summary: routine became something finnick cherished. but course, the capitol must ruin everything, including his love. but he will still find a way to get her back.
finnick odair x fem!reader
content warnings for the whole story: descriptions of death, torture, starvation, and everything described in The Hunger Games, mentions of suicidal thoughts, implications of S/A
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"Run! Run! The fog is poison!" Katniss screamed as she ran back to the group.
Before you could even react, Finnick immediately grabbed your wrist, pulled you to your feet and started running alongside Katniss and Peeta.
He looked back for a moment, the fog was approaching from all sides, fast.
Finnick could tell you were still tired, but you had to keep moving. "Come on angel” he urges, tugging you closer as he runs faster.
As you all kept running, a sharp, searing pain shot through Finnick's body. His breath caught in his throat as the pain exploded through his calf, which caused him to scream in pain.
"Finnick!" you scream as the fog brushed against your arm.
Finnick gritted his teeth as the pain burned through his leg. His vision blurred for a second, his legs nearly giving out, but he forced himself to keep moving.
"Don’t stop!" he shouted. He tried reaching for you again, but then he heard you yelp. When he turned his head, you were on the ground.
"Finn!" you shout, crying out in pain as the fog grazed your leg.
Finnick hoisted you back up, wrapping his arm around your waist to keep you steady. "Can you move your leg?"
You shake your head and whine in pain. "Can't- I can't Finn" you say in a panicked tone.
"Okay- Okay- just hold onto me okay?"
He could feel how hot your skin was against his, burning with fever from the dehydration, and now the fog was making it worse.
"Keep moving!" Katniss urged, her voice tight with pain as she held Peeta up.
Finnick could feel you going limp against him, your body trembling violently. His chest tightened at the sound of your shallow breaths. You were barely holding on.
"Angel, stay with me," he murmured He tightened his grip on you, trying to ignore the pain in his leg. "Just a little farther. Please."
You nodded weakly, but Finnick knew you were slipping. Your skin was too warm, too pale beneath the flush of fever. The weight of you against him was growing heavier, and a sick sense of dread curled in his stomach.
"Come on!" Katniss shouted.
He adjusted his grip on you, gritting his teeth against the pain as he forced himself to run faster. "Almost there, angel. Just hold on."
He didn’t know if you heard him. Your head lolled slightly against his shoulder, your breaths coming out in short, uneven gasps.
Panic flared in his chest. He couldn't lose you. He wouldn’t lose you.
The fog was getting closer and closer by the second, and while you were all running, there was a decline that no one saw and after tripping over the vines, everyone went tumbling down the hill.
Finnick could barely feel his legs and arms, looking down he saw that they were covered in large blisters.
He only realized a second later that you weren't anywhere near him.
He called out you name in a weak panicked voice. When he didn't get an answer, he panicked even more.
Rolling over onto his stomach, he groaned in pain and looked around for you.
A few feet away, lying sprawled on the ground, motionless.
"Angel," Finnick choked out, forcing himself onto his elbows despite the burning in his arms.
He dragged himself forward, gritting his teeth against the sharp, searing, shooting pain that tore through his body. Every inch of him screamed, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t. He needed to make sure you were okay.
When he reached you, his hands were shaking as he turned you over onto your back. Your skin was flushed and feverish, your breathing shallow. Finnick's heart pounded wildly in his chest.
"Angel— hey, hey, open your eyes," he pleaded, cradling your face between his hands. His thumbs brushed against your cheekbones, sticky with sweat and dirt. "Come on, baby, wake up."
"Angel please- please wake up" he choked out, pressing his forehead against yours.
He then looked over when he heard Katniss speak up.
"The water- the water- it helps!"
He watched as she and Peeta plunged themselves into the water, and then a minute later, he felt them pick him up.
He wanted them to take you first, but too exhausted to protest, he felt the cold water hit his skin. It felt painful yet relieving at the same time.
Once he felt strong enough, he cradled you in his arms and placed you carefully into the water.
Nothing happened at first. You remained limp in his arms. His grip tightened around you as he cupped the cool water in his hands and poured it gently over your face.
"Come on, angel," he whispered, "Please."
You finally took in a sharp breath and you began screaming in pain.
Finnick let out a relieved sigh, pulling you into his arms as you trembled violently against him. "There you are," he breathed out, "I got you. I’ve got you."
His heart ached as he heard you groan in pain.
He hated seeing you in this much pain, but at least he could do something about this pain.
He couldn't do anything about it then.
Viewing parties were normally loud and energetic, but right now, everyone was silent. Nobody even dared to move.
Finnick's eyes were fixated on the screen. His heart was pounding heavily against his chest.
You and Kael had been ambushed by the female tribute of one and the male tribute of two. You were both able to hold them off for a while, and Kael was able to take out the girl from one. But then the cameras showed how Kael's face went pale.
Finnick furrowed his brows, but when the cameras panned over to you, he felt his heart sink to his stomach.
There you were, on screen, being held by the male tribute of district two with a knife to your throat.
Kael was standing a few feet away, his spear raised, but he was hesitant to attack.
"Your life for hers," the boy from two sneered.
Finnick could see your entire body trembling, not out of fear for yourself but for Kael. The way your wide, desperate eyes darted to him, the way you shook your head frantically.
"Kael, don’t," you pleaded, voice breaking. "Please, don’t- don’t do this."
Finnick could see Kael's jaw tighten, his chest heaving, his grip tightening around his own weapon. But the decision had already been made.
"It's okay," Kael said, voice steady despite the chaos around him. He looked at you, not at the tribute from two. "You're gonna be okay."
Just before he moved, he exhaled shakily and whispered, "Promise me, Tadpole. You’re going to survive." his voice broke, "You tell your brother I kept my word, alright?" his fingers curled into fists. "Tell him I watched out for you."
You let out a broken sob, shaking your head. "No, no, you can tell him yourself-"
Then, before you could stop him, Kael dropped his spear and stepped forward.
Finnick flinched. The Capitolites gasped.
The blade plunged into Kael’s abdomen, deep and merciless. Kael staggered, but he didn't scream. He didn't fight it. He just… let it happen.
Finnick's heart ached as he heard your agonizing scream.
"Oh, what a moment!" a Capitolite swooned,
"So tragic, so selfless," another sighed dreamily.
"A hero," someone else added, sipping from a crystal glass. "The best kind of tribute. Willing to die for her."
Finnick barely heard them over the pounding in his ears. His stomach twisted painfully as he watched you fall to your knees beside Kael, hands frantically pressing against his wound as if you could will him back to life.
"Kael! Kael please- please- stay with me-"
You were sobbing uncontrollably. Your hands were stained red, fingers slipping against his bloodied tunic as you tried to hold him together.
Finnick clenched his jaw, his nails digging into his palms.
The camera zoomed in closer to you and Kael.
Kael's breath was shallow, his fingers weakly gripping your wrist. He blinked up at you, dazed, lips parting as if he had something else to say.
"Tadpole," he rasped, the word barely audible. He smiled, just a little, before his eyes fluttered closed. "Don’t forget... promise me." His grip on your wrist went slack.
Finnick’s breath hitched.
On screen, you had gone completely still. Your hands, still pressed against Kael’s unmoving body, slowly curled into fists. Your breath came in sharp, broken gasps. The cameras zoomed in on your face showing off the devastation, the grief, the flicker of something dark and determining in your eyes.
Finnick knew what was coming before it even happened.
He watched as you reached for Kael's spear.
The boy from Two barely had time to react before your spear-Kael’s spear-sliced across his throat. It wasn’t clean, it wasn’t practiced, but it was enough. Blood gushed, the boy staggered back, and seconds later, another cannon fired.
The whole room erupted into cheers and applause.
"Oh, she snapped! Just like that!"
"Did you see that? She was so sweet, so innocent-"
"And then bam! The little darling has claws!"
"I love her," someone declared, lifting their glass. "She's perfect. A true survivor. A true victor in the making."
To them, this was the best entertainment they could ask for.
They were going to eat you alive when you come out.
You whimpered softly, curling up against him, your fingers weakly grasping at his wetsuit. Finnick held you tighter, his heart still hammering as he rested his forehead against yours.
"Don’t you ever scare me like that again."
You gave a weak, breathless laugh, barely audible. "No promises."
He pressed his lips against your forehead and then picked you up. He gently placed you against a tree and stroked your hair, he could feel you were getting warm.
"Rest for a little okay? You're starting to get warm.."
You nod and smile, "Okay..."
He smiles and then walks back to the water to get rid of the blisters he may have missed.
As he sits in the water, Katniss looks at you and then at him.
Finnick looks up and nods, "I think, but she is starting to get warm...so I think she might be getting sick.."
Katniss furrows her brows and frowns, "Maybe someone will send medicine"
"Yea. I hope so." he says as he looks over at you.
When he looks back at Katniss he notices how there's a monkey-mutt leering at them.
Katniss armed herself with and arrow as she stood up.
Finnick gently called out your name and beckoned you over.
When you realized what was around the group, you froze and quickly made your way to Finnick. He grabbed his trident and handed you your spear.
When Katniss called Peeta, the mutt snarled and then they all began appearing from the shadows.
Finnick felt you get closer to him and he quickly grabbed your hand.
Your breath became shallow again and you started to tremble, and he knew why. You had been through something like this in your games.
"It's alright. I'm here" he murmurs.
You both then heard Katniss tell everyone to get to the beach, the mutts began to attack.
You all began to fight them off, but when it became too overwhelming, you all made a run for it.
Finnick grabbed your hand and started running, pulling you along as you both sprinted toward the beach. But with every step, the creatures got closer.
When first monkey lunged, Finnick didn’t think twice. He spun to face it, his trident raised, just in time to block it.
"Move!" Finnick shouted, his voice raw with urgency as he pulled you forward, forcing you to keep running. His eyes darted around, trying to make sure you were safe, but every second was a race against the oncoming mutts.
But then you both watched as Peeta fell. You quickly took your spear and slashed one of the monkeys, Finnick pierced another.
And then a morphling came out of her hiding spot, sacrificing herself for Peeta..
"Finn." you say, tilting your head to the morphling.
"Fuck." he says under his breath, still fighting off the monkeys.
But the another mutt darted toward you, and he shoved you aside just in time to spear it through the neck.
You stumbled, but Finnick kept pulling you forward. You could hear Katniss shouting command, trying to direct everyone toward the water, but with the mutts closing in, it was getting harder to fight them off. So you all decided to just run.
Finnick tugged on your arm, forcing you to keep running as the sound of more mutts coming from behind sent a fresh wave of panic crashing over you.
He tucked you close to him and covered one side of your head. "It's okay. It's okay. I'm here."
Finally, you made it to the beach.
Finnick shoved you behind him and raised his trident at the mutts, but they didn't move from where they were. They just kept growling and snarling.
You furrowed your brows in confusion. "Why aren't they coming towards us?"
Not even a second later, the mutts retreated back into the jungle.
You were both in the shallows of the lake, looking for fish to eat.
Finnick noticed how you had that look in your eye, that look for nervousness.
He took a few steps towards you and put a hand on your shoulder. "Hey...you okay?"
You nod, but her raises an eyebrow.
You pause for a moment, shake your head, and lean close to him, wanting to be in his arms.
Finnick is quick to wrap you in his embrace.
"Is it because of the mutts?"
You nod and bury your head into his chest.
"Do you...wanna talk about it?" he says softly, holding you close.
You shake your head and squeeze your eyes shut.
Finnick nods and just holds you.
Of course you didn't want to talk about it.
After what happened to you in your games, he understood.
You had been hiding for two days, keeping to yourself in the think forest. The cameras had caught glimpses of you, but you hadn’t made a move. No alliances, no shows. Just silence. But now, tonight, the Capitol citizens watched as you were forced to face the consequences of your actions.
The screen flickered to a new angle, showing you crouched low in a small, makeshift camp in the woods, a fire barely burning. You were exhausted, your skin pale and slick with sweat, your face a grim mask of determination.
Two tributes, sneaking up on you in the dark. They had found your camp.
Finnick clenched his jaw. He knew what would happen next. What you would be forced to do.
You fought hard. The action was brutal, chaotic. The camera showed you, breathing heavily, your hands shaking as you struck one of the tributes down, then the other. The Capitol watched in awe as you dispatched them both.
But to you, it felt like five.
Finnick’s heart clenched in his chest as the screen lingered on your face, the realization of what you’d done creeping over you like a shadow. The guilt was unbearable. He could see it in your eyes. He could feel it in your movements, the way your shoulders slumped, the way your hands shook as you wiped the blood from your face.
But that wasn't even the worst of it.
The worst of it was when you heard rustling in the trees.
Finnick could hear the unmistakable growl in the air. The noise grew louder.
But these weren’t just any mutts. These mutts had faces. Faces of the people you had killed.
Finnick’s breath caught in his throat as he saw you face.
Your face went pale when you saw a specific one.
The mutts moved faster, circling, snarling. Finnick could see their eyes glowing in the darkness, cold and unrelenting. Their mouths were open, showing rows of sharp teeth that glistened in the moonlight. They had the same faces of the tributes you’d killed, now twisted into grotesque mockeries.
And then, as they closed in on you, Finnick heard it.
"Tadpole..." Kael’s voice echoed through the trees, distorted, terrifying.
The boy from Two’s voice joined in. "You killed me..."
The others—each tribute you’d killed—began to shout. "You killed me... you killed me..."
Finnick watched, helpless, as you stumbled backward, eyes wide with terror. The fear was raw, and it hurt him to watch.
The mutt version of Kael stepped closer, its mouth stretched in a sickening grin that you could never have imagined on his face.
"You couldn’t save me, could you? You tried, but you failed. You killed me, Tadpole. You killed me."
The mutt’s eyes gleamed as it snarled at you
"You couldn’t save me. You’re the one who got me killed. The one who stood there and let me die."
"Remember me, Tadpole. Remember me when you fall. When you fail."
It lunged toward you, its mouth opening wide, its teeth glinting in the moonlight
"Tadpole... You killed me... You're nothing but a murderer."
Finally, you started running, and so did the mutts.
Finnick’s heart raced as you sprinted through the trees, the mutts close behind. Every step you took seemed like it might be your last.
And then, he heard you shout, over and over, through the trees.
"I'm sorry! I didn’t mean to!"
"I didn’t mean to!" Your voice cracked, tears streaming down your face. You were running so fast, but the mutts were faster. They were gaining.
Finnick could see the exhaustion in your movements, the way you faltered, the way you looked over your shoulder, but still, you kept running.
And just as Finnick feared you might not make it—
Finnick exhaled in relief, his chest tight with the weight of what he had just witnessed. He wasn’t sure how you had made it out, but somehow, you did. You had survived.
But that didn't mean you were okay.
The camera zoomed in on you, breathless, wild-eyed, your chest heaving with each sobbing breath. You were shaking, curled into a ball on the forest floor, face buried in your hands. You could barely breathe, and it was clear from the way your body trembled that you weren’t just physically drained.
"I'm sorry… Kael, I'm so sorry..." you whispered through your tears.
It didn't take long for you and Finnick to find some fish for the group to eat.
Sitting on the beach, as everyone ate, you leaned you head against Finnick's shoulder, clinging onto his arm for security.
He passed you a small piece of fish and watched as you ate it.
"You feel okay?" he whispers.
You nod and gaze up at him.
He smiles and presses his forehead against yours.
"Your temperature is back to normal.."
You nod, "It might've just been cause of the stress and lack of food and water.."
He pulls you closer. "I know. But promise you'll tell me if you feel sick later?"
He smiles and plants a soft kiss on your forehead.
Suddenly, you hear screaming in the distance.
As everyone got up, you all watched as a huge wave came from across the lake.
It didn't take more than a few seconds for a hovercraft to come down to collect another fallen tribute.
"Someone's here." Katniss says, taking out an arrow.
You and Finnick both look to the side.
You squint your eyes to get a better look. "Is that?..."
You get a better look, and Finnick watches as your face lights up.
"Johanna!" you shout as you run over to her.
Finnick watches with a small, relieved smile as you run ahead, your energy seemingly returning.
He follows you behind you and stands next to you.
A few seconds later, Katniss and Peeta run over to the group as well.
"We were all the way deep into the jungle where I thought it was gonna be safe. But that's when the rain started. I thought it was water- it turned out to be blood."
"Hot thick blood. It was coming down and it was choking us!"
You frown and Finnick takes your hand.
"We were stumbling around, gagging on it blind."
"That's when Blight hit the force field"
"He wasn't much, but he was from home."
You look at Johanna with sympathetic eyes and put a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry Jo..."
There's a second of silence, then...
"What's wrong with her?" Katniss says.
"She's in shock. Dehydration isn't helping. Do you have any fresh water?" Beetee says as Finnick helps him up.
You watch as Wiress takes Johanna by the shoulders and as she starts spinning around.
Finnick feels you nudge his shoulder. "Finn.."
"Crap." he says under his breath.
It doesn't take long for Katniss to pounce on Johanna once she thinks Johanna is going to hurt Wiress.
You and Finnick both quickly pull Katniss and Johanna apart.
"I got them out for you!" Johanna shouts.
"Jo- Johanna calm down!" you shout, holding her back.
Once you both have Johanna far away enough from Katniss, you calm her down.
A few minutes later, your back sitting on the shore with Finnick, you head resting on his shoulder.
You sigh, "So...guess the plan is really starting now."
Finnick nods, "Guess so..."
You shift, taking his hand and squeezing it. "We’ll make it, right?"
He gazes down at you and intertwines his pinky with yours. "I know we will."
You smile and squeeze his pinky with yours.
Finnick gazes into your eyes and opens his mouth to say something, but before he can speak, the sound of thunder rings throughout the arena.
You both look up and see it striking the same big tree from before.
A/N: i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!!! im so sorry it took me so long to upload this, idk why I took so long. I think i just didn't know what to write 😭 anyways, next chapter will be the last arena chapter (i think) and then we get to REALLY go into the glimpse of us story!
as always, my requests r open so if you guys have any questions about the story, or wanna chat about it, or if you guys have any new requests for some finnick oneshots please don't be shy and send them in! thank you so much for reading this guys <333 hope you all have an amazing morning/afternoon/night!
Taglist: @jacaeryslover @sundawn1990 @redama @noodleisodd @amara-mars @lovemyself-m-k @goosy-goose *if you'd like to be included in this taglist lmk in the replies!
