes but believe it or not, Feather was one of the good ones. He always tried to protect me and made the clients treat me...well not nicely but to a standard. He also helped me escape it all and return to my district". That did sound better but you still put a hand on Finnick's arm when the man, Feather, returned.
"I can't see any guards but it's still best I hide you but I can only hold you for a few hours". Finnick nodded "I know, if we could just rest for the night that's all we need". Feather sighed "you're lucky you were my favourite" he said and then spotted you glaring at him. He smiled "friend of yours?" he asked Finnick, looking down at how your hand was clamped over Finnick's arm and you'd angled your body so you were in front of him protectively. "Something like that" Finnick smiled "do you have any supplies? We're a bit banged up". Feather nodded "of course, let me grab some things and I'll show you to your room. I'm sorry to stick you in the basement but it's the safest place". You tensed at the idea of going underground again and struggled when Feather opened a trap door that led to darkness. You weren't sure if you could down it but Finnick took your hand. "It's be okay" he told you and taking a deep breath you went down the steps.
The basement was small, cold but filled with things so at least it didn't look bleak or scary. There was a sofa in one end which Feather placed his supplies on. "So this is your bed for the night. It's my old one, nothing wrong with it I just had to move it once a stain got on it. Velvet is so hard to get stains out of!" he complained and you blinked. You couldn't tell if you were more annoyed that he was genuinely mad about stains in a world that killed children or more disgusted about what the stain might be. Luckily Finnick was a social butterfly.
"Thank you so much Feather, this will be great". Feather nodded clearly fond of praise "I will go get you some blankets, I've given you some warm clothes but it is awfully chilly down here. Be back in a few!" and he disappeared cheerily up the steps.
"Right okay so lets assess your injuries" Finnick said turning to you expectantly with his hands on his hips. "I'm okay" you said and Finnick shot you a "really" look making you roll your eyes. "Fine, I hurt my knee earlier and think it could swell, I also rolled my ankle and it's still bothering me a bit, my hip also took a knock and I'm missing two fingernails that were ripped off". Finnick nodded "let me take a look at your legs first". You nodded and Finnick peeled off your trousers before wincing. Already your hip had a nasty bruise on it and your knee was swelling. "Yeah there's no way you're walking tomorrow" Finnick winced "good thing I've got experience carrying people". You shook your head "no way! It leaves you exposed! I'll walk just fine after a bit of rest". Finnick shook his head "maybe with a wheelchair yeah because by tomorrow this ankle will be huge and painful. There's no use arguing over it, I saved your life remember so you owe me". "I mean technically by jumping down that ladder I probably also saved your life so aren't we even?" you tried to joke but Finnick wasn't in a joking mood.
He grabbed you and kissed you sharply and passionately. When he separated he didn't let go. "I am not losing you Y/n, we just got through the craziest night of our lives and I am not surviving all that to lose you tomorrow. Don't do that to me" he demanded but it sounded more like he was begging. His eyes were ablaze with anger and sadness and you immediately backed down. "Okay" you agreed "okay, we'll work it out tomorrow" and you cradled him to you. Finnick buried his head in your neck taking some deep breaths before nodding and pulling away.
He sat back and nodded to you "now let me help you get cleaned up". Finnick cleaned the cuts and wounds you had and then helped you get changed. He bandaged your ankle the best he could and put some soothing gel on your hip and knee before helping you get dressed. You then switched and did the same for him. His body was okay but he was covered in scratches and bruises. Some of the scratches were quite deep and you disinfected them hoping they wouldn't need stitches. Finnick was just getting changed when there was a knock at the door.
"Delivery service!" Feather called "so I've got several blankets" which he tossed to Finnick "and also some food". "Feather you're amazing!" Finnick gasped grabbing a bowl and passing it straight to you. "Oh it's nothing! Just some soup and bread my chief made. I figured it might warm you up". "It will thank you" Finnick smiled sinking next to you and Feather smiled. He genuinely seemed pleased to see Finnick again and you supposed there must be some good in this man deep down despite the things he did. He waited for you both to finish your soup which didn't take long and then took the bowls.
"Right so it's mandatory lights out in 10 minutes do you guys need anything else before I lock you in". "Lock us in?" you asked panicked and Feather looked at you "It's a trap door I can't just keep it open! If the peacekeepers break in they'll find you straight away and we'll all be dead. The safest way is to hide the door completely and yes lock you in". You still didn't like the idea of it but Finnick touched your arm "that's fine, we'll be fine. Thank you again". The man nodded "see you in the morning" and left. Seconds later the sound of a sharp click told you, you were sealed in.
"Hey Y/n it's okay" Finnick said reaching out for you and pulling you into his chest "we're fine, we're safe and we're not in the sewers". You buried your head against him and he repeated this a few more times before you stopped shaking. When you lifted your head you realised it wasn't exactly pitch black. You could see some outlines of things and Finnick. You played with his hands and nodded "we're okay, we're alright, we're safe and have somewhere to sleep for the night". Finnick nodded "exactly" and kissed your head "and I know this sounds horrible but I'm so glad you're here". You chuckled and Finnick laughed too "I just mean, if I could have anyone here with me I'd want it to be you". You nodded "yeah I get that, even though it's terrifying I feel better because you're here". Finnick nodded pressing his face into your hair. "We'll get through this" he said "we'll survive it and when we do, you and I are moving far away from all this and just living". You smiled "tell me more about this great escape we're going on". Even though it was dark you could tell Finnick was smiling.
"We'll move near the ocean" he told you "we'll live just off the beach and spend our days fishing, surfing, swimming and doing whatever the hell we want. We'll spend our evenings sitting around a campfire, listening to music and we'll have the ocean to lull us to sleep every night. You'll see the most amazing sunsets and sunrises and have the most amazing beach make-out sessions. Trust me beaches are the best places for that". "You've had lots of experience with that huh?" You asked and Finnick shushed you with a kiss. When you were too breathless to speak he continued "we'll workout on the sand, build sand castles, float for hours on end and the best part? It will be just the two of us and it will be perfect" he told you. "I like that" you whispered "I want that, especially the nobody else being around part...but we'll probably have to have a spare hut for when Johanna gets bored and decides to appear at our doorstep". Finnick nodded "oh yeah there's no way we're keeping your sister out". "She'd come through the door with an axe like that old movie, here's Johanna!" you said and Finnick chuckled. "Well as long as you're there too I think I can handle your sister". You smirked "those are bold words, I'm related to her and I can't even handle her" and Finnick laughed. "We'll double team it there, figure it out together" he turned you to face him and you could just make out his eyes in the dark, "Together" you agreed and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. You separated and lay tightly together, praying the sun would never rise.
I wrote WAY too much for part three, so this is a condensed version. If you want to full long version of part three, click here.
Luckily the first few days after the visitors got back were manic so you didn't have to think about how your life had changed. You shut yourself away with Johanna and monitored everything about her condition. You slept at the foot of her bed, fetched her meals, helped her walk to the bathroom and just basically let your life revolve around her in a similar way as you had with Finnick. You supposed you had a pattern of throwing everything into fixing someone's life when you felt your own was falling apart.
Your sister was smart though and knew something was up. She'd asked you how you'd been but you only gave vague answers. When she mentioned you to other people they looked away and she was beginning to think you'd done something horrendous based on the reactions. She was so proud but getting a little tired of all the secrecy. She'd finally managed to convince you to take her on some walks so she could leave her room and her hope was she'd see someone who would actually be honest with her about what was happening. So she was ecstatic when you bumped into Finnick, you not so much.
"There he is!" Johanna said "the real-life merman, where have you been I've hardly seen you!" Johanna said as Finnick walked into the infirmary. He jumped at her voice and you seemed just as nervous. "Johanna we should go get you sat back down" you said but she pushed your comments away and looked to Finnick, expecting a reply. "I've just been busy" he said awkwardly and Johanna smiled "oh yeah with Annie? I bet you're having fun being back together?". You felt your cheeks go bright red and Finnick wrung his arms out of the sheer awkwardness. He shrugged at Johanna and looked right past her to you.
"Y/n" he said softly "please can we talk?". "Sorry we've got to go, Johanna's late for an appointment". "No I'm not, what's going on?" your sister asked but you just looked at her and in your best big sister voice said "Johanna, come on!". She could see the fear in your eyes so she nodded to Finnick and followed you out.
"So" Joanna said after you'd gotten her back into her room and finally stopped chattering on about random stuff in a failed effort to distract her from what she witnessed "are you going to tell me what that weirdness with you and Finnick was or am I going to have to break out of here and ask him?". You shook your head, you'd managed a few days pretending it hadn't happened and she'd hear it sooner or later so better it came from you. "The two of us had a thing" you shrugged and Johanna grinned. "Alright Y/n! He's a total upgrade from that last girl you were into! So how did it happen? Did you go for it first or him? Is he as good in bed as we all think". You blinked "I'm not sure I want to answer any of those questions" and Johanna could see your expression and knew you were upset. "What happened?" she repeated "you said you had a thing, how much of a thing". "We were dating" you admitted "publically, everyone here knows or I guess knew". Johanna's brows furrowed and then it clicked "until Annie came back". You nodded "Finnick thought she was dead, that's the only reason he was with me". Johanna shook her head "not the only reason, he's not like that". You shrugged "well what does it matter? She's back and I'm dumped". "Did he actually say that?" Johanna asked and you shook your head "no, he's been trying to talk to me since she got back but I've been avoiding him. I already know what he's going to say so what's the point?". Johanna hit you with surprising force and you moved your arm away from her. "Ow!" you cried "bitch". "Well bitch is better than coward! Go speak to him! You don't know, he might still want you". You shook your head "he won't she's the love of his life. I know his decision, it's pretty obvious and I just don't want to hear him say it to me". "You won't be able to face him until you do" Johanna argued. "Who says I want to face him?" you asked "honestly, I just want to forget that Finnick Odair ever existed".
You meant that 100% but your sister also meant what she said and she knew you'd regret not talking this out with Finnick, or so she thought. So she came up with a plan to make you face him. Basically, she told Finnick she desperately needed to talk to him about you. Then when he arrived she popped out to nip to the toilet, waited for you to come for her "check-up" appointment, watched you go into her room and locked the door. "You're not coming out until you talk to him Y/n!" she yelled.
You really hated your sister sometimes. It was just like her to ignore what you'd said and do what she thought was best. She was so stubborn too and you knew there was no way she was letting you out until she did what you said. "Johanna!" you grumbled under your breath before turning back to Finnick "okay fine, you want to talk so talk but I have some rules. No apologising, no telling me how great I am or asking if we can stay friends. Okay?". Finnick blinked just as surprised by this situation. He'd wanted to speak to you for days but now you were in front of him, he was a little nervous. He nodded, taking in you and your rules and the words came easy to him because he'd been thinking over them for the past few days nonstop. He still felt so much emotion when he looked at you though so he needed a few breaths to compose himself. "Well I just wanted to say I never meant for this to happen and that I'm...you got me through everything this past year and I wanted to thank you for that. You meant a lot to me Y/n and nothing will change that, I will always care about you and every moment we spent together was real for me okay?". You nodded "got it, we done?". Finnick couldn't think of anything else he could say to make this right so he nodded "okay". "Great, see you around!" you said and banged on the door "Johanna he says we're done" and Finnick yelled for her to let you out. "That was like 20 seconds!" she complained and you nodded "I told you, here's nothing left for him to tell me" and you stormed off to sulk.
You first saw Annie a few weeks later. You were eating in the dining hall and went to put your plate away as she walked in...with Finnick. You of course stopped like a deer in headlights and stared at them. Annie noticed you after Finnick and her gaze turned icy which made sense. Everyone here knew about you and Finnick, it couldn't be a nice welcome to receive. Everyone at District 13 was used to you and Finnick so even though Annie was with him first, it was like she was the new one in their eyes which anyone would hate. The whole room went silent as she walked in and stared at the three of you which didn't exactly help. You had no idea what they thought was going to happen. You and Annie weren't going to start fighting or having a slanging match in the middle of lunch. There was nothing to fight about, she had him and you didn't. End of story. The situation was so tragic it was like a soap opera and you didn't do tragic. So you raised your head, pretended neither of them was there and walked right past them.
You felt quite proud of how you'd handled yourself but not everyone did. Finnick followed you out and when you wouldn't respond to his calls he ran after you. He quickly caught up with you and you couldn't pretend you didn't hear him anymore. "Y/n come on it doesn't have to be like this!" he said and you rolled your eyes "like what? Were nothing Finnick". "I know and that's the problem! I don't want to pretend you don't exist" Finnick said and you sighed "well we can't exactly go back to how it was before so this is our only opinion" you replied. "But why is it?" Finnick asked "is there really no hope of us being friends or at least acquaintances who say hello to each other". You raised your eyebrow at him. With as much malice as you could muster you spat "grow up Finnick" and walked away.
He didn't follow.
After that Finnick didn't try and talk to you again. He and Annie avoided you, if you passed them on the corridor, they'd look away. He started training in a different space and moved his room away from yours. You told Johanna you were over it but that was a lie. It hurt every time you got a reminder of them and you had no idea why the pain wasn't going away. Nearly two months had passed and you still felt as shitty as the first day you realised you lost him. You weren't sure how much more you could take and then one day you found Finnick waiting outside your room. "I need to tell you something" he said and you didn't even have the strength to fight it. You figured the sooner he started the sooner he could leave and regretted your actions almost immediately.
"Annie asked me to marry her" Finnick started and a reaction literally burst out of you without any control. "Jesus christ Finnick!" you yelled "why are you telling me this? Why did you think I should hear this personally? This is exactly what I want to hear right now, this is just what I want. Did you really think I'd prefer it over Johanna telling me what day to stay in my room and avoid the ceremony? I know you think you're helping but you're really not!". "No see that's the thing!" Finnick said "we're not getting married! I told her no!".
You had another long rant ready but that threw you off guard "no? Okay...so why tell me?". "Because it made me realise how different my mind and Annie's are. It made me realise I don't feel for her like I used to...I'm not in love with her anymore. I'm in love with you".
You blinked your eyes several times but Finnick didn't go away so you just asked "I'm sorry?" and Finnick smiled. "Y/n I'm so sorry for all of this and that it took me this long to say it but I want you! I miss you so much and I'm at my happiest with you. I don't want to marry Annie, I want you. So will you please take me back?". "Take you back?" you asked "but Annie...she's you're soulmate, you're the Katniss and Peeta of District 4. You saved her!". "She helped save me too but she's not my soulmate, that doesn't exist and I don't love her that way anymore. My feelings for you are stronger than my feelings for her and I can't hug or kiss her without wishing it was you. I tried to press on at first but it's not fair to anyone. I know I've hurt you a lot but can you consider it" Finnick asked "I need you Y/n".
In retrospect, considering all Finnick knew about you he should've expected you to throw a punch at him. However, he didn't and you caught him on the jaw.
"You need me?" you yelled throwing a punch and Finnick groaned in pain. "You need me? Are you joking! What do you think this has been like for me? You needed me? I needed you Finnick" you said choking up and he nodded also tearing up. "I know I'm sorry, Y/n I'm so sorry" he said and hugged you. You melted into his touch and cried as he held you tightly against him.
Even after you'd calmed down, Finnick kept his arms around you and you didn't mind. You'd missed him so much you didn't want him to ever let go. "I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight" you told him and he looked at you with a frown "why?". "Because I'll wake up and this will go away, it will have been a dream". Finnick shook his head "this is real Y/n, I'm not going anywhere...again" and for good measure he pinched you. When you jumped he smiled "see, not dreaming". You were going to push him when you saw the red mark on his face.
"Shit I did that didn't I?" you asked and Finnick worked out what you meant "yes you did". "Does it hurt?" you asked and got your answer when Finnick jumped as you touched it. "I'm so sorry, let me get an icepack," you said and ran from the room before Finnick could respond.
You returned quickly after and Finnick let you lay him down and apply the pack. "I'm sorry for hitting you but that really came from nowhere". Finnick frowned "well it wouldn't have if you'd have let me talk to you". "You didn't want to talk to me at the start, you still thought you wanted Annie". "Did I though?" Finnick asked "you never gave me a chance to tell you otherwise. The second Annie got back you ran away from me and wouldn't speak to me". "True" you agreed "but what was I meant to think? That you'd choose Annie over me? If I'd have come to you and told you I didn't want to lose you that night she got back, would you really have considered me over Annie?". "Yes" Finnick said without hesitation "100% and I think part of me was desperate for you to" he admitted "I wanted you to tell me you wanted me so I could say it back".
Your jaw dropped to the floor. "I had no idea I had that option" you admitted "I thought I couldn't hold a flame to her". Finnick shook his head "Y/n, you're the person who saved me after I was rescued. You were the reason I got out of bed each morning and the reason I'm still alive. I think the day I left the capitol the old me died and here I became a new one thanks to you. I was happy with you and so when Annie appeared it was surreal. When you retreated I tried to carry on as before but I couldn't because I was different. The truth is I'd accepted her death and I'd moved on. I will always care and love Annie but it's so different with you. With Annie, it came from our shared experience and trauma...which was important, I needed that but I didn't realise there could be more in a relationship. I got that from you. We had shared trauma but it wasn't dependent or dishabilitating, being with you made me strong" Finnick smiled "you made me feel so powerful and valuable as well as feeling so loved and supported. I wasn't a victor, a District 4 golden boy or a mentor, it was almost like I was the pre-games Finnick. You made me feel human again and helped me forget. You're...pretty special" he finished and you smiled. "Finnick I..." and you paused. You'd never told anyone you loved them before. Even Johanna and you didn't say it often so you were scared to say it to Finnick. You thought you were in love with him but didn't want to make yourself so vulnerable. Finnick seemed to sense this and he took your hands "it's okay Y/n, you don't have to say anything" and he hugged you. You settled against his chest and closed your eyes.
Finnick said you held a candle to the love of his life! Maybe one day, you could be his new one. Maybe you were already on your way there?
"So do you guys have to make an announcement retracting your breakup or something?" Johanna asked the next day "or do you just announce you're together again?" she asked. "I think neither" Finnick said and you nodded your head "they've had enough fun with our private life". "Yeah but how will they all know you're not with Annie anymore?" Johanna asked. "Well considering I moved out of her place, settled back into Y/n's and we've been seen pretty much everywhere together I think they'll get the message". You nodded "they have, I've had quite a few girls smiling at me today". Finnick laughed "maybe they were just being friendly?" and you and Johanna both shot him a look. "No, it wasn't a casual smile it was like a well-done smile. A you got the prize smile". "You got the prize?" Finnick asked "do you need me to wear a little bow or something from you?". "Maybe if that's the only thing you're wearing" you agreed and Finnick grinned "evening plans". "Eugh, I didn't realise how gross this was going to be, can you two stop undressing each other with your eyes while I'm sat right here?". "No" you and Finnick responded at the same time and Johanna stormed away. "You're way too sweet and cute you know?" she called and you smiled "we know".
"Were you and Finnick like this from the start?" Johanna asked later when Finnick had left and it was safe to be in the room again. You smiled "like what?" and she rolled her eyes "all gross and all over each other. So happy and horny". You went to argue before realising you didn't have a leg to stand on and nodded "yeah actually that's a pretty accurate description". Johanna shook her head
"Now back onto the topic of you and Finnick because I still have questions" Johanna said "how did that even happen? Especially if he thought Annie was dead". You explained how you cared for him and became friends that way. "There was always an attraction there and then one day he saw me naked. He stared and was pretty obvious so I came to his bedroom at night and asked if he wanted to have sex". Johanna laughed "you just went up and asked?" and you nodded. "I'm impressed" she smiled "and I bet Finnick was too". You nodded "he seemed it. From there we spent more time together, bonded, emotions got involved, Annie came back from the dead, Finnick came back to me and boom. Present day". Joahnna nodded "and he makes you happy right?". You smiled without even thinking and nodded. "Good" Johanna said "and if he ever hurts you again I'll kill him".
The war really started speeding up after that and before you knew it Katniss was spotted in the capital. When you heard, Finnick sat up straight in his seat and you could tell what he wanted to do from the look in his eye. So the two of you were on the next ship out to join Katniss. Johanna couldn't come because of her injuries and you refused to help smuggle her out. She claimed she was never going to speak to you again but hugged you tightly before you left. "Come back" she told you forcefully and you nodded "I will, we both will" but felt like you'd cursed yourselves the second you'd said that. You got a horrible sinking feeling and realised you'd rather not come back at all than come back without Finnick.
You didn’t get into any danger for about 30 minutes, then Boggs died, Peeta tried to kill Katniss, and the capitol announced to the whole world you were dead Hunger Games style. Finnick laughed at the death announcements until your own appeared. That sobered him up but you just smiled "wow they remembered my name? I'm famous!". Katniss rolled her eyes at you and Finnick, who still didn't like you talking this way, passed you some food and sat next to you. You all ate and rested before working out the next steps. You realised after that the streets were a no-go and decided the sewer was a better bet because nothing bad ever happens in the sewers!
You navigated your way down the tunnels and then stopped to sleep in an alcove that seemed safe. You and Finnick woke at Lieutenant Jackson's shout at the same time. You grabbed each other's stuff and were out of that tunnel first. It was antagonising, walking through those tunnels while hearing animalistic noises and having no idea if they were getting closer or further away. Gale led in front with his gun and you were behind him, helping pass on Pollux's directions. You could tell something bad was going to happen, you could almost feel it in the air and so did Finnick. When the two of you climbed through the tunnel, he subtly grabbed your arm and pulled you away from the group. He was already backing away when the first swarm appeared and killed Lieutenant Jackson before she could even scream. Gale opened fire and you worried Finnick might try and go back to grab Peeta but luckily he didn't. He had a hand on Pollux and was practically dragging him with you as he ran. Pollux pointed and Finnick would yell the direction to you urging you to go faster. You could hear the others behind you and were glad they were still alive. You felt a little bad for not checking they were okay before you ran but survival skills are a bitch and the only thing you wanted from this was for Finnick and hopefully, yourself to survive.
You reached a ladder and pushed Pollux to the front, the others appeared closely followed by those things. You finally got a good look at them and you were horrified. So much so you were frozen to the spot until one charged at you. You threw an axe at what you assumed was its face and then threw two more as others took its place. It was chaos, you saw Cressida go up the ladder and were looking for Finnick to tell him to go next when you were tackled by one. Its jaws were horrible and it was trying more than anything to bite you. You just had an axe ready when its neck was slit was a trident. "Come on you're next up!" Finnick cried yanking you onto your feet and pushing you to the ladder. "Not without you!" you said and he shook his head "I'm right behind you" so you started to climb. You made it up and realised Holmes was up here too. You could hear more of those things down there and tried to see what was going on but it was a mess. A figure appeared and you got hopeful until you realised it was Peeta. You yanked him up and then climbed back down the ladder. "FINNICK!" you yelled and it took you a few seconds to spot him. He was further away than Katniss and Gale who were right below the ladder. He was alone and the obvious one to be left behind unless something happened now!
"Finnick!" you cried again and Katniss looked up at you but Gale just pushed her towards the ladder and she started to climb. Gale called to Finnick but didn't make any moves to get him. He was going to die. Katniss had nearly reached you and was yelling a you to climb but you couldn't. There was no way you were going up that ladder without Finnick, so you let go.
Katniss tried to grab you as you fell but luckily she missed. You managed to grab one of the bars near the bottom to slow your fall but still hit your knee on the way down. Pain exploded in your leg but you didn't care. It could've been broken and you would've forced yourself to stand. The creatures were trying to swarm Finnick and you threw yourself, literally, into them. You knocked two down before decapitating another two with a spear Finnick had dropped. You kicked one into the water and buried your axe in another three. "Y/n what are you doing? You were up and out!" Finnick cried as you fought your way towards him. When you were near he grabbed your arm and pulled you beside him. "Yeah but you weren't!" you replied "we both get out or neither of us!". In the middle of all of that, Finnick smiled at you "Katniss and Peeta who?" and you couldn't help but smile back.
You worked together fighting side by side and were doing well but they just wouldn't stop coming. "We need a way to stop them or slow them down" Finnick panted and you nodded "but how?" when something came to you. "Finnick throw the trident!" you cried and he locked eyes with you and got it. "Duck!" he said and threw it into the larger tunnel, pressing the button that would make the whole thing explode. It was similar technology to Katniss' arrows but as Finnick's trident was bigger than her arrow, the explosion was also larger. The whole tunnel collapsed, killing all of those creatures down there. You picked off all the remaining ones and then all was quiet.
The blast had destroyed the concrete leading to the ladder so there was no way you were escaping that way but there was another tunnel still intact. "Come on, we've got to push forward" Finnick said taking your hand and running through the tunnels. It was fine for the first few seconds and then you heard sounds of more. "There's too many of them for us to kill one-on-one we need to get somewhere high!" you told Finnick "Somewhere out of the water and I can deal with them". Finnick looked at you and got it "I think I saw somewhere on the map" and you nodded trusting him.
You ran for what felt like forever and you spotted the ladder at the same time you heard the creatures. "Come on let's go!" Finnick yelled and you both started sprinting. When you reached the ladder Finnick literally picked you up and tossed you halfway up it before scrambling up after you. You could actually hear the creatures' footsteps now and their claws reached the ladder just as you got up. You immediately turned around and yanked Finnick up. He fell on top of you and you pushed him onto the floor. "Finnick stay down!" you yelled and activated your own weapon, lobbing it down the hole, right past the creatures on their way to you. However, instead of staying down, Finnick leapt up and rugby tackled you away from the hole and used his body to cover you as the electrified axe exploded. You both cried out as the electricity hit you too but Finnick had shared the charge with you and after a few seconds you could breathe again.
You heard screams of agony as the creatures were basically fried alive, as well as everything close in the tunnel. The sparks lit up the whole space and the stench was awful. You could taste metal in your mouth and you both kept spasming as some extra electricity escaped you but you were alive. Finnick had saved your life and to thank him you leaned over and kissed him. Finnick jumped at the contact but soon relaxed at the sensation and when you broke away opened his eyes. "Thank you" you told him and he shot you his beautiful smile "you said it Y/n, both of us or neither of us" and he took your hand and ventured out of the tunnels.
You and Finnick climbed higher and ran through some more of the underground tracks. You came across a few peacekeepers but managed to take them out easily. After the monsters you'd just dealt with humans were easy. You got one of their guns which solved your weapons running out problem but you couldn't hold the whole capitol off indefinitely. "We need to find the others" you said and Finnick shook his head "no we need somewhere to hide". You didn't ask where because there would be no point in that, so you just nodded and kept going. You didn't want to spend any more time underground and even though it was a risk, you and Finnick followed a tunnel above ground. You began gathering rocks to throw to test for any traps but stopped when Finnick began to laugh. When you asked what was going on, he picked you up and swirled you around in a hug. "We're going to make it" he smiled "come on, I know where we are". You didn't have any follow-up questions and followed Finnick as he carefully led you to a house.
Finnick knocked on the door heavily and on the second time it opened. Finnick wasted no time forcing his way inside and dragging you inside. You slammed the door shut behind you and blinked to see an older man staring at you. He was in a bright pink dressing gown with feathers on the collar. "Finnick?" he asked and Finnick smiled "don't tell me you forgot your most profitable worker?".
"You worked for him?" you hissed when you and Finnick were alone "as in he let people do those things to you and actually encouraged it?". Finnick nodded "yes but believe it or not, Feather was one of the good ones. He always tried to protect me and made the clients treat me...well not nicely but to a standard. He also helped me escape it all and return to my district". That did sound better but you still put a hand on Finnick's arm when the man, Feather, returned.
"I can't see any guards but it's still best I hide you but I can only hold you for a few hours". Finnick nodded "I know, if we could just rest for the night that's all we need". Feather sighed "you're lucky you were my favourite" he said and then spotted you glaring at him. He smiled "friend of yours?" he asked Finnick, looking down at how your hand was clamped over Finnick's arm and you'd angled your body so you were in front of him protectively. "Something like that" Finnick smiled "do you have any supplies? We're a bit banged up". Feather nodded "of course, let me grab some things and I'll show you to your room. I'm sorry to stick you in the basement but it's the safest place". You tensed at the idea of going underground again and struggled when Feather opened a trap door that led to darkness. You weren't sure if you could down it but Finnick took your hand. "It's okay" he told you and taking a deep breath you went down the steps.
The basement was small, cold but filled with things so at least it didn't look bleak or scary. There was a sofa in one end which Feather placed his supplies on. "So this is your bed for the night. It's my old one, nothing wrong with it I just had to move it once a stain got on it. Velvet is so hard to get stains out of!" he complained and you blinked. You couldn't tell if you were more annoyed that he was genuinely mad about stains in a world that killed children or more disgusted about what the stain might be. Luckily Finnick was a social butterfly.
"Thank you so much Feather, this will be great". Feather nodded clearly fond of praise "I will go get you some blankets, I've given you some warm clothes but it is awfully chilly down here. Be back in a few!" and he disappeared cheerily up the steps.
"Right okay so lets assess your injuries" Finnick said turning to you expectantly with his hands on his hips. "I'm okay" you said and Finnick shot you a "really" look making you roll your eyes. "Fine, I hurt my knee earlier and think it could swell, I also rolled my ankle and it's still bothering me a bit, my hip also took a knock and I'm missing two fingernails that were ripped off". Finnick nodded "let me take a look at your legs first". You nodded and Finnick peeled off your trousers before wincing. Already your hip had a nasty bruise on it and your knee was swelling. "Yeah there's no way you're walking tomorrow" Finnick winced "good thing I've got experience carrying people". You shook your head "no way! It leaves you exposed! I'll walk just fine after a bit of rest". Finnick shook his head "maybe with a wheelchair yeah because by tomorrow this ankle will be huge and painful. There's no use arguing over it, I saved your life remember so you owe me". "I mean technically by jumping down that ladder I probably also saved your life so aren't we even?" you tried to joke but Finnick wasn't in a joking mood.
He grabbed you and kissed you sharply and passionately. When he separated he didn't let go. "I am not losing you Y/n, we just got through the craziest night of our lives and I am not surviving all that to lose you tomorrow. Don't do that to me" he demanded but it sounded more like he was begging. His eyes were ablaze with anger and sadness and you immediately backed down. "Okay" you agreed "okay, we'll work it out tomorrow" and you cradled him to you. Finnick buried his head in your neck taking some deep breaths before nodding and pulling away.
He sat back and nodded to you "now let me help you get cleaned up". Finnick cleaned the cuts and wounds you had and then helped you get changed. He bandaged your ankle the best he could and put some soothing gel on your hip and knee before helping you get dressed. You then switched and did the same for him. His body was okay but he was covered in scratches and bruises. Some of the scratches were quite deep and you disinfected them hoping they wouldn't need stitches.
Feather told you there was a mandatory lights out and that he’d have to lock you in so he could hide the room properly. That all sounded okay but when it happened you panicked, memories of nearly losing your lives in the tunnels coming back to you.
"Hey Y/n it's okay" Finnick said reaching out for you and pulling you into his chest "we're fine, we're safe and we're not in the sewers". You buried your head against him and he repeated this a few more times before you stopped shaking. When you lifted your head you realised it wasn't exactly pitch black. You could see some outlines of things and Finnick. You played with his hands and nodded "we're okay, we're alright, we're safe and have somewhere to sleep for the night". Finnick nodded "exactly" and kissed your head "and I know this sounds horrible but I'm so glad you're here". You chuckled and Finnick laughed too "I just mean, if I could have anyone here with me I'd want it to be you". You nodded "yeah I get that, even though it's terrifying I feel better because you're here". Finnick nodded pressing his face into your hair. "We'll get through this" he said "we'll survive it and when we do, you and I are moving far away from all this and just living". You smiled "tell me more about this great escape we're going on". Even though it was dark you could tell Finnick was smiling.
"We'll move near the ocean" he told you "we'll live just off the beach and spend our days fishing, surfing, swimming and doing whatever the hell we want. We'll spend our evenings sitting around a campfire, listening to music and we'll have the ocean to lull us to sleep every night. You'll see the most amazing sunsets and sunrises and have the most amazing beach make-out sessions. Trust me beaches are the best places for that". "You've had lots of experience with that huh?" You asked and Finnick shushed you with a kiss. When you were too breathless to speak he continued "we'll workout on the sand, build sand castles, float for hours on end and the best part? It will be just the two of us and it will be perfect" he told you. "I like that" you whispered "I want that, especially the nobody else being around part...but we'll probably have to have a spare hut for when Johanna gets bored and decides to appear at our doorstep". Finnick nodded "oh yeah there's no way we're keeping your sister out". "She'd come through the door with an axe like that old movie, here's Johanna!" you said and Finnick chuckled. "Well as long as you're there too I think I can handle your sister". You smirked "those are bold words, I'm related to her and I can't even handle her" and Finnick laughed. "We'll double team it there, figure it out together" he turned you to face him and you could just make out his eyes in the dark, "Together" you agreed and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. You separated and lay tightly together, praying the sun would never rise.
I did debate still killing Finnick off but I couldn't do it! I'm still sad he died, I honestly would've preferred Peeta or Gale to die instead, just save Finnick 😭 but they didn't so I had to write him a happy ending to give me peace of mind.
Also I know I said this would be 3 parts but I wrote too much so the ending, part 4, will be out next week!
Other Parts: Part One, Part Three (short version), Part Three (long version) and Part Four.
Finnick was woken by a loud knock on his door. He startled and was confused as to where he was, then he saw you and relaxed. He took some deep breaths to calm his rapidly beating heart and checked his watch. It was 12:00 in the afternoon! You'd both slept in hours after your shifts started. The door went again and he was annoyed at how loud it was. He didn't want it to wake you! So he got up as carefully but quickly as possible and opened the door.
Haymitch was still there leaning against the door and it was only then that Finnick realised he was naked. He shifted so the door covered his lower half and smiled "hey Haymitch, what's up?". "You're 3 hours late for work and Y/n is 4, any idea what happened?". "Oh shoot! We were up late last night exercising and I think we overdid it, sorry Haymitch". "Exercising huh?" Haymitch asked and Finnick nodded "yeah you know like we do in Beetee's lab". Haymitch nodded "right and would you happen to know where Y/n is as she's not answering her door". Finnick was struggling to think of a lie when he was saved.
"You know full well that I'm in here you pervert so leave us alone!" your voice suddenly carried through from Finnick's room and the two men froze. "Can't we have one morning off for fuck sake?" you finished. Finnick smiled "yeah she's fine she's with me" and Haymitch nodded "I figured, yes you can have the morning off Y/n because you already have! They want you in work in half an hour" and with a nod he left.
Finnick closed the door and came back inside to find you awake but still burrowed in his quilt. "Assholes, can't they give us one lie in?". Finnick smiled coming back to you in bed, even if it was just for a few minutes. "I mean we did sleep pretty late". "Yeah because you kept me up most of the night" you smiled tracing his chest before you paused "is this...are you okay with what happened last night" you asked "you seemed pretty sure last night but I wanted to check". In response, Finnick gently kissed you before pulling back. "I'm more than okay with this" he smiled as he leaned over you "I'm happy".
That took you back a bit and you nodded "oh, that's...that's good" you said and Finnick laughed remembering Masons weren't too upfront with their emotions. "I guess we'll have to do it again then" you said and Finnick nodded "definitely, it was the best kind of sparring. I'm pretty sure you won last night but I think next time will be my victory". You were fiercely competitive so that statement got your attention right away. "Really?" you asked "okay then why don't we go right now and see who wins?". You sat up letting the quilt fall away from you and arched your back so you were inches away from Finnick.
It was one of the most beautiful sites Finnick had ever seen and it took everything in him not to kiss you. "I would but if we start we won't be done in half an hour and we don't want to be disturbed, do we?" he asked playing with your chin. You nodded "good point" and moved away from him. "I guess I'll see you next time then" and with a smile, wrapped your towel around yourself and left.
You got to work within half an hour and not a minute sooner. Haymitch saw you walk in and raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for gracing us with your presence" he said and you mock bowed to him "you're so welcome". You were a good worker who just put her head down on got on with it but today was a little different. Finnick kept popping into your head and moments from last night flashed through your head making you smile. You kept thinking about how Finnick looked at you and the things he'd whispered in your ear...it made you walk with a bounce in your step and you felt so desirable. The power of Finnick Odair.
Your excellent mood persisted all day, so much so, you even made some small talk with some co-workers as you were clocking out! You headed straight for the dining room for dinner and that's when you saw Finnick. He was lining up to get his portion when he looked up and spotted you...and a smug smile spread across his face. A matching smirk appeared on your face involuntarily and you grabbed a tray and joined him in line. "Good day at work?" you asked him and he nodded "the best! Then again, I did have a really good sleep last night so that might've helped". You smiled "same, I had the comfiest pillow. A bit clingy but I didn't mind". "Oh I know you didn't mind" Finnick snapped back and he actually made you blush! That never happened and Finnick loved it. He chuckled to himself and didn't take his eyes off you until he got to the front of the line.
Neither of you were too focused on your food and 4 minutes in Finnick just set his knife and fork down "do you want to just head to mine and repeat last night?". "Yes definitely" you agreed standing up and were out of the room in the blink of an eye with a grinning Finnick trailing.
It was like that a lot at first, the two of you sneaking off together and constantly swapping between your room and his depending on which one of you caved faster. You loved everything about being with Finnick and had truly found your match. Nobody had even been able to capture your attention nor make you crumble as quickly as him and you couldn't stop yourself going back for more. Luckily, the feeling was mutual.
4 weeks from when you and Finnick had first hooked up, things had settled down a little. You weren't constantly trying to rip each other's clothes off and could now be in close proximity without it turning into a make-out session. So sitting across the table from him as you ate dinner was safe for you now. It was Monday and one of the days you had training planned. "I was speaking to Gale earlier and he said he'd appreciate some combat lessons so I said he could join us tonight" you told Finnick. He paused and looked at you "in our sparring sessions?". You nodded "yeah, you don't mind sharing right?" with a purposeful look and Finnick shot you a winning smile "the more the merrier".
That was not the vibe you got when Finnick walked into the training room but it probably didn't help that you and Gale had both arrived early and were already sparring when he walked in. You and Gale were standing metres apart, each trying to catch the other one off guard. You heard the door open and knew it would be Finnick, Gale looked up to check and you used that to your advantage. You managed to get Gale on the floor and stabbed a knife next to his head "dead!" you declared happily "hey Finnick". "Hey" he said dryly.
You'd noticed Finnick had lots of different voices and faces, almost like they were performances and the voice he was using tonight was his public one. "So I see you got right into it". Gale nodded getting to his feet "thanks for letting me join, I'm good with a gun but don't have much experience fighting hand-to-hand". Finnick nodded "well we can definitely help you out with that. Why don't we spar together?" he asked gesturing between Gale and himself. Gale nodded "sure!" and the two lined up. You could see how tense Finnick was and despite Gale being the bigger of the two, you didn't like his chances.
You were right, Finnick made sure Gale spent most of the time on the floor and he walked out of the training room a lot stiffer than when he walked in. "That was mean" you commented and Finnick shrugged "I have no idea what you're talking about".
You changed the subject and managed to get Finnick back to normal until you passed Katniss on the coridoor. "Oh hey Gale mentioned he sparred with you two, I didn't know you were training". You nodded "yeah have been for a few weeks now" and Katniss nodded. "You can join us if you want?" you offered and Katniss smiled "thanks, I might do" you walked away.
When you were alone you asked Finnick if he'd mind Katniss joining. He shook his head "no Katniss is fine" and you couldn't help but smile. "What?" Finnick asked and you laughed. "I was joking earlier but are you really jealous of Gale? You hated him joining". Finnick didn't reply so you knew it was true and took in a sharp breath. "Wow, the god himself Finnick Odair is jealous!" you gasped mock fainting and Finnick rolled his eyes. "He's a good-looking guy okay, I could see any girl liking him...possibly including the one I'm interested in". "So you were worried I'd trade you in for Gale?" you asked with a smile but there was nothing jokey in Finnick's expression. "Something like that" he agreed staring at you closely "see I know you're into me. I can tell because you told me, you were the one who initiated this and you fall apart every time I touch you". "Not every time" you argued but Finnick shot you down with a sharp "most of the time, especially when I touch you just right" and you felt your breathing increase at the intensity of Finnick. "I don't worry you want me but the idea of Gale or another guy touching you" Finnick let out a sigh "I don't like that, as far as I'm concerned it's my job to please you and nobody can do it better than me". You tilted your head to one side "really...because Gale is taller than you and probably a little stronger than you plus his shoulders are so nice and broad, I could imagine holding onto them all night long". "Stop" Finnick said and you smiled "why, don't like that mental image? Because it's growing on me". "Don't" Finnick said tensely "don't think about him that way". "Make me" you shrugged and it was as if those were the words Finnick had been waiting for.
In seconds he had you pinned to the wall, your arms trapped neck to your head as he fought you for dominance. You kept him going for quite a few minutes and finally Finnick pulled back for breath. "You're cute when you're jealous" you told him and his jaw got even tighter. "If you're so sure I don't have such an effect on you then how about we raise the stakes tonight?" he asked "you can't react to anything I do, if you don't then I'll admit I'm not the best guy to please you but if you move, or whine or moan" he smiled "then I'll stop, until you admit how good I am. Deal?". You loved the sound of having all of Finnick's attention on you so nodded "sure but how are you going to ensure I don't move or play back?". Showing you he'd thought ahead Finnick pulled some straps from out of his drawer and you got the message as he began attaching them to the bed frame. "Come on sweetie, don't get shy on me now" Finnick said patting the bed and your ego came back. "Happily" you replied "I'll even help you out" and removed your clothes swiftly before striding over to him "give it your best shot".
You always were a big talker and this was one of those occasions. Finnick won the bet easily and had you begging for him in minutes. He made you wait a little longer and then finally gave you everything you wanted. Literally everything. You both looked like you'd just taken a shower with how much your were gleaming and you felt on cloud nine. You also must've been going soft in your ripe old 20s because you turned to Finnick and smiled. "Well as amazing as that was, it wasn't too necessary. No guy has caught my attention since you". "Oh really?" Finnick asked sarcastically and you hit his arm. "Shut up! I was trying to be nice!" you said turning away but Finnick caught your arm "no I was just teasing, I get that. I know you weren't worried about other girls but you don't need to be either". You nodded "so in line with that...I'm not seeing anyone else at the moment except you and I'm not planning on changing that, we can keep it just the two of us if you want?". Finnick looked at you "I might want that if you want that? Do you want that" and you grinned "yes you idiot" and Finnick smiled "take that Gale" making you shake your head. "Please, Gale has nothing on you honey" and you swear Finnick had a permanent smile on his face for the rest of the week.
Dating Finnick was not what you expected it to be at all. Some things made sense, like Finnick being extremely hot, flirty and a lot of fun. He loved to be teased and thrived under your attention. However, there were other sides to him you didn't expect. Finnick could be very considerate and attentive, if you mentioned something once to him he'd remember it especially if it was something you said you liked. He did love attention but seemed to love spoiling you more, especially in the bedroom. He was so responsive to your body and would be watching you constantly for clues as to what you'd like best next. He very rarely demanded anything for himself and was definitely a quick learner. He was also softer than you expected, when he told you he preferred to be the little spoon you thought he was joking until you saw how soundlessly he slept in your arms. After that, you let him be the little spoon every time and the smile Finnick gave you each time made it all worth it. You felt really happy with Finnick and it made you wonder if you had any right to feel that way.
"Do you think we should feel bad for this?" you asked him one night and Finnick looked at you "For us? Annie's dead and you've...never had any other partners?". You elbowed him in the chest making him laugh "please I've had tons of others! Men and women swoon at the sight of me". "That I can believe" he smiled turning on his stomach so he could see you better "okay then for what?". "For enjoying ourselves?" you asked "for...being happy". Finnick looked at you "I'm making you happy?". You blushed but nodded "since we've gotten together things just seem brighter, more hopeful, happier". Finnick didn't say a word, he just bent down and kissed you. "Y/n there is nothing better in the world than you being happy, so if I make you happy then screw everything else. It can only be a good thing and you deserve this". "Even when Johanna is..." and your voice cracked. Finnick quickly wrapped his arms around you, he held you close and soothed you as you tried not to cry. "It's okay" he said softly "we both know your sister loves you more than anything else in the world. She'd want you to be happy, she'd be glad we found one another and I can't wait to tell her when we rescue her". You looked at Finnick and smiled because this was the first time he'd suggested telling people. He saw your reaction and it warmed his heart so he continued. "I think we should stop hiding it now we're official too, I think we should tell people". You nodded "if you're ready". Finnick laughed "please baby I was born ready" making you laugh too. "Okay then, we'll tell people" you agreed and Finnick nodded. "After tomorrow though, I want you all to myself for another 24 hours" and there was no way you could say no to that.
Neither of you said anything public to announce your relationship, instead, you just stopped being discreet. You'd already been pretty suspicious so when people saw Finnick kiss you in the dining room that confirmed it and the rumour spread like wildfire, even to the highest in the chain.
"You and Finnick?" Katniss asked as she saw you in the corridor and you looked up surprised. "I'm shocked you noticed Mockingjay". "Prim told me" she admitted "She saw you this morning. I wouldn't have noticed if she didn't tell me, I had no idea you two were...was it going on before?". You shook your head "no, I always thought he was hot but I didn't meet him until a year after Johanna won. Then he was so focused on Annie, I don't think he knew any other girls existed. This all happened after we got here". Katniss nodded "I'm happy for you" she said and you smirked "well you could try and sound it!". Katniss went to apologise but you brushed her off "come on don't be stupid, I know you're happy for us and you don't have to pretend to be over the moon just for appearances. Coin did that and it was so fake". "Really?" Katniss asked and you nodded "she called Finnick and I into her office and told us how happy she was we'd found happiness here and then asked if we'd broadcast it to the Capitol". "What did you say?" Katniss asked and you grinned "I told her no of course! So don't worry, you don't have to do or say anything, you don't owe us or anyone anything". Katniss nodded to you "thank you" and you could feel some heavy emotion in those words. You knew things had been difficult for her and again felt guilty you and Finnick were having it so easily. You put a hand on her arm "District 13 might want to hire you as an actress but you don't have to do that around me".
Your mind sometimes went to dark places and one evening while Finnick was polishing his trident you let your thoughts come out. "What do you think it would've been like if we were in the same games together?" you asked. "In the quarter quell?" Finnick asked "we'd have teamed up of course". You shook your head "no in a normal game, if you got reaped later and I got reaped earlier". Finnick looked at you and shook his head "I don't even want to think about that" but you weren't having that. "Oh come I know you have because I have. Whenever I spar you there's a part of me wondering if I'd be able to kill you. If you were coming at me to murder me I'd be able to take you down instead. If you'd be a threat or a cannon".
Sometimes Finnick forgot the games had left a mark on you because you hid it a lot better than anyone he knew. He forgot you weren't just a hot pretty flirty girl but a victor who had killed 5 people in her own games. You were a murderer just like him.
He took a breath "well I think you could kill me and you could use your brains to do so. You're smarter than me, sometimes quicker and have good endurance. In the games, I think it would've just depended on circumstance as to which one of us killed the other". You seemed satisfied with that answer and nodded.
"Gale said they might be ready to put me in combat soon" you said trying to change the subject but it wasn't a great one. Finnick must've done a worse job hiding his face than he thought because you took his hand. "I know you're not too keen on me fighting but I'm doing well in training and think I'll be able to help. Plus it's not a famous victor like you or Katniss so it's no great risk". "Don't say that" Finnick said and you shrugged "why it's true". "It's not" Finnick said "you're valuable Y/n and a lot of people care about you, i care about you". You turned to look at him as if checking he was being serious. Finnick stared into your eyes and eventually your own softened. "Thanks, I care about you two" you said hugging him "but you don't need to worry. Nothing's agreed yet". "I hope it never is" he said and he wasn't joking.
Something changed in your relationship that night. It was no longer just sex but had crossed into something else. Finnick held onto you tighter and it dawned on him how much he'd come to rely on you. How much he craved as well as needed you. Finnick realised this was something more serious than he'd even realised.
You didn't know there was a rescue attempt for the other victors until Finnick told you he'd be broadcasting while they did it. He seemed nervous when he explained it to you making you pause. "But you'll be safe the whole time right, you'll be here?" and Finnick nodded "oh yeah don't worry I'll just be talking" but the way he said it didn't make sense. Then when he started talking about his life in the capitol it all made sense.
Everyone was of course fixed on the task force infiltrating the capitol but you couldn't tear your eyes off of Finnick. It was like a bad dream, the more he said, the more horrified you became. You had no idea all the things that had been done to him and his body, the things they had made him do and let people do to him. Just when you thought the Capitol couldn't get any worse they surprised you. Finnick came to your room late that night and the second he stepped in the doorway you just stared at one another. You broke the silence first.
"I'm really sorry" you said quietly "for what they did to you I...I had no idea". Finnick shrugged "it's okay I mean why would you?". You didn't know what to say or do, you just wanted to hug Finnick but also didn't want to touch him in case it scared him. Finnick looked up and smiled sadly to see you watching him so carefully "you're frowning" he said "careful it will give you wrinkles". His smile and words didn't match though and he stopped after he saw your response. "Y/n it's okay" he said "it was a long time ago". "But those sorts of things stick with you" you said "they don't just go away...is that what you have nightmares about?". Finnick's eyes went away, you saw his consciousness disappear for a second and you wanted to sob but you stopped yourself from crying. This wasn't about you or your tears, it was about Finnick. You could cry later.
He came back to you and let out an awkward laugh "yeah sometimes, it's always either in the games or after the games, sometimes I think I've left the games but I haven't and at times I can't actually tell which was worse". You swallowed and stepped forwards "we will make them pay for this Finnick, I swear to you I will avenge your child self, I will get justice for what they did to you. You will not have suffered for nothing".
Finnick stared at you without blinking and you wondered if he'd gone away again until a tear fell down his cheek. "Thank you" he said, his voice strained as he was clearly holding it in. "Can I...can I hug you?" you asked and Finnick nodded his head, immediately more tears fell and he began to sob as you hugged him. You held him as he cried his eyes out and comforted him as best you could. You held onto him tightly and once he'd got through the worst of it whispered how he was safe and loved. "I won't let anything bad happen to you again" you told him and he clung to you.
He needed to believe that and luckily, you meant every word.
Later that night, something occurred to you. "Finnick, is your experience as a young Victor the reason you pulled away from me when I first got out? We were close and then you started avoiding me". Finnick looked down before nodding "it was Johanna's idea and I agreed with it the second she suggested it. Johanna did a pretty great job scaring people off her but she'd marketed you as this pretty charming girl. We were scared if people saw you with me, the people who bought me would want to buy you...or even both you and I together" Finnick swallowed "so Joanna took your home, made sure everyone saw you with your scary sister and waited for the buzz to die down. I'm sorry I avoided you". You nodded "it's okay, I just totally knew you were into me and there had to be a logical reason you backed off instead of you not being attracted to me". Finnick laughed and it was a genuine one. You were growing to love those smiles and it worried you but there was nothing you could do about it. It was like falling down a hole, you couldn't stop yourself and didn't know if you even wanted to.
Finnick shook his head coming towards you "well you're right, I thought you were beautiful when I first saw you and I've always been attracted to you. I'm glad I'm finally able to tell you" he said and then got his mischievous smile "and do this" and he leaned in to kiss you.
It was a good kiss. The kind that had you breathless but wanting more. Finnick pulled away knowing that and shot you a downright devilish smile "am I forgiven?". "You know you are you smug git!" you cried and Finnick pulled you even closer. "You know you love it" he commented and you couldn't even argue with that.
You couldn't sleep until you got word from your sister and you and Finnick stayed awake as you waited for news. Then, after hours of silence, everything was chaos and you ran to the infirmary to see people everywhere. Nobody could tell you what happened or even if Johanna was alive. You were getting more and more frantic when you heard "Y/n there!" as Finnick grabbed your arm and you spotted her.
"Johanna!" you cried rushing over to her. She was ripping some cords off her arm when she smiled at you. "Y/n" she said and she opened her arms. You rushed into them and hugged her tightly making her wince. "Careful kid I'm still injured remember?" she asked. "Then why were you ripping all the wire out that help you?" you shot back and your sister smirked "touché, has she been this smart-mouthed since I've been gone Finnick?". Finnick was standing at the end of her bed, smiling a the two of you. Everything felt right in the world, you were leading a rebellion, you had Finnick, you had your sister back... then everything went to shit.
Finnick went to answer your sister when with a sharp scream a red-headed girl engulfed him in a hug. "Annie?" he asked looking as if he'd just seen a ghost and you looked to Johanna "we thought she was dead?". "Nope, Capitol just said that. I think it's when they started suspecting things were up but she's fine and they're back together".You followed her gaze to where Annie was now in Finnick's arms. Finnick was searching her face, clearly asking her the same questions you'd asked Johanna and then she leaned down and kissed him.
You felt like the wind had been knocked out of you and you turned to Johanna "we need to get these all back in you" you said pointing to the wires on the floor "doctor!" and you took off after one heading as far away from Finnick and the love of his life as you possibly could.
Other Parts: Part Two, Part Three (short version) Part Three (long version) and Part Four.
You were the younger sister of Johanna Mason from District 7. You were her only remaining family and were put in the 73rd Hunger Games as punishment for your sister's behaviour after she won her games. They thought killing her only remaining family member would convince her to behave and stop being so reactive. It of course didn't work because you won the Hunger Games.
They'd underestimated both you and your sister. Johanna had suspected they might do something like this so had been quietly training you and teaching you survival skills since she got out. Then when your name was called and she became your mentor, she put every fibre of her being into making you win this. She taught you how to play the game, how to appear pretty, charming and get sponsors. Caesar commented on how unlike Johanna you were. "You're a lot more likeable than your sister" he said plainly and you smiled, pretending you weren't visualising pulling his tongue out through his teeth. You were exactly like your sister and proud of it, you just had to play a different game to her.
When you won and were let out Johanna was right there waiting for you. It was the first and only time you saw your sister cry and the trauma brought you both closer. You managed to form some life for yourself, you became friends with the other tributes and tried to keep your head down but you weren't good at that and neither was Johanna. Then Snow announced his stupid spin on the games and you were reaped...and Johanna volunteered as tribute instead of you.
There was nothing you could do as you watched your sister be submitted for the games again and you were furious. So it was of no surprise that when the rebels contacted you, you jumped at the chance to sign up with them. That's how you found yourself in District 13 at the end of the quarter-quell games. You watched Katniss, Beetee and Finnick come in but not Johanna. She'd been captured and while Katniss was freaking out about Peter you wanted to scream because nobody was bothered about your sister, nobody except Finnick.
He came to you as soon as he was able. "Y/n I'm so sorry" he told you "I went to look for her, I tried to find her I really did, I promise" he told you and you nodded "I believe you Finnick". He was the first person you cried with over your sister.
You found out after that, that Finnick had lost Annie. Apparently, she'd had a breakdown from all the stress and the drugs they gave her were too powerful. She'd overdosed the first night Finnick went into the games according to Heavensbee. You had no idea and hadn't heard anything about it but that was the capitol and you had been distracted with a rebellion. With your mutual loss, Finnick and you bonded. You'd always gotten along but you'd never been close which didn't make too much sense.
As soon as you became a victor Johanna introduced you to her victor friends and you hit it off with Finnick immediately. You were both social butterflies who could charm and flirt with pretty much anyone however after a few parties where the two of you clearly were the centre of attention, you felt him pulling away. You asked Johanna about it but she'd just shrugged and said she didn't know anything. So you'd remained civil but never been that close again, until now but in a completely different way.
You responded to loss a lot differently to Finnick, but then again your sister was alive while his love was dead. You could've argued your sister being alive and tortured daily was worse than being dead but didn't think that would help Finnick. The second he found out about Annie he fell apart. He had to be hospitalised and was a shell of himself. You'd responded to your sisters's loss by throwing yourself into work but everyone grieves differently.
You heard sobbing as you passed the medic bay and knew immediately who it was. You unlocked Finnick's door and he turned away before he saw it was you. He wiped his face and sat up. "It's okay" you told him "you don't have to stop". Finnick looked at you and shook his head "any news?". "No but that's not why I'm here, I'm not great at comforting people but I'm here for you Finnick. My sister would want me to look out for you". Finnick paused and then smiled. It was a sad smile but it was a smile. "It's funny" he said "because she said if anything happened to her, I had to look out for you". You smiled sitting down on a chair at the end of his bed "well funny how things change huh? Now, when was the last time you showered, ate or went for a walk?". Finnick shrugged "I don't remember for all 3". You nodded "well that's where we'll start".
And that's what you did for the first week. You visited Finnick for every meal between shifts. You took him for walks around the corridors and made him shower. You stood outside with a towel and clean clothes for him. You figured if he started acting more human it would make him feel like one again and it slowly worked. His appetite increased, he dragged his feet less, he cried less. There were still down days, one day you walked in to find doctors with him and heard he'd cut himself having nightmares so you spent the next few nights asleep at his bedside, ready to hold him down if he tried to hurt himself. Your life revolved around making him get better and you weren't even sure why, neither was Finnick.
"Why are you being so kind to me?" he asked one day when you revealed the sugar cubes you'd snuck into the kitchen and stolen for him. You passed him the cubes and looked at him "because we're friends and you'd do the same for me". He nodded "I would have but you aren't the most touchy-feely sentimental victor". You smiled, pleased Finnick was feeling well enough to poke fun at you. "That's true but I have a soft side to me, Johanna and I both do". Finnick shot you a look "see you I can believe but Johanna?" and you laughed.
It was nice to feel happy and you felt a sharp jolt of it, before remembering where your sister was. It suddenly hit you she was somewhere being tortured as you spoke. Finnick saw the look on your face and didn't have to ask what you were thinking. He gently took your hand. "It'll be okay" he told you "we'll get her back". You nodded and squeezed his hand "I thought I was supposed to be the one comforting you?" you said. Finnick shrugged "we're friends remember?" and for some reason that made you smile like a goofball.
Once Finnick was discharged from the hospital he began taking an active role in District 13 and you helped him settle in. He was moved to a room just across from your own for stability and even though you didn't work together, you sat together in the cafeteria and spent most evenings together. One of the main perks of being an ex-victor/murderer was you got special training with fun toys courtesy of Beetee. You were down there every free minute you had but you felt like Finnick wasn't using this to his full advantage.
"Can you give me tips on how to throw?" you asked Finnick one day after work. He blinked and looked up at you "as I recall, you have a pretty good arm on you already" and you smiled remembering the time you accidentally hit him in the face thinking he was Joanna. It was at a Capitol party, one you'd actually enjoyed and the memory was a good one. "Yeah short range but not long-range, I want to know how to throw a spear or maybe a trident. Know anyone who can teach me". Finnick did not look in the mood but you gave him your best smile and he couldn't resist. "Fine" he pouted getting onto his feet stroppily "but not for long, I'm shattered". You grinned "yay thanks Finnick!" and gave his arm a squeeze before pulling him down to the toystore of weapons.
You saw Finnick's eyes twinkle as he saw the trident Beedee had made for him and smiled. Finnick swirled it effortlessly around himself looking very hot as he did it and he knew it. He turned to you, his shoulders lifted and confidence risen "so, let's get started".
Finnick had you throw a few spears first and after observing he began to adjust your posture and angle. You got better with the spear but couldn't seem to get the trident anywhere near the target. "You've got good power which is no surprise" Finnick smiled "but this isn't an axe, it's bigger and heavier. That's why your aim needs to be better for the trident to find its mark". You nodded before a thought occurred to you "have you ever thought you could be pitch Pitchfork Boy instead of Trident Boy? I mean a trident and pitchfork are basically the same thing". "What? No they not! They're completely different!" Finnick said utterly flabbergasted by your claim and taken-aback by your sudden declaration. "But they are!" you argued continuing the fight "long stick, 3 spiky bits at the top!".
Your bickering escalated and your arguments became sillier until finally, Finnick couldn't stop laughing. You weren't sure if it was because of how strange your argument was, he actually found you that funny or a semi breakdown but either way, it was the most you'd heard Finnick laugh since this all happened. He had tears streaming down his face and he was laughing so hard he had to sit down. You sunk down beside him also laughing and when you both caught your breath he smiled at you. "Thanks Y/n". You looked at him "for what? Being so hilarious?" and he smiled again. "For reminding me there are still things to live for like having a laugh with you". There was a lot of weight in those words and you could tell Finnick had really been contemplating if there was anything worth living for. You should've suspected it but you hadn't and you were suddenly so thankful Finnick was still here. So much so you did something you never did...you hugged him!
Finnick was also surprised and tensed as you pressed up against him and wrapped your arms around him. "Thank you for staying here with me Finnick, I'm glad you're still here" you said into his neck and then Finnick relaxed and hugged you back. "Me too" he agreed.
Time settled and you stayed in the embrace before pulling back feeling slightly flushed. You were searching for something to say when Finnick spoke "I'm glad you got me to come down here and train, can we do it more often?". You nodded "as often as you want".
Finnick started smiling more after that and he was beginning to get back to his charming jokey self. Katniss commented on it one day when you and Finnick teased her for daring to change her hair up. Finnick smiled when she said how much better he was doing. "Well it's thanks to Y/n, she's the one who nursed me back to health and dragged me out of bed each day". You shrugged "nursed is a strong word but I did drag him around a lot". "Well good work" Katniss said "I'll tell Prim you might try out for nurse too yeah?". You showed her a finger and the 3 of you laughed. It was nice to hear your 2 friends laugh together.
Finnick kept you to your promise of training as often as he wanted and you tended to go every other evening after work. It was a stress relief in many ways but you also just enjoyed hanging out with Finnick. He was skilled and you learned a lot from him, as well as helping him master a few skills yourself. It felt productive, fun and you loved that you had something in your control. It was honestly the highlight of your week and Finnick agreed.
You'd had a really good training session so for the last part you got a little cocky. You were sparring with Finnick and decided to use the trident. You'd gotten a lot better at using it but still Finnick smirked as you picked it up "really?" he asked "baby you really want to use my weapon against me?". You felt a little fluttery when he called you baby but didn't let it show. You stood up taller and twirled it in one hand, the exact way you'd seen Finnick do "I certainly do pretty boy". The grin Finnick had on his face was delicious, so much so it was all you could think of for the first few seconds of your sparring match.
Finally your brain came back to you and you nearly knocked Finnick over with the staff of your trident but at the last second, he caught it. You knew the second his hand connected with it, it was gone and sure enough, he ripped it away from you. Finnick did it with so much momentum you stumbled into him and couldn't help but smile at how impressive he looked when he did that. Finnick grabbed your arms to stop you from falling and noticed the look on your face "why are you smiling I won?". "Did you?" you asked honestly thinking the situation you were in was pretty victorious. Finnick Odair standing over you, his hands firmly on your body while he stared at you with his brooding smoulder. Finnick chuckled as he got your point "I guess we're both winners then" he replied and let you go softly. "So that's a draw right?" you asked and just like that the two of you were back to bickering playfully.
After you talked at him until Finnick agreed it was a draw you headed to the showers for a quick wash before bed. You were only allowed a shower once a week so this was another reason you were both in such high spirits. "The way you hit the target without even looking was so cool!" you told Finnick as you entered the co-ed bathroom. Finnick shrugged "well I try, I've lost a lot of muscle mass over the past few weeks". "Well it looked pretty good to me" you smiled hanging your clothes and towel up. You pulled the shower curtain around you and got undressed. Finnick did the same in the cubicle next to you. You enjoyed your 5 minutes of warm water and totally forgot you'd not brought your towel into the cubicle with you. You peeked out of the curtain and sure enough, it was hanging across the room. You sighed, shut the water off and walked across to grab it.
It was late so there was nobody around and you had the towel in your hand and were about to wrap it around yourself when Finnick opened his curtain and saw everything. His eyes quickly took in your body before he looked away and you turned around. "Dammit Finnick" you commented and worked on getting the towel around you. You looked up and realised you were now in front of the mirrors and Finnick was staring at you through them. When he saw you'd spotted him he turned his back and you chuckled. You tied the towel and turned to him "if you wanted a look Odair all you had to do was ask" you smiled at him. Finnick's usual swagger had gone so you let it drop to not make it awkward.
You both dried off and gathered your stuff. You made conversation about how nice it was to be clean and Finnick gave you one-word answers. You said goodnight and stepped into your room. Your first thought was, it wasn't a big deal. You were friends and friends saw each other naked all the time! But then you thought about the way Finnick had been looking at you and there was no way of denying he was turned on. He liked your body and was attracted to you. You'd thought the two of you had chemistry back when you first met him but knew with Annie nothing would ever happen. However she wasn't here, it was just the two of you and Finnick could do whatever he wanted and judging from his eyes when he saw you naked, that was you. You debated your next move, should you just let it go? Wait for Finnick to approach you? Leave the moment and see if there was something there tomorrow too and build on it? You were never good at waiting so you decided to shoot your shot. You'd always wanted Finnick so why not go for him at the end of the world?
You crossed the corridor in nothing but your towel and knocked on Finnick's door. He opened it and looked at you "Y/n?". "I saw the way you looked at me when you saw me naked and I'm just going to be honest. I think you're hot and I want to sleep with you and I think you want me to. Want to do something about it?".
"Yes" Finnick said pulling you inside way quicker than you expected. He didn't even give it a second thought telling you he'd also been pacing his room thinking about you.
Finnick was just as eager once you were inside. He kissed you the second the door was shut and was so needy it was beautiful. He took control initially but as he got more and more heightened and his hands started pawing at you, you started to tease him. You pushed him down on his bed and held him down with one hand "hmmm is someone impatient?". Finnick made a noise reaching for you but you trapped his other hand with your leg "nope, I want to hear you say it. Tell me what you want honey". Finnick made a gorgeous moan and looked at you dead in the eye "I need you to drop that towel, jump on top of me and make that workout earlier look like child's play". You leaned back and loosened the towel "done" you said and let it fall to the floor before completing Finnick's other steps happily.
***
The next morning Finnick woke up and knew something was different before he opened his eyes. Then he did and he saw you laid next to him. You were facing the other way from him with your back to him and he started to panic. What had he done? Annie hadn't even been dead a year and he'd slept with another woman! He'd betrayed her in a way he knew she wouldn't have done to him. He felt like the worst person alive and then you turned around and he got it.
Finnick saw your face and couldn't help but smile. You looked so calm asleep. Awake you always had some guard up but asleep you looked so peaceful and naive. The lines the games had left on your face were gone and Finnick realised he felt happy just seeing you. You'd become the face he got most excited to see and it was almost instinctive now. He enjoyed seeing you peaceful and happy like this because he liked you. You were also so fucking hot. When he saw you naked yesterday his mind had nearly exploded! Your body was incredible, you had abs and your muscle-to-curve ratio couldn't be more perfect. So when you appeared at his door he realised he acted with sanity and clarity. He hadn't slept with you on a whim, he did it because he liked you and genuinely wanted to. He thought Annie would understand that and so he turned towards you.
He pulled you closer so you were resting against his chest. "Finnick?" you asked sleepily and he nodded rubbing your arm "yeah, don't worry is early. Go back to sleep" and you nodded. "Who knew your abs were so comfy" you sighed nuzzling into him and he chuckled. He kept his arms around you protectively and fell back to sleep.
So guess who saw The Ballad of the Songbird and Snakes, went home and rewatched all the HG movies and fell in love with Finnick again?
This will be a four-part series and I'll be posting two more parts next week!
Imagine your ex-girlfriend Captain Marvel getting annoyed when you aren't more upset that she's married
You and Carol had a complicated history. Long story short, you met in space when you teamed up to save a planet, you got together, had a wonderful time together before Carol refused to commit and you left. Despite Carol being more powerful than use power-wise, most people said you had Carol wrapped around your little finger and it was true. Around you, she wasn't Captain Marvel but a shy infatuated girl and you loved the effect you had on her, even after you'd broken up. So when you heard Carol was in some trouble courtesy of a mutual friend, you couldn't pass up the chance to stop by and say hello.
"Oh my god it's the love of your life Y/n!" Kamala cried when you walked into the room and you could practically feel Carol holding in a scream. She always tried to have nerves of steel and acted like nothing bothered her but you could see right through that. You smiled and held your hand out to the younger girl "I like you, are you new?". "Yes! My name is Kamala Khan but I go by Ms Marvel". You nodded "oh yeah I heard about you, nice name" glancing at Carol who looked away. "Oh my god Y/n knows my name!" Kamala cried and you gave her a few seconds to fangirl, stepping away.
"Hey" you said to Carol "so Valkarye mentioned you needed me?". "I didn't tell her I needed you!" Carol said "I just...thought this could use some backup". "What could use some backup?" you asked before seeing Monica. "Hey Monica" you waved and she waved back "hey Y/n, thanks for coming. We're definitely going to need some help". You nodded "yeah that's exactly what Carol just said!" loving he way Carol's eye twitched "now just remind me what's going on here again?". "It's probably easier to show you" Monica said and she raised her fist, it lit up and then Kamala was in front of you. You blinked and looked to where Monica was now standing a few feet away "oh yeah, you definitely did the right thing calling me".
After a bit of brainstorming, you worked out how this all started, how Dar-Benn was channelling her power and more importantly what she wanted. "Where would she go to get water?" Kamala asked. "Hmm maybe Borni?" you asked but Carol shook her head "Borni is bigger but Aladna technically has more water on the surface". You thought before nodding "yeah you're right but that's a technicality. Most people assume it's Borni because it's better known, I think she'd go there". "No it's definitely Aladna" Carol said and she gave you that "just go with it, I'm right" look so you shrugged "fine, if you think it's Aladna then let's go". Carol nodded at you and then promptly rushed away which made Monica laugh. "How exactly did you leave things to make her so jumpy around you?". You smiled "let's just say, I was open about how I felt for her and wanted something she couldn't commit to. So I told her to call me when she was ready. Guess she's still working out if she's ready".
Once the ship was set with Aladna's coordinates you went to get changed into your battle gear and Carol knocked on the door. You smirked as she quickly stepped inside "are you really trying to catch me undressed Danvers?". "No of course not!" she cried and you chuckled "well that's a first" before turning back to her "so what's up?". "Nothing I just, I wanted to call you" Carol said "to ask for help. I just didn't want to...complicate things between us. I haven't seen you in nearly a year and it felt unfair to call you to help me after how things ended". You shook your head "Carol I will always be here to help you. You never have to hesitate to ask that of me no matter how things ever are between us. Your safety will always be my priority". Carol stared at you for a few seconds before shaking herself out of her thought. "Thank you" she said, coughing as her voice cracked "that is certainly good to know". You smiled "don't act like you wouldn't do the exact same for me, I know if I called you, you'd come running" and with a wink you stepped away leaving Carol stuttering after you.
There was no point arguing though, she knew you were right.
You spent the next few hours catching up with Monica and learning all about Kamala, who you'd decided you were adopting (she was very happy with this). Carol flitted in and out, and you managed to get her to join in with the festivities for a bit. You got her to smile as you told a story of how you first met and she looked like she actually relaxed for a second...until she saw Kamala was crying and she remembered she was Captain Marvel not just Carol Danvers.
Finally you arrived at Aladna and you all prepared to meet the royalty of this planet. "Y/n have you been here before?" Kamala asked and you shook your head "surprisingly not, there's a lot of planets in lots of galaxies and honest water isn't really my thing". Kamala nodded, understanding your reasons but you noticed Carol was acting more jittery than usual. She was playing with her hands a lot which was her tell for nerves and you were going to ask what was wrong when she looked at you. "Okay just don't freak out" she said and you were surprised to find she was directing this completely at you.
"Me?" you asked "what would I freak out about?". Carol winced and tried to explain before she just made a noise and stepped out the door. You laughed, shooting a "what's with her?" look to Monica and Kamala and then followed.
Aladna was a weird planet but you got into it. You could cope with the singing and found it hilarious to see Carol in the middle of it. She looked so cute in her jellyfish hat especially because she looked so out of place but was doing her best to be professional. It finally made sense when someone called her princess. You all quickly worked out Carol had married into royalty and she looked at you as the crowd swept her up in their choreography. Even as she was twirled around her eyes were fixed on you but you didn't look back at her. You just enjoyed the music and copied Kamala's lead.
When the prince appeared and made a bee-line for Carol, you worked out this was the husband. You didn't love their dance but did love Kamala and Monica's response to it and leaned into their humour to hide your discomfort. Finally Carol let go of that man and returned to you, eyes downcast.
"Nice dress Aurora" you commented and Carol looked up at you. She saw your smile and quickly waved her hands, turning her clothes back to normal. "Or is it Ela?" you asked "she's the one with magical dress-making skills right?". "Oh my god I can't believe you've watched Frozen!" Kamala cried and you grinned "I had to see what all the fuss was about plus pretty much everyone in the universe has heard that song... wait that gives me an idea. Have you guys seen Frozen?" you yelled to the crowd and 40 seconds later Carol watched as you sang Let It Go without a care in the world.
This was not how Carol expected this trip to go. She expected a lot of glares, passive aggression and maybe a few punches. She thought you'd be mad at her or upset. She thought you'd care she had gotten married but apparently not.
"Who is your friend?" Prince Yan asked watching where you were now on a table singing to the people who really seemed to like you, "That's Y/n she's my...ex...well not really..we're...". "Partners" Kamala chimed in trying to help and Carol winced but nodded "yeah something like that, she's helping us too".
"Will she need armour too?" Prince Yan asked. "No need" you said making Carol jump as you appeared behind her "I'm good". You stared at him, a casual cool look on your face and Carol's heart sped up to see the two of you standing metres apart. "Okay then" Prince Yen nodded giving you a smile which you didn't return. "Please...follow me" he said stumbling over his words a little as he turned away from you in a hurry. Carol could've sworn she heard you chuckle but when she turned around your expression was still the same didn't give a shit carefree smirk she'd seen since you got here.
All suited up, you prepared for Dar-Benn...and then got your asses handed to you royally, which honestly you blamed Carol for. She was off the whole fight, wasn't connecting well with Kamala or Monica and almost got herself killed with her stubborn determination to save the city. She got into such a state you had to pull her from the pilot seat and land it yourself. "What was all of that about?" you asked her but she shot away from you "no, I don't want to talk to you" she said and shoulder barged you as she rushed outside.
Of course, you couldn't take something like that so followed her.
"You don't want to talk to me?" you called after her "why what have I done?". "Nothing that's the problem!" she yelled and you blinked "what was I meant to do Carol?". I just thought you'd care that's all!" Carol said calmer but still heated "what have you forgotten all about me or something? You've barely focused on me since you got here and I can't deal with this right now. I'm meant to be responsible, I've got to keep Kamal alive and I'm trying to repair my relationship with Monica...all while trying to save multiple planets but all I can think about is does Y/n still care about me?".
"Do I still care about you? Are you kidding?" you asked "the ball is in your court, how are you the one insecure right now?". "Because it's you!" Carol said "you never get flustered around me, not in the way I get flustered around you and you were the one who walked away from me! I never asked you to leave, you were the one strong enough to leave me and I...I couldn't have done that" she admitted "I wanted to contact you, to tell you to come back so many times but I was terrified you'd say no. I could handle a lot of people rejecting me but not you Y/n and then you appear here, with this speech about you'll always help me but then you didn't give a crap when you found out I was married! You don't care?". "So you wanted me to care about that? To create a fuss?" you asked and Carol shook her head "no of course not...well maybe. I didn't want you to punch Yan or anything but a little jealousy would've been nice. It would've shown you still wanted me".
You shook your head taking a step back from her and as you muttered "that is the stupidest thing I ever heard" Carol felt her heart sink until you finished.
"How could anyone not want you?" you asked.
Carol blinked "what?". "Carol, to me, you are the bravest, strongest most fierce girl in the world and I cannot imagine a universe where that isn't true. So yes, of course I still want you!" you said hugging her and Carol melted into you, shedding the tears she'd been holding in for days.
When you separated and calmed her down you took her hand "so want me to tell you everything I've been holding back the past 24 hours?". Carol nodded "yes" and you smiled "I think I never should've left you, it was unfair for me to leave you alone to deal with everything plus I knew you wouldn't take care of yourself if you had nobody here to witness your lack of self-care and I'm okay with your marriage". "You are?" she asked surprised and you nodded "yeah mainly because I know I could kick Prince Yan's scrawny ass in under a minute and I'd love to show you that sometime". Carol blushed slightly "please don't" and you shrugged "fine but the second you want me to, it's done. Plus I could tell you weren't attracted to him in the slightest so I had nothing to be worried about. I know you're type and he's not me". Carol smirked "you're sounding pretty confident there Y/n, you know a girl can have more than one type right?". "Yeah but not you" you replied and then you finally did what Carol had been wanting you to do for days.
You kissed her.
"You okay?" Kamala called when Carol reappeared on the ship "did you and Y/n sort things out?". Just the mention of you made Carol's heart speed up but she managed to keep a neutral expression. "Yeah everything's fine, let's get going" and she rushed out the front door.
She knew you weren't done with her and the second this all ended you'd get your moment together...and Captain Marvel could not wait.
So guess who saw The Marvels and had to rush home to write about how amazing Captain Marvel is?
The whole film was stunning but I especially loved how human it made Carol and how she realised she needed the love and support of other women in her life.
Her being more mortal and soft made me think of how cute it would be for her to have a super powerful girlfriend she's a bashful teenager around and this was born!
bolin is such a funny character. he dated the avatar for like 12 hours, he's been kidnapped multiple times, he almost lost his bending, he's the world's first movie star, he's a pro athlete, he's a cop, he's no longer a cop, he pulled a princess, he was directly involved in two civil wars, he keeps ending up in jail, he possesses a type of bending we only see in one other character in the entire franchise, his bending skill genuinely rivals some of the best benders in the world and it's just kinda taken as a given, his best friend is a rat, he is 16 years old.
No other Avatar will ever beat Kyoshi at romance dumbassery. I love her. Not Avatar “I fall on my face every time I see the girl I like” Roku, not Avatar “I'd rather kiss you than die that's a compliment right?” Aang, and not Avatar “I kinda dated my whole team and now I'm dating my ex's ex” Korra. No one. Kyoshi having her bi awakening and realizing she was in love with Rangi because she thought she looked beautiful under the moonlight while they were running from the fucking cops is unmatched.
Imagine you and Soren liking one another but him being worried he can't compete with the other man in your life...your best friend Callum
You were Callum's best friend and had been as long as you could remember. Your moms were close friends and you were born only 1 month apart so you went through everything together. When Callum's mother married the king and moved to the palace she brought your mother with her they were that good friends. Then when Callum's mom died, your mother tried her best to help keep her memory alive for Callum and Ezran and the King was always grateful for that.
Having grown up at the palace together you were also around Soren from a young age but only really noticed him as a teenager. That's when you realised he was totally hot. That was also when your realised you wanted to be a soldier. You got to participate in Callum's training sessions but quickly surpassed him. You remembered the exact date Soren first complimented your fighting style. You'd been sparring with Callum when Soren happened to be walking by. You decided to go extra hard hoping he was watching and he the was. You knocked Callum into the mud with the force of your strike which Soren found hilarious and he bounded over to tell you. "You should totally come to the intermediate classes I run" Soren said and you nodded "I'll be there!". Once he'd left Callum sighed "I know you fancy him but did you really have to give me a concussion?".
Callum was your best friend so it didn't take him long to realise you were into Soren but the man himself didn't quite get that. You quickly progressed through your classes to the stage where Soren was giving you one on one sessions which you both used as a cunning excuse to be alone together, unaware the other was doing the same thing. You even started staying in the palace as an excuse to bump into Soren more and the chemistry between the two of you felt amazing. However, Soren was worried about your friendship with Callum. Although Claudia assured him there was nothing going on there (she was stunned Soren couldn't see you had fallen for him hook line and sinker) he still couldn't shake away this feeling he was competing with Callum if not for your hand then at least for the first place spot in your heart.
You made it onto the King's Guard after years of work and Soren was determined to finally ask you out...but enter Rayla and her assassins. You were with Callum when he found her and escape with Ezran, Rayla and Callum with the egg. However, Soren had no idea you'd gone willingly and spent weeks pushing himself to the limit so he could rescue you. He promised, the second he saw your beautiful face he'd propose or something! Claudia told him this might be weird considering you'd never dated and so he agreed he'd ask you to be his girlfriend before wife. But then he found out it was all fake! You'd never been kidnapped by an evil elf but had gone willingly and just fed him that story because it was convenient. Soren felt betrayed and to make it all worse, you'd done it for Callum. So when Soren saw you again at the Moon Nexus, after Callum convinced Rayla to let them stay, he had a lot of feelings.
"What's wrong Sorbear?" Claudia asked him "you haven't said a word since Callum showed us to our room". Even Callum's name made him angry and he sighed "nothing". "Okay but it's clearly something so tell me or I'll tickle you until you tell me". Soren sighed "she left me, for him" and all the humour left the room at his tone. "Y/n?" Claudia asked and Soren nodded "I was so worried about her and now I feel so stupid. She always picks him and I don't know what else I was expecting. She became a king's guard for him. She ran away from all that for him! She lied to me and let me think she was kidnapped for him! He's her everything". Claudia frowned "yeah Y/n cares about him but they're best friends! That's all". Soren shook his head "she loves him Clauds, how do I compete with that?". Claudia tried to explain to Soren there were many different ways to love someone and one wasn't superior to another but he was too pouty and wouldn't listen.
When you found out Soren was here you were a mixture of ecstatic and nervous. When you'd left the two of you were close, pretty much an unofficially couple. Soren was training with you every night of the week and then he'd walk you back to your room. You'd go out together on Friday or Saturday evenings and Claudia had started calling you Soren's girl which made both of you blush but neither of you had stopped her. Seeing him again would be awkward to say the least but Callum could be an idiot sometimes and didn't think about this.
"So...Sorens back" Callum said smirking suggestively "you must be happy". "Wait you and that big lug?" Reyla asked. You went to deny it when Callum nodded "oh yeah they've had the hots for each other for ages! They used to train together just as an excuse to get close to each other. They were totally a couple just never made it official. We won't be seeing much of Y/n now with him around" Callum smiled. You shook your head " I don't know, he might be mad at me". "What? That's crazy!" Callum said but you shook your head "then why didn't he come and see me? You didn't force him to go straight to his room right?". Callum paused "well no...". "And you probably told him I was here right? What did he say". Callum frowned "well he didn't comment which I did think was odd but I bet he's just tired". "He's hurt" you frowned and Rayla frowned "why?" she asked in her typical brass way. "I'm guessing it's the whole leaving without telling him, faking a kidnapping and running away from him thing. He's hurt I never trusted him or went to him for help". Callum frowned "then just apologise. There's no way he can stay mad at you". You frowned but decided to give it a go.
So you made your way over to Claudia and Soren's room and just as you were about to walk up the path Claudia appeared. She saw you and smiled "hey y/n great to see you! You here for Soren? Just go on in!". "Are you sure?" you asked and she nodded "yep no need to knock" and walked away. You nodded and walked right in, to find a shirtless Soren. He'd clearly just come from the shower and looked amazing. He'd always been muscular and tall but add that to not seeing him in weeks plus the tension between the two of you and you'd never been more attracted to him.
Soren heard footsteps and turned "Claudia have you seen my..." when he saw it was you. "Oh..." he said and that jolted you back into reality. Soren always smiled when he saw pretty much anyone but especially you, so to see him so serious was upsetting. You nodded "Hi, Callum told me you were here and I just wanted to come and make sure you were okay". Soren shrugged "we're fine" and you nodded "it must've been hard travelling all this way just the two of you". Soren shrugged putting his shirt on "well you do anything when someone you care about is in danger...or maybe they're just lying to you about it". You sighed "Soren I'm so sorry for leaving without telling you. You deserved better than that and I never wanted you to follow me or worry about me. I just didn't get the chance to talk to you because Callum needed my help and I knew he'd had that run-in with Claudia". Soren shook his head "you know I'd worry about you Y/n and I'd always listen to you if you came to me as would Claudia but even if she didn't there's no way I'd just blindly side with her". You nodded "I know, I know, I'm so sorry everything just happened so fast and I was scared. I know I can trust you of course I do. It was you who encouraged me to go out for king's guard. You who got up early to run all those drills with me. You who vouched for me when nobody else would. You meant the world to me Soren and I'd hate for something like this to ruin all that!" you cried tears leaking down your face and Soren caved "hey, hey calm down it's okay!". "So you forgive me?" you asked sniffling and Soren nodded "yes I forgive you" and hugged you. You relaxed against him and it felt like you'd never left. You buried your head in his chest and felt him tighten his arms around you. This was the safest you'd felt since this all started and it was a while before Soren let go of you.
You spent pretty much the whole night together catching up and it felt so good to be back together. Neither of you had said anything so you still weren't technically a couple but Soren kept putting his arm around you and your eyes lingered on one another.
When you saw Soren again in the morning after a brief 2-hour sleep you blushed and Callum smirked "someone's got a boyfriend". You punched him making Rayla laugh. You took a seat next to Soren at the table and he shot you a huge smile that made you want to melt. "Hey Y/n! I saved you some breakfast, Claudia tried to take your bowl because it had more in it and she said you wouldn't notice...". "Did not!" Claudia cried but from her blush, you could tell Soren was telling the truth so nodded "thanks Soren" shooting him a big smile. Soren nearly melted.
However things weren't all sorted, Rayla still didn't trust the duo and with good reason. Although Soren was thrilled to be back with you he did suspect you'd been brainwashed. "I mean come on, what other reason would make Y/n side with an elf?". "Both Callum and Ezren also siding with her?" Claudia pointed out. Soren shook his head "no she's too smart just to get pulled along by them, I'm telling you she's been forced!". "Either way we can't let them leave with the elf that's for sure" Claudia replied.
You were outside the door on your way to go ask Soren if he wanted a walk. You rushed back to the others and sighed "Rayla you were right but I want to create the plan to leave Soren and Claudia behind. Not hurt them". "No problem" Rayla said "I'm just glad someone else has seen the light...or heard the light".
So you put together a plan. You'd make Soren and Claudia thought you were going along with them but it was an illusion. Rayla would lure Soren away and tie him up while you kept Claudia busy. Then you'd both escape on PhiPhi. You felt bad for lying to Soren but this time planned to tell him you were going.
So you did just that. After Rayla had tied Soren to a tree you approached him "Soren I'm doing with Rayla and I'm not brainwashed or being forced. I'm sorry to be leaving you again, I know it might seem weird to you but it's something I need to do and I need you to understand. I don't need your permission but I do want you to know I'm not leaving you and I will come back because I want you...I like you" you said. Soren hadn't looked happy to be tied to a tree but when he heard your explanation he positively grinned.
Soren smiled at you, his bright blue eyes sparkling "I like you too and have been waiting ages to hear you say that...I won't stop you, I mean I can't but you know that means I have to follow you right? As long as you're out here in possible danger I won't leave you". You nodded "I figured you might say that...and there's nothing I can do to deter you?". Soren laughed "not a chance" and you smiled "well it might be quite nice knowing you a few steps behind me". "Not many" Soren replied still smiling"you know I could always outpace you. Plus having you as the goal will certainly increase my motivation". You smirked "you always did like chasing me huh?" enjoying this when Rayla groaned "Y/n are you seriously flirting right now? We have to go!". "Oh yeah right" you nodded "bye Soren" and you rushed away. Soren smiled watching you go, he honestly wasn't even sad. He was just excited and when Claudia found him he was just grinning goofily.
Let the chase begin.
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So in honour of the new season of The Dragon Prince which I am absolutely loving, I had to polish off and post an old Soren imagine because he's just as great in the new season and he's still my favourite character.
