#annie cresta x fem!reader

[targaryenluvs]

MY PEOPLE

pairings: annie cresta x fem!reader, finnick odair x annie cresta, finnick odair x fem!reader

summary: you’d been hired to help keep annie’s home clean and to keep her company. what you didn’t expect was to fall in love with her. and to find out that she was with finnick, and annie doesn’t want to let either of you go. but you’ve found your people, and you couldn’t be happier.

warnings: cheating (annie n reader), arguments and then fluff land from there baby, kisses, wholesome moments

wordcount: 2.7k

a/n: this is my apology for the filth i’ve produced in these two months. i need to start writing fluff again, also apologies for any mistakes on annie’s story, god i need to read the books, again i hope my writing for annie is okay i rarely write for girls 😭 NOT PROOFREAD

annie hated when finnick left, he was one of the only people in her life which helped her, cared for her. he didn’t leave when she went through a lot or had an episode, he stood by her, always. but finnick has responsibilities which required him to travel, things to do. even he knew it would be hard to leave annie alone.

 so he scouted for a carer not like a child but rather a companion, a friend as well as someone who could take care of annie’s home. after a lengthy process and a million interviews, he came across you. y/n l/n, 22, born in district four and an excellent carer with reliable contacts, past experiences/jobs, and a good reputation. you were the best candidate he’d come across.

you’d visited a lot in the weeks following up to him leaving, he insisted it wouldn’t be necessary, but you figured annie would have to get used to you before actually becoming comfortable with you. so, you dropped by every day, never outstaying your welcome but bringing by food, presents and books for annie that you read to her. and little by little she began to open up to you.

finnick was rarely there, but the few times you happened to be there at the same time he was always kind to you. which wasn’t super surprising, but he was always described differently by people, charming, charismatic, a flirt. yet when he was around the people he loved he was nothing short of a gentleman, and you respected that. you respected him. not a lot of people would’ve stuck by their partner, even a friend if they were going through what annie was yet finnick remained, and not only that but he always took care of her, annie’s best interests at heart.

and over the time you first spent caring for her you realised why.

when she was in the now, she was like a breath of fresh air. she was sickeningly sweet, and good. she made you smile. when the two of you would read together, she liked to do impressions, changing her voice to portray characters. when you tended to her new garden, implemented by you, she loved to smell the fresh flowers, usually picking one out prematurely to which you’d jokingly scold her for. until she gifted the flower to you. when you’d bake/cook together she was always bound to create a mess. with flour on your aprons, and chocolate laying around you’d laugh your hearts out. which led to the first moment in which you saw her in an alternate light.

messy hair, laughing, doubling over with cramps in her stomach and her adorable nose scrunch. you couldn’t help but admire her, what you didn’t know was that she had begun to feel the same for you. for her it was your personality. you were extremely caring, and not just because it was your job. you genuinely cared for her and she could tell. one of the first things you’d always ask was if she’d eaten.

“get some food in you yet sweetheart?” you asked annie as you hung your bag up, in response she held up the bowl of soup in her hands. “good. how are you?” a thumbs up let you know. when her hair was messy and you pushed it behind her ear. her shirt was off her shoulder and you pulled it up. her sweater had some fluff on it so you’d walk over and pick it off. the little things began to add up, and annie found herself in control more often.

when she’d manage to convince you to stay the night after a marathon of books, and she’d have a nightmare of her games. she’d scream out for finnick, then you when he didn’t help her. only to find you on a chair in the corner and wide eyed as you stumbled your way to her, worry and confusion radiating off of you as you soothed her, “i’m right here an, i’m right here. you feel me? feel my hands? you’re here, in your bed. look at the clock, can you read the time for me?”

annie looked up as her breathing began to even out, “two th- thirty two.” you smiled at her as she looked up at you, slumped on her pillows, “good job sweetie. you okay? i’m right here, your right here. i promise i won’t let anything happen to you. now i’ll stay right here, go back to sleep an.” you had managed to ground her, bring her back to the now, which usually only finnick was able to do. and as her head rested, a few minutes passed.

she was asleep, yet muttering. not clearly, the only words you’d made out? i love you y/n.

she didn’t mean it right? it was just her sleeping, it wasn’t true of course. god you hoped it was true. but the second you allow yourself to dream had reality crashing down on you, your mind reminding you of a certain tall blonde victor named finnick odair. annie’s partner.

annie dreamed of you.

she rarely dreamed these days but she was glad for any dream she got. this one included herself on the beach, the sun was hanging low in the sky, soon to shy away and bring in the dark of night, but the soft orange rays had your brown skin glowing. your dark eyes shone and you looked ethereal, like a goddess. annie felt her heart in her throat, you were too good to be true. and you were looking at her with adoration in your eyes. your gaze was warm like the sun and your smile reminded her of the shining stars she loved. her hair had small seashells adorning them and you had on a flower crown she assumed she’d made. you looked perfect and annie felt guilt. she had this weird feeling when she looked at you. the one she’d only felt for finnick. she was in love.

the first time annie let slip of her secret the two of you were near the water. you’d decided to make a day of it, to get her out of the house before you decided upon what to do that night. maybe painting, stargazing, something to watch or read. “the waters a bit cold an.” you warned as she waved you off, allowing the water to cool her down. as she turned to catch a glimpse of you and potentially wet you, she froze.

the sun was hanging low in the sky, soon to shy away and bring in the dark of night, but the soft orange rays had your brown skin glowing.

deja vu overcame her and she felt it again, love.

“sweetheart? are you alright?” annie snapped out of her daydream at your question, “i’m fine, i’m fine.” and for once she meant it.

that night was the first time she kissed you.

you’d been in the living room together just talking. your arm resting on the couch, your body facing her. engaged as ever and smiling, she loved when you smiled. you looked so gorgeous and she found herself leaning in until she met you in the middle.

at first you’d pulled away and she thought you were disgusted. but you looked into her eyes and she was met with confusion, “what about finnick?” her eyes fell down to her lap in shame. “hey, i’m not trying to make you feel ashamed or anything, it’s just, don’t you love him?” annie met your eye and you saw the tears well, you placed your hand on her cheek as she sniffled, “i feel the same for him as i do for you.”

and you’d gotten closer since.

you couldn’t help but feel guilty on some days. you’d be cleaning and you’d find a gift finnick had given to annie. or a shirt of his in her drawers. but she always assured you that it was okay. you didn’t know how to feel. how would finnick feel when he came home? would he try and fire you?

you were bound to find out.

the night was storming and annie was scared. so the two of you curled up in bed together and fell asleep, annie on your chest. you rolled your head to the side and screamed. someone was in the doorway and your and annie’s throats were hurting and clinging onto eachother. “who the hell are you? get out of this house!” you screamed as annie’s arms clung to your neck.

your hands rested on her face, “hey sweetheart i’m right here. we’re gonna be fine i promise.” you kissed her on her forehead and got her back in bed before approached the door. “if you’re here to rob-” finnick stepped forwards and you stepped back and breathed out, “finnick, you’re back early.” he smiled, “and you made yourself right at home. sweetheart.” annie got out of bed and ran forwards, “finnick!” he opened his arms, “annie.” he sighed out, god he was happy to see her.

you’d never felt more awkward.

in the kitchen, making hot chocolate, you could slightly hear annie and finnick talking. her voice was meek as she explained her relationship with you. finnick was surprisingly understanding.

“i was so lonely, i’m sorry finnick. but- i really like her. she’s so sweet and she isn’t just nice because she has to be. every day she comes over and asks me if i ate. then if i haven’t we make something together. she reads to me and listens to what i have to say. sometimes she takes me out and we have a picnic. or we look at the stars. i really like her finnick, but i like you too. is that wrong?” finnick didn’t know what to say for once.

“no, it’s not annie. people can’t help what they feel. and if she’s really as amazing as you say she is then, i’ll get to her know her for you.” annie smiled and hugged him. you’d been standing in the doorway with everyone’s drinks and couldn’t help yourself from shouting out, “then what’re we?” the two of them turned around and you awkwardly smiled before approaching them, placing the tray on the table and each persons mugs on their respective coasters.

“if annie and i like eachother, and you and annie like eachother then- what?” you sat down on the other side of annie as finnick leaned back, crossing his arms and spreading his legs. “we get to know eachother. and we’ll see where we go from there.” you smiled at him before looking back at annie. “you okay sw- annie?” you saw annie visibly slump at your switch of words. “yes, i think i will be.” and the three of you drank, and ate and talked through the rest of the night, storm forgotten.

and it went on from there.

the next day you woke up with everyone laying on eachother. “anybody hungry?” finnick asked as annie nodded, “i’ll make you your favourite.” finnick and you spoke up at the same time before making eye contact. “you can-” “if you want to make it-” you sighed, “we can both?” finnick nodded as the two of you made your way to the kitchen.

“so.” you decided to make the leap and try to talk to finnick, breaking the tension. “how was your time away?” finnick smiled, “it was fine, i missed annie. i’m glad to be back.” you sighed deeply before dropping your whisk in the bowl, placing your hands on the table before turning to him. “i’m sorry finnick. i really didn’t mean to fall in love with-” you stopped yourself as he tilted his head and you slapped your hand over your mouth. “i didn’t mean that, well i did- but i didn’t.” finnicks hand reached out to stop you from rambling.

“i didn’t know you loved her. we don’t have to rush anything at all, we can just be friends. i don’t know what we are but i know you care for her. and you took care of her and i know she likes you too so i can’t stop that. i’d like to get to know you y/n.”

you grinned, “i’d like to get to know you too finnick. for real and for annie.” he smiled at you and walked over, he was even more gorgeous when you took time to take him in. dirty blonde hair, sweet green eyes and when he smiled his smile lines were on display. god he was beautiful.

“if you want to stare at me then you should maybe take a picture y/n.” you giggled before shoving his arm, “you’re very pretty honey.” he spoke as you replied, “you’re very pretty too finn and you can’t blame me.” you accusingly pointed at him and he pretended to bite it off, “i cannot believe you’re cannibal finnick.” as the two of you laughed annie stood close by, she was glad that the two of you were getting along.

mornings spent cooking breakfast together, shopping together, going out to lunch. you enjoyed their company a lot and you couldn’t remember the last time you’d felt so happy.

“blue or pink?” you asked as you held up the two sundresses as finnick and annie sat on all of yours bed.

“blue.”

“pink!”

“if i had a blue pink dress i would so wear it.” you teased as annie and finnick stared at each other. “she’s wearing blue.” finnick leaned back onto his arms as annie booped his nose. “you’re so cute.” finnick smiled at her and then annie spoke up again, “you’re so cute and even cuter in pink.” annie got up and held the dress up against you, “yup, i was right.” you laughed and kissed her on the cheek before leaving to get changed.

“she kissed me.” annie whispered as finnick got up. “she did.” she looked up at him and beamed, “she hasn’t since you got home.” finnick wrapped his arms around her, “i love you annie, and, i think i love her too. i can see why you like her so much.” you’re heart was racing a million miles and as you looked into the mirror you saw yourself in love, and for the first time, with more than one person.

the beach was calm, and the food forgotten.

you were laying in finnicks lap and annie in yours, you were a bit tired out from the day. finnick was raking his hands through your hair and you were braiding annie’s. it was so cute that if you weren’t apart of it you would’ve vomited from the cuteness overload.

“you okay?” finnick asked as you looked back up at him.

“yeah why?”

“nothing, just checking.”

you smiled up at him and he smiled back. you patted annie’s head to let her know you were going to get up. “i have something to say.” you blurted out as the pair gave you their attention, “here i go, please don’t hate me.”

you begged as annie and finnick looked at you in surprise as you began to talk, “i really like you both. i didn’t even know you could like more than one person at once. but it happened, and i don’t know why. every time i’m with you guys i feel like, nothing bad could happen to me? does that make sense? all i know is that i love you both and if you don’t feel the same then that’s totally okay and i will never bother you again i’ll probably just run far away and-” finnick surged forwards and kissed you which resulted in you freaking out and standing.

“wait you like me? i mean i knew annie did but i thought you were just tolerating me because she asked me to. or you secretly hated me or something for basically ruining your relationship and injecting myself in!” annie and finnick grabbed one hand of yours before finnick cut you off, “y/n, calm down. we’re not going anywhere, neither are you. i love you too, we both do.” your eyes widened at his words. “you do? you do!” you squealed as you hugged the two of them, “i’m sorry. i just, i’m glad. what does- what are we?”

annie grinned, “we can be whatever we want to be.” and as the three of you packed up and walked home you knew this was right where you wanted to be, with them.

“i think i know what you guys are to me at least.” finnick smiled, “oh?” you beamed at the two of them as you made your way inside and collapsed on the couch. your legs were slung over finnicks lap and your head on annie’s shoulder. “now what are we to you sweetie?” annie questioned.

“my people.”

[onlybeeewrites]

Echos

Request: Could I request a one shot where Finnick odair x fem! Reader reunite after the reader is saved from the capital?

Pairing: Finnick Odair x Fem!reader

Word count: 3.2k

Warnings: Mockingjay violence, torture, psychological torture, jabber jays, peeta’s torture in the capital, Johanna’s torture in the capital, PTSD, anxiety, fear, capital manipulation, president snow

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pain. It was all you knew. Every breath, every moment since they dragged you from that godforsaken arena was laced with agony. You never should have left Finnick’s side. You had promised—sworn—that no matter what, you’d stick together. That you’d never risk losing each other again.

But you also remembered what Haymitch had told you before the Games. The plan.

He had pressed a golden bracelet into your hand—almost identical to Finnick’s. A token, a silent promise. A reminder of what you had to do. Keep Katniss and Peeta in the dark. Keep them both alive. But above all else, get Katniss out.

For a while, everything had been going according to plan. The bread had come, the signal was given, and the time had come to put Beetee’s strategy into motion. You had hope. This could work.

And then it all fell apart.

The explosion hit.

A blast of force sent you both you and Peeta flying, slamming you against a tree, knocking the wind from your lungs. The last thing you saw before everything went black was the blinding white light of destruction—debris raining down as the arena shattered.

Pain drags you back to consciousness.

It’s different now—sharp, aching, thrumming through every nerve in your body. Your head is heavy, your thoughts sluggish, and when you try to move, your limbs feel foreign, unresponsive.

The first thing you register is the cold. Not just from the sterile air, but from the hard surface beneath you, unforgiving and clinical. The second is the color. White. Blindingly white. The walls, the ceiling, the floor. Even the flimsy gown draped over your battered body. It’s like you’ve been erased, stripped down to nothing.

A cell.

You try to sit up, but the movement sends a sharp spike of pain through your ribs. Bruised—maybe cracked. Your wrists are raw, red marks circling them, though you don’t remember why. You don’t remember much at all beyond the explosion. Beyond the moment the arena fell apart.

The soft hiss of a door opening snaps you to attention.

Boots echo against the floor, slow and deliberate. You force yourself to look up, and ice coils in your veins.

President Snow stands before you.

He’s composed as ever, dressed in crisp white, his cold blue eyes studying you like you’re an insect pinned beneath glass. A faint, almost amused smile tugs at his lips. In his hands, he cradles a pristine white rose.

You steel yourself, masking the fear clawing at your throat. You don’t speak first. You won’t give him the satisfaction.

Snow takes a slow breath, inhaling the scent of the rose before his gaze locks onto you. “You’re quite the survivor, aren’t you?”

You say nothing.

“I must admit, I was quite disappointed to see you among those extracted from the arena. A shame, really. I had hoped for better from a Victor of District Four.” He tilts his head. “Finnick Odair’s love.”

Your stomach twists at Finnick’s name, but you keep your face blank. You don’t know where he is. If he made it out. If he’s even alive.

Snow takes a step closer, watching you carefully. “You see, we know there was a plan. We know the Quarter Quell was never meant to go as intended. The rebels orchestrated this, didn’t they?” He crouches slightly, lowering himself to your level. “Why don’t you save us all some time and tell me what you know?”

You blink at him, forcing your expression into something blank, confused. “Plan?” Your voice is hoarse, barely above a whisper. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Snow sighs, shaking his head with mock disappointment. “Lying is beneath you.” He leans in slightly, and you catch the faintest hint of blood beneath the overwhelming scent of roses. “Very well. We have ways of making you talk,”

And you know he’s right.

And the pain he afflicts never left. It simply changed—sometimes sharp and searing, sometimes a dull ache that settled in your bones—but it was always there.

Time blurred in the Capitol. You didn’t know how long it had been since they ripped you from the arena, since the explosion stole you away from Finnick. Days, weeks… it could have been months. You weren’t sure anymore. You weren’t sure of anything anymore.

They never let you rest. The sterile white walls, the blinding overhead lights, the sound of footsteps approaching and retreating—it all became part of your existence. And then there were Peeta and Johanna.

You caught glimpses of them when they dragged you through the halls, when you passed rooms where screams bled through the walls.

Peeta was barely recognizable anymore. The hijacking, the tracker jackers, had shattered him, stolen the light that used to live in his eyes. He couldn’t focus for long, his mind darting from one fleeting thought to the next. His words were broken, a disjointed mess of confusion and hurt. His body trembled constantly, his hands shaking as if they couldn’t hold onto the fragments of his sanity. He would mumble to himself, apologize for things he didn’t understand, and then, in a fit of panic, beg you to stay, to tell him he wasn’t lost. And you would do your best to assure him, sooth him from across the room.

It was unbearable.

Johanna was different. She was quieter, but there was something hollow in her. Her body shook violently from withdrawal, her lips cracked from dehydration. The Capitol had drowned her over and over again, only to pull her back just before she crossed the line between life and death. When she looked at you, there was no spark of rebellion, no fire. Just exhaustion and pure resentment that kept her going.

And then there was you.

They had their own way of breaking you.

At first, they kept it simple—pain, starvation, isolation. Keeping you across the room from your friends. Close enough to talk. Close enough to hear their screaming. But not close enough to comfort.

But then they brought you to that room. The one with the speakers hidden in the walls, where the shadows were deeper, where the air felt heavier. And they made you listen.

Jabberjays.

You had heard them in the arena before, their eerie mimicry of loved ones’ voices meant to torment you. You had seen Finnick fall to them, and Katniss. And it had broken your heart seeing how they were reacting.

But that had been nothing compared to this.

The pain had been your constant companion, gnawing at you, twisting every second into an eternity.

They didn’t just sing—they screeched. The birds were torture incarnate, their calls designed to break the mind, to twist the memories into something ugly. They brought you to the room, the sterile walls designed to keep you isolated, to amplify the terror in your heart. They had programmed the birds to sound like those you loved—those you had failed.

At first, it was a whisper. A voice you thought you recognized, but it was distorted, cracked, like the sound was being pulled through a filter of madness. It came slowly, building, growing louder.

It was impossible. You had never heard that tone from him before. Finnick never spoke like that. But there it was, his voice accusing you, twisting the memory of his care, of his laughter, into something venomous. The birds sang it over and over, forcing you to hear the words that ripped at your very soul.

And then the voice changed again.

The words cut through you like a knife, too sharp, too raw. His voice, so young and full of trust, was unmistakable. But it was a voice that had long since faded from your memory. The bird had twisted it, made it sound like something darker, like something hateful. Your little brother who you did everything to keep safe.

It wasn’t the voice of a child who loved you. It was the voice of a child who felt abandoned, who had been left alone. The bird screamed again, louder this time, its voice shrill and echoing, sending waves of nausea through you.

The birds’ voices layered one on top of the other, drowning out your thoughts, breaking the barrier between reality and the spiraling nightmare that consumed you. It was as though every painful memory, every regret, every mistake you had ever made, was being replayed and twisted into something ugly. Something unforgivable.

The walls seemed to close in as you sank deeper, the birds’ calls surrounding you, clawing at your mind, twisting your thoughts. It was endless. The repetition, the overwhelming weight of their words, started to chip away at you. You could feel your sanity slipping, each scream from the birds tearing a hole inside your chest.

The pain, the guilt, the spiraling madness was too much. You had no defense left. The voices echoed, screamed, whispered, and everything you had held onto was cracking, shattering like glass. Your hands trembled, your heart raced, and you were drowning in the sound of their accusations.

The sound of Finnick’s broken voice, Annie’s hollow sadness, and the desperation in your brother’s cries—each one felt like a new blade slicing into you. Each call, each accusation, only deepened the spiral you were trapped in. Your chest ached with the weight of their pain, your soul shattered from the guilt of it all. The torment was endless, suffocating.

In the haze of madness, time felt like an abstract concept—blurred, stretched beyond recognition. The room seemed to shift around you, but the stillness of it pressed in like a vice. It was as though you were stuck in this moment forever, caught between memories and nightmares. You couldn’t tell when you were moved from one place to another.

Even then as you laid on the cold, white floor of your cell, the sterile walls closing in around you. The trembling never stopped. It was like a constant hum in your body, a fear that never quite left. Your back was pressed against the smooth, unforgiving surface of the wall, your eyes staring blankly at nothing in particular.

Your mind felt detached from reality, a fog clouding every thought. The voices of the Jabberjays still echoed in your head, their cruel distortions of Finnick’s, Annie’s, and your brother’s voices a constant reminder of the horrors they had subjected you to. You couldn’t escape it. You couldn’t escape them.

You barely noticed the sounds at first—footsteps, muffled voices, the faint shuffle of boots on the hard floors. Then the door to your cell opened with a sharp hiss, and for the first time in what felt like ages, you looked up. Someone was standing there, silhouetted in the dim light, their features too blurred to make out. You didn’t know if it was real, if you were dreaming again, or if it was just another cruel trick of the Capitol.

A hand reached out, tentative, like they were unsure of how to approach you. “You’re alright,” a voice said softly, but with a firmness that cracked through the haze in your mind. “We’re here to get you out.”

But the words felt distant, disconnected, as though they were coming from underwater. You couldn’t trust anything. Your heart pounded in your chest, fear bubbling up from deep within. This could be another trap. Another lie. You weren’t sure who this person was, and you weren’t sure if you wanted to know.

Before you could even form a coherent thought, a sharp scent flooded the room, heavy and sickly sweet. The next thing you knew, the room swirled around you—shapes and sounds warping—and the last thing you heard was the voice again, more urgent this time: “It’s okay. We’re getting you out.”

And then, as the smoke thickened and your vision blurred, everything went black.

The first thing you felt when you woke up was confusion. It was disorienting—your senses a blur, your mind fragmented. You were in a room, but it wasn’t your cell, wasn’t the sterile white of the Capitol. The air was thick with the smell of antiseptic, and the soft hum of machines around you was both strange and oddly comforting.

But that didn’t mean you were safe. Not yet. Your heart pounded in your chest as your eyes darted around, trying to make sense of the chaos. Doctors in white coats were moving quickly, their voices a frantic buzz. Someone was touching your arm, their hands too firm, too urgent.

You flinched away, panic surging through your veins as memories of the Jabberjays twisted into your mind. The screams of Finnick, Annie, and your brother—distorted and cruel—ripped through your thoughts again. Was this just another trick? Were they going to use the birds again? Were you being captured all over again?

“Please, just�� just stop,” you gasped, your voice raw, barely audible. You scrambled, trying to pull yourself away from their grasp, but your limbs were weak.

“Shh, shh, you’re safe,” one of the doctors whispered, but you didn’t trust it. You couldn’t. Safe didn’t exist anymore.

They tried to hold you down, to reassure you, but the more they touched you, the more your skin crawled. Your breath was coming in ragged gasps as the room closed in, and the walls felt like they were suffocating you. Everything felt too bright, too loud. You wanted to escape, to run, to hide from the chaos.

Then you heard it—his voice.

“Where is she? Where is she?”

Your heart skipped a beat, a raw, desperate sound. Finnick’s voice. But it couldn’t be him. You tensed, a jolt of panic shooting through you. No, no, no—this isn’t real. It’s not real.

The words that came next weren’t comforting—they were the birds, mimicking him, twisting his voice. It was too much. Your pulse raced, your body trembling violently as you backed away from the doctors, too afraid to look.

“Where is she?” Finnick’s voice called again, closer this time. “Please, please, I need to find her.”

You couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. The memories collided in your mind, his voice and the twisted birds, and you weren’t sure where one began and the other ended.

Then, out of the chaos, a familiar face emerged. Finnick. His face was drawn, haunted, but his eyes—his eyes—they were the same. He was real. The fog in your mind started to clear, the panic slowly ebbing away as you locked onto him. The sight of him, standing there, filled you with a raw, aching relief. But the confusion still clung to you, the terror that this was a trick.

He stepped closer, his hand outstretched. “It’s me, sweetheart” he said softly, his voice full of something gentle, something full of warmth you thought you’d lost forever. “I’m here. You’re safe. It’s over.”

Your body froze, heart hammering in your chest, but then something inside you broke. You couldn’t hold onto the fear anymore, couldn’t push him away. You collapsed into him, falling into his arms, the weight of the months of torture pressing down on you, flooding you with every raw emotion you’d been holding in.

The warmth of Finnick’s embrace is overwhelming, like a beacon in the dark. For a moment, it feels surreal, like you’re still trapped in the nightmare, that you’ll wake up any second and be back in that place, alone and broken. But when his arms tighten around you, when he whispers against your hair, you realize that this—this is real.

Finnick was home. His scent, his touch, the way his body feels against yours—it’s everything you’ve been missing, everything you’ve been longing for. For so long, you thought you would never feel this again. You thought you were going to die there, in that cold, endless nightmare.

“I thought I was going to die there,” you murmur, your voice barely a whisper, a broken sob escaping as you clutch him tighter. The words spill out before you can stop them, the weight of them sinking deep into your chest. “I thought… I thought I’d never make it out. That I’d never see you again.”

Finnick pulls back just enough to look at you, his face full of sorrow, guilt swirling in his eyes. “You’re here now,” he says, his thumb gently brushing across your cheek, wiping away the tears. “You’re safe. You’re with me now, and I’m never leaving you again. I swear it.”

The sound of his voice, steady and unwavering, cracks something deep inside of you. It’s like the world around you shifts—like you’re not alone anymore. Like you’re finally home.

He takes a slow, deep breath and leans his forehead against yours, his hand still cradling your face with gentle care. “I know… I know it’s been hell,” he murmurs, his voice thick with emotion. “But I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere. I’m never leaving you again, sweetheart,”

You nod against him, your breath shaky, but his presence is like an anchor, grounding you, pulling you back from the abyss. Your body trembles, not from the cold or the fear, but from the raw relief that courses through you.

For the first time in what feels like an eternity, you feel safe, or at least the illusion of it. Either way, you didn’t care. And for the first time since the reaping, maybe you can properly start to breathe.

[targaryenluvs]

“Finn's nightmares generally worsen if either of you are gone for the night for any reason.” IM CRYING GAH

THEM ALL INSISTING ON THEM ALL BEING IN THE MARRIAGE IS SPEAKING TO MY HEART ITS SO ADORABLE

and yes finnicks hand in your hair isn’t the same as annie’s dainty ones <3

IMAGINE being in a relationship with both Finnick + Annie <33 all doting and loving and full of cuddles and kisses and warm summer days (fem!reader)

imagine you all are at the market and someone says something about crazy annie, not realizing that one of you could quickly usher annie away while the other tears the person a new one.

imagine annie making you all matching seashell necklaces. she spends forever on them while you and Finnick are swimming (she loves the water, but it's a bad day, and every time she got near it she cried). When you guys finally come back from swimming to rest, she presents them to you with the most prettiest, brightest smile you've ever seen.

Finnick is quick to give her a hug, kissing her cheek as thanks. He puts Annie's on her first, and then yours, and then you insist Annie puts Finnick's on. You weren't sure if you ever saw her so happy before. The smile was permanent for the rest of the day, and even as she slept.

Imagine how'd you all sleep together. Usually, Finnick's in the middle because of some rambling about how he 'needs his two girls'. And, so it's you and Annie cuddled up on either side of Finnick, his big hands touching both of you in some way, shape, or form. Finn's nightmares generally worsen if either of you are gone for the night for any reason.

Annie loves to bake, it's her favorite past time and it helps her mind, and so there's mornings where you and Finnick wake up to a huge breakfast. Sometimes she'll just get in the groove and she can't stop, but if that ever happens and there's leftovers, you'll all package the food up and bring them down to the workers in the market. (At least your favorite vendors who see Annie Cresta for Annie, and not 'crazy Annie')

When Annie is taken to the Capitol, Finnick realizes just how reliant you are on Annie being there. You guys are always taking care of her — and Finn knew he needed her like he needed air, but he never considered it for you. You're not eating, not sleeping, resisting the doctors. The only thing that soothes you is when Finnick plays with your hair and lets you hold Annie's picture. (He doesn't do it the same, but for a few minutes, you can pretend it's Annie's fingers in your hair and not finnick's)

The marriage propo kills you. Coin insists it's you and Finnick, because the Capitol loves you two. Annie is well, Annie, and they believe it would look better with only you. Annie is devastated, but she shoulders it like she does all her insults, and she insists with a smile. It's good for the rebellion, especially if it means we can make it home faster, she tells you. But you won't budge. It's either you all get married or Annie and Finnick get married. Coin finally settles on letting you all get married.

The day of the wedding, Annie is giddy (you are too) and you help her get dressed. You dote her in all sorts of kisses, extra careful with her because of what happened in the Capitol. She's just breathtakingly beautiful that you're crying and Annie's laughing so sweetly at you with her own tears. She gently brushes the tears away — you truly forgot how tender she could be — while fixing your makeup that got smudged. She kisses your nose and tells you she loves you.

And, when Finnick sees the two of you, he's nothing but the biggest smile you've ever seen. His dimples deep, eyes crinkled, teeth poking his lip. You and Annie are standing together, Finnick in front, and you're all holding hands. It's beautiful, really, and you couldn't be happier to be married to your two favorite people.

[lucy-gray1075]

finnick odair who's always picking you up like it's second nature to him. he doesn't even have to expend any energy, he just wraps one big arm around your waist and tugs you into him, lifting your feet off the floor. he grabs your thigh with his other arm, hand squeezing your ass as he encourages you to wrap your legs around his torso so he can kiss you harder.

[allisluv]

Other victors find out you and Johanna are dating 😭

finnick would lowkey be like "i told you so" while annie comes up with ship names for the two of you. peetas congratulating you and katniss just doesn't give a damn LMAO 😭 cashmere would lowkey be super sweet about it but gloss would throw in a smart comment and she'd have to whack him in the ribs for being so rude. beetee and wiress will give in depth timelines for how long they think you're gonna last. haymitch doesnt care but he says something along the lines of "lets go lesbians" to show that he supports you HAHAHAHAH 😭

[katiemay-025]

hey idk if you have ur requests open or not cause i couldn’t find anything that says that they’re not (or im just blind)

but if they are open can you please do a johanna mason x reader to the song stranger by olivia rodrigo specifically the part “your just a stranger i know everything about” like maybe instead of finnick dying it could’ve been reader or smtg like just an idea

no pressure at all if you don’t wanna write it it’s fine dw

I’m open to requests as of yet anon but I’ve got work so might take a while or I could have a random burst of inspiration.

~~~

Stranger

~~~

summary: Johanna arrives in Capitol after the war and finds out some horrible news.

wc: 3.2k

warnings: mdni, angst, use of y/n, character death, grief, not proofread.

~~~~~

Watching from the sidelines was agony. If it were for that stupid Block Test, Johanna would be storming The Capitol with you, with Finnick, with the damn Mockingjay herself. Yet, here she was in the hospital staring at the white tiled walls. She didn’t know if you were okay or not and it drove her up the wall.

Communication between the group could not be achieved without interference from the Capitol. The ‘fallen tribute’ propo was played and it nearly caused Johanna to faint. The District 7 girl marched down to Beetee and demanded to know the truth. He had shown her the hacked camera system in the Capitol where everyone in the team had gone underground except for the guy that Peeta pushed into the tar.

She replayed the seconds of you walking by the camera near the middle of the group. You had held your weapon in your right hand and your left hand fiddled with the blue hospital bracelet that Johanna had given you.

You were still alive but heading deeper into the heart of Panem. It wasn’t going to be easy for you and the team. Johanna believed in you, after all, you were nicknamed the Career Grim Reaper as you ended the 6 year career streak between Enobaria and Augustus Braun. In your Hunger Games, you won with a scythe, chopping people’s bodies and head clean in half. With the added bonus of your taller than average height of 5’9” for a woman you could reach enemies from further. As for close range combat, beetee made sure you were able to retract the staff and have your scythe double as a sickle.

A few days later was when Snow lost all his supporters by bombing his own citizens. Johanna could care less, about them. They all deserved to burn in her eyes. He was captured by the rebels and Coin wanted all the victors to watch his executions. Alas, that event would come later as members of squad 451 were injured.

She was flown to the Capitol in a helicarrier with Beetee, Haymitch and Annie. Johanna nearly threw Annie out of it for annoying her. Annie’s nervous habit of biting her nails earned glares from the district 7 victor. Coin and her sources never told them who was injured.

When the helicarrier landed, the victors were escorted through the mansion. It was like the opposite of the rescue mission where she and Annie were in the hospital beds and Finnick and you were the ones running to them.

Annie started running first, desperate to see if her husband was okay. It made Johanna run behind her to try and find you. Annie barged through the door finding Finnick with a cast on his left arm and torso. “Finnick!”

“Annie!” He held her with the same intensity he did in District 13, the same passion on their wedding day. The kissed without a care in the world as Johanna searched the room.

Her heart rate picked up the longer she spent without you. “Where’s Y/n?”

Finnick turned over and gave her a solemn look with tear stains on his cheek. “I’m sorry.” He whispered.

“What are you talking about. Where is Y/n?”

Annie had pulled away slightly curious as to his answer of where you were. In Finnick’s mind, he was reliving the moment after the Quell, when you woke up on the helicarrier and asked where Johanna was. It broke his heart because in both cases, he would have to deliver a painful blow. “She’s- she’s dead. Y/n’s dead.”

Annie gasped throwing her hand over her mouth. The room ran cold and Johanna scoffed. “If this is your idea of a joke, it’s sick.”

“You know this is something I would never joke about.” Finnick replies and Annie begins to cry.

Johanna shakes her head. “No I don’t believe you. Just bring me to her. I want to see her.”

“There is no body Johanna. She was blown up.”

“She can’t have just left nothing!” Johanna yelled, tears threatening to fall down her face. “What about her weapon, a scorched piece of clothes. The hospital bracelet I gave her as a token. Something.”

Finnick’s face twisted in pain remembering your last moments. “Nothing.” He said with his shaky voice. Unlike Johanna, he let the tears start rolling down his cheek. Annie reaches over and wipes his tears.

Johanna glared at the lovers tender moments. Oh how she wanted that more than anything right now. After all you and her have been through, that much was owed to her. She pushes her feelings down with a deep breath. “Tell me- tell me what happened. Please.”

Finnick closed his eyes and winced. Johanna saw him thumb the small robe he had with him. “We escaped underground to rest for a bit. We woke to lizard mutts tracking Katniss’ scent but it didn’t matter, they ripped through anything that moved.

“We lost most of the district 13 soldiers before we decided to get out of the sewers. They had us at a choke point, we were surrounded and we had to go up an old rusty ladder.

“We were one of the last ones to go up. When I climbed. The mutts pulled me down by my shoulder and parts of the ladder with me. I heard the crack in my arm and I thought I was dead. Y/n saved my life, she killed the mutts around me with her scythe, threw me over her shoulder and ran. The camera crew shot at the mutts behind us but they kept coming.

“Y/n got us to another ladder and pushed me up. Pollux and Gale were there to pull me out of the sewers.”Finnick paused as he began to cry again. “I thought- I thought she was right behind me but all I heard was her screaming. She was nowhere in sight. The mutts had gotten to her and they were ripping her apart. Katniss blew them up and put Y/n out of her misery.”

Finnick barely finished retelling your last moments before Johanna stormed out of the infirmary. Her feet brought her to a room of glass vases and ceramic podiums. They must’ve had some significance to Snow but she didn’t care. Her breath quickened. She swiped at the glass and watched them shatter on the ground. She shoved the podiums over and let them crack.

Johanna rampaged through the room throwing and kicking anything that could break. The glass, the clay. She hated it all. You were dead only several hours before the war ended. It wasn’t fair, of all people, you didn’t deserve to die. You were good. Johanna fell to her knees, not caring about the broken glass cutting up her legs. She clumped a bunch in her hands and watched as the red liquid cascaded down to the floor. The red contrasting against the white marble floor as pure as snow.

Snow. Everything went back to him. Her pain, her losses: Her family, you. You. Your suffering. Your agony. Your death. It was all his fault. Johanna grunted in anger before turning from the room. She didn’t care if Katniss wanted to be the one to kill snow, Johanna had every right to kill him.

Before she could though, one of the training doctors saw her bloody hand and Johanna was taken to the infirmary. They were gentle with her and she hated it. Memories of defying the District 13 doctors swirled in her mind. She had refused to allow treatment in fear of it being a facade. She was afraid to be hurt again and you stayed by her side glaring at the Doctors who would cause Johanna to even wince.

The cut on her hand didn’t hurt despite the amount of blood coming through. The pain came from her chest. How it beat against her rib cage like it was trapped and trying to squeeze through the ridges and jump out of her body. Johanna even felt her heart beat in her throat and it made her nauseous. Her breath quickened as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

She stepped away quickly from the doctors, not caring if they hadn’t finished patching her up. Something overcame her, despite her hate for the Hunger Games, she went to the library where all the games were stored in the archive. Johanna cradled your taped game in her bloody hand.

There was a small lounge area with a television and the District 7 victor sat firmly in it watching your game. You were 16 at the time and besides the baby fat you almost looked the same now. The same muscular features highlighted your tall stature. She spent 3 hours watching you and your games and when it was done, she rewinded all the way to the beginning to watch it again.

Another reason for your nickname being the Career Grim Reaper was that you killed them all. You managed to join the careers and at night during your watch, The other district 9 tribute emerged from the bushes and together you slit their throats. The other two barely had time to react to the cannons before you sliced their heads off.

Your partner tried to get the upper hand on you when you shook hands but you quickly held him in a choke hold yelling at him to stop. He kept thrashing and managed to stab you in the arm. With great reluctance in your face and a quick apology, you snapped his neck.

The 68th Hunger Games was replayed a few times before someone came looking for Johanna. Being the stubborn and cranky woman she was, she stayed in the single seat, ignoring her stomach’s call for food just to see you. She could feel your spirit and your strength as if you were sitting next to her. It felt comforting.

The house maid brought her food at Finnick’s request and Johanna proceeded to ‘rot’ in front of the televisions. She only got up to use the restroom for the next week. Then a district 13 soldier came to ask her to a meeting. She didn’t want to go through the trouble of finding you tape again so she pocketed it.

She was greeted by some of the other victors, Finnick, Annie, Beetee, Peeta, Haymitch and surprisingly Enobaria. Katniss walked in and Johanna glared daggers at the mockingjay. That brainless girl was the reason you’re dead, but the death of her sister enough pain for her. She’d know the meaning of loss for the rest of her life.

President Coin gathered the remaining victors and with a short protest, Johanna found that Enobaria, along with herself, Peeta, and Annie, they were granted immunity. Shes still trying to to kill Enobaria, she was probably lying comfortably in her bed while everyone else fought for their freedom. She proposed a vote for a symbolic hunger games.

This was unfair. You were a victor you should’ve been there at the vote. It was your right. It was upsetting how you were hours away from a stop at this table. Regardless, in her anger and revenge she votes yes in hopes that Snow’s granddaughter gets reaped and he has to watch her die.

After the vote, came the execution. Everyone far and wide came to witness the death of a tyrannical dictator. Imagine being hated so much that everyone comes to witness your execution. Katniss broke her promise again! Instead of killing Snow, she killed Coin. Across the way, she could hear Snow’s maniacal laughter. Johanna clenched her fists and she felt the glass piece from last week cut her hand. The girl quickly pulled it out and flung at Snow’s head.

She watched a brilliant spray of blood and his laughter cease. People shoved her aside as they stormed to get their hands on President Snow. If he wasn’t dead from the glass in his face, he’d be dead from the crowd. Either way, he wouldn’t get the last laugh.

One of the guards, yanked her from the crowd and pulled her to safety. Yeah, protect the victor. Where was this level of security for you? They sent the victors back to their districts and before she got on hers, Finnick and Annie approached her.

“We know how much you love the forest, so when you need a break with watching that tape, eat something okay. We’re going to figure things out on our end so we can go to District 7 with you.”

“I’m not a child Finnick, I’ll be fine.”

“Don’t fight us on this. If I come over and smell the stench of rotting flesh I will bring you back from hell to kill you myself.” Finnick stepped closer to threaten her.

“Really? Threatening a victor?”

“Yes, how low of me. I’m not threatening a victor, I’m threatening my best friend.”

Johanna snapped her head at him as he used those words. If looks could kill, Finnick would’ve been in hell. “Don’t call me that! We both know Y/n was your best friend and I swear if you erase her…”

“She saved my life. I’m not erasing her. It’s just that she’s de- I can have two best friends.”

“No you can’t.”

“Okay fine. I’m threatening my best friend’s lover. I owe her that much, to take care of you.”

On the train ride home, she watched your game again. Feeling prouder and prouder of what you had done. Watching you at that young age, you were like a stranger to her. A stranger she knew everything about.

She knew your hobby which was beer crafting. She knew your family consisting of just your grandfather who passed away at the old age of 83 a few months after the 73rd Hunger Games. She knew how the rest of them died, your mom dying in childbirth and your father dying a couple months after from heartbreak. She knew about your spunk, any thought you said, you said without muttering. She knew about your habit, like how you’d pick at the skin around your finger nails or the way your eye twitches when someone chews with their mouth open. She knew of your fears, like your fear of the dark and being alone with no one to love you. She knew your favorite food, her own Marionberry pie with a bit of ice cream on the top. She knew the way you’d pick up the telephone by saying hello twice in quick succession. She even knew your fighting style and that you preferred close quarter combat.

After finding out about your passing she had yet to cry. Annie had cried, Finnick cried, Katniss almost cried. Hell even Enobaria cried. Her voice had broke on the phone a few months after returning home and she cried to Johanna. She just pulled the phone away from her ear and brought it back when she thought Enobaria was done. Alas, she was still in tears. Johanna managed a ‘there there’ and called it a day.

It wasn’t because she didn’t miss you she missed you everyday. She just couldn’t cry even if she wanted to. It’s as if she’s wasted all her tears before ever truly knowing you. She watched your games less and less throughout the years, and the Odair’s even named their daughter after you.

There were days where she couldn’t get up because of the heartache and then days like today she hadn’t thought of you so far. Finnick and Annie had their kids over for her birthday tomorrow and Johanna played with them as they splashed through the splash pad. Annie slowly got Johanna to be comfortable with the water.

She was turning 24 tomorrow and it dawned on Johanna that you never got to be 24, dying a few months short. You would never get the chance to be 24, 25, 26 and so on. She didn’t know what overcame her, before she knew it her tears fell out of her eyes torrentially.

Wiping at her tears, Johanna grew crazy when they wouldn’t stop. The time for crying was long over. It’s been over for 3 years. She was okay now, Johanna was sure of it. The weight of grief had lifted off her chest already, but now she felt it all. You were forever going to be 23 and she was going to be older than you now. The last time she saw you in person was when you told her you’d ‘see her soon’. She never got to see you again and anytime she conjured up an image of you, it was the 16 year old stranger. It was unfair.

She bit her lip to stop herself but the moment your namesake saw the glistening skin under her eye, her small hands shook the victor’s shoulder asking, “Aunty Jo? Are you okay?”

“Y/n I’m okay.” She looked into the child’s eye and burst into tears. Johanna pulls Finnick and Annie’s second child in for a hug and bawls repeating your name. The parents snapped into action when they heard the crying only to find Johanna in tears.

It was Annie that arrived first. Her daughter stood there confused and wouldn’t move when Annie tried to pull her away. Your namesake wrapped her arms around Johanna to let her cry. Finnick arrived shortly after seeing Annie pat her on the back. He mouthed ‘what happened’ to his wife but she only shrugged.

The couple were at a loss for words, but luckily, as parents, they knew what to do. They tried to pry Johanna from their daughter but she held on. It wasn’t until later at dinner when Johanna spoke up.

“I don’t want to celebrate my birthday.”

Finnick and Annie darted their eyes between each other and their honorary oldest child. “Why not?” Johanna mumbled her answer. “What was that?”

“I said I don’t want to be older than Y/n! I don’t want to be 24 when she’s stuck at 23! She had so much ahead of her. I’m forgetting what she looks like, what she sounds like. I miss her laugh. At this point she might as well be a stranger. I had no right to cry.”

“Everyone has a right to cry Johanna, we do it. Tears don’t make you weak and you can designate time to cry but it doesn’t mean grieving is over. It comes and goes. We tell our kids about Y/n, they remember her through stories. They practically know everything about her at least from what we knew of her. We keep her alive that way.” Annie tells as Johanna pouts.

“It’s unfair.” Johanna says.

“Auntie Jo.” Your namesake called. “Mommy and daddy say we live for the people who cannot.” Johanna smiles hearing your words echo throughout the Odair family.

“Yeah even if we never met old Y/n, it’s like we still know her!” Their son joined in.

That was who you are now, a stranger the people around you know everything about and although it has its sad moments you live on through memory.

[asterias-record-shop]

hello, i feel odd asking this because i have like no clue if you would be willing to write it but would you please write a finnick x reader x annie smut? like i geniunely love ur writing so much and i’d love for a fic where reader is very much into both and has actions with them both

thank you so much and have a nice day / evening / night <3333

hi honey! so, i wanted to give you some headcannons and this is just how i personally prefer a relationship with them both!

I don't know why, but I definitely see it being like you being bisexual, annie gay and Finnick just infatuated.

I'm a very possessive person (it's my beige flag), so I think your relationship with the two of them when combined you make sure that their attention is only on you.

Finnick has a habit of actually forgetting about annie, like not in a bad way but he's so focused on you that he doesn't really pay attention to anything else!

I definitely see Annie liking to give more than receive, same as finnick, so they both just fuck you and take turns getting you to that point where your mind is blurry and shit

I'm sorry I couldn't do more, just because they don't really expand on Annie's character very much besides her being like 'insane' (obviously quote unquote because it's trauma and she went through so much :( but yeah!)

[moonslesbology]

The Lucky One I

prologue - next chapter

YEARS HAD PASSED AND NOTHING ABOUT FINNICK ODAIR REALLY CHANGED, ALWAYS REMAINING THE KID WITH CUTS ON HIS HANDS AND HIS HEART ON HIS SLEEVE. Though, he was always annoyed at Eleanor for taking longer shifts than necessary at St Magdalene Rossetti  and exhausting herself to an unneeded extent. That was his only complain, though Eleanor didn't care though. She preferred the serenity of a doctor's office over the dead silence of a house. Yes, she was only seventeen, but doctors in District 4 were a rarity, not to mention the teenager had been learning all you can about anatomy since she was eight.

She had decided that her potential future as a doctor was much more plausible than becoming a career, fully leaving the academy after Finnick's games just two years prior. Though both Annie and Finnick were annoyed at Eleanor, they both understood why she made her choice.

So, instead she traded her knives and spears for needles and a pair of surgical gloves, content with a life of service to her community. Every year she watched as innocent children were saved in reapings, and while she couldn't save them from the games, she could save them from the grief and guilt.

Eleanor Eves, District 4's local sweetheart, was nothing short than a gentle being with a softness for children, flowers, and her best friends, Finnick Odair and Annie Cresta. If she wasn't working in St Magdalene Rossetti, she was always seen with them, mostly her and Annie tackling Finnick whenever they had a chance.

There wasn't a single bone in her body that allowed Eleanor the ability to take a life.

Breathing in heavily, Eleanor rubbed her eyes as she opened the door for Mr Ives, an older man with greying hair but warm eyes. Everyone knew of his unlucky streak down at the docks, always managing to cut his hands with the knives he weaved through the scales of fish caught at sea. 

Mr Ives, a man who seemed to have a streak for always cutting his hand whenever he cut the fish, seemed overtly fond of the brunette for her sweetness. Men from The Quay had brought him in just fifteen minutes before and he had adamantly insisted only Eleanor stitch up his cut. He had known her since she began working properly and trusted her to work on his wounds after she had expertly patched him up after a nasty cut on his hand, something her mother's unsteady hands struggled to do. At the time, the thirteen year old was figuring out the busy environment of a doctor's office, and watched as her mother struggled to steady her hand over Mr Ives' bleeding wound. Eleanor had logically gone and took the instruments off her mother, patching him up quickly and without many words. Ever since then, it was always Eleanor who helped him.

"You know Sweetheart, you have a real talent," Mr Ives had remarked, wincing as Eleanor injected the Morphling into his arm. She unwrapped the cloth that had been tied over the cut, immediately wiping away any of the excess blood. She grabbed onto the thread, tying it to the needle, before exhaling as she began sewing up the cut.

Eleanor gave him a small smile. "Believe me I wouldn't be this good if you didn't get injured this much, Mr Ives." She laughed apologising as she saw him wince slightly from the sight of the needle. "How's Martha and the baby?"

He gave a laugh. "The little lady's getting proper done with the kid, I'll tell you that." Mr Ives was a sweet man, Eleanor always thought so. He had always given her family extra fish whenever he could spare some. He was eternally grateful for her mother helping his wife get through a nasty case of the flu two winters prior and by association, was in debt to Eleanor. "She keeps demanding I wash in the garden since she pukes whenever I'm near her after my shifts."

Eleanor shook her head. "She is seven months along now and fish does smell bad when it's on you." Eleanor ignored the playful glare Mr Ives gave her. She decided on changing the topic. "Do you guys have any name ideas?"

"None Sweetheart." He shook his head with a laugh. "Wanted to call her Eleri and Martha nearly throttled me. She said that name made her feel sick as a fish." She laughed as he rolled his eyes, mimicking Martha's thick District 4 accent with a shake of his head. Martha Ives had come from The Cove, a region seemingly alienated from the rest of District 4. Their accents stood out like sore thumbs and Martha's was thick and rich, something Mr Ives adored. 

Eleanor grinned, finally finishing off the stitches. She finally cut away at the thread, patting down on the stitches before pulling out a bandage. She wrapped it carefully around the hand, finally nodding up at him as she finished.  "There, you better go home now." She told the man with an authoritative tone. There was a hint of playfulness in her voice as she instructed him.  "No fishing for at least a week. Keep the stitches dry and come back in about a week. Mary'll remove them then." She pulled Mr Ives into a hug, laughing as he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Sweetheart you are an absolute gem!" He laughed. He reached into his pocket, trying to pull out any spare change he had, only for Eleanor to shake her head at him. "Oh come off it, it's the least I can do."

She shook her head adamantly. "Policy is policy, Mr Ives. We don't care about money here, we aren't struggling for it at all. Now go, I don't want to see you until Martha has the baby."

He kissed her on the cheek once more, getting up and leaving the room. Eleanor sighed heavily, grabbing the cup of water which sat on the desk and taking a sip. She yawned, rubbing her eyes slightly. Then, she finally heard his voice and sobered up, blinking quickly to wash away any feelings of exhaustion.

Finnick Odair despised the days where Eleanor worked longer than necessary. Sometimes, his hatred took the literal form of him storming into St Magdalene Rossetti, just like today.  As much as he tried convincing her otherwise, often using the excuse that he misses her way too much, Eleanor always found herself spending most her days cooped up with foolish men who injured themselves down on the docks. It wasn't a bad job per say, just tedious with how frequently the same men came back constantly. 

As Finnick walked in, Eleanor exhaled heavily.

There were several ways in which Finnick Odair could be here:

A. He's injured.

B. He helped someone get here injured.

or

C. He simply wanted to annoy her.

Most the time, well at least nowadays, C was always the most logical and most likely explanation. "I swear to god, Finnick, you better not be injured again!" Eleanor raged as she walked around the room, pulling out bandaids and gauzes. She could already hear his choked laughs, rolling her eyes as she finally got off the ground. Finnick was stood in the centre of the room, holding a bouquet of tulips, scratching his head with a bashful smile. Her eyes softened, a blush already brewing on her cheeks. "Flowers?"

"Tulips," He grinned as she finally stood next to him, Finnick moving to smell the tulips and sighing breathlessly. He watched with fond eyes as she grinned at the bouquet, clearly not expecting the gesture. "My favourite which should be your favourite."

Eleanor grinned, a small blush already coating her cheeks. She couldn't help the way her heart fluttered as she took the tulips, holding them up to her nose and smelling them with a sigh. She wondered if flowers meant anything to Finnick, and if so, did they mean anything because he was giving them to her?

"Flirt with me when I'm not working, Odair." She rolled her eyes as he audibly groaned, quickly moving to grab a vase from the window. She gave the flowers one last smell, placing them in the empty vase and turning to see Finnick simply grinning at her. She gave an exhausted smile, hoping her cheeks weren't obviously red. She hoped she could just pass them off as a small sunburn if they were. "Seriously, why are you here?"

"Can't a guy miss his best girl?" He gave a lopsided grin, bouncing from one foot to the other.

Eleanor rolled her eyes. "Bother Annie, I'm sure she's not busy." She sighed, placing the bandaids down on the desk. She could feel Finnick's eyes on her, those stupid sea green eyes fixed on her figure as she finally took off her scrubs. "Don't tell me, you can't find her."

He nodded. "She's a good hider." Finnick scratched the back of his head with a bashful grin, watching Eleanor with a warm gaze.

"We always did beat you at hide and seek."

Finnick's eyebrows furrowed at Eleanor. "You mean, Annie, always beat me. You just followed her." He gave a laugh as Eleanor pushed him a way, scoffing in offence. Finally though, he held his hand out to her, looking at the clock momentarily before deciding for the both of them what they'd do next. "Come on, you're taking a break. Tell Ida and Margaret you're clocking out. You need a break."

Eleanor shook her head. "No, I've only got," she paused, looking at the clock before counting in her head. "four more hours." But it seemed as though Finnick wasn't having it, grabbing onto Eleanor and dragging her out, much to her protests. It seemed as though both Ida and Margaret were elated seeing the pair, waving Eleanor off with grins. "Finnick!"

Finnick grinned back at her, practically skipping alongside her. "You've been working all day! Have some fun!"

[kahlanmars]

PAPER RINGS part. 10

Hiii! I really appreciate your likes and comments <3

MASTERLIST

10. Take me home

You can’t sleep so much that night. You watch over Lora most of the time, wrapped in a blanket, and she opens her eyes suddenly. She is scared, like she is in the games again, and you can recall many times you did the same, waking up exhausted and terrified because in your mind you are in the arena again. Effie and Haymitch lull you for hours when it happens, but she is recovering swiftly. You are sad she had to get used to the episodes, like Haymitch when he was a boy, because you don’t picture Chaff as a guy that cuddles you in the time of need. He can’t. He has his demons to deal with.

«Ehi kiddo.» You try to sweeten your voice not to scare her more. You feel exhausted too and you caught yourself looking over your shoulders a few times in the night. 

«Where am I?» She asks, and she looks so lost. She is adorable but you don’t feel like she would have the same idea.

«Effie’s house. She is at Portia’s.» Effie has been a real saint about this. 

«Hi.» Lora is fully awake now, you know that because you watched her all night. She goes on and off with the naps but she is never fully awake.

«Hi, Sweetheart.» You hear yourself and you chuckle in embarrassment, because you clearly spend too much time with your boyfriend. «Are you feeling better?»

«A little. Have I scared everyone?»

«Just me and Haymitch, and Effie later. We can keep it between us.»

«I’m so sorry, I felt so lost. So guilty.»

«We are not mad at you, I’m not mad at you. I just always forget you are nineteen.»

«I miss my family.» She whispers and you can understand only partly. You still have your mother, even if she is far away, and despite you being an orphan you have never felt completely alone in your life. You remember Lora’s family from the reaping videos. She had a little brother, both her parents, a grandmother. And now she doesn’t have anyone because Snow bombed district Eleven after bombing district Twelve. Eleven was the major ally during the revolution. Rue was never forgotten. 

«I know. I miss my district. And I know we are not your family, but if you want you can stay with us.» Every word seems wrong, but also it’s not possible to shut up. You are not really good at this. 

«Effie has been beyond generous, and I just feel so rude. I don’t want to impose myself.» You shake your head.

«I didn’t mean with Effie, I meant with us. Me and Haymitch, if you want I can ask him. He won’t say no, he can’t say no to kids in need. He is the adoptive father of a thousand children.» You hope he won’t say no, you hope you are not making it up. You think you know your soon to be husband.

«But you two are so pretty together and… I would ruin it.» You can’t lie to yourself, you thought that too when Perla and Cinna decided to take her in. But now you get it, you get why she decided it. And your house is bigger than the ones in the city, you still will have plenty of space.

«What? No, we will always be pretty, you can’t ruin anything. Just think about it, okay?»

She smiles, but it doesn’t reach the eyes and she tortures her fingers. She is covering herself with a white blanket, maybe she is still a bit in shock. You are not a therapist, you don’t know those things. Maybe she is just tired, exhausted. 

«I just thought that after the war I would have had a goal in my life. I wanted to live so bad, and you have all found a place in this world. Perla is thriving in this life and her new job, you are always working in that big office with Portia, and Effie has a job in the bank now. I can’t find anything and I don’t have a purpose.»

This is so wrong. You shouldn’t live to have a purpose, you should live to enjoy things. But a thought like this is not practical, and you are trying to be practical.

«You are young.» You try nonetheless.

«People in my district…»

«People in your district didn’t go through the Hunger Games!» You protest, «You have been a soldier. Haymitch always says we are survivors, and even if he doesn’t think of it like a positive thing, we are. You were in the hospital for a while, you need time! Time to figure out what you want to do in life, but also time to understand who you are. Not the Lora who is worried about others' expectations and what she should be doing, the other Lora, the one who is free. Because you are free now.»

You are so caught in your speech that you don’t watch her, and when you see her eyes they are full of tears. «Can I really stay at your house for a while?»

«Yes. We will ask Haymitch, but if he doesn’t want to we still have plenty of empty houses in the victor’s village. We can stay in Twelve.» You promise, and you are rewarded with a very big hug.

Finnick is in his room, which is the guest’s room. He is not so much of a guest now, he has been in the Capitol for a while. You need to thank him so much, you always need to thank him. He saved your life so much you lost count of it, he never asked for anything in return - well you did kill Caius for her, but he didn’t know it.

«How did Annie react?» You want to know, a dagger of guilt in your chest. That magazine didn’t do much harm to you, because Haymitch has been in the game for a while and he knows when something is not true. He didn’t think for a second you could have cheated on him with Finnick, and he doesn’t care much for public humiliation. He had a charade as an old disgusting drunk for a decade.

Annie is completely another thing. She is strong, she knows the Capitol’s game and she knows how to handle those problems, she loved Finnick through his horrible life, when he was sold as a prize. But for her it has always been the truth, a truth he didn’t want, but the truth. And now she thinks she is finally free, after the war, after being captured by Snow and the torture, her and Finnick are married, monogamous and happy. 

She must have hated being under the spotlight again.

«She got it. She doesn’t doubt me, or you by the way. She likes you. She particularly liked the clothes you sent Finn.» That makes you happy. You don’t know her that much, in Thirteen you were a little more worried about not being charged for murder than making new friends, but she seems so sweet. You remember her from the games and after, when everyone thought she couldn’t last for long. And yet, with a little help from Mags and Finnick, she stayed alive. She fought all her problems and she won. 

«I love sewing clothes for babies, it was a pleasure.» You sit near to him on his bed and you rest your head on his shoulder. «You know, since I’ve been in this damn town all my friends have had problems, but you… are you all right? You seem all right.»

But Perla also seemed all right and she definitely was not, she just didn’t feel like talking about it. And if you didn’t show up unannounced at home one day, you couldn’t have surprised Effie crying on the sofa. So it’s better to be safe than to be sorry.

«I am, Dai. I really am fine for the first time in years.» Okay, now you are safe. Not because of his words, but the smile he has is genuine.

«So I should not be worried about you.»

«No, but… you shouldn’t be worried about any of us, I think you have some problems too.» That’s preposterous. Everyone has problems, but he saved your life twice if not three times, Effie offered you a home when you didn’t have one, Portia bought you what you needed and Perla and Lora always listened to you. 

«Well yes, but I manage well. And I have Haymitch.» Your voice gets softer. Since you two made up everything looks better. 

«Yeah, speaking of him, is everything okay between you two? I don’t like when he makes you cry.»

«He is a good man, Finnick. He just can’t communicate much.» And you hate how you feel when you defend him. You always sound to yourself like he is awful and you are just hiding it, but you are telling the truth, he is a horrible talker and he has his flaws and yet he is one of the best people you ever met.

«I know he is a good man, he helped me a lot when I was a young victor, but I just can’t help but worry for you. And you usually have a hard time asking him anything.»

«Yeah but he gets it.»

«He didn’t, this time.» He deadpans.

«He has been wonderful for two years. We had a fight, but he came for me. I’m happy.» And you really are. 

«As long as you are happy.» He doesn’t seem very convinced by it, but he lets it go, which is a good sign. 

You look at him. Your friend. The handsome man on the television is one of your best friends now. And he is a father, he is missing his son too much. At that age you go out for two weeks and yours is another child. 

«You should return home. Finn must miss you so much, and Annie is alone with a lot of work.» You resonate. And you can see he wants to go home but he is worried.

«Tigris and Mags are with her.» You snort. You met Tigris twice, and she is wonderful, a true force of nature, but she is eighty, older than President Snow when he was alive. Mags is lovely, but life put her on a tough path. 

«Tigris and Mags are ancient. You helped me so much, Finnick Odair, and I love you, but you miss them too.» 

«I love you too. Are you sure that everything is okay?» He takes your hand and squeezes it. 

«Very sure.» 

He gets up, and you too. Maybe he will take the train tomorrow, or the day after, and you enjoyed the time you two had together. Well, maybe it could have been better without three days of uninterrupted crying, but it has been good.

«So it's goodbye.»

You shake your head. «Not for long! You and Annie will come to the runway, right? And for my wedding.»

«Wedding. Daisy Pinecone, a bride.»

«Daisy Pinecone Abernathy, please.»

«Weird. I hope you won’t mind if I dress in white.»

«You stupid boy.» You laugh, but you don’t mind when he pulls you in a hug. You don’t want to cry, because in two or three months you will see him again, and you can always spend the holidays in District Four with him and Perla. 

«Oh and you are marrying a man.»

«Stop pestering me! I will miss you.»

«I will miss you too, Dai.»

You are exhausted when you come back home, but when you see Haymitch standing in front of the kitchen, making some tea, you hug him from behind. His strong hands… This piece of man is all yours. And he is beyond generous, a good person, and it doesn’t hurt that he is so attractive.

«Hi, my love.» You lean on him, and you dare smack his butt. 

He turns around and smirks against your lips. «Hi, pervert almost wife.»

«You misspelt “Perfect”.» You really want to deadpan his joke, but you watch him and you feel immediately more relaxed. A rising of love. «Thank you.»

«For what?» He raises an eyebrow. 

«For being the best boyfriend ever?» You really can’t believe how good he is. He took care of Lora without thinking twice, in his style: no words, just facts. He shut up and handled the situation without making a fuss, because she is a child in need and he has a soft spot for children in need, either human or cats.

«What happened?» And of course he is still paranoid. If you thank him, it must be because you have a terrible disease, or something really bad happened and he doesn’t know that yet, not because you love him and you want to show him. What’s to love, after all? He is not big on confidence. The only thing he is sure about is his intelligence, and you are aware he is suffering from the alcohol recovery. The brain is still there in all his glory and he is still a freaking genius, but sometimes he is slower than before.

«Nothing.» You kiss his shoulder. «I just missed you a little. Plus, you have a very nice ass.»

«A little?» He catches you in his arms, lifting his eyebrows. He deepens his voice for the scene and you have to stop yourself from kissing the hell out of him again, because his voice makes you feel like you are about to combust. «A little?!»

«A lot! A lot!» You try to yell but it doesn’t matter. He throws you over his shoulder and he drags you on the couch.

He takes you in his arms and he places a rather chaste kiss on your neck. You hum in pleasure, so happy you almost purr. This place, you being in his arms on a couch without any close danger, any revolution or Capitol City and Snow watching you like a hawk. You are still full of problems and nightmares and sometimes you feel like you are still in the eye of the storm, but you can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

«I love you so much, Mr. Abernathy.» You whisper against his ear and then you kiss him, his tongue fighting with yours in a sweet battle.

«I love you too, Sweetheart. I was thinking…» He tries, but you interrupt him.

«Did it hurt?» You joke, your eyes sparkling. He always says things like that to Effie, and sometimes you return the favour. But you also want to reassure him, so before he could do anything you kiss his cheek and mutter «Man with a big brain.»

He smiles at you, but he does the expression he always does when he wants to be serious. «We can take care of the kiddo.»

You were going to ask him, maybe after a dinner with candles, a nice dress and some steamy sex, but you didn’t expect him to volunteer. But after the discussion you two had a few days ago, you are not sure he can handle it. 

«Are you sure? You don’t like people and-» And sometimes, just sometimes, he wants to do something but he can’t. He spends days in the bed because he can’t deal with sunlight, people and he trembles too much for his liking. Katniss and Peeta are used to it and they respect you enough to let you mother them a bit, just to check if they have had an episode and if they eat, but with Lora it’s different. Lora is your friend, and you are not sure you have that kind of relationship.

«She is just a year older than Katniss. And I would want someone to take care of her if I was dead.»

You used to forget she is little. She is very young. You bite your lips, not very sure of what is best to do. You want Lora, but are you really that far from Chaff? Chaff is not capable of taking her because he has an alcohol problem, he is severely traumatised. And you are not? And Haymitch is not? You are not ready for a child, but you are ready to take care of Lora?

«You really wouldn’t mind? I know you wanted your privacy.»

And he wanted some time of his own! And now you are taking an almost teenager to his house. Well, not his house, you just had a big conversation about that not being just his house, your house too.

«Ours is a big house, and District Twelve will be good for her.»

You snort. «You think District Twelve would be good for everybody.»

But it would be. She needs some time to think without pressure, and Twelve it’s just the right place. You can work and you can smell the air, you can press pause to your worries for a while. It was good for you for six months and you miss it. And Eleven is not far, if she has an aunt or an uncle, or she wants to visit Chaff, or she simply wants to go home, she can do it quickly.

«Because it would. You, for example, are a district Twelve girl and you came out pretty good, mh?» He looks at you like he wants to ravish you. He watches your legs, your cleavage, he ogles you without shame and you just have to stop and take his face in your hand to kiss him with heath. 

«”Pretty good”? Is that how you want to talk about your future wife?» You raise your eyebrow, trying to look imperturbable. You are not. He is so hot, it’s not your fault.

«My cocky wife doesn’t need her ego stroked.» He whispers on your lips.

«I hope you won’t think you’ll have something else stroked then.»

He chuckles and he leans his forehead to connect it with yours. «Nobody believes in your sex strikes, babe.»

«I wonder why!» You laugh, but he is the one with his hands on your back. «Can I ask Lora, then? If she wants to come with us?»

«Yeah. Plus, we colonised Effie’s house enough. Me and the kiddo can go home and you will come on the weekends.»

You don’t want him to leave. You don’t like the city, you don’t like living without him and you don’t want to burden him with Lora alone. You will miss Effie, but he is right: you are bothering her. She is too classy and polite to tell you, but she is becoming insufferable and she has every reason to be. It’s her home, she wants to stay in with Portia, to fool around, and she is embarrassed. 

«Haymitch…» You whisper.

He strokes your hair and puts a kiss on your head, and he makes you smile for these little caresses. «Do you want me to stay? We can book a hotel or something.»

You shake your head. You don’t want to stay in Capitol City anymore. You thought it was a great city full of opportunities for you, and maybe it is but you want your home now. Six months were enough.

«I want to go home too. The Capitol is not for me, I thought it was, but it’s not.»

You thought he would have jumped in joy, but he stares at you for a moment, confused and conflicted. «But you are good at what you do.»

«I am! I finally am, and I’ll come back on the weekends and for the meetings with Portia. And occasionally I think I’ll come for sleepovers with Effie and Perla too, but I miss my home.»

He relaxes. He hates the Capitol, but he doesn’t want you to give up on your dreams. 

«Come back, then.»

«Would that be like losing?» He lifts you up and you wrap your legs on his hips. He immediately hugs you back.

«Oh, sweetheart no… you learned so much. You just don’t like this hell of a place, that’s only sane of you.» He places small kisses on your neck. «You spent your whole life in Twelve, and when you came here you were a celebrity. Now you are experiencing the real city for the first time, and if you didn’t like it, I respect it. I don’t like it either.»

«I love you.» You whisper, «I love you because you get what I want, and I love you because you are the most generous man alive, and I love you because you are willing to take care of Lora...» 

He stops you, smacking your ass, and you giggle, completely in love. You cage him in a big kiss. 

«Come on, stop. I kinda want you to come home.» He confesses, when the need for air is unbearable.

«You want to?»

«Yeah, I can’t wait.» He murmurs in your ear like it’s a big secret.

«I can't wait to be home. Do you think I could rent a laboratory or an office in the village? I could work there and then come here to collaborate with Portia.»

«I think it's a good idea.» 

«Well, maybe Portia hates my sketches and I’ll never make the fashion show with her and Cinna.» You smile, trying to hide the fear.

You go to the office with a lot of drawings and a heart that pumps too hard for your own good. You are not scared by Portia anymore, but nonetheless you don’t want her to think you are not good at your job. These months have not been the greatest or the easiest of your life, but you have one thing more than before: now you believe you are a good stylist. Not the best, you still have a lot to learn but you remember when you wanted to come back because you didn’t feel like you belonged there. Maybe you don’t belong in the city, maybe the Capitol is not good for you but the job is. You want to create with the fabric, you crave to make your own designs and patterns and dresses. You just want to do that in District Twelve.

«Portia?» You call her when she arrives, and you hand her the coffee you bought her. «Can I talk to you for a second?»

«Of course.» She spots the drawings on your desk, way happier than before because of the cup she has on her nail polished hands. «Are these…?»

«Yes.» Your voice trembles a little, and it’s stupid, you have been working with the woman for six months now, you fought with her in a revolution, she is not supposed to make you feel scared. And yet you fear her judgement.

«Come.»

You understand this is Portia’s great comeback and you don’t want to ruin it for her. She is a great stylist, and she works with Cinna, so it’s like making a cupcake with a chef. The cupcake might be cute and sweet and a welcomed snack, but it’s not gourmet. But you are also District Twelve, which means the last one who has to go. You are quite sure Portia will be the very last, maybe with a Capitol dress or another idea, but Twelve is expected to be flawless since it’s the district of the revolution. 

«First of all, I want to thank you again for the opportunity.»

«Well it’s not just for you, I mean… You are good and I want my runway to be the best.»

With a bit of fear - a lot of fear - you show her your sketches. You drew a lot, but then you chose your best ones for Portia and the others are in your bag, just in case she doesn’t like the first ones. 

The first is a green long dress, meant for a thick fabric for winter, with bell sleeves and a pleated skirt, embroideries of black flowers, a reminder of the mines. The second a summer one, an orange one, like a sunset in the meadow, with an asymmetrical circle skirt and bishop sleeves, a white ribbon under the nape.

And the third one is…

«A flower.»

You didn’t mean it like a daisy, it’s an empire waist dress, it starts with a celeste, then a light green, yellow and light pink on the top. They are very pastel colours, but you imagined a dress that a kid from the district wants for a ball like this. Colours and a princess vibe. You surely wanted it.

«So what do you think?» You ask, a little nervous.

«I like them. They have mistakes, but they are good. I want them.»

You breathe for the first time in an hour. «So I can make them.»

«Yes you can and you should. We have a month.» Of course you started them, but you have to finish. «And it’s not going well, by the way. Not many people want to connect themselves with us.»

«Rebels?» You try.

«Yes, that too.» The way she smiles at you, like she is very ashamed of what she is thinking, tells you that the rebel part is not the important one.

«Districts.» You assume.

«Models don’t want to work with us and sponsors are not answering our calls. This is a bit of an impasse.»

You look at her, that disappointed look, and you have an idea. It’s not a nice idea. It’s an idea that will give you trouble. 

«Would you trust me?» Would you trust a condoned murderer? Just one is the right answer. But Portia gives the other one.

«Yes?»

«Good! Then give me half a day. And a Perla!» 

«Perla?» She is unsure now, and rightfully so.

«Yes, I’ll need Perla.» You quickly stand up and you take your bag, because if you stop and you think about it - or worse, if you talk about it with someone - you will change your mind. 

And Perla needs to vent some anger.

[izzysink]

𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓:

↜ 𝑹𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒔𝒐𝒅𝒚 - 𝑨 𝑯𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝑮𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝑭𝒊𝒄 ↝

✎ 𝐚𝐨𝟑 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏: 𝑃𝑅𝐸𝐿𝑈𝐷𝐸

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐: 𝑅𝐸𝐴𝑃𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝐷𝐴𝑌 

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑: 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝐶𝐴𝑃𝐼𝑇𝑂𝐿

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒: 𝑇𝑅𝐴𝐼𝑁𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝐷𝐴𝑌 1

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟓: 𝑇𝑅𝐴𝐼𝑁𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝐷𝐴𝑌 2 - in progress

↜ 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝑮𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔  ↝

𝐬𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 - 𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚

↜ 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒚 𝑱𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑶𝒍𝒚𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒔  ↝

𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐳𝐞𝐮𝐬 - 𝐣𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 (𝟐-𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭) 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝟸 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠

↜ 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔  ↝

✎ 𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 - 𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 (𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬)

[targaryenluvs]

guess who’s decided to make an annie x reader x finnick and make it super cute n fluffy as an apology for what she’s written??

[onlybeeewrites]

A Change of Plans

Request: hi!! could i request a oneshot for haymitch where theyre already in a relationship, takes place during the 75th hunger games and shes reaped, reader is very similar to annie cresta - soft spoken, shy, kind but emotionally fragile due to past trauma - maybe haymitch and katniss’s alliance negotiations are more desperate because he promised to get her out of the games? please and thank you!!

Pairing: Haymitch Abernathy x Fem!reader 

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings: mentions of PTSD, spoilers for Catching Fire 

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The train hummed beneath them—too smooth, too quiet—like it had no business carrying something as ugly as death. Haymitch sat stiffly in his usual seat, a glass in hand he hadn’t touched. For once, the burn of liquor wasn’t enough. Not for this.

The reaping was over.

For District 12, at least.

Katniss and Peeta were reaped.

Well—he was. Technically.

Peeta volunteered, though it wasn’t like Haymitch could do much to stop him. Not when the Capitol stacked the deck so neatly, not when Snow already knew every move they’d make before they made it.

It was all exactly what he feared.

And somehow worse.

Because it wasn’t just Katniss and Peeta.

It was who else had been chosen.

The third Quarter Quell.

Where the victors themselves became the tributes.

A punishment wrapped in a celebration.

He hadn’t seen her yet. Hadn’t let himself imagine it. Wouldn’t allow her face to take shape in his mind—not until he had to. He thought he could delay it. Maybe she wouldn’t be reaped. Maybe, for once, the odds would lean in their favor.

Now, the screen played the recaps—district by district. A slow, cruel countdown. Effie had turned the volume up, her voice unnaturally chipper when she said they should “know who we’re up against.”

Peeta sat with his elbows on his knees, eyes fixed. Katniss sat rigid beside him, barely breathing.

A notepad lay in Peeta’s lap, filled with frantic notes and rough sketches. Names circled, others crossed out, arrows and question marks scribbled into the margins. He wrote based on Haymitch’s earlier comments—strategy, personalities, strengths. He wanted to be ready. Wanted to protect her.

They didn’t know how impossible that would be.

Haymitch sat bracing himself. His hands were already trembling, though he hadn’t taken a sip. He didn’t look at the others. Didn’t dare.

District 8.

The screen flickered.

There she was.

Standing alone on the platform, washed in that horrible blue-white Capitol lighting that made everyone look a little more ghost than human. Her hands were folded in front of her, fingers white at the knuckles. Her shoulders hunched slightly, like she was trying to make herself disappear into herself.

Just her and one other female tribute.

She hadn’t changed much. Maybe a few more lines around her eyes, a new softness in her features. But the essence of her remained untouched. The gentleness. The quiet strength. The kindness.

Even now, she looked soft.

Everything the arena was not.

Katniss inhaled sharply beside him. “Oh.”

Effie’s hand fluttered up to her mouth, her expression crumbling. “Oh no…”

Haymitch didn’t look at them. Didn’t acknowledge anything but the screen. His heart thudded slow and sick in his chest, and his fingers curled tight around the glass he still hadn’t touched.

Y/N stepped forward when they called her name. Her voice was low, trembling—barely above a whisper. But she walked. Unflinching. No dramatics. No sobs. Just the quiet dignity she always carried, like a thread sewn into her very bones.

She didn’t look surprised.

She didn’t cry.

That was her.

Always braver than anyone realized.

Braver than him.

“Won’t the other volunteer for her? She’s…” Peeta’s voice trailed off, uncertain, trying to say the right thing. “She’s not the most violent, is she?”

Haymitch’s jaw clenched. “I doubt it,” he said tightly. “The other female victor, Cecilia. Sweet woman. But she’s got three kids. If she wasn’t picked, she wouldn’t volunteer.”

Katniss was watching him now, not the screen. Her voice dropped into something softer than he’d ever heard it. “You didn’t think they’d pick her.”

“No,” he said flatly. “But then again…” He raised the glass, whiskey burning his throat. “Sometimes the odds are leaned into our favor.”

He tasted bitterness more than alcohol.

Because he knew.

He knew Snow did this on purpose.

Picked this Quarter Quell theme.

Picked Katniss.

Picked her.

This wasn’t justice. It wasn’t random. It was Snow’s hand around his throat, squeezing harder every time Haymitch dared to hope for something better. Dared to love something again.

Haymitch leaned forward and set the glass down, scrubbing his hands over his face like he could erase the image burned into the back of his eyelids—his wife, his wife, standing stiffly as Peacekeepers took her from the stage. They cut the footage just before she looked back.

But he didn’t need to see it.

He knew that look.

He’d seen it before.

The first time she was reaped, before they’d ever met.

Before she won.

Before he ever dared to let someone in again.

He had spent years protecting her in the only way he knew how—keeping her name quiet, keeping her out of the Capitol’s grasp, tucked away in the shadows of District 8. She had always felt too good for this world. Too soft for it. But she’d survived it once.

Her condition, her fragility, her gentle demeanor—none of it ever made her weak. It just made her precious. To him.

Now they were throwing her back into the fire.

“Haymitch,” Effie said gently. Her voice had lost all its Capitol shine. “I am… so terribly sorry.”

He didn’t answer. What was there to say?

There was no plan. No maneuver. No clever twist of words that could undo this.

All he could see was her. That quiet smile she gave him when she mended his clothes. The way she held his hand in bed when the nights were too dark. The smell of her hair. The small kiss to his wrist when she thought he was asleep. Her voice saying his name like it meant something.

Gone.

No.

Not gone.

Still within reach.

The plan was still in motion. The one he’d built with Plutarch piece by piece. But now… now it needed to be reshaped. Bent to save her.

He stood abruptly. His voice was rough, slurred at the edges, but solid where it counted. “She’s not dying in that arena.”

“Haymitch—” Peeta started, knowing that at the end, only one of them could get out. There was no way they’d let them get away with it a second year. 

He turned, eyes burning. “I mean it. I don’t care what it takes. If we’re—” He stopped himself. Too many ears. Too many cameras. He gritted his teeth.

Katniss nodded slowly, picking up what he was putting down. “We’ll watch her back. But you know how this works. Especially now. Only one can make it out.”

Only one.

That’s what the Capitol wanted them to believe.

But Katniss and Peeta didn’t know what he did.

Didn’t know Beetee’s plan.

Plutarch’s plan.

Didn’t know the ship hovering beyond the clouds that would be ready for when the time comes.

Didn’t know he’d already laid the groundwork to get her out. He just needed to get the other Victors on board.

He just had to keep Katniss alive long enough to make it happen.

For the rebellion to happen.

But now he had another factor to worry about. His wife was now stuck in the games. Haymitch needed to figure out a way to keep her safe. Sponsors would only do so much, and Cecelia would ensure you were looked after. The capital loved you and all the clothes you made. A Capital favorite, especially to all the designers like Cinna.

Maybe Finnick would do. He could be trusted.

Or Johanna. She liked Y/N. Had a soft spot for her, even if she’d never admit it.

It could work.

It had to.

Effie dabbed her eyes with a lace handkerchief. “She’s one of the good ones,” she whispered. “Always has been.”

Haymitch didn’t reply.

He couldn’t.

He turned and left, boots heavy against the floor as he crossed the car to his compartment. Once the door slid shut, he walked to the window and leaned a hand against it. The tracks blurred by below, the sky painted in ash and dying light.

Somewhere out there, she was being powdered, painted, packaged for the cameras. Being forced into a dress she didn’t want. Touched by hands that didn’t know her. Made to smile through the terror.

Somewhere, she was alone.

And he was here.

But not for long.

This time, he wouldn’t watch from the sidelines.

This time, if the world wanted war—they’d get it.

Because no one was taking her from him again.

Not without burning for it.

[amgk22]

all people from thg, tbosas, & sotr

⭐️🌻 the cast of the hunger games being asked out by reader, their best friend

⭐️⛅️💐 the cast of the hunger games with a sunshine!fem reader

⭐️⛅️ the cast of the hunger games meeting the cast of tbosas

⭐️ the cast of the hunger games with a baby

⛅️🌙⭐️💐🌈 the cast of the hunger games finding out you’re pregnant

🍓⭐️⛅️: mom!effie and dad!haymitch headcanons

🍓🌻 ⭐️: the victors of the hunger games with a 12 year old victor

⭐️⛅️: rue and prim being best friends

🍓⭐️: haymitch and katniss with preg!victor

🌙 🪐: reefs and trees. coral & johanna

🌙🪐💐: the 75th hunger games. katniss & peeta

🪐: new hair. haymitch x effie

🪐: a rose and one boot. asterid x burdock

🪐🌙: nothing I can do. lenore dove x haymitch

the hunger games trilogy.

katniss everdeen

🌈⛅️💐🪐: katniss teaching you how to shoot a bow and arrow

🌈🌙💐🪐 katniss singing you to sleep

⭐️: autistic!katniss headcanons

⭐️: katniss in the fall

peeta mellark

⛅️⭐️💐: peeta accidentally burning your hand

⛅️🪐💐: cuddles.

gale hawthorne (+ the hawthorne siblings)

primrose everdeen

⭐️🍓💐: prim being your best friend

haymitch abernathy (alcohol’s version)

⛅️⭐️🍓💐: haymitch with a newborn daughter

⭐️🍓: haymitch when you burn your hand

effie trinket

rue barnette

cato hadley

clove kentwell

glimmer belcourt

🍒🌈🪐💐: glimmer tempting you with a sexy dress

marvel sanford

thresh morrowson

⭐️⛅️💐: thresh being your boyfriend

🌙⛅️⭐️💐: angst and fluff headcanons

finnick odair

johanna mason

annie cresta

cinna

the ballad of songbirds and snakes.

coriolanus snow (young)

sejanus plinth

⛅️💐⭐️: sejanus plinth with pregnant!reader

⛅️⭐️: sejanus plinth hanging out with the covey

lucy gray (+ the covey)

🌈💐⭐️⛅️: lucy gray sewing you a dress

⭐️: lucy gray + the covey going to the beach

⛅️⭐️💐: lucy gray, maude ivory, and cc going clothes shopping

⛅️💐⭐️: lucy gray with sick!reader

⛅️⭐️🌻: lucy gray helping reader stay focused

⭐️🌻 : lucy gray helping you with a meltdown

🪐🍓💐🌈: lucy gray after you cry in class

⛅️🌙⭐️: maude ivory and cc hcs

🍓💐⛅️⭐️: maude ivory braiding cousin!reader’s hair

festus creed

coral marlin

sunrise on the reaping.

haymitch abernathy

lenore dove

⭐️💐🍓⛅️: lenore dove with siblings

maysilee donner

wyatt callow

⭐️🌙⛅️: wyatt callow hcs

louella mccoy/lou lou

⭐️⛅️: louella and lou lou meeting

burdock everdeen

blair

asterid march

[lucy-gray1075]

finnick odair and black!cat reader

[allisluv]

Hii can you do thg characters reactions to fem!reader getting her nipples pierced??

-🎸

nsfw

katniss’ first reaction is to ask how bad it hurt and i stand by that.

peeta gets all red in the face and he’s super awkward around you, purely because he doesn’t want to admit how much he likes it.

finnick finds it super hot. this man has got his mouth on you in seconds.

johanna also finds it super hot. she takes you back to the piercing shop and helps you pick out new jewelry.

annie is fascinated with why you wanted to get your nipples pierced and it lowkey makes her want to get hers done too.

lucy gray could not care less. you take off your shirt to show her and she’s like “sugar that’s so cool!” but then she goes back to whatever she was doing LMAO

[lythea-creation]

Broken Toys - Johanna Mason x fem reader (Chapter 20)

Chapter 1

Previous Chapter

word count: 3.078

------------------

The days passed by and I was busy with my training once again.

Johanna had reassured me several times that she would be fine before I had agreed to training the whole day again.

When I met her at dinner, I noticed that she was upset.

“Johanna, did anything happen?”, I asked her worried.

She exchanged a glance with Katniss which did not ease the anxiety inside of me at all.

“Coin refused to let Katniss and me join the final battle. Now we have to start training tomorrow and pass a special exam to get a chance”, she grumbled.

Honestly a great part of me wished that Johanna would not pass the test, but I knew that it was selfish. She had good reasons to fight as well and I could understand her.

“You can't persuade me not to”, she added eyeing me carefully.

“I wouldn't have tried to anyway”, I assured her.

“Great. Cause training already started today and I'm too tired to discuss that now”, she admitted bluntly.

Katniss looked utterly exhausted as well. I remembered that her ribs were still healing and she looked like she was in pain.

“Katniss? You alright?”, I worried.

“Yeah, I got a new treatment for my ribs to recover faster”, she explained.

Tonight was horrible. It was not like I had had a great night lately thanks to everything going on and the constant nightmares of either Johanna or me or both of us, since a few days also the ones of Katniss. But this was another extend.

Katniss was battling the pain of her rib treatment and Johanna was struggling with her morphling withdrawal.

I woke up to Johanna insulting Katniss. Apparently district 7 had a lot of ways to swear and curse and Johanna knew them all.

I made sure that she was drinking enough water, which was a battle on its own. Johanna was not able to think clearly anymore as she was really suffering, which hurt me too. I just wanted her to finally get better.

As the sun raised again, Johanna was eager to drag Katniss to training. Sleep was not an option anymore anyway. So I decided to go to training early as well.

“I don't think I can handle this today”, Katniss confessed.

“Of course you can. We will both handle it. We are victors, remember? We survive everything they throw at us”, Johanna stated.

She was looking completely sick and was shaking badly. Preferably I would have tied her to the bed, but I knew that I could not stop Johanna as she was stubborn as hell. And maybe she needed the training to improve her health.

Reluctantly Katniss got up.

When I returned from training that evening, Johanna and Katniss were not in the infirmary. One of the paramedics told me that we had gotten a new room.

I searched for the right number, knocked and opened the door.

Johanna and Katniss were talking to each other on eye level, something I had never experienced between the two before. They had not noticed me yet. So I stayed silent and listened curiously.

“May be. But he has changed”, Katniss said.

“You too. And (f/n) and me. And Finnick and Haymitch and Beetee. I'm not even talking about Annie Cresta. The arena broke us all pretty well, didn't it? Or are you still the same you were back then when you volunteered for your sister?”, Johanna questioned.

“No.”

“That's the only thing the psycho doc may be right about. There is no way back. So we could as well move on”, Johanna recalled.

She moved and the lights turned off. Literally kept in the dark. Thanks!

“Aren't you afraid that I'll kill you tonight?”, Johanna joked.

“As if I couldn't take you on”, Katniss shot back and the two burst out laughing. They had to be really beat up to behave like that.

“Hey, guys”, I greeted them.

If I had sneaked to my bed, the possibility of them attacking me despite their state, would have been too high for my liking.

“Oh, (f/n)! How do you survive this hellish training? You've been gone even longer than us”, Johanna noted.

“I had more time to adjust”, I brushed it off.

“District 11 is endurable”, Katniss recalled.

“Ouch!”, I exclaimed as I had hit my pinkie toe at the edge of the bed.

“Why are you two even still sharing a room?”, I wondered.

“Because they don't trust me, but fulfill every wish of the mockingjay”, Johanna proclaimed.

“What time is it?”

“Apparently past curfew as the lights turned off. Eleven pm.?”, Katniss answered.

I sighed. “Talking about warm water. I haven't taken a shower yet.”

“Do it tomorrow morning”, Johanna grumbled half-asleep.

“Trust me. You don't want that”, I assured her as we usually shared one bed.

“Can't be worse than in the arena. Come over before I get angry”, she threatened me.

I did not have any energy left anyway. So I obeyed.

Over the next week the situation in our room improved progressively.

Currently I was making my way to the canteen for dinner and was happy to see Katniss, Finnick, Annie and Johanna gathered at one table. Of course I joined them.

Johanna smiled at me when I sat down in front of her next to Katniss.

We listened to Finnick telling a ridiculous story about a turtle who had carried away his hat.

Things almost felt normal. Talking and laughing with friends during dinner without thinking about the cruelties going on on the surface of this country. But this illusion did not remain long as Peeta suddenly appeared behind the empty chair next to Johanna.

“Peeta! Nice to see you … and not inside the bed anymore”, the girl next to Katniss exclaimed.

Two guards were standing behind him and he had difficulties balancing the tray due to his chained hands.

“What kind of fancy bracelets are these?”, Johanna joked.

“You can't trust me yet. I can't even sit here without your approval”, he elucidated.

“Of course he can sit here. After all we are old friends”, Johanna announced while patting the chair beside her.

The guards nodded and Peeta sat down.

“In the Capitol Peeta and I had adjacent cells. He knows my screams and I know his”, Johanna declared.

An uneasy feeling built up inside of me. I knew that it was Johanna's way of coping to bluntly state her thoughts, but I hated it to be reminded of her torture that was killing me already whenever I had time to think about it.

Annie, who was sitting at Johanna's other side, had zoned out earning Johanna a death glare from Finnick.

“What? My psycho doc says that I should freely express my thoughts. That's part of my therapy”, she justified herself.

Silence erupted between us as Finnick tried to soothe Annie.

The rest of dinner continued awkwardly and I was glad when it was over. Peeta had said some terrible things about Katniss.

I once again distracted me with my training, while Johanna had already returned to our room and was probably telling Katniss everything that had happened after the latter had left the canteen.

When I returned to our room after my shower and laid down on Johanna's and my bed, the lights turned off.

Johanna immediately wrapped her arms around me.

“Johanna? Did you really hear his screams?”, Katniss asked.

“That was part of it. Like the jabberjays inside the arena. With the difference that it was real. And it didn't stop after one hour. Tick tock”, Johanna replied and I snuggled closer to her, if that was even possible.

“Tick tock”, Katniss whispered back.

Even Johanna's closeness could not keep the nightmares away tonight.

The following days Cressida and her team filmed me, Gale and the other victors training.

Cressida was excited about the video she had taken of me. I was shooting onto moving targets from different angles and distances and did not miss one. The hard training over the last weeks had definitely payed off.

The propos were amazing.

Finnick, Annie, Katniss, Johanna and me dancing on the wedding.

Finnick killing some 'enemies' with his new trident.

Gale bombing up a building with a special arrow.

Katniss and Johanna working together to win against a dozen opponents.

Even Peeta was shown training.

The rebels were ready to fight. That was what the videos were screaming.

One day the device on my wrist told me to go to the command center.

Finnick, Gale and five other people I did not know were standing in a row. What was all of that about?

“(f/n). You're part of my group during the final battle”, Boggs declared.

Several emotions flooded my mind. Relief that I would be allowed to fight. Happiness that Finnick would be my ally again. Anxiety as you never knew how such a battle would turn out.

And because I did not know what was up with Johanna. And Katniss of course. Today was their exam deciding whether they would join the battle or not.

Suddenly the door burst open, revealing an excited Katniss, although her expression changed to an insecure one.

Boggs shook his head with a smile at her behavior.

“Let's see”, he instructed her and she showed him her hand with a number on it. “You're part of my unit. Sniper special unit. Go to your group.”

That at least explained why Katniss and me were here. As far as I knew Gale was pretty good as well and I could not say anything about the rest. But why was Finnick here? His strength was combat.

And why were we in the command center? Boggs could have gathered us anywhere. Something was off. There had to be another reason for this special group constellation.

Plutarch ripped me out of my thoughts by talking about the problems we were going to face at the Capitol. He pushed the button on a strange device and a hologram of a street section of the Capitol appeared.

Plutarch entered a code and several lights turned on and started blinking in different colors and speed.

“Each of those lights resembles a pod. The pods contain different obstacles like an explosion or mutts. You cannot make a mistake. Otherwise you get trapped or die. Some of the pods already exist since the dark days. Others have been invented over the years. Honestly I created a lot of them myself. This program, which one of us took when we left the Capitol, is our latest knowledge. They don't know that we have it. But it's likely that new pods have been activated over the last months. You have to expect that.”

My face became pale and I felt sick. We were literally trapped. The games would never stop until Snow died.

Katniss seemed to realize that herself as she slowly approached the hologram followed by Finnick. The three of us each touched one of the pods.

“Ladies and gentleman ...”, Finnick began silently.

But Katniss' and my voice cut through the silence of the room.

“Let the 76th Hunger Games begin”, we finished Finnick's announcement simultaneously.

Katniss started laughing before anyone could react to our realization. “You could have saved yourself the trouble of training Finnick, (f/n) and me, Plutarch”, Katniss stated.

“After all we are the most experienced soldiers you have”, Finnick added.

“As if I haven't noticed that”, he shot back.

As a former game maker he knew what we were up against.

“Now march back into the line, soldiers Odair, (l/n) and Everdeen! I want to finish my presentation.”

We obeyed.

The questioning stares of the others did not matter. How could they not see it while the layout was so obvious to us? Being a victor really changed your perspective.

The rest of the presentation was pure torture. Standing there and knowing to go back into the arena again without being able to react to it. We had to suck it up and wait until the presentation was over.

I felt sorry for Katniss when she had to stay longer for a special order.

Finnick and I waited outside for her and she immediately enveloped us in a hug.

“What am I going to tell Annie?”, Finnick whispered.

That reminded me of Johanna again.

“Nothing”, Katniss replied. “Like my mom and Prim.”

“When she sees the hologram ...”, Finnick considered.

“She won't. It's secret. It has to be. Furthermore, it isn't exactly the same as the games. There can be more than one survivor. We just react so extremely because … you know why. But you two will go anyway, won't you?”

“Of course! I wanna make Snow pay just as much as you do”, Finnick proclaimed.

Before I could respond, an unsettled Haymitch appeared. “Johanna is back in the infirmary”, he announced.

I felt like I was trapped under the water by the huge wave again. My whole body was shaking.

Not again. Why did worst case scenarios love me so much?

“Why? What's up? Is she injured?”, Katniss asked as I was in a shock state or rather keeping myself from breaking down.

“It happened in the block. You know, where they try to trigger the weaknesses of the soldiers. They flooded her whole street”, Haymitch enlightened us.

“And what?”, Katniss questioned.

Did she not know?

“That's how she was tortured in the Capitol. They soaked her in water and then tortured her with electroshocks”, Haymitch clarified. “And in the block she had a déjà-vu. Out of panic she didn't even know where she was. She's getting sedatives again.”

My whole world appeared to be spinning. How was I supposed to take all of that?

Nevertheless, my shaky legs moved on their own toward Johanna.

I flinched when a hand touched me.

Finnick supported me on the way as I was literally almost breaking down. I was stumbling and feeling disoriented.

A few seconds away from the infirmary Finnick suddenly pulled me into a tight embrace.

“Shh. It's going to be alright”, he whispered and just now I noticed the tears streaming down my face.

I clung onto my friend until I felt safe enough not to collapse on my own.

He gently wiped my tears away and smiled comfortingly, although I could see the pain in his eyes. Johanna was also his friend.

I took a deep breath and entered the room. “Hey, Jo”, I greeted her softly while slowly approaching her.

She looked incredibly vulnerable, which scared me. I had never seen her like that before.

The thought of participating in the next Hunger Games moved to the background.

I observed her closely to acknowledge if she was alright with my actions. As she did not resist in any way I sat down next to her on the bed, pulled her into my arms and stroke her face.

Finnick rested on the chair beside the bed and took Johanna's hand.

To my surprise and horror Johanna let it happen.

After a while she suddenly jolted upwards with wide eyes.

“Shh. I'm here. I'm here”, I whispered and gingerly pulled her back down.

I knew that feeling. She did not want to fall asleep, afraid what it would bring to her, afraid of the memories she would not be able to fend off. But the sedatives were working against her.

Soon Finnick left and Katniss appeared.

For a few seconds she stayed in the door frame and watched Johanna before handing her a small bundle.

“What is that?”, Johanna asked with a hoarse voice.

“I did it for you. Something you can put into your drawer. Just smell”, Katniss replied.

She carefully moved the bundle to her nose. As I was literally close to her, I could smell the pine needles as well and could not help myself but smile.

“Smells like home”, Johanna stated with teary eyes.

It broke my heart.

Katniss and I exchanged a gaze expressing everything we could have said. We knew each other well enough by now.

“That's what I hoped”, Katniss enlightened us. “As you come out of 7. Do you remember when we first met? You were a tree. At least for a short while”, Katniss recalled.

The memories of my awkward encounter with Johanna after her striptease in the elevator came to my mind.

Johanna tightly grabbed Katniss wrist. “Katniss, you have to kill him.”

“Don't worry”, she promised.

I could see that Katniss was not comfortable with Johanna's death grip.

“Swear it. By something that's important to you.”

“I swear it. By my life.”

“By the life of your family.”

“By the life of my family.”

Now Johanna finally let go of Katniss' wrist, which the latter rubbed absentmindedly.

“What do you even think why I wanted to go there in the first place, silly?”, Katniss reminded her earning a small smile from Johanna.

”I just had to hear it”, Johanna clarified and held the bundle to her nose with closed eyes.

When Katniss left and hence Johanna was alone with me, she confronted me. “You're going anyway, aren't you? To the Capitol to fight against Snow?”

I did not know what to respond. My decision to go had not changed. But saying that out loud after everything did not seem right. Though Johanna deserved my honesty. “Yes. I have to make Snow pay for everything he's done. I'm too far into it to turn back. Though I don't want to leave you behind. But I'm also relieved that you'll be safe”, I admitted.

She grabbed my wrist like she had done with Katniss and it hurt.

“It's bad enough that I can't go, but the sedatives are suppressing my frustration. Still … You've a tendency to act reckless when you don't have to worry for someone else. You have to return. Periodt.”

I nodded.

“You watched my first games. You know what I can achieve when I want to return”, I reassured her.

We shared a gentle kiss before Johanna gave in to the sedatives and fell asleep.

---------------

Next Chapter